MelaniePenelope

Saturday 9: Annie's Song

Howdy-Ho, neighbors! I've missed you, since I was absent last week. I hope you've all been doing well. Feeling a bit out of sorts myself, but I'm hoping this will soon pass.

I can't remember which one of you said the previous font and size were too hard to read, so I'll take feedback on this post, whether it's an improvement or not.

You've come here for some Saturday 9, and that's what you're gonna get. Link up here if you're going to play along with us this week!

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Saturday 9: Annie's Song (1974)

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

1) 50 years ago this month, we were all listening to John Denver rhapsodize about nature. He singles out walking in the rain as a particularly lovely experience. Do you enjoy walking in the rain?

I used to, and puddle jumping, even before I had kids to do it with! But I don't have the health for it now, so I'll just enjoy other people's fun with that.

2) Denver wrote this song on a ski lift in Aspen. He clearly relished the ride, but ski lifts are problematic for those who suffer from acrophobia, or a fear of heights. Acrophobia plagues approximately 5% of Americans. Are you one of them?

You bet your sweet patoot I am!

3) John Denver recalled that this song just came to him as he looked down on the beauty of nature. Can you recall a time when something you saw in nature touched your heart?

(video shared from Manta Trust)

I think I've told the story of the manta ray breaching, right? Stop me if I have, 47 times before. I'm twenty years old. As I was sitting on the beach in Key Biscayne, crying, searching for answers about what to do with my life, if I was making the right choices continuing on with fish, particularly elasmobranchs - the sharks, skates, and rays - this enormous ray completely breached the water and flew above it a piece before slowly making its way back in again at a low, nearly horizontal angle. I couldn't believe what I'd just seen. It was beautiful; I cried 10 times harder than I had before, over the shocking beauty of it!

4) Wildly successful here in The States, John Denver's popularity didn't extend to the United Kingdom. In fact, "Annie's Song" was his only major hit. But it was a big one. Denver's version reached #1 in 1974 and then in 1978 James Galway hit #1 on the UK charts with an instrumental version. Do you have a favorite instrumental recording?

There are probably some instrumental songs I like, but I can't think of them right now. I'm a singer, I want to sing! I don't know what to do with an instrumental - are you supposed to stand aside and clap politely, are you allowed to get in there and sing along to it if you want? I'm so ridiculous; I don't even know the rules here... BUT! I do love classical music. I just don't categorize that as "instrumental." Right?

5) John Denver's first-ever guitar, a gift from his grandmother, was displayed at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. Have you visited a museum yet this summer? If not, do you have plans to?

I have not.

I do not.

And I will not.

haha Just kidding, now I will be making it a point to go to one before the summer's out, and will let you know, by golly.

{And I've been listening to a mostly-strings and piano instrumental playlist of Top-40 pop music covers, and it's kinda relaxing!}

6) In addition to the guitar, Denver also played the violin (or "the fiddle," as he called it). If a genie appeared to magically enable you to play the instrument of your choice, which would you choose?

My best bet would be Wintergatan's Marble Machine. Look at that thing! I was going to cello or a harp, but then I found this thing, with this description: "...is a hand-cranked music box loaded with instruments including a circuit of 2,000 cascading steel marbles. As the devices cycles it activates a vibraphone, bass, kick drum, cymbal and other instruments that play a score programmed into a 32 bar loop comprised of LEGO technic parts. The marbles are moved internally through the machine using funnels, pulleys, and tubes." The video is fun to watch; give it a couple of minutes of your eyeballs!

Let's look at the summer of 1974.

7) Elizabeth Berkeley was born. She's best known as Jesse on the Saturday morning teen sitcom, Saved by the Bell. What Saturday morning TV shows do you remember fondly?

I remember a lot! But the Smurfs were the ones we'd fight over the best chair for. 

And there was "Peewee's Playhouse," which we had an absolute blast watching, and imitating, as well.

8) Hall of Fame pitcher and Cardinal great Dizzy Dean died. How is your baseball team doing this summer?

Honestly, I really don't follow much baseball anymore. If Rob tell me his late mom's Cubbies are playing well, then I'm happy for everybody involved.

9) The biggest summer movie was The Longest Yard starring Burt Reynolds. What's your favorite Burt Reynolds movie?

Hmm, upon looking over Burt Reynolds movies I've seen, I'd have to say Boogie Nights tops my list. Great role, great cast, great flick! 

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Well here we are at 10AM on Saturday, so I'm sure I'll be dead last - but I'm okay with that as it's not a contest. I hope you joy and laughter this weekend!

Fin.

Saturday 9: I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive

Hey, everybody! Welcome back to another week of Saturday 9, this time with Hank Williams.

But first, let me say that I enjoyed the Nancy/Frank Sinatra song so much last week that I've had Nancy Sinatra songs loaded in my Spotify all week, most of which have been added to my playlist. Fun stuff. So thanks for that, Crazy Sam.

It's been a busy week. It'll be interesting to see what shakes out in this week's questions. Ready to join us? Link up here. Let's get into it.

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Saturday 9: I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive (1952)

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

1) In this song, Hank Williams sings that his fishing pole is broke and the creek is full of sand. OK, so he can't spend his Saturday fishing. What are your Saturday plans?

We were supposed to go to the beach yesterday (Friday), but my husband had to take our son to confer with the hand surgeon. Perhaps we'll make it today? We haven't actually been to the water yet this season, only the boardwalk three times. Must rectify that pronto!

2) He regrets how shabby his shoes are. Do you shop for shoes online, or do you prefer going to the store and trying them on?

I hate trying things on in store and generally half a good idea how big my feet are for a brand. I usually buy online, except for the Rainbow Checkerboard Vans fiasco. These Vans, which I REALLY want, come in kids' sizes but not women's sizes. Fortunately, I have tiny feet, so I calculated what size kids' shoes I should buy, but when they came from Kohl's, they were just a hair - a literal hair - too small. As in, my daughter Chloë basically wears the same size shoes as me, but they fit her and she eventually went home with her after I could not take them back to Kohl's and find the ½-size larger pair for months and months and months. She was happy. I'm still pouting. Life is hard, y'all.

3) This was the last Hank Williams song to be released during his lifetime. Though he was only 29 when he died, he left an enduring mark on American music and is considered one of country music's greatest singer/songwriters. Who is your favorite country music performer?

I don't normally listen to much Country, but I was just doing that last night, shocking the shit out of both Rob and especially myself, the long-avowed Country-hater. Especially since I now have a rudimentary Country playlist started on my Spotify. Life is also weird, y'all. BUT, to answer the question, I really enjoyed every Christ Stapleton song that bubbled up.

4) Elvis was a big fan and his favorite Hank Williams song was "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." What's your favorite Elvis song?

Oh, gosh. That's a HARD one for me. My dad has always loved Elvis, I mean LOVED, so I have heard all of his songs all of my life. There are very few with which I'm not familiar and, I must say, I like most of them. Dad also liked to perform them (maybe he still does, I don't know; he'll be 82 in a month) and even had an Elvis-like jumpsuit and scarf for a while!

The toss-up for me came down to "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," and "Burning Love." I ended up giving it to the dog because of my own love for singing it.

5) Johnny Cash was a big Hank Williams fan, too. He performed Hank's gospel song, "I Saw the Light" often in concert and during his guest starring role in a 1974 episode of Columbo. Did you watch Columbo, or do you stream it or catch it in reruns?

I don't watch it now, but I used to watch it with my grandfather, here in 2007 with my husband and kids on campus with me at the University of Miami. He was a big fan.

6) Hank was a prolific songwriter, composing songs on his guitar and then printing the lyrics by hand on notepaper. He never learned to read music. Can you read music?

Sort of. Not well. I've been taught to sight-read for both organ/piano and voice, over many, many years. There's just one undeniable fact: I suck at sight-reading!

7) When he was a teen, Hank sang and played his guitar on the sidewalk in front of a local radio station, making a little money and hoping to be discovered. His plan worked and he was occasionally invited in to play with the radio station's house band. Were you a hard-working teen?

I was always hard-working, yes. I busted my ass in school, babysat wherever I was asked and then, when I was 15, I started working as much I as I humanly could (or was legally allowed, take your pick) at the Big M in Baldwinsville, New York, to get away from my house. My dad's office was across the street, and he often "employed" me (gratis, naturally) there, and of course I was always responsible for cleaning the house.

8) Hank suffered from a congenital spinal condition and began self-medicating with alcohol during his teen years. He was warned against this early on by country superstar Ray Acuff, but Hank was unable to deal with the pain without liquor. Can you recall wise advise you wish you'd taken, but didn't?

First one that comes to mind is my dad constantly haranguing me as a kid about becoming more financially savvy. It didn't interest me much - money, amassing wealth, etc. - because it seemed that women and wealth were all that interested him. No thanks! But - don't tell him or Elvis - I've been trying to learn.

9) Random question: What's your favorite Mexican food?

I love the vegetarian platters you'll find at any Mexican restaurant. Y'know, a bean and cheese burrito, more beans and cheese on the side, rice and beans, some guac... Mmm. Rob's favorite cuisine is Mexican. Maybe we'll have to try out one of the restaurants we haven't been to yet here in town, like the one this photo came from La Tolteca.

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Welp, y'all, thanks for stopping in. It's been a fun week. I'm going to start peeping in on some of you, but I'm starving so I don't know how long I'll last!

Fin. 

 

Saturday 9: Wait Till You See Him

Hello, friends! If you're here, thank you, and I'm glad. I'm trying to be here more often but lately, I just haven't had enough energy to do much besides eat and breathe. I'm working on it!

Today, Crazy Sam brings us a little ditty by Nancy Sinatra in honor of Father's Day. This'll be interesting. I can't wait to read and answer these questions!

Shall we?

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Saturday 9: Wait Till You See Him (1967)

Hear it here.

1) This is Nancy Sinatra's celebration of her father, Frank. She singles out the sound of his laugh as something special. Do you know anyone who has a great laugh?

She disagrees, but I think my daughter Chloë has always had a fun, infectious laugh.

2) Frank Sinatra recorded this song himself a decade earlier. It was one of more then 1,400 recordings he made over his career. When you think of him, what song comes to mind?

As a born and bred New Yorker, of course I've got to pick "New York, New York." If it weren't for that, I'd have gone for "My Way."

3) Nancy always called her famous father "Daddy," while her younger sister Tina referred to him as "Pop." How did/do you call your father?

I mostly call him "Dad," but I call him all the things.

4) Nancy went on to have two daughters of her own. The girls recall that their grandfather was loving and supportive, even when they went through a punk rock phase with spiky hair, lots of leather, and studs. Frank defended their extreme choices as a healthy means of self-expression. Did you have arguments with your parents over your clothes or hair? If you're a parent yourself, have you always approved of your kids' fashion choices?

(I'd love to have rainbow underlights like these, here, but my baby fine hair won't support it. Maybe I can just try something like these clip-ins from Etsy?  )

What I wanted to wear was always "normal," but was still met with a fair amount of yelling from my stepmonster, just 'cuz. Must've been a Tuesday, as they say. Jack doesn't ever wear anything divergent from norms, but the other two kids have pushed the boundaries some. I may have pushed backs slightly here and there, but I like to think that for the most part both Rob and I have let them wear what they want to wear and do what they wanted to to their hair. Those are their bodies, and we wanted them to make the decisions concerning them to the extent where safety wasn't an issue.

5) Back when our own Crazy Sam was in high school, her father gave her driving lessons. What grade would you give your driving today?

Probably a B-. I'm not driving anywhere NEARLY as much these days, so I'm very rusty.

