Saturday 9: Do You Know the Way

Saturday 9: Do You Know the Way to San Jose (1968)

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

 

1) In this song, someone moves to Los Angeles looking for "fame and fortune" but ends up with a job "pumping gas." Today, the majority of service stations are self-serve, so very few people pump gas for a living. Can you think of another job that used to be common but doesn't exist anymore?

A. Telephone operator. File clerk. Secretary.

 

2) The San Jose travel bureau advertises "300 days of sunshine" every year. How is the weather where you are today?

A. Today it is sunny but very windy.

 

3) Lyricist Hal David became fond of San Jose when he was stationed there while in the Navy. Tell us about a place you visited that you have affection for.

A. My husband and I, and our respective families, usually vacationed at Myrtle Beach, SC. Once upon a time it had a great park with a rollercoaster, Ferris wheel, and other rides. There was a pavilion with arcade games galore. Some of that is still there, but much of it is gone, and Myrtle Beach is now the place to go golf and shop.

  

4) Composer Burt Bacharach grew up and worked primarily in New York until his marriage to actress Angie Dickinson. She had to live in Los Angeles for her career, so he relocated and remained a Californian for the rest of his life. Where do you feel most at home? (It doesn't have to be a city. It could be your favorite chair.)

A. I feel most at home in my own home, the one I live in with my husband.

5) Dionne Warwick thinks this week's song is "dumb." She won her first Grammy for "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" and, decades later, still sings it in concert, but she has not changed her opinion of the song. What is something everyone else seems to like but you just don't get?

A. Fox News.

 

6) Now in her 80s, with more than 60 years in show business, Dionne still enjoys performing. She told a reporter that she loves looking out into the audience and seeing an arm go around a shoulder, or a couple begin holding hands, when they hear her sing "their song." What song reminds you of a special romance?

A. Longer, by Dan Fogelberg

 

7) In 1968, when this song was popular, The Doris Day Show premiered. The show was, initially, a surprise to its star. Her manager/husband died suddenly without telling her he had committed her to a weekly sitcom. She was not pleased but honored the contract. Think of the last time you were surprised. Was it a happy or sad surprise?

A. It was a sad surprise.

 

8) According to the Social Security Administration, the most popular baby names of 1968 were Lisa and Michael. Are there any Lisas or Michaels in your life?

A. I know a few Lisas and Michaels.

 

9) Random question: What are you looking forward to this week?

A. Halloween.

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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. 

Watching History Turn to Rubble

When I first saw the photos of the demolition at the White House East Wing, I felt a physical ache, almost like watching a part of democracy itself being beaten with a massive piece of machinery. The White House is not just a building. It is a living record of the people and ideals that have passed through it. Seeing part of it torn down, despite assurances that it would remain intact, feels like losing something that belonged to all of us.

Many people felt the same way here locally when our county courthouse was demolished earlier this year. The Botetourt County Courthouse, though, was not the historic structure many seemed to think it was. It was a replica, built in 1975 after a 1970 fire destroyed the 1848 building. That 1970 fire was our version of watching a wrecking ball smash through the People’s House, the White House.

The county courthouse in 2018.

Tearing down the Botetourt County Courthouse

The Botetourt County Courthouse that recently fell had serious issues: black mold, poor construction, and cramped space. It was an imitation in many ways, more a copy of history than history itself.

When the county decided to rebuild, the process was deliberate. Phase 1 funding was approved in 2022, the project was carefully planned and phased, and records show that the public could have followed along if they had been paying attention. 

County officials met with Town of Fincastle officials and brought in local historians for meetings. It was a years-long process. And while they did not hold public hearings – legally, there was no need to do that – they did let the public know what was coming.

Additionally, the county made an attempt to salvage or preserve some elements of the historic aesthetic so the new courthouse would honor the past while serving today’s needs.

I understood the grief and frustration that many exhibited as the county courthouse came down, though. It was a beautiful building. It did seem a waste that it lasted no longer than 50 years. 

I also knew the courthouse replacement was a difficult but necessary decision.

The White House

Removing the East Wing of the White House feels different, and while I am seeing people on one side laugh at people on the other (the same people who were upset that the county courthouse was demolished see nothing wrong with tearing down the White House, it appears), what I don’t see is process.

This is what should have happened: there should have been an initial proposal that went through various channels, followed by an historic review, the planning and environmental oversight, an aesthetic review, and final authorization. None of that seems to have taken place.

