


Happy Saturday, friends, neighbors, and kids of all ages! I'm getting a lah-haaaate start today. I've battled daily migraines for more than my entire adult life, save for a couple of years around when I had my youngest kiddo, and this last week has brought some of the worst in a long while. Seriously bad. But anyway, whatever; I'm here now, the woman of the hour, and you can all sit down and stop clapping now. Seriously, it's embarrassing.
I jest, I kid, I joke, I josh.
I hope you've all had ridiculously wonderful weeks well worth the wait! And now let's jump into the reason we're all here. Link up here if you're joining us this weekend. Away we go:
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Saturday 9: Beautiful (2005)
Howdy-ho, neighbors! This weekend's post focuses on this song, Just Because, by Elvis Presley. This is significant to me because I grew up with a dad who absolutely idolized the man (and, I'm sure, still does) and could do a mean impression of him as well. My dad could sing well, could do the moves, and even had some of the requisite attire to make the whole thing convincing. Of course, I've heard every Elvis song ever, 50,000 times over, backward and forward... right?
I had not ever heard this song before.
So, my friends, link up here if you want to join us this weekend. Read on for my answers. Thank you, Crazy Sam, for dusting this one off for me (okay, us)! Let's hit it:
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Saturday 9: Just Because (1956)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) In this week's song, Elvis complains that his girl has confused him with Santa Claus. This time of year, Santa is prominent. Did you more recently hear Santa referred to in a song, see him in a holiday decoration or ad, watch him in a film or TV show, or maybe even met him in person, ringing a bell or asking kids if they have been naughty or nice?
Yes, we've been listening to a lot of Christmas carols lately as we work through the activities in our Advent calendar. Santa features prominently in these, of course.
2) Finally Elvis just can't take it anymore and breaks up with her, just because. Is there anyone in your life who has a way of pressing your buttons and getting on your nerves?
That's probably true for everyone, I'm guessing.
3) "Just Because" is one of the last songs Elvis recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis. TripAdvisor recommends a Sun Studio tour as one of the top things to do in Memphis. Have you ever been to Memphis? If yes, what did you do?
I've only ever driven through Memphis, and also Nashville, and also half a dozen times Chattanooga. I have stayed in Gatlinburg. Memphis would be an interesting trip, though.
4) Elvis left Sun for RCA, a much bigger record label. As part of the deal, RCA negotiated for the rights to all his unreleased Sun songs. "Just Because" is one of them, and it was included on Elvis' first RCA album. Have you gotten a good deal on anything lately?
I get a good deal on just about everything. Like the SodaStream I got for Chloë for Christmas, I paid nowhere near full price, nor did I pay full price for the flavors for it, nor will I ever! And she'll be so thrilled to have it, so win-win!
5) In 1956, when "Just Because" was released, non-stick cookware was first introduced. Do you have any Teflon in your kitchen right now?
No way in hell!
6) Elvis thought peacocks were beautiful and commissioned stained glass peacock panels for his living room. Do you have any stained glass in your home?
No, but I certainly do wish! It's so beautiful.
7) He tried to keep peacocks at Graceland. One of the birds saw its reflection in Elvis' gold Cadillac and started pecking, ruining the car's expensive paint job. Elvis donated the peacocks to the Memphis Zoo. Have you ever had a bird as a pet?
Well not exactly pets, but we used to keep chickens when we lived in Idaho for the eggs, and the five of us each had "our" specific chickens that we felt we belonged to and were particularly attached to. I loved those chickens. Here, we're not allowed to have any because of our HOA rules, even though the town would allow three, which makes me want to be a scofflaw and keep ducks. They don't say anything about ducks.
8) Elvis decorated the long Graceland driveway for the holidays with blue lights. His father teased that with the airport nearby, pilots might confuse their driveway with a runway. What airport is nearest your home?
I believe the nearest major airport is Baltimore International, although we have tons of regional ones between there and here.
9) When Elvis was alive, he kept the holiday lights up until January 9, the day after his birthday. That tradition continues at Graceland today. Conventional etiquette tells us Christmas decorations should go up the day after Thanksgiving and come down before January 6 (the 12th day of Christmas). Do you think it's ever too early, or too late, for Christmas decorations?
Well, for stores and other commercial enterprises, yeah, I kinda think there is a limit for too-early/too-late. But for private families and people, I think, who gives a rat's behind? Let people do what makes them happy! So what if Joe Schmoe at the end of the block likes to keep his lights up until the end of March and put them up again after Halloween? What's it to me? I don't pay his light bill and it's honestly kind of pretty. I'm of more of a laissez-faire kind of mind about that for private citizens.
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Welp, that's all folks! Back to wrapping presents with Chloë, my eldest! Seems like the job will never be done, but that's not a complaint! I'm grateful for the abundance, always grateful.
Have a wonderful week on purpose, everybody! ♥
Fin.
Welcome, welcome one and all (or is it both?). I've been trying to log in to Typepad for HOURS, but something has stopped that connection. Here I am, finally, at 1513 on Saturday. What a relief.
I don't like much in the way of Country music, but I do like Ms. Underwood, so I'm glad to see this one. And I already knew this song!
Link up here if you're playing along this weekend. Let's go:
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Saturday 9: Two Black Cadillacs (2011)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This week's song is about two women who share a very dark secret. Are you good at keeping secrets?
Not usually. I have zero filter, pretty much.
2) Carrie Underwood's favorite author is Stephen King. In fact, she credits King's Christine as an inspiration for this song. Have you read much Stephen King, or seen movies based on his books?
Some. I'd say I'm a fan, but not, like, a mega-fan.
3) Carrie first came to America's attention when she won on American Idol. Prior to competing on that show, she'd never been on an airplane. Crazy Sam takes at least one round-trip flight every year and pays using the miles she accumulated from credit card purchases throughout the year. Do you try to earn miles, points, or cash back when you make purchases?
Oh, yes. I'm always trying to play the game and earn points here to spend there.
4) Black is this week's signature color because November 25 was Black Friday, when retailers historically have slashed their prices and the holiday shopping season begins. Have you begun your gift shopping?
Yes. I'm welllll into my gift shopping - and wrapping!
5) Black Friday began as a local event initiated by store owners in Philadelphia back in the early 1960s. When you think of Philadelphia, what comes to mind?
Well nowadays, I think of my trip there with Chloë for her 21st birthday, just this past September. Fun times!
6) Black Friday always comes after Thanksgiving, a day of feasting. What was the best dish at your holiday table this year?
I think it was the pies (we had 5). For the first time in years, I was able to come downstairs and help guide the children to make my pie recipes, if I couldn't do it myself. They were wonderful and were devoured quickly. Good job, kids!
7) Thanksgiving is also a big day for watching football. Did you watch any games?
Nyet.
8) What are you thankful for this year?
Oh, I'm soooo thankful for being able to come downstairs, help make those pies, and just generally be with my family for the whole day of Thanksgiving. It was a treasure. And so much more than that, but it would be a very long list. I keep that list in my planner.
9) Random question: You're in a public restroom and have a choice between paper towels and a hot air hand dryer. Which do you choose?
I'd choose the hot air. Why would I use natural resources I don't need to use when there is an alternative right there? Go tree-free. Go more sustainable (because paper just isn't, really). Yes, there is the source of the electricity, but that's more negligible than the processes of getting the paper towel to that bathroom, and using it. No, for me, it's the hot air hand dryer. Good question, Sam.
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Now I'm listening to The National on NPR Tiny Desk Concerts - those are the best; I'm obsessed - which the Carrie Underwood tune moved to after the one by Andrew Bird on YouTube. Give them a listen, if you haven't already!
Happy holiday season, y'all!
fin.
Howdy, folks! Since I missed Ms. Patti LaBelle last weekend, I decided I'd better not also skip out on Ms. Patsy Cline, here. Who among us can not hear "I go walkin'... after midnight..." the moment they see her name, and that title? Show yourselves!
I'm up in the middle of the night (it's 3:30 am right now) nursing an upset tum, so I figured now's as good a chance as any to get to do my S9! If you're joining us, link up here. Let's go then, shall we?
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Saturday 9: Walkin' After Midnight (1957)
Don't know. Don't care.
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Listen, y'all have a splendid weekend, and I hope to continue to visit at least a few of y'all before my newly-diagnosed ADHD brain forgets what it was doing! With or without me, forge on.
Fin.
Hey, folks!
It's been a loooong week for me here; how 'bout you? I hope better than mine.
I confess, I don't know Michael Johnson (other than my estranged brother-in-law) or this song, but the sound is dead on my laptop, so I'll have to give it a listen on my phone or desktop later.
Let's get to it, shall we? Link up here if you're playing along with Saturday 9ers this weekend!
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Saturday 9: This Night Won't Last Forever (1979)
Hey, party people! What's the haps? It saddens me to say that this will be our last meeting of Summer 2022. It's Bike Fest weekend down at the beach right now; some 100,000+ motorcycles are deafening the wildlife in Ocean City right now, so I'll have to wait until that's over to attempt one last summer beach trip down there. Cross your fingers for me?
One thing I feel like I must address: some of you may have noticed some "off" comments on some of my posts. I'm being cyberstalked, cyberbullied, harrassed, you name it, all of the above. I don't know who the person is, but on many other platforms as well as this one, they are leaving unkind, often lewd messages for me. I unpublish them as soon as I see them, but please don't pay them any mind. I do not know who the person is, and I don't want to give them any more attention than I have to. Thanks!
