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Welcome to another SpiceQuest!

In this series, we call out current holidays and give you the chance to earn the monthly SpiceQuest badge!

(Each task can be done at any time. They don’t have to be completed on a certain holiday.)

This month we are celebrating the following holidays:

1. Poetry Month AND Humor Month

It’s a match made in heaven: a month that we get to celebrate Poetry and Humor at the same time. :wink:

Related Task: write or share a funny poem (keep it clean!)

Alternatively, if you can’t work up the effort level for a poem, try a bumper sticker. 6 words or less.

2. Cheese Weasel / Celebrate Techies Day

Tech Support needs its own day, and that is what Cheese Weasel Day is all about. Cheese Weasel Day is usually the 3rd, but when it is on a weekend it gets kicked to monday, so the 4th this year. It is the traditional day that the cheese weasel comes and leaves cheese under your mousepad to thank you for doing such a good job. Read more about it HERE , and be sure to vote in our poll below so the Cheese Weasel knows what kind to bring!

Related Task: give some delicious cheese to a fellow techie and say thanks (digital Cheese is okay.) Tell us who you are going to give it to.

Alternatively, give yourself some cheese for doing such an awesome job. :slight_smile:

3. Scrabble Day

April 13th is Scrabble Day. A day to enjoy high point letters like Z, and look for the Triple Word Scores.

Related Task: tell us a board game or word game that you enjoyed as a kid, or one that you now enjoy as an adult.

Alternatively, if you don’t really like board games or word games, tell us about some other non-electronic thing that you enjoy.

4. Tell A Story Day

Stories are about perspective–a way of seeing the world, and a tool of self-expression, even when fictional. April 27th is a good day to tell others a little of our story, or read someone else’s.

Related Task: tell us the title of a nice IT fairy tale–like “Goldilocks and the Three Servers”–or, if the title wouldn’t be different, tell us enough so we know how the story changes. For instance, In the IT version, what kind of house do Hansel and Gretel find in the woods?

Alternatively, if fiction isn’t really your thing, feel free to tell us an IT story that really happened to you that you haven’t shared recently.

5. Superhero Day

The 28th is Superhero Day, the day to celebrate the larger-than-life characters who keep the comic book world safe.

Related Task: tell us what your Superhero name would be if you decided to fight crime with your choice of superpowers.

Alternatively, if you choose not to fight crime, what would you be up to with your superpowers?

Remember to post proof of your completion of each of the quest challenges in the comments below, so that we can post a nice April SpiceQuest badge for you when the SpiceQuest is over. All entries must be posted by April 30, 2022.

Note: As always, all entries are expected to be safe for work.

Feeling nostalgic? Look back on old SpiceQuests HERE .

What are your favorite kinds of cheese?
  • Monterey Jack
  • Parmesan
  • Cheddar
  • Mozzarella
  • Feta
  • Ricotta
  • Swiss
  • Pepper Jack
  • Brie
  • Edam
  • Gouda
  • Tofu Cheese
  • Cream Cheese
  • Roquefort
  • Asiago
  • Stilton
  • American
  • Blue Cheese
  • Colby
  • Colby Jack
  • Camembert
  • Mascarpone
  • Bocconcini
  • Burrata
  • Cheese Curds
  • Cold-Pack
  • Cotija
  • Cottage Cheese
  • Halloumi
  • Havarti
  • Farmer’s
  • Emmental
  • Jarlsberg
  • Limburger
  • Muenster
  • Neufchatel
  • Paneer
  • Provolone
  • Romano
  • String Cheese
  • Other (tell us in the comments)
  • I don’t/can’t eat cheese
0 voters
43 Spice ups
2

I don’t eat cheese. I’m allergic to it. If I eat it I’m sick as a dog until it’s out of my system. Imagine I’m almost 60 years old and never eaten a Pizza!

5 Spice ups
3

Sorry, Tofu is not a cheese. There are some fake cheeses made from tofu but those are far down the taste ladder. If I am making nachos I like the Daiya Mexican blend shreds.

4 Spice ups
4

@repairatrooper Corrected to “Tofu Cheese” to make it clear that this is the “fake” kind.

