Sunday Stealing

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Sunday Stealing: I Want You to Be Free from Me
 

Are your nails painted a dark or light color? You be the judge.

Have you ever order pizza online?  Once. It's easier to just call.

What color was the last candle you lit? I don't recall.

 Is there something written on your shirt right now?  "Brookfield Zoo"

Is there a bookshelf in your room?  There are four bookshelves in the den, but none in this room.

Do you own a treadmill?  I own a stepper similar to this one. It's covered in dust. I'm such a lazy slug.

Have you ever signed up for a gym membership? Yes. I used it this week, too!

Is there a garbage can in your room? What color is it? I have a garbage can in the kitchen and wastebaskets in the bathroom and master bedroom. They're all white plastic.

Have you ever read in the bathtub?  No

Have you ever had to wear a hairnet?  Once, for a costume party. I wore a loudly printed housecoat, fuzzy slippers and a wig with curlers, topped by a hairnet.

Do you know how many pages the last book you read had?  296. (I just looked.)

What day of the week does the laundry usually get done?  Sunday

Do you use the Facebook chat often?  Never

Do you have any baby pictures of yourself on your computer?  I have photos where I was a toddler, but not a baby.

Do you eat onion rings?  Nope

What flavor of tea did you last have? Pomegranate. It was fragrant and yummy.

 Do you own a bathrobe?  A comfy but too-well-worn green terry affair.

Did you/will you have coffee or some other form of caffeine today?  Yes! Today and every day.

Do you have a mailbox or do you collect your mail from the post office?  I have a mailbox, which, come to think of it, I have not checked today.

What was the last animal you saw, and was it a pet?  I have a skinny beige cat named Reynaldo by my side as I answer these questions.

What was the last documentary you watched focusing on? I'm going to watch the new one on Chris Farley.

 Is there anything you need to remember to do before the day ends? Eat dinner. I think there's some chicken in the frig.

 Is your car messy, or do you like to keep it clean?  No car

Are you the type to wake up before the sun has even risen? Yes

 Do you get uncomfortable when people stare at you? Yes

 Have you ever been admitted to the hospital for a long period of time? Once I was hospitalized from Friday to Monday when I had surgery. Does that count as a long time?

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 15

Today there's a tie for the Happy Cone. In this corner, we have Mother Nature. Today was hot and sticky. Really ugh weather. Hate it. And as I lumbered through the humidity to Trader Joe's for paper towels, milk and other various and sundry, I recalled walking down this same sidewalk in December to buy the Christmas wreath for my front door. I had only a narrow path to walk then because of the snow. My hands were thrust into my coat pockets because despite the gloves, my fingers were still feeling frosty.

I thought of my friend in California, my family and friends in Florida, and I felt sorry for them. We get the bonus of four seasons, the opportunity to experience our lives in wind and rain and snow and cold and heat. It really is a gift, isn't it? Made me happy.

And in this corner, we have Groucho Marx. The man always cracks me up, and yesterday was his day on TCM's Summer Under the Stars. As they did with Hepburn, TCM ran an episode of the old Dick Cavett Show that was devoted to Mr. Marx. I DVRd it and watched it this morning and was delighted by this. Ole!

What's that you say? What's the August Happiness Challenge?

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

If you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not this individual post) each day in August, looking for the happy chocolate cone. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with August Happiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.

It wasn't ALL a waste

I had a wasted day. I took myself to brunch at my second-favorite coffee shop, picked up a few things at Trader Joe's, came home, closed my eyes for just a minute ... and woke up four hours later, in time to watch The Game.*

I think I needed the sleep because last week was stressful at work and I don't believe my slumber has been restful. Next week promises to be just as tense, though it will be a short week. I'm taking Thursday and Friday off for two reasons: 1) I'm fried and 2) I have soooo much vacation time stored up that if I don't begin taking it a little at a time now, I'll be out for much of November and December and my boss says he doesn't want that. So somehow the agency will have to survive without me for a day and a half. They can do it. I'm good, I admit it, but I'm not essential.

I'm pleased to report that my second-favorite coffee shop is making strides. Owned by the same family since forever, a new generation has taken over and given it a much-needed face lift. Pendant ceiling lights, new upholstery in the booths, a fresh coat of paint ... it really helps. Nan, the old-but-still-hustling waitress who has been waiting on me at least since 1997, tells me she's worried many of her regulars won't like newer, healthier menu that's being debuted soon. Fewer skillets at breakfast, fewer burgers at lunch and no more veal, ever. I only go there for breakfast, and never have the skillets (too many potatoes), so I don't care.

