Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Suit and Tie

Thanks to Bankerchick for suggesting JT 

 
1) When was the last time that you got dressed up, or to borrow from Mr. Timberlake, "fixed up to the nines?" I don't even remember. I'm not kidding. It's been decades.

2) Justin Timberlake is known for his threads. Do you try to keep up with fashion trends? Well, I try to dress appropriately. Often what's fashionable isn't right for me any more.

3) While on tour, Justin has a cigar roller on call so that he and the band can enjoy a "gentleman's club" atmosphere back stage. Do you enjoy the smell of a good cigar? Yech. No.
4) Justin appeared on Star Search when still in grade school, and he's been working ever since. When Crazy Sam was that age, her only "job" was to load the dishwasher and for this she earned her $1/day allowance. Did you work when you were a kid? I babysat when I was in high school. Wish I still could. How great to get paid for eating potato chips and watching TV.

5) JT has appeared several times on Saturday Night Live, a show that premiered before he was born. Who is your most favorite ever SNL castmember of all time? Wasn't she something?



6) Justin is a very good golfer (6 handicap). Will you play this summer? Only at a course that will require me to putt the ball past a windmill.

7) A round of golf requires hours outside in the elements. Have you ever endured a painful sunburn? God, yes! The last really punishing one I got was during a sunny afternoon at my uncle's summer cottage. I blame santgria for clouding my judgement to the point where I didn't know when to come in from the sun.

8) When they were young, Justin dated Britney Spears. Obviously, it's been easy for him to keep up with her successes and problems over the years. Do you wonder how one of your exes is doing? Yes. There's a lovely man I loved once and I hope he's happy.

9) Ever since his days with N'Sync, Justin Timberlake has supported music education. Did your grade school offer music classes? If so, do you remember any of the songs you learned then?

We learned this for Parents' Night:

"He always sings ragtime music to his cattle 
As he swings back and forth on his saddle
On his horse, a pretty good horse, that syncopated gaiter
And it's such a pretty meter to the roar of his repeater
How they run when they hear his guns a comin'
Cuz the Western folks all know ...
He's a high-faluting
Rootin' Tootin'
Son of a gun from Arizona
Ragtime Cowboy, talkin' about your cowboy, Ragtime Cowboy Joe!"

We swayed, snapped our fingers in time and were totally hitsville!

 

Weary

Nothing is wrong, really.

•  I believe my recent work has been well received.

•  Reynaldo still has his moments -- today he was most definitely threatening to pee on last week's PEOPLE magazine -- but he is definitely better behaved than he was a month ago.

•  My attorney is crafting a letter to my older sister, in which he will carefully and professionally advise her to stop being such a stupid bitch. The letter she wrote to me last week was so bad that he refuses to formally represent her in any ongoing or future matters regarding our mother's house -- which means if she wants representation she will have to hire her own, on her own dime. While I'm sorry it's come to this and I don't wish her ill, I did find it satisfying that he found her awful. I mean, when our mom was alive, just about everything she did was overlooked or forgiven in order to maintain peace and she had tacit permission to treat me any way she wished. It's interesting to see her through an outsider's eyes and hear that my perceptions aren't off -- she is a stupid bitch.

•  The Blackhawks victory rally was today. I'm not a hockey fan, but it was exciting to see the parade run past my office building and I was happy for the faithful who have been singing "Chelsea Dagger."

Yet I find myself feeling so tired, so worn out by all of it. I'm still not comfortable at work and I

worry about my financial future. Today I had to return even more paperwork to the lawyer -- a notarized affidavit that states how many "heirs" my mom left -- and it's always depressing to fill out her vital stats (died on Sept. 13, 2012 at age 77).

And you know what's awful? I was worried as I worked my way through the crowds to get to the office today and I was nervous while the Hawks rally was going on. I kept thinking of how easy it would be for someone to set off a backpack bomb, a la Boston. After 9/11, I imbued Mayor Richard M. Daley with supernatural powers to keep us safe. But Daddy's Gone and so is some of my innocence and blind faith in these things. What happened at the Boston Marathon could have happened at the rally today, or at Taste of Chicago next month, or at any Cub game.

I feel like I'm living in a cold new world and I don't like it.

My oldest friend tells me to "Let go and let God." Yeah, yeah. That's very weak tea because it feels irrelevant to my personal relationship with Christ. For while I know Jesus loves me and wants what's best for me, I also know that He has promised me eternal life, NOT a smooth ride en route. I have free will, and He expects me to do my best during the tough times.

And so I continue to muddle through. Clinging to my faith, my cats, my books and my friends. Taking naps and being nice to myself. And watching the Cubs whenever I can because I'm always happier when I have baseball.

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