September Thirty Day Movie Challenge

I was browsing blogs today when I found a new blog challenge.   This one is about movies.  I'm not a real big movie watcher, but I thought I'd give this one a try.  Feel free to join in on the fun.

So, here we go...

Day 01 - Your favorite movie

It would have to be The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, which I count as one long movie broken into three parts.

Tolkien originally wrote the book as one long book, but the publishers split it into three volumes because the price of paper was so high right after WWII.  They were afraid printing it as one would make the volume so expensive that no one could afford to buy one.

Tolkien hated the idea, but went along with it, because he saw the wisdom of the publisher's decision.

Favorite Quotes:

"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us."

"Become who you were born to be."  --Lord Elrond to Aragorn

"I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you."  Samwise Gamgee

I Miss Out On Everything

Normally, I am a very light sleeper.  Even in temperate weather, I can't sleep with the windows open.  If a dog barks half a mile up the road, it wakes me up.

Last night, I woke up in the middle of the night, because I got hot.  The power had gone out, so my air conditioner and bedroom fan weren't working.  I wondered why the power was out, because it wasn't stormy. 

"This is an odd time of the year for a power outage," I thought to myself.

I eventually fell back to sleep, waking again briefly when the power came back on because my fan rattled.  By the time I woke up this morning, I'd forgotten all about it.

Until Beverly called and told me I'd slept through quite a bit of mayhem.

Seems someone was driving a little too fast down my road and ran head on into the telephone pole right across the street from my house.   He didn't survive. 

There were police cars, and fire trucks, and an ambulance and sirens and shouting and dogs barking, and live wires down across the vehicle.  They had to call the power company to come and shut off the electricity so that they could get the man out of the car.  Or truck, I'm not sure which it was. 

And I slept through every bit of it. 

Boy, I really must have been tired. 

Finished Object!

The first soldier hat of the season has been spotted!

Here we observe the wild hat still in its pre-blocked state.  

We must be very careful not to spook it, as wild hats can be very skittish.  Let's see if we can lure the hat into the woolwash to be tamed...be very quiet...no sudden moves...

No!  The hat got away! 

The startled hat disappeares into the dry brush, where it blends in with its surroundings.

Well, let's call it a night, and we'll try to find the hat once again in the morning, as they are most active at dawn and dusk.  

This is The Hat Hunter signing off.

We'll see you next time on The Wild Hat Adventures.

The Land Of The Living

I am finally feeling like I'm almost back to the land of the living.  Still coughing a little bit, but not to the point of nearly passing out.  I even felt well enough to sing a little bit at work.

I only sing at work.  Everyone there has to wear ear plugs, so I figure they are safe.

Speaking of work, today they announced that we would be off Friday and Saturday, plus Monday is the Holiday, so I get a 4 day weekend.  When I was turning in my vacation request -- so I could get paid for Friday-- I asked Supervisor Ronnie if we were going to be off a lot of Fridays.  He said he didn't think so, because we still have plenty of work.

So, though I don't really know why we are getting a day off,  I'm hopeful that it isn't because the second dip of our double dip recession is about to hit.  Since our business is closely tied with the housing market, and the housing market is usually the first indicator of economic fluctuations we feel it before the rest of the country.  We were struggling for two years before the recession hit.  Or at least before it became really noticeable.

Let's move on to a less depressing topic, shall we?

He he, depressing.  Get it?

What are my plans for the long weekend, you ask?  Well, I plan on doing a little fishing, of course.  I'm going to finish the skirt I made last Saturday.  All I've got to do is run the elastic and hem it, which just so happen to be my two least favorite parts of sewing.

 

I may cut out my dress, too, and sew it up, even though it's not really a winter dress.  It'll be all ready for spring, though.

And I'll finish my hat.  

Who knows what else I may do. Heck, I may even take a walk on the wild side and *gasp* leave the house. 

I'll let you know how that works out.

Chats On The Farmhouse Porch

I'm feeling much better, but I'm still coughing my head off. Today at work, I coughed so hard I thought I was going to pass out. Be that as it may, we are still going to have our chat. I'll just pass out these surgical masks and straws.  Why don't you join me-- from across the room, that is?




1.  Do you remember your first day of school?

No, not really.  I was only 4 when I started kindergarten.  Back in my day, there weren't kindergartens in the public schools, so we went to a church run kindergarten.  My brother is two years older than I,  and he came home every day and taught me everything he had learned.  I seemed to enjoy it so much, my mother went ahead and started me the same year.  But I had to repeat, because public school wouldn't let me start first grade.  I was too young.  Well, really, I didn't have to repeat.  My mother asked me if I wanted to stay home, or go back, and I chose to go back.  By the time my sister came along, the public schools had kindergartens, so she and my younger brother didn't go to the church school.

