Movie Monday

Depressing Movies...Share on your blog movies that make you go totally bummed out and link back here to the Bumbles.

At the top of my list is Inglorious Basterds. Yes, I laughed during certain parts. But I hated what I was laughing at, and the behavior I was cheering. Even more, I hated being surrounded by a theater full of movie goers who got off on the violence but I doubt gave a moment's thought to the relative morality Tarantino was shining a light on. So while I enjoyed it while it was going on, I never want to see it again.

And then there's Babel, another movie starring Brad Pitt. Now I'm not making this up: There's a character in that movie, a Chinese teenager, who is deaf… and mute …and depressed … over her mother's suicide …and plays on losing sports team … and she's convinced she's the last virgin on her losing sports team. SHE EVEN HAS CAVITIES! At least they didn't show her cat being run over by a car. Guess they're saving that for Babel 2.

And if I can go back our depressing Nazi friends for a moment (because who can give us pause and question or own humanity more than Nazis?) there are, of course, Schindler's List and Sophie's Choice -- two exceptional but incredibly wrenching movies. As they should be. But now that I've seen them once, I have no interest in seeing them again.

I've just gotten to the part about professions

Soy escritora. Mi mejor amigo es hombre de negocios. Monica es artista.

Spanish remains slow going for me, but I won't give up!

Rough time to be a Daddy's Girl

My friend Barb's dad died Friday night. It's easy for me to say that it was a blessing, as he was in great pain since his cancer metastasized, and since Barb had to shuttle between her high-stress job and hospice to spend her last moments with him and she simply couldn't go on this way much longer. But I'm not Barb, I'm merely her friend.

For Barb is a Daddy's Girl, so her sense of loss is incalculable, and I'm certain she'd rather have one more day with him. I could tell she wrote his obituary herself -- mentioning his dedication to family, his sense of humor and his sincerity.

What makes this worse is that he died Friday night, today (Sunday) is Father's Day and Tuesday is her 55th birthday. How does a Daddy's Girl get through her first Father's Day and birthday without her Daddy?

Oh, I've sent a dish garden to her house, a card to the funeral home and (as requested in the obit) a donation to the food pantry. And I know those things will remind her that she's in my thoughts. But they really won't help, will they? The only way to get through something like this is to simply ... get through it.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Seriously Random Question Meme, Part 2

Cheers to all of us thieves!

21. Have you ever had a garage sale? No. I don't have a garage.

22. What color is your cell phone? Black

23. What is the last alcoholic beverage you had? Beer

24. Are you happy right now? Yes

25. Who came over to your house last? My neighbor from across the hall

26. Do you drink beer? See #23

27. Have your brothers or sisters ever told you that you were adopted? No

28. What is your favorite key on your key chain? My mailbox key; I like its size and color

29. What was the last movie you watched at home? An Unfinished Life

30. What is in your pocket? Chapstick, tissue, and 40¢

31. Who introduced you to your bf/gf/husband/wife? I haven't met him yet

32. Where do you hurt? I don't

33. Has someone ever made you a build a bear? No

34. What’s something fun you did today? Watched the Cubs/Yankees and saw Bridesmaids

35. What is your favorite aisle at Target? Lotions and creams and moisturizers

36. When is your birthday? November 22

37. Is there anything hanging from your rear view mirror? I don't have a car

38. How many states in the US have you been to? 18

39. What kind of milk do you drink? Skim or 2%

40. What are you going to do after this? Adjust the AC; it's getting a little warm in here

It was fun

Bridesmaids is not high art. But it is very, very funny. More vulgar than your typical "chick flick," and yet still very good hearted.

I wasn't aware Jon Hamm has a small but important role. He plays a guy who is such a creep even Don Draper would be appalled, but even he's funny. And now I have this running through my head.

Hey, hey, holy mackerel, no doubt about it!

The Cubs are on their way!

The lowly Cubs welcome the high-and-mighty Yankees to the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field* and yesterday, kicked their butts. Today the teams are tied in the bottom of the 4th. Since Vince Vaughn is going to sing the stretch, I am confident he will bring the home team luck.

I've always liked former Cubs catcher/current Yankee manager Joe Girardi, and I'm really enjoying these games.

* To the ESPN writer who called Wrigley Field "a dump": Fuck you.

I WAS in a good mood

I'm watching an episode of Gidget from 1965. This show usually makes me happy because I enjoy Gidget's relationship with her warm and wise father. Sally Field played Gidget while Don Porter played her dad.

In 1965, this staid senior citizen was the same age I am today. Gulp.

They say it's your birthday ...

Your 69th birthday, as a matter of fact. Enjoy your day, my liege. And remember that, in little more than a month, we'll celebrate together (along with 40,000 other revelers) in my favorite place in the world.*



* To the ESPN writer who called Wrigley Field "a dump": Fuck you.

