A Little Notice Would Have Been Nice

On Friday, the Virginia governor decided that he would follow CDC guidelines beginning that night, meaning people who have been vaccinated need not wear masks.

Basically, that means no one will be wearing masks, because people locally have fought wearing masks from day one. I do not know why. It's fine that they must wear a shirt and shoes into a store but not a mask during a pandemic.

Or maybe they were fine with 580,000 people dying.

You will have to ask them.

I found wearing a mask at first to be anxiety-provoking, but now not wearing one is even more anxiety-provoking than wearing one ever was.

So I would have preferred a week's notice before the CDC and the governor muddled things, so I could have made a much-needed trip to Walmart while people were supposed to be wearing masks. I know they weren't wearing masks anyway at Walmart because my friends have told me that, but at least before Friday the odds of more mask wearing was slightly better.

Now I suspect fewer masks everywhere. I, for one, plan to wear one anyway, even though I have been vaccinated. Not to keep away Covid, but to keep away everything else. I have always caught every virus and bacterial infection that makes the rounds. If it weren't for antibiotics, I'd be dead.

When I think of all of the months I have spent hacking, choking, and drowning in my sinus drainage, when it could have been alleviated by wearing a mask, it makes me angry. Why didn't someone tell me before that it would make such a difference? It's not our societal norm here, that's why. It's also against the law in Virginia to wear a facial covering. Here's the code section:

§ 18.2-422. Prohibition of wearing of masks in certain places; exceptions.

It shall be unlawful for any person over 16 years of age to, with the intent to conceal his identity, wear any mask, hood or other device whereby a substantial portion of the face is hidden or covered so as to conceal the identity of the wearer, to be or appear in any public place, or upon any private property in this Commonwealth without first having obtained from the owner or tenant thereof consent to do so in writing. However, the provisions of this section shall not apply to persons (i) wearing traditional holiday costumes; (ii) engaged in professions, trades, employment or other activities and wearing protective masks which are deemed necessary for the physical safety of the wearer or other persons; (iii) engaged in any bona fide theatrical production or masquerade ball; or (iv) wearing a mask, hood or other device for bona fide medical reasons upon (a) the advice of a licensed physician or osteopath and carrying on his person an affidavit from the physician or osteopath specifying the medical necessity for wearing the device and the date on which the wearing of the device will no longer be necessary and providing a brief description of the device, or (b) the declaration of a disaster or state of emergency by the Governor in response to a public health emergency where the emergency declaration expressly waives this section, defines the mask appropriate for the emergency, and provides for the duration of the waiver. The violation of any provisions of this section is a Class 6 felony.

The governor said he would take some action so people could still wear masks after his executive order about masks ends June 30. But it would take an act of the legislature to make a permanent change, and if the Republicans take the House of Delegates or the Virginia Senate, that won't happen because those folks live in some anti-science fantasyland.

So I plan to have my doctor write me a prescription to wear a mask indefinitely, to have on my person, because I have been much less ill since I started wearing a mask and stopped being out among people. I think my doctor will agree to this because I know she's tired of prescribing me antibiotics every couple of months. She was surprised when I had a sinus infection in mid-April and she looked back. "We haven't had you an antibiotic since November!" she exclaimed. "That's the longest I think you've ever gone without one."

Antibiotics are not good for you. Once a year, maybe, but I averaged an antibiotic probably every two or three months pre-pandemic. In 2020, I had an antibiotic twice, and only one time so far this year.

I plan to continue to use antibacterial soap in the car (I did that pre-pandemic anyway), and to wash my hands every time I come in the house.

Since I stopped biting my nails this past year, that has helped some too, I suspect. So I will keep clipping those things short so they don't invite me to bite them.

I don't know if I will continue to change shoes and have "outside shoes" and "inside shoes." I might, because it is not that much of an inconvenience and I think it keeps dust and dirt out of the house.

Grocery pickup will still be a thing for me, too. I had planned to resume shopping in the store since I am fully vaccinated, but with the mask mandate lifted, I think I might be better off to limit that to once a month and do pickup the rest of the time.

Many of the items I was ordering online from Walmart and having shipped here are now only available for pickup at the stores. I assume Walmart is trying to move people back into the brick and mortar buildings and away from shopping online as much. They have to pay the light bill somehow, I suppose.

My brother told me I live in a bubble. I do. I almost have to because I'm so sensitive to things. I'd rather be healthy than adventuresome, although it would be nice if I could be both. Just not in the cards for me, I guess.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Name something in the room you are grateful for.

