I am shamelessly in love …

… with my new Swiffer wet cloths.

I am a slob, but I'm not dirty, and I hate a dirty kitchen or especially bathroom floor. I don't believe that, in either room, there's any getting around a serious scrubbing with a good disinfectant. And I don't believe that can be done with a mop. That's hands-and-knees work.

But between scrubbings, on those days when wiping away a spot with a damp cloth leaves me feeling like the job hasn't really been done, I will now turn to my Swiffer Sweeper with the wet cloth attached.

Easier than handscrubbing, cheaper than the Swiffer Wet Jet, this is the new love of my life.

UNICEF Update on the Children of Haiti

Text of an email I received directly from UNICEF:

"Rescues Beat Dimming Odds in Haiti"1: this morning's NY Times headline confirms what we reported to you this weekend. Despite overwhelming challenges, UNICEF is saving children in Haiti.

This mobilization would not have been as swift or forceful without the millions of dollars you donated within days of the earthquake.

Children are smaller, weaker and more vulnerable and almost half of Haiti's population is under the age of 18. The 2 million children impacted need clean water, medical care and protection from trafficking and sexual exploitation. UNICEF knows children and knows how to save them. Your support is making this possible.

This weekend, UNICEF was also charged with leading all water, sanitation and hygiene efforts. On Saturday, 40 water tanks delivered drinkable water, enough for 60,000 people in 19 sites. Yesterday, an additional 82 trucks delivered water for 80,000 people. These supplies are critical in order to prevent disease that is all too common in the aftermath of any crisis.

Tonight, UNICEF will be featured on a special two-hour edition of Larry King Live on CNN. The show airs from 8 pm ET to 10 pm ET (US). Special guests will join Larry King on the set and via satellite, including Colin Powell, Ashley Judd, Pete Wentz, Ringo Starr and many others. I hope you'll be able to watch and please spread the word!

Thanks to you, UNICEF is there today, and with your support, will be there long after the news crews leave.

Alisa Aydin
Managing Director, Interactive Marketing
U.S. Fund for UNICEF

P.S. UNICEF has been in Haiti since 1949 and for over 60 years has been responding to disasters to save children. Remind friends and others who want to help that 100% of every dollar donated to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF will go directly to fund relief efforts in Haiti. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF is absorbing all administrative fees associated with handling donations.

1 nytimes.com/2010/01/18/world/americas/18quake.html

GAL'S PERSONAL NOTE: Please give what you can, but I hope you'll remember to support the charities in our own backyards, too. The economic downturn here in the States has been brutal for many of the local organizations that support children and animals. Thanks!

Reading as a sport

The Big Read, an initiative by the National Endowment for the Arts, has estimated that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they’ve printed. (Swiped from Boliyou and Kwizgiver)

My total is 24. How did you do?

1 Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens (I read this against my will in high school, so I can't, in good conscience, include it)
11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (many, not all)
15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
7 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch – George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
34 Emma – Jane Austen
35 Persuasion – Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne
41 Animal Farm – George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown Oh, really! I hated this book! Poorly written. Bleh!
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 The BFG - Roald Dahl
45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding
50 Atonement – Ian McEwan
51 Black Beauty - Anne Sewell
52 Dune – Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville (See Great Expectations note above)
71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
72 Dracula – Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses – James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal – Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession – AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince- Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
94 Watership Down – Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

Monday Movie Meme -- Appreciation

Here are films that we have found a greater appreciation for the more times we've viewed them. Share on your blog those movies that get better the more you see them and link back here at The Bumbles.

The Sting (1973). It's hard not to be distracted by the coolest guys who ever lived. But dive into that sea of blue eyes and wallow in their preternatural hipness, get it over with, and then pay attention to the story. The intricate plot is not only rebellious fun, it's very wise about motivations and human nature.

