Sunday Stealing

THURSDAY THUNKS

1. Did you eat paste and/or glue as a child? No. But I can report that Play Doh has a salty taste.

2. Look at the wall to your right, what is on it? A framed photo of the Water Tower, lit up at night. It was a gift from my favorite uncle.

3. Do you put butter and/or salt on your popcorn? Yes. Both.

4. What does your favorite coffee cup look like? It's a big beige mug. It says, "El gato" and is decorated with an illustration of a cat playing with a ball of yarn.

5. Would you rather have a pet hippo or a pet elephant? Neither. Exotic animals shouldn't be pets.

6. Toilet Paper: hard, soft, extra soft? I checked the package when I changed the roll just now. It said, "strong."

7. Have you ever rescued/taken in a stray animal? In 2004, Reynaldo was a stray kitten who was making a nuisance of himself in neighborhood backyards. Begging for food, making himself at home on porches, trying to sneak into houses ... He was turned in to the animal shelter. From there he came home with me, where I'm proud to say he has lived happily ever after.

17 years later, he's a very old boy. His vision is failing, he has arthritis in his back legs, he requires a special diet for his chronic kidney disease and medication for his thyroid condition, and the vet recently detected heart trouble. I'm not happy about any of this,of course, but it's nature. 17 to a cat is 84 to a human. Body parts wear out.

He plays less and sleeps more. But he's still affectionate and has really enjoyed the pandemic. Having me work from home means all deliveries come here, so he has boxes to check out and then claim as his own. There are also Zoom meetings to crash. He enjoys his life. I am committed to keeping him comfortable for whatever time he has left. He's a good boy and I love him.

8. If you realize your house is on fire while you are using the bathroom, do you wipe or just run for the door? Well, this is a question we've never had before.

9. Now, if you only had $10 to buy one thing, what would it be? Lunch at McDonald's.

10. What’s your favorite type of potato? Mashed.

 11. How long do you keep unmatched socks before you get rid of them... and how do you dispose of these socks? How did you know I have two mismatched socks (one blue, one white) in my laundry hamper right now? They have been there for maybe a year. I have no idea why I keep them, or how much longer I will allow them to linger there until I finally move them from hamper to trash.

12. What was the last thing you took a picture of? This is a poorly composed photo of a garage apartment in my neighborhood. I snapped it while on my way to the vet to pick up Reynaldo's special food (see Q7). My aunt and I both enjoyed Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries, and our heroine lived in a garage apartment with a top floor sleeping loft. Isn't that what this looks like? 

I'm glad I texted this to her because sloppy though it is, it made her happy. My aunt has allowed her aggressive Trumpiness to isolate her from old friends and even her son and grandchildren. I don't care how tightly she clings to her MAGA misinformation. I insist on still loving her. We will just limit our conversations to books, our medical maladies (her knee, my tooth), my cats and her dog. And baseball. My grandma (her mom) loved Cubs great Ryne Sandberg as much as I love Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, so my Cubbie passion/obsession amuses her and makes her happy.

13. Do you use a cookbook? I own a cookbook. It gets little to no use.

14. Bottled or tap water? We're lucky here in Chicagoland in that Lake Michigan water tastes good.

15. Do you like pumpkin pie? Do you cheat and buy a premade one or do you make it from scratch? Heck, do you even make pumpkin pie at all? I do like pumpkin pie. I have never baked a pie of any type.

 

Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: Purple People Eater (1958)

1) When actor Sheb Wooley brought this song to MGM Records, they initially rejected it, saying it just wasn't the kind of thing they wanted to be associated with. Then executives discovered how popular the audition recording was with the 20-somethings in the office. MGM released it after all and it became a #1 hit. Tell us about a time you were glad you changed your mind about something. Dollar Tree. It looks so blah that I never felt like going in. But it just so happens to be near the new pharmacy I use, so I gave it a shot. Oh my! Great for office supplies! On good days I found my favorite brand of toothpaste, too, for just $1! The people who work there are pleasant, which is a big plus.

2) This song has been so enduringly popular that in the 1970s, the Minnesota Vikings defensive line referred to themselves as the Purple People Eaters. What football team do you root for? I root against the Packers. OK, I don't really care about football one way or the other, but I clearly remember my father being desolate whenever the Bears lost or the Packers won (and in those days, they lost to the Packers every time they played). So, out of perhaps misplaced loyalty, I root against the Packers.

3) The song was initially inspired by Sputnik, the satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1958. In the 21st century, do you think space exploration is a worthwhile public investment? Or would you prefer  governments spend that money here on earth? I suppose I'd rather see the money spent here, but I also don't accept that it's an either/or proposition. I believe we can do both.

