Saturday 9: Something More

Saturday 9: Something More (2005)

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

 

1) Sugarland's lead singer Jennifer Nettles describes a busy morning that begins with a cup of coffee. Do you start your day with a cup of joe?

A. I have never been a coffee drinker. I used to drink colas, then switched to tea, and now I only drink water. I have a hot cup of water in the morning.

2) When she gets home from work, she sings that her house is dirty but says housework can wait until she has a glass of wine. Is there a particular chore on your "to-do" list that you keep putting off?

A. I hate doing the bookkeeping for our various enterprises, like the farm, my husband's backhoe business, and the rental house. I try to keep it up, but I always get behind and then I beat myself up for it.

3) The lyrics tell us happiness is something we can create. Do you agree?

A. I think our attitude about things can make a difference, but sometimes life just tosses lemons at you and all you can do is duck. We can't control everything - or much of anything, really - and who's to say what's going to happen to you when you get out of bed? 

4) In the video of this week's song, the members of Sugarland ride along in a vintage Cadillac. Are you one of those drivers who has a nickname for your car?

A. No. Sometimes I call my car by a name but it's a different one every time. Mostly I just call it "car."

5) The group hitches a ride in a red truck. The auto insurance industry tells us that Americans favor vehicles in the grayscale colors. Nearly 80% of cars on the road today are white, black, gray or silver. What color is your vehicle?

A. My Toyota Camry is white. We've generally had white vehicles; they hide the dirt better.

6) Nettles achieved her dream of performing on Broadway when she took over the role of Roxy in Chicago. What's your fantasy job?

A. I don't know that I have one anymore. At various times, I've considered bookstore owner, college professor, novel writer, world traveler, cruise ship director, archeologist, geologist, and being the person who traveled the Bermuda Triangle until I disappeared so I could learn what happens down there (though we don't hear much about that anymore).

7) She wrote a cookbook with her mom called Sweet, Savory and Simple. When it was originally published, it was spiral bound. That way, it could be laid flat on the counter as the cook tries one of the recipes. How many cookbooks do you own?

A. Maybe three, if that. 

 

8) In 2005, when "Something More" was topping the country charts, Paul McCartney won a People's Choice Award for his concert tour. Do you have any plans to enjoy music performed live between now and the end of the year?

A. No, but I have plans to play music between now and then.

9) Random question: Who received the most recent compliment you gave?

A. My father was the last person I spoke with as I write this, so him.

 _______________

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. 

A Useless Warranty

After going through 4 different dryer timers on a GE dryer we purchased in 2019, we finally threw up our hands, tossed that thing out the door, and bought yet another new dryer on April 22, 2022.

We purchased a Speed Queen with a five-year warranty. It's the closest thing to a commercial dryer you can get.

I have known almost from the first that the timer on this dryer was not right. It is terribly spongy and won't stay where you put it. If you put it on "Most Dry" it won't even start, so you have to move it down a notch.

Sometimes I'd dry a load of towels and it would short cycle, and the towels would not be completely dry and I've have to run them through again.

So it was that Sunday night my husband threw some coats he'd washed into the dryer, and turned it on around 8 p.m.

When we got up to go to bed at 10 p.m., we realized the dryer was still running. It was incredibly hot - I don't know if his coats melted. The heat coming off the dryer was intense. The timer had not moved and the dryer was on its hottest setting and had been running that way for two hours (I hate to think what that did to the electric bill). 

Monday morning, I called the place where we purchased the dryer to see what I needed to do for service. The man was rather snotty with me because I didn't want to use the first person he told me to use and I asked for other service providers. We'd had the first person out last summer when the dryer door broke. We're still waiting on him to come back and do the repair he said he would. (We fixed it ourselves right after he left. With my husband recovering from hip surgery, no less. I unscrewed the door, and he figured out how to get the handle back on, and then I put the door back on. That guy was an idiot.)

Anyway, I called a different service provider and the fellow showed up Thursday. Nice guy, very empathetic to our situation, but he could only do what the tech people at Speed Queen would let him do, and they wouldn't let him replace the timer. They tried to say it was because we were running the timer counterclockwise. I assure you, I never run the timer on a dryer counterclockwise (aside from the time the timer broke on the GE, when I ran it counterclockwise and made it work through the weekend until we could get the part to fix it).

