ABC Meme

Boosted from Kwizgiver --because she shares!

A – Age: 52 years

B – Bed size: Full

C – Chore you hate: All of them. I am staggeringly lazy.

D – Dog’s name: I never had a dog of my own, though the woman next door let me play with hers -- a little yellow ball of fluff named Sparky. He was very dear.

E – Essential start your day item: Coke

F – Favorite color: Cubby blue. ("Eamus catuli" is latin for "Let's Go, Cubs!")

G – Gold or Silver: Silver

H – Height: 5’2"

I – Instruments you play: None

J – Job title: Associate Creative Director

K – Kid(s): none of my own

L – Living arrangements: Two br condo

M – Mom’s name: Trina

N – Nicknames: My grandpa called me "Ish Kabibble Boo."

O – Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Uterine fibroid embolization

P – Pet Peeve(s): People who take up an extra seat on the train for their backpacks and briefcases. Unless your backpack or briefcase bought a fare, it shouldn't get it's own seat.

Q – Quote from a movie: "I'm talking Julie Andrews twirling around like a mental patient on a mountaintop kind of happy." The Sixth Sense

R – Right or Left handed: right

S – Siblings: one older sister, one younger

T – Time you wake up: well, my alarm goes off at 6:00, and I lay there and watch the local news for a half hour

U -Underwear: White cotton granny panties

V – Vegetable you dislike: Tomatoes

W – Ways you run late: I distract myself with things completely unrelated to getting ready for work

X – X-rays you’ve had: Shoulder and dental and mammograms

Y – Yummy food you make: I only have one recipe: apple banana cake

Z- Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius.

30 Days of Honesty

Day 8 :: Someone who made your life like hell, or treated you like shit When I was in high school, one of my relatives molested me. Since he was newly widowed and "depressed," my mother actually encouraged me to have dinner with him one Sunday. Soon he had his hand between my breasts and his tongue in my ear. I insisted he take me home, but I initially didn't tell anyone. My mother was so distraught over his wife's death that I was afraid she couldn't handle it. This emboldened him, and every time we were in the same room he spoke dirty to me. His perverse game continued for more than 2 decades, when I was 38. During a family gathering -- with my toddler niece, my mom and my grandmother right there -- he leaned in and asked me how I masturbated. He knew I wouldn't make a scene and he got off on it.

A switch inside me was flipped that night. I vowed he would never speak to me that way again, and I haven't allowed it to happen. My mom and my sisters now know what he did to me. It isn't so much that they don't believe me as that they wish I'd just get over it already. It was so much easier before, when I just went along and kept the peace.

He's very old now. I wish he'd just die and get it over with, because I often wonder how I'm going to handle his funeral. A pillar of the church, many of the out-of-town cousins think he's aces, a patriarch worthy of respect, and will undoubtedly wonder why I'm not at his wake/funeral. I have too much respect for death and God to pretend a grief I won't feel, I don't know that I feel like covering for him, and I don't have the stomach to dredge it all up and explain to the cousins.

And it pisses me off that I suffer all this agita over something that never was my fault.

Gee, this was cheery, wasn't it?

Movie Monday -- Hated It

Share on the worst movie you've ever seen, linking back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

There are some bad movies I luxuriate in, the way others slide into a warm bath. Have you ever seen Valley of the Dolls? Attack of the Puppet People? There's a genius to how awful-yet-watchable these films are.

Then there are the movies that just suck. They have no entertainment value whatsoever. Here are two. Never watch these movies. Save yourself.

