


This story still has me cracking up, y'all.
Yesterday, Chloë had to be to work at a certain time, and since I hadn't heard from her - which was unusual for us - by an hour before then, which would be when she would normally leave to get there, I called her. And woke her up. Oops!
She asked if I could please give her a ride to work, and since she's got some severe plantar fasciitis happening, of course I obliged.
Since Rob was at the emergency room with our youngest offspring, and Jack was at school, I quickly got into some "going out" clothes, grabbed my keys, phone, and purse, and headed out solo. I never, ever, drive alone these days. Separate story.
Anyway, it wasn't long before I realized I was DWDC - Driving Without Diet Coke. This was an impairment to my cognitive function, or at least my physical one, because my damn hand kept reaching for the damn bottle that wasn't there. And since I am in a constant state of dehydration (no, honestly, literally, diagnosed-ly), it quickly becomes a very. big. problem.
I grabbed Chloë, and we headed to her job, a very well-known fast food joint. Along the way, I forget why specifically, I was telling her about when I was full-time mystery shopping, that I was always required to check the quality of the sodas to make sure they had the proper combination of flavoring and carbonation. That was true up and down the line, from fine dining all the way down to fast food, whenever I was required to have a soda. And then we were talking about the restaurants having to switch their CO2 tanks and everything, if the sodas started to come out flat. We had this whole conversation.
So we were bemused when we pulled up to her place of work and tried to park when, all of a sudden, we were suddenly almost backed into by the truck carrying tank after tank of CO2 for their fountain drinks. Of course everything always happens that way, right? You talk about something, or hear it for the first time, or whatever, and suddenly it's everywhere.
So Chloë said she would go in and get me a Diet Coke, after we took note of the CO2 truck... and came out a minute later holding a cup, a straw, and a doubting look on her face. She told me, "Okay, before you drink this, let me just tell you that they're messing around with the carbonation at the fountains in there, and something just isn't right, so they've got tons of 2-Liter bottles of Coke and Diet Coke and everything, and that's what they're pouring the drinks from."
I laughed. "That's from a 2-Liter bottle of Diet Coke?"
"Yes. Oh, and the guy pouring it just dumped it in, instead of pouring it slowly, so I don't know about the carbonation here, either."
I reassured her, "It's okay, I'm sure it's fine."
Then I took the cup and had a big gulp, because I was enormously thirsty. And it was flat as could be. Never had flatter. If the expression on my face hadn't already told her so, I confirmed it with my words. And then Chloë tasted it for herself and agreed.
She had to be to work in just a few minutes, so when she asked me what I wanted to do, did I want a new one, I started fretting aloud: "Oh, mannnn! I don't know! Um, um, um, I don't want to make you late, but it's really... but I do appreciate it, but it's ahhh, WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?"
And this child shot right back, "Well, honestly, I think Jesus would just suck it up."
I died laughing inside, pounded the steering wheel with my forehead, and choked out, "Oh no, she just told me to suck it up!" I kept giggling as she attempted a retraction.
"No, it's fine. I'm grateful. I'll be grateful. Go to work."
And she did.
And I drank the whole thing. Scout's honor.
Fin.
P.S. Rob disagreed when I told him later. He said Jesus would just have stuck his finger in the coke and carbonated it himself.
Happy Saturday, friends, neighbors, and kids of all ages! I'm getting a lah-haaaate start today. I've battled daily migraines for more than my entire adult life, save for a couple of years around when I had my youngest kiddo, and this last week has brought some of the worst in a long while. Seriously bad. But anyway, whatever; I'm here now, the woman of the hour, and you can all sit down and stop clapping now. Seriously, it's embarrassing.
I jest, I kid, I joke, I josh.
I hope you've all had ridiculously wonderful weeks well worth the wait! And now let's jump into the reason we're all here. Link up here if you're joining us this weekend. Away we go:
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Saturday 9: Beautiful (2005)
Welcome one, and welcome all, to the carnage carnival that is my life blahg. Sit right down and buckle up, because away. we. go! We've got another Tom Jones song on tap for you today, and even though it's not "It's Not Unusual," my mind is still doing The Carlton anyway.
So that's always fun.
I don't have much else to report in this particular post, so we're going to jump right into in. Be sure and link up here if you're joining us this week!
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Howdy-ho, neighbors! This weekend's post focuses on this song, Just Because, by Elvis Presley. This is significant to me because I grew up with a dad who absolutely idolized the man (and, I'm sure, still does) and could do a mean impression of him as well. My dad could sing well, could do the moves, and even had some of the requisite attire to make the whole thing convincing. Of course, I've heard every Elvis song ever, 50,000 times over, backward and forward... right?
I had not ever heard this song before.
So, my friends, link up here if you want to join us this weekend. Read on for my answers. Thank you, Crazy Sam, for dusting this one off for me (okay, us)! Let's hit it:
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Saturday 9: Just Because (1956)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) In this week's song, Elvis complains that his girl has confused him with Santa Claus. This time of year, Santa is prominent. Did you more recently hear Santa referred to in a song, see him in a holiday decoration or ad, watch him in a film or TV show, or maybe even met him in person, ringing a bell or asking kids if they have been naughty or nice?
Yes, we've been listening to a lot of Christmas carols lately as we work through the activities in our Advent calendar. Santa features prominently in these, of course.
2) Finally Elvis just can't take it anymore and breaks up with her, just because. Is there anyone in your life who has a way of pressing your buttons and getting on your nerves?
That's probably true for everyone, I'm guessing.
3) "Just Because" is one of the last songs Elvis recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis. TripAdvisor recommends a Sun Studio tour as one of the top things to do in Memphis. Have you ever been to Memphis? If yes, what did you do?
I've only ever driven through Memphis, and also Nashville, and also half a dozen times Chattanooga. I have stayed in Gatlinburg. Memphis would be an interesting trip, though.
4) Elvis left Sun for RCA, a much bigger record label. As part of the deal, RCA negotiated for the rights to all his unreleased Sun songs. "Just Because" is one of them, and it was included on Elvis' first RCA album. Have you gotten a good deal on anything lately?
I get a good deal on just about everything. Like the SodaStream I got for Chloë for Christmas, I paid nowhere near full price, nor did I pay full price for the flavors for it, nor will I ever! And she'll be so thrilled to have it, so win-win!
5) In 1956, when "Just Because" was released, non-stick cookware was first introduced. Do you have any Teflon in your kitchen right now?
No way in hell!
6) Elvis thought peacocks were beautiful and commissioned stained glass peacock panels for his living room. Do you have any stained glass in your home?
No, but I certainly do wish! It's so beautiful.
7) He tried to keep peacocks at Graceland. One of the birds saw its reflection in Elvis' gold Cadillac and started pecking, ruining the car's expensive paint job. Elvis donated the peacocks to the Memphis Zoo. Have you ever had a bird as a pet?
Well not exactly pets, but we used to keep chickens when we lived in Idaho for the eggs, and the five of us each had "our" specific chickens that we felt we belonged to and were particularly attached to. I loved those chickens. Here, we're not allowed to have any because of our HOA rules, even though the town would allow three, which makes me want to be a scofflaw and keep ducks. They don't say anything about ducks.
8) Elvis decorated the long Graceland driveway for the holidays with blue lights. His father teased that with the airport nearby, pilots might confuse their driveway with a runway. What airport is nearest your home?
I believe the nearest major airport is Baltimore International, although we have tons of regional ones between there and here.
9) When Elvis was alive, he kept the holiday lights up until January 9, the day after his birthday. That tradition continues at Graceland today. Conventional etiquette tells us Christmas decorations should go up the day after Thanksgiving and come down before January 6 (the 12th day of Christmas). Do you think it's ever too early, or too late, for Christmas decorations?
Well, for stores and other commercial enterprises, yeah, I kinda think there is a limit for too-early/too-late. But for private families and people, I think, who gives a rat's behind? Let people do what makes them happy! So what if Joe Schmoe at the end of the block likes to keep his lights up until the end of March and put them up again after Halloween? What's it to me? I don't pay his light bill and it's honestly kind of pretty. I'm of more of a laissez-faire kind of mind about that for private citizens.
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Welp, that's all folks! Back to wrapping presents with Chloë, my eldest! Seems like the job will never be done, but that's not a complaint! I'm grateful for the abundance, always grateful.
Have a wonderful week on purpose, everybody! ♥
Fin.
