ODDS AND ENDS AT YEAR'S END

This morning I found a comment on my blog post about hobbies from an anonymous Boomer (she describes herself as a "lurker"). She mentioned a website I had seen mentioned before, but had not explored, FreeRice.

I took a quick look and found a fun vocabulary-expanding game with a charitable aspect: while you enhance your vocabulary, the advertisers donate rice to the United Nations World Food Program (20 grains of rice for each word you get right). I took a look - and it was FUN! Not quite a hobby, but a fun pastime... so thanks, Pinchrx, for the note and the link.

Our blog also brought another comment, with a game: "Tag, You're It". This is what it said:

We read your blog and Tag, you're it.
1.link to the person who tagged you.
2.list 5 weird things about you
3.list 5 places you want to see or go back to
4.send this to at least 5 other bloggers and link to them on your blog.
5.and I forget the last one. Its on our blog: www.mytripjournal.com/ourdream.
Hope we meet up somewhere!

This was signed with two names new to me, Doug and JoAnn.

I ignored the message. When we began fulltiming, I began to examine those things that I did out of guilt or obligation and determine whether or not they were a worthwhile use of time and energy. I now avoid anything that I don't wanna' do or that smacks of work - except those things that CAN'T be avoided (motorhome repairs, for instance, and cleaning...)

Chain letters and email "pass it ons" fall into this category. I simply don't. If any of you who have my email address send a chain email, you can be positively assured that it dies at my keyboard.

"Tag" was a little different, but sounded like work to me, so I blew it off. On the other hand, I DID take a peek at Doug and JoAnn's blog, Living Our Dream, and made a mental note to read it more thoroughly when I have time... we share an interest in hiking, food, and travel.

This morning I read my friend Jo Wishnie's blog, The Wandering Wishnies, and what did I find but a long and interesting post in response to being tagged! Jo, you are a nice person (plus, now I know you believe in UFO's).

So here is what I am doing in response to being tagged: providing a link to Doug and JoAnn's interesting blog (see above), and revealing this about myself: I don't do chain letters!

To all our readers, known and unknown, "lurkers" and "taggers", best wishes for a great year. We're looking forward to meeting up with you - new friends and old - somewhere down the road. Safe travels!