Please no!

I was watching the extra-innings Cub game last night, so I really had no idea how bad the situation in Dallas was until this morning. I am overwhelmed with sadness.

I want to state upfront that I like cops. I have never had an experience with the local, hometown police department or with the CPD that was anything but positive and respectful. In fact, just this morning a Chicago officer took my elbow and maneuvered me safely through the crosswalk on Michigan Avenue. He called me, "Darlin'." All I ever feel when I see a police officer is safe.

But Laquan McDonald happened. So did Sandra Bland. There's no excusing it. There's no explaining it away. (Yes, I know there are many other, and more recent instances, but these are the two that touch Chicago most closely so they are the two that concern me most.)

So I know that not everyone enjoys the rapport with law enforcement I do. This is a problem. A BIG PROBLEM. And it must be highlighted and discussed and fixed. Fast.

And this doesn't help. Douchebag former IL congressman Joe Walsh was tweeting like crazy last night. He worries enough about his future employability to delete these incendiary messages. But here's the thing -- he got "likes" and retweets. For crap like this (there were three altogether) ...

So I'm worried. Very worried. What this country doesn't need right now is Donald Trump, a man who encourages his faithful to rough up the protesters at his rallies. Who demonizes and divides. Who throws gas on the fire for his own personal gain.

We need a grown up as President. I was heartened to hear President Obama's measured and compassionate messages yesterday. But he won't be POTUS on January 21. So we need Hillary.

I don't especially like her, and never have, I've been awake since the 1990s, so I know her negatives.

But she's our last defense against Donald Trump. And she earned more then 3 million votes than Bernie Sanders, many from the disenfranchised people of color who feel the need to be heard. (Black votes matter, too.) So I sincerely hope Bernie Sanders is both wise enough and patriotic to endorse her whole heartedly and fast.

Otherwise, it's possible that Trump could (please no!) win in November, which would give people who tweet things like this, and "like" things like this, and retweet things like this, cause to rejoice.

It's not just me

CHICAGO -- The Cubs made All-Star history by becoming just the second team ever to have its entire infield start an All-Star Game.

Yes, we've lost 6 of our last 10 games. But we've still won more games than any other team in the league and are a full 9 games ahead of The Cardinals. 

That's why seven (7!) Cubs will be representing our fair city in San Diego. In addition to these five gentlemen, you can add Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester.

So glad that the rest of the country sees what I see in this team. Go, Cubs, Go!

The joys of fandom

The Cubs had a hellacious stand in New York against the Mets, but today they were back home where they belong and prevailed against the Reds, so I'm convinced we're back on track. Which gives me an opportunity to share two wonderful things about cheering for The North Side:



And if Kris Bryant isn't enough to delight you, let's take a long (very long and lean, too) look at the astonishing (quite astonishing) Jake Arrieta on the cover of ESPN's body issue.

Widening the net

I have decided I need more good girlfriends.

Kathleen and Mindy -- two women I've known for decades and have shared much with -- are dear to me but currently are not available. Through coincidence,* both of them are dealing with elderly, dying parents. Mindy's mother is in hospice. Kathleen's father had a massive stroke two years ago, one that he won't recover from, and she and her many siblings are working hard to keep him at home with their mother. This means these women simply can't hang out. I understand. Time with a dying parent is precious and they should take it. But it doesn't change the fact that they simply don't have time to enjoy frivolity with me.

So it leaves a void. My oldest friend is in California. Barb's life will necessarily change with her illness, recovery and retirement, and I don't know what that will mean to our relationship. Kathleen and Mindy are spending what free time they have with their ailing parents. I love my gay male friends a great deal, but sometimes I want to just hang out with the girls. So who will I meet for lunch and laughs now?