@chrishone ​ Ouch. Added an option for you. :slight_smile:

5
  1. Poetry Month AND Humor Month

You’re handed a pound, all shiny and round, as the ice cream man turns up in his van.

Bells are ringing, children singing, as you join the line. A 99 used to be 99! £2.50? That’s not fine. That flake was destined to be mine.

You settle for a smaller lolly, it fails to make you feel that jolly as you peruse the penny chews bagged and loose behind the bent figure making bigger ice creams for those with folding money, it’s not funny to go without. You want to shout, your ice cream dreams go up the spout as the van continues on its route.

As he leaves, through the back streets he weaves, you’re left with just Greensleeves, floating on the summer air. You were there.

  1. Cheese Weasel / Celebrate Techies Day

I shall give myself the gift of fried halloumi later, thanks me!

  1. Scrabble Day

I’m really enjoying Wavelength at the moment. Worth looking into if you enjoy friendly games with less direct competition.

There is a dial with a cover, that is set to a random level, then viewed by only one person. Then that person picks a card, and gives an answer to what is written there, with the dial level as a target. Sorry, it doesn’t explain well.

Basically, imagine you pick a card saying Cat’s name <----> Dog’s name, and the dial was all the way over to the right. You would say Rover or something, then the opposing team would guess that the dial was far over to the right. But a lot of them are much more opinion-based, like best movie for a date, or male-oriented profession, so you have to know the other person well enough to decide what their personal stance might be.

  1. Tell A Story Day

The BFGPU

  1. Superhero Day

I’d be called Whoops, and I’d have luck/chance manipulation, but instead of making myself lucky (a la Domino), I can force bad luck on others. Villains’ guns jam all the time, getaway drivers get flat tyres etc.

5 Spice ups
6

1. Poetry Month AND Humor Month

Bumper sticker. 6 words or less… how about 7?

Don’t confuse the issue with the facts.

2. Cheese Weasel / Celebrate Techies Day

Give some delicious cheese to a fellow techie and say thanks (digital Cheese is okay.) Tell us who you are going to give it to.

That would have to be @sal8273 , and @technical-angel , and @nikopka ​, and @mypleasure , and @cipher-0 ​, and @nic ​, @starg33ker ​

3. Scrabble Day

Tell us a board game or word game that you enjoyed as a kid, or one that you now enjoy as an adult.

Monopoly… nearly unbeatable.

4. Tell A Story Day

Tell us an IT story that really happened to you that you haven’t shared recently.

Once on a visit to a store where their computer was down… it would not stay booted up for any length of time. When I got there the computer box (think whitebox… 80286 processor and Windows 3.1)… it was buried under a mountain of books and papers… and had a CRT monitor on top of it too… it’s literally could not breathe. When I pulled the box out and opened the case… it was SOLID with a brick of dust inside… NOTHING inside the case could be seen for the dust it was packed with… totally gross.

5. Superhero Day

What would you be up to with your superpowers?

I’d want to be a mindreader… so I could tell what they were hiding and/or lying about.

7 Spice ups
7

1. Poetry Month AND Humor Month

I am a poet and didn’t know it. Kind of funny… My work:

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2. Cheese Weasel / Celebrate Techies Day

I’ll be giving myself some cheese later on a nice big fat juicy bacon cheeseburger!

3. Scrabble Day

I love playing spades as a kid and as an adult. Maybe that is why I am so good at it. :slight_smile:

4. Tell A Story Day

I’ve got nothing for this day. I’ll have to think about an IT story. It’s Friday and I don’t want to think. haha. To be continued.

5. Superhero Day

Well of course I would be Superman. I am a big fan. I’d fight crime and help people in need.

4 Spice ups
8

  1. Wanted to keep it clean but all I know is toilet humor.

  2. Digital Cheese to all the spiceheads!

  3. Recently discovered Sequence. Really fun.

  4. Where regular company value their IT staff and give them proper raise.

  5. Copied name but it would be close to the “Peace maker”.

5 Spice ups
9

@alayjha ​ for number 4 that is a work of fiction, correct?

