Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: The Curly Shuffle (1983)

Unfamiliar with this song? Hear it here.

1) This song is a valentine to The Three Stooges. Are you a fan? Cannot stand them! Though I do have fond memories attached to this song. Juke boxes were still de riguer in 1983 and I heard it on many a happy night at the bars.

2) It was released to coincide with the Three Stooges getting a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame. That's the Hollywood in California. There are 23 other Hollywoods in the United States and two in Ireland. Have you ever visited any of these 26 Hollywoods? If so, which one? THE Hollywood. In California.

3) The inspiration for this song was Jerome Horowitz, aka Curly Howard of The Three Stooges. He had many signature phrases, including "nyuk, nyuk, nyuk," "woob, woob, woob," and "sointenly." Give us a movie quote, and be sure to tell us who said it.

 

Barbra Streisand's first-ever line on film:

 

via GIPHY

4) Curly's older brother, Moses Horowitz, was better known as Moe Howard. Moe was convinced that Lou Costello of Abbott & Costello developed his screen persona by stealing from Curly. It turns out he was right! Lou Costello was previewing early prints of Three Stooges films before they were released to the public. Tell us about a time your gut instinct told you something that turned out to be true. Sometimes I can sense doom. I impulsively sent a gift to my friend Reg via Amazon. Just a little surprise certain to brighten his mood. But I just knew it was a bad idea somehow. Today I got a message from Amazon that it's been delivered "near the garage." REALLY?! Not the front door? So far I haven't heard from Reg. If I don't get word by end of day tomorrow, I'll shoot him an IM and ruin the surprise. GRRR! I really would have preferred to be wrong.

5) The third Stooge, Larry, was Louis Feinberg. Though he became famous as a movie comic, he was also a talented musician. When he was 11, he received an invitation to study violin at a European conservatory, but because of WWI he was unable to go. Tell us about plans of yours that were interrupted because of circumstances beyond your control (weather, the pandemic, etc.). I was supposed to spend Christmas 2020 in Key West. But between travel restrictions and my own bout with covid, I was unable to go. (Gee! I forgot it was an overhyped hoax. Even though I suffered from weeks of diarrhea and fever and debilitating fatigue, I should have gone anyway. Bitter? Yeah, I'm still bitter. Anyone who plays down this pandemic is an unpatriotic asshole. Oh, and put your fucking mask back on.)

6) As a teen, Larry took up boxing and won several bouts. His father disapproved of the sport and put an end to his boxing career. Did you participate in sports during your teen years? I was good at archery.

 

7) Today the Three Stooges Fan Club has more than 2,000 members and publishes a quarterly newsletter filled with rare photos, interviews, trivia and a marketplace where fans can buy and sell Stooge memorabilia. Have you ever belonged to a fan club? Nope. Which is strange for a fangirl such as I.

8) In 1983, Princess Diana was the world's top cover girl. Her influence was credited for reviving Britain's fashion and tourist industries. When you think of Britain, what's the first thing that comes to mind?

 

9) Random question -- Your best friend needs help hanging a picture. Would you be comfortable holding the nail so your friend could swing the hammer? Better for me to hold the nail than to swing the hammer. I'm a klutz, and therefore far less trustworthy with a hammer than my best friend.

 

 

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 6

Today's happiness -- Spinach strudel. When I was growing up, my father was very vocal about not liking vegetables, especially green beans and spinach. So we never had them with dinner. As an adult, I find I enjoy them both, and today I treated myself to a spinach-and-cream-cheese strudel for dinner from the new coffee house. It made me happy.

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 5

Today's happiness -- Support from an unexpected source. I posted something on Facebook today about how I struggle with pain because when I hurt, I feel like it's not so bad ... that people have endured worse ... that it's really not that big a deal ...

Sheila IM'd me. She wanted to know what to pray for to help me. She's a client I used to work with regularly until she was moved to another part of her company. She has 100s of Facebook friends and I didn't think she really read my posts.

