Checking in the old fashioned way

Kathleen called me this morning! She sounded good after Friday's procedure, and I'm so relieved. I was worried that I hadn't heard from her until now, but I need not have been. She included me on her Saturday email to her aunt and her siblings, only she sent it to my office email, and I didn't even think to look for word from her there.

Oh well, it was good to hear her voice.

On Tuesday, she will know what the next steps in her cancer treatment are. That's when the evaluation of her lymph nodes will be completed. I'm keeping her in my prayers, though I feel very confident that she will come through this fine (or as well as to be expected).

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Crafty Fifty Meme, Part One

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. Introduce yourself. "I'm a man of wealth and taste."
Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil Lyrics @ LyricsTime.com

5. Did you ever get into a bar and drink before you were 21? I can honestly say I never drank in a bar before my 21st birthday.

6. What countries have you been to? 6 (counting the US)

7. Do you watch MTV anymore? No

8. What do you think about Oprah Love the magazine. I'm over the woman and her show, though.

10. You need a new pair of jeans: what store do you go to first? Old Navy

11. Did you ever watch The O.C.? No

12. What kind of car do you drive I don't have a car

13. Honestly, is that car insured? My imaginary car? Yes, it's insured.

14. Do you like sushi? No.

15. Have you ever been to Tiffany & Co. or Saks 5th Ave? Yes, Saks.

16. Did your parents spoil you growing up? I don't think so.

17. Do you like roller coasters? Yes.

18. What magazine(s) do you buy regularly or subscribe to? Time, Newsweek, Glamour, Allure, US and People.

19. Do you remember the old WB show “Popular”? No

20. When you go out do you prefer to go to a dance club or to a bar? Bar

21. What do you think about gay marriage? I think it's not my business who someone else marries.

22. Who do you think will be the next president? After Barack Obama completes his second term? It's too far off to even speculate. My instinct tells me it will be someone who isn't a household name yet.

23. Are you registered to vote? Yes

24. Do you own an iPad? No

25. Is your bathroom filled with beauty stuff? Yes

August Happiness Challenge 2010 -- Day 7

Today I'm happy that I have so much to be grateful for:

• As I went to the post office to send paperbacks to the troops, and then to the food pantry to contribute a variety of canned goods and pastas, I am grateful that I have the resources to do these really rather small things

• As I went to the vet with my beloved Charlotte, I was grateful for both her clean bill of health and that I can afford to give the furry souls that depend on me the care they deserve

• While doing laundry I encountered The Saddest Boy in the World. I was so grateful that if I'm alone on a Saturday night it's because I relish a little solitude after a week with an office full of people, and not that I'm lonely

I'm happy that I'm such a lucky old broad.

Sometimes the credits set the mood perfectly

Here's the rendition of "Solitary Man" that opens the Michael Douglas movie of the same name. In the movie, we see Douglas navigating a New York City street alone, and Johnny Cash's aching vocals prepares us for everything we are about to learn about this man.

I mention this in case you are tempted to avoid Solitary Man for fear of hearing Neil Diamond drone in your head over and over. You won't, I promise.

If you haven't heard of this movie, I'm not surprised. It's not in wide distribution and doesn't seem to have any major studio backing. Yet I found it very moving.

Michael Douglas plays Ben, a once successful businessman just a little shy of his 60th birthday. He still compulsively hits on every young woman who crosses his path. Sometimes he gets lucky, sometimes they find him pathetic. He's in a foot race with aging and death. It scares him so shitless he can't stop himself, can't even accept the real love offered him by family and friends.

Susan Sarandon plays his ex-wife, and while her part is small, their scenes together are treasures. She's the only woman in the film who is Ben's contemporary. Yet she looks warm and serene and alive, compared to his graying and wrinkled desperation. It's not plastic surgery or witchcraft, it's acceptance of -- and enjoyment of -- life as it is.

