Thursday Thirteen #365

13 words/phrases from the OJ Simpson murder trial. 30 years ago this month, the Simpson saga grabbed the United States by the throat and held on. 

 

At the time, much was made of how the case revealed racial fissures in our nation, but honestly, that's not how I experienced it. To me, it was all about gender. I was shocked by how many of the men in my life reacted to it. For example, one young man I was working with opined -- after hearing one of Nicole Brown's 911 calls about domestic abuse -- that "of course" OJ could break into his ex-wife's house because his money was paying for it, and that domestic violence is no indicator of homicide. I never looked at him the same way after that. That young art director must be nearly 60 now. I wonder if his views have evolved with time. I hope so.

Anyway, here are 13 words/phrases that were in the national vernacular 30 years ago.

1. Bundy Drive in Brentwood. The scene of the double homicide that took place on June 12, 1994.

2. Rockingham. OJ Simpson's 7 bedroom estate.

3. Ron Goldman. The 25-year-old aspiring actor and model who waited tables to pay the bills. He was murdered alongside Nicole Brown.

4. Mezzaluna. The Italian restaurant where Nicole Brown had her last meal, and where Ron Goldman worked.

5. Kato Kaelin. Friend to both OJ and Nicole, he lived in the guest house on the Rockingham property. He became a star witness in the trial.

6. Kato the Akita. Named after Kaelin by the Simpson children, this dog was the only witness and his pawprints were visible at the bloody crime scene.

7. Robert Kardashian. Now known as ex-husband of Kris Jenner and father of Kim, he first came to prominence as OJ Simpson's friend and lawyer.

8. AC Cowlings. Another friend and former teammate of OJ's, known for being behind the wheel of ...

9. The White Bronco. While evading arrest, OJ Simpson led the LA police on a slow speed, nationally televised chase in a white Ford Bronco.

10. Marcia Clark. The lead prosecutor. Her curly perm became the topic of public debate. Today she is an author.

11. DNA evidence. It's hard to believe now, but 30 years ago DNA was a new and confusing innovation. The defense convinced the jury that the blood evidence could have been contaminated and corrupted to the point that the DNA results were unreliable. It's unlikely a 2024 jury would accept this as "reasonable doubt."

12. "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." A bloody left-handed glove was found near the murder scene. It's mate was discovered at Simpson's home. During the trial, OJ stood before the jury and struggled to get the bloody glove on his hand but couldn't. His lead attorney, Johnnie Cochran, told the jury in closing arguments, "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit."

13. Faye Resnick. An interior designer and friend to Nicole Brown. Simpson's defense team used the fact that Faye had been in and out of rehab to create reasonable doubt, supposing that Nicole had been killed by drug dealers.

30 years on, how many of these did you remember?

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

Of course he died in June

His soul soars free

I found out Saturday night that my friend Henry is gone. He actually passed away at 7:45 PM on Friday, June 22. We knew the end was near for a while now. I am just grateful that he died during Pride Month, because Henry defined himself as a proud gay man, and looking back on his loving life, I can see how his homosexuality colored his life.

He grew up in Puerto Rico and went to Catholic grammar and high schools. He always knew he was "different," never romantically drawn to women, never had any interest in sports.*

This outsider status drove him to find ways to express himself. He was fluent in Spanish and English and could read/translate Italian and French. At one time he was a wizard at computer graphics -- that's what brought him to the advertising agency where we both worked -- and later he won local Key West awards for his poetry and fiction.

It also imbued him with sympathy, empathy and compassion. There wasn't a stray dog, cat or person who didn't touch his heart. When they left Chicago for Key West, they took two cars -- one for their belongings and the other for the two dogs and two cats they'd adopted. 

Not long after they arrived in Key West, Henry and Reg added a third dog to the menagerie. A small black mop with short legs. He was the dog of a young man, a fellow busboy Henry had befriended while working at a hotel restaurant. The busboy died of AIDS. His parents, in Miami, had disowned him "for his lifestyle" and refused to come down to Key West for the dog. It's important to note that these parents requested their son's "property of value" be shipped to them. But they would not travel the 160 miles to tend to their son's remains or get his dog. My Henry handled that for these fabulous "Christian" parents.

