The (Bat)Man I Loved

Farewell to Adam West, the best Batman there ever was.

When I was a wee one, I believed the show straight up. I was obsessed with the Dynamic Duo's adventures each week and dutifully reported them to my uncle, who was fighting in Vietnam. My uncle so amused by my serious reportage that he kept the letters for decades. We found them among his papers after died six years ago. Thank you for giving Uncle Ted and me a little something to share over the miles, Batman.

With time, of course, I discovered it was camp and with each viewing, I appreciate Adam West's comedic timing more. He was fucking brilliant. With his passing, I hope MeTV does a marathon. I long to see The Batusi again!



via GIPHY

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: C Is for Cookie

1) This week's featured artist, Cookie Monster says his favorite TV show is Monsterpiece Theater. What show do you try never to miss? This time of year, it's the Cubs. Len and JD feel like my best buddies. 

 

 

2) Though he goes by Cookie Monster professionally, he is still called Sid by his family. When will you next get together with your relatives? Next month. First, my nephew and I are going to see The Cubs vs. The Pirates at Wrigley Field. Then I visit my niece in Michigan.

3) Now for the cookie questions! Where do you weigh in on this age-old controversy: Is a brownie a cookie or a cake? I think of it as bakery, like a cupcake.

4) Fig Newtons contain no cholesterol. Do you read nutrition labels before eating snacks? Or does knowing the truth about your favorite sweets ruin your enjoyment? When I'm actually consuming the treat, I ignore the nutrition label. I do consider nutrition when comparison shopping at the grocery store.

5) Biscotti are designed for dipping into drinks. Do you like to dunk your cookies? Nope.

6) Do you prefer cookies made with milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips? Or are you a rebel who prefers butterscotch chips? All chips are good chips.

7) Bill Murray once said, "Raisin cookies that look like chocolate chip cookies are the main reason I have trust issues." Do you like raisin cookies? Oatmeal/raisin? Yes. Good and good for you!

8) Nabisco still sells animal-shaped cookies in a red box that looks like a train car labeled, "Barnum's Animals." However Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus gave their last-ever performance on May 21, 2017. Have you ever been to the circus? I remember going when I was really little. I thought it was fun, but after I went to bed I heard my parents complaining about how tacky it all looked to them. That confused me.

9) Have you ever received a memorable fortune in a fortune cookie? Not that I can recall.

I don't care if never get back ....

Oh, Friday was a blissful day! The skies were Cubbie blue, there was a cool breeze and cold beer, and I was with good friends in my favorite place in the world.

How is Rizz only hitting .244?

We had great seats. Didn't miss a moment of the action. Unfortunately, my guys still haven't got it together yet. They left the bases loaded -- twice! The second time was, heartbreakingly, in the bottom of the 9th.

But you know, it was still a glorious day. My first time back since The World Series win. There's now a Park at Wrigley, right outside the field. It's a great, grassy little spot to enjoy your first beer of the day. Better yet, there's a big Cubs store that's worth a visit. Not for the merchandise -- you can get that stuff at any store on any corner in Chicago. Go to see the trophy case.

Many of the Cub greats donated their hardware. The heroes of my girlhood represented by their Gold Gloves and I even saw Greg Maddux' first Cy Young Award! It's a wonderful way to start the day, and it takes some of the sting out of going through a metal detector to watch a ballgame.

I am ambivalent about the amped up security. On the one hand, I'm grateful that they are taking the necessary precautions. On the other hand, I hate even thinking of terrorists trying to hurt me, my city, or my beloved old ballpark. My favorite place in the whole world.

The Friday 56

The Friday 56

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)
*Post it.
    

From Jackie's Girl, by Kathy McKeon. It's 1964, and a young Irish immigrant is settling in as live-in personal assistant to one of the most famous women in the world, Jacqueline Kennedy. While she enjoys helping "Madam" with couture and jewels for glamorous nights out...

But a different, even lovelier light came through when she was in her favorite tee shirt or turtleneck, in those tender hours when she could be just a devoted mother or friend, unscrutinized by the world. I was touched whenever I saw her eating lunch in the kitchen with (4-year-old) John while Caroline was at school, indulging his endless questions and listening to his funny little stories.

