The Queen's Meme

So much crazy news out there lately -from sunbursts to outbursts to implants to supplements. Here are a few topics spinning off the newswire.. Sound off and tell us how you really feel about it. Your opinion counts.

1. What would you do about the BP oil spill? Give us your suggestions. I don't understand why everyone says we must "partner" with BP because they have the technology to fix the problem. Don't BP, Halliburton and Transocean have competitors? Don't these other companies have contingency plans in case of a spill? Let's call on them, encourage them to help, and reward them handsomely if they can successfully clean up after BP. (BTW, I know they wouldn't work well together. I want the competitors to be as fiercely cutthroat as possible, trying to come up with the best way possible to fix hole.)

2. Tipper and Al Gore are calling it quits. How does this happen after 40 years? Am I the only one surprised it wasn't Bill & Hill?

3. It’s hot! The heat index topped 104 degrees today in some parts of the United States. How is the weather in your part of the world? Low 80s and sunny.

4. Do you think smoking should be banned in public places? Yes. Here in Chicagoland it pretty much is prohibited.

5. Unemployment from the top down: Do you think President Obama has a good chance or no chance of being re-elected in the next US election? Depends on who he's running against.

6. What??! Actor Gary Coleman’s wife reportedly sold private pictures of the deceased actor on his deathbed. This girl gets progressively creepier with every new revelation.

7. Texting while driving. Do you? Don't you? Will you? Won't you? I don't drive, so I'm innocent of all charges.

8. Lindsay Lohan. Has she been treated fairly or unfairly by the legal system? Let's just say the legal system in California has a history of being more than fair to celebrities.

9. The Sarah Palin rumor mill caught wind of her recent decision to have breast implants….so said the reporters-who-need-to-get-a-job-and-stop-making-up-news. She has denied the earthshaking allegations. Was this really news? Sure. Why not? If Heidi Montag's multi-surgeries are newsworthy, so's the "did she/didn't she" on Sister Sarah.

10. An asteroid is supposed to hit Earth this Friday. Are you prepared? Asteroid ... Is that "duck and cover" or "stop, drop and roll?"

Play along and stay out of the dungeon! Click here for details.

Clean Me

Every day I am going to do something -- no matter how small -- to improve my standard of living at home.

Lordie, but I have a lot of buttons! And yarn. Seems every blouse or sweater I buy comes with extra buttons and yarn and, being a slob by nature, I just kinda leave them wherever they lay. Not anymore, folks! Not the new Clean Me! All the buttons and yarn -- as well as their "clutter cousins," the earring backs -- have been assembled. Oh! And the hair clips and headbands I bought while experimenting with longer hair have been collected and tucked away, too. The top of my dresser looks like someone else sleeps in this bedroom!

I also threw went through my cosmetics basket on my dresser and threw away three tubes of lipstick because, well, I hate lipstick. I have no idea why or when I bought this stuff, but it was beyond time to bid it adieu.

10 on Tuesday -- Prepare to be inspired

Ten Inspirational Sayings from My Office Bulletin Board

1) Everything I need to know I learned from the people trapped in my basement

2) Tons of therapy and I'm still totally fucked up

3) People who live in glass houses shouldn't masturbate

4) Gossipy, raunchy and potty-mouthed.

5) Inner beauty won't get you laid

6) I am not like the others. My strangeness is my strength.

7) Does my fat ass make my ass look fat?

8) Some days it really isn't worth chewing through the restraints

9) We're not gossiping. We're plotting our evil, left-wing feminist agenda.

10) Children are a blessing. You never know when you'll need blood or a spare kidney.

There. Now isn't your outlook brighter?

It amuses me

En route from lunch I road the elevator with a pair of impeccably groomed young men who were commenting on how "rotten" Chicago's baseball teams are and that's why they "hate baseball."

I fantasized spinning around, in full Scarlett O'Hara/fury mode, and slapping them across their smug faces. "Hate baseball? Don't ever say you hate baseball! Why, that's the same as saying you hate your Pa and Mother, that you hate America!"

Do twentysomethings still watch Gone with the Wind? Would they know that scene?

Oh well, I like imagining them rubbing their freshly shaved (and now freshly slapped) cheeks and wondering "what the fu ..." as I flounced off the elevator. (Because Scarlett would flounce.)

Clean Me

Every day I am going to do something -- no matter how small -- to improve my standard of living at home.

I was once involved with a guy who was really into ... um ... a particular kind of lingerie. And, because I especially enjoyed being with him when he was especially happy, I had a drawer of that lingerie.

Note the tense: "had."

For I opened the drawer disposed of all the lacy lovelies. I mean, I couldn't donate them to Goodwill, could I?