About a decade later, Henry was teaching at the college. One of his students took a job in Miami and promised to come back for his cat. I think you can guess what happened. Renamed Annie Wilkes after the Kathy Bates character in Misery, this ornery old girlcat lived out her life with Henry and Reg, where the windowsill was her favorite spot. Yes, she was moody and mean when they took her in, but that's because she was in pain. Her teeth were literally rotting in her head. They restored her health and gave her comfort and peace. At this time, Henry and Reg were working four jobs between them, and they chose to spend their money the cat under their roof who was in discomfort.

And the Lilly Pulitzer dresses! During the summer between second and third grade, my niece had a growth spurt. When she returned to school, she was a head taller than her tallest classmate. She felt like a giantess. She compensated by insisting on wearing only dresses -- the frillier the better -- never slacks because dresses were what she needed to feel pretty. The battles between my little niece and her mother were fucking epic. I shared this Henry. He promptly got on his bike and rode across the island to the Lilly Pulitzer outlet store. He reasoned -- correctly, of course -- that none of her Chicagoland classmates would be wearing resortwear for back-to-school. She felt beautiful and proud in her lilac and pink floral dresses from faraway Key West. My niece is now married and over 30, and can still describe those dresses in detail. 

I could go on ... and on ... and on about the kindnesses Henry showed me and others. His heart was open to anyone who was sensitive, alone, or in distress.

Thank God he found MCC. He always loved and accepted Christ but felt that the Catholic Church had rejected him. With MCC, he finally had a spiritual home, where he was welcome to both love his husband and worship. I attended Christmas Eve services there with him and being part of that congregation filled him with such joy. He and I were so different in that way. I consider my faith private. When I go to church, I want to contemplate my personal relationship with God. I don't care if I don't speak to another soul. Not Henry. He thrived on the fellowship and hymns. He loved translating the week's lesson to Spanish for those in the congregation who were ESL.

Saturday night, when I heard of his passing, one of the first things I did was set the alarm clock. Even though it's unseasonably hot, even though I could stream the service and worship while still in my pajamas, I knew -- just knew -- how Henry would want me to celebrate his life. I got up early, put on makeup and jewelry, and hauled my fat ass to church. I sat alone in the pew and cried a little. 

I was sorry for the suffering he'd endured at the end, and grateful that he is finally at peace.

I was grateful that God sent him to me. Henry used to say I was his "true sister," and I loved him like a brother. I will miss him forever.

*Oh, but he was handy around the house. Going to The Home Depot with Henry was an education. Furniture, glass, plumbing ... before his accident, he was adept at it all. And so I leave with you Henry's travel hack: Before setting out on a road trip, check in advance for the Home Depot locations along the way. They are uniformly open until 9:00 or 10:00 PM, sell things you always need (like cleansing wipes and bottled water) and have the cleanest, safest bathrooms. You're welcome.

Photo by Mateus Campos Felipe on Unsplash

WWW.WEDNESDAY

 

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? Living the Beatles Legend: The Untold Story of Mal Evans by Kenneth Womack.  Mal was a familiar sight to us Beatle fans. A little taller, a little older than "the boys," bespectacled Mal was their indespensible roadie. He was there from their beginnings at Liverpool's Cavern Club to the end on the rooftop for the Let It Be/Get Back concert. He was the inspiration for Shake, one of the Beatles' aides-de-camp in A Hard Day's Night and had cameos in both Help! and Magical Mystery Tour. He's got a story to tell about the act you've known for all these years, and here it is. Womack uses Mal's diaries and notes, as well as the reminiscences of his family and friends to tell us what it was like to "live the legend."

2. What did you recently finish reading? Kick: The True Story of JFK's Sister and the Heir to Chatsworth by Paula Byrne. Kathleen Kennedy was known as "Kick" to everyone. She was Joe and Rose Kennedy's second daughter and the fourth of their nine children. She was very close to her brother, Jack, the future President. 

