We're Going To Graceland

On The Road Again With Prissy

This video is of Prissy's travels over the years, starting out in Hawaii (a couple of different trips - one before marriage with Don Ho and one after), on to Vegas with the Issy's and finally in Cabo (a couple of trips) with Mike, Heather & Sissy. A huge thanks to Anne for telling this very 1.0 computer nerd about Windows Movie Maker (I didn't even know I had it) and to JB for encouraging me to do more videos. Hope you enjoy it. Update: Oops, I made it sound like Prissy was married to Don Ho. Not true. You know what I meant.

Barry Manilow - One Voice

Here is another cover from Barry Manilow's album, One Voice - 1979. He was looking pretty good.

Just Another Day at the Computer - Inspired by JB

Cute Picture of Barry with Puppy

I thought this was cute (but a bit blurred). Barry has a dog and a sense of humor too according to his shirt. This was on the back side of one of his albums.

I have a question. Does anyone know if there is a setting where I am alerted when someone posts on their blog? I know in Yahoo 360 there was something like that. Just askin'.

Update: I just found what I was looking for. Go to your Settings, Click on Email tab. There is a Blog Send Address category where you can add my email address so I will know when you post an entry to your blog. I'll add your email addresses in my settings also.

Barry - Here Comes The Night

While visiting my sister-in-law in Nebraska last weekend, she asked me if I wanted any of her old record albums. I was pleasantly surprised to find 4 of Barry Manilow, 1 of Bob Dylan and also a memorial album of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, highlights of speeches made by our beloved President.

Above is a picture of one of the albums of Barry, front and back. I wish I had a record player to play these on....we have one in Stanley but not here. Hopefully, they aren't scratched up.

Yes, We Can....Can Can!

In anticipation of our Issy get-together to watch one of our favorite singers, Barry Manilow, I've put together a little video of the 5 of us. Yes, We Can....Can Can!

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/mVOAkLEZervRWhhY

Update: Reasons to Drink Today

As I was reading my, Reasons to Drink Today, I thought of JB & Gerri who have Mac's. Well, break out the bubbly you two....this is what it says:

January 24, 2009
Have an appletini to celebrate the Apple Macintosh, which first went on sale today in 1984!

And what better way to enjoy your appletini than by watching, "An Evening of Stars Tribute to Patti LaBelle" on WGN tonight. Somehow, I can't imagine the singers that will pay tribute to her trying to sing her songs.....should be interesting. I always enjoy this show.

No Chance

Looking at Prissy's blog today I found this under Useless Knowledge:

Bears can easily overtake even the fastest Olympic sprinter.

Well, you know darn well that I don't stand a H_ _ _ of a chance then!. They are supposed to be hibernating now at least.

At Last! Oh Happy Day

Tom Jones without his Peanut/Engelbert Humperdinck

Here is a more current picture of Tom Jones without his peanut.

Sir Thomas John Woodward (born 7 June 1940), known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a
Welsh singer-songwriter, particularly noted for his powerful voice and wide vocal range. He was born in Trefforest, Pontypridd, near Cardiff in Wales. Since 1965 Jones has sold over 100 million records.

Gordon Mills gave many rock stars their stage names, among them Engelbert Humperdinck (born Arnold George Dorsey).

At Caesars Palace his shows were traditionally a knicker-hurling frenzy of raw sexual tension and good-time entertainment. There, they started throwing hotel room keys. Jones and his idol Elvis Presley, met in 1965 at the Paramount stage, when Elvis was filming Paradise, Hawaiian Style; after that, they became good friends, spending more and more time together in Las Vegas, their friendship enduring until Presley's death in 1977.

On New Year's Eve to ring in 2000, United States President Bill Clinton invited him to perform at the Millennium celebrations in Washington D.C.

Tom has been married to his wife for over 50 years although he did have affairs over the years. When he was 13 he had tuberculosis and was bedridden for 2 years where he enjoyed listening to music and liked to draw. I have taken all of this info. from my good friend Wikipedia. Prissy and I actually went to one of his shows in Vegas a few years back (at the MGM Grand) and he still has the voice and surprisingly can still move his body.

Here is some info. on Engelbert:

Engelbert Humperdinck (born Arnold George Dorsey, May 2, 1936, Madras, India) is a well-known British-American pop singer who rose to international fame during the 1960s and 1970s, after adopting the name of the famous German opera composer Engelbert Humperdinck as his own stage name.

He was one of ten children of the British Army officer Mervyn Dorsey and his wife Olive. Arnold George Dorsey's family migrated to Leicester, England when he was ten, and a year later he showed an interest in music and began learning the saxophone. By the early 1950s, he was playing in nightclubs, but he's believed not to have tried singing until he was seventeen and friends coaxed him into entering a pub contest. His impression of Jerry Lewis prompted friends to begin calling him Gerry Dorsey, a name he worked under for almost a decade.

