I have been watching the discussions on Facebook and other social media, along with reading articles in the news, etc., about guns.
This comes about after another round of shootings (yes, in the multiple) that occurred over the last week. Three large shootings in a relatively short time, two of them within less than 24 hours of each other.
Statistically, this country is a mess. No other country in the entire world has mass shootings like the United States. This is a phenomena that is distinctly ours.
It's not mental illness.
It's not video games.
Other countries have mental illness and their young men play video games. No, this is a problem unique to white males of North America and specifically this nation.
I don't know the answer. I think we need to try something, and better gun control would be a good start. I think we need to make people with guns have insurance. They need to be certified to own a gun, which, by extension, means an entire family would need to be certified, and I can see where that might become a problem. They also need to be recertified every so often, much like we do with driver's licenses. Japan has it figured out. Are they smarter than we are?
Certain guns do not belong within the public sphere.
I say this as someone who grew up around guns, who was taught how to use guns, and who has shot guns. I've never killed a deer and have no intentions of doing so, although I have shot a small critter a time or two. I always feel rather sick afterwards, because I don't like to kill anything at all. I think guns are necessary on a farm, though, especially in an area where it could take 20-30 minutes for police to arrive. By that time, the dog is dead and the rabid racoon has eaten a kid. So sometimes a weapon has a use. I'm not saying they don't.
But I think it's time for people to value life over rights. I don't understand why anyone's right to do anything at all takes precedence over someone else's right to live. Isn't that primary and first, the living part? Doesn't everyone's right to go buy groceries without worrying about being shot at take precedent over the right to carry a gun?
Yes, I know, criminals will kill. They'll buy guns. Blah blah. That doesn't mean we don't try to make things better, or institute better laws. We have laws on the books against murder but people still murder. Does that mean we shouldn't have any laws against murder?
What we seem to have are a lot of white men who, having been unable to marry the model of their dreams, or reach the career of their dreams, or masturbate to perfection or whatever their problem is, who decide they are going to reach a pinnacle of infamy via mass murder. And the media obliges.
There is also a contingency of young men who think the government is going to come after them (I guess to get their guns) and they somehow think they will be able to take on an entire battalion of police SWAT or whatever government agency they fear with their big stash of weapons. All it takes is one hand grenade and these little fellas are done. Overzealous preppers are part of the problem. Yes, the government is corrupt. Go vote, run for office, hand out flyers, or do some other productive activity to fix the problem. Stockpiling Bisquick, peanut butter, and rifles isn't going to save your ass.
Note that I've not named even the places where these latest mass shootings took place. For one thing, unfortunately, it could be anywhere USA. For another, the place isn't the point. The point is it could be the store down the street, the theater you next attend, or the laundromat.
I'd just as soon not be shot while I'm picking out the best cut of chuck roast at the supermarket. I'd also like to eat in a restaurant and not get up and leave my food sitting because I see some person walking in with a gun strapped to his leg, looking like he's the Lone Ranger. How am I supposed to know who's a good guy and who's a bad guy? I don't know. I see a gun, I leave.
If you're carrying a gun on you and you're not hunting during a valid hunting season, as far as I'm concerned, you're a nut and I don't want to be around you. (That goes for concealed carry, too, although at least if that person has stuck a gun down his/her sock I don't see that, and if it goes off it's going to blow somebody's toes into the ground.)
But these people think their rights outweigh mine. Fuck you, I like guns, they say. Well, fuck you, I like my life and I don't want a bullet in my body. Is this really what the argument boils down to?
Here are a couple of interesting articles. This one is about the Second Amendment and what it really means, and this one is written by a former service woman who wants to see better gun control.
Wednesday, August 07, 2019
Tuesday, August 06, 2019
The Great Calf Chase of August 5
I sat down and put my sneakers on, and stood up. I looked out the front window of the bedroom like I always do.
And there was a calf in the front yard. A 300-pound, not-yet-weaned black Angus calf, to be exact. One of ours, I knew, because it had a red tag in its ear.
Damn.
My husband, of course, was at the firehouse in Roanoke, a good 25-minute drive away. The calf, I hoped, would go back in of its own accord, but meanwhile I couldn't leave on my errands because it might make its way down the driveway and onto the highly traveled two-lane road. The one that leads to the dump and the cement plant. The one that people speed down, doing 60 mph. The one where the calf might be hit by a car and we could be liable for damages.
I called my husband to tell him we had a calf out. It is difficult to run a calf back in when there is only one person, let alone when that person isn't the healthiest in the world. My husband also muttered a few explicit curse words and said he would be home as soon as he could.
Meanwhile, I watched the calf. Two large cows stood on the right side of the fence, having a chat. One licked the other, and the one who was licked turned its head and uttered a very low "moo" in the direction of the calf.
The two cow friends then sauntered away from the fence, toward the watering trough, which is nearly completely out of sight from the house.
Junior there in the front yard panicked. Mom was leaving. Mom! Wait!
To my utter dismay, the calf rushed the fence, bounced off of it, and then began trotting along the fence row, looking for a way back to its mother.
Trotting the fence row in the direction that would lead to the road, I noted.
I grabbed my cellphone and a cane. I don't use a cane anymore (I did for several years but can mostly manage without it now), but chasing a calf demanded movement and movement on uneven ground demanded more of me than I can normally manage.
The only vehicle on the place I can drive is my car, so I backed it out of the garage and slowly drove down the driveway, trying to see where the calf was.
I was just in time to see its rear end prance over the hill down the driveway, straight towards the road.
Damn.
I drove the car to the hill in the driveway. The calf was trying vainly to get through the fence. He would race toward it, hit the wire, and fly backwards. This one is not the brightest one born, I suppose.
In order not to panic the calf, I stayed a distance a way. I tried to think who I could call who could come up the driveway and run the calf toward me. There was no one close except my 85-year-old mother-in-law and I didn't think that would be a good idea.
The calf turned and came toward the car. I backed up a bit, trying to keep a good distance so it would come on back towards the house. To my right, I saw my neighbor's pickup truck come down her driveway. Look this way, I thought. Look and see that I need you to come up my driveway.
She went in the opposite direction.
The calf bolted and went around my car, headed away from the road. I started down to turn around and my neighbor's pickup truck came into sight.
Lanetta is close to 80 years old. She had Bob with her, who's also close to 80, I suppose, and he had a stroke back in the winter. I'm not that old, but I gimp around and am no athlete.
"I thought you might need some help," Lanetta explained. "I thought that calf was out."
I nodded and said I needed to turn around. They let me out and then proceeded to follow the calf up the hill again, toward the house.
The calf continued, on occasion, to throw itself against the fence. Finally it turned the corner and I thought we had it.
We have a gate in the back yard that leads to the pasture fields. I hadn't opened it because I had no way to keep the other cattle from coming out while I chased the calf. Bob opened the gate while I wandered around the front to shoo Junior to the gate. He was heading in the right direction.
Then Junior saw Bob and bolted again, running right by me. Once more the critter raced down the fence line. I raced for my car, (if you can call a fast, stiff walk racing) and had it turned around and headed back down in time to see the calf's butt once more head over the hill.
Yep. Straight towards the road.
This time the calf didn't stop. I debated speeding up and trying to drive in front of it. I also considered calling animal control for help because if this pitiful little calf didn't find its mother quickly I was going to have a problem.
The calf went on into the road. No one was coming, thankfully. Then he went into the ditch, constantly throwing itself against the fence. I called my husband on his cell; he was on his way. I turned on my blinkers and sat in the road while the calf beat itself against the fence and occasionally came back up onto the road only to go back to the fence again. Bob pulled up in the truck behind me.
We have another gate down at the road. I hoped he would move on in that direction and I could open that gate.
But no.
Junior decided he would get back into the road. In a wild-eyed panic, he began trotting down the asphalt toward the driveway entrance, away from the gate. To my horror, in my rearview mirror I saw a blue car coming from the opposite direction. I quickly turned my car around at the gate.
The blue car, fortunately, stopped. The calf stopped, too, for a few seconds, then back up my driveway he flew. I raced to get behind him. The blue car drove on. My hope was to at least trap it in the front yard somehow.
That calf was fast. He'd given up on getting through the fence and by the time I got back up the hill, I couldn't see him. I went on up to the house where Lanetta had stayed to guard the gate.
The calf, she said, came running around the fence line and raced through the open gate as soon as it saw it.
I looked and watched it race over the hill toward the watering trough, bawling as it went. I just knew it was going, "Mamma! Mamma!" Mamma didn't seem too concerned, though.
I thanked my older helpers for their assistance. Then I called my husband. He was in Daleville, he said, and would come on home to check the fence.
My neighbors left and I went back inside to finish getting ready for a trip to the grocery store.
I picked up some nice hamburgers for dinner tonight. After that morning, red meat on the menu sounded like a good idea.
And there was a calf in the front yard. A 300-pound, not-yet-weaned black Angus calf, to be exact. One of ours, I knew, because it had a red tag in its ear.
Damn.
My husband, of course, was at the firehouse in Roanoke, a good 25-minute drive away. The calf, I hoped, would go back in of its own accord, but meanwhile I couldn't leave on my errands because it might make its way down the driveway and onto the highly traveled two-lane road. The one that leads to the dump and the cement plant. The one that people speed down, doing 60 mph. The one where the calf might be hit by a car and we could be liable for damages.