Welcome, welcome one and all (or is it both?). I've been trying to log in to Typepad for HOURS, but something has stopped that connection. Here I am, finally, at 1513 on Saturday. What a relief.
I don't like much in the way of Country music, but I do like Ms. Underwood, so I'm glad to see this one. And I already knew this song!
Link up here if you're playing along this weekend. Let's go:
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Saturday 9: Two Black Cadillacs (2011)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This week's song is about two women who share a very dark secret. Are you good at keeping secrets?
Not usually. I have zero filter, pretty much.
2) Carrie Underwood's favorite author is Stephen King. In fact, she credits King's Christine as an inspiration for this song. Have you read much Stephen King, or seen movies based on his books?
Some. I'd say I'm a fan, but not, like, a mega-fan.
3) Carrie first came to America's attention when she won on American Idol. Prior to competing on that show, she'd never been on an airplane. Crazy Sam takes at least one round-trip flight every year and pays using the miles she accumulated from credit card purchases throughout the year. Do you try to earn miles, points, or cash back when you make purchases?
Oh, yes. I'm always trying to play the game and earn points here to spend there.
4) Black is this week's signature color because November 25 was Black Friday, when retailers historically have slashed their prices and the holiday shopping season begins. Have you begun your gift shopping?
Yes. I'm welllll into my gift shopping - and wrapping!
5) Black Friday began as a local event initiated by store owners in Philadelphia back in the early 1960s. When you think of Philadelphia, what comes to mind?
Well nowadays, I think of my trip there with Chloë for her 21st birthday, just this past September. Fun times!
6) Black Friday always comes after Thanksgiving, a day of feasting. What was the best dish at your holiday table this year?
I think it was the pies (we had 5). For the first time in years, I was able to come downstairs and help guide the children to make my pie recipes, if I couldn't do it myself. They were wonderful and were devoured quickly. Good job, kids!
7) Thanksgiving is also a big day for watching football. Did you watch any games?
Nyet.
8) What are you thankful for this year?
Oh, I'm soooo thankful for being able to come downstairs, help make those pies, and just generally be with my family for the whole day of Thanksgiving. It was a treasure. And so much more than that, but it would be a very long list. I keep that list in my planner.
9) Random question: You're in a public restroom and have a choice between paper towels and a hot air hand dryer. Which do you choose?
I'd choose the hot air. Why would I use natural resources I don't need to use when there is an alternative right there? Go tree-free. Go more sustainable (because paper just isn't, really). Yes, there is the source of the electricity, but that's more negligible than the processes of getting the paper towel to that bathroom, and using it. No, for me, it's the hot air hand dryer. Good question, Sam.
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Now I'm listening to The National on NPR Tiny Desk Concerts - those are the best; I'm obsessed - which the Carrie Underwood tune moved to after the one by Andrew Bird on YouTube. Give them a listen, if you haven't already!
Happy holiday season, y'all!
fin.
Hey everyone! I was up late doing volunteer work that I do here at home, and I crashed and burned right in the middle of it. So it's after noon on Saturday, now, that I'm getting into S9. As a result, I'm sure I'll be getting dead last. No worries, though; I'll be glad to be getting in at all.
This week we have Lesley Gore teed up for you. I was surprised I know a number of her songs. I mean, I know her name, and I know these songs, but I didn't know these songs were hers. So now I've got YouTube doings its thing and hitting me in the eardrums with the vocal stylings of the late, great Lesley.
If you'd like to join us this weekend, be sure to link up here. Away we go:
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Howdy, friends! Today, we've got a Dolly (do we really need last names?) Parton song for ya, and I can tell you, I've loved her since I was a fetus. So over 46 years. I think Dolly-Kenny Rogers-Willie Nelson as a trio came into my consciousness together at a very young age. But I was always very transfixed by Dolly, so I'm thrilled to see the focus on her this week. I don't know this week's song, though, so I've got to take a listen! How 'bout you - do you know it?
Make sure you link up here if you're playing along this week! Now I'm way behind, so let's jump right in:
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Saturday 9: Potential New Boyfriend (1983)
I would much rather go to the jungle. I'd rather die in the jungle than the desert, if that's the question of the day, too. So much lush, tropical foliage; more diverse species both plant an animal; always warm... that's pretty much my heaven on earth right there.
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That was a fun one! Now I've got to check with Eldest Child to see if any of the little kiddo books we've amassed so far for her future progeny are Richard Scarry books. If not, time to add to the... amassment!
Y'all have a beautiful weekend!
fin.
Hey kids of all ages, what's the haps? My body, right now, is giving me the evil eye, but I'm going to have rally by tomorrow afternoon when it's time to attend Pride Salisbury with my two LGBTQIA+ kiddos (and whomever else wants to come). I'm already exhausted. There's supposed to be a luau a few towns over tonight (unrelated to Pride), and I have always hada a luau on my Bucket List, but if it's not in Hawai'i, does it really count?
Phew, that was a lot of words! Join the rest of S9ers right here!
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I just heard that the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and I am crushed and also furious.
Will there come a day when they will rue the destructionn of Roe?
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I'm a fan of this song - are you? I haven't always been a fan of Selena Gomez', but when I like her, I like her.
Link up here with Crazy Sam and the rest of us if you want to share your feelings on this Saturday, too.
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Saturday 9: Good for You (2015)
John Legend: "Ordinary People"
☼
Hello, hello, y'all. I very nearly missed this week's questionnaire, but I pulled myself up to get it done. We've all been doing this for so long "together," and I don't want to lose that.
Happy Spring, Northern Hemisphereans! I'm so delighted. #understatement
Not much really happened here this week that I can think of; that is a good thing! Two weeks ago, my lithium levels were way too low, and I was planning on jumping off the nearest tall building. Now that the doctor has raised my dosage, I feel so, so, so much better. It was almost overnight! And I'm so thankful, so grateful to still be here.
Let's get it done. (P.S. I was just about to post this, and then my Chrome died, closing all my windows and not returning all the content I had here. So I'm aggravated now. GAH!)
☼
ORDINARY PEOPLE (2005)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) In this song, John Legend sings that both he and his girl have "room to grow." What about you? In what areas would you like to improve?
Well, hard to do being here in a small hotel room (for yet another two months! Ugh!), but when we move into our new home I really want to make it a point to get out of bed and at least circulate with the family downstairs, every day. I'm in bed so much, some days I don't see anyone but Hubs. And the dogs are getting entirely too used to cozying up with me all day. Something's gotta change, and I want to make the effort. I do not want the pain and fatigue from Lyme dictate what I do for the rest of my days.
2) He sings that when he hangs up in anger, she calls him back. Are you quicker to anger, or quicker to forgive?
Both! And quick to apologize, too. If someone apologizes to me, it's done, it's over.
3) "Ordinary People" was John Legend's first big hit. He originally wrote it for The Black Eyed Peas, but -- happily for him -- recorded it himself. Have you ever purchased a gift for someone else but then decided to keep it yourself?
Really? I love the Peas but I can't see them doing this song justice. As for me, I don't think I've ever done that, but I for sure have wished I had enough money at that moment for a second one. Several times!
4) Ordinary People is also the title of an acclaimed novel by Judith Guest and an Oscar-winning film. Are you familiar with either the movie or the book?
Of course, I definitely knew the movie - my mother was a huge fan of Barbra Streisand. I remember that just a couple of months before she died, she took 7-year-old me and 8-year-old Stacey (my big sister) to the movies to see Yentl. It's one of my last memories with my mom, so I cherish and love Barbra for it, too. As for the book, I don't think I had heard of it, but now it's on my "want to read" list on Goodreads. Thanks!
5) John is married to Chrissy Teigen, who gained fame as a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. When is the last time you dove in? Were you in a pool, lake, river or sea?
Atlantic Ocean in August and September when we first got here to Maryland from Idaho, but it was a while before that that I actually got in and swam. In the summer of 2017, I swam with the fam at the Boise reservoir. It was a good day, and we had fun, but then I came down with this horrid bacterial infection that left me wishing for death. I hadn't heard of that particular critter before; I guess it was a big enough deal for the county epidemiologist to call me up and interview me over the phone. Guess I lost my nerve after that!
6) John unexpectedly proposed to Chrissy on vacation, but he was afraid airport security would ruin the surprise when they went through his carry on very thoroughly. He worried she would see the ring box and he'd have to drop down to one knee right there at the airport! Tell us about one of your flights: your first, your most recent or your most memorable.