Now I am left with a dryer that runs, but I have to set the timer on the oven or Alexa when I start a load and go check it every 30 minutes. Sometimes the timer runs down like it should, sometimes it doesn't. So I can't trust this dryer. Can't throw a load of clothes in and run to the grocery store to have them finished when I return. Someone has to be home now when the dryer runs.

My choice here is to do this: keep using this dryer as it is and call the repair people and have Speed Queen pay for a visit every so often even if they don't replace the part (it's a warranty call, after all), or, since we have the part number, we can go get a new timer and replace it ourselves, which of course would void the warranty. I guess I will be sitting home watching the dryer go round and round for a while.

It's not like I have other things to worry about. Or a life to live.

Speed Queen, you suck. You made a bad dryer and you won't honor your warranty. You are worse than a cheap whore at a truckstop. You're a horrible company, and you can bet your sweet bippy that if this dryer burns my house down, I'm coming after you with every lawyer I can find, and I will own you before it's over and done. I don't care what your stupid paperwork says about liability. You've been warned with a service call and you chose the cheap way out to save a buck instead of doing the right thing.

You are not an honorable company, and you do not deserve a good reputation. I will never again write or speak well of this company. Speed Queen, you suck!

Thursday Thirteen #830

I am overweight. Actually, I am, by medical standards, obese. I could lose 100 pounds and I'd still not weigh what I weighed on my wedding day.

Weight gain was not by choice. It came about because of physical illness, mostly endometriosis, and hormonal changes created when doctors placed me on various drugs either to try to stop the endometriosis or to assist with infertility. I'm just one big walking mess of hormonal blech. And, I admit, I am an emotional eater. I eat when I'm bored, lonely, tired, and stressed. I have a limited diet because of ulcers and acid reflux, so I tend to eat the same things most of the time. New items set off a lot of unwanted aggravation.

Being overweight then becomes a problem in and of itself, one that, given what I see around me, normal-sized people do not recognize, cannot recognize, and do not want to recognize. Chairs with arms, for example, are generally uncomfortable for people of size. Stairs might be challenging. Clothing doesn't fit well. So many things become difficult.

Here is a list of just a few of the challenges that people who are overweight face. The next time you see a "fatty" in Walmart, consider what that person might be going through. I'm fairly certain that 99% of the people who are overweight didn't chose that for their body image. They have struggles others would be stunned to learn about.

1. Limited clothing options: Finding stylish and comfortable clothing in larger sizes can be next to impossible. And because body sizes can be so varied, a 3x that fits one person might not work so well for another.

2. Physical discomfort: Carrying excess weight can lead to discomfort, joint pain, and physical limitations. This also tends to lead to body image issues and struggles with self-esteem that impact mental health. It can mean that a person stays home too much, doesn't venture out except when necessary, or otherwise limits his or her life.

3. Discrimination: Overweight individuals may face discrimination and bias in various aspects of life. It seems obesity is something that people can still make jokes about and many consider it a symptom of a "weak mind" or "weak will," instead of seeing it for what it is - a symptom of a larger problem.

4. Health complications: Obesity can lead to a higher risk of health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, and sleep apnea. I suspect it doesn't help acid reflux, either.

5. Exercise challenges: Some physical activities may be difficult due to excess weight, leading to a sedentary lifestyle. Just recently, I was at the local YMCA. I wasn't there to join, nor would I. Absolutely nothing about that place is set up for unhealthy people. It is set up for an average 23-year-old guy who lifts weights. The chairs all have sides, there is only one small elevator, and everything is out in the open where people can see you. It was this visit, actually, that brought on this post.

6. Social isolation: Overweight individuals may experience social exclusion or feel left out of social events. Sometimes this is the person's choice, but other times, people may simply not invite someone because they don't fit the look they want (think weddings or other things where pictures might matter).

7. Stereotyping: Being unfairly labeled as lazy or lacking self-control based on appearance. Bill Maher is very good at this, and I have stopped watching him because he is such a jerk about people's weight.

8. Workplace discrimination: Overweight individuals may face discrimination in hiring or promotions. After all, if you can't control your own body, how could you be expected to control a division, or an entire company, or whatever?

