Which Way to Llano?

For my birthday last weekend, we took a long drive out Hwy 71 up to Llano and Mason to see wildflowers. Just fyi, there were hardly ANY. Always a nice drive though! Great views of valleys and hills, just no flowers this year. It happens. Meh. (Plenty of flowers here in the ATX. It is green here, but serious drought time out west.)

On the trip, Siri, who isn't known for her regional dialects, decided to wow us with her newly found Spanish accent, and called Llano "yah-no." *wild applause* Unfortunately, in this case, it's... not actually yah-no. It's lanno, y'all! 

 

Nice effort, though.

We took a little internet-specified "wildflower drive" around the Mason metropolitan countryside, and towards the end we approached a crossroad. I pulled out my phone to check the map, to see which direction we needed to go to get back to Llano. Jeff pulled over onto the shoulder and stopped. I fiddled around for two or three minutes within the map app (it kept zooming in and out too far- GAH), when finally I was able to see that we needed to turn left ahead.

I put away my phone, looked up, and:

Ha!!

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Oscars So Weird

I didn't realize Will Smith's feelings were so delicate that he had to slap the crap out of a comedian making a joke. That is jackassery at it's finest. And why didn't the Oscars folks remove him from the venue? SO weird. It is the very least they could have done. I guess A-listers are just allowed to assault people on live television now?

 

And the nerve of the Oscars to try to get President Zelensky to speak at their event. This show is celebrities giving each other awards for entertainment. It is not the UN. Like the amazing Wanda Sykes said, "He's busy right now... Know your lane." Yeesh. Again- SO weird.

 

Anyhoo... here's a text conversation I had this morning:

 

Me: ...GIRD YOUR LOINS!

Lauren: what hahaha

Me: something people say to warn of impending doom. maybe from a movie? not sure

Lauren: sounds like something from Monty Python

Me: it does

Me (after googling): "This expression comes from the Bible (Proverbs 31:17) and originally alluded to tucking up the traditional long robe into a girdle (that is, a belt) so it will not hamper physical activity."

Me: new show! Bible or Monty Python?

Lauren: lmaooooo

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Slow Motion Fall

I was at the grocery store Monday morning, heading out to my car in misty rain, when I slipped on a painted arrow on the pavement. I managed to hold on to the cart handle with both hands, so I sort of slow motion fell onto my knees, scraping my shins on the ground. 

 

I would have been less embarrassed to have fallen flat and knocked myself out.

 

Lauren, Troy and Jaxon hung out last Saturday night! Jaxon was visiting from teaching English in Japan and Troy came down from Dallas. So great to see the old besties together again. I'm so glad Lolo felt well and was able to see them.

We had friends over for dinner last night, and we were talking about if you remember your childhood phone number. It reminded me that my family's Houston phone number, when my dad worked at NASA, happened to be one digit off from the main number to the Johnson Space Center. We got calls every day for them! I actually remember both numbers. We would answer "hello" and the person on the other end would be like, "Is this NASA?" We would say, "No, their number is 483-0123." (Just checked, and their number is still 483-0123. Awesome.)

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Ukraine

Heartbroken over the war in Ukraine. It's difficult to find a balance of watching enough CNN to be aware of the daily details, while not watching so much as to be completely absorbed in it. 

It's incredibly ridiculous in the modern world for one jackwagon individual to cause so much death and destruction. It's frustrating that we can't do anything militarily without risking world war. So glad to see companies participating in cutting Russia off temporarily, along with government sanctions. If these are the only measures we can take at this time, more companies need to get on board.

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Accidental "Login with Google" Triggers Blizzard of Spam

I have an ancient "trash" email address at Outlook (formerly Hotmail), that I use for shopping, email lists and any organizations/businesses I don't trust to keep my email address to themselves. I keep my "real" email address at Gmail protected, using it strictly for friends, work and the very few organizations/businesses I trust not to share or sell my email address. That system has worked fabulously forever. Until the following experience, I had years of literally zero spam emails at my Gmail address.

