Friday 5

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Zihuatanejo

1. What could use a good shining?

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

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

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

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

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

4. Is anything feeling thinner these days?

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

5. What do you know about Maine?

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

Saturday 9

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On and On (1977)
Unfamiliar with this week's song. Hear it here.

1) This song describes the plight of "poor ol' Jimmy," who caught his girlfriend kissing someone else. Have you ever spied on a romantic partner?

Not really. I mean, what's the point? If a guy's gonna cheat, I don't need to watch. If he's not going to cheat there's no point in getting myself all worked up over nothing.

2) In this song, Stephen Bishop sings that he "smiles when he feels like dying." When did you recently put on a happy face, even though you really weren't all that happy?

Oh jeez. That describes my normal minute-by-minute life in public. Specifically, I guess it would be talking to Beast earlier this afternoon. It was a good conversation, but he was quite befuddled if more resigned than he normally is.

3) Stephen Bishop always wanted to be a musician, and as a child he began playing the clarinet. Did you take lessons -- dance, art, music -- as a child? If yes, did you take them because you enjoyed them, or because your parents made you take them?

I took piano as a kid, elementary-school age. I took up flute in 7th grade. Piano was Mom's idea; flute was mine, influenced by my friend who also played flute. I would have loved to take dance, but it just wasn't in the family "plan."

4) When he was 12, inspired by The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, he switched to the guitar and began writing songs. Tell us about someone or something that influenced your career path.

My older sister Jean was a librarian. She and my brother and I all worked as pages at our local public library as teens, and once I realized college wasn't going to last forever, I turned to the option of grad school and thus a career was born. Since then, one of my college roommates and my oldest niece have followed me into the field. I've occasionally nudged Sparky toward it too, but I think he's just heard too many stories from me.

5) Stephen Bishop attended Will C. Crawford High School in San Diego. This school requires students complete 20 hours of community service every year. Tell us about an organization, cause or campaign you volunteered for, either as a student or an adult.

I have worked with Habitat for Humanity, several urban renewal organizations (in several cities) and PDA. There's also P.E.O. and I guess I should include YouthWorks. Does my library count? lol

6) In 1977, when this song was popular, Seattle Slew won racing's Triple Crown. Sam's mother has always been afraid of horses. Is there an animal you're uncomfortable with?

I am a bit in awe of horses simply because they're so much bigger than me and have simply enormous teeth. I'm not afraid of them, just wary. And also bulls. I have no desire to piss off anything with horns.

7) Also in 1977, moviegoers waited in line for hours to see Star Wars. What's the longest line you waited in recently?

I was at the local SSA office yesterday. I gave up; those around me had been waiting over an hour and I was on my lunch break at work. Not a real line, just a room full of soullessness.

8) The mini-series Roots first aired in 1977. Today Americans are spending more time and money than ever to research ancestry. How far back can you trace your family tree?

My mom got back to the 18th century on her side. My dad always joked that we shouldn't look too close at his side for fear of finding horse thieves or murderers.

9) Random question: It's often said that nobody's perfect. How about you? What quality keeps you from being perfect?

Laziness kind of sums it up. It's the root of all the evil in my life.

I can't tell you how hearing this song took me right back to junior high! So weird...

Friday 5 x 3

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Pees

1. What’s something that recently required perseverance?

Walking through airports. I swear, we are nearly always at the farthest-away-from-anything-else gates!

2. What’s something that’s been unpleasantly persistent?

My insistence on jumping in and "saving" things...often things that don't necessarily need my interference in the first place.

3. When has practice not proven to make perfect?

There is no hope in hell of me every becoming a quiet, lady-like woman.

4. Where were you last required to exercise patience?

Tonight waiting for Beast to pick me up, waiting for a ride to pick Beast up--plans do change radically sometimes--driving to pick him up, driving him home...getting him to bed. And in not asking about the obviously FUBAR garage door when we pulled into the driveway.

