Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Believe

1) In 1998, Cher became the oldest woman to top the Billboard Hot 100 with "Believe." She was 52 at the time. At what age do you think you did hit/will hit your prime? Looking back, I liked my mid-late 30s. I was still in very good shape, I was seeing some very nice men and my career was finally taking off.

2) Cher is as well known for her outrageous outfits as for her singing. What's the latest piece of clothing you added to your wardrobe? A wine-colored sweater with a deep v-neck from Kohl's. I was originally attracted by the price, which was $7.99. When I got home and peeled away one yellow sales sticker and after another, I saw that it had originally been $98. It wasn't worth $100, but it's a bargain at less than 10% of that.

3) Cher credits her unique looks to her diverse ethnicity. Her father was Armenian and her mom is English/German/Cherokee. From where did your ancestors come? I'm German and Irish, which accounts for both my pale skin and my stubborn streak.

4) When she was a little girl, Cher produced and starred in a schoolyard production of Oklahoma. Were you involved in drama or theater in school? Nope.

5) Cher is open about her plastic surgery, speaking freely about having had her breasts 'done', her nose bobbed and her teeth straightened. If you could change one physical feature about yourself, which would it be? And what would you never change, under any circumstances? I'm not crazy about all my chins, so if there was a safe and inexpensive way to fix those, I'd consider it. (Wait, is that Debby Boone I hear? What IS a "Lifestyle Lift" anyway? Is there a scalpel involved?) I have pretty green eyes and a nice nose.

6) There's a stubborn rumor, often denied, that Cher had a rib removed so that she could maintain her long and lean silhouette. What's the most outrageous thing anyone has said of you? Somehow by changing jobs I went from being a slut who slept with every male coworker to a lesbian. I wish I was having as much sex as Rumor Mill Gal gets.

7) When she was a kid, Cher practiced her autograph. Do you have a clear, legible signature? Or is it more of a scrawl? My handwriting is the prettiest thing about me.

8) Cher asks, "Do you believe in life after love?" Crazy Sam's question is easier and less profound: Do you believe in luck? Yes.

9) Did you make any resolutions for 2014? Eat less. Move more.

Is 2014 the Year of the Happy Friend?

My oldest friend moved to California three (or is it now four?) years ago and has had nothing but bad luck. Fired from three jobs. Her oldest son was robbed at gunpoint and then, in a completely unrelated incident, had to spend the night in jail. Her daughter has had emotional problems and quit going to school, which brought the law to her front door yet again. She broke her elbow and has required multiple surgeries and much physical therapy.


Oh yeah, and before leaving for Los Angeles, she abandoned her suburban Chicagoland home, resulting in a major blow to her credit rating.

The much-adored cousin she moved 2000 miles to be near has been no support whatsoever. This has left her feeling worse than vulnerable. She's disillusioned and abandoned, too.

Until Now! I hate to jinx it, but I think I feel comfortable saying her life is finally turning around.

•  A good job. Her fifth since she's been out there. (The Los Angeles economy has to be much, much better than Chicago's!) And so far, they seem very happy with her. Yea!

•  $14,000. The place where she was employed when she fell and broke her elbow finally ponied up with a settlement that will pay off her medical bills and maybe leave enough for a down payment on a much-needed new car.

•  A nice boyfriend. Regular readers will remember "Archie Bunker," the former sportscaster that my friend dated briefly and was so smitten with. He was angry and insensitive and an all-around ass. Through the website Christian Mingle she met a lovely man, not as "glamorous" as Archie, but very good to her.

•  Her kids. They're still all drama/all the time. But her son (now 23) may be finally be preparing to leave her nest. The first step is paying to get his car fixed and drivable. Then he hopes -- sometime in 2014 -- to move out and share an apartment with a friend. He has anger issues and the sooner he's out of there, the better.

She is a funny, warm person and deserves to be happy. I hope 2014 continues to bring her victories, large and small.

3 days

That's how long it's been snowing off and on. I don't know how much has fallen, but it's a lot. Yet it's not an epic storm, like 2011's SNOtoriousBIG. No schools have closed, no drivers have been stranded on Lake Shore Drive. Just lots and lots of the white stuff. Enough snow and cold to make me grateful for the city's network of pedways and my own stocked larder.*

In short, it's winter in Chicagoland.