A. This computer that I'm typing on. It's a gateway to friendship, to connection, and to learning.

2. Recall a favorite memory you are grateful for.

A. I am grateful for the memories I have of both of my grandfathers. They were good men. I remember my maternal grandfather one time challenged us kids to a race. He won. He thought it was hilarious that he beat us. My paternal grandfather lived in California but he was a guitar picker. I loved listening to him play.

3. Who helped you today?

A. I had an email from a friend I'd been missing and thinking about.

4. What possession makes your life easier?

A. I am loathe to admit I use it, but I have a couple of canes that I sometimes use, especially when I'm having really bad days.

5. What’s the best thing that happened today?

A. I received the aforementioned email plus another email from a friend who moved away. It was nice to reconnect.

6. Name something in nature that you are grateful for.

A. Deer. I love to watch them as they move about the yard and in the field in front of the house. They are graceful and curious animals.

7. What painful experience helped you grow?

A. Losing a job.

8. What is your best skill?

A. Writing, I hope. I know it's not cooking.

9. What person in your past are you most grateful for?

A. My maternal grandmother.

10. What risk are you most grateful for taking?

A. Going away from being a paid employee to freelancing was difficult but probably the best thing I could have done for myself.

11. Name something/someone that makes you feel safe.

A. My husband and my home.

12. Name a challenge you have overcome.

A. I was unable to have children. That was hard to move on from, but I managed.

13. What small things are you grateful for today?

A. My husband has called me several times today to let me know he was ok. He is working on a construction job by himself and I worry. Also, I made egg salad.

14. What smell are you most grateful for?

A. Honestly, it is the smell of my husband's chest after he's had a shower.

15. What is your proudest accomplishment?

A. I have answered this question many different ways. My wedding. My college degree. Getting my first article published in the news paper. Maybe, though, I should simply be proud that I am still alive.

_______________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Don't Get Around Much

Saturday 9: Don't Get Around Much Anymore (1942)

Unfamiliar with this song? Hear it here.

1) In this song, our lonely Romeo shares how he amuses himself these days. Which of the activities that he mentions have you most recently enjoyed: playing solitaire, reading a book, or listening to the radio?

A. I read a book.

2) The lead singer is tenor Bill Kenny. Which range is your voice: soprano, alto, tenor or bass?

A. I think it's soprano except when it's alto. Or something. I should know this but I don't.

3) When Bill was on vacation in Atlantic City, he entered a series of talent contests and won 21 of 22. This led to his first professional booking. Tell us about a vacation of yours that took an unexpected turn.

A. One summer my parents went to the beach, and instead of staying in the water or in the sand, I spent all of my time in the pavilion playing . . . Bingo. I think I was about 15. No one, including me, expected me to spend my vacation time playing Bingo.

4) This song was composed by Duke Ellington. He received many honors, including a coin struck in his honor. In 2009, he graced the District of Columbia's commemorative quarter. Do you save coins in a jar or piggy bank?

A. We have a bank that is shaped like a bear in a firefighter's costume.

5) In 1976, Stevie Wonder recorded a tribute to Ellington called "Sir Duke." What's your favorite Stevie Wonder song?

A. Superstition.

6) The lyrics were written by Bob Russell. When he began his career, he shared an apartment with future novelist and TV screenwriter Sidney Sheldon. Have you ever tried your hand at writing lyrics, a novel or a screenplay?

A. Yes. I've written lyrics and recorded them. Here is one of those songs that I wrote both the lyrics and music to. (And maybe someone can tell me if that's soprano or alto. I think it's the former.) I have parts of novels stuffed in drawers or lost on computer hard drives some place. The lyrics to this song are at this blog post.

7) In 1942, when this record was released, the federal government established a rationing system to conserve crucial supplies for our troops. Sugar was the first food to be rationed, followed by coffee and then meat. If you were around back then, which of those items do you think you'd miss the most?

A. Sugar. I don't drink coffee and I don't eat much meat.

8) Also in 1942, actor/singer Peter Tork was born. Without looking it up, do you know why Peter Tork was famous?

A. He was a member of the Monkees, wasn't he?

9) Random question -- Have you ever deliberately lost a game?

A. Yes. I've grown bored with games and lost them simply to move on to something else.

______________

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. 

May Flowers

 

Thursday Thirteen

Lessons learned during the year of the pandemic:

1. I spend less money at the grocery store when I do pickup than when I go in the store to make purchases. No impulse buying.

