P.S.

The butter carving was just as amazing as I hoped it would be.

Sugar

While cutting watermelon the other day, my sister mentioned something about pickled rind. It set off a lightbulb. I meant to look into what you could do with watermelon rind! I did a quick search.

The result is this:

It's candied watermelon rind, made over a day and a half.

I don't know that it's worth the effort to make it again -- the texture is good, but it's a little salty from brining and the candied ginger I have has lasted years -- but it's exciting to have remembered to look something up and to create something I haven't before. The taste is growing on me! And I snuck some lemon peel in there, too, so there's a little variety.

If you want to try it yourself, let me know how it goes.

Princess Kay

The New York Times had a story a couple weeks ago about Princess Kay of the Milky Way, the annual competition for dairy promotion at the Minnesota State Fair. 

Each year, the competition is capped by a sculptor carving a 90-pound butter bust of each contestant. The show must go on, so even though the fair os off, the carving must continue. They'll do it via Facebook Live starting tomorrow. You can bet I marked my calendar. 

I went on the Facebook page tonight to see the details and ended up watching the coronation. It was otherworldly. College students in gowns, wearing masks, talking about their love for dairy farming. There were videos with family members wearing matching shirts, terrible puns and beauty-pageant-like questions related to farms.

It made my night. I can't wait for a week's worth of butter carving. 

Scavenger hunt

As part of a friend's birthday celebration, I was a clue in a scavenger hunt (and directed him to another person who would direct him to another who would, eventually, lead him to a birthday present).

I thought it was such a neat idea and the long text conversation was so nice to have.

Calendar

Not that I am counting down the days until vacation... but I am definitely counting down the days until vacation. (Work days: four.)

'He is and he does'

This story about vanity license plates in California is funny in and of itself. You should read it and giggle.

My favorite one is someone who requested the plate "TUNAFSH" with the explanation that he is a fisherman who travels to fish for tuna, and would like people to know that via his vehicle.

"I Googled him," the DMV says. "He is and he does."

Still, they rejected it. Poor fisherman!

'Please scream inside your heart'

The Wall Street Journal has this most amazing article on Tokyo Disney reopening. In it, we learn that people who ride the roller coasters... are not allowed to scream.

Because screaming spreads droplets, which spread disease.

But what's a roller coaster without a shriek? The CEO and another top exec rode stone-faced, to prove it could be done.

And they urged patrons to "Please scream inside your heart."

So ridiculous and so very good.