Another Sunday Stealing. Before I get into that, I should commend Bev Sykes of Funny The World for putting this up since 2008. I started doing it in 2009, off and on for a couple of years. Then, after ABC Wednesday ended and I needed something collegial with other bloggers, I found my way back to Stealing twice in 2021 (one was about COVID-19) and regularly since May of 2022. So thanks, Bev.
1. Your favorite part of the day
It’s long been around 5:30 a.m. when I wake up, go into my office, and check to see if the world has ended. If not, I do my Wordle (383 in a row), and Quordle. I post my blog link on Facebook; I used to post to Twitter, but I’ve been disinclined lately. I check my email, addressing the stuff I need to respond to immediately and deleting stuff I don’t have to open. Then, I’ll start writing a blog post if I have time, though I will likely finish it later.
2. Something you know a lot about.
Beatles albums, specifically, the difference between the US and UK releases. There were more US albums before Sgt. Pepper because the US albums had to have the singles included, and the UK releases eschewed using the 45s. Also, the US albums were shorter (11 or 12 tracks vs. usually 14). I wrote about a couple of albums here.
I’m also a calendar nerd.
3. An important person in your life.
I’ll pick Bruce, who used to be in the choir and IMO still should be. He is the source of Math Is Everywhere. He took my wife to her various doctors in the autumn of 2022.
My preferred pasta dish
4. Your favorite recipe
It’s for lasagna from an old Betty Crocker cookbook. Incidentally, I never cook lasagna noodles but add more tomato products than the recipe calls for, which generally does the trick.
5. An event that turned out differently than planned
There are a lot of weddings that fall into that category. My then-girlfriend and I were invited to a wedding in Albany on March 30, 1986. It was Easter Sunday. We called a cab 90 minutes before we needed it. It never came. So we walked. It was 87F (30.55 C), and we were all sweaty as we arrived in time to see the very end. A similar thing occurred on July 27, 1991, in New Jersey, involving my sisters, my mother, my infant niece, my then-bride, and me, missing my cousin’s wedding ceremony. All I will say is it wasn’t MY fault.
6. How you procrastinate
I’m playing Pinochle, spades, or Backgammon on my phone. But I don’t see it as procrastination but as a break between tasks.
7. The best type of surprise
Receiving music
8. Music that helps you relax
Huh. Does music make me relax? I dunno. It engages me, but relaxation would not be a term I’m inclined to use. Related: Neil Diamond turns 83 on January 24. Thank The Lord For The Night Time, which I just listened to, is my absolutely favorite Neil song.
9. A thing your life has in excess
Paper. I paid medical bills for which I need to get reimbursement. Various notes about genealogy. Unread magazines.
Nonagenarian
10. A book you want to read.
Are you kidding? My shelf is loaded with them. I’ll pick at random Renato! by Eugene Mirabelli, which I started reading and enjoyed reading, but then life got in the way. I like Gene quite a bit.
11. A person you’re always happy to see.
I’ve kept up with some folks I went to kindergarten with: Carol, Karen, Bill…
12. What time do you go to sleep?
Oh, it varies widely, 10 p.m., 1 a.m. It depends on how much I feel I still need to do. And utter fatigue comes into play occasionally.
13. A word to describe the past year.
Variegated
14. Your favorite household chore
Vacuuming, with a caveat. Using the vacuum is easy; moving the furniture to do the cleaning, not so much. Also, the sound of a vacuum tends to put me to sleep. I LOVE listening to others vacuum.
NFL football postponed?!
15. One thing you’d like to see
My genealogical chart with all of my great-great grandparents identified. I know 12 of 16.
More mundanely, I wanted to watch today’s Pittsburgh Steelers-Buffalo Bills game. But “due to public safety concerns in light of the ongoing weather emergency in western New York, [it] has been rescheduled to Monday at 4:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by CBS. The decision to move the game to Monday was made in consultation with New York Governor Kathy Hochul in the best interest of public safety and with the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers as the region prepares for the storm.”
It is the correct choice. Still, I have an MLK event to attend, so I hope to watch the recording before someone tells me the score.
The Friends and Foundation of the Albany Public Library is having its Literary Legends Gala 2021 on Saturday, October 16 from 6 to 8 pm. It will be held at the Pine Hills branch of the Albany Public Library, 517 Western Avenue. The first six annual galas were in person. The one in 2020 was, no surprise, virtual. This year’s event will be a hybrid because that’s what 2021 looks like.