SUNDAY STEALING

Time Travel

 What were you doing ...

1. Twenty years ago? In spring/summer 2005, my Cubs weren't doing so great, but my favorite-ever pitcher, Hall of Famer Greg Maddux, was back in Cubbie blue so I was happy. I think I had a nice office. The agency I worked for rearranged and moved us often, and having a good office had a major impact on my attitude toward coming to work. I was still a redhead and I still had a waist. My cats were Joey, Charlotte and Reynaldo.

2. Ten years ago? In spring/summer 2015, I was immersed in The Big Project. It was the highest-profile assignment, with the biggest budget, I would ever have in my career. I didn't know it then (wouldn't know until fall), but I acquitted myself well and it would be a success. Joe Maddon was managing the Cubs and the glory days were upon us. (I'm still a little in love with Joe.) Connie had just joined Joey and Reynaldo.

3. Five years ago? In spring/summer 2020, we were on Covid lockdown and I was obsessed with finding Cubbie blue masks. My cat Reynaldo really, really loved me working from home. I reread To Kill a Mockingbird, which was a good and inspiring choice, and rediscovered That Girl, which I loved as a little girl. I stopped wearing contact lenses because I didn't want to be touching my eyeballs all the time during a pandemic. I don't miss them and kind of like switching up glass frames.

4. One year ago? In spring/summer 2024, Anthony Rizzo hit his 300th homerun so I was happy. I had a wonderful time at the TCM Classic Film Festival, but so many of us returned home from the fest with colds/flu. This year I masked up for my flights and stayed healthy. I think that, like wearing my glasses every day instead of contacts, wearing a mask when I am on an airplane is my new normal. Catwise, it's Connie and Roy Hobbs.

5. Yesterday? Got my hair cut, had lunch with my nephew, bought my niece a Mother's Day card, and watched my Cubs kick Brewer ass.

Bonus! What will you do tomorrow? Monday I'm going to the dentist.

 

RIP, Matthew Perry

 

Like Joey, I'll miss him

Chandler Bing got me through some tough times. In 2020, when I had covid and was scared ... ten years ago, when I was recovering from surgery and in discomfort ... those Friends marathons were a genuine comfort.

This past spring I read his memoir. It was unflinching and brave, and I admire him for writing it. He put a familiar and well-loved face on the disease of addiction.

This morning I'm more than sad. I'm angry. Conspiracy theorists are blaming his untimely death on -- wait for it -- the Covid vax. As though 40 years of alcohol abuse, 25 years of pills and a tobacco habit so powerful he was allowed to chain-smoke in the hospital didn't damage his heart, the vaccination did.

Matthew Perry wanted to be remembered as someone who helped people battling toward sobriety. To those who want to exploit his death for their hysterical, paranoid agenda, I say this with all sincerity: Fuck you.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Workin' for a Livin' (1982)

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

1) Huey begins the song by telling us some workdays feel like they will never end. How was last week for you? Did it drag or did it fly by? I was rather busy last week and over the weekend so I appreciated the nice, even, predictable pace of this week.  

2) He sings that his car payment is due. Think about your personal finances. Do you pay most of your bills manually or do you more often take advantage of automated bill pay? My only automated bills are the ones that businesses/organizations insist be automated, like my health insurance premiums. The rest I prefer to pay manually. I'm kind of a control freak.

 

3) Huey Lewis achieved a perfect score on the math portion of the SAT. Did you take SATs and/or ACTs? Were your results anything to brag about? (If they were, go ahead and let us know!) I clearly remember taking one of them -- I believe it was the ACTs but I wouldn't swear to it in a court of law. It was a Saturday morning in the biology lab, which had the most godawful orange plastic chairs. I got bored during the math section because I understood less than nothing about the questions and chose my answers by doing a design with the dots. Since I was planning to go to community college, which had to take me because I lived in district, I didn't take any of it seriously. 

4) In his role as District Attorney for Essex County, MA, Huey's grandfather Hugh Cregg prosecuted high-profile murder cases. Do you enjoy watching or reading courtroom dramas? Very much. Especially the original Law & Order. 

Season 6: My favorite cast

5) Huey no longer performs because he has an inner-ear disorder that prevents him from holding a vocal pitch. Of your five senses -- hearing, sight, smell, touch and taste -- which is the strongest? Well, I wear glasses and I always have closed captioning on when I watch movies, so we can eliminate hearing and sight. I'll go with smell. When I had covid, not being able to smell really creeped me out.

