Thursday Thirteen #245

Thirteen news stories here in Chicagoland. I am writing this Wednesday night, and basing it on local stories from today's Chicago Sun Times. I've listed them as they appear in the print edition of the paper.

1. Patrick Daley Thompson on trial. An alderman accused of income tax fraud, which would normally not be front page news. This is a massive big deal because this alderman is the nephew of former Mayor Richard M. Daley and the grandson of Mayor Richard J. Daley. There simply is no more famous name here than Daley.

2. Governor Pritzker and the mask mandate. JB is expected to present a plan that will phase out masks in most indoor settings by March 1.

3. Bad cop won't get his pension. Officer Anthony Abbate got drunk and kicked and punched a woman bartender. It was caught on tape and he was convicted of battery. Since he was off duty when he punched and kicked the woman, he thinks he's owed his policeman's pension. A State appeals court disagreed.

4. Richard Roeper weighs in on the Oscar nominations. The paper's movie reviewer says there are no real surprises, but gives me an interesting Oscar tidbit: six of the 10 acting nods went to performers playing real people.

5. Club closed after two shootings. The Point has been deemed "a threat to public safety" after an October gunfight (4 injured) and a shooting before dawn on Sunday morning where a man was struck in the eye.

6. Tensions between Black and LGBTQ communities. Chicago's Black gay community is fighting what has been called a "whitewash" of Black History Month, and they want representation.

7. Catholic school principal disciplined over masks. The Archdiocese put the principal on leave for defying the mandate and declaring masks optional.

8. Judge in Burke trial about to make a ruling. Alderman Eddie Burke has been powerful for as long as I can remember. A grand jury indicted him on racketeering in 2019 but he still hasn't gone to trial. Both sides presented many legal motions and now the judge its trying to sort it all out. (Maybe there will be a trial before I die. Maybe not.)

9. Two teens shot less than an hour apart on the South Side. A 15-year-old was shot twice in the head while walking home at 3:15 in the afternoon. At 4:10, a 16-year-old was shot in the head near the University of Chicago campus. Both boys died. Detectives believe the incidents were unrelated.

10. Man shot to death during carjacking in the South Loop. A man who drove his Mercedes for Lyft and Uber was found in the snow. His car was later recovered, abandoned, on the South Side.

Yes, we have a gun problem here in Chicago. In your town, these shootings would be front-page news but here, we're inured to the violence. Too many guns seeping through the borders from Indiana and Kentucky. Don't get me started!

Jumping to the Nation/World page.

 11. McConnell rebukes the RNC. Senate minority leader disagrees with the censure of Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL).

From the Taste Section.

12. Alpana Singh to open River North restaurant. Alpana is the former host of our local PBS restaurant review show, and her new restaurant will emphasize food/wine pairings.

And now, the big headline in Sports.

13. Bulls can't blame it on covid. All the players are now out of covid protocol, yet they still don't look good.

 What's new, and what's news, in your town?

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

 

 

Normal. Stable. Healthy.

These are the words my doctor used after reviewing all the tests she ran last week. I was a little worried about my ALP level, which the chart showed was higher than normal. What does this mean? I don't know, but I didn't like it. My doctor noted that, since I hadn't fasted before the test, it looked OK to her.

I am lucky. I have my health. I have health care. I can afford to have blood work and a physical every year. I have an attentive doctor I trust. 

I am also healthier than I deserve to be, really. I'm quite sedentary, overweight, and I eat too much sugar. This is, I suppose, balanced somewhat by the fact that I've never smoked anything and go days at a time without so much as a glass of wine.

I am grateful for all of this. I look at many of my those around me -- John, Henry, Kathy, my friend Mindy's husband, Kathleen, my oldest friend -- and they're all battling health issues. For whatever reason, God dealt me a good hand in this regard and I do thank Him.

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? My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle. Atlanta celebrity chef Cam Lasky and wife Jade have it all. Then it all goes very, very wrong. First his famous steakhouse is destroyed by fire. Then his wife Jade and their two kids are held for ransom. Coincidence? Not bloody likely. What is is about Jade's "darling husband" that makes him the target of arson and abduction? What secrets has he been keeping?

This is turning out to be a neat little thriller. Lots of mystery and paranoia and all those shivery things we want from a book like this.

2. What did you recently finish reading?  Diana by Sarah Bradford.  Oh, Diana! I watched The Princess of Wales go from blushing bride to wronged wife to independent ambassador for good to catalyst for an international outpouring of grief. Her story is familiar but continues to fascinate.

This is a sympathetic but even-handed portrayal. Her natural gifts are on display, as are her desperation and impulsivity. Diana wasn't a saint, but she was compelling. I enjoyed the time I spent with her in this book. (But Sarah Ferguson certainly comes off as a ninny.)

