Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. What is the best thing about your birthday?

A. That I'm still alive? Generally, it's just another day, although a few people may remember and give me good wishes or even a present.

2. What is your favorite thing to do for your birthday?

A. Eat white cake with white icing, along with a few strawberries.

3. What’s one thing you learned in the past year?

A. Reaching out to others is not a bad thing.

4. What do you wish for in the next year?

A. Good health.

5. What’s the best thing about turning a year older?

A. I'm not sure there is a best thing. It puts me a year closer to Medicare. Maybe that.

6. What was the most fun thing you did in the last year?

A. We're still in pandemic mode. We don't do "fun."

7. If you could understand any animal, which would it be?

A. Dogs.

8. What is something that used to be hard, but is now easy?

A. Everything is hard. Well, getting dressed is easier since I stopped wearing makeup. I still can't find anything I'm not allergic to.

9. If you could only keep one thing in your room, what would it be?

A. My computer.

10. Which person makes you laugh the most? Why?

A. My friend T. makes me laugh a lot.

11. If you could go back in time, when and where would you go?

A. I would go back to pre-human times and step on a butterfly. Read this if you don't get the reference.

12. If you were to bury a secret treasure, where would you bury it?

A. If I told you that, it wouldn't be a secret!

13. What is your favorite memory?

A. The day the first article I wrote came out in the newspaper. That's a good memory. I was so excited to see my first byline.

14. How have you helped others lately?

A. I suppose so.

15. If you had to repeat a day over & over, how you'd want it to go?

A. I kind of do that now. They're just one long, drawn-out chore with a little down time in places.

__________

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: Saturday Night's Alright

Saturday 9: Saturday Night's Alright (1973)

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

 

1) In this song, Elton John tells us it's 7:00 PM on Saturday evening and he's ready to rock with his friends. What will you be doing at 7:00 this evening?

A. Settling in to read a good book, I hope.

 

2) His sister is ready to party, too. The lyrics tell us she looks cute with "a handful of grease in her hair." What haircare products would we find in your bathroom right now?

A. Just shampoo, conditioner, a blow dryer, a comb, and a brush.

3) He sings that by Saturday, he's had it with the aggravation and discipline of the past week and now he's ready to cut loose. How did last week treat you?

A. Well, Friday was an eye-opener, but I finished up what I needed to do to get the taxes off to the accountant, which is always a relief.

4) This Saturday night finds Elton and his friends "packed pretty tight" in their bar of choice. Agoraphobics have a hard time feeling safe in busy, crowded places. How about you? Are you comfortable in a crowd?

A. I am not.

5) The lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin, Elton's frequent collaborator. Bernie ranks this near the top of his favorite Elton John records. What's your favorite?

A. Hmm. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me, I think, although that's a tough call.

6) Elton has turned his bad eyesight into a hobby, claiming that over the years he has purchased well over 200,000 pairs of glasses. Do you wear glasses? If so, how many prescription pairs do you own?

A. I have one pair that I wear, but I think there are two pairs of older prescriptions in the drawer. I meant to drop them in the Lion's Club bin at the eye doctor's office but I forgot them.

 

7) Elton once had to cancel an international tour because of an emergency appendectomy. Do you still have your appendix?

A. Yes. I thought for the longest time that I did not, as the doctor had said they would take my appendix when they performed my hysterectomy when I was 29 years old. But when I had my gallbladder removed when I turned 50, they told me my appendix was still in there.

 

8) In 1973, when this song was popular, M*A*S*H was at the top of the ratings. Who is your favorite M*A*S*H character?

A. Hawkeye.

9) Random question: Who is the wisest person you know?

A. It depends on the subject matter. If I wanted business advice, I'd ask my father. For cooking, I'd ask my brother. For crafts, I'd ask one of my friends who is into that. And so on and so forth. To be honest, I'm not exactly unwise. I've been told I give good advice on several occasions. Plus, I'm old and I've been around the block a time or two. Although being old alone does not make you wise. I know some ignorant old people. But most everyone is wise about something or another after they've lived long enough.

