Sunday Stealing: Currently

From Sunday Stealing

Currently Meme

Currently, I am . . . (not doing all of this at one time) . . .

•Reading - The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz. It says if you live your life by these four rules: "Be impeccable with your word;" "Don't take anything personally;" "Don't make assumptions;" and "Always do your best," you will have a good life. What do you think?
•Writing - This meme. But I have also been catching up on my journaling.
•Playing - at coloring.
•Watching - My husband and I have gone back to the 1st season of Downton Abby, since he didn't see it, and have started the series over.
•Trying - to deal with my pain.
•Cooking - we're having chicken and rice for dinner.
•Drinking - water.
•Calling - the cows. (Not really. But you know how you call a cow? Come 'ere, cow! Ha. Actually we go, "WOOO Cow! Wooo!")
•Pinning - ??? What does this even mean?
•Tweeting - I don't tweet.
•Crafting - a secret plan for world domination. Which I suppose is not secret anymore.
•Doing - this meme.
•Going - nowhere about as fast as one can go.
•Loving - my husband.
•Hating - that I am not able to work.
•Re-Discovering - that the grass does come back green in the spring. How about that!
•Enjoying - nothing much.
•Thinking - that 12 weeks is a long time to be without living room furniture.
•Feeling  - tired and achy.
•Missing - my health.
•Hoping - somebody invents a time machine.
•Listening - to nothing. I tend to spend far too much time in silence.
•Celebrating  - the fact that I can still walk.
•Smelling  - nicely, thank you. I showered this morning.
•Thanking - my husband for putting up with me and my crabbiness.
•Considering - how to end my tendency to procrastinate.
•Starting - apparently nothing, since I procrastinate.

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

Saturday 9: Kiss from a Rose

Saturday 9: Kiss from a Rose (1996)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here. (I always thought this was a beautiful song.)


1) This song is from the movie, Batman Forever. The movie Batman v. Superman will be out later this month. In that matchup, who do you support -- The Caped Crusader or The Man of Steel?

A. I haven't seen the movie and would prefer they did not fight. These are heroes, and they are not supposed to beat each other up. So I am going to pick Supergirl and Batgirl, even though neither are in the movie, because if they had a falling out, they'd make up and then go shopping.

2) "Rose" became a popular name in the 19th century, when parents also began naming their daughters "Iris," "Violet," "Daisy" and "Lily." Do you know anyone who has a flower name?

A. I have a friend named Holly, another whose maiden name was Lavinder, another whose last name is Woodie, and another whose last name is Wood. That's the best I can come up with and that's scrolling my Facebook list. However, my grandmother's nickname was Rosie, even though her name was Melba. She is no longer with us.

3) This week's artist, Seal, has something to fall back on. At his parents' insistence, before he pursued music he got an associate degree in architecture from a small college in Westminster. What's the last grade you completed?

A. I have a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies with an emphasis on the humanities. Whew, that's a mouthful, isn't it. Basically that means I took mostly English and Sociology classes. I received that degree in 2012, not so long ago. I love college.

4) Seal wrote this song back in the 1980s but didn't really like it very much. His producer discovered it when they were looking for material to complete Seal's second album and the result was several Grammys. Tell us about a time when something turned out better than you thought it would.

A. This is a hard one. I know my minister didn't think my marriage would last, and we'll be married 33 years this year. But that was his doubt, not mine. Hmm. I can think of a few things but none that I would want to publish on my blog.

5) Ex-wife Heidi Klum is not the only model in Seal's life. He also dated Tyra Banks. Can you name another famous model?

A. Christie Brinkley? Yeah, she was a model. I had to look her up to be sure.

6) Seal is currently involved with yet another model, Australian Erica Packer. Between them they have seven children. How many siblings do you have, and are you the oldest, youngest, or in the middle?

A. I am the oldest. I have a brother who is three years younger than I.

7) Seal's birthday was back on February 19. Let's think about your birthday. If you could have any type of cake you wanted, what would you request?

A. I would like to have a cake that looks like a hobbit house. Or Mordor. On some of my blacker days, maybe Mordor would be more appropriate.

8) In 1996, when this song was popular, Lyle and Erik Menendez were found guilty of murdering their parents in a crime and trial that dominated the news in Los Angeles. What are people in your town talking about?

