MelaniePenelope

Saturday 9: Ooh La La

Well, well, well. As she says, "It's Britney, bitch."

Welcome back, playas. It's Friday, just after 1800 MST. (Speaking of which, we've lived in Idaho over two years, and I still forget about the time change. My East Coast pals, of which I have many, are not always amused by this!)

Anyway.

Let's get started. Link up here if you want to link up with Crazy Sam and the rest of the gang this week for another fun round of Saturday 9. Sam never disappoints.

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Saturday 9: Ooh La La (2013)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.


1) "Ooh la la" is defined as an interjection said when you think someone or something is "surprising, unusual or attractive." Looking back over this week, did you come across anything that deserves an "ooh la la?"

I guess? Kinda? I just learned last night that Ravelry, the fiber arts (think knitting, crochet, etc.) community of which I have been a member since October 2007, has banned all support for POTUS #45. Their statement reads:

"We are banning support of Donald Trump and his administration on Ravelry. We cannot provide a space that is inclusive of all and also allow support for open white supremacy. Support of the Trump administration is unambiguously support for white supremacy. For more details, read this document: https://ravelry.com/content/no-trump"

I love this!  Personally, I'm with them, but the rest of the fiber community (and yes, it is immense, for those of you not in the know), is all unraveling over it. My interest in this whole situation is certainly piqued.

2) In this song, Britney Spears sings that she's eager to accompany you, even if you're not a millionaire. But let's say you suddenly become really rich. What's the first leisure trip you would take with your new funds? Who would you bring along?

I would want to head to Japan with hubs. We'd probably want to spend at least 10 days to two weeks, right? There's so much diversity; I'd want to see everything! B-t-dubbs, the photo above is my inspiration for how I want to decorate this office. Hubs is all, "It's your office, do what you want, but..." LOL but it's going to be great. I promise.

3) Britney is eager to dance with you, even if you don't wear designer clothes. Let's say you need to add a blouse (or shirt) to your wardrobe. Where's your go-to for clothes shopping?

Have you guys tried thredup yet? OMG. I've gotten amazing clothing from there for myself, my kids, and Hubs. I've saved - no exaggeration - thousands of dollars on some really sweet great-condition, designer clothes for all of us. I've paid pennies on the dollar and almost never been disappointed. We love thredup!!

4) The video begins with Britney at the movies with her two young sons. Will you be seeing any family members this weekend?

Just these knuckleheads.

5) This is a theme from the movie Smurfs 2. A Smurf is a little blue creature who lives in a mushroom-shaped house in the forest. Assuming that your home is not shaped like a mushroom and isn't in the forest, how would you describe your abode? (Mansion, ranch house, farm house, high-rise, igloo ...)

In a word, our new house is immense. It's a two-story house in the middle of Idaho (so nowhere), but it's our dream house, so I accept the trade-off. I ♥ it. I truly do. (Also, I just looked back up to the question and saw "igloo" for the first time. )

6) Britney admits to smoking and biting her nails. What bad habit do you wish you could break?

Y'all know I'm addicted to Coca Dieta. I gotta quit.

7) In 2013, when this song was popular, Pope Benedict resigned. Thinking over your working life, have you been more nervous on your first day of a job, or the last one?

Hmm, a little bit of both, probably. Definitely the first day. I worked at the law firm in St. Pete on and off for three years, and on my last day, I left a little early to grab the bus (my car was in the shop) to the nearest stop to the courthouse. There, my love (who had also hopped a separate bus from my apartment to the courthouse stop), found me, and we ran, hand in hand and laughing and smiling, as fast as we could to the JOP to be married before close of business. We made it! But not before Hubs remembered his pocketknife and stuffed it under a potted plant outside before we went in. Best day ever! But yes, I was nervous that day. Not sure whether it was about getting married or about leaving my job... hmm, what do you think?

8) Also in 2013, golfer Phil Mickelson won the British Open. When did you most recently golf?

Oh, gosh. Not for years. My pain, my body won't allow it. In December last year, I took Sophia for some fun at this place in Meridian, Idaho (technically, I was ahem working), and there was miniature golf. Alas, she had to play alone, since I could not join her. Sucks. Speaking of golf, though, how about Tiger Woods? It's weird, but I'm so proud of him, y'all!!

9) Random question -- On what part of your body was the last itch you scratched?

I was actually scratching my forehead as I read that question. My bangs keep getting caught by the blowing air from the AC, and it tickles my forehead. Annoying.

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Much fun as always, Samantha! Thanks for running this show!

Fin.