Moving forward, let's get to today's song, which I just listened to for the first time. Link up here if you're playing along, too!
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Saturday 9: In and Out of Love (1967)
Hey everyone! I'm just back from a whirlwind 3-day trip to Philadelphia with my birthday sorta-twin, my eldest kiddo, Chloë. She turned 21, so yes, there was alcohol. She wanted more cocktails, but that will come in due time, I'm quite sure. Meanwhile, she's 4'9", so I gave her plenty of information on how to make sure she stayed safe while drinking!
I love this week's song and have since it came out. Perhaps because I identify, perhaps the beat, perhaps Merton's voice alone? Maybe everything. I think everything. Link up here if you're joining us today!
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No Roots (2017)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This song is about a woman who has moved a lot and is always packing boxes. Do you have packing materials (boxes, bubble wrap, packing tape, etc.) in your home right now? Do you have them on hand to ship things, or are you preparing for a move?
Yes to all of that: boxes, bubble wrap, and packing tape (bonus points for wadded-up newspaper?). Also yes to ship things, but mainly these items were from a move. No, moves. Probably at least three: Virginia to Florida, Florida to Idaho, Idaho to Maryland. There will be NO more moves.
2) She sings that she moves from place to place, collecting memories. Would you rather travel light and travel often, or put down roots?
YES.
3) She can recall all the gates and house numbers of all the places she's lived. Does your current residence have a fence and gate? Did your previous one?
The previous one did; the current one does not - yet. It was just built; finishing touches were still being put on it as we completed our final walk-through before moving in as the ink dried a year ago. Can we put in one like this, honey?? ("No." - HOA)
4) This week's artist, Alice Merton, moved often as a child as her father's job took the family from Germany to the US to Canada to England back to Germany ... She wrote this song to help her deal with feelings of loneliness and longing. When you're feeling overwhelmed, how do you work through the feelings?
They must've been Army. Relatable. We're Navy (were?).
Feelings. Well, I had a horribly traumatic upbringing with no healthy outlet for feelings, so I have severe mental illnesses (medicated well) like Bipolar 1 Disorder and C-PTSD, etc, and will be in therapy for the rest of my life. Inwardly I cry a lot, so I'd say that's how I work through my feelings, but my meds prevent the crying. So I try to use humor as much as possible. I write, I talk and tell funny stories and try to pester my people as little - or maybe as much - as possible with them, and... I'll be in therapy for probably the rest of my life.
I hope for a better outcome for my kids, but I also know bipolar disorder can be heritable and that trauma can change one's DNA.
5) Alice is still on the move. Soon she'll be performing throughout Europe. Have you ever had a job that required you to travel? If yes, did you enjoy it?
Yes, I did. I mystery shopped my way from hotel to hotel, resort to resort, high-end restaurant to high-end restaurant (and everywhere in between), in multiple states, back when the kids were much younger. It's tricky navigating that sort of job with three littles, pets, and a husband who usually who has to stay at home, but I did it and was really sought after until I got sick. I love traveling, whether by car, ship, or plane, so I think handling the kid end of things was easier on me.
6) "No Roots" is a favorite of Kelly Clarkson's, who has performed it on tour and on TV. When you think of Kelly, is at as a singer, a judge on The Voice, or as a talk show host?
I think of her - and love her! - in that order. I watched her win that first American Idol, so it seems natural that way.
7) In 2017, when this song was popular, Faye Dunaway made Oscar history by announcing the wrong winner for the biggest award of the night, Best Picture. It wasn't her fault as she was given the wrong envelope, but she's one who made the on-screen flub seen around the world. Have you recently had an embarrassing moment?
Wait a minute, how come I never heard about that, but I heard plenty about that time a similar thing happened to Steve Harvey, and that was just a beauty pageant? Sketchy.
Anyway.
This was me in our hotel in Philly. It's called the Ritz-Carlton, you know it? Well, because of my illness, I usually take baths and not showers. I have issues with balance and fatigue among other things, so it's better for me to do that stuff sort of lying down. Well, my hair is freshly colored, and this brand tends to wash out and wash out until it's just time to dye it again. So I have to take a bath. In that. Which isn't great, but there it is. And then the tub. won't. drain. And we had to have an engineer come to the room and fix the now-pink bathtub. And because of my autoimmune/thyroid issues, I lose a lot of pink hair, too, so how much was in the drain? I don't even know. That wasn't the reason that it wouldn't drain, though, because Chloë and I tried to drain some multiple times before I even got in (it was too hot). Cringe!
8) Wonder Woman was 2017's most popular movie. She was originally introduced in a 1941 DC comic book. Comic books remain a big business. Have you ever been to a comic book store?
I actually have not, except as, y'know, transported there in shows such as The Big Bang Theory and other such gems we all ate up over the years. I should, if only because my oldest and youngest are both into manga, but I get most of what I buy for them on the used online book store, Thriftbooks. Check it out, you won't be disappointed. Everything is always in much better condition than I'd even hoped.
9) Random question: Is your skin itchy this morning?
My, that is random, Crazy Sam! No, it's not, but I'll be sure and report back if that status changes!
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Take care and have a lovely Saturday on purpose, y'all!
Fin.Phil
Hellew, everyone. I hope you are well. Missed you last week.
Nothing new in my neck of the woods (same ills, same story), so nothing worth reporting. My younger two kids are enjoying the summer visiting friends, with the youngest having a flurry of sleepovers there, here, there, here, so much we've forgotten whether she's coming or going. And our oldest, out in the world, has gotten herself a promotion to crew trainer, and a nice raise. We're so proud of her:
So without further ado, let's jump in:
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August will be devoted to story songs. Here's the first.
Big, Bad John (1961)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This song tells the story of a stern, enigmatic miner. None of the other miners knew much about him. When people first meet you, do you think they see you more as mysterious or straightforward?
Haha, well, just like here, I'm an open book. Since I have a number piercings above the neck, the biggest mystery for people seems to be whether I have any more.
2) During a serious accident, many of the miners panicked. But not John. Think of your family, friends and acquaintances. Who would be the most dependable in a crisis?
Oh, definitely Rob (Hubs). He's cool and level-headed for that, whereas I am tailor-made to go into full-blown panic mode every.time. Plus, he's extremely well trained for crisis and survival, so if something were to happen, I would absolutely look to him to lead us through it.
3) His heroism allowed 20 miners to escape, but cost John his life. According to the lyrics, there's a marble slab on site of mine that honors him. Is there a memorial to a local hero in your town?
Oh, I'm sure there are other memorials here in our newish-adopted home town, but the one I'll mention here is a historical marker put up last year to memorialize three young Black men who were victims of lynching in the 1900s. It was time history paid them their due notice, although one of them is "uknown," sadly.
4) This song was written and performed by Jimmy Dean. He began composing it on a flight from New York to Nashville. How do you amuse yourself while traveling?
Well, it partly depends on how long the flight is, partly on where I'm going and with whom, and partly on what I'm going there to do. Sometimes I'll read a book or magazine. Sometimes I'll watch the in-flight movie. But you know what often entertains me? Reading the Sky magazine (or whichever, whatever) in the back of the seat in front of me. I freakin' love Hammacher Schlemmer!
5) Jimmy Dean hosted a long-running variety show on CBS, which is best-remembered today for introducing Jim Henson's puppets -- especially Rowlf, a dog who sang and told jokes. While Rowlf didn't make it to Sesame Street, he was a recurring character on the Muppet Show. Are you a Muppet fan?
I was a little kid watching the Muppet Show, and I was a huge, huge fan, along with my sister. And then as a young mom, it was fun to see them revived while my kids were little. But now, they've done so many iterations of the show and movies, I feel like it's time for them to step back and take a deep breath.
6) Jimmy found success in business with The Jimmy Dean Sausage Company. He sold the company to Sara Lee in 1984 for $80 million. Today Jimmy Dean breakfast products are still popular in grocery stores all over the country. What's your favorite breakfast?
Hard to say. I eat to keep my blood sugar level more often than not. Sometimes I'll eat frozen waffles with sliced strawberries on them. Sometimes I'll eat Special K Vanilla Almond cereal, with extra sliced almonds and almond milk. Usually it's one of those.
7) In 1961, when this song was popular, Vogue asked if fashion sense is inborn or if could a woman could learn to be chic. What do you think? Do you think style is either something you have, or you don't?
I think one (any gender, any sex) is born with a gene that, if turned on, enables one to learn to be fashionable. It's not really about fashion sense being genetic, though, is it? An eye for color, for texture, for patterns, and so on. I myself do not possess this gene, just so you know.
8) Also in 1961, Ernest Hemingway took his own life. Did you read Hemingway in English class? Can you recall any other novels you read for school?
I'm horrified to report that I never read any Hemingway novels in school, although I did read An Old Man and the Sea in my last semester as an undergrad. I'll have to rectify that. (I have, however, visited Hemingway house at least three times, been back and forth past it at least a dozen or two times and am intimately familiar with the six-toed cats there, and tossed back a drink in Sloppy Joes with Hubs in Key West. Plus, we moved to Idaho. See? This all counts, right?) I can remember countless novels and short stories. No one ever seems to remember reading a short story by Eudora Welty. I think the story was about a path, in the woods? But I'll have to go back later and look this up. My favorite short story, of course, is "The Lottery," by Shirley Jackson. Good stuff. Heh.
