From Sunday Stealing
1. What color is your watch?
A. Silver and gold.
2. What do you think of when you think of Australia?
A. Kangaroos
3. Ever ridden on a roller coaster?
A. Yes. The Shooting Star, at Lakeside Amusement Park, in Salem, VA.
4. Birthstone?
A. Pearl, Alexandrite, and Moonstone
5. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive through?
A. I do both. Just not at the same time.
6. Do you have any friends on facebook that you actually hate?
A. No.
7. Do you have a dog?
A. Not anymore.
8. Last person you talked to on the phone?
A. My friend Teresa.
9. Have you met anyone famous?
A. I have many lots of famous people, mostly politicians. In my work as a news reporter I met many Virginia governors, senators, congressmen, and local representatives.
10. Any plans today?
A. Depends on the weather.
11. From whom did you get this?
A. I got it at Sunday Stealing.
12. Are you happy?
A. No.
13. Where are you right now?
A. In my office in front of my desktop, writing the answers to these questions. Where else would I be?
14. Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
A. Stupidity.
15. Last song listened to?
A. Happy, by Pharell Williams
16. Last movie you saw?
A. It has been so long since I watched a movie on TV I don't remember.
17. Are you allergic to anything?
A. Pretty much everything. Grass, pollens, animals, scents of all types, cigarette smoke, perfumes.
18. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
A. My Apex X826X sneakers.
19. Are you jealous of anyone?
A. No.
20. Are you married?
A. Yes.
21. Is anyone jealous of you?
A. I have no idea. I can't imagine why someone would be. If someone is, then said person doesn't know the whole story. That is why I try not to be jealous if anyone. I don't know the person's whole story.
22. What time is it?
A. Miller time.
23. Do any of your friends have children?
A. Yes.
24. Do you eat healthy?
A. I try but I am not the most successful healthy eater ever.
25. What do you usually do during the day?
A. I do laundry, I blog, I read, I play the guitar, I write other things, I do housework, I fix dinner, I go to the grocery store or run errands, I do the accounting for our various little cottage industries.
26. Do you hate anyone right now?
A. No. There are people out there I'd rather not be around, but I don't hate them.
27. Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
A. Yes.
28. How many kids do you want when you're older?
A. I'm too old to have kids.
29. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
A. The same age my mother was when she died.
30. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
A. No.
31. How did you get one of your scars?
A. I have a scar on my hand that happened when I hit my hand on the corner of a filing cabinet in the county circuit court clerk's office, and then I bled all over documents for something I was researching. My DNA is forever locked up in the local county courthouse on some innocuous piece of paper.
__________
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.
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Saturday 9: Love Is All Around
Saturday 9: Love Is All Around (1970)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This week's song is the theme from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a sitcom that originally aired from 1970 to 1977. Were you a fan?
A. I was aged 7 to 13 then and it came on a TV channel we could not receive. I watched it a few times when I visited my grandmother (who lived in a less rural area) but I never saw enough of it to know if I would be or would have been a fan.
2) The song tells us that Mary Richards can turn the world on with her smile. Yet the real-life Mary Tyler Moore said she was uncomfortable with her "wide mouth." If you could improve on one of your facial features, which would you choose?
A. I have a scar above my upper lip that I wouldn't mind never seeing again.
3) We also hear that Mary can "take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile." What do you think makes a day "a nothing day?"
A. A nothing day would be a day where nothing worth talking about happens. Same ol' same ol'.
4) Mary works in the newsroom at WJM. Her desk is neat as a pin. Are you neat? Or do you lean to the sloppy side?
A. I suppose I lean on the sloppy side because I am a piler, not a filer. I have fits of cleaning up my office but I always seem to find things better when they are in piles.
5) Mary's best friend, Rhoda, worked as a window dresser at Hempel's department store. What department store did you most recently shop at? What did you buy?
A. I was last at Lowe's and I bought a new dishwasher. That's not a department store but I can't recall when I was last in a department store.
6) Mary Richards lived in Minneapolis. What city is nearest to where you are right now?
A. Roanoke, Virginia.
7) Originally the part of Mary Richards was written as a divorcee, but in 1970, there were no TV shows that centered around a divorced woman. Think about the women in your life. Are most of them married, divorced, single or widowed?
A. Most of my friends are married.
8) The MTM production company logo featured a mewing kitten. The cat was found in a Minneapolis shelter, and, after her sequence was shot, she was adopted by a crew member who named her Mimsie. What's the name of the last cat -- or dog or hamster or rabbit -- that you petted?
A. I don't pet animals. I am highly allergic to them - like go to bed for a month with near-pneumonia allergic - so I stay away from them all.
9) Random question -- Would you rather have a job that kept you seated on your fanny or standing on your feet?
A. I have always had jobs that utilized computers and typing and such, so I guess on my fanny. Standing makes my back hurt now.
_____________
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.
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This week's song is the theme from The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a sitcom that originally aired from 1970 to 1977. Were you a fan?
A. I was aged 7 to 13 then and it came on a TV channel we could not receive. I watched it a few times when I visited my grandmother (who lived in a less rural area) but I never saw enough of it to know if I would be or would have been a fan.
2) The song tells us that Mary Richards can turn the world on with her smile. Yet the real-life Mary Tyler Moore said she was uncomfortable with her "wide mouth." If you could improve on one of your facial features, which would you choose?
A. I have a scar above my upper lip that I wouldn't mind never seeing again.
3) We also hear that Mary can "take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile." What do you think makes a day "a nothing day?"
A. A nothing day would be a day where nothing worth talking about happens. Same ol' same ol'.
4) Mary works in the newsroom at WJM. Her desk is neat as a pin. Are you neat? Or do you lean to the sloppy side?
A. I suppose I lean on the sloppy side because I am a piler, not a filer. I have fits of cleaning up my office but I always seem to find things better when they are in piles.
5) Mary's best friend, Rhoda, worked as a window dresser at Hempel's department store. What department store did you most recently shop at? What did you buy?
A. I was last at Lowe's and I bought a new dishwasher. That's not a department store but I can't recall when I was last in a department store.
6) Mary Richards lived in Minneapolis. What city is nearest to where you are right now?
