2020 All Over Again

Yesterday at the grocery store, a somewhat familiar sight from the past greeted me:

Yes, the toilet paper was mostly gone.

I attributed this to two things: panic about the longshoreman strike at the ports (which lasted 2 days and has resolved itself for now) and the urge to donate goods into the many donation boxes that sprang up around the county to help out the folks who lost everything in the floods in far southwestern Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, courtesy of Hurricane Helene.

We donated, too, but not toilet paper. We bought food for cattle at the local farmers' cooperative, which as I understand it went to our neighbors in far southwestern Virginia. I also donated to the United Way, which seems to be doing a good job in North Carolina.

It's hard to know what to do when an emergency strikes your neighbors - or your own community. You need and want help right away, but the flood waters have to recede, the winds have to die down, and the manpower has to be able to make to wherever you are.

I've been in the mountainous terrain in the areas around me, and there are tiny communities everywhere, back in the gullies and hollers where no one thinks anyone lives. Some people who are missing may never be found.

And now there's another hurricane headed for Florida, which also was hit by Hurricane Helene. I hope everyone has left the area as this large storm - Hurricane Milton - hits that part of the country again.

Sunday Stealing

1. What gets you fired up?

A. I can get "fired up" over many things, but nothing sends me off more than an injustice against someone I care about.

2. What makes a good life?

A. Having someone to love, shelter, food, and enough, whatever that means to each individual.

3. What risks are worth taking?

A. Risk worth taking would include saving someone else's life or doing something that logically you feel would move you toward a much-desired goal. 

4. Who inspires you to be better?

A. I have a few friends who like to kick me in the butt occasionally.

5. What do you have doubts about?

A. Everything.

6. What fact are you resigned to?

A. That I have no control over most of my life.

7. What book impacted you the most?

A. Honestly, it was probably a book that I don't remember the name of, and it wasn't so much the book as when I read the book that it made its impact. It was given to me by a friend who was certain I was a heathen going to hell (she was right), and it was about a woman named Lucy who went through all kinds of trials and tribulations (like Job) but never lost her faith. I'm not sure exactly what the book did for me, I just know I never forgot it. I have never forgotten the friend who gave it to me, either, even though I have no idea where she is and haven't seen or spoken to her since 8th grade.

8. What irrational fear do you have?

A. I worry that a bear might eat me.

9. What is the hardest lesson you’ve learned?

A. I think most of the lessons I've learned have been hard ones. The hardest lesson may be that one that teaches you that you're all alone even in a crowd, and always will be.

10. What is something you’re self-conscious about?

A. I am self-conscious about my weight.

11. What are one or two of your favorite smells?

A. I like the smell of cookies baking and the smell of my husband's chest after he's had a shower.

12. Have you given to charities?

A. I have given to many charities. Most recently I donated to various things for the Hurricane Helene victims.

13. What is the best compliment you have received?

A. One of my old editors told me recently that I was "fearless when you went after a story." I can't imagine a better compliment for a news writer.

14. What chance encounter changed your life forever?

A. I ran into this guy at a football game, and then I married him.

15. What was the most memorable gift you’ve received?

A. My husband gave me a guitar for our 40th wedding anniversary. I'll go with that one.

__________

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 on Top

Saturday 9: Love on Top (2011)

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

1) Beyonce sings that she and her lover have worked through a tough time and now they are happier than before. Do you agree with the lyrics that relationships take effort? Or do you think that if a couple is well-matched and their love is real, happiness will naturally follow?

A. Love takes work. Marriage takes work. Friendships take work. I don't think there is anything much natural about a relationship of any kind aside from pheromones that might have led to an initial attraction.

2) She tells us that he's the one she can always call. But that was in 2011. If someone needed to get in touch with you today, would you recommend they call, send an instant message, or text?

A. I prefer a phone call but answer texts quickly. I am not on Facebook much, so I don't see instant messages quickly.

3) Beyonce goes through many costume changes in this video and in her concert performances. What are you wearing right now as you answer these questions, and will you change clothes throughout the day?