3. What will you read next? I don't know. My TBR is vast.

Am I angry or just annoyed?

I'm not sure. Since December, my oldest friend has been running a fever. She's a 65-year-old diabetic with  a heart condition. Under normal circumstances, her care would be any hospital's priority.

We are not living in normal times though. For some reason, the stubbornly ignorant are selfishly refusing to mask and vaccinate, filling our hospitals and for more than a month, it was impossible for her to get the diagnosis and treatment she needs. No shit: at the time she was trying to get care, 65% of hospital beds were filled by unvaccinated covid patients.

She finally got in for tests. Hurray! The first doctor she saw recommended she see a pair of specialists. He told her she had an unusually tenacious UTI, and that its staying power may be indicative of an underlying cause. Among those he shared with her was cancer. She was so frightened upon hearing that word that she, in her own words, "stopped listening."

She's had those two other consults. I've been leaving messages. She hasn't been getting back to me. I don't push it, because I don't want to force her to tell me something unpleasant or heartbreaking until she's ready. But I have been worried and miserable. I sent her a newspaper clipping about a kids show host here in Chicagoland we both loved, and who died on January 17. I thought it would make her happy to see he was front page news again. No response.

How does this face look to you?

Last night, after two weeks of radio silence, I got an email from her. A chatty, silly email. Nothing wrong with that, in and of itself. Silly can be fun. I embrace silly.

But after paragraphs about her dreams about boys we knew in school, about Tom Selleck and the Beatles, she just signed off. Not a single fucking word about her condition!

I am choosing to believe that this means she has no bad news about her condition. But it would be nice to have her confirm this. I am also feeling more than moderately disrespected. I've reached out by phone and by USPS and she's just ignored me.

I know she suffers from bipolar depression. That sometimes she cannot will herself out of bed and is unable to make even the most simple decisions. Maybe that's why I haven't heard from her. Maybe I should cut her slack.

Because maybe she can't help it.

It's so hard to understand the broken brains around me. Kathy keeps telling me the same things, over and over, because she's battling dementia or Alzheimer's or something. (She won't see a doctor.) The behaviors caused by Henry's TBI symptoms are ever-shifting and untreated (because he and Reg won't see doctors, either). Now this with my oldest friend.

I am trying to be understanding. But I don't understand. I am angry, or maybe just annoyed.

Sunday Stealing

 I Love Stephen Colbert!

1. The best sandwich Either chicken salad or ham and cheese. Depends on my mood.

2.  Something you own that you really should throw out. I have clothes I should part with. I'll donate them to Goodwill, though, not throw them out. (Find your nearest Goodwill location here.)

3.  The scariest animal I am both frightened and fascinated by alligators.

4.  Apples or oranges Apples

5.  Have you ever tried to get an autograph from someone? When I was in my teens, I was dedicated to getting athlete's autographs at games. This was before the proliferation of autograph shows, so they were mostly amenable. Now I understand that players are more likely to pose for a photo.

6.  What happens when you die? We all go to Heaven.

7.  Favorite Action movie Die Hard.

8.  Window or Aisle? Aisle

9.  Favorite smell  Cinnamon or lavender

10.  Your most popular app on your phone. Microsoft Office, so I can check my work email wherever I am. I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing.

11.  Least favorite smell. Coffee

12.  Cats or dogs? False choice. I would happily share my home with both if that was possible for me.

13.  If you can only listen to one song over and over for the rest of your life, what would it be? "Hey Jude." I like Sir Paul's voice on this so much.

14.  What number am I thinking of? (I will answer honestly) 7

15.  The rest of your life in 5 words. I hope it is happy.

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Lady of Spain (1952)

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

1) The lyrics refer to serenading "caballeros," which is Spanish for "gentlemen." Can you say anything to us in Spanish this morning? Hablo muy poco español. There is so much Spanish spoken all around me, I wish I understood and spoke more.

 

2) Eddie Fisher sings that he's loved this lady since he first saw her. Do you believe in love at first sight? Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time. (Now ask what I see when I turn off the light.)

  

3) He was drafted and served a year in Korea. Then he spent the rest of his active duty period as vocalist for the Army Band, performing on military bases. (He was still technically PFC Edwin Fisher when he recorded this.) Did you ever play with a band? If so, what instrument? Nope.

4) From 1953 to 1957, Eddie hosted Coke Time, a TV variety show sponsored by Coca Cola. What's your soft drink of choice? I'm with Eddie. Here's an ad from my childhood. I still think of this slogan sometimes when I'm in the beverage aisle.