2 Spice ups
10

Fairytale of course! Written by Disney and sponsored by Meta verse. :joy:

2 Spice ups
11

  1. Poetry Month AND Humor Month
    A poem wrote in elementary school:
    There was a young astronaut in space
    Who encountered a man with no face
    Good Sir, I declare
    Are you truly aware
    There is a space in the place of your face

  2. Cheese Weasel / Celebrate Techies Day
    I give a Ham and Gruyere sandwich to the composers of the most excellent SPARKs.

  3. Scrabble Day
    We all love SuZanne. My board game of choice is Chess.

  4. Tell A Story Day
    Jimmy Gentry was a teacher at my high school. He was a veteran of WWII. He would be invited to speak about his experiences. He started by saying he was not going to look at the audience. He did not feel comfortable looking at people as he told the story. He was part of the 157th Infantry, 45th Division that, along with the Russians, liberated the Dachau Death Camp. Aside from the looks of surprise and horror, there was not a dry eye and we understood why he could not look at the audience. Watch his story here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rhrhmaup8hU

  5. Superhero Day

Factual: I would fashion myself after my Uncle (of whom I am not worth be related to) who fought and survived the Normandy Beach landing where 75% of the soldiers were killed by the Germans. I once told him I was not worthy to be his nephew. He fought for my freedom and thus I was worthy. I still cry remembering this.
I may not agree with where our (US) troops are deployed, but all of them are superheroes for serving our country and letting us know we are worthy.
Fictional: A combination of The Shadow and Dr. Strange.

@suzanne-spiceworks

6 Spice ups
12

Can’t go wrong with a 5 Brothers Smoked Cheese from Gunn’s Hill Artisan Cheese: https://www.gunnshillcheese.ca/

  1. Poetry Month AND Humor Month
    97% of people are stupid.
    Thank goodness I’m in the other 5%

  2. Cheese Weasel / Celebrate Techies Day
    @clutka needs some cheese for a great Printer Retirement story in the Spicy Peppers Forum

  3. Scrabble Day
    I always enjoy the Game of Life

  4. Tell A Story Day
    I just spent 30 minutes trying to help someone login to a supplier site. So many times he asked if he should click on something and then clicked on it without waiting for an answer. I’m not going to get that time back.

  5. Superhero Day
    Captain Flatulence

4 Spice ups
13

I did repost the topic to Printers, Copiers, Scanners & Faxes . See Happy Retirement .

1 Spice up
14

  1. Poetry Month AND Humor Month
    I actually majored in English with a Creative Writing emphasis (poetry). I have nothing to show for it. I argue with Grammarly a lot.

  2. Cheese Weasel / Celebrate Techies Day
    I love cheese. I’m going the get a sandwich with extra cheese from my favorite deli after this.

  3. Scrabble Day
    Lots of word games in my childhood: Perquackey is one I loved the name of, can’t remember how it was played, and haven’t found it in adulthood… There it is on E tsy!

  4. Tell A Story Day
    I started college seeking an Audio Engineering degree, but the program was 1/2 Electrical Engineering, 1/2 Music and I got weeded out in the math. I used my audio skills to get a job in the student union, where I later supervised the department for 13 years and learned IT skills.

  5. Superhero Day
    Right Place/Right Time Guy: it IS my superpower

4 Spice ups
15

  1. Recycle Bin != Safe

    • @pcase2 ​ Takes bite of cheese stick*

  3. Cards Against Humanity because you really don’t know your friends until you find out what NSFW things makes them laugh.

  4. 99% of my codes in error are spelling/typing related. I have spent nearly 30 minutes to an hour a day at least fixing spelling errors in my own code. I really need to get my autocorect fixed.

  5. Well since the 28th is my birthday I’ll be called BrithdayMan of course! I will be fighting crime by shooting flaming candles at my foes out of my magical birthday cake that is never ending!

4 Spice ups
16

  1. Hard pass.

  2. Going with Swiss.

  3. Risk, but nobody every wants to play!

  4. Elsa unfreezes Arendelle’s network by rebooting the core switch.

  5. Invisibility, so I can have a nice uninterrupted day to get things done.

4 Spice ups
17

1. Poetry Month AND Humor Month

Alternatively, if you can’t work up the effort level for a poem, try a bumper sticker. 6 words or less.

