Me & the Boss -- Together again!

I'm seeing BROOOOOOOCE tomorrow. That would be Tuesday, the 12th. It will technically be tomorrow because as I write this, it's nearly 1:00 AM Monday morning.

I'm belatedly excited about tomorrow night because I got the ticket back in February. I was so focused on getting in to The United Center, so pleased with my seat (ground floor, and I paid face value, thank you very much!), that I kinda forgot about the reality of enjoying the show.

Here's the setlist for his recent concert (University Park, PA). I must not get too excited about those fabulously cool encores because he's been known to switch those up. The E Street Band is, at heart, a bar band. While I love the idea of hearing "Bobby Jean" and "Devil with the Blue Dress" live again, I'd also love to hear "Rosalita," "Expressway to Your Heart" (yes, they're covering that 1960s classic), "Mustang Sally," and "Thunder Road"* close the show.

Badlands
Out In The Street
Outlaw Pete
She's The One
Working On A Dream
Seeds
Johnny 99
The Ghost Of Tom Joad
Raise Your Hand
Ramrod
My Generation
Spirit In The Night
Waitin' On A Sunny Day
The Promised Land
The Wrestler
This Life
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
The Rising
Born To Run

Hard Times
Jungleland
Land Of Hope And Dreams
American Land
Bobby Jean
Detroit Medley
Wooly Bully

To those of you who aren't Bruce fans, and who feel that I've been speaking in tongues, I apologize. I'll be okay once I'm in possession of a tour shirt. (Preferably this one.) Then perhaps I can cease what one Chicago critic called "bovine Broooocing."

* To my mind, the most romantic song ever written. Maybe it's because I'm scared and I'm thinking that maybe I ain't that young anymore. "Show a little faith, there's magic in the night." Sigh. Brooooce. Double-sigh.

Sunday was cancelled

Deleted from my diet/exercise regimen, that is.

I've done very well at tracking my calorie intake and exercise at The Daily Plate at Livestrong.com (sample page shown above). I have been working out weekly with a trainer and have taken what I've learned and revised the way I exercise on my own. I am committed to getting stronger and healthier.

But I am not obsessed.

I got into this with the encouragement of my best friend, who is determined to finish the Boulder Bolder (a 10k race at the end of this month) in less than 60 minutes. I, however, am not training for a race. I'm changing the way I eat and move for a lifetime.

So if today I have a pair of mimosas at lunch with my mom (and I did), if I have eclairs and cheesecake and strawberry shortcake in the same day (and I did), if I take a cab from my front door instead of hoofing it to the bus stop (and I did), all is not lost. I will begin again tomorrow.

On second thought, I think I'll do a few sit ups before bed. I'm not obsessed, but I am motivated. A much better approach.

A Special Lunch for Mommy & Me

Today we celebrated Mother's Day. Because of my mom's recent illness, the day felt especially poignant and meaningful.

She loves, LOVES Barack Obama, often beginning her comments about him with, "Not since JFK … " So I got her the Time Magazine coffee table book about his campaign and inauguration, and her very own Barack Obama action figure. I also gave her a Subway gift card so she can treat my niece and nephew to lunch next time they come over. (Subway is several blocks up the street, so it will be good exercise for my mom and healthy for the kids.)

Then we went to a special Mother's Day brunch. It was fancier than her usual lunch haunts, with free mimosas for both of us (I drank hers while she had decaf) and a pair of complimetary roses for her. She went up to the buffet twice -- taking pork and dumplings the first trip and salmon and salad the second time. For dessert, we both had strawberry shortcake. It was great to see her eat and eat AND EAT!!! (My sister's family took her out to dinner yesterday, too!)

We talked a lot. When she was really sick and kind of out of it, she referred to everyone's pet (hers, mine, my sister's, my uncle's) by the name of her girlhood cat. She didn't remember doing that, but it didn't surprise her. She explained how much that cat meant to her, and why. I also heard tales about the other pets she and my uncle had while growing up.

Then we talked frankly about her illness. She has COPD and emphysema. She gets it now. She will always have to take special care of herself now, from here on out. Every day. It doesn't have to stop her from doing things she wants to do, but she will have to change her day-to-day life. She explained that she was in denial at first. She thought that if she resisted what the doctors told her, she wouldn't be letting her condition get to her. She realizes now it was crazy, but she was being honest and I appreciate that. It explains so much about her frustrating behavior after she came home from the hospital.

