August Happiness Challenge -- Day 13

Thursday's Happy Cone goes to free food. Decades ago, when I was just beginning my advertising career at Sears, Roebuck and Co., we writers had an in-joke. I don't recall much about how it got started, but when things got tough we'd say to one another, "There are no free lunches at Sears."

Well today, many years and 8 jobs later, I work at place that offers free lunch quite often. There's always bread, peanut butter and jelly in the refrigerator. There's always fruit in the wire basket. And once a month there's a 4:00 party with food and beer and wine (which counts as lunch if you can wait till 4:00).

Thursday's free lunch was provided by a local hero, Mike Ditka. "Da Coach." And it was fabulous. There was salad and steamed vegetables and rotini with tomato sauce and chicken and salmon and cookies and brownies and two kinds of beer. Ditka himself brought it over and very graciously posed for photos for about an hour.

His restaurant was doing a promotion with Chicago-based Groupon and they wanted to film Da Coach interacting with the fans. Our agency wanted to do something enhance morale and since this evening was the first Bears pre-season game, this free lunch seemed like a mutually beneficial situation.

I'm not really a Bear fan (and to be honest, I've always suspected Mike Ditka to be hygienically challenged), so I didn't want to take a true football fan's place in the photo line. But the the food was pretty good (except the chicken was a little veiny) and very free. And it was so nice to be surrounded by excited and happy coworkers wearing their Bears t-shirts and jerseys in anticipation of their audience with Da Coach.

What's that you say? What's the August Happiness Challenge?

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.

If you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not this individual post) each day in August, looking for the happy chocolate cone. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with August Happiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The 99'er Meme: Part 2

Cheers to all of us thieves!

26) Are you happy with the person you've become? Often.


27) What's a sound you hate; sound you love? Hate: the sound of cardboard against cardboard (think: assembling moving boxes); Love: a cat's pur.


28) What's your biggest "what if"? What if I'd told him I loved him when I had the chance.


29) Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens? Ghosts -- not in the Caspar sense. Aliens -- yes, because my grandpa was an alien when he immigrated from Germany.


30) Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm. Right: my cat Charlotte. Left: the remote control (I'm watching Jurassic Park -- the poor goat is about to meet a very sad fate).


31) Smell the air. What do you smell? Nothing in particular.


32) What's the worst place you have ever been to? A porta-potty at Taste of Chicago. Take my advice: Avoid sharing facilities with more than 3 million sweaty and beer-sodden neighbors.


33) Choose: East Coast or West Coast? East coast. Especially Boston.


34) Most attractive singer of your opposite gender? The Cute One.

35) To you, what is the meaning of life? To enjoy the ride.

Lyrics | James Taylor lyrics - Secret O' Life lyrics

36) Define: Art. The diminutive of Arthur.


37) Do you believe in luck? Yep.


38) Patriots or Giants? Or, who gives a rat's ass? I'll go with the rodent's tush.


39) Will you watch the game? If yes, with who? I won't watch the game. I work for an advertising agency. You have no idea how freaking sick I am of everything Super Bowl related by the time the game finally airs.


40) Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed? I don't drive anymore. But back in the olden days when I did, I scraped up against a street lamp while parking. (I was an awful parker.)


41) What was the last book you read? The Beatles by Bob Spitz


42) Do you like the smell of gasoline? No.


43) Do you have any nicknames? Yes.


44) What was the last movie you saw? The Iron Lady.


45) What's the worst injury you've ever had? When I was a little girl I broke my clavicle. I have only the faintest memory of it.


46) Have you ever caught a butterfly? No.


47) Do you have any obsessions right now? Same old, same old: The Cute One and The Cubs. (Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in less than two weeks!)


48) What's your sexual orientation? Hetero


49) Ever had a rumor spread about you? Oh, yes! I believe one of the more recent ones is that I may not be hetero after all.


50) Do you believe in magic? Of a sort

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Home

1. Do you live close to where you grew up? Why? I live about 20 miles/20 minutes from where I grew up. It's near enough to visit easily, but far enough way to maintain my independence.