I called my husband to tell him we had a calf out. It is difficult to run a calf back in when there is only one person, let alone when that person isn't the healthiest in the world. My husband also muttered a few explicit curse words and said he would be home as soon as he could.
Meanwhile, I watched the calf. Two large cows stood on the right side of the fence, having a chat. One licked the other, and the one who was licked turned its head and uttered a very low "moo" in the direction of the calf.
The two cow friends then sauntered away from the fence, toward the watering trough, which is nearly completely out of sight from the house.
Junior there in the front yard panicked. Mom was leaving. Mom! Wait!
To my utter dismay, the calf rushed the fence, bounced off of it, and then began trotting along the fence row, looking for a way back to its mother.
Trotting the fence row in the direction that would lead to the road, I noted.
I grabbed my cellphone and a cane. I don't use a cane anymore (I did for several years but can mostly manage without it now), but chasing a calf demanded movement and movement on uneven ground demanded more of me than I can normally manage.
The only vehicle on the place I can drive is my car, so I backed it out of the garage and slowly drove down the driveway, trying to see where the calf was.
I was just in time to see its rear end prance over the hill down the driveway, straight towards the road.
Damn.
I drove the car to the hill in the driveway. The calf was trying vainly to get through the fence. He would race toward it, hit the wire, and fly backwards. This one is not the brightest one born, I suppose.
In order not to panic the calf, I stayed a distance a way. I tried to think who I could call who could come up the driveway and run the calf toward me. There was no one close except my 85-year-old mother-in-law and I didn't think that would be a good idea.
The calf turned and came toward the car. I backed up a bit, trying to keep a good distance so it would come on back towards the house. To my right, I saw my neighbor's pickup truck come down her driveway. Look this way, I thought. Look and see that I need you to come up my driveway.
She went in the opposite direction.
The calf bolted and went around my car, headed away from the road. I started down to turn around and my neighbor's pickup truck came into sight.
Lanetta is close to 80 years old. She had Bob with her, who's also close to 80, I suppose, and he had a stroke back in the winter. I'm not that old, but I gimp around and am no athlete.
"I thought you might need some help," Lanetta explained. "I thought that calf was out."
I nodded and said I needed to turn around. They let me out and then proceeded to follow the calf up the hill again, toward the house.
The calf continued, on occasion, to throw itself against the fence. Finally it turned the corner and I thought we had it.
We have a gate in the back yard that leads to the pasture fields. I hadn't opened it because I had no way to keep the other cattle from coming out while I chased the calf. Bob opened the gate while I wandered around the front to shoo Junior to the gate. He was heading in the right direction.
Then Junior saw Bob and bolted again, running right by me. Once more the critter raced down the fence line. I raced for my car, (if you can call a fast, stiff walk racing) and had it turned around and headed back down in time to see the calf's butt once more head over the hill.
Yep. Straight towards the road.
This time the calf didn't stop. I debated speeding up and trying to drive in front of it. I also considered calling animal control for help because if this pitiful little calf didn't find its mother quickly I was going to have a problem.
The calf went on into the road. No one was coming, thankfully. Then he went into the ditch, constantly throwing itself against the fence. I called my husband on his cell; he was on his way. I turned on my blinkers and sat in the road while the calf beat itself against the fence and occasionally came back up onto the road only to go back to the fence again. Bob pulled up in the truck behind me.
We have another gate down at the road. I hoped he would move on in that direction and I could open that gate.
But no.
Junior decided he would get back into the road. In a wild-eyed panic, he began trotting down the asphalt toward the driveway entrance, away from the gate. To my horror, in my rearview mirror I saw a blue car coming from the opposite direction. I quickly turned my car around at the gate.
The blue car, fortunately, stopped. The calf stopped, too, for a few seconds, then back up my driveway he flew. I raced to get behind him. The blue car drove on. My hope was to at least trap it in the front yard somehow.
That calf was fast. He'd given up on getting through the fence and by the time I got back up the hill, I couldn't see him. I went on up to the house where Lanetta had stayed to guard the gate.
The calf, she said, came running around the fence line and raced through the open gate as soon as it saw it.
I looked and watched it race over the hill toward the watering trough, bawling as it went. I just knew it was going, "Mamma! Mamma!" Mamma didn't seem too concerned, though.
I thanked my older helpers for their assistance. Then I called my husband. He was in Daleville, he said, and would come on home to check the fence.
My neighbors left and I went back inside to finish getting ready for a trip to the grocery store.
I picked up some nice hamburgers for dinner tonight. After that morning, red meat on the menu sounded like a good idea.
Sunday, August 04, 2019
Sunday Stealing
Sunday Stealing
1. Have you read anything by C.S. Lewis?
A. I read The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe in school, but I haven't read anything by Lewis in a long while. I have, however, read things about C. S. Lewis when I was reading a biography of J. R. R. Tolkien. They knew one another.
2. What is your favorite movie with Jack Nicholson?
A. Um. He is not one of my favorite actors. I know I saw The Shining but it's not a favorite movie. Maybe the Batman movie where he played the Joker.
3. What rhymes with 'orange'?
A. Absolutely nothing. There are a lot of close rhymes but nothing perfect. Anything that has "change" in it or something close could be considered a close rhyme.
4. Have you ever swallowed an object by accident?
A. Yes. Bugs, for instance. When I was young I downed some change, and occasionally I'd accidentally swallow chewing gum, back when I used to be able to chew gum.
5. Is your eyesight 20/20?
A. It has never been 20/20. I wear glasses.
6. Have you ever had insomnia?
A. I don't know anyone my age who hasn't.
7. Does it bother you when people touch you?
A. It depends on the person and the circumstances. A friend? Probably not. A strange? You betcha.
8. Is it better to get too much or too little sleep?
A. I prefer just the right amount, but too much sleep tends to leave me dysfunctional for the rest of the day.
9. What gets your adrenaline pumping?
A. Stupidity. I was going to add politics to that, but that's the same thing.
10. Do you ever talk about yourself in the third person?
A. Yes. I also talk to myself in the second person. I answer myself, too.
11. What's your favorite radio station? What kind of music do they play?
A. I listen to three stations: NPR, and two others that play a mix of music from the 1980s to current. NPR has news and talk shows that I like, and sometimes I listen to classical music there.
12. Do you believe there is any place still undiscovered in all the world?
A. Yes. Lots of places in the ocean are not explored, and I expect there are even places in the United States that have not been touched by the eyes of an European in ages.
13. Ever caught a fish?
A. Yes. Baited my own hook, too.
14. Were you ever in the first row of a concert?
A. I actually do not like the first row. I don't think you can see or hear as well in the first row because you're too close to the stage. We usually try for the third row, and we managed to get that for a Jeff Dunham show once.
15. Do you have any autographs?
A. Yes. I have many, many books with author's autographs in them. In fact I have a huge box of them, and it's labeled "These are signed books, do not throw out."
__________
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.
1. Have you read anything by C.S. Lewis?
A. I read The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe in school, but I haven't read anything by Lewis in a long while. I have, however, read things about C. S. Lewis when I was reading a biography of J. R. R. Tolkien. They knew one another.
2. What is your favorite movie with Jack Nicholson?
A. Um. He is not one of my favorite actors. I know I saw The Shining but it's not a favorite movie. Maybe the Batman movie where he played the Joker.
3. What rhymes with 'orange'?
A. Absolutely nothing. There are a lot of close rhymes but nothing perfect. Anything that has "change" in it or something close could be considered a close rhyme.
4. Have you ever swallowed an object by accident?
A. Yes. Bugs, for instance. When I was young I downed some change, and occasionally I'd accidentally swallow chewing gum, back when I used to be able to chew gum.
5. Is your eyesight 20/20?
A. It has never been 20/20. I wear glasses.
6. Have you ever had insomnia?
A. I don't know anyone my age who hasn't.
7. Does it bother you when people touch you?
A. It depends on the person and the circumstances. A friend? Probably not. A strange? You betcha.
8. Is it better to get too much or too little sleep?
A. I prefer just the right amount, but too much sleep tends to leave me dysfunctional for the rest of the day.
9. What gets your adrenaline pumping?
A. Stupidity. I was going to add politics to that, but that's the same thing.
10. Do you ever talk about yourself in the third person?
A. Yes. I also talk to myself in the second person. I answer myself, too.
11. What's your favorite radio station? What kind of music do they play?
A. I listen to three stations: NPR, and two others that play a mix of music from the 1980s to current. NPR has news and talk shows that I like, and sometimes I listen to classical music there.
12. Do you believe there is any place still undiscovered in all the world?
A. Yes. Lots of places in the ocean are not explored, and I expect there are even places in the United States that have not been touched by the eyes of an European in ages.
13. Ever caught a fish?
A. Yes. Baited my own hook, too.
14. Were you ever in the first row of a concert?
A. I actually do not like the first row. I don't think you can see or hear as well in the first row because you're too close to the stage. We usually try for the third row, and we managed to get that for a Jeff Dunham show once.
15. Do you have any autographs?
A. Yes. I have many, many books with author's autographs in them. In fact I have a huge box of them, and it's labeled "These are signed books, do not throw out."
__________
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, August 03, 2019
Saturday 9: Who's the Boss
Saturday 9: Brand New Life (The Theme from Who's the Boss) (1984)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Who's the Boss? is a sitcom that ran from 1984 to 1992. Were you a fan?