But of course, you asked for novels. We definitely read To Kill a Mockingbird. More than once, at least. Night, by Elie Wiesel. (I own that book now; he was a professor at University of South Florida in St. Petersburg, while I lived there and was attending USF, but in Tampa, before he died. I never got to meet him but would have loved to have met this hero.) Lots of Tennessee Williams and Shakespeare, but again, novels, not plays. Let me get back to you! Ha.
Edit: I also own To Kill a Mockingbird. Didn't want Harper Lee over there feeling left out.
9) Random question: Think about the last "white lie" you told. Was it to make your own day easier or spare someone's feelings?
Maybe it was both? I don't know?? My short-term memory is pretty obliterated as a result of everything I've got going on, so I have an extremely hard time remembering day-to-day conversations. Maybe I can find something in a text. Stay put...
...I couldn't discover anything of this nature, and Rob was no help in telling me what was the last white lie I told. Imagine. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it was probably to easy-on-up my own day. Those are rough enough, and I probably needed it. But don't get me wrong, I'm a strong empath and would do what I could for someone's feelings in a New York Minute.
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Well, I got done here right on the dot of noon o'clock. Taking out all the pictures and illustrations was definitely faster, but also -- weird! I miss it.
Raining cats and dogs here, folks; how's by you?
Fin.
Hi everyone!
Oh, my gosh, I almost forgot to post and it's about to be noon any second! What a slacker!
I'm not going to ask about Independence Day, because what freedom?
I'd better just get into it, huh? Link up here with the rest of us and give Crazy Sam a run for her money. ☺
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Oh, I made a mildly crude joke to my husband about the smell of the deposit that Sophia's cat made in her litterbox, to Hubs. He thrives on crude, though, so I got a laugh.
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Well, now it's time to check the mail. Thanks, Sam and friends!
Fin.
Hey kids of all ages, what's the haps? My body, right now, is giving me the evil eye, but I'm going to have rally by tomorrow afternoon when it's time to attend Pride Salisbury with my two LGBTQIA+ kiddos (and whomever else wants to come). I'm already exhausted. There's supposed to be a luau a few towns over tonight (unrelated to Pride), and I have always hada a luau on my Bucket List, but if it's not in Hawai'i, does it really count?
Phew, that was a lot of words! Join the rest of S9ers right here!
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I just heard that the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and I am crushed and also furious.
Will there come a day when they will rue the destructionn of Roe?
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Hello, weekend friends. I deserted you again, yes, for health reasons. Ugh. Let's jump right in. For 9 interesting questions jumping off from Elvis' "Moody Blue," link up with Saturday 9 HERE.
And here we go:
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Saturday 9: Moody Blue (1977)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This song was recorded in the special studio Elvis had built in the Jungle Room of Graceland. During the pandemic, have you made like Elvis and worked from home?
No longer applicable to me. I used to do various things to have multiple streams of income, but my health has depleted my ability to do any of that now.
2) Elvis sings that his girl is completely unpredictable. Which quality to you find more attractive: spontaneity or dependability?
Oddly enough, I find myself choosing "dependability." I suppose that was always what the answer was all along, but with me being Bipolar 1, when mania struck, I've always begged for a bit of spontaneity from everyone else, too. What, it's 4 in the morning? So? And?
3) He only performed the song once in concert. In February 1977, shortly after the record was released, Elvis sang "Moody Blue" live in Charlotte, NC, but had to rely on lyric sheet. Crazy Sam can sympathize because she seems to forget passwords as soon as she sets them. Do you often struggle with your memory?
I do, and it's killing me. I never did struggle, but now I seem to have no memory at all. Even what should be important things are lost in the ether. When I'm able to pull something out of my memory, even just a word, we cheer.
4) "Moody Blue" was the final hit of Elvis' lifetime, only getting to #31 in the US but reaching #3 in the UK. What's your favorite Elvis song?
Oh, man. That's a HARD one for me. I grew up with a dad who absolutely idolized Elvis. I have several and am finding it impossible to narrow down to one. May I please have two? My dad was always singing "Jailhouse Rock," so that must be a finalist.
And I'm sure "Hound Dog" must have been one of the first songs I learned to sing. With inflection and charisma and all that, even. But not with the hips and other dancing, like my dad.
5) We're focusing on Elvis this week because January 8 would be his 87th birthday. He enjoyed celebrating his birthday by renting the Memphis movie theater and watching the latest movie with an invited group of friends. What's your favorite way to celebrate your birthday?
On my birthdays, four months earlier than Elvis', I love at least dipping my toes in the water - even if it has to happen this way.
8) For his 11th birthday, young Elvis asked for a rifle or a bicycle. His mother deemed the gun too dangerous and the bike too expensive and instead gave her son his first guitar. Tell us about a memorable birthday from your youth.
I actually can't.
7) Elvis loved horses and kept them in the stable at Graceland. His favorite was a palomino named Rising Sun. To honor both horse and rider, Elvis' daughter has always kept a palomino in the stable whose name includes "sun." The current resident is Tuscan Sun. Known as "Tucky," he's lived at Graceland for more than 20 years now and is a favorite of Alene Alexander, who maintains the stable and reports he has "attitude and knows he's prettier than everybody else." Tell us about an animal who holds a place in your heart.
Shortly after we bought our house in Idaho, we adopted our kitten and named her Periwinkle. She loved to play and have fun with the other, grown, cats, but she had such a serious expression all the time! We used to say, "Serious kitten is a serious kitten." Well, as it turns out now that Peri has grown up a bit, "Serious kitten is a serious adult!" But she's sooo soft and sleek, with her extra-large frame and tail to match. Her outer shell is velvety gray, but her inner shell is quite white.
8) Throughout his life, Elvis had trouble sleeping. As a preteen, he was a sleepwalker. As an adult, he battled insomnia. Is sleep an issue for you?
It absolutely is. Has always been.
9) Random question: Do you wear your shoes inside your house?
Nope! We have a chest by the front door called the "shoe box," which somehow never actually gets used these days, but no one comes further inside the house than that with their shoes on.
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Hey, look at that! May be ten minutes 'til four (PM), but I finished! Let's have a party.
Have a good week! Get that shot, y'all!
Fin.
Hello, cyber friends of mine! I'm glad I 'made it' this week, because I adore this song, "Birthday," by Katy Perry. In fact, it made the short list of songs I played as a soundtrack for Hubs' birthday in... must have been 2019?
And I love Katy. What's not to love?
So if you're ready to join us this week, you'll find the link here. Wouldn't it be fun if li'l ol me brought someone new into the mix? Sure it would! Go 'head, c'mon, join us!
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1) In this song, Katy Perry sings that she wants to give her lover something good to celebrate every day. What is making you happy this fine Saturday?
Well, the sun is shining, so that makes it a great start! I live for sunshine. It rained much of the last fortnight.
2) The video is all about baking a birthday cake. When did you most recently enjoy something home baked? Were you the baker?
I think it would have had to be the beginning of January, when one of the things I gifted Hubs for our 20th wedding anniversary was a local favorite here: Smith Island Cake. I didn't bake it, of course, since we have entered our 7th month of living in a hotel (GAH!), but it was a local baker who did, not some chain. If that counts.
3) Tell us a memory from one of your birthdays.
Hmm, well, let's see. For some reason I don't know, I wanted to be 25 before I had my first child. And then Hubs and I discovered we were gonna have a wedding night baby, according to my OB and her charts and calculations. She was due October 2nd. But she didn't want to be an October baby. She wanted to damn-near-share with Mom for her birthday. And so Chloë arrived by emergency C-section on September 7th - the day before I turned 25. Little stinker! I'd wanted to go swimming that day - and I asked during the C-section, but the surgeon just laughed and said I couldn't. Wah!
4) This week's song shares nothing but the title with a Beatles song. (Here's a video of Paul McCartney performing it live.) Can you think of another title that's been used by more than one song?
How about "Jump" by both van Halen and Kriss Kross?
5) Similarly, this week's featured artist was born Kathryn Hudson and called Katy Hudson until she changed her name to Katy Perry to avoid confusion with the actress Kate Hudson. Have you ever met anyone else with your same name?
Just about, yes! Of course, I've run into my share of "Melanie"s over the years, but as a kid, one of my stepsisters had a friend (who is now also my friend), whose mother was Melanie Simons - exactly mine, minus a second "m" in the surname.
6) Katy and actor Orlando Bloom became parents to a baby girl in 2020. Bloom is best known for his work in the Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Are you a fan of either of those film series?
They're so cute together. I hope they make it. But no, I haven't seen any of the movies in either of those franchises.
7) In 2014, the year this song was popular, Prince William toured the United States and attended his first NBA game (Nets vs. Cavaliers). What's the most recent sporting event that you watched?
That would have to be the Super Bowl match-up between the Chiefs (again! Woot!) and the Buccaneers. That damn Brady, y'know?
This all kinda makes me wonder: when was the last time a brand-new team sport was invented?
8) Also in 2014, Joan Rivers died. While best-known for making us laugh, she was a very successful entrepreneur, selling jewelry on QVC. Have you ever ordered anything from TV?
Off the TV? No. But I did buy these earrings (just the ones in the lobes) from a website - which also hawks stuff on TV - as part of a mystery shop I did recently.
9) Random question -- Have you ever been told you talk too much?
