THURSDAY THIRTEEN #273

13 successful people who once worked at McDonald's. In honor of Labor Day, let's look at some famous names who clocked time at the fryer and drive-through window.

1. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos

2. Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill

3.  Renaissance man Lin-Manuel Miranda

4. TV's Judge Mathis

5. Tonight Show host Jay Leno

6. Oscar nominee Sharon Stone

7. Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan

8. Olympic swimmer Amy Van Dyken

9. Olympic track star Carl Lewis

10. Singer Pink

11. Race car driver Tony Stewart

12. Country star Shania Twain

13. Actress/model Andie Macdowell

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

WWW.WEDNESDAY

 

 

To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here.  

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly.

1. What are you currently reading? Dog Tags by David Rosenfelt. Milo, a highly trained police dog, is retired by the force for being too old. He is given to Billy, his former partner who was injured in Iraq. Together the two unemployed ex-cops embark on a life of crime, supporting themselves by committing petty thefts. Of course, Milo has no idea what he's doing is wrong. He's a dog who loves his master and willingly follows his commands. One of their capers goes horribly wrong and someone is killed. Billy ends up in jail and Milo is in police custody. 

Lawyer Andy Carpenter likes dogs better than people and donates his services to freeing Milo. Yes, he goes to court in an attempt to get Milo released on bail. So far, his legal maneuvers on Milo's behalf are my favorite part of the book. Everyone he encounters along the way, including the judge to the DA, is amused by how seriously Andy takes freeing this dog. You'll be amused by Andy's quick wit. (He has what my dad would call "a smart mouth.")

The more Andy learns about the shooting, the more complicated it becomes, and the deeper he is drawn in. He ends up defending Billy on a murder charge, and finds the forces Billy is facing are far darker than he imagined.

2. What did you just finish reading?  Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L. Trump. Donald Trump has one niece, his older brother Fred's daughter. She puts her uncle in the context of their family. A trained psychologist, Mary explains the Trump clan and their motivations, and it's chilling.

Patriarch Fred Trump Sr. is really at the center of this book. Successful, smart and morally bankrupt, he bullied his wife and children and taught them that might makes right. Money was worshiped, kindness and sensitivity were mocked in that household. Donald Trump became what his father wanted him to be and in time, the student surpassed the teacher.

Just as Donald Trump makes Richard Nixon look better as a President, Fred Trump elevates Joseph P. Kennedy in the presidential parent ranking. Yes, JPK was a ruthlessly ambitious businessman and a unrepentant womanizer. But he loved his children and pushed them because he believed they were exceptional. There is very little love or faith in the Trump family saga. 

A very readable but terribly sad book. As I hear about the criminal shenanigans at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's motivations make more sense now, but that doesn't make them any less heinous.

3. What will you read next? I don't know.

 

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 30

Today's happiness -- Roy Hobbs

As soon as he sensed I was awake this morning, Roy Hobbs hopped onto the bed, curled up and pressed his big feline body next to mine and began to purr.

Last year at this time, Reynaldo was still here with me but he was dying. That was an aching time for me. My skinny beige demon cat was special -- smart, adrenaline-driven, and very loving. The pain of saying goodbye was indescribable.

Last year at this time, Roy Hobbs had a different name and lived in an abusive home.

I am happy that I am able to provide Roy Hobbs with a safe home where he can be calm and content. I am grateful that he (and Rey-Rey) taught me a lesson about accepting the natural order of things, and how life goes on.

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.

 

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 29

Today's happiness -- My movie group

This week we were so blabby, we ran long. We were discussing The Best Years of Our Lives and somehow our moderator Will wooed an author to join us. Alison Macor wrote a "making of" book which I admit I haven't read, but she was a wonderful special guest. Also, we were all on our best behavior, the way family is when a visitor is present.

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.

 

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 28

Today's happiness -- That was a surprise

My DVR is always 90%+ full and I'm forever having to delete things I don't want to. Now, suddenly, my DVR reads less than 40%, and I haven't deleted a thing. Xfinity upgraded me! I had no idea. This made me happy.

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.

