MelaniePenelope

Sunday Stealing: Coronavirus Questions

Hey everyone. 😊 It's late o'clock on Sunday evening (7:19 PM) which means, like my Saturday 9 post yesterday, very few people are going to read this. But I miss you guys and want to get back into the habit! I'm just going to be answering more briefly I usually do - this time.

Link up here if you're playing along this weekend.

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Coronavirus Questions: Pandemic 2020-2021

In the past year have you–

1) Gone without a bra?

Yup. Matter of fact, that's my current situation.

2) Skipped making your bed?

Most of the time these days, that's the case, since I'm bedridden for the most part. (And yes, it sucks.)

3) Ordered groceries to be delivered?

Maybe once or twice? but mostly Hubs goes out and gets it.

4) Cooked a real meal?

No! And I miss it like crazy. Especially because we've been in a hotel for six freakin' months (!!!) and there hasn't been a way. I hope we figure out a permanent situation soon, because that's one of the first things I'm dying to do!

5) Spent the day in pajamas?

Yep. Pretty much the whole time. If you want to call it that.

6) Skipped shaving your legs?

Often, yeah. I'm down to maybe twice a month. (But I am fortunate in that regard, because I'm largely hairless, and what's there isn't super visible unless you're up close and looking for it.)

7. Spent hours on Instagram or Pinterest?

Guilty, for both, but not a ton of times, I don't think.

8) Eaten in a restaurant?

Nope! But there has been a TON of take-out!

9) Skipped washing your hair?

Oh, yeah. More often than not. Speaking of which, I always had stick-straight hair. Now, at 44 years old, it's gotten extremely wavy. What's up with that?

10) Not folded the laundry?

I have not folded the laundry once.

11) Worked a puzzle?

No. But I have bought half a dozen at least, and the girls did theirs. Chloë is working on one, along with her roommate, at her apartment, too. I guess I'm just waiting for a permanent spot.

12) Had Zoom calls?

Yep. Many Zoom meanings, since I'm a raging SJW, don'tcha know? ;) 

13) Written letters?

Yep! Lots and lots - it's part of the volunteer work I'm involved with. I'll be writing some more later, too.

14) Binge watched a TV show?

Yup? I've watched many mini-series on Netflix, including TigerKing,and now I'm halfway through Season 10 of Shameless. I ♥ that show! It's so wrong, though! LOL. Do any of you watch it?

15) Gone barefoot?

Yup. Most of the time I am barefoot. I hate wearing shoes.

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Alrighty, that's the post. Gonna go do some other things that need some attention. Have a great week, everyone!

Fin. 

Saturday 9: Cry

Welcome back, S9 friends and the world beyond (since I have such a significant following)! Am I the only one who is shocked we're nearing the end of February already?!!

Link up here if you're joining us this week.

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Saturday 9: Cry (1952)

Unfamiliar with this song? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Johnnie Ray assures us we'll feel better if we cry. Do you agree?

 

 

 I totally agree! I take meds that usually inhibit my ability to cry, so when I feel like crying, and am not able to, I actually kinda feel worse. Oh, and the other day (Wednesday) would have been my mother's 70^th birthday. Since we lost her when she was 33 years old, my mom at 70 is almost unimaginable for me. I was looking at a picture of her:

 

 

... and just thinking thoughts, and the next thing I knew, I was sobbing my wee heart out. It was cathartic.

2) He also mentions waking from a dream, believing it was real. Has that ever happened to you?

 

 

YES! All.The.Time.

3) Because this record was such a massive hit, Johnnie Ray was nicknamed "The Prince of Wails." Without looking it up, do you know who is currently the Prince of Wales?

 

 

Oh, yes. No hesitation.

4) To cash in on the success of this single, 20th Century Fox cast Johnnie Ray in a big-budget musical, There's No Business Like Show Business. Today it's best remembered as a Marilyn Monroe movie. Have you seen many of Marilyn's films?

 

 

Nope. I don't think I have seen a single one. I might have to remedy that. Where should I start?

5) After graduating from high school, Johnnie worked at low-paying jobs, including bus boy and soda jerk. He found he made better tips when he began playing piano in restaurants. Have you ever worked for tips?

 

I was going to say no, but I did get a few now and then when I worked in high-end catering... and then I remembered I made MAD tips working at the ice cream shoppe on St. Pete Beach! How could I forget? By the way, José Canseco is an asshole and a non-tipper.

 

6) In 1969, Johnnie was in the news a lot again because he performed with Judy Garland during her European tour and was best man at her wedding to Mickey Deans. Tell us what you wore to the most recent wedding you attended.

 

I haven't been to a wedding since my BFF Lisa got married in 2002! I was in the wedding, and all of us girls wore different style but same maker silver bridesmaid dresses. I was still breastfeeding 9-month-old Chloë then, so I had to take that situation into account when I chose mine!