Most of all, she promised that we would do this again next year. That was her wonderful gift to me, even though Mother's Day is her day.

Sunday Stealing

1. What is on the walls of your room? Since I live alone, every room is my room. Thomas McKnight is my favorite artist, and I've got 3 of his prints displayed throughout my home.

2. What type of music do you listen to? Lately I've been listening to a lot of Bruce Springsteen since I'm seeing him this coming Tuesday. (Yea!)

3. What do you want more than anything right now? To be thin.

4. Do you get scared in the dark? I have, but not often.

5. What's you worst fear? Suffering in a plane crash.

6. If you could anything right now, what would it be? Talk to my best friend.

7. What’s the meaningful gift that you’ve received? My friend Kathleen gave me the press plate for the front page of the Chicago Tribune announcing Obama won.

8. Do you have a crush? Yes!

9. Who is your favorite celebrity? Favorite? Um … I'm Team Aniston. Does that count?

10. Could you fall in love with someone that you know must leave? Yes.

11. Share a favorite quote of yours. From Groucho Marx: "East is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does."

12. What’s your weakness? Complete lack of discipline.

13. Do you believe that we all have a soul mate? Yes.

14. What were you doing before Sunday Stealing? Putting clean towels in the bathroom.

15. What do you get complicated about the most? I can be pretty complicated all on my own, nothing/no one needs to "get" me that way.

16. What turns you off the most from a potential partner? Smoking

17. What is you worst habit? I'm a slob.

18. When was the last time that you were jealous? This past week.

19. Have you ever had a “friend with benefits?" Yes.

20. Do you use sarcasm? Use it for what?

21. At the moment, what’s your favorite song? "I Will." The Beatles

22. What is you favorite day of the year? My birthday.

23. Describe your love life. Non-existent

24. When was your last one night stand? I've never had one.

25. How many past lovers are too many? For what?

Sunday Stealing: The 2 for 1 Meme

Enjoying MY Day

Emphasis on the "MY." I've had a lovely alone day. Went out for breakfast, left a contribution behind at the local food pantry, spent an hour with my trainer, did a wee bit of grocery shopping, and parked myself on the sofa to enjoy the Law & Order: SVU marathon. (I love watching Olivia and Elliott.)

I had kind of a rough week. Tough times at work -- lay-off rumors combined with a less-than-stellar client presentation. A little low-energy personally, with my best friend away for the week. Even rough for the Cubs, with Aramis Ramierez taking a tumble and dislocating his shoulder. (Ouch!) He'll be out for 3-4 weeks.

Alone time helps me heal. Tomorrow I'll spend with my mom, enjoying Mother's Day. I'll enjoy it more if my personal battery is recharged.

My how time flies when you're antsy

So you don't like the word "antsy?" Of course you don't. No one seems all that crazy about anything I write this week. Choose your own synonym: Fidgety, nervous, discontented, uncomfortable, peevish. They all apply.

Our team is not working together as a team, and mistakes are being made. I don't know which came first -- the fractiousness or the fuck-ups. Since my creative concepts have been the ones that have been chosen lately, it's my projects that have endured the lion's share of problems. No one's mood is improved by the rumors of another round of lay offs.

Oh well, I'm having my customary Friday afternoon beer. That means the workweek is over and I can go home to watch the Cubs take on the Brewers. Sunday will be a big day, too, celebrating Mother's Day. It's more poignant and meaningful this year because of my mother's recent illness.

I hate it when this happens!

Had a rough day at work. Our client requested that we present our latest creative over the phone and on the web instead of in person -- they banned travel to and from their offices to help stem exposure to swine flu. We have never done it this way before, and it was impossible to tell if they liked the work or not.

This makes me nervous because lay-off rumors are swirling again. It would have been nice to be able to enthusiastically say to myself, "At least the client loves my work, so that might keep me safe." But right now I honestly can't.

I got home a little later than usual, watched Grey's Anatomy and then dozed off on the sofa.

DAMN!

I wanted to catch the end of the Cubs game (they beat Houston for the second night in a row!) and the late night repeat of Oprah's interview with Elizabeth Edwards. Missed them both.

What's worse, it's after 2:00 AM and now I'm wide awake!

GRRR!

Thursday Thirteen #107 -- "Gone too soon" edition

THIRTEEN CELEBRITIES
I HAVE OUTLIVED

There's a running joke between my old friend John and me, stolen from a greeting card: "Congratulations on your birthday. Now you can't die young."

