Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Icebreaker Questions 
 

1. Are you loud, outgoing or shy? When I'm in public, I'm loud/outgoing. The thing of it is, I'd prefer to be locked in my own little room or with a close friend.

2. What’s coming up where you’ll see an old friend? Nothing planned with old friends over the next couple weeks. Maybe I should call John. Haven't seen him yet this year.

3. Are you easy to get along with? Not really. But I think I'm worth the work. I'm a good friend.

4. Have you ever given up on someone, but then gone back to them? Yes. But I usually find I should have trusted my initial instinct.

5. Who was the last person that you had a deep conversation with? My nephew, yesterday. He's a sensitive, thoughtful kid.

6. Are you okay with being in a big crowd? Sure. 

7. Do you believe in luck and/or miracles? Intellectually, no. Emotionally, yes.

8. What good thing happened during the summer? (It’s good to think about summer when you are freezing your butt off in January.) Perhaps you've heard that THE CHICAGO CUBS WON THE WORLD SERIES. It was glorious! BTW, 5 million people attended the rally and parade. (The population of Chicago is 2.7 million.) This Cub team meant to much to so many.

9. Do you think there is life on other planets? Intellectually, yes. Emotionally, no. But I don't think about it much.

10. Who was your first crush on? My mother reported that at about the :43 second mark, this little Gal said, "He's so pretty it hurts to look." 52 years later, I still love Sir Paul.

11. What are your bad habits? I'm a lazy slob.

Color me Oscar

 

12. What’s your favorite part of your daily routine? Feeding my cats. They're so cute.

13. Other than your significant other, who are you most comfortable with? Probably the aforementioned John. We each accept one another as we are.

14. Has an ex ever told you that they regret breaking up? Yes. I didn't believe him. I think he regretted being engaged to my successor.

15. Why should your celebrity crush drop everything to be with you? Because I've been steadfast for 52 years.

16. What would be the hardest to give up and why? Books. TV. Music. TV. You can find music and conversations about books on TV.

17. Do you believe in second chances? For myself, yes!

18. What would like to do next in your life? I'd like to feel serene.

19. What’s the meanest thing that anyone has ever said to you? Oh, God. Let's not dwell on that.

20. What’s the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to you? A coworker once told me I was one of the most unselfish people she'd ever met. I wish that was true.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: A Summer Place (1960)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song highlights the soundtrack from the movie A Summer Place, which is about two teenage lovers named Molly and Johnny. Did you ever have a youthful summer romance? If so, what was his/her name? A lifeguard named Mike. I was desperately in love with him, all bronzed with the zinc oxide on his nose. It was completely one sided. He just saw me as one of the half dozen girls who sat at the foot of his tall, white wooden chair and gazed adoringly at him. He's nearing retirement age now. It makes me smile to imagine him as he must be today.

2) The "summer place" of the song/movie is a resort along the Maine coast. What "summer place" are you day dreaming about this winter morning? The Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field. I miss my guys!

3) In the movie, Johnny was played by Troy Donahue, who is remembered as nice looking but not terribly talented. Can you think of one of today's actors who you could describe as "nice looking but not terribly talented?" Channing Tatum popped into my head, but I can only recall seeing him in one movie. So maybe I'm not being fair to him. Let me switch that to Brad Pitt. He's always struck me as, at best, "fine." Usually he doesn't reach that bar.

4) Molly is played by Sandra Dee, a perky blonde who was one of 1960's bankable movie stars. Two other blondes -- Doris Day and Debbie Reynolds -- joined Sandra Dee in the Top 10. The only brunette to sell a lot of movie tickets that year was Elizabeth Taylor. Do you believe men find blondes more attractive than brunettes or redheads? I think they like blondes in theory. Meaning if you asked a man what his dream girl looked like, he'd start with "blonde." But since Elizabeth Taylor ca. 1960 was as beautiful as it gets, I think she'd be forgiven for her dark tresses.

This is an unretouched paparazzi shot, taken with a long lens. She actually looked like this.

5) "A Summer Place" was by far the best-selling record of 1960. Also in 1960, two brothers in Ypsilanti, Michigan, opened a pizza place called Dominck's. That was the beginning of a chain now known as Domino's. What's the last food you had delivered to your front door? It was pizza. But not Domino's. I prefer the independent establishment around the corner. Their pizza is very good, and since they support our local little league baseball team, I support them.

6) In 1965, one of the brothers sold his share of the business to his brother for cash so he could buy a VW Beetle. Tell us about a time you had buyer's remorse. My futon was an expensive mistake. It was so pretty but wore so poorly.