As the movie continues to get well-deserved Oscar buzz, I hope it becomes more available.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Friends

1. How many of your friendships have lasted more than ten years? Which of your current friends do you feel will still be important to you ten years from now? I currently have about six friends -- and by friends I mean people with whom I share more than annual birthday or Christmas wishes -- that have lasted more than a decade. I expect to carry all of them forward, plus my current best friend.

2. When you look at yourself in the mirror, what’s the first thing you look at? The shape of my face -- which is very round.

3. Who was the most recent person on your missed call list on your cell phone? What’s your relationship with the person? The dispatcher from the local cab company was calling to tell me the cab I requested had arrived. I didn't pick up because I was already getting into the cab when the call came. I don't consider the dispatcher and I as having a relationship ...

4. What did your last text message you received on your cell phone say? It's gobbledy-gook, a confirmation message from my bank that my cell phone can receive their texts.

5. How would you “label” yourself? Highly individual and difficult to label.

6. What was your favorite age that you’ve been? 35. I felt very sexy and womanly.

7. What is your current desk top picture? What’s its significance? These two photos rotate. Believe it or not, Jackie O is under a great deal of duress in these shots. I keep them on my desktop to remind me to keep my head, no matter what. For the full story behind these photos, click here.

8. What was the last thing you said to someone that you‘d like to take back? Oh, Lord! I seem to forever being putting my foot in it! One recent thing was telling my oldest friend that I believed that, if we were living out The Golden Girls, she's be Rose and I'd be Sophia. I meant that she was very sweet. It wasn't until I heard myself say it that it hit me -- she could think I was calling her "stupid."

9. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to go back in time and fix all your mistakes which would you choose? ALL my mistakes, not just one? Hell, I'd jump at that!

August Happiness Challenge 2010 -- Day 6

Summer hours. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, our office closes at 12:30 on Fridays. Everyone starts heading out as soon as the clock strikes 12. It's a lovely perk.

Mostly this summer I have used the free Friday afternoons for appointments -- vein treatment, hair cut, massage, pedi. Today I designated it for lazy. Got home, watched the Cub game, and then headed over to the library book fair (see post below). It was a very good use of my time. Doing nothing suits me, and I feel very relaxed right now.

Frankly, my dear ...

We no longer give a damn.

Tonight kicked off our community's book fair, a 3-day event to benefit the public library. Every year there's a book that you'll see time and time and time again. The book that many locals enthusiastically bought and then decided (almost in unison) that they were done with it and would never read it again. I always make a mental note of the title that wins each year's dubious honor.

In 2006, it was The Corrections.
In 2007, The Nanny Diaries.
In 2008, The Da Vinci Code.
In 2009, My Life by Bill Clinton.
This year, Scarlett, the Sequel to Margaret Mitchell's Gone with The Wind.

This surprised me, since it was originally published in 1992. It was reissued in 2007. Maybe it's that more recently issued edition that's decorating the tables at the book fair.

Now let me make a note of all I picked up, for the princely sum of $5.00:

For me --
Killer Smile by Lisa Scottoline
Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen
Size 14 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot
The Careful Use of Compliments by Alexander McCall Smith

For the troops --
Ocean's 11, a novelization of the movie
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
When the Wind Blows by James Patterson

I'm pleased by how gently used these last three are, and I like thinking of the escape they will provide three of our soldiers.

Yup, I agree

Though I'm not so crazy about standing out in a crowd …

You Are Independent

You are fiercely proud of who you are, and you're not about to change for anyone. You hate it when people try to control you. Responsibilities tend to bum you out. You like to stand out in a crowd and you definitely turn heads. You are fun and fearless. People envy your courage.

What's True About You?

My tummy hurts!

I'm taking it easy this morning, consuming only Pepto Bismol and Canada Dry Ginger Ale. I want to feel better -- fast! -- because today is our village book fair, the big fundraiser for the public library and the perfect opportunity for me to score some paperbooks for the troops. I'm thinking John Grisham, Nora Roberts, and JD Patterson are rather universally liked authors. And, since it's a charity event, I am raising my self-imposed "No New Books" ban. Especially because any books I find will be used.

