Month: December 2018

Share Your World — The Year’s End

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It’s her final Share Your World post for 2018, so this, too, will be my final Share Your World response of the year to Melanie’s final Share Your World post of the year.

For the parents in the crowd:  What would be the absolute worst name you might give your child? If you’re not a parent (I’m not), then what’s the worst name you could give your pet?

Any name that other kids will have a tendency to make fun of or to create a mean nickname.

What mildly annoying curse might you wish you could curse annoying people with?

Are you asking about a curse as in a spell, or a curse as in a “dirty” word? In the case of the former, I am neither a witch nor a wizard, so I lack the ability to cast a curse. In the case of the latter, if someone was annoying me, I might tell that person to “F-off,” but I’m not sure how “mild” a curse that would be. Maybe I’d just tell them to “go suck an egg.”

What’s the weirdest thing you did as a child?

I would purposely drop ice cream on the sidewalk in front of my house, wait for it to melt and for the ants to come find it. When enough ants got there, I’d grab a hammer from my father’s tool chest and start smashing all of the poor ants with it. Of course, this was way before violent video games existed. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it.

Do you believe things happen for a reason or are random?

Yes.

And finally, in the spirit of New Year’s: What’s a resolution (if you make them, I don’t) you’re making for the New Year?   How confident are you in keeping it a reasonable amount of time?

Sorry, but I don’t make New Year’s resolutions because I’m confident that I won’t keep them.

That’s What I’m Talking About

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E9F8D3BD-AEE5-4E9C-937A-ED4C35A299EAMy wife and I watch a lot of HGTV shows: House Hunters, House Hunters International, Tiny House Hunters, etc. We also like Property Brothers, Love It or List It, Flip or Flop, and Fixer Upper. We enjoy seeing the kinds of houses people look at and buy, especially when they have big budgets.

And we enjoy seeing the people who are being shown these properties. It’s always interesting when the realtor asked the prospective buys what they want.

He wants a two-to-three bedroom, two bathroom condo or townhouse in the city near his job, a low-to-no maintenance yard, a man cave, a three-car garage, great views, near a golf course, and an open concept design. He prefers the clean lines of a mid-century modern ranch-style house.

She wants a single-family home with at least four bedrooms and three bathrooms in the suburbs, a big backyard for the kids, preferably with a swimming pool, a large modern kitchen with new, stainless steel appliances, a master bedroom with an en-suite and a large walk-in closet, and near their kids’ school. She loves the classic craftsman-style home or a Victorian, with a grand staircase and vintage details.

The smiling realtor asks the couple what their budget is and he says “$199,000 max.” She says that she’s “willing to stretch for the perfect house for their family — up to $300 grand.” The still (always) smiling realtor says, “I’m sure we can find something that will meet all of your needs within your budget.”

Then the games begin. The realtor always shows them three homes. One for him, one for her, and one that “may require some compromise.”

And there are three catchphrases that these potential home buyers on the various shows frequently say that just drive me crazy.

The first and the worst, in my opinion, is the buyer, often the male, who sees something he likes and gleefully says, “Now that’s what I’m talking about.” Really? I never heard you talk about “that” before. And the way their spouse or significant other looks at them when they say it leads me to believe that no one else has either.

And then there are those who are looking at houses that are priced maybe between $200,000 to $300,000. One of them gazes out of the living room window or steps onto a deck or a patio in the backyard and says, “Now that is a million dollar view.” No, it isn’t. Because if it really was a million dollar view, the house would cost a million dollars.

Finally, there are the ones who go into the master bedroom of the house they’re considering, point out of the window, and say, “Wouldn’t you love to wake up to that every morning?” No, because when most people first wake up in the morning, their blinds, shades, curtains, drapes, or whatever other kinds of window coverings they have are usually closed.

But still, my wife and I do love to watch these HGTV shows. And when the realtor asks about their budget and they say “a million to 1.2,” I turn to my wife and say, “Now that’s what I’m talking about!”

Be It Resolved

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13D14C4A-A715-458A-ACCB-FB40BCA04DB7I originally wrote this post at the end of last year for one of Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompts. I thought, because of the subject matter and timing, it would be worth reposting it.

Many people use the approaching new year to take stock of their lives. They look behind at the past year and reflect on their achievements and failures. Often, they focus on the mistakes they made, their broken promises, and unfulfilled dreams. They resolve to improve themselves, to get a fresh start as the brand new year commences.

New Year’s resolutions are an effort to reinvent oneself; they are a form of self-motivation. People make them with the hope of changing their lives for the better. Unfortunately, most such resolutions are not kept for very long. So why bother?

Resolutions are all about hopefulness and people have been making these annual resolutions for centuries. The act of creating such resolutions has reportedly been around since Babylonian times, when the Babylonians were said to have made promises to the gods in the hope that they’d earn good favor in the coming year.

