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? Dirty Blonde by Lisa Scottoline. Cate Fante has been on a fast track for years, culminating in a judgeship. But she has a secret: she's irresistibly drawn to the wild side. Her behavior is not appropriate for a member of the judiciary, it causes her stress, but she's helpless to stop herself. When she's assigned a high-profile showbiz case, the tension escalates because of the press coverage. What if one of the bad boys she likes to bed recognizes her from the TV that's always on in the dive bars she frequents? She could lose everything she's worked so hard for.

This is an interesting premise, one I haven't seen before, and Scottoline is a good story teller. I just hope I come to like Cate a bit more than I do right now. Genuinely caring about the heroine would make this more compelling.

BTW, this is the second book in row (see below) that involves living a double life. I came upon this completely by accident because it's a Scottoline I hadn't yet read, so it's just a coincidence.

2. What did you just finish reading? All that Heaven Allows: A Biography of Rock Hudson by Mark Griffin. I recall Rock Hudson as being old when he died in 1985. He was 59, younger than I am now. But he was ravaged by illness and looked much older than his years when he became the first public face of AIDS.

His life was short and ended early, but that doesn't mean this book is depressing. Author Mark Griffin takes us along as Rock escapes his unhappy home life first with classmates, then the Navy, then Hollywood. He worked hard, paid his dues, and slowly but surely became the biggest movie star in the world. He deserved the success. Moviegoers loved him, his coworkers enjoyed him, he shared a great deal of laughter with many good friends ... and he expended a great deal of energy hiding his homosexuality. He was always afraid of blackmail and exposure.

He was born Roy Scherer and the public knew him as Rock Hudson. But people in his personal life called him "Roy" and "Rock" interchangeably. Once Marilyn Monroe hit the big screen, she stopped being called Norma Jean. No one ever called Judy Garland "Frances" or referred to Cary Grant as "Archie." And yet Rock Hudson never completely quit being Roy Scherer. I found this to be the most obvious example of his double life, and it made me sad that he had to live in secret.

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

Eh, what does she know?

To anyone who still believes The Big Lie, know that Ivanka Trump does not.

Is Trump's favorite daughter, who was one of his closest advisors, suddenly now a puppet of "the lamestream media?" Or does she know her father better than you ever will? I believe the latter, while you believe the former.

You insist there was election fraud? Bless your heart.

The hearings continue tomorrow. If you still believe Trump was robbed, or that January 6 was overblown or that the he wasn't complicit, please watch. Make up your own mind after you hear the facts. That's what Ivanka did.

WWG1WGA

 Damn! I missed him yesterday! What did he say?

QAnon supporters also gathered in Dallas, waiting to hear from JFK, Jr. Who has been dead for decades.

Oh, well. At least they're happy. Bless their hearts. 

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing. 

This week, our chief thief Bev stole from Unconscious Mutterings. Here's the UM archive, if you'd like to try more word associations.

I say ... and you think ... ?

    Hurry! :: You can't hurry love, no, you just have to wait ...
    Dumb :: and Dumber
    Fudge :: Hot fudge sundae
    Sturdy :: Hardware
    Printing :: Xerox machine
    Itch :: Scratch
    Creaks :: Door
    Paste :: Cut and ...
    Waste of time :: Status meetings
    Let down :: Depressed
    Cancellation :: TV Show
    Suspect :: Person of Interest
    Fireplace :: Creosote sweeping log
    Spring :: Baseball!
    Commute :: Train
    Places :: Persons, Places, Things
    Fraud :: Deception
    Adoption :: Best way to get a cat or dog
    Election :: Day
    Moving day :: Van

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Let Me Love You Tonight (1980)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here. Watch this video for Vince Gill's lashes. I have serious lash envy now.

 

1) Pure Prairie League was a country rock band signed by Casablanca Records in 1980. The label, known for disco hits, wanted to expand their client roster in case disco died. (Which it did, and Casablanca ultimately went bankrupt.) Disco can be a polarizing topic among music fans. Do you love it or loathe it? I dislike it less than I used to. Now when I hear it, I don't think so much of the music as I do the memories; what was I up to when the song was popular.

