Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving weekend! Hope your day was full of family, friends, tradition and great food.

On the subject of my ongoing research of our family tree... I found that one of Jeff's relatives is Ireby Barrow, who is buried with his family in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where a lot of big time famous Hollywood stars are buried (for those of you who don't watch a lot of TMZ). I was thinking that he might be the father/grandfather of some famous actor or studio magnet or something, so I researched his history in a bit more detail. Turns out he was an early Los Angeles settler in the 1870's. His farm was bounded on the north and south by Rosewood Ave. and Beverly Blvd., between Vermont Ave. and Normandie, currently right in the middle of the city. Interesting!


Saturday 9: The Man in Black (1971)Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Black is this week's signature color, because Friday, November 24, is "Black Friday," when retailers cut their prices and consumers flock to the stores. Did you score any "Black Friday" bargains?

Not yet. If I do, it will be online. I don't like to be in stores on Black Friday, unless it's with others for a "shopping adventure" activity.

2) Among the biggest the Black Friday advertisers are Target, Kohl's, Macy's and Best Buy. If you could have a $100 gift card to any one of those stores, which would you choose? What would you buy?

Target. I would buy the same random $100 worth of stuff I always seem to buy when I'm there.

3) Feasting and football are also popular Thanksgiving weekend pastimes. Do your Thursday-Sunday plans include pigging out or watching a game?

Definitely pigged out for Thanksgiving. If Scott's cooking, you've got to pig out! We watched the Dallas game yesterday. We'll watch at least the A&M/LSU game on Saturday.

4) Thanksgiving weekend is a major time for travel. How far did you venture from home for the holiday?
Down the street to Scott-n-Julie's. Kirsten is visiting, along with her boyfriend and his mom. Super fun! Lots of amazing food.

5) This week's song, "Man in Black," is about a singer who refuses to wear bright colors. What color are you wearing as you answer these questions?

purple

6) Johnny Cash first performed this song at Nashville's Vanderbilt University.When were you last on a college campus? What brought you there?

Kathy and I were at Bass Concert Hall on the UT campus in April to see Phantom of the Opera.

7) The average American man wears a 10.5 size shoe, the average woman wears a 7.5. Johnny Cash wore a size 13. Are your shoes bigger or smaller than the national average?

Bigger. I have the hands and feet of a tall person. Just missing the height.

8) He preferred his coffee very strong. To make sure what he was drank was to his liking, he carried a jar of instant coffee with him and would ladle it into his cup in restaurants. What about you? What's your standard coffee order?

I like it strong with sugar and a little milk. 

9) While in the air force, Cash wrote short stories under the pseudonym "Johnny Dollar." Make up a pen name for yourself.

I gotta go with "Effie Tidbits" here.

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Wait.

I'm supposed to "string" celery before serving it? Have you all been doing this or is it just a crazy rumor? I've never done such a thing. I guess it would make for a more pleasant experience... if you can call eating celery "pleasant."

Hmm.

I've finally come across a sliver of fame in my family tree! Joseph J. Mansfield was in the U.S. House of Representatives 1916-1947. (There's a big ol' dam named after him here in Austin.) Well, back in the late 1800's, he was the county judge for Colorado County, down the road, Columbus way. Also - a pallbearer for my great-great-great grandfather's nephew at his funeral. Hmm! I'm surprised I even made the connection when I read it. Interesting!

Sunday Stealing: First Things First

{1} First thing you would do/buy if you won the lottery:
I would move to a smaller house with lower taxes.

{2} First person you call when you get amazing news:

Other than Jeff/Lauren, probably Laura

{3} First thing you do when you've had a bad day:

turn up the music

{4} First movie you went to without your parents:

Wow. I can't remember exactly which one was first. We went to sooooo many movies! Can't believe I don't know.

{5} First sport you played (Little League-style or in school):

basketball, then volleyball

{6} First major injury:

Stepping on a nail when I was about 5, through the shoe and almost through the top of my foot. It was sticking up through a 2x4 piece of construction wood I was walking on at our apartment complex.

{7} First product I use in the shower:

shampoo

{8} First apartment or house on your own (away from you parents!):

my grandparents' garage apartment in College Station, where I lived rent-free through undergrad

{9} First Roommate(s): 

I've never had a roommate!