A. Roanoke, Virginia.
7) Originally the part of Mary Richards was written as a divorcee, but in 1970, there were no TV shows that centered around a divorced woman. Think about the women in your life. Are most of them married, divorced, single or widowed?
A. Most of my friends are married.
8) The MTM production company logo featured a mewing kitten. The cat was found in a Minneapolis shelter, and, after her sequence was shot, she was adopted by a crew member who named her Mimsie. What's the name of the last cat -- or dog or hamster or rabbit -- that you petted?
A. I don't pet animals. I am highly allergic to them - like go to bed for a month with near-pneumonia allergic - so I stay away from them all.
9) Random question -- Would you rather have a job that kept you seated on your fanny or standing on your feet?
A. I have always had jobs that utilized computers and typing and such, so I guess on my fanny. Standing makes my back hurt now.
_____________
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.
Friday, July 27, 2018
My Little Guitalele
A while back on a whim I purchased a soprano ukulele. It was overpriced and it wouldn't stay in tune and it took me all of like an hour to figure out how to play it.
Basically a ukulele is the first four strings of a guitar at the 5th fret. So you're using the same chord configurations for a guitar if you had a capo at the 5th fret and were only using the first four strings. Easy peasy, except for trying to remember that G is really C and so on.
I told my husband that if I were still fiddling with the ukulele in a month, I would buy a better instrument.
The month came and I started looking around for a better ukulele. During my search, I discovered that there is a six-string instrument called a guitalele. It's basically a guitar except tuned at, again, the 5th fret. So your strings are running A to A instead of E to E.
Only one local store had a guitalele listed in its inventory, and when I called it actually wasn't there, so I couldn't see if I would really like one. I listened to several different brands online and decided the one that sounded the best to me was a Gretch (G9126) guitalele. You can here what I heard at this link.
Anyway, I ordered one.
Here is my little Gretch guitalele with my Taylor GS Mini guitar. The guitar is smaller than a parlor-sized guitar, so the guitalele is much smaller than a big ol' dreadnaught guitar or even a regular parlor-sized guitar.
These call these guitaleles "travel guitars" because they are so small that they can be stowed away very easily. Great for taking on vacation, for example.
The Gretch guitalele has a flat fretboard, much like the fretboard on my Takamine classical guitar. Since I play alone and not with anyone, I haven't had to worry about transposing and I simply pick it up and play it like a guitar. The only issue is my singing - I generally sing in D or A which means if I play in D or A then I'm not in the right key; I need to drop D back to A and A up C or something like that.
The overpriced ukulele, meanwhile, is scheduled to become a wall decoration.
Basically a ukulele is the first four strings of a guitar at the 5th fret. So you're using the same chord configurations for a guitar if you had a capo at the 5th fret and were only using the first four strings. Easy peasy, except for trying to remember that G is really C and so on.
I told my husband that if I were still fiddling with the ukulele in a month, I would buy a better instrument.
The month came and I started looking around for a better ukulele. During my search, I discovered that there is a six-string instrument called a guitalele. It's basically a guitar except tuned at, again, the 5th fret. So your strings are running A to A instead of E to E.
Only one local store had a guitalele listed in its inventory, and when I called it actually wasn't there, so I couldn't see if I would really like one. I listened to several different brands online and decided the one that sounded the best to me was a Gretch (G9126) guitalele. You can here what I heard at this link.
Anyway, I ordered one.
Here is my little Gretch guitalele with my Taylor GS Mini guitar. The guitar is smaller than a parlor-sized guitar, so the guitalele is much smaller than a big ol' dreadnaught guitar or even a regular parlor-sized guitar.
These call these guitaleles "travel guitars" because they are so small that they can be stowed away very easily. Great for taking on vacation, for example.
The Gretch guitalele has a flat fretboard, much like the fretboard on my Takamine classical guitar. Since I play alone and not with anyone, I haven't had to worry about transposing and I simply pick it up and play it like a guitar. The only issue is my singing - I generally sing in D or A which means if I play in D or A then I'm not in the right key; I need to drop D back to A and A up C or something like that.
The overpriced ukulele, meanwhile, is scheduled to become a wall decoration.
Thursday, July 26, 2018
Thursday Thirteen
Here is a list of some of my favorite Disney movies:
1. Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
2. Cinderella (1950)
3. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
4. One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
5. The Parent Trap (1961)
6. The Jungle Book (1967)
7. The Fox and the Hound (1981)
8. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
9. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
10. Aladdin (1992)
11. Hocus Pocus (1993)
12. The Santa Clause (1994)
13. Toy Story (1995)
Extra: Finding Nemo (2003)
To be honest, I was surprised at the long list of Disney movies that I have not seen. Nor are they movies I particularly want to go out of my way to see. I've seen some that I did not put on this list, like the Herbie the Love Bug movies, the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the Benjii movies, the Witch Mountain movies, and The Chronicles of Narnia movies. These are not bad movies but they are not favorites.
Disney for me brings back memories of Sunday evenings watching The Wonderful World of Disney on the TV with my grandparents. I remember Tinkerbell and the words "in color" being prominent at the time. I remember that more than the movies.
What does Disney mean to you?
______________
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 562nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
1. Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
2. Cinderella (1950)
3. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
4. One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
5. The Parent Trap (1961)
6. The Jungle Book (1967)
7. The Fox and the Hound (1981)
8. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
9. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
10. Aladdin (1992)
11. Hocus Pocus (1993)
12. The Santa Clause (1994)
13. Toy Story (1995)
Extra: Finding Nemo (2003)
To be honest, I was surprised at the long list of Disney movies that I have not seen. Nor are they movies I particularly want to go out of my way to see. I've seen some that I did not put on this list, like the Herbie the Love Bug movies, the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the Benjii movies, the Witch Mountain movies, and The Chronicles of Narnia movies. These are not bad movies but they are not favorites.
Disney for me brings back memories of Sunday evenings watching The Wonderful World of Disney on the TV with my grandparents. I remember Tinkerbell and the words "in color" being prominent at the time. I remember that more than the movies.
What does Disney mean to you?
______________
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 562nd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Sunday Stealing
Sunday Stealing
1. Do you like pie?
A. I only like certain kinds of pie, and I never eat pie crust unless it is graham cracker crust. I only eat the pie innards (and they are usually chocolate or lemon and never, ever coconut).
