Me and my books -- today

Sorry, but I couldn't resist. I felt this blog needed a little something to cut the sweetness.

Me and my books -- back then

My mother has been cleaning house, literally, and had a wonderful time going through our childhood belongings. She enjoys how very different her three daughters were/are, and was proud that she could tell my little niece what belonged to whom as we were growing up.

My older sister, Patty, loved baby dolls and puzzles. My kid sister, Katie, was a Barbie kinda girl. I went with stuffed animals and books, mostly about horses and dogs.

Mom put some of my childhood books aside for me and I am thrilled to see these terrific old friends again.

Lassie Finds a Way. Lassie saves an abandoned litter of puppies. We expect no less from her, of course. Lassie rocks.

Playland Pony. A new pony, Gingerboy, becomes a favorite attraction at Playland.

Elsa. "The story of the famous lioness of Born Free."

Anna Nicole leaves me feeling like Renault

Remember the scene in Casablanca when Capt. Renault responds with disbelief to the raid at Rick's? He says, "I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!" Then he takes his winnings from the croupier and slips them into his jacket.

So now I've heard the autopsy results on Anna Nicole Smith. And I'm shocked, shocked to find there were drugs going on in her life! She seemed too wise, too stable for that.

For the most part, this story seems as realistic to me as an episode of Scooby Doo. But then I think of her baby and I get sad.

Free to underprivileged trollops …

… 3 boxes of Nice & Easy #108. They're of no use to me anymore because I've left my red headed days behind. But I find it impossible to throw anything new away.

So if you've ever had a desire to look like Belle Watling from Gone with the Wind …

Stuff I care about, stuff I don't

Stuff I don't care about …

Rudy Giuliani's wife and her previous marriage(s).

Aside from the fact that I'm surprised Judy Nathan could hide an entire bridegroom from the New York press corps (Liz Smith and Michael Musto, I'm surprised at you both!), this isn't interesting and it's certainly not my business.

TomKat and the Beckhams and Brangelina. Yawn.

The Grey's Anatomy salary dispute. I'm not so fond of Izzie anymore, so it's OK if the producers let her walk.

Spiderman 3. I care as much as I did about 1 and 2. Which is not at all.

Stuff I care about …

Anna Nicole Smith. I know, I know. Caring about this silly saga is one of the early signs of dementia. But I admit it, I'm hooked. I believe the tipping point was the addition of wacky Judge Larry. (I'm referring to the crying Judge Larry, not the toking Judge Larry.) The whole thing is so gloriously surreal. The centerpiece of the case is a pregnant junkie/Playmate of the Year and her evil lawyer. And it takes an epic harmonic convergence for Virgie Arthur and Zsa Zsa Gabor to end up in the same story.

The captured UK sailors. It's so sad. The Brits are paying a very, very high price for supporting us. While I realize it's not funny, in fact it's way beyond not funny, but I still keep thinking of Tim Matheson's line from Animal House: "You fucked up -- you trusted us."

That Girl/Season 3. When is that new DVD set coming out? I love her hair. I love her little handbags. I love her false eyelashes. I love her wacky adventures. I've greedily devoured Seasons 1 and 2 and I'm jonesing here! Amazon is teasing us with a preorder option and a June release date, but they don't show any cover art, so I'm dubious.

Elizabeth Edwards. And Jack and Emma Claire and Cate.

Didn't do, should have done, don't have …

I'm watching Joel Osteen right now (yes, I have my own minister, but sometimes I need his predictably sunny brand of Christianity). He is talking about listening to the wrong inner voice. Instead of listening to personal condemnation, I should tell myself: "I have made mistakes, but I know I am forgiven." (I know that as a "gay-loving baby killer," aka Liberal Democrat, I'm not supposed to take comfort from God's forgiveness, but I do.)

Or, as my minister has said, "God doesn't expect us to succeed. He expects us to try."

I do have a tendency to be hard on myself. In every area except my work, I often feel deficient. I'm not pretty. I'm lazy. I'm pudgy. I have a bad temper, paired with a quick tongue, which can be a brutal combo. I can be judgmental. I'm undisciplined. I'm selfish.

And I'm a coward. I'm terrified of flying. The talisman I held in my hand as I took off and landed this past week was the printout of an email I received last Friday from my best friend. I felt stressed and sent out an SOS,* telling him that I was at the end of my tether … with people appearing in my doorway every five minutes there was no way I could get all my work done. He wrote:

"There is a reason that everyone is in your doorway. You have great insight, you are compassionate, you are genuine, you are understanding and deep down you truly care about people. It is no accident that people come to you for advice. You do things all the time that make a difference in peoples lives.

