Thursday Thirteen #336

13 facts about Clint Hill. You may very well be saying, "Who?" But I think every American has seen Clint Hill. 60 years ago, on November 22, he was the Secret Service Agent who leaped onto the back of President Kennedy's limo in Dallas right after the shooting, pushing Jacqueline Kennedy back into the car.

1. Clint Hill is 91 years old. He was born in Larimore, ND.

2. He's a history buff. It's fitting that a man who played a part in a pivotal moment in American history has always read extensively about this country. He graduated from Concordia College with a degree in history.

3. He's a veteran. He served in the US Army before joining the Secret Service.

4. Dwight Eisenhower was his "first President." For a short time, he was assigned to President Eisenhower. At 27, he was one of the youngest in Ike's detail.

5. He initially resisted protecting Jacqueline Kennedy. After her husband's election in November, 1960, Mrs. Kennedy required 24/7 protection. Clint recalls he would have much, much preferred to guard the President-elect. He was afraid that being assigned to The First Lady would doom him to 4-to-8 years of fashion shows, ballets, and high teas.

6. He was surprised to learn Jackie was, in his words, "a jock." To protect her, learned to water ski and became proficient. He tried to be her tennis partner, but he wasn't very good and the Kennedys hired a tennis pro to play with her while Clint sat court side. When she went to Virginia to ride the hounds, Mr. Hill rode in a car beside the path to keep her always in his sight line.

7. During the Kennedy years, he became a world traveler. He protected the First Lady on state visits to India and Pakistan and on private vacations to Italy and Greece.

8. He was with her when she went into labor. Born in August, 1963, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy became the only baby born to a sitting First Lady in the 20th century. He lived only 39 hours, a victim of hyaline membrane disease, or respiratory distress.

 

9. They were always "Mrs. Kennedy" and "Mr. Hill." For all that they went through together -- first the premature birth of her baby and then, 3 months later, the murder of her husband -- they never referred to one another by their first names.

 

10. They never discussed what happened on the trunk of the Lincoln Continental. After shots were fired during the motorcade, Clint Hill ran from the Secret Service followup car to the Presidential limo. He risked his life leaping onto the back. Mrs. Kennedy was already on the trunk. He pushed her back into the car and shielded both Kennedys with his body while they sped to the hospital. Mrs. Kennedy told both the Warren Commission and historian William Manchester that she simply didn't remember climbing out of the car. She was in shock. Clint Hill says that she retrieving part of the President's skull, which she did give to doctors at Parkland Hospital. Because of the historic Zapruder film, Clint Hill's actions during the motorcade are immortalized.

 

11. Mrs. Kennedy personally recommended Mr. Hill for special commendation and was there when it presented to him. For the rest of her life she assiduously avoided discussing the events of the motorcade, but made it clear by her actions that she in no way blamed Clint Hill for what happened that day. He, however, still wrestles with guilt. If only he had reached the bumper of the President's car seconds sooner ...*

 

12. When Jacqueline Kennedy moved out of the White House, Clint Hill went with her. He remained part of her Secret Service detail for a time in her private homes in Washington and New York. After the 1964 Presidential election, Hill returned to the White House to protect Lyndon Johnson. He retired from the Secret Service in 1975 after serving five First Families.

 

13. Today he is an author and lecturer. He has authored (or co-authored) six books about his remarkable career.

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

 *It is important to note that Clint Hill was assigned to The First Lady. The agents assigned to protect the President on 11/22/63 were Roy Kellerman and Bill Greer. I state this not to blame them, but to clear up a common misunderstanding. Because Clint Hill acted first and acted fastest, he is in the Zapruder film and people assume protecting the President that day was his job. It was not.

WWW.WEDNESDAY

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley by M. C. Beaton. People liked Jessica Tartnick at first. Then they got to know her. She enraged the aristocratic landowners of Dembley by insisting her hiking group had every right to walk across their land. Lovers found that when they tired of her and wished to break up, she was very comfortable threatening scandal and exposure. So when she's found murdered in the field she was banned from hiking through, there no shortage of suspects

This is good news for our heroine, Agatha Raisin. Back from six months in London, she finds she missed country life and her neighbor/crush James more than she realized. One foolproof way to impress James was to showcase her ability as an amateur sleuth. 