So I'm auditioning galpals. While not perfect, two candidates show promise. Yesterday I had lunch with Nancy. I worked with her more than a decade ago and recalled her then as being kind of a sad sack.  I'm happy to report that her demeanor was the result of a bad marriage. She's shed that husband, remarried, and is a new woman. In addition to her work continuing work in advertising, she is embarking on a second career in physical therapy for seniors. She currently teaches a couple classes a week at a local hospital! She got into this because of her father, who is dealing with a slow decline from Parkinson's. I love how she's followed her passion into a new career. She's also very smart about stuff I'm not smart about. For example, she gave me a lot of advice about our condo board and whether the elevator renovation is sensible or dubious.

But she's not funny. There's not a lot of joy in talking to Nancy. I don't think I laughed aloud once during our lunch. I said, "I know! Right?" quite often, but I missed laughing.

Then there's Joanna from my movie group. She loves old movies and Hollywood glamour like I do -- she told me she often streams TCM on her iPad as she dozes off to sleep. She was very happy to see me at last week's Meet Up, greeting me with a big "Hey, You!" and a hug, and I was touched that she missed me at the last several monthly screenings. She actually looks forward to my insights when we discuss the movies! For one so intimidatingly chic and elegant, Joanna is comfortingly ditzy about men and money. We've made plans to just spend a Sunday afternoon together later this month. I'm looking forward to it.

But I suspect Joanna may be leaving Chicago to return to New Orleans. I notice in conversation she refers to both cities as "home." Do I want to depend on someone and then have them move?

Oh well. Whatever happens, it's great fun to widen the net and broaden my horizons and welcome new people into my inner circle.

*Or maybe it's predictable as we age.

Blab, blab, blab

My friend from Key West and I talked ... and talked ... and talked. It was a relief and a delight.

We email back and forth often, but we haven't spoken since before Memorial Day. I'm so happy to hear that he's settling in to his new job at the local library. The paycheck is a bit smaller than the one he received from his work at the newspaper, but he's OK with that for two reasons:

1) The hours are consistent and stable, which is easier on his nerves, his sleep pattern and his relationship.

2) The benefits are so much better. His partner is still racking up the medical bills, and the new healthcare covers more than the old did, which puts a bit more budge in their budget.

He really enjoys the work, too. He was so excited that he scored a Kennedy biography for me. The library regularly purges books that don't get checked out. They sell them at a fundraiser. He found one that he knew I'd like and offered to buy it. His boss told him to just take it. I can count on finding it under the tree at Christmas.

And I love talking to him because he's such a good, warm and loving person. It makes me happy that he's in my life.

I'm obsessing

Between the bed bugs and the PI-IBS/c. diff combo platter, I think about two unsavory things far more than you do, two things that aren't often discussed in polite company.

Welts on my skin. Every time I have an itch, I race to the bright light in the bathroom and make sure I don't have a trio of flat, red marks in a zig zag pattern. I don't. I haven't since that I spotted that trio of bites on my left foot -- likely incurred in our infested laundry room -- over Memorial Day. But I worry. I spray my hems, my shoes and my bags with rubbing alcohol every time I enter my threshold. Just to make sure I didn't pick anything up in the hall. The canine inspection revealed no bed bugs in my unit. The visual inspection at the time of my preventive treatment showed no bed bugs in my unit. But I worry.

My bathroom trips. Are you familiar with the Bristol Stool Scale? I am. I consider it at least once a day. So far I haven't had a recurrence of the c. diff or PI-IBS, but recurrences are not uncommon. I'm seeing my GP for a regularly scheduled follow up on 7/11. She and I need to talk about whether I'm vigilant or silly.

I'm hopelessly low brow

Today's church service featured opera and opera music. This was to drum up awareness and support for a local opera company that works with at-risk kids in tough neighborhoods. The goal is to use the emotionalism of the music to inspire these teens to express themselves artistically.

It's a laudable goal.

But I simply hate opera. My mind was wandering all over the place as the soprano sang. If I have to sit through one of those solos, I want to be rewarded with Harpo Marx. That's how it happens in the movies, you know.

Sunday Stealing

The Controversial Meme

1. Would you try a recreation drug if all were legalized? Which drug are we talking about? Marijuana? Not interested in pot, legal or not. I used to like coke back in day, but it's too dangerous for this old gal now.