 

What a life she had! Summers at the Cape and winters in Palm Beach. Convent schools in Europe. In the same year, she met both The Pope and Mussolini. When her father was Ambassador to the Court of St. James, she was the star of the social swirl in pre-War London. Then, after war broke out and she returned to the US, she moved a bit out of her family's powerful orbit and got a job in Washington DC. She returned to wartime London to volunteer for the Red Cross ... and marry a Lord who was on his way to battle and, ultimately, a hero's death. As a titled widow and an heiress she embarked on a scandalous romance with her "own Rhett Butler." She boarded a small private plane to Cannes to introduce her lover to her father and hopefully gain his approval -- despite her financial independence, she was still a Kennedy. It crashed, killing all four passengers. She was 28.

 

One of her "best chums" was Evelyn Waugh, who would write Brideshead Revisited and based the character of Julia in large part on Kick. Her husband, Billy Hartington, was godfather to Andrew Parker Bowles. Yes, Queen Camilla's first husband. Kick's was a short, dazzling, ultimately tragic life. I wonder why it's never been made into a Netflix series.

 

3. What will you read next? Don't know.

 

 

Teaser Tuesday

Here's how to play.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Living the Beatles Legend: The Untold Story of Mal Evans by Kenneth Womack. This (gulp) 590-page book was compiled by using the diaries of the late Mal Evans, the Beatles confidante, bodyguard and roadie beginning with their early days at the Cavern Club.

Mal memorably demonstrated his loyalty and value to the pre-international fame Lads in 1963 when he drove them home to Liverpool from London (more than four hours). Mal was behind the wheel of a crappy van whose windshield shattered, and he was facing cold, fog and wind head on.

John later recalled, "Mal had a paper bag over his head with just a split in it for his eyes. He looked like a bank robber." Meanwhile, John, Paul, George and Ringo huddled together in the rear of the van, sharing a bottle of whiskey, stacked one atop the other to generate much needed warmth. "And when the one on the top got so cold it was like hypothermia was setting in, he'd get his turn on the bottom and we'd warm each other up that way, swigging the whiskey. It was, in Paul's words, "a Beatle sandwich."

 

Saturday 9

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

1) In this song, Hank Williams sings that his fishing pole is broke and the creek is full of sand. OK, so he can't spend his Saturday fishing. What are your Saturday plans? Getting my hair cut, watching baseball, trying to keep cool.

2) He regrets how shabby his shoes are. Do you shop for shoes online, or do you prefer going to the store and trying them on? I prefer trying them on in the store.

3) This was the last Hank Williams song to be released during his lifetime. Though he was only 29 when he died, he left an enduring mark on American music and is considered one of country music's greatest singer/songwriters. Who is your favorite country music performer? Do you know Mary Chapin Carpenter? I love this old song of hers.

4) Elvis was a big fan and his favorite Hank Williams song was "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." What's your favorite Elvis song? It changes with my mood. Right now, it's this one.

5) Johnny Cash was a big Hank Williams fan, too. He performed Hank's gospel song, "I Saw the Light" often in concert and during his guest starring role in a 1974 episode of Columbo. Did you watch Columbo, or do you stream it or catch it in reruns? I recently discovered Columbo and I love it. I catch it weekends on the Cozi TV channel.

6) Hank was a prolific songwriter, composing songs on his guitar and then printing the lyrics by hand on notepaper. He never learned to read music. Can you read music? Nope.

7) When he was a teen, Hank sang and played his guitar on the sidewalk in front of a local radio station, making a little money and hoping to be discovered. His plan worked and he was occasionally invited in to play with the radio station's house band. Were you a hard-working teen? No. I was fabulously lazy as a teen, a trait I've carried with me into adulthood.

8) Hank suffered from a congenital spinal condition and began self-medicating with alcohol during his teen years. He was warned against this early on by country superstar Ray Acuff, but Hank was unable to deal with the pain without liquor. Can you recall wise advise you wish you'd taken, but didn't? When I was in my 20s I was involved with a handsome, charming man who treated me terribly. My closest friends told me to break it off, but their criticism made me defend him and convinced me I loved him even more. I wasted a decade. I should have listened. I don't regret loving him -- how can you regret love? -- but I regret my wrong-headed tenacity.

9) Random question: What's your favorite Mexican food? I'm told it's not really Mexican food but I don't care. Every now and again I love a Taco Bell soft shell taco.