I enjoy this series. Agatha is refreshingly three-dimensional, with her very human faults on display. I also like spending time with the recurring characters, like the vicar's wife, Mrs. Bloxby, and Bill Wong, the police officer who is forever begging Agatha to just leave the crime solving to him. When, at the beginning of the book, he encourages Agatha to join the hiking group because no one ever got killed walking, I had to smile. Oh yes, they will, Bill. Just wait a few pages.

 

2. What did you recently finish reading? An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena. Eight people check into quaint, exclusive Mitchell's Inn in the Catskills. They're counting on a weekend of tranquil luxury -- great food and wine, 5-star service, no internet or wifi but plenty of cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing. 

Then a violent ice storm hits and they're trapped inside. The first death looks like an accident. But then there's a second ... and a third ... someone is picking them off and they're terrified, with no way to defend themselves and no way out.

Yes, it's a lot like Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. That classic is even in the well-stocked Mitchell's Inn library. It's also got a dash of The Fugitive and a soupcon of Gone Girl tossed into the stew. It's not high art, but it's good, scary fun. It starts slow, but stay with it. I promise you won't see the end coming.

 

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

She didn't remember

My old art director called me about 10 days ago to catch up. After we blabbed for a while, she told me how much her partner, Kevin, likes me and that he's eager for all of us to get together again. She specifically wanted to meet on Sunday. I thought she chose that day because it was the 19th and my birthday is the 22nd.

When I walked into the bar Sunday, I could tell they were sincerely happy to see me. I could also tell she had completely forgotten my birthday. Kevin offered to pay, but that's just because he's a guy and that's what guys do. This wasn't my birthday lunch. So I thanked him but left the tip.

Which presents me with a dilemma. Her birthday is coming up in December. I was going to invite her to lunch at one of our old work/Michigan Avenue haunts and give her this gift: a personalized compact.

I have to give it to her. It has her name on it! It's not like I can give it to someone else. Besides, it didn't cost me very much. I just know she's a very girly-girl who carries a small purse, so this seemed like a good choice for her.

So this is what I shall do: I'll mail it to her. No lunch. The meal would be the most expensive thing. I also think that if she opens it herself at home, she'll be spared embarrassment about missing my birthday. After all, the point is to celebrate her, not make her feel bad!

The illusion of order

This stock photo* is a fair representation of the card shop where I work. Your eye doesn't go to anything specific, it's just an overwhelming collection of cards and color.

The store, which is small, is filled with boxed cards and decorations. Stocking stuffers. So many rolls of paper are jammed into the bins that the cello wraps are tearing. There's even more paper in the backroom.

Into this world walked Jen. She is "second in command" to our boss, Cece. She's been at the store the longest, even longer than Cece. In her late 40s, a mom of kids under 10, she like me is an ad agency drop out, working 20 hours/week at the card shop. 

But boy, when she's there, does she ever work! I saw that ad agency ethos in everything she did. The floor needed "care," the floor needed "clean up." It needs to be done NOW because Black Friday is coming! We ad folk respond very well to deadlines. In fact, we need them.

She went into the backroom and brought out sequined reindeer antler headbands and asked me to unpackage them. "They won't sell if they aren't on the floor," she said, correctly. She was my supervisor yesterday and I respect that, so I torn cellophane off headband after headband and handed them over to her. Jen placed them in a wire basket on a table that already had mugs and pens and journals and Santa socks and oh, hell, I can't even recall what all else. 

"There!" she said proudly. She seemed to believe now they will sell. I'm not so sure. I don't think anyone will see them on that overcrowded table. 

There was a basket of ribbon behind the counter. It had been delivered over the weekend and no one knew what to do with it. I offered to start sorting the ribbon by color and putting them away, wherever Jen decided "away" was. It seemed like a useful thing to do and it would keep me near the register where I could ring customers up.

