From Sunday Stealing
Funky Twenty-Five Meme
1. Most unflattering hairstyle you ever had? What made it so unflattering?
A. I had big puffy permed hair from about 1988 - 1992 or so. Looking at old photos now (and no, I will not post one), I looked like a brown cotton ball.
2. Favorite movie(s) that were made in the 90's?
A. I'll go with Forrest Gump.
3. Do you rent movies? If so, from where?
A. I get HBO and Showtime from a satellite provider. Is that renting?
4. Do you like cookies better when they're just out of the oven or after they've cooled?
A. I like them both ways. Why don't you fix me a batch of chocolate chip?
5. Do you still talk to the person who gave you your first kiss?
A. No.
6. Did you go to pre-school? If so, what was the name of it?
A. I went to kindergarten.
7. How do you take your coffee?
A. I don't drink coffee.
8. Do you like fuzzy things?
A. I don't even know what that means. But I think not.
9. Favorite kind of chocolate?
A. Any kind except German. Milk chocolate and dark chocolate are probably my favorites.
10. Are you more optimistic or pessimistic?
A. Most people would say I am pessimistic.
11. What about peopleofwalmart.com? Do you think the site is mean, funny, or both?
A. I think it is mean.
12. Do you like fat sandwiches? If so, what does your favorite one have on it?
A. What is a fat sandwich? Is that one you pile too much stuff on?
13. One restaurant you'd never been to but would like to go to?
A. I have no idea. How about a ritzy place in Paris.
14. Last time you got a haircut? Do you need one?
A. I had a haircut about 10 days ago, so I'm good.
15. What's your favorite pattern for clothing (stripes, plaid, etc.)?
A. I prefer solid colors.
16. What's your age backwards?
A. Oh no, you're not catching me with that one.
17. When you see typos in a survey, do you correct them?
A. I correct things in these memes, so I suppose I do.
18. When was your last vacation? Did you go someplace special?
A. My last vacation was in 2012 - I'm a little overdue. We went to Myrtle Beach, SC.
19. What's your favorite kind of pancakes?
A. I like my pancakes with blueberries cooked inside of them, not piled on top.
20. Do you like movies with computer graphics, like Avatar?
A. They're okay.
21. Do you know how to sew?
A. I can get a button on and hem a pair of pants, but that's about it.
22. Are you good at wrapping gifts?
A. Not really. I actually kind of consider it a waste of time.
23. Do you like flavored yogurt?
A. It depends on the brand and the flavor.
24. How old will you be in December of 2015?
A. Old enough to know better and too young to die, I hope.
25. What's the age difference between you and your siblings?
A. I have a brother who is three years younger than I.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Saturday 9: Hawaii Five-O
Saturday 9: Hawaii Five-O (1969)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This is the theme from the TV show that originally ran from 1968 to 1980 and is on now again with a new cast. Were you/are you a fan?
A. I think it was on a channel we could not get. When I was growing up, out here in the rural Appalachians, we could only get two channels, and that was if we pulled out a cousin's tooth and had him hold the tin foil over his head while he stood with one toe on a piece of metal. (Just kidding. I am being mean and perpetuating a false stereotype.). I think Hawaii Five-O came on one of those channels that we could not receive. As for the new show, I never even bothered to watch it.
2) On both shows, Five-O is an elite police task force led by Det. Lt. Steve McGarrett. Who is your favorite TV cop?
A. Christine Cagney of Cagney & Lacey. She was tough and feminine at the same time. She was incredibly human, too.
3) On both shows, the part of Danny "Danno" Williams was played by a second generation performer. (James MacArthur was the son of Broadway legend Helen Hayes; Scott Caan is the son of movie actor James Caan.) If you followed one of your parents into their chosen profession, what would you be doing?
A. Well, if I'd followed my father, I'd be a business person working in an industry that sells seal gaskets and rubber hoses to major industries. If I'd followed my mother, I'd have been a secretary, which means I would probably have been laid off or the job changed into something else long ago, since many industries don't use secretaries anymore (There are 3.9 million secretarial/administrative assistant jobs listed in US Census in 2012. Yes, I looked it up.). But I am a free spirit and while I did work as a secretary for a time, I ended up as a writer. All hail the written word!
4) Both shows are filmed in Hawaii, the boyhood home of President Obama. Have any of our 44 Presidents hailed from your state?
A. I live in Virginia, the Mother of Presidents. We have had eight U.S. presidents hail from our state, the most of any state in the nation. Those presidents are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson.
5) Kona coffee is made from beans cultivated on the Big Island of Hawaii. Are you a big coffee drinker?
A. I don't drink coffee at all. I think I've had maybe seven cups of coffee in my entire life. The last cup of coffee I had was on June 19, 2013. It gave me a gallbladder attack and sent me to the hospital. I had surgery on June 28, 2013 and haven't been right since. In fact, I'm now in constant pain and I walk with a limp, all from a cup of coffee. So it is not my drink of choice.
6) This week's song was written by the late Morton Stevens. In addition to composing for TV shows, he was the musical director for a group of entertainers known in the 60s as "The Rat Pack." Can you name any "Rat Pack" members?
A. Frank Sinatra?
7) This week's featured band, The Ventures, began when Don Wilson purchased a used car from Bob Bogle. During negotiations, they discovered a shared passion for playing guitar. Did you buy your current ride new or used? Did the negotiations go smoothly?
A. My current ride was purchased new. Negotiations went well, though I was worn out and had to leave most of that to my husband as I was in the middle of a medical crisis at the time. My old car, which we traded in, decided to develop a problem that would have cost more to fix than the vehicle was worth. I had planned to drive her another year or two, but oh well. Best laid plans and all that.
8) The year this song was popular, 1969, is when Donald and Doris Fisher opened a San Francisco clothing store called The Gap. Today there are more than 3,200 Gap locations. Do you shop at The Gap or gap.com?
A. I do not. I doubt The Gap even carries clothes in my size.
9) Random question: What's on your Saturday to-do list?
A. Reading Saturday 9 entries by other bloggers, writing up Sunday Stealing, fixing dinner, changing the bed linens and washing them, and working on tax records for 2015, having finally finished 2014.
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This is the theme from the TV show that originally ran from 1968 to 1980 and is on now again with a new cast. Were you/are you a fan?
A. I think it was on a channel we could not get. When I was growing up, out here in the rural Appalachians, we could only get two channels, and that was if we pulled out a cousin's tooth and had him hold the tin foil over his head while he stood with one toe on a piece of metal. (Just kidding. I am being mean and perpetuating a false stereotype.). I think Hawaii Five-O came on one of those channels that we could not receive. As for the new show, I never even bothered to watch it.
2) On both shows, Five-O is an elite police task force led by Det. Lt. Steve McGarrett. Who is your favorite TV cop?
A. Christine Cagney of Cagney & Lacey. She was tough and feminine at the same time. She was incredibly human, too.
3) On both shows, the part of Danny "Danno" Williams was played by a second generation performer. (James MacArthur was the son of Broadway legend Helen Hayes; Scott Caan is the son of movie actor James Caan.) If you followed one of your parents into their chosen profession, what would you be doing?