{10} First Time Living Away from Home: 

at Texas A&M in College Station when I was 18

{11} First magazine subscription:

Seventeen, although I had been buying every single Tiger Beat and Teen Beat for years at the store before I had an actual subscription to a magazine

{12} First real piece of jewelry you owned:

My mom and dad bought me a pretty gold necklace with a pearl pendant when I was a freshman in high school. I lost it (or it may have been stolen) my senior year at senior musical practice one night. I thought I had put it in my purse, but it wasn't there and I never saw it again. So sad!

{13} First time staying home alone:

I don't remember. This question does remind me of the time I was home with a babysitter and we were watching a scary movie when we heard a noise in the attic. My mom was the Homeowners Association treasurer, so I knew all the association board members, one of whom was a district attorney or something, who drove the "community watch" vehicle around and checked out reports of mischief and such. I called him and he came over and checked the attic. All the neighbors came outside with us when he was there. It was fabulous. Mom about died of embarrassment. No more watching scary movies when an adult wasn't home. Ahaha.

{14} First thing I reach for in the fridge:

tea

{15} First car accident or traffic violation:

My registration sticker (or my inspection sticker) was out of date. I was about 20, in College Station.

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Hello World

Holy moly, it's been forever since I blogged. Greetings!

Was just working on indexing genealogy records for FamilySearch. (That's taking historical document images and entering the data that is on them into digital format, for searching and attaching to people online.) I find it to be super interesting. I just entered a record for a woman from 1927 named Effie Tidbits.

EFFIE TIDBITS!

What a great stripper name. She wears a dirndl and stilettos.

Okay, it was Effie Tibbits, but I read (and typed) it as Tidbits and about coughed up a lung giggling about it. THAT is entertainment, folks.

Another amusing thing is little 5 and 6 year old kids from the 1920's, with names like Oma and Grady. Heh.

Anyhoo... I was working a lot last month. Also indexing and family tree-ing. My tree is pretty filled out, but there are definite holes I need to research.

We went to the Texas Museum of Science and Technology in Cedar Park (or TXMOST, for the cool kids) last weekend. It is deceivingly small. It took us about 2.5 hours to really go through it and see one of the planetarium shows. The current exhibits are "Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion" and "Drugs: Costs and Consequences." Nifty machines were built from some of daVinci's drawings, and you can interact with them. Fun for kids, and grown-ups as well. The drug exhibit didn't look great online, but it is actually very interesting. There is a ton of information, and we learned a lot.

The planetarium shows are every hour and they are different each time. The one we caught was about dark matter. The museum is in an interim facility in an industrial park at the moment, but it's worth a trip for sure.

I went a whole week without checking Facebook recently. I only ever get on there anymore if someone specifically addresses me, or I wish someone a happy birthday, or I'm checking the neighborhood group for entertainment purposes. Otherwise, I'm pretty much over it. I'm the person who used to drive me nuts, who has an account, but doesn't ever do anything with it. Annoying! Right? It's like visiting an out-of-date website. What is the point.

Speaking of FB, here's a Couples Survey from there this afternoon:

Who's older? me
Age difference: almost two months
Who was interested first? me
Who's taller? him, by 8 inches
Worst temper? him
Most sensitive: me
Loudest? him
Funniest? me
More social? me by a slight margin
Most stubborn? him
Falls asleep first? me
Cooks the best? I'm the only cook, so me!
Better singer? me
Most adventurous? him
Who enjoys traveling the most? me
The most organized: me
Stresses the most? him
Better driver? we're the same quality drivers, but he has way more tickets
How long have you been together? 31 years in January, married 28 years next May

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Indexing Fun

I indexed a bunch of old ship crew rolls this week. Some these lists are titled "Discharged Seamen."

Discharged. Seamen.

Heh.


Saturday 9: Little Woman (1969)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song contains many weather references (clouds, rainbows, sunshine, rain). How's the sky where you are today? 

Blue and clear!

2) Bobby Sherman sings that when he's alone, he imagines his "Little Woman" is right there beside him. Do you often daydream?
Sometimes.

3) Bobby had a very bright smile. Do you ever use whiteners on your teeth?

I use whitening toothpaste, but I've never used whitening strips or other treatments.

4) He was beloved for his shiny hair. If we were to peek in your bathroom, how many haircare products would we find? 

Far more than I use. I regularly use shampoo, heat protector and texturizing paste. Everything else in there (maybe 10 things total) I use on occasion.

5) After high school, Bobby attended Pierce, a community college in the west San Fernando Valley. For culinary students, Pierce offers courses in canning -- specifically apples and peaches. If we were to peek into your pantry, would we find canned fruits?

None. I do have a few of those plastic packs of canned peach and pear pieces in the fridge for grab-n-go snacks.

