This just in

View from the intrior

C. difficile. That's what I have, and have been battling for four weeks now. It's a pretty common infection … in people who are on antibiotics or have been in the hospital. Since I'm not on antibiotics and haven't been in the hospital in years, it's unusual that it took hold so tenaciously with me.

Oh, well. Tonight when I get home from work, I'll pick up a med called Flagyl and in a week (10 days tops), I'll be better.

And really, all things considered, I've been lucky. While my case is lasting longer than most, I suffered no fatigue, no vomiting, no fever, no chills.

Hopefully, my looooong and literally gut-wrenching battle will soon be over.

A moment in time

A long, long time ago, in the 1980s, I dated a completely lovely man. We shared a lot -- we both love movies, we could both recite dialog from Monty Python's Flying Circus, we were both politically involved (and it wasn't easy for liberals like us to keep our spirits up during the Reagan years). He was tall and had really great hair.

But I didn't love him. He seemed a little too wimpy for me when I was into partying and coke and bad boys. So I threw him over for a much better looking, more charismatic and far more tortured bastard who broke my heart and was, without a doubt, the worst thing that ever happened to me.

I've remained in touch with the completely lovely man for all these years. I'm proud to report that I've been invited to the graduation ceremonies for each of his children and his wife and I are Facebook friends. This year's Christmas card included a photo of their first grandchild.

There are times that I wonder about the path not taken. What if I'd stayed with the completely lovely man and threw over the bastard? Would I now be a happy Wisconsin grandmother?

No. I might be a Wisconsin grandmother, but I wouldn't be a happy one. And he wouldn't be happy with me, either. Because I didn't love him.

Why am I writing about this today? Because I heard that Glenn Frey has died. He wrote and performed a song that was popular at the time, "The One You Love," and expressed exactly how I was feeling in those days. Hearing that song reminds me that I made neither the right nor the wrong choice because I had no choice at all. I didn't love him.

"Are you gonna stay with the one who loves you, or are you going back to the one you love?" The song captured that moment in time, and I'll always be grateful to Glenn Frey for exquisitely putting words to my feelings.

So I guess it's HIllary

I watched the Democratic debate last night and was very proud of my party. Proud to be a liberal. Happy to know I could easily vote for any of the three on stage last night.

Despite my respect for Bernie Sanders and the way he, like Gene McCarthy, has touched the hearts of the young -- I love, love, love listening to my 15 year old nephew rhapsodize about Bernie -- I'm ready for Hillary.

No, I don't especially like/trust her. I never have. But she's smart. She's capable. And she gets the gun issue. Bernie doesn't. Maybe it's because, as he keeps telling me, he's from a rural state. I live in a city awash in guns. Chicago doesn't have time to wait for Bernie to evolve to where Hillary and Obama already are.

Also, I like winning and one thing Democrats have on our side is demographics. I don't see us being able to take advantage of that with Bernie Sanders at the top of the ticket.  Perhaps this is anecdotal, but every one of my friends of color views Bernie with deep skepticism. He's simply not connecting. Again, maybe it's the rural/urban divide. I know the gun issue, combined with what sounds like lukewarm support for Obamacare (and, by extension, Obama), hurt him among my Black and Hispanic friends. At any rate it will be hard for him to reach 270 Electoral Votes without Chicago (and as goes Chicago, so go IL's 20 votes). I don't imagine Los Angeles is all that different from Chicago in this regard. California has a whopping 55 Electoral Votes.

This is how we win

(Of course, the GOP might be suicidal and actually nominate Trump, which means everyone who isn't both white and crazy will be out to vote Democratic. But we can' t count on that.)

If Bernie Sanders becomes my party's nominee, I will open my wallet and my heart to him. I'll phone bank, too. I won't feel I've horribly compromised my ideals. I'll proudly wear my "I VOTED" sticker. After all, Clinton/Sanders/O'Malley agree on much, much more than they disagree on, and this is too important to be childish.

