Sunday Stealing: The Promise

cringeworthy

Today’s Sunday Stealing I called The Promise because I happened to be listening to a song called The Promise by Tracy Chapman when I started this post.

1. What ONE thing would you change about your life? How would your life be different?

The absence of pain in my knees, especially in my left one, and my feet. Maybe I would go for a walk with my wife sometimes. As it is, I walk to get from Point A to Point B, not for leisure or exercise. And if by necessity I walk too much, I am miserable for a couple of hours.

2.  What is the hardest thing you have ever done? Why was it hard for you? What did you learn?

I don’t know about EVER, but since I hate confrontation, one I had this year with someone was utterly out of necessity. The situation was eating me up and making me cranky.

3. Write about the most glorious moment in your life so far.

IDK. Maybe winning on JEOPARDY!

4. Write about a moment you felt brave.

I wasn’t feeling brave; I was feeling panicked. A toddler wandered between two cars, and I snatched them up. I would have felt awful if something had happened to the kid. So, at the moment, I wasn’t thinking about the fact that I, too, could have been hit by a car.

5. What made you happy today?

Writing this blog post. It’s my second today after having written only two others all week.

6. What did you dislike most about growing up?

I got poor grades in handwriting and art in elementary school. Although I was reasonably good at academic tasks then, it was rather deflating.

I grew up in a house numbered 5

7. Write about five activities you love the most and why you love them.

Singing in choir soothes my soul. Listening to recorded music soothes my soul. I like to help people figure out stuff, from bus schedules to what governmental agency they should contact, because I like to be helpful. Writing my blog allows me to offload stuff in my head. Reading the newspaper because, while I get my news other ways, it’s the method that imprints the best for me.

8. Do you have an embarrassing moment that still makes you cringe?

Yes, several, actually. But I’m not going to write about it here. It’s less out of a sense of embarrassment. It’s more because dredging them up will force me to relive them, and what’s the point of that? They already have a space in my brain and I needn’t make it toxic for me.

9. What has been your best trip so far?

Barbados, May 1999 honeymoon. It was beautiful at an all-inclusive resort.  And I won it by coming in second on JEOPARDY!

10. What traits (physical or personal) do people notice when they meet you for the first time?

I have no strong sense of how others perceive me. It often depends on the situation. If I’m at church or introducing a speaker at the library, I can be warm, friendly, and informative. But if I’m in an uncomfortable situation, I can be shy and quiet and hang around the room’s edges.

I still call it Twitter because X is stupid

11.  Is social media a blessing or a curse?

Yes, undoubtedly. I initially got on Facebook to track my niece Rebecca Jade’s musical adventures. Subsequently, I’ve met many folks online, including those I used to know IRL and those I’ve never met. But, beyond the stupid and intentionally deceitful, there’s a lot of “How can you think THAT?” It’s especially true about things of little consequence to them, such as who was snubbed at the Oscars or whether Taylor Swift is any good.

12. What is your greatest hope for your future? What steps can you take to make it happen?

I still have a foolish notion that democracy can work in the United States. To that end, I always vote and encourage others to do so as well, even those folks whose politics I disagree with.

13.  What did you struggle most with today?

Waking up. The change to Daylight Saving Time sucketh.

14.  Name the biggest priority in your life right now

I want to return to the genealogical research I haven’t touched in 2024.

Fingers on my left hand 

15. What are five things you wish others knew about you?

I’m inclined towards melancholia. Since I have at least 3K albums, I don’t have to always listen to the Beatles, even though I’m a boomer. I’m extraordinarily bad with names; everyone should wear nametags. When I get a notice that the Uber that’s picking me up is a white whatever make and model, I have no idea what that vehicle looks like except that it’s white. Increasingly, I need a lot more illumination.

Sunday Stealing: Friday Five

the cinema

This week’s Sunday Stealing is from something called the Friday Five.  But is it the Dave Clark Five, Jackson 5, MC5, Five Stairsteps, Five Satins, Five Man Electrical Band, or another quintet?

1) What is your favorite thing about winter?

I may live to regret this, but… The winter of 2023/24 in Albany, NY, to use a technical term, sucked. Last I checked, we were two feet below average for the date. My seasonal allergies, which tend to disappear in the winter, occasionally flared up.

I like going to the movies in the winter and catching up on the awards-nominated films, so I’m greatly disappointed that both the Spectrum and the Madison Theatres in Albany closed, at least temporarily.

2) What is your favorite winter sport?

I LIKE shoveling a third of a meter of snow, and I take pride in the good, no, great job I do in clearing the sidewalk.

3) What is the best winter treat?

Hot Chocolate.

4) What is the earliest time in the year it ever snowed where you live?

October 4, 1987.  I was interviewed on the local news because of my 2012 blog post recollections.

5) What is the best way to stay warm in the winter?