4) The Purple People Eater is a visitor from another planet. When you imagine creatures from outer space, are they frightening or friendly? I don't think about this very often, but when do, they are friendly.

5) This record was the biggest hit Sheb Wooley ever had. He was better known as an actor, costarring with Clint Eastwood on the 1950s TV show, Rawhide. What's your favorite Clint Eastwood movie? I generally loathe Clint Eastwood. His cop movies and westerns are too ugly, angry and violent. So I was surprised by how much I adored Million Dollar Baby, which he also directed. I found it moving and memorable. "Mo cuishle."

 

 

6) Sheb and Clint remained buddies and appeared together decades later in The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976). Tell us about one of your longest-lasting friendships. I don't think I've ever told the story of how I met my dear friend Henry. It was 1992. We started working at the same agency on the same account at the same time. Both Henry and I, and the agency, had recently fallen on some hard times and were fighting our way back. The company I'd worked for had gone under. Henry had just lost his teaching job at a very prestigious Big 10 school (yes, that one!). The agency had lost several big accounts in a short period of time and had finally won one -- and hired us to work on it. There was a wonderful feeling of building something new, of fresh starts when we first met.

Henry can have a bit of an edge. Collaboration is not always his strong suit. Plus, it was his first job in advertising. He was preternaturally good on the Mac when desktop publishing was new and he handled his assignments well. It's just he had a hard time grasping exactly how low he was on the food chain. His job was to simply take the copywriter's words and flow them into a template.

 

He had suggestions for improving the copy. For streamlining the production process. For making everything better. People didn't understand him. They thought he was elite, showing them up or making a power grab. He was just trying to help. 

For some reason, he took an immediate liking to me. Even though I wasn't his supervisor, he decided I was. I became something of a "Henry whisperer," and since I could handle him -- which I did effortlessly, because he liked and trusted me -- my bosses gave me credit for tremendous people skills I don't actually possess.

That's the thing about Henry: he always, ALWAYS sees the best in me. He thinks I'm one of the kindest, wisest women he's ever met. Therefore, when he's around, I try to kinder and wiser. He loves me, and I will never take that for granted.

7) In 1958, when this song was popular, hula hoops were a national craze. Did you ever play with a hula hoop? If yes, were you good at it? The neighbor kids had two hula hoops (yellow and orange) and we played with them all the time, but not as hula hoops. We had relays where we competed as we rolled them (which we weren't good at, so this took a very long time) or we pretended to be horses/jockeys in harness races.

8) Also in 1958, Arnold Palmer won his first Masters Golf Tournament. When did you most recently play golf? I don't think I've ever golfed. Oh, I've miniature golfed, but I've never tried to hit the ball for distance.

9) Random question: Do you believe women gossip more than men? I suspect men and women are equal in this area. I think they just gossip differently. I don't know that conjecture about LeBron James is really any different than conjecture about Britney Spears, or that speculating about a coworker's salary is any more high-minded than speculating about how much a neighbor spent to get that luscious green lawn.

 

WWW.WEDNESDAY

Mary Astor

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 Break by Marian Keyes. Amy and Hugh have been married for 17 years. Amy has been happy, but when a pair of deaths hit Hugh hard (first his dad, then a boyhood friend), she realizes Hugh is not. Still, she was gobsmacked when he tells her he wants six months off, "a break" from marriage. He wants to travel, to put himself first for a change, to get more out of life. 

Will he come back? What if he falls in love with someone else? What if, after six months, she changes and he no longer wants this different woman? How will she explain this to their daughters? Who will change the lightbulbs and empty the garbage?

So far this book is about the large and small ways Amy handles Hugh's midlife crisis. I'm enjoying it (Keyes always manages to wrest a smile from me, even in the sad bits) but I hope soon Amy stops just reacting and takes a deeper look at her life.

2. What did you recently finish reading? The Purple Diaries: Mary Astor and the Most Sensational Hollywood Scandal of the 1930s by Joseph Egan. Mary Astor was a major movie star who, on the rebound, married the wrong man. A doctor, he had no interest in her career or most of her friends. They didn't realize their incompatibility until they had a daughter. As was the custom within the moneyed set in the 30s, they began having affairs. They frequently talked of separation and divorce. They were no longer lovers or friends but they were not yet enemies.

Then he found her diary. YIKES!

In purple ink, Mary wrote candidly about how her new lover, an acclaimed playwright, satisfied her in bed ... implying her husband didn't. Compared to the playwright, he was uninterested and uninteresting. She also wrote about the doctor's drinking and how it exacerbated his temper. In short, she was not at all flattering. OK, she was brutal.