_______________

I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.  

An Early Spring

I looked outside yesterday and noticed a little color had crept into the world of the winter:

My daffodils are up and blooming. Those green shoots around them are my irises. Just look at all of those blooms coming on the daffodils! It should be a sea of yellow if the warm weather continues.

It is looking like Spring will be here before we know it.

Thursday Thirteen #795

Today, some helpful home remedies/fixes for various and sundry things. I have tried all of these, with varying degrees of success.

1. If you need a fast way to make your teeth shiny, rub them with olive oil.

2. Castor oil applied daily to spots on your skin can make them go away. However, it must be done daily, and the spots may reappear when you stop using the castor oil.

3. If you have small, raised moles and you've had your doctor check them out and you know they're just nuisance growths, you can tie a piece of dental floss around them and remove them. Just be sure you've checked them out first.

4. Mayonnaise or shaving cream can help lessen a white spot on furniture (the kind caused by somebody leaving a glass on the furniture).

5. Vitamin E rubbed on scar tissue can make it look less, well, scarry.

6. Aloe helps with burns. It can also help with stomach acid issues, but always check with your doctor first.

7. For sore throats, add Milk of Magnesia to your salt-water gargle (I also add children's liquid Benedryl which has a numbing effect). The Milk of Magnesia adds a coating that will ease the pain. This also helps with canker sores.

8. For laryngitis, boil together a cup of apple cider vinegar, a tablespoon of honey, and a teaspoon of tabasco sauce. Use it as a gargle. Save the mixture in the refrigerator and reheat it in the microwave. (Yes, it tastes as bad as it sounds but it helps.)

9. Cherries, especially tart cherries, help with gout and some types of arthritis. Like everything else, one has to eat them daily and it may take weeks to see results.

10. Peppermint oil rubbed on the forehead can ease a headache.

11. Ginger can help with an upset tummy.

12. Apple cider vinegar helps with stomach acid problems. (I don't know why; it seems counterintuitive.)

13. Lastly, I am going to address tinnitus. I have had it as long as I can remember. Back in the fall, I had a case of swimmer's ear. The antibiotic drops the doctor gave me helped the infection, and as a bonus, my tinnitus went away. Then it came back. On my next trip to my doctor, she told me my ear canals were too dry. She suggested sweet oil. The sweet oil I remember from childhood seems to not be available; everything is simply olive oil. I had homeopathic ear drops in my cabinet that I had used a few times for ear pain, and I asked if I could use those to relieve my dry ear canals. The doctor said sure, so my husband began putting them in my ear twice a day. And my tinnitus went away. If we miss a day, it comes back, and some days it is there anyway, but it's not as bad. The drops I am using are Hyland's Natural Earache Drops. You can find them at CVS and probably other stores. However, I have also tried the olive oil, and it helps the tinnitus as well (it's just messier than the premade ear drops). This may just be me, but it might be worth a try. Maybe everyone with tinnitus has dry ear canals? You'd think the medical community would have figured out that this could be a problem by now, wouldn't you?

__________________

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 795th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Books: In Such Good Company

In Such Good Company
By Carol Burnett

Copyright 2017

Winner of the 2017 Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album

This was not what I expected.

A book written and read by Carol Burnett should have been a laugh a minute, right? I grew up watching her show. She was hilarious. So, I checked this out of the library because I thought I could use a good laugh.

I laughed once, and that was at some point in the last 2 hours of the audio when she did the Tarzan yell.

This is a behind-the-scenes story of her show. She goes through skits, talks about guest stars, and mentioned cameramen, producers, and loads of other people.

She talks about how Vickie Lawrence, Tim Conway, Harvey Korman and Lyle Waggoner joined the show. 

What she doesn't do is talk much about Carol Burnett. Oh, there are a few stories here and there - the pulling on her ear was a signal to her grandmother, who raised her, telling her she loved her, for example. There are hints that she went to college, that she went to New York to be in the theater, that she and her husband Joe worked well together; she mentions having children.

