Sunday Stealing

Cookie Questions

1. Do you eat Oreos? When they are offered. I don't buy them.

2.  If you eat Oreos, which are your favorite – original, double stuff, golden original, golden double stuff, Oreo brownies, Oreo ice cream? Original. I'm a purist.

3.  Do you twist your Oreos apart? Of course!

4.  Are you able to pass by a plate of cookies and not take one or are you a bit of a 'Cookie Monster'? I'm a cookie monster ... except for Grandma's. They're a vending machine cookie, produced by Frito Lay. They literally taste like nothing. The very definition of empty calories.

5.  Tell us about your favorite cookie. Crunchy, soft, chewy, crumbly, other? I drool for a Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie.

6. Have your tastes changed since you were a kid? Nope.

7.  Enquiring minds want to know if you are a dunker and, if so, do you dunk in milk, coffee, or tea? I dunk chocolate chip and shortbread cookies in milk.

8.  It is that time of year and they are selling them on every corner and in front of every store!  Do you buy Girl Scout cookies and if you do, which is your favorite?  I was a Girl Scout, so I have a heart for the lassies in green. My favorite is the peanut butter sandwich cookie.

9.  Raw cookie dough.  Yea or Nay?  Yea.

10.  Do you like cookies with filling? Sure.

11.  Do you prefer organic cookies? Not especially.

12.  Large cookies, or small cookies? Yes, please.

13.  Do you like familiar flavors in cookies? Yes.

14.  Do you make your own cookies, or buy them? Mostly I cadge them from the catering tray after a meeting ends.

15.  Please tell us something random about your week!! I am trying to face forward, leave last week behind, and enjoy anticipation of baseball season and my vacation. (Cubs opening day is March 28. I leave for the TCM Classic Film Festival on April 10.)

Good for what ails me

My movie group met Saturday night, just when I needed them most. I've been a little blue lately, and sitting in the dark, surrounded by fellow film geeks, really lifted my spirits.

Tonight we watched a movie I'd never even heard of before. Out of the Fog is a noir starring Ida Lupino and John Garfield with a completely charming supporting turn by an unbelievably young Eddie Albert. The plot kept me guessing and I found the final twist very satisfying.

We had a very animated conversation about it afterward. Ida Lupino is an actress I simply do not like, and since I was surrounded by fans I kept my mouth shut about that. Instead I opined about the movie's menfolk. It's always energizing to be with others who love what I love.

Which is why I'm so excited about next month's TCM Film Festival. Betty and Will from the movie group will be out there with me. Well, sort of. We're all attending, but we agree that we'll meet up and check in with one another, but on the main, we'll go our separate ways when we're in Hollywood. We love old movies, but we differ on our faves. And no matter which theater, and which screening, we find ourselves in, we know we'll be surrounded by fellow film geeks. And that's a fine thing.

So I added Betty's number to my phone -- I've long been connected to Will -- and we squealed and and oohed and aahed with excitement. This is gonna be so good. Four full days in my happy place, with others who share my passion. Tonight was just a tantalizing coming attraction.