Dressed to Kill (1980). This homage to Hitchcock's Psycho is an exceptionally well made film. Every clue is there. No spoiler here, but let me say that if you watch closely ... really closely ... you can see whodunnit every step of the way.

Marky Mark is now a suburban dad & accountant

I saw The Lovely Bones today, and Mark Wahlberg was a revelation. He played the father who loses his oldest daughter and must solve her murder, must avenge her. It's not machismo that drives him, it's love ... and guilt that he couldn't protect Susie when she was alive. His devotion, confusion and grief are palpable and moving.

And unexpected. I have never been that impressed by his acting before. I thought he was appropriately ridiculous as Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights. He left little impression on me in The Departed -- to me, that movie was about Leo and Matt. But his performance in The Lovely Bones will stay with me.

Stanley Tucci is just as good as his opposite number, the monster who rapes and murders 14-year-old Susie. The scenes between Susie and her neighbor are genuinely harrowing, if not graphic.

I realize this film hasn't gotten very good reviews and I can see why. Peter Jackson's depiction of "In Between" and Heaven are both more visual than spiritual and struck me as superficial. Without a compelling and soulful search for serenity within Susie's heaven, the movie is overwhelmingly sad. And kinda pointless.

Except for the touching portrayal of a man who really loves his daughter.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Trivia About Me Meme

Opening…

Do you get regular massages? I try to get one every 30 to 60 days. My shoulders get soooooo tight from all the time I spend on the computer, and as I get older, I worry more and more about long-term damage to my shoulder/spine/ribs alignment.

Do you have an answering machine? Voicemail.

What cuss word do you use the most? Fuck. It's vulgar but it doesn't take the Lord's name in vain. Also, it's very flexible. (As in that old story about a sailor describing his unseaworthy ship by saying, "The fucking fucker's fucked.")

Are you underweight or overweight? I'm a tub of guts.

Can you see your veins? Yes. I hope to get the ones on my legs repaired a bit this spring.

Favorite…

Soap? Dove

Fruit? Banana

Kind of red meat? Ribeye steak

Fish? Salmon

Candy bar? It changes. Right now, Snickers

Have You Ever…

Eaten a whole bag of potato chips? Of course.

Eaten lobster? Yum. Yes.

Climbed a mountain? If climbing the half mile to the top of Hot Springs Mountain and then up the Observation Tower counts, then yes.

Been skydiving? No. But I may. Sounds fun.

Been water skiing? No. Sorry, but it doesn't interest me.

Do You…

Wish you could change something about your life? Goodness, yes! So many things.

Like your nose? Yes. It's turned up and cute.

Like salt and vinegar chips? No.

Eat salsa? No. I don't like spicy food.

Own a boat? No. They sound like a lot of work, but I wish I had a friend who had a boat.

What Is…

A small thing that people let slide but that actually has dire consequences? Cell phones while driving

Your most macho trait? My high pain threshold
The longest relationship you’ve ever had? Almost 8 years

Your most embarrassing thoughts? No comment. Too embarrassing.

Your most shameful moment? I said something very cruel to someone because I was angry. I regretted it the moment it came out.

This/That…

Bath/Shower? Shower most mornings. Bath when I shave my legs.

Markers/Crayons? Wow! As a grown-up, I don't get much opportunity to use either anymore.

Pens/Pencils? Pencils. I change my mind a lot.

Jelly/Cream Cheese? Yes, please. I like them both.

Bagel/Toast? Yes, please. I like bagels and cream cheese and toast with jelly.

Finish…

My greatest weakness is… my lack of discipline

I wish I was… pretty.

Three things I wouldn’t do for a million dollars are… (1) Kill a person; (2) Kill a critter -- insects don't count; (3) Drink coffee every day -- I HATE COFFEE!