Chacun à son goût

Last night, my movie group watched a little known film noir from 1941.

Ladies in Retirement is an interesting flick. Ellen works for a retired showgirl, who can afford to pay for a live-in companion out of her handsome inheritance. Ellen is industrious and almost completely humorless. She really needs this kind of crappy job in the remote English countryside because she's the sole support for two older sisters who live in London. Her sisters are completely dependent -- "dotty" -- and are about to be thrown out of their boarding house. Ellen is told if she doesn't come for them, pronto, their landlady will have their institutionalized.

She loves her sisters desperately and can't allow them to be hauled away. Ellen brings the two nutcases to the countryside cottage for "a visit," but has every intention of keeping them with her forever.

After just a few days, Ellen's boss and the owner of the cottage wants those two nutty sisters gone. And Ellen with them. Which would leave all three sisters broke and homeless.

Ellen cannot allow that to happen, and so she thinks about the unthinkable.

Ellen (center) and her nutty sibs

I enjoyed Ladies in Retirement well enough. I like mysteries that unfold amid the moors, where the skies are filled with fog and gnarled, leafless branches. I have two "dotty" sisters. There was a slick and charming leading man. There are even charitable nuns who show up when they're needed most. And it's always fun to discover a new classic.

But I don't care if I never see it again. Because I don't like Ida Lupino (Ellen). I know she's strong, I know she's versatile, I know she's technically adept. But I don't like her. The movie would have been so much more compelling with a leading lady I cared for. (In 1941, Bette Davis or Olivia dehavilland could have been cast in this movie with, I think, better results.)

But I kept my reservations to myself. First of all, last night's meetup was not well attended, and our moderator puts so much work into them. I want him to know I appreciate him finding this chestnut and putting together the presentation. Secondly, he has almost unlimited admiration for Ida Lupino. Chacun à son goût.

Sad, sadder, saddest

I'm OK (she said, knocking Formica). But so many women around me these days aren't!

Sad. Poor Nancy. Everything was going so well in her life. New job that she really likes, an appearance on Jeopardy!, her daughter accepted to the college she wanted, her son turning his life around (again/finally). We were supposed to get together this Sunday, but she wouldn't commit. Finally she told me why. Her father -- who has been successfully battling cancer -- suddenly took a turn for the worse. He's in hospice. With Father's Day coming up, this is very emotional for her and her daughter. She isn't sure it wouldn't be wiser for her to stay home Sunday. I told her by all means, do that, and to just reach out when she feels like socializing again.

Sadder. Have you ever slogged through one of those periods where everything in your life sucks? That's what's going on with Joanna. Work? That project she began in March is still going on, but she's not getting paid for her work. She knows it's her fault -- the way she wrote the contract, she could bill for 500 hours. She recently hit that 500 hour mark, but the job's not done. So she's still working on it and too busy to take another, paying job. Consequently she's really broke this month. Home? Her 14-year-old cat is losing weight and has intestinal trouble. Joanna and the vet are working together to keep her stable and comfortable, but the fact is: her cat is dying. Friends? The first friend she made when she came to Chicago in 2005 died last week. They weren't really close anymore, and so a nice patina of guilt is spread over the grief. We were supposed to get together Saturday night, but she can't make it -- too broke. (I'm secretly relieved because I'm broke this month, too.)

Saddest. I haven't heard from my friend, Barb, for a while. As May slid into June, I thought she was busy preparing their home for sale. That had been the plan: to sell their house this summer and move into their beautiful new home in Hilton Head. She's lived in her current home for more than 20 years, so there's a lot of stuff to get rid of. I know she was planning on throwing a massive yard sale and had engaged an auction house. So I interpreted her silence as busyness.

Over the past 8 weeks, both she and her husband have had significant health problems. Hers landed her in the hospital over Memorial Day weekend, and her husband has been so ill as he battles cancer that he's been moved to a rehabilitation center.

Her husband is dying. I don't believe they will ever live as a couple in that beautiful new home in Hilton Head. It's heartbreaking.

After talking to Nancy, Joanna and Barb, I'm suddenly grateful to be dull!

  
Image courtesy of jk1991 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

WWW.WEDNESDAY

WWW.WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here.

