Thursday Thirteen

The other day I was driving down the road and I thought, "Boy, things have changed in the 60 years I've been on this ol' Earth." So I thought I'd take a look at what happened 50 years ago, things that I might remember (or not).

1. The U.S. ended its involvement in the Vietnam War after signing the Paris Peace Accords. I don't remember much about this war. I read about it in the newspaper, and I had an uncle in the Army, but I was only 10 years old in 1973. So, while I knew then that this fell under the term of "big deal," it didn't impact me personally.

2. The Watergate scandal escalated as the Senate began televised hearings and President Nixon fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox. I vaguely recall some of this, but it was well-removed from my little world of school, life on the farm, and visits with my grandparents.

3. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that women have a constitutional right to abortion. I do not remember this as a big deal, either, although this was probably about the time my mother began telling me she'd tried to abort me and failed.

4. The World Trade Center in New York City was officially opened as the tallest building in the world at the time. This had zero effect on me then, but it certainly affected me and millions of others on 9/11/2001 when the buildings were hit by aircraft. The result was catastrophic and led us into wars and I personally believe was the downfall of the country as people experienced a type of fear that they'd never felt here before. Suddenly, the US was vulnerable.

5. The first handheld mobile phone call was made by Martin Cooper, a Motorola engineer, in New York City. Again, not a big deal at the time, but now we all live with one of these mobile phones attached to us like it's a feather growing out of our butt.

6. The American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. Not a thing for me, but a big deal for folks who matter just as much as I do.

6. The Endangered Species Act was passed by the U.S. Congress to protect threatened and endangered animals and plants. This did not affect me, either, although in later years I wrote about local endangered species (a bat and some kind of snail).

7. The OPEC oil embargo against the U.S. and other countries triggered an energy crisis and a global recession. I remember my mother waiting in line for gas. It had something to do with your license plate. You could get gas on certain days depending on whether your plate ended in an odd or even number. I can remember when gas cost 25 cents, and I think it was up to about 60 cents or something during this time. By the time I was old enough to drive, it was about $1 a gallon.

8. Skylab, the first U.S. space station, was launched into orbit. I find space stuff incredibly exciting and impressive. I wonder what happened to that grand feeling of reaching for the unreachable that Americans once had?

9. Secretariat, the legendary racehorse, won the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. I am fairly sure I saw this on TV when it actually happened, but if not, I have seen it in replays.

10. The top songs of 1973 in the U.S. (in no particular order) were “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” by Tony Orlando and Dawn, “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” by Jim Croce, “Killing Me Softly with His Song” by Roberta Flack, “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye, “My Love” by Paul McCartney & Wings, “Angie” by The Rolling Stones, “Crocodile Rock” by Elton John, “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon, “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder, “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Dream On” by Aerosmith,  “Midnight Train to Georgia” by Gladys Knight & the Pips.

11. The top books published in 1973 were The Princess Bride by William Goldman, a fantasy adventure novel that became a cult classic film, Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon, a postmodern epic that explores the impact of technology and paranoia on humanity, Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut, a satirical novel that blends science fiction and social commentary, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson, a gonzo journalism account of a drug-fueled trip to the city of sin, and The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, a monumental work of history and memoir that exposes the horrors of the Soviet prison system.

12. The top five movies of 1973 were The Sting, a comedy crime drama starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford as two con artists who pull off a complex scam against a mob boss, The Exorcist, a horror film that terrified audiences with the story of a young girl possessed by a demonic force and the priests who try to save her, Paper Moon, a comedy drama starring Ryan O’Neal and his daughter Tatum O’Neal as a pair of grifters during the Great Depression, Badlands, a crime drama directed by Terrence Malick and starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek as a young couple who go on a killing spree in the Midwest, and Serpico, a biographical drama starring Al Pacino as a New York cop who exposes corruption in the police force.

13. As for me, I was in the 5th grade learning next to nothing from a teacher who sat at her desk and cried all the time (I think she was going through a divorce), trying to keep my brother out of trouble (never-ending job), and learning to play the piano.

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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 827th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

That's Just the Way It Is

The fence rows used to be clear of brush

with no cedars or pines growing high.

