Four Fun Things

lol VIP status unlocked: 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟩🟩 slamdunk!! ;)

This really was an eye opening read for me. So many problems with people with flatulence. My goodness! Guess what? Flatulence is often an issue with older people. They might try to get it to stop by taking over the counter medication, prescribed medication, and try to avoid eating certain healthy foods (forget cabbage, broccoli, or that chili you might have had a hankerin’ for). Sometimes nothing works. No one wants to embarrass themselves or stink up a public place or airplane. Really! But what should be done? Never go out? Never get on airplane for fear of disgusting your seat mate? What about those people on the airplane with very strong perfume or aftershave…how about those that are, let’s say larger who are taking up extra seat space, What about the person who’s deodorant stopped working before the flight, what about that crying baby or the kid that keeps kicking the back of a seat. Should none of them be allowed to get on a flight? These really are simply small inconveniences. Sometimes it is a long flight and can be a bit annoying but I tell myself, it is only for some hours. How about some compassion? Remember, you who are so super cool now will also be old one day or forget you are flying the next day and enjoy that bean burrito- you may be the one who has flatulence, even (horrors!). You would want some kindness, too, I would warrant. How about remembering that now?

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As a bonafide Cup of Jo reader and Connections player, I’m a little embarrassed with just how many tries it took me to solve this one, but the categories were very creative and thoughtful. I think this would be a great exercise in an English class. 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟪🟩 🟨🟪🟨🟨 🟪🟦🟦🟪 🟪🟦🟦🟪 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟪🟩 🟩🟩🟪🟩 🟩🟩🟪🟩 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟪🟩🟪🟩 🟪🟩🟪🟩 🟩🟪🟪🟩 🟪🟩🟩🟪 🟪🟪🟩🟪 🟪🟩🟪🟪 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟩🟩🟩🟩

🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟦🟦🟦🟦 Love you guys! Also for Andy Samberg as you’ve never seen him, he has a wonderful dramatic turn in the movie Lee.

Long-time reader and a daily Connection player: 🟪🟪🟦🟪 🟩🟩🟦🟨 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟦🟪🟩 🟪🟦🟪🟪 🟩🟦🟦🟨 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟪🟩🟪 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟪🟩🟪🟪 🟩🟦🟪🟩 🟪🟨🟪🟪 🟪🟦🟪🟪 🟪🟦🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟨 🟩🟦🟦🟨 🟪🟩🟪🟪 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟨 🟦🟦🟨🟨 🟩🟦🟦🟨 🟩🟦🟦🟨 🟦🟦🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟨🟩 🟩🟦🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦

This compact adult is very tempted by that kid’s tee. I could only hope to wear it as stylishly as that adorable model, though. And shoutout to the stylist, too – what a fun set of images!

🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟦🟦🟦🟦 Feeling extra proud for my first time playing Connections! But also, ty so much for introducing us to custom Connections, I am going to make many!! Also thrilled to see that it’s created by Swellgarfo, who are behind the best online Scattergories board ever. You still play the game in person with pens/paper, but rolling the letters, the category lists, and the timer are all digital. It’s especially good for group trips where you might not want to use precious luggage space for a board game, but might want to play a board game! I have busted it out in so many group settings and it has delighted everyone, young and old :) https://swellgarfo.com/scattergories/

🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟦 I <3 COJ and I <3 connections!!

ok that connections game was fun except i wish they limited it to four guesses!!!! I got the green and purple right away but then it took me 734243432 more guesses to get the blue and yellow, hahaha. So fun!

My first time playing and it shows! 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟦🟦 🟪🟪🟩🟪 🟪🟩🟪🟩 🟦🟪🟩🟪 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟦🟨🟨 🟩🟦🟨🟨 🟪🟪🟦🟩 🟩🟩🟦🟨 🟩🟦🟨🟦 🟦🟨🟪🟩 🟦🟨🟨🟪 🟦🟦🟨🟨 🟦🟪🟨🟨 🟦🟨🟨🟦 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟪🟦🟦🟩 🟩🟩🟦🟦 🟪🟪🟦🟩 🟩🟦🟪🟦 🟪🟩🟪🟦 🟦🟩🟪🟩 🟩🟦🟦🟪 🟩🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟦🟦 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟪🟩🟪🟩 🟪🟪🟩🟪 🟪🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟪🟩🟪 🟪🟪🟩🟪 🟩🟪🟩🟪 🟪🟪🟩🟩 🟪🟩🟪🟩 🟪🟪🟩🟪 🟪🟪🟪🟩 🟩🟪🟪🟩 🟩🟪🟪🟩 🟩🟪🟪🟩 🟪🟪🟩🟪 🟪🟪🟩🟪 🟩🟪🟩🟪 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟪🟪

OMG! First try! I think I deserve a prize. 😃 (I’ve been reading COJ since 2011. 💪) 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟦🟦🟦🟦

COJ connections!! my little sis got into making her own connections to send my mom and I for a while — she made some tough ones, but I love the personalized idea of this!

