Thursday Thirteen

Things my parents said . . .

1. Because I said so.

2. If you swallow your gum, it will stay in your stomach for 7 years.

3. If you swallow a watermelon seed, it will grow in your stomach.

4. Keep making that face and it will freeze like that.

5. I brought you into this world, and I can take you out of it.

6. I have eyes in the back of my head.

7. You can't swim for 30 minutes after eating.

8. If you sit too close to the TV, you'll go blind.

9. I'm just going to the store for one thing. (Comes back 3 hours later.)

10. Keep crying and I'll give you something to cry about.

11. Wipe that smile off your face or I'll wipe it off for you.

12. Do as I say, not as I do.

13. I hope your kids turn out just like you, so you'll know what it feels like.

Did your parents say things like this?

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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 851st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Movies, TV, & Books

Last night we watched part of the Oscar Awards, mostly because we couldn't find anything else we wanted to watch.

The only movie I have seen of all the movies mentioned was Barbie. I don't go to the theater often and some of these movies simply haven't made it to HBO/MAX yet.

Most of them I'd barely heard of. I am not a connoisseur of pop culture, apparently.

As for the Oscar Awards show, I neither liked it nor disliked it. It was just something to watch.

Movies

Now, on to the most recent movie I have watched: Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, starring Jason Momoa.

Apparently, this movie was in theaters in December. We watched it when it came on HBO last weekend.

It is not a great movie. It's not even a good movie. When I spend more time trying to see what references to other movies and books I can find in a picture than actually watching the picture itself, then it's definitely not holding my interest.

This movie had references to Star Wars, H.G. Wells books, Batman and Robin, 48 Hours, Castaway, Thor, Harry Potter, and loads of other DC Comic lore. I am sure I missed other references, too.

Frankly, I'm about comic-book charactered out with movies, and hope that Hollywood moves on to better films, preferably not remakes of old ones as that seems to be the pattern of the moment. I would like to see something original occasionally.

I'm not going into the Aquaman plot; anyone can find a rehash of it on Wikipedia and all I wanted to note was I saw it, Momoa was fun to look at, and it was definitely a "B" rated flick.

TV

This brings me to the most recent binge of TV. I watched all six episodes of HBO's True Detectives: Night Country, staring Jody Foster. Mostly I watched it because I have always liked Jody Foster.

This show was weird and creepy. My husband said it gave me nightmares, although if it did, I don't remember them. But it was a different sort of show and I'm not sure I would have watched it had it not been for Foster.

Foster's character was a true hard-assed bitch named Liz Danvers. (The name made me think of Super Girl, whose last name was Danvers when she wasn't saving the world, so I wish they'd used another name, unless the inference was intentional.) Danvers was trying to solve two murders along with another police officer, Evangaline Navarro, played by Kali Reis.

Actually, it was more than two murders, as the initial murder was of six different men, all found naked out in the frozen Alaska tundra, their faces contorted in fear and their bodies molded together with ice. The officers called it a "corpsicle," which should tell you a lot about the humor of this show. It was very dark humor. Somehow this murder tied in with an older unsolved murder case. 

Most everything that seemed supernatural in the show could be explained, but it was one seriously delusional piece of work. Masterfully done, well-acted, and a bit crazy. I am glad I watched it, but like Game of Thrones, it's not something I intend to ever watch again.

Books

I've mentioned recently that I finished Heather Cox Richardson's book, Democracy Awakening. It's a very important book for these times and one that I encourage everyone, regardless of political persuasion, to read. The historical aspect that leads us to today is incredible and I guarantee that there are things in this book that one did not learn in the public schools, and maybe not even in college.

Another book I recently finished that was quite eye-opening was Educated, by Tara Westover. This memoir of a young woman who was "homeschooled" and a member of the Mormon faith is incredibly eye-opening and concerning. The story opens with an admonishment that the book is not meant to deny or endorse any religion, but it doesn't make religion of any kind look good. I think it reflects the evangelical religiosity that has taken hold of some folks and made them a bit crazy, regardless of brand of faith. I have never been one to live my life on emotion and have tried to be rational in my thought processes, although being human I am sure I've failed. But people who are living only on faith and belief are people I cannot understand. They do not step back and self-examine themselves or their actions and cannot or do not see reality in a way that I understand.

It is difficult to be the person who is different in any family; I imagine it must be nearly impossible in an evangelical one. Westover's memoir showed how difficult it was, and how hard it can be to overcome backwards thinking. 

