Welcome back to Chicago, Madame President

My friend John and I saw the premiere of Evita last night. To be completely honest, I don't recall much about seeing it the first time around, back in the 1980s, but apparently I saw it with John back then, too. I enjoy the stability and continuity of our friendship.

I also enjoyed the show last night. Our touring company had a really strong Che (Josh Young). Now that I am older and more sophisticated (if not wiser), I understood and appreciated Eva's story so much more now. "They need to adore me, so Christian Dior me ..." She understood her public so well. They wanted to see her wealthy, beautiful and bejeweled because she had once been poor, hungry and outcast, one of them. While their circumstances are different, I kept thinking of another famous blonde, Princess Diana, as I was watching Evita.

WWW Wednesday

To play along, just answer the following three questions …

 

• What are you currently reading? The Accused by Lisa Scottoline, the latest installment in her series about Rosato and Associates, the all-woman law firm in Philly.

• What did you recently finish reading? Dino: Living High in the Dirty Business of Dreams. This biography of Dean Martin left me really disliking him. He seemed like a staggeringly selfish man. Does this mean it was a good or bad book? Perhaps it was a good book about a difficult subject.

• What do you think you’ll read next? The Last Word by Lisa Lutz. Rumored to be the last installment in the entertaining Spellman Family saga.

To see how others responded, click here.

A good reason to shop early

My best friend lives just outside Boulder, and so his family under siege by floodwaters. He is OK, and so is his immediate family. His wife's stepmother's (a woman he has longed liked and admired) is struggling because HER mother -- an Alzheimer's patient -- has been necessarily evacuated from her permanent care nursing home and the 80+ year old lady is angry and frightened, confused because she was in New Orleans when Katrina hit and is convinced she's going through that again.

As heartbreaking as that situation is, it's not his immediate household and so he knows, surrounded by devastation, that his family is overall very lucky.

It's just that today is his younger daughter's birthday and there are no gifts for her. No party. He's been

unable to even get to the drugstore, which probably isn't open anyway. He feels terrible (knowing him and his Eeyore tendencies, I bet he feels worse about this than she does).

My closet is always filled with Christmas and birthday presents. It's a habit I picked up from my mom. If you find the perfect gift for someone when you're on vacation, or when it's on sale, pick it up then and there, because you may not find anything so perfect (or so perfectly priced) again.

The unexpected downside to this habit is that I often find things in the closet after the holiday that I forgot to deliver. The upside is that, if heavy rains and deadly floods hit, I've got your birthday present!

Not much. Not enough.

Did some laundry. (Four loads.)

Watched some baseball. (Cubs lost to the Pirates, but that's OK because now the Pirates are tied for first.)

Dropped a pair of sweaters and a pair of bags off at the consignment shop. (I've made about $35 there so far this year.)

Renewed my library card. (Fitting, since September is Library Card Month.)

I was going to scrub down my bathroom since the plumber will be here Friday to install my new showerhead, and hopefully remedy that slow-running drain. (But I guess there's still time.)

Sunday Stealing

MORE -- Part 3

Most daring dare you have ever done?  I lie down in the middle of a (comparatively) busy street. It was stupid. I was in high school.

When is the last time you did something you knew was wrong? I renewed a magazine subscription. It was a waste of money, because I have issue upon issue on my dining room chair I haven't touched. And yet I renewed it anyway.

What was on your mind most today? All the stuff I have to get renewed, like my driver's license, my library card.

Have a best friend? Yes

If you were upset, who’ s the first person you would go to? Depends on what's upsetting me. Different friends have different gifts.

When was the last time someone yelled at you? Last winter, a crazy lady yelled at me on the el, and then the next night another crazy lady yelled at me in the Petco parking lot. I was beginning to think I was a crazy lady magnet.

What have you done today, so far? Cuddled the cats, watched TV, farted around on the internet

What did last weekend consist of? Not much because I had tummy trouble last weekend and had to stay close to home

What are you listening to? The TV is on

Who were you last in a car with? A cab driver

Have you ever been called cute? All the time. I'd love to hear "pretty," but I'm learning to settle for "cute."