2) In this song, lead singer Vince Gill encourages his girl to hold him tight. Who did you most recently hug? Somebody called my name as I was leaving work Thursday. It was a coworker I hadn't seen or spoken to in quite some time. I was so happy to see her because she always sees the best in me. Our hug reminded me why there is value to getting together in the office, even though I've gotten very comfortable working from home.

 

3) Vince Gill left The Pure Prairie League in 1982 and went on to be a solo success. Tell us about a job you were glad you left. It's the job where I did my best work, writing for a major haircare company, crafting the copy that appeared on the tubes and bottles. I really loved doing product packaging and won a Clio there. But I had a really wacky boss, and the toxicity of our relationship wore me out. By the time I gave notice, I was ready to go. And I met a really great guy at my next job and we had a lovely affair, so these things work out for the best.

4) He says his favorite song is the country classic, "He Stopped Loving Her Today." Do you often listen to country? No. Sometimes I reach for Garth Brooks, though. I'm a fan. I love this one.

 

5) Vince joined The Eagles on tour after the 2016 death of Glenn Frey, taking over Frey's guitar solos. Do you have a favorite Eagles song?

 
6) Vince met future wife, singer Amy Grant, when she performed on his Christmas TV special. Have you ever had a workplace romance? Yes. I don't recommend them. They don't end well. On the other hand, when you're working long weeks with lots of overtime, it's just naturally going to happen.

 
7) In 1980, when this song was popular, The Love Boat was a hit. Have you ever taken a cruise? If yes, where did you go? I've never been on a cruise. I'm alternately attracted to it (it seems like such an EASY vacation) and scared (What if I hate it? I can't jump off the ship, can I? And what about covid?).

 

8) 1980 also gave us the Post-It Note. What did you most recently write on a Post-It? An address.

9) Random question: You find yourself one of three strangers trapped in an elevator. Would you rather the other two people be a man and a woman, two men, or two women? I don't know that gender matters in this situation, unless I'm thinking of turning it into a softcore porn episode in my memoir.

 

 

The Cubs are playing the Yankees this weekend

Heard through my front door every time Anthony Rizzo appears on my TV screen.

Thursday Thirteen #261

Thirteen facts about Queen Elizabeth. The world's eyes were upon her last week for her jubilee, so I'm a little late with this toast to Her Royal Highness

1. She was christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor.

2. Born at 2:40 AM on April 21, she's a Taurus.

3. Actor Tony Danza was also born on April 21. I don't think there's any question who's the boss here.

4. She has been served by 14 Prime Ministers.

4. She has never had a driver's license. Which is not to say she's never driven. She has. She just legally doesn't need a driver's license.

5. She's an early adapter, having sent out her first email in 1976 as part of a demonstration of how the technology works.

6. In 2019, she published her first Instagram post. It was a salute to mathematician Charles Babbage. (What? You were expecting a photo of bangers and mash with #Yummy?)

7. When she watches soccer she cheers for Arsenal.

8. She became a homeowner at age 6, when the people of Wales gifted her with a cottage.

9. Today she can be considered the landlady of 30 palaces and estates.

10. She has 4 children, 8 grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren.

11. She received an elephant as a gift from the President of Rangoon. He was named Jumbo III and lived out his life at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire.

12. She can make it rain if she wants. A tribe from Canada presented her with a totem pole believed to bring thunder.

13. Her favorite cocktail is gin and Dubonnet. 

Here's to ya, Lillibet!

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? All that Heaven Allows: A Biography of Rock Hudson by Mark Griffin. An exceptionally good looking boy with a wretched family life fantasizes about escape and acclaim. His success becomes equal parts dream-come-true and nightmare. It's an old story, kinda cliche, and in the case of Rock Hudson, all true.

From Illinois, to Hollywood, this story follows Roy Fitzgerald as he becomes Rock Hudson, twice the biggest money-making movie star of the 1950s. And then as he becomes the face of AIDS in the 1980s. For an inherently shy man who treasured his privacy and so carefully guarded his sexuality, it was an especially cruel ending.

