Sunday Stealing

Labor Day Questions

1) What’s something you want to do before summer slips away? I want to trek to the ice cream shop on the other end of my neighborhood, just one more time. It's now weekends-only because the kids who man the counter are high school and college students. They're uniformly happy and polite and I know they need the tips. And, oh yeah, there's hot fudge!

2) What book are you currently reading? I just picked up Candy Apple Red by Nancy Bush. I have barely cracked it open, so I have little to say about it. I landed on this book because the one I wanted – The Sorority by the same author – was checked out.

3) What have you been listening to? Podcasts! Lots of podcasts. I'm focused on the MVP race (Shohei vs. PCA) and Harry and Meghan's return to the UK. Yes, I am passionate about the mid-terms and am working hard on my postcards to voters. But when it comes to podcasts, I go for pure entertainment. 

4) What shows or movies have you been watching? This weekend is Noir City Chicago, a film festival devoted to classic films noir. Last night I saw Black Angel with the gang from my movie group. There was infidelity, blackmail and murder. We enjoyed it thoroughly. 

 

 

Saturday 9

Working in the Coal Mine (1966)

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

1) In this song, Lee Dorsey sings that at 5:00 he's already on the job. What were you doing this morning at 5:00 AM? Still in bed. Maybe I was awake for a little bit – 50 years of getting up at 6:00 have had their lasting impact – but I'm always happy to roll over and go back to sleep.

2) He's worked so hard all week that he's too tired to enjoy his weekend. What are you doing for fun this holiday weekend? There's a classic film festival at The Music Box and I will be there.

 

Read all about it

3) Lee Dorsey was raised in Portland Oregon, home of the Portland Trailblazers. The NBA season kicks off next month. Do you have a favorite basketball team? Not really. Right now I'm still obsessed with my Chicago Cubs clinching their spot in the post-season.

 

4) This song was written by Allen Toussaint, who had a long career as a composer and producer. He produced Fats Domino in the late 1950s and worked with Elvis Costello and Paul McCartney into the new millennium. What job have you held the longest? I was at my last job the longest –18 years. That's really pretty unheard of in advertising and now, looking back, I'm proud of it.

 

5) In 1966, the year this song was popular, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey was born. Are you a good cook? No. Not in the least.

6) 1966 was the year when more Americans purchased color TVs and black and white sets. When you were a kid, did your family have a black and white TV? Yes. We got our first color set when I was about 7 years old.

7) Labor Day is a big weekend for mattress sales. Do you plan on buying a new mattress before the year is out? I just got my new mattress in July.

8) Though kids go back to class earlier these days, store aisles are still full of school supplies. When she was a little girl, Sam was crazy about her big box of 96 Crayola Crayons with a sharpener in the back. Share one of your back-to-school memories. My mom taking my sister and I for new back-to-school clothes. At the beginning of the evening it was fun. By the end I was fidgety and wanted to go home.

9) Labor Day weekend is the unofficial beginning of fall. Have you had any pumpkin spice yet? No. I think it's too early, but the local smoothie place is already promoting Pumpkin Delight, and it does look good.

 

 

 

Thursday Thirteen #478

 

 

 

Meet my imaginary sister. I grew up on Little Women. I always wanted to be Jo and have a Meg who could be yin to my yang. I yearn for a sister whose strengths complement mine, who could teach me things and with whom I could share. Alas, that is not what I got. So I adopt pretend sisters. The first was Nora Ephron, now it's Joanna Coles.

 

13 facts about Joanna Coles. 

 

1.  Joanna Coles has been in all manner of media for more than 40 years – newspapers (Britain's Daily Telegraph and The Guardian), radio (BBC Radio 4), TV (BB2, E! and Project Runway) and many, many glossy magazines.

 

2. She got her first story by kicking down a bathroom door. She was a newspaper reporter, covering the story of a woman in a high profile case who had just been freed from jail. The woman left the courtroom and fled into the ladies room. All the male reporters were patiently waiting but Joanna was propelled by adrenaline. Assuming the woman was hiding out from the press, she barrelled into the bathroom and kicked open the stall. The poor woman wasn't hiding, she was actually urinating. Joanna was mortified.

