Spokane

I arrived in Spokane on Sunday just after noon, so there was actually a little bit of time to do a little sight-seeing before crashing at the hotel.  Luckily, one of the people who works for the company we're visiting offered to take us around to a few touristy places.  We parked and as we started walking around downtown, our co-worker-tour-guide started rattling off things we might like to see.  It went a little something like this:

Coworker:  "So did you want to see the falls?"  (The Spokane waterfall)
Me:            "Sure.  Sounds fun."
Coworker:  "How about downtown?"
Me:             "Okay."
Coworker:   "The riverfront park?"
Me:              "Cool."
Coworker:   "The world's largest Radio Flyer?"
Me:              "Great . . . wait, the world's largest what?"
Coworker:   "Yep.  You heard me."

Lo and behold, we walk around the next block and there it was: the world's largest Radio Flyer.

Talk about random, bizarre tourist attractions.  Not only is the big wagon itself obscure, the idea is, too.  Radio Flyers originated in Chicago, Illinois.  Why in the world is there a gigantic, wagon mecca playground in Spokane, Washington?  This giant wagon is actually also a slide.  You climb up the stairs in the back, you see there, and the wagon's handle is a slide.  It's really meant for kids, but you better believe I went up there and took the slide down!  Who wouldn't?

Blog Challenge "Z"

At long last!  The blog challenge is drawing to a close.  I hope you're as sad as I am.  The A to Z challenge has given me an entire month's worth of blog post ideas.  Now, I'll have to start thinking on my own again.  But hey! For all of you new readers, I hope you like what's just around the corner.  :)

Z is for: Zymurgy


Without zymurgy, I don't think the human race could possibly be what it is today. . .  Seriously.  Zymurgy is the branch of chemistry which deals with fermentation, as in beer-making, wine-making, the preparation of yeast, etc.  You read correctly back there.  There is a field of study about basically the science behind making beer and wine.

Quite frankly, I don't need to know the science behind zymurgy.  But I sure am glad someone does.  Because without it, we might not have Fat Tire (my favorite beer, for those of you who don't know).  We may not have all the varieties of wines that we do.  For that matter, we may not ever have all of the yeast . . . um . . . I mean . . . hmmm . . . forget the yeast part.  Yay for beer and wine!

Have a great weekend everyone!  :)

Blog Challenge "Y"

Happy Friday everyone!  I hope you all have a great weekend.

Y is for: Yex


A yex is a hiccough.  Easy enough, right?  (Well, easier than the last word.)  I often wonder why we have so many different words for the same things in English.  I can never come up with a solid answer, either.  Even more so, I wonder why when we have two names for something, we don't always use the cooler of them.  Nobody knows "yex," but everyone and their dog knows "hiccough" and how to cure it.

Am I the only one who thinks yex is cooler?  :)

Blog Challenge "X"

It was my birthday yesterday, so I never got around to posting about the letter X.  So I'm posting about X now, and then Y a little later today.  No biggie, right?  :)

X is for: Xylopyrography


I'll tell you what xylopyrography is and what it is not.  It is not the act of setting fire to xylophones.  (I know.  Disappointing. . . )  Xylopyrography is a fancy word for wood burning.  It originated as making larger scale art with an actual hot poker, but it has evolved into the smaller, more practical version of wood burning you see today.

Blog Challenge "W"

Whew!  Almost didn't get it done, today!  And now, "W"!

W is for: Wyrd


A wyrd is fate personified.  Ever heard of the three fate sisters?  Yes, no?  Well, they're sometimes known as the wyrd sisters, "wyrd" being in place of "fate."  Weird, huh?  Er . . . I mean wyrd, huh?

Blog Challenge "V"

I'm gonna show my band-nerdiness from my high school days.  Today's blog challenge letter is "V."

V is for: Vibraslap


We actually did have one of these when I was in high school band.  As I'm sure you can imagine, it was highly ranked on the easy-instruments-to-make-fun-of list.  It's usually played by the same person who plays the triangle. . . I think.  Anyway, if you need proof, this is what it looks like:

Now, try explaining it to someone, lol.  "See, you hold it in this hand, and slap the ball in the other . . . "

Blog Challenge "U"

Happy Easter, everyone!  (Oh wait, that was yesterday. . .)  Well, happy belated Easter!  I hope you all had your fill of Peeps and chocolate bunnies.  I know I did.  (Just kidding.  I hate peeps.)  That brings us to the final week of the A to Z blog challenge!  I hope you've all been learning and using big, new words on your friends.  :)

U is for: Uranology


Go ahead.  Get all of the Uranus jokes out of your system.  I'll wait.