Ohhhh, yes. I am definitely the loquacious one! Garrulous. A chatterbox. And I have absolutely gotten in trouble for it. I remember being in 11th grade, in our AP Chemistry class, and our teacher gave us what basically amounted to busy work while he went to his office in a back room. He came out multiple times to shush us. And then he came out and demanded: "Miss Simmons, WHY is your voice the only one I ever hear???"
And that's not an isolated incident, by any means, just one I vividly remember.
Also, this little bambina, the same Chloë mentioned in my answer to #3, has gotten the gift of gab from her mother. The two of us can talk back and forth so fast sometimes, the others don't aways know what we've said. And since I now have neuro deficits from Lyme disease, Chloë now acts as my interpreter when I can't get my messages across! Love that kiddo. ♥
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And now, I think I need a nap. Wow, I got this posted by noon! Look at me go.
Fin,
Hey, y'all. Belated happy new year to you all! What a way to begin, eh?
I hope you've all been well in every way. ♥ I have missed you guys and have thought of you often. Hopefully I'll be able to begin making this a regular habit again!
Link up here if you're playing along today folks!
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Hello again. Welcome back.
I just can't believe how fast Fridays are rolling around lately. The time from Friday to Friday seems like a blink, even though the time we've spent here in Ocean City hotels (nine weeks?) seems interminable. Weird how these things work. I guess Einstein might have something to say about it.
Link up here if you want to join in with us this week!
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We're in the middle of a feeling-old hat trick, I think: We just celebrated Chloë's 19th birthday, moved her out into her own apartment, and she'll be voting in her first Presidential election soon. Doesn't take much more than that!
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Alright, y'all. I seriously need to go grab a shower, and then hopefully I'll still have enough energy afterward to delve into Sunday Stealing. (Shower's wear me OUT.)
Fin.
Welcome back, kids of all ages! This week I'm coming at you from Salisbury, Maryland, in complete confusion about where I am and where I actually belong. This isn't a bad thing. It's that necessary reset that happens whenever we find ourselves in new surroundings that are at once familiar and completely unknown.
So because of the crazy of the last few days (my girls and I flew in on Wednesday), I totally forgot it was Friday and there were questions to answer. Must get into it. Link up here to play along this week!
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I See Love (2010)
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.
1) This is the theme from Mike and Molly, a TV show that ran from 2010 to 2016. Were you a fan?
I wasn't a fan; I wasn't a non-fan. It was the kind of show I call "filler," something I watched if nothing else was on.
2) Molly was played by Melissa McCarthy. Today she's one of Hollywood's best-paid actresses, but when she began her career, she was barely scraping by. She recently recalled the time when, as a struggling actress, she was rejected at the ATM because it only gave out $20s and she didn't have even that much in her checking account. How often do you visit the ATM? Several times a week? Several times a month? Never?
It's probably been close to a year and a half since I've gone to an ATM, but it was monthly or so before that.
3) When she was broke, Melissa couldn't afford blueberries and avocados. Now she savors them. When you're a few bucks ahead, what do you splurge on?
We're not that different. Even my daughters agreed, "food," when I asked them what we splurge on if we can. That may be when I get organic produce, concentrating especially on EWG's Dirty Dozen.
**** INTERMISSION while I fall asleep and then forget I didn't finish this until 2:42 PM EST (oops!) ****
4) Mike was played by Billy Gardell. He was working at a comedy club, cleaning the bathrooms and answering the phone. He used to crack jokes with other employees and finally one of his coworkers dared him to go onstage on "open mic night." A comedy career was born. Tell us about someone who pushed you to make the right move.
Honestly, there aren't many such instances. Maybe people realize that I'm just going to do what I want to do no matter what they say? I don't know. But the one push I needed, after multiple attempts to cut my dad out of my life over the years, came from the man himself. He said, on Facebook, "Oh, just leave me alone!" and I haven't talked to him for a year and a half. It feels great. I don't miss him. WE don't miss him. And we definitely don't need him.
5) On the show, Mike's best friend was his fellow officer, Carl McMillan. Carl was not especially motivated and still lived with his grandmother, well into his 30s. How old were you when you moved out of the house for good?
I was 17 when I finally escaped the hellish torture chamber that was my house in Baldwinsville, New York, for good. I graduated high school one day and moved out of New York the next.
6) Mike's and Molly's mothers are different as night and day and frequently did not get along. Have you ever had in-law trouble?
Things have not always been easy.
7) This week's song was written by Keb Mo. He switches among several different guitars when he works -- electric, acoustic and resonator. Can you play guitar?
No way. I wish!
8) In 2010, when this show premiered, Apple introduced the iPad. Do you use a tablet?
No. I really don't feel the need. I have my celly (Samsung S20 Ultra), my desktop, and now I have a laptop (ASUS VivoBook). The kids each have a Samsung tablet, though. We defected from Apple a while ago.
9) This week's random question gives you an opportunity to brag: What's something you do better than most people?
Oh, I don't know that I could say I do anything better than anybody, but I'm not bad with sticks and string, and I'm a pretty good "hooker," too. I'm trying to get my mojo back. I've been saying that for a while...
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Okay. I've been coughing pretty badly lately, but I've got to try to get up and get out of this hotel today. No promises, children (mine, not you guys).
See you all on the flip side.
Fin.
Hiya! Once again, I'm dodging my responsibilities and playing along with Sunday Stealing. Here's today's post, if you're inclined to join us.
Bev Sykes of the blog "Funny the World" is our lovely host. Welcome to the joint! Here, we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!
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1) What makes it easy to talk to someone?
If they're interested in what you're saying, and vice-versa, that helps.
2) Have you ever had a great conversation with a complete stranger?
Sure. I remember this one mystery shop I was doing at a very high-end boutique restaurant in Miami. I ended up talking to the women's bathroom attendant for quite a long time. We really bonded. At the end, we hugged and maybe cried a little. I have no idea what we talked about, now, but that women isn't paid enough!
3) Do you like to argue?
If you mean like the angry, loud kind of conversation, then no, not really. I do like having a really good, constructive discussion about ethical and moral issues and such.
4) Some people like to talk about things, and some people like to do things. Which are you?
Pre-disabilities, I was both. Say what I was going to do, or wanted to do, and then go get it done. These days I'm more of a delegator.
5) Who is easier to talk to – men or women?
Historically, I've always had a lot more guy friends than girls. Now that I'm much older, most of my friends are women.
6) What is your favorite place?
♥ My favorite place isn't a geographical spot on any map but rather wherever this guy is, in his arms. ♥
7) What is your favorite place in your home?
Probably our master bath. It's so relaxing and luxurious there, and I've spent a lot of time in it. Hopefully our new house in Maryland - or wherever we land - will bring something competitive!
8) Would you most want to live in a city, a suburb or the country?
My favorite place is a city by the sea, like here in Split, Croatia. (I haven't been there. I have been to Dubrovnik, but not Split.)
9) What is special about the town you live in?
I can't think of anything. And that's why I've gotta leave.
10) How much time do you spend in nature?
Right now? Practically none. I used to spend all my time in nature. I've gotta remedy that.
11) Do you make up a dinner plan for the coming week?
I really tried to get into doing that, but I found it too restrictive. After we get settled into whatever new house we own, I'm going to try again.
12) Do you make up a grocery shopping list and stick to it when shopping?
Oh yes, most definitely. I am the queen of lists... as opposed to this, RuPaul's list of queens.
13) What is one thing that you always buy, but never write down on a list?
Milk. I'm forever buying milk. My kids drink a ton of it.
14) Is there anything that you always think you are out of and come home with it to discover you already have a year’s supply on hand?
Hmm, not really, because of those afore-mentioned lists. Probably one of the things I might be guilty of over-buying is rice. No idea why.
15) Do you get your groceries delivered?
Nope. I mean, we did that once or twice when we lived in Boise, but nothing delivers out here. Nothing.
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All right, y'all, I've got more travel plans to make. Be well!
Fin.
Oh, my goodness. Moving is just so complicated. Then you factor in that it's another (almost) coast-to-coast move. Then you add three teenagers. You add two dogs, four cats, and two rabbits. And tons of health issues. During a pandemic. When school is starting.
It's pretty monumental.
But, the girls and I are probably flying out to Maryland ahead of the boys this week, leaving them to wrap things up here, and I could not be more excited to leave a state behind. Oh, Idaho, I hardly knew ye.
Now it's your turn.
I participated in Six Word Saturday many years ago when it was on Show My Face, but they decided to retire the gig and now it seems to be run by Debbie over at Travel With Intent. Link up this weekend on this post of hers here, if you wish!
Lots of us break the numeric rule and share many more words, so the key rule now is to have a post title of six words, and then create around that the post that you desire - perhaps in bunches of 6 words if you’re really feeling inspired.
To join the challenge, put a link in your post to the URL of this post. Then go back and leave a comment. (If you have any problems with linking, just put your own URL into the comment.) Feel free to socialize digitally – tweet, instagram, flickr, etc. with the hashtags #SixWordSaturday and #6WS.
Fin.
Hey there, hi there, ho there, thieves! I'm watching the documentary series "Diagnosis" on Netflix right now - and of course, now my husband and I are going, "You need to get on that!" regarding all of my health issues - so forgive me if my answers become disjointed from distraction. I have a habit of going back later and finding I've done that!
I trust you are all well.
Link up here if you want to steal some shhhh--- today! Let's go:
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1 What are your plans for August?