It was just really odd flying back here to the East Coast this past summer. The jets were sparsely populated instead of overcrowded, and there was no food or drink service, and we were all constantly reminded to pull up our masks here or that way or whatever. It was tense and scary on the one hand, but also just another adventure arrow to stick in our quivers, I guess.
7) John is currently a coach on The Voice. The other coaches are Nick Jonas, Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton. Of those four singers, which is your favorite?
Gotta go with my girl Kelly! I was nursing my first newborn Chloë when Kelly competed on and won the first season of American Idol.
8) In 2005, when this song was popular, Johnny Carson died. After he retired from The Tonight Show in 1993, he traveled extensively and discovered he especially enjoyed photographic safaris in Africa. If time and money were no object, where would you go on vacation?
I'd have all the money and the time, you say?! Well sure, I'd visit all the continents in turn, thoroughly and passionately. But I wouldn't stop there. I'd say hello to Moon and then head outward for a glimpse of Mars before I hovered out around my favorite planet, Jupiter. I'll end this story of mine there, though, since it's too far-fetched even for me.
9) Random question -- In your typical day, what's the longest you usually go without saying a word to another person: all day, a few hours, an hour, or five minutes?
Right now, maybe about an hour, possibly two hours. But I've always got this little guy and his chonky sister to talk to!
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All right, phew, I made it and hopefully will save it in time in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
Enjoy your Spring beginning, y'all!
Fin.
Hello, ladies and gents and maybe those of another bent! How's it going?
I have a bit of news:
The good news: after labs were run of my psych meds and levels were found to be low, things have been adjusted, and I'm already feeling way better.
The better news: after ~7 months of hotel living, this will be coming to an end, finally... in May. We've signed a contract on a yet-to-be-built house here in Salisbury, and we're super happy with the way things turned out (except that it didn't "turn out" in, say, October!)
So cheers to better moods and not being homeless much longer!
Link up here if you want to play along with the S-9ers this weekend.
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Hey there, bloggy friends! I hope you're doing well and that maybe your weather isn't as overcast and gloomy as ours has been the past four days or so! This next week marks six months that we've been living in a hotel - except our eldest child, 19-year-old Chloë, who is now in her own apartment - and we are all OVER IT! Home after home has fallen through, and so the search continues. Send good thoughts this way, please!
As for you, I hope you're all doing amazingly well, keeping your distance and wearing those masks. Link up here if you're playing along this weekend!
And let's get to it...
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Hi, everyone. Haven't been feeling too well, so I had to take a bit of a sabbatical. I'm not going to do much of a prelude here today, either, lest I run out of steam and not complete this one!
So link up here if you want to join in, and thank you for visiting!
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Saturday 9: Black (2016)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This song was chosen because yesterday was Black Friday, the traditional day of sales. Have you begun your Christmas shopping?
Yeah, I started back in about August, I guess. I usually start socking away things here and there that I know they'll love, when I see a good deal, but between Coronavirus, being sick and moving cross-country, it didn't really go as usual. I think I'm making up for it!
2) Was there an adult beverage served with your Thanksgiving feast?
No feast for us in the hotel room, and none of us can even remember eating, let alone what it was. And no, no alcohol.
3) Did any pets enjoy scraps from your Thanksgiving table?
Well, no, but they got their own treats from Barkbox!
4) Are there any Thanksgiving leftovers in your refrigerator right now?
No... but, uh, I think there are a few chalupas and bean burritos in the mini-fridge?
5) Football is a popular Thanksgiving weekend pastime. Will you be watching any games over the next few days? If yes, which team(s) are you rooting for?
Nope. No football. Hurricanes aren't playing. Oh and, even though they've been doing fairly well, I haven't been watching too much.
6) This week's song is by Dierks Bentley. He wrote it for his wife, Cassidy Black, who appears in the video. They met in eighth grade, dated on and off, and then eloped when they were in their late 20s. Has anyone ever surprised you by going off and suddenly getting married?
Yeah! This girl did! Me! I met my husband online and eloped with him two months later. We'll be celebrating our 20th anniversary verrrrry soon. Sometimess these things work out!
7) 2016 was a good year for Bentley. This song was one of three hits he had that year, he co-hosted the CMAs and was nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year and Video of the Year. As 2020 winds to an end, do you feel it's been a successful year?
.
No. Not in any way.
8) In 2016, David Bowie died. Do you have a favorite Bowie song?
I think his duet with Mick Jagger for "Dancing in the Street" is my absolute favorite with Bowie.
9) Also in 2016, CBS telecast reran How the Grinch Stole Christmas for the 50th time. What's your favorite Dr. Seuss story?
Well, I don't know if anything is going to show up in that space there, but the settings are all off now. Weird! I hope you all have a great weekend, stay safe, and stay healthy.
Fin.
Hello again. Welcome back.
I just can't believe how fast Fridays are rolling around lately. The time from Friday to Friday seems like a blink, even though the time we've spent here in Ocean City hotels (nine weeks?) seems interminable. Weird how these things work. I guess Einstein might have something to say about it.
Link up here if you want to join in with us this week!
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We're in the middle of a feeling-old hat trick, I think: We just celebrated Chloë's 19th birthday, moved her out into her own apartment, and she'll be voting in her first Presidential election soon. Doesn't take much more than that!
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Alright, y'all. I seriously need to go grab a shower, and then hopefully I'll still have enough energy afterward to delve into Sunday Stealing. (Shower's wear me OUT.)
Fin.
Hey there, guys and dolls! Welcome back to SSA. I've missed you! I'm hoping that by the end of November, we'll finally be in our forever home here on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
And I'm hoping that it will finally feel like home, not just our house.
Ya dig?
Keep your fingers crossed for us, you fine folks, will you?
As I'm sending good vibes to all of you as we work through fires and storms and COVID-19 and head into winter... <sigh>
Link up here to play along this weekend!
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Stolen from various web sites...
1) Can you cry under water?
I'm not sure I could. Underwater = my happiest happy place.
2) What is the fattest thing you’ve ever done?
Admittedly, I don't entirely understand the intent of this question, but...
Oh, I definitely have a sweet tooth, so I have had trouble cutting out the sweets since they became a big problem for me. The worst is when any of us have a birthday. Rob likes a plain, unfrosted chocolate cake for his birthdays, but most of the rest of us like Carvel ice cream cakes for ours. Since Chloë's birthday is the 7th of September, and mine is the 8th, we often have... kind of a lot of it. I get sick on it every time, but does it stop me??
3) If you’re going to be arrested, what do you want your crime to be?
I've never been arrested, but I admit, I've sort of half-jokingly put it on my Bucket List. If it happens, I want it to be for some kind of protest, whether it be political or, preferably, an environmental cause.
4) When they say dog food is “new and improved” who tastes it?
Well, first of all, I've always had issues with that phrase, "new and improved." If it's new, then what could have been improved upon if it didn't exist before? If it's improved, then it's something old they made better, so how could it be new?
Anyway. I figure, if they're going to find out if dog food is better, they'd better ask the experts: dogs!
5) What’s the ugliest thing you’ve ever seen?
My stepmother was always sarcastic, always sneering, in this unique way that I've only ever seen one other person in my life do. Very much like Cinderella's evil stepmother, here. It was an awful expression that could drain the blood from my face in an instant, because I knew that whatever was coming next would be worse than whatever led up to that point. I don't miss that b**ch.
6.) Why doesn’t glue stick to its bottle?
So there you go!
7) What historical event do you wish you’d witnessed?
Oh my gosh, there are so many things I could have thought of, but the first one I thought of was the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta when Kerry Strug did her vault with a broken ankle. That whole Dream Team was amazing. I would love, love, love to attend the Olympics some day!
8) Who has had the best influence on your life?
I've thunk hard on it, and I keep returning to the one inevitable answer: my husband. No one else in this world has made me look inside myself and really try to be better for someone else and not just for my own sake.
9) Would you rather go into space or to Antarctica?
Space! Although I'd always accept a trip anywhere, almost anytime - pandemics excluded.
10) Would you rather sleep with no pillow or no blankets?
I'd rather live without the pillow. I don't care how hot I am, I need to have certain portions of me covered with a blanket - and I can always use part of it for a pillow!
11) What's your favorite rain memory?
Oh, whenever it rained in the summers in Virginia Beach, when Sophia was two, three, four, five years old... we would go out and jump in the puddles! That little bitty was so excited and happy when she was jumping up and down in those puddles. She was just the the picture of pure joy.