 

5) Though Coke Time is mostly forgotten today, Eddie was nominated for two Emmy Awards and won a Golden Globe for his work on the show. Have you ever taken home a trophy? No. I won a Clio long ago, but the company I worked for kept the one we got free and wouldn't spring for additional ones. Instead they gave me a $75 gift certificate so I could have the official certification framed. At the time I was upset. I was in my early 30s, just beginning to take myself seriously, and would have liked to display the hardware in my office because of the credibility it conveyed. But now, decades later, it doesn't matter. The framed certificate is in a box, just like the statue would be.

6) Today Eddie Fisher may be best known as the father of Carrie Fisher. She made more than 50 movies and wrote 8 books. Are you more familiar with her as an actress or author? Author. I know she was in some of the Star Wars movies, and I remember her from When Harry Met Sally, but I've read more of her books.

7) In 1952, when this song was popular, hamburger meat sold for just 53¢/lb. Is there any beef in your refrigerator right now? No. I've got salmon fillets and pork chops in the freezer, but not beef.

8) Also in 1952, Mr. Potato Head became the first toy to be advertised on TV. What recent TV commercial comes to mind? Joe Namath wants me to get the Medicare benefits I deserve!


9) Random question: If you could live within any TV show ever, which would you choose? The early seasons of NCIS. Not to solve the crimes. They're kinda gruesome and I wouldn't want to be around that. But to hang around with the gang, to see Kate roll her eyes at Tony, to hear Tony christen McGee with a new nickname, to hear one of Ducky's stories, to sail along on Abby's enthusiasm, to gaze into Gibbs' blue eyes ... that would be fun!

 

 

Again? Really?

I just received my fifth (5th!) jury summons. I'm a patriotic old gal. I believe in doing my civic duty. But come on!

Over my lovely lifetime, I've already received four of these. After voir dire, I've served twice (the first was a murder trial). I think I've done my part. Especially when I think of all the people I know who haven't been called more than once.

Oh, well. I'm supposed to call an 800 number on Tuesday 2/22 to confirm whether or not I'm truly needed. Maybe this time I'll be dismissed before I'm called. And, if they need me, I won't try to get out of it. I was a Girl Scout, and I guess I'm still one deep inside.

At least I finished strong

It's not even really an assignment. Our agency got an idea to proactively move the client's business along. My client is very conservative, and there's no way in hell they're going to do anything this cutting edge.

Oh yeah, and it's promotion in a medium I know nothing about: the metaverse. 

So I was silent during much of the conference call. I contributed two ideas in advance which, frankly, weren't resounding hits. On the one hand, it was disheartening. I mean, I like being the go-to girl. I like being the font of wisdom, the one who brings the winning solution. And I'm just not that girl in the metaverse.

On the other hand, it's not even really an assignment. I spent most of the meeting with my camera off, downloading bank statements I'll need for my tax preparer.

But at the end of the call, I spoke up. Loud and proud. It wasn't about the promotion, per se, but about the timing. I may not know the metaverse, but I know my client. They likely aren't ready to dump funds into an unplanned initiative this early in the year. Sometimes the spin is as important as the idea, and convincing them that now is the time to do this is key.

"Oh, yeah!" I heard from the little checkerboard faces on my screen. So I may not be able to come up with an idea, but I can provide insights on how to sell one. 

Still, I feel the industry is passing me by. I am not sad about this, just accepting. Another reminder that my career is just naturally coming to an end.

Thursday Thirteen #244

Thirteen items currently on my shopping list.

1. Coke. Preferably the single-serve 7.5 oz. size.

2. Paper towels. Preferably Bounty or Viva.

3. Skim or 2% milk, pint bottle. Yes, it costs more to buy it this way, but when I buy quarts I end up pouring much of it down the drain when it expires. I hate wasting food. I'd rather have little pint bottles, lined up like soldiers, each waiting his turn.

4. Minute Rice microwave cups.

5. Shout Color Catcher Sheets, so I can wash darks and lights together. (I have a hard time finding these in stores and may have to order from Amazon.)

6. Probiotic capsules. I hope I can find Pearls on sale. They're so easy to take.

7. Which reminds me! I need more Chobani Yogurt cups (also with probiotics). But not peach. I bought too much peach last time.

8. Tall kitchen garbage bags.

9. Hot dog buns. I don't always have them with hot dogs, though. Sometimes I tear them in half and use them as dinner rolls.

10. Gerber Turkey baby food. My cat Connie has a nutritional supplement every day and it melts so easily into the baby food. (Turkey is her favorite, with chicken a distant second.)