2. Are you happy that the U.S. Supreme Court once again upheld a woman’s right to abortion? Of course. What a woman does with her body is her own business. While I personally could never have an abortion, my reasons are all based on my religious faith. And if I may be corny this 4th of July weekend, one of the things that makes America great is the separation of Church and State.

3. Would our country cope any differently with a woman president? We're about to find out, aren't we?

4. Do you believe in the death penalty? No. Emphatically no. My dear friend John was on a death penalty case and the jury unanimously found the defendant guilty. Guess what. DNA proved the jury wrong. Thank God the truth came out in time. Dear reader, you have no idea what this did to John. All he did was his civic duty, and he ended up with a world of hurt and the feel of blood on his hands. It's not fair, it's not right, to put this onus on jurors. If the more vengeful among you insist on a death penalty, then it should be imposed at sentencing by a judge.


5. Do you wish marijuana would be legalized already? Don't much care.

6. Do you believe in God? With all my heart.

7. How do you feel now that same-sex marriage is legalized? Happy. Love is love.

8. Do you think it’s wrong that so many Hispanics are moving to the USA? This is a silly question. Are we talking about the Spanish? Portuguese? Cubans? Mexicans? Brazilians? Argentinians? Colombians? Peruvians? What's the proper term for immigrants of Ecuador? We should include them in this, too.


9. A 12-year-old girl has a baby… should she keep it? I need to know more before I answer this.


10. Should the alcohol age be lowered to 18? No.

11. Should the wars in the Middle East be called off? "Called off?" Were that it was so simple.


12. Do you believe in spanking your children? No.

13. A mother is declared innocent after murdering her 5 children in a temporary insanity case… what do you think? I need to know more before I answer this.

14. Would you want to prosecute someone for burning their country’s flag as a method of protest? If a native of Ecuador burns the flag of Ecuador, I couldn't care less.Why don't you rephrase the question?

Great moment in Cub fandom: Rick Monday saves the flag from being burned.

15. It’s between you and a person who is being kept alive (with NO hope) by life support machines… one has to die? Who? Me, of course. I like me.


16. Are you afraid others will judge you from reading some of your answers? I don't imagine that anyone who reads this blog will be surprised by any of my answers.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Battle Hymn of the Republic (1968)

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

This performance of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" is from Robert Kennedy's funeral. So this week, we focus on him. 

1) During WWII, when he was just 17, Robert Kennedy enlisted in the Navy. He was disappointed he was never involved in combat. Tell us about a time when you felt fate/circumstances kept you from something you wanted. First of all, I think it's a good thing that Bobby didn't see combat. I mean, consider his poor mom and dad! His parents had already lost their oldest son and their son-in-law in that war, and their second oldest boy (the future President) had his health severely compromised in the Pacific. They also serve who ride desks, Bobby.

OK, now to answer the question at hand: I used to think I wanted to marry the guy I spent my 20s with. I even daydreamed about what we'd name our first child (a girl). But that relationship was tempestuous at best, ugly at worst, and I'm always glad I didn't get what I then wanted. I think of that whenever I hear the Garth Brooks song, "Unanswered Prayers."

2) Bobby was trained as an altar boy and throughout his life regularly attended early morning mass. When is the last time you attended a worship service? It's been awhile. But I want to go this Sunday. I pray often, but sometimes it feels important to me to do it in a sacred place.

3) He may have been an altar boy, but he was no angel. During junior high he was suspended for punching a classmate. Who is the last person who made you very, very mad? My pervy old neighbor Walt, whose attention to me is most unwelcome. I have a right to relax in my own home, and it's hard knowing that at any moment he could rap at my door or slip another note into my morning newspaper. EW! ICK!
 