A presitigious award!

She over at a Kwee Life has deemed this humble blog Irresistibly Sweet. How cool is that! She tells us: "Now, as I understand it, for this award one is to list seven pieces of information not commonly known about themself, and fifteen recommendations."

Well, I'm going rogue here. I'm going to list 15 pieces of information and recommend seven. (Yes, call me "maverick.")

1) Whenever I hear Van Morrison sing, I wish I was in love.

2) I like the color yellow very much, but I can't wear it because it does hideous things to my complexion.

3) "Yellow" is "amarillo" in Spanish. I'm still working on learning Spanish, even though it's not really much fun. I like thinking that it's something I'll be glad I know, even if the learning part has been muy difícil.

4) On June 1, I celebrated my (gulp) 30th anniversary as a professional writer. I still enjoy crafting copy, so I consider myself very lucky.

5) My cat Joey, a shelter rescue, is approximately 13 years old. Perhaps older. I hate this fact. Every morning, shortly after I open my eyes, I call out to him because I'm afraid he's gotten sick overnight. You see, he's the kind of good, sweet boy who keeps his problems to himself. I worry that he won't let me know if he's not feeling well.

6) Sometimes I look at my mom and feel rather the same way. When I realize how frail she's become as she approaches 80, I get a little scared and even a little angry because I don't want her to get sick and die.

7) I don't remember my first kiss and I feel very bad about that.

8) I have been getting headaches more often in the evening as I wean myself off Lexapro. This is to be expected.

9) I just found out my FICO score is well over 700, so I guess I shouldn't worry as much about money as I do. But I feel like my new, commonsense approach to finances helped me avoid a fiscal disaster.

10) I believe in God and Heaven. It gives me so much comfort that I feel bad for people who don't have similar faith.

11) My shrink tells me that I get so frustrated with my oldest friend because she's not more like me. There's a lot to that. I see so much potential in my friend, and yet, at every turn, she makes the wrong choice. If she was more like me I'd understand her better, for sure, but she'd also be less troubled.

12) My cat Reynaldo really is a badly behaved beast. He's affectionate, sweet and gentle, but he is soooo destructive, and I have given up trying to stop him. We'll just be slobs together. But when I got home yesterday and found that he had torn down not only my drapes but the entire assembly, leaving three holes in the dry wall, I wondered what fate would have befallen him if he'd been adopted by someone else. I think that's why God put him in my life.

13) My rabid hatred of Kathie Lee Gifford has cooled to mere annoyance. Now I want to scream whenever I see Whoopi Goldberg. Madonna still makes my skin crawl. I have no real explanation for this.

14) It amazes me to recall that, when I first met my best friend I could not get his name right. In my head I referred to him as, "The Guy with Glasses."

15) This year, Father's Day will be a sad one for me, as it's the first one without my godfather, my uncle, who died last November.

NOW HERE ARE MY CHOSEN SEVEN.
These seven bloggers share there lives with us with generosity and grace.

Book Mama. She loves books, hubby Tim, and her three fabulous blond urchins. But since she's gone back to work she doesn't post enough! So here's a nudge.

Jenny McB. She's baaaack! After a vacation from blogging, she's got some new posts and I want to catch up on her life.

Kwizgiver. We share a love of books and pedicures, and she's about to start posting about her summer break.

Snarkypants. She's on the verge of some exciting changes in her life, and it's neat to follow her chronicles.

Silver Neurotic. She's getting married! C'mon now, who doesn't love a love story? Go over there and follow hers.

Mimi Writes. Oh, yes, she does. But she also takes great photos. Check her out.

Vivian. She has a ginormous heart, uncommon commonsense, and a great visual sense. If that's not reason enough to love her blog, she also has an imaginary cat.

Office observations on a quiet Friday

From now until Labor Day, our offices close at 1:00 on Friday. The atmosphere on these short days is very different from the rest of the week.

1) Everyone is more casual. For example, I'm wearing a Beatles t-shirt and my favorite AE is wearing a faux polo shirt emblazoned with a previous client's logo. I didn't realize how much sloppier we all are on Fridays until I caught sight of our intern ... in a beige business suit. They're so cute when they're young and ambitious, aren't they?

2) Short days go oh-so-slow! Why is that? I'm sooooo freaking bored.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

THURSDAY THIRTEEN #128

MACCA BY THE NUMBERS

June 18 is Paul McCartney's birthday, and I'm celebrating by devoting each of my June TT's to his life and his career.

Today, here are 13 numeric facts about Sir Paul

1) At age 11, he was one of just 4 boys in his class who advanced to the Liverpool Institute for Boys, where he studied English and Art.