At least it's gotten people off of Obamacare and that ignorant douchebag from Duck Dynasty. Sometimes I think Mother Nature just does stuff to make us recalibrate when we get too far away from what really matters.

*So I don't need to venture out into the elements for the essentials (Coke, cat litter and Bailey's Irish Cream).

Saving Mr. Banks

How I loved this movie! The story of how P. L. Travers' book made it to the screen was tailor-made for me.

I've mentioned several times that Mary Poppins is the first film I ever saw on the big screen and it ignited my lifelong love affair with going to the movies. I remember the big, heavy red curtains opening to reveal the rooftops of London. And that was when the magic started. Mary Poppins slid up banisters, went to tea parties on the ceiling, jumped into a chalk painting, and descended from the skies holding an umbrella with a talking parrot handle.

We saw it as a family downtown, which was a huge ass big deal at the time. The Loop was only a half hour away from our suburban home, but my father was allergic to making the drive. The city offered too much traffic, too much diversity. And yet I wanted so badly to see it. The commercials and promotions during Wonderful World of Disney had enchanted me. I was one obsessed little girl, and so my parents went out of their way to make the movie happen and give me such an important memory. (Of course, my dad -- being my dad -- had to make it toxic. It had started to rain and he was upset that there was no parking available in front of the theater. I had caught sight of the marquee and had begun bouncing around in excitement. For once my enthusiasm trumped his negativity.)

So the slow, inevitable reveal that P. L. Travers felt Mary Poppins, the magic nanny, arrived at the Banks home not to rescue the children but instead their father had real resonance with me. I wish my father had enjoyed his family more, had enjoyed his life more. I admit I cried more than once during the conversations about the "Let's Go Fly a Kite" number.

Then there's the character of Mrs. Travers herself. She reminds me so much of the cousin I visited last month in Tampa! So little interested her, so little made her happy."I couldn't care less" was the phrase she snapped out over and over and over again.

I don't want to end up like my dad or my cousin. I want to hang onto to my warmth and humor and humanity.

Maybe I need to fly a kite.

Starting anew by looking back

Let's look back on Christmas 2013.

The opening salvo was a celebration at Miller's Pub. Under the el tracks, this Chicago institution has been run by the same family since the 1930s. It's all dark wood and signed photos of celebrities. I don't remember what I ordered, but I had a side of mashed potatoes which was really good. Anyway, it was Mindy and her husband and me and John. I've known Mindy and John for (gulp!) 32 years, and they knew one another before I came on the scene. I see John often and talk to Mindy regularly, but John and Mindy are seldom in contact, so I was the hub. Mindy and Alan gave me this lovely "gratitude bracelet." It has four beads, and whenever I put the bracelet on I should assign something I'm grateful for to each of the beads. I think it was my favorite present this year. I felt bad that I got annoyed by what a snob Alan can be. I mean, here are people who are happy to see me, and brought me a really nice and thoughtful gift, and I'm biting my tongue. I must stop being so judgmental. I've really got to work on that in 2014.

Then on Monday, it was off to Key West. Flight down -- through Tampa -- was very uneventful, 

which left me grateful and relieved. The hotel was wonderful! In addition to a nice, clean little pool, I had my own patio with a view of the sweetest little coy pond. They also had a happy hour every night, with free hors d'oeuvres. The Swedish meatballs were a mistake. I spent the Christmas Eve service worried about ... intestinal distress. Still, it was a lovely Christmas Eve. I was worried that no hope for a White Christmas would make me sad. But no. I was good with starting the day with a dip in the pool and ending it dangling my sandals at the bar. As long as I can gaze upon a Nativity scene and sing carols, I've got my Christmas.

Christmas Day we went to the beach so my pedi could dip into the Atlantic Ocean. Then we exchanged gifts -- I got a trio of Key West t-shirts, one I'm wearing now as a nightie. Then we ate outdoors, which is certainly a Christmas Day first for me, and watched the boats at the marina. The dinner was so big I left with a doggie bag. Fortunately my hotel room had a microwave, so I finished my Christmas dinner for lunch the next day on my little patio table, looking at the coy pond.