6) As an actor, one of Bobby's earliest performances was on the TV show Honey West. That series revolved around a female "private eye" adept at martial arts. Do you have any self-defense moves (that don't involve a weapon)?

Yes. I've always liked that one where you poke your fingers or a key into the person's neck, right in that hollow spot in the center at the bottom, to disable them. YEAH.

7) In 1966, Bobby did this rather energetic commercial for milk. Do you often enjoy a glass of milk?
I do.

8) When his show business career waned, he became a paramedic. Have you ever called 911?
Yep. I called for an ambulance to take Lauren to the hospital once when she had leg pain so bad she couldn't move. I'm not sure who called for me when I passed out at Walmart that time- was it Jeff? I called him first. Then there was my mom, when she had her stroke- I think she called 911 herself, after calling me first.

9) Random Question: Which book do you think you could learn more from --The Joy of Sex or The Joy of Cooking?
definitely The Joy of Cooking

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National Anthem Protests

I don't have any issue with people protesting whatever they want wherever they want, as long as it is peaceful and doesn't interfere with anyone else's rights. Sit out the National Anthem if you like. Cancel your subscription to NFL Sunday Ticket if you like.

Kaepernick's critical mistake was using the National Anthem to protest police brutality against black people. The National Anthem doesn't represent the police or a particular race (or the President, as many think these days). It is a symbol of the United States, a country made up of people of all races and beliefs. The police brutality issue is now lost in the chatter about anti-Americanism, which is the only logical beef one can assume when people are protesting the National Anthem.

The National Anthem and the flag are symbols of something that ties us all together. We are all citizens of the US, and in the end, we have each others' backs. We argue and take sides on individual issues, each of us trying to make the country better in our own ways, but the family stays together.

Many in the media are quoting some tweet which said that assuming football players are protesting the National Anthem is like assuming Rosa Parks was protesting public transportation. That's a cute sound bite, but such faulty logic and could not be further from the truth. Rosa Parks is the quintessential example of meaningful protest. She didn't kneel for the National Anthem and then explain over and over and over again that she was protesting mistreatment of black people. She resisted segregation by refusing to give up her bus seat. Her message was quite clear.

Protest with a sign in front of a police station. Wear a Black Lives Matter arm band or a button or a hat. There are a thousand ways to protest anti-black police brutality that would actually draw attention to that issue, and not be misunderstood, or hijacked by other people to protest other things. Also, had he chosen another target for his protest, he never would have lost the support of so many people who actually agree that police violence against black Americans is a pressing issue.

If you protest the National Anthem and/or the flag, expect people to assume you are protesting against the United States. If you want to do it, I completely support your right to do it. I'll be turning off the game though.

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Survey Two-Fer

Sending prayers and good vibes to Mexico and Puerto Rico, who have suffered a lot with an earthquakes and hurricanes the past couple of weeks. Hopefully they will be on the road to renewal soon.

Sunday Stealing

1. Have you ever had chicken pox?

Yes, as a child.

2. Have you ever shopped in Home Depot?

all the time

3. Have you ever spied on your neighbors?

no

4. Have you ever ridden in a limo?

a few times

5. Have you ever had a pet fish?

yes

6. Have you ever lied about your age?

I don't think so.

7. Have you ever fired a gun?

no

8. Have you ever been ice skating?

yes

9. Have you ever played golf?

no

10. Have you ever hidden on Halloween because you had no candy for trick or treaters?

yep

11. Have you ever made a prank call?

yes

12. Have you ever gotten a tattoo?

no

13. Have you ever had a massage?

yes

14. Have you ever locked your keys in the car?

yes

15. Have you ever ridden a horse?

yes

16. Have you ever been to the circus?

yes

17. Have you ever been to Europe?

yes

18. Have you ever built a fire?

yes

19. Have you ever been skydiving?

hell no

20. Have you ever bought something at a garage sale?

yes

21. Have you ever walked in on someone having sex?

no

22. Have you ever faked an injury to get out of something?

no

23. Have you ever been to a nude beach?

no

24. Have you ever received a speeding ticket?

no

25. Have you ever run a marathon?

no. This reminds me of a joke we heard at a comedy club. The gal said she saw someone with one of those "13.1" half marathon stickers on their car. She said, "Yeah, I haven't run a marathon either, but you don't see me bragging about it." Ha!


Saturday 9: Da Doo Ron Ron (1977)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song begins by stating that he met her on a Monday and his heart stood still. How did your past week start? It may be a lot to expect you to report that you met someone who made your heart stand still, but did anything noteworthy occur? 