Love Happens. Aren't love stories touching? Isn't Jennifer Aniston adorable? Isn't Aaron Eckhart handsome? Isn't Martin your favorite Sheen? How bad could a love story starring these three be? Oh. My. God. You have no idea how bad. 109 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

City Heat. It stars Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds, with Jane Alexander and Rip Torn in supporting roles. So you can expect it to be high quality and campy fun, right? WRONG. It's beyond bad, it's insultingly stupid. Too dull to watch, too many car crashes and shoot outs to sleep through. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

30 Days of Honesty

Day 7 :: Someone who has made your life worth living for. Jesus. This life is my gift and testament to Him. I am imperfect -- too often selfish and lazy -- but I really do try to be the woman He believes I can be.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The 14 Question Meme

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. What do you consider your hometown to be? Chicago

2. What’s the hardest part of your average day? Getting there, wherever "there" happens to be. I find it hard to leave for work at a reasonable time, or once I'm there it's hard to put my pencil down and come home, or haul my fat ass to the health club.

3. The easiest? Why? Feeding the felines. Tending to them always makes me happy. My cats were all shelter rescues, and I'm so pleased to know that they went from being stray or abandoned to enjoying mealtimes in my kitchen.

4. What beverage do you reach for to quench your thirst? Coke.

5. What is one not-so-secret goal you have for your life? I’ll let you keep your secret ones to yourself. Getting -- and staying! -- organized here at home.I made a serious attempt over the summer and made real headway, but now I'm overrun with paper again.

6. What physical pain do you fear most? For example, I’m trying to decide how bad my jaw pain needs to get before I risk a potential needle from my dentist. So, for me, throbbing is preferable to jabbing. Migraines! They are brutal, I literally cannot move without pain so excruciating that I'm nauseous. And have you ever tried to vomit without moving? If I don't take my football-shaped prescription Naproxen at the very first sign of pain, I'm resigned to first hours of misery and then the hours of sleep required for healing and then I've sacrificed a day to a freaking headache.

7. Where do you find solace? I find that little happens in life that can't be made better by listening to the Beatles or watching Cubs baseball.

8. What makes you the saddest when you read/see the news? Senseless violence. Some stories really get under my skin. One was Nailah Franklin, the young woman whose family and friends were mobilized and passionate, trying to enlist the entire city in the search to save her. It was too awful when, days later, her body was found. Another was Blair Holt, the honor student who lost his life on the way home from school when he pushed a classmate out of the line of gangbanger fire. When I develop my globes for Mimi's Blogblast for Peace, it's not Afghanistan or Iraq or Darfur that I'm thinking of. I dream of my hometown, the day when there will be no more victims like Nailah Franklin and Blair Holt.

9. What do you eat for a favorite snack? Apple slices. Plain, or with cinnamon, or caramel or cheese, if you don't mind.

10. What movie could you/would you watch more than two or three times and still enjoy just as much as the first time? The Way We Were. I love how at the beginning of the movie, Hubbell is the gorgeous golden boy "for whom everything comes too easily," and Katie is all unfashionably sharp elbows and passion. He allows himself to give up what was truly important to him in order to keep his life easy, comfortable and neutral. By the end of the movie, while Hubbell is subdued and just kinda pale, she is still vibrant, still enthusiastic, still fighting for what she believes in. To thine own self be true! Of course, some day I'd like to see a movie where the heroine manages to maintain her individuality and get the gorgeous guy.

11. What boy/girl first made you cry? I truly don't remember. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing.

12. What brand of coffee/tea do you drink most often? I hate, loathe, despise and abominate coffee. The brand of tea in my kitchen right now is Bigelow.

13. Dig in the dirt with or without garden gloves? I don't have a garden.

14. James Taylor or Carly Simon? Why must I choose?

30 Days of Honesty

Day 6 :: Something you hope you will never have to do When I was younger, the answer to this would have been "food service" because I don't have the temperament to be a waitress and I'm sure I'd be miserable. But now, my response is more serious. I hope I never have to take care of my mother. She values her independence, and I value mine. But as she gets older and has an increasingly difficult time remembering things and making decisions, this is where I fear we're headed. This is, of course, one of those times I'd love to be wrong.

Saturday 9

This is my favorite Lennon song.