1. What are you currently reading? Jackie's Girl, by Kathy McKeon. A 19-year-old Irish lass lands on our shores and lands a job as personal assistant to the former First Lady. She's there as Jacqueline Kennedy becomes Jackie O. She becomes so ubiquitous that Rose Kennedy begins to refer to her simply as "Jackie's girl." 

I just started this charming book, but so far it reminds me of the movie Brooklyn ... if young Ellis had ended up instead at 1040 Fifth Avenue.

2. What did you recently finish reading? Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe. More serious and far more entertaining than I anticipated. It's cliche, I know, but Rob Lowe really is "more than just a pretty face." On these pages, he's revealed himself as disarmingly candid. 

I came to be fascinated by his mother, Barbara. Though he was a child actor, she was not a stage mother. She referred to rehearsals as "practices" and auditions as "try outs," and spent as much time/attention on her other sons' soccer and baseball as she did Rob's commercials and TV shows. She was clearly and admirably more interested in watching her sons express themselves than she was in financial success. She was also imaginative, creative, high strung and batshit crazy. There's an especially harrowing scene where Rob brings his new girl home -- she being Princess Stephanie of Monaco -- only to find his mother having a breakdown. Mom insisted to Rob and Stephanie that she was being driven crazy by her husband, who was shaping her Kleenex into voodoo dolls.

He writes of his mother with a moving mix of appreciation, exasperation, sympathy and love. Early on in the book, Lowe recounts that he couldn't even get an audition for Ordinary People. That's too bad. For while Tim Hutton was wonderful as Conrad Jarrett, it's clear that Rob Lowe has always known a thing or two about pretending everything is just fine and insisting that there's nothing to see here.

 

  3.  What will you read next? I've got some mysteries vying for my attention.

Four in a row

The Cubs swept the Cardinals. The Cubs beat the Marlins Monday night.

I know it's unrealistic to expect a repeat of the 2016 World Series. Unless you lived in Cincinnati in the 1970s, you know how hard it is for National League teams to repeat.

But I've come to really like this winning thing. It makes all the difference in the world to my mood.

Like you aren't?

Ariana Grande headlined "One Love Manchester," a benefit for the victims of suicide bomber who attacked her May 22 concert. Coming as it did less than 24 hours after the terrorist attack in London, this concert was an important act of affirmation and defiance for the Brits.

Paul McCartney understands and embraces what he means to British culture. America has been the home to many music stars, but there's only one Elvis ... and there's only one Graceland, which has National Historic Landmark status. It's been said that Paul understood his place in history on a very real level when -- without his consent or active cooperation -- The National Trust purchased and restored his boyhood home in Liverpool.

From his "One Manchester" message

And so Sir Paul McCartney participated in "One Love Manchester." Of course he did. This boy who grew up in the wreckage of The Blitz did his part and videotaped a message that was broadcast to the crowd.

I saw the clip itself on a Facebook Beatle fansite. Since he has a Big Birthday coming up -- he turns 75 on June 19 -- I was happy to see him out there, rehearsing for his own tour. He's clearly gray, wrinkled and jowly. But he's healthy, he's active, he's a treasure, and I'm grateful he's still here.

Amidst all the "love you, Paul!" messages in response to his video, there was one fan who sniffed, "Paul's sure showing his age."

I figured that was from one of the third/fourth generation Beatle fans who is currently going track by track through the remastered anniversary Sgt. Pepper and is shocked to see Paul isn't still the 25-year-old in Edwardian garb. Imagine my surprised when I clicked on that fan's Facebook photo and found a bald man with a snowy white mustache.

I guess Paul's three score and 15 year old visage gives this man a mirror he can't accept.

In response to "Paul's sure showing his age," I posted: "Aren't we all?"

We original Beatlemaniacs are the survivors. We can all name fans who are no longer here. We all still mourn John (murder) and George (cancer) and Brian (suicide) and George Martin (old age). Instead of being snarky or being in denial, let's celebrate and love that we're still listening to "the band we've known for all these years."

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Random Questions, Part 683 


1. How old do you look? I think I could shave a decade off without anyone busting me for lying.

2. Where do you live? In this here condo.
 
3. Are you waiting for something? I suppose I always am.

4. What’s one pet peeve of yours that is not common? Space hogs. Like her.

A man is standing while your bags ride in comfort. You suck.

