I previously wrote a post where I answered twenty random questions found over the internet. Always looking for something to write about, I went and looked for more random questions to answer. I found many out in cyberspace, and narrowed that list down to another 20.
1. What was the last song you sung along to?
“The Way” by Fastball. This song is based upon an interesting, yet very sad tale. A CBS station out of Denver wrote an article about it back in 2017.
2. When was the last time you slept more than nine hours?
Sometime in June, I was exhausted from a busy shift at work, especially as I’d been only working part time, and recently returned to an open restaurant. I fell asleep on my bed, like for a nap around 19:00. When I finally got up, it was like 07:00 the next morning. Yeah, I slept like 12 hours that night.
3. How comfortable are you speaking in front of large groups of people?
Two words: absolutely not. Introverts don’t like attention or speaking in front of a large crowd. I especially hate it, since all eyes are on you, and you have to keep their attention. And, I hate hearing the sound of my own voice in the echoes. I’ll stay in the audience, close to the end of the aisle and near the closest exit.
4. What’s the most historic thing that has happened in your lifetime?
I would have to say 9/11. The destruction of the shuttles Challenger and Columbia are up there, as well as recently, the whole pandemic.
5. What do you think could be done to improve the media?
Firstly, get the fucking political bias out of it—go back to impartial reporting of the actual news, not focusing on certain things and sensationalizing all the bad news of the country and world. Stop focusing on race, gender, sexuality, wealth and all other dividing factors in this country.
6. What’s the most annoying noise?
The biggest one for me has to be fingernails scratching a chalkboard. After that I’d say the sound of someone chewing with their mouth open. Additionally, I would add on any song by Justin Bieber.
7. What food do you crave most often?
Steak or anything with sugar, like Reese’s Pieces or a muffin or cinnamon roll.
8. What word do you always misspell?
I usually don’t misspell anything intentionally. I pride myself on my orthographic capabilities, and normally I’m the one who can spot a typo a mile away. The Facebook page for Los Angeles’ KABC TV always has a link in their stories to report a typo. I’ve used that on more than one occasion.
9. What’s the weirdest text or email you’ve gotten?
A couple of times, I’ve received a text from a random number, but there was no message—just a blank text. My son got one once that was meant for someone who has his number previously. The person asked their friend about mac & cheese, and he replied, “My name isn’t [insert name] and I don’t know how to make mac & cheese.” He was probably around 10 at the time.
10. What’s your go to casino game?
Slot machines or video poker machines. That way, I can lose a quarter or a nickel at a time. I don’t like penny slots, as they play up to like $1.50 a shot. I hate those video slots, because they want you to play like 100 lines and like 5 coins per line, or something ridiculous. I like the analog slots with the three spinning wheels, five lines. Once I played 50¢ slots in Las Vegas and won $375. That’s the most I’ve ever won at one time.
11. What do a lot of people hope will happen but is just not going to happen?
I would think returning to the way of life they had before the whole coronavirus pandemic bullshit. Unfortunately, I think the whole mask thing, sanitizing everything, stay six feet away (okay, let’s keep the six-foot rule, you know, personal space), no self-service or gas station nachos and so-called coin shortage is here to stay. Even after some sort of vaccine is made, you’re gonna be hearing about this thing labeled “covid-19” for a long time to come.
12. Which way should toilet paper hang, over or under?
Over. Always over. Even the patent shows the paper going over. The only time I would put the paper under is if there were a curious cat or a toddler in the house, since they roll the paper and it doesn’t go to waste on the floor.
13. What product or service is way more expensive than it needs to be?
Anything healthcare related. Need a tooth filled? That’s $150. Need to see a doctor? $100 for the visit. Have to go to the emergency room? Around $4000, plus another couple grand if you are taken by ambulance. Why so fucking pricey?
14. What did you eat so much of that now you hate it?
When they first came out back in 1998, I ate many packages of Reese’s Sticks candies. In fact, I ate so many of them that I got absolutely sick of them. To this day, I wretch at the thought of eating another one🤮. Here’s a fun trivia fact: Reese’s Pieces were launched in 1978. They’re 42 years old?!
15. What would be the worst food to be liquefied and drunk through a straw?
So many things would be disgusting to be sucked through a straw. Pizza, steak, anything savory. One of the more gross things I’ve served at work were soft scrambled eggs—slightly set, still quite runny. Even worse than that were the extra soft scrambled eggs. They literally spent ten seconds on the grill. Barely even set, nearly raw. If I were the server, I probably would’ve sarcastically asked the guest if they wanted a straw for the eggs🤮.
16. What horror story do you have from a job you’ve had?
Oh, there are many. Having worked in fast food, gas stations and a truck stop, I have quite a few. Some are absolutely disgusting. Others are mildly annoying. One of the milder ones I have is from a wannabe truck stop that was really just a glorified gas station. That place no longer exists today. At the time, in the late 90s, there was a person working there in the morning who would heat up the hot food for the warmer. She would handle money at the register then return to prepare the food, without using gloves or even washing her hands. Yeah, quite nauseating. I’m glad I never ate anything there!
17. What current trend makes no sense to you?
Pretty much everything having to do with Snapchat and TikTok. Of course, there were all the YouTube “challenges” that went the rounds (eraser, salt, cinnamon, Tide Pods, etc.). None of that shit made any sense to me. Probably because I actually have common sense, unlike the idiots who thought it was a brilliant idea to rub their skin raw with a pencil eraser or salt; huff cinnamon or eat laundry detergent🤦♂️. I’m looking forward to the “Common Sense” and the “Common Decency” challenges. Those are two things sorely lacking in this fading republic.
18. What escalated very quickly?
Coronavirus and the whole testing, mask requirements, lockdowns/shutdowns and the like. I admit the thousands of people who’ve died is tragic, but when many other pandemics killed millions, why is there so much fucking panic with this? Its mortality rate is extremely low, comparatively. It sad that grown-ass adults have to be told to wash their hands, but isn’t that how you prevent a lot of things? Washing your hands, sneezing into your elbow rather than your hands, and whatnot. People are going to get infected whether or not they’re staying six feet from everyone, washing their hands obsessively, sanitizing and sterilizing everything, wearing a mask and staying home when sick. No matter what precautions you might take, people will still get infected somehow.
19. What’s something that everyone agrees we should change, but somehow it never changes?
Anything and everything in Washington DC. Politicians, term limits on all politicians, government overreach and overspending. Government corruption. Racism, bigotry, hatred in general. Cows may come and cows may go, but the bullshit lives on forever. Same shit, different day.
20. If someone narrated your life, who would you want to be the narrator?
Many people are talented narrators: Morgan Freeman, Peter Thomas (Forensic Files), Don LaFontaine (the movie trailer narrator, RIP), Victor Caroli (1984-87 Transformers animated series) are examples of great narrators. For my life, I would probably need Samuel L. Jackson to narrate it, mainly because my life needs repeated use of the word motherfucker.
I hope this dose of randomness lightens the mood for the start of a new week. Remember to wash your hands, wear your mask when you have to (or not, you do you), check on your loved ones, screw the “one-way aisles” at the store, don’t be an asshole to others, be safe and be well.
Ray’s Rants of the Week 