2. Italian or Mexican?
A. Neither. Both are hard on my ulcers.
3. Can you bake? If so, what are your favorite things to bake?
A. I can bake in the kitchen, mix the stuff in a pan, throw it in the oven like any girl can, 'cause I'm a WOMAN, W-O-M-A-N. I like to bake brownies and an occasional cake. However, we're both overweight so I don't do it often.
4. Do you use cook books or do you try to find recipes online?
A. Both.
5. Do you own a Kitchen Aid mixer?
A. Yes. My husband bought me one a few years ago when I was making cookies and my hand mixer started smoking.
6. Ever cooked a meal for more than 15 people at one time?
A. No, and I have no desire to do that, either.
7. Do you like hospital food?
A. If the choice is eating hospital food and starving, then yes.
8. Favorite fast food restaurant?
A. I don't eat fast food much. I suppose Wendy's if I must.
9. Any picky eaters in your family?
A. Me. And my husband has had his diet whittled down considerably due to blood pressure and gout.
10. Soda or Tea?
A. Tea.
11. Hot chocolate?
A. Oh yes, please.
12. Favorite holiday dish?
A. Chocolate lush, which is a secret family recipe that was passed down from my grandmother.
13. What is the most tasteful strangest looking thing you have ever tasted?
A. Escargo, I suppose.
14. Fries or tater tots?
A. Neither.
15. Do you like cheese? If so what kind?
A. Yes. I like cheddar and goat cheese.
16. Home made or can soup?
A. Either one but mostly we eat canned soup because I am not a cook.
17. Do you like to eat out?
A. Yes.
18. What kind of food is popular where you are? (Like in Alaska it is seafood.)
A. Apparently pizza. There are 15 pizza places in my county, which has 33,000 or so people in it. That's a pizza place for every 2,200 people (and babies don't eat pizza).
19. Do you like cotton candy?
A. I love cotton candy.
20. Turkey or Chicken?
A. Chicken.
21. Hamburger or tuna helper?
A. Neither.
22. Raw or cooked veggies?
A. Cooked.
23. Do you like salad? If so, what is your favorite kind of salad?
A. The kind with lettuce, goobers, and dressing. (Goobers are what we call anything other than lettuce, like radishes, carrots, bacon bits, etc.)
24. Favorite pizza topping?
A. Cheese.
25. Do you like meat loaf?
A. Depends on the meat loaf and whether or not it has onions in it, but on the whole, yes.
__________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.
1. Do you like pie?
A. I only like certain kinds of pie, and I never eat pie crust unless it is graham cracker crust. I only eat the pie innards (and they are usually chocolate or lemon and never, ever coconut).
2. Italian or Mexican?
A. Neither. Both are hard on my ulcers.
3. Can you bake? If so, what are your favorite things to bake?
A. I can bake in the kitchen, mix the stuff in a pan, throw it in the oven like any girl can, 'cause I'm a WOMAN, W-O-M-A-N. I like to bake brownies and an occasional cake. However, we're both overweight so I don't do it often.
4. Do you use cook books or do you try to find recipes online?
A. Both.
5. Do you own a Kitchen Aid mixer?
A. Yes. My husband bought me one a few years ago when I was making cookies and my hand mixer started smoking.
6. Ever cooked a meal for more than 15 people at one time?
A. No, and I have no desire to do that, either.
7. Do you like hospital food?
A. If the choice is eating hospital food and starving, then yes.
8. Favorite fast food restaurant?
A. I don't eat fast food much. I suppose Wendy's if I must.
9. Any picky eaters in your family?
A. Me. And my husband has had his diet whittled down considerably due to blood pressure and gout.
10. Soda or Tea?
A. Tea.
11. Hot chocolate?
A. Oh yes, please.
12. Favorite holiday dish?
A. Chocolate lush, which is a secret family recipe that was passed down from my grandmother.
13. What is the most tasteful strangest looking thing you have ever tasted?
A. Escargo, I suppose.
14. Fries or tater tots?
A. Neither.
15. Do you like cheese? If so what kind?
A. Yes. I like cheddar and goat cheese.
16. Home made or can soup?
A. Either one but mostly we eat canned soup because I am not a cook.
17. Do you like to eat out?
A. Yes.
18. What kind of food is popular where you are? (Like in Alaska it is seafood.)
A. Apparently pizza. There are 15 pizza places in my county, which has 33,000 or so people in it. That's a pizza place for every 2,200 people (and babies don't eat pizza).
19. Do you like cotton candy?
A. I love cotton candy.
20. Turkey or Chicken?
A. Chicken.
21. Hamburger or tuna helper?
A. Neither.
22. Raw or cooked veggies?
A. Cooked.
23. Do you like salad? If so, what is your favorite kind of salad?
A. The kind with lettuce, goobers, and dressing. (Goobers are what we call anything other than lettuce, like radishes, carrots, bacon bits, etc.)
24. Favorite pizza topping?
A. Cheese.
25. Do you like meat loaf?
A. Depends on the meat loaf and whether or not it has onions in it, but on the whole, yes.
__________
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, July 21, 2018
Saturday 9: Gidget
Saturday 9: Gidget (1965)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Gidget was a sitcom that ran only one season. Have you ever seen it?
A. I am aware of it but I don't know that I have watched it.
2) Gidget is a high school student who is more interested in surfing and boys than in the books. When you were Gidget's age, was your top priority getting good grades? Or were you more involved in the social side of student life?
A. I was a straight-A student (graduated 5th in my high school class) and introverted. I was friends with the librarians and teachers, not necessarily the students.
3) Gidget's father was nearly always unflappable when it came to his daughter's high-spirited shenanigans. Who is the coolest, calmest person you know?
A. My husband, which is utterly amazing given the fact that he is married to me.
4) Gidget spends as much time as she can at the beach, hanging out with her best friend, Larue. Fair-skinned Larue doesn't share Gidget's passion for surfing and prefers to stay on the beach blanket, wearing a floppy hat that protects her from the sun. Are you a sun worshipper? Or, like Larue, are you careful about your exposure to the sun?
