Writing

Do you all remember that song that had these lyrics? It’s in the song “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz. 

Sometimes, though, I really do just throw my hands up in the air! 

When I first came up with these topics for this year’s 20 Days of Chill, I honestl;y had no idea what I wanted to do for it. Alas, I can’t say I threw my hands up in the air, but I think it’s fitting to end the 20 Days of Chill with that vision. 

Ending isn’t just for the 2024 challenge, rather for the whole thing. 

I mean, it’s not like I wouldn’t think about bringing it back if I deemed it could work, but the reality is … this one isn’t quite there anymore. 

Blogging has changed. 

My goal with blogging has always been to do things more on a personal level. I don’t really blog the hot topics or themes. I don’t have the click world headlines and such. I just kind of blog. 

Years ago, you would get a lot more interaction. And hey – I’m just as guilty of this as anybody else. I don’t always go and read a lot of blogs. It’s actually one of my goals for 2024 and beyond. I miss reading other blogs as there are some good ones out there. The reality is though, outside of a few folks, not a lot of people will come back to yours. Again, I can be guilty of this (I do always try and get back… even if weeks later!) and that can hurt interaction. 

But challenges aren’t easy. Look at the monthly photo contest. We used to have more people involved. Now it’s just a few of us who keep doing it. The 20 Days of Chill used to be a lot more active and interactive. I conquered most of the challenge solo this year. That’s fine, by the way, as it got me writing again. I’ve tried to run a few other challenges that never got too far off the ground. 

Maybe I’m running them wrong. Maybe I don’t have a reach. Maybe those reading the submissions of others just wouldn’t have the interest. 

And that’s fine, too. 

So this is the end of the 20 Days of Chill Challenge (at least for now). I don’t see me doing it next January, though things can change. I just know that sometimes things run their course and it seems like the 20 Days of Chill has done just that. 

For those who have participated at any given time since we started it – thank you. It’s been a lot of fun!

Linkup for Day 20:

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook

If you follow the blog at all, you knew there would have to be a dog-specific theme during this challenge.

I honestly can’t remember my thought process with this as a theme though!

Alas, the theme is bark or dog or something along those lines. I have to say this when it comes to barking: I got pretty lucky with Harper. She’s really not much of a barker.

She does it a bit if her friends are visiting and they are playing and they bark at something. And, sometimes she will bark out the window at people or another dog walking by. Though, I have to be honest, I think a lot of that is because she wants to go meet them!

Even at a young age, Harper didn’t show her voice. And I can appreciate that. I have a hard time with dogs who bark a lot (it’s the reason there are certain breeds of dogs I couldn’t own). I have a hard time with babies who cry all the time, too, which is probably one reason it’s good I never had kids!

Still, a dog needs to have a voice. And she has one, that’s for sure. Thankfully, though, it’s not often shown!

Outside of that, we’re just a few months away from Harper’s third birthday. How is that even possible?

And just a couple of months out of that, she will have been with us for three years. That is even more mind blowing.

She’s come a long way. I’ve seen some calmness in her as she ages, but she’s still got a lot of puppy left in her. One thing I want to do this summer is work on a few other tricks and such, to keep working on her mind.

I also want to make sure this summer that I get her dock diving a little bit more than we did last year. I know she truly loves doing that, even if it’s just a few jumps and then swimming around and chasing me or her toy! I’ve even thought about possibly putting her into a couple of competitions, depending on if I feel she can do it without it being added stress, and keeping it way more fun.

If you have a dog, make sure you give it some extra pets and treats and realize how blessed you are to have such a wonderful animal in your life. They aren’t with us near long enough, so cherish all the time you have with them!

Linkup for Day 19:

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Tests that are supposed to tell you about who you are have always intrigued me. That includes personality tests, or IQ tests, or just basic ones. 

I’m always curious how they work and how they would do for an individual. It’s very rare I take one as they usually want money at the end. But, for the sake of this challenge, this theme, and this post, I decided it was time. 

Let’s turn to 16personalities.com. 

This personality test didn’t take too long and I tried to avoid answering with the “neutral” choice too often. There were times, however, that it was just something I had to do. In the end, it gave me some “information.” Let’s check out the results. 

My personality type: Adventurer (ISFP-T)

Adventurers are flexible and charming, always ready to explore and experience something new.

My thoughts: I guess I can see that somewhat. I can be, at times, flexible. I do love to explore and I will try new things. But I don’t think I am always up for those things, so … I can see it to a point. 

Energy
65 percent introverted; 35 percent extroverted. 

Introverted individuals tend to prefer fewer, yet deep and meaningful, social interactions and often feel drawn to calmer environments.

My thoughts: I’d agree with this, especially as I get older. Take for example going to baseball games. I love going, but I truly loathe full and crazy stadiums. I like when there are smaller crowds and I can breathe a little. I also have a hard time with “small chat” anymore. 

Mind
51 percent observant; 49 percent intuitive

Observant individuals are pragmatic and down-to-earth. They tend to have a strong focus on what is happening or very likely to happen.

My thoughts: I guess I can see this. It’s basically in the middle, but I do tend to “people watch” and observe a bit more. 

Nature
59 percent feeling; 41 percent thinking. 

Feeling individuals value emotional expression and sensitivity. They place a lot of importance on empathy, social harmony, and cooperation.

My thoughts: I actually wonder if the gap on this one shouldn’t be a little bit wider. I feel, again as I’ve gotten older, I am definitely more like this. 

Tactics
60 percent prospecting; 40 percent judging

Prospecting individuals are very good at improvising and adapting to opportunities. They tend to be flexible nonconformists who value novelty above stability.

My thoughts: I always feel I have been able to adapt. Sometimes I can improvise. And while I want to believe I am flexible, I can’t agree that I fully value novelty over stability. As for being a nonconformist … I think we would all like to be that way, but we all tend not to in certain situations. 

Identity
65 percent turbulent; 35 percent assertive

Turbulent individuals are self-conscious and sensitive to stress. They feel a sense of urgency in their emotions and tend to be success-driven, perfectionistic, and eager to improve.

My thoughts: I would say this is probably close to what I am. Definitely stress. Definitely try to be success-driven, and though I won’t attain it, I’d say I try to be a perfectionist. I also am always looking to get better at things.

I’d like to think that this personality test somewhat captured me. I was as honest as I could be with all of the questions, and I worked to make sure I actually didn’t just put “neutral” for every answer. Some of the questions actually made me think a little.

Now, does a test like this shape who I am in a different way? I don’t think so. But at the same time, it does give you something to think about.

There is a lot more on the website about this personality. It would be hard for me to really dive into all of it in a blog post — but maybe in the future. One thing did make me chuckle, though.

“Unassuming and humble, ISFPs tend to see themselves as “just doing their own thing,” so they may not even realize how remarkable they really are.”

I don’t think who I am or anything I do is remarkable. But the part where it says they see themselves as just doing their own thing — that’s me to a T. I’ve often said that about myself, so it was something interesting.

So how about all of you? Any personality tests? And how did it do?

Linkup for Day 18:

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What’s your emoji?

What’s an emoji for? 

Oh that crazy world of faces and different objects in a text message. I had plans for this post, and I hope I can pull it off OK. I couldn’t do it how I had originally planned as there were no guarantees when it came to people being able to see it. 

So, I had to do it a little differently. Here’s hoping my little emoji “story” comes out OK for you to read!

So what’s your emoji?

Linkup for Day 16:

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Faceboo