A. Well, if I'd followed my father, I'd be a business person working in an industry that sells seal gaskets and rubber hoses to major industries. If I'd followed my mother, I'd have been a secretary, which means I would probably have been laid off or the job changed into something else long ago, since many industries don't use secretaries anymore (There are 3.9 million secretarial/administrative assistant jobs listed in US Census in 2012. Yes, I looked it up.). But I am a free spirit and while I did work as a secretary for a time, I ended up as a writer. All hail the written word!
4) Both shows are filmed in Hawaii, the boyhood home of President Obama. Have any of our 44 Presidents hailed from your state?
A. I live in Virginia, the Mother of Presidents. We have had eight U.S. presidents hail from our state, the most of any state in the nation. Those presidents are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson.
5) Kona coffee is made from beans cultivated on the Big Island of Hawaii. Are you a big coffee drinker?
A. I don't drink coffee at all. I think I've had maybe seven cups of coffee in my entire life. The last cup of coffee I had was on June 19, 2013. It gave me a gallbladder attack and sent me to the hospital. I had surgery on June 28, 2013 and haven't been right since. In fact, I'm now in constant pain and I walk with a limp, all from a cup of coffee. So it is not my drink of choice.
6) This week's song was written by the late Morton Stevens. In addition to composing for TV shows, he was the musical director for a group of entertainers known in the 60s as "The Rat Pack." Can you name any "Rat Pack" members?
A. Frank Sinatra?
7) This week's featured band, The Ventures, began when Don Wilson purchased a used car from Bob Bogle. During negotiations, they discovered a shared passion for playing guitar. Did you buy your current ride new or used? Did the negotiations go smoothly?
A. My current ride was purchased new. Negotiations went well, though I was worn out and had to leave most of that to my husband as I was in the middle of a medical crisis at the time. My old car, which we traded in, decided to develop a problem that would have cost more to fix than the vehicle was worth. I had planned to drive her another year or two, but oh well. Best laid plans and all that.
8) The year this song was popular, 1969, is when Donald and Doris Fisher opened a San Francisco clothing store called The Gap. Today there are more than 3,200 Gap locations. Do you shop at The Gap or gap.com?
A. I do not. I doubt The Gap even carries clothes in my size.
9) Random question: What's on your Saturday to-do list?
A. Reading Saturday 9 entries by other bloggers, writing up Sunday Stealing, fixing dinner, changing the bed linens and washing them, and working on tax records for 2015, having finally finished 2014.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Thursday Thirteen
Today I thought I'd make a list of 13 things that I'll probably never see again in my lifetime. Most of them have become archaic, relics of a time that technology has voided.
1. An 8-track tape (and player). These were the big boys of music back in the day. A fellow with an 8-track tape player and big ol' speakers in his car was the bomb.
2. Cassettes and cassette players. I used to sit around with my cassette player and a radio and record Kasey Kasem's American Top 40 once a month or so.
3. Dictaphones. I worked as a legal secretary for about 12 years, and used these all the time. The boss would talk into a recorder and the secretary would take the tape and transcribe it. Secretaries are also something you don't see much of any more, either. I have been out of the field for over 20 years; I'm not sure how they do things now.
4. A print encyclopedia. My grandparents bought a set of World Book Encyclopedias when I was very small, but I remember the absolute thrill my grandmother had because she owned an entire set of these books of knowledge. When I visited her, I would sit and read through the books.
5. A man on the moon. Unless a corporation pays for a visit to the moon, I doubt I see another "one step for man." And to be honest, I don't want corporations going to the moon, because if they are there, it is to exploit the moon's resources, whatever they may be. Who knows what kind of havoc that could eventually cause on poor ol' Mother Earth.
6. Pay phones and phone booths. There used to be a phone at every convenience store, inside the high school, and outside most stores. Those are gone. I wonder where Superman changes into his cute little tights these days?
7. Party lines. When I was young, we had what was known as a "party line." This meant that if you picked the phone up you could hear other people talking and carrying on conversations. You couldn't make a call until they were finished. It was not polite to listen in, and the only time you were to interrupt was in an emergency. I confess that we had two women, whose names I do not now recall, who talked on the phone a lot. And I did listen in. I was seven. Sometimes they'd realize I was there, most times not. Sometimes they'd even talk to me, too, but I had to be careful that my mother did not find out.
8. Rotary phones. Our phones used to be rotary phones, which means they had a dial that you'd turn and then it would make this satisfying clicking sound as it rounded back to its beginning. We had a rotary phone here in my own home until about 10 years ago, when the thing finally gave up the ghost. It would work when the power was out while the cordless do not. So we always keep some kind of analog phone hooked up, though they have become difficult to find. Hopefully the two we have now will last us.
9. Film cameras. I started out with a film camera, one my parents gave me when I was about 10. When I began writing for the newspaper, I bought a Nikon FG-20 film camera. It took great pictures regardless of light and loved it. Then everything switched to digital, and that was the end of that.
10. Directory assistance. I don't even know what would happen if I dialed "0" on my phone today. Is there still an operator on the other end? Anybody know?
11. VHS recorders. At one time I had a pile of VHS tapes. I taped my favorite shows from the TV, usually forgetting to mark them. Now we use DVDs, which will soon be outdated and useless, I suppose.
12. Records and record players. I used to buy LPs and 45s, and still have most of my LPs here in a box. I still prefer an LP to CD. As a musician, when I tried to learn a song, it was great to be able to pick up the needle and drop it back onto the LP exactly where I wanted it. It's difficult to do that with a CD - it takes a lot more time and effort to find that exact spot where the song changes key.
13. Big fat computer monitors. Most of those things are gone and will never be back. I imagine folks still use them somewhere, but most people use a flat screen these days, if they're using a screen at all. I think at some point even a desktop computer will be one of those things we look back on as a dinosaur.
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 392nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
1. An 8-track tape (and player). These were the big boys of music back in the day. A fellow with an 8-track tape player and big ol' speakers in his car was the bomb.
2. Cassettes and cassette players. I used to sit around with my cassette player and a radio and record Kasey Kasem's American Top 40 once a month or so.
3. Dictaphones. I worked as a legal secretary for about 12 years, and used these all the time. The boss would talk into a recorder and the secretary would take the tape and transcribe it. Secretaries are also something you don't see much of any more, either. I have been out of the field for over 20 years; I'm not sure how they do things now.
4. A print encyclopedia. My grandparents bought a set of World Book Encyclopedias when I was very small, but I remember the absolute thrill my grandmother had because she owned an entire set of these books of knowledge. When I visited her, I would sit and read through the books.
5. A man on the moon. Unless a corporation pays for a visit to the moon, I doubt I see another "one step for man." And to be honest, I don't want corporations going to the moon, because if they are there, it is to exploit the moon's resources, whatever they may be. Who knows what kind of havoc that could eventually cause on poor ol' Mother Earth.
6. Pay phones and phone booths. There used to be a phone at every convenience store, inside the high school, and outside most stores. Those are gone. I wonder where Superman changes into his cute little tights these days?
7. Party lines. When I was young, we had what was known as a "party line." This meant that if you picked the phone up you could hear other people talking and carrying on conversations. You couldn't make a call until they were finished. It was not polite to listen in, and the only time you were to interrupt was in an emergency. I confess that we had two women, whose names I do not now recall, who talked on the phone a lot. And I did listen in. I was seven. Sometimes they'd realize I was there, most times not. Sometimes they'd even talk to me, too, but I had to be careful that my mother did not find out.