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Sundays In My City: With Every Fiber Of My Being

.{Originally written on June 9th; apparently I never remembered to publish! Ugh, so silly of me...}.Heyyyyyyy. You made it back! (Or if you're here for the first time, yay! I'm glad to have you, new or old.) I haven't done Sundays in my City with (by) Claudya in ages, because frankly, my memory is crap and I forget. But I want to get back into the habit of writing/journaling/blogging regularly, and that means both spontaneous "it's just me" posts as well as participating in blog hops, memes, and carnivals. I never know what the difference is among those things, y'all. Can anyone clarify this great mystery for me? I mean, I've only been blogging for 13+ years now... .Link up here if you want to join By Claudya and friends for some SimC today!.~*~*~*~*~. .So, we've lived in our brandy-new house in Mountain Home, Idaho, for no more than five days. Is it terrible of me that I've already got yarn and crafty things and office supplies and more strewn all over the extra bedroom?! Because I do, and I am not ashamed.. .
I love knitting. I do. but I have not been able to do it in exactly four years because of "Succubus," which is what I've named the clusterf**k of autoimmune illnesses and serious infections I've had from a compromised immune system in that time period. I can feel pain and itching inside my bones. My joints ache and throb and burn so much, constantly, that I'm often screaming and/or in tears. My entire musculation (is that a word?) and nerve network are damaged and hurt like hell, especially during New and Full moons. This leaves me, probably unsurprisingly, feeling not much like knitting..{P.S. Dictionary.com says that is a word and means exactly what I wanted it to mean.}. .Yesterday was Worldwide Knit in Public Day 2019, and I was determined to put an end to my losing streak of not-knitting day after day after day. I love knitting. I have loved knitting since I first got the hang of it. I caught on quickly and learned a lot of tricks and techniques. In fact, every time I knit and crochet something, it has always been my goal to learn something - even the minutiae - every time. But because of the pain and stiffness in my wrists and fingers, it wasn't fun anymore. Well. Too bad, Succubus, because I am taking knitting back and you can't stop me anymore..Jack, Sophia, Chloë, and Rob all hauled up my full totes of yarn, my dozens of sets of knitting needles, and my fiber art accoutrements (fishing tackle boxes make for excellent storage for such things, btw)..Chloë dumped all my yarny shizz out all over the spare bedroom floor, where I generally park my tuchus in front of the sit-stand desk (I have to sit, which was never my intention when I bought this damn thing) on a daily basis. Once semi-sorted, this allowed me to pick through all that soft and ethereal goodness (silk! cashmere! baby alpaca! I can't get enough) for just the right fiber. If you know your yarn, it might make sense to you, then, that I wanted at least worsted weight if not chunkier yarn to get my groove back. Anything finer and my hands might have cramped up and discouraged me from really getting started at all. No thanks..I chose to work with Ella Rae Classic Superwash, so that if and when the new mommy who's going to get this baby bunting set I'm making accidentally puts it in the regular laundry, it won't shrink and be utterly ruined. Can't have that. Problem is, I have a ton of ERCS yarn in all different colors, and I needed a set of three to coordinate for the bunting. I am not one to use baby blues (only) for newborn boys and baby pinks (only) for infant girls. Why can't a baby wear black or yellow or gray? I don't believe in that. It took Chloë and me at least an hour to match and rematch yarn colors until we found what we agreed was just right..
.Once the five balls of three colors were selected, I had to gather the rest of my materials: scissors, of course; eight stitch markers (yes! that meant plenty of variety during the actual knitting process); tape measure, size-7 needles and size-H crochet hook for the finishing; cable needle I ended up not needing because the yarn is hefty enough to do without; pattern, natch; and... is that really all? Seemed like I had to dig around quite a bit before getting started. Oh wait, I know why. It's just because I enjoy going through my knitty knick-knacks so much. So much joy!. .
One can never have too many fun stitch markers. I certainly don't! I call them my "yarn jewelry." Hee.. .
Considering how many household moves this tackle box has been through, with tiny and sometimes delicate items, they've been preserved pretty well - and often even remain in their own little compartments! Well done, whatever company makes this box. But I still see a few empty spaces in there that could use a bit more yarn jewelry, don't you?! .
You know the movie Office Space, which parodies the necessary wearing of "flair" worn by employees at restaurants like TGIFriday's, etc.? Well. Here is some of my flair. I got it when I attended the Knitting Guild Association conference in San Diego in  2015, which is the last time I really did some knitting. Upon finding this, I found myself spurred on to continue. (Man, I keep saying that. I hope it actually sticks.). .
And I show it off, too. Oh, yeah, I got backpack bling. (This is a new thing for me. Maybe I do it because the bag contains about eleventy-hundred different medications for me, which I have to have with me at all times?). .
So I've gotten about two inches of knitting done on the bunting - with flair, natch - and that's it so far. I didn't say I was going to break any speed records, here.. .So that's it for me this um, two weeks ago...! Hey, do any of you knit? Or crochet? . Have a fantastic week. .Fin..P.S. I was just looking around online for the local public library, hoping there were some activities appropriate for teenagers like my kids enjoyed in Boise, from where we just moved. I didn't see that, but I did find a weekly knitting group. I should go, right? Yeah. I should go...

