Sunday Stealing Archives - Ramblin' with Roger

Sunday Stealing: Good Luck Charm

An American Family

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. The quiz is stolen from the League of Extraordinary Penpals.

Do you have a Good Luck Charm?

What was the last song you listened to?

I listened to many albums a couple of days ago, but I don’t remember the order. I Ain’t Marching Anymore by Phil Ochs? Holiday by the BeeGees? Maybe it was the Rolling Stones’ I Am Waiting.

What is your favorite thing about the place you live?

Albany is the right size for me. I don’t want to live in a huge city, and I certainly don’t want to live out in the country or suburbs. A small/medium-sized city is just about right.

What is your earliest childhood memory?

I don’t think I remember this as much as I’ve seen a picture of it. My family had gone to the Catskill Game Farm in Catskill NY, from Binghamton when I was three and a half. There was a plastic or metallic pumpkin large enough for me to sit in, and there’s there’s a photograph of this somewhere.

If you could be any animal, what would you be?

A platypus because it would be so contrary to any logic, It’s a mammal and it lays eggs. I love that.

Trust

Who do you trust the most in your life?

Ostensibly, my wife, but I think there are things you trust some people in certain areas more than you trust other people. I have a couple of friends I’ve known since kindergarten and another I’ve known since the first day of college.

How many languages can you say “hello” in?

From this list, I know French, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, and German.

What is your favorite kind of weather?

Partly cloudy and 72 light breeze

How did you discover that Santa wasn’t real, and how old were you?

Santa Claus isn’t real?

What is the best feeling in the world?

Listening to familiar music with headphones. It tends to be classical music, such as Pictures at an Exhibition or 1812 Overture, or especially Bach’s Toccata and Fugue.

What is your favorite color?

Aquamarine

Is there a language you would love to learn?

All of them, especially Chinese and Spanish, but it is not my strength

How do you feel about reality TV?

Early on, I actually watched a few reality shows, such as An American Family, Queeer Eye for the Straight Guy, the first season of Survivor, and the first four seasons of The Real World. But I’ve long ago lost my taste for them.

Did you ever skip school when you were a kid?

Only to go to a couple of antiwar demonstrations

What is your least favorite food?

Kale. People telling me how good it is has not swayed me.

Sunday Stealing: hobbies

Doris the cat

**By kind permiission of SMBC Comics. “Fixing Social Media”**

The Sunday Stealing meme continues to steal from 200 questions.

Hobbies I’ve learned from a friend

Do I have hobbies? I suppose genealogy is a hobby, but I don’t know who I learned it from. My cousin Lisa’s much more into it than I am, and I probably picked up a few things from her, but my quest started separately. Back in the olden days, when I used to read comic books, I would blame that on my OLD friend Uthaclena. When I was a kid, I used to collect coins and stamps, but I don’t know who I learned those things from

My physical activity preferences

Earlier this week, I was walking down the street. This woman, who I did not know, said, “I haven’t seen you on your bicycle for a while,” which is true. I used to ride it all over the city limits. Somehow, I didn’t pull it out of the shed in 2023. In 2024, I told myself I should take it to the bike shop and get it fixed up, but the one closest to me, the Down Tube, closed recently, and I haven’t gotten around to schlepping it to another place to get it tuned up. Maybe I will do that before the end of the season, which is coming to a rapid close. Meanwhile, I walk.

MUSIC

Music I think is essential for everyone to hear.

I don’t think there’s any music that is essential for everyone to hear. I can tell you what I’ve been listening to recently. The Rascals had an album called Freedom Suite, and the first song was America The Beautiful. I also just listened to Dave Brubeck’s Time Out album, which has the unexpected hit Take Five. Randy Newman’s Political Science is something I’ve loved for years. Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Own Way always seems to have an effect on me, as does the Beach Boys’ Until I Die.

Something I have to relearn every time I do it

Most things of an even minor mechanical basis baffle me. For instance, there’s a step ladder in my office as we speak, which I can put up, but I have the darndest time closing up. My wife could do so in seconds. I was at church last week, and we were moving tables from one room to another for an event. Neither the guy I was helping nor I could figure out how to collapse the legs. So we ended up rolling the table with the legs extended because it was just easier.