2. Have you ever been so angry that you almost lost control? Yes. Often. I'm not proud of it, and I battle it, but I can have a nasty temper.

3. Are you a fan of a musical act that slightly embarrasses you? Why yes. The gentleman pictured here.

4. Is there a movie that always makes you cry? Brian's Song. "I love Brian Piccolo. And I'd like all of you to love him, too. Tonight, when you hit your knees, please ask God to love him." This is Billy Dee Williams as Gale Sayers in the movie, but it really happened this way, which makes it all the more moving.




5. Who is the most famous person that you've met? Bruce Springsteen kissed me.

6. Before you leave your home, what must you have? My keys so I can get back in.

7. What do you miss the most about being a kid? The Beatles, young and united.

8. Tell us about a passion of yours that your readers would not expect. Celebrity gossip. I am pathetically addicted. For example, I love this article. (Now don't you dare click on it and then judge me. You were warned in advance.)

9. At what age do you think you'd be to think, “I've had a great run”? That age keeps moving into the future.

Welcome to Chicago, Michael Vick

I still think you're an ass.

He doesn't look like he's suffering to me

Poor Rush Limbaugh. He has spent a career and made a ton of money by being audacious, trying to kick up dust, coming up with phrases that will be remembered and repeated around the water cooler. He's been such a success doing all that, it's cost him the opportunity to buy the St. Louis Rams.

BFD.

First of all, being dropped by the others bidding for the Rams was a business decision. All the crap that's made Rush so beloved to half the country is the same crap that's made him hated by the other half. It's not good for the NFL to have someone as polarizing as Limbaugh involved just now, not when they're still answering questions about Michael Vick. So it was a decision based on what the audience will allow. That's capitalism. And we know how much Rush adores capitalism. It's made him very wealthy.

Secondly, his First Amendment rights haven't been violated. No one is throwing Rush into prison for the crap he spews. They're just telling him he can't be part of an elite group of businessmen who own NFL franchises. It's hard for me to get all upset about this. Though perhaps the ACLU will take his case ...

Third, he has said a lot of crap. Not the pro-slavery comments, true. But the very things that have resonated with his core audience and keep them coming back are the comments that have gotten him banished from the Rams bid. Live by the sword, die by the sword, Rushbo.

And last, he's gotten more free publicity lately than he's had in months. After all, it's been Glenn Beck who has been the darling of the Birther/Teabag set lately. Rush finally found a way to reclaim the spotlight for himself. This rejection will give him an opportunity to play whiny victim of some Left blacklisting/smear campaign, and ultimately he may just end up more powerful because of this.

Hi, I'm Old!

This coming week, Joe Namath -- one of the lions of my girlhood -- turns 65. Oh, how I loved him! It's hard to fathom how the rebel who outraged every adult I knew could possibly be a senior citizen.

Jake Gyllenhaal has been cast to play ol' Broadway Joe in an upcoming movie biography. I hope the movie is good. Joe Willie has had quite a life. He lent credibility to the AFL and single handedly turned the Super Bowl into an event. Yet I'm afraid if he's remembered at all, it's as the goofy drunk who hit on Suzy Kolber on national TV. That makes me sad.

August Happiness -- Friday 24

The NFL did the right thing. They suspended Michael Vick indefinitely and without pay. While right now, the plea Vick agreed to appears vague in terms of exactly what he is willing to admit, the NFL was definite:

"Your admitted conduct was not only illegal, but also cruel and reprehensible. Your team, the NFL, and NFL fans have all been hurt by your actions."

While the gist of the Commissioner's statement is about gambling -- naturally the worst sin a professional athlete can commit -- there's no doubt that when he used the word, "cruel," he was referring to the dog fighting.

I'm so happy that the NFL has taken a stand, one that can't be misunderstood. Since sports are such a big part of our culture, it's a good thing for kids, for fans, and, of course, for all of us.

So the Tough Guy took a plea

This from espn.com: "Michael Vick's lawyer said Monday the NFL star will plead guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, putting the Atlanta Falcons quarterback's career in jeopardy and leaving him subject to a prison term."