8. Rotary phones. Our phones used to be rotary phones, which means they had a dial that you'd turn and then it would make this satisfying clicking sound as it rounded back to its beginning. We had a rotary phone here in my own home until about 10 years ago, when the thing finally gave up the ghost. It would work when the power was out while the cordless do not. So we always keep some kind of analog phone hooked up, though they have become difficult to find. Hopefully the two we have now will last us.
9. Film cameras. I started out with a film camera, one my parents gave me when I was about 10. When I began writing for the newspaper, I bought a Nikon FG-20 film camera. It took great pictures regardless of light and loved it. Then everything switched to digital, and that was the end of that.
10. Directory assistance. I don't even know what would happen if I dialed "0" on my phone today. Is there still an operator on the other end? Anybody know?
11. VHS recorders. At one time I had a pile of VHS tapes. I taped my favorite shows from the TV, usually forgetting to mark them. Now we use DVDs, which will soon be outdated and useless, I suppose.
12. Records and record players. I used to buy LPs and 45s, and still have most of my LPs here in a box. I still prefer an LP to CD. As a musician, when I tried to learn a song, it was great to be able to pick up the needle and drop it back onto the LP exactly where I wanted it. It's difficult to do that with a CD - it takes a lot more time and effort to find that exact spot where the song changes key.
13. Big fat computer monitors. Most of those things are gone and will never be back. I imagine folks still use them somewhere, but most people use a flat screen these days, if they're using a screen at all. I think at some point even a desktop computer will be one of those things we look back on as a dinosaur.
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 392nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
What's the Story?
When I was young, I wondered how people could abandon homes. Now that I am older and have a better understanding of life, I know how it happens.
The old folks die, the young people have moved on. They haven't the money or the inclination to keep the place up. Being a landlord is not a fun job, nor is it financially rewarding. Better to board the place up, or just pay the taxes and be done with it.
But they are sad, abandoned houses. They look like they have a story to tell.
Maybe this one was the home of a big family once. It was filled with laughter and joy, pain and sorrow. It's walls are filled with the ghosts of another time.
Some man and his sons farmed the lands around this home, and his wife canned tomatoes and taught the girls how to sew. She tended the yard and grew flowers, trimmed back those boxwoods, and generally made life tidy and neat. She cooked dinner every evening and breakfast each morning.
And now the place that housed them is nothing more than a symbol that they existed at all.
Interesting, isn't it, that humans can build things which outlast them not just by years but by centuries. I don't know how old this house is - I've never been good at judging architectural styles - but it still stands and the humans are gone. Maybe they simply up and moved, but they are gone, nevertheless.
Monday, April 20, 2015
Behind the Mirror
We have one of those medicine cabinets in the bathroom that sits above the sink. It acts as a mirror and when you open either side, there's your stuff.
The left side as you face the medicine cabinet houses my husband's items. The right side holds my things.
We are apparently obsessed with our teeth, not stinking, shaving, and having headaches, for the medicine cabinet is full of toothpaste, floss, shaving cream and razors, deodorant, and acetaminophen.
On my side, you'll also find some tea tree oil, sweet oil, and hand lotion.
I'm not sure what that says, other than we clean our teeth and I occasionally dabble in alternative medicinal treatments.
When I first started writing stories for publication, and even later in continuing education classes the newspaper infrequently offered, we were always told that when we interviewed, we should (a) do it in the subject's home, and (b) excuse yourself at some point and ask to use the restroom.
Once in the restroom, we were to examine the medicine cabinet and see what was inside. We were also instructed to look around the house as discreetly as possible, noting pictures, candles, collections, books, animals, dirt - anything that might flesh out a story and give a little life to the subject about whom we were writing.
I don't recall ever once looking in anyone's medicine cabinet - not my style, really - but I know there are reporters who do. It's a good thing to remember if you're ever interviewed for a story and the reporter asks to use the restroom.
Most likely, they're looking at the things you think are hidden behind that mirror.
The left side as you face the medicine cabinet houses my husband's items. The right side holds my things.
We are apparently obsessed with our teeth, not stinking, shaving, and having headaches, for the medicine cabinet is full of toothpaste, floss, shaving cream and razors, deodorant, and acetaminophen.
On my side, you'll also find some tea tree oil, sweet oil, and hand lotion.
I'm not sure what that says, other than we clean our teeth and I occasionally dabble in alternative medicinal treatments.
When I first started writing stories for publication, and even later in continuing education classes the newspaper infrequently offered, we were always told that when we interviewed, we should (a) do it in the subject's home, and (b) excuse yourself at some point and ask to use the restroom.
Once in the restroom, we were to examine the medicine cabinet and see what was inside. We were also instructed to look around the house as discreetly as possible, noting pictures, candles, collections, books, animals, dirt - anything that might flesh out a story and give a little life to the subject about whom we were writing.
I don't recall ever once looking in anyone's medicine cabinet - not my style, really - but I know there are reporters who do. It's a good thing to remember if you're ever interviewed for a story and the reporter asks to use the restroom.
Most likely, they're looking at the things you think are hidden behind that mirror.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Sunday Stealing: Books!
From Sunday Stealing
Book Preference Meme
1. Science fiction, fantasy or horror?
A. Fantasy
2. Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?
A. Paperback, usually.
3. Amazon or brick and mortar?
A. I use both.
4. Barnes & Noble or Borders?
A. Well, Borders is out of business so that pretty much leaves Barnes & Noble.
5. Bookmark or dog-ear?
A. Bookmark, usually, though I have been known to place a very tiny little dog-ear on a page. Not often, though.
6. Asimov’s Science Fiction or Fantasy & Science Fiction?
A. Isn't this like the first question? Fantasy.
7. Alphabetize by author, alphabetize by title, or random?
A. Mostly random with a little bit by subject matter thrown in.
8. Keep, throw away or sell?
A. Keep or donate to the library.
9. Keep dust jacket or toss it?
A. Keep dust jacket.
10. Read with dust jacket or remove it?
A. Obviously, if I keep the dust jacket, I read with it on the book.
11. Short story or novel?
A. Novels.
12. Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
A. I stop reading when my husband says it is time to go to bed. Or at chapter breaks. Or when I fall asleep reading. Or when I've finished the book.
13. “It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time?”
A. Both.
14. Buy or borrow?
A. I buy print books but borrow audio books from the library.
15. Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse?
A. Generally browsing, but I use all three methods.
16. Collection (short stories by the same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)?
A. I'm not really a big fan of either.
17. Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
A. A tidy ending is preferable.
18. Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading?
A. I generally read novels at night, but I read all day long.
19. Standalone or series?
A. Either.
20. Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
A. The Steerswoman, by Rosemary Kirstein
21. Favorite genre series?
A. Fantasy and mystery.
22. Currently Reading?
A. Factory Man, by Beth Macy. It's a nonfiction book. I'm listening to King and Maxwell, by David Baldacci.
Book Preference Meme
1. Science fiction, fantasy or horror?
A. Fantasy
2. Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?
