All Night Long-Saturday 9

If you're not familiar with today's song, you can hear it here.

1) This music video was produced by Mike Nesmith of The Monkees. Can you name a Monkees song? 
The Last Train to Clarksville and my personal favorite Day Dream Believer. When I first heard they were created for a TV show.....I thought yeah, that is going to be good....for sure.  It turned out that I liked their music.

2) The song includes the foreign sounding phrases, "Oh jambali Tom bo li d, say de moi ya," and "Oh, Jambo Jumbo!" Mr. Richie meant to include language indigenous to the Caribbean, but was writing the song under deadline and simply made those phrases up instead. Tell about the most recent time you cheated or "cut corners." 
Well, I cheat on my diet all the time, I shouldn't eat sweets, because they are my downfall.  The last time I cut corners was when I had some fresh strawberries. I just cut off the tops, rather than coring the last batch of stems. I find they actually need more sweetener, if you leave those cores.

3) Richie was a frat boy at college. Kappa Kappa Psi, to be exact. Were you a member of a fraternity or sorority?
I went to a city college in CA in the late 60's and I joined an independent on-campus sorority.  I met Mr BC through one of my sisters. I had some fun and the girls were just ordinary like me. When DD1 went to UCSB, she did not think a sorority was her cup of tea.

4) When this song topped the charts (September 1983), Vanessa Williams became the first African American to be crowned as Miss America. Do you watch beauty pageants? 

When I was a little girl I use to watch, but they are not as interesting to me now.  Like models and Barbie, I don't think they represent real or realistic beauty or intelligence.

5) Since it's Labor Day weekend, that holiday established to 

celebrate the American worker, let's talk about the workplace. Tellers work in a bank, actors work on a stage or a set, auto workers work on an assembly line. How would you describe your workplace?  
I started my banking career as a teller 35 or so years ago and I ended my 28 years at a bank in CA, a couple of years ago.  I worked as a trainer of phone bankers for our Customer Service center in Southern CA, and enjoyed the non branch environment. I was ready to retire, though, I had lost a lot of my drive, the closer I got to 65.  I also found that I had less in common with my trainees as they got younger and I got older.

6) An estimated 40% of us have dated a coworker. Have you ever had an office romance? 
Before I met Mr BC, I dated some guys from work. It usually didn't work out and turned out to be a bad idea.

7) Labor Day is a big weekend for travel. How did you book your last vacation? (Online, through a travel agent, over the phone ...) I sent for some travel brochures online and one of their representatives contacted me.  It is for a tour of London, Paris and Rome in '15, that we have looked into.  I usually book things online, but we may book with this company if we decide to go.

8) Mother Winters won't wear white again now, until next Memorial Day. Sam thinks that's just crazy. Where do you fall in this heated mother/daughter debate? In CA I use to wear white a lot longer, but I tend to wear darker colors in Fall and Winter.  I can remember when you didn't wear white gloves or shoes after Memorial Day.  I really don't care other than white clothes are usually to light to wear in the dead of winter.

9) When you look at back on Summer 2014, what will you remember?  The summer of the dentist chair.  Last Tuesday I had another tooth pulled.  It was really infected.  I am glad for no pain.

Chatting About This and That #154

1.  Please tell me something you have done recently that was really fun. Absplutely nothing.  The last few weeks of summer have been a round of dentists and their various specialities.  This week I lost another tooth to an ageing root canal and had to have it pulled on Tuesday.  While I hate losing my teeth...the pain was really bad.  Thought I was going to OD on Advil.  I got my bridge installed, two weeks ago and the implant is now put off until the first of the year.

2.  Do you worry about any issues regarding food/food quality/food production? I truly believe in global warming.  Our weather in the midwest has been crazy.  My Brother in law has had two bad garden years because of drought. Also I worry about the problem of bee losses.

  
3.  Have you painted any of your walls with colors other than white, beige, or tan? Yes I have.  In CA I tried to get an adobe color on a feature wall and It just looked pink and gold instead of adobe and cream.  Since I was a kid I wanted to have pinkish beige walls in my bedroom, again with a rose feature wall. Feature walls were the thing in those days. Again it did not turn out the way I wanted and was more pepto bismol pink, We eventually changed the color, but never changed the living/dining room as we had Cathedral ceilings and couldn't risk getting up on the scaffolding again at our age. We really only have wallpaper in this old house. Not fond of it.

