Bird on a Roof

I came home from physical therapy Monday to find this bird on the roof of my house. I had no idea what it was. The consensus on Facebook is that it is a pigeon. We don't have pigeons like this around here normally; we have small brown birds that we call pigeons, but this was rather big and had lots of interesting markings.

It also seemed rather tame. After a while it flew away, but then I later found it (or another like it) in my driveway down near my mailbox. It would not move so I attempted to shoe it off, and it went under the car. Finally it went to the side and watched me drive by.

City bird lost in the country? Carrier pigeon with a private message for me? I have no idea.

Happy 55th

Yesterday was my most excellent spouse's 55th birthday.

 

He had to work. We went to dinner Sunday night to celebrate, but birthday celebrations should last many days. I like to take the whole month, myself.

 

Anyway, I wanted to see him at the firehouse on his birthday, so after my physical therapy, I dropped in on him.

 

Actually, a COW and I dropped in on him.

 

 

This is my friend Teresa, who has very kindly been taking me to physical therapy on the days when I've not felt well enough to drive.

 

She also likes to, um, dress up as a cow. She does this at the elementary school for reading programs. Yesterday she did it for my husband. It was her idea.

 

 

 

The firefighters were highly amused.

 

 

 

My most excellent spouse turned a little red around the ears, but I don't think I embarrassed him *too* much.

 

 

 

My most excellent spouse and his new friend, the cow.

 

 

 

I had ordered him a special John Deere cake, complete with tractor.

 

Now how many 55 year old guys get that kind of treatment on their birthday, eh?

 

Zoe Dances

The Floyd Ward Recital was again this weekend, and my husband and I went to watch my niece dance (as well as my brother in the Dad's Dance with his daughter). Unfortunately I was sitting behind someone tall who had a big head and my photos suffered as a result. I took many but these two are the only ones that turned out. There is a little video in the blog entry before this one, but there again, those were the best of what I took.

My niece wasn't feeling well but she was a trooper.

Might As Well Jump!

My brother and my niece at the dance recital this past weekend.

Books: Midnight Bayou

Midnight Bayou
By Nora Roberts
Audio 5 discs (6 hours)
Abridged
Read by James Daniels & Sandra Burr
Copyright 2002


Nora Robert offers up a romantic suspense - almost a gothic romance - in this interesting tale set in the New Orleans bayous.

Declan, from Boston, has been drawn to the old Manet mansion ever since he was a teenager. Now a wealthy lawyer (retiring early at the old age of 30 something), he decides to purchase the place and fix it back up.

But the mansion has a history, harboring secrets of murder and pain. The ghosts affect Declan - but thanks to Lina Simone, who has her own connection to the house - he manages to work it all out.

This was well-read by Daniels and Burr, with Burr alternating on the back story. Daniels did a nice job with different voices of characters. It always amazes me how much a good reading of a book matters with regards to how well I enjoy it.

Anyway, Roberts does not disappoint with this story. I enjoyed it very much.

I Belong to Them

Sunday Stealing

Hey Nineteen! That's 'Retha Franklin. She don't remember the Queen of Soul.  - Steely Dan

1)Where would you retire to?

A. If spit were wishes and I could have anything I wanted, I would have three homes. One where I am now for spring and fall, one in Vermont for summer, and another in Savannah, Georgia, for winter. As it is, I expect to be right here in ol' Virginny until the worms eat me.
 2)What are your best physical features?

A. I have good skin, or used to - I'm starting to get moles and barnacles as I age.

3)What are your best characteristics?

A. I am loyal and smart. I have the ability to see right into the heart of a problem and find a solution (so long as the problem doesn't involve myself - that's too close for solutions, apparently).

4)What kind of books do you like to read?

A. Literary fiction, fantasy, mysteries, chick lit, young adult fantasy and other good stories, gothic romances and nonfiction health books, as far as genres go. Some of my favorite authors are Janet Smiley, Nora Roberts, Phyllis Whitney (old school there), Janet Evanovich, Sue Grafton, Anita Shreve, Tamara Pierce - oh, heck, there are just too many to name.

5)What are you reading now?

