My tooth ached. I was going to have to venture out.
I had no idea what I would find. I hadn't been off the farm since 2020, when the virus hit and people in the United States began to drop like flies.
Mama and me, we were in the hills on our farm. I had Internet, though, because we weren't that rural.
I was in my last year of school, and would turn 18 in June.
But I'd never finish that last year.
Mama made me stay home even before the officials began telling everyone to practice something called "social distancing." We stayed home as long as we could, but the sugar and salt and other items began to run out.
The day Mama decided to go to the store, I cried.
"You stop that now," she chided. "But if I don't come back, don't you leave this place. Don't you leave until someone you trust says you can."
She never came back.
Mama could have been killed in a car wreck for all I knew. I feared she'd been taken, though. I'd read stories in the far corners of the Internet that the government was using this virus thing to take people, to simply steal them away, and then declare them dead.
I don't know what they were doing with those folks, and I didn't want to think about it.
The world began shutting itself down. For a while I tended the farm and things seemed like they might be normal. School maybe would be in my future in a few months, according to the TV. I was still online, things were still working. Mama had lots of money in her accounts from when Daddy'd died in an accident at work. I kept paying the bills when they came.
Then after some folks went back to their normal, the virus hit again.
I think most everyone died.
The TV stopped. My friends quit posting on Facebook, with no explanation. The guy who delivered the gas, who was the only person I'd seen on the farm since just before Mama left, never showed back up so I began rationing that so I would have it. Fortunately, Mama had filled the big tanks down at the barn.
Bills no longer came. Some things kept working though, like electricity and my Internet connection. The lights flickered sometimes during a storm, and once the Internet disappeared for days but it came back. The stuff still worked and I still used it.
I hadn't seen any updated news or information from anyone since late in 2021. That was four years ago.
There were no new videos of folks doing silly things to cheer one another up. No new videos of cats and dogs.
I'd been alone for 8 months when I felt like the world had stopped and left me alone. I didn't need the things Mama had gone after and I was afraid to leave the farm. I didn't have anyone to trust, really. We lived off the road a good ways, and the driveway was hard to spot. The last time I'd walked up there, it was so overgrown no one would have known a house was behind the trees.
I lived off of what I grew and canned. I had peach trees and I kept the seeds from the vegetables so I'd have enough for the next year. The cattle ran wild except for the six or seven I could manage. Once a year I shot a wild one and cut up the beef, canning most of it in case the electricity went out.
Never saw a soul, though.
Didn't see airplanes in the sky, or hear a car. It had been so long since I'd heard that lonesome whistle of the train way down over the hill that I'd about forgotten one once ran through there to the cement plant.
I checked the Internet every day after I did my chores. There were so many youtube videos I figured I could sit there and learn new things for years even if no one was putting up new stuff.
Then my tooth started hurting.
I googled how to fix your tooth and found that pulling it was about the only remedy without a dentist.
So I decided it was time to go see a dentist.
The ol' Toyota truck hadn't been moved much. I'd used it to drive to the mailbox for a while, but after the mail no longer came, I only turned the engine over once or twice every few months, to keep her running. Now I had to hope she'd hold up for the 15-mile trip to Daleville.
Getting out of the driveway was harder than I'd expected it to be. The dirt driveway was overgrown and I had to stop and cut down a few small palmetto trees every now and then. Bending over made my face throb with that tooth. Boy, did it ache.
The chain had rusted across the drive, but a spritz of WD-40 let me get that open. I was on the road, and now anyone could see that someone had driven back into that nearly invisible spot in the trees.
I did not pass a vehicle on my way to town. Nor did I see children playing, or clothes drying on clotheslines, or see another farmer making hay or a woman working in her garden. Every house I passed looked vacant.
Pulling onto the main road, I saw that the businesses along US 220 looked about the same as they did along Gravel Hill Road. Empty.
Empty like in the morning someone might come in and do a little cleaning. Not empty like vagrants had moved in and broken all the windows. Empty like someone had simply closed the door and then, "poof," no one went back.
I moved on through the community. No movement. No dogs, even.
My scream was audible when a cat darted across my path. First living thing I'd seen the whole trip.
I pulled into the dentist office and looked at the shuttered building. The windows weren't broken. The doors weren't open. No lights on. I hopped from the truck and tried a door.
I was going to have to break in.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Found Geronimo's Rifle
My husband set out today to visit the big bad world, leaving me here to watch the home fires.
I worried terribly the entire time he was out. He doesn't want me out in the world right now because I have asthma and seem to catch a virus every time we drive by the elementary school. Better to hole up and wait it out.
He was doing routine things, of course. He took the dump truck to the garage for a state inspection sticker.
Then he went to the grocery store, where he came home with a multitude of items, many not on the list, like Little Debbie cookies, pork chops, etc. He said the shelves were bare in many places but fortunately we've enough staples. I'd sent him after fresh fruit and perishables, not Geronimo's rife or toilet paper.
Mostly he ventured out because he needed a medication refill, and the drugstore is inside of the grocery store. We felt like if he was going out, he may as well pick up some food items while he was there.
Fortunately, he did a good job and came home with most of what I needed. He shopped for his mother, too.
He said the biggest problem was the lack of items on the shelves and the fact that he seldom does the food shopping so he doesn't know where anything is.
I made him dump the groceries on the doorstep. I wiped each item off with an antibacterial wipe before I put it away, and washed my hands probably 8 times while I was doing that. He ate his lunch in the garage off of a paper plate. I tried to stay six feet away from him, which is rather hard when you're used to throwing yourself into someone's arms.
Then he loaded the truck up with our trash and headed off to the landfill. Not long after he left, I received a call from my father, who said he was resting on a bed at the Velocity Care because he'd fallen and now had 6 staples in his head. My father is 78 years old. He said my stepmother was in the parking lot and he didn't think he had a concussion, although how you could cut your head that badly and not have a concussion is beyond me.
Some things I have considered today that I hadn't been - the newspaper, which we still receive, apparently is good for holding this virus for 24 hours. I sprayed the front and back pages down with Lysol.
That made me wonder about the mail, since I read that the virus stays on cardboard for 24 hours. Do we not touch the mail for a day? When (if?) a package comes, should I give it a kick into the garage and leave it sitting for a long time before I open it?
I gave my husband orders to strip in the garage, wash his hands, drop his laundry in the washer, wash his hands again, and then take a shower.
He did this, and also wiped down everything in his pockets, including his pocket knife, wallet, and keys, with an antibacterial wipe.
I jokingly told him he didn't have to wash his socks with his pants because I thought the stink there would kill be the virus. He threw them in there anyway. Ha.
So this is our brave new world. For us the biggest changes are trying to be less germy, but we live on a farm and dirt has always been a big part of our world. It is hardest on him, I think, because even though I have complained for 37 years about him tracking in mud, he doesn't stop to take his shoes off.
At least now he is taking off his shoes before enters the house.
I worried terribly the entire time he was out. He doesn't want me out in the world right now because I have asthma and seem to catch a virus every time we drive by the elementary school. Better to hole up and wait it out.
He was doing routine things, of course. He took the dump truck to the garage for a state inspection sticker.
Then he went to the grocery store, where he came home with a multitude of items, many not on the list, like Little Debbie cookies, pork chops, etc. He said the shelves were bare in many places but fortunately we've enough staples. I'd sent him after fresh fruit and perishables, not Geronimo's rife or toilet paper.
Mostly he ventured out because he needed a medication refill, and the drugstore is inside of the grocery store. We felt like if he was going out, he may as well pick up some food items while he was there.
Fortunately, he did a good job and came home with most of what I needed. He shopped for his mother, too.
He said the biggest problem was the lack of items on the shelves and the fact that he seldom does the food shopping so he doesn't know where anything is.
I made him dump the groceries on the doorstep. I wiped each item off with an antibacterial wipe before I put it away, and washed my hands probably 8 times while I was doing that. He ate his lunch in the garage off of a paper plate. I tried to stay six feet away from him, which is rather hard when you're used to throwing yourself into someone's arms.
Then he loaded the truck up with our trash and headed off to the landfill. Not long after he left, I received a call from my father, who said he was resting on a bed at the Velocity Care because he'd fallen and now had 6 staples in his head. My father is 78 years old. He said my stepmother was in the parking lot and he didn't think he had a concussion, although how you could cut your head that badly and not have a concussion is beyond me.