It's definitely a book to read (or listen to, as I did), and think about.

Sunday Stealing

1) What is your favorite thing about winter?

A. When it is over. It is my least favorite season.

2) What is your favorite winter sport?

A. I don't really have one, but I have been watching Virginia Tech's women's basketball games recently. I don't know if basketball is considered a winter sport. If it's not, then I'll go with ice skating (watching it on TV, not doing it in person).

3) What is the best winter treat?

A. Hot chocolate.

4) What is the earliest time in the year it ever snowed where you live?

A. October 10, 1979. We had a thunder snow.

5) What is the best way to stay warm in the winter?

A. Use a lot of sweaters and throws.

6) What are your favorite things that are paper?

A. Books, newspapers, and magazines.

7) What are your favorite things that are cotton?

A. Clothes.

8) What are your favorite things that are leather?

A. Belts.

9) What are your favorite things that are floral?

A. Artificial flowers.

10) What are your favorite things that are wood?

A. Guitars.

11) If you think your house is haunted, what should you do?

A. Either learn to live with it or move.

12) When should you investigate a strange noise in your basement?

A. When you hear it.

13) How do you know if an abandoned building is safe to visit?

A. If it has a "condemned" sign on the outside of it, it is not safe. If there are signs of people being there recently, it's probably not safe. Otherwise, have at it.

14) How do you decide whether to solve a problem as a team, or split up and go it alone?

A. It depends on the problem and the other person. I have a tendency to go it alone for most things, though.

15) Where do you store your knives and where would you look if one was missing?

A. I store my knives in a wooden block that came with the knife set. If one was missing, I'd look in the dishwasher or in the silverware drawer. And if it wasn't there, I'd ask my husband what he did with it.

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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: Hold Me Now

Saturday 9: Hold Me Now (1983)

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

1) This week's song begins with a young man gazing at a picture of himself and his girlfriend in happier times. Are there any photographs in the room you're in right now?

A. There's a photo I took of a bee in a flower, and a picture I downloaded of Melissa Etheridge playing her guitar.

2) His girl tells him he's a dreamer. Do you consider yourself more a dreamer or realist?

A. Definitely a realistic dreamer.

3) "Hold Me Now" was a big hit for the British pop band, The Thompson Twins. They got their start in the late 1970s in the English city of Sheffield, so named because the River Sheaf runs through it. Do you know how your town got its name?

A. My closest town, Fincastle, was named for Lord Fincastle, the son of Lord Dunmore, Virginia's Lieutenant Governor in 1772, when the town was established.

4) Today lead singer Tom Bailey performs solo and is an outspoken advocate for veganism. Vegans abstain from consuming animal products, particularly in their diets. Are you a vegan, or have you ever tried to stick to a vegan diet?

A. No and no. 

5) Tom's former bandmate Joe Leeway has left show business altogether and concentrates on a career in hypnotherapy. This therapy is commonly used to treat insomnia, smoking cessation and obesity. Is hypnotherapy something you have tried, or would consider?

A. I have tried hypnotherapy. 

6) In 1983, when this song was popular, Motorola introduced the first cell phone. Today cell phones are an essential part of our everyday lives. Do you still have a landline?

A. Yes.

7) Also in 1983, American West airlines took off, flying between Las Vegas and Phoenix. Where did you travel to on your most recent flight?

A. I haven't been on an airplane since 1993. We went to Disney in Florida and back.

8) In 1983, Princess Diana was the world's top cover girl. Are there any magazines in the room you're in? If yes, who or what is on the cover?

A. The only magazine in here at the moment is the one I wrote for the county's 250th anniversary, and it has a picture of the county courthouse on the front.

9) Random question: Is anyone on your bad side this morning?

A. No one I know personally.

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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 #850

1. I have been doing a Thursday Thirteen for 16 years and 4 months. To my knowledge, I have not missed a week. That's 850 weeks of thinking about the number 13 on Thursdays. I've been late on some days, but I haven't missed.

2. It took me almost two months to read Democracy Awakening, by Heather Cox Richardson. I do not remember when it last took me so long to finish a book. I would read parts of it, and then mull over the chapter for days, reflecting on it. I have put the book in my "never discard" section. I will reread it again. There are few books that I read over, but this one deserves a second or third look. It wraps the events of today into the events of the past, and in a strange way makes what is happening now make sense, in a warped and dismaying sort of way. It means, I suppose, that eventually someone like the former guy was inevitable.

