Because laundry is top mind right now, I'm defining 13 of the symbols commonly found on tags.
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| Dry clean |
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| Do not dry clean |
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| Hand wash |
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| Machine wash |
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| Mach wash gentle |
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| Mach wash cold |
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| Mach wash hot |
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| Bleach |
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| Do not bleach |
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| No dryer |
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| Tumble dry |
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| Do not iron |
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| Iron low temp |
Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.
At just before 5:00 today, I approved the last little bit of creative I will ever work on with this agency. It was for my automotive client. They left word that they are "very happy." A nice note to close on.
So I think I'm done with active projects. I know my last day will be next Thursday. That covers what I think and what I know. I just don't know how I feel as time is running out on my advertising career.
I went grocery shopping today -- Wednesday! -- at the big grocery store on the other side of town. I don't have to do chores and errands on weekends anymore. I may get wild and wacky and do my laundry Friday afternoon, instead of Sunday!
I have to set the alarm clock tonight because I have a dentist appointment tomorrow at 9:00, not because I am working. After tomorrow, I don't know when I'll have to set it again.
I am ready for this chapter to be over. I am chatting with my former boss, Aaron, on Friday. We're having drinks at work one last time next Wednesday. My severance is in place and it's completely fair. I've been exploring transcription work -- something my oldest friend did on the side to pay for a vacation -- that I can do from home.
I have made medical appointments (dentist, the surgeon who did my lithotripsy) and it was cool to just be able to say, "Yeah, that day works," without wondering which meeting I'd be missing.
I have my Medicare Supplement paperwork here, waiting for my review and signature.
The George Clooney/Julia Roberts movie opens at my local theater on Friday. I may catch a weekday matinee!
I've been working full-time since I was 17, so this all feels so weird.
The Yankees advanced to the ALCS. Which means Anthony Rizzo is happy. Which means I am happy.
When he was traded by the Cubs, I cried legit tears. I followed him his career here for nearly a decade. I was at Wrigley Field for his first home run within the friendly confines. I have been inspired by his joie de vivre and guts on the field and his tireless charity work off of it. He has helped countless families deal with pediatric cancer, advocated for the survivors of the Parkland school shooting, and provided hot meals to front line workers during covid.* If I ever had a son, I would want him to be exactly like this man.
Maybe, after he wins another ring, he can come home and finish his career back here. Where he belongs.
But for now, GO YANKEES!
*He had the food catered from small, independently-owned Chicago restaurants, the ones that struggled the most during lock down. He's not only good, he's smart.
My Saturday was devoted to America's past time. I'm having a hard time separating myself from former Cub manager Joe Maddon's memoir of a life in baseball. Whenever forced to do something else during the day -- like chores -- I was resentful that I wasn't with Joe.
Then I started watching the Astros/Mariners game. The Astros are heavy favorites to represent the American League in the World Series. The Mariners were supposed to feel lucky to be there. The Mariners played the game of their lives last night. Eighteen (18!) innings -- literally twice the length of a regulation game -- before they finally fell.
Of course I had to switch to the Yankees/Guardians game. The Yankees lost, but I'm still hopeful. It can't be an accident that my beloved Anthony Rizzo is facing the end of his season in the same city where, six seasons ago, as a Cub, he was looking at the same fate. He prevailed then. I have hopes he will do the same tonight.
Then there's the Dodgers. They had the best record in baseball during the regular season, yet they fell unceremoniously to their California neighbors to the south, San Diego.
Today I'm looking forward to more Joe and the Yankees/Guardians rematch at 7:00 PM. (Go, Rizz!)
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| Read more about it here |
13 ways to prepare potatoes. I've been eating a lot of potatoes lately. And why not? They're cholesterol free and a good source of vitamin c and fiber. Plus they're crazy versatile. Here are 13 ways to enjoy them.
1. Potato salad
2. Scalloped
3. Au gratin
4. Mashed
5. Baked
7. Soup
8. French fries
9. Latkes
10. Tater tots
11. Skins
12. Roasted
13. Hashed browns
Mashed is my fave. How about you?
Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.
WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to
prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book
lovers responded, click here.
2. What did you recently finish reading? The Rooster Bar by John Grisham. Four third year law school students -- Todd, Gordon, Mark and Zola -- finally get it: All their super-expensive education will get them is a pile of debt. They were lured to a for-profit diploma mill that churned out graduates unprepared to even pass the bar, much less get a fabulous job at a prestigious law firm.
