I don't much like Gary Cooper

On this rainy Sunday I discovered myself to be filled with dissatisfaction.

It's Gary Cooper Day on TCM Summer Under the Stars. Yes, I know ... I know ... "Coop" is an American icon. He's the sheriff in High Noon! He's Sgt. York himself! Capra loved working with him. Actress and party girl Lupe Velez said he was a fantastic lover. And yet, whenever I see him on screen, I just yawn. I tried watching him today in some of his best work and ... I'm sorry, whenever confronted with Gary Cooper, my mind just goes to the happy place. I ended up watching the original Airport -- with Burt Lancaster and Dean Martin and, most delightfully, Helen Hayes -- for the first time since I was a little girl and had a delightful time.

Similarly I have picked up -- and put down -- biographies of two very different people: Barack Obama's mother (A Singular Woman) and Beatles' manager Brian Epstein (In My Life). I expected to be riveted by their stories. Yet neither one hooked me. Instead I picked up a funny and fluffy mystery, The Curse of the Spellmans.* Now I'm happy.

I'll give those two biographies a try again at a later date. But really, I'm giving up on Gary Cooper for good.

*Thanks to Kwizgiver for turning me on to this series.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 26

Today's Happiness: Trader Joe's. I'm not a foodie, and I don't consider what I do in the kitchen cooking. Yet I always enjoy my time at this grocery store. It's not the biggest, and the selection isn't the greatest, but it's so colorful and the people who work there are so nice and everything looks healthy and it's more reasonable in price than Whole Foods.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The 88 Meme

  

1. 1. What type questions do you hate on a meme? Ones that make assumptions about me: “Like how did you meet your spouse” (assumes I have a spouse) or “Before your kids were born …” (assumes I have wee ones).

2. If you married the last person you texted, what would your last name be? Gall

3. Were you happy when you woke up today? No, exasperated. My cat, Reynaldo, believed he was in dire need of my attention and was tormenting me. Oh well, he’s been worse.

4. When were you on the phone last? And with who? Last night. My mom.

5. Who are you excited for? Me. I realized it’s less than two weeks till I get to see BROOOOOOCE! Live and in concert at Wrigley Field!

7. Honestly, who was the last person to tell you they love you? My oldest friend. She’s always very good about saying, “I love you, Dear.”

8. What's the last thing you put in your mouth? A slice of cheese. You have no idea how much I wish I had a sexier answer.

9. Have a best friend? Yes

10. Were you ever or are you scared to fall in love? Yes

11. Do you think teenagers can be in love? Yes

12. Last person you wanted to punch in the face? No one springs to mind, but it was probably someone who annoyed me during my commute to or from work.

13. What time is it right this second? 8:05 AM

14. What do you want right now? Lose 25 lbs.

15. Who was the last person you took a picture with? My oldest friend

16. Are you single/taken/heartbroken/or confused? Yes

17. When was the last time you cried?  I welled up a bit just now when watching the news. I saw Mayor Daley at the announcement of the new park to be named for his late wife, Maggie. They were quite a love story, and when I think of marriages like theirs, I ache for the one left behind.

18. Do you have a good relationship with your parents? My dad passed away in 1992. My mom and I are working on it.

19. Do you find it hard to trust others? Yes

20. How fast does your mind change? Sloooowly

21. I bet you miss somebody right now. Who is it? My best friend

22. Can you honestly say you're okay right now? Sure

 

I say a little prayer

My cousin Rose is in Tampa. I have friends in Key West. They are all about to get up close and personal with Isaac.

Say what you will about Chicago winters. When the snow melts, our homes are here.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 25

Yesterday's Happiness: eyes on the prize. I not only did a full hour of low-impact cardio, I skipped the popcorn and Coke at the movies. Happy to report I felt virtuous, not deprived.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

11 Endomental Questions

Got these from here.