But I hope it's Hillary I'm sending money to and phone banking for. Because I hate gun violence and love winning.

Ick

So I used my stool sample kit this evening. I hope to use it again tomorrow morning. I hate this.

First of all, my cat Joey decided he had to help me as I was doing this. Since 2001, when we first moved to this condo, he has eschewed the bathroom. And yet tonight, he had to be with me every moment. Rubbing up against me, giving me loving head bumps. This made a disgusting process even messier.

Secondly, I truly thought I was better this morning and that this wouldn't be necessary. I have been caroming between diarrhea and constipation and this morning the latter was in evidence. So I had my normal weekend breakfast and a regular dinner ... and than at about 8:00 my gut exploded. Damn. Damn. Damn.

Oh well, hopefully by tomorrow noon I'll have collected enough evidence for my doctor to reach a conclusion about what's going on with me. And hopefully it's something she can treat with just antibiotics.

Sunday Stealing

Why Do You Want To Know That Meme, part four

76. What is the best advice you’ve ever been given? Re: office politics. "Don't listen to what they say. Watch what they do."

77. Is it easier to forgive or forget? Forgive

78. First mobile phone? I don't remember much about it, except it had an antenna. It got very bad reception if I didn't extend the antenna.

79. Strangest dream? It's the dream I had way back in 2007. It involves an old lover, a steakhouse, and Frank Sinatra.

80. Best dream? I used to have vivid, romantic dreams about David Addison. Recalling this makes me want to dig out those Moonlighting DVDs.

81. Who is the smartest person you know? Different people are smart in different areas. Recently, when I was wrestling with a professional issue, I was impressed by my friend Kathleen.

82. Who is the prettiest person on you know? I have a former coworker who is completely darling. Not only is she very pretty, she is kind and very, very successful -- both professionally and personally. I love how she accomplishes everything she sets out to do, because she's so pretty, inside and out.

83. Do you miss anyone right now? Yes

84. Who do you love? Why? Right now, my friend John is #1 on my hit parade. Because he was so thoughtful this weekend, enduring (and perhaps even enjoying) the Cubs Convention, just for me.

85. Do you like sharing? Depends on what I'm asked to share.

86. What was the last picture you took with your phone? My cat, Joey. I had been so apprehensive about leaving him alone when I went out of town over Christmas. When I got home, I sent a photo of him being all happy and healthy to the friends who had patiently listened to me worry.

87. Is there a reason behind everything that happens? No

88. Favorite genre of music? Pop

89. If you had one word to describe yourself, what would it be? Autonomous

90. Describe your life in 5 words. Messy, quiet, nowhere near done

91. Craziest thing you’ve ever done? I had a vacation fling with a guy I met in San Francisco. I just met him and knew I'd never see him again. And yet ... sigh. It was fun and exciting and very not like me.

92. First three songs in your favorite playlist?  "Just a Little Lovin'," "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" and "I'd Rather Leave when I'm in Love." All Dusty Springfield.

93. Are you more creative or logical? Creative

94. Would you rather lie or hurt someone with the truth? Before I can answer, I need more information.

95. What are you most proud of? My aforementioned cat, Joey, is 20 years old. He's had health problems over the last year, but he's still here. Still affectionate, still rather lively. Someone else threw him away 17 years ago and I took him in and have given him a good life. He is not my first rescue. I am proud of the care I've given little furry souls that others people treated as disposable.

96. What personality trait do you admire in other people? Authenticity

97. When you imagine yourself as really, really relaxed and happy, what are you doing? Watching the Cubs

98. How do you usually start a conversation? Depends, of course, on the situation. But I've had a lot of success with, "What's the first record you bought and the last concert you attended?"

Shame on anyone who applauds this

99. What is the best news you could hear right now? That the good people of Iowa and/or New Hampshire have made Trump, to borrow his phrase, "a loser." I'm still staggered and disheartened that a man who openly mocked a reporter with disabilities is leading in the polls. I watched my favorite uncle battle Parkinson's for years and know how difficult it is for people who are challenged. It would be so nice if, as a country, we reconnected with our dignity and compassion and sent Trump from the national stage.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Let's Dance (1983)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, David encourages his partner to "put on your red shoes and dance." When did you last dance? I don't even remember. Whenever it was, you're glad you didn't see it. I'm a terrible dancer.