A. No. I think this was one of the shows that came on a station I could not receive.
2) This week's song was composed by the show's producers, two men not known as songwriters. Have you ever tried your hand at songwriting?
A. Yes, I have written a few songs. None that have ever been played by anyone but me, though.
3) The lyrics tell us that, as we go through life, it's not uncommon to "lose a dream or two." Do you agree? Have you ever had to give up on a dream?
A. I think most people's dreams fall by the wayside in this world. Capitalism is not set up to appease dreamers, it is set up to appease people who already have money and power. I have given up on many dreams.
4) Who's the Boss? was about a highly-paid executive who hires a housekeeper. In the 1980s, it was unusual because the exec was a woman and the housekeeper was a man. Do you believe a man can be as good at housework as a woman?
A. Yes, a man can do housework as well as a woman. And a woman can weld just as well as a man.
5) Though the show's star, Tony Danza, graduated from University of Dubuque and was prepared to be a teacher, he got sidetracked. Back in New York, he boxed and tended bar and fell into acting. He finally did teach in 2010, taking over a 10th grade English class. How many different occupations have you held?
A. Gosh. Babysitter. File clerk. Secretary. Legal Secretary. Student worker. Writer. Poet. Blogger. Website designer (not very good at that). Substitute teacher. Adjunct teacher. Musician. Photographer. News reporter. Wife (and all that entails).
6) On the show, his daughter was played by Alyssa Milano. When she was a teenager, she rebelled against the show's producers by cutting off her long hair and wearing a pixie style. Were you a rebellious teen?
A. According to some people, I was. I was also a straight-A student (except for gym) for the most part.
7) "The Boss" was Judith Light, who had been known to TV audiences from her work on One Life to Live. She met Robert Desiderio on the set of the soap opera and they have been married more than 34 years. Tell us where one of your romances got started.
A. I had ridden the school bus with my husband when I was very young but he doesn't remember me. I remembered him. However, we were formally introduced in October 1982 at the annual Lord Botetourt versus James River High School rivalry football game. We stood under the goal posts (you could do that then, I don't think you can now), and I pretended not to know anything about football and asked him stupid questions to make him talk.
8) The show, rebroadcast with subtitles, was a hit in Italy, where it was known as Casalingo Superpiù (Super Housekeeper). Say something to us in Italian.
A. Mio marito è il mio migliore amico e lo amo molto. Lui è il mio mondo e non so cosa farei senza di lui.
I have no idea if that's correct. I used google translator.
9) Random question: have you more recently watched the sun rise or set?
A. We have a lovely view of the sunset from the front of the house. I seldom see it rise because we have trees in the way out the back door.
___________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) Who's the Boss? is a sitcom that ran from 1984 to 1992. Were you a fan?
A. No. I think this was one of the shows that came on a station I could not receive.
2) This week's song was composed by the show's producers, two men not known as songwriters. Have you ever tried your hand at songwriting?
A. Yes, I have written a few songs. None that have ever been played by anyone but me, though.
3) The lyrics tell us that, as we go through life, it's not uncommon to "lose a dream or two." Do you agree? Have you ever had to give up on a dream?
A. I think most people's dreams fall by the wayside in this world. Capitalism is not set up to appease dreamers, it is set up to appease people who already have money and power. I have given up on many dreams.
4) Who's the Boss? was about a highly-paid executive who hires a housekeeper. In the 1980s, it was unusual because the exec was a woman and the housekeeper was a man. Do you believe a man can be as good at housework as a woman?
A. Yes, a man can do housework as well as a woman. And a woman can weld just as well as a man.
5) Though the show's star, Tony Danza, graduated from University of Dubuque and was prepared to be a teacher, he got sidetracked. Back in New York, he boxed and tended bar and fell into acting. He finally did teach in 2010, taking over a 10th grade English class. How many different occupations have you held?
A. Gosh. Babysitter. File clerk. Secretary. Legal Secretary. Student worker. Writer. Poet. Blogger. Website designer (not very good at that). Substitute teacher. Adjunct teacher. Musician. Photographer. News reporter. Wife (and all that entails).
6) On the show, his daughter was played by Alyssa Milano. When she was a teenager, she rebelled against the show's producers by cutting off her long hair and wearing a pixie style. Were you a rebellious teen?
A. According to some people, I was. I was also a straight-A student (except for gym) for the most part.
7) "The Boss" was Judith Light, who had been known to TV audiences from her work on One Life to Live. She met Robert Desiderio on the set of the soap opera and they have been married more than 34 years. Tell us where one of your romances got started.
A. I had ridden the school bus with my husband when I was very young but he doesn't remember me. I remembered him. However, we were formally introduced in October 1982 at the annual Lord Botetourt versus James River High School rivalry football game. We stood under the goal posts (you could do that then, I don't think you can now), and I pretended not to know anything about football and asked him stupid questions to make him talk.
8) The show, rebroadcast with subtitles, was a hit in Italy, where it was known as Casalingo Superpiù (Super Housekeeper). Say something to us in Italian.
A. Mio marito è il mio migliore amico e lo amo molto. Lui è il mio mondo e non so cosa farei senza di lui.
I have no idea if that's correct. I used google translator.
9) Random question: have you more recently watched the sun rise or set?
A. We have a lovely view of the sunset from the front of the house. I seldom see it rise because we have trees in the way out the back door.
___________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Friday, August 02, 2019
These Dreams
I have been dreaming a lot lately. Strange dreams.
Last night, I dreamed that I opened the door to find a naked woman there. She was my tenant in my rental house (though not actually the person who lives there now, and not someone to whom I've ever rented. Actually I think it was my cousin's wife, who is not named Meaghan, although that was the name of the tenant in the dream. I've also not seen my cousin's wife in several years.). Meaghan (?) said she'd sublet the rental and the person had changed the locks and locked her out.
This did not explain the nakedness, but I invited her in (after telling my husband to go in the other room) and told her I would see if I had some clothes she could wear, though I doubted I had little that would fit her. I found a few things and a piece of rope to hold up the pants (even in my dreams, I know I'm overweight).
Then the two of us took off to wander around the streets of the city until I could find a lawyer. Apparently we did so, for the next thing I remember is seeing paperwork written up with myself and my tenant as plaintiffs against . . . someone. Some person who would not leave and would not let me back onto my own property.
I remember too the sound of a gavel, the nasally voice of a female judge, and sirens.
What I don't remember is a verdict or an ending. I remember fussing at my tenant a great deal, because I'd not given her permission to sublet in the first place. I remember feeling badly for her because she had no clothes. I was doing my best to help but my efforts to ensure the safety of my tenant and restore my property were proving rather fruitless. I felt helpless and began to roam the streets again, alone this time (I don't know what I did with Meaghan). Everything was askew and I didn't know where I was.
My husband's snoring woke me up.
My little abridged book of dreams from Zadkiels Book of Dreams & Fortune Telling, purchased when I was 10 years old for the steep price of 35 cents, tells me this . . .
Misfortune - to dream some misfortune has happened to you is a dream of contrary - you will be very fortunate in business and in love. (Oh, yay!)
Naked - to be naked foretells disgrace, misfortune, business losses and unhappiness in marriage. Hmm. I wasn't the one who was naked, though. That was someone else. So somebody else can worry about all that bad stuff, right?
Lawsuit - dreaming you have a lawsuit or any case of litigation prognosticates very heavy losses in business and great difficulties. Avoid lending money or making purchases immediately after this dream. Oh dear.
I don't really believe dreams foretell anything except for things that may be weighing on my mind. I do like reading the implications from the dream book, though.
However what, if any of this stuff in this dream is weighing on me is beyond me. I've been so busy working on the official county 250th anniversary magazine I have not had much time to worry over much.
Last night, I dreamed that I opened the door to find a naked woman there. She was my tenant in my rental house (though not actually the person who lives there now, and not someone to whom I've ever rented. Actually I think it was my cousin's wife, who is not named Meaghan, although that was the name of the tenant in the dream. I've also not seen my cousin's wife in several years.). Meaghan (?) said she'd sublet the rental and the person had changed the locks and locked her out.
This did not explain the nakedness, but I invited her in (after telling my husband to go in the other room) and told her I would see if I had some clothes she could wear, though I doubted I had little that would fit her. I found a few things and a piece of rope to hold up the pants (even in my dreams, I know I'm overweight).
Then the two of us took off to wander around the streets of the city until I could find a lawyer. Apparently we did so, for the next thing I remember is seeing paperwork written up with myself and my tenant as plaintiffs against . . . someone. Some person who would not leave and would not let me back onto my own property.
I remember too the sound of a gavel, the nasally voice of a female judge, and sirens.
What I don't remember is a verdict or an ending. I remember fussing at my tenant a great deal, because I'd not given her permission to sublet in the first place. I remember feeling badly for her because she had no clothes. I was doing my best to help but my efforts to ensure the safety of my tenant and restore my property were proving rather fruitless. I felt helpless and began to roam the streets again, alone this time (I don't know what I did with Meaghan). Everything was askew and I didn't know where I was.
My husband's snoring woke me up.
My little abridged book of dreams from Zadkiels Book of Dreams & Fortune Telling, purchased when I was 10 years old for the steep price of 35 cents, tells me this . . .
Misfortune - to dream some misfortune has happened to you is a dream of contrary - you will be very fortunate in business and in love. (Oh, yay!)