I don't care what you say! I love it.

 

 

 

Thursday Thirteen #364

  

13 popular Paul McCartney songs. June 18 was Sir Paul's 82nd birthday, and I'm celebrating by listing his biggest hits, according to Spotify.

1. 45 Seconds.

2. Wonderful Christmastime. 

3. Band on the Run.

4. Live and Let Die. 

5. Maybe I'm Amazed.

6. The Girl Is Mine.

7. Jet.

8. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey.

9. Another Day.

10. Junk.

11. Hope of Deliverance.

12. 1985. 

13. No More Lonely Nights.

I admit some of these wouldn't have made my list of 13 fave raves, but I'm glad that at 82 Sir Paul is still reaching a wide audience. In fact, he just announced another European tour. Long may he reign!

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

 

Her bathroom is ten miles away?

Saturday morning, I woke up at about 2:30 AM (as I will) to go to the bathroom. I farted around a little on my laptop to help me get back to sleep and found this email from my oldest friend. She lives outside Los Angeles, so I'll use her time stamps to tell the rest of this story. 

TO ME (AND HER ADULT DAUGHTER): 12:10 AM

I've lost my self phone and am not too happy about it. Yours in misery, me.

ME TO HER (AND HER ADULT DAUGHTER): 12:23 AM

Have you asked Alexa to call you? That's my go-to at times like this.

TO ME (JUST ME): 3:17 AM

All is well! Fou d the little thing 10 miles away. Making   run for it.

ME TO HER: 3:28 AM

Where did you leave it? How did you find it?

At this point, I assumed she'd used Alexa to call her phone and it rang at the home of her friend/one-night stand/major crush, Robert. I figure he answered and told her he would bring it over. She has major medical issues and should not be without her phone.

I heard nothing more from her Sunday afternoon, more than 24 hours later.

TO ME (JUST ME): 1:20 PM

All is well! I just tore up my house and found it in the bathroom. I know! Go figure. How're things going? Going to Robert's for Dad's Day.

ME TO HER: 3:20 AM

Your bathroom is 10 miles away?

That was Sunday. This is Wednesday. She hasn't responded so clearly, we're not going to talk about it.

I know that she's diabetic and when her blood sugar drops precipitously, she gets confused. She told me how embarrassed she was, not that long ago, when she called the police about an intruder who turned out to be a pile of laundry on her sofa. I suspect this is what happened before dawn on Saturday. 

I'm nearly 2000 miles away. I cannot help her. 

Her daughter and especially her cousin should be looking in on her. And then there's Robert. While he has made it abundantly clear that their relationship is never going to work romantically and that he is still looking for a lover who doesn't have my friend's weight/mobility issues, he does include her in his social life. Since she -- and I am being quite literal here -- has no other friends, getting her out among people is important.

I am so angry at her. She moved to Los Angeles without thinking it through. It's been a disaster. Five jobs before giving up and calling herself retired. Unremitting financial problems have her accepting public aid. Health problems that began when she fell and broke her elbow and now, somehow, she can't walk any distance without a cane. Isolation and anxiety. 

Her vaunted cousin, the one she moved out there to be with, does not really want to extend herself for my friend. I'm not sure my friend is completely honest with her adult daughter. It's easy to imagine what will happen when Robert finally lands on a regular bed partner.

I am worried. First John. Then Henry. Now her.

I am helpless to protect those I love. What the ever-loving fuck?

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

 

WWW.WEDNESDAY

 

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? Kick: The True Story of JFK's Sister and the Heir to Chatsworth by Paula Byrne. I checked this book out because my library recommended it. I was curious about a Kennedy biography (from 2017) that had flown under my radar. I found it was originally published in England by a British author, and so far that makes an interesting difference. Every now and again I stop and think of the American/British relationship: "Ah, so this is how we look to them!" For example, Byrne writes about the Kennedys' Catholicism in detail -- more than the average Yankee requires -- describing a child's first communion as though a daunting cult ritual. Byrne also seems surprised that wealthy American children often had nannies and went to boarding school, "like upper-class British families." Since so much of Kick's life played out in England -- she was the 28-year-old Marchioness of Hartington when she died -- I'm hoping Byrne's very Britishness will give her story an added dimension.