7) In 1960, novelist Ernest Hemingway returned to the United States from Spain and settled in Ketchum, Idaho. Tell us about the last book you read. Was it a novel or non-fiction? I'm currently reading Royal Sisters, about the early years of King George VI's daughters. I'm learning about the Queen as a young girl, which is cool. But Princess Margaret is a more compelling figure than I realized. Her husband, Anthony Armstrong Jones, was just laid to rest this week, so her tempestuous adult years have been in the news, too.

8) In December, 1960, John F. Kennedy, Jr. was baptized in the Georgetown University Chapel. His godparents were Charles and Martha Bartlett, the couple who originally introduced young John's famous parents. Do you have godparents? My godfather was my mom's baby brother, the beloved uncle I've mentioned often in this blog. He was a big influence on my life and I think of him every day. My godmother is my dad's baby sister, my aunt in Florida. For reasons too complicated to go into -- and besides, I'm not sure I completely understand them -- she became remote from my mom, my sisters and me after my dad died in 1991. But over the past five years she has worked hard to rebuild a relationship with me, and I treasure that. 

  
9) Random question: You're at dinner with a married couple who begins to fight. Would you intercede and try to make peace? Or would you just sit back stay out of it? I would initially try to stay out of it, but if the battle went on, I'm sure I'd say something. "Staying out of it" is not a talent I have.

OneWord: FOCUS where I need to

FOCUS

verb

to concentrate: to focus one's thoughts

I want to end 2017 by being able to point to concrete achievements. To do that, I must focus. 

 

So far this month I've done pretty damn well on the financial front. I've brown-bagged it and stuck to my budget. Yea me!

 

Where I've fallen short is on my housework/discipline issues. I found a bug in the bathroom this morning -- EW! ICK! -- and while it was not one of the building's dread bed bugs that bedeviled me last summer, it was a reminder that I am a piglet and must get off the dime and do something.

 

And that's simply what I must do -- something. Every day. At least 15 minutes. Starting with the baseboard behind the toilet where I saw that dead bug this morning. There's only one person who can improve the way I live and that's me. And all I have to do to accomplish it is FOCUS.

ONEWORD: FOCUS on what counts

FOCUS

verb

to concentrate: to focus one's thoughts

My goal in 2017 is to be able to point to concrete achievements, accomplished because I continued to FOCUS. Today I maintained my focus on my budget, and my goal to reduce my credit card debt.

I was underbudget this weekend, and toyed with buying myself a pizza to celebrate.

But then I remembered, just because I hadn't yet used my weekend money doesn't mean I'm required to use it. So I had a hot dog and salad (all from my refrigerator) instead.

I'm on my way to reaching my fiscal goal. It feels good.

It doesn't get much better than this

Chicago #44 meets Chicago #44 at the last public White House event of Barack Obama's presidency.

LOVE!

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Very Forceful Questions

1. Do you have/have you had any pets? Patience with critters is the best thing I inherited from my mother. When I lived at home, we had two parakeets, a turtle named Bobbie Jo, and always cats. As an adult, I've continued sharing my home with cats. Right now, I have Reynaldo and Connie.

2. Do you play video games? If so, do you have a favorite video game series? No.

3. Any unpopular opinions on anything? Yes. I know some of my more progressive friends are disappointed that I'm not participating in the Women's March on Saturday. It's not that I don't support their policy positions. It's that I refuse to protest Trump until he actually does something as President. Remember how ridiculous RWNJs were over Obama? They declared him a one-term President before he even took the oath of office. I insist on behaving better than the conservatives did eight years ago.

4. Do you have a favorite gem? If yes, has anyone ever bought you jewelry with that gem? I don't have a favorite gem. But I do have a pair of earrings my cousin Rose gave me -- pale blue parallelograms -- that I am terribly fond of, even though they probably have no monetary value.

5. Favorite story genres? I assume this means in books. Mostly I read mysteries and biographies. In movies, I prefer anything that's not fantasy or sci-fi.

6. What was once a secret that you can now share? (The original question was "What kind of fruit do you hate" which is type of question that I think "who cares?" so I just change them.) The only two answers that come to mind are a little too heavy for a Sunday morning. Let's just say I was ashamed and kept things secret that weren't my fault, and I'm not ashamed anymore.

7. Do you like reading? Yes!

8. What time is it for you now, what are you usually doing at this time of the day? 8:30. On weekdays, I'm putting on my makeup and slipping into my work clothes. Right now, on Sunday, I should be in the shower.

