Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Who Are You? (1977)

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

1) This song, originally recorded by The Who, was the theme of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which ran from 2000 to 2015. Did you watch it? Were you a fan? Never saw it.

2) When the show premiered, Gil Grissom (William Petersen) was the CSI team's supervisor. Gil's mother was deaf, and so he was fluent in American Sign Language. Can you communicate using ASL?  Back in grammar school, I learned the ASL alphabet to earn a badge for Girl Scouts. I can still do it. Now that I'm an old broad, it amazes me how memory works. I mean, I can spell out the word "jump" in ASL after all these years, but I have to check and re-check what time today's Cub game comes on.

3) His assistant is blood-splatter analyst Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger). Catherine's family moved often, which made it hard for her to get traction in her studies. She finally just dropped out of high school. She later got her GED, and even graduated from college. Have you ever considered going back to school? Yes and no. As a member of both the Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy Presidential Libraries, I've discovered a ton of digital learning events. (There are blessings to be found during these strange days if you'll just look for them.) The Presidential libraries have introduced me to Road Scholars, an educational travel group designed for older adults. So after I retire, I'd like to physically revisit my favorite Presidential libraries and travel as a Road Scholar. It would be a commitment to learning, but not in a university setting.

 
4) Though set in Las Vegas, most of CSI was filmed in Santa Clarita, CA. Santa Clarita is also home to Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park. Do you enjoy roller coasters? Love them!

5) The vocalist on the CSI theme, Roger Daltry of the Who, made a cameo appearance on the show during season 7. Do you have a favorite Who song? It's a tie between "Pinball Wizard" and their cover of "Summertime Blues."

6) CSI became a franchise, followed by CSI: Miami and CSI: New York. If we could organize a Saturday 9 field trip, which of these CSI cities would you prefer we visit: Las Vegas, Miami or New York? Right now, I don't want to go anywhere! But when I'm convinced it's safe, I'd like to return to New York. Gov. Cuomo is doing such a great job. Let's reward him and throw a few travel dollars his way.

7) In 2000, the last original Peanuts comic strip was published. How many Peanuts characters can you name? Linus, Lucy, Charlies Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, Peppermint Patty, Pigpen. That's 8.

8) Also in 2000, media giant Time Warner merged with America Online, the email provider. It's estimated that 74% of us check our email at least once/day. Are you one of the 74%? Oh yes! I'm working from home, so I check it constantly.

9) Random question -- Did you more recently cut and paste, or delete? Delete.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 14

Today's happiness -- Cousin Rose.  The Cubs were on Fox Thursday night and my cousin watched. For me. This morning she posted on Facebook that, "Your Rizzo is one adorable kid."

Rose exasperates me beyond measure sometimes. But she loves me. Has loved me since the moment I was born. As time goes on, relationships fade/change and people die,  I cherish this more. 

I handwrote her a letter today because she likes getting mail in my hand. It's my way of showing her I love her, too.

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there

Isn't she lovely?

Today the Cubs won. Again. That's 9 win in the last 10 games. Even better, my guys are all still safe from the corona virus.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 13

Today's happiness -- Putting the wheels in motion. I made a list, took photos, and sent them off to Cute Handyman. We're going to agree on a day, before the end of September, for him to come over and replace two ceiling fans, rewire an outlet and install my new smoke detector. Estimated time: four hours.

No, the work hasn't been completed yet. But I identified the projects and hired the contractor. I'm moving in the right direction.

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

Not with my lambikins, you don't!

My oldest friend has always wanted to be a writer. Ever since we were little, we wrote stories and made little books. I made words my career, she kept it as a hobby. Now that she's no longer working, she's dived into Wattpad, a social media site for free fiction.*

I found one of her stories and realized I couldn't read it objectively. I know her too well. To me, it was just a series of Rorschach ink blots. Why, if my real-life friend believed she had to move to Southern California to be happy, does she plop her fictional alter ego in Chicago? Why, with her heart problems, does she glamorize smoking, for fuck's sake? Why did she change the name of one of her kids but not the other? And do I really say "fuck" that often? (Oh wait. Yes, I do.)