3. People are complaining about prices of basically everything. They complain about having to pay taxes. They complain about immigrants and blame everyone but themselves for the mess we're in. I blame myself, although I have no idea what I might have done differently.

4. I am, after all, a product of my environment. And what would we have expected to become of a country founded by profiteers seeking to make more money from the goods of this land? It is what its makers set out to make it - a capitalist paradise, where the wicked and mean move to the top, and the rest sink to the bottom. Most of us are the rest, sunk at the bottom. A sort of sour milk, perhaps, with inedible gunk floating on top.

5. "I will not be a foot soldier in a war I do not understand." I heard some version of this today in a book I am listening to. I began to wonder if those of us who vote are only foot soldiers. And do we understand the war? I think not. I think most of us, myself including, have no idea what is really going on.

6. There have always been strange things at work in my life. Strange people who lead me around, strange men who wanted more than I cared to give, strange women who belittled and did not befriend. I have seen clouds part when I shouted at the sky. I do not have any power, and am powerless, yet sometimes I can part the clouds. Imagine that.

7. Someone gave me a guitar a while back, then asked for it back in what I thought was a loan. I expected to receive it back. Imagine my surprise when I learned that the person had given the guitar to someone else. I did not think it was his to give. He apparently thought otherwise. Some people do not give freely, if ever. They only make loans. And the repayments are generally unexpected and the interest rate incredibly high.

8. I think that applies to the current Republican nominee for the office of president. He does not give freely, if at all. He takes. And takes. He is the Great Pretender. I do not pretend to understand him or his cult. I have yet to find someone who can explain it to me.

9. I have a mental illness. It is called depression. The doctors label it dysthymia, but it is not always mild, nor do I always function well. Sometimes, it weighs me down so much that I all I see is the silhouette of gravel, I am so low to the ground.

10. We are going to play with Runes now. Runes are small stones with pictures on them. I have a set called "Stones from the Muse." Once, when life was giving me a very difficult time, I drew the Chaos rock 5 times in a row. Let's see what we draw in the next three.

11. *Amulet - Honor. It is time to stand and trust my instincts. Do not let anyone quash my internal, intuitive voice. Make my own art. This is interesting, as I only last night had a discussion, well, more like a bitter espousing of emotion, about how I feel unsupported in my writing.

12. *Tadpole - Transformation. (It looks like a sperm, just saying.) By recognizing change in my art, I will transform myself. 

13. *Egg - Potential.  The life of an artist is the tension between what is and what could be. Am I ready to take my art to a fuller, deeper place of creation?

Interestingly, I don't recall ever drawing those three runes before. Ever.

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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 850th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

They Last Forever

 

These daffodils came from an old homestead. I dug them up about 35 years ago from the spot where someone's house once stood, and who knows how long ago they were there. The house had been gone for at least 100 years, the neighbors said.

I've moved the flowers once since I first planted them. They come up every year. The time they stay in bloom depends on the weather, but they always bloom. 

They're a little speck of sunshine on the edge of the tree line at my house.

I love them.

Deer in the Yard

 

Watching the Eagles

The media has picked up on something I've been watching for a while now - a live feed trained on an eagle's nest in California.

You can see the live feed here.

If you're on Facebook, I suggest following their page, which is here. The volunteers who run this nonprofit do really great write-ups on what the eagle pair are doing while they are working to hatch a trio of eggs.

They have named the eagles Jackie and Shadow. Jackie, the female, is the larger of the two. It is hard to tell them apart at first, but it gets easier the more one watches.

It is amazing to watch these two birds interact with one another. When Jackie calls out for a little relief from sitting on the eggs, she lets out a little screech, and in just a moment Shadow is there. She gets up and Shadow rolls the eggs and settles in. Not every bird pair has both male and female set on the nest, but eagles do.

I did not know this until I started with this feed.

If you want to learn a little more about nature and wildlife, this is a great place to start. Very interesting and entertaining.

At the X Roads

Something's gotta change.

It's gotta be me.

I've no f#cking idea how to go about it.

Sunday Stealing

1. What (if anything) are you doing to celebrate St Patrick's Day?

A. I am not doing anything to celebrate that day.

2. What is your least favorite color (to wear, to craft with or to decorate with)?

A. Orange.

3. At a yellow light - do you speed up or slow down?

A. Slow down, usually. Depends on where I am going, where I am, what I can see around the light, the amount of traffic, etc.

4. How many pairs of scissors are in your craft room?

A. One.

5. What are the first three items you have 'saved for later' on Amazon?

A. A toy excavator (great nephew's birthday coming up), Mandela drink coasters, and a book called The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin.