His budding music career was interrupted when he served in the British military in the mid-1950s, but he got his first chance to record in 1958, when Decca Records gave him a chance. His first single, "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," was anything but a hit, but Dorsey and the label would reunite almost a decade later with far different results. Dorsey continued working the clubs until 1961, when he was stricken with tuberculosis. (I wonder if he was hanging out with Tom Jones). He regained his health but returned to club work with little success, until, in 1965, he teamed with an old roommate named Gordon Mills who had become a music impresario and the manager of Tom Jones. He tasted his first real success in Belgium in the summer of 1966.

Well, that's enough of that....now, you know more than you wanted to know about Tom and Engelbert!

This is More Like It

I should be able to sleep tonight now that Tom has his peanut. I also like Englebert Humperdink but think he would have done much better with a different name.

I'm excited about the inauguration tomorrow. It seems there is a calm throughout the land....the times they are a changin'.

It is nice to see your laughing rhino as my follower, Anne!

Tom Jones with His Peanut

I know that many people do not care for Tom Jones but I really like his music. He does appear to be rather lecherous onstage with his dancing and women do go crazy for him and throw "things" at him which I think is disgusting (especially if these women are of a certain age....like 60 - but I had to add one of my favorite singers with his peanut (I couldn't figure out how to attach it to him though). As you can see his peanut is rather large and his pants are rather tight so it is a dilemma. Tom was much better looking in the '70's when he had a certain appeal to me and now has obviously had some plastic surgery done which did not turn out well.....but his voice is still great.

I am back from my trip to Wahoo, NE and am still keyed up from the long, stressful drive. The roads were very icy and snow covered in South Dakota so am sitting up catching up on the blogs and trying to get Tom's peanut attached to his body. Oh well, I guess it can wait....tomorrow is another day.

Gettin' Out of Dodge

I'm gettin' Out of Dodge tomorrow....yes, Bill and I are driving down to Wahoo, NE to visit his sister. It will not be much warmer or less snowy but it will be nice to get away from this unbelievable cold weather. We are also celebrating our 27th anniversary tomorrow...where did the years go. I remember last year when I was pleasantly surprised to open my front door and see the Issies there to help me celebrate since Bill was in Reno. Yes, that was the infamous night that we heard our theme song, "Issies forever, forever and ever" on American Idol. I still have to smile when I think of it.

The picture above is of our wedding day held in Reno at Bill's uncle's home. They had a Lutheran minister come in and many neighbors were there also. Awfully, nice. They even had the Swedish flag flying in my honor. The next day we drove up to Lake Tahoe....again, where did the years go?

Soju or Not to Soju?.....That is the Question

Here is a bottle of Soju just in case you get over to South Korea (see Reasons to drink today).

Soju is a distilled beverage native to Korea. Most brands of modern soju are made in South Korea. Though traditionally made from rice, most major brands supplement or even replace the rice with other starches such as potato, wheat, barley, sweet potato, or tapioca (called dangmil in Korean). Soju is clear in color and typically varies in alcohol content from about 20% to about 45% alcohol by volume (ABV), with 20% ABV being most common. Its taste is comparable to vodka, though often slightly sweeter because of the sugars added in the manufacturing process. (And since we probably won't be going to South Korea any time soon, just go out and buy some Vodka, add a little sugar and pretend it is Soju. People are going to think I'm a lush talking about all these libations but I'm really not. Just curious).

Here is the Etiquette which I thought you should see in preparation for our next gathering of the Issy's. Who can find a bottle of Soju?

Etiquette
Soju is usually drunk in group gatherings while eating, unmixed and portioned into individual shot glasses. It is against traditional custom in Korea to fill one's own glass. Instead, it must be filled by someone else at the table. This promotes a spirit of thoughtfulness and camaraderie.

In Korean culture, using two hands to offer and accept items is considered an act of respect. Accordingly, if one's glass is going to be filled by a superior, one should hold the glass with both hands. Similarly, when pouring soju for an elder, one holds the bottle with both hands.

To pour a drink, hold the bottle in the right hand with the left hand touching the right forearm or elbow; this peculiar arm position originated from the practice of holding back the sleeve of the hanbok so that it wouldn't touch the table or the food.

Similarly, when receiving a drink, rest the glass in the left palm and hold it with the right hand, perhaps bowing the head slightly to show additional respect. You can also hold the glass using the same hand positions as when pouring. Pouring and receiving with just the right hand by a senior, or between equals, is common in normal situations.

Koreans often say "one shot", a challenge to everyone in the group to down their glass in one gulp.

A glass should not be refilled unless completely empty and should be promptly refilled once empty; it is considered rude to not fill someone else's glass when empty. (Here, Here)!