 
5. Do you want/have kids? No on both counts.

6. Have you ever thought about converting your religion? I did it. Twenty years ago I left the Lutheran Church and became a Unitarian Universalist. It puts my Christian faith in such real-world perspective that it helps me live my beliefs.

7. Last shocking news you heard? My boss' son is back in the hospital, battling bipolar disorder. It's important to remember how heavily this must be weighing on him (because this past week he was such an asshole).

8. What was the last thing you drank? I have a glass of Rumchata right here.

9. Who do you most look like in your family? I don't really look like either of my parents, but I do resemble my Aunt Jo and her dad, my favorite grandfather.

10. If you could have something right now, anything, what would it be? Financial security for myself ... or for the Cubs to sweep the Cardinals Sunday. Either one.

11. Where does most of your family live? I have an aunt (my dad's side) and a cousin (my mom's side) who both live in/around Tampa.

12. Where did you grow up? About 10 miles from here.

13. Where do you want to go on vacation? Oh, I want to go back to so many places! Lately I've been daydreaming about returning to Hot Springs, AR. It's such a sweet, charming and relaxing place to spend a long weekend. I haven't been there in a decade and wonder if it's changed.

The Arlington Hotel/Spa in Hot Springs

14. Have you ever had a panic attack? Yes.

15. What can’t you wait for? My new bed arrives June 19.

16. When’s the last time you told someone you loved him or her and meant it? When Henry and Reg got married, I told them I loved them.

17. Have your parents ever smoked pot? No.

18. Want someone back in your life? Yes.

19. What do you order at the bar? Vodka and cranberry juice.

20. When was the last time you cried really, really hard? It's been over a year

21. What are your nicknames? One of my coworkers has taken to calling me "El Train." I don't exactly know why.

22. What is your favorite thing to eat with peanut butter? Strawberry jam.

23. Where were you on July 4th, 2008? Here. My dear friend John's birthday is July 3, so I suspect I was either celebrating it or Independence Day.

24. If you could go forward in time, how far forward would you go? I don't think I want to, but thank you for asking.

25. If you could go back in time, how far back would you go? This holds more romance for me. I'd like to visit the 1860s west. I don't want to stay there, but just visit and see what it was like.

 

It was going to be a good day

I had a rough week at work and so I was looking forward to this, the first really warm, Saturday of the season. And I had nothing on tap. I love Saturdays like this.

I walked to the vet. It's a nice 1.5 mile trek and took me through parts of town I haven't seen up-close in months. The staff at my vet's office really looks out for me. They had Reynaldo's and Connie's prescription kibble all packed up and ready to go in a way that's easy for me to carry.

Then I had a nice BIG brunch -- steak and eggs -- with my book for company. Got home and watched the Cubs beat the Cardinals. Any opportunity to fly the W is welcome. Another win against the Cards is bliss!

Did some grocery shopping -- and stayed within budget! Took a nap. Woke up to watch the PBS special on the 50th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper. Was feeling so happy.

And then the cable signal started acting funky. So I flipped over to CNN, just to see if it was a PBS-specific issue or a Comcast outage.

That's when I saw what happened today in London. 

London, again.

To put it in perspective (and I have to or I'll start screaming), six innocent people lost their lives in the streets of London to terrorism. Last Thursday night, three young men lost their lives on the streets of Chicago to gun violence. So while Al Queda and/or Isis may be good at striking terror, they are nowhere near as efficient at killing as the street gangs here.

The terrorists' goal is not so much to kill us as to get into our heads. I must remember that. If I approach events -- like Cub games or Taste of Chicago -- with fear because I know crowds make attractive "soft targets," I am letting the terrorists win. So I must go about living my life and enjoying my summer.

Even when my heart's not in it.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Lazy Bones (1975)

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

1) This song is about a guy who'd rather nap than do his chores. Are there things you should be doing right now, instead of hanging around the blogosphere, answering these questions? I'm writing this just after midnight, so I probably should be in bed, asleep. I have emails to answer. My dining room table is covered in paperwork. I need to update my finances on Quicken. So yes, there are plenty of things I should be doing right now. But, like you, here I am in the blogosphere.

