Tuesday 4

(Link in meme-roll)

Wayfaring

1. Where have you traveled and what is the furthest you've been from home?

To riff off the old ad, "I been everywhere, man" but not really. Several countries in Europe, Russia, Mongolia, China, Mexico, Canada about sums it up. Oh, and several islands in the Caribbean. The furthest for sure was Beijing, exactly 12 hours opposite my parents' time zone. I remember writing them a letter knowing that they were at that moment likely fast asleep at home at mid-afternoon for me. Weird.

2. Is there a location other than where you are, that you think would be a nice place to live?

Honestly, while I love several people in this area, I'd rather live someplace else both because of world events but also because of the temperature extremes here. I don't want to deal with snow or humidity. So the western US or someplace similar.

3. Do you have a photo or story from a favorite place to visit?

Today I booked a camp rental on Moosehead Lake (Maine) for next June. Sparky and I are headed there--about half a mile from the very spot where Beast spent many summer vacations as a child--to (shh!!) spread some of  his ashes on the lake. I wanted to go this fall, but Sparky's life is a little too up-in-the-air right now (new job on the horizon, transition stuff making her a little emotionally scattered, etc.) so we pushed it to next spring. I too enjoyed the two-three visits at the original camps with Beast's family, so it will be quite bittersweet but undoubtedly lovely.

4. What dream destination do you have tucked away in  your heart? Do you think you'll be able to visit them one day or are plans in the making?

I've always wanted to visit the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, but I think that dream will have to remain a dream. That, and a wildlife safari, are both a little too adventurous to almost-62-year-old me.

Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)

Follow That Dream

1. My bestie and I once ...

giggled and rolled around my bed over a really dumb pun on my middle name for far too long. I don't think either of us reached "laugh till you pee" status, but oh my god we were in hysterics. All either of us has to say to each other to this day 45ish years later is that dumb pun.
Hi, Kermie! (or were you Bear?)

2. When I'm nervous ...

I bite my cuticles. Also when I'm bored. But thanks to the wonders of modern medicine I am rarely nervous. I do, however, have the occasional anxiety attacks, which are a whole other deal that involves my heart speeding up and a total inability to focus or sit still. 

3. My hair ...

is uncombed this morning. I have a big barrette holding it off my neck and face so I could wash my face. 

4. When I turn to the left, I see ...

(if I were standing) the dining room which is stacked with random effluvia that really needs to be sorted and disposed of. However, since I'm sitting, when I look left I mostly just see the end-table with pop, hemp gummies, an empty bento that had my breakfast in it, my pill box, etc. We won't mention the lower shelf...

5. My favorite aunt ...

 ... the only aunt I actually remember wasn't a barrel of laughs, though she did buy me a blue sno-cone once (which pissed off my parents). The only other aunt I kind of remember babysat me during my sister Ellen's wedding reception when I was 5 or 6. I barely remember her. My parents' Families of Origin were quite distant from my world, being as how both of them were late-in-life babies and so was I. My grandmas were pushing or well-over 80 when I appeared, so it was a full two generations between me and them.

6. I have a hard time understanding ...

anything involving finance. I just go completely blank in my head and retain nothing. I understand basics--paying bills, credit cards, interest accrual--but planning for my future feels like some kind of arcane magic.

7. You know I like you if ...

I offer to spend time with you outside of required meetings or whatever. "Spend time" in this case involves social media time or actual F2F meetups. 

8. When I was 5 years old ...

four major leaders in my county had been assassinated since my arrival on the planet; my sister had survived a disease that killed 97% of those who were diagnosed, my grandpa had died, and my dad had survived his first heart attack. Is it any wonder I was a little stressed as a kid? It wasn't exactly a calm, safe place in 1968 in the U.S. 

Saturday 9

(Link in meme-roll)

It All Depends On You (1959)

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

1) In this song, Shirley Bassey sings that she could be happy or sad. As you answer these questions, do lean more toward happy or sad?

I'm ok. I don't feel great today, but mood stabilizers are fully engaged, so no tears and no maniacal laughter or shouting.

2) She tells us that she can save money or spend it. Do you try to stick to a budget?

I pay the bills and buy what I need to get by. Everything else is gravy. I just don't like to spend money.

3) By the time Shirley Bassey recorded "It All Depends on You," it was already an oldie, written back in 1926. Can you think of a song, book, or movie that you enjoy today that you believe audiences will relate to 2125?

Bold of you to expect society not to implode in the next 100 years... 
I'd guess the religious books will continue on: Torah/Talmud, Christian scriptures, Qu'ran, Bhagavad Gita. They've made it this far after all.

4) Though she has risen to the title Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE), her childhood allowed her little education. She dropped out at 15 and got a factory job to help her family. How old were you when you got your first full-time job? What was it?

First permanent full-time job was when I was 24. I worked full-time during summers in college, and part-time pretty much starting at 16 till 24. That job was my first job as a librarian. It was 1988 and I was stoked to be earning a cool $20,000/year. 

5) A favorite of the Royal Family, Shirley performed at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Party at Buckingham Palace. How would you like to celebrate your next anniversary or birthday? Are you in the mood for a big blow out, or would you prefer something low key?

Low key. It's going to be a rough one this year. Possibly permanently going forward. No Beasty to celebrate joint Birthday Week for the first time in 40+ years.

6) Madame Tussaud's has two wax figurines of Shirley – one in London and a second in Las Vegas. Do you enjoy wax museums, or do you think they're creepy?

I think they are creepy, thought I've never visited one in person.

7) In 1959, when this song was popular, most women wore nylons on a daily basis and the average price per pair was $1. What socks or leg wear – if any – do you have on right now?

Naked feet! I can't stand stuff on my feet anymore; incipient neuropathy is weird.

8) Also in 1959, Alaska became our 49th state. Today, cruise lines showcase Alaska on 4- or 7-night cruises. What do you consider the perfect length for a vacation trip? Is a 3-day weekend too short? Are two weeks away from home too long? What's your ideal?

It fully depends on how far away I'm going and how much I'm spending on travel. If I'm going to the Big City nearby, a few days is plenty. If I'm going over an ocean, book me for a few weeks please. 

9) Random question: Which cable channel would you watch more often – one that shows nothing but classic sitcoms, or one that shows nothing but new movies? 

Of those two options, I'd rather watch (some) old sitcoms. Movies do not interest me much.

Friday 5

(Link in meme-roll)

Why deny the obvious?

1. What has you feelin’ groovy? 

Not much. It's raining. I bailed on work partway through the last two days (the floor is tilting, like vertigo) and I'm not enjoying much. 

2. Where do you often stop when you are homeward bound?

Most of the time I just want to be at home ASAP. Sometimes I stop at DQ--it's around the corner at work--but otherwise, I'm full-speed to the house.

3. When were you most recently awake far too late in the evening?

I was awakened Weds or Thurs in the wee hours (1:45) by 20 minutes of fireworks popping off--no bangs, just "pop pop pop" for awhile. I was wide awake before they finally stopped. I hate those people so much.

4. Where might you go to hear the sound of silence?

Space. It sounds lovely. [I spent the morning with about 25 children who were mostly fine but there were definitely chaotic moments.]

5. What proves you are still crazy after all these years?

The fact that I still keep going to work after 37 years (minus a couple I spent with Sparky when she was a baby). I'm tiiiiired.

Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)

Spill It!

This week is less a steal than a cheat. These are AI-generated responses to the request: "What should I ask to get a stranger to open up?"

1. If money wasn't an issue, would you move to a new home?

If money weren't an issue, I'd pay to move my house and (some of) its contents to another location.