We laugh at this because neither of us ever imagined living to be over 50, much less being happy and (reasonably) healthy over 50. Part of our attitude toward growing old came from the icons we admired who died young and tragically. There's so much romantic "what might have been" attached to these people that staying young forever had an undeniable appeal.

Here are 13 whose deaths seem especially poignant to me. Today I find it sobering that of the 13, there were 5 drug overdoses, 4 murders, 3 violent accidents and only one who died from natural causes.

Brian Piccolo – Chicago Bears running back – Cancer in 1970 – 26 years old.*

Janis Joplin – Singer – Drug overdose in 1970 – 27 years old

John Belushi – Comedian – Drug overdose in 1982 – 33 years old

Marilyn Monroe – Movie icon – Drug overdose in 1962 – 36 years old

Diana, Princess of Wales – Car accident in 1997 – 36 years old

John F. Kennedy, Jr. – Magazine publisher – Plane crash in 1999 – 38 years old

Martin Luther King, Jr. – Humanitarian – Murdered in 1968 – 39 years old

John Lennon – Music legend – Murdered in 1990 – 40 years old

Bobby Kennedy – Attorney General, US Senator – Murdered in 1968 – 42 years old

Elvis Presley – The King – Drug overdose in 1977 – 42 years old

Natalie Wood – Actress – Drown in 1981 – 43 years old

John F. Kennedy – 35th President of the United States – Murdered in 1963 – 46 years old

Judy Garland – Movie star – Drug overdose in 1969 – 47 years old

* About Brian Piccolo. He's such a part of the fabric of this town that I forget everyone isn't familiar with this story! Brian inspired Brian's Song, the made-for-TV movie starring James Caan and Billy Dee Williams. He was a promising football player who happened to hit the big leagues with the same team at the same time and the same position as a genuine superstar, Gale Sayers. They were competitors for sure, with Sayers always winning, but they were also very close friends. At that time in America, they were the only black/white roommates in the NFL. Sadly, Brian received hate mail that referred to him as an "n-lover" for willingly sharing his room on the road with a black man -- even a black man as acclaimed as Gale Sayers. Brian treated the racially sensitive situation with enthusiasm, optimism, grace and good humor. He took this same approach to his brave battle with cancer -- embryonal cell carcinoma, to be exact. (Research supports that this cancer has a strong genetic component, so if this isn't a "natural cause," Betty, I don't know what is.) He was so beloved by the Bears, and all of Chicago, that the Halas family willingly took care of the family he left behind -- wife Joy, and three little girls (all under the age of 6 when their daddy died). To borrow from Jeannie Morris, who wrote Brian's biography, A Short Season, the most important thing about Brian wasn't how he died, but how he lived -- and oh, how he lived. I was in junior high as his story unfolded, both in the newspapers and then in Brian's Song, and his close and inspirational friendship with Gale Sayers had a profound and wonderful influence on the way my classmates and I thought of race. Looking back on his life now, when I'm nearly twice his age at the time of his death, I am awestruck by how much love and wisdom he exhibited in his exuberant and funny way. Some people are natural teachers, and I believe God gave us all the short life of Brian Piccolo so we could learn from him.

To participate yourself, or to look up more TT participants, visit the new hub (thursday-13.com).

Is it OK that I find this funny?

So Miss California -- you know, the inarticulate lass* who claims that mean homos cost her the Miss USA crown and then went on to champion the rights of "opposites" who want to marry -- may lose her crown. The sanctimonious girl who has turned her stumbling, bumbling response into 15 minutes of Religious Right fame kinda sorta lied to pageant officials. Seems she forgot to tell them she posed topless. Then, when a half-naked photo appeared online, she said she posed only once, as an audition for the Victoria's Secret catalog, and there were no other topless shots of her out there. Until more surfaced.

Gee, Miss California, I believe you shouldn't lie to pageant officials to get a shot at the Miss USA crown. Let me put it in a way you'll understand: I think that I believe that a person should tell the truth. No offense to anyone out there but that's how I was raised and that's how I think it should be between a beauty contestant and her pageant.

Dumb ass.

*Here's the quote from her televised pageant Q&A. She's a rambling idiot, and what's worse, she's not aware that most Gay Americans cannot choose whether or not to marry. "I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land that you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage and, you know what, in my country and my family I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anyone out there but that's how I was raised and that's how I think it should be between a man and a woman." It's possible that she lost not because of her views, but because she's a shitty public speaker who can't construct a logical, coherent answer under pressure.