A. At the moment I am reading Healing Pelvic Pain by Amy Stein.

6)Where would you want to retire to?

A. Didn't we already answer this question?

7)What is your favorite time of the day?

A. I like the hours between 10 and 2. Dr. Pepper time.

8)Where did you grow up?

A. I grew up about six miles from where I live now, on a farm.

9)How far away from your birthplace do you live now?

A. Not very far.

10)Are you a morning person or a night owl?

A. I'm a middle-of-the-day person.

11)What inspires you?

A. Good stories, pretty pictures, friends, interesting conversations, Mother Nature.

12)Can you close your eyes and raise your eyebrows?

A. Well, I tried but without looking at myself in the mirror, which I can't do with my eyes closed, I am not certain. It feels like the eyebrows go up but I can't swear to it.

13)Do you have pets?

A. I have a herd of cattle, lots of deer that think I belong to them, and a couple of rabbits that believe my flowers and garden to be their personal domain. Also a few turkeys believe that I am here for their amusement, and the other day I found a few vultures roosting on my roof. The latter creeped me out.

14)How many rings before you answer the phone?

A. I have to get it before it rings four times or the voice mail kicks in.

15)What are some of the different jobs that you have had in your life?

A. Babysitter, file clerk, secretary, legal secretary, news reporter, news stringer, freelance writer, bookkeeper, computer repair person, webmaster, blogger, poet, nonfiction writer, photographer, professional student, teacher, house cleaner, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, niece, granddaughter.

16)Any new and exciting things that you would like to share?

A. Not really. I can give you a health update - I'm in pain, now trying specialized physical therapy at a place with nice people but parking from hell, and still don't have a diagnosis as to what is wrong with me. I think the 60+ ulcers I had in my tummy have mostly healed, and the nausea is all but gone, which helps a lot. I have little stamina or energy and most activities make my abdomen hurt. Things that used to take me minutes to do can now take an hour. There is improvement but it is slow.

17)What is most important in life?

A. At this point I would say your health. I wish I'd realized that about 30 years ago.

18)Did you dream last night?

A. Yes, very vividly. And in color.

19)Do you remember your dreams?

A. I do. Last night I dreamed I was trapped in molasses and my husband was trying to pull me out. It hurt, and there was a lot of screaming involved.

A Beat Up Old Wrap Thing

Saturday 9

"Meet the Flintstones" (The Flintstones Theme) 

(Recommended by Harriet)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.
 
1) The song promises that, "When you're with the Flintstones, you'll have a yabba-dabba-doo time." So clearly Wilma was one accomplished hostess. What about you? Do you enjoy having company?

 

A. I just today took a test that said I was 97 percent introvert and 3 percent extrovert. What can we extrapolate from that? I bet the answer is that I am not the best hostess. I have people over occasionally but it is infrequent. Some years it is only once a year, at Christmas. I am perfectly fine with that.

2) Since lyrics say, "Let's ride with the family down the street/courtesy of Fred's two feet," we're assuming the pedal-powered Flintstone car didn't require much gas. Are you loyal to a particular brand of gas? Or do you fill up with whatever is nearby, or least expensive?

 

A. I prefer Citgo gas but the store that sold it locally closed. Now I buy my gas at Kroger and I have no idea what they actually sell. I do know that I have to use more fuel-injector cleaner with it than I ever did with Citgo gas.

3) Clearly a sharp-dressed man in stone-age Bedrock wore a long tunic and no pants. What are you wearing right now, as you answer these questions?

 

A. A pair of jeans, a short-sleeved pull-over sweater, brand-new $130 sneakers, and a beat-up old wrap thing that I call "blue thing" that is more than 20 years old and full of holes. Also socks and underwear, but no bra. How's that for too much information? 
4) Pebbles Flintstone grew up with Dino the Dinosaur and Baby Puss the Saber-Tooth Cat. Did you have any pets as you were growing up?

A. I had dogs, cows, chickens, ducks, quail, peacocks, guineas, and probably other things I am forgetting. The dogs that I can recall were Prince and Princess (two Dalmatians, one of whom was run over by the ice cream truck at my grandmother's house); Heidi, a poodle; her son, Major; Schooner, a mixed-breed collie mutt; and Clipper and Trixie, who were sisters. After I left home, my husband and I had a dog named Ginger for 17 years. After she died in 2001, I choose not to have any more dogs.

