Scrubbing the sink

And the tub. And the shower walls. And the floor. And the toilet tank. I'll take care of the toilet bowl itself in a bit. (Even though the bottle says it's green and safe, I want to give the bathroom a little time to air out before I add that cleanser to the mix.)

I have the world's tiniest bathroom, and yet it took an hour! Because I hate housework and am not particularly good at it, I always feel virtuous when I complete a task.

I KNOW why I'm watching this one

I have errands to run and chores to do. Yet I'm watching this TV Guide countdown of film's sexiest men of all time. Denzel ... Clooney ... Brando ... Redford ... Gable ... I just heard the narrator use the phrase, "spectacularly sexy." Yes, at their best, they all were. How can I run errands or take out the trash when I'm swooning?

"Sunday Mornings Mean George"

So say the ABC promos, and I must agree. I was once unshakably loyal to Meet the Press, but that was because of the late, lamented Tim Russert. David Gregory isn't Tim Russert, not by a long shot. Nor is he as attractive as George Stephanopolous (not by a long shot).

In addition to being a cutie, Stephanopolous knows Washington and has real, informed history with many in the current administration. His dismal performance in the Democratic Presidential debates made me nervous about how he would handle the Obama White House. But I watched him with Larry Summers this morning and felt he did a fine job (and I loved his bright tie, too.)

My favorite sale of the year

Whether it's known as Carson's or BonTon or Bergner's in your neck of the woods, this department store is having a special sale to support Goodwill. Donate your gently used clothes or linens in store and receive a coupon worth 20% off for each item you bring in! I donated two sets of clean, reusable bath towels and ended up with NINE coupons.

I love coupons. I love helping Goodwill. So I love this sale.

Clinique Repairwear
Lovely Body Lotion
A belt
A Macintosh New England raincoat
Gray slacks
A peasant blouse (Clinton Kelly would recommend the empire waist for me, I just know it)
Three blouses (pink, black and pale blue)

That accounts for my 9 Goodwill coupons. Those nine towels turned into $95.38, and I'm pleased with all my purchases. I believe I'm just about done shopping for spring, and I'm happy to know I contributed to the "Million Acts of Goodwill."

I'm going to the mall this weekend. Will you come with me?

This is Clinton Kelly from TLC's What Not to Wear. I think I love him. He's honest, but sweet. And as he delivers the "why you need a makeover" blows -- whether watching the secret footage or going through your closet or critiquing in front of the 360º mirror -- he always gently touches the focus of his attention. Adjusting her collar, squeezing her shoulder ... He knows that what he's saying can hurt and he always tries to soften the impact. I love his empathy.

I am sprucing up my spring wardrobe as part of the Carson's/Goodwill sale. I wish my favorite fantasy friend, Clinton, was coming along.

Why am I even bothering to watch?

The TV Guide channel is counting down the sexiest female film stars of all time. I believe we all know who will come in at #1.

Part of why I love believing in Heaven is that it's so comforting. Norma Jean Baker -- unwanted, unloved, mousey, insecure, dead longer than she was alive -- is still worshipped, imitated and adored. I love believing that she knows it, sees it and can enjoy it.

Tomorrow morning is devoted to the men. Now that one has a little more suspense attached, doesn't it? Clooney? Pitt? Redford? Newman? Right now, my personal vote would go to Hugh Grant. But my fave in this department changes more often than my handbags. Fantasy is fun, isn't it?

Greetings from the corner of Weird but Sweet

My neighbor at the end of the hall is a lonely retiree who gives me waaaaay too much thought. So when he startled me in the laundry room this afternoon and said, "May I ask you a personal question?" I knew we would begin traveling down Weird Street.

"Why have you never married?"

Oh, good. I was sick this morning. Do I really need to deal with this now?

I responded politely that I was almost married once but didn't want to move to Philadelphia. It sounded true because it was almost true, and I thought this would end the conversation.

No, he told me the story of his one great love, and his biggest regret. This is where we make a sharp turn and unexpectedly end up on Sweet Avenue.