5. How do you feel about peas?

I like fresh peas. Always have. Not canned ones--they are evil and should be banned.

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That’s My Fund-Day

1. What’s the last thing you didn’t want but purchased anyway because someone’s kid was raising funds for something?

I, fortunately, haven't been asked recently. Having said that 36 kids will show up on my doorstep this weekend.....

2. What’s something you’re always happy to buy when kids sell it as a fundraiser?

Chocolate!

3. What was the last fundraiser you participated in?

My nephew and his new bride sort of fundraised for their honeymoon trip rather than getting gifts or registering somewhere. They are not the registry sort, for one thing, and for another, many of the guests were all coming from (FAR) out of town, so they used Honeyfund and let us pick what we wanted to "buy" them.

4. What are your feelings about the endless cycle of fundraising?

I hate it. I hated having to sell Girl Scout cookies when I was a GS, so the growth in the industry doesn't please me.

5. What’s something people don’t sell as a fundraiser but really should?

Chores: weeding, cleaning, mowing, grocery shopping. I'd totally pay a kid to do this!

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All Over

1. What would you like right now to be coated with?

This sounds positively repellent! I want to be covered in a sheet and blanket for a year-long nap. That's all.

2. What’s something you recently slathered on something else?

I made a peanut butter sandwich the other day with way more peanut butter than I really ought to have used.

3. What’s something you purchased recently whose purpose is to cover something?

I purchased quite a few clothing souvenirs for myself and assorted others. I guess that counts, right?

4. What do your current bed linens look like?

Messy. They are sateen-striped sheets, pale blue with two dark tan pillowcases along with the usual matching two. And a blue bedspread with shells and so forth embroidered (embossed?) on it.

5. Under what circumstances did you last wear some kind of gloves?

I haven't worn gloves in 4-5 months and have no clear memory of precisely when the last time I wore them was. That time is coming around again. Guess I should hit the store and stock up--at my age you would think I could hang onto a pair of gloves for more than one season, wouldn't you?

Sunday Stealing

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This Year Meme

This Year:
A bad habit I'm going to break:

Popping off without thinking. I really have to get a handle on this.

A new skill I'd like to learn:

Oh, I don't know. Walking away? Managing my boss?

A person I'd like to be more like:

I'd like to get better at being my better self, honestly. Though there are several women at church who serve as good role models: Vel, Cheryl, Shel, Kel (what's with all the "l" names?), and of course there are several people in my life whose purpose seems to be primarily as reminders of what NOT to do!

A good deed I'm going to do:

I think I'll try being more mindful of starting a pay-it forward line when I'm in various drive-thrus in town.

A place I'd like to visit:

The parts of Missouri and Arkansas that were on our list for last October that had to be canceled. And maybe my nieces babies overseas.

A book I'd like to read:

I've decided that I am going to read Umberto Eco this year. First up: The Name of the Rose.

A letter I'm going to write:

I need to write Rosellen and Tom and apologize for 'outing' their news before they did it. I'm an idiot. (see the first question)

A new food I'd like to try:

I've heard that there's this kind of food group called "healthy" and I'm hoping to get better about eating it more regularly.

I'm going to do better at:

...keeping things from becoming overwhelming on the stack-and-do-later front at work and at home.

Friday 5, belated

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Holding

1. When did you recently experience a pleasantly delayed gratification?

   Birthday presents are a bit of that, aren't they? I got the starter set for Cards Against Humanity, which Sparky and I worked through last night. ;-)

2. What’s something you’d like to just fast-forward through in the next few weeks?

   Beast's pain, and probably his recovery. I'd like a memory-block too, since he's a total shithead when he's in pain in the evenings. Yes, I know it's the pain talking but the words are coming out of Beast's mouth.

3. What’s something in the next few weeks you’ll wish you could slow down so you can savor the experience?

   My days off this coming month. They go by TOO FAST.

4. What’s something that takes you a lot longer than it used to?

   Recovering from being on my feet all day on Thanksgiving!