I didn't feel like working out tonight ...

... but I did it! 30 minutes of cardio, 24 sit ups and 32 steps up and back. Somehow, making myself go and work up a sweat when I didn't really want to made the workout feel more important.

Idol Observation

It's Rock Week, and I'm pretty ambivalent about it.

Adam does Zeppelin. His performance was pretty straight up -- theatrical, but still of the Robert Plant school -- and I was disappointed. Adam's the guy who did a sitar-based "Ring of Fire" and performed last week as though he were the offspring of an unholy union between Sinatra and Elvis. I hoped he would do something equally original with "Whole Lotta Love," and he didn't. His vocal was impressive, but it was just so ... classic-rock-cover-expected. All four judges would tell you I'm full of shit.

Alison does "Cry, Baby." I completely loved the original and this was a little too similar. Alison isn't Janis and she suffered by comparison. But she's only 17, and Janis packed years-more maturity and pain into it. It was fine.

Kris does "Come Together." I'm a huuuuuuuge Beatle fan, and it's from that perspective I say this song is overdone and besides, it can only really be done by John. Performed by anyone else, the lyrics seem less trippy and more stupid. Reminds me of when the Brady Kids sang "American Pie."

Danny did Aerosmith. His version of "Dream On" was much, much better than I expected. Because my expectations were lower for Danny, I think I liked it more than I liked Adam's. Especially since, as with Adam, the judges would tell you I'm full of shit.

Who should go home? Kris.

Who will go home? Tough one. Maybe Allison. Kris has the teen angel thing going. Danny has superior vocals and he has the sensitive-widower-thing going. Adam is the most talented of the group and definitely my favorite, but after last week when he landed in the bottom two, I'm not sure America is ready for him.

Sounds sophisticated, don't it?

Your Soap Opera Name is Dara Courtney Reardon

The Third

What's Your Soap Opera Name?

Ryan Theriot Is Hot

At the plate, I mean. Tonight he got another homerun, and looked especially yummy doing it. CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!

McDreamy wants me

Really. That was the dream I had. Somehow, Dr. Derek Shepherd and I were cast as leads in a play that benefited some community organization. Meredith was upset about the sparks between us. I seem to recall that it was Shakespeare, and while we got to kiss in character, we never got down to actual lovemaking. (Perhaps that's why he looks so melancholy in this photo.)

So we were both horny AND honorable. I like that in a dream. This dream was definitely more upbeat than the bittersweet one I had about Dr. Doug Ross.

According to dreammoods.com, to appear in a play "represents the parts" I play in real life "and the personae" I put on. To dream of kissing someone else's boyfriend indicates my wish "to be in a relationship and experience the energy of love." Yes, he does stimulate my longing for "the energy of love."

Can you say "oink?"

Just in time for Elizabeth Edwards' book tour, her husband has put his foot into another humiliating pile of crap. He's under investigation to see if he diverted any of his 2008 campaign funds to his mistress to keep her "from going public."

I think Elizabeth Edwards is a great lady, and my heart breaks for her. (And no, considering the nature of this scandal and the timing in conjunction with her book tour, I do not believe she was "in on it.")

Aloha!

My best friend takes off tomorrow for Hawaii. He and his wife and celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary in Maui, where they spent their honeymoon.

This is a big deal because it's hard to keep a family together in this day and age, and they have achieved it. Even more, it's a big deal because this trip came together very quickly. Originally -- and until last Wednesday -- they were celebrating in Puerto Vallerta. When the government officially advised against travel to Mexico, they scrambled to develop Plan B (and I let out a huge sigh of relief because he's diabetic and at higher risk for influenza).

I am glad they are pleased with their plans. I hope they have a wonderful and romantic time. But selfishly I will miss him enormously when he's incommunicado.

I've missed him

Today, the Cubs are retiring the number of my personal favorite Cub of all time -- The Professor, Mad Dog himself, Greg Maddux. He shares the honor will another fabulous Cub great, Ferguson Jenkins. They both wore 31 on their backs, and were #1 with the fans in the bleachers. They both celebrated their 3000th strike outs as Cub pitchers. I was there on that rainy night to see my beloved future Hall of Famer get his.

I admire and appreciate Fergie. I grew up on him.