Me and the Prez

I saw him today! It was a harmonic convergence of me staying late at the office and him running late (click here for his official schedule). At about 6:20 his motorcade raced up Randolph, along with a police escort -- both motorcycle cops and police cars -- and Secret Service vans and a fire department ambulance. The coolest part was seeing all the families along the route, waiting to see Barack Obama, with children cheering him as he went by.

Children cheering the President -- it did my old heart good.

Lose that long face

Maybe I'm too swept up in the August Happiness Challenge, but right now -- at this very moment -- I am enthusiastic about my job.

This week, my team got new senior management. The new head of the marketing side came from a prestigious competitive agency by way of a popular not-for-profit. The new head of the creative side joins us from another account internally. Both of the gentlemen in these important positions have been blessed by our client (which is better than just saying, "Here they are! Work with 'em and pay 'em a ton for the pleasure," as it appears we have done in the past) and indicate that The Powers that Be believe this account has a future at this agency after all.

Yea!

So why is my boss walking around like Mr. Bad Posture, all grumpy and negative? While I don't expect a Knute Rockne speech from him, I am surprised that he's so cynical, doubting that anything will change.

I am hardly new to this industry, with decades under my belt now. I'm not easily bamboozled or distracted by smoke or mirrors. But these changes look good to me!

And so I am going to continue acting like Pollyanna, being so unremittingly upbeat that all my coworkers will lapse into a diabetic coma in response to the saccharine I spew.

Seven Subjects

Recycled from Kwiz:

SUBJECT ONE- THE OUTSIDE
What's your name? The Gal Herself
How tall are you? 5'2
What color are your eyes? Green
What color is your hair? Light, reddish brown
Are you Male or Female? Female
What is your best physical feature? dimples
What's your shoe size? 6.5 or 7
Glasses, yes or no? Usually contacts
Did you ever have braces? yes
On a typical day you are wearing? Jeans and a t-shirt
When you go to bed you're wearing? A nightshirt
How often do you exercize [sic]? At least 2x a week, and yes, I know it should be more

SUBJECT TWO- MUSIC
Name two of your favorite bands: The Lads from Liverpool and Del Amitri
Name two of your favorite singers: Bruce Springsteen and Dusty Springfield
Name two songs you currently love: "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay and "Fever" by Eva Cassidy
Name one song that describes your life right now? "Waiting on the World to Change" by John Mayer
Name one song that describes your life 1 year ago? "Wake Up Alone" by Amy Winehouse
What are the preset stations in your car? I don't have a car
What's the last CD you bought? Soulbook by Rod Stewart
Was the last CD you burned an actual CD or a mix? A mix
Name one band you're embarrassed to like but do? The Partridge Family
If you could only attend 1 concert ever again, it would be? Sir Paul
Name one band or singer you absolutely can't stand? Barry Freaking Manilow
Name a group you use to like but feel you've grown out of? Michael Jackson ... for a variety of sad reasons

SUBJECT THREE- MOVIES and TELEVISION
Name your favorite actor? Leonardo DiCaprio
Name your favorite actress? Jennifer Aniston
Name your favorite television show right now? NCIS
Name a really cool movie you have recently seen? Inception
Your favorite canceled television show? Law & Order
Name 1 movie you wish you hadn't wasted time and money? Babel
You would never watch a movie with? No one comes to mind -- I'm really very easy in this regard
Three favorite TV channels? USA, MSNBC, ME-TV (a local channel)

On these last two, I completely agree with Kwiz

Favorite reality show? American Idol... but I'm not so sure about this new season
Favorite character on a reality show? It used to be Simon Cowell


SUBJECT FOUR- WORD ASSOCIATION
coffee- cup
dog- cat
slut- ho
candy- cane
pole- North
ocean- beach
brave- strong
loving- You (Elvis, "I'll just spend my whole life through loving you ...")
cookie- Mrs. Fields
death- and taxes
life- live
child- toys