I was directed to Pinterest from some search results several weeks ago. My browser asked if I wanted to login using Facebook or Google (which has always annoyed me and turns out can be turned off- see below) and I accidentally clicked the 'Login with Google' option.

NEVER DO THAT.

When you choose the Google login option, it automatically gives that website your Gmail address (and your name and profile photo). Ever since then, I have been barraged with every type of spam in my inbox at Gmail. 

I actually had a Pinterest account that I could have logged in with that day, but nooooooooo... 

I deleted my Pinterest account. My next move will probably be deleting my Gmail account and starting a new personal email. Such a pain.

I deleted my Facebook account a while back, so I don't know how to remove prompts to log in using Facebook. To turn off suggestions to log in with Google:

1) Go to your Google account

2) Click on Security in the left sidebar

3) Under 'Signing in to Other Sites' click on 'Signing in with Google' 

4) Turn off 'Google Account sign-in Prompts'

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Celeb Big Bro

So, this is what brings me out to the blog, evidently. 

In a world where lately "evil" seems to win more often than not, it was particularly disappointing to see the two most mean-spirited players end up as the CBB finalists. I had just said before the vote that the jury was going to have to choose the lesser of two evils, and Teddi said the very same thing when she started the voting. 

I agree that between Todrick and Miesha, Miesha is the lesser evil. I was initially very excited to see Todrick on the show. I thought he would be really entertaining, and a positive, joy-bringing member of the cast, but he quickly took things so negative, and also to such a personal level, like telling Chris Kirkpatrick that he didn't want to be friends with him outside the house, and that Chris's son would be embarrassed by him.

It's a game, dude. Yeesh.

Todrick made nasty comments about other cast members all along. I was just so surprised at who he really is, behind all that talent. 

The lie about Shanna playing both sides of the house was the worst. Neither of the final two would have been in the finale, had it not been for that deception. Miesha continues to defend herself by saying Shanna initially played both sides, but between Todrick straight up saying it was a lie he concocted, and Miesha's reaction when she was brought into it, she knows what she did.

So glad Carson won Fan Fave. While the Shanna thing was happening, I just kept thinking how bad Carson was going to feel when he found out what went down. He did, and apologized to Shanna on the finale.

I was initially going for Chris, then Carson, then Cynthia. Even though Cynthia sailed through the game with the help of others, she obviously worked the social side to get where she was, and should have won!

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Downton Abbey Binging in 2022

This morning the lawn guys came to do a top dressing on our lawn. We have a section of wood fence that blew down in the storm last week (trying to figure out with our neighbors how to fix it exactly), so Jeff told the lawn guys to just lean the piece of fence against the remaining fence to work on that section of grass. He watched and told me that instead of leaning it against the fence, they kept balancing it IN the empty space where it belongs along the fence line, and it kept... falling over... as one might expect. I only wish I could have watched that whole scene. That's pandemic entertainment right there.

New Netflix binge! We'd never seen Downton Abbey. Well, we did see the movie, but never an episode of the show. Now we've binged the first two seasons and are starting into Season 3. I watched so much Downton Abbey in such a short time that I'm thinking in a British accent. It hasn't actually come out of my mouth yet. Only a matter of time, I'm sure. 

The weather in Austin has been gorgeous! Sunny and cool. Disturbing manifestation of global warming? Perhaps. But gorgeous! 

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Goodbye 2021

 It's just anoooother New Year's Eve...

Happy last day of this sucky year! Woohoo!!

We started watching "Maid" this week. Fantastic show! My favorite moment so far is Andie McDowell's whirlwind of a character angrily declaring that her ex-boyfriend's wife, Petal, who is cradling a baby in the background, "looks like a f*ing bitch!" Bwahahaa. (You may have had to be there. Seriously hilarious.) So far the lead character (played by Andie McDowell's real-life daughter) is making questionable life choices, but I'm hopeful she will start standing up for herself and taking help when it's offered. It's not really about being a maid, like I thought it would be. Looking forward to the next episode.