While I hope I'm through with the support hose, I won't know for sure until next month. And, since they cost about $30/pair, I don't want them to snag so I put them in the quilt-top lingerie box.

It was a true sitcom moment. Rhoda would tell Mary how this was the perfect metaphor for a life gone hopelessly awry: yesterday's silk thigh top stockings are now today's industrial-strength support hose.

I'm trying not to look at it that way, though. I'm trying to see it as simply freeing up most of another drawer and bringing me closer to a "Clean Me."

Back to the health club!

Today at lunchtime I did 32 minutes on the stationery bike, about 20 shoulder presses, lots of leg presses because they're easy and, at the opposite end of the easy spectrum, just about a dozen crunches. I have very strong leg muscles and mushy old abdominals.

Still, it was good to feel those endorphins pumping. I realize that one trip to the health club won't make me the world's oldest SI Swimsuit Cover Girl, but it was a natural mood enhancer.

Movie Monday

BABY TALK. Share movies featuring babies, linking back here at the Bumbles.

Away We Go. Sam Mendes of Revolutionary Road and American Beauty directed this lovely little road film starring John Krasinski of The Office (hidden behind a bushy beard and glasses) and Maya Rudolph of SNL. These expectant parents travel around the country, trying to find the right place to settle down and raise the baby she's carrying. Not only does mommy-to-be keep getting bigger and bigger, which reminds us that a wee one is imminent, they visit parents and kids in their travels. (Maggie Gyllenhaal is the funniest and most disturbing new mom in recent memory.)

Terms of Endearment. This modern classic is a love story between a mother and daughter. The tenor of their relationship is established early on when Aurora stands gazing at peacefully sleeping Emma and then starts worrying that the baby isn't asleep at all, but dead. She is so paniced she practically climbs into the crib. Realizing she won't fit, she pinches the baby. Once Emma starts screaming in pain, Aurora is reassured that her baby is fine. The encounter between baby and mama shows us how deeply Aurora cares, but how important it is to her that Emma behave as Aurora wishes and in the way she expects.

Clean Me

Every day I am going to do something -- no matter how small -- to improve my standard of living at home.

Even if I lose a gazillion pounds, I won't want to wear control-top, reinforced toe panty hose ... EVER! Especially not after my interlude with support hose. So I disposed of an entire drawer of obsolete hose. I even had one pair still in its L'Eggs Egg ... and those plastic containers were discontinued in 1991!

Now I have an empty drawer I can devote to all that junk jewelry I discovered. If I keep it organized, I'll wear and enjoy it again.

Go, Cubs, Go!

Ted Lilly pitches a no-hitter into the 9th. Toss in a balk for good measure. The game ends with the bases loaded with dreaded White Sox ... standing there in the freaking rain!

People who say baseball is "boring" didn't watch THIS game!

My apologies to my beloved old tomcat, Joey, who endured me clapping and cheering throughout this awesome game. He's giving me "curly paws" now as he hopes he can go back to napping in earnest.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Dark Side Meme

1. You’re building your dream house. What’s the one thing that this house absolutely, positively MUST HAVE? (other than the obvious basics of course) A good location. I want to be able to leave the house and walk around in a neighborhood that makes me feel comfortable and welcome.

2. What is your dream car? One that comes with a driver.

3. What is your favorite website that isn’t a blog? imdb.com

4. iPhone 4 or Droid, which do you want? I'd prefer the cash, thank you.

5. When you’re feeling down or lonely or just generally out of sorts, what do you do to cheer yourself up? I turn to Cubs baseball, or I listen to The Beatles. Those two things have been cheering me up for decades now.

6. Tell me about something or someone that you love that most people seem to hate. Nancy Grace. She's so hideous, so hostile, so inconsistent and insincere, she's sublime.

7. What do you want to be when you grow up? A great singer/actress. Being tone-deaf and plain got in the way.

8. Would you go on a reality show if given the chance? NO! Dear God, no.

9. Who was your favorite teacher when you were growing up. (Grade school, Middle School, Jr. High or High School only.) My third grade teacher. She made us all feel as though there truly are "no bad ideas."

10. You get one pass to do something illegal or immoral. What are you gonna do? Sleep with someone I shouldn't.

11. What were you doing 10 years ago? Trying to decide if I wanted to buy or continue renting.

12. By this time next year, I ... want to both my body and home to look and feel better.

13. Do you think the United States will elect a female President in your lifetime? Do you think this would be a good thing? Yes, I do. And whether it's a good or a bad thing depends on the woman.

14. Which fictional, TV show character you would shag anytime? Leroy Jethro Gibbs of NCIS

15. What is your greatest pet peeve? People who are so in love with their own victim status they do nothing to change it.

