Let Me Be Your Soda Pop Reviewer

    Sorry about the dated KPOP Demon Hunters reference, but I couldn't come up with anything better for a title. After a month doing a capsule series on trading cards, I've come back to another recurring subject, pop. I've tried some of the latest releases over the last few weeks, so let us get into the reviews.

    First, there is A & W Root Beer Float.  It took awhile for me to find a store that sold it by the bottle, but I found one. I read some other reviews suggesting that the pop had hints of caramel, particularly butterscotch. I tasted that right away, even without those early suggestions. The flavor was so strong that I almost couldn't drink it. I'm not sure, but I may have also tasted a hint of vanilla as well. All in all, I did not like and would not really want to try it again.

    Next, there is the return of Coke Holiday Vanilla Cream. Coke seems to want to make this a seasonal exclusive. I'm not sure how this flavor differs from the new Vanilla Float flavor though. When I tried the Float flavor, I could barely taste any vanilla.  The same goes for the Holiday flavor. I didn't taste that much vanilla or creaminess.  As for the 'holiday' component, I couldn't be sure what that was supposed to be.  On the bright side, it didn't taste too much like Coke either, so I was able to drink it.  If just barely.

    Finally, there is Pepsi Vanilla and Cream. Unlike the previous two flavors, I drank this at home straight, no ice. (It was the day I had car problems and was stuck there. Fortunately, the car was fixed the following day.) Now, I've had problems involving Pepsi and vanilla/cream flavors. I found the recent Wild Cherry and cream flavor undrinkable. However, this flavor pairing of vanilla and cream worked. Neither one overpowered the other, and the unmistakable sweetness of Pepsi complemented both. I will be having this one again soon.

    There have been other holiday limited-editions that have come out recently, but I am not planning on trying any of them. Unlike the other flavors, I don't have any particular fondness for those. I could be surprised though if I did try them. I mean, I don't really drink Mountain Dew, but I was delighted by their Dirty cream soda variety. I liked it so much that I not only have had it multiple times, but I have also thought about trying some of their other varieties.

    What I am really looking forward to are the new flavors announced or rumored for next year. Sprite Chill will have a watermelon flavor. Both Coke and Pepsi will have strawberry and cream varieties. Coke as Strawberry Float, I think, and Pepsi as Strawberry Shortcake. Dr Pepper has had a Strawberry and Cream flavor for years, although it is my least like of the four regular varieties. I just find it too sweet. Dr Pepper will come out with a Vanilla Float version, supposedly in February. How this one will differ from the Cream Soda version is beyond me for now. Finally, the big rumor is that Pepsi will bring back Crystal Pepsi for next spring/summer. It was one of my all-time favorite flavors of pop. I've gotten it most of the times that it has been brought back, although the more recent trials haven't always been as good as the original.

    But my tongue will be waiting if this rumor is true.

Trading Card Recollections Part 4

    Just like my foray into traditional trading cards, I kept my purchases down to a few locations. In fact, the overwhelming majority of them come from just two stores.

• Page 3 Game Zone, Pikeville:  I didn't just get my first packs here, which included "Leviathan," but almost every pack and box for about a decade. I would get at least a deck and a few packs, before getting a whole box instead. After the 2003 flood, I would generally stop getting boxes. With the advent of specialty decks, I would stop getting those as well. I don't remember getting any packs there in over a decade. Strangely enough, the store started getting TCGs back before they started getting comic books after the 2025 flood that closed the store for months.
• Walmart, Pikeville:  I hate to say this, but I've been getting my occasional single pack of each expansion here for around ten years. I even once got a collector's box for a set that really intrigued me. It has been easier to just get that lone pack or two here, without the guilt of never playing the game in public whenever I go to Page 3.  It is somewhat cheaper at times as well.

    I also got a pack or two at other places, such as collectibles kiosks at the Huntington Mall and Fayette Mall. (Both locations have been out of business for a long time.) If I bought a pack elsewhere, I can't remember. I know BAM has them, but I don't remember buying any there, although I have looked for them.

    As for the various accessories, the ones I got the most were the magazines. The first one I got was The Duelist, which was the in-house magazine from Wizards of the Coast, the publishers of M:tG. It featured articles on the background for new sets, previews of rules and cards, and the general TCG scene. It covered all the games WOTC made, with the occasional tip into other companies. The final issue covered their new Pokémon game, which has since switched publishers. The mag I got the most was InQuest. While TCGs were the prime focus, it also covered RPGs and computer games as well. It lasted a few more years longer. Since then, I remember getting a few guides, but the market dried up years ago. Almost everything is online now. Still, I got these magazines at quite a few locations.

• Page 3 Game Zone, Pikeville:  Of course I got most the magazines here. In fact, I found my first two issues of Duelist here, including a free bonus issue that got put out at the last second to highlight a new set. I would wind up getting almost all of them here, as well as InQuest, before they got cancelled. 
• Readmore, both Prestonsburg and Coal Run: I remember getting an issue or two at these places. Mostly, I got a third party mag that tried to cash in on the budding TCG market, spun off from a publisher of similar products. Most didn't last.
• Kroger, South Williamson:  I remember getting an issue of Conjure here one time just before Easter. It was one of the weirdest magazines I got. They had a multi-part story involving someone getting a wish from a genie that ended up so wrong. The magazine actually lasted over a year, but I never got every issue.
• Babbages/GameStop, Huntington Mall: Page 3 didn't always get everything on my pull all the time. They missed an issue of Duelist, that was going to preview a major new set. Fortunately, they had it, even though the new issue was already out. In fact, I may have gotten it at Waldenbooks or Borders that same day. 
• Waldenbooks, Fayette Mall:  One summer trip, I managed to get a huge haul of M:tG stuff here, including an issue of Duelist. Still a great memory of finding so much at one time. I may have also gotten something at Joseph-Beth Booksellers as well over the years, but those memories aren't as sure.
• BAM, Huntington Mall:  I got my last TCG/trading card guide here years ago. It was mostly a collectors' price guide, but it also featured listing of cards for various games, including Magic. I think it was from Beckett. The last time I can remember even seeing such a magazine.

    That is all for this fall's capsule series. Come back next week for my usual blogcast. 

Trading Card Recollections Part 3

    Soon after I started collecting DC trading cards, another new product came into the market. This new product was Magic:  the Gathering, the first trading card game.  Similar to trading cards in both collectability and rarity, M:tG had packs of cards of various types used to play a game between two "planes walkers" battling for superiority, using spells representing creatures, enchantments, sorceries, and others.  I had read about the game in magazines for months before I finally decided to try it out. 

    When I got to my local comic book/collectibles store, the only packs they had in stock were for the current expansion, The Dark.  You needed a core deck to get the rules and enough resources to actually play, but I didn't really understand that at the time.  Anyway, I bought several packs. I may have opened some in my car before driving home, but I might have waited. I was amazed by what I saw when I did open them, whenever that was. The concept blew my mind. The art was incredible. I couldn't believe what I had gotten into.

    It would be at least another week or so after that before the basic decks were back in stock, and I of course bought a deck. And maybe some of the core set packs. After so many decades, I can't really remember. The store had sold out of the Dark expansion packs, meaning I got something at just the right time. While I didn't know enough about the game to play yet, I was hooked. By the next year, I was buying cards by the box, just to make sure I was getting as many cards as I could. Just one box per set, as I wasn't that greedy. 

    Other TCGs would pop up, but none would interest me as much as the original. I wasn't just getting the cards, but many of the spin off products as well. There novels, comic books, guides, and even a video game. Much later on, there would be other types of products, but I mostly ignored them.

    I never played though. I just didn't think I understood the mechanics enough to play in public. Yes, I knew the rules well enough to play, but I just wasn't comfortable in public settings back in the late 90s and early 2000s. I was more interested in the back stories of the world and the characters the actual game itself.

    Then, the 2003 flood happened. I managed to save most of my collection, at least the main set and many of the accessories. I lost a lot of the junk commons that I had many repeats of. I'm not sure what else I lost, because I would be too disappointed in finding out the details, so I haven't looked over most of the collection since. Just before the flood, I had just bought a box of the latest expansion and was getting ready to transfer the cards from the packs to the general collection. I was a little lazy, and I had put off the task for a few days. I would wind up losing almost all of the packs from that box, with only a few staying dry enough to keep. That would be the last set I would ever buy by the box.

    For the first year or so after the flood, I was more set on buying replacements for other lost products over new cards. So, I skipped buying boxes for the next few expansions, getting only a new deck and a few packs instead. This would be the norm for me ever since, picking up a few cards instead of spending money on entire boxes. With an occasional exception, I haven't bought more than that in a long time. In fact, I rarely buy more than one pack unless I really, really like the theme. I still buy some of the spin-offs, mostly the comics, but that is about it. I still love the worlds that the game represents more than the actual playing, but that original thrill left long ago. As the gaming trends have changed, I have found myself less liking the playing itself. There have been public outcry over some of the changes, and I feel the game might be on the verge of collapse. I honestly don't know what to think.