Well, August is kind of a big month. We bought this big, beautiful, modern house last June. It's in a very small town in nowheresville, Idaho. I love the house. I do. I love my freakin' house. But I hate where it is. I've tried for 14 months to just be okay here for the sake of everybody else, but I just cannot do it anymore. I've got to GTFO of this state.
So, four of us are moving into an extended-stay hotel in Boise on Monday. Chloë, who will be 19 next month, is moving out into a place of her own and staying here. (Not gonna lie, I'm having a very hard time with that.) Rob's hiring movers that will come in and pack us up, then we'll have a move-out cleaning, and then the realtor who sold us the house is going to put it back on the market for us.
The average time for a home in our area to be on the market is 9 days, so I'm crossing my fingers for good luck like that. (Please cross yours, too!)
As soon as that happens, we're paying off the remainder of our car loan and gifting the car to Chloë. Then we'll hop a plane to Maryland.
Watch for what happens next...
2 Review the first half of 2020:
🔼🔼 There you go. 🔼🔼
3 A place you’d go if money were no object:
Oh, I'd definitely go on a space flight and realize my childhood dreams.
4 Who was your childhood best friend?
Well, it seemed like in elementary school I had a different best friend every year. Victoria... Thea... Shannon.... Ellie... different Shannon...
But from 6th grade on, I had a group of friends that pretty much stayed together. I count two of them (Lisa & Shana) as my best friends to this day. I'm lucky to have them. ♥
5 The city or town you love most?
Can I just say the entire Miami-Dade County? There are soooo many things there that I love, I couldn't pick just one municipality! Of course, I love my alma mater in Coral Gables. Then there's South Beach, of course. Then Coconut Grove... the quick drive to the Keys. I love everything about Miami!
6 How do you spend hot days?
That depends... am I still in Miami, or am I stuck in Idaho? Is it a COVID year, or just an El Niño year? Given my druthers, I'd be at the beach every day, all day.
7 Are you a skilled cook or baker?
Well, I'm no expert, but I do all right. I used to have a baking business when we lived in Virginia Beach, but after one exceedingly frustrating disappointment on an order I worked terribly hard on, I kinda just... stopped.
8 One thing you wish you could currently do:
Hmm... Speaking of Virginia Beach, I wish I could go to the Oceanfront there right NOW! Where's King Neptune when you need him?
9 A time when you learned your lesson:
Oh, I definitely learned my lesson from buying this house here in Mountain Home: no matter how much you love the house, if you hate the town, it's not the perfect house. There are some things you just can't compromise on. So now I have my eye on this house (center, foreground) in Maryland...
10 What consistently makes you laugh?
My husband, an old sailor, has an endless supply of filthy jokes. I try to act shocked, but he knows I'm amused.
11 Routines that bring you calm and peace:
Communing with nature
12 Who annoys you the most?
It's definitely this husband of mine - but I'm sure it's mutual!!
13 Describe some of your favorite household items.
Last September, we drove up to Washington to visit Great Wolf Lodge for Chloë's 18th birthday. Here are our three kids' wristbands from their first visit to Great Wolf Lodge - in Williamsburg, Virginia - over a decade earlier. ♥ (Our orally-fixated pup, Tapioca, has since eaten one of them.)
Here are all the pet tags from all the dogs and cats we've had who are no longer with us. ♥
Here is the tape of "Wonderful Tonight" that my friends from graduate school, Heather and Mason, rearranged and did on guitar and vocals. They gave it to us at our wedding reception. I have got to get it re-recorded digitally! ♥
And finally, here is just a small fraction of the pennies we've pressed over the years. We press pennies everywhere we go and have many books full of them! ♥
14 What have you gotten better at?
I mean, what was the starting line? I've gotten a whole lot better at walking and talking since I started about 43 years ago, I'll you that much!
15 Share a random memory.
When I was very young, probably under three years old, my family visited a zoo of some sort. We stopped at a kiosk somewhere, and my mother bought herself a drink. She was carrying me on her hip, so when she took a sip, I begged for a sip, too. It was delicious!!! Today I might describe it as sort of a virgin piña colada. When Mom got near the bottom of the cup, she said I could have the rest of her drink. I was so excited. Then, as soon as I had the cup in hand, Mom pivoted away from the camel pen we were standing right next to. I had the cup in my hand, and then suddenly it was snatched away from me! I looked back in shock to see the camel not only finishing my drink, but eating the cup to boot! Oh, how I sobbed. That is the only thing I remember from that day.
16 How many pairs of shoes do you have?
Oh, maybe about a dozen, give or take. I'm really not sure. I do know that more than half of those are Crocs, though!
(I need those green and turquoise pairs!)
17 Who do you go to for encouragement?
It depends on what I need encouragement for. I have a team!
18 References you make that others don’t get.
Well, if I told you about them, you would get it, and then they wouldn't really be inside jokes anymore, right?
19 What are 10 things you consider essential for you?
a Erin Condren Lifeplanner
b colorful Tul pens
c Versace prescription glasses
d Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
e Mint & Argan lip balm from Grove Collaborative (it's seriously the best)
f inhaler, definitely
g lotion, always gotta have lotion
h hairbrush, especially now that Sophia's making me grow it out long
i some kind of hard candy, because I go hypoglycemic fairly often
j jewelry - always have a necklace and hoops of some sort on at least!
20 Is there any accent you wish you had?
Australian. I tend to pick up accents and languages fairly easily, but I cannot for the life of me do an Australian accent. I just can't!
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Okay, I'm posting this really late because I was at the ER all morning, so no one will probably read it. But if ya did, thank you and have a great week!
Fin.
So, my 15-year-old kiddo, Sophia, is the queen of being a hilarious pain in the ass. I mean, since she was born, we have witnessed this child do the most ridiculous things that you might be inclined to get mad at, but she's so freaking funny, ya just can't. Parenting is tough, you know?
I recently picked up some clothes online on Express, with a gift card I had to use before it expires. I constantly have to be buying clothes for this growin'-like-a-weed kid of mine. Since she was asleep at the time I was buying them, it was a crap shoot as to whether they would fit, and whether she would actually like them. Not the first time.
Showing her the order, with pictures of the clothing, didn't seem too promising. She appeared to like maybe one thing.
Above, at the top, she'd styled her hair with the pretty orange scrunchie, the intricate-looking tights, and a black jumpsuit - all Express. (I had given her the haori she paired with this outfit from Kimonoshi for her birthday.) So to go along with the pop of orange, I'd asked her to snip one of the lilies her dad had given me recently and smell it. I did not expect her to put her nose right into the flower. When she pulled the flower off her face, there was pollen stuck to her nose and cheeks!
It was pretty funny, but not as hilarious as the things she said about it. This... was not fit to print.
So after Sophia got all the flower yuk off her - which took quite some effort - she was not thrilled to participate in any more clothes modeling for me:
Decided to lose the haori, too. She's still adorable and full of spunk (no pun intended), though!
It's super cute, right? It's kind of a capri-length jumpsuit, which at almost 5'6", she didn't want, but on her it's adorable!
Look at those goofy faces! She didn't like this olive green "Slub Crew Neck Slim Tee" too much at first, because it's a bit more revealing than what she usually wears, but after I made sure to let her know how great it looks on her, I think she came around.
By the way, with that blond hair, styled that way, at that length, and as she gets older... suddenly I'm seeing my mom in her. (Mom died when I was 7; she was very young herself.) I have seen it loads of times in Jack and Chloë their entire lives, but never really Sophie as she takes after my dad and me more. It's very breathtaking when it happens. I find myself staring at her. It must be so weird to be on the kid end of things when that happens, but I almost can't help myself.
Would you look at this monkey? Dramatic much? (I don't know where she gets that.)
::snort::
No, not overly dramatic at all. Somehow I managed to buy her two of these red "Crew Neck Easy" t-shirts - but at least it fits, right?
Of course, I had to get her this "Love" tee that was on clearance. She wore it today and yesterday. ♥♥♥♥♥♥
And finally, I snagged her this "Slub Ruched Side Tie Easy" tank top in white. Good while there's still some Summertime left.
And then, that mad dash for the door is not just to get away from my lens (although also that). That was the moment she remembered she'd put a pot on to boil downstairs!
Ha. I love that kid, but she's a knucklehead!
I'm so late posting this, but at least it's still Saturday on the Pacific coast!
I participated in Six Word Saturday many years ago when it was on Show My Face, but they decided to retire the gig and now it seems to be run by Debbie over at Travel With Intent. Link up this weekend on this post of hers here, if you wish!
Lots of us break the numeric rule and share many more words, so the key rule now is to have a post title of six words, and then create around that the post that you desire - perhaps in bunches of 6 words if you’re really feeling inspired.
To join the challenge, put a link in your post to the URL of this post. Then go back and leave a comment. (If you have any problems with linking, just put your own URL into the comment.) Feel free to socialize digitally – tweet, instagram, flickr, etc. with the hashtags #SixWordSaturday and #6WS.
Fin.
p.s. I get excited about good deals. You've got to forgive me. I paid $43.03 shipped for over $224 worth of Express clothes!
Welcome back, pals. I hope you've had an interesting week that leans to the good side.
I wish I could say I have. Still waiting impatiently for things to start to budge on the move back East, but we're still languishing in the house. (The house I love so much is still for sale at least, so that's good.) We're constantly up in the air about what to do about sending the two younger kids back to school. And now, I have a particularly bad case of pneumonia. This is frustrating. I'm on tenterhooks about the right moment to go to the ER, but I'm not there yet.
