Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Happy Holidays! (from the archives)  
 
1. Sam loved giving her annual wish list to Santa. Yet some children are reluctant to climb into Jolly Old St. Nick's lap. Did you enjoy the tradition or were you shy? Or did you by pass it altogether -- either because you wrote him a letter or because your family didn't celebrate Christmas?  I would have preferred to write a letter. I felt I could have been far more specific for Santa by copying out page numbers from the Sears Christmas Catalog. But my mom got a kick out of seeing us with Santa, so that's what we did.

 

2. Are you currently on the Naughty or Nice list? How did you get there? I'd put me on the Nice list. I've worked at being a better person -- in classic film vernacular, I strive to be more Melanie and less Scarlett. I've done some good work for my client and been a good friend. Yes, Santa, label me Nice!

Every day I ask: WWMD (What would Melly do?)

3. Did you ship any gifts to friends and family this year? If so, which one traveled the farthest? Speaking of classic movies, I sent a copy of the shooting script of The Godfather to my oldest friend in Hesperia, CA. I picked it up last April while at the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood. It came home with me on the plane (1,740 miles) and then I mailed it back about 1,940 miles to Hesperia, courtesy of the USPS.

 
4. Did you buy yourself a gift this year? This past Tuesday, I bought myself a book and took myself to lunch. It was pricey, but I enjoyed it.

 
5. What's your favorite holiday-themed movie? Have you seen it yet this year? My favorite is Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol. I watched it on YouTube.

 6. Thinking of movies, Christmas is lucrative for Hollywood. Have you ever gone to a movie theater on Christmas Day? No.

 
7. Have you ever suffered an embarrassing moment at the company Christmas party? It wasn't the Christmas party, but it was a work function and I'd prefer not to speak of it. Thirty years later and my cheeks still get hot.

 
8. What's your favorite beverage in cold weather? Bailey's Irish Creme.

 
9. Share a memory from last Christmas. Last year, was an intense Christmas. Henry was newly home from the hospital after his life threatening, October 2018 accident. I was thrilled to see him alive, and grateful that we could be together, but he really wasn't well yet. I'm looking forward to a merrier and more chill Christmas, as his condition has improved.

Enjoy your holidays, Everyone!

Settling in to watch

My DVR is whirring right now. I'm recording The I Love Lucy Christmas Special, which I will watch after I finish my laundry.

Purist that I am, I normally don't like colorization. But this is special. Ricky looks more handsome. Lucy's eyes are so very blue. And Santa suits are just better in red!

We are better than him

Some days, Donald Trump exhausts me and breaks my heart. He is routinely cruel, bullying people day in and day out. He lies all the time, about everyone from Barack Obama to Ted Cruz. He is completely transactional and devoid of empathy. (Just recall his comments about our neighbors in Puerto Rico after the hurricane.)

And yet this vain and vulgar man, this man who never apologizes, who insists he has never asked God's forgiveness, is the darling of evangelicals.

It's enough to make this old Christian gal cry.


I believe in signs. I believe God reaches out to me in the way I'll best understand. And today, on my day off, He did.

Doing errands on this unseasonably warm day, with Christmas carols playing in my headphones, I walked up a different street than usual. I was so happy to see the nativity on the lawn of the Catholic church that I crossed the street to get a closer look. I just wanted to be nearer to it.

Then I saw the sign.

 "Immigrants & Refugees Welcome Here."

YES! Mary and Joseph were immigrants. There was no room for them at the inn, so she had to give birth in a manger. Oh, I'm sure Donald Trump would try to keep them out with a wall, maybe cruelly separate the baby from His parents. But we celebrate them. We honor them. And we continue to welcome immigrants and refugees in His name.

Donald Trump doesn't really represent us. We're better than him.

My heart took off.

The Book of Matthew tells us: Whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

Yes.

I wish we had a President who inspired rather than incited. And hopefully come January 2021, we will.

But for now, it's up to us to rise above our President. We can. We will. I know it.

All it takes is love.