My head MUST be covered. I’ve been known to wear two knit hats simultaneously. Next, gloves are important, followed by warm socks.

6) What are your favorite things that are paper?

Book pages, especially art books. I did like the movie The Paper Chase.

7) What are your favorite things that are cotton?

Actor Joseph Cotten (1905-1994). Or clothes

8) What are your favorite things that are leather?

Eh? My wallet, I guess.

9) What are your favorite things that are floral?

No idea. The Rose Bowl parade?

or Woody Guthrie

10) What are your favorite things that are wood?

The built-in bookcase in my office. Or Evan Rachel Wood, Natalie Wood, Ed Wood, Norwegian Wood, or Woody Woodpecker.

11) What should you do if you think your house is haunted?

The house is a century old. It’s almost certainly haunted, but I’ve taken no action.

12) When should you investigate a strange noise in your basement?

We once had sewage back up into our basement. I believe we heard it before we smelled it.

13) How do you know if an abandoned building is safe to visit?

When I was younger, I LOVED abandoned buildings. I’m relatively sure I dream of abandoned buildings. Now, my footing is too unsteady to venture into uneven surfaces.

14) How do you decide whether to solve a problem as a team or split up and go it alone?

The last complicated problem was going to France in May 2023. It involved securing land transportation (train and car) and a place to stay in a remote locale that AAA’s affiliate could not accommodate. So much of it was me because 1) I was retired and, therefore, theoretically had more time, and 2) the wedding involved a friend of mine from 1977.

15) Where do you store your knives, and where would you look if one was missing?

The sharp knives are in a block on the kitchen counter. If one is missing, it’s likely in our daughter’s bedroom.

Sunday Stealing, crafty

origami

A background of colored pencils, paints. Workplace designer, artist, concept art

The current Sunday Stealing is about being crafty. If it meant being clever and mysterious, then MAYBE I could pull it off. But I think they’re talking about origami and macrame. 

1. What (if anything) are you doing to celebrate St Patrick’s Day?

I always play music by the Chieftains, Clannad, and the Corrs. Unfortunately, I’ve made no progress in identifying my mother’s father’s mother’s parents, so I brood over that. I know that Margaret Collins was born in 1866 and died in August 1931 in upstate New York. But her parents’ names are not listed on the death certificate. I suspect they are from County Cork, Ireland, but Collins is too common a surname.

2. What is your least favorite color (to wear, to craft with, or to decorate with)?

Yellow. Specifically, when people make signs with yellow on white or vice versa, the lettering is very difficult to read.

3. At a yellow light – do you speed up or slow down??

Stop because I’d be on a bicycle, and I’m likely to get myself killed otherwise.

4. How many pairs of scissors are in your craft room?

I can never find scissors. They’re never where I want them. 

Gift ideas!

5. What are the first three items you have ‘saved for later’ on Amazon?

If you mean the oldest: Vince Guaraldi at the Piano by Derrick Bang (Paperback) from 2012, The Art of the Simon and Kirby Studio by Mark Evanier, Jim Simon (Hardcover) from 2014, and Cahoots by The Band (Audio CD) from 2016. If you mean the ones on the top, i.e., the most recent: Exodus 40 by Bob Marley & The Wailers (Audio CD) from 2024, Moulin Rouge! The Musical Original Broadway Cast Recording (Audio CD) from 2022, and Six: The Musical Studio Cast Recording (Audio CD) also from 2022, which I hope to get for my birthday since we’re going to see the touring show at Proctors in Schenectady in May.

6. Did you plant any springs bulbs in your garden and if so, have any of them come up yet?

The last time I helped plant anything was tulips over 15 years ago. Not my thing.

7. What book, if any, are you reading right now?

60 Songs That Explain the ’90s by Rob Harvilla. Actually, I organized my office, and I can’t presently locate it.

8. Do you prefer ball point pens, gel pens, or thin tip markers to write with?

Ballpoint. Preferably blue or black.

It is to laugh

9. What is your favorite crafting item – the craft item thing you use the most or can’t live without? (Exclude basic items like scissors and glue).

I don’t craft. I suck at crafts. In the 1990s, I was in a book group with about a dozen women at my church. One month, the book was about origami, and the person reporting on the book decided we should all partake in that activity. Did I mention that I suck at crafts. Very few things irritate me more than when people say, about something I am apparently constitutionally incapable of doing, “Oh, it’s EASY!”   

10. What are the first three items on your grocery list, and what is your favorite grocery store?

Bananas, blueberries, low-fat cottage cheese. The Price Chopper/Market 32 is in walking distance so I go there. My wife tends to drive to the Hannaford on Central Avenue. Incidentally, in the past three months I’ve seen armed security guards at both venues, which does NOT make me feel more safe.

11. What unfinished craft projects are you working on (or not) at the moment?

[Doubles over laughing.]