1. What period of history is your favorite to read about? I like the last century, esp. the 1940s and the 1960s.
2. What is your favorite genre of fiction? Mysteries
3. Do you choose a book by its cover? No.
4. Where do you do most of your reading? Over lunch, on the train or on the exercise bike
5. Without looking, guess about how many books are in your TBR pile. Now look. Were you right? Nowhere near right. I guess a dozen and it's really well over 20.
6. How many movies on your TBW list? I don't have a TBW list
7. What's your favorite genre of movie? One without vampires or boy wizards or Hunger Games
8. Do you still go to see movies in the theater? Yes! Just today I saw Hope Springs
9. You have $10,000 and no strings or obligations for one full day. Where do you go and what do you do? I go to the mall and I blow through a great deal of the money. Then I hurry up and bank the rest.
10. How many songs on your mp3 player? 7311, taking up 43.31 GB of space. I wouldn't believe it either, except I just checked it on itunes.
11. What comes next? Monster, monkey, helicopter, __________ HELIUM

Eeyore apologized!

My best friend understands how self-involved he has been and he freely said he's sorry. Gulp! This is big. This is an important moment in our 8 year friendship.

I am impressed by his capacity to change. He is a good man.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: I'm So Excited

1. What was the last event or situation that got you really excited? Realizing I can afford to see Streisand. I grew up on the old girl and her career has meant a great deal to me. So I have The Boss in September and Babs in October. I have a good autumn ahead of me!

2. How old were you when you started working and what was your first job? I began babysitting at 14. $1/hour and $2/hour after midnight. Considering how young the kids were and how early they went to bed, I was, in effect, being paid to eat potato chips and watch TV. In all, not a bad gig.

3. Tell us about your grandparents. I had one set of grandparents I loved very much. Grandpa was great at hugs. He would envelope me. He smelled of cigars and licorice lozenges. When I cried, he'd pull me to him and sing, "Come to me, my melancholy baby, cuddle up and don't be blue ..." I truly thought he made the song up for me. He thought everything I did was brilliant. I miss that unconditional love. My Grandma was an even bigger Cub fan than my Grandpa. I think of her whenever I see Ryne Sandberg's #23 banner flying over Wrigley Field. She loooooved her Ryno. More even than (gasp!) Ernie Banks! (My other set of grandparents completely sucked.)

4. Do you procrastinate or are you usually on top of situations? I have no discipline whatsoever.

5. What would others say about you? Depends on which others you ask.

6. Do you believe in life on other planets? Intellectually, yes. Emotionally, no.

7. When was the last time that you were called too thin? About 20 years ago. Sigh. I miss those days.

8. Do you work out? Have you ever joined a gym and quit almost immediately? I INTEND to work out 3x/week. As you can see from the counter at right, that's not going to happen in August. And no, I've never joined and then quit.

9. Do you feel that you utilize all your intelligence in every situation? HA!

I love him, but ...

My best friend is in serious Eeyore mode again. All we talk about his him, and his job search, and how much he hates networking, and how bad he feels about his career choices, and how badly his bosses treated him ... and ... and ... and ...

I recognize that losing his job has hit him hard. I am doing everything I can to help. I do this willingly and with an open heart. But it's beginning to weigh on me.

He asks my advice and then resists it ... until he works it all through and comes around. He complains about things he can't change. (LinkedIn is a fact of life in advertising/marketing. It just is! Not everyone will answer his emails as quickly as I do. They just won't!) And he can be stupefyingly self centered.

He shot me a text message (which I read while getting my hair done): UGH! Dave* reviewed my LinkedIn profile. I hate seeing his face.

When I got home, I responded in an email telling him that I get it, as my least favorite ex uses LinkedIn to stalk me. I told my best friend how it feels like a shot to my solar plexus to see the face of the man who raped me when I least expect it, but this is a necessary evil of the uber-connected world we live in. I also told him how Dave probably found him -- that he now works once again with another former coworker (advertising/marketing in Chicago is rather incestuous).

His response to my three paragraphs long email? "Thanks."

There are times that he is the most sensitive, mature person on earth. But when he is in "Woe Is Me"/Eeyore mode, he is, pardon the pun, an ass.

I told him it hurt my feelings. And now I bet he will tell me that somehow I'm "beating up on him." I could be wrong, but this does seem to be our dance. Oh well. If he is going to continue to be my friend, I am going to continue to demand he respect my feelings. He lost his job three weeks ago. He may be out of work for a long time. That doesn't give him the right to diss me.