But there is little of Carol Burnett in this reading. I guess if you're a connoisseur of old TV and want to know how things worked back in the day, this might be a great read. I did not mind listening to it, not at all, and I learned a great deal. 

However, I wanted to know about Carol Burnett.

I wanted to know her favorite color. How she raised her children while she worked. If she ever finished college. There are hints of her life throughout, but only hints. There is no deep outing of Carol Burnett in these lines.

One of the things that struck me was the difference in hours between Carol's work on this weekly show - from the sounds of it she put in 6-hour days, mostly - and Kate Mulgrew's 12-18 hour days for Star Trek: Voyager. (I recently read Mulgrew's autobiography.) Carol mentioned that she could take the kids to school and pick them up most days, except for the day they did the show. Kate Mulgrew's kids grew up barely seeing their mother for 7 years while she worked on Voyager.

At any rate, if you want to know a little about Carol Burnett but a lot about the Carol Burnett show, then this is a great book. If you want to know a lot about Carol Burnett, then it's not so great.

Like anything, it depends on your perspective.

Drop-Off Day

Today was the day I dropped off my taxes at the accountant's office. Whew.

That's a load off of my mind, until she calls with questions. Or tell me how much to pay up.

Our taxes are not simple. We own a farm. We own rental property. My husband has a construction business. I make a little money freelancing. All of that stuff requires bookkeeping.

Last year I did a much better job of keeping up with the paperwork, so January wasn't the "tie butt to chair until you have everything put into Quicken and ready for the accountant" that it has sometimes been in the past.

Hopefully I can keep this momentum going and keep up with things better in 2023, since I have learned my lesson about how much easier it is.

It would help if I liked doing the bookkeeping, but I don't, so I tend to put it off as long as I can. It's just tedious and time-consuming. And who wants to play with numbers when there are other things to do, like read a good book?

At any rate, they're out of my hands, at least for now.

Whew.

Can't Do This Anymore

A notice from the Division of Motor Vehicles telling me my license must be renewed before my birthday reminded me of how I actually received my license in the first place.

Today, if you go in for your license, you have to take your papers. And maybe your momma's papers. When we went for our Real IDs just prior to the pandemic, we took along everything but the kitchen sink. I think we even took the deed to the house.

We didn't need most of it, but better safe than sorry, especially when the DMV is an hour's drive away.

But in 1978, all I needed was my daddy.

When I went to the DMV to get my learners permit, I guess it was, my father took me. I did not have my birth certificate with me. I seem to recall this was a spur of the moment initiative on my dad's part, and I hadn't really prepared to do this that particular day.

Hence the lapse.

At any rate, because I didn't have my birth certificate, the nice lady behind the counter was going to send me home. I was upset about this, and tears sprang into my eyes, not only because I wasn't getting my permit, but because I'd get an ass-chewing for not having the paperwork and wasting my father's time when we got into the car.

The nice lady saw my distress and asked to see my father's driver's license. He presented it. She said, "I'll tell you what, if he can tell me your birthday and it matches with what I have here, I will give you your license."

I looked hopefully at my father, who preceded to give her a date. 

"Daddy!" I wailed. "That's my brother's birthday!"

The woman chuckled. Dad looked embarrassed.

"Don't help him," the woman cautioned. I wiped at a tear.

Dad came through with the right birthday on his second guess. I received my learner's permit without any documentation whatsoever. I don't remember if I presented my birth certificate for my final license, but I suppose I did, having learned that lesson.

I guarantee that story could not be told by anyone trying to get something from the DMV today.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

LAYER 1: Tell us your . . .

* Eye color: Hazel
* Hair color: Salty brown
* Height: Short
* Righty or lefty: Right


LAYER 2: What's . . .