2) In 1956, when he was 14, his mother, Mary, died of breast cancer. This left Paul traumatized, but it also inspired him to self expression. As he has said, "I lost a mother and picked up a guitar."

3) The following year, in summer 1957, at age 15 he met some kid named Lennon at a local church picnic and together they changed the world.

4) Almost 200 of the 240 songs recorded by the Beatles are credited to Lennon-McCartney.

5) With the Beatles, he won 12 Grammy awards.

6) At age 28, the Beatles disbanded and he considered himself unemployed.

7) During his post-Beatle career, he won 6 more Grammy awards.

8) More than 350,000 fans in Brazil paid to see him in concert in 1989. Currently this is the record for tickets sold to a single musical event.

9) He has been engaged four times: Jane Asher, Linda Eastman, Heather Mills and, currently, Nancy Shevell

10) He and first wife Linda were married for 29 years.

11) Together they raised four children -- Heather, Mary, Stella and James

12) He has one child, Beatrice, 7, with his second wife, Heather. (The less said about Heather Mills, the better.)

13) A savvy businessman, his personal worth is estimated to be $290,000,000. It looks like a lot, but before the Recession and his expensive divorce from Heather Mills, he was worth nearly a billion.

To find out more about Thursday Thirteen,
and maybe participate yourself, click here.

Shine on me, Sunshine. Walk with me, World. It's a zippety do dah day!

I'm the happiest girl in the whole U.S.A.

Me and Sir Paul. July 31. WRIGLEY FREAKING FIELD! Row 2, Section 33, right over the dugout.

My ticket cost more than I wanted but less than I feared.* Hopefully it won't be billed to my credit card until Friday. If not, well, I'll have to scramble a bit. But who needs to spend money on food when you have your very own most favorite Beatle right before your eyes within THE FRIENDLY CONFINES? I can live on enthusiasm.


*Tip: Reasonably priced scalper tickets are easier to get when you go as a single. Brokers have a harder time unloading them.

People as pups

This post was inspired by she over at a Kwee Life, who left a thoughtful comment about thinking of my friend's son the way I would a dog. This is far more compassionate that it may sound to the un-Gal-initiated, because I have infinitely more patience with pets than with people.

Yesterday I had a particularly tiring clash with a coworker that I tangle with regularly. Once again, she thinks I'm simply being difficult. Once again, I think she's being short-sighted. We talked, and talked and talked! My boss was in the meeting and could have ended the conversation immediately by taking a side (Any side! Please, just stop the madness!) but once again he was reluctant to make a decision. So we finally agreed on a compromise, but it was a lot more difficult than it needed to be, and it left me feeling bruised. I just want to do a good job for my client. If my boss had mediated, I would have gone along with whatever he said. But he wants everyone to love him, and one of us most definitely wouldn't have, so he sat back.

Anyway, after the meeting, I realized what was going on. My "adversary" has a huuuuge, high-profile presentation on Monday ... and she's scared. She knows she's in over her head, she knows she has to not only make a good impression on our client but on her boss, as well, and she completely lacks confidence. So what does she do? She returns to the familiar -- our not-so-huge, we-do-this-every-quarter project. And she over managed it ... and me. Because this is where she feels confident.

What does a dog do when frightened? She growls a bit as she scurries back to her favorite, familiar spot. On the bed. It always feels just right under her paws and always smells just as it should. Comforting.

So now, when I look at my coworker, I imagine that she has silky ears and doggy breath and I smile. I suppose that could be considered condescending, but it's better than strangling her.

Image: federico stevanin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Guess what! Go ahead, guess!

I got on the scale and have discovered that I have NOT GAINED A POUND in the last month! Now I know that doesn't sound like much -- and believe me, I wish I could tell you that I have lost at least one pound -- but I was gaining a lb./month when I was on taking my full dose of Lexapro! I'm just weaning myself off, because cold turkey is dangerous and stupid, but I am hopeful that when I am done with the medication, I will see real weight loss, as well.

I'm warming to Mitt Romney

Watching the GOP debate in NH, I find him more respectful and statesmanlike and less divisive than many on the stage -- including Gingrich, Bachman, and Santorum. Even Pawlenty. I would enjoy hearing Romney debate the President, because I think the distinction would be clear and impersonal, and I might learn something.

Which is not to say I'd ever vote for Mitt Romney. I'm pro-choice and not displeased with Illinois' favorite son, Barack Obama.

And then there's Seamus (shown). Doesn't he look like a grand boy? To be fair, Mitt's wife, Ann, maintains Seamus loved his travel kennel and lived to a ripe old age. But I still can't seem get around tying a kennel to the roof of a car.

