NO, A DIFFERENT, MORE DELICIOUS BUN

Happy National Hot Cross Bun Day! I don't know about you, but few things make me feel better about the start of the work week than consuming a freshly baked treat before sitting down at my desk. Like the shirt says, it's important to enjoy the little things.

Today is also National Make Your Bed Day. Do with this directive what you will. I choose to bribe myself with hot buns (or other fine baked goods) in exchange for completing pointless household drudgery.

Me, taking my post-hospital corner reward (probably).

GIF via Gogglebox Australia

*****

 How about a few famous (and infamous) September 11th birthdays and historical facts to start the week?

• On this day in 1789 founding person and Broadway behemoth Alexander Hamilton was appointed the first United States Secretary of the Treasury

• In 1972 the San Francisco BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) system began passenger service

• In 2001 19 terrorists hijacked four aircraft and killed 3,000 people in a coordinated attack on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and other targets

 • Birthday buns all around for: Short story writer and chocolate bar inspiration O. Henry (1862), English novelist D.H. Lawrence (1885), filmmaker Brian De Palma (1940), Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart (1943), actress Virginia Madsen (1961), singer-songwriter & actor Harry Connick, Jr. (1967), actress Taraji P. Henson (1970), English singer-songwriter and lead singer/guitarist of britpop superstars The Verve Richard Ashcroft (1971), Welsh guitarist Jonny Buckland of Coldplay fame (1977), rapper, producer, and actor Ludacris (1977), and Australian singer-songwriter and actor Ben Lee (1978)

• Pour one out for: the victims of the September 11th attacks

*****

Scroll on down to learn a bit about fellow Boredwalk fan Becky! If you're feeling even moderately outgoing and would like to be featured in an upcoming Monday email (and are a customer with some Boredwalk tees, tanks, hoodies, towels, bags, or books to show off), just send us an email at hello@boredwalktshirts.com and let us know and we'll send you some fun questions!

We'll be back here in your inbox on Wednesday with some more random holidays to observe, historical tidbits to acknowledge, and fun links to entertaining content! Until next time...

Peace, love, and hot buns,

Matt

*****

Becky looking stylish for spooky season in her Maybe Tomorrow, Satan v-neck tee

1. What's your actual day job and what's your dream day job?

My actual day job is as a freelance graphic designer and web developer. It sounds like it should be a dream job, but because everyone else thinks it sounds like a dream job, it's difficult to stand out in the industry (and get paid). Plus, I've been doing it for over 20 years and I'm burned out.

My dream day job would be to take my podcast, Homespun Haints, full time and just tell ghost stories all day every day. I'd also like someone to pay me to sit behind tombstones and jump scare anyone who happens to be passing by.

2. What's your biggest pet peeve?

Mansplaining.

3. What keeps you up at night?

Global warming, politics, healthcare costs. The usual.

4. What's a book you think the Boredwalk community should read?

The Haunted Vagina by Carlton Mellick III and City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte. They're both twisted and hilarious as hell.

5. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

Time travel. Not that I want to mess anything up — I just want to make more time for myself (and make wiser stock investments).

6. You can curse your nemesis with a minor annoyance for eternity; what do you choose?

I'd curse his balls to sing out-of-tune Broadway numbers in high-pitched squeaky voices — at random intervals throughout the day. Think of Chip and Dale singing 'Jesus Christ Superstar' in off-key thirds. Trust me, he deserves far worse.

7. If you could make a mundane wish (meaning, a wish for something seemingly inconsequential that you still believe would benefit you immensely), what would it be for?

I have stubby T-rex arms and tiny hands that don't even fill out children's gloves. Being a musician, this is a nuisance (I used to be a professional violinist but that's also not as glamorous as it sounds).

I wish I had long, slender fingers that could spread more than an octave on a piano keyboard, and that could play a chord on a five-string fiddle without stretching. And I'd love to have lanky arms to match. I used to watch Izhak Perlman cover the entire fingerboard of his instrument with his massive fingers, and I drooled whilst wishing I had giant man hands like that so I could do the same.

8. What experience do you most want to cross off your bucket list?

It's a hard choice between climbing Machu Picchu and riding the entire Trans-Siberian rail line. Also, I'm currently working on figuring out how to finagle spending the night in the Parisian Catacombs.

9. What is something you wish you could go back in time and say to your younger self?

You don't need an MBA. Move to Europe while you still can.

10. Clear up a misconception (about your job, where you are from, some other topic you know a lot about).

Wow this questionnaire is getting me all kinds of riled up! 🤣

What I do is a JOB. I went to grad school for it, paid my dues in ad agencies and in-house departments, and joined the appropriate organizations. I can't tell you how many times someone's asked what I do and I say "graphic design." And they respond with "professionally?" Really? Do you say that when someone says "pediatrician?" It's a job, dammit. Now pay your goddamn invoice

Why does this bother me so much? Because it time and time again has affected my ability to get paid a fair wage. Personally I think everyone in creative fields deserves to get paid more than they currently make. It's a job, and we've got student loan debt just like everybody else.

11. Where can the rest of the Boredwalk community find you?

I'd be delighted if you checked out my podcast so I can become that full-time ghost storyteller! You can find out all about it at HomespunHaints.com