Country Music

I mentioned that at work they play a lot of Country Music.  In fact, it's the same music set every day.  I've listened to it for the last few months and know which song will play next.  I found out that there are other approved music sets/stations the store can listen to, but, never get played because the store manager likes country music.

I've learned a lot about country music these last few months and thought I would share that with you so you can write a successful country music song.  I have nothing against country music.  I guess over the years I haven't listened that closely to the words of these songs.  Now that I have nothing to do  am forced to listen to  I'm listening to the same songs at work, I now have time to hear and meditate on each word.

First of all, in every song, the singer is a no good, down on his luck individual.  He is trying to win the heart of a woman who is perfect in every way (in other words, an angel).  This angel has been sent to him to save him and his soul and do everything for him.  Oh, and the singer also drives a pick up truck.

And, you definitely have to mention whiskey in your song.  If you do not mention it, the song will go no where and no one will listen.

And, somebody's lips need to taste like whiskey or sangria (<there's a song with that line, "Your lips taste like sangria").

Hopefully I have motivated you to do a little research and listen to some country music.  Who knows, after a few shots of whiskey  downing a big jug of sangria  crashing your pick up truck  maybe you will be inspired to write your own country song.

Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?

Well?  Do you?

No.  I'm not really asking that question.  I already know the answer.

I've mentioned in a previous post about the music that's played at work.  Mostly country music songs with a few pop songs tossed in for fun.  One song that is played every single day I work is a remake of Rod Stewart's, "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy."

Now, I like Rod Stewart.  Not a crazy fan, but, I enjoy listening to his music.  Always thought that this song was one of his crazy, "out there"  songs.

When this song starts playing, I always try to figure out how it fits in with the country music songs that usually play.  Why this song?  I also wonder how many of the young kids that work there know who Rod Stewart is?  I know one of my co-workers has no idea who Rod Stewart is, because I asked him when this song was playing.

So, after hearing this song every day, I got it stuck in my head.  It plays in my head on repeat over and over again.  I'm constantly hearing Rod Stewart asking me if I think he's sexy.  I have even started to hum this song out loud.

Last night, as I was helping Bella make Valentines (for seniors), I told RT about the whole scenario.  Rod Stewart's song being played at work and how I can't get the song out of my head.  I just got a strange look back as a reply.  I said I might have to start singing it.  I got a look that suggested I better not belt out the lyrics.

When the Valentine making finished, and both RT and Bella left the room, I decided to play the song and sing along.  Hoping this will get the song out of my head.

As I was really getting into it, singing and dancing, RT walks in and says, "I leave you alone for five minutes and this is what happens."

So, here I am, sitting here, quietly typing away while Rod Stewart asks me over and over again,  if I think he's sexy.

New Job Update

I have been working for a couple of months at my new job and thought I would give you a little update.

I am enjoying the fact that I'm actually doing something during the time that I am at my job instead of staring off into space.  Sometimes it's a project or updating the features with new merchandise.  Maybe I'm putting new merchandise out on the floor or doing mark downs.  Or, maybe I'm a cashier.  The time goes by much faster and I get to move around the store quite a bit.

Here are some things I've experienced in the last couple of months.

1.  They play a lot of country music in our store.  They do throw in some pop (from about 5 years ago) every once in awhile.  Unfortunately (or fortunately?) they are the same songs every. single. day.  I think I know them all by heart and I know which song is going to come on next.  Yea.  Pretty scary.

2.  They haven't started playing Christmas music.   I'm not sure if they will ever play Christmas music this holiday season.  All I can say is at least they aren't playing Kidz Bop!

3.  Working with the public can be quite interesting.  I think you knew this one was coming.  I'll have to give you some examples.  This is my warning... skip to number 4 now if you have a weak stomach  don't want the details.

OK.  You were warned.

I have found that some people don't bathe.  Ever.  I have had this experience with a few customers where I have walked by them and accidentally inhaled and almost passed out.  I'm not sure if these people are oblivious to their stench  stink  odor.  Do they realize that no one wants to smell their nastiness?  I think they should warn you before you take a job like this that working with the public can kill you be hazardous to your health.

Then, there are the farters.  Those are the people that walk around (or stand in one place/area) and just fart.  A lot.  I was helping a customer and had to walk to the back to check if the item was there and passed a smelly guy and walked into the biggest fart cloud ever.  You laugh, but, I COULD HAVE DIED!  I thought there was something wrong with our bathrooms again (see #4).  Turns out, it was some guy who must have been REALLY gassy.  I know this because somehow the fart cloud moved to another area and the same guy was standing there.