12) If you were elected president, what is the first thing you would do?
First thing I would do is declare a moratorium on fossil fuels. No more coal mines, fracking, oil drilling, none of that. Our reliance on fossil fuels has long overstayed its welcome, and it's killing all of us. That shit's got to end.
13) If you had $3 to spend in the dollar store, what would you buy?
If I have an occasion like a birthday, the supplies there can't be beat for a buck! Ribbons, tissue paper, gift bag? Done!
14) What’s the most annoying sound in the world?
I can't stand to hear other people chewing and smacking their lips while they're eating. I have to tell my son to stop doing it constantly. Drives me crazy!
15) What natural disaster scares you the most?
Fire. We had a fire in the house I grew up in, and I still have scars on my legs from that. I've lived through that, tropical storms and hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes, a supertyphoon... but nothing scares me like fire. I don't want to die that way.
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On that pleasant thought...! I've got some work to do for this nonprofit project I'm working on, and then make a list for some shopping. Maybe I'll even get some knitting accomplished. Not necessarily in that order.
Cheers to all of you and let's hope no one's in any natural disasters today!
Fin.
Hello, my friends! I hope this Labor Day weekend finds you well and planning some kind of fun and enjoyment. The girls and I plan to go look at someof the houses we have saved on our list, among other things. Can't wait!
As of now, we're in a hotel in Ocean City, Maryland, so tonight we visited the singular house in OC that we had saved to our list.
Y'all. It is a mansion surrounded by other mansions. It is beautiful.
Could we afford it? Yes, definitely. Could we fit in there? That's a whole 'nother ball of wax.
Plus, my oldest kiddo, Chloë, is turning 19 on Monday, so I'm sure we'll have special fun for that day as well.
As for the present, let's dive into S9, shall we? Link up here to play along this weekend!
~*~*~*~*~
Welcome back, ladies and gents! What a week. What a week!
Forget about what's going on in this crazy country. Some women (myself included) may have had an online countdown to their baby's due date. Or to their wedding date (not guilty; eloped). And so on. I'm sure I'm not the only one counting down the seconds until election day. Amirite?!
Personally, even more upheaval than I talked about last week. Last time, I said we were going to sell the "perfect house" in the country and get back to the city (aka Boise). Now, we're going to sell the house in the country, the eldest child is going to stay here and carry on with her live, the rest of us are going to move back to the East Coast, and we're going to buy another house. It's crazy town.
Meanwhile, with all of my myriad health problems going on for the last several years, my doc has run a bunch of blood tests and determined, among other swell bits of news, that the mononucleosis I had back as a freshman in college has been reactivated. Which explains why I need a nap every day just to recover from the nap I just had. And then maybe another nap.
Everyone's in a tizzy about moving and packing and house-selling and house-buying, and my sleepy-@$$ is of absolutely no use to anyone. I'm doing what I do best: I'm making a whole lot of lists.
So, let's get on with things. You didn't really come here to listen to my life. Link up here to play along!
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Saturday 9: Moonlighting (1985)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Moonlighting was an award-winning comedy-drama that ran from 1985 to 1989. Are you familiar with the show? Were you a fan?
I watched from time to time. I would have been 9-13 years old then. It wasn't a huge priority, but if it was on and nothing else was, I might've watched. I'm not a huge fan of Cybill Shepherd.
2) The series revolved around The Blue Moon Detective Agency in Los Angeles. There have been countless TV shows and movies about detectives and their cases, yet Crazy Sam doesn't know anyone who has ever hired a private investigator. How about you? Have you ever had anything or anyone investigated?
^^^ That would be me. I haven't hired a PI, but I have called the police to file a report a few times. I can quickly think of at least three. Fortunately for me in these situations, I'm white, so I didn't get murdered.
3) The agency was named Blue Moon because one of the owners, Maddie Hayes, was a model known as The Blue Moon Girl, famous for promoting Blue Moon Shampoo. If we were to rename their detective agency based on the shampoo you most recently used, what would it be called?
Well, I guess it would be the Soapbox Detective Agency. I love my Soapbox shampoos and conditioners, which I get from Grove Collaborative. (If you use that link, you'll get a free gift set.) Soapbox is great for so many reasons, from being environmentally-responsible to being philanthropic: for every product purchased, they donate a bar of soap to someone in need, either state-side or internationally. Aside from all that, it works great on my thin, baby-fine hair!
4) Cybill Shepherd played Maddie Hayes. Cybill believes we can all find romance many times and said she considers the concept of one true love as "dramatic treacle." Do you agree?
I do agree with her. I think any given person can have many different soulmates throughout their life. I never subscribed to the idea that a person only found ONE "the one" in their life, and that was it.
5) David Addison was played by Bruce Willis. At the beginning of his career he couldn't support himself as a actor and held down part-time jobs as a security guard, shuttle bus driver and bartender. How many different occupations have you had?
Dude. I think I've had just about every part-time job there is. When I got my first full-time job, as a legal secretary, I finally felt all grown up! Of course, my status has been "stay-home mom/homemaker" for the better part of the last 20 years, so it's almost time to shake it up again there, too.
6) The Moonlighting theme was co-written and performed by Al Jarreau. While in college, Al planned on being a career counselor. Yet once he began performing with a jazz trio, he knew that music was where his heart was. Tell us about a time you found joy from an unexpected source.
Oh, I find simple pleasures all around, all the time. I have to, maybe, as a self-preservation mechanism or else I'd go insane! ...Lately, I've been making these bookmarks to include in cards I'm sending as part of a program of support for LGBT youth. A lot of the others involved in this program have raved about how beautiful they are and have asked for one/some. I never expected that and got a nice dose of warm fuzzies out of it.
7) Moonlighting was created by Glenn Gordon Caron. ABC gave him the opportunity based on his work on Remington Steele and Taxi. Of these three shows -- Moonlighting, Remington Steele and Taxi -- which would you prefer to binge watch?
Need I say more? I mean, Pierce Brosnan. SEXY!
8) In 1985, the year Moonlighting premiered, Coca Cola introduced The New Coke. It was not successful and disappeared from store shelves quickly. What's the most recent beverage you drank?
I'm still loving and sucking down my Cirkul water! (That link will get you $5 off your purchase.) They have a ton of tasty flavors, many different lines/formulations, and just something for everyone! I'm so happy Cirkul has helped me kick WAY back on my Diet Coke habit.
9) Random question -- Each day, do you put more time into improving your mind or your appearance?
Ha! When you're as sick as I've gotten, your appearance is generally an afterthought. I rarely have the energy to care about that. I do, however, experience brain fog and memory deficits, so I'm always working on improving that. I rely so heavily on this brain; can't have it crapping out on me!
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Well, I hope you all have the day ahead that you're hoping to have. When things go according to plan - or better than we imagined - that's just the best feeling, isn't it? I wish that for you today.
Fin.
Welcome back! Look who's being a team player and coming back two whole days in a row? You're welcome, you're welcome. Shucks.
1 If you could spend a day in someone else’s shoes who would it be and why?
Hmm. Maybe Jennifer Aniston? I don't know. I mean, look at her - rockin' body, gorgeous otherwise, rich and famous, influential, talented... what's not to love? (But she doesn't have a two decade-long marriage and a passel of amazing kids, so in the end I'd rather be me!)
2 Which celebrity gets on your nerves the most, and why?
Easily these two. Do I really need to explain that?
3 If you were going to bury a time capsule, what would you put in it?
Today's newspaper, a letter to my future self, artifacts that represent me and that represent our Idaho town, and pictures of all of us including our pets.
4 What is your saddest memory?
It's a tie between being a bereaved child when my mama died, and a bereaved mum when my son died.
5 Would you rather be in your pajamas or a suit all day?
You didn't say what kind of suit!
6 What’s the strangest place you’ve ever gone potty?
On those reefs somewhere, around the Dry Tortugas, I was doing a reef study when I suddenly got hit with a violently upset stomach. I was snorkling at the time. Ugh.
7 How old were you went you had your first kiss?
Five. Back of the school bus. His name was Matthew Buffalo.
8 Do you have any strange or unique phobias?
Mustard. It's so scary.
9 If you could bring back one toy from your childhood, what would it be?
I loved my Pound Puppies!!
10 If you could be any Disney villain, which would you be?
I'd be Ursula from Little Mermaid. At least she got to live in the sea!