The state trimmed the roadside five times a year

and you could see from the Parkway roadside.

Flowers bloomed in the interstate divide

and houses were painted and clean.

No graffiti covered abandoned gas stations.

People were nice, not mean.

Those halcyon days of long ago

only four decades or so

have transformed into a world of decay.

It's not something I care to know.

The farmers' kids all left town

to find money in better cities.

To save taxpayers their dollar bills

no one cares if the roadside's pretty.

The Blue Ridge Parkway's a solid drive

if you don't want to see the sights.

The overlooks are overgrown with scrubs

and you don't clear that overnight.

Where is the pride in the public space?
Where is the joy in the living?

When all around there's debris and trash

and lots more taking than giving?

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. What you did you do today?

A. On the day that I am answering these questions, I have suffered from jaw pain, made the bed, emptied the dishwasher, washed two loads of laundry and put them away, played video games, read the newspaper, read a magazine, talked on the phone with two of my friends and my chiropractor (who called to check on me, some of my doctors are fantastic), texted several people, sorted through paperwork, and tried to have a quiet day, since I am not feeling all that great.

2. What are the must-sees in your area?

A. The Mill Mountain Star, Roaring Run falls, McAfee's Knob, the Taubman Museum, the Hollins University campus, the Town of Fincastle, the old kilns in Eagle Rock, and cemeteries. Dead people are great to visit with. They don't have much to say.

The Taubman

The Roanoke Star
(when I was growing up,
 it was the Mill Mountain Star,
 so I still call it that.)

Hollins University campus

3. What is your favorite quote?

A. Not all those who wander are lost - J.R.R. Tolkien

4. What was the last thing you cooked or ate?

A. Chicken salad, which I made myself.

5. What is something you learned from your grandparents?

A. Always have a rag bag ready to put old towels, sheets, and clothes in.

6. What makes you happy?

A. Hugs and kisses from my husband, being safe at home, reading a book, playing music, writing.

The Governor's Palace
in Williamsburg

7. What is your best travel memory?

A. We had a good time in Williamsburg. I'll go with that.

8. What’s the weather like today?

A. It's a nice day today, sunny, a little breeze, not too hot or cold.

9. Share an interesting fact that you’ve learned.

A. If Thursday/Friday was the Rapture, an awful lot of people aren't living Christian lives. LMAO.

10. What is your favorite book, movie or band?

A. My favorite book and movie would have the same name, so we'll toss those and say my favorite book is . . . um . . . anything by David Sedaris. My favorite movie is Under the Tuscan Sun. My favorite band is Fleetwood Mac.

11. Write your favorite poem or haiku?

A. My favorite poem is Satan Says, by Sharon Olds.

12. What is a local festival or tradition from your area?

A. On New Year's Eve in the Town of Fincastle, people gather in the courthouse square. This tradition involves a bugle, bells, and a shotgun. You can learn about it here. 

13. What was the best thing you learned in school?

A. How to read and write.

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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: Answer the Phone

Saturday 9: Answer the Phone (2001)

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

1) This song likens a relationship to a roller coaster ride. When did you most recently visit an amusement park?

A. We were in King's Dominion in Williamsburg. We went into the park but didn't ride any rides. I don't see it on my blog so it may have been our 2004 trip.

2) Lead singer Mark McGrath reasons that his girl should answer the phone because he knows she's home. That was decades ago, when most homes still had landlines. Where were you when you took your last call? Were you at home?

A. I was at home, and it was on a landline. We still have one. I don't know for how much longer, but for now we have it.

3) He remembers the glow of her face when he gave her a rose. Have you recently given or received a gift of flowers or a plant?

A. I gave my stepmother flowers for Mother's Day, and my husband bought me flowers to hang outside back in the summer.

4) Sugar Ray's debut CD was called Lemonade and Brownies. Crazy Sam admits she'd prefer milk with her brownie. What about you? Does the combination of lemonade and brownies sound good to you?

A. The combination of lemonade and any kind of chocolate does not sound good to me.

5) In 2005, Mark McGrath was a guest judge on American Idol. At one time, Idol was the dominant singing competition show. Today, in addition to American Idol, viewers can also watch The Voice and America's Got Talent. Are you a fan of any or all of these shows?

