Chats. I was only on the phone a total of perhaps an hour today, but those three short calls made me feel so happy and reconnected. My sea-faring cousin called me this morning to confirm our Tuesday plans and, lo and behold, she sounded happy! Maybe tomorrow won't be so bad, after all! Then my best friend called and we chatted as he rode in the cab to his hotel, and that brief, gossipy call reassured me that we're on our way back to being us again. And I called to check on my mom. My niece -- my older sister's daughter -- is on her way back home tomorrow after a few days with Grandma and it was terrific to hear how well their visit went. Those three phone calls will make it possible for me to go to sleep happy tonight.
Monday, August 20, 2007
August Happiness -- Monday 20
Chats. I was only on the phone a total of perhaps an hour today, but those three short calls made me feel so happy and reconnected. My sea-faring cousin called me this morning to confirm our Tuesday plans and, lo and behold, she sounded happy! Maybe tomorrow won't be so bad, after all! Then my best friend called and we chatted as he rode in the cab to his hotel, and that brief, gossipy call reassured me that we're on our way back to being us again. And I called to check on my mom. My niece -- my older sister's daughter -- is on her way back home tomorrow after a few days with Grandma and it was terrific to hear how well their visit went. Those three phone calls will make it possible for me to go to sleep happy tonight.
A Grown-Up Meme
This meme is called Grown-Up Questions and I got it from Kwizgiver. Compare your own answers to Kwiz' and mine, and be sure to leave me a comment if you choose to participate.
1. Do you have a college degree?
No
2.What was the amount of your last electric bill?
$81
3. Do you have life insurance?
Yes
4. How many hours per week do you work?
40+
5. Have you ever attended a Toastmasters event?
Don't even know what that is
6. Favorite place to attend Happy Hour?
Monk's Pub at Lake and Wells. FREE peanuts!
7. How many miles is your commute to work each day (one way)?
12 miles
8. What time do you get up every morning for work?
6:00 AM
9. What is your definition of sleeping in late?
Past 6:00. (My definition doesn't matter -- it's my cat Reynaldo who decides how late I am allowed to sleep.)
10. Do you check your cholesterol on a yearly basis?
Yes. This old gal has high cholesterol.
11. How large was your first cell phone bill?
Approx. $59
12. Does your employer provide good health insurance?
Yes. I'm lucky. The dental coverage is pretty decent, too.
13. Did you use the internet to write a research paper?
No. I went to school before Al Gore invented the Internet.
14. Have you attended a High School reunion?
Dear God, NO!
15. How many jobs have you held in your professional career?
I'm on my 8th company.
16. Have you ever been fired or laid off from a job?
Yes, in Autumn 2002. That layoff is one of the best things that ever happened to me. I was soooo burned out.
17. What is your favorite drink?
Classic Coke. Or, if we're talking booze, a Cosmo.
18. What is the most expensive bottle of wine that you have in your refrigerator?
$3.49 on sale. Arbor Mist Strawberry White Zinfandel. I can be a very low-brow gal.
19. Have you been divorced?
No. If you don't marry, you can't divorce.
20. How old were you when you stopped getting ID-ed for Alcohol?
Some nice older waitress carded me at lunch about 3 years ago. God bless her.
21. Favorite casino?
Sahara on the Las Vegas strip. I hope they haven't torn it down, too. I ended my slot machine stint $12 ahead.
22. Are you happier now than you were in high school?
YES! Yes.
23. Did you ever have Hypercolor shirts?
No. Unfamiliar with the concept.
24. Do you remember when Michael Jackson was black and was attracted to older people?
Yes. That was 2 or 3 noses ago.
25. Do you remember when MTV actually played music videos?
Yes. Martha was my favorite VJ.
26. Have you had a will made?
Yes. Living will, too.
27. What music was in your cd / cassette player when you were 16?
The two "Runs." Band on the and Born to.
28. Favorite fancy / upscale restaurant?
Brasserie Jo in Chicago's Loop. When I worked on John Kerry's Presidential campaign, they donated one of their private dining rooms to us and I plug them any time I can. (312) 595-0800
29. How long has it been since you attended a kegger?
Late 80s.
30. Where were you when you found out about 9-11?
I was tying my shoes, getting ready to catch the 8:10 train, when I heard about it from Matt Lauer on The Today Show. Rode the train in, crying, listening to my Walkman. I heard the Pentagon get hit through my headphones. Got to work in one of Chicago's higher profile skyscrapers, only to be escorted out and sent back home by the Chicago cops. I will never, ever forget it.
1. Do you have a college degree?
No
2.What was the amount of your last electric bill?