When he was away at college (during the 1940s), he saw a girl at the grocery store who took his breath away. He saw her again a few days later at a public swimming pool. He was showing off his diving technique and her friend asked him to show her how to execute a dive. He said he would ... if she introduced him to her friend.

They dated twice, and on the second date he took photos of her. Then she had to go home to Mississippi. He wrote her a letter, followed by roses. She responded by inviting him to spend the weekend with her (and her family, he hastened to add) in Mississippi. He was so happy and excited. He showed her photo around the dorm and told everyone about the upcoming trip.

One of his dorm mates told him how to treat a girl if you love her. Walt didn't go into detail (thank goodness!) but I suspect it was suggested he dial up the machismo. Since the guy doling out the advice was successful with the ladies, Walt adopted his techniques.

It was a disaster. He acted like someone he wasn't, someone his girlfriend didn't know or like. He came home on the bus broken hearted. They broke up, and he's never been in love "like that" again. (I don't know if he's never been involved with a woman again -- he didn't say and I didn't ask).

I told him he should write this story out, maybe that would help him feel more peaceful about it. To trust that these things all work out for the best. Maybe she married and had kids, and one of those kids saved lives. I didn't know what else to say.

I was very uncomfortable with the conversation, but I have to admit, it's a great story, isn't it?

I enjoyed the evening. It's the aftermath that's bad.

Last night, my friend Kathleen and I went to see A Bronx Tale, the one-man show starring Chazz Palminteri. The man prowls the stage like a jungle animal, playing every one of the characters -- including himself from age 9 to 19. It's well-staged and very moving, and Palminteri's accomplishment cannot be overstated. This is a 90-minute monologue that bounces from comedy to drama, romance to action. He didn't even stop for a drink of water!

Before the play we had dinner and I ordered the most delicious Maple Grilled Duroc Pork Chop (with sour cream mashed potatoes, bacon, apple cider reduction).

I began paying for it at about 4:00 this morning. In addition to the unpleasant gastrointestinal result, I had a fever, which kinda scared me so I took today off. After noon and still in my pajamas! But at least I'm feeling better.

Feeling stronger every day

Yes, I've managed to maintain my enthusiasm for exercise since Monday's ah-ha! moment. And no, that isn't my arm.

I've only worked out at the health club twice this week. But instead of simply vegging when I get home, I now work out a bit on my thigh trainer*, usually during commercials. I do tummy twists or arm rotations every now and again, too. While I don't think these efforts entitle me to move my exercycle (at right), they do make me feel better in my head and in heart. I am doing something. I am taking control. Maybe I won't die a fat pigeon with no sex life after all.

*I have a very dirty mind and I'm rather sex obsessed these days, so please don't ask what I'm training my thighs to do.

Thursday Thirteen #100 -- The Best Albums of the 1980s

THE 13
"BEST ALBUMS OF THE 1980s"
THAT MADE IT
TO MY COLLECTION

Between this week's Michael Jackson-themed American Idol and the recent Tuesday Tunes, I've been thinking a lot about the 80s. The good people at Rolling Stone made a long and exhaustive list of the 100 best albums of the 1980s. I reviewed it, and rather than give you their top 13 (many of which I don't even remember; I'm so unhip), I decided to let you know which 13 of their list I actually purchased.

The number that leads into the album title is the designation given to it by Rolling Stone, not by this Gal. And remember, RS was ranking the albums in terms of quality and influence, not sales (which explains why there's no Rick Astley). In all, I recall the 1980s as a very good decade for music -- and Bruce Springsteen.

2. Purple Rain - Prince & The Revolution
5. Graceland - Paul Simon
6. Born In The U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen
7. Thriller - Michael Jackson
16. 1999 - Prince
25. Tunnel Of Love - Bruce Springsteen
29. Double Fantasy - John Lennon & Yoko Ono
34. Tattoo You - The Rolling Stones
47. Private Dancer - Tina Turner
70. Travelling Wilburys Vol. 1 - Travelling Wilburys
75. She's So Unusual - Cyndi Lauper
81. 1984 - Van Halen
86. The River - Bruce Springsteen

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I am a Benevolent Visionary

Benevolent Visionary

I Hate Her

I do. Hate her.