11. Salmon fillets, for me, if they're on sale. If not, I guess it's pork chops again!

12. Hairspray. I keep forgetting this. What do you bet I forget again this week?

13. Spaghetti-o's or pinto beans, whichever is cheaper. They both have been specially requested by the local food pantry.

How about you? Are any of these items currently on your shopping list?

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

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? Diana by Sarah Bradford. You don't have to ask "Diana Who?," do you? This biography of The People's Princess was recommended for me by my library's algorithm. Bradford has written popular books about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Grace of Monaco, so she's familiar with this terrain.

Diana was such a complicated woman. Charles' love affair with Camilla left her brokenhearted and disillusioned. Her life was such a pressure cooker, she felt she deserved comfort wherever she could find it. But it confuses me that she would, time and again, choose married men. Barry Mannakee, Oliver Hoare, Will Carling. Ma'am, what were you thinking?

Obviously I know how her sad saga will end. But that doesn't stop me from rooting for her and trying to understand her. I hope she's resting in the peace that eluded her in life.

2. What did you recently finish reading? Heartburn by Nora Ephron. What would you do if you found out your husband is in love with another woman? Would your answer change at all if you had a toddler at home and another baby on the way? How much can you forgive?

This is the funniest book about the end of a marriage I've ever read. I devoured it in greedy gulps. It's also emotionally raw, which gives the comedy more power. Part of what makes Mark's betrayal of Rachel so painful is that she believed they were happy. She believed in their love and their bond and their forever. She feels foolish, and that's something that neither Rachel nor author Nora Ephron (who drew upon her marriage to Carl Bernstein) can abide.

Something to keep in mind: Heartburn was written in the 1980s by a woman born in the 1940s. Her attitude toward lesbianism made me a little squirmy at times. They're people, Nora, not a punchline.

3. What will you read next? My Darling Husband by Kimberly Belle. It's a thriller that I was waiting for, and the library tells me it's available. Yay!

Doctor's orders

All I really did Saturday was nap and read and watch TV (especially a 1976 made-for-TV movie starring Elizabeth Montgomery and a young-and-cute Anthony Hopkins). I accomplished all this nothing on the strict orders of my shrink, who between 2:00 and 3:00 today listened to me whine and declared that I needed a day of "self care." She steered me toward escaping into the past, where I could forget all that's stressing me out.

And what is stressing me out? Everything and nothing.

The office is reopening 2/22. We will be expected to show up 3 days/week. I don't know how this will work, as the office isn't big enough to hold all of us at a social distance on any given day, but they have 3 weeks to work that out. I am deeply ambivalent about this. There's a freedom to working from home that I will miss. On the other hand, I miss the city and I'm getting squirrelly, spending too much time alone.

Then there's Covid. It seems there's always Covid! Because of O'Hare, there will always be stubbornly unvaccinated citizens passing through Chicago and callously putting me at risk. I'm trying to put a good face on it, literally, and upgraded to N95 masks. But they don't fit me. Not the ones with straps around the head, not the ones with straps behind my ears. So I'll double mask and hope for the best. But the situation makes me sad.

My mind has been wandering to my mortality. I don't think I'm being morbid. I'm not dwelling, but  between the pandemic and Kathy's problems, I'm increasingly aware I'm in the late innings of the game. Like yesterday, out of nowhere, it occurred to me that I'll never see Prince William be King. Reading about Big Papi making the Hall of Fame made me wonder which of my beloved 2016 Cubs team will go into Cooperstown. Kris Bryant, I decided. But I probably will be dead before that happens. 

I'm not afraid of death, per se. I'm good with God and feel confident I'll be welcome in Heaven. But I don't like prospect of getting there. Will I suffer diminished capacity, like Kathy? Will I be scared and in pain, like my mom was? Will the market tank, leaving me broke, because so many dumb douchebags prefer to believe Tucker Carlson over Dr. Fauci and Covid stays with us forever?

I miss Reynaldo. 

My shrink feels my Covid fatigue is pretty standard issue. Normal and understandable, if not healthy. She feels that we're all suffering from it to one degree or another.

In the meantime, where's the remote?

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: All of Me (1932)

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

1) In this song, Louis Armstrong calls his girl "baby." What's the last endearment someone used when speaking to you? My oldest friend always ends our calls by saying, "Love you, Dear!"

 

2) He sings that losing his love made him cry. Do you cry easily? No. Though I do cry more than I did 15 or 20 years ago. Life has gotten more difficult, and I've had therapy.

 

3) Louis was born in New Orleans, a city famous for music and cuisine. What's something you love about your home town? Pizza. Here in Chicagoland you almost always have a choice of deep dish or thin crust. I was in Key West recently. Restaurants down there should be ashamed of themselves for what they call "pizza." To qualify for the title, a pizza must be tomato sauce/gooey cheese goodness. Don't settle for less!