When I start thinking about holiday season planning

I have no holiday season plans. It’s all random. My wife talks to her mother or brother, and something develops, but an extended plan doesn’t exist.

Quirks & preferences I have about writing letters

I used to love writing letters. I still have a whole bunch of letters that I’ve received from when I went to college in the early 1970s until the end of the ’80s. In the later period, I have even the letters that I wrote back; I used carbon paper to keep the copy.

READING

If I had to limit my reading to only three genres, I’d pick…

History, historical fiction, and nerdy nonfiction books mostly about music

When joining teams, would I rather lead or follow

It depends on what the team is and how good the leadership is. I like to find my niche in most communities. I only want to lead it if it’s being run so badly that I feel compelled to take over.

What’s my dream concert, and who would be performing

I’m sure I don’t have a dream concert. Every concert I get to see always has something to recommend it.

The funniest, weirdest, silliest animal/pet I’ve ever met

I used to have a not-very-smart cat named Doris when I was in college. I used to say, “Doris, your mind is so porous.”

How has love changed for me over the years

We don’t have room for all that. Every relationship, romantic and otherwise, alters the trajectory.

A book, movie, or song that brings me a sense of peace

Every time I see a movie again, I see it differently. When I listen to music, I often hear it anew. I’m not sure “a sense of peace” applies. When I was involved in my Bible study, we read a lot of the Old Testament stuff, the war/ history section, which gave me no peace whatsoever.

NOMENCLATURE

Names I like but wouldn’t suit me.

I spent so much time establishing my name that picking another one doesn’t appeal to me. I spent time correcting the spelling of my first and last name; people put a D in Roger or an E at the end of Green. Several people would call me George because I think the letters in Roger and George are not dissimilar.

What’s a part of myself I’m still working to understand

Finding the balance between doing good for society and caring for myself remains challenging.

Something I love about myself today

I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s my power of observation of some mundane things. For instance, a few weeks ago, I was walking home. There’s a police station about a block and a half from my house, and a cop car was pulling out of the parking space and driving down the road. It was dusk, and I could barely see the vehicle, so I flagged the car down and told the driver to turn on his lights.

Sunday Stealing: local events

feckless

I hate the question numbering mechanism on Sunday Stealing, but I like the questions.
Local events, parades, or festivals – either in your hometown or state – I’ve said this before: there are so many things going on in Albany on any given day that people who tell me that they’re bored irritate the crap out of me. For instance, there are several First Friday events, including one at my church every month from November to May. In December, the choir is going to be singing the Bach Magnificat.
Life update – what’s happened recently, moving house, family wedding, vacation, new pet, visiting with a friend, and so on. I went to two funerals in October, one at my church and one in the Mid-Hudson, which I attended for about 35 minutes before I had to go back to Albany.
Do you have any family traditions this month? The only tradition I can think of is that we have to go pick up the daughter from college and then bring her back the next week.
The holidays are about two months away. Do you begin shopping or creating now or wait until December? I go shopping when I’m inspired to get something. I have given one of my sisters and her daughter presents already. My other sister, I have no idea what I’m getting her yet. As for my wife, as I’ve noted previously, she is a terrible person to shop for. I just asked my daughter what she wants, and I am trying to get it for her to the degree I can.
MEMORY
What is your favorite November memory? It was probably Thanksgiving 1987, I believe. I was out of town with my then-girlfriend, and about two dozen people were there eating. It was a lovely time.
Now that the weather is getting cooler do you prefer? Staying indoors or going outdoors? What do you do? It was 79°F in Albany, NY on October 31st. It was about 10° cooler the following day, but it’s not all that bad. I stay indoors when it’s hot or cold, but the temperature between 20 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit is tolerable unless it’s humid and warm or very windy and cool.
Describe your favorite local restaurant. I love the fact that there are four or five restaurants within two blocks of my house, and I tend to frequent them periodically. One is a bar/restaurant/burger joint. Another was a breakfast place that had expanded its hours. One’s an Indian restaurant, and in the same building, a pizza place that serves lamb over rice and other items. On the corner is a Mediterranean restaurant. I go to other restaurants, but these are the ones that I tend to go to most because the geography lends itself.
Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving? I had no idea what Friendsgiving was until now.
If you could take any class, what would you select? I have recently taken a handful of classes on genealogy.
To celebrate November, would you rather enjoy pumpkin pie or sweet potato? Meh. Sweet potato, I suppose.
MESSING UP
How do you handle setbacks and failures? I brood and beat myself up for a while, and then I get bored with that and move on.
If everything in your house had to be one color, which color would you choose? Well duh. Green, of course.
Who or what would you haunt if you were a ghost? The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson. I was thinking about him, and the word feckless came to mind. I double-checked to make sure the definition was what I meant to say. “Weak in character.” Yep.
Have you ever worn clothing with the labels still attached? Fairly frequently, not intentionally. More often, new pants than anything else.
What’s something weird that you recommend everyone try at least once? Talking to your stuffed animals. I do it all the time with mine; occasionally, they talk back.