Some things I have considered today that I hadn't been - the newspaper, which we still receive, apparently is good for holding this virus for 24 hours. I sprayed the front and back pages down with Lysol.
That made me wonder about the mail, since I read that the virus stays on cardboard for 24 hours. Do we not touch the mail for a day? When (if?) a package comes, should I give it a kick into the garage and leave it sitting for a long time before I open it?
I gave my husband orders to strip in the garage, wash his hands, drop his laundry in the washer, wash his hands again, and then take a shower.
He did this, and also wiped down everything in his pockets, including his pocket knife, wallet, and keys, with an antibacterial wipe.
I jokingly told him he didn't have to wash his socks with his pants because I thought the stink there would kill be the virus. He threw them in there anyway. Ha.
So this is our brave new world. For us the biggest changes are trying to be less germy, but we live on a farm and dirt has always been a big part of our world. It is hardest on him, I think, because even though I have complained for 37 years about him tracking in mud, he doesn't stop to take his shoes off.
At least now he is taking off his shoes before enters the house.
Monday, March 23, 2020
Thrift Store Jungles
People on Facebook are saying that, during this time of pandemic crisis, they are clearing out stuff.
Decluttering.
Organizing.
Rearranging.
Goodwill and similar resources will be the recipients of discarded, yet still useful, items, I suppose.
I don't go into Goodwill not because I'm too good for it but because it smells like my attic. I don't go in my attic, either.
Both upset my allergies.
This is not the time to have a yard sale, not when folks are supposed to be separated and no more than 10 people in an area at a time. Perhaps in 10 weeks there will be lots of yard sales.
The last time I went to a yard sale was probably 20 years ago. I went in the early hours and the dew was still wet on everything. I slipped on the asphalt at the home with a steep driveway and fell. I tore my pants, bruised up my arm, and bent my glasses.
Not a soul saw me fall, as best I could tell. If they did, they didn't say anything.
I picked myself up and went home, and haven't been to a yard sale since. If I were an eBay seller, though, I would go to yard sales and auctions because people rid themselves of nice stuff sometimes. However, I am not an eBay seller.
Most folks have too many things. Sometimes there is a good reason for replacements or buying new. For example, I have sneakers that I replace every six months. They're still basically good shoes, they've just worn too much for my feet. I have very picky feet that require a stiff-soled shoe. After a while, the soles become loose and I begin having pain. That's when I know it's time to buy a new pair of shoes.
I don't think I've bought a pair of worn shoes. I wonder if they really sell them at Goodwill, or do they go to some other place to be melted down or whatever one might do with a shoe.
Other times, though, people buy new things for unknown reasons. I have a pair or two of shoes that I doubt I will ever wear again, shoes I bought to wear to a special event. I wonder when we will have special events again.
At any rate, when the curfews are lifted and we're all free to go back to browsing things, I look for eBay and the local thrift stores to have loads of stuff available because people are home going through boxes and realizing they've done without this whatsit for 10 years so they may as well rid themselves of it.
I am not doing any of that at the moment. I am home all the time anyway and I clear stuff out when the mood strikes me. Besides, the things I need to clear out are generally papers and they need to be burned or shredded, not sent to a thrift store.
Maybe clearing a shelf would be good therapy, though. Perhaps I'll give it a go, and send my own things to the thrift store jungles.
Decluttering.
Organizing.
Rearranging.
Goodwill and similar resources will be the recipients of discarded, yet still useful, items, I suppose.
I don't go into Goodwill not because I'm too good for it but because it smells like my attic. I don't go in my attic, either.
Both upset my allergies.
This is not the time to have a yard sale, not when folks are supposed to be separated and no more than 10 people in an area at a time. Perhaps in 10 weeks there will be lots of yard sales.
The last time I went to a yard sale was probably 20 years ago. I went in the early hours and the dew was still wet on everything. I slipped on the asphalt at the home with a steep driveway and fell. I tore my pants, bruised up my arm, and bent my glasses.
Not a soul saw me fall, as best I could tell. If they did, they didn't say anything.
I picked myself up and went home, and haven't been to a yard sale since. If I were an eBay seller, though, I would go to yard sales and auctions because people rid themselves of nice stuff sometimes. However, I am not an eBay seller.
Most folks have too many things. Sometimes there is a good reason for replacements or buying new. For example, I have sneakers that I replace every six months. They're still basically good shoes, they've just worn too much for my feet. I have very picky feet that require a stiff-soled shoe. After a while, the soles become loose and I begin having pain. That's when I know it's time to buy a new pair of shoes.
I don't think I've bought a pair of worn shoes. I wonder if they really sell them at Goodwill, or do they go to some other place to be melted down or whatever one might do with a shoe.
Other times, though, people buy new things for unknown reasons. I have a pair or two of shoes that I doubt I will ever wear again, shoes I bought to wear to a special event. I wonder when we will have special events again.
At any rate, when the curfews are lifted and we're all free to go back to browsing things, I look for eBay and the local thrift stores to have loads of stuff available because people are home going through boxes and realizing they've done without this whatsit for 10 years so they may as well rid themselves of it.
I am not doing any of that at the moment. I am home all the time anyway and I clear stuff out when the mood strikes me. Besides, the things I need to clear out are generally papers and they need to be burned or shredded, not sent to a thrift store.
Maybe clearing a shelf would be good therapy, though. Perhaps I'll give it a go, and send my own things to the thrift store jungles.
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Sunday Stealing
Sunday Stealing
1. Has the COVID-19 affected your work environment?
A. I work from home when I work. So no.
2. How are you feeling about the Coronavirus?
A. I think the United States had a lackluster response to this at best. We were ill-prepared for something of this magnitude even though we've known about it since at least January. Some people in high places did not take it seriously.
3. Has anybody you know been tested / have you?
A. My nephew has been tested. He works in a hospital environment and came down with symptoms. He can't go back to work until he has the results back.
4. Do you have any friends stuck in any exotic locations?
A. Not that I am aware of.
5. Have you changed any of your personal habits due to the pandemic?
A. I don't go out now and I wash my hands more. I make my husband do a sexy striptease in the garage and then come in and wash his hands after he's been among the public.
6. What is the craziest thing you've seen or heard about the outbreak?
A. Some of the "cures" I've seen have been silly. Someone suggested pouring cold water in front of your face while at the same time blowing hot air through a hair dryer up into your nose. Something about moist heat killing the virus.
Sounds like a recipe for electrocution if you ask me.
7. Do you think our politicians are doing enough to curb the crisis?
A. I think our politicians are assholes.
8. Have you stockpiled anything because of the crisis?
A. I have always been a toilet paper hoarder, so I have my usual amount of items of that here and did before it became a thing for everyone else. We also stocked up on canned goods, like soup and green beans.
9. What do you think you will miss the most if you are subject to a lock in?
A. Not a whole lot as I don't go out that much anyway. Although it is nice to be able to simply pick up and go to the store if I want. Right now I am not doing that.
10. What is the weirdest rumor you've heard about the virus?
A. Isn't this the same as #6?
11. Do you have a favorite meme about the virus?
A. No.
12. Has the virus made you grateful for anything?
A. I am grateful my husband is still home on sick leave from his ankle surgery and not out on the front lines of this pandemic. He's a battalion chief with the city fire department.
13. Have any of your plans been upset by the outbreak?
A. Not so far. We will see how it goes as time passes.
14. Are you planning do to anything different because of the COVID-19 outbreak?
A. I am not going out much and I really need a haircut. So my hair is growing.
15. What do you hope to see in six months time?
A. Healing, and lots of change as people realize who are really important. It's not the politicians, that's for sure. It's the stock clerks, the firefighters and paramedics, the nurses, the doctors, and the people who drive the trucks, and we can't forget the farmers, because without them, there would be no food. If we're lucky, this will bring on an entire societal change for the better. That's my hope.
16. Has the Coronavirus upset your mental health in any way?
A. Listening to certain politicians has frayed my nerves, so I have stopped listening. I read the newspaper everyday and I watch the local news. That is all I need to know.
