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.)

Background Image by Claire Lauvergne from Pixabay

This month we are celebrating the following holidays:

1. Techie Taco Days

Okay, I admit it. I made this one up… but, since October 3rd is Techies Day and October 4th is Taco Day, it seems like we should just combine them and have Techie Taco Days on the 3rd AND 4th, right? Or, we could expand it to the whole weekend. Yes! :slight_smile: Are you with me?

Related Task: get some tacos for the local techies (even if it is just you). Post a taco pic.

Alternatively, if you ate so many tacos you forgot the picture, you can just tell us how delicious they were. (Or, if you can’t get them till later, you can tell us how delicious they will be.)

Alternatively, if you don’t want to celebrate my made up holiday, then you can always just tell us what your IT Zodiac Sign is.

Alternatively, if you’re despairing that the whole world is fake, then you could celebrate Random Act of Poetry day instead, and write a poem about your despair.


2. Train Your Brain Day

Train Your Brain day is October 13th, and it is a day dedicated to getting out and exercising our brains. If your brain is already too mushy to think of any ways to exercise, THIS page has some good suggestions. :slight_smile:

Related Task: tell us something you want to learn.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to really learn anything, tell us what you do to keep yourself mentally nimble.


3. Wilford Day

Since I made up a holiday, I figured we should also celebrate one that someone else in the community made up. October 15th is Wilford Day, and as noted in THIS post, it is a day where we celebrate something that has gone right.

Related Task: tell us something that has gone right in your life, and how it made you happier or made things better.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to share something that has gone right, you can instead celebrate Janice777’s custom holiday (LINK) and leave us a related link to your chosen way to celebrate.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to celebrate some weird, made-up holiday, then you can celebrate the totally legit Badger Day holiday on October 6th. Post a picture of a badger… and, if you want to earn the Badger badge, post a pic of yourself with a badger HERE.


4. International Dinosaur Month

I’m sure we’re all celebrating this anyway, but you know, might as well mention the obvious. The whole month is Dinosaur month, so time for dino-related festivities. Pin the tail on the Tyrannosaurus, dino cupcakes, playing Dino Jump… I mean, it’s a big deal. Personally, I think way more people need to dress up as dinosaurs for Halloween. … Also, vote in our poll below and tell us your favorite dinosaur-related geologic time period. :slight_smile:

Related Task: tell us what dino-related festivities you want to participate in this month.

Alternatively, if you aren’t into Dinosaurs (!!?), you could always celebrate Cybersecurity Awareness Month instead. Tell us how to avoid those symbolic ransomware comets and live to evolve another day.


5. Cat Day

There are actually three different cat days in October. Global Cat Day is the 16th, Black Cat Day is the 27, and Cat Day is the 29th. It’s a great month to be a cat… although it makes sense. If you get nine lives, you should absolutely have multiple holidays as well.

Related Task: show us a picture of your cat, or cats, and tell us what their names are and anything else about them that you would like to share.

Alternatively, if you don’t have any cats, then you can share pictures of other pets, or AI pictures of cats.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to post a picture, you can just tell us why you like cats, or why you like some other kind of animal.


Remember to post proof of your completion of each of the quest challenges in the comments below, so that we can grant you a SpiceQuest badge when the SpiceQuest is over. All entries must be posted by October 31, 2024.

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

Which geologic time period during the Age of Dinosaurs is your favorite?
  • The Triassic Period [ex. Ichthyosaur]
  • The Jurassic Period [ex. Stegosaurus]
  • The Cretaceous Period [ex. Tyrannosaurus]
  • What? Not those extinct Mesozoic ones. Give me my Cenozoic, Quaternary dinos! [ex. Jurassic Park]
  • Quaternary for me too, but I’m more into Barney
0 voters

Feeling nostalgic? Look back on old SpiceQuests HERE .

13 Spice ups

  1. More IT security, being thrown into it, so it’s sorta a must.

  2. Marrying my wife, she’s the absolute best thing for me!

  3. Dino jump, it’s the only way to go

  4. Some of my aquatic friends waiting for food:

7 Spice ups

Will this work?


2.

Besides working in IT where you have to have an answer for the most far out questions known to humankind?
3.


4.
4. International Dinosaur Month
I want to celebrate all month since it is my birthday month.
If I could drink a beer with a Dino I would!
5.

Zoobamafoo. Troublemaker extraordinaire1

Mr. Meows. Silent judger
9 Spice ups

1. Techie Taco Days - Haiku

Code fails, screen goes dark
Taco dreams slip through fingers
Bugs, no salsa left

2. Train Your Brain Day

I would really like to learn conversational french, for no reason in particular.

