E. M. publishes her Sunday Ramble questions at 5 AM Pacific Time (8 AM Eastern Time, 1200 UTC) so we can all do them when we feel like it. I feel like it now…

What is at least one thing that makes you happy today? Pancakes and bacon for breakfast!

What is one thing that happened last week that made you feel positive and happy? I finished both the blog entries that I had to do for the A to Z blog on time.

What is your positive personal mantra? This is only a test.

What is the nicest act you secretly did for someone? Had a Mass said for them.

What is one hobby you would like to try? Bull riding.

What is your go-to song to belt out in the shower? This one…

E. M.’s Sunday Ramble Topic this week is all about Habits and Routines.

Do you have a daily routine that you are used to, or do you just go with the flow of the new day? Being retired, I gave up having a daily routine years ago. I go with the flow, or you might say, I wing it…

Do you do anything in your life habitually that you wish you could stop? Thinking myself into tight little circles.

If habit was the acronym H.A.B.I.T, what would it be short for? Have A Beer, It’s Time!

Are we born with our bad habits? Or do we acquire them from the environment surrounding us? Habits are learned behavior. In some ways, they result from natural curiosity, which comes from genetics; in other ways, they’re responses to external stimuli. I smoked and drank for years because my parents and most of the people in my family did; I didn’t spring from the womb with a Budweiser and a Winston and ask for a light. There are certain other habits, on the other hand, that I figured out all by myself. We needn’t go into the details…

Are you a night owl, early bird, or something else when it comes to sleeping routines? I stay up late and get up late, so I’m a night owl. Although, it’s funny, I find myself falling asleep in the afternoon…

Those are my final answers, Regis!

E. M. has questions this year about "High School Days"…

What is one thing you remember about your first day of high school? Taking the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) to and from school. It entailed taking the Rapid Transit (i.e. the train) from Loyola to Roosevelt and the #12 Roosevelt bus about a mile to school, then in the afternoon doing the same thing in reverse. I had always had a two or three block walk to school, now I was riding to the other side of town, and to a more "urban" environment. It was eye-opening.

Did you participate in extracurricular activities or sports in high school? I was in debate and band in Freshman year. My debate partner and I argued with each other more than with our opponents, and no one was happier than he was when I quit to join the band. After Freshman year, nothing.

Was Freshman hazing or initiations at trend at your high school? Strictly forbidden.

Did you attend your Senior Prom? If so, do you remember the theme? Yes, I went to the prom, and no, I don’t remember the theme. In fact, I don’t think there was one. Our prom was the night of graduation, after we had graduated. I remember at one point thinking, "hey, I graduated high school, what am I doing at a high school dance?"

Is there a favorite memory from your high school days? Meeting a girl on AFS (American Field Service, the people who brought in kids from outside the country) weekend (no, she was a girl from the area and we were classmates), slipping outside on a warm but blustery night, and making out…

Time to blow this popsicle stand…

Back again with E.M.’s Sunday Ramble! She has the questions, I have the GIF’s… This week, the theme is "Vacations And Travel."

When at the ocean, do you want to be in it, on it, or just look at it? Just look at it. I can’t swim.

Have you ever surfed or gone snorkeling? Since I don’t swim, the answer is pretty obvious…

When traveling, do you experiment with the local dining experience or pack a picnic/cook for yourself and anyone with you? When I was traveling on business, I generally stayed in hotels that didn’t have cooking facilities, so I was left to do the restaurant thing. I was often too tired to want to be adventurous, so I’d eat at a chain restaurant or have fast food. But on occasion, I’d try one of the local places, sometimes with disastrous results, but usually not bad.

What is your biggest pet peeve when traveling? Having to go through the whole TSA process. Honestly, sew a badge on someone…

Are you someone who takes a lot of photos on vacation? If so, you can share your favorite vacation photos. (If not, share your favorite vacation story.) No, I’m not the sort who takes lots of pictures on vacation. In fact, at one time I traveled so much for work that, when vacation time came around, I wanted to stay home. So did Mary. There was a time when we were driving to Chicago a couple times a year to see to the building she inherited from her parents and grandparents. We would drive from Atlanta to about Mt. Vernon, Illinois, stay at a hotel, eat at Applebee’s or order pizza for dinner, and stop at Bob Evans ("down on the farm") for breakfast before doing the second half of the trip. When we were in Chicago, we’d spend maybe an hour at the building, spend a couple of nights at the Comfort Inn south of Midway Airport, get a pizza from Fox’s one night, eat at TGI Friday’s another night, eat at a couple of breakfast places in the morning, then head back to Atlanta, basically doing the same thing in reverse. It was actually really relaxing.

Those are my answers, and I’m sticking to them…

I started messing with E. M.’s Sunday Ramble a couple of weeks ago, and am really having fun with it. I’m a Rambler from way back: the nickname for Loyola University Chicago’s teams is the Ramblers… Anyhow, this week’s topic is "Finish My Sentence." And awaaaaay we go…

The greatest feeling in the world is when I: take a nap after I eat. Which I do more or less involuntarily…

The one thing that I misplace more than anything is my: trust in people.

When I am stressed out, the one item/person/thing that always makes me get back to feeling okay is: music, of course!

When I am sick, the only thing I want is: sleep…

Whenever I feel like I am procrastinating, I fix it by: procrastinating some more.

Those are my answers. Get your own!