 

7) In 1952, when this song was a hit, Mr. Potato Head made his debut. It was the first toy advertised on television. What TV commercial have you seen recently?

 

 

I really had to think about this one, since I don't really watch much TV, but then I remembered the Cheetos commercial with Mila Kunis, Shaggy, & Ashton at the Super Bowl. I probably wouldn't have watched, except for the Chiefs. Hubs is from  Missouri, so two in a row?! He was lovin' it. (Except, you know, for them not winning this one, and Brady, and all that.)

 

8) Also in 1952, chlorophyll was all the rage for banishing bad breath. Colgate led the way by adding it to their toothpaste. Do you use gum, mints, mouthwash, or breath strips?

 

Very occasionally mints or mouthwash, but rarely even those. Chlorophyll?! I was not aware of that.

9) Random question -- Congratulations! You won a free three night/two day weekend for two in Las Vegas! The weather is predicted to be sunny and 65º each day you're there. It's 12:00 noon on your first day. Are we most likely to find you: a) gambling in the casino or b) having breakfast in bed or c) outside, enjoying the sun and the sights?

...or d. Taking in a show. I particularly love Cirque du Soleil - saw "O" once, years ago, there. I don't gamble and probably already did (b) by that point. I'll work on (c) after the show.

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Okay, now that I did a thing, I think it's time for my first nap of the day. I hate these damn naps! Be well, y'all.

Fin.

*Trigger Warning* Back In MY Day...

In the summer between finishing elementary school and going off to 6th grade at Ray Middle School, my dad and stepmother received a letter inviting me to participate in the Honors program.

I don't know where we were going at the time, but we were in the car when they told me about it. Linda was driving, Dad was in the passenger seat, and I was alone in the back. When I heard about it, I was thrilled! I really wanted to take part.

That excitement was short-lived, however, because I soon found my needs and desires up against their strident arguments that being in the Honors program was going to interfere with me being able to get all my chores done. There would be too much homework and studying, they reasoned. I'd fall behind.

On the damn CHORES.

I have always had a tremendously difficult time standing up for myself -- still do -- but I was tenacious and made a stand. I remember arguing and maybe a little begging and pleading - but no crying. That was a rarity for me! In the end, I had to make many promises and agreements in order to join the Honors classes.

Was it worth it? Absolutely, in my opinion. I thrived there, all the way up through and including my 5 AP classes before graduation. But as I suspected, it did come at a price.

I got screamed at every day of my life. That is not an exaggeration (nor was it new). Every single day. Many days it was multiple discrete sessions of her screaming, face twisted in sarcasm, while I tore up the tissues into which I cried. It was always just an issue of "what will it be this time?"

But sometimes, it was particularly cruel. And believe me, I always aimed not to do and be my best, but to do and be completely perfect, in an attempt to avoid the daily screaming session. But if there was absolutely no reason to yell, this didn't bother Linda: she would just make something up! Many days, she was tearing into me regarding some pure fabrication of her mind in front of other people who knew what she was saying to be a lie. They usually didn't stand up for me, though, and I didn't expect it, as this would make them the next target.

But when I started that Honors program at age 11, it was a lot of work. I put long hours into my homework, studying for tests, making projects, and writing papers. I was already up until midnight or 1AM at that point, and I had to get up for school at 5:20 AM every day. So between school and chores and homework and studying and more chores just in case and extracurriculars, I didn't get a ton of sleep.

Linda knew all this, of course, and she took advantage. A lot of times, she'd get up early when I did, to count the minutes I was in the shower (yes, I was timed; the screaming covered way more territory than just the chores, after all), or make me late for the bus, or just leave me a crying mess for when I did get on the bus.

Or she would get me up in the middle of the night, sometimes with my dad and once or twice with my sister until I became the sole hated one, to berate me for a job not well done. Like if I had cleaned their bedroom and bathroom, top to bottom including putting fresh sheets on the bed and getting all the dust bunnies out from underneath it, I might get screamed at for an hour at 3 AM because the heat registers around the baseboards were still too dusty. She especially loved to do this the night before a big test, and so I learned to develop more and more elaborate mnemonics to remember the material, even if I was too exhausted to think. When the predator evolves to be more cunning, so must the prey become more wily.

But my personal favorite was a punishment she used if she was feeling particularly villainous, I guess. It was no secret at that point that I loved school and was a total nerd. And she probably realized it was my escape from our pretty heinous home life (what I'm telling you here is only a very mild glimpse). So I guess she just wanted to mess that up for me? Why else would she frequently rip up the homework that I'd already completed for that night and sequester all my books and supplies, in my backpack, in her locked closet for two days, on average? Who punishes a kid by taking away their homework?