16. Tell me about your most recent trip of more than 100 miles? Our client is located 114 miles south of here. I went down there last Thursday. The creative presentation went well, and I rewarded myself with a trip to their local mall, which includes an A&W, so I had a root beer float.

17. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus? Thesaurus

18. Do you have a nickname? What is it? My nicknames come and go. Years ago, my dad called me, "Tiger."

19. What are you dreading at the moment? Being old, poor, and dependent.

20. Do you worry that others will judge you from reading some of your answers? No.

21. In two words, explain what ended your last relationship. His youth.

22. What were you doing this morning at 8am? Hitting the snooze-alarm.

23. Do you have any famous relatives? No.

24. How many different beverages have you drank today? 5 (water, milk, coke, juice, vodka)

25. What is something you are excited about? My nephew and I are going to the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field this Thursday. It's Ryan Theriot Juicy Fruit Bobblehead Day at the ball park. (Doesn't it look more like Tom Cruise?)

26. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group? It was a presentation for work in February. The conference room was pretty packed. I think I did rather well.

27. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?



28. What were you doing at midnight last night? Snoring

29. What’s a word that you say a lot? "Actually"

30. Who is your worst enemy? Me

Weird day

I was having a good day. It began with a very virtuous morning -- returning my library book on time, mailing a box of paperbacks off to Operation: Shoebox, and donating a bag of groceries to the local food pantry. I rewarded myself with a lovely lunch at FlatTop Grill (including a "taste size" Triple Chocolate Storm for dessert, as I'm back on my diet tomorrow). Took a nap, and then watched a nearly satisfying Cubs game (see below).

Then I made my mistake -- checking in with my mom. Once again, something that has nothing to do with me is MY FAULT. It's as though in this family, my culpability is pre-destined, as though the dictate came from on high: Everything is always MY FAULT.

My oldest friend began preparing her home for possible sale back in the spring. She asked me if my brother-in-law (a maintenance worker by trade) would be willing to make some extra money, doing extra jobs around her house. I conveyed her question to him. He said that since money in their house was going to be tight for months to come, he was eager to do it. So I gave him her number.

He didn't call. He forgot. Fine, whatever. Shit happens.

More than a month went by. My friend wrote out a list of projects she wanted my brother-in-law to do and handed it to my niece to take home and place in her dad's hand. My niece complied.

So I heard (through my mother) that my brother-in-law called my oldest friend "yesterday" and she "still" hasn't called back. Give me a fucking break. The woman is a single, working mother, trying to decide whether or not to change jobs, sell her home and move 2000 miles away this summer, and my sister* is upset that she didn't return my brother-in-law's months overdue call instantly.

So my brother-in-law finally makes his way to my oldest friend's house last Saturday. He spent the day there, accomplishing everything on her list. She paid him, and mentioned to me that he did a good job and was "a godsend." I thought it all went well. I thought this was the end of it. I know my friend thinks it's the end of it.

But today my mom asked why he's not going to my friend's home anymore. What was the problem? Is she unhappy with what he charged or something?

My mother is asking because clearly my sister* was expecting him to make more money at my friend's house than he did. I am supposed to impose myself into this somehow. Fix it. Make it better. Get my sister more money somehow.

My brother-in-law is knocking on 50. He has been doing these side jobs for years. I assume he knows how to negotiate his own price.

My friend gave him a list. He accomplished all the items on it. She cut him a check. Why are we even talking about it anymore?

Because everything is my fault. My responsibility.

It doesn't feel like such a good day anymore. I need a drink.

* It's always my sister who is upset. By contrast, my brother-in-law almost never gets upset. It's as if their household has a pissy quota and my sister fulfills it.

I enjoyed it, even though ...

The Cubs dropped the first two games of the Crosstown Classic to the dreaded White Sox, and yet I really enjoyed today's contest. Yes, it was a loss. But it was exciting, a nailbiter to the end. If they continue playing with this much heart, I'm sure the Cubs' fortunes will turn and a winning streak is in our future!

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Goodbye to You

1. Have you had to say goodbye to a good friend or lover because they were moving? I had a lover up and move on me because he got a job offer that was simply too lucrative to refuse and we embarked on a long-distance love affair, which, I learned, suited me fine. We spoke every day but saw each other only four days/three nights a month (unless there was a holiday or special occasion). I liked the combination of feeling connected yet still independent.

2. Have you ever wanted to use personal information about someone to sort of "blackmail" them? If yes, tell us about it. Ew! Ick! No!

3. What two things influenced the choice of your present job or to stay at home? The location and the benefits package were both superior to the other offer I received.