Describe how you feel right now in one word: Lazy

Has anybody ever told you that you talk too fast?  Often

Did you have fun yesterday? Yes

Do you like to cuddle? Depends on the cuddler

Do you think someone is thinking about you? Yes

Are you stubborn? Very

Is there a friend, boyfriend/ girlfriend, or ex that you will never forget? Yes

Thinking back, are there people you have no idea why you hung out with? Yes

How’s your heart? I hope it's OK. I know my cholesterol is too high.

Are you easily amused?  I have reached Level 61 in Farmville 2. That's a good indicator that I am very, very easily amused.

Do you speak more than 2 languages?  Nope

Are you doing anything tonight? I'm always doing something

Is there a person of the same sex who means a lot to you?  Of course

Is your hair naturally straight? No

What happened at 10:00 am? At 10:00 AM yesterday I was getting dressed to run some sunny Saturday errands. 10:00 AM today hasn't happened yet. 

What were you doing at ten last night? Paying my bills. Happy to report I was able to pay my mortgage another month in advance. With things tenuous at work, that gives me comfort.

Have you made someone happy today? Yes

Is it hard for you to get over someone? Very

Think it’s disgusting when girls get really wasted? No more so than boys.

How long did it take you to get over you last ex?  Forever

When you are home alone do you still close the door when you shower? Yes. If I don't, the steam from the shower sets off the smoke detector.

In the immortal words of Ricky Nelson ...

"I'm walking, yes, indeed."

I walked 4.5 miles today. To the vet, to CVS, to the grocery store. It was a beautiful day -- just over 70º and sunny. I thoroughly enjoyed being outside, on foot, listening to a "Cat Who ..." book on my headphones. I haven't done it in ages. I should do it more often.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Dominos

1) Have you ever carefully set up dominos and then watched them fall? Or built a house out of playing cards? Nope. I have neither patience nor steady hands.

 
2) In this week's song, Big Pink lead vocalist Robbie Furze sings, "The hottest love has the coldest end." Have you ever had a relationship that started out so promisingly and passionately but then quickly flamed out? No. I've never had a relationship quickly flame out. They die slow, torturous deaths.

 
3) This is from Big Pink's CD, A Brief History of Love. What about your personal history of love? How many times would say you have truly been in love? Three

 
4) Nicki Minaj sampled this song for her own, "Girls Fall Like Dominos." Nicki won't be back on American Idol this season. Is your reaction a) delight or b) sadness or c) a yawn. I couldn't watch Nicki and Mariah. Hopefully the handsome duo of Harry Connick and Keith Urban will draw me back in.

 
5) While nationally the news centers on foreign policy and the economy, Sam's hometown

is abuzz over the new Asian-fusion restaurant on Main Street and whether it can get a liquor license. What's the big local story where you are? Da Bears. Seems that when Brian Urlacher retired, Jay Cutler didn't say goodbye and his feelings are hurt. No, really.

 
6) Mary Jane Kelley is believed to be the fifth and final victim of Jack the Ripper. OK, now it's your turn. Share a random fact that's rattling around in your brain. Cats who have extra toes on their front paws are often called "mitten cats" or "Hemingway cats" but the proper term is "polydactyl."

 
7) Crazy Sam cursed last night when she dropped a can of tomato paste on her foot. (Hey! It really hurt!) When was the last time you swore? I can't remember. Which is unusual because I have a notorious potty mouth.

 
8) Sam has a grocery bag filled with hoodies and t-shirts she no longer wants and plans to

take them to The Salvation Army store. What do you do with your gently used clothes? Toss them or donate them or hand them down to a friend or relative? Goodwill. I'm a big fan. They do good work, and I'm always impressed by how friendly and helpful the personnel is at my local store/drop-off location.

 
9) Do you blush easily? I don't know. No one has ever commented on it.

Trifecta

This week’s challenge: About.com defines apostrophe as, "A figure of speech in which some absent or nonexistent person or thing is addressed as if present and capable of understanding."  Give us your best 33-word example of an apostrophe. 

Mommy, you died a year ago today. What’s heaven like? Have you made up with Dad? Did you get to meet JFK? Can you see the awful hole you left in our lives? 