The doctor was hurt and angry. He retaliated by battling Mary for custody of their little girl and leaked diary pages (juicy stuff about her lover, not unflattering stuff about himself) to the press, hoping to blackmail Mary into submission.

The case dominated the front pages. False rumors about the rest of Mary's diary ran rampant (she purportedly kept a "box score" of every Hollywood stud she screwed) and studio heads actually pressured her to give up her daughter, just to make the case go away and stop embarrassing the movie industry.

Mary was tough, a mother with definite ideas of how her daughter should be raised, and she wasn't going anywhere. No matter how much pressure was brought to bear, she was going to see this through. She was also a good actress. No matter how upset she was, she remained unflappable in the courtroom by channeling the character she was playing. Regardless of the many different ways her husband's attorney called her a whore, Mary kept cool, under ladylike hats, with her hands folded in her lap.

 

I liked Mary. I also admired two other actresses of the day -- Ruth Chatterton and Florence Eldridge -- who risked the ire of the studio bosses (and therefore their careers) by sitting with Mary in court each day. GIRL POWER!

I highly recommend this true story.

 

3. What will read next? I don't know.

 

She looks like she had a rough night

Here's JBKO's second-to-last driver's license. Her eyes aren't quite focused on the camera and so she looks a little sleepy. Tee hee. Turns out my girl was human after all.

There are far, FAR more photos of her looking terrific. Effortlessly fabulous. I'm sure someone out there has a picture of a pre-teen me wearing roller skates, but I promise you I didn't look this good.

Ah, you say that it's easy to look good in a posed shot. OK, how about this? She was 40+ when this was snapped with a telephoto lens by a photographer she dragged to court to stop.  

And then there's this. Here is Jacqueline Bouvier's 1953 passport photo. I am in awe.

 

 

I suspect if she could speak to me, she'd tell me this part of her life came easily and didn't really matter so much. She took more pride in her mind and her love of learning and books, and as she once said herself, "I think my biggest achievement is that, after going through a rather difficult time, I consider myself comparatively sane."

 

That's two nights in a row

I woke up scared again this morning. My second nightmare in as many nights. I have a vague memory of it being about Icky Grandma. She was dreadful, but she's also been gone since I was in high school.

I had a good day Saturday. Work is going well. There are dark clouds in the skies above, of course. Aren't there always? I'm worried about the dentist (Wednesday), concerned about Reynaldo's ongoing health problems, aware that the next BIG PROJECT is due July 22 and I don't have any ideas ... But life is never perfect. I'm handling all this.

So what's up? The Cubs had another truly awful game, which brings us closer and closer to the team being disbanded. I am genuinely saddened by this. I've been watching the core players on this roster for six years. I don't want to say goodbye ... and what I want matters not one whit.

And then there was The Three Faces of Eve (1957). In the movie's climax, Eve finally remembers the childhood trauma that caused the fracture of her personality. At her grandmother's wake, six-year-old Eve was forced to kiss her grandmother's corpse goodbye, and it horrified her. Perhaps it upset me more than I thought it did.

I have to be more careful about the media I consume these days. What I watch and read has a bigger impact on me now than it normally would.

Photo by wayhomestudio - www.freepik.com

Sunday Stealing

 THAT'S MY ANSWER 

1. Do you ever feel completely rested and unrushed? Sunday morning usually finds me that way. I worry that when my congregation starts meeting in the church instead of on YouTube, I won't feel as unrushed.

2. If you had to wear all white for the entire day, how long before you spilled something on it? 90 seconds. The other day I somehow smeared makeup on my bra before I even got dressed.

3. What would you include inside of your emergency kit? Immodium, my migraine meds (naproxen), band-aids, kleenex, cough drops, alcohol, antibiotic ointment and hydrocortisone cream.

4. What’s more fun than a barrel full of monkeys? Two barrels full of monkeys.

5. Is it hard for you to let go of certain things, even if you have too many of them? Yes. Very hard.

6. When was the last time you were ready to throw in the proverbial towel? Did you end up letting go, or decided to fight on anyway? I'm close to throwing in the towel with the condo board. It's really fucked up. I'm trying my best to stick with it because I think I can make a difference. But I wonder if it's worth the effort.

7. What is the color of awesome? Cubbie blue! (Though these days, I must expand my definition of "awesome" to accommodate it.)

8. What is your favorite black and white movie? Laura (1944).

9. If you could describe your mood in a color today, what color would it be? Cream. Off white.

10.  If you could wish for anything and it would come true, you wish for? I would like a lot of money. Like $750,000. I could retire, and then I could help John, Henry and my oldest friend in ways that would lighten their loads.