I was on my own on the 26th, since both my friends had to work. I went to the Truman White House. It was only my second time there and my first this century. How I love my Presidential history! I loved being in the house where JFK met with Prime Minister MacMillan and seeing the desk where Truman signed the order to desegregate the military. The Carters and Clintons have also stayed here, post-Presidency. I also enjoyed wandering around the surrounding neighborhood, aka the Truman Annex. I must remember to return there next year. I really, really enjoyed it.

Then I came home. (This time through Ft. Myers, also a very easy trip.) I arrived Monday night and left Friday afternoon and that was just long enough. One of my friends was really getting on my nerves. Shame on me, I know, because he was so welcoming and loving. For more than a year he's been working on a novel. It's not to my taste,  but his heart is in it and so I've been reading it and helping him with the editing. As have two other women and his writer's workshop. It was monumentally annoying to me to hear how he ignored most of my suggestions. And not just mine -- he's blown off just about everyone he's asked for advice. First of all, why solicit advice if you're not going to listen? And secondly, he's never been published. What makes him so sure his work cannot be improved upon? But, it's like my reaction to Mindy's husband the previous Sunday. I let comparatively small things burrow too deep under my skin. It serves no good purpose except to make me unhappy. Stop judging, Gal! STOP! Give people a break!

Monday I celebrated Christmas with my niece and nephew. It was fine. They liked their gifts from me and their presents to me -- an umbrella from her and a pedicure set from him (his first-ever trip to the cosmetics aisle!) -- were appropriate and thoughtful. My niece's boyfriend was getting on my nerves. He kept whining about the time change (just an hour; I mean, really!) and referring to his iPad for local news from Michigan instead of participating in our conversation. I was very proud of my gift to him -- a framed antique postcard from the hometown he loves so -- but he rather blew it off. So in all, I was happy to get out of there. And again, shame on me! He's her boyfriend, after all. She loves and he's very good to my nephew. Why am I always such a bitch?

Well, that's most of my update. Gonna take a break now and work out my resistance cords. It's a new year, after all, and it's time to take my annual stab at being healthier!

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: New Year's Reflection


1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year?  The best was nothing bad. I look back and am grateful for a good report from my mammogram, safe air travel, no serious illnesses for me or my loved ones (furry or otherwise). I feel fortunate for all of it.


2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened? Reynaldo's health/behavior

problems. I've always been a devoted pet owner, but the amount of time, care and money this little beige demon extracted from me was really ridiculous. It was as though this little guy was my avocation in 2013! (He's curled up like a little fur shrimp right next to me as I post this.)

3. What was an unexpected joy this past year? My movie Meet Up group. I didn't expect to enjoy it so much. It's great to see the classics from decades gone by on the big screen with fellow movie lovers.

4. What was an unexpected obstacle? The ongoing worry about my employment status. I'm feeling rather confident right now. But, with advertising being as it is, that probably means the axe is gonna fall.
  
5. Pick three words to describe 2013.  State of flux

6. What were the best books you read this year? My favorite was Johnny Carson by Henry Bushkin. Maybe it's a Baby Boomer thing, but I can't get over how powerful and pervasive Johnny was for a very long time and then, POOF, he's gone from the public consciousness. (Also, it was fun to learn that "Bombastic Bushkin" of Johnny's nightly monologs was a real person.)


7. With whom were your most valuable relationships? I treasured the long-standing ones most. I've known my Oldest Friend since Kindergarten, and John for more than 30 years. The friends I spend Christmas with in the Keys have been in my life since the 1990s. I really am blessed in this regard.

8. What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year? This has been the first full year without my mom, so it's been a time of healing and building new traditions.


9. In what way(s) did you grow emotionally? I ended therapy last spring. I am tending to myself now. Reminding myself to move on when the toxic, angry, unproductive thoughts take hold.

10. In what way(s) did you grow spiritually? "We are the clay, you are the potter, we are all the work of your hands." It's a Bible verse I return to time and again when I feel myself becoming judgmental. We are each as God created us. We each have our own relationship with God. It's not up to me to remake anyone.