"Not everyone would be willing to adopt all the sheltered animals and all the wild children running around Target, Walmart and Kmart."

Joel is saying I should "bold enough to believe" what my best friend wrote. I'm trying. I'm growing. I'm working at doing better where I must and trying to appreciate my good qualities.

And I'm very literal. If it's in writing -- black type against white paper -- I tend to take it more seriously. So I shall clutch that piece of paper when I'm blue or frightened and take reinforcement from it.

*"Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers." Thank you, Elizabeth Edwards, for reminding me I can and should ask for help.

Enjoying the solitude

It's 7:30 on a Saturday night and I'm already in my pj's. And I'm quite happy with this turn of events. If it wasn't for the rather constant conversation my youngest cat, Rey, howlingly demands (as in, "What, Rey?" and "Good boy, Rey!" and "You're making me crazy, you psycho cat!"), I don't think I would utter another word until Monday.

I am fortunate. I have friends I could hang with. I have my mom to call. I just don't feel like it. And the solitude feels like a luxury.

I think of people who are alone on Saturday but not by choice. What is a private indulgence to me is painful to them. I'm grateful that I'm seldom if ever lonely.

I hope it's true

The toothy blonde with the big hat is Sabrina Guinness, described in the British press as, "a former girlfriend of Prince Charles and heiress to the beer dynasty." She's rumored to be Sir Paul's new love interest.

She's 52. She has money. She has a friendly relationship with Paul's middle daughter, Stella.

I hope he is in love with her. I hope she is in love with him. I hope they live happily ever after.

I love love. Just because I'm not especially good at it doesn't mean I'm not happy when it happens to others.

I miss my conscience

I remain prouder of my work for Senator John Kerry than I am of just about anything else I've ever done. One of the most important things I learned from that campaign was a deep, abiding respect for the troops, those with their "boots on the ground." I learned this from listening to Senator Kerry, who served bravely himself, and from those who proudly served with him. (Yes, I met a man who was actually on the Swiftboat with Lt. Kerry. You should hear how HE feels about so-called the "Swiftboat Veterans for Truth"!)

But if my conscience isn't being tweaked, I forget. I move on. And I haven't sent a package to Operation Shoebox in ages. Shame on me.

Well, that changes with a box that's going out tomorrow.

If you'd like to help the troops in a visceral, non-partisan way, you can send personal care items (or money to be used for shoeboxes filled with treats and surprises) to this organization. Their website appears above.

I do love being pampered

I'm back from a short (too short!) getaway to Chateau Elan, right outside Atlanta. It's a spa, a winery, and an all-around luxurious, relaxing time. I ate salmon and duck, drank sweet wines right from the vineyards shown above, and was exfoliated and wrapped and massaged and oiled. Between the soothing pampering and alone time to recharge my battery, I feel like a fresh new girl! Now all I have to do is maintain this zen state of being at least until I return to work on Monday.

In Praise of Elizabeth Edwards

Tonight this gallant lady is in my thoughts and prayers. Since reading her daring and intimate book, Saving Graces, I feel like I know her. I admire her candor, her courage, her integrity and her marriage. Most of all, her book conveyed a message to me that I very much needed to hear at this specific time. (See my post http//onegalsmusings.blogspot.com/2007/01/book-that-helped-really-helped.htmlonegalsmusings.blogspot.com/2007/01/book-that-helped-really-helped.html

Please take care, Elizabeth.

Thursday Thirteen #9 -- What I'd Do If I Won $2.5 million



Thirteen Things that THE GAL HERSELF
would do if she won the Illinois State Lottery. (Which reminds me, I've gotta buy a ticket if I want to win!)

1) Pay off my condo. It would give me an almost sexual thrill to be done with mortgage payments.

2) Redecorate. Fresh paint everywhere, new sofa, new window treatments, new carpet in the living room and master bedroom, new floor and cabinets in the kitchen, new everything in the bathroom …


3) Pay off my Citibank card. The 3.9% fixed APR is for the life of the loan, so it's more than fair, but, as with the mortgage, I tremble and shiver at the thought of finally being done with it.


4) An Albertson's Gift Card with a prodigious balance for my mom. She's always very broke. Partly because she trusted my late father to provide for her as he said he would (big mistake) and partly because she does dumb things with money. But an Albertson's Gift Card could really only be used for food and toiletries, so I wouldn't have to worry about her the way I would with cash.