I've temporarily gone back to curbside shopping now, with the new covid spike in full force here. Hoping it will be shorter than the previous ones. Then maybe we can all start back towards actual normal-normal!

Saturday 9: Drivers License (2021)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is about a girl who just got her drivers license. Who taught you to drive?

my boyfriend at the time, in his Fiat

2) Do you like your drivers license/state ID photo?
It's fine. 

3) Think back to the first ticket you received. How old were you, and what was it for?

I was 20, and it was for having an outdated registration sticker. He also mentioned the A&M stickers I had on my license plate were illegal (even though they were very cool and we ALL had them!), but didn't ticket me for those. 

4) In this week's song, Olivia Rodrigo is brokenhearted, driving through her boyfriend's neighborhood, certain that he has taken up with the sophisticated blonde girl. When it comes to romance, do you have a jealous streak?

not generally

5) Olivia grew up in Temecula, California. Temecula is home to 40 wineries and dozens of tasting rooms. Have you ever attended a wine tasting?
several, yes

6) Her first on-screen appearance was in a commercial for Old Navy stores. Old Navy is owned by the same company as Banana Republic, Gap and Athletica. Have you done any of your holiday shopping at one of those stores? (Yes, their websites count.)
Nope.

7) She went on to star in projects for Disney studios. That's also how pop stars Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, and Christina Aguilera got started. Arguably the first teen star created by Disney studios was Annette Funicello. Do you remember her?
I do, because she was in the Beach Blanket Bingo movie(s?) with Frankie Avalon, who was in Grease.

8) "Drivers License" was one of this year's most popular songs. One of this year's most popular books is John Grisham's The Judge's List. Do you expect to do much reading between now and the end of the year? If so, what's on your TBR (to be read) list?

Mostly cookbooks.

9) Random Question: What is the longest line you ever stood in, and was it worth it?

I have been in many, many overnight lines for concert tickets, back when we had to buy them at record stores. SO fun! Always worth it.

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Misc Wednesday

Laughing at the ad for dog treats covered in "peanut butter flavored yum." Whatever in God's name YUM is... *gag* 

We finished Part 5 of "Money Heist" on Netflix. Sad day. It is a very well-written action/drama show. Fun to watch. Now it's complete. Be sure to catch all the extra behind-the-scenes videos, including "From Tokyo to Berlin", to hear some funny and interesting production stories... and also to see the regular, non-geeky version of Álvaro Morte (The Professor). 

Luckily "Who Killed Sara?" season 3 is coming out sometime, so we can look forward to that for our next foreign TV thriller binging. 

Zoom Christmas was good. My brother-in-law and nephew had/have covid. They gathered with my in-laws and other local Dallas family members, but we declined to be a part of that. We've spent waaaay too long being cautious to catch covid on what may be the last significant round of it. *crossing fingers* 

Best Zoom Christmas conversation tidbit? Here ya' go:

Grandpa: I don't play golf, because the water always sucks my balls.

*mic drop*

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Keep Apple Music Curated Playlists Playing and Updated

So. I have been enduring this Apple Music problem. 

I most frequently listen to Apple Music's curated playlist 'A-List Pop.' Their playlists are updated weekly, so I'm always listening what's new in pop music. I went to the playlist on Apple Music and hit Play. I assumed that it would just play on (unless I listened to something else, of course), automatically updating every Friday when the list was updated. If the list had been updated since the last time I listened, I figured it would finish out the current song, then just play the first song of the updated playlist. 

But no.

If a curated list has been updated since the last time you listened, your device finishes the current song from the old version of the playlist, then ditches the playlist and starts playing random music from your Library. 

I have finally found and configured a valid fix, and it is workinggggg! Here it is:

If you mostly listen to one Apple Music curated playlist, don't play the playlist IN Apple Music. Download their playlist to your Library (just press the download button at the top of the list, or the "..." then "Download"). Then play the playlist from within your Library. It will auto-update every Friday from Apple Music to your Library, and work flawlessly, finishing the current song and moving on to the first song of the updated playlist if it has been updated since the last time you listened.

Ta. Da!

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