11. In what way(s) did you grow physically?  Ha! I discovered this year that I now weigh more than Abraham Lincoln did. Most of that is around my middle.



12. In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others?  See Question #10. I'm working on being more accepting. I work on it every day.



13. What was the most enjoyable part of your work?  Every now and then I hit it out of the park. That's good because I like and admire our client and enjoy helping them move their business. I also like writing the first draft of anything. I admit I get bored when the revisions come through. But I enjoy the writing.


14. What was the most challenging part of your work? Worrying about being let go. I'm an old broad and advertising is a young person's industry.

15. What was your single biggest time waster in your life this past year? Farmville 2! In fact, this could be the second year in a row when this is my biggest time waster.

16. What was the best way you used your time this past year? Paying closer attention to money.

17. What was biggest thing you learned this past year? Patience! I'm learning it, but have yet to master it.

18. Create a phrase or statement that describes 2013 for you. To borrow from the Lads from Liverpool, "I have to admit it's getting better, it's getting better all the time."

When the going gets tough ...

… the tough go to the movies.

I have so much blogging to do, so many emails to answer, so much housework to do, so many month-end bills to pay, that yesterday I did the only thing a girl could do: I fled. I ran to the movies and saw American Hustle.

David O. Russell could well be my favorite movie maker. I love the sensitive, eccentric alternate universes he has created in Silver Linings Playbook, The Fighter and now American Hustle. The performances are funny but masterful. The clothes and the music were both accurate and hideous (the 70s have to be the ugliest decade I have lived through). I had a fine time.

But the suitcases still have to be unpacked, crap still needs to be put away, and photos downloaded. But there's still time. And if it overwhelms me, I may run back to the theater. (Still need to see Saving Mr. Banks.)

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Baby, It's Cold Outside

1) How cold is it where you are? Not right now. 53º. Which is freakishly warm for December 28 and accounts for my windows being open, and my being able to hear the kids next door playing outside. I haven't seen the weather report, but I would bet this means snow tomorrow. We must be punished for this sunny warmth!

2) This familiar song was introduced in a 1949 film called Neptune's Daughter. (watch a clip here). Name another movie song. "It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog."

3) Who was the last person to call you "baby?" You know, I can't recall anyone calling me "baby."

4) This time of year is important to college football fans. Have you watched/will you watch any bowl games? Nope.

 
5)  Are you sad to see the holiday decorations begin to slowly disappear? Or do you think they should all come down right away? I'm still feeling a little Christmas-y, so I still like seeing the decorations.

6) Did you tell the truth about your weight on your driver's license, or did you shave off a pound or two? Neither. I just made up a number because weighing myself makes me sad. 

 
7) Crazy Sam swears that the Echinacea she takes every morning keeps her healthy. Her boyfriend tells her she's wasting her money. Do you take any herbal supplements? Nope. I take a multivitamin in the morning and up the Vitamin C if I feel a cold coming on.

 

8) The average restaurant in the US tip is 18%. Are you a generous tipper? I guess I'm an average tipper. I double the 9% sales tax, so I tip 18%.

 
9) This is the last Saturday 9 of 2013. Do you know the lyrics to "Auld Lang Syne?" Yes. Here is my favorite version from the Sex and the City movie. This, ladies and gentlemen, is why we have good friends. We take trains through the snow for one another and we may be alone but never lonely.

Sunday Stealing

A Christmas Meme


1.The Christmas song I can listen to even in June is... "River" by James Taylor.

2.Hot Chocolate, Egg Nog or Mulled wine? Hot chocolate

3.When do you put your decorations up?  Right after Thanksgiving

4. What are you having for Christmas dinner?  I don't know. I'm having my first-ever Christmas dinner with my friends and I'm joining in their tradition.

5.What is your favorite Christmas tradition?  Choosing my cards from the American Humane Association and getting them into the mail right after Thanksgiving.

My 2013 card

6. Have you ever gone Carol singing?  No. I'm tone deaf and don't sing in public.

7. When did you learn the truth about Santa?  I figured it out between first grade Christmas and second grade Christmas.

8. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?  No tree of my own this year, but my friends in the Keys have one. I'm thinking of bringing my new Chicago Cubs ornament to hang on theirs.