SUBJECT FIVE- WHICH WOULD YOU PREFER?
Eaten by a lion OR Eaten by thousands of small insects? lion
Skydiving from a plane OR Bungee jumping off a bridge? skydiving
No television OR No music? no music
No more pizza, ever OR No more chocolate, ever? pizza
A trip to Europe OR a trip to Hawaii? Europe
An hour with your future soul mate OR An hour with a lost loved one? lost loved one
Sex without love OR love without sex? love without sex

SUBJECT SIX- THE LOVE LIFE
Are you currently in a relationship? Lots of them! Just no romances
Are you currently looking or interested in someone? Interested, yes. Looking, no.
How many times have you been in love? Twice
Looking back, how do you feel about that person now? They are both still very nice men, it just didn't work
Name three physical things you look for in someone? Sweet smelling hair, nice eyes, strong arms
Biggest turn offs include? Suspect hygiene, bigotry, bossiness
Your ideal date would be? comfortable
You want to get married, where, when, how? Never, nowhere, no how
Does anyone have feelings for you right now that you don't return? It's possible

SUBJECT SEVEN- THE FRIENDS
The one you immediately go to with a problem? Depends on the problem
The most rational? Barb
The funniest? My oldest friend
The one you spend the most time on the phone with? My mom
The craziest? John
The most honest? Edgardo
The purest? Ditto
The smartest? Kathleen
The most athletic? My best friend
The most compassionate? Mindy
The one most likely to get thrown in jail? John.
The last one that who said I love you? I don't remember

August Happiness Challenge 2010 -- Day 5

Good News! My friend Kathleen left word this morning that the additional growths found in her breast turned out to be benign, and so the outpatient procedure she's enduring today is to remove a single malignant lump.

I'm grateful that her prognosis is still as positive as it was when she first shared this scary news, and I'm happy that she remembers to update me. (I'm a worrier.)

My cat Joey refuses to tell a joke

He's both sensitive and PC. We love that about him.


Get a Voki now!

August Happiness Challenge 2010 -- Day 4

From almost the very first moment Reynaldo joined my household in 2004, he has fixated on capturing and holding my attention in his furry grip. My best friend has always maintained that Rey is good for me, that his shenanigans keep me sharp, that it's good for me to be challenged on my home turf now and again. That's how we began referring to Reynaldo as his cat. As in "You won't believe what your cat just did!" and "My cat knows just how to handle you."

This week my best friend is on vacation with his family in Southern California. He sent "his" cat a dinnertime email with this photo attached, telling the feline wildman that he can eat whatever he catches. Since Rey seldom gets messages from the coast, he'll be thrilled. And it makes me happy that my bud's thinking of both of us today. I'm glad we live now, because it makes keeping in touch this way so much easier, and little things like this can mean a lot.

He's here, he's huge, and yet we're not supposed to notice

Today is Wednesday. As of Monday, there were two major changes in management here at work. It took the powers that be a while to inform us of the first, but they did it yesterday. The second one has yet to be announced.

It's weird because we all know something is going on, we just don't know what, or why. In this industry, and in this economy, that's troublesome.

One of my coworkers went straight to one of those directly involved and got "the scoop." I'm glad he shared his intel with me because I'm a worrier.

Now that I'm no longer worried, though, I'm simply annoyed. Why must we take achingly simple things and make them soooo complicated?

I Want Wednesday

I want to know why I'm getting zits again NOW! I have one on my right cheek and another on the right side of my chin. Neither is as bad as the ones I used to get in the bad old days, but I'm unhappy nonetheless. My diet's been all over the place. I wonder if that's it. Maybe it's the sunscreen I slathered on rather liberally over the weekend ...

What about you? What do you want this Wednesday?

August Happiness Challenge 2010 -- Day 3

Books. I love how they can take you somewhere you've never been before, or give you a new perspective on what's familiar. For example, I recently finished a book about Elizabeth Taylor that took me back to the 1960s and her lusty, boozing, brawling jetset life with Richard Burton. Now I'm reading Then We Came to the End, a book set in an advertising agency I worked at in the 1990s, and that's filled with characters based on people I knew. The books couldn't be more different, but they both deliver insight and escape and enjoyment.