6) He is a fan of fly fishing. Did you do any fishing this summer? Nope. Which would make this summer like every other summer of recent memory.

Since this Monday is Labor Day, the holiday established to celebrate the American worker … 

7) Approx. 10% of Americans are self employed. Have you ever been your own boss? Yes. I was a freelance writer in 2003-04. I took my last job in 2004 for the insurance and 401(k).

8) According to Monster.com, 50% of workers have left a job to get away from a boss. Are you one of the 50%? Oh, yes. I've had bad bosses, but one genuine psycho. She told me that she believed in reincarnation and we clashed now because we were enemies in a past life. I guess I tried to run her over with my chariot or something. We'd better work this out now, she warned, or we'd be fighting one another for eternity. I could not get away from her fast enough after that.

9) Farmers feel the impact of extreme weather events. Have you ever had a job that required you to be outdoors most of the time? Nope.

BTW, this is my first Labor Day as a retiree. I admit it feels funny. Not unpleasant, of course, but weird.

Turns out I'm not Mary after all

I grew up on Mary Tyler Moore. First as Laura Petrie, then as Mary Richards, she represented everything I aspired to be, thought I should be, believed I was. Caring friend and coworker, competent, on time, kind and nice. The one you never have to worry about. However, unlike Mary/Laura, I'm a slob. (In that way, my sitcom doppelganger is Oscar Madison.)

Also, unlike Mary/Laura, I don't want a best friend dropping in at all hours. Mary had Rhoda, who lived upstairs. Laura had Millie, right next door. Many times, on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda would drop in as soon as she heard Mary was home from work. On The Dick Van Dyke Show, Millie was always coming over to gossip over coffee or compare notes on the carpool. 

No thank you. I would hate that. First of all, I'm a slob and my home is not visitor-ready at all hours (OK, it's never ready). Secondly, I value my alone time. Too much perhaps. I've learned since covid lockdown that just because something is comfortable doesn't mean it's good for me. 

Which leads me to Elaine. I think she wants to be my Rhoda or Millie. Or, since she's just a couple years older than me and likely grew up on MTM, too, maybe she wants me to be her Rhoda or Millie. 

We saw each other a couple weeks ago for her birthday. It seems that every day since she's got ideas of other things we can do together. She's nice, she's interesting and imaginative, we have many common interests. So all this is nice, right?

It just feels like too much. If I see one of my friends once each week, that's plenty for me. (This week it's Nancy. I think. She may cancel, and if she does, that's OK.)

But Elaine is a good person, and her heart is valuable. So today I'm going to send her a nice long email to keep the dialog going and to let her know she matters.

I'm not Mary Tyler Moore after all. I'm really a cat. I'm loving and devoted, in my way.

Ladies who lunch

Today was a good day. It felt so normal. Like it could have happened before covid.

I met Joanna at Miller's Pub. It's a classic, old-school Chicago restaurant. Laminated menu. Lots of burgers, chops and chicken. Framed photos on the wall of the luminaries who have dined here before. (We sat across from the Wicked Witch of the West herself, Margaret Hamilton, whose autographed photo was displayed beside Ghostbuster Harold Ramis. I passed Joey Bishop on my way to the ladies room.)

I took the train and wandered through the Loop. I was surrounded by people! Not as many as an afternoon in February 2000, but more than I've seen in a while. It made me happy.

I strolled on my way to the restaurant and saw this. The Huntington Bank branch on the corner of Madison and Wabash was a place of worship before The Fire. I've passed this corner dozens of times and never noticed this plaque before. For a moment I felt a tremendous kinship with the Chicagoans who were here before me.
 

 

It was nice to catch up with Joanna. She and I email and text regularly but this is the first time I've seen her in 2023. I loved her yellow raincoat. I told her she looked veddy veddy British, which makes sense she'd ordered the coat from a department store in London. She always puts such care into her appearance that I upped my game a bit. Sure, I was wearing jeans and tennies, but I chose a pullover instead of a Cubs t-shirt.