Some special rules apply when drinking with someone of much higher status, i.e. greater age or rank. When drinking in front of elders (people older than you), the junior is expected to turn away from the elder first. Drinking the shot while directly facing the elder is considered disrespectful. However in recent years, the prevalent practice has been to drink the shot without turning away from the elder (but still using both hands to drink), as most Koreans view the practice as archaic and a detriment to camaraderie, irrespective of the age groups involved.....(or else you can just drink right out of the bottle....whatever, works for you). ;-)

On occasions, an elder gives an empty soju shot glass (usually his/hers) to an equal or junior. A junior may also offer an empty glass to a senior after they have established a closer relationship.

Giving the glass implies that the person is going to fill it and wants the receiver to drink it. It is not obligatory to finish the drink immediately, but it is impolite to place the glass on the table without at least pretending to drink from it.

After finishing the entire glass, it should be returned and refilled. It is not necessary to return it immediately, but holding it for a long time is considered rude, as it deprives the giver of his glass. (We don't want to be rude, do we)??

Among friends of equal social status, it is not necessary to use both hands while pouring or receiving a drink, but may be done out of habit or politeness, or if the situation is considered a particularly formal one.

"Cocktail soju" is soju with fruit juice or soft drink and optionally kool-aid or bingsu syrup. Common flavors include lemon, apple, peach, yogurt, plum and grape. Several bars, particularly those catering to younger people and foreigners, serve cocktail soju in "soju kettles" similar to the "buckets" commonly available in Thailand, where the upper section of an empty 2 liter plastic bottle is cut off and the remaining cylindrical "kettle" is filled with cocktail soju, with one or more drinking straws. (I'll bring the straws).

Have a Drink on Me

Yes, it is time to drink up again! January 14, 2009
Recreate the medieval burlesque festival Festum Asinorum (or Feast of the Ass) today!What shall I have tonight? Probably Livermulch. Quiet day here at the cabin...didn't go outside at all. Busy making DVD's for my sister-in-law of old family pictures.

Diane sent me pictures of Anne's party and the food looked nummy. Very nice indeed.

Tribute to Chester Greenwood

Today I pay tribute to Chester Greenwood. While checking out Prissy's blog, I noted the Useless Knowledge. Yes, Chester Greenwood who was from the United States was only 15 years old in 1873 when he invented earmuffs. I will sing his praises because as you know it is -40 here today (without windchill) and my sensitive ears would be frozen without my trusty earmuffs. Now I wonder who invented the nose warmer....

Check out Reason's to Drink on my blog: January 13, 2009
Celebrate julgransplundring on St. Knut's Day, Sweden's last day of Christmas, by throwing out that Christmas tree and having a drink! Here, Here!

Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me

Well....it has come to this. I really shouldn't have changed my blog name because I am anything but cheerfully optimistic lately. I feel more like Maxine! As you can see from the picture, we are slowly being taken over by the Snow Gods. I don't think I'll even be able to find my picnic table by the end of March! Not that I need it before then but it would be nice to see it. Yes, the snow keeps falling, the wind keeps blowing and Bill keeps hauling in firewood. I think we are having someone come out later today and shovel the snow off the roof.... Just got back from town where we bought some groceries for the next few days. It's supposed to get down to -26 tonight and that's without windchill. Who am I and What am I doing here? (Famous question by Ross Perot's running mate). I don't like winter sports other than hibernating and reading....I guess you wouldn't consider them sports, would you? So, I sit here feeling sorry for myself....poor, poor, pitiful me.

Road Trip to Graceland

I was thinking about our upcoming road trip to Graceland (I hope) and was reminded of Oprah and Gayle's road trip across the country. They had a video recorder in the car with them to show Oprah's viewers what fun they were having and what good singers they were....and all the junkfood they were eating. Wellllll, do you suppose we could rig something like that up for our trip???? I really don't think anyone would be interested in viewing it other than the four of us. Kinda like our Vegas heist video....where is that thing? Maybe it could be used for writing a screenplay about the Issy Gal's and their travels...or not. Anyway, I just thought I'd run it by you. ;-)

I just noticed I have a new follower.....Scooter Lady! So glad you have joined us and am looking forward to your blog.