The current administration decided, unilaterally, to remove historic elements and construct a $300 million (and rising) ballroom. There was no public consultation, no effort to preserve the original structure. It feels brazen and unnecessary, as if a piece of shared memory, a civic soul, has been erased for personal vision. As I watched part of the White House turn to rubble, I did not just mourn the building; I mourned the disregard for history itself.

The difference between these two experiences is clear. One was deliberate, a balance between practicality and preservation. The other is a stark reminder that even the most iconic structures can be treated as expendable when care and oversight are absent.

In the end, it is heartbreaking to see how carelessness can destroy in a day what reverence built over generations.

The East Wing removed. Photo from financialexpress.com

Thursday Thirteen #930

On October 23, 1973, President Richard Nixon agreed to turn over the Watergate tapes to investigators, marking a pivotal moment in the unraveling of his presidency. Below are 13 facts that illuminate the scope and impact of the Watergate scandal.

1. The scandal began with a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate complex on June 17, 1972. Five men were arrested, all connected to Nixon’s reelection campaign.

2. The burglars were caught wiretapping phones and stealing documents, suggesting political espionage.

3. Nixon and his aides attempted to obstruct justice, including paying hush money and misleading investigators.

4. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of The Washington Post investigated the story with help from “Deep Throat,” later revealed to be FBI Associate Director Mark Felt.

5. The Senate Watergate Committee was formed in 1973, and its hearings were broadcast live, drawing national attention.

6. The “Saturday Night Massacre” occurred on October 20, 1973, when Nixon fired special prosecutor Archibald Cox, prompting resignations of top Justice Department officials.

7. On October 23, 1973, Nixon agreed to release some tapes, which had been secretly recorded in the Oval Office without most staff knowing.

8. The tapes revealed Nixon’s involvement in the cover-up, especially the “smoking gun” tape from June 23, 1972.

9. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in United States v. Nixon (1974) that Nixon had to release the tapes.

10. Nixon resigned on August 8, 1974, becoming the only U.S. president to do so.

11. Gerald Ford became president and controversially pardoned Nixon on September 8, 1974.

12. The scandal led to over 40 government officials being indicted or jailed, including top aides like H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman.

13. The term “Watergate” became a metonym for political scandal and abuse of power.

Sources: 

FBI records, court documents, early reporting from The Washington Post, History.com, the National Archives, the Library of Congress, PBS Frontline, NPR, Constitution Center, National Archives, CNN, Watergate.info. Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, Brookings Institution and Politico.

*I used the little magic wand on blogger for the first time to insert links. Not impressed.*

*An AI tool helped put this list together*

_________________

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 930th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway. 

Heart-leaved Aster

This delicate lavender-flowered plant nestled against the embankment appears to be Symphyotrichum cordifolium, commonly known as heart-leaved aster. It’s a native wildflower in the eastern U.S., often blooming in late summer to fall—just when the leaves begin to drop. Here are a few clues that support the ID:

Leaves: The lower leaves tend to be heart-shaped (hence the name), while upper leaves are more lance-like.

Flowers: Small, daisy-like blooms with pale purple to lavender rays and yellow centers that fade to reddish as they age.

Habitat: Thrives in woodland edges, rocky slopes, and disturbed areas—like the embankment in your image.

Seasonal context: The fallen leaves and earthy tones suggest autumn, which aligns with its bloom time.

It’s a quiet beauty, often overlooked but deeply resilient.

Mountain Magic

The other week, we went to the Mountain Magic festival that is held in the other end of the county every year.

We saw lots of old cars.

They also had crafters, a place for the kids to play, and music:

Five Things

 

Last week, I:

1. saw my primary care doctor.

2. saw my chiropractor.

3. went to Covington, a city to the northwest of us, in Allegheny County.

4. visited the DMV.

5. checked in with the people who sold me glasses about new frames, and the customer service was awful.

And I have to say this: what kind of person, who is supposed to be president of the United States of America, this wonderful, fantastic country, posts a picture of himself in an airplane dropping piles of shit upon the citizenry? That's the most infantile behavior I have ever seen. Are there no grownups in this administration, or did they all die emotional deaths at the age of two? #nof*ckingkings

________________________

In solidarity with federal workers, who were tasked in late February 2025 with listing 5 things they did the prior week in order to keep their jobs, I started listing 5 things I did last week every Monday. On August 5, 2025, the federal government decided this was a waste of employees' time (as if we all didn't know that already). I have decided to keep it up, at least for now.