Naked - to be naked foretells disgrace, misfortune, business losses and unhappiness in marriage. Hmm. I wasn't the one who was naked, though. That was someone else. So somebody else can worry about all that bad stuff, right?
Lawsuit - dreaming you have a lawsuit or any case of litigation prognosticates very heavy losses in business and great difficulties. Avoid lending money or making purchases immediately after this dream. Oh dear.
I don't really believe dreams foretell anything except for things that may be weighing on my mind. I do like reading the implications from the dream book, though.
However what, if any of this stuff in this dream is weighing on me is beyond me. I've been so busy working on the official county 250th anniversary magazine I have not had much time to worry over much.
Thursday, August 01, 2019
Thursday Thirteen #615
Do you think of yourself as a creative person? Do you sometimes find your creativity is, well, dry or suffering from lack of attention?
Being creative all the time takes a little work. Sometimes we are in the zone and we forget to look around us. Sometimes that zone goes and I'm stuck wondering what the heck happened to my ability to write lively, sparkly words.
Here are some ways to work around a rough period, or to strengthen the creative process.
1. Learn something new. Nothing can trigger an episode of raging creativity like trying to do something you haven't done before.
2. Work with someone else. Having the inspiration from a partner, editor, or just another commentary on your work can help you slip over from "okay" to "great" when you're working on a project.
3. Be curious. Be intrigued by everything around you. Who built that building? Why is the weather weird? What type of bird did you just see? Look up stuff and see what you will find.
4. Read. A lot. Reading makes you think and comprehend things in different contexts. Read experts on something you're interested in. Or read fiction just to take a break and to get the feel for a different rhythm of words.
5. Do what you love to do. Maybe you've been hacking away at some paid project. Stop and go play the guitar, or work on a project that you're interested in (maybe that secret novel in the drawer). Step back. Make sure your life is balanced between work and play.
6. Look in other artistic areas for inspiration. If you write short stories, read some poetry. Visit a museum and look at painting. Check out pottery or textile arts.
7. Don't do anything. This sounds like a strange one, doesn't it? But sometimes the best way to get your groove back is to stop. Stop thinking about it, stop worrying over it. The best ideas will come when you're in the shower or visitng a friend or something. And make sure you are getting enough sleep. Sleep is important. (Last night I dreamed we had a tiny little cow loose in the house. I was chasing that thing everywhere, yelling "Shut the door, I don't want it to poop all over the place.")
8. Take a walk. Get out in nature. Examine a tree, look at an ant colony, see how moss looks. Feel the dirt, scrape a cobweb from your face. Watch a squirrel eat a nut.
9. Make sure your workspace is what you need. Maybe you need more music, or less. Maybe you need a different kind of music for a day if you listen to the same thing over and over. Maybe you've got a lot of clutter that needs to go. Or maybe you need more clutter. Whatever works for you.
10. Ask for help, advice, or feedback. Let someone else look at your work. See what they say. It's advice, remember. You don't have to take it. But maybe they see something you're missing.
11. Think of the worst idea you've ever had. Now try to make it work. It's like solving a puzzle. Work out why the idea is terrible. What would make it work? Could you make it work? Could you take this terrible, awful idea and turn it into something grand?
12. Become an expert on the subject you're working on. Drawing a picture to demonstrate societal change? Learn about that. Become a social scientist. Writing a poem about war? Learn about war. Which war? And why are you writing about that, or any other topic? You don't have to to write or create only what you know. Go learn about something and write about that.
13. Give yourself a treat for success, and don't define success as finishing. Success could be simply being curious, or taking the first step, or making a list. You're not indulging yourself by being creative, you're being human. Humans - all of us - are creative for a reason. It's how we got to space or designed computers or cars. (Just don't reward yourself with food.) Maybe your reward is . . . more time for creativity.
___________________
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 615th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Being creative all the time takes a little work. Sometimes we are in the zone and we forget to look around us. Sometimes that zone goes and I'm stuck wondering what the heck happened to my ability to write lively, sparkly words.
Here are some ways to work around a rough period, or to strengthen the creative process.
1. Learn something new. Nothing can trigger an episode of raging creativity like trying to do something you haven't done before.
2. Work with someone else. Having the inspiration from a partner, editor, or just another commentary on your work can help you slip over from "okay" to "great" when you're working on a project.
3. Be curious. Be intrigued by everything around you. Who built that building? Why is the weather weird? What type of bird did you just see? Look up stuff and see what you will find.
4. Read. A lot. Reading makes you think and comprehend things in different contexts. Read experts on something you're interested in. Or read fiction just to take a break and to get the feel for a different rhythm of words.
5. Do what you love to do. Maybe you've been hacking away at some paid project. Stop and go play the guitar, or work on a project that you're interested in (maybe that secret novel in the drawer). Step back. Make sure your life is balanced between work and play.
6. Look in other artistic areas for inspiration. If you write short stories, read some poetry. Visit a museum and look at painting. Check out pottery or textile arts.
7. Don't do anything. This sounds like a strange one, doesn't it? But sometimes the best way to get your groove back is to stop. Stop thinking about it, stop worrying over it. The best ideas will come when you're in the shower or visitng a friend or something. And make sure you are getting enough sleep. Sleep is important. (Last night I dreamed we had a tiny little cow loose in the house. I was chasing that thing everywhere, yelling "Shut the door, I don't want it to poop all over the place.")
8. Take a walk. Get out in nature. Examine a tree, look at an ant colony, see how moss looks. Feel the dirt, scrape a cobweb from your face. Watch a squirrel eat a nut.
9. Make sure your workspace is what you need. Maybe you need more music, or less. Maybe you need a different kind of music for a day if you listen to the same thing over and over. Maybe you've got a lot of clutter that needs to go. Or maybe you need more clutter. Whatever works for you.
10. Ask for help, advice, or feedback. Let someone else look at your work. See what they say. It's advice, remember. You don't have to take it. But maybe they see something you're missing.
11. Think of the worst idea you've ever had. Now try to make it work. It's like solving a puzzle. Work out why the idea is terrible. What would make it work? Could you make it work? Could you take this terrible, awful idea and turn it into something grand?
12. Become an expert on the subject you're working on. Drawing a picture to demonstrate societal change? Learn about that. Become a social scientist. Writing a poem about war? Learn about war. Which war? And why are you writing about that, or any other topic? You don't have to to write or create only what you know. Go learn about something and write about that.
13. Give yourself a treat for success, and don't define success as finishing. Success could be simply being curious, or taking the first step, or making a list. You're not indulging yourself by being creative, you're being human. Humans - all of us - are creative for a reason. It's how we got to space or designed computers or cars. (Just don't reward yourself with food.) Maybe your reward is . . . more time for creativity.
___________________
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 615th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Dang Blood Clot
I went back to the doctor today to see about this lovely knot on the calf of my left leg.
The blood clot is not going away. There is still swelling, though not as bad. There is not a lot of redness, and no heat. The doctor looked it over closely and decided to do some kind of blood test that I expect is expensive, because they had me sign a paper that I would pay for it. It apparently determines how well your blood clots. Or not.
At any rate, the results of this test will determine the next steps. If the result is not good, then I will need to go have an ultrasound to check for a deeper clot and to see how the veins are in my leg. If the results are good, then I just need to continue to put heat on it, elevate it, and allow time to do its thing.
Blood clots ache. I had no idea they hurt so bad. No wonder people with varicose veins have surgery to remove them. I don't have too many varicose veins; I have a few tiny little ones but they've never given me any problem. I have noticed in the last month or so that I seem to have more little red spider veins that I did.
I am purposefully not looking up information on these SVTs because I don't want to scare myself. I already made that mistake once - the first place I looked said that while it was rare, blood clots could be a result of pancreatic cancer. My mother died of pancreatic cancer so of course that was a high red flag. Good grief.
So I haven't read much about this and am relying on my doctor instead.
My grandmother had varicose veins and according to my aunt, she experienced these superficial venous thrombosis things. It's probably hereditary.
In the meantime, it's stormed and we had hay down, so it's wet and pretty much a loss. One of the perils of farming. It is thundering now as I speak, which means it is probably time to shut down this ol' computer and go read a book.
****
Update: Friday I received the blood work back and it's not a DVT. Just something that is going to be painful and a problem for a while longer. I've decided it's probably a Hershey's Kiss stuck in there.
The blood clot is not going away. There is still swelling, though not as bad. There is not a lot of redness, and no heat. The doctor looked it over closely and decided to do some kind of blood test that I expect is expensive, because they had me sign a paper that I would pay for it. It apparently determines how well your blood clots. Or not.
At any rate, the results of this test will determine the next steps. If the result is not good, then I will need to go have an ultrasound to check for a deeper clot and to see how the veins are in my leg. If the results are good, then I just need to continue to put heat on it, elevate it, and allow time to do its thing.
Blood clots ache. I had no idea they hurt so bad. No wonder people with varicose veins have surgery to remove them. I don't have too many varicose veins; I have a few tiny little ones but they've never given me any problem. I have noticed in the last month or so that I seem to have more little red spider veins that I did.
I am purposefully not looking up information on these SVTs because I don't want to scare myself. I already made that mistake once - the first place I looked said that while it was rare, blood clots could be a result of pancreatic cancer. My mother died of pancreatic cancer so of course that was a high red flag. Good grief.
So I haven't read much about this and am relying on my doctor instead.