She's been working very hard, is tired, and I sense that she's a little jealous that I'm retired. Two years older than I am, she's long been self-employed and hasn't had the benefit of decades of 401(k) contributions. But that isn't why my heart went out to her today. She's been seeing Sid since 2019 and has been crazy about him since they met. A successful businessman, he retired because of a stroke and she's enjoyed being part of the new chapter of his life. But his health and especially his cognition are failing and she knows she's in the midst of a long goodbye. As she talked about him, she still laughed at things he says to her every day. He amuses her, she loves him, and he's fading away. Heartbreaking.

But she's a survivor. She's looking ahead, too. The cost of living here is too expensive and she's considering a move to Kalamazoo. Or Paris. I tried not to laugh but that's so Joanna. She of the Paddington Bear raincoat. She always has one foot in the Midwest as her soul soars over the ocean.

The Conspirator's Deathwatch

Monday night, a 24-year-old man suffered a heart attack on national television. Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills collapsed after a hit. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was rushed to a Cincinnati hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

Today the internet is alive with conspiracy theorists, insisting that Monday was "a bad day for Pfizer" because this young man had been vaccinated. Not that it was bad for the Bills, or his teammates, or the traumatized viewing public, or his family ... No, Pfizer. Apparently they believe this was Dr. Fauci's fault, and they are delighted. Fucking ghouls.

When the official statements were released by the hospital, the NFL, and the Hamlin family, we were warned not to be fooled. They are all in on it. The doctors, the league and his loved ones are all part of the vaccination conspiracy. Damar Hamlin is intubated, and conspiracy theorists are luxuriating in falsehoods and demonization. 

That these online anti-vaxxers tend to be Republican doesn't make sense, since it was Donald Trump's Operation Warp Speed that spearheaded creation of the vaccine. Also, if they want to investigate conspiracies, why not look at January 6? You know, the insurrection that took place right there on TV. Why was Ginni Thomas, wife of the Supreme Court Justice, texting Mark Meadows? Why did five GOP House Members request Presidential pardons after January 6?

But it's hot under those tinfoil hats. Logic must be difficult.

They could be using social media to look more closely at the hit that precipitated Damar Hamlin's collapse. Should the NFL entertain a rule change that could not only save the lives of their players but all the kids who emulate them? Or they could get the word out about first aid after a heart attack (which you'll find here). 

But why do something that will help when you can instead do something that hurts?

Vaccines save lives. Damar Hamlin had a heart attack because he tackled a 6'4, 220 lb. wide receiver.

So many of these baseless conspiracists claim to be Christian. Instead of spreading lies, maybe these keyboard monsters could pray. Of course, if he survives he's worth less to their ugly agenda.

Perfect timing

If you read this humble blog often, you know I've been battling the blues a bit lately. While I was doing laundry, a package arrived for me. Big, and from Target. I hadn't ordered anything. I thought it might be from my friend Mindy, who has missed my birthday by a long way this year. 

It was a surprise. A massive, wonderful surprise. It's a heated microfiber throw (aka electric blanket) from a former coworker. "Have a warm and cozy Christmas, Gal. I miss you."

She's a Hindu and an Indian citizen, so she doesn't celebrate Christmas, but this is the second Christmas gift she's given me. Back in 2014, when she was an agency newbie, her desk was near mine. We didn't work together, but because of the proximity she felt she got to know me. She watched me when I didn't know I was being observed (making me kind of like a sitcom). She heard me rhapsodizing about the new bags I wanted and bought me one! Her note said it was because I am thoughtful and "spread the holiday cheer year around." I can quote it because I still have it. I tucked it into my address book for safekeeping. 

I try, you know? Every day I try to live my faith. Or, in classic movie terms, I try to be more Melly and less Scarlett. It means a great deal to me that she sees that in me. And that she has seen it in me when I was just going about my life, without knowing she was watching.

Since covid, we haven't seen one another often. The only time we were in the office together was for major events. She was very upset that I'd been terminated. I was something of a mentor to her.

In the 8 years between the handbag and the blanket, she has had two babies, been promoted twice (she's now a director!) and has spoken and blogged about being a woman of color in American advertising. If I acted as a mentor to her in any way,  I am proud of that.

Plus, her timing was exquisite. I didn't know I needed an electric blanket. It's always very warm in here. And yet today, this electric blanket was exactly what I needed.

PS I read the comments on the post below and those lifted my spirits, too. Thank you, ladies.