________________
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. Has the COVID-19 affected your work environment?
A. I work from home when I work. So no.
2. How are you feeling about the Coronavirus?
A. I think the United States had a lackluster response to this at best. We were ill-prepared for something of this magnitude even though we've known about it since at least January. Some people in high places did not take it seriously.
3. Has anybody you know been tested / have you?
A. My nephew has been tested. He works in a hospital environment and came down with symptoms. He can't go back to work until he has the results back.
4. Do you have any friends stuck in any exotic locations?
A. Not that I am aware of.
5. Have you changed any of your personal habits due to the pandemic?
A. I don't go out now and I wash my hands more. I make my husband do a sexy striptease in the garage and then come in and wash his hands after he's been among the public.
6. What is the craziest thing you've seen or heard about the outbreak?
A. Some of the "cures" I've seen have been silly. Someone suggested pouring cold water in front of your face while at the same time blowing hot air through a hair dryer up into your nose. Something about moist heat killing the virus.
Sounds like a recipe for electrocution if you ask me.
7. Do you think our politicians are doing enough to curb the crisis?
A. I think our politicians are assholes.
8. Have you stockpiled anything because of the crisis?
A. I have always been a toilet paper hoarder, so I have my usual amount of items of that here and did before it became a thing for everyone else. We also stocked up on canned goods, like soup and green beans.
9. What do you think you will miss the most if you are subject to a lock in?
A. Not a whole lot as I don't go out that much anyway. Although it is nice to be able to simply pick up and go to the store if I want. Right now I am not doing that.
10. What is the weirdest rumor you've heard about the virus?
A. Isn't this the same as #6?
11. Do you have a favorite meme about the virus?
A. No.
12. Has the virus made you grateful for anything?
A. I am grateful my husband is still home on sick leave from his ankle surgery and not out on the front lines of this pandemic. He's a battalion chief with the city fire department.
13. Have any of your plans been upset by the outbreak?
A. Not so far. We will see how it goes as time passes.
14. Are you planning do to anything different because of the COVID-19 outbreak?
A. I am not going out much and I really need a haircut. So my hair is growing.
15. What do you hope to see in six months time?
A. Healing, and lots of change as people realize who are really important. It's not the politicians, that's for sure. It's the stock clerks, the firefighters and paramedics, the nurses, the doctors, and the people who drive the trucks, and we can't forget the farmers, because without them, there would be no food. If we're lucky, this will bring on an entire societal change for the better. That's my hope.
16. Has the Coronavirus upset your mental health in any way?
A. Listening to certain politicians has frayed my nerves, so I have stopped listening. I read the newspaper everyday and I watch the local news. That is all I need to know.
________________
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, March 21, 2020
Saturday 9: Complete Symphonies
Saturday 9: Complete Symphonies (2019)
This week we're classing up the joint with a well-received box-set by the Danish Chamber Orchestra. You can listen to the orchestra here.
1) Beethoven is one of classical music's best known composers. Do you often listen to classical music?
A. I do on occasion. I wouldn't call it "often."
2) Though a musical genius, Beethoven never learned to multiply or divide. When faced with a simple arithmetic problem, do you do it in your head? Or do you rely on the calculator in your phone or on your computer?
A. It depends on the problem. Simple arithmetic I can do in my head. Nowadays, I just yell out to Alexa and she solves it for me.
3) Beethoven bathed often, which was considered "quirky" for a man of his time. (Understandable, since you had the heat the water, haul it to the tub, and then empty the tub bucket by bucket when you were done.) Do you bathe in the morning or in the evening?
A. Both. I take a long shower in the morning and quick "rinse" in the evening. I have reasons for this. If I don't shower in the morning I look like hell and if I don't shower at night I wake up sick from going to bed with dust and allergens in my hair.
4) Adam Fischer conducts the Danish Chamber Orchestra for this 5-disc set. He began his musical career young, when he sang in the children's choir of Budapest's National Opera House. Have you ever sung in a choir or chorus?
A. I played in a rock band. I was in the chorus in the 7th and 8th grades.
5) Mr. Fischer was awarded the Gold Medal of Arts from the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Tell us about a prize or award you have received. (Yes, that ribbon you earned for penmanship in second grade counts.)
A. In the second grade, I won second place for a drawing I made about littering. I used a stick person and showed him/her/it tossing trash in the can. I made it "3D" by wadding up a bit of tissue for the trash and cutting a toilet paper tube in half to create a trash can. I won $5 for it and they paid me with a check, which I signed upside down and my mother got angry because I didn't know where to sign a check. I was 7. What the hell did she expect?
6) The Danish Chamber Orchestra is beloved in Demark. When, in 2014, the Danish Broadcasting Company announced it would no longer fund the Orchestra, citizens began a crowdfunding campaign and raised more than $1,000,000 to keep the music playing. Have you ever contributed to a crowdfunding platform, like GoFundMe, Kickstarter or FundRazr?
A. I gave to a GoFundMe once and felt taken afterwards, so I won't do that again.
7) The Orchestra's "home" is the Royal Danish Conservatory of Music in Copenhagen. Where were you when you last heard music played live?
A. I was at the Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount, VA. I was listening to Tommy Emmanuel play guitar. Check him out here.
8) In 2019, when this boxed set was released, China became the first nation to land a spacecraft on the far side of the moon. Are you fascinated by stories about space?
A. I love stories about space. I check out the NASA site a lot, I look for the International Space Station when it flies overhead, and I go outside and watch meteor showers.
9) Random question: Tell us about your week. These are extraordinary times, and it might feel good to share.
A. My county had its first confirmed case of Covid-19 yesterday, and today there was another run on the grocery stores locally. Having it so close makes it more real, I suppose. Mostly I have been home and I have been sick with some kind of something, but I've not run a fever. I think it is allergies. I did not go to my doctor but I emailed her so she is aware. I am going to go rest after I finish writing this. I also resolved Friday that I will not listen to someone who constantly demeans the media as journalists do their best to keep the public properly informed in demanding times.
______________
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.
This week we're classing up the joint with a well-received box-set by the Danish Chamber Orchestra. You can listen to the orchestra here.
1) Beethoven is one of classical music's best known composers. Do you often listen to classical music?
A. I do on occasion. I wouldn't call it "often."
2) Though a musical genius, Beethoven never learned to multiply or divide. When faced with a simple arithmetic problem, do you do it in your head? Or do you rely on the calculator in your phone or on your computer?
A. It depends on the problem. Simple arithmetic I can do in my head. Nowadays, I just yell out to Alexa and she solves it for me.
3) Beethoven bathed often, which was considered "quirky" for a man of his time. (Understandable, since you had the heat the water, haul it to the tub, and then empty the tub bucket by bucket when you were done.) Do you bathe in the morning or in the evening?
A. Both. I take a long shower in the morning and quick "rinse" in the evening. I have reasons for this. If I don't shower in the morning I look like hell and if I don't shower at night I wake up sick from going to bed with dust and allergens in my hair.
4) Adam Fischer conducts the Danish Chamber Orchestra for this 5-disc set. He began his musical career young, when he sang in the children's choir of Budapest's National Opera House. Have you ever sung in a choir or chorus?
A. I played in a rock band. I was in the chorus in the 7th and 8th grades.
5) Mr. Fischer was awarded the Gold Medal of Arts from the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Tell us about a prize or award you have received. (Yes, that ribbon you earned for penmanship in second grade counts.)
A. In the second grade, I won second place for a drawing I made about littering. I used a stick person and showed him/her/it tossing trash in the can. I made it "3D" by wadding up a bit of tissue for the trash and cutting a toilet paper tube in half to create a trash can. I won $5 for it and they paid me with a check, which I signed upside down and my mother got angry because I didn't know where to sign a check. I was 7. What the hell did she expect?
6) The Danish Chamber Orchestra is beloved in Demark. When, in 2014, the Danish Broadcasting Company announced it would no longer fund the Orchestra, citizens began a crowdfunding campaign and raised more than $1,000,000 to keep the music playing. Have you ever contributed to a crowdfunding platform, like GoFundMe, Kickstarter or FundRazr?
A. I gave to a GoFundMe once and felt taken afterwards, so I won't do that again.
7) The Orchestra's "home" is the Royal Danish Conservatory of Music in Copenhagen. Where were you when you last heard music played live?