But, I am absolutely delighted to be doing Mad About You this week. I used to watch it weekly back in the day, and both Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser were among my favorite TV actors then. Love it! Link up here if you're joining us this week.
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Saturday 9: Mad About You (1992)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Mad About You was a sitcom that ran from 1992 to 1999. Are you familiar with the show? Were you a fan?
Yes. And yes!
2) The show was rebooted in 2019/2020 on the Spectrum streaming service. Do you have any streaming services? If so, which ones?
Yep. We have Netflix and Amazon Prime. We may have more than that; I really don't know. Our Smart TV shows me things I didn't think we owned, so... LOL!
3) The series revolved around Manhattan newlyweds Paul and Jamie Buchman. They met at a newsstand, where they were both purchasing The New York Times. With so many publications online, newsstands are now uncommon. When you want to purchase a printed newspaper or magazine, where do you go?
Y'know, I don't think I've ever stopped at a proper newsstand. I have tons and tons of magazine subscriptions across a wide variety of genres, but I didn't pay anything for those. I rarely buy a newspaper anymore to read the news, but I do usually get the Sunday paper for the coupons. Walmart, Albertsons, whatever store has the paper that I'm near to, that's what I do. I know, boring.
4) Paul is played by Paul Reiser. He created the series because he believes marriage is a tough but satisfying adventure. He and real-life wife Paula have been married for more than 30 years. They met when she was a waitress at the comedy club where he was performing. Have you ever waited tables?
Yes, but not in a restaurant, per se. I think I mentioned it last week, I was in catering at a resort in Florida while I did my Mote Marine Lab internship. I worked with a friend doing an internship in the same program, and we had a blast. Made good money, too. I often wore a tuxedo, and it was very ritzy. I did huge company getaways, family reunions, weddings... I loved it so much that later on, about four or five months, when I moved back up there to St. Petersburg, I got a job in catering at the Vinoy Renaissance in St. Pete Beach. My first day on the job there, I had a big tray of soup to serve to guests in for a company luncheon. They were all wearing fine suits. At one gentleman's side, the wrist holding the tray up gave out, and I spilled hot soup all over his new suit. It was god-awful! I ran off and cried as soon as I could, and then I was so embarrassed and upset with myself, I just quit. I think I was 21 then.
5) Helen Hunt won four Emmy Awards as Jamie. Over 10 million people watch the Emmys each year. She also won an Oscar, which has an annual viewership of twice that. Therefore huge audiences witnessed Helen's acceptance speeches. Are you comfortable speaking in public?
Noooooo! I have major glossophobia. I have been known to have panic attacks. Big, ugly ones. And I get the tell-tale beet red flush. So not fun for me!
6) During the opening credits, Paul and Jamie are sharing an ice cream bar. When did you most recently have ice cream?
It was almost today, but I didn't. Rob was out, and I had asked him to get me a Chipwich. I have fond memories of my grandma giving my sister and me money for the ice cream truck, and I'd usually get a Chipwich. But here in Podunk, they have some cheaper knock-off version, which he brought home. I'm a snob, and I didn't eat it, so I gave it to my kid.
7) Paul and Jamie's best friends were another couple, Fran and Mark. Eventually Fran and Mark divorced, and Paul and Jamie worked at being friends with both of them. Have you been friends with a couple who split? Did you manage to stay friends with both of them?
I can think of several friends we've had who have split up. I can't think of a single case where, if we didn't stay friends with both parties, we stayed friends with the dude. Always stayed friends with the woman. So far...
8) In 1992, when Paul and Jamie were playing New Yorkers, real New Yorkers were following the trial of mobster John Gotti. Mr. Gotti acquired many nicknames, including The Teflon Don, The Dapper Don and Black John. Is there anyone in your life that you call by a pet name or nickname?
Okay first of all, one of my best friends knew John Gotti through her grandmother. (They were Italians in New York; go figure.) As for the question, I have nicknames for everybody. Not mean, non-cerebral ones like Trump doles out; more cutesy ones. I have about a thousand nicknames for Rob, and they're all pretty silly. I just call him any other "R" name I can think of. "Rudolph? Rodolfo? Randall?" and so on. I call our eldest, Chloë Raine, a variety of things but "Chloë Rainebow" is probably my most frequent. Jack doesn't get too many now, because he doesn't like it (and since he's got ASD, I don't like to mess with him that way too much), but occasionally I'll just call him Jackson. Sophia gets "Soapy" or "Foofy," which comes from the second Madagascar flick.
Our dog Tapioca gets "Coon Pig" or "Chunky Weiner" (because she's got a racoon mask around her eyes, because she's a little porky, because she's part Dachschund), and our dog Paco gets "Doodle." I have no idea why I named him that. I think a lot of times I call people silly things because I can't think of what I meant to say at that moment!
9) Random question -- What subject do you wish you knew more about?
Gardening. I have a total black thumb, but I try so hard... I want to KNOW it all already and skip the learning part!
Oh, and photography. I really want to get better and better at it. I just really haven't taken the time.
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Well. I just started watching The Wolf of Wall Street on Amazon. Have y'all seen it? I've been meaning to watch it for a while.
See you on the flip side!
Fin.
For this week's thievery, Bev went to Upstreamlife to get our questions asked and answered. Looks like fun!
Join us, won't you? And when you do, link up here.
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1) Name 5 people you admire and why:
Jimmy Carter - for as old as he is and how often he gets himself badly injured, he's a tremendous humanitarian. More of us should be like Jimmy.
Michelle Obama - She and President Obama endured relentless criticism throughout their eight years in the White House, but she was always poised and full of grace. She's a gorgeous woman inside and out, she don't take no shit from anybody, and her messages have always been uplifting and positive. And she's not done yet!
The Dalai Lama - His messages of compassion for all others in humanity are inspiring millions, and hopefully it's catching!
Bill Gates - who, along with his wife Melinda, is doing amazing philanthropic works for global health and development with their foundation. I'm endlessly impressed.
Simone Biles - She's been through so many things in her life, and yet she continues to push herself further to be the best gymnast in the entire world. And her athletic ability is astounding.
2. When was the last time you did something adventurous?
Well, we're about to do something adventurous. We're going to pack up our stuff here in our amazing house in southern Idaho, list it and sell it, fly across the country to Maryland, and buy a new house where, hopefully, we'll live more than 13 months this time! I've got my eye on this beauty right now. It's amazing.
3. You felt you got older when _______
...I got Lyme disease. Here I am six years ago, with my best friend Lisa, at our 20th high school reunion. This was days before I got my tick bite. Now, I feel like I'm 90 years old, and my life has changed drastically. It's hellish, to be honest.
4. What one thing that could happen today would make you extremely happy?
If I had a complete cure and total reversal of everything Lyme-related, I'd be positively ecstatic.
5. An experience you don’t want to go through again:
I would not like to live through the loss of a child again. Not in a million years.
6. One decision you made that changed your life completely:
WTH?!!!
I made the decision to listen to a friend and finally put a dating ad on a matching site. I didn't really want to do it, though, so I made sort of a joke listing: in my description, I listed all of my faults. It was a long list! Rob read it and found it hilarious, and here we are, planning our 20th wedding anniversary!
7. How do you participate in saving the earth?
I honestly try to do as much as I can. If you look on the right side of this blog screen, scrolling down, you'll see a number of different organizations I participate in, am a member of, and financially support when I can. I am insanely conscious of the products and materials I use and whether they can be reused, donated, recycled even if they need to be broken down into separate parts, composted, and so on. I'm very diligent about learning everything I can to do more. I know so many people aren't doing their part at all, so I feel like it's incumbent upon me to do extra. I eat mostly vegan whenever I can, and I read ingredients so that I can avoid the ones (like palm oil) that are so harmful and destructive to our global environment and which contribute greatly to ecosystem destruction. I buy organic, and/or local, and/or fair trade, etc., whenever this option is available and affordable at the time. I keep a card in my purse so when I'm at the seafood counter, I can correctly buy this fish that's supposed to be farm-raised and that fish that's supposed to be wild-caught, and leave the ones I shouldn't buy alone entirely. I'm constantly researching how we can modify our home(s) to be more eco-friendly. I'm very outspoken in public and in private about this issue. And so on and so forth. (Hey, you asked!)
8. A gift you would like to get on your next birthday?
I'll be 44 in September. It's not a huge milestone. But it's the first birthday since my daughter Chloë was born that we've spent it apart from each other. (She'll be 19 the day before my birthday.) She's going to stay behind here in Idaho, and we're moving to Maryland quite soon. To be perfectly honest, I'm not handling that well at all, and the birthdays are going to be so difficult for me. I already know. So I'd love some time with my kid.
9. Things you miss about your childhood?
I don't.
10. The greatest invention:
There are a lot of great inventions listed here, but I think I'm going to go with music. Music can tap deeply into our emotions and make us feel. It brings us joy and empathizes with our pain. All the other things may make life easier, but music makes it worth living.
11. Your favorite super hero:
I've always loved Superman. But not just any Superman. Christopher Reeve as Superman. I was so devastated when he was injured.
12. Your views about veganism:
Don't get me started! I've already addressed that a little bit above, but I will just say: I'm totally for it!
13. If you could be anything else in the world, what would you be?
I think I would be a beautiful butterfly.
14. How did your parents meet?
Ironically, my parents also met via a dating match-up service, but in 1970. They met thirty years earlier than my husband I met on the online dating site.
