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.

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. 

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.

Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)
Random 20

1. Have you had an argument with anyone recently? If so, do you still have issues with that person?

Beast and I had a pretty intense discussion yesterday. Do we still have issues? Yes. Was yesterday's resolved. I think so.
Otherwise, I haven't had an argument with anyone. My temper is gradually becoming more biddable.

2. Are you talking to anyone while filling this in? How about texting/chatting on Facebook?

I'm alone in the house with two guinea pigs. Beast is on his way home from church after a post-church meeting. He just told me via text he's stopping for gas, via text, so he will probably be walking in the door at some point while I'm still filling this out.

3. Have you done something recently that helped someone else, in any way?

I taught Sunday School this morning, so there is a faint hope that something I said stuck for one of those squirrels. Also, I helped a few people on Friday at work, it being my job and all.

4. Who was the last person to pay you a compliment?

Vickie.

5. Is there anything that’s happened in the past month, that you wish you could go back in time and change?

Pretty much every day there's something I wish had happened differently.

6. What colour is your purse/wallet?

My wallet--I don't carry a purse--is dark green leather with the Packer "G" embossed on it. It has black polka-dot duct tape holding a seam together inside.

7. What’s the closest item to you that’s black?

The laptop inside is almost all black, except for the screen right now. The screen of my cell is black. Some shoes on the floor in front of the couch are black. The background on the footstool is black. The text of the magazine open next to me is black. I think that's all.

8. Think about what you looked like 5 years ago. How did you look different, compared to the way you look now?

I had longer, differently-colored hair, and I was probably 20 lbs. lighter. Probably less wrinkly and my skin hadn't started to have that weird 'old' texture around my throat and upper chest. Different glasses too.

9. Before Facebook became popular, did you use any other social networking site, like Bebo or Myspace?

I had--probably still have?--a MySpace account, but I couldn't figure out why, or what to do with it. I signed up for Friendster, but never used it. Mostly, I blogged and emailed.

10. Has someone of the opposite sex ever sung to you? If so, how did you respond to it?

Actually yes. I can't remember the details, to be honest, because I was totally mortified.

11. When did you last hug someone of the opposite sex?

This morning, maybe at church? If not, I did hug Beast before I left for Sunday School.

12. Have you ever seen the film “Casablanca”? Did you like it?

I really really need to watch this film! It's one of the few "you have GOT to see it!" things that seems like something I'd actually enjoy.

13. Do you have a relative whose name begins with ‘L’? Tell me about him/her.

One of my sister's real name--as opposed to her blog name--started with L. She was a fun, intense, thoughtful, 'spicy' person and I miss her sense of adventure and positive attitude and honesty more than I can explain. She died 19 years 10 months ago and one day ago, which was about 25 years longer than most people expected when she was about 21. Anyone who says that grief gets easier with time isn't telling the whole truth. I don't cry every day anymore, but I'm starting to tear up right now. Shit.

14. Are you a secretive person?

Uhm, yes. I prefer to call it "super-private" but whatever.

15. When did you last eat?

I had half a donut after church which seems to have carried me well for the past two hours. I should probably go get something a little more substantial, but I'm really not that hungry.

16. If you were going to buy a present for a special person, what would you generally choose?

I almost always try for useful things, or fun things. If it's useful AND fun, so much the better. I bought $350 worth of Christmas ornaments at Hallmark yesterday for gifts. Because I'm totally insane...

17. If I’m going to buy you a box of chocolates, which kind should I definitely NOT get?

I do not like fruit and chocolate together. And mint chocolate is not my thing either. Otherwise, I'm not too fussy.

18. Is there something you generally always ask for help with?

Yardwork. Being outside near growing things here brings on allergies like gangbusters. I also usually as for help with lifting large unwieldy things because I don't trust my sense of balance even without carrying anything!

19. If you had to give up your phone or your computer, which would it be?

Oooh. I can use both for almost everything, but I'd have to Skype everyone with my computer. So, I'll go with keeping my phone. But I can't really surf the net effectively on my phone. Or post to Blogger. ;-)

20. Has anyone called you gorgeous/beautiful today?

Not that I'm aware of. That's fine: I have a big-ass zit erupting on my nose, so I'm not feeling too beautiful today anyway.