A. We watch The Voice.

6) Sugar Ray is a famous name in boxing circles. Sugar Ray Robinson and Sugar Ray Leonard were both world championships. Are you a boxing fan?

A. No. I think it's a violent sport that should not be allowed.

7) In 2001, when this song was popular, the Leaning Tower of Pisa reopened to the public after more than a decade of renovations. Have you ever been to Italy? If yes, where did you go? If not, is a trip to Italy on your wish list?

A. I have never been to Italy. It would be nice to visit, but it's not on my must-see list.

8) Also in 2001, Liverpool's Speke Airport was renamed John Lennon Airport. Liverpool's is the first airport in the United Kingdom to be named after an individual. Tell us about something in your hometown that is named after someone.

A. The Auditorium in the County Administration Office is named after a former county administrator (at least it was, I guess it still is, I haven't been in it since 2019). Jerry was the administrator for at least a decade if not longer. We butted heads a few times over some things but overall, I thought he was a good administrator. He made himself available to me as a member of the media all the time, which I appreciated then and appreciate even more in these days of having to go through the county's publicity office if you want a quote or something.

9) Random Question: Is the screen on your cell phone cracked?

A. No, it is not.

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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.  

Thursday Thirteen

Here are 13 things to enjoy about autumn:

1. Beautiful Foliage: The changing colors of the leaves create a breathtaking natural display. Locally, since we are in a drought, I'm not sure the trees are going to be that pretty, given that many have already dropped their leaves.

2. Cooler Weather: After the heat of summer, the crisp autumn air is refreshing and perfect for outdoor activities. 

3. Cozy Sweaters: It's the season to break out your favorite sweaters and embrace comfort and style. Since I don't go anywhere but the grocery store, I don't really have any cozy sweaters, but I have some things I wear more this time of year.

4. Pumpkin Spice Everything: Whether it's lattes, pies, or candles, the aroma and taste of pumpkin spice are synonymous with fall. I personally can't stand the stuff, but I know a lot of people like it.

5. Hiking and Nature Walks: The mild weather and colorful scenery make it an ideal time for exploring the outdoors. Also, when it is a little cooler there is less chance of running across a snake and hopefully the ticks are not out.

6. Harvest Festivals: Enjoy local fairs, farmers' markets, and festivals celebrating the season's bounty.

7. Apple Picking: Visit an orchard to pick your own apples and indulge in apple cider and apple pies. (If you really want to do this, go for it.)

8. Halloween: Dressing up in costumes, carving pumpkins, and the spooky ambiance make Halloween a fun and festive holiday. This is my favorite holiday, but I really don't do much to celebrate it anymore.

9. Bonfires: Gather around a crackling fire with friends and family to share stories and roast marshmallows. I don't do this, either, because the woodsmoke sets off my asthma, but it sounds fun and looks good in commercials.

10. Comfort Food: Warm, hearty meals like soups, stews, and casseroles become more appealing in the cooler weather.

11. Fall Decor: Adorn your home with autumn-themed decorations like wreaths, candles, and gourds.

12. Football Season: Cheer for your favorite team or simply enjoy the camaraderie of game day gatherings. I have never been to either a college game or a national game. My college, incidentally, has been undefeated in football for 181 years. (It's a woman's college, no football team!)

13. Seasonal Drinks: Aside from pumpkin spice, try other fall beverages like hot apple cider, mulled wine, or chai tea. I like apple cider, but the apple cider I liked best, Murray's, was made locally and they shut down years ago. The land is now slated to be a major development. They made the best cider, though.

*ChatGPT helped make the list, Bing made 2 of the cartoon pictures. I feel better but not great, so I went with easy.

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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 826th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

A Really Rotten Day

Yesterday, which was Tuesday, I saw my chiropractor to see if she could help me with my painful jaw. (See Monday's post here.)

I did feel better after seeing her. She put my mid-back back in place, and worked on my lower back where my hips and pelvis were out. I wouldn't let her touch my face because she can be a bit rough and I wasn't up to the pain. However, her ministrations helped, and I was hopeful.

