songbird's crazy world

This week's questions from  Terri : The National Day Calendar gave us an INTERNATIONAL DAY!!  Since many of these don't really apply to our blogging friends in the UK and other countries, I was happy to see this one come up!! Everything below this line comes from the National Day Calendar. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WORLD RANGER DAY – July 31 WORLD RANGER DAY On July 31st, World Ranger Day honors the dedication, and crucial work rangers do every day around the globe.  The day offers an opportunity to show support to rangers for the services they provide. Every day, their unwavering commitment protects our national parks, wildlife, and forested heritage. “A park ranger is a protector. You protect the land from the people, the people from the land, the people from each other and the people from themselves.” Kurt Caswell (author/writer) Park rangers hold a variety of roles. A...

Just got off the phone with Drew.  He is doing well physically, healing from the surgery. Emotionally ... he is not happy, he wants things to go back to normal.  He's got a follow up appointment with the surgeon tomorrow, and he's hoping the surgeon will tell him he's allowed to drive.  I understand his frustration. He's got a new housemate.  Divorced man, the ex wife and their 10 year old daughter live about three blocks away.  So the daughter will be visiting frequently. I told the young lady that Duchess is a friendly cat but that she  does not like to be picked up .   Duchess is many things, but "cuddly lap cat" is not one of them.  Seriously, that cat will scratch if she's picked up. The weather has been...summery.  Very hot, humid, sticky days, but sometimes we get thunderstorms in the late afternoon. The sneakers that got drenched last week during my morning commute  are now in a plastic bag with a whole bunch of dry...

Another free choice week. I've been focusing on individual artists lately, so this week I've decided to focus on some of my favorite bands, bands I've seen perform live. I was 6 years old when the Monkees hit my TV screen.  My sister and I watched the show all the time.  We had four of their albums.  A fake band put together for a TV show, they evolved into a real band whose music endures. I've seen the Monkees perform many times, most recently in March. Written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, here's "Pleasant Valley Sunday". Fleetwood Mac...a mainstay of my high school years.  Never got to see them live in their heyday, but they had a reunion tour a few years ago and performed at Jones Beach.  I love their Rumors album, must have played it a thousand times.    Here's "The Chain". Next up, the Rolling Stones.  Saw them in concert in Shea Stadium, October 1989.  If you're in the mood, the entire concert can be ...

Two simple rules. See each movie in order, they are all interconnected. Do not leave until the credits are over and the house lights come up. Just saw the latest Spider-man movie.  Another fun ride. With two post credit scenes. We we the only two people left in the theater for the second post credit scene. Oh my ...

Right now I'm reading a thriller, Steve Berry's The Malta Exchange . It's in the same vein as The Da Vinci Code;  the plot revolves around a medieval Order of Knights, the Vatican, Mussolini, conspiracy theories... The main character is Cotton Malone, American  spy turned mercenary, sent on a mission by British Intelligence. Malone is a recurring character in Berry's novels, but (as Berry indicates on his website ), you don't have to read the series in order, each book was written to stand on its own. Drew recommended the book.  And when I said I was interested, he tried to hand me a hardcover the size of Montana...he is definitely NOT attuned to the e-reader world.  I downloaded the book from my public library, got the audio book as well... I've only read a few chapters, but so far I am enjoying it. When the main character is confronted by a bear in the first chapter.... If I like this book, I'm sure to read the others in the series. I just hope I...

From October 2016, our Florida vacation, sunrise over the Atlantic at  Cocoa Beach. #skywatchfriday

We got a little perk at work yesterday.  The landlord invited all of the tenants' employees to an "ice cream social".  Each person could choose from 5-6 different flavors, cup or cone, and a variety of toppings.  Nice break to the afternoon. The shoes that got drenched on Tuesday have  finally  dried...but the smell....I'm wondering if they can be salvaged...maybe baking soda? Update on My Idiot Foot ... the doctor wants me to get an MRI, to see what's really going on.  In the interim, he gave me a prescription for prednisone.  Seems to be helping...even My Stupid Knee feels better. Drew is doing much better after his surgery.  He's still not allowed to drive, so he's not happy.  I know how he feels.  Years ago, I sprained my right  foot and wound up in a soft cast for two weeks.   The biggest frustration wasn't the difficulty walking, wasn't the pain, wasn't the itching under the cast...it was the inability to d...