9. Airplane and public transportation discomfort: Tight spaces and seating can be challenging for larger individuals. This also goes for restaurant seating. If you're going to serve those large plates of food, then you should accommodate everyone.

10. Medical bias: Healthcare providers may not take their concerns seriously, attributing health issues to their weight. I can't tell you how many times I have heard that there is nothing wrong with me that losing weight wouldn't fix. I don't hear that from my current primary care physician, but I have heard it from others in the past, and pretty much any specialist I see will mention it.

11. Weight-related expenses: Costs for specialized clothing, medical treatments, or gym memberships can be high. Women's plus-sized clothes are generally several dollars more than smaller sizes.

12. Difficulty with personal care: Daily activities like bathing or grooming can be more challenging.

13. Lower energy levels: Obesity can lead to fatigue and lower energy levels, making daily tasks more difficult. It can also lead to conditions like depression and anxiety may be more common in overweight individuals.

______________

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 830th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

The ISS

That tiny little blip of light in these photos is the International Space Station. My camera is good enough that I should be able to get the thing in detail, but I have trouble finding it in the lens to do that.

This last time when I looked for it, it was supposed to be about 10 degrees above the horizon, but it was almost directly overhead so it took me a minute to find it, and losing that time cost me my ability to focus the camera. 

At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

End of an Era

I began reading newspapers when I was four years old. At first, my parents and grandparents thought it was cute, that I was copying them reading the paper with their coffee.

At some point, they realized that by then I could read some things, and I was actually reading headlines and pieces of articles. I may not have understood it, but I was reading it. Understanding dawned the more I read.

My parents always subscribed to The Roanoke Times & World News, and I loved to read the paper after I came home from school. (Well, after I'd watched Dark Shadows first. Or Batman. Whichever was on.) On Sundays, I would try to get the paper before my father so I could read it fresh. I loved the look and feel of an untouched paper. No wrinkles, no crumbs from anybody else. He would fuss at me for messing up his paper - he liked them untouched, too. It was sort of a game and I relished disobeying (yes, I was a hellion, I don't deny it.).

When my husband and I married the first thing we did was subscribe to the evening edition of the paper. We each read it over dinner after work.

Then the paper changed its name to The Roanoke Times and started only coming out once a day, in the mornings. We still read the paper at dinner, only the news was a day older. Still, there were the comics, and more in depth writing on stories that interested me.

In the 1990s, the paper began changing. At some point, online became a thing. I was a bit late to the online thing, living in a rural area as I did. The only way I could actually get online was through America Online (AOL). My local phone company didn't have a way to reach the internet until the late 1990s.

The newspapers, meanwhile, put information for free online. I don't know what genius thought this was a great idea. At any rate, news was suddenly free, and the downhill tumble began.

Today, the daily paper is a shadow of its former self. A Sunday paper now looks like what the daily paper used to look like almost every day. Advertisements are nearly non-existent, and as the revenue goes, so goes the paper, I guess.

It was with great sadness that I cancelled our print edition subscription and kept a digital one, so I could read the paper online. No more newspaper in the box. No more print edition to pile up in the recycling. No more newspaper to use to fill up space in Christmas packages.

Sunday was the last day of our print edition. So yesterday, there it was, an empty paper box. I read the e-edition online.

It's not the same. I don't think my husband is going to adapt to this well. He's trying to use a tablet to read, and with his big fingers he is having trouble manipulating it. I've suggested that tonight he try it on his computer screen. I find that easier than the iPad, too.

As a former news reporter, this hurt. It broke my heart to not renew the subscription, but they were asking so much for so little return I couldn't justify it anymore. A recent certificate of ownership in the paper said the subscriptions were down to about 20,000. At one time, that was how many people were reading the little ol' weekly I wrote for. And the over 100,000 people read the daily.

This explains a great deal about the country. If people are not reading the news, then stupid rules. 

Who knows, maybe in six months, we'll pick the print edition back up as new subscribers, if it's still available. I have my doubts the daily paper is going to survive.

It was hard to let that 40-year-old subscription go, but I guess I'm moving on into the new age with the digital edition.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Write about the best decision you ever made. How did you make it? Was it reasoning or gut instinct?