This morning, I was in a lot of pain when I woke up. It wasn't radiating down my back like the day before, but it was instead mostly all focused on my face.

When I swallowed, I noticed pain. If I chewed, at all, there was pain. I immediately put heat on my neck and shoulders as the chiropractor had instructed.

The pain continued.

I showered. Sometimes, a hot shower helps, but not this time. I was still in pain. I finally called my husband. "You're going to have to take me to the ER or somewhere, I can't tolerate this," I told him. I was in tears, the pain was so strong. This was about 9:15 a.m.

He came home and I suggested he call the dentist office. I'd tried to get her to see me Monday but she'd suggested I go to the ER and I didn't want to do that. For unknown yet very frustrating reasons, I always get better healthcare when my husband steps in. So, he called, and this time the dentist came on the phone to talk to him, and then I talked to her. She said she would call around and see if an oral surgeon could see me, so someone would call me back.

Apparently, the oral surgeons weren't available (there aren't that many in the area anyway), so the dental office called back and said the dentist would see me at 11 a.m.

My husband insisted on taking me. "I have to take care of my sweetie pie," he said. He is so sweet.

I knew, though, that he had many other things he'd wanted to do today as he'd told me a long list of chores the night before. I felt bad about taking up his time.

My dentist is a very nice and kind woman, and I have nothing but praise and respect for her. She took an X-ray which showed that my jaw wasn't dislocated, which was a relief to me because I was afraid that was what had happened. That means, though, that my pain is a soft-tissue issue of some sort.

She could see that I had facial swelling, and that worried her. She was afraid that it would swell down into my throat or even up into my brain. She insisted I go to the emergency room.

We left her office at 11:30, and after a quick stop in Food Lion to grab my husband a sandwich and me a six pack of Boost (which is about all I've had to eat for several days, TMJ is a great weight loss program), by noon we were at a satellite ER, Lewis Gale Bonsack. (If I'm going to report this, I may as well report where I went.) We had heard good things about this place, so I was expecting a good experience.

I guess those folks went somewhere else.

The parking lot looked relatively empty. I thought that was a good sign.

We clocked in at the self-check-in kiosk (a new experience for me) and waited in the outer waiting area for about 15 minutes. There was 1 person ahead of me and another came in afterwards. Of course, it was lunch time and that is never a good time to attempt something like this, but it was what it was.

The nurse called my name, and we went back and she took initial information about what was wrong. I told her exactly what my dentist had said and her concerns, and also noted that X-rays indicated no rotten teeth causing the swelling. Even when it hurts, I try to brush my teeth, though I may not do such a great job at it when the pain is this bad. In spite of many cavities from those teenage years of braces, my teeth (knock wood) are in fairly good shape.

After that, the nurse took us to two chairs in a hallway. There were rooms everywhere, but I guess they had people in them? Or maybe the facility just didn't want to pay the light bill? I don't know, but we sat in the hallway for well over an hour before a doctor came by.

While we waited on him, a young woman came in without a mask (everyone else was masked), and said she had a sore throat. She was placed in the hallway, too, about 20 feet away from us. This made me very nervous.

Finally, the doctor, an aging gentleman who did not look like a happy camper, glanced at me, asked me to remove my mask there in the hallway, and then said he didn't see any swelling. He looked down my throat and said everything looked fine to him. He acted like he didn't believe I was in pain. (I suspect he thought I was after pain pills, although I never asked for them, nor did I want any.) He suggested a CT scan. I said I could not do the one with the dye. I didn't realize there are two kinds of dye, the kind you drink and the kind you insert through a vein, but apparently however you go, you have to have the dye.

I haven't had a CT scan in 10 years, but I remember being sick from the scan. But I had to drink something then, and he said there was nothing to drink for a CT of the face. He didn't mention any other kind of dye.

So, when over an hour later the nurse came up to insert an IV so she could start inserting the dye in me, I stopped her. We were sitting in a hallway, for heaven's sake, and a not very sanitary one at that, what with sore throat girl sitting over there, and I have terrible veins. The last time I had a CT scan, it took someone 11 tries to get a vein. My primary care physician tries not to take blood from me because I am what the medical professionals call "a hard stick." She considers it a win if the nurses actually manage to get blood out of me.