I didn't plan for this to be the first book I began in Pride Month, but it's fitting that it is. On these pages, Rock is a sympathetic character. Shy, determined and perpetually exploited. In addition to drama lessons, voice lessons, etc., he was expected to put across for gay producers and press agents. On the one hand, this "casting couch" behavior was completely accepted by the major studios, on the other hand, everyone is ready to expose and ruin the victims, not the predators. It's compelling, very sad, and reminds me of the tales I've read about Marilyn Monroe's career trajectory. Sexual exploitation is not about pleasure, it's about power.

This book is long (500+ pages) and frank but not salacious. It's fascinating.

2. What did you just finish reading? Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt. A serial killer is preying on women around Passaic. Attorney Andy Carpenter is asked to represent the suspect by his long-time pal Vince Sanders. Vince is the owner of the local newspaper and the suspect is Vince's star reporter. Andy is hesitant because the district attorney himself is going to try the case. The DA wouldn't take such a high-profile case if there was any chance at all he could lose.  

Andy takes the case anyway and it takes him from Jersey to Cleveland and back again. There are whistle blowers and prostitutes and mob kingpins involved. Is it possible that powerful forces are involved in a conspiracy to set up the reporter?

I recommend this book because of the character of Andy Carpenter. He's an unlikely but likeable hero. He smart but not supernaturally brilliant. He's brave, but neither strong nor a crack shot. He's just a lawyer who loves his dog, loves his girl, and wants to return home from court believing justice has been done.

3. What will you read next? Dirty Blonde, a legal thriller by Lisa Scottoline.

 

 

Sunday Salon

"There is no such thing as coincidence." That's Rule #39 as decreed by Leroy Jethro Gibbs (the dreamy Mark Harmon), for many seasons the leader of the special agents on NCIS.

I don't care what Gibbs says, I've found coincidences in my reading lately. First of all, I kicked off Pride Month with a biography of Rock Hudson, the actor who became the first public face of AIDS. It wasn't by design. I'd forgotten June was Pride Month. I've wanted to read this bio since I saw two of Rock Hudson's best films at the TCM Classic Film Festival in April, and I just now got to it. Still, when I finished it, I was sad that he lived his life so deep in the closet. He seemed like a nice, hardworking, gentle man. I wish he hadn't had to live with the fear of exposure.

Then I picked up Dirty Blonde by Lisa Scottoline. I chose it because my library app (Hoopla) recommended it. I find Scottoline books diverting so I clicked on it. Guess what: it's about a judge who has a secret and is terrified of exposure.

I don't know what I'll read next, but I hope it's light and frothy. After all this intrigue and suspense, I'd like to spend time with people whose secrets are, to borrow from the movie Cabaret, as "fatale as an after dinner mint."

What about you? Do you find patterns to your reading/viewing? Do you plan it that way, or does it just happen?

Check out other Sunday Salon participants here.

Sunday Stealing

STOLEN FROM FACEBOOK

1. The best story your parents or grandparents tell about the good ole days. When my mom was a little girl during WWII, she spent a few late summer weeks each year with her grandparents. They didn't live on a farm, but it was during rationing so they kept chickens and traded the eggs with their neighbors. Anyway, this was her favorite end-of-summer tradition: she would choose the buttons, rickrack and bows that her grandmother would use to make her a new back-to-school dress ... out of a chicken feed bag! It sounds sad, but the way my mom told it, you could tell the memory delighted her. The decorations were sold by a door-to-door "notions" salesman, and when my mom saw him come up the walk with his case, she thought life couldn't get any better.

 

2. The best things in life are... (In alphabetical order) Baseball, the Beatles, books, and cats.

 

3, Things that drive me batty. People who excuse thoughtless, hurtful or rude behavior by using words/phrases like "truth bomb" and "keeping it real." They aren't honest and authentic, they're just selfish and self-involved. 