 

4) At age 11, Louis unwisely fired a pistol during a New Year's Eve celebration and was sentenced to 18 months in a juvenile detention facility. It was there that he met music teacher Peter Davis, who believed in Louis and taught him to play cornet and bugle. Tell us about someone who believed in you and made your life better. I miss my boss Aaron. He made me feel valued and heard. Aaron has only been gone two weeks. Maybe I'll come to like this new boss as much. (OK, I doubt it.)

 

5) Louis would say that arrest changed his life for the better because it was at the detention center that "me and music got married." After his release, he began playing on streetcorners, or in honkytonks ... any place he could hone his skills. What is something you have worked hard to be better at? Every day I try to be better. Period. Full stop. I can always be a better person. That's what I concentrate on.

6) In the late 1920s, Louis led a jazz band called The Hot Five. His wife, Lil, believed he was too talented not to receive star billing. He just didn't feel ready. She went behind his back and convinced the management at Chicago's Dreamland Cafe to advertise: "The Hot Five, featuring Louis Armstrong: The World's Greatest Trumpet Player." It worked! At the end of the gig, Okeh Records signed him to a recording contract. Can you think of a time when, like Lil, you were glad you asked for forgiveness rather than permission? Often in my work. Sometimes clients have to see how something looks before they realize I was right to break the rules.

7) In 1932, the year this record was popular, the son of aviator Charles Lindbergh was kidnapped and killed. This famous case inspired Agatha Christie to write Murder on the Orient Express. Have you read the book? Seen the movie, the remake or the miniseries?  I've read the book and seen both movies. The 1974 version is better, much closer to the book.

 

 

 

I haven't seen the Britbox TV version, but I've heard good things about it.

 

8) Another aviator was in the news in 1932. Amelia Earhart flew 14 hours from Newfoundland to Londonderry. What is the longest flight you've ever taken? Chicago to Honolulu is over 9 hours. But worth it!

9) Random question: You have the opportunity to travel safely in a time machine. Would you go back to the past, into the future, or say, "no thanks, I'll stay in 2022?" I think I'll stay put. But thank you for offering.

 

Thursday Thirteen #243

 Thirteen Amazon top sellers. I feel I'm always waiting for a package from Amazon. So are millions of other Americans. Here's what we're buying, as indicated by the best-seller* in major categories.

1.  Beauty and Personal Care: Mighty Patch. These are the top-selling hydrocolloid pimple patches. I use/love patches and I get them from Amazon, but not this brand.

2. Shoes. Crocs Classic Clog. I feel vindicated. I still wear my old-school, original Crocs to do laundry, get the mail and take out the trash. Sometimes I sense judgement. I don't care. I'm my own girl.

3. Women's Clothing. Amazon Essentials Cotton Bikini Brief Underwear/Multipack. I'm a Hanes white cotton brief girl myself.

4. Men's Clothing. Carhartt Men's Knit Cuffed Beanie. Men don't worry so much about hat hair, do they?

5. Household Cleaning. Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. I like a good wipe. I have these in my kitchen and near the cats' litter boxes (but I didn't order through Amazon).

6. Home and Kitchen. AquaOasis Cool Mist Humidifier. It's that time of year! I've got humidifiers running in the bedroom overnight and the living room/dining room all day.

7. Appliances. Silonn Countertop Ice Maker. This one I don't get. It takes 7 minutes to make 9 ice cubes. OK. I guess if I were having a big party -- which I never will -- maybe I'd need a lot of ice cubes. But I'd also need my counter space. I'd just start the day before, making ice cubes the old-fashioned way in my ice cube trays and collect them.

8. Laptops. HP 15". It's cute and surprisingly affordable, but I'm a Mac girl.

9. Office Supplies. Amazon Basics File Folders/Assorted Colors. I never think of Amazon for office supplies. I just buy what I need at the drug store, and if it's not there I tool around on staples.com.

10. Cell Phones. Google Pixel 6/5G/Android. It looks like a lovely phone, but I'm not tech savvy enough to buy a phone from Amazon. I need my Consumer Cellular customer service!

11. Television. TCL 32" Roku Smart TV. I can't get over how affordable TVs are! This is (as I write) $168.

12. Video Games. $10 PlayStation Gift Card. Ha! So I'm not the only one who has no idea what to buy a gamer.

13. Pet Supplies. Earth Rated Dog Poop Bags. Makes sense, doesn't it?

 

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

*List is updated hourly.