5) Take my niece and nephew to Washington, DC. It's time for them to learn about their national heritage. And if I don't do it, it won't get done.

6) "Foster" as many pets as possible.I simply can't have any more pets myself. But right now I send checks each month to support a dog at the Northshore Animal League, a cat and Harmony House and another cat at Tree House. I'd love to be able to afford more.


7) Invest for retirement. I know I should have more put away for my fast-approaching Golden Years. With my imaginary windfall I would help rectify that.

8) Regular pedicures. I can do it myself, but it looks so much prettier when I have it done.

9) Regular massages. It would be so good for my skin to have quality massage oils slathered all over my back. And it would be so good for my psyche to chill out regularly in the way that a massage relaxes me.

10) "Gal pal" vacations. One friend keeps saying it would be fun for us to go to a spa together. Another thinks it's time I return to New York. Ladies, if ever that's a winning ticket in my wallet, we're hitting the road.

11) Give a brick. Get a brick. Let me explain. One of the best gifts I ever received is a brick on the donors' walk in front of the local library, praising my dedication to homeless pets. It means a lot to me because my two favorite things are animals and books, and I love the lasting nature of having a brick on the walk. I would love to be able to afford similarly permanent and appropriate gifts for friends and family.

12) All new panties, all the time. I fixate on having clean underwear. Really. Ask my friends in the Keys about the time American Airlines lost my bag. I'm told that at least once an hour I'd wish aloud that I had packed more undies in my carry on. (In fairness to me, this was right after Hurricane Wilma and there really, literally weren't any department stores in Key West that I could turn to.) I try not to be wasteful, so I don't toss underwear aside at the first signs of wear. But if I was a girl millionaire, they would go into the garbage the moment I see a little worn elastic.

13) Take classes. Could I afford to quit working altogether and still do everything listed above? Probably not. But I probably could return to free lancing, which means I'd have time to take classes on the subjects that fascinate me.

Ah, this was fun. But now I can't get that Barenaked Ladies song out of my head. "If I had a million dollars … I'd be RICH."

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants



I have a crush on Judge Alex

I know these courtroom shows are dopey, but I remain addicted. While Judge Marilyn Milian of The People's Court is still by far my favorite, that doesn't stop me from being secretly and madly in love with her fellow Floridian TV judge of Cuban descent, Judge Alex Ferrer. He just seems like such a straight arrow -- so good and clean and pure and true. And I can't stop fantasizing about what's going on beneath that robe!

My oldest friend is in the grips of a menopausal obsession with (shiver) Barry Manilow. Is this as stupid? Nah. Judge Alex would never wear a ruffly shirt while singing "Copacabana."

In praise of turtles

I love the Slowskys. Bill and Karolyn. The Comcast turtles. I know I probably shouldn't: My agency was in the running for the Comcast account and we lost to Goodby, Silverstein and Partners, who developed the turtle characters. But every time the Slowksys come on, I stop what I'm doing to watch.

If I have only one life …

… let me live it as a brunette. Actually, according to Matrix, my hair is now "dark natural blonde," but what they hey. It's back to a reasonable facsimile of my natural color, which I haven't seen in a quarter of a century. I like how it looks. I'm curious about how it will play with all those who have never seen me as anything but a redhead. But the important thing is that I like it. There's something significant about this change. I don't know why, but it's important to me.

I dislike Kurt Russell

I don't know why exactly. Maybe because he always looks so smug, and it's a smugness he can't back up with charm or talent.

But I'm grateful for my Kurt Russell antipathy today because I have sooooo damn much to do this morning and was in danger of being transfixed by the remake of The Poseidon Adventure. But then I saw Kurt Russell and was able to quite merrily switch it off. So now I'm going to log off, get up off this sofa, fix my face and then it's off to the food pantry,* the post office, the vet, the drug store, and hair stylist. (Is today the day I finally return to my, ahem, roots?)

So thanks for being such a dick, Kurt.

*Don't worry; I'm dropping off, not picking up.

The lads will carry me through

So much to do today! My boss -- who is taking a well-deserved long weekend -- entrusted me a project of his which, along with all my own work, has to be done by eod today. I like my boss so I really want to do a good job. (Did I actually say that about someone in authority? What's going on? Am I mellowing in my old age?)