A. Paperback, usually.
3. Amazon or brick and mortar?
A. I use both.
4. Barnes & Noble or Borders?
A. Well, Borders is out of business so that pretty much leaves Barnes & Noble.
5. Bookmark or dog-ear?
A. Bookmark, usually, though I have been known to place a very tiny little dog-ear on a page. Not often, though.
6. Asimov’s Science Fiction or Fantasy & Science Fiction?
A. Isn't this like the first question? Fantasy.
7. Alphabetize by author, alphabetize by title, or random?
A. Mostly random with a little bit by subject matter thrown in.
8. Keep, throw away or sell?
A. Keep or donate to the library.
9. Keep dust jacket or toss it?
A. Keep dust jacket.
10. Read with dust jacket or remove it?
A. Obviously, if I keep the dust jacket, I read with it on the book.
11. Short story or novel?
A. Novels.
12. Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
A. I stop reading when my husband says it is time to go to bed. Or at chapter breaks. Or when I fall asleep reading. Or when I've finished the book.
13. “It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time?”
A. Both.
14. Buy or borrow?
A. I buy print books but borrow audio books from the library.
15. Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse?
A. Generally browsing, but I use all three methods.
16. Collection (short stories by the same author) or anthology (short stories by different authors)?
A. I'm not really a big fan of either.
17. Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
A. A tidy ending is preferable.
18. Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading?
A. I generally read novels at night, but I read all day long.
19. Standalone or series?
A. Either.
20. Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
A. The Steerswoman, by Rosemary Kirstein
21. Favorite genre series?
A. Fantasy and mystery.
22. Currently Reading?
A. Factory Man, by Beth Macy. It's a nonfiction book. I'm listening to King and Maxwell, by David Baldacci.
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Saturday 9: Neon Lights
Saturday 9: Neon Lights (2013)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Think of a neon sign you pass by often. What does it say?
A. "Open." But then we have this big neon star on Mill Mountain in Roanoke.
A picture of it all lit up is at this link.
2) In the video for this song, Demi Lovato spends a great deal of time in the water. When is the last time you swam?
A. Probably 2012, when we went to the beach.
3) The song encourages us to "look up at the sky." OK, we will. How does the sky look where you are today?
A. It's mostly cloudy. Well, it was last night when I answered these questions, but this morning at 7:50 a.m., the sky is a wonderful blue with a little haze.
4) Demi is a contributing editor for Seventeen magazine. When she was in junior high school, Crazy Sam eagerly awaited each new issue of Seventeen. When you were younger, what magazine(s) did you read regularly?
A. True Story. My mother brought it home with her from the grocery store. I also read (and still read), Reader's Digest.
5) Demi is an investor in the company that makes Texas Tea, a bottled beverage available at Whole Foods. Do you have any tea in your kitchen right now?
A. Yes.
6) Demi is currently on tour, performing halfway around the world in Australia and New Zealand. Have you ever had a job that required travel?
A. No.
7) Demi had a recurring role on the show Glee. That show's series finale aired last month. Is there a show that's no longer on that you miss?
A. Xena: Warrior Princess, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Star Trek: Voyager, and Cagney & Lacey.
8) Fast-growing fast food chain Chipotle reports that their top sellers include a burrito bowl with steak or chicken, salad with chili-corn salsa, and a soft taco. Which of these would you order?
A. None of the above. (I have never eaten at Chipotle.)
9) What beverage would you like to enjoy with your burrito bowl, taco or salad?
A. Water.
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Think of a neon sign you pass by often. What does it say?
A. "Open." But then we have this big neon star on Mill Mountain in Roanoke.
A picture of it all lit up is at this link.
2) In the video for this song, Demi Lovato spends a great deal of time in the water. When is the last time you swam?
A. Probably 2012, when we went to the beach.
3) The song encourages us to "look up at the sky." OK, we will. How does the sky look where you are today?
A. It's mostly cloudy. Well, it was last night when I answered these questions, but this morning at 7:50 a.m., the sky is a wonderful blue with a little haze.
4) Demi is a contributing editor for Seventeen magazine. When she was in junior high school, Crazy Sam eagerly awaited each new issue of Seventeen. When you were younger, what magazine(s) did you read regularly?
A. True Story. My mother brought it home with her from the grocery store. I also read (and still read), Reader's Digest.
5) Demi is an investor in the company that makes Texas Tea, a bottled beverage available at Whole Foods. Do you have any tea in your kitchen right now?
A. Yes.
6) Demi is currently on tour, performing halfway around the world in Australia and New Zealand. Have you ever had a job that required travel?
A. No.
7) Demi had a recurring role on the show Glee. That show's series finale aired last month. Is there a show that's no longer on that you miss?
A. Xena: Warrior Princess, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Star Trek: Voyager, and Cagney & Lacey.
8) Fast-growing fast food chain Chipotle reports that their top sellers include a burrito bowl with steak or chicken, salad with chili-corn salsa, and a soft taco. Which of these would you order?
A. None of the above. (I have never eaten at Chipotle.)
9) What beverage would you like to enjoy with your burrito bowl, taco or salad?
A. Water.
Friday, April 17, 2015
The Son I Never Had
I'm not sure why this figment of my imagination has been on my mind in recent weeks. Perhaps the news has caused it, with all of these stories of women being persecuted over miscarriages or being denied medication they need because someone else thinks they have the right to stand in judgment of their situation.
I walked in those shoes, a very long time ago, when we spent six years trying to have a child. I know what it is like to be unhealthy and not whole, and to feel "less than" because you're not able to function like a woman. It's bad enough to be female - in some eyes, you're not even human - but to be unable to produce a child, that's akin to being about as close to nothing as one can be in the minds of many. I have felt it keenly over the years.
But in my mind, for many years, there has lived a little boy. Well, he's not so little, now. He's grown up in my head as the years have passed. Had all gone as planned - and things in my world don't go as planned - this little one would have been born on September 22, 1988. I would have loved that date, since it is also Bilbo and Frodo Baggins' birthdays.
We would have named you James Joseph Firebaugh - James after your father, and his father, and his father's father and on down the line many generations, and Joseph after my father's father. I would have called you J.J., something your father probably would not have liked but he would eventually accept.
Our whole lives would have been different with your coming. I'd have quit my job at the law office to stay home with you, and began my freelance career much earlier. I hope I would have continued working on my bachelors degree, if only to show you how important education is.
I'd have read you stories every night, from the first day I brought you home until you finally made me stop when you were seven. We would have had a collection of Little Golden Books, and I'd have made roaring noises when I read Where the Wild Things Are. You'd pretend to be frightened and giggle when I reached over to tickle you.
When you were two months old, I left you in care of your daddy so I could go chase down a story for the local newspaper. He promptly bundled you up and took you for a ride on the tractor. He thought I would not know, but he can't go anywhere without getting grease on something, and I'd have seen the spot on your blankie. You would have been daddy's boy, for sure. You'd follow him around the farm and by the age of four, you'd be able to tell me the difference between a New Holland and a John Deere tractor, or a Case and an International backhoe. You'd have loved your Erector set and Lincoln Logs, because building things was a joy for you.
You'd know a little about computers because your mom used one, but fortunately you'd be young before they became a big thing. By the time you were 12, though, in the year 2000, they'd be all the rage.