2) Mr. Bowie recalled that he and choreographer Toni Basil developed a dance step now known as "the moonwalk" for his 1974 tour, nearly a decade before Michael Jackson performed "Billie Jean." Can you think of something you should have gotten credit for, but didn't? It happens at work all the time. Just this past week, in fact. I should be used to it by now, but it still bothers me.

3) Similarly, the band Roxy Music was upset because Bowie copied their "catsuit look" for his own stage wardrobe and made it famous. What do you usually wear, Monday through Friday? Jeans and a pullover of some sort.

4) David Bowie was particular about the aftershave he wore,

and one of his favorites was by Guerlain. Do you regularly apply cologne or aftershave? Always. Right now my favorite is called Exceptional. I like it because it's an uncommon, rather crisp fragrance.

5) In school, David's best subject was art. Think back to your own school days. In which class did you excel? English and American history.

6) In addition to art and music, David Bowie displayed a keen head for business, leaving a fortune of more than $600,000,000. Would you describe yourself as "good with money?" Tee hee. No. Emphatically no.

7) Bowie also appeared in a variety of movies from The Man Who Fell to Earth to Zoolander. Who is your alltime favorite movie actor? Oh, goodness! Cary Grant and Robert Redford. Judy Garland and Katherine Hepburn. Of today's crop, I like Leonardo diCaprio and Rachel McAdams.

8) One of Bowie's hits is "Life on Mars." If you had the opportunity to travel into space, would you take it? No! Too vast and too dangerous.

9) The creators of SpongeBob Square Pants are huge Bowie fans and were thrilled when, in 2007, he appeared in an episode. Sam suspects that she may be the only person who hasn't seen that cartoon show. What about you? Have you ever watched an episode of SpongeBob, start to finish? Aye, aye Captain!

Surrounded by my people

I am a Cub fan.

I was raised in the Lutheran Church, but I converted. I was also raised to worship at the baseball cathedral on Clark and Addison, and that stuck. I can't remember a time when I didn't love the Cubs.

And so, Friday and Saturday, I was delighted to attend the Cubs Convention. It was terrific to find myself surrounded by others who love them as much as I do, talking baseball even as the Chicago River is frozen solid.

I wore my grandmother's Ryne Sandberg jersey. I wanted to get a photo of Ryno and me wearing it, but alas, that never happened. I did sit in an interview room where he and Sweet Swingin' Billy Williams talked about making The Hall of Fame. It meant a lot to me to be there, in her jersey, because I know how much she loved him and how happy it would make her.

I also saw Jake Arrieta, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber and Kris Bryant, today's biggest stars. And manager Joe Maddon, who may be favorite person in the universe.

I was accompanied to all this by my friend John, who gave me this trip for my birthday. He was not as into it as I was, and at times that annoyed me, but I had to get over myself. First of all, he thought to deliver this to me, which was a big deal. Secondly, he was outnumbered. Even more than at the ballpark -- where you will frequently find yourself sitting near an out of towner who just wants to see Wrigley Field but isn't a real fan -- this sold-out convention is filled with fans. Real fans. Passionate fans. Fans like me.

He also said something very sweet to me. He said that the times in life he's laughed the hardest have been the times he's been with me. "You know, when your face hurts from laughing." And he said he that in addition to giving me this experience for my birthday, he wanted to spend the time with me. How cool is that?

Here's why I enjoy my annual mammogram

Because I'm elated when my doctor's office calls and tells me everything is just fine. And that's just what happened today. (Thank God.)

Thank you, Alan Rickman

I have often threatened my coworkers that we will make our client's deadlines, even if there's bruising or loss of blood, even if I have to call off Christmas.