A. I am wearing a t-shirt and blue jeans. I won't change my clothes again until I put on something to sleep in tonight.

4) The choreography in this video was inspired by Janet Jackson's videos in the 1990s. The Jackson family -- Janet, her brothers as solo artists and as The Jackson 5 -- have sold a staggering 750 million records. Can you think of another successful musical family?

A. The Osmonds. The Patridge Family (not sure how successful they were). 

5) Beyonce and husband Jay-Z have an impressive classic car collection, including a restored and customized 1959 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II, reportedly worth $1,000,000. If you suddenly received a million, what would you splurge on? We want to hear about a gift you'd give yourself. (It doesn't have to take the whole $1,000,000.)

A. I would like to add on to my house. My house is small, and I would like to have more storage space and a more separate room for my husband to watch television. That wouldn't cost a million bucks, but it would make me happy.

6) Beyonce "loves to lather" and enjoys shampooing her hair. What's a simple, everyday thing that relaxes you?

A. I like a good hot shower, too.

7) In 2011, when "Love on Top" was popular, so were movie franchises. Sequels to Harry Potter, Transformers, Twilight, Kung Foo Panda, and Disney's Cars and Pirates of the Caribbean all topped the box office. What's your favorite movie series?

A. I daresay no regular readers need ask, but it would be Lord of the Rings. I liked the Harry Potter movies, too, especially after the young ones grew up a bit.

8) Speaking of sequels, Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and two of its sequels (The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest) were on the NY Times list of fiction bestsellers for 2011. Have you read any of them?

A. I have not read any of Larsson's books. The reviews have left me feeling like I would not like the books.

9) Random question -- Which of these items do you misplace most often: your cellphone, your keys or the TV remote?

A. I misplace my cellphone the most. I am constantly walking around saying, "Hey Siri," so she'll pop up and say, "Yes" and I can find the phone. The keys stay where they're supposed to be, and my husband is in charge of the TV remote.

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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. 

A Crazy Friday

I needed to run errands this morning. This is how the day went:

I got up and began reading the news. The internet kept cutting in and out. I checked the phone lines, and they were static. I had had the phone company out yesterday to check the phone lines for the same thing. I was told there was water getting in the line "someplace" and as soon as I noticed it, I should call and tell them to have "Doug" come immediately. This has been a problem for YEARS, but we've had a drought, so it hasn't been as much of an issue.

Anyway, I called the phone company when I realized the lines were static. It took over 20 minutes to make this phone call while I was put on hold and asked questions that I had answered yesterday. The whole time I was thinking, this is taking so long, the lines will have dried up by the time "Doug" gets out here.

I jumped in the shower when I finished talking to the phone rep. The phone company called in the middle of my shower to tell me "Doug" was on his way. I swear I could take a shower at 2 a.m. and the phone would ring.

I waited around on "Doug," who did not show up. To pass the time, I wrote out the check for the local taxes. That is always a good way to make your day better (not).

The eye doctor's office called to remind me of an appointment, and the static had cleared up. So, I knew the lines were drying out and "Doug" wasn't going to be of much help.

After a while, I decided "Doug" wasn't going to make it, so I left to run my errands. On the way out, I went by the little box where the trouble with my phone line seems to always originate. There was a phone company truck there, so I pulled in and got out. "Doug" sat in his truck be-bopping to music, playing on his cellphone. I beat on the window, and he rolled it down. I told him my name. He said he had to work on something else then he would get to me.

Yeah, Candy Crush was "Doug's" big priority.

I left him there and went to the county administration building to pay the taxes, since I'd written the checks. The fellow who took my checks and ran my receipts was absolutely the slowest clerk in the entire world. He typed in numbers with one finger, with about 10 seconds between each number.

This was another 20 minutes for something that should have taken 10 minutes at the most.

On the way out, I ran into a friend, who gave me a big (and much needed) hug. We chatted a bit and then I hurried off to my next errand.