Sunday Stealing

UPSTREAM LIFE

1. Your favorite sport. To borrow from Robert Redford in The Natural, "God, I love baseball." Here is my current favorite picture of my favorite player, Anthony Rizzo of the (gulp!) Yankees. I will always wish he was still a Cub.

Isn't he lovely? Isn't he wonderful?

2. A quote to live by. "Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim." Nora Ephron.

3. A city in the US you would like to move to. I really don't want to live anywhere other than Chicago. I belong here. If I could live anywhere in Chicago, it would be The Palmolive Building. It's an art deco jewel, built in the 1920s. Sometimes, when I fly into O'Hare after dark, I can see its beacon. That was added to help guide Lucky Lindy in 1930. It offers really spectacular views. Now all I need is the $1,000,000 to buy in.

4. 3 beautiful little things in your life. I'm defining "beautiful" as things that lift my heart. 1) My cats; 2) day baseball; 3) buttery mashed potatoes.

5. What made you laugh today? I didn't laugh, but Willie Geist on Sunday Today did make me smile.

6. A good deed you did today. My you're demanding! I'm still in my pajamas! I just signed up to write for Letters Against Isolation.

7. Activities you like to do when you are bored. Fart around on the internet.

8. Are you a procrastinator? Good goobies, YES!

9. Your thoughts about dying. I hope it will be peaceful.

10. What super power would like to have? I would like your basic Samantha Stephens complement of powers: Teletransportation between locations, snapping my fingers to do housework, twitching my nose to make time stand still.

11. Top 3 Netflix series. Mostly I watch individual shows and movies on Netflix, not series. Sorry.

12.  Things you want to do before you die. I don't think in those terms.

13. Your biggest fears. Dying in a plane crash. Wouldn't teletransportation be much better?

14. What makes you angry? Conspiracy theorists. The election was not stolen. Donald Trump is an elite, the scion of a New York real estate family, and not the victim of elites. Barack Obama was born in the United States. Bill Clinton did not put out a hit on Jeffrey Epstein. Ted Cruz' dad had nothing to do with the JFK assassination. And while we're talking about JFK, his son died in a plane crash before the turn of the millennium and he's not coming back. Just recounting this drivel gives me a headache. Can you imagine how desperately sad life must be like for people who believe this shit? 

15. Do you listen to podcasts? Sometimes. One I recently enjoyed was Born to Rule, about Prince Charles and the monarchy's next chapter. 

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 27

Today's happiness -- Marilyn

August is Summer Under the Stars on TCM. Every day a different star gets the spotlight for 24 hours. Today was Marilyn Monroe. I DVR'd one I've never seen before (Ladies of the Chorus) and watched Some Like It Hot in real time.

She is such a delight.

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.

Saturday 9

She's in Love with the Boy (1991)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song tells the story of Katie and Tommy. She waited for him to pull up in his beat-up Chevy truck. Tell us about your wheels. I don't drive.

 

My wheels

2) Katie and Tommy stay out until 12:30 AM. What time did you go to bed last night? About 10:30 PM

3) The lyrics tell us, "What's meant to be will always find a way." Do you agree? Yes. I have faith that everything happens for a reason. Just because I don't know that reason doesn't mean there isn't one. I have faith that when I get to Heaven, all my questions will be answered.

4) This was the first big hit for Trisha Yearwood. While she's found her greatest success in music, she's also written top-selling cookbooks. Are you a better singer or cook? I'm a better cook, and I'm a terrible cook.

5) Trisha also appeared in six episodes of the TV drama, JAG. She played a medical examiner and forensic pathologist, which means her character had a medical degree and (at least) one year of additional training. That's (at least) five extra years of higher education. Do you enjoy taking classes? I haven't taken a class in so long that I'm not sure.

6) In real life, Trisha earned a degree in Business Administration before going into music. She uses what she learned in school, keeping a close eye on her finances and those of her superstar husband, Garth Brooks. She says she likes and trusts the people hired to their money, "but I check on them." Do you keep a careful eye on where your money goes? Yes. Now I feel guilty because I have weeks worth of transactions to enter into Quicken. It's just I've been dealing with a blessedly mild case of covid and I have the attention span of a gnat.