Not only would I find those double-decker seats claustrophobic, but who would want to sit in a fart row? The sleeping pod thing is a nice idea but you know they would charge for it and people are disgusting germ buckets so lying down in someone else’s germs does not appeal. I got to sit in first class on a flight once and it was so much nicer it made me angry. They could make all the seats on a plane tolerably comfortable if they wanted to.

Oh my, I loooove Connections (and Wordle, and Strands, and Spelling Bee lol). Speaking of which, I haven’t played them yet today… I try to grab a little pocket of time to myself each day to enjoy these games.

Watching Brooklyn 99 all the time, seeing him on SNL last weekend, and then also him in the old footage of his audition. MY GOD. SWOON. Someone get me a glass of water. I love my husband but my god, Andy Samberg, is top of my hall pass.

This was fun and SO HARD! 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟪🟦🟩 🟪🟪🟨🟩 🟪🟨🟩🟪 🟨🟪🟨🟨 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟦🟩🟪 🟪🟦🟦🟪 🟪🟦🟦🟪 🟪🟦🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟪🟪 🟪🟦🟦🟪 🟩🟦🟪🟪 🟪🟦🟦🟪 🟪🟦🟦🟦 🟪🟦🟦🟪 🟪🟦🟦🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟪 🟩🟦🟦🟦 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟪🟩 🟪🟩🟪🟩 🟩🟪🟪🟩 🟩🟩🟪🟩 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟪🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟪🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟪🟪

I love love love that you made a Connections. Purple felt instantly recognizable as a long-time reader, but blue and yellow took me a bit to sort out! 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟨 🟦🟦🟨🟨 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Hard pass on the double decker seats. The only thing worse than someone kicking the back of my seat the whole flight would be someone kicking the back of my head the whole flight.

I was so confident…and then… 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟪🟩 🟪🟪🟩🟪 🟪🟩🟪🟪 🟩🟩🟪🟪 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟪🟩 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟪🟩 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟩🟪 🟪🟩🟩🟪 🟪🟩🟪🟪 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟩🟩🟩🟩

This has to be the C of J post with the most comments about farts! And rightfully so :)

I am pretty good at NYT Connections (usually get it in 5 or less), but I was terrrrrible at this one! Even though I knew most of them! I did get it in the end but was very happy to get unlimited tries. I went through a phase of making my own as well and realized that I make them way too hard – it’s really a skill to make them make sense to others outside of my own head so that they’re actually solvable! 🟦🟦🟦🟨 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟪🟩🟪🟪 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟨 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟪🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟩🟩

I have never done Connections, so I just clicked on it, looked at all the random words, and then just clicked out, haha. The SNL50 was great. “Domingo” always makes me cringe, but Meryl joining Kate as “Colleen Sr.” was my favorite.

Having just read something yesterday about how flying makes us gassy, leather seats won’t absorb farts, so cloth seats are better, and some airlines are supposedly using charcoal in the seats to help with the smells, I am so loving all of the fart comments about the proposed seating model!

So much fun! 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟨🟨🟨

Andy Samberg’s face is an immediate mood lifter.

🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟦🟪🟦🟪 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟦 Oh, this was so fun! I feel like I earned a B+ on this, haha – I better hit the archives and study up!

I’m dying. I haven’t missed a post in 10 years and have missed very few since the beginning. BUT I am notoriously bad at word games: 🟪🟩🟪🟦 🟪🟩🟪🟩 🟦🟨🟨🟩 🟨🟨🟪🟩 🟩🟦🟨🟨 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟨🟪🟨 🟦🟪🟨🟨 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟨🟪🟨🟨 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟨🟨🟨🟦 🟨🟨🟨🟩 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟨🟨🟨 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟪🟪🟦🟩 🟪🟩🟩🟦 🟪🟦🟩🟪 🟩🟦🟪🟪 🟩🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟦🟦 🟦🟦🟪🟦 🟦🟦🟦🟩 🟦🟦🟦🟩 🟩🟦🟦🟦 🟦🟦🟪🟦 🟦🟦🟪🟦 🟪🟦🟦🟦 🟦🟦🟦🟩 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟪🟩🟪 🟩🟩🟪🟪 🟩🟪🟪🟩 🟪🟩🟪🟩 🟪🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟩🟪🟩 🟪🟩🟪🟩 🟪🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟩🟩 🟪🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟩🟪🟩 🟪🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟩🟩 🟪🟩🟪🟩 🟪🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟩🟩 🟪🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟪🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟪🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟪🟪 I