So, I declined the CT scan. The nurse went and got the doctor, who said he was just looking to see if there was something inside causing a problem. I said I'd come back if things worsened.

This was probably a mistake. If so, that is on me, but by this time we'd been there for 3 hours. I was tired, hungry, in pain, and not up to sitting there another 3 hours to get a CT scan. So, we paid the insurance co-pay and left with nothing to show for the day but the dentist's X-ray.

However, I am happy to note that as the day wore on, after I'd showered and taken a muscle relaxer, the pain in my jaw had eased. It wasn't gone, but it was better by the time I saw the dentist. (Maybe the relief at seeing the dentist helped, who knows.) I still could not chew well or open my mouth very wide, but I felt better than I did. Since I had improved, I felt like it was ok to turn down the CT scan. (Besides, my husband was getting madder by the minute at how long things were taking when we weren't seeing a lot of people coming in and out, and he didn't like being in a hallway.)

The facility is modern, but I don't know why we were in a hallway and not in a room. If something that was built in 2021 is so overloaded that people have to sit in the hallway, somebody did poor planning.

So now I am home writing this, with ice on my jaw and heat on my shoulders. If there is swelling in my face, then it needs ice. I will ice it for 15 minutes every hour tonight and see what the morning brings. Soft tissue injuries take time to heal, so hopefully by the weekend I will see noticeable improvement.

If not, I can always go back to the ER and do it all over again.

By the way, we sat there so long that I was able to start a little song, to the tune of that old 70s song called Smokin' in the Boys Room.

Sittin' in the ER
Thinkin' it's a drag
Waitin' on a doc
Well it just ain't my bag.

Will they call out my name?
Will it be soon?
Or will I be sitting here
Until next June?

(Chorus)

Sittin' in the ER, yes I am
Sittin in the ER.
Doctor turn that TV
Off of Fox News*
'Cause everyone news that the ER is the place for the blues.

One more time!

*They did not have a TV in the hallway. They had one in the outer waiting room but it was on the Lifetime channel.

Sunset

 

Don't Speak

When someone looks at me, they see an overweight person who otherwise looks healthy.

However, I have a lot of things wrong with me. I don't talk about them much, because, well, who cares? Everybody has things wrong with them. But I could do a Thursday 13 list of my health issues and still not be done.

Today, though, I'm going to talk about TMJ. Or TMD, whichever you want to call it. I have had this problem for 30 years.

It is only getting worse.

TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, which is the joint that connects your jawbone to your skull. TMJ disorders are a type of condition that can cause pain, stiffness, clicking, locking, or reduced movement of the jaw. 

There are many possible causes and risk factors for TMJ disorders, such as genetics, arthritis, jaw injury, teeth grinding, or certain connective tissue diseases. TMJ disorders can be diagnosed by physical examination, dental X-rays, CT scan, MRI, or arthroscopy. 

Treatment options may include medication, oral splints, physical therapy, counseling, injections, or surgery. 

TMJ disorders are usually not serious, but they can affect your quality of life and cause discomfort.

In my case, it comes and goes. I have had it off and on since my braces were removed when I was a teenager. But I would also go for years and not have a problem, only to have something 

trigger it. In the 2000s, for example, I had a lot of tension in my life, and it became a painful problem. My symptoms include clicking, my jaw locking shut (sometimes for up to two days), and lots of pain.

Lots and lots of pain.

After a while, it eased, and then came the infamous gallbladder surgery of 2013. During the operation, the anesthesiologist knocked my jaw out.  I distinctly remember that because the nurses were trying to get me to eat a popsicle and I couldn't get it in my mouth. Finally, I stood up to make my way to the bathroom and my jaw popped back into place.

It's a sweet relief when the thing goes back where it is supposed to be. There is residual soreness, but nothing like what you feel when it is out.

Since that night of my surgery, my TMJ has been an issue. Almost every morning, I get up and pop my jaw back into place. I have a mouth guard that the dentist made to help, and it did help for a while, but it seems to not be helping so much now.

