La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
Oops! I missed posting yesterday. I’ve been in a bit of a funk (again). I tried to write my way out of it, but it only made it worse. And then I kept reading the news. Need I say more? So I did laundry, kept up in the kitchen throughout the day, hung out in the hall with the cats (until we heard a noise from the floor below. Run!!!), and either napped or moped.
I was feeling funky, as in having the blues. Songs tend to pop into my head that express my feelings. But last night, “We Got The Funk” showed up. Not quite the mood. And the next thought I had was doing the Funky Chicken (fortunately, that quickly passed). So my own sad funk started to disappear.
The sculpture above, which mirrors a bit how I was feeling this week, was created by artist José Manuel Belmonte as a memorial to sculptor Juan de Mesa, and sits outside the basilica of San Pedro not far from us. Not seen in my photo is the Christ of Sorrows with his hand reaching out to touch Juan de Mesa. I’m not touched by that hand.
Do you know the word for seersucker in Spanish? I learned it when I was doing my summer shopping last year. It’s sirsaca. I’m glad I didn’t try to literally translate “sucker” when I was in the shop.
While we’re on the subject, the word seersucker comes from Persian, shîr and shakar (milk and sugar), for the gritty texture (sugar) on the smooth cloth (milk). I never did find a new seersucker shirt.
¡Ups! No publiqué ayer. Hee stado un poco de bajón (otra vez). Intenté escribir para salir de ahí, pero solo lo empeoré. Y luego seguí leyendo las noticias. ¿Hace falta decir más? Así que lavé la ropa, me pasé el día en la cocina, estuve en el pasillo con los gatos (hasta que oímos un ruido del piso de abajo. ¡Corre!), y me eché una siesta o me quedé deprimida.
Me sentía decaído (funky), como si estuviera deprimido. Suelen venirme canciones que expresan mis sentimientos. Pero anoche sonó “We Got The Funk”. No estaba de muy buen humor. Y lo siguiente que pensé fue en bailar el Funky Chicken (por suerte, se me pasó rápido). Así que mi propio bajón empezó a desaparecer.
La escultura de arriba, que refleja un poco cómo me sentía esta semana, fue creada por el artista José Manuel Belmonte en memoria del escultor Juan de Mesa, y se encuentra fuera de la basílica de San Pedro, no muy lejos de nosotros. En mi foto no se ve al Cristo de los Dolores con la mano extendida para tocar a Juan de Mesa. Esa mano no me toca.
¿Sabes cómo se dice “sirsaca” en inglés? Aprendí la palabra española cuando haciendo mis compras de verano el año pasado. En inglés, es “seersucker”. Me alegro de no haber intentado traducir literalmente “sucker” (ventosa) cuando estaba en la tienda.
Ya que estamos en el tema, la palabra sirsaca viene del persa, shîr y shakar (leche y azúcar), por la textura arenosa (azúcar) y la tela suave (leche). Nunca encontré una camisa nueva de sirsaca.
• El Fénix con naranjos en la Plaza de las Tendillas.
• Adornos navideños de día en la calle Cruz Conde. Empezaron a quitarlos y luego llovió. Creo que por fin los han quitado todos.
• El mercado de pescado de la planta baja tiene plantaciones post-navideñas.
Sorry for the funk; hopefully it will dissipate. I loathe those kinds of days.
Perhaps the thought of seersucker my cheer you up, but if not that those two Boys will surely do something!
Bob:
The funk isn’t uncommon this time of year. It WILL dissipate. And, sure, cleaning up the boys crap and vomit is a big help!
I fully understand the funk. My father had a saying that I repeat often; “I feel like someone stole the cake from my lunch.”
Rade:
That’s a great saying. My father never showed that kind of sensitivity. I was just “moody.”
I can imagine you dancing the funky chicken, in about 1985, in the midst swirls of shirtless go-go boys, in the early hours of the morning, and still be up dressed and at your desk at 8:45.
David:
Oh, by that time, I had been with SG 4 years and about to make a third move. No shirtless go-go boys for me — well, really, never; such a shame.
The Firestone on Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando, had half a dozen head high platforms around the dance floor, stage lit, with Speedo clad dancers on them on Saturday night. Foggy memories of late nights.
Thanks for the info on the etymology of “seersucker” — fascinating!
Debra:
When I saw the Spanish version, it made me think about how odd the term was. The fact that the sounds were repeated in both languages made me wonder what the origin was. I found it fascinating, too.
When you wrote about seersucker I began to wonder if it was just an anglicized word and you promptly explained it is! I hope the funk goes away soon. Those days aren’t good at all. Are you able to draw at the moment? Boud
Boud:
I find word origins fascinating, especially when they’re so easily traced. I have something I’m working on sitting on my desk and it’s frustrating me.
Seeing the Xmas decorations coming down and the Spring plantings begin to arrive is enough to lift any “funky” mood, surely? I bought some beautiful, bright primulas yesterday and they’re already adding cheer to the garden (even just where I placed them on the garden bench before finding them “permanent” homes)! Jx
Jon:
We actually have sun right now. That helps. We’ve had so little recently.
M & D snooze in a manner as if they owned your place – which, I reckon, is exactly how they view things, investigating every little thing that doesn’t feel quite ‘right’.
Raybeard:
Oh, yes, they do own the place, and we actually arrange things to their liking. It’s ridiculous.
It is a funky time of year, is it not? Keep doing what you are doing, and those CUTE kitties ought to help.