 

7) In 1991, when this song was popular, Dances with Wolves was a hit in the theaters. Have you seen it? Yes. I liked it well enough at the time, but not well enough to see it ever again.

8) Also in 1991, Seinfeld was a big deal on the small screen. It's still popular in syndication on cable channels and on streaming services. Do you more often watch broadcast TV or streaming/on-demand channels? I watch broadcast a lot for the news and reruns of my favorite old shows. (Sex and the City is on as I write this.)

9) Random question: Have you ever gone a day without laughing? No. I'm really lucky that way. Something happens every day, even in the worst of times, that makes me laugh. I'll see a baby make a funny face, or my cats will charm me, and I'll get a momentary respite from heartache. I remember sitting in the funeral director's office, planning my mother service. I was completely overwhelmed ... by missing my mommy, by being responsible for her estate, by how fractious my family can be. The funeral director asked about music and said sometimes people choose to play the deceased's favorite songs during the visitation. My mom's favorite was so cheesy: "After the Loving" by Engelbert Humperdinck. Can you imagine? The thought of that ode to post-coital bliss at her wake just made me lose it. I couldn't stop giggling. 

 

This is for you, Mom!

 

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 26

Today's happiness -- Texting with my nephew

No matter what pops into my head -- politics, baseball, Beatles -- I can spontaneously share it with him. It makes me happy that we speak the same language.

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.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 25

Today's happiness -- Taking a break

I've been struggling. Nothing big. The work drama and money trouble I'm currently facing are made worse by the fact that covid has sapped my strength. Really, the only symptom that's bedeviling me this time is fatigue. Anyway, when I was hopelessly slogging my way through a blog post I decided to do something I seldom do: I called my oldest friend during the work day. We talked for about an hour. She made me laugh. I felt rejuvenated.

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.

 

August Happiness Challege -- Day 24

Today's happiness -- The 2016 Cubs

That team really was magic. I loved their personalities as much as their play. I love how they delivered for us. Anyway, when I was feeling run down I conjured them. I played their visit to the Obama White House on YouTube. It lifted my heart. That Obama, he was pretty magic, too, wasn't he?

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.

THURSDAY THIRTEEN #272

Thirteen common phobias. According to the National Institute of Health, more than 1 in 10 of us will suffer at some point because of a phobia. Here are the ones we most often deal with.

NATURE

1. Astraphobia. Fear of thunder and lightening.

2. Hydrophobia. Fear of water.

3. Dendrophobia. Fear of trees.

ANIMALS

4. Batrachophobia. Fear of amphibians.

5. Cynophobia. Fear of dogs.

6. Elurophobia. Fear of cats.

7. Equinophobia. Fear of horses.

MEDICAL

8. Trypanophobia. Fear of needles and injections.

9. Dentophobia. Fear of dentists.

10. Hemophobia. Fear of blood.

 SITUATIONS

11. Claustrophobia. Fear of confined spaces.

12. Aerophobia. Fear of flying.

13. Glossophobia. Fear of public speaking.

Aerophobia is mine. I have never boarded a plane and not been worried I was going to die. (Yet, obviously, I haven't!) What about you? Do you suffer from a phobia?

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 23

Today's happiness -- Better this time

Ok, I caught covid a second time. I noticed I'd become more lax with the hand washing and my mask spent more time on my wrist than on my face. So I shouldn't have been as shocked as I was Tuesday AM when I tested positive.

But my symptoms are minimal. Nasal congestion and (this was weird) my eyes were dry and painful. Also, I have the attention span of a gnat, so I'm here to tell you "covid brain fog" really is a thing.

So I'm happy I was smart enough to get vaxxed and boosted. I'm happy that my symptoms are nowhere near as bad as my 2020 bout. I'm happy that  between the federal government and my insurance company I always have testing kits on the kitchen counter. I'm happy I can work from home.

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.

 

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 22

Today's happiness -- Swiffer Wet Cloth Refills

It took me less than 10 minutes to clean my admittedly filthy kitchen floor. That includes taking the Swiffer Sweeper in and out of the closet and moving/replacing the wastebasket. Easy peasy! My floor now looks great -- or as good as outdated linoleum tile is gonna look.