My grandmother had varicose veins and according to my aunt, she experienced these superficial venous thrombosis things. It's probably hereditary.
In the meantime, it's stormed and we had hay down, so it's wet and pretty much a loss. One of the perils of farming. It is thundering now as I speak, which means it is probably time to shut down this ol' computer and go read a book.
****
Update: Friday I received the blood work back and it's not a DVT. Just something that is going to be painful and a problem for a while longer. I've decided it's probably a Hershey's Kiss stuck in there.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Yes, I Play Video Games
Yesterday during a conversation, I was asked what I did for stress relief. I mentioned reading, coloring, playing guitar, and video games.
You'd have thought I'd said I walked to the moon every morning.
"You play video games? At your age? And you're a woman!"
Neither of those facts have escaped me. However, I know a lot of folks my age who play video games. Whether they own up to it or not is another matter. I do because I don't care what people think of the fact that I play video games.
The fact that I am a woman - that too did not surprise me that it surprised her. There is this conventional misconception that women don't play video games. But a lot of women play video games. They may not be the shoot 'em up and leave 'em bloody kind of video games, but they are video games.
Pew Research says that 31% of women in my age bracket play video games. That's almost 1/3 of us. So why is it surprising that I play?
I play a lot of puzzle games, and those are popular with folks who have at least a bachelor's degree. I like the challenge of them. I play city-building games because they're kind of a puzzle - how do you fit this building here and get the population correct and all of that. Lots of math involved (which should make my friend Tina very happy, so I won't tell her that these days I just call out, "Alexa, what's Q x X" or whatever I need), as well as thinking and contemplating. It's a lot better than worrying about politics, I'll tell you that.
My video game playing began with pinball when I was a wee lass, and progressed from there. I thought Pong was the greatest thing ever. I loved Centipede in the arcade. I thought a weird game called Area 51 was great. I liked to play games by Apogee (and if you don't know that name, you weren't gaming in the 1990s), like Duke Nukem, Rise of the Triad, and Commander Keen.
I also loved Bethesda's Elder Scroll series and played those, too. Skyrim was the last one they put out before moving to multi-player online games. I don't like multi-player games - too much drama involved with other people - so I stick to Skyrim, which I still play every now and then. It can be time consuming and involved so I generally don't play it unless I've got a lot of downtime.
And then there was the Sims. I loved the first incarnations of the Sims; wasn't too fond of the Sims III and haven't played since. There is a Sims Freeplay app game that I play sometimes on my Kindle, but it freezes up a lot so I don't mess with it often.
Playing video games gives my brain a pause. Well, not a big pause because there is a lot of thinking involved in these games but it gives it a rest from worrying. I can't worry if I'm focusing on beating a level or finding the next treasure or whatever.
So yes, I play video games. It beats smoking, drinking, running around with men, and going wild.
You'd have thought I'd said I walked to the moon every morning.
"You play video games? At your age? And you're a woman!"
Neither of those facts have escaped me. However, I know a lot of folks my age who play video games. Whether they own up to it or not is another matter. I do because I don't care what people think of the fact that I play video games.
The fact that I am a woman - that too did not surprise me that it surprised her. There is this conventional misconception that women don't play video games. But a lot of women play video games. They may not be the shoot 'em up and leave 'em bloody kind of video games, but they are video games.
Pew Research says that 31% of women in my age bracket play video games. That's almost 1/3 of us. So why is it surprising that I play?
I play a lot of puzzle games, and those are popular with folks who have at least a bachelor's degree. I like the challenge of them. I play city-building games because they're kind of a puzzle - how do you fit this building here and get the population correct and all of that. Lots of math involved (which should make my friend Tina very happy, so I won't tell her that these days I just call out, "Alexa, what's Q x X" or whatever I need), as well as thinking and contemplating. It's a lot better than worrying about politics, I'll tell you that.
My video game playing began with pinball when I was a wee lass, and progressed from there. I thought Pong was the greatest thing ever. I loved Centipede in the arcade. I thought a weird game called Area 51 was great. I liked to play games by Apogee (and if you don't know that name, you weren't gaming in the 1990s), like Duke Nukem, Rise of the Triad, and Commander Keen.
I also loved Bethesda's Elder Scroll series and played those, too. Skyrim was the last one they put out before moving to multi-player online games. I don't like multi-player games - too much drama involved with other people - so I stick to Skyrim, which I still play every now and then. It can be time consuming and involved so I generally don't play it unless I've got a lot of downtime.
And then there was the Sims. I loved the first incarnations of the Sims; wasn't too fond of the Sims III and haven't played since. There is a Sims Freeplay app game that I play sometimes on my Kindle, but it freezes up a lot so I don't mess with it often.
Playing video games gives my brain a pause. Well, not a big pause because there is a lot of thinking involved in these games but it gives it a rest from worrying. I can't worry if I'm focusing on beating a level or finding the next treasure or whatever.
So yes, I play video games. It beats smoking, drinking, running around with men, and going wild.
Monday, July 29, 2019
A Word About My Grandfather
My maternal grandfather's birthday was July 24. I thought it was today. Oops.
I called him Granddaddy but his name was Claude Lewis Harris, Sr. He was born in 1918 in Botetourt County, VA, to James Thomas Harris and Sarah Newton Painter. He was one of seven children.
Grandpa and Grandma married on September 16, 1942, when he was 24 years old. For a while they lived in an apartment above a store on Front Street in Salem.
Here's a Google street view:
My grandfather worked for Kroger in its Salem warehouse until he died on January 2, 1976. He was 57 years old when he had a heart attack. I'm not sure what the deal was with him and his pension, but for some reason Kroger refused to pay my grandmother whatever it was she thought they owed her. Nobody in the family shopped at Kroger for a very long time after my grandfather passed away.
He smoked cigarettes, and worked on television sets in the basement. He had a workshop where we were never supposed to go (of course we did), and we definitely were not to mess with his tools (we generally did not). I remember him as being mostly rather gruff, probably wondering who these kids were that were at his house all the time.
He always drove a big white Ford car with a blue interior. Occasionally he took us on day trips to Hillsville, where there was a big store called Hills there that had all sorts of trinkets, and to a place called Sunset or Sunnybrook or something like that up near Floyd. That store also had all sorts of intriguing items.
Once he raced us kids in a foot race, I remember, laughing all the time he was running. He also, after I reached about the age of 9 or 10, let us mow the yard. At the time he still had two boys at home - my uncles, one who is four years older than I am and the other who is a year younger than I am. He'd pay us each a quarter and we'd split the yard-mowing up for the privilege of earning that quarter.
Then, quarter in hand, we'd race off to Orange Market on Apperson Drive to purchase comic books, candy, and a soda (yes, a long time ago, you could buy all of that for a quarter. Or maybe we put our quarters together, I don't really remember).
Granddaddy came home from work every day at 4 p.m., and we ate dinner when I was there at 4:15 p.m. My mother worked about a block away, so if I stayed home from school because I was sick, I stayed with Grandma, and by the time Mom left work at 5 p.m. I was fed and she could take me home to Botetourt and put me to bed.
I have a single photo of my grandfather here somewhere, but I can't find it to show it to you. The family wasn't big on pictures so I don't think there were very many photos of him around.
I called him Granddaddy but his name was Claude Lewis Harris, Sr. He was born in 1918 in Botetourt County, VA, to James Thomas Harris and Sarah Newton Painter. He was one of seven children.
Grandpa and Grandma married on September 16, 1942, when he was 24 years old. For a while they lived in an apartment above a store on Front Street in Salem.
Here's a Google street view:
My mother was born in the upstairs apartment, or so I was always told. Later, I'm not exactly sure when, my grandfather purchased this home on East River Side Drive in Salem. It is one of the few still standing along that area, which tends to flood. It looks very small now, but when I was a child it seemed plenty big.
My grandfather worked for Kroger in its Salem warehouse until he died on January 2, 1976. He was 57 years old when he had a heart attack. I'm not sure what the deal was with him and his pension, but for some reason Kroger refused to pay my grandmother whatever it was she thought they owed her. Nobody in the family shopped at Kroger for a very long time after my grandfather passed away.
He smoked cigarettes, and worked on television sets in the basement. He had a workshop where we were never supposed to go (of course we did), and we definitely were not to mess with his tools (we generally did not). I remember him as being mostly rather gruff, probably wondering who these kids were that were at his house all the time.
He always drove a big white Ford car with a blue interior. Occasionally he took us on day trips to Hillsville, where there was a big store called Hills there that had all sorts of trinkets, and to a place called Sunset or Sunnybrook or something like that up near Floyd. That store also had all sorts of intriguing items.
Once he raced us kids in a foot race, I remember, laughing all the time he was running. He also, after I reached about the age of 9 or 10, let us mow the yard. At the time he still had two boys at home - my uncles, one who is four years older than I am and the other who is a year younger than I am. He'd pay us each a quarter and we'd split the yard-mowing up for the privilege of earning that quarter.
Then, quarter in hand, we'd race off to Orange Market on Apperson Drive to purchase comic books, candy, and a soda (yes, a long time ago, you could buy all of that for a quarter. Or maybe we put our quarters together, I don't really remember).
Granddaddy came home from work every day at 4 p.m., and we ate dinner when I was there at 4:15 p.m. My mother worked about a block away, so if I stayed home from school because I was sick, I stayed with Grandma, and by the time Mom left work at 5 p.m. I was fed and she could take me home to Botetourt and put me to bed.
