edition #72
When our kids were small and mostly on weekends where the snow was ‘ass deep to a tall man’…when they were forced to stay indoors because of blizzard conditions and bored out of their minds….well, I most often refused to let them sit in front of the TV and become zombie like. I wanted to stimulate them. And we’d make a game of it. Irene now does it with her boys. And Erik? Well, he’ll point out words to me when he’s around and does it oftentimes, still to this day. It’s something good they remember from their childhood days.
The thing I did with them, and we made a game of it…the winner wouldn’t have to do dishes, or they could chose the dessert…things like that. I’d pick out words I found in a book I was reading, or the newspaper and I’d challenge them to come up with five letter words [or more] that also contain the same exact letters in the word/s I chose. I’d give them half an hour for a time limit. Whoever came up with the most was declared winner!! And again, for stimulation, I would set the egg timer for 30 minutes…kinda like “Jeopardy” with the syncopated clock music. The kids would try harder knowing that that timer was gonna go off any second….
I’d then play ‘teacher’ and go through their lists to make sure there were no doubled letters which would disqualify that in the count…and see who won this particular time. On some occasions there would be words on their lists that didn’t even exist…which made for a lot of fun too!! Even today, there is a quote picked up from those days…”When in doubt, and an ‘e’” – Erik continually added “e’s” to words, his spelling was something that needed help and he’d always say “When in doubt……” So now Bud will spell a word or some such thing and he too will say “When in doubt and an ‘e’”. You have to be here.
So, I challenged myself today…I’m using the letters in the words THURSDAY THIRTEEN. And I’m going to attempt to come up with fourteen – and, hopefully with only thirteen correct words & one in error [insert crossed fingers I did it right] using five letters or more from this.
[rules state that I cannot use the letter more than it appears -the letters I can use are T-H-U-R-S-D-A-Y-T-H-I-R-T-E-E-and N]
1] untrue
2] thirsty
3] trusty -trusted
4] rushed
6] trident
7] stride
8] death
9] artsy
10] attend
11] sturdy
12] threat
13] hushed
14] harsh
can you spot the one in error, and why it’d be considered wrong?
~…end Thursday Thirteen
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It’s that time again. Bloggers Over 50 Highlighted blog! This month it’s At Home in Scottsdale. A charming and down home, wonderful blog. Take a look at this woman’s talent…she makes dolls! Trust me, they’re super. Of course that’s not all about her blog, enjoy visiting with her. I’m sure you’ll be delighted.
Charlotte?
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I get this email you see. And a whole night of chatting on the phone begins.
First things first. The email. [excuse the language and if you're upset with the reference to grubby and such ---my apologies, I'm just going with the flow of the conversation and it may also not reflect my preferences either!]
—– Original Message —-
From: ERIK (his email)
To: Mom (my email)
Sent: Monday, August 18, 2008 4:01:54 PM
Subject: Re: UPS Ship Notification, Tracking Number ######
- – - -
…and so it begins. Hours upon hours of phone calls, emails, and sitting in the living room trying to figure it all out.
My reply to his email?
That’s a Beatles song! Are you thinking perhaps of Ringo Starr? He always looked grubby!
This took place after I opened my family email account around 4 – 4:30 PM. Then, around 7 PM I get a call from him. And what follows is as close to true as I can remember–
Ring…ring….
me picking up the cellphone and flipping it up to answer:
“Yo” [I have picture ID so I knew it was sonny boy!]
“Good Morning. You up?” [it's nighttime, but he always says 'good morning']
“Ya, I’m still awake. You just getting off work?”
“I’m on my way into Starbucks for my green tea, read a bit, then head for home.”
“So, who is that grubby guy? It’s not the Beatles, any of them, I know them! This guy is grubby. So grubby he makes Willie Nelson look clean. And he butchers the song; what did you say the name of it was?” [I hear his laptop keys clicking away as I answer...]
“It’s ‘I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends’. I think, actually, Paul McCartney wrote it, not sure tho.”
….he’s typing in the title as he speaks more:
“This guy was on 60 Minutes last year, promoting his new autobiography or biography, ‘My Life, Volume I’ like as if he’s going to get a chance for Volume II.”