About the photos: Life Magazine makes a library of their archive images available for free to use for “non-commercial personal purposes."

mmm
On now to our weekend prompt.  This week we are taking you, once again, back to school for a lesson in literary devices.  Remember the apostrophe?  About.com defines apostrophe as, "A figure of speech in which some absent or nonexistent person or thing is addressed as if present and capable of understanding."  That same site provides some excellent examples of apostrophes in classical literature. Check them out and then have a crack at it yourself.  Give us your best 33-word example of - See more at: http://www.trifectawritingchallenge.com/#sthash.qSNankDn.dpuf

Moving along

There are days that I revisit my posts of years gone by ... "What was I doing on this date in 2008?" But this time of year, looking back is fraught with danger.

First of all, 9/11. Always a highly emotional remembrance for me. Not only for all the lives lost and what it signified for this country, but for me personally. The agency I worked for shared a floor with the Israeli consulate. After the planes hit the World Trade Center in New York and then there was the attack in Washington at the Pentagon, no one knew what else was afoot. The authorities could not get us out of that building fast enough. Being evacuated was chilling. The Chicago Police I encountered were brave and professional but also, clearly, frightened themselves. None of us knew what was happening, what to expect. I tried to decide how to get home that didn't take me too close to Sears Tower, in case it was the Chicago target. Awful and ghoulish, but that's how my mind worked. I've never experienced that kind of feral fear before or since. I hope I'll never experience it again.

Then my surgery. In 2011, I had a hysterectomy in 9/9. The lead up was stressful: How extensive would the surgery be? Would I discover I had cancer? My story had a happy ending. I'm very grateful. And, while it might not be appropriate to say, I rather enjoyed my recovery time. Six weeks with pay! When will that every happen again?

Then last year, on this date, my mother died. I miss her. I'm angry at her. I have so much I wish I could say to her, so much to ask her about. A day doesn't go by that I don't think of her, and her death, several times. But I have gotten through it. I have survived the first birthday, the first Thanksgiving, the first Christmas, the first Easter and now, the first anniversary of her death.

I feel very adult, very womanly today. Not happy. Not peaceful. But strangely satisfied that I have gotten through the worst of it, and sure that tomorrow will be better.

Posting from The Little Engine that Could

I am so proud of Amtrak this morning! I've always been a fan. It feels like such a comfortable, safe way to make short trips. And, frankly, since we bill travel costs back to our client, I wish we would all take the train to their downstate offices because it's so much cheaper than driving, what with gas prices at about $3.75/gallon.

But now with the new highspeed rail, I'm zipping along past the cornfields on schedule and faster than the cars on highway. My wifi connection is solid enough to allow me to answer a couple emails and update this here old blog.

Here's hoping the rest of my workday goes as smoothly as the commute!

79 years!

Last night I went to my monthly movie Meet Up and saw It Happened One Night. There were about 20 of us, and we all laughed and thoroughly enjoyed it ... even though the movie was made an amazing 79 years ago.

Part of the reason why it still seems fresh is that both Gable and Colbert are less "actor-ish" and more natural and contemporary than other classic stars. (Joan Crawford and Lana Turner, I'm thinking of you two.) Gable, especially, is a charmer.

Part of it is the story. It's enduringly poignant to meet the right person at the wrong time.

Part of it is the timing. While this is a Recession, not a Depression, it's still good to be reminded that our countrymen are suffering.

Our moderator, Will, is very good at getting everyone to participate. I'm really glad I went.

Shout out to Vivian

You have been awfully quiet, Lady. I hope all is well with you.

My own worst enemy

Tonight I had caramel corn -- lots of it -- after dinner.

Not good for my diet. Nor my currently fragile stomach. Nor my self esteem.

BAD GAL!

So I suppose she should have shot him?

This just in -- Zimmerman's attorney fired him, after confirming that George did indeed have his gun with him, holstered to his side during the domestic disturbance.   

(CNN) -- No charges will be filed against George Zimmerman after an alleged altercation with his estranged wife and her father, Lake Mary, Florida, Police Chief Steve Bracknell said Monday.

"Shellie Zimmerman has declined prosecution (after consulting with her attorney)," Bracknell said.

George Zimmerman had been temporarily detained by police after Shellie Zimmerman told 911 Monday that he had threatened her and her father with a weapon.

On the 911 call, Shellie Zimmerman, who filed for divorce last week, is breathing heavily when she tells a dispatcher that Zimmerman is still at the house.