The oddest thing I’ve ever put in my mouth is… Judging by the looks I got from the vendor, catsup on my hotdog at the ballpark

Firsts…
Credit card you had? A Harris Bank Visa

Loan you got was for? I used a financing plan for a stereo to establish a credit history

Paycheck was for how much? $108.66

Time you had stitches? I had suspicious moles removed from my back when I was still in preschool. I remember the doctor let me bring my unsanitary but very dear plush Lassie dog with me for the procedure.

Time you went to the hospital for something? I fell down the stairs and broke my clavicle when I was about 6.

Lasts…

List everything you ate in the last 24 hours? Post Selects Great Grains cereal, Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets, cheeseburger and salted-in-the-shell peanuts (instead of fries)

Last thing you used a credit card for? The Amtrak ticket to my Tuesday morning meeting downstate

What was your job previous to the one you have now? Creative Director at a different advertising agency

Last thing you celebrated? Happy New Year!

Last time you were at a sports bar? Infield's, downstairs at Macy's State Street

My Haitian problem

I sent money to UNICEF. I encourage everyone to help our Haitian neighbors as much as they wish to and in the way that feels most comfortable.

But why can't we show this same enthusiasm when it comes to helping those we encounter in our everyday lives?

Yesterday I saw two people on the streets of Chicago that no one was interested in helping. The first was a homeless man, standing under the awning by the el stop, cup in hand, same as always. Commuter after commuter walked past him as though he was invisible. I admit there have been mornings that I not only haven't given him change, I haven't even given him a smile. Friday morning I saw him do an extraordinary thing -- he crumbled up a bit of the empty hamburger bun he was having for breakfast and tossed it to the pigeons. If he could share his "bounty" with other creatures in need, so can I. If I can send money to assist Haiti's children, I can drop some change into the cup of the cold, homeless man whose breakfast is an empty hamburger bun.

The second was a man in a wheelchair, foot in a cast, who was desperately trying to get someone's -- anyone's -- attention outside Union Station. He had arrived on the Amtrak from Florida and was trying to get to the other train station (just a few blocks up the street) and to the friends he's visiting in the Chicago suburbs. But the cold night air triggered his asthma and while he was struggling with his inhaler, someone walked off with his pouch. His phone was gone. His cash was gone. He was so vulnerable and brave, trying to find someone to help him but not exploit him. I dug into my wallet and gave him $14, the petty cash reimbursement I just received a few hours earlier. I wish I could have given him time, too, but I had to get the enormous art boards for Tuesday's presentation home safely and they could NOT be rained upon.

I worry that while everyone opens their hearts to Haiti, they then may have to close their wallets to the charities they normally donate to. So many not-for-profits are already suffering in this economy.

My Haitian problem reminds me of that song from Hair, sung by Three Dog Night. "Easy to Be Hard." I hope that we all don't find ourselves just caring about "the bleeding crowd," and ignoring "the needing friends" in our own lives.

Lyrics | Hair lyrics - Easy To Be Hard lyrics

Apparently I'm Poultry

Last Monday, five days ago, I told my boss that this week was going to be difficult. Not impossible, not even back-breakingly hard, but difficult. I gave him a rundown of why (which, one could reasonably argue, he should have known already), and asked him to coordinate with the account team. After all, I am not a boss.* I have no real authority over any of my coworkers. Except to be a nagging bitch, which gets tiresome. So I wanted him to man up and be the boss.

Most of the week I just kept slogging. I want to do my job well. I respect my client and want to do right by them. I felt I was making compromises to keep the peace in the office because having the days go by uneventfully seems to be what my boss wants. However, I have not always been happy with the quality of product we are cranking out. This is especially distressing to me because we begean the year with unpleasant news about the status of our business.

On Thursday, my boss called me from the road to tell me how things looked on his end and he told me, pleasantly but firmly, that Friday was going to be difficult and he really needed me in before 9:00. I was perplexed because 1) DUH! I knew Friday was going be hard and flagged it to him days ago! and 2) my opposite number, Phil, wouldn't be in until 10:00 because of a long-scheduled dentist appointment. But whatever. I had told my boss I needed him to run things, coordinate things, TO BE THE BOSS and make sure the work got done and was confident he wouldn't let me down.

