Morning Dawdler #16
Here is Rory’s latest set of questions:
Who do you think you might be in an alternate universe?
Everything fear prevented me from being while I was in this universe. The sky would be the limit!
What would be the most surreal situation you could imagine finding yourself in?
Going viral in a way that would bring joy to an enormous amount of people. I enjoy watching viral videos of babies, animals, and unsuspecting musical artists.
You won!!
You have five minutes for a Supermarket Dash in the FoodHall – what will you fill your trolley/shopping cart with?
Everything organic that I could freeze to last.
You have 60 minutes to hide 50 million in hard currency [Notes] in your house – where would you put the money/cash – to avoid detection?
Now, wait a minute, what if I do win? You and everyone else will know where to look. Sounds like the plan of a Mastermind to me. Well played, Rory; well played indeed.
Enjoy the Ride!
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The Morning Dawdler, 1/10/22
The Morning Dawdler is Season 2 of Questions Over Coffee with Rory.
There is something about the word dawdler that I find attractive. Anyway, that’s what I’m doing over here before I head out to work.
Can you find the mistake in this lineup A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z?
Oh, aren’t you tricky? The double the in the question is the mistake. But, I will admit, I examined the alphabet for far too long.
What old-fashioned way of doing things is better than how they are currently done?
Having Sunday family dinners. Not just with our immediate families, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. This connection provided an opportunity to connect, converse and sometimes solve world problems. Today, you’re doomed if your older relatives are not on FaceBook.
Are we consuming too much information and data, and is the modern world bad for us?
Yes! I, for one, have stopped doomscrolling and don’t watch the news. Removing these two things from my life has helped me tremendously. Negativity has a way of creeping in on its own; I don’t need to hand it the keys.
If global warming continues, what will happen in the future?
I have faith in the fact that some brilliant climate-conscious folks are working hard behind the scenes to ensure this does not happen. In the meantime, our small efforts add significant changes, and we should continue implementing them daily.
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Question Time Over Coffee 24th December
Tonight it’s hot chocolate for me, with a dash of egg nog and whipped cream. Rory is our generous host, and you can join in here to answer some inquisitive questions.
1. Are you more socially or community-minded regarding people, or do you not think there is a difference between the two?
I’d like to think I’m both. I care about the folks close to me and those in the community.
On a scale of 1 – 10, how ethically minded do you think you are?
What behavior do you consider to be ethical?
Hmm, I believe I once was ethical to a fault, probably a 10, due to being conditioned to fear not following the appropriate rules of society compliments of my Catholic upbringing. Now I take the hypocrisy of those teachings into account and drop myself down to a 7.
3. Tattoos are a very personal lifestyle choice by those who have their bodies inked.
So – Do you think tattoos make people more confident or less?
Do tattoos look good on everyone?
I don’t think it’s a matter of confidence, especially today when young people don’t think twice about inking up. My son got his first one when he turned 18. He now has an arm sleeve with an ocean theme and a leg sporting a wilderness theme. It has not stopped him from being a successful member of society.
I think some tattoos look better on some people; for instance, Jason Momoa could sport a turd across his chest, which would be stunning.
4. What enrichment do you personally receive from being social?
Have you become noticeably more socially isolated or socially interactive after the pandemic and the lockdowns? There may be no difference in your social behaviour; if this is the case, let me know below.
I get energized from being social. It doesn’t matter if it’s a brief conversation at the supermarket or a deep conversation with a friend.
I think, if anything, I’ve become more socially selective. The lockdowns certainly spotlighted who and who I don’t want around me. I believe this resulted from my learning more about myself during that time.
5. What would be your top sustainability tip?
Be consistent, and don’t think that your one small change can’t make a difference.
6. We live in a world that treats being open and vulnerable as a taboo and something to be frowned upon, so –
Do you find it easy or hard to talk to your friends and family about your health?
I was raised in a generation where things were not discussed; they were buried under a rug. Therefore, being vulnerable was not front and center. I don’t have a problem discussing health, but I admit I don’t discuss it with everyone.
The younger generations today seem very open, almost shocking us when they start dropping their vulnerability. I love that they feel free enough to do so.
7. What will you be doing this weekend?
Our daughter is in town for the holiday. Today we did some volunteering and went out to a late lunch. Tomorrow we plan to have a big breakfast, open gifts, and go for a walk once the temperature hits 30. It’s brutally cold here today, so staying warm is also on the list.
8. As the writer and author of your blog, how connected do you feel to your audience?
It’s funny you asked this question. I was just saying I feel closer to some of my fellow bloggers, whom I’ve never met, than I do to those in my life.
9. Does your blog reveal too much, too little, or just the right balance of you to your readers?
It’s a potpourri of information.