2. Facetime is a decent replacement for in-person time, but it's not the same.

3. Hugs are wonderful and I miss(ed) them more than I ever thought I would.

4. It's okay for two people to be in the same house and not speak for long periods of time.

5. Friends and family are important for numerous reasons, but mostly because you love them (and hopefully they love you back.).

6. Masks are helpful for keeping away infections. I was much healthier during the year of the pandemic than at any other time in my life. I only needed an antibiotic twice in a year. I think that's a record.

7. People are generally nice, but there are also many mean and angry people out there. Sometimes they show up in unexpected places.

8. It's ok to do nothing.

9. Being kind to yourself and the ones you are closest to is more important than money.

10. Time is the most precious commodity we have. Some days, simply getting out of bed is a wise use of time. Don't let anyone think you've "wasted time" if you're doing something you enjoy, like a crossword puzzle or a video game or whatever. It's your life. Live it.

11. Learning new things takes effort.

12. My stress is less when I am not around people, but there is a fine balance between being alone and being lonely. It's a very thin line.

13. I don't need new things to keep me happy, except for reading materials. I got by without new clothes, new toys, new cars, new furniture, etc., but books were a must.

Did the pandemic year teach you anything? Care to share? 

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 705th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Chiefs

Chiefs

By Stuart Woods

Copyright 1981

Stuart Woods in the last 20 years has been writing what one might call "trash novels" for men. The books focus on a single character, Stone Barrington, who has gone from NYC police detective to multi-millionaire lawyer who dates the president-elect. My husband reads these books (which means I do too, before they're donated to the library). I call them "wet dream" books because Barrington sleeps with nearly every woman he meets without a condom in sight.

Imagine my surprise then, when I went back into the archives of Stuart Woods and picked up Chiefs for my husband. This book won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for fiction and focuses on three separate men over a span of 50 years.

This is not one of the Stuart Woods books I know. This is a book worth reading.

The book is about the police chiefs in the southern town of Delano, Georgia. The story begins with the first man hired, William Lee, who has a murder on his hands not long after he becomes chief, and the murder (and those that follow) remains unsolved for 50 years, so it flows through the hands of several men before there is resolution.

This book stands out for its characterization and its explicit take on race relations. I had no trouble believing in the racism and biases in this book, which dominate much of the narrative, because this attitude continues today. I've heard men talk like the men in this book do.

This book also touches on politics and power. It is a good reflection of the world today even though it was written 40 years ago.

Unfortunately, we live in a time when there are people who want to take us back to the days when it was fine for the white man to call the black man "boy" and expect subservience from both blacks and women (of all colors). While the book shows the passage of time through changing race relations, it is instructional and enlightening to see how very little things have changed, especially in the southern United States.

This is excellent work, with great writing, and a good lesson for all who want to understand the history of where we were - and where we may be headed if we aren't careful.

Apparently in 1983, CBS made a mini-series out of this book. I have not seen this but may have to see if I can find it.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. List five problems with social media.

A. (1) People use it for inane purposes. (2) The algorithms are set up to force a feedback loop or echo chamber. (3) It could be a great source for information, but it isn't. (4) Too much advertising and it's creepy how the advertisers know you recently talked about something yet never looked it up on the computer. (5) Mark Zuckerberg.

2. Name a place you would like to live, but have never visited.

A. Ireland.

3. Who is someone who fascinates you, and why?

A. Nora Roberts. She writes readable stories and consistently strives to change up her work. She's like the anti-Danielle Steel, who has written the same story over and over again for as long as I can remember. Roberts also stands up for herself and other writers on her Facebook page, which I follow, and I appreciate that.

4. Do you have tattoos?  What are they and why?

A. I have no tattoos. Lots of scars, but no tattoos.

5. Name a book you love. Now name one you didn’t.

A. Lord of the Rings is a book I love. I do not love pornographic books or horror books. I don't read them so I can't really name one.

6. Name a fruit you dislike, and explain why.

A. I do not eat oranges. I do not dislike them, I have a sensitivity to them. They make the insides of my ears itch when I eat them.

7. What are two words/phrases that make you laugh?

A. Now you must bring me . . . a shrubbery! 

8.  What is a quote you try to live by?

A. Do no harm.

9. Tell about something you miss.

A. I miss having a schedule. Even though I have freelanced for nearly 30 years, I had a schedule at one time, with regular hours. Since I have basically stopped freelancing, I don't have a schedule, and I feel a little lost without one.