The Queen's Meme

If you could say just one thing to the so-and-sos of the world and in your life what would you say? Don't think about it too much. Just write the first thing that pops in to your head. It doesn't have to be just one word.

If I could say just one thing to ...

1. Mel Gibson. You're just pathetic.

2. Lindsay Lohan It's not everyone else, it's you.

3. Chelsea Clinton Brava!

4. The Pope A child cannot seduce an adult.

5. BP Oil Company Do you know what you have done? Do you get it?

6. My ex I really did love you, you know.

7. My IPOD or computer I'm lost without you!

8. My favorite or least favorite teacher I remember what you taught me (for good or ill)

9. My family I miss Grandpa

10. My blog (What? You don't talk to your blog?) Um ... I feel kinda funny talking to you ... but my Queen says I got to ...

The Queen may be on vacation but she'll be checking in! So save yourself from the dungeon and play along by clicking here.

This is good news ... I think

The agency I work for hired a new Senior Vice President for the account I'm on. That they went outside and brought in fresh blood makes me happy. There have been rumblings that my client isn't happy with us, and if that's true, it's good to see that we aren't throwing in the towel and intend to fight for the business. Yea!

On the other hand, the previous Senior Vice President is still walking around. It's as if she's the only one who didn't get the memo welcoming the new guy.

Office life can be weird.

Guess I'll see you in Hell

Borrowed this from Kwizgiver, who found it over at Boliyou.

Greed:	Medium
Gluttony:	Medium
Wrath:	Medium
Sloth:	Medium
Envy:	Medium
Lust:	Low
Pride:	High

Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz

August Happiness Challenge 2010 -- Day 2

I am blessed by an abiding love of silly, which helps keep me sane. If the Ren & Stimpy icon isn't evidence enough, I give you exhibit A:

Movie Monday -- Repeat after Me

Share lines from the movie you most like to quote or a list of those you quote from often, linking back here to the Bumbles.

1) My sister, my daughter ... She's my sister AND my daughter! Chinatown, a movie I've never seen its entirety, btw

2) I mean happy, like "Julie Andrews twirling around on a mountain top like a mental patient" kind of happy. The Sixth Sense

3) That's my problem! I'm an onion roll on a plate of bagels! Funny Girl

4) You're advertising's just dandy. Folk's'd never guess you don't have a thing to sell. Bonnie & Clyde

5) 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 ever will. Now tell me what you know. Animal Crackers

6) Leave the gun. Take the cannoli. The Godfather

7) Not a bit like Cagney. Help!

8) You still think you're the cutest little trick in shoe leather. Gone with the Wind

9) Story of my life. I always get the fuzzy end of the lollipop. Some Like It Hot

10) Wouldn't it be lovely if we were old? We'd have survived all of this, and everything would be easy and uncomplicated ... like when we were young. The Way We Were

August Happiness Challenge 2010 -- Day 1

So today begins this year's August Happiness Challenge. And today's entry is deeply heartfelt.

My Aunt Jo posted pictures of her father, my grandpa, on Facebook. I loved him so and seeing his face fill my laptop screen made me so happy. Looking at that familiar face, I could feel his arms around me, smell the scent of his cigars, hear his voice. No one loved as generously or as unconditionally as my grandpa.

She also posted a photo of him as a very young man, in his 20s. It's a side of him I never saw before. What a treat!

Forget Your Troubles! C'mon, Get Happy!

Here's a brief explanation of the Challenge: "Each day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy. Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world."

If you play along, let me know.

Never can say goodbye

I love my Cubs. It's a love that transcends inconsequential matters like winning and losing. So when I have to say goodbye to special favorites, it's hard. Like my baseball boyfriend, Ryan Theriot, and my favorite leftie, Ted Lilly . Both gone to the Dodgers.

