Sunday Stealing

Ask, ask, ASK--part 2

26 - Did you have an accident last year? No. I've had health problems and money problems during 2016, but no accidents. (Knock wood.)

 27 - Do you have any famous relatives? No.

 28 - Did you ever had a kiss under the moonlight? Yes. Memorably beside the Schuylkill River in Philly.


 29 - Have you ever been jealous? Oh, yes.

 30 - How can you prove your love to someone? Access. I try to be available for people I love.

 31 - What are you thinking right now? That my left eye is particularly itchy this evening. (Sorry it's not a more thrilling answer.)

 32 - Have you ever sacrificed something important to you for someone you love? Yes. Toward the end of my mother's life, I let things go that were very, very important to me. But I made the decision that we weren't going to argue, that she was going to leave this world with a little less stres and tension if I could help it.

 33 - Can you live without internet? Not happily.

 34 - Have you been so emotional that you can’t find words to explain how you feel? I'm a Cub fan! How to describe the glory of Game 7?

 35 - Did you ever badmouth someone? Too often. I try to be sweet like Melanie Hamilton, but my tart tongued, less than charitable Scarlett side comes out an awful lot.

 36 - What do you prefer, jeans or skirt? Jeans.

 37 - Do you have trust issues? Good goobies, yes! My erstwhile shrink once told me my root problem was a fear of genuine intimacy. And she was right. People I've never met who read this blog probably know me better than those I spend time with in real life.

 38 - What's something that you made all on your own and are incredibly proud of? My career. I'm a junior college drop out, and yet I work at a major advertising agency on the account of a Fortune 500 Company.

 39 - Who’s the person who first comes to your mind when someone mentions “love”? Wow. The first answer that popped into my head surprised me. I think I'm gonna keep it to myself but stew on it awhile.

 40 - Who was the last person you hugged? A coworker. Her exhusband's aunt died. She cared about the older woman very much, but the divorce situation complicated mourning.

 41 - Do you believe in the phrase “If it’s meant to be, it will be”? In romance, yes. In work, no.

 42 - Do people praise you for your looks? I get, "I can't believe you're that old!" a lot. Which is good, I guess.

 43 - Do you believe in destiny? See #41.

 44 - Have you ever thought “I already found my soulmate”? In the heat of the moment. Unfortunately, the moment always cooled.

 45 - Do you like nicknames that are from your name? No. It's the one reason I wished I'd married.

 46 - Could you ever be a vegan? No.

 47 - Do you currently have bruises on your body? I always do. I'm a klutz.

 48 - What should you be doing right now? Housework.

 49 - I read in a magazine that shoulder pads are coming back. Are you happy to hear this or do you not find them to be very attractive? It would make me happy because broader shoulders would balance out my too-broad hips.

 50 - Did you ever feel like you’re not good enough? Only on days that end in "y."

Class

This photo was taken in September at the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It shows once again what we will be losing when the Obamas leave the White House.

Of course, George W. Bush must have done much over the years to encourage such a warm display. The Bush family has also managed to build a solid and enduring bridge to former President Bill Clinton. Even the often prickly Barbara Bush has often expressed her personal affection for The Big Dog.

I hope Melania Trump makes good on her stated intention to help children maneuver the online world and stop cyber bullying. Her husband is the one who so cruelly mocked a disabled reporter and referred to his political opponents as "Lyin' Ted" and "Little Marco" and "Pocahontas." Mrs. Trump could go a long way in leavening the ugly message Donald Trump's victory may have sent the nation's children.

As one who enjoys learning about the First Ladies, I know that not every woman who has been in this role has been as naturally tactile as Michelle Obama. Bess Truman was very reticent and painfully shy. Eleanor Roosevelt had to literally force herself to reach out and touch people, but she did it like she was born to it. And while Jacqueline Kennedy handwrote eloquent and affectionate letters to both LBJ and Nixon, she privately expressed how uncomfortable she was with all their public touching. Jimmy Carter actually held and kissed her every time their paths crossed, to the point that she complained to Arthur Schlessinger he seemed to feel as he had droit de seigneur.*

*The first time I read it, I had to look it up. In medieval days, feudal lords believed they had the right to have sex with their subject's brides on the wedding night.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Ballad of Gilligan's Island (1964)


1) This is about the fateful cruise of the S.S. Minnow. If you had a boat, what would christen it? This reminds me of one of the first jokes I remember. From The Flintstones. Fred and Barney go in on a boat and can't agree on what to call it. Fred likes The Nautica, Barney wants Sea Queen. So they compromise by taking the first three letters of each name and christen the boat Nausea.

2)  "No phone! No lights! No motorcar! Not a single luxury!" To Sam, those sound more like everyday essentials than luxuries. If you were shipwrecked with the gang, what standard amenity would you miss the most? Fresh, running water. I recall reading about JFK's crew after PT109 was sunk. They ended up on an island, surrounded by nothing but salt water, and licked morning dew off the leaves to stave off dehydration. How sad and desperate that sounds!
 
3) The uncharted isle was in the Pacific, near Hawaii. Have you ever been to our 50th state? Yes. Twice. I've seen The Big Island, Oahu, Kona and Maui. All gorgeous.

4) Natalie Schafer, who played Mrs. Howell, refused to divulge her age. Are you honest about how old you are? Or do you fudge it? I haven't fudged intentionally. But sometimes I've genuinely forgotten. I don't feel as old as I am.
 
5) Gilligan's Island featured many dream sequences. (Like the one where Gilligan dozes off and dreams that he's Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk.) Have you had any vivid dreams lately? No. My sleep lately has been fitful but dreamless.

6) The pilot was filmed in November, 1963, in Honolulu. The cast and crew were actually onset when they learned of President Kennedy's assassination.* Because on location filming was so expensive, they couldn't afford to take any time off.  Tell us about a time when you had to work, even though your heart and head weren't in it. Wednesday morning was hard. The election results were a shocking and disappointing way to harsh our World Series buzz. But I'm continuing to wear my array of Cubs t-shirts until I feel better, or until weather prohibits it.

7) During the show's run, Mary Ann (Dawn Wells) was the clear fan favorite, receiving twice as many love letters as Ginger (Tina Louise). Have you ever written a fan letter (or posted a fan tweet or Facebook post)? When I was six years old, I wrote a letter to Paul McCartney. I told him that I liked it that we saw the same sun and the same moon. I was sure that my wise insights would capture his imagination. My mother said she would stamp and mail the letter, but years later confessed she threw it away. If she had done as originally promised, I might today be Lady McCartney.

8) Sam chose this week's song because it was going through her head, over and over again! Tell us a song that burrows into your head and stays there. "Easy Lover" by Phil Collins and Philip Bailey. And now that I've thought of it, here it goes again. "She'll get a hold on you, believe it!"

9)  Random question: You went to a discount store and got an amazing bargain -- a pair of dress shoes for just $4.99. You go to a formal event and someone compliments you on those great shoes and asks where you got them. Do you tell the truth? Yes. I think I'd feel very proud of treasure.