Sunday Stealing: Don't Worry, Be Happy

Hey, there. You're back! Love it. It's 8:15 PM on Saturday night in our little town outside of Boise, and it looks like 2 PM. Have I mentioned how much I love Summer?

Moving on...

Link up here if you want to join us this week, where Bev of Funny The World gives us some questions about being HAPPY. Sounds like a fun one! Here we go:

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Are you a happy person?

I strive to be satisfied and content. I'm often "happy," but I find that to be a more fleeting construct.

What is happiness for you?

For me, I'm happiest when I've made someone else happy.

What do you think is the color of happiness?

I imagine that's different for everyone else, and just answering this question and pondering for a second, I went through the whole rainbow mentally a few times before deciding it's different colors for different situations for me, anyway. Maybe my answer is "rainbow," then?

Can money buy happiness?

In my mind, no, but it can buy a bit of peace of mind!

Is happiness a state of mind?

I think that's a big part of it. I'm not a super-huge believer in karma or dumb luck or whatever, but I feel like, the decisions and actions you make, and the subsequent consequences from them, play another huge role. And then from there, it's how you perceive those consequences that help determine your happiness quotient. Was that clear as mud?

What are three things that make you happy?

Here, I'll give you four. (Team Odette, last night after Chloë's high school graduation ceremony)

Does having a pet make you happy?

It certainly helps for me! (Here's Chloë's Maine Coon kitty, Pepper, filling out Rob's deep vanity sink in our bathroom today. At 20+ lbs, we're still wondering how he got in there!)

When was the happiest time of your childhood?

Whenever I wasn't at home... especially when I was with any of my friends. I really did luck out in the great-high-school-friends department, I must say. Here's my bestest best friend, Lisa Marie (her real middle name isn't "Marie," but I call her that because, y'know, Elvis) reading to her youngest (lap) and my youngest (characteristic thumb-sucking and hair-twirling in view)

Can you be happy if you are rich?

Sure, but it's no damn guarantee!

Do you think happiness lies within you or does it depend on other people and external things?

I think it's a false sort of happiness - the fleeting kind I mentioned at first - if you must depend on external things. If you can't learn your own worth, and you can't derive satisfaction and contentment from within based on the choices you've made and the consequences that followed, then it's not true "happiness." This is something I'm really struggling to do, myself.

Are single people happy?

I don't think one has anything to do with the other whatsoever.

What is the effect that animals/pets have on people to make them feel happy?

Well, first of all, touching and/or admiring them - I think - gives one some warm fuzzies each and every time. Second of all, they're good for the laughs when the do ridiculous things, and look completely ridiculous - like our pups Tapioca and Paco - and can obviously get away with it.

Can you be happy if you are poor?

Well, like I said, money can help buy one some peace of mind, and obviously some comforts... but personally, I've always told Rob that I'd rather be poor and live with him in a lean-to on the beach somewhere than be wealthy and live anywhere in the world without him. State of mind, y'all.

What is there to be happy about in today’s world?

Hope. Without hope, all is lost right now. My thoughts, anyway.

How happy are you compared with your friends.

I don't know. I'm not going to assume anything, especially now that we're all way grown up and have gone off in a billion different directions. Not everyone is open as I am; everyone is fighting their own personal battle(s).

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 That was fun. I guess I was in a more serious state today than usual! Hope I didn't put you all to sleep. 😉

Have a great week!

Fin.

Saturday 9: Venus In Blue Jeans

Good morning, good day, good afternoon, & good evening, y'all! I know you guys may be all over the place (geographically and in time) when and if you read this, so I'm being as inclusive as I can. Y'know?

I have never heard of this song, nor of Jimmy Clanton, but I love Sat9, I love Crazy Sam and the gang, and it's a great way to start another crazy day in what has been a very busy and occasionally chaotic week! Link up here if you'd like to play along with us this week.

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Saturday 9: Venus in Blue Jeans (1962)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Like the dream girl described in this song, Sam is wearing jeans as she composes this Saturday 9. Is there a lot of denim in your wardrobe?

No, because after four kids including a set of twins in the middle, I definitely have the kind of mom-jeans figure that mom jeans were created for, and I know I wouldn't look good.

2) Jimmy Clanton likens this girl to the Venus de Milo, the ancient Greek sculpture made of marble and now on display at the Louvre. Is there any marble in your home?

I don't think so (I should probably know by now, eh?), unless you count the jar of marbles sitting right next to me.

3) He refers to his girl as "Mona Lisa with a pony tail." The Mona Lisa is also at the Louvre. What's the last museum you visited?

It's been a while, because my illness keeps progressing. Geez, I think the last museum we visited was the Idaho Military History Museum, for a field trip I'd set up with some other Boise homeschooling families. Hubs was definitely in his element!

4) This girl is so awesome, she's the 8th Wonder of the World! Without looking it up, could you name the other 7?