IG

12. What was the last item you pinned on Pinterest? Or hearted on Instagram?

I have accounts for both of them but don’t use them. Recently, my daughter tried selling me on IG because it’s “fun.” It may be, but it’s not me. 

13. What is the biggest tourist attraction where you live?

Here’s a list. I’ve been to the first 12, 15, 17, and 19. I practically live on Route 20. I do not consider Crossgates Mall a tourist attraction.

14. What color is your favorite sweater?

Green, like me.

15. How does your family react when you get a big pile of mail??

It must be time for me to pick new Medicare providers or keep the old ones, which happens between October 15 and December 7. This is why God invented the shredding bag.

Sunday Stealing: 10 years of Swaps

smoking

My Sunday Stealing this week is from SwapBot, celebrating ten years of swaps.

1. Have you ever smoked cigarettes?

Possibly a pack in my entire life. The plurality of them was from January to April 1977, when I crashed at my parents’ house in Charlotte, NC. When I went to the sale of the tchotchkes my parents participated in, I was perceived as elitist. I experienced a lot of hostility, and smoking was a desperate attempt to fit in. It didn’t help. 

2. What do you think of hot dogs?

I like hot dogs, especially beef, with mustard (onions optional).

3. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?

Tea if I think of it, ginger ale if I don’t.

4. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry that you own?

Other than my wedding ring, I can’t think of any.

5. Name three drinks you regularly drink.

Water, diet cherry Pepsi, ginger ale.

6. Like to travel?

I like to BE in other places. Getting there is the more challenging part. Going to France last year was worthwhile but exhausting. 

Procrastination

7. What should you be doing right now?

Cleaning the house for the hearts party I’m having next week. Paying some medical bills. Getting reimbursed for some previously paid bills.  Watching some movies I had not seen to be evaluated before the Oscars on 10 March.

8. Your phone rings. Who do you want it to be?

My daughter. 

9. Do you like to ride horses?

The last time I rode a horse was 9 June 1976. I had a hangover. Not recommended.

10. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener?

In my preferred mode, I listen. However, I was in two situations in ZOOM meetings in the past two weeks when I was compelled to speak more than I would have preferred because waiting for others to speak was not working. 

11. What’s in your pocket right now?

Key, wallet, used cough drop wrappers.

12. Last thing that made you laugh?

Some banter I had with my wife at breakfast.

13. How many TVs do you have in your house?

One. Or three. I have a screen that isn’t plugged in unless I’m watching a movie on a streaming service. Then I have another that I need to figure out.

14. Who’s your loudest friend?

It’s probably an alto.

15. Favorite sports team? (If you don’t have one, state that …)

It tends to be New York teams: Yankees, Mets, Giants, Jets, and Buffalo Bills.

Sunday Stealing – Music

In the Garden of Eden

Sunday Stealing – Music? But I’m ALWAYS about music!

Name a song that…

1. You enjoy, in another language.

Petula Clark recorded Downtown in Italian as Ciao Ciao. She also did Sign of the Times in French as Si tu prenais le temps. She also sang in German.

2. Recently introduced you to a new singer

I hear many artists on CBS Saturday Morning, specifically the Saturday Sessions—quite a few I like. Brittany Spencer sings If You Say So.

3. You listen to in order to energize

Too many choices! Because Michael McDonald’s birthday was this week, Takin’ It To The Streets by the Doobie Brothers.

4. Is your favorite song from a musical.

Maybe Tradition from Fiddler On The Roof. I’m pretty sure Alexander Hamilton from Hamilton is the most parodied recently.

5. Reminds you of an old love

Harvest Moon by Neil Young still makes me very sad.

6. Make you think of one of your children

Motown Philly by Boyz 2 Men or some other ’90s soul that came out before she was born.

Did not use a metronome 

7. Makes you smile when you hear it.

Do What You Want To by Billy Preston. I love that it ends far faster than it starts. This is also true of When You Dance, I Can Really Love by Neil Young.

8. You love but is quite unknown

Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic by Isaac Hayes from Hot Buttered Soul

9. That annoys you.

Honey by Bobby Goldsboro. Cloying dreck.

10. That your parents used to listen to.

I thought of this song because of an article about fads. 45 Men A Telephone Booth by The Four Tophatters was a single my father owned. I bought a compilation CD largely because of this song.

11. From your early years of childhood

Bird Dog by the Everly Brothers, which my father also owned.

12. That has a color in the title.

Green Tambourine by The Lemon Pipers, naturally.

13. That needs to be played loud.

I’m So Glad by Cream, the live version from Goodbye, Cream.

14. That is perfect for a road trip.

ONE song? It’s a road trip. It needs LOTS of songs! In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida by Iron Butterfly to start.

15. That reminds you of yourself.

I’ll go with the usual: Bein’ Green by Kermit the Frog

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