Also when I was young, we had two baby calves that we bottle-fed; their names were Jack and Jill.
 
5) Mr. Slate is Fred's blustery boss at quarry, and he frequently threatens to fire Fred. Have you ever had a bad-tempered boss?

A. I once had a boss who would dictate into the dictation machine while he was eating. The letters would sound like, "Dear Mr. So & So, (slurp, chomp) As yoiuknuynuyj (who knew what he was saying), we are going to file suit tomorrow (slurp, chomp)."

I was expected to make something out of this. Finally, when I had had enough and was about one day away from quitting, I typed out the letter exactly as it sounded, which was much like the above. I got into trouble for it but as you may have gathered, by that time I didn't really care. He was not necessarily a bad-tempered boss, he was just a jerk all the way around. He got fired not long after I left the company. I was not surprised.
 

6) It's estimated that during The Flintstones original run (1960-1966), it was viewed by as many adults as kids. Now that you're a grown up, do you still watch cartoons?

 

A. I used to enjoy Captain Planet and Reboot in the 1990s, but I don't think either of them are on now. I don't think I have watched a cartoon in a good 10 years.

7) In 1961, The Flintstones was nominated for a Prime Time Emmy Award as Outstanding Comedy Series. Do you watch awards shows?

A. No. They are boring.

8) There are at least two Flintstones-themed amusement parks currently in operation. Do you enjoy scary rides?

 

A. If the ride didn't jerk me around and dislodge body parts, I might. But I am fragile and break easily and gave up on amusement rides a long time ago.

9) Flintstones Vitamins are still on store shelves. Do you take a vitamin each morning?

A. I take one every evening. I graduated from Flintstones vitamins to Centrum Silver, though.

****************

Bonus mini-rant that has nothing to do with The Flintstones or Saturday 9:

I really don't understand how people can blame the POTUS for the things the health insurance companies do. My insurance has been dictating my care since 1985, and never for the better, I assure you. Thanks to the insurance companies back then, I was not able to have a child. They wouldn't pay for my care for endometriosis until it nearly killed me (it was a pre-existing condition), and by then it was too late.

Now I am again having a health care crisis, and my insurance company doesn't want to pay for my physical therapy. This has absolutely nothing to do with the Affordable Care Act and everything to do with stockholders trying to get money out of something that should not be done privately to begin with.

If you want to blame POTUS for anything, it should be the fact that he caved in and didn't create a single payer system (Medicare for all), which would have destroyed the insurance industry and put doctors back in control of health care.

Color on Parade

3 on Thursday

The 3 on Thursday meme:


1. What is your favorite TV show?

A. I don't have a favorite anymore. Big Bang Theory is probably the closest I have to a favorite, but to me a favorite TV show is one I absolutely can't wait to watch, with wonderful story lines and characters, and few fit that description these days. I am watching Game of Thrones but it is a bit gory for my taste sometimes, so while I don't miss it I wouldn't call it a favorite.

2. Do you like the beach or the pool?

A. Neither. I am not much into public water displays. When I was younger, I enjoyed the beach, and my parents had a backyard built-in pool when I was a teenager. But I am older now.

3. Are you a morning or night time shower person?

A. Actually, both. I take a good shower in the morning but do a quick rinse in the evening. I have terrible allergies and asthma and have discovered that rinsing away the pollen every day before bedtime is a good way to stay in better health.

Thursday Thirteen

First Lines . . . Do you know them? Answers at the bottom.

1. Got a call from an old friend, we used to be really close. Said he couldn't go on the American Way.

2. When I was young, I never needed anyone. Makin' love was just for fun. Those days are gone.

3. It's another tequila sunrise, starin' slowly 'cross the sky. Said goodbye.

4. Starry starry night. Paint your palette blue and gray. Look out on a summers day with eyes that know the darkness in my soul.

5. If I could save time in a bottle the first thing that I'd like to do is to save every day 'til eternity passes away just to spend them with you.

