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.

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.

Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)

The Bathroom Meme

1. Do you shampoo once or lather, rinse and repeat?

This is entirely dependent on a host of different things: how much time I have, how dirty my hair is going on, whether I'm using conditioner, etc. In general, I find that my Very Long Hair needs a double wash.

2. Do you use conditioner a) daily, b) when you need it, c) never?

When I need it. I've been using the hall bathroom upstairs for months while mine is torn up and there's not really anywhere to keep the conditioner bottle so I have to remember to grab it before I get wet, so mostly I haven't been using it. 

3. What's your shaving cream preference: foam or gel?

Bold of you to assume I need to shave.

4. Is your toothbrush manual or electric?

Manual. I tried electric, and battery-powered and they tore up my gums too much. I'll stick to old-school.

5. Dental floss, soft picks, neither or both? 

I own both. I'm really REALLY good at flossing the month before I see the dentist, and when I have food stuck in my teeth. Picks at work, floss at home.

6. Do you use mouthwash a) daily, b) when you need it, c) never?

I use mouthwash on my mouthguard only. 

7. Are there magazines in your bathroom?

There is a giant stack in the powder room, but I read books in the actual bathrooms.

8. Is there bar soap or liquid soap on your bathroom sink? 

I haven't bought bar soap in approximately 3 decades, except for the laundry sink (LAVA). I do have a gifted fancy hand-made bar in the powder room right now though, dug up from the stacks of stuff on my kitchen counter last month.

9. What kind of soap is in your shower?

This stuff: 

10. Now for the most important question: does the toilet paper drape over or under?

The only Cat in the house is me, so it's always over.

New Thursday 13

(Link in meme-roll)

My 'Next' 13 Books, According to GoodReads

1. Wrecked (IQ, #3), by Joe Ide
2. God's Ghostwriters: Enslaved Christians and the Making of the Bible, by Candida Moss
3. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line, by Deepa Anappara
4. All Rivers Run to the Sea, by Elie Wiesel
5. Looking for History on Highway 14, by John E. Miller
6. Open and Shut (Andy Carpenter, #1), by David Rosenfelt
7. The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians, by N.T. Wright
8. The Last Survivor: Legacies of Dachau, by Timothy W. Ryback
9. The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis
10. Evil: A Primer: A History of a Bad Idea from Beelzebub to Bin Laden, by William Hart
11. Damn Near Dead: An Anthology of Geezer Noir (edited by Duane Swierczynski)
12. The Polysyllabic Spree, by Nick Hornby
13. القرآن الكريم (the Qur'an)

The key for colors: 

• Black font means it'll probably get bumped down so I don't drown in Sad or Heavy. Keep in mind I have approximately 430 titles on my next/TBR lists, and those titles do not include the piles of books in the house that I need to slot in
• Tan font means those will probably make the cut on the Actual IRL Next List
• Green font is the Maybe, We'll See pair. I've been moving the Qur'an down the list for literally years. Maybe I'll just buckle down and do it this spring/summer 

I just finished a (very good) book about early Christianity so I need a break from that for awhile. I'm sure there will be a Michael Connelly that finds its way into the mix--I've been plowing through his backlist for eons, reading them in order with lots of breaks because they are often really dire; the most recently finished one came out in 2011.

Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll) 

Misc questions 

1. Which is more romantic: an expensive, glittering bouquet OR flowers that were hand picked as they grew beside the parkway? 

I am far from fussy, especially these days. But I'm less likely to sneeze at greenhouse flowers.

2. Do you know yourself well enough to understand why you feel the way you do? 

Years of therapy have helped with this.

3. Which do you do more often: let movies, songs and books put your feelings into words for you or put your feelings into words by yourself? 

Of late, it's been "feel the feelings all the time." I don't really see too many movies and reading has been hard this year.

4. Do you believe celebrities when they are endorsing a product? 

I don't pay a lot of attention to ads, and I'd like to think the person in the ad means nothing, but I just got stung by ThirdLove so I guess I do sometimes.

5. What kind of movies do you wish were made more often?

Good ones. It would be nice if we (the audience) would refuse to see the crappy ones.

6. Does fashion matter to you? 

Not really.

7. Should politicians be held to the same legal standards as everyone else? 

Of course they should! Some might argue they should be held to a higher standard.

8. If you became president, whom would you invite to sing at your inauguration? 

My go-to would be a classmate of Sparky's who sings at our church. But I have no interest in running for any office whatsoever.

9. Do you try to write/say what you are feeling in a true and simple way? 

Yes.

10. What is your worst daily habit? 

Sleeping. I just got up from an afternoon nap.

11. If you had your choice which one TV show would you have canceled? 

If I never heard another word about the whole "Game of Thrones" debacle, it will be too soon.

12. Do you like the taste of sweet or salt? 

I strongly prefer sweet, but I'm currently eating salted peanuts.

13. Are you very precise about what words you use to describe your feelings and thoughts?

I try to be. They aren't always read or heard precisely, though.

14. What do you feel the most guilty about? 

Presupposing I feel guilty about anything (a pretty solid presupposition in my case, but still....), I had a long moment of "why isn't Beasty living here?" this morning.