It must be said I'm not objective -- I've always liked dogs better than Republicans.

He's coming around again

My friend from Key West is getting chattier by the week, and I'm so glad.

He lost his job last month. It hit him like a sucker punch, especially because for more than a decade (he had tenure!) he worked hard at being a good teacher and really cared about his students. During the first few weeks he was barely functioning, unable to concentrate, and sleeping and drinking a lot.

He began to snap out of it about 10 days ago. Now every time I hear from him, he sounds more upbeat and forward-focused: looking for jobs, lunching with friends, surfing the net and sharing happy little bits with me. (In fact, he's the one who broke the Sir Paul news -- see below).

He has a heart as big as all outdoors and has never, ever shrunk from helping a friend. While I don't know the details, I suspect that some of those he's been there for in the past are rallying around him now. I also know his longtime lover has been there for him, too.

My favorite guy ever at my favorite place on earth!

Paul McCartney to headline Wrigley Field July 31

From the Chicago Tribune

Paul McCartney announced Monday that he will play his first Chicago concert since 2005 when he headlines July 31 at Wrigley Field.

Tickets will go on sale June 20 at tickets.com (prices were not yet available) for the rare date at the Cubs ballpark, which has seen only a handful of concerts in past summers by the Dave Matthews Band, Jimmy Buffett, the Police, Rascal Flatts, and Billy Joel and Elton John.

McCartney’s band will remain the same as it has for recent tours: keyboardist Paul "Wix" Wickens, guitarist Rusty Anderson, drummer Abe Laboriel Jr., and guitarist Brian Ray.

Also announced were McCartney shows July 24 at Comerica Park in Detroit and Aug. 4 at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

greg@gregkot.com

I'm Disturbed

Yes, I know this post title is a great straight line. It's inspired by I Love Lucy -- the episode where Lucy & Ethel feel they work way too hard as housewives and prepare to go on strike until Ricky and Fred buy them the cool new household appliances of the day. They storm out of the Riccardo kitchen to the living room, where the boys are relaxing. Lucy: We're revolting! Ricky: No more than usual.

Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled blog post. What's weighing heavily on this Gal's mind this morning?

1) My best friend is incommunicado. He's already been on vacation with his family for a week now, and won't be back for another two days. He's even been gone for his 45th birthday (yesterday). I hope he's having fun, but I miss him. I really miss him. Little problems can grow up to be big problems if he's not available to keep me grounded.

2) It's not me, it's him. The guy who does my hair, that is. I have known him since we were in high school. About a year ago, he told me about a very scary incident with his daughter -- then a college freshman -- and a guy who attempted to drug her drink. I understood completely his terror about this horrible, horrible event, but when he used the "n" word to describe the young man in question, I stopped him. "He didn't try to do your daughter because he's black. You know that, right?" Yeah, yeah. I reiterated, "I don't accept that language in my presence, you know." Shrug. Over the past year, he has kept me waiting for my appointments. He simply overbooks his Saturdays. I don't like it, but when he apologizes I say, "You were closer to losing me with the n-word than with this." Saturday, when I was getting my haircut, he was going on and on about the landlord who will be renting a campus apartment to his daughter and three friends this fall. In the story, he mentioned the landlord's name was "Rosen." I tried to believe he wasn't going there. But then, just to make sure I understood, he said he was having his lawyer review the lease since "the landlord's a Jew and all." I literally hit him with the Newsweek in my lap. (Lucky for him I wasn't reading the latest edition of the Oprah magazine or he'd need a sling.) I told him again that I don't accept that kind of talk in my presence. Actually, what I said was, "I don't come here to listen to anti-Semitic shit." Instead of apologizing, he said, annoyed, "Will you let it go?" Then he kept trying to change the subject. He seems to think this "banter" between us is "fun." On the way out he kissed my cheek and said he'd see me next month.

Yes, he will. But should he? He does a good job on my hair and he's very affordable. I have known him for 35 years. My parents know his parents. He's the only one my nephew will allow to do his hair. He even made a point of watching my niece's graduation on the local cable access channel.

And he's a bigot. An unapologetic bigot. If a service provider like my dry cleaner spoke that way, I'd take my business elsewhere. This situation bothers me a great deal. I want to do the right thing, but I don't know what the right thing is.

3) But this doesn't bother me much at all. My oldest friend's oldest boy is scheduled to be released from a mental hospital tomorrow. The doctors have changed his meds and, after almost a week of surveillance, seem to feel he will no longer be a danger to himself or others.

I know very little about the specific incident that triggered this hospitalization, but I do know he's been admitted twice before and, once released, refuses ongoing outpatient treatment. My friend won't insist on it because, well, he's her son and she can't just throw him out in the street.