 

4. A place I'd like to live and why. The Palmolive Building, right here in Chicago. It's a historic old building (that rotating light at the top was added to help Lucky Lindy find his way!) and it provides awesome views of The Lake and Michigan Avenue. And it used to be Playboy's national headquarters. I think Hugh Hefner was a dreadful, dangerous man, so the idea of an old-school, unreconstructed feminist like me putting her feet up there is appealing.

The shortish bldg w/the bright beam, left center, behind the Drake, is my dream home

5. The best thing I've ever found. I don't know if this counts as "found," but the ATM at the local convenience store gave me two 20s instead of one, and no receipt. I asked the kid who worked there what to do -- expecting him to give me a phone number to call or something -- and he pretty much told me to go away. No one had ever asked him anything like this before and it genuinely annoyed him to be confronted by a new problem. The bank never deducted any money from my account, so I got $40 free. I was perpetually broke in those days, so I mightily appreciated the good fortune.

 

6. The best thing that happened recently is. Saturday my nephew and I exchanged texts about baseball and made plans to go to Wrigley Field together later in the summer. It occurs to me that, over the years, I've discussed the Cubs with my grandparents, my dad, my uncle, and now my nephew. The Cubs are the thread that connects us. This brings me joy.

 

7. I admire people who... give. Here's a picture of my favorite-most ballplayer, Anthony Rizzo. He was back in Chicago when his new team, The Yankees, played the White Sox. Before the game, he invited pediatric cancer patients onto the field during batting practice. He met these kids when he was a Cub and donated his time to Chicago's Lurie Children's Hospital and made good on his promise to treat them like VIPs at the ballpark.

 

 

BTW, Saturday he hit another home run. His 13th of the season. It cost me another $5, but I couldn't be happier. Through the Anthony Rizzo Home Run Challenge, every homer he hits raises funds to support pediatric cancer patients and their families.

 

Here he is back in April at Joe DiMaggio's Children's Hospital in Florida, when it was announced he was going to foot the bill for refurbishing the family lounge and play areas.

 

You know how people bitch and moan that today's athletes aren't role models? Here's a "truth bomb" for them: Anthony Rizzo probably does more good for kids every day than they do all year.

8. What makes me special.  Aw, hell. I'm just an all-around great gal.

9. I am looking forward to... special times with those I love. Soon John and I will celebrate his birthday. My oldest friend is coming to Chicago in August. I'm going to the ballpark with my nephew in September. And I believe with all my heart that I will have once again enjoy a nice, long phone conversation with my friend Henry when he is feeling better.

10. Things that scare me. Clowns, squirrels, and losing Henry forever.

11. Complaints I have. The same people who insist that wearing a mask to school is detrimental to a child's emotional well-being will say, with a straight face, that arming teachers and putting students through live shooter drills is somehow acceptable. "Consistency, thou art a jewel."

12. I could never live without... caffeine.

 

13. Things that make me laugh. Lots of things. But I shall share this with you. Ah, Lydia! When her muscles start relaxing, up the hill comes Andrew Jackson. (PS If you can your eyes off Groucho, watch Harpo. He seems to be having the best time.)

 

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Cinderella Rockefella (1968)

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

1) This record and video were inspired by popular tunes of the 1920s. Looking over your lifetime, which decade produced more of your favorite songs? Being a Beatle girl, I'd have to say the 1960s.

 

2) "Cinderella Rockefella" topped the charts in England, yet barely broke into the Billboard Hot 100 here in the States. Still, the number was known to American audiences, performed as a duet on variety shows like The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (Tommy and Kate Smith), This Is Tom Jones (Cher and Tom) and The Dean Martin Show (Nancy Ames and Dean). Do you remember watching musical-comedy programs? Did you have a favorite? When I was a little girl, Andy Williams was my favorite. He wore sweaters, had blue eyes and was nice to everyone. I did NOT like Dean Martin. He smoked all the time, always wore a tie, and seemed creepy with the women. BTW, Andy can still make me sigh. "Soon I'll kiss you hello at our front door ..." Aw. I'm such a sap.