4.  The bathrooms.   I'm not sure what goes on in the bathroom that the public uses.  Maybe they use too much TP or they don't go for a week and then decide to finally go when they are at our store.  The store had some issues with the sewer.  The back of our store smelled pretty bad and the bathrooms were (obviously) out of commission for the day.  We had to use the bathrooms next door.  Thank God for Whole Foods!

5.  Management is pretty lenient.  There are quite a few employees that call in a lot or don't show up for work and they still have a job!  Management also doesn't know when you come in or leave work.  They also have no idea what you are doing during your scheduled work time.

6.  As an employee, sometimes I'm a personal mannequin for customers.  I have had customers tell me that the person that they are buying for is exactly my size and I have to try clothes and coats on for them.

7.  Sometimes I'm a personal shopper.  Finding items for customer to buy.  Telling them that something doesn't look good on them (I did that for a few guys buying coats).

8.  I have realized that I always have a good story after my shift.   Oh, and they are usually pretty funny.

The Holiday season is just starting.  I'm sure I will have a few more stories as time goes on.

Song Playlist Inspired by my Job

 If you have been around here for awhile, you know that I changed jobs one year ago.   You can read about all the fun times I had at the toy store in previous posts (you can probably search toy store on the blog).  There are also some posts about the music that is played at my current job (Check out: Country Music and Da' Ya Think I'm Sexy).

In order to celebrate my one year anniversary at this job, I thought it was time to create a song list so everyone can enjoy the music that I listen to every single day.  I have created a Spotify playlist with all of these songs.  I don't have all of the songs that are played at the store, but, here are some of the highlights:

Da' Ya Think I'm Sexy -  Rod Stewart & DNCE

Top of the World - Tim McGraw

You Look Like I need a Drink - Justin Moore

Honey I'm Good - Andy Grammer

Home - Phillip Phillips

Sucker - Jonas Brothers

Friday Night - Eric Paslay

Memories - Maroon 5

It Ain't My Fault - Brothers Osborne

Dirt on My Boots - John Pardi

Feel It Still - Portugal. The Man

Sunshine & Whiskey - Frankie Ballard

Sangria - Blake Shelton

Make Me Like You - Gwen Stefani

Southbound - Carrie Underwood

I've Got No Roots - Alice Merton

Last Shot - Kip Moore

Already Gone - Brent Dennen

Lash Out - Alice Merton

Used to Be - Matt Nathanson

I'll Name the Dogs - Blake Shelton

It Ain't My Fault - Brothers Osborne

This is not a list of all of the songs that are played, just the highlights.  I'll try to add more songs to the list.  I just have to remember to write them down while I am at work.

Give the songs a listen and let me know what you think.

2020 - A Year in Review

 It's time to take a look back at all of the scary things that happened this year.

Here are some of the highlights of 2020 on Scary Journey:

I confessed (once again) my addiction to Corn Nuts (they are so good!)

They play a lot of country music where I work

How certain songs get stuck in our head, like Da Ya Think I'm Sexy

How I use other names when placing orders

My dislike of our plastic plates

My Uncle and the tiles 

My birthday present this year (hint:  the computer has been moved)

Alex joined the Army National Guard

We entered a pandemic together

We survived the quarantine with a little count down

My family are napkin snobs

Added painter to my resume

We had to wear masks

Mask making became a career, for some people

I made a quarantine song list

We became bagel hoarders

My Clock Died during quarantine

I celebrate two easters

Bella finished 8th grade

I was able to buy a new clock online

Someone plays bagpipes in our neighborhood

We started celebrating weird National Days

Our bedroom clock is 17 minutes ahead (so we can do math in the middle of the night)

I'm secretly dating Elon Musk

I read all negative reviews on products first

I challenged you to a writing challenge

I started a career in mulch throwing 

I entertained you with some Karen stories

I increased my number of viewers on Netflix (shh!!  don't tell the kids!)

I survived 88 days in quarantine (and didn't kill anyone!)

Bella loves all music (just like me)

We learned new sayings like, Stay Safe and Social Distancing

My kids and spiders

My kids weird reaction with new things

Curly moved in with us

I got my big break and became a Walmart greeter

I created a playlist inspired by the songs they play at work.

My Girl Scout Troop received their Silver Award

I bought a new purse!

Finally able to have a date night and we can't eat out (Thanks a lot, Governor!)

I was a Target Employee for Halloween

We survived a never ending Presidential election (umm, is it over yet?)

I have a huge stockpile of Band Aids

My dislike of Election Signs

We found out that the common cold and flu have been cured

We learned a little about RT this year:

The effects of Cherry Juice 

The effects Coconut water has on him (or others)

How attached he became to his Sunflowers

The launch of his fence making business

His decision to go barefoot

His wallet issues

RT's obsession with ice cubes and ice cube making

And, we learned a lot about My Weird Dog:

Pippen made a new "friend" (the term used by the other dog owner)

Pippen got a new dog bed.  It took him 2 weeks  awhile to get used to it, but, he loves it now.