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.

 

WWW.WEDNESDAY

 

 

To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here.  

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly.

1. What are you currently reading? Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L. Trump. Donald Trump has one niece, his older brother Fred's daughter. She introduces us to the family that created him. She's a clinical psychologist, so her insights into the motivations of her relatives are more grounded in theory. But it's her family, and we all have complicated feelings about our families.

I'm not very deep in, but one thing is clear: at first Donald Trump's own family believed he was running for President as a publicity stunt and didn't think he'd win. Certainly his older sister knew her brother wasn't temperamentally suited to the Presidency. A judge (Clinton appointee), she voted for him "out of loyalty" and kept her mouth shut for the same reason. Imagine the misery we all would have been spared if the Judge had shared her trepidations with the voting public.

A fascinating, but not at all enjoyable, read.

2. What did you just finish reading?  The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Greaves. A college romance ends abruptly. Ten years later, Annika happens to bump into her first love at the grocery store and they try to make a go of it a second time.

This book came to me at the right time. First I read Kwizgiver's review, then my library recommended it, and I thought, "OK, I'll give it a shot." I didn't realize then that Annika faced cognitive challenges. Right now I'm dealing with friends in my real life who are battling dementia, TBI and bipolar disorder. It can be difficult navigating my relationships with these loved ones. The phrase that's become my mantra is, "Meet them where they are." I have to accept that they can't help much of their behavior and, for the most part, are never going to view the world the way the rest of us do. So I felt for Jonathan more deeply than I might have otherwise.

One thing about the book really bothered me, though: the sex scenes. Not because they were explicit (I've read more detailed accounts and their encounters were pretty standard) but because of the emphasis on Annika's physical perfection. Her legs were beautiful, her breasts were ideally proportioned, her face was a dead ringer for Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's. Why? Did the author not trust Jonathan, or us, to care about a sweet and good-hearted but cognitively challenged girl unless she was incredibly gorgeous?

3. What will you read next? It's time for a mystery.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 22

Today's happiness -- Riding the rails

I'm working in the office this week. I'll be clocking more days this week than I have since March, 2020. I don't like the regimentation. I don't like having to wear a bra and shoes. I don't like knowing people I don't know well can hear my conversations.* 

But I do like the train. I like watching the world go by the window and then checking out all the shops in the train station. It's such a neat cross section of my part of the world.

*I think I might have had a too-sensitive-for-the-office call today. The way voices carry, I should have moved to a conference room.

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.

 

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 21

Today's happiness -- Spaghetti sauce be gone!
I have an impressive collection of Beatle t-shirts. The quantity doesn't make me love each individual tee any less. So when I got spaghetti sauce on my 2002 McCartney Driving Rain Tour shirt, I was bereft.

Fortunately, stain removal is in my wheelhouse. It's true! I have no self discipline, I can't cook or sew beyond mending, but somehow I am a laundry goddess that spaghetti sauce stain is gone.

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.

Sunday Stealing

Friday Fill-in on Sunday

1.   I am currently obsessed with antibiotics. I have to take them because of my ongoing dental work, but they wreak havoc on my gut. Hopefully my doctor can solve this for me. In the meantime, I am checking and rechecking Google. (Because that's useful, right?)

2.  Today I am happy because my cats are healthy. I may have doctor and dentist appointments on the calendar, but nothing with the vet. Yay!

Roy Hobbs & Connie are healthy, happy buds

 

3.  The age I am is 64 and the age I feel is 64.These dental and gastrointestinal worries are weighing on me.

4.  My favorite place is The Friendly Confines. Our national historic landmark. To borrow from Eddie Vedder's Cub anthem, I'm blessed and healed when I walk into Wrigley Field. I'm making my annual trip to the ballpark next month.

 

5.  Something I have been procrastinating on is inputting my financial transactions into Quicken. BORING! Of course, the longer I put it off, the more I have to do, and the longer it will take.

6.  The last thing I purchased was lunch yesterday. I had chicken.

7.  The thing I love most about my home is the location. I love my neighborhood.

8.  My most prized possession is a ceramic cable car that belonged to my favorite grandpa. It's where he stored his cufflinks and tie clasps.