*One of our least favorite former coworkers.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 24

Today's Happiness: my shorter haircut. It's nice to mix it up a bit. And I'm lucky, my hair is still thick and grows like crazy. So if I wake up tomorrow and think I no longer like it, there's no real harm. 

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

Done!

Today was a low-energy day. I woke up feeling fine (see post below) and thought I'd have a whole day before me to accomplish ... stuff. But after a long, luxurious bath I had a hard time moving forward. I didn't even make it out the door to "breakfast" until after noon!

Then I just exchanged many (MANY) emails with my best friend re: his job search and napped. I tried reading two different books and nothing captured my attention.

But I did manage to do my week's laundry. It's a time-consuming chore that I hate, and I feel quite satisfied now that it's behind me until Labor Day.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 23

Today's Happiness: waking up. It sounds like a little thing, but it's not. Wednesday night/pre-dawn Thursday was tough. A tenacious headache would not release me and made sleep fitful. I took ibuprofen and when it didn't work, I turned to my prescription strength Naproxen. That not only didn't work either, it upset my stomach. It was around 5:00 AM when I finally felt -- if not well -- bone weary enough to sleep. I called the office and left a voicemail, telling them not to expect me in. Then I succumbed to slumber. After just three hours of restful, uninterrupted sleep, I awoke gently, on my own at about 8:00 and was thrilled to realize I was no longer in pain. It was a delightful moment.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 23

Yesterday's Happiness: working up a sweat. I haven't come anywhere near my goal of 3 workout/week, now for the second month in a row. I think it's had a detrimental impact on my mood. Concentrating on cardio felt good and is, undoubtedly, good for me ... in many ways.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

THURSDAY THIRTEEN #185

MY FIRST THIRTEEN DAYS 

OF PROGRAMMING 

TCM'S SUMMER UNDER THE STARS

Summer Under the Stars is a special event on TCM. Every day a different great star is featured for 24 hours. That means the actor or actress (or, on rare occasions, director) must have about 11 movies that can be classified as classic, or fascinating, or iconic. The selections should be representative of the performer's whole career. And the actor or actress must be of passionate interest to classic film fans.

I am always hard on the folks at TCM for their choices.* So I want to take a crack at doing this myself. The restrictions I put on myself are that (1) I have to have seen all these movies and (2) I can't repeat anyone on the list for August 2011.† If I don't make myself crazy, I'll do it again next week.

Even then, I'll have only programmed 26 days. So I know going into it that it's not as easy as it looks. But I'm going to have fun trying! These performers are not necessarily my favorites, but they are ones I'm confident would capture the imagination of a variety of classic film lovers, which is what TCM has to do to stay in business.

I have programmed special events for star birthdays and anniversaries, like TCM does. I have tried to put the most popular films in the middle of the list, the way TCM does, so that they would air in prime time.

August 1 -- Paul Newman
Somebody Up There Likes Me
The Long, Hot Summer
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Cool Hand Luke
Hud
Sweet Bird of Youth
Harper
Hombre
The Young Philadelphians
From the Terrace

August 2 -- Doris Day
Calamity Jane
Young at Heart
Love Me or Leave Me
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Pillow Talk
Midnight Lace
Move Over, Darling
That Touch of Mink
The Thrill of It All
With Six You Get Eggroll
Please Don't Eat the Daisies

August 3 -- Tony Curtis
Winchester '73
Son of Ali Baba
Houdini
Trapeze
Goodbye, Charlie
Sex and the Single Girl
Sweet Smell of Success
The Defiant Ones
Some Like It Hot
Operation Petticoat
40 lbs of Trouble

August 4 -- Julie Andrews
Torn Curtain
Hawaii
Americanization of Emily
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Mary Poppins (if Disney will give TCM the rights)
The Sound of Music
Victor/Victoria
Star!
10
Little Miss Marker
That's Life!