Jen quit spinning like a dervish long enough to tell me to concentrate on green. Why green and not red? I didn't ask. She was on a roll. I was to put the Evergreen ribbon in open slots on the display (there were only two open slots on the display) and the rest in the GREEN RIBBON overstock box. 

I did as told but let her know the GREEN RIBBON box's lid now wouldn't close. To Jen, this was catastrophe! She made it plain that, while she wasn't upset with me, she was still upset. How will I or anyone else find the right ribbon to refill the display from a box so overstuffed? Unless every single person in my neighborhood came in for green ribbon on Black Friday, I didn't see that as a problem. There was literally no room for another roll of green on that display.

She had me start a second GREEN RIBBON overstock box. I told her I'd begin with all the pale greens, since they aren't very Christmas-y and could go in the back without being missed. She liked that idea and I worked on that -- and ringing people up -- until my shift was over. I felt a little bad that there was still a wire basket behind the counter filled with red, blue and yellow ribbon, just not green, but I'd made Jen happy and so what the hell.

I overheard Jen telling a regular customer about her on-going kitchen renovation and how this year, she would not be able to celebrate Thanksgiving the way she'd like to. Either the kitchen counters or the floor aren't ready yet. (When you're eavesdropping, you don't always get the whole story.)

Suddenly Jen made sense! Not only is she a recovering agency rat, she is living in a remodeling zone. Her whole life is chaos right now. While she seemed like a spinning ball of frenetic tension and energy, I suspect she was soothing herself by injecting dose after dose of order to the card shop during her shift.

Objectively, I don't believe her efforts did much good. The fact of the matter is: Corporate has sent my little neighborhood store too much product for the floorspace.  

But really, what difference? Jen got to restore a little order to her crazy world and my shift goes faster when I'm busy (even if it's with busywork).

I think the best thing about this job will be learning about my new coworkers and their stories.

*Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

 

Sunday Stealing

THANKSGIVING 

1, People I'd like to thank and why. I'd like to thank my friends because they give me so much, all year and every year.

2. Something I rebelled against as a kid. Being told what to do. I still don't like it. I read that Frank Sinatra warned people close to him, "Don't tell me. Suggest." I get Frank.

3. What I need to accomplish before the end of the year. Nothing specific comes to mind.

4. Guilty pleasures right now. As I answer these questions, I've got reruns of the old TV show Las Vegas (2003-08) on. I don't know why I never saw this show when it aired originally, but I'm really enjoying it now and find Josh Duhamel (Danny) quite yummy.

5. Local landmarks. Good goobies! There are so many! The Bean, The Picasso, Willis/Sears Tower, (my favorite) Wrigley Field, Navy Pier, The Riverwalk ... Questions like this remind me how lucky I am to live in Chicagoland.

6. Cause or purpose I deeply believe in. Saving unwanted pets. It's tragic how willing cats and dogs are to love us and how badly we often treat them. If I had more money and room, I'd adopt more of them.

7. Things I never learned to do. Cook. Paint. Speak Spanish ... so many things!

 

8. Seasonal traditions I’m always excited for. Gift giving! Choosing and wrapping gifts for others, tearing paper off my own, it's so exciting.

9. Something I’d like to be mentored on. Spanish.

10. Exotic animals I wish I could keep as pets. NONE! Exotic animals should never be kept as pets. It's at best unwise and often cruel.

11. Something normal to me, that might be odd to others. My bathroom towels must match. I'm a lazy housekeeper in all areas except that.

12. The last book I quit reading and why. Leo Durocher: Baseball's Prodigal Son by Paul Dickson. I was about 15 pages in and realized I simply didn't feel like another biography just now. I still want to read it, and will likely return to it in spring.

13. Right now, I appreciate...  that I feel good. Looking back, the stress at the end of my career took a real physical toll on my health. I feel so much better right now than I did one year ago.

14. When “the holiday season” starts for me. Right after baseball ends. As soon as that World Series trophy is raised overhead, I'm ready to start seeing Santa everywhere.