Saturday 9: Watching the Wheels

1. What do you see when you are watching the wheels go round? The world moving on around me. For me, the key lyric is, "No longer riding on the merry go round, I just had to let it go." Meaning that when confronted with a situation where I can't control the outcome, I just have to let go. (OK, for you regular readers of this blog, let me rephrase: I have to TRY to just let go.)

2. Do you watch reality shows? Which ones? Lately I have been watching this little show on A&E -- Teach. Sitcom star Tony Danza goes back to school to teach 10th grade English. It's fascinating. Some of the kids (Monte, I love you!) are exceptional students, dying for a greater challenge and eager to learn more. Others are struggling with Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird -- really struggling. How does a teacher handle the challenge of engaging the entire class when it's made of individuals like this? I never thought about how hard teaching must be. (I wouldn't have known this show existed if not for Comcast On Demand; if you're interested, you can find it there.)

3. What's your favorite all time reality show? The Real World. Remember the San Francisco season with Pedro, Judd and Pam, Rachel, Cory, Mo and Puck? My favorite cast.

4. Do you feel "reality" shows are real or are they faked? Oh, I don't know. Certainly Jersey Shore looks about as real as a $3 bill. But I'd like to think the kids on Teach were being themselves. So I guess the answer is, "it depends."

5. What does your personal neon sign say to the world? Cub Fan

6. Ever seen a neon sign with certain letters burned out so that it said something unintended? Not that I can recall. Sorry.

7. What gives you a headache? Could be a scent, a sound, someone's actions - anything. Mike's Hard Lemonade can trigger an awful migraine. My doctor says it's the artificial lemon flavoring. Too bad. I miss it on hot summer days.

8. What song, artist or album in your music collection would you pull out and play if you wanted to give your roommate/neighbors a huge, head-splitting headache? Barry Manilow's Greatest Hits. Apparently it's been proven to clear out public parks in Sydney, Australia.

9. What do you do to relieve stress? Work out, play Pogo, or Xanax.

30 Days of Honesty -- Playing Catch Up Again

I didn't post this yesterday because I didn't want to take away from yesterday's peaceful Blogblast. But today I'm honestly trying to come up to date on this challenge:

Day 4 :: Something you have to forgive someone for. There are those who feel it's time for me to let Steve Bartman off the hook, but the furthest I'm willing to go is to stop calling him "Fucking Steve Bartman." Instead I think it would be better for me to forgive Crazy Old Neighbor once and for all. He continues to take up too much space in my head. This is going to be a long process, though, since neither prayer nor therapy seems to have brought me closer.

Day 5 :: Something you hope to do in your life. Remember how Wilbur eulogized Charlotte? "It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both." If someone can say that of me some day, I will have enjoyed a life well lived.

Dona Nobis Pacem

THIS JUST IN ...

"Some men see things as they are and say why -
I dream things that never were and say why not."

Help us make news.
Dream with us. Celebrate with us.
Join us.
Blogblast for Peace -- 11/4/2010

30 Days of Honesty -- Playing Catch Up

I was turned on to this meme by Snarkela. Since I began this blog as a snapshot, an honest chronicle of who I am at this moment, it seems like a good idea.

Since today is November 3, I'm going to answer 3 of the questions now so I can face tomorrow, all caught up.

30 Days of Honesty

Day 1 :: Something you hate about yourself. Laziness. Sloth. I think it's a manifestation of my immaturity, because if a task or topic truly interests me, I can hold it in my teeth like a terrier with a sock and shake it until it's exhausted. But if I'm not motivated, I can just sit on the sofa, doing nothing, filling myself with self loathing.

Day 2 :: Something you love about yourself. I am hopeful. Maybe not about the resolution of a given situation, I can be rather hopeless about some things. But about life itself. I know every day is full of little joys and miracles and I'm fortunate that, no matter how bad my day is, little things like the soft feel of a feline ear or a favorite Motown song on the Oldies Station always somehow find their way to my heart.