I LOOOOOVE Greg Maddux. He came to the Cubs as a pup, a draft pick, a rookie, and grew to be one of the best fielding pitchers ever. (And the 8th winningest pitcher in the history of the game.) He had that little 11-year interlude with the Braves (they are retiring his jersey in July), but he came back to us. It's indicative of how frequently the Cubs break our hearts that we let him get away twice.

This has been the first season in decades that I haven't been following his career. I miss him so much. I'm glad his number will be flying forever above The Friendly Confines, along with Sandberg's (my grandma's favorite Cub of all time), Sweet Swingin' Billy Williams', Mr. Cub Ernie Banks', and Ron Santo's. Oh yeah, and Fergie, too. I'm honored to have seen them all play. They're all my guys and treasure them all.

I just love Greg Maddux most of all. He's grayer and a bit heavier than last time he stood on Wrigley Field, but damn I'm happy to see him. Welcome home.

Sunday Stealing

First Job: Babysitting while I was in high school

First Real Job: Secretary

First Favorite Politician: Walter Mondale. His was the first Presidential campaign I've ever worked on.

First Car: A 1969 green Impala

First Record/CD: Love Me Do/PS I Love You by the Beatles

First Sport Played: Kickball

First Concert: Bobby Sherman

First Foreign Country Visited: Canada

First Favorite TV Show: Lassie

First Favorite Actor: Michael Landon as Little Joe Cartwright

First Favorite Actress: Sally Field as Gidget

First Girlfriend/Boyfriend: Rich

First Encounter with a Famous Person: I saw Black Hawks great Stan Mikita shopping at Dispensa's Castle of Toys.

First Brush With Death: My next door neighbor died when I was in grade school and my parents brought me to his wake

First House/Condo Owned: This one. Before this, I rented.

First Film Seen: Mary Poppins

First Favorite Recording Artist: The Beatles

First Favorite Radio Station: WLS

First Book I Remember Reading: Nurse Nancy

First Meme You Answered on Your Blog: Thursday Thirteen


To play along yourself:
Sunday Stealing: The Twenty Firsts Meme

Better with time

I'm watching The Man from UNCLE, one of my favorite shows when I was a little girl. It was one of my favorites because I thought these two were hotties. It's obvious to me now, 40 years later, that I clearly had no idea what I was watching.

The plots are complicated, violent, over the top and drenched in Cold War paranoia. I couldn't have comprehended all that. I was right about these two, though. They still are very attractive. And the interplay between them is priceless.

Agent Solo is forever optimistic. No matter how bad the situation is, how sadistic the torture he faces, how inevitable his demise appears, he is always sure that somehow, some way, it will all work out in the end. Right will triumph, and he will live to fight another day, to romance the girl, and to wear another really nice suit.

Agent Kuraykin is the brooding pessimist. His dress is more casual, as befits a man who is more concerned with intellectual pursuits. His attitude toward his assignments is that if it can go wrong, it will. Perhaps that's why he's always more willing to rush in and rescue Napoleon than Solo is to rush in rescue him. While Solo is the more flagrant ladies man, Ilya does pretty well with the girls, too.

Napoleon and Ilya seem to genuinely like one another, and share the kind of day-to-day, workaday bond that coworkers share. They frequently ask one another what's up, and shake their heads over the unreasonable behavior of their boss, as though they worked in neighboring cubicles instead of for a supersecret intelligence agency dedicated to protecting the free world from tyranny. They're hip, dry and funny.

Enjoying the moment

Right now, at this very moment, I am happy.

• I had my session with my personal trainer. While it was tough, it wasn't as bad as last week and now that it's behind me and I'm showered and fresh, I'm so grateful for the exertion.

• Cubs are on the verge of 2 in a row over the Marlins. I'm watching Ryan Theriot at bat, and my every thought about him is impure.

• The sun is out and the sky is blue.

• I love my Brueggar's Smoked Salmon Softwich -- and I have been reassured by the Daily Plate that I can enjoy it without guilt because I'm still within my daily caloric limits.

Life is good, is it not? I want to just relax and enjoy it.

Saturday 9 -- Settling the Score

1. Do you feel that you have “a score to settle” with anyone? Not anymore. As usually happens, the karma train took care of her. I'm thinking of a former co-worker, emphasis on the "former," the one I used to call The Freakazoid Bitch. It took a while, but ultimately the powers that be at work recognized how divisive and ineffective her management style is.

2. Do you own anything that you think is unbreakable? My initial response is "Reynaldo's indomitable spirit." Only I learned long ago that one never owns a cat, you share your home with him.