"He's in his car and he continually has his hand on his gun, and he's saying, 'Step closer.' He's just threatening all of us with his firearm," she says.

Shellie Zimmerman also tells 911 that George Zimmerman punched her father in the nose, then smashed her iPad before getting in his truck. "I don't know what he's capable of. I'm really, really scared," she says.

Silly me! I have gone through that awkward situation where I and an ex decided what belonged to whom, but I never once thought of bringing a gun along to argue about that Boz Scaggs Silk Degrees CD.

Character is destiny, Mr. Zimmerman. Rest in peace, Trayvon.
 

Not art, but still engaging

I'm juggling two mysteries at once. One is The Cat Who Turned On and Off by Lillian Jackson Braun, the other is The Accused by Lisa Scottoline, the latest of her Rosato and Associates series. 

Both books are great fun, and both authors know how to turn a phrase and create a moment. As I sit here, waiting for my 3:30 meeting, my mind is traveling back to the books and I wish it was acceptable to sit here reading at my desk.

Really?

There's a rather unfortunate blurb going around the internet aimed at people born after 1977. It's one of those rants each of us will at some point fall victim to -- either as audience or as the one spouting the "in my day ..." cliches. You know, "you kids don't know how good you have it!"

What makes this one disturbing is that point #3 is, "Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our ass. Nowhere was safe!"

I was born way, way before 1977, and when I was a kid, CPS most definitely did care if our parents "beat us." I remember one summer, when I was about 8, my parents had taken me to the ER twice in two months. First I fell off a lifeguard's chair and hurt my ankle, then I had been jumping on my bed and missed -- don't ask -- and cracked my head on my dresser. It was during the second, especially bloody visit that a very nice nurse took me aside and asked me to tell her "what really happened" and kept assuring me my dad couldn't hear my answers. The ER staff was very ready to call CPS if my responses had aroused their suspicions. (Which, of course, they didn't. They were satisfied that the only reason why my dad was covered with my blood was that he tried to stop the bleeding on his own before taking me to the hospital.)

And it was most definitely not acceptable in our whitebread, Leave It to Beaver suburb for the parents of our friends to "beat us." There was definitely a greater community vibe than I sense now. It was very, "It takes a village to raise a child." My mother had at the very least a conversation, if not an ongoing relationship, with the moms of all my friends. The parents were like a network and they reinforced one another's rules of behavior. If I was naughty, I knew my mom would find out about it -- probably before I even got home. But I cannot imagine what it would be like to have the mother or father of a friend lay a hand on me. Under any circumstances.

It's not funny to joke about adults beating children. Kids and critters are the most vulnerable among us -- like corks on the water, they can't chart their own courses and go only where life takes them. It's the responsibility of all adults everywhere to exercise restraint with the children in their care, and to report abuse when they see it. We're supposed to protect children from the behavior this silly piece seems to celebrate.

Abuse is, unfortunately, cyclical. It's not corny, it's not silly, it's not overprotective to care that no one lays a hand on a child. If you grew up in a world where you were always at risk of having your "ass beaten" by an adult, where "nowhere was safe," then I'm sorry but your "good old days" weren't very good ... and I hope that you at least learned not to treat others as badly as you were.

Perhaps I'm completely humorless. But I hope I never get to the point where it amuses me that "nowhere is safe" from beatings.

Sunday Stealing

The MORE Meme (Part 2)

What would you choose to be famous for? I do not want to be famous. I don't want people watching me and commenting on me and taking unflattering photos and posting them. Sounds like too much work.

If you have a webcam, are you ever paranoid people can see you? Maybe I would be paranoid if I was famous.

Do you find it difficult to sleep at night? Any reason(s) why? Sometimes. I often have struggle to -- as John Lennon sang -- turn off my mind, relax and float downstream.

If you had to go on a game show, which would you choose? Cash Cab! I love Cash Cab. I could ride
around Manhattan making money.

What about if you had to go on a reality show? I'd rather not. But thank you for asking.

Which would you choose then? See above. I'm not trying to be difficult. I just really don't think I'd enjoy it.

Tell me about your favorite TV show: NCIS. A team of Naval crime investigators stationed in Washington, DC. Led by my TV boyfriend, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. My Cousin Rose is hooked on it now, too, and we discuss it rather obsessively in our letters. One of the main characters is being written out during the first two episodes of Season 12. She and I have many ideas for how this should be accomplished! Alas, CBS has not contacted us.