A. I stay under a blanket at the beach.
5) Gidget, the quintessential California girl, was created by Freidrich Kohner, an Austrian-born screenwriter. Can you think of another Austrian import?
A. Arnold Schwarzenagger (?) (I looked it up after I wrote that and I am correct. He's from Austria.)
6) Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller wrote this week's Gidget theme. They also wrote the 1960 hit song, "Everybody's Somebody's Fool." When is the last time you felt foolish?
A. I don't recall. I try to keep myself out of such situations.
7) This is the show that introduced Sally Field. She went on to win two Oscars and four Emmy Awards. When you think of Sally, what role comes to mind?
A. Playing Forest Gump's mother tied with her role in Steel Magnolias. And her speech where she said, "You really like me."
8) Today Gidget is a grandmother. Sally reports that her grandchildren especially enjoy "sleepovers at Granny's." Where were you the last time you spent the night away from home?
A. We stayed in a hotel about 12 miles from home when the power went out when the substation blew up back in March.
9) Random question -- Describe your perfect lazy afternoon.
A. Sitting around reading a book, drinking a cup of tea or hot chocolate.
_____________
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.
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Gidget was a sitcom that ran only one season. Have you ever seen it?
A. I am aware of it but I don't know that I have watched it.
2) Gidget is a high school student who is more interested in surfing and boys than in the books. When you were Gidget's age, was your top priority getting good grades? Or were you more involved in the social side of student life?
A. I was a straight-A student (graduated 5th in my high school class) and introverted. I was friends with the librarians and teachers, not necessarily the students.
3) Gidget's father was nearly always unflappable when it came to his daughter's high-spirited shenanigans. Who is the coolest, calmest person you know?
A. My husband, which is utterly amazing given the fact that he is married to me.
4) Gidget spends as much time as she can at the beach, hanging out with her best friend, Larue. Fair-skinned Larue doesn't share Gidget's passion for surfing and prefers to stay on the beach blanket, wearing a floppy hat that protects her from the sun. Are you a sun worshipper? Or, like Larue, are you careful about your exposure to the sun?
A. I stay under a blanket at the beach.
5) Gidget, the quintessential California girl, was created by Freidrich Kohner, an Austrian-born screenwriter. Can you think of another Austrian import?
A. Arnold Schwarzenagger (?) (I looked it up after I wrote that and I am correct. He's from Austria.)
6) Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller wrote this week's Gidget theme. They also wrote the 1960 hit song, "Everybody's Somebody's Fool." When is the last time you felt foolish?
A. I don't recall. I try to keep myself out of such situations.
7) This is the show that introduced Sally Field. She went on to win two Oscars and four Emmy Awards. When you think of Sally, what role comes to mind?
A. Playing Forest Gump's mother tied with her role in Steel Magnolias. And her speech where she said, "You really like me."
8) Today Gidget is a grandmother. Sally reports that her grandchildren especially enjoy "sleepovers at Granny's." Where were you the last time you spent the night away from home?
A. We stayed in a hotel about 12 miles from home when the power went out when the substation blew up back in March.
9) Random question -- Describe your perfect lazy afternoon.
A. Sitting around reading a book, drinking a cup of tea or hot chocolate.
_____________
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.
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Thursday Thirteen
Nerdy Lord of the Rings facts
1. Arwen is Aragorn’s cousin (63 times removed). (No, I did not sit and figure that out.)
2. Aragorn is a descendant of Elrond's brother, Elros. Elrond and Elros were halfelves, which meant they could choose between being elves or living a human life (which is what Arwen ends up doing). Elros chose a moral life, while Elrond chose the elf life.
3. The above is the reason Aragorn is actually in his 80s at the time the movies take place. He is one of the Dunadain (men who live a long time).
4. Thranduil's dad was the elf who abandoned Dol Guldur. Dol Guldur is the fortress that Sauron took over in The Hobbit movies. The elves abandoned the place because of territorial disputes between the elves of Lorien and Moria.
5. No one knows what color Legolas's hair really was. Tolkien never describes Legolas's appearance in detail in the books.
6. An elf-lord named Celebrimbor actually forged three of the rings, the ones for elves. The rings were called Nenya, Narya and Vilya. Celebrimbor helped Sauron with the other rings, but he didn't trust Sauron so he forged the rings for the elves himself. That is why they don't hold power over the elves the way the nine rings did the men who received theirs.
7. Celebrimbor also designed the door to the mines of Moria. The doors could only be entered if you knew the password.
8. The balrog who appeared to take out Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring was named Durin's Bane.
9. Gandalf was part of a race of wizards called Maiar.
10. Morgoth was once the baddest and most evil thing in Middle Earth, not Sauron. Morgath is basically Satan, and Sauron was one of his demons, if you want to use Christian terms.
11. Shelob is not just a spider. She's the daughter of Ungoliant, a spirit that predates time.
12. The One Ring could not make Sauron invisible, because Sauron was a spirit-like thing that already lived in the other dimension/plane where the One Ring took a human when he put the ring on. (So it actually doesn't make people invisible, either, it sends them elsewhere.)
13. Orcs are corrupted elves, not a separate race.
______________
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 561st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
1. Arwen is Aragorn’s cousin (63 times removed). (No, I did not sit and figure that out.)
2. Aragorn is a descendant of Elrond's brother, Elros. Elrond and Elros were halfelves, which meant they could choose between being elves or living a human life (which is what Arwen ends up doing). Elros chose a moral life, while Elrond chose the elf life.
3. The above is the reason Aragorn is actually in his 80s at the time the movies take place. He is one of the Dunadain (men who live a long time).
4. Thranduil's dad was the elf who abandoned Dol Guldur. Dol Guldur is the fortress that Sauron took over in The Hobbit movies. The elves abandoned the place because of territorial disputes between the elves of Lorien and Moria.
5. No one knows what color Legolas's hair really was. Tolkien never describes Legolas's appearance in detail in the books.
6. An elf-lord named Celebrimbor actually forged three of the rings, the ones for elves. The rings were called Nenya, Narya and Vilya. Celebrimbor helped Sauron with the other rings, but he didn't trust Sauron so he forged the rings for the elves himself. That is why they don't hold power over the elves the way the nine rings did the men who received theirs.