Pippen and I are a lot alike when it comes to new things

His Mommy clinginess

His weird eating habits

His future as a weather dog

He eats bird seed

We made some stuff:

Everything Bagel Seasoning

Angel Hair Pasta with Puttanesca 

Vegetarian Avgolemono Soup 

Soft Ginger Cookies

Soft Pretzels

Beer Batter Cheese Bread

Sugar Cookie Cake

Easy Artisan Bread

Chicken Tacos

Roasted Eggplant Hummus 

Vegetable Stir Fry

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins 

Delicious Crusty Bread 

Halloween Candy Dessert

Baked Falafel 

Pfeffernusse Cookies

And, sadly, we had a huge loss this year.  Miss you, Mom!

It's been 9 long  scary  frightening  wonderful years here on A Scary Journey.  Thanks for sticking around.  Let's hope 2021 is a little better!  Happy New Year everyone!

Cheers!

2019 - A Year in Review

It's time to take a look back at everything that happened, both good and scary, during the year.

Here are some of the highlights of 2019 on Scary Journey:

We learned that I'm the snow thrower in this family.  We sold our snow blower that we inherited.  I'm hoping that there isn't a huge snow storm.  I'm not sure if I can survive shoveling tons of snow on my own.

I learned about the utensil separator in the dishwasher.  I still use it.

I made a new purse purchase this year.  Still on the look out for the next one. (it pays to start early)

Another 2 or 3 can openers died this year  We didn't name them because we didn't have time.  My kids  child killed them off before we got to know them.

We spent an entire day using the word historic.

We met the cracker snatcher that steals all of Bella's snacks at school.

We made a list of things to do on a rainy day because of all of the rain we were experiencing.

We learned about my obsession with drying unusual herbs.

We got disinvited to a party.

Bella and I are thinking of starting our own show of us driving around and drinking tea.

My daughter listens to 80's music.

We find out that Bella is a tea snob

We talked about Spilling the Tea

You learned about our secret song when out hiking..  Take me Home, Country Roads....

We bought a new popcorn machine and find out I'm addicted to popcorn.

My nail clippers had to enter the witness protection program once again.

We decluttered 25 years worth of shi  stuff

We discover my obsession addiction to corn nuts

Found out my least favorite day of the week (Thursday)

I got a new job!

We watched a little golf this year (I had to go to the car dealer a couple times this year)

My new obsession with freezing everything.  I'm taking after my Mom!

Celebrated Harvey Wallbanger Day.  And, celebrate it a lot more often now that I know how to make them.

Who can forget celebrating World Vinegar Day?  Probably the most important day EVER!

We also talked about my Dad's Compost Pile


We learned lots about RT this year. 

We learned how he gets in Vacation mode and gets up really early on trips

How he went days without coffee when coffeemaker died

We learned about his love for espresso and how he can't have just one...more like 4!

his lucky penny he found on vacation

his fight with next door's landscapers cutting our grass

Proof of his napkin hoarding tendencies when Alex worked with him this summer

Butt texting problems

His famous purchase of Dead Guy Shoes

We learn that he is a Shoe Hoarder.  Oh, and he still hasn't gotten rid of any more shoes..

And his style of wearing "Dad Jeans"


And, we can't forget My Weird Dog!  

His love/hate relationship with cold weather

His need to sleep in our room

Pippen makes an appearance at the vet and loves it there

Pippen and the vacuum cleaner.  Wants to make sure you know that he knows you are vacuuming

Houdini breaks the latch on the front gate.

Can't forget when Pippen got skunked

His fear of the nail clippers

Doesn't like music, or just doesn't like it when I play the piano

His fear of going outside at night because he might get skunked

Stayed away from our Christmas tree thanks to RT and his quick thinking of making the nail clippers into an ornament.


We cooked a little bit this year.  Here are some of the Recipes that we made:

Red Lentil Tomato Soup
Vegan Spanakopita
Quinoa Chocolate Cake
Black Bean Protein Bites
M & M Cookies
Chocolate Chip Blondies
Fettucine Alfredo
Chocolate Pudding (vegan)
Potato Soup
Hamburger Helper
Chocolate Chip Chokies
Chick Pea Tikka Masala
Garlic Naan
Mexican Quinoa Dish

And, sadly, we had a HUGE loss this year

Miss you, Marga!

Thanks for sticking around for all of the craziness.  Looking forward to lots of fun in 2020!

Happy New Year!