4. Do you like warm weather? How warm does it get where you live? What is the best way to spend a hot, summer day? I hate the heat and humidity! When it gets over 85º, I just kinda shut down. The best way to spend such a day is indoors, enjoying the air conditioning, a beer, and a Cubs game.

5. What do you find "hot" in a man/woman? What is the first thing you notice about someone who is hot? Do you ever think of yourself as hot? I love a guy with great hair. I think it's because my first-ever crush was Michael Landon. (I don't actually remember this, but my mom reports that when I was pre-school aged, I would cry inconsolably whenever an evildoer invaded the Ponderosa and hurt Little Joe Cartwright.) I have had my "hot" moments.

6. Are you quick to anger? How do you react when you are angry or frustrated? What do you do to cool down? Yes, I am quick to anger. I can be rather sharp tongued. I need alone time to cool down. Vodka helps.

7. In your family, who is the least like the rest of you? Me. I sometimes feel like Marilyn Munster.

8. What are a few great books that you've taken along to the beach or on vacation in years past? If you aren't a big reader, what do you do to while away the lazy hours? This year I took Game Change on vacation with me. Last year, my vacation books were Ted Kennedy: The Dream that Never Died and Oxygen. This list makes it appear as though I'm not much on light beach reads, huh?

9. Do you like going outside during a thunderstorm and watching the lightening? No. I don't care much about thunderstorms one way or the other. Now snowstorms! I think those are awesome and beautiful to watch!

Clean Me -- "I Always LOVED Those!"

Every day I am going to do something -- no matter how small -- to improve my standard of living at home.

I continued sorting through the junk jewelry in my bedroom and discovered many, many pairs of earrings I thought I had long-since discarded (forgetting that I got into this predicament because I never discard anything). Finding them made me very happy. I also added more than a dozen pairs of earrings and some pendants (when did I ever wear pendants?) to the Goodwill bag and tossed more broken/solo earrings.

Duh!

"Couldn't you just take the Pedway?" my best friend asked when I told him I was unable to cross Michigan Avenue (see below).

Damn! He's right. I could have gone into Macy's, taken the escalator to the lower level, and then follow the Pedway under Michigan Avenue. No Black Hawk fans would have been crowding the underground footpath because you can't see the street from there!

It never occurred to me. It never occurred to the policeman I spoke to, nor to the fan who overheard the cop and I in conversation. Yet my best friend, who lives in Denver, suggested it. I told him he's smarter than he thinks.

This was a first

I skipped work today because of a parade. I am not kidding. I could not get into the office because of a parade.

I began trying to cross Michigan Avenue to get to my office at about 9:45. I kept trying until after 10:00, walking up north, but barely making it a block. There were that many people waiting for the Black Hawks parade/rally already!

I asked an officer where I should go to cross Michigan Avenue. "You can't," he said simply.

"But I have to get to my office over there," I said, pointing at the way-tall building not far away in feet but very far away in terms of crush of humanity.

"You can't," he repeated. "We don't expect anybody to move outta here until 12:30."

"But my office closes at 12:30 on Fridays!" I said, as if a cop concerned with controlling two million Black Hawk fans cared about my agency's Summer Hours policy.

"Call your boss," he said, his eyes crinkling into a smile, "and tell him you can't get into the office by order of the Chicago Police Department."

I realized I had taken up too much of his time already and just stood there, people jostling me, trying to figure out what to do. A very nice man shook me out of my confusion by saying, "Yeah, call your boss. Want to use my phone?" He seemed thrilled to be helping me play hookey.

I thanked him but told him I had one of my own. Then I slooooowly worked my way over to the doorway of a not-yet-open steakhouse and called the office to ask if anyone needed me.

I had a hard time reaching anyone. Bet my coworkers were either stranded or out in the celebration. I left word with Ann, the only one I could find who told me being at the office for just 3 hours with a massive parade/rally going on right outside our windows was "a waste anyway" and advised me to go home.

Just so you can see what 2 freaking million people look like (double what the White Sox drew for their World Series celebration) and what I was stuck in, I included these photos from The Chicago Tribune.

I wish we could do this for Ernie Banks

I'm watching the Black Hawks victory rally live on TV and, while no longer even remotely a hockey fan, I once was, so I choked up a bit when Bobby Hull was introduced and cheered by the crowd. The old boy looked sooooooo happy.

I'm not sure if I'm happy for Bobby Hull, or melancholy because this isn't the Cubs the city is celebrating. Ernie Banks is 80 years old now, and has a little trouble walking without a cane. Then there's Ron Santo, the all-time great third baseman and radio voice of the Cubs. He's had a staggering number of health problems and yet still is at most games, cheering his team on victory.