3) It was written by Mason Williams, a prolific composer and comedy writer, as well as a talented guitarist. He is best known for "Classical Gas," his 1968 instrumental. Do you enjoy instrumentals? Or does a piece of music need lyrics to become one of your favorites? All my favorite songs are songs. I like singing along.

 

4) This week's featured artists, Esther & Abi Ofarim, were considered the Sonny & Cher of Europe. A married couple, they had hits in the 1960s in both the UK and Germany and were depicted in magazines as the perfect young husband and wife. Fans were disappointed when, in 1969, they quit performing together and divorced in 1970 after 12 years of marriage. Can you think of a couple you knew in real life whose split shocked you? Or can you usually see it coming? I remember that back in my party girl days, our crowd included Holly and Mark. She was blonde, hale and hearty. He was slender, dark and soooo angry all the time. I was less surprised that they broke up than they were together at all. Unfortunately, after they split, we kept him and lost her. I ended up working with her a decade later and am happy to report that she married a man who treated her like a goddess. (Which she deserved. A genuinely sweet woman.)

5) Comparisons to Sonny & Cher are apt because, as with the Bonos, the wife's show business career fared better than the husband's, post-divorce. Esther's BBC specials were "appointment TV" in the UK during the 1970s. Today, with the advent of streaming and DVRs, viewers don't have to make sure they're in front of the screen when their favorite show airs. Tell us about the last show you watched. Was it live, streamed, on DVR or DVD/Blueray? Never Say Goodbye, a 50's tearjerker I found on YouTube. It's kind of dopey, but all the pretty people looked so pretty in Technicolor.

 

6) She had a solo hit with Esther in Kinderland, a collection of children's songs. Can you recall the lyrics of a favorite song from childhood?  Where did you learn it (home, church, Scouts ...)? Here's a round we sang in Girl Scouts: "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold. A circle's round and has no end. That's how long I'll be your friend."

 
7) Abi continued performing after the split, but more often worked behind the scenes as a record producer and music publisher. Would you say you have a good head for business? Depends on how you define "business." I have become a savvy marketer. I am forever hopeless with finances.

8) After they finished school, both Abi and Esther served in the Israeli Army, and Abi saw combat. Have you served in our military? Did you ever consider enlisting? I appreciate everyone who does this, but no, I have never even been tempted to join the military. I have a little problem with authority and a big problem with my tongue. I think I would have spent  four years doing push ups.

9) Random question: How many keys are on your key ring, and do you know what each one is for? Four: Front/back door, my own apartment's deadbolt and cylinder locks, mailbox. 

 

 

Thursday Thirteen #260

Thirteen things about the world Jackie left. At the stationery store I was surprised to see wrapping paper decorated with portraits of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. She's been dead 28 years, and she still sells.

Here's a glimpse back at what the world was like back in May 1994, when she died.

1. Texas Monthly wondered if that "brash, cocky son of a Bush," George W., had what it took to win the governor's mansion.

2. There were retrospectives of Richard Nixon, who died just weeks earlier. Jackie was invited to his funeral service but was unable to attend because of illness.

3. 24 million of us had cellphones in the US. (By contrast, in 2021 the number was 294 million.)

4. There were more than 2.5 million pay phones across the country. Today, there are 500,000, down 80%.

5. In an average week, 62,294,000 of us read a Sunday newspaper. Today that number has shrunk nearly 60% to 25,785,000.

6. Kmart had 2,485 stores in 1994. (Not that I believe Jackie ever picked up a blue light special.) Today there are 9.

7. The May Cosmopolitan introduced the phrase, "Social Insecurity." I think today it's called "imposter syndrome."

8. Bill and Camille Cosby invited Ebony to photograph their 30th wedding anniversary celebration.

9. Jodie Foster promoted her sexy onscreen romance with Mel Gibson in Maverick with a glamorous photoshoot for Vanity Fair.