 

3. It was during this millennium, in magazines, and on this side of the pond that she really hit her stride. She went from editor at New York Magazine to editor-in-chief at both Marie Claire and Cosmo. Today she is all digital, which is where I found her. She is the Chief Content Editor of The Daily Beast (Substack, website and YouTube).

 

4. She is equally comfortable in the worlds of fashion and politics, which is why I find her so much fun. Her favorite interviews seems to have been with Barack Obama and Rep. Seth Moulton. She is also proud of getting OJ Simpson's first one-on-one interview post-acquittal.

 

5. Joanna advises us each to have "a big life," where we are engaged and giving back. This is key to satisfaction and fun "at any age and any stage." She is a fan of fun. She makes me laugh, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. Example: Her Melania Trump imitation is very good and her Donald Trump is terrible, but she enjoys doing it so I've heard it a lot.

 

6. She warns that "it's easy to spend a lot of time online at the expense of the real world." According to Joanna, digital social skills and interpersonal social skills are different and it's not "a zero sum world." In today's world we need both to have a rewarding life. As one who has to make myself interact in real life, I appreciate this reminder.

 

7. I love her look. She's 64, with white blonde hair and pale eyebrows. She favors tailored blazers over bold graphic t-shirts, whether she's wearing a skirt, slacks or jeans. Joanna has mastered creating visual impact while remaining age appropriate. I want her to take me shopping and then to have my make up done. I really need help in this area.

 

8. But there are areas of American life she is woefully unaware of. For example, in the run up to the IndyCar race in Washington DC in late August, she was shocked – shocked, I tell you! – that cars would ever zoom through a busy metropolitan area! Um, Joanna? Chicago hosted a Nascar race through the city streets in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and we have approximately 2 million more people than Washington. She also seemed genuinely surprised by the outpouring of grief over Dolly Parton's death. I could help familiarize Joanna with a US beyond NYC and DC.  

 

9. Joanna met Peter Godwin when they were both journalists in London. They moved together to New York in the 1990s, marrying in 2001. He has written books and served President of PEN America, "whose goal is to raise awareness for the protection of free expression in the United States and worldwide through the advancement of literature and human rights."

 

10. Husband and wife co-authored a book called The Three of Us, which detailed her first pregnancy and what it was like to be new parents together in a new country. I can't find it at my library but I haven't stopped looking.

 

11. Today both their sons are grown. Joanna says often that now she wishes she had more children. She and Peter divorced after 18 years of marriage. I believe her husband got their dogs, and I have seen her cat interrupt her podcasts (as cats will).

 

12. Her mother died earlier this year. She was very frank in sharing that final illness and passing with us, often broadcasting from her childhood room in West Yorkshire as she bid farewell to her mother and tended to her father. I appreciated her candor, because dealing with aging parents is something we will all face.

 

13. She is an imaginative business woman. I read that in 2024, The Daily Beast was not profitable, and I am watching how she tests different subscription models and endorsement deals as she fights to turn it around.  

 

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

 

Sunday Stealing

SURVEY TIME!

1. What will you remember from August 2026? Yesterday! The Chicago Cubs threw themselves a birthday party and I was there. They celebrated their 150th anniversary before the game and then PCA set off fireworks during the game (three home runs!). It was a delightful day at the ballpark.

 

2. When will you start your holiday shopping? I shop all year around. If I see something that is perfect for someone on my gift list, I snap it up. Like those Leroy Jethro Gibbs socks I got for my super NCIS fan Cousin Rose. How would I ever find those again?

3. Where did you meet the person you fell the hardest for? At work.

4. Where did you meet your best friend? I met my oldest friend in Kindergarten class. She lived across the alley.

5. Share a fact about the last person who texted you. Will is the moderator of my movie group. He is "retired," but not really. He has a part-time job as a convention facilitator at Chicago's McCormick Place and is a docent, giving tours of a restored 19th century mansion. He makes me feel very lazy by comparison!

 

Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: Animal Crackers in My Soup (1935)

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

This month Saturday 9 will be tasty, featuring songs with food in the title.

1) Do you eat soup all year round, or do you consider it a seasonal dish? I seldom eat soup when it's hot outside.

2) Gazpacho is a popular cold soup. Made with water-rich tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers, it's considered a good choice for hot weather because it's hydrating. What are your favorite summertime foods? This summer I've had a lot of smoothies.

