Poor little fella

Winter has arrived rather suddenly and aggressively. While we still don't have any snow, people have begun wearing boots for warmth. Which is why I'm haunted by the little mouse I saw on the train platform last night.

He seemed to have three choices: diving onto the tracks, dodging heavy bootheels, or trying to find his way back into the crack in the cement from whence he came.

Yes, I know he is, technically speaking, vermin. I know that if I tried to help him, he would have bitten me with razor sharp little teeth. I know that he has a brain the size of a peanut.

But the furry little fella touched my heart all the same.

$1708

That's what we made as a result of selling my mother's belongings. The estate sale organizer made $900. So the contents of the home where my mother lived most of her life were worth $2608. How sad.

But I'm glad it's over. This is the natural order of things. Life goes on.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: 40 of The Most Random Questions Meme, Part Two

21) What’s something you’ve always wanted? A million dollars. Although, adjusted for inflation, the million I wanted as a child is now $7,000,000.

22) Do you have hairy legs? I did before my weekly Saturday morning interlude with the razor.

23) What does “Semper Fidelis” stand for? "Always faithful." My dad was a marine.

 

24) Would you rather swim in the ocean or a lake? Lake. I'm not crazy about salt water.

 

25) Do you wear a lot of black? Not as much as I used to. It makes me look washed out. On the other hand, it's so easy!

 

26) Describe your hair: Short, reddish brown with "warm highlights."

 

27) Do you have Entomophobia? No. (I looked it up.)

 

28) Are you an adult? I am according to the US legal system.

29) Do you own or rent? I make mortgage payments. Someday I'll own it!

30) Do you have a tan? I'm quