Saturday 9: Cheeseburger in Paradise

Saturday 9: Cheeseburger in Paradise (1978)

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

From the archives; Repeated in memory of Jimmy Buffett, who died on September 1.

1) In this song, Jimmy Buffett briefly attempts a healthier diet, which included sunflower seeds, carrot juice, zucchini and bulgur wheat. Do you pay attention to your daily consumption of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, etc.?

A. I try but I fail. That's what vitamins are for.

2) Jimmy sings that he'd like French fries with his burger. Do you prefer to dip your fries or drizzle the ketchup over them?

A. I dip them.

Bing AI Image

3) Which cheese would make yours a cheeseburger in paradise: American, cheddar, Swiss, bleu, Muenster, or Monterrey Jack?

A. American and/or cheddar.

 

4) Buffett fans call themselves Parrotheads. Concert attire for a well-dressed Parrothead often includes a Hawaiian shirt and a foam fin hat. What will you be wearing tonight?

A. Jeans and a t-shirt.

 

5) For someone with such an easygoing and laidback vibe, Jimmy is a very busy man. His business ventures include liquors, restaurants and hotels. He's also published eight books. All this in addition to making music! On a scale of 1 to 10 -- with 1 being lazy and 10 being highly motivated -- how would you rate yourself this morning?

A. I am generally about a 5, I'm afraid. Not lazy, but not motivated, either.

6) Jimmy has some very famous fans. Paul McCartney asked him to play at one of his parties, and Barack Obama invited him to perform at a fundraiser. If you could invite anyone -- anyone at all! -- to play at your party, who would you ask?

A. Fleetwood Mac (but as they were in the 1970s). 

7) Jimmy was born on Christmas Day. Does your birthday fall on a major holiday? If yes, do you mind "sharing" your special day?

A. My birthday falls on a normal ol' day.

8) In 1978, the year this song was popular, the Susan B. Anthony Dollar was first minted. The initial design was not a hit with the public because vending machines could not accept it. What's the last thing you bought from a vending machine?

A. Gosh. It's been so long I can't remember. 

9) Random question -- If today's your birthday, your zodiac sign is Virgo. When did you last check your horoscope?

A. Today. I still read the print edition of the paper, and they have the horoscopes in there. I read the paper pretty much cover to cover, so that gets included in the reading.

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

Flowers

 

Thursday Thirteen

This morning first thing, I saw a Facebook post where someone was talking about stuff being broken in restaurants and such, and someone blamed the Illuminati. That got me thinking about conspiracy theories, myths, and legends. So, here's a list of a few that never seem to go away.

1. Princess Diana was murdered. Some people believe that Princess Diana’s death on August 31, 1997, in a car crash in Paris, was not an accident, but a deliberate assassination orchestrated by the British royal family or other powerful groups. They claim that Diana was killed because she was pregnant with Dodi Fayed’s child, because she was planning to expose secrets of the monarchy, or because she was a threat to the establishment. Some of the evidence for this alleged conspiracy include suspicious actions of the paparazzi, the driver, and the medical staff, as well as inconsistencies and cover-ups in the official investigation.

2. Aliens are being studied at Area 51. Some people believe that Area 51, a secretive military base in Nevada, is where the US government is hiding and experimenting on extraterrestrial beings and their spacecraft. They claim that Area 51 is connected to the Roswell incident of 1947, where a UFO allegedly crashed and was recovered by the military. They also claim that Area 51 is involved in reverse engineering alien technology, developing advanced weapons and aircraft, and collaborating with aliens on secret projects.

3. The Illuminati and the New World Order. Some people believe that there is a secret society called the Illuminati, which consists of powerful and influential people who are working to establish a global totalitarian regime known as the New World Order. They claim that the Illuminati controls various aspects of society, such as politics, media, religion, education, and finance, and uses symbols, rituals, and events to manipulate and brainwash the masses. Some of the goals of this alleged conspiracy include creating a one-world government, a one-world currency, a one-world religion, and reducing the world population.

4. Elvis Presley is still alive. Some people believe that Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, who died on August 16, 1977, at the age of 42, did not actually die, but faked his death and went into hiding. They claim that Elvis was unhappy with his fame and wanted to escape from his fans, his debts, or his enemies. They also claim that Elvis has been spotted in various places over the years, such as Graceland, Las Vegas, or Argentina. If he is still alive, he'd be 88 years old, unless of course he also has some anti-aging cocktail so that he looks like he did when he was 30.

5. Chemtrails are spraying chemicals into the atmosphere. Some people believe that the white trails left by airplanes in the sky are not harmless condensation trails, but chemical or biological agents that are deliberately sprayed into the atmosphere for nefarious purposes. They claim that these chemtrails are part of a secret program that aims to manipulate the weather, control the population, spread diseases, or alter the environment.

6. The JFK assassination was a conspiracy. Some people believe that President John F. Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, was not the work of a lone gunman, but a complex plot involving multiple shooters and powerful groups. They claim that the official investigation, known as the Warren Commission, was a cover-up that ignored or fabricated evidence. Some of the suspects for this alleged conspiracy include the CIA, the FBI, the Mafia, the Soviet Union, Cuba, or even Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.

7. Keith Richards is John F. Kennedy. According to this theory, the Rolling Stones guitarist is actually the former president, who faked his death in 1963 and assumed a new identity as a rock star. Some QAnon followers in Dallas believed this theory and expected JFK Jr., who also supposedly faked his death in 1999, to reveal himself at Dealey Plaza in November 2021. Needless to say, this did not happen, and the theory has no basis in reality.

8. The Loch Ness Monster. This creature is said to inhabit the Loch Ness, a large lake in Scotland. There is no evidence that the Loch Ness Monster exists, but there have been many sightings and claims over the years by people who believe they have seen it or have proof of its existence. Some of the possible explanations for the Loch Ness Monster sightings include optical illusions, misidentifications of known animals, hoaxes, or wishful thinking. Some of the proposed candidates for the Loch Ness Monster include an overgrown eel, a giant sturgeon, a plesiosaur, or even an elephant. However, none of these theories have been conclusively proven or disproven.

9. The reptilian elite. Some people believe that the world is secretly ruled by a race of shape-shifting reptilian aliens who can take human form and infiltrate the highest levels of government, business, and entertainment. They claim that these reptilians are behind many historical events and conspiracies, such as the assassination of JFK, 9/11, and the COVID-19 pandemic. They also claim that many prominent figures, such as Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth II, and Oprah Winfrey, are reptilians or their hybrids.

10. The Mandela Effect. Some people believe that they have experienced events or facts that differ from the official or widely accepted version of reality. They claim that these discrepancies are not due to faulty memory or misinformation, but to parallel universes or alternate timelines that have somehow merged or changed. They also claim that these changes are orchestrated by a mysterious force or entity, such as CERN (an intergovernmental organization) or Satan. Some examples of the Mandela Effect include remembering that Nelson Mandela died in prison in the 1980s, that the Berenstain Bears were spelled as Berenstein Bears, or that Darth Vader said "Luke, I am your father" instead of "No, I am your father."

11. The Mothman. Some people believe that there is a winged humanoid creature that haunts the area around Point Pleasant, West Virginia. They claim that the Mothman has glowing red eyes, a screeching voice, and can fly at high speeds. They also claim that the Mothman is a harbinger of doom, as it was seen before the collapse of the Silver Bridge in 1967, which killed 46 people.

12. The Jersey Devil. Some people believe that there is a winged beast that inhabits the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. They claim that the Jersey Devil is the offspring of a woman named Mother Leeds, who cursed her 13th child in 1735 and gave birth to a creature with a horse’s head, a goat’s body, bat’s wings, and a forked tail. They also claim that the Jersey Devil has terrorized the locals for centuries, killing livestock, attacking people, and emitting a blood-curdling scream.

13. The Kraken. Some people believe that there is a gigantic sea monster that lurks in the depths of the ocean. They claim that the Kraken is a huge squid or octopus that can attack and sink ships, drag sailors into the water, or create whirlpools. They also claim that the Kraken has been sighted by various explorers and sailors throughout history, such as Christopher Columbus, Olaus Magnus, and Alfred Tennyson.

Bing AI helped compile this list and created the image.

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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 824th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

The First Lady of WWII

The First Lady of World War II: Eleanor Roosevelt's Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back
By Shannon McKenna Schmidt

Copyright 2023

221 pages plus photos & bibliography

Twenty years ago, I started working for an older lawyer and former Virginia legislator who wanted to write a book about World War II and the Pacific front. He had started the book with another person, someone I know, and she moved, and recommended me. 

So, about a third of the book was written before he hired me. He had me read that to see if I was interested. We met once a week and he would dictate what he wanted to say. Frequently, what he wanted to say came from other sources - secondary sources, books others had written. Despite my concerns that he was plagiarizing, he wrote the whole book that way. He did some source research at the Woodrow Wilson Library at VMI, and he went to Norfolk once to some library there, but a good deal of his book and the facts within were lifted from secondary sources.

I footnoted everything as best I could, but the first part of the book I couldn't do much with since I hadn't been there at its inception. This was my first real foray into helping someone write a book, or copyediting, for that matter, so I learned a lot about writing a book and using a style sheet and so on and so forth.

But I also learned a lot about the Pacific Theater during World War II. So, when my friend gave me this book for my birthday, I was thrilled.

Because I'd helped that old fellow with his WWII book (which he did publish), I knew a lot more than I suspect many people might. The names of generals, admirals, and locations were familiar to me. I knew about Midway, Papua New Guinea, and other things.

But I didn't know that Eleanor Roosevelt had visited Guadalcanal and was there during an air raid.

In fact, I didn't know much about this First Lady until I read this book. She is fascinating and I will have to hunt up a full biography on her now to learn more about this dynamic personality who, I suspect, was a leader beyond compare. She was definitely formidable for the times.

As best I can tell, this book is well-researched, and the facts rang true to me from what I remember from my earlier foray into working on such matters. It is not footnoted per se, but there is an extensive bibliography with chapter notes and references in the back.

If you have any interest in World War II and want a glimpse into the exhausting and exhilarating life of Eleanor Roosevelt, I highly recommend this book. 

In Velvet

 

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Did you ever have a commercial you really liked?

A. This one from 2018 is a good one.

2. How did you learn to ride a bicycle?

A. My bicycle was blue, and it had training wheels. My father took me out in the street and showed me how to ride it, first with the training wheels. Then he took those off and said he'd be right beside me and of course he let me go and I rode off.

3. How did you celebrate your 21st birthday?

A. I don't remember. I was already married, and I don't recall it mattering very much.

4. What fascinated you as a child?

A. Reading. I read everything. Newspapers. Magazines. Cereal boxes. Junk mail. Books of all kinds. Encyclopedias. The dictionary. 

5. What was one of your favorite playground games?

A. I was never a fan of playgrounds. I was one of the last picked because I was not athletic and not good at physical games.

6. What things matter most to you in life?

A. Other people. Justice and equality for all. Reading, writing, music. Friendship. The stuff you can't touch or put a price tag on.

 

7. If you had to go back in time and start a brand-new career, what would it be?

A. I would be a college professor.

8. What do people get wrong about you?

A. They think I'm stuck up when I'm really just shy and introverted.

9. Do you believe that people can change? Why or why not?

A. Some people can change. Some can't. It depends upon the person, what it is that needs to be changed, and whether or not they want to change.

10. What is some of the best advice your mother ever gave you?

A. Wear clean underwear when you go out.

11. If you could see into the future, what would you want to find out?

A. How humanity finally does itself in. Do we all die from climate change? Destroy ourselves with bombs? Is the earth destroyed by a large asteroid hit?

12. How has your life turned out differently than you imagined it would?

A. I thought I would have children but could not. I also thought I would "be somebody" (whatever that means), but I am not. 

13. What is the longest project you have ever worked on?

A. This blog has been going on since 2006, although I started blogging around 2002. That was with AOL Journals, though, and not here on blogspot.

14. What have been some of your favorite restaurants through the years?

A. Most of them no longer exist. The Oasis, I think it was, in Myrtle Beach was a favorite for many years. Great seafood (before I developed a seafood allergy). I was sad when we returned to find it had closed permanently.

15. What is one of the best shows you've ever been to?

A. I loved seeing Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville in 1989. That is probably my favorite.

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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: Workin' for a Livin'

Saturday 9: Workin' for a Livin' (1982)

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

1) Huey begins the song by telling us some workdays feel like they will never end. How was last week for you? Did it drag or did it fly by?

A. Most of it went by quickly, although I generally look back and my day and wonder what I did with my time. I don't seem to be managing it well.

2) He sings that his car payment is due. Think about your personal finances. Do you pay most of your bills manually or do you more often take advantage of automated bill pay?

A. I manually go into my bank and pay them online. I don't like to have companies dip into my bank accounts and take money.

 

3) Huey Lewis achieved a perfect score on the math portion of the SAT. Did you take SATs and/or ACTs? Were your results anything to brag about? (If they were, go ahead and let us know!)

A. I took the SATs but my scores were average. I graduated 5th in my class in high school and made straight As in college, but I did not test well.

4) In his role as District Attorney for Essex County, MA, Huey's grandfather Hugh Cregg prosecuted high-profile murder cases. Do you enjoy watching or reading courtroom dramas?

A. I used to cover the local courts, and that killed any love of courtroom dramas for me. When you see how it's really done, the fiction version doesn't often hold up.

5) Huey no longer performs because he has an inner-ear disorder that prevents him from holding a vocal pitch. Of your five senses -- hearing, sight, smell, touch and taste -- which is the strongest?

A. I am not sure. I am one of those people with a few supersensitive senses. My eyes suck - I've always needed glasses - but I can hear things other people can't and smell things other people don't. For example, the jake brakes on a truck or a school bus actually rumble in my ears to the point of pain, but my husband can't hear them. My in-laws once had a TV with a high-pitched squeal that no one but me could hear (I was so glad when they finally got rid of that). I can smell black snakes and copperheads, smoke from distant fires, etc. I guess the rest of me is normal.

6) He is a fan of fly fishing. Did you do any fishing this summer?

A. No. I haven't been fishing in years.

Since this Monday is Labor Day, the holiday established to celebrate the American worker . . .

7) Approximately 10% of Americans are self employed. Have you ever been your own boss?

A. Yes. Still am. I stopped working for other people in 1994 and became a full-time freelance writer and farmer.

8) According to Monster.com, 50% of workers have left a job to get away from a boss. Are you one of the 50%?

A. Yes. I have had bad bosses and left jobs because of them.

9) Farmers feel the impact of extreme weather events. Have you ever had a job that required you to be outdoors most of the time?

A. My husband and I have a farm, but he does most of the outside work these days. I prefer to stay indoors.

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

About That Leak . . .

I mentioned the other day that we'd found a leak in the "closet" in the garage.

The area really isn't a closet. It was a half-bathroom. The plan was for my husband to use it so he wouldn't track dirt into the house. However, when we built this house in 1987, we didn't finish the half-bathroom because we ran out of money.

So, my husband used the bathroom off the kitchen, which would have been the children's bathroom had we had kids. And when we finally did finish the half-bathroom in the garage, he constantly forgot about it and just kept tracking dirt into the kitchen to go the one he'd grown used to using.

Finally, I suggested that we take the toilet back out and install shelving and use the space more effectively. It took some convincing, but after we purchased an industrial-type shelf and placed it in the bathroom, and then loaded it with paper towels, tissues, Dr. Pepper, etc., - mostly large purchases from Sam's Club that we made in an effort to save money - he decided it was a good idea.

And then the valve from where there was supposed to be a toilet leaked.

I don't know how long it had been leaking, but the bottom shelf was soaking wet and completely ruined. Fortunately, it held only extra porcelain tiles from where we'd had the bathroom refinished in 2013, so it didn't really hurt anything but the shelf.

My husband attempted to pull the baseboard away without removing the shelf and contents, but I was terrified things would fall on him, plus he was crawling around on his belly and he has no business doing that at his age.

So we hauled everything off the shelves. Now I have crap piled in the kitchen and all over the garage. We had to move the car outside to make room. Who knew you could cram so much stuff into shelving? (It didn't help that just last week we'd made a Sam's Club run to stock up.)

Anyway, once we got the shelves empty and removed, then it was easy to take up the baseboard. There was mold behind the baseboard, so we cut that part of the drywall away and threw it out. We also pulled up the tile that has been down for 36 years because the water had made some of it curl.

We sprayed everything down with bleach. After that dried, we sprayed again with some stuff called Concrobium Liquid Mold Remover, which we have used successfully before.

Now we are running a fan and trying to make sure everything is dried out before we repair the damage.

The fix will consist of plywood boards to replace the shelf, and plywood nailed around the bottom where we cut out the drywall. Then we will put back baseboard and quarter round, only we will just purchase prefinished rubber-type stuff that they make now that just sticks to the wall instead of bothering with real wood. After all, this is in the garage and we plan to die here. It can be someone else's problem in 30 years.

First, though, we have to make sure we've mitigated all of the mold, and that might take a few days and a few more sprays of bleach.

Here are pictures:

Stuff piled in the kitchen.

Stuff piled in the garage.

The shelving we took out.

The place where it leaked.

The original tile. I still like it.
Too bad you can't find it anymore.

The one spot that concerns me. We can't
decide if that's mold or just a little wood rot.
We'll be able to tell more when it is completely dry.

Happiness Challenge - Day 31

 

Today I am happy that I have friends. I have a few very good real-life friends, some casual acquaintances, a wonderful best friend of the female variety, and a wonderful best friend in my husband. I also have a delightfully quirky and caring brother, Facebook friends, pen pal friends, and blogging friends.

And of course, family members in various incarnations of the word "family," some of whom seem to love me and others who merely tolerate me, but they're my family, all the same.

I also have a few imaginary friends, and the friends who live in books, which means of course that my friends are as unlimited as my brain can be.

I am not outgoing by any definition of the word, but I love my people. I love you, my readers, who comment and sometimes offer suggestions and support. I love my friends who call me to check on me. I love my acquaintances who still hug me even if I haven't seen them in four years.

It seems fitting to end the August happiness challenge (thank you, Gal), on a note of love.

***

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

This meme comes from The Gal Herself.

Thursday Thirteen

Labor Day approaches (as of Monday), and this is the unofficial end of summer. While Autumn doesn't officially start until September 23, outside it's looking very fallish even with highs of 85 degrees.

Here are 13 reasons to be glad summer is about over:

1. Cooler Weather. As summer moves into fall, I can look forward to milder temperatures. This is great for me as the heat causes my hands to swell, and neither I nor my husband can tolerate heat like we once could (I think it's our blood pressure meds).

2. Relief from Heatwaves. While we do not have the 110 degree temperatures some of the western states suffer from (thank goodness), we do have our fair share of days that approach 100 degrees, along with a good deal of humidity. I'll be glad when that's gone.

3. Lower Energy Bills. With less need for air conditioning, my energy bills may decrease, saving money, although I doubt it saves much. We seem to use the same amount of energy monthly and I have no idea why.

4. Fall Fashion. A long time ago, women used to "have their colors done" so they'd know what clothing to wear best. I was an Autumn. So, aside from orange and yellows, Autumn colors are best for my skin and eyes. And there's sweaters, scarves, and boots, if you're into that.

5. Comfortable Sleeping: Cooler nights often mean better sleep without the need for air conditioning or fans.

6. Fewer Insects. We have had a lot of fruit flies this year. Hopefully these and other annoying insects, like mosquitoes and flies, will disappear as the weather cools down.

7. Harvest Season. Fall is a time for bountiful harvests, meaning fresh and delicious produce becomes more readily available. Around here, it means apples and pumpkins, mostly.

8. Outdoor Activities. Being outside is not so much of a chore.

9. Fall Foliage. One of my favorite things about Autumn is the color. The changing colors of leaves in the fall can be breathtakingly beautiful. This year, things are not looking so good for a nice foliage year, especially since some trees are turning early.

10. Cozy Nights. Fall evenings are perfect for curling up with a good book, a warm drink, and a cozy blanket.

11. Back-to-School Excitement. I don't have children and I don't go to school, but I still love the smell of a new notebook.

12. Holiday Season Approaches: As summer ends, I can start looking forward to holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I've already started Christmas shopping.

13. Deer season. This is not exactly my favorite fall activity, but it is certainly my husband's. For me, it's the time to get great shots of bucks with those trophy antlers, should some come wandering this direction.

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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 823rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Happiness Challenge - Day 30

 

I am happy today that my husband found a water leak in the garage before it got worse.

It was bad enough as it was.

We had turned a half bath into a closet (we weren't using the bathroom), and the valve in there had started leaking, unbeknownst to us.

My husband needed something out of the closet and discovered the leak. It had already done a significant amount of damage - ruined the bottom shelf of the shelving we were using, ruined the tile floor (no great loss, it was 36 years old), messed up the baseboards and trim.

There was mold in behind the baseboards, so we had to cut out the dry wall. Plus, we had to empty those shelves, which were full of paper towels, Dr. Pepper, tissue paper, extra rolls of aluminum foil, glass jars, trash bags, and other assorted items that didn't belong in the house.

It took us several hours to empty out the shelving and for him to tear out the bad wood. I held the flashlight so he could see what he was doing as the bathroom/closet was not well lit. 

The water had been dripping a good while, that was obvious.

After he had everything removed, we bleached everything to kill the mold, and now it has to dry.

The good news is it could have been worse if we hadn't found it. The bad news is it didn't help my back issues any, but that's life.

Happiness Challenge - Day 29

 

Today I am happy that I have a great chiropractor.

I did something to my back over the weekend and I was hoping it would ease, but by this morning it hadn't. I sent my chiropractor a text at 7:30 a.m. and she sent me back a message almost immediately telling me to be in her office at 10 a.m.

I went in and she did her thing, and while I have some residual soreness, it feels better than it did.

Yay.

Happiness Challenge - Day 28

 

Today I am happy that my husband went to the grocery store. He had a few errands of his own to run and said he's stop so I wouldn't have to go out.

But mostly I am happy that we've had a little over 1/2 inch of rain. It has been so dry. I don't know if this is enough to help the hay crop, but it certainly can't hurt.

And everything has greened up and the lawn doesn't look so dead.

The Devil Went Down to Georgia - Contrafactum

Even though I find the current indictments of the former president sad, that doesn't mean I can't have a little fun with it. A friend challenged me to write up new lyrics to this famous song that would be relevant to today's current situation, so I gave it a shot. This is known as contrafactum in music theory, when you rewrite the words to an established melody.

Or maybe it's just a parody. Or me being an idiot. Whatever.

To be sung to The Devil Went Down to Georgia, by Charlie Daniels Band

(Spoken over music)

The Devil went down to Georgia
He was lookin' to make a deal
He was a in a bind, 'cause he'd been fined
and he knew he'd lose his appeal.
When he came across this DA
with a grand jury in her hand
and the Devil jumped on his cellphone
and texted out to his fans.

"I guess you didn't know it, but I'm a grifter and the best
And if you don't care and don't beware, I'll be your president.
Now this DA has the goods on me, but give to me my due
I'll bet a Supreme Court seat that she'll be beat
'Cause I've got the support of you."

And MAGA said, "We all hear you, and it might be a sin
But we don't care and we'll take a dare
to make you president again."

(Singing)

Brandon time to blink those eyes like lasers in the sky

'Cause the Devil's playing loose down South and the MAGAs are flying high.
We're watching for the good DA to keep her self control.
'Cause if he wins, the country's lost, we won't have a soul.

(Spoken over music)

The Devil stood before the judge, looking aged, vile, and mean
And fire flew from his nostrils when the judge called out his name.
And when he spoke the spittle flew and landed with a hiss
And all the lawyers prattled on, and it sounded like a miss.

(Cue evil-sounding awkward fiddle music)

When the Devil finished,
The DA said, "You're pretty good, ol' son,
But sit back down in your chair right there
And let me show you how it's done.

And she went -

(Singing)

"He tried to steal your votes from you
He's never spoken a word that's true
He's a chicken who flouts the law
MAGA can he help you? Not at all."

(Sprightly fiddle music)

The Devil bowed his head and he flinched at every word
Still he pleaded "I'm not guilty" to the charges that he heard
The DA said, "Don't call again when Georgia does her vote
We done told you once, you son of a bitch
That we'll keep this land afloat."

Happiness Challenge - Day 27

 

Today I ate a chocolate cupcake. It was big and it had a lot of chocolate on it, and it tasted very good.

It was much sweeter than I anticipated, too.

I may regret this later.