I'm waiting for the adrenaline to kick in, which always does when I'm in situations like this. I will make my deadlines, I will make my deadlines … And, just to help me fake it till I feel it, I'm going to put the Beatles' HELP! into the CD player. The lads never fail to inspire me.

Hey, Hick!

This is a personal shout-out in a public forum because I don't know how else to reach Miss Hickory …

Thanks for the photos! Haven't gone through all of them yet but so far I love the one of Marina Towers against the blue-gray sky.

Haven't heard from you since the holidays. I hope you're doing well. And if you ever feel like dropping in and giving me an update on what's going on in your life, please know I'm always interested and you're always welcome here.

#8 -- Thursday Thirteen Movie Quotes

THE GAL HERSELF is a big movie fan, and here are snatches of my all-time favorite dialog. (In no order beyond how they occurred to me.) 1) "See ya, Katie." "See ya, Hubbell." The Way We Were 2) "I'll meet you at the place near the thing where we went that time." Broadcast News 3) "She's a drag. A well-known drag. We turn the sound down on her and say rude things." A Hard Day's Night 4) "Practically perfect in every way." Mary Poppins 5) "I won! I won! I won! I'm going! I'm going! I'm going!" Little Miss Sunshine 6) "Jack Dawson saved me in every way that a person can be saved." Titanic 8) "You still think you're the cutest trick in shoe leather." Gone with the Wind 9) "The blues are because you're getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long. You're just sad that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of." Breakfast at Tiffany's 10) "Neely, you're ob-nox-ious." Valley of the Dolls 11) "Art is art. On the other hand, water is water. And east is east and west is west, and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce, they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does." Animal Crackers 12) "Honey, there's a spider in your bathroom the size of a Buick." Annie Hall 13) "I like to think you killed a man. It's the romantic in me." Casablanca Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. Check out Andrea's list of annoyances (I guarantee you'll find some of your own there!) at write-out.livejournal.com 2. Ravaj's worldview Thursday Thirteen is at http://ravaj.blogspot.com 3. Qtpies' politically correct Thursday Thirteen is at qtpies7.blogspot.com 4. Julia's eclectic and musical Thursday 13 is at hools.wordpress.com 5. Go look at Caylynn's special Thursday 13 at caylynn.blogspot.com and wish her a happy birthday.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Is Law & Order in danger of cancellation?

That's the buzz. I don't like it, because the original Law & Order is the one that got me hooked on the genre. But I can't complain, because since it moved to Fridays -- and with all these cast changes -- I haven't made watching it a priority. Still, it's a shame to hear of a show struggling after almost 17 years!

I love how formulaic it is. As a writer, I enjoy watching them squeeze and shape each story to fit their template. It starts with typical New Yorkers caught in the act of doing something very ordinary … until they stumble upon a body, emphasizing the randomness of it all. Then the first half of the show is the investigation and the second half is the prosecution. More than once I've been surprised by the jury's verdict, too. I love being surprised. And who can resist the audacity of their "ripped from today's headlines" plotlines? I wonder how close they've come to being sued …

The cast changes were once the show's strength. I have my favorite L&O lineup. I believe it's ca. 1995.

DA -- Adam Schif (the conscience of the series)
Exec. ADA -- Jack McCoy
ADA -- Claire Kincaid
Police Lt -- Anita Van Buren
Detectives -- My beloved Lennie Briscoe and that hottie Reynaldo Curtis

For plot twists, character development and dialog, I know that SVU has moved passed the original. But still, I'd hate to see L&O go … even though I suspect it will live on eternally on cable.

At least one cast member probably wouldn't care if it's cancelled though. Sounds like Fred Thompson has his next career move mapped out already.

There's rich, and then there's RICH

Rich: If the rumors are true, Heather Mills will soon be a wealthy woman. $50,000,000 in cash and an $8,000,000 home. (This doesn't include child support.)

RICH: The $58,000,000 settlement is roughly 3% of Paul's fortune.

When he marries me, I'll sign a pre-nup that promises me no more than airfare home (and the accompanying meds) when it's over. I think it would be great fun to be married to a Beatle. No further remuneration required.

Memories for sale

My mother has three daughters. We're all very different, and always have been. Patty, the oldest by a year, liked baby dolls and puzzles. Kate, the youngest by 8 years, preferred Barbie and Stacy and Ken, re-enacting her favorite TV shows (usually The Partridge Family) with her dolls. In the middle was me. I wasn't much interested in dolls. I had plush animals and books, usually about horses or dogs.