Sunday Stealing

Meme Schmeme

Complete the thought:

I AM I said to no one there, and no one heard at all not even the chair. (So unoriginal.)

I LIVE like a drunken female lion out on a hunt, searching for an antelope to bring down and sink her teeth into it, drawing blood and taking out the life.

I THINK I know but I never know and I wish I knew but I never knew in the first place what it was that I did except to be born and how could I have stopped that, zygote that I was, little child, little girl, little one who wanted only to be held and snuggled and loved?

I KNOW that my husband loves me and I love him and I know that we are lucky to have found one another in this dark dungeon of the earth, this place where we are all just languishing until our sentence has been served.

I WANT to find my soul and I want to see that it is happy and I want to search for bliss and give that to everyone who is alive because we all deserve to feel a little bliss in our time on this planet, and I want to bring peace and joy and love to all that I know but many won't accept it.

I WISH I could make change happen when I wanted, like a genie snapping her fingers, or twinkling her nose like a witch, but change takes time and happens at its own pace, and who am I to rush the world?

I PRAY that people wake up and that eyes open and that hatred that is filling hearts suddenly turns into the deepest of love and everyone becomes whole.

__________

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: Into the Groove

Saturday 9: Into the Groove (1985) 

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

 

1) Madonna begins this song by telling us, "I'm waiting." What's something you're waiting for today?

A. I am waiting on fathers to love their daughters, and brothers to remember their sisters, and husbands to bring flowers to their wives, and wives to kiss their husbands, and I am waiting on children to be lifted and kissed when the boo-boo hits, and I am waiting on people to look around and see that the whole world is waiting for our democracy to crumble like so much blue cheese and I am waiting on footprints in the gravel to disappear in the rain and I am waiting on comets to appear brighter in the sky and I am waiting on the moon to go dark and maybe never lighten again because the satellites are tearing up the night, and I am waiting on promises and lies to unfold in front of me and I am waiting on winter to turn to spring and for the deer to fawn and I am waiting on colors to turn vivid and bright and I am waiting on heartache and truths, and I keep waiting.

 

2) She sings that dancing gives her a feeling so good she hopes it will never end. What reliably lifts your spirits?

A. A kiss from my husband, a good song, a call from a friend, a hand on my shoulder.

 

3) As a schoolgirl in Michigan, Madonna was a good student but could be disruptive. Classmates recall her doing cartwheels in the halls between classes. Can you do a cartwheel?

A. I have never been able to do a cartwheel.

 

4) It's not surprising that a girl from the Detroit area would love cars. Madonna's car collection is valued at more than $2 million. The one she seems to drive most often is a 2022 Cadillac Escalade ESV. Insurance industry data tells us Americans typically keep their cars for 8 years. How long have you had your current vehicle?

A. My current car is 11 years old.

 

5) She has referred to Nancy Sinatra as one of her idols, saying "These Boots Were Made for Walking" and its accompanying video impressed her when she was a little girl. What pop song brings back memories from your childhood?

A. Seasons in the Sun, by Terry Jacks (1974). I remember my friend Ann and I singing it together on the school playground. We went on to be in a band together in high school.

 

6) Madonna suffers from brontophobia, or the fear of thunder and lightning. Are you afraid of storms?

A. I love a good storm. I love the smell of rain in summer, and the lightning brightening the sky. Magic!

 

7) In 1985, when this song was popular, the Titanic wreckage was discovered. There have been at least a dozen movies about that ill-fated ship. Have you seen any of them?

A. I have seen the James Cameron movie, Titanic.

 

8) Also in 1985, Bruce Willis became a star with a hit show about a detective agency. Can you name it? (Extra non-existent points if you can recall the agency's name.)

A. Moonlighting. That's all I got.

 

9) Random question: Describe your perfect ice cream sundae.

A. My perfect ice cream sundae would be vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, with a cherry on top. No nuts. I haven't had one since I was 12 years old, which was when we discovered milk is on my list of foods I should not eat. Having a hot fudge sundae is on my bucket list.

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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

1. The other morning, my husband asked Alexa the temperature. She said it was 13 degrees. He argued with her that she was wrong, but she insisted that the temperature was right for this time of year. I asked her if she was using Celsius or Fahrenheit; she said Celsius. I told her to use Fahrenheit from now on. This morning, at 6 a.m., when we asked her the temperature, she said it was 56 degrees and sunny. The sun had not yet risen, and it was quite dark outside with a bit of a breeze. We are blaming the government shutdown, but I don't know.