2. Do you listen to different music when you're happy than when you're sad?

Oh, for sure. Driving to and from the nursing home in March after The Call, I instinctively turned Spotify to some Old Timey hymns and sang along to a few. Nothing else would have worked, and silence would not have been good. My usual fare of podcasts was right out of the running.

3. What's your favorite way to unwind after a tough day?

Jigsaws online, reading, CBD, and perhaps a hot bath.

4. What's the first book you remember from childhood?

There was this big (14" or so square-ish) book shaped like a barn that when you opened it had a half-dozen or so little books inside the "stable doors" behind which I could read about the animals in that pen, so a pig story, a horse story, etc. I loved that book so much.

5. What made you smile today?

My kid playing her stupid Stardew on Twitch. And also some memories while catching up on these memes, as well as some other people's answers to said memes.

Saturday 9

(Link in meme-roll)

Since U Been Gone (2005)

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

 

1) In this song, Kelly Clarkson is dissatisfied with her relationship and she's moving on. What's something you've moved on from lately? It could be anything from a romance to the laundry detergent you've been using for years.

I stopped being so concerned with tidying up the house before the cleaning crew arrives. Eventually, I'll have things sorted more completely, but right now there are boxes and stacks of Beast's things everywhere that I can't face.

2) She sings that she can now breathe. Studies have shown that July can be a good month for allergy sufferers because trees and grasses are no longer pollinating. How are your eyes, ears, nose and throat this morning?

I'm allergic to corn pollen so as soon as the spring BS settles down, the corn starts its thing and I'm miserable pretty much till the first hard freeze. I live in the world's largest corn field. 

3) Kelly complains that their romance reminds her of a "stupid love song." Let's be more positive: what love song do you associate with positive memories?

I heard Walking on Sunshine for the first time in eons this week and it reminded me of Beasty and I in college when we spent our summers writing writing writing letters to each other.

4) While Kelly's first love is music, she's established herself as a TV personality. In addition to her daytime talk show, she's been a judge on The Voice and hosted an awards show. Have you ever been on TV?

Yes, as a member of a marching band in the Tournament of Roses Parade in 1980.
And never again.
Which is more than fine with me.

5) She has confessed a weakness for Doritos. Would we find salty snacks in your kitchen right now?

I've got a partially-emptied bag of popcorn chips right next to me right now, and a barrel of pretzel rods nearby (thanks, Beast for getting me addicted to these!), and I think there's another bag of something in the snack drawer in the kitchen. I really need to clean that out... [the drawer, not the 'bag of something']

6) Kelly has found her weight the source of public debate. Are you like Kelly, whose weight fluctuates? Or does it stay stable?

I used to be the skinniest kid in the universe. Then I got pregnant at 29 and now weigh 60 lbs. more than just before Sparky was born. Oh well. 

7) In 2005, when this song was popular, a motorist made news in Texas when he was ticketed for driving over 200 mph in a 75 mph zone. Have you ever been pulled over by the police?

Of course I have, but nothing like this. There's a village nearby that used to be a notorious speed trap and they got me once for doing 50 in a 40 zone.
Within the last year a cop pulled me for not fully stopping at the stop sign by the train station on my way home. Warning.
Then there was the time just after Beast moved into Nursing Home from Hell that I got stopped because my license plate was expired. I was within the month and the cop told me to just go get it fixed after I told him where I had just been.
Oh, and back in my young-and-dumb days I was accosted outside my mom's workplace for blowing through a four-way stop by a daycare. The cop read me out, asked why I was parked where I was and when I told him I was picking up my mom he demanded her name, after which he shooed me away with a stern warning. Oh, did I mention my mom worked at the County Courthouse? And he was very familiar with her? He followed me into the building to check my story.
After Beast got popped for a DUI, I was stopped because the car's license was on the state's auto-reader alert. Once he realized I was not Beast, he let me carry on. I offered him an Arby's curly fry in thanks.

8) Also in 2005, Tom Cruise had a pop culture moment when he famously jumped on a sofa. Do you remember where he did this?

I did not see it live, but it was on Oprah. Probably a moment he wishes he could delete from his memory banks... He's a ridiculous man.

9) Random question: Tell us about a photo you wish you'd taken, but didn't.

I have a terrible photo of my dad with Sparky as a baby about a month before Dad passed away. It was the only time they were together and he was doing his patented "soda pop" trick to Sparky's glee. Unfortunately, the sun was behind him and so it's completely washed out. I wish I'd've taken more pics with the two of them, since Sparky is the first kid (5 kids, 9th grandchild) in his lineage to get the auburn hair he had as a young man. 

Well shit now I'm all weepy over my dad...30 years later.

Friday 5

(Link in meme-roll)

In the can

1. What was the most recent meat product you consumed from a can?

I can't even remember! Maybe vienna sausages but it was months ago.

2. What was the most recent vegetable product you consumed from a can?

It had to be some kind of beans. It's the only canned veg I buy. But I can't remember how long ago that was.

3. What was the most recent fruit product you consumed from a can?

OK, so what I'm learning here is that I don't buy much in cans... I did have some fruit out of a plastic cup recently, but nothing from a can.

4. What was the most recent beverage you consumed from a can?

Oops, well, I do drink plenty of diet Dr. Pepper from cans, including yesterday.

5. What are you approaching this week with a can-do attitude? 

Adulting. I have a ton of looming tasks that need addressing. I even put the laundry in immediately after getting dress this morning. This is my time-out while listening to Sparky play Stardew on Twitch. (<--20 years ago the end of that sentence would have been meaningless)

Chicken Butt

(Found here)

started 8:00 pm 5/9/25

3401. How well can you read between the lines when others are talking?

I do it without being aware of it. Early training on keeping track of the emotional temperature of the room. Then again, I can also be really bloody-stupid and clueless. It's quite weird.

3402. Would you ever speak in front of your peers about peace and social injustice?

Would I? Uhm, yes, and I have done so quite a few times in the past. Usually quite bluntly.

3403. Where does peace begin?

Oh, God, not this shit again. I'm not doing lyric/poetry interpretation tonight!

3404. Does America practice the ideals it preaches?

If yes when and where?

If not, why not?

These days, politically, emphatically NOT! It is heartening to see that personally most people are indeed doing daily kindnesses as usual.

3405. In conversations do you assume that you know what will be said?

If yes, isn't this a form of closing yourself off to new ideas?

I try really REALLY hard not to do this, sometimes even successfully. I love hearing new ideas!

3406. In what ways are you closed minded?/

I don't want to be open-minded about bigotry or meanness.

3407. Do you prefer beans or rice?

Depends on the variety of each of them. I don't like blaring-white rice (like Minute Rice), but I love brown and wild rice. I like refried beans, and pinto beans in general, and green beans are fine. I'll eat others, but they aren't my favorite food.

3408. Who's a better TV dad?--Dr. Huxtable (Bill Cosby) or Danny Tanner?

This certainly hasn't aged at all well. I never watched the second show, not even part of an episode, and I did love Bill Cosby back in the day. But man did he set fire to his reputation over the years.

3409. Detroit or New York?

Can I pick neither? Or Chicago? Or, honestly, almost any other city?

3410. What's your favourite Star Wars movie?

The original, released in 1977.

3411. What's your favourite Star Trek movie?

The one with Kirk and Picard both in it.

3412. How about Batman? I think I've only seen one, the one with Katie Holmes in it. It was ok.

Indiana Jones? Always and forever the first one.

Lord of the Rings? I've only see the first one, was told since I spent most of the last third of it with my face in Beast's shoulder I should DEFinitely NOT see the rest. I'm ok with that. 

Harry Potter? I didn't see the last two, I don't think. Or did I? I think my favorite is the one with the Whomping Willow in it, but they are all banned from my life now because the book author is a horrible, horrible person.

Star Wars? I ... didn't we do this already??