And I discovered something about myself. After I dropped off a bag at the local food pantry, I stopped at the bank to see how the school supply drive is doing. So far this month I've donated Crayolas -- both crayons and markers -- because I remember how declasse it was to bring off-brand supplies to school. I wanted to see what else was needed because I have a CVS coupon for "office supplies," which are often the same as school supplies. The box was gone, the drive was over, and I was surprisingly sad. I was actually disappointed because I don't get to spend money on folders and pens and pencils for children I've never met, who are no relation to me whatsoever. What's that about?

I realized I feel closer to God when I'm doing for strangers. Helping coworkers, friends and family is good, of course. We should all do what we can to bring others up. But there's something purer about helping a school drive or a food pantry. We don't get thanked. We don't get to see the happy face of the final recipient. We don't even get a receipt for the IRS. Our only reward is the satisfaction of having done it, of having helped. Of doing what Christ wants me to do.

*An important game: Cubs-Sox.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Stay with Me


1) Sam Smith explains that this song is about just not wanting to wake up alone. How about you? Are you comfortable being by yourself?  Very. I find alone time rejuvenating.

2) Last year a lawsuit filed by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, who maintained that "Stay with Me" was really just "I Won't Back Down." Petty and Lynne won. Have you ever served on a jury? Just last month. It was a civil case, with a woman suing the City of Chicago because she tripped in a pothole and messed up her leg. I'd be lying if I said I enjoyed the experience, but I feel strongly that if we're called, we should serve.

3) Smith performed this on The David Letterman Show. Did you watch Dave's final episode last May? Yes. I remember being happy to see Steve Martin and Bill Murray with Dave.

4) Smith says his style was influenced by ladies with "massive voices," including Adele, Amy Winehouse, Chaka Kahn, and Whitney Houston. Of those four, which do you listen to most often? Amy. Here she is singing one of my all-time favorite songs.


5) Speaking of style, Mr. Smith is a smart dressed man who looks comfortable and dapper as he walks the red carpet in a tux. Do you enjoy getting dressed up for special occasions? Ugh. No.

6) "Occasions" is a word that makes Crazy Sam stumble because she can never remember how to spell it correctly. Are you a good speller? Good, but not great.

7) Sam Smith was born on May 19, which makes him a Taurus. When did you last check your horoscope? It's been ages.

8) Tauruses are supposed to be reliable, organized and ambitious. Do any of those three adjectives describe you? I'm reliable and I have been ambitious. I don't think I've ever been organized.

9) Random question: Look at the floor. Do you see carpet, rug, hard wood or tile? Carpet.

 

Flying the W flag

That's W for win, which is what the Cubs did vs. the White Sox today. Caught the last 4 innings after treating myself to a ice cream shake. Victory made sweeter by mint chocolate chip.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 14

Friday's Happy Cone goes to teamwork. Life at the office has been tense, to say the least. The Big Project is sucking the life out of me. Long Tall Sally's brief but chaotic tenure took its toll. Some but not all of us are being moved to even worse offices as our agency management tries to bolster our bottom line via sublet. What to do?

I sent out an email asking my coworkers to help me put together a box of stuff and things to send the troops. I was impressed and pleased by how much we collected. I bought a couple paperbacks at last week's book fair and added a travel-size shampoo from a recent hotel stay. Christine the Mole -- a most unexpected contributor -- added candy and tampons and tissues. My boss brought a dozen packs of dental floss. One of our creatives brought heavy socks and travel toothbrushes. One art director brought Twizzlers and the other gave me $10 to defer the cost of postage. Alison from the research department brought Pop Tarts and individual cereal boxes. It was enough to fill a very large box (so glad I got the $10 to for postage!) and it brought us all together for a brief time this morning.

All these little things have been specifically requested by our soldiers and will be packed into shoeboxes and sent over to Afghanistan. It makes me happy to know I've helped make them happy, and that we were able to collect these day brighteners as a team.

What's that you say? What's the August Happiness Challenge?

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

If you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not this individual post) each day in August, looking for the happy chocolate cone. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with August Happiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.