11. What are some of the wacky things that you like to do? Depends on how you define "wacky."

12. If you could have any author –living or dead – write your biography, who would you choose? Carrie Fisher.

13. If you could be a “fly on the wall” anywhere and at any time in history, where and when would you choose? The White House, January 6, 2021. Then I'd know, once and for all, if the President of the United States was part of a plot to overthrow the nation he placed his hand on the Bible and swore to lead.

14.What is the last thing you made from scratch? Cookies. 

15. When we are able to travel again, where would you love to go? So many places! I have plans to go back to Key West for Christmas.

 

Frown turned upside down

I woke up today feeling kinda ... bleh. Joanna and I had long planned to get together today. A Francophile, she volunteered to help out at a local boutique's Bastille Day event. When it was over at about 3:00, we were going to meet for a late lunch/early dinner. Then, Wednesday she let me know she had to cancel. Self-employed, she had a project that demanded her attention and she just couldn't afford to choose volunteer work over a paying assignment. I certainly understood and would have done the same thing in her position. But I was sad nevertheless. I keep getting stymied as I try to take tentative steps back into the post-Covid world.

When I turned on my cell this morning, I saw a text from Nancy. She and her her husband were going to be in my neighborhood. They'd been cleaning out their closets and wanted to donate their used running shoes to Soles4Souls, and there's a drop-off location nearby. There's also Nancy's favorite bookseller. She asked if, she was going to be literally around the corner from me, I wanted to meet them for lunch.

YES! YES! YES! Suddenly I was smiling again.

I like Nancy. I like her husband. Their life isn't perfect, of course. 2020 saw the death of Nancy's son and she's still not over that. (May never be over that.) But they aren't as complicated as John, Henry, Kathy or my oldest friend. They're easier to talk to and laugh with.

It was good to enjoy brunch -- complete with a screwdriver -- with them. 

Joanna is going to try to make it out here next weekend, too. I feel like I'm emerging from my Covid cocoon. 

Photo created by drobotdean - www.freepik.com

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Mairzy Doats (1944)
Unfamiliar with this song? Hear it here.



1) While today this is considered a children's song, "Mairzy Doats" was a #1 hit and a staple on radio stations in 1944. Do you know any of today's most popular songs? (Here's this week's Hot 100.) Nope. I recognize the artists (Dua Lipa, Lil Nas X, Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber) but not the songs. This exercise made me feel most unhip.

2) One of the song's writers recalled that the song was inspired by an old English nursery rhyme. Tell us a rhyme you remember from childhood. "Jack be nimble, jack be quick, jack jumped over the candlestick and burned his pants off." That's exactly the way my mom taught it to me. I was very lively and mischievous as a child and she was terrified I'd actually try the candle thing, so she tried to make the rhyme a cautionary tale. I was so embarrassed when I recited it at school and my teacher called me a "smart aleck."

3) This week's group, The Merry Macs, was formed by three brothers -- Judd, Joe and Ted McMichael -- who learned to harmonize at home. Did you grow up in a musical household? Not at all. My dad liked to sing along with the radio in the car, and I always had music on in my room, but that's it.

4) When the McMichaels decided their new group needed a woman's voice, they asked Cheri McKay to join them. Realizing all their names began with Mc, they began calling themselves The Merry Macs. Have you ever performed with a singing group? (Yes, that garage band you played in after school counts.) If yes, what was your band called? I have nothing for this.

5) The Merry Macs' first gigs were playing high school dances. Do you have any memories of school dances you'd like to share this morning? For some reason, the first memory that popped into my head was from junior high. The first time I danced with a boy was to a song called "Things I'd Like to Say." I found him on LinkedIn and  he's now a "retired investor."

 
   

6) Once their recording career took off, The Merry Macs went to Hollywood. They appeared in a film with the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. Who last made you laugh? PJ, who works at the vet's office. I don't recall what she said, exactly, but she always makes me laugh.

7) In 1944, when "Mairzy Doats" topped the charts, sunscreen was invented. It was first developed to protect soldiers during WWII, and that original formula was sold to Coppertone. Do you regularly use sunscreen? It's been so hot, and I've been working so hard, that I've seldom been outside this summer. This makes me sad.

8) Also in 1944, a board game called Murder! was introduced in England. In 1949 it made its way to the United States and was renamed Clue. It's still popular today. Can you name any of the original 6 "characters" in the Clue game? (Extra credit: One was replaced in 2016; who was it?) Mr. Green, Professor Plum, Mrs. White, Miss Scarlett, Mrs. Peacock. That was from memory. I know Mrs. White was replaced by Dr. Orchid, but that's because I looked it up. The game my nephew and I often played included the original six.