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

I probably have not personally done the grilling since I first started cooking en papillote (but really, in foil, in my case), way back in Spring-Summer 2001. I was pregnant with Chloë then. We used to take our packets of foil, briquets, lighter fluid and whatever else, grilling tools, and head over to the park for some free "dates." I'm writing a book of free or cheap dates just for him and me; I'll have to put that one back in it just like the olden days! Anyway, we'd grill on the park grills, slide down the slides, walk hand in hand, and two hours later when our food was FINALLY ready, dine. You know these guys, right?

7) Because he takes his grilling so seriously, Sam once invested in a pair of forged steel tongs for Father's Day. Does anyone on your gift list have a passion that makes them easy to shop for?

NO!

I mean yes, there are passions to shop for, but no, they are generally not within a budget I can afford! I do pick away at what I can, however.

8) Traditionally the most popular Father's Day gift have been ties, wallets and belts. However experiences -- like tickets to a concert or a sporting event -- are gaining in popularity. Which would you prefer to receive: something to own and hold or an experience to remember?

I mean, there are some things that might make my eyes bug out of their face if you dangled them against the experience options, but almost every time, if I like you, I'd prefer the experience.

9) Random question: Have you recently mistakenly called someone by the wrong name?

Yup. Our trans son has tried several names on for size, and I'm still mixing up his current one and his previous one. It just won't get outta my head!

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Thanks for the quiz, Samantha. Happy Father's Day, y'all!

Fin.

Saturday 9: Happy Holidays

Hello, fellow friends of Samantha and beyond! Seems like, for those of us who celebrate it, Christmas is nearly upon us. I'm excited this year - haven't always been, but this should be a fun one. However you celebrate whatever you celebrate, if anything, I hope it's as happy and merry and joyful as it could possibly be. 🎄

Now getting down to brass tacks. Crazy Sam has brought us back to some holiday-themed questions of yore. Like to answer with the rest of us? Link up here. Now let's do the thing:

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SATURDAY 9: HAPPY HOLIDAYS

(From the archives)

1 As you can see, when Sam Winters was a little girl, she loved giving her annual wish list to Santa. If you could ask Santa for anything at all, right now, what would it be?

Honestly, right now? It would be a re-gain of the huge loss of income we experienced earlier this year, through no fault of our own. It hurts.

2 Are you currently on the Naughty or Nice list? How did you get there?

I think I'm currently on the Nice list, because I'm basically the Happiness Manager around here, and I'm pretty sure everyone's going to have a good Christmas. And I'm really just too ill right now to be anything else! I'm sure someone(s) out there would beg to differ, though. I have a pretty nasty breed of internet stalker/harasser/bullier/whatever/UGH!

3 Are you traveling this Christmas? If so, are you going by car, plane or train?

NOPE! Staying home, just like we pretty much always do! Although a destination Christmas sounds fun...

4 Did you ship any gifts to friends and family this year? If yes, which one traveled the farthest?

We shipped a couple of gifts to my dad and his new wife (number six!) in South Carolina; they'll get there today and tomorrow. If we'd shipped them directly from us instead of, erm, Amazon, they'd have traveled just 583 miles. (The above is not one we ended up giving them.)

5 Did you buy yourself a gift this year?

Well, yeah, how else would Rob know what to give me?

 

I'm pretty sure there is something socked away that he bought me himself, but otherwise, when I see a hot deal for one of us - myself included - that we'll like, I pretty much grab it!

 

6 Which do you prefer: candy canes or gingerbread?

 

 

I'm not terribly fond of either!

7 Close your eyes and tell us the first carol that comes to mind.

 

"The First Noël"

8 What's your favorite winter beverage?

 

 

Definitely hot cocoa! Oh, WAIT! Darn it, I spent all this time looking for a hot cocoa buffet photo that I wanted to borrow, I forgot all about mulled apple cider. Eh, it's a toss-up. I love them both.

9 Share a memory from last Christmas.

 

 

It was a rave, y'all! You know, without all the street drugs and police raids, and stuff. And yes, that is our dog Tapioca. So, the second - I swear, THE. SECOND. - it's 12.01 AM on Christmas Day, our kids have historically been on us like white on rice to open presents. We always do our stockings on Christmas Eve, so you'd think that would hold them, but no. The problem is, we parents also feed into the excitement and want to get in there and see them unwrapping, too, so I don't think a year has gone by when we've ever been able to make them wait.

 

 

Part of the goodies I packed into their stockings and under their tree included Silly String, these funny water guns, and a whole lotta glow-in-the-dark stuff. Can you imagine, in the middle of the night, hyping your kids up on purpose? Ha. Nah, but they're grown. We can go to bed and they'll be fine... right?

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 If you're not celebrating anything for the rest of the year, or if you observe something else, I wish you and yours well! If you do celebrate this one, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

 

Fin.

Saturday 9: Goodbye, Cruel World

Hello, hello, everyone! I've missed you so. I haven't written any entries for Saturday 9 for a few weeks now here and there, and I just feel/felt so bad about not being a part of things. But I've been having some trials and tribulations (and tears!) that we won't go into now, that have kept me away. Plus I'm still cruising along on learning Japanese and brushing up on my Spanish. However, I'm back today!

I hope you'll join us in celebrating "Goodbye, Cruel World," and James Darren, if you're a newcomer to this meme. Link up here if you'd like to take part. We don't bite. Now let's get this thing started!

Here we go:

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Saturday 9: Goodbye, Cruel World (1961)

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

 

1) This week's song has a circus theme. Have you ever been to a circus? If yes, did you enjoy it?

 

 

Yes! I've seen O™ by Cirque du Soleil in Vegas, and I became an instant fan of the company. Insanely beautiful and talented. ...And yes, I have been to the "old-fashioned circus" you probably mean as a young kid, but in hindsight, I don't really want to admit it, because as an adult I have been one of those people working to end forced animal participation in them.

 

2) James Darren sings that he's running away to join the circus. When you were a kid, did you ever run away from home?

 

Yes, I did. The one time I can really remember, I walked pretty far, down to the house of the family whose kids I frequently babysat. They didn't know what to do about me, and I just sat there and cried and cried. My dad eventually put 2 + 2 together and came to get me, and then there was a small showdown! Gaaah it was ugly. But not as ugly as staying would've been.

 

3) While he understands intellectually that this girl is no good for him, he tells us his heart is stubborn. Do you have a stubborn streak?

Most certainly.

 

4) Though he had three top 20 singles, including this one, James Darren found more consistent success as an actor. Between 1959 and 1963, he played surfer Jeff Matthews, aka "Moondoggie," in three Gidget movies. Have you seen any Gidget movies? What about the TV show, starring Sally Field?

 

 

I have not seen any of the movies, but way back in the day, I caught a few of the Gidget episodes on television. Am I the only one who keeps expecting her to be a nun surfer, though?

 

5) "Moondoggie" got his unique nickname because he enjoyed surfing in the moonlight. Looking back on Summer 2023, did you visit the beach (by moonlight or otherwise)?

 

Sure did! We were just there, in Bethany Beach, Delaware, ↑↑↑ tonight, in fact. And went several times over the summer. Y'all know I need my ocean ...and it needs me.

 

6) While he was playing Gidget's teen dream, he was a married man. He wed Danish beauty queen Evy Norlund in 1960. They met when she came to Los Angeles to pursue a career and they were both working at Columbia Studios. More than 60 years later, they're still together. Tell us about the longest-married couple you know.

 

Hmm. Rob and I are coming up on 23 years. I know several of you have been married much longer, and I love that! Several coouples I know have been married one or two years less than we have... I'm drawing a blank on who I know IRL who've been married longer.

 

7) James Darren also played Officer James Corrigan on ABC's police drama, TJ Hooker. Have you ever considered a career in law enforcement?

 

Not even for a hair of a second. That's just not my personality type, I don't think.

 

8) In 1961, when this song was on the radio, matching his & hers mohair sweaters were on trend. Do you have a favorite sweater?

 

 

Not really, because I'm not a big sweater person. If I have to, I'll wear a cardigan, but I wear a lot of wraps. I think I should get these two sweatshirts for Rob and myself for our Christmas pictures this year - right??? LOL

9) Random question -- They say we're all young at heart. In what ways are you childlike?

 

I'm very naïve and trusting, time and again. And I'm always questioning; I ask a million questions about everything, which I was told many times is what would make me a good scientist. I haven't lost that.

 

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Well, I wish you all a tremendously good weekend. Don't look straight up at the eclipse.  xoxo

Saturday 9: Diana

Hello, everybody! I missed you last week. I would've done it early, but I've been so tired lately. Saturday, Hubs and I were out all day at the Ocean City Taco Festival, which was, in our opinion, kinda mediocre. Would we go again? Probably. Should they change a bunch of things? Definitely. However, the point was going out and doing something fun together, and to that end, we met the goal.

I hope you are all doing well. If you're new around here, WHY would you start with me?! And link up here to join the fracas.

Let's do this again, right now. okay?

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Saturday 9: Diana (1957)

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

1) Legend has it that Paul Anka wrote this song about his favorite babysitter. In your younger days, did you make a little extra money as a sitter?

 

Oh definitely, yes. And I had my "favorites" too, from the kids I watched. Crazy now that those kids are all well grown and off on their own, too!

 

2) Paul sings he doesn't care what "they" say about his love for an older girl. Have you ever had a romantic relationship that your friends or family didn't approve of?

 

Absolutely. For instance, I have had several interracial relationships that got me in hot water. The first one, I tried to keep under wraps. My stepmother found out about it and that I was planning on going with him to my Senior Ball. She told my dad, who said he wouldn't send me to college if I went anywhere with him. So I didn't go to the Senior Ball... even though we stayed together and eventually got engaged (which ran its course, but not before I wrote my award-winning poem based on our time together). I don't know why I didn't retort to my dad that he wasn't sending me so much as my grades and test scores were sending me.

3) Paul was once a choirboy, singing with the St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral choir in Ontario. Have you ever performed with your church choir?

 

 

I wish. My church didn't have a choir. And when I was an adult and got out of that cult, yes cult, and joined something a bit healthier and mainstream-ier with Hubs, I wasn't brave enough to try to join. Ehh, bygones.

4) When Paul was 15, he left Ontario to find fame and fortune in New York. He had $100 in his pocket, a gift from his uncle. Tell us about someone in your life who who believed in you and encouraged you.

 

 

In high school, my Spanish teacher was Señora O. (She is now Doctora O., yay!!) We often wrote in journals and had other stuff going on, and she really could see and read both the lines and between the lines and understood that some pretty bad stuff was going on at home. What with her brilliance as an educator, her intuitiveness as my teacher, and her gentleness as sort of a motherly influence I needed in my life, Señora really made me feel like what I was doing - going on to college, continuing to practice my Spanish, moving on with my life, etc. - were worthwhile and not a waste of time. That I was worthwhile and not a waste of time. I love her, and I'm proud to call Dra. O. my friend today.

5) Paul seldom gets credit for one of his most familiar compositions: the theme to The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Since Johnny retired in 1992, The Tonight Show has been hosted by Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, and Jimmy Fallon. Which of these Tonight Show hosts is your favorite?

 

 

I'd long since had enough of Jay Leno before he retired. I loved O'Brien on his show and might have loved him on The Tonight Show if he'd really been granted the time to be there! But I think Jimmy Fallon's really "got it." He's doing it right and I'm happy with him staying as long as he likes.

6) In 1978, Paul Anka hired Las Vegas' first female bartender for his restaurant, Jubilation. Where did you most recently dine out?

 

 

Haa, I'm going to have to say the Taco Fest. (This was one of Rob's.) Otherwise, it's been quite a while since we've been out to eat, unless you want to count hitting up the ol' Taco Bell for a couple of chalupas. (Not the same day!)