This is not an original thought. No one has ever busted me, though, for stealing it from the inimitable Alan Rickman in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. If they haven't seen this film, it's their loss. For he managed to be a luminous villain in a completely average movie.



He was also Hans Gruber in Die Hard. I've seen that movie dozens of times, and always feel a little twinge of sadness when he falls to his death. Bruce Willis' John McClane is a hero that stays with us because he had such a charismatic, formidable foe.

So I'm going to miss Alan Rickman, and I'm grateful for the time I've spent watching his work.

My kingdom for a burger

My gastrointestinal tract is still rebelling. Which sucks. Every day I wake up and think, "This will be the day everything is fine!" And for more than two weeks, I've been disappointed.

I've been subsisting on poultry, crackers, soup, and rice. Oh, how I want beef! A nice, juicy burger with lettuce and cheese and thin-sliced pickles and lots of ketchup. Or a slice of deep dish pizza, gooey and cheesey. I want to wash it down with a chilled vodka and cran. But most of all, I really want a burger.

In the meantime, I'm going back to the doctor's office tomorrow. Not for a checkup, but to get the kit required to submit a stool sample. I'm disgusted by this. I'm sick of this. I want this to be done. Hopefully the lab will find discover something from my stool that was absent in my blood, and that's something that can be treated by an antibiotic.

Being sick is good for my budget

I've been eating a lot of soup lately. Mostly chicken noodle, occasionally chicken rice. (Never tomato; I hate tomato.) Always with Club Crackers. It's been my dinner of choice for almost a week now. Boring, to be sure. But very economical!

With this illness my food expenditures have certainly shrunk. Instead of my big,  Saturday morning coffee shop breakfast of Eggs Benedict or bacon and eggs, I had a spare, Sunday Belgium waffle brunch, no meat, which naturally cost less. I slipped away to the movies Sunday afternoon and had no sweets, not even Twizzlers.

I think I'm on my way back to healthy, but then I've thought that before so I have to take it slow. Over the last three weeks I've learned how important food is to me. My friend John is already worried that I won't be able to drink at this weekend's Cubs Convention. Naturally I'd like to have a beer (and, as the song says, peanuts and Cracker Jack), but not at the expense of my fragile gut.

I want to be better. I'm so tired of this. I really want to be better!

Sunday Stealing

Why Do You Want To Know That Meme, part three

50. What do you spend most of your money on? I spend too much on crap I don't really need. But I can honestly say that the biggest single bill I pay each month is my mortgage/assessment, and my housing costs are very reasonable for my budget.

51. Would you rather visit the past or the future? The past. I know I romanticize it would probably be disappointed, but I'd like to give it a try. (If I could come back if I wanted to.)

52. Favorite clothing store? Carson's. (It might be Bergner's or Yonker's in your neighborhood.)

53. What is the best advice you can give to those who are feeling down? This, too, shall pass.

54. How often do you think about your future? Does it scare you? I worry about getting old and sick. I watched my mom and my uncle go from healthy one day to very sick the next. OK, it wasn't that fast but it was fast.

55. What angers you the most? Bullies

56. When was the last time you got majorly angry? I wasn't happy at work on Friday. We have a new employee (not so new anymore; she started in the spring) and no one is training her and I have to clean up her mess.

57. When was the last time you got really sad? When I realized I was sick on vacation. No fair!

58. Are you good at lying? Surprisingly so

59. What foreign language would you like to learn? Spanish. Usted es un narcisista arrogante, el Sr. Trump. 

60. How many languages can you speak and what are they? Just English

61. How often do you go to parties? If you don’t, what do you do instead? Haven't been to a party, or even had a drink, all year. Instead I read, watch TV and fart around on the internet.

62. What books do you plan to read this year? White Collar Girl, by Renee Rosen. Sinatra: The Chairman by James Kaplan.

63. Do you have breakfast every morning? Usually I have something. Slim Fast or maybe some cereal. But I've been having tummy trouble lately.

64. Tell us a secret. "The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time. Any fool can do it. There ain't nothing to it."