Impeachment

So today Donald J. Trump was impeached. It is sad, serious and overwhelming.

I'm an adult. It's my job to follow this stuff, isn't it? So I started my day off tuned to the debate on the floor. After a while, though, I felt all my energy slipping away.

Not a single Republican did what needed to be done. What's more, Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) compared Trump to Christ. 

“Before you take this historic vote today, one week before Christmas, keep this in mind: When Jesus was falsely accused of treason, Pontius Pilate gave Jesus the opportunity to face his accusers. During that sham trial, Pontius Pilate afforded more rights to Jesus than Democrats afforded this president in this process."

How disgusting is that? Christ did not abuse his power. Christ bribed no one. (Oh yeah, and Christ didn't have five children by three wives, and his attorney never went to prison after paying off a porn star.) 

And whatever happened to the separation of Church and State? When will these RWNJs show requisite respect for our form of government, and for my faith, and keep Christianity out of their mouths while talking about #45, who has never sought forgiveness for his sins.

So I switched to Magnum PI. I have a few episodes on my DVR and plowed through two of them. Tom Selleck can be very funny. I wish he did more comedy. If you see him, please share my observation.

Then it was time for my holiday pedi. I got Jenna, the nail tech who is bubbly and positive. Her ten-year-old daughter still believes in Santa and has asked for science stuff for home experiments. I could tell that Jenna was proud that her girl enjoys school and STEM.

Revlon Optimistic

I walked my Optimistically painted nails over to the corner bar just a couple doors down from the salon. I had a gift card in my wallet -- a birthday present from Snarkypants, and she had specified that I use it for lunch. So I took a booth in the back and had a massive bowl of clam chowder and a nice glass of Bailey's Irish Creme, neat.

They had the impeachment debate on, but with no sound. So six hours later, it was still going on.

I got home, I took a nap. I woke up, and the President of the United States had been impeached. 

So it's done. The first POTUS ever to be accused of high crimes and misdemeanors during his first term.

Life goes on. It's surreal.

 

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? Cary Grant by Marc Elliott. I have never seen a Cary Grant performance that I didn't enjoy. And yet, when I list my favorite classic film stars, I forget to include him. I think it's because there's a distance, an aloofness, that Cary Grant maintained that just wasn't there with Henry Fonda or James Stewart.

I'm hoping that this biography by Marc Elliot will help explain that. I know we're not supposed judge a book by its cover, but I love the portrait on the cover. There's the impeccable Mr. Grant, black tie and not a hair out of place, sitting criss cross, and making the incongruity elegant. Perhaps it's those warring sides of his personality -- the charm and the cheek -- that are the secret of his appeal and mystique.

  2. What did you recently finish reading? Still Life by Louise Penny. I'd like to stay at the B&B in Three Pines. A room there sounds like a comforting and comfortable place to unwind after exploring the village. I know that the books are promoted as "The Chief Inspector Gamache series," but after reading this first one, I think Three Pines is the star.
 

I enjoyed this book a great deal and, in fact, almost loved it. Ms. Penny creates unique characters without condescending to them. The crime that shocks Three Pines feels organic, as if it almost had to happen in that town. And Gamache is wise, warm and imperfect. I love his quote: "They are four sentences we learn to say and mean: I don't know; I need help; I'm sorry; I was wrong."

The penultimate scene in the book bugged me, though. Once it was revealed who the murderer was, I needed the "why" and "how." I'd convicted the wrong person, and wanted to get to the denouement. Instead there's some derring-do that felt out of place for the characters and it distracted me.

Still, I'm glad I met this series and will certainly revisit Three Pines.

3.  What will you read next? I'm not sure.

"Because you like cats and words"

So said my friend Nancy when she handed me a gift bag. Inside were kitty dishtowels and a quotation quiz book. I was surprised and touched. Nancy is Jewish and doesn't celebrate Christmas, and we've never done the gift thing before.

We met at a local restaurant that is closing at the end of the month, after a 30 year run. Nancy's husband joined us to say goodbye. It makes her happy that he and I get along.