I have a single photo of my grandfather here somewhere, but I can't find it to show it to you. The family wasn't big on pictures so I don't think there were very many photos of him around.
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Sunday Stealing
Sunday Stealing
1. What is the nearest book to you? Your Kindle does not count.
A. Buchanan, Virginia: Gateway to the Southwest, by Harry Fulwiler, Jr. It's for research for a big writing project.
2. When was the last time you took a "me" vacation?
A. I haven't been on any kind of vacation in two years.
3. How many telephone numbers do you have?
A. Two.
4. If you could fix one thing in the public school system, what is the one thing you would do immediately?
A. Fund it appropriately.
5. Are you a big tipper?
A. I try to tip at least 20%.
6. Do you watch reality shows?
A. I watch Survivor and Deadliest Catch. I think those are the only two. I have occasionally caught an episode of Naked and Afraid.
7. Who is your favorite sports team player?
A. Um. I don't have one. I don't follow sports.
8. If you could travel in a spaceship to any planet, which planet would you like to visit and why?
A. I would like to go to a planet that we don't know about yet, because, well, we don't know about it, so I could learn what was there. Hopefully it would be a Class M planet and I wouldn't have to wear a space suit. And maybe they'd be cool beings, with lots of interesting technology.
9. When was the last time you sat in a church?
A. It's been a while since I was in a "church" but I practice spirituality as it pertains to myself everyday.
10. Are there any aspects of blogging that annoy you?
A. Spam comments.
11. When someone follows you on their blog or subscribes to your Facebook page, do you automatically follow and subscribe back?
A. I used to. I don't anymore.
__________
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.
1. What is the nearest book to you? Your Kindle does not count.
A. Buchanan, Virginia: Gateway to the Southwest, by Harry Fulwiler, Jr. It's for research for a big writing project.
2. When was the last time you took a "me" vacation?
A. I haven't been on any kind of vacation in two years.
3. How many telephone numbers do you have?
A. Two.
4. If you could fix one thing in the public school system, what is the one thing you would do immediately?
A. Fund it appropriately.
5. Are you a big tipper?
A. I try to tip at least 20%.
6. Do you watch reality shows?
A. I watch Survivor and Deadliest Catch. I think those are the only two. I have occasionally caught an episode of Naked and Afraid.
7. Who is your favorite sports team player?
A. Um. I don't have one. I don't follow sports.
8. If you could travel in a spaceship to any planet, which planet would you like to visit and why?
A. I would like to go to a planet that we don't know about yet, because, well, we don't know about it, so I could learn what was there. Hopefully it would be a Class M planet and I wouldn't have to wear a space suit. And maybe they'd be cool beings, with lots of interesting technology.
9. When was the last time you sat in a church?
A. It's been a while since I was in a "church" but I practice spirituality as it pertains to myself everyday.
10. Are there any aspects of blogging that annoy you?
A. Spam comments.
11. When someone follows you on their blog or subscribes to your Facebook page, do you automatically follow and subscribe back?
A. I used to. I don't anymore.
__________
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, July 27, 2019
Saturday 9: Come Knock on Our Door
Saturday 9: Come and Knock on Our Door (1976)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This week's song was the theme to Three's Company, a sitcom that ran for eight seasons. Were you a fan?
A. I watched it. I believe when that show ran I could only get two channels and it was on one of them.
2) The Three's Company theme was composed by Joe Raposo, who also wrote the theme to Sesame Street. Can you recall any of the lyrics to the Sesame Street song?
A. "Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?" That's all I know.
3) The lyrics to this song invite you to "come and knock on our door." What's the last door you knocked on (or the most recent doorbell your rang)?
A. I guess that would have been my mother-in-law's door. My husband doesn't knock, he just goes on in, but I knock.
4) Three's Company was about three roommates who live together platonically, sharing a two bedroom apartment. Tell us about a roommate who shared your living quarters.
A. Other than my immediate family, I have only lived with my husband. He is a man's man, strong, brave, quiet, and stubborn. He had a full head of reddish brown hair when we married nearly 36 years ago, but now he is mostly bald with sides of grey. He is 6' 1" tall (I'm 5' 2" tall) and strong. He enjoys the outdoors and life on the farm suits him. He would much rather be outside doing something than sitting at a desk. He works three jobs and always has - he is battalion chief with the city fire department, he farms, and he installs septic tanks. He likes to snuggle and he's very gentle with me. He says I am his sweetie pie.
5) Each of the roommates has a profession: Jack is a cook, Chrissy is a secretary (aka administrative assistant) and Janet is a florist. When did you last buy flowers?
A. I suppose I sent some to a funeral home somewhere but I can't remember when or who passed away. I'm at that age where people seem to be dying quite often. Not the same people, of course. Different people.
6) They often meet their neighbor, Larry, at a nearby bar called The Regal Beagle. What's the name of the establishment where you most recently enjoyed an adult beverage?
A. I don't drink. The last time I ate out, we went to Cracker Barrel.
7) Their meddling landlord was Mr. Roper. He was cheap, nosy, and very talented at fixing things around the building. How much are you like Mr. Roper? Are you frugal? Nosy? A handy do-it-yourselfer?
A. I am frugal. I don't think I am nosy although I suppose since I was a news writer I must have a little of that in me, just not in the "need something to gossip about" way. I do a lot of things myself, mostly because I have to, but generally nothing complicated.
8) Three's Company was controversial again, more than 15 years after it ceased production. In March 2001, Nick at Nite re-edited an episode after a viewer called, alerting the network that a bit too much of John Ritter was visible in his blue boxer shorts. Have you ever called, emailed or written to, a TV station to complain?
A. I wrote to keep Cagney & Lacey on the air a very long time ago, but that wasn't to complain except for the cancellation part. I once called the local station about its tendency to increase the volume during commercials, although of course they said they don't do that (they do).
9) Random question -- Is the screen on your cellphone cracked?
A. No, and I have a protective glass covering over it, one that was advertised as military grade.
___________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This week's song was the theme to Three's Company, a sitcom that ran for eight seasons. Were you a fan?
A. I watched it. I believe when that show ran I could only get two channels and it was on one of them.
2) The Three's Company theme was composed by Joe Raposo, who also wrote the theme to Sesame Street. Can you recall any of the lyrics to the Sesame Street song?
A. "Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?" That's all I know.
3) The lyrics to this song invite you to "come and knock on our door." What's the last door you knocked on (or the most recent doorbell your rang)?
A. I guess that would have been my mother-in-law's door. My husband doesn't knock, he just goes on in, but I knock.
4) Three's Company was about three roommates who live together platonically, sharing a two bedroom apartment. Tell us about a roommate who shared your living quarters.
A. Other than my immediate family, I have only lived with my husband. He is a man's man, strong, brave, quiet, and stubborn. He had a full head of reddish brown hair when we married nearly 36 years ago, but now he is mostly bald with sides of grey. He is 6' 1" tall (I'm 5' 2" tall) and strong. He enjoys the outdoors and life on the farm suits him. He would much rather be outside doing something than sitting at a desk. He works three jobs and always has - he is battalion chief with the city fire department, he farms, and he installs septic tanks. He likes to snuggle and he's very gentle with me. He says I am his sweetie pie.
5) Each of the roommates has a profession: Jack is a cook, Chrissy is a secretary (aka administrative assistant) and Janet is a florist. When did you last buy flowers?
A. I suppose I sent some to a funeral home somewhere but I can't remember when or who passed away. I'm at that age where people seem to be dying quite often. Not the same people, of course. Different people.
6) They often meet their neighbor, Larry, at a nearby bar called The Regal Beagle. What's the name of the establishment where you most recently enjoyed an adult beverage?
A. I don't drink. The last time I ate out, we went to Cracker Barrel.
7) Their meddling landlord was Mr. Roper. He was cheap, nosy, and very talented at fixing things around the building. How much are you like Mr. Roper? Are you frugal? Nosy? A handy do-it-yourselfer?
A. I am frugal. I don't think I am nosy although I suppose since I was a news writer I must have a little of that in me, just not in the "need something to gossip about" way. I do a lot of things myself, mostly because I have to, but generally nothing complicated.
8) Three's Company was controversial again, more than 15 years after it ceased production. In March 2001, Nick at Nite re-edited an episode after a viewer called, alerting the network that a bit too much of John Ritter was visible in his blue boxer shorts. Have you ever called, emailed or written to, a TV station to complain?
A. I wrote to keep Cagney & Lacey on the air a very long time ago, but that wasn't to complain except for the cancellation part. I once called the local station about its tendency to increase the volume during commercials, although of course they said they don't do that (they do).
9) Random question -- Is the screen on your cellphone cracked?
A. No, and I have a protective glass covering over it, one that was advertised as military grade.
___________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Thursday Thirteen
1. It almost happened. I almost missed my first Thursday 13 in over 600 weeks. But here I am! And it's still Thursday.
2. My morning started out badly and went rolling on down the hill from there. What happened? Nothing, really - nothing earth-shattering. Just a lot of stress. And I still have a blood clot in my leg, darn it.
3. I was thinking about quality earlier, when I was making the bed. My bedroom furniture is not yet an antique - we've had it about 25 years - but it is well-made. It was made by Virginia House before it became one of the piece mill furniture makers in the area. At the time it made quality furniture. You can see the dovetails in the drawers. No staples.