15. Do you meditate?

Not as such. I ponder, I pray, I focus on the clock ticking...

Sunday Stealing

January

Taken from League of Extraordinary Penpals 

1. What are your plans for January? 

I have no big plans. I need to do the annual guardianship report for the courts this week. I get installed as an elder in front of the (Zoom) congregation next Sunday. I am desultorily shopping for Sparky's birthday present.

2. What do you want to see happen in 2021? 

I would like to see Biden surprise me with being less of a centrist than he clearly is.

3. What would you give a 5 star rating? 

Medical professionals.

4. Do you have writing goals for 2021? 

Just this sort of thing. I'm de facto editor for Sparky's writing, so that, too.

5. How do you feel about memoirs? 

I think they are probably really therapeutic to write. Many don't need to be published, and fewer are useful for anyone else.

6. If you could join any musical group who would you choose? 

The Go-Gos. The Bangles. The Spice Girls. Basically, girl groups, preferably managed by women.

7. What are your favorite genres across all media? 

I like suspenseful reads and movies. Not gory, especially not movies, but well-written twisty stuff.

8. What candle scents are your favorite? 

"Clean" scents. I've got a STRONG vanilla one going right now.

9. How well can you mimic other accents or voices? 

I do it mostly unconsciously, and often.

10. What books are on your TBR list in 2021? 

I'm in a a Michael Connelly and Louise Penny phase right now, and I'm struggling to read anything very deep, so it's looking like a lot of pretty formulaic mysteries otherwise.

11. When do you decide it’s time to upgrade/buy something new? 

When whatever-it-is stops working right, or just gets very worn out, or holey.

12. Why is your favorite color your favorite color? 

Blue. Forever and always.

13. Who understands you the best? 

lol--no one
Maybe you-all?

14. Do you write letters? 

Not anymore. Occasional emails and lots of texts.

15. How do you keep going when times are hard?

Guilt over failing other people.

Saturday 9

(Link in meme-roll)
Shake It Off (2014)
Unfamiliar with this week's song. Hear it here.

1) This song makes Crazy Sam want to dance. What song inspires you to get on your feet?

There are a lot. Today I was chair dancing with Beast to Chubby Checker's The Twist while he waited for lunch. He was rolling his eyes at me, but he did get into it a little at least; I kept threatening to get him on his feet and do it properly, but he wasn't at all up for that.

2) Paul McCartney met Taylor Swift at the SNL 40 Anniversary special and told her he really enjoys playing and singing this song. What's the last song you sang along with?

This one. I just watched the video; cute. I like the song for all it's fluffiness. Before that, I seem to recall singing along to Nina Simone's version of Mood Indigo in the car earlier today.

3) The lyrics tell us Swift "shakes off" nasty gossip and unfair criticism. What about you? Do you worry about what others think of you?

I don't care at all, with a few exceptions: my boss, my son, and a couple of others.

4) Her parents are big music fans, and were going to name their baby (boy or girl) "Taylor" after their favorite artist, James Taylor. Can you think of a singer that your mom and/or dad really enjoyed?

Heh, I could have been named after Eydie Gorme if my parents had been in the right mood (not at all likely, btw).

5) She grew up on an 11-acre Christmas tree farm. Do you get a fresh tree every year, or do you have an artificial tree, or do you not put up a tree at all?

I have two fake trees (unless Sparky already took one) but I haven't put one up the last two years. Hasn't been very festive.

6) Taylor Swift is 5'10". According to the CDC, the average American woman is 5'4" while men are, on average, 5'9". Are you taller or shorter than average?

I'm closer to Taylor's height than the "average" although this may soon switch as I am shrinking. I am, today, taller than my husband whose head was on my shoulder today as we transferred from chair to bed.

7) She enjoys good, old fashioned mysteries, especially those by Agatha Christie. Are you currently reading a book for pleasure?

I'm reading three, er, four nonfiction books right now. The one I just put down is The Penguin Book of Hell. The others are slightly less intense.

8) Her brother Austin is a freelance photographer who took the official pictures for her 2008 concert tour. Who took the last photo of you?

Good God, I have no idea! Most likely it was a selfie with Beast. Unless you count the video call Sparky and I had on Tuesday.

9) Random question: What's your go-to comfy outfit?

I'm currently in yoga pants and a T (no bra). It's pretty effective as far as comfort.

Friday 56

(Link in meme-roll)
Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url.
*It's that simple.

"And I guess it's true that he's awfully well fed these days," I went on. "And that he won't tell me how." We went a few more steps. "And that he thinks of himself as a monster. And that he got sick and tired of trying to be human."
We crossed the street in silence.
When I got to the other side, I stopped at looked at Murphy. "Shit."

Technically, I've finished this book, but it's sitting here waiting to go back to the library and I'm lazy. 😏

Friday 56

(Link in meme-roll)
Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post [on Freda's page] in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url.
*It's that simple.

"Born August 3, 1870, Carrie would always be slight and frail, perhaps due to her mother's exposure to malaria, associated with material anemia and low birth weight."

Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)
Conversation Starters

1. What are some small things that make your day better?

Absurdity. Laughing about silly things. When you realize you're on a roll/in the zone. Hugs. Getting a big, looming project finished.

2. What shows are you into?

I mostly only watch reruns of M*A*S*H and Criminal Minds, and (when I remember) Live PD these days. Most of my sitting-around time is currently spent on listening to podcasts. I'm afraid I've become rather addicted.

3. What TV channel doesn’t exist but really should?

You mean we haven't covered all the aspects of the world yet? Because it certainly feels like, at it's all boring.

4. Who has impressed you most with what they’ve accomplished?

Lots and lots of people. Frankly, most people I know. I would say that anyone over the age of 50 with a sense of humor, and anyone over the age of 75 who is kind and not 100% self-involved; those people are amazing.

5. What age do you wish you could permanently be?

8 was good. Can I add just a dash more self-confidence to me at that age, though?

6. What TV show or movie do you refuse to watch?

I can't get through A Clockwork Orange; I can't even get through the first 10 minutes. Also ANY horror movie. Just NOPE.

7. What is something that is considered a luxury, but you don’t think you could live without?

Seriously, literally, could not live without? I don't actually have anything luxurious that I couldn't, indeed haven't, lived without. Also, who is doing the considering here? I mean, I see a lot of homeless people at work would probably would love to have my "luxurious" furnace currently warming my house to a temperature that means I don't have to worry about frostbite on my naked hands.

8. What’s your claim to fame?

Speaking too soon.

9. What’s something you like to do the old-fashioned way?

The age I'm at now, I guess mashing potatoes with an electric mixer is "old-fashioned" right? Otherwise, I guess it's probably something like not buying things on credit.

10. What’s your favorite genre of book or movie?

Mysteries. I love me some mysteries. Give me a good mysterious dead body with a clever and interesting detective in the vicinity, and I'm in.

11. How often do you people-watch?

Every day. People are fascinating. There's no getting around that fact.

12. What have you only recently formed an opinion about?

My part in furthering racism. I'd like to say it's nothing to do with me, but I gotta get real: I've benefited from the ingrained unfairness of our current system, at least as much as it has harmed me.

13. What are you interested in that most people haven’t heard of?

Very early Christian history, like the years between Jesus' birth and the first time any of the New Testament was actually written down.

14. What’s the farthest you’ve ever been from home?

Beijing.

15. What is the most heartwarming thing you’ve ever seen?

On a regular basis, interactions between dogs and their human family/ies make my heart happy.

16. What is the most annoying question that people ask you?

At work: "I'm looking for a book...." (first of all, it's not a question; second of all, I am surrounded by 154,000 of them so WTF really?)
Outside of work: "How's Beast?" from people who are within half an hour of where he's living and haven't bothered to visit him in the past 6 weeks.

17. What could you give a 40-minute presentation on with absolutely no preparation?

Assorted podcasts, the Dewey Decimal system, MARC cataloging rules, the medical/insurance/healthcare situation in our country, how awesome kids are (and by kids, I mean anyone my son's age and younger).

18. If you were dictator of a small island nation, what crazy dictator stuff would you do?

I'd probably enforce a Drop Everything And Read period for the entire population every day for like at least 20 minutes. Quiet, and reading, everyday. Fines if you don't do it. I could set it up like the IRS, only in reverse: you can earn credits for reading more regularly, and trade them in for coffee and chocolate.

19. What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives?

As an adult, be completely dependent on someone else (preferably someone you love who loves you) for at least 3-4 days. And the obverse: have another adult be completely dependent on YOU for some period of time. Both are deeply moving and eye-opening experiences.

Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)
Monday Morning Meme

1. How has your life most benefited from the Internet? Whether it’s meeting people, cutting business overhead, finding rare collectibles, or simply sharing funny cat pictures, share how the web has made life easier.

I've been able to connect with all kinds of people I would normally never have met. That is the best part of the internet as a whole. And I can choose not to engage with people online who are jerks, unlike real life.

2. How do you deal with negative comments on your blog?

Depends on what kind of negativity. If it's insanity, I just delete it. If it's conversational, I'll conversate.

3. There’s never enough time, is there? What would you do with an extra three hours today?

Sleep. It's always about sleep.

4. The getaway car is waiting outside – where is it taking you?

Anywhere. Honestly, but I can only be gone for about 12 hours and then I need to get back to work.

5. Who was your "arch enemy" in high school? Do you have any enemies today?

I tried :hard to not be on anyone's radar in high school. To be honest, by the time high school rolled around, I didn't really worry too much. Grade school was a whole different story; there was this kid named Paul who hated me....

6. You’re giving the keynote address to the graduating seniors of a high school today. What’s your advice to them?

Prioritize, and enjoy the ride.

7. Thinking of words of wisdom: What's the worst advice you've ever received?

"Be yourself" when I was young. WTH? I had no idea who I was so this was completely unhelpful!

8. Tell us about the best summer vacation you EVER had.

I spent 5 weeks with my oldest sister Ellen and her family in 1975 while my parents went overseas to visit Jean and Reg for the first time. It was the best 5 weeks of my childhood.

9. What do you have to have with you when you travel? Why?

My meds, and about thirty other practical things.