5. What’s something you saved for later, but when later came, you decided you didn’t really want it?

   A lot of the stuff on my Amazon wishlist rotates off fairly regularly. Also random coupons and store discounts that lay around forever and eventually get thrown out.

Friday 5

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Wisdom

1. Some people say you should never mix business with friendship. What experience have you had that would either refute or confirm this wisdom?

   I'm very good friends with several people with whom I work. Sure, there are some occasional problems that crop up, but by and large, I spend more time with them than I do with anyone else in my life, so it's pretty natural. But, we aren't the kind of friends who hang out and party together after work very often. Or maybe that's just me.

2. Some people say you should never let ‘em see you sweat. What experience have you had that would either refute or confirm this wisdom?

   I think this is true in some instances, like doing an important presentations. Sometimes, though, it's perfectly ok to let people know you're struggling.

3. It is often said that you should never put off ’til tomorrow what you can do today. What experience have you had that would either refute or confirm this wisdom?

   I'm a Class A Procrastinator, which is really bad. Sometimes it catches up to me, but mostly I cover pretty well. If I had to go back to school and follow that kind of schedule, I'd be dead, though. There's no way I could finish the classwork.

4. It is often said that you should never get romantically involved with someone at work (there’s a cruder way of putting it, but I’m declining to use that selection of words). What experience have you had that would either refute or confirm this wisdom?

   I don't have personal experience myself, but I've seen it turn out ok, and I've seen it turn out very badly. More the latter than the former. And if the situation involves cheating on a spouse, it's NEVER good.

5. What piece of wisdom from your own life should be a catchy proverb for others to live by?

   Avoidance just makes the hard parts of life longer and harder.

Patrick's Place

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Saturday Six

1. W is for WAFFLE: Have you ever had the dish Chicken and Waffles? Love it or hate it?

It sounds hideous. I like each part, but separately please. This comes from a woman who, as a child, always freaked out when her meal components touched each other; beets and potatoes were a freakin' nightmare for me!

2. W is for WAGE: Do you think minimum wage should be raised to $15/hour nationally, and if it happened, do you think people would lose jobs because of it?

I think the minimum wage should be tied to local Consumer Price Indexes. New York City minimum wage should absolutely be $15/hour. In West Bejeezus in flyover country, that's probably not much less than what a lot of professionals (teachers, etc.) make, so it's patently ridiculous.

3. W is for WAITING: You’re sitting in a waiting room for some appointment and you see a stack of magazines: which magazine do you hope will be in the stack to keep you entertained?

Trashy ones, like Us and People. I don't want to read anything of substance, since I'm probably going to be interrupted in the middle of an article.

4. W is for WAIST: Is your waist size bigger, smaller, or the same as it was one year ago today?

I expect it's bigger, sad to say.

5. W is for WAR: Do you believe that there is never a valid reason for war or that there are times when war may be the only option remaining?

I think WWII was an instructive example of a just war. Generally, however, I'm not pro-war.

6. W is for WAYWISER: What is the longest distance you’ve traveled at one time?

We drove for 11 hours in March straight through to visit my sister and niece and families. And there were a few trips from Wisconsin to Milwaukee that were straight through too; that would be 16 hours plus stops for gas and food. One of the latter trips started well, but on a stop for dinner, we all drank the water and ended up with some kind of stomach thing all night all the way across Nebraska. Ugh.
It occurs to me that the longest trip I've ever taken in one big bite was probably US to USSR in 1985; that's 6000 miles in two flights, close to 14 hours of airtime (plus layover). And we left hours late, so that didn't help things either.

Friday 5

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Moving

1. When did you last move residences?

It was just over 8 years ago when we moved into this house. How do I know? Because it was October and just cooling off at night but still nice enough in the daytime, because I started my first blog just about 3 months later.
[Technically, however, I helped 'move residences' for someone else this past summer. And we moved Sparky into his dorm in August, of course.]