10. The Flintstones, starring John Goodman and Rosie O'Donnell, was #1 at the box office.

11. Instead of Colbert, Fallon and Kimmel, you could watch Letterman, Leno or Nightline.

12. Seinfeld and ER were tied as for #1 in the Nielsen ratings. Streaming wasn't yet a thing. Cable was almost all documentaries and movies and considered a threat to movie theaters, not network TV.

13. We were all singing along with Ace of Base ("I saw the sign when I looked into your eyes I saw the sign")

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? Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt. A serial killer is preying on women around Passaic. The killer has chosen to "communicate" through a crime reporter, giving messages exclusively to one specific journalist. This is a double-edged sword. The struggling newspaper  the reporter works for has enjoyed a sudden spike in sales, but the paper has legal exposure. So Andy Carpenter to protect is hired to protect the paper's interest, and he finds himself embroiled in the case.

Andy is a defense attorney and a newly-minted millionaire. He's also a smart ass, a dog lover and a rabid sports fan, which means I kind of have a crush on him. I am enjoying this book, as I did the other two in the series.

2. What did you just finish reading? First Ladies: The Ever-Changing Role from Martha Washington to Melania Trump by Betty Boyd Caroli. Every First Lady (and a few White House hostesses) gets a thumbnail sketch. The book is 500 pages long, which makes it author Betty Boyd Caroli's challenge to represent each woman fairly while still holding the reader's interest. I appreciate how difficult that must be. However I have gripes with how the First Ladies I'm most familiar with -- Mary Lincoln and Jacqueline Kennedy -- were handled. Without the context of the tragedies they faced (both buried a child while living in the White House), their behavior could be judged in too harsh a light.

Still, Ms. Caroli is a good storyteller and this book is entertaining. I learned a great deal. Ida McKinley turned out to be more interesting than I ever knew, and I wish someone would give Pat Nixon the objective, comprehensive biography she deserves.

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

 

 

Memorial Day and every day

 

Normally baseball makes me happy

I had games in my headphones all day. First Yankees/Rays, then Cubs/White Sox. Three of those teams look really good on paper. (Don't make me be disloyal and admit which one doesn't.) Yet both of these games were sloppy and weird as shit. 

It isn't just that both teams I cheer for lost. It's the hit by pitches, the player interference calls, the strike outs with players left on base ... the hot mess of it all.

Two games 1200 miles apart. It can't be the weather or something in the air. Maybe it's the baseball gods. They were hungry and demanded sacrifice.

I can see by Anthony Rizzo's reaction to striking out that I am not alone in my frustration.

Sometimes I do good

One of her first photos here

When I adopted Constance MacKenzie 8 years ago, she was not in good shape. Her gums were bloody, her breath was terrible and her eyes were so light sensitive she had trouble keeping them open. She had been living with a well-meaning hoarder who loved cats but couldn't give them adequate care. 

It took us a while, but she's healthy now. First we went though medication. Then we added Lysine to each of her meals. She's on a special diet and now gets regular doses of pumpkin to help with constipation. 

Bright eyes!

While I can take credit for staying the course in terms of her care, Connie brought her lovely spirit with her. In 8 years, I have never seen her display temper.* She is affectionate with me but, even better, she is a cat's cat. She slept curled up beside my big old tub of guts, Joey. She engaged Reynaldo in daily play. These days, she grooms Roy Hobbs and makes sure his white stays white.

She has enriched my life enormously and I'm proud I have been able to give her the care she deserves. Adopt, don't shop. And if there's a special needs dog or cat at the shelter that touches your heart, don't shy away. You can do it.

*Although she does mightily resist nail clipping, it's with squirming, never kicking or biting or hissing.

Happy Birthday to My Favorite C Student

I posted this last year, and I'm posting it again because it makes me smile.

In honor of his May 29 birthday, I give you John F. Kennedy's 7th grade report card.

Known as "a prankster" (aka "smart ass"), he could be disruptive in class. Throughout his academic career, teachers commented that he was "charming" and "clever," but none of his report cards was cause for celebration. He was, at best, an undistinguished student until he got to Harvard, where he graduated cum laude. Actually his college grades weren't so hot, either. His senior thesis, however, was outstanding, received a magna, and that high honor put him over.