11 If your life was a novel, what would the title be?#
Actually, it is a work in progress - I have the first chapter done! But I'm not yet ready to divulge the name.
12 What do you need more of in your life?
Adventure!
13 What are your top 3 quotes?
I'm a big fan of Abe Lincoln.
4 What do you want people to remember about you?
I'm an empath. I care and care and care some more.
15 What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made?
I gave away far too much of my power for far too many years. Now I am learning that it's okay for me to take it back.
~*~*~*~*~
♥ Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there! I've gotta spend some time lovin' on the one who made me a mom! ♥
Fin.
Hey, guys. I'm writing this on Friday, which is Juneteenth, so I'm mostly focused on some online events with the Movement for Black Lives. I decided to take a time out for fun to get my energy levels a little calmer for a spell.
This Saturday 9 (link up here) is about a song by Wayne Newton. When I first became aware of him, it was already the 80s and 90s. I'm not going to lie, his look has always been scary to me. I think it's that pompadour and excessive (bad) plastic surgery!
Let's do this.
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Hello, friends. I trust you're all alive and well, but in this insane year that is 2020, that is certainly nothing to be taken for granted. So tonight, I'd like to take the opportunity to express how much I appreciate each of you, from Crazy Sam who writes the question, to all of you who join in answering them.
Today, on the fourth anniversary of the Pulse massacre in Orlando, 45's administration announced they are further rolling back protections for trans and other LGBTQ+ individuals. They have just announced a change in the date of their Tulsa rally from Juneteenth - chosen during the current Black Lives Matter protests, of all things! - to the next day. At least they are listening to their own constituents of color?! But please vote, vote, vote them out.
On to the quizzionnaire; link up here to play along:
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Saturday 9: The Rain, The Park, and Other Things (1967)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) The Cowsills were a family band who had three hit singles. Can you name another group of popular singing siblings?
I don't know why, but I first thought of the Neville Brothers: Aaron, Art, Charles, Cyril, & Ivan. And I know it wasn't performed as a group act, but the first thing I thought of was Aaron Neville singing, "Don't Know Much" with Linda Ronstadt. Always a classic.
2) This was their first hit, and it reached #2 on the Billboard charts. It was kept out of the #1 slot by the Monkees and "Daydream Believer." What's your favorite Monkees song?
It would probably be either Daydream or the Monkees Theme Song; I remember watching a lot of that on, I think, Mtv in the 80s!
3) After seeing the Cowsill brothers perform with their mother and sister, TV producers were inspired to create the sitcom, The Partridge Family. Did you ever watch it?
Uhh, not intentionally, ever. I think that's one of those things that it was on while I was in the room plenty of times, but I never sat down and put it on or kept it on intentionally. One or more of my sisters certainly did, though, and I was bottom of the pecking order so I never had a say.
4) In the song, the narrator takes a flower from a girl in the park. Are there flowers in your home right now?
There's not. We rarely have fresh flowers in the house. I did tell my husband I'd rather have live plants growing outside than cut ones displayed inside way back when we got married, but there's another element here. We have so many animal companions in the house, and each species may encounter some danger depending on which plants and flowers we have in the house. The risk of a bad combo along with the time and care we already devote to taking proper care of the animals means that we don't often have the opportunity for plants. I hope to change that soon, and I've been doing my research. In the meantime, this faux tulip bouquet I found in the Etsy shop ACdecorshop, would be really at home here.
5) He isn't sure if the girl was real, or if he dreamed her. Tell us about a recent dream you had.
The PTSD medicine I take, prazosin, keeps me from perceiving my dreams at all - good and bad. So I'll throw a shout-out to former astronaut-cum-oceanographer Kathy Sullivan. She's gone to space and has now recently gone to Challenger Deep, the deepest part of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean (near Guam!). And then these two surfaced and called the ISS! Many exciting firsts for her; that is the real dream.
6) At the height of the Cowsills' popularity, they were hired by the American Dairy Association to promote drinking milk. If we were to peek into your refrigerator right now, would we find any milk?
Yes. My teenagers haven't bought into the the whole vegan/vegetarian movement despite my aggressive parenting in that direction, so I usually buy them half a dozen gallons of cow's milk at a time. I usually have a few different kinds of vegan milk - as above - for myself, but what I have been able to eat lately myself is really limited. And that ain't it.
7) After the band stopped performing together, John Cowsill went on to become a back up musician for the Beach Boys. His job has kept him on the road much of the time. When you travel, do you enjoy staying in hotels, or would you rather stay with friends/family?
We've done both many times. I prefer to stay in a hotel, especially since we're usually traveling with kids and sometimes even the dogs. It saves money to stay with friends and family, sure, but when you're tired and want to retreat for a while, you're still there! Sometimes I just need a break from being "on."
8) In 1967, the year this song was popular, Elvis married Priscilla in Las Vegas. Have you attended any weddings yet this year? Are there any weddings in your future?
No weddings. I feel pretty bad for anyone having a wedding or any big milestone event in 2020. Everything is just wrecked. You can only do so much on Zoom.
9) Random question: Are the bottoms of your feet ticklish?
That's the most ticklish spot on my very ticklish body. Shh! Don't tell the kids. And please don't ever henna-tattoo my soles. I can't even tolerate a pedi!
~*~*~*~*~
Thanks for stopping by, y'all.
Now I've got to stop watching "Next in Fashion" on Netflix and help my son choose some new glasses online. This should be fun...
Be kind to each other.
Fin.#
Hey there, y'all. Me again. I hope you're doing well on this June Saturday evening.
I am troubled, but I am doing as well as can be expected.
You see, I am an extreme empath. I want to be an ally for everyone who is marginalized. And of course, this is the month generally allocated for Pride celebrations, and I have two LGBTQ+ daughters. And of course, we are seeing nationwide international protests and demonstrations to bring more light to the causes of white privilege and institutionalized racism. For my entire adult life and then some, I have been an ally for the Black Lives Matter movement even before it was named such a thing. I don't want to be "just" an ally anymore. Nor an accomplice. I want to be a co-conspirator.
And so that means, you might ask, why I am I doing this meme, right now, in this time, with this frame of mind? It is because, as I said, I am an extreme empath. I generally feel all the human emotions more strongly than not just the average human, but even more than the average empath. Sometimes all at once! And so I can tend to get overwhelmed and need a mental break.
This is that break.
If you are not already locked in to some part of this current movement, I ask that you find out how you can become involved. Learning about privilege and prejudice is important (if you are white, generally), and here is a good TEDx Talk to get started. But it's only a start. And I cannot promise there is an endpoint.
But for now, link up here to join in on Sunday Stealing, and I promise I will try not to make my post so heavy.
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Would you rather work in a group or work alone?
I would, by far, rather work alone. I care far too much about the grade to trust anyone else to do any parts of the assignment. I don't know what's worse: having them have to make some contribution and therefore, I can count on my grade to go down because of shoddy work, or doing all the work myself and getting an excellent grade that I then have to share with someone who did nothing.
Would you rather be stuck on an island alone or with someone who talks incessantly?
I am the person who talks incessantly. (You can ask literally anyone who knows me.) If those are the only two choices, I'd rather be alone. Both would drive me crazy, but I think constantly being interrupted would edge out the other one!
Would you rather be too hot or too cold?
I really can't answer that. Neither is good for me. Ever since my gastric bypass surgery in 2009, my internal thermostat is broken (common), and I cannot regulate it myself. If I get too hot, because I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, I can quickly overheat and will pass out. If I get too cold, because I have Lyme arthritis and other joint issues, it becomes more painful to exist. But I don't know what that "perfect" temperature might be, and regardless, there are four other people in my house who will certainly be uncomfortable if I find it!
When you’re old, would you rather die before or after your spouse?
Seeing that "simultaneously" is not a choice, I'd rather go first. That man aggravates the absolute crap out of me, but I don't want to live a moment without him. And we want to turn into trees when we become old, with trunks intertwined and forever together.
Would you rather have a cook or a maid?
I'd rather have a maid. I like to cook.
Would you rather be the youngest or the oldest sibling?
I've never been anything but the youngest child, so I'm not sure. I think in any other family, it would have been great. In my case, it meant I was held captive the longest and received the most brutal treatment.
Would you rather get rich through hard work or through winning the lottery?