15. Your morning routine:
Now that I know my mono was reactivated, this makes much more sense. So me!
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All right, y'all. You have lovely weeks and, if I don't see you for a while, it's because we're moving. Wish us faith, trust, and pixie dust!
Fin.
Welcome back, ladies and gents! What a week. What a week!
Forget about what's going on in this crazy country. Some women (myself included) may have had an online countdown to their baby's due date. Or to their wedding date (not guilty; eloped). And so on. I'm sure I'm not the only one counting down the seconds until election day. Amirite?!
Personally, even more upheaval than I talked about last week. Last time, I said we were going to sell the "perfect house" in the country and get back to the city (aka Boise). Now, we're going to sell the house in the country, the eldest child is going to stay here and carry on with her live, the rest of us are going to move back to the East Coast, and we're going to buy another house. It's crazy town.
Meanwhile, with all of my myriad health problems going on for the last several years, my doc has run a bunch of blood tests and determined, among other swell bits of news, that the mononucleosis I had back as a freshman in college has been reactivated. Which explains why I need a nap every day just to recover from the nap I just had. And then maybe another nap.
Everyone's in a tizzy about moving and packing and house-selling and house-buying, and my sleepy-@$$ is of absolutely no use to anyone. I'm doing what I do best: I'm making a whole lot of lists.
So, let's get on with things. You didn't really come here to listen to my life. Link up here to play along!
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Saturday 9: Moonlighting (1985)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Moonlighting was an award-winning comedy-drama that ran from 1985 to 1989. Are you familiar with the show? Were you a fan?
I watched from time to time. I would have been 9-13 years old then. It wasn't a huge priority, but if it was on and nothing else was, I might've watched. I'm not a huge fan of Cybill Shepherd.
2) The series revolved around The Blue Moon Detective Agency in Los Angeles. There have been countless TV shows and movies about detectives and their cases, yet Crazy Sam doesn't know anyone who has ever hired a private investigator. How about you? Have you ever had anything or anyone investigated?
^^^ That would be me. I haven't hired a PI, but I have called the police to file a report a few times. I can quickly think of at least three. Fortunately for me in these situations, I'm white, so I didn't get murdered.
3) The agency was named Blue Moon because one of the owners, Maddie Hayes, was a model known as The Blue Moon Girl, famous for promoting Blue Moon Shampoo. If we were to rename their detective agency based on the shampoo you most recently used, what would it be called?
Well, I guess it would be the Soapbox Detective Agency. I love my Soapbox shampoos and conditioners, which I get from Grove Collaborative. (If you use that link, you'll get a free gift set.) Soapbox is great for so many reasons, from being environmentally-responsible to being philanthropic: for every product purchased, they donate a bar of soap to someone in need, either state-side or internationally. Aside from all that, it works great on my thin, baby-fine hair!
4) Cybill Shepherd played Maddie Hayes. Cybill believes we can all find romance many times and said she considers the concept of one true love as "dramatic treacle." Do you agree?
I do agree with her. I think any given person can have many different soulmates throughout their life. I never subscribed to the idea that a person only found ONE "the one" in their life, and that was it.
5) David Addison was played by Bruce Willis. At the beginning of his career he couldn't support himself as a actor and held down part-time jobs as a security guard, shuttle bus driver and bartender. How many different occupations have you had?
Dude. I think I've had just about every part-time job there is. When I got my first full-time job, as a legal secretary, I finally felt all grown up! Of course, my status has been "stay-home mom/homemaker" for the better part of the last 20 years, so it's almost time to shake it up again there, too.
6) The Moonlighting theme was co-written and performed by Al Jarreau. While in college, Al planned on being a career counselor. Yet once he began performing with a jazz trio, he knew that music was where his heart was. Tell us about a time you found joy from an unexpected source.
Oh, I find simple pleasures all around, all the time. I have to, maybe, as a self-preservation mechanism or else I'd go insane! ...Lately, I've been making these bookmarks to include in cards I'm sending as part of a program of support for LGBT youth. A lot of the others involved in this program have raved about how beautiful they are and have asked for one/some. I never expected that and got a nice dose of warm fuzzies out of it.
7) Moonlighting was created by Glenn Gordon Caron. ABC gave him the opportunity based on his work on Remington Steele and Taxi. Of these three shows -- Moonlighting, Remington Steele and Taxi -- which would you prefer to binge watch?
Need I say more? I mean, Pierce Brosnan. SEXY!
8) In 1985, the year Moonlighting premiered, Coca Cola introduced The New Coke. It was not successful and disappeared from store shelves quickly. What's the most recent beverage you drank?
I'm still loving and sucking down my Cirkul water! (That link will get you $5 off your purchase.) They have a ton of tasty flavors, many different lines/formulations, and just something for everyone! I'm so happy Cirkul has helped me kick WAY back on my Diet Coke habit.
9) Random question -- Each day, do you put more time into improving your mind or your appearance?
Ha! When you're as sick as I've gotten, your appearance is generally an afterthought. I rarely have the energy to care about that. I do, however, experience brain fog and memory deficits, so I'm always working on improving that. I rely so heavily on this brain; can't have it crapping out on me!
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Well, I hope you all have the day ahead that you're hoping to have. When things go according to plan - or better than we imagined - that's just the best feeling, isn't it? I wish that for you today.
Fin.
Hey hey, whaddaya say? Anyone else hearing the squeaky flipper noises already? Am I the only who tried to emulate that as a much younger person? (Also maybe older, no telling.)
Link up here if you'd like to play along with us this weekend! I had to take a break and skip last weekend; more health-related BS that no one wants to hear.
So let's get on with it, shall we?
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Saturday 9: Flipper (1964)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Flipper ran for three seasons, from 1964 to 1967. Are you familiar with the show? Were you a fan?
My sister and I used to watch it as kids, but I guess it must have been in re-runs, then. I don't remember that being the case, but it must have since I wasn't born until nearly a decade after it ended.
2) Brothers Sandy and Bud consider a bottle-nosed dolphin, named Flipper, their pet. Do you currently share your home with any animals?
Yup! Here are two of our four cats, Pepper and Sugarplum.
Here's one of our two dogs, Paco, who turned 6 years old on the 11th! ♥
And... here's one of our two bunnies, Benji, with another of the cats, Periwinkle. Quite a zoo we've got going on here!
3) Bud and Sandy's dad was Chief Warden Porter Ricks of the fictional Coral Key Marine Preserve. In reality, the show was filmed in Miami and Key Biscayne. When were you last in the ocean? Which ocean was it?
Last time we were in the ocean was in February 2017, in Key Largo (Atlantic Ocean side), before we moved away from Miami to come here to Idaho. Gawd, I miss my seas!
4) There was no one single "Flipper." In close-ups, the role was played by a dolphin named Susie. While Susie was good at interacting with people, she had trouble with stunts, and sometimes a male dolphin named Clown was brought in for action sequences. Do you consider yourself more social, like Susie? Or are you more athletic, like Clown?
Welp, I'm not a whole lot of either, but I'm definitely not athletic, so I guess I'd have to be more like Susie!
5) Without looking it up, do you know the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise?
Well, I have a degree in marine biology, but I didn't spend a whole lot of time on the marine mammals, so... I'd have to go by memory. I know there is a general size/body proportion difference (I think the dolphins are bigger?), which corresponds to difference in behaviors as well. But what about the narwhal, y'all? Do you know what that is? ;)
6) Flipper wasn't just a TV pet. He was an industry! During the show's run, Flipper comic books, coloring books and puzzles were very popular. As an adult, do you entertain yourself by reading comics, coloring, or completing jigsaw puzzles?
Well, I haven't been doing a lot of any of that recently. I did by the above jigsaw puzzle at the beginning of this pandemic, around early February, but I have yet to crack open the box.
7) The Flipper lunchbox was also a big seller. It came with a Thermos topped with a red cup. Do you own a Thermos?
No, not per se. Hubs uses a lot of Nalgene bottles and Coleman "thermoses," but I don't believe we have any actual Thermos products. I could be wrong on that, though. As for me, I'm doing all my hydration via several of these Cirkul bottles nowadays. (Have you tried these? I love Cirkul!!!)
8) In 1964, when Flipper premiered, it was up against The Outer Limits and The Jackie Gleason Show. If those were your only viewing choices, would you watch the family show about the dolphin, the sci-fi anthology show, or the comedy-variety show? (Or would you rather flip through a magazine?)
I might "flip" (I see what you did there, Crazy Sam!) through a magazine while I watched Flipper. I did love the movie The Toy, but I wasn't a huge fan of Jackie Gleason and have never really been into sci-fi.
9) Random question -- Which would you be more comfortable explaining: how a car engine works, the current IRS tax brackets, or the rules of baseball?
Oh, yeesh. D: None of the above, I think I'm gonna have to say! Couldn't I explain something like Calculus, Chemistry (as in Avogadro's Number, described in the song above), or the Carrying Capacity of a given ecosystem? That's more my comfort zone. Now I'm going to have to go learn some things so I don't feel like such an idiot. Hee!
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I hope youse guys have a lovely weekend. It's heading up toward about 98ºF here today, and it's been at, near, or above 100ºF for days now, so I'm staying indoors. Hopefully I'll manage not to pass out at Sophie's equestrian show tomorrow!
Fin.
Hey there, Thieves! Welcome back! I couldn't get my post up at all late Saturday afternoon or in the evening because the plague that are migraine headaches, but better late than never, right?