I wish Ronnie and Ernie could experience the kind of elder statesman love and reverence Bobby Hull is reveling in right now.

Clean Me

Every day I am going to do something -- no matter how small -- to improve my standard of living at home.

I realize this is going to sound really small, and literally it is, but it got me over a certain emotional hurdle about my stuff. I noticed that my current favorite pair of earrings -- teeny, tiny bird posts -- are tarnished. I made myself throw them out, along with about 8 other pair that are unwearable for one reason or another. The most expensive pair probably cost $15, their value was emotional. Hanging onto tarnished, broken or solo earrings just adds to clutter, though. So out they go.

Must have been feeling a little mushy

My best friend received his birthday presents today and he opened them while we were on the phone. I think I was hitsville with my choices, which were more sentimental than usual but he felt they captured him at this time in his life quite well.

The ornament is a quote from, of all the things, Winnie the Pooh. The passage actually reads, “If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together, there is something you must always remember: you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart, I'll always be with you.” My friend is so hard on himself, so insecure professionally. And it's so unnecessary. He needs to remember these words, even when I'm not around to reinforce them

The book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, is because he's a dedicated and sensitive father whose girls are growing up. His oldest turns 13 this month. With adolescence he knows their relationship, and his role, will change, and I wanted him to have a reminder as we approach Father's Day that both girls appreciate and need him.

I loved talking to him, loved celebrating with him. Even though we can't be together, my best friend's birthday* is one of my favorite days of the year.

*His actual birthday is Saturday, but the gift arrived today and why wait?

New template

I was feeling rather bookish. Hope you like it. Or if you don't, hope you'll get used to it. Templates are like hair -- you can change them with the wind

Break my heart

Thanks to Erika at Endomental

I don't think "lol" is quite the right term...

Clean Me

Every day I am going to do something -- no matter how small -- to improve my standard of living at home.

This may not sound like much, but I think it should count as a two-fer: I threw out the coupons/flyer from Carson's and the coupon from Kohl's ... unopened and therefore unviewed and unused. For, as I admitted earlier, I have too much of everything I shouldn't and I really don't need to even contemplate using more credit to buy more stuff.

I hung a bag on the linen closet doorknob. Inside it is a padded envelope and some drugstore sample sized packages of tampons and facial wipes (which had been taking up space on the kitchen counter). I'll add the little things I come across for our soldiers overseas and when it's full, I'll just slip everything into the padded envelope and send it off to Operation: Shoebox.

A great 2010 moment

Cagey old Lou issued a stern warning to the offense before the game, saying, in essence, "Hit or be benched."

Team Leader Derrick Lee reinforced Lou's message by showing the other boys how it's done -- joining Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Ron Santo in the Cubs' exclusive 300 Home Run Club.

This Tribune photo captures an important moment between the men who comprise the heart and soul of my team. Hopefully this big win in Milwaukee will be the beginning of a good, long streak.

And, since the Hawks have won the Cup, maybe now Lou will lose the old man beard.

Behold the Stanley Cup Champions

Cup de grace: Kane's OT goal beats Flyers 4-3, ends Blackhawks' championship drought

Congratulations, Blackhawk fans! Enjoy it.

THE QUEEN'S MEME

1. What is your typical weekend like? I don't have a "typical" weekend because I like to leave them as unstructured as possible. In the words of my idol, JBKO, "The only routine with me is no routine at all."

2. Are you a party animal or a couch potato on the weekends? Couch potato. I actually prefer going out on Wednesdays and Thursdays because I find that Fridays and Saturday are the province of desperate amateurs bent on getting wasted and behaving badly. I far prefer it if my excessive alcohol consumption and bad behavior evolves naturally as I socialize with friends on a weeknight.

3. It wasn’t until 1940 that the two-day weekend became nationwide. I say it’s time for three-day weekend across the whole world! Wouldn’t you love to work 4 days and off 3 all the time? Do you think this is a good idea? Yes. But only if everyone else had to work the 5 day week. I'd love to have the grocery store, veterinarian office and post office all to myself every Monday.

4. Do you consider Sunday as a traditional day of rest? No. I consider it my traditional day of watching the morning news shows and then praying for the future of my country and the world. (And that's really only the slightest exaggeration.)

5. What are your around-the-house weekend chores? Grocery shopping and laundry.

6. If you have a significant other in your life or are dating, what is your favorite indoor and outdoor activity? Since I don't have an SO, I guess it means I don't have to answer, right?

7. Where would go for a romantic weekend getaway? Chateau Elan, a spa and winery just outside of Atlanta. I have been there 3 times, and it's bliss.