As a solid C student myself, I love this very, very much. Some of us turn out OK. 

Sunday Salon

I'm a little in love.  His name is Andy Carpenter. He's a defense attorney in New Jersey. He's got money, millions he just recently inherited, and that gives him the freedom to only take cases he believes in. He's also got baggage: an ex-wife. He has a smart mouth and a rebellious streak that gets him in trouble at times but endears him to me. Best of all, he's into rescuing and re-homing shelter dogs and can't go very long without mentioning his golden retriever, Tara.

Andy is the creation of David Rosenfelt, the centerpiece of a series of legal thrillers. I just started Book #3 in a series of 26 and counting. I enjoy them as much for Andy as I do for the courtroom drama. 

Before Andy there was Archie Goodwin. I had a mad crush on him. I know what Archie did for a living, but I'm not sure what to call his occupation. He worked for genius detective Nero Wolfe as ... appointment secretary, bookkeeper, and private investigator. He was as smart as he was versatile. Next to his photographic memory, his greatest gift was annoying people in positions of power. I loved how he genuinely loved women and could find something attractive in just about every female he met -- her shapely ankle or turned up nose or maybe a note he hears in her voice or an intelligence in her eyes. I wondered how he would describe me. 

Rex Stout gave me Archie. Robert Goldsborough took over the Nero Wolfe series in the 1980s and for the most part has maintained Archie's integrity and attitude.

Both Andy and Archie love baseball. I love baseball. Sigh.

What about you? Are there any characters from a continuing series that you especially enjoy spending time with?

Check out other Sunday Salon participants here.

Sunday Stealing

LOVE ME SOME SURVEYS

1. Who was the last attractive person you saw? 

Older but still handsome as all get out.

2. Do you have a tattoo? If not, are you going to get one? No and no.

3. Have you smoked a cigarette in the last 24 hours? I have never smoked anything.

4. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance? Yes.

5. What is your favorite number? 7

6. What time did you go to sleep last night? I truly don't recall. Sometime between 10:00 and midnight.

7. Are you one of those people that always answer their phones? Unless I know it's spam.

8. If you died today would your life be complete? Well, yeah. Because it would be over. I'm sorry, but I'm not philosophical about these things.

9. If you are being extremely quiet, what does that mean? I'm asleep or dead. 

I am she and she is me.

10. Do you know what high school your dad went to? Yes. He recalled their most popular school cheer was: LTHS! Ooo ah! We're the best!

11. Last time you had butterflies in your stomach? Flying home from Los Angeles. Air travel always upsets me.

12. Where is your cell phone? Charging on the kitchen counter.

13.  What is the nearest purple thing to you? The cover of a notepad that's right over there.

14. When did you last step outside? What were you doing? I went out for a slice of pizza. It's such a beautiful day. I didn't want to go back indoors.

15. What is the last thing you watched on TV? The Cubs game. We won!

 

 

Still feeling hopeful

My dear friend Henry remains at a medical center that specializes in "behavioral health." Aka the looney bin. His 72-hour, legally-mandated stay began at 9:45 Wednesday night. So under normal circumstances, he should be released tonight. But he won't be. Between the weekend and the Memorial Day holiday, he will likely remain a patient until Tuesday morning. 

Thinking of him there, frightened and confused and angry, was breaking my heart. But his husband, Reg, reports that while Henry is lonely and like ET, tries to phone home constantly, he is comfortable and NOT insisting on being released. While it would be a stretch to say Henry likes being in this medical facility, he is not trying to escape, as he has when hospitalized in the past (first after his accident, then after a series of seizures caused by his TBI). This is not what Reg was expecting. A compliant Henry who is not fighting the doctors scares Reg. Not me. What Reg sees as Henry drifting away from us, I see as Henry cooperating with his own care. 