“Old. Like maybe 65 or so.”
“Like he hasn’t showered for months!”
I respond:
“Oh really? And this helps me in what way?”
He chuckles:
“I know you know who he is. He makes Willie Nelson look clean. About the same age, long dark hair, and it’s none of the Beatles. But around that era.”
I ask:
“Is he a country singer?”
“No…he’s a rock star. A guitarist.”
My next question would then be:
“And I know this dude, huh? What’s he look like? Any special features?”
“Well when he’s on stage, it’s just him. And most times wears dark glasses I think. At least I’ve seen him on video wearing shades. Either you like him and Dad doesn’t or the other way around.”
—hmmmmmmmmmm
“Joe Cocker also recorded that song, are you thinking of him? No wait, he doesn’t have dark hair.” [so I answered my own question and follow with another] “Where are you?”
“Right here, where are you?”
“You know what I mean…are you searching Google?”
“No, I’m in Wikipedia right now. Typing in the song title.”
“Try typing in his book title and see what you get.”
the keyboard is heard in the background…
“No such book. Maybe it isn’t titled ‘My Life Volume I’”.
“Type in list of Rock Guitarists of the 70′s. You should then at least get a list of names.”
…typing
“Okay, we have a list….#1 is Eric Clapton, it’s not him. And I wouldn’t have Eric Clapton on the number one spot. He would be way down on my list.”
“Slash is #44…he’d be at least #4 on my own list.”
“Chuck Berry…….some of these guys I’ve not even heard of.”
—
“Do any sound familiar to you?”
“Type in 60 minutes entertainer guests”….
As he types that in, Bud chortles “I know…Steve Tyler!”
So, I relay to Erik ‘Steve Tyler’.
“Who’s that….ohhhhh! STEPHEN Tyler. Dad must know him personally, I guess he can call him ‘Steve’ instead of Stephen.”
I say to myself and repeating all the clues to Bud:
“Old, grubby, guitarist, white, makes Willie Nelson look clean, wears sunglasses on stage sometimes, very popular back when, wrote a book.”
Bud shrugs and continues watching the Astros’ game.
“Well, my dear, I’ll continue to think about it tonight, and if I figure out who he is, I’ll email you. I’ve got to watch the ‘stros get their butts whomped again and finish my dinner, it’s getting cold. The Brewers have scored already….”
“Ya, I best go besides. I’ve got an orientation meeting tomorrow for the new semester. And then, I’ll probably start preparing for the first day teaching class. I won’t know how many students I’ll have yet, but I want to be prepared.”
“Okay. Drive home safely. Have a good night.”
“Ya, seeya!”
—-
But for me it doesn’t stop there. After I hung up, while watching the game, my mind was elsewhere. Trying to figure out who the old, dark haired guitarist was. Y’know things like that bug me. And I knew sleep wouldn’t come to me until I figured out just who he meant.
Dark hair….old, 60ish. Rock guitarist. Butchers songs…..
Jeff Beck!!!!
So, on the 1st commercial break, I’m off like a ‘herd of turtles’….going in on the ‘net. Typing in ‘photo of Jeff Beck’. I grab the photo and open an email….paste the photo into the email window and send it off.
Back to the game…
Next commercial I check my email. No response. He’s probably too busy preparing for his meeting tomorrow. But no response. And I know when he’s online his email alerts him. So, it must not have been the guy….dang.
As I walk back to the living room, it hits me!!!
I yell….”I know!!! I know who he’s talking about now!”
So I turn around and open the email again….
In the box with bold letters I type….
Is it Bob Dylan?!!!
Within minutes, he replies….
“Yep that’s the dude!!!”
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, I can sleep soundly now!!!
[Astros got beat. I slept well. And neither Bud nor I are impressed with Bob Dylan! Oh, and googling, I find that his biography is Chronicles, Volume I!!!! No wonder he couldn't find anything!] It’s funny how something comes to mind and you get obsessed with it…to the point a whole afternoon and part of an evening is working on figuring it all out.