3) This week, Shirley Temple sings of the delights of having crackers in her soup. How often do you add crackers to your soup: always, sometimes, never? Always.

4) "Animal Crackers in My Soup" was the big musical number in the 1935 movie Curly Top. Shirley played Elizabeth, who helps her older sister find love with a handsome millionaire. Have you ever played matchmaker? If yes, were your efforts successful? I don't think I've ever fixed anyone up.

5) Gertrude Temple, Shirley's mother, was her daughter's onset hairstylist, creating the famous "curly top" with pin curls. What's your hair care regimen? Shampoo, condition, blow dray, spray. Every five weeks I get it cut/colored.

6) Bartenders are still called upon to create the non-alcoholic Shirley Temple, made with ginger ale, lemon-lime soda, and grenadine. What's the most recent alcoholic beverage you drank? Cranberry juice and vodka.

7) In 1935, when this song was popular, Amelia Earhart flew from Honolulu to Oakland, California. Are you a nervous flyer? Nervous doesn't even begin to describe it. I would describe myself as scared pissless.

8) Also in 1935, The Hoover Dam was dedicated. Today it's a popular tourist attraction, with more than 7 million visitors each year. Have you ever been to Las Vegas? Several times. For three or four days, it's great fun.

9) Random question: You get a spur-of-the-moment invitation to a meal with your best friend. Could you go wearing what you have on right now? No. I'm doing this first thing in the morning and I'm still in one of the long t-shirts I sleep in. I may be casual in my dress, but I always wear pants when I leave the house.

 

 

August Happiness Challenge – Day 27

 

My 2026 Happiness Icon

Today's Happiness: Two naps. I'm not sick, but I feel like my battery needs recharging. I was so very worried about Roy Hobbs yesterday. I am looking at a rather busy calendar over the next week/10 days. I just didn't feel like "people-ing." I felt like dozing in between podcasts about Harry and Meghan's return to the UK. 

 

I'm happy that I have the freedom to just nap when I feel like it.

Happy 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.

 

 

Thursday Thirteen #477

Clubbies. Every baseball team has between 5 and 9 men who attend the players and coaches. They work for the clubhouse manager and travel with team to make sure the players have everything they want and are ready to go at game time. While every team is different, here are 13 things that a clubbie usually does. 

1. Mud up the baseballs. Brand new baseballs are slick and can be hard for pitchers and fielders to grasp. Dozens and dozens of baseballs are needed for each game and a clubbie can expect to spend up to an hour rubbing dirt on balls.

2. During the game, clubbies make sure these balls are authenticated. Who hit or caught each ball is tracked because baseball memorabilia is a big business. The player who touched the ball can later autograph it, making it valuable. These balls are the property of the home team, and many teams sell these balls to fans with the proceeds going to charity.

3. Clubbies get the lockers ready for each player – especially important on the road. The away locker should be set up and stocked as much like the home locker as possible. (Mirror, hangers, eye black, etc.) The clubbie's role is to make it easier for the player to concentrate on nothing but the upcoming game.

4. Laundry is a huge-ass big deal for clubbies. They make sure each player's locker – home and away – has "loops." Players know to place their jersey and undershirt together in one loop, socks and underwear in another. This way the player can be sure to get his own clothes back, freshly laundered. (Important because players can be superstitious, especially about their socks.) Pants don't have a loop and the player is responsible for writing his name/number on the inside label. While I admit I am having a hard time visualizing all this, the loop system is decades old and works well unless the player messes up.

5. In addition to uniforms, the clubbie is responsible for clean towels. Everywhere! At the lockers, in the shower, in the dugout. Folding towels is boring and time-consuming but it's a big part of the clubbie's day.

6. Clubbies keep the shower and bathroom stocked. Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, Q-tips, shave cream and disposable razors are always available. If a player has a preference (example: a certain hair conditioner), the clubbie will make it appear and the player usually tips rather generously.

7. Fruits and veggies, chips and crackers, Gatorade and water are all available to the players before and after the game, and it's up to the clubbie to make sure there's enough for everyone. Again, if a player has a preference ("I've got to have a Coke") the clubbie will make it happen and the player will tip.

8. Pre-game meals are not the responsibility of the clubbie. Each team has a nutritionist who coordinates with the stadium kitchen staff. Dishes like lean chicken, salads and marinated salmon are carefully and professionally prepared, while the bubble gum and sunflower seeds are the province of the clubbie.