A. I was at the Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mount, VA. I was listening to Tommy Emmanuel play guitar. Check him out here.
8) In 2019, when this boxed set was released, China became the first nation to land a spacecraft on the far side of the moon. Are you fascinated by stories about space?
A. I love stories about space. I check out the NASA site a lot, I look for the International Space Station when it flies overhead, and I go outside and watch meteor showers.
9) Random question: Tell us about your week. These are extraordinary times, and it might feel good to share.
A. My county had its first confirmed case of Covid-19 yesterday, and today there was another run on the grocery stores locally. Having it so close makes it more real, I suppose. Mostly I have been home and I have been sick with some kind of something, but I've not run a fever. I think it is allergies. I did not go to my doctor but I emailed her so she is aware. I am going to go rest after I finish writing this. I also resolved Friday that I will not listen to someone who constantly demeans the media as journalists do their best to keep the public properly informed in demanding times.
______________
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, March 19, 2020
Thursday Thirteen
1. It is hard to write a Thursday 13 when your mind is full of news, which is all bad, and all about a virus that could mutilate your lungs.
2. Since we're all at home, I wonder what we are all doing now. I'm not doing anything much different from what I did before - I live in a rural area and after my husband's surgery in November, we have pretty much been self-isolating since then.
3. My daily routine consists of cleaning the house, reading lots of news, reading or listening to a book, writing a blog post, writing emails, fixing lunch and dinner for my husband (we each do our own breakfast), and generally puttering around.
4. I miss the routine of work from when I had full-time freelancing going on. I had a more regular schedule, I saw more people, and felt like I was generally more involved in the world and more active in society.
5. Yesterday I participated in the Roanoke Valley Day of Giving, because I wanted to do something positive. Handing out dollars is not necessarily the best way to give of myself, but it is one way.
6. Before the coronavirus forced us all to self-quarantine, I had been contemplating where I would like to volunteer my time in an effort to force some change into my routine. I've put that on hold for now. Everything is closed, anyway.
7. I have a calligraphy kit and a jewelry-making kit here. I received both for Christmas in 2018, and didn't get to them because I was called to write my county's 250th anniversary magazine. I think I may have time to pick those kits up now and see if I can develop a new skill.
8. Many learning opportunities abound online, too. Open Culture is a free one-stop shop for learning, if you're into that. You can also spend money on things like Masterclass, The Great Courses, or pretty much anything else.
9. YouTube has videos that can teach you yoga, tai chi, guitar, etc. There is no reason to be bored or to stop learning if you're not sick and in bed.
10. I wonder how much of these changes will become a part of our life in the future. Are these temporary societal structure changes, or will some become permanent?
11. I wonder if businesses will discover they don't need office space. Will we have ghost buildings everywhere, and industrial parks sitting empty?
12. Some things require you to be onsite, though. I can't imagine that everything can be done at home. I can't make a car at my house!
13. I hope everyone is trying to destress during these stressful times. Breathe, visualize something lovely, and let it all go away, if only for a moment. Trying times call for different measures.
Here's a meditation video on youtube. Check it out and feel better all over! It only takes 5 minutes.
_______________
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 648th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
2. Since we're all at home, I wonder what we are all doing now. I'm not doing anything much different from what I did before - I live in a rural area and after my husband's surgery in November, we have pretty much been self-isolating since then.
3. My daily routine consists of cleaning the house, reading lots of news, reading or listening to a book, writing a blog post, writing emails, fixing lunch and dinner for my husband (we each do our own breakfast), and generally puttering around.
4. I miss the routine of work from when I had full-time freelancing going on. I had a more regular schedule, I saw more people, and felt like I was generally more involved in the world and more active in society.
5. Yesterday I participated in the Roanoke Valley Day of Giving, because I wanted to do something positive. Handing out dollars is not necessarily the best way to give of myself, but it is one way.
6. Before the coronavirus forced us all to self-quarantine, I had been contemplating where I would like to volunteer my time in an effort to force some change into my routine. I've put that on hold for now. Everything is closed, anyway.
7. I have a calligraphy kit and a jewelry-making kit here. I received both for Christmas in 2018, and didn't get to them because I was called to write my county's 250th anniversary magazine. I think I may have time to pick those kits up now and see if I can develop a new skill.
8. Many learning opportunities abound online, too. Open Culture is a free one-stop shop for learning, if you're into that. You can also spend money on things like Masterclass, The Great Courses, or pretty much anything else.
9. YouTube has videos that can teach you yoga, tai chi, guitar, etc. There is no reason to be bored or to stop learning if you're not sick and in bed.
10. I wonder how much of these changes will become a part of our life in the future. Are these temporary societal structure changes, or will some become permanent?
11. I wonder if businesses will discover they don't need office space. Will we have ghost buildings everywhere, and industrial parks sitting empty?
12. Some things require you to be onsite, though. I can't imagine that everything can be done at home. I can't make a car at my house!
13. I hope everyone is trying to destress during these stressful times. Breathe, visualize something lovely, and let it all go away, if only for a moment. Trying times call for different measures.
Here's a meditation video on youtube. Check it out and feel better all over! It only takes 5 minutes.
_______________
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 648th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
We Went Searching
In a dream, I looked all around me for something I'd lost. I climbed over a mountain and ran across a meadow (you can do all that in your sleep).
Thing is, I didn't know what I'd lost. But I was frantic for it, whatever it was. Finally, I found my husband, who was in a cornfield chastising a calf for running through the electric fence (they've been doing that for real recently so I know where *that* came from).
"I've lost it!" I cried, throwing myself into his chest. His arms folded around me.
"We'll find it," he said.
So we started looking. He didn't ask me what I'd lost, and I never told him, but we went searching for it.
I looked under couches and in drawers. We were in our house now. He went into the garage.
The scenery changed and I was in a desert, very hot. My mouth was dry. I was still searching, though. Sand fell between my fingers as I pawed at the landscape.
I wondered why my husband wouldn't come in from the garage and bring me a glass of water.
Dreams are so very odd sometimes.
I woke with the alarm, so I don't know what I was looking for, or if I ever found it.
The sense of loss has stayed with me all day. What did I lose? What have I lost?
What am I missing?
Who have I forgotten?
We live in perilous times, but we have always lived in perilous times. There are things going on now that I find awful - I think it there is something seriously wrong with a country that has so many poor people who can't feed their children that the schools have to turn buses into food trucks and send them to ensure children are eating.
But we have always had poor people, and children who needed to be fed. (That is no excuse, we should be better than this.)
I have read many, many issues of old newspapers, local and national. I like to read those old issues. Because you know what? The discussions are generally the same.
How do we pay for this or that? Is this the role of government or the private sector? How much is too much and when is it not enough?
I don't even need to look up anything to know we've been through epidemics before. Not just the Spanish flu in 1918, but also polio, tuberculosis, whooping cough, measles, etc.
What am I looking for? I think in my dream I was looking for comfort, for solace, for some kind of control over something over which I have no control - as we all are, when we buy toilet paper or comfort foods or whatever we do to feel like we have some grasp on a situation.
We searched for an intangible, my husband and me, as we waded through my nightmare.
I would like to see leadership during a pandemic but all I see is someone parading the leaders of big companies out in press conferences, shaking hands when they should all be standing 6 feet apart. Certainly no leading by example there.
What else am I looking for? Maybe self-direction. Maybe assurances. Maybe nothing. Maybe I have nothing to look for, I just think I do, because we live in such a lackluster world with lackluster lives.
We went searching, my husband and I, in a dream. He went into the garage. I ended up panting in a desert.
At least in my mind, I sent him some place safe.
Thing is, I didn't know what I'd lost. But I was frantic for it, whatever it was. Finally, I found my husband, who was in a cornfield chastising a calf for running through the electric fence (they've been doing that for real recently so I know where *that* came from).
"I've lost it!" I cried, throwing myself into his chest. His arms folded around me.
"We'll find it," he said.
So we started looking. He didn't ask me what I'd lost, and I never told him, but we went searching for it.
I looked under couches and in drawers. We were in our house now. He went into the garage.