Link up here to play along this week!
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1 If you could be a Muppet, which would you be?
I think Hubs and I jointly would be Statler and Waldorf, the two old guys who sit and make dumb jokes about everything around us, cracking ourselves up. I'd be whichever one was cuter!
2 Why is a chicken crossing the road in the first place??
Well, as anyone who has ever kept chickens, as we have, can tell you, these are not the most brilliant animals on the planet. Also as anyone who has been to Key West even once - let alone multiple times - as I have, can tell you, they will go wherever they want to go, often in a hurry, including the middle of the road. So as for why? Clearly, the answer is: because.
3 What's your favorite muscle?
Well, that depends. In babies? I like the glutes. In a guy? I like arms - big biceps!
4 Cheerios or Rice Krispies?
I love Rice Krispies. I do not enjoy Cheerios; they smell like baby diarrhea to me. Blechhhh!
5 Is summer ever going to get here?
I mean, between intense climate change and the coronavirus, what are we really going to do with it? I think Earth deserves to take its time on this one.
6 Have you ever had a utility turned off by mistake or some other reason besides weather or nonpayment?
No, and like this fortune, that is oddly specific.
7 What was your "last day" of something?
Hm, let's see. September 6th, 2019, was my last day of not being a parent to an adult child! (This one, that is - I never told Chloë she could grow up!)
8 If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which one would you choose?
I'd love to be stuck on The Big Bang Theory! At least I'd feel like I was where I belonged.
9 Did you have any type of class trip, band trip, etc., in high school? Where did you go, what did you do?
I know there were others, but my favorite class trip was our 9th grade one to Darien Lake, in New York. We did a fundraiser, and I raised the second most, so I got a bonus from that, too!
10 Do your feet smell?
No; they do not have a nose.
11 Do you know how to french braid?
Yes, and I can both French-braid and Dutch-braid on my own hair, too. I really want to learn to do the fishtail braid, though!
12 Two guys are walking down the street. One drops his hat and reaches down to pick it up, the other kicks him in the ass. Do you laugh?
That depends; am I "the other"? If not, then hopefully involuntarily at least, but I'm sure I would snort!
13 You wake up one morning and dogs are meowing and cats are barking - what are fish, elephants and crocodiles doing?
Have we run out of "real" questions, then?
14 You are going to your high school reunion. What award are you going to win?
Hammiest family!
15 You find yourself stranded on a deserted island. Soon you find a laptop with a lifelong battery & internet connection, then you find a cave with an endless supply of food and a spring of fresh water. A cruise ship comes along to save you - do you get on it?
If I get to take that laptop with me and it's not during the days of COVID, then heck, yes!
16 How many shortcuts do you have on your desktop?
Five. But in my defense, it's a new laptop.
17 I offer you a pie... the most delicious pie you have ever seen. You either have to eat the entire thing in one sitting or allow me to slam it into your face, which do you choose?
I guess I'm getting a pie in the face, because I'm working with that gastric pouch on the right!
18 Are you a pen stealer?
Not usually! My pens are all the different colors of the rainbow. Everyone else? Blue or black. ::snooze::
19 A dude from China comes up and offers you German chocolate cake, French fries and a Boston cream pie... what color is your car?
Black, and her name is Phoenix. But a little birdie told me I might be getting a new car this year, so... I'm game!
20 Sometimes you just have to tap your foot to your favorite song - which TV series season finale are you watching?
Modern Family is still in the DVR, waiting for me!
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All right, y'all. I've got to get ready for the week ahead. Have a good one!
Fin.
Howdy, folks. Here we are, another Saturday, another 9 questions thunk up by our gracious hostess with the mostess.
I've had a pretty tough week and am on my 11th day of an intractable migraine with everything under the sun thrown at it, but I'm plugging away. I had a televisit with my Lyme doctor yesterday, and I love him so much for being willing and able to help me. So there is hope.
As usual, I hope you all are still well and avoiding COVID-19.
Link up here to play along this weekend! I love the two artists highlighted, as well as this song.
And let us begin:
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Saturday 9: Beautiful People (2019)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This song is about the fantasy of being one of the "beautiful people," but how hollow the reality can be. Do you often find yourself envying others for what they have?
Maybe not what people have, but I'm a bit jelly of what some can do. I want to travel the world and see everything there is to see, but money (and children, of course) are an issue. I'm fortunate to have done some traveling, but not nearly enough. I'm hoping to get more stamps on my passport before this one expires - reckon it's still going to be accepted now that my dog has snagged it from my purse and used it for a chew toy?!
2) Ed Sheeran sings that he and his girl don't fit in well because they're "just ourselves." Who among your close friends do you find it easiest to be "just yourself?"
Well, aside from my husband and kids, probably my BFF Lisa. Unfortunately, she's clear across the country from me, so we don't get to visit in person too often. Fortunately, since we graduated high school in 1994, whenever we do manage to get together we manage to click right back into place. ♥
3) The lyrics refer to Hummers and Lamborghinis. What's your dream ride?
Well, it depends. Ideally, it would be an all-electric, zero-fossil fuels-consuming vehicle that can seat my whole family, plus some gear, and probably plus the dogs. Maybe the Volkswagen EV Microbus would fill that need?
However, now that the kids are pretty far grown, a Tesla Model X would do the trick?
Honestly, though, I've had a crush on the red Mazda Miata convertibles for a looooong-ass time. Decades, even.
4) Ed believes in giving back. One cause he supports is No Cold Homes, which helps ensure that everyone in the English city of Bristol has the fuel needed to keep their homes safe and comfortable. Here in the United States, he's raised funds for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Is there a cause that's near and dear to your heart?
As a marine biologist, I've known all about biological diversity and how critical it is to survival of our own race and the species within it that we care about the most. It's important to protect the species that humans don't care about, too, because by losing them we'd lose important parts of our climate, ecosystem, food chain... and things could easily collapse. So I've recently changed my Amazon Smile designation, which gives a percentage of every order you place through http://smile.amazon.com/ to the vetted non-profit of your choice, from Heifer International to the Center for Biological Diversity. If you head to that Smile link, you can pick something near and dear to your heart, too, and it won't even cost you anything extra.
5) Ed's arms are covered in tattoos, so clearly he doesn't suffer from trypanophobia, or a fear of needles. How about you? Do you look away when the doctor gives you a shot?
Oh, yes. See? Look at what a weeny I am: I've recently gotten my third round of the standard American childhood vaccines, because I didn't get them then. I also have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, which causes me to have odd reactions to anything and everything all the time, so every two weeks, I get infusions of Xolair to support my failing immune system. I have certain chronic vitamin deficiencies, so Hubs injects me with Vitamin B-12 every month. I have intractable migraines that don't respond to ... pretty much anything lately ... so Rob gives me Sumatriptan injections fairly frequently.
Additionally, I get frequent migraine cocktail infusions at my neurology office, and will get the new biologic migraine med Vyepti there on Wednesday. Cross your fingers for me! Plus, I suffer from hypoglycemia, so I get finger pricks all the time to check my blood sugar. I'm probably forgetting some things, which is crazy, but yes! I always HAVE to look away for shots and IVs. Total wuss here!
6) One of Ed's tattoos is a bottle of Heinz Ketchup. What condiments would we find if we peeked into your refrigerator this morning?
Here's what's currently taking up space in the doors, but I'm betting there would probably be more if you looked on shelves in the main compartment.
7) Ed is a natural redhead, a trait he shares with only 2% of the population. Does red hair run in your family?
My daughter Chloë and I have kind of dark brownish/auburn hair (hers is very curly, like her Dad's; mine is stick-straight). My younger kids Jack and Sophia are straight-haired blondes (well, except right now Sophie is more purple & blue). Rob's hair is a curly medium-dark brown (well, and white; very, very white). But our niece Hanna, the younger of my sister's two soccer-playing daughters - this one's a goalie - has naturally red hair from her daddy. So pretty! ♥
8) In 2019, when this song was released, the FDA recommended the approval of a drug for treating peanut allergies in children. Do you suffer from any food allergies, or sensitivities?
Oh, yes, yes, yes. Like I said, I have a lot of reactions from my Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. Sometimes they're mild, sometimes they're not. I had to use my Epi-Pen three times in the last three weeks, even with the Xolair (and so, so many others I can take at home) I'd mentioned. Having that many anaphylactic or near-ana events is pretty crazy. I learned in Miami that the trifecta of shellfish, any tomato-based foods, and wine is the perfect storm for me. That's how I later ended up getting the MCAS diagnosed finally, here in Idaho!
My allergy/asthma/immunology specialist wanted me to get blood tests in order to do that, but the key was, I had to go in the middle of a reaction. Two weeks went by (this was a couple of years ago) without a reaction, so I finally decided to "force" one with some wine and shrimp cocktail. Guess what? Nailed it.
9) Random question: What of these do you think is the biggest contributing factor to success -- hard work, luck or talent?
I would say lots of hard work combined with heavy doses of enthusiasm, and I know this for sure from personal experience and observation.
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After I played this week's song on YouTube, I eventually was led to listen to more "Tiny Desk Concerts" from NPR on that platform, including one by Khalid. Do you guys ever watch/listen to these? They're fantastic. I just finished the one by Steve Martin and his Steep Canyon Rangers, and now I'm on the one by Natalie Merchant. I've love them all, even the acts I'd never heard of. Give them a listen, won't you?
Take care, my friends.
Fin.