I didn't tell her everything -- about Henry getting worse not better, about my dental travails, about my insecurity about returning to work with the Delta variant -- but I did fill her in about Reynaldo. She was very sweet, telling me to remember his whole life with me was "a double gift," to both him and me.

I didn't expect to hear from Sheila. I was warmed by how thoughtful she was. Sometimes I'm surprised when people like me. I'm like Sally Field, I guess. Remember when she won her Oscar? "You like me! You really like me!"

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.

You're Welcome, New York

The Yankees have been playing in New York since 1903. In all that time, only one player has ever batted in a run in each of his first six games.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 4

 Today's happiness -- A trip to the park.  Reynaldo and I spent about 30 minutes at the park today. I put the carrier on the ground and sat with him in the dirt. There are better bugs in the dirt. (I never took him out of the carrier because dogs are welcome in the park, and no good would come of that.)

I am trying very hard to accept a situation in which I'm helpless. My little man is old and battling a full menu of chronic maladies: glaucoma, arthritis, kidney and thyroid conditions and now a bad ticker. I cannot make him young again, but I can do whatever I can to make him happy. While today was bittersweet, I hope when I look back on Reynaldo's last summer, I'll remember this as only sweet.

 

All the adventure wore him out.

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.

58 days

I went to my longtime dentist with a broken tooth in early April. He did a quick fix, referred me to an endodontist, and retired in mid-April.

The endodontist did a terrific job on the root canal but I needed a dentist to order and affix the crown. I went to a local dentist recommended by my friend Nancy's husband, Paul. I shall forgive Paul. 

His dentist did a good job. Prepped the tooth and ordered the crown. It was supposed to be in on June 7. He'd just snap it on and we'd be done. He told me that appointment would about 30 minutes. I was happy.

Here we are 58 days after June 7, and I'm still making dental appointments. 

•  On June 6, they called and said my crown wasn't in yet. They'd let me know when it arrived. Any day.

•  On June 15, I sent an email. No response. 

•  On June 16, I called and was told the crown was indeed in and they'd squeeze me in. I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't called. Would they have let the crown just sit there forever without contacting me?

•  On June 18, I went in and the dental assistant removed the wrong crown. I am not kidding. This really happened.

•  There was decay under the crown of that tooth. But the crown was holding steady and I was in no discomfort. The tooth has been damaged by all the disruption and I am going to need a "Nesbit partial" until next year, when insurance will pay for an implant. They are giving me the Nesbit for free. We act as though I will return to them for the implant, but that is sooooo not going to happen.

•  On Tuesday I went in to have the Nesbit appliance installed. While the dentist was working on it, it cracked. It fucking broke.

•  A new one will be in within two weeks.

It's now been 58 days since June 7, when my 2021 dental adventure was supposed to be done.

I want to scream.

Photo by 8photo - www.freepik.com

He's leaving me

I stumbled upon this photo, taken not that long ago, of Connie and Reynaldo sleeping in front of the living room window and realized he no longer cares about looking outside. It no longer interests him.

Now it could be because the neighbors pruned their big tree way back and Reynaldo no longer has squirrels to scout. Or it could be because his vision is now so bad the window is just not relevant to him.

He also doesn't sleep with me anymore. He used to haunt the foot of my bed. I can't remember the last time I woke up to find him there.

I spent some time in the den on Tuesday, vacuuming and setting up plant stands. I keep the den door closed, so when I came out I expected to see his bright and curious face, demanding to know what I'd been up to in that most mysterious room. He wasn't waiting for me when I emerged because he didn't care.

He crashed my Zoom movie group on Monday night, amusing everyone when what looked like a disembodied tail repeatedly swished by the camera. But I can't recall the last time he made an appearance in a work Zoom.

He doesn't play with Connie anymore. They used to chase one another up and down the hall. He's uninterested.

His June bloodwork came back and his thyroid and other vitals appear good. However in addition to cloudy vision he has arthritis and two chronic-but-controlled conditions (thyroid and kidney) and now a heart murmur. Maybe this is the just what the end stage of his life is like.

My wild man, my skinny beige demon, is 17 years old. 84 in human years. He is dying.