 

4.  What is your favorite way to have a hamburger? If you do not eat meat, what is your favorite sandwich? I will have a beef hamburger every so often....nice restaurant, I won't waste eating beef at McDonalds....I like a California type burger with swiss cheese and avocado and lettuce etc 

5.  Please finish this sentence: If I could, I'd like to play Tennis really well. And with Sean Connery back in the day. (This could be a musical instrument, a part in a play- use your imagination:)

Chatting About Travel

1.  What are you most looking forward in the remaining months of 2014? Visiting California in September to see the boys, some fall travel in the RV, then the Holidays which will take us back to California. I also am looking forward to Fall TV, there are a couple of new shows that look interesting. 

2.  Tell us about the last movie you saw, or book you read.

We watched Divergence recently, it was ok, but, I think I like the Hunger Games better. I am reading the next book in the Outlander series. 

3.  Do you ever make smoothies or juice? I prefer smoothies to juice, but since I can only find my immersion blender since the move, I don't make them as often. There is a place in Santa Barbara called Blenders in the Grass, I love that name. They make great reasonably priced, smoothies in a variety of flavors. I usually go when the boys are at the park or taking a nap to get one for lunch, they are so good and fresh.

4.  Who do you wish you could talk to right now? 

My mom, I miss her so much. Recently I have had some questions about her side of the family and I have no one to get the answers from.  They are mostly gone now. 

5.  Please finish this sentence. "If I could spend a week in a lovely cabin in the mountains I would like to be able to go to the Rockies and spend some time camping in the cool weather.  It has been very hot this last week."

What Dreams May Come Chat

1.  Are you still enjoying (or not) summer, or are you geared for fall? I would like to gear up for fall, I am tired of the mercurial weather patterns of this summer. Even though we are behind in inches of rain.  The fact that it has rained a week at a time this summer, which has made it hard for us to decide to go camping, now that the RV is out of the shop.

2.  What's the one room in your home where you'd like to make a big change? The kitchen, we would also like to put a toilet and sink in the upstairs loft area.  Which we might do at the same time we do the kitchen.

3.  Do you ever send snail mail? Not very often any more.  I can't remember the last time I wrote a letter to someone.  I am not very good with Christmas cards even.

4.  Do you dream? Often? Do you have nightmares?  I am sure I dream every night, everyone usually does....but I don't often remember them.  I don't really have nightmares, but I do have anxiety dreams. I had anxiety dreams quite often after we sold my mom's house, (the one I grew up in) not long after she passed away.  She would not be dead and wanted to know why there was someone else in her house. This went on for several years.  Now I am having dreams of being back at work and not knowing what I am doing. I guess those could be considered bad dreams, but not, scary dreams.

5.  Tell me something that makes you happy. Please. My puppy. Caspar makes me happy when we go for a walk like we did today.  We went to the cemetery and when we go there he is on a reel leash.  He quite happily Frolics and travels twice the distance as he zigzags across the path.  His ears flap and his tongue hangs out of the side of his mouth with his wide grin.....one of these days I am going to remember to take a movie of his Frolicking. It makes me happy just thinking about it.  Such joy!   

Pondering 13 Things-Sunday Stealing

From Pinterest - Thirteen Things

1. Outside my window… 
Everything is lush and green because of the rain....and the bird bath should have occupants today since there is water in it, for a change.

 2. I am thankful… I'll paraphrase Garfield: I am thankful for vegetables; carrot cake, zucchini bread and pumpkin pie.

Garfield-Jim Davis

 3. In the kitchen… There is a dishwasher waiting to be emptied

 4. I am wearing…  
My night gown still, since I get up before Mr BC.  I don't like to change in the dark, so I wait until he gets up, to clean up and dress. Interesting, last night I dreamed I was to get some kind of award and I was in my night gown.  I know that must mean something.

 5. I am creating… A Big Mess, on the side table next to my chair. The Sunday paper and all.....

 6. I am going… To Santa Barbara in September to see the Grandkids, instead of taking the RV to New England.  Too many expenses came up to afford, comfortably, the trip this year.  A disappointment,but, the kids had an opportunity to go to Majorca, that DD1 might not be able to go on, if I didn't come SB to watch the kids, so at least I did not disappoint them. They always get my ticket when I am watching the kids.  That is always nice on the budget.  Mr BC will stay home and watch the dogs....we are going back in the RV at the holidays.