Sunday Stealing: blueberry muffins

Bonnie, Neil, Diana, and Mac

Here’s another installment of Sunday Stealing, which is reason enough to have a picture of blueberry muffins. The first question is, What’s your guilty pleasure?

I’ll list foods I should not eat but crave for this exercise. These tend to involve pastry with fruit, such as banana bread, blueberry muffins, and apple pastry.

Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?

Dinner, because it tends to be the most varied. Breakfast is almost always oatmeal. Lunch is whatever leftovers might be kicking around. Dinner tends to be the most interesting.

What do you do when you want to chill out after a long day?

It tends to be watching television, specifically the Evening News, which we record and fast-forward through the commercials. So, I’ve managed to miss the bulk of the political ads running. Then, my wife and I play the New York Times Connections together.

How would you spend your ideal weekend?

On Saturday, we usually attend some event: a concert, play, musical, movie, or social gathering. Sunday involves going to church and then talking to my sisters on Zoom.

MUSIC, of course

Do you listen to podcasts, or mostly just music? What’s your favorite podcast?

I listen to a lot of music, usually seven CDs per day. Bonnie Raitt, Diana Krall, Dr. John, and Neil Young are currently heavily in the rotation. But not many podcasts because I can’t multitask. I have to listen intently. It’s the same reason I can’t listen to audiobooks and do something else, as some people, notably my wife, can. I am utterly incapable. I have to concentrate on the item. So, besides Arthur’s occasional AmeriNZ item, the only podcast I listen to regularly is Coverville, which is mostly music.

Brian Ibbott usually picks covers of artists whose birthdays are divisible by five. So in November, he might select Chris Difford (Squeeze), 70, on the 4th; Bryan Adams, 65, on the 5th; Corey Glover (Living Colour), 60, on the 6th; Rickkie Lee Jones, 70, on the 7th; Bonnie Raitt, 75 on the 7th, etc.

Do you prefer to go to the movies or watch movies at home?

Cinema, always. I saw many movies at home during COVID-19, but it wasn’t the same. I remember going to the Spectrum Theatre when the vaccine was available, but social distancing and masks were the norm, and it was such a treat to see the films on the big screen.

TeeVee

What was your favorite TV show growing up?

The Dick Van Dyke Show. Mark Evanier has linked to his ten favorite episodes. (His #2 may be my #1)

What’s your favorite TV show now?

CBS Sunday Morning, a magazine on the air since 1979.

How would you spend your birthday if money was no object?

I’d rather throw a surprise party for Kelly with a few dozen of his closest friends and family in Washington, DC.

What’s your favorite season? What do you love most about it?

Spring. It could have snow or 86°F/30°C, but ultimately, it will have new life.

Do you prefer camping or going to the beach?

I don’t like either. If I had to choose, I’d say go to the beach, but I’d need a huge umbrella to protect me from the sun.

Which phone app do you think you use the most?

I probably use Noom because it can track all my food consumption. After that, I’ll probably use Venmo to send money to my daughter and the CDTA navigator so I can get around on the bus in Albany.

Steppin’ Out

Would you instead cook, order delivery, or go out to eat?

I would eat out almost every meal, every day. There’s something about other people preparing your food for you and then cleaning up afterward. It’d be different restaurants with a variety of levels of fanciness.