9) Random question: The new house you just bought comes with a big mirror on the ceiling of the master bedroom. Would you take it down or leave it there? It would have to come down before I even slept there. I can't imagine waking up and having the first thing I see is  my reflection with smeared mascara and messy hair. YECH!

I chose red and blue intentionally

This roller coaster is Cardinal red and Cubbie blue, and it represents how I feel about baseball right now.

24-hours ago, I was miserable. Cubs President Jed Hoyer made it plain that trades would be made ... and soon. Met fans on Twitter were jubilant that Kris Bryant would be theirs before the end of the month. Since KB puts the BRY in BRYZZO, I was bereft.

Then Boston fans started gloating that my favorite most Cub, Anthony Rizzo, would soon be returning to the Red Sox, the team that signed him when he was still a teenager battling cancer. They are gleefully anticipating Rizz leading them to a World Series in an ending befitting a Hollywood movie. Losing Rizz would break my heart in more ways than I can count.

The end of Bryzzo. I want to cry,

Then my guys rallied today to beat the arch-rival Cardinals most decisively. The team on the field today didn't look like they'd just lost an epic 10 straight. Bryzzo each got a hit!

I am happy. I celebrated with a creamsickle float.*

*The latest offering at the local ice cream shop: Fanta orange soda and vanilla custard. I highly recommend it.

Photo by mrsiraphol @ www.freepik.com

Kindness, Compassion and Conservative Values

When the photos of 6'5 Barron Trump appeared yesterday, and memes comparing him to NBA players cropped up, Chelsea Clinton pleaded with the tweeters to just stop.

We can recall the bullying tweets posted by Barron's father. Candidate Trump made fun of Heidi Cruz' face. The President of the United States did not think it was beneath the dignity of the office to call people he didn't like "dopey," "low class slob," "dummy" and "clown."

We can all remember Barron's father honoring Rush Limbaugh with the Medal of Freedom. Rush famously called 13-year-old Chelsea "the White House dog."

We all know Barron's mother spread birther lies about Barack Obama without pausing a millisecond to consider how this would impact Sasha and Malia.

And yet noisy Christian Conservatives question the direction of the country with Democrats in charge, all the while holding the Trumps near their hearts.

I really, really want my faith back. 

In the meantime, I'm so grateful that we now have a gentleman (how's that for an old-school term?) who is a gentle man in the Oval Office. Take his trip to Miami after the condo crisis. He touched the arm of  Gov. Ron DeSantis and said, "Just tell me what you need." He did this even though DeSantis appears to be preparing to run against him. "We aren't going anywhere," he said, sitting across from Sen. Marco Rubio, showing solidarity with the Republican lawmaker when it comes to Federal response. Think about that. Biden was sharing the limelight with a member of the opposition party. Can you imagine Donald Trump (Mr. I Alone Can Fix It) doing that?

President Biden thanked the workers who are trying to recover bodies. It wasn't that long ago that elected Republicans refused to support the Capitol Hill police -- who protect them! -- with a formal investigation into the January 6 riot.

Somehow President Biden managed to not callously fling paper towels at anyone while in Florida.

Going back to what I was taught in Sunday School, this month Joe Biden and Chelsea Clinton have demonstrated Christian values. 

At least he checked in

Got a quick text from John today. He saw a doctor for the first time since 2019. He reports that she changed his medications and their dosages, hoping that will enhance his energy level and his life. She also scheduled an MRI and "heart tests" for him. 

I'm relieved. He has been feeling so rotten over the last 3-4 months, I was afraid she was going to admit him. I'm grateful he was able to just see the doctor and then go home.

I'm also grateful that he remembered to let me know. Often when he's sick, he withdraws. I get it, because when I don't feel good, I just want to recharge and heal. But what John forgets is that I care about him. When I don't know what's going on with him, I'm stressed. 

So this two sentence text -- received when I was waiting for my order at Panera (which they botched) -- was positive. Not only is he getting care, he's taking my feelings into account.

 Photo by jcomp - www.freepik.com

It's no longer whether they win or lose

The Cubs have been very good for the past 20 years: Eight trips to the play-offs and, of course, the 2016 World Series. Both Lou Pinella and Joe Maddon won Manager of the Year. Geovany Soto and Kris Bryant both won Rookie of the Year. Jake Arrieta won the Cy Young and Kris Bryant won MVP. Derek Lee, Javier Baez and my two fave raves -- Greg Maddux and Anthony Rizzo -- won Gold Gloves for exceptional fielding. 