SHE would be the hideous woman who cheated on my Adorable Friend, broke his heart, and is making their divorce drag on and on and on because she is a lawyer and knows the system so well. She also has one bitchin' sense of entitlement for a woman who cheated on him and broke his heart.

My Adorable Friend was let go at 9:00 this morning. By 9:36, he was at home, calling me for contacts. He doesn't have time to mourn the loss of this job. He has to get a new job right away because he is busy doing battle with her, and courtroom battles are expensive.

As a married couple, they had two (now still very small) children and a ton of possessions. She seems to be so obsessed with winning that she's forgotten to differentiate between the two. He's afraid that she will use his now unemployed status to demean him as a father/provider in the eyes of the court.

Thank you for letting me vent. Telling him how appalled and angry I am at her does no good right now. He's feeling desperate, and the only thing that will comfort him today is the kind of activity that feels like problem-solving. But he is too good a man, too devoted a dad, for this to be happening and it makes me sooooooo mad!

Idol Observation

Tonight belonged to the men. Kris was a teen dream in the David/Shawn Cassidy (or David Archuleta) mold. I thought he was fine on "Do You Remember the Time?", but the little girls in the audience went apeshit. Anoop did "Beat It," and I thought he was fine, too. According to the judges, I'm a cult of one.

Adam, Adam, Adam! He took "Black and White" and made it sound brand new. I'm so impressed. (So was Paula. She went over the top, even by Paula standards, about what a brilliant performer Adam is.)

The only one of the women I really noticed tonight was Alexis Grace, who sang "Dirty Diana" with a rockin' bad-girl spin. Tonight I found all the other girls were completely forgettable. (Gawd, do I sound like Simon?)

Most of all, I'm impressed by how phenomenally gifted Michael Jackson was, and am saddened by the freak he's become.

This sums it up rather neatly

I have this charming piece of artwork before me all day at work, and I love, LOVE it! The artist, Anne Taintor, has a million of 'em, and they all make me smile. But this one is just sooo me.

Tuesday Tunes #19

Pick one album you remember the most about every 5 years of your life and tell us why its important to you.

My music-loving life didn't begin until the Beatles in 1964, so I'm starting there.

1964-1969: A Hard Day's Night by The Beatles. I've heard it said that AHDN opens with the most recognizable chord in recorded history, and I believe it. This movie and album defined the individual Beatles' personalities for us, helped us to feel that we knew them, and those impressions of The Lads remain with me to this day.

1970-1975: The Way We Were by Barbra Streisand. The 1970s were not that great a decade for music, and these were my isolated, defiant high school years, which were not that great for me. Babs' persona, her vocal style and her success around this time (and especially of this album) meant so much to me. Her adult contemporary stuff was so listenable, so good, that I was introduced to a lot of the great American songwriters by her. She was a role model who showed that you can be a woman of integrity and spirit and still make it ... big time.

1976-1980: Wings Over America. This was the concert tour when I finally saw MY Beatle, Paul, live, and so this was a terrific keepsake. It also shows Macca coming into his own -- finally and comfortably -- post Beatle.

1981-1985: Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen. At a time when the US seemed to be entrenched in wealth-worship, Dallas and Dynasty and Reaganomics, here was The Boss, speaking for me. God bless him.

1986-1990: Tunnel of Love by Bruce Springsteen. A somber examination of love gone wrong. Of the "dirty little wars" that can erode a relationship. I went through a big, confusing break up at this time, and it was enormously comforting to know that Bruce didn't know any more about making love work than I did.

1991-1995: The End of the Innocence by Don Henley. Again, all about love, and a reflection of what I was going through. Songs about scarred and scared people risking their hearts. That was me.

1996-2000: Negotiations and Love Songs by Paul Simon. This album almost always suits my mood, whatever my mood may be, and I especially love "Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War," a song that completely escaped me before this compilation.

