1. What does adventure mean to you? 

Hmm, I suppose when I hear it, I think about how, when we are on vacation, we will explore a place. And sometimes that means changing plans and finding new spaces and going off the beaten path. I’m usually very planned out but I like having an adventure now and then.

2.  What are your thoughts on tipping? What businesses or service providers do you regularly tip? Do you resent being asked if you’d like to add a tip? What about when a suggested amount is presented? 

I kind of agree with other countries that we shouldn’t do it because it created a culture of assumption. For example, if I pick up a pizza from a place and your POS defaults to leaving a 20% tip, I always hit 0 because, how dare you. Your job was to make the pizza. I came and got it. What the heck am I tipping for? I do tip at restaurants and breweries but again, I get mad if the default tip starts at 20% or higher. Nope. My rule of thumb is to divide by 6, which is roughly 18%. If a waitress is particularly rude or inattentive, I will go down to 15%. I once left zero tip but that was a special situation where nothing went right AND she was rude.

3. I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream…do we? Is ice cream a favorite treat at your house? What’s your favorite flavor? Regular, soft serve, gelato, sherbet, or some sort of non-dairy version of ice cream…what’s your pleasure? 

We have it now and then but not often. We do have some in there now and I’ll get Publix brand when it is on sale. My personal favorites include anything with cherries or caramel. The kids like cookies and cream. I guess I’d probably opt for gelato but we just don’t eat sweets often at all!

4. What’s your ‘back in my day, we____________________ ‘ story or saying?

We didn’t have constant contact with everyone and/or didn’t live IN our phones. I’ve been really irritated lately with other drivers and it’s clear everyone is on their damned phones. Nothing in there is more important than your current task of the collaborative effort of driving. I keep seeing people go from the far right turn lane ALL the way to the left hand lane. Like, wtf? Did you leave your house and have no idea where you were going? Gas is too expensive to just joy ride. All I can assume is they had to check their stupid tik tok or some such nonsense. I know I went off on a rant there but it really pisses me off.

5. Somehow this is our last Hodgepodge in the month of June. Next week’s Hodgepodge lands in July. Wow. Sum up your June using three adjectives. 

Fast, cycling, worry

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

It’s 5:30 PM and I am just now getting to #6 here; I did the others yesterday. We had so much going on yesterday – Ash came home and rode the bike, then we had a brew club ec meeting and then another meeting with our friend to bang out RAGBRAI details. Long night! Then this morning, we woke up at 5 to get started with our 60 mile ride. I felt fantastic on it, too! We did 35 miles straight, then stopped for a biscuit, then did 15, stopped for a couple eggs and toast, then the last 10. Got home around 12:30 and packed up for the boys’ trip. We got the rental and the kids from camp, then four of us had Mexican and then Ash and Isaac were off! I took Dakota to Target after and its’s been raining every since. I came home and took a bath because it just felt right, now I am off to, well, do nothing!