They're gone ... Lou isn't even with the team due to a family tragedy ... yesterday and today I intentionally skipped the games because I can't bear it.

My baseball boycott will end tomorrow when the Cubs take on Milwaukee. But for now, I'm just too sad.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: 28 Question Meme

Cheers to all of us thieves!

1. Was your dad named after anyone? He was given the same middle name, Carl, as his father.

2. What do you think is the minimal age to get married? 21. Seems crazy to be able to marry before you can buy booze.

3. What’s the longest time that you‘ve been involved with the same person? Sir Paul McCartney and I have been together for 47 years. Part of why we have lasted this long is that he has no idea I exist. Men who don't know me find me easier to get along with.

4. What actor/actress do you consider hot at the moment? Robert Downey, Jr.

5. What is you favorite album by a band? The White Album by The Beatles

6. What is your favorite album by an individual artist? It changes. Currently it's Dusty in Memphis by Dusty Springfield.

7. What is something that you‘d rather be a bit dirty? Sex

8. What was the last TV show that you watched? Royal Pains on the USA Network

9. How many people have you met from the blogosphere? Who are they? So far I haven't met any. But that doesn't mean I won't.

10. What's your philosophy on life? The Golden Rule works for me.

11. Do you think prescription drugs are over prescribed? Depends on your doctor.

12. Would you keep a secret from me if you thought it was in my best interest? Since I don't know you, keeping a secret would be very easy.

13. What is your favorite memory in the last year? I really enjoyed the three days I spent with my nephew, a mini-vacation in Springfield, learning about Abe Lincoln.

14. What is your favorite guilty pleasure? Nancy Grace

15. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you: I have no reflexes in my legs. Never have. You can hit my knee with that rubber hammer all the live-long day and nothing happens. No one told me about this when I was a kid because the doctor was afraid if I realized my leg was supposed to move, I'd move it.

16. You can have three wishes (for yourself, so forget all the 'world peace etc' malarky) - what are they? Does Mimi know you referred to "world peace" as "malarky?" First, I'd wish for my mom to have what she needs -- medically as well as financially. Then I'd like the time and the resources it would take to make my condo exactly as I'd like it. And I'd like to see into the future, to know how Kathleen's treatments will go.

17. Who would you want to get together with and make a cake? My best friend. He loves cooking and I'd like to see him in action.

18. Which country is your spiritual home? This one.

19. What is your big weakness? Laziness.

20. Do you think Judd Corizan is a good person? Yes. A good son and a good dad, too.

21. What was your best/favorite subject at school? English.

22. Describe your accent: Midwestern. I'm told I speak with flat, drawn-out a's.

23. If you could change anything about yourself, would you? My waist. I'd like it to be discernible again.

24. What do you wear to sleep? Nightshirts.

25. What is your favorite casual outfit to wear? Jeans and t-shirt.

26. Do you use cigarettes or alcohol? I use alcohol as I disinfectant. I drink booze. I have never smoked anything.

27. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together? (If you have no idea, just say something crazy, it'll entertain me!) We don't know each other, and you're scaring me.

28. Rate the memes that you play generally. Use any scale or just in order. The Queen's Meme rates at the top, because she is my monarch. I like The Bumbles' Movie Meme, and Saturday 9, and this one, of course.

What was it I just saw?

I loved Inception. I don't like sci-fi/fantasies. I was bored by Star Wars and ignored Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings and have never cared one way or the other about Star Trek. And yet I loved Inception.

It's about dreams and memories and mazes and gravity and obsessions and secrets. And it's all held together by Leonardo di Caprio.

Leo and I have spent a great deal of time together, ever since I first noticed him as the emotionally damaged teen in Marvin's Room. I don't think I've seen him give a bad performance, and this one is particularly tricky. In a goofy way he reminds me of -- this will sound crazy, but hear me out -- Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz.

We went along with Dorothy on a fantastic odyssey through a world we'd never imagined before. This world may or may not be real, and much of what we encounter is unbelievable, but because of her unflagging sincerity, because she believes it, we believe it.