2001-2005: The White Album by The Beatles. Not that I had ever forsaken this gem, but at some point early in this new century I decided it was the funnest album I've ever owned and hardly a day goes by that I don't listen to something from it.

2006 to present: Peace, Love and Barbecue by Marcia Ball. My favorite new artist (meaning new to me -- she's been recording for decades). Love her bluesy piano, and love the wink she manages to put into her vocals. A unique voice and I love listening to her.

To play along yourself, and check out other blogger responses, click here.

Looks like love again

"Oh, looks like love again. I'm sure, yes I am, it's love that I'm in. My head is reeling, my heart is feeling that it looks like love again."

That's the refrain of an old top 40 song from the 70s. (Really, it is. Look it up.) And it's going through my mind as I watch Castle, starring Nathan Fillion. I knew him from Desperate Housewives and Waitress, but I didn't fall in love with him until I saw him as the crime-fighting mystery author on this new ABC show.

Good thing Clooney dumped me, because it leaves me free for Castle. He's a more conventional and kinda prettier version of David Addison from Moonlighting.

Color me inspired ... at least for now

I finally spoke to my best bud today. I did most of the talking, as he was chomping on a salad and chugging a beer at the airport, where his flight was delayed. Anyway, as he updated me on his schedule (jury duty, work, presentations, one daughter's soccer, the other daughter's choir, more work, his wife's birthday party, extra work) he also shared that he's joined a gym and is working out 4x a week. It's very important for him, since he is diabetic. He and his wife had been using an elliptical machine in their family room, but he felt he needed cross training.

Damn!

Now I am not diabetic. I am, however, older and fatter than he is. My schedule is also less daunting than his. There are days I can't to the health club at lunchtime because work has picked up. But that doesn't mean I should let myself off the hook so easily at home. I dragged out my Lateral Thigh Trainer (it's a piece of crap, but it's good for getting my heart rate up).

So I am going to try to catch up with him. I am going to use the Thigh Trainer every evening -- more so if I wasn't able to work out at lunchtime. Let's hope that I can maintain this enthusiasm (and that he does, too).

Don't know how accurate it is, but I like thinking of myself this way

You Are a Lake

You are inviting, friendly, and even playful. You are flexible and always up for fun. You are downright cheerful and optimistic. You have a sparkling, radiant spirit. You love relaxation and quiet. However, you are equally able to be entertaining and active. You live a very well balanced life. People find you very easy to be around.

What Body of Water Are You?

I originally found this over at Endomental. She'd make a far more enigmatic body of water than I would. :)

George Clooney dumped me last night

Ok, technically speaking it was Dr. Doug Ross. And, while I don't know who dumped whom, I have strong suspicions based on the "well-just-look-at-him" factor.

I had a dream last night, undoubtedly inspired by ER teaser commercials that don't show Mr. Clooney. For some reason I was outside the hospital on a cold, rainy night, waiting for a cab, when Dr. Ross appeared. We had one of those poignant, sweet moments that former lovers share (in movies and on TV, but never in real life, at least not in my experience). You know, the "are you happy?" and "what's new with you?" questions.

Why did I dream about George Clooney? Hell, look at him! The real question is, why did my memory of the dream pop into my mind as I was doing leg lifts at the health club?

According to dreammoods.com, the rain may be a metaphor for tears, crying and sadness. (Naturally, because I somehow let him get away.) Since night is often synonymous with reflection and new beginnings, I think this means that Dr. Doug and I are finally over one another.

Or it could all just mean that those NOAH WYLIE! ERIC LASALLE! ER commercials are just too damn ubiquitous.

Manic Monday #22

What would you do with an extra hour each day? My appropriate, well-intentioned answer is that I would use the time to work out, or organize my paper-dominated, over-cluttered condo. In reality, though, I'd probably just veg and recharge my battery with more alone time.