9.  If I could be one age for the rest of my life, I would want to be 35. I was in love, my career was taking off, and I felt sexy and smart and together.

10.  My outlook on life is engaged. My best friend used to say that he doesn't care about anything as much as I care about everything.

11.  If you want to annoy me, talk trash about my favorite-most ballplayer, Anthony Rizzo. He is all things bright and beautiful.

Please, baseball gods, let him get a hit today!

12.  I am completely defenseless when it comes to ... Hm ... am I ever completely defenseless?  

13. The bravest thing I’ve ever done was interrupting a rape-in-progress, back in 2002. (20 years ago last June.) By my very presence, I caused the perpetrator to run away. I called 911, stayed with the victim until the police came, and then rode in the back of the squad car and pointed out the bad guy. He was a mile away, throwing his shirt into a dumpster in hopes of changing his appearance enough that I couldn't identify him. I never had to testify against him, though. The victim was so uncooperative with law enforcement that they couldn't make a case. Even though he hit her so hard he dislocated her jaw! Apparently I happened upon a drug deal gone wrong and he was taking his payment "in trade." The police told me the young woman was so afraid of the gang her rapist belonged to that they couldn't convince her to assist them.

14. Something that keeps me awake at night is worry. I worry about all kinds of things. My gut. My oldest friend's health. My friend Henry. How sadly vulnerable a portion of our electorate is to paranoid "stop-the-steal" and WWG1WGA conspiracy theories, and the consequences for our democracy.

15. My favorite meal in the entire world is a ribeye and a baked potato. Can I get dessert, too? I'd like strawberry rhubarb pie, please. I'll wash it all down with Coke.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 20

Today's happiness -- People

I had no plans for today. I was OK with that. But then, my friend Mindy called and wanted to know if I could meet her and her hubs for a quick bite. They were in my neck of the woods, and who knows when all three of us will have a free sunny Saturday?

When I got home, I received a call from my friend Patrick who lives in Maine. We chatted for about an hour. At the end of the call, he said, "Love you," and I believe he does.

I don't reach out to people much anymore. With covid, I got out of the habit. Yeah, I could call [insert name here] for drinks or dinner, but then I'll have to put on a bra and spend money and oh, hell, isn't it easier to just stay home?

Yet this is not a healthy way to live life. I am always happy when my friends initiate contact and remember to include me in their plans and I'm grateful.

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.

Saturday 9

 Jack and Diane (1982)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) The video for this song features lots of snapshots. Do you have many physical photo albums? Or do you store your pictures digitally? Yes, I have both. There's a cabinet filled with photo albums, and folder upon folder on my desktop of pictures.

 

2) This song tells the story of "two American kids growing up in the heartland." Young Jack dreams of being a football star. When you were in high school, did you fantasize about stardom? If yes, what were you going to be famous for? I was going to be a crusading journalist, famous for exposing corruption. Can you tell I grew up during the lionization of Woodward and Bernstein?

3) Diane wears Bobbie Brooks slacks (at least briefly). Bobbie Brooks is a popular brand at Walmart. If you had a $50 gift card for Walmart, would you be more likely to use it toward groceries, clothes, household items, or electronics? My dentist recommends I use an electric toothbrush. Walmart is as good a place as any to pick one up.

4) They go to the Tasty Freeze. If you were to run out for fast food right now, where would you go? Mr. Rib and Beef. I would order the shrimp basket, or maybe their pizza-by-the-slice. (I'd also recommend they change their name to Mr. Rib and Beef and Shrimp and Pizza.)

5) When John Mellencamp made this record, he was known professionally as "John Cougar," a stage name suggested by his manager. He has said that adopting a stage name is something he regrets. Looking over your life, if you could take a "do over," what one thing would you like to do differently? I spent too long in a bad relationship and missed other opportunities for happiness.

 
6) Even though he suffered a heart attack, John Mellencamp continues to smoke, admitting that nicotine is something he simply can't kick. Do you have a habit you wish you could break? Sloth. I'd love to be more disciplined with my time.

