Brain dump.

Taking pictures of fireworks is dumb. First of all, you miss the full effect of the fireworks because you’re watching them through your phone. Secondly, the pictures will be so lame you will never look at them.

Equally lame and a waste of time: taking pictures of birthday cakes. Yet, we all have.

You ever notice how a lot of women carry a Stanley water bottle around with them these days? 42 oz of H2O goodness. You know, in case we accidentally miss our exit and end up in the Sahara. They don’t fit in standard cup holders, and when it’s time to visit the ladies room (which is frequently because…water), the guys have to hold these pink, flowery monstrosities and try to look manly.

I asked my wife, Julie, why she always - and I mean always - has to have this water supply with her. She said it’s like a security blanket, and she doesn’t want to get thirsty. I think I have figured out the real reason.

Genetics. In ancient times, and to this day in some developing countries, women were responsible for collecting water. And how did they transport it? Large containers.

So I guess I should be grateful Julie uses a designer stainless tumbler, and not a clay crock on top of her head. First World issues…

I like words. And I like some words more than others. Some words are just fun to say, and I have maintained a mental collection of these words since I was a whippersnapper. I always laughed when Dad would stand back and look at something and say it was cattywampus. I think it meant slightly off center, so we would turn it cattycorner.

A few others I like to use whenever I can: Gobbledegook. Flummoxed. Ragamuffin. Kerfuffle. And two that my Mom used frequently: Whatchamajigger and Doohickey.

Finally, a quote I heard a long time ago that becomes more relevant every day: “When you have your health, you don’t think about it. When you don’t have it, it’s all you think about.”

Stay hydrated my friends.