Tag Time!

Sparky Duck has tagged me for the FIVE BEST NIGHTS, SO FAR Meme:

The rules, list the 5 best nights
that you can recall and then
tag four other people
and see if the meme can continue.

First, the five nights, in the order they occurred to me …

1. Wings Over the World Tour comes to Chicago, early summer, 1976. Oh, there had to be a Paul-related event since I've loved Paul McCartney ever since I first laid eyes on him. It was when he sang "Close your eyes and I'll kiss you/tomorrow I'll miss you" during the Beatles' first performance on the Ed Sullivan Show. When the Lads were touring, I wasn't allowed to cross the street by myself, so this was my first opportunity to see him live. It was from the nose-bleed section of the old Chicago Stadium, but so what? It was him.

2. November 3, 1992. The day began with a call from my mother announcing that my kid sister in labor for the first time, followed by me voting for Bill Clinton, a candidate I'd been working for. The night ended with a real party at the Chicago Hilton on South Michigan. I needed to let off steam and this was a fabulous opportunity to celebrate both my niece's birth and Bill's victory. I remember dancing in a "No More Bush" conga line.

3. My best friend tells me … something. It was the moment he went from "guy I work with" to "best friend." It was either early spring or late autumn -- a cold night but not frigid. We'd worked late, went out to dinner, and were walking me to the train station when all of a sudden he blurted something very personal from his past that had really scarred him. It was so personal I won't repeat it here, but what it was doesn't really matter anyway. He needed to share it with me, and wanted me to understand the impact it has had on him. It was an honor that he trusted me with something this intense and important to him.

4. My first Broadway play. I love theater, and to see an exceptional performance of a real Broadway play in a real Broadway theater was an indelible experience. 1984. Jeremy Irons (who won a Tony) and Glenn Close in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing.

5. My first night with my old boyfriend. Ah, the great love of my life (besides Sir Paul). Our first real kiss took place on his sofa while were watching a cheesy horror flick called Warlock and lasted into Mystery Science Theater. Then things proceeded to the bedroom. My cheeks are getting hot at the memory, so I shall stop now.

My four tags are all chicks …

Kwizgiver
Book Mama
Alison
Jenny McB

How could I have missed this?

I have always been a big fan of The Jerry Lewis Telethon because Jerry is such a loose cannon. You never know if he's going to HEY LAY-DEE! or cry or spew something inappropriate or hostile. This year I didn't watch as much as I usually do, because there seemed to be so little Jerry. Almost every time I tuned in, I got Tom Bergeron. I wanted Jerry!

Oh, if only I'd been a bit more patient! According to this clip from TMZ.com, Jerry called his cameraman's son "an illiterate fag." Sweet, no?

As always, though, when we laugh at (instead of with) Jerry, we must make sure our karma is balanced. So here's where you can donate to MDA in exchange for making fun of the man.

Heads & Tails #4

Today's theme is SCHOOL.

The first thoughts that come to mind are negative because I cannot tell you how much I hated high school. But, upon further reflection, there were other kinds of school I attended in the fall that I did, indeed, enjoy.

Sunday School. I never really got much out of it from a theological standpoint, but it did leave me feeling connected to the congregation in a way that helped when the more serious Confirmation Classes began. Favorite memory: Once I became one of the "older kids," I was allowed to help open the special envelopes whenever there was an additional offering designated to support the Sunday School. This made me feel terribly important!

Kindergarten. I felt my teacher was quite beautiful and talented in all she did. She could play the piano perfectly, she had a lovely singing voice, she could draw anything … In retrospect she was probably very average in all she did, but there was something about her nature that drew me in and made me feel comfortable leaving my mommy and staying with her for a few hours each afternoon. For that, she will always have a special place in my heart.

For more information about Heads & Tails, or to play along yourself, visit meme-mistress Skittles.

Oh, I get it. It's MY fault now!

First Michael Barrett was traded because HE was the cause of Carlos Zambrano's difficulties. Now it seems he blames the 41,070 fans at Wrigley Field and millions more at home for not showing him "love." I guess now Zambrano expects Pinella and Hendry to get rid of all of us, too.

He had a shitty outing -- on the mound, at the plate, and running the bases. In large part because of his ineptitude and moodiness, the Cubs lost a game that they really couldn't afford to lose. (With the Brewers and the Cards both losing yesterday, we could have actually picked up ground.) Instead of being gracious about his shortcomings, Zambrano tore into fans for booing him. Says he "doesn't accept it." And, my favorite part of his tirade, "When you're struggling, or you have a brother who's struggling, you show him love. You don't show him you want to kick him out. That's all I ask of the fans."

While I have never booed a home team player, and never would, I'd like to explain a little something to Carlos. All we ask is that you be a team player. If the third base coach tells you to STOP, don't blow past him and get tossed out at home by a mile, just because you're a showboat who wants to be a hero. Then don't take the mound and give up 5 walks and 8 runs in just over 4 innings. You're making $91.5 million, so you don't get to whine. You simply don't.

But don't listen to me, "Big Z." Listen to Lou. Something tells me he's not as patient with your shenanigans as Dusty Baker was.