Premise: A philanthropist awards you $80,000 with the stipulation that you must spend half on yourself and half for the benefit of others.
1. Of the $40,000 you must spend on yourself:
a. First you throw yourself a lavish birthday party. Tell us about it.
A. My lavish birthday party would include a complete takeover of The Hotel Roanoke, and I'd invite all the Saturday 9ers and Sunday Stealers to come, because you know, why not, and I'd pay their expenses to get to me. I'd also invite all of my friends. We'd have a flowing chocolate bar and lots of cake.
b. Then you take off on a cruise. Where are you headed?
A. My cruise would be to Alaska.
2. Of the $40,000 you must spend for the benefit of others:
a. Who would be on your gift list? What would buy them?
A. I would give a little something to all of the Saturday 9 and Sunday Stealing players, I'd get my husband something nice, I'd buy something pretty for my friends. Maybe some local art.
b. Which charities would you support?
A. My alma mater, the local fire department, and the local food pantry. I've about given up on national charities, I swear they spend more money than I donate trying to get me to give them more money.
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.
1) In this song, Peggy sings that she feels good enough to climb a hill. Will you be doing anything athletic today?
A. I am not very athletic. I suspect stripping the bed and changing the linens might be the extent of my athletic prowess on this Saturday.
2) However, she was also tempted to climb back in bed. Is a nap in your plans for today?
A. I very seldom nap. My husband says I should nap, it would make me feel better.
3) She tells us that she looked in the mirror and told herself it was time to "lose the blues." Do you ever speak out loud to yourself?
A. I talk to myself all the time and always have. Only now I might utter something like "seriously" under my breath and have my cell phone perk up and go "Hmm?"
4) Peggy wrote this song for the 1953 remake of The Jazz Singer. She performs it in the movie, too. In the 1950s, female singer-songwriters were unusual, but not so today. Can you think of another woman who not only sings but writes her own material?
A. Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow, Carole King.
5) Her co-star in the film was Danny Thomas. Today he is best remembered as a philanthropist and founder of St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, but he was quite a star in his day. He appeared in nightclubs and movie musicals and, from 1954 to 1963, had his own sitcom. Do you know the show?
A. I think it was called The Danny Thomas Show, wasn't it? But I don't recall watching it. And I'm not sure if that's right.
6) When Peggy Lee was trying to break into show business, she supported herself as a short order cook. She was required to turn orders around quickly. Are you fast and efficient in the kitchen?
A. I dislike cooking, but I can get a meal on the table in a hurry if I have to.
7) Just when her career started to take off, Peggy had to take a break when she had her tonsils removed. Do you still have your tonsils?
A. I had my tonsils removed in 1994, when I was 31 years old, and it was incredibly painful and a difficult recovery.
8) In 1953, when this record was released, Matchbox Cars were introduced and they remain popular today. Did you ever play with Matchbox Cars?
A. Yes, I played with Matchbox Cars, along with Hot Wheels.
9) Random question: You're walking past a filthy puddle. Floating on top you see a dead bug, a cigarette butt, and a $1 bill. Would you bend over and rescue the dollar?
A. If I can flip it out of the puddle with my foot and I have a tissue in my purse with which to pick it up, maybe.
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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.
Thursday 13: Songs I Loved (But Now Maybe Not So Much)
1. Muskrat Love, by Captain & Tennille. I once thought it was charming. Now I wonder what was in the water. Rats in love? Who sings about that? Besides Captain & Tennille, I mean.
2. You Light Up My Life, by Debby Boone. This was mandatory listening in the 70s. Like jury duty, but with strings. And it was also the first song I ever sang in public while accompanying myself on guitar. I was a freshman in high school.
3. Afternoon Delight, by Starland Vocal Band. In the 1970s, I sang along cheerfully. Then I learned what it meant. Then I discovered Sunday afternoons. ::: wink wink :::
4. Escape (The Piña Colada Song), by Rupert Holmes. A catchy tune about two people cheating on each other … with each other. It was kind of fun, but I do wonder if that couple would have made it.
5. Seasons in the Sun, by Terry Jacks. All the young girls cried over this song when I was in . . . I think elementary school? We thought it was profound. When I listen to it now, it's terribly depressing.
6. Honey, by Bobby Goldsboro. I remember my father singing this song. I once found it touching. Now I find it emotionally manipulative.
7. Feelings, by Morris Albert. Feelings… nothing more than . . . melodrama. My husband hates this song.
8. Sometimes When We Touch, by Dan Hill. The honesty was too much. And also somehow not enough. I loved the line about being "just another writer, still trapped within my truth," though.
9. You’re Having My Baby, by Paul Anka. I didn’t realize how cringe this was until I heard Howard Wolowitz sing it on The Big Bang Theory, aimed at Bernadette's tummy. Then it was like, oh yuck. I will never be able to hear this song again without seeing Howard's face.
10. The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, by Vicki Lawrence. I loved the drama. I loved the story. Now I hear it as a soap opera, but I confess I still like the song. I just don't love it like I once did.
11. Delta Dawn, by Helen Reddy. Still catchy, but the storyline feels different when you’re old enough to read between the lines. I mean, 40 years old and her daddy still called her Baby? What's up with that? However, this song hasn't anything on Reddy's Angie Baby for total weirdness. That's some freaky stuff right there.