2. What song leaves you completely unmoved even though it seems everyone else is moved by it?

While I like the verse in Isaiah the lyrics were taken from, and I love the tune, I hate this song because of the stupid trees clapping their hands. Since when do trees have hands to clap?*
Also, what the heck is the woman in the freeze-frame of the video wearing??

3. On what kinds of mornings is it easiest for you to jump out of bed and get moving?

Mornings when something fun is coming up are really easy. Mornings when it's dark and cold and same-old/same-old are impossible.

4. What object do you get most annoyed about when people move it without letting you know?

It makes me nuts when people at work don't put things away when they aren't using them: supplies, their keys, copier paper (don't leave #*@&ing YELLOW paper in it when you're done!), the hole punch.... This is why I keep the majority of my daily supplies inside my desk; what's on top is free and clear to take (and people do take pens and scratch paper all the time), but do NOT take my last sticky note or good pencil!!
It's also annoying when Beast takes the paper recycling container out of the office while he's sorting receipts or whatever in front of the TV in the living room. Why is it that that is when I always need to throw stuff in it??

5. In what way are you waiting on someone else to make a move?

Right now I'm waiting for Beast to clean up the dining room of all the random stuff from the past few months' of chaos in our lives so we have a place to eat Thanksgiving dinner. He's working on it as I speak. Beyond that, I'm waiting for him to be healthy-ish again in the back department.
And I'm waiting for more light-bulbs to come on for Sparky as he continues in college. It's been fun watching him have little (and bigger) a-ha! moments these last few months.

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* Why yes, as a matter of fact, I am a literalist in some things. I blame poor translation for this, but it may just be that I'm insane and unable to get over myself.

Rock 'n Roll Fridays

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Tom Petty

1. AMERICAN GIRL: “Well, she was an American girl Raised on promises She couldn't help thinkin' That there was a little more to life somewhere else.”
Have you ever wanted to live somewhere else? Where?

Every year, right after Christmas, I desperately want to move anywhere the sun is shining. Doesn't even have to be warm, just sunny. I hate winter.

2. BREAKDOWN: “Honey, I get the feeling you wont. There is no sense in pretending Your eyes give you away, Something inside you is feeling like I do…”
Have you caught someone in a lie recently?

I have a sneaking suspicion (or two) about Sparky, but nothing concrete. Otherwise, I can't think of anything in particular.

3. YOU DON’T KNOW HOW IT FEELS: “People come, people go, Some grow young, some grow cold. I woke up in between, A memory and a dream.”
Do you live in the past?

Nope, I live in the Midwest.

4. THE WAITING: “The waiting is the hardest part, Every day you see one more card You take it on faith, you take it to the heart, The waiting is the hardest part.”
What have you had to wait for?

The future. Doctors. Beast. Sparky. Airlines.

5. STOP DRAGGIN MY HEART AROUND: “Baby you'll come knocking on my front door Same old line you used to use before. That's the game, well... what am I supposed to do I didn't know what I was getting into.”
Ever been a sucker?

All the time. I'm the quintessential sucker in so very many ways.

6. REFUGEE: “Honey, it dont make no difference to me, Baby, everybodys had to fight to be free…”
Have you ever been in a physical fight with another person?

Yes. Yes, I have. One as a child with another girl--yes, a friend. Coupla scuffles as an adult.

7. LAST DANCE WITH MARY JANE: “Last dance with Mary Jane, One more time to kill the pain, I feel summer creepin' in, And I'm tired of this town again…”
Have you ever tried marijuana or another illegal drug?

Uhm.... No. Nope. Never. Not me. Uh-uh.

8. INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN: “He met a girl out there with a tattoo too The future was wide open. They moved into a place they both could afford He found a night club he could work at the door.”
Have you done something on the spur of the moment that worked out fine?

It's really the way things work out the best sometimes. The hotel we stayed at on Ydra was pretty spur-of-the-moment. So was the truck I'm driving. Throwing the bag of trash at drunk people (which they had just thrown at us) was DEFinitely spontaneous.