That's kind of a loaded question for me, because I have no real desire to be rich. On the other hand, I love a lot of things which, unfortunately, I need money to do and obtain. If I were get rich, I would prefer it to be through my own blood, sweat, and tears, and not through some way I did not really earn. And I would love to then become philanthropic. But money itself, and the accumulation of a lot of it, has never been an interest for me.
Would you rather have a 10-hour dinner with a headstrong politician from an opposing party, or attend a 10-hour concert for a music group you detest?
I could not handle ten hours of dinner, an occasion I try to keep pleasurable and peaceful, with such a politician. Of course, I imagine Trump. Nope, no thanks. Not even if you paid me with all of his proclaimed wealth. But I think that there is always something I could find that I enjoy with most any music. I do not like heavy metal. I do not like death metal. But in October 2019, when I was driving my mostly-sleeping family home from camping at Craters of the Moon National Park, I accidentally found myself listening to the newish song "Unsainted" by Slipknot. I definitely despise their music, for the most part, but I made myself listen to it and found that this song, these lyrics, really struck a deep chord within me. So there's that.
Would you rather be an Olympic gold medalist or a Nobel Peace Prize winner?
If I was born with any athleticism whatsoever, my answer might be different, but I wasn't, so it's not: Nobel Peace Prize, please!
Would you rather have a desk job or an outdoor job?
Oh, I'd easily pick an outdoor job, 100 times out of 100. That's one of the reasons I eventually left my PhD program: I realized I'd be behind a desk working on papers, grants, etc. far more than I'd actually be out in the field. I'd rather be in the field.
Would you rather live at the top of a tall NYC apartment building or at the top of a mountain?
Can I please have a penthouse in Manhattan?
Would you rather have Rambo or The Terminator on your side?
Neither. I'd rather have Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor from Terminator.
Would you rather be proposed to in private or in front of family and friends?
Either way is fine, as long as I still end up with my guy! ♥
Would you rather have to sew all your clothes or grow your own food?
I've tried both and wasn't instantly great at either, so I kind of gave up. I think I'd be more motivated to grow my own food, though, and I'd love to start with a stunning vertical garden.
Would you rather hear the good news or the bad news first?
I'd rather get the bad news first, so I can quit fretting and worrying and get on with the good news.
Would you rather be your own boss or work for someone else?
It would depend entirely upon what I'm doing. In either case.
Would you rather have nosy neighbors or noisy neighbors?
At this point, I'd rather have nosy neighbors. Our little dogs bark at anything that moves outside, and that gets to be too much, y'know?
Would you rather be on a survival reality show or dating game show?
Oh, the latter, I guess. I'd never survive the first one, although I'd prefer it in theory!
Would you rather be too busy or be bored?
I'm never bored. I don't know how to be bored, and I prefer it that way.
Would you rather watch the big game at home or live at the stadium?
Live is so much more fun!
Would you rather spend the day with your favorite athlete or you favorite movie star?
I don't have a favorite athlete, so...
Would you rather live where it is constantly winter or where it is constantly summer?
I've done both and definitely prefer the "always summer" plan. Can I please go back to Miami now?!
Would you rather travel the US and see the sights in a motor home or by plane?
If this can be our RV, then I'm all-in!
Would you rather be a little late or way too early?
I despise being late. I'd rather be early every single time, please!
Would you rather have an unlimited gift certificate to a restaurant or a clothing store?
I think I'd take the one for clothes. A restaurant typically has a limited menu, and I have a very limited, specific diet. On the other hand, fashion is constantly changing, and I could never get bored. (I'd prefer it be to a thrift store, though, so I'm not supporting the environmentally-irresponsible textiles and fashion industry so much.)
Would you rather date someone you met online or go on a blind date?
Well, I've done both, and the I'm in my 20th year of marriage to the last guy I met online... so I'd say it worked out!
~*~*~*~*~
Thanks for the diversion, Bev & gang! I'm going to try to swing back around later and visit y'all.
But for right now, I've got to prepare for the week ahead. Stay safe, stay well, stay abreast of current events and try to give a damn. Love y'all.
Fin.#
Heyyy, there. I don't know about you, but here in the US, we've been watching and/or participating in the many protests around the nation, precipitated by the murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd. It's been frustrating to me to once again be physically unable to join in person, where I feel I need to be. I don't want to be just a keyboard warrior. But as that is where I am able to be right now, so I must act.
I'll be compiling a list of links to read, to donate to, to act on, in the coming days. Whether you read it or not, please don't ignore this very important fight.
Let's get busy.
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Saturday 9: When Love Goes Wrong (Nothing Goes Right) 1953
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This is from the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Have you seen it?
In fact, I have not.
2) The lyrics tell us that, when love goes wrong, "a match won't light." When did you most recently light a match?
Oh, recently enough, I'm sure, as our son and younger daughter both recently had birthdays. Matches suck, though, so I ended up buying this Zippo flex lighter for their cakes. Ah, much better.
3) The duet is performed at a French sidewalk cafe, where Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe are (literally) sharing a cup of coffee. With whom did you most recently have coffee?
I don't really drink much coffee, much less with someone. When we lived in Miami, though, we discovered the girls and I shared a fondness for Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccinos, so now it's like, I'll go get a grande or vente one for me to "share" with them, and then often just hand it over with even taking a sip for myself. This holds true even though they like the way I have it made - with coconut or almond milk and other such subs.
4) The tune was written by prolific composer Hoagy Carmichael. He was influenced by his mother, who earned extra money for the family playing piano during silent movies. Who in your life influenced your career choices?
I can't say that anyone I've personally known influenced me to go into biology as a career. But I fell in love with the work of Gregor Mendel and Charles Darwin as I learned about them, and more than anyone, I'd say the two of them provided that influence.
5) Jane and Marilyn shared something beyond movie stardom. They were both married to Hall of Famers. Marilyn Monroe was married to Joe DiMaggio, who was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1955. Jane was married to quarterback Bob Waterfield, inducted into the football Hall of Fame in 1965. Which sport would you rather watch: baseball or football?
It depends on who is playing, to be completely honest.
6) Jane and Bob Waterfield were high school sweethearts at Van Nuys High. The Southern California school was used as a set for the 1982 movie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Tell us something about your high school.
Well, speaking to current events, I went to a very upper-class school in an excellent school district, and I graduated very near the top of my class. But it was not a diverse district, and I think I graduated with probably fewer than five minority students. I didn't even know that there were so many Black people in nearby Syracuse, New York, until I met someone from there. I was astounded. So I was very sheltered, very naïve. I think that has changed considerably.
7) Marilyn and Joe DiMaggio met on a blind date at a Hollywood restaurant called Villa Nova. Have you ever arranged a blind date? If so, did the couple hit it off and end up dating?
I don't remember setting up anyone else on a blind date, ever, even though I myself have been on several (and married one of those). Speaking of blind dates, I just finished binge-watching Netflix's Love is Blind when I needed a mental escape from the pain and heartbreak our chaotic nation is experiencing right now. What a continuous roller coaster!
8) In 1953, when Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was released, a tornado did severe damage to Waco, TX. Tell us about a major weather event that you endured (tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, etc.).
Oh geez. I've been through several hurricanes, the Blizzard of '92 in Central New York, earthquakes, and so on - but the one natural disaster that really stands out to me is Supertyphoon Pongson'a, which hit Guam (where we were living) on December 8th, 2002. I was pregnant with the twins and also had a 15-month-old daughter. The supertyphoon, which was the worst on record at the time, didn't stop with just the storm. This really high-lighted what a third world island this US territory was and still is.
Not only was there no electricity, but the ports were all on fire and so gas was also extremely limited. We once stayed in a line of cars for 4+ hours (husband, pregnant wife, and tiny toddler) to try and fill up our car. We couldn't cook. We had no refrigeration. We had no ability to do laundry. We had to take ice-cold showers and baths. We were fortunate enough to be able to afford a generator eventually, but many were not. Electricity was not restored for months unless you were lucky enough to live on base. It was really a rough time, though we were some of the lucky ones.
9) Random question: You see a filthy puddle. Floating on top are cigarette butts, a leaf, and a $1 bill. Would you bend over and rescue the dollar?
Of course. I wouldn't waste a penny! And I'd probably through away those butts, too. Eww.
~*~*~*~*~
Arrighty, I'm watching Queer Eye Season 5 while I write my Paper Hugs, and so I must get back to it.
Fin.
Hello, hello! Happy Saturday. I cannot believe that the next time we meet, it will be June. This novel coronavirus situation has at once seemed to make time slow to a crawl, and simultaneously it has flown by. It is the same as being a parent.
