saturday 9

Cadillac Ranch

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

1) In this song, Bruce Springsteen sings about taking his father and his aunt to see The Cadillac Ranch. Have you recently taken a road trip? If yes, where did you go? yesterday, we went to Mountain Lake, which is where the movie Dirty Dancing was filmed--we didn't realize there's a massive 40th anniversary party going on.  We were able to snag a table and have dinner.

2) The Cadillac Ranch is real. It's an outdoor art installation in Amarillo, TX. Tell us about a statue, mural, or other piece of outdoor art in your community.  driving in downtown Blacksburg, I noticed a few murals on the sides of buildings that are colorful and cool

3) Not only is Bruce singing about a real place, he mentions three real people. The first is "James Dean in his Mercury 49." That refers to the 1949 Mercury driven by James Dean in his first starring role, Rebel Without a Cause. Though he remains a legendary star, Dean made only three movies before his death at age 24. Have you seen any of his films? yes, all three

4) The second is "Junior Johnson runnin' through the woods of Caroline." Junior Johnson was a folk hero, famous as a NASCAR driver and notorious for running moonshine through North Carolina. He was the inspiration for "Midnite Moon," an animated old Ford in the 2017 Disney movie Cars 3. What Disney movie did you enjoy when you were growing up? Mary Poppins is my favorite

5) The third man Bruce sings about is "Burt Reynolds and his black Trans Am." This is a reference to Burt's biggest hit, 1977's Smokey and the Bandit. Burt also had success as a restaurateur. He co-owned Burt and Jack's, a popular steakhouse at Port Everglades, right on the water. Tell us about a restaurant that offered both good food and a memorable view.  I'll go with Mountain Lake, since that was so recent--it's really a beautiful compound.  It's been built up since the first time I visited it.

6) For decades, Cadillac was the gold standard of luxury. For example, an eatery referred to as "the Cadillac of restaurants" would be best or most prestigious. Think about your neighborhood. Tell us about a restaurant, hotel or business that is "the Cadillac" of your community.   hmmm, I really can't think of one in my hometown

7) Since he's been singing about America and cars for decades, it should come as no surprise that Bruce Springsteen has a collection of classic American cars. For the cover of his autobiography he chose a photo of himself leaning on his favorite, a 1960 Corvette convertible. Think about your favorite photo of yourself. What are you doing? I am getting ready for my 40th class reunion and took a selfie to check my hair

8) In 1981, when Bruce released this recording, Dolly Parton had a hit with "9 to 5." What's your favorite Dolly Parton song? I'm partial to Jolene, Two Doors Down, and Here You Come Again

9) Random question: When did you last DIY and fix something around your home or yard? I need to DIY a fix for my suitcase which was broken on my last flight--the double zippers somehow got ripped off the front pocket making it gape open and it's driving me mad!

three on thursday

 

Thing one:  my sister is spoiling me.  I haven't lifted a finger since I've been here.  Even when I offer to do dishes or clean something up, or even make coffee, she does it for me.

Thing two:  it's been delightful to spend time with my Tulsa niece and her boyfriend.  We've laughed and played cards and Yatzee!

Thing three:  the one bugaboo is that my dad has been having some health issues and I'm not there to help.  I thought about going home early but there's nothing I could do there, either.  Everyone has suggested I stay here.  So I will.

wordless wednesday

 

currently

 I am...

Reading:  The Queen of Wishful Thinking by Milly Johnson

Listening to: The Big Bang Theory on TBS

Thinking:  making plans with my sister and nieces

Feeling:  pampered

Celebrating:  no longer keeping track of what day it is

Grateful for:  time with my Virginia sister

Enjoying:  today I learned how to play Mexican Train 

Weather:  70° and mostly cloudy

A quote I want to share: 

finished reading

This book left me with more questions than answers, which added to the clever and unique delivery style. 
Instead of a straightforward narrative, the story unfolds through a series of interviews given by family friends, family members, detectives, teachers, and other members of the Afghan community who had contact with the Sharif family.

Reading it this way, I found myself constantly wondering about bias, both implicit and explicit, and how heavily perception shapes what people accept as "fact." Every speaker brings their own history and baggage to the table, making the reader piece together the truth from a collection of deeply subjective viewpoints.

Without spoiling anything, I’ll say that the open-ended conclusion felt incredibly satisfying. The lack of a neat, wrapped-up resolution feels entirely intentional. In the end, it proves a powerful point: we can never truly know a person or a family entirely from the outside.