A. The best decision I ever made was to marry my husband. It was a heart response. I knew I wanted to be with him after the first month we dated. He was/is kind, gentle, loving, steady, and loyal. 

2. What ONE thing would you change about your life? How would your life be different?

A. I would have not gone into newspaper writing and instead found some other creative writing outlet that paid better and offered a pension. Something in advertising, maybe, or public relations with a college. Hopefully, I would have made more money and financially would be better off.

3. What is the hardest thing you have ever done? Why was it hard for you? What did you learn?

A. It took me 8 years to obtain my bachelor's degree. I really wanted it, but I could not afford to go to school full time, so I worked (often full time, sometimes part-time) and went to school part time. I also was ill a lot and occasionally had to drop out to have surgery and recovery time. I learned that I could do anything if I wanted it badly enough.

4. What is your greatest hope for your future? What steps can you take to make it happen?

A. At this point, I just hope for good days and that the United States remains a democracy and doesn't become part of an Axis of Evil.

5. If you could time travel, what would you tell your teenage self?

A. Read more.

6. Write about the most glorious moment in your life so far.

A. I guess my wedding, followed by obtaining my masters degree, would be my most glorious moments. My wedding was a drawn-out affair that my mother created, and my graduation for my masters was a highlight of my life. It was something I did all on my own, and I celebrated it with those I loved.

7. Write about a moment you felt brave.

A. I went up in a hot air balloon in the 1980s. My husband would not go; he stayed with the chase team, but I climbed in the basket and off we went. It was amazing.

8.  What made you happy today?

A. Cheese was on sale for $2.99 a pack!

9. What do you dislike most about growing up?

A. Chores.

10. Write about ten activities you love the most and why you love them.

A. I am not going to write about 10 activities. That is an essay or a memoir, not a question for a meme! I will write about one activity. I love to read because it transports me to another world, place, and/or time and takes me away from my current cares and woes.

11. Do you have an embarrassing moment that still makes you cringe? Write about it in as much detail as you feel comfortable!

A. There was that time I introduced my mother-in-law to someone at a funeral and told her the wrong name.

 
12. What has been your best trip so far?

A. It's probably a tie between vacations to Williamsburg, Charleston, SC, and Myrtle Beach, SC.

 13. Write a list of 5 things (physical or personality-wise) you love about yourself, and why they make you unique.

A. I have a good (if sarcastic) sense of humor, I'm intelligent and intellectually curious, I like music, and I do okay with writing.

14. Discuss 5 things you wish others knew about you.

A. I don't know that people know (1) how much pain I live with, (2) how much emotional energy I spend on others, (3) what a perfectionist I am, (4) how dark my thoughts can be, and (5) that I want the best for everyone, no matter who they are, so long as their best doesn't hurt anyone else.

15. Is social media a blessing or a curse?

A. Oh, it's a curse. No doubt about that.

__________

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: Goodbye, Cruel World

Saturday 9: Goodbye, Cruel World (1961)

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

 

1) This week's song has a circus theme. Have you ever been to a circus? If yes, did you enjoy it?

A. I went to the circus when I was a child, and my parents took me. It was not in tents; it was in the Salem Coliseum. I don't recall much about it as I was quite young, maybe 5 years old?

 

2) James Darren sings that he's running away to join the circus. When you were a kid, did you ever run away from home?

A. I did when I was 16. Long story short, my parents reported my car stolen, and I was picked up by the police in a few hours.

 

3) While he understands intellectually that this girl is no good for him, he tells us his heart is stubborn. Do you have a stubborn streak?

A. I can, yes. But generally, I just give in to go along and not make waves.

4) Though he had three top 20 singles, including this one, James Darren found more consistent success as an actor. Between 1959 and 1963, he played surfer Jeff Matthews, aka "Moondoggie," in three Gidget movies. Have you seen any Gidget movies? What about the TV show, starring Sally Field?

A. I don't recall ever seeing Gidget in any form.

5) "Moondoggie" got his unique nickname because he enjoyed surfing in the moonlight. Looking back on Summer 2023, did you visit the beach (by moonlight or otherwise)?

A. No, we did not go anywhere this past summer. Or the past three summers, for that matter. We last had a get-away in September 2019.