3. Tell us about a crazy thing you did in high school. During the middle of the night at a late-autumn sleepover, I took a dare and dove into the family's not-yet-drained pool. It was filthy and filled with plant life (I still remember opening my eyes under water and have never seen that particular sickly shade of green, before or since) and soooo cold. It was crazy and stupid and even dangerous, but my 15-year-old honor was in tact. (I know, I know -- big deal.)

4. Name the one talent of yours that you think is the best. Writing has always come easily, and now I make my living doing it.

5. Who wins American Idol? (if you don’t watch, tell us about a reality show that you do follow.) Adam! AdamAdamAdamAdam. (I like Adam.) I used to make fun of American Idol, but now I accept that it is more than a show, it's Life.

6. What is your favorite movie in black & white? My Man Godfrey.

7. What is one thing advertised too much on TV? The Snuggie.

8. What is your current favorite TV drama? Law & Order: SVU. Elliott and Olivia.

9. What is your current favorite TV comedy? Nancy Grace on HLN. Oh, you mean she doesn't mean to be funny?

Saturday 9: Settling the Score

Beer and baseball

I've been pretty busy at work lately, which is why I haven't been posting or commenting as much as usual. As workplaces go, I realize this is a pretty congenial sweatshop. For example, there's free beer every Friday afternoon. And, since my computer has a pretty powerful modem, it's easy for me to keep track of my beloved Cubs on mlb.com.

Beer and baseball go together, don't they? Like "rama lama lama ke ding a de dinga a dong." Or is it more like, "shoo bop shoo wadda wadda yipitty boom de boom?" (OK, perhaps I have seen Grease too many times.)

Thursday Thirteen #106 -- By the Numbers

THIRTEEN STATS
ABOUT ONE GAL'S MUSINGS

In May 2009, this humble blog will celebrate its third birthday. In honor of that auspicious event -- and because after more than 100 TT's, it's hard to come up with new ideas -- I am devoting this week's Thursday Thirteen to my online journal and clandestine window to the world.

1) My profile has been viewed 2,700 times.

2) This is my 1,968th post.

3) According to my own labels, the most oft-discussed topic here is baseball (205 posts).

4) The post that received the most comments (44) is Thursday Thirteen #56 -- 13 of my favorite products.

5) The Thursday Thirteen that got the fewest comments (1 is the loneliest number) is the Thirteen Best Supremes Songs.

6) In the last 20 days, the post that has received the most hits is "It was on again this morning," my tirade against killer/narcissist/faux-feminist Bette Broderick way back in 2006. Someone visited this page again on Wednesday, 4/29/09.

7) Likewise, the most popular keyword search that brings people to this blog is tied to "It was on again this morning." The keyword is "Linda Kolkena," one of Bette's victims. 85.3% of new visitors to my blog this past month have found it through Linda.

8) Some of the weirder keywords include: "shirtless photos of the Osmond Brothers" and "gal fucking dressed up." That last person must have been very disappointed when he arrived at my blog.

9) Of those who used search engines to find me, 86% used Google.

10) In an average day this blog receives 44 visitors.

11) 73% leave as soon as they arrived (5 seconds).

12) 78% of my readers are from the good old US of A.

13) But in I had one hit each from Finland, Taiwan, Italy, Brazil, Denmark, Peru, New Zealand, Belgium, Turkey, Croatia and Argentina. This makes me feel truly international.

To participate yourself, or to look up more TT participants, visit the new hub (thursday-13.com).

My latest obsession

Everyone in the world should go to LIVESTRONG.COM and sign up for The Daily Plate!

This terrific site helps you set your own calorie and fitness goals, based on your age/gender/weight. Then it gives you the tools you need to track your own diet. You enter not only what you eat each day, but also everything you do. It analyzes how many calories you take in vs. how many you burn, and gives you a breakdown on what you eat.

For example, Quaker was outside of the building this morning, distributing free samples of their Chocolately Drizzle Mini Delight rice cakes. I entered that yummy little bag onto my "plate" and found that the 90 calories, 4 grams of fat, 30 mg. of sodium, 14 grams of carbs, etc., were automatically credited to the day's plate.

It's easy, it's interesting (you burn on average 120 calories/30 minutes by changing your sheets), and really very helpful.

BEST OF ALL, IT'S FREE!

Idol Observation

I always agreed with Simon, until tonight. I heard Matt indulge his way through a mannered, synthetic rendition of "My Funny Valentine." Amazingly, Simon thought it was authentic, with hints of Nat King Cole. Really? Oh-kaaaaay ...