4) He had his first date when he was a senior in high school. Looking back, Mary Bailey Gimble told Kennedy biographers that she knew he had a crush on her and wondered why it took him so long to ask her out. Tell us about one of your early crushes. When I was very young -- maybe 4 years old -- our neighbors were a very friendly couple named Bill and Mary. Every few weeks, their grown son, Billy, would come home to do his laundry in their washer/dryer and wash his car in their driveway. I loooooooved him. He had shiny black hair and always wore black t-shirts in summer when he sudsed up his machine. He would give me the honor of washing his hubcaps, and would tell me that I was such a "happy helpmate" that he wanted to marry me someday. I believed him. Consequently I was furious when I was forced to attend his wedding to some hairsprayed bitch named Sandy. To her dying day, my mother loved telling the story about how sullen and angry I was all that day because the bride had stolen "my husband."

5) Bobby's wife Ethel is as bubbly and talkative as he was introspective and shy. He was organized, she's messy. While opposites may attract, do you believe the happiest marriages are between partners who are more similar than different? Oh hell, I don't know. I'm terrible at the relationship thing. Maybe because Billy dumped me and ruined me for all other men.

6) By November 1960, when he was 35 years old, Bobby already had served as legal counsel to two Senate committees and run his brother's successful Presidential campaign. He was looking forward to a quieter life teaching law but gave in to family pressure to become President Kennedy's Attorney General. Tell us about a time when you were at a crossroads. Who influenced your decision? I couldn't decide whether or not to buy a place. I knew it made sense financially, but I was scared. That's a lot of money to plunk down all at once. And the phrase, "30 year mortgage" almost gave me hives. So I went off by myself for a long weekend. I wandered around Hot Springs National Park and let the natural beauty clear my head. When I got home, I called a realtor. So I suppose Mother Nature influenced me.

7) In 1777, Colonists celebrated July 4 with the firing of cannons and muskets, followed by a public reading of the Declaration of Independence. What is your neighborhood doing to observe the day? There's a parade in the morning and fireworks at dusk.

8) The Revolutionary War still raged during that summer of 1777. General George Washington allowed his soldiers to celebrate with a double ration of run on July 4. Do you know anyone who is serving in the military this 4th of July? My oldest nephew is in the Navy, assigned to The Nimitz.
 
9) Celebrity chef Rachael Ray says she considers mini-hamburgers, or "sliders," the All-American food. What will you be eating this 4th of July? There's a salmon filet in the freezer. It would taste so good grilled and smothered in barbecue sauce.

 

Not amused

Sullivan's Travels is one of those classics that I've always wanted to see but somehow have kept missing. It's often referenced as Preston Sturges' signature film, his masterpiece. The AFI included it on their list of greatest films of all time. I knew the Cohen Brothers had developed their crazy popular O Brother, Where Art Thou as an homage to Sturges and this film.

Finally saw it this past week with my movie group.I  was unprepared for how dark this comedy got.

To those of you who, like me until Tuesday, are unfamiliar with the movie, here's the bare bones of the plot. Sullivan is the handsome young director of very popular comedies during the Depression. He yearns to do more serious work, dramas that will reflect the human condition in this country during hard times.

But, he decides, life by the pool in Beverly Hills is just too cushy. He can't portray the lives of the poor with any sensitivity until he moves among them. So he dresses up like a hobo (complete with bandana on the end of a stick) and begins to hitch across country. Maybe hop a freight or two.

The movie studio decides this is a delicious story for the fan magazines and sends a luxury bus after him, complete with shower and kitchen, for the publicist and secretary and studio executive that are taking down his every movement. Sullivan keeps trying to ditch them and not only keeps failing, he keeps ending up back in Los Angeles, as though the cushy life is somehow his fate. This part of the movie was biting and funny. I especially liked when Sullivan's butler tried to convince him that this was a wrong-headed, even offensive, pursuit. The "poor and needy" will likely consider Sullivan's adventure "as an invasion of their privacy, and quite rightly." But Sullivan is insistent.

One thing leads to another, as it will in these movies, and Sullivan ends up accepting the gift of ham and eggs at a Los Angeles (again!) diner from a failed actress who is only a little better off than he pretends to be. She's reconciled that her career is never going to happen and she's about to begin hitching rides back home to the Midwest.

Sullivan is so touched by her generosity that he admits who he is and promises to help her get a start in the movies. But he's also still committed to taking time off to see how the other half lives. She worries that he's so guileless and insists on going along.

