Friday 5 x5

(Link in meme-roll)
More (and more) Questions About Buildings and Food

1. What’s the best layered food?

   Dirt cake is right up there....

2. What’s the best rolled food?

   I like those little salami/cheese/tortilla things.

3. What’s the most recent cuisine you’ve tried for the first time from an ethnicity not your own?

   Uhm...I can't think of any new ethnic food I've eaten. I've been pretty narrowly focused on fast- or cheap food.

4. What’s a food that scares you?

   Live octopus, still moving. Thank you, "Amazing Race."

5. What’s something you eat solely because it’s good for you?

   Yogurt.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + October 6 through 10
Yeah. Another set of questions about my least favorite month!

1. The first week of October is National Customer Service Week in the United States and Kenya. Where have you received especially good customer service?

   My health insurance company has been so amazing and helpful though the past couple of months. So have all the medical people, but that's technically not customer service I guess.

2. The second Saturday in October was National Tree-Planting Day in Mongolia. When did you last do anything resembling tree-planting?

   I watered plants sometime recently....

3. October 4 was World Animal Day (the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Animals). What’s an obscure animal you know a thing or two about?

   Echidnas are cool.

4. October 6 was National Poetry Day in Ireland and the United Kingdom. What’s a line of poetry that springs to mind now that you’re thinking about poetry?

   "When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom'd..."

5. What’s in your pocket?

   Chapstick.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Functions

1. What are you holding your breath in anticipation of?

   I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving, probably a little bit more than I should by rights.

2. What most recently gave you goosebumps?

   Something on the way to see Beast the other day made chills go up my spine. I can't remember what it was, just where I was.

3. What’s giving you that pain in the neck?

   Sleeping in chairs.

4. What’s making your heart ache?

   Everything is hard right now.

5. What are you yawning at?

   Life. I'm exhausted, and the news I got yesterday about Beast returning home needing 24/7 attention didn't exactly help.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Space

1. Of all the spaces in your residence, which is most powerfully your space?

   This corner of the couch, and the bathtub. The latter of which is calling to me rather stridently.

2. What’s the most spacious space in your everyday life?

   Sleep.

3. What’s a good song about space?

   The only one I can think of is "Major Tom."

4. What’s under your bed?

   Dust. Lots of it. I was down there a couple of nights ago picking up something that rolled under: yuck!

5. What are your thoughts on typing one or two spaces after sentences?

   I've been retrained to use just one space, but it's been hard.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Makin’ It

1. What skill seems like it would be really fun to learn?

   I bought a kit for making friendship bracelets today. That's about my level of fun and skill right now.

2. Which of the winter Olympic sports would you love to compete in?

   I'm pretty sure my only skill here is curling, and only if I don't have to have skates on.

3. What fun craft did you make when you were a kid, in school or at camp or somewhere else?

   I loved making plaster molds and painting them.

4. If everyone in the world is the best in the world at some very specific thing, what are you most likely the best at?

   Procrastinating important things and then running around like a crazy person to get them done at the last minute.

5. What’s something you own that was handmade by someone you know?

   The knitted blanket I took a nap under this afternoon was made by one of my college roommates.

Friday 5

(Link in meme-roll)
Count All the Bees in the Hive

1. Which of the Winnie-the-Pooh characters do you most relate to?

I tend to vacillate a little among Eeyore, Rabbit, and Owl. I also have some Kanga in me.

2. Which of the Winnie-the-Pooh characters has qualities you’d find most attractive in a romantic partner?

Piglet. Of course.

3. In what way have you “wandered much further” today than you should?

I haven't gotten a damned thing done today except a quick grocery-shopping trip. I really should start some laundry or something. I'm way off-schedule. OTOH, we had a good time at mini-golf--all three of us--at the library today.

4. Of Winnie-the-Pooh stories you can remember (from the books, Disney cartoons, or other sources), which is your favorite?

I hate the Disney-fied versions. I literally grew up reading Pooh--I still have the copies of the books my sister Jean gave me when I turned 6--and the stories and poems are delightful and nothing like the Disney crap. My favorite off-the-top-of-my-head is probably the Heffalump story.