9. Clubbies make sure the sunflower seeds, water and Gatorade make it to the dugout, too.

10. There's an IT aspect to being a clubbie that wasn't required in Babe Ruth's day. Hitters like to review their last at bat on iPads in the dugout. Clubbies make sure the tech is running. 

11. In the clubhouse, both home and away, the clubbie is in charge of the team Xbox or PS3. (Though a surprising number of players have taken up old school card games with a 52-card deck.)

12. Players often tip clubbies to help them with personal chores – usually washing and filling up their cars – but this is not considered part of the clubbie's 12-hour workday and is arranged between the two men. 

13. Players and clubbies are friendly but they do not socialize. Clubbies consider themselves professionals and an important part of their team's success, so they won't jeopardize getting their pre- or post-game work done by partying with the players.

MLB mandates that clubbies have a starting salary of $36,000 for a 163-game season. This means that they need different jobs over the winter. It sounds like a hard life to me, but these jobs are sought after and the men who do it seem to love it.

 

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

August Happiness Challenge – Day 25

 

My 2026 Happiness Icon

Today's Happiness: A double dose of happy. First scoop: I took my first yoga class in ages with a different instructor. I admit I was nervous. I'm not very good at yoga and I'm used to Rachel, I'm comfortable with Rachel. But today, with Carlos, everything was fine. 

 

Second scoop: This is the earliest TCM has made the announcement. I've already made my hotel reservation!

 

Happy 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.

 

 

 

August Happiness Challenge – Day 24

My 2026 Happiness Icon

Today's Happiness: They laughed at all my jokes. My oldest friend's daughter was in from California. She spent 7 days celebrating her (gulp!) 30th birthday in the midwest with her oldest friend – who still lives here – and visiting her father and his family.

 

Anyway, getting together was her idea. We met at an old-school Chicago fixture, Miller's Pub. Figured it would be a nice palate cleanser after all the SoCal sun tea and carne asada (though she did ask if she could have avocado on her cheeseburger).

 

I did not realize that our dinner Monday night was her last night in town. She wanted to make sure to see me before she left. There are many things she could have done, many relatives she could have seen, and she asked to see me. Plus I was not a box being ticked off – she and her friend seemed to genuinely enjoy my company. 

 

I felt very special and loved. 

 

Happy 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.

 

 

 

Sunday Stealing

Wikipedia Birthday Meme

First, what is your birthday (month/day)? November 22

Now, go to Wikipedia and list:

Four historic events: Okay, the first one I don't have to look up. When a national tragedy occurs on your birthday, you never forget.

•  JFK Assassination (1963)

•  The first commercial transpacific flight (1935) 

•  FDR, Churchill and Chiang Kai-shek meet to discuss defeating Japan (1943)

•  NASA launches the Space Shuttle Discovery (1989)

Three births

•  First Lady, and Presidential Mom, Abigail Adams (1744) 

•  French President Charles deGaulle (1890)

•  Singer/songwriter Hoagy Carmichael (1899)

Two deaths

•  Cosmetics mogul Mary Kay (2001) 

•  Officer JD Tippit (1963). He's the Dallas cop who stopped Lee Harvey Oswald within an hour of the assassination and was shot himself. Tippit was a war veteran with more than a decade on the force. He left a wife and three children. I'm spotlighting him because conspiracy theorists have recklessly ruined his reputation. Here's the commemorative badge Dallas police have worn in his honor.

One holiday or observance 

Good Spouses Day in Japan

 

Saturday 9

 
Saturday 9: Shoo Fly Pie (and Apple Pan Dowdy) – 1946

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

1) Shoo fly pie got its name from Shoo Fly the Boxing Mule. After the Civil War, the mule who could box was such a popular circus attraction that a molasses manufacturer started featuring him on their packaging. Since molasses is the key ingredient of this pie recipe, homemakers just began referring to it as "shoo fly pie." If we looked, would we find molasses in your kitchen? No.

2) Apple pan dowdy is another uniquely American recipe from the 19th century. It's like apple pie, except it only has a top crust, which is broken up. Apples are a good source of fiber, Vitamin C and antioxidants. Do you consider nutrition when choosing a dessert? Or are you just all about how it tastes? Sometimes I think about nutrition. At Smoothie King, I ask for a little fiber boost. Today while grocery shopping I chose Fig Newtons over Chips Ahoy. It takes some of the guilt out of pigging out.