Your grandparents on both sides would have doted on you. Your Granddaddy Firebaugh would have had you working on the farm as soon as you could lift a hammer. Your other granddaddy would want to bring you into his company. Heir apparent, he'd call you.
Being your momma, though, I'd want you to go to school and find your own way. Paths are never simple, even yellow brick roads, and while someone would be there to catch you if you fell, for the most part, I would want you to follow those bricks to wherever your heart led.
Growing up, you'd have had cousins to play with. You'd be the eldest and their leader, but you would have played nice because I'd have taught you to do that. You'd also be a polite young man, because saying yes ma'am and no sir are the right things to do. You'd love the earth because your daddy does, and you'd love the world because your momma does.
We'd take you to Williamsburg where you'd be bored by the history but fascinated with the horses pulling carriages. You'd like the military museums at the Civil War battlefields, but you'd tire of them quickly.
When you turned 10, you told me to stop kissing you goodnight. So I waited every evening until you were asleep, and then slipped in and touched my lips to your forehead. You never knew how much I watched you.
At 12, you played football in middle school. Oh, your dad was so proud, watching you run. You would be a big boy, with your father's height, so you were a blocker. You'd make way for the touchdowns. But sports would not be your passion. Instead, you'd be a 4-H leader, and then an officer in the Future Farmers of America. Your calves would win awards for whatever calves win awards for.
Your classmates called you Joseph. After your high school graduation, you'd ask me to call you Joseph, too. And I would do that simply because you asked.
In 2000, your grandmother died, and J.J., you cried. She loved you and gave you many gifts, and your heart broke to think she was gone. Her loss would draw you closer to your remaining grandmother and grandfathers, as well as your great-grandmothers, until they too, were gone.
Because you had lots of relatives, you would learn a lot about love and much about loss. You'd understand people in the ways of an old soul, and I would love that about you.
I would have watched with pride as you graduated from Lord Botetourt High School, third in your class. By this time, you'd have been accepted into the college of your choice. You weren't going to be a farmer or businessman. You were going to be an architect, but you'd spend your summers helping your dad on the farm.
And then here it would be, now, and you'd be a 27-year-old man. You'd have just made partner in a start-up architectural firm in Richmond, where you would now live. Maybe this coming June you would have come to me with a lovely young woman on your arm, and said, "Mom, this is the love of my life."
I would have been so proud of you, J.J., had you actually been born. I'd have been the best mother I could have been. I would have made mistakes - all parents do - but I would have loved you.
I walked in those shoes, a very long time ago, when we spent six years trying to have a child. I know what it is like to be unhealthy and not whole, and to feel "less than" because you're not able to function like a woman. It's bad enough to be female - in some eyes, you're not even human - but to be unable to produce a child, that's akin to being about as close to nothing as one can be in the minds of many. I have felt it keenly over the years.
But in my mind, for many years, there has lived a little boy. Well, he's not so little, now. He's grown up in my head as the years have passed. Had all gone as planned - and things in my world don't go as planned - this little one would have been born on September 22, 1988. I would have loved that date, since it is also Bilbo and Frodo Baggins' birthdays.
We would have named you James Joseph Firebaugh - James after your father, and his father, and his father's father and on down the line many generations, and Joseph after my father's father. I would have called you J.J., something your father probably would not have liked but he would eventually accept.
Our whole lives would have been different with your coming. I'd have quit my job at the law office to stay home with you, and began my freelance career much earlier. I hope I would have continued working on my bachelors degree, if only to show you how important education is.
I'd have read you stories every night, from the first day I brought you home until you finally made me stop when you were seven. We would have had a collection of Little Golden Books, and I'd have made roaring noises when I read Where the Wild Things Are. You'd pretend to be frightened and giggle when I reached over to tickle you.
When you were two months old, I left you in care of your daddy so I could go chase down a story for the local newspaper. He promptly bundled you up and took you for a ride on the tractor. He thought I would not know, but he can't go anywhere without getting grease on something, and I'd have seen the spot on your blankie. You would have been daddy's boy, for sure. You'd follow him around the farm and by the age of four, you'd be able to tell me the difference between a New Holland and a John Deere tractor, or a Case and an International backhoe. You'd have loved your Erector set and Lincoln Logs, because building things was a joy for you.
You'd know a little about computers because your mom used one, but fortunately you'd be young before they became a big thing. By the time you were 12, though, in the year 2000, they'd be all the rage.
Your grandparents on both sides would have doted on you. Your Granddaddy Firebaugh would have had you working on the farm as soon as you could lift a hammer. Your other granddaddy would want to bring you into his company. Heir apparent, he'd call you.
Being your momma, though, I'd want you to go to school and find your own way. Paths are never simple, even yellow brick roads, and while someone would be there to catch you if you fell, for the most part, I would want you to follow those bricks to wherever your heart led.
Growing up, you'd have had cousins to play with. You'd be the eldest and their leader, but you would have played nice because I'd have taught you to do that. You'd also be a polite young man, because saying yes ma'am and no sir are the right things to do. You'd love the earth because your daddy does, and you'd love the world because your momma does.
We'd take you to Williamsburg where you'd be bored by the history but fascinated with the horses pulling carriages. You'd like the military museums at the Civil War battlefields, but you'd tire of them quickly.
When you turned 10, you told me to stop kissing you goodnight. So I waited every evening until you were asleep, and then slipped in and touched my lips to your forehead. You never knew how much I watched you.
At 12, you played football in middle school. Oh, your dad was so proud, watching you run. You would be a big boy, with your father's height, so you were a blocker. You'd make way for the touchdowns. But sports would not be your passion. Instead, you'd be a 4-H leader, and then an officer in the Future Farmers of America. Your calves would win awards for whatever calves win awards for.
Your classmates called you Joseph. After your high school graduation, you'd ask me to call you Joseph, too. And I would do that simply because you asked.
In 2000, your grandmother died, and J.J., you cried. She loved you and gave you many gifts, and your heart broke to think she was gone. Her loss would draw you closer to your remaining grandmother and grandfathers, as well as your great-grandmothers, until they too, were gone.
Because you had lots of relatives, you would learn a lot about love and much about loss. You'd understand people in the ways of an old soul, and I would love that about you.
I would have watched with pride as you graduated from Lord Botetourt High School, third in your class. By this time, you'd have been accepted into the college of your choice. You weren't going to be a farmer or businessman. You were going to be an architect, but you'd spend your summers helping your dad on the farm.
And then here it would be, now, and you'd be a 27-year-old man. You'd have just made partner in a start-up architectural firm in Richmond, where you would now live. Maybe this coming June you would have come to me with a lovely young woman on your arm, and said, "Mom, this is the love of my life."
I would have been so proud of you, J.J., had you actually been born. I'd have been the best mother I could have been. I would have made mistakes - all parents do - but I would have loved you.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Thursday Thirteen
A little information about adhesions, which is what doctors say has caused me to become disabled by pain.
1. Abdominal adhesions are bands of fibrous tissue (aka scar tissue) that can form between abdominal tissues and organs. Abdominal adhesions cause tissues and organs in the abdominal cavity to stick together.