2. In the late 1970s, I think about 1979, actually, we had snow on October 10. I remember it vividly because that's the earliest snow in my lifetime. It was actually thunder snow. A great big rumble of thunder shook my parents' house, and then it poured snow. Pretty amazing, actually.

3. Another big weather event in my lifetime was the Flood of 1985. This will be the 40th anniversary of that flood, which wiped out not only parts of Roanoke but also communities here in my county, Eagle Rock and Buchanan, both of which lie along the mighty James River. It also flooded anything along Tinker Creek, including an area of the county known as Cloverdale. Here's a video about it:

4. We have had other floods that I remember because they wiped out my grandparents' house. It was located along the Roanoke River. It flooded in 1969, 1972, and 1985, I know, and there were probably minor floods that I don't recall. It was always a stinking, soppy mess. The water never got up into the living area, but it sure wrecked the basement.

5. In 1993 (I think), we had a "dusting" of snow that dumped about 2 feet on us in March of that year. We were without power for 10 days. When the roads finally cleared, about 6 days into this snow dump, I drove to my grandmother's house in Salem to take a shower. That was such a relief after days of heating water on the woodstove.

6. Virginia has all four seasons, distinctly so. I woke up Monday morning to find that Autumn had arrived for sure. But one can tell as spring approaches by the greening of grass, the wisps of green on the willows, and the movement of the animals. Spring seems to be the season that we are getting shortchanged on in recent years; it comes and goes rather more quickly than I recall as a child. Maybe it's just my perception.

7. We have a freeze and frost advisory out for tomorrow morning. That means the persimmons should be ripe this weekend. Persimmons need a frost in order to ripen properly. An unripe persimmon will turn your mouth inside out, but a ripe persimmon doesn't taste too bad.

8.The folktales about weather around here include: the devil is beating his wife (when the sun shines and its raining), snow before 7, stop after 11 (or maybe I have that backwards), and the usual "red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in morning, sailors take warning."

9. We also predict the weather around here by looking at wooly buggers. They are worms that are brown and black, and the amount of brown and black indicates how bad the winter is going to be.

10. My husband predicts the winter based on the number of acorns, hickory nuts, and persimmons on the trees. "Mother Nature takes care of her own," is his comment about that.

11. I say the weather will be bad when there is a ring around the moon.

12. There is also a tale that the number of fogs in August forecast the number of snows we will have. If that's the case, we will be inundated with snow because I remember a lot of fogs this past August. However, the weather service has us in drought conditions now and through the end of the year.

13. As a farmer, my husband stays very interested in the weather. We watch the news at lunch and at dinner so he can see the weather forecast, and I do not ask questions or talk while the weather is on, even if it's a repeat forecast. 

How about you? How's your weather these days?

_________________

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 929th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway. 

Five Things

 

Last week, I:

1. got the car inspected and the oil changed.

2. had lunch at O'Charley's with my husband.

3. bought pants at Belk.

4. had the heat pump and furnace cleaned and serviced.

5. helped the house cleaner get the house spiffy.

________________________

In solidarity with federal workers, who were tasked in late February 2025 with listing 5 things they did the prior week in order to keep their jobs, I started listing 5 things I did last week every Monday. On August 5, 2025, the federal government decided this was a waste of employees' time (as if we all didn't know that already). I have decided to keep it up, at least for now.

Sunday Stealing

Tune In

1. Name a TV show you've seen every episode of.

A. Xena: Warrior Princess.

2. On which device do you do most of your viewing (television, tablet, computer, phone)?

A. I watch it on a television.

3. Name an actor/actress who would make you less likely to watch a show.

A. Adam Sandler.

4. When you were a kid, what show did you love?

A. I loved Charlie's Angels when I was an early teen. Prior to that I remember liking the Partridge Family and Land of the Lost.

5. What show do you recommend everyone watch?

A. Band of Brothers.

6. What show do your friends like, but you don't?

A. Um, I have no idea.

7. When you watch TV, do you also busy yourself with something else (jigsaw puzzle, folding laundry, etc.)?

A. Sometimes I read the newspaper during commercials. But I don't watch much TV so when I do watch it, I try to pay attention.

