Saturday 9 x3

(Link in meme-roll)
Mr. Boombastic (1995)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is a rather shameless come-on by an accomplished ladies' man. Do you enjoy flirting?

Flirting is fun. Yes, I enjoy it, though it's almost entirely "window shopping" these days, except when I'm flirting with Beast.

2) Shaggy sings that he's like a turtle coming out of his shell. Do you think turtles, snakes and lizards make good pets? Or would you prefer a companion animal that has fur or feathers?

I'd prefer a furry pet, but since I'm allergic to almost all furry things, it looks like any future pets will not have any. I have a friend who owns a tortoise that she adores. Kind of thinking about that. Or nothing.

3) He also sings that if you don't feel like driving, you should hand him the keys. Are you comfortable letting others drive your car?

Last week, I would've probably said no, but as we are down to one car now, Beast is driving mine and ... yeah, it's bugging me a little.

4) He tries to woo the girl with the promise of a bubble bath. Do you enjoy relaxing in the tub? Or do you view baths and showers as simply part of your hygiene routine, like brushing your teeth?

I love baths, but I don't get time to soak very often anymore. Showers, though, are strictly business. Clean and out.

5) Born Orville Burrell, Shaggy took his stage name from his shaggy hair. Using your hair as inspiration, what would your stage name be?

Lately, the best adjective would be "sweaty."

6) Sam admits she hadn't thought about this 20+ year old song in years, until she heard it on a Chase Bank commercial. According to the Federal Reserve Bank, checkwriting dropped more than 50% between 2000 and 2010. Who received the last check you wrote?

It was our last (as in final) cleaning service appointment a few weeks ago. I don't pay most of the bills, and I never carry the checkbook.

7) Which would you prefer to receive in a birthday card: a $25 check or a $20 Target gift card?

Check. There's no longer a Target very nearby.

8) Sam's mother refuses to pay bills online. All the news stories about data breaches scare her. Have you ever been hacked? If so, did it take long to get the situation resolved?

Yes, we've had our credit card hacked a couple of times, but nothing worse than that. Fortunately, the bank caught it immediately. Yay, for credit security checks.

9) In 1995, when this song was popular, Michael Jordan "unretired" and returned to the Chicago Bulls. Tell us about a decision you made that you wish you could undo.

Some incredibly stupid things I've said to people over the years would be nice to "take back."

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September in the Rain (1956)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song refers to "leaves of brown." Can you see any leaves outside your window? What color are they?

We're still rockin' the green in our yard. There are trees down the road from us that are turning, though. One is almost completely red.

2) It also mentions whispered words of love. What did you say last time you lowered your voice?

Pretty sure I told Beast I love him quietly a few minutes ago. He's got a very upset stomach today and is feeling yucky.

3) Clearly this song is about a treasured romantic memory that took place in autumn. Think about your favorite romantic memory. In what season did it take place?

We've had some very good vacations in the fall over the years. Probably something to do with our birthdays both being in November... 😏

4) This week's featured artist, Julie London, was famous as a singer and actress. Less prominent in her bio is her appearance as a "pin up girl" in Esquire magazine when she was just 17. What's in your resume that you'd prefer to de-emphasize or gloss over?

About the only thing I'd leave off would be my stint as a paper carrier when I was a SAHM with Sparky when he was little.

5) Julie recorded more than 30 albums and was named "most popular female vocalist" by Billboard magazine in 1956. If you could see any entertainer -- male or female -- in concert, who would you choose?

Of all time? It would be fascinating to watch Elvis perform c. 1957-58.

6) She became well-known to another generation when she appeared in the 1970s TV show Emergency! The younger actors credited her for keeping everything calm on the set. Who has a calming influence on you?

Beast.
Yeah, I know. Too easy.

7) Her Emergency! costar was her husband, Bobby Troup, and the show was produced by her ex-husband, Jack Webb. Do you have an ex that you're on very good terms with?

Nope. My exes have been out of my life for over 30 years. It would be really awkward to talk to most of them.

8) Julie was a chain-smoker since she was a teenager and in the 1950s recorded a jingle for Marlboro cigarettes. Yet in the 1970s, when she saw Bobby Troup's health negatively effected by smoking, she pressed him to quit. Tell us about a time you found yourself in a "do as I say, not as I do" situation.

I'm currently trying get Beast to understand that he needs to schedule his glucose his checks and do them, but I'm not doing mine. OTOH, my situation is way less dire than his. So far.