Anyway, I spent time with my father, brother, stepmother, brother's girlfriend, and husband for my stepmother's birthday this afternoon. I was polite and did not ask her age. :-)

I also was able to help someone out with some Word 2007 issues over the phone. That's a bit tough to do, but I managed.

Yay me.

***

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

This meme comes from The Gal Herself.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. If animals could talk, which one do you think would complain the most about their day?

A. A horse or an ox that works on a farm. "I had to pull that plow for miles today and it was 94 degrees out! And I didn't get enough water. And he used the whip twice because I stumbled over uneven ground. And the hay tastes blah."

2. What do you think cats dream about during their epic naps?

A. Chasing squirrels.

3. If squirrels organized an Olympics, what events would they have?

A. High wire walking, jumping, hiding things, and sunbathing.

4. Do you think penguins ever get jealous of birds that can fly?

A. No.

5. If animals had their own social media, what kind of posts would we see from them?

A. Cow: It's so dang hot today. I still can't believe he fenced us out of the pond and makes us drink from that feed trough. I want to lie in the water! It is moooey hot under the trees! I udderly do not understand how this little bit of shade is supposed to help. Also, flies.

6. What would be the title of the autobiography of a lazy house cat?

A. Livin' the Life of Reily

7. If you had to choose an animal to be your personal bodyguard, which one would you pick?

A. A big dog.

8. Do you think dogs secretly judge us for not being able to sniff out everything they can?

A. No.

9. If animals could wear clothes, which animal would have the best fashion sense?

A. Cats.

10. If a group of owls started a band, what would their music style be?

A. They'd play bluegrass so they could whooop it up.

11. What do dolphins think when people swim with them?

A. They think they are dolphins and are out for a swim with people.

12. What do you think squirrels gossip about when they chatter to each other in the trees?

A. Where they hid the nuts.

13. If elephants played hide-and-seek, where do you think they'd hide?

A. Behind skinny trees.

14. What do you imagine a llama would say if you asked it about the meaning of life?

A. It would be all spit and tongue.

15. If you could swap places with any animal for a day, which one would it be, and why?

A. I would swap places with a lion so I could see a different land and be supple and strong in movement.

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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: My Sharona

Saturday 9: My Sharona (1979)

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

 

1) The Knack's lead singer Doug Fieger wrote this song for his girlfriend, Sharona Alperin. That's Sharona on the record sleeve shown here. Who took the most recent photo of you?

A. I guess I did, a selfie. I don't generally have my photo taken, nor do I take selfies often, but I recently received a decent haircut, and I took a picture of it for future reference.

2) Today Sharona Alperin is a realtor in Southern California. (The photo on her website is more demure than the record sleeve.) She specializes in high-end properties. Have you ever attended an open house, not because you were interested in purchasing the property but because you were curious about the inside?

A. I don't think so, but I have thought about it.

3) Doug Fieger's brother is Geoffrey Fieger, a prominent attorney in Detroit. Have you ever consulted a lawyer?

A. I have, yes. I also used to work for attorneys. I did that from 1983 to 1994, and freelanced for the local media on the side. I also put myself through college during that time.

 

4) The Knack's record producer was Jimmy Miller, who also worked with The Rolling Stones. What's your favorite Rolling Stones song?

A. Beast of Burden.

 

5) In 1994, more than a decade after its initial release, "My Sharona" became popular with a new audience because it was included on the soundtrack of the movie Reality Bites. What's the most recent movie you watched?

A. Barbie.

6) President George W. Bush said he loved listening to "My Sharona" on his headphones while riding his bike. Do you often have music on when you exercise?

A. Yes. If I exercise.

 

7) In 1979, when this song was popular, the CBS TV show Alice was a hit. It was about a widowed mom who made ends meet working in a diner. Have you ever worked at a restaurant?

A. I have not, although I did work in the cafeteria at Camp Fincastle one summer. It wasn't a restaurant, but it dealt with food.

 

8) Also in 1979, the Voyager spacecraft sent back photos of Jupiter and its rings. Without looking it up, can you name all the planets in our solar system?

A. Earth, Mars, Venus, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury, Jupiter and sometimes Pluto.

9) Random question: If you could erase your most painful day from your memory, would you do it?

A. I would be hard pressed to know which of my memories is my most painful, so probably not, unless there was some way to narrow that down.

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