 

Worse, not better

Twelve days ago, Kathy emailed me, letting me know she'd moved in December and had a new address. In and of itself, that's not unusual. Except that Kathy had told me before Thanksgiving that she was moving and gave me the address then. I'd sent her a card from Key West to her new home at Christmas. I asked her if she got the card. She couldn't remember.

Ten days ago, Kathy sent me pictures of her new apartment filled with boxes. She admitted she was "overwhelmed" by unpacking. She was going from a 2BR to a 1BR apartment. Deciding what to get rid of is upsetting her. She also doesn't understand how to get cable and wifi in her new place. I suggested she call on her adult grandchildren who live nearby. They grew up with tech. She said I was "brilliant" and was sending hugs my way.

Yesterday she sent me a text, letting me know that she'd moved in December. She said she had no wifi and can't communicate except through email and her phone. She told me she'd be sending me her new address "soon."

I began noticing Kathy's forgetfulness two years ago. She invited me to spend the day with her. We started by having breakfast together. Her treat, she said. Then we sat down, she requested separate checks. OK, she changed her mind. When the waitress brought the separate checks, she grabbed mine, rolled her eyes and said disapprovingly, "Why would she give us separate checks?"

After breakfast, we went back to her place. I gave her a birthday present, a canvas print of a picture of her camping with her grandkids. She was delighted and put it on her bookcase, admiring it a moment. Then she got up to get me something to drink. Coming back into the room, she saw the wrapping paper she'd left on the sofa and asked, "What's that from? Did you give me a present?"

I asked, more than once, if she'd spoken to a doctor about her forgetfulness. She got angry, and then angrier, at me. She doesn't trust doctors. They over prescribe, they demand unnecessary tests. She had a problem with her brain, but "it's better now." She healed herself. She warned me not to ever mention it to her again.

I am comforted by the fact that her adult grandchildren live nearby. They had keys to her old apartment and hope they have keys to the new one. They can check on her. 

Kathy is also self aware enough to have quit driving "with anyone else in the car." She says she's too easily distracted. I don't think she should drive at all. 

Her birthday is coming up. She will be 74 in the second week of February. 

I am frightened for her.

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? Heartburn by Nora Ephron. Rachel is in love and very happy. She never expected to be either. A successful cookbook writer and PBS cooking show personality, she's always been unlucky with men ... until she meets Mark, a Washington columnist. She leaves her beloved New York and settles into matrimonial bliss with Mark in DC. They buy a house. They have a baby. They vacation with good friends. Another baby is on the way. Life can't get any better.

It doesn't. Mark, an inveterate womanizer, reverts to type. Rachel finds out. Now what?

This is a very funny book because Nora Ephron was a very funny writer. It's also moving, because it's clearly based on what happened when the real-life Nora found her husband, Washington Post legend Carl Bernstein, cheating on her. It's a powerful laugh-through-your-tears combo you don't get often.

2. What did you recently finish reading? Slow Burn by Ace Atkins. Someone is setting fires in Boston. From one side of town to the other. No pattern in choice of target. Who is doing it, and why? A firefighter who lost his best friend in a blaze isn't patient enough to wait for arson to come to a conclusion that can be proved in court, so he asks our hero, Spenser, to investigate

This book has everything I love about the Spenser series: Spenser cracking wise, Spenser and Susan dining spectacularly, Pearl the Wonder Dog, Hawk just appearing as only Hawk can. Ace Atkins is doing right by the old gang created by Robert B. Parker, and I appreciate that.

It also had something new (to me, at least): arson. I didn't realize how hard arson crimes are to solve. As one member of the investigation team says, "All we have are ash and chemicals." Hair, fiber, fingerprints, DNA ... they all get destroyed in a fire. If robbery was a motive, a single item can't be isolated as missing because everything is gone.

The motive in this story was interesting, too. It's so crazy that we can see why Spenser didn't originally see it and how he got sidetracked. But it also makes a mad kind of sense.

3. What will you read next? I really enjoyed my foray back into Spenser's Boston. Maybe I'll scour Goodreads to see if there's another in the series I've somehow missed, or wish to revisit.

 

 

Sunday Stealing

STOLEN FROM THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY PENPALS

1. Would you rather be the guest or the host? Guest. I hate having people over.
 
2. What do you like to wear when you feel fancy? Layers. I feel if I'm wearing a jacket or cardigan over a t-shirt, I'm fancy.
 
3. How often do you try something completely new? Depends on the situation. I can be adventurous when ordering in restaurants. I am resistant to change when it comes to process at work.
 
4. Do you enjoy weddings? NO! Hate, loathe, despise, and abominate them. My art director is toying with moving in with her "boyfriend" (they're both near 60 years old, so "boyfriend" kinda creeps me out) and instead of being happy for her, I honestly thought, "I hope it doesn't work out so they don't get engaged and I don't have to go to the wedding." Why can't more people run away to Vegas?