9. What character on TV or in film is most similar to you? You can go with looks or personality. Or you can make a quip and go to the next question. Suzanne Vale, Postcards from the Edge. I so relate to the mother-daughter scenes. Like Suzanne and Doris, my mother and I loved each other but we had a terrible time understanding one another.

via GIPHY

BTW, with the current orgy of grief over Carrie Fisher's and Debbie Reynold's passing, I want it known that I mentioned Ms. Fisher and her work at least 15 times on this humble blog before she died. Welcome to the bandwagon, y'all! Carrie was here all along, where were you?

10. What's something weird you wanna do? It cannot be weirder than Mr. Watermelonhead. I'd like to pack a bag and go to Union Station. There I'll check the board and get on the next Amtrak out. I'd like to spend the night in a town I've never visited before, maybe even never heard of before. And I will do it without wearing a watermelon on my head.

11. Have you ever accomplished a New Years Resolution? No. But I'm hopeful about this year's. I want to report less credit card debt on December 31 than I had on January 1.

12. Is there any music artist you look up to? I'd love to be able to tell Streisand what she meant to me growing up. She didn't look like anyone else, she was ballsier than anyone else, and she was more successful than everyone else. She was a force at a time when women tended to be fluffy or silly.

13. Are you allergic to anything? If yes, what? I'm allergic to bee stings and morphine. ("Bee stings and morphine" are not words often seen in the same sentence.)

14. When was the last time you took a swim? Who else was with you? I last swam on Christmas Day. I was by myself in this little pool at the Orchid Key Inn in Key West. I splashed and swam as I listened to carols and looked up at the palm trees. Then, at 1:00, I joined my friends to celebrate the holiday.

15. Would you rather have the ability to sleep for as long as you want, or have the ability to never have to sleep? I wish I could feel refreshed without sleeping.

 

 

The World Has Lost Its Manners

I know I'm overreacting, but this is how I feel about a Saturday that went like this:

 •  I'm in the crosswalk when "Don't Walk" begins to flash. A couple is eager to glide into a right turn but damn, there's my human body in their way. So they actually have to slow down. And the woman rolls down her window -- it was 28º -- to yell at me, "Don't walk when it says 'Don't Walk!'" Really? The light's still green but I'm supposed to turn around and run back to the curb? And that's worth shouting at a complete stranger?

•  The front desk woman at the hospital scolded me. Had my annual mammogram yesterday. Naturally I was nervous. Who isn't at least a little uncomfortable when preparing for a cancer screen. I arrived early so I could fill out the paperwork. The woman at the desk looked at me like I was in-fucking-sane. "When I made the appointment, I was told to come in early," I explained. Her response was a clipboard of forms, telling me the top one was mine to keep. She was getting her purse when I approached the desk and asked if her she didn't need me to witness me signing it where is said "witnessed by."

"I'll sign it later," she said, heading for the door. "When you're done, just leave your forms face down on the desk."

She was mad that I was early because she wanted to go to lunch!

I was completely alone in the clinic. So there was no to ask when I got to question about my mammogram. I just wrote "See doctor's order attached" and went behind her desk to get a paperclip.

Just then she returned with a Subway bag and a bad attitude. "What are you doing there? That's against the law. There's personal patient information back here!"

"I wanted a paperclip or stapler. You weren't here."

"Going back there is against the law."

I didn't mention that she wasn't all that concerned about my privacy when she told me just leave my forms "face down on the desk." I did say that I kept getting snapped at "for trying to do what you tell me to do."

I've been getting my exams done there for years and they do a good job, so I don't want to change providers because of this. However, I am toying with sending a letter to the facility. Sure she was rude, but more than that, I'm sure the lawbreaker was the hospital worker who left a patient alone in the office with all that personal patient information.

Ah, but at least I had movie group. My movie Meet-Up is always a communal good time, right? And last night it was, until the end. I was wearing my CUBS fleece because the theater is always a little chilly. After the discussion, when we were all filing out, a woman I really didn't know complimented my shirt.

"I'm gonna keep wearing Cub gear as long as I can to keep the party going," I said.

"You enjoy it," she said, continuing the conversation, even though her husband seemed in a hurry to leave. "You keep having fun. You deserve it after 108 years."

"Especially because you'll have to wait another 108 years," her husband sneered.

"Or eight months," I snapped. His wife shrugged, embarrassed.

Really, Mr. Man? You're impatient so you have to rip on my guys and ruin my happy MeetUp buzz?