Some sources say that the tradition of New Year’s resolutions dates back to around 150 BC. January is named after the mythical early Roman god Janus, who had two faces, which allowed him to look both back on the past (the old year) and forward toward the future (the new year).

This became a symbolic time for Romans to make resolutions for the new year and to forgive enemies for troubles in the past. Janus would forgive the Romans for their wrongdoings in the previous year, and, based upon gifts and promises, would bless them in the year ahead.

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. It’s not that I’m perfect and there’s no room for improvement. That’s far from the case. But I don’t like that feeling of failure when my resolutions to get more exercise, to eat healthier, to watch less TV, or to be a better human being inevitably fall short. So if I don’t make any New Year’s resolutions, I won’t beat myself up for not being able to keep them.

Having said that, the one resolution I do plan to keep is to continue blogging, so long as it’s still fun, fulfilling, and doesn’t become a burden.

Happy New Year, fellow bloggers. And for those of you who do make New Year’s resolutions, best of luck. Because the odds of success are against you.

FOWC with Fandango — Revenge

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FOWCWelcome to December 31, 2018 and to Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (aka, FOWC). It’s designed to fill the void after WordPress bailed on its daily one-word prompt.

I will be posting each day’s word just after midnight Pacific Time (US).

Today’s word is “revenge.”

Write a post using that word. It can be prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction. It can be any length. It can be just a picture or a drawing if you want. No holds barred, so to speak.

Once you are done, tag your post with #FOWC and create a pingback to this post if you are on WordPress. Or you can simply include a link to your post in the comments.

And be sure to read the posts of other bloggers who respond to this prompt. You will marvel at their creativity.

Out But Not Down

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75F38F9E-2986-49D1-81F4-5BAAE7428191It’s the last Sunday of the year. A beautiful, sunny Sunday with the high expected to reach close to 60°F (or 15°C). Yesterday, with similar weather, my wife and I drove north across the Golden Gate Bridge and headed toward the top of Mount Tamalpias, which offers spectacular views of the entire Bay Area.View from Mt. TamToday we’re going in the opposite direction, South along the Pacific Coast Highway to Mavericks Beach, one of the best surfing beaches on the west coast, to watch the surfers do their thing.

However, in the pursuit of a little escape from the chaos of the real world, my wife has suggested (demanded, actually) that we leave our iPhones at home. Thus, this will likely be my last post of the day.

I hope you’ll understand if I don’t get around to reading your posts today or to responding to your comments on my posts, at least until later tonight when we get home from our day trip.

Enjoy the final Sunday of 2018, everyone.

Day 30 — Man in the Mirror

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For today’s 30-Day Song Challenge, the very last one in this series, we are asked for “a song that reminds you of yourself.”

Actually, two songs came to mind. One is Paul Simon’s “I Am a Rock,” and the other is Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror.”

In the case of Paul Simon’s song, I have always been a kind of aloof, distant person who protects myself from hurt and pain by building walls around me. Perhaps that explains why I blog anonymously. But as in the Michael Jackson song, I have, over the years, taken a good, hard look at myself in the mirror and discovered that I am capable of changing and have changed. I can tear down that protective wall and take the risk of hurt and disappointed for the sake of being more open to and with the people who are most important to me. But, that said, I’m not going to stop blogging anonymously.

So, with that in mind, I’m going to share both songs.

Song Lyric Sunday — What’s New?

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Helen Vahdati was late in posting her theme for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday prompt, but we forgive her because she’s been dealing with some health issues recently. But she finally posted did post her theme, which is “new.”

Now I have a confession to make. It’s almost midnight my time and I was out and about most of the day and I’m dog tired, but as soon as I read Helen’s theme for this week, a song popped into my head and I had to write a post about it. The song? “What’s New Pussycat?” by Tom Jones.

“What’s New Pussycat?” was the title song for the movie of the same name starring Peter Sellers. Sung by British singer Tom Jones, and written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, it was released in June 1965 and peaked at number 3 in the U.S. Billboard chart that year.

The song is intentionally outrageous, with the singer telling a girl to powder her pussycat nose so he can kiss her “sweet little pussycat lips.” At the time, Jones was developing an image as a ribald pop star, and this song played right into it. Burt Bacharach knew that Jones had the chops to convey the right tone in the song, and convinced him to do it.

“What’s New Pussycat?” was nominated for an Academy Award for best original song in 1966, but did not win that year.

Here are the song’s lyrics.

What’s new, Pussycat?
Whoa, whoa
What’s new, Pussycat?
Whoa, whoa

Pussycat, Pussycat, I’ve got flowers
And lots of hours
To spend with you.
So go and powder your cute little pussycat nose!

Pussycat, Pussycat, I love you
Yes, I do!
You and your pussycat nose!