10. If you were granted a day at being one of your favorite book characters, who would you choose to be and why?
Ok, my choice comes from a series of children’s books I read to my daughter called Eloise. I loved her spunk and the fact that she lived in the Plaza Hotel in NYC.
11. What do you believe is the greatest threat to our planet today?
People
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Question Time Over Coffee, 17th December
I’m a day late and tired since I made a round trip yesterday to attend a party. The things we do for fun. Anywho, it’s freezing, and the coffee is poured, so let’s get to it. Rory is waiting over here to read these answers.
1. What actions do you take if you can’t sleep naturally?
Thankfully, this doesn’t happen too often, but when it does, I find a sleep meditation works well.
2. Can you easily recognize if you are suffering from stress, and if so, what do you do to reduce it? Are you able to see signs of stress in your friends or your family more than you?
Yes. My favorite outlet is to go for a walk.
No, I know when the closest people to me are stressed, but not everyone.
3. The West holds firm concerning the war in Ukraine. However, how do you feel about it all now? Do you believe we are providing too much or too little support?
Oh, is this still going on? I wouldn’t know since we went from 24/7 live coverage to zip. The media has already moved on to the next big thing to distract our attention. Unless you have the time and energy to be your own investigative reporter, you’ll never get the answers. As for support, I see a lot of regular folks stepping up and doing big things to support the victims of this war.
4. How much black-and-white honesty from your best friends do you believe your friendship with them warrants? Should friends be brutally honest with you or provide support without question?
Inspired by Should Friends Offer Honesty or Unconditional Support?
I have friends in my life, and then I have friends. I’ve learned who to go to for brutal honesty and who to go to when I want someone to jump on my bandwagon, and I married the one with a knack for being both.
5. Do you think you have an addictive personality?
No, I don’t think I do because I get bored with things after a while. Maybe that’s a thing, I don’t know.
6. Why are so many of today’s online/television advertisements so cringey? Are you ever influenced by the comedy or corniness of them?
Influenced, no. Intrigued as to why someone thought it was a good idea, yes.
7. Do you ever need help responding to some comments left by readers on your blog posts, as in not knowing how or what to respond with? Why is this, and what usually throws you off?
No, but I don’t usually provide context that would provoke a heavy comment.
8. What five vegetables do you use the most each week or month?
Potatoes, broccoli, mixed greens, carrots, and onions.
9. What is the most outrageous thing you have ever done?
The first thing that comes to mind is I was a balloon handler, or as I like to call it, a Latex Engineer in the Thanksgiving Day parade. The balloon I was engineering was the Dr. Seuss character that speaks for the trees, the Lorax. All I can say about it is that it looks much more manageable than when you’re watching from your sofa.
10. Have your blog reading habits changed since you first started to blog?
Yes, in the beginning, I was feeling overwhelmed by trying to read too many blogs. Now, I know what I like and stick to it.
Have you ever felt frustrated from reading blog posts because they are perhaps not piquing your interest? What have you done to prevent the boredom from biting deep if this is the case?
If it doesn’t catch my interest, I move on. I find this to be true with political rants. I read for peace, not to be aggravated.
11. Do you find it easy to make difficult decisions, and do you have a process of elimination for making those tough decisions?
Yes, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a difficult one. I try to talk it through with a good confidant, weigh the pros and cons, and meditate on it, which usually leads me in the right direction.
12. What’s the longest you have gone without a shower?
2 days while I was sick. It’s amazing how good a shower can feel after that.
13. Between the choice of a deep-fried insect sandwich or a raw earthworm hamburger with no option of declining either, which would you choose?
Inspired by a conversation at the Nature Reserve
I’m going to go with deep-fried because, let’s face it, once it’s fried in that deliciousness, do we really know what’s inside? For all I know, I’ve already eaten a deep-fried insect sandwich.
14. How would your family and friends react if you started to talk to another person one day that no one else could see but you? Do you speak to yourself regularly?
Inspired by the film – Just Like Heaven
Haha! They would hand me a list of questions to ask this person. Other than the occasional profanity outbursts, no. I do, however, talk to myself in my head.
15. How far can you be pushed before annoyance becomes full-blown anger, and what is your anger style?
It takes a lot to anger me, but if it’s something big, so is the reaction. Is volcanic a style? If so, that’s what it is.
Enjoy the Ride!
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Rory’s Question Time Over Coffee 10th December
Rory is our gracious host, and I have met my coffee quota for the day, but here goes.
What motivates you to get up every day?
No motivation is needed from me. I just enjoy getting up every day.
What words have always struck you as funny or odd when looked upon?
Cattywampus. My hubby uses it more than most humans. Why? I have no idea; all I know is no one questions him about it. It’s usually followed by awkward silence.