Anyway, I don't think I'll confess to her that I read it. I'll continue to ask her about her writing and encourage her, but until she puts a manuscript in my inbox, I'm exercising plausible deniabilty.

None of which is the point of this rambling post. I did read someone else's story. Start to (more or less) finish. It was fan fiction about my favorite Cub, Anthony Rizzo.

At first, I enjoyed it. The girl who wrote it clearly has a crush on him, which amused me. My feelings for Rizz are strictly of the maternal he's-such-a-nice-boy variety, but I remember being more than a little in love with several Cubs (from Joe Pepitone in the 70s to Mark Grace in the 90s).

Her romance story began when an as-yet unmarried Rizz famously climbed into the stands to catch the ball. In her story, he landed on her and gave her a concussion. He checks on her. They exchange phone numbers and begin a texting friendship that blossoms into love. She writes about his boyishness and has him playing a lot of video games (he's told us he can't get enough Call of Duty) and sharing lasagna and ice cream. My favorite part was when her fictional Anthony asks his dad for dating advice.


It was sweet. Unrealistic, of course. During the summer, when the Cubs are in town, he can't just go out for ice cream without fans approaching him for his autograph. There was nothing about his cancer battle -- which he admits has defined him as much as baseball -- nor his charity work. But OK. It's fan fiction and it was charming.

Then they have sex. Of course they do. It's her fantasy and besides, sex is what healthy, happy, normal young people have. But I wasn't prepared for my reaction to what she wrote. I DO NOT want to think about the size of Anthony Rizzo's erection! I don't want anyone else thinking about it either. And I want her to stop detailing where he places his "calloused fingers" and how it felt. No, no, no!

Stop it! No dirty thoughts allowed!

The game happened to be on while I was reading her story. I felt so embarrassed for real-life Rizz. There are literally 10,000+ of Anthony Rizzo romance stories on Wattpad. Has he seen them? Have his teammates seen them? Is it mortifying or flattering? Has his bride Emily seen this stuff? Are there more sites that publish erotic romance stories about my darling Rizzo?

There are six times as many Kris Bryant love stories on Wattpad. I can't stand it.

Who knew I was such a prude?

*I'd prefer her to take classes and treat writing like a craft, but what the hell. She's happy and she's gotten encouragement from an online community and maybe I shouldn't be so bossy.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 12

Today's happiness -- The good mac and cheese. I like to donate macaroni and cheese to the local food pantry. So many of the neighbors that depend on the pantry have kids, and kids like mac and cheese. Busy parents can whip up mac and cheese in no time.
 

Sometimes, though, I feel bad because while Kraft comes in a colorful box (and sometimes features characters like Minions or the Paw Patrol), it really isn't the best meal choice for the wee ones.
 

So today I was totally tickled to find Annie's Macaroni & Cheese -- organic pasta with no artificial colors/flavors -- was on sale at CVS. Between the price reduction and my coupon, I only paid (wait for it!) 57¢!

I love it when doing good feels better.

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

Then there's this

You've heard the joke that a woman voting for Trump is like a chicken voting for Col. Sanders. It's not only funny, it's true. You just need to look at the way he's spoken of women so far this month for verification.


Yesterday he described Sen. Kamala Harris as "nasty" and "horrible" because she had the temerity to do her job and question Brett Kavanaugh. I suppose Kavanaugh should just be handed a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land without having to answer questions from a United States Senator. Because, you know, he's a Trump appointee and she's a woman.

He also recently called Dr. Deborah Birx "pathetic."

Our President does, however, wish Ghislane Maxwell "well."