What’s new, Pussycat?
Whoa, whoa
What’s new, Pussycat?
Whoa, whoa

Pussycat, Pussycat, you’re so thrilling
And I’m so willing
To care for you.
So go and make up your cute little pussycat eyes!

Pussycat, Pussycat, I love you
Yes, I do!
You and your pussycat eyes!

What’s new, pussycat?
Whoa, whoa
What’s new, pussycat?
Whoa, whoa

Pussycat, Pussycat, you’re delicious
And if my wishes
Can all come true
I’ll soon be kissing your sweet little pussycat lips!

Pussycat, Pussycat, I love you
Yes, I do!
You and your pussycat lips!
You and your pussycat eyes!
You and your pussycat nose!

FOWC with Fandango — Pursuit

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FOWCWelcome to December 30, 2018 and to Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (aka, FOWC). It’s designed to fill the void after WordPress bailed on its daily one-word prompt.

I will be posting each day’s word just after midnight Pacific Time (US).

Today’s word is “pursuit.”

Write a post using that word. It can be prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction. It can be any length. It can be just a picture or a drawing if you want. No holds barred, so to speak.

Once you are done, tag your post with #FOWC and create a pingback to this post if you are on WordPress. Or you can simply include a link to your post in the comments.

And be sure to read the posts of other bloggers who respond to this prompt. You will marvel at their creativity.

The Alphabet Post Challenge

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009D20EF-EB1D-47A5-8ADE-CE6CD249232F

Rory, aka A Guy Called Bloke, tagged me for this new challenge. According to Rory, the challenge requires us to:

  1. Acknowledge the blogger that challenged you.
  2. Display the challenge photo or create your own.
  3. Link back to the tagger’s post so he/she can read yours.
  4.  Create one post or multiple posts using a word that starts with each letter of the alphabet and share your thoughts on the word you chose and how it can be applied to our lives.
  5. Be creative and have fun!
  6. Nominate 7 bloggers to participate.

So, (1) thanks Rory, (2) see the image at the top of this post, (3) here’s the link, and (4) see below, (5) I’ll try, but I can’t guarantee that by the time I get to the letter “Z,” I’ll have much of either left, and (6) no, I’m not gonna nominate seven bloggers. I’m going to throw it open to anyone who is up for it.

A is for alphabet. What else would “A” be for in a post called “The Alphabet Post Challenge”?

B is for blog. Like “A” for alphabet, what else would you choose for the letter “B” beside blog for a post about the letters of the alphabet. I mean seriously?

C is for compromised, which is what the President of the United States (POTUS) has been by Putin and Russia.

D is for Democrats who took back the U.S. House of Representatives and can, hopefully, rein in the disaster known as Donald Trump.

E is for egomaniac, which is one of the negative characteristics of the man I’m hoping the Democrats will be able to rein in this coming year.

F is for fuhgeddaboudit because I love saying (and spelling) that word that way.

G is for generous, which is something that most of you who read, like, and comment on my posts have been toward me. I love you all for that.

H is for hypocrisy, which is a characteristic of most of the Republicans in elected offices at both the state and federal levels of government.

I is for idiot, a characteristic that can be used to describe our fearless leader.

J is for jackass, an apt description of the current POTUS.

K is for Krispy Kreme doughnuts, the best doughnuts in the world and they aren’t available where I live now. Oh how I miss them.72701EFA-5BE2-426A-840F-5B108B9F491B

L is for love, because what the world needs now is love, sweet love, it’s the only thing that there’s just too little of, especially these days.

M is for moron, a generally accepted way of describing our president.

N is for narcissistic, another negative trait of the current POTUS.

O is for organized, which is something I hope to be more of in 2019.

P is for pessimistic, which is something I hope to be less of in 2019.

Q is for questions. An awful lot of bloggers are being nominated for blog awards, which is great, and they are answering questions their nominator asked of them, and asking other questions of those who they then nominate. Is it just me, or are we, myself included, going a little overboard with all of these Q&A posts?

R is for resolutions, as in New Year’s resolutions. I don’t make ‘em because I can’t keep ‘em.

S is for stable. Given the chaos of the past year, I hope this new year will be at least a little more stable.

T is for time. It’s time for the Republicans in Congress to stop enabling, defending, and protecting Donald Trump while he totally destroys this country.

U is for unhinged, unqualified, and unfit. Take a wild guess who I’m talking about.

V is for vindictive. Don’t worry. We’re getting close to the end of the alphabet, so pretty soon I’m going to run out of negative characteristics to describe POTUS.

W is for write, which is what we bloggers do just about every day because we are driven to do so.

X is for xenophobic. Really, do I have to tell you why by now?

Y is for Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker, which is what I will gleefully shout out the day that Donald Trump is removed from of voted out of office.

Z is for zonked out because “Z” is the last letter of the alphabet and I’m tired, so let’s just fuhgeddaboudit.