Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Negativity Meme

Foods which disgust the crap out of me: Coffee and raw tomatoes

TV show I loathe: Curb Your Enthusiasm, which is akin to Seinfeld, which I also loathed

Movie I loathe: The Piano with Holly Hunter

Music genres I loathe: I don't loathe any genre. But I don't get rap, classical or opera.

Magazine which annoys me: Can't think of any.

Makes me cranky at restaurant: "We're out of that."

Makes me cranky in public: Smokers. Just because we're outside doesn't mean I enjoy your inhaling your second hand smoke, or seeing the discarded filters sitting in the snow.

Makes me cranky in general: People who insist that calling something "gay" isn't insulting to homosexuals. If you can't substitute Jewish or female without it being offensive, then it's an insult. You know better. And if your kids don't, you should man up and insist they stop it.

Pisses me off at home: What a hideously sloppy, undisciplined person I am.

Pisses me off at work: Laziness. As sloppy as I am at home, I'm serious about my work because, whether I like it or not, our team sinks or swims together. I don't want to lose MY job because you're not doing yours.

Pisses me off in general: The aging process. I have to work sooooo hard to stay pudgy and not slide into fat. Shouldn't I be losing weight? Why do my metabolism and hormones hate me so?

Makes me impatient at home: The woman who lives here. She's such a slob. Wait! That's me!

Makes me impatient at work: All the things I can't control.

Makes me impatient in public: Rude people.

Celebrity I hate: Brangelina. (See below)

Music artist I hate: Those horrible 70s soft-rock/adult contemporary artists -- like Barry Manilow, Neil Diamond and Air Supply.

I could care less about: Many things. Don't you mean to ask, "I COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT ...?" Come to think of it, that annoys me.

Annoys the crap out of me weekdays: I'm coming up blank. Do you suppose I've been drained of bile before the meme ends?

Annoys the crap out of me weekends: The repetitive morning news programs. Do they think that because it's Saturday I don't care about the world? Do you think I don't DESERVE real news? Well, do you? (Ah, there's still some annoyance left in the tank!)

Blogger's habit that annoys you: Bloggers who post inane drivel and make a point of saying it's copyrighted and I can't steal the content. Trust me, the bloggers who post it the boldest have the least to steal. And are you going to hire a lawyer to protect your deathless opinion of Donny Osmond's performance on Dancing with the Stars?

Feature on your blog you hate: Sometimes I pull my punches a bit because there are issues I can't bear to face. Avoidance only hurts me, I know that.

Movie star you despise: If Brangelina is surgically separated, then Angelina Jolie.

Politician that you hate: Sarah Palin. I hate her because she and her followers frighten me.

Trouble in Paradise?

I hope so. These two annoy me. Especially Angelina Jolie. I think she's a pretentious actress and probably most hygienically challenged. It would be nice if they went away.

(Don't try to defend her. Nothing you say will sway me. My passionate dislike is instinctive and visceral, and goes back to her "Billy Bob/I wear blood and kiss my brother" days.)

Atta Girl!

My niece got her driver's license today. First thing this morning. First try out.

I'm proud of her for her tenacity. This is when she planned to get it, and this is when she got it.

I'm also pleased that I got word from her via text as soon as she passed. She does that a lot -- reaches out to me at important moments. (Before this, it was her "Happy New Year" text when I was in the Keys.)

Her mother thinks she's aloof and tough. Her dad and my mom, her doting grandmother, are more kind in their assessment, but they worry about her "smart mouth." I love her toughness and her smart mouth. She's ambitious and toughness comes in handy on the way to your dreams. And as one who makes a living with her own way with words, I look at my niece's "smart mouth" as an asset, as well.

No, I'm proud of her for how far she's come. For while in my family, we don't discuss it, 2007 was a painful year for her … and us. Underneath that aloof, tough, smart-mouthed exterior beats the heart of a complicated girl trying to find herself on the road to becoming a woman. On these big moments in her life, it's important to remember that.

Which is why, when I texted back my congratulations, I thanked her for sharing her good news. I am here for her. I am always here, in good times and bad. It's a privilege to be in her life -- to play a role in any kid's life.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: I Think We're Alone Now

1. What celebrity in a fantasy would you like to be alone with? It changes. This week it would be Robert Downey Jr.

2. Have ever dated a good friend? No. Though almost every time I have endured a break up, the guy says we should remain friends. I always say no. Regardless who the gentleman is, he maintains it will work. And it never does.

3. What is the most embarrassing song that you like? "La La La" by Bobby Sherman. It's a nightmare. And I am frighteningly drawn to it.

Bobby Sherman Lyrics

4. What is your favorite tear jerker movie? So many! I guess The Way We Were is the ultimate one for me because there aren't many characters whom I relate to, whom I so understand, whom I get, like Katie Morosky.

5. What about yourself makes you least secure? The whole physical combo platter which can be described as "fat and fifty."

6. Do you believe in destiny? I don't know. Sometimes.

7. What 'issue' do you think your opinion is so right about that you end up trying to sway others to your point of view? Anything related to smoking. I can't believe anyone feels they can justify it.

8. What are 5 things you don't care about? (1) Tiger Woods, (2) Avatar, (3) the IL gubernatorial primaries -- no matter who wins, he will be better than Blago; (4) college sports; (5) NASCAR

9. Have you ever been in a situation where you weren't sure if you were seducing or being seduced? Yes.