Patrick's Place

(Link in meme-roll)
Sunday Seven

Name seven the "worst things in the world" that would top your list. [based on this list--which I didn't find humorous in the least, so I'll be answering with what I think are actually the worst things in the world, sorry]

In no particular order....

1. Starving children
   
   
   
   
   
2. Illness and disease
   
   
   
   
   
3. Abuse
   
   
   
   
   
4. Greed
   
   
   
   
   
5. Hatred and bigotry
   
   
   
   
   
6. War and murder
   
   
   
7. Any kind of cruelty or neglect (physical/mental/emotional, to any living creature)
   
   
   

Saturday 9 (a day late)

(Link in meme-roll)
How Do You Mend a Broken Heart

1. How did you cope with your biggest heartache?

I cried. A lot. Buckets. Endlessly. At the drop of a hat. Eventually, I stopped crying. I got counseling. I managed the fallout the best way I could and distracted myself in ways both appropriate and not-so. And things got better, although there are still times I revert back to the early days and cry, but not as long, or hard.

2. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital?

I guess that would be FIL, in September, before he was released to hospice care.

3. How many jobs have you held in your life? How many of those were part of your chosen career field?

Innumerable babysitting jobs aside, and counting all the temping as "one job" since the temp agency paid me, I figure 12, and that includes two volunteer "jobs" that took a great deal of time but were unpaid. As for career-related, I would say five are directly library-related, but a couple of others gave me skills to deal better with the library world.

4. How did you discover Saturday 9?

I'm pretty sure it was through Bud. Or maybe Allison.

5. If you could take the train from anywhere to anywhere, where would 'anywhere' be?

First of all, I'm stipulating it wouldn't be an Amtrak train. I would love to just get a Eurail pass and meander around for a couple of weeks, stopping and starting as I felt like it. Or, ditto, Britrail.

6. When was the first time you cooked for someone else?

My mom wanted me to learn to cook. I remember getting a cookbook for Christmas/birthday when I was fairly young--8 or 10--and proudly making pancakes a couple of times for Sunday breakfast using the recipe in there. Then I got bored with the concept. I regularly helped Mom with Sunday dinner--my job was generally potato-peeling.

7. What is the worst beverage you've ever tasted?

I'm not a fan of beer. Or gin. And some water tastes awful; one example of that is St. Petersburg water, which is orange.

8. Is there anything in life you are "certain" about? Firm in your beliefs? Strong in your convictions?

I'm certain that as soon as I discover a "truth" it will prove itself mutable.
But I'm pretty sure that at least on Earth, gravity sucks.

9. Do you know anyone who has as very unusual pet?

Hmm, a coworker used to own a chinchilla (but she LOST IT--presumably somewhere in her house--and this is why I will NEVER VISIT HER, not wanting to smell the scent of old, dead chinchilla). And another coworker of mine has an unusually high number of critters--dogs, cats, guinea pigs, etc.--in her house. I can't think of anything who has copped to owning a cobra or an African elephant though.

Patrick's Place

(Link in meme-roll)
Saturday Six

1. What is your favorite Christmas memory: where did you spend that Christmas and how old were you (or when was it)?

I've had a lot of good Christmases. My favorite funny Christmas memory is that the first year Beast and I were married and living in a tiny apartment I didn't get any reading material as a gift. There was, literally, nothing in the apartment to read except textbooks and boring stuff, so we had to go to Walgreen's--the only store that was open--and buy a cheap paperback for me to read.

2. Of the Christmas decorations you put up each year, which single one means the most to you and why is it so special?

I have a very old elf that was my mom's; it is at least 80 years old and very fragile, but its arms and legs are articulated and nothing is broken.

3. What food or drink that you only really consume during the Christmas season is your favorite and why?

Egg-nog. Mostly because it's only around for a couple of months.

4. If you could bring back any deceased relative to spend one Christmas with, who would you pick and why?

My sister Ellen. I've got Ghost Whisperer on, and I just had a 10-minute sobfest about one of the episodes that reminded me of Ellen. I miss her. How can I miss her so much, still, after 17 years? Damn.

5. What is the greatest single Christmas present you remember receiving and why did it mean so much to you?

The Barbie Dream House, hands-down. Man, I used that thing up!