It was a lovely evening, a fitting farewell to an old favorite restaurant, and another opportunity to wear my Cubs Christmas sweater.

I feel valued. It's a nice Christmas-y feeling!

A tourist in my own town

After my doctor's appointment, I went to Macy's. On State Street. At Christmastime. Just like every tourist who comes to Chicago in December.

Because I'm on vacation, I had time to enjoy it. And I did. I really noticed the decorations. I had fun checking out the windows, and snapping photos of a family who had traveled from downstate, just to see them.

Oh yeah, and I bought three pair of blue socks and a tiny box of Frango mints.

Christmas! I'm feeling it!

When Barack met Michelle

I walk past this building every time I go to the chiropractor. It's the home of the Sidley Austin law firm.

In 1989, lawyer Michelle Robinson met a promising summer intern named Barack Obama. Here.

When I go to Springfield, I see a plaque on the site of Globe Tavern, where Abe Lincoln and Mary spent their honeymoon.

In Georgetown, Martin's Tavern has a plaque where JFK proposed to Jackie.

I wonder if, someday, this building won't be recognized for its historic significance.

Right here. In my town. How cool is that!

Floaters and flashes

For about a week now, I've been kept company by a spider web floater on my right eye. At night, when I look unavoidably look into car headlights, I see flashes in the periphery of the same eye.

I have looked around on the internet and have discovered it's either nothing or really serious.

Naturally, I'd prefer it to be nothing.

After January 1, if I'm still seeing them, I'll go to the eye doctor. This is, after all, why I have insurance.

Before I go, I'll check this blog so I'll have something accurate to say when she asks, "How long have you seen these floaters and flashes?" This is one of the benefits of blogging!

Sunday Stealing

Read about it here

Taken from The Book of Questions

1. If you saw a dog locked in a hot car, what would you do? First, I'd call the police. This is why it's good that each of us always has a phone. Then I would go to the nearest business and ask if them to make an announcement, in case the owner is nearby.

2.  Is it easy for you to accept help when you need it? No, but I'm working on it. It's the lasting lesson I learned from Elizabeth Edwards' book. Relationships are stronger -- we are each stronger -- when we ask for and accept help.
 

3. Have you ever been in a fashion show? No.
 

4. Would you like to be famous? No. I think the scrutiny and judgement would make me crazy. I would, however, love to be really rich.


5. What is your most compulsive habit? I press the elevator button, even if someone else has already called for the elevator.
 

6. What do you most strive for in your life: accomplishment, security, love, power, excitement, knowledge, or something else? Something else. (Happiness, to be specific.)

So not my family

7.How close and warm is your family? Ha!

8. Does that fact that you have never done a thing before increase or decrease its appeal to you? Depends on what it is. Space travel? Yes. Haven't done it, not at all interested. Visit Quebec? Haven't done it but curious about it.



9. If your friends start belittling a common acquaintance, would you defend that person? Depends on the person. What did they do? Were they incompetent or cruel? Or are my friends just making fun of a sweater they're wearing. Big difference.
 

10.  Do you make a special effort to thank someone who does you a favor? Yes. How do you react when you aren’t thanked for going out of your way for someone? I'm sad.

11. Since adolescence, in what 3-year period do you feel you experienced the most personal growth and change? 21 to 24. I went from a secretary to a copywriter, from having a job to having a career.

 
12. When you do something ridiculous, how much does it bother you to have other people notice it and laugh at you? Depends.

13. Do you believe in capital punishment? No. I've written about this before, BUT my friend John was on a jury that sentenced a man to death. Years later, it was proven that the man was innocent, and that the police beat a false confession from the defendant. John was heartsick and deeply depressed that he was nearly responsible for an innocent man's death. 

If the state decides that taking a life is necessary, then the JUDGE should take responsibility, not just some citizen who is doing his duty by serving on a jury.