As we grew, my mother kept our favorite toys in the basement, along with some of hers (she favored teddy bears). All of this is top of mind because, in addition to her own toys and those of her daughters, now has the playthings of two grandchildren down there and her basement is now well beyond full.

She's gone through everything, spending two days dusting and wiping and brushing and buttoning. She invited a toy collector to come over and review her stash. Over the phone she happened to mention my rocking horse, Blaze, and he practically salivated.

Blaze was my Big Gift from Santa, Christmas 1961. He not only rocked forward and back, I could get him to trot by bouncing up and down in the saddle. Like other Mattel toys of the day, he "talked" (neighed and whinnied) when you pulled the "magic ring."

I loved Blaze beyond measure … until I didn't anymore. My mother enjoys remembering me in a straw cowboy hat, racing through meadows in my mind but actually bouncing up and down on my sturdy plastic pinto in the basement, so she never parted with Blaze. He's been through a lot during the ensuing decades, including an altercation with my late father, who got mad at Blaze for being so big and unwieldy and accidentally broke off one of his front hooves. But Blaze retained enough appeal to be my nephew Nick's playmate. Nick not only rode Blaze but went through a Sunday afternoon ritual of making sure he had plenty of water and sugar cubes. But now Nick has moved onto cars and Cars (both Matchbox and movie).

The toy collector, who had been so thrilled at the prospect of purchasing Blaze, was disappointed by his condition. Blaze no longer "talks," and it's obvious where his leg was repaired. The man paid my mom $80 for my father's old slot cars and a few miscellaneous dolls … and left Blaze behind.

My mom and I are surprised by how glad we are about that.

Relaxed and happy

I was productive today, writing a brochure about the various risks and rewards of the three major asset classes. (Riveting, huh?). Watched Mario from American Mattress repair my bedroom fan. Walked my 10,000 steps in the refreshing spring sun. And now I'm curled up on the sofa, already in my pjs, watching Snapped on Oxygen and playing Turbo 21 on Pogo (which I suck at but enjoy). Before bed I'm going to redo my pedi. Sigh.

It's good to be able to enjoy the little things again. Sometimes, when I'm depressed, I miss me.

I'm lovin' it

Doris Kearns Goodwin has done it again. Team of Rivals is a terrific book. Her study of the Lincoln Presidency is evocative, well-written and so relevant.

I'm enjoying it so much that I'm reading is slooooowly. I don't want it to ever end. (Especially since I know how that evening at Ford's Theater came out.) So I'm putting it aside for my vacation. I hate to fly, so Honest Abe will accompany me and perhaps take my mind off aviation.

I fantasize about how much fun it would be to have Ms. Goodwin's career. Her books are so balanced and so successful that she gets extraordinary access to letters, archives, etc. But that's not all that makes her books so good. She somehow manages to put a new spin on the familiar history we thought we knew. For example, instead of just writing a biography of JFK, she developed The Kennedys and Fitzgeralds, and presented the Kennedy Presidency as the apex of an American immigrant saga. No Ordinary Time concentrates on the unique way the Roosevelts lived during WWII, and how their imaginative approach to life helped save the free world. And now Team of Rivals.

What's more, Doris is married to a genuinely cool guy, Richard Goodwin. If you've seen Quiz Show, you've seen him. He's the lawyer (played by Rob Morrow) investigating the quiz show scandal.

And I feel a kinship with her because she's a Red Sox fan. Cubs fans and Red Sox fans understand oen another on a very deep level.

Let's talk family values

Bill Clinton was impeached because he committed perjury, not because he committed adultery. But sex will always be sexy, so it's the adultery that people remember. I've heard commentators and regular folk ruminating on the state of the Clinton marriage. How could he cheat on her? How could she stay with him? It's a marriage of convenience, they can't possibly be in love. He made her a lesbian. Etc., etc., etc. I guess that, as a country, we're simply too cynical to believe that the Clintons love each other and have worked through this painful time in their relationship.

Yet the Republican party, the party of "family values," offers us declared Presidential candidates whose lives are riddled with divorce. Rudy Guiliani is on wife #3. John McCain is on wife #2. Newt Gingrich, who recently admitted to an adulterous affair as he was drawing attention to Bill Clinton's, is on wife #3.

Ironically, it's the Mormon Republican candidate, Mitt Romney, who has had only one wife.

It's almost as if many on the Right would have respected Hillary Clinton more if she left her husband. Why is it that the Clintons get all this scrutiny for staying married, while Guiliani, McCain and Gingrich seem to be getting a pass?