Saturday, I bit down on a rice cake (a rice cake!) and had sharp pain shoot through my jaw, so strong it almost knocked me to the floor. It was like a million bees stung me. I put my hand to my jaw area and I could feel my pulse racing on the left side, the blood rushing around in there. My bite was suddenly off, with everything pulled to the right.

The pain was intense.

I alternated ice and heat, took muscle relaxers, and went to bed. Yesterday it wasn't hurting so much, and I tried to have an easy, relaxing today. This morning I felt almost normal, so I went to the grocery store and ran a few errands. I came home and ate a soft lunch of soup. Then I bit down on a baked potato chip, and the pain shot through my jaw again. Not as severe as on Saturday, but bad enough.

Now, it's an ache. Have you ever chewed gum so long that your jaws hurt? It's kind of like that in my jaw, but the pain also wraps around my entire head, and goes down my neck and into my back.

I have known for years that if my back is out, my jaw can get out, too. I just saw the chiropractor on Thursday, so I suspect the adjustment was a little off, and this is the result. So back to the chiropractor I go in the morning. I wanted to see my dentist after the incident at lunch, but she said for me to go to urgent care. Like they were going to do something. Urgent care around here is not something I care to use.

The chiropractor asked me questions to make sure I wasn't having a stroke, because I sounded a little slurred, she said when she called me on the phone. Sure I sound slurred, I told her. I can barely open my mouth without pain and I'm taking muscle relaxers. I'm coherent, I said. Joe Biden is the current president, and we had an orange dumb ass for the last one.

She laughed and said I sounded normal, but if anything changed, I should go to the emergency room.

I'm sitting here with heat on my shoulders and back, trying to figure out what the hell to do about this. If you read up on TMJ, you'll find that no one really knows how to resolve the matter. A mouth splint, which I have, is about the only cure. Surgery seldom works, and I've already said no doctor is cutting on me again. I've had enough of their invasive care.

One thing I want to remind people is that it never hurts to be nice. You never know what kind of invisible crap, like TMJ, someone might be going through.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. What is your favorite book?

A. We all know it's Lord of the Rings. If we throw that one out, then it would be Anne of Green Gables, by L. M. Montgomery.

2. Are you afraid of the dark?

A. Not usually, no. 

3. Are you mean?

A. I certainly hope not, but I am sure I can be if circumstances warrant it. I would not be surprised if there aren't people out there who think I am mean.

4. Is cheating ever OK?

A. I think it depends on the circumstances. It's like speeding. Sometimes you have to drive over the speed limit (like if you have someone in the car having an emergency). Generally speaking, cheating is not ok.

5. Can you keep white shoes white?

A. I have a pair that I have worn for 4 years almost every day that were in great shape, except the stitches fell apart on the side finally. They were white sneakers.

6. Are you currently bored?

A. I'm almost always bored.

7. Would you change your name?

A. I might use a pen name sometime.

8. Do you like the subway?

A. The only time I was ever on a subway was when I was in high school and on a trip to Spain and France. I didn't dislike it, but I wouldn't know if it is something I like or not now.

9. Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with?

A. My friend Teresa.

10. Dumbest lie you’ve ever told?

A. I don't generally lie, so I can't think of anything. When I was a teenager, I generally did not tell my parents where I really was and would say I was at so-and-so's house. So maybe those kind of lies.

11. Do you sleep with your door open or closed?

A. The house is locked up. The door to the bedroom is open.

12. Favorite month?

A. June.

13. Dark, milk, or white chocolate?

A. Milk chocolate, these days.

14. Tea or coffee?

A. I don't drink either. I only drink water.

15. Night or day?

A. They both have their merits. Easier to see during the day, easier to hide at night.

__________

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: Got My Mind Set on You

Saturday 9: Got My Mind Set on You (1987)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
 
1) In this song, George Harrison tells us he's willing to devote his money, patience and time to his girlfriend. Of those three things, which can you most easily spare?