    Come back next week as I go into detail about some of the places where I bought my cards and accessories.

Trading Card Recollections Part 2

    Last week, I mentioned how I finally started collecting trading cards in college.  This week, I'll talk about some of the places where I got these cards. Note, I was very cut off from many social circles in the 90s when I did most of my collecting. Therefore, I didn't trade cards with anyone; I just collected on my own. Yes, I did keep back many duplicates in case I could trade, but the opportunities never came up. Neither did the need, as I wound up getting complete base sets pretty much on my own.

    I got the overwhelming number of packs from just two places. I may have bought a random pack somewhere else, but I can't remember for sure. I won't even try to name any others. Those two stores are

• Economy Drug, Pikeville:  I got my first DC cards here. In fact, I got almost my entire collection of that first set here. I may have gotten a few latter packs of latter sets here, but I found another store. I think they still sell sports cards here, although they just could be really old ones that they would rather leave out to try and sell rather than try to get newer ones. I haven't been inside in a few months, so I can't be sure.
• Page 3 Game Zone, Pikeville:  Once I realized that they sold my card sets too, I got most of them here whenever I had extra money from my regular purchases. I even started to get my cards by the box here. Once, I opened up my box and checked packs before I bought them, only to realize that I didn't have enough money on me to pay for them. I had to shamefully come in the next day to finish paying for them. Very embarrassing. This was at their original downtown location. I bought some more at their second store as well. Well before the time they moved to their current spot, I had stopped buying trading cards. They still sell cards, mostly sports-related as other properties have faded a bit. In fact, trading cards were some of the first products that came back after they were closed for months due to the 2025 flood.

    I would also get the occasional price guide/magazine. Sometimes, they would carry free samples of upcoming sets, either a pack or just a single card. Some of my comic book and video game mags would also have the samples. I won't repeat the names of those mags, as I just mentioned them recently. I won't mention the stores either, as I can't remember every single instance of whether or not an individual issue had a sample or not.

    I got my last trading card magazine about ten or so years ago. It was a Beckett price guide for both trading cards and trading card games (TCGs). I haven't seen any on newsstands recently. I think the guides are mostly online now, although it could be that no one carries them. Either way, I don't collect them in such a way that I would want a magazine or guide anyway.

    Next week, part 3 as I cover my concurrent history of collecting TCGs.

Trading Card Recollections Part 1

    I wasn't into baseball cards as a kid.  Other guys were, but not me. I wasn't a "sports guy" back then.  Still not one, really. It wasn't just baseball cards either. Cards for other sports were also not interesting. Even other types of trading cards were not my thing, even as the market was expanding beyond sports into humor and movies as themes. 

    Things changed when I was in college. I was wandering through a local drug store, checking up on the candy aisle, when I noticed a box of trading cards based on DC Comics characters. I 'knew' Marvel had started up their own line of trading cards, so it just made sense that DC would soon follow them. The packs came in wrappers featuring one of four of DC's biggest stars:  Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Deathstroke. (You probably have some questions. First, Batman wasn't featured, as the rights to characters from his part of the comic book world were tied up with another company, due to the Tim Burton movies out at the time. Second, Deathstorke was a villain who DC was really pushing, as his popularity was great enough that he would soon get his own series. Also, the suit was mostly orange, allowing four different colors to be prominent on the wrappers. Superman-blue, Wonder Woman-red, Green Lantern-green [duh}, and Deathstroke-orange.) I got one of each wrapper. 

    I could hardly believe what I saw. There were cards featuring major characters throughout the decades in various looks. Cards reproducing important comic books covers. (One of the ways they got to include Batman, although he was hidden in the corner of that cover.) Cards summarizing major stories, including a tiny detail of a hero with a pointy cowl. And of course, checklists. It took me months, but I collected the complete set, without having to trade for anything.

    For the next few years, I would collect each set as they came out. The rights to Batman finally returned, so his universe of characters could now be included. I was soon buying sets by the box, allowing me to complete a set almost immediately. The later sets would begin to include deluxe chase cards. I didn't try to get all of the chase cards when I first started collecting, but I always tried to get as many as I could. I even managed to get some of the super-rare hologram cards for a few sets. The first one was a Sandman hologram in the first DC Vertigo set. I had to mail in a request for one very rare chase card. The card came with golden confetti stars in the package.

    As the 90s wore on, my attention drifted to other things. Buying a box a year was getting tiresome.  Also, the sets ands themes stopped being as interesting. So, I stopped collecting them. This was just before DC stopped making that many sets. I think they have started back, but I can't confirm such things.

    Unlike so many of my collections, I still have every complete set. Somehow, they escaped the 2003 flood intact. Sure, I lost many of the excess repeats, but the complete sets survived. I haven't looked at them in decades, but they are still there, fairly safe in storage.

    Next week, in part two, I will take you to some of the places where I got these cards.  See you then.

Under Resurfacing Pressure

    Last week, the manager of the shopping center where my store, Booknotes, is located had two pieces of news.  The first was that his office would be moving off-site, as well as the medical scrubs store the office was located in. It didn't seem like a good idea for the manager to be moved to somewhere else, but I didn't have any say in that. It also seemed weird that a store would be making a second move in under a year, but that news didn't involve me at all. The second bit of news was that the parking lot of the center would be resurfaced that Friday and Saturday. About half of the lot would be worked on Friday, with the rest finished on Saturday. The Saturday part would be the one that would directly involve my store, as the spaces right in front of it would be cordoned off that day, preventing anyone from parking directly in front of the businesses. People would have to park at one end, and then they would walk down to wherever they needed to go.

    This would be bad for business, so we decided to close the store for that day. I hated to take off two Saturdays in a row, as I had already taken the first Saturday off for my annual late summer/early fall shopping trip that I mentioned in last week's post, but there was no way to park that far away and carry all we needed to that far. So, I quickly started to make plans for the weekend. I changed my shopping schedule began planning for the day off. Saturdays are generally main grocery shopping days for me, so rescheduling was going to be a pain, especially having to plan until the following Tuesday.

    Friday rolls around, and the parking lot is a mess. The west entrance is cordoned off, while the east entrance is down to one lane, and it is the more dangerous one where many wrecks have happened.  Instead of parts of the lot closed off, almost the entire lot is out. The entire west end is roped off up to the spots in front of my store.  This included the open furniture store, office supply store, and Amazon hub. Well, the last one is only partially open, but still. All of the spots in the center of the lot were cautioned off.  Only the spots in front of the stores were available all the way down. Even the area where the gas station used to be was affected. The only other spot clear was the section in front of the old grocery store. I could barely make it down the narrow lane down to my store. I had to park in a spot for customers, it was so bad. Worse, some people brought a car to pick up some tech from the recently closed scrubs store, and they blocked off a few spots for a few minutes. Later, some other people came by to the same place to get some plastic bag barely containing anything. Both could have parked behind the center to pick this stuff up. All day, customers and deliveries had to wind their way in and out, some in reverse, just to come to the stores.

    I almost changed my mind to come in Saturday, since it appeared that my section of the lot would be done by them, but I stayed home instead.

    On Monday, I came in and noticed that the lot was done. Everything had the new surfacing, and the lines were all painted in.  Even some of the curbs had been painted. There were more handicapped spots, and even a dedicated spot for one store owner who had a recharger installed.  The only part not done?  The spot in front of the grocery store. Twenty percent of the entire lot was untouched. It doesn't make any sense not to resurface the one part of the lot not in use. Except, we heard some news. See, the hospital who bought the center a year ago, said that they were going to convert the grocery store to a day care center. Apparently, those plans fell through, and it now won't happen. The same thing happened the last time they said they were making a day care center. Now, there is no telling what the hospital will do with the space, although there are plenty of rumors. 

    And none of them are good. 

Edited for My Displeasure

    So, I got an email from Blogger last week.  Yes, the very site hosting this blogcast. While I had received emails from other Google sites, mostly YouTube, I don't remember ever getting one from Blogger before. Apparently, Blogger was notifying me that a video would have to be removed from a post I made back in 2018. It was one of my first attempts at making a video with my then new MacBook Pro. It was just a short of me doing some pushups. Nothing special, I don't even think I did everything right in making it. Anyway, Blogger never said why they had to remove the video, as the site still offers the option of add videos as of the day I'm writing this. Then again, there was some suspicious grammar in the email ("one videos") that made me doubt the legitimacy of the email. Regardless, I removed the old video myself, my way, and not the way the email suggested. Since the original was on my old computer that wasn't able to be saved, it is now lost forever. Probably.