5. Which quote* from the Winnie-the-Pooh stories would be good for the epigraph in the book about your life?

One from the Wiki page that my sister wrote a little note next to in my book (because of "Nanny"--family story):

And Nanny let my beetle out
Yes, Nanny let my beetle out
She went and let my beetle out-
And beetle ran away.

6. Thanks for participating, and have a Cottleston Pie weekend!

* Here are a few sources for quotes. I like Wikiquote because it’s sourced, but it can be a bit of a slog to search sometimes. There’s some nicely curated stuff here, but I can’t vouch for its legitimacy. And then there’s always Google Images, which gives pretty results but is the Wild West when it comes to accuracy.

Saturday 9

(Link in meme-roll)
Fool on the Hill (1967)
Unfamiliar with today's song? We can't help you. The YouTube copyright police have removed the Beatles' version. [But I found a tribute video with the original song here today. Who knows if it'll still be available later.]

1) Friday was April Fool's Day. Did you pull any pranks? Did anyone put anything over on you?

I shared a post on Facebook about football that was a prank--and 'got' Beast with it, and I think a church friend who didn't bother to click through--but otherwise I did my usual play-it-cool-and-stay-out-of-the-crossfire. I'm not a huge fan of pranks.

2) The practice of playing tricks on one another on April 1 dates back at least to the 14th century and Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales includes a mention of it. Geoffrey Chaucer has been called England's greatest poet. Quote a bit of poetry for us. (It doesn't have to be English, or great.)

This one's for my Dad:

A wonderful bird is a pelican.
His beak can hold more than his belican.
He keeps fish for the week
Inside of his beak,
But I don't know how the helican. (Dixon Lanier Merritt)

It was, invariably, quoted with punctuation from Mom: "[DAD'S FIRST NAME!]"

3) Beatle Paul is a huge Elvis fan and is happy to own the bass that was played on Elvis' 1954 recording of "That's All Right, Mama." Tell us about one of your prized possessions.

Since all of our kitchen cupboards had to be emptied yesterday* and the contents are mostly still sitting in the dining room patiently waiting for re-stowage....I'll go with my Sunbeam stand mixer. I grew up with my mom's 1950s-era version and when we got married young and poor I bought a cheap lightweight mixer for kitchen tasks. What a cheap piece of crap: plastic, impossible for mashing potatoes, and just junk. So somewhere along the line when we had money to blow, Beast bought me a Sunbeam for Christmas. And it was a very good gift--still works beautifully and is heavy enough to take care of just about anything, even bread dough (I have bread hook attachments).

4) In contrast to his easygoing persona, Sir Paul has been described by former band mate Ringo Starr as strong willed and "determined to get his own way." Do you consider yourself strong willed and determined? Or are you more easy going?

Yes. I'm mostly very easygoing, but I have a temper and a tendency to lose it over the most ridiculous stuff. And I do like to get my own way, in true Youngest Child fashion; my choice of profession didn't help either as I also like to be "right" about answers.

5) The Beatles once bought a Greek island, planning to live and record there, but sold it after a few months because it started to seem like a bad, expensive idea. Tell us about a purchase that gave you buyer's remorse.

We once had a Plymouth Voyager. From the standpoint of having room to cart Sparky's baby equipment around on vacation, it was great. Otherwise...man, I really hated that car....!

6) Legend has it that the Beatles officially broke up in Disney World. John Lennon was staying at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort when he received and signed the court papers that dissolved the group. Have you ever conducted business while on vacation?

Huh. Of course. In this day of smart phones and 24-hour internet email checking? Beast actually has a job for which he's "on call" whenever customers need him, so he's always doing stuff on vacations. This upcoming vacation will be interesting in that we are limited to one device to check all our accounts, which means sharing, which means potential problems. So I've pretty much decided I'm going dark for the duration. Hurrah.

7) George Harrison loved puttering around in the garden and dedicated his autobiography to "gardeners everywhere." Do you have a green thumb?