The scenery changed and I was in a desert, very hot. My mouth was dry. I was still searching, though. Sand fell between my fingers as I pawed at the landscape.
I wondered why my husband wouldn't come in from the garage and bring me a glass of water.
Dreams are so very odd sometimes.
I woke with the alarm, so I don't know what I was looking for, or if I ever found it.
The sense of loss has stayed with me all day. What did I lose? What have I lost?
What am I missing?
Who have I forgotten?
We live in perilous times, but we have always lived in perilous times. There are things going on now that I find awful - I think it there is something seriously wrong with a country that has so many poor people who can't feed their children that the schools have to turn buses into food trucks and send them to ensure children are eating.
But we have always had poor people, and children who needed to be fed. (That is no excuse, we should be better than this.)
I have read many, many issues of old newspapers, local and national. I like to read those old issues. Because you know what? The discussions are generally the same.
How do we pay for this or that? Is this the role of government or the private sector? How much is too much and when is it not enough?
I don't even need to look up anything to know we've been through epidemics before. Not just the Spanish flu in 1918, but also polio, tuberculosis, whooping cough, measles, etc.
What am I looking for? I think in my dream I was looking for comfort, for solace, for some kind of control over something over which I have no control - as we all are, when we buy toilet paper or comfort foods or whatever we do to feel like we have some grasp on a situation.
We searched for an intangible, my husband and me, as we waded through my nightmare.
I would like to see leadership during a pandemic but all I see is someone parading the leaders of big companies out in press conferences, shaking hands when they should all be standing 6 feet apart. Certainly no leading by example there.
What else am I looking for? Maybe self-direction. Maybe assurances. Maybe nothing. Maybe I have nothing to look for, I just think I do, because we live in such a lackluster world with lackluster lives.
We went searching, my husband and I, in a dream. He went into the garage. I ended up panting in a desert.
At least in my mind, I sent him some place safe.
Monday, March 16, 2020
Drank 'til I was Thirsty Again
My husband often says that I was the happiest when I was in college. I worked and went to college part-time. It took me eight years to finish a bachelor's degree at Hollins, and that doesn't count the four years it took me to finish my A.S. degree at Virginia Western Community College.
But I loved the learning. I loved the smell of it, the atmosphere of it, the taste of it. I loved my philosophy class, where I learned about Sisyphus, and I loved my English classes, where I soaked in John Donne and Virginia Wolfe and countless other poets and authors.
Learning has always been my drink of choice.
As a child I was one of those inquisitive youngsters who asked, "why" all the time. My mother told me once I drove her crazy with questions.
"Why is the sky blue?"
"What are clouds?" etc. and I didn't want cheeky answers, either. I wanted real answers, even if I couldn't understand them. "Because God made it that way," was no answer in my book. If I received that answer, that demanded another, "Why would He do that?" inquiry.
By first grade, I was reading the newspaper. Not just the comics, but the entire thing. I remember my grandparents arguing over it one evening as I sat at the dinner table reading the headline news. My grandfather thought I was too young to be looking at the horrors of the day. I imagine they were horrible, too, as we were in the Vietnam War at that time, and the peace movement was all around, and things were unsettled.
Seems like things are always unsettled here in the U.S.A., don't they?
Fortunately, I was taking in some of it, but not all of it. I was too young to understand death or the horrors of war.
I read all the time. My mother once punished me for reading too much. I couldn't help it. I read the papers, the backs of cereal boxes, the True Story and True Romance magazines my mother brought home, the versions of Readers Digest Condensed Books that my parents bought. When I was six years old, I read Bambi. Not the Disney version, the novel by Felix Salten. I sobbed when Bambi's mother died. I think that was when I learned the power of a good story.
By the age of 10, I'd read Wuthering Heights. I envisioned a sour soul mourning the loss of his beloved as he walked across the moors (whatever they were). I devoured not only the classics but also Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and whatever I could bring home from the school library.
I wish I'd kept a list. It would be quite long. If I added magazines, it would be lengthy indeed.
Learning still draws me. I like to learn new songs on the guitar. I like to learn new skills on the computer. I like to learn about different things and I read many things online. I read The New Yorker, the Atlantic, The New York Times, loads of articles about literary figures, and pretty much anything else that catches my attention.
I've subscribed to several of The Great Courses to continue my learning efforts.
Ted Talks entertain me while I am fixing dinner, courtesy of Alexa.
To learn is to live, if you ask me. When people stop learning, they stop living. Or they're merely automatons, just breathing and going through the motions. I want to be reading something intriguing when I draw in my last breath.
I want to learn and learn and learn, until the learning is all I am.
But I loved the learning. I loved the smell of it, the atmosphere of it, the taste of it. I loved my philosophy class, where I learned about Sisyphus, and I loved my English classes, where I soaked in John Donne and Virginia Wolfe and countless other poets and authors.
Learning has always been my drink of choice.
As a child I was one of those inquisitive youngsters who asked, "why" all the time. My mother told me once I drove her crazy with questions.
"Why is the sky blue?"
"What are clouds?" etc. and I didn't want cheeky answers, either. I wanted real answers, even if I couldn't understand them. "Because God made it that way," was no answer in my book. If I received that answer, that demanded another, "Why would He do that?" inquiry.
By first grade, I was reading the newspaper. Not just the comics, but the entire thing. I remember my grandparents arguing over it one evening as I sat at the dinner table reading the headline news. My grandfather thought I was too young to be looking at the horrors of the day. I imagine they were horrible, too, as we were in the Vietnam War at that time, and the peace movement was all around, and things were unsettled.
Seems like things are always unsettled here in the U.S.A., don't they?
Fortunately, I was taking in some of it, but not all of it. I was too young to understand death or the horrors of war.
I read all the time. My mother once punished me for reading too much. I couldn't help it. I read the papers, the backs of cereal boxes, the True Story and True Romance magazines my mother brought home, the versions of Readers Digest Condensed Books that my parents bought. When I was six years old, I read Bambi. Not the Disney version, the novel by Felix Salten. I sobbed when Bambi's mother died. I think that was when I learned the power of a good story.
By the age of 10, I'd read Wuthering Heights. I envisioned a sour soul mourning the loss of his beloved as he walked across the moors (whatever they were). I devoured not only the classics but also Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and whatever I could bring home from the school library.
I wish I'd kept a list. It would be quite long. If I added magazines, it would be lengthy indeed.
Learning still draws me. I like to learn new songs on the guitar. I like to learn new skills on the computer. I like to learn about different things and I read many things online. I read The New Yorker, the Atlantic, The New York Times, loads of articles about literary figures, and pretty much anything else that catches my attention.
I've subscribed to several of The Great Courses to continue my learning efforts.
Ted Talks entertain me while I am fixing dinner, courtesy of Alexa.
To learn is to live, if you ask me. When people stop learning, they stop living. Or they're merely automatons, just breathing and going through the motions. I want to be reading something intriguing when I draw in my last breath.
I want to learn and learn and learn, until the learning is all I am.
Sunday, March 15, 2020
Sunday Stealing
Sunday Stealing
1. What is the wallpaper on your computer screen? Why did you choose it?
A. I have a simple solid blue background on my computer screen. I find photos on the screen mess with my head and make it hard to find my desktop items.
2. Who is the person you text the most in your life? What relation are you?
A. I text a friend I've known for a very long time every night. We're not related as far as I know. Just old friends.
3. Is there carpet or hardwood floor in your bedroom?
A. Hardwood flooring.
4. Do you believe in superstitious things such as breaking a mirror?
A. No. Knock wood. ::Throwing salt over my shoulder:: ::walking around a ladder:: ::avoiding the black cat:: Just kidding.
5. Do you like those ‘end of the world,’ ‘Armageddon’ movies?
A. Depends on how violent they are. I liked Waterworld and The Postman, and the second Mad Max movie. I also liked The Hunger Games trilogy.