65. How many concerts have you been to? Between 25 and 30.

66. Last hug? Amanda. She was suddenly transferred off our account and moved to another -- and, I suspect, toward the door, but I didn't want to tell her that.

67. Who knows you better than anyone else? Nobody knows all of me very well. Different people get different parts.

68. Baths or showers? Yes. Shower most mornings. Bath if I'm going to shave my legs or apply a mud mask.

69. Do you think you’re ambitious? Not anymore.

70. What song is stuck in your head? "Saturday Night Is the Loneliest Night of the Week." It's being played by the band in the background of this Fred Astaire movie I'm kinda watching. It took me a moment to recognize it, but now that I have it's burrowing into my head.

71. Countries you’ve visited? Canada, France, Switzerland (my favorite), Germany, Lichtenstein.

72. What do you most value in your friends? That they take me as they find me.

73. What helps you to sleep better? As I recall, romance used to help.

74. What is the most money you have ever held in your hand? A little over $7000. I had closed my account at Citibank and they were actually going to charge me for receiving my own money by check. This struck me as monstrously unfair, so I took it in cash. I was very nervous as I carried it up the street to Chase.

75. What makes you nervous? Carrying $7,000 cash.

Baby's First Uber Ride

I had a little tummy trouble (again!) and missed my traditional Saturday morning coffee shop breakfast. By the time I did a little grocery shopping and had my annual mammogram, the snow had begun falling in big, wet flakes. I just couldn't see hauling those bags of clothes to Goodwill on the bus. They'd be hard to handle and the clothes would get all wet.

And so I tried Uber. We have a good local cab company here, but there are places in the city where you can't just raise your arm and hail a cab. And so I downloaded the Uber app. Today was my initial run.

It was fine. It took 15 minutes for the car to get here, but it would have taken that long for a cab to arrive in the snow, too. It was nice to not have to deal with cash or a tip.

But I think that, for normal rides to and fro, I'll stick with the bus company or the local cab company. I like to support union labor.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Five O'Clock World

1. Think back to Friday. Did it fly by? Or did you find yourself checking the clock and wishing it was 5:00? This whole workweek went achingly slowly. It was my first week back after two weeks off, so I suppose that was to be expected.

 2. This song refers to the 5:00 whistle that signifies the end of the work day. What's the last whistle, alarm or buzzer you heard? On the train. There's a "beep-beep" noise and a recorded voice says, "The doors are about to close."

3. In the 1960s, the Vogues often appeared on TV variety shows to promote their record albums. Do you have the TV on now, as you answer these questions? Yes. It's a PBS documentary about scientists working on isolating some particle. I don't know shit about protons and supersymmetry, and I don't understand what they're looking for. But I enjoy their enthusiasm and teamwork. It's inspiring.

4. "Vogue" means "popular or fashionable." Tell us about something

I blame him

that you feel is in vogue today. Being politically incorrect. People say things aloud with a childish insouciance that they would have/should have felt guilty for even thinking a year ago. For example, right after Christmas I flew home from the Key West airport. It's got just one, tiny terminal and consequently no TSA Pre-Check row. As we were all putting our shoes and belts back on, this grown man said, very conversationally as though it was acceptable, "All this because of those damn towel heads." I've also heard adults dismiss people/things as "retarded." This is an unfortunate, ugly trend that I hope falls by the wayside, fast. Words can hurt, and this trend is making the world a more hostile, more painful place.

5. Vogue magazine reported that the big Fall/Winter trend was brocade. Describe the latest addition to your Fall/Winter wardrobe. I just bought these little Steve Madden boots, but mine are black. We've had a very mild winter so far, but I don't trust that our luck will hold and I want to be waterproof and ready.

6. Vogue editor Anna Wintour is such a difficult boss that disgruntled employees nicknamed her "Nuclear Wintour." What qualities do you think make a good boss? A willingness to walk a mile in his/her employees' shoes (or Steve Madden boots). The better a supervisor truly understands what the staff does and faces, the better the communication. And the better the communication, the better the relationship and the better the final work product.