Nope. I don't even know if these are the seven you meant, since I thought the 7 Wonders where natural wonders of the world. I know there are some listed that way and some manmade ones, but anyway. I have seen the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, and near the Mexican pyramids. I'd love to see the rest, especially the Taj Mahal in India and the Great Wall of China.

5) Jimmy Clanton spent his entire professional life behind a microphone. After he quit selling records, he began spinning them as a DJ. Do you consider the sound of your voice one of your better qualities?

It used to be, but repeated severe respiratory infections have ruined my voice. My girls have lovely singing voices, though, and Chloë actually wants to audition for The Voice someday.

6) At age 80, Mr. Clanton still performs. He averaged an appearance/month in 2018. Some of his fans were surprised that he has let his pompadour go completely white. Do you color your hair?

Yeah, I do. I started coloring my hair auburn - at my roommate's urging - near the end of my first year in college. Rarely have I stopped, except while pregnant and breastfeeding. Recently I decided to dye it black for the second time. I've since grown tired of it and have tried dying it back to my natural (I think?!) medium brown, and bleaching it, and over-dyeing it with a dark auburn... but only my roots show any of these changes. I'm frustrated and ready (finally) to ask for professional advice. LOL!

7) In 1962, when this song was popular, Americans were reading about 5-year-old First Daughter, Caroline Kennedy, and her pony, Macaroni. Tell us about a pet you had when you were very young.

In 5th grade, I had an orange-and-white pet rat named Barkley. The classroom next to ours had had a pregnant pet mama rat who birthed about a trillion (give or take) babies at the end of the school year. I persuaded my parents (miracle of miracles) to let me adopt one, get a cage and all that. I loved him! Barkley was wicked smart, too. I tried all kinds of things to keep him in his cage when I wasn't giving him free-roaming time, but he outwitted me every singled time! Barkley loved to chew rubber and ruined the buttons on several small gaming devices I had, along with several watch bands and probably more I'm forgetting. My favorite thing was putting him on my sleeping father's head or shoulder and watching him freak out when that woke him up!

8) Decades later, Caroline Kennedy was the first woman to serve as US Ambassador to Japan. Have you ever been to Asia?

Not yet, but I want to! The closest I've come was living on Guam for four months over late 2002 and into 2003.

9) Random question: When talking among themselves, who do you think is more open and honest about sex -- men or women?

Neither. It's Dr. Ruth. Just... Dr. Ruth.

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That was fun! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go rescue a cat who is meowing her heart out to be rescued from absolutely nothing but wanting people to wake up and give her attention (it's just 6 AM here). 

Ciao, todos!

Fin.

Saturday 9: I Learned From You

Happy Father's Day weekend, y'all! Things are going well here in the new house, and Hubs took the girls to Boise Pride both yesterday and today, and we had a sleepover last night, and we have lots of fun gifts for my main squeeze tomorrow, and... <pant, pant, pant> we have Chloë's high school graduation tomorrow afternoon! No one is coming so we decided to forgo the party and, as usual, have it just be the five of us. That's fine...

Link up here if you want to join the rest of us Saturday 9ers (yes, it's late and probably well after dark for some of you already!)...

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Saturday 9: I Learned from You (2007)
... Because it's Father's Day weekend.

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

 

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1) This song is a duet by the father/daughter team, Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus. Is your family musically inclined?

 

Partially; my sister, parents, daughters, and I can/could all sing well. My grandfather used to sing in church a lot, and he sang at my sister's wedding, too (I'd forgotten that!). My husband... can not carry a tune in a bucket.

2) This song is about life lessons. Who has been a major influence on your life?

 

 

OMG, that's hilarious. Umm, I couldn't limit that down to just a handful of people if I tried! So I'm going to say that I've been influenced by everyone I've known, people I've only heard about but don't know personally, and everyone else in the entire world.

3) Miley's given name is "Destiny." Her nickname as a baby was "Smiley," which is where Miley came from. What's something that can always be depended upon to make you smile?

 

This child. Sophia, now 14, has been making us burst out laughing her entire life.

 

4) Miley's father, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, has 5 children in addition to Miley (6 in all). Are you the oldest, the middle or the youngest sibling? Or are you an only child?

 

I was the youngest of 2/3/4/5, depending on how you want to slice that cake.

5) Sam's own father often traveled for business, and always remembered to bring her the little complimentary soaps, shampoos or body lotion he got from the hotel. Tell us about an inexpensive but treasured souvenir from a trip you've taken.

 

 

I get a shot glass from everywhere I go. But I rarely use them.

6) Back when Sam was in high school, it was her father who gave her driving lessons. Are you patient when teaching someone something new?

 

 

It really depends on both subject and student.

7) Sam's father is easy to buy for: every year he wants a new pair of loafers, so every year for Father's Day she gives him a DSW gift card. Is there anyone on your gift list that you find it easy to buy for?

