Thursday Thirteen #326

Thirteen websites I visit all the time. I admit I borrowed this idea from Kwizgiver.

1. Facebook. It's how I stay in touch with people and how I inflict my Cubbie/Rizzo love on them.

2. MLB.com. Because it's baseball season.

3. MLBTR.com. Because it's baseball season.

4. Chase.com. Yes, I bank with the monolith. They have a real monopoly on ATMs here in Chicagoland. (Yes, I still use cash.)

5. Twitter. I refuse to call it X. It's where I live tweet with my TCM buddies when my favorite movies are being shown, and get my latest New York Yankees news and rumors. (I must know what's up with my forever Captain, Anthony Rizzo.)

6. TCM.com. Sometimes I want to know my favorite channel's lineup far in advance.

 

7. Amazon.com. Everything is there. Really. They have literally everything.

8. Goodreads.com. I keep track of what I've read and get ideas for what to read next.

9. Letterboxd.com. It's like Goodreads, but for movies.

10. My local pizza place. They often offer coupons online and I'm a pizza slut. Go ahead, judge me. I won't change.

11. USPS tracking. This one annoys my oldest friend because she says it encourages me to worry about something I have no control over. She's right, of course. But I won't change.

12. Petco.com. My big tuxedo, Roy Hobbs, likes the Purina Pro Plan Salmon and it sells out quickly. I order it online and pick it up at my local store.

13. Blogger. How else can I keep up with you lovely people?

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

  

Dollar Tree Find

I found this little metal prayer box at Dollar Tree. It contains a tiny pad of paper and a pen, and printed on the inside lid is a passage from Proverbs: "She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future." It's such a perfect little gift that I bought two.

I gave the first one to Joanna on Monday. We celebrated her birthday at a French/Latin fusion cafe that was new to both of us. I was happy to fuss over her because she's had a tough run lately. She's been self-employed for the last 15 years and has been investing and reinvesting in her business rather than her retirement. Now here she is, turning 70, with no savings. 

Her clients have been giving her grief. One has been having her do revision after revision outside the scope of their agreement, so it's costing her money. Her other client is refusing to implement Joanna's suggestions, and then complains that her efforts haven't worked and now won't renew the contract. She's been in love with Sid since 2019, but his health and cognition are failing and she knows she's in the midst of a long goodbye. So I was happy to buy her a chicken salad sandwich on a very fancy plate.

The cool thing about Joanna, though, is that with all this going on she is worried about my adjustment to life in retirement. It's kind of a fact of life that no one worries about me. Or, as John says, "Everyone turns to you." So Joanna being concerned that I not have to walk too far in the rain, or that I'm drinking enough water, or that I'm incorporating my yoga into my at-home morning routine ... I admit it: I like being fussed over every now and then.

I'm going to send the other prayer box to my oldest friend, with a note explaining how she should write her worries on the little pad and tuck them away, leaving them to the Lord. It's perfect for her. But she will just toss this package to the side along with the other three she's waiting to open until she's miserable. I can't tell you how much this still annoys me. But the gift should be about the recipient, not the giver, and this is (I'll say it again) perfect for her. Somehow I have to trust that the positive vibes I'm sending her way will reach her.