The more I see the cultures of Europe, the more I realize how ‘immature ‘ North American culture is. But we are getting.
Jim:
The cute kitties do help… until I have to clean up one of their disgusting messes.
……getting there.
All these many years and, finally, I’ve found out what the words were in that song. Thanks!
wickedhamster:
I’m glad you caught them. I mostly try to find videos with lyrics included. I’m not always successful.
Funks come and funks go. I’ve been on anti-depressants for a couple of decades now, but there are still those days… I just console myself that it will pass eventually and, when necessary, take a nap. The wretched state of the nation and world doesn’t help, that’s for sure. I’ve been avoiding the news, for the most part, for years now. One does, occasionally, find something good, as in this morning: “The state Senate passed the amendments on party-line votes after they passed in the House of Delegates on Wednesday. They are slated to come before Virginia’s voters in a referendum later this year. Those amendments are HJ 1, which would enshrine access to abortion in the constitution, passed 21-18; HJ 2, which would restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated people, passed 21-18; and HJ 3, which would protect same-sex marriage in Virginia, passed 26-13 with five Republicans joining their Democratic colleagues.”
wickedhamster:
I’ve been on anti-depressants for most of the last 40 years. Amazing to consider. They sure have made a difference but they’re not a cure.
Bruno Mars Uptown Funk…
Jssw:
I thought of that. One of my favorites.
Some days are just not good days. That’s all there is to it. We muddle through. We hope for better.
George Clinton has a home down the road from here. I’ve never seen him in and around the town but I did see his band at the airport once. They seemed pretty merry.
My grandfather had a seersucker suit as did most of the retired gentlemen in Roseland. I believe it was de rigueur for a seersucker suit to be bought when one was moving to Florida. He looked pretty handsome in it.
Ms. Moon
Ms. Moon:
I’ve never had a seersucker suit. A jacket once and a pair of shorts that I loved. I have two shirts. They’re so comfortable
I haven’t seen seersucker in a store in I can’t remember how long! I love the way different languages seep into other languages. Dudo and Moose look very content. Things can always get worse as you no doubt divined by not looking at the news. I’m allowing only little peeks right now, mostly head in the sand.
ellen abbott:
I have two seersucker shirts. I shopped for more last year but could only find what I already had.
I was just telling my daughter that despite being medicated, I’m still depressed. But given things going on in the world, the US, and my personal life…. it’s clearly situational. Something’s gotta give!
Seersucker and white bucks (and bow ties): a southern thing. And George Clinton is one funky guy!
Kelly:
Same here. I’m on medication but it can’t always keep up with my world. When I was a kid, I wore white bucks and bow ties. I must have had some seersucker.
Interesting! I don’t remember ever hearing the source of the word seersucker, but is IS a very peculiar word, now that you mention it. I used to have some seersucker shorts, until they wore out.
Sorry about your blues. It’s hard to be upbeat in January.
Steve:
I, too, had seersucker shorts, years ago, that wore out. They were so comfortable I wore them to death. The word didn’t peek my curiosity until I learned the Spanish version. Yeah, January is an unforgiving month.
I hate seersucker. It always reminds me of my father’s elderly republican friends and family that would come visit. I used to call it Old People fabric.
But the snapshot of the Phoenix with orange trees on Plaza de las Tendillas is spectacular! What stunning architecture!
Mistress Maddie:
I don’t remember my father’s generation wearing searsucker except to a picnic or the beach. I wish I could ride a cherrypicker to get more photos of that monument.
That photo of Moose creates the illusion that he is standing up, like a boxer.
larrymuffin:
That would be feat. Dudo does that.
Instead of George Clinton, maybe you should have played the Beach Boys, who wore striped seersucker shirts.
Kirk:
But were the Beach Boys funky?
I go in and out of the blues, too, but my anger with the felon helps to propell me. Does propel have one l or two? It’s a mystery. Mother sewed a sirsaca top and pedal pushers (now called cropped pants) for me when I was five. I wish I had that outfit now, in a larger size.
Love,
Janie
janiejunebug:
Did you ever know the difference between pedal pushers and clam diggers. I had clam diggers; they were nautically inspired, so it was clear (to me). Propel, one; all variations, two. At least I think so.
What’s the difference between claim diggers and pedal pushers?
Webster’s says it’s propel.
janiejunebug:
Yes, but propelled, propeller. propelling…
janiejunebug.
Pedal pushers were mid-calf. Clam diggers were just below the knee. Mine were nautical-looking pedal pushers. https://movingwithmitchell.com/2022/10/31/pedal-pushers-embujadores-de-pedales/
My son dances the… McDonald’s Chicken nugget?
Adam
Nekorandom.com
Adam Nekorandom:
I’ve never seen the chicken nugget dance!
I am disappointed the Spanish word for funky is only funky.
Urspo:
I was, too.
Mitchell, seeing these two photos of Moose and Dudo. Reminded me to ask you about your previous kitties… I’ve been hopping around in Jerry’s book, and I just saw mention of 2 sweet cats you had before… Maynard and Dobie, was it? Have you ever shown us photos of those two?
Judy C:
Our “California cats,” Dobie and Maynard, were also brothers and litter mates. We adopted them in San Diego when they were 4 months old. Maynard died at the age of 12 and Dobie at 17. I’ll see what photos I can find. They were both black and not easy to photograph. When Maynard died, we adopted 7-month-old Thelma in Las Vegas. She gave Dobie a new lease on life.