 

7) In 1957, when "Diana" was a hit, Wham-O began producing Frisbees. The toy was a massive success, even outselling the hula hoop. Do you enjoy tossing a Frisbee?

 

 

Yeah, I enjoy tossing a Frisbee... Now, catching a Frisbee really isn't my speed. Not so good at that.

8) Also in 1957, the book Peyton Place was made into a blockbuster film. Book lovers often say that, no matter what, the movie is never as good as the book. Do you think that's true?

 

 

Generally, yes! I'm sure I've ranted and raved somewhere here before about Jodi Picoult's book My Sister's Keeper and the number the movie did on that. UGHHH. Contrarily, I adored the Hunger Games movie trilogy and couldn't be bothered to slog through the books, which I found tedious. So I'd say about 98% of the time, yes, I agree.

9) Random question: This Saturday, the treat's on Sam. Will you have buttered popcorn, caramel corn or cheese popcorn?

 

Thank you, Sam. I will have buttered, please. On the rare occasion, cheese.

 

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Well, Hubs is off to Annapolis today to get a part for his truck, one kid might be going with him, I've got to take the other to work later, and that leaves me, taking a bath, painting my nails, and reading one of our Japan travel guides. And then probably getting distracted by 37 things at once. You all have a lovely weekend!

 

Fin.

Saturday 9: You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

Hello and good evening. This lovely lady here, of course, is the late Dinah Shore who, I just learned, was a frequent companion of the late Burt Reynolds of Smokey and the Bear fame, which is one of the earliest movies I can remember watching. There's your useless trivia (about me, that is) for this week.

Why don't you consider playing on your own blahg, and linking up here? We'd love to have you!

Let's get it started:

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Saturday 9: You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (1943)

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

 
1) In this song, Dinah Shore goes on about listening to the breeze. Is it windy, breezy, or still where you are today?

 

 

It's sunny, hot, and very still.

 

2) The August moon is bright in Dinah's musical fantasy. Let's look at your calendar. Is anything special coming up in August (birthdays, anniversaries, vacation getaways...)? 

 

 

Let's see. Rob's (Hubs) birthday is at the tail end of the month, so that's the most important thing. There is a county fair and the State Fair that we want to check out. Oh, and we have tickets to the Taco Festival out in Ocean City, so of course that's big excitement. And I just better get to swim in the ocean at least once!

 

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3) Dinah was one of TV's pioneers. Her first show was a 15-minute variety show that ran two nights/week in 1951. What's the most recent show you watched?

 

.

 

I am getting ready to turn Netflix on to watch something else (don't know what yet) "here in a minute," as Hubs would say, but the latest thing I've seen was more House. Chloë and I have been watching together whenever possible for months, and we're f i n a l l y in the middle of the last (8th) season. Whew! This better be a doozie!

 

4) She followed that in 1956 with the "Dinah Shore Chevy Show." It was an hour long and sponsored by the car company. At the end of every show Dinah encouraged her viewers to "see the USA in your Chevrolet..." Today Chevrolets are still the most popular cars manufactured by General Motors. Tell us about your car.

 

I have a '21 Honda Odyssey. She's red, and I named her Ruby. I'm keeping her as clean as possible, although she could use a vacuuming and maybe a wipe-down inside. LOL. I call her my spaceship because in place of regular gear shift mechanisms, including the starter, there are just buttons inside. Buttons for a lot of things. Sometimes I need to do several things at once and get overwhelmed for a second, not gonna lie! But I love her; she's the coolest car.

 

5) From 1970 to 1991, Dinah hosted daytime TV talk shows and found tremendous success, winning 6 Emmy Awards and repeatedly appearing in the Gallup Poll of America's most admired women. Do you remember her?

 

Not really. Just her name. I'm sorry.

 

6) Dinah was such an avid golfer that, in 1972, she founded one of the LPGA's major tournaments. Though now officially titled The Chevron Championship, it's still often referred to as "The Dinah Shore" in her memory. Do you golf? If not, would you like to learn?

 

 

I liked it and did alright in high school, but haven't played since. That was a different day; I don't think I could manage it these days, and it doesn't interest me much now.

 

7) In 1943, when "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" was popular, so were tablecloths. It was common to have cotton tablecloths for everyday use, fun and festive ones for 4th of July and Christmas, and linen for formal occasions. Do you use tablecloths in your home?

 

We have one or two, just for festive occasions.

 

8) Beatle George Harrison was born in 1943. Which of the Fab Four is your favorite?

 

 

I really don't have much familiarity with George or Ringo, except for "Got My Mind Set On You" in the 80s. So I think in all fairness, it would have to be between Paul and John. I adore a lot of John's lyricism and emotional expression in his music, but I didn't get to "know" him, either. Not that his being assassinated should take him out of the running; it doesn't. That just means I got to see fewer years of his personality. That said, he always seems/ed quite serious to me. Whereas Paul, I've seen, has often been clearly capable of having a righteously good time. I like someone who can take themself seriously and also poke fun at themself or otherwise enjoy their time, alternately. To me, that Beatle is Paul. Paul, you are the strongest link.

 

9) Random question: Would you rather live on a houseboat or in a trailer?

 

 

Oh, come now. You all should know my answer to that! I would live in a houseboat over a trailer any day of the week. With my nomadic brain and bent, my love for being on - and in - the water, and loving change and new adventures, being a liveaboard would be a natural choice. I love being aboard a small boat and being rocked to sleep each night (or nap). 

 

We actually were going to liveaboard a houseboat - a more modern one, sorta like this, not the older, stodgy kind you might think of when you hear the word - when we lived in Miami. We bought and read guidebooks, went to a boat show, talked about it at length... but at the end of the day, having several cats and dogs - not to mention three tweenagers! - just knocked the deal off the table. It seemed too dangerous for all of them and irresponsible of us to try. So that was that.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

All right, now to find out what Netflix is recommending to me tonight. Probably one of the eleventeen shows I'm already in the middle of watching? Have a good night and a better week, folks!

 

Fin.

Saturday 9: It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

Hi folks! You may ask me, Melanie, do you know it's currently 23 minutes into Sunday? And I tell you, yes, I do. The days tend to go like that for me. Often have. But I try not to just roll over and forget about it, so here I am just starting Saturday 9, right?

The singer of this week's song is Lenny Kravitz, of whom I have long been a fan. Since before his remake of "American Woman," "Fly Away." Since before he played Cinna on The Hunger Games. And so on. Lenny's been on my radar a long time, because I grew up as a big fan of The Jeffersons, and of course Roxie Roker (who played Helen Willis) was his real-life mother, so that would have been some point of knowledge I'd have looked up or come across at some point.

Anyway, that son of Roxie's is now 59, and the photo above is of him now! Can we all take a moment to just appreciate? And after that, if you haven't participated in this weekend's meme, please link up here if you plan to do so. We'd all be happy to have you join us!

So let's get to it:

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Saturday 9: It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over (1991)

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

1) In this song, Lenny Kravitz sings about all the tears he's cried over this relationship. Scientists theorize that human tears fall into two categories: emotional and irritant. "Emotional tears" are most often shed over physical pain, empathy, compassion, depression, and anger/frustration. Think about the last time you cried. What triggered your tears?

The last time I cried? Definitely over physical pain. I have both Fibromyalgia and Lupus, ++ lots more. The pain's been pretty intense these last few weeks, so it's been a struggle to get ahead of it.  The other morning, I just could not contain the tears.

2) We also cry "irritant tears," which means we well up when a foreign particle gets in our eye. Over-the-counter drops can help. What's the last thing you bought at the drugstore? Was it a medication (OTC or prescription) or something else entirely?

One of my fingernails keeps splitting vertically (since Christmastime), so I finally gave in and bought this Sally Hansen Repair and Rescue. I'm bound and determined to overcome this problem!

3) TV actresses have played a big part in Lenny Kravitz' life. His mother was Roxie Roker, who played the neighbor Helen on The Jeffersons. His wife (and the inspiration for this song) was Lisa Bonet, who played one of the daughters on The Cosby Show. Their daughter, Zoë Kravitz, appeared in the HBO series Big Little Lies. What TV series do you never tire of, and could watch again and again? 

There aren't many such shows, I don't think, but I do love me some "Golden Girls." Especially if it's, y'know, 3 AM and I have cheesecake in the ol' icebox.

4) Thinking of Big Little Lies ... Zoe Kravitz co-starred with Nicole Kidman. Shortly after Kidman divorced Tom Cruise, she dated Lenny Kravitz. Have you ever been curious about a partner's past love?

A little maybe, but not too too much. Unless my partner refuses to tell me anything. Then I find that interesting, and want to dig and start asking questions. Why not tell me anything if that's past and nothing awful happened? I'm not asking your private business, after all.

5) Lenny Kravitz and Today Show weatherman Al Roker are second cousins (their grandfathers were brothers). Do you turn to a TV weatherman for the forecast? Or do you check a website or app?

6) Also a talented photographer, Lenny's work has been displayed at the Leica Gallery in Wetzlar, Germany. What's the most recent photo you took? 

That would be this photo of Chloë Raine I snapped at our Pride celebration yesterday, while she and I were waiting for the rest of our crew to be ready to go. I thought she looked beautiful.

7) In 1991, when this song was popular, Murray Bicycles were the top seller among younger set. Popularity is fleeting, though. By 2004, the company filed for bankruptcy and no longer produces bicycles. Was your bike a big part of your summer when you were a kid?

Oh, yes! I rode my bike everywhere. I remember it as a bit like this one, without all the Disneyfication. I had streamers, I think a bell, and for a while there, from 5-6 years old, I had training wheels. When we moved from the Hudson Valley area to outside of Syracuse, I was so determined I was going to learn to ride without the trainers. I knew they were giving me a fall sense of security, and I knew they were just holding me back, even if I couldn't vocalize as much. So while our giant moving truck was still in front of the house, I asked my dad to remove the training wheels. And then, I rode around and around the moving truck just within reach but on my own. Every so often, I'd wobble, and I'd grab that truck for support. I must have gone around the truck that way fifty times... But on the 51st time, I let go! And I was off to see the world neighborhood!

8) Also in 1991, Gene Roddenberry died. Mr. Roddenberry is best known as the creator of Star Trek. Who's your favorite Star Trek character?

Truthfully, I've never watched an episode of "Star Trek" a day in my life, so I really have no business answering this one. As for cast, I do love Patrick Stewart and George Takei, though. Oh, MY!

9) Random Question: How do you think your high school classmates remember you?

I don't know; I wonder IF they will remember me. I was kind of meek and blent into the shadows, I think, in large swathes of of my graduating class population. Many of them wouldn't know me if they were shaking my hand and looking at my name tag at a reunion, I'm sure of it. On the other hand, I think fondly of my high school friends and have many great memories from those times, including our reunions. I hope they can say the same.

~*~*~*~*~

Welp, that's a wrap! and Now it's time to eat some Cheesy Bake, a dish I invented that now the kids and Hubs are starting to make their own versions of. So I'll be noshing on some of Noah's, then bed. G'night!

Fin.

 

Saturday 9: Big Spender

Hey kids! Where's the party? (Probably anywhere I'm not, if history's anything to go by!)

I was sad I missed you guys completely last weekend, so I'm getting an early (for me) start on Friday night this week. Hoo-rah!

Link up here to play along with us!

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Saturday 9: Big Spender (1966)

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

 
1) In this song, Peggy Lee invites a gentleman to join her for fun, laughs, and a good time. What will you be doing for fun this weekend?

