I don’t usually dread the start of a new work week, but when 5:10 rolled around this morning, I cursed. Silently, of course. I didn’t want to wake Tara!
Mondays are never great, per se, but they’re a lot less great when they follow on the heels of back-to-back long weekends. Crawling out of bed that first morning feels like a Herculean task and you wonder how you’ll possibly slog through a five-day work week after growing used to so much time off. Even if you love your job, because I’m pretty sure you also love having extra days off.
I feel bad, because Mondays already have a bad rap. No other day of the week is so universally scorned. Friday gets all the glory (TGIF!). Wednesday has a cool nickname. What does Monday get? Picked on, that’s what. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “I have a bad case of the Mondays.” You’ve probably uttered those words yourself. I know I have! Monday’s an easy target; it’s like shooting fish in a barrel.
So, I was surprised to learn that today is National Thank God It’s Monday Day. No, I’m not making this shit up. It’s all about “rewiring our minds to have a positive attitude about the most hated day of the week.” The pro-Monday pundits who created this celebration-of-sorts urge us to live our full potential, seize the day with all our positive energy, and remind us, “It’s not just the first day of the week, it’s the first day of the rest of our lives.” While I admire the enthusiasm, I think choosing the first Monday in January to celebrate is a mistake because that is always going to be the day most of us go back to work after the holidays. You’re not making that uphill climb any easier, fellas.
Did you know there’s a National Day for something every day of the year? Back in 2013, Tara and I celebrated food holidays by cooking or consuming at least one of each day’s foods for an entire year and blogging about our exploits. It would have been fun (and a lot easier) to celebrate some of these random days instead. Take today, for instance: in addition to National Thank God It’s Monday Day, January 4 is also National Missouri Day, National Spaghetti Day, and National Trivia Day. Tomorrow we honor birds, Keto, screenwriters, and whipped cream.
Maybe someday I’ll tackle this project: celebrating a year’s worth of random holidays. Or maybe I’ll do one or two a week starting now. I have been thinking about coming up with regular blog themes for consistency. Hmm…food (or something else) for thought, I suppose!
In any case, this morning I did manage to drag myself out of bed and onto the treadmill dark and early. Halfway through my trek across Portugal, I glanced up to find Sydney had decided to go fishing.
This was weird, because we’ve had the aquarium set up for over a year now, and she hasn’t once given it so much as a cursory glance. We’ve even held her next to the tank while pointing out the fish (which must piss them off!), but even that didn’t garner a response. That’s the thing about cats: everything has to be on their terms!
By the way, I should add a disclaimer: no fish were harmed in the taking of this photo. Sydney might have swatted at the plexiglass a few times, but it would take a lot of effort to actually get a paw in there, and…then what? She’s so chill I doubt she’d even bat an eye at a mouse, and besides, she sleeps 22 hours a day. I’m not too worried about those tiger barbs.
Once I got to the office and back into the swing of things, I was fine. It’s amazing how quickly we adapt to routines.
The long weekend was both fun and productive. Fun: staying up until midnight playing cards, eating redneck egg rolls, and drinking on New Year’s Eve; re-watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy (extended director’s cuts, of course); starting up season 3 of Cobra Kai. Productive: taking down our Christmas decorations; cleaning and reorganizing the garage.
I even dealt with a little blog drama. I won’t go into all the gory details because the guy isn’t worth my time, but in a nutshell, he tried to pick a fight by re-blogging one of my posts without permission to fit his agenda and proceeded to call me derogatory names. When I took the high road by reacting with civility, he doubled down on his attack. Claimed permission isn’t required to share posts because the re-blogging button is easily disabled and said, “Neither can a blogger block someone else from linking to their public blog and critiquing their opinions.”
That’s where you’re wrong, buddy.
I have never understood why somebody would get so worked up about an internet stranger’s opinions they’d go to such extremes rather than simply ignore it. That’s what I do whenever I read drivel I don’t agree with. Peace, love, and harmony. What concepts, huh?
I’ll just wrap this up by wishing y’all a happy Monday!
Mark My Words 
Firstly, when my maniac children were small I YEARNED for Mondays. As a SAHM, the idea that everyone vacated my house on Monday mornings was absolute bliss. Bring it, Mondays! Now, we’re in lockdown and have been forever and will be forever so Monday looks the same as every other day. 🥴
But. I used to be a working stiff so I do relate to this post about Mondays. Or I used to relate to it. 😄
The other thing, about the national holidays… I’ve always meant to look into this myself. Hm. This could be a fun collaboration with a few blogging peeps perhaps? Anyway, I’m just saying this because I had whip cream today but it wasn’t National Whip Cream day today (or was it?) which means I had it out of turn and now I want to write about whip cream.