6. Chocolate or strawberry birthday cake? Choose one.
A. Chocolate.
7. Do you eat more vegetables or fruits? What’s your favorite fruit/veggie?
A. I like peas for vegetables and I like berries for fruit.
8. Does the dentist calm you or does it tend to stress you out?
A. I like my dentist. She is very nice, and I don't mind seeing her at all.
9. If you had to choose, which is the worst movie you’ve ever seen?
A. Anything with Adam Sandler in it.
10. Have you ever found yourself talking to an inanimate object?
A. I do that all the time - in fact, I think most people now talk to Siri or Alexa or Cortana.
11. Do you like movies that are originally based on children’s books?
A. Depends on the movie and the book.
12. Is your hair more thick or thin? Is it more curly or straight?
A. I have very fine hair that is gradually turning from brown to "soft white," like a GE light bulb. It is mostly straight but has some curl in it, but that can change with the hair stylist.
13. Name something on the human body that grosses you out the most.
A. I am not particularly fond of feet.
14. What is your favorite color of apple? Red, green or yellow?
A. I like Granny Smiths, and they are green.
15. Do you hardly ever remember where you put things at?
A. That is a horrible sentence. Who wrote that sentence? Somebody call the Grammar Police! I have a felony here! Hurry! Hurry! I think you're trying to ask, "Do you forget where you place things?" and the answer to that question would be: sometimes.
16. Do you ever lay in the grass and look up at the sky, just because?
A. I haven't done that in a long time because (a) I'm old and getting up from the ground is hard and (b) I'm allergic to grass.
17. Are you a controversial person? Do your views oppose others?
A. Again, I need the Grammar Police! Someone find this person and teach him or her how to write a sentence. My views are my views. I don't care whether or not anyone agrees with them.
18. Have you ever thrown a surprise party for someone? Who for?
A. You mean, "For whom?" do you not? The answer is yes, I have thrown two surprise parties. Both were for my husband and occurred while he was at work.
19. What would you say your average word per minute time is on the keyboard?
A. At one time I typed over 100 wpm on the keyboard. I just took a free test and it said I typed 69 wpm with 94% accuracy. I guess that's not bad for an aging woman.
20. Do you like fiction or non-fiction books more? What’s your favorite?
A. I prefer fiction books generally, but I read both. My favorite genre is fantasy but I also read contemporary literature, mysteries, an occasional romance, and "women's fiction," whatever that is.
21. Do you know how to play pool? Are you any good at it?
A. I do know how to play pool, and I was once a decent player. However, it has been many years since I played so I doubt I would be proficient at it now.
22. What was the most painful medical procedure you’ve ever had?
A. I have had multiple abdominal surgeries and they have all hurt. However, my gallbladder surgery left me in chronic pain that has lasted for the last seven years, so I will go with that one.
23. Are you someone who tends to take a whole lot of naps?
A. I do not nap. If I am napping, I am ill.
24. Have you ever been pulled over by the cops for speeding?
A. No.
25. Is anyone in your family a firefighter? Who is it anyway?
A. Why yes, someone in my family is a firefighter. He happens to be my husband and he is a battalion chief with a city fire department. During emergencies he has complete control of a fire scene and can have you arrested if you get in his way for impeding emergency services. He can shut down your restaurant if it is violating the fire codes. He has the life of half of the city (50,000 people) in his hands when he is on duty. You and society owe him and every other firefighter and emergency services person more than you could ever repay.
________________
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 wallpaper on your computer screen? Why did you choose it?
A. I have a simple solid blue background on my computer screen. I find photos on the screen mess with my head and make it hard to find my desktop items.
2. Who is the person you text the most in your life? What relation are you?
A. I text a friend I've known for a very long time every night. We're not related as far as I know. Just old friends.
3. Is there carpet or hardwood floor in your bedroom?
A. Hardwood flooring.
4. Do you believe in superstitious things such as breaking a mirror?
A. No. Knock wood. ::Throwing salt over my shoulder:: ::walking around a ladder:: ::avoiding the black cat:: Just kidding.
5. Do you like those ‘end of the world,’ ‘Armageddon’ movies?
A. Depends on how violent they are. I liked Waterworld and The Postman, and the second Mad Max movie. I also liked The Hunger Games trilogy.
6. Chocolate or strawberry birthday cake? Choose one.
A. Chocolate.
7. Do you eat more vegetables or fruits? What’s your favorite fruit/veggie?
A. I like peas for vegetables and I like berries for fruit.
8. Does the dentist calm you or does it tend to stress you out?
A. I like my dentist. She is very nice, and I don't mind seeing her at all.
9. If you had to choose, which is the worst movie you’ve ever seen?
A. Anything with Adam Sandler in it.
10. Have you ever found yourself talking to an inanimate object?
A. I do that all the time - in fact, I think most people now talk to Siri or Alexa or Cortana.
11. Do you like movies that are originally based on children’s books?
A. Depends on the movie and the book.
12. Is your hair more thick or thin? Is it more curly or straight?
A. I have very fine hair that is gradually turning from brown to "soft white," like a GE light bulb. It is mostly straight but has some curl in it, but that can change with the hair stylist.
13. Name something on the human body that grosses you out the most.
A. I am not particularly fond of feet.
14. What is your favorite color of apple? Red, green or yellow?
A. I like Granny Smiths, and they are green.
15. Do you hardly ever remember where you put things at?
A. That is a horrible sentence. Who wrote that sentence? Somebody call the Grammar Police! I have a felony here! Hurry! Hurry! I think you're trying to ask, "Do you forget where you place things?" and the answer to that question would be: sometimes.
16. Do you ever lay in the grass and look up at the sky, just because?
A. I haven't done that in a long time because (a) I'm old and getting up from the ground is hard and (b) I'm allergic to grass.
17. Are you a controversial person? Do your views oppose others?
A. Again, I need the Grammar Police! Someone find this person and teach him or her how to write a sentence. My views are my views. I don't care whether or not anyone agrees with them.
18. Have you ever thrown a surprise party for someone? Who for?
A. You mean, "For whom?" do you not? The answer is yes, I have thrown two surprise parties. Both were for my husband and occurred while he was at work.
19. What would you say your average word per minute time is on the keyboard?
A. At one time I typed over 100 wpm on the keyboard. I just took a free test and it said I typed 69 wpm with 94% accuracy. I guess that's not bad for an aging woman.
20. Do you like fiction or non-fiction books more? What’s your favorite?
A. I prefer fiction books generally, but I read both. My favorite genre is fantasy but I also read contemporary literature, mysteries, an occasional romance, and "women's fiction," whatever that is.
21. Do you know how to play pool? Are you any good at it?
A. I do know how to play pool, and I was once a decent player. However, it has been many years since I played so I doubt I would be proficient at it now.
22. What was the most painful medical procedure you’ve ever had?
A. I have had multiple abdominal surgeries and they have all hurt. However, my gallbladder surgery left me in chronic pain that has lasted for the last seven years, so I will go with that one.
23. Are you someone who tends to take a whole lot of naps?
A. I do not nap. If I am napping, I am ill.
24. Have you ever been pulled over by the cops for speeding?
A. No.
25. Is anyone in your family a firefighter? Who is it anyway?
A. Why yes, someone in my family is a firefighter. He happens to be my husband and he is a battalion chief with a city fire department. During emergencies he has complete control of a fire scene and can have you arrested if you get in his way for impeding emergency services. He can shut down your restaurant if it is violating the fire codes. He has the life of half of the city (50,000 people) in his hands when he is on duty. You and society owe him and every other firefighter and emergency services person more than you could ever repay.
________________
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, March 14, 2020
Saturday 9: I'll Take You Home Again
Saturday 9: I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen (1975)
(Chosen because St. Patrick's Day is Tuesday.)
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.
1) This week's song is widely considered a traditional Irish ballad. Are you of Irish descent?
A. I always thought I was on my father's side, but my brother took one of those DNA tests, and it came back 53% Great Britain and only l3% Irish/Scotland/Wales. So I'm a little Irish but apparently more British.
2) It's a song from a groom to his homesick bride. Who did you most recently serenade? (Yes, "Happy Birthday" counts.)
A. My husband listened to me singing while I was practicing my guitar.
3) Kathleen considers "home" her mother's cottage. How about you? Is "home" where you live now, or is it where you grew up?
A. Home is where I live now.
4) St. Patrick is credited with driving snakes out of Ireland, and to this day the Irish report there are no snakes on their land. Ophiophobia is the fear of snakes. Do you suffer from ophiophobia?
A. Yes, and the darned things are already out crawling around. My mother-in-law ran over one with the car the other day. She ran over it 7 times.