This stop was at CVS. It seems on Wednesday when I went to get a flu shot, the pharmacist made me pay a $42 copay for something that was supposed to be free to me. When I called my insurance company on Thursday, they said to go back to CVS and make them redo the entire thing and run it through the right insurance. They apparently had used my prescription insurance and it should have been my health insurance (although a flu shot is a prescription so . . . ). 

Of course, this took another 30+ minutes and 3 people because no one knew how to refund and redo the insurance. The line behind me backed up and I could feel my face turning red for holding up the process. I had been trying to get there at an hour when I thought there would be few people, but all of those earlier hold-ups had scuttled that.

While I was in CVS, "Doug" called on my cellphone. "I'm at your house and it sounds clear as a bell," he cheerfully said of my line. He added that he was standing there talking to my husband. I asked if the Internet was working. "Doug" replaced the modem even though I'm fairly certain the problem is the water in the line (I am still on DSL and can't get fiber out here) and not the modem. Oh well. At least it's working.

Then it was off to Bank #1, where I needed new checks. The new checks for this particular account were $30 for 20 checks. 

I decided I could transfer the money into my regular checking and go that route and screw the checks.

Then it was off to Bank #2, where I waited in no line for a good 5 minutes before somebody finally waited on me to make my deposit. What do these people do while someone stands in front of them? Am I invisible?

At this point, it was almost lunch time. I decided the grocery store wasn't going to happen and if we had no eggs for the weekend, too bad. I pointed the car in the direction of home and arrived to find my husband and "Doug" still having a chat about whatever guys chat about.

"Doug" also assured me I would have fiber by December. I told him I wasn't holding my breath. They've been telling me for YEARS I would have fiber "in a few months."

I came in, fixed us lunch, tossed a load of laundry in the washing machine, worked on blog posts for Saturday 9 and Sunday Stealing, and walked for 20 minutes on the treadmill.

I also developed a whale of a headache that is still pounding firmly in my skull. 

It might be my blood pressure. You think?

Thursday Thirteen

1. I didn't quite forget it was Thursday, but I came close.

2. I've been trying for weeks to get a flu shot. Finally, last night I got an appointment scheduled at the pharmacy for 7 p.m. for both my husband and I. We arrived to find I had no appointment, but he did. They gave me the shot anyway but charged me $42. 

3. I spent part of the morning on the phone with the insurance company trying to find out why I was charged for something that my paperwork says should have been free.

4. The concierge for the health insurance company suggested I had run across a new employee who didn't know what he was doing. I don't know if he was new, but he did not know what he was doing when it came to my insurance.

5. This is strange because CVS is owned by Aetna. Shouldn't they know how to work together? Now I have to go back to CVS and ask them to fix it.

6. We went to the Fincastle Festival on Saturday. I put up pictures but wrote nothing to go with them because while we had a nice hour there, the Fincastle Festival is not what it once was. Once upon a time, the Fincastle Festival drew 10,000 people or more, and the streets teemed with folks shopping for quality arts and crafts.

7. Large craft shows like the Fincastle Festival once was do not appear to be the draw they used to be. Is this because of Etsy? People making their own little crafts? It's not from the pandemic - the Festival was dying long before that.

8. I also have not mentioned Hurricane Helene and the damage this power of nature wrought on the east coast. The hurricane turned into a tropical storm that left loads of water in its wake, and all of that water dumped on Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia. Whole communities washed away in places where more than 30 inches of rain fell.

9. We are doing our part to help those who were inundated with winds and rain. We are helping farmers through our local farmers' cooperative, which agreed to match up to $25K in donations. We purchased many bags of beef cattle feed to be sent to the farmers who lost their hay and other food sources, and our purchase was matched by the cooperative. It seemed the best way to double the impact.

10. I've also made smaller donations where I can. There is so much that needs to be rebuilt and there are many who lost their lives. The last I heard, over 175 people so far have been found dead from floods. Locally, a young woman died when a chicken coop blew over on top of her in the very strong winds we experienced.