2) This song mentions a lazy afternoon of fishing. When did you last go fishing? Not since I was a little girl. I didn't enjoy it. I was bored and felt sorry for the fish.

3) The lyrics catch our hero sleeping in both the sun and the shade. Do you have a nice, shady place to nap on your front lawn? Or would we catch you lying in the sun? Right now, there is literally nowhere to sleep on our front lawn. It's covered by sawhorses, courtesy of the Public Works Department who dug a big hole to replace something-or-other concerning a water meter.

4) This week's featured artist, Leon Redbone, is a difficult man to nail down. Over the years he's claimed to be born in Ontario, and Philadelphia, and even Cyprus. Tell us about a time you got caught in a fib. Wow, I haven't thought about this in years! But it was in fourth grade. There had been a big snowstorm, and the few of us that had made it into school were huddled outside the door, waiting to be let into the building. An older girl, one that I idolized, was saying that she'd heard on the radio that our school was closed, but she decided to come over and see for herself.

In retrospect, her story makes no sense. But I was in fourth grade. And I was so excited that a 7th grader was actually speaking to me -- or at least in my general direction -- I piped up, "I heard that, too!"

We finally got into class and were thawed out and in our desks. My teacher wondered aloud about why there were so few of us in class. After all, big snow during a Chicago winter is no big deal. One of my classmates announced, "The Gal said she heard on the radio school was closed!"

"Really, Gal?" my teacher asked, "What station?"

"I never said that. I didn't hear anything," I mumbled.

"Yes, you did," Big Mouth Classmate insisted.

I wanted to die.
 
5) Mr. Redbone has said that taking himself too seriously would be "the gentle kiss of death." What's something that you always take seriously and just can't joke about? Cruelty to animals or children.

6) He has retired from public life, and that includes his Facebook page, which is no longer available. What did you last post to your Facebook page? I "liked" this story about the Cubs adorable first baseman announcing his engagement.

Aw ... So happy for Anthony Rizzo and his girl, Emily.

7) Leon always wore dark glasses when he performed. Do your sunglasses have gray, green, brown or rose colored lenses? I've got a drawer full of sunglasses, but lately I have been wearing transition lenses that turn green.

8) Recently Dick Van Dyke performed this song at a charity benefit, aided by his a capella quartet, The Vantastix. Last year, at age 90, he campaigned for Bernie Sanders. So Mr. Van Dyke is certainly not a "lazy bones." Who's the most active, energetic person in your life? My friend, Nancy. She works a full week, drives her daughter all over, has "date nights" with her husband and still does a lot of charity work. (I sleep on the sofa.)

9) Random question: You're at dinner with friends and someone begins a very long joke with, "Stop me if you've heard this before." You have heard it, many times before. Do you stop him? Or do you just sit through it again? It costs nothing to be kind at a moment like this. I'll sit through it again.

The Right Words at the Right Time

I worry about money. A lot.

It's not that my finances are appreciably worse than they were a year ago. They aren't. It's that I'm a year older than I was a year ago. I realize that, to maintain my standard of living, I have to keep bringing in the salary I currently am. And realistically, I know that this just isn't going to go on forever.

And so I freak out. I worry, and I feel bad. And I have stopped spending on extraneous BIG things. My bathroom remodel is on hold -- again! -- for another year. There's no solo getaway on my calendar. I want to do both badly, and I have the available credit on my card to do both. But that would be stupid. And so I won't do that.

And I worry.

But I also do a lot of dumb things. I waste tons of money on little things, and I really didn't think about it until last week, when I got to page 57 of Rob Lowe's memoir, Stories I Only Tell My Friends. Looking back on his junior high years, Rob writes:

"We can't afford restaurants very much. If we do go out, the rule is: no desserts. There is never a vacation. And no new clothes."

I was sitting in a restaurant as I read that. When I brought my summer clothes out, I saw to my amusement that I now have, like a zillion navy blue t-shirts because, for some reason, I thought I needed navy blue t-shirts. Of course, I have no black slacks that will cover my prodigious ass. That's because I was too dumb to check my closet and drawers before I shopped.

And books! This Lowe book I picked up at the Little Free Library right down the street, but I also just purchased two new hardcover books ($30). Because I felt like it, and I wanted them. What's wrong with the public library? Or waiting for the annual book sale? Or just being smart?