From the publisher:
Zorah Sharaf could do no wrong. Zorah Sharaf brought shame upon her family. What’s the truth? Depends on who you ask.

The Sharaf family is the picture of success. Successful, rich, happy. They came to this country as refugees with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. And now, after years of hard work, they live in the most exclusive neighborhood, their growing family attending the most prestigious schools. Zorah, the eldest daughter, is the apple of her father’s eye.

When an unthinkable tragedy strikes, everyone is left reeling and the family is thrust into the court of public opinion. There is talk that behind closed doors the Sharafs’ happy household was anything but. Did the Sharaf family achieve the American dream? Or was the image of the model immigrant family just a façade?

Like a literary game of ping-pong, Good People compels the reader to reconsider what might have happened even on the previous page. Told through a kaleidoscope of perspectives, it is a riveting, provocative, and haunting story of family—sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, and the communities that claim us as family in difficult times.

sunday stealing

 

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Shopping Day

What's on your shopping list from ...        
1. Target or Walmart, or other superstore?  the only thing I can think of is Refresh eye drops

                 
2. Dollar Tree or Dollar General, or poundstretcher/99p store? hmmm, I don't go there very often unless school is in--I get paper plates and other stuff like that there

3. Best Buy or any other electronics/appliance store? nothing--my last Amazon purchase was a charging plug because I forgot mine at home

4. Book/music store? this is the place to browse!  I used to spend HOURS in record stores and I can still spend a chunk of time in a bookstore!

Bonus question! Where do you want to stop for lunch? usually Harvest Moon Deli

postsecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.

saturday 9

The Men In My Little Girl's Life

 Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here. Chosen for Father's Day.

1) In this song, a father shares the story of his daughter's life through first the boys, then the men, she brought home. The first is Rod, a little kid who wants to play in the backyard. Who were your playmates when you were young? Did you find it more fun to have them over to your home, or to go to theirs? my next door neighbor, Mike, and I were best friends--I loved playing at his house (his older sister is my Virginia sister's childhood best friend) because they had a pinball game and air hockey and all kinds of cool stuff!

2) Then his daughter asked if Lee could carry her books on the walk to/from school. During your junior high years, how did you travel to school (bus, bicycle, car pool, shoe leather)? mostly by bus, although I lived about a mile away from school so often walked home

 

3) Throughout this song, the father recalls that his daughter alternately called him "Daddy," "Dad," "Popsie," "Pop" and "Father." How did/do you address your father? mostly Dad although affectionately Daddy

 

4) The song ends with the daughter asking her father to babysit. When did you last look after someone else's child? that's been awhile.  But I am currently watching my niece's dog

 

5) This record was a Top 10 hit in the US and it made the Top 20 in Canada. Much of its success was attributed to Mike Douglas' TV popularity. From 1965 to 1981, he hosted a daytime talk show. Do you watch much daytime TV? no

 

6) Mike Douglas was a father himself. He had three daughters, including twins. Are there twins in your family? I have twin cousins in my mother's side of the family--several sets of them, actually

 

Now about Father's Day ... 

 

7) Retail chains like O'Reilly Auto Parts, Auto Zone and Jiffy Lube are all promoting gift cards and car-related gifts for Father's Day. If you got a gift card from one of those stores, how would you upgrade your ride? I would get a WeatherTech liner for the trunk of my car

 

8) Dick's Sporting Goods also enjoys a spike in gift card sales around Father's Day. Have you more recently given or received a gift card? given

9) In days gone by, ties were the #1 Father's Day gift. But as today's workplace has become more casual, fragrance has taken over the top spot. Dove Men+Care offers gift sets with shampoo/conditioner, body wash and antiperspirant. Think about your shower routine. Are your shampoo, body wash and antiperspirant all the same brand or the same scent? I have a lavender cleansing conditioner and soap but they aren't the same brand 

three on thursday

 

Thing one:  being on vacation is wonderful.  Being with my sister, in Virginia, is wonderful.  Not a lot of side quests this week, mostly lying low and playing our 40-year-old grudge match of spite & malice.

Thing two:  I have already lost track of the date, time, and day of the week.

Thing three:  dogs.  Gus is my first love.  Saphira (I'm not 100% on the spelling) is my niece's dog that we're watching this weekend.  Dogs.  DOGS!