So imagine my surprise when I got in yesterday at 8:50 and saw my boss walking around rather aimlessly around. "Phil's not here. I mean, I knew that. But what are we going to do till he gets in?"

So the Bossman is asking me? He clearly forgot Phil wouldn't be in for our first, internal creative review. Goodie. Hanging up my coat and changing out of my boots I faked a plan of attack, even though I felt the direction should have been flowing from him to me, not the other way around. I said we could go over my work at 9:00, Phil's at 10:00, and then sit down with the account team at 11:00. He nodded.

So now it's about 9:15. I am collecting the rest of the team -- minus Phil -- to go over our work with our boss before we show it to the account team. The account team that my boss was supposed to talk to earlier this week, to coordinate with days ago. As I head to the conference room, I hear little computer alarms going off in office after cubicle. The account team has set up a meeting from 10:00 to 10:30 to review our work.

That can't happen. My boss has no plan. He has discussed nothing with them.

I have no authority over them. I feel like I spend a portion of every workday trying to get things worked out with a resistant account team and I am tired. I have asked my boss to do it. He has not.

"So we're supposed to meet with the account team without Phil?" I ask, calling out to my boss on my way into the ladies room. It's obvious he hasn't seen the meeting invitation and knows nothing about it. Good, fine. So glad he's on it. So glad he's handling it. So glad he's doing his job?

I slip into the conference room and hear him telling the rest of the team that I am "starting the Chicken Little shit already." He did seem startled to hear my voice over his shoulder, "And here she is, Chicken Little herself."

What I really wanted to say was, "Fuck you."

Neither he nor I acknowledged the embarrassing moment and dove into the work. But I can't tell you how disheartened and pissed I am that HE was angry at ME. For not doing his job to his standards, I guess.

All of us wanted to get out of the office by 5:00 yesterday because it's the beginning of the long MLK weekend. My boss caught his early train by leaving at 4:30. I was on the 6:40. He didn't even review the work with me before he left, so he won't have a chance to compare notes with me before I present it at 1:00 on Tuesday afternoon, down at the clients' office.

Yes, he knows I can handle it all. Yes, he knows I can get it all done. Yes, he knows I'll sell the crap out of the work, even if I'm not 110% confident in it.

But the way I get it all accomplished, I guess, is by riding people and expecting a lot from them and "starting the Chicken Little shit" from word go.

If he doesn't like it, perhaps he should take over from me a bit.

* I was a boss at a previous agency. I hated it so much that I took a $30,000 pay cut to move one rung down the ladder when I took this job. I miss the money but I DO NOT WANT TO BE A BOSS. And if I'm not being compensated for it, I resent having the responsibility.

A Del Amitri Kind of Day

I have had better days here at the old creative plantation. But this Scottish pop band is keeping me sane. I love the tension between their sound (which is upbeat and almost relentlessly hitsville) and their lyrics (which display a certain cynicism).


Not Where Its At

Conan vs. Jay

The news is full of the NBC debacle. Was giving Leno five hours of prime time each week a brave experiment or an unimaginative way to save money? Is Conan's Tonight Show underperforming in the ratings compared to Leno's? Will NBC be sorry if Fox snaps Conan up because Leno's audience is so much older? Has Leno been a weak lead-in for the affiliates who count so heavily on the local news for revenue? Or is the new owner of NBC, Comcast, eager to dump Leno because it's hungry for scripted comedies and dramas that sell better ON DEMAND?

It's all interesting from a marketing and programming POV, but as a viewer? At 10:30 (CST) I'm strictly Colbert Nation.

A good place to give

UNICEF is devoted to "The State of the World's Children," always a noble goal, but especially important now, when we see the devastation in Haiti.