* Your heritage: Scottish, Irish, German, English
* The shoes you wore today: Sneakers
* Your weakness: Food
* Your fears: Spiders and snakes
* Your perfect pizza: veggie pizza sans black olives
* Goals you’d like to achieve: write a book
* Your first waking thoughts: "I have to pee."
* Your best physical feature: My skin.
* Your most missed memory: Um. If I remember it, how can I miss it?


LAYER 3: Do you . . .

* Smoke: No.
* Cuss: Hell yes.
* Sing: Do Re Me Fa So La Te Do - Yes
* Do you think you’ve been in love: Yes
* Did you go to college: Yes
* Liked high school:  Yes
* Believe in yourself: Nope
* Think you’re attractive: Nope
* Think you’re a health freak: Nope
* Like thunderstorms: Yes
* Play an instrument: Yes


LAYER 4: In the past month have you…

* Drunk alcohol: No
* Smoked: No
* Done a drug: Just the prescribed ones.
* Made out: Yes
* Gone on a date: No. I'm married I don't do dates.
* Gone to the mall: No
* Eaten an entire box of Oreos: No
* Eaten sushi: No
* Been on stage: Does making a youtube video count? Oh, I played in a band. I was on stage a lot in high school. Duh.
* Been dumped: No
* Gone skating: No
* Gone skinny dipping: No. It's freezing outside!


LAYER 5: Have you ever…

* Played a game that required removal of clothing: about 50 years ago.
* Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: Yes
* Been caught “doing something”: Yes
* Been called a tease: Not in my presence.
* Gotten beaten up: No, I hit back.

LAYER 6:

* Age you did get/hope to be married: 20
* How do you want to die: Hopefully in my sleep.
* What did you want to be when you grew up: a writer
* What country would you most like to visit: New Zealand


LAYER 7: Now tell . . .

* Name a person you could trust with your life: my husband
* Name a favorite CD that you own: Yes I Am, by Melissa Etheridge
* Number of piercings: 2
* Number of tattoos: 0
* Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper: Thousands. I wrote for the paper and my byline was there in multitudes every week.
* Name a past experience that you regret: too many to list.

__________

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: My Funny Valentine

Saturday 9: My Funny Valentine (1953)

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

1) In this song, Frank sings that his lover is his favorite work of art. Tell us about a piece of artwork you can see from where you're sitting now. (Yes, that crayon drawing by your 5-year-old nephew counts.)

A. The nearest "artwork" is my calendar, which is showing a picture of Dol Inthanon National Park, Thailand. It's a set of stairs covered in moss. It's this picture here:

2) He asks her to not change her hair. When will you next find yourself in the stylist's chair?

A. I had my hair cut on Monday, so not until March.

3) Sinatra is often photographed in hats because he began losing his hair while in his 30s. He wore "a rug" for TV, concert and film appearances but really didn't like it, considering the toupee merely part of his work attire. What do you wear when you wish to appear professional?

A. Makeup and black clothes. Or at least black plants and a lovely blouse.

4) Sinatra is best known for his singing and won an Oscar for his acting. But not many people know he liked to paint until his widow sold his paintings at auction. Do you have a secret talent?

A. Not that I am aware of.

 

5) As a kid, he was a paperboy in his hometown of Hoboken, NJ.  Tell us about one of your early jobs.

A. My earliest "job" was working the summer at my father's office, where I was a file clerk. I hated every minute of it. I also was not taught how to file correctly by someone there, I but learned that in the next year of high school.

  

This is the last Saturday 9 before Valentine's Day and so this morning we shall focus on the upcoming holiday. 

6) The holiday is also known as The Feast of St. Valentine. Do you have a special meal planned for Tuesday?

A. No. We are not celebrating Valentine's Day this year.

7) The phrase "wear your heart on your sleeve" began in medieval times. On Valentine's Day, men would celebrate the holiday by displaying their lady love's name on their sleeves. If you were going to adopt this custom, whose name would you wear?

A. My name of my husband of almost 40 years, of course.

8) Women buy and send more Valentines than men do. Who received the last greeting card you sent?