A. This week they are talking about an announcement about an Italian business that is locating in our county. It is supposed to bring in 350 jobs, and apparently the state and county are offering up something like $30 million in incentives to bring in a company with a $133 million profit last year. If that makes sense to you, feel free to explain. I despise corporate welfare. If a company wants to locate here, they should buy the land, pay the fees, build their building, hire people, and not take tax payer money. We are giving this company 53 acres. Giving it away. And waiving all the fees and things, and doing the grading work and other stuff for them, without them paying a dime. I realize 350 jobs is a lot, but taxpayers should not have to foot the bill to bring a company in here. Any company.
 
9) Random question: There's an old saying, "Like nails on a blackboard." Sam can't recall ever hearing nails on a blackboard, but she knows she hates the sound of a dripping faucet. What sound bothers you the most?

A. The sound a stink bug makes when it hits the lights in the kitchen. It's something like "thwap thwap thwap" and then "thud" when it knocks itself cold and lands on the floor.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.  (This Saturday 9 #120 for me, or least, since I've been labeling them as such.)

Pileated Woodpecker

Thursday Thirteen

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Are you wearing your green?

Today I'm going to talk about adult coloring. It's all the thing now - about half of the big sellers on Amazon are coloring books.

This is good because it means folks are unhooking from their little electronic devices and putting a little beauty in the world, even if it is a picture of a wizard or a lizard.

I have always thought I could not draw or paint, and it never occurred to me to color. But I am coloring too. I find it very meditative. It takes me a long time to finish a picture because I do it in little bits, but it is a nice break from the day's normal pace.

Here are some things to think about if you decide to join in the coloring craze:

1. What do you want to color? I have four coloring books right now, and have discovered that I like the Dover brand of books the best. Some of the books for adults look more like exquisite pen and ink drawings that are complete in and of themselves. I find I don't want to mess those up.

Colored pencil.

2. What do you want to color with? I have been using colored pencils, mostly. I finished one picture using Bic markers - but they bled through terribly. A friend loaned me some Pentel markers which also bleed through (though not as bad as the Bic). If you want to use markers, be aware that the picture on the backside, if there is one, may be ruined.

3. I bought a box of 64 Crayola crayons, but I have yet to use them. I have not used actual crayons since I was a child, so I am looking forward to this.

Here are some reasons to color:



This is my favorite so far,I think. A mix of
colored pencil and markers.

4. Coloring allows you to be present. Being present means you're not worrying about the future or what happened yesterday; you're focusing on what you are doing at the moment. Practicing presence (some call it mindfulness) is way to reset your brain. It can be meditative.

5. For people who want to practice meditation but find they can't simply sit, coloring offers a way out of the craze of the day without being passive. Since you're doing something, and will have something to show off afterwards, that makes it more "ok" than sitting and going "ommm."

6. Coloring help you to focus because you're doing something that takes a little skill, but it also isn't stressful. I find it helps me be more creative in the other ways, too.



All Bic markers.

7. Working with colors, trying to find the right one for the picture and hoping you're creating something pleasing, makes you think differently. You're activating parts of your brain you may not use often.

8. Are you anxious? Coloring can help. See the part about mindfulness/being present.

9. Using coloring tools can bring out your inner little kid. Remember those days of coloring in school, or sitting with your grandmother while she watched? Go back to those simpler times, before you grew up and had to take on adult stuff.  Coloring allows you to rejoice in just being you.

10. Think you're creative, but not an artist? Coloring helps folks who write or bake interesting pies or whatever you do to express your creativity.

11. Coloring is easy, and you don't require anything but a book and crayons. You don't need a big desk, a computer, or anything else. You don't need a class to learn how to do it. You just need to sit at the kitchen table and go for it. (It's also inexpensive: there are coloring books available for about $3, and you can buy a box of 64 crayons for about the same amount.)

Colored pencil.

12.  You can color outside the lines. Sometimes when I am nervous or haven't settled in and calmed down with coloring, I am a little shaky. If I try to color in a small area, I might mess up. But you know what? That's ok. Even if I'm using a marker.

13. Coloring is an act of self-love. We all need to make time for ourselves and devote our energy to the things that make us happy. So what if your father thinks coloring is idiotic? Forget what everyone says and do something that makes you happy. Maybe coloring isn't for you - but maybe sewing, knitting, crotchet, or some other creative endeavor, is. Maybe you can draw like Picasso but never do it. Go do it! Life's short. Forget the money and enjoy the parts that are priceless.