3413. If you could ask one question and one question only to the following people, what would that question be:

Saddam Hussein? Pass.

George W Bush? No interest in speaking to this man. None whatsoever. I would love to ask his wife WTF though.

John Lennon? I think I'd been too afraid of his sharp tongue to ask him anything. Can I just listen to him noodle around on the piano.

an alien? "When do we leave? Soon, I hope!"

God? Oh honey, I have a list of questions!!

Someone you knew who has died? I don't want to ask anything. I just want Beast to talk to me in words I can understand.

Steven Spielberg? No questions, just grateful thanks for all the stories.

JD Salinger? Pass. I don't generally engage in conversations with weird and cranky old men.

3414. Have you seen AI (artificial intelligence)? Nope

If yes, what were the beings at the end of the movie? Not a clue.

Do you see this as a possible future for humanity? Not even a guess.

What'd you think in general? I'm fully sick of hearing about AI of any kind whatsoever.

3415. If a-l-k-a-s-e-l-t-z-e-r spells 'relief' how do you spell:

love?

happiness?

evil?

sexiness?

yummy?

I'm not doing this, although I will say that my feelings about the r-e-p-u-b-l-i-c-a-n-s fit one of these options.

3416. Have you ever been to a Broadway show? Not on Broadway, only touring shows.

What one? Cats, Les Miz, The Lion King. I did see Evita on the West End in London, however, as well as Oliver!, both reboots.

3417. Nighttime shows or matinees? 
I'm in bed by 9 at the very latest these days, so matinees.

3418. How are your family get-togethers, loud and rambunctious or quiet and formal?

My family will never ever be known as quiet OR formal.

3419. Would you be able to survive shipwrecked alone on a desert island?

Nope. I'm assuming I will not be getting regular drops from Walgreen's with my Rx list?

3420. Speaking of islands, does Gilligan EVER get off his?

It seems not. 

3421. What movie has the BEST soundtrack?

Almost all of the soundtracks are better than the movie these days. I've enjoyed the Guardians of the Galaxy movies in part because of the music.

3422. Do you ever go into chat rooms?

If yes, what ones?

Not anymore. Do they even exist anymore??

3423. Is English your first language?

If not...How you say hello in your language:

another word in your language + english translation:

boob in your language:

Yo hablo inglés, pero puedo leer español un poquito.

(also, "boob"??)

3424. Make up a religion (make it up):

what would it believe:

I think the tendency to create exclusive clubs of this sort has been one of the downfalls of humanity. This view might be reflecting a recent book I read on heresies in the early Christian church and some of the things the soon-to-be-Catholic Church did to take over....

3425. Create your own country-

Name of country:

Ethnic background:

Language (make it up):

Other details:

Again, the creation of countries hasn't been a boundless success for humankind.

stopped 8:28 pm 5/9/25

restarted 7:38 pm 5/29/25

3426. How would you celebrate these holidays?

Dogs in Politics day: I would vote for all the good puppos!

Magic circles day: I would do what the famous (in our family) gal in downtown Milwaukee did and circle everyone's face as I passed them.

Be bald and free day: I would not shave my head. 

National mole day: I would check all visible moles for skin cancer.

Sylvia Plath day: I would not stick my head into any ovens.

Increase your psychic powers day: This seems like a good day to take a long nap.

Waiting for the barbarians day: Oh, you mean, like, EVERY day??

Air day: I would breathe deeply.

3427. Why do you think Steve got kicked off Blue's Clues:
I'm pretty sure he had other things going on and was tired of "being Steve on Blue's Clues."

3428. Hooked on heroin or hooked on phonics?

Actually, can I choose neither? I'm not a fan of heroin or phonics.

3429. Have you ever taken an insanity quiz and said, "Hay, that's a good idea!"

....nooooo...???

3430. - Have you ever covered yourself in blood and laid down on the side of the road to make it look like you were in an accident?

You don't know what you're missing.

Absolutely not. I listen to too many true crime podcasts for this to be even distantly amusing.

3431. Can you flare your nostrils?

Sure. I can't wiggle my nose, though.

3432. Do you want to swim in a vast lake of Gatorade? or, any other beverage for that matter?

It seems like it would be really sticky and gross. I'll stick to splashing around in water.

3433. Have you ever sneezed at the same time everyday, consecutively, for over 3 months?

I'd kill myself if this happened, once I noticed it! OK, no, I wouldn't but it would drive my OCD tendencies nuts.

3434. How did the first person discover that pigs feet would be so good that we call them a delicacy?

It's called "waste nothing edible"--or indeed usable in any way--and it's how most of humanity has lived for most of our time on earth.

3435. Why did the first person to ever eat pigs feet eat them?

See above.

3436. Do you like the idea of 'like father, like son'?

It's not a matter of liking. People who live together for extended periods of time tend to start behaving in similar ways, exponentially more in a parent/child relationship.

3437. Put the following musical acts in order from best to worst by numbering them..(1 for best, 2 for 2nd best, etc... 20 for worst).

Avril:

Ashanti:

Joan Jett:

David Bowie:

the Bee Gees:

The Doors:

Tool:

DMX:

Iggy Pop:

Creed:

Weezer:

Ministry:

Thursday:

Kittie:

Adam Ant:

Rancid:

the Clash:

Led Zeppelin:

Moby:

Tom Waites:

I will pass on this, but just say that Led Zeppelin, Creed, and Rancid can just be vaporized, and several others I have no name recognition whatsoever for.

3438. Would you rather be an evil dictator or a sitcom family member?

I'm really pretty happy being myself, which means neither of the above options appeals at all.

3439. What is the wave of the future?

Probably tidal.

3440. What's your favorite old movie (before 1990)?

And, just like that, I'm officially old. 

3441. When someone tells you that their significant other lives Really Far Away...do you ever suspect that they are single and making someone up?

This is not something people in my demographic spend a lot of time thinking about.

3442. Alaska or Hawaii?

Either, as long as someone else is paying the bills.

3443. Why did Kentucky Fried Chicken change their name to KFC?

It was an idea directly from the geniuses in Marketing at the company.

3444. What is there no place to hide from?

Yourself.

3445. Which makes you happier, giving presents or getting them?

Giving, these days. When I get gifts that are not consumable, I immediately start thinking where I'm going to keep them. I have so much junk!

3446. What can you never have just one of?

Anything small; I'm two-at-a-time eater.

3447. What comes to mind when you think of Hulk Hogan?/

His idiot wife.

3448. What would you be the patron saint of?

Sloth. Which would make me a demon, not an angel. Oh well.

3449. Do you still look at the world with wonder like you did when you were a kid?

I have days when this is possible for me to achieve. There are plenty of other days where I'm far too jaded and cynical to be childlike.

3450. For 5 seconds clear your mind. Good. Now write the first thing that you can think of!:

It is not possible for me to clear my mind for any length of time. Hence, insomnia, among other things.

3451. When was the last time you ate too much?

I ate far too much over the weekend while my brother was in town.

3452. Describe the sexiest person you can imagine:

Nope. Well, they'd be smiling, but otherwise, nope.

3453. What have you seen that's...bizarre?

Honey, I'm 61. I've seen more bizarre things than "normal" things.

3454. Are there any stores or brands or products that you boycott?

What and why?

I don't really boycott anything with intent. I try to avoid being a horrible consumer, but ultimately I'm terribly lazy.

3455. Do you want things to REALLY get out of control?

No, I emphatically do NOT want any more loss of control, tyvm!!

fell asleep at some point before 9 on 5/29

restarted 6:57 on 7/6

3456. Are you too tense?

Not so much anymore. My muscles can't keep up with that.

3457. Where would you be without love and bubblegum?

Dead.