A. I sent Valentine cards to my great-niece and great-nephew. Prior to that, I sent a birthday card to my nephew.

  

9) Sweethearts, those candy hearts with sayings like "BE MINE" stamped on them, began as throat lozenges. Are you fan of these little candies?

A. I do like those little candies. But then, I am a big fan of sugar.

_______________

I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.  

I Can See Clearly

This is my version of I Can See Clearly Now, by Johnny Nash.

I used my RC-3 Loop Station for the drums. I recorded a background rhythm track, and then went back in and did a little thump thump thing to try to give it more sound.

Not the best, I guess, but all I can do with one guitar.

Thursday Thirteen

1. Yesterday, I melted a trash can. It was in my office, and I accidentally set it in front of a space heater. I started smelling the plastic and turned around and saw the trash can. It didn't catch on fire, but had I left it much longer, it would have.

2. That trash can was at least 25 years old. I doubt I can find one just like it anymore.

3. I have another small plastic trash can in the bathroom that is at least 37 years old. No point in replacing things.

4. Many things in my home are old but still in use. My crock pot was a wedding gift, so it is 39 years old.

5. The clock on the wall in the kitchen is also 39 years old.

6. My desk is about 25 years old. It's one of those Sueter (sp) furniture put-together things (pre-Ikea). Very heavy.

7. My grandmother gave me a musical jewelry box when I was 10, and I still have it displayed. It's 50 years old.

8. I have a little pamphlet-like book called "The Book of Dreams" that I paid 35 cents for. The copyright on it is 1972, so it's 51 years old. I still look at it sometimes, but its notion of what dreams mean has never rang true to me. Fun to read, though.

9. There's a Dallas Cowboys trash can in the bedroom that is 38 years old. It's made of metal.

10. I have guitars that are older than I am.

11. Many of the pans I cook with were marriage gifts. A set of Club cookware in particular comes to mind. 

12. If I won the lottery, there are many things I would consider replacing, but many of these things I would also keep, mostly because I am so used to seeing them.

13. Will the things made today last until someone accidentally melts them with a space heater? I doubt it. Even the trash cans today are made of a lighter plastic than that trash can was.

__________________

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 794th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Playing Catch-Up

January is a horrid month, and I'm glad it's over. February isn't much better, but at least by now I have finished getting the paperwork together for the taxes and have that pain out of the way.

I have been remiss in my blog, though. I don't generally go two days and not write something. I couldn't think of anything to write yesterday that didn't make me tired when I thought about it, so I wrote nothing.

But today I'm not creatively tired, I am ready to write something.

So here goes.

Books

So far this year, I've read A Trick of the Light, by Louise Penny, which was one of the books in her series I skipped by accident, The Recovery Agent, by Janet Evanovich, which is a reworked version of a more competent Stephanie Plum with her ex-husband in Lula's role, Unf#ck Your Brain, by Dr. Faith Harper, a self-help book, Into the Glades, by Laura Sebastian, which is a young adult fantasy, and The Jasmine Throne, by Tasha Suri. 

The last book is an adult fantasy book, and like many of the fantasies I read, it takes on a political tone and examines the role of the feminine in power. The magic in the book was intriguing in that is a feminine magic - control of the Earth's soil and plants, along with another type of magic that involves telling the future. No fire wizards or things like that, although fire plays a big role in this story, wielded as a manly power. Swords and not guns. My only complaint was multiple points of views; I occasionally forgot who was talking and had to flip back to the beginning of the chapter to see whose name was on it. I recommend it if you prefer your books to have strong female characters and can imagine bucking the patriarchy one day.

The book I am currently reading is called Born with Teeth, by Kate Mulgrew. It is an autobiography (not a memoir), and I decided to read it because I try to read nonfiction and fiction alike. The last autobiography I read was Sally Field's. I prefer to read autobiographies or memoir of women, but dang if every woman who writes a memoir hasn't been raped at some point. I know that statistically something like 1 in every 3 women has been raped or a victim of incest or something, but I am not so sure that every single female in this world hasn't been manhandled at the crotch by some guy at some point. Mulgrew was robbed and raped not on a casting couch, but as she tried to fumble her way into her New York apartment with her hands full of grocery bags.