Do you wear a watch? If so, tell us about it. If not, how do you keep track of time? Right now I'm wearing a nice silver Timex with an easy-to-read face and a brown band. I also have a similar watch with a black band. I'm looking for a reasonably-price (reduced down to damn cheap) dressier watch.

If it was possible, would you want to know how many days you had left to live? No! What would be the point, unless I could change it?

Click here to play along: Manic Monday

This just in! Home-baked bread brings people together

When I went to play with my nephew this afternoon, I was treated to a few slices of home-baked bread, left behind by my niece for me to taste. She spent last night trying her friend Lisa's new bread making machine! There has been a thaw in High School Freeze Out!

I have been so worried about that girl, and am glad that things appear to be turning around for her. Thanks to my compassionate sister bloggers who understood that, while these things are just part of growing up, they are difficult for the teens involved (and the aunts who love them).

Sunday Stealing #21

Sunday Stealing: The Random Question Meme

1. How old do you look? About 45.

2. Where do you live? Chicagoland area

3. Are you waiting for something? A World Series in Wrigley Field

4. What’s one pet peeve of yours that is not common? Absolutely everything about Madonna

5. Do you want/have kids? At times, but it wasn't meant to be.

6. Have you ever thought about converting your religion? Yes, and I did it, back in 1993. I enjoy having a spiritual home where I feel I belong.

7. Last shocking news you heard? Woman charged in murder of ex-Bear Shaun Gayle's girlfriend and unborn child

8. What was the last thing you drank? A can of Classic Coke

9. Who do you most look like in your family? My grandpa or maybe his favorite daughter, my Aunt Jo

10. If you could have something right now, anything, what would it be? A flat tummy

11. Where does most of your family live? Here in Chicagoland

12. Where did you grow up? Here in Chicagoland

13. Where do you want to go on vacation? Chateau Elan -- and I am going at the end of the month!

14. Have you ever had a panic attack? No

15. What can’t you wait for? See #13.

16. When’s the last time you told someone you loved him or her and meant it? I mean it every time I say it.

17. Have your parents ever smoked pot? DEAR GOD, NO!!!! But it is a funny notion.

18. Want someone back in your life? Not really.

19. What do you order at the bar? My neatest new discovery, the Asian Pear Mojito

20. When was the last time you cried really, really hard? I don't remember. I'm not a big cryer.

21. Ever licked someone’s cheek? No.

22. What is your favorite thing to eat with peanut butter? Apple slices

23. Where were you on July 4th, 2008? I don't remember, but I bet it involved cheering on the Cubs

24. What are your nicknames? None

25. If you could go back in time, how far back would you go? Must I go back? I'd prefer to see the future.

My poor niece

She's flunking German. I think it's an ugly language, but that's not the point. She's been a good student for so very long -- now a sophomore in high school, she's been on the honor roll since 6th grade. She's especially driven now because she understands how important good grades are to her getting the grant money she expects to need for college.

She's not doing well in school because her posse has defected on her. She has been the alpha dog/leader of the pack among her coterie since grammar school. When they all got into high school, she was able to maintain her leadership role. But it was hard. Other grade schools fed into the high school and her friends were distracted by many other new students they were just meeting. Especially Courtney and Jan. My niece feels that Courtney and Jan are frivolous, goofy, superficial, silly ... She drew a line in the sand: If you want to hang around with Courtney and Jan, you cannot spend time with her.

Guess what. No one walks home from school with my niece anymore. Her social schedule, which used to be jam packed, is now empty. Her phone doesn't ring at all over the weekend.

She's devastated. Her gal pals have chosen Courtney and Jan over her.

She's been crying a great deal. Her grades are clearly suffering. She's in so much pain. I can't discuss it with her because she doesn't know her mother has compared notes with me and my mom. If she was aware of how aware we are, my niece would die of embarrassment.

Her friends aren't dissing her. There's no organized conspiracy to exclude her. In a way, this was her choice -- she's the one who decided that no social gathering was big enough for her, Courtney and Jan. But she's unwilling or unable to rescind her stand about these two.

But it's still painful for her. A tough way to learn a lesson about trying to control others.