 
14. Do you find it so hard to say “no” that you regularly do favors you do not want to do? Yes.

15.  What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about? Yes. Disabilities. Whether it's Serge Kovaleski, the Washington Post reporter who won a Pulitzer Prize despite a congenital joint condition, or Greta Thunberg, who became Time's Person of the Year despite battling Asperger, the President of the United States should not mock their disabilities. It's one thing to attack their work, but he imitated Kovaleski's deformed hand and speech, and Thunberg's difficulty in modulating. He is making fun of things they cannot help, and that's ugly.

Donald Trump should be too grateful to God that he, his five children and ten grandchildren are healthy to behave this way. And I worry about what children think when they see adults applaud  the most powerful man in the free world as he mocks the disabled. 

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: The Christmas Song (1961)

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

1) The lyrics mention "chestnuts roasting on an open fire." Do you often eat chestnuts? I don't recall ever eating a chestnut. Am I missing something wonderful?

2) There's a reference to Jack Frost, too. Does cold weather help you get into the holiday spirit? It helps. I enjoy that we get four distinct seasons here, and snow and cold are part of winter ... and Christmastime.

3) Nat sings that turkey helps to make the season bright. We just had it last month for Thanksgiving. Do you enjoy turkey all year around? Or do you consider it primarily a holiday dish? I eat turkey all year around. I prefer it to chicken.


4) This song was published as "The Christmas Song," but people often refer to it as "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" or "Merry Christmas to You." When you think of this song, which title comes to mind? "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire."

5) Nat King Cole had a big hit in the 1950s with "Mona Lisa." The ballad compares an enigmatic woman to the da Vinci painting, which hangs in the Louvre. The Mona Lisa has been called the most instantly identifiable painting in the world. Can you think of another famous painting that you recognize on sight? (Extra points if you include a picture!)

American Gothic

6) Best remembered today as a singer, Cole was also an accomplished composer and jazz pianist. Do you like jazz? Not especially.

7) The only Christmas card Sam has received so far this year is from her dentist. She never sees Dr. Douglas socially. In fact, she hasn't seen him since her annual check-up last March. Have you received many cards this year? Seven so far. I predict I'll get an even dozen by Christmas.

8) When did/will you start holiday shopping this year: Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving/Black Friday, Halloween? Earlier than that? I shop all year around. If I see the perfect gift for someone, I snap it up.


9) This time of year is big for charitable fundraising. Here's your chance to plug a cause or organization that's near and dear to you. I'm an enthusiastic supporter of the local food pantry. It's good to help my neighbors and keep my contributions close to home. Here's how to find your local food bank.

It's good to get out of myself

Things at work annoyed me today. We really aren't busy, it's my last workday of 2019, and so everything should be going smoothly. Yet it wasn't.

Hamid is getting on my nerves. He's very enthusiastic about getting stuff done, but he pays no attention whatsoever to process. He knows he's cutting corners, because I've told him. He also knows I like him, so he thinks that if he makes funny faces and charms me, I won't mind. He's wrong. I mind a lot. I'm worried that mistakes are going to get into print because Hamid is going rogue.

I had to get out of the office at lunchtime. I just had to have some alone time. I felt my Christmas spirit dissipating.

So I went "home," to the buffet in the building where we had offices until 2018. I spent many Christmases in that building, and I thought seeing the familiar decorations would cheer me up.

Instead I was jolted.

On December 13, with just 7 days to go, the building toy drive is at just 2% of goal. Every year, the tenants of this 83-story skyscraper contribute toys to brighten Christmas for abused, abandoned kids in a Catholic home. But this year, no one is giving.

I have 2 -- maybe 3 -- holiday get-togethers this coming week. I'm going to Key West the following week. My holiday shopping is done. I was hoping to be conservative with my money. But this was unacceptable. There has to be a way to help without busting my budget.

I remembered the Extra Bucks coupon I tucked in my wallet. Worth $3 at CVS. That's a start toward a toy, isn't it?  I got a set of "fashion dolls" -- generic Barbies -- that included two dolls and four outfits. With the coupon, it came to $7 and change, which I had on hand. It made me happy to drop the set of dolls into the unfortunately empty toy box.

