Tuesday, March 29, 2022

A to Z--Three More Days

#AtoZChallenge 2022 alternative badge


I have now drafted all my posts for the A to Z Blogging and will edit or add to each one as I see necessary on each letter's posting day. This makes less work each day. Unlike last year, when I just drafted each post a day before it was to go live (or two, when it was Sunday and we had the day off). 

Given my topic this year, I felt it would take a lot of work for each post. But since I did not intend to write a book on the history of TV, I did not give a long history of each one. I included Wikipedia links so that readers could find out more (e.g., producers, episode lists, the studios that produced each show). I had to include shows I did not see or just barely remember for some letters that proved to be tricky ones. It didn't not take as long as I might have thought to draft each post, and which each pre-written, it should not take long to add  to each one before I post it on the blog. I don't know how much blogging I will do next month outside of the A to Z since we get Sundays off.

I'm looking forward to seeing other people's A to Z posts. The Master List sign up begins tomorrow. I don't know how many other participating blogs I will be able to visit during A to Z, but I will get to some. I've already viewed many of the Theme Reveal posts and saw that this blog is doing TV Theme Songs. I will definitely be looking at that one. And I certainly want to see the doing writing as a blog theme. Perhaps I will consider that topic for a future A to Z blog theme. Another future theme I am considering is the 1980s or childhood memories. I'd thought of both of these ideas when the year started as I began to decided if I was even going to do the A to Z this year. Last year was my first time doing the challenge and my theme was on events in 2020.  I'd also remembered considering joining the challenge a few years earlier with the TV theme, but did not get around to it then. I'd known about A to Z Blogging for several years, but did not see myself having time. I also was not sure what theme to use, even though themes are not necessary. Most people chose one, though. I did not even think about attempting A to Z in 2020, when I would have had enough time, since I was off work for two months when the pandemic hit. I didn't do much blogging then, to begin with, even with all the time off.


Thursday, March 24, 2022

A to Z Prep

It's still more than a week until the A to Z Blogging for 2022 begins, but I've already drafted two of my posts today and will see how many I can draft per day until the first. On each letter day, I plan to edit each post before making it go live on the blog. We get Sundays off. 


#AtoZChallenge 2022 banner



As I said in my reveal post, my theme this year will be Forgotten TV Shows. I've already decided on some shows for some letters, but am still uncertain about a few letters. But I'm almost certain what I will include. It was hard to narrow it down to one show per letter in some cases. I would have liked to include more than one per letter, but that seems like a little too much work. And there are some letters which are tricky. As such I had to pick something I either only remember hearing about,  or one I never saw at all to put under those letters. For each entry, I will provide link to the show, and will do a brief sypnosis and include Youtube clips when available. I do not want to get into too much detail, hence why I am including a link so readers can learn more. I will say what I remember about each show, if I saw it even just once. 

By coincidence, when Googling "forgotten TV shows," I came across this blog, which has several posts about forgotten shows (some with the header "What Might've Been"). Oddly, some of the forgotten shows the blog included are some that I plan to include on my blog during the A to Z. 


Friday, March 18, 2022

Recent Facebook Reminders

When looking at my Facebook memories this past week, I came across two from this week in 2020, when the pandemic had just begun:


Now hand soap is running out. Though I have enough for now. And why does everyone seem to be buying 2% milk?


In recent months, I've not been going to bars, restaurants, or malls and now I *have* to stay away from it all. No going to the library now either, but that is one I enjoy doing. Began reading books I already have at home, which I have been trying to do anyway. 


When I went to get some 2% milk the morning of March 16, 2020, I could only find a small jug. It wasn't long before 2% was again readily available, though. And of course it was months before hand soap, hand sanitizer, wipes and toilet paper became available again. I keep flashing back to when the shelves at stores were mostly empty. Though now cat food seems to in short supply. And it's an item that's needed in our house. Now when I see hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and such readily available, I have to resist the urge to buy more than I need. I didn't hoard the stuff then, and I won't hoard it now!