I admit it -- I'm an "America First" kinda girl. If a hurricane, earthquake, tsunami, etc., happens to another country, it doesn't grip me the way Katrina did. When I see celebrities adopting children from far off lands to draw attention to the plight over there, my first impulse is to scream, "There are children in Chicago who could use help, too!"

But this Haitian nightmare has touched even my hard heart. Especially when, this morning, I saw a plane arrive in Port au Prince from Cuba. If Cubans, who have less than we do, can pitch in, so can I.

So I made a donation to UNICEF.

For I'm not only a citizen of the United States, I'm a citizen of the world. And we must help children because they cannot help themselves.

Oh! If only!

You Are More Like Audrey Hepburn

You are classy, stylish, and charming. You are the true definition of grace. Some people may think you're a pushover, but they have no idea how tough you can be. You tend to draw people in with your mind. You are an intelligent and witty flirt. You are effortlessly gorgeous and naturally appealing. No one would accuse you of trying too hard.

Are You More Marilyn or Audrey?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

Distracting myself

I really do have more important things that I should be doing right now. But woman does not live by work alone. So I am taking this respite to marvel that -- at least from this angle -- Greg Maddux once had a pretty good ass.

Now even the most casual reader of this blog must know how I adore my beloved future Hall of Famer. But he's retired now, his 40th birthday is in his rear view mirror, and -- like the rest of us -- there is a bit more of him to love these days. Also, even as a young man, his appeal was more his focus and control and less his physique.

So I forgot that he once had a pretty good ass.

Boys in tight pants -- that really is much of why I miss baseball.

Now, back to the sexy world of financial marketing.

I brought work home with me tonight

But I'm not gonna do it. I already sacrificed NCIS. I missed the season premiere of American Idol! I've given up enough of my own evening for the job! I'm going to curl up with a cat, a can of Coke, and The Good Wife.

He's Back! He's Back! He's Back! He's Back!

Greg Maddux named special assistant to Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry

My beloved future Hall of Famer is returning to the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field! Welcome home, Professor. You are my all-time favorite Cub and summer hasn't been the same without you.

Damn, I miss baseball.

Spooky

I had a doctor's appointment this evening and on the way home, I thought someone was following me too closely. In this weather, I can't tell you gender -- just that this person was wearing a jacket. I stopped and looked in a store window and the person passed me, but then, as I turned down the rather isolated side street leading to my home, the person somehow ended up behind me again.

I truly didn't know what to do. Fortunately a train pulled in and commuter after commuter got off and started walking up the street toward me. I got to the corner, looked around, and my new best friend was somehow gone.

Makes me kinda shiver. On the one hand, I'd rather be safe than sorry. On the other hand, who wants to be paranoid?

Swamped

I find myself sinking in a sea of projects. I'm not complaining -- not after last week's not-so-positive meeting. It's good to be busy! I'm just explaining why I might not be posting so much today.

"Awesome! Great!"

That's what my nephew said when I presented him with a folder of all 50 commemorative quarters. They were a gift for him from my friend Edgardo, the one I visit in Key West. He put a lot of time into the collection, and wanted to share them with someone who would appreciate it. He certainly made a good choice with my nephew.

This afternoon my nephew composed a "thank you" note to Edgardo. At the bottom he included a drawing of himself, on the sofa, being thrilled at the moment he received his gift.

I have a good friend, and a good nephew.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Current Obsessions Meme

Instructions: Answer the Current Obession category and then explain WHY you chose that response.

Book: U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton. I'm a big fan of this mystery series, and if it wasn't for my "no more books" resolution for 2010, I'd have it now.

Snack: Baked Lay's Potato Chips. Fortunately I don't have any in the house. If I did, I'd inhale them. I think it's the salt.

Restaurant: My favorite local coffee shop. Because it's been "closed for remodeling" since Halloween, yet every time I peer in through the picture windows, everything seems exactly the same. (Except for the dead philodendron.)

Beverage: Hot chocolate. I haven't had any yet this winter, and right now it would really hit the spot.