    I didn't mind losing it for it was the first time that I learned that the top of my head was slightly balding. Maybe just thinning, but I still didn't like it. I've tried to hide the fact in other videos, but I'm not always successful. Worse, no one ever told me about it. Not my hairdresser of many, many years, although she might be cutting my hair to hide that fact. Definitely not my mother, although she has an excuse. I've been taller than her since high school, by over eight inches. Maybe even more so now that she has developed scoliosis. I must admit that she has been trying to make me take some hair care supplements.  I don't take them too often.  Though the hormones and such seems to help, as the hair around my forehead is less grey than it was, it could also explain my slight weight gain and a decrease in muscle mass. 

    Anyway, on another front, I may have taken my last shopping trip to the Huntington Mall. The highlight, such as they were. Left over twenty minutes late due to my guest. Had to make an unscheduled rest stop in Prestonsburg. Had to wait at a scheduled stop in Loiusa when my guest met someone they knew. Guest started to complain in the first store we both went into, after they entered a contest and got a free candy in the first store they went to. Having to wait for a second time after a rest stop before shopping in the other end of the mall. The book store had reduced their magazine rack by over half, and they weren't even carrying some titles that I know are still being published. (Sold out or just not being carried, unknown.) The gift shop's new owner got rid of most of what we liked about it, although it now had a huge display of over two dozen goose costumes, including seven or eight for Christmas. The guest started to get overheated in the one store where I thought I could get some clothes, but there was nothing. The comic book store only had two of my missing titles, although I may have overlooked one thinking it was the wrong issue. The last store, I went into alone as the guest was too tired to walk any more. I all but ran up the escalator to save time. I may have found some things, but I didn't like the price or wasn't sure of the product. (I lost the shopping list for department stores, but not others.) I burned my mouth on the chicken sandwich I had for lunch, and I accidentally added a squirt of Coke when I topped off my drink before leaving. (Strangely enough, I frequently burn my mouth on crispy chicken sandwiches.) The craft store had already sold out of the Halloween decorations I was looking for. The guest ran into someone they knew at the first grocery store, which barely had the bare minimum I was looking for, although a second one had a few things I needed, but I had to pass on a few more expensive items I may have wanted to try. Finally, the guest declined to make any rest stops on the way back, causing my back to start hurting from driving so much. 

    And I still got back home earlier than if I had gone into work that Saturday.

There's No Such Thing as Autumnal Cleaning

    Normally, Labor Day marks the time of year to change the decorations of my store, Booknotes, over to fall, with actual Halloween decor coming in October. Well, Labor Day was on the seventh this year, the latest it could possibly be, so the changeover was late. While I was able to take down the last of the spring/summer stuff fairly quickly, there was a slight problem with the new. Someone wanted to move some of the shelving and storage around to create a slightly newer look. I didn't think it was needed, but I got overruled, and I should have fought more on my decision. Anyway, I went to move out some of the spare empty boxes we have, when I noticed some damage on the bottom of one. It had been directly on the carpeting, but it had picked up something somehow. I had to go back and look at the bottoms and sides of every box I moved, checking to see if there were any more that had damage. There were many more.  All told, I had to throw about a dozen boxes away due to damage.

    The real question was how did the boxes get damaged in the first place. Last year, a small leak developed in the ceiling, but it was repaired soon after it was discovered. The floor didn't get that wet, and the damaged boxes were nowhere near where the leak was. Someone had spilled various liquids near the affected carpet, but nothing leaked that could have spread as far as it did. The weirdest theory involve the unit next door. An Amazon delivery hub opened up some time ago in the unit to the right. Last month, a clog developed in our shared sewer pipe, far enough down that was affecting both units. Soon after that was fixed, the hub had another problem, possibly involving a leaking fire retardment system. We saw them dumping buckets of liquid out, but no one said what exactly had happened there. Maybe some water, or whatever, seeped under the shared wall. All I now is that there was an odd odor in that area earlier in the summer, possibly from the boxes.

    After getting rid of the bad boxes, the carpet needed cleaning. We were had to wait to bring over the vacuum and other equipment immediately, since there was the probability for heavy rain in the forecast. (It ended up that we barely got a quarter of an inch over the period.) Waiting meant that there were piles of boxes around the store that I had to keep moving around while searching for damages and rearranging the other supplies that were kept in some of them. I also meant that decorating had to be put on hold until the carpet could be cleaned. Yesterday, we finally finished the cleaning and putting the remaining boxes away. Today, the last few decorations are being put up, and I can finally take pictures of the store to post on social media.  Over a week late, but it will be done.

    Even by putting my own spin on some of the design changes, I still don't think it was worth it. At least we got rid of some bad boxes.

Very Delayed Gratification

    I ordered a book as part of my regular order for my bookstore back in July. Unfortunately, they were out of stock, but expected the title to be back in stock relatively soon. I backordered the book, but it came in just after the rest of the order was processed. So, instead of having the book as part of that order, the title would be held until the next regular order. Strangely enough, when this happened at other times, the book was added to the order even as it was being processed. I finally placed a new order in the middle of August. Instead of the order being shipped immediately, it was held in processing for two weeks. After a week, we called the distributor to see what the hold up was. It turns out, someone other than me had ordered a book that was print-on-demand.  Although the inventory check said that the book was already available, we had to wait over a week for the actual book to be printed before the rest of the order could be sent. (Okay, there was a second book as well, but there was nothing overt about it that suggested it was POD as well.) Finally, this weekend, I checked in on the order, and I found out it was getting ready to be shipped. Well, the packing label was printed, but the actual order wouldn't be sent out until yesterday, Tuesday, due to the three-day weekend. The order is supposed to be delivered sometime tomorrow morning, and I will finally get my book. Technically, it is the only special order with it. A woman had asked for a book on medicinal plants, but she hasn't been back since to look in upon it. We needed the book for the store anyway.

    That's not the only thing I have been waiting on. Back in early August, my local comic book store had another one of its missed shipments. Actually, make that two, as it didn't receive any comics of mine for the first two weeks of the month.  So, I went and placed on online order with one of the places I had been dealing with for the past year. I also ordered a comic I missed from back in June that had been missed from both my local store and the other online store I deal with. However, the online store took so long to get to my order that two of the comics had already sold out. One, the missed one from June, had already been reordered for the store as a second printing (I think) and that asked if I wanted to hold my order until in came in.  I said yes. This weekend, I finally got the email saying the comic was in, after three weeks of waiting. The next issues of many of the comics are coming out this week. I've even put off reading other comics that are part of a crossover until these come in. Like the book order above, they should be in tomorrow.  The worst part though is that my local shop, although it has been improving lately, frequently doesn't get their regular order for the second week of the month, which is this week. It also has problems getting deliveries after a federal holiday, like Monday was. So, I might have to place another online order almost immediately after I get this one.

    Finally, I mentioned back in June about a special limited-edition flavor of ice cream that involved blueberries that I wanted to try. While it was available around here, it was out at times where it was either too hot to try and take something frozen that far, or I didn't have the extra money, or it was at a store where I couldn't get it from due to a lack of room at my own store's mini-fridge. When all the conditions were finally right, it was all sold out. I thought my one chance had been blown. But wait. Last night, a store that hadn't gotten the flavor before had some. While I couldn't buy it last night, due to a long stop I was going to make after shopping and before getting home, I am planning on getting it this evening. Sure, it's hotter today, but I will have a freezer bag with me this time. I just hope they don't sell out this time. I want my blueberry ice cream.

It's a Mistake by Man Not at Work

    I finally decided to register for another graduate school class. I had taken the last three years off after my last failed attempt to finish my degree. Since then, I kept putting off taking classes. All that seemed to be offered were classes I had already taken, or featured subjects and authors I didn't like, or were geared more towards teaching English than anything else. Finally, this fall semester, the school was offering a class on sociolinguistics that appealed to me, as well as one class that fit each of the previous three categories. Sociolinguistics is the study of how people choose what languages to communicate with and how those choices are made. I had seen related topics show up in my various social media feeds, and that just seemed to be the right coincidence to make me take the class.

    I ordered the lone textbook over the summer, and I received it a few weeks before the class began. I had read the first eleven chapters by then. I even started to see the topics I already knew about start to show up. I was ready for the first week. There were two assignments. The first was a multiple-choice quiz about the syllabus. You had thirty minutes to complete it, but I only needed ten, since I had the actual syllabus to study from. The other assignment was to introduce yourself to the rest of the class, while mentioning a few things about yourself, including the first time you heard a foreign language and what you were planning on using your degree on. I didn't give out too much about myself. I don't like to be too personal around strangers. I couldn't remember the exact time I heard a foreign language, but it was probably on Sesame Street now that I think about it. I mentioned how I wouldn't be able to watch the video lectures that go with the class. (I just don't have the time, patience, or attention span for the optional information.) I had to say that I didn't know what to do with my degree, though. I just wrote that I wasn't going into teaching nor pursuing a doctorate. I couldn't write the real reasons though, how my mother was pushing me to do it so it would look better on a resumé that I finished my degree or how I had already spent so much time and money that I might as well just finish.