6. How many roads must a man walk down before you can call him a man?

7. When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand, and nothing, whoa nothing is going right.

8. Why are there so many songs about rainbows and what's on the other side?

9. There'll be no strings to bind your hands, not if my love won't bind your heart.

10. I am just a poor boy though my story's seldom told. I have squandered my resistance for a pocketful of mumbles such are promises.

11. If I leave here tomorrow would you still remember me? For I must be traveling on now 'cause there's too many places I've got to see.

12. When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

13. Lost and all alone. I always thought that I could make it on my own. But since you left I hardly make it through the day.


Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 346th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Answers:

1. My Life, Billy Joel
2. All By Myself, Eric Carmen
3. Tequila Sunrise, The Eagles
4. Vincent, Don McClean
5. Time in a Bottle, Jim Croce
6. Blowin' in the Wind, Bob Dylan (Peter Paul & Mary)
7. You've got a friend, Carole King
8. The Rainbow Connection, Paul Williams (& Kermit)
9. Angel of the Morning, by Chip Taylor (Juice Newton)
10. The Boxer, Paul Simon
11. Free Bird, Ron Van Zandt (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
12. Let It Be, The Beatles
13. Lost Without Your Love, David Gates (Bread)

Memorial Day Fireworks

The Fincastle Baptist Church on Sunday set off a grand fireworks display for Memorial Day. The night was clear. I used my Nikon Coolpix P500 and a tripod to take these photos. I took about 150 pictures and I have to say these are some of the clearest and nicest shots of fireworks I have ever taken. I was very pleased when I downloaded them and saw how crisp and clear they looked.

First Cutting 2014

While other folks are grilling hot dogs and swimming in the local pool, around here, this weekend is usually haying time.

Memorial Day 2014

Memorial Day is when we honor those who died in battle. It has in some cases turned into a day celebrating all who have served and/or are still serving in the Armed Forces. Since 911, some services include emergency services workers because so many firefighters died trying to save those in the New York towers.

The day has its origins in the Civil War, with the first official Decoration Day, as the day used to be called, occurring on May 30, 1968. On that day, the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers were covered with flowers at Arlington National Cemetery.

However, many southern states had already begun honoring their war dead prior before then, and a number of towns and cities lay claim to being the first to do so. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, NY, as the official birthplace of the holiday, citing an ongoing celebration that began in 1866.

Most northern states recognized the day after the 1868 declaration, but the southern states did not do so until after World War I, when the holiday changed from honoring those who fought in the Civil War to honoring all Americans who died while serving their country.

The day did not become an officially recognized federal holiday until 1971. You can read about this history at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website.
To my knowledge, I have no immediate family members who died in service, though a number have served. My grandfather fought in World War II and my father served in Korea, as did his two brothers. I have two other uncles who have been life-long military. I have thanked many a soldier for his or her service, and I have secretly paid for ice cream for one or two on occasion.

I am, however, deeply opposed to war. I have no problem remembering those who have fought and died for this country, and if people chose to go into the military that is their prerogative. I respect them for that choice, just as I hope they respect me for my stance that opposes their dying. I would rather have them alive, and if that makes me naïve, then I am naïve.

Killing and fighting solves nothing. We are all one, a part of this planet, and brothers and sisters of the world. We should not be destroying one another over land, oil, or other spoils. Bloodshed demeans all of us.

What would happen, I have often wondered, if those who fight simply . . . stopped. It can happen. In 1914, at Christmas, soldiers stopped fighting. They climbed from their trenches and enemies greeted one another with "Merry Christmas." They exchanged gifts of whatever they had on hand. They sang carols and played soccer. This is a true story and a perfect example of what could be, if we only had the will to make it so.

May all those who died fighting for their causes rest in peace. May the rest of us work toward a better world, so that no one else must die for those causes or any other. That is my hope for today, and for all of the tomorrows to come.

Death Be Not Proud
By John Donne

DEATH be not proud, though some have called thee  
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so,  
For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,  
Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.  
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,  
And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,  
Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.  
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,  
And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,  
And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then;  
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,  
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

Sacrilege, I Know

From Sunday Stealing

Random XV

1. How old is the oldest pair of shoes in your closet?

A. I have no idea. Maybe 20 years old. I don't think I have any from back when I married, but there could be a pair in there, which would be 30 years ago.