 
And he has nothing but praise for Marjorie Taylor Greene, the radical right winger who won the Republican nomination for a House seat in Georgia. Ms. Greene has made twisted, baseless and bizarre accusations, including:
•  Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) represent an "Islamic invasion of the U.S. government"
•  George Soros turned Jews over to the Nazis (never mind that Soros was 14 when Hitler died; she follows Q-Anon so facts are meaningless to her)

So an accused pedophile and a self-proclaimed religious bigot are "good" women, and a United States Senator and a member of his own White House Coronavirus Task Force are "bad" women.

TRUMP/PENCE 2020!

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? The Road to Jonestown by Jeff Guinn. A friend recently used the phrase, "I drank the Kool-Aid" on her Facebook page and I wanted to scream. She's old enough to remember the origin of the phrase, and really, it's not funny. More than 900 people died at Jonestown in Guyana. Painfully, and for nothing. For me, 40+ years is still "too soon."

With that as my mindset, this is a good book for me to read on this topic. Guinn is both a researcher and a storyteller. He keeps to to the facts and resists sensationalizing, yet he holds my interest.

I'm learning a great deal about a story I thought I knew. Early on, he did a great deal of good, particularly during his days in Indianapolis. Once he became powerful within Peoples Temple, Jones was never held accountable and refused to answer criticism. It's chilling and especially relevant today, when the cult of personality has led 40% of the country to say they actually approve of the way a reality TV star has run our nation into a ditch. 

2. What did you recently finish reading? Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I could not have loved this book more. I grew up (and remain) a Cub fan, bonded to my father over old-school score keeping, so Doris had me hooked when she shared how she and her father discussed the Brooklyn Dodgers game each evening while going over her scorecard. She grew up on Jackie Robinson, in awe of his skill and unaware of the burden he carried as the MLB's first player of color. I grew up on Ernie Banks, delighted by Mr. Cub's natural gifts and unaware of how difficult it was for him to maintain his sunny disposition while carrying the weight of being the Cubs' first black player. I could go on and on, but I'll spare you. Let's just say that after a lifetime of saying "Wait Till Next Year" myself, in 2016 I finally got to the Cubs win the World Series. At that moment, I felt at one with my dad, my uncle and grandparents: the Cub fans who came before me and never saw such glory. You may not understand, but Doris Kearns Goodwin would.

This book is about family, tradition, victory and loss (in its many forms), and going from girlhood to womanhood. If you've ever listened to a game on the radio, gone to the park and enjoyed a cool one on a hot day, or thrilled to the crack of the bat, this book is for you.

3.  What will you read next?  Something a little lighter. While Road to Jonestown is engrossing, it's a difficult read.

 

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 11

Today's happiness -- Women supporting women.  Yesterday we had a rather important Zoom meeting. Two of the more powerful men on our account enthusiastically tossed out some very bad ideas. I was in the call, but they treated me like I was invisible and I was too intimidated by their bravado to say anything. 

After the Zoom meeting, I called my art director and said, "Can you believe those bastards? They're so arrogant and uninformed. They're going to lose us this account."

"Why don't you call Jill and tell her what you think?" Jill is a Vice President. She's not as elevated as the men, but she's pretty high up.

"She doesn't want to hear from me," I said. My art director assured me that she did, and that what I had to say was important.

Here's the thing: my clients like me and talk to me, perhaps more frankly and certainly more often, than they do those two powerful men. I know in my bone marrow that if those two start talking to our clients the way they said they intended to, they were going to come off as offensive and dumb.

I also assume that my two powerful male coworkers view me as an old Boomer woman who should just die already.

Still, I swallowed my lack of confidence and reached out to Jill. She answered me immediately and set up a private Zoom for just the two of us. It went so well.  She took everything in the spirit in which it was meant, taking notes and thanking me more than once for reaching out.

"You helped us avoid a landmine, Gal," she said.

I was walking on air.
 

So let's see: my art director (a woman) told me I was "brilliant" and that I need to speak up more. An account VP (a woman) thanked me for stepping up. With their support, I did the right thing. Sisterhood is powerful.