Oh yeah, and someone was snarky about the Saturday 9 questions.  Sorry I'm not a writer of the caliber you require for your Saturday morning questions, lady. Get over yourself.

The Sound of No Music

Last night, my Movie Meet Up enjoyed a screening of 1931's Miracle Woman. I not only enjoyed it as a film, taken on its own merits, I appreciated it for its place in the canon of filmdom. It was an early talkie, early Frank Capra and early Barbara Stanwyck.

The story, about a shady radio evangelist redeemed by love, wasn't hard to relate to in today's world. Stanwyck's performance was good -- and I always appreciate watching her work in our Meet Up because our moderator, Will, is such a fan and his enthusiasm is infectious. And most interesting of all, for me, was the fact that the movie had no score.

I was told this wasn't really a creative decision on the part of Capra. His later films all had background music. Miracle Woman had no score because in 1931, it simply wasn't easy to do.

In retrospect, it was a good decision. 85 years later, without corny music swelling up, the movie seems less dated and more watchable.

It was also cool to see Joanna again for the first time in 2017. We really have to get together again. But I know the next two weeks are going to busy for me at work, and she said she'll be traveling for business, so I guess that will have to wait.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Wake Me Up Before You Go Go (1984)

1) This song was inspired by a note WHAM! partner Andrew Ridgeley left for his parents. He accidentally wrote "go" twice. What was the last handwritten note you left for someone? It was to a local charity and I mailed it along with my check. Last year I had a coupon book to remind me to contribute to them, and I asked them to please send me one for 2017. They are a small animal shelter and I know they appreciate all the help they can get, but I admit without the reminder I might forget. BTW, here's their link: Harmony House for Cats. (It's MLK Weekend, you know. That's a good reason to do some good and support a charity, isn't it?)

2) Born Georgios Panayiotou, George Michael was the son of the Greek restauranteur in East London. When you think of Greek cuisine, what comes to mind? Flaming cheese. OPA!

 
3) He was a terrible driver and admitted his license was suspended a number of times. Have you ever lost your license? Nope. 

 
4) WHAM! partner Andrew Ridgeley, on the other hand, is a talented driver who got to live his fantasy by racing Formula Three in Monaco. There are companies that sell racetrack driving experiences that allow you to spin around the track at dizzying speeds. Is this something you like to try? Nope.

 
5) In 1990, Frank Sinatra famously gave George Michael advice. Ol' Blue Eyes told the younger man to enjoy his fame, to remember all those lean nights traveling from gig to gig by bus and, now that he's successful, "loosen up and swing, man." Who last gave you advice? Did you take it? One of my coworkers advised me to try not to take it all so seriously. I really like and respect our client and sometimes I feel unable to do my best work because of circumstances here at the agency. "Perspective," he advised. "Keep it in perspective." Wise words. I can make myself crazy with work stuff.

6) Mr.  Michael's neighbors have reported since his passing that he seemed to live rather quietly, and that they usually saw him when he was out walking his three dogs. Tell us about the last time you spoke to one of your neighbors. Friday morning I commiserated with one of my neighbors about the sad state of our condo building's common areas. Really, you should see our laundry room. :(

 
7) Fansites tell us that George Michael's favorite cereal was cornflakes. What breakfast cereals are currently in your kitchen? 

8) In 1984, when "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" was popular, Murder, She Wrote premiered on CBS. Today it's still seen in reruns all over the world. Are you a fan? No. Back in 1984, I dismissed it as a show for old ladies. Now, in 2017, I am an old lady.

9) RANDOM QUESTION: What's your secret to a good night's sleep? I bought myself a new pillow back in August. I loooooove it. With the ubiquitous Bed, Bath and Beyond coupon, it was just $10.99, including tax. At that price I should remember to switch out pillows more often. What a cheap but satisfying little luxury!

OneWord: FOCUS on my self restraint

FOCUS

verb

to concentrate: to focus one's thoughts

My goal in 2017 is to be able to point to concrete achievements, accomplished because I continued to FOCUS. Tonight I sharpened my focus on my budget and went straight home after work.

There's a nice little restaurant right off my el stop. They may call themselves a deli, but they have the best chicken. Specifically breaded chicken strips and a honey-friend chicken dinner to die for.  I wanted some. More than that, I felt I deserved it.

You see, the weather here has been gloomy and icky. I don't mind cold, but it's been worse than cold. It's been chilly and raining, raining, raining. On Tuesday night it rained so hard that my feet were soaked -- not from stepping into puddles but from the torrents making their way into my boots through the laces. I'd rather have subzero and snow than this.* Once you get chilled in the weather we've been having, you stay chilled.

