Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Eighty Meme, Part Two

23. Are your days fast-paced? Not lately.

24. What did you do last night? Took my friend out to a movie and his birthday dinner.

25. Do you use sarcasm? Me? Never!

26. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? 53. It hurts to see the numerals. Fifty-three. There, that's a little better.

27. Are you picky about spelling and grammar? Less so than other writers I know.

28. Do you get along better with the same sex or the opposite sex? It depends on the individual.

29. Do you watch the news? Almost obsessively.

30. How did you get one of your scars? I have a scar on my left thigh that dates back to The Earthquake of 08. There was a 5.2 tremor in Southern Illinois and we felt it up here in Chicagoland. I don't know if it was the quake that awakened me or my cat's reaction, but we were both frightened and as he leaped off the bed, he scratched me.

31. Who was the last person to make you mad? My mom. Sometimes she sees problems where they don't exist.

32. What is the last big thing you purchased? My new camera. I used it to take the above photo of Joey.

33. Who would you want to be tied to for 24 hours? My TV boyfriend, Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

34. What is a rumour someone has spread about you? That a coworker and I were lovers. We weren't.

35. What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator? Depends on who I'm with. (Nudge nudge, wink, wink)

36. T or F: All’s fair in love and war? T

37. Do you know how to use some words correctly, but not know the meaning? Nope.

38. Do you know which US states don’t use Daylight Savings Time? Nope.

39. Do you want a bright yellow ‘06 mustang? Nope.

40. What’s something you’ve always wanted? A winning lottery ticket.

41. Would you rather swim in the ocean or a lake? Lake.

42. Do you wear a lot of black? Yes. More than I should, according to Stacy and Clinton.

43. Describe your hair: short and reddish brown.

44. Where is/are your best friend(s)? Boulder, CO

I'm a lucky girl

I'm still not feeling great. It's my tummy. I'm languid and a little weak. And yet, I'm happy.

And I feel fortunate, because it's the little things in my life that give me joy. Like the Cubs victory. Against first-place Cincinnati! Plus, today marked the exact halfway point in the Cubs' season, which means they are entering the second half on a high note!

I know this doesn't really make a tangible difference to the state of the world, or the Gulf, or even Chicagoland, but it does have a visceral impact on my mood.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Make Me Say It Again, Girl

1. Do you feel that you need to keep repeating yourself when talking to a particular person? Yes. One of my coworkers either doesn't listen or doesn't hear, and even after all these years in the business I have to keep explaining and explaining to him. Fortunately, he's a really sweet man, otherwise it would go old very fast.

2. It's July. Do you have anything special planned? Later in the month, I'm having someone come in to rescue my hideous, horrible bathroom -- he'll regrout all the tiles, replace the caulk around the tub and toilet and sink, steam clean the floor and scrape/sand/killz prime the area around the shower. I cannot wait!

3. Who is your big celebrity crush? It changes. Right now, Mark Harmon is my TV boyfriend.

4. Tell us about a local restaurant you are sure we'd love. Opera serves delicious Asian-Indian fusion food, and the decor is pretty cool.

5. Tell us about the shyest person that you deal with regularly. I don't know if she's shy, exactly, but one of my coworkers suffers agony before she speaks to the client.

6. What is your vision of heaven and hell? Heaven is all things good. We are restored to health and we're happy and we're surrounded by God and love. We make our own hell here on earth.

7. What is your neighborhood like? We enjoy diversity, good schools and lovely little parks.

8. What's your favorite cook-out food? Hot dogs. They don't take very long, and I love seeing those little grill lines.

9. When was the last time that you saw fireworks? I can see them from my livingroom.

Observing tradition

Last night my friend John and I celebrated his birthday the way do -- dinner and a movie, both chosen by the celebrant.

The movie he chose was Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, the well-received documentary that makes Joan the woman more interesting than Joan the comedienne. I never thought I'd say this, but I think if I knew her I'd like her, and both John and I certainly felt great compassion toward the old girl.

Then we went to dinner at Wilde's, an Irish pub devoted to the memory of Oscar. I had a huge dish of macaroni and cheese, which was delicious then but not so great now (see below). We ended the evening with a nightcap at a tiny dive bar John knows.

At one point in the movie, Rivers bemoans having to fire her long-time manager. They have been together so long, he's the only one she can turn to and ask, "Remember when ....?" and know he does. After 30 years of friendship, we're like that. And while we can frustrate one another to distraction, we can't fire each another.

This is why I bought ginger ale

My tummy hurts. Yesterday, throughout the day, I had a bagel w/cream cheese, popcorn, a big, heavy dish of macaroni and cheese and a pair of martinis. Oh yeah, and a salad, too. And it's all just sitting on my tummy this morning like a big brick.

As I look at that list, I wonder what I thought would happen.