 

Hm, I don't know that "fun" is what you'd call it. We've still got two dozen trees to plant, and time is of the essence now. With both of us disabled, nothing's getting done in a hurry. I need a team of volunteers to get these trees in the ground, sadly... And I need to set up my auction group on Facebook. I haven't done it since we lived in Boise, and I'm rusty! But I'm sure I'll get ride back on that bike and goooo.

 

2) Peggy was blessed with perfect pitch. It's estimated that just 1 in 10,000 has this gift. Tell us about something that comes naturally to you. 

 

I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which affects the collagen in the body. All the connective tissue has gone awry. Anyway, long story short, I can easily dislocate and relocate many of my joints. It's not always great, but it can be when I'm trying to put on complicated bras!

 

3) Peggy was an influential performer whose fans included singers as diverse as Carly Simon, Petula Clark, and Joni Mitchell. Bette Midler even did a Peggy Lee tribute album. What songstress do you listen to most often?

 

Oh, I don't know about most often, but I listen to Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, Melanie Martinez, Adele, Halsey and the like.

 

4) Paul McCartney was also a big Peggy Lee fan. In the 1970s he was invited to meet her in her London home. He arrived with a carefully chosen hostess gift: a bottle of champagne and an original song ("Let's Love") which she recorded and he produced. Have you more recently given or received a gift?

 

I have more recently received a gift.

 

5) Cy Coleman wrote the music to "Big Spender." Unlike Peggy Lee, who never took a music lesson, Coleman was classically trained and studied composition, conducting, and orchestration at New York City’s High School for the Performing Arts and at the New York College of Music. If you could take classes in anything that interested you, what would you choose to learn more about?

 

 

I would take classes in art, design, décor, and I would finally finish the Master Knitter class.

 

6) Coleman met lyricist Dorothy Fields by chance, at a party. Though Fields was more than 20 years his senior, they hit it off immediately and he invited her to work with him. Their collaboration resulted in two Broadway shows including Sweet Charity, which featured "Big Spender." Think about the person you spent the most time with last week. Were they older, younger or about the same age as you?

 

Well, that would be Rob, and he would be a greaaaaat big four years older. The difference seems even greater now that he's 50, and I'm "only" 46!

 

7) In 1966, when disc jockeys were playing this record, consumers were discovering garage door openers. These transistorized devices weren't cheap. Typically about $150 in 1966, that would be more than $1,000 in today's dollars. These days garage door openers are far more affordable and common. Can you think of something that was a luxury item when you were a kid that today you take for granted?

 

 

A PC, for sure. Headphones, and whatever device you use them with. Remember the Walkman? I had that. Loved it! Cell phone, Gaming systems.

 

8) 1966 found Jacqueline Susann atop the best seller list with her steamy novel, Valley of the Dolls. Though it was savaged by critics, countless Americans enjoyed the book. Do you have a similar guilty pleasure? Is there a book, movie, TV show or song you enjoy, even though you know it has little artistic merit?

 

 

Yes. My guilty pleasure are the entirety of works by Sidney Sheldon.  When I was pregnant with Chloë 22 years ago, and unable to work, I decided to get caught up on the classics that I hadn't read. So when I got to Shakespeare in my list and headed to the library, Shakespeare found himself right next too Sheldon, Sidney on the shelves. I was intrigued and rented a book or two to see what this was all about. I stayed up all night, day after day, night after night, reading the works of "Shitty Sheldon," as I call them. They're just SO GOOD, though!!

 

9) Random question: When at a Mexican restaurant, what's your go-to order?

 

 

I just always order off the vegetarian portion off the menu, every time. Whatever's there is good. Tortillas, beans, and cheese in all their various formats; that's what I order.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Okay, so Rob and I are finishing up a break from We're The Millers, and now it's time to get back to it! Have a great weekend, y'all!

Saturday 9: Some Gave All

Hey everyone. I'm grateful that our own Crazy Sam recognizes the somber meaning behind this weekend's holiday, whilst some are merely drinking, heading to the beach, or having picnics in the park. (Not that there's any wrong with those things, if one takes some time to remember the fallen this weekend, too.)

It is weird that we're celebrating the 'unofficial start to summer" already when it hasn't been super warm where we are. We got up to 84ºF once, in early March, but otherwise it's been high 60s and low 70s. I shan't complain!

I'm going to jump into it. Link up here if you're playing along this weekend, too. Here goes:

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Saturday 9: Some Gave All (1992)

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

Memorial Day is the federal holiday designated to honor American service people who died in battle.

1) Here at Saturday 9, we regard everyone who served -- veterans and active military -- as heroes. Have you, or has anyone in your family, worn the uniform of our armed forces? We want to hear about them.

Yes. My husband served 20 years Active-Duty in the US Navy. Hard to believe he's been retired TEN years now!! My dad did some time (two years?) in the Coast guard, and my grandpa was in the Navy as well, during WWII.

2) Memorial Day has its own flag etiquette. In the morning, the American flag should be flown at half staff in memory of those we have lost. Then, at noon, it should be raised briskly to full staff, in honor of all who have served. Where is the nearest flag flying from where you sit right now?

Oh, there are soooo many flag rules. Umpteen dozens. Hubs served on the Honor Guard while in the Navy, so he frequently told me stories about this. I'm still finding a new rule or two that I didn't know!

3) Since 1988, motorcycle riders have participated in Rolling Thunder. In events all over the country, including Washington DC, bikers "Roll Together" to draw attention to service members still missing and raise awareness of mental health issues our veterans cope with each day. When have you most recently ridden a motorcycle? A scooter? A bicycle?

It's probably been since 2012 or 2013 since I was on the back of Rob's motorcycle. Ever since his brain tumor & surgery, no more motorcycle. I've never been on a scooter, but I would LOVE a Vespa. I haven't been on a bike since 2015 or 2016, when I first got sick.

4) This week's song is the title track of Billy Ray Cyrus' best-selling album. Named for this patriotic song, the album also included Billy Ray's signature song, "Achy Breaky Heart." "Achy Breaky Heart" is a popular choice on karaoke nights. Do you know it well enough to sing along?

Absolutely!

5) Sandy Kane, the hero of "Some Gave All," is based on a real Vietnam vet Billy Ray Cyrus met and spoke to about his sacrifice for his country. Can you think of another song based on a real person?

So are you saying yes or no to "Ghostbusters"?

6) Memorial Day is the traditional kick off of the summer season. Have you packed away your winter clothes yet?

I never really do that, actually. 

7) As you answer these questions, is there a fan or an air conditioner cooling your room?

Yes, there is, and I'm about to turn it off - I'm freezing, but only in the fingers!

8) Memorial Day is also a holiday for retailers. Ads promise great prices on everything from grills to lawn decorations to high tech gear and gadgets. Will you be shopping any sales this weekend?

Not this weekend-before-payday, no, sadly. It always seems to hit that way, too. Eh.

9) Random question: When is the last time you felt like a kid?

Oh, there are moments in time here and there. Like how giddy I felt from being so spoiled on Mother's Day by Rob and the kids. Or like how silly and downright childlike I can get with Noah, when we just get to laughing breathlessly and... can't... stop...! Or like when I'm standing next to our high bed at night, and my shortness becomes apparent once again (it'd never stopped), and I hop up to have Rob rub lotion on my feet (which he's done nightly since we were married), and my legs barely jut out an inch from my body... Different things make me feel like a kid all the time. Some small and insignificant, some larger and, I can only hope, more fun.

~*~*~*~*~

I hope you all (in the USA) will take a moment to remember the reason for the holiday - and then go have a great time! Just come back in one piece, please!

Fin.

Saturday 9: Danny's Song

Well as usual, I'm getting a late start to the day! I've been in enormous pain and have been enormously exhausted this week, so much so that I've barely experienced much actual "normal" week. But I'm here now, so that's cool.

I love this song, but that's all I'll say about that right now, lest I run into something asked in the questions!

With that note, if you'd like to join us today, link up here.  Let's be on with it.

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Danny's Song (1972)

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

1) In this song, Anne Murray sings that she thinks she's going to have a son. Is anyone in your life expecting a baby?

 

Probably, yes. My memory is more like a sieve than a steel trap these days, so I'd have to go through my address book one by one to remind myself who it is! Makes me feel like a poor friend, but I can't help it.

 

2) Back in the 1970s, when this song was popular, parents had to wait until their baby was born to know the gender. Today moms and dads can learn within the first few months whether they're expecting a son or daughter. Do you prefer it this way? Or would you rather not know in advance if you are welcoming a boy or girl into your family?

 

 

I preferred to know in advance what my four babies were. I'm a planner, through and through, so it helped me to know who was coming in order to know what I wanted to buy and make for the baby(ies). It was also fun to tease the extended family with "not knowing" the sex/es; I tricked my sister into thinking our twin boys were girls, and she was so shocked that I tricked her! I do not believe in the ever-growing gender-reveal parties, though. Which isn't even accurate, by the way. They're sex reveal parties. And it's impossible to know the gender from a sonogram; the individual must tell you.

 

3) Anne is so popular in her native Canada that her face graced commemorative postage stamps. What's the last piece of mail you affixed a stamp to and mailed?

 

 

♥ Birthday cards for my husband's twin brother and sister ♥

 

4) She began taking voice lessons at 15. She was so serious about it she took a 50-minute bus ride each way to her classes. What extracurricular activities captured your attention when you were in high school?

 

 

Besides behing in the National Honor Society, I was in Choir & the Girls' Choir, ECOS (our ecological group to try and find and apply solutions for our natural world), Drama Club for a while... that might be it?

 

5) She studied physical education at the University of New Brunswick and upon graduation taught PE for a year. Did you enjoy gym class?

 

 

Sometimes. When we did sports like basketball or football  or things like that, Helllll to the NO. But things like softball, tennis and badminton and swimming, I always loved.

 

6) Every spring and summer, Anne's fans travel to Nova Scotia and The Anne Murray Centre. There they can see exhibits and memorabilia from her long career, including her Grammy Awards and gold records. If we were to display memorabilia reflecting the highlights of your life, what items should we include?

 

Oh, I'd just stick my kids in a display and be done with it.

 

7) In 1972, the year this record was popular, Popeyes opened their first chicken restaurant. Today there are more than 3700 locations in 30 countries. Is chicken on the menu at your house this week?

 

It might be. I really don't know; I can't eat it, personally.

 

8) Also in 1972, latch hook rug kits were all the rage. With pre-cut yarn, a latch hook, and a printed pattern, "hookers" could make wall hangings, pillow covers, and throw rugs. Are you into arts and crafts?

 

 

Yes! I love it ALL!!

9) Random question: If you were offered the position of mayor of your town, would you take it?

 

 

Maybe sometime in the past I would've jumped on it, but now my health being what it is, I just wouldn't be able to do the job. So not only nope, but heck nope!

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

All y'all better have a good weekend! We're staking out our backyard, doing some mowing, and then working on getting these 20 new trees planted! I can't wait to see them thrive. Sayonara!

 

Fin.

Saturday 9: Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

What's happening, friends and loved ones from all around? Are you still buried under any snow at this point in the game? Or are you having a dreary, rainy Saturday like we are? Lucky enough for sunshine? ☼

We're having an eventful Saturday already. Aside from it being the 20th anniversary of our son Robby's death and our current need to shop for a new urn to replace the one that one of our cats just smashed to bits, we had to place a call this morning to the sheriff of a nearby county to request a wellness check for one of Noah's friends who did not sound well. There's a serious threat of self-harm, and we're waiting with baited breath for any return information. Hopefully to the good. I'm going to set that aside and work here, though, because stewing is unproductive.

If you'd like to join us today, link up here. We'll be in cahoots! Here we go:

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Saturday 9: Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

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

1) In this week's song, BJ Thomas sings that he knows it won't be long until he finds happiness. What are you looking forward to today? What's going to make you smile?

