Tossing Salt Presents:
Questions (Not) By Casper #22
Random Twitter Q&A
March 24, 2023
DougMaynard.com

In a world full of questions, it’s always fun to reply with an answer or two. I used to do a regular piece called “Questions By Casper”, but alas, Casper has gone MIA. But others have stepped up to fill the void. Just random questions from my Twitter friends. Are you ready? Let’s go.

Age yourself, Name a restaurant from your childhood that isn’t around anymore.

Two that immediately come to mind are Holly Farms, a chicken and tater place that used to be here in Laurinburg. The building was torn down and replaced by a Captain D’s way back in 1986. They had some great chicken that would put KFC to shame. And the other, for me anyhow, was Deedales, a hot dog place, again here in Laurinburg. They had footlong hot dogs and a jukebox in the restaurant as well. It was a family-owned business that never failed to deliver. Eventually, they closed the shop and the building was torn down and replaced by Burger King, which is still there to this day. That was the early 80s too. I wish they’d tear down Captain D’s and Burger King to bring those two businesses back. The food and service were so much better, plus I miss the jukebox.

Do Americans have an accent?

Quite a few of them depend upon which part of the country that you’re from. There’s southern, north-western, New England, Boston (What up, Eric?), West Coast, and so many different ways of speaking. But we’re all American. So there you go.

Pineapples are not available, which toppings are you putting on your pizza?

Hamburger, Sausage, Ham, Bacon, Pepperoni, Mushrooms, Onions, Peppers, and lots of cheese. I’ll miss that pineapple taste, but give me lots of meat and I’ll be okay.

If you could choose one book that every single high-school student had to read, what book would you choose?

I know you’re probably expecting a smart-ass answer here, but there is only one true and legit reply. The Bible.

What’s a song by Loggins & Messina that you really like?

Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina made some great music and have plenty of good ones, but the one that always makes me feel warm and fuzzy in the tum-tum is this one right here, Danny’s Song.

Was Freddie Mercury the greatest frontman of all time?

Though I love Freddie Mercury and his music and he was amazing in everything he did on stage, the greatest rock & roll frontman of all time is and will always be Alice Cooper. No arguments allowed. Alice is the man! ‘Nuff said!

How did you meet the love of your life?

I had the “love of my life”? I must have been drunk then because I don’t remember that. Just kidding. I do and even though he turned out to have major issues and was a dumb-ass, I still care for the guy. I just can’t have him and his B.S. in my life anymore. I deserve better. But I met him while working at a convenience store, Dairy Mart to be exact. His brother was a friend and well, he became a friend and it went from there. I still miss the guy and his sister is amazing. I talk to her regularly and she keeps me updated on him. Too bad things turned out as they did, but I’ll always care for him. And it’s all Dairy Mart’s fault.

Would you rather follow the instructions on how to do something or try without instructions?

Instructions are for other people. I just forge ahead and get ‘er done, using my knowledge, intuition, wit, and brain. And then I go back and pull the instructions out of the trash can to figure out why things aren’t working properly. Then I throw the book away, deny I ever looked at it, and get the job completed.

What’s the most annoying thing people do in public?

Some people can be annoying just by being there and don’t have to do anything, but my biggest peeve of mine is the yelling and screaming that people do. Use the inside voice and calm the hell down, please! We can all hear you so please, just shut the hell up. And put down that damn phone while I’m waiting on you. Talking on the phone while someone is trying to assist you and speaking to you is just plain rude. Just quit already!

What are Things you can say about your car but not your Girlfriend?

That I have a car, a truck actually, and not a girlfriend. Nor a boyfriend either, but that’s just me. And my truck is reliable and trustworthy, something the men of my past have problems being.

Who is the greatest Farmer of all time?

I’d say, Old McDonald. We’ve been hearing about and singing about his farm for centuries so it must be a pretty damn good one.

What was awful when you were a kid but amazing now?

Spankings and naps. I didn’t like either when I was a kid, but now… things have changed.

Name a song with “luck” in the title.

The first one that comes to mind is this Garth Brooks cover of an old KISS classic, Hard Luck Woman.

What tastes good both warm and cold?

Either chicken or pizza. Mt. Dew Zero too, at least to me.

How do you help keep positive when you’re doubting your capabilities, and self-doubt creeps in?

I look back on my website and over at my profile for FanFiction.net to see some of the things I’ve written over the years, the stories I’ve written, and while most of it is just going through the motions and doesn’t require much thinking or effort, like these Q&As that I love to do, there is some pretty good stuff there as well, if I do say so myself, and I just did. I’m a basket-case sometimes and I have a helluva lot of issues to be sure, but there are some hidden gems every so often. Between doing that, looking back at where I’ve been and where I am now, and occasional reinforcement from a few certain friends, it’s hard to stay too negative and insecure for very long. I have my issues to be sure and staying positive isn’t one of my strong points, but I keep on keeping on and trying.

And there you go. My thanks for reading. Comments, thoughts, and any questions are welcome and appreciated. And with that, I think it’s time to call it a night. Well, I’m going to go out and ride around for a while, but same difference. Take care and be well, my friends. I’ll see you in the funny papers.

Ubuntu!