This spares Mr. Vick a trial, which would have put him in front of a jury of his peers. It's a good bet (no pun intended) that least one of of those jurors would have a beloved dog at home … a dog not that different from the more than half-dozen dogs Vick was accused of killing. Perhaps another would have a kitty cat … not unlike the cats, small dogs and rabbits that were torn apart by pit bulls as part of their "training" at Vick's Bad Newz Kennels. And I think it's highly likely that all the jurors would be familiar with Lassie and Old Yeller.

Therefore accepting the plea deal was a wise move, if not a particularly "tough" one. I mean, wouldn't a real "tough" guy gladly face the most dangerous scenario possible to prove his worth? I'd say that Mr. Vick is now an "underperforming" tough guy. Remember what happened to "underperforming" dogs, the dogs that weren't "tough," at Michael Vick's Bad Newz Kennels? Those dogs were drown or hanged.

Instead of that appalling piece of shit, Michael Vick, I'm showing a pit bull pup. Innocent creatures like this baby don't deserve the abuse or the heartache dispensed at Bad Newz Kennels for "profit" and "entertainment."

To cleanse your palate

That whole Michael Vick thing is so icky that I thought you'd enjoy reading about a couple of athletes who get it:

Back in 1990, when he was manager of the Oakland A's, Tony LaRussa saw a black cat wander onto the field. The fans went wild (perhaps they'd heard of our curse!) and terrified the poor thing. Tony's heart went out to her and he helped the umpires capture her, and then kept her safe in the clubhouse until the game was over.

He drove the cat around the Bay area looking for a shelter to leave her at, but was dismayed to find that the odds were she'd be euthanized. By now she and Tony were buds, so he couldn't let that happen. He found her a new home on his own and then he and his wife opened ARF. His Animal Rescue Foundation is not only a no-kill shelter, it also offers free spay/neuter services and oversees a pet therapy program that brings dogs and cats to visit the elderly and abused.

I've contributed to ARF and know it meets all the BBB's standards. If you'd like to help out:
Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation
P.O. Box 30215
Walnut Creek, CA 94598

I hope all who visit appreciate how difficult it is for me to give any Cardinal props. However, I'm lovin' Lou and I'm loving my Cubs so I've become a kinder, gentler Gal.

And then, of course, there's my beloved, future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux. He and his wife Kathy fund and run the appropriately titled Greg Maddux Foundation. Says she, "We put money into it Greg receives from appearances. And we use it to support children's homes, domestic crisis shelters for battered women, and boys and girls clubs in Atlanta and Las Vegas." Because Greg Maddux funds it himself, donations aren't solicited. But it gives me a chance to run a photo of him. (I do dearly love that man.)

Can't think of anything bad enough to say about Michael Vick

"Burn in hell!" just seems so inadequate.

Behold QB Michael Vick, who has run afoul from the law because of dog fighting. DOG FIGHTING! Training/torturing innocent creatures until they either become killers or are killed. For fun and profit. What a cruel asshole/waste of space millionaire Michael Vick is.

Yeah, yeah, I know. He's been indicted but not convicted. "Innocent until proven guilty." Normally I fight for that fundamental American right, but I lose my better judgment where kids and critters are concerned. There is nothing uglier than exploiting and injuring those who are smaller, less powerful and more innocent than ourselves.

It also makes me sad about the state of the professional football. Yeah, yeah, I know. I now sound like every middle-aged couch potato who ever lived. But I remember back to my girlhood, when Joe Namath got into trouble with the commissioner of football for owning a bar. From OJ Simpson to Rae Carruth to Tank Johnson to this piece of flotsam … what a long, strange and ugly trip it's been for the NFL.

I still love you, Rex Grossman!

Maybe it's the long-suffering Cub fan in me, but I can't stand hearing fans turn on their own players. That why it makes me sad to predict that unless the momentum shifts in a big way (kinda like the San Andreas fault), Rex Grossman is going to be blamed for this Super Bowl loss. He'll be the least popular Chicagoan since F-ing Steve Bartman (I have been advised that "Fucking" is not really Mr. Bartman's real first name, but I demand to see his driver's license or birth certificate for verification). And it isn't fair to the Bears QB.