Tragedy strikes and despair mingles with their disillusionment. They decide to become hustlers themselves. They drop out of school to hide from their student loans and begin practicing law under assumed names. They hustle clients from traffic court and give them completely adequate representation, in exchange for cash, by day. By night, they take turns tending bar at The Rooster Bar. They are nowhere near as clever as they think they are and soon the authorities are looking for them -- everyone from the police to the FBI.
Usually Monday I get together with my online movie group. But this week I took Nancy and her husband Paul up on their invitation to meet for dinner. I'm so glad I did.
First of all, I'd just come out of a rough weekend. At the hospital Thursday, they installed a 10" ureteral stent. I experienced what the materials euphemistically called "stent bother." I was miserable. It was literally all I could think about for three days. I was bleeding, cramping, leaking, stinging ... the pain pills didn't erase the pain, they just made me care about it a little less. Monday morning was the first one in days where I woke up feeling human.
Then there was the work thing. I understand and accept that this chapter of my work life is over, and I'm good with it. After all, I need to get healthy and I'm grateful severance affords me to do it without the stress of work deadlines. But I received some financial statements over the weekend and just got around to looking at them on Monday. Like everyone else invested in the stock market, the news was not good. So while I'm relieved about the time off, I'm less sanguine about no more salary after 10/27.
I hadn't been outdoors all day. Autumn is my favorite time of year, too! So it did me good to put on make up, get dressed, and walk up my neighborhood's main drag. The trees are still full and starting to change color. The sky was cloudless and a beautiful pale blue. It touched my heart.
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| This is just past the main library |
I'm so comfortable with Nancy and Paul. They were amused yet shocked that I was, effectively, let go while on a gurney in the Recovery Room of Rush University Hospital. That kinda set the mood. Paul told the story of how he divorced Wife #1 shortly after their 25th anniversary and the judge made a joke about how instead of being printed on paper the decree should be engraved on silver. Nancy was telling a story about how messed up her work place is, and Paul was teasing her that she sounded like Columbo: "Wait! Here's another thing ..." I enjoyed this because you know how usually when you hang with a couple, you like one more than the other? While I'm closer to Nancy, it's so relaxing to be with a couple where you get along with them both.
What period of history is your favorite to read about? I like to read fiction set in present day. Now biographies! That's another story! I most enjoy reading about Americans from the mid-1800s to late-1900s.
What is your favorite genre of fiction? Biographies, mysteries, chick lit. I rotate them.
Do you choose a book by its cover? I have. I honestly chose this one because I liked the orange and teal. It turned out to be very entertaining.
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| Read about it here. |
Where do you do most of your reading? Wherever I happen to be. One of the benefits of a big purse is that I always have reading material with me.
Without looking, guess how many books are in your TBR pile. Now, look. Were you right? I guessed 15. It's really 30!
How many movies are on your TBW list? Six or seven.
What's your favorite genre of movie? Classic. I find myself gravitating to the late 1930s to the late 1950s.
Do you still go to see movies in the theater? Yes! Going to the movies in a theater is one of my favorite things to do.
You have $10,000 and no strings or obligations for one full day. Where do you go and what do you do? I put $9,500 in the bank. Then I allow myself the luxury of splurging and playing with the last $500. Christmas is coming and I think it would be great fun to do my gift buying with this found money.
How many songs are on your favorite playlist? Since my iPod crapped out, I don't really have a playlist.
What method do you use to listen to music (Spotify, iTunes, Pandora...)? Depends on where I am. At the office, I listen to Pandora. At home, I either listen to CDs or call on Alexa.
I have been thinking a lot about my relationship with God and how we communicate.
Last week, I was feeling overwhelmed by life. I was worried about my health and my finances, exhausted from the pain and stress.
To bolster my spirits, I brought my loved ones with me to the hospital. I found a pair of socks my late mother had given me more than a decade ago. I wore a white cloth mask from my niece and a t-shirt from my nephew's college.
My Cousin Rose is far more conventional in the practice of her faith. Her approach to prayer is also far different from mine. Hers is both more formal and more constant. She invokes Bible verses and prayers she learned during church services.