August 5 -- Richard Burton (on the anniversary of his death)   
1984
Equus
Under Milkwood
My Cousin Rachel 
Anne of the Thousand Days
The Taming of the Shrew
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
The Night of the Iguana
The VIPs
The Sandpiper

August 6 -- Rock Hudson
Written on the Wind
Magnificent Obsession
All that Heaven Allows
Giant
A Farewell to Arms
Come September
Lover Come Back
Send Me No Flowers
Seconds
Ice Station Zebra
Man's Favorite Sport

August 7 --  Clark Gable
Susan Lenox
Red Dust
The Misfits
It Happened One Night
Gone with the Wind
Manhattan Melodrama
Call of the Wild
Mutiny on the Bounty
Mogambo
Teacher's Pet

August 8 -- Dustin Hoffman (on his 75th birthday)
Agatha
Little Big Man
Hero
The Graduate
Midnight Cowboy (if they can run it; I'm not sure their policies allows movies this adult)
All the President's Men
Marathon Man
Kramer vs. Kramer
Tootsie
Rain Man
John and Mary

August 9 -- Mickey Rooney
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Love Finds Andy Hardy
Boys Town
Babes in Arms
Strike Up the Band
Girl Crazy
National Velvet
Words and Music
Requiem for a Heavyweight
The Comic
Pete's Dragon

August 10 -- Jane Wyman
Footlight Serenade
The Lost Weekend
Night and Day
The Yearling
Johnny Belinda
The Glass Menagerie
Pollyanna (If Disney will give it up)
Lucy Gallant
So Big
Holiday for Lovers
How to Commit Marriage

August 11 -- Natalie Wood
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
The Star
Miracle on 34th Street 
Rebel Without a Cause
The Searchers
Marjorie Morningstar
Splendor in the Grace
West Side Story
Gypsy
Love with the Proper Stranger
This Property Is Condemned

August 12 -- Henry Fonda (on the anniversary of his death)
Yours, Mine and Ours
Madigan
Jezebel
Jesse James
Young Mr. Lincoln
The Grapes of Wrath
The Lady Eve
Mr. Roberts
12 Angry Men
In Harm's Way
Big Hand for the Little Lady

August 13 -- Dean Martin
The Caddy
Artists and Models
Bells Are Ringing
The Young Lions
Some Came Running
Rio Bravo
Oceans 11
The Sons of Katie Elder
Airport
Robin and the 7 Hoods

For more information about 

the Thursday Thirteen,

or to play yourself, click here.

*This year they devoted one day to Johnny Weismuller and another to James Caan. I mean, REALLY!

†August 1 - Marlon Brando
August 2 - Paulette Goddard
August 3 - Bette Davis
August 4 - Ronald Colman
August 5 - John Garfield
August 6 - Lucille Ball
August 7 - Charles Laughton
August 8 - Orson Welles
August 9 - Ann Dvorak
August 10 - Shirley MacLaine
August 11 - Ben Johnson
August 12 - Claudette Colbert
August 13 -  James Stewart
 August 14 - Ralph Bellamy
 August 15 - Lon Chaney
August 16 - Joanne Woodward
August 17 - Humphrey Bogart
August 18 - Jean Gabin
August 19 - Debbie Reynolds
August 20 - Montgomery Clift
August 21 - Cary Grant
August 22 - Joan Crawford
August 23 - Conrad Veidt
August 24 - Joan Blondell
August 25 - Burt Lancaster
August 26 - Peter Lawford
August 27 - Linda Darnell
August 28 - Carole Lombard
 August 29 - Anne Francis
August 30 - Howard Keel
August 31 - Marlene Dietrich

Shame on me

I admit I have a guilty pleasure -- luring RWNJs into silly arguments on Twitter. Yesterday I had this one foaming. She kept calling me names and I just kept saying things like, "We have never met. What other delusional ruminations do you have about my character?" I got her to swear and then I tweaked her for her vulgarity and small vocabulary. The cooler I stayed, the angrier she got.

It was a good way to work through my hostility at my boss. I suppose it was mean, but it did seem to make her happy to call me "morally bankrupt," "full of bullshit," "hypocritical asshole" and "a member of the sisterhood of the bicycling fish."

Still, I really should stop doing this. It's immature and coarsens the discourse and besides, I kinda wonder if this poor woman is all there.