2.  Do you decorate for the different seasons? If so, have you decorated for fall yet? 

Not for all seasons.  I do put out general Fall decorations, which morph into Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and finally switching to Christmas.  I haven't put any out yet.  I probably will this weekend, though.

3.  What food do you associate with fall? 

Candy corn.  It feels like fall to me when I buy my first bag of Brach's Candy Corn, no matter how hot it still is outside.  I love the Autumn Mix, which has candy corn, Indian corn, and the mallowcreme pumpkins.  And also, pumpkin stuff.  Pie, bread, pumpkin spice latte, whatever. 

4.  Do you order books online, buy books in a bookstore, download books to a device, or frequent the library? If not interested in books, how do you get your music? 

Yes.   In other words, all of the above.  I haven't been to the library in a while, though.  Cody and I used to go every week, but we kind of stopped when he got so involved in after school activities.  I've been saying I'm going to start going back.  I just haven't gotten around to it.

5. When was the last time you realized that you had just been talking to someone really special?

Hmmm, I can't think of any time right off the top of my head.  I will say, though, that I'd always enjoyed listening to Charles Durning at the National Memorial Day Concert.  He passed away this past year, so they did a thing about his life at this year's concert.  I knew he had served in the Army, but I didn't know that he had stormed the beaches at Normandy.  That's when I was like, "Wow, he didn't just support our heroes.  He was one."  

Thanks for joining me for this week's chat.  Drop your masks off in the laundry basket, or take them home if you'd like.  Be sure to take some extra vitamin C, and maybe some echinacia.   I hope no one gets sick!

I'm Back!

Did you miss me?

 I woke up Friday morning feeling just as bad, if not worse, than I felt Thursday, and running fever besides, I decided to throw in the towel.  I called in sick and spent the day in bed.  It was probably a wise move, because I woke up Saturday feeling much better.

I felt well enough to go out to the balloon thing at the lake.  It was really cool watching the big balloons being inflated. 

This is the one that was giving tethered rides.  It was only going about 20 feet up in the air, though, so I decided it just wasn't worth paying for if that was as high as they were going.

Then they inflated a few more balloons for the balloon glow.

They were really pretty all lit up and stuff.
 

There were only 6 balloons there, but this is only the second year they've done this.  Maybe it'll grow bigger in the future.

Sunday, Beverly and I took Cody back to college.  I got to see his school and meet some of his friends.  I was glad I got to go, because last year we were still working Saturdays.  I was even gladder because Beverly drove, and I knit the whole way there and most of the way back.  I'm almost done with the first soldier hat of the season. 

Speaking of hats, a while back I bought some yarn in Cody's school colors.  The plan was to knit him a hat and matching scarf.  After thinking about it, though, I decided he probably wouldn't wear a scarf anyway, so I'm going to make a bunch of hats that he can give to his friends.  I guess I'd better get busy, huh?


Today I had to go back to work.  I had told Group Leader Fernando Thursday not to expect me there on Friday.  I guess he thought I was joking.  This morning he said, "Don't you even speak to me today." 

So I didn't.  All day. 

Let that be a lesson to you, children. 

Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.  

Epizoodies

Sometime during the night, that I Think I'm Getting A Cold feeling morphed into a full fledged Oh Boy I'm Dying feeling.

OK, not literally dying, but I feel pretty bad.  I was thisclose to calling in sick this morning and crawling back into bed, but I toughed it out. 

Group Leader Fernando asked me if Good Becky or Bad Becky had come to work today.  I told neither of them came.  Unspeakably Evil Becky is here.

I tell you what, though, if I still feel this bad in the morning, Unspeakably Evil Becky is going to stay in bed.

In other news, my wonderful cousin, whom I absolutely adore, got a little overenthusiastic with the weed killer.  Final body count:

nine marigolds, my last Dahlia, and about half of my wildflower bed.   The good news is, my zinnias are still strong and healthy.

No WIPs This Wednesday

The plan was to come home from work and drag out all my WIPS and photograph them for this post. 

You know what they say about the best laid plans...yeah.

I woke up this morning with a sore throat, quickly followed by that I Think I'm Getting A Cold feeling, so I just didn't feel like tracking all the WIPs down and getting them out. 

So what you get is this:

This is an old pattern that one of Cody's babysitters gave me years and years ago.  I've always liked this dress.  I'm getting the urge to sew again, so I think I'm going to make it.  I might go tomorrow after work and look at material. 