3. Wilford Day

I have the Badger badge thanks to this pic from an HQ jaunt many moons ago.

Screenshot_2019-09-27_at_4.28.17_PM

4. International Dinosaur Month

Birds are the closest living relatives of dinosaurs, specifically theropod dinosaurs, a group that includes species like the Tyrannosaurus rex and Velociraptor.

The Cassowary, a large, flightless bird native to Australia and New Guinea has a very prehistoric look. It’s sharp claws and powerful legs make it feel like a true “dinosaur” walking the Earth today!

IMG_8511

5. Cat Day

I miss my Jackson so much, I had to get some of him tattooed on me:

8 Spice ups

your aquatic friends are beautiful! i miss having an aquarium but i cannot afford it any time soon…

4 Spice ups

**1. Techie Taco Days - **
Technically it’s Taco Tuesday so…got these last week at the new to me taco truck in the new town. They were excellent.
birra

2. Train Your Brain Day
Currently learning the new house. I have found so many wires and cables to no where…
brain

3. Wilford Day
Just updated my last 2016 server to 2022. Only one DNS error.

4. International Dinosaur Month
Love the new house and location but really miss the egrets and great blue herons, AKA Pterodactyls at the old place. In the spring we’ll set up a chicken, er dinosaur coop and play steal the eggs.

5. Cat Day
Barn cat does not look happy. I left food.

11 Spice ups

Thank you! It’s more time now than expense, but I don’t want my wife to know the total cost!

3 Spice ups

1. Techie Taco Days

I can tell you how delicious my wife’s tacos are… My son just went away to college this year and visited home for the first time last week. He was craving her tacos and carne asada (she’s Mexican). The ground beef tacos with avocado were amazing.

2. Train Your Brain Day

I have CoPilot now and I’d like to learn how to use it (effectively).

3. Wilford Day

I went to Atlanta and watched the Chiefs beat the Falcons. My brother joined me there from Cincinnati and it was good to catch up with him.

4. International Dinosaur Month

Rumor has it that we might be celebrating dinos next month at SpiceWorld! And we might be recruiting the SpiceBuddies to get their Dennis Nedry on.

5. Cat Day

My favorite cats:

BTW, why isn’t the modern SpiceRex era listed in the poll?

7 Spice ups

Totally, we moved twice since i had my 75 gallon saltwater tank, setup is the big expense right now…

2 Spice ups

Cenozoic era, Quaternary period actually is the modern era. :slight_smile:

6 Spice ups

1. Techie Taco Days
Alternatively, if you ate so many tacos you forgot the picture, you can just tell us how delicious they were. (Or, if you can’t get them till later, you can tell us how delicious they will be.) - They were great, time to get your own tacos

2. Train Your Brain Day
Related Task: tell us something you want to learn. - I enjoy reading books on WW2

3. Wilford Day
Related Task: tell us something that has gone right in your life, and how it made you happier or made things better. - I once convinced a boss to get PDQ deploy. Made my job much better.

4. International Dinosaur Month
Alternatively, if you aren’t into Dinosaurs (!!?)… - Stop, what are doing on Spiceworks?

5. Cat Day
Related Task: show us a picture of your cat, or cats, and tell us what their names are and anything else about them that you would like to share.


My cats Gwen and Gus playing under an umbrella. Got them as rescues about a year ago.
5 Spice ups

I replied late last month, so might as well get in early this month…
1. Techie Taco Days - We had an employee appreciation taco lunch at the end of August: they were so good! I learned that cheese on tacos is an American thing (I love cheese on my tacos).
2. Train Your Brain Day - Maybe I’ll get back to my cybersecurity classes this month… I would also like to learn French, because my daughter is (skipped from French 1 to French 3!)
3. Wilford Day - Well, it’s about time to put a new notch in my belt to hold my pants up: I’m finally losing my COVID weight!
4. Int’l Dinosaur Month - It was hard to pick a favorite period as all dinos are cool. I think I’ll seek out some Flintstones episodes this month.
5. Cat Day


This is Charlotte - named by my daughter when she was 2 and I was reading “Charlotte’s Web” to her. (She’s 15 now, daughter just turned 17.)
7 Spice ups

1. Techie Taco Days

Alternatively if you ate so many tacos you forgot the picture, you can just tell us how delicious they were. (Or, if you can’t get them till later, you can tell us how delicious they will be.)

Had some amazing tacos at a place called Taco Boy. I usually don;t like fish tacos but they had mahi tuna ones that were amazing.


2. Train Your Brain Day

Related Task: tell us something you want to learn.

I want to Learn some more scripting and automation. Finally have time to do those kind of things again in earnest.


