Day 321 - men and toilets. Hang on, that doesn't sound right.

You may have noticed that today is International Men's Day,  a day to be aware of issues which effect men. Homelessness, suicide and mental health are three areas which have been getting the most attention today as for one reason or another the stats say that they impact men more than women. It isn't just about doing something manly, such as using some Old Spice or opening a jar of pickles. I read an article which said that online searches for men's day peak on women's day. That's quite sad isn't it? The main takeaway from this day is awareness so my celebrations were limited to spreading word on social media. It's also a reminder to get yourself checked for health risks. There's a Jasper Carrot sketch about that. He says that it is advised that men should feel their testicles at least once every few months to look for lumps, and then points out that there isn't a man in the audience who hasn't felt them in the last few minutes. (Its funnier when he says it).

World Toilet Day was also a thing today. It's all about sanitation and realising that not everyone has access to flushable toilets or even decent sanitation facilities. There was an option to twin your toilet with someone to help raise funds. My morris dancing team are helping support a local charity on Sunday I'm aid of this worthy cause, there will be a flush mob taking place in Shrewsbury if you fancy joining in. If you want more details then follow @Shrewsmorris on Twitter, join the 80-odd-thousand other people who want to know about morris dancing (amongst other worthwhile topics). For me, I'll be trying to persuade my youngest of the benefits of a toilet. She's not far off being potty trained, he sooner the better.  I found out this week that although some wet wipes are sold as flushable, the water authorities tested them and haven't yet found a single example of a wipe which can be flushed! Isn't that false advertising! 

I was hoping to celebrate Play Monopoly Day tonight but my train was delayed by an hour, again, so I wasn't home in time. I have however found our copy in the game box so hopefully we can have a go when we next have a free evening with the kids. I might pencil in 4 June 2023 whilst it's still free!

A late entry in today's list was Macciato Day. Rather than just buying I thought it might be more fun to try to make one. I used to have one of those battery powered milk frothers but one of the kids put it in the sink and it hasn't worked since. Macciato for the non-coffee drinkers out there is espresso topped with foam. To make the foam I warmed some milk and tried  blowing into it with a straw. It made bubbles alright, but big ones rather than neat little ones. The drink tasted nice but I think that a connoisseur would have sent it back complaining of the lack of volume in the bubbles.

To add to my caffeine fix I'm also celebrating Carbonated Beverage With Caffeine Day. I went with Diet Coke as the whole family will drink it. I assume that the "with caffeine" part is to rebel against the caffeine free offerings of recent years. I imagine then that next year there will be a "with sugar" variation as well. Keep an eye out for that.

Sadly I didn't get to celebrate Blow Bagpipes Day as I don't know anyone who owns any. If you have some lying about then please give them a blow in my honour. Right, I'm off to celebrate World Toilet Day some more, and maybe Men's Day with the best a man can get.