Look! I'm smiling!

I've been battling the blues lately, and I've been very generous about sharing my bleak moods on this blog. Now that it's passed (for a combination of interpersonal and hormonal reasons), I'd like to luxuriate in the happy for a change.

So here's why I'm as sunny as the Chicago skyline just now …

It's Friday already! This week has just raced by. I think it's because I've been productive at work and because my best friend was in town. And if today's Friday, then that must mean …

Tomorrow is Saturday! And on Saturday the temporary dental work gets replaced with the permanent dental work and, as Marilyn Monroe would say, my smile will be Dazzledent Bright. And of course, after Saturday comes Sunday, when …

My ceiling fan is going to be replaced free of charge! Now I hope Mario from American Mattress remembers that the fan he ruined is white and has three bulbs. I also hope Mario from American Mattress is adept at installation and that his efforts won't result in a neighborhood black out. But I'm going to try not to concern myself with that today because why harsh my happy buzz?

Greg Maddux said nice things about his recent stint as a Cub. He said everyone in Chicago treated him "great." I know that's a message to me, since my best friend and I were in the stands in July 2005 when he got his 3000th strike out. The photo accompanying the article showed him in good form, even though his outing yesterday wasn't stellar. I am quite confident that at this stage in his career, The Professor knows what to do spring training to prepare for the regular season.

I'm into American Idol. This is only my second year watching. I resisted for quite a while because the last show that was a national phenomenon like this (Survivor) was too stupid to sit through. But I'm enjoying Idol, and am into all the little dramas. Like why, oh why, was Sundance sent home?

Oh well, gotta get to work. Enjoy your day! I'm enjoying mine!

#7 -- Thursday Thirteen Favorite Charities

THE GAL HERSELF loves these do-gooders! And each meets the standards set by the Better Business Bureau at www.give.org. They're listed alphabetically, not by my preference. Whatever tugs at your heartstrings, you should find someone here you can feel good about helping. 1) ASPCA. American Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 424 East 92nd Street, New York, NY 10128, www.aspca.org 2) America's Second Harvest. Their purpose: "to create a hunger-free America." 35 East Wacker Drive, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60601, www.secondharvest.org 3) American Diabetes Association. 1701 North Beauregard Street Alexandria, VA 22311, www.diabetes.org 4) American Humane Association. Their purpose: "to prevent cruelty, abuse, neglect, and exploitation of children and animals …" 63 Inverness Drive East, Englewood, CO 80112, www.americanhumane.org 5) Covenant House. Their purpose: "to serve suffering children of the street …" 346 West 17th Street, New York, NY 10011, www.covenanthouse.org 6) Goodwill Industries. 15810 Indianola Drive, Rockville, MD 20855 www.goodwill.org In addition to their retail locations, Goodwill supports their programs through donations. 7) Girls Inc. Their purpose: "To inspire girls to be strong, smart and bold." 120 Wall Street, New York, NY 10005 www.girlsinc.org 8) Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. 715 Broadway Street, Suite 300, MCA Annex, Quantico, VA 22134, www.toysfortots.org 9) Muscular Dystrophy Association. 3300 East Sunrise Drive, Tucson, AZ 85718-3208 www.mdausa.org 10) Planned Parenthood Federation. 434 West 33rd Street, New York, NY 10001, www.plannedparenthood.org 11) St. Jude's Children's Hospital. 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, www.stjude.org 12) World Wildlife Fund. Their purpose: "to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth and the health of ecological systems." 1250 24th Street, NW Washington, DC 20037-1132, www.worldwildlife.org 13) USO. Their purpose: "to enhance the quality of life of the personnel within U.S. Armed Forces military communities and to create a partnership between U.S. Military and civilian communities worldwide" 2111 Wilson Blvd, Suite 1200, Arlington, VA 22201 www.uso.org Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. Christine -- a big fan of the American Diabetes Assoc. -- has a Thursday 13 devoted to her favorite mags. http://arewethereyetmom.com 2. Armywife is a fan of the USO and recommends we check out www.volunteermatch.org. Check out her Thursday 13 at http://everythingshouldbefun.blogspot.com 3) Check out Raggedy's highly caffeinated TT at http://its-a-raggedy-life.blogspot.com 4) JennyMcB supports the SPCA and the American Cancer Society. Check out her Thursday 13 list of important conveniences she can't live without at http://jennymcb.blogspot.com 5) Nancy has adopted from, and sent money to, the ASPCA (SPCA in Canada). Her Thursday Thirteen of things "cluttering" her desk (I can relate!) is at nancybond.blogspot.com 6) Robyn says that she and her husband support Covenant House and even though she's in Canada, she's heard about the scandal at Walter Reed Army Hospital. (For more on that, see my 3/3 post.) Check out her literate, funny and fascinating Thursday 13 at www.robynsppp.blogspot.com 7) Caylynn is Canadian and naturally supports causes closer to home, like the Canadian Cancer Society and organizations that support military personnel. Check out Caylynn's Contemplations at http://caylynn.blogspot.com 8) Jenn I Am works for, and contributes to, the United Way. Her cinematic Thursday Thirteen is at http://jenniam.com/?p=622 (leave your link and your own favorite charity in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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I'm still against the death penalty. Even now.