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 10

Today's happiness -- Playing catch up.  Today was a very weird day. I woke up to hear that the city had been rocked by organized looting after midnight on Sunday. Then we had wicked storms and a tornado warning. And, of course, the ongoing threat of the virus. What a day!

So I'm very glad Joanna invited me to a little Zoom call. She's so happy these days. Tomorrow she's taking a little birthday cruise up the Chicago River with the family of her fella, Sid. He's turning 69 and has suffered two strokes, so everyone is being careful about how they celebrate in these days of the corona virus.

Joanna is twice divorced and has had many complicated relationships. I'm glad that she's settling into a time of domestic tranquility. It was also good to get good news on a day when the world around me felt downright Biblical.

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 9

Today's happiness -- I finally did it.  I've been meaning to clean my bathroom from top to bottom. To wash the floors and scrub the tub and sink and soap-and-water the walls and even the radiator and Windex the mirror and shelves.* I imagine myself doing it so many times that I sometimes I truly kid myself into thinking it's done.

Well, today, it's done!

It feels good, but I do wonder why I'm not bald. Judging by the hair in my bathroom, I shed like a St. Bernard.

*I didn't mention Comet-ing the bowl because I always do that. As for the rest of it, I can be quite a slob.

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

Sunday Stealing

EXTRAORDINARY PENPALS

1. What are your plans for August? To develop a plan. There are two big projects I really should attend to, sooner rather than later. A) I need a new TV (mine is 20 years old) that will accommodate today’s technology. My friends at Xfinity warn that they won’t be able to support that old-school cable box forever. B) A new frame for the living room windows, and that requires getting bids and hiring a contractor. Both projects seem like a hassle so I keep procrastinating.

2. Review the first half of 2020. Well, January/February and early March seemed devoted to worries about my friend Henry’s condition and my own work situation. Blissfully, both of those situations seem to have resolved themselves.

Next up: the corona virus. Of course! It’s been a scary time and I’ve felt it in every aspect of my life, from my inability to get my mammogram as quickly as I (desperately) wanted because of a breast lump, to watching two friends unable to mourn/bury loved ones as they would have wished.

But I’m trying to look at 2020 as a learning experience. We’re living through historic times. Personally, I’ve learned that I worry about too many things I can’t control. And I find I’m both heartened by and disillusioned with my fellow Americans … Some everyday heroism is so beautiful and unselfish, it makes me well up a bit with emotion at the very thought. But there's also a most unattractive whiny streak. Our neighbors are dealing with job loss, homelessness, inequality in the healthcare/justice systems and some of luckiest among us are obsessed with their own “oppression” because they have to wear masks or postpone their hair appointments. You can’t smoke in public places, you have to wear a seatbelt in your car, now put on the damn mask. Get over yourself and try opening your heart to the pain around you for just one moment.

3. A place you’d go if money were no object. Nowhere right now. But when the corona virus is a memory (and I truly believe that if we behave like adults, it will go the way of polio and TB), I’d like to revisit either New York or Las Vegas and do all the things I haven’t done on previous trips because, well, money is an object. I’d stay in the best hotels, dine at the best restaurants, get the best seats for the shows, visit all the museums and exhibits (yes, even in Vegas), enjoy the spas. Since money is no object, I can stay as long as it takes to take it all in. Oh, I’ve enjoyed this fantasy!

4. Who was your childhood best friend. I’ve known my oldest friend since Kindergarten. We grew up across the alley from one another. It occurred to me the other day that she’s known me longer and better than just about anyone else left on earth, except my Cousin Rose. I’m lucky to have her (and Rose, too; I owe her a letter).

5. The city or town you love most. My kind of town, Chicago is. Chicago, Chicago, that toddlin’ town. Sinatra only sang one song about New York, you know, because Francis understood we deserve the extra attention. Home of the Chicago Cubs and the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field. The Art Institute and The Museum of Science and Industry. Beautiful Lake Michigan and Lollapalooza. And me.