It's been fun. Winning is better than losing.

On the other hand, I'm a lifelong Cub fan. I remember seasons where they finished 15 or 20 games out of first place. When winning just one more game than we lost felt like a dream come true. In a way, losing seasons are fun, too, because there's no pressure. Instead of the outcome of all 9 innings, I could concentrate on the moments, and say to myself, "That was an exciting catch," or "What a great at bat!"

So why have I found this extended losing streak so shattering? Because every loss brings us closer to the end of Bryzzo. Bryant and Rizzo. The heart of this team. Both of their contracts are up this year. The owners (BOO! HISS!) have not offered either of them an extension. If the team did well this year and appeared poised for the play-offs, management might keep the them together. After this 10-game skid, Kris Bryant might be gone before the trade deadline this month. This could very well be Rizzo's last season in Cubbie blue.

 They attended one anothers weddings. KB always supports Rizz' charitable ventures (my favorite was the year he surprised fans and raised a ton in tips by acting as a waiter at Rizzo's Cook Off to Knock Out Cancer). They're funny together. They're my guys.

So it isn't whether they win or lose, it's how much longer will they be my guys. 

I am bereft.

 

Who knew?

Last night, during a genuinely dreadful game (Cubs lost their 10th straight), the Cubs broadcasters promoted an online auction for the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation. More than $650,000 was raised to help families as they battle cancer.*

The top earner was a day of fishing in Fort Lauderdale with Anthony himself ($175,000). There was lots of autographed sports memorabilia, including a Michael Jordan basketball, Muhammad Ali boxing gloves, a Babe Ruth baseball. A local TV meteorologist made herself available for the day to school kids and raised $3,500. 

This item especially intrigued me. First of all, the listing said it was donated by Andy Cohen personally. I wonder how Andy found out about the auction to make the donation. Secondly, I was surprised that there was much overlapping interest between Cub fans and Watch What Happens Live viewers. Last, I got a kick out of Andy's description of this item. 

62 bids and $3,265. Nicely done, Andy!

*One thing I learned from my favorite-most Cub is that hospital parking is expensive. It's not unusual for parents to have to pay $30/day to park where their child is a patient! Combine that with the cost of lost wages, eating in the hospital cafeteria, daycare if the family has other children, and parking is an added expense families can't afford. One thing the Rizz' foundation does is reimburse families for parking. One less thing to worry about as they battle cancer together as a family.

WWW.WEDNESDAY

Mary Astor

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 Purple Diaries: Mary Astor and the Most Sensational Hollywood Scandal of the 1930s by Joseph Egan. Mary Astor appeared in many films that remain popular today (Maltese Falcon, Meet Me in St. Louis) but I can't say I'm a fan. So her story is new to me. And WOW! What a story!

A beautiful girl born to a poor family, her father saw her potential as a moneymaker and got her in front of movie cameras. As a teenager, she was seduced by John Barrymore and developed what would be considered today a healthy attitude toward sex, but back in the 1930s, she was viewed as almost voracious. What she wanted -- even more than the career, which came rather easily to her -- was a husband who could engage her both intellectually and physically. Doesn't every woman want that? Somehow Mary couldn't find it. Her first husband was her best friend, but they had little physical chemistry. He died suddenly and, grief-stricken and confused, she married a doctor with (ahem) very good hands. They were compatible in bed but he was left-brained. He didn't care about books, music, or movies. Just science, medicine, and hunting.

She and the doctor had a baby and then, realizing how disappointed they were in one another, starting cheating. He returned to a former lover, she took up with a popular playwright. They were en route to a rather amicable divorce.

Then her husband found her diaries. Her very personal diaries.

Mary Astor not only chronicled her extramarital sex life, she wrote about her true feelings. Her husband found her descriptions of him unforgivable. He wanted revenge, and knew the diary was a powerful weapon. And so a megastar whose name was right up there with Bogart, Gable and Harlow had to fight for both custody of her daughter AND to keep her juicy memoir out of open court ... and the press.

I like Mary Astor. She was the anti-Kardashian, trying to live a public life with dignity. I understand her hurt and angry husband, even though Dr. Thorpe is definitely the villain of the story. This is a great story, well told.

2. What did you recently finish reading? Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella. Twenty-something Lara Lington is at a crossroads professionally, financially and romantically. It's at this stressful time that an apparition appears to her. It's the ghost of her late, great-aunt Sadie, who has come back as a madcap, fashion-forward flapper ("twenties girl").