I do not. I have, somehow, managed to keep a lovely little cactus-y thing and its offshoots (all gifts) alive for about 5 years now. And some other really easy plants are still alive through no 'fault' of my own. I have killed more houseplants in my lifetime than anyone I know.

8) Ringo regrets not having saved more Beatles memorabilia, which he realizes now would be worth a fortune. Are you a pack rat?

We have a great deal of shit in storage in this house. (She says, looking at the dining room and all the collected crap sitting there. Why do we need four (FOUR!) different sets of wine-glasses??). I will be winnowing while putting things away.)

9) Random question: Which do you prefer, Girl Scout cookies or Boy Scout popcorn?

Nothing against popcorn, but cookies FTW!!

*We had new countertops installed so all the lower cupboards needed to be cleared for access and so things didn't get broken. I posted the before photo on Facebook about how the old counters were going away hurrah hurray, and got immediately guilt-tripped by two nieces to the effect that our old stuff is better than their current counters. Gotta love family.

BEFORE

AFTER

CLOSE-UP and blurry

Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)
Birds Are Chirping Meme

Name a product you buy mostly because it has a cool package.

I wish I could say that I didn't do this, but I'm pretty sure I've been sucked into this. Unfortunately, the only thing I can think of right now is that I can now buy prepackaged baggies of fresh mini-peppers at the grocery store. That's a bit sad.

What flavor cake do you like for your birthday?

Vanilla with buttercream frosting. I'm not agin lemon cake, but tone down the chocolate and NO FRUIT! In a city where I used to live, and where we have good friends who serve cake regularly, every cake seems to have a layer of jam--it ruins a perfectly delicious cake!

Have you ever been in love with someone much older or younger than you?

I'm assuming this means romantic love. So, no. I've loved a lot of people of many different ages non-romantically.

Have you ever had a job you loved?

I have one now. I love it when it's not making me incredibly angry.

Have you ever been in a building that was on fire?

Thank God, no!

Are you in an argument with anyone right now?

Not really. I'm past my limit of patience with one person at work, though, which is difficult. She's a friend but also I'm her supervisor, so that makes things complicated, and she's ... challenging ... right now.

not my coworker

Would you change your hair color to something outrageous if you would get paid to?

Honestly, I'd probably do it for free if I could be assured it wasn't going to be tragically high-maintenance. One of my co-workers died her hair blue about two weeks ago and it's still washing out and staining her (very pale) skin. She looks like skim milk. I want dye that goes on, stays in my hair (only) for a good long time, and washed out when I'm done.

Have you ever written a poem for someone?

I've written poems about situations. I don't think I've ever written for a person, though, no.

What is a place you’ve vacationed at and would like to go back to?

Ydra.

Do you eat samples at the grocery store?

Occasionally.

What do you absolutely have to have to make your birthday feel special?

Acknowledgement from someone I love that it's my birthday: a card, an email, a gift, a cake, SOMEthing. Sparky, are you listening??

What’s the last tourist area you visited?

The main part of the downtown of the city in which I work is supposedly a "tourist attraction." Whatever. I shop there, I eat lunch there and not because it's touristy, though it is pretty attractive.

Where do you go out to eat for a special occasion?

Probably the resort town north of us, or a really yummy chicken place on the way to said resort.

When was the last time you went to a post office?

I stopped at our P.O. box a couple of weeks ago. Beast usually goes. Otherwise, I pretty much never deal with the USPS.

Is there an item you are saving up to buy right now?

We're thinking about new kitchen countertops. Not really saving up, just deciding how to spend the money we already have saved.

Are you psychic in any way?

That's assuming I believe in psychics in the first place. :-) No. But I think Beast is. And I definitely have had some weird precognitive dreams.

Do you prefer a laptop or desktop? Which are you on now?

They each have their good points. I prefer my laptop, but I like my work desktop a lot too. For different reasons.

Have you ever received a gift and truly did not know what it was?

Yes. And I've received gifts that I recognized but couldn't understand anyone would think I'd need/want them.

What’s your homepage?