10. List three weird traits you have.

A. I quote Lord of the Rings for everything. I cannot leave the house without a watch on my wrist. I have to sit with my back to the wall in restaurants.

11. What did you wear today?

A. Jeans and a t-shirt.

12. What is a word/phrase you use constantly?

A. That's interesting.

13. What is one thing you’re excited about?

A. My nephew is coming in from out of state later this month, and I am looking forward to seeing him. Also, my niece made the Dean's List in her freshman year this year, and I am really proud of her.

14. How do you feel about ageism?

A. I'm aging. I don't like it much. As far as discriminating against older folks, I know it exists and it's not fair, but most things in life aren't fair, and when you're an old bitty like me, you know that.

15. List three interesting facts about yourself.

A. I play multiple musical instruments. I have published thousands of articles and photographs. I still keep in contact with my teachers from high school and my professors from college.

_______________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Mom

Saturday 9: Mom (2016)

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

1) Meghan Trainor's mom gets a vocal credit on this song ("featuring Kelli Trainor") because the audio of a mother/daughter phone call is included on the recording. Who is the last person you spoke to (not texted!) on the phone?

A. My friend Teresa.

2) The earliest version of this song was a poem co-written by Meghan and her brother as a gift to their mom. Do you enjoy writing/crafting/baking or making some kind of gift for people?

A. I have made some photo books and notecards to give away to people. But I'm not crafty so I generally don't make people things.

3) Meghan's mom ran Jewel of the Isle, a jewelry store in Nantucket, MA. Have you ever visited Massachusetts? If so, where have you gone?

A. I have not visited Massachusetts.

4) Mother's Day is a big holiday for card shops. So are birthdays, weddings, and dozens of other special occasions. Hallmark sells greetings for everything from "Congratulations on Your New Job" to "Happy Retirement." Who received the most recent card you bought?

A. I sent out some "Happy Spring" cards to several friends in March.

5) While Crazy Sam was growing up, her mother used to scold her for leaving dirty dishes in the sink. Sam admits it: as an adult she still puts off washing her dishes. Are you more like mother or daughter? Do you clean up after every meal, or do you let the dishes stack up?

A. I clean up.

6) Mother's Day is for grandmothers, too. Sam grew up calling her grandmother "Grandgran." What did you call your grandmother?

A. Grandma.

7) The German word for "mother" is "mutter." What other German words do you know?

A. Schadenfreude

8) In the United Kingdom, Mothering Sunday is celebrated. It's on the fourth Sunday in Lent (March 14 this year) and in addition to flowers and cards, mothers are treated to Simnel cake. Are you going to indulge in any sweets this weekend?

A. I plan to bake a small cake for my mother-in-law. Whether or not I eat any of it remains to be seen.

9) To celebrate Mother's Day, Sam is giving away her mother's favorite: Hershey Bars! Would you prefer classic milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate with almonds?

A. I will have to pass this go-round, I'm afraid. I still cannot eat chocolate. But I appreciate the thought!

______________

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 Thirteen

I have been seeing a lot of people complaining about not being able to find workers at the moment. Most are blaming the federal government's unemployment compensation. People can make nearly as much staying home doing nothing as working, or so the employers say.

Perhaps this is a moment of reckoning? If a business owner can't find workers right now, then perhaps that job shouldn't exist, at least not in its current incarnation. 

I thought I'd see if I could come up with 13 other reasons besides unemployment benefits that might be contributing to this perception of worker shortage.

1. Childcare. Many parents have had to change their work schedules and/or leave jobs to deal with the lack of public education as schools moved to online learning. Childcare is expensive. How many families discovered that they could do without the second income if they weren't paying for childcare?

2. Elder care. We have a number of elderly folks who are staying home who might otherwise have gone to assisted living. Now, because of Covid, they are afraid to go to such places. Someone must care for them. This generally falls on a family member, who would not have time to work.

3. Concern about Covid exposure. Any job that deals with the public offers a stronger risk of exposure.

4. The boss is an anti-vaxxer.

5. The boss insists on vaccinations. (Yes, it works both ways).

6. The hours are poor and compared to the wages, not worth it.

7. People have learned to value something besides money in the last year, like time spent with family, and no longer want those 60-hour work weeks.

8. People have learned new skills or gone back to school (online) to learn new skills and plan to change careers, not go back to waitressing or clerking or whatever.

9. People have determined that they want to live life on their terms, and not be a wage slave. They have discovered they can do with less. 