The teen years are rough. (Actually mine were unbearable.) It's hard to figure out who we are and where we fit in the world.

I love my niece. She's funny and thoughtful and respectful to my mom and me. She's very good student, too (that F in German aside). But she's not wise, and I don't see how I can help her. She's gonna have to learn these hard lessons on her own.

Saturday 9 -- Your Bestest Day

Saturday 9: Your Bestest Day

1. What one day of your life do you think was your best day? Hard to choose just one. The first one that pops into my mind was the morning I was awakened, pre-dawn, because the man I loved was holding me sooo tight as he slept. I was so happy to be with that man, in his arms, at that moment. A beautiful way to start the day

2. What one day of your life do you think was your worst day? November 3, 2004. The day after John Kerry lost the Presidential Election. I'd devoted nearly a year and a lot of my own money to that most worthy cause and I could not believe it ended as it did. What's worse, my beloved cat Billy had been diagnosed with bone cancer and I had to make the awful decision about putting him down. My entire world felt dark and ugly and wrong for months after that.

3. If you had to pick the best year of your life, when was it and why? My 35th. I was in love, my career was taking off, and I was in terrific shape. Ah, those were the days!

4. If you had to pick the worst year of your life, when was it and why? My 30th. A long-term, very tumultuous relationship ended and socially, romantically and professionally I was starting over.

5. Most recently, what night did you do something that you loved? Last month my friend Barb and I went to see Grease with Taylor Hicks.

6. Most recently, what night did you do something that you hated? Tuesday, 2/24, when I prepared for last month's festivities. Not funny. Really not fun.

7. Tell us about your best relationship that did not work out. See #1. He is a very nice man. He's just not the right man ... for me. I hope that wherever he, he's happy.

8. Tell us about your worst romantic relationship that you’ve had. See #4. Sometimes when I think about what that relationshp cost me, I am filled with regret -- and I don't want to waste my time on regret.

9. Is there a celebrity that you’d love to spend a “no hold bars” night with? One of the Bruces (Springsteen or Willis).

He's my person

It was a very memorable scene from (I think) the second season of Grey's Anatomy. Cristina was trying to tell her fiancee Burke why it was so important that she tell her best friend Meredith about their engagement before they announced it. "She's my person!"

Burke doesn't get it. "And if Meredith doesn't approve, then what?"

Cristina is getting frustrated, trying to explain her relationship with Meredith, "This is not about approval! It's that telling her makes it real … If I murdered someone, she's the one I'd call to help me drag the corpse across the living room floor. She's my person!"

That's how I feel about my best friend. He's been unavailable this week. We exchange emails, and he tried to call me Monday but got my voicemail, but he's been too busy to really talk to me. Jury duty, unrelenting pressure at work (he's worried about layoffs, too, plus he has a major presentation in Houston on Tuesday), family obligations (his daughters are both involved with band and one plays soccer, too). I believe they're celebrating his wife's birthday this weekend, too.

I understand that none of this can be helped. He takes his job and his family very seriously, and I admire that. I trust that if he could call me, he would. Next week will be better, I'm sure.

But it's hard because he's my person. I want to tell him about my niece's F in German. He's a good dad, he might have a few insights. I want to tell him about my run in with a coworker this morning. I want him to tell me what's up with his girls, to hear about his confidence level at work, to find out if they're all going to visit his mother-in-law in New Orleans for spring break ...

I'm not lonely. That's not what this feeling is. I don't want "company." Being around people who don't really get me just makes me feel more isolated. I want my person. And until he's available again, I must remember to not murder anyone in my home. After all, I have no one to help me drag the corpse across the livingroom floor.

Well, that was sobering

While visiting my client yesterday, I had a new ID photo taken that allows me to move freely around their facility. As you can see, it's not too flattering.

OK, so maybe this isn't a true likeness. Still, I really must MUST start moving more!

I hurt someone's feelings this morning

She said I embarrassed her during a meeting and treated her like she was stupid.