Isn't this a pretty sight?

6. How do you spend hot days? Avoiding the heat! Hot weather makes me grumpy.

7. Are you a skilled cook or baker? Nope.

8. One thing you wish you could currently do. Organize my personal life as deftly as I have my professional one. (See Question #1.)

9. A time when you learned your lesson. Oh, good goobies! Even at this late stage in my life, I’m forever learning my lesson! And that is to “let go and let God.” I waste my worry and dread over things I cannot possibly control.

10, What consistently makes you laugh. So many things. I’m lucky that way.

11. Routines that bring you calm and peace. In the morning and evening, when I feed the cats. I find it heartening that they know they can trust me for the kibble and fresh water (and the meds they don’t suspect they’re getting).

12. Who annoys you the most? WWG1WGA. I mean, really! These conspiracy theorists are just so fucking self-obsessed! Instead of merely proclaiming your faith, live it: help an animal or a child in need (after all, they aren’t yet godless socialist liberals). Do something constructive and quit spinning/spreading paranoid yarns.

13. Describe some of your favorite household items. My George Foreman grill and my Kohl’s microwave. What terrific little workhorses they are!

14. What have you gotten better at? Working from home. I struggled at first, but it's become comfortable. Of course, Monday we start talking about a BIG project that may present wfh challenges. (Here I am with the worrying again.)

15. Share a random memory. When my cat, Reynaldo, was still a kitten and a resident of the animal shelter, he was known as Houdini because he could open his own cage and escape. Sixteen years later, he’s still like that. It’s not that he’s smarter, per se, than other cats. He just has a longer attention span and can be quite dedicated to getting what he wants.

16. How many pairs of shoes do you have? Too many. If I were more organized, I’d dispose of many of them that don’t fit or are too banged up.

17. Who do you go to for encouragement? My faith and my friends. I’m very lucky that way, too.

18. References you make that others don’t get. My friend Tony and I were laughing about this very thing! Discussing people who refuse to wear masks, I said Barney Fife would lock ‘em up, and he said, “Yeah, in the cell next to Otis.” His 20-something son looked at us as if we were speaking in tongues.

19. What are 10 things you consider essential for you? In no particular order: cable, cats, books, the internet, the phone, air conditioning, refrigerator, microwave, running water, my blow dryer. (A good hair day can really improve my mood.)

20. Is there any accent you wish you had? Lady Mary’s.

I admit it isn't only her accent I envy.

No baseball this weekend

Nine Cardinal players and seven of their staff have tested positive for the corona virus. While I'm sorry to miss baseball's greatest rivalry,* I am grateful that my guys are still safe.

At least Anthony Rizzo gets to spend his 31st birthday at home with his wife and dog, Kevin. Being Rizz, he's celebrating his birthday with a raffle to help the families of kids with cancer. Some lucky winner (hopefully ME) will receive a signed bat, ball or photo.

*Oh, shut up about the Red Sox and Yankees already!

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 8

Today's happiness -- 30 good minutes.  My dear friend Henry and I caught up. I told him about my niece's bridal shower and the good news about my mammogram. He was delighted. He told me about his problems with his laptop and how frustrated he'd become. I commiserated, and feeling understood made him feel better. I hung up happy, and I think he did, too.

OK, so it started with a lie. I called Henry at 6:25 and told him we only had until the top of the hour to talk because I promised my friend Joanna I'd call her at 7:00. In reality, Joanna asked me to call her "sometime this weekend," and I have no intention of calling her tonight at all. But I've learned that, when it comes to phone calls with Henry, less is better. If we're on the phone too long, we get into dangerous topics -- his brain injury, the accident, his ongoing problems at work -- that leave us both upset.

So I'm also happy that I'm adapting. It's been nearly two years since his accident, and I'm coming to accept him for who he is now instead of waiting for him to magically return to he was.