10. Would you accept $1,000,000 tax free, if it meant you had to leave the country and never come back?

Absolutely!

11. Do you believe the world will be a better, or worse, place 100 years from now?

I have to believe that it will be better than it is right now.

12. Do you expect to buy a new winter coat this year?

Nope. No money for that.

13. If you could spend one year in perfect happiness but afterward would remember nothing of the experience, would you do so?

Nope. It's all about the memories for me.

+ + + + + + + + +

A Book Meme

1. Do you prefer hardcover, paperback, or Kindle...and why?

Overall, I'd rather read a hardcover, but it's not like I refuse to read ebooks or paperbacks (or audiobooks for that matter). Why? I can block open a hardcover on a counter easier than a paperback or reader.

2. If I were to own a book shop I would call it ...

I wouldn't own a bookstore. I wouldn't be a good seller of anything at all.

3. My favorite quote from a book (mention the title) is ...

“Hell is — other people!” ―Jean-Paul Sartre (No Exit)

4. The author (alive or dead) I would love to have lunch with would be ...

Sartre would actually be an interesting choice. He'd probably want to smoke though. Yuck.

5. If I was going to a deserted island and could only bring one book, except for the SAS survival guide, it would be ...

I wouldn't be bringing books. I'd be too busy trying to do things like eat and get rescued.

6. I would love someone to invent a bookish gadget that ...

... corrected all the typos and grammar issues in books. It's so distracting when an author uses the wrong word.

7. The smell of an old book reminds me of ...

... allergies. Really, I only sniff brand-new books. Old books are full of mold and dust and god-only-knows what else.

8. If I could be the lead character in a book (mention the title), it would be ...

... Alice in Wonderland. Although I do feel as if I'm there more often than not.

9. The most over-rated book of all time is...

... just about anything by Hemingway. Or Flaubert.

10. I hate it when a book...

... can't get itself started until page 100 or later. Ugh!!

Saturday 9

(Link in meme-roll)
Turn Me Loose (1959)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Fabian sings he has change in his pocket. Every evening, Sam puts her change in the piggy bank on her kitchen counter. Do you do anything special with your coins? Or do they just jingle/jangle in your wallet or pocket until you spend them?

Pennies either go in my cup-holder in the car or into a penny jar by the register if there is one. Everything else just lives in my wallet till it's spent.

2) Fabian got his start because his neighbor in Philadelphia owned a record label and thought 14-year-old Fabian had the looks to be a teen idol. Tell us about a time recently when you were in the right place at the right time.

The last few weeks have seen that happen a few times, though not necessarily ME being in the right place. Certain others have been though.

3) His record label paid Fabian $30 week to study singing after school. What jobs/chores did you have when you were in high school? Did they prepare you for your eventual career?

I worked for about a year and a half at my local public library shelving books, and since you can still occasionally find me shelving books in a library, I'd say it totally did prepare me. Chores? Nothing much, just keeping out of trouble.

4) In 1959 he appeared on the cover of now-defunct magazines like Teen Screen and Dig. Who and what did you read about when you were a teenager?

I read Tiger Beat and Teen Beat. Still have a ton of those photos in a scrapbook too!

5) In the 1960s he moved from singing to acting. In 1965 he appeared in Ten Little Indians, a screen adaptation of an Agatha Christie mystery. Have you ever read an Agatha Christie book?

I'm pretty sure I've read ALL of her books, most of them more than once.

6) In 1973, in an attempt to jumpstart his career, he appeared nude in Playgirl magazine. By the time it hit the newsstands, he regretted it. Tell us about a time you were very embarrassed.

I think I gave up embarrassment for Lent a decade or so back.

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, naked feet! :) And my toesies are a little chilly, but I'm not a big fan of sox. And I'm wearing roll-up trousers that aren't rolled up on my legs.

8) 1959 also saw the premiere of The Twilight Zone on CBS. 58 years later, you can still see the show in reruns. Are you a fan?

I mean, I'll watch it if it's on, but I don't seek it out.

9) Random Question: While we're talking about TV ... Sam finds it disturbing that her brother claims he's seen every episode of Bad Blood, a show devoted to family members who have murdered their relatives. Do you enjoy "true crime" reality shows?

I like some of them. Some of them I like despite the wooden voice-overs and bad acting, but some of them are good. This one sounds a little exploitative.

Friday 5

(Link in meme-roll)
Sandwich or Nah?

1. Why is or isn’t a hot dog a sandwich?

   Well, it really IS a sandwich, though it's not what I think of when I think of "sandwich." It's a little too round to be a sandwich, the definition of a sandwich in my worldview. It's just semantics, though, in the end.

2. Why is or isn’t a hamburger a sandwich?

   My dad often called them "hamburger sandwiches" so I have no problem with calling a burger that.

3. Why is or isn’t a wrap a sandwich?

   Again, it's that non-flatness that makes me pause, but I call it a sandwich when I eat one anyway.

4. Why are or aren’t Oreos and ice cream sandwiches sandwiches?

   But they are! They are sandwiches from heaven!!