8. Do you have any special weekend traditions, quirks or rituals? I try for as much alone time as possible. My coworkers think I'm quite blabby and social, which amuses me because I don't think they have any idea how much that sociability takes out of me. I also try to touch base with my mom, my niece and nephew, at least by phone.

9. What is your weekend blogging routine? Saturday 9 and Sunday Stealing

10. Tell us about your favorite weekend memories as a child? The swingset in the backyard. We briefly had a slide, but eh. I didn't care about it one way or the other. But the swings! Flying through the air inspired so many games and fantasies!

SAVE YOURSELF! Avoid Her Majesty's dungeon by playing the Queen's Meme yourself. Click here.

Brags, Gratitudes and Desires

Liberated from Snarkela.

1. How have you totally impressed yourself, turned yourself on, pleased yourself, or otherwise created magic lately? That’s a BRAG.

I have been parting with clutter as part of my Clean Me initiative. This morning I noticed that my bedroom carpet need vacuuming, which is noteworthy because it's been a while since I could see that bedroom carpet. I'm nowhere near caught up yet, but it's satisfying to see that these little things, like tossing out more than a dozen magazines, done regularly really do have an impact.

2. For what are you thankful? What blessings are right here? What blessings are on their way and you want to give thanks in advance? And what currently-challenging situations in your life are you going to affirm as blessings in shit-brown wrappers? Those are GRATITUDES, or “grats” for short.

The sky is blue, the sun is warm, the skyscrapers are awe-inspiring and Millennium Park is green and gorgeous. I love Chicago, and am fortunate to live here and grateful to be able to take it in. I see people every day who are so zoned out, so wrapped up in getting where they're going that they miss the scenery along the way.

3. And what are you craving? Yearning for? Realizing the world needs? What marching orders from the universe are written on your heart in the form of desires? From wanting “this headache to go away” to yearning “to know my divinity” to realizing “I want to be a mother”, no DESIRE is too big, too small, too “selfish” or too far-reaching.

My response here echoes SnarkyPants': I want to feel good. I am fat and I tire easy. I want to get well. I have had health problems this year and they are wearing me down. But I can see a light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm trying to race toward it.

If you want to play along, let me know in the comments so Snarky and I can compare our answers to yours.

A good lunch

It's a sunny 81º. I wandered out of the office, walked past Millennium Park, and just happened to land at Pizano's, an Italian restaurant I have never visited before. I had a big burger, fries and a beer for just under $20, including tip, which I could afford. I read a few pages of my book and happened to look up at the TV when one of the sports channels announced one of Joe Namath's passes as the second most important of all-time, and it's always good to see Joe Willie in all his green-eyed glory. En route to the ladies' room, I spotted a photo of my beloved future Hall of Famer, Greg Maddux, in his Cubs uniform.

On the way back, I wandered among all the tourists (including very exuberant members of the Class of 2014) and landed back here at my desk.

A beer, burger, the sun shining down on my favorite city, sports heroes ... it's helped my mood immeasurably.

Now what made me think of this?

For some reason, a very specific moment popped into my head this evening. I am a little girl -- this was pre-Beatle, so I must have been 5. I am sitting in an aisle seat in the dark. A very, very tall man appears at my side, so light on his feet I didn't hear or sense his arrival until he was there. I'm not frightened, I am entranced by his agility. He bounces in place beside me for a few moments -- I don't think I ever looked up at his face, I only remember his big hands and his very long legs. Then the music gets louder and he runs up the aisle and onto the stage and everyone cheers.

I feel so connected to him that I mime a trombone gesture along with him. This amuses the adults around me, so I become embarrassed and stop.

As an adult, I recognize the song as "76 Trombones." I looked it up, and Forrest Tucker (6'4) played Harold Hill for 56 weeks in the Chicago production of The Music Man at The Shubert Theater (now The Bank of America Theater and still my favorite venue in the city -- maybe this long-ago moment is why).

My dad hated going into the city, but he loved musical theater, and that must have won out. I must ask my mom about this. This suddenly remembered moment is so vivid.

Look what just happens to be on eBay now -- the Playbill from that very run at the Shubert. If I wasn't in "Clean Me" mode, I'd bid on it.

Clean Me for Tuesday

Every day I am going to do something -- no matter how small -- to improve my standard of living at home.

I moved 16 magazines, two catalogs and an expired bus schedule from my bedroom floor to the paper recycling bag in my kitchen. I also disposed of a green water bottle I bought when Reynaldo was still a kitten. If it did nothing to deter his bad behavior in 2004, I think I should give up the ghost and admit Rey is Rey and nothing I will have any impact on that. (Psst! Don't tell Rey this, but I'm not really sure I want to change him anymore, anyway. I have grown to find our battles of wits/will rather endearing.)

