19 September 2020 - Plague Journal Day 190

Micah 6:8
Matthew 5:37
Yes, your life matters.

We all are still sheltering in place, but I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Well, me hearties, today be International Talk Like A Pirate Day! Them as talk like Long John Silver today be the lucky ones, so gab it up right proper or I'll keelhaul ye!

To make things even better, our feline friends are celebrating Meow Like A Pirate Day today as well; right, Jack, me mate?!

Today is also Big Whopper Liar Day. To be honest, I can't imagine telling a big whopper lie. I can, however, recall doing it.

I was probably in 8th grade when this happened. Dad and I were sent to "the store" to get something. (Yes, people used to actually go to a physical location in the real world and look for stuff, buy it with cash, and take it home. I know. It's amazing.) I don't remember what it was, but whatever it was, we couldn't find it at two or three different stores, so we ended up getting home without the desired item, and after a much longer time than it should have taken.
Dad told Mom what had happened, and she just accepted that she wouldn't have that item that day. Once Dad had left the room, I told Mom in my best conspiratorial tones that Dad had "misled" her. We had, I claimed, actually hardly tried to find her item at all. Instead, we had parked near the local Drive-In Theater and watched the movie (without sound) from there for quite a while. "Dad made me promise not to tell, but I didn't want to lie to you."

Fast forward to my Junior year at University. We were all driving along somewhere when Drive-In Theaters came up in the conversation. "By the way, Mom," I said. "You know when I told you Dad and I had watched a movie at the drive-in instead of shopping for whatever that was you wanted? Well, I totally made that up."
'Hilarity' ensued, as you might imagine. I'm not sure which story she ever ended up believing more, if either. Ah, memories of whoppers. (Oh, and I like malted milk balls too!)

Keep Calm and Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.

The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.