7. Ms. Wintour was rumored to be the inspiration for the character of Amanda in the book and movie, The Devil Wears Prada. Did you receive any books or movies for Christmas 2015? Did you receive any gift cards that you then used for books or movies? I got this charmingly silly little book from my friend Kathleen. She tells me her husband picked it out for me, because this is where every one of my conversations invariably goes.

8. "Vogue" was also a dance, made famous by Madonna in her 1990 hit by the same name. Can you name another Madonna song?  "Take a Bow." It's a subtle and sophisticated break up song and she actually sings it quite well. I'm surprised by how much I like it, because Madonna has been making my skin crawl for decades now.

9. Random question from a Sat9-er: How organized are your clean clothes? (Stacked in piles, folded neatly in drawers, still in the dryer....?)   I love this question because it actually makes me sound neat and organized! As soon as my laundry is done, it gets folded and put away.

Still

This tummy distress is getting old.

I'm still bloated. My er, um, "output" is still unreliable -- nothing for days and then a strange combination of constipation/diarrhea. My appetite is erratic, as well.

But my energy is good. I'm no longer weak. I have no fever. I don't worry about urgency when I need to use the bathroom.

I just worry that this is the new normal. I lived like this for months at a time when I was in high school. At the time, I was diagnosed as having "colitis." I believe it was probably IBS. I would hate to return to those bad old days.

And they're going to be sleeping outside!

The next few days will be very wet, followed by a weekend that will be very cold. I have a pair of everyday flat-heeled boots that I've worn to a nub and am worried that they won't be waterproof enough to carry me through. So I went to DSW and dropped about $60 on a pair of completely serviceable Madden Girl Ruxbens.

On the way over, I came upon a young, fresh-faced young homeless man holding a very large, white tomcat. The cat was looking bored, completely oblivious to all the cars and foot traffic that comes with State Street at lunchtime. I put $2 in the man's cup and then tried not to think about them any more.

I am aware that homelessness is a major, oncoming problem that I can't fix alone. I understand that for every fresh-faced young homeless person I help, I will pass half a dozen more homeless people before I reach my destination.

But here's the thing: I know cats. And for that cat to be so comfortable in this kid's arms, even amidst all the hubbub, he has to be a good egg. So it's haunting me to think of those two, man and cat, outside in the wet and cold this weekend.

WWW.WEDNESDAY

WWW.WEDNESDAY is back! To participate, and to see how others responded, click here.

1. What are you currently reading? Cheap Shot by Ace Atkins. It's one of the more recent Spenser mysteries, so obviously it can't be written by the late Robert B. Parker. But Atkins is so good at writing in Parker's style that I feel like I'm still hanging around with the cast I've come to care for (Hawk, Z, Pearl and even Susan). Like Parker, he writes so affectionately about Spenser's Boston that I long to go back. I'm so happy to be with my old friends again that the plot almost doesn't matter. But it is pretty engaging so far. A football star's son has been kidnapped, and Spenser is working hard to get the youngster returned safely.

2. What did you recently finish reading? Brief Encounters by Dick Cavett. A series of essays and a collection of Cavett's NY Times columns. By turns entertaining (when talking about his career), poignant (reminiscing about his boyhood), and tiresome (yeah, yeah, yeah, so you went to Yale), it was a quick read. One thing I especially appreciated about it was the head-scratching amazement that Sarah Palin ever mattered. Well, I feel the same about Trump today. Hopefully someday soon he'll be just as irrelevant as the Alaskaradashian matriarch.

3.  What will you read next? Not sure

Damn near killed me!

Monday was my first day back to work and I stuck to the bland diet suggested by my doctor. One of the items on it, one of the few hadn't yet tried, was baked potato.

UH-OH!

Within two hours I was so sick. Sicker than I've been since the bug first hit. And at work, which is always especially embarrassing. I managed to compose myself -- without, I hope, anyone realizing what was amiss -- finish the day and get myself home. Where I promptly fell fast, fast asleep.