Perfect for what ails me

Tonight CBS gives me one of my favorite NCIS episodes -- there's a citywide blackout and the agents must go "old school" to solve the crime. I'm grateful, because I feel depression encroaching.

Kathleen forgot me.

Yesterday she called me, kinda out of the blue, and she seemed to have an agenda of some sort. Yet after we established her kids and husband are fine, she asked me how I was and I started to tell her. I mean, we haven't seen each other in a while and when we have, someone else (her son, her husband, a mutual acquaintance ...) was around so she really doesn't know what's been going on.

Anyway, she said she'd love to catch up but she had a meeting. She said she'd give me a ride home from work today (we live in the same neighborhood) and we could stop for drinks and catch up. All day went by and I hadn't heard from her. I called her at 5:30 and got no answer. I left a message saying I would wait around until 6:15 because, well, it's raining and I'd really like a ride. Come 6:15 I did just that, trying not to feel like dogshit.

I got home, mixed myself a screwdriver, and checked my home phone. No message. I decided to give Kathleen the benefit of the doubt and checked my office voicemail. She didn't pick up my call until 6:30 and she's very embarrassed and sorry. She's too busy to get together this week, but she thinks of me often.

She apologized and I know that should be the end of it. I mean, do I expect her to surrender an internal organ or something? Shit happens. People forget things every day.

I also know, though, that I would never have done this to her.

We have known each other for 15 years. I shouldn't be too hard on her, shouldn't forget all the good times we have shared. I also know I have friends I could call on if I really felt lonely, especially John, who I have been trading chatty emails with all day. But to be honest, I don't feel like real-live company just now.

Isn't my TV boyfriend, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, just too cute?

"She must be a Sox fan"

So said my 11-year-old nephew of his teacher. He believes that she is as bored with the school year as her students and is, in his words, sending kids directly to the principal's office for even minor infractions because "she's sick of them."

One of his classmates wore a brand-new Cubs' Kosuke Fukudome jersey to school and the teacher immediately pronounced it "inappropriate" and started to write him up and send him to the principal's office. It took "all the boys" to talk her out of it, reassuring her that "Fukudome" is indeed a real Cub player.

"Can you BELIEVE her?" my nephew huffed in disgust. "She thought it was a made up name! She must be a Sox fan."

I am amused that he's still innocent enough to think his teacher was upset by a "made up" name.

10 on Tuesday -- The "It's Pre-Dawn & I Can't Sleep" Edition

It's after 2:00 AM. As I sit here on the sofa, my big old tomcat Joey beside, here are 10 things on my mind.

1) Paparazzi. I watched Smash His Camera, a documentary on HBO about Ron Galella. I feel bad about how much I enjoyed his work. It's so voyeuristic of me to be as fascinated by his day in/day out shots of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as I was, but they were so revealing about the lady and her life! I even love that when he sued her -- basically a publicity stunt on his part -- she counter sued him, won and somehow managed to get the First Amendment overturned with a ruling that he could not come within 50 ft. of her. Anyone who picks up a copy of US probably feels the same twinge of delight mixed with guilt.

2) My best friend. His own birthday is coming up and yet it's his daughter's birthday, also in June, that is making him a little blue. She's turning 13 … she's away from home this week, vacationing with a friend's family … he seems to be missing the devoted Daddy's Girl she was. He has often told me about his transformative moment: when she born, and the doctor allowed him to be the first person ever to place hands on her. So I guess her turning 13 feels very Important-with-a-capital-I, too.

3) My niece. She's growing up, too, but we seem to coming back together again as she comes into her own as a young woman. I mentioned casually a few weeks ago that I missed the movie she claims as her favorite (Away We Go) when it was in theaters. I got a text from her today, letting me know one of her friends just returned her DVD and asking how she could get it to me. It's sweet that it means so much to her that I see this.

4) My oldest friend. She is focused on getting her house in order and is now my idol. I feel guilty that I haven't followed her lead today and earned a "Clean Me" dustbin and broom. I worked late and was soooo tired when I got home Monday evening. The important thing is that even though I didn't do anything yesterday or over the past weekend, that doesn't mean I should abandon my goal of improving my standard of living at home. To borrow from Katie Scarlett O'Hara, "Tomorrow is another day!"

5) Homeless people. Specifically, my homeless people. The homeless gentleman in front of McDonald's has reappeared, as suddenly, it seems, as he disappeared. He no longer seems to remember me, but that's OK. He probably sees literally hundreds of people every day from his perch on top of a box on Wabash. And he still asks God to bless me, and can't we all use a little more of that? On the other hand, Molly the Cat, and her people, have disappeared.

