Flowers

 

Five Things

 

1. We had a week of extreme heat and weather advisories for storms, so I paid attention to the weather and stayed inside. I finished up a couple of books, The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans, and Expiration Dates, by Rebecca Serle.

2. Walked on the treadmill.

3. Went to Target and Home Depot.

4. Drove through Greenfield Industrial Park.

5. Regular chores such as laundry, dishes, changed the bed, etc.

In solidarity with federal workers, I started listing 5 things I did last week every Monday. I don't know if they still have to do that, but I have kept it up since it's a quick way to get something on the blog for Monday. Since I don't have a regular job, it's a fairly mundane list.

Sunday Stealing

Just Another Manic Monday

1. What is something you should throw away, but just can't bring yourself to part with?

A. My books. I have a lot of books on writing that I need to toss out. I haven't anywhere to put them except into the recycling bin, and I just can't bring myself to do that yet.

2. When you make yourself a sandwich, do you cut it on the diagonal, straight up the middle, or not at all?

A. I cut it in the middle.

3. What song or sound brings back memories of childhood?

A. A Bicycle Built for Two

4. Who is the first person you call when you have good news?

A. My husband. He's also the first person I call with bad news.

5. Have you ever set out on a walk in the rain?

A. I have. It was the only time I enjoyed walking around the city. The smell of the rain diminished the stink.

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Consider Me Gone

Saturday 9: Consider Me Gone (2009)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here. 

 

1) In this song, poor Reba McEntire confronts a lover who makes her feel like she's not good enough. Let's go in a more positive direction: Who in your life makes you feel happy and secure?

A. My husband and my friends. 

 

2) Reba hopes her lover will look back on her as someone who used to make him laugh. Who did you most recently laugh with?

A. My husband.

 

3) She was director James Cameron's first choice to play Molly Brown in the 1997 blockbuster Titanic, but she had to turn down the role because she was committed to a concert tour. Think of the last invitation you received. Did you say yes or no?

A. I said yes.

4) Reba comes from a rodeo family: both her father and grandfather were champion steer ropers and her mother was a barrel racer. Have you ever been to a rodeo?

A. I went to the rodeo when I was a child.

5) She loves game nights with family and friends because she says she's "a competitive person." When you play friendly board or card games, do you always play to win?

A. I play to have fun. I don't care if I win or lose so long as no one cheats.

 

6) Reba wears tall boots all the time, even in summer, and has more than 100 pairs. Do you often wear boots?

A. I do not wear boots at all anymore. I did when I was younger. Now I just wear sneakers.

 

7) In 2009, when this song was popular, Mark Zuckerberg tried unsuccessfully to buy Twitter. Elon Musk acquired it in 2022 and renamed it X. Do you often post to Twitter/X?

A. I do not have a Twitter/X account anymore. I deleted it.

 

8) Back in 2009, DuPont announced that silver and black were the most popular vehicle colors, accounting for half the cars the world over. What color is your ride?

A. My ride is white.

 

9) Random question: Have you ever had a job that required you to wear a hairnet?

A. I have not.

 _______________

I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

The Weight of the Evening

It is thundering without rain.

 The silence between the claps is deafening.

 

The trees are still, and the birds have flown to the ground.

 

The air is heavy with heat and humidity.

 The sky grumbles, mumbles, and still, I see no light.

I feel the pressure of the weather change in the circumference of my head.

 The weight of the evening is like the grip of grief around my heart.

Now I smell it—that scent of rain. 

It’s in the air, but the drops still hang high above, waiting. 

The sky has darkened. 

The thunder continues its ornery grumbling.

I hold my breath. 

I watch the trees for movement, scan the sky for that tell-tale streak of light that would mean it’s time to step away from the window.

Suddenly, I think of my great-grandmother. 

She used to sew by the window, scissors in hand, when lightning struck. 

The bolt went through her and out the scissors. I have them on my desk now—a family memento that has never needed sharpening since that day.

Birds Taking a Bath

 

Thursday Thirteen - Data Centers

In light of Google’s recent purchase of 312 acres practically in my backyard, I wanted to learn a bit more about what might be moving in.  In researching data centers, I found surprising facts about these facilities.

Here are 13 things you might not know about data centers, gathered from facts.net and other reliable sources:

1. Data centers never sleep. They run 24/7, powering everything from emails to online gaming and video streaming. A few minutes of downtime can cost companies thousands.

2. Northern Virginia is the world's data center hub, especially around Ashburn, with more facilities than any other region on Earth.

3. The average large data center uses as much electricity as a small town, with hyperscale versions (like those owned by Google and Amazon) powering hundreds of thousands of servers.

4. Cooling is a massive energy drain, making up to 40% of a data center's power usage. Many now use liquid or immersion cooling to reduce noise and energy waste.

5. Extreme climates lead to creative solutions: Facebook uses Arctic air in Sweden, and others use seawater or recycled water to cool servers.

6. Some data centers are buried underground or housed in former military bunkers, maximizing both security and insulation.

7. Security is intense, often involving biometric scanners, surveillance, and armed guards. These aren't your typical office parks. I'm not sure a security force behind me is ideal.

8. Data centers are becoming more eco-conscious, with some reusing waste heat to warm nearby homes, offices, or even swimming pools. By the time Google builds, who knows what they will actually use?

9. Quantum computing and AI are reshaping how data centers operate, from processing power to predictive maintenance and energy optimization.

10. The world’s largest data center, in Langfang, China, is over 6 million square feet, making it bigger than the Pentagon.

11. Edge (Microsoft) data centers are smaller hubs built closer to users to cut down on lag. Think of them as digital relay stations.

12. Disguised as office buildings or warehouses, some facilities are intentionally low-profile for security and aesthetics.

13. The first data center emerged in the 1960s to support NASA’s Apollo missions. Our digital lives today evolved from moonshot thinking.

An AI tool helped me put this list together.

_________________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 913th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.