6. Did you plant any springs bulbs in your garden and if so, have any of them come up yet?

A. I have daffodils blooming. But they've been planted for about 30 years.

7. What book, if any, are you reading right now?

A. Democracy Awakens, by Heather Cox Richardson (this has taken me a long time to read, as there is a lot there to digest), and I am listening to Must Love Flowers, by Debbie Macomber.

8. Do you prefer ball point pens, gel pens, or thin tip markers to write with?

A. I write exclusively with a gel pen, a Pilot G-2 05. It's a fine point pen. My husband hates them but they are my favorite.

9. What is your favorite crafting item - the craft item thing you use the most or can't live without? (Exclude basic items like scissors and glue).

A. I don't do much crafting, so I can live without any of it.

10. What are the first 3 items on your grocery list and what is your favorite grocery store?

A. The first 3 items on the list this morning were Nature Valley Cashew Bars, peanut butter, and coffee. My favorite grocery store at the moment is Food Lion.

11. What unfinished craft projects are you working on (or not:) at the moment?

A. I have a piece of crochet by my chair that has been there for a couple of years now. It was going to be a scarf, but I've lost count of the stitches. I think I'm going to have to pull it out and start over. Or not. I'd need to get the dust off of it first.

12. What was the last item you pinned on Pinterest? Or hearted on Instagram.

A. I don't do either one of those.

13. What is the biggest tourist attraction where you live?

A. The Mill Mountain Star.

14. What color is your favorite sweater?

A. Blue.

15. How does your family react when you get a big pile of mail?

A. My husband doesn't say anything about it, usually.

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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: Blame

Saturday 9: Blame It on the Bossa Nova (1963)

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

1) This week's song tells the story of a girl who found love at a dance. Share a happy memory from a party, prom, or dance you attended.

A. My husband threw me a surprise 50th birthday party. He got a hold of my phone and called everyone in it, I think. There were people I never would have expected to come there. It was humbling to see folks cared enough to take a few hours out of a Saturday to see me and eat pizza.

2) This record was a big hit for Eydie Gorme, which surprised her. When she first heard the song, she disliked it and had to be convinced to record it. Tell us about a pleasant surprise you had recently.

A. We had a calf born that is almost white. I need to get out and take a photo of it, when it stops raining.

3) "Blame It on the Bossa Nova" is about love at first sight on the dance floor. Eydie's husband Steve Lawrence maintained he fell in love with her the first time he heard her sing. Have you ever felt a sudden, powerful attraction to someone? If yes, did you act on it?

A. Yes, and yes.

4) While this was a solo success for Eydie, she was also known for recording and performing with Steve Lawrence. He was just 22 and she was 29 when they married. Eydie admitted she was self-conscious about the difference in their ages. Do you think age matters in a romantic relationship?

A. No.

5) Eydie was fluent in Spanish, which enabled her to pay for her classes at City College by working as an interpreter. Tell us about one of your early jobs.

A. I was a legal secretary for a lawyer. At the time, everything was typed on an IBM Selectric II, and it had to be perfect. No errors. No sloppiness. I wonder what happened to that work ethic. I still have it but I don't see it in others.

6) In 1963, when this song was popular, The Rambler was Motor Trend's car of the year. It was a 9-passenger station wagon, perfect for families. What do you remember about your childhood family car?

A. I remember that we had a green station wagon that my brother wrecked. We also had a blue Dodge Charger. My parents went through a lot of cars.

7) Also in 1963, President Kennedy made a state trip to Ireland. Have you visited the land of your ancestors?

A. No. I kind of live in the land of my ancestors. They settled here before the American Revolution.

8) The pilot for Gilligan's Island was filmed in 1963. Were you a fan of the show?

A. In reruns. I was too young to watch the original.

9) Random question: Crunchy, smooth or organic peanut butter?

A. Smooth Peter Pan peanut butter.
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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. 

My Voice Is Back

At some point around the first of this week, the last of the rasp that I'd been living with as an excuse for a larynx for well over a month went away.

Poof. Like magic.

Except it was a long time going, and my voice became a little stronger every day as the cold or virus or whatever it was finally began to clear my system.

The first thing I did when my voice was back was pick up my guitar and sing a song. Songs are good.

***

The issue at the bank over my name magically went away after my husband dropped off copies of our Real ID and complained to someone there. We signed the papers we needed to sign and took care of business and everything's lovely. But still. WTH was that all about?