15. Holiday foods and treats I love the most. Food: turkey. Treats: gingerbread.

16. “Terrible” movies that I actually like. Valley of the Dolls. I love every frame of this wretched mess. (Make no mistake: it has no redeeming value.)

17. Cooking all day for holiday dinner vs. ordering carry-out. Neither. We're meeting at a restaurant.

18. If I were trapped in a holiday movie, I’d pick... It's a Wonderful Life. It's romantic, hopeful, and filled with little truths about love, faith and the Golden Rule. It's the exact opposite of Valley of the Dolls in every way.

19. Which holiday tradition I wish lasted all year long. The good will. We tend to assume good intentions this time of year.

20. Favorite books, music, tv, movies and music this month. I don't really have a favorite Christmas book. Music? I love Andy Williams this time of year. Movies? My friend Elaine and I already have our tickets for It's a Wonderful Life on the big screen. (Rumor has it Santa will be there!) TV: I re-watch Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol while I wrap presents.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Last Train to Clarksville (1966)

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

 

1) When did you most recently take a train? I took a short commuter train trip a couple towns over to get my hair cut. Taking the bus to the train and then walking from the train station to the salon took 90 minutes vs. 30 minutes by Uber. But public transportation cost $4.50 vs. $30 for the rideshare, so there's that.

2) The lyrics promise "coffee-flavored kisses and a bit of conversation." Have you more recently had coffee, a kiss, or a chat? A chat.

3) The record opens with a guitar riff inspired by The Beatles' "Day Tripper." Can you play guitar? No. I have depressingly short, fat fingers. Even texting is a trial for me because of these sausages.

4) The lead vocals are performed by Micky Dolenz. He is the only surviving member of the Monkees. Without looking it up, can you name his bandmates? Davy Jones (sigh), Peter Tork and Mike Nesmith.

5) The Monkees starred in an award-winning sitcom for two seasons. In Season 2, Micky surprised fans by appearing with a curly perm. Do you curl, straighten or color your hair? I cover the gray and add highlights.

6) Micky also did a stint at WCBS radio in New York. He spun the oldies every morning and helped his listeners get ready for work. Do you turn on the radio or TV when you first wake up? Yes. First the local TV news, then the shower radio.

7) Micky's daughter, Ami, followed her father into show business, appearing in several movies and a recurring role in General Hospital. If you followed your father into his profession, what would you have done for a living? I'd be an auto mechanic. Since I have no affinity for cars whatsoever, that would not have gone well.

8) In 1966, when this song topped the charts, miniskirts took the fashion world by storm. What have you recently added to your wardrobe? I ordered a pair of comfy black flats from Kohl's. They were an essential since I am now on my feet with my new retail job.

9) Random question -- You order chicken noodle soup and a packet of saltines arrives with the bowl. Do you: 1) break the crackers into pieces and stir them into your soup or 2) squeeze them in your hand and sprinkle the crumbles into your soup or 3) leave them untouched? 1.

 

 

Preserving it before it's all gone

Took a walk Wednesday to the Dollar Store. (Glamorous, huh?) But it washed over me how beautiful my neighborhood is time of year. I know people who passed me on the street wondered what I was photographing, and maybe I did look silly. Or maybe they should slow down and take a moment to enjoy the show nature puts on for us here every autumn.

"It's up to you"

So said my boss, Cece, as we discussed stocking and restocking the shelves at the card shop. She taught me a new word, "floorset." We were talking about how the Thanksgiving shelf will soon be refilled with Christmas goods, and then in January, Christmas will disappear.

"Maybe you'll stay on after Christmas. It's up to you."

That was nice to hear. When I took this job, she told me couldn't promise me any hours after January 1. Now, after two weeks, it's up to me if I stay on after Christmas. So apparently I'm doing well. 

I like Cece. She gives me positive reinforcement but also always points out ways I can improve -- important since I have never in my life worked retail.