We have been through this when he insisted on dropping out of school, and then, left without the structure of classes, fell into a haze of cigarette and pot smoke, only emerging from his bedroom to punch holes in the doors and walls. Then, when he got down to less than 100 lbs. (he's nearly 6' tall), he was hospitalized for depression and anorexia, but upon his release decreed the outpatient therapies "stupid" and refused to go. Most recently, when he hit his sister and beat up his car, he admitted himself but didn't like being around really crazy people and left the moment he was legally able. Now that he's 21, he can pretty much do what he wants to. And all he wants to do is sit in his room, strum is guitar, chainsmoke cigarettes (dangerous with his chronic asthma), smoke pot, and refuse food. (I thought pot made you hungry. Oh, well ...)

I have known this boy his entire life and yet when it comes to this news I feel ... nothing. I appreciate how an ugly divorce and bad parenting shaped him and I am sorry about that. I realize the turmoil he is causing for his mother (my friend) and his kid sister (a troubled girl unduly influenced by his bad behavior). But I feel bad for my friend and her daughter, not for him.

And I feel bad about feeling nothing for him.

Is it any wonder I want to retreat into the sitcom world?

Monday Movie Meme

Share movies that make you go hmmmmmmm, and link back here so that others can find you. Batman Forever is a Val Kilmer Batman movie with a pair of above-the-title villains -- Tommy Lee Jones as Two Face and Jim Carrey as The Riddler. Nicole Kidman played a shrink who was studying bad guys and "Bat guys" and Dick Grayson's parents die and he becomes Robin. I had absolutely no idea what any of these plots had to do with one another, making this that most heinous of bad movies: Too convoluted to follow, too noisy to sleep through.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Seriously Random Question Meme, Part 1

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. Your ex's car is on the side of the road, on fire. What do you do? Depends on which ex. :) I have great fondness for three former boyfriends and would make sure that the proper authorities were looking out for their safety. There's one dude, though ... well ....

2. Your best friend tells you she is pregnant. What is your reaction? Shock and terror. For my best friend is male, and my closest female friend is under the impression that she had a hysterectomy.

3. When is the last time you wanted to punch someone in the face? Punch? I can't recall. But last Tuesday I wanted to slap my boss and shout, a la Cher, "SNAP OUT OF IT!"

4. What is the last thing you spent money on? Chinese food, specifically crab rangoon and shrimp fried rice.

5. Do you think you gained or lost weight this past month? I suspect I may have lost a little because of how my belt fits. But I'm scared to get on a scale for fear of disappointment.

6. Crunchy or Puffy Cheetos? Puffy. Definitely puffy.

7. The first person on your friends list just called you a bitch. What do you do? Laugh and agree.

8. Congratulations! You just had a son. What’s his name? Michael

9. Congratulations! You just had a daughter. What’s her name? Emma

10. What are you craving right now? A roll in the hay

11. What was the last thing you cried about? I don't recall

12. When you buy something and your change is 2 cents, do you keep it or tell the cashier to keep it? I keep it and put it in a red penny piggy bank on my kitchen counter

13. What color is your tissue box? Blue

14. Do you have a ceiling fan in your bedroom, and if so, is there dust on that fan? Yes, and yes

15. What was the last voicemail you received about? My prescription is ready for pickup.

16. Have you ever blocked someone on Facebook? No.

17. Scariest thing you’ve experienced in the last year? My uncle's rapid mental deterioration. In retrospect, I see that it made his death a blessing, and it was selfish of me to want him to live on and continue suffering.

18. Do you wear a name tag at work? No. Because I don't like the photo. I keep mine stuffed in a pocket.

19. What kind of car do you want? One that comes with a driver.

20. What do you order when you go to Burger King? Whopper Jr., no tomato, extra catsup, small Coke.

Shocked woman/Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Haven't posted much about this because I don't know much about this

My oldest friend's very troubled 21-year-old son has been admitted into a mental health facility outside Los Angeles. I don't have the details of this specific incident, but I do know that he is a depressed, chain-smoking, pot-smoking asthmatic who has given up eating to such an extent that he has done damage to his heart muscle. He can literally sleep for days at a time and is given to rages that leave tables as kindling and put holes in walls and doors. I just hope that this time he didn't use his fists on his mother or sister.

He was in and out of two hospitals in 2008, but he managed to convince his mother that somehow everything would be all right. I hope this time she can be convinced to leave him in the hospital where he is. If he had cancer, she wouldn't believe him if he told her he could treat himself. Mental illness is just that -- an illness.

She likes it! She REALLY LIKES IT!

For her graduation, I gave my niece a Beatles* wallet filled with cash to use now and giftcards to Bed, Bath & Beyond to help her decorate her first dorm room this fall. At the last moment, I decided to add a little something: a 2011 charm on a simple silver chain.