7. Celebrimbor also designed the door to the mines of Moria. The doors could only be entered if you knew the password.
8. The balrog who appeared to take out Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring was named Durin's Bane.
9. Gandalf was part of a race of wizards called Maiar.
10. Morgoth was once the baddest and most evil thing in Middle Earth, not Sauron. Morgath is basically Satan, and Sauron was one of his demons, if you want to use Christian terms.
11. Shelob is not just a spider. She's the daughter of Ungoliant, a spirit that predates time.
12. The One Ring could not make Sauron invisible, because Sauron was a spirit-like thing that already lived in the other dimension/plane where the One Ring took a human when he put the ring on. (So it actually doesn't make people invisible, either, it sends them elsewhere.)
13. Orcs are corrupted elves, not a separate race.
______________
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 561st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Why Landlord and Tenants Can Never Be Friends
I know there are people who own lots of rental property and think it is a good way to make a living. I am not one of them. I have one house - an old farmstead my mother left me - and it is nothing but a curse.
People do not take care of places they rent. We install folks into a cleanly-painted, decent-looking place, and then they leave it looking like a trash pit.
Here is the most recent example.
This is what the place looked like before we turned it over.
And here is what it looks like a few days after my latest tenant vacated the premises:
And this, my children, is why landlords and tenants almost always have issues. Because the landlord expects the tenant to not live like a pig and smoke up the place and use incense or whatever went on here.
I couldn't make this much mess in three years if I tried. WTH is wrong with people?
People do not take care of places they rent. We install folks into a cleanly-painted, decent-looking place, and then they leave it looking like a trash pit.
Here is the most recent example.
This is what the place looked like before we turned it over.
 |
| Paneling and brown cabinets. |
 |
| Freshly painted walls. |
 |
| Fireplace with paneling. Nice floors. |
 |
| Kitchen again. |
 |
| Fresh paint. Nice floors. |
 |
| Unauthorized painting of the paneling, and what the hell did they do the ceiling? And what's that black stuff on the walls? (See that one white ceiling tile? That's one I gave them to replace one that they said needed to be replaced because of a small leak. No one said a word about the whole ceiling being covered with … something. And the floors? Not so nice now. They are so sticky you can't walk on them. |
 |
| Unauthorized painting of cabinets. And again, what is that black stuff? |
 |
| Did they sit around letting off smoke bombs? What? |
 |
| Every room has black all over the walls. |
 |
| My personal home hasn't been painted in years and if you took a picture from the wall you wouldn't be able to tell where it had been. WTF? |
 |
| I certainly can't explain it. |
 |
| Oh yes, let's just tear away the drywall in the bathroom while we're at it. |
 |
| No clue what caused this. None at all. |
I couldn't make this much mess in three years if I tried. WTH is wrong with people?
Monday, July 16, 2018
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Sunday Stealing
Sunday Stealing
1. What excites you right now?
A. The idea of answering the questions. I'm quivering with anticipation.
2. What are you looking forward to?
A. Getting the windows cleaned.
3. What’s the best thing that happened to you this year?
A. I had this sinfully delicious triple chocolate brownie . . .
4. Where did you grow up?
A. Just a little ways from where I am now.
5. What do you do for fun?
A. I play video games.
6. Who is your favorite superhero?
A. It's a tie between Xena: Warrior Princess and Wonder Woman.
7. Is there a charitable cause you support?
A. I support many. Unfortunately it seems all I do is pay for postage so they can send me more requests for money.
8. What’s the most important thing I should know about you?
A. I believe most people are doing the best they can.
9. Tell us of something that relaxes you and always makes you happy.
A. Reading a book.
10. If you could take the train from anywhere to anywhere, where would 'anywhere' be?
A. I'd take the last train to Clarksville if you'll meet me at the station, you must be there by 4:30 'cause I've made the reservation.
11. What will you always pack in your suitcase?
A. Underwear.
12. What will you never pack in your suitcase?
A. My eyeglasses. I can't see a thing without them so they are always on my face.
__________
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. (#240)
1. What excites you right now?
A. The idea of answering the questions. I'm quivering with anticipation.
2. What are you looking forward to?
A. Getting the windows cleaned.
3. What’s the best thing that happened to you this year?
A. I had this sinfully delicious triple chocolate brownie . . .
4. Where did you grow up?
A. Just a little ways from where I am now.
5. What do you do for fun?
A. I play video games.
6. Who is your favorite superhero?
A. It's a tie between Xena: Warrior Princess and Wonder Woman.
7. Is there a charitable cause you support?
A. I support many. Unfortunately it seems all I do is pay for postage so they can send me more requests for money.
8. What’s the most important thing I should know about you?
A. I believe most people are doing the best they can.
9. Tell us of something that relaxes you and always makes you happy.
A. Reading a book.
10. If you could take the train from anywhere to anywhere, where would 'anywhere' be?
A. I'd take the last train to Clarksville if you'll meet me at the station, you must be there by 4:30 'cause I've made the reservation.
11. What will you always pack in your suitcase?
A. Underwear.
12. What will you never pack in your suitcase?
A. My eyeglasses. I can't see a thing without them so they are always on my face.
__________
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. (#240)
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Saturday 9: I Love Lucy
Saturday 9: I Love Lucy (1951)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Before today, did you know that the "I Love Lucy" theme had lyrics?
A. Yes. I had viewed that episode before.
2) Since its premiere in 1951, I Love Lucy has never been off the air. Are you a fan?
A. I watch it sometimes if I stumble across it, but I don't make a point of it.
3) On the show, Ricky Riccardo supports his family by performing in a nightclub. Do you know anyone in show business?
A. My father plays in a band. I used to play guitar in a band, but that was a long time ago.
4) Lucy and Ricky's best friends are Fred and Ethel, their landlord and his wife. Are you friendly with your neighbors?
A. Friendly enough. Besides, I'm related to most of them.
5) One of the most popular episodes has Lucy and Ethel working on the conveyor belt at a chocolate factory. When did you last have chocolate?
A. I had the most sinfully delicious triple-chocolate brownie on Monday that I have ever had. I will dream about that brownie for the rest of my life. It was magnificent.