But Cece and I clashed last week. As soon as we opened on my second day (my second day!), a woman breezed in wearing head-to-toe beige and Burberry. She was Katie from Corporate, and she was here for an unscheduled, surprise sit-down with Cece to discuss the recent store robbery.

The two women were behind closed doors for more than an hour, leaving me all alone in the store. During that time, I waited on a woman who was looking for a "thank you" or "best wishes" card for an author who had invited her to a book launch. The book is about the unique challenges and heartaches parents face when grieving a child. A sensitive topic, to be sure, and one that's tough for a barren spinster like me to address. But I did! I steered her to the display of handmade, quilled cards and sold her one for $13.95 (double the cost of the more conventional cards). I also recommended Elizabeth Edwards' books on loss and recovery. The woman left happy and I was proud of myself.

After Katie from Corporate left, Cece shared her input on my performance with me. Katie from Corporate thought I needed to interact with customers more, that I was "rooted in the comfort zone" behind the register, and that I placed "tasks before people."

I pushed back. First of all, it was my second day. How wise was it to leave me alone when I still just learning to use the register? Second, how did Cece or Katie from Corporate know what I was up to when they weren't around? Third, since the store was robbed, perhaps they ought to rethink the policy of having no one behind the register. 

I admit I was more "articulate" and passionate than I normally would have been because: 1) it's been a year since I've had a boss and I haven't missed it and 2) I've never done well with Corporate. I could have made my point succinctly and left it at that, but no, I was on a roll.

I was worried I'd gone too far. Not because I need the job because, while I am by no means a wealthy woman, I don't. But because I was dumping on Cece. Katie from Corporate was in the store to put Cece in her place after the robbery, and criticizing how I was being trained was just another arrow in her Corporate quiver.* I've worked for major corporations since the 1970s, I understand how shit runs downhill and I knew what I was seeing. I should have just shut the fuck up.

But I often insist that my every thought must be shared aloud. Gotta work on that, Gal.

I apologized to Cece for that on Monday. She graciously told me we were "fine," that as a woman who speaks her mind she appreciated it in me, and I shouldn't give it another thought. Knowing that it's "up to me" if I stay on after New Year's Day made me feel good about the situation.

*I operate under the assumption that the ones responsible for the robbery were not the card shop staff but the men who claimed to have a gun and demanded the registered be opened. But hey, that's me.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Thursday Thirteen #335

13 mysteries about cats. I was listening to cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy the other day and he said he often decides what topics to tackle on his website/podcasts by going to Google. That's how he finds out what us cat fanciers are wondering about.

I wondered about what we wonder. And so I went to the Google machine and here are the questions I found.

1. Why do cats lick you? Here are 8 reasons from Rover.com.  Short answer: They're bonding with you and marking you with their scent.

2. Why do cats purr? Usually it's because your cat is relaxed and happy. Sometimes they do it to "woo" us and persuade us to feed them.

3. Why do cats make biscuits? I prefer "kneading." Here are 10 reasons from Rover.com. Short answer: It's instinctive behavior, carried over from kittenhood, and my cats do it when they're feeling affectionate.

4. Why do cats sleep so much? It's genetic. They're cats! If you want more, here are 7 reasons from Rover.com. These folks are so good at this, they should change their name to Kitty.com.

5. Why do cats eat grass? It's good for them. Benefits of grass guzzling include faster, easier bowel movements and vomiting, and vitamins. Read more about it here.

6. Why do cats meow? It's how they talk to us. Cats meow more to people than they do to other animals.

7. Why do cats like catnip? It enters your cat's system through the nose and releases a euphoric reaction. In short, your cat is getting a harmless, natural high.

8. Why do cats hate water? Once cat fur gets wet, it takes a long time to dry. So a wet cat feels cold and weighed down, which is pretty icky.

9. Why do cats hiss? It's an instant reaction to a sudden negative emotion: fear, anxiety or anger. A hissing cat isn't in control and should be given a wide berth.

10. Why do cats like boxes so much? Predators themselves, cats are aware they can be prey. A confined space makes a cat feel safe.