 

 

Penny loafers? I generally find it easy to shop for those in my immediately family and super-hard for anyone who doesn't live with me!

8) For family barbecues, Sam's dad dons his "Kiss the Chef" apron and mans the Weber. What's the last thing you cooked on the grill?

 

 

I generally don't like grilled food, but I enjoy making meals en papillote from time to time. I used to do that a lot years ago, when we first got married. SO easy!

9) Sam's father satisfies his afternoon sugar craving with an almost endless stream of Butter Rum Lifesavers. When you crave a snack, do you usually reach for something sweet or salty?

 

 

Oh, it varies for me from hour to hour. ;) Sometimes I want something totally junky; other times, it's gotta be a banana or something. Doesn't it vary for everyone? I just had Chloë bring me home a Caramello after craving one for days. It was disappointing. Don't you hate that?!

 

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That was fun; thanks, Sam! Hopefully I'll be much more prompt when it comes to Sunday Stealing! ;)

 

Cheers, y'all.

 

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: Would You Rather?

Heya, folks! Welcome back to my corner of Ye Olde Interwebs. Glad to have you back. This week, we're playing a fun round of Would You Rather with Bev over at SunSt. ;) Link up here if you'd like to play along with us this week!

Would you rather be able to detect any lie you hear or get away with any lie you tell?

Well, hmm. Both would be most useful. ;) I think, as a wife and mother, I'd have to say I'd rather be able to detect any lie I hear. I mean, I know each member of my family's "tells" pretty well, but there are those times...

Would you rather be a hopeless romantic or a hopeless unromantic?

Oh, I'm a hopeless romantic, and I rather like it that way.

Would you rather have too many friends or too few?

Um, why would I chose to have too few friends?

Would you rather have no taste buds or be blind?

Easy: no taste buds. I have already significantly lost my sense of taste & smell, and while boring sometimes, it's not the end of the world. But I literally like to live my life in living color, and all the visual beauty in the world would be so... I'd be devastated if I lost that.

Would you rather never hear music again or lose the ability to read?

Ooh, that's a tough one. I can't decide. Would I have the ability to re-learn how to read? Hm. If not, then please do one to me and don't tell me which; it'll hurt either way.

Would you rather find true love or be rich?

If I didn't have true love, I'd never consider myself to be rich. One contributes to happiness; the other contributes to convenience.

Would you rather be the richest person or the smartest?

I'm pretty fond of being intelligent. Being rich is overrated.

Would you rather create history or delete it?

I'd much rather create history, especially if it's good stuff. Even bad stuff shouldn't be deleted from history, because well,... Winston Churchill.

Would you rather create a great piece of art and not get credit or get credit for a piece of art you didn’t create?

I would never want to get credit for something I didn't do, good or bad. That would make me feel rotten. I'd much rather have a secret sort of joy over creating something beautiful that others admired, knowing I gave them something special.

Would you rather age from the neck up, or from the neck down.

Hands down, neck down!

Would you rather see the world but live in poverty or stay in one place and live rich?

I'd travel and travel and travel until I dropped.

Would you rather become famous or powerful?

I'd never want to risk being drunk with power, so I hope I'd be famous for something wonderful!

Would you rather be a creative person or a technical person?

I like being a creative. There's always something brewing.

Would you rather get a paper cut whenever you touch paper or bite your tongue whenever you eat something?

I do bite my tongue constantly already, and while it's painful, I guess it wouldn't be any more painful to keep doing it. On the other hand, paper cuts are the worst!!

Would you rather wake up in the morning looking like a giraffe or a kangaroo?

Does it matter? It's just a silly question. ;) 

Would you rather speak “whale” or read babies’ minds?

I can already do both. Both worthy abilities under the right circumstances...

Would you rather eat pizza every day or never eat pizza again?

Hey, now, don't take pizza away from this New Yorker! It didn't say I could only eat pizza, or how much pizza I had to eat, so eating a little a day is much preferable to never eating it again. (P.S. This pizza is what I ate in Dubrovnik, Croatia, while on our Mediterranean cruise in 2008. Such good times!)

Would you rather stay forever at your current age or be 10 years younger?

Ten times out of ten, I'd want to be a decade younger than I am right now. Getting older is for the birds! Especially now that my health has taken a sharp detour south for the past four years. Hit the rewind button, please!

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Thanks for the fun meme, Bev! Y'all have a good week! Hopefully I'll be here on time next week for S9 & SS. I have to take my daughters to Boise Pride on Friday & Saturday.

Cheers!

Fin.

Saturday Snapshot: Pink Roses

Hi, folks. I'm new to this meme/carnival/bloghop/whatever these things are. I never know. I'm here because I needed more to do on my Saturday morning. 😂😂

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Melinda at A Web of Stories. Link up here if you want to show what's goin' on with you lately.