3458. Why aren't comic books popular anymore?

They are called graphic novels and they are VERY POPULAR.

3459. Think of one friend (who?): I'll randomly choose Cindy.

When is the last time you saw each other? I saw her walking her dogs a few weeks ago on my way to work.

Do they smoke? I doubt it.

Do they believe in God?  Yes.

When you first saw this friend what was your impression?  She was quite pregnant with her 3rd (of 4) children, and was very friendly.

Their age? I haven't a clue, but based on her kids' ages, she has to be around 50.

The top five things you think they think about? Her kids, her husband's business (technically it's hers too), what to make for dinner, how to help whoever she's worrying about, and weeds.

3460. Do you say what you mean? Not as often as I'd like. 

Do you mean what you say? I try to only say what I truly mean.

3461. Could you eat meat if you had to hunt it yourself? Presumably I'd be that hungry if I'm killing animals.

3462. Order from greatest to least importance: spirituality, creativity, intellect, great body, open-mindedness, magical-ness, great dancer, interesting dresser, wit and cleverness, niceness, stability

Well, interesting dresser, great dancer, and great body are all at the bottom. Wit and cleverness, niceness (which I'm translating into kindness) and open-mindedness are at the top.

3463. Complete the sentence.

When a problem comes along you must: whip it!

3464. Pick the two most important attributes for food-- fast, cheap, tasty, healthy 
For me, tasty and quick. I should be adding healthy to the mix.

3465. What do you think is the best metaphor for romantic relationships? (e.g. a car wreck, a cruise): It is fully dependent on the specific relationship. I prefer a nice, calm ride in a convertible at night with the stars above and wind blowing everything around.

3466. Kittens or no kittens, that is the question.  Much as I like kittens, I fear that being around them will mess me up for days, so ... no kittens. <sob>

3467. Is gaining 15 lbs. in a night possible? Not for me. Or anyone I know in my friend network.

3468. Do you get emotional watching movies? Yes. I mean, isn't that what they're for??

3469. What makes you feel nostalgic? Specific smells, pictures, some songs, autumn.

3470. Do you feel like you've been misplaced? ...no? I hadn't ever considered it quite that way. For a long LONG time I hated living in this part of the country, but after doing so for 40+ years, it's where I belong.

3471. Have you ever fought someone, just for fun?  For fun? Physically? No to both.

3472. What gives you an adrenaline rush?  Losing my balance, which happens far too often these days. Also, fury at witnessing incompetence and/or meanness.

3473. What would you do if you loved someone more than anything else, and you could never have them? I would hate it, but if it were better for them for me not to be in their life, I'd make do.

3474. Rank these events in order of best/most exciting to boring:

drinking and dancing to your favorite music at a club: NIGHTMARE!

taking a walk in the woods and a bath in a stream: I draw the line at bathing in creekwater, but I'll wade and cool off my feet. This sounds nice.

having great sex: That time in my life has passed.

winning the lottery (one mil): OK, I'd be all right with that, but since I never buy tickets it's unlikely to happen.

getting followed home by a stray animal: A nice one? Lovely. A feral one? Not great. Either way, if it hung around I'd probably call animal control since (again) I'm allergic to anything with fur.

meeting someone interesting to talk to: I love when this happens!

seeing your favorite band in concert: This is another thing that I'm fully done with.

seeing a Broadway show: I'd like to do this, but it involves going to NYC and that's not something I'm crazy about contemplating.

Halloween: I have hidden upstairs away from the front door the last few years. I love the kids, but I just can't manage the dichotomy between that and the fact that I clearly live very much alone and worry about advertising that.

3475. Can you keep a secret? Sometimes. I'm better than I used to be about this.

3476. Where is the tenderness? Usually in the middle of a well-prepared good steak.

3477. What's one song you REALLY like from the:

30's? "In the Mood"

40's? "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"

50's? "All I Have to Do is Dream"

60's? "In the Year 2525"

70's? "Bohemian Rhapsody"

80's? "Everytime You Go Away"

90's? "Wannabe"

00's? "Beautiful Day"

10's? "Raise Your Glass"
20's? (I literally do not know most of the songs listed, and the one I do recognize I don't like)

(pulled from the Google lists for each decade followed by "hit songs")

3478. Would you rather have a video phone, an electric scooter, or a digital camera? These days, electric scooters are the way to go. Also, I have the other two.

3479. If a ban on all violent video games was put into effect, would you be outraged by this decision? It wouldn't directly affect me in any way, but it's also not the answer that people think it is.

3480. In your opinion, is violence in society inescapable? Yup.

Why or why not? People are people, and injustice breeds retaliation.

3481. Have you ever mimicked a violent “action” from a video game you’ve played towards another person, whether it was to harm or just for play? Well, since my video games are usually Sim games or Civ or things like that ... no.

3482. Do you believe the violent content in video games influences aggressive and/or violent behavior in younger children? No, but it's also not something they need to have going into their brains for hours and hours every day.

3483. What makes life a bitter sweet symphony? I believe The Verve would like a word...

3484. Name four things that are AWESOME: 
1. The view from the top of a mountain

2. Seeing a baby's birth

3. Laughing to the point of peeing

4. Waking up fully rested

3485. What's the most creative/funny answer you can come up with for this question: What are you doing? I'm merging into the recliner, putting off the inevitable tramp upstairs to make my bed and go to sleep.

3486. Can you imagine this world going on without you? Yup. Y'all will be fine.

3487. Are you the only person who really exists? Sadly--at least for most people--no.

3488. Is everyone else a figment of your imagination? I can't even with this BS.

3489. Or are YOU a figment of my imagination? Honey, you don't even know I exist, but we both do despite that.

3490. Can you prove you exist? Nope. Nor am I inclined to travel any further down this philosophical rabbit hole.

How?

3491. What do you HAVE to get off your chest? I'm pretty cool right now. Not feeling any strong urgency in any particular area.

3492. If you cheated on someone would you confess to them?  Moot point now, no?

3493. Is it true that at least 5 people in this world love you so much they would die for you?

Who? I don't think this is true anymore. I will say, though, that there are less than five that I would die for.

3494. Are you in therapy? Yes. And so should everyone be!

3495. Do you go shopping on Black Friday?  No, and not only because I work on Black Friday.

3496. What is the bane of your existence? My klutziness.

3497. Better movie: Weird Science or Caddy Shack? I hate with a burning, smoking, stenchy hate Chevy Chase. I haven't seen Weird Science. My husband loved Caddyshack, but I only watch the Bill Murray parts and try to ignore all the horrible non-PC parts.

3498. Who's the big winner? Whoever it is, they've been successful at keeping it very quiet.

3499. What are the 3 funniest: I can't do this right now, especially videos...

music videos?

Movies?

songs?

3500. Guess what?  Chicken butt!

finished 7:54 p.m.

Sunday Stealing (x4)

(Link in meme-roll)

Complete the Thought (June 15)

1. I wish someone would ...

... empty my house the way I want it emptied without me.

2. When I order Chinese food ...

... I pretty much always get crab rangoon.

3. I know it's not everyone's favorite activity, but I actually enjoy ...

... napping.

5. A major pet peeve of mine is ...

... mispronunciation of common words.

6. I remember when my grandfather ...

(I do not remember either of them: one died 20+ years before I was born, the other I vaguely remember before he died when I was three; I don't remember anything about that)

7. I am not fazed at all by ...

... children trying to con me. Mostly I'm a very soft touch.

8. Long car rides ... 

... put me to sleep. I can't read or do anything but stare out the window, so they're just boring af.

9. I don't understand the fuss over ...

... most of any drama going on in Hollywood/Instagram.

10. When I'm home alone ...

... I'm generally very happy.