Why were you last irritated? At the UPS Store Saturday morning. I'm always irritated at the US Post Office. Now the UPS Store has annoyed me. I'm left with no one to turn to but Fed Ex!

What time did you get up this morning? About 6:00. My cat Reynaldo deemed it so.

The last city you were in: Where was it and do you like it there? I'm in Chicago every Mon.-Fri. I love it. I can see The Lake from my desk and every now and again, a lonely post-Labor Day sailboat floats by and I get hypnotized watching it.

Do you like the countryside? Not really. I'm a City Mouse.

If you see someone yawn, do you often yawn as well? Usually.

Recommend me a good movie: The Way Way Back. It's a little indie movie starring Steve Carrell and Sam Rockwell. It has some really lovely moments in it. It might be hard to find -- I don't think it's in wide release -- but if you come across it, definitely give it a try.



Do you think you’d make a good model? HA!

Would you ever want to be one? No, really.

How often do you change your hairstyle? Not often. Color, yes. Style, no.

What does it look like now? Short with a sweep of bangs across my forehead.

Do you have a favorite day of the week? Which is it? Friday.

Are you alone? Yes.

When is the last time you were on the phone after 2 am? Now that we text and email, my friends and I don't tend to sit on the phone all night anymore.

Sleeping with Mr. Monk

I think my body is a little tired from the time spent on gastrointestinal issues, so I gave in to the strong desire to sleep today. Almost all day. On the sofa, waking up every now and again to see which cat was now curled up beside me and episode of Monk was being shown.

Monk is the TV equivalent of Lillian Jackson Braun's Cat Who ... books. Both are about murder, but both are low on the suspense, violence and gore. So Monk was an appropriate companion this gentle afternoon.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Band on the Run

1) This song is about a band of musicians that escapes on an adventure. Do you consider yourself spontaneous and adventurous? This morning I just feel lazy.

2) Paul McCartney and Wings traveled all the way to Lagos, Nigeria, to record Band on the Run. That's a long, long way from London. What's the farthest from home you've ever been? Munich. It's about 3500 miles from Chicago.

3) Wings featured Linda McCartney on keyboards. Paul said

that when Linda died, after almost 30 years together, he lost the love of his life. Who is the love of your life? Or have you yet to meet him/her? Usually I answer this by saying my two most enduring loves are Sir Paul and the Chicago Cubs. But seriously, I like to think my great love still awaits me.

4) Paul has said he's very proud of Band on the Run, his most successful post-Beatles album. Brag a little. Tell us something you're proud of. I believe I am very good at something very important, and that's being a friend.
 
5) Paul's birth certificate reads "James Paul McCartney." He's named for his father, Jim. Are you named after anyone? No.

6) Paul enjoys oil painting in his spare time. What's one of your hobbies? I love movies.

7) 20 Forthlin Road, Paul McCartney's boyhood home, has been turned into a museum by the British government. It's a

modest 2 bedroom cottage, with a drainpipe that Paul used to climb to sneak in after curfew. How would you describe your childhood home? A four bedroom ranch in a really boring little town. The best thing about it was the backyard. My mother loved it for her lawn and garden, but for me, the main attraction was the swingset.

8) Paul is 5'11". How tall are you? Very nearly 5'2.

9) Actor Christopher Lee is on the album cover. He played Dracula in a series of movies in the 1950s and 1960s. Who is your favorite vampire? The original, daytime TV Barnabas Collins.

What's up with THIS?

I am not feeling well. I'm gassy and bloated and have suffered from having to go too urgently (Wednesday night) and feeling like I should go but can't (last night). It's painful and debilitating and I hate it.

While this hasn't happened to me lately, it's not unusual. I see from my blog went through weeks of it in summer 2010, and had a bout of it 2008. It's also how I remember living during my teen years. Stress goes to my gut.

But then, after my surgery two years ago this week, I started paying closer attention to how I ate -- being more careful to add fruits and vegetables. Slowly my tummy trouble disappeared.

It's back this week. I don't think it's a virus because I was fine on Thursday. I suppose it's possible I can't/shouldn't eat pork products anymore -- I had an omelet with minced ham on Wednesday and a pulled pork sandwich last night. Or maybe the malaise I'm feeling about life has settled into my gut.