5. Why does or doesn’t listening to an audio book count as reading the book?

   Speaking as a librarian, and an audiobook reader, I have to tsk tsk you and say "Of course they are both books!" You get the story in slightly different ways, but it's still literature. Like myths are literature, right? Besides, audiobooks are the reason I have managed to finish a lot of books I hated in high school!!

The whole time I was answering the sandwich questions, I could hear my mom's voice going on about sandwiches in my head. Man, she was T I R E D of sandwiches by the time she hit 50! I'm not even sure what her beef (ha ha ha) was with them, only that she complained about them being immensely boring. Funny that I'd forgotten all about that till just now.

Saturday 9

(Link in meme-roll)
 I Will Never Let You Down (2017)
... because Smellyann recommended Fastball
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Fastball is a trio from Austin, Texas. Austin is the capital of Texas. When you were in school, did you have to memorize the state capitals?

I didn't have to, but I did have them memorized by the time I was in 2nd grade. I still know most of 'em. It comes in handy periodically.

2) Have you ever visited your state's capital?

Yep. I was there in town about 18 months ago, and I saw the Capitol itself 19 years ago. I'm not going back till there are some grownups running the state. We've had nothing but NOTHING since our current governor was elected. The state is in SERIOUS financial trouble, and they are just diddling around, but getting paid. That needs to stop.

3) Fastball played dates throughout Canada this past spring. When did you last leave the US of A?

Last September we were in the U.K. for a family wedding.

4) Tony Scalzo is a founding member of Fastball. He's the singer in the video for this song, and that's his wife, Jennifer, playing the organizer of the speed-dating event. Have you ever gotten a job because you knew somebody?

That's kind of how I got the job I have now. Ah, the good old days of not posting jobs....never gonna happen nowadays. [insert current workplace griping and gossip here]

5) In this pitch to a perspective lover, he admits he doesn't have much money. Last time you went to the ATM, how much did you withdraw?

I always get $300. I use cash at Aldi's and most fast-food places, as well as haircuts and Walgreen's, etc., so I go through it in a couple of weeks.

6) He sings that at times, his mind is hazy. Do you have a good memory for names?

I'm great with names! I totally SUCK at faces and at matching names with the right faces. It's pathetic.

7) Fastball guitarist Miles Zuniga admits that he once had a crush on Carrie Fisher (aka Princess Leia). Tell us about one of your one-sided love affairs, either with a celebrity or someone you knew in real life.

Oh, I had it BAD for Andy Gibb back in the day (c. 1978). Giant poster of him shirtless on my wall. Remember this was the era of super-tight pants, too, so I'm actually surprised in hindsight at my parents' forbearance. It really was heartbreaking when he died, less than 10 years later.

8) Fastball's drummer Joey Shuffield is partial to drums from Pork Pie Percussion. This company was started by Bill Detamore, who began making drums as a hobby. Do you have any hobbies that, under the right circumstances, could make you money?

Nope. Well, I mean, I suppose if I was really motivated and needy, I could make money blogging or Facebooking, or reading (?), but then I'm not sure it would be fun anymore at that point.

9) The fast ball is the most common pitch in major league baseball. Now that the MLB season is past the halfway mark, how is your baseball team doing?

I don't have "a team." And shouldn't baseball season end (and start, for that matter), in warm temperatures by the way?? OK, that's just a tiny chip from the iceberg of disdain I feel about baseball. (Sorry, Gal--but fans are not part of the disdain, so ...)

Friday 5

(Link in meme-roll)
Grabby

1. There’s a convenience store nearby and you have a small case of the munchies. What do you grab?

   If it's hot out, I'll probably get Cheetos or chips. If it's winter, chocolate.

2. You’re about to get on a plane and someone just stole all your reading material, but there’s a newsstand nearby. What magazine (of likely available titles) do you grab?

   I always stock up on trashy gossip rags: Us, People, Star, etc., when I go on a trip.

3. On a regular work day, where do you grab lunch and what do you get if you don’t bring a lunch from home?

   I've become a recent devotee of Wendy's. Good burgers, but also really good salad, BIG drinks, and they serve diet Dr. Pepper!

4. Instead of a lunch, you decide you need a quick nap during your workday. Where can you grab 40 winks?

   I will go to the park, or the cemetery, near my workplace, park and either kick back in the car, or get out and lie in the grass if it's super-hot. If I can't leave the building, I have tried napping in the workroom, but we have zero comfortable furniture, so I have to be wiped out to achieve a Power Nap.

5. How close to your head is your cell phone when you’re asleep in bed?

   It's within a foot or so of my head with only the phone volume turned up. I use it for my alarm clock, so it has to be pretty close so I can hear it through the earplugs.

Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)
The Q & A Questions

1. where is your significant other?

About 10 feet away from me in his recliner eating M&Ms, watching golf, and reading the news. Probably throwing heat into his back as well. He's quite the multitasker, my Beastie.

2. your favorite thing?

WHERE is it? I'm not even sure I HAVE a favorite thing that can be located. OK, I kind of OD'd on my mom's day gift Friday: The Hamilton Mixtape. I've got all the songs buzzing around my head in confusion this weekend. The actual CD is currently in the car.

3. your dream last night?