 

It's Chloë's day off, so she'll be coming over later. I expect we'll be watching House as usual, too. We've been having an ongoing House marathon from Season 1, Episode 1 through, currently, early Season 4. Yay! We've watched other series together, including the first (and only, so far) season of Wednesday, and everything aired on Netflix of Anne With an E. Both of those were so good!

 

2) BJ Thomas met his wife Gloria at a bar. She was there with his drummer, but BJ let his friend know he felt a connection to Gloria and was going to drive her home. BJ and Gloria were married for 50 years, until his death. Have you and a friend ever found yourselves attracted to the same person? If yes, how did you handle it?

 

 

Yes, we have, and I didn't handle it well when he started to change interest from me to her. I had a large bottle  of Goldschäger (how, I don't know, as I would have been only 18 or 19 years old at the time) in my dorm room, and when this happened, she was visiting me for her college's Spring Break. She was  in my room with me, therefore, and decided to go to bed.  I drank a good half of that bottle of Goldie - far, far too much for me. I barely remember what happened next, but I know I was sobbing like no tomorrow, and then I was also banging my head into the hard floor, and then I was also screaming at the top of my lungs. My friend eventually answered a knock at the door that turned out to be a police check-in initiated by a mate on my same floor's wing. Whether she was annoyed or concerned, I don't know. I don't remember what my friend told the police, but they left, and then I think she got me to shut up and get into bed.

 

My head hurt like hell in the morning. And no more drinking. And I got over my jealous nature just like that. Mostly.

 

3) This song is from Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, which has been called "the most entertaining Western ever made." Do you enjoy Westerns?

 

Nope. No. Uh-uh.

 

4) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is one of the most popular movies Paul Newman made, but he liked to say his "favorite role is philanthropist." He raised an amazing $500 million for children's charities through his Newman's Own brand. The most popular Newman's Own product is salad dressing. What flavor of salad dressing would we find in your kitchen right now?

 

 

Not sure what else you'd find right now, but I know we have the Good Seasons Italian dressing with the free cruet! I love me a good salad. I haven't used it yet, though, because often I buy the salads with the packets already in there. I haven't had a cruet in my house since I was a kid. Seriously, who even says "cruet" anymore?

 

5) Burt Bacharach won the first of his three Oscars for this song. Yet 20th Century Fox originally wanted to cut the song from the movie, maintaining that that song and the famous "bicycle sequence" between Paul Newman and Katharine Ross were anachronistic and made the movie too long. Burt and the movie's director George Roy Hill fought for it, insisting that it helped define the optimistic character of Butch. Tell us about a time you were glad you stood your ground.

 

 

When I was working to try to get into my PhD program, I had to win over the professor and mentor running that lab. Dr. Professor insisted I start by taking a couple of his classes, one of which was very involved and included doing a big study or experiment and defending your data and analysis. We had to have a whole discussion about this with the class. Dr. Professor fired a number of questions at me during my discussion, when I was up in front, but I was able to be firm  on my data about the anoles lizards I had studied. I knew my work inside and out. And then when a friend had her turn, I pitched a few math-heavy suggestions that might-ve informed her data analyses, and Dr. Professor looked over at me with an expression that, if I'd dared look over at him fully, seemed liked "impressed." But standing my ground must have worked, because I got in! Not that it matters now.

 

6) Edith Head also won an Oscar for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. She said that Robert Redford, who played Sundance, presented a wardrobe problem. His jawline is too strong so she had to create special wider-brimmed hats to balance it. If you could magically change one of your physical features, which would you choose? And which feature would you never change?

 

I'm just going to talk about my face, because below that, there's too much to count. I would change my chin. I basically have none. So please, kindly give me a strong jawline, too. I would never change my eyes, ears, nose or lips.  Oh, and my hair! I would definitely need to change my hair. With all the autoimmune stuff and my hair always falling out all over the place, I would love some magic in that department, too.

 

7) In 1969, when this song was a hit, The Beatles played their last concert on the roof of Abbey Road Studios. When did you last climb onto the roof?

 

Does the roof of a research vessel I was on count? I think it had to be way back in college, so, 1997. Man. I need to get on a roof!

 

8) Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries sold at a brisk pace at Christmastime 1969. They're still popular today. Were you a fan?

 

 

Huge fan - of both! I had so many!!

9) Random question: Do you consider yourself old fashioned?

No! I don't think so. I don't know everything that's up-to-date with the kids, but I'm reasonably well-versed in all the thingzzzz that are going on. Until I'm not and then I learn all over again while the kids giggle at me! The point is, I make the effort, and I think that's the deciding factor. Don't you?

I'm sorry if there are a billion errors in this post. My eyes are jumping around and not focusing, so I'm having the WORST time seeing what I'm posting. Feel free to point out my errors in the comments below!

~*~*~*~*~

Fin.

Saturday 9: Rocky Road to Dublin

Hey, y'all! Happy Saturday.

Once again, we're on the downside of the month, which is so strange to me. The months and years are now just going by so fast. My son will be 20 years old in four days! Incredible.

If you'd like to join in with us today, make sure you link up here and visit some or all of the other participants. I'm trying to do at least a few before I get into my volunteer work lately, but it's been hoppin', so I haven't managed much. That, too, is on my Annual Bucket List (to fix)!

And here we go:

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: The Rocky Road to Dublin (2008)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about a young man who leaves home to seek his fortune. How old were you when you first moved out on your own?

 

I was 17 years old.

2) He leaps onto a ship but the captain makes him sleep in the hold with pigs. Have you ever taken a cruise? (If so, we hope you had better accommodations.)

 

Yes, I have taken four:

 

 

The first, in the "family" I grew up in, when I was 14 in 1991, was on the Carnival Ecstasy and went to San Juan, Puerto Rico; Nassau, Bahamas; and, St. Thomas, USVI

 

 

Then in 1999, in memory of my grandmother, my grandpa took my cousins, their parents, and I on another cruise. I can't remember which line, but I'm thinking either Royal Caribbean or Princess; we went to Cozumel, Mexico; Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Limon, Costa Rica; and Panama Canal, Panama. This trip was EPIC.

 

 

In 2006, Rob, the kids, and I met up with my dad and his fourth wife and a bunch of their friends to celebrate wife's 60^th birthday. We took a short Carnival cruise to the Bahamas, which I did not enjoy as we were harrassed and aggressively accosted, and I felt uncomfortable off the ship this time around, unfortunately. 

 

 

And finally, in 2008, Rob and I took a Holland America cruise aboard the ms Zuiderdam around part of the Mediterranean. We started in Barcelona, Spain; we visited Nice and Eze; France, saw Monte Carlo in Monaco; then in Italy we visited first Lucca and then Pisa, followed by Civitavecchia (when we went off on a sight-seeing tour to Rome and Vatican City), then I think we visited bing-bang-boom three different destinations in Greece, each one more lush than the next, followed by Dubrovnik in Croatia, and we ended in Venice, Italy. Because of our flight situation, we also ended up flying to Madrid, Spain, and spending some time there.

 

The whole trip was absolutely beautiful, and you can read more about it here, if you'd like.

 

P.S. I think it's high time we go on another cruise!

 
3) This recording of the song is by The High Kings. Well established in Ireland, their career reached new heights in March 2012. Right after playing for the Lord Mayor of London's St. Patrick's Day celebration, they flew to Washington to perform for President Obama at the White House St. Patrick's Day concert. Tell us about a time when you were so happy, you had to pinch yourself to make sure you weren't dreaming.

 

 

The first time I became a mother, it was like that. I was so mind-blown that I was chosen to be this beautiful baby's mother, that I was entrusted with her care and upbringing, just that she was here! It was so exciting and unreal and I couldn't believe it and she was gorgeous and...! Yeah. That.

 

 

4) This song was chosen because Friday was St. Patrick's Day. Do you celebrate this holiday?

 

Well, I've only learned in the past few months that I'm Irish - 23%! according to AncestryDNA - after having spent a whole lifetime being told I was not Irish. Not only that, but my living parent was always saying things like, "NO, you're not Irish, thank God!" and, "Thank God I'm not Irish..." You get the point. So I just recently learned that I'm 23% Irish, and now I can attribute all 23% of that to this same parent! Hahaha! So my point to this story is to answer the question: I don't really know how to do that yet! (Green beer is not my thing.)

 

5) Leprechauns are a symbol of St. Patrick's Day. These small Irish fairies are said to live in the forest, guarding their gold. Do you often wear gold?

 

 

It's not my favorite metal, but that's what my wedding and engagement rings are, so I wear it pretty much every day.

6) McDonald's has made Shamrock Shakes a St. Patrick's Day tradition. McDonald's began adding the drive-thru window to their restaurants in the 1970s. Would you rather order from the restaurant counter or the drive-thru?

 

Neither! I'd rather not go! Okay, okay... I'd rather go through the drive-thru most of the time. There are circumstances where I'd prefer to go in, but the drive-thru trumps that most of the time.

7) A four-leaf clover is considered good luck. Do you have a lucky charm?

 

 

It's not really a lucky charm, but I have this "pocket hug" that I have from my Team Lead in the volunteer work that I do, that I keep near me and palm back and forth when I'm stressing, and I think of all the mamas in my team. It helps.

 

8) Thinking of Lucky Charms, they are magically delicious. What breakfast cereal is in your kitchen right now?

 

 

I'm pretty sure we still have several different kinds of Special K (my kids go through cereal fast), multiple types of Cap'n Crunch, maybe some Frosted Mini Wheats, and even, possibly, some Lucky Charms.

  
9) Random question: Think of your upcoming week. Which day will be the busiest?

 

 

We actually have a pretty chill week coming up. The busiest day will be Wednesday, when my son turns 20. And because of who he is, we'll keep that pretty chill, too. Just presents and apple pie (his request)!

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Have a great week ahead, you guys, and a bangin' weekend right now! Mine will be great if I can figure out how to get this made-up song that he keeps singing out of my husband's head! Toodle-loo!

 

Fin.

Saturday 9: Forever Your Girl

Hi everyone! First, do we like the new blog design, or no? I'm not so sure. I might let it grow on me for a week or more before I make any decisions. I'm not (ever) happy about summer ending and autumn being here, but this year I decided to just try to let that go and embrace things as much as possible.

Second, I love me some Paula Abdul! I had this album back in the day and still remember most, if not all, of the words. I was soo happy to see her perform at - what? Billboard Music Awards? - a couple years ago. She was fantastic, especially considering her age and physical health. So two thumbs up from me for this week's choice!!

Which gets me to that. Link up here if you're playing along this week, because here. we. go!

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

Saturday 9: Forever Your Girl (1989)

1) In this song, Paula Abdul tells her boyfriend he's got to remember, she's forever his girl. How's your memory? Do you remember things easily or do you leave yourself notes and reminders?

My mind used to be pretty much like the proverbial steel trap, to the delight of many a professor and the chagrin of my husband, because I made heavy use of mnemonics and other memory devices and 'games.' But that is no more. My ability to remember my mnemonics - or even to use them at all - has weakened greatly, and I'm not only forgetting exactly what I needed to remember, but sometimes, that I needed to remember something. I mostly blame the combo of Lyme/fibromyalgia/lupus. They've done some mighty damage.

2) Paula reassures her lover that she can't be swayed by another man, even if he gave her diamonds or pearls. Tell us about a piece of jewelry that means something to you.

Well, Chloë gave me that "mama" bracelet and matching "mama" ring for this past Mother's Day, along with the other bracelet, which she had engraved with sentiments of the occasion. She may have given me the anklet with hearts on it, but - eek! - I can't recall!