She thanked me warmly, for that is what she does. But since she is always so polite and grateful for the gesture, I wasn't sure if she liked the gift. That's why I'm happy to see her wearing it in all the Facebook photos of her with her friends, post-graduation.



* She's a huge fan, as all the best people are

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: The Remedy (I Won't Worry)

1. What's the remedy for you to stop worrying? According to my best friend, I "awfulize." Meaning I imagine a situation as bad, and then worse, and then as horrible as it can possibly be. Then I realize, "I can handle it," and it gives me the confidence to go on.

2. What is your favorite summertime beverage? Coke. It's also my favorite wintertime beverage.

3. Do you use any freeware on your computer? If yes, do tell. Nope. At least I don't think so.

4. What is one thing about your home that has to be just so or it drives you crazy when it comes to organization? My bath linens have to match, or Christmas will be cancelled.

5. Is there a specific subject you're especially curious about? A person? A region of the world? An animal? A field of study? The 1960s. Especially the Kennedy Administration, The Beatles and the British Invasion.

6. What do you consider your most interesting trait? I think very quickly.

7. What is something that really frightens you, and can you trace it back to an event in your life? I don't fly well. The impetus is when I was in a long distance relationship, flying between Chicago and Philly. The more I saw of airports and airlines, the less confidence I had in their attention to detail. Then 9/11 happened. Those visuals are something I can't awfulize my way through. My ultimate terror.

8. Who do you want to yell at to “get a grip!”? Most of the counter workers I have encountered at the US post office.

9. What do you wear to particularly look great for a party or event? I have a coral cashmere sweater I like myself in.

And I missed it!

I knew my neighbors -- a children's home -- were having their annual rodeo today. In the past that has meant a picnic in the street with hot dogs and popcorn,* country music and cowboy hats and a bouncy house. I got off work early this afternoon(1/2 days on Friday) just as they were packing up. I saw a small truck with a gate on the back, so I knew it was designed for transporting live animals. There was a distinctive odor in the air, and a chalk mark on the sidewalk was labeled: Pony Line.

There was a pony here today and I missed it!


* Forever courtesy of Newman's Own. God bless in perpetuity, Paul Newman.

Words to live by ... in any language

Two new phrases I will teach myself this weekend:

Libros y gatos. Vida es buena.
Mientras haya vida, hay esperanza.

OR
Books and cats. Life is good. and Where there is life, there is hope.

THURSDAY THIRTEEN #127

THIRTEEN SOUNDTRACKS
PAUL MCCARTNEY
APPEARS ON

This is Paul McCartney's birthday month, and I'm celebrating by devoting each of my June TT's to his life and his career.

Today, here are 13 recent movies that wisely included his tunes.

1) The Social Network. "Baby, You're a Rich Man."

2) Dinner for Schmucks. "The Fool on the Hill."

3) Grown Ups. "Goodnight Tonight."

4) Did You Hear About the Morgans? "Dance Tonight" and "We Can Work It Out."

5) Evan Almighty. "Revolution."

6) Shrek the Third. "Live and Let Die."

7) Happy Feet. "Golden Slumbers"

8) The Lake House. "This Never Happened Before."

9) Cheaper by the Dozen. "Help!"

10) The Cat in the Hat. "Getting Better."

11) Love, Actually. "All You Need Is Love."

12) Bowling for Columbine. "Happiness Is a Warm Gun."

13) Vanilla Sky. "Vanilla Sky" (Oscar nominated for Best Original Song)


To find out more about Thursday Thirteen,
and maybe participate yourself, click here.

I Want Wednesday

I want less tension. We have a lot of work to do today in preparation for tomorrow's presentation. Some of it should be fun. Let's hope that as a team we can remember that.

Exchange of ideas

Had a pair of rather tiring meetings today. Both involved my boss.

The first had to do with a concept we're presenting to the client on Thursday. One of our account executives -- out today, celebrating her daughter's birthday -- left word that she wanted a revision she obviously thought was "no big deal" but I felt was a big mistake. I told my boss I was willing to do it, even though I was sure it was the wrong thing to do, but he had to tell me to. He had to make the decision.

We discussed why the absent account exec wanted to do it, why I thought it was a bad idea, and how I would implement it if he insisted. But he had to insist. I wasn't trying to be a diva, I wasn't being willful. I acknowledged her point of view but stated -- over and over and over -- that I thought she was moving us in the wrong direction and he'd have to be a boss and tell me to make the changes. At one point I got so desperately frustrated (remember, I was ready to make the change, all he had to do was pull the trigger) that I actually stomped my foot. Thank God for the conference room table.

