Saturday 9: Sara Smile

Saturday 9: Sara Smile (1976)

. . . Because Kwizgiver suggested Hall & Oates. Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This was Hall & Oates' first #1 hit. Can you name another of their popular songs?

A. Private Eyes. And I didn't even have to look it up.

2) Darryl Hall and Sara Allen were a couple for 30 years, and he wrote this at the beginning of their long relationship. That makes this a very public love letter. Are you good at writing love letters? Would you rather tell the person how you feel, face to face? Or do you let your actions speak louder than your words?

A. I wrote a few love letters to my husband when we were dating, but mostly it's face to face. I also like to be nice and kind and let my actions speak for themselves. I love a lot of people, like a great many, and tolerate more than a few. There are only a few people I know well enough to speak with that I dislike, which means I like most everyone I know. (Politicians and other public figures do not count in this recitation.)

3) In the song, Darryl and Sara are waiting for the sunrise. Did you see the sunrise this morning? Or did you sleep in?

A. I am usually up by 6:30 a.m. This morning it was overcast, so no sun.

4) Both Hall & Oates hail from the Philadelphia area. Hall is a native of suburban Pottstown, which was a stop on the Reading/Philadelphia rail line made famous in Monopoly. Do you like playing board games?

A. I do. But with just my husband and me here, we seldom play.

5) John Oates grew up a few miles away from Pottstown in North Wales. Decades ago, North Wales' biggest employer was a cigar factory. Do you like the smell of a cigar?

A. Heavens no. I am terribly allergic to such lung-annihilating atrocities.

6) Daryl Hall now hosts a music show, Live from Daryl's House, that you catch  free online. Do you typically watch shows from your computer, pad, phone or TV set?

A. I watch most shows from my TV, but I do watch a good number of youtube videos, though never anything very long. I never watch anything from a pad or phone. My Kindle Fire is supposed to be able to handle streaming video but it does not.

7) Hall & Oates are currently on tour. Are you seeing/have you seen a concert this summer?

A. No to all aspects of this question.

8) Daryl and John have been friends for 50 years, even living together at the beginning of their careers when money was tight. Another successful duo of the rock era, Simon & Garfunkle, also met as teens but they forever seem to be feuding. What do you think makes for a lasting friendship/partnership?

A. Good question. I have one friend that has been dear to me for 33 years, another who has been in my heart for about 18, and another that I've known for about four years now. And another that I've known for about 12 years. I have a lot of people that I have known for many, many years. Whether or not they are friends or just people I know is a valid question, one to which I have no real answer. 

I find it difficult to make friends, mostly because I am not out and about. I also am quite introverted, which makes it hard to reach out, and as I have aged it's only gotten harder. But I think to have a good friend you also have to be a good friend. That means you're trustworthy, loyal, and dependable. You recognize if you mess up and try to make it right (at least apologize). Also, you're honest, and you don't use people. Good friendships are reciprocal, and like a marriage, sometimes one person gives more than the other, but ultimately things should feel even to some degree.

9) Random question:  Are you quick to try new things?

A. Depends on the thing. A rocket roller coaster? Nope. A new book? Sure. However, I am in my comfort zone way too much anymore, something which needs to change. So maybe I will slowly be quicker to try new things.

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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.

Books: At the Water's Edge

At the Water's Edge
By Sara Gruen
Copyright 2015
378 pages (plus author's notes & stuff at the back)


I have also read Gruen's first book, Water for Elephants, which readers may recall was made into a not-so-successful movie. (The book was better.)

This book, At the Water's Edge, starts off slow but gathered momentum after the first laborious chapters. For a while, the narrator was not someone I could relate to - a spoiled, wealthy woman who had never ironed a shirt in her life, who had married an insipid husband who could not be called a man. He was more like a boy-child.

The story was set during World War II and focused on Scotland. Madeline and her husband, Ellis, set off in the midst of a war to pursue the Loch Ness Monster because Ellis's father had once found fame with photos of the monster, though those photos were later proven false. So Ellis wanted to clear his father's name. Ellis was not fighting in the war because he was color blind, and his father, a Colonel, was ashamed of his son.