. . .
. . .

Okay.  Uranology is basically another word for astronomy, or the study of the heavens.  Even though it sounds like it is just the study of that one planet, Uranus, it's more like the study of all things other-worldly.  So yes, a person who studies uranology would be a uranologist.  (Not something you dreamed about being when you were a kid, huh . . .)

I'm gonna throw in a bonus snicker word: Uranomania.  It's an astrology obsession.  Try using that one in conversation without laughing!

Blog Challenge "T"

We're nearing the end of the A to Z challenge.  Next week is the last week!  :)

Have a great weekend!

T is for: Tyrotoxism


Tyrotoxism is poisoning by cheese or milk.  I don't know about you, but of all the ways I don't want to leave this world, death by milk or cheese has got to be pretty low on the list.  It's kind of embarrassing, don't you think?  . . . Cheeze . . . what a way to go.


At the very least, if tyrotoxism puts someone in the obituaries, then there's a cool word for them!  

Blog Challenge "S"

Happy Friday everyone!  Enjoy your Easter weekend.

S is for: Soothfast


The folks at Alka-Seltzer only wish they had come up with this first.  Soothfast is actually another adjective for truthful or loyal.  Naturally, soothfast individuals tend to make good friends.

So that begs the question: what is the antonym for soothfast?  Agitateslow?

Blog Challenge "R"

It just occurred to me that we haven't covered any ism-s yet.  Well, what better day to start than today?  :)

R is for: Resistentialism


Resistentialism sounds like the belief in some sort of resistance.  If you've been following this blog's A to Z challenge, you'd already know that would be too obvious.  Resistentialism is much more sinister.  It is the theory that inanimate objects demonstrate hostile behavior towards us.  For example, you pour yourself a nightcap and jump in a nice bubble bath . . . and the phone rings.  Or when you're reaching for a light switch you've flipped a thousand times over, but in the dark, it seems like it keeps dodging your blind hand.  Or this is classic.  The traffic lights always seem to turn red when you're in the biggest hurry.

Resistentialism is the honest belief that these objects really are out to get you and that the seemingly inanimate are anything but.

So time to share.  :)  What inanimate object/occurrence makes you question your level of resistentialism?  I used to have a car with a faulty security system and sometimes wouldn't start because of it.  It always seemed to happen when I was on my way to work, LOL.

Blog Challenge "Q"

I wonder if any of you have been waiting to see what "Q" has in store.  Well, wait no longer!

Q is for: Qualtagh


(Not what you were expecting, was it?)  A qualtagh is: "the first individual a person meets after exiting his or her house."  In other words, you could be anyone's qualtagh on any given day!

If you ask me, it's kind of weird that you could possibly be anyone's anything without even realizing it.  Now that you've read this post, you know it, but you can't help it.  You will be someone's qualtagh again, soon.  Creepy, huh?

Anyway, I hope you learned an interesting new Q word.  Oh, and it's pronounced "qual" (like quality) "tagh" (like "tag, you're it"), with a silent "h".  Qualtagh.

Blog Challenge "P"

Earlier in the A to Z blog challenge, I brought up the word echopraxia.  It's not much of a stretch to relate today's word to it:

P is for: Pandiculation


Pandiculation is a word for stretching, often associated with yawning.  Just think.  If you were sitting in the front of a meeting or classroom, you could give a fake yawn and stretch and start an echopraxia and pandiculation wave.  Ha!  Have fun with that one.  :)

Quick note about pandiculation.  It does not have a verb form.  In other words, you can't say "pandiculate" in place of stretch.  Sorry, doesn't work.  But yay you, for thinking it if you did!

Blog Challenge "O"

Today's word is pretty cool.  As a matter of fact, you probably use one of these almost every day!

O is for: Octothorpe


An octothorpe is one of these bad boys: #.  An octothorpe goes by many names, none really more correct than the next: pound sign, hash sign, hex, sharp, number sign, and even thud in some remote instances.  It's really just whatever you prefer to say.

However . . . 


Octothorpe is actually the least ambiguous of them all.  Pound, hash, hex, sharp, and thud are all homonyms.  Octothorpe is not, which makes it the clearest choice!  Aren't you glad you now know?  :)

Blog Challenge "N"

Bah!  I totally forgot to post yesterday for the blog challenge!  Today is the makeup for yesterday.
(And for the two blog awards I got this week, I guess I'll save them for next Sunday.  I meant to do them today, but that didn't work out like I planned, did it?  LOL)

N is for: Nudiustertian


Nudiustertian is a word that basically means the day before yesterday.  Nudiustertian is really of or relating to the day before yesterday.  It's kind of tough to use, but I'll try to explain it.