Day 3 :: Something you have to forgive yourself for. I stayed in a bad relationship with the wrong man for entirely too long. He did unspeakable things to me and I allowed him to. Because I had confused drama with love, I even baited him into our ugly battles at times. This relationship left me with both physical and emotional scars. I have own the fact that I allowed it -- that I valued myself so cheaply -- so that I never let it happen again. And then I have to forgive myself.

Trying to set the reset button

I took today off as a mental health day.

I slept in (past 8:00 AM!) and did two loads of laundry in my own laundry room (first time since September!). It was good to be able to bleach my undies again.

Took a nap and ordered myself barbecue ribs and followed Illinois' complicated gubernatorial election.

I feel better, but I still have this sense of dread -- mostly about my mother's mental acuity and my oldest friend's recent relocation to California. My mom is frighteningly, progressively more willful and forgetful these days and my friend's freshman-aged daughter is, I fear, on the verge of making some serious mistakes at her new high school. The girl is going from a conservative suburb in Illinois' DuPage Co. to Beverly Hills High. I'm not sure that posts that say, "Itz Halloween motherfuckers" and "u r a fag but my fag" and references to suicide are the way to represent her to her new classmates, or my friend to the mothers of her new classmates.

I worry. I worry. I worry. But I'm trying to let go what I can't change and just move on. And I do feel better today. Maybe blissful, uninterrupted sleep really is what I needed.

I Want Wednesday

I want to win my battle with worry.

In my way, I'll miss Christine O'Donnell

Self Portrait

Sometimes I feel like this is how the people in my life view me -- as hot and cold running Gal. Always there when you need me, but completely out of mind when you don't. In short, taken for granted.

If you believe in the power of words ...

Why not create your own post the BlogBlast for Peace (November 4)?

You can trust me, because I'm a BlogBlast for Peace Veteran. Imagining a more peaceful world is wonderful for your soul!

10 on Tuesday

I feel the blues encroaching but I'm not giving in without a fight. Here are 10 reliable things that can/will make me happy today.

1) Clear, blue skies above

2) Voting

3) Knowing that my niece was up early and at the polls before 7:00 this morning because she volunteered to work as a judge

4) Having a project on my plate that requires some creativity/flexibility

5) Nanowrimo gives me an opportunity for even more creativity/flexibilitiy

6) Watching my cat Joey power nap (he looks so damn sweet when he sleeps, which only stands to reason because he's such a dear, gentle soul)

7) Chiquita Apple Bites make it easy for even the laziest person (me) to snack healthy

8) My MLB Cubs checks, that make me smile a bit as I pay my bills

9) Knowing I can listen to the Beatles anytime I want to (and will!)

10) My TBR pile -- sometimes I find it daunting but right now I find a neverending supply of books comforting

Movie Monday -- Boozing

Share movies that feature characters that not only imbibe, but get wasted. Please link back here to The Bumbles.

Arthur. When this movie came out in 1981, I was completely charmed. Dudley Moore played the world's most adorable drunk, a millionaire who never had to deal with the downside to his behavior (except, as his loyal and riotously funny butler liked to point out, his breath). Watch it now and it's more than a little shocking. His alcoholism is nothing more than an endearing character flaw, and his drunk driving is played for laughs. Today it's still funny, but it's also a powerful reminder of how much our attitude toward drinking has changed since the 1980s.

The Verdict. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Paul Newman is the coolest guy ever. Hip, funny and filled with effortless charm. Which is why his performance in The Verdict is so jarring and effective. His Frank Galvin is washed up, having drunk his career away, reduced to perpetually sweaty palms and ambulance chasing. There's still a majesty and romance to him when he remembers why he became a lawyer, and when he stumbles upon a medical malpractice case that touches something deep in him, he sees the courtroom as his venue for redemption.

What a story!

Some movies are masterpieces of action and effects. Hereafter is not one of them. It's a quiet story about faith and science and luck and love and the afterlife. Matt Damon, the woman who plays Marie (Cecile de France, an actress I've never seen before) and the McLaren brothers who play twins are all terrific.

And I like Clint Eastwood so much more as a director than I ever did as an actor.