I don't have my own site. My browser is set to open my work internal homepage, Gmail and work email automatically in one page and OCLC Connexion in another window. At home, I've always got Inoreader, Blogger, Gmail, Facebook, Goodreads and Random.org open, in two browser windows.

Is there a thing you enjoy doing, but quit because you are not good at it?

Not exactly. I quit bell choir at church because I couldn't deal with the non-music stress of it. Too many chiefs, too many different levels of musical knowledge, general bitchiness....no thanks. I'm pretty good at the music but not at ignoring all the rest of it. I do not enjoy drama!

Stolen Survey

(Swiped from Amy)

Do you like your music loud or mellow?

Depends on the music. Loud music should be loud; quiet music should be quiet.

What's your favourite animated or cartoon program?

I don't really watch cartoons. So probably Looney Toons. I did like the Roadrunner cartoons and Mighty Mouse as a child.

Do you sing in the shower?

I don't really understand this concept. So, no.

Are you a clean or messy person?

Clean. I don't like bugs. Which doesn't mean I am tidy, of course.

What's your preferred playing piece in Monopoly?

I like the little dog.

Can or do you still play Twister?

Since the whole point of Twister, as far as I'm concerned, is falling down, I probably excel more now than previously.

Can you play chess?

I haven't play often, and I'd need a cheat-sheet, but yeah, I can.

Do you know the dance steps to an annoying cheesy pop song?

I could probably Macarena if pressed. And bunny hop. And conga. I used to know how to Hustle, too.

Do you prefer straight or bendy straws?

Depends. I mostly have straight straws, but when I'm feeling crappy and not sitting up straight, bendy straws rock!

Have you ever entered a talent contest? and did you win?

I was in one in junior high. And no.

Do you like poetry?

Yes.

Are you a bad loser?

I can be a terribly bad sport in some games, mostly games that involve pure luck. I had a HUGE temper tantrum during Payday several years ago, in front of Sparky--so embarrassing, and an epic Bad Parenting moment. Also, it makes me absolutely nuts when people screw around and/or flout the rules.

Which would you choose: jelly or ice cream?

By "jelly" I'm assuming "Jello," and definitely ice cream.

What's your favourite type of pie?

Fruit wins, but honestly, I'm not overly fussy. I don't like rhubarb though, not at all!

What's your most used phrase?

"I forgot..."

What's your most used word?

"Really?" "Actually." I think it's a tie.

Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?

I should be so lucky, but Sandra Bullock or Julia Roberts. These days though, I would love to see what Melissa McCartney could do with me.

Saturday 9

(Link in meme-roll)
A Sleepin' Bee (1957)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about the wonder of first love. How would you describe the sensation of falling in love?

It's really a lot like having too much to drink, only somewhat longer-lasting. Mostly, it's a feeling of great well-being, along with feeling sick to your stomach at the same time.

2) This 1957 album was the first Diahann Carroll ever recorded. More recently she recorded "A, You're Adorable," a nursery rhyme. (The lyrics are here.) Give us some words to a children's song that remain in your head to this day.

Twinkle twinkle, little star

How I wonder where you are

Up above the world so high

Like a diamond in the sky

Twinkle twinkle, little star

How I wonder where you are.

If you prefer, as I do, the Wonderland version, here it is:

Twinkle twinkle, little bat

How I wonder what you're at

Up above the world so high

Like a tea-tray in the sky

Twinkle twinkle, little bat

How I wonder what you're at.

3) 1957 was the peak of the Baby Boom (1946 to 1964). Are you a Boomer, a Gen X-er, a Gen Y-er, or a Millennial?

I'm either the very last of the Baby Boom or a Gen-X-er. I'd prefer to be included in the latter, frankly. The Boomers have a lot to answer for.

4) In 1974, Diahann was named to the Best Coiffed Hall of Fame by the Guild of Professional Beauticians. How often do you change your look?

Not very often. However, my hair is making me a little nuts lately. Maybe it's because of the wintry frizzes. We'll see how I feel about things once spring rolls around.

5) Ms. Carroll made history as Julia in the first network TV show to star a black woman. She played a nurse. Do you/have you ever worked in the healthcare profession?