How do you drink your coffee?

I don’t drink coffee. I know it’s unAmerican.

If you could have any animal as a pet, what would you choose?

I don’t want another pet. We had two cats this year; one of them died. It’s much easier to go away when you don’t have a creature depending on you. I liked having them and love our remaining cat, but I reckon we won’t have another one.

Sunday Stealing: email

if I had two million dollars

This week’s Sunday Stealing continues to purloin queries from 200 Questions, so I dubbed it 200.06. It includes email.

1. What do you hope your last words will be?

It will probably be some intentional malaprop such as refrigagator instead of refrigerator or ipitical allasion for optical illusion. People will wonder what I was trying when I merely found them fun to say.

2. What do you spend the most time thinking about?

The never-ending To-Do List.

3. What is something you can never seem to finish?

It is getting rid of my emails. I have, seriously, over 10,000 emails. Some I want to use for a blog or for a project. But a good chunk of them could easily—well, not easily, because I haven’t done it—be systematically purged, and I need to do that because my Gmail is over half full.

4. What mistake do you keep making again and again?

Taking on more than I can handle. I thought that would become easier when I retired, but that proved to be a total lie. I feel like I’ve I’m failing retirement.

5. What’s the best thing you got from your parents?

From my father, it was a love of music, a love of listening to and singing it. From my mother, it was kindness and patience, though I’m not always sure the patience has stuck in my case.

6. What’s the best and worst thing about getting older?

The best thing about getting older is that I have a wide swath of knowledge about many things. The worst thing about getting older is that there’s all this new stuff I can’t keep up with.

Myth

7. What do you wish your brain was better at doing?

I’m convinced that the notion of multitasking is a fiction. In any case, my brain can’t do it.

8. If your childhood had a smell, what would it be?

Lilac, specifically the lilac tree or lilac bush, more correctly. It sat right next to our house when I was growing up in Binghamton, NY.

9. What have you created that you are most proud of?

At some level, it may be this blog because I’ve been doing it every day for almost 19 1/2 years. There are very few things that I’ve done as long continuously. This gives me a chance to plug things I want to plug, like the Underground Railroad Educational Center’s Interpretive Center or church concerts or library events. Maybe I brag about my daughter or my nieces. It has helped me remember stuff that I would have otherwise forgotten.

10. What were some of the turning points in your life?

There are too many to count, but certainly, I have had relationships, romantic and otherwise, that didn’t work, or relationships I didn’t have that could have happened. This is very vague and intentionally so.

No guilty pleasures

11. What song or artist do you like but rarely admit to liking?

This is not an issue. If I like it, I say I like it. If you just don’t think I should like it, I don’t care. I’ve said more than once that I’m very fond of Could It Be Magic by Barry Manilow because I love the Chopin upon which it’s built.

I was thinking a lot about a guy named Dustbury, given the name Charles Hill, who died five years ago last month. We would talk online about music a lot. I remember telling him that every time I’m feeding the cats, I start singing the song “Cat Food” by the band King Crimson. He thought that was very funny.

12. What small impact from a stranger made a big impact on you?

I don’t know if there’s a specific stranger. When I’m riding on the train or a Greyhound/Trailways bus and I have conversations with people, I find that there’s always some interesting and odd piece of information or understanding that I take from that.

Disinformation

13. As you get older, what are you becoming more and more afraid of?

Global warming. Clearly the ferocity of some of the hurricanes that have hit in the US Southeast this year are result of it. The other thing is the constant… misrepresentation of what’s been happening in the world. The administration is doing nothing to help the people suffering and/or they created the hurricanes.

14. What are some of the events in your life that made you who you are?

Substantially, it was moving to Schenectady in December 1977. I subsequently moved to nearby Albany, where I’ve lived for 45 years. It’s not too big or small and has decent mass transit. But I think there are multitudes of events that would qualify.

15. What could you do with $2 million to impact the most amount of people?

I don’t know. I’ve been fond of nonprofit groups such as R.I.P. Medical Debt, which have relieved Americans of billions in hospital bills. They pay a fraction of the money due, which has a real multiplier effect. However, a study found that it did not improve their mental health or their credit score. It is a puzzlement.