 

6) While he was playing Gidget's teen dream, he was a married man. He wed Danish beauty queen Evy Norlund in 1960. They met when she came to Los Angeles to pursue a career and they were both working at Columbia Studios. More than 60 years later, they're still together. Tell us about the longest-married couple you know.

A. How about I just tell you I'm going to be married for 40 years in a month? That's a long time, although to be honest it seems like maybe 3 years, not 40. Lots of memories, kind of all jumbled up, and stuff can be broken out by time - did it happen while I was still in school, did it happen when he was at fire station X, Y, or Z? Did it happen before my hysterectomy or after? Before 9/11 or after? Pre-pandemic or after? Which newspaper was I writing for? Who was I working for? Was my mother still alive when it happened, or had she passed away? The big marker moments stand out, but the day-to-day stuff smooshes all together, so that time does not seem like 40 years at all.

7) James Darren also played Officer James Corrigan on ABC's police drama, TJ Hooker. Have you ever considered a career in law enforcement?

A. I thought about being a lawyer, which is part of law enforcement, but that's all. My father was a policeman when I was born and up until I was about 3 years old.

 

8) In 1961, when this song was on the radio, matching "his & hers" mohair sweaters were on trend. Do you have a favorite sweater?

A. No, I do not.

9) Random question -- They say we're all young at heart. In what ways are you childlike?

A. I still have a darned sweet tooth and crave sugar almost constantly. I also need a lot of hugs. And I still like to read everything in sight, which I have done since I was four years old.

 

_______________

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

I feel like I recently did something like this but am too sorry to go back and check. Anyway, for today, here are some top conspiracy theories. Most all of these are US based (which tells you something about the citizenry.) Do you think I believe in any of them?

1. The assassination of John F. Kennedy: Some people believe that the CIA, the Mafia, Cuba, or the Soviet Union were involved in the killing of the US president in 1963, and that Lee Harvey Oswald was not the lone gunman.

2. Area 51 and aliens: Some people believe that the US military base in Nevada is hiding and experimenting on extraterrestrial beings and their spacecraft, especially after a supposed UFO crash near Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947.

3. The moon landing hoax: Some people believe that the Apollo 11 mission in 1969 was staged by NASA and filmed in a studio, possibly at Area 51, to win the space race against the Soviet Union.

4. The 9/11 attacks: Some people believe that the US government orchestrated or allowed the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, to justify wars in the Middle East, increase surveillance, and create a false sense of patriotism.

5. The death of Princess Diana: Some people believe that the British royal family or the British intelligence service MI6 arranged the car crash that killed Princess Diana and her companion Dodi Fayed in 1997, to prevent her from marrying a Muslim or exposing secrets.

6. Chemtrails: Some people believe that the white trails left by airplanes in the sky are not water vapor, but chemicals sprayed by the government or other organizations for various nefarious purposes, such as weather control, population control, or mind control.

7. The reptilian elite: Some people believe that many world leaders, celebrities, and influential figures are actually shape-shifting reptilian aliens who are part of an ancient bloodline that seeks to enslave humanity.

8. The COVID-19 pandemic: Some people believe that the coronavirus outbreak in 2020 was planned or engineered by various actors, such as China, Bill Gates, or Big Pharma, for political or economic gain, or to reduce the world population.

9. The Paul McCartney death: Some people believe that Paul McCartney of The Beatles died in a car accident in 1966 and was replaced by a look-alike named William Campbell, and that the band left clues about this switch in their songs and album covers.

10. The Denver airport conspiracy: Some people believe that the Denver International Airport in Colorado is hiding a secret underground bunker for the New World Order, or a portal to hell, and that its murals, sculptures, and symbols contain sinister messages.

11. The HAARP project: Some people believe that the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP), a scientific facility in Alaska that studies the ionosphere, is actually a weapon of mass destruction or a mind control device that can manipulate weather, earthquakes, volcanoes, and human behavior.

12. The Montauk Project: Some people believe that a secret military base on Long Island, New York, conducted experiments on time travel, teleportation, mind control, and contact with aliens in the 1970s and 1980s, involving kidnapped children and a psychic named Duncan Cameron.

13. The Philadelphia Experiment: Some people believe that a US Navy destroyer called USS Eldridge became invisible or teleported from Philadelphia to Norfolk in 1943 as part of an experiment on cloaking technology involving Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, and that the crew suffered horrific consequences.