Yes, I'm mad at Hamid for being manipulative. Yes, I'm mad at my boss for not taking the situation seriously.

But work problems happen every day, every week, every month of the year. This is Christmas. Christmas matters. Christmas means something.

An abused or abandoned little girl is going to get a pair of dolls from Santa. Just as Emily, the 4-year-old here in my neighborhood, is getting a sweater, a Frozen II Golden Book and an Anna/Elsa notebook. Two girls are going to get a dose of Christmas magic, in spite of their circumstances.

I did those things.

It's good to get out of myself and into others.

If you're looking for a way to help kids this Christmas, why not look to Toys for Tots?

$250 and words of encouragement

Wednesday was the office party. I didn't go. I never go. I don't feel like getting all dressed up, just to see my coworkers do things they'll regret the next day. (This year's notable moment: our chief digital officer reached for an hors d'oeuvres and ignited his sleeve on a candle. Of course, someone caught it on her phone. I don't find this funny and won't watch it.)

Learn about the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation

Instead I went to dinner with my friend Kathleen. It was our annual birthday/Christmas celebration. For her birthday, I got her a t-shirt from The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, which benefits families who are battling cancer, and it gave me an opportunity to tell her how much I admired how Kathleen handled herself during her own battle with the disease. For Christmas, I gave her an ornament I had made with one of her favorite pix of her daughter and her husband. (Facebook comes in handy at times like this!)

There was a symmetry to our gift giving. For my birthday, she gave me a Beatle pillow case, which she purchased for me during a family vacation to Jolly Old. And for Christmas, she gave me a glass cat ornament. I told her it's going with me to Key West, where I'll be on Christmas Day. I always decorate my hotel room, and why not display kitty?

We caught up on our lives and our friends. She asked about my theater buddy, Barb, who had been Kathleen's boss at one time. I mentioned how sad I was that Barb and I had drifted apart. Since she moved to Hilton Head, I don't hear from her anymore. I've reached out with chatty little emails that don't get returned. I miss Barb, I worry about her and I wonder what I've done to upset or alienate her.

Kathleen told me, in her best mom voice, that I must not do this to myself and I have to entertain the notion that Barb could be going through stuff that has nothing to do with me. That made me feel better because I haven't forgotten how much Barb has suffered and I'd never intentionally do anything to hurt her.

Then, on Thursday, two things happened:

1) I won the Christmas party raffle and received a $250 gift card to Tao! This amuses me because I didn't even know I was entered in the raffle, and Tao is restaurant/nightclub frequented by the cool kids. The cast of Empire hangs out there while shooting. And here I'll come, wearing my jeans and armed with my gift card!

2) I got a Christmas card from Barb, indicating that Kathleen was right.

All's well that ends well!

How do you square this circle?

I know there are many bloggers who consider themselves good Christians and yet support Donald Trump. They insist he is prayerful and reflects their Christian values.

Yet Donald Trump regularly goes after Greta Thunberg, a teenage girl who is battling Asperger syndrome. For those of you who may not understand it, Asperger impairs a person's ability to understand and modulate gestures and tone of voice.

Tell me how making fun of her reflects Christ's teachings?

Earlier this week, the President mocked the security teamed assigned to keep him safe. 

I know that we're all human, and we each have our weak, unkind moments. Christians are supposed to feel remorse for this. Instead, our President and his supporters applaud this. At the rally, people literally cheered. His bully tweet of Greta Thunberg got tens of thousands of likes.

I am as offended and confused by the President's uber-Christian supporters as I am by him.

I hope someday (soon) the radical right will let me have my faith back.

Tuesday 4

A Repeat ~ Just Wondering
1.   When was the last time you tried something new? Last week I took my coworker to lunch at a restaurant we'd never tried before. The soup was meh but the burger was fantastic! The onions were caramelized in beef fat. That may sound a little creepy to you, but it made a difference and enhanced the flavor.

2.   Who in your family do you compare yourself to? I think I'm most like my Aunt Joanne, in ways good and bad. We're both short. We're both opinionated. We both like to read and we're both loyal. I even have her fair skin and round face.