3) The lyrics describe these two desserts as the ultimate comfort foods, able to make "the sun come out when the heavens are cloudy." Do you find that the foods you crave change with your mood? Not the food themselves, but the quantity. I snack more when I'm sad/bored.

4) Singer June Christy pleads with her mama to whip up this "wonderful stuff." Did your mother have a dish you often requested? Yes. This is going to sound weird, but it's true. When I was 6 or so, my mother brought me along to wedding or bridal shower. I felt very special and grown up, and it was the first time I ever saw hors de'oeuvres. I was fascinated by food on toothpicks. So when we had hot dogs, I didn't get mine on a bun. My mom would slice it up and give me a toothpick and little puddle of ketchup and I felt like the most sophisticated first grader on the planet.

5) June was born in Springfield, Illinois' capital. Have you been to your state's capital city? Springfield is my state's capital and I have been there many, many times. It's where Abraham Lincoln came of age and site of The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. You can also tour the only home Abe and Mary ever owned. His law office is still there, but it's being renovated. I'd like to go back someday soon. There is something comforting and inspirational to walking where he walked. Abraham Lincoln represents America at its best.

6) June spent years singing with Stan Kenton's Orchestra. At one point, she gave 38 performances in 35 towns in 35 days. That's a busy schedule! Do you thrive on activity? Or do you find yourself rejuvenated by quiet time? I need my quiet time.

7) In 1946, when this record was popular, bikinis were first seen in Paris fashion shows. How often have you worn your swimsuit this summer? Not once.

8) Also in 1946, Elias Tupper invented Tupperware, a plastic container with an airtight top that's great for preserving leftovers. Are there any leftovers in your refrigerator right now? Not at the moment. 

9) Random question: Is there a day of the week that goes by faster than the others? Sunday.

 

Thursday Thirteen #476

More budge in your budget. Every time I buy groceries I toss something in the bag for the local food pantry. It used to be I could find all kinds of non-perishables on sale for under $1. Not so anymore. Not that it matters, but I blame the tariffs and the ongoing effect of the War in Iran. 

Of course, my opinion doesn't matter. The store brand pasta that was 99¢ under Sleepy Joe Biden will still be $1.39, whether or not I shake my fist at the clouds. Instead, inspired by a recent issue of AARP Bulletin and Martha Stewart's webpage, I give you ...

13 tried-and-true ways to curb your spending

1. Pay with cash. You're less likely to go over the fixed amount you set aside for groceries or dinner if you go old school and don't rely on plastic.

2. Get rewards. If you're going to pay with a card, make sure it's one that gives you something in return. If Card A will give you double miles on dining and Card B offers triple points at the pump, keep both in your wallet and tap the right card at the right time.

3. Clean your microwave more often. Crumbs left behind can create "hot spots" in the oven interior and shorten the its life.

4. Remove your roof rack. It's a scientific fact: a rack creates aerodynamic drag that makes your car use more gas.

5. Change the oil regularly. Yes, it's dirty and, even if you have someone else do it, time consuming. But skipping your vehicle's oil change can reduce gas mileage (expensive) and damage the engine (even more expensive).  

6. Don't park at the airport. People who are used to driving drive. But it's almost always cheaper to take a rideshare to/from the airport than to park.

7. Don't pay rental car insurance you're already getting. Major credit cards often include rental car coverage as a perk. Check your card's website before you take go to the rental car counter.

8. Turn down the laundry temp. Check the labels and the back of your detergent bottle. You can likely get your laundry just as clean at a cold or warm setting, and you'll lower your electric bill by not making your water heater go all the way to hot.

9. Look beyond the "big guys." Smaller providers – US Mobile, Mint Mobile and Consumer Cellular – access the same networks as Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile but often cost less.

8. Celebrate at the dollar store. Save on party supplies like paper plates, napkins, and cups.

10. Clean your gutters. Clogged gutters will sag and you'll have to replace them sooner. They can also overflow and leak, causing expensive damage to the outside of your house.

10. Think thrift for glass. Picture frames, vases and decorative jars are usually good second hand and all are readily available at your thrift store.