9) Random question: You have won an all-expenses paid trip to an exclusive resort in the Hawaii. When you get there, you discover that the private beach is bathing suit optional. Do you swim nude?

I don't swim. At all. So, no.

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One Night in Bangkok (1984)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is from the play Chess. It's been said that the most successful players are fluid in their thinking. Do you consider yourself flexible or set in your ways?

Depends. In some ways, I'm super flexible about things. In other ways, I'm very much not. I'm trying to work through why some changes irk me when others are practically unnoticed.

2) Nigel Short, a real-life chess grandmaster, used to wear a t-shirt that said, "He who cares, wins." Do you always play to win? Or do you play board/card games or sports for the fun of it?

I want to win! I try to keep myself from being horrible--some other family members are far worse about winning than I am!--but sometimes I just get angry about bad luck.

3) The singer is in Bangkok for an important tournament. He maintains that he doesn't mind missing the sights and dismisses Bangkok is just another "crowded, polluted stinking town." Do you find big cities exciting? Or do you think of them as noisy and dirty?

I like visiting cities. I love London, and San Diego, and even parts of Chicago and Athens and Rome. But I would never want to live in one all the time.

4) Air pollution has reached serious levels Bangkok. Do you suffer from allergies, asthma or another condition that could be aggravated by pollution?

Yup. Thank goodness I'm not interested in Thailand!

5) To reduce traffic, commuters travel through Bangkok on ferries that make regularly scheduled trips up and down the Chao Phraya River. When was your last boat ride?

Hmm. It's been awhile. With the lack of swimming ability comes what I consider to be a healthy fear of falling out of a boat. So I rarely get onboard.

6) Round trip airfare between ATL and BKK is $1750. If we gave you a travel voucher for that dollar amount, how would you spend it?

Well, I wouldn't go to Bangkok, that's for sure! It's tempting to consider Tierra del Fuego.

7) The Holiday Inn Express in Bangkok has a McDonald's onsite. When you go somewhere new, do you find it comforting to be surrounded by what's familiar? Or would you prefer to try new things?

We did eat in McDonald's near Heathrow earlier this month when we first got to England, but after that we stayed strictly away from American 'cuisine.' Generally, I'll try local favorites; it doesn't always work out but I often discover things I subsequently love!

8) One of Bangkok's most popular restaurants is DID, which stands for Dine in Dark. The dining room at DID is 100% light free -- cell phones must be stored in the lobby to avoid distracting from the experience -- so customers eat their four course meal without seeing it. This heightens the diner's sense of taste and smell. When you prepare a meal, do you put a great deal of care into its presentation?

Nope. And I am not at all interested in eating in the dark, either.

9) Random question: Think about your last professionally prepared meal. Did you dine in, carry out, or have it delivered?

We ate lunch out on Thursday. At Taco Bell. 👍

Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)
The Madness Meme, Part 2

23. Do you ever walk around the house naked?

Nope. Sorry, Bud. I do, on occasion (like this morning), find that the clothes I need to wear are in the laundry room, i.e., basement, but I get as dressed as possible and throw on pajamas or something to scoot through the (entire) house. We don't have curtains, just semi-opaque shades on the front windows, so there is no running around naked in this house!

24. If you were an animal what would you be? Why?

A wild and ferocious one. Perhaps a lion. Or a badger. Maybe a water buffalo. lol

25. Hair color you like on someone you’re dating?

I like hair on the guys I date. At my age, that narrows the field sufficiently.
[to be fair, I don't mind bald guys, either]

26. If suffering an injury, would you rather be left blind or deaf?

Deaf. I need my eyes!!

27. Do you have any special talents?

Oh yeah. I can alphabetize things faster than anyone I know, I'm VERY fast with trivia answers, and I can do the "illegal touching" penalty with absolutely no physical pain.
[hi, Beast]

28. What do you do as soon as you walk in the house?

Put down anything I'm carrying and take off my coat. This explains why the kitchen counters always look the way they do.

29. Do you like horror or comedy?

I'm partial to comedic horror, or even plain old funny comedy, but I don't like horror itself.

30. Are you missing anyone?

Nope. My aim is remarkably accurate.

31. Where do you want to live when you are old?

Near Sparky. Not next door or anything, but near enough for him to visit.

32. Who is the person you can count on the most?

Beast. Thank God we're married, eh?

33. If you could date any celebrity past or present, who would it be?

Mozart seems like he might have been an interesting date. Bet his dad wouldn't've allowed it, though.

34. What did you dream last night?

I had some rather weird-in-a-not-great-way dreams. Not bad dreams, not unpleasant, just ... dreams I'd prefer not to have more of. I can't remember any details at this point.