The duo take along Ellis's best friend, Hank, and they end up at a hotel/inn. Ellis and Hank essentially desert Madeline, and she makes friends with the staff and with the inn owner, a former captain in the army who is missing a finger and has a scarred body from early on in the war.

Madeline begins to find herself and learn more about life and the real world while her husband and his friend are off being playboys or something. Along the way, Madeline learns that her husband didn't really want to be married to her and that his color blind excuse was just that - an excuse.

I would not call this story compelling, gripping, or a page turner. I read it while I was eating dinner and finished it up over the weekend when the lights were out and I had nothing else to do but read by flashlight. I enjoyed the historical aspect of the novel - Gruen does period pieces well - but in general I do not find her characters to be people I like. Even though Madeline grows and turns into a better human being at the end, she still has a lot to learn about life.

The story does have interesting metaphors about monsters - the monsters in the lake, the monster in her husband, the monster of drug use, the monsters inside all of us who peek out from time to time. What we do with those monsters depends on a variety of things, I suppose.

If you can get past the first few chapters, the story picks up and becomes a better read. So if you decide to read this New York Times bestseller, hang in there.

3 stars

Thursday 13

I used to be a news reporter, so I know a bit about interviews - both giving and receiving. I've been the interviewer more times than I can count, but I have been interviewed myself only a handful of times, if that. I could probably write a book about it, but I think there are already a few out there.

It is much harder to be the person being interviewed, especially if you are not used to giving information to the public. The heat of the moment, especially if things get a little emotional, means you may say things you don't intend. You may also forget what you said, only to find a surprise in the newspaper or on the TV the next day.

So here are some interview tips, if you are being interviewed.

1. Decide if you want to do the interview. The decisions that go into this are many - your expertise on the topic, the reason for the interview, your trust in the interviewer, the venue. A controversial subject means there will be people who disagree with you, and in today's social media age that means you may read things you don't want to about your thoughts and ideas. Also ask yourself if the interview is relevant or timely. A hint: noncontroversial subject matter is easier for the person being interviewed than controversy, so first timers might want to keep this in mind. If you collect trains, you're probably good. That's a feel-good feature piece. If you're an environmentalist who hates trains, you're likely to receive adverse publicity from social media. Because let's face it, lots of people like trains.

2. Find out what you can about the reporter/news anchor / blogger and the company they work for. You may not want to bother with a blogger who has 10 readers, but a major news outlet could mean big bucks for your business. If a freelance writer contacts you, ask where she plans to sell the article. Do not ask if you can read it first. Some interviewers may allow that, but most media do not allow reporters to give subjects any say in what is written or said for the publication or TV.

3. Find out where the interview will take place. Try to get it on familiar ground, if you can - if you're more comfortable in your office or when you're out on a jog, then see what you can work out so that it suits you. While you may not be able to get a reporter to run along beside you, she may be agreeable to meeting you at the park before your run.

4. However, you may need to have a certain look - coat and tie, for example - depending on subject matter. Keep that in mind. (As an aside, the news reporter should also dress well. I can't tell you how many newspaper reporters I've seen in crummy jeans and mutilated tennis shoes. Come on, people. Be professional. At least buy new shoes.)

5. After you've decided to do the interview, think about your message. Are you promoting a book? What kind of slant can you give the interview to make it more interesting to readers, viewers, or listeners? Figure out your key points and try to deliver them in 30 seconds. Generally, you should have three succinct messages, preferably linking together in some fashion.

6. During the interview, talk in "regular" speak. Don't use acronyms or words that may be found only in your industry. Not everyone knows what OSHA is, nor can they recite the Periodic Table. Keep things around a 6th grade level, if you can.

7. Have papers to hand to the interviewer so they have something to refer to. If you have research you can share, do so. If there's a synopsis of your book ready, hand it over. Your interviewer will be grateful for the extra information. A resume doesn't hurt, either, to give the interviewer information he may not otherwise have. You never know what can fill out a story.