I do not know this song at all, so I am looking forward to giving it a listen after I watch the NASA/Space-X launch today. Fingers are tightly crossed 🤞 that that goes well!
Link up here if you're joining us today!
~*~*~*~*~
Saturday 9: Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (1971)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) The lyrics tell us Paul believes it's going to rain. How's the weather where you are today?
It's actually quite lovely! The city pool is/was supposed to open today, which would have been nice, but I don't think Idaho is in that level of re-opening just yet.
2) Paul sings that he is sorry because he hasn't "done a bloody thing all day." What do you hope to accomplish this weekend?
Well, it's a payday/bill-paying weekend, so I've got to get that done. We're also finally starting to work on decorating this giant new house of ours, starting with our bedroom, so I'm interesting in doing more work and planning on that. I've bought the bedding (this "Ava" set from Fiesta), so that's my inspiration. And I am on the Paper Hugs team for the Mama Dragons, sending love and support to the "baby dragon" LGBTQ kids out there, and I'd like to put a lot of envelopes in the mail today! Aside from that, walking the dogs and maybe cooking something - anything - for my first time in this house is a goal.
3) He also references butter pie, which is made primarily with potatoes (with onions and, of course, butter). That dish is not popular on this side of the Atlantic. Last time you had potatoes, how were they prepared (baked, mashed, hash browned, french fried ...)?
I probably grabbed someone else's french fry from somewhere. I haven't been eating a lot of potatoes lately, but now I want to make these!
4) Linda McCartney is credited as co-writer and performer on this recording. Paul and Linda were partners in real life, too; married 29 years, they raised four children together. They often said they tried never to spend more than a few hours apart. Do you enjoy a lot of togetherness, or do you value your personal time? Has your experience with Covid-19 and quarantine changed how you feel about this?
I think we're a lot like Linda and Paul. We're a pretty tight family. Sometimes I think there must be this perception that we don't fight or our kids don't act up, which certainly isn't true, of course. But above all, there is love and togetherness and support. Now that Rob is retired and both of us are disabled, we spend a lot more time together than I thought we would at this stage - but that's not a problem! Ultimately, I think we're most comfortable being our authentic selves in front of each other, and I am thankful for that.
5) Paul and Linda came from very different backgrounds. His family was lower middle class, lived in Liverpool's public housing and received government aid. She grew up in affluent Scarsdale, the daughter of a wealthy theatrical attorney. Do you think it's more important for a couple to share a common background, or to share common interests?
From personal experience, I'd say you need to have some of both. Of course each should have their own interests and hobbies and will come from different backstories, but if you don't have any similar ground that brings you together,... then what will keep you together?
6) Paul is known for his work ethic. At age 78, he's still making music and performing live. What's your favorite Paul McCartney song?
Oh gosh, ask me to today and I'll tell you one thing; ask me tomorrow, and I'll tell you another! Five years ago, Paul wrote "FourFiveSeconds" with Kanye West, which they then performed with Rihanna. I really loved that collab.
7) In 1971, when this song was a hit, Bobby Fischer was the world's most famous and highest-rated chess player. Do you play chess?
You know, I have never learned. I've never been taught, I've never sat down in front of a chess board to teach myself, I don't know how. It is on my bucket list, though, so maybe I oughtta just get myself together and do it!
8) England's Princess Anne turned 21 in 1971. The occasion was commemorated by a formal portrait, taken by celebrated fashion photographer Norman Parkinson. Who took the most recent photo of you?
I guess I did! My girls and I were fooling around, playing with Facebook's new "Rooms" feature, and we were all making different silly faces with its filters. This one tickled me, so I snagged a screenshot. Hee!
9) Random question: Do you find it more satisfying to work with your hands, or your head?
I like both. I loved Big Bang Theory, of course, as so many of us did, and I could see myself in that environment. I often wondered whether I'd be happier being the theoretical physicist or the practical one. I like being the idea "guy," but I also like being the one to execute them. Maybe I'm a start-to-finish person, y'know? Here's a sweater I knitted for my all-grown-up-now son way back in the day. Lyme arthritis has waylaid my knitting hobby, but I've now ordered yarn and buttons and am determined to get back to work!
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Happy weekend to you all. May you be safe and healthy.
Fin.
Hey, guys. Welcome back! I hope you're all still healthy and semi-sane, at least. What more could you hope for?
I'm currently engrossed in the Netflix documentary "I Am A Killer," which has had me transfixed for several nights in a row, now. Have y'all seen it?
Link up here if you want to play along this week!
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Saturday 9: Battle Hymn of the Republic (1963)
Unfamiliar with Judy Garland's rendition of this week's tune? Hear it here.
Memorial Day is the federal holiday designated to honor American service people who died in battle.
1) On May 30, 1868, President Grant presided over the Memorial Day observance at Arlington National Cemetery. Have you ever visited Arlington Cemetery?
Yes. We went in November of 2004, when I was pregnant with our youngest child. It was a moving experience through and through.
2) On Memorial Day, it is customary to fly the flag at half-staff until noon and then raise it to the top of the staff until sunset. Will you be flying the flag at your home this weekend?
Probably. My husband was in the Honor Guard in the Navy, and that is totally his domain. I defer to him.
3) Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day, because flowers and ribbons were left on graves of soldiers. Do you find solace in visiting cemeteries?
I don't, really. I feel deeply about death, and seeing and reading about all the names and dates of the folks buried there whom I haven't even met, alone, sometimes breaks me. This picture, here, is of George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey. My mother and grandparents are buried there. I started visiting my mother there in 1984, when I was seven years old. It was definitely not a moment of solace.
4) The lyrics to this week's song were written by Julia Ward Howe in 1861. Her inspiration was a White House visit with Abraham Lincoln. In 2020, under normal circumstances, public tours of the White House are available but you must request your ticket in advance from your Member of Congress (House or Senate). When you travel, do you plan your trip weeks before you go? Or do you decide how your days will unfold once you reach your destination?
I'm definitely a whole lotta both!
5) Judy Garland performed this week's song before a live audience as a tribute to President Kennedy, who had been assassinated just weeks before. She knew Kennedy personally and considered this a farewell to a friend. While the performance was difficult for her -- at one point she flubs the lyrics -- she believed it was important, and could perhaps help the country heal. Tell us about a song that reminds you of someone you loved who is no longer with us.
This Josh Groban album came out in 2002 or so, before we moved to Guam or maybe while we were there, and I'm a big fan. So I played it a lot while I drove Chloë and me around the island to various errands and appointments, as my belly grew bigger and bigger with the twins. I continued playing it in Virginia when we had to move back. And then I had - and lost - one of the twins, and I was hospitalized along with them for a while. When I got out, I wanted to play it, but I couldn't. I was in grief therapy, which helped a great deal. But man... when I finally played this song again, I realized just how much I could cry during one song.
6) John F. Kennedy served in WWII and was awarded a Navy and Marine Corps medal and a Purple Heart. His brother Joe also served and was awarded the Navy Cross, but he received his citation posthumously, having died during a flying mission over East Suffolk, England. Here at Saturday 9, we consider everyone who serves a hero and want to hear about the veterans and active military members in your life.
My grandfather served in the Navy in WWII. Pictured here are my father-in-law and my husband in September 1976 - around when I was being born, incidentally. Rob's dad was a submariner in the Navy, and of course Rob did a full career in the Navy.
7) Memorial Day is considered the beginning of the summer season. Will you be enjoying warm weather this weekend?
I mean, it'll be okay... But not my idea of warm!
8) Berries are especially popular in summer. Which is your favorite: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries?
Oh, I'm like our youngest kiddo, Sophia, in that I'm a sucker for a strawberry! (I'll forgive you for not recognizing my hand from June 2014.)
9) If you could attend a Memorial Day picnic with any fictional character, which would you choose?
Oh, I'd love to sit down with Anne Shirley (of Green Gables). And I've wanted to visit Prince Edward Island my entire life!
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Well, I'mma head back into another episode of "I Am a Killer" on Netflix again. It draws me in! And email. Back in with the forever emails...
Ta-ta.
Fin.
Hey, everyone. Bit of a somber mood here in the Odette household, as my father-in-law passed away yesterday. I wasn't going to join in at all this weekend, but then I decided my mind could use a short respite.
I hope you'll all kink link(!) up here if you're joining us this weekend.