You can read more about coloring at http://www.beliefnet.com/Wellness/Articles/10-Reasons-Adults-Should-Color.aspx?p=2#B653OFuohJK8AFkd.99



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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 439th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Book Review: The Mulberry Tree

The Mulberry Tree
By Jude Deveraux
Read by Karen Ziemba
Copyright 2002
5 hours abridged

Far be it for me to knock an author who is widely published and apparently much-loved, but I was not overly impressed with my first Judge Deveraux book. Perhaps it was the abridgement that made it seem like a shallow story with a contrived ending.

Bailey James (formerly Lillian Manville) sets out to make a new life for herself after spending two decades as the fat wife of a billionaire who wanted her to be, well, his fat wife. The story made it clear that every time Lillian went on a diet, husband Jimmy sent her boxes of chocolates. Apparently he wanted to ensure nobody looked at her. Fat people are, after all, invisible to the rest of the world.

But then poor Jimmy died in a plane crash, and Lillian, hiding out from the multitudes of reporters who wanted glimpses of the fat widow, lost lots of weight. Turns out she also lost out on the billions, too - because Jimmy left her only an old farm in Virginia. His billions went to his two siblings.

Or did it?

At any rate, Lillian takes on a new identity and moves to Virginia, to find herself with an old broken down farmhouse with a mulberry tree. Later she learns there is some mystery that has to do with six young men, known as "The Golden Six." Somehow this ties into her husband and his mysterious childhood. Eventually she begins to try to figure out the connection.

Meanwhile, a handsome architect conveniently moves in with her and she and several other women take a forsaken Virginia backwater and put it on the map with a single commercial during a football game.

The ending was about as contrived as one could get, with the heroine doing very little work to resolve the "mystery" surrounding her husband and The Golden Six. Bailey had a little character growth during the book, but not enough to be satisfactory.

I do not, as a rule, read romance novels (though I like gothic suspense) so it is not surprise that I did not find this overly engaging. It was well-written though I think with a little thought the author could have come up with a more satisfactory ending.

3 stars (mostly for the decent writing and some character development).

The Goddess Freya

Book Review: Them That Go

Them That Go
By Becky Mushko
Copyright 2016
Kindle Edition
(222 pages print edition)

Southwest Virginia author Becky Mushko* presents the reader with an intriguing coming-of-age novel that brings in folk lore, superstition, secrets, and traditions that often are overlooked by other writers in her new book, Them That Go.

Annie Caldwell, a senior in high school in 1972, lives in one of the "hollers" of Appalachian Virginia. She keeps to herself in school and has few friends. This is in part because her family is not wealthy, but also because Annie has a secret. She's one of the few members of her family line who have inherited a special gift. She can talk to animals, while her elderly aunt, whom she calls "Aint Lulie," talks to the dead.

She also has family issues. Her brother died in Viet Nam, leaving her mother depressed and her father overly caught up in his whisky. Annie retreats to Aint Lulie's house, where the elder aunt shares Appalachian lore and family history with her intelligent niece. “There’s always been them that go and them that stay in ever’ generation,” Aint Lulie says as she explains lineage to the girl.

Mushko offers a vivid account of the difficult life the hardy folks in Appalachia lived then (and for some, now). From emptying the slop jar every day to carrying in wood or planting gardens, the chores never end. Annie cares for her aunt without complaint - a good lesson for today's youth.

The quiet life of this Virginia backwater town changes when a young girl in Annie's class goes missing. Annie knows more than she can tell because the animals have spoken to her - so she has to choose between remaining unnoticed or announcing her special talents to her community.

This magical realism story is set in a believable world. Annie's magical gift sets her apart in a place already separated from the rest of the country. Her town is one of the forgotten landscapes that dot that area, filled with the characters frequently found in similar areas throughout Appalachia. Some of these characters speak in written dialect. This style of writing can be difficult for some readers, but Mushko handles it with great skill and the dialect adds to the magic of the story instead of detracting from it, as over-done dialect sometimes does.

Mushko has created an interesting character in Annie Caldwell, a young woman the reader won't soon forget. What might someone with her talent ultimately make of her life? Thankfully, the author offers us a foreshadowing of Annie's future the end of the book, giving a satisfying ending that does not leave the reader wondering.