8. Remember that there is no such thing as "off the record" unless you both agree to it, and even then, unless you really trust the interviewer, don't consider it a reality. Many people when being interviewed tend to just throw out, "oh, and off the record, so-and-so did thus-and-such," but unless the interviewer specifically agrees to keep the information out of a story, it's fair game.

9. Try not to fill in a silence. Reporters know that people are uncomfortable when it gets quiet, and eventually the interview subject will say something just to break the silence. That's when you may start to ramble and say things you didn't intend to say.

10. If the reporter gets argumentative and you're not there to argue, end the interview. Some interviewers come in loaded for bear, with an agenda already set, and it doesn't matter what you say, because they are trying to slant the story.

11. Record the interview yourself with a tape recorder so you can remember what you said. Some reporters do not take notes. Some interviewers record the interviews. You have the same right, so do it. Let the interviewer know as a courtesy.

12. If your interview will be on TV, radio, a podcast, or some other form of audio, make sure not to speak in a monotone. Try not to be nervous; a shaky voice comes through and can detract from your message.

13. If you are being interviewed in your own space, be aware that the interviewer may take note of items in your home or office. The interviewer may go to the restroom and open your medicine cabinet. They may note that you collect Beanie Babies or have photos of your family on your desk. Look over your space with the eye of a TV camera. If there's something there you don't want seen, put it away.

The interviewer will ultimately control the story and the interview, but try not to let the person get to you. Emotions make for good copy, but may not make you look good.

Most of all, be careful.

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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 456th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. 

Ear Worm in My Mind

For reasons known only to the interworking of my brain, I have had two Five for Fighting songs stuck in the my head for well over a week now.

The songs are 100 years and Superman.

Interestingly, on the first song, I can't find an agreement on the lyrics. The words are all over the place in a couple of stanzas.

On the official video, it says, for example:

I'm 33 for a moment
Still the man, but you see I'm a they
A kid on the way, babe.
A family on my mind

But other lyric spots on the Internet say this:

I'm thirty three for a moment
Still the man, but you see I'm of age
A kid on the way
A family on my mind
I have no idea which is right, although I tend to go with the version on the official video because, well, it's official. However, the second version actually makes more sense to me.

In Superman, there are a couple of lines on the official version that say this:

I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naïve
I'm just out to find
The better part of me

That version doesn't go on to give the full song. So later there is a stanza that says this;

I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naïve
Men weren't meant to ride
With clouds between their knees
But I tend to hear it as

I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naïve
Men weren't meant to ride
on suicide machines.

I know that the latter one is wrong and something coming out of my little pea brain, but it also makes perfect sense to me. For some reason, it makes me think of 9/11.

So why are these songs stuck in my head?

The first one is about aging and growing old, something which seems to be weighing on me here at the half-time of my life, as the song calls it. Then I'll be 67, just like that. Whoosh - time moving on. Plus, 100 years is a long time to live. Only a fortunate few get to do that and still have their wits and body working. The idea of being old and just a body without a brain scares the bejeezus out of me.

As for the Superman song, I think it's the line, "it's not easy to be me" that has that refrain running through my head. I'm having a difficult time right now; I can't get my pain levels under control, and I am feeling rather frustrated. If I sit around and do nothing, I don't hurt so bad, on the one hand, but on the other, it makes other body parts start to degenerate. And then everything kind of hurts.

At least the two songs are alternating back and forth in my head, so I'm not stuck on just one ear worm.

Summer Flowers

The Night Without Lights

Friday afternoon, around 5:10 or so, the power went out.

Before that, it blinked a few times. I looked outside and realized a big storm was upon us, and I was racing around trying to turn off computers and TVs when the electricity gave up the ghost.

A glance out the bedroom window told me we were having a major weather event. It was raining so hard and furiously that I could not see the fence, which is about 30 yards away. The wind was sending leaves and tree branches in my general direction.