 7. I am reading… Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon.  It is second, in the Outlander series, and since I don't get Starz, which is carrying the miniseries, I will have to read on, to get my fix of Jamie and Claire.

 8. I am learning… 
Right now, On Sunday Morning, from Jane Pauley: that Smokey the bear was created in the 1940's because,though the U.S. Forest Service fought wildfires long before World War II, the war brought a new importance and urgency to the effort. Since able bodied men were not available to fight fires. The forestry service was worried that enemy infiltrators might start forest fires to create havoc. I remember learning the song in Girl Scouts in the 50's.

 9. I am pondering…

  10. A favorite quote… 
“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.” 
― Robert Frost

 11. One of my favorite things… We are watching Rumpole of the Bailey again. Years ago we watched some of it....I think on Masterpiece Theater...My dad got a big kick out of him.  I think because they were a lot alike. "She who must be obeyed". It seems we did not see all of them. Dated a little, but still a treat.  

12. A few plans for the rest of the week… Shampoo my carpet....for sure this week...That means that I will have to vacuum dog hairs first.  I bought a new Bissell especially for pets, I am barely able to look forward to shampooing apparently, since I have had it for a month and have not taken it out of the box.

I need to take Totem to the vet to get his shots on Tuesday so I can take all three to the groomer to get them shampooed on Wednesday or Thursday....must make the appointment.

We will pick the RV up, from some repairs needed, since I ran it into a branch and crushed some reflectors, and get a new toilet, since we apparently did not winterize it properly.

 13. A peek into my day… Walk the dogs after Sunday Morning on CBS. Then we will hole up in the air conditioned comfort of Sunday and watch a movie and some British TV on Acorn. A true day of rest before our busy week.

Proud of Who they Became-Sat9

Saturday 9: Super Duper Love
(recommended by Bankerchick)

If you're not familiar with today's song, you can hear it here.
Joss Stone has a wonderful bluesy sound that I really like and a great name.


1) The lyrics say, "I'm as proud as a girl can be." Tell us about something of which you are proud. 
I am proud of the women my girls have become. I am also proud of the grandsons, they are sweet loving boys. 

2) This song is from her first CD, The Soul Sessions. She's told interviewers that the first CD she ever owned was by Aretha Franklin: Greatest Hits. So while we're talking firsts, do you remember your first CD (or tape or record)? 
I got some 33 1/3 records of classical music when I got my first good record player way back in the 50's. Mom and Dad got them as premiums from the grocery store every week.  Dad said he didn't want me to play rock and roll junk.  I think I got my interest in classical music from those records, but I still bought rock and roll once I had some money.

3) Last year, two men were convicted of plotting to kill Joss Stone. Even though she had (fortunately!) never even met the men, she still had to testify during their trial. Have you ever had to speak to a judge? 
Yes, when I did jury duty, he asked me some questions and the lawyers passed me. I have never had to appear before a judge otherwise.

4) Joss is frequently in the British press because of her friendship with Princes William and Harry. Who among your friends leads the most exciting life? If I consider DD1 my friend, which I do, she has been able to travel a lot with her husband.  This Sept they are going to Majorca. Most of our friends now are pretty sedate, although, my high school friend, Lauretta, takes off on trips in her RV when ever the spirit hits her. 
 

5) Because of dyslexia, Joss had trouble in school and dropped out when she was 16. What's the last grade you completed?  
High School and 3 years of college.  

6) She provided the voice of the villainness for the James Bond video game, Blood Stone. Do you have a Playstation or Xbox? 
Nope!

7) Sam is especially crazy this morning because she can't find her phone. What's the last thing you misplaced? 
Probably my cell phone and many other thing I can't remember!  Things disappear on my cluttered dining room table.

8) After composing this Saturday 9, Sam is off to Lowe's to pick up some heavy duty indoor/outdoor trash bags. Will you be in any stores this weekend?  
No money this weekend after my very expensive dental work was completed, but I can chew on my right side again.  I do need to go to Lowes as well I need some front door mats.

9) Do you consider yourself more book smart, or street smart? 
I am more book smart,  It might be hard to scam me still..... but, I
definitely could not handle myself in a fight and I can't run very fast. So I am smart enough to stay out of trouble's way. 

