Saturday, August 17, 2013

Random Saturday Musings - the red wine on white carpet version....

Yes, last night there was an INCIDENT.

Thank god it was me that did it, because it is the kind of thing you forgive yourself for rather quickly but torture your family about for years to come.  I spilt a half glass of red wine on the white carpet in the back room/my new office while hopping about while two of my friends went through my old work clothes to take home a big haul.  We have salted and vinegar-ed and baking soda-ed and blotted and am now going out this morning for carpet cleaner.

Sigh. 

will take pictures later today so you can see how it all turned out....

But I am thinking about other things today...

1) Like I no longer know who's who in popular culture...

No - I am not a complete luddite, but I would say that about 60% of the time now when I hear someone talking about some young celebrity I have NO idea who they are.  And unless they end up in an Academy Award winning film, I never will know who they are.

Usually, they are on some reality TV show that I don't watch.  My kids don't watch them either, and yet they know who the person is.  And then there are all the shows with young teenage girls that get me all mixed up and which my husband and I call the 'Pretty Little Vampires" shows:




Do you know these people?  Nope - me neither...

And unless they are a wildly popular music group, I do not know what I am hearing on the radio.  And when I do discover them, they already have two albums and their hit is at least a year old.  I am quite sure I am the last person to discover Mumford and Sons.


we had to wait a LONG time for you Wendy - where the hell were you?

When I was 21 (the age of my daughter), I knew who everyone was in popular culture.  Now I know unpopular culture - I can tell you who is playing on 40s on 4 or 70s on 7 on XM radio, I can wax philosophic on current events, I read books about gardening.  Oh I am happy, all right, but I suddenly realized this week that the torch of knowing that stuff has been passed and I am well and truly ensconced in middle age.

That's okay - cause I hope to be able to say that today I am the middle aged woman who knows how to get red wine out of white sisal carpet...

2) Egypt

I don't know about you, but watching the news coming out of Egypt is so sad and scary.  Yesterday's Day of Rage resulted in at least 60 deaths and it is scary to watch the country imploding.  In the end, it is the innocent Egyptians who are harmed by all of this and I am hoping (but not hopeful) for a resolution soon that stops the bloodshed.


3) Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines

Nope - we are not going to talk about the provocative video.  The story this week is how much the song Blurred Lines is reminiscent of Marvin Gaye's song "Got to Give it up".


You can listen to the two versions and read the story here

What do I think?  I think there are some definite similarities.  However, I think that in the creative process something sometimes gets in someone's subconscious that they may not even be aware of that impacts what they create.  Is that plagiarizing?  I don't think so.  My experience (such as it is - remember, I am the Queen of Unpopular Culture) is that hip-hop music samples a lot and always pays homage to what they sample, so I would be shocked if Pharrell Williams in particular was to sample Marvin Gaye's work and not acknowledge it.  However, what do I know?  Will leave it to others to decide.  Me?  I like both songs.  I do kind of wish Blurred Lines would get out of my head however...

Oh and have I mentioned that I just "discovered" Pharell a couple of months ago on The Voice?  Yes I did and he is awfully cute...


And that is all for me for today.  I am off to Walmart to buy carpet cleaner.  As I always say: CARPET DIEM!!!

Or maybe that is CARPET TERSUM?

Oh well - say a little prayer for me...

Oh and we are going to friend's for dinner.  Hope I have a better clasp on my wine there...

Have a fabulous Saturday and stay safe out there!
 

38 comments:

  1. I hope you have had success with your carpet! I don't know who anyone is either. Though I often hear about new music thanks to my cousin Aaron A the director of cool-kids videos. I think he did one for those Mumford guys.
    Have a good weekend darling! No more hopping with red wine! ;)

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    1. Good luck going off the grid! No hopping - I am hopped out!

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    2. Carpet Diem - that is Get Fresh worthy and that is saying a lot!
      Egypt is a disaster just now, such a tragedy.

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  2. Count me into your Unpopular Culture Club. I have become increasingly uncool with advancing years and I sort of like it. Sorry to hear about the carpet. We have just finished removing ours and It has really cut time on cleaning and maintenance.

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    1. Hi Marie,

      I wish I could avoid the carpet - there are only 2 rooms left in house with no hardwood beneath and this is one of them,.. sigh..

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  3. I don't know anything about Mumford & Sons or carpet cleaning, so you're way ahead of me there!
    Really, I am very ignorant of pop culture these days, and, like you, not very worried about it!
    Hope th carpet comes good. I ruined a cream carpet at the age of three. I scribbled all over it with my new felt tip pens. The moral of this story is not to have a cream carpe/young child/coloured pens!!

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    1. Really - it wasn't your fault - what were your parents thinking! :-)

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  4. You shouldn't put salt on stains bc that holds it! they use salt to hold dyes - learned that when i did a dyeing course once.

    PS i am getting older that not only would i not recognize them but i don't care that i dont..!

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    1. damn - one of the friends said salt. I have moved on to the carpet cleaner, so we will see...

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  5. I'm in the stain (and pop culture clueless) boat with you! Got some chocolate on my white couch last night. Agree that it's better that it was me to get the first stain. Am using an enzyme cleaner that I love from Whole Foods And some hydrogen peroxide to male sure there's no tell-tale ring. Seems to be coming out just fine. Wishing you the same cleaning luck!

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  6. Hope the carpets survives. When I had wall-to-wall, the best thing that worked for me was to soak the area with a carpet cleaner and then use a shop vac to suck up the mess. Mumford & Sons are the best, aren't they?

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    1. that's what I am trying now! I do love Mumford and Sons! I am sure they are relieved I found them!