3.   What lesson in life did you learn the hard way? If you find yourself repeatedly getting the short end of the stick from someone, don't believe him when he says he didn't mean it. He did.

4.   What can you do today that you weren't able to do before? I just figured out how to use the cropping tool on my phone! Until recently, I had to download photos to improve them before posting them. I'm not the most tech savvy gal in the world, so this was a big deal.

Sunday Stealing

From Pinterest


1. What don’t you share? On this blog? I don't share real names.

2. A reason to celebrate? It's Christmastime!


3. Describe where you are now. At my dining room table.

4. A dream that seems impossible. Winning the lottery.

5. Something you hope for. A winning lottery ticket.

6. A tradition that makes you feel at home. Singing with my shower radio.

7. The people who make your life better. My friends (because, technically speaking, my cats aren't people).

8. Someone you’d like to meet. Doris Kearns Goodwin. I'd love to talk Abe and Mary with her.

9. A silly thing you’d really like. I want an Anthony Rizzo Cubs jersey. I don't need it. I would only wear it once/twice a season. But I want it nevertheless.

10. A book from your childhood. Abe again.

 

11. Something you’re still not sure about. Whether impeachment is wise. Oh, I think Trump is guilty of bribery and with every passing day I'm more certain he's a blight on his office. But this is my third impeachment, and I've seen it have unintended consequences.

12. The best dessert to share with friends. Well, the last one I shared was a brownie with whipped cream. It was terrific, so I'll go with that.

13. A story that captures your imagination. I'll stay with Abe.

14. Memories beside a fireplace. My uncle was proud of his fireplace, so it made me happy to buy him fireplace related stuff for Christmas. He loved a good creosote sweeping log.

15. How do you spend a rainy day? I'd love spend it napping!

 

It was a stupid phone call

A serious topic, to be sure, but a stupid call. My friend Henry had a seizure at work and ended up in the ER on Tuesday or Wednesday. Friday night, he called me.

He was still rattled by the experience. He was also drunk, medicated and silly.

He gets seizures as a result of his traumatic brain injury. Which he still denies he has. He had a seizure this past week because he doesn't take his medication.

I asked him why. He said that, when he's at work and the alarm on his phone goes off, he refuses to stop what he's doing to swallow pills. He says it's "embarrassing."

I asked him if it isn't "embarrassing" to have coworkers break into the men's room and then see him loaded into an ambulance. He told me that I don't understand. He's right.

I changed the subject to my upcoming trip to see him. I told him I'd be happy to go to his new church for Christmas Eve service, and that I discovered I could walk to it from my hotel. I asked if he could get a ride.

"I'll drive myself. I can drive. I've been driving." He slurred this.

I told him that I would stay in Chicago rather than be responsible for a man who has seizures getting behind the wheel.

He changed the subject to Patrick, Reg's friend who will be coming to stay with them. He told me he thought Patrick was "creepy" and implied that he indulges in promiscuity because he was molested as a child. This is a rather dramatic accusation! Plus, Henry forgets that I not only was molested as a teen, I'm a rape survivor, so this is an uncomfortable subject for me.

I asked him what Patrick's rate of intercourse has to do with him. He said Patrick brings strange lovers into their home and Henry doesn't want to "wake up dead." This does not happen.

Fortunately, Henry said his medications were kicking in and he wanted to cut the call short. THANK GOD!

Nothing he said was true or legitimate. It's very hard for me not to shout at him.

But I know he's not himself. I know my Henry is in there, somewhere. I've seem more and more flashes of the old Henry as he struggles to recover.

I just need to hold on. To hang on. To realize he's doing the best he can.

But it's a white lie

I don't feel like going downtown today. I just don't. Apparently, other members of my movie group don't feel like it either.

For Will, our moderator, wants us all to meet at one of the multiplexes to see Meet Me in St. Louis on the big screen in celebration of the film's 75th anniversary. It's a good choice. After all, it's the movie where Judy Garland introduces "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Will thought sure I'd be there because, as he texted me, IT'S JUDY!