This is Rex's first full season and here he is, in the Super Bowl. And don't forget, the Bears weren't picked to even get this far. Grossman is younger and in better shape than the Punky QB known as McMahon was. He may just bring the Bears back next year.

And do we really believe that he didn't want to win? Does anyone really think he wanted to fumble a time or two before a national audience of millions and millions? This is The Game, the one all these guys have dreamed of their entire lives. Rex Grossman wouldn't, and hasn't, dogged it tonight.

So when he returns home to Chicago, let's hope that he doesn't require a bullet-proof vest. He gave it a good, honorable effort, and he gave the fans an exciting season.

Uh-oh

If you don't live in Chicagoland, you cannot imagine how deeply in love with the Bears this whole city is. Being the home of a Super Bowl contender is uplifting and invigorating. Famous skyscrapers are bathed in blue and orange lights. The Picasso and the Art Institute Lions are wearing Bear helmets. While I admit to being a blatant bandwagon jumper, I enjoy being part of the fun.

The sports pages, disc jockeys and TV newscasters are all so dominated by Bears Fever that I didn't realize how the rest of the nation views the team. Until today. Apparently, in comparison with the Colts, we kinda suck. Apparently the Super Bowl is going to be a bloodbath. Apparently a lot of hearts around here are going to be broken.

I hope at least Prince is good at half time.

I haven't jumped off the bandwagon. I still hope they win. I just didn't realize how unlikely it was until today.

Bear down, Chicago Bears

I love my city when we're all one. And today, on this particular snowy Sunday, we're all one. I know, I know … New Orleans is supposed to be America's Team. But not here, not today.

This morning I went out for breakfast and the little towhead at the next table was tunelessly singing, "Bear down, Chicago Bears …" over and over again. Any other morning, it would have been annoying. This morning, though, the little guy was speaking for all of us.

As I changed buses en route to my mom's house, I cut through Kohl's. It was almost empty! You could fire a canon through that store and not hit anyone. Just past noon and everyone was already downing brats and beer in preparation for the big game.

I'm not really a Bears fan. My love of the Cubs is so all-consuming that it eclipses all else. But because I'm a loyal Cub fan, I understand how it must feel for Bear aficionados and I am happy for them.

And I'm happy for Rex Grossman. Recently the city was all one, and determined to pillory that poor QB. His performance today should shut all that down for a while.

"Bears Holding Tank"

From the Chicago Sun-Times, that's today's best headline.

I'm not a Bears fan. My obsession for the Cubs is so consuming there really is no room in my heart for any other team. But I appreciate how exciting this season is for Bear fans and I know how frustrating it is to see one of anchors of their famous defense, Tank Johnson, out of uniform when he is strong and able to play.

HOWEVER …

His behavior is absolutely ridiculous. On Thursday of last week, Johnson's home was raided and he was charged with six misdemeanor counts of illegal possession of weapons. Then, a mere 12 hours later, he was in a nightclub with his "best friend and bodyguard," who was shot and killed.

I believe this is what they call "a bad day."

The Bears must do something. Super Bowl run or no, you can't let a guy like this suit up. The team is talking to the league about their options are.

When I was a kid, Joe Willie Namath was run out of football (briefly) for owning a bar. Now the NFL has Rae Carruthers, OJ Simpson and Tank. How far we've come, and what a sad journey it's been.

Here's hoping there's a flat screen TV in Heaven

My late father loved the Chicago Bears. They didn't bring him joy, but that's OK. Neither did the Cubs. Nor did my mom, my sisters, nor me. He had no hobbies, other than watching sports on TV, and he hated his job. Nothing much made him happy in this life. He was a very angry man whose glass was always half empty.

I believe in Heaven, and I hope that with the peace and the wisdom one gets upon entering, he is able to ENJOY watching his 7-0 Bears kick ass.