Oh we love Connections! For Christmas we make custom Connections puzzles for my in-laws (aka the trickiest people to give gifts to because they have everything they need and want!) with our children and make a big thing of setting out the game and snacks. Our categories have included so many funny details from the family and childhood stories they’ve shared with us over the years. It’s actually made us all better listeners, because now the kids hang on to every detail when their grandparents are telling a story and will discreetly take my husband and me aside later to tell us what they think would make a good future ‘Connections’ category, haha. It’s so sweet and hilarious.

Am I the inly one who doesn’t know how the connections game works? Lol? What is the goal, exactly?

My first thought on seeing those seats was that someone would be farting directly in your face!!

Can you post the solutions to the Connections puzzle? I’m having a very hard time, haha.

A 4-hour bed reservation? I definitely won’t be sleeping until 3 hours, 50 minutes into it. No, thanks.

Thank you for the link to the Connections template. My 14 year old and I just made one for each other. Great way to “connect” with my teen who has been so up and down lately. He particularly loved the category of “Things 14 year olds hate.” And I loved his category,”Things mom makes me eat.” Jo–you are magic!

❤️❤️ We have an extended family group chat where we all send our connections every day. Sometimes we also share comments about or pictures during our day, sometimes we just all send the puzzle without anything else. It’s been a fun way to connect with our family who’s far away.

Omg, the connections was so hard for me! I’ve read everything you’ve published on this blog for at least 5 years and recognize almost everything, but it took me forever to figure out. I think our brains just work really differently :) Going to go surprise my husband with a custom one for us now. Thanks for this!

When I was in college fifteen years ago, we were playing Celebrity (or salad bowl, or whatever you like to call it). One of the names was Andy Samberg. My professor’s kiddo was playing with us and when we got to the second round, he panicked trying to think of a clue and just blurted out, “it rhymes with Mandy Manberg!” We all fell over laughing. Andy Samberg brings me a lot of joy on his own, but remembering that cute memory from a sweet time in my life always makes me smile.

I’ve literally never played Connections before and aced this one! It made me feel like a member of the club. Thank you, Jo, for taking gentle care of us all.

When I read New Yorker capsule collection, I was imagining a J Crew spin on classic cool NY styles… not a New Yorker merchandise store.

Andy Samberg photo! thank you So dang cute. And funny.

Love the Connections! But I think I’m too easily offended to be friends w Fleabag, at least not in season 1. Lol

That first picture of Andy…. just.. wow. Nice. Thank you :)

I think the double decker seats seem ok on the top bunk – at least your space would not be encroached by someone in front of you reclining their seat.

Just when I didn’t think I could love Andy Samberg any deeper…

Oh how fun! So proud I knew the deep cuts. I love that you gave us endless tries. Thanks for the smile Jo!!

I hate to say that my first thought with the double decker airline seats was being at nose level with the person in front of me’s farts! I feel like model would only be enjoyable for the top seat people.

I just owned that Cup of Jo connections. No errors, less than a minute. 🏆

The make your own Connections is awesome, thanks for sharing! My 10 yr. old and I do Connections every night and I can’t wait to surprise him with a custom one.

That double decker seat concept is a hard pass! I don’t want my face near someone’s a$$ 🤣

🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟨🟨🟨 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟦🟦🟦🟦 Proud of myself for this one :) Haha

…since I cut off my own comment, here’s the actual thought: the airline seats are a hard pass for me, but sleeping pods are a great Idea! My family is going to Europe this summer and I looked at the cost of upgrading to business on the way there so we could sleep. Let’s just say that we could pay our mortgage for the entire year with the amount it’d cost to upgrade one direction.

That song has been stuck in my head since Sunday! I also agree, the

The double decker airplane…NO! Air travel is already too much like paying to sit inside of a can of sardines. Squeezing more people in to make more money is ridiculous. How about work on making airplanes safer instead? I like the *idea* of a spot to lay down on a long flight, but I have a feeling they would not be very clean in practice.