We do a poor job of raising men, if every woman is considered fair game. And apparently, we are.

The State of the Union

I did not watch The State of the Union address last night. I consider that political theater on the part of both sides. I have read varying synopses of is, and as best I can tell, some of the crazier Republicans acted like children and Dark Brandon handed them their ass on an environmentally friendly clay platter.

Since I read about the political scene almost every day, I know the state of the union without the drama and theater. I also buy groceries and gas, and listen to people, and read stuff from both sides of the aisle. The truth and the facts are in the middle. Sorting them out is a yeoman's task.

Contrary to popular belief, neither side represents me. I suspect a lot of people feel like that.

And that's all I have to say about that.

TV

I don't watch much TV, but I started a show on ABC called Alaska Daily that I want to recommend. It stars Hillary Swank and is about a newsroom in Anchorage. Very realistic and good acting. There are only six episodes available so far, but the show returns February 23. You can watch it on the ABC app.

Whose Line Is It Anyway? taped its last show last week. Since my husband and I are probably the only people left who watch the show, this is not unforeseen, but we enjoyed the interplay between the comedians. Also, it was on the CW, and I understand that channel is undergoing a revamp. The only other show I watched on that channel was Stargirl, and it's been cancelled. It had a good ending, though.

We've been watching the new version of Night Court with Melissa Rauch, but I can't decide if I like it or not. La Brae also returned on Tuesday nights. I like this show but have a feeling it's veering off into a direction that I may not like. 

On Thursdays, my husband watches Swamp People and tapes BattleBots. I read during Swamp People; once you've seen a few alligators killed, I don't need to see anymore. I like BattleBots because no one is getting hurt, you're just seeing robots fly to pieces. Too bad real-world problems can't be solved like that.

Life in General

We have re-rented the little house my mother left me, and I have high hopes for my new tenant. My husband on Saturday, on his way over there to finish some projects - every time someone leaves the house, we must spend money and time trying to fix things, replacing light bulbs, unstopping sinks, etc. - and swerved to miss a deer. He took out the mirror on his truck.

My leg is still swollen and tender, but it is no longer throbbing and purple, so it is getting better. I am unclear as to what I have - varicose veins, I think - or how to deal with it, other than stay off of my leg for a long while until things settle down. It is not my back, it's not a Charlie Horse, it's something in my veins. The fact that I am fat doesn't help, even if I did lose 15 pounds back in 2020. I need to lose a lot more.

The bird feeder is a great source of fun. We have lots of cardinals, blue jays, chickadees, etc. there, especially in the mornings. I like watching the birds. I haven't been taking pictures of them because it has been wet and damp, and like the Wicked Witch of the West, I melt in the rain.

I also still haven't found the green comet. The moon has been full, so there's a lot of light, and it may be that even though this is a rural area, there's simply too much light pollution around me now to see it. Or I just can't find it. I found Mars. I found Polaris. I found all the markers I was supposed to find, but no green comet.

The weather has warmed, and the rain has stopped. I may have to go sit outside a spell. I suspect an early spring.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Three names you go by, other than your given name:

A. Sweetie pie, Sis, Daughter.

2. Three things you like about yourself:

A. I can think, I write well, and I am creative.

3. Three things you don't like about yourself:

A. I'm overweight, I'm too sedentary, and I have stubby little toes.

4. Three parts of your heritage:

A. English, Irish, and German

4. Three things you are wearing right now:

A. My watch, my glasses, my clothes.

5. Three favorite bands/musical artists:

A. Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow, The Eagles

6. Three favorite songs:

A. I'm the Only One, by Melissa Etheridge, C'mon, C'mon, by Sheryl Crow, Desperado, by The Eagles.

7. Three things you want in a relationship:

A. Loyalty, brains, and empathy.

8. Three of your favorite hobbies:

A. Reading, writing, playing guitar.

9. Three things that scare you:

A. Running out of money, hospitals, and old white guys who think they own the world.

10. Three of your everyday essentials:

A. Honey Nut Cheerios, Extra Classic Bubble Gum, my desktop.

11. Three places you want to go on vacation:

A. Egypt, Ireland, Scotland

12. Three careers you have considered/are considering:

A. Archeology, geology, teaching

13. Three things you want to do before you die:

A. Eat a hot fudge sundae, write a book, get over myself.

14. Three things you want to do really badly right now: 

A. I need to go to the little girl's room because I've been sitting here too long; get a drink of water, and read a book.

__________

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: Beautiful

Saturday 9: Beautiful (2005)

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

 

1) In this song, Moby sings about a self-involved couple who believes others are fascinated by their glamorous lives. Tell us about the most interesting couple you know.

A. Brenda and Willie were very interesting. They traveled to all 50 states, and they went to craft shows all the time because Willie is a woodturner. They were always doing something. Brenda died in 2021, though.

 

2) This song was inspired by the proliferation of reality shows, where celebrities share their lives on camera. Does the idea of becoming rich and famous in exchange for letting a film crew into your home appeal to you?

A. It does not. For one thing, everyone would be asleep from boredom. They would better off following my husband around, filming him with cows and installing septic tanks.

3) "Beautiful" appears in the soundtrack of the movie The Devil Wears Prada, starring Meryl Streep. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance, which is no surprise because she has more Oscar nominations than any other actor or actress. Do you have a favorite Meryl Streep movie?

A. Mamma Mia! I know it was not the greatest movie, but I enjoyed Streep's performance in it. It's also the only movie of hers that I think I've seen. I have a movie deficit in my knowledge base.

4) Moby has openly discussed how Christ has influenced his life and art. Do you consider yourself religious or spiritual? If yes, how do your beliefs impact your daily life?

A. I don't consider myself to be either religious or spiritual, really. More spiritual than religious, if anything. My beliefs impact my daily life because I believe in being a good person, and that doesn't have anything to do with religion. That's just my morality.

5) His real name is Richard Melville Hall. His parents began calling him "Moby" almost immediately because they felt "Richard Melville Hall" sounded too big for a baby. When did you most recently hold a baby?

A. About three years ago, now. Pre-Covid.

6) He began shaving his head when he was in his 30s. It was at the request of a girlfriend, who said she liked bald men. Would you change your appearance to please your lover?

A. I have let my hair grow longer because my husband likes it long. But then I cut it again when it becomes burdensome.

7) Moby's house was once owned by Marlon Brando and was later rented to The Beatles. What do you know about the previous residents of your home?

A. We built our house, so there were no previous residents. However, the farm is part of my husband's legacy, dating back to 1859 in his family. At one point, the house closest to where we live was owned by a tanner.

 

8) In 2005, when "Beautiful" was released, actress Ruth Warrick died. She began her career in radio, made her film debut in Citizen Kane, and she was best known as matriarch Phoebe Tyler on All My Children, a role she played for 35 years. What's the longest you stayed at the same job?

A. I have been a freelance writer since 1985 and started doing it full time in 1994. So that one would be the longest.

9) Random question: Without looking, do you know how much money is in your checking account right now?

A. Not to the exact penny, but yes, I know how much is in there.

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I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.  

Thursday Thirteen

Since pain in the calf of my leg is something I'm currently dealing with, I thought I'd offer up some information on it. This comes from cleavelandclinic.org.

Calf muscle pain can have a variety of causes, including:

1. Claudication: Narrowed arteries can prevent your calf muscles from receiving enough blood, which deprives them of oxygen. Intermittent claudication can cause muscle pain when you exercise or walk. It’s especially common in people who smoke or who have diabetes or peripheral artery disease (PAD).