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 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 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 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.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 16

Today's happiness -- Hi, Aaron!

Aaron was my boss in 2021. He was a breath of fresh air: creative, collaborative and supportive. Everything you want in a supervisor. Plus, I really liked him. When he left in January, it broke my heart. Because he relocated to California, I was able to meet up with him when I attended the TCM Film Festival in April, and today, I Zoomed with him.

I was very happy to hear what's going on his world. He's still with his lady, Amanda. He loves their life together but there have been some hiccoughs (her favorite uncle died, he suffered a bout with covid, his job isn't what he expected). You know, though, no adult has a completely perfect life. He's fine financially and he's happy in love, and I'm happy to hear that.

Since he's a preacher's kid, I'm comfortable talking faith with him. This occurred to me as I was telling him how my faith guided a work decision I'd made. I knew he would get it. That was lovely.

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.

SHOUT OUT TO COUNTRY DEW! I saw that you checked on me while I was MIA. That made me happy, too. Thank you.

Thursday Thirteen #270

Thirteen items for a back-to-school shopping list. It's been a long, long time since I was a student. But that doesn't stop me from noticing that the back-to-school aisles at Target and Walgreen's are starting to buzz. So here are the things parents are shopping for:

1. Backpacks

2. Face masks. (Yes, still. Want to be prepared if/when that next variant hits.)

3. Folders

4. #2 Pencils

5. Colored pencils

6. Blue or black ballpoint pens

7. Crayons

8. Glue or glue stick

9. Highlighters

10. Markers

11. Spiral or composition books

12. Calculator (yes, there's an app for that, but teachers aren't always crazy about kids having phones in-hand during class)

13. Scissors

Every year, my mom sent me to the first day of school with  a new protractor. To this day I'm not sure what it was for, but I used it as a straight edge for art class. Therefore I'm not surprised to see protractor is not on the list, but I did expect to see "ruler."

Did this list take you back? What do you remember buying for back-to-school?

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

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 6

Today's happiness -- It's back! A major event in my neighborhood, the library book sale is a three-day affair that happens every August. Except, of course, for 2020 and 2021 when it was just another thing covid spoiled.

In 2022, the show went on! Not exactly as it has in years gone by. Instead of used books consuming the high school cafeteria and spilling out into the halls, it was in three of the library's meeting rooms (fiction, non-fiction and children's). No cookbooks this year. Also, I didn't volunteer. In the recent past I helped sort and display books. This year, because the venue was the library, the volunteer hours were weekdays only and I just couldn't make it work with my job.

But still, I was happy to be back. Sure it was more smaller and more subdued, but it was another sign that we're inching back to pre-covid normal. I bought two books -- a cozy mystery called Gone with the Twins (A League of Literary Ladies Mystery) and a memoir by Lauren Bacall -- for $3.

And, once again, I can bestow a dubious honor on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Every year there's a book donated in bigger numbers than any other. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is continuing its streak and picking up where it left off before the pandemic. Why do so many of my neighbors buy this book, year after year, and then decide not to keep it? I suspect book clubs keep choosing it as a selection.

For those of you keeping score ...

2022, 2019, 2018 and 2017: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2016: The Help

2015: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest

2014: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2013: The DaVinci Code

2012: Sixkill (a Spenser Mystery)

2011: The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

2010: Scarlett, the Sequel to Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind

2009: My Life by Bill Clinton

2008: The DaVinci Code

2007: The Nanny Diaries

2006: The Corrections

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.

 

 

Little things mean a lot

I'm unhappy and overwhelmed these days. There's stuff going on at work that annoys me. I'm beyond sick of the ongoing dental drama. And then there's Henry. (See post below.)

So I wasn't expecting a little conversation over a slice of pizza to make me so happy. But it did.

I had a hair appointment at 1:15. At noon, my friend Nancy and her husband Paul met me for lunch at the little fast food place next door to the salon. They told me about seeing Steve Martin and Martin Short in Milwaukee. I told them about the TCM Film Festival. We talked about how Nancy and Paul just discovered Blue Bloods and can't get enough -- even though their kids mock them for it.

Then it was time to go. They had to finish sprucing up their daughter's car (she's returning from an Italian vacation it's their surprise "welcome home" to her) and I had my haircut. As we walked out, Nancy said, "It's been more than a month and like Paul and I say, we miss The Gal when we don't see her."

