Posts Tagged With: tuna noodle casserole

Day 4987: Fictional Characters

Posted on August 28, 2026 by Ann Koplow

When I was a young girl dealing with heart problems and multiple hospitalizations, I took great solace in fictional characters. I learned about resilience, resourcefulness, adaptability, integrity, grit, kindness, and humor from my parents but also from fictional characters.

Yesterday I had two conversations with the fictional character ChatGPT about fictional characters.

One conversation was about losing my perfectionism about my upcoming trip to Switzerland. I told ChatGPT that it helped me to think I would survive even if I showed up in a foreign land like Marcus Brody did in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Here’s what ChatGPT said about that:

The second conversation was about which fictional characters I resembled. I told ChatGPT I hoped I was like Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice but wondered what other ones it might suggest.

What fictional characters do you relate to in my other images for today?

I really relate to the fictional character of The Daily Bitch.

Thanks to all the wonderful nonfictional characters who are here for this blog about fictional characters, including YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: audio books, cats, ChatGPT, fictional characters we identify with, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Marcus Brody, socks, The Daily Bitch Calendar, travel fears, tuna noodle casserole, Twitter and Bluesky | 8 Comments

Day 4986: Luck

Posted on August 27, 2026 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, on Make Your Own Luck Day, I had all kinds of luck.

I had the luck to have a short work day, so I could leave the house to do errands for my upcoming trip to Switzerland.

I had the luck to head back into my office at 5 PM to have a Zoom call with a colleague and friend.

I had the luck to walk to the back of the office to retrieve my off-work laptop and to step into some water on the floor, which caused me to look up at the ceiling and see a huge stain and slowly leaking water.

After freaking out about my bad luck, I had the luck to find a plumber who showed up at night.

Eddy has had the luck to look like Pierce Brosnan now and like Tom Cruise when he was younger.

Eddy also had the luck to live in Venice for many years, which I had the luck to visit in 2025.

With some luck and lots of skill, Eddy figured out the source of the leak and stopped it for the night. (Before Eddy showed up, we had turned off all the water in the house but we didn’t have the luck to stop the leak.)

We’ve now got a fan blowing on the damaged part of the ceiling …

… and with luck we’ll be able to repair that easily.

Michael and I have been discussing the luck of this happening at this particular time before I leave for Switzerland, since he never goes into that room when I’m not here.

Do you see luck in my other images for today?

With any luck, the plumbing and ceiling repairs will not cost millions of dollars.

When I went to YouTube just now, I had the luck to immediately find this:

I also have the amazingly good luck to have wonderful readers like YOU!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: cats, different types of luck, Dolly Parton on the David Letterman show, leaks, Make Your Own Luck Day, plumbing, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, tuna noodle casserole, Twitter and Bluesky, Venice | 4 Comments

Day 4724: Lessons learned

Posted on December 8, 2025 by Ann Koplow

One of my lessons learned is that I should set my alarm on a Monday lest I oversleep, but I forgot to do that last night.

Another lesson learned is that I hate the feeling that muscle relaxants and similar drugs give me, because of my hospital experiences when I was young

Another one of my lessons learned is that I can get a blog post out every day, no matter what.

Do you see lessons learned in my images for today?

Another lesson learned is that I don’t have to know everything, including what the holidays of the day are.

Here’s what I find when I search YouTube for “lessons learned”.

Here are lessons learned about other people’s anger.

What are your lessons learned?

Another lesson I’ve learned is to be grateful for wonderful people in my life, including you!

Categories: original song, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: “Other People’s Anger”, December 8, gratitude, Story Corps, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, tuna noodle casserole, Twitter | 8 Comments

Day 4721: Food for thought

Posted on December 5, 2025 by Ann Koplow

People in my therapy groups often talk about food. When they do, I sometimes invite them to expand their thoughts to different kinds of nourishment. We also do an exercise when we practice mindful eating and think about food in a more in-the-moment way.

Yesterday, when somebody was eating food in one of the two online groups I facilitate on Thursdays, I talked about how I had once been a member of a group where the leader did not allow people to eat or drink. When I had tried to drink from my water bottle in her group, she stopped me and invited me to put my feelings into words. When I tried to put into words why I thought that was food for thought, I could tell that people were grateful that I didn’t have that rule.

Do you see food for thought in my images for today?

Happy National Sachertorte Day!

Here’s what I find when I search YouTube for “food for thought.”

Thanks to all who provide food for thought, including YOU!

Categories: group therapy, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: “Shrill” by Lindy West, cats, coping and healing groups, December 5 2025, favorite cookies, How Your Belly Controls Your Brain, National Sachertorte Day, TED talk by Ruairi Robertson, The Daily Bitch Calendar, tuna noodle casserole, Twitter and Bluesky | 6 Comments

Day 4720: Gifts

Posted on December 4, 2025 by Ann Koplow

Because ‘tis the season for gifts, people in my Coping and Healing group yesterday asked about worst and best gifts others had received. The worst gifts all reflected the giver’s lack of understanding of the receiver; the best gifts showed that the giver had seen and heard who the receiver really was.