Trick or treaters were buzzing around here

By far the most popular costume in my neighborhood this year was the bumble bee. I also saw a good many black cats and devils.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Meme About Me, Myself and I

1. What inspires you to blog? I'm trying create an honest snapshot of who I am now. The anonymity helps me be more candid.

2. What’s the best thing about blogging, for you? More than once I have received sincere support I have received in times of sadness and stress from my regulars in the blogosphere. You know how you are, and I hope you realize how much your messages have meant to me. There's something so very touching about knowing that people who have seen my inner self -- good, bad and sometimes petulant and ugly -- still took the time to send prayers and positivity.

3. What is your favorite book of all time? JFK: Reckless Youth by Nigel Hamilton

4. It’s 9pm and for some reason you’ve been hungry all day, despite the three square meals. What do you rustle up? Either a sandwich or a bowl of cereal

5. Who are three of your style icons? Three? I don't have three. I still turn to Stacy and Clinton from What Not to Wear.

6. What’s your current favorite song/piece of music?



7. What is the last book you read? Fragile by Lisa Unger. It was very, very good -- a girl from a small town is missing, the clock is ticking, the authorities are trying to find her and the teens know stuff they're not telling. It's about more than this one case, though. It's about families and life in small towns and how history unfortunately keeps repeating itself.

8. What is your current favorite recipe? I open the bag of Dole Classic Iceberg Salad, put the greens in a bowl, throw in some slivered almonds, grated cheese and raisins, mix it all up and cover it with French dressing. (Hey! I never said I was a chef!)

9. Who or what first inspired you to set up your own blog? I had a lot in my head and heart and, since I'm a writer, writing is how I process stuff.

10. What object could you not live without? This here laptop.

11. Where do you see yourself in ten years? Hopefully still writing -- perhaps freelancing -- with this very roof over my head. By then I'd love to have this place paid off.

12. Who or what made you into the person you are today? Possibly a million cans of Coke.

13. What have your learned from blogging? See #2.

14. Knowing what you know now, what knowledge would you pass on to your past self? I wish I'd appreciated my size 6 self more. I only saw the flaws. In retrospect, I was gorgeous! And I didn't enjoy it.

15. Sunday roasts - lunchtime or evening meal? Whatever time the cook chooses to serve it to me. Since I'm not much on preparation, I don't feel I have any right to be picky.

16. What has been your best blogging-related experience so far? See #2.

And I love him

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Elected

1. Many of my friends have commented they cannot discuss politics with co-workers, family, friends and others without conflict rearing its ugly head. Do you feel you can talk with your family and friends about this particularly divisive election? Yes. We all endured the Blagojevich scandal, so by now I can pretty much predict where everyone stands on our Senate and gubernatorial campaigns. Which leads me to warn all you non-Illinoisans out there: don't believe the pundits who say this is a referendum on Barack Obama. This is about Chicago v downstate, the vacuum left by Mayor Daley's upcoming retirement and the lack of his political muscle, and most of all, Blago. The Prez is only a peripheral factor.

2. Do you know who you're voting for in next week's election? How did you decide? Governor is easy. Bill Brady, while an honest and wholly decent man, is entirely too socially conservative for my taste. Senator is more difficult in that I'm not sure either candidate is honest and wholly decent, and they aren't that far apart on the issues the matter most to me. I'll probably end up voting for Alexi because, well, I'm a Democrat. But if Kirk wins, my response will most likely be a shrug.

3. What do you think is the most important issue in next Tuesday's election? Here in Illinois, it's corruption. After all, our former governor (Blago) tried to sell the seat of our former senator (Obama). And because of Blago's interesting approach to governing, the state is broke. I am not proud of this, but I voted for Rod Blagojevich ... twice. Confessing this as the election approaches is cleansing.




4. Can you go a day without laughing? No. And I don't have to as long as I have the above clip to refer back to.

5. Do you think that you can chose who you want to love? No. You can choose where to stay and when to go, but not who to love.