That little comment melted me. I think about it now, hours later, and I'm literally smiling.

I told her that I appreciated hearing that because I worry about my people skills after two years of staying home during covid. She hugged me and said, "You 'people' just fine."

So here's the moral of my story: If it's positive and you're thinking it, say it. It may seem like a little thing to you, but it might mean a lot to the one who hears it.

At the Movies -- Day Two

 

The TCM Classic Film Festival began at 9:00 AM, but I admit, I was still in bed. When I finally rolled down to the lobby for my free continental breakfast -- newly reinstated after covid! -- the crowd was finishing their bagels. I recognized a familiar voice. KAREN! She and I have been spending one night a week together for over a year with our Zoom movie meetups, but we have never met! Here we were, 2000 miles from home, and we were finally able to hug. She was there with her charming 20-something daughter, who snapped pictures. Bob, a rabid Beatle fan who also belongs to our movie group, was there, too. After all the video contact, it was good to finally see one another 3-D.

My first movie of the day was at 10:30. The Group (1966). I saw it on TV when I was a teenager and to be honest, I didn't understand it. Based on Mary McCarthy's very adult best-seller, it follows 8 co-eds into their lives after graduation. There was adultery and abortion and breast vs. bottle and careers and date rape and lesbianism and dependent, aging parents. What was ground-breaking and artistic in 1966 seems overwrought and overstuffed now. Still, I'm glad I saw it. Candice Bergen at 20 years old was so beautiful it's ridiculous. She also wasn't very good. We know from Murphy Brown that comedy is her forte, and there are precious few laughs in The Group.

The film was introduced by actress Diane Baker. She compared The Group to her own film, The Best of Everything, and said this one was better. I disagree. The Best of Everything was great, soapy fun while The Group was heavy going.

Then it was time for more Doris. Will, Guy and I saw The Pajama Game (1957).

Another new-to-me movie, another movie that isn't shown very often. We were completely charmed. I also liked the message. As TCM host Eddie Muller pointed out in his introduction, there aren't many musicals focused on the importance of labor unions.

From there it was off to the BIG theater. The Chinese Theater. 916 seats. The perfect place to see the restored print of Giant. This was, after all, the theater were it originally premiered in 1956, where Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson left their hand/footprints in the forecourt.

I love this movie. Always have. Now I remember it especially fondly because my late mother loved it. I was also excited to see Steven Spielberg in person. He was one of the moving forces behind the restoration of this film. He spoke of it in terms of film making (dissolves and long shots) and story telling (racial tensions and feminism).

It's also a great popcorn movie. Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor were both still in their 20s and both staggeringly beautiful. They're as gorgeous as the panoramic shots of wide open spaces.

I can't save them all

At the beginning of the pandemic, I was very worried about Chicago's homeless. I know how hard life on the street is, and how dependent they are on the foot traffic of office workers in the Loop. I kinda adopted a homeless man on the corner of Michigan and Lake. He used to have a tortoise shell cat that he doted on. At the beginning of the pandemic, he was convinced by a nice lady to surrender her. He said he missed her, but he realized she was better in a safe, stable home.

Now that I'm back downtown regularly (every Tuesday, sometimes Tuesday and Wednesday) I see him again. Same spot. New kitten. Another little girl. He told me proudly that she was up on her shots.

While she looked good, I'm sorry to report he did not. There were scratches on his face and a cut on his nose. They were not the marks of kitten. My guess is a fall or maybe a car accident.

The next time I saw him, two Tuesdays later, he was asleep -- right there on that noisy corner -- and he didn't have the cat. I left him a blessing bag (tissue packet, cough drops, breakfast bar, clean mask, and a $1 bill) and an additional $5. 

Same thing today. Sleepy dude. No cat. I just hit and run with the blessing bag again. I was kind of glad he was out of it. I don't want to know what was wrong (I suspect meds). I don't want to know what happened to the cat. (She might have been stolen, or run into that busy, busy street).

Some stories just don't get a happy ending.

A warm, but still chill, Saturday

Yesterday was a good day. I have been starting to venture out and see friends -- three weekends of socializing in a row -- but that was enough. Now I'm happy to stick close to home for awhile.