What I Remember-Chat 151

What's the earliest time in your life you can remember? Can you remember being 2 years old, 5 years old, etc? I can remember being 4 years old.  I remember going to the Rose Parade and shaking Hopalong Cassidy's hand. I can remember going to the first day of school, and ballet lessons at 5 years.  It is hard to tell what is memory and what is looking at pictures.

http://pdxretro.com/

What's do you like to put on pasta? (Your favorite topping.) I like red sauce and Italian Sausage.  Also, I am fond of spaghetti and chili.

Is there something that takes time away from more important things in your life? (TV, internet, talking on the telephone, etc.) Yes, TV and the internet.  I have been scaling back on both.

Do you buy many clothes that are "high maintenance"? (Clothes that need to be ironed, dry cleaned, or hand washed) I have nothing in my closet that require ironing or dry cleaning.  I do hand wash a small number of things.

Please finish this sentence. "I'd like to visit the beach today in Santa Barbara and watch my grandsons play.  We don't often visit them during beach weather. I lived in CA for most of my life and I was not very fond of beaches after I was grown.  We do not take Beach Vacations.

 

Fun Fifteen-Sunday Stealing

Welcome back to Sunday Stealing which originated on WTIT: The Blog authored by Bud Weiser. Here we will steal all types of memes from every corner of the blogosphere

1. You have been awarded the time off from work and an all-expenses paid week anywhere in the United States. The catch is that it must be somewhere you have not been before. Where do you choose to visit? Since we plan to go to New England one day.....I would have to say Alaska....maybe on a cruise.

2. Name your guilty pleasures. Going to Ross when I drop the dogs off for grooming once a month, then I go across to TJMaxx, also Pedicures and Iced Coffee, Naps.

3. The best kind of milkshake is:  Probably something with berries in it.

4. What do you value most in other people? Fun loving, not fettered by stupid politics, and who values other people.

5. Be honest. Do you sneak some raw cookie dough when you’re baking cookies?  Oh yes even if it has raw eggs in it.  I even lick cake batter off the beaters.

6. Have you ever looked back at your life and realized that something you thought was a bad thing was actually a blessing in disguise? I can't think of anything right now....most of the time bad things are just bad.

7. What is the most beautiful place you have ever visited? I think maybe Japan, such green and lush gardens.

 8. Are you more of a thinker or a feeler?  I think I am more of a feeler, I have a great deal of empathy.

 

9. Name three things you are thankful for right now. That I see the grandsons next month, and DD2 is happy and content and I get to take a nap today.

10. Have you ever participated in a three-legged race?  I don't think so but I have jumped in burlap bags.

11. When you are at an event that plays the National Anthem, do you place your hand over your heart? Yes, and I usually sing as long as others can drown me out.  

12. Have you ever been on the wrong side of the law? I have had a traffic ticket once.

13. When was the last time you unintentionally surprised someone else? I think when I did not object to Mr BC finishing the restoration of the Triumph.

14. When was the last time you deliberately surprised someone else? We had a surprise birthday party for my dad several years ago and we really got him.  He suspected nothing.

15. What was the last really funny movie you watched? I watched Beetlejuice not long ago.  It still makes me laugh.

Friday Fragments-McDonalds of My Youth

The original McDonald's mascot (Photo: Melanie Dunea)

There is still an old style, (the one I remember), McDonalds in Downey, CA.
Do you remember the original mascot, a chef named Speedy?  Ronald McDonald wasn't introduced until the 1960's.

The original McDonald's mascot (Photo: Melanie Dunea)

I played with this for about 10 minutes:

Gentle Brain is an interactive web toy where you can play around with your brain. If you drop it, and you will, that’s okay, because there’s another one where that one came from, and it’s just as good. (via the Presurfer) 

ekrivoruchko.com/gentlebrain/Click to give it a try

This week the weather has been cool again.  It has been a strange July. One week temps in the high 90's and the next week in the 70's.  It has been good dog walking weather for Gwennie and her double coat and of course Totem and Caspar.  When it is hot I try to get out as early as I can. Except for the one rainy day, we have been able to walk in the cemetary, and the local park later in the day. Weather is due to change again next week and be hot.

This was pinned at Pintrest, although I found it on another poster,  I have got to buy some  rubbing alcohol today, and give it a try.  Mr BC is always wanting an ice pack for his aches and pains and prefers the soft ones that are pliable.   I use them on my ankle as well when I have walked too far.  I already have a purchased one that I put in a ziploc when it started leaking. Ziploc bags are the best!