11. There is also a strike by the longshoremen, and this appears to have sent some folks into panic mode as far as buying toilet paper and eggs. Both are made here in the US and should not be impacted by a strike at the ports. However, some of the purchases may be to send to the folks who were more greatly impacted by the hurricane. It looks like panic buying, but perhaps not.

12. I am having trouble managing my time lately. I feel unmoored and ill at ease. I'm not sure what is going on. Perhaps it is the coming winter? The shorter days?

13. My pocketbook, which I have carried for years (since before the pandemic), finally fell apart. I have another but I have not yet changed them out. I seem reluctant to let go of the one that has served me for so long. It was a Kim Rogers, and I have another Kim Rogers to replace it with that I bought at the same time and stowed away for just such a moment, but I am quite attached to my old one.

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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 877th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Oopsy Daisy

Yesterday, I went with my husband to the orthopedic center in the city. He is having trouble with his knee, with fluid on the kneecap that is as big as my fist.

The first thing they wanted were x-rays of both of his knees. We sat in a waiting area with other folks, the only two people with masks on, of course.

After they called my husband back for his x-rays, I scurried over to the restrooms. Upon my return, my seats that had been furthest away from other people were taken, so I sat in a chair in the hallway that was directly in front of the entrance to the x-ray area, where my husband would see me.

I pulled up Lord of the Rings on my cellphone and began reading. I became engrossed in the book and was at the part where Faramir is telling Frodo about Boromir's death when suddenly I heard a little cry. "Oh."

Then something hit my left knee and the side of my leg. I heard a lot of exclamations all around me. I looked down to find a large woman lay in the floor at my feet, with the aid who had been delivering her from x-ray bending over her. I sat, rubbing my knee, while the woman said, "See, this is what happens, it just locks up on me and I hit the floor."

The aid asked the woman if she was ok. The woman said, "Thank goodness I didn't land on my broken arm," and then went on to explain she'd broken her left shoulder once before. She was on her right side in the floor.

I saw the nurse who had been doing the intake for x-rays pick up a phone. "Urgent Code" something she said, then quickly hurried over. She touched me on the shoulder. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"She hit my leg when she fell, I want to stand up in a minute and see how it feels," I said. The woman was still at my feet and now there were people in scrubs everywhere, appearing seemingly from every corner of the building, responding, I supposed, to the Urgent Code call.

About this time my husband came out of x-ray. I saw him and caught his eye. He gaped at the sight before him, which must have looked crazy - me sitting there in a chair, a woman at my feet, at least a dozen other people around us. I waved him on to wherever he needed to go. The look on his face said, "What the hell?" better than any words could have done.

Someone appeared with a wheelchair, and somebody else had a sheet. The staff rolled the woman over until the sheet was under her butt, and then they hoisted her up and into the chair.

Once she was up and being hauled off to wherever they were taking her, I stood and tested out my leg. The x-ray nurse asked me if I was ok. I said I thought I was, but I wanted to make a report of the incident. She came back with a pencil and paper and asked me to write down my name and birthday. I did, along with a sentence about what happened. I didn't think that was much of a report.

"If it's bothering you after your husband has his appointment, we will see you," she said. "Just let us know."

I went to the waiting area where my husband sat and told him what happened. I wasn't in real pain, but I could tell something had hit me. I was limping a little.

That was the end of my excitement. I went back with my husband to see the doctor, where we were told that the fluid on his kneecap could only be left alone to heal itself and that could take up to 9 months. After that, my husband probably needs a knee replacement.

The doctor was getting ready to leave when I asked if we could see his x-rays. Yep, he will need a knee replacement eventually. I could see where it was bone on bone. He says it doesn't hurt. I don't see how it couldn't.

As we left, I stopped at the check-in area and asked again about making an incident report about the woman falling on me, since I didn't really feel like writing my name on a scratch pad was going to cut it if I woke up and found my knee was swelling or something. I was assured it would be entered into my chart.

However, there is nothing in my chart except what I put in there this morning, a little paragraph about what happened in the area where I can make notes in the chart.