In the 6th grade Honors program, we had Mrs. Mogren for both English and Math. I remember so many occasions when I bent my head down to avoid Mrs. Mogren's sharp glare, because I had to tell to tell her -- for both classes that day! -- that I didn't do my homework. And I got another goose egg in the grade book. Honestly, I can't believe I didn't develop an ulcer then.

I'm telling you all this and writing this out not for sympathy but simply because it's pouring out of me right now, but it's after midnight, and everyone here is asleep. I needed a brain dump. Sometimes the mind gets overloaded with tricky thoughts. 

My therapist in Boise and I were working on me being able to forgive myself for what happened back then, so that I could learn to love myself. My therapist wanted me to be the parent to the inner child me that I needed back then. I guess I'm finally getting started.

Love and light, y'all.

Fin.

Saturday 9: My Valentine

Hey there, bloggy friends! I hope you're doing well and that maybe your weather isn't as overcast and gloomy as ours has been the past four days or so! This next week marks six months that we've been living in a hotel - except our eldest child, 19-year-old Chloë, who is now in her own apartment - and we are all OVER IT! Home after home has fallen through, and so the search continues. Send good thoughts this way, please!

As for you, I hope you're all doing amazingly well, keeping your distance and wearing those masks. Link up here if you're playing along this weekend!

And let's get to it...

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Saturday 9: My Valentine (2011)

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

 

1) Paul McCartney sings that he won't let a day go by without remembering why he loves his valentine. What blessings are you thankful for today?

 

 

Well, I mentioned how frustrated we've been with our housing situation, but I have been cognizant the entire time that we are fortunate to be able to have shelter these past six months of hotel living, plenty of food, warm clothes, and all that. Our bottom three levels of needs on Maslow's hierarchy are pretty much covered, and I'm thankful for that.

2) Paul directed the video of Natalie Portman translating his song into American Sign Language (ASL), which is the third most commonly-used language in both the United States and Canada. British Sign Language (BSL), commonly used in EU countries, is very different. Do you find it easy to learn new languages?

 

 

I do, actually. I pick up accents quickly as well, and so do my daughters. In high school, one of my best friends said I should become a linguist, because I just pick up the languages so, kind of, seamlessly. At one point, I was learning several at a time (Spanish, Japanese, Italian, Arabic...), but now I am quite rusty.

 
3) The song is on Paul's Kisses on the Bottom CD, for which he won one of his 18 Grammy Awards. What compliment or accolade have you recently received?

 

 

Well, dismissing the obvious typo, this Chinese fortune cookie seems to think I've done something worthy.

4) Paul is an honorary NYPD detective. He was given this designation for performing a charity concert after 9/11. Do you know anyone in law enforcement?

 

 

Yeah, in college I had a boyfriend who was a security guard, and we met when he was assigned to the store where I worked. He's now a member of the Miami PD. We keep in touch here and there on Twitter.

5) Bob Dylan has said of Paul, "I'm in awe of McCartney. He's about the only one I'm in awe of. He can do it all. He never lets up. He's just so effortless." Tell us about someone whose talent you admire.

 

I really admire our youngest child, Sophia. She excels at whatever she decides to put her mind to, whether it's art, music, horseriding, or whatever. She's got a talent for being talented, that one!

 

This is the last Saturday 9 before Valentine's Day and so this morning we shall focus on the upcoming holiday. 

6) The holiday is also known as The Feast of St. Valentine. Do you have a special meal planned for February 14?

 

 

Dudes, we're living in a hotel. Would you settle for a feast of St. Taco Bell?

 

7) The phrase "wear your heart on your sleeve" began in medieval times. On Valentine's Day, men would celebrate the holiday by displaying their lady love's name on their sleeves. If you were going to adopt this custom, whose name would you wear?

 

 

That's the one!

8) Women buy and send more Valentines than men do. Who received the last greeting card you sent?

 

 

A baby dragon. ♥ I'm a member of the Paper Hugs group in the Mama Dragons, which is an affirming and supportive group for moms of LGBTQIA+ children. Most of the Paper Hugs I'm assigned to send are for the kiddos that need support or are having a birthday or just need a kind "hello." I think I sent out seven yesterday, and I love being a part of this program so much.

9) Men buy and send more roses on Valentine's Day than women do. What's your favorite flower?

 

 

Tiger lilies are my absolute favorites, but since they're not always readily available, yellow roses or any color of tulip would delight me.

 

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Well, then, back to the house-hunting search I go. Ughhhh. Come on, Maryland. Give up some addresses!

 

Have yourselves a lovely week, and if you don't have a loved one to throw all your affection toward tomorrow, make that person be yourself! You deserve it.

 

Fin.