 

7) John's daughter Teddi was one of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She went on to join the cast of Big Brother. Do you watch any reality shows? I binge watched Honey Boo-Boo one afternoon. She's a teenager now and seems like a very nice kid, surrounded by an astonishing collection of subpar adults.

8) In 1982, when this song was popular, William Windsor was born. He's better known by his job title. Without looking it up, do you know who he is? He's the little one on the right.

 

9) Random question: What do you do when you can't sleep? Watch TV, catch up with my Farmville 2 farm. Or, as with this particular pre-dawn Saturday morning, answer these questions.

 

 

 

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 19

 Today's happiness -- Good hair.
We knock off early on Fridays during the summer. I used this summer Friday to get my hair cut and colored. It looks nice, and doing it Friday means my Saturday can be a little lazier.

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.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 18

 Today's happiness -- That I can

Today wasn't the best day. I had morning work tension, followed by 90 minutes in the dentist chair. Then I came home to find a notice from Commonwealth Edison. My power is going to be off at some unspecified time on Monday between 8:00 and 6:00, which will make working from home impossible.

So what made me happy today?

That I have decent dental insurance, so I can pay this bill, and the next one (I have more appointments scheduled). I am not happy about this expense, of course. But I am happy that I can pay.

And I put some blessing bags in my purse. I took ZipLock bags and filled each one with a $1 bill, a packet of tissues, a ChapStick, and a breakfast bar. People who need a snack will get one, courtesy of me. It makes me happy that I can do that.

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.

Is she my mirror? Am I hers?

I just spent four days with my oldest friend. It's impossible to calculate how much she means to me. Not only because she is funny, creative, and kind. But also because of our history. We have known one another for so long I truly don't recall meeting her. We appear together in our Kindergarten class photo. I could see her home from my backyard. In that way, she is like the sun or the wind. I don't remember not knowing her. Before this weekend, we hadn't seen one another in four years.

I admit I was shocked when I saw her Thursday night. Her face is heavily lined. Her teeth are discolored by time and coffee. She walks very slowly with a cane.

The years have taken its toll on both of us, to be sure. We're both overweight. We both cover the grey. We both have holes in our smiles -- though I am working through my dental issues and am in the process of getting an implant, while she's just letting hers go. She has a bridge but she took it out the first night and I never saw it again.

Lest I seem very shallow, let me share something with you: she was always the pretty one. Always. Even during our awkward adolescence, when we both had thick glasses, bad hair and braces. She looked like Marie Osmond with thick glasses, bad hair and braces.

Now next to her, I'm a babe. This is just wrong. This is not the natural order of things. Especially because I am no prize package.

I wonder how she feels about this. Has she noticed, too? We can discuss many things -- even her leaky bladder and my diarrhea (!) -- but not this.

Thursday Thirteen #271

Gas prices high enough to make you drink. Let me preface this by stating plainly that I don't drive. But I know gas prices must be important to those who do because of all the talk I hear. I recall riding in an elevator, in a hospital en route to visit my mom in the ICU, and that's what I heard another family complaining about. It stayed with me. I thought, "Imagine, your loved one is in Intensive Care and you're concerned about gas prices!"

My favorite ballplayer, Anthony Rizzo, spearheads a charity that helps families of children fighting pediatric cancer. One of the top requests he gets these days is for gas cards. So many families have to drive a long distance to get to a hospital for their kid's treatment, and the cost can be crippling.

So with that in mind, I have researched gas prices. Here's the average national ppg of regular, unleaded, over the past 13 years. I know this month they have been dipping a bit, and I hope you drivers are feeling a little relief.

1. July 2021: 5.03

2. July 2020: 3.15

3. July 2020: 2.70

4. July 2019: 2.80

5. July 2018: 2.98

7. July 2017: 2.50

8. July 2016: 2.38

9. July 2015: 2.55

10. July 2014: 3.75

11. July 2013: 3.63

12. July 2012: 3.69

13. July 2011: 3.70

BTW, adjusted for inflation, $3.70 in July 2011 would be $4.81 today.

Here's an inflation calculation, if you'd like to continue playing with the numbers.

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.