5) Irish Americans held the first St. Patrick's Day parade on our shores in New York City in 1766. Does your town host a St. Patrick's Day parade?
A. The parade has been cancelled due to the Corona virus, but yes, the nearest city has a St. Patrick's Day parade.
6) Leprechauns are a symbol of St. Patrick's Day. These small Irish fairies are said to live in the forest, guarding their gold. Do you more often wear silver or gold?
A. I lean toward white gold or silver.
7) The signature color of St. Patrick's Day is green. Will you wear green next Tuesday?
A. If I remember.
8) This week's featured artist, Elvis, was the idol of millions. But not the Songfellows. In the early 1950s, a young Elvis auditioned for this gospel group and they refused him. Just as well, as the King of Rock 'n Roll did rather well for himself as a solo. Like Elvis, did you ever interview for a job that you didn't get?
A. Yes, several times. Once I interviewed for some kind of advertising position, I can't remember exactly what now since it was about 35 years ago. I'd typed my resume on a typewriter because we didn't have word processors then. Near the end of my resume, there was a typographical error I'd missed. The company managers called me in for an interview but then said they couldn't understand how I could be so credentialed but have this typo. I didn't know what to say, so I said something really stupid. I said, "I leave it there to see if prospective employers catch it, because I don't want to work for people who can't see the error." Or something along those lines. I did not get the job. I'm not sure what would have been a better answer. Maybe just admitting I was in a hurry?
9) Random question: Do you believe women are more emotional than men?
A. After the travesties we've seen with the politicians weeping and gnashing their teeth in recent years, crying because they felt they were entitled to be a Supreme Court Justice or sobbing because people are so mean to their beloved president? Hell no. Men are whiny little babies.
______________
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.
(Chosen because St. Patrick's Day is Tuesday.)
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.
1) This week's song is widely considered a traditional Irish ballad. Are you of Irish descent?
A. I always thought I was on my father's side, but my brother took one of those DNA tests, and it came back 53% Great Britain and only l3% Irish/Scotland/Wales. So I'm a little Irish but apparently more British.
2) It's a song from a groom to his homesick bride. Who did you most recently serenade? (Yes, "Happy Birthday" counts.)
A. My husband listened to me singing while I was practicing my guitar.
3) Kathleen considers "home" her mother's cottage. How about you? Is "home" where you live now, or is it where you grew up?
A. Home is where I live now.
4) St. Patrick is credited with driving snakes out of Ireland, and to this day the Irish report there are no snakes on their land. Ophiophobia is the fear of snakes. Do you suffer from ophiophobia?
A. Yes, and the darned things are already out crawling around. My mother-in-law ran over one with the car the other day. She ran over it 7 times.
5) Irish Americans held the first St. Patrick's Day parade on our shores in New York City in 1766. Does your town host a St. Patrick's Day parade?
A. The parade has been cancelled due to the Corona virus, but yes, the nearest city has a St. Patrick's Day parade.
6) Leprechauns are a symbol of St. Patrick's Day. These small Irish fairies are said to live in the forest, guarding their gold. Do you more often wear silver or gold?
A. I lean toward white gold or silver.
7) The signature color of St. Patrick's Day is green. Will you wear green next Tuesday?
A. If I remember.
8) This week's featured artist, Elvis, was the idol of millions. But not the Songfellows. In the early 1950s, a young Elvis auditioned for this gospel group and they refused him. Just as well, as the King of Rock 'n Roll did rather well for himself as a solo. Like Elvis, did you ever interview for a job that you didn't get?
A. Yes, several times. Once I interviewed for some kind of advertising position, I can't remember exactly what now since it was about 35 years ago. I'd typed my resume on a typewriter because we didn't have word processors then. Near the end of my resume, there was a typographical error I'd missed. The company managers called me in for an interview but then said they couldn't understand how I could be so credentialed but have this typo. I didn't know what to say, so I said something really stupid. I said, "I leave it there to see if prospective employers catch it, because I don't want to work for people who can't see the error." Or something along those lines. I did not get the job. I'm not sure what would have been a better answer. Maybe just admitting I was in a hurry?
9) Random question: Do you believe women are more emotional than men?
A. After the travesties we've seen with the politicians weeping and gnashing their teeth in recent years, crying because they felt they were entitled to be a Supreme Court Justice or sobbing because people are so mean to their beloved president? Hell no. Men are whiny little babies.
______________
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, March 13, 2020
Empty Shelves
Apparently the naysayers decided in the last two days that maybe the global corona virus isn't a Democratic hoax after all. The stores around here, which is a Republican stronghold, emptied out quickly. Somebody's listening to the so-called "fake media," I think.
I took these photos early this morning; I understand from a friend that the shelves are sparser now.
My brother, who I think up until yesterday also thought this was a media overkill issue, told my husband last night to tell me to stay home for the next two months because of my asthma and respiratory issues. My sibling had attended a seminar for small business owners and apparently the speakers got through to him that this is serious stuff.
Don't panic, but be prudent. Take precautions.
Wash your hands and sing Old McDonald or Happy Birthday or something.
As for me, I might listen to my brother and keep my butt inside.
 |
| Not much toilet paper at Walmart on Thursday. |
 |
| Dried beans are a hot commodity at Food Lion. |
 |
| Want drinking water? You're out of luck. |
 |
| No toilet paper at Food Lion, either. |
My brother, who I think up until yesterday also thought this was a media overkill issue, told my husband last night to tell me to stay home for the next two months because of my asthma and respiratory issues. My sibling had attended a seminar for small business owners and apparently the speakers got through to him that this is serious stuff.
Don't panic, but be prudent. Take precautions.
Wash your hands and sing Old McDonald or Happy Birthday or something.
As for me, I might listen to my brother and keep my butt inside.
Thursday, March 12, 2020
Thursday Thirteen
Thoughts to ponder:
1. Perhaps the universe (or your god, whatever you may believe) has a way of reordering and remaking the world, especially when many things are distressed and distorted.
2. Is this moment in which we live one of those times that requires a remaking?
3. Oddly, as we live in a time when climate change (for whatever reason) has caused and continues to cause many natural disasters, China, which is a place (like the U.S.), which pollutes with thought only for monetary gain, must stop its economy to recover from a virus.
4. The pollution drops. Are those behind the masks breathing better now? Is their vision clearer? Can they see the mountains that were hidden in the smog?
5. We've reached a period of history when discrimination is making a comeback, when ideologies and policies are returning to a past I thought we'd outgrown and left behind, when making "other" a concrete symbol that we may use to bash others is quickly becoming normal.
6. Yet here is this virus that shows that in a moment, without warning, anyone - you, me, your wife, your child - regardless of race, color, or patriotism, can suddenly become discriminated against, segregated, stranded at home. Regardless of whiteness, Westernness, and wealth, you must breathe, and our air is contaminated. If Tom Hanks can't escape, who can?
7. Economies collapse. Does this matter? Does productivity and consumption matter when life hangs in limbo? While we are working our 12-hour days and busy on our tablets, reading our calendars and looking at our watches, the virus knows no time, and illness knows no time. We must stop. We must be at home, perhaps for days or weeks. We must learn again the value of time - real time, the time that matters. The immeasurable time of simply living and being.
8. As this virus closes schools, what happens as the institutions no longer parent, and parents must again be parents? With little ones at home, mothers and fathers must be mom and dad again, not the hamsters on the wheels of their jobs. Will this virus force us to focus on family once more? Will we remember what that feels like? Will we talk at dinner again?
9. As we are forced into social isolation at a time when loneliness has been cited as one of this society's greatest issues and concerns, will we begin to realize how vital our social network is - the real one, where you are hugged and kissed, held and touched? Will we realize how much meaning those gestures really have?
10. We've become so individualized, thinking only of ourselves - yet this virus will force us to think about others. The elderly in the nursing homes. Is that the right way to deal with those we once loved? This is bigger than a single individual or a single country - this is the world crying out, is it not? My fate may be your fate, or all our fates. This could happen to you.
11. Who do we depend upon when the sickness hits? The government? Family? Friends? Facebook? This requires an all-out sense of community and a societal response. We must all wash our hands; if only half the country does it, the other half will suffer, and that suffering will grow outward in torrential waves, splashing over nations like typhoons unstopped.