I'm sitting here, pre-dawn, trying to figure out what to do. Do I want to discuss this again with the vet? Are there things I can do to improve his quality of life? 

I thought I was ready for this. I'm not.

 

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? Paul Newman: A Life by Shawn Levy. I'm not deep into this 500+ page biography, but so far I'm struck by Paul Newman's very ordinariness, and how he embraced it. Yes, he was an Oscar winner, a box office champion for five decades, inarguably the most popular of the Method Actors who revolutionized theater and movies.

But, except for his looks, he really wasn't exceptional. Not a natural talent, acting was hard work for him. He took his craft seriously, never for granted. Since he had nothing to do with his blue eyes, he considered being handsome a lucky break, just as he was lucky to make it through his Navy service in WWII without a scratch. He consistently seems to view himself as a fortunate bloke determined to make the most of the lucky circumstances he was given. Separate from his movies -- I'm a fan -- I find that I like Paul Newman.

I've also discovered the basis of his legendary philanthropy. Through one charity alone, Paul donated $245,000,000. Yes, you read that right. He worked as hard at growing Newman's Own into a not-for-profit powerhouse as he did at becoming a good actor. Why did he do it? It goes back to his mother's example. No, she was not financially generous. In fact, she was highly materialistic. Paul understood her -- she escaped poverty by immigrating to America and was determined never to be poor again. But while he loved her, her attitude disturbed him deeply and left its mark. Children in the US, Ireland, France and Israel are the better for his charity work, which goes on. (So buy Newman's Own when you get the chance.)

2. What did you recently finish reading?  Murder at Blackburn Hallby Sara Rosett. This is the second book in a cozy mystery series set in London in the 1920s. Our heroine, Olive Belgrave, has social status but no money. So she hires herself out among the aristocracy to perform "discreet inquiries," like checking out a daughter's new beau, finding a stolen pedigreed dog, vetting a nanny candidate ... In this book, a publishing house wants her to track down a famous author who has disappeared without turning in the manuscript he's obligated to deliver.  They hire Olive because they don't want the publicity that would come from calling those vulgar police!

 

I liked this book. I learned a lot about the early 20th century. For example, I didn't know about the tin masks that disfigured veterans wore after WWI. Or that doctors actually recommended their sick patients smoke special asthma cigarettes! These tidbits are introduced naturally, seamlessly into the story and I appreciated them. The mystery itself was good, too, and kept me guessing to the end.

The only thing I didn't really like was Olive herself. Whether it's Kinsey Milhone or Spenser or Archie Goodwin, I want to really root for the detective I'm accompanying on these adventures. I don't yet have a grip on Olive. Perhaps more of her personality will be revealed as I move through the series.

 

3. What will read next? I don't know.

August Happiness Challenge -- Day 3

Today's happiness -- Clean sheets and towels. Usually I do my laundry on Sunday nights about 6:00 PM. I just didn't get around to it Sunday, so I did it Monday afternoon. Which means I woke up this morning in a fresh nightshirt, on fresh sheets and then I dried myself after my morning shower with fresh towels.

Yeah, this happens every week (except usually it's on Monday instead of Tuesday). But it's such a happy way to start the morning and the week. A reliable mood lifter. It deserves a happy Beatle Button. 

Honorable mention goes to the new shower liner and rings I put in today and the plant stands I began using in the den. It's nice to give my surroundings a little upgrade.

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 2

Today's happiness -- Abraham Lincoln and Henry Fonda. Young Mr. Lincoln is the classic chosen this week by my movie group. Somehow I'd never seen it! Considering how I revere Abe, and my love of old movies, and my massive crush on young Henry Fonda, you'd think I'd have seen this a dozen times. But no, today was my first viewing. It didn't disappoint.

He's a crafty, charming country lawyer, willing to be vulgar if it wins him points with townspeople and jurors. Self-taught and very talented. Filled with a kindness and an integrity that can't be supressed. Henry Fonda embodies all that. 