***

Like most of the nation's population who live in a house, our house rose in value. There's been a housing shortage for a good while now, since about 2018, I suppose. The county did it's every four-year reassessment and the average increase in real estate value was about 40%. Some properties went way up, like over 100%. They were probably undervalued to begin with.

To see the whining on the Facebook, and then to hear the whining at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, you would think that these people had all been lined up against a wall to be shot. In the first place, the county supervisors have net set the tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year. Until they do that, and I guarantee it will not be the same rate as it now, there is no way to know what anyone will be paying in taxes. Do I expect mine to be more? Yes. Am I complaining about it? No. It makes my bottom line look better.

So many people seem to think they should not pay taxes at all. They think they are some gift to humanity and the ground upon which they trod is sacred and blessed, or some such BS. I think it is a privilege to be alive, and paying taxes is what I do for that honor. Do I like everything my taxes support? No. Do I agree with everything the government does? No. But these people are mean. 

They demean the supervisors when they speak to them. They are ill-mannered, noisy, confrontational, and bullish. I never saw much of this kind of demeanor at meetings until after 2016. And then it grew progressively worse and after the George Floyd riots, it really hit its stride. Some of the people talk to the supervisors like they are not even human. 

I wouldn't talk to a dog the way some of these people talk to the supervisors. What is wrong with them? Who taught these people manners? And these aren't all folks I grew up with - no. The vast majority moved in here in the 1990s and think that gives them some right to overstep societal boundaries. My family was here during the American Revolution. They haven't a thing on me. But you don't see me acting like some know-it-all buffoon at a Board meeting.

Thursday Thirteen

Here are some memes I've collected in recent years.

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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 849th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

What's My Name?

Right before the pandemic hit in March 2020, my husband and I went to the DMV and obtained our REAL IDs from the Commonwealth of Virginia.

This identification is recognized by the state and federal governments.

When I married, I chose to drop my maiden name. I changed my Social Security card. I changed my driver's license. Some places would not make the change no matter how often I complained about it, like hospitals and oddly enough the women's college I attended. So even though officially, as far as I was concerned, I was First Name, Middle Name, Married Name, the Maiden Name has followed me around.

When I went in to get my Real ID, I had to take along identifying documents that my husband didn't need. I had to take my birth certificate, my marriage license, and some kind of bill that had my name on it. The latter was difficult because when we married 40 years ago, the utilities were put in my husband's name. That is how it was done back them. I mean, we were only 9 years out from women being able to have a credit card when I married. 

Most of the documents I had in my possession were not the documents the state needed for my Real ID, but they had them on file. I had to pay for the copies so they could then use them to get my driver's license. It seemed a little obscene, because they could pull it up and look at it right there, but I later needed the documents for some of my husband's retirement paperwork, so it all worked out in the end.

Still, I consider the ID requirements to be gender biased and discriminatory against women. Taking your husband's name is what people do. I know some people hyphenate or sometimes they keep their maiden name, but the majority of women who marry a man take the man's name. They've been doing this for hundreds of years. The marriage license is on file with the state; they pulled it up and looked at it. It was right there. Yet it cost me considerably more to get the Real ID than it cost my husband because I had to get hard copies of those documents.

A Real ID is supposed to be the most valid ID you can have next to a passport. I don't have a passport, but I do have Real ID. The state recognizes my name as First Name, Middle Name, Married Name. 

So, imagine my surprise when last week an officer at a banking institution informed me that she would need a document with ALL of my names on it - first name, middle name, maiden name, married name. How many women do you know who have documents with all of that on it? Not many women have all of that on their driver's license, I bet.

I argued with her that the Real ID should be enough. I also told her if she was going to make this difficult, then the reason we were talking would go away quickly enough as it was just something we used for convenience. I don't need to deal with this bank, although I have dealt with this bank for almost 40 years. I am even a stockholder in this bank, which makes this oddball requirement all the more egregious.

We are still trying to work this out. But now I don't know who I am, if my Real ID isn't good enough for a bank but is good enough for the state and the federal government. 

Sunday Stealing

1. Have you ever smoked cigarettes?

A. I tried them when I was in high school - most kids did in the 1970s - but they weren't something I enjoyed, and I never picked them up as a habit. 

2. What do you think of hot dogs?

A. I eat the all-beef kind. I prefer what most people call a "streaker" dog - I don't put anything on mine but mustard and pickle relish. I can't eat chili, it's too hard on my stomach.

3. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?