3. Wilford Day

Since I made up a holiday, I figured we should also celebrate one that someone else in the community made up. October 15th is Wilford Day, and as noted in THIS post, it is a day where we celebrate something that has gone right.

Related Task: tell us something that has gone right in your life, and how it made you happier or made things better.

Meeting my wife. I know I am newly married but we have been together for quite a few years now. Things have only gotten better with her around.


4. International Dinosaur Month

Related Task: tell us what dino-related festivities you want to participate in this month.

Not sure honestly. I hadn’t considered it. Probably watch Jurassic Park or find a way to play Dino Crisis.


5. Cat Day

Related Task: show us a picture of your cat, or cats, and tell us what their names are and anything else about them that you would like to share.

Here are my kitties to marvel at. I just love them.

3 Spice ups
  1. I’m afraid the world is fake,
    convince me otherwise for my sake,
    otherwise I’m afraid,
    when payday comes I wont get paid.

  2. I’d love to learn to play the piano (again, so long ago I’d have to start all over again)

  3. Not much.

  4. There’s an international Dinosaur month? Really? My dino-related activity is getting rid of it.

  5. Cat’s are fine, so are dogs, I just don’t want either in my house.

2 Spice ups

1. Techie Taco Days

You had me at Tacos. Made these and including the recipe in case you want to do the same.


2. Train Your Brain Day

I’d like to learn how to play guitar or piano.


3. Wilford Day

I recently read a book called “Uprooting Anger” by Robert D Jones. I had anger issues that were really all consuming at times. Since reading this book and applying the principals in my life, I’ve discovered that I’m the one remaining calm in situations that might cause others a lot of anger. It might not be for everyone, but it really did help me and I feel much better since.


4. International Dinosaur Month

I didn’t realize dinosaurs had nations, let alone that they were international. Very chic.


5. Cat Day

Junebug cannot be bothered to help with work.

And then there were the AI generated Olympic events- Fencing was my favorite.

Or, Cats working

Or Cats in Space

4 Spice ups

I had to pick the Cretaceous Period for Triceratops alone. A generally peaceful herbivore but don’t mess with them or you get the horns!

5 Spice ups
  1. Techie Taco Days - if you ate so many tacos you forgot the picture, you can just tell us how delicious they were.
    1A - I like tacos quite a bit BUT if I had a choice between tacos and burritos… I’m going burrito every single time. My Saturday morning routine usually consist of me getting a breakfast burrito from a local taco shop. Its my favorite and they knock it out of the park every time.

  2. Train Your Brain Day - tell us something you want to learn.
    2A - I want to learn more about other cultures. I travel nearly every year and visit countries where I have an opportunity to see life from a different perspective. It’s fun, unique, challenging, but also very rewarding.

  3. Wilford Day - tell us something that has gone right in your life, and how it made you happier or made things better.
    3A - I started reading and listening to more content about Christianity. I pray daily and read a Bible study in the morning. It has helped me slowed down a little in my life and helped reduce my anxiety. I’ve found new purpose in my life and try my best to align myself with these new teachings I have been learning about. Some people may find it “corny” or exaggerated but I truly think I have reached a stronger wellbeing.

  4. International Dinosaur Month - Tell us how to avoid those symbolic ransomware comets and live to evolve another day.
    4A - I try my best to preach to end users, family, and friend about the importance of MFA and Password Managers. MFA is a great secondary wall of protection and passwords for many accounts should be unique. Using the same password for everything is silly.

  5. Cat Day - if you don’t have any cats, then you can share pictures of other pets, or AI pictures of cats.
    5A - I don’t have a cat so here is a photo of my Dad’s cat named Sadie. Funny story about my Dad and cats, as a kid my Dad said that he was allergic to cats and that we couldn’t have one as a pet. We believed him for years until we finally graduated highschool and left for college. My dad recently moved to Florida in the past few years and ended up getting a shelter cat :sweat_smile: Tricked us and then broke his own rule LOL!
    image

4 Spice ups

I still have not gotten any tacos yet…

I write.

By summoning the power of certification!

AI pioneer, Yann LeCun, claims that AI is dumber than a cat. Cats around the globe should remind Yann that cats were worshiped as gods in Egypt and they have not forgotten this. Cats are very good at higher-level math:

@cynlis I had Kali, Siamese cat for 20 years.

I do not have a tattoo, but i have this memorial. It has a paw and nose print and a piece of hair:

4 Spice ups

I’m soooo disappointed that LINK didn’t point to (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ)

3 Spice ups

I was trying to be more subtle, but this is exactly the type of response I was looking for. :slight_smile:

3 Spice ups