Fortunately, I see to be ok. But wasn't that a weird thing?

And shouldn't there have been a better way to report an incident at the facility?

The Fincastle Festival

 

Sunday Stealing

1. What do you want to be remembered for?

A. It's ok if no one remembers me. But I hope I have been a nice person. I would like to be remembered for being kind.

2. If you were put in solitary confinement for a year, what would you do to stay sane?

A. I'm not sure what all you are allowed to have in solitary confinement, but I would read books, write, and sing.

3. If you could have video of any one event in your life, what event would you choose?

A. There are things I remember that I'm not sure are real memories. I'd like to have videos of those so I'd know.

4. What are the top 3 things you want to accomplish before you die?  Have you accomplished them?

A. Write a book, obtain a Ph.D., and save the world. I haven't done any of those things.

5. If you were forced to live one 10-minute block of your life again and again, what 10 minutes of your life would you choose?

A. One where I am eating chocolate cake and then going to play on the computer, I guess. Weird question.

6. Have you ever saved someone’s life?

A. Yes. When the Internet first became a thing, I was on AOL and I met a person online with whom I became friends. She was depressed, and one night she was suicidal. I managed to contact the police where she lived in Missouri, and they broke in and saved her life.

 
7. What are you addicted to?

A. Apparently Extra Sugar Free Bubble Gum sticks, which is terrible because up until a couple of years ago I avoided all forms of sugar substitutes.

8. What keeps you up at night?

A. Pain.

9. What do you regret not doing?

A. No point in having regrets, I can't go back and fix it.

10. What gives your life meaning?

A. Trying to offer up happiness to the world.

11. What are you most insecure about?

A. Name something and I'm probably insecure about it.

12. What’s the most illegal thing you’ve done?

A. Um. Drove a car 90 mph? Smoked pot? (I wasn't driving and smoking.) It would have to be something like that.

13. What’s the most surprising self-realization you’ve had?

A. That I am not likeable person. I'm kind, and I'm nice, but I don't think I'm likeable. I used to think I was, but I've come to the conclusion that I'm probably not.

14. If you could make one rule that everyone had to follow, what would it be?

A. No war.

15. In what situation or place would you feel most out of place?

A. Anywhere there is a lot of people.

__________

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: Cool Night

Saturday 9: Cool Night (1981)

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

1) In this song, Paul Davis invites his old girlfriend to "come on over tonight." Have you more recently extended or received an invitation?

A. Does asking my husband to go to the grocery store with me count? Otherwise, I guess I last received an invitation to my parents' house when my cousins were in from out of state.

2) He tells her she doesn't have to commit to any plans. Do you like having a schedule ahead of you with things to do delineated? Or do you prefer to see how your days naturally unfold?

A. My days are just days anymore, and I think I would prefer a productive sort of schedule.

3) He wants them to cuddle by the fire. Will tonight be a cool night where you are?

A. I'm writing this on Thursday, and we are expecting the remnants of Hurricane Helene to come through sometime late this night or early morning.

4) A quiet night in front of the fireplace is likely how Paul Davis spent many evenings. When he died in 2008, his best friend remembered him as a quiet man, "a homebody" who liked staying up late into the night enjoying conversation and music with friends. Describe your perfect evening.

A. A good book, a little TV or music in the background, a blanket around me, and a hot chocolate. A little bit of hot lovin' with my man later in the night.

5) Mr. Davis also enjoyed playing pool and golf. Do you have a liking for either of those games?

A. I play pool fairly decently, though it has been a long time since I played. I do not play golf.

6) When he retired from music, Paul Davis returned to Meridian, MS, the town where he was born and grew up. Since we Americans can be a nomadic lot, let's find out: Is the town where you were born the same place where you spent most of your growing up years?

A. I live close to where I spent my growing up years. I'm about six miles away.

7) In 1981, when Paul Davis was a hit, so were The Rolling Stones with "Start Me Up." What's your favorite Rolling Stones' song?