I haven't gone out for lunch for the last two days because it's been too forbidding. I haven't liked what I've had to eat because I've been limited to the offerings of our cafeteria. So when I saw Erik's neon sign, I was sorely tempted.

But just then I had $18 in left in my budget for the week. More than enough for lunch tomorrow, but not enough for Thursday dinner AND Friday lunch. I could have charged it, or borrowed from my weekend spending money, or kept walking.

I reminded myself that I have food in my refrigerator and kept walking.

I can stay on budget. I just have to FOCUS.

*I shouldn't complain about rain like this, though, because I know how important it is to the environment, especially Lake Michigan.

WWW.WEDNESDAY

To participate, and to see how others responded, click here. 

1. What are you currently reading? Royal Sisters by Anne Edwards. A sympathetic look at Elizabeth and Margaret Rose before and after their uncle gave up the throne and turned their lives upside down. I picked this up last summer at my library's book sale and this feels like the right time to read it. Queen Elizabeth is 90 now and it feels like she's been old forever. Not true! She was once a child and a student and a sister and a dreamy, romantic girl. 

2. What did you recently finish reading? An Appetite for Murder by Lucy Burdette. I wish I liked this book more. It's the first in a cozy, foodie mystery series by an author who clearly knows and loves Key West. I always appreciate it when a book can create such a unique sense of place, but the heroine, Haley, is such a ditz! When a woman she has complicated connections to is found murdered -- poisoned by Key Lime pie -- the Key West PD comes knocking at the door of Haley's houseboat. Hayley then goes on to behave unwisely and implausibly and does everything she can to remain a person of interest in the case. Unfortunately, I doubt I'll be reading another installment in this series anytime soon (ever).

3.  What will you read next? A biography from my tall TBR pile.

Unfair

I recently saw a Trump supporter refer to those who voted for the next President as, "the silent majority." That phrase was, of course, made famous by Richard Nixon, whose Presidency ended in scandal and the only resignation in our history. It makes me wonder why Trump supporters would so willingly wrap their arms around that legacy. Maybe they don't know?

But it got me thinking about the similarities between Richard M. Nixon and Donald J. Trump. They include:

•  Law and order. Both Nixon and Trump exploited fear about violence by promising that the Federal government could help curb street crime. This has always seemed cynical to me: Men who decry Federal interference in our lives suddenly try to inject themselves into local issues when it helps them earn votes.

•  Demonization of the press. Trump's "dishonest media" is easier to remember but not as musical as the way Nixon's Vice President Spiro Agnew referred to the press: "nattering nabobs of negativism."

•  High-profile daughters. Before Ivanka tried to convince us all that her father cared about women's rights, Julie tried to soften her father's image.

•  Secret plans. Trump doesn't want the bad guys to know how he's going to defeat ISIS, just as Nixon touted a "secret plan" for an end to the Vietnam War. We were in Vietnam for another 7 years. Just sayin'.

There are some very important differences. With time and maturity, I've begun to view Nixon as a multi-dimensional man and think of him with more compassion. Therefore I realize that in some very important ways, the Trump-Nixon comparisons are very unfair to Nixon.

•  Military service. Nixon enlisted in the Navy during WWII. Trump was eligible but avoided military service during Vietnam (even though he was comfortable making fun of John McCain's time as a POW).

•  Public service. Instead of practicing law, which would have been more lucrative, and perhaps easier on his basically introverted nature, Nixon went into politics as a young father and was still in his 30s when he served in the House and the Senate. When Trump was in his 30s, he was starting his own real estate business, seeded by a $1 million loan from his father.

•  Marriage. No matter what other sins one may wish to put at Nixon's doorstep, there has never even been a whisper about infidelity in his marriage to Pat. Trump was already married to third wife Melania when he made his infamous Access Hollywood comments about how easy it is for him to fondle women.

Oh yeah, and Nixon voters actually were in the majority.  
If Trump would like to enjoy a smoother ride than Nixon, he might want to remember that Hillary Clinton got 3 million more votes than he did.

I may get altitude sickness

That's how high my high road is today!

I not only worked out for the first time in 2017, I also brought my lunch. And said lunch was actually (reasonably) nutritious: tuna salad, crackers, applesauce and chocolate pudding. I admit that when I eat healthy my meals tend to sound like they were planned by the junior high lunch lady, but never mind that now.

I was a good Gal at lunch today!