Change in Name of Blog

Yes, I have decided to do away the Silly Sissy's Blog and rename it Sanquine Sissy's Blog. I think it better suits me. Here is the meaning of sanguine from the dictionary:

Word History: The similarity in form between sanguine, "cheerfully optimistic," and sanguinary, "bloodthirsty," may prompt one to wonder how they have come to have such different meanings. The explanation lies in medieval physiology with its notion of the four humors or bodily fluids (blood, bile, phlegm, and black bile). The relative proportions of these fluids was thought to determine a person's temperament. If blood was the predominant humor, one had a ruddy face and a disposition marked by courage, hope, and a readiness to fall in love. Such a temperament was called sanguine, the Middle English ancestor of our word sanguine. The source of the Middle English word was Old French sanguin, itself from Latin sanguineus. Both the Old French and Latin words meant "bloody," "blood-colored," Old French sanguin having the sense "sanguine in temperament" as well. Latin sanguineus was in turn derived from sanguis, "blood," just as English sanguinary is. The English adjective sanguine, first recorded in Middle English before 1350, continues to refer to the cheerfulness and optimism that accompanied a sanguine temperament but no longer has any direct reference to medieval physiology.

I prefer to think of myself more as "cheerfully optimistic"....not "bloodthirsty" although I do have a tendency to have a reddish complexion especially when "thirsty" for Livermulch. I don't think this has the same meaning as "bloodthirsty" though....

Like Father....Like Daughter

Yes, she certainly does look like her father. Same sexy eyes,cute nose and pouty lip...even her chin. I really liked when she sang with Elvis on "In the Ghetto". I guess if Natalie Cole can sing with Nat King Cole, Lisa Marie can sing with her father too.

In Honor of Elvis.....This is for Prissy

Since it is Elvis Presley's birthday today I am dedicating this blog post to him. He was born in 1935 in Tupelo, MS so that would make him 74 if he were still with us.....and I've heard reports that he still is. I want to remember him as a hunka hunka burnin' love - as the song goes - which he looks like in this picture. I really want to go to Graceland and be engulfed in all things Elvis. Maybe we can check out The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville or is that too far away from Memphis? I have to check the map.

I just finished watching the show on Elvis by the Presleys tonight and was struck by how much Lisa Marie looks like her father....she is almost as old as he is when he died. So sad that he gave so much of himself to entertain his fans and was not able to find his own happiness toward the end of his life.

Rest in Peace, Elvis. You are still the "King" to me.

Reincarnation

The attached picture is the reincarnation of Bob "ski-nose" Hope. This little purple eggplant even looks funny to me. I wonder what I will come back as after the big sleep....maybe a pear, an apple or a tomato. Body shape would be about the same.

Actually, this eggplant was a prize at one of our poker games. I did not win it. I would have had a hard time parting with Bob anyway though....

Hope everything is okay with Anne...haven't seen a new post on her blog in awhile. Do enjoy reading the others though. I like your new gadgets, Prissy. I've added a couple of my own.

A Get-together With The Issy's

What a fun night it was! Loved getting together with my Issy Gals. I think we need to definitely plan a trip to Graceland in March. Just let me know when we are going.

I noticed that my "way back when" picture does not show up in it's entirety on my fellow bloggers' pages....just the lower half. I fear I have broken the blog. I guess I'll have to remove it and stop living in the past. I have to face the ravages of time and put a more current photo on the blog.....or not. ;-)

I'm really glad to see Gerri doing so well. Let's all get together again soon.

I had a rather sleepless night in MG. Around 11:00 I woke up to noises in the walls! I have had this problem before with voles or mice somehow burrowing into my walls from outside...don't ask me how they do it as I have a concrete base but they must really burrow down into the ground to do it. Anyway, I have some of these high-pitched gadgets that you plug into the wall and it is supposed to make them go away....the high pitched noise is too much for their little ears to handle. I put 3 of them on both sides of the wall and after awhile, I didn't hear the noise anymore. However, I couldn't get back to sleep....maybe these gadgets were too much for my sensitive ears also. I wonder if the earmuffs would have helped. I also wonder if it was the 2 glasses of Livermulch that interfered with my beauty sleep. So, I was up until around 4:30 reading and was able to sleep until 9:00 when Bill called me. I'm a bit draggy today. Hope you all had a good night's sleep.

Ladies Dressed Up for Halloween

I don't know if you remember the picture on my other blog of my Dad and his friends all dressed up for Halloween but I found my Mom and her friends dressed up also in this picture. Mom is sitting on the couch second from left. They must have had quite a bit of fun getting together and goofing off with their friends and neighbors. That makes me smile. It's great to know they had some fun in their lives because they were such hard workers and great parents. I like to remember them this way.

New Year's Eve

Diane and Jim rolled in at Gopher halftime and we had a nice meal while watching the rest of the game. Had a little wine...Diane and I played scrabble and I beat her. I suppose we will play again today so she has the chance of beating me. Here we are on New Year's Eve. We went out to eat across the lake at the Vacationnaire and had a fun time. Diane and I even had an ice cream drink, shared a Brandy Alexander. We came home and were in bed by 10:30. Pretty sad. Today, is a new year and I hope a new direction for our country. Diane is still sleeping at 9:00AM and I know she needs her rest....a good way to start the new year.