The author is a retired English teacher who has published several other stories, including the Appalachian version of the Rumpelstiltskin tale, Ferradiddledumday (2010) and a middle-grade paranormal novel, Stuck (2011). Other books available on Kindle by this author include Patches on the Same Quilt and four collections of short stories.

She has won numerous short story contests and published extensively in regional magazines and in the Cup of Comfort series. Visit her website at http://www.beckymushko.com or her blog at http://peevishpen.blogspot.com/.



*The author is a personal friend.

Sunday Stealing: Healthy (HA!)

From Sunday Stealing

Healthy Meme

1. When was the last time you got a nose bleed? A. Sometime in the last month, when I had a bad upper respiratory thing.

2. Do you keep magazines by your toilet? A. No.

3. If you were a waiter/waitress, would you make good tips? A. I would never be a waitress. So no.

4. Have you ever stolen a road sign or traffic barrier? A. No.

5. What are the best kind of Girl Scout cookies? A. None of them.

6. When was the last time you purchased alcohol? A. Years.

7. Do you find it attractive when a guy actually shows his feelings? A. Depends on the feeling. If the feeling is his ding-a-ling sticking out his pants, I don't find that attractive.

8. Are you a fussy eater? A. Somewhat.

9. List everything you ate and drank today: A. Chocolate, tea, eggs, bacon, green beans, cooked cabbage, spinach pie, a 1/4 ham and cheese grinder, and potato chips.

10. How are you sitting? A. On my ass. How else would I sit?

11. Waiting for something? A. That shoe just dropped about an hour ago.

12. Do you like pretzels? A. Yes.

13. Do you wait until you’ve completely finished a certain makeup product before you buy a new one? A. No.

14. Did you wake up before 8:00 a.m. this morning? A. Yes.

15. Have you ever told anyone you were okay when you really weren’t? A. Every day.

16. Do you have reason to cry right now? A. Been cryin' most of the day, so I guess so.

17. How many sodas a week do you have? A. None.

18. Do you shop at Victoria’s Secret? A. F&ck no. I'm fat.

19. Are you into sports? A. F&ck no.

20. Can you easily touch your toes? A. F&ck no.

21. What did the last shoes you wore look like? A. They were white sneakers and they're still on my feet.

22. What do you currently hear? My computer keys and my husband clinking a glass.

23. Have you ever done yoga? A. I've made feeble attempts. Does WiFit count?

24. Do you text a lot? A. Don't text.

25. Do you have a fax machine at home? A. Yes.

26. Do you know anyone who has diabetes? A. I did, they're all dead now.

27. Have you ever had to block anyone online? A. Yes.

28. Are you afraid of thunder and lightning? A. No, I love storms.

29. Are you a shop-a-holic? A. F&ck no. Although I buy a lot of books. But they don't count.

30. Are you healthy? A. I spent the day crying and I'm fat. What do you think?

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

Saturday 9: See You Later, Alligator

Saturday 9: See You Later, Alligator (1956)

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

1) Crazy Sam's mother is terrified of alligators. Just looking at a photo of one of those scaly reptiles gives her the creeps. Is there a member of the animal kingdom that scares you?

A. I bet Crazy Sam's mom doesn't watch Swamp People, then. I am not a fan of creepy crawly things but I have had to kill snakes and spiders and mice and such all by my lonesome. Snakes in particular give me the creeps but if one messes with me it will get its head chopped off with a hoe. Mice I think are icky and germy. Blah.

2) Gators are carnivores, but they aren't picky. If meat isn't handy, they'll munch on fruit. Are you particular about your diet? For example, do you try to eat gluten free, low sodium, etc.?

A. I wish I was particular about my diet. I try to watch my sodium and try to lose weight but I am still fat and unhealthy. I yam what I yam, I guess. Hormone imbalanced and totally imperfect.

3) In Spain, this song was a hit under the title, "Hasta Luego, Cocodrilo." Say something else in Spanish.

A. El burro sabe mas que tu. (The donkey knows more than you. It's the only insult I know in Spanish.)

4) When this week's artist, Bill Haley, was a little boy, he made a guitar out of cardboard and pretended to play that until his parents got him a real one. Tell us about something you wanted so badly when you were a kid.

A. I suppose the answer "to feel loved and wanted" is not what you are looking for, eh? Well, how about a Howdy Doody ventriquilist doll? I wanted one of those once.