This book starts out silly. VERY SILLY. Even by Kinsella standards. (If you've read any of her popular Shopaholic books, you'll know what I mean.) The humor was so I Love Lucy meets Bewitched that I almost gave up on it.

But then, at about the halfway mark, the plot gelled and took off in an interesting direction. Sadie became a more dimensional person (can a ghost have three dimensions?) and therefore more sympathetic and less a mere goof. I found myself more involved with, and more touched by, this book at the end than I thought I'd be.

 

3. What will read next? I don't know.

 

Thank you, Elaine

Last week I missed my Monday night movie group Zoom. I think it was the first time since we've moved online last year. But Monday had been a tough day at work after a long weekend of working, and I'd gotten the bad news about Reynaldo, and the condo board bullshit was getting more complicated ... and I didn't really get the movie. I did kinda sorta see The Paradine Case, but I didn't give a shit about what I was watching and since it's Hitchcock, I really should pay attention if I'm to speak intelligently about it. Anyway, I blew it off.

Beginning Thursday, Elaine started texting me. She was concerned about me. For the past year, every time Reynaldo crashed one of our Zoom movie meetups, Elaine would IM me that she thought he was flirting with her. So when in her text she asked if he was OK, it was cute and clever. But, since there truly is something wrong with Rey, I took a day to reply, and did it via email so I could really explain it to her.

I knew from our lunch back in May (and from the furry roommates who make discreet appearances on her screen) that she has a dog and a cat. She bought them from breeders, which is a pebble in my shoe because so many completely lovable dogs and cats are languishing in shelters, but she does love and dote on them. I know that to her, they aren't investments or status symbols. So I was comfortable sharing with her about Rey Rey.

She emailed back that she's happy to pick me and Rey up in her van for vet appointments. She's retired now, has time and resources and is "happy to share the bounty" in her life. Then she texted photos of her cat in his new purple cat bed, looking regal (purple being the color of royalty).

I'm flattered that she wants to be friends with me. I'm touched by her kindness. I need new friends who aren't as fucked up* as John and Henry.

I also got a fireworks text from Joanna. She and I keep rescheduling on one another because of work, but hopefully we'll see each other this coming Saturday. I met her through movie group and bonded with her over cats, too. Maybe, as things open up more and more, the three of us can get together.

At any rate, I wanted to take a moment to note and feel good about this. To appreciate it.

*said with affection

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic at Freedigitalphotos.net.

Another reason to shop local

Ever since the groceries arrived on Thursday, Connie and Reynaldo have patiently taken turns in the delivery box.

Sunday Stealing

 Wattpad

1. 3 things I love. I love how I woke up this morning. 1) No alarm clock! 2) Clean sheets. 3) My cat Reynaldo curled up beside me.

2. Last song I listened to. "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" by Dionne Warwick. I remember it was on the radio yesterday when I was putting on my makeup.

3. Turn offs. Excessive heat and humidity.

4. What color underwear are you wearing right now? White.

5. How many tattoos do you have? None

6. How many piercings do you have? One in each ear. One tiny pearl stud in each ear, too. (Though not really pearl. I believe these were $2 at Claire's Boutique.)

7. Meaning behind my URL It was available.

8. What I find attractive in other people. I like people who take others as they come,  accept our differences and celebrate what makes us each special. It's Sunday, so I'm thinking in terms of faith. With the explosion of social media, I've encountered so many Christians who seem so un-Christian! It makes me sad. I'd like my faith back, please.

9. Something that’s currently worrying me. My friend John's health. I fear that his stupid decisions about Medicare and Obamacare (i.e. not bothering to sign up for  either of them!) may have done irreparable damage.

10. Something that’s constantly on my mind. My cat Reynaldo. He's 17 (84 in human years). He has arthritis, cataracts, chronic kidney disease, an overactive thyroid and now a heart murmur. The way the vet explained it to me, he's not so much sick as entering the last stages of his life. I love Rey very much and hope I am doing right by him. He is still happy and affectionate these days. I want his every last day to find him happy and affectionate.

11. My favorite store. I know I'm late to the party, but I just recently discovered Dollar Tree. It's a fascinating experience, different items every time! Also, I've been to two locations here in my neighborhood and the people who work there are so pleasant. Which surprises me because the store has such a no-frills atmosphere you'd think they'd be depressed. But they're friendly and upbeat.

12. What I did yesterday. Watched a classic film (Stagecoach from 1939) and a best forgotten ball game (my Cubs lost their 8th in row!)