There's a moment when the defendants' mother is on the stand and Mr. Lincoln talks to her and about her, tears of compassion in his eyes, and I welled up, too.

I know enough about Abraham Lincoln to know that the movie got a lot wrong: names are changed (witnesses, defendants, victim and even "Abe," no one called him "Abe" in those days); Ann Rutledge and Mr. Lincoln were likely never involved; he was ambitious and didn't need to be persuaded to study law; Mr. Lincoln was already a wealthy and well-established lawyer when he took this case, not the novice he's portrayed ... but I don't care. This movie captured his spirit and soul. 

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 1

Today's happiness -- Dense, leafy trees. It's 74º today. Perfect weather. Too nice to waste indoors. So I took a nice, long walk to the other side of town (Dollar Tree) and back. A little less than two miles in all.

 

The best part of my jaunt is that I took side streets as much as possible. Between the two busy streets, where multi-unit buildings like mine are, my neighborhood has quite a few massive old Victorians on nice big lawns with big old trees. It was lovely to walk down the avenue and look up into the thick green that provided shade from the late afternoon sun.

By the time I got home, I was relaxed and a little sleepy and satisfied. We get so few of these picture-perfect (not too hot) summer days, I'm happy I was able to be out in it and enjoy it.

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

 FUN AND UNEXPECTED TOPICS

1. Have Your Ever Driven Drunk Or Even Slightly Buzzed? No. I don't have a car. Not that I would if I had a car.

2. What Was The Funniest Moment In Your Life? I can't choose just one. But I'm sure it involved my oldest friend. She always makes me laugh.

3. What Kind Of Things Really Makes You Laugh? Irreverence. Also, the unexpected.

4. If You Could Jump Into A Pool Full Of Something, What Would It Be? M&Ms

5. Which Habit Are You Proudest Of Breaking? Nothing comes to mind. I guess I'm just a mass of maintained bad habits.

6. Which Animal Do You Find The Sexiest Of All? The human animal.

7. What’s The Weirdest Nickname You’ve Ever Had? A toss up between "Avenger Bunny" and "Smurfette."

8, What Do You Wish You Were Really Good At? Housework

9. If You Were A Dog, What Kind Of Dog Would You Be? A mutt

10. What’s The Most Spontaneous Thing You’ve Ever Done? My 2016 trip to Graceland. I was just so fucking bummed about Donald Trump's election, and something unique and expensive and completely futile needed to be done!

11. If You Had A Time Machine, Would You Go Back In Time Or Visit The Future? Wow. Great question! I think I'd prefer the distant past or the near future (like two years from now).

12. What Was The Last Show You Binge-Watched? Sex and the City

Eager for the reboot

  

13. If You Had To Rename Yourself, What Name Would You Choose? Julie. I've always felt like a Julie.

14. What Did You Do During The Summers When You Were Growing Up? We went to a little resort in Wisconsin and lived in a cabin. I felt like a hostage. Truly, I hated it. I wanted to be home with my friends.

15. If You Go To A Restaurant And Have Terrible Service, Is It Ever OK Not To Tip? No. If you don't tip at all, the server may think you just forgot. If you want to make a statement about the service, leave a lousy tip.

 

That felt good

I was downtown, along The River, on both Friday and Saturday. I had to drop this Mac off, and then retrieve it, from the Apple Store on Michigan Avenue. 

It felt like an event, which is weird because pre-pandemic, this is the neighborhood where I worked so I was here all the time.

And I've missed it. There are things about work from home I enjoy: sleeping until 8:00 AM, waiting until after I check my emails to shower (usually 9:30), never wearing grownup clothes or shoes, washing dishes or vacuuming between meetings, and, of course, cuddling the cats all day long.

But then there's The River! I've always preferred the green river water to the blue of Lake Michigan. I like how The River wends its way through the city, insinuating itself into our lives.

As I walked along The River to the Apple Store, I saw certain benches and my cheeks got hot, because I remember those long-ago nights when I shared a kiss or two with the guy I was dating. The River has made a special appearance in the recurring nightmare I have when I'm stressed: I'm trying to rescue a shaggy white dog, or sometimes my girlhood cat Tommy, from drowning so I dive in and hang onto the pillar under the bridge with one hand while holding on to the critter with the other, praying to be rescued from the water myself.