I decided the best thing I could do was sit in the car until the weather calmed. At least if lightning struck, the tires were rubber.

Fortunately, our damage was minimal;  a few trees down in the little forest in front of the house and others on the farm, but nothing across the fences. The generator for the water pump for the cattle watering troughs kicked on and worked as it should, so I didn't have to worry about the cows. 

Without electricity, though, I had to find something to do besides keep my eyeballs on this silly screen at my computer.

I opted to read in the natural light, sitting close to a window. My house, as it turns out, is rather dark. We could have used a few more windows but didn't realize that until after we built. Oh well.

Any way, I finished up my book club book. The power did not return. I had the windows up - a rarity for me because of my asthma and allergies. My husband had mowed the night before and I wasn't sure I was going to be able to stand the grass smell. Ultimately, I could not, so I closed the windows in the bedroom and opened a few others in the far side of the house.

It grew dark around 8:30, and I went to bed. I didn't want to read by flashlight.

Fortunately, it was not a hot night. I slept fitfully, waking about every two hours. I know I dreamed and talked in my sleep; not an unusual occurrence for me. I rose at 6 a.m., long before the Man of the House came in from work. He brought me a very greasy ham biscuit from BoJangles for breakfast (something I requested he not do again). Then he fired up a generator, giving me lights, water, and a fan, but we'd already lost the contents of the refrigerator, most of which I had purchased on Thursday.

We had no phones except our cell phones, which do not work well in the house anyway, and I couldn't do laundry. I took a medium hot shower (there was still hot water in the hot water heater, fortunately), and then sat in the car and recharged my phone while I listened to a book on tape.

After that, I washed all the dishes by hand by heating water with my electric tea kettle and pouring it into a big pan. I folded whatever clothing I hadn't finished up the day before. Then I settled in to a chore I had long put off - tearing articles out of newspapers.

Tearing up a newspaper is a bit like ripping a little shred from my heart, but I have piles of paper. When you write for a newspaper and you keep the stories with your byline, you end up with a lot of newspaper piles. And if you keep all the stories on a local subject that you've been following with interest, even if you didn't write the articles, then you have even more paper. 

I made a significant impact on the pile, and then the phone rang. That was a surprise. After thanking the salesperson for letting me know I had a phone, I hung up on them, and then promptly plugged in my internet connection to see if I could get online with my tablet. I could, and then I couldn't. It was sporadic, but I was able to get my fix. Yes, I am addicted to the Internet. I am addicted to blogs, and reading blogs, and to reading the news, and to Facebook, and to receiving email from friends. Even so, I have thus far refused a smartphone simply because I know I will remain glued to the thing from sun up to sun down, and I don't want that.

I want to keep some autonomy, after all. And I rather like it when I go for a drive and no one can get me because only a select few have my cell number. But I didn't like it when I couldn't access things when I wanted.

The lights came back on around 1:30 p.m., and that was the end of that. I stripped the bed, washed the linens, made the bed back up, and put the dishes I had hand-washed in the dishwasher just because. I fretted over the food in the freezer and the refrigerator. I looked online for guidelines as to how long food would be safe without power. The freezer food was probably okay. The refrigerator stuff - no way. Out it went.

Sunday I rose early to head to the supermarket. Halfway through my shopping trip, I realized I had forgotten my wallet. I put everything back, came back home, and went back after it. This is no small feat given that the shopping around here is a 15 minute drive away (10 if you go fast). What should have taken me an hour and 15 minutes took two hours or better, and I arrived home in time to give my husband a ham sandwich for lunch.

So that was our eventful weekend.

And I learned something I already knew but had refused to deal with - the Internet sucks up a lot of my time. I think it is time I place some limits on it, even if it is my major method of socialization these days. That means less Facebook and video games, mostly. Anything to do with writing doesn't count - to me, that's still what I do, write. Even if I'm not doing it professionally at the moment.

Sunday Stealing: Movie Nut's Meme

Sunday Stealing: The Movie Nut's Meme

What was you first movie-going experience without your parents?