8. Do you eat a meal or snack while watching TV?

A. We usually have the news on during dinner so my husband can see the weather.

9. What's your preferred genre (comedy, drama, reality, etc.)?

A. I like fantasy. Just not dark gory horror type fantasy.

10. Do you prefer mini-series (shows that tell their stories in a pre-determined number of episodes) or shows that come back season after season?

A. I like either one.

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

__________

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: Mambo No. 5

Saturday 9: Mambo No. 5 (1999)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
 
1) Lou Bega namechecks a lot of women in this song. Is there an Angela, Pamela, Sandra, Rita, Monica, Erica, Tina, Mary, or Jessica in your life?

A. My stepmother's name is Rita, and I have a friend named Tina.
 
2) Can you think of a song that includes your first name?

A. No. I searched and there are five songs that include my first name, but I don't know any of them.
 
3) Lou sings that flirting is like a sport. Do you enjoy flirting?

A. I'm 62 years old and have been married for 42 years. I don't flirt.
 
4) While Lou Bega's recording became a big hit worldwide, it enjoyed great popularity, where it was used during televised cricket matches. Do you know anything about the game of cricket?

A. I think it's something like croquet, maybe, except with horses. But I am not sure and am too sorry to look it up.
 
5) When Lou was riding high with "Mambo No. 5," Cher invited him to open for her on her 1999-2000 tour. Cher has more than 50 hit records, two television series, a Broadway show and an Oscar under her belt. Can you think of another performer who has succeeded in so many areas of entertainment?

A. Reba McIntire.
 
6) Lou turned 50 in April of this year. Are you soon celebrating a big birthday (one that ends in a 0 or 5)?

A. No.
 
7) In 1999, when "Mambo No. 5" was on the radio, the movie American Pie premiered and was so popular it inspired three sequels. Have you seen any of the American Pie films? 

A. I have seen bits and pieces of them, but I have never seen one in its entirety.
 
8) Also in 1999, Walmart opened its first store in the UK. Do you often shop at Walmart?

A. I don't know that I would call it "often," but I do shop there sometimes. I don't have a Costco or Trader Joes or anything like that close by, so Walmart is where I go for bulk items like detergent and paper towels.
 
9) Random question – Have you recently fallen asleep somewhere other than your bed? If yes, where did you doze off?

A. I have fallen asleep in the chair in the living room.

_______________

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

My county in Virginia is large. It has three small incorporated towns - Fincastle, Troutville, and Buchanan. Other areas, though, are unincorporated communities that have sprung up over the 250-plus years of settlement of the area by Europeans and other nationalities.

Here are just a few:

1. Cloverdale is located at the southern edge of Botetourt County. It marks the transition into Roanoke County. It’s a key junction for railroads and highways, including US 11 and US 220. The railroad hums through its bones, and the wind carries stories from both sides of the ridge. It once was the site of the Traveltown Motel, a facility that kept loads of children cool in the summer with its swimming pool and fed thousands at its restaurant. The motel was badly damaged in the Flood of '85 and no longer exists.

2. Blue Ridge is a community nestled at the base of the mountains. The area was once home to Blue Ridge Springs, a resort renowned in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for its mineral-rich healing waters. Guests came seeking rest and remedy, drawn by the promise of rejuvenation. The mountains rise like myth behind the schoolyard, and every sunrise feels like a beginning.

3. Nace is a rural crossroad near the Norfolk Southern rail line. The area once had a depot and post office. It’s now marked by silos, farmland, and echoes of rail-town life. The tracks still whisper, and the grain silos stand like sentinels of a slower time.

4. Lithia is named for its mineral springs and was once a resort destination in the late 1800s. The springs were believed to have healing properties and were bottled for sale. Once bottled and sold as tonic, now it lingers in the soil like a memory of cure.

5. Haymakertown is a farming community with deep roots. The area once was defined mostly by Asbury School and a general store, both now gone. It lies between Daleville and Catawba and is near Titan Cement, where industrial presence meets pastoral quiet. The land rolls gently, and every barn seems to hold a secret or a song.

6. Springwood is located along the James River and is known for its fertile bottomlands and historic schoolhouse. It’s a site of frequent flooding and rich agricultural history. The James bends here like a question mark, and the fields remember every flood.

7. Gala is a small community near Eagle Rock. It was once a stop on the railroad and is surrounded by orchards and river bends. It’s quiet now, but its name still carries sweetness. Peach trees once bloomed in rows, and the trains carried sweetness into the world.