It all depends on how I feel. 

Now, I think I'm going to go to bed.

Chats On The Farmhouse Porch

It's Tuesday, and that means it's time to chat on the porch.  Despite the cool (relatively) weather we've had for the last few days, it's hot again, so I think we'll chat inside in the air conditioning.

So grab your glass of lemonade and join me around the kitchen table



1.  My oldest daughter has returned to college for her second year. Could I get you to give her some good wishes here? Please? 

Certainly.  Good luck and I know you will do well.  Cody is also returning for his second year of college.  I have to take him back Sunday after church.   It's kind of hard thinking of them all grown up, isn't it?

2.  Summer is about to move on, what will you miss the most? And the least? 

Nothing.  I won't miss a thing about summer!  I hate summer.  Well, maybe my flowers, but that's it.  What I will miss the least?  Everything.  Yeah, everything: the heat, the allergies, the overtime, the huge electric bills from running the air conditioner, sweating constantly, the sinus headaches.  All of it.  I won't even miss how late it stays light outside.  That just puts extra pressure on me to feel like I need to go out and do stuff. 

3.  Are you currently working on any craft, sewing, DIY home, or any other creative project?

I've got several knitting projects in the works.  I've got a couple of pairs of socks, a hat, a few blankets, some scarves, etc, etc.  I need to do a full WIP (Works In Progress) post here soon, because things are starting to get out of hand.  And as if that weren't enough, I'm getting the urge to sew again, too.

4.  If you could have any treatment at a spa for free, what would it be? 

I've heard massages are nice, but I don't know if I could stand a stranger putting his/her hands all over me like that.  I have no interest in facials, mani/pedis or any of that nonsense.  If I had my druthers, I'd ruther have the money so I could get that new fishing reel, or the purple Ruger .22LR I've been wanting.

5.  What's your favorite kind of pasta? 

Plain shell macs with just some melted butter on them.  It's always been my favorite, even more so than mac and cheese.

Thank you for joining me for another chat.  I will be along to your place directly. 

P.S.  Have I ever mentioned how glad I will be when this fad of everyone talking like three year olds passes?

Music Monday

I haven't done a Music Monday in a while, but since this song was going through my head all day, I'm going to share it with you. 



And it all started when our production superintendent asked, "Does everybody know where they are going?"

Our new parts stager is named Darius.  Every time I see him, I think of Darius Rucker, which makes me think of this song:



Uncle Si and Lady A are just a bonus, which segues nicely into this:



My favorite Lady Antebellum song.  And of course, there is this:



Just because. 

A Wedding

Beverly's granddaughter Shelbi got married today.  Naturally, I went to the wedding.

Well, maybe not so naturally, because the last wedding I went to was my own.  Twenty years ago.  Times sure have changed since I got married.  I felt so out of place.

I mean, I took a shower.

I wore a dress.  (And was told I clean up nice for a white girl.)

I took my hat off.

I left my phone in the car.

I was a bit overdressed.   Apparently, these days, t-shirts and jeans are acceptable wedding attire.  And hats.  And cell phones. 

Be that as it may, it was still a very nice ceremony, even though it was not in Klingon.

Or Sindarin.

Or The Black Speech of Mordor.

Or Old High Gallifreyan.    Just plain old English.

And I didn't check the score of the ball game.

Well, not until I got to the reception, anyway.   (Got to get a handle on those turnovers, Boys!)

After which they did not release The Kraken.

But during which, I was told-- once again-- that one day I would meet Mr. Right.  And when that happens, I can have the wedding of my dreams.

Now, if you will excuse me, I've got some translating and Kraken hunting to do.  

Today

There's this guy I work with.  I won't call his name out here. 

But there's this guy I work with. 

He's always trying to start stuff.  Always running his mouth.  Trying to pick a fight.  Agitating.  Aggravating.  Irritating.  Annoying.  It's like he's trying to make me mad. 

Then, when I answer back, he says I  have an attitude.   He can dish it out, but he sure can't take it.

So today, I took this cartoon in. 

I didn't say anything.  I just taped it to the side of my brazing stand, and left it there. 

This guy, he was very, very quiet all day.  

Guess the joke hit a little too close to home. 

Reckon?

My Personals Ad Redux

You know, I been thinkin'...

Yes, I know that sentence is not grammatically correct.  I was typing in vernacular.

Anyway, I've been thinking.

I've decided that if I ever get married again, I want my ceremony conducted in either Klingon, Sindarin, or The Black Speech Of Mordor.

I've gotten some objections to including The Black Speech of Mordor.  No, you should have it in Klingon or Sindarin (which is an Elvish dialect, by the way).