Decor: I hate my bathroom and keep thinking of ways to redecorate it, if I had the money.

Actor: Robert Downey, Jr. I love his voice. Reminds me of an old boyfriend.

Actress: Carey Mulligan. She starred in An Education, a 2009 movie I enjoyed, and she has created a lot of Oscar buzz.

Movie: Valley of the Dolls. A movie that's so bad it's good. I have the DVD and feel like watching it again.

TV show: Before Dallas or Dynasty, there was Peyton Place. It's been fun to watch it again on DVD, snd the early 1960 primetime soap is alternatingly funny and involving.

Hobby: Following the adventures of the Chicago Cubs. They are my team, my guys, and I miss them desperately during the winter.

Band: The Beatles. I have loved them ever since their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.

Song: "My Tears Dry on Their Own" by Amy Winehouse. I'm new to Amy. I had dismissed her as a vulgar strung-out tabloid target. She may be that, but she's much more, too. The heroine of this song is honest and unsparing in her self appraisal,"I should be my own best friend, not fuck myself in the head with stupid men ..."

Meme: Well, I guess it's this one. Completing it seems to have become my life's work.

Blog: My own. It began as a journal. While it's evolved into more than that, and I appreciate the support my online buds have shown me when I have needed it, it still gives me very valuable insights who I was and how I felt at specific moments in time.

Lover: I have been in love three times, unless you count Sir Paul, which would swell the grand total to 4. It's ironic that I haven't been intimate with each man I have loved, nor loved every man I have been intimate with.

Friend: All my friends are my obsession. They are very important to me. Lately I find myself thinking most about Kathleen because she misses her son so much -- he's a freshman at college and while he's thriving in New York, his mom is having a hard time adjusting.

Quote: "The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining," JFK.

Peeve: My own lack of self discipline. It stops me from repairing the roof when the sun is shining.

Sport: Again, my Chicago Cubs. I really don't have the capacity to be obsessed with any other team.

Singer: My ongoing obsession is Sir Paul, of course. But this weekend I have been listening to Elvis a great deal because Friday would have been his 75th birthday.

The Population of Resolution City Goes WILD!

For today, I made good on my 2010 resolutions:

1) Shape up. I devoted 40 minutes to cardio today -- 25 on the stationery bike and 15 swimming. The latter means 15 mins. swimming, not just splashing about in the pool. No one would confuse me with Dana Torres, but I did the breast stroke and the back stroke for 15 minutes.

2) No more bags. My resolve was sorely tempted this morning. My favorite blue purse suffered a broken strap this week and I almost hit "send" when I saw that eBags had similar bags on sale. But no. I decided to see if they can't repair this one at the shoe repair. And if they can't, well, I'll have to make do with the contents of my personal inventory.

3) No more books. Even though there was a most seductive "sale" sign in the window of Border's, I stayed away. Even better, I saved money by getting a free lunch at Bruegger's (salmon softwich and bottle of Tropicana) thanks to a coupon, free admission to It's Complicated (my "buy 7 tickets, get the 8th free" theater punch card) and a free medium popcorn, courtesy of another coupon.

Today I proved to myself that I can indeed make progress toward becoming healthier and wealthier. Let's hear it for the Gal!

I'm not in love. It's just a silly phase I'm going through.

This is Nigel Barker -- fashion photographer and judge on America's Next Top Model. He's got a fabulous, fascinating accent (English but with a touch of something exotic) and a confident, "I own this" manner. He's got an edge but he's not as cutting sharp as Simon on AI. But like Simon, I find myself waiting for his critiques of the models. Nigel is why I'm ANTM-obsessed.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Call Me

1. Who phones you routinely that you never seem to be up to talk to, but you are not ready to push them out of your life? No one anymore. It occurred to me over the holidays that our awkward friendship may be over because I didn't get a holiday card from her. She's nice, but we really don't have anything to talk about.