Be like them

5. Have you ever had something customized? All the time. I love giving personalized gifts.
 
6. Do you cook spontaneously or meal plan? I kinda meal plan. For example, this coming week I think I'll be having salmon. Which means I took the salmon out of the freezer and moved it to the frig to defrost.
 
7. Books you like to read over and over. I'm on something of a Nora Ephron binge these days. I just reread (and rewatched) Heartburn, her roman-a-clef about the end of her marriage to Carl Bernstein.
 
8. What are you really good at? I'm good with critters. Cats, dogs and the occasional rabbit. Critters and me, we get along.
 
9. Do you sleep with windows open or a fan on? Right now, both. Which is funny, because it's 20º outside. But I live on the top floor, and heat rises through the floorboards so it can get hot in here. I wish air conditioning rose up through the floor like heat does. It would save me a fortune each summer. Alas, it does not.
       
10. What is the easiest recipe you know? Take keys. Add mask. Go to McDonald's.
 
11. Are you comfortable starting conversation with strangers? Depends on the situation. If it's work related, yes. If it's not, no.
 
12. Do you prefer quiet, or ambient noise when you relax? Ambient noise, please. I have tinnitus, so quiet makes me crazy.
 
13. Who is your most adventurous or exciting friend? Hmmm ... We're all pretty old, or staid, or broke these days.
 
14. What do you eat when you can’t decide what to eat? A bowl of cereal.
 
15. Do you have any funny pet stories? Here's Reynaldo's selfie. I think he showed great potential.

 

A most happy moment

I admit we're not this good looking

My nephew is now an apprentice writer for a baseball website. He will be a full-time staffer after he graduates from college this spring. When he told me about the job, he thanked me for being the one who introduced him to baseball. It was a big moment for me. 

I just found one of his first articles on line. It's about US. Him and me. OK, not really. The article entertained ways MLB could grow their fanbase among a new generation of fans, and my nephew's suggestion is that the league get more involved in intramural sports. He used himself as an example, recalling how, when he was 7, his aunt explained baseball stats to him and showed him how to follow the Cubs in the Sunday paper. Then this aunt took him to his first game was he was 10. Alas, there was no place for him to indulge his enthusiasm for the sport, since his community kept promoting soccer.* Perhaps if MLB threw more money and attention to children, it would reap great rewards in terms of interest, TV ratings, and ticket sales.

I am awesomely pleased. I am reminded of how, in 1964, my favorite uncle introduced 6-year-old me to the Beatles and gave me the soundtrack to my life. I feel like I have paid that forward. I also often wonder how, as a single and childless woman, my life has mattered. I realize I had a lasting impact without really intending to.

Two sentences out of a 300 word article. It's not a lot, but it's everything.

*Auntie's note: He wasn't really very good at it. Could it be he, like me, is not a natural athlete? Or maybe he just truly didn't care for the sport.

Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: I'm the Only One (1993)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Melissa Etheridge sings this song as though her heart is breaking. What's your favorite love song? Is it about falling in love, being in love, or losing love? Being in love. It always makes me smile. It's simple and sweet and lovely.

2) "I'm the Only One" is a favorite song of American Idol contestants, having been performed four different times. If we were to have a Saturday 9 karaoke night, what song would you do? Joan Jett's "I Love Rock and Roll," because there's very little singing involved. I'm tone deaf.

3) A rocker at heart, Melissa Etheridge began her career in her teen years, playing with local country groups. Which do you enjoy more: country or rock? I once would have said "rock," without hesitation. Now it depends on my mood.

4) In 1985, Melissa sent a demo to Olivia Records, hoping for a record deal. She was rejected. Her debut CD was released in 1988 on the Island label and went gold. Tell us about a time you bounced back from professional adversity. I've had some genuinely horrible bosses. The worst was Patricia (don't call her Patty!). She preferred pink; she even had pink paperclips. She was also batshit crazy. I thought we bumped heads because she was uber political and more about self-aggrandizement than the work. She thought it was because we were adversaries in a past life, and if we didn't work it out now we'd continue clashing for eternity.

5) In her personal life, Melissa has faced major challenges, including breast cancer and the death of her son. She credits music with helping her heal emotionally. What gives you strength? My faith and my sense of humor.

6) Melissa is a vegetarian, so her diet emphasizes plant-based foods like fruits, grains, nuts and vegetables. What was your most recent meal? Would it qualify as vegetarian? Shredded chicken with barbecue sauce, with a side of corn, and an ice cream sandwich for dessert.