Saturday 9 (x3)

(Link in meme-roll)

June 19

I Fall in Love Too Easily (1945) 

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

1) In this song, Dinah Shore admits that her impetuous romances don't work out. Do you consider yourself impulsive?

I'm very impulsive. I plan and plan and it goes out the window as soon as my feet touch the ground. Used to drive Beasty nuts.

2) The songwriting team of Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne composed this in a single evening. Since the song is rather short Sammy considered adding another verse, but Jule thought better of it, saying, "No. That's it." Are you more like Sammy and keep revising, tinkering and tweaking? Or, like Jule, do you find it easy to leave well enough alone?

I like finishing projects, because I'm very bad at maintaining my focus to actually do so regularly. I just lose interest. I tend to get lost in the details and drift off into chaos.

3) The song was introduced in Anchors Aweigh, a movie about two sailors who find love during a two-day leave in New York. Have you ever enjoyed a romance while on holiday?

If I bring my husband, then yes. Otherwise, no. This is not why I'm on holiday. 

4) Though Frank Sinatra sang the song in the movie, Dinah's version was also popular. Her record sales in the 1940s were boosted by concerts, radio appearances and performances for the troops. What singer who is no longer with us do you wish you could have seen in concert?

I would have like to have seen why people got so freakin' WIRED at "The Rite of Spring" the first time Shostakovich performed it.

5) Dinah was shy with new people, but discovered as a high school cheerleader that she was good in front of a crowd. Give us one of your high school cheers.

"Ice cold beer!
Makes you wanna cheer!
Ice cold Duck!
Makes you wanna ...

Lean to the left, lean to the right, stand up, sit down, fight fight fight!"

6) She loved golf and was so good at it, she became the first woman admitted as a member to the prestigious Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles. What's your best sport? 

At this point I am an EXCELLENT spectator of (American) football.

7) Dinah found her greatest success in television. She was so popular for so long that she was able to afford a luxury home, built to her specifications, in Palm Springs. Leonardo DiCaprio now owns it. Do you know who lived in your home before you moved in?

My house was a farm field before it we moved into it. 

8) In 1945, when this song was popular, Abbott and Costello appeared in the movie The Naughty Nineties, which featured their famous "Who's On First" routine. Do you know it?

Never fails to crack me up, even though I can recite most of the beginning with them. 

9) Random question – Fill in the blank: After all these years, I still ____________.

...don't know what to do with myself most of the time.

Friday 5 (x3)

(Link in meme-roll)

What color is your parachute? (June 20)

1. Which job on a film crew would you most like to do, and which would you be best suited for?

None of the jobs sounds like anything much I'd like to do, but the closest are in the post-production areas or something like negative cutter or compositor.     

2. Which job on a hotel staff would you most like to do, and which would you be best suited for? 

I wouldn't mind working the front desk, but I would absolutely not do well with asshole guests. Everything else sounds like hell on earth.

3. Which job in a hospital would you most like to do, and which would you be best suited for?

  Probably pharmacist or some sort of tech.

4. Which job on a cruise ship would you most like to do, and which would you be best suited for? 

I don't see a single thing. Maybe purser. I would NOT want to deal with members of the public on one of these and I don't have any interest in programming.

5. Which job on a fashion magazine would you most like to do, and which would you be best suited for?

Sub-editor. Otherwise, I'd be drunk and angry all the time. Most of these jobs sound simply awful.

Saturday 9

(Link in meme-roll)

I Will See You in C-U-B-A (2010)

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

This song was chosen in honor of Father's Day.

 

1) In this week's song, Lucie Arnaz encourages us to hop a ship and join her in Cuba. Is your passport up to date?

Weirdly, we were talking about this at work on Thursday. I think my passport is due to expire in 2027. Or maybe next year. I should probably check. One of the many things I should do.

2) She sings that Cuba is a great place to enjoy wine and Panatelas. Do you like the smell of a good cigar?

I actually do. A GOOD cigar, outside, or the smell on a winter coat is very homey. A bad cigar is grounds for murder. 

3) Lucie said her Latin Roots CD represents "the rhythms of my soul" and is a tribute to her father, Desi Arnaz. Cuban-born Desi starred on Broadway and in nightclubs but was best known for co-starring in and producing the 1950s sitcom, I Love Lucy. When you think of I Love Lucy, what's the first thing that comes to mind?

Lucy's crying -- 'waaaah waaah' -- which is an interesting commentary on what we used to think was funny.

4) While Lucie's parents – Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball – are famous for their TV work, Tony-nominated Lucie has found her greatest success on the stage. She inherited their love of performing, saying, “My parents were always happiest when they were working.” What have you inherited from one or both your parents? (It could be anything from your work ethic to your eye color.)

My dad's side of the family has Very Strong Genes: three of the five kids look just like him physically. Since all three of those kids are/were girls, that's not necessarily great. My brother looks like Mom's side, more and more as he ages. 
To be slightly deeper, we were all instilled with a desire to be the best at whatever we did, which is good...until it becomes neurotic.

5) Though "Ricky Riccardo" often mangled English on I Love Lucy, Desi's English was very good. Lucille Ball admired his facility with languages and encouraged him to speak Spanish to their children so that they would be bilingual. When you were growing up, did your family speak any language other than English?  

Some would argue we barely spoke English! My parents were all about speaking properly (I remember being scolded for saying "liberry" when I was quite young), but their pronunciation was decidedly questionable ("warsh", "piz-za" (z's, no 'ts' sound -- sounds like the city in Italy). 

6) Desi Arnaz often performed "I Will See You in C-U-B-A." Is there a song that reminds you of your father?

There are two: "Mairzy Doats" and "The Hokey-Pokey." I teased my dad whenever he complained about my "loud noise" (i.e. music) by singing "Mairzy Doats" all the way through. He also had a whole routine he did around "Bill Grogan's Goat." 
He's currently furious (I can hear him yelling from heaven!) that I'm not naming any hymns, so I'll throw in "How Great Thou Art" and "Joy to the World." 

7) After Lucie's parents divorced, Lucille Ball remarried and Lucie got a stepfather, Gary Morton. Lucie appreciated how positive Gary always was about Desi. Decades later, when she married a man who already had children, Lucie said she better understood what a tough role stepparent can be. Did you have a stepparent? Are you a stepparent? 

I have no step-parents, nor am I one. I am, however, quite proud of being "Mom #2" for a multitude of kids I knew when I was teaching Sunday School, running Youth Group, babysitting, working with. I love all 'my' kids. As I get a little older, I find it interesting how many of these kids (now adults) have come to me to vent about their 'actual' parents, or at least for advice on how to deal with them. 

8) As a single dad, Desi lived south of Los Angeles in Del Mar. Lucie and her brother, Desi Jr., spent school vacations there, going to the race track, bowling, and fishing with their dad. Share a happy memory from one of your school vacations (Christmas, Spring Break, or Summer).

It's been a long time since my childhood, and while it was not a perfectly, endlessly wonderful one, distance (and comparison) has made it look damn good. I loved jumping rope and playing jacks and creating little neighborhoods for my brother's toy cars to park in; vacations were endless and stressful and occasionally even fun.

9) Father's Day began in Washington state. In the early 1900s, Spokane resident Sonora Smart Dodd listened to her minister deliver a sermon celebrating Mother's Day and devoted herself to similarly honoring fathers. A century later, more money is still spent annually on Mother's Day. Why do you suppose that nationally we still make more of a fuss over Mother's Day than Father's Day?

School is in session for Mother's Day, not so for Father's Day. Also, so many of my peers in school had divorced parents making it harder to get buy-in from both parents to support each other that I think dads have gotten short shrift. I'm not a Man's Rights person, but I do think the patriarchy has a lot to answer for in this area, in the 'erasing' of fathers as important and the glorification (but no support for) mothers.