Happy New Year to you and yours, Mark. 🇨🇦
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It amazes me how often I will coincidentally have whatever food is being celebrated on a particular day. Like, it was National Chicken Taco Day or something along those lines, and I just happened to have chicken tacos. Maybe it’s ingrained into my brain after following those food holidays so closely.
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Or it’s a special talent of yours. 😛
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Yesterday I came across the Thank God It’s Monday national day when I was perusing them for the podcast. I chose National Trivia Day instead. ‘Nuf said.
We started Cobra Kai, too! Binge-watched six episodes on NY Day. We stopped there because it became clear that my never having seen Karate Kid II was hampering my full understanding of episode six(ish) of CK, so we quickly streamed KKII and watched that, then proceeded with CK.
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Oh, yeah…you can’t watch CK Season 3 without watching Karate Kid II first! I think they’ve done an admirable job mixing in nostalgia and finding so many former cast members to sign on!
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Not that I don’t trust you, Mark, although I did a mini google search and yes, there is actually a National Thank God it’s Monday Day. News to me. 🙂 All sorts of info online and one source said this ‘holiday’ lands on June 7, 2021 in Canada? Another source said the first Monday in January? I stopped searching. Very funny how it is some sort of holiday every day of the year.
My brother actually sent me a text yesterday on how I should watch season 3 of Cobra Kai. Wow, two messages from the Universe. I can see my next binge. 🙂 Happy New Year, Mark and Happy Monday!
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Maybe Canada has their own version of Thank God It’s Monday. Kinda like their Thanksgiving is on a different day/month. Those wacky Canucks.
Happy New Year to you too, Erica/Erika/Ericka/etc.!
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I read your response, Mark, and I feel a little guilty about all the syllables you type out for my name – yet it also makes me chuckle – I should stick to one name, yet it’s complicated. 🙂
Your truly,
A wacky Canuck (aka Erica)🤪
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When I saw this post, I thought, “Man, he’s not blogging nearly as often as he used to.” Ha! Am I impossible to please, or what?
My sister has a daily calendar that IDs all the nonsensical days being celebrated. I couldn’t help but think, while reading that section of your post, that it would be fun to celebrate all those days should I be told I had a year to live. Great video blog or book… Hmm… I’m going to write that idea down. Crap! I hope no one else sees this and beats me to it. That includes you, Mark! {Picture me doing the whole fingers from my eyes to yours “I’m watching you” look.}
Glad you got acclimated back to work quickly.
I’m super eager to start CK 3, but have to rewatch KK 3 first. (Recently rewatched KK 2. It was good.)
Oh, Sydney, you adorable silly kitty.
Super lame about the blog dude. Seriously. Why would he care what you think? No offense, but I mean, I don’t even care what you think. 😉 You said, That’s where you’re wrong, buddy. So, IS it possible to block someone from doing what he did? That could make for a good PSA. He sounds like a dork. Glad you rose above.
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Classic case fo damned if I do, damned if I don’t! 🙂
Yes, you CAN block somebody on WordPress. The funny thing is, I googled that online and kept reading about how it isn’t possible, but then I stumbled upon a way to do almost accidentally. Perhaps I will share that in a future post.
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I’m so down with National Whipped Cream Day.. and shall celebrate accordingly.
Think I read a little of your kerfluffle with that blogger, and you’re right. Not engaging is the way to go. I have no time for blog drama.. life’s too short. Love the fishing cat pic.
👍
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If given the choice between whipped cream and a kerfuffle, I’m always going with the whipped cream!
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As well you should.
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Monday’s in January are the only ones that get me down. Ugh on the blog drama. Wouldn’t it be nice to have that much free time on your hands?
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Yes, it would, although I would choose to spend that time in more productive ways personally!
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Mark, when I was a kid, I felt about Sunday how most people think about Monday. I dreaded Sunday for two reasons — 1) because we always had to go to church Sunday morning, and 2) because I knew that right after Sunday came Monday, which meant it was the last day before I had to go back to school, so I spent the whole day thinking, “OMG….I have to go back to school tomorrow!”, so it ruined Sundays for me. HA!
LOVE that photo of Sidney! Priceless!
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Ha…I felt the same way about Sundays when I was a kid! And even as an adult, when I was working a job I absolutely hated. Knowing I had to go back on Monday ruined half the weekend for me, I swear!
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I never loved Mondays…until my kid reached preschool age. And then I reveled in being able to drink a cup of coffee and just sit at my desk in peace. Greatest day of the week.
But now that the kid has been distance learning for 10 months? It’s just another day spent making sure he’s not playing video games. I miss my quiet Mondays. *sobs*
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The only time I really ever liked Mondays was when I was unemployed and it was my week with the kids…for the same reason as you.
I’m pretty sure parents everywhere have experienced similar emotions.
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