This is a part of my life I hope to get back soon. Of course, with Lollapalooza, I was scared of the Delta Variant. We'll see how I feel two weeks from today. Fingers crossed that the vaccine protects me!

It's Who We Are

When Anthony Rizzo was traded, I heard from everybody. Former coworkers and friends reached out who I hadn't communicated with since Christmas. Snarkypants sent a card.* People who don't share my passion for baseball respected the place this Cub team and this player have in my heart.

And there was my family. It was my nephew who actually gave me the news (a one-word text: YANKEES?). My sister, which whom I have a complicated-at-best relationship, was all over my Facebook page. So was my Cousin Rose. From my dad's side of the family, I heard from both my cousin and his mom, who is my aunt/godmother. They don't talk to one another -- their relationship is a casualty of Donald Trump -- but they both reached out to me.

We are now different faiths, with some of us not worshiping at all. We certainly hold different political views. We are in different parts of the country.

But in this family, we are Cub fans. As were our parents and their parents. We're all about sunshine, ivy and the crack of the bat.

 

*OK, she sent it before the trade, but it arrived that night -- when I really needed it.

Meet my new best friend

OK, we've never met. But let's not allow reality to cloud our fantasy here.

Her name is Suzyn Waldman. She has been doing Yankee games -- color commentary, not play-by-play -- on the radio since 1987. Think about that: a woman on-air broadcasting major league baseball in the biggest media market in the country. For more than 30 years! How did I not know about her?

When Anthony Rizzo was so cruelly ripped from me Chicago, I began  following his new team, the Yankees. I heard this woman interviewing Rizz on the pre-game show. I figured that either 1) WFAN's regular pre-game host had the day off or 2) it was going to be a fluff interview. You know, asking Rizz about his dog, Kevin, or something similar.* No, she asked him about how he changes his stance on 2-0 and his philosophy of team at bats.† She knows her shit. When she went on to do the game itself, I had to Google her.

Brett Gardner is the oldest player on the Yankee roster at 37. He was not quite four years old when Suzyn Waldman first went on the air at WFAN. She is a trailblazer, and she deserves respect and attention beyond the Yankee universe.

 

*Though she did ask him about the Italian ice named after him at a New Jersey pastry shop, about 15 miles from Yankee Stadium. Glad to see he's getting some love.

†Rizz likes his at-bats to be as long as possible, fouling off bad pitches when he can, leaving the pitcher a little more tired for the batter who follows him in the line up. Apparently this is not how the Yankees have been doing it lately, and Suzyn is a fan.

SATURDAY 9

  Saturday 9: Dead Skunk (1972)

Unfamiliar with this song? Hear it here.

1) This song is about a poor dead skunk that stinks "to high heaven." Have you ever experienced the spray from a skunk? Not directly. But we drove through it once on the highway when I was a kid. It amused me to watch all the other motorists do like we did and roll up the windows. ("Roll up your window and hold your nose.")

2) Dennis Oliver, a disc jockey in Quincy, IL, played this song every night at 9:00 PM for decades. The only thing that got him to stop was being moved to the morning slot. What song do you never tire of?

 

3) At Georgia Tech's Russ Chandler Stadium, the fans sing this during the 7th inning stretch of their baseball games. Do you know the lyrics of the more conventional 7th inning choice, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame?" Of course. Here's Cookie Monster performing it an my beloved Wrigley Field. You're welcome.

 

 

4) This week's featured artist, Loudon Wainwright III, can play many instruments, but is said to enjoy banjo and ukulele best. If you could magically become proficient on any instrument right now, which would you choose, and why? Drums. Because I think being an old lady drummer would be cool.

5) He appeared as Capt. Spalding on several episodes of M*A*S*H in the 1970s. If you could transport yourself into the world of your favorite TV show, which would you choose? I'm going to go with classic shows I've recently binged on and say either Sex and the City or The Mary Tyler Moore Show, because I wonder how I would actually like my favorite characters in real life. 