Yesterday morning, I woke up feeling all headachey and still weak. And there was something else, hard to describe. My gastrointestinal region just kept making itself known to me. It was twingey, I guess. Nervous about being on the train when the violent urge struck again, I went back to bed for a few hours, waiting until noontime to go in to make sure I was fine.

It occurred to me that the twingey feeling might actually be hunger -- eating has become so fraught with danger that I've almost forgotten hunger. So I had two bowls of Rice Krispies (no milk, doctor's orders) and went in. I was fine!

I had a grilled salmon filet for dinner -- plain, with nothing on the side -- and so far this morning, all is well. I've haven't had any, er, um, "solid evidence" that I'm OK, but I remain devoutly hopeful. I'd really like to be back to normal. I optimistically think that by this time tomorrow (Thursday), the only remnant of my illness is the snafu with the doctor's bill.

Bleh!

My tummy still isn't right. I'm headachey. A cold is beginning to kick in. If Downton Abbey wasn't about to come on, I'd curl up and take a nap right now.

The cruel thing is, tomorrow I have to go back to work. I DON'T FEEL GOOD!

I did something!

Of all my messy rooms, my den is the messiest. And unfortunately, I knew that my birth certificate was somewhere in there. I need that document because soon IL drivers' licenses won't be accepted by the TSA, and I'll need a passport just to fly from here to ... wherever I fly next. (Los Angeles? Williamsburg? Memphis? Boston? Atlanta?)

I found it. Yea!

Even better, while in there, I went through the closet. I'm parting with a lot of clothes. Most are going to Goodwill. I've set aside the better pieces for consignment. The middling pieces and the pieces that are for spring/summer are going to my sister and niece. I'm very proud of myself.

I was also happy to take stock of all the sweaters I never wore last year. The pullover I impulsively bought at Old Navy just before Christmas looks to be the only new addition to my wardrobe this winter, but it's the only thing I think I need.

Unfortunately, the room is still a hideous mess. I'll fill a bag of trash before I go to bed tonight. It'll barely make a dent. But I know I've done something and that knowledge makes me feel better.

Sunday Stealing

A nice, short little meme to start 2016.

This Year: 

A bad habit I'm going to break: Hmmm ... Nothing comes to mind. Not that I don't have any bad habits. I just haven't resolved to break any.

A new skill I'd like to learn: Maybe to be more tech savvy. I feel like the world is getting away from me in that regard.

A person I'd like to be more like: As always, my all-time idol, JBKO. She walked her own path and never explained, she never complained and somehow made a very painful life look effortless and graceful. She made strength look feminine. Hell yes, I aspire to be more like her.

A good deed I'm going to do: I'm going to find a good book or maybe some articles about Sen. Gene McCarthy for my nephew. He's a sophomore and so into Bernie Sanders. He's acing his history class, but his high school curriculum is all about ancient history. I think he would be fascinated by the parallels between 1968 and 2016, especially McCarthy and his unexpected army of young supporters. Encouraging his interest and faith in government is my good deed.

A place I'd like to visit: There are so many places I'd like to revisit: Colonial Williamsburg, Memphis, Boston ... If I'm not roped into another trip to Los Angeles this spring, I'm going to hit one of those destinations.

A book I'd like to read: Sinatra: The Chairman. It's the second part of the epic biography by James Kaplan. I loved volume one and gave myself this 992 page tome for Christmas this year. Can't wait to dive into it.

A letter I'm going to write: Let's emphasize the word "write." I'm going to do better about handwriting my correspondence. My cousin Rose has mentioned that I'm the only one who ever, ever writes to her and that receiving my letters means a lot to her. I could actually write to my friend in the Keys, too. My niece gave me notecards for Christmas, and I'm going to put them to good use.

A new food I'd like to try: I had macaroni and cheese with lobster last week and loved it. So now I am longing to try more and different seafood/pasta combos.