Leo's Cobb is the same way. This is all very real, and desperately important, to him. And so it becomes real and important to us.

Even if I can't tell you what it is exactly I saw.

Indeed it is

One of the kids working at the local movie theater asked me, "Is that Jackie O on your shirt?" That made me happy since, because she died 16 years ago, he couldn't possibly have first-hand knowledge of her. I'm glad she lives on.

I am happy for them

Behold the parents of the bride, arriving at the rehearsal dinner. Say whatever you wish about The Clintons, but they have successfully steered their daughter into adulthood. So on the eve of Chelsea's wedding day, I toast them for a job well done, and done in the public eye, no less.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Bad Day

1. Is there anything that you tend to do to cheer up when you are having a bad day? In the summer, I watch the Cubs. Any other time, I turn to The Lads from Liverpool. Anything is better with baseball and the Beatles.

2.What’s the last card game you played, and with whom did you play? I truly don't remember.

3.What’s the last board game you played, and with whom did you play? Yahtzee, with my nephew. Though technically speaking, Yahtzee doesn't have a board ...

4.What’s the last computer game you played, and with whom did you play? Boggle, vs. whoever was in the room at Pogo.com

5.Is there somewhere you’d like to visit but have not, and where is it? The Grand Canyon

6.Think of your favorite movie (or a movie you really like, if you can’t think of a favorite). Some people say that the reasons you love your favorite movie are related to what you value in romantic relationships. How is this true or untrue in your case? The Way We Were is the movie, and yes, it reflects what I value in romance, in that Katie is always true to herself. At the end of the movie, while Hubbell is subdued and just kinda pale, she is still vibrant, still enthusiastic, still fighting for what she believes in. I still believe that your soulmate will love you for that, and encourage you in that. Yes, I've had life experience to the contrary. But then, so did Katie!

7.What physical attributes do you find the most attractive? Good hair. My first great love was Paul McCartney and I think his mop-top marked me for life. Arms are good, too. And an ass you could bounce a dime off. Is it getting warm in here?

8.How many people live in your house? Tell us about them. They would be me. I live here. I am a pudgy middle-aged broad with a good heart.

9. Ever punch someone in the face? No! Ew!

Guns just make it easier

Nearly 30 kids have been gunned down on the streets of Chicago this year. 30 children dead, and many of their murderers were also under 21.

Kids killing kids.

Naturally I'm heartsick that the Supreme Court has chosen to strike down Chicago's gun law, which made it easier to police to try to stem the obscene tide of blood that neighborhoods are drowning in. But I know guns aren't the only problem.

The parents of Blair Holt have been making public appearances addressing Chicago's tragedy. And no one has more right than the Holts to discuss gun violence in this city. Anne Nance-Holt was a commander in the Chicago Fire Department and her husband, Officer Ronald Holt, was one of Chicago's finest when they lost their son in the Spring of 2007. An honor student, Blair was murdered on his way home from school, shot by a gangbanger who got on a public bus and opened fire. Blair pushed his classmate onto her seat, out of the line of fire. She sustained a gunshot to her foot and has recovered completely. Blair Holt's last words were, "Tell my mom and dad I love them."

Because of their life experience, I take the Holts' opinions on the culture of violence very seriously. They blame the parents even more than the economy, saying that the hopelessness that breeds violence comes from a generation that doesn't understand the consequences of their own actions, who haven't been taught to value life.

I am trying to make sense of this, and I return to a hideous statistic: 1 out of 6 Chicago schoolchildren has attended a dogfight. Violence as entertainment. Killing = Victory. Enhancing one's self-worth through brutalizing the weak.

Please consider supporting your favorite humane society and increasing the awareness of this problem. I believe it will help all of our souls, and it certainly can't hurt.

My prayers are with Sweet Lou

As his memorable tenure with the Cubs limps to an end, the usually fiery Lou Piniella seems even more subdued than usual. For tonight is his last game with the team for a while. After the last out, he's on his way to Tampa to attend the funeral of his 92-year-old uncle, Joe, and to check in on his 90-year-old mom, who has been ill.