2. Contusions: A direct blow to a muscle, such as a kick in the calf, can damage your muscle tissue without breaking your skin. Calf contusions usually cause bruising and soreness. Severe contusions can lead to compartment syndrome, a dangerous condition that prevents blood from getting to your leg muscles.

3. Cramps: Leg cramps occur when the muscles suddenly contract (shorten), causing a painful muscle spasm. A calf cramp is often called a “charley horse.” Cramps can be the result of dehydration or overexertion. A cramp might last for just a few seconds, but your muscle can feel sore for hours afterward. Leg cramps and calf muscle pain at night are very common.

4. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): In rare cases, what seems like calf muscle pain can actually be DVT. This is a serious condition that causes a blood clot to form in your lower leg. It can lead to a pulmonary embolism, which is life-threatening.

5. Strains: A pulled calf muscle, or a calf muscle strain, occurs when you overstretch your calf muscles. Severe overstretching can cause a torn calf muscle.

6. Tendonitis: Tendons attach your calf muscles to bones in your leg. Tendonitis (tendon inflammation) can put pressure on your calf muscle or make it painful for the muscle to work.

7. This is my own addition: a superficial vein thrombosis (SVT), because I've had those.

CARE AND TREATMENT

You can usually treat mild calf muscle pain at home using the RICE method:

8. Rest: Avoid walking or running with calf muscle pain. Don’t push through pain, which can make the problem worse.

9. Ice: Put an ice pack or cold compress on your calf muscles for 20 minutes every two hours. Don’t apply ice directly to your skin.

10. Compression: Apply a compression bandage or wrap to your calf. Compression helps reduce blood flow to the painful area and minimize swelling.

11. Elevation: Lift your leg into an elevated position, preferably above the level of your heart. Support the entire length of your leg with pillows, blankets or cushions.

12. If you have sore calves from a muscle cramp or feel a painful knot in your calf muscle, it may help to gently stretch your calf.

13. Other things that may help: pain relievers, physical therapy, soft cast or boot to immobilize your lower leg in the case of a strain or tear.

Additional information:

If your healthcare provider determines your calf muscle pain is the result of claudication, treatments may include:

Diet modification to reduce your intake of sodium (salt), cholesterol, saturated fat and sugar.

Exercise.

Medications to manage high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.

Medication to prevent or treat blood clots.

Medications to improve blood flow in the legs.

Quitting smoking and using tobacco products.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 793rd time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Health Update

The blood work came back as not showing any sign of a clot, so that's good news.

The bad news my calf is remains swollen and there is a tangible knot there. It's also painful. 

It most likely is a varicose vein.

It's nothing life-threatening, anyway. Just something else to deal with.

Thanks to everyone for the words of encouragement. You're a fine bunch of gentle readers!

Hunting the Green Comet

The green comet, formerly known as comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), comes closest to Earth today, moving in to 26 million miles of this ol' round ball we call home.

A comet is a celestial object consisting of a nucleus of ice and dust and, when near the sun, a “tail” of gas and dust particles pointing away from the sun. Halley's comet is probably the most famous one, as it makes a tour of our solar system every 75 years or so. It was last here in 1986, and I honestly don't remember seeing it although I'm sure I made an effort to do so. The one I remember best was Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. It comes around about every 3,000 years.

The green comet last came through about 50,000 years ago. 

The comet is thought to look green because of the type of gases coming off of it, along with radiation from the Sun.

 

It if was as dim as it is today, I doubt the humanoids who were around 50,000 years ago even noticed. If one of them did, he or she had spectacular eyesight.

I have been trying to see this green comet on the few clear nights we've had but have been unsuccessful in finding it. Mostly, that is because we've only had two clear nights, and we have cloud cover today that is supposed to last all night.

I took this star trail photo whilst trying to find it. I actually left the camera outside and went inside; at some point, the tripod moved. Maybe a gust of wind? At any rate, the wiggle is visible.

But the comet isn't.

Cardinals