Garland is adorable in the movie and her musical numbers are stellar, but I'm not all that crazy about the movie. It's overlong. Plus, it's on TV all the time (I literally saw it yesterday on the Movies! network).

I want to chill today. I want to eat brunch at my favorite coffee shop. I want to finish my grocery shopping, get my laundry done and maybe take a stab at cleaning my bathroom. I want to talk to as few people as possible.

So I told Will I was too busy and too broke to join him. It seems he's going to have a very small turn out today. He offered to pay for my admission, "a late birthday present."

I'm going to wait a few hours and pretend I didn't see it till it was too late for me to get downtown. I will thank him profusely. And that will be sincere. His thoughtful and generous offer does mean a lot to me. 

But I'm telling a white lie to preserve my alone time.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: The Champion (2018)


1) This song is about doing what it takes to win. What's the most recent competition you won? (Yes, online solitaire counts.) It was probably an online game of canasta. I'm pretty good, if I do say so myself.

2) The lyrics tell us to "go ahead and put your bets on me." Do you often play games of chance -- like the office football pool, or slot machines, or the lottery? I spend $2/week on the Illinois State Lottery. Then I fantasize for days about what I'd do with my winnings.

3) The video includes footage of young people competing in The Special Olympics. What's your favorite sport to watch? Is it the same sport you most enjoying playing? I love watching baseball. I'm no good at it, though.

4) This week's featured artist, Carrie Underwood, first came to America's attention when she won on American Idol. Prior to competing on that show, she'd never been on an airplane. How old were you when you took your first flight? 17.

5) Carrie loves horror and her favorite author is Stephen King. What book are you currently reading? Still Life by Louise Penny.

6) Carrie's duet partner on "The Champion" is rapper Ludacris. In addition to making music, he acts and has appeared in one Sam's favorite shows, Law & Order: SVU. What's your favorite "cop show?" Law & Order, either the original or SVU -- but only when Elliott was on.

Law & Order, with my favorite cast

Elliott and Liv on SVU

7) Ludacris is a distant cousin of comedian Richard Pryor. Have you studied your family's genealogy? Nah.

8) Soccer was a big deal in 2018, the year this song was released. According to Google, "FIFA World Cup" was the news story that generated the most internet searches. What's the last thing you "googled?" Law & Order, to get the photos.

9) Random question: You're battling the flu. The doctor advises you to stay in bed a full five days. As you begin feeling better (around Day 3), do you continue to follow doctor's orders? Or do you get up and start moving before you're supposed to? I'd get bored, move around too much, and then collapse back into bed. 

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? Still Life by Louise Penny. This is the first book in the Inspector Gamache series. I know I'm late to the Three Pines party. My blog buddy, Kwizgiver, is a massive fan and the staff at the local bookstore recommends it, too. So book #1 has made its way to my book bag.

Jane, school teacher/aspiring artist/longtime Three Pines resident, is found dead in the woods. Shot with an arrow! It's hunting season, so at first the authorities can't definitively classify it as a homicide. But you and I know it's murder.

So far I'm really enjoying the unique sense of place Ms. Penny has spun. The citizens are colorful and unique without being wacky or stereotypical. Three Pines feels like a very real place.

  2. What did you recently finish reading?  Becoming by Michelle Obama.This is a very candid post-White House memoir. I was surprised, and delighted, by what Michelle Obama chose to share. Even before Barack stepped onto the national stage, she struggled as she tried to balance her professional/personal lives. As a couple, they had trouble with fertility. Their relationship benefited from marriage counseling. Her openness on these important topics has/will undoubtedly help other women cope. Brava, Michelle!

It was also fascinating to watch her travel from the South Side to Pennsylvania Avenue. She isn't as diplomatic as her husband, not as careful or elegant in her speech. I missed his voice in some of these stories, as I wanted to hear his take on these same events. But this is her story, her chance to talk. As I was reading, I appreciated that this was history I was flipping through..

 

3.  What will you read next? Cary Grant by Marc Elliott. Unless I change my mind.