Sunday Stealing

The I Meme. To play along, click here.

I am... feeling lazy.

I want... a burger for lunch. I bet I'll go to Five Guys this afternoon.

I have... cold feet. I'm not reluctant or nervous about anything. My feet are literally cold.

I wish... the country wasn't so divided and hostile.

I hate... sitcom actress Patricia Heaton.

I fear... that my heels won't be smooth in time for sandal season. (I give this an embarrassing amount of thought.)

I hear... Meet the Press on NBC right now. I love Chuck Todd.

I search... for a reason to really get behind Hillary Clinton. I want to enthusiastically support her, but I'm not there yet.

I wonder... why some people are so angry all the time.

I regret... as little as possible. It's a wasted emotion.

I love... The Cubs.

I never... drink coffee.

I ache... when I think of the homeless dogs and cats. Please, everybody, adopt a shelter pet. Don't go to a breeder. Someone will always buy a healthy pet with a big price tag. But you'll save a life if you adopt from a shelter.

I always... watch Morning Joe on weekdays.

I usually... am late for work.

I am not... motivated to do housework.

I dance... badly.

I sing... worse.

I sometimes... wonder why I'm hooked on Farmville 2. What does it trigger in my brain?

I cry... very seldom.

I am not always... as sensitive as I might be.

I lose... umbrellas, ear muffs, sunglasses and mittens.

I am confused... by phenomenal Cub rookie Kris Bryant's contract. Like, maybe he can't play in the majors on Opening Day? Is there some kind of minor league indentured servitude thing going on? Why is this so complicated? Part of why I love baseball is that it's so gloriously easy to follow. Please don't confuse me with this shit.

I need... to shave my legs.

I should... get off my fat ass, get into the tub and shave aforementioned legs.

I never really considered this before

There's a bar in my neighborhood that serves the very best clam chowder.* My neighbor Sally treated me to a bowl to thank me for helping her out at our condo association meetings. Now in her 40s, she has been deaf and slightly debilitated due to a stroke in her mid 20s. She has trouble following the action in these meetings -- she can't read everyone's lips at once -- and so I sit beside her with my laptop and key in what I hear everyone saying. It's not a big deal in that I type all day every day. It is a big deal, though, because I have to attend more meetings and pay closer attention than I would otherwise.

Anyway, over clam chowder, we found we share a love of our companion animals. Sally then proudly told me about her college-age son, who was a toddler when she lost her hearing. She told me about how much she misses music, especially Christmas carols.

Right now I'm reading a book about Frank Sinatra. To augment it, I'm listening to a lot of Sinatra on my iPod. I wouldn't be reading that biography or enjoying The Voice if I'd lost my hearing in my 20s.

I'd miss Frank.

I'd miss Sir Paul and The Lads.

I'd miss The Boss.

I'd miss Earth, Wind & Fire singing "September." 

I think the ache and longing would be unbearable. I wonder if it isn't easier to be born deaf than to lose one's hearing.

*Chili, too, I'm told, though I don't care for chili.

In praise of smaller bills

Cab drivers hate $20s, and make me feel guilty when I pay with a Jackson. Yet all the ATMs in town dispense are $20s.

Sometimes all I need is $50, not $60. Since all the ATMs in town dispense are $20s, I end up with $60 and that $10 goes unaccounted for -- probably wasted.

That's why I'm so excited about the groovy new ATMs at Chase. You can get $5s, $10s and even singles!

So far the new ATMs are only inside one of my nearby branches, not in the vestibule, so I have to hit it during normal business hours. And their design is a little annoying -- too Jetsons for me. But those are small quibbles.

I will never again have to face cabbie scorn!