I enjoyed everyone else. Kris was an adorable, fresh-faced sincere puppy on "Just the Way You Look Tonight." Alison surprised me with a straight up "Someone to Watch Over Me," which used her youth to a touching advantage.

This week, as last week, belonged to Danny and Adam. Danny was attractively alpha on "Come Rain or Shine," kicking it straight through the goal posts. Adam reminded me of Freddie Mercury as he sauntered down the steps singing "Feeling Good." He succeeded at every ambitious twist and turn Matt tried.

Buh-bye, Matt.

Just not destined to work out

My solid blue flats are a mess, with irreparably scuffed toes. I have two pair of cute Roxys (which remind me of my Vans from back in the olden days), but they are multicolored and sometimes I must dress like a sedate, responsible businesswoman and that calls for navy pumps.

So I found these on Zappos. And promptly ordered them. They were more than I could afford at the moment, but navy flats are hardly a frivolous expense, especially because I believe I'm meeting with the client next week.

However, I ordered them way too promptly because no sooner had I hit "send" than I discovered I already had a pair of almost-new navy flats (each with a tassel!). So I didn't need these new beauties.

But Zappos is so damn nice! I got an email saying they had upgraded and expedited the shipping on my new purchase. Then, for my convenience, I got a tracking number. Zappos is more than holding up their end of the deal, so how could I not keep the shoes?

They arrived today, and they pinch. Yes, I'm wearing heavier socks than I normally would, but still, if they hurt I won't wear them. So back they must go.

Me and the navy Trotters -- an infatuation that will never go any further. Sigh.

A Command Performance

Mimi has bestowed this lovely award on me. Naturally, I am honored, and honor-bound to follow the directions: "The Honest Scrap award comes with a caveat or 2. Firstly you have to tell your readers 10 things about you they may not know, but that are true. Secondly you have to tag 10 people with the award."

1) When I was 15, I loved Cubs first baseman Joe Pepitone so much that I cried when he was traded. And I'm not a crier. It was devastating. (I had this baseball card.)

2) I wear black only when I'm feeling especially lazy. It's really not a good color on me, leaves me looking washed out, but it goes with everything.

3) "Just the Way You Are" is one of those dumb songs that gets me every time. I know that Billy Joel left that particular muse two wives ago. I know it's a favorite of every wedding singer and karaoke crooner. But someone gave it to me once because it reminded him of me -- "I just want someone that I can talk to. I want you just the way you are." Verklempt!

4) I enjoy the show Morning Joe on MSNBC so much that I nearly ordered Joe Scarborough's book. Then I saw the title: The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America's Promise. Oh well, never mind. Still, it's a refreshing show if you enjoy lively political discourse with humor but without incivility.

5) I ordered a pair of navy pumps from Zappos because I thought I had scuffed my only pair beyond the point of repair. Then I discovered I already had another, almost new pair. I really must clean out that closet! (I'm keeping the new ones.)

6) Up until today, when I looked it up, I had no idea where Aruba is.

7) I miss the show Kate and Allie.

8) Bob Hope never made me laugh. Not once. And he lived to be 100! A full century of not making me laugh.

9) If someone wrote my biography, I wonder what the turning points of my life have been. I believe I lack the perspective to recognize these things when they're happening.

10) I still haven't figured out how to hook up my DVD player.

Thanks to Mimi for tagging me. I must get back to work now, but will return later to tag.

Mom Update

She's SCRUBBING in the kitchen! It began with her discovering that her kitchen sink was stopped up. Once she fixed that, she noticed that the sink really needed a good cleaning and from there it hit her that the kitchen just looked neglected and she was inspired to get on it.

Saturday night she went to my sister's house to watch my niece and nephew play with their new WII.

She's come a long way in a little more than a week. Being more active makes her happy and I'm proud of her.

Hey, Chicago, what do you say? Cubs are gonna win today!

Put those brooms away! The Cubs spanked the Cardinals 10-3, and the four-game skid is finally over. Congratulations to Kosuke Fukodome, who had a terrific day at the plate today, his birthday. I imagine it will be a happy team that flies out to Arizona tonight.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Mud Meme

1. What are your current obsessions? My diet and exercise. I don't know how long this enthusiasm will last, but it's certainly better for me than some of my obsessions in days gone by.

2. Which item from your wardrobe do you wear most often? Jeans

3. What's for dinner? For Sunday dinner I plan on having meat of some sort. Sausage on my pizza, perhaps a juicy burger ...

