Today is Monday, October 16, 2023
On this day in history…
1964- China, eager to join the nuclear race, successfully detonated its first atomic bomb.
Spotlight Photo
Quote of the Week
“If you just set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.”
– Margaret Thatcher
Mira’s Photo of the Week
https://www.everafterphotographypnw.com/
Rachel’s friend, Mira, shares her art each week to help beautify the My Monday Memo.
A Few Good Facts
This section is an add-on from Britannica.com. Each day there is a new fun fact in their All Good Facts section. These are a few that Rachel found interesting.
There is no scientific basis for waiting 30 minutes after eating before going for a swim. One theory of its origin is an entry in a 1911 Boy Scout manual that warns of “paralyzing cramps.” (9/27)
Between 1945 and 1965 New York City held 130 ticker-tape parades, averaging about one every other month, many to celebrate the visits of U.S.-friendly heads of state during the Cold War. One week in May 1950 there were ticker-tape parades on three consecutive days. (10/3)
A myth dating back to ancient times suggests hippos sweat blood. Hippos don’t sweat at all, but they do secrete an oily reddish “lotion” that acts as sunblock, filtering out the sun’s ultraviolet rays. (10/8)
Kitty Korner
23 weeks old
Banter with Brady & Belichick
- Brady– You are such a goofball, bro. Watching you air run when you were trying to get out of the back of the couch was epic.
- Beli– I love this couch. It’s fun when I get stuck in this back part and our human comes to my rescue.
- Brady– Dude, you need to learn to cover your turds. Now that you are pooping like a normal cat, it’s time.
- Beli– I try, I don’t understand why when I swipe at the wall next to our litter box my poop doesn’t get covered.
- Brady– Because there is no litter on the wall, dork.
- Beli– But, but, I try. What I really hate is when our human follows me into the bathroom every time. She’s always watching me poop. She even grabs my paw and tries to make me cover my own mess.
- Brady– Yeah, I am not a big fan of that either. She follows me in there too because she isn’t sure if she hears you or me. See, if you would just learn to cover your crap, we’d be golden.
- Beli– I know, maybe we should follow her into the bathroom every time she goes and just sit there and stare at her.
- Brady– Sounds like a plan, it’s on. But really, learn to cover your crap.
Word of the Day
Will you find it?
As a fun challenge each week, Rachel visits Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day when she sits down to write her weekly story. Whatever the word of that particular day happens to be, she must find a way to fit it into her story. Will you find it?
HIRSUTE
Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day on Sunday, October 15, 2023
Meaning
Hirsute is a formal word that means “hairy.” It is also often used in humorous contexts to describe someone with a lot of hair on their face or body. Botanists use hirsute to describe plant parts, such as leaves, that are covered in coarse, stiff hairs.
Story of the Week
Zombie Run 5k
On Saturday, October 14, 2023, Rachel headed to South Hill Community Park in Puyallup, Washington to participate in a 5k event on the Nathan Chapman Memorial Trail. This park is located 16 miles from Rachel’s home in Tacoma. Saturday morning’s drive provided beautiful views of Mount Rainier in the distance as she headed southeast.
The event, Zombie Run 5k, was being put on by the Pierce County Parks Department. There are several 5k fun runs throughout the year and now that Rachel is dabbling in running again, she will surely sign up for more of these fun runs.
When she arrived at the park, she was shocked by how many vehicles she found in the parking lot. The 5k runs in the area haven’t been as well-attended as she is used to them being in Nevada and Utah. Little did she know there was a high school soccer game taking place within the park. This run, too, would be on a smaller scale. That was okay. She was excited to have the opportunity to participate in a zombie run. With the trail being flat and paved, she would attempt to jog the entirety of the course. This would be a first in more years than she can recall.
Rachel found a group of ladies to visit with prior to the run. This fun foursome was decked out as zombies and would be walking the 5k together. Sam, the hirsute zombie assured Rachel that her mane was usually much more under control. For the 5k, she had let it run wild. She joked that she thought the green face would work perfectly until she looked in the mirror and realized she looked like the She Hulk. Funny new friend, for sure. Another of the zombies was as new a transplant to Washington as Rachel, having come from, St. George, Utah, of all places. Rachel used to live a hop, skip, and a Virgin River Gorge from St. George when living in Mesquite, Nevada.
The event set up was family friendly, several people with pups in tow. There was a hot cocoa station, with coffee and water. There was a temporary tattoo station, several baskets full of fun holiday sticker, a bin full of pre-race and post-race snack bars, and a spooky backdrop for photo opportunities. There was a jazzercize warm-up led by event coordinators before a Halloween costume contest was held. Rachel’s favorites were the zombie bees, also called the zombees, and the mother and son skeleton duo. This mother and son were in inflatable costumes, the mom appeared to be riding a skeleton piggyback and the son appeared to be carried by a skeleton. The photo just doesn’t do them justice. The mom and son won the contest with the zombees coming in second. It was time to race.
It was a decent size group that made its way to the starting line. The fall colors along the trail were brilliant. There were zombies (volunteers) throughout the course. Some would just limp along the trail while runners and walkers passed by while others would attempt to startle participants by jumping out from behind trees. Rachel got startled a couple of times, but it made the event that much more fun.
For a time, she kept pace with a father and his two kids, a boy, and a girl. They had a perfect jog pace, and being slightly ahead of Rachel, they took the brunt of the zombie startles. It was ideal. But soon enough, dad just couldn’t keep up and lagged. Rachel continued to keep pace with the kids for a good time until they slowed enough that Rachel passed them.
She kept a comfortable 10-minute mile pace and was able to do so throughout. She was thrilled. It certainly wasn’t easy for her, but it wasn’t painful, and that was a gift. After the run she was given a fun zombie medal for completing the event. While she hydrated and had a snack, she enjoyed visiting with other runners as they crossed the finish line.
What’s next? Maybe the Reindeer Run 5k, Jingle Bear Trot, Candy Cane 5k, Santa Run 5k, Run Run Rudolph 5k, or Ugly Christmas Sweater Run. So many options and so many opportunities for fun. Until next time, be well.