6. Have you ever been on stage? For what? In New York, I took the tour of Radio City Music Hall. And even though we were asked not to, I snuck out onto the stage. I had to. It's hard to see the audience from the stage, but when I looked up, I saw all these neat stage decorations above my head. I distinctly remember a HUGE, way larger than life, bunch of bananas.

7. Would you ever live in a different country? If yes, where? I move to England to become Lady McCartney. I hear the job is open these days.

8. Any plans for Halloween? Not beyond the bag of Tootsie Roll Midgies I bought to distribute to the handful of kids who live in this condo building.

9. The last costume that you wore, what was it and why did you choose it? Don't recall the last one, but my most memorable one was Harpo Marx. At first my friends thought it was a riot that I had to be mute. But after hearing me express myself with the bicycle horn for a while, they began to beg me to start talking again.

Audible earwig

I listen to the oldies station every morning as I take my shower. Maybe that's when this hit from the late 1970s burrowed it's way into my skull. At any rate, I find myself singing (tunelessly, no doubt) "keep your heart open ..." as I do boring chores like scooping out the litter box or changing the sheets.


Lyrics | Pablo Cruise lyrics - Love Will Find A Way lyrics

And then I crashed

I thought I was fine, despite the fact that I only slept about 2 hours last night. I did a little work, went to the health club, ate an enormous slice of pizza, and then ... at about 3:00 ... CRASH! I've been fuzzy and exhausted ever since. Fortunately I have a rather dull weekend ahead of me. Just what the doctor ordered. For this old gal needs to unwind and get some sleep!

Now where did this come from?

I'm still blue about Crazy Old Neighbor. These are such complicated feelings -- being confronted with such genuine insanity is scary, and I'm angry because our laundry room is still messed up and much of his graffiti still remains, and I'm sad because it was such a waste of a life, and I feel guilty that I was an audience to his self-destruction instead of a help to his healing. It's been nearly two months and I'm having a hard time shaking it.

I've discussed it with both my shrink and my oldest friend. My shrink says that while just "letting it go" has always been very hard for me, it's something I have to do because holding on to this serves no purpose. My oldest friend says that, when she finds herself fixating on something upsetting, she conjures up some Barry Manilow tune.

At first I mocked her technique, but my distraction tactic is just as cheesey. As I pass Crazy Old Neighbor's scratches, gouges and paint splatters, I think of the theme from Who's the Boss? I have no idea why this is what popped into my mind, but it did and I'm sticking with it. It's lighthearted, if you don't dwell on the tragic irony of the lyrics.

"The choice is up to you, my friend." As I write this post, my cat Reynaldo is at my side for his evening snuggle. Old sitcoms, affectionate kitties, the new PEOPLE with William and Kate on the cover ... There are dozens of things every day that can make you happy if you let them. Every day gives us the opportunity for "a brand new life." Being unable to see that is what made Crazy Old Neighbor such a pathetic bastard.

He's happy

It's been nearly a month, but it's clear that my philodendron has taken to his new pot. Lots of new growth, many shiny new leaves. I'm so relieved, because if he's not happy, I'm not happy!

I Want Wednesday

I want to sit in some restaurant bar with my best friend, people watching and talking and talking and learning something new about him and having him make me laugh.

The thermometer or the calendar?

It was 50º+ this morning when I left for work, with the mercury predicted to pass 60º by noon. So I wore my denim jacket over my lightweight cardigan/t-shirt duo and was quite comfortable.

Yet on my way to the train, I saw people wearing heavy jackets and gloves. Gloves, for pity's sake!

Goodness knows it gets cold here in Chicagoland. And once the temperature drops, it tends to stay low for months. So why are people so eager to get into their winter gear? Are they dressing for the calendar rather than the temperature?

Or are they just happy to wear their fall/winter clothes again. I know that when we see the 40ºs later this week, I will enthusiastically pull l out one of my new cashmere sweaters.