35. What is your favorite sport to watch?

FOO'BALL!!

36. Are you named after anyone?

My sisters used one of their friends' names for my first name. I'm not sure where the middle name came from, beyond the Biblically obvious.

37. What is your favorite alcoholic drink?

Long Island Iced Tea. Though I do like a cosmo once in awhile too.

38. Non alcoholic drink?

Diet. Dr. Pepper. Nothing changes around here.

39. Have you ever been in love?

Nope. Never. I hate everyone and they all hate me.
[YES OF COURSE. Many times.]

40. Do you sing in the shower?

Nope. I sing just about everywhere else, but not the shower.

41. Have you ever been arrested?

I've had a couple of traffic tickets over the years, but I've never been in the backseat of a cop car.

42. What is your favorite Holiday?

Thanksgiving!

43. Would you ever get plastic surgery?

Only if I were disfigured in a car accident or something similar. Not just to fix what is already imperfect.

44. Have you ever caught a fish?

Nope. My understanding is that catching the fish isn't really the point of fishing. Having said that, the first time Sparky loaded a hook and tossed it in the water--at age 8--he came up with a fish. OK, it was a little tiny perch, but better than anyone in my family usually does.

W.T.F.

(Link in meme-roll)
Googling how to get away with murder on Wednesday?

1) If you had a mind-reading ability but could only choose three people to read their minds, who would they be?

Ugh, I would hate being able to read people's minds!! But, having said that, I guess it would be a good thing to be able to read my boss's mind since she has trouble making any sense at all some days.

2) Do you listen to music that matches your mood or improves your mood? (Meaning when you're sad, do you listen to sad music that matches the mood or happy music to lift you up? Or, if you're angry, do you listen to angry music or soothing music to calm you down? And so forth...)

I generally listen to upbeat music, but if I'm angry I do listen to loud, angry music. But, it's a bad idea for me to listen to sad music when I'm sad.

3) Boy bands New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys have joined together to form a new band called NKOTBSB. What two musical acts would you like to combine efforts? (The musicians don't have to be currently popular, but they do, of course, need to be alive to be able to record new music.)

It would have been awesome if the Beatles and someone like Chuck Berry or some of the early black rock 'n roll groups had worked together.

4) July 1-7 is "Pleasure Week." What is a hobby that you find to be extremely pleasurable?

Meming. ;-)

5) The second week of July is "Nude Recreation Week." (Seriously. I couldn't make this sh*t up.) If you had the chance to go to a nudist resort for a free vacation, would you go?

Nope. Yuck. I'd have nightmares for months afterwards! Not to mention the months of nightmares I'd have before going!

6) Casey Anthony was found not guilty of murder in the death of her daughter on Tuesday. Do you think she got away with murder, or do you think she was innocent?

I think the jury probably found that the prosecution didn't prove their case, which is slightly different from Casey being 'not guilty.' She was, after all, found guilty of lying to the police. I wish our judicial system actually had a "Not Proven" option.

7) Which of Snow White's seven dwarfs describes you best and why? (Doc, Happy, Bashful, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey)

Bashful. Hard to believe, but it's either him or Dopey.

8) If I Googled your name what would I find?

You would find precisely 84 hits comprising hits from Facebook, Linked In, and assorted randomosity including our church newsletter (which pisses me the fuck off!).

9) What is more difficult for you -- looking into someone’s eyes when you are telling the person how you feel, or looking into someone’s eyes when they are telling you how they feel?

The former.

10) Have you ever swallowed something really strange? If so, what was it and how did things turn out for you?

Heh. No. One of my best friends swallowed a pin though, and she spent a couple of nights in the hospital just in case.

Nudity

You Are Skinny Dipping

You are a fairly conservative, down to earth person. You aren't known for making trouble. That being said, you can be a little mischievous at times. You have a bit of a wild streak! You have probably been accused of being a flirt or a tease - and you're guilty as charged. You are naturally quite playful and coy. You're mostly sugar, but you're also a little spice.

Are You Skinny Dipping or Streaking?

Fixed the thing that makes blockquotes always italicize, so you can now SEE the itals. gah

And also, more to the pertinent point: no. I don't think I'll be skinny-dipping in this lifetime.

Saturday 9

(Link in blogroll)
Thunking on a Saturday

1. You are walking down a rainy road. There is a five hundred dollar bill on the road. You look around and except for someone a half block away, you are alone. You naturally pick up the bill and put it away. That person approaching stops and says, "I saw you pick up that money. It's mine." You ask how much it was. She yells, "Are you calling me a liar?" What do you do?