5) Early in his career, Bill did whatever it took to get the gig. When singing cowboys were popular, the Michigan native pretended to be a cowpoke and renamed himself, "Silver Yodeling Bill." Have you ever fudged on your resume or fibbed in an interview?

A. Not that I recall.

6) When his career was going well, Bill was generous and loved to give extravagant parties at his home, which he called Melody Manor. Do you enjoy playing the host?

A. Having guests makes me a nervous wreck. I seldom have people over.

7) Bill was blind in one eye, the result of a botched operation when he was a child. Since the blind eye wandered and didn't focus, he always wore a curl over the opposite eye, hoping to draw everyone's attention to the other side of his face. What is there about your appearance that leaves you self conscious?

A. I'm overweight and I limp.

8) On the other hand, what is it about your appearance that pleases you, and that you would never change?

A. I have been told many times that I have nice skin. So I guess I'll go with that.

9) In 1956, when this song was a hit, Elvis Presley exploded onto the music scene and displaced Bill as rock's top artist. The press and public assumed Bill was jealous of Elvis, but in reality he liked Elvis a great deal. Are you jealous by nature?

A. I don't think so. My brother would probably say otherwise.

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

Early March Snow

I took these last week when we had a little light snowfall. It was gone by mid-day.

Thursday 13

Outgassing, or off-gassing, is the odor that manmade products give off when they are put in a home. For example, last September we purchased new loveseats. They "off gassed" for some time, and then two months later one sofa broke and then two months after that the other broke, so the store replaced them. The new sofas arrived on March 1.

I have yet to sit on them, and have had to eat my meals in my office and watch TV in my bedroom. The odor has lessened, but I can still smell it on the sofas when I am near them.

This is often called the "new car smell" - but it has serious implications.

1. Off-gassing comes from synthetic fabric, vinyl, and cushioning, which sends gases into the air. Then we breath it. These volatile compounds can be dozens of times higher than the level recommended in indoor air.

2.  Common gases and compounds found from off-gassing include aldehydes, alcohols, plasticizers, aromatics, and alkanes. Formaldehyde is a common chemical found in off-gassing.

3. Carpeting, paints, adhesives, kitchen cabinets, and wall paneling, and new furniture can create off-gassing.

4. Some of the chemicals released during the off-gassing process can damage the immune system.

5. Off-gassing can damage antiques and art objects and interfere with telephones and other electronic devices. These devices give off their own form of off-gassing, so the air in a house is often full of items off-gassing simultaneously, creating unknown chemical mixes.

6. It can take six months or longer for off-gassing to cease. Some objects can emit odors five years later.

7. Materials around the product that is off-gassing can absorb the dangerous compounds, creating a multiple effect. This includes gypsum wall board, carpeting, draperies, and other things normally found in a house.

8.  Many of the chemicals released into the air when items "off gas" are carcinogenic.

9. Some synthetic materials tend to mold more quickly than natural products, creating additional health hazards and odors.

10. Furniture that "off gasses" can be taken outside and left to stink out there, if that is possible.

11. China takes the blame for much of the formaldehyde in furniture, but even furniture made in the USA (which mine is) can create problems. Formaldehyde is a common culprit because it’s used to cure particleboard, pressed-wood and plywood and other composite woods.

12. Side effects of off-gassing include headaches, dizziness, respiratory problems, nausea, skin irritation, shortness of breath, etc.

13. If you can't take the offending piece of furniture or whatever outside, try running air purifiers, opening windows and placing bowls of baking soda, white vinegar, and activated charcoal around the area of the furniture.

http://www.healthyhouseinstitute.com/a-870-Outgassing#sthash.lWRImNEF.dpuf
https://www.haikudesigns.com/blog/long-term-health-furniture.htm
http://www.mnn.com/your-home/at-home/questions/why-is-my-new-piece-of-furniture-emitting-a-nasty-odor

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while and this is my 438th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday.

Some Kind of Woodpecker

My guidebook doesn't have a picture of this exact woodpecker. It looks close to either a Downy Woodpecker or a Northern Flicker Woodpecker, but the colors are not quite right.

If you know what this bird is, please leave it in the comments! Thanks!