This surprised me, as she frequently doesn't sheathe her claws when she speaks to others, but that's not the point, is it?

I hurt someone's feelings this morning. She came in, closed my office door and confronted me. That must have been very hard for her to do.

Here is the email I sent in response. "I don’t think you’re stupid and my point was not to be condescending. I would not hurt your feelings for the world. Someday, when we’re not as upset, maybe we can talk about this further. But for now, please accept my apology."

I don't know what else to say, except that I feel shitty.

Thank you, Rush Limbaugh

Let's see now ... Rush Limbaugh is a recovering drug addict who has been divorced three times. He's fat and ugly and smokes cigars. And here are just some of his more sensitive comments about women:

Of the Rielle/John & Elizabeth Edwards triangle: "It just seems to me that John Edwards might be attracted to a woman whose mouth did something other than talk."

On Hillary Clinton during her Presidential campaign: "Meanwhile, Mrs. Clinton is where? She's in the Northeast. She is surrounded by her good old, white female, new castrati male base."

"I prefer to call the most obnoxious feminists what they really are: feminazis. I often use it to describe women who are obsessed with perpetuating a modern-day holocaust: abortion."

The compassionate gentleman who made these comments is the one that is proudly, brazenly beating his chest and proclaiming himself a force of nature, someone who deserves to debate President Obama.

Because he's so loved by his ditto-heads, I don't think Rush Limbaugh appreciates how desperately repellent he is to many Americans. Or maybe he doesn't care. Maybe he's just a very clever entertainer who understands that all this publicity about him being "the head of the Republican Party" is very good for his ratings among his core of true believers.

It's wonderful for Barack Obama. He doesn't have to demonize Rush -- Rush makes himself unlikable every time he turns his mic on. The people who spend their afternoons with Rush Limbaugh would never vote for Barack Obama anyway. There are those who are in the center, or who are undecided as to whether or not they support the President's policies. If most of them believes that Rush Limbaugh personifies the President's political opponents, that's very good news for the President.

Thursday Thirteen #99 -- Wheels turning, gears meshing ...

THIRTEEN THINGS THAT
ARE ON MY MIND TODAY

1) When I consider all the homeless pets in overcrowded/underfunded shelters, I fight the urge to adopt another cat. I realize that my first responsibility is to the three cats I currently have. I couldn't provide the necessary attention, affection and vet care if I had four cats. If this concept makes sense to me as a cat mom, why didn't similar thoughts occur to the Octo Mom?

2) I thought my niece was really into her German class, so what's up with that F? She's been on honor roll every year since junior high, and now she flunks a course? At least it was her quarter, and not her semester, grade.

3) What happened to those football players in the Gulf of Mexico?

4) What if I made some HORRIBLE financial/investment mistake or I lose my job and I end up bankrupt?

5) The air at home is so dry that I get nosebleeds. So why can I never remember to fill the humidifiers?

6) I worry about my mother's short-term memory loss.

7) I'm no prude, but the sex scenes in The Reader made me very uncomfortable. That boy looked soooo young!

8) I can't decide if I want hardwood or tile flooring in my kitchen and dining area. But that's OK, because I can't afford either one right now.

9) I also can't decide which athlete I dislike more -- Kobe Bryant or Alex Rodriguez.

10) My boy cats, Joey and Rey, seem to view me as their mother, while my female feline, Charlotte, interacts with me on a more co-equal basis, as if we were buds.

11) If I had it to do all over again, I think I would have attempted a career as an historian.

12) I live for April 6: Cubs vs. Houston. This is the year.

13) I suspect that Nancy Grace not only wants "The Tot Mom" Casey Anthony to get the death penalty, she wants to give the lethal injection herself.


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Break my heart

This is terrible, but true.