A. Grease, as best I recall.

Do you still buy DVDs or Blu Rays (or do you just stream them)?

A. I still buy them. I have just started learning how to stream stuff. I'm 53 years old and haven't got a teenager around to show me the new methods. I have to be brave and figure it out all on my own.

What is your guilty pleasure movie? What about it works for you?

A. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (yes, all 13+ hours of it). But I will also rewatch Under the Tuscan Sun, Dirty Dancing, Secretariat, Finding Nemo, a Shrek movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Independence Day, Star Wars, most Star Trek movies, and Grease (imagine that) if they happen to be on when I'm channel surfing.

You have compiled a list of your top 100 movies. Which movies do you like, but would not make the list?

A. That is a very long list. I would not add the Sherlock Holmes movies with Robert Downey, Jr. to the list, though I will watch the movies with my husband on occasion.

Which movie(s) do you compulsively watch over and over again? What makes it so great?

A. The Lord of the Rings trilogy. (Yes, I know, you know that.) It is great because it has good versus evil, brotherly love, a quest (I love quests), and some really good looking eye candy for girls, as well as a couple of strong female characters. And what can beat a wizard and a giant spider?

Classic(s) you're embarrassed to admit you haven't seen yet?

A. Almost all of them. That one where somebody says, "Play it again, Sam," for one.

Do you have any movie posters hanging on your wall? If yes, which ones and why?

A. I have a Lord of the Rings calendar on my wall. I suspect that counts. For July the pictures on it are of Arwen, a she-elf who was in love with Lord Aragorn, also known as Stryder and the King of Gondor.

Tell us about a movie that you are passionate about.

A. Well, I don't want to be repetitive, so I will try to think of something besides Lord of the Rings. Let's see. I liked the movie Momma Mia because it was fun and silly, and it was a hoot to watch Pierce Brosnan try to sing. I own it so I must have been a little passionate about it, because I only buy movies I really like or expect to want to watch again.

What is a movie you vow to never watch? Why?

A. I don't watch porn, horror, or 50 Shades of Gray. I think the last movie falls into the first two categories, anyway, though I suspect folks would argue that it isn't horror. However, blatant misogynistic behavior is a horror as far as I am concerned.

Tell us about a movie that literally left you speechless.

A. The Rose. It left me sobbing.

What’s a movie that you always recommend?

A. Besides Lord of the Rings? Let's go with something really different: The Replacements. It's a Kenau Reeves movie about a group of substitute football players who are hired when the pros go on strike.

Who is an actor you always watch, no matter how crappy the movie?

A. I really don't have one I follow that religiously.

Who is an actor you don't get the appeal for? Why don’t you like them?

A. George Clooney. (Yes, I am ducking, I know a few of you SSer's love him.) I find him pretentious. He over acts. The only movie I ever liked him in was O Brother Where Art Thou.

Who is an actor, living or dead, you'd love to meet? Why do they intrigue you?

A. Kate Jackson, because she was the original brainy Charlie's Angel. I always thought she was a good actress, lots of facial expressions. She also played in Dark Shadows, which I loved as a kid, and I was following her career up through The Rookies and then Charlie's Angels without actually realizing that was what I was doing. I would like to know why she left Charlie's Angels when she did, and I would like to know how she dealt with breast cancer, and how friendly she was with her co-stars. I would also like to know how she found her passion for her career.

Sexiest actor/actress you've seen. (Picture required!)

A. Well, here we go again:

Lord Aragorn

OK, you are casting a movie, pick four or five actors you’d hire to be in it and why we’d love them together.

A. Meryl Streep, Rosie O'Donnell, Julia Roberts, and Meg Ryan. We'd love them together because, well, we just would.

Who are your favorite actor pairing of all time?

A. Probably Richard Gere and Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.

Have you ever watched movies from a decade that was before you were born? If so, which decade is your favorite?

A. My favorite movie from before I was born is The Wizard of Oz. So whatever decade that is.

If you were to be in a movie would you rather play the hero, villain or anti-hero? Why?