9. What's the best thing about Christmas?  The happiness and good will.

10. All I want for Christmas is... happy memories.

Saturday 9

Happy Holidays!

1. If you could ask Santa for anything at all, right now, what would it be? I know how busy The Big Guy is this weekend, so I'll make it easy on him. I'd like a $1,500 giftcard from American Airlines (it's the largest amount you can get for me online, Santa). I've got three trips planned for 2014, Mr. Claus, and this would really, really help. A giftcard fits under the door, so you don't even have to waste valuable time coming in. Don't bother with a gift tag. I'll know who it's from.

2. Are you currently on the Naughty or Nice list? How did you get there? I think I'm on the Nice list because I've worked at being more patient this year.

3. Are you traveling this Christmas? If so, are you going by car, plane or train? I'm flying to Key West through Tampa and from Key West through Fort Meyers. I'm hoping my connections go smoothly.

4. Did you buy yourself a gift this year? Yes. I finally got My Name is Barbra and My Name is Barbra, Two on CD. I bought these albums on vinyl decades ago and love them. I have downloaded favorite individual selections on iTunes. But there were still songs I didn't have. Amazon had them on sale for $6.99 each, so Merry Christmas, Gal!

5. What's your favorite holiday-themed movie or TV special? Have you seen it yet this year? Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol. I check around for it each morning but don't see it scheduled. I'll probably end up digging up the DVD and watching it tonight.

6. Which do you prefer: candy canes or gingerbread? Gingerbread. Love it, love it, love it.

7. Close your eyes and tell us the first carol that comes to mind. "… And so I'm offering this simple phrase to kids from 1 to 92. Though it's been said, many times many ways, Merry Christmas to you."

8. What's your favorite winter beverage? I like Bailey's. But not yet. Let's wait until afternoon before we start pouring.

9. What will you remember most about 2013? For me, this was The Year of Reynaldo. All of a sudden, my 9-year-old cat spun out on me. Peeing all over,
singing and screeching at all hours, alternating between demanding attention and being destructive. It

went on for months! I didn't want to get rid of him -- a return to the shelter would be so sad for him because, at his age and with his history, he'd be virtually unadoptable. After many trips to the vet for a series of shots, a switch to prescription cat food, and an herbal supplement, he's much, much better. He's still a little madman -- that's just the warp and woof of his personality. But now he's more peaceful, more comfortable and happier. He even sleeps every once in a while!

Holidailies -- Day 21

Today's prompt: Today is the winter solstice. What do you do to mark the occasion?

Well, I'm getting my last hair cut and color of the year. Does that count?

The Last Meeting of the Year

Thursday we had a meeting at our client's downstate offices. I presented six (count 'em! 6!) pieces of proposed creative. As expected, they chose two for April 2014. They seemed very enthusiastic about one and pleased (enough) with the other, so I think it went well.

Presenting on December 19 is never ideal. Everyone's head is more into Christmas than into work. That my client's chairman gave his annual holiday address in the building atrium right before my meeting just emphasized this.

Also, my boss had just given his own presentation -- which used up a ton of our resources and left me with the leftovers for mine -- on Monday. And it didn't go especially well. So I felt a bit as though I started behind the eightball. This added to the pre-meeting stress, but made it the mostly positive reception more satisfying.

I went down on Amtrak but came home in the car with my account team. The Chocolate Covered Spider drove. She told us all about her fractious family and how difficult her childhood was with an older half-sister who began partying and got pregnant very young. I'm glad to have heard these tales. They make Spidey's control issues more understandable. She's still always got to be "the good sister." Knowing this will probably make it easier for me to deal with her in the future.

Of course there's more. There's ALWAYS more.

My late mother's home sold at auction on December 9, so I thought the hassles about her reverse mortgage had to be over. I created a spreadsheet that cataloged the assets and debits, made copies of each receipt listed, carefully composed a cover letter and sent a packet off to each of my sisters -- first class mail and tracking. My heinous older sister's packet includes a check. (Of the $14000+ that was required to handle my mother's final expenses, she contributed $1000. Of that, she's getting $333.49 back.) According to USPS's tracking service, the package was delivered to Ms. Heinous at 3 PM today. So I should be able to sit back and say to myself, "Yea! It's finally over!" More than a year after her death, I can now think of my mother exclusively as my mother, and not as a legal entity, right?