Friday 5

(Link in meme-roll)

Intense intents in tents

1. When have you recently been the ringmaster?

I feel like I'm often juggling at least 10 plates and 3 rings at work. The life of a middle manager....

2. When have you recently walked a highwire?

I'm currently kind of stranded in the middle of walking across a deep metaphorical (emotional) chasm on a very narrow path, trying not to freak out and remind myself that if I got to the middle I can get to the other side.

3. When have you recently been an acrobat?

I spent almost half my work hours this week in the children's department, which I don't hate at all, but I canNOT do my actual work in there during Summer Reading. So, I didn't get a lot of forward progress done in getting new books out to the shelves. It's past time to get the new children's librarian on board and we still have another week to go! 

4. When have you recently been a lion tamer?

I am a terrible lion tamer. If this were my job, the lions would bite off my head in 3 seconds and the act would be over. This is why I'm relegated to children rather than dealing with adults, i.e. potential lions.

5. When have you recently been the strongman or strongwoman?

Isn't this where I say this is my full-time life, and has been for the past 8-ish years? I'm tired. Can someone else please be in charge of everything for me for a few weeks?

All of this is to say that, unfortunately, this IS my circus and these ARE my monkeys. 

Sunday Stealing (x2)

(Link in meme-roll)

10 Questions with Nigel

1. What's your life's motto?

I don't know that I have a motto. The most frequent life advice I give is "Don't be a dick" but I don't know that that's a motto. Lately, it feels like I should be following the "Fight for your own stuff" but I hate that too.

2. Where were you living 13 years ago?

Right here. Different furniture, same house. Apparently, I had just finished entering all my reading history into GoodReads (at least the previous 20 years' worth), and have since added 2500 books. A  LOT of those are from childhood and generally before I started actively keeping track.

3. Is anyone jealous of you?

How in the world would I know? Right now, I very much doubt anyone wants to be in my shoes. I certainly don't.

4. Where were you when you heard about the 9/11 terror attacks?

Beast called me at church where I was doing some volunteer work, alone in the building, to tell me to go home and turn on the news. The first building fell while I was on the way--I had newsradio on--and I nearly got T-boned by someone else racing home. Then our new pastor and wife came over because they didn't have their TV (cable, blah blah) set up and we all gaped, and Pastor's Wife kept saying she needed to go to the grocery store to 'stock up.'

5. Do you consider yourself kind?

I try. Beast told me one time that he thought I was, and I treasure that comment.

6. Can you change your car's oil?

I mean, I probably could, but there's no way I'm starting this project at age 61 when Bob does it just fine and checks out all the other important things while he's in there.

7. What's the last thing you heard about your first love?

My actual IRL "first love" or my first crush? lol David Cassidy has been dead for 8 years, and my first boyfriend ... I haven't checked facebook recently. I'm friends with his brother though, so I presume I'd hear if something happened to 'boyfriend.'

8. Have you ever been burned by love?

Are we comparing scars? I won't win any contests, but I have been in therapy for a decade-and-a-half. 

9. What was the last thing you paid for with cash?

What is this 'cash' concept of which you speak?? 
Actually, I always pay the cleaning crew at the house in cash, so Thursday.

10. Do you hug your friends?

If they want me to. I always want to hug people, but one of my coworkers has become EXTREMELY germophobic and touch-phobic, so I try to keep my hands strictly to myself around her. Otherwise, I tend to tap people's shoulders or forearms for their attention if I don't want to verbally interrupt them. So yeah. I got two hugs in 5 minutes from people at work Friday.

Saturday 9 (x2)

(Link in meme-roll)

Hold On (1990)

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

 

1) This song gives encouragement to someone who is enduring heartache. Have you more recently given support, or received it?

There's been a lot of receiving of late. It's not a place I'm very comfortable living in. 

2) "Hold On" is featured prominently in the 2011 movie Bridesmaids. It's an anthem for the friends in the film and they love to sing it together. Is there a song that reminds you of good times with a good friend?

One that reminds me of college, and one specific college friend, is "Safety Dance." It's a terminally silly song, with great memories around concerts and campus radio sets, that makes me smile every damn time I hear it. 

3) The video for this song finds Wilson Phillips outdoors on a snowy mountainside and then on a sandy beach. What's the view outside your window?

Cloudy skies, green trees and the eave of the house next door is all I can see from my recliner. 

4) The mountain segments were filmed in California's San Gabriel Mountains. The girls were flown to the set by helicopter. Have you ever been in a helicopter?

I would LOVE to have a long helicopter ride around some scenic area just for the experience. The only person I know of close to me who's been in a helicopter is Beast and that was Flight for Life. This is NOT how I wish to travel!

5) The members of Wilson Phillips are authentic "California Girls." Wendy and Carnie Wilson's father is Brian Wilson, who wrote the Beach Boys hit[s]. Chynna Phillips is the daughter of John and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas, who sang "California Dreamin'." Have you been to California? If yes, where did you visit?

I've been to Cali several times, mostly to cities--San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles--but I loved the ocean in each of those areas. 

6) Another generation of the Wilson family has entered the music business. Carnie's daughter/Brian Wilson's granddaughter, Lola Bonfiglio, participated in the current season of American Idol. Has a family member followed you in your chosen profession?

Heh. I followed my sister into Library Science. My niece followed me into it. We all (have) had good long careers in a field that is wholly worthwhile and rewarding (when it isn't wholly frustrating and infuriating).

7) In 1990, when this song was popular, satellite radio was in its infancy and streaming was unheard of. Our cars gave us a choice of AM/FM and maybe CD player/tape deck. When you're driving and a favorite song comes on, are you more likely to sing along if you're alone? Or don't you care if anyone hears you?

I rarely listen to music in the car anymore. I have a ginormous backlog of podcast episodes I'm trying to get through. I do talk back to them regularly, and sometimes pause the whole thing to argue about something, but not when/where people can see me. If I do have music on I sing along rather mindlessly, whether or not others are around. I don't care if anyone else hears or sees me. I don't mind being the crazy old lady in town. 

8) Also in 1990, actor Alan Hale Jr. died. He was "the skipper" on Gilligan's Island. Without looking it up, can you name the other six castaways? (If not the actors, then their characters.)

Gilligan, the millionaire and his wife, the movie star, the professor and Mary Ann. I don't know all the actors' names, but man I loved that show as a kid. 

9) Random question: What superhero would you like to have as your best friend?

Deadpool seems fun, if rather dangerous, to hang out with. [I don't see most superhero movies, so that's all I can come up with...]

Too Shy (1983)

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

1) This song laments vulnerability and self-consciousness in a social settings. Are you often "too shy?" Or are social gatherings easy for you?

I am terminally shy, but adept at snapping on my Public Mask in a flash and smiling and schmoozing through a (short) party or meeting. Also, I'm unable to abide silence in social settings so I talk too much.  

2) In the lyrics, a girl self-censors, telling herself, "hush hush." Have you more recently shushed someone, or were you shushed?

As a librarian.... ha ha ha. I get shushed by patrons more than I shush them. Then again, most of my public service work is in the children's room, so it's pretty loud in there. I did get shushed yesterday at work by a little girl who wanted us to whisper about the snake puppet she said had bitten her, and which then bit me. 😀 

3) Band member Nick Beggs recalls that they called themselves Kajagoogoo because it sounded like something that would make a baby laugh. It is fun to say. Can you think of another word that you just enjoy saying?

"Shenanigans."  Also, "boooolllshiiiitttt." 

4) This was the only US hit for the British band, earning Kajagoogoo the title "One Hit Wonder." Can you think of another artist or band who had one really popular song and then just kind of disappeared?

