Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Just One Look

1. How vain are you about how you look? I'm vain about my looks. Just not happy with them.

2. When you were little what was your favorite TV show? That Girl

3. If someone was going to make a movie or TV show about your life, who would play you and why? Carrie Fisher, because we look a bit alike and we share a sensibility.

4. Who is your favorite Major League Baseball team? How about your favorite player? If you don't know the answer to this, you don't visit this blog often. My favorite team: the Chicago Cubs. My favorite Cub: my beloved future Hall of Famer, Greg Maddux.

5. What is your favorite baseball-related movie? The Natural.

6. What is one lesson you have learned in the past year? The Lads from Liverpool were right: "Pride can hurt you, too." Sometimes it's kinder, and it feels better, to just let some things that loved ones do slide.

7. Tell us about one of your childhood memories. My grandpa wore v-necked t-shirts. When I was little and would crawl into his lap for a hug, I remember feeling his chest hair against my cheek. He smelled of cigars and licorice-flavored throat lozenges. Grandpa gave the best hugs.

8. How do you handle sticky situations? Do you have a method? If so, what is it? Oh, I have a method. I tend to screw sticky situations up very badly.

9. Do you think people talk about you behind your back? Yes. My kid sister thinks I'm an unreasonable bitch.

The Queen's Meme

Now our Monarch commands us to, "make a wish list of things you want to accomplish or do before you ....um....well....die." And so, as an obedient subject, I did.

Now, finally ready for publication and distribution to all who care --

MY BUCKET LIST

1) Get my condo just the way I want it. New wall tile and sink in the bathroom, new cabinets and floor in the kitchen, exposed brick and new floor in the dining room, new curtains and new carpet and fresh paint everywhere else. This project takes more money, time and organizational skill than I currently possess but someday ... My best friend suggests it might be easier to just move. I suspect that I would soon be thinking the same about my new place, wherever it might be: "If only I had a nicer sink ..." So I might as well do it here.

2) See the Cubs play a World Series game within the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field. Of course, I need a little help accomplishing this. Guys? Are you reading this? Give an old gal a break and come through for me!

3) Exhaust my TBR. You know that phrase, "so many books, so little time?" I live it. And it's not just the books. I have tons of untouched magazines, too. I would love to have enough leisure time, concentration and discipline to just plough through. (I hope I don't sound too much like old Henry Bemis.)

4) Organize my photos. My kid sister is big into scrap booking. I'm big into throwing photos into a pile under the windowsill. I realize this is not the best way to preserve memories.

5) Look as good as I can. I realize I'll never be confused with Jennifer Aniston. But if I lose weight and get my varicose veins repaired and refresh my wardrobe, I'd be a better looking, more confident gal. For some reason, I keep getting into my own way on this one.

Oh yeah, and I'd like to cure disease, remedy hunger and help others.

To play along, visit The Queen here. And let me know if your ultimate list was as selfish as mine.

It was the campaign button

Yesterday I took the train downstate for a client meeting. My seatmate was a college freshman who was just too cute to be real!

Originally from the small town in downstate Illinois where my client is headquartered, he is going to school in Minnesota. On spring break, he took the Amtrak from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Chicago, where he spent the night and celebrated St. Patrick's Day, and now he was headed home to see his family.

He began chatting with me because I'm reading Game Change and I still have an Obama button on my jacket. First we talked a bit about the book, and the Prez, and Illinois politics. Then he told me a bit about his girlfriend, still in Minnesota -- he misses her sooo much and sent her photos of the view flying by our window (mostly backyards, empty fields and leafless trees) so she could see what he was seeing. He told me about St. Patrick's Day in Chicago -- he was scandalized that Chicago cops were drinking while in uniform!

I wanted to shrinkwrap him so he could stay this innocent about the world, this optimistic about the country, this much in love, and this nice forever! Whoever his mom and dad are, they should be very proud.