Under Paris Skies (#BOTB & #IWSG )

        Another Blogging from A to Z is behind us and now to get back to regular programming.  Today we have a two-fer that is pretty much what I regularly do here each month...

 The Insecure Writer's Support Group

Join us on the first Wednesday of each month in Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group--a forum of writers who gather to talk about writing and the writer's life. For a complete list of participants visit Alex's Blog. 
     The co-hosts for the May 1 posting of the IWSG are Victoria Marie Lees, Kim Lajevardi, Nancy Gideon, and Cathrina Constantine.

May 1 question - How do you deal with distractions when you are writing? Do they derail you?

       Distractions don't turn my life into a total train wreck, but they often "derail" me onto a sidetrack that I hadn't planned on going down.  And if those sidetracks don't find me then I'll sometimes look for them.

        I've often had a problem with focus. There's always something for me to do that seems more fun, more interesting, or more useful than what I started out to do.  That especially applies to writing.  I may want to write, but it seems like a necessary chore comes up or someone calls on the phone or I just feel the need to do something, anything other than the writing that I thought I needed to do.  

        I guess I should write more than I do, but then again...

        Time for another distraction I think...

Battle of the Bands

        Battle of the Bands is the blogging event started by Far Away Series and now hosted by StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands.   This event happens each month on the 15th and on some there is also a Battle on the 1st of the month.  My blog is one of those with a second Battle excepting over these summer months.   The premise is simple:  Listen to the songs presented below and then in the comments vote for your favorite and tell us why you liked it.  Then visit the links listed near the bottom of this post for more Battle action.

Under Paris Skies

       In November of 2015 my wife and I took a week-end respite to link up with one of our daughters and her family in Las Vegas.  For them it was due to business, while for us it was just something to do--a distraction from everyday routine.

       As we would typically do on a Las Vegas visit, we spent hours strolling through the casinos, playing an occasional slot or snacking or just looking.  One of our favorite casinos for strolling is The Venetian which for its theme has canals with singing gondoliers taking folks through the maze of waterways that meander through recreated Venice style streets.  There are jewelry shops and gelato stands.  One can dine on fancy Italian fare or grab fast food in the food court.  If you just stayed in this casino alone you might lose track of time because the fake sky is always daylight. The Venetian like most other casinos is a fantasyland of escapism.

      At one point during our visit, I was distracted by a musical ensemble playing music that was reminiscent of what one might hear in Italy.  What especially caught my ear was a song that I had grown up hearing on the radio and in my parents' record collection.  What was the song?  I was so puzzled by wondering the name of this familiar tune that I was compelled to go up to the edge of the stage when they had finished and ask the violinist what they had just played.  He told me that the song was "Under Paris Skies" which I would have never guessed.  

     But now I know the name of this song and present it in Battle format with one singer I've heard throughout my life, Jane Morgan, and a singer I'd never heard of before, Nicki Parrott.  I'm going to pick my own favorite later on, but for now I invite you to listen for yourself and tell us which version you like best.       

Jane Morgan  "Under Paris Skies"   ( 1964 )





Nicki Parrott  "Under Paris Skies"  ( 2013 )

Time to Vote!

         Try not to get distracted before you vote.  Take a moment to listen to each version.  Then tell us which song version do you like best?   Hopefully you have an opinion of some kind.  You don't have to know about music to have an opinion since it all comes down to your own personal taste.

        Please vote on your favorite by letting us know your choice in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the version you chose. Then after you've finished here, please visit the other blogs listed below who may or may not be participating this time around. And if you've put up your own BOTB contest let us know that as well so we can vote on yours. I don't know if anyone else will be doing a Battle this time around, but you can still check out these sites.


Here are some other places where you might find BOTB posts:

 StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 

Landmark Sounds (Diedre Knight)

BATTLE OF THE BANDS BY DEBBIE D

Trivial Music Silliness

Mike's Ramblings

Results on Wednesday May 8

 

       I'll try not to get too distracted so I can post the results.  I know you will all be waiting anxiously to hear which song came out with the most votes.

Zookeeper, Zoning Manager, Zzyzx Operator, ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

 

                Zoo is a common go-to for many an April A to Z series so zookeeper sounds like the natural way to go for this final letter.in regard to my series about occupations that I coulda been or actually was on occasion.  I was never a zookeeper, but I was a parent and that is sometimes compared to maintaining a zoo.  My critters--er, I mean--girls were pretty good.  Now they've got their own zoos with more nice kids like I had.  I'd much rather visit a zoo than keep care of one, but it does sound like an interesting occupation.

         Zoning manager is more like it for me. Not that I know much about zoning anything.  I'm sure I could figure it out as good as anyone else.  Sounds like an office job and that's my speed these days.  Then also, it's a manager job and as I've mentioned in earlier posts, I've been manager in most of my job positions.  Maybe I could be manager of an office of engineers or whatever who do zoning work.  And I could do the management part.  If that's how it works.

        Considering my location of Los Angeles I perhaps could apply as an operator at Zzyzx CA.  To clarify, Zzyzx is an exit one sees on the way to Las Vegas off of I-15.  There used to be some sort of health resort at this remote desert location, but now it's associated with some kind of university research.  They must have someone who runs things out there.  Guess I won't apply for that job. It gets really hot out there.

        And that, my friends, concludes another year for me of Blogging from A to Z.   I've explored the occupations that I coulda been as well as some of the things I actually did do.  Hope you enjoyed it and if you missed any of the posts then I hope you'll go back to check them out

       Comments always welcomed!

        Do you go to zoos very often?   Is the zoning where you live fairly strict or is it mostly lax and random?   Have you ever seen that Zzyzx exit or even actually gotten off there?

Yard Worker, Yacht Captain, Youth Director, Yo-yo Expert ( #AtoZChallenge )

 

            Since I don't know or care much about yarn, yeast, or yoga then I'll dismiss any occupations associated with those things.  I've done plenty of yard work in my life including working outdoors in what they called the "construction yard" when I was working at the contracting company that my father worked for while I was in college.  That's a young man's work and I wouldn't want to do much of that again.

       Yacht Captain would never come about for me so I can easily dismiss that job.  Youth director might be more related to my skillset, but I'm not sure I'd be the greatest youth director.  At least not if it were an energetic thing or where I might have to deal with unruly youth. Fact is I don't know that I'd want to be a director of any amassed group of people or any other creatures. 

         Maybe I'm best at being a yo-yo expert.  Not actual toy yo-yos, but metaphorical yo-yos that represent all the ups and downs and highs and lows of life.  But haven't we all?  Perhaps I should just go out and buy a toy yo-yo and start practicing.  It's probably a dead end career.  And once you reach the end of the string you just go back to where you've started. Yeah, I guess you could call me a yo-yo expert.

   

        Do you or have you in the past maintained a large yard?  Are you good when it comes to working with young people or just people in general?  How proficient are your yo-yo skills?