Kathleen, aka Kick, was JFK's younger sister and the sibling he was closest to growing up. While Ms. Byrne has yet to make this connection, I will here: the similarities between Kick and Jacqueline Bouvier are striking. Both were unconventional, rebellious and adventurous. Both annoyed their mothers mightily. Each went everywhere with a big box camera on a strap around her neck. Both were ended up working for the now-defunct Washington Herald. Both could make John F. Kennedy laugh. I'm sorry they never met, because I'm sure Jackie and Kick would have liked one another enormously.

2. What did you recently finish reading? Siracusa by Delia Ephron. A novel about a couples vacation to Sicily. Lizzie and Michael are forty-something childless New Yorkers. She's an underemployed journalist and he's a successful playwright unsuccessfully struggling with a novel. Since college, Lizzie has known Finn. He's now a restaurateur in Portland, ME, married to Taylor. He's proud of her beautiful blonde looks and cutting-edge style. Together they have a daughter, 10-year-old Snow. Taylor brings Snow everywhere. Even on this trip, where she doesn't belong. 

You just know bad shit is about to go down.

All four of the adults take turns narrating. I was impressed by how well Ephron establishes each character's individual voice and personality. The author was also brilliant in her decision to never have Snow address us directly. We only know her from the way the others see her. The child becomes kind of a spooky Rorschach test.

This is a very grown-up contemplation of marriage. How much do spouses share with their partners, how different is a couple's private reality from their public face, how a child changes the marital dynamic. Frankly, it made me grateful to be a barren spinster. Which is not to say it's not a good book. It is! It's just scary in so very many ways.

 

3. What will you read next? Don't know.

 

Teaser Tuesday

Here's how to play.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Kick: The True Story of JFK's Sister and the Heir to Chatsworth by Paula Byrne. Kathleen Kennedy was the sibling closest to JFK when he was growing up. I've been fascinated by her ever since I saw a photo of then-Senator Kennedy reading in his apartment, and on the wall were multiple framed photos of the same young woman, his deceased sister, known to all as "Kick." As one who has always suffered from brother envy, I was curious about their bond and his enduring devotion.

Kick was the fourth child and second daughter of Joe and Rose Kennedy. She was vivacious and confident and, while in her late teens, she took pre-War London by storm when her father was FDR's Ambassador to the Court of St. James. Her life was glamorous, short and tragic -- almost Shakespearean in how pointless her death at age 28 ultimately was.* My favorite part of this book is when Byrne reprints Kick's own letters. Like this one to a friend:

One thing to be sure of: Life holds no fears for someone who has faced love, marriage, and death before the age of 25.

 *Like JFK Jr. level pointless.

Trustbridge, Hospice by the Sea

That's where Henry will live out his remaining days. He's receiving palliative care, so I am trying to find comfort in his comfort.

I found out the way Reg's 552 Facebook Friends did, with a social media post titled, "Hello, Everyone." He reports he hasn't cried. Just like Reg, to make this about Reg. I wonder how different Henry's life would be today if Reg could have just once gotten out of his own way and listened to other people who also love Henry.

But I'll never know that.

Henry's faith in God has always been unwavering. As a gay man raised Catholic, he's had major problems with organized religion over the years. But never with his faith. I don't know for sure what's going on in that bruised and broken mind of his, but I know he's conversing somehow with God. 

For his body to be in comfort and his soul at peace, that's what I wish for him now. He was a dear, loving man. If he loved you -- and he loved me -- he saw only good. He deserves all the grace God can give.

His mother died recently. She's waiting for him in Heaven. Their reunion will be beautiful.

 

  

He was on my mind

When I was a little girl I loved a popular song that began, "When I woke up this morning, you were on my mind ..." When I woke up this morning, that song and Anthony Rizzo were on my mind.

He went down in the 7th inning of the Yankees-Red Sox game. He collided with another player, fell, and rolled onto his right wrist. In the moment, I thought the important thing was that he was safe. After all, Rizz has been hit by pitches more than 200 times. He acknowledges the sting but then just shakes it off and takes first base.