I prefer to wing it. I don't want to recite when I pray. It feels more sincere and heartfelt to use my own words when I talk to God.
But I think I'm going to lift up prayers more often. Rose says it comforts her. I could have used comfort this week, and it was there for me. I just didn't avail myself of it.
It's just I look at our nation -- from QAnon crazy election deniers on the ballot to Hurricane Ian -- and I think, doesn't God have more important things to do than comfort me? Isn't it enough that He delivered me on the other side of my turmoil? Why be greedy and demanding?
But I realize that is narrow thinking. That is looking at God as if He were a person. He is infinite. He has the capacity to listen to me when I'm scared and overwhelmed. He doesn't "mind." I am His child. He loves me. He is, in fact, always there anyway, even when I'm not reaching out.
"Trust that the Lord will provide" and "You are never alone." That's what Rose always reminds me.
I know intellectually that she is right. I just need to get more comfortable incorporating this into my daily thinking.
I learned something this week. I am happy I did.
Saturday 9: Love Sneakin' Up on You (1994)
I am wistful about my career ending on October 27, but I'm not sorry. It simply must be done on my agency's timeline, not mine, because I have 18 years there. In advertising we don't have a union, and in Illinois, retirement is tantamount to quitting. If I were to simply retire, I would leave 19 weeks of severance on the table. That's more than 4 months pay. I can't afford to walk away from that. The longer I put off collecting Social Security, the more I receive.
I
am not happy at my job. I don't approve of the way our clients are
treated. I identify completely with my clients, but I work for agency
management. It's the agency who pays me. I understand that with my
attitude, and with the departure of my client, it's time to go.
If money were no object, I would have retired back in January, when my boss Aaron left. He was a breath of fresh air. We were aligned in our approach to the job and to our teammates. But upper management and my new boss are completely different. I don't approve of them. Being as judgey as I am is not good -- not for me, not for them, and not for the work. So it's time.
But money is an object. Or, to be more precise, benefits are. I'm in the middle of expensive dental work and I just had a lithotripsy performed (see post below). I will be eligible for Medicare in a matter of weeks (November 1) but I don't want to switch insurance carriers midstream, as they say.
In the 18 years I was here, I've done some work I'm proud of. Even better for me personally, I've fought the good fight. I tried to be the voice of my client in the room. When many others were arguing for bigger, more outrageous, more audacious ideas, I was the one who said, "Wait! This may win us awards, but how does it move the client's business along?" Sometimes smaller, more conservative, tried-and-true was the better, more cost efficient bet.
In closing, I invoke Joe Maddon. When he and the Cubs parted ways after the 2019 season, after 5 seasons, during which he managed my heroes in Cubbie blue to 4 playoff appearances and one incredibly glorious World Series, Joe said, "There's nothing to bemoan or lament. It's just time. It's been fabulous."
The good people at Rush say my lithotripsy was a success. I'm not remotely comfortable right now, so you can't prove it by me. Of course, the procedure was just over 24 hours ago and I still have a stent. About half the patients who get one after a urological procedure will have stent pain. I feel all the time like I have to pee, and there's a stinging. It's as though I traded one pain for another, though they assure me this is to be expected. After all, my kidney stone was pulverized and I'm passing bits of it. The stent comes out Sunday morning. I live for Sunday morning.
I wish I had gotten my anesthesiologist's name because I was pretty hard on him. He responded with great sensitivity. You see, he wanted to give me an epidural. If you read this humble blog regularly, you will remember that last month, my favorite-most ball player had an epidural and it went poorly. "Epidural" is the last word I wanted to hear.
"Anthony Rizzo is a strong 32-year old man and it went badly," I said. "I'm a sick 64-year-old woman. Why should I expect a better outcome?"
He walked me through it. I won't repeat his explanation since I might get it wrong -- and really, who needs more medical misinformation out there (remember Trump and hydroxychloroquine?) -- but it satisfied me. Then the anesthesiologist said he could tell I was nervous, but that he went into this specialty help and make me more comfortable. He said he he's met Anthony Rizzo because he volunteers his time at Lurie Children's Hospital, which Rizz supports through his foundation. I asked the anesthesiologist is I'm easier or tougher than the pediatric cancer patients. He smiled and said, "Tougher, because you ask tougher questions."