A. I would be the side-kick. I would be the Robin to Batman, the Gabrielle to Xena, the Legolas to Aragorn, the Lois Lane to Superman, the Willow to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I am not strong enough to be a hero, either mentally or physically, and I am not mean enough to be a villain, and I simply don't like anti-heroes in stories. I am, however, a very good support person.

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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: Hotel California

Saturday 9: Hotel California (1977)

. . . Because Country Dew (that's me!) suggested it. Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Composer Don Henley says this song is about the "journey from innocence to experience." Where do find yourself on that journey? Are you more innocent, or experienced?

A. Since I am more than 1/2 a century old, I would lean toward experience; however, I tend to want to think the best of people, and believe in goodness and kindness, which I fear is an innocence that means I am always overly sensitive and constantly patching my heart.

2) The lyrics refers to the "warm smell of colitas." Do you know what it is that the Eagles noticed in the air?

A. I always hoped it was flowers and not a bout of colitis. :-) After a bit of searching on the 'net, though, I believe it to be the smell of marijuana.

3) The girl in the song had her head turned by luxury, including jewelry from Tiffany's and Mercedes Benz autos. Do you consider yourself materialistic?

A. I try very hard not to be. I don't own a lot of jewelry, and nothing expensive. I don't buy expensive cars (I have a Camry). That said, I do like to be comfortable. I want my house clean and if not expensively furnished, then comfortably so. I like a warm bed, and air conditioning. I think I am more into comfort than materialism, but I suspect that is a fine line.

4) This recording has been lauded by music publications for for its long guitar solo. Are you good on the guitar?

A. I used to be, though I never played the solo on this song. I have and can still play the singing part (lots of minor chords in it) but I have always been a rhythm guitarist. I've never wanted to make her cry or sing.

5) There's an error in the lyrics and Don Henley can get a bit testy when interviewers bring it to his attention. Here's the lyric: "So I called up the captain and said, 'Please bring me your wine.' He said, 'We haven't had that spirit here since 1969.'" Do you know what's wrong with it?

A. I think wine is not a "spirit" in the world of alcohol. But this song is so weird that I have always thought of "ghost" when I hear that line, and interpreted it as, "Sorry, pal, the ghost that used to serve the wine left us in 1969."

6) Known as the Eagles' drummer, Henley now spends less time at his drum kit. Sitting at that angle for an extended period of time hurts his back. Sam believes this proves all those warnings she heard from her parents about good posture are true. Do you pay attention to your posture?

A. I did not and now try to but fear it is too late. I am paying for it in spades. In my defense, it was not something my mother frequently mentioned or emphasized.

7) Joe Walsh is considered the wild man of the Eagles. Think of your circle of friends. Who is the most unpredictable?

A. I suspect it is . . . me.

8) In 1977, Star Wars premiered. How many Star Wars movies have you seen?

A. I have seen them all. The wonderful first three originals and the not-so-wonderful prequels, and the most recent one, which was acceptable.

9) Random question: "nosocomephobia" is the fear of hospitals. Are you nosocomephobic?

A. I think I am now. I have always had a problem with the elevator at the hospital (I once got off on a high floor and passed out on the tile on the way to visit a friend), but since my last adventure with surgery, I think a hospital is the last place I have any desire to be.

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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.

A Fungus Among Us

For two years, we have had no sign a fungus around our oak tree in the back yard. The fungus, which looks like a very large mushroom of some sort, first turned up in 2014.

We didn't see it last year, but recent wet weather has apparently caused the fungi to return.

One of the fungi at my foot (size 7).

I think this is called Armillaria root fungus of some kind, though a friend thinks it might be this kind of fungus: http://www.first-nature.com/fungi/trametes-gibbosa.php.

It really doesn't matter which it is; both mean the tree is stressed. There does not seem to be a cure for either kind of fungus, that I can find.

Fungi on the other side of the oak tree.

Supposedly, it can take years for the fungus to kill a tree, but sometimes it happens quickly.

I sure would hate to lose this old oak.