Could this literally be the last word on Blago?

After all that "I'm innocent of all charges and I can't wait to testify" malarkey, he's not taking the stand. Behold the headline of today's Chicago tabloid.

You never stop learning about people

I think I know my best friend well. One of the most endearing things about him is that his daughters are the centerpiece of his life. The older one -- the one who is more like him, the one he has the more natural relationship with -- is a budding beauty and a dedicated soccer player. The younger one -- the one who fascinates him because she's so naturally artistic and outgoing and he wonders where that came from -- is showing talent in ballet.

He recently learned that her ballet school is having financial trouble. HUGE financial trouble. He can't stand the thought of their going under, which would mean an interruption in something his little girl loves. So he asked me if I had any ideas of how he can help her school raise money ... by July 31.

There's no time to organize and promote a bake sale or car wash. I recommended collection jars at local businesses. And I told him that he and his wife had to hit up all their friends and relatives. To show my support, I contributed $25 myself.

He kept saying, "I'd never ask you to help that way."

I am surprised how reluctant he is to beg for money.

As you all know, I beg for money by including charitable links on this blog all the time. I bully coworkers regularly when it comes to toy drives and even baby and bridal showers. While ballet classes for rich little girls is not high on my list of causes, my friend always is, and so of course I didn't think twice about kicking in $25.

I bet his friends and coworkers wouldn't mind contributing, either. He so adores his girls! And just think about all the boxes of Girl Scout cookies and tins of Boy Scout popcorn you've purchases recently. It's not that big a deal. I wish he understood that.

Soon it begins

Kathleen was sweet enough to call me this afternoon and update me on her first consultation with her oncologist. A date has been set for her procedure -- August 5. She stops by the hospital on August 3 for pre-op tests. She's nervous and scared. But she likes her doctor and felt a bit comforted by knowing what to expect -- and when.

I was a little nervous and scared about her appointment yesterday, too. I didn't call her because she may have wanted her space. I get the sense she doesn't like saying the word, "cancer." So I really appreciated her making the call and sharing her experience with me.

201

That's my total cholesterol. Ideally it should be less than 200, but for me, with my history, this is a reason to rejoice. My HDL is 56, which is OK (less than 40 is bad; over 60 is good). My LDL is 131, and it ideally it should be less than 129. So in all my scores weren't bad. Certainly not as bad as they have been.

Had a variety of tests to assess my risk for stroke, heart attack and osteoporosis. The results will be in within the next two weeks. It wasn't a fun way to spend a morning, but it wasn't painful, either. And it was the wise, grown-up thing to do.

Clean Me

Every day I am going to do something -- no matter how small -- to improve my standard of living at home.

Peapod's plastic grocery bags are terrific, sturdy and roomier than they look. I have hung onto many of them -- perhaps too many of them -- because I have been certain they would come to good use. And today they have! I used one for the toys and books I'm for upcoming toy drives (just because they are for charity doesn't dilute their cluttery qualities) and another two for the bathtub goodies I have to get out of the way before the bathroom finally gets cleaned/caulked/grouted tomorrow.