And the epidural was fine. It took me a while to shake it off, and it was weird to be looking at my feet and unable to move them, but eventually the numbness wore off and I was able to go home.
While I was waiting for discharge, I checked my phone. At 10:45 AM, the head of HR sent me a message, wanting to know why I hadn't accepted her meeting invitation. The head of HR doesn't know me. We could be alone together in the elevator and while she'd say hi, she couldn't tell you my name. There is only one reason why she wanted to meet with me.
I was, effectively, canned while I was in the Recovery Room. I think I have the most advertising-y advertising agency story ever.
My friend John was downstairs outside the hospital lobby Starbucks, waiting for me. We were quite a pair -- he with his cane and me in a wheelchair! He put me in an Uber, and I was happy to go home. Now if only I could lose the stent!
13 common restaurant complaints. This is what patrons speak up about most often. They can all be valid. But it's important to remember that only #3 is the sole responsibility of your server. That's why I always try to be polite when I'm unhappy. The person I'm complaining to is likely not the one I'm really upset with.
1. Disappointing food and drink
2. Slow customer service
3. Order mix up
4. Unsanitary restroom
5. Long wait time
7. Overpriced menu items
8. Issues with seating
9. Out of menu items
10. Credit card issues (some restaurants don't accept American Express and Discover)
11. Food not ready when promised for pick up
12. Dietary restrictions not accommodated
13. Food doesn't look like the picture on the website or menu
Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.
I went through my stuff and threw much of it away, which made me sad. I always figured when this time came, I'd leave my files to my successor. Since my client severed the relationship, I won't have a successor. It seems a shame that I won't be able to share what I've learned.
I also found two brand new pair of socks. One lightweight, one heavy. I hate it when my boots leak. The lightweight were to replace my wet socks when I changed from boots to shoes. The heavy ones were to get me home through the snow. I guess winter 2019/2020 -- the last before work-from-home -- must not have been that sloppy because the socks are unworn.
The socks reminded me I'm proud of how little work I've missed due to weather. I made the commute no matter what. I was ready for it. I dressed for it. I knew how to navigate it. Yes, Chicago winters (and springs) can be brutal. But I have friends and family in South Florida and I'm reminded we aren't asked to evacuate our homes annually. I'll keep the snow, thank you.
I dumped the last remaining swigs of cheap vodka but brought the bottle of whiskey home. Hell, yeah, I had booze in my desk. No, I'm not embarrassed. As with the weather, I know how to handle work stress.
7/10 of a mile. I've worked for seven different employers between South Wacker Drive and North Michigan Avenue. Except for that year in the 1990s when I worked out by the O'Hare, my entire life has been in The Loop. Ping ponging between my comfortable little neighborhood and the exciting city has given me the best of both worlds. I love downtown. I wonder how often I'll be back.
I don't think I've absorbed all this yet. I'm so worried about the lithotripsy on Thursday that I just can't right now. Also, I'm worried about severance (management still hasn't told me when my last day will be). Then there's insurance and Medicare. I think I'll have a nice breakdown next week.
WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to
prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book
lovers responded, click here.
2. What did you recently finish reading? Orson Welles: A Biography by Barbara Leaming. This is an ambitious look at an ambitious genius. After enduring a truly bizarre childhood, Orson Welles mastered radio, television, theater and motion pictures before he was 30. He was also considered an unemployable has been by 35. He had three daughters by three very different women -- a socialite, a movie star and an Italian countess. He created very great art but was always broke. He lived long enough to receive lifetime achievement awards from the very industry that denounced him.
Like Welles himself, this book is a big, charismatic mess. 600+ pages that take us from Woodstock, IL, to Barcelona to Cap d'Antibes to Las Vegas, with stops in Senegal and Casablanca in between. I often had no idea what continent we were on or why.
Barbara Leaming interviewed Welles extensively for this book, and I don't think it benefited from his participation. It's as undisciplined, audacious and unfocused as Welles' most confusing works. So while I'm not sorry I read this book, I don't recommend it. After I was done with this heavy tome, I realize I still don't know much about my two favorite Welles movies: Citizen Kane and The Third Man. I do, however, know much more than I ever cared to about his pre-teen sexual awakening. I think at times Leaming was telling us not what we wanted to know, but what Orson thought we should know.
By the way, I've read other Leaming biographies and this isn't reflective of her work. I still consider her an author I enjoy.