Not right.

I got a notice from the IRS, saying that I owe $537 on the MetLife stock I deposited into my checking account when we collected on our mother's life insurance at the end of 2012. I'm not sure I do owe it -- in the past, whenever I have heard from the IRS, it has turned out that they were wrong and my accountant was right and it was resolved amicably and in my favor. But it has never been resolved quickly, and the IRS insists they need to hear from me by January 8. With the holidays, I didn't even bother to call my accountant, I just cut the check. According to the paperwork, I can always appeal it in the future.

The impossible part would be squeezing another penny out of my heinous older sister. If I do owe the $537, $179 is her fair share of the tax liability. Yeah, right. Life "fair share" has ever meant anything to her.

I have given up hope that this will EVER be over.

Holidailies -- Day 20

Today's prompt: Share your holiday crafting skills.

 

Well, there are my fabulous Christmas cookies, made with a great deal of love for my best friend. I was endlessly proud of them. It took several batches, but I finally got a dozen cookies that were absolutely perfect.

 

 

That Went Well

Yesterday's internal review, that is.

I had been dreading it. The meeting we're having with the client tomorrow is important, but the topic is completely within my wheelhouse and under any other circumstances I'd be enthusiastic about it.

But we're working with the Chocolate Covered Spider, and she likes to get all in my grill and change things not to improve them, but to bring me to heel.

I warned my boss that she just cannot do it this time. The team has been too busy on too many things and we simply do not have the resources to redo everything on Tuesday for a Thursday meeting. He promised to talk to her beforehand, and to attend the meeting himself.

He was as good as his word. He doesn't usually have my back, but this time I think he did.

Image courtesy of Ambro/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Holidailies -- Day 18

Today's prompt: Do you prefer your holidays to be white, or would you rather spend them basking in the sun? 

 

I'm spending Christmas this year -- and probably from now on -- in the Keys, so no more white Christmases for me. The notion makes me a little sad. Though I'm appreciating the snow we've received in the run-up to Christmas, which is helping me get in the spirit.

Holidailies -- Day 17

Today's prompt: Elf on a Shelf - adorable childhood tradition, or creepy stalker?

I admit I had no idea how popular this fellow was until just recently, when he made the front page of the venerable Chicago Tribune! (The Trib usually saves the front page for serious stories, or Da Bears.)

I don't see how Elf on a Shelf is any creepier than Santa. I mean, he sees us when we're sleeping and knows when we're awake and knows if we've been bad or good. And he keeps a list! Not only that, he teaches us that the reason to be good is not that being good is right, it's that being good is rewarded with stuff.

I don't mean to be coming down on Santa. I'm a big fan of the big guy! I just don't see how Elf on a Shelf is fundamentally different than his boss.

Moody, icky Gal

I'm not feeling very Christmas-y right now.

I squeezed in a day off and spent it on the futon with tummy trouble. Really, all I did today was sleep and ... er ... um ... never mind. Now it's 8:30 and my stomach is better and I'm freaking STARVING!

Then there's family. It's a loaded issue for me and I admit it's getting me down. With our mother's house sold, it's time for me to settle up with my older sister. I worked on the spreadsheet of debits and credits and organized receipts and wrote and rewrote the cover letter. Now that the dust's settled, she's getting about $350 of her $1000 back. (Yes, she pitched in $1000 to my $12000.) My mother had nothing, left us nothing, and my older sister has done nothing to help with the resolution of her final affairs. I don't know why I'm so nervous about closing the book on this. Even if I've done something wrong, we're talking about a discrepancy of hundreds, not thousands, of dollars. I just want this over and behind me! I've been too nervous about this for too long and I want to be rid of this stress. I just hope my older sister cashes the check without argument so we can move on.