Now the movie gets dark and never really lightens up much. There are soup kitchens, homeless shelters and even a chain gang.

I hated it.

It was well made, well acted and made me think. I appreciate all that, so I guess you could say I appreciated Sullivan's Travels.

But don't tell me a movie is a madcap comedy and then make me confront murder and deprivation and beatings and starvation and desperation. I was unprepared for the intensity, and wasn't in a good place emotionally to receive the message.

You wouldn't know it to look at us

Me and Marilyn. Marilyn and me. We do indeed have something in common.

I was so sad and rattled when I got home from work last night. I have so much on my mind these days. I just couldn't unwind. I made myself a screwdriver and felt nothing. I went to bed early -- about 10:00 -- right after the Cubs fell to the (hiss!) Mets.

I drifted away slowly and woke up with a start at about 3:00 AM. Reynaldo heard me and decided it was time for breakfast. When I disagreed, he began knocking things off my dresser. We compromised by me giving him and Connie a snack. So I'm in the kitchen and I'm very, very awake.

Not refreshed or relaxed. Just awake.

I tended a few Farmville crops and could still feel my heart beating out of my pajama top.

So I popped a Xanax.

I woke up naturally at about 10:00 AM. I never sleep that late! And I felt great. A little frustrated because I was going to both do laundry at the washeteria and head over to the vet today and there just wasn't time.

But I was amazed by how good I felt this morning when I finally awoke. I can see how people can fall into the habit of including a tranquilizer of some sort at bedtime.

Someone threw a bomb into the clown car

Came around the corner today, toward our cramped little four-people-in-an-office-designed-for-two space and saw telltale green and white packing boxes.

"Fuck," said I, ever eloquent,"Are we moving again?"

Two of my coworkers/officemates just stared at me blankly.

"Are we moving again?" I repeated.

"I was let go," the taller, skinnier coworker said, proceeding to put his personal belongings into his box.

"Me, too, and Charlie," said my rounder, friendlier coworker, referencing one of the few creatives who doesn't work in our cramped cubicle.

I started to sweat. "How did you find out?" I asked.

"Phone call," Tall said. I looked at my phone but didn't see the message light. I dropped my purse and computer bag and went looking for my boss. He was talking to AD.

"Do you want to talk to me about anything?" I asked.

"Nope," he said. "I mean, of course I want to discuss this with you. But it's done and it's over and this is as far as it goes."

So yesterday there were six of us on the team. Today there are three.

I'm comforted that I made the cut, and my boss said later it wasn't even "a close decision" as to which writers and art director he would keep. On the other hand, it's sad to see people over 50 lose their jobs. Round friendly coworker has a speech impediment, and is desperately uncomfortable with the thought of interviewing.

And it's nice to know that I'm not nuts. I mean, I knew something was up. I'm intuitive enough to sense the change in the political barometer, but not to understand what what it all meant.

But it's sad. It's disruptive. It's sobering to remember that, in advertising, it's more unusual to be kept than it is to be let go.

June Challenge -- Day 30

Click here to see what it's about

30. What do consider the best thing about starting a blog?

It's a real-time snapshot of my life. It reflects my real self, in all my wisdom and folly. I think it helps me be a better person.

Something that should give Bernie Sanders pause

As I watch Sen. Elizabeth Warren on the stump with Hillary Clinton -- and know Joe Biden and Barack Obama are just weeks away from joining Clinton on the campaign trail -- I wonder how relevant Bernie Sanders remains.

I know he still has his passionate supporters, but their numbers are dwindling. As well they have to.

I mean, can anyone truly say with a straight face that Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Elizabeth Warren aren't liberal "enough?" Or (to use Trump's word) "crooked" and just in the arena for their own self interest, to just continue benefiting from the status quo? Does anyone still think that if an indictment of Hillary was still in the offing, Syracuse law grad Joe Biden, U of C law professor Barack Obama and Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren would support her?