It's time for me to be as smart as Rob's mother was back in the day. I have to be mindful of EVERYTHING I buy, not just things past a certain price point.

Friday, a Cub fan/coworker came by and asked if I wanted to buy his Cub tickets for Saturday's and Sunday's games. AGAINST THE CARDINALS. He and his (pregnant) wife and can't go and under the circumstances -- baby on the way -- it just doesn't seem responsible for him to let the tickets go to waste. He's got to sell them. Face value = $75 each.

Cubs. Cardinals. Wrigley Field. Sunshine, beer and ivy. Do I want to go? Hell to the yes!

But I can't go. I've already spent $300 on Cub tickets, and I haven't seen a single frame yet. (I'll be return to the Friendly Confines this Friday and then again with my nephew in July.) So I'll also be buying beer and hot dogs and drinks after the game. I simply cannot afford it.

But I want it. And the want is very strong.

So, with Luke standing there, I call my friend John at work. I tell Luke if John picks up, and can go, I'll buy the tickets. If he doesn't, it's not meant to be.

John didn't pick up. In a way, I'm glad. John really can't afford to spend even more on Cub
tickets, either.

This weekend I'll be in front of the set, watching the Cubs on TV. And that's fine. It's smart.

Whoever woulda thought Rob Lowe would be my inspiration?

WWW.WEDNESDAY

WWW.WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here.

1. What are you currently reading? Stories I Only Tell My Friends by Rob Lowe. Despite its positive reviews, I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this memoir, because I've never been much of a Rob Lowe fan ... and because it starts out more than a little maudlin with his recollection of knowing JFK, Jr. ever-so slightly just before that fatal plane crash. 

But here's the surprise: I am enjoying it. A lot. I appreciate how candid he is about his own career: He grew up around Sean Penn, and he knows he's not Sean Penn. He knows he'll likely never get a part as good as Leonardo di Caprio's in The Departed, or Timothy Hutton's in Ordinary People (which he couldn't even get an audition for). He's an actor who wants to work, and takes the best of what he's offered. It's an interesting glimpse into the life of someone who isn't in the highest echelon, and knows and accepts it.

He's a charming raconteur, too. I'm just about done with this book, and soon I think I'll miss hanging around with Rob and hearing his stories.

2. What did you recently finish reading? Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. I've seen Gone Girl, the hit movie based on her most famous work, but this is the first time I've read Ms. Flynn. This book is both deeply disturbing and highly addictive. There is not a character you wish you knew in real life. It's the tale of a Chicago reporter on assignment in the small Missouri town where she grew up. Young girls have been disappearing, and she's using her hometown connections to get the story. In addition to a serial killer, there's self mutilation and torture and joyless sex and damning gossip. When you guess whodunnit rather early on, you're probably right. And yet the writing is as evocative as it is provocative, and Flynn's imagination is wild and dark and hypnotic. 

  3.  What will you read next? Oh, my TBR is so deep!
 

Glum

I have a pimple in my eyebrow. An angry red bump that is as painful as it is unsightly.

The Cubs are in the process of losing their FIFTH in a row, and falling below .500!

I think my air conditioner isn't working efficiently. Oh, good! Another day off work! Another expense!

I realize these are not earth shattering problems. I know I sound like a silly woman. I likely am a silly woman.

A glum, silly woman.

To Sir, With Love

I originally wrote this a couple years ago. It seems fitting today, John F. Kennedy's centennial.

President Kennedy died on my sixth birthday. That's a tender age, and having my Big Day marred by a national tragedy left its mark. In trying to restore order to my little universe and understand the pervasive agony all around me, I began reading obsessively the man. And have never stopped.

John F. Kennedy taught me much about life. The biggest lesson is that the way a life looks on the outside isn't necessarily how it feels from the inside. Though he was insulated by wealth, young Jack was plagued by severe, painful medical problems that kept him in the hospital or home convalescing. He missed years of school and had to drop out of Yale because of his fragile health. (And this was as the second son in a family that valued achievement above all else.) His parents had a troubled marriage, and that resulted in a complicated, unsatisfactory relationship with his mother that may have colored his attitude toward women throughout his life. (I've read just as much about his wife, so I'm not unaware of his own failings as a husband.)