I was a candystriper in junior high if that counts.

6) She also played glamorous, scheming Dominique Deveraux on the nighttime soap, Dynasty. Who is the most memorable female villain you've ever seen in a TV show or movie?

The character Glenn Close played in Fatal Attraction was absolutely terrifying.

7) Ms. Carroll began her career as a model. Her height (nearly 6' tall) is an asset in that profession. Are you pleased with your height? Or do you wish you were taller, or shorter?

I like being my height. It's taller than most women, but not so tall I can't find clothes.

8) Now in her 80th year, she keeps on working. Recently she's appeared on TV in Grey's Anatomy and Blue Collar and on the big screen in Tyler Perry Presents Peeples. How do you feel about retirement? Is it something you enjoy or look forward to? Or would you prefer to continue working?

I doubt I'll retire--see above re Baby Boomers. I'm gonna be supporting that demographic till I die. Whether I want to retire or not doesn't really enter into the discussion.

9) In her long movie career, Ms. Carroll has played love scenes with some very good looking men, including Sidney Poitier and Billy Dee Williams. If you could steal a kiss from any actor or actress, who would choose?

Not Clark Gable--I hear he had horrible halitosis. And Brad Pitt has some odor issues, I hear, as well. I think I'd rather snuggle with one of the animal stars: Lassie, Flipper, Mr. Ed....

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch

(Link in meme-roll)

1. Have you ever baked bread from scratch?

   I used to do this regularly, then I sort of ... stopped. No idea why. I keep thinking about doing it again, but then I don't.

2. If we decided to have lunch on the porch, and you so kindly volunteered to fix it (thank you), what would you serve?

   Probably cheese, bread and wine, and a lot of laughter. I don't do so well with overly-planned meals as a rule.

3. Show us, or tell us about your key chain (the thing you have on your car or house keys).

   It's a 5-inch metal ring that used to have a whistle on it, 20 years ago. The whistle never worked and was removed long ago, but it's big enough to hang on doorknobs, or gearshifts, and too big to lose, and I love it. Right now it's out in the car (in the garage), and I'm not going out to take a picture of it.

4. Have you ever tried a challenging or dangerous sport? No. I don't mean rush hour traffic, but I understand the confusion. :)

   Nope. I always wanted to parachute, and I'd still go ballooning if I could, but the days of intentionally putting myself into dangerous situations are over.

5. Have you ever written poetry? If not, have you ever had anyone write a poem for you? If you aren't happy with this question, we'll even accept a "Roses are red..." poem.

   I have written a few poems in my life, but not recently. It requires time and dedication and a sort of "floaty" frame of mind that I find myself hard-pressed to manage these days. Instead, I will leave you with my dad's favorite bit of doggerel (by Dixon Lanier Merritt); I heard this poem at least 5 times a year growing up and my mom always shushed and frowned at the swearing.

   A wonderful bird is the pelican,
   His bill will hold more than his belican,
   He can fit in his beak
   Enough food for a week
   But I don't know how in the helican!

Friday Five

(Link in meme-roll)

1. What is your favorite season?

Autumn. Though this spring is rockin' in a big way.

2. Do you do anything special to acknowledge the change of seasons?

Nope.

3. Planning to do any spring cleaning this year?

Yes, primarily because I haven't done ANY cleaning most of the winter.

4. What is your favorite plant and why?

Individually, I have two favorites: the bamboo and the baby cactus I got from two friends last year. As a species I'm partial to rosebushes.

5. Hows about a poem? C'mon, it can be about anything you like.

The People Upstairs
The people upstairs all practise ballet
Their living room is a bowling alley
Their bedroom is full of conducted tours.
Their radio is louder than yours,
They celebrate week-ends all the week.
When they take a shower, your ceilings leak.
They try to get their parties to mix
By supplying their guests with Pogo sticks,
And when their fun at last abates,
They go to the bathroom on roller skates.
I might love the people upstairs more
If only they lived on another floor.

by Ogden Nash

You didn't say it had to be written by me....