Odds and Ends...

 

Now that the Fair is over, I wanted to look back and reflect on all the activities and events of the past couple weeks. I am really glad I decided to share my event space with diaryainzon and her Writing Club. I had a pretty large lot at one end of the fairgrounds, and collaborating with Di made things a lot more fun. Her gypsy-caravan vibe was a nice contrast to my event space that featured sports events, podcasts, and movies on a somewhat regular basis.

My watch party for the Steelers-Texans game was a highlight during the fair. We started out with a small group of fans, some wearing Steelers gear. More people joined throughout the evening, and others drifted through and chatted for a while before departing.

Geomite showed up wearing a number 77 Steelers jersey, and he proceeded to give the ladies in attendance black-and-gold cheerleading outfits. Amen, brother! Droopy & Orielle rode up on a scooter and promoted Droopy Radio before skadoodling away. "Skadoodling" is a word I cannot take credit for, however. That belongs to Di.

Although the game turned out to be a dud for Steelers fans, I realized a bigger truth about the evening. Various friends and random people showed up to chat, mingle or just drop in for a bit, and it was a microcosm of why we love this virtual world so much. I always laugh when reading YT comments about us being trapped in an endless, dystopian "doom loop" on there; nothing could be further from the truth.

Gabby095 also picked up on the same vibe I did during the watch party, although he explained it much better than me. Here is his description of that night...

Club Fair: NFL Match

Regarding the Fair's ending, I have decided to keep my Words and Lyrics Clubhouse out for an entire month. A couple days after the Fair began, I was chatting with Christone and she wondered why we had to decorate so much only to take it all down after a week or so -- totally agree. Maybe next year the Fair can be scheduled for two weeks.

A couple days after the Fair concluded, I decided to screen The Room at my Clubhouse. And this movie holds up extremely well on repeated viewings. Polyphia and I were constantly cracking up at all the unintentional madness in this film, and Slots appeared to be in awe as well. ME UNDERWEARS!! lol

"Me Underwears" Scene

Whenever I attend a writing conference, I consider it a success if I learn two or three new things to use in my writing. The same holds true for books and magazines; I subscribe to Writer's Digest and found something useful recently. In the January/February, 2026 issue, publishing expert Simon Van Booy discusses ways to take your protagonist and use physical items to make him/her a more fully formed character in your mind. Here are some of his steps...

1. Go to a thrift store and buy your character's favorite outfit. Hang it in your writing space and write about why it's their favorite outfit.

2. Get some perfume/cologne samples and put them on the clothes. Don't choose your favorite scent -- choose theirs.

3. When you go shopping, before you get your stuff, push a cart around the store and shop like your character. What do they buy and why?

Good advice from Simon, and I think I will try this for my next writing project.

Something I still enjoy doing is sending postcards to friends and relatives when traveling on vacation. When I visited Niagara Falls in 2017, one of my thereian friends was delighted to get my postcard because it was the first one she had ever received!

Check out this recent article on the resurgence of hobbies like scrapbooking, pen-pal writing, and other stuff that requires a pen and paper. Very analog, yes, but often quite enjoyable. I found the "Lucky Duck Mail Club" of particular interest in the article. The club is a monthly "subscription-based service that sends participants a piece of her (KiKi Klassen) art, an inspiring quote and message."

Letter Writing Enjoys Revival

An era ended in Pittsburgh recently when Mike Tomlin stepped down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was a remarkably steady tenure that began in 2007 and lasted until January 13th, 2026. Coach Tomlin never ONCE had a losing season in his career and won Super Bowl 43 in 2009. Coaches in Pittsburgh tend to stick around for a while; in fact, the Steelers have had only three of them since January 27th, 1969. Update: The Steelers hired Mike McCarthy as their head coach on January 24, 2026.

Coach Tomlin was also well known for his way with words. He was always good for a quote, and his unique, catchy phrases became known as "Tomlinisms." In a closing tribute to Coach T, here are a few of his more memorable quotes...

“The Standard is the Standard.”
Tomlin’s signature mantra, meaning expectations never change regardless of injuries, circumstances, or who’s in the lineup.

“We don’t live in our fears.”
A reminder that aggressive football always beats hesitant football.

“Excuses are the tools of the incompetent.”
A foundational belief that shaped the Steelers’ locker‑room culture.

“We want volunteers, not hostages.”
Commitment must be chosen, not forced — a classic Tomlin leadership line.

“I’ll tolerate you until I can replace you.”
Delivered with a smile, but always honest about accountability.

“There’s a fine line between drinking wine and squashing grapes.”
Tomlin’s poetic way of saying success and failure are separated by the smallest details.

“It’s like elevator music — you hear it, but you don’t hear it.”
His way of acknowledging outside noise without letting it matter.

“We’re going to smile in the face of adversity.”
A rallying cry for toughness, composure, and belief in preparation.

James Harrison's Epic Interception Return in Super Bowl