11. Why do cats groom each other? It has less to do with cleanliness and than communication. Grooming can convey affection, trust and dominance.

12. Why do cats do airplane ears? It's a sign of anxiety, kinda like a precursor to hissing. Airplane ears mean, "I really, really wish you'd quit what you're doing."

13. Why do cats to bunny kicks? When a cat drops to the floor and starts kicking with its back legs, it's showing you one of its more versatile moves. Bunny kicks provide effective self-defense and are also useful for gutting prey. (Yeah, I know. Ew, ick.)

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

 

An attagirl from Brandon!

This week I had took my 35th yoga class. It was noteworthy not just as a milestone, but because Brandon -- who is a badass human pretzel -- told me one of my poses was "great."

I freely acknowledge I am the worst in the class. I could be Brandon's mom, and I'm aware that the 1999 Springsteen tour shirt I wear is older than some of my classmates. I'm overweight, uncoordinated
and have a bad back. But I show up. 

So I took that unsolicited smile and praise from Brandon to mean I am improving, and my sincere efforts are recognized by the guy on the next mat.* 

It felt so good!

*Rachel, our instructor, gives me words of encouragement every week. But that's her job, isn't it? It meant more from Brandon.

Photo by Junseong Lee on Unsplash

Every Laura needs a Millie

It's over with Robert. He's the man my oldest friend met online last spring. They fell into bed on their second date -- so very unlike her -- because she felt a deep connection. She believed that since they were lovers they were in love. She was, therefore, disillusioned when she went back to the dating site to cancel her subscription and saw his account remained still active and he was still "looking."

She confronted him and he explained that her health and mobility issues (she walks with cane) "bother" him. But, while they agreed they were not right romantically, they could be friends. And he has been very good to her. He took her to the ER after a fall, he took care of her cats and picked her up from the hospital after her bout with congestive heart failure. They've gone to the movies and he invited her to parties at his house. They texted daily when he was visiting his daughter in Oregon.

I told her I thought her she was becoming too dependent on Robert because she knows he's still dating and looking for a romantic partner. She assured me she'd be fine when he gets another woman in his life. That he's her friend and she wants him to be happy. 

I insist life doesn't work that way. I said that his as-yet-unmet new woman, who I always referred to as Suzette, won't allow it. "Robert, why is that woman always around? How did you meet her?" Suzette would ask. "Oh, you slept with her a couple times? I'm sorry, darling, but I'm just not comfortable with you running over there every time she calls."

My oldest friend insisted that she can't worry about things she can't control, things that haven't happened. I agree. But she could widen her circle of friends and pursue interests away from Robert so next time she is sick or lonely, she has someone nearby other than Robert to turn to.* Of course she didn't do this.

Over the weekend, Robert took her and another friend to a meditation event at a Buddhist temple. They all had a lovely time. Robert announced that he was going to be unavailable this weekend's get-together at the temple he's going to Las Vegas with his "new girlfriend." He didn't give her name, but he added that he met her through his daughter while visiting Oregon. So he was dating this new "Suzette" while texting my friend every day. My friend feels betrayed.

I understand why she feels this way, but I don't think it's fair. He made it clear to her that he wants a lover who can more fully participate in his life. The parameters of their relationship was "just friends."

I told her I get that she's lonely and encouraged her to reach out and try to make new friends next time she visits that Buddhist temple.

"He goes there. If you think I can go back with him there, you don't know me at all." Well, that just put me back on my heels!

"Are you in love with him?" I asked.

"Yes." 

This is so unutterably sad. She is overweight and diabetic with heart disease and a bum leg. I understand why that isn't what he wants in a lover, but I know she can't change all that overnight.

After we talked for a while longer, she called Robert. She told him she wished him well, but that, feeling about him as she does, she just can't be around him anymore.

"All he kept saying is, 'I'm so sorry.' He didn't say, 'Call me if you need me.'" 

I told her I thought that was best, because if she called when she needed him, she would backslide and she'd just be hurt again.

