Monday Madness

WHAT'S SO SPECIAL QUESTIONS

1. Tell us about a special piece of cookware, dinnerware, or kitchen item in your home that has sentimental value. It's a little wooden cat ornament I have hanging from the pull on one of my kitchen cabinets. I originally brought it home to my mother as a souvenir from Key West and someone (my sister or my niece) found it among her things when they were preparing her house for auction. Every time I look at it, makes me happy that it made her happy.

2. Is there one piece of jewelry you always wear that reminds you of someone or brings back a special memory? If so, tell us about it. My niece is getting married this weekend. Anyway, when she was a little girl, she was fascinated by my pierced ears. She spent her own money at some school fair to buy me some truly wretched dolphin earrings for my birthday. I have never worn them, but I wouldn't part with them for the world. They've been on my earring tree for 20 years now and they, too, make me smile when I see them.

3. When you go out for a meal (yes, folks, those were the good 'ole days) do you make special requests having to do with food choices, extra condiments, seating arrangements, special instructions for how your food is cooked and the like? What are your special requests? Please, no onions on my burger. Thank you.

4. What makes your home special to you and your family? Me!

5. We've had a lot of time to think up ways to make our lives more interesting while on lockdown. What do you do to make an otherwise ordinary day/night more special?  In other words, what does your "special night" look like? A phone call from Henry or John, or a zoom get together with my movie group.

6. You are waiting for an exciting special delivery! What's in the box? Funny you mention this. My Cubs 2020 playoff t-shirt was supposed to arrive Sunday night by 9:00 PM but FedEx texted that "no updated estimated arrival time available." I WANT MY SHIRT.

7. When is the last time you went on a special assignment? I'm a creative director at an agency. I tell my clients every assignment they give me is special.

8. If you were saving a bottle of wine for a special occasion, what would the occasion be and who would be in attendance? I don't know because I wouldn't be there. I give any wine I receive away. Since menopause, even a sip of the stuff gives me the worst headache in the history of heads.

9. What is the last "special report" or "breaking news report" you heard? Perhaps you've heard that our President has contracted the corona virus. WEAR YOUR MASKS!

10. Who or what in your life gets special treatment? My cat Reynaldo. He is nearly 17 years old, which makes him about 80 in human years. He gets whatever he pleases. We are going to enjoy our remaining time together. 

Sunday Stealing

FUNNY QUESTIONS

1. If You Could Use A Time Machine To Go Back In Time To Fix One Thing Or Go To The Future To See What It Is Like Which Would You Do?  I am more curious about my future.

2. If All Of A Sudden There Was A Depression Or There Were No Stores To Buy Food, Clothing, Etc. How Would You Manage? Grumpily.

3. Are You Concerned With What Other People Think About You? More than I should.

4. How Do You Handle People You Don’t Like? Avoidance.

5. What Do You Think Of Garden Gnomes? I don't.

6. You’ve Been Given An Elephant. You Can’t Give It Away Or Sell It. What Would You Do With The Elephant? Research how to make it as happy and comfortable as I can.

7. How Would You Design A Spice Rack For The Blind? Braille labels and different sized bottles.

8. How Lucky Are You And Why? I still have a job, I'm able to work from home, and I'm healthy.

9. What’s your biggest kitchen fail? I am afraid to turn on my oven.

10. What’s the most embarrassing thing that happened to you in school? It's hard to narrow it down to one thing. I was miserable in high school.

11. If you could kill off any character from a current television show, who would it be? Judge Jeanine Pirro. She's worse than any Kardashian.

12 . If you could make a rule for a day and everyone had to follow it, what would it be? Wear a mask every time you leave your house!

13. Would you rather be a hobbit or an elf for 24 hours? I'm sorry, but I'm not clear on the difference.

14. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done? Lie down in the middle of the street.

15. Would your rather shoot spaghetti out of your fingers or sneeze meatballs? Sneezing meatballs sounds kinda painful, whereas shooting spaghetti out of my fingers could be fun.

 

Slam, bam, tang

I don't usually drink martinis. They hit me too hard. But Saturday was a special occasion. Joanna and I celebrated her birthday. And a grapefruit martini is so pretty!

We were going to get together closer to her birthday -- two Saturdays ago -- but she got a shingles vaccine and was feeling tuckered out. We're old ladies now and have to be careful during a pandemic. 

We met up at our favorite tapas place, right up the street from where our movie group used to meet. We each had a cold plate (she had a salad, I had pecan/pears/goat cheese) and a hot plate (empanada de buey -- ground beef and mushrooms in a puff pastry). And we caught up.

She's still crazy about Sid. He's a handful -- bad tempered and forgetful at times as he deals with the aftermath of a stroke -- but he makes her laugh. There's a real connection there. I'm happy for her.

It was exciting to be in the city again. This is only the third time I've gotten together with one of my friend since February! I took Ubers to and fro. I still don't feel ready for public transportation.

And I enjoyed the grapefruit martini, even though it knocked me on my ass. There's an old song from the play, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. It refers to the "slam, bam, tang" of gin and vermouth. Frank Loesser wasn't kidding.

I miss them already

I am bereft. The Cubs' season ended Friday afternoon. But they made it to the play offs, and even more important, they were the only MLB to not have a single player test positive for the corona virus. They were upbeat, happy role models for all of us and I am proud of them.

 

My guys amused me and distracted me and kept me going through this pandemic. I fully expect some of the core players (Contreras? Schwarber? Baez? Bryant?) to be traded. This means tears will be shed.

I don't know where you sit as you read this, but if they trade my beloved #44, Anthony Rizzo, you will be able to hear me wail.

He's my President, too

Donald Trump is in the hospital with the corona virus. Naturally, I am very upset about this. First of all, he is my President. His illness throws both national security and the election process into chaos at precisely the time we don't need more chaos. Plus, he's a human being. I take no joy in anyone's illness. Even someone who flouted the very protocols that could have kept him safe. I pray that he recovers, just as I pray that everyone recovers from Covid19.

But here's the pebble in my shoe. The annoyance that makes me crazy every time I check on my President's condition. While I've never had the corona virus, I did suffer a bout of pneumonia when I was in my 30s. It was not a moral failing or a sign of weakness. It was an illness.

Yet four years ago, Donald Trump mocked Hillary Clinton for having the nerve to get sick with pneumonia during a campaign. He portrayed her as unfit to lead, just because she fell victim to an illness.  His followers thought this was funny. A knee slapper.

 

I know there are Trump supporters who decry how mean and hateful "liberals" and "progressives" are to Donald Trump while conveniently forgetting the above. Or how he mocked John McCain's military service and a reporter's physical disability and the Khizr Khan family. Or most recently, implied that Justice Ginsburg's grieving granddaughter lied about her grandmother's dying wish. These are just off the top of my head. His penchant for cruelty is well documented.    

Because he is my President, I would prefer he be a role model. That children learn how we should treat one another by watching him. But I have given up on expecting to ever see that from him.

But also, because he is my President and a fellow human being, I will continue to monitor news reports and hope that he's resting comfortably. And I'll close with this touch of class.