How often do you read the comments left by other bloggers on other bloggers’ published posts?
Always! It’s the curiosity in me I can’t help myself.
How hard do you work to keep your long-standing friendships alive year in and year out, and do your friends work the same way to keep you?
The friends who did not put in the work have recently been dismissed from their friendship duties. If I have to work hard at a friendship, it’s not a friendship, it’s a job, and I already have one of those.
How many emails do you delete every week?
Oh, sweet baby Jesus, I don’t think numbers go that high.
Are you easily distracted, and what delights you the most?
Yes, and let’s face it, it doesn’t take much.
Have you ever had a strange unexplained encounter that left you shaken and baffled, and if so, what do you think it was? Or what did your brain make you think it was?
Yes. I saw a female ghost floating at the foot of my bed, holding a small box. If a police officer asked me to describe her, there is no doubt I could give a vivid description. I thought it was a female ghost.
Are we more scared of things that go bump in the night when in the dark or equally as concerned if the same thing happens during daylight hours? If so, why do you think that is?
Bumps at any time of the day are alarming because I’m not a big fan of surprises. Bumps in the dark raise the fear factor bar.
What are the magical ingredients for writing a bestseller, and do you think you could write one?
Considering some current bestsellers, I would say the magical ingredients are a boatload of money mixed with notoriety and a hint of basic writing skills.
Well, I don’t think I couldn’t write one, but I currently lack a boat with a load of money or notoriety.
When was the last time you stayed awake all night having fun with another person, and what were you doing?
February 23, 2022, in New York City, enjoying the Elton John concert with a friend.
Would the 18-year-old you recognize the older you if you both collided on the street today? If not, why?
Hell no! That girl would be too naive to accept the possibility of it even happening.
What are you most looking forward to in 2023?
Being the best possible version of myself by raising my consciousness.
Are you more curious, are you more passionate, or are you both?
Hands down curious first, passionate second.
Can you easily recognize your flaws, and do you think it is important?
More so now than when I was younger. I spent too much time focusing on my outer “flaws” while the inner flaws were screaming for attention.
The musical album you loved the most in the last twenty years was…?
This is tough, but I think I’m going with Amy Winehouse Back to Black.
What could you do less of?
There are several answers, but the one that comes to mind is, wasting time.
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Question Time Over Coffee 12/3
Put on another pot and join in with Rory’s coffee time questions. This week’s questions gave my brain a good workout with 15 thoughtful, deep queries to fill this rainy Saturday morning.
Join in or Enjoy the Ride!
Do you sometimes ‘just’ LIKE posts from those you follow but don’t often read the content, and if so, why do you do this?
Yes, but not often.
Is it a time restraint or something else that motivates this action?
It could be time, or the content is not something to be read; it’s visual.
What do you do with gifts you have received but have no use for?
I either give them to someone I know will appreciate them more than me or donate them to a charity looking to fill up raffle baskets.
Have people become lazier concerning cooking do, you think, or is it more a case of people not knowing how to cook?
Oh, it’s not lazy or lack of knowledge as much as living in a society where chicken nuggets are on every corner and our time is held hostage by employers or the million extracurricular activities of our children.
Is cooking considered a valuable skill by you?
Yes, it’s a survival skill for me. Takeout is a treat.
What news stories, in your opinion, have so far defined the 2020’s and what do you think they have taught us personally as individuals?
Have there been news stories in the 2020’s? If we are now considering fear-mongering, hate, and divisiveness news stories, then this is what has defined the 2020’s.
It has taught me that if I want “news,” I can get that anywhere. If I want truth and facts, well, now, I’ll have to be my own non-paid investigative journalist.
What would you never swallow even if you could?
First of all, this is a question an Aquarius would ask. Random, yet interesting enough to quiet a room in two seconds flat.
Anywho, I would say a sword. I’ve watched this sort of act on various variety shows, and I’m always left with questions. Where does it go? What is it stabbing inside? Why would someone do that?
How many hours of sleep do you get a night, and how many hours do you think you need and why?
I usually get the required 7 or 8 hours. I’ve gotten less, but never more. I do not need more and can function fine on less. I’ve never been a sleeper.
How important is it to you to have a clean house or environment to live in, and does it have to be pristine?
I function much better without clutter, but I prefer a lived-in look over a pristine one. Pristine homes create awkwardness for their guests. I like people to feel welcome in my house.
Could you give up your Smartphone and break your addiction to it?
Absolutely, but let’s be honest, it wouldn’t be easy, and it could get ugly.
What have been five of your best TV shows from the dawn of dot to today?
Whew, this is a tough one because there have been so many over the years.
The Brady Bunch
The Carol Burnett Show
The Golden Girls
Seinfeld
Real Time With Bill Maher
Why were they good?
