August Happiness Challenge -- Day 17

Today's happiness -- An hour and 19 minutes with Henry. He got home yesterday! He sounds strong and refreshingly unwilling to rehash his time in the hospital. After the accident, he was like a broken phonograph record, stuck in a woe-is-me groove. Today he was the opposite. We actually found ourselves discussing Elvis, of all things!

We don't know for certain what caused his seizures. I suppose it doesn't matter. He is home and has a new medication regimen predicted to help prevent them going forward.

I even spoke to his husband, Reg, for a while, and it wasn't unpleasant. Reg has been a trick bag lately, so I was actually kind of afraid when he came on the line. But he was communicative and doesn't seem to hate me ... today

I have been worried about Henry every day for the last week. I feel like a weight has been lifted. He is not well, "well" might be a relative term from here on out, but he's home and he and Reg seem to be coping. So now I can finally exhale!

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.

Where You Lead

Where You Lead (1971)

Unfamiliar with this week's song. Hear it here. 


1) This is the theme of The Gilmore Girls, a TV show that ran  from 2000 to 2007. It recently enjoyed renewed popularity as a reboot. Were you a fan? Nope. But it almost feels like I watched it because my niece grew up on it, loved it and referred to it often.

2) The show is about thirtysomething Lorelai Gilmore, her teenage daughter Rory, and her parents, Richard and Emily. The four of them had dinner together every Friday night. Who did you have dinner with on Friday? What was on the menu? I had crab rangoon and pork fried rice with my old friend Kathy. It was delicious. And then, like a ninny, I forgot to put the leftovers in the refrigerator, so I had to toss it away. (Boo!)

3) Lorelai is outgoing and talkative. How about you? Are you seldom at a loss for words? Hardly ever. In this way, I'm just like Sundance.

 

4) Rory dreamed of going to an Ivy League school and then becoming a broadcast journalist. When you were in high school, what were your ambitions? I dreamed of being a journalist, too. But I wanted to write for the Chicago desk of a national magazine, like Time or Newsweek.


5) Rory's grandfather (and Lorelai's dad) went to Yale and performed with the Whiffenpoofs, Yale's famous a cappella group. Have you ever sung in front of an audience? No! No no a thousand times no! Even at church, I just move my lips.

6) Rory's grandmother (and Lorelai's mother) Emily was very active in civic organizations and worked hard on the Hartford Zoological Society's Annual Silent Auction. Have you ever attended an auction? Nope.

7) Alexis Bledel, who played Rory, went on to appear in Mad Men and The Handmaid's Tale. Of these three shows -- Gilmore Girls, Mad Men and The Handmaid's Tale -- which would you prefer to binge watch? Mad Men. It's scary how accurate it is about agency life, and how little has changed in 50 years.

8) Carole King originally wrote this week's song, "Where You Lead," for her Tapestry album. Do you have a favorite Carole King song? "Make it nice, play it clean ..." I love the sound of "Jazzman."

 

 
9) Random question: If zoo animals could talk, which animal do you imagine would be the rudest? The polar bears. I know this for a fact. Ok, I don't. But I grew up near a zoo and the stories about their diva behavior were the stuff of legend. I have heard they are picky eaters, easily bored, and -- with all apologies to Yogi -- "smarter than the average bear." So I bet if they could talk they'd be very snarky.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 16

Today's happiness -- My day in Dekalb. It's a town 65 miles from Chicago, and home to Northern Illinois University. My friend Kathy moved out there last year. We've seen each other regularly since she relocated, of course, but she usually comes up here. I wanted to show her that I continue to be supportive of her new life, so I offered to go out there for a visit.

It's a relaxing 60+ minute train ride each way, which gave me a chance to finish my book. And, thinking of books, I had a biography of Barack Obama for Kathy that I'd rescued from the recent book sale. She loves Obama, so this was a happy moment.

We went back to Thai Pavilion for a big meal, visited in her cute apartment for a while, and then I headed back. A nice way to spend a late summer Friday.

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.

3-7

Bryzzo used to be a sure thing

Of the last 10 games, the Cubs have lost 7. How can that be? How can a team that has Bryzzo, Baez, and Contreras as their Core Four be unable to score runs? Because Contreras is on the Injured List and Baez has the flu. Oh yeah, and our bullpen keeps giving games away in the 9th.

I am not enjoying this. It's not that losing, in and of itself, bothers me so much. Yes, this millennium has been good in Wrigleyville -- since 2000, we've made the playoffs seven times. But before that? Everyone knows of our century-long World Series drought, and that didn't diminish my passion for the team.

I'm upset because I love these guys, and I'm afraid if they don't go deep into the post-season, baseball wunderkind Theo Epstein will back up the truck and start unloading of players. I hate that thought.