Queen's Meme -- What's in a Name?

To play along yourself, click here.

1. Your Superhero Name (2nd fave color + fave drink): Yellow Coke

2. Your Peace Name (Zen + your last peace globe #) OH! Don't have one yet? Go here. Zen 57

3. Your American Idol Name (fav car and seafood) Mustang Crabcake

4. If you could pick another name for yourself, what would it be? Shannon or Shauna or Cheryl. Something "Sh" sounding.

5. Your Twitter Name (Chirpie + your favorite bird) Chirpie Wren

6. Name 1 thing you wish you'd said today that would have made your day go better? "I won't be coming into the office today."

7. Go HERE to find your Royal Name and reveal it to us. Queen Elizabeth the Astonishing

10 on Tuesday

All about my niece. I had dinner with her on Sunday to celebrate her upcoming 18th birthday. I had a great time and am taking this opportunity to reflect.

1) She has begun tweezing/shaping her eyebrows, which makes her feel very mature.

2) She has three colleges picked out. Her top two preferences are out of state.

3) She is very funny. She not only makes me laugh, she laughs easily herself.

4) She has a crush on John Krasinski of The Office. This embarrasses her. I mean, she actually blushes when it comes up. This confuses me, as I've always flown my "fan girl" banner high.

5) She is a movie buff. Her favorite film maker is Tim Burton.

6) She seems to have two speeds -- "insanely busy" and "slug."

7) She is very close to, and loving with, my mother.

8) She's loyal, having the same bestie, Alison, since second grade.

9) They could not be more different, as illustrated by an assignment they had in 8th grade. To enhance their public speaking skills, each student had to pick a news story and deliver a 5 minute talk, summarizing the story and explaining its impact. My niece chose Rolling Stone's allegations of massive voter fraud in Ohio during the 2004 Presidential election. Alison chose Britney Spears driving with her baby facing the wrong way in his car seat.

10) Her favorite Beatle is George -- because of, not in spite of, all that Indian music he did. Go figure.

Movie Monday -- The King of Horror

If the world was to be banned of all Stephen King productions but one, which would you save for posterity - to represent the only visual adaptation of his work for the future generations to see? Share your selection, linking back here at The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

Carrie. My first King, and still my favorite. How good is this movie? Sissy Spacek got her first Oscar nomination as best actress for it. The Academy doesn't often pay attention to horror, but this one is so good it couldn't be ignored. Not only is the lead performance terrific, the story is unbeatable. It depicts teenage angst at its most extreme and gives us a sympathetic serial killer we can root for!

Special note: Carrie is closest to my heart, but it never appears in my nightmares. That book IT has that honor. Unfortunately, it was a made-for-TV movie and not just of the quality of Carrie.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Presuppose You're Living in New England Meme

1. Have you turned the heat on in your house yet this fall? No.

2. Do you allow your pets on the furniture? Yes. Well, wait, on the other hand, no. I mean, one doesn't "allow" cats to do anything. My feline roommates do as they please, and afford me the same freedom.

3. What were your final words for September? "It's payday!" Those are my final words for every month.

4. What are your first words for October? "Birthday!" My young nephew's birthday is during the first week and celebrating requires preparation.

5. Do you think you’ve ever seen a ghost? Nope.

6. What is the one color that represents this time of year? Orange.

7. Which of your senses do you think is most sensitive this time of year? Smell. I love spicy/cinnamon scented things.

8. What is your favorite thing to do at the county fair? I've never been to a county fair.

9. What do you like when you have a cold? Solitude and orange juice

10. Are you willing to spend over $100 for a piece of winter clothing, like boots or a coat? Yes. Especially good, warm waterproof boots.

12. What do you have too much of in your kitchen? Cereal.

13. What gripes do you have about this time of year? Switching from sandals to real shoes. My painted piggies yearn to breathe free!