    Well, you also had to reply to at least two other introductions, with a few sentences at a minimum. You also couldn't read the other introductions until you posted yours. I was the third one to post, and I noticed that both of the first two were involved in education. Not surprising, as the majority of my previous classes were like that, although I sometimes had a non-teacher like myself in most cases. I waited until more people posted to reply, and my fears started. Not only was I the only one without any experience in education, but everyone else seemed to had been in teaching for at least five years.  Most were in the ten years range. Three had advanced to administration, at least. One had even recently retired, making them around my age or older. I had no connection to anyone. I could barely come up with even a sentence to reply to anyone. There just wasn't anything there to connect with. 

    I was hoping that when the second week rolled around the discussions would be more about the textbook. I was wrong.  The assignment for the second was to discuss a time in your life when you either used the topics in the chapter in communicating or heard someone else use them. Now, even at my best, I'm not that talkative. I usually stay out of such things unless I'm very comfortable around the other people, or if I'm very confident about the subject matter. It can take me weeks, or longer, to truly feel comfortable around people enough to talk with them.  That's one reason why I never made any new, real friends in college. I just wasn't around them or comfortable enough to strike a friendship. Even if I share almost everything with someone, if I don't feel a spark, I won't be able to talk to them about that much. However, if I feel a connection, that bond lasts with me, even if the two of us have almost nothing in common.

    This lack of friends is one reason why I had my panic attacks after college. I became quite the loner, barely leaving home for many years. When I did, I barely talked beyond a minimum. Even today, decades later, that stress prevents me from speaking sometimes, especially when paired with a minor speech problem and continual stuffiness. I just lost the few social habits that I once had. Sure, I can write most of what is on my mind, but even then, I can be terse. This blogcast being a huge exception.

    Anyway, I emailed my professor with my concerns that I didn't have any recent examples for the assignment, nor any memories about the topic. I also raised my doubts over the three projects for the class. Not many details were given in the syllabus, but all three seemed to possibly include interviews, something I didn't think I could schedule or conduct on my time. I emailed early in the day, but he didn't respond until that evening, although I didn't look at it until the following morning.

    His response was fairly cordial, although he might not have realized he was writing to someone who may have been older than him. ( From his video and credentials, I think he's younger than me, but I could be wrong.) He noted my concerns, and he suggested that there could be a work around, basing my assignments more on written communication rather than spoken. Still problems for me, as I mentioned, I don't write much to people either. I didn't even write a lengthy birthday note to a close friend recently like I usually do just a few days ago. I didn't feel the need.  I was panicking a little by then, and I quickly made my decision. Like I had many times before, I emailed the school when I got to work and asked them to drop me from my class.

    I was just starting my task that I mentioned in last week's post, when I began to have doubts. The long lists of books made me think that maybe I should find a way to take the class.  Unfortunately, as I said last week, once I started going over that list, I couldn't stop. This was made even harder due to the fact that I have to use a different browser to contact the school, as their system works better on systems other than my default Safari. For some reason, my work took much longer than average to finish. Nearly an hour longer. There was no way I could contact the school by that time. Last Tuesday was the last day to withdraw from a class, already past the last day to register for a new one.

    I hate that I flaked out yet again. It makes me hate myself. I only need two more classes to pass to get my degree, but I keep finding stupid reasons not to take them.  I dropped this class even though I knew that the rules for withdrawal had changed, making it less of a good option. I don't know why I'm doing this. Yes, I can be exacting in my decisions, but this is getting ridiculous. I have legitimate reasons for doing this, but they just seem stupid after the fact. I never even responded to my professor about dropping the class. I was just too embarrassed to explain my stupid qualms.

    The only bright spot is that I don't have to shorten my posts here like I was initially planning to when I was going to take my class. 

    I'm a horrible person for doing this, again. 

One Hundred Fifty Minutes and Change

    I run a bookstore. Sometimes, I am find myself reaching for topics to post on social media, including the store's website. One thing I do is frequently changing the site's color themes to match the current season/holiday. For example, I have had the site fixed up in sort of a beach scene. The header is red, with a happy, little sun graphic. The background for the main body is orange, while the footer is blue. I was supposed to have changed the theme over to back-to-school a few weeks ago, but I could never find the time. 

    See, I usually update the site every Friday. However, I've been late coming in the last few Fridays. Not overly so, but late enough that I don't have time to update everything that I need to change. In fact, I will probably have to go straight from summer to autumn without anything in between with the extra time I'll be getting on Labor Day. That way, I can change the theme and graphics without the hassle of the other changes I normally make on Fridays.

    What do I update every Friday? Why, I update the upcoming book list for the following week. When I first started, I just highlighted a few books coming out each week, going back tow weeks, for three weeks total. Then I started doing something a little different.  First, I went out to four weeks, shifting each week down one spot when I updated the list at the top. I also expanded the title list. Instead of just a few books, it grew to over a dozen per week.  The top picks are now highlighted in a special color tied to the current theme. However, the list of new books has grown to a few dozen per week. That takes up all of the allotted time to update the site, making it harder to make other changes.

    Now, you might be asking "Where do you get all of those book titles?" Glad you asked.

    Years ago, the store's major book distributor provided a list of street dates for major releases, predominantly hardcovers. Their list soon great to include almost every title that was coming out, regardless of being hardcover or not. They even allowed public access to this list for a short time after they left the retail market. Unfortunately, the distributor stopped providing this list years before they went out of business.  Fortunately, there is another book distributor.

    I can't really say how they do their listing. Instead of an easily printable list, they have an online listing, of all possible new products coming out. Instead of a few months, their list goes out to over year in advance.  At least is adaptable. I can shorten the list to just the forthcoming month. That's still thousands of products. For the purpose of my list, I just focus on the hardcovers. I narrow the list down even further, by price, language, and publisher. Even then, the list can get a little long.

    I come up with my list the last week or so of the month for the next one. I start by picking the best titles from the monthly catalog, and then making sure of the release dates.  (Occasionally, a book is listed late and put in the catalog for the following month, or a title gets delayed after the catalog is made.) I then get even more books by checking the online listings they way a mentioned above. Usually, I can narrow down the list to manageable number between one thousand and fifteen hundred books. I focus on the ones with firm street dates, prominently highlighted, so I can keep my search time down.

    This September is abnormal though. Not only are many of the biggest books for fall already coming out, but September has five Tuesdays this year. The biggest titles have street date releases on Tuesdays. This meant an extra week to go through. I had over twenty-two hundred books to go through yesterday. Instead of the normal hour-and-a-half to finish the task, I had to work around two-and-a-half hours to go through every listing. Sure, I skipped dozens of books, like an entire children's book series about dreaming about each letter of the alphabet. However, I had to keep checking other books to make sure they weren't re-releases or on a subject that wasn't appropriate. 

    The work wasn't torture, but it took a long, long time. It got a little crazy at the end, as I had to skip bunches of self-published works, just to find the major titles. Did I mention that the list is in reverse chronological order? The last listings were for the books coming out on September 1, next Tuesday. The time order just bugs me, almost as much as seeing how commas look after numbers in this font. 

    Later on today, I make out the final list that I will be putting both online and on a dry erase board in the store. See, I don't just look at street dates.  I also look at the covers of the book, and use them as inspiration for the in-store board. I've written about how I make up that board somewhere in this blogcast, I think. I would go over that as well, but I don't have the time.

Novel Ways to Ruin a Mystery Novel

    While I did major in English, most of the time that interferes with just reading for joy and pleasure. It is sometimes hard for me to enjoy a book as the critical analysis I've studied over the years just gets in the way. This just happened in the most recent book I read.

    I used to follow a series of cozy mysteries whose hook was that the protagonist had "visions" that helped her solve the crimes, although they frequently just got in the way. Although I loved that series, it had a habit of including a few more typos than a regular book, as well as various stylistic choices and factual inadequacies that a better editor could've helped with. The worst of these errors was when a background character claimed the wrong history about the origins of the board game 'Clue.' I couldn't be sure if it was to show the character's incomplete knowledge or if it was just thrown in as a way to connect with a later plot point in the mystery.

    That series kind of ended last year. While new books could come out later, the author has begun a new series with one of the supporting characters as the new main protagonist, although many of the rest of the cast is still around as well to pop in when needed. No visions, but the character has been showing a unique thinking process that wasn't seen previously. Unfortunately, the same editorial problems persist. 

    For example, one of the suspects brought in for the new mystery only goes by their first name, as a way to hide the ties to their father who is in prison. While everybody knows the man's name, no one mentions it. Even a news interview about the father's release from prison skips over the name entirely, at least in print. Oh, the name gets mentioned, but characters only react to it.  The real name is never seen in the text. The technique makes it feel like the father is very famous and the author doesn't want to get sued for using it, ever though the character isn't real. You could have used a totally different name. Fictional people can't sue.