He was "Bat Man'' or "Bat Guy'' or "Bat Boy,'' the minor league baseball player traded for 10 maple bats. It became a big joke last May when word of the unusual swap jumped off the sports pages, and the former San Francisco Giants prospect went from pitcher to punch line. "People are like, 'I'd kill myself' and stuff,'' Odom said at the time, dismissing any such notion. Three weeks after the trade, he abruptly left the team. Six months after the trade, he was dead. The medical examiner said Odom's death in Georgia on Nov. 5 at age 26 was an accidental overdose from heroin, methamphetamine, the stimulant benzylpiperazine and alcohol.

Odom's death had drawn little notice by the start of spring training this year. Now, former teammates, managers and club officials keep asking a question for which there is no satisfying answer. "I guarantee this trade thing really bothered him. That really worried me,'' said Dan Shwam, who managed Odom last year on the Laredo Broncos of the United League. "I really believe, knowing his background, that this drove him back to the bottle, that it put him on the road to drugs again.'' Shwam added: "There were some demons chasing him, they'd been after him for a long time. But there's no way to really know whether the trade did it, is there?''

Idol Observation

More of tonight's contestants impressed me than last week's. Junot was bluesy on "Hey there, Delilah." Scott McIntyre resurrected "Mandolin Rain" and I liked it a lot. Lil Rounds really sailed and closed the show on a high. Nathaniel has to go. He's gone from overly dramatic to incredibly skin-crawly.

Heads or Tails #24 -- Getting There

I may be in the minority, but I love Amtrak. I use it on occasion to travel on business, and every time I go down to Springfield to visit Honest Abe. It's often cheaper than driving (just $12 to visit my client downstate) and it's great for people watching: Families going down to Springfield to see the Lincoln sites, soldiers going home from Iraq or Afghanistan, business people, students going to and from college ... I prefer the leisurely pace, too. If you like watching the scenery go by, sipping "affordable" wine in the snack car without worrying about driving drunk, and eavesdropping on your fellow travelers, I recommend Amtrak. (Warning: Sometimes I suspect they view their schedules as mere "rough estimates," so make sure you give yourself enough time.)

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Tuesday Tunes #16

New Releases
This unintentionally became The Bruce Edition.

Do you preorder new music or do you wait and buy it at a store on its release day? Usually, neither. I tend to download a song or two first and then decide to buy -- unless it's Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen. Then, like the fanatic I am, I snap it up on release day. I don't preorder because what if the mailroom misplaces it?

What's your most anticipated release this year? Working on a Dream. Brooooce! The Boss! Yea!

Have you ever been so excited about a new release only to have it disappoint you? If so what was it? Devils and Dust. By the aforementioned Mr. Springsteen. I've only listened to it once all the way through. Hated it.

Have you ever expected the worst of a new release and then were pleasantly surprised when the album was better than expected? Working on a Dream again. I love this one, and The Rising, too. But I really didn't care for Devils and Dust or Magic, so I approached this one with some trepidation. It didn't help that the opening track ("Outlaw Pete") is kinda silly. But then I fell in love. Specifically with "Queen of the Supermarket," "This Life," and "The Wrestler."

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Nice work if you can get it

Hepburn had quite a life, didn't she? High cheekbones, limitless charisma, effortless grace, awesome talent ... and men. She had real-life affairs with Howard Hughes, John Ford, Leland Hayward and Spencer Tracy. As if that weren't enough, she was immortalized on film having James Stewart and Cary Grant compete for her in The Philadelphia Story. As I watch it again tonight, I'm struck by how phenomenally attractive they both were in 1940. Way to go, Kate!

Monday Movie Meme #2

Is the movie ever really BETTER than the book, comic book, musical, play, folk story, or true life story?

These 3 Are:

The Godfather, definitely! I went back and tried to reread the novel not that long ago, and it has none of the elegance of the movie. It's just kinda pulpy and gory, with a little sex thrown in there now and again. But the movie aspires to, and achieves, so much more.

The Natural. Malamud's book may not be worse than the movie, but it's certainly different (and darker), and the movie is very dear to me.

Breakfast at Tiffany's. Capote's novella is not a romance, and Holly Golightly is more obviously a hooker on the page than onscreen. As with The Natural, I can't give up the Hollywood happy ending, no matter what the author originally envisioned.

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