Finally my boss decided on a resolution: To leave the project as he had approved it before the account executive reviewed it. Even though I had, technically speaking, won, the conversation was so animated and so lengthy that I needed a nap.

But I didn't get one. My boss then turned up in my office, asking for help with the performance assessments for the team (OOPS! I haven't done my self-assessment yet). I used to be a boss myself back in the day, so they come rather easily to me. But still, it took some time.

We got quite a bit accomplished. But it wasn't easy.

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Feeling virtuous

We're busy at work. It's a good thing, I know. But it's made getting to health club at lunch time difficult. That's why I'm enormously proud of myself that I not only spent 20 minutes on the treadmill on the 40th floor, I listened to the Spanish alphabet over and over through my headphones as I paced. AND I had baby carrots with dinner!

Are you impressed? I am!

Movie Monday

This week's movie topic is all about Gifts...

Share on your blog movies that feature presents, gifts or other tokens being presented, linking back here at the Bumbles

The Wizard of Oz. Possibly the most famous gift in all of cinema. Glinda the Good Witch places the Wicked Witch of the East's ruby slippers onto Dorothy's feet and all manner of hijinks ensue.

Unfaithful. Diane Lane is a suburban housewife, having a hot'n'heavy extramarital affair with a sizzling uptown artist. Since they met on an insanely windy day, she thought it would make complete sense to give him a snow globe depicting the Windy City. Her living room was filled with her snow globe collection, so no one would notice that one isn't there anymore, right?

Funny Girl. Early in their relationship, Nick impresses Fanny with an exotic blue marble egg acquired during his travels around the world. At the end of the movie, as Nick walks out on her, the egg is still sitting on her dressing room table.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Team Jeffie Meme

Cheers to all of us thieves!

TRUE OR FALSE

Q: Kissed someone on your friends list? False

Q: Been arrested? False

Q: Held a snake? False

Q: Been suspended from school? True

Q: Sang karaoke? True (badly)

Q: Done something you told yourself you wouldn't do? True

Q: Laughed until you started crying? True

Q: Caught a snowflake on your tongue? False (though I have tried)

Q: Kissed in the rain? False

Q: Sang in the shower? True

Q: Sat on a roof top? True

Q: Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? True

Q: Broken a bone? True

Q: Shaved your head? False

Q: Played a prank on someone? True

Q: Shot a gun? True

Q: Donated Blood? True

LAST PERSON...

1. You hung out with? My niece

2. You texted? My niece

3. You were in a car with? My niece

4. Went to the movies with? Hmmm ... I don't recall

5. Person you went to shop with? A coworker

6. You talked on the phone? My mom

7. Made you laugh? My mom

8. You hugged? My niece

IN THE LAST 48 HOURS HAVE YOU...

1. Sang? Yes

2. Listened to music? Yes

3. Danced Crazy? No

4. Cried? No

FIRSTS .....

1.Who was your first prom (or homecoming) date? Didn't go

2. Who was your first roommate? Never had one

3. What alcoholic beverage did you drink when you got drunk the first time? Boone's Farm

4. What was your first job? Administrative Assistant

5. What was your first car? Ford Impala

6. When did you go to your first funeral and viewing? When I was in grade school. Our neighbor, Bill, died

7. Who was your first grade teacher? Mrs. Kroch

8. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane? Fort Lauderdale, FL

9. When you snuck out of your house for the first time? I ran away from home when I was in first grade. I got to the corner and came back.

10. Who was your first best friend? My oldest friend

11. Who was your first Best Friend in high school? Judy

12. Where was your first sleepover? I don't recall

13. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day? My best friend or my my oldest friend

14. Who's wedding were you in the first time you were a Bridesmaid or groomsman? Mindy's

15. What is the first thing you did when you got up this morning? Peed

16. First time you tied your shoe laces? First grade

17. Are you Facebook friends with your first crush? No. Michael Landon is dead

18. Who was the first person you met from the blogosphere? I haven't met anyone from the blogosphere yet

19. What was the first music album that you bought? The Lads from Liverpool, of course!

20. Who was your first celebrity crush? Michael "Little Joe" Landon


Special Note from Sunday Stealing Meme-master Bud: Today, please click on the Team Jeffie website. Just say “hi” and wish him well. We're hoping that those of you with the time could also help our new friends Amy and Jeffie. Let them know they've got new friends that care. We hope we've been kind. God bless them. God bless you, our friends! Bud Weiser

Mi Día

The day started with me in Spanish class. Honest. I'm taking a two-day crash course in Spanish this weekend, three hours a day both today and tomorrow. My head is spinning! It's harder than I thought it would be and I'm not sure I recall a thing I learned this morning. Oh, well. There's still tomorrow's class and I have foreign language CDs, as well as friends who can help keep me sharp.