4. Today, antiques have little value. Nobody wants the old furniture from grandma and grandpa. They want the stuff they have to put together that comes from Walmart.
5. I was thinking about this change of attitude, remembering how when I was a young girl there was a store that had wonderful items, located near where WDBJ7 is now, called Best's or something like that (someone correct me if you remember that store). It had upscale items in it, classy stuff. If you wanted nice things, you went to some place like that or Grand Piano. You went to Woolworth's when you wanted cheaper items.
6. Now everything, though, is of Woolworth quality, although Woolworth's doesn't exist anymore and most of that stuff is now purchased at another company whose name also starts with a "W."
7. My first refrigerator, received in 1983, died around 2007. The refrigerator I replaced it with lasted about 4 years. I'm on my third one now. That first refrigerator was quality. These last two refrigerators? Not so much.
8. My office desk is one of those put-together things, a Sauder (?) brand, I think. It's heavy laminated wood and it weighs several hundred pounds. I could not move it if I had to. It's a corner desk, and my husband put it together for me. One of the drawers is lopsided. It has always been lopsided. It was made that way.
9. I wanted a really nice desk, but we couldn't afford it at the time. This desk may have been cheap, and not well-made, but has held up. I think we bought it around 1998. So it's 21 years old. (Dang, I feel positively ancient!)
10. This is the result of a throw-away society, where things aren't made to last, where nothing is good unless it is new. I wonder, though, if another generation will come to appreciate the ever-lasting nature of some of the old goods. Will they wish, at some point, that they had grandma's feather bed? (But not the feathers, of course.)
11. Economists and others call this "planned obsolescence" and the technology industry has perfected it. Why else must we purchase a new computer every three-five years?
12. Planned obsolescence has been around since the beginning of the 20th century, alas. It started with the light bulb.
13. After all, if my refrigerator from 1983 was still working, I wouldn't have bought two more of them since 2007, now would I?
___________________
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 614th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
2. My morning started out badly and went rolling on down the hill from there. What happened? Nothing, really - nothing earth-shattering. Just a lot of stress. And I still have a blood clot in my leg, darn it.
3. I was thinking about quality earlier, when I was making the bed. My bedroom furniture is not yet an antique - we've had it about 25 years - but it is well-made. It was made by Virginia House before it became one of the piece mill furniture makers in the area. At the time it made quality furniture. You can see the dovetails in the drawers. No staples.
4. Today, antiques have little value. Nobody wants the old furniture from grandma and grandpa. They want the stuff they have to put together that comes from Walmart.
5. I was thinking about this change of attitude, remembering how when I was a young girl there was a store that had wonderful items, located near where WDBJ7 is now, called Best's or something like that (someone correct me if you remember that store). It had upscale items in it, classy stuff. If you wanted nice things, you went to some place like that or Grand Piano. You went to Woolworth's when you wanted cheaper items.
6. Now everything, though, is of Woolworth quality, although Woolworth's doesn't exist anymore and most of that stuff is now purchased at another company whose name also starts with a "W."
7. My first refrigerator, received in 1983, died around 2007. The refrigerator I replaced it with lasted about 4 years. I'm on my third one now. That first refrigerator was quality. These last two refrigerators? Not so much.
8. My office desk is one of those put-together things, a Sauder (?) brand, I think. It's heavy laminated wood and it weighs several hundred pounds. I could not move it if I had to. It's a corner desk, and my husband put it together for me. One of the drawers is lopsided. It has always been lopsided. It was made that way.
9. I wanted a really nice desk, but we couldn't afford it at the time. This desk may have been cheap, and not well-made, but has held up. I think we bought it around 1998. So it's 21 years old. (Dang, I feel positively ancient!)
10. This is the result of a throw-away society, where things aren't made to last, where nothing is good unless it is new. I wonder, though, if another generation will come to appreciate the ever-lasting nature of some of the old goods. Will they wish, at some point, that they had grandma's feather bed? (But not the feathers, of course.)
11. Economists and others call this "planned obsolescence" and the technology industry has perfected it. Why else must we purchase a new computer every three-five years?
12. Planned obsolescence has been around since the beginning of the 20th century, alas. It started with the light bulb.
13. After all, if my refrigerator from 1983 was still working, I wouldn't have bought two more of them since 2007, now would I?
___________________
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 614th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Sunday Stealing
Sunday Stealing: The Book of Questions
Oh! I actually have this book. It's rather old, copyright 1987. But it sits on my "reach immediately" shelf by my desk. It's by Gregory Stock. I didn't know there was an updated version. Might have to order that.
1. Do you think the world will be a better or worse place 100 years from now?
A. I think it will be worse, depending upon perspective. If humanity destroys itself, which I think will happen, Gaia will give a mighty sigh and start all over again in her search for a sentient being to transcend that which we reject. If humanity does not destroy itself, I expect endless wars, battles over resources, climate disturbances, and many sad, ill, hungry, neglected, depressed and unsettled people, all of whom will still be arguing with one another over whether or not the earth is flat.
2. Would you accept $1,000,000 to leave the country and never set foot in it again?
A. I don't know. Ten years ago I would have said no, but I'm not so sure about that now.
3. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the body or the mind of a 30 year old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?
A. I would want the body, because having bad physical health sucks. I will have to hope my mind holds out.
4. What would constitute a “perfect” evening for you?
A. A lot of attention from my husband, with him fixing dinner, and a cuddle on the sofa while we watch a good movie, and then when he falls asleep (as he is wont to do), I will read.
5. Whom do you admire most? In what way does that person inspire you?
A. I admire women who are strong and who have persevered and overcome what life has thrown at them. I know some of them personally and there are many in the world who fit that description.
6. Do you prefer being around men or women? Do your closest friends tend to be men or women?
A. I prefer to be around women and my closest friends, aside from my husband and brother, are women.
7. If you could use a voodoo doll to hurt anyone you chose, would you?
A. Oh Jeez. My better angel says no. My little devil says yes. With that kind of power, one could change the world.
8. What is your most treasured memory?
A. Honestly, it is a time when my brother told me he wouldn't want to live without me. I have mentioned it before. We were quite young - around 11 and 8, I think.
9. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life? Is there anything you hope to do that is even better? (Let’s exclude raising children, if you have them.)
A. My greatest accomplishment, aside from my marriage, is obtaining a good education, followed by putting it to use in writing for the local newspapers. I know I never reached the heights of greatness with my work, but I was happy.
10. If you went to a dinner party and were offered a dish you had never tried, would you want to taste it, even if it sounded strange and not very appealing?
A. After I asked about the ingredients, I would taste it if there was nothing I am allergic to in it.
11. Do your close friends tend to be older or younger than you?
A. My close friends tend to be a few years older than I. Actually most of them are, even now.
12. How do you feel when people sing Happy Birthday to you in a restaurant?
A. Luckily, it doesn't happen.
13. When you tell a story, do you often exaggerate or embellish it? If so, why?
A. It depends on the audience. If I am trying to hold the attention of children, I might add embellishment.
14. If a friend were almost always late, would you resent it or simply allow for it? Can you be allowed to be on time?
A. I have a friend who is frequently late, and once I realized it was a pattern, I simply planned it into the time frame. I don't understand the last part of the question. Of course you can be allowed to be on time.
15. If you could have free, unlimited service for five years from an extremely good cook, chauffeur, housekeeper, or personal secretary, which would you choose?
A. I would have a personal secretary who had a secondary attribute of being a personal trainer and a third attribute of being able to cook. Actually, what is being described is a wife. I could use a wife. My husband has one and it doesn't seem fair that I don't have one, too.
__________
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.
Oh! I actually have this book. It's rather old, copyright 1987. But it sits on my "reach immediately" shelf by my desk. It's by Gregory Stock. I didn't know there was an updated version. Might have to order that.
1. Do you think the world will be a better or worse place 100 years from now?
A. I think it will be worse, depending upon perspective. If humanity destroys itself, which I think will happen, Gaia will give a mighty sigh and start all over again in her search for a sentient being to transcend that which we reject. If humanity does not destroy itself, I expect endless wars, battles over resources, climate disturbances, and many sad, ill, hungry, neglected, depressed and unsettled people, all of whom will still be arguing with one another over whether or not the earth is flat.
2. Would you accept $1,000,000 to leave the country and never set foot in it again?
A. I don't know. Ten years ago I would have said no, but I'm not so sure about that now.
3. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the body or the mind of a 30 year old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?
A. I would want the body, because having bad physical health sucks. I will have to hope my mind holds out.
4. What would constitute a “perfect” evening for you?
A. A lot of attention from my husband, with him fixing dinner, and a cuddle on the sofa while we watch a good movie, and then when he falls asleep (as he is wont to do), I will read.
5. Whom do you admire most? In what way does that person inspire you?
A. I admire women who are strong and who have persevered and overcome what life has thrown at them. I know some of them personally and there are many in the world who fit that description.
6. Do you prefer being around men or women? Do your closest friends tend to be men or women?
A. I prefer to be around women and my closest friends, aside from my husband and brother, are women.
7. If you could use a voodoo doll to hurt anyone you chose, would you?
A. Oh Jeez. My better angel says no. My little devil says yes. With that kind of power, one could change the world.
8. What is your most treasured memory?
A. Honestly, it is a time when my brother told me he wouldn't want to live without me. I have mentioned it before. We were quite young - around 11 and 8, I think.
9. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life? Is there anything you hope to do that is even better? (Let’s exclude raising children, if you have them.)
A. My greatest accomplishment, aside from my marriage, is obtaining a good education, followed by putting it to use in writing for the local newspapers. I know I never reached the heights of greatness with my work, but I was happy.
10. If you went to a dinner party and were offered a dish you had never tried, would you want to taste it, even if it sounded strange and not very appealing?
A. After I asked about the ingredients, I would taste it if there was nothing I am allergic to in it.
11. Do your close friends tend to be older or younger than you?
A. My close friends tend to be a few years older than I. Actually most of them are, even now.
12. How do you feel when people sing Happy Birthday to you in a restaurant?
A. Luckily, it doesn't happen.
13. When you tell a story, do you often exaggerate or embellish it? If so, why?
A. It depends on the audience. If I am trying to hold the attention of children, I might add embellishment.
14. If a friend were almost always late, would you resent it or simply allow for it? Can you be allowed to be on time?
A. I have a friend who is frequently late, and once I realized it was a pattern, I simply planned it into the time frame. I don't understand the last part of the question. Of course you can be allowed to be on time.
15. If you could have free, unlimited service for five years from an extremely good cook, chauffeur, housekeeper, or personal secretary, which would you choose?
A. I would have a personal secretary who had a secondary attribute of being a personal trainer and a third attribute of being able to cook. Actually, what is being described is a wife. I could use a wife. My husband has one and it doesn't seem fair that I don't have one, too.
__________
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, July 20, 2019
Saturday 9: Secret Agent Man
Saturday 9: Secret Agent Man
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.
1) This is the theme of a TV show that ran on CBS from 1964-1967. The series was produced, and originally aired, in England. The BBC has shared many shows with American audiences over the years. Can you name another?
A. Downton Abby. Dr. Who. Gentleman Jack.
2) The show is about John Drake, a special agent dedicated to exposing plots that threaten world peace. A quick check of Netflix and Goodreads reveals that spy stories are just as popular today. Is espionage a genre you enjoy? Do you read books, or watch shows and movies, about spies?
A. If Kinsey Milhone (the Alphabet Mysteries by Sue Grafton) and Stephanie Plum (the series by Janet Evanovich) count, then I read those books. I also like the King & Maxwell books by David Baldacci. But I don't watch shows about spies, although I was a big fan of the original Charlie's Angels.
3) The lyrics tell us Drake travels from the Riviera to Bombay. Where were you when you last spent the night away from home? Why were you there (vacation, business, international intrigue)?
A. The last time I spent the night away from home, the power was out and I refused to stay here without electricity.
4) The refrain states, "They've given you a number and taken away your name." In today's digital world, that could now be said of all of us. Are you good at remembering your computer passwords?
A. My passwords are terribly complex and I use a different one for every single account. I keep them separate from the computer in a Roladex, if you know what that is.
5) Patrick McGoohan, who played Agent Drake, went from being a good guy to appearing as a murderer on Columbo four times. Were you a fan of Columbo?
A. Not really.
6) Born John Ramistella, this week's featured artist, Johnny Rivers, grew up in Louisiana. He took "Rivers" as his stage name because he grew up along the Mighty Mississippi. If you were to change your last name based on the geography of the area where you grew up, how would you be known?
A. Queen of the Rolling Mountains
7) In 1966, when this song was popular, Jacqueline Kennedy was the woman most Americans admired. What famous woman do you admire most? (She doesn't have to be American.)
A. I admire Queen Elizabeth (the current one), and I also admire Queen Victoria. Additionally, I am a fan of Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
8) 1966 also found another Jacqueline was in the news. Jacqueline Susann's first novel, Valley of the Dolls, was atop the best seller lists, even though it was savaged by the critics. What's your guilty pleasure? What book, movie, TV show, or song do you enjoy, even though you know it has little artistic merit?
A. Actually I don't think there is such a thing as "little artistic merit" except for pornography. Artistic merit is in the eye of the beholder, although some things are truly great and some things are not-so-great. I thought Valley of the Dolls was a decent book though I was very young when I read it and may not think so now; never saw the movie. I am not sure I have an answer for this question, although maybe the aforementioned Janet Evanovich books could be considered as having "little artistic merit."
9) Random question: Imagine you've been stranded alone in the woods for 10 days. No companionship, no internet or phone or TV. You have been sleeping in the dirt, living on berries and river water. Your rescuers drive you to a hotel. Upon check-in, what's the first thing you do?
A. I would call my husband if I hadn't already, and take a shower. Then I'd eat. Then I'd probably need a doctor.
___________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.
1) This is the theme of a TV show that ran on CBS from 1964-1967. The series was produced, and originally aired, in England. The BBC has shared many shows with American audiences over the years. Can you name another?
A. Downton Abby. Dr. Who. Gentleman Jack.
2) The show is about John Drake, a special agent dedicated to exposing plots that threaten world peace. A quick check of Netflix and Goodreads reveals that spy stories are just as popular today. Is espionage a genre you enjoy? Do you read books, or watch shows and movies, about spies?
A. If Kinsey Milhone (the Alphabet Mysteries by Sue Grafton) and Stephanie Plum (the series by Janet Evanovich) count, then I read those books. I also like the King & Maxwell books by David Baldacci. But I don't watch shows about spies, although I was a big fan of the original Charlie's Angels.
3) The lyrics tell us Drake travels from the Riviera to Bombay. Where were you when you last spent the night away from home? Why were you there (vacation, business, international intrigue)?
A. The last time I spent the night away from home, the power was out and I refused to stay here without electricity.
4) The refrain states, "They've given you a number and taken away your name." In today's digital world, that could now be said of all of us. Are you good at remembering your computer passwords?
A. My passwords are terribly complex and I use a different one for every single account. I keep them separate from the computer in a Roladex, if you know what that is.
5) Patrick McGoohan, who played Agent Drake, went from being a good guy to appearing as a murderer on Columbo four times. Were you a fan of Columbo?
A. Not really.
6) Born John Ramistella, this week's featured artist, Johnny Rivers, grew up in Louisiana. He took "Rivers" as his stage name because he grew up along the Mighty Mississippi. If you were to change your last name based on the geography of the area where you grew up, how would you be known?
A. Queen of the Rolling Mountains
7) In 1966, when this song was popular, Jacqueline Kennedy was the woman most Americans admired. What famous woman do you admire most? (She doesn't have to be American.)
A. I admire Queen Elizabeth (the current one), and I also admire Queen Victoria. Additionally, I am a fan of Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
8) 1966 also found another Jacqueline was in the news. Jacqueline Susann's first novel, Valley of the Dolls, was atop the best seller lists, even though it was savaged by the critics. What's your guilty pleasure? What book, movie, TV show, or song do you enjoy, even though you know it has little artistic merit?
A. Actually I don't think there is such a thing as "little artistic merit" except for pornography. Artistic merit is in the eye of the beholder, although some things are truly great and some things are not-so-great. I thought Valley of the Dolls was a decent book though I was very young when I read it and may not think so now; never saw the movie. I am not sure I have an answer for this question, although maybe the aforementioned Janet Evanovich books could be considered as having "little artistic merit."
9) Random question: Imagine you've been stranded alone in the woods for 10 days. No companionship, no internet or phone or TV. You have been sleeping in the dirt, living on berries and river water. Your rescuers drive you to a hotel. Upon check-in, what's the first thing you do?
A. I would call my husband if I hadn't already, and take a shower. Then I'd eat. Then I'd probably need a doctor.
___________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Friday, July 19, 2019
I Don't Live in the Virgin Isles
Today I received a notice from Barnes & Noble that several of the books I'd ordered were cancelled, because I live in the Virgin Isles.
I'm not sure when Virginia picked up and moved to the Virgin Isles, but there you go. I really wanted those books, too.
Note that two of the books have shipped. Apparently someone someplace knows that Virginia is not the Virgin Isles.
In a chat, a B&N customer service rep apologized, blamed "the carrier," and sent me a 15% off coupon for one item. I was told to order again.
I don't want to place another $35 order to get free shipping with B&N. I was trying to use up a gift card.
Not a happy customer. It is no wonder B&N is having problems, if this is their solution. They should have reinstituted the order so I wouldn't have to deal with the shipping fees, etc.
I really want to support B&N, honestly I do. But I can't get around the store at the moment and I just wanted some new things to read. I can download zillions of things on my Kindle for free. I can't do that with my Nook.
Sometimes you just have to throw up your hands and give in, I guess.
I'm not sure when Virginia picked up and moved to the Virgin Isles, but there you go. I really wanted those books, too.
Note that two of the books have shipped. Apparently someone someplace knows that Virginia is not the Virgin Isles.
In a chat, a B&N customer service rep apologized, blamed "the carrier," and sent me a 15% off coupon for one item. I was told to order again.
I don't want to place another $35 order to get free shipping with B&N. I was trying to use up a gift card.
Not a happy customer. It is no wonder B&N is having problems, if this is their solution. They should have reinstituted the order so I wouldn't have to deal with the shipping fees, etc.
I really want to support B&N, honestly I do. But I can't get around the store at the moment and I just wanted some new things to read. I can download zillions of things on my Kindle for free. I can't do that with my Nook.
Sometimes you just have to throw up your hands and give in, I guess.
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