11. Keep a tote bag in your purse or car. Many municipalities charge a bag fee that you won't have to pay if you bring your own with you. 

12. Social media is not just for sharing vacation photos. Follow your favorite stores and find out about sales in advance. Some retailers post coupons you can load onto your phone for next time you visit.

13. Comparison shop for pet supplies. Often your local grocery store, Target and Walmart sell the same brands for less than the chain pet stores charge.

How about you? Any tips to add?

 

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

 

 

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Blueberry Hill (1956)

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

This month Saturday 9 will be tasty, featuring songs with food in the title.

1) Fats Domino sings about a hill named for blueberries. According to the Old Farmers Almanac, blueberries can grow just about anywhere in North America, as long as they have plenty of direct sunlight. Do you have a garden? No. I don't have my own yard. Though I suppose if I cared to, I could tend to the little plot in front of our building. We pay a landscaper to come a couple times each season to do minimal maintenance. We all agree it looks crappy, but we aren't willing to spend any more money on it.

2) Blueberries are low in calories and rich in fiber. Are they a regular part of your diet? Sporadically. Sometimes I want them, most of the time I don't.

3) They also have a high moisture content. Staying hydrated is important to human health. Do you drink the standard recommended 8 glasses of water every day? No. I try, but I seldom get beyond 5 glasses.

4) Fats originally had a big hit with "Blueberry Hill" in 1956, and then enjoyed the record's renewed popularity in the mid-70s, when "Blueberry Hill" was often referenced as Richie Cunningham's favorite song. Without looking it up, do you remember what show Richie Cunningham was on? (Extra non-existent Saturday 9 points if you can also name the actor who played Richie.) Happy Days, Ron Howard.

5) Born Antoine Domino, he took the name "Fats" not just because of his physique. Growing up, jazz pianist Fats Waller was one of his heroes. If you were to adopt the first name of someone you admire, what would we call you? Jacqueline.

 

6) Despite his warm and friendly stage persona, Fats was shy around strangers and hated giving interviews. Tell us about something you did only because it was part of your job, not because you enjoyed it. At my current job, I hate handling customer returns because I believe the cash register is my enemy. I always end the transaction by saying, "Thank you for your patience," because I know I suck.

7) In 1956, when this record was topping the charts, the Olympics were held in Melbourne. Have you ever been to the land down under? Nope.

8)  The star of the 1956 Olympics was Austrian Toni Sailer, who won all three gold medals in Alpine skiing. Do you prefer snow skiing, water skiing, or just watching other people ski? I enjoyed snow skiing, even though I am no good at it. I've never been on water skis.

9) Random question: Do you believe everyone has a jealous streak? Yes.

Thursday Thirteen #475

Back to School! For four years, my nephew lived in the dorms at Western Illinois University. As I was folding and putting away my last remaining WIU Leathernecks t-shirt, I reminisced about his dorm days. He moved from one hall to another, but his rooms had a sameness: a microfridge – which I'd never seen before and amazed me – and a bed and drawers and the largest collection of dirty underwear and discarded WalMart bags I've ever seen. (He was going to recycle those bags at the store someday, honest he was.) So it's with a sense of nostalgia that I share ... 

13 items from WIU's "What to Bring" list

1. Bedding: XL twin sheets (80"), pillows, comforter/blanket

2. Shower sandals

3. Laundry detergent and dryer sheets

4. Hangers 

5. Silverware and dishes 

6. Anti-bacterial wipes 

7. Small vacuum 

8. Reusable containers (a la Tupperware) 

9. Power strips with surge protection

10. USB drives 

11. Headphones

12. First aid kit 

13. Umbrella*

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

 

 *It amuses me to see this made the list. It seems my nephew was not alone in never having one, and the school was weary of being asked to provide them.

 

Sunday Stealing

Answers these questions when you don't have anything to blog about ... 

1) Describe your typical weekend, and tell us how this weekend has been different. I eat out a lot on weekends. This one has been no different. The highlight of Saturday was ribs, so I'll try to grab something healthier today.

2) What food hits your bliss spot? Prime rib. I haven't had it in more than a year, but I practically dream about it.