‘Back off, I’m a hacker!’ (they are supposed to be cringe, after all)

2. Cheese Weasel / Celebrate Techies Day

Alternatively, give yourself some cheese for doing such an awesome job. :slight_smile:

I’ve now got a craving for some stilton…

3. Scrabble Day

Alternatively, if you don’t really like board games or word games, tell us about some other non-electronic thing that you enjoy.

Driving. Especially on a sunny, warm day. Helps to clear my head.

4. Tell A Story Day

Alternatively, if fiction isn’t really your thing, feel free to tell us an IT story that really happened to you that you haven’t shared recently.

Replaced a machine recently that was BSOD-ing due to some Windows gremlins. Pulled a recently-imaged unit out of stock. Turns out the replacement had the exact same issue, having only realised after trekking across the site (about 50 acres). Came back to the office, only to see the little note that had been left on the machine in question on the floor. We’ve now bought post-its that stick on all corners.

5. Superhero Day

Alternatively, if you choose not to fight crime, what would you be up to with your superpowers?

Help people, but without them ever knowing - almost like a guardian angel.

2 Spice ups
18

1. Poetry Month AND Humor Month

Related Task**: write or share a funny poem (keep it clean!)**

Ode to a Sysadmin

Monday morning on the helpdesk

I feel a tightness in my chest

As tickets start rolling in

I try to keep up my chin

There is a ticket about Betty in accounting

PC issues have brought on her frowning

With no prior PC experience or plans

Decided to take matters into her own hands

She spent an hour describing her finding

One reboot fixed it, nerves are grinding.

Another ticket, at the top said “printer”

Ticket accepted, I started to splinter

Is it a driver, a fuser, toner, user error?

When I arrived, overcome with terror

Quinton, from Sales had the tray ajar

Trying to retrieve his candy bar

The day is done, Out of the trenches

New laptops all gone from the benches

Again saved the company from techno-disaster

No one acknowledged my role as the master

Heading out, looking for bacon and beer

Back tomorrow, despite any fear

2. Cheese Weasel / Celebrate Techies Day

Alternatively, give yourself some cheese for doing such an awesome job. :slight_smile:

TODAY is Cheese Weasel day! I have a delicate piece of Swiss cheese on my sandwich today. Thank you and Awesome job, self!

3. Scrabble Day

Related Task**: tell us a board game or word game that you enjoyed as a kid, or one that you now enjoy as an adult.**

We love to play Yahtzee! I’m not always the winner, but always have a good time.

4. Tell A Story Day

Related Task**: tell us the title of a nice IT fairy tale.**

The Boy who Cried Ransomware

The tale is about a cost accountant who repeatedly attempts to trick the local IT department that he must somehow be infected with Ransomware. Unbeknownst to the cost accountant, the IT department has implemented CrowdStrike along with configuring their firewall to reduce the surface area of an attack and employ a smart subnetting strategy.

When the user becomes further distressed, he ignores company policy and start clicking links in his Yahoo account and Ransomware is indeed unleashed on the company. He furiously attempts to call IT and place helpdesk tickets, but alas, is ignored. The cost accountant is reported up to HR and loses his job.

5. Superhero Day

Related Task**: tell us what your Superhero name would be if you decided to fight crime with your choice of superpowers.**

“Everbright Defender” – Yes, I can fly, but can also go invisible. And I am not going to stand for any more of this crime in our city.

2 Spice ups
19

Ha ha… this was my favorite part! :slight_smile:

1 Spice up
20
  1. Poetry Month AND Humor Month

My favorite Haiku - not by me:

Chaos reigns within.
Reflect, repent, and reboot.
Order shall return.

  1. Cheese Weasel / Celebrate Techies Day

I will celebrate by making mac with 4 cheeses. Technically conchiglie (shell) pasta because they hold more gooey cheesy goodness.

  1. Scrabble Day

My mom ALWAYS wins at scrabble. She also does the New York Times crosswords in pen.

  1. Tell A Story Day

Once upon a time, an lawyer had a meltdown that NOTHING WORKS. After research, it was determined that everything in his office, including a space heater was plugged into one outlet and one power strip.Unlimited power does not apply to electricity in the building.

  1. Superhero Day

Have always been a Wonder Woman fan. My super power would be AnswerPerson. Able to answer anything, even if it’s not the one you want.

2 Spice ups