6. What was the worst Christmas present you ever remember receiving and what was so bad about it?

I've gotten some weird stuff over the years from Sparky as he works out how to give appropriate presents. I can't think of anything particularly specific.

Curious as a Cat

(Link in meme-roll)

1) Who do you grieve for?

Lots of people, but primarily myself. I'm selfish like that.

2) List 5 blue things you can see right now.

The Blogger bar, Sparky's Windows page, the ocean on Deadliest Catch, a candle on the mantel, and the inside of a card.

3) How old were you the first time you flew in an airplane?

I was wee, 5 or 6.

4) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or, tell a story if it reminds you of one.Public Domain Photo

Mostly, of course, it reminds me of St. Patrick's Day, and pretending to be in love as a kid. I never liked boys like this. It baffles me that I married one.

Saturday 9

(Link in meme-roll)
Your Smiling Face

1. No matter what's going on in your life, what always makes you smile?

Sunshine. Baby giggles. Puns.

2. What's the biggest lie you've ever told?

Oh hell, I don't know. I've told the same lies so many times that they have to count for something big, right? Like, "I'd love to do that!" "I'm fine. How are you?"

3. Do you hold a grudge?

I have a good long-term memory, but in the general sense, I'm ok with letting go of grudges. There are a couple of stand-out exceptions, however....

4. What is the worst job you've ever had?

I temped one summer during college, and one of the assignments I was sent to involved sitting at a desk and not being allowed to do anything. Finally, just before closing time, they let me do about 15 minutes of basic filing. The sense I got was that they were afraid I'd fuck things up and would rather pay me to touch nothing. Little did they know. Their loss. I wrote 2 or 3 long letters to friends while I sat there, bored out of my mind.

5. What would be your dream job?

My current job, minus the annoyances of course.

6. What is the happiest event you've experienced?

My former boss's wedding was the best ever. There was maturity and joy and silliness everywhere.

7. What is the saddest thing you've experienced?

Nathanael. Babies shouldn't die.

8. Do you tend to exaggerate or underestimate?

I try hard not to exaggerate verbally because I know I'm prone to it. On the other hand, I'd always rather have too much (paint for the walls, food for a party, whatever) instead of not enough.

9. List the cars that you have owned. Give us just a few words about each one.

I guess the Pinto counts, though I sort of 'inherited' it when I married Beast. lol It was a Pinto. 'nuf said, I think. Then we had a Chevy Monza. Trust me, it was a step DOWN from the Pinto.
Traded that in for the Toyota pickup. Loved that truck. It was pure awesome. First new vehicle we bought as a couple.
At some point we bought a Dodge Omni. Cute car, ridiculous to think it was big enough for us at that point in our lives.
...which is why we traded it in for a minivan when Sparky was born. I hated that damn thing, but it kept us going for the first 6 or 7 years of parenthood.
At some point, we bought a Honda Accord to sort of replace the truck because it was falling apart. Literally rusting apart. The dude backing into the side of it didn't help either. We eventually sold it to a friend's teenage son. Weird to see it tooling around town for awhile before he moved somewhere else, or killed it, or it fell into a pile of rust. Anyway, loveloveLOVE the Honda!
And then we bought a Ford Ranger (pickup) to replace the minivan because I fucking hated it and had a temper tantrum about it. We had fixed about every system in that van at least once: AC, doors, heat, you name it. Stupid van. Stupid Chrysler. Never, ever, again.
We still own the Honda and the Ranger after 10+ years, although Beast now drives a company car because of his job, so Sparky has taken de facto ownership of the Honda since he got his license.

Grief

Your Score: Shirt Sleeve Griever

You scored 51 Openness, 16 Reexperiencing, 16 Attachment and 3 Self Concept!

Everybody around you has a good idea if something has happened to you - which is a good thing, if in fact you have enough social skill and intimacy building abilities to capitalize and use this external support system to be with you in this time of need. If not, you have a long road of therapy - nightmares, visions, and isolation to face ... high risk for pathology; your strength is your visibility to others, who will seek to help you in turn.

Link: The 4 Variable Grief/Trauma Test Test written by divncom on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Let's hope....