I don't remember anything from last night. Of late, Beast is the one having all the weird dreams. Mine have been unmemorable, literally.

4. your goal?

I don't "do" goals.

5. your hobby?

Reading. Although of late, I've been doing more napping and noodling on the Internet.

6. where do you want to be in 6 years?

I'd like to be right here. I have a feeling, however, that we'll need to move to a flat house (i.e. a ranch) in that time frame because of Beast's health issues. We'll see. It's not something I want to do, certainly.

7. where were you last night?

I was here on the sofa till about 8:30 when we went to bed.

8. what you're not?

I'm not a lot of things: short, stupid, male, African... In fact, I'm probably more NOT than AM.

9. one of your wish list items?

I had to go look at my wish list on Amazon. I'll go with this: Cartier Zeste de Soleil Eau de Toilette Spray

10. your pet?

Pinto Bean the guinea pig is what we have left. How will I answer this question when he's gone??

11. missing someone?

I was seriously missing Dad this morning at church. We sang a song that never fails to remind me of him.

12. your car?

Is blue.

13. something you're not wearing?

Sox.

14. love someone?

Do I? Yes.

15. when is the last time you laughed?

About 5 minutes ago when our neighbor kid came to the door and peered in. He was finishing up mowing and he'd already come to the door about 4 times today, so I laughed and told him, "Just come in; you basically live here now."

16. last time you cried?

Friday? Definitely Thursday. No Kleenex in the ER, either--I was handed a stack of gauze pads.

17. favorite past time?

Sleep.

18. are you a hater or a lover?

I'm working hard on removing hate from the equation, so the default is lover. Truthfully, I'm aiming more at "don't care, don't matter."

19. any vices?

Yeah, I'm not mastering this "eating healthy" thing at all.

20. favorite questions blog other than Sunday Stealing?

Saturday 9, Friday 5, Unconscious Mutterings. There are some weekday ones I'd like to do, but I just do not have the energy/time for them. Many of my favorites are listed in the Memeroll to the right.

Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)
The Unknown Author Questions

1. if someone wanted to really understand you, what would they read, watch, and listen to?

You'd have to read a lot of history, mysteries (everything but cozies) and "good" lit. You'd have to watch lots of (true and fictional) crime shows, and medical docs. I listen to almost everything. That one's pretty easy.

2. have you ever found a blogger who thinks just like you? if so, who?

Kwizgiver and I seem to be on the same wavelength fairly often. Except on football teams and coffee. ;-)

3. list your fandoms and one character from each that you identify with.

I don't really do fandoms. I like ST and my favorite characters of those series I've seriously watched are Bones, Picard, Kira, and Janeway.

4. do you like your name? is there another name you think would fit you better?

My name is good. At this point, having to switch to listening for another one would be difficult.

5. do you think of yourself as a human being or a human doing? do you identify yourself by the things you do?

Hah. I'm a human. I don't worry about doing and being unless it's a Frank Sinatra tune (do-be-do-be-do).

6. are you religious/spiritual?

I'm churchy. I think we're all spiritual beings, but not everyone connects with that part of them often.

7. do you care about your ethnicity?

Do I care?? I'm aware of it. I don't spend a lot of time dwelling on changing it.

8. what musical artists have you most felt connected to over your lifetime?

U2, Melissa Etheridge, Howard Jones, Annie Lennox, Alison Moyet....

9. are you an artist?

I can do a mean stick figure, and lots of abstract stuff. I don't think I'm overly artistic in the traditional sense, however.

10. do you have a creed?

Lately, it's "don't be a dick."

11. describe your ideal day.

I started to write some stuff, but really I've found that good days are what you make of them, and being open to surprises is key.

12. dog person or cat person?

I'm definitely a dog person. But since I'm allergic to both cats and dogs, it's not in the cards.

13. inside or outdoors?

I've become mostly an indoor person. Allergies.

14. are you a musician?

Amateur only.

15. five most influential books over your lifetime.

In no particular order: The Bible. Traveling Mercies (Anne Lamott). A Marginal Jew, v. 1 (John Meier). The Laura books. Nicholas & Alexandra (Robert Massie). There are dozens of others.

16. if you’d grown up in a different environment, do you think you’d have turned out the same?

No I do not think so. Everything that has happened in my life has made me who I am. Change one thing and the whole Jenga collapses.

17. would you say your tumblr is a fair representation of the “real you”?

I don't do Tumblr--though, come to think of it, I guess I have one that I seriously have never used--but this blog gives you a decent idea of what goes on in my head.

18. what’s your patronus?

I think J.K. Rowling's site told me it was a rodent of some kind. Squirrel maybe? Or ferret? Seems fitting.

19. which Harry Potter house would you be in? or are you a muggle?

Being an American, I'd be a no-maj not a muggle, but I'm more or less solidly Hufflepuff.

20. would you rather be in Middle Earth, Narnia, Hogwarts, or somewhere else?

It would be fun to visit Hogwarts, but overall, I like here best.

21. do you love easily?

I don't even know for sure what this means. I probably do, but it doesn't seem "easy" to me. Or hard. It just seems like me.

22. list the top five things you spend the most time doing, in order.