    The factual mistakes might be worse. Based on the previous novel in the original series, where a baby is born and is celebrating their first birthday in the new book, it is late September/early October in New England. I guess that could be a good time to repot summer flowers, even if some could still be blooming. And a slightly rebellious older woman might choose to wear a white skirt to an event after Labor Day kind of makes sense. However, the third mistake almost made me want to stop reading.

    Two men comment about the post-game show they heard on the radio while on their way to a dinner. Although the timing is sort of loose in the book, the dinner happened on a Thursday, meaning the show occurred in the late afternoon. It is very unlikely that the NFL would've have scheduled an afternoon game on a Thursday. There are only two possible scenarios this might happen. The first is if the start time had to be moved up to avoid a major weather event, such as a hurricane or other tropical system. Based on the time of year and the two teams involved, the Titans and the Patriots, this seems unlikely. The other scenarios is if this was an international game. Brazil would be likely, although London, England is also probable, although this meant the game ended around midnight locally. If the NFL was playing in Brazil on a Thursday, they would've started it slightly later for a great US viewership.

    Now, I'm not saying it would be impossible for this game to be played at that time, but I had to stop reading for a while when I saw it. Fortunately, it was at the end of the chapter, but still. If the author needed to include a sporting event to be mentioned at that time, why not a baseball game? It would've made way more sense for a Thursday that time of year. I guess the author needed to include a tie back to Tennessee, for plot reasons that barely mattered.  It just irks me whenever a small line like this almost ruins a book for me.  I'm emotional enough as it is.

Why My Blogcast Post Is So Late This Week

    So, we closed the store extra early yesterday as the storm warnings started to come back in. My mom went to the bathroom, only to notice that the toilet was clogging.  Nothing major, but she instantly blamed the unit next door.  They have been the reason behind many plumbing problems at my store for many, many years.  The only thing this time around is that the unit is technically empty. It is currently being used for storage by an Amazon delivery hub. No one is ever over there for any great length of time. However, someone had been over there about an hour before any problems were noticed. I personally thought that the problem was a finicky toilet. If you don't hold the handle for the right length of time, it doesn't flush properly. As we needed to get home before the heavy rains arrived, we said we would handle things today.

    Numerous storm and tornado warning were issued on the drive home. We were there for about forty minutes before it started to rain, with another five to ten before the storms hit. Nothing too bad happened, although the electricity went off for a few seconds and a number of long siren blasts were heard. I still don't know why they went off. 

    Anyway, my mom waited until just before we were supposed to leave this morning to gather everything needed to work on the toilet. This not only caused as to leave over twenty minutes late, but we also got caught in the light rain all the way to Pikeville. She also had to stop for coffee, and there was a long wait. This was probably because so many people in the area were without power. The electricity did go off at the store, but it looked like it was only for a few seconds. We were about thirty minutes late. 

    After opening, she began checking out the problem. She asked for my help with the plunger after fifteen minutes or so. I gave a few quick plunges, and everything seemed to be better. She went on to see the shopping center's operating manager before cleaning the room up. This allowed me some time to check on my own things on the computer, but not to write my post. When she gets back, informing me that the plumber who works for the hospital that owns the center can only come after-hours, she asks me to try the plunger one more time before cleaning.

    I give it a few more plunges, when these paper towels suddenly appear. She had used them to clean the plunger, but left them inside. (She has done this before.) She begins to panic. Running around a bit, before she calms down enough to figure out how to get the towels out before they cause trouble. After another ten minutes or so, she asks me to plunge again, once the towels have been scooped out. I did so, but the water levels never did get back to normal, unlike the first time.

    My mom started calling people, after cleaning up the mess that included a puddle of water that appeared on the other side of the room, and she found some possible plumbers. She later talked to the manager again, after he came back from a break or something, as well as the Amazon delivery guy, who finally returned after his vacation. (He had a sub handling things while he was away.) The other unit was having problems too, even though I didn't even know it was being used. 

    Finally, someone should be over tomorrow afternoon to look at things. I'm still not sure what the real problem is. Whether my mom did something wrong and acerbated the situation, or if the unit just had another problem with our shared piping system. Whatever it is, this could be another time when my mom turned a minor inconvenience into a major problem, if somewhat unintentionally.

Buy the Book, in Fact Buy Lots of Them

    Last year marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of my store, Booknotes. We would have celebrated the anniversary, but there was a small chance that we would have had to either move the store or close it after a hospital bought out the shopping center where we are located. A few years after we opened, our closest competitor, Read More at Coal Run, closed. Last year, the Prestonsburg location of Read More also closed, leaving Booknotes as the only book store in the near area. Even without major competition, sales didn't change that much in the past year.

    Recently, not one, not even two, but three new book stores have announced their openings. In fact, two of them are opening up this week--one in downtown Pikeville and another in Coal Run (albeit in a different spot than where Read More once was). The third is planned to open in Prestonsburg shortly. All of this feels off somehow. After so long without any interest in the area, how is it three new book stores are opening up so soon of each other.

    There weren't any real rumors until their posts started popping up unannounced on my Facebook feed. Why the algorithm thinks I need to know about my competition so quickly is just crazy. What gets me is that other people started sharing these posts, and their posts have sometimes popped up on my feed as well. Some of these posts complained about not having a book store in the area, even though Booknotes has had a media presence from the beginning. I must admit that I would slip the occasional comment about the store, both as myself and Booknotes, whenever someone complained too much about such a false lack. Sneaky and a little underhanded, but I felt it was necessary. 

    Of course, I had to do a little research about the new operations.  Each store posted pictures of a new book shipment. For one of them, I couldn't recognize the company that the books came from. Turns out, it was a remainders reseller. Such businesses would buy the unsold products from other stores, and they would then resell them to somewhere else. While most of these books would have been kept in warehouses, some may have been actual stores, meaning that some products could be shopworn. Also, an order from such a place might not be of the greatest variety. Most of the books could be older, or of a limited variety of genres and types. Still, they are cheaper than many other places. Another picture showed just how few books that store was offering, as various objects filled up the otherwise empty space on their shelves.

    The other store has shown a slightly greater variety of books, many current or recent bestsellers among them. However, their picture of a book shipment was totally different. While the books shown weren't too old, the two romantasy novels shown aren't from this year. The children's book packed with them might have been, but there was no way to tell. Furthermore, the distributor I go through doesn't use that style of cardboard box anymore, and it is pretty much the only one used by independent book stores. My distributor also wouldn't pack such an eclectic selection of books in the same opening delivery for a new store. Back when I opened, they tried to keep each genre in its own box to make it easier to inventory and shelve. I don't know if that is still an option. Regardless, I find it suspicious. A later picture showed that most of their books are on one long bookcase, with other products filling out the rest of the space in their main showroom. There is also a special section for kids that also features toys.

    I've hear almost nothing about the third new store.

    At least my commenting has led to a mention of the local news when a feature on the new stores was shown. Considering that they had sent remotes to feature my store in the past, it was the least they could do. They didn't come back this time around, but they could have if they wanted.

    They really should.

My Comic Book Journey: 2026 Update Part 2

    As I was writing this year's series on video games, I realized I had forgotten about a source for comic books in the original creation of "My Comic Book Journey."  Namely, guides and magazines. Occasionally, they would have previews of comics within their pages or as an ins ert bagged with the magazine. While not a big source for comics, I did exclude them from my initial listing. 

    I think I got my first comic book price guide in the late 80s. While the cover was in color, the rest of it was in black and white. They had a few one-page articles, and the rest of the issue was dedicated to listing the prices of collectable comics. The focus was on older titles, with only the rare item on newer ones. This first guide was on a bimonthly or quarterly schedule, but I did get it whenever I saw it on the newsstand. 

    Things would change in 1992 when I saw Wizard #7, possibly 8, at a store. (I somehow missed the first few issues. I never did figure out how that happened.) This magazine was unlike any comic book dedicated one I had. It was full-color. While it had the usual price guide, it also had multiple articles on a number of topics, focusing on current titles as opposed to older ones. It was also the first magazine I found that included previews. It blew my mind how much I liked it. I immediately started collecting it, although I missed two issues those first few years and ordered them from the publisher. (The only time I ever did that.) Wizard became so popular that it had spinoffs focused on on toys (Toyfare, which I never got), trading card games and RPGs (InQuest), and Japanese cartoons and comics (Anime Invasion, later Insider). 

    These mags were a staple for me throughout the 90s and early 2000s. Unfortunately, the publishing market began to change. One after another, the magazines were cancelled, and I was temporarily bereft of information. Sure, there were others magazines and online sources, but not everything was the same.

    Following is a list of places where I got these magazines. As always, closed businesses are in black; open businesses are in red if they no longer sell mags and blue if they do. I'm probably missing a few places, mostly if I only went there once or if the mag was more pop culture rather than exclusively about comics.