2. Did you buy Girl Scout cookies this year? If so, what variety?

A. I don't buy Girl Scout cookies. I am sorry to say, I don't like them. Sacrilege, I know.

3. Do you know how to ballroom dance?

A. Not a clue. I have always wanted to learn to dance but I never have.

4. Were you a responsible child/teenager?

A. Pretty much. I had my moments. Don't we all?

5. How many of this year's Oscar-nominated movies did you see?

A. Since I don't even know what movies were nominated for an Oscar, I will have to go with . . . none, unless The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug won something. Did it?

6. If you're going to have a medical procedure done, such as having blood drawn, is it easier for you to watch someone else having the procedure done or have it done yourself?

A. How about we go with neither? I've had so much blood work done in the last year that I leak.

7. What is your favorite day of the week and why?

A. I have always liked Sunday afternoons. Nobody is really expecting anything out of you, and it's free time.

8. What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received??

A. That I am a good writer.

9. Do hospitals make you queasy?

A. Yes, and so do elevators.

10. At which store would you like to max-out your credit card?

A. None of them. I already have too much junk as it is. Although I would not object to books or techno gadgets.

11. Are you true to the brand names of products/items?

A. It depends on the brand name and the product. Laundry soap, yes, because only certain brands keep me from breaking out. Green beans, no.

12. Which is more difficult: looking into someone’s eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someone’s eyes when he/she is telling you how he/she feels?

A. I think they are equally difficult, if they are difficult at all. They shouldn't be difficult.

13. What’s one thing you’re deeply proud of — but would never put on your résumé?

A. That I made a good choice when I married my husband.

14. What’s the most out-of-character choice you’ve ever made?

A. I bought a dress. I hate dresses.

15. What’s your personal anthem or theme song?

A. Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield.

A Cherry On Top

The Star Spangled Banner

Saturday 9


1) Are you a veteran? Are there veterans in your family? (We are grateful and want to hear about it.)

A. I am not a veteran. My grandfather served in World War II, and my father served in Korea, however. My father's two brothers also served in the Armed Forces, as did at least two of my mother's brothers that I am aware of. 

2) Memorial Day also kicks off the summer season. What's your favorite picnic food? 

A. Watermelon. What's a picnic without watermelon? I feel so sorry for kids today. They have no idea what it is like to spit seeds at one another, thanks to seedless melons.

3) Let's celebrate the Memorial Day holiday with ice cream. What's your favorite flavor?

A. Hot fudge sundae. I'm not sure that's a flavor but that is what I would like to have. With whipped cream and a cherry on top. I would pay for it with a massive stomach ache but it sounds so good I might have to risk it one day.

4) This marks the weekend when Americans step up their outdoor activity and do things they may not have been able to do during the winter months. For example, when is the last time you rode a bike?

 

A. I have an exercise bike that I just used. Does that count? If not, then I last rode a bike around 1993.

5) Or went hiking? 

A. Last spring I went hiking. Due to a current illness, my hiking days have been severely limited. Well, they weren't that great to begin with, but now they are definitely in the "severely limited" category.

6) Or rode a horse?

A. I would have been about eight when I last rode a pony. I fell off, had the breath knocked out of me, and I bruised my ribs. Even though my father tossed me right back on that animal's back, after that I refused to have anything to do with riding.

 

7) Or toasted a marshmallow? 

A. I haven't the faintest idea when I last did that. It is quite possible the last time was when my husband and I were dating, which would make it 30 years ago.

8) As you answer these questions, is there an air conditioner or window fan on? 

 

A. Yes. I live in the south. We always have air conditioners or fans running. It is hot and humid down here.

 

9) Crazy Sam needs your help: What song or a performer would you like to see featured in a Saturday 9 this summer?

