Do you know what you were doing on Tuesday, July 11, 2023?
Probably not. Unless there was a memorable event on that date – say a birthday or anniversary – you’re not likely to remember a random nearly-two-year-old weekday. (It is National 7-Eleven Day though, so you might have been sucking down a Slurpee if you’re into that kind of thing.)
I don’t remember much about that day either, but I can tell you one thing: I solved my Wordle that morning. I know this because it was the beginning of a 674-day winning streak…one that finally came to a crashing halt today.
Tara had been outside, watering the garden. When she came back in, I turned to her all serious-like and said I had terrible news, that something horrible had happened. I didn’t mean to scare her, but I don’t even think I was over-exaggerating. (Much, anyway.) I was truly devastated to lose this streak, and when I told Tara what had happened, her “Nooooo!!!” was every bit as loud as mine had been moments earlier.
Sorry, neighbors.
There I was, down to my sixth and final guess. I’d exhausted what I thought were all the possibilities, so I confidently plugged in my guess…and was actually shocked when I saw it wasn’t correct. I’ve come close to losing a bunch of times over the past 1 year, 10 months, 1 week, and 2 days, but I always knew my streak was in jeopardy on those occasions and played very cautiously. This time, I was blindsided. Never saw it coming.
My bad.
About the only silver lining in this cloud? At least there’s less pressure now. If I lose in a week, oh well, goodbye seven-day streak. Big whoop.
Man, I wanted to hit 700, though.
I don’t wanna be another Sisyphus
I have, in years past, declared a war on dandelions. They were the bane of my existence in Rapid City, which is pretty funny in retrospect, as our yard was a lot tinier than this .8-acre behemoth in Wisconsin.
Dandelions, it turns out, are the cockroaches of the weed world. They’re almost impossible to get rid of; I’d yank them out in the morning, leaving a big ol’ hole in the grass, and by that afternoon they’d be coming up in the exact same spot again. I felt like Sisyphus, caught in an endless loop of futility, so eventually I gave up and decided to make peace with dandelions. I could be all noble and say I did it to help out the bees, but really, I did it to help out the knees. Weed-pulling involves a lot of bending, you know!
I caved one day last week because the dandelions are out of control this spring. But then I un-caved the next day because our yard is just way too big to keep on top of them. It’s just not worth it to spend 3-4 hours in the hot sun, only to have all your work undone within 24 hours.
You’re welcome, pollinators.
Bad news: Reed Timmer’s in town
So, Reed Timmer is in Wisconsin today. This does not bode well for us.
If you’re unfamiliar with the name, Reed Timmer is an “extreme meteorologist” and storm chaser who travels the country in his tricked-out Dominator 3, a heavily armored pickup truck, intercepting tornadoes (mostly), but he’s also chased hurricanes and blizzards. You think I’m a weather geek?! I’ve got nothin’ on Reed Timmer.
Every day he purposely puts himself in harm’s way, traveling to wherever the action is. The guy’s a total badass, but also, crazy AF.
He’s starred in the Discovery Channel’s reality television series Storm Chasers, the documentary film Tornado Glory, and the TV series Tornado Chasers. I’ve been following him on Facebook and Instagram for years. I have no idea how the guy actually earns a living, but what a job, huh?
The fact that he’s in Wisconsin today means there’s a decent chance of severe weather.
We’re not panicking or anything, even after a local meteorologist posted, Tornadoes, very large hail and hurricane force winds are possible. I don’t say this lightly. Meteorology is an inexact science. They were forecasting severe storms one day when my parents were visiting and we didn’t even get a drop of rain. The same thing could happen today! Hell, just writing this post probably means the whole thing will be a bust.
All we can do is keep a close eye on the weather and prepare to take action if necessary. At least we’re both working from home; if we have to take shelter in the basement, I’m already there!
I’ll keep a pair of shoes nearby just in case.
Mark My Words 
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