$81
3. Do you have life insurance?
Yes
4. How many hours per week do you work?
40+
5. Have you ever attended a Toastmasters event?
Don't even know what that is
6. Favorite place to attend Happy Hour?
Monk's Pub at Lake and Wells. FREE peanuts!
7. How many miles is your commute to work each day (one way)?
12 miles
8. What time do you get up every morning for work?
6:00 AM
9. What is your definition of sleeping in late?
Past 6:00. (My definition doesn't matter -- it's my cat Reynaldo who decides how late I am allowed to sleep.)
10. Do you check your cholesterol on a yearly basis?
Yes. This old gal has high cholesterol.
11. How large was your first cell phone bill?
Approx. $59
12. Does your employer provide good health insurance?
Yes. I'm lucky. The dental coverage is pretty decent, too.
13. Did you use the internet to write a research paper?
No. I went to school before Al Gore invented the Internet.
14. Have you attended a High School reunion?
Dear God, NO!
15. How many jobs have you held in your professional career?
I'm on my 8th company.
16. Have you ever been fired or laid off from a job?
Yes, in Autumn 2002. That layoff is one of the best things that ever happened to me. I was soooo burned out.
17. What is your favorite drink?
Classic Coke. Or, if we're talking booze, a Cosmo.
18. What is the most expensive bottle of wine that you have in your refrigerator?
$3.49 on sale. Arbor Mist Strawberry White Zinfandel. I can be a very low-brow gal.
19. Have you been divorced?
No. If you don't marry, you can't divorce.
20. How old were you when you stopped getting ID-ed for Alcohol?
Some nice older waitress carded me at lunch about 3 years ago. God bless her.
21. Favorite casino?
Sahara on the Las Vegas strip. I hope they haven't torn it down, too. I ended my slot machine stint $12 ahead.
22. Are you happier now than you were in high school?
YES! Yes.
23. Did you ever have Hypercolor shirts?
No. Unfamiliar with the concept.
24. Do you remember when Michael Jackson was black and was attracted to older people?
Yes. That was 2 or 3 noses ago.
25. Do you remember when MTV actually played music videos?
Yes. Martha was my favorite VJ.
26. Have you had a will made?
Yes. Living will, too.
27. What music was in your cd / cassette player when you were 16?
The two "Runs." Band on the and Born to.
28. Favorite fancy / upscale restaurant?
Brasserie Jo in Chicago's Loop. When I worked on John Kerry's Presidential campaign, they donated one of their private dining rooms to us and I plug them any time I can. (312) 595-0800
29. How long has it been since you attended a kegger?
Late 80s.
30. Where were you when you found out about 9-11?
I was tying my shoes, getting ready to catch the 8:10 train, when I heard about it from Matt Lauer on The Today Show. Rode the train in, crying, listening to my Walkman. I heard the Pentagon get hit through my headphones. Got to work in one of Chicago's higher profile skyscrapers, only to be escorted out and sent back home by the Chicago cops. I will never, ever forget it.
So the Tough Guy took a plea
This from espn.com: "Michael Vick's lawyer said Monday the NFL star will plead guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, putting the Atlanta Falcons quarterback's career in jeopardy and leaving him subject to a prison term."This spares Mr. Vick a trial, which would have put him in front of a jury of his peers. It's a good bet (no pun intended) that least one of of those jurors would have a beloved dog at home … a dog not that different from the more than half-dozen dogs Vick was accused of killing. Perhaps another would have a kitty cat … not unlike the cats, small dogs and rabbits that were torn apart by pit bulls as part of their "training" at Vick's Bad Newz Kennels. And I think it's highly likely that all the jurors would be familiar with Lassie and Old Yeller.
Therefore accepting the plea deal was a wise move, if not a particularly "tough" one. I mean, wouldn't a real "tough" guy gladly face the most dangerous scenario possible to prove his worth? I'd say that Mr. Vick is now an "underperforming" tough guy. Remember what happened to "underperforming" dogs, the dogs that weren't "tough," at Michael Vick's Bad Newz Kennels? Those dogs were drown or hanged.
Instead of that appalling piece of shit, Michael Vick, I'm showing a pit bull pup. Innocent creatures like this baby don't deserve the abuse or the heartache dispensed at Bad Newz Kennels for "profit" and "entertainment."
Thanks, Mo!
I was awarded the Thoughtful Blogger Award by Mo: "For those who answer blog comments, emails, and make their visitors feel at home on their blogs. For the people who take others feelings into consideration before speaking out and who are kind and courteous."
Awards are always nice, but especially one awarded by Mo: she who also has a tail-less cat, who takes her dogs along to shuttle launches, who loves her books and her birds and her hubby. Mo is always a joy to read.