He'll rejoin the Cubs in Milwaukee on Tuesday.

So he won't be around for the trade deadline, or to deal with restoring that douchebag Zambrano back into the bullpen.

Maybe it's just as well. I always believe family trumps job, but right now, in Lou's case, it's inarguable.

Summer in the City

Temperatures dropped to the mid-70s this afternoon, so I was able to comfortably wander about the city this afternoon. First, I headed over to a new spa for a discounted 90-minute hot stone massage. Than I walked leisurely to the el. Along the way, I noticed many of those cool Chicago street moments that I normally would hurry past … like street performers making balloon animals, performing magic tricks, playing kettle drums, and a trio painted silver from head-to-toe, pretending to be a robot bride, groom and minister. A little boy was posing with the wedding party and his mom was snapping his photo. He looked as though being part of this robot wedding was the proudest moment of his young life.

Behold the object of my obsession

I now have a pimple in my eyebrow, in the very spot from which I plucked a wayward brow that clearly didn't want to go. I am fortunate in that it's not very visible, but I know it's there. Oh, yes, I do! Every time I move a muscle in my face I can feel it.

And it's making me cuh-ray-zee!

Proud

I'm proud of Sir Paul, my great love since I was 6 years old. I'm proud of my President, previously my Senator. And I completely enjoyed this program -- especially because less familiar McCartney songs like "That Would Be Something" and "For No One" got greater exposure and were performed beautifully. I know PBS rebroadcasts programs all the time, and if you get a chance to see it, by all means, do!

From EW:

Paul McCartney "In Performance at the White House": An all-star presidential rock show

Image Credit: Samantha Appleton/White House/PBS

“I’ve done a lot of things in my life, but never this,” Paul McCartney said on PBS tonight. “This” was traveling to the White House, which he did last month to accept the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. A properly all-star concert was convened to befit the occasion, and while bits and pieces of the event have leaked out on YouTube since then, tonight the whole thing (or most of it) aired as part of PBS’ “In Performance at the White House” series.

The show opened with some stirring words from President Obama. “It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly half a century since four lads from Liverpool landed on our shores and changed everything overnight,” he reflected. Then it was time for a cavalcade of stars old and young to pay homage to the voluminous back catalog that earned McCartney this honor.

High points were in abundance. Stevie Wonder’s super-tight “We Can Work It Out” featured a mean harmonica solo, while Elvis Costello’s faithfully jaunty “Penny Lane” boasted an even nicer piccolo trumpet solo. Emmylou Harris shone on an acoustic “For No One.” Dave Grohl wore the night’s biggest grin as he tore through “Band on the Run.” Jack White’s tender “Mother Nature’s Son”/”That Would Be Something” medley captured something of McCartney’s starry-eyed charm.

Intermixed with these were some…not quite as highs. I’m not sure anyone other than Sasha and Malia Obama needed to hear the Jonas Brothers’ competent if cutesy “Drive My Car.” (In fairness, McCartney and Wonder were visibly grooving during this performance.) Jerry Seinfeld’s random stand-up routine fell flat as he riffed from Beatles lyrics to stale “marriage, am I right?” shtick. Faith Hill’s “Long and Winding Road” was a bit schmaltzy for my taste.

McCartney himself was wonderful throughout, humble and jocular. Anyone who’s seen him in concert recently can tell you that he’s still all youthful energy at 68, even if his voice sounds a touch rough at the edges here and there. He had a grand old time with songs including “Got to Get You Into My Life,” “Michelle” (for the first lady in the audience), “Ebony & Ivory” with Wonder, “Eleanor Rigby,” and ”Let It Be,” as simply moving as ever. ”I don’t think there could be anything more special than for us to be performing here,” McCartney remarked, right before the all-inclusive “Hey Jude” singalong. “And we’re thinking of making it a regular thing. Lunchtimes, we could come around.” If only!

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