7) In 1993, the year this song was popular, a massive storm dropped a record 56" of snow in Mount Le Conte, TN. Have you done much shoveling this winter? We haven't had any accumulation yet this year (which is weird, since it's mid-January). But even if we did, I wouldn't shovel it. The condo association pays a service.

8) One of the most popular movies of 1993 was A Few Good Men, starring Tom Cruise, Demi Moore and Jack Nicholson, who famously said, "You can't handle the truth!" What's the most recent movie you watched? Everything Is Copy, a documentary about writer/director Nora Ephron (Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail) by her son, Jacob Bernstein. I enjoyed it not only because Nora Ephron is a heroine of mine, but because it made me wonder what I would have learned about my mother if I'd taken the opportunity to sit down with her friends and relatives and ask about her life.

9) Random question: Dessert is on us! Describe your perfect ice cream sundae. Mint chocolate chip ice cream, hot fudge, nuts, whipped cream and a cherry. (Cherry is optional. I'm not crazy about the taste, but I like the visual.)

 

But I thought things would get easier

Today we had a financial planner talk to us about Social Security. It was excruciating. Oh, Social Security is a wonderful benefit that I intend to take full advantage of, and it's commendable that my company invited the planner to address us, free of charge. But he was a terrible presenter. He would explain all these fantastic things about Social Security and I was eager to write it all down, but then he said, "You have to be born before 1954 to take advantage of that." 

A citizen born in 1953 would be 69 years old. I promise you: there are no 69 year olds working at our agency.

Anyway, I did learn something valuable. I'm glad I have the information, even if I'm not crazy about the ramifications. As the law stands now,* if my income in retirement is more than $25,000, I will need to pay at least some tax. However, I won't be required to pay taxes on the entire amount of my Social Security check. Right now,* there's a cap so no more than 85% of my SS payment is taxable.

Do I understand this? Kinda sorta. But here was my key takeaway ...

Retirement will not be easy. I hoped when I stopped earning money, the paperwork surrounding money would be reduced. That's simply not true. I will forever be wondering if I have the right Medicare supplement plan. I will forever be handing documents over to an accountant to do my taxes and keep me out of prison.

Oh well, as Maurice Chevalier once said, "Growing old isn't so bad when you consider the alternative."

*And these laws could change and change again before I start collecting.

Thursday Thirteen #242

The Thirteen Most Popular Cat Names of 2021. I live in a two-cat household and spend a lot of time at the vet. I've noticed in recent years that more and more people are giving their pets more "human" names, veering away from "Fluffy" and "Mittens." I see my observation is not unique to my neighborhood. Here are last year's most popular feline monikers.

1. Luna

2. Milo

3. Oliver

4. Leo

5. Loki

6. Bella

7. Charlie

8. Willow

9. Simba

10. Lucy

11. Lily

12. Nala

13. Kitty (the outlier)

None of my cats has gone by those names. Over my lifetime, I've shared my home with Tommy, Little Tommy, Snoozer, Trouble, Annie, Wilma, Tara, Allison, Billy, Joey, Charlotte, Reynaldo, and currently Connie and Roy Hobbs. (My mom named Snoozer and Trouble.)

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

This is the aggregate of two lists I found online.

  

 

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? Slow Burn by Ace Atkins. A boarded-up Catholic church burned to the ground and three Boston firefighters were killed. Arson was suspected, but the official results are inconclusive. A firefighter who lost his best friend in the blaze refused to accept "inconclusive" and asked Spenser to investigate. Who could have done this? And why? There are motives aplenty: religion, finances, revenge, or pyromania.

I try to read every book including Spenser and gang as created by the later Robert B. Parker. but somehow I missed this one, published back in 2016. I love being in Spenser's head. He's the perfect combination of integrity and attitude. I can't recall ever before reading a murder mystery where fire was the weapon, so I'm engaged.

2. What did you recently finish reading? 150 Glimpses of The Beatles by Craig Brown. An original, often amusing, but not completely successful look at The Lads. Their story is told in a series of 150 short stories/anecdotes/reminisces. Some are illuminating, some are great fun, and some are just dull. It's more than 500 pages, so I guess it can be forgiven for dragging a bit. I'm just a little disappointed because I enjoyed Brown's previous book, Ma'am Darling (about Princess Margaret) so much more.

I gave it points for style and ambition. I took away points for execution. If you're a fan, like me, you'll get a kick out of it. If not, you may be bored or bedfuddled.

3. What will you read next? I'm looking at my TBR list and I see a pair of former spouses. I've got a biography of Nora Ephron and the new memoir by her ex, Carl Bernstein. Maybe I'll go with one of those.