10. Some have discovered skills they didn't know they had and perhaps hope to use as a step up to an entrepreneurial career. (Painting, working with clay, whatever.)

11. The atmosphere of the workplace is toxic. Word gets around. People know what places to avoid. 

12. The workplace isn't following appropriate guidelines for Covid right now (no masks, etc.)

13. There is no affordable housing in the area where the job is located.

I could come up with more, but hopefully I'm making a point here. I don't think it is all about the unemployment benefits. I think we're at a place where people see that there is more to life than the almighty dollar bill - that time spent on self-care is vital, that time with loved ones is necessary, that a life lived in a box churning out work for someone else is no life at all. A year of reflection can create great change in the thinking processes of people.

Capitalism is a poor economic system. It requires that there always be people on the bottom to trounce on. There are better ways of doing things. 

Perhaps the population as a whole is figuring that out.

It is not always about the money.

(This turned up in my FB feed this morning.)

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 705th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Environmental Sensitivities

I wanted to write more about something I briefly touched on in yesterday's post - environmental sensitivities.

The world and I do not get along, generally speaking. I have allergies and sensitivities (they are two separate things).

My allergies include every grass on the planet except for a species in Asia, all trees, flowers, dust mites, bugs and insects, bees, shellfish, citrus fruit, cow's milk, and black pepper, among other things. I avoid the food as much as possible - none of it will kill me, it makes me quite sick, though. As for the pollen and dust, I do the best I can with that.

Face masks help a lot. I did not realize how much until this past year. I will be wearing one for the rest of my life, I suspect.

My environmental sensitivities include: deodorants, perfumes, perfumed soaps of all kinds, perfumed candles, lotions, and anything else that smells, animals in all forms, paint, new carpeting, cigarettes, cigars, bleaches and other cleaning products, dyes in clothing, and a myriad mountain of other things.

My nose is incredibly sensitive. I smell things other people cannot. For example, I smelled mold in the living room for several years every the summer, and we couldn't find the source. When we replaced the windows in 2019, the carpenter found rotted wood around the window frame in the living room. He removed that and replaced it with good wood, and I've not smelled mold in there again.

It bothered me so much that I didn't sit on that side of the room unless I had to, even though we couldn't find the source of the mold.

I do not go to people's houses. Most folks have animals and I do not begrudge them their pets, but I cannot take the dander. I don't care how many times one vacuums, to me, it smells like an animal. It's the same with cigarette smoke and strong perfumes. The odor can linger for days. So I do not buy anything used, either, unless it is washable.

Even washing doesn't always help. When I purchase new clothing, especially jeans, I have to wash them about 10 times before I can wear them. The dye smell on them bothers me greatly. I wash them in white vinegar or baking soda. All of my soaps, laundry and bath, are unscented. There isn't a scented soap anywhere in the house.

Once I bought a pair of black jeans and the dye smell would not wash out of them. I put the jeans in a closet in my husband's office, and two years later, I could still smell the dye in them.

My deodorant is unscented. So is my husband's. When we started dating, along about the fifth date, I told him that I wanted to keep seeing him, but he was going to have to do something about his aftershave and deodorant. He wore Old Spice and it made my face break out when we kissed. The next time I saw him, he'd switched to unscented everything. If I hadn't fallen in love with him already, I probably would have then. I mean, to give up Old Spice for me! That was love.

Additionally, this issue is not a little inconvenience or me being picky or whatever one might want to think. This sensitivity to the world makes me quite ill. I used to miss at least 30 days of school every year. I missed a lot of work, too, when I worked for other people. I refused to cover the schools because I became ill every time I went into the school building.

There are stores I simply cannot frequent because they smell. Before Virginia stopped allowing cigarette smoke in restaurants, we didn't go out to eat often because I couldn't take the cigarette smoke. There are still places that do not obey that law, and they do not get my business.

Such environmental triggers cause asthma attacks, which then leads to an upper respiratory infection, and sometimes a long illness that hangs on - no joke - for over a month. It is not worth visiting a friend with a pet, no matter how much I love the friend, to risk spending a month in bed. Especially since sometimes those upper respiratory infections go on into pneumonia.

Some people understand this. Most people don't. I don't have too many visitors in the house and don't like strangers in the house because most people wear perfumed something. Axe deodorant is the worst - it is hard to get that smell out of the house once someone has been here a while.

I do not clean with harsh chemicals - I mostly use white vinegar. I use furniture polish for sensitive people, even!