But then he didn't get up.

He walked off the field with his manager and the Yankees medical team and was replaced on the base pads and in the line up. A preliminary fluoroscope at Fenway showed no broken bones, but he was still in pain, so more tests will be performed today.

This breaks my heart. I have always believed baseball is a metaphor for life, and Anthony Rizzo's travails seem to be about so much more than the game. 

In 2021, the Cubs traded him at the deadline. He did not want to go. Obviously. But he threw himself into being a Yankee. No whining, no complaints. In 2022 he was the victim of a botched epidural (a rather extreme way to treat back strain!) which cost him playing time. No whining, no complaints. In 2023 he played through an undiagnosed concussion (fuck you, Yankees medical staff), which not only threatened his career but his long-term cognitive abilities. This year he has fought to come back. He struggled and was even benched for a couple games -- embarrassing for a star of his stature -- but no whining, no complaints. He'd just regained his timing when this happened.

This should not be happening to him. He plays with such joie de vivre. A cancer survivor, he gives back with the same joy and passion. (Here's a recent post about his good works.) Yet he's in physical this morning as the New York press and some Yankee fans are literally feeding on his carcass. You'd think they'd be cheering for the hero in their midst to rebound, but no. They are calling for him to be dumped at the trade deadline.

I hate the unfairness of it. I have a gripe with Yankee fans and press but also with destiny and karma. Sometimes life just pisses me off so much!

Yes, when I woke up this morning, he was on my mind. And I'll be obsessing about him until the Yankees release word on his condition.

Sunday Stealing

 

1.  What is most important to you. The peace of mind that comes from doing the right thing.

2.  Your best trait. If you need me, I'll be there.

3.  A movie that makes you happy.

Everybody in the whole cell block was dancing to the Jailhouse Rock

4.  Something that excites you. Baseball.

5.  Something that worries you. Baseball.

6.  Actions your admire. Those who do good in the world.

7.  What year has been your best so far. I liked the year I turned 35. I was in love, felt sexy and womanly, and my career was taking off. It's the only time in my life I was equally happy at home and at work.

8.  Who do you trust? Most of my friends. (Otherwise, they wouldn't be my friends, right?)

9.  A song from your childhood. "She had two teeth in her mouth. One pointed north and the other pointed south. Madalena Catalina Ootendooten Whatendotten Hogan Bogan Logan was her name. She had two hairs on her head. One was alive and one was dead. Madalena Catalina Ootendooten Whatendotten Hogan Bogan Logan was her name ..."

10.  What you wore today. Denim shorts and a t-shirt.

11.  A book you are currently reading.

Read about it here

12.  What do you want less of? Donald J. Trump

13.  A question that needs to be asked. How can anyone vote for a twice-impeached convicted felon who has been found civilly responsible for sexual assault?

14.  The best idea you’ve had this week. Taking Roy Hobbs to the vet. I've been worried about him. The doctor examined him, ran bloodwork and decided that, except for a tooth that likely needs to be pulled, he's "perfect." Now I can worry a little less.

15.  How are you creative? With my words, with my problem solving.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Wait Till You See Him (1967)

This song was chosen in honor of Father's Day. Hear it here.

1) This is Nancy Sinatra's celebration of her father, Frank. She singles out the sound of his laugh as something special. Do you know anyone who has a great laugh? My boss, Ceecee. She laughs easily and it's infectious.

2) Frank Sinatra recorded this song himself a decade earlier. It was one of more then 1,400 recordings he made over his career. When you think of him, what song comes to mind? As I cheer on Yankee Anthony Rizzo this baseball season, I should say "New York, New York." But instead I'll go with this. Francis understood heartbreak, and it shows in his best performances.

3) Nancy always called her famous father "Daddy," while her younger sister Tina referred to him as "Pop." How did/do you call your father? "Dad."

4) Nancy went on to have two daughters of her own. The girls recall that their grandfather was loving and supportive, even when they went through a punk rock phase with spiky hair, lots of leather, and studs. Frank defended their extreme choices as a healthy means of self-expression. Did you have arguments with your parents over your clothes or hair? If you're a parent yourself, have you always approved of your kids' fashion choices? My mom didn't let me grow my bangs out, nor would she allow me to get my ears pierced, until I graduated from high school.