They are relatable, make me feel good, laugh out loud, or teach me a thing or two.
Why is life not a bed of roses but a bed of thorns?
Is it? I think it’s perception. If you have certainty that everything is happening for you and not to you, then things won’t be so bleak, and those thorns won’t stand a chance.
What makes your life good and or bad?
Not to sound too Hallmarkish, or like one of those weird signs. I’d have to say family, friends, laughter, and love.
Toasted waffles or toasted bread, and why?
Bread. Only because there are more varieties.
How do you feel about the aging process and you?
I consider it a gift. My mind is much younger than my body. In fact, decades more youthful.
What is the last rebellious thing you did?
Hmm, are we talking about marching on Washington rebellious or on a smaller scale? I’ve done both. Women’s March in 2017 and driving over the limit, yesterday.
What would be your ideal ‘you experience’ of the following …. museum, theatre, spa day, bungee jumping?
Hands down, live theatre, that involves music. I have yet to go to a theatre performance without leaving energized, lasting for days. The Elton John concert I attended at Madison Square Garden lasted weeks.
Could you easily step off the planet and away from society and your friends and being social and also away from the Internet for 12 months?
No. No doubt there have been moments when I wanted to do this, but in reality, I need human interaction to survive. I enjoy the company of others, even if it’s just the cashier at the supermarket who refers to me as a “young lady” when I’m not.
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Question Time Over Coffee 25th November
I stumbled across Rory’s questions this week and thought I’d give it a shot. I always wanted to be a guest on The Late Show or any talk show that would have me, for that matter. However, that doesn’t look like something that may happen, so it’s good that Rory provided this opportunity.
| You have a dinner party and may invite four guests from the following categories one fictional, one dead, and one alive, and a naked chef [wearing an apron only but no clothes underneath – or if you wish, for whatever reason, your chef can be wearing underclothes – pants/top]. Who will you invite to eat, and who will you ask to cook for your dinner party? Ok, let me see now because these lists would typically be long, and narrowing it down to one of each takes some thought. Tony Soprano, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Melissa McCarthy, and Michael Symon. If nothing else, lord knows this room would be loud and passionate. I would like to listen to Tony and Ruth discuss justice since they have, shall we say, different techniques. Melissa McCarthy is a quick wit which makes me laugh out loud. It would be fun to watch her moderate the Tony and Ruth debate. As for kitchen duty, I chose Michael because he is passionate about food. He is animated in the kitchen, so he probably should be wearing something for protection, but I’ll leave it up to him. Inspired by I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! |
| Have you ever slept on/in a hammock? That would be a no. |
| Do you find it easy to maintain friendships with other people? Yes. However, it’s usually because of the effort I apply. |
| Are you a person of ethics? Yes. If so, how does that impact your daily life? Have you seen the world lately? Indeed it does. |
| Are you decisive or indecisive as a person? It depends on the question. Do you want a piece of cake? I’m very decisive. Do you want to take off tomorrow for an adventure? A million things immediately rush into my brain. |
| Why do people hold double standards? Because they lack the ability to look at situations with the greater good in mind. People of power are the masters of double standards. Inspired by Kristian and That Really Burns my Biscuits #10 |
| What is your unhealthiest but guiltiest pleasure, and why? Hands down binge watching mindless television because sometimes you just need to be numb. |
| What is your process for writing a new post for your blog? Going out in the world and engaging with people. Human contact makes the best stories. |
| If you were asked to create a Top Fifteen Book List holding books that you felt everyone should read at least once in their life and would never regret reading, what titles would you include? The Four Agreements All of David Sedaris’s books. Autobiographies or memoirs that were written by someone you admire. Goodnight Moon All of Anne Lamon’s books. Poems by Maya Angelou A Boy, the Mule, a Fox and the Horse A Gift from the Sea |
| How important is it for you to know a person’s real name? It never occurred to me, so I would say it’s unimportant. [Be this online, offline, social media, or blogging] |
| When at school, what were your top five subjects that you were passionate about? 5?! English, gym, lunch, art, music Why was this – what did you love about them? They were not as restricted as the other subjects. Are those five subjects still present in your life today in any form? Hahaha, yes, especially gym, lunch, art, and music. |
| With regard to the paranormal, do you choose to not believe because there is nothing to believe or because you feel it is safer to not believe? I’m a believer to the fullest extent of believing. Are you a non-believer or a believer? Same as above |
| How are you with meeting strangers/new people who might or could become new friends? I’m a professional people meeter and friend maker. Is there a process you adopt to identify if they are the right fit for you? Yes. They must have a sense of humor and the ability to hold a deep conversation. |
Life With The Top Down 
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