A. Time, I suppose.
 
2) This song had long been a favorite of George's. He first heard it in 1963 when visiting his sister in United States. He couldn't get the tune out of his mind and bought the record by James Ray. Do you have an earworm -- a song that, once you hear it, keeps repeating in your head?

A. (Don't Go Chasing) Waterfalls by TLC. For some reason, if I hear that song, I am days getting it out of my head. And now it's my head simply from writing the title. Sigh.
 
3) Months later, in February 1964, the Beatles made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. 73 million viewers saw them, and an astonishing 45.3% of the TV sets in America were tuned in to the show. In addition to the Beatles, Ed Sullivan used his show to introduce Elvis, The Rolling Stones and The Jackson 5. The Ed Sullivan Show ran for 23 years and reruns are now shown in syndication. Have you ever seen it?

A. I'm sure I saw it when I was a child, but I don't really remember it. I haven't seen the reruns.

4) While most of the best loved and most recognized Beatles songs were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, it was George who penned "Something." Frank Sinatra called that song "the greatest love song of the last 50 years." What's your favorite love song?

A. Longer, by Dan Fogelberg. My brother sang it at our wedding. (We'll be celebrating 40 years of marriage soon. Yikes!)

5) This praise represented a big change for Frank, who predicted in 1964 that the Beatles would be "of no lasting importance." Tell us about something you have changed your mind about.

A. When I was in school, I used to tell myself that I wasn't smarter than the other kids, that I made straight "As" because I worked harder or studied more, or whatever. I wanted everyone to be on a level playing field as far as intelligence, I guess. (This was a real problem especially in elementary school, where the teachers threw out my constant 100s so they could grade on a curve, which meant I ended up with papers that had grades of 110+ on them all the time. They'd use the second-highest grade after my 100 for the curve. I never understood - still don't - why I was the only one who could make 100 on a paper.) I did not want to believe that other people were that ignorant and incapable of learning. But I was wrong. People really are that ignorant and incapable of learning. And we're paying for it now.

6) Tom Petty, who went on to have more than 25 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, credits George Harrison as a major influence on his music. Tell us about someone who influenced your professional life.

A. In the mid-1980s, I took a noncredit class at Roanoke College. Monty Leitch was teaching it, and I loved her columns in The Roanoke Times. She taught me a lot and I was thrilled when she told me that I was the first person she'd ever met who wrote anywhere close to the way she did. I considered that the ultimate compliment because her writing was spritely and imaginative. Later, when we were chatting at a writer's conference, we realized that we were cousins. We shared a set of (3) great grandparents, so we were 4th cousins. Monty also helped me write a novel (which I have since thrown away, it was bad), and she was a constant presence in the background of my writing life even though I seldom saw her (she lived two counties away). We emailed infrequently but she was always happy to answer if I had questions or needed guidance. I expected her to still be around today, as she was only 13 years older than I. But in 2016, she was hit by a car as she was Christmas shopping, and she died from her injuries. I think of her often, and I still miss her.

7) In 1987, when George's recording of "I Got My Mind Set on You" was popular, a squirrel unexpectedly made headlines. The furry fellow closed down the Nasdaq Stock Exchange when he chewed through a phone line. Do you often see squirrels where you live?

A. We have squirrels all over the backyard. When we first built the house and moved in, they were constantly frying themselves on the electric pole transmission line, until we convinced the power company to put up a squirrel guard to keep them from blowing up the box.
 
8) Also in 1987, third generation race car driver Marco Andretti was born. Naturally the skills required by a race car driver are unique. For example, while we know he can control a car at upwards of 230 mph at Indy, we have no idea if Marco Andretti is good at parallel parking in front of the local post office. How about you? Do you struggle with parallel parking?

A. I am not a fan of parallel parking. I can do it, but I don't like to do it.

9) Random question: When you woke up this morning, were you ready to face the day? Or do you wish you could have rolled over and snoozed a little longer?

A. I get enough sleep, but I am not sure I'm ever ready to face another day.

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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.  

Thursday Thirteen #825

Yesterday was International Chocolate Day. Boy howdy, I love me some chocolate!

Here are 13 of my favorite (or used to be favorite) chocolates:

1. Cella's milk chocolate covered cherries. (I used to love the dark chocolate ones, but since my last ulcer, dark chocolate is not something I can handle anymore, alas.)