It would be more productive to run on the treadmill at lunch, wouldn't it? I do feel bad now that it's over.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 22

Today's Happiness: vodka. Finally met my theater friend Barb for her birthday dinner (which we have been scheduling and rescheduling since June). This came after stopping for a drink with my coworkers (something I seldom do). It's funny but I really think the booze helped my mood. Or maybe it was being out in harmonious surroundings with people who made me laugh.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Why I hate my job

First I met the new guy my boss hired. The one he told me will be working on the super secret project that will be the future of marketing as we know it. What my boss didn't tell me is that the new guy would 1) be a director, instead of an associate director like me and 2) he would get his own office, while I share a space with three (!) other people.

As if that wasn't bad enough, and it was bad, today will be memorable because I got to make an appointment for a pap smear and mammogram in front of my three officemates. Why would I want privacy for that? I called the doctor's office when everyone was at lunch, but they called back three hours later, when everyone was just sitting there. I would have asked if I could call back in a few minutes, on my cell from the lobby (another place where one likes to discuss gynecological issues) but it took the office so long to get back to me today that I was afraid if I did that I'd be put back to the end of the queue.

There are three ways that a company can tell an employee she's appreciated: title, office space and salary. A person just in off the street beats me on all three. Earlier this month, my boss was disappointed that I didn't just automatically tell him, "Oh! What a wonderful idea!" when he willfully took us down the wrong path. Now this.

At least I got a lot of support from my account team when we went out for a drink after work. That was satisfying. And the second time they have come through for me during this difficult month at the office.

I realize there's a Recession out there and I'm in an industry that was hit hard. I know I can't just go out and get a new job that pays what this one does. I understand that, at this late stage in my working career, I have to do the smart thing and squirrel away what I can for retirement. And so I will do the mature thing and place one foot in front of the other, continue to do a good job, and keep my eyes open for another position. Hopefully the freelance work I'm doing for my friend Kathleen will lead to something.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 20

Today's Happiness: a postcard. My aunt/Godmother sent a card from her reunion with my cousin and his family in the Great Smoky Mountains. She was excited to report they saw a bear. I'm tickled that they were thinking of me and besides, it's great to get something other than bills (and there were three in today's mail).

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Thanks be to Hulu and headphones

It's a slow day at the office. We had a meeting at about 10:00 and then .... crickets chirping. I got a good workout in and then discovered Hulu has Magnum PI reruns for free! I saw the episode where Lassie's mom was a hooker! My headphones allow me to watch in privacy. Which is good, as I scour Hulu for more guilty pleasures.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 19

Today's Happiness: Second hand books. I bought a copy of the popular biography of Obama's mother, A Singular Woman, for $2 at my local library book sale. I picked it up to put it in my briefcase and a note fell out: Happy belated birthday to Nancy from Dani. Nancy's gift was so late because Dani's life has been "a gerbil wheel," including a vacation to Montreal, business trips to Sengal (!) and Uganda (!) and the purchase of a new condo in DC. Dani's siblings have been busy, too: Mark finally married his girlfriend and now has a teenaged stepdaughter, Suzy and Kris are good and busy with their kids, and Gene had chemo this past spring to treat a small site on his lung. And, like me, Dani has a hard time battling her weight and meeting nice men.

 

There's such a romance to second hand books.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: Our Players' Meme

1. You have been awarded the time off from work and an all-expenses paid week anywhere in the United States. The catch is that it must be somewhere you have not been before. Where do you choose to visit? Savannah, Georgia. I was fascinated by it when I read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. That book makes Savannah seem like Mayberry on acid. I'd like to stay there for a while, and stay there in style, so I could take it all in.

 
2. Name three of your guilty pleasures. Long baths, fast food burgers, and The People's Court.

3. The best kind of Girl Scout Cookie is: Thin Mint.

4. What do you value most in other people? Compassion

5. Be honest. Do you sneak some raw cookie dough when you’re baking cookies? On those rare (very rare) occasions that I bake, yes.

6. Have you ever looked back at your life and realized that something you thought was a bad thing was actually a blessing in disguise? Ending a relationship. We wouldn't have made one another happy over the long haul, so it was just as well. Though it certainly didn't feel that way at the time.