And I'm upset about my oldest friend's family, as well. An only child who lost both her parents, she moved 2000 miles to California to be near her only living relative, her cousin Sharon. And yet Sharon hasn't been very supportive to my friend at all. Sharon "postponed" celebrating my friend's 12/11 birthday into a combination dinner with Christmas on 12/21. Yes, Sharon's spending Christmas with her husband's family and my friend's not invited. (My friend will be spending Christmas with her children -- but they're part of why she needs support from Sharon.) This is the tip of the iceberg. I could do a whole post about the problems and critical junctures Sharon wasn't there for over the last three years.

And there's my best friend. He's very close to his young nephew. The kid is 10 this year. When his sister/brother-in-law divorced, my friend ended up spending a lot of time with the boy. Well, now his sister-in-law is involved with a new man and she wants her son to start new traditions with his "new family." My best friend misses the boy profoundly, especially now that his own daughters are both growing up and don't exhibit that childlike delight on Christmas morning anymore.

So I'm sad that the Norman Rockwell ideal isn't alive and well in my heart and in the households of so many of those closest to me. (Including me.)

Holidailies -- Day 16

Today's prompt: What is something you did / experienced for the very first time this year?

 

This is the first year that I haven't waited, not even for one minute, in line at the post office. I bought my poinsettia stamps and mailed my first gifts from The UPS Store. My second round of gifts were sent from the post office, but I used that self-service kiosk. I have to go to the post office today to put my mail on vacation hold, but hopefully that won't be too painful.

 

It's too bad that my trips to the post office have been marked by inefficiency and (worse) rudeness. But the upside is that The UPS Store is usually open and offers may of the same services.

 

Holidailies -- Day 15

Today's prompt: What do you miss most from your childhood holidays, now that you are an adult?

 

The wonder and anticipation and delight that come from truly believing in Santa. How did he know? How did he manage to get it to me? Miraculous!

 

 

Sunday Stealing

The Blerp Meme

When you get a headache do you take painkillers right away or try to wait it out?  I take painkillers right away because if I get the naproxen dose right, I can avoid a migraine. And migraines are soul crushing.

 Is there a really funny YouTube video you’d like to recommend to me?  No. Sorry.

Did you watch Sesame Street when you were little?  Yes. I can still pronounce the entire alphabet as a word, courtesy of Big Bird.

What’s the last thing you touched, other than your computer?
  Bottle of ginger ale.

When was the last time you talked to your best friend?
  It's been a while.

How often do you listen to music?
  Every day.

What color is your cell phone?  Silver and navy.

What is the last non-alcoholic beverage you drank? The aforementioned ginger ale

Do you like to wear sweatpants?  Not especially. Though I wore them Saturday. They're unfashionably short with my boots and consequently worked well in the snow.

What song are you currently listening to? Who sings it?  A lot of carols. I'm listening to Michael Buble a lot this season. Especially "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)."

Have you ever gotten a black eye? No. I have suffered a fat lip a couple times, but no black eyes.

What caused it?  No black eyes. I'm sorry.

How many times have you checked up on your ex?  I have one that I cyber snoop on periodically. He is a good man and I hope his life is happy.

If you had to get a tattoo what would it be?  Hmmmm .... I don't think I want one at all.

How many tabs are open right now?  Four

Are you scared of needles?  No.

Do you believe love can last forever?  Yes

Are good-byes easy or hard for you?  Depends on the situation

Would you rather sing or dance?  Neither, but thank you for offering.

Feeling Fortunate

My friend in the Keys sent me a photo of "our" Christmas tree, the one I'll be celebrating around on December 25. It was a thoughtful gesture. While I've rung in more than a dozen New Years with them, this is our first Christmas together and it was very sensitive of him to go out of his way to make me feel welcome.

When I was a kid, I watched As the World Turns with my mom. The characters at the center of the soap, the Hughes family, always had everyone in Oakdale over for Christmas dinner. I realize now it was a plot device so the writers could update us a long list of characters in short order. But as a child, I thought having a Christmas like that would be cool. Our family Christmases were all so full of tension. The Hughes dinner table was filled with a variety of happy people from all walks of life, laughing and enjoying one another.

In a way, that's the Christmas tradition I find myself building now, for the last decades of my life. It makes me happy.