The internet is a wonderful place for selling gadgets that cure problems I didn't even know I had. But every now and then,  the internet helps you find products that solve your real problems. The problem to be solved:  thigh chafing. It happens every summer, whenever I wear a dress or a skirt.  I most definitely do not have a "thigh gap". For years I've been buying "culotte slips" like this one, from a plus size catalog:    Problem is, the slip tends to ride up. A friend recommended "thigh bands": They didn't stay in place. I do like my Lanacane anti-friction gel. It helps, but it has to be reapplied. And then i found these: It seems to be the new thing in lingerie, shorts that you can wear under a dress.  I bought mine from Snag Tights .  They are lightweight, stretchy and comfortable. Of course, now that I bought these shorts...my Facebook feed is filled with ads from every lingerie company selling a sim...

Terri's  questions for the week: Terri chose two subjects from this week's National Day Calendar for this week's Medley. Family is important to all of us, I believe, so let's talk about cousins and aunts and uncles today.  If you don't happen to have cousins, aunts or uncles, tell us about those close to you who are like family. Everything below this line is from the National Day Calendar website. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NATIONAL COUSINS DAY – July 24 NATIONAL COUSINS DAY National Cousins Day on July 24th recognizes the lifelong relationships that grow among cousins. Our first friendships often form with cousins as young as infants and endure a lifetime.  Whether cousins grow up together in close-knit families or only see each other occasionally, they share shared memories through grandparents, aunts, and uncles. At family gatherings, cousi...

We had really scary thunderstorms yesterday -- sky black as night, howling winds, torrential rain, thunder, lightning.  I was happy to be home when the storm hit, happy that I didn't have to travel in that mess... I felt so bad for Drew, though.  He was sitting in his  living room during the storm.  The lights blinked off and on, and then there must have been a power surge, because the surge protector in the den started to spark.  He unplugged it before there was any real damage, but the room got very smoky.  He was lucky he was home when it happened! The rain was supposed to end overnight....but this morning I left for work in the middle of a downpour.  Driving to the train station was not fun. But when I got there, at least I got to try out my new umbrella. Yes, I bought one of those new "reversible" umbrellas.    And yes, so far it seems to be a lot more wind-resistant and resilient than a traditional umbrella. The parking lot...

Today's theme is "Songs By Your Favorite American Idol or The Voice Contestant" Well, that would be Kelly Clarkson. I never watched season one of American Idol, completely missed the whole Justin and Kelly thing, but Kelly is the reason I later became a fan of the show. Let me explain. January 2004.  My daughter Jen (then age 13) and my daughter Becca (age 11) were huge fans of American Idol.  And when they said "Mom, Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken are going on tour together!  They're coming to Long Island!  Can we go, Mom?  Please?" So I found myself at the Nassau Coliseum. And there was Kelly, in a ponytail and sneakers, playing the guitar as she sang. And I became a fan. And I started watching the show, too. So..... Her debut single: and then one of my favorites: Are you in this relationship or are you out? But then her hits got darker...bad relationships,breakups, emerging stronger form it.... Sh...

I once named a cat Mr. Mistoffelees.   He was quiet, he was small, he was black... Some of you are nodding your heads. Some of you are scratching your heads. Maybe this helps: The show ran on Broadway from 1982 - 2000, the logo was a fixture on the marquee of the Winter Garden Theater.  I saw the Broadway production  at least three times. Somewhere in my house there is a trinket box that plays "Memory". I saw the trailer for the new movie the other day...and I'm not sure how I feel.  The upcoming film has a wonderful cast.  Judi Dench, Sir Ian McKellan, Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift, James Corden, Rebel Wilson.  But I'm not sure about the "look" of the production.  The actors were transformed into felines through costuming, makeup and special effects.  It's a bit disconcerting. Here, see for yourself. Of course I plan to see the movie, but... I'll reserve judgment, I suppose, until I've seen the full effect. ...

...with my new Kindle Paperwhite. I haven’t had an e-reader since I stopped using my first generation nook.  I loved my nook, but Barnes &Noble stopped supporting that device awhile ago.  Mine still works, but it no longer syncs to the nook app.  So it’s fairly useless unless I want to load books from my laptop and read them exclusively on the device. For the most part I’ve been reading on my iPad, which has its limitations.  My iPad doesn’t like to spend time in direct sunlight, especially when I’m reading on a park bench during lunch hour — the device tends to overheat. Reading in bed with an iPad mini was easy, but with a full sized iPad... Yes, I know, first world problems. I participated in a research project for a well-known retailer last month.  Each participant received an Amazon gift card as a thank you.  The card went into my account two days before Prime Day. My new toy: I put it next to the phone so you can compare size. ...