As far as going out has been, I am glad to be able to go inside the library again. I went two months in 2020 unable to access the library until the curbside pickup started in June that year. In 2021, patrons were once again allowed inside, at first for short periods. But now we can go inside as long as we want, as long as COVID protocols are followed.

Some restaurants in my town are allowing customers to order inside, and some allow dine-in. I've gone to some small malls nearby. I was upset to learn the Lane Bryant store in Gilroy next to Barnes and Noble has closed, though the LB store at the Gilroy outlet mall is still there. I'm hoping to go the outlets soon, as well as the used bookstore in Gilroy.

The bars are the only place I have not been back to. Fear of crowding and people not wearing masks are what is keeping from this. When I heard that a nearby bar Halloween celebration was starting again last year, I was hesitant to go and eventually decided not to. I had a bit of FOMO (fear of missing out), but was also was afraid of the unmasked patrons. I am now getting anxious to see how this goes this year. I do miss karaoke.

Even with the virus still looming, things are a bit different now from when it began two years ago. Still can't believe it's been that long.


Saturday, March 12, 2022

Time Change

I always get mixed feelings about the beginning of Daylight Saving Time. I wish I could tell the cats when DLS begins. 










And changing the time on my car radio clock is easy since I have a fairly new car. I never knew how to set the time on the one in my old car.


Sunday, March 6, 2022

Blogging A to Z 2022

First, a shout out to Anjela Curtis, who has been chosen as the new graphics creator for the Blogging A to Z Challenge. Congrats!

And a display of the commemorative badge for Jeremy Hawkins (RIP):

#AtoZChallenge 2022 tribute badge


And once again, I have decided to do the A to Z blogging again this year. This will be my second time. My first was just last year. Though the theme reveal doesn't start till tomorrow, I have decided to post mine today. I will add it to the list at the A to Z blog when it opens tomorrow. My theme for 2022 is...

Forgotten TV Shows

I don't talk a lot about TV here on the blog, but when trying to find a possible theme, this idea entered my mind, along with other themes such as the 80s, childhood memories and even about writing. But the TV idea kept running through my mind, so I went with that one. I wasn't sure about doing the A to Z at first this year, but once I got this idea in my mind, I decided to go through with it. I then looked for shows to fit each letter, though for some of the hard letters, I had to pick something I never saw or barely remember. Just need to do a little digging. I mean, those who have written books on TV have had to research stuff that was on before they were born. So this won't be any different. Having not seen something doesn't mean you don't "know" about it.  I don't plan to get into too many details, but will provide some links to info on each show listed and Youtube clips when available. I will say what I can remember. 

Meanwhile, I have been researching things for this topic and will try to begin my posts as soon as possible, queueing them in my draft folder. Last year, I usually started them the day before and kept them as drafts until it was time to post. I don't know how long it will take to complete the posts, or how early I'm going to start them. But I will do what it takes to get them done in time.

#AtoZChallenge 2022 Theme Reveal

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Chapter Break Bingo – March 2022

 Here is the card for March.


My Books:

  1. Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating--Adiba Jaigirdar (5 squares): E-Book, Luck Good or Bad, Book Club Read,  Secrets or Deceitfulness, Trope-y Title
  2. Eight Hundred Grapes--Laura Dave (4 squares): Shelf Love, Physical Book, Not in a Series, Not for Children
  3. Afternoon on the Amazon--Mary Pope Osborne (4 squares): Audiobook, Demon, Green on the Cover, Child/Children
  4. Guenevere Queen of the Summer Country--Rosalind Miles (5 squares): In a Series, Heir, Sword or Weapon on the Cover, Empowered Female Character, Over 400 Pages
  5. Mulan: The Legend of the Woman Warrior--Faye-Lyn Wu (2 squares): Soldier/Guard, Piercing
  6. This Woven Kingdom--Tahereh Mafi (1 square): Free Book
  7. The Fixer Upper--Mary Kay Andrews (4 squares): Library Book, Favorite Author, Vacation, Free Space
25 squares completed on March 13