A. The Eagles. Bruce Springsteen. Fleetwood Mac. Bread. Linda Ronstadt. Lynard Skynard. Led Zepplin. The Rolling Stones. The Captain and Tennille. The Carpenters.  Abba. Aretha Franklin. Simon and Garfunkel. Bee Gees. Commodores. Bachman Turner Overdrive. Little River Band. Bob Segar. KC & the Sunshine Band. Jim Croce. Carole King (O please do Carole King! Pretty please with sugar and sunshine on top.). Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (O please do Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, pretty please with chocolate this time!).  The Archies! Elton John. Eric Clapton (I Shot the Sheriff!), Jefferson Airplane. Kansas (Dust in the Wind). The Almond Brothers Band. Olivia Newton John. The Monkees! Good grief, I could go on all day with this list.

Hope that helps!

Thank you, Sam, for doing the Saturday 9. I enjoy the meme very much. Mwah!

Link's Farm Covered Bridge

At the foot of the mountain upon which Mountain Lake Lodge rests, you can see this covered bridge. It located on VA Rt. 700, not far from the turn-off from US 460.

It sits on private property and we did not trespass. We stopped long enough for me to hop out of the car and take a quick shot.

Picturesque covered bridges capture the imagination and seem to call to something in my heart. Others must feel it too, since these little beauties are preserved. Virginia has a number of covered bridges and I would like to see them all.

This bridge crosses Sinking Creek and has been owned by the same family for about 100 years. It was in use from 1912 to 1949, when Rt. 700 was rerouted and turned into a better road. The bridge was repaired and rebuilt in 1995.

Three on Thursday

Three on Thursday

1. What is your favorite summer time activity?

A. I like to garden. I have both a flower garden and a vegetable garden, so working in the soil is fun and productive.


2. What is your favorite "healthy" food to eat?

A. I am pretty sure potato chips don't count, right? How about something like strawberries? I love strawberries. And cucumber.


3. Do you ever think we will have a woman president? (If you would like to state who you think would be a good woman president, you may, just be respectful to others and it is their choice/opinion).

A. I would like to see a woman president, yes. The men have been messing things up long enough. I do not think the first female US president will be Hillary Clinton, however. I like Elizabeth Warren but I don't believe she has expressed a desire to run for the office. I think Oprah Winfrey would make a great goodwill ambassador, though perhaps not a president. I don't know what woman would make a great president, but I hope there is one out there.

Thursday Thirteen #345

By the numbers . . .

1. Three is not a lonely number.

2. Four comes after three, and it is snuggly in the middle of 345, so it is not lonely, either.

3. Five comes at the end of that sequence, so it's got gumption. It is facing down all of the other numbers that come after it, and that's an infinite amount. Talk about fortitude.

4. The number 73 is Sheldon's favorite number.

5. Pi is 3.14, but a piece of chocolate pie on a plate tastes a great deal better.

6. One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do. Two can be as bad as one, it's the loneliest number since the number one.

7. When I was 10 I thought 50 was old. Now that I'm 50, I don't think anything less than 100 is old.

8. I have TENS unit that is working to help control my pain. I can just sit around buzzing all day long. Or I could make music and buzz at the same time, I suppose.

9. I never watched Eight is Enough but I did watch 7th Heaven sometimes. There are also seven heavens in many religions, including Abrahamic traditions.

10. In 1984, the year 2014 seemed very far away. Now 1984 seems like yesterday and yet it is today all at the same time because we've actually turned our world into a semblance of that novel (1984 by George Orwell). Time is interesting, isn't it? It flies, it stops, it slows, it speeds like a rocket ship at lift off or it slows like molasses on a cold January day. Perspective is such a crazy thing.

11. I like to listen to the 60 ticks of my clocks as they go around and around, every second counting down to the minutes and then to the hours. Tick tick tick tick tick. I find it very comforting.

12. Ultra anything is supposed to save you product: use 2x less dishwashing soap, less 4x less toilet paper, 3x less washing machine soap. But I have never done the math and have noticed that most people just dump out however much think they need any don't measure anyway. Speaking of measuring, many mixed things now come with instructions that say "pour to the line in the bag" instead of using 1/2 cup or whatever. In the future, will no one know how to make a recipe?

13. This display of numbers indicates I have too much time on my hands (as well as the fact that I could probably win Free Cell in my sleep):

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here. I've been playing for a while and this is my 345th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.