A. Miss You.

8) Also in 1981, Snoopy was all the rage, with kids and adults alike. You could buy Snoopy magnets, pencils, pencil sharpeners, note pads ... even a Snoopy bulletin board. If today we went shopping for office supplies, what would you pick up?

A. Post-It notes, scrap paper, notebooks, Pilot G-2 05 ink pens, paper clips.

9) Random question: In a biopic of your life, who would play your mom and dad?

A. Oh, what a great question. Elizabeth Taylor would play my mother and Elvis Presley would play my father.

My mother & father. Don't they look
like Liz & Elvis?

_______________

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

Here’s a list of 13 ways to be the ultimate professional, applicable to almost any occupation:

1. Maintain a Positive Attitude. Always bring a positive, can-do approach to your work, especially when facing challenges. Positivity is contagious and helps foster a productive environment.

2. Be Punctual. Arrive on time, meet deadlines, and respect others’ schedules. Punctuality demonstrates reliability and respect for time.

3. Communicate Clearly. Whether written or verbal, ensure your communication is clear, concise, and respectful. Effective communication prevents misunderstandings and enhances collaboration.

4. Stay Organized and Manage Time Effectively. Keep your workspace and tasks organized. Being organized allows you to prioritize, meet deadlines, and be more productive. Prioritize tasks, set realistic deadlines, and avoid procrastination. Effective time management helps you maintain high productivity levels.

5. Show Accountability. Own up to your responsibilities and mistakes. Being accountable builds trust and shows maturity.

6. Dress Appropriately. Adopt a dress code that reflects the standards of your profession or workplace. First impressions count and dressing appropriately shows respect for your work environment.

7. Develop Emotional Intelligence. Be aware of your emotions and how they affect others. Emotional intelligence helps in managing interpersonal relationships and navigating workplace dynamics.

8. Be Solution-Oriented. When faced with problems, focus on solutions rather than just identifying the issues. Demonstrating initiative in problem-solving makes you invaluable.

9. Respect Confidentiality. Handle sensitive information with care. Respect for confidentiality shows integrity and professionalism.

10. Continuously Learn. Stay updated with industry trends and continue developing your skills. Lifelong learning keeps you relevant and competitive.

11. Show Respect for Others. Treat colleagues, clients, and supervisors with respect, regardless of their position. Kindness and respect foster a positive work culture.

12. Adapt to Change and Stay Calm Under Pressure.

Be open to change and adaptable in dynamic work environments. Flexibility is a valuable asset in a fast-paced world. When things go wrong, stay calm and collected. Handling stressful situations with composure reflects strong professionalism.

13. Deliver Quality Work. Aim for excellence in everything you do. Consistently delivering high-quality work ensures you stand out as a professional in your field.

I have trouble with some of these, particularly organization (I have a system, but no one else understands it), and keeping a positive attitude. I'm prone to depression so that makes positivity positively difficult sometimes. I always do my best but have accepted that sometimes the best I can do on one particular day maybe would have been better done on another day, but that's how things roll sometimes.

I don't think I'm very strong on the "emotional intelligence" thing, either. The older I get, the less tolerant I am becoming of people and their idiosyncrasies. I'm trying to do better, which is taking the form of simply not talking and trying to listen without speaking. That in and of itself is becoming problematic. 

______________

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 876th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Game Review: Elder Scrolls: Castles

Elder Scrolls: Castle is an app for Apple and Google Play. It's sort of like Fallout Shelter, which is a little app that Bethesda put out around 2015.

The idea is to manage resources, not get your king killed, keep the people in the castle happy, have children, go on little quests, etc.

The Elder Scrolls: Castle games has quite a few nods to Skyrim, which is my favorite video game of all time. I received an Ulfric Stormcloak character within a week or so of downloading the game to my iPad. There are also the different races found in the Elder Scrolls/ Skyrim world, so if you're familiar with that, you won't be surprised to see Dark Elves and High Elves, Khajitt, Argonians, Bretons, etc.