5) Back when our own Crazy Sam was in high school, her father gave her driving lessons. What grade would you give your driving today? Incomplete, because I don't drive.

6) For family barbecues, Sam's dad dons his "Kiss the Chef" apron and mans the Weber. What's the last thing you grilled? A couple weeks ago I fired up the George Foreman grill for some salmon fillets.

7) Because he takes his grilling so seriously, Sam once invested in a pair of forged steel tongs for Father's Day. Does anyone on your gift list have a passion that makes them easy to shop for? My friend Mindy loves pop music and enjoys weaving lyrics into conversation. So she's getting this game for her birthday.

Learn more about it here

8) Traditionally the most popular Father's Day gift have been ties, wallets and belts. However experiences -- like tickets to a concert or a sporting event -- are gaining in popularity. Which would you prefer to receive: something to own and hold or an experience to remember? You know what I'd really like? Gift cards! Especially to Chewy or Petco. I'm always buying cat litter and scratching posts and stuff like that. It would be fun to not have to pay for them myself.

9) Random question: Have you recently mistakenly called someone by the wrong name? No, but I got the names of these actors mixed up. The first is Dirk Bogarde, whose work I really like. The second is Laurence Harvey, whom I don't like at all. Yet I stumble over their names all the time.

Him I like

 

Him I don't

Thursday Thirteen #363

13 Popular OTC Medications. It occurs to me that when I go to Walgreen's, I seldom buy drugs of any kind -- prescription or otherwise. It's my go-to for paper towels, Coke, Gerber Baby Meats (for my cat, Connie) and all manner of cosmetics and skin care.

But that's just me. According to Nforming, the over-the-counter drug market was worth more than $150 billion in 2022 and growth is projected.

So what are we buying? I tooled around the internet and this is what seems to be on everyone's lists. While I don't buy them often, I do make sure I always have the ones with the asterisk on hand.

1. Acetaminophen (Tylenol).*

2. Ibuprofen (Advil)*

3. Fexofenadine (Allegra)*

4. Hydrocortisone cream*

5. Dextromethorphen (Robitussin)*

6. Psueoephenedrine (Sudafed)*

7. Loperamide (Immodium)*

8. Simethicone (Gas-X)*

9. Loratadine (Claritin)

10. Omeprazole (Prilosec)

11. Ranitidine (Zantac). Ranitidine is no longer available OTC.

12. Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto Bismol)

13. Bisacodyl (Dulcolax)

What about you? What's always in your medicine chest or handbag?

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

WWW.WEDNESDAY

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? Siracusa by Delia Ephron. Two troubled couples take a Sicilian vacation together. Taylor is a beautiful but tightly wound working mom, married to restaurateur Finn. Lizzie is a journalist, married to Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Michael. Lizzie is annoyed that Taylor and Finn brought their 10-year-old daughter along, and confused by Michael's attention to the girl. Does this mean Michael regrets he and Lizzie never had children?

Each chapter is narrated by a different member of the quartet. Delia successfully established separate voices for each of them. So far (about a third of the way through), I like Lizzie best -- not that any of them is especially likeable. There's a tingly sense of dread enveloping this trip. I don't know what's going to happen to these four, but I'm here for it.

2. What did you recently finish reading? If Death Ever Slept by Rex Stout. Do you know anyone who lives with their extended family? I don't either. It's probably just as well, because according to mysteries and melodramas, big multi-generational households are just a hotbed of crime.

 

Let's take the Otis Jarrell penthouse as an example. Mr. Jarrell is a millionaire businessman (back when a million dollars meant something) who shares his home with his wife, his wife's brother, his adult daughter and son and daughter-in-law, his personal assistant and his stenographer. First Jarrell is disturbed when it seems one of them is engaging in industrial espionage and costing him money. Then people in their circle start getting dead. There are many suspects, all with shifting allegiances. It's all too complicated for me!

But not for Nero Wolfe (and Archie Goodwin). A fun and worthy entry to the series.

 

3. What will you read next? Don't know.