7. What is the most beautiful place you’ve ever visited? Wrigley Field. The Arc de Triomphe was nice and all, but I still prefer The Friendly Confines.

8. Are you more of a thinker or a feeler? Feeler.

9. Name three things you are thankful for right now. My cats, my friends, and air conditioning.

10. Have you ever participated in a three-legged race? I must have. I just can't recall it specifically right now.

11. When you are at an event that plays the National Anthem, do you place your hand over your heart? No. But I always stand.

 

Second meme:

12. What kind of work do you do? I'm an advertising writer.

13. During the course of your lifetime, which job or career has been your favorite or most fulfilling? I enjoyed writing about hair care products. It was fun.

14. Do you think it’s necessary in your life to have a day-to-day “career” that is meaningful and service-oriented or do you function better in “just a job” with a steady paycheck? The older I get, the more I lean toward the latter.

15. Was there ever a time in your life when you wanted to stay home with your children instead of working, even if it meant less money in the household? I don't have any children.

16. Tell us your worst boss story. I once had a boss who was a complete nutjob. She told me that the reason why we clashed so much is reincarnation -- that we have been adversaries in a past life and if we didn't work it through now, we would keep battling for all eternity. 

17. Have your ever been the boss? Yes. I hated it.

18. What is your dream occupation? I think I'd be a good pet sitter.

 

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 18

Today's Happiness: A little rocker. My village had a festival today, devoted to "micro." Microbreweries were featured. "Micro waste" was highlighted, with booths explaining the benefits of recycling and composting. Local restaurants served food on recyclable plates. And there was an oldies band, playing -- or shall I say "recycling?" -- Bob Seger's greatest hits.

A little boy of about 2 or 3 was completely rocking out. Stomping his feet and keeping the beat. He was so excited, so into it, that he kept pulling his shirt up and twisting it in his small fist. It's as though the music transported him. It was a delight to see how happy it made him.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A Gentleman of a Certain Age

I was having a really good Saturday. Breakfast at my favorite coffee shop, which lately has been so busy on weekends I can't get table. Their breakfast meats are just better than anywhere else's, and I had the Eggs Benedict.

Then I called for a cab for a ride to a salon a couple towns over. My cabbie was a lovely older lady, a grandma, who is a nail tech by trade and a driver on weekends. And a big Elvis fan. She drove slowly and got me there a little late, but what they hey! She was careful and the ride was safe.

First I had a champagne and strawberries pedi. The pedi itself was pretty workmanlike, but there's something about champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries that can brighten a Saturday afternoon.

Then I had a facial. It, too, was pretty workmanlike, no dermabrasion and just a few extractions on my nose. I'd like to think it's because my complexion is so dewey, but it's because it wasn't a very sophisticated facial. Still, she had a nice touch, the room was fragrant and dark and comforting, and I dozed off. (That never happens during extractions!)

Finally, the massage. Ah! The massage therapist was a young man in his 20s, but he put me at ease. It was a short massage, only 30 minutes, but he did wonders for my shoulders. I haven't worked out much this month, and it felt good to have someone artfully work the kinks out.

Then I went across the street to Dunkin' Donuts to wait for my cab home. And that's when it went to hell.

My cab driver was a Vietnam War veteran who insisted on talking politics with me. INSISTED! He was a rock-ribbed Republican, which is fine, but he was a misinformed one. It was making my teeth hurt. I kept saying, "I'd really like this conversation to end," and "I wish this conversation was over." But I guess he was like Wiley Coyote and he needed the ACME anvil to fall on his head.

"I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS ANYMORE!" I said. "And please stop disrespecting me."

"What?"

"I have been asking you for two miles to end the conversation and you just keep talking and it upsets me."

His response? He laughed.

Clearly, to a man of 70+, my opinion as a mere white chick didn't matter. Never mind that I am his customer.

"And now you're laughing at me. That's insulting."

"I'm not laughing," he chuckled. "Besides, most people like a good debate." Except this wasn't a debate. This was a lecture from a man who thinks the world is flat. And I was held captive in the backseat and paying for this punishment.

"So this is my fault? I ask you to stop talking, you continue and it's my fault?"