BFFs from the Dick Van Dyke Show

But now she is very alone again, and that's sad, too.* She's back on the senior dating site, corresponding with an Army vet in his 70s. They haven't met yet. I don't want to dissuade her from romance, but I don't think that's what she needs right now.

She needs a Millie Helper. Or, if you prefer your MTM as Mary Richards, she needs a Rhoda. A friend you can count on to keep your secrets, make you laugh, and come over to feed your cats when you're in the hospital.

I am lucky. I am surrounded by pals. I miss my oldest friend, of course, but I have Elaine, Nancy, Joanna, Will, and John. There's tremendous comfort in that. I wish the same for her.

*Yes, she has family in SoCal. But her daughter is more than an hour away. Her cousin is 15 minutes away, but while Cuz says she cares about my friend, she really can't be bothered.

California, Here I Come!

The TCM Classic Film Festival is so very ON! And I am so very happy.

A few short months ago, the fate of my favorite TV channel was in jeopardy. But after a viewer uprising and the intervention of a trio of very important directors (Spielberg, Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson), Warner Bros/Discovery decided to find another way to save money.

So the show will go on, and I will be in attendance. I've got my hotel reservation and on December 6, I buy my pass. In January, I'll book my flight.

I have a plan and I love a plan!

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. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena. I'm looking for escapism, and this one neatly fits the bill.

 

When the guests check into Mitchell's Inn in the Catskills, they're looking for days of cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing, nights of good food and wine and relaxing by the fire. Then a massive, sudden storm hits. They lose power and their ability to even go outdoors.

And these stranded guests start getting dead. 

Yes, it's very much like And Then There Were None. I loved And Then There Were None. So far, I like this, too.

 

2. What did you recently finish reading? Bogie & Bacall by William J. Mann. This book starts with the premise that Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall are the most iconic, most romantic Hollywood couple of all time. I simply don't agree. Taylor and Burton, Lucy and Desi, Newman and Woodward were all, I believe, sexier and more talented, more tempestuous and interesting, and those unions created more work that I enjoy. 

 

But maybe the fact that I'm not a major fan enabled me to approach this with clearer eyes. This big (650+ pages) book is a dual biography of the stars and I now like each of them less but respect them more.

I learned that Bogart, the on-screen tough guy, was a New York blue blood who failed at all the best schools, while Bacall, who presented herself as the epitome of elegance, was the daughter of a struggling single mother and she grew up knocking around the Bronx and Brooklyn. 

Their great love story was real but it was frequently not so great. He was 45 and she was 20 on their wedding day. He was an established, Oscar-nominated, world-weary, thrice-divorced alcoholic who married an unsophisticated model-turned-actress just out of her teens. Naturally this union would have problems. He was set in his ways and reluctant to change. He still indulged in boozy nights out brawling with the boys and weekends away on his boat. She enjoyed socializing with celebrities in high style and much, much preferred dry land. They both sought emotional -- if not sexual -- comfort outside their marriage. Neither of them appears to have been especially involved as parents.

Then he got cancer, and shit got real. He needed her, and she was there. Bed pans and bandages and oxygen, she handled it all. I found this part of the book very moving. It may not have been sexy or romantic, but it was love.

She reinvented herself after he died. It took her awhile. She made lots of mistakes -- astonishingly heedless of the trauma her son endured, being 7 and right there when his father died at home -- and was not especially likeable. But she endured. I may not have ever wanted her as a friend, but when I put the book down I had admiration for her.

 

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

Deplorables behaving deplorably

Donald Trump once again made fun of a hammer attack against an 80+ year old man in his own home. His audience once again laughed.

Presumably the New Testament I was raised on is the same one that MAGA Republicans claim to adhere to. Walk me through it. Explain how this behavior squares with your faith. It doesn't match up with mine. Not at all.

This is cruelty and hate. Apparently, if you're MAGA, you enjoy this sort of thing, so I'll post it for your viewing pleasure. (Actually, I hope this will motivate people of conscience to realize what is happening with about 40% of our fellow citizens.)