I don't dislike Bernie Sanders. I don't not support Bernie Sanders. After Philadelphia, I will work for the Democratic nominee. Because for me, it's never been about Bernie and Hillary. It's about:

•  Gun control*
•  The Supreme Court
•  A woman's right to choose
•  LGBT rights
•  Infrastructure**
•  Healthcare
•  Education
•  Poverty
•  Climate change
•  Stopping the "ludicrous tangerine ball bag"

So all this has got me thinking about Ralph Nader. When I was growing up, he was revered as the man we could count on to speak truth to power. Unsafe at Any Speed took on the auto industry. He helped establish the Public Interest Research Group. In Illinois, PIRG is a loud voice for smart transportation reform and food safety. Nader has been tireless in fighting to protect pensions and Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid.

He should be lauded as a liberal hero.

Except for his stubborn 2000 Presidential Campaign. Because of his quixotic quest, nearly 100,000 Floridians cast a protest vote for him. And George W. Bush won Florida -- and the Presidency -- by less than 600 votes. We can parse the theories as to whether the math holds up, and I know there are those who maintain Nader took as many votes from Bush as Gore. They may well be right. But here's the deal: Nader is no longer remembered first as a crusader. Now he's known as the ultimate spoiler.

Often -- perhaps even usually -- protesting feels soooo good. Being heard is a good, empowering thing. But sometimes by protesting, we find ourselves living the old "cut off your nose to spite your face" adage.

Vocal Sanders supporter (and former Clintonista) Robert Reich understands this and has said that both Bernie and Hillary are excellent choices: Bernie for the system we need, and Hillary for the system we have. The bad choice is Donald Trump.

I hope, for the sake of our country and his legacy, Bernie Sanders understands it.

*OK, maybe that means it has been about Bernie and Hillary.
**OK, so this is why in my heart of hearts I wish Biden had run.

June Challenge -- Day 29

Click here to see what it's about

29. What bit of advice would you give to your 8 year old self? 

I'd tell Little Gal three things:
1) Don't worry, as an adult you will never really need math.
2) Your best friend right now will be your best friend for life, so take care of her.
3)  Yes, Paul McCartney will indeed turn out to be the great love of your life.

The stuff of legend

Last night, Kris Bryant did something no major league ball player has ever done before. He went 5-for-5. With 2 doubles and 3 home runs. And each of those three home runs went to a different section of the upper deck.

That's some serious shit. He got a full house -- with his bat.

And with torn pants. As he slid into third base in the first inning, he literally let them rip. He intends to keep wearing the pants until they fall apart.

Can you see the tear?

June Challenge -- Day 28

Click here to see what it's about

28. What did you want to be when you were a kid, teenager, now? First I wanted to be a teacher. I think that's because it was one of the only jobs commonly held by women in those days. Then, during my That Girl period, I wanted to be an actress/singer, like Anne Marie. During Watergate, I wanted to be a crusading investigative journalist. When things at home became untenable, I decided to be a secretary so I could make enough money to move out.

I always wrote long letters, kept journals, noodled with novellas. So, when I was a secretary at Sears, and someone offered me the copywriter's test, it felt very natural and a career was born.

I wanted to prove I could be a creative director, so in that way I was like Peggy on Mad Men. I'm so sorry the show ended when it did. I mean, Peggy and I went through the secretarial pool together, stupidly fell into bed with men from work, had creative director/mentors and then became creative directors ourselves, and ... damn! No more episodes! Without Peggy, how can I predict what my next chapter will hold?

June Challenge -- Day 27

Click here to see what it's about

27. If you could turn into any animal for a day, which one would you pick? My cat Reynaldo. I got him when he was still a kitten, just 6 months old, so I know he's had a very comfortable life. I'd love to know what goes on in that mad little beige cranium of his. Sometimes he is so loving and sweet, and other times he seems so frustrated with me. Like something is compelling him to be naughty. If I could be him for a day, and see the world through his eyes, maybe I could make his life better.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The King of the Beasts Meme

1. Would you post a picture of you for us? Short answer: No. Longer answer: I don't pull a lot of punches on this blog because, to my knowledge, no one in my real, day-to-day life reads it or has traced it back to me. I'd like to keep it that way.