12. Billy, Don’t Be a Hero, by Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods. I thought it was sad. I still think it's a sad song, but I also think it should be an anti-war song. Nobody should come home in a coffin.
13. Brand New Key, by Melanie. Cute, yes. But also . . . what exactly was happening here? I remember singing this song with my mother, who apparently did not make a connection between roller skates and keys and, well, sex. Because surely that's what they're talking about right? Right?
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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 969th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Answer these questions with anything from a single word to a paragraph or two. It's up to you.
A is for Age.
A. I am of an age when I am now old. Some might even call me elderly, although I prefer "older person," myself. I'm old enough to know better, and old enough not to care so much.
B is for your Booze of choice.
A. My beverage of choice would be an A&W root beer.
C is for Career.
A. I worked as a freelance news writer for about 40 years. Some of that time I was on staff, but most of it I worked freelance, writing as many as 30 articles a month. It was not great pay but I did, heard, and saw many things I'd not otherwise have.
D is for your Dog's name.
A. My last dog's name was Ginger. We had her for 17 years. We got her in 1984 and she died in 2001.
E is for Everyday Essentials.
A. I need lotion, powder, toothpaste, and mouthwash every day.
F is for your Favorite Food.
A. My favorite food is chocolate. I am a confirmed chocoholic.
G is for your favorite Game.
A. My favorite game is a video game called Skyrim, which I haven't played in years, but it is still my favorite video game of all time.
H is for your Hometown.
A. My hometown is the community in which I still live.
I is for an Instrument you play.
A. I play guitar.
J is for your favorite Jam or Jelly flavor.
A. My favorite jelly is Welch's Grape Jelly.
K is for Kids.
A. I do not have any kids.
L is for the Last show or movie your watched.
A. The last show I watched was an episode of JAG.
M is for your Most prized possession.
A. My most prized possession is my wedding band.
N is for the Name of your first crush.
A. My first crush's name was Jamie.
O is for what you Observe from your window.
A. From my window, I see oak trees in the pasture, a mock orange tree, grass that's a little greener than it has been because we had a small shot of rain, threatening skies, and a fence,
P is for Phobias.
A. I am not afraid of much, really. I will ask my husband to kill spiders and snakes if he's here, but if he's not, I'll do it myself. I'm not afraid of heights although at my age, they're not the smartest thing for me to indulge in.
Q is for your favorite Quote.
A. Not all those who wander are lost - J.R.R. Tolkien
R is for Regret.
A. Regrets, I've had a few, but then again, too few to mention.
S is for Sweets.
A. We'll just go with chocolate again here.
T is for the Time you wake up.
A. I am generally up by 6:30 though sometimes I sleep until 7 or so.
U is for Underwear.
A. I wear it.
V is for your favorite Vegetable.
A. Does anyone really have a favorite vegetable? I like peas, green beans, and broccoli.
W is for your Worst habit.
A. My worst habit is engaging mouth before brain sometimes.
X is for X-rays.
A. I just had some for my shoulder about a month ago.
Y is for your Yummiest recipe.
A. That would be for fudge.
Z is for your Zodiac sign.
A. I am a Gemini through and through.
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.
I always wanted to know why everyone was Kung Fu fighting when I heard this song.
1) Have you ever taken a martial arts class?
A. Once. I went to see if it was something I would like. I did not. I did, however, complete a self-defense course offered at the local sheriff's office about 30 years ago. I'm not sure that counts as martial arts, but I got to beat up a guy who was dressed up as puffy marshmallow.
2) In this song, Carl Edwards sings about funky Chinatown. Many cities – including San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Vancouver, London and Antwerp – have a Chinatown. Have you ever visited Chinatown?
A. I have been to Chinatown in New York, a very long time ago, where I had the best ever sweet and sour shrimp known to man.
3) Many Chinese restaurants give out fortune cookies. Can you recall one of your fortunes?
A. Ha. We ate Chinese just last week, and I'd stuck the fortune cookie in my purse and forgot about it. Let's see what we have here: "Your positive energy will attract an abundance of blessings." Otherwise, no, I don't remember my other fortunes. They're like horoscopes, you read them, you laugh, you move on.
4) This week's featured artist, Carl Edwards, was born in Jamaica, spent his childhood in the US, and relocated to England. Have you ever lived abroad?
A. I have visited abroad but I have never lived abroad.
5) In 1974 he became the first Jamaican to have a #1 hit in the US with this song. Have you been to Jamaica?
A. I have never been to Jamaica.
6) When this week's song was on the charts, ABC TV had a hit with the show Kung Fu. Today it's available to stream. Were you a fan?
A. I remember watching it, but I was like, nine years old. I don't recall being a big fan of the show but we only received two TV channels at home so we watched whatever was on.
7) Also in 1974, the FIFA World Cup was played in West Germany. Have you been following the FIFA World Cup this year?
A. I have not followed this sport ever, including this year.
8) Two of 1974's most popular toys were popular with adults, too. Would you prefer a Rubik's Cube or a Magic 8 Ball?
A. I would prefer a Rubik's Cube. I had one a long time ago and got to where I could solve it in 2 minutes. I doubt I can remember how to do it now, though.
9) Random question: Have you ever cut someone else's hair?
A. I have not. I have cut my own hair (very badly) but not anyone else's.
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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.