And an extra because I'd never heard of it until I started looking these up:

The Titanic switch: Some people believe that the RMS Titanic that sank in 1912 was actually its sister ship, the RMS Olympic, which was damaged in a collision and swapped for insurance fraud, and that the sinking was either intentional or allowed to happen by the owners.

______________

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 829th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Book Stuff

If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won't)
By Betty White

Copyright 2012

Audiobook 2.25 hrs

Foggy Mountain Breakdown

By Sharon McCrumb

Copyright 2008

Audiobook 4 hrs

Two short audiobooks, very different subjects.

Betty White's nonfiction book is a flip little advice/memoir book where she takes on topics such as fame, friendship, and of course, pets. She reads the book herself, at the age of 89. She makes fun of herself and offers up tidbits of life in the fast lane of Hollywood, but there are no secrets here. The writing is good and it was fun to listen to her read her book. When she started talking about one of her pets that had passed away, I could tell she was crying. You don't get that often in an audiobook.

Sharon McCrumb's fiction book was a series of short stories, none really related to one another. Several of them had Appalachian settings. She has a nice little twist at the end of each story that gives it its reason for existing. The writing is tight and well-done. The audiobook readers were multiple and did a good job.

I picked both of these because they were short and I had interest in the authors/topics. Betty White has died, but I still watch Golden Girls, and it's always interesting to see how something I know nothing about works. Sharon McCrumb lives locally and I follow her on Facebook.

These days I pick my audiobooks by length. Anything over 10-12 hours I dismiss as I am simply not eager to be exhausted by a long audiobook at the moment. Short ones? Yes!

Two Bear Sitings

This morning about 9 a.m. as I was loading the dishwasher, a bear passed by the kitchen window. I raced for my camera, but the bear had moved on behind my husband's truck.

I crept outside to see if I could see him. He heard me, and raced off into the woods so fast I could not get a photo.

Then at dinner, as we were eating, I was watching a little spike buck through the patio doors. Suddenly, he spooked. I got up.

"The buck ran from something, maybe it's a bear," I told my husband.

I went to the kitchen window. "OMG, it IS a bear!" I said.

He got up to look and I raced for the camera.

This time, I was able to get photos. This is not the same bear from this morning. That bear was larger, had a heavier coat, and bigger feet.

I took the first three shots through the garage door window. As you can see, he is the gravel in the driveway, so I wasn't far from him. When I took this last shot of the bear in the woods, I was standing outside with the camera. I moved outside as he turned his back to me and went towards the woods.

I was about 30 feet away from him, I guess.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Are there any fall-specific hobbies or crafts you enjoy pursuing?

A. Not really, although I do seem to take more pictures in the fall. So perhaps photography?

2. Do you have any favorite fall-inspired recipes you like to cook or bake?

A. No. I am not a pumpkin fan.

3. Are you a fan of Halloween? If so, what's been your favorite costume?

A. I love Halloween. I haven't been in a costume in many years, though. The last time I dressed up, I was a witch. I went to Fincastle, where they have (had?) a children's Halloween parade and stood on the corner and handed out candy. That is the only time as an adult that I have dressed up. In my youth, I remember those awful plastic masks that generally broke after the first house, and it always seemed to be cold. I also dressed as a hobo a few times.

4. Do you have any childhood memories related to the autumn season?

A. Just going to school. I loved school, loved being in school, loved buying notebooks and pencils. I loved my teachers, usually. School was a safe place, aside from bullies and idiots.

5. What kind of outdoor activities do you enjoy during the autumn months?

A. Walking is nice.

6. Do you look forward to 'sweata weatha'? What is your favorite go-to outfit for Fall?

A. I don't have a favorite outfit for any season.

7. Are you a fan of pumpkin or apple flavored treats or beverages?

A. Not particularly. I like apple cider ok, but no one else does.

8. Which fall scents do you find most appealing?

A. None of them. They all make me sneeze.

9. Do you like to visit apple orchards or pumpkin patches or corn mazes?

A. No. I'm allergic to such places.

10. Have you ever participated in or attended a fall festival or harvest fair?

A. Fincastle has a festival every September (it had a 10-year hiatus in the 2000s). I used to help with the volunteer fire department at that, and then I was president of the organization that ran it for two years, so I helped with lots of parts of it then.