 

 I know I'd like Miranda and Charlotte, but I'm not so sure about Carrie with her smoking and her bad puns and using my life as fodder for her column, and if I genuinely cared about Samantha I think I'd be worried about her ending up dead at the hands of one of those men she's always going home with.

Similarly, I know I'd like Mary Richards and the gang at the office. But Rhoda and Phyllis don't seem to respect boundaries, just dropping in all the time.

6) Loudon's mother was a yoga instructor. What did you most recently do for exercise? I walked all around The Loop on Friday. I don't move very fast anymore, but I did cover a lot of ground (2 1/2 miles in all).

7) He went to St. Andrew's School in Delaware, where the movie Dead Poet's Society, starring Robin Williams, was filmed. When you think of Robin Williams, do you recall his dramatic movie roles, his funny movies, his comedy routines, or Mork from Ork? Na-noo, na-noo.

8) In 1973, when this song was popular, Norman Mailer created a great deal of buzz with his book about Marilyn Monroe. Do you read many biographies and memoirs? Or do you prefer to read fiction? I like to mix it up. So far this year, I've read 8 biographies, 8 novels, 4 non-fiction, and 6 mysteries.

9) Random question: You're on the road, traveling through a town you've never been in before, and ready to stop for a quick bite. On one side of the street is a cute little diner called Mom's. On the other side is McDonald's. Which do you choose? This is hard for me! Every once in a while, I loooove a Big Mac. On the other hand, I have enduring affection for coffee houses with laminated menus.

I'll be back but not today

I'm watching Anthony Rizzo play baseball. Only tonight he's wearing gray and black and #48. So far tonight in the batter's box he's walked and in the field he was part of a double play and saved his new second baseman Rougie Odor from an error. (Thank you, MLB.com, for making Yankees/Marlins tonight's free game.)

The Cubs are playing the Nationals. I am not watching. I am still too mad. 

I'll be back someday. I always come back. They traded my beloved Hall of Famer Greg Maddux twice and I eventually forgave them. 

It will just take a while this time. Bryzzo and Baez -- all three are gone!

Oh, Captain! My Captain!

 The Cubs traded Anthony Rizzo today. He is now a Yankee. I hate it. I am angry.

I know ballplayers get traded. But this was sick and wrong. The Cubs owners have cried poor, saying they  are unable to pay Rizz what he's worth. But the Ricketts family owns the Cubs, and the ballpark, and the plaza outside the park, and a hotel across the street. All that land is worth (according to Cook County property records) $140,000,000. That's the land. That doesn't count game day revenue from tickets and hotdogs and parking and beer, or licensing from tshirts, or TV (the Cubs have their own network). 

Right now, I don't see myself returning to Wrigley Field any time soon. 

They dissed my captain.

I almost forgot my joy!

I have been so fixated on my beloved Cubs and the July 30 trade deadline that I forgot what comes just 2 days later: AUGUST 1!

Every year I take the August Happiness Challenge. Here's a brief explanation of the Challenge: "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."

You're invited to join me. Visit me with a link to your daily August happy, and I'll come read it. I've found that experiencing other peoples' everyday pleasures is a great mood lifter.

It helps if your August Happiness Challenge posts are marked with an icon. Just something that means "happy" to you. Here's a pair of my past happys.

THE HAPPY BEGINS AUGUST 1!

Sunday Stealing

 MY FAVORITE THINGS

Your favorite songs: "All My Loving" by the Lads, "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire 

Your favorite bands: The Beatles. 


Your favorite actors or actresses: Katharine Hepburn and Robert Redford

Your favorite books: I recently reread The Princess Bride. I forgot how much I love it.


Your favorite movies: The Way We Were and Holiday.


Your favorite TV shows: Friends and right now I'm rewatching Sex and the City again.


Your favorite foods/drinks: Coke is my favorite beverage. Hamburgers are my favorite food.