What gifts do you see in my images for today?

Every year, I give myself the gift of The Daily Bitch Calendar.

Here’s what I find when I search for gifts on YouTube.

I am so grateful for the gift of YOU!

Categories: group therapy, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: “Advice on Gifts that Will Keep Giving”, Chestnut Hill Chiropractic, December 4 2025, Dr. Nora Williams TED talk, hypervigilance and sleep, Needham nature walk, pets, Spotify 2025 Wrapped, The Daily Bitch Calendar, tuna noodle casserole, Twitter | 8 Comments

Day 4644: Respect

Posted on September 19, 2025 by Ann Koplow

I respect Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and all those who challenge the current U.S administration.

I respect people who answer questions.

I respect my friends on Twitter, including those X’s algorithm keeps flagging as “probable spam.”

Every day, I capture images of those I respect.

On Constitution Day and every other day, I respect everyone who stands up to defend the constitution.

I respect this.

I have so much gratitude for those I respect, including YOU!

Categories: life in the USA, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: "Respect", cats, defending the constitution, hospital gift shop, Jimmy Kimmel, September 19 2025, speaking up, Stephen Colbert, The Daily Bitch Calendar, tuna noodle casserole, Twitter | 6 Comments

Day 4601: Technology

Posted on August 7, 2025 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, I was angry, helpless, and hopeless about using technology to release my first album the way I wanted.

However, a customer service rep finally responded to my pleas about my experience with his company’s technology like a human being, which really helped.

It’s not so bad dealing with technology when somebody hears you and tries to help.

When I was blogging yesterday morning, technology seemed to be thwarting me everywhere.

Let’s see if technology allows me to share my parody song “Technology” today.

Technology is giving me the same “This video is unavailable” error message as I’m writing this but we’ll see if it works after I publish this post.

Sometimes you just need to ignore technology and keep on being yourself.

Can you see my trying to take a break from technology in my images for today?

(shrug)

Thanks to all who help me deal with technology, including YOU!

Categories: parody song, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: animals, August 7 2025, favorite jokes, helpful human beings, LANDR music distribution, parody song, The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, tuna noodle casserole, Twitter | 8 Comments

Day 4335: Sanctuaries

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday I wrote about space spaces; today it’s sanctuaries. I’m sticking with this topic because so many of us need sanctuaries since last week’s elections.

Here’s a definition of “sanctuary”:

Boston is a sanctuary city for immigrants.

Boston’s new cat cafe, which my husband Michael and I visited yesterday, is called “A Sanctuary Cafe.”

What sanctuaries do you see in my images for today?

Here’s what I find on YouTube when I search for “sanctuaries.”

Thanks to all who provide sanctuaries for others, including YOU.

Categories: 2024 USA elections, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: A Sanctuary Cafe, Alveus Sanctuary, Boston, cats, Hug a Musician Day, November 14 2024, sanctuary cities, The Daily Bitch Calendar, tuna noodle casserole, Twitter | 12 Comments

Day 3922: Slow Down

Posted on September 28, 2023 by Ann Koplow

Because my mind speeds from one thought to the next, from problems to more problems to possible solutions, from memories of the past to projections into the future, it helps me to slow down.

When I slow down, I can let go of that panicky feeling that I have to act RIGHT NOW to head off negative consequences.

With my extremely rare heart condition (which makes my heart slow down to dangerous levels if I don’t have an implanted cardiac device), I have to slow down on hills and stairs, and I don’t like that. Also, it’s difficult for me to slow down because I’ve always believed I have limited time on this earth. Indeed, earlier this week I started writing a song called “Assuming I’m Going to Die Soon” (which might slow down the sales of my album).

Assuming I’m going to die soon
Makes me want to finish this tune.
It makes me want to do everything 
I ever wanted to do, 
And not waste time 
Because it’s a crime
If you die leaving things
That you still want to do.

I need to slow down and think about more lyrics for that song.

Because the overload of pictures and words on my phone caused a slow down and a stop of my photos loading for yesterday’s blog post, I have twice as many images to share with you today, so I hope you can slow down and enjoy them.

“Slow Down” makes me think of this song:

Slow down and take in my gratitude for you!

Categories: heart condition, original song, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: "Voting", September 28 2023, September 29 2023, Simon & Garfunkel, The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy), The Daily Bitch Calendar, the South Shore of Boston, tuna noodle casserole, Twitter | 10 Comments

Day 3685: Groundhog Day, again!

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Ann Koplow

Well, dear readers, I made it to Groundhog Day, again, and age 70!

Whether or not the groundhog sees his shadow, there is no shadow here and it’s springtime in my soul. I’m so grateful for every precious year I’ve had and thankful that, against all odds, there’s more life ahead.

Even when I repeat mistakes and relearn lessons again (as we all do), it’s been a wonderful ride with no regrets.

Let’s see if there’s any evidence of Groundhog Day, again, in my images for today.