We just moved, ostensibly for the last time, to our final home in Mountain Home, Idaho, from Boise. We've lived all over: Panama City Beach, Florida; Guam; Virginia Beach; Miami; here... And let me tell you, folks: having done some of these moves completely on the government's dime and some of these moves sans help, post-retirement from the Navy, and being in our early- to mid-40s, let's just say... that's enough. The house is beautiful, Idaho is beautiful...

And the kids are growing up. We have a graduating senior right now, and two more in high school. They need a permanent place where they'll always be able to find us; no more bouncing around, thank-you-very-much!

That being said, I'll miss the tulips that pop up every Spring in the front of the house in Boise, along with these pink roses that sprouted late on the bush this year. In fact, if we didn't have a few infrequently-known gullywashers of late, I'm not sure they'd have popped up at all!

Since we live in relatively new construction, there aren't any flowers planted on our property. I already have some bulbs! Too early for that, and without enough gardening knowledge under my belt, I'm not doing anything just yet. But it will come. It will come.

Thanks for stopping by, y'all!

Fin.

Saturday 9: I'm Moving On

Welcome, welcome, my friends. I'm comin' at you from our new home in Mountain Home, Idaho. I hadn't actually been to our house before we closed on Monday, and I'm happily surprised to find that it's even better than I had imagined it would be. Hubs and the realtor checked it out in person, but the kiddos and I had only seen all the pictures and specs online. So I have to say to the Hubs, well done, dearest. Well done.

Link up here if you'd like to play along with us today!

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Saturday 9: I'm Moving On (1965)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

(I personally hadn't heard it before, but I'm listening to it right now on YouTube. I did already know the flipside, "It Had to Be You" - although, admittedly, I did not know who already sang the original from my high school's vocal jazz group.)

1) In this song, Chyvonne Scott sings that she's sick of her lover's "conniving." Tell us about a time you felt deceived. (It doesn't have to involve romance.)

Growing up, my oldest (step)sister, "M," and I were pretty close. We were the M&Ms, etc. We were both pretty brutally (mostly emotionally, but not just) by my stepmother - her mother, although she didn't get anything like that from my dad. We stuck together; she was four years older and often took a protective role toward me. So when we were both being yelled at for something completely inane - likely something we didn't even do - she filpped o 

2) She realizes it's time to move on to another love. What's your favorite love song? Is it about a relationship that's running smoothly? Or is it like "I'm Moving On," about an unhappy love affair?

I don't know about favorites, but I love "Groovy Kind of Love" by Phil Collins (that version, anyway). It's a beautiful song, and also, he sings it in the exact key that hits the sweet spot (or the "pocket," as they say) for almost my entire vocal range. That's hard to do.

3) Though Chyvonne Scott enjoyed only limited success as a recording artist, she was very popular in New York clubs. When did you most recently listen to music performed live?

Well, I'll tell you what: On Tuesday night (three nights ago), Sophia and I were supposed to go to the NKOTB: Mixtape Tour in Boise. However, because of the shenanigans of moving, we missed it completely. I tried to give our tickets away at least, but it was so last-minute, we weren't able to do that, either, and they went to waste. And yes, I was a sourpuss the rest of the night. And then...

... I won tickets to the Train/Goo Goo Dolls concert in Ridgefield, Washington, for Saturday night. We toyed with the idea of actually going, but the traveling expenses were just not there after buying the house. At least though, I was able to find takers for those tickets. So the last concert I attended was Taylor Swift's 1989 concert in Miami, when Chloë was 14 (she's 17 now). There was always live music - usually salsa or merengue - breaking out somewhere in Miami, so I don't know if you want that as my answer. If so, that. ;)

4) In 2017, this song appeared on a Samsung commercial that poked fun at rival iPhone. Is your cell phone an Apple or Android? How did you choose your phone?

Sometime when we lived in Miami, Hubs and I switched from the iPhone to the Samsung Galaxy. That was probably in 2014. I didn't know what I really wanted, but I knew that there were features the iPhone didn't have, which limited my ability to perform some functions I wanted to do that I felt should have been easy. I basically walked into the AT&T store and said, "I have an iPhone, but I'm thinking of switching to Android. Tell me what I really want and convince me to get it." I walked out with the Galaxy and loved it thoroughly; Hubs played with mine awhile and soon went into AT&T himself to trade in his iDevice for Samsung. We haven't looked back.

5) Chyvonne is an unusual name. In 1965, when this song was first released, the most popular baby names in the US were Michael and Lisa. Do you have any Michaels or Lisas in your life?

Several of each; the first two that came to mind were my BFF Lisa, whom I've known for 31 years, and my brother-in-law Michael, whom I've known even longer.

6) Also in 1965, Winston Churchill died. In researching this week's Sat. 9, Sam discovered a Churchill quote that's new to her: "I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught." Share something interesting that you recently learned.