Some of these items became difficult to find last year as the supply chain faltered. I am at the end of a large tub of Cheer Free laundry detergent and am hoping I can tolerate washing my underclothes in All Free & Clear because I can't find Cheer Free anymore. It's been out of stock for months. All detergent is what I use on my jeans and such, but my lingerie has been washed in Cheer free for as long as I can remember because I knew that didn't make me break out in tender places. I hope those tender places can tolerate All. I will be finding out soon.

Unfortunately, I think being home this past year has made me even more intolerant to various odors. I walked through Food Lion yesterday and could not get down the aisle with the laundry detergent and cleaners. It took my breath even through my mask.

This is hard. It is also hard work to try to stay well when the world makes you so sick. I'm not asking for pity or anything, but I do wish other people understood that the perfume they've bathed in is not sweet-smelling to everyone.

To somebody like me, it's a prelude to a antibiotic.

My Beat Up Six-String

This is a guitar I have not ever had on my blog, I don't think. It's been in the back of the closet for about 20 years.

It's a Yamaha FG-150. This guitar was made from 1968 to 1972. My grandfather gave this one to me when I was about 16, around 1979. He brought it with him from California, where he lived, when he and my grandmother drove in to visit.

He'd added a single pickup to it, to amplify the sound. One of the original tuning keys was missing and had been replaced with something that did not match. (It's still on there.)

The thing was beat up all over the back and had a scar across the front.

To further desecrate the instrument, my grandfather wrote my name in tiny little letters near the neck - in ink. The ink has since faded, but the indentation of the pen remains. At the time, I found that incredibly irritating but today I'm glad I have his handwriting on the guitar, however faded it may be.

This is the guitar I played for many years. While most of the scars were already on it - the ones on the back I think came from my grandfather's belt buckle while the one on the front probably came from a watch band - I'm sure I added a few nicks and scratches to it myself.

I bought a Takamine classical guitar around 1990 and put the Yamaha in a case and stowed it in the closet.

I played the Takamine for a long time. By then, my back had become troublesome and holding my heavy electric guitars was problematic, so I'd stopped using those.

After a while, even the Takamine became difficult for me to hold. Since it was a classical guitar, it didn't have a strap on it to help hold it up.

The mini-Taylor is on the left, the
 Takamine is on the right. Note the little
 button on the bottom of the
 mini-Taylor. That's for the strap.

So I started seeking out a different guitar. First I bought a mini-Taylor while we were vacationing in Charleston, SC. It sounded clear and was small. It played well and I could hold it. Then in 2019, I purchased a cheap Epiphone Les Paul Special that was, for an electric guitar, relatively lightweight. 

This is the cheap Epiphone electric.

I played those two guitars for the last several years. In August 2020, I had a bad upper respiratory infection (it was not Covid) that put me to bed for nearly two weeks. I had also stopped seeing my chiropractor because of Covid, unless I was having a real problem, so my back wasn't receiving the attention it needed. (I generally see the chiropractor every two weeks.)

By the time I'd recovered from the upper respiratory infection, I could not pick up my electric guitar and hold it for very long without it causing strain on my back. The mini-Taylor also started bothering me. I began sitting more when I played, but still experienced pain. I tried different positions, but nothing helped.

The straps on these two guitars go from the body area only. There is a peg for a loop for a strap on the bottom and another at the top of the body where the neck connects on both guitars. I strong suspected the weight distribution was a problem, but I didn't know what to do about it except constantly change positions and try to keep things from hurting.

Of course the less I played, the more my fingers hurt when I did play. Playing an instrument is like writing - it's a skill that one must continually nurture. (That's why I write this blog, to nurture that skill.) So I kept picking up the guitar almost daily even if I only played one song. That was frustrating, though, because I couldn't practice or learn anything new. I was just trying to keep the calluses on my fingertips.

About a month ago, I was watching an old tape of Melissa Etheridge and Dolly Parton doing a duet together. I noticed that Dolly Parton was playing a small Martin (they don't make them like that anymore) and her strap did not attach to the body on the left side - it went up to the neck. 

That meant that the weight distribution went more across the top of the shoulders and there was less tension on one set of muscles on the left shoulder.

Dolly Parton's strap was more like a rope while Melissa Etheridge's strap was thick and went down the front.

The only guitar I had that allowed for a strap from the neck to the back of the guitar body was my old Yamaha.

So I dug it out of the closet, dusted it off, and put new strings on it.