11. What's your favorite thing about autumn?

A. The colorful leaves.

12. Are you more of a cider or hot chocolate person when it comes to fall beverages?

A. I just drink water these days, so neither.

13. What's your ideal way to spend a crisp autumn evening?

A. Curled up in a chair with a book. That's pretty much my ideal way of spending most evenings.

14. Do you like to dress up for Halloween? What's your favorite costume or what costume do you plan for this year? Do you like to make your own costume?

A. I don't dress up for Halloween.

15. Are you a football fan? What's your favorite team?

A. I don't watch football, though we do root for the Virginia Cavaliers (University of Virginia).

__________

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: Gloria

Saturday 9: Gloria (1982)

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

(I have always loved this song. Thanks, Gal!)

 

1) In this song, Laura Branigan is advising her friend to take it a bit slower in her pursuit of a particular man. Did you more recently give or receive advice?

A. A little of both. I was out shopping with a friend, and we were both giving and receiving advice from one another.

 

2) Gloria seems determined to rush ahead, regardless of the consequences. Do you consider yourself a big risk taker?

A. I used to be, but I am no longer. When I was younger, it didn't matter what I had to do to get the story for the newspaper - ride in a hot air balloon, fly in a single engine airplane, fall down an embankment, risk arrest from a crazy sheriff - I did it. But now I don't do those things.

 

3) Laura herself seemed to be impulsive in love. She met a lawyer at a party in 1978 and they married months later. It worked out, though. They were married for almost 20 years, until his death. Thinking of your circle of friends, has someone more recently been married, divorced, or widowed?

A. I know several people who have been widowed recently.

4) "Gloria" was originally recorded in 1979 by Italian singer Umberto Tozzi. His version was a Top Ten hit in Switzerland, Belgium and Germany. Have you ever visited any of those countries?

A. I have not visited any of those countries.

5) In 2018, decades after its initial release, this recording of "Gloria" enjoyed a surge in popularity. The St. Louis Blues used it as their victory song whenever they won a hockey game at home. What's the most recent sporting event you attended?

A. It would have been one of my nephews' high school ball games, which would have been about 15 years ago now.

6) After Laura Branigan died of a cerebral aneurysm at the age of 52, her high school established a scholarship in her honor. When did you most recently return to your old high school, and what was the reason?

A. I went back to my old high school in 2019, when the school was celebrating its 50th birthday. They had displays set up to show how the school looked, etc. My husband and I both attended the same school and so we went for a little reminiscing.

 

7) In 1982, when this song was popular, the Sears catalog sold an at-home blood pressure monitor that ran on four C-batteries and sold for $190 (that's $600 in today's dollars). Amazon's current best-selling monitor is cheaper ($40) and smaller, running on AAA batteries. Is high blood pressure a concern of yours?

A. Yes. I have hypertension, but it is controlled with medication.

 

8) Also in 1982, The Compleat Beatles, a two-hour documentary about The Fab Four was released to good reviews. Do you enjoy documentaries?

A. I like some of them, yes. I don't like ones that show violence. Music documentaries are good. I like the Ken Burns documentaries on PBS, too.

9) Random question: Which of these chores to you enjoy the least: doing the dishes or the laundry?

A. Doing the dishes. I don't mind the laundry at all, but I hate doing the dishes. 

_______________

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.  (#510)

Let Me Get That Itch

 

No Common Sense

Many people consider me to be a fairly smart person, but sometimes I feel so stupid about the things I don't know how to do that I don't think "smart" is possible.

Today, I discovered for a second time that I can't figure out how to make the lottery vending machine at the grocery store work.

This should be easy and apparently is, as I watched people go to the lottery machine, hit a few numbers, swipe a card, get their ticket, and leave.

I had a play slip in my pocketbook. The Powerball is up over $1 billion - who doesn't want to win that?

So, I went to the machine. I figured out where to put in the play slip. I put it in. The machine sucked it up. Then it said I needed to give it money. I gave it a $10 bill, which it didn't take at first, but then swooop - it sucked it up. (I always play with cash, using the credit card is too easy, I feel more responsible playing with cash.)