3) Paula is best known as one of the original judges of American Idol. Without looking it up, can you recall the men who sat on either side of her?

Sure, but no picture, since I can't look it up: Simon Cowell & Randy Jackson

4) Paula has been dancing since age 8 and moves very well in heels. Tell us about your favorite shoes.

First, I'll tell you what I really want to get - a pair of Keens like these:

I do have a similar pair with similar colors from a different brand, and I'd show and tell except that it's downstairs and I can't remember. Of course. So I'll show and tell about the Jambu Jsport Regatta shoes that I have, which are semi-similar and which I wear often and really like:

Really comfortable no matter what I'm doing, easy to put on, and especially convenient if I haven't painted my toenails! ahahaha

5) A lifelong dancer, Paula admits she's not a trained singer. For this record, she worked with producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, who won accolades for his work with singers including Madonna, Kelly Clarkson, Toni Braxton and Janet Jackson. Who is your all-time favorite female singer?

 If you had asked me this about 5 years ago, I would have told you:

But this young human continues her growth in that space, and  I think someone has finally managed to edge out Whitney in that spot for me:

Jewel came very close, too. I don't know, I love a lot of female singers. But I may be borderline #obsessed with Billie Eilish's voice.

6) She advises young girls to "keep the faith and don't lose your gut instinct." How about you? Are you more logical or instinctive?

I think with me, they both vie for attention, so there's an equal rise over run, resulting in a 1:1 slope. #mathnerd

7) Paula is excited that Richard Branson has chosen her song, "Straight Up" as the theme for his Virgin Galactic Spaceflight company. Would you like to orbit above the earth?

Hell, yeah, I would!! No qualms there. No ifs, ands, or buts, either. It just occurred to me: if I'm asked to go straight up into space, and I say "hell yeah," there's some irony there, is there not? I know, I'm so clever these days.

8) In 1989, when this song was a hit, the Sears Holiday Wish Book was big on bathrobes. Men and women alike were tempted with brightly colored, belted robes with hoods and patch pockets. Tell us about your bathrobe.

I don't currently have one, although I would love one. So instead, here is 21-year-old Chloë on our recent trip to the Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia, wearing the robe they provided to her in our hotel room. She loved it and said it was so cozy. I thought about buying her one for Christmas, but she must have smelt my wheels churning, because she reminded me she already had one, perhaps two!

9) Random question: What do you consider your best quality?

For better or for worse, I am an extreme empath. And a deep feeler. So when I'm empathizing with someone, it often physically hurts (if what they're feeling are negative emotions). I can't turn that off, so sometimes I have to completely avoid the situation to save myself some "spoons" (see "Spoon Theory," for the uninitiated). I hate doing that, though, because that sends the opposite message. I'd rather be there for someone no matter what it takes from me in the short or long run: it's my superpower.

~*~*~*~*~

Take care folks, and if you're in Florida, I'm sending all my positive vibes, very best throughts, prayers, and good juju your way. Likewise if you've been in the path of Ian in states north of Florida - we're getting some hard rains right now, ourselves. To everyone: be safe, remember what's important to you in the world, and nurture that.

Fin.

Saturday 9: This Night Won't Last Forever

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!

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: This Night Won't Last Forever (1979)

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

 

1) This song begins with, "Everybody likes a celebration." Do you have any birthdays or anniversaries coming up on your calendar?

 

 

Sheesh, not for a while. Look, Rob just turned 50 at the end of August, Chloë just turned 21 at the beginning of September, and I turned... a year older the next day. That's enough! Actually, one of my best friends is having a birthday near the beginning of October. ♥

 

2) The lyrics tell us Michael Johnson is stuck at a party while his heart is breaking. He finds it awkward and painful to pretend there's nothing wrong. Are you adept at "putting a good face on it?" Or is it easy for others to tell how you're feeling?

 

 

It depends where I am, who I'm with. I can hide my emotions from some people, while others get allllll the emotions coming forth. (Lucky them.) I guess it depends on my comfort level.

 

3) Michael feels like this is going to be a long night. Is there a part of your day when time tends to drag? Or when it flies?

 

Because of the nature of my health condition(s), I get tired very, very easily. I'm the person who is perfectly described by Spoon Theory, if you've not heard of that. I am a true spoonie. So by virtue of not just being in a wheelchair (or, occasionally, using my walker or cane), my disabilities require someone to always be with me. Even when I go out driving, it's best if someone who can also drive goes along, on the 50-50 chance I won't be able to get us home. This has happened numerous times. All of this to say, if I'm awake, and especially if I'm home, it drags, because my time does not belong just to me. I'm fully dependent on others, and I dearly miss my independence.

 

4) As bad as he feels right now, he's still hopeful about tomorrow. What are you looking forward to for Sunday?

 

 

When they say the full moon brings out the "crazies," it's not for nothing. Just like the full moon (and the new moon) affects the pull of the tides, it affects so much else. Ask any ER nurse or attending: the Emergency Department is likely to be loaded with "interesting" cases that night. Every time, at least in populous area of the country. Likewise, my joint and muscle pain comes to a screaming maximum at both the full moon and the new moon, which we'll have on Sunday. So I am only able to do as little as humanly possible then.

 

5) When he was 13, Michael taught himself to play the guitar. He went on to take formal lessons and mastered classical guitar. What's something you would like to learn more about/do better?

 

 

I would love to follow in the footsteps of Master Knitter Charles Gandy, here. I actually started the master knitting program back in 2014 or so, but that's when I started to get really sick, and I just couldn't keep going. There are still many knitting skills I still want to learn, so master or not, I would love to learn them eventually.

 

6) For a time he performed with a trio known as Denver, Boise & Johnson. The Denver was John. Do you have a favorite John Denver song?

 

 

I'd probably have to say it's "I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane." Love that one.

 

7) He retired to Minneapolis to be near his adult daughter. But he never stopped performing entirely. For years he delighted loyal local fans with an annual holiday concert on December 26 at Orchestra Hall. Is there a performer you've seen in concert more than once?

 

 

Me, not so lucky, no. But before we met, Hubs was a superfan of the Grateful Dead and saw at least a dozen of their concerts. He had so many Dead t-shirts back then!

 

8) In 1979, when this song was popular, the cable channel ESPN launched. What's the last sporting event that you watched?

 

 

I peeped a lot of the 2022 US (tennis) Open. It was epic, both mens' and women's tennis, but I especially loved watching Iga Świątek play. She's amazing!

9) Random question: Do you play Wordle?

 

 

I don't, know. I looked at it, but decided I already have my hands full with Words With Friends after playing that for approximately a century, now. I play constantly and am still not bored (since they throw in fun things all the time), so why give up on a good thing? But enjoy your Wordle, everyone. Does seem fun, also.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Well that's it, guys. Have a lovely week, if you so choose!

 

Fin.

Saturday 9: In And Out Of Love

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!

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: In and Out of Love (1967)

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

1) In this song, Diana Ross is disappointed that she hasn't yet found lasting love. Do you think you can fall out of love? Or do you believe that if you fell out of love, it wasn't true love to begin with?

 

 

I believe for sure you can fall out of love. If you can fall INTO love, you can fall out. Love is something you have to work out, you have to nourish and tend to. But both parties have to commit to doing so, and if one isn't, then it's possible the love will be neglected and wither away.

2) When is the last time you literally fell, tripped, or stumbled?

 

 

Probably today. I have balance issues, so I fall or nearly fall daily!

 
3) This record was a hit with American Bandstand viewers. For weeks it was voted the song they most wanted to dance to. Did you watch American Bandstand?

 

 

Hmm. My sources tell me it ran until 1989, which would have made me 13, but I can't specifically remember watching it. I was a fan of Dick Clark and know I watched him on Pyramid, listened to his various countdowns on the radio and watched the annual New Year's Eve one, but I can't remember watching Bandstand.

 

4) This is one of the last Supremes songs that featured the most successful hit-making line-up: Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard. Florence's great-nephew, Christian Ballard, was a football star at University of Iowa and briefly played pro ball for the Vikings. The 2022-23 NFL season just kicked off. What team do you root for?

 

 

I don't really have a horse in the race when it comes to pro foot ball. Everyone knows my team is NCAA level. Soo, I root for the team Hubs roots for: Patrick Mahomes. I mean Kansas City Chiefs. But they're doing pretty well together, so it's fair to say.

 

5) Mary had a connection to sports, too. She donated her time and talent to raising money for Figure Skaters of Harlem, an organization that helps young people train for the Winter Olympics. Tell us about a charity you support.

 

 

One that is near and dear to my heart is the Center for Biological Diversity. Biodiversity on Earth is a critical measurement of how healthy life on Earth, in general, is. So it's critical to support rehabbing those species whose numbers are dwindling and on their way out, as well as those whose numbers are approaching that line. Remember, humans are animals too (yes, we are), and what affects them also affects us.

 

6) There's a children's playground in New York's Central Park named for the last surviving member of this trio, Diana Ross. It has swings, slides, a rope bridge, and a fountain that kids are welcome to splash in. If you were suddenly little again, which would you play on first?

 

 

That's Chloë a week ago on our birthdays (hers is on the 7th, mine is on the 8th) in Love Park, in Philadelphia - in the fountain park area. I'm just like her; I'd go for the splash park first, 10 times out of 10, if I was a kid. Hell, if I wasn't in a wheelchair, I still would!

 

7) Diana owns an estate in Greenwich, CT, with lush gardens, a tennis court, and a pool. While the grounds are spectacular, she maintains the house itself is "nothing special" because the kitchen hasn't been renovated in more than three decades. Could your kitchen benefit from a makeover? Or are you fine with it as it is?

 

 

Heh. crickets. Our kitchen is smallish, and generally untidy. I don't think I've taken a single picture of it since the day we moved in. And since we're STILL unpacking and moving in, kinda, a  lot of the boxes and packing materials end up around it, making things look generally awful. Makeover? I don't know about that. I'm eager to do something to it, once I can see it, maybe.

 
8) In 1967, when this song was popular, the best-selling camera was The Polaroid Swinger. When did you most recently take a photo? What was it of?

 

 

On Thursday, I took my son hamster shopping, and there was this one little dude just hunkered in his little habitat, looking chill but also looking at us like, "You wanna piece o' me? Eh? You wanna piece o' me?" So I took a picture because I did not, in fact, want a piece of him.

 
9) Random question: Come clean! Are there dirty dishes in your sink right now?

 

Absolutely. But Rob is actually doing them right now.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Welp, that's the week that was. And now the water closet is calling my name. See y'all!

 

Fin.

Saturday 9: No Roots

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!

~*~*~*~*~

Take care and have a lovely Saturday on purpose, y'all!

Fin.Phil

Saturday 9: Diamonds

Hey, y'all! I'm hopeful I'll get this post all done and on time this week. So many times, last week included, I'll start the post well in advance, get two or three answers written, and then need a nap. By the time I have the energy to come back, Saturday's all but over. Last week, and many times, it's a pain or migraine issue, but more and more lately it's straight-up fatigue.

Anyway, I can't wait to see what questions Rihanna and Crazy Sam have for us. Link up here if you're playing along with us this week.

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Diamonds (2012)

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

1) In this song, Rihanna sings that when she looks at her lover, she sees the light in his eyes. The internet is filled with makeup tips for making your eyes look brighter. Drugstores sell eye drops that promise to get the red out. Are you bright-eyed this morning?

 

 

I suppose, but I do have these eye drops right here on standby. They work great!

2) She likens him to a shooting star. Astronomers tell us that shooting stars aren't that rare at all. They occur when dust, asteroids or comets enter the earth's atmosphere, and are often visible on clear, pollution-free nights. Have you ever seen a shooting star?