And now:
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Always Remember Us This Way (2018)
Unfamiliar with this week's song. Hear it here.
1) In this song, Lady Gaga sings about the Arizona sky and California gold. Have you visited many of our western states?
Yes, well. We live in Idaho now, so there's that. I've been in and out of Utah, California, Oregon, and Washington several times. This is Chloë hailing a cab in downtown Hollywood, in the middle of an acting convention we were out there for her. I have been to Vegas. But I have not yet been to Arizona or New Mexico.
2) She sings that she's overwhelmed and can't find the words to express herself. Do you find it easier to share your feelings verbally or in writing?
Oh, definitely in writing. I am very like the Oxford professor William Archibald Spooner, constantly, absent-mindedly, and unintentionally mixing up the consonant sounds in a phrase or sentence to make rubbish. This is also like Shel Silverstein and other comic writers, although theirs were intentional.
3) Her real name is Stefani Germanotta. She took her stage name from the Queen song, Radio Gaga. Do you have a favorite Queen song?
Oh, I love Queen and enjoy, I think, their entire catalog, so it's very hard to pick! I do remember one of my BFFs, Shana and I were in her family's canoe on the Seneca River, and we were just kind of drifting along and using the oars to do the three-beat riff of "We Will Rock You." That's always been a fun memory. Probably not for the fish.
4) Her dad is Joe Germanotta, president of GuestWifi, a company that enables hotels and restaurants to offer high-speed wifi to their customers. Do you consider yourself tech savvy?
I read something recently that said those of us in Generation X (that's me!) were probably the best-prepared to handle tech issues, as a general rule. That's because older generations often don't want any of it and refused to be bothered with it - now, mind you I'm saying some, not all, and just reporting on what I read. And the younger generations never had a time in their lives when there wasn't an internet, and everything has been easier and easier for them as time went along. Think "smartphones." But my generation, we grew up largely without computers and the internet, and so in order to function online, we had to rely on ourselves a lot - and yes, sometimes those maddening IT phone calls - to figure things out. I would say for myself and those I know personally, this is pretty accurate.
5) Early in her career, Lady Gaga performed songs for a children's audio book called The Portal in the Park. Tell us about the last book you finished -- did you listen to an audiobook, or read a download to an electronic device or a bound book with pages?
I've been listening, here and there, to the audiobook of Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult, but honestly it's slow-going for me. I never, never could stand to be read to in my entire life, and so over and over, I've tried and failed to get into the trendy audiobook thing. I think I'm just going to abort and read the bound book instead. I can't handle it.
[Speaking of books, I read Wally Lamb's book I Know This Much is True somewhere between doing my bachelor's and my doctoral degree. It's a humongous book, with over a thousand pages, but I dove in and loved every minute of it. I just saw in Us Weekly that there was to be a miniseries based on the book on HBO on Sunday - this past Sunday. It's last week's issue of Us. Aw, mannnn! I hope it's being replayed, so I can watch it. It would be a must-see for me.]
6) She prefers dogs to cats and tea to coffee. Do you agree with her?
Largely I do, I think yes. I mean, I'm an extreme animal lover, married to another animal lover, and we've raised a houseful of more animal lovers. I honestly do love them all - with ticks and mosquitoes possibly loved the least. And I do prefer tea to coffee, though I rarely drink either. Of animals, I'm a dog person first, but I'm hard-pressed to turn down any animal. The zoo we've had over the years... it's ridiculous.
7) Back in 2015, she appeared at the Academy Awards, performing a medley to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music. The movie's star, Julie Andrews, graciously came onstage to thank Gaga for her showstopping performance. Whom did you most recently thank?
I think maybe it was this girl, Sophia, now 15. She brought me my medicine earlier.
8) In 2018, when this song was first released, retailer Toys R Us closed all its stores and went out of business. What's the last toy you purchased?
I bought two packs of these cat-nip filled mice "Skitter Critters" from SmartyKat, for our four cats. They were on sale for less than half-price, and felines everywhere give them rave reviews. That counts, right?
9) Random question: How has social media made your life better?
Well, in multiple ways, I've benefitted from social. I was a young newlywed of 24 when I really started getting going on message boards. I started out on the one for now-defunct Jane magazine, formerly called Sassy when I was reading it in high school. Those were not my community, so I left after being told how to make my own hummus. Then I joined the Twins e-List when I was pregnant with our twins, after our older daughter was born. When we were living on Guam, I asked the TwinsList a million and one questions during my pregnancy. Once we moved to Virginia Beach, I kept them posted here and there. My last post was to say good-bye to the list after they were born and one twin passed away; staying and hearing all about what their twins were doing was far too painful. I stayed friends with one of the moms, though, and met her and her kids in Norfolk, Virginia. We're friends on Facebook to this day. I joined the message board for Parents magazine a year after the twins were born and stayed through trying to conceive our younger daughter, that pregnancy, and maybe half of her first year. Eventually I joined MySpace when it was new, before skipping over to Facebook. I'm all over now; such a social media whore darling.
So one thing I gained from all of that was the power to be more discerning about who my "real friends" were. Through the ups and downs of our roller coaster life, people have come and people have gone. The ones that have gone, sometimes that hurt. Sometimes. But I did become, I think, more resilient because of that and figuring out how to "act" online. It's hard for me, both online and in real life, since I have absolutely NO filter. And people don't always want or need to hear my every thought!
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Thanks Sam/Gal. I appreciated this week's questions immensely, and like I thought, they provided a stellar diversion.
♥ RIP, Allen B. Odette ♥
Fin.
Hello there, ladies and gents! I hope you are all staying healthy and sane in these strange and dangerous days. If not, you're welcome to share with me so I can send up some prayers and/or send good juju your way!
Link up here to join the rest of us in some fun with Christopher Cross this weekend. I haven't heard this song in forever.
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Saturday 9: All Right (1983)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
Well, I was looking forward to the Boise Greek Festival at the end of May, but I see it's been postponed to some as-yet-unknown future time. So I'll turn my attention toward the opening of our small town's city pool that same weekend and hope that date keeps! I'm looking forward to denying my numerous health issues the opportunity to keep me homebound this summer - and the rest of my life, really - and just making the most of every day!
6) In 1983, when "All Right" was popular, Flashdance was a hit in movie theaters and on the radio. What's the most recent movie you watched? Most recent song you heard on the radio?
I really haven't watched any movies in a while, as my 15yo, Sophia, has me catching up on Stranger Things with her. But, someone just told me I need to watch Circus of Books soon, and so I shall.
I'm listening to the I ♥ Radio app on my phone right now, and "Love Lies" by Khalid & Normani is playing right now. Big fan of Khalid!
7) Also in 1983, America West Airlines took off, flying between Las Vegas and Phoenix. They went nationwide in 2005 after they merged with US Airways. In 2013, they merged again, this time with American Airlines. Do you collect miles in an airline loyalty program?
Yeah, a few. We mostly fly Delta - maybe because I have a couple of friends with connections? - but I really don't even fly every year anymore, so it's a little pointless.
Back in the early-mid 2000s, a different friend's husband worked or Delta. Their cat had kittens, and she was looking for takers when the time came. They lived in Georgia, and we were in Virginia Beach. She ended up flying our new kitten, who we named Tinkerbell, to us on a Delta flight! I mean, that's one way to adopt a new furry family member, right?
(And she was a great cat.)
8) Super Mario Bros. debuted in 1983. Can you name gaming's most famous siblings?
Sure, who doesn't know Mario & Luigi? I loved playing Nintendo back in the early 90s, but I never could rescue that %&*( princess!
9) Random question -- Under hypnosis, you discover you lived three past lives. In the first, you were wealthy beyond your wildest imaginings, thanks to a loveless marriage. In the second, you were a star on the roller derby circuit who had earned the nickname "Smasher." In the third, you were a brilliant mathematician who worked your way through school as an exotic dancer. Which of these would you find most shocking?
First of all, Sam, yes that was random! Ha! I think I'd most be shocked by the first one. I could see myself being Smasher in the roller derby. I can see myself as a sexy, nerdy stripper. But trapped in a loveless marriage just for money? Not now, not then, not ever. Not me!
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That's it, y'all.
Note: I started this early on Saturday, but I had to lie down in the middle of doing it and didn't wake up until Sunday morning. Oops! I wanted to finish, though, even though probably no one will see it.
Hopefully I'll actually get to SS this week, yeah?
Y'all be good.
Fin.