I started playing the game on September 10, when it first became available, so I've been playing it for 13 days. I'm already a little bored with it.

It starts out with the assassination of the king, so the player gets to choose a king. My first king ruled for 10 years (each day is a year in the life of the kingdom) before somebody stabbed him in the back. Then I chose another king, who is currently ruling.

The king has to make rulings on various and sundry things, like someone isn't working well with somebody else in the kitchen, the warlocks wants to land on the shore and will curse the kingdom if not allowed to do so, and so on and so forth. The rulings make the subjects happy or sad, and sometimes makes someone an enemy of the king.

People can be banished, but I have only banished one person because I simply don't have enough workers to keep things going. I can't summarily banish people for sleeping with somebody else because I wasn't paying attention to who was married to whom. I look for my current king to be stabbed shortly, if I keep playing.

The quests are rather boring because there isn't much to do besides stick your fighters with good weapons and armor and send them off. You can watch them take down the enemy and occasionally use a special effect or a healing potion, but there isn't much else to do to make the quests interesting. 

The castle world is promoted through experience points, and those allow upgrades of such things as the kitchen, the mill, the oil press, the workshop, etc. You can also put up little decorations that add to happiness or knock 1 second off of production of certain items.

I found Fallout Shelter to be much more engaging, even though the cartoonish look of Castles is cute. They are both repetitive types of games, but Fallout Shelter offers the opportunity to quickly get to 100 or more little characters and they all have something to do; Castles makes me feel lucky to have 50 and have them working. The aging thing in Castles is too quick, and older little workers die off while it takes a long time for the kids to grow up.

I am also more than a little irked that Microsoft owns Bethesda as of 2020, and the app is not available in the Microsoft Store. I prefer to play on the PC. I prefer a mouse to my finger on a tablet. I would have thought that Microsoft would have made this available as an app to its users, but apparently not. I know a lot of their games - maybe most of them now - go through the XBox game pass, which I do not use, but this isn't available through Microsoft for my PC at all.

I give Elder Scrolls: Castles a strong C- . It is not as much fun as the game it's based on, Fallout Shelter, and I'm surprised I've already grown bored with it.

Bethesda needs to figure out how to make the successor to Skyrim sometime before I'm old and too feeble to play a new game.

Contentment Day 23 - 20 Minutes

Today, for the first time literally in years, I managed to walk for 20 minutes on the treadmill.

I was not going at a fast pace. Just a nice even walk while I watched TV.

I used to do 20 minutes all the time. Then I had my gallbladder surgery in 2013, and everything went to hell with the pain in my midsection. Double-over and can't do anything but lie there kind of pain.

I had stopped physical therapy in 2019 in September, intending to go back after my husband had recovered from his ankle surgery.

Then we had a pandemic.

I have not been back to physical therapy except for a very short little period last fall. In the midst of caring for my husband, dealing with a pandemic, helping him with another surgery on his hip, taking care of life, I stopped walking on the treadmill.

I knew I needed to get back to it. So, about two months ago, I started back on it. I could manage about 5 minutes before the pain hit.

For about 10 days I did 5 minutes. Then upped it to 6 minutes. Then 8. Then 10. Then 12. Then 15. Last week, I was doing 15 to 18.

And today, I hit 20 minutes.

I will pay for it later tonight; I did 18 yesterday and was up in the middle of the night in pain. But I did it and I intend to keep doing it. My goal is 45 minutes every day.

I walked 20 minutes on the treadmill. Not bad for someone who could barely do 5 minutes two months ago.

 

Sunday Stealing

1. What popular TV show do you refuse to watch?

A. I will not watch anything on FX or Fox. I do not watch shows like Law & Order, NCIS, etc. I don't watch hospital shows. I don't like horror, gore, misogyny, or lots of blood (which means I have no idea why I liked Game of Thrones, but I guess there are exceptions particularly for the fantasy genre). I do not watch the shows that feature preachers telling viewers they are going to hell.