 

 

I think I have; I'm sure I have.

 
3) In ancient Rome, shooting stars were considered good luck, especially for those going into battle, while some tribes in East Africa believed shooting stars were a harbinger of doom. Are you superstitious?

 

 

Maybe, but only mildly. I'll cross my fingers or knock on wood, but I know that what's going to happen is already going to happen.

 

4) The singer of "Diamonds" hosted a lavish Diamond Ball to raise funds for education programs in Malawi, Senegal, and the country of her birth, Barbados. Rhianna named her charity initiative the Clara Lionel Foundation after her grandparents. If you were to name your foundation after your grandparents, what would it be called? What would you ideally like to do in their honor?

 

 

Both of my (maternal; I did not know my paternal) grandparents used tobacco. Grandpa smoked a pipe, but when his dentist told him there were warning signs of cancer, he quit that day and got rid of his entire extensive collection of pipes. Some very valuable.  (And when he had a mega heart attack a few years down the road and was told to lose weight, eat healthier, and get more exercise, that is exactly what he did. He even bought a Sony Walkman so he could listen to Sousa, and he would take that to different parks and do his Sousa march around the various pathways! So cute.) So he was super... "obedient" to doctors' orders when he got bad news.

 

My grandmother, on the other hand, smoked for many years and just could not get out from under that beast. She was told to quit smoking for many years, but she could not. I don't think she tried, but I was very young then, so that probably isn't a fair assessment. But when she was put on oxygen at some point, due to the emphysema, she was still unable to let it go. I remember seeing her pull out the tube and hold it far away with one hand and smoking with the other hand, or hiding a burning cigarette in a closed drawer, and other things. We all held an intervention, but it made no difference.

 

So in their honor, I would do something like, The Art and Ruth Center for Tobacco Use Prevention, Education, and Cessation.

 

5) Rhianna recently had her first baby, a boy. According to the Social Security Administration, the top names for baby boys in 2021 were Liam and Noah. Is there a Liam or Noah in your life?

 

 

No, not currently, but this did give me a chance to look at Liam Hemsworth again, and that ain't bad.

 

6) When she was still in her teens, Rhianna entered a beauty pageant on a dare, and won! Can you recall a time you acted on a dare?

 

 

Oh. Heh. I've been known to accept a dare or two in my time. I remember once, either right before Chloë was born (she's 20 years old now, will be 21 in September), or right after (so I still had the belly!), I was doing laundry late at night. Maybe 10 PM. But our washer and dryer were in a separate building from our house, maybe 100 or 150 yards and outside the fence, through the gate, down the driveway, and in another door. As soon as I'd put the load of clothes in and gotten back to the house, I realized I still had the clothes I was wearing to put in. Aack!

 

So Hubs dared me to dash out there right away, throw my clothes in, and just streak back. I thought about it for a quick second, looked out there... it's dark, no lights, and I could run pretty fast at the time. So I did it. BUT. When I got up the porch steps to our back door, Rob was there, laughing. And he had turned on the porch light. And he had locked the door on me!

 

7) While on tour, she likes to sneak out into the audience, just to get the vibe from out there. To disguise herself, Rhianna slips on a black oversized hoodie. Are hoodies a staple of your wardrobe?

 

 

Well, I have my green one right here next to me, but I'm not photo ready quite yet, and I can't find me wearing it anywhere in my photo gallery.  So here are Hubs and Chloë each wearing one.

  

8) In 2012, the year this song topped the charts, London hosted the Olympic Games. If you won a trip to London, what would you like to see?

 

 

Are we having a raffle here? But me in for 10 tickets. But seriously, I think I would have to be a total tourist if I were to go to London. Double-decker bus, Tower of London, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey... Yes. Everything. But I'm really interested in venturing out and seeing some proper English gardens, too. Very much so. ♥

 
9) Random question: Did either or both your parents go to college?

 

 

As far as I know, they each did a semester or two of community college there ^ at Harriman Community College, in Monroe, New York (my origin).

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

L00k, I did the whole thing! Add me another ticked to the raffle!

 

Fin.

 

Saturday 9: Let Me Love You Tonight

☼

Hi, everyone! How are you doing? I hope all are well.

Guess what? After nearly two years of living on Maryland's Eastern Shore, I was finally able to get not  just to the beach, but down to the water yesterday! I had my husband and my daughter's assistance, along with that of my new four-footed cane that I bought specifically for the sand, and took rests when I needed to. And then Hubs found this information about free beach wheelchairs posted:

So I probably got up to my knees or so. I would've gone much farther (let's face it, I would've let it envelop me and pull me all the way back to my mermaid family, haha), but the water was too cold for Rob and I wouldn't have wanted to make him have to rescue me in it! So other than being exhausted after, I was elated!

Anyway, let's do it:

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Let Me Love You Tonight (1980)

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

 

☼

 

1) Pure Prairie League was a country rock band signed by Casablanca Records in 1980. The label, known for disco hits, wanted to expand their client roster in case disco died. (Which it did, and Casablanca ultimately went bankrupt.) Disco can be a polarizing topic among music fans. Do you love it or loathe it?

 

 

I lean heavily toward... neutral. I have no strong feelings either way.

 

2) In this song, lead singer Vince Gill encourages his girl to hold him tight. Who did you most recently hug?

 

 

I  hugged my son Jack. He woke up and came upstairs to greet me and give me a hug. He's 19. I'll take it!

 

3) Vince Gill left The Pure Prairie League in 1982 and went on to be a solo success. Tell us about a job you were glad you left.

 

 

"Where Shopping is a Pleaure" I probably could've stayed at Publix forever if I'd wanted to, but I'd worked at Publix all through college and now I wanted to put that degree to use. So I got off my duff and did my biology internship, took my GRE which got me into a top lab, started my PhD, and... realized something was missing. Not long into that, I met and eloped with my husband. May some of that could've happened if I'd stayed and worked at Publix, but probably not!

 

4) He says his favorite song is the country classic, "He Stopped Loving Her Today." Do you often listen to country?

 

via GIPHY

 

5) Vince joined The Eagles on tour after the 2016 death of Glenn Frey, taking over Frey's guitar solos. Do you have a favorite Eagles song?

 

 

I love a lot of their discography, but I think "Peaceful Easy Feeling" might be my favorite.

 
6) Vince met future wife, singer Amy Grant, when she performed on his Christmas TV special. Have you ever had a workplace romance?

 

Yes.

 
7) In 1980, when this song was popular, The Love Boat was a hit. Have you ever taken a cruise? If yes, where did you go?

 

 

I've been on a few. 

 

When I was 14, I went with my family aboard the Carnival Ecstasy, above, to San Juan, PR, to a private island in the Bahamas, to St. Thomas in the USVI.

 

I was very much bitten by the cruising bug at that time!

 

 

But I spent an awful lot of time on THIS type of cruise - that R/V stands for "research vessel," and I am thoroughly familiar with the ins and outs of the Coral Reef II, with which the University of Miami and Shedd Aquarium frequently partnered - whilst in college. Don't get me wrong; I loved  these cruises. But I love all cruises.

 

 

And then, between college and grad school, my grandfather took several of us on another -- outrageously beautful --  Christmas cruise. We visited Cozumel, in Mexico. Grandpa knew that I wasn't taking the medications I needed for the acid reflux disease that I was (and still do) suffering from, so he took me to a farmacía in Cozumel and bought me a year's supply of those prescripitions I wasn't taking - over the counter, for far, far below their cost in the States.

 

We also visited Montego Bay in Jamaica, which was beautiful and fun. We stopped in Grand Cayman Island and visited Hell there (yes, partly so I could send postcards marked from there). And we visited a market in Limón, Costa Rica, which was fabulous. I adored that - and so did Grandpa, I think. And then finally, for the pièce de résistance, our ship went through the Panama Canal, Panama. Grandpa was really emotional about that. Shoot, he was born in 1926; was it even fully done then?

 

There were two more cruises after that, and I don't think I'm done!

 

8) 1980 also gave us the Post-It Note. What did you most recently write on a Post-It?

 

 

Oh, yesterday or the day before. I use post-its in my planner pretty frequently.

9) Random question: You find yourself one of three strangers trapped in an elevator. Would you rather the other two people be a man and a woman, two men, or two women?

 

 

I think a man and a woman. We would bring our various strengths and weaknesses and hopefully gtfo of there!

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

All righty. Two and a half hours into the afternoon and I'm finally finished. Y'all steer clear of that COVID-19 and the Monkeypox now, y'hear? (And Lyme, ugh.) Be safe, be well.

 

Fin.

Saturday 9: Moody Blue

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:

~*~*~*~*~

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.

~*~*~*~*~

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. 

Saturday 9: Livin' La Vida Loca

Hey, hey, ladies and gents! Happy Saturday! Thank you, Hostess Sam, for bringing us these questions.

I'm excited for this week. Ricky Martin and Livin' La Vida Loca were a huuuuge part of the space between my college years and the doctorate. I loved it and always blasted it in the car. I didn't know Enrique Martín Morales during his Menudo days, but I've loved him ever since La Vida. ♥

Let's go.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Livin' La Vida Loca (1999)

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

1) Ricky Martin sings that he and the girl dance in the rain. Do you feel like dancing this morning?

 

 

If dancing from the hips up counts, I already have while sitting here listening to Sting and Shaggy start off with "Englishman in New York" on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert. So fun!

2) The lyrics tell us the girl prefers champagne. When did you last enjoy a glass of the bubbly?

 

 

Oh a verrrrry long time. I have three reasons for that: (1) I have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and I kept having reactions to alcohol, even when I was down to maybe two drinks a year, so that was enough of that (and Sophia asked me to stop since the reactions freaked her out); (2) I take far too many medications that don't play well with medication; and (3) tomorrow, I'm starting disulfiram, aka antabuse, for my Lyme disease. Since it was intented for alcohol abuse, I will get a nasty set of reactions if I touch alcohol - including cough medicine or rubbing alcohol! - and that seals the deal for me.

 

3) When Ricky first heard "Livin' La Vida Loca," he imagined  the subject of the song was a "Bond girl," the glamorous love interest of James Bond in the movies. Since 1962, there have been more than 20 Bond films. Have you seen any/many of them? Do you have a favorite Bond?

 

 

I've seen 1983's Octopussy with Roger Moore (I was 7; interesting parenting choice) and 1995's Goldeneye with the sexy-as-hell Pierce Brosnan and his equally stunning co-star, Famke Janssen. I like them okay; I don't know why I haven't seen more of them. Just not a huge priority. I suppose.

 

4) Ricky tells interviewers that when he was very young, he'd sing in the family kitchen, pretending a wooden spoon was his microphone. Crazy Sam admits to lip synching into a black Magic Marker. When you gave imaginary concerts, what did you use as a microphone?

 

 

Whatever was available - usually a hairbrush

5) Ricky began working at the tender age of 9, performing in commercials. How old were you when you received your first paycheck?

 

 

I was 15 and working as a cashier at the Big M in "B'ville," in New York.

 

6) Ricky does yoga to stay in shape. Have you ever tried yoga?

 

 

Oh, sure. I had been practicing mostly "gentle" yoga - not these advanced asanas - from high schools until I got really sick, just before we moved to Boise in 2017. I still kept trying, but it became clear that my Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Hypermobile Type, among other issues, was too much for that right now. Everything is dislocating because I can hyperextend everything. I don't stretch to sooth my aching bones and joints and muscles - I hyperextend and hold that for as long as I can. So yoga is now a different animal for me.

7) Ricky is of primarily Spanish descent, with a little French mixed in. When you think of French cuisine, what comes to mind?

 

 

Oh, lots and lots of things, but lately I have had soufflé on the brain. Yum, yum.