Well, I seem to be calling out "Safety Dance" a lot this week, so I'll hit them up again.

5) Though fame was fleeting here, Kajagoogoo remained popular in England. Lead singer Limahl recalls the adulation as "overwhelming," and he was shocked when he stepped on stage in Cornwall to see row after row of fans wearing their hair like he did. Have you ever handed a photo to a stylist and said, "Make my hair look like this?"

I don't think I've done precisely this, but I did have a "Lady Di" haircut as a late teen, and I'm sure I've said other things to hairdressers over the years about hairstyles I thought would work with my hair. 

6) In 1983, when this song was popular, the Lotus 1-2-3 program made it easier for PC users to make spreadsheets. Are you answering these questions on a Mac or PC? Laptop, phone or tablet?

I'm on a Lenovo laptop. I've never used a Mac except when strictly necessary, and phones/tablets have too small of a keyboard for me to properly type.

7) 1983 saw Abbey Road Studios open their doors for the first time for public tours. During the first two months, 22,000 tickets were sold to fans who wanted to see where the Beatles made their magic. What's the last ticket you purchased?

I can honestly say that I haven't purchased tickets for ANYthing in years. Maybe parking in a hospital lot, but honestly even then I think it was just a pass-through not an actual ticket.  

8) Also in 1983, McDonald's introduced Chicken McNuggets. When was chicken most recently on the menu at your home? How was it prepared?

At home? I have a container of rotisserie chicken shreds I nosh on for dinner once in awhile. I had chicken strips from some fastfood place this week for lunch, maybe even McDonalds. I eat a lot of chicken. Or peanut butter. Those are my main protein sources. 

9) Random question: Have you ever forgotten where you left your car in a parking lot?

I forgot which lot I parked in AT WORK on Wednesday this week! This isn't an uncommon occurrence. I'm the flakiest person on staff, hands-down. 

Friday 5 (x2)

(Link in meme-roll)

Agitation

1. Whose performance of your nation’s anthem did you find especially stirring?

I prefer the ones where the tempo is moving along and there's no 'showing off.' Just sing the damn song and keep in mind the tune is a drinking song originally, so no funereal vibes.

2. When did you last fold something?

Probably at work yesterday, involving paper. I don't remember, but it's nearly certain. I know I folded up some paper on Friday to scribble on during our meeting.

3. When did you last toss something to someone?

I have no idea, but it's like to have been the last time Sparky was here. I generally toss her the remote upon arrival since I literally never use it.

4. How do you feel about beets?

Meh. I haven't eaten them in decades, at least not cooked, but I never really loved them as a kid. They offend my sensibilities with their pink drainage all around my plate.

5. What do you have mixed feelings about?

Other people's behavior. I've worked hard to be less knee-jerk judgy about choices other people make, but sometimes I just want to crack heads together.

Not your everyday

1. What’s going to be special about this weekend?

Not a helluva lot. I really REALLY hope I can get the stupid Phone Calls I Hate Having to Do accomplished tomorrow.

2. When did you last order the special when dining out?

Hmm. It's not unheard of, but I can't remember the last time. I don't eat at 'nice' places (that have specials) very often. I do usually get something I know the place does well, which makes it special to them, right?

3. What’s especially memorable about this past week?

Aside from the lack of patron zipper + underwear on Monday? And the bat, also on Monday at work? And it being the first week of Summer Reading Prizes? It was a pretty normal week.

4. When did you last consult with a specialist of some kind?

I saw my therapist on Wednesday. I basically only see specialists these days. Oh, I had a bone density exam this week. Woo-hoo!

5. What have you done recently to make someone else feel special?

I hope I do that to someone every day at work (coworkers or patrons). I saw one of Beasty's former caregivers on Friday for the first time since last year sometime and thanked her for all her help. She hadn't heard the news. I got a little weepy.

Saturday 9

(Link in meme-roll)

American Soldier (2003)

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

Memorial Day is a federal holiday that honors men and women who served and died in the United States Armed Forces. We want to make sure that message is not lost this weekend.

1) Are you a veteran? Are there veterans in your family? Do you know anyone who is active military? We are grateful and want to hear about it.

My dad served in WWII stateside. FIL was in the Army during the Korean War (or is it still a "conflict"?) but he was in Germany for the duration. Neither saw combat, for which I remain very grateful. My former lawn-mowing neighbor kid is in the Marines. Otherwise, I don't seem to run the same gang with a lot of soldier/sailor/flyer folks. 

Oh! My sister WORKED on an army base in Germany as the daycare supervisor for several years in the 90s. Not in the army, just at the army. 

2) In this song, Toby Keith reminds us soldiers "work straight through holidays," even this one, and we are grateful for that, too. Have you ever had to work on a federal holiday? If yes, did it make you sad to be on the job when everyone else was celebrating?

I have traditionally worked on a lot of federal holidays. The 'only' official days off we are closed are Christmas, New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Labor Day, July 4 and Thanksgiving. All others the library is open for business, although we do occasionally close early on Xmas Eve or NY Eve.

It's not hard or sad to be at work when everyone else is partying anymore. I'm used to it after 35 years and we always adjusted to having whatever party it was on a day when I don't work, or Beast and Sparky went without me, which is  fine with me.

3) The video for this song was filmed at Edwards Air Force Base. This site was chosen to make it easier for off-duty soldiers, reservists and their families to appear. Have you ever visited a military base?

See above re sister working in Germany. That's it. We aren't big Armed Forces folks. My dad was not thrilled about life in the Army, and my brother was 'of age' during Vietnam so he did whatever he could to not be drafted.

4) Toby Keith never served in the military but often performed for the USO. While the USO is best known for providing entertainment to our troops, they also have a "Canine Comfort Crew." Local USO centers make dogs available to troops who long to see a wagging tail. Are you a dog lover?

I love dogs. Almost all my immediate neighbors have dogs, big 'uns, and I know them better than the people living in the houses. I've owned a couple of dogs over the years (one at a time) and would have loved to have more, but it turned out that I'm allergic. And now I'm just too lazy to have a dog; I'd be in better shape if I had to entertain and walk a furball.

5) Memorial Day kicks off the summer season. What's your favorite picnic food? 

Today, I would pretty much murder someone for my mom's potato salad. None better! But I'm also up for whatever you're serving at a picnic.

6) Let's welcome summer with ice cream. What's your favorite flavor? Cone or cup?

I do not like chocolate ice cream. Vanilla with some chocolate syrup or sprinkles is fine, but I really prefer peppermint. Or birthday cake. OK, well, honestly, I'd eat any gelato you put in front of me because GELATO! In a cup. Always.

7) This marks the weekend when Americans step up their outdoor activity and do things they may not have been able to do during the winter months. For example, when is the last time you applied mosquito repellent?

I simply do not go outside long enough to need this in years. Much as I love summer, I'm allergic to everything else alive out there, so I run from building to building, car to car, etc. with only very occasional forays onto the front porch or middle of the street to chat with a neighbor.

8) Or swam?

I don't can't swim. There is a (man-made) lake for which my town is named, but it is ill-advised to get in the water without a lot of precautions, even if I had access to it, which I don't. 

9) As you answer these questions, is there an air conditioner or fan on? 

The house fan is on because my brother cleaned out all his water containers from his RV this morning so I'm moving the air around to make sure the smell doesn't permeate. I could turn it off, but I forgot to after he left earlier. Otherwise, it's too cold outside for cooling on the inside. As I sit here, I'm wearing a fleece over a T-shirt, all-weather pants, and my bare feet have lost all feeling in them due to cold (and poor circulation). In fact, I was considering going up to take a shower after I finish this so I can warm up.

Friday 5

(Link in meme-roll)

Zihuatanejo

1. What could use a good shining?

My windows. I noticed this morning that they are in need of washing (among other things).