I'm going to do better at: Organizing my life! Sometimes I think I'm the most scattered woman on the face of the planet.

Getting ready for goodbye

 PBS Prime has been running Downton Abbey again from the beginning, and I've been watching, transfixed. It's the run-up to tomorrow's final season premiere. Sniffle, sniffle. I'm sad to see the Crawley saga come to an end.

It's been another day wasted, though. I went out for breakfast and tried eating a real meal. (So far, so good.) Then I watched some Downton, took a nap, did laundry, watched more Downton ... I believe I'd feel better about my life if I did something to clean this place up. And commiserating with Lady Mary isn't helping me accomplish that.

Saturday 9

Sleigh Ride

1) Have you ever ridden in a sleigh? No. We have a horse drawn carriage here in my neighborhood early every December to inaugurate the Christmas season (OK, it's probably to drum up holiday sales for the local businesses) and I always mean to take a ride in that. But ... As we Cub fans like to say, "Maybe next year."

Don't judge me

2) This recording is from Harry Connick Jr's best-selling CD, When My Heart Finds Christmas. This year, did you add any new holiday songs to your personal collection? No. I recently realized that I never got around to adding the Michael Buble Christmas CD to my playlist, and I bought it in 2013. So no new music for this gal until I organize what I've got.

3) Harry was born and raised in New Orleans, a city that seldom sees snow. Have you had enough snow to shovel so far this winter? Yes. Twice this week. The first was Monday, and it came down fast in sheets of slush. I like snow and cold, but this was too much even for me. Then on Wednesday morning, Mother Nature redeemed herself with big, white fluffy flakes.

4) Speaking of weather, Harry hosted a mini-series on The Weather Channel called 100 Biggest Weather Moments. Do you frequently check The Weather Channel? Not that often. I only care about the weather right here, and right now. They always seem to be talking about stuff like the upcoming impact of El Nino on the Bahamas later in the week.

5) Harry's mother was a very impressive woman -- a lawyer, judge and Louisiana Supreme Court justice. Tell us about someone in your family of whom you're very proud. My late uncle built an orphanage in Viet Nam. What began as a local family sheltering homeless kids in their house ended up looking like a school, with a classroom and a room of bunkbeds. It bothered him that so many of the children had been fathered, and abandoned, by American servicemen, so he did something about it. (In between trips to the jungle where he was shot at.) 

It's a long story, but he was drafted illegally back in 1964. Yet he went, did his duty and then some. Early in the 2000s, Parkinson's Disease robbed him of his independence. Since it was likely exacerbated by exposure to Agent Orange in Nam, it would have been nice if the VA had been of more (ANY!) help. I'll always be very angry by how he was treated. 

There are a couple of die hard Obama haters who play Saturday 9 every week and it might interest them to know that it was the George W. Bush era VA that let my uncle down. So please stop acting like these issues began with Iraq/Afghanistan and Obama. I have an ache in my heart that knows better. It's an institutional, systemic problem and our veterans deserve better than crazy partisan gridlock.

 6)  Happy New Year! Now that Christmas is over, are you done with holiday music and decorations? Or are you sad to see the holidays end? I'm sad to see it end.

7) The New Year's Eve fireworks celebration in Sydney, Australia is famous for coordinating pyrotechnics and music. Have you ever welcomed the New Year in another country? No. This year I didn't even welcome it here. I've had terrible tummy trouble all week and I didn't trust myself to not drink or overindulge at midnight.

8) Do you have any New Year's Resolutions for 2016? Not officially. I did such a bad job on last year's that now I feel bad ... and it's hard to get motivated when you feel like a failure. So I'm going to try to just face forward and do better in 2016.

The times of my life

9) Looking back on 2015, what surprised you? All the office drama! The departure of the Chocolate-Covered Spider, Long Tall Sally's short and tumultuous reign, my showdown with Christine the Mole, The Big Project ... Don't let anyone ever tell you that Mad Men wasn't realistic. Folks, to me it looked like a documentary series.