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: P. S. I Love You (1953)

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

 

1) In this song, a man fills his lover in on what's going on in his daily life, including that he was in bed by 9:00 PM. Do you have a regular bedtime? I guess it depends on how you define "bedtime." I'm usually into my pjs around 9:00. That's a throwback to my junior high years, when my mom used to tell me that "polite people don't call or call on polite people after 9:00 PM." But when I go to bed is another matter. So is when I finally go to sleep.

2) He reports that yesterday it rained, but all in all, he can't complain. Do you often find yourself discussing/complaining about the weather? No, and I find it tiresome. The two friends of mine who talk weather the most are the ones who left Chicago for sunnier climes. She to Los Angeles, he to Key West. She has had to deal with wildfires, mudslides and water rationing due to drought. He had to evacuate for hurricanes more times than I can count, and always had tales of expensive storm-damaged cars, roofs, windows and landscaping. They both had a tougher time relaunching their careers in LA and Key West, too, so it's not like they regaled me with tales of time at the beach anyway. They were always working. So I'll stay here, thank you. (BTW, I looked it up and it snowed on 18 days so far this year. That's 5% of the time. I'll take it.)

3) This song was recorded many times, by artists as diverse as Rudy Vallee (1934) and Bob Dylan (2017). It's endured because the theme -- reaching out and staying in touch across the miles -- is universal. Is there anyone in your life with whom you regularly correspond? If yes, do you prefer cards/letters, emails or texts? I suppose that's the order. For anything longer than, "I'll meet you at 7:30," or "I'm on my way," texts are pretty hideous. Besides, I enjoy seeing peoples' handwriting.

4) This 1953 version was a hit for The Hilltoppers. The band members met at Western Kentucky University and took their name from the nickname of their school's athletic teams. What was the name of your school's team? Grade school was the Panthers, high school was the Bulldogs.

5) The Hilltoppers always performed in W sweaters, for Western Kentucky. Do you own any sweaters, caps or jackets that celebrate your alma mater? Not for my own school, but I have t-shirts from when I visited my niece at the Culinary Institute of Michigan and my nephew at Western Illinois University. (Go, Leathernecks!)

6) By 1960, The Hilltoppers' records weren't selling anymore. But they continued to perform and in 1970 they became the house band at The Holiday Inn in Fort Walton Beach, FL. They were so popular with tourists that they played at that Holiday Inn for years. When did you last stay in a hotel, motel or airbnb? Last month, my friend Elaine and I stayed at a budget motel in Springfield, IL. She chose it, believing that the hotel we stayed at in 2022 just wasn't worth the money. Note to self: Don't let Elaine book the hotel. The elevator smelled like weed. When I turned on the fan for the shower, the bathroom smelled like weed, too. Worst of all, when I closed the bathroom door I found the previous guests' dirty towels on the hook. EW! ICK! On the other hand, it was safe and the bed was comfortable and it was $65 cheaper than my choice. So there's that. (I did spray every available surface with Lysol or alcohol.)

7) In 1953, the year this recording was popular, the Eisenhowers moved into The White House. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower was known for her down-to-earth style. For example, she often shared her recipe for Million Dollar Fudge, saying that since it's easy to make and foolproof, she recommended her fudge as the perfect hostess gift. When you're invited to someone's home, do you bring a hostess gift? Depends on the occasion. If it's a barbecue or a party, I'll offer to help my hosts by bringing a dish a or a bottle of liquor. If it's just-only me, well, I like to think that my sparkling personality is enough. Besides, my friends and I like to meet up at restaurants and bars, anyway. It's a good way to support local businesses, and no one has to clean up afterward.

 

8) Also in 1953, radio personality Arthur Godfrey made news for having one of the nation's very first hip replacements. Have you/would you ever be part of a clinical trial, either for a new drug or medical procedure? I don't think so. A former co-worker of mine is very proud of being in a trial for a breast cancer drug and takes great pleasure thinking of the other women she helped. I'm not sure I'd be that courageous.

 9) Random question -- Do you fold your socks or roll them? Roll.