• Readmore Bookstore, Prestonsburg: I picked up a few issues here, as well as a couple of trading card mags in the mid-90s. They are also the reason why I missed out on two issues.
• Rite-Aid, Highlands Plaza, Prestonsburg: This is a weird one. One morning, my mom picked up a prescription or some meds here, and I got a comic or trading card mag here. We then went on to somewhere else, either a dentist appointment in Paintsville or the Huntington Mall. The latter is slightly more likely, but atypical. Only time I remember stopping like this
• Economy Drug, Pikeville:  This is where I first found Wizard, and the only time I think I bought it here. They haven't had mags in many, many years.
• Page 3 GameZone, Pikeville: I got the majority of mags here over the decades, with most as a part of my regular pull. However, after their re-opening after the 2025 flood, they haven't been getting as many comic books related items. I am not sure if their current distributor even carries any comic-related mags at this time.
• Readmore Bookstore, Coal Run: This is where I not only got my first price guide, but where I got many of them before Page 3 opened. It was mostly that first one I mentioned previously, although they stopped carrying it a few years before they closed the store. I think the guide continued though. . .
• Waldenbooks, Huntington Mall: And I would find its updated version here. At least I think it was the same mag. If it was, it got a serious upgrade. Full color articles on multiple topics, new and old. A black and white price guide that ran a running feature about the subject matter in a number of titles that continued in each issue. I mean, this mag was terrific, and I only found it here. I almost added to my pull at Page 3, but I didn't realize that I could until the about the time the title was cancelled. I can't remember if that happened before or after the store closed.
• Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Mall at Lexington Green, Lexington:  Back when I first started going back to Lexington on a semi-regular basis in the early 90s, I saw this small newspaper about comic books called, simply enough, Comic Book News. I had heard about it from somewhere, but I can't remember exactly how. However, I loved the thing. Sure, some of the info was a little old, but it was still a solid source of information. The store only carried it for a short time before stopping. Strangely enough, not a single comic book that I've been to since has carried it. The paper still is being published, but they don't have an online version. I still kind of miss it.
• Comic Book World, Florence, online only: A new magazine, Comics! The Magazine, came out earlier this year. I have gotten the first few issues of it through here. I'm still debating over if I want to continue getting it not, even after five issues. It's okay, but there isn't enough variety in it yet to thrill me. I even found a mistake or two.

    As I said, I only hit the highlights I'm fairly certain about. You may have noticed a few mentions about trading cards.Well, they will be the focus on this year's capsule series this October, so be on the lookout for it this fall.

My Culinary Odyssey: 2026 Update

    I've finally found the time to update last year's series about everywhere I've eaten out. I wish I could say I've gone to somewhere new in the past year, but I haven't. This update is more about clarification and correction than anything new.  Still, there are a few places I need to add some details to. All are in blue, as they are all still open. I didn't eat at any of them, but I someone did.

    Hardee's, Louisa, TO:  While I wasn't sure if I really did stop here before when I first gave it an entry last year, I have since had to stop here a few times on my way back from the Huntington Mall. The parking lot was a large, but a little uneven is places. I stayed in the car, but it looked to be fairly large.

    Wendy's, Norton, VA, TO:  I gave this place a partial entry last year, but I'm giving it a full one now. I stopped here during my quest for missing comic books after my regular store closed temporarily after last the February 2025 floods. Again, I stayed out in the car, while they went in. They really liked it. Soon after this trip, we stopped going to Wendy's for mornings. (I've eaten lunch at Wendy's a few times since then. Most recently, I had the banana swirl vanilla Frosty. I liked it much better than the strawberry one, although if you could mix the two....)  Ever since they discontinued their oat and fruit bars, they haven't wanted to stop there for breakfast anymore. I offered to try recreate them, but I was turned down after they  looked at some clone recipes online. None of the recipes looked particularly good to them.

    Popeye's, Fayette Mall, Lexington:  As I mentioned in another post, I almost stopped here for lunch during my fall trip to Lexington last year. I was really intrigued with their special garlic parmesan chicken strips promotion, that also came with a small cake. I decided against it just before ordering. The meal also came with a soft drink, which I wouldn't have. See, I don't like large, public restrooms, so I try to limit my fluid intake on longer trips. While basic water would have been okay, a carbonated and sweetened beverage would not be, especially so early into the trip. I wasn't sure if it could be substituted, so I chickened out. Still might want to try eating there one day.

    One of the things I pointed out last year were promotion items, many of which you had to pay for. The one item I frequently got were the holiday mugs from LJS. However, I would occasionally get glassware from other places.  Most of those have long since broken over the decades, but I have a few left. One of these is a glass from Burger Queen/Druthers, or somewhere else in Prestonsburg. At the start of the Smurf craze, she got me a glass featuring Baker Smurf, who I never heard of. I would later find out that in the original European comics, the village had a Smurf who did most of the cooking, Baker Smurf. He wore a chef's hat and apron. They also had a Smurf who would take all of the food and try to eat it, Greedy Smurf. In the US cartoon, Hanna Barbara combined the two into a Greedy Smurf who wore the hat and apron. Not only would he make the food, he would try to eat the desserts as well. I guess it makes some sense.

    Finally, after decades of not taking any promotional items from anywhere, I got my second Burger King crown last fall. I know, stupid of me, but after getting my first one just a few months earlier, I decided I needed a second one.  This was in the Halloween design, where the various food products were in costume. I figured out of them, except for the vampire. He didn't look like any item on the menu that I could tell. 

    Yes, I still have it.

    Both of them actually.

    Stupid, but whatever.

I Have a Confessions II Review

    It took almost a week, but I finally got Madonna's Confessions II last week. I almost didn't get, but since Walmart only had two copies left, and I didn't expect to go anywhere else that might have it any sooner, I decided to buy it. I waited a few days to listen to it.  No real reason why, but I did. Anyway, here is my review from the first listen.  

    Before I review the album, I will have to talk a little about the packaging.  Walmart had the price label right on top of the explicit lyric sticker. How interesting. (By the way, there isn't that much that could be called explicit, in my opinion.) The back cover was just another photo with the standard copyright notices. No track list. The package was a cardboard sleeve with a plastic inlaid tray for the mostly blank CD. I prefer the old plastic cases, as they provided more protection. I know that cardboard sleeves are better for the environment. However, this mix is the worst of both worlds, as the tray barely provides extra coverage and makes the sleeve more difficult to recycle. Instead of a booklet, the CD comes with a mini-poster, the same images found on the ubiquitous full-size posters promoting the album. No track list or credits, no real liner notes of any kind. Now, there hasn't been any lyric sheets on a Madonna album since Ray of Light or so, but I would have wanted a little bit more than what was included.

    Without a track list, I was forced to search online for one, just so I could tell which songs were which and the order they came in.  Since the tracks blend into each other, such information is vital. "Bring Your Love" was the obvious first single, as it has the most traditional song structure of the sixteen tracks, and not just that it is a collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter. "Danceteria" is probably my favorite track. Yes, many critics and fans agree, but only because it is that good of a song. If I have to pick a least favorite track, it has to be "My Sins Are My Savior" if only because it is mostly in French. (I'm better at reading French to listening to it.) Still, this opinion might change on further listenings.

    I feel that the songs reference many of the same themes, ideas, melodies, and even lyrics of Madonna's previous works. Even if I hadn't read various views over the past few weeks, I would come to these very same conclusions. Some might call this repetitive, but it really isn't. Instead, Madonna approaches these subjects from a somewhat different view, one of recollection and introspection. Such views usually are seen in her ballads, not her dance tracks, and that brings a freshness to the music. This really is her 'ultimate' dance album. Not just that it collects all of her previous takes into one singular album, but it suggests that she doesn't need to ever make another dance album ever again, even if she has a chance to. Sometimes, the connection to previous material gets a little too much, even within tracks on the album referencing each other. It is not a bad thing, but the sense of nostalgia grows.  The last six or so tracks start to slow down, dragging the entire down slightly. Such topics might have been better handled in ballads instead, but the dance-takes do add a certain directness that ballads usually don't have.

    I do feel that this will be Madonna's last dance only album.  Maybe there will be an ultimate ballad album in the near future to complete the overall career arc. Even if that never happens, this would still stand as her ultimate work.  4.75 out of five stars, based solely on a first listen. Rating could change upon further listenings. 

You Wanna Even More Madonna?

    This week, I will continue my history with Madonna with a few more albums. 

    In 2003, a flood took many of my things. However, my music collection was mostly spared, at least the cassettes were. A lot of my CDs were taken out. It was just bad enough that I haven't gone back to listen to the majority of my old tunes ever since. (My mom threw out her entire collection of vinyls, even though most of them could've been saved, in my opinion, but when she gets in a mood there is no stopping her or changing her mind.)

    I think I had already gotten a copy of American Life by then, but I'm not sure. I got a second copy regardless. Somehow, the jewel case cover got cracked, so the store may have had a bad copy or whatnot. The album only had one hit, "Die Another Die" from the 'James Bond' movie of the same name. Very underperforming. Maybe that's why the EP Remixed and Revisited was released soon after. My favorite songs, "Hollywood" and "Love Profusion," were featured prominently, as well as the live twentieth anniversary performance of "Like a Virgin" featuring Brittany Spears and Christina Aguilera at the MTV Video Music Awards. 