6) The Cubs. Why can't my heroes in pinstripes put a string of wins together this year? At home or on the road -- it doesn't seem to matter. Win one day, lose the next ... They just don't seem to be able to get momentum.

7) Commercials. Why are they so much louder than the shows I'm watching?

8) My friend, Barb. She is so organized at work, and such a complete ditz outside of it! We keep scheduling her birthday dinner, and then rescheduling it because of something that came up, or that she forgot about. She is always playing with her precious iPhone. Shouldn't it help her stay on top of things?

9) "Mr. Kerry." The suspect in this 2008 documentary about a murder in Richmond, VA, is "John Kerry." How unfortunate for the real John Kerry!

10) I'm tired! Yea! FINALLY! Off to bed for this ol' Gal.

Movie Monday

Stranded Top 5's...Choose the top 5 film you'd want to have with you if you were ever stranded on a desert island. Link back here at The Bumbles, and don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

A Hard Day's Night. Because it's very funny, and the concert segment at the end will remind me of the best of what I gave up when I left western civilization behind.

Gone with the Wind. Because it's got romance and struggle and war and reconciliation and just about every experience known to man.

The Godfather. So I won't get rusty on all the memorable quotes: "You have to answer for Santino." "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli." "Make him an offer he can't refuse." "Don't ever take sides with anyone against the family." "Today I settle all family business ..."

That's Entertainment. Because I can't pick just one MGM musical.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Because why not be stranded with the two coolest guys ever?

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: Another Question Meme

1. It's 2AM and you are not home. You are more than likely: walking up Michigan Avenue, looking for a cab

2. What's the last thing you spent more than $100 on? Saturday's vein treatment at the doctor's office

3. What do your bank checks look like? ASPCA cats. 6% of the fee for printing charged by Checks in the Mail goes to the ASPCA.

4. Where did the shirt you are currently wearing come from? Quincy Market in Boston

5. Name something that will be on your Christmas wish list: Shea Body Butter by The Body Shop

6. What color is your toothbrush? Green and white

7. Name something you collect and tell us about it. Quarters. I keep them in a beer stein in the kitchen and feed them to the washer and dryer in the frigging laundry room.

8. Last restaurant you ate at. Who were you with? How was it? Infield's, the sports-themed restaurant downstairs at Macy's. I was with my friend, John. The food was fine, but the people in a nearby booth were soooo noisy. Still, it's a sports bar, so we should have seen that coming.

9. Who was the last person you bought a birthday card for? An old boyfriend. I mailed it Thursday, and I hope he got it in time for his special day (Sunday, no mail delivery).

10. What is your worst bad habit? I'm a slob, 100% Oscar Madison.

11. Name a magazine you subscribe to? Newsweek. (For now at least ...)

12. Your favorite pizza toppings? Sausage or spinach.

13. Whose number were you looking up the last time you used a phone book? Comcast

14. Other than family, who is the person that you love most? My best friend

15. What is the last thing you cooked? Does tossing a salad count?

16. Name something you wouldn't want to buy used? Shoes.

17. Which shoe do you put on first? Left.

18. What is the last thing you remember losing? My favorite sunglasses. I found them inside a box of fabric softener sheets. I have no idea how that happened.

19. What is the ugliest piece of furniture in your house? I like all my furniture. So I'd like to bestow this award instead to the really hideous, really pink sink in the bathroom.

20. Last thing you bought and ended up returning? A pair of coaxial cable cutters from Radioshack

21. What perfume/cologne do you wear? If none, why? Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker. I love it. It's light but still distinctive.

22. Your favorite board game? Yahtzee. Though wait! There's no board. Does it still count?

23. What was the last board game you played? Monopoly

24. Where did your vehicle come from? No car.

25. If a movie was made about your life what would the theme song be? My Tears Dry On Their Own



26. You're sad, who can cheer you up easily? The Chicago Cubs. Win or lose, they're my guys

27. What was the color of the bridesmaid dresses of the last wedding you went to? There was only one bridesmaid, and I recall she wore a pale, pale grey dress. I think the shade is called "pewter."

28. What house cleaning chore do you hate to do the most? Laundry! Laundrylaundrylaundry. I hate it.

29. What is your favorite way to eat chicken? With my fingers.

30. It is your birthday. You hope the cake is? Made with fresh strawberries.

No Dustbin Award Today

I'm giving myself a break from any but mandatory chores today. For I had my third -- and perhaps last -- sclerotherapy treatment this morning. While it's not especially painful, it does tire me out. So I'm taking it easy ... I took a nap, yakked on the phone, watched the game, farted around on the Internet but still, am proud to report, did four loads of laundry. I think that's enough housework for this ol' Gal today.

Tomorrow, when the gauze and tape come off, I'll resume my new clean ways.