That convicted sex offender has been found guilty in the murder of Jessica Lunsford. I use her name and her photo here, because she is the one this should be about. He doesn't deserve a name.

I would call him an animal, except that wouldn't be fair to animals because they do not kill with the depravity that he did.

He kidnapped 9 year old Jessica from her room, raped her, and buried her alive to cover his crime. She asked if she could bring her stuffed dolphin (a gift from her daddy) with her to her death. Look at that face. She experienced terror and suffering for no better reason than that this man doesn't respect life. I hate him.

Because the crime took place in Florida, it's possible and even likely he will get the death penalty. As a citizen and as a Christian, I believe that's wrong.

Still.

But at times like this, it would be very easy to forget my responsibilities as a citizen and a Christian and give into the temptation to demand Jessica's killer be destroyed.

Didn't think I'd react this way

When the Scooter Libby verdict came in, my friend Andy shot me an email with a very simple subject line: "Happy?"

Well, no, I'm not. I kinda feel sorry for Libby. And this kinda surprises me. So I've been giving it thought.

First of all, the poor SOB fell on his sword to protect his boss. That was obvious and very sad. A man that I am willing to assume is at heart patriotic and decent is now a convicted felon. I watched a C-Span interview with one of the jurors (yes, I am that geeky) and he feels the same way. I'm not saying he didn't commit perjury -- and clearly the jury believes he did, too. But the reason for the perjury was painfully obvious and it's hard to watch someone twist in the wind like that.

While I may be partisan, I do want the Bush Administration to do well and do right. They are running my country. If they succeed, we all succeed. So finding out how incredibly vindictive and petty they were regarding Wilson and Plame is disappointing. Seeing them held accountable for this is comforting, but not an occasion for rejoicing.

Lastly, it was Scooter Libby, not Karl Rove. I hate that pig-faced hate monger. Watching him go down -- that would be an occasion for rejoicing. (You didn't think I could actually stay on the high road, did you?)

In praise of a mythological goddess

Marilyn. Kids who weren't even born yet when she died recognize her image.

Marilyn. Sex goddess. Her babykins voice, cotton candy hair, tremulous lips and hip-swinging, wobbly walk are all still recognized as attributes of a sexy woman.

Marilyn. Ultimate tabloid queen. Every now and again she can still reclaim the front cover, even more than 40 years after her death. How did she die? Did the Kennedys kill her? Did she curse Anna Nicole from The Great Beyond?

Marilyn. Feminist icon and cautionary tale. Look closely, girls. This is what happens to you if you sublimate your own character and live your life to please men. You'll end up dead at 36 and by your hand, just like her.

Marilyn. Extraordinary comedienne. Her line readings were unique and very, very funny. Only Marilyn could ring a laugh out of the line, "Story of my life. I always get the fuzzy end of the lollipop."

Marilyn. Charismatic screen presence. Even in bad movies (Prince and the Showgirl, for example) you simply cannot take your eyes off of her.

I'm remembering her today because of all the Anna Nicole hubbub. The late Ms. Smith may have idolized Marilyn, but she couldn't/can't/won't hold a candle to her. Marilyn had a real, genuine, unique talent. Even in her short career she managed to compile an impressive list of credits, films that are shown on TV and rented today. Compare that to, "Trimspa, Baby!"

Amazon lists more than 13,000 titles devoted to Marilyn. I'll leave it to serious authors to decide what her enduring impact means. I just wish to take a moment to acknowledge it.