Hmm. I definitely strive to learn something new every day - and I usually do - but often I forget what that thing was when on the spot. Something recent but not today? When we lived in Portsmouth, Virginia, our house was broken into and my Nikon DSLR was stolen. I was devastated. In Miami, probably in 2014, I was able to get a new Nikon DSLR. However, I didn't know that I still had the adapter that meant all the older lenses I had, which weren't stolen, could actually fit on the new one. I'd been trying for years until Hubs picked it up and played with all of it! Sheesh.

7) In 1965, one of the most successful movies ever made, The Sound of Music, was released. Have you ever seen it?

Only about a billion times! ♥

8) Lava lamps were already popular in England and Brussels, but in 1965 they were introduced in the US. Do you think lava lamps are cool? 

Hell yeah! I had a red one, but it must've gotten left behind in some move or other. Now I want another!

9) Random question -- You have to buy something very personal that you find embarrassing. Would you rather pay cash for it, so your identity would be unknown but you'd have to face the cashier? Or order it online, where you could avoid looking anyone in the eye, but you have to share your name and address?

Duh! I'd definitely order it online. I'm soooo shy IRL. However, I have done some very embarrassing purchases in person, and I didn't die. I thought I might. I order everything I can online, though. I don't care about sharing that info at all.

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Fun one, Ms. Sam! I nearly forgot it was the weekend, so y'all are welcome that I remembered and graced you with my presence.

Love yas!

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: Going To The Movies

Welcome back, friends! I keep forgetting, come Saturday afternoons, that Sunday is right around the corner. And with that, Sunday Stealing. This will be my last Sunday post comin' at you from Boise, if all goes right on Monday morning. After that, we'll be an hour southeast in Mountain Home. I can't WAIT!!!

Link up here if you'd like to play along with us today.

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What was your first movie-going experience without your parents?

I think it was all four (or the first four, if there were more) of the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. I am not a fan of the horror movie genre. I did not have a choice. 🤨

Do you still buy DVDs or Blu Rays (or do you just stream them)?

A little bit of both, but mostly we just try to stream them. Cuts down on plastic in the waste stream and all...

What is your guilty pleasure movie? What about it works for you?

Always a tough decision between Dirty Dancing and Grease. I mean, the GIF list alone for each speaks volumes, no?

You have compiled a list of your top 10 movies. Which movies do you like, but would not make the list?

Oh, I don't know. Probably most sequels and remakes of movies I liked the first go-'round. Although the jury is still out on whether I really liked Finding Dory at all. (The writing wasn't up to par, IMO.)

Which movie(s) do you compulsively watch over and over again? What makes it so great?

Oh, I dunno. I will always watch Splash. And Steel Magnolias. And Pretty Woman. See a theme? (Psst: It's the leading ladies I love!)

Classic(s) you’re embarrassed to admit you haven’t seen yet?

Oh, I don't know, I haven't seen Mrs. Miniver yet, but I don't think I'm embarrassed by any of my list.

Do you have any movie posters hanging on your wall? If yes, which ones and why?

Nope, and I never have. I wasn't allowed to hang anything on my walls as a kid. I was always mesmerized by the walls of my friends who were allowed.

Tell us about a movie that you are passionate about.

Have you seen the movie Precious? Had me sobbing. I think I could Hubs with some tears, too. Beyond that, I don't really want to discuss the movie here and now.

What is a movie you vow to never watch? Why?

I will try not to watch or participate in any activity where whites, males, or any non-minority group profits off of making a mockery of a minority group, such as Soul Man, here.

Tell us about a movie that literally left you speechless.

se7en. I just did.

What’s a movie that you always recommend?

None, because everyone's tastes are different.

Who is an actor you always watch, no matter how crappy the movie?

Matt Damon. Damn. Look at that boy. ♥

Who is an actor you don’t get the appeal for? Why don’t you like them?

Brad Pitt. Meh. I could take him or leave him. He's not my type, looks-wise, and I think he's just okay as an actor.

Who is an actor, living or dead, you’d love to meet? Why do they intrigue you?

Hmm, I don't really know. Maaaaaybe Meryl Streep, because I fancy her an intellectual. I can't say, if I were in Hell-ay or, go figure, Cannes or something, I wouldn't go fan-girling over someone famous, but really I've got to give it to those who do something really genius, no matter what profession. Famous or not. Oh, I know! The cast of The Big Bang Theory. I know it's not movies, which is why I didn't think of it right away, but I basically love those guys. Especially Johnny & Jim. ♥

Sexiest actor/actress you’ve seen. (Picture requested!)

Oh, c'mon. Just one?! This is not fair. Okay, hmm, all the way from the UK, we have:

Idris Elba - Oh, wait:

Are you sure? Because, thanks to Ghana and Sierra Leone, we get to see this:

Just sayin'.

You are casting a movie, pick four or five actors you’d hire to be in it and why we’d love them together.

Okay, take Pitt out of Ocean's 11 and add Idris. I'd be okay with that. Or maybe sub out Andy Garcia and replace him with Robert Downey Jr. Are you okay with that, Mr. Downey?