8. Spec refers to the Spec Mines area in Jefferson National Forest, once home to iron mining operations in the late 1800s. It’s now a biologically rich forest with trails and cold-water streams. A forgotten forge, where iron was pulled from the earth and memory still clings to the ridgeline.

9. Daleville is a growing residential and commercial hub. It sits along US 220 and Interstate 81 and pretends to host the Greenfield industrial park (which is really in the community called Amsterdam). It was once farmland and is now a commuter’s anchor. Suburban now, it still echoes with farmland ghosts and the ache of displacement.

10. Glen Wilton is a riverside hamlet near the James River. It was once known for its lime kilns and ironworks. It still has a post office and active rail line. The kilns are quiet now, but the rail still sings, and the James keeps its rhythm.

11. Santillane is not really a place, but instead a historic estate near Fincastle. It was the home of Julia Hancock, wife of William Clark. The house still stands, a testament to Federal architecture and layered legacy. Its columns rise like memory, and every stone holds the echo of a woman’s name.

12. Oriskany is nestled near Craig Creek and still has a functioning post office and church. It was once home to a school and is surrounded by forested hollows. A place of quiet continuity and sacred pause, where the creek runs like a hymn.

13. Eagle Rock is located along the James River and US 220. It is named for a cliff formation said to resemble an eagle. The rock watches like an old god, and the river below carries both freight and prayer. It has deep industrial roots as evidenced by the lime kilns that still stand there.

 

*An AI tool helped me compile this list.*

_________________

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 928th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Five Things

 

Last week, I:

1. saw the chiropractor.

2. made an appointment to get the car serviced.

3. worked on the bookkeeping.

4. wrote a short story.

5. went to a festival and had lunch with my husband.

________________________

In solidarity with federal workers, who were tasked in late February 2025 with listing 5 things they did the prior week in order to keep their jobs, I started listing 5 things I did last week every Monday. On August 5, 2025, the federal government decided this was a waste of employees' time (as if we all didn't know that already). I have decided to keep it up, at least for now.

Sunday Stealing

In the Past Month Meme

During September, did you ...

1. Drink alcohol? 

A. No.

2. Try a new recipe?

A. No.

3. Go shopping with friends?

A. I went with my husband. He's also my friend. Does that count?

4. Eat an entire box of cookies by yourself?

A. Yes. My husband has his cookies, I have mine.

5. Dye your hair?

A. No.

__________

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: That's So True

Saturday 9: That's So True (2024)

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

 

1) In this song, Gracie Abrams can't stop thinking about her ex. Who is on your mind this morning?

A. Well, not my ex. I don't have an ex. I have been wondering how Bev, the former hostess of Sunday Stealing, is making out. I know she's had a rough time of it.

 

2) She wonders if she should warn his new girl about him. Think of the last time someone offered you advice. Did you take it?

A. Yes.

3) She concludes her old boyfriend wasn't worthy of her love and attention and now sees him as "just another dude." What is something you regret spending time on? (It doesn't have to be a romance.)

A. I regret nothing. I came, I tried, I failed, I moved on.

 

4) On July 31, Gracie Abrams performed at Lollapalooza in Chicago. More than 100,000 attended the first day of the outdoor festival. It was sunny and 79º. Describe your perfect day (weatherwise).

A. It would be about 70 degrees, with a very light breeze, occasional clouds passing over brilliant blue skies. The trees are full of birds chirping away, and the leaves are green.

 

5) Gracie's father is J.J. Abrams, perhaps best known for directing the 2009 Star Trek movie and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Would you rather watch Star Trek or Star Wars?

A. I like them both so I'm not sure I can pick.

6) She is very much a 21st century artist in that she doesn't rely on radio to introduce her music to her fans, often sharing demos on TikTok. Do you watch, or create content for, TikTok?

A. No. I don't do TikTok.

7) In 2024, when "That's So True" was released, Madonna set a record. Her free concert in Brazil drew the largest audience (1.6 million) ever. What's your favorite Madonna song?

A. Um. Like a Prayer, I guess. I am not a big Madonna fan.

8) Also in 2024, former President Jimmy Carter died. In addition to his work in politics and philanthropy, Mr. Carter wrote more than 30 books. Who wrote the last book you finished?

A. Emily Henry, read by Julia Whelan. Some books I listen to simply because Julia Whelan is such a great reader.

9) Random question: What sound stresses you out?

A. Metallic sounds or really low bass sounds, like the jake brakes on a semitruck.

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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.