    After some time off from a horse riding accident, Madonna came out with her second big critical success, Confessions on a Dance Floor. Each song bleeds into the next, as if it were an actual dance club loop, with the last song transitioning into the first. I have played this one a lot. My favorite track is "Get Together." It wasn't a big hit, but I just love everything about it. The song was the last CD single, or any single, I ever bought. (The physical market for singles just dried up.) At almost forty-five minutes, the single is more of an EP, but that is a small quibble. (It has five remixes of the song, plus one for a second track.)

    After that, Madonna had one last album to complete her Warner Music contract, Hard Candy. There were too many collaborations for my taste.  Compared to Confessions, anything else would feel incomplete. If I have to choose a favorite, I guess I would be "Give It to Me," but I barely played it. This would be followed by the two CD best greatest hits collection Celebration. It features thirty-four of her biggest hits, plus two new songs. I didn't like either that much, although I would give "Celebration" the nod if I had to. Now, Madonna had more than enough hits for a third CD. Most of those songs were for other labels though, so they weren't included, although a number of her other hits for Warner could have been included. Many of those were top ten smashes as well.

    Madonna had three independent albums, none of which I listened to all that much. MDNA was first, but the vibes just felt off for me. Maybe it was all the hype from performing the Super Bowl halftime show. I guess "Girl Gone Wild" would be my favorite here. Next comes Rebel Heart. Somehow, I bought the deluxe version of the album with extra tracks, after I thought I only got the basic version. I thought it was better than her previous album, but not by much. I would say "Ghosttown" would be my pick here. Then came Madame X. This was more of a concept album, founded on her exploration of Portuguese music, but I found it too experimental. Not bad, just not for me. "I Don't Search I Find" might be my favorite here, but I didn't play this one enough to really favor one song more than others.

    As a tease when she rejoined Warner, Madonna had a sixth collection of songs come out celebrating her fifty number one songs on Billboard's dance charts. Finally Enough Love had sixteen of her dance number ones, in specifically the versions which made it. The full three CD version had all fifty tracks, but it apparently was only available digitally, so I never got the version.

    Her newest album, Confessions II, was released last Friday, after months of promotion. I wasn't able to go out a buy a copy yet, if it was even available out here in the boondocks on time. There have been delays, up to a day or more on occasion. Sure, I could have tried to get a digital version on time, but after having two floods take almost everything I own, I need to have the physical copy if there is a choice. I'm limited to where I could buy it, and I just hope the CD is available. I don't have a phonograph for vinyl, I that's mostly the only new releases the local Walmart seems to get in. Barely anything else. 

    If I am fortunate, I will pick up my copy tomorrow and review it for week's post. Otherwise, I will still wanna a Madonna album, but with no idea where to find one.

Do You Wanna Madonna?

    I wasn't a big fan of Madonna when she first became popular when I was in grade school. I only got to hear the radio about once a week or so until I was in high school. I didn't get a boom box until Christmas of 88. I got my first CD player as a graduation present in 90. The cable service didn't start including MTV in its main package until I was in college. (All I had was this weird video show on TBS Friday and Saturday nights that wouldn't always show the biggest hits.) When I finally got into her music, I didn't look back. I'm still a fan of sorts to this day. In honor of her newest album coming out this Friday, I am going over my history with her music, starting from the beginning.

    My first cassette single [remember those] of hers was probably "Keep It Together," the last major single from her Like a Prayer album. I probably got it at Walmart. I was getting singles practically every time I went on a shopping trip. Didn't really like it, but was better than "Oh Father," the single that preceded it, which may have been my actual first Madonna single. 

    "Vogue" was the first major song that I got. This was memorable because I got it after a school trip to Morehead State University. Finding out it would have been cheaper if I had gotten it at the Walmart in the same shopping center was slightly disappointing. It was the lead single from what would be my first Madonna album, I'm Breathless: Music from and Inspired by the Film Dick Tracy. I got the cassette instead of the CD. It would have been my second ever disc, but I was put off by the music store, so I chose the easier option. I only went to that store one or two more times. It was hard to get to. (It soon turned into a medical supply store, and I think it is now part of Pikeville Medical Center in some fashion.) My favorite song from the album was not "Vogue," but the ballad "Something to Remember." For some reason, it just hit me based on the feelings I had after graduation. It is actually a very popular opinion, which I'll come back to.

    My actual first Madonna CD would be The Immaculate Collection, her first greatest hits album and her second compilation. (Her first compilation was of her biggest dance hits up to the late 80s. I'll come back to this idea at a later time.) The album would have two new songs, with my favorite being "Rescue Me." 

    After the movie song "This Used to Be My Playground," from A League of Their Own which she had a role in, I got my first actual studio album from her. Erotica. Still feels strange typing that, even though I was twenty by the time it came out. I can't remember if I got the album immediately or if I waited. I seem to recall getting two at the same time, after waiting on another. Anyway, my favorite song from that album is "Deeper and Deeper." It's a hard-hitting dance track with an unusual flamenco bridge in the middle.

    After yet another song from a movie, "I'll Remember," Madonna released Bedtime Stories. I remember the unusual program that she had before releasing the video for the title track on MTV. She actually tried to read a children's book, but kept getting interrupted. While the album features her biggest number one hit, "Take a Bow," I didn't care too much for the songs. Overall, either "Secret Garden" or "Human Nature" would be my favorite. 

    Next came another compilation Something to Remember, this time featuring her biggest ballads and the new song "You'll See," which was the spiritual sequel to "Take a Bow." At least the video was. (Yes, my favorite song from earlier was technically the title track.) The videos were a precursor to her title role in Evita. I did not get the soundtrack album. I am not that big of a musical theatre nerd. I did get the singles "You Must Love Me" and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina." I think the second was a CD single with remixes.

    All of this was just the build up to what would be her biggest critical album to date, Ray of Light. For once, I feel that the title track was my favorite, although "Nothing Really Matters" was also pretty good. No number ones, though. That didn't bode well with me. This would be followed up by two more songs from movies, "Beautiful Stranger" and a cover of Don McLean's "American Pie." Neither were released as singles. Wisely for the latter. It was widely panned.

    For some reason, I missed on the information that Music, her album from 200, was coming out. I guess I was busy with opening my store. The album featured a lot of inspiration from country music, especially my favorite track, "Don't Tell Me." I didn't get to play this CD that much, as I was too busy with my new business. I barely even acknowledged her next compilation album GHV2 was coming out. This was her second biggest hits album, but it had no new material. I mostly remember it because of the liner notes were written by Sacha Baron Cohen in his "Ali G" persona. (The cab driver was a part of the video for "Music.")

    That's when the music took a break, but I'll continue this thought next week. See you then.

Extreme Makeover: Blogcast Edition 2026

    So, I've been thinking about a design upgrade to my blog. When I first started this many, many years ago, I was just fooling around. I didn't give too much thought about what I could be doing with this thing. As such, I skipped a few details involving the design. Really. Since I didn't have a computer, I was forced to fix up my blog in short increments whenever I could steal some extra time at a local library while using their computers. Recently, I've been noticing the look of my blog whenever I have to go and post it when it shows up in my Memories on Facebook. The blog looks so dull, especially when compared to other things I see online. It just makes me want to change the entire setup however I can. Yes, I have a computer and almost unlimited time just to make everything just right, but I just don't have that much impetus to actually make the changes. I just want to update things for a better look, you know?

    Okay, full disclosure.  I have a confession. I didn't have a good idea for the subject of today's post. None. See, I have a slight problem. Today's post was supposed to be the 2026 update to My Culinary Journey series from last year. However, I wanted to go on my annual summer shopping trip first, in case I ate at a new place. The trip got delayed for many issues that includes fixing my broken glasses and avoiding some bad weather. As such, I still haven't gone yet, but I am scheduled to go very soon still. Starting next week, I have at least two, probably three, posts planned that I couldn't change the dates for, as they are tied to an event in early July. After that, then I can go back to the many ideas I've got planned, including that update. 

    For today, I'm just goofing around, writing whatever I can so that I can keep to my weekly schedule. The teaser for the link I'll be posting on Facebook will include my taste test of Mug Vanilla Howler. Spoiler, I'm not sure I liked it.

    Random thought. I've been seeing a lot of vehicles with a matte grey finish lately. I really hate it, as something about them is unsettling. The flat dull sameness of these vehicles just feels off somehow. The fact that so many just seemed to pop up suddenly all but scares me. It is almost like the things aren't real or maybe not of this world. If the vehicles were all the same make and model, I think it would make more sense. However, these are coming from different companies and brands. Maybe I would feel different if they were shiny, reflecting the sun proving their reality. These are just a dull dark gray, otherworldly in a negative sense. They do not belong to this world, but another.

