The Wednesday Hodgepodge (January 24, 2024)

Hi everyone. It’s Wednesday once again and this means it’s time for the Hodgepodge, in which bloggers answer Joyce’s five assorted questions and add their random thought at the bottom. Here goes.

1. Do you have a word for the year (WOTY)? If so, and you’d like to share, please share. How do you decide on a word? If you don’t have a word are you still on the hunt for one for 2024?
I don’t have one for sure yet, but one has been floating around in my mind for a few weeks. It is “Explore”. I probably should be deciding whether I want this word as my WOTY or no word at all. Or maybe something else will pop up, but I doubt it. I usually don’t think hard on my WOTY, those years when I’ve had one. Last year was the first year in a long while that I didn’t have one, by the way.

2. January 23rd is National Pie Day…will you celebrate? Do you like pie? What’s your favorite?
I didn’t celebrate. In fact, I’m just now finding out about it on January 24. I do like some pies, particularly my mother’s homemade apple pie.

3. Tipping. What are your thoughts, expectations, as to who, when, where? Do you appreciate a store/restaurant giving a “suggested amount”? Have you ever left an extravagant tip?
I’m probably in the minority here but I don’t generally tip and think it’s a stupid thing. If waiters/hairdressers/etc. need a tip, it means their salary is too low and consequently so are the prices of their products/services. Here in the Netherlands, tipping isn’t considered obligatory and is only more or less expected in restaurants. I’ve never left an extravagant tip. In fact, when I do tip, I usually tip only about 10-15%.

4. Share with us one “household tip” that works for you.
I am absolutely clueless about housekeeping, so I’ll need to leave this blank.

5. Influencers on social media are people who’ve built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a particular subject. Do you follow any influencers online? Have you made a purchase or tried something new because of that “influence”? If there’s one you particularly enjoy tell us who and why.
Huh? I thought “influencer” was just code for someone who is popular on social media, irrespective of their actual knowledge or expertise. As you might guess from this, I don’t follow any “influencers” as far as I’m aware. I have never purchased anything because it was recommended by a popular blogger, vlogger or Instagrammer.

6. Insert your own random thought here.
I’m very nervous because my care plan review is coming up on Monday. Thankfully, in addition to my assigned staff, support coordinator and behavior specialist, my mother-in-law will be attending. I have some important things that need changing about my care plan. For one thing, there’s extensive descriptions of my traumatic experiences in rather vague terminology. I’d like that made clearer and more concise.