So whenever I'm tempted to compare my life to someone else's, whenever I feel envy nipping at my heart, I remember how the world looked at JFK and thought he had it all, while in his heart he always felt rather lonely and isolated.

But look what he accomplished! Cum laude graduate of Harvard, decorated war hero, Pulitzer Prize winner, and the youngest man ever elected to the Presidency. The first Irish Catholic, at a time when people still remembered signs in store windows that said, "Irish need not apply."

Yes, he lucked out being born to one of the country's wealthiest family. But the wit, the intellect, the elegant turn of phrase, the fascinating combination of empathy and detachment he brought to every situation ... those money didn't buy. 

He taught me that if you have imagination, you can visualize your own destiny and if you don't cut yourself too much slack, you can achieve your goals. 

He remains the single biggest influence on my politics. He wrote this before I was born, and it still sums up my view of what my country can be if we listen to our better selves.

If by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people-their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties-someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal", then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal.”

That's how I'm honoring him, with gratitude, on his birthday.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Procrastination Tool Questions

1. What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? It changes. Currently it's The Pittsfield Cafe. It's just so unique. It's in the lobby of the Pittsfield Building, one of Chicago's first skyscrapers (1927). You have to walk through the lobby to get to the restaurant, and it's great to look at the gorgeous old ceiling and floors and chandeliers. The restaurant is one of those coffee shops that serves breakfast all day and has laminated menus. I'm partial to the grilled cheese sandwiches, and to the fact that none of my coworkers ever comes here, so it's the perfect place to escape with a book.

2. What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it? Burgers. I could add cheese or onions or swap out ketchup for barbecue sauce to mix it up a bit.

 
3. Have you ever had anything removed from your body? Yes. Little moles and major internal organs. I'd like to maintain the collection of parts I have now.

4. What is the last heavy item you lifted? These weary old bones.

5. Have you ever been knocked unconscious? No.

6. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? No.

7. If you could change your name, what would you change it to? I've always felt I'd make a good "Julie."

8. What’s your goal for the year? To improve my finances. They are a mess and a major concern.

9. Last person you hugged? A coworker. I thanked her for her support and she responded with a hug.

10. First place you went this morning? It's no longer morning, and I haven't left the house yet.

11. Do you always answer your phone? No

12. It’s four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it? My friend, Henry. Once he starts sipping wine, he loses track of time and becomes sentimental.

13. If you could change your eye color what would it be? No, thank you. My green eyes are very pretty and I don't want to change them.

14. What’s on your wish list for your birthday? Laughter. My oldest friend and I will be in Vegas for my birthday, and I'm counting on a silly, memorable time.

15. Does the future make you more nervous or excited? Nervous

16. Do you have any saved texts? Well,yes. But only because I forget to delete things.

17. Ever been in a car wreck? No.

18. Do you have an accent? I don't think so, but I'm told I have flat, nasal vowels. I once had an admin who could imitate me saying, "No prah-blum."

19. What was the last song to make you cry? Nothing springs to mind.

20. What did you do last night? Watched John Lackey do not-so-well against the Dodgers.

21. Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? Oh, yes.

22. Current hate right now? "Hate" is strong. But I'm not crazy about how things are going at the office right now.

23. Met someone who changed your life? Oh, yes.

24. How did you bring in the New Year? Reliving the glory days with my friends, The Crawleys.

25. What song represents you? Bruce Springsteen: No Surrender. "I'm ready to grow young again."

Not funny

I feel a little guilty about what I'm about to post. It's about "Archie Bunker," the retired sportscaster my oldest friend met on a dating site and was briefly infatuated with.

Archie hated Obama and blamed Obama for everything. Back in the olden days when I monitored his Twitter feed, I saw how much he delighted in retweeting rumors that "Michelle hates Barry" and wants a divorce. With all the hubbub about Melania Trump's apparent lack of enthusiasm for her man, I thought I'd revisit Archie to see how he weighs on the current First Couple.



via GIPHY


I am unhappy to report that all of his tweets are personal, unanswered and very sad.