13. My favorite blog I feel like I really know Kwizgiver through her blog.

14. Someone I miss I miss my favorite uncle every day, and more than I thought I would. I was closer to my late mother, but our relationship was complicated, as parent-child relationships always are. My relationship with my uncle was simpler and less fraught. Funny, because he was a very complicated man. Fiercely independent and prickly. I bet my sisters don't miss him at all. I know he and his own daughter had their ups and downs (which I recognize were mostly his fault). But he and I clicked somehow. I think maybe because I was born when he was still in his teens, and my mom asked him to be my godfather. Anyway, I believe that he's my guardian angel.

My uncle was a Vietnam war vet. He loved "the wall." This is for him and for the day.

15. Reason why I follow Sunday Stealing My slavish devotion to Bud

Onward!

TCM has said that they are planning on a classic film festival in 2022. Festival veterans have done some investigating and discovered five consecutive days in April when the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (ground zero for the festival) is completely booked. April is when the festival has been for the last decade. 

So I booked a room for that week at the Hollywood Celebrity Hotel, just a few blocks away from the Roosevelt (and far less luxurious or expensive). There's a no-fee cancellation policy, so why not?

The nice thing about no vacation in 2020 is that I've accumulated a ton of credit card airline miles. I can fly to Los Angeles for free.

I've had a rough week. I'm tired and a little blue. Booking this hotel seemed like a positive, optimistic thing to do.

Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: The National Anthem (2016)
... because it's 4th of July

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

1) An early handwritten manuscript of "The Star Spangled Banner" (complete with scratch outs) is preserved at the Maryland Historical Society. Today, much of what we write is preserved in The Cloud. Do you often write down your thoughts with pen or pencil? Or do you do everything on your laptop, pad or phone? Oh, my God! In this way I am becoming my late mother! She used to keep a small, spiral-bound notebook beside the phone in the living room. It's where she sat to watch TV, too. So if she heard something on TV, or someone mentioned something to her in a call, she'd make a note of it. Easy enough. Smart, too. But for some reason (lazy? wanting to save paper?) she seldom turned the page. Scribbled notations on a variety of subjects were crammed together. She could never find what she meant to remember. "I have it right here ..."

I look at the handwritten notes next to my "workstation" in the dining room. Titles of Margaret Sullavan movies available to stream are scribbled beside billing codes for my timesheets beside 800 #'s for fuck-if-I-remember. All on the same page. For pity's sake, Gal! Turn the page!
 
2) It's well-known that the lyrics were written by Francis Scott Key. Not so well known is John Stafford Smith, the British composer who gave us the music. He is buried in England's Gloucester Cathedral, under both the US and UK flags. Where is the nearest United States flag waving near you right now? If you stand in front of the post office, just around the corner from me, you can see three big flags, all at once. 1) Post office, 2) library, 3) war memorial.

3) This week's video features Lady Gaga singing The National Anthem before the 2016 Super Bowl. She also performed it at President Biden's Inauguration last January. When is the last time you sang it? I don't recall the last time I saw I sang it, but I know the next time will be at Wrigley Field on July 23, when my nephew and I watch the Cubs play the Diamondbacks.
 

4) Our second and third Presidents, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, both died on July 4, 1826. OK, it's your turn. Share a Presidential fact. Here are two bits of trivia about my favorite POTUSes: 

a. Tom Hanks is the third cousin of Abraham Lincoln. 

b. John F. Kennedy unfailingly requested soup for lunch, regardless of the weather. New England clam chowder was his favorite, but he wasn't picky. 

Because I am a nerd about these things, this will undoubtedly be my favorite response to check this week. 
 
5) John Hancock said his signature on the Declaration of Independence was intentionally large so King George could see it without his glasses. Do you need glasses to read? Only for very small print. Mostly I need my glasses to see things at a distance.

6) The Revolutionary War still raged during that summer of 1777. General George Washington allowed his soldiers to celebrate with a double ration of run on July 4. Will you be toasting the United States with an adult beverage this weekend? There's a bottle of Jose Cuervo in my kitchen that may get my attention.

7) Since this year, July 4th falls on a Sunday, banks and post offices will be closed will be closed on Monday. Thanks to email and ATMs, Sam doesn't find this a hardship. How about you? Do you find it inconvenient to go an extra day without regular USPS delivery or access to a teller at the bank? Not at all.
 
8) Celebrity chef Rachael Ray says she considers mini-hamburgers, or "sliders," the All-American food. What will you be eating this 4th of July? I picked up some chicken salad at the deli counter. They make it with almonds. I love it.
 
9) The 4th of July is a highlight of the summer season. Have you yet suffered the traditional warm weather maladies: sunburn or bug bites? Not yet. (And hopefully I'll make it to Labor Day without either one.)