2. When have you recently had to stand in a slow-moving line?

Probably at a store somewhere. I don't go in to shop very often, and avoid crowds wherever possible.

3. What was your favorite childhood counting-out game to determine who was it?

"Eeny meeny minie mo, catch a tiger by his toe..." which I later found out was just barely not horrifyingly racist. There was also "One potato, two potato, three potato, four..." which I think is still relatively ok to use.

4. Is anything feeling thinner these days?

I feel thinner--my pants keep sliding down--but the scales say different. My patience is also pretty thin these days, along with my attention-span.

5. What do you know about Maine?

I know it's beautiful, has wonderful food, interesting people, good hiking, and a LOT of trees. I hear the coast is nice, but I go to the center when I go.

Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)

Back to Bed

1. Let's say your alarm wakes you up with music. What would be the worst song to hear first thing in the morning?

When I was in college, there were a few weeks that they played the Pointer Sisters version of "Jump" every morning just as the clock radio came on. It certainly got us up and out of the room fast! 

2. How many pillows do you sleep with?

I sleep with one, but there are four on my bed, along with two beanie babies, an Ikea snake puppet that's about 4' long and a 2' tall Ikea octopus. The latter is my sentry, but the others are all under the covers with me.

3. What size mattress do you sleep on?

I sleep on a ridiculous king-size bed, split top. It's super-comfy, but far too big. On the other hand, I currently--along with the octopus--have two laundry baskets and a box of CPAP parts on the 'empty' side.

4. Do you always sleep on the same side of the bed?

I do. I need to swap sides one of these days. I try to do that periodically just for funsies.

5. Do you make your bed every day?

I don't even change my bed as often as I really ought to anymore. The only time I pull the covers up in the daytime is if I'm taking a nap on top of them.

6. Do you keep water on your bedside table?

I do not. I will spill it, and I will also never change it so it gets gross. I almost always have to get up in the night to pee, so I grab a slurp of water after washing my hands. 

7. How often do you change your sheets?

Up until the last few years, I changed them weekly, like clockwork. Now I change them when I start to feel disgusting getting into bed, usually 2 weeks-ish.

8. What's under your bed?

A great deal of dust. Maybe a pen. Or a sock.

9. Do you sleep in total darkness or do you like to have a light on?

Light doesn't bother me at all while I sleep. I can't see without my glasses so light doesn't matter anyway, so the hall light, on the timer, goes off and comes on as it is programmed and I ignore it completely.

10. What do you remember about your childhood bedroom?

I had two, one when I was really little and then I moved 'next door' when my brother moved downstairs as a teen. That room was the originally master bedroom so it was good-sized in the corner with a cross-breeze. The little bedroom had a weird-shaped closet to account for the curved hallway, and it always confused me (object permanence and architectural design being beyond me as a toddler). It seems to me I had Jesus in Gethsemane praying on the wall over my bed in there. Also, I seem to remember it being pink. I demanded GOLD (yellow) in the new bedroom when I moved and still don't like pink much. 

Saturday 9

(Link in meme-roll)

Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now (1987)

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

1) In this song, Gracie Slick challenges, "Let them say we're crazy!" Tell us about something you're glad you did, even though your friends or family may have advised you against it.

Oh, jeez, almost everything I've done that's fun someone has warned me against doing. Or at least looked askance at me. Good thing I tend to be risk-averse unless challenged! I'm glad I went overseas my junior year of college to (what was then) the U.S.S.R. and China, and Mongolia. The reward was going to Italy at the end, which got me through some awful moments in assorted Soviet airports. No one thought this was a good idea, including me, but I was dared so my big mouth got me behind the Iron Curtain. And my risk-aversion got me back out. 😀 

2) Slick is the lead singer of Jefferson Starship. This band got its start in 1965 as Jefferson Airplane but updated their name in 1974. Part of their reasoning was that by the 1970s, airplane travel was commonplace. In 2023, an estimated 820 million Americans flew domestically. When was your most recent flight? When is your next one?

Sparky and I flew to Phoenix a year ago last February just to get the hell out of Gray Frozen Darkness for a weekend. It was the first time we'd been on a plane in 5+ years. The trip there was not comfortable at all, the flight home was better (and I got to see the Barbie movie!), but the whole traveling thing was nerve-wracking.
We're heading East this fall, but I think we'll drive, even though it'll be a long three-day drive. We have business to take care of in Maine.

3) Songwriter Albert Hammond said the song was inspired by his divorce. After years of legal wrangling, he was finally free to marry his long-time, long-suffering girlfriend. They're still married today. What is something you waited a long time for? Was it worth the wait?

Waiting for children (child in my case) to reach adulthood feels like a kabillion years, and then once they're legal adults it feels like no time at all. 

4) Albert Hammond is perhaps best known as the one-hit wonder who sang, "It Never Rains in Southern California." Is rain expected where you are today?

Nope, no rain today. We're in a pattern of wind and cold with some general gloom. I'm NOT wearing socks anymore though! It's spring (despite the 55-degree F high today) dammit! I'm also glad not to have to have AC going too, though. 

5) He co-wrote the song with Diane Warren. In January, she lost her home to the Los Angeles fires. When a friend is confronted by heartache or tragedy, what can you say or do for them? What shouldn't you say or do?

Let them tell you what they need, unless they seem stuck in "freak-out mode." NEVER say, "I know just how you feel" or anything of the sort. I promise, even if you went through the same scenario, you do NOT know how they are feeling. Silence and hugs, listening more than talking. All of which is really hard. For me.

6) "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" was the love theme to the romantic fantasy Mannequin. In that movie, a department store mannequin comes to life and falls for a struggling artist. While it was a moderate success at the box office, the gritty Vietnam drama Platoon was a much bigger hit. When you sit down to watch a movie, what genre would you prefer (fantasy, romance, comedy, drama, etc.)?

I want a comedy with some action, not lowbrow stupidity. I don't see too many movies anymore because they irritate me, and I get fidgety and bored sitting still so long. Late-onset ADHD? Sparky curates my movie-viewing these days. Last up was the last Deadpool movie, which was pretty close to the perfect sweet spot. I guess some would say this is lowbrow stupidity, but at least it wasn't Adam Sandler. 
(Incidentally, I ever saw Mannequin--though I love the lead actor--but I did sit in a theater full of Vietnam Vets to see Platoon. Like full, need-an-usher-to-find-an-empty-seat full.)

7) In 1987, when this song was popular, Aretha Franklin became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Aretha was proud of her Detroit roots. Have you been to Michigan? If yes, where did you go?

I have been to Michigan a couple of times, to East Lansing once and to Windsor once. I have been told the Detroit airport is pretty dope but haven't ever needed to stop there.
But can we talk about taking until 1987 to honor a woman in rock and roll? When it was Rosetta Tharpe who "invented" it??? Men piss me off so much, so hard, so often.

Incidentally, it took me awhile to figure out why we were talking about Michigan instead of Ohio because the HoF is in Cleveland. 

8) In 1987, the Chevy Corvette made news by adding a low tire pressure light to its dashboard. When you're driving and a yellow warning light comes on, do you handle the issue promptly? Or is it something you'll get to when you get around to it?

lol  My check engine light has been on for at least 2 years now. The car is also 14 years old. If a different light came on, I'd handle it fairly quickly, but My Car Guy told me to just ignore the engine light so I'm following his directions. I need a new car, but there is literally not enough time to think about that right now.

9) Random question: A magic mirror reflects your appearance five years from today. Would you look at it?

I don't even look properly in the mirror much daily. I'm sure I'll be another half-centimeter shorter, far grayer, and just as blind. Honestly, if I had to pick me out of a crowd, I'm not sure I could do it.