Your favorite kitchen appliance: Microwave


Your favorite animal: Cats, especially my own -- Connie and Reynaldo


Your favorite scents: Cinnamon, apple


Your favorite things you do in your free time: Fart around on the internet, watch TV


Your pet peeves: Willful ignorance and alternate facts.
 (Say it with me: pandemic, not plandemic.)

Things you collect: Books, movies, magazines from the 1960s


Things you like to swap: Do I swap? I don't think I do.


Places you've been: One of my favorites is Colonial Williamsburg. I also like Las Vegas. I am eclectic.


Places you'd like to visit: Maybe I'd like to visit Mackinac Island. Or maybe I'd get bored. I'm not sure
.

Classes you liked in school: History and English
.

Crafts you would like to learn: Is cleaning a craft? I need to learn how to remove spots of black mold from shower caulk. I have a shower liner, so I must be careful what I use. I'm going to try a mix of Dawn and baking soda. (I should stop thinking about it and just do it already.)

A new career path?

  

Spending so much time on Friday with my nephew was interesting. Fun, of course. We're both rabid Cub fans, so a day at Wrigley Field is like a pilgrimage. He cracks me up, too. For example, leaving the park we spotted a couple wearing anti-choice shirts that read: STOP REGULATED CHILD MURDER. He said, "They're right. Let's make child murder open to everyone."

I learned something unexpected about him after the game. He intended to go into politics/public service/government after his graduation in 2022. Campaign operative, legislative aide, a paid administrative position in the national or local Democratic party ...

Now he's not so sure.

Politics and policy remain his passion, but he's not so sure about his career path. He worries about the transient nature of it. He would have to go where the candidates are, and he's not sure he likes the idea of (say) living two years in Iowa and then uprooting and moving to Los Angeles. Working for not-for-profits is steadier, but there is little money in that. Nor should there be, but at the start of his career while setting up his life on his own, salary is a consideration.

So now he's thinking about teaching. Since high school, he's loved exchanging ideas with his favorite teachers. He missed that one-on-one with his professors during remote learning. He also really doesn't want school to end and he admits that he could prolong his own days as a student a bit if he went on to take the necessary classes required for a teaching degree.

I have read that only 25% of K-12 teachers are men. I think my nephew -- with his gentle manner (really, it's almost as if his temper has been surgically removed) and sensitivity -- would be a good male role model for kids.

I hope if he chooses teaching, it's because he wants to do it and not because he's worried about leaving us (which I hear in his every sentence) or because he's afraid of the unknown.

It amuses me that he's so different from his sister. My niece was offered a grant from a prestigious culinary school in Chicago but she turned it down. She couldn't wait to get away us and go away to school and has made it clear to everyone that she lives in Michigan now, thankyouverymuch. 

School photo created by freepik - www.freepik.com

We saw this

My nephew and I spent a very hot, humid Friday at Wrigley Field ... and had a wonderful time. The looming trade deadline changed the atmosphere at the park somehow. It was the Cubs first home game after a long, unsuccessful road trip. We all know that our favorite players are on the trading block. Obviously the players know this, too. We all behaved accordingly.

On the train, I was one of three Anthony Rizzo shirts in my car alone. Two more passed me on the platform. By the time I met up with my nephew (and his Rizzo jersey) I lost count of how many Rizz's were in the park. It was in the air. We all independently, spontaneously decided to let management know he's important to us. 

A more organized show of support was given to Kris Bryant. 40 fans near the owners' seats behind the dugout all wore his jersey. When KB stood in the on deck circle, they all turned their backs so his name on their backs was visible.

Then, in the first inning, the players participated. First KB walked. Then Rizz got hit by a pitch. Javier Baez -- the third player of our much-loved Core -- got a home run and brought them home. Bryzzo waited for him at home plate and the three of them walked to the dugout together.

That was for us. And we loved it. Like the Grinch, I could feel my tiny heart growing three sizes.

Remember these names: Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo. If you hear either of them is traded, no I'm dying inside. (No offense, Javy Baez, but I just don't love you ... as much.)