(Also by the way, I woke up in a blind panic one morning because I couldn't remember then name of the other Elvish dialect.  It's Quenya.)

Most of my friends are strongly supportive of having the ceremony in Sindarin, but I disagree.  Sindarin is for starry eyed dreamers who still think the world is a magical place, and marriage is sweetness and light.

I have no such illusions.  I think in my case, The Black Speech of Mordor is entirely appropriate. 

Anyway, with that in mind, I decided to tweak my personals add just a bit. Keep in mind, it's still a work in progress.

Sherlocked Browncoated Whovian Trekkie Hobbit seeks mad man in a blue box for daring adventures in time, space, and Middle Earth.

Hobbies include reading, knitting, randomly quoting poetry at inappropriate times, attempting to bring archaic words back into the current vernacular, memorizing weird stuff, and running in slow motion while singing the theme to Chariots of Fire.

Must be self sufficient, have bigger on the inside technology, and a gun named Vera.

No Potterheads, please, unless you have a sailboat.  

Um, yeah, I won't have to clean out my closet just yet.

Matchmaking

I've got a couple of coworkers who seem determined to get me married off.  I had one that actually said so.

"Becky," she said.  "I'm going to see you married before I leave this place."

She doesn't work there any more, and I'm still not married.  But there are a couple more who seem to have taken up her mantle and are determined to get me married off.

Seriously, if I wanted to be married, I could have been married years ago.  I've had plenty of offers.  I've turned them all down.  I'm just not the marrying kind.  When someone comes along and makes me change my mind about that, then I'll consider it. 

Anyway, one of these women came up to me the other day and asked, "Have you found you a man yet?"

"Not since you asked me two weeks ago," was my reply.

"Well, why not?" she asked.

So, I tried to explain in a way her feeble mind could understand.  (Bear in mind that this is the same co-worker who tried to diagnose me as bi-polar because I enjoy writing.)

"I'm not the kind of person who is going to be with just any man, just so I won't be alone.  I'm content to wait until the right man comes along."

"There ain't no right man," she interrupted.  "They're all the same."

It was at this point that I almost started the fight.  But I managed to keep my mouth shut.  What really I wanted to say was,

"Well, that explains a lot.  I always did wonder what you saw in that one you're married to."

I managed to keep my mouth shut, wonder of wonders.  Seriously, though, her husband is a very nice man.  He's always friendly, and I don't think I've ever seen him without a smile on his face.

I do disagree with my co-worker, though.   People seem to think that when I say right man, I must mean perfect man, but that isn't it at all.  I just mean the one who is right for me.  The best fit, so to speak. 

Look at it this way, we know that there are definitely wrong men out there.  And if there is a wrong man, there must be a right man.

Right? 

Chats On The Farmhouse Porch

It's a cool-- relatively-- rainy Tuesday evening, so I think it best we have our chat around the kitchen table, instead of on the porch today. Grab a glass of lemonade and join me. I also have coffee, hot tea, cider, and hot chocolate for those of you so inclined.





1.  Do you have any type of air cleaner in your home? 

 I'm assuming by this you mean some sort of air filtration system.  And the answer is no.  Just the standard air conditioning unit. 

2.  What do you do with the spare change you accumulate in your car, purse, pockets, etc? 

I have a large Coke cup that I put it all into.  Back years ago, our church used to do a rice bowl offering.  Every family got a bank shaped like a bowl of rice on World Hunger Day, and we would put our spare change in that.  Then, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, we took them all back to the church and they donated them to help feed the hungry.  They stopped doing that, so now the change just collects and collects.  I don't use cash much any more, so there really isn't that much change anyway.

3.  What's one chore you wish you never had to do again? 

Cleaning my shower.  I have a separate shower and bath tub.  I don't mind cleaning the bathtub, but I really hate cleaning the shower-- especially the tracks for the shower door.  Hate it, hate it, hate it.

4.  Are you outgoing, quiet, shy, reserved, or life of the party? 

 I'm an introvert, so I am a quiet natured person.  I'm not so much shy, though.  I'm not afraid to talk to people.  I just abhor small talk and chit chat.  Those "life of the party" types tend to annoy me to no end.

5.  Have you understood your parents more as you've gotten older? 

No, not really.   My dad and I were always two peas in a pod, and I'm still very much like him.  My mother and I were as different as night and day, and we still are. So, I can't really say that I understand them more as I've gotten older. 


Well, that's it for this week's chat.  Since it's still raining, feel free to hang around a bit and talk about other stuff. 

What would you like to discuss?