2. Would you date an 18-year-old at the age you are now? Oh, please! Of course not!

3. Do you prefer to work with women or men? Why? I don't think gender matters that much, as long as the men are Gen Xers or Millennials. I hate to say it, but Baby Boomer men can still be very Don Draper. And I don't mean that in a good way.

4. Do you have any opposite sex friends? Yes. Many.

5. Can you commit to one person? No. I don't mean sexually. (In answer to the following question) I've never been tempted to cheat. But long-term, genuine intimacy has been too difficult for me.

6. If you’re married or in a relationship have you ever been tempted to cheat? See above

7. Do you think your life will change dramatically before 2018? Yes. And that scares me.

Meet Jodi, my role model

8. If the person you are interested in says they like someone else, what would try to sway them? I would lie, stalk and threaten him. Desperation is always sexy. Oh! And dye my hair blonde! That'll work.

9. Are you good at hiding your feelings? No. Not at all. It's something I wrestle with, usually unsuccessfully.

11. When was the last time you cried? When I was loading my cats into their carriers and taking them off to the vet. It wasn't just that I had to send them away before the exterminators came. It was the expense, the time away from the office, the hassle, and the genuine ICK factor that has come with my building's ongoing bed bug issue. So far, the little beasts haven't made it to my unit and I'd dearly love to keep it that way. That's why I'm cooperating. But geez! I'm tired of all this already, and there's no end in sight!

12. Have you ever fallen for someone you didn’t expect to? Every time I've fallen in love, it's been a surprise to me.

13. What is something you have to do tomorrow? Go to work.

14. Name something you dislike about the day you’re having. It's still early on Sunday. Nothing has happened to displease me yet. Though I am a little sorry that I won't be able to get it together to go to church. I could use a spiritual tune up.

15. Have you ever wanted more from one of your best friends of the opposite sex? I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I get this question. More what?

16. Have you ever wanted someone you couldn’t have? Of course. I believe that's just part of life.

17. Who was the last person you talked to before you went

I admit it. I'm her role model.

to bed last night? It wasn't at all near bedtime, but the last person I spoke to yesterday was my next door neighbor. A handsome young man named Darren. We had a scintillating conversation about the bed bug infestation and whether it's safe to use the laundry room. My life is indistinguishable from that of Samantha on Sex and the City.

18. Do you have someone of the opposite sex you can tell everything to? Yes.

19. When was the last time that you were jealous in a romance situation? It's been a long, long time.

20. If you had to delete one year of your life completely, which would it be? So far, this one. 2016 has been a year of blow after blow after blow for me and my friends.

21. Did you have a good day yesterday? What did you do? I quite literally had a crappy day yesterday. If you want to read about it -- and I warn you, I don't think you do -- click here.

22. If a person you had wished you could have a relationship with for a long time and you suddenly found yourself together alone, what would you be doing right now? To borrow from Kevin Costner, we'd be enjoying long, slow, deep soft kisses that last three days.

23. Do you replay things that have happened in your head? Of course.

24. Don’t tell me lies, is the last person you texted attractive? It was my friend Kathleen. Her husband finds her attractive, no lie.

25. Is your life anything like it was two years ago? Is it a good or bad thing? I checked. Two years ago this weekend I was answering meme questions and putting together a bag of canned goods for the local food pantry. Today I'm answering meme questions and have a bag set aside for the food pantry. I don't mind the similarities.

June Challenge -- Day 26

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26. What’s your favorite store to browse in? Macy's on State Street. It's huge, has restaurants and a food court, so it's like a mall all in one convenient location. Housewares, baby clothes, make up, jewelry, sun glasses, career wear, casual wear, books, greeting cards, Frango mints ... If I'm looking for it, odds are very good I'll find it right here. (Except for jeans. I buy my jeans at Carson's.)

The service, at least at this location, is a cut above. The prices are reasonable. The structure itself is an architectural gem. What's not to love?