9. HERE COMES MY GIRL: “Hey, here comes my girl, here comes my girl, Yeah, she looks so right, shes all I need tonight.”
What do you need besides your significant other tonight?

Well, that would be enough. He's due home in the next half hour. Beyond that, a shot of Bacardi, a bath, and then bed would work.

10. HARD ON ME: “Maybe if I tried, I could turn the other cheek, Maybe, but how big do I have to be? I need someone To put their arm around me Shelter me from all harm…”
What is the worst thing you have forgiven someone for?

Being married tends to make forgiveness rather imperative, and sometimes it's for Big Stuff. Otherwise...I can't think of anything else specific.

11. FREE FALLIN: “She's a good girl, loves her mama, Loves Jesus and America too She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis, Loves horses and her boyfriend too…”
What are 6 things you love or are crazy about?

Beast, Sparky, my friends (clumping them), my house, my job, and learning stuff.

12. EVEN THE LOSERS: “Baby, even the losers get lucky sometimes, Even the losers keep a little bit of pride. They get lucky sometimes.”
Have you ever been a loser?

Heh. Yeah. It's why I don't gamble.

13. SHADOW OF A DOUBT: “With that little certain something, she's a complex kid, And she's always been so hard to get around. She always likes to leave me with a shadow of a doubt.”
What is the shadiest advice you have ever been told?

There are SOOOooo many stupid myths about pregnancy. Some of my favorite is how to get yourself to go into labor: eat hot/spicy food, drive over railroad tracks, have sex, take long walks....yeah. I was induced.

Saturday 9

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Man on the Moon

1. Do you think it was important to send a man to the moon?

In terms of us learning so much more about our universe and planet, yes. Otherwise, it was a really giant waste of money.

2. What is your biggest fear?

Being found out.

3. If someone hung a sign around your neck today, what would it say and why?

"Wait till the last minute much??"

4. What is the longest line that you've stood in and was it worth it?

Dumbo @ DisneyWorld, for the second time. No. Well, ok, Sparky's face almost made it worthwhile.

5. As the holidays approach, what song are looking forward to hearing again?

"Do They Know It's Christmas" (Feed the World)

6. Whose music do you think is the most important of your generation's?

Uhm, hello: U2!

7. Do you find it is hard to be kind to strangers? Give an example.

No, it's almost easier: you don't have to be around them afterwards to deal with the fallout!

8. When do usually lose your patience?

Having had to repeat myself at least three times to an idiot usually does it for me.

9. Is there a book that you're dying to see as a movie?

Only those books I hate would I want to see as a movie, and even then...I wouldn't. The movie rarely gets it right.

Manic Monday

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What's the longest you've ever waited in line?

The longest lines I've ever waited in were at DisneyWorld. This is 90% of why I don't have any interest in returning to Disney, by the way. Why am I paying so damn much money to stand in one place with people I would prefer not to be caught dead with? OK, not all the people are idiots: just those bad apples who ruin it for everyone. I end up anticipating the idiot behavior even if/when there isn't any.

Anyway. The longest I've waited, standing in line not moving at all, was trying to get INto the Soviet Union at midnight in January 1985.

It's been said that, "The best things in life are free." Do you think this is true? Why or why not?

If we posit that the bottom two layers of Maslow's hierarchy of needs has been fulfilled, then yes. But it's fairly clear that a lot of people aren't getting those bottom two layers handled well, and since there's nothing free listed on either of them certainly the critical things in life aren't. I would contend that only those who aren't hungry, ill, injured, fearful, or naked can say that the best things in life are free. I also don't like the saying "Money isn't everything." Only people with money say that.

If you could go back in time and relive one day in your life, which day would you choose and why?

To enjoy: just a random summer day when I was very young, around age 5 or 6.
To redo: Sparky's birth. I'd be WAY less 'nice' about the whole thing! Oh, and I'd love to 'unsay' lots of things I've said over the years, too.