4. Last thing you bought? Movie ticket for State of Play.

5. What are you listening to? Law & Order: SVU.

6. If you were a god/goddess who would you be? You mean I'm not a goddess?

7. Favorite holiday spots? Key West for New Year's Eve.

8. Reading right now? Go Down Together, the real story of Bonnie and Clyde.

9. 4 words to describe yourself. Strong, sentimental, optimistic, and short.

10. Guilty pleasure? Celebrity gossip. US, People, Showbiz Tonight, etc.

11. Who or what makes you laugh until you’re weak? My oldest friend. She just has a way of cracking me up.

12. Planning to travel to next? Key West for New Year's Eve.

13. Best thing you ate or drank lately? Steak sandwich at lunch Thursday. Yummy!

14. When did you last get tipsy? I mixed myself a pair of too-strong cran and vodkas one day after work nto that long ago.

15. Care to share some wisdom? If you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does.

16. Nicest thing anyone’s ever said to you? My best friend told me how easy I am to talk to.

See this movie

It's exciting and relevant and very well-written (the last plot twist took me completely by surprise, yet in retrospect it makes sense). I forget what a good actor Rusell Crowe is. His celebrity persona annoys me, but it shouldn't get in the way of performances like this one. Rachel McAdams is very good, too. Some of the best lines are Helen Mirren's and Jason Bateman's. Ben Affleck is the weak link, though. He's not bad, he just seems over his head.

If you happen to see Mark Harmon ...

Please tell him that I'm a little in love with him.

Thank you.

Cause for celebration

I completed my goal of 13 workouts this month ... with five days left to go! Today was an especially brutal exercise. My personal trainer, Monette, spent the first of four one-on-one hours with me. Ow! Ow! OW!

I learned how to do the exercises and use the equipment correctly, and how to make my work outs more productive. Also, when we were done, Monette and I had a nice little talk about what my goals are and how I felt about the routine we did today. I told her we are never doing that run up and down the stairs thing because I didn't feel safe, and she promised we'd come up with options I was more comfortable with.

Between this and my obsessive devotion to maintaining my food diary/Daily Plate at Livestrong.com, this should be the first of many small victories to come. I must keep reminding myself that many small victories combine to result in major success in terms of my health and fitness.

Saturday 9 -- A Little Less Conversation

1. If you could have just one more conversation with a person from your past, who would it be? I said something unnecessarily cruel to a former lover while we were breaking up. I was weary in mind and spirit and just wanted the drama of that night to end, so I said something that left scorched earth. I am sooooooo sorry. I wish I could tell him that I really did love him, that I believe he's a good man, that I hope he's happy ... and I am sorry.

2. Do your friends tend to be male or female? Both. No, they're not hermaphrodites. I mean my circle of friends includes a pretty even mix of men and women.

3. What is in your car’s trunk? I don't have car.

4. What was the last CD that you purchased? Live Down the Road by Marcia Ball.

5. What is your favorite movie and why? The Way We Were. Because Streisand is so ferociously her own girl. The movie shows the price she pays for her individualism, and the rewards for maintaining her integrity. Oh yeah, and Redford in Navy whites.

6. If you could wake up with a new talent tomorrow, what would it be? I'd sing like Streisand.

7. What is your favorite day of the week and why? Tuesday. I'm pretty productive at work because I've shaken off the weekend, and then I get home and watch Idol.

8. What are you wearing when you feel you’re at your best? Jeans and a t-shirt. Because that's what I'm almost always wearing.

9. When was the last time cried? I don't remember.

Saturday 9: A Little Less Conversation

Alone vs. Lonely

My art director/partner recently broke up with her fella. This has left her bereft. Trust me, she's not much fun when she has the blues.

Yesterday we attended a scintillating forum devoted to the ins and outs of reverse (yawn) mortgages. On the way there, she asked me if I liked living alone. Without hesitation, I said yes. She hates it.

It became obvious that she feels that since we are both alone, we should do more things together. Like dinner, movies, theater, and picking up men. This is the woman who feels that, with the right clothes and makeup and hair, I may actually get laid again some day. I didn't like where this conversation was going.

She seems to want us to enroll in eHarmony together.

I have no issue with eHarmony. I believe it works for many people. I just don't feel like it. And if I did, I'd do it alone. I know it's old-fashioned, but this gal still believes dating should be a one-on-one activity.