The mercury climbed to 65º and I wanted to get out in it. I headed off to the dollar store, walking more than a mile to and fro. I stocked up on stuff I use often that I pay more for elsewhere (especially the refills for the automatic air freshener spray near the litter box; $6.00+ at CVS and $1.25 at the dollar store). 

I also bought packages of generic lip balm that break down to 45¢ each. I picked those up for my "blessing bags." I've been carrying ziplock baggies in my purse that include a breakfast bar, tissue packet, cough drops, a $1 bill, and a mask. But as the mask mandate fades, I wanted a replacement item. Since masks are still required for public transportation, I'm going to continue including them for the time being, but I'm glad I have the lip balms on hand as we transition out of covid.

I swung by and picked up a double cheeseburger because, well, don't I have to undo fitness benefits I gained by walking? That's just how I roll.

All day, my oldest friend was popping into head. For example, while I was waiting for my burger, the restaurant was playing "Flashdance." It's hard to believe, but it's been nearly 40 years since she and I saw it at the movies. Just stuff like that. I know Snarkypants calls those "pings," and I took her advice and paid attention to them. I called my oldest friend.

We talked for (gulp) three hours! She sounded good and happy, which is a relief. She updated me on her life and on her daughter's life, and I'm so glad they're getting along. Until comparatively recently, she was much closer to her son and I worried her daughter was neglected. Yes, her daughter is now 24, but a girl always needs her mom and I think it's great that their relationship is improved.

I'm anticipating a rough workweek ahead, and I'm glad I've been gifted with this lazy weekend to recharge in preparation.

Wah! I have to wear a mask! Wah! They want me to get vaccinated!

I wonder if those whiners look at what's going on in the Ukraine and feel shame.

Probably not.

Self awareness doesn't seem to be their strong suit.

About two photos

Friday night I went out! Again! That's three weeks in a row that I met up with friends. It's beginning to feel like covid is fading. I'm afraid to get my hopes up, though. The mask mandate may be over Monday, but I'm keeping mine handy -- just in case.

I went to a local art show with Nancy and her hubs, Paul. It was important not because of the artist but the curator, my cousin. He's a Renaissance man: teacher, musician, artist.* He chose the artist and which pieces she displayed. This was the first show he's done, and I was happy to support him.

We posed for a photo, which I posted on Facebook. It got a dozen likes. Not a one from his mother. Similarly, he never asked about his mom when we chatted over charcuterie and drinks.

My cousin and my aunt are estranged. My aunt no longer hears from her grandchildren. Her once-favorite granddaughter earned an MFA last summer, and my aunt isn't even aware of it. She now has a great grandchild she's never held. She has Donald Trump to thank. Her son and his family are appalled by what they call her "aggressive racism and homophobia." As my cousin told me, it's hard to handle it when the woman who taught you right from wrong and emphasized the importance of Christian values turns out to be loud and proud of her intolerance. 

When my cousin proudly showed off photos of  "Lottie," his first grandchild and the great-granddaughter my aunt has never seen, I was sad for my aunt. I know that her noisy Confederate flag waving/BLM bashing/gay intolerance is her choice, but it has come at such a high price. 

I'm trying very hard to thread this needle, to stay in communication with both my aunt and my cousin. (His was one of the first calls I received when the Cubs traded Anthony Rizzo!) Since I have always been one of the most outspoken liberals in the family, my cousin is perplexed by my tolerance with her intolerance. It doesn't help her and my relationship that she has openly scolded me for posting my own opinions on my own Facebook page. (I no longer read hers.)

Make no mistake about it: her attitude has left me appalled, as has her abandonment of independent thought in favor of the MAGA party line. But I also remember this: when I was a little girl, she hung a picture of JFK beside her bedroom door. The teenaged girl who used her babysitting money to buy a frame for this very photo simply could not be, in her heart, a homophobic racist. 

She is now in her mid-70s. She has already outlived her father and one of her brothers (my dad). I know she keenly misses meeting "Charlotte" (she refuses to call the baby "Lottie"). I don't know how much time she thinks she has left. 

I keep hoping she'll be flipping through a magazine and see President Kennedy's face. Maybe it will help her remember who she really is, and things will begin to thaw.

*And he's been paid for all of that. This distinction matters. I know poets and writers who self publish or don't publish. They seem to be dismissive of my crass, commercial efforts. Whatever. My writing keeps the lights on and the water running. Their creative endeavors don't pay the bills.