Taking a Rest

Sunday Stealing: Garage Sale

From Sunday Stealing
Garage Sale Meme


1. Is your phone right next to you, or at least close by?

A. Yes. My landline phone is by my computer. My old flip phone cell is in the car.
 
2. What windows or tabs are open on your computer right now?

A. My gmail, Sunday Stealing, Facebook, another email account, AOL, and this.

3. Is your phone a touch screen? A. No.

4. Who is the last person to call you?

A. My husband when he called from work.

5. What was the last movie you watched?

A. I haven't watched a movie in a while.

6. What are you doing tomorrow?

A. That would be Monday since this posts on Sunday (though I am writing it up on Saturday), and on Mondays I have physical therapy.

7. Are you in a good mood? A. I am in a better mood than I was.

8. Do you think exes can remain friends? A. I don't see why not.

9. Are you starting to realize anything?

A. Yes. I am bothered by the off-gassing on my sofas, and I don't know what to do about it.

10. Do you follow rules or break them? A. It depends on the rule.

11. Are you currently looking forward to anything?

A. Just a haircut. I haven't had one in two months and am way overdue.

12. Could you go a day without eating? A. I have, so yes.

13. How many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now? 

A. Just a watch, no bracelets.

14. Do you scream stuff out the car window? A. Um. No?

15. Do you have reason to smile right now?

A. My husband took me to lunch. That was nice.

16. What do you do when you need to relax?

A. Read or play video games.

17. What are you listening to right now?

A. The hum of the air purifiers.

18. What’s your greatest fear?

A. That I'll end up living under a bridge eating trash from the cans at the fast food restaurants.

19. Do you have a best friend? A. Yes.

20. Are you afraid of death?

A. I don't know. I'm not in a hurry for it, but I am not scared of it, either.

21. Do you open up to people easily? A. Just in memes, apparently.

22. Has anyone upset you in the last week?

A. Not enough to remember.

23. What’s your favorite drink?

A. Water. Although I do occasionally like an A&W root beer.

24. What are you craving? A. Fresh air.

25. How did you sleep last night? A. Not bad.

26. Would you ever consider turning your house into a B&B?

A. No. My house is too small.

27. What was the first thing you ate today?

A. I drank tea with honey.

28. Do you have anything more important you should be doing right now?

A. I'm sure that basket of clean towels and sheets can wait.

29. Have you ever eaten tofu, and if so, did you enjoy it?

A. Yes, and no.

30. What was the last type of meat you ate?

A. I had a club sandwich for lunch, so whatever was on that.

31. What color is your toothpaste?

A. I use a prescription toothpaste, and it is a greenish color.

32. Have you taken any medication today? A. Yes.

33. Have you ever inhaled helium? A. Yes.

34. Have you set an alarm today? A. Yes.

35. Do you keep up-to-date with current news and events? 

A. Yes, and I find most of today's news to be alarming as well as poorly done, with little follow-up or true investigative reporting. I am certain that U.S. citizens are being cheated out of essential knowledge because the media is more interested in making money via entertainment than through its actual job as the Fourth Estate. It is a sore point with me, how low the media has fallen. Of course, most of the media is now owned by only six large corporations, so we are not getting multiple viewpoints. Just canned items. And if you think the media is liberal, you make me laugh. If the media was liberal, we would be hearing about things like ALEC, the number of people in prison, there would be endless articles about wage inequities, profiles of poor people every day, lots of criticism of Citizens United, the loss of jobs to overseas companies - taken from U.S. citizens by U.S. companies, gerrymandering, peak oil, the loss of the middle class, loss of funding for public schools, the privatization of the national park system, banking industry corruption . . . such a long list of things that are not on the radar of the so-called "liberal" media, because it is more important to know if Jennifer Anniston is pregnant or if Lady Gaga is having an affair with Tony Bennett or whatever the hell people think they need to know but don't. If you think the media is liberal, what you really think is that it doesn't agree with you, so therefore it must be liberal because you consider yourself a conservative. Truth and facts are neither liberal nor conservative, they just are. Unfortunately, they are no longer being reported by the media. (Sorry, I used to be a journalist, and this irritates me.)

36. Have you asked someone for advice today?

A. I have asked my husband what to do about these couches. So far neither of us have come up with a solution.

37. What color is your shampoo?

A. One bottle is green, the other is white. I switch shampoos frequently.

38. Have you watched more than an hour of TV today?

A. I haven't watched any TV today.

39. Ever wake up early on Saturdays to go Garage Sale shopping?

A. Not in about 20 years.

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