However, even after cleaning it, the guitar smelled musty. You know, like your grandma's attic. The odor came from the sound hole in the guitar, and because I am so environmentally sensitive to everything, I couldn't ignore it. In fact, I developed another sinus infection that I suspect was a combination of trying to play this guitar and pollen.

I couldn't even play it long enough to see if the change in strap position would make much difference.

Ridding something old of that musty smell is a challenge. I put a dryer sheet in the hole. I placed cotton balls swabbed with Ozium in the hole (it smells sort of lemony). However, the musty smell remained and I was frustrated.

Then I watched an old Fleetwood Mac concert on TV. Lindsay Buckingham was playing a Rick Turner electric guitar (would love to have one of those, but it's a $15,000 guitar, so no). I noticed that on all of his guitars, though, he had the sound hole covered.

Sound hole covers are generally used to keep guitars from "feeding back" or squealing through the amplifier.

They aren't very expensive. I bought one online and it arrived yesterday. It didn't fit exactly because of my grandfather's modifications to the guitar, but my husband was able to trim it up. I slipped the sound hole cover over the sound hole and guess what! I can't smell the musty smell. It's trapped in the guitar (along with a sheet of Bounce).

Now to see if I can get my fingers back to playing without my back feeling like it might break!

(As a plus, I was surprised to find that the Yamaha is lighter than the mini-Taylor, even though the Taylor is a smaller guitar. It must be made of a heavier wood.)

Wish me luck.

And lots of practice time.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. What was your proudest moment?

A. I should probably say my wedding day, but honestly I think it was when I received my master's degree.

 
2. What is your favorite childhood memory?

A. My grandmother holding me on her lap and singing "Daisy, Daisy" to me.

3. Describe your dream vacation.

A. It would be a year-long around the world vacation, with a guide, a personal assistant, and a massage therapist in a large private jet. (First, there would be a time machine and I'd be about 33 years old.) We would visit every single continent, spend time in Italy, New Zealand, Japan, Ireland, England, South Africa, Brazil, and see the pyramids, Machu Picchu, The Great Wall of China, Paris, St. Petersburg, etc. After that, I'd go up in a SpaceX ship and spend a week on the Space Station. I don't think I could take those confined quarters for any longer than a week.

Well, the question said "dream vacation" and didn't put limits on it.

4. Do you see yourself as an optimist, pessimist, or realist?  Why?

A. A realist with pessimistic leanings. I have learned over the years that the glass is always half empty and somebody else gets to drink the water. All I am able to do is look at it.

5. What is something you wanted to do as a child, but never got to do?

A. I wanted to go on an archeology dig and look for dinosaurs.

6. What board game do you hate the most?

A. I haven't played a board game in years. I don't recall hating any of them.

7. Describe the worst haircut you ever got.

A. That might be the one I had back in early March, or possibly a majority of the cuts I've had in the last 2 1/2 years since my regular stylist retired and I have had a difficult time finding a replacement. I've grown used to looking like a dog chewed up my hair.

8. What’s the worst job you ever had?

A. I took a job at a bank and stayed less than two months. It was the most boring, unthinking, rote work I have ever done in my life, and I sat at my desk and cried every day. It wasn't a bank, it was a credit union. One did not deal with customers, just opened envelopes with checks and made totals in columns. It was a real mess, because my parents banked there, and my father was quite angry with me for not sticking with the job. But I quit and went to college, which was where I wanted to be in the first place. We bank there now. That was almost 40 years ago.

9. What is one thing you want to be remembered for?

A. My writing, I suppose. I tried hard to educate the public on local issues.

10. On a scale of 1-10, what is the highest level of pain you’ve ever experienced?

A. Ten, after gallbladder surgery. The surgeon very unhelpfully left no orders for me to receive pain medication, because he was in a hurry to get to his tennis game, and I writhed in pain with nothing but Tylenol for several hours before someone from his practice finally gave the nursing staff the OK for pain meds. It's a good think his partner came in the next morning to send me home, because I think my husband would have punched him in the nose.

11. What fashion trend do you wish would go away?

A. I don't pay much attention to fashion. People can dress however they want.

12. What’s the weirdest dream you’ve ever had?

A. Most of mine are weird. I can't say that there are any that are weirder than the others.

13. What are 2 weaknesses you have?

A. I'm a bleeding heart and I take people at their word, generally, so I am easily lied to (and thus easily hurt).

14. How would you spend your 100th birthday?

A. I expect to spend it in the cemetery, but if I live that long, maybe someone will remember me and come visit.

15. What food/drinks would you pack in a picnic basket?

A. Sandwiches, Diet Dr. Pepper for my husband, bottles of water, potato chips, cookies, and a piece of cake for each of us.