2. Adhesions may be filmy or coarse, thick or thin. They may be small enough to join individual muscle cells, deep within a structure. Or they may grow so large that they stretch down the torso from neck to waist, bending a person forward so s/he literally cannot stand erect.
3. Abdominal surgery is the most frequent cause of abdominal adhesions. Of patients who undergo abdominal surgery, 93 percent develop abdominal adhesions.
4. Other causes of abdominal adhesions include inflammation of an organ such as cholecystitis or appendicitis, peritonitis, foreign objects left inside the abdomen at the time of surgery, bleeding into the peritoneal cavity, or inflammatory conditions such as pelvic inflammatory disease.
5. Good doctors take steps during surgery to try and minimize the formation of adhesions. Some of these may include: shortening surgical time, keeping the tissues moist, gentle handling of any tissues or organs, and using starch –free and latex-free gloves. Several surgical products have also been developed to try to help prevent adhesions from forming during surgery. Film-like sheets are sometimes used between organs or body surfaces after large, open surgical procedures.
6. In most cases, abdominal adhesions do not cause symptoms. When symptoms are present, chronic abdominal pain is the most common.
7. In areas where adhesions impose on pain-sensitive structures, they can cause constant or recurring pain. They may also pull into structures distant from the original tissue trauma, causing distant dysfunction or referred pain – pain experienced in a part of the body other than the source of pain. Adhesions are often the cause of the unexplained or complex pain patterns in many chronic pain patients.
8. At the sites of where abdominal adhesions occur, the intestine can twist on itself, and the twisting may obstruct the normal movement of its contents (particularly in the small intestine).
9. A complete intestinal obstruction is life threatening and requires immediate medical attention and often surgery.
10. Abdominal adhesions cannot be detected by tests or seen through imaging techniques such as x rays or ultrasound. However, abdominal x rays, a lower gastrointestinal (GI) series, and computerized tomography (CT) scans can diagnose intestinal obstructions.
11. In western medicine, surgery is the only way to treat abdominal adhesions that cause pain, intestinal obstruction, or fertility problems.
12. Surgery to treat pain from abdominal adhesions generally fails because the surgery causes more adhesions.
13. Physical therapy has helped some people who have adhesions, but it is a time consuming, painful, and costly process.
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 391st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
1. Abdominal adhesions are bands of fibrous tissue (aka scar tissue) that can form between abdominal tissues and organs. Abdominal adhesions cause tissues and organs in the abdominal cavity to stick together.
2. Adhesions may be filmy or coarse, thick or thin. They may be small enough to join individual muscle cells, deep within a structure. Or they may grow so large that they stretch down the torso from neck to waist, bending a person forward so s/he literally cannot stand erect.
3. Abdominal surgery is the most frequent cause of abdominal adhesions. Of patients who undergo abdominal surgery, 93 percent develop abdominal adhesions.
4. Other causes of abdominal adhesions include inflammation of an organ such as cholecystitis or appendicitis, peritonitis, foreign objects left inside the abdomen at the time of surgery, bleeding into the peritoneal cavity, or inflammatory conditions such as pelvic inflammatory disease.
5. Good doctors take steps during surgery to try and minimize the formation of adhesions. Some of these may include: shortening surgical time, keeping the tissues moist, gentle handling of any tissues or organs, and using starch –free and latex-free gloves. Several surgical products have also been developed to try to help prevent adhesions from forming during surgery. Film-like sheets are sometimes used between organs or body surfaces after large, open surgical procedures.
6. In most cases, abdominal adhesions do not cause symptoms. When symptoms are present, chronic abdominal pain is the most common.
7. In areas where adhesions impose on pain-sensitive structures, they can cause constant or recurring pain. They may also pull into structures distant from the original tissue trauma, causing distant dysfunction or referred pain – pain experienced in a part of the body other than the source of pain. Adhesions are often the cause of the unexplained or complex pain patterns in many chronic pain patients.
8. At the sites of where abdominal adhesions occur, the intestine can twist on itself, and the twisting may obstruct the normal movement of its contents (particularly in the small intestine).
9. A complete intestinal obstruction is life threatening and requires immediate medical attention and often surgery.
10. Abdominal adhesions cannot be detected by tests or seen through imaging techniques such as x rays or ultrasound. However, abdominal x rays, a lower gastrointestinal (GI) series, and computerized tomography (CT) scans can diagnose intestinal obstructions.
11. In western medicine, surgery is the only way to treat abdominal adhesions that cause pain, intestinal obstruction, or fertility problems.
12. Surgery to treat pain from abdominal adhesions generally fails because the surgery causes more adhesions.
13. Physical therapy has helped some people who have adhesions, but it is a time consuming, painful, and costly process.
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 391st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Sunday Stealing: Sizzle
From Sunday Stealing
The Sizzle Says Meme
1. If money were no object, what would you be doing with your life?
A. I'd be going to doctors in a major city to try to get well, I suppose. And if that was successful, I wouldn't mind traveling and seeing some of the world.
2. Money is just that - an object, so why aren’t you doing it?
A. Because I don't have it.
3. What’s better: horses or cows?
A. We raise beef cattle on a farm, so cows, of course.
4. What do you think the secret to happiness is?
A. Wanting what you have and loving yourself for who you are.
5. When was the last time you had a dream that you either remember well or did not want to awake from? Can you share a bit?
A. I tend to have nightmares or night terrors. According to my journal, this was the last dream that I wrote about:
I dreamed my mother was screaming at me because I wasn't working, that I needed to find a job, that everyone was a better person than I could ever be because I wasn't working, and there was a big huge black snake writhing across the kitchen floor, and I was screaming for someone to help me, and I ended up opening a window but it was a big long drop to the ground. All I could see was darkness and I couldn't even see the bottom of the hole I was falling into.
I woke in a cold sweat, breathing heavily.
6. When you were a little kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A. At various times I wanted to be an archeologist, a geologist, and the person who discovered what was behind the Bermuda Triangle. I also wanted to be an astronomer so I could study aliens. Mostly, though, I wanted to be a writer.
7. Complete this statement: Love is . . . higher than a mountain, love is thicker than water. Wait a second, I think that's an Andy Gibbs song. Oops. Something more original? Love is the epitome of humanity, and the savior of morality. How's that?
8. Can you tell a good story?
A. I am a writer, so I hope so. I think I write stories better than I speak them orally, however.
9. Can you remember your last daydream? What was it about?
A. Since the new season of Game of Thrones comes out tonight (April 12), I have been spending some time in Westeros, imaging various outcomes to remaining characters.
10. If you were to thank someone today, who would you thank?
A. I would thank my husband for putting up with me, my physical therapist for sending me a funny but caring email reminding me of what I am supposed to be doing this weekend, my friend Brenda for having lunch with me, and my friend Teresa for coming by to see me Friday.
11. If you could be anyone's mojo, whose would you want to be, and why? (For those you do not know what mojo is, it's personal magnetism; charm.)
A. I can't imagine why I would want someone else's mojo. However, I think Oprah, Ellen DeGeneres, and Stevie Nicks are all charming. Maybe I could have something that wraps up the three of them?
Join in the fun with Sunday Stealing at the link above. It's a hoot.
The Sizzle Says Meme
1. If money were no object, what would you be doing with your life?
A. I'd be going to doctors in a major city to try to get well, I suppose. And if that was successful, I wouldn't mind traveling and seeing some of the world.