2. Milky Way Midnight. I haven't seen this candy bar on the shelves in well over a year. A search on Bing indicates it has been discontinued. Me sad.

3. Fudge. I love good fudge. I have had bad fudge, but good fudge is fantastic. The best fudge is the fudge I make, followed by my stepmother's fudge, and then the fudge we used to get when we went to the beach.

4. Truffles. Chocolatey center, milk chocolate covering. What's not to love?

5. Three Musketeers Bar. This used to be my favorite candy bar, but I don't eat it often anymore. My taste buds must have changed, because the candy bar doesn't taste the same to me.

6. Cadbury Eggs. This is another favorite that I have stopped eating (mostly) because it doesn't taste as good as it once did. They are also much smaller than they used to be. Do the manufacturers think we don't notice these things?

7. Milky Way. I will still eat a regular Milky Way if that's all I see and absolutely must be bad and eat this stuff.

8. Lindor Chocolate Truffle Bar. Right now, this is my go-to chocolate. The bar is in six sections, and I eat three little sections one day and three the next when I get a hold of a bar. I try to spread it out.

9. Chocolate chip cookies. I don't know if this belongs on a list of chocolates, but I am putting it there.

10. Ghirardelli's filled chocolates. They have some with raspberry and another with caramel that will make you moan if you haven't had them in a long time. (Ain't no chocolate going to make you moan if you eat all the time.)

11. Brownies. I find good chewy chocolate brownies irresitable.

12. Chocolate cake. Aside from a cupcake I recently had, I haven't had chocolate cake in years as it is hard on my ulcers and reflux. But man is a good piece of chocolate cake with chocolate icing something to celebrate.

13. Chocolate lush. This is a family recipe. I give it my own twist, but it's good. It's a chocolate cake-like concoction that creates its own pudding on the bottom. Eat it while it's warm with a little whipped cream. Yum!

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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 825th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Too Many Tomatoes

Our garden has done very well this year.

Remember the 343

Twenty-two years ago today, over 1,000 men and women, all of them dressed in 50 to 75 pounds of firefighting gear, faced the worst event of their careers.

The Twin Towers in New York City had been attacked and were burning.

At 8:50 a.m., the New York City Fire Department had established its incident command center at the World Trade Centers. The first plane hit one of the Trade Centers at 8:45 a.m.; the response was immediate. The fire department was on the scene within five minutes.

Even though a second plane hit the other tower, these brave firefighters hustled inside while everyone else was doing their best to get outside.

They were saving lives, these folks. They were doing what they were trained to do.

What they loved to do.

What they would die doing.

At 9:59 a.m., the first of the tallest towers of the World Trade Center collapsed. The firefighters who were valiantly trying to reach people believed to be trapped on upper floors, were unable to get out. As those of us who sat watching the events unfold on TV know, the collapse occurred without warning. The buildings were down before anyone could react.

And 343 firefighters died, along with over 2,000 other people. In a documentary about 9/11 that I watched one year, the most haunting sound for me was when the surviving firefighters went back to look for their brothers and sisters. It was not the tears or the shouts of names, but the oxygen alarms going off from the firefighters' gear, that brought me to tears. Those alarms meant death. And there were so many of them.

As the wife of a retired firefighter, I knew when my husband was at work that every day could be the day that things went wrong on the fire scene. Any day could have been the day that a building exploded, a roof caved in, a car crashed into firefighters standing on the side of the road putting out a burning vehicle (something that happened in Roanoke in 1985, killing several firefighters).

First responders do a job that most people wouldn't dream of doing.

They risk their lives every single time they go to work. When we are running away in fear, they are putting on their hats and heading off to face down whatever it is we are afraid of. Tornadoes, hurricanes, fire, flood, derecho winds, downed power lines or a terrorist attack do not halt these dedicated people. They go forward when the rest of us would hang back.

On this anniversary of the attack on New York City, please remember the sacrifices of these brave men and women, the firefighters who go where no one dares to go.

You might want to say thank you to them, too. You never know when the life they save might be yours.