 

3) Where did you stay on your last vacation (hotel, Airbnb/Vrbo, friends/family)? The Loews in Hollywood. It's a very nice hotel, but that's not why it's my home-away-from-home in LA. It's literally attached to four of the theaters that participate in the TCM Classic Film Festival, which makes it hard (but not impossible) for me to get lost. Really, I have no sense of direction in the best of times and when I'm in my classic film haze, blabbing with my tribe, I am positively ditzy.

4) If you had a personality eraser, what part of yours would you erase? After reading #3, you might think I'd try to erase the part of me that's so easily distracted. But no! I'd like to erase my lazy streak, which is as wide as it is long.

 

5) Think of your friends. Tell us about the first one who popped into your head. Nancy. Maybe I thought of her first because I owe her an email. Anyway, we were coworkers long ago and I happened to run into her (almost literally) on an escalator more than a decade later. I consider that a lucky accident. Nancy is smart and interesting and now married to Paul, who is sweet and funny. They are a nice package deal.

 

 

Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: Sugar, Sugar (1969)

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

1) This week's song is credited to The Archies, a band that never actually existed. The song is performed by singer Ron Dante and studio musicians and backup singers hired on behalf of the five members of the popular Saturday morning Archie Show. Were you a fan of this animated series? Nope.

2) Archie was Archibald Andrews, a character first introduced in the 1941 comic strip. Archie was the linchpin, the leader of the band, and the center of his social group. Tell us about one of the popular kids from your school days. Linda was tall and had stick straight hair. I thought she was the prettiest girl in class (K-8). She also had a remove that made her seem mature (as mature as an 11-year-old can be).

3) The Archies' drummer was Jughead Jones. He was smart, funny, and had a fondness for headwear. Do you often wear hats or caps? Nope.

4) Reggie was the lead singer and bass player. He was a gifted athlete who liked to come in first. If he couldn't win with his natural talents, he was not above cheating. Have you ever cheated in a friendly game? I must have but honestly, I can't think of a single time. So maybe I haven't?

5) Blonde Betty Cooper was on the tambourine. Her hobbies include playing baseball, caring for her cat, and helping Archie work on his car. Tell us three of your favorite pastimes. Watching baseball, caring for my cats and watching movies.

6) Raven-haired Veronica Lodge was the keyboardist and joined Betty for backup vocals. She was a fashion plate, known and loved by Riverdale store owners because of her willingness to spend big bucks to stay on trend. What's the latest thing you've added to your wardrobe? I just got a new bra.

7) The biggest news story of 1969 was one of the biggest stories in history. On July 21, man first stepped onto the moon. Without looking it up, do you remember the astronaut's name? Neil Armstrong.

8) Also in 1969, Triple H was born and today he's in the WWE Hall of Fame. Do you follow professional wrestling? Nope.

9) Random question – Would you prefer to be: a) super successful in business or b) a politician elected to an influential office or c) a champion athlete? A. I think I'd be good at it, except that I don't like authority, which makes being in authority hard for me.

 

Thursday Thirteen #474

 Syndicated drama. Last week I shared the 13 most lucrative sitcoms in syndication. TV dramas are often rerun, too, but less often because they tend to be an hour long, which makes them less flexible to schedule. While old comedies like I Love Lucy are still often rerun, I don't see any vintage dramas on this list.

Platforms report views differently so it's impossible to determine what shows are most popular. Instead this list is the 13 titles that cost the most for channels and platforms to buy. Mark Harmon was rumored to make $500,000/episode during his last seasons on NCIS. Considering that it's still making a ton of money for CBS/Paramount, they got their money's worth.

1. NCIS (2004 - )

2. Grey's Anatomy (2005 - )

3. The X-Files (1993-2002)

4. Breaking Bad (2008-2013)

5. The Sopranos (1999-2007)

6. Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

7. Mad Men (2007-2015)

8. ER (1994-2009)

9. Law & Order: SVU (1999- )

10. Stranger Things (2016- )

11. House (2004-2012)

12. The Walking Dead (2010-2022)

13. Criminal Minds (2005-2020)

How about you? Any favorites here? To be honest, I wouldn't curl up to watch any of these. I am second to none in my appreciation for Mad Men, but it gives me PTSD. (Do you suppose many mobsters watch The Sopranos?) I enjoyed SVU and NCIS when they first ran, but I dunno, now they either seem too violent/depressing or not worth the investment of time. If I'm going to settle in for more than an hour, I'll watch a movie.

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