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

But her emails!

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Mad About You (1992)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Mad About You was a sitcom that ran from 1992 to 1999. Are you familiar with the show? Were you a fan? I watched it every now and again. Mostly I remember it for the scene-stealing dog they had. Murray went from shelter rescue to star!

 2) The show was rebooted in 2019/2020 on the Spectrum streaming service. Do you have any streaming services? If so, which ones? I have three: Amazon Prime, Netflix (which was a gift from a friend) and Disney+. I got Disney+ in July to watch Hamilton and forgot to cancel it. I'm getting rid of it at the end of this month, honest I am, after I watch 101 Dalmations and Tangled (the last being an enthusiastic recommendation from my niece, who loves her animated Disney).

3) The series revolved around Manhattan newlyweds Paul and Jamie Buchman. They met at a newsstand, where they were both purchasing The New York Times. With so many publications online, newsstands are now uncommon. When you want to purchase a printed newspaper or magazine, where do you go? There's an independent bookseller nearby that I try to toss business to, so I'd go there.

4) Paul is played by Paul Reiser. He created the series because he believes marriage is a tough but satisfying adventure. He and real-life wife Paula have been married for more than 30 years. They met when she was a waitress at the comedy club where he was performing. Have you ever waited tables? Nope.

5) Helen Hunt won four Emmy Awards as Jamie. Over 10 million people watch the Emmys each year. She also won an Oscar, which has an annual viewership of twice that. Therefore huge audiences witnessed Helen's acceptance speeches. Are you comfortable speaking in public? Yes. One thing that has always shown up in my employee reviews is that when I present to clients, they like and trust me. I'm proud of that. (I also firmly believe that it's my credibility with my clients that accounts for that paycheck being deposited in my account every two weeks; otherwise, I think my agency would have axed me long ago.)

6) During the opening credits, Paul and Jamie are sharing an ice cream bar. When did you most recently have ice cream? Friday evening. Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Chunks are my official indulgence of the pandemic.

7) Paul and Jamie's best friends were another couple, Fran and Mark. Eventually Fran and Mark divorced, and Paul and Jamie worked at being friends with both of them. Have you been friends with a couple who split? Did you manage to stay friends with both of them? Yes. And in both cases I lost track of him and stayed friends with her.

8) In 1992, when Paul and Jamie were playing New Yorkers, real New Yorkers were following the trial of mobster John Gotti. Mr. Gotti acquired many nicknames, including The Teflon Don, The Dapper Don and Black John. Is there anyone in your life that you call by a pet name or nickname? Yes.

9) Random question  -- What subject do you wish you knew more about? I wish I stayed with my Spanish lessons of a decade ago. I let myself get distracted by a health scare, and then, after surgery, I didn't pick it up again.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 7

Today's happiness -- Done! The larder is full and my laundry basket is empty. My two big weekend chores are already done and it's just Friday night. What a great feeling!

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

It's turning out to be Will

I've been attending this classic film Meet Up for seven years now. When I first began attending, I gravitated to Martha and Joanna. Martha is the opposite of me in every way: nearly 6' tall, black, Buddhist and a bus driver! But she and I share a love of old movies, especially Jimmy Stewart. Unfortunately, her shift made her drop out of the group. I'd hoped that, with our Meet Ups having gone online, she'd resurface, but that hasn't happened.

Joanna and I have grown closer through the years because we're more alike. We're both writers, both politically aware, share a sense of humor, and, of course, love classic film. But as Joanna's relationship with Sid has taken off -- which, during a pandemic presents its own unique problems because of his health issues -- we've drifted apart a bit.*

But the friend from the group who has kinda sneaked up on me is Will. When I first started attending, I just thought of him as our nerdy moderator (since this is a group of movie fanatics, that makes him a nerd's nerd). He's very private, a closeted gay man who must have suffered greatly to think that, in 2020, his sexuality still matters. I know that, seven years ago, he tentatively asked me for help getting a job at our agency, which I wasn't able to do, and I think that might have embarrassed him a bit.