My favorite headline

TOPLESS WIFE PHOTO ENDS MAN'S POLE PROTEST

Sorry that I can find no photos to accompany this. But I'm sure that whatever you're imagining is funnier than the reality anyway.

news.aol.com/strange/story/_a/topless-wife-photo-ends-mans-pole/n20070302092409990012?cid=936

Well, that's done

The clouds have dissipated and the sun is shining. At least within my heart.

My best friend and I are back where we ought to be. My oldest friend is rolling with the punches a little better and consequently feeling a little better about her life, too. While my workload has been a blessing, it's also manageable. I have a bitchin' new mattress, which amazes me anew each morning as I awaken several inches higher than I was last week. I sense that things in my life are going to continue moving along on a higher plane. I hope so, at least.

It's not depression if I get sad when bad things happen. It's life. I hope that I was able to maintain my sense of humor, if not my sense of proportion, while the thick, dark clouds were casting a shadow over me.

Thanks, Ann!

In a weekend when John Edwards would have to set his gorgeous hair on fire to take any attention away from Bill/Hillary and Obama, Ann Coulter has put him on the front pages. Here's what the ignorant, angry blonde said at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday, "I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'faggot,' so I -- so kind of an impasse, can't really talk about Edwards." Isn't she witty? Forget Dorothy Parker or even Nora Ephron. We've got Ann Coulter to amuse us and keep us in stitches.

So Romney, Guiliani and McCain denounced her and Edwards' campaign sent links of her hate speech to contributors as part of a plea for more cash. Did she intend to make him relevant?

She also threatened to support Romney. What terrific news for Giuliani and McCain! Romney's spokesman referred to Coulter as "offensive" and added that "Governor Romney believes all people should be treated with dignity and respect."

Oh, and by the way, Ann, Michelle Phillips ca. 1967 called. She wants her hair back.

"What I wouldn't give for a sock filled with manure."

That quote from Annie Hall is going through my head as I watch a Time/Life infomercial hawking "Soft Rock of the 1970s." I am gripped by an overwhelming desire to slug someone. Like Bread, Al Stewart, Gino Vanelli, Air Supply, America, Rupert Holmes, Eric Carmen, or the Little River Band.

People actually want to revisit this drivel? Wasn't it bad enough the first time? My teeth are starting to hurt again, and it ain't the faulty dental work. Where's that remote?

No, really! This is an emergency! I either need to lay hands on the remote or a sock filled with manure. STAT!

In all, not a bad role model

There's a line from the book, Gone with the Wind, that I don't believe made it to the film. It inspires me, even as I mangle it. Grandma Tarleton compliments Scarlett's courage and pragmatism, saying (something like) "you take your fences clean, like a good hunter."

I try to do that. I'm in a ditch, a rut. Nothing large nor small is going my way these days. When the big goes bad, it's easy to let the small things really weigh me down. Whether it's the waste of time/money on my hair, or the way my teeth keep falling out of my head, or how today, as the mattress delivery man was carrying away my old bedding he managed to completely decimate the ceiling fan.

His first comment wasn't "oops" or "sorry," it was to say, "that can't be fixed." While I thought that was odd, I ruefully responded that this "free delivery/haul away" was going to be expensive for me. He is coming over Sunday with a new ceiling fan, which he will install for free in the hope that I won't report the incident to his bosses. We shall see what he brings over, and whether he can install it it without shorting out the electricity in Cook County.

Oh, and I didn't take how thick the fabulous new mattress is into consideration when I bought it. Of my six sets of sheets, only one has pockets deep enough to accommodate the new bed. Oh, good! Linens is just what I want to spend money on these days!

And the art director I'm stuck in double harness with is still letting her marital problems compromise her day-to-day performance and productivity, even though her husband has been either having an affair or not* for at least 10 months now! A baby could have been conceived and delivered -- an entire new human being could have joined us in this world -- in the amount of time she has spent sniffling and staring into space.

All of this keeps going on against a backdrop of illness and affairs of the heart in my own life. It seems unfair and a little tiring that the little shit keeps pummeling me as I wrestle with the BIG ISSUES.

But I'm trying to keep my sense of humor and my sense of proportion. The first has always been a strength. The second? Um … not so much. But I'm trying! And I ask myself, "WWSD?" What would Scarlett do? She'd take this fence clean, like a good hunter. And so I grasp the reins tightly, lean forward in the saddle, and just try to keep going.

*I have avoided sharing the observation that it's true of every adult isn't it? Aren't we all -- from Queen Elizabeth or Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband to the woman who makes my sandwich at the Bread Factory -- either having an extramarital affair, or not?