Sleeping. Worrying/Feeling guilty. Working. Doing online stuff (Facebook, this, email, etc.). Reading.

23. how often would you want to see your family every year?

I see some family member or other 4-6 times a year, usually in packs, like coyotes. LOL There have been years of my life when no one lived nearby when I only saw family once or twice a year. It's not that I don't like them, but short visits go a long way for me. And there isn't anyone less than an hour away, and some are an 8-hour plane trip and 4-hour drive away.

24. have you ever felt like you had a “mind-meld” with someone?

Beast and I occasionally feel that way. We've known each other for 35 years, so we have but to look at each other sometimes to know what the other person is thinking.

25. could you live as a hermit?

Not permanently. There are days, even a few weeks, when it sounds positively heavenly, but I need people to talk to at some point.

26. how would you describe your gender/sexuality?

I'm cis-gendered female.

27. do you feel like your outside appearance is a fair representation of the “real you”?

Nope. I'm absolutely not this old, nor is the real me this fat.

28. on a scale from 1 to 10, how hard is it for someone to get under your skin?

Depends on who and what they're trying on. I'm probably an 8 in public/with the public, and maybe a 5 with people I know and care about.

29. three songs that you connect with right now.

These are the three that popped into my mind first: "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (Stevie Wonder)--no clue why, today, when it's cold, windy and cloudy outside. "Short People" (Randy Newman)--because one of the drivers in the race is named Newman. "Amazing Grace"--because it's always floating near the top.

30. pick one of your favorite quotes.

“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.” ―James Baldwin

Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)
The Kathy Aay Questions

1. What is the meaning of your blog’s name?

I've answered that before. Here's one of the times (scroll down to "Rumpelstiltskin"--that was a fun meme!).

2. Why did you start your blogging?

Because in 2004, everyone was doing it. To be honest, I was only going to track my reading. Things rapidly got out of control.

3. What’s your usual bedtime?

I'll be sacking out as soon as the race starts. Oh, you mean at night? I'm usually lights-out by 10.

4. Are you lazy?

Eminently so!

5. Do you miss anyone right now?

I've weirdly been missing my sister Jean and my mom both this week. They are sort of linked in my head anyway--LONG story--but usually I don't get the waa-waas at the same time.

6. How would you describe your fashion sense?

Nonexistent. I'm all about jeans and T-shirts.

7. What are your nicknames?

"Miss", "Ma'am", "Excuse me" seem to be the big ones.

8. Are you a patient person?

I'm so much better than I used to be at this! Only knowing where I came from would you ever think today that I'm at all patient.

9. Are you tight-fisted or frivolous?

Of late, VERY tight-fisted.

10. What magazines do you read?

Entertainment Weekly, Ms., Bookmarks and I page through a couple of others when I have time.

11. Are you stubborn?

Er, yeah. For sure.

12. When is your birthday?

About 7.5 months from now.

13. What book are you currently reading?

Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders, by Joshua Foer

14. What phone do you have?

It's a Samsung, about 2 years old.

15. Do you have any pets?

PintoBean is still hanging on, currently noshing on lettuce and living the wild life.

16. Do you have siblings?

I do.

17. Any children or grandchildren?

Just Sparky. He assures me that he'll start having kids by the time he's 30. I'm not sure what the plan is, but as Mom, I'm used to being the last to know.

18. What do you order at Starbucks?

Nothing. Or black tea if it's cold outside.

19. What did you do for your last birthday?

Not . A . Damn . Thing.

20. What’s your occupation?

I'm a librarian, specifically, a cataloger.

21. Do you live in the country or the city?

I live on what someone once called a "house farm" in that we'rd kind of in the country, and this whole development used to be a farm field about 20 years ago. I drive through the country to get anywhere, though.

Sunday Stealing

(Link in meme-roll)
The Disappearing Questions

1. Last movie you saw in a theater?

We saw "La La Land" last weekend. We were underwhelmed, to say the least. No clue why it's getting accolades--except that it's a movie about how wonderful Hollywood is. But it's not that good.

2. What book are you reading?

Blotto Twinks And The Riddle Of The Sphinx, by Simon Brett; Where the Shadows Lie, by Michael Ridpath; The Oxford Book of English Detective Stories, (ed. by Patricia Craig); Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets, by Svetlana Alexievich.

3. Favorite board game?

Trivial Pursuit. Or Life.

4. Favorite magazine?

Ms.

5. Favorite smells?

Pine. "Clean." Vanilla.

6. Favorite sounds?

Giggling. Hymns. Wind.

7. Worst feeling in the world?

Pain. Pain in those I love is actually THE worst.

8. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?

It's a toss-up between "Can I snooze?", "What am I wearing today?" and "What stupid shit did SCROTUS to overnight?"

9. Favorite fast food place?

KFC, Arby's. and Taco Bell. Our TB has been closed since before Halloween. Just reopened at the end of last week. I can't WAIT to drive-thru this week!!).

10. Future child’s name?

There are no children in my future, except grandchildren. And I don't get to name those.

11. Finish this statement. “If I had lot of money I’d….?

"...spend more and still complain about being poor."

12. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?