It started with submitting my timesheet, which had only a couple of hours on it for the first half of the month. That seemed to remind my boss that she wanted me to do a bunch of things, so I worked a lot this week. New and noteworthy- Jeff and I had a meeting with my pal Grant, to discuss hiring him as our financial advisor.

2) While making hit records, Shaun Cassidy also starred as Joe Hardy on the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books have been popular with generations of American kids. Were you a fan?
I was a fan of the show because of hunky Parker Stevenson! Also a huge fan of Nancy Drew books.

3) Shaun went to Beverly Hills High School. Over the decades, BHHS has had many good football teams. Do you remember what sports your school excelled at?

The Clear Creek High School Wildcats were notoriously terrible at football in our day, unfortunately. (Still, I was at all the games!) It was always a battle with Pearland High School not to be the bottom of the barrel back then. We had fabulous swimming and diving teams.

4) Shaun followed his older half-brother, David Cassidy, into TV/records/teen stardom. Do you have siblings? If yes, what career paths did they follow?

My half-brother, who I didn't get to know until after I was married, went to an engineering high school in Germany and works as some sort of technician in the high tech industry. I went to engineering school before I knew anything about his career path. Hmm!

5) His middle name is Paul, after his maternal grandfather. Tell us something about one of your grandparents. 

My middle name is my maternal grandmother's name. She is from Wisconsin and her family are mostly dairy farmers and nurses. She was a very huggy, loving grandma! Always smiling. When we visited them in College Station, she would take me "into town" (downtown Bryan back then) to do errands. We also frequently stopped in at the Catholic church, where my grandparents were very active parishioners, and where she would take care of various things during the week.

6) Shaun's mother, actress Shirley Jones, reports that he was more than 3 weeks late and born by Cesarean. Have you heard family legends about your arrival into the world?
My mom always talked about how I was born on a sunny Sunday morning and the church bells (in Heidelberg) were ringing. She felt like they were ringing to celebrate my birth.

7) "Da Doo Ron Ron" was originally recorded by The Crystals. Can you think of another song that has been a hit by more than one artist?

"Just Missed the Train" by Kelly Clarkson... and Danielle Brisebois. That I even know that is a testament to my undying love of pop music. Ha! Fantastic song.

8) In 1977, when this version of "Da Doo Ron Ron" was popular, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak incorporated Apple. Are you Mac or Android?
Um... Mac and Android are not counterparts. I am Mac/iPhone.

9) Random Question: You're exhausted. You collapse into bed and are about to drift into slumber when you hear the drip-drip-drip of the bathroom faucet. Would you kick off the covers and go turn it off? Or would you stay in bed, letting it drip until morning?

OMG. Turn it off. How lazy and wasteful are you?! LOL

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Family Search Indexing

Well, I'm doing Family Search Indexing again! (You can do it in your free time, too! familysearch.org) To me, it's very gratifying getting printed records into digital, searchable format, so people can research their ancestry. It's also interesting to have your eyes on these sometimes very old documents. 

One person types in the information on the copied image of a document. Another person reviews it to confirm the data entry. Eventually a particular set of data is complete and becomes available for searches. My current project is immigration records from the 1800s-1975. In the past, I've entered censuses, marriage records, death records... all kinds of things!

This particular genealogy site is run by the Mormon Church (Kimberly is a member and got me started), and is completely free to use. Go find your relatives there! It is super fun. I've downloaded census records and such for my great grandparents and other family members. There are documents from all over the world.

Saturday 9: Don't Talk to Strangers (1982)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) When did you recently have a conversation with a complete stranger? What did you two discuss?

The sweet onions at the grocery store this week were ENORMOUS. A gal walked up and I said, "What are they feeding these things?!" She laughed. I bagged one and weighed it. A smidge over TWO POUNDS. One onion, y'all. We talked about the size of them and how one might use such a freakishly big onion. While she bagged her own world record onion, I spotted a whole BAG of normal sized sweet onions for about 30 cents more than the one I had. We decided the smaller ones would be much more practical. We put our onions back and got the bags.

2) In the video for this song, a woman is having a "hot" conversation on a corded, rotary dial phone in her bedroom. Do you have a landline? If so, do you have an extension in your bedroom? 

We do not have a landline. When we did, we had an extension in the bedroom.