The boy can't help it

One of my coworkers was born and bred in Rio de Janeiro and he's such a cliche. He loves the ladies and flirts compulsively, even with me. Today, when we were talking about our clients new social media campaign, he stood way, way too close to me and stared so intensely into my eyes I almost laughed. I mean, down, Tiger!

Thinking of my mom these days

It was a year ago that her final illness began. Often, when I think back on her last battle for life, I wish different decisions were made. I think that my mother's insistence on coming home, on leaving the wonderful hospital she was admitted to in Madison and taking the long drive back to Chicagoland, was unwise and weakened her. I wonder if she wouldn't still be with us if sh hadn't made that fateful decision.

Right now, at this very moment, I think it's all for the best because my oldest nephew is on The Nimitz. That aircraft carrier is the first of the US fleet in the Red Sea in preparation for battle with Syria. 


My mother always said she didn't have favorites among her grandchildren, but she did and it was him. They had a very special relationship. The worry over him would weigh so very heavily on her. I'm glad that she isn't here to see it, and that from Heaven she has the perspective to and wisdom to handle it better.

I saw myself in her

Before

Today I vacuumed and flipped my futon and went through that massive stack of paper (resulting in 2 smaller stacks of paper) and watched a lot of What Not to Wear.

The episode that stayed with me was Courteney, the tomboy from Florida who clearly, CLEARLY didn't want to be there. Her answers were monosyllabic and she spent much of the hour on the verge of tears. And I was getting misty right along with her.

The Amazing After

For while I think it would be terrific to go shopping with Stacey and Clinton, and while I completely dream of a half hour with Carmindy,* I can't imagine how painful it would be to be on the show. Like Courtney, I would feel terribly exposed. I'd hate to be taped without my knowledge in the run up to the style intervention. I never, EVER want to step foot into the 360º Mirror. I don't want to see my current clothes under fluorescent lights as they move from utilitarian rack to garbage can.

I will miss WNTW when it goes off at the end of this season. While I didn't really learn anything about my own personal style from Courtney's episode, her journey is going to stay with me. She showed tremendous courage in sharing it with us, and I was touched.

*I think hair stylist Ted is a nice and talented man, but my cut and color suit me fine.

It's me

November 3, 2013, it can be you, too. Click here for details.

Sunday Stealing

The More Meme, Part One

Have you ever said you would never love again? No. I want to fall in love again.


Have you heard a song today that reminds you of somebody? I heard "Waterloo," which reminded me of a friend who is a huge Abba fan. (A passion we do not share.)


Do you apologize first? I have been known to.


Has someone made a promise to you and broke it? Yes.


Have you ever won a lot of money in a slot machine? How much? I won $7 from a penny slot. I had the good sense to quit right then and there. I knew if I kept up, I wouldn't be able to maintain that ROI.


Do you watch sport on TV even though you aren’t a sporty person yourself? Yes. I'm a big Cub fan, even though I cannot play myself.


Do you eat / drink at your computer? Yes.

How much do you overeat at special occasions? (Birthdays, Christmas, etc) Yes.




Do you require glasses / contacts to see properly? If so, which do you use? Yes. I'm wearing contacts right now, but to pass the DMV vision test, I need my glasses.

When you hear your voice back on a recording, do you think it sounds awful? Yes.


When was the last time you got the hiccups? A couple weeks ago.


If you had to, which record would you go into Guinness World Records for? Most time spent on Farmville 2



The last sweet thing you ate: What was it? A dark chocolate bar from Trader Joe's


Do you have a middle name? Yes.


Do you find it embarrassing? No

Who's a good girl?

That would be Charlotte! We went to the vet this morning and she got three shots: rabies and upper resp vaccinations and a shot of cortisone for her allergies.

For all her massive diva behavior at home, she is freaking terrified of the world outside this condo. So today -- the carrier, the cab rides, being handled by a stranger and those three shots -- was especially hard for her.

She got a clean bill of health, except that she probably should get her teeth cleaned this winter and she lost 2 lbs. It might be the better quality catfood they're all eating now. Or she might have the beginning of a thyroid problem. (Another reason for her to return come winter time.)