Should I stick a fork in it           (May 19)
May be time to just disappear   (May 20)
I need a drink                            (May 20)
Another Saturday Night            (May 20)
Confused and disappointed       (May 21)
Damn crashing                          (May 22)


 I know that he has an adult son and daughter and grandchildren on the other coast. Apparently he and his daughter clash frequently. I know that my oldest friend was very willing to be in his life but he treated her abysmally. And then there's his toxic world view. ALWAYS complaining! Before May 19, his targets were cyclists who ride too fast on the sidewalk, and Charlie Beck, the chief of the LAPD, and the "clueless" dealership where he bought his Ford Navigator. Even without Obama, there's plenty in day-to-day life to upset ol' Archie.

While I am loyal to my oldest friend and am glad she gave up on Archie, I am still sorry about what I read. He's alienated, sad and in some physical discomfort. Depression is real and his practically reaches off the screen.

We could talk about how you get back what you put out. If he was kinder and more pleasant to those he spoke to on a day-to-day basis, I'm sure he would have more people reaching out to help him.

But that doesn't really matter now, does it?

I'd mention my discovery to my oldest friend, but she's still struggling with depression herself. She's so fragile and I'd never forgive myself if he (once again) decided she wasn't young/thin enough for him.

Instead, I'll just include him in my prayers and hope he finds the help he needs to turn this around.

Day 3

I woke up this morning and truly couldn't remember what day it was. That's how unplugged I've become during this four day weekend.

Friday I bought a bed and dropped off a bag of clothes at Goodwill. Yesterday I restocked my larder, shopping for decidedly not-fun things like eye drops, air freshener and Advil. And that's it. (If you don't count watching movies and baseball and playing with the cats.)

I really have to vacuum and put my winter clothes away. A few loads of laundry await. I suppose it's time for me get off my prodigious ass and accomplish something.

But I admit, I liked waking up and saying to myself, "What day is this again?" This ol' gal is such a slug!

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Stars and Stripes Forever 

1) Memorial Day was introduced after the Civil War. War memorials, as well as the graves of veterans, are to be decorated with flags and flowers on this day to show our appreciation. Is there a war memorial in your neighborhood? Just a few blocks from here, there's a big granite and bronze memorial to those we lost in WWI. It's in a park that's very popular with families. It's nice to see those solemn bronze troops surrounded by laughter and life on a sunny day.

2) Andrew Johnson, our 17th President, was in office the first time Memorial Day (then called Decoration Day) was celebrated. Have you ever met one of our 45 Presidents? I've never MET a President. However, as a campaign worker I have attended rallies with them. I saw candidate Bill Clinton in 1992 and President Clinton in 1996 during Chicago campaign stops. And I had the distinct pleasure of being there in Soldier Field 2008 and McCormick Place in 2012 when Barack Obama declared victory. These are cherished memories. It's a joy to feel like a part of process.

Soldier Field, 11/2008. Can you see me?

3) According to the AAA, 36 million Americans will hit the road this weekend and drive more than 50 miles. Will you be traveling far from home this weekend? Only to the mall. I promised myself I'm taking at least one bag of clothes to Goodwill!

 

4) Memorial Day kicks off the summer season. What's your favorite picnic food? Potato salad

5) Have you packed away your winter clothes? Or is the weather still so changeable that you still may need something warm? I'm finally packing away my winter clothes this weekend. I haven't done it because a) the weather has been changeable and b) I am a lazy slug.

6) As you answer these questions, is there an air conditioner or fan on? There's a fan whirring away.

7) This week, we are featuring the Muppets. Jim Henson made the first Muppet out of an old coat, and he used ping pong balls for the eyes. Do you have a talent for do-it-yourself/arts and crafts projects? No.

8) Random question: Think of the last thing you bought. Did you get a good deal? This afternoon I bought a new mattress at Sears. The mattress was 60% off ... and the box spring was free ... and delivery is free ... and since I used my Sears card, I got 16 months/no interest. I'm feeling pretty freaking proud of myself. 

Of course, since it's Memorial Day, and just about all retailers have mattress sales, that may have been a pretty standard deal. So how about this? On the way home from Sears, I stopped at the grocery store and got a 7-oz bottle of yellow mustard for just 56¢.

9) Crazy Sam needs your help: What song or a performer would you like to see featured in a Saturday 9 this summer? "Son of a Preacher Man" by the Dusty Springfield.