"Never bothered anyone else before," he said. I find that hard to believe. My neighborhood couldn't be bluer and his attitude is not within the mainsteam. I think I may just be the first one to ask him to shut up.

"Can't. We. Please. Stop. Talking."

"They say you shouldn't discuss politics and religion."

"I don't want to discuss anything with you!" I carry a book with me at all times for this very reason.

"You don't want to talk?" he asked incredulously. As though it shocked him that anyone wouldn't want to hear him pontificate.

For a local cab driver, I was surprised he didn't know my street was closed for a neighborhood festival. Or maybe he did and was so shocked by my humorlessness that he forgot. So I got to spend even more time with him as he maneuvered his way around street closures and one way signs.

When we finally got to my house I did tip him. I almost didn't -- I was so angry. But then I thought, his job is to get me from hither to yon safely, and he did that, and gas is $4.00/gallon. So I gave him $2.00 over the meter. Even though he did completely harsh my massage zen.

Then I went to the local street fair and drowned my anxiety in mac and cheese with Andouille sausage so spicy I actually sweated.

File it under: Isn't life funny?

About 12 years ago, I worked with an account executive (a "Pete Campbell," for all you Mad Men fans out there) who had a mass of unruly curls. I always thought her hair was very pretty and admired her for the way she wore it: loose and free.

There. I've now shared every nice thing I can think of about this woman.

She was a drama queen. She was massively self-centered. For example, once while we were traveling together on business, she was upset because the airline had the audacity to question her for being ticketed under one name (she was a newly wed) while her driver's license bore another (Shuh! With the wedding and honeymoon, who has TIME to change these things and besides, she's WHITE, not some Arab!). She could be a Mean Girl. And, amazingly, she told management she was afraid of ME, little old me, which leads me to believe she was one of the least self-aware bullies I've ever met.
 

She was either 30 or almost 30 when we worked together and had severe baby lust. She went on to have two in rapid succession. When I found she was pregnant with her first, I got a laugh from those of us who had survived working with her by describing her beating her husband over the head with the sonogram. "I said I wanted a BOY!" I always felt sorry for her kids.  

I kept tabs on her professionally because I never, ever want to work with her again. I cannot put too fine a point on how Type A and selfish she is. 

She dropped out of advertising over a year ago and, I heard, went back to school full time.

I just found out that she's a .... wait for it .... a counselor. An LPC. A mental health professional!

I hope that, for her sake, she's a more restful soul. Less demanding. Less dramatic. Maybe her own experiences in therapy enriched her life so that she wanted to share with others. I'd like to think that.

It's more positive than feeling sorry for her patients.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: My Generation

1. What do you think is the most unique thing about your generation? That there are so many of us, and that we refuse to leave center stage. (I'm a Boomer.)

2. Do you speak out as often as you should? Yes and no. I'm too noisy about some things and too passive about others. When it comes to this, I'm like Mary Todd Lincoln, who once said, "I do the wrong things well."

 

 

3. How often are you tough and unreasonable? "Never," she said, smiling modestly.

4. Do you believe that sometimes you learn more from a failure than a success? Yes, unpleasant though that is.

5. Do you feel that you always have to win? Clearly not. After all, I'm a lifelong Cub fan.

6. Do you think tradition matters? Yes. I always surprise myself with how sentimental I can be.

7. Do you tend to root for the underdog? Always. After all, I'm a lifelong Cub fan.

8. Have you ever felt that you want to exceed your parents’ successes? I never looked at it that way. My life is so very different than theirs.

9. Of all the cartoon characters that you know of, which is most like you? Mr. Peabody. I'd love a Wayback Machine.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 17

Today's Happiness: Bliss! The office closes early on Fridays in summer and this was one of the most peaceful afternoons I've enjoyed all season. Stopped at my favorite deli on the way home from the train and picked up my favorite salad -- cold shrimp, cubed ham and hardboiled eggs on a thick bed of crunchy lettuce. Then I parked myself in front of the TV for Katharine Hepburn Day on TCM's Summer Under the Stars. The Great Kate has always been one of my favorites, too!

I'm reminded by how much happier I am today than I was two Fridays ago. It's very important to remember that those dark moods pass and the happy ones take their place.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net