A. Water. I drink a cup of hot water. If I'm feeling really wild, I might put a dollop of honey in it.

4. What's your favorite piece of jewelry that you own?

A. My wedding band. I also have a pair of dragon earrings that my friend gave me a long time ago that I like, but I don't wear them because they're a bit heavy.

5. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?

A. Water, water, and water. I used to drink tea and root beer, but I haven't since the end of 2020.

6. Do you like to travel?

A. I don't mind traveling. I am the kind of traveler who prefers to go to one place and stay in the same hotel for 4-5 days as opposed to driving all over and switching hotels every night.

7. What should you be doing right now?

A. Exactly what I am doing. I am waiting on the dryer to finish drying the bed linens so I can make the bed.

8. Your phone rings. Who do you want it to be?

A. The executor of the estate some long-lost (and now dead) relative that I didn't know existed who has left me a nice chunk of change. Or maybe the Publisher's Clearing House telling me I won. Do they even do that anymore?

9. Do you like to ride horses?

A. No. We had horses when I was younger, and I found them scary. We had a pony and my father put me on it when I was 9, with only a piece of twin for a lead. The twine broke, the pony bolted with me hanging onto its mane and screaming. It turned hard and I fell off and at the least had the wind knocked out of me, but suspect I broke a rib given the pain I was in for a long time. My father insisted I get right back on the horse after he caught it, but that's a myth. I would never get back on another.

10. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener?

A. Listener.

11. What's in your pocket right now?

A. Lint.

12. Last thing that made you laugh?

A. 

13. How many TVs do you have in your house?

A. Two. We have one in the living room and one in the bedroom. The one in the bedroom is small, and we use it about three times a year, or if someone is sick in bed.

14. Who's your loudest friend?

A. I don't think I want to answer that question. There is no point in embarrassing people.

15. Favorite sports team? (If you don't have one, just state that.)

A. We root for the University of Virginia in college sports here, because everyone else roots for Virginia Tech. We like to be different. However, I have been pulling for the Virginia Tech women's basketball team this year; they are awesome, and I've even watched a game on TV. I don't have a favorite team in any of the professional leagues.

__________

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: Shambala

Saturday 9: Shambala (1973)

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

1) This week's song refers to the mythical kingdom of Shambala. Can you think of another song that mentions to faraway, mythical land?

A. Well, there's Olivia Newton John's Xanadu, or there's "a land called Honalee" in Puff the Magic Dragon.

2) "Shambala" is performed by Three Dog Night. The name is derived from an Aboriginal Australian legend. In the outback, hunters would sleep with a dog beside them. If it was very cold, they would sleep between two dogs. If it was freezing -- you guessed it -- it was a three-dog night. Was it cold last night where you are?

A. It was below freezing, but we seem to be heading for an early spring. Maybe the groundhog was right.

3) The lead singer is the late Cory Wells. Early in his career he was a member of the house band at the famous Sunset Strip nightclub Whiskey-A-Go-Go. Cory was a bit of an anomaly at "The Whiskey" because of his sober lifestyle. When did you most recently enjoy an adult beverage?

A. I don't drink anything but water. Still. 

4) Bandmate Danny Hutton auditioned to be a member of The Monkees TV show. He didn't get the part. While he was a talented singer-songwriter, NBC was looking for musicians who could also act. Have you ever fantasized about a career as a performer?

A. I played in a band and was a performer in high school, but I am not keen on the spotlight. Maybe in some other universe.

5) Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys was an early supporter of Three Dog Night's. What's your favorite Beach Boys song?

A. Good Vibrations is the only one I can think of. I read recently that Brian Wilson is quite ill.

6) In 1973, when this song was popular, one of the best-selling toys Curious George plush doll packaged with a Curious George book. Can you recall a favorite book from your childhood?

A. Miss Osborne the Mop, by Wilson Gage, was one of my favorite books when I was 9 or 10. It was a Scholastic Book, I think.  

7) The Exorcist was in theaters, terrifying audiences. It's still ranked among the scariest movies of all time. Have you seen it? Did it scare you?

A. I saw it at some point, but it was a long time ago. I always get that one confused with Rosemary's Baby. I think I saw them about the same time. Or around the same age.

8) Roller skates were a big seller in 1973. While most rinks had skates available for rent, committed skaters had their own pair. Are you better on roller skates or ice skates?

A. I'm not very good on either one. I'm lucky I can stand up on a flat surface.

9) Random question -- Here's $100. What will you spend it on?

A. I would either donate it to the library or buy books.

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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.