And then there was the repeat of last night's graduation. After the ceremony, my brother-in-law, nephew and I spontaneously ran out onto the field looking for The Graduate, my niece. My older sister took it upon herself to take my mother (who has difficulty walking) out to the parking lot and their car.

Now she's mad that she doesn't have any pictures of her daughter with her classmates. That's not my fault. It would have made more sense for my mother to stay on the bleachers when the rest of us circulated and snapped photos. Instead, she and my mom left the stadium and there was no re-admittance. We didn't compare notes beforehand, I wasn't purposely seeing that my sister was excluded from her daughter's graduation.

Afterward, my brother-in-law kept trying to get me to take the SIM card out of my camera so my sister could download my pix. Um ... no. It was 1:00 AM! My sister didn't need the photos right then and there. I said I'd download the shots and send them to my niece -- who gets photo approval. Apparently that's not convenient for my sister, who was being all pouty and passive-aggressive. Um ... I don't care.

This evening, when we were chatting, my mother told me how hard it was for my sister to print photos from the internet and would I please, please send my kid sister a CD with the pictures.

Je-sus! She can look at them all right now (my niece has downloaded them all to Facebook already). Take a chill pill. Or figure out how to print from internet. Or wait for the disc sometime this coming week.

It's not like my sister is thoughtful of my time. Ever. Nor have I ever promised to do anything like sending along a CD and not done it. And it's not like I did anything to keep my sister from photographing her daughter's graduation. I didn't even think about my sister when I was taking photos of my beloved niece on this special night with her friends. Nor, to be honest, did my niece ever say, "Have you seen my mom?"

Tengo pregunta: Por qué es mi hermana loca

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: The Best & the Worst

1. What was the best thing that happened to you this week? A very sweet and mutually supportive exchange with my best friend.

The worst? The ongoing project at work that I just can't seem to get right. I keep tripping up on the ®'s and ™'s. It's maddening.

2. What's the best thing someone's done for you (recently or not so recently)? Thinking about my niece's high school graduation reminds me of my own, when Cousin Rose took off work and drove down to support me.

What's the worst thing someone's done to you (again, recently or not so recently)? Stephen Doe, what he initially did to me and refusing to let it recede into the past.

3. What's the best thing about your job? The writing. I'm an advertising copywriter, and I enjoy coming up with ideas and crafting copy.

Worst? The nits and details and ®'s and ™'s!

4. What's the best new website you've found? The Shibu Inu Puppy Cam. Seriously adorable. My favorite is Charlotte (red collar).

Worst? Nothing comes to mind.

5. What's the best book you've read? Right now, because of John Edwards' current legal problems, Elizabeth's moving Resilience is top of mind.

Worst? Stranger in Paradise, a supremely disappointing Jesse Stone book by the usually great Robert Parker. No link provided because you don't want to read this ickfest.

6. What's the best movie you've seen? Bonnie & Clyde.

Worst? Love Happens.

7. What's the best meal you've had? I had heavenly lobster ravioli once. Sigh.
Worst? A trip to Boston Market that resulted in food poisoning.

8. What's the best holiday? Christmas.

Worst? Christmas, because I expect so much from it.

9. What's the best thing in your future? My best friend's birthday is coming up!
Worst? I'm very worried about my oldest friend. I don't believe she'll turn her personal ship of life around until she completely rams into the ice berg, and I just hate sitting around waiting for it to happen.

Thank you, Rep. Anthony Weiner

I got a chatty email from my friend in the Keys ... about Weiner Gate! I loved it! For my friend has been deeply depressed about losing his job, and this is the first indication I've seen of him "snapping out of it" and getting on with his life. He's even interviewing outside of the teaching profession, investigating how to begin his next chapter! This is all such good news.

I'm also embarrassed to report that my friend -- a man -- was more worried about the emotional welfare of the woman who received the text than I was. I was too busy snickering about "Weiner's weiner." Shame on me.

It's Graduation Day

It's hard to believe that the pre-schooler who used to insist we play act The Lion King by announcing, "You be Simba and I'll be Nala" is graduating from high school at 7:00 on Friday.

In fact, I'm not sure I do believe it.

She's been a distracted little bitch lately, but that's because she's so stressed. She wants out. She's mad at her mother, worried about money, and done/done/done (!) with this chapter of her life. I don't like it, but I understand it.

Still, that's why, though I admire the woman she's becoming, right now I really wish that instead of sitting in that hot auditorium watching the ceremony, she and I could just go off by ourselves, back to the park, where we could sit on the black top and pretend to be Simba and Nala, making our lunch out of the leaves and branches we find along the fence.