I have spent many therapy sessions talking about Henry with my own shrink. Usually in the context of how I'm handling all this. I love Henry very much and I feel helpless. Anyway, she supports my optimism. Henry's mental fog is definitely caused by the TBI, but it's been exacerbated by lifestyle choices that have left him depleted physically and emotionally. Since April 2021, when he lost his job at the library, Henry has indulged in too much alcohol and his days have not had enough structure. He hasn't received regular MRIs (or any MRIs) and his medications have not been calibrated for his changing condition. He's dehydrated. He's weak. He may have a UTI. 

I also suspect that his hearing and vision aren't what they could be. After all, he's 59 and these things begin to fade. Since he doesn't drive, he hasn't had his eyes or ears checked in years. I wonder if his sense of isolation and frustration isn't made worse by not only having a TBI but also compromised sight and hearing. 

So now he's spending almost a week in the hospital, getting the care I believe he should have been getting all along. He will be dried out and monitored. He'll have an MRI and his treatment will be adapted. 

I'm not stupid. I know this might break the other way. I also understand that even if Henry gets a positive prognosis, he's looking at an intensive outpatient program and then months, maybe years, of therapy.

That's OK. I'm buckled in. I'm staying with Henry as long as this takes. Whatever this takes.

 

Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: America, the Beautiful (1987)

Unfamiliar with Barbra Streisand's recording of this tune? Hear it here.



Memorial Day is the federal holiday designated to honor American service people who died in battle. 



1) Memorial Day was introduced after the Civil War. War memorials, as well as graves of veterans, are to be decorated with flags and flowers this weekend in a show appreciation. Is there a war memorial in your neighborhood? Here's one from Chicago's River Walk that often gets overlooked by tourists on their way to an outdoor cafe or kayak rental. Behind the fountain are the names of the 3,000 Illinois kids who died in Vietnam. It's enough to break your heart, isn't it?

Chicago Remembers Those We Lost in Vietnam

2) Here at Saturday 9, we regard everyone who served -- veterans and active military -- as heroes. Have you, or has anyone in your family, worn the uniform of our armed forces? We want to hear about them. 

•  My dad was a Navy corpsman during the Korean conflict. He learned how to apply and then carefully remove butterfly stitches. I was always proud when he saved one of the neighborhood kids a trip to the ER after a playground scrape. 

•  My favorite uncle was an Army PFC in Vietnam. While he was over there, he donated his time to an orphanage in Saigon. Oh yeah, and he was exposed to Agent Orange and rewarded with myriad health problems, resulting in his early death at age 69. The Veterans Administration was a dismal disappointment. George W. Bush was President while my uncle was getting the runaround, so don't tell me that because a politician has an R after his name he supports the troops. I know better. My uncle has been gone 12 years now, and I'm still angry.

3) Memorial Day is the traditional kick off of the summer season. Have you packed away your winter clothes yet? I will this weekend. Honest.

4) What's your favorite picnic food? Potato salad.

5) As you answer these questions, is there a fan or an air conditioner cooling your room? At this very moment, no. But I've seen the weather report and am confident I will go from fan to a/c by Monday.

6) Lyricist Katharine L. Bates said she was inspired to write "America, the Beautiful" after a trip to Pike's Peak. What's the most beautiful spot in America that you have ever visited? It's hard to pick one. As a nation, we're so blessed! However, as a proud Illinois girl who loves our favorite-most favorite son, I'll go with this view.

It's beautiful, and of course, he deserves no less

7) Though we're talking summer this morning, Santa is going to get a shoutout. Before "America, the Beautiful" was published, Katharine L. Bates wrote a poem called, "Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh" which is remembered for introducing Santa's wife, Mrs. Claus. Share a fond memory of the 2021 holiday season. I had Christmas lunch with Henry, Reg and Patrick at Key West's Bistro 245. Wasn't the view lovely?

That's the Gulf of Mexico

8) This week's featured artist, Barbra Streisand, sang "America, the Beautiful" during a benefit concert. She admitted to James Corden that she suffers from stage fright and before she performs, she prays, "Let go, let God." What's something that scares you, but that you do anyway? Air travel.

9) Question for a weekend when many of us will sleep in: Are you a morning person? Less with each passing year.