6) Another famous episode has Lucy promoting Vitametavegimin. This tonic is made with vitamins, meat, vegetables -- and 23% alcohol. Do you read the ingredients statement before you take an over-the-counter medication? Or do you trust that it's safe because it's on the store shelf?
A. I read the ingredients on everything. I also check the expiration dates.
7) I Love Lucy was filmed before a live audience. Desi Arnaz (Ricky) always maintained he could identify the chuckle of his mother-in-law, who attended every taping. Do you know anyone who has a distinctive laugh?
A. Several people.
8) The show ended when the Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz marriage ended. Have you ever had to choose sides when a couple broke up?
A. Yes. Sometimes people simply force that on you, whether you want to choose sides or not.
9) Random question -- You must eat the same dinner, every day, between now and Labor Day. An identical menu, no deviation. What will you be having?
A. Chicken, peas, mashed potatoes, green beans, rice, a whole-grain roll, blueberries, and watermelon.
_____________
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.
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Before today, did you know that the "I Love Lucy" theme had lyrics?
A. Yes. I had viewed that episode before.
2) Since its premiere in 1951, I Love Lucy has never been off the air. Are you a fan?
A. I watch it sometimes if I stumble across it, but I don't make a point of it.
3) On the show, Ricky Riccardo supports his family by performing in a nightclub. Do you know anyone in show business?
A. My father plays in a band. I used to play guitar in a band, but that was a long time ago.
4) Lucy and Ricky's best friends are Fred and Ethel, their landlord and his wife. Are you friendly with your neighbors?
A. Friendly enough. Besides, I'm related to most of them.
5) One of the most popular episodes has Lucy and Ethel working on the conveyor belt at a chocolate factory. When did you last have chocolate?
A. I had the most sinfully delicious triple-chocolate brownie on Monday that I have ever had. I will dream about that brownie for the rest of my life. It was magnificent.
6) Another famous episode has Lucy promoting Vitametavegimin. This tonic is made with vitamins, meat, vegetables -- and 23% alcohol. Do you read the ingredients statement before you take an over-the-counter medication? Or do you trust that it's safe because it's on the store shelf?
A. I read the ingredients on everything. I also check the expiration dates.
7) I Love Lucy was filmed before a live audience. Desi Arnaz (Ricky) always maintained he could identify the chuckle of his mother-in-law, who attended every taping. Do you know anyone who has a distinctive laugh?
A. Several people.
8) The show ended when the Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz marriage ended. Have you ever had to choose sides when a couple broke up?
A. Yes. Sometimes people simply force that on you, whether you want to choose sides or not.
9) Random question -- You must eat the same dinner, every day, between now and Labor Day. An identical menu, no deviation. What will you be having?
A. Chicken, peas, mashed potatoes, green beans, rice, a whole-grain roll, blueberries, and watermelon.
_____________
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.
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Thursday Thirteen #560
Tomorrow is July 13, 2018.
It's also a Friday.
Now this is a Thursday 13, not a Friday 13. I'm not afraid of 13 things on Thursdays.
Friday? That's a different story.
I've had two car wrecks - both on Fridays with the date of the 13th. So I stay home on Friday the 13th.
I have no idea why Friday the 13th is a big deal. I suspect it is a religious thing, probably going back to Judas being the 13th guest at the Last Supper and the crucifixion of Christ on a Friday.
Fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia.
Here are some things that supposedly have happened on Friday the 13th.
1. On Friday, Aug. 13, 2010, a 13-year-old boy was struck by lightning at 13:13 (1:13 p.m.) in Suffolk, England. The boy’s name was not released, according to British publications the Daily Mail and the Mirror. Rex Clarke, a St. John Ambulance team leader, told the Mirror: “Suddenly there was this huge crack of lightening really close to the seafront and really loud thunder. Seconds later we got a call someone had been hit. The boy was breathing and was conscious.” The boy had only a minor burn. Clarke said, “It’s all a bit strange that he was 13, and it happened at 13:13 on Friday 13.”
2. On Jan. 13, 1989 the “Friday the 13th virus” infected hundreds of IBM computers across the UK. It was programmed to delete files on Friday the 13th.
3. On November 13, 1970, the Bhola cyclone killed an estimated 500,000 people in Chittagong and the surrounding area. The 1970 Friday the 13th cyclone is described by the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium as “the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded, and one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern times.”
4. On Friday, Oct. 13, 1972, a Fairchild airplane carrying a rugby team from Montevideo to Chile disappeared over the Andes. It was later immortalized in the film Alive. Sixteen of the 45 passengers by eating the passengers who had died—a gruesome tale that captured the attention of the world. On that same day, another plane crash killed 160 people. An Aeroflot Il62 airliner flying to Paris via Leningrad crashed near the Sheremetyevo airport, killing all aboard, UPI reported at that time.
5. On December 13, 1995, Joshua Dudley was touring an exhibition of Faberge eggs at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art when he received a phone call telling him he had inherited a $3m estate from a deceased uncle. He began a major celebration that resulted in $4m in damages to the museum.
6. On Friday, October 13, 1972, Dana Hamilton of Rye, New York sold her luxurious hair to a local wigmaker so she could buy her husband a gold chain for his beloved pocket watch. That same evening, she returned home to discover that her husband had sold his watch to buy a pearl necklace for his secretary, with whom he was having an affair. (Sounds like a bad version of an O'Henry story, doesn't it?)
7. Tawny Wetzel, a researcher investigating the correlation between Friday the 13th and emergency room visits, was attacked and killed by hornets on Friday, January 13, 1977.
8. While preparing a lecture on fatalism and external locus of control for his students on Friday, February 13, 1993, psychology professor Claiborn Phillips was struck by lightning a record 13 times in row. (Oh, the irony.)
9. On Friday, July 13, 1951, the state of Kansas had over 25 inches of rain. The cities of Manhattan, Lawrence, and Topeka were most affected, and over two million acres of land were damaged by the flood. At its highest, the flooding exceeded previous records by four to nine feet.
10. On Friday, October 13, 1989, the stock market fell 7 percent. Known as Black Friday, the market dropped after the buyout of United Airlines fell through. A lot of people lost a lot of money.