14. Other than yourself, are you responsible for getting anyone ready in the morning? No.

15. When was the last time you cleaned your gutters? Never.

16. So, it’s after Labor Day. Will you still be wearing white? If I so wish. Stacy and Clinton say I can.

17. What shows are you most looking forward to this Fall? New episodes of NCIS. Gibbs is my TV boyfriend.

18. What three things have you just not gotten around to from the summer, but probably should do before snow flies? Clean the carpet, empty out the den, get the sofa cushions cleaned.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: I'm So Proud

1. What are you proud of? I have a way with critters.

2. What is the best thing you’ve ever won as a prize? How did you win it? When I was in third grade, I won $10 from the local newspaper in the "My Favorite Teacher" essay contest.

3. Tell us about something you've done that in retrospect was a waste of time. Whenever I start looking at the Linked-In networking site, I find that someone I know is connected to this or that person I know and pretty soon, 45 minutes has passed.

4. How old were you when life changed the most for you? How did it change? 21. I began my career as an advertising writer and all my horizons (professional, personal, fiscal) were expanded.

5. Tell us about a place you that you've been that you considered to be very tranquil. Atop the Hot Springs Mountain Tower. Go up to the observation deck and you're more than 1000 feet above Hot Spring, AR, overlooking some very beautiful country. It's never very crowded up there, giving you the perfect opportunity to reflect.

6. Who is your favorite news anchor/reporter? Why? John Oliver of The Daily Show. Because just looking at him makes me laugh. Oh! You mean a real anchor? Mika Brzezinski from Morning Joe. MJ is my favorite news show because representatives from both sides of the political divide are given a chance to talk at length, not just in sound bites. And because it's funny.

7. If you were to have the opportunity to name a new town or city, what would you call it? Why? Galtopia.

8. What is something about which you've always wondered but have not yet found a good answer? Who believes Snuggies are a necessity?

9. When you can't go to sleep, what is your personal remedy to help yourself drift into Lullabyland? I don't have one. I'll check other answers and maybe adopt one.

Hello, I love you

Bacon-wrapped, pitted dates. Oh, yum! Devoured a pair of them while out with Kathleen and a friend of hers last night.

These darlings were served at a reception after a very current affairsy event during which everything was discussed from the Cubs' choice of a new manager to the negative tone of recent campaign commercials to whether women are the natural audience for Jackass 3. It made my geeky heart sing.

Got a little pissed at Kathleen, though. And I suppose, she at me. For as the three of us headed up the empty city street to her car, a rather aggressive panhandler approached us. He crossed the street and walked alongside us for more than a block. It was getting out of hand, even as Kathleen was rifling through her purse to give him change, and a pair of Chicago cops appeared on Segways (which are really very neat, by the way) and told us he was fine, and him to keep going.

This bothered me because I have seen police turn a benign blind eye to homeless on many occasions. I'm going to assume that this particular gentlemen was well known to the police for his stick-to-it-iveness.

I told Kathleen she shouldn't have responded to his conversation and certainly should never have opened her purse on a city street like that. She told me that he was a case of "there but for the grace of God" and that she certainly would speak to him and treat him like a human.

Fellow bloggers, you know I respect the humanity of the homeless. But I worry about my friend's open spirit. Especially after Kathleen came through her recent cancer scare with the best possible outcome! How awful if she survived that, only to get mugged! I told her that I wished that since she locked her car when she wasn't in it, she would give as much consideration to the safety of her physical self as she does her stuff.

I'm jealous

My oldest friend is moving to California. Right now, as we speak. And I'm jealous.

Not of her move to Beverly Hills. I'm happy for her because it's a wonderful opportun

ity, but I'm not interested in leaving the most livable city ever -- Chicago.

Instead I'm jealous of the move itself, and the road trip she's on. Last night she stayed at the Days Inn in Lincoln, NB. Tonight is a Holiday Inn in Henderson, CO. What an adventure she's having!

I've often thought it would be neat to just go to Union Station and get on the next train out, stopping in a place I've never been and spending a day or two there. Her trip reminds me that I still haven't done that.

Someday ...