From my 2016 visit to the Kennedy Space Center #skywatchfriday

Terri  has a lot of questions this week. 1.  Do you enjoy fresh peaches?  What is your favorite way to use them in a recipe? Yes. I do like peaches. Fresh or canned, I like them both.  I don't have any recipes , though. 2.  Have you ever gone the wrong way on a one-way street?  What do you think about Mr. Corrigan's story?   True or False? Mr. Corrigan’s story is a fairy tale.   Lovely to tell but no basis in reality. I’ve never gone down a one way street the wrong way, but I’ve had some fun times with a GPS telling me to drive on a road that wasn’t really there. 3.  Tell us about your life when you were 17 The summer I was 17, I had a part time job at the park, running activities for elementary school kids.  I worked weekday mornings, which left me plenty of time to hang out by the pool in the afternoon.  It was the summer that the first Star Wars movie was released, and mhy boyfriend and I s...

I spent some time outdoors last weekend, at the community pool and in Drew's back yard. And I got a sunburn. But only on my left shoulder. Can you believe that? Aloe vera gel is my new best friend. Drew is having surgery later today, so I'll be spending my day in a hospital waiting room. Again. Yes, he's had more than a few surgical procedures in the last few years. And each time, I worry... My Idiot Foot is acting up again. I've got an appointment with my doctor on Friday. Sigh. Getting older isn't fun... We're supposed to go to a Ducks game on Saturday. I don't know if Drew will be sufficiently recovered by then. If he feels up to it, we'll go, and we can always leave early if he needs to. If not, well, the Ducks have a very generous policy about exchanging unused tickets. The movie theater near Drew's house is still closed, by the way. That rodent problem must have been difficult to remove... Maybe they should have hired our ca...

The whole world held its collective breath.  On July 16, 1969, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins boarded a Saturn V rocket.  "10...9...8..7...6...5...4...3...2...1.  We have liftoff...."   On July 20, we heard Armstrong say  "Houston,  Tranquility Base  here. The  Eagle  has landed."  Men had landed on the moon !  and the next day, Armstrong walked on the moon.   "That's one small step for  [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." the astronauts returned to Earth on July 24.   The astronauts were honored with a NYC ticker tape parade down the Canyon of heroes on August 13. In honor of the events of 50 years ago, my music theme this week is all about space and space travel. Nothing like a little 2001: A Space Odyssey to start things off.   Classic film from 1968, with an easily recognizable score. On July 11, 1969, a struggling folk singer named David Bowie released...

There was a major electrical failure in NYC last night.  The blackout encompassed midtown and the Upper West Side.  Times Square was completely without power. I’d given some thought to going into the city yesterday, to take photos of Manhattanhenge, but ultimately decided against it. And my daughter-who-lives-in-Manhattan is ok — her current apartment, on the East Side, was unaffected.  Her former residence, in Hell’s Kitchen, however, was in the “zone of darkness”. The blackout was a major inconvenience to a lot of people — shows and concerts had to be cancelled — but the city remained calm. Interestingly, the blackout occurred on 7/13/19, the anniversary of the 1977 city-wide blackout.  On that hot summer night 42 years ago, the entire city was in darkness.  It was a horrible night, with rioting and looting in some of the city’s poorer neighborhoods.    Being a suburban child, I wasn’t directly affected by the 1977 blackout. I don’t have very clear m...

So, when you're in an LIRR station, waiting for a train, you're bound to hear  many announcements:  the time your train is expected to arrive, the track number of its arrival, a reminder to stand behind the yellow safety line and to step over the gap between the train and the platform, don't put your feet on the seats, store luggage inn the overhead racks .... Some f the announcements are made by celebrities.   For example, Darryl Strawberry -- former NY Met, former NY Yankee-- reminds passengers to hold their child's hand when stepping over the gap. I completely understand. Becca must have been about 4 years old, and Jen was about 6.  My sisters and I had taken the girls into Manhattan for some show or event.  We took the LIRR home.   When it was time to board the train, Jen held hands with one of her aunts, and I took Becca's hand. I told her to step over the gap.  But for some reason, she started to fall into the gap....

From October 2016, the pyramid at Chichen Itza, a Mayan site in the Yucatan. #skywatchfriday