Saturday 9: You've Got a Friend

1. Who is your best friend? A gentleman who appears often in this blog, referred to as My Best Friend.

2. How did you meet? At an agency where he already worked and I joined as a freelancer. He's an account executive, I'm a creative.

3. How long have you known each other? 4 1/2 years.

4. Have you traveled anywhere together? When we were still coworkers, we went on a few business trips together. When he was on an extended assignment in Los Angeles, I traveled out there and stayed a few days. We went to a Dodger game and had a terrific time.

5. Did you ever have a problem over a romantic interest that you shared? No, since he's a married straight guy and I'm a hetero woman.

6. Have you ever not liked your best friend’s choice of lovers? No. He's been married since I have known him, so we never will have this problem, either.

7. How long since you have seen your best friend? It's been months! It looked like he might be in next week, but alas, the meeting is being handled via conference call instead.

8. Do you remember each other on birthdays and holidays? Yes! He gave me my best birthday gift last year. He researched the best-selling book on the day I was born (The Scapegoat), the year's Oscar-winning movie (Bridge over the River Kwai), a print-out of the Time magazine cover from the week I was born, etc. It was thoughtful and creative.

9. What is the biggest fight that you have ever had? Oh golly! We have argued many times! It generally starts when one of us teases the other, and we go too far. We always make up, though. We seldom go more than a day or two without communicating.

To play along yourself, click here.

The Bluest Eyes in Heaven

I have said it before -- I thought Paul Newman was the coolest guy in the universe. I'm so sad to hear he died yesterday, and only hope his passing was peaceful. The coolest guy in the universe deserved no less.

He was an electrifying film presence. If you haven't seen Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid or Cool Hand Luke, get yourself to Blockbuster right now! It was more than his movies that made him so cool, though …

He was married to the same woman for half a century, a woman who is pretty damn cool herself, Ms. Joanne Woodward. He used his fame for good, whether he was marching with Dr. King in Washington or raising hundreds of millions of dollars for charity with his Newman's Own products.

I live next door to recipients of his good works. In addition to providing sliding scale daycare for my community, the building next door is home to anywhere from a dozen to twenty kids who are waiting for placement in foster care. I didn't realize how often these children are separated from their siblings, but when this sad situation came to the attention of Paul Newman's foundation, a happy tradition began. Each summer, the kids next door and their siblings (whether already placed in foster homes or living in another communal children's home here in Chicagoland) spend the day together at a nearby amusement park, courtesy of Newman's Own.

Paul Newman touched so many hearts, with his movies, with his dedication to social causes, with those blue eyes. I'm grateful for film, so that in a way he'll always be with us.