12. Could this virus be a blessing? Can we learn from this as our great-grandparents learned from the Spanish flu in 1918, or as our elders learned from the World Wars? Are we capable of learning, reorganizing, and doing the work to make the world a better place? (I'm not convinced we are.)
13. The Universe will have its way. What we make of it is up to us. Right now a virus is trying to tell us something. Will we stop to hear?
*These are not all my original thoughts, many came from a FB group on mythology that I follow. I wanted to put the ideas into something that made sense to me. (Cit. F. MORELLI)*
_______________
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 647th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
1. Perhaps the universe (or your god, whatever you may believe) has a way of reordering and remaking the world, especially when many things are distressed and distorted.
2. Is this moment in which we live one of those times that requires a remaking?
3. Oddly, as we live in a time when climate change (for whatever reason) has caused and continues to cause many natural disasters, China, which is a place (like the U.S.), which pollutes with thought only for monetary gain, must stop its economy to recover from a virus.
4. The pollution drops. Are those behind the masks breathing better now? Is their vision clearer? Can they see the mountains that were hidden in the smog?
5. We've reached a period of history when discrimination is making a comeback, when ideologies and policies are returning to a past I thought we'd outgrown and left behind, when making "other" a concrete symbol that we may use to bash others is quickly becoming normal.
6. Yet here is this virus that shows that in a moment, without warning, anyone - you, me, your wife, your child - regardless of race, color, or patriotism, can suddenly become discriminated against, segregated, stranded at home. Regardless of whiteness, Westernness, and wealth, you must breathe, and our air is contaminated. If Tom Hanks can't escape, who can?
7. Economies collapse. Does this matter? Does productivity and consumption matter when life hangs in limbo? While we are working our 12-hour days and busy on our tablets, reading our calendars and looking at our watches, the virus knows no time, and illness knows no time. We must stop. We must be at home, perhaps for days or weeks. We must learn again the value of time - real time, the time that matters. The immeasurable time of simply living and being.
8. As this virus closes schools, what happens as the institutions no longer parent, and parents must again be parents? With little ones at home, mothers and fathers must be mom and dad again, not the hamsters on the wheels of their jobs. Will this virus force us to focus on family once more? Will we remember what that feels like? Will we talk at dinner again?
9. As we are forced into social isolation at a time when loneliness has been cited as one of this society's greatest issues and concerns, will we begin to realize how vital our social network is - the real one, where you are hugged and kissed, held and touched? Will we realize how much meaning those gestures really have?
10. We've become so individualized, thinking only of ourselves - yet this virus will force us to think about others. The elderly in the nursing homes. Is that the right way to deal with those we once loved? This is bigger than a single individual or a single country - this is the world crying out, is it not? My fate may be your fate, or all our fates. This could happen to you.
11. Who do we depend upon when the sickness hits? The government? Family? Friends? Facebook? This requires an all-out sense of community and a societal response. We must all wash our hands; if only half the country does it, the other half will suffer, and that suffering will grow outward in torrential waves, splashing over nations like typhoons unstopped.
12. Could this virus be a blessing? Can we learn from this as our great-grandparents learned from the Spanish flu in 1918, or as our elders learned from the World Wars? Are we capable of learning, reorganizing, and doing the work to make the world a better place? (I'm not convinced we are.)
13. The Universe will have its way. What we make of it is up to us. Right now a virus is trying to tell us something. Will we stop to hear?
*These are not all my original thoughts, many came from a FB group on mythology that I follow. I wanted to put the ideas into something that made sense to me. (Cit. F. MORELLI)*
_______________
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 647th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
It's MY E-mail Account
Way back when Google was still basically a little start up, saying "Don't be evil," (ha), I received an invitation to join its beta program for Gmail.
Yes, the very first version. I have been with Gmail since before it was made public. I was friends with a friend who worked at Google; hence the invitation.
It has become the email I use most often. Overrun as it is with subscriptions, spam, and everything else, I can still find what I need in it. I try to direct things now to other accounts.
This one shows up as being on the dark web, so I change the password a lot.
And then there are two men who have first names with initials the same as my first name, and the same last name. Apparently neither can remember their actual email account addresses, because things come to me that are meant for them.
First I started receiving employment application acceptances for "Anthony." I finally found Anthony on Facebook and asked him if he'd recently applied at thus and such a company. He apologized profusely and said he had confused Gmail with his student account.
Sigh.
He allegedly fixed it, but occasionally I still get something meant for Anthony. I now have his email, so I simply forward it to him and say, "in case you need this."
Then last fall, along came "Adam" who set up his eBay account using my email. I found Adam on Facebook, too, and he said he would take care of it. He'd simply typed in the wrong email address, he said.
I changed my Gmail password and thought no more about it.
Today, Adam tried to purchase something through eBay. The message about it came to me.
I called eBay and attempted to explain the situation to the "concierge" service person, who seemed perplexed about the problem. Zero help there, even after a 10-minute hold listening to really crappy music.
After I hung up with the useless eBay person, I went into eBay, signed in with my email, asked to change the password, and was soon in Adam's account, complete with his credit card numbers and everything. I deleted all of his personal information. I found where he'd attempted his purchase and wrote the seller that the item was bought using an incorrect email. I closed out the account that was using my Gmail account, because even though it was in Adam's name, that's my email.
He is lucky I am an honest person, because I could have ran up quite a bill on his credit card had I been so inclined. Fortunately for Adam, I am not a crook and was not so inclined.
By doing this, I will not be able to use my Gmail account now with eBay, ever again, according to them. This is fine, as I have an eBay account with another email address. I also very seldom ever buy anything on eBay anyway.
Adam, alas, will be out of luck.
And yes, I changed my Gmail account password again, too, just to be safe. It's a real pain in the you-know-what to do that because I have to change it on every device.
Lesson? Make sure you have the right email address when you sign up for things, especially things that have to do with your credit card or financial information.
You never know who might be on the other end of a wrong email address.
Yes, the very first version. I have been with Gmail since before it was made public. I was friends with a friend who worked at Google; hence the invitation.
It has become the email I use most often. Overrun as it is with subscriptions, spam, and everything else, I can still find what I need in it. I try to direct things now to other accounts.
This one shows up as being on the dark web, so I change the password a lot.
And then there are two men who have first names with initials the same as my first name, and the same last name. Apparently neither can remember their actual email account addresses, because things come to me that are meant for them.
First I started receiving employment application acceptances for "Anthony." I finally found Anthony on Facebook and asked him if he'd recently applied at thus and such a company. He apologized profusely and said he had confused Gmail with his student account.
Sigh.
He allegedly fixed it, but occasionally I still get something meant for Anthony. I now have his email, so I simply forward it to him and say, "in case you need this."
Then last fall, along came "Adam" who set up his eBay account using my email. I found Adam on Facebook, too, and he said he would take care of it. He'd simply typed in the wrong email address, he said.
I changed my Gmail password and thought no more about it.
Today, Adam tried to purchase something through eBay. The message about it came to me.
I called eBay and attempted to explain the situation to the "concierge" service person, who seemed perplexed about the problem. Zero help there, even after a 10-minute hold listening to really crappy music.
After I hung up with the useless eBay person, I went into eBay, signed in with my email, asked to change the password, and was soon in Adam's account, complete with his credit card numbers and everything. I deleted all of his personal information. I found where he'd attempted his purchase and wrote the seller that the item was bought using an incorrect email. I closed out the account that was using my Gmail account, because even though it was in Adam's name, that's my email.
He is lucky I am an honest person, because I could have ran up quite a bill on his credit card had I been so inclined. Fortunately for Adam, I am not a crook and was not so inclined.
By doing this, I will not be able to use my Gmail account now with eBay, ever again, according to them. This is fine, as I have an eBay account with another email address. I also very seldom ever buy anything on eBay anyway.
Adam, alas, will be out of luck.
And yes, I changed my Gmail account password again, too, just to be safe. It's a real pain in the you-know-what to do that because I have to change it on every device.
Lesson? Make sure you have the right email address when you sign up for things, especially things that have to do with your credit card or financial information.
You never know who might be on the other end of a wrong email address.
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