11. According to National Geographic, a Swedish flight disappeared while flying over the Baltic Sea on June 13, 1952. For 40 years, the Swedish government stuck by the story that the plane was merely performing training exercises. However, National Geographic reported that in the '90s someone leaked that the crewmembers were actually spying on the Soviet Union for NATO — even though Sweden was officially neutral during the Cold War. Russia responded with its own confession. A Russian pilot told a Swedish diplomat that he had shot the plane down.
12. From October 12 to October 13, 2006, western New York was hit with two feet of snow. Over 300,000 people were left without power, thousands of trees were damaged, and the Governor of New York declared a State of Emergency for the Buffalo region.
13. Here's a future prediction: according to Geek.com, an asteroid will come within 22,000 miles of the Earth on April 13, 2029. The closeness of the asteroid could cause damage to the Earth's surface, and there's a one-in-100,000 chance it could collide with us.
______________
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 560th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
It's also a Friday.
Now this is a Thursday 13, not a Friday 13. I'm not afraid of 13 things on Thursdays.
Friday? That's a different story.
I've had two car wrecks - both on Fridays with the date of the 13th. So I stay home on Friday the 13th.
I have no idea why Friday the 13th is a big deal. I suspect it is a religious thing, probably going back to Judas being the 13th guest at the Last Supper and the crucifixion of Christ on a Friday.
Fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia.
Here are some things that supposedly have happened on Friday the 13th.
1. On Friday, Aug. 13, 2010, a 13-year-old boy was struck by lightning at 13:13 (1:13 p.m.) in Suffolk, England. The boy’s name was not released, according to British publications the Daily Mail and the Mirror. Rex Clarke, a St. John Ambulance team leader, told the Mirror: “Suddenly there was this huge crack of lightening really close to the seafront and really loud thunder. Seconds later we got a call someone had been hit. The boy was breathing and was conscious.” The boy had only a minor burn. Clarke said, “It’s all a bit strange that he was 13, and it happened at 13:13 on Friday 13.”
2. On Jan. 13, 1989 the “Friday the 13th virus” infected hundreds of IBM computers across the UK. It was programmed to delete files on Friday the 13th.
3. On November 13, 1970, the Bhola cyclone killed an estimated 500,000 people in Chittagong and the surrounding area. The 1970 Friday the 13th cyclone is described by the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium as “the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded, and one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern times.”
4. On Friday, Oct. 13, 1972, a Fairchild airplane carrying a rugby team from Montevideo to Chile disappeared over the Andes. It was later immortalized in the film Alive. Sixteen of the 45 passengers by eating the passengers who had died—a gruesome tale that captured the attention of the world. On that same day, another plane crash killed 160 people. An Aeroflot Il62 airliner flying to Paris via Leningrad crashed near the Sheremetyevo airport, killing all aboard, UPI reported at that time.
5. On December 13, 1995, Joshua Dudley was touring an exhibition of Faberge eggs at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art when he received a phone call telling him he had inherited a $3m estate from a deceased uncle. He began a major celebration that resulted in $4m in damages to the museum.
6. On Friday, October 13, 1972, Dana Hamilton of Rye, New York sold her luxurious hair to a local wigmaker so she could buy her husband a gold chain for his beloved pocket watch. That same evening, she returned home to discover that her husband had sold his watch to buy a pearl necklace for his secretary, with whom he was having an affair. (Sounds like a bad version of an O'Henry story, doesn't it?)
7. Tawny Wetzel, a researcher investigating the correlation between Friday the 13th and emergency room visits, was attacked and killed by hornets on Friday, January 13, 1977.
8. While preparing a lecture on fatalism and external locus of control for his students on Friday, February 13, 1993, psychology professor Claiborn Phillips was struck by lightning a record 13 times in row. (Oh, the irony.)
9. On Friday, July 13, 1951, the state of Kansas had over 25 inches of rain. The cities of Manhattan, Lawrence, and Topeka were most affected, and over two million acres of land were damaged by the flood. At its highest, the flooding exceeded previous records by four to nine feet.
10. On Friday, October 13, 1989, the stock market fell 7 percent. Known as Black Friday, the market dropped after the buyout of United Airlines fell through. A lot of people lost a lot of money.
11. According to National Geographic, a Swedish flight disappeared while flying over the Baltic Sea on June 13, 1952. For 40 years, the Swedish government stuck by the story that the plane was merely performing training exercises. However, National Geographic reported that in the '90s someone leaked that the crewmembers were actually spying on the Soviet Union for NATO — even though Sweden was officially neutral during the Cold War. Russia responded with its own confession. A Russian pilot told a Swedish diplomat that he had shot the plane down.
12. From October 12 to October 13, 2006, western New York was hit with two feet of snow. Over 300,000 people were left without power, thousands of trees were damaged, and the Governor of New York declared a State of Emergency for the Buffalo region.
13. Here's a future prediction: according to Geek.com, an asteroid will come within 22,000 miles of the Earth on April 13, 2029. The closeness of the asteroid could cause damage to the Earth's surface, and there's a one-in-100,000 chance it could collide with us.
______________
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 560th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Tell Me Every Story Told
A long time ago, a friend who is no longer with us told me she was not going to work on writing novels anymore.
The world has enough people trying to write and publishing things. There are already too many books, she said.
My total astonishment at her words was profound. She went on to blast our mutual alma mater as a place that actually deters writing even though it is a college that has Pulitzer Prize winning authors and national poet laurates among its alumnae. The teaching, she maintained, was so geared toward writing The Great American Novel of Literature that it overlooked and discounted multiple genres and forms of writing.
She never published a novel, though she did publish a history book. Like me, she wrote for newspapers. She also had five novels tucked away in a drawer when she passed away, and who knows what else.
I did have a novel tucked away in a drawer, but I threw it out some time ago. I have another stashed in a file cabinet someplace that I never finished. My essay for my masters degree is probably the longest piece of decent writing that I have.
Truth is, I never wanted to write The Great American Novel. I wanted to be a ghost writer and write Nancy Drew books. I wanted to be Janet Evanovich and write Stephanie Plum novels. I wanted to be Victoria Holt and write gothic romances.
I didn't want to write Catcher in the Rye or Jane Eyre. I read those books and enjoyed them, but I couldn't see myself writing them.
My friend was correct about one thing - the college I graduated from gave short shrift to anything not deemed "literature." Aspirations for other forms of writing were ignored.