Tell her yes, flip open my cell and call the cops. I might even turn in the money to them.

2. If I were to inspect your guest bathroom, how would I find it?

Sparky uses the guest bathroom daily. I'm sure it could use some attention, which it will be receiving this week before our guests arrive.

3. You are given a state of the art bow and arrow. Who or what is your first target (after a lesson or two)?

I'd probably just shoot at targets. I've no interest in killing anything (or anyone).

4. The doorbell rings. The person at the door is wearing a raincoat and you know them. They flash you and are completely naked. Other than your S/O, who would you think would it would be and would guess you'd find that funny? Why do you guess that person and would you laugh or be pissed off?

The only people I can think it might be ... it couldn't be. One of them is dead and the other lives 1000 miles away. I would absolutely laugh my ass off if it happened, though. Then I'd probably cry my eyes out.

5. What do you call a male ladybug?

"Mister" or "Sir."

6. Your friends throw you a party. They've got a big national music star to come and perform. It is someone you detest. Do you make believe you like the songs or do you fess up and get the star out of the party?

Oh, I could tolerate just about anyone for an hour or so. My friends would never consider inviting someone really completely awful.

7. What's your favorite breed of wild, mean attack dogs?

"Mean"????? WTF? Really.

Wild, though, I have to go with wolves.

8. If I called your high school guidance counselor, what would they say about you?

Not much--I'm sure Mr. Proctor is way dead. [he loved me--I was not exactly a problem-child]

9. Car A is moving at 63 miles an hour. 4 people are in the Car A. Car B is moving at 22 miles an hour. There is a driver and passenger who just came from a hotel while cheating on their spouses in Car B. They will crash into each other in exactly 3.5 minutes. What are your fun plans for this Labor day Weekend while these six people meet a brutal and gruesome death??

...I also like coyotes.

I find this question in fairly poor taste, probably due to the inordinate number of funerals and broken relationships among friends in my life right now.

Saturday 9

(Link in blogroll)
Hot Fun in the Summertime

1. Is summer your favorite season? Why?

I love summer if there is low or nonexistent humidity. If it's humid, I'll hold out for fall.

2. Do you exercise more in the summer because you wear less clothing?

I probably exercise less because of the heat.

3. Do you enjoy tanning or are you more concerned about the dangers of basking in the sun?

I don't have any interest in tanning anymore, and one of the reasons is that I spent way too many years baking and burning. It's just not my thing, not with my whale white skin and tendency toward freckling.

4. You are on the beach when a waiter appears for your drink order. What do you ask for?

If I'm on the beach and there are waiters taking orders, I'll have a TQ Sunrise.

5. Do you camp in the summertime?

I do NOT camp. Perish the thought!

6. What was your favorite summer vacation as a kid?

It pretty much has to be the default one: when I was 14 I went with my parents to England for three weeks. That's the only lengthy vacation I remember, and really it was a visit to see family, which is what all our vacations were growing up.

Actually, my very favorite time was the first time my parents went to England, and I went to stay with another sister for 5 weeks. She was 4ish months pregnant and had a 2-year-old son, so I sorta 'babysat' but mostly read Hardy Boys mysteries, drank diet Pepsi, and wandered through the cemetary near their house. The summer was delightful and slow and I had a wonderful time.

7. Do you enjoy sleeping outdoors?

Am not a fan of bugs. And I require a good mattress. In short, no.

8. Do you throw a summer barbecue every year?

I almost never throw food. ;-) We're tentatively planning a Big Do this year, but mostly we have smaller ones throughout the warm weather for whoever is around.

9. Have you ever been to a nude beach? If yes, what did you think?

No. And frankly, I'd rather camp outside all summer than have that experience.

Cinn's Friday 5

(Link in blogroll)
we don't have to take our clothes off to have a good time.

[01] On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being most comfortable) how comfortable are you with your body? 7 or so.

[02] How many hours of your 24 hour day do you normally spend naked? Maybe an hour.

[03] If a film you wanted to see had a large amount of nudity in it, would it change your desire to see the film? Depends on who is naked, and why. If it's gratuitous, then yeah.

[04] What household chore would you be least likely to do while in the nude? Cooking seems a bit dangerous.

[05] What celebrity (or non-celebrity) would you most want to see naked? I'd really rather they all kept more clothes on. There's a lot to be said for mystery, and it's (mostly) going unspoken.