Usually, one would say "nudiustertian" along with "in the" like "in the nudiustertian."  It's best used in beginning a story or explanation.  For example:

     "In the nudiustertian, I was driving to the store when I saw a peculiar bird perched on the telephone wire."
     "In the nudiustertian, I was making my way into the kitchen towards my morning coffee when I stepped on a creaky floorboard."

Unfortunately, nudiustertian is only an adjective, not a noun.  So you can't say "nudiusterday," thinking it's the day before yesterday.  It is not.  However, if getting a word into the dictionary is on anyone's bucket list, maybe you should try this one.

Blog Challenge "M"

Today officially marks the halfway point of the A to Z blog challenge.  I hope you've learned a thing or two along the way!

M is for: Mogigraphia


Mogigraphia is the medical term for writer's cramp.  It doesn't really happen all that much any more, since most "writing" is done on computers these days.  (Now, you get carpal tunnel syndrome from typing . . .)  But I can only imagine how terrible it must have been for any professional writer up until the typewriter was invented.

That's not to say that is isn't ever an issue.  I seem to recall several essay-style exams in college which ended in mogigraphia!

Blog Challenge "L"

I'd like to thank everyone who has stopped by my blog since the kickoff of the A to Z challenge.  Thank you as well for commenting!

L is for: Lardaceous


Lardaceous means "fatty."  In case you haven't guessed, it's base word is "lard" followed by something you might hear a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle say.  Lardaceous!

Let's see . . . what kinds of things are lardaceous?  How about a well-marbled steak?  Or how about Marlon Brando in his old age?  I can't think of a practical use for this word, but if you have any suggestions, please share!

Blog Challenge "K"

The A to Z blog challenge letter today is "K."  I just thought I would share that "K" just happens to be one of my least favorite letters to get in Scrabble.  So there.

K is for: Kinkle


Before your mind wanders, take note that "kinkle" is not a kinky way to tinkle.   (I know it sounds a little misleading.)  The meaning of "kinkle" actually makes a little bit of sense.  A kinkle is a small kink.  So if you have a slight kink in your neck, you could actually say you have a kinkle in your neck.  If you're having a bad hair day and your hair is full of kinks, you could call it kinkly.

I dare you to find someone and tell them their hair looks kinkly.  Careful, you might get slapped!

Blog Challenge "J"

Today, the word is a little more useful than the one from yesterday.  It's a word for something most of us do almost every day:

J is for: Jentation


Jentation is a fancy word for the first meal of the day, a.k.a. breakfast.  It is not at all commonly used, but feel free to start a breakfast-naming-revolution!

Lately, I've been on an oatmeal with blackberries kick for breakfast.  Do you sit down for jentation every day?  If so, what's your favorite thing on the menu?

Blog Challenge "I"

Onward to part 9 of the A to Z blog challenge:

I is for: Iceblink


Iceblink is a noun for a yellowish glare on the underside of a cloud, signifying ice beyond the visible horizon.  I know that seems pretty obscure, but bear with me.  What I really want you to take from this is the occurrence of a very rare phenomenon: an iceblink rainbow.

An iceblink rainbow is basically a white-ish colored rainbow, caused in part by iceblink.  Pretty cool, huh, a white rainbow?  I think it is.  Here is one of the few pictures I could find of one:

Happy Monday!

Blog Challenge "H"

I don't usually post on the weekends, but since I'm in the A to Z blog challenge, here we are!  Saturday and posting!  :)

H is for: Hapax


I thought I would take a break from possibly useful words to bring you a rather interesting one: hapax.  It's pronounced like "happens,"  but with an "x" at the end, sort of like "happex."  A hapax (or hapax legomenon) is a word that appears only once in a body of [writing] work.  Weird, huh?  And it happens a lot more than you might think, too.  Statistically speaking, if you were to count the numbers of occurrences of every word in a piece of literature, roughly 40 to 60 percent of the words are hapax legomena.

Need proof?  78% of the words in this post are a hapax.  (Longer bodies of work are closer to that stat.)

Good luck finding common use for this bit of knowledge, but if it's ever your million-dollar question on a game show or something, send me a postcard, would ya?  :)  (And a shoe box full of hundreds, LOL.)

Have a great weekend!