    As to next week's post, I hid a big clue in these ramblings. Do you wanna find it?

Are These Eyeglasses Half-Broken or Half-Repaired?

    So, I broke my eyeglasses again. It happened late Friday night. I was just taking my glasses off, when the left stem came off of the hinge. The two parts just separated, with nothing else falling off. This isn't anything like ten plus years ago when my old, old glasses had the left hinge break off. It looked like I could just insert the stem back on the tiny peg on the hinge to repair it. Unfortunately, the stem wouldn't stay attached. Also, for some reason, the left lens was extremely close to my eye. Even when I tried looking out of my glasses without the left stem in, the left lens still got very close to my eye. I couldn't figure out why it would tilt so.

    Since it was the weekend, my optometrist wasn't open, and I was stuck until Monday morning. Fortunately, I still had the replacement glasses that I got when the hinge broke off the previously mentioned pair. Unfortunately, the lens came from that old pair, and they were already about ten years old or more at the time. I had a totally different prescription now involving bifocals.  While I could 'see,' I had trouble reading and viewing screens. Worse, there were still traces of adhesive that I could never remove from when the lens got put in. I had to either try to use my current broken glasses and risk my eyeball or just go without whenever I tried to read or play games. I had a major Golf Clash tournament over the weekend that was already going to be hard, and playing without my glasses made it even harder.

    At least I had one saving grace. I still had my prescription sunglasses that I got last year. This meant I could drive without any difficulties. There was no way I could drive without wearing something, and my sunglasses are bifocal as well, allowing me a full range of vision. I couldn't wear them inside though. It made everything too dark. 

    I was able to go to my optometrist Monday morning. Some remodeling was going on in one of the back rooms, making it very loud. Some young kids who were waiting there would occasionally shout over the work going on in back. This was the second time I had to replace this brand of glasses due to a part failure. The previous time, one of the nose guards fell off. It was a minor issues, but my mom forced me to get the frames replaced. Not repaired, as there was apparently no way to re-attach the broken nose guard. I'm not certain, but I think these might be a replacement pair as well.  The hinges are noticeably tighter than my previous pair, and I think the style/color is off just slightly as well. 

    Anyway, I'm seeing again just fine without any worries. For now. I'm on my third pair of these glasses in just under four years. I had my previous pair over a decade before I had a problem with them. Their replacement still looks okay, even though the styling is dated. Even my previous pair of sunglasses are still good, even if I no longer wear them regularly, and they are at least fifteen years old. Maybe almost twenty. No real problems with them, but the newer, way more expensive ones?

    I'll come back to this topic in another year or two

Red, White, and Lots of Blueberries

    I can't remember when I had my first blueberry. It may have been in high school, or quite possibly college. I know that sounds fairly late in life to try something so common, but I am quite the picky eater. Blueberries just weren't that big a thing when I was a kid.  Sure, they were around, but it took some time before I tried them, probably on one of my new food kicks that I used to go on all the time when I just got bored with everything else.  However, once I tried the actual fruit, I was hooked. I began trying everything that was blueberry-flavored. To a point.

    My initial dislike of blueberries may come from something my mother once forced me to try, blueberry cream cheese danish. While I might have liked the fruit, the cream cheese was just not something I could tolerate. I guess I tried a few other things before I got to the actual berries.  I mean, blueberries aren't even blue on the inside. The flesh is whitish, generally speaking. Very ripe berries might be darker, but I am starting to lose my train of thought.

    The first blueberry product that really took my interest was Pillsbury Toaster Strudel. Blueberry wasn't one of the original flavors, I think. I tried strawberry, but I didn't really like the flavor of strawberries when heated. Blueberry, however, is superb. Even as new flavor came out, I would return to blueberry. The only other flavor that caught my attention was Wildberry, which was a mix of strawberry and blueberry, maybe a touch of another. That one was discontinued, although a Mixed Berry limited-edition came out for last year, with special strawberry icing. Alas, the promotion ended. The current one features a strawberry/cream cheese with blue blueberry icing, a first. Haven't seen this one in store yet, just the apple pie flavor, but I'm still on the lookout.

    I also tried dozens of blueberry cereal bars. I almost stopped after the first one I tried because it tasted horrible. Maybe it was a spice in the filling, but I couldn't stand it. I occasionally tried a different flavor in the beans, and while it wasn't the type of filling I liked, it didn't taste as bad. I kept trying new bars, but they were always discontinued after a time. There was even one with blueberries and cream cheese that I actually could tolerate. Almost all of them now gone. The few left that I alternate are just barely better than the previous one, which is still the industry leader. There is one that is quite similar to that flavor to an Archway blueberry cookie, which was my absolute favorite in the world, before the current owners pared down the varieties and eliminated it. That's just the story of my life.

    I've had blueberry danishes, scraping off some of the cream cheese when necessary. I've made my own blueberry muffins, and even coffee cakes, from mixes, but the best ones were discontinued. I'm a fiend for blueberry jelly doughnuts whenever I can get them, but they are hard to find lately. I try other bakery blueberry products, with mixed results. 

    One type of product that has just come out are ice creams with blueberries. Years and years ago, I remember trying a blueberry and blackberry ice cream from Pet. (This was before I started trying blackberries by the way. Also, a fairly strong favorite.) However, Pet is no longer carried anywhere anymore, if it even still exists. Even if it does, that flavor is long gone, but other brands have brought out something new. First Bluebell has brought back its Red, White, & Bluebell flavor, which is a mix of strawberry, vanilla, and blueberry flavors swirled together. Fortunately, I live on the eastern end of the range and can get this flavor, only in half-gallons. I don't know if I would like it enough to get that much. I mean, I loved the Dr Pepper float flavor, but the banana fudge was lacking a bit. Still, blueberry ice cream. Another store had a 'gourmet' store brand with a 'huckleberry' flavor in pints, but quite expensive. Technically, huckleberries are just larger, wild blueberries, so I might like them. Not so sure about it being a store brand, but the prospect is almost too tempting.

    One thing I don't get is cheesecake. Not even blueberries can change that. I also try to steer around anything with lemon. The flavors match well enough, but the combination is not a favorite. Personally, blood orange might be the better citrus choice, but that is so rare that I would skip it for the most part.

    Thank you 'berry' much for being here today. See you next week.

Paint the Town and Country Shopping Center Red, and More

    As I mentioned before, the shopping center where my store is located got sold to a hospital. Still kind of worried about why a NPO wants with a retail establishment, but whatever. In doing so, the new owners have decided to make some renovations to the center. A major one was been repainting the marquees and support pillars in the hospital's signature gray. However, the individual units are not being painted gray. No, they have been repainted in a bunch of different colors. Six in all.

    First, there is a terra cotta orangey red. Really in your face. It gives a strong Southwestern feel. Next is a light orange, close to apricot. Very pale, but still recognizable. After that is a creamy, yellow neutral. Very close to butter, yet darker than ecru. Fourth is a minty green with just a touch of blue. Fairly unnatural, but somewhat appealing. That is followed by a light, sky blue. Nothing remarkable about it. Finally, there is another blue, mixed with grey and a touch of purple. It's very close to the accent color of my store's interior. For the sake of explanation, let's call these six colors, in order, as follows:  red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. (I also forgot the Oxford comma. Very necessary.)

    Probably fortunately, these six colors cycle in a pattern among the eighteen units at the center.  In fact, I hadn't realized that the center had that many units, not counting the former supermarket that was the anchor at the east end. Going from east to west, the colors cycle yellow, green, red, blue, orange, violet. Units supposedly didn't get to choose which color they got; they just got whatever color was next in the cycle. I say 'supposedly' because one unit may have got to pick green for their unit. I find that strange, as the unit is a boutique with a pink color scheme inside. The two colors have a watermelon feel, which might work on some level. Maybe. My store got the yellow. This so happens to be just a tad brighter than the original ecru that was the original interior color for my store before we repainted a long time ago. At least the contrast makes the store a little brighter.

    Of particular note is the church. (Yes, one unit of the center is now being used for a church. It was previously a dialysis clinic.  Before that, it was a drugstore and the main display for a Sears franchise. [The two even switched out in the early 70s.] The Sears took up many of the units before they were divided a very long time ago.) They didn't seem to get any favors out of this.  While not a traditional white, they were able to get the lightest color of the six made available, the orange. Of the other five colors, only the yellow would've been even barely appropriate. The church has the largest wall space of any unit at the center, at least for the side facing the parking lot. The most western unit probably has the most wall space, if you include the side facing the road as well. 

    The weirdest thing is the unit directly controlled by the hospital, the one with the scrubs store, as well as the center manager's office, is blue. While not the official color of the hospital, it is the most notable. Now, while I admit I haven't been to that many places, I don't remember seeing any shopping center with such a wide range of different colors for each unit. I'm not sure it works, but that may be point. More opinions on this at a later date.