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  7. WHITE OUT CSW is right, no salt in future. Have you tried Oxy-Clean? And the hydrogen peroxide from our lovely ShopwithM is a good tip too - one of those cheapie drugstore staples it pays to keep around for all kinds of things. Good luck. Around here I have learned to consider the remnants of wine etc. as memories of good times. Hope your friends enjoy their new wearables, that's always such fun!

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    1. I love liquid OxyClean, but be sure to track down the UNSCENTED variety, otherwise you won't be able to use that room again. Good luck!

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    2. I have some stuff I got at walmart this a.m. - if it doesn't work, I will head back for oxyclean!

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  8. Have you tried club soda on the carpet? Good luck!

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  9. 1. Don't worry. I couldn't make it through the second Twilight film so watching week after week of teen angst does nothing for me.
    2. Try the Spectrum on XM. It is a mix of classic and new. Classic rock/alternative not 40's. Please tell me you DO know who the Black Keys are- my favorite right now.
    3. I just heard Blurred Lines cuz I was watching Stephen Colbert show and he was on. Love Marvin Gaye.
    4. Egypt...mixed emotions. Either the military is making a stand against the Brotherhood and Al Qaeda (I do believe they are one and the same - I do not believe they are just Joe Bob on the street) or they want control and screw democracy.

    Vinegar and water usually works wonders. After you remove the stain you may want to treat your carpet with a stain sealer because with all the scrubbing, chemicals you probably have removed that. Best of luck.

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    1. Hey BB - good advice!! skulking off to check on black keys...

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  10. I have no clue as to who many of these young hotties are; they all kind of look the same peering out from the mags at the market checkout. I do know Mumford only because they did an outdoor concert on the East End in Portland attended by 15K to kick off their last tour.

    Wineaway is a great little product we picked up in California one trip; I think it has hydrogen peroxide in it. I have ahd the same cream denim slipcovers on a sofa for 15 yrs despite some guest spills.

    I don't know what to say about Egypt; So painful to watch what is happening.

    I am making a peach gallette to have tonight with friends who are also getting a bit of halibut, some pasta with roast cherry tomato sauce and a watermelon, cuke,mint salad. So nice it's cool enough to feel like cooking. Enjoy your night without having to cook!

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    1. thanks Lane - I figured there must be a wine begone product! What I got this a.m. has hydrogen peroxide in it, so am crossing fingers and toes!

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  11. I once spilled red wine on someone else's white carpet. I still can't forgive myself, although she was very calm about it. I would just not let the stain dry until it is out because that is what will set it. And, if you used salt, etc, make sure all traces of those cleansers are gone before you use a new one. Hydrogen peroxide can bleach, so use with care. Good luck. OMG , I have been so sorry to read about Egypt and all the instability in that region. Tragic.
    Good luck with your carpet, and enjoy your weekend!

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  12. I have read the best thing for emergency cleaning of red wine is to flush it out first with white wine. After that, flush out the area with club soda. Sounds crazy but totally makes sense from the chemistry standpoint, which is the idea that like dissolves like.

    Happy weekend!

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    1. Louise - tried your route after spot cleaner was less-than-effective. Worked a charm. Not perfect - but I think the best considering the mess! thanks!

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  13. I need to check out Mumford and Sons. As someone in her thirties (barely), I'm a bit embarrassed not to know their music or that of The Black Keys. Some more musically-hip friends of ours introduced us to The Avett Brothers this summer, and I am smitten! If you like music with a bit of a folksy sound to it, you'll like them.

    I am also clueless of the identities of most young starlets these days.

    So sad about the goings on in Egypt.

    Good luck with your carpet! As a young teen, I spilled nail polish on the new carpet in my bedroom, and hid it from my parents. Oh, the drama...

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    1. the avett brothers will be here in sept. off to see if I can get tickets!

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  14. I read a lot of rubbish mags (it's a terrible addiction like the rt hand column of Dail Mail) so though I don't watch reality shows I know all about B list people. I wish I could apply those memory skills to something that would make me money but sadly no...

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    1. oh I have to admit, I read the right hand column - though I don't know many of the celebrities as so many are british TV folks that I don't know...

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  15. I don't know who all those people are and can't say I much care. I wouldn't even know what pics to post to prove the point. And if you can discuss #3, you're way ahead of me.

    My heart hurts for Egypt.

    So nice to visit with you on a Saturday ... hoping you success on the carpet but I say you could think of carpeting as a canvas for living ... no?

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    1. TR - very philosophical. And all is pretty good, except for the decidedly wine-y smell in my office..

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  16. Long ago I had a kitty that bled on my carpet. I had great success removing the stain with an OxyClean solution. Good luck!

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    1. thanks Rose - it is looking quite good, but I am definitely going to buy oxyclean to add to my cleaning arsenal!

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  17. Good luck with the carpet... if it doesn't come out, buy a UV light bulb to put in a lamp, wet the carpet stain with water, and shine the UV onto it. By the time it dries, it should be gone. If not, rewet and try again. That's the way I get red wine out of clothes and table linen (except I dry it on the line, rather than by lamplight of course). I never bother to stain treat.
    I have no idea who most of the pop culture people are.... that guy that died from Glee recently? I still haven't worked out which character he was! More importantly as an indicator of how old I am is that I don't really care that I don't know too!

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    1. Hi Heidi - I have never heard of this UV bulb method and am intrigued!!! off to find a bulb today, as I am a klutz and will need it!

      Too funny about Glee! I agree - you get to a certain age and you like what you like!

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    2. Hi Wendy, just remember to wear sunglasses or some other protective eyewear if you do use a UV lamp!

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