2. What is something that effects you deeply, to your core, no matter your mood or what else is going on in your life? Music. Certain songs have a way of getting right to my gut. No matter how unhappy or rattled I may be, "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire* can lift my spirits.

3. Tell us of something that relaxes you and always makes you happy. Water. Swimming, soaking in a tub or bubbles, even a quick shower can make me feel better.

4. If you could take the train from anywhere to anywhere, where would 'anywhere' be? I have fantasized about this. Escaping by myself for the weekend by taking the next Amtrak out of Union Station. Not going far, but not going to a predetermined destination -- just deciding when I get to the ticket window. St. Louis ... Kansas City ... Milwaukee ... Minneapolis ...

5. If you could look into the future, how far down the road would you like to see? 10 years? 100 years? A million? I'd like to check in on myself and my loved ones in 10 year intervals. Maybe fly around with The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come for the night.

6. Did you do your shopping online for this Christmas, how did it go? Did things come in on time? Any significant failures? ...and if you didn't, will you consider trying online shopping sometime this year? Everything went well. Special kudos to Signals, who got me the bracelet I ordered my mom just in time.

7. What people or projects are worth your time, money or effort? I'm partial to efforts that help kids and critters, since they can't help themselves. American Humane is an especially worthy organization.

8. Think back when you were in high school. Are you proud of the way you dressed, or do you wish you could go back and change it all? I think I dressed OK. Jeans and tshirts are pretty timeless. It's my hair -- long and so frizzy that it was always either pulled back or held up in barrettes -- that was really awful.

9. Do any of your friends, family or co-workers know about your blogs? For those that do, did you tell them or have they stumbled upon it by themselves? My oldest friend actually stumbled upon it. She's the only one I know who has found it.


*"Ba-de-ya. Say do you remember, ba-de-ya. Dancing in September, ba-de-ya. Golden dreams were shiny days."

Don't just sit there. DO SOMETHING!

Like grab your wallet.

On January 19, the people of Massachusetts go to the polls to elect a new senator to take Ted Kennedy's seat (which had been JFK's before him). Attorney General Martha Coakley is the Democratic candidate. She's having trouble in the polls right now. Apparently her Republican opponent is outspending her and closing the gap between them, despite the fact that Coakley supports:

• Health care reform
• Ending discrimination based on gender, race, national origin, age or sexual orientation
• Developing renewable energy technology
• Veterans' services
• A woman's right to choose

I cannot tell you how upsetting it is to think of someone who doesn't share those views taking Ted Kennedy's seat and voting against health care reform ... or sitting beside John Kerry and not supporting enhanced veterans' services ... or using JFK's senate seat to oppose legislation to guarantee equal opportunity.

Moveon.org says she's being "swiftboated." Maybe that's true, maybe not. I am not slavishly devoted to Moveon and don't always share their POV on things.

I am, however, slavishly devoted to liberal (or progressive, whichever you prefer) causes, and the idea that government should do for the individual what the individual can't do alone.

So I sent a contribution to Martha Coakley. It was only $15, but I have worked on enough campaigns to know that any amount helps, especially this late in the game.

Besides, I couldn't bear to hear the news on January 19 that she lost, knowing I did nothing to help her election.

You and me both, Sister!

This is turning into another one of those days. If only it wasn't both illegal and socially unacceptable to bite and claw your coworkers ...

Not a good way to start the day

My building had no hot water this morning. And the elevator didn't work. And the ATM tried to eat my debit card. Oh yeah, and I learned you can't gain access to the el with a health club membership card.

Damn but this has been the ugliest day of an ugly week.

Happy Birthday, Your Highness

Right now I'm listening to "See See Rider" by The King himself. Don't worry, though. I'll get to "Jailhouse Rock," the song you see him performing here, before the day is over.

Today would have been Elvis' 75th birthday, and it must be observed.