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I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Love Story

Saturday 9: LOVE STORY (2008)

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

1) The lyrics tell us about a romantic summer night on a balcony. Does your home have a balcony?

A. No. We built a single-story family ranch-style house.

2) Taylor Swift sings that her father warns her boyfriend to stay away, but she sees him anyway. Tell us about a time you defied your parents.

A. Oh my. Many times. I was a bad little kitten in my teen years. However, even with all that, I think my mother was most upset when my soon-to-be husband and I went with friends to Myrtle Beach for a few days after we became engaged. Even though we were being "chaperoned" by another couple, she didn't want me to go. Seems rather quaint now, the way kids live together long before marriage.

3) The castle in this video looks European, but it's in Arrington, TN. Castle Gwynn is the site of the annual Tennessee Renaissance Fair. This May the festival will be back, and among the items food vendors are offering are Scotch eggs. When did you most recently eat eggs, and how were they prepared?

A. I had eggs last weekend, and they were scrambled. My husband has taken to preparing Sunday breakfast since he retired.

4) Love Story is also the story of Jenny and Oliver in a book by Erich Segal and a movie starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal. Are you familiar with either the book or the movie?

A. I've never read the book nor have I seen the movie, but I play the original theme song from the movie on my guitar.

5) Taylor was born in Reading, PA. which is home to the Reading Railroad, one of the four railroads featured in Monopoly. Without looking it up, can you name the two most expensive Monopoly properties?

A. Boardwalk and Atlantic, I think. I haven't played Monopoly in many years. Nope, I looked it up. Boardwalk and Park Place. There are some things that are yellow that I always tried to get because they payed pretty well and someone almost always landed on them. Marvins Gardens & Atlantic Avenue.

6) When she's not performing on stage, Taylor likes to keep it casual and prefers to wear cowboy boots. Tell us about your favorite footwear.

A. Sneakers. Just plain ol' white sneakers.

7) Taylor's brother, Austin Swift, is an actor and producer who studied photography at college. Think about the last picture you took. Did you use your phone, tablet or camera? (Feel free to share it, if you'd like.)

A. I used the camera, and it was this picture:

 

8) In 2008, the year this song was popular, the Emmy Award winning show Breaking Bad premiered. Were you a fan?

A. I have never heard of it.

 

9) Random question: You and your best friend sit down to write the story of how/when you met. Do you think the stories would be almost the same or quite different? (In other words, will you two remember the event the same way?)

A. I suspect we will remember the stories quite differently.

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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 Thirteen

1. The best line of President Biden's speech last night, for me, was "What do you think, deer wear Kevlar?" The sudden image that brought to mind was priceless.

2. The local Republicans have their firehouse primary on Saturday. I expect it to be a clusterfuck, but because there is no Democrat running for office, my husband and I are planning to vote in this primary. I've never voted in a "firehouse primary" so this will be a new experience.

3. The trees are nearly leafed out, which is a good thing because the pollen count is as high as a sinus infection on a giant.

4. My husband is sitting beside me. He picks up the binoculars. He thought he saw something, but it was nothing.

5. How many things in life turn out to be nothing when we think they are something?

6. We have mild cloud cover today with a chance of rain later. Hopefully it will wash the pollen out of the air.

7. Seems like we have much more wind these days than we did when I was a child.

8. The month is almost over. Four months of the year gone, and I feel unaccomplished. However, I would tell anyone else that simply living through these trying times is doing the best you can, so I shall tell myself the same.

9. Last night's speech from President Biden was long and at times tedious, but at least it wasn't dystopian and apocalyptical. I like dystopian literature but I'm not so fond of it in real life.

10. I don't know if I am looking forward to a return of in-store grocery shopping or not. It's rather nice to have someone load my groceries. But I have not had a loaf of bread that wasn't smashed in a year.

11. Smashed bread eats as well as un-smashed bread, but it makes a lopsided sandwich sometimes.

12. January 6 was a turning point for me. It should have been for a lot of people, but some seem to be sweeping it into a history pile of distortion. I know what I saw.

13. This Thursday 13 has been a meandering one, like a stream that can't find the right path down the gully. Not overflowing it's banks, mind you, more like, a spring that's been dripping from the hillside and now the water needs a path to roam.

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 704thd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Dandelion

 

Dying Dogwood Blossoms