2. What pets did you have while growing up?

A. We had dogs, and at one time we also had ducks, chickens, guineas, quail, and some other birds. We also had cattle. We never had cats. My father did not like cats, although he has a cat now. Go figure.

3. What is the luckiest thing that has happened to you?

A. I met my husband, and I married him. He has been the best thing and the luckiest thing that ever happened to me.

4. What are some small things that make your day better?

A. A phone call from a friend or my brother, a present of Tic Tacs from my husband (this seldom happens), writing a good sentence, or playing my guitar.

5. What’s your favorite piece of clothing you own/owned?

A. I guess my "blue thing" which is just a fleece not-sweater cover that keeps me warm. I imagine it has a name but when it comes to fashion I tend to be rather clueless.

6. What’s the most annoying habit other people have?

A. Talking over me. Most people talk over me, like I never said anything or have anything to say.

7. What game or movie universe would you most like to live in?

A. Middle Earth, of course, for movie universe. I know there are Lord of the Rings games too but I think I would like to live in the world of Skyrim (in a world called Tamriel) for that. Although knowing my luck, I'd be eaten by a dragon before I could turn around to see what was coming and wouldn't live long enough to enjoy anything there.

8. What’s the most impressive thing you know how to do?

A. I don't think that anything I do is impressive, but I can make stories out of next to nothing sometimes. Some people might find that impressive.

9. What was the best book or series you’ve read?

A. I've read thousands of books. I do like the Annie of Avalon series by L.M. Montgomery. That's a series that I have read more than once. There are very few books I reread, but I do reread those books.

10. What state or country do you never want to go back to?

A. I have never been anywhere I would not visit again.

11. Where do you usually go when you have time off?

A. Home.

12. What amazing thing did you do that no one was around to see?

A. There was no one around for nearly all of the articles I wrote. I was alone when I wrote them.

13. What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives?

A. Say "I love you" to someone, even if it's only a close friend and not a lover. People need to know they are loved.

14. What’s something you’ve been meaning to try but just haven’t gotten around to it?

A. Taking an online class.

15. What is something most people consider a luxury, but you don’t think you could live without?

A. My camera, maybe. Or my guitar. I guess either of those could be luxuries to others.

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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: Drive to You

Saturday 9: Drive to You (2006)

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

1) In this song, Jewel sings that she can't sleep and is staring at the ceiling. Did you fall asleep easily last night?

A. Yes.

2) She concludes that the only thing to do is drive to her lover's side. Last time you got behind the wheel, where were you headed?

A. The last time I drove, it was to the grocery store.

3) Jewel grew up in Alaska. Have you ever visited our largest state?

A. I have never visited Alaska.

4) She once performed at the Sydney Opera House, which is more than 7,300 miles away from Anchorage. There are no direct commercial flights between those two cities. Given your choice, would you rather spend less on travel but have to change flights, or spend more and fly non-stop to your destination?

A. I would rather spend more and fly non-stop to my destination.

5) Actor Sean Penn developed a crush on Jewel after seeing her perform on TV and attended many of her concerts during her 1995 tour. What's the best concert you ever saw?

A. Elton John.

6) She married Ty Murray, a successful rodeo cowboy. Have you ever attended a rodeo?

A. I used to attend the Loretta Lynn Rodeo with my parents when I was a child. I'm pretty sure that is what it was.

7) In 2006, the year "Drive to You" was released, Al Lewis died. He was best known as Grandpa on The Munsters. It's time for you to declare where you stand on this issue: do you prefer The Munsters or The Addams Family?

A. Both of those shows were just a wee bit before my time, and I don't remember ever watching much of either one. For some time, we could only get one TV channel and if it wasn't on that channel, I didn't see it. I'm afraid I really do not have a dog in this fight.

8) 2006 was a very good one for tennis pro Roger Federer. He reached the finals in all four Grand Slam tournaments and won three. What's the last game you won? (Yes, Wordle counts.)

A. I last won a game of solitaire.

9) Random question: Using one word, how would you describe 2024 so far?

A. Expensive.

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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.