I don't know if it is still that way. When I went after my masters degree, it wasn't quite as "literary" but that sense of it was still there. It helped that one of my professors was a genre writer, I think. She didn't look at genre quite like other teachers.
Story comes in many forms. Oral stories are great - my father and brother are both great orators. They can bullshit with the best of them and both are salesmen. I am not a good oral story teller, but I do all right with words on paper. I operate best there.
Everyone has a story, but every story is the same. Right? Wrong? I think not, because even in a family, no one sees a situation or event in the same way. What may be funny to one person might horrify another.
That's the thing about humanity and the human story. Differences abound everywhere, even among twins, triplets, or quadruplets. We have a basic underpinning - we're born, we live, we die. It's the middle part that is so fascinating (although some births are rather fascinating stories, in and of themselves). That "live" part.
Living is so different for everyone. Hard for most, easy for a few. Some laugh their way through it, some cry. Some see joy everywhere while others see nothing but sorrow. Some see a mix of everything.
And who's to say who is right or wrong about any of it? Who has the right to tell someone else that what they see with their own eyes, and feel with their own heart, is good, bad, right or wrong? Society has a set of morals that we use to determine certain things in life - it's bad, for example, to murder someone. That feeling needs to be set aside and not acted upon, if you're feeling murderous toward someone. That goes for any other emotion that causes someone else harm or angst. Societal mores have said we don't do those things, and we are raised to know this. Well, most of us are, anyway. If we didn't know this, society would break down and not function.
My friend did not really stop writing. Being a writer means you never stop thinking like a writer, even if you aren't writing. Being a writer is a different way of seeing the world, a way of looking at details, of searching for the overlay of story arc in an event. A search for the protagonist and antagonist in every outing. Is that the good person? The bad person? Who is right or wrong? Who is going against the dictated social mores?
Sometimes I think that every story has been told. Maybe all we're all doing is rewriting Shakespeare in invisible ways, or telling stories from the Bible in new ways, thousands of times over. Maybe we're telling stories with meaning, or maybe our stories mean nothing at all.
Supposedly there are only seven basic plots: overcoming the monster; rags to riches; the quest; voyage and return; comedy; tragedy; rebirth. I always read them as conflicts of man against self, man against man, man against nature, or man against other/society.
However you define it, even if there are only seven plots, there are endless stories, as many stories as there people. Maybe as many stories as there are stars in the sky.
And here I am writing blog posts, or essays. It counts. It's a story about stories. Somewhere in what I have written this morning, is a story.
The world has enough people trying to write and publishing things. There are already too many books, she said.
My total astonishment at her words was profound. She went on to blast our mutual alma mater as a place that actually deters writing even though it is a college that has Pulitzer Prize winning authors and national poet laurates among its alumnae. The teaching, she maintained, was so geared toward writing The Great American Novel of Literature that it overlooked and discounted multiple genres and forms of writing.
She never published a novel, though she did publish a history book. Like me, she wrote for newspapers. She also had five novels tucked away in a drawer when she passed away, and who knows what else.
I did have a novel tucked away in a drawer, but I threw it out some time ago. I have another stashed in a file cabinet someplace that I never finished. My essay for my masters degree is probably the longest piece of decent writing that I have.
Truth is, I never wanted to write The Great American Novel. I wanted to be a ghost writer and write Nancy Drew books. I wanted to be Janet Evanovich and write Stephanie Plum novels. I wanted to be Victoria Holt and write gothic romances.
I didn't want to write Catcher in the Rye or Jane Eyre. I read those books and enjoyed them, but I couldn't see myself writing them.
My friend was correct about one thing - the college I graduated from gave short shrift to anything not deemed "literature." Aspirations for other forms of writing were ignored.
I don't know if it is still that way. When I went after my masters degree, it wasn't quite as "literary" but that sense of it was still there. It helped that one of my professors was a genre writer, I think. She didn't look at genre quite like other teachers.
Story comes in many forms. Oral stories are great - my father and brother are both great orators. They can bullshit with the best of them and both are salesmen. I am not a good oral story teller, but I do all right with words on paper. I operate best there.
Everyone has a story, but every story is the same. Right? Wrong? I think not, because even in a family, no one sees a situation or event in the same way. What may be funny to one person might horrify another.
That's the thing about humanity and the human story. Differences abound everywhere, even among twins, triplets, or quadruplets. We have a basic underpinning - we're born, we live, we die. It's the middle part that is so fascinating (although some births are rather fascinating stories, in and of themselves). That "live" part.
Living is so different for everyone. Hard for most, easy for a few. Some laugh their way through it, some cry. Some see joy everywhere while others see nothing but sorrow. Some see a mix of everything.
And who's to say who is right or wrong about any of it? Who has the right to tell someone else that what they see with their own eyes, and feel with their own heart, is good, bad, right or wrong? Society has a set of morals that we use to determine certain things in life - it's bad, for example, to murder someone. That feeling needs to be set aside and not acted upon, if you're feeling murderous toward someone. That goes for any other emotion that causes someone else harm or angst. Societal mores have said we don't do those things, and we are raised to know this. Well, most of us are, anyway. If we didn't know this, society would break down and not function.
My friend did not really stop writing. Being a writer means you never stop thinking like a writer, even if you aren't writing. Being a writer is a different way of seeing the world, a way of looking at details, of searching for the overlay of story arc in an event. A search for the protagonist and antagonist in every outing. Is that the good person? The bad person? Who is right or wrong? Who is going against the dictated social mores?
Sometimes I think that every story has been told. Maybe all we're all doing is rewriting Shakespeare in invisible ways, or telling stories from the Bible in new ways, thousands of times over. Maybe we're telling stories with meaning, or maybe our stories mean nothing at all.
Supposedly there are only seven basic plots: overcoming the monster; rags to riches; the quest; voyage and return; comedy; tragedy; rebirth. I always read them as conflicts of man against self, man against man, man against nature, or man against other/society.
However you define it, even if there are only seven plots, there are endless stories, as many stories as there people. Maybe as many stories as there are stars in the sky.
And here I am writing blog posts, or essays. It counts. It's a story about stories. Somewhere in what I have written this morning, is a story.
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