November Challenge: Day 23

Find the challenge here

November Challenge: Something you miss

Henry and John. John and Henry. My first birthday/Thanksgiving/Christmas without them.

 

 Photo by Andreas Rasmussen on Unsplash.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday to Me

 

Mine had a birthday candle

Joanna took me to lunch at The Walnut Room! Dining around The Great Tree is a venerable Chicago holiday tradition. The Walnut Room is the first restaurant ever opened in an American store -- more than 100 years ago, when the big store on State Street was still Marshall Field's. The whole store was decorated for the holidays, we dined off the special menu, had Frango Mint pie, and posed before The Great Tree.

 Before lunch we zipped through the Christkrindlemarket, the German-themed collection of shops under the Picasso at Daley Plaza. The first day it was open this year was yesterday, Friday, 11/22. My birthday! Tell me that was a mere coincidence.

 

 

I really appreciate the way Joanna fussed over me. This was my first birthday without John and Henry -- I wore a necklace Henry chose for me years ago -- and I've been feeling lonely without them. Also, she was so thoughtful. She planned everything with military precision and even gave me the sweetest note and postcard collection. Joanna's life is not without its own complications right now -- she's watching her lover, Sid, deal with failing health and her business is struggling -- but she made me a priority yesterday and it touched my heart.

Then there were the gifts:

•  A holiday welcome mat featuring a cat in a Santa cap from my aunt

•  A movie trivia game from my cousin Rose

•  A Beatles poster on canvas from my oldest friend

I got texts and calls and Facebook messages. Bud and Kwizgiver gave me shoutouts (hell, Kwizgiver gave me a whole post!). I know Kathleen and I will get together before year-end to celebrate my birthday and hers in December.* 

 

I am happy. It's been a good birthday.

 

 

*My friend Mindy promises we'll meet, but I'll believe that when it happens. I'm still waiting for her and John to settle on a date for Christmas 2023.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: My Baby Just Cares for Me (2016)

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

1) Michael Buble sings that his lover doesn't care much about the theater or new clothes. Which have you done more recently -- attended a play or movie or added to your wardrobe? Clothes. This is not by design. There are movies -- The Substance, Here, now Conclave -- that I want to see at the theater but just haven't managed to haul my ass over there. This may be a good time to catch Conclave, as I think everyone will be headed to the theater to see Wicked and there won't be any line for Conclave.

2) This song was first performed in 1930, 45 years before Buble was born. What pop song do you love that is far older than you are? "More Than You Know" was published in 1929. This is my favorite version. (I wish this clip ran to the end of the song/scene.)

If you're in a mood to compare/contrast: Here's an earlier version by Sinatra. Except for the corny backup singers, I like this better than the one he recorded decades later.

 

3) The video for this song features a spinning vinyl record. Do you still have a turntable? Nope.

4) Michael is currently appearing on The Voice. Are you watching this season? Nope.

5) Of all his albums, Michael Buble's Christmas CD is his top seller. Now that we're in the month of November it's time for you to weigh in: When do you think it's appropriate to start playing holiday songs? Thanksgiving Day. (After all, there are no Thanksgiving carols.)

6) He unwinds by fishing, and he's very good at it. Fishing is a sport that requires lots of gear. Is there anyone in your life that has a hobby or passion that makes them easy to shop for? My nephew has inherited my Cubbie love. Here's his Christmas present. It's marketed by a firm that specializes in Yankee merchandise, so I doubt he's even seen it. I am quite sure he'll love it.

7) Michael is a good cook and enjoys whipping up spaghetti bolognese. What's on the menu at your home this weekend? I have a "birthday bonus" from the local Chinese restaurant, and I like their crab rangoon, so I see that in my future.

8) In 2016, when Michael Buble released this song, the United States Postal Service posthumously honored child star Shirley Temple with a postage stamp. Decades after leaving Hollywood, she served as US Ambassador to Ghana. Could you find Ghana on a map or globe? Nope.

9) Random question -- You neglected that soft drink and now it's gone flat. Do you drink it anyway or dump it down the drain? I'd probably swig it down anyway.