2. Money is just that - an object, so why aren’t you doing it?
A. Because I don't have it.
3. What’s better: horses or cows?
A. We raise beef cattle on a farm, so cows, of course.
4. What do you think the secret to happiness is?
A. Wanting what you have and loving yourself for who you are.
5. When was the last time you had a dream that you either remember well or did not want to awake from? Can you share a bit?
A. I tend to have nightmares or night terrors. According to my journal, this was the last dream that I wrote about:
I dreamed my mother was screaming at me because I wasn't working, that I needed to find a job, that everyone was a better person than I could ever be because I wasn't working, and there was a big huge black snake writhing across the kitchen floor, and I was screaming for someone to help me, and I ended up opening a window but it was a big long drop to the ground. All I could see was darkness and I couldn't even see the bottom of the hole I was falling into.
I woke in a cold sweat, breathing heavily.
6. When you were a little kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A. At various times I wanted to be an archeologist, a geologist, and the person who discovered what was behind the Bermuda Triangle. I also wanted to be an astronomer so I could study aliens. Mostly, though, I wanted to be a writer.
7. Complete this statement: Love is . . . higher than a mountain, love is thicker than water. Wait a second, I think that's an Andy Gibbs song. Oops. Something more original? Love is the epitome of humanity, and the savior of morality. How's that?
8. Can you tell a good story?
A. I am a writer, so I hope so. I think I write stories better than I speak them orally, however.
9. Can you remember your last daydream? What was it about?
A. Since the new season of Game of Thrones comes out tonight (April 12), I have been spending some time in Westeros, imaging various outcomes to remaining characters.
10. If you were to thank someone today, who would you thank?
A. I would thank my husband for putting up with me, my physical therapist for sending me a funny but caring email reminding me of what I am supposed to be doing this weekend, my friend Brenda for having lunch with me, and my friend Teresa for coming by to see me Friday.
11. If you could be anyone's mojo, whose would you want to be, and why? (For those you do not know what mojo is, it's personal magnetism; charm.)
A. I can't imagine why I would want someone else's mojo. However, I think Oprah, Ellen DeGeneres, and Stevie Nicks are all charming. Maybe I could have something that wraps up the three of them?
Join in the fun with Sunday Stealing at the link above. It's a hoot.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Saturday 9: Time
Saturday 9: Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? (1970)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
I can't believe that song is from 1970. Dang, I am old.
1) This song asks, "Does anybody really care about time?" How about you? Do you pride yourself on being punctual? Or don't you really care?
A. I am a punctual person. I am on time 99 percent of the time, and if I'm not, it's because something horrible has happened. One of the reasons my editors like to work with me is because I meet my deadlines.
2) The lyrics refer to a stranger asking the time. When is the last time you conversed with someone you didn't really know? What did you two talk about?
A. A lady I did not know recently spoke with me in the grocery store about the price of Lipton tea. I frequently have to ask strangers to help me reach things on the high shelves in the stores; they are usually obliging and I thank them profusely for the assistance.
3) According to the Top 40 tracker Tunecaster, this song knocked Tony Orlando and Dawn's "Knock Three Times" out of the #1 spot on the charts in January 1971. Are you familiar with "Knock Three Times?"
A. "Oh my darlin', knock three times on the ceiling if you want me. Twice on the pipes (clink clink) means the answer is no." Yes, I am familiar with the tune. I have played it on my guitar before though it has been a long time.
4) Chicago is not only the name of the group but also of the midwest's largest city. Chicago is the proud hometown of such luminaries as Bill Murray, Michelle Obama and Derrick Rose. Does your town have any favorite sons or daughters?
A. Wayne Newton is from my nearest city. Mary Johnston, a famous novelist from 1899 to the 1930s, is from my county. She wrote To Have and To Hold and about 30 other novels. She was also active in the suffragist movement. She was the first woman to ever address the Virginia General Assembly.
5) The group Chicago was originally known as The Chicago Transit Authority, after the city's public transportation system. When is the last time you were on a bus or a train?
A. We took a bus tour when we went to Asheville in 2008. That was the last time I was on a bus. The last time I was on a train was in 1980 when I was on a trip to Europe and I took a train from Madrid, Spain to Paris, France. Just to be complete, the last time I was on a plane was in 1993, when we flew to Orlando, Florida.
6) Four of the original seven bandmembers are still with the group … after 48 years! What's the longest you stayed at the same job?
A. I have been a self-employed writer since 1995, so that would be the longest I have worked at a single occupation. Otherwise, I worked as a legal secretary for about 12 years, but not at the same law office. I generally only lasted about two years at a law office before I had to leave before I strangled someone.
7) Lead singer Rob Lamm confessed that, at times, being in a band has been hard for him because he is by nature a loner. How about you? Are you more introverted or extroverted?
A. I am introverted. When I take the Myers-Briggs test, I am always introverted. I usually test as either an INTP (Introverted, intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving) or an INTJ (Introverted, intuitive, Thinking, Judging). I tend to be right on the line on the last part of the test, pretty even between the "P" and the "J." If you're interested in your Jungian personality, you can take a free test here. I used this in the journaling course I taught at the community college and found it to be accurate.
8) This summer, Chicago will be touring with Earth, Wind and Fire. Have you seen/will you attend any concerts in 2015?
A. I have not seen any concerts so far this year and have no plans to see any so far, though Bill Maher is coming to our area and I would like to see him.
9) Random question: What's the last mess you cleaned up?
A. A mouse got into the pantry last week. I threw away everything in the pantry, the mouse is no more, and the hole the little vermin came in through has been stuffed with steel wool and patched over. First time we've ever had a mouse in this house, and hopefully the last.
Saturday 9 is a nice little meme with no rules. Join in at the link above!
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
I can't believe that song is from 1970. Dang, I am old.
1) This song asks, "Does anybody really care about time?" How about you? Do you pride yourself on being punctual? Or don't you really care?
A. I am a punctual person. I am on time 99 percent of the time, and if I'm not, it's because something horrible has happened. One of the reasons my editors like to work with me is because I meet my deadlines.
2) The lyrics refer to a stranger asking the time. When is the last time you conversed with someone you didn't really know? What did you two talk about?
A. A lady I did not know recently spoke with me in the grocery store about the price of Lipton tea. I frequently have to ask strangers to help me reach things on the high shelves in the stores; they are usually obliging and I thank them profusely for the assistance.
3) According to the Top 40 tracker Tunecaster, this song knocked Tony Orlando and Dawn's "Knock Three Times" out of the #1 spot on the charts in January 1971. Are you familiar with "Knock Three Times?"
A. "Oh my darlin', knock three times on the ceiling if you want me. Twice on the pipes (clink clink) means the answer is no." Yes, I am familiar with the tune. I have played it on my guitar before though it has been a long time.
4) Chicago is not only the name of the group but also of the midwest's largest city. Chicago is the proud hometown of such luminaries as Bill Murray, Michelle Obama and Derrick Rose. Does your town have any favorite sons or daughters?