3) This week's artist, Rick Springfield, says he wrote this song when he was worried that his girlfriend (now his wife) would cheat on him when he was touring. Would you describe yourself as suspicious or trusting?
Completely trusting, until it bites me in the derriere. Then, not so much.

4) He became a daytime heartthrob as Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital. Do you think it would be cool to have a really attractive doctor? Or would it make you uncomfortable?

I do have a really attractive doctor. It doesn't make me uncomfortable at all.

5) He's discussed how sad he was when, as a boy, he had to leave his dog Elvis behind when the family left Australia. While you were growing up, did your family often move? 

We moved when I was 3 (to Pasadena), 5 (to Kansas City), 7 (to Deer Park), 8 (to Houston) and 12 (to League City). It was a lot, I think. Not as much as some.

6) In 1982, when this song was popular, Italy won the World Cup. Do you ever watch soccer?
Sometimes.  When American football is phased out for head injuries, I think we'll all be watching more soccer.

7) "Smiley," the first emoticon, was introduced in 1982. Do you use emoticons in your communication? Or do you avoid them?

I use them as clarification or emphasis of emotion, neither to excess, nor as a sole form of communication.

8) The Vietnam Memorial was dedicated in Washington, DC, in 1982. Do you know any veterans of that conflict? If so, tell us about him or her.
My uncle Brian was in the army during the Vietnam War, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't serving there.

9) Random Question: Your friends are throwing a birthday "roast" in your honor. Which one quality of yours are you sure will be singled out for laughs?

My planning and organization obsession. I've heard stories for years about my "scripted" wedding day, where I gave everyone in the wedding party a personalized note describing where to be at various times, and details of any tasks for which they'd volunteered. The stories are always followed by how smoothly the day went though!

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One Day More- Les Harveyables

At some point, you have to take a break from the clean up... and sing. This is awesome.

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Bubble Gum Fun and a Music Survey

Our cats are perplexed by my bubble gum. When the bubble emerges, all wide eyes are on it. If I pop it, WOW. If I just put it back in my mouth... MIND BLOWING. Quite entertaining for all of us.

Sunday Stealing: Music, Music, Music

1: A song you like with a color in the title "Black Roses Red' Alana Grace


2: A song you like with a number in the title "Dance Ten, Looks Three" from A Chorus Line


3: A song that reminds you of summertime "I Want Candy" Bow Wow Wow


4: A song that needs to be played LOUD  "Cruise" Florida Georgia Line


5: A song that makes you want to dance "Kissing Strangers" DNCE


6: A song to drive to "Life is a Highway" Rascal Flatts


7: A song about drugs or alcohol "White Rabbit" Collide


8: A song that makes you happy "Kiss Me" Sixpence None the Richer


9: A song that makes you sad "Rain" Patty Griffin


10: A song that you never get tired of "Belief" Gavin DeGraw


11: A song from your preteen years "Bad Girls" Donna Summer


12: One of your favorite 80’s songs "The Reflex" Duran Duran


13: One of your favorite classical songs “Galop Infernal” Offenbach


14: A song that you would sing a duet with someone on karaoke "Just a Fool" Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton


15: A song from the year that you were born "Happy Together" The Turtles


16: A song that makes you think about life "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" Green Day


17: A song that you think everybody should listen to "What About Us" P!nk


18: A song by a band you wish were still together "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" The Police


19: A song by an artist no longer living "Let's Go Crazy" Prince


20: A song that breaks your heart "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables


21: A song by an artist with a voice that you love "Sober" Kelly Clarkson

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Monday Monday

Today I discovered that I will return to the grocery store from my car at the far end of the parking lot, and then stand in line at Customer Service behind four people, for $7 in coupons I forgot to use. (I probably would have done it for $3.) Thanks, HEB!

Survey- First word that comes to mind:

A Africa
B  best
C cinco
D dear
E effort
F frank
G gall
H happy
I isthmus
J jacket
K kiss
L love
M money
N nest
O open
P pickle
Q quest
R riddle
S silly
T tennis
U umbrella
V vest
W waterproof
X xray
Y yellow
Z zinc
Anti antiquated
Bi bicycle
Con conversation
Di diatribe
Euth euthanasia
For forethought
Gui Guido
Homo homogenized
Ill illness
Ja jamboree
Kil killer
Lu LuAnn
Min minestrone
Ne Ne-Yo
Or Oregon
Psy psychology
Qu queso
Re relocate
Sim sims
Tele telekinesis
Ur ureter
Va vasovagal
Wo woman
Xe xenophobia
Ye yee-haw
Ze zest

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