So he didn't seem like friend material. But slowly, we've clicked.

In spring 2019, he was my sherpa through my first TCM Classic Film Festival. We agreed beforehand that we would go our own ways -- we each had movies we wanted to see on our own -- but would check in every day. It worked out well. For someone like me, who prefers to travel alone, he was the perfect companion.

Then there was the night in summer 2019, when he and I continued chatting about that month's movie as I waited for my rideshare. An obviously homeless man came up and addressed Will by name. He wasn't panhandling, specifically, just saying "hi." I was impressed to learn that Will belongs to an open, giving church congregation that runs a soup kitchen and he volunteers. I like someone who quietly lives his faith rather than loudly judging others.

In autumn, he was my "date" for the Noir City Chicago Film Festival. It was going to be four of us from the Meetup on this field trip, but Betty is a fucking flake and Joanna got sick, so it ended being just me and Will. We had a wonderful time.

And so it's gone. Subtly getting to know one another better and appreciate one another more. IMing about podcasts we're both following. Sharing our Baby Boomer love of old TV shows (Peyton Place, specifically). He's the one who recommended the Doris Kearns Goodwin book Wait Till Next Year to me because he knows I grew up loving baseball. This week's MeetUp movie was chosen because it's one of my favorites and he found a great print for free on YouTube. I regularly deposit $5 or $10 via Venmo into his account because I know he's out of work through the pandemic and his is one of those jobs that may never return. But I offhandedly tell him it's to reimburse him for all the work he does to prepare for our Zoom Meet Ups, and remind Joanna to do the same.

I like Will. Will likes me. I'm glad we're in each other's lives.

*I should call her. Or at least send a chatty email. Just because she's not available on Tuesday nights doesn't mean we can't still talk and I could make a greater effort.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 6

Today's happiness -- Baking soda freshness. This is going to sound like a ridiculously little thing, yet it's the little things that can really make a difference.

I like to keep my bathroom door closed when I've got the air conditioner on. I want to reduce my energy use, do my part for the planet, etc. I have to keep the door closed after my shower because otherwise, the steam sets off the smoke detector. That all makes sense, right? Except my bathroom is windowless. Up until recently, it could smell and feel pretty swampy in there.

Then I discovered the Arm & Hammer Moisture Absorber and Odor Eliminator! Economical, easy to use and super effective. (OK, very unattractive. I can't peel that label off, but nothing in life is perfect.) You can get them at Target, Walmart and Amazon. Only $5 or $6 and it lasts months.

Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world.

Good morning, World!

Guess who has the best record in the National League. Go ahead, guess.

Guess which team is the only one in the league to not have a single player test positive for the corona virus. Go ahead, guess. While they're very careful on the road -- going straight to the hotel to stay put and alone in their rooms -- they admit sometimes during the heat of the game they forget themselves and high-five one another or hug after a big play. Still they're good about the masks and who can forget Rizz on Opening Day, sharing his hand sanitizer? They're more than ballplayers, they're role models, and they know kids are watching.


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It's habit now

I have 4 of these Cubbie blue masks

Come home ... head to bathroom ... wash hands ... remove mask ... soak mask in the sink with a squirt of shampoo ... wipe first my nose and then my phone with alcohol.

It occurred to me this evening that I don't even really think about the corona virus accoutrement anymore. It's just a part of life. I'm only reminded of the pandemic and peril when I turn on the Cubs game and see all those empty seats in the stands.

I suspect the very ordinariness of it means we're half way done with this global tragedy and a vaccine will be available around February. For I believe that's how life works: as soon we become used to the masks and sanitizer, we can put them away.

I do wonder about the sillies out there who refuse to believe the threat is real and deny that masks help. Do they rage every time they approach their dwellings, ripping off their masks, licking the door knob and yelling, WHERE WE GO ONE WE GO ALL?