First time this decade

Spent a half hour on the treadmill this evening. Got my heart rate up and burned over 100 calories. Of all the exercises I do, this is my least favorite. Yet, as with just about all my workouts, I'm always glad I did it afterward.

A little romance

It's snowing outside, but I'm warm and cozy here at my desk, eating my oatmeal and enjoying the Lads. I'm listening to the really old, seriously adorable songs -- "She Loves You," "I'll Get You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "This Boy."

These are special not only because of the charming melodies and heartbreakingly innocent lyrics, but because of how these three voices meld.

It feels comfy

I'm not feeling so good. My tummy is bothering me. I stopped at the store on the way home and picked up ginger ale and crackers and Fig Newtons. Now I'm sitting on the sofa, all snug, with my cat Charlotte right here with me. I'm watching Olivia and Elliott on SVU and waiting for the snow to start falling -- I believe that up to 6" are predicted for tonight.

Because of my tummy trouble, I can't honestly say I'm enjoying this. But I am content.

That didn't last long, did it?

Read the post below and you'll see that I was getting all mushy over the job I had in the late 1990s. I realized as I wrote it that I was looking at the past through a rose-colored rear-view mirror, but my feelings were sincere.

Then I got an invitation to connect on Linked In from one of my employees from those days. What a diva he was! I resisted the temptation to respond by saying, "But why? You always thought I was a humorless corporate martinet who stifled your creativity with my slavish devotion to deadlines and budgets." Instead I just deleted it. What's the point? He's 2000 miles away in California, and he should only stay there.

Look what I found!

I didn't even realize I had this at the office!

Back in the days when Ally McBeal was first shown, I realize Vonda Shepard was polarizing. OK, I liked her and everyone else I knew hated her. Well, listening to her today, I still like her and think her rendition of "End of the World" is especially poignant.

I also find myself missing my late 1990s coworkers. Memory is kind, isn't it? For today I only remember the good things vividly and the bad things vaguely.

One singular sensation

From Hotstove.com:

The Baseball Writers Association of America just announced that Andre Dawson will be the only player inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.

Congratulations, to The Hawk!

The Queen's Meme

The Band Meme (aka The Album Cover meme)

I admit it. This frightens me.

Yes, you are the busiest woman EVER

But then why are you always on a personal call when I come in to discuss work with you?

That's the way my thought bubble reads today when I approach the art director I'm partnered with. She's going on a business trip tomorrow morning and will probably be gone two days. She's been talking about this for weeks -- since early December, in fact. She also came in to the office two days last week while I was in Florida. So you would think she would have all her ducks in a row: a plan for getting to her final meeting destination, a hotel picked out, etc.

You would think that, but you would be wrong.

She's also so damn exasperated by the little projects that are reappearing on her plate, requiring final revisions before they go to production. You would think that after yesterday's meeting, she would be thrilled and delighted to have too much on her plate. But you would be wrong.

I could forgive all this if she wasn't on the damn phone, and on personal calls, every time I go in to discuss work with her. And then if she didn't have the audacity to roll her eyes and sigh about how busy she is. After all, she has to leave early today for her counseling appointment! And didn't I realize it was going to be cold and snowy when she traveling?

She's not a kid. She's right behind me in age, knocking on 50. You'd think she'd know advertising is a deadline driven industry, that we're now in competition for our jobs and every project is an opportunity to shine, that one of her gazillion personal calls could be to her shrink to reschedule her appointment, that it's been known to snow during a Chicago winter.

You'd think that, but you would be wrong.

Thanks for listening. Sometimes I think the blogosphere actually helps me keep my temper and prevents me from doing her bodily harm.

Today's pick to click

I'm listening to Dusty in Memphis as I write. I love Ms. Springfield's voice, sometimes whispery, often beltastic. And my favorite cut is this one. That's saying a lot, since this song has also been covered by Norah Jones and la Streisand.

Thanks for keeping me company, Dusty, old girl.

Lyrics