 

8) Ricky once had his own restaurant, Casa Salsa, in Miami Beach. Have you ever worked in food service?

 

 

I have, but not a lot. While I did my fisheries internship, my co-intern and I decided to moonlight in catering at the now-defunct The C0lony Beach and Tennis Resort on Longboat Key, Florida. That lasted 10 weeks, as long as our internship, and we had a blast. I loved it, and I loved the clients. We had a lot of fun! So when I later moved up to St. Petersburg, I secured a job at the expansive Vinoy Renaissance Resort & Golf Club there. Oh, my God, it was beautiful.

 

But on my first day of actual work after orientation, I was serving in a dining room full of businessmen wearing fancy suits. We were delivering bowls of soups to their table. and I approached one particular man. As I was about to set his bowl down, my hand gave out, and I dumped the soup ALL. OVER. HIM. Holy shit. It was mortifying, and that guy stood up, using his napkin, and dressed me up and down, up and down, and up and down once again. I was so embarrassed, my pride so wounded, I went across the hall and let my captain know what happened and promptly quit.

 

9) Random question: What is your best quality?

 

 

Empathy. I can say that with absolute certainty.

 

 ~*~*~*~*~

 

Have a swell day, y'all. Namaste. 🙏

 

Fin.

Saturday 9: Vision Of Love

Hey, friends.  I hope you are doing well. We're in something like our 9th week of hotel-living, and I can tell you, we are so over it!!!

But, the sale of our Idaho house is going well, and we should be closing at the end of the month. I'm thrilled it was picked up so quickly. Now, I just hope we can find a new one here in Maryland (or possibly Delaware) at such a great pace!

Link up here if you're playing along with us this week!

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: Vision of Love (1990)

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

1) The lyrics refer to "sweet destiny." Do you believe in destiny?

 

I don't really know what I believe there. But like this meme here, I tend to think it's some parts chance and some parts making intentional moves.

 

2) This week's artist, Mariah Carey, has something to fall back on. She studied cosmetology and worked as a hair sweeper in a salon. When you get your hair cut, do you socialize with the stylist?

 

At first, as little as possible. I have to be comfortable with someone before I can get chatty; I'm an extroverted introvert. When my sister gets ahold of my hair (she's a stylist in New York; that's her up there in the purple), then of course it's a non-stop chatterfest.

 

3) She isn't likely to turn to cosmetology any time soon. Mariah is currently on the best seller list with her autobiography, The Meaning of Mariah Carey. Was the last book you finished fiction or non-fiction?

 

 

I've got White Fragility still in my laptop bag, and a few others I really need to get started on.

 

4) So far, more than 800 people have reviewed Mariah's book on Amazon. Do you review products/services online?

 

 

I really don't do that many reviews, and when I do, I find I usually do write more negative ones - the really negative experiences - than positive ones. So I've been working on changing that. I don't know how often I'll get to the middle-of-the-road reviews, though!

5) When she was a high school student, she was nicknamed "Mirage" because she skipped class so often. Did you ever play hooky?

 

School and work? Almost never, if not never. I never played "hooky" unless being too sick to go counted. But now that I'm sick, I'm completely unreliable. And I hate it.

6) Mariah doesn't apologize for spoiling her dogs, who have been known to travel by limo. Do you know anyone who treats their pets like people?

 

Oh, yeah. Like, my 19-year-old daughter treats her cat here, Pepper, like her son. He's her absolute baby. She lives for that boy!

7) In 1990, the year this song was popular, Martina Navratilova won the Wimbledon Women's Singles Tournament. How's your tennis game?

 

 

I liked playing, but I was never very good. I've got poor depth perception. Pretty important for tennis!

8) Also in 1990, Pope John Paul II toured Mexico. Have you ever visited our neighbor south of the border?

 

 

Yes. Twice. The first, time, I was on a cruise, and my grandfather took me aside when we were in Cozumel. I don't remember anything about the location (other than that it was beautiful), because he took me to a pharmacy or two to get cheap drugs. Heh. I was a poor, struggling graduate student then, and Grandpa knew I had no health insurance but needed a lot of  meds. He'd learned that you could get them cheap in Mexico, and so he bought me a year's supply. (He seriously was the greatest.)

 

The second time, Hubs and I were on a retreat to somewhere, shortly after his brain surgery. We had a lot of semi-relaxed fun, drank a lot, and enjoyed each other's company. I know we were in Mexico, but I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the resort or the region!

9) Random question(s): There are Gofundme campaigns for many purposes. Have you ever solicited funds online? Would you?

Yes. For my kid's art supplies for a great class she was taking, of the Masters. (Hat tip to Sam.) Otherwise... it hasn't always gone well. I'm out of that game.

~*~*~*~*~

Hope you all have a pretty decent weekend! I'm hoping we get to look at a couple houses and maybe take a day trip somewhere. Where will the road take you...?

Fin.

Saturday 9: One Night Standards

Hello, y'all. Another weekend has snuck right on up on me. I missed last weekend entirely, seems like.

If I didn't tell you here, we put our Idaho house on the market, and within hours we had an offer for the full amount of our request. So that was exciting. Once we close on that, we can start looking for our new home here on the Eastern shore of Maryland. Woot!

Hope y'all are doing well. ♥

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

~*~*~*~*~

Saturday 9: One Night Standards (2019)

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

1) The video for this song takes place in a motel and the story is told from the point of view of the desk clerk. Have you ever worked in a hotel, motel, or bed-and-breakfast?

I have not. But I used to have this fantasy of owning and running a boutique bed & breakfast in St. Pete Beach or Sarasota, Florida.

2) Ashley McBryde sings that she's not Cinderella, a reference to the fairy-tale heroine warned to return from the ball before midnight. When did you recently stay up until the wee small hours of the morning?

Today! I can't help it. Try as I might to get myself on a "normal" human, diurnal schedule, my body just won't comply. I always end right back up on a nocturnal schedule, try as I might to fight it.

3) Ashley had been working hard as a singer/songwriter for eleven years before she was discovered and proclaimed one of County's best new artists. What was your life like 11 years ago?

Oh, it was busy! By then I had a 4-year-old daughter, a 6-year-old son, and an 8-year-old daughter. I was a stay-home mom, but we were rarely at home. I think I had started my bakery by then and was getting orders fairly frequently; I was also still running my 501(c)(3) in memory of my living son's twin. Hubs was still Active-Duty Navy, so we mostly scheduled everything around that. I hated our house in Virginia Beach, but I loved living there - it was a great location!

4) Ashley is from Mammoth Springs, AR. One of the most popular stops on Main Street -- for locals and tourists alike -- is Spring Dipper Ice Cream. More than 20 flavors are made right there on the premises, from Jamoca Almond Fudge to French Vanilla. When confronted with such a wide selection, do you tend to order your familiar favorite or try something new?

It's kind of a toss-up on that.  I love pistachio ice cream, but I rarely find it anymore. So if I see that, I'm probably getting it. If it's not there, I have to look at and evaluate each and every single other flavor to see what there is. I know what I'd like and what I wouldn't. And so I whittle down my choices until I reach my answer: wait a minute! I can't eat ice cream!

5) In 2007, she moved to Nashville to pursue a music career. Have you ever relocated for a job?

Well, you didn't specify that it had to be my job (although I have done that, too), so yes: in 2002, we moved to Guam on the other side of the world for Rob's next station in the US Navy. Chloë was a baby, and I was early in my pregnancy with the twins. We had a dog and a cat who flew separately from us and got lost, then were found and had to quarantine for a month or so. This all cost a pretty penny, and seemed like it was soooo much flying with a 13-month-old! So imagine how thrilled we were when we had to do it again and go back to the States four months later! (At that time I was about six months pregnant, but it was twins, and I had the same polyhydramnios - excess amniotic fluid - that I'd had with Chloë, so the flight attendants were eyeing my belly like, "Are you sure you're allowed to be flying right now?!"

6) Whenever Ashley hears a Carpenters song, she thinks of her mother, who loved Karen Carpenter's voice. Tell us a song that reminds you a loved one.

My mother loved the song "Hey There, Georgy Girl" and used to play it, almost daily, on her organ in our house in first Monroe, then Baldwinsville, New York. I just thought of it, and listened to it, now for the first time in years. I could see her so joyfully playing the organ and singing along, smiling, sounding beautiful. She had a lovely voice and was so talented.

7) In 2019, the year this song was recorded, Notre Dame Cathedral was damaged in a fire. Have you ever visited Paris?

No, not yet. The closest I've come was the flower market in Nice. And on that same 2008 trip, we also went to Eze. Beautiful!

8) Also in 2019, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (aka Harry and Meghan) had a baby boy. Is anyone in your life expecting a baby?

Wow, I don't think so. If anyone I know is pregnant, I do not think I am aware of it yet. Been a long time since I could say that!

9) Random question: Do you always want to hear the truth about yourself?

I would like to say yes, but I am afraid that answer is actually no, not always. I'm just too sensitive. I don't know. Can I say "maybe"??

~*~*~*~*~

Well, kids, I'm off to take my brood for a spin in my new wheels. We're going all the way to the post office. Exciting!

Have a lovely!

Fin.

Saturday 9: Flipper

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?

~*~*~*~*~

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!

~*~*~*~*~

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.

 

Sunday Stealing: Colloquium

Hi, guys! It's 6 PM Mountain Time on Sunday - the first chance I've had to write this - essentially guaranteeing NO ONE will read nor comment on it.

I dare you to prove me wrong?!

Link up here if you want to join in the fray this fine Sunday.

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These are from From Colloquium, which has not published since 2012

Last person you were in a car with?

We were coming home from an equestrian competition for Sophia, so in addition to the two of us, Rob was driving and Chloë was along for moral support.

Any plans for tomorrow?

Well, heh, yeah... but we're out of gas and I've 3 dr appts to get to. I don't quite know how I'm going to manage that, yet...

Best friend or close friends?

Um, both. Duh.

Is tomorrow going to be a good day?

Oh, I don't know yet; I forgot to turn on my clairvoyance.

Ever thrown up in public?

Oh yes. How high can you count? Yeah? More than that.

What’s on your mind RIGHT NOW?

That it's about time for my post-Climate Strike (one of them, anyway) conference call, so 'scuse me while I multitask for a minute...

Who was the last person you talked to?

Rob. I thanked him for taking away my empty place of cheese enchiladas.

What is the WORST subject they teach at school?

For those who still teach it, Creationism, especially as the only "science" taught in those schools.

Have you seen anyone lately that you don’t get along with?

Not lately, I don't think?

What is your favourite color top to wear?

Pass, on the grounds that it's irrelevant.

Have you ever been in a car accident?

Yes, probably the worst of which was the time I was hit by a drunk driver. Did I ever tell y'all that story??

What’s the closest thing to you that’s green?

My recycling bin 😉♻️

Where would you like to be right now?

Anywhere right now not having this migraine

Is anything bugging you right now?

Second verse, same as the first!

Is life going right for you now?

It's... going.

Is there someone you care about more than yourself?

Pretty much everyone... but most of all, these goons.

What made you laugh today?

This.

What was the last movie you watched?

I don't even know, but I really want to see Hustlers!

What was the last conversation you had about?

Robert was just begging me not to overdose on the acetaminophen he had just brought home. I said, "No promises." He took it with him... /Endscene

What were you doing at 7:00 this morning?

With back-to-back things going, I passed out after we left the ACLU Activitists' Academy yesterday and didn't wake up until 9 or 10 this morning. Autoimmune illness will do that to ya.

Do you like your hair long or short?

I just like it when it looks good, however long it is...

Do you like the rain?

Sure but, I mean, everything is relative...

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Fin.