A. Wayne Newton is from my nearest city. Mary Johnston, a famous novelist from 1899 to the 1930s, is from my county. She wrote To Have and To Hold and about 30 other novels. She was also active in the suffragist movement. She was the first woman to ever address the Virginia General Assembly.
5) The group Chicago was originally known as The Chicago Transit Authority, after the city's public transportation system. When is the last time you were on a bus or a train?
A. We took a bus tour when we went to Asheville in 2008. That was the last time I was on a bus. The last time I was on a train was in 1980 when I was on a trip to Europe and I took a train from Madrid, Spain to Paris, France. Just to be complete, the last time I was on a plane was in 1993, when we flew to Orlando, Florida.
6) Four of the original seven bandmembers are still with the group … after 48 years! What's the longest you stayed at the same job?
A. I have been a self-employed writer since 1995, so that would be the longest I have worked at a single occupation. Otherwise, I worked as a legal secretary for about 12 years, but not at the same law office. I generally only lasted about two years at a law office before I had to leave before I strangled someone.
7) Lead singer Rob Lamm confessed that, at times, being in a band has been hard for him because he is by nature a loner. How about you? Are you more introverted or extroverted?
A. I am introverted. When I take the Myers-Briggs test, I am always introverted. I usually test as either an INTP (Introverted, intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving) or an INTJ (Introverted, intuitive, Thinking, Judging). I tend to be right on the line on the last part of the test, pretty even between the "P" and the "J." If you're interested in your Jungian personality, you can take a free test here. I used this in the journaling course I taught at the community college and found it to be accurate.
8) This summer, Chicago will be touring with Earth, Wind and Fire. Have you seen/will you attend any concerts in 2015?
A. I have not seen any concerts so far this year and have no plans to see any so far, though Bill Maher is coming to our area and I would like to see him.
9) Random question: What's the last mess you cleaned up?
A. A mouse got into the pantry last week. I threw away everything in the pantry, the mouse is no more, and the hole the little vermin came in through has been stuffed with steel wool and patched over. First time we've ever had a mouse in this house, and hopefully the last.
Saturday 9 is a nice little meme with no rules. Join in at the link above!
Friday, April 10, 2015
The Clothes We Wear
A story keeps popping up on my Facebook page about a guy who wore a Polo shirt to a meeting that the President of the United States attended as well.
I am frequently upset at the ugliness blasted by various personages toward the office of the president. These people mean disrespect to the current office holder, but they are also disrespecting the office and the position when they do that.
President George W. Bush was not my favorite president, but I was never disrespectful in my comments toward him. Because no matter how much I may disagree with the holder of the office, the person is still the President of the United States. And while we have no monarchies and we're all supposed to be equal, let's face it - that office, the person holding the title, whomever he or she may be, deserves our respect and politeness.
The poor fellow in the Polo shirt thought he was going to an auditorium full of other people, apparently, and did not realize he was having a one-on-one meeting with the President of the United States.
What would I wear to meet the President of the United States in a one-on-one? Well, nothing in my closet. I would have to go out and purchase something, as I do not own anything I consider nice enough. I would, I think, want a nice business-suit like skirt and jacket, with a bit of a frilly blouse, perhaps, preferably in black. Hose, of course, and new shoes, too. Because of my terrible ankles and flat feet, I would have to go with some kind of nice dress flat, I suppose, as opposed to heels. Heels would be better, though.
My husband would wear either a business suit or perhaps his dress blues from the fire department. I love the look of his dress blues so I would probably encourage him to wear those. I think he has earned the right to wear those in front of someone important.
Of course, now if I were going to a big crowd of people to hear the President of the United States speak, then I have things in my closet that would be okay. Skirts and blouses, or even nice pantsuits. So I understand how the guy in the Polo shirt ended up underdressed in a meeting with the President of the United States since he thought he was going into a big auditorium and not having a one-on-one discussion.
What I don't understand is (a) why it matters so much that it keeps coming across my Facebook page and (b) if it does matter so much, then why are all of these other slights and disrespectful comments not as important as wearing a Polo shirt to a meeting.
Because frankly, I hear and read comments about the current President of the United States that are appalling. Ill-mannered doesn't even begin to cover it. They are beyond disrespectful - the comments are mean, hateful, bigoted, and racist. These people have turned the sanctity of the office into a farce, and I don't know how the next President of the United States, whoever that might be, can begin to bring the décor and honor back to the office title.
We are no longer a polite society, if we ever were one. I'm afraid we reached the pinnacle of the current incarnation of humans some time ago and we're on a downhill slope now, one that will end with our doom as we destroy ourselves. It begins with me, when I don't hold the door open for a little old lady (though I normally am a very polite person) and it ends with the push of a button that sends missiles and bombs raining down on nations.
I don't see it as a stretch, really, to go from a Polo shirt to total annihilation. I think we're almost there as it is.
I am frequently upset at the ugliness blasted by various personages toward the office of the president. These people mean disrespect to the current office holder, but they are also disrespecting the office and the position when they do that.
President George W. Bush was not my favorite president, but I was never disrespectful in my comments toward him. Because no matter how much I may disagree with the holder of the office, the person is still the President of the United States. And while we have no monarchies and we're all supposed to be equal, let's face it - that office, the person holding the title, whomever he or she may be, deserves our respect and politeness.
The poor fellow in the Polo shirt thought he was going to an auditorium full of other people, apparently, and did not realize he was having a one-on-one meeting with the President of the United States.
What would I wear to meet the President of the United States in a one-on-one? Well, nothing in my closet. I would have to go out and purchase something, as I do not own anything I consider nice enough. I would, I think, want a nice business-suit like skirt and jacket, with a bit of a frilly blouse, perhaps, preferably in black. Hose, of course, and new shoes, too. Because of my terrible ankles and flat feet, I would have to go with some kind of nice dress flat, I suppose, as opposed to heels. Heels would be better, though.
My husband would wear either a business suit or perhaps his dress blues from the fire department. I love the look of his dress blues so I would probably encourage him to wear those. I think he has earned the right to wear those in front of someone important.
Of course, now if I were going to a big crowd of people to hear the President of the United States speak, then I have things in my closet that would be okay. Skirts and blouses, or even nice pantsuits. So I understand how the guy in the Polo shirt ended up underdressed in a meeting with the President of the United States since he thought he was going into a big auditorium and not having a one-on-one discussion.
What I don't understand is (a) why it matters so much that it keeps coming across my Facebook page and (b) if it does matter so much, then why are all of these other slights and disrespectful comments not as important as wearing a Polo shirt to a meeting.
Because frankly, I hear and read comments about the current President of the United States that are appalling. Ill-mannered doesn't even begin to cover it. They are beyond disrespectful - the comments are mean, hateful, bigoted, and racist. These people have turned the sanctity of the office into a farce, and I don't know how the next President of the United States, whoever that might be, can begin to bring the décor and honor back to the office title.
We are no longer a polite society, if we ever were one. I'm afraid we reached the pinnacle of the current incarnation of humans some time ago and we're on a downhill slope now, one that will end with our doom as we destroy ourselves. It begins with me, when I don't hold the door open for a little old lady (though I normally am a very polite person) and it ends with the push of a button that sends missiles and bombs raining down on nations.
I don't see it as a stretch, really, to go from a Polo shirt to total annihilation. I think we're almost there as it is.
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