And I stood there going, where is my ticket? Finally, I found it, a little slip of paper lost in this big hole at the bottom of the lottery vending machine.

I looked at it and saw unfamiliar numbers. It did not play my numbers. They were all easy play numbers. I hate easy play numbers, although as numbers go, these look pretty good.

Still, they weren't our numbers. So, I went to the customer service desk like I normally do and meekly handed over my play slip and $10. I had not intended to play $20 on the lottery, but I did. 

If the vending machine numbers win, I will go kiss the thing, but honestly, why couldn't I figure that out? This is at least the second time I've tried and I've failed both times.

This kind of thing is second nature to most people, I guess, but I need an instruction booklet.

***

Now, do I really want a billion dollars? No. I suspect that would be more headache than I'd care to handle, though hopefully I would do good with it, and not built penis rocket ships to honor my manhood like Bose and Musk. Hopefully I would set up charities to help people with medical bills, build libraries and fire stations, help people go to college, offer up money to family and friends, stuff like that.

I'd be happy if I won $1,000,000. That's five numbers but not the power ball. I could live with that. That money I could put in the bank for my retirement and breathe a sigh of relief with the hope that a heart attack wouldn't wipe out our meager savings. And maybe still set up a little charity on a small scale. I'd like to help older women go back to college.

I don't want to be greedy. I have never wanted more money than I needed. Just enough. Unfortunately, as I age and see jobs going further and further out of my reach, I am no longer sure what "enough" actually means.

I wonder if not wanting all the money in the world is another symptom of having no common sense. Wouldn't it be sensible to want more money all the time?

Thursday Thirteen

Recently, I lost a friend to Parkinson's Disease. His symptoms manifested as a dementia that included hallucinations. I also read that last week was World FTD Awareness Week, which is frontotemporal dementia, the type of dementia that Bruce Willis has. I know as I age, I worry sometimes when I forget where I put something or can't find a word in my head that things are going awry in there. You just never know.

Dementia is a term that describes a group of conditions that affect memory, thinking, and interfere with daily life. There are different types of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. 

Here are some warning signs of dementia. If you or someone you love are having any of these symptoms/signs, see a doctor.

 

1. Subtle short-term memory changes, such as forgetting recent events or conversations, or misplacing items.

2. Difficulty finding the right words to express oneself or communicate with others, resulting in frustration and confusion for the person with dementia.

3. Changes in mood or personality, such as becoming more depressed, anxious, fearful, irritable, or apathetic.

4. Difficulty with complex mental tasks, such as planning, organizing, reasoning, or problem-solving.

5. Confusion and disorientation, such as getting lost in familiar places, not knowing what day it is, or having trouble recognizing people or objects.

6. Difficulty with coordination and motor functions, such as having trouble with balance, movement, vision, or hearing.

7. Hallucinations, such as seeing or hearing things that are not there.

8. Agitation, such as becoming restless, agitated, or aggressive.

9. Loss of interest or emotions, such as showing less interest in hobbies, activities, or social interactions.

10. Difficulty performing daily activities, such as bathing, dressing, eating, or using the toilet.

11. Metallic taste in mouth or decreased sense of smell.

12. Agnosia, which is the inability to identify objects and/or persons.

13. Loss of appetite, malnutrition, weight loss, or pneumonia, which are some of the complications of dementia after a prolonged period.

These are some of the early signs of dementia that may indicate a need for medical attention. 

However, not everyone with dementia will experience all or any of these symptoms, and some of these symptoms may also be caused by other conditions. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor if you notice any changes in your memory or cognitive abilities that affect your daily life. A doctor may perform various tests to diagnose the cause and type of dementia and suggest possible treatments to manage the symptoms and slow down the progression of the condition. Some of the specialists who treat dementia are neurologists, psychiatrists, and geriatricians.

*This is for information only and should not be used to treat any medical condition. *

______________

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 828th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Red Tailed Hawk

It was very foggy when I took this picture.

 

Harvest Moon

I took these shots Thursday night, when the moon was rising over the Peaks of Otter (a mountain off the Blue Ridge Parkway).

The moon was pumpkin orange with a tinge of red; I'm afraid my camera couldn't capture the color as well as I wanted. We also had passing cloud cover which made it hard to get good photos.