I do. Elsie my library cat.

13. Storms – cool or scary?

It's a matter of scale, is it not? I don't mind some thunder-bangers, but I'm not a fan of tornado weather.

14. Favorite drink?

Diet Dr. Pepper. Mixed-drink? Stoli & tonic with a lime twist.

15. Finish this statement, “If I had the time I would….”?

"....travel much more often!"

16. Do you eat the stems on broccoli?

Yes. Well, more on cooked broccoli than raw, I guess.

17. If you could dye your hair any color, what would be your choice?

I'd like a nice electric blue, to be honest.

18. Name all the different cities/towns you’ve lived in?

Suburban Denver, suburban Milwaukee, and ex-urban Where-I-Live-Now.

19. Favorite sports to watch?

Football. Gymnastics.

20. One nice thing about the person who sent this to you?

I like Bud. He's funny, classy (usually, lol), smart, and interesting. And likes music.

21. What’s under your bed?

Dust, used Kleenex, electrical cords ... mostly dust.

22. Would you like to be born as yourself again?

Sure. Maybe I'd screw up less. Or differently. But I probably wouldn't have my memories to remind me of what worked.

23. Morning person, or night owl?

I prefer mornings overall.

24. Over easy, or sunny side up?

Over easy.

25. Favorite place to relax?

Up in the mountains in a meadow. Me and the sky and grass and sun.

26. Favorite pie?

Cherry? Banana-cream? Really, I just like pie.

27. Favorite ice cream flavor?

Birthday cake. Peppermint. Bubble gum. Or just plain vanilla with butterscotch topping.

28. Of all the people who play, how many of the posts do you usually read?

Depends how buried in other things I am. I'm unlikely to get very far today.

Saturday 9

(Link in meme-roll)
A Summer Place (1960)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song highlights the soundtrack from the movie A Summer Place, which is about two teenage lovers named Molly and Johnny. Did you ever have a youthful summer romance? If so, what was his/her name?

Not ... exactly. I had a Christmas Break romance, sort of, one year in college, for which I should probably have been arrested; he was younger than me and I was 18. Otherwise, no.

2) The "summer place" of the song/movie is a resort along the Maine coast. What "summer place" are you day dreaming about this winter morning?

Anyplace where the sun in shining! I don't even care what the temperature is at this point--I just need some sunshine.

3) In the movie, Johnny was played by Troy Donahue, who is remembered as nice looking but not terribly talented. Can you think of one of today's actors who you could describe as "nice looking but not terribly talented?"

So ... many ... choices ....

4) Molly is played by Sandra Dee, a perky blonde who was one of 1960's bankable movie stars. Two other blondes -- Doris Day and Debbie Reynolds -- joined Sandra Dee in the Top 10. The only brunette to sell a lot of movie tickets that year was Elizabeth Taylor. Do you believe men find blondes more attractive than brunettes or redheads?

I don't know. I think in commercial terms, yes, but I'm not sure about actual attraction. From my perspective, blond hair (in a guy) is "pretty" but I prefer darker-haired guys in terms of sex appeal or whatever.

5) "A Summer Place" was by far the best-selling record of 1960. Also in 1960, two brothers in Ypsilanti, Michigan, opened a pizza place called Dominick's. That was the beginning of a chain now known as Domino's. What's the last food you had delivered to your front door?

Pizza, but not Domino's! Never, ever. Partially because they don't deliver out here in the boonies, and partially because of the owners' politics. But they do have pretty good breadstick thingies... (people at work order from them for work-related stuff)

6) In 1965, one of the brothers sold his share of the business to his brother for cash so he could buy a VW Beetle. Tell us about a time you had buyer's remorse.

Almost every time I buy clothes these days. Nothing is comfortable, because it either pinches all the fatty parts of my or makes me look (shock!) fat.

7) In 1960, novelist Ernest Hemingway returned to the United States from Spain and settled in Ketchum, Idaho. Tell us about the last book you read. Was it a novel or non-fiction?

The literal last book I read from is Tooth and Nail by Ian Rankin. Rebus had just wakened up with a killer hangover and no member of his return to his hotel. The last book I finished is Nothing Short of Dying by Erik Storey. Good, a bit more violent than I normally appreciate, but set in some places I know fairly well.

8) In December, 1960, John F. Kennedy, Jr. was baptized in the Georgetown University Chapel. His godparents were Charles and Martha Bartlett, the couple who originally introduced young John's famous parents. Do you have godparents?

Not that I know of. I wasn't baptized till I was confirmed so I doubt that was a thing my dad was willing to do.

9) Random question: You're at dinner with a married couple who begins to fight. Would you intercede and try to make peace? Or would you just sit back stay out of it?

Depends on the topic of the argument and how much alcohol they've each put away. I've done both options. My instinct is to intervene, and I totally would if it looked like things were going towards violence, but often it's hard to know how to intervene without taking sides. Or appearing to take sides. I just know, either way, I'm going to feel icky the next day. We had friends do this while playing cards on vacation one night 10 or so years ago. He stormed off to bed. She stayed up and we continued playing for another half hour or so. In terms of who was right: he was. Too weird. I still feel icky about that one.