I think he is.

Which are your favorite actor pairings of all time?

I don't know, I'm too capricious to be picking favorites on anything and everything. I do love Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, but then again, anybody and Julia Roberts in pretty much anything, amIright?

Have you ever watched movies from a decade that was before you were born? If so, which decade is your favorite?

Hey, no. No favorites, remember?

If you were to be in a movie would you rather play the hero, villain or anti-hero? Why?

None. I'd rather play the sexy femme fatale, the one who is sexy and attractive, maybe a little bad and a little good, the one that knocks you a little bit off your feet and leaves you unsure what you want to do about it... because why not?

~*~*~*~*~

That was a fun one, Bev. Thank you!

Cheers, y'all.

Fin.

P.S.: I don't have all night (it's 0126 here in Bum Fuckin' Egypt) to debate ships v. boats, so I'll let you have a look at this link if you are, anywhere in the entire blessed fucking world, so inclined to argue about the difference:

...a boat canNOT carry a ship...

Semi-submersible ships are the only vessels in the world which provide the capability to load, transport and offload extremely heavy cargo...

Adieu.

Sayonara.

Arrivederci.

Saturday 9: It's Late

(First of all, let me just say that it sure is: it's 0339 on Saturday, July 1st, 2019. Heh. Okay, okay, that aside...

Welcome back, party people! My 14yo daughter Sophie and I are up late watching, currently, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. The kids used to watch this over and over when they were littler. Sophia was shocked to find out a little earlier that I'd never sat down and watched it with them. I'd only heard it a billion times from the front seat of the minivan while they played it in the onboard DVD player! So she had to queue it up on Netflix.

Anyhoo.

Link up here if you'd like to play along with the S9ers today!

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It's Late (1959)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

(Personally, I'd never heard it, although I do know the other from my pic up top there.)

1) Ricky Nelson laments that he should have been home hours ago. When is the last time you stayed up later than you should have? What were you doing?

Looking up master bedroom inspo for the house we're closing on first thing Monday morning. (EEEEEEKKKKK!!!) Hubs and I agree we both like this one the best.

2) Compounding Ricky's problem is that he's nearly out of gas. How is your gas tank right now? When did you most recently fill 'er up?

Welp,  yesterday was payday, so we filled 'er up first thing in the morning.

3) It gets worse! He can't call home because he doesn't have a dime for the pay phone. Have you recently been in a situation where you've been glad you had your cell phone handy?

Only all the time! Yesterday, I had back-to-back-to-back medical appointments (I'm being evaluated for MS now), and I am not the most patient person ever. Good thing I had my phone to keep me busy! And my charger. And... hubs. Who brought his block. I always forget mine. Heh. (For the record, my first phone was like #9 or #10, above.)

4) The video for this song is from an episode of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Ozzie Nelson, Ricky's father, was in charge of the show and made the rules. One was that no one was allowed to smoke on the set... except his wife, Harriet. Do you smoke? Have you ever lived with a smoker?

I do not smoke, I have never smoked, and I will never smoke. Yes, I have lived with a smoker; I do not think it is entirely a leap (especially based on modern medical evidence) that this might help explain why I've had lifelong asthma and migraine issues. This is also why I do not smoke, have never smoked, and will not ever smoke - and neither should you. (And yes, in this regard, I judge.)

5) Life magazine coined the phrase "teen idol" to describe Ricky's popularity. According to Tiger Beat, today's teen idols include Johnny Orlando and Ruby Jay. Johnny was born in 2003, Ruby in 2004. Sam admits that before today, she had no idea who these young people are. How about you?

Nope. Never heard of these two!

6) While Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan have posthumously praised Ricky Nelson's music, 1950s music critics dismissed him as a lightweight. What's the last review you read? Was it written by a professional critic, or was it contributed by a consumer to a site like Amazon or Yelp?

Earlier, I was just flipping through People magazine, and the last review I read in it was for the book The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary. Looks interesting.

7) At the height of his popularity, Ricky tried his hand at movies, appearing in the western Rio Bravo with John Wayne. He turned 18 during the filming, and Wayne celebrated by playfully throwing Ricky into a sack of horse manure. Do you think pranks and practical jokes are funny?

Some things, sure; I don't think I'd like to be thrown into a sack of shit, though!

8) In 1959, when this song was popular, the St. Lawrence Seaway was completed. It connects Canada to our Great Lakes. Without looking it up, can you name all 5 Great Lakes?

Oh, yeah. I've been to Erie and Ontario multiple times, having grown up near Syracuse, New York. I haven't been to the others yet, though.

9) Random question – You drive past a local motel and see the car of a very married friend right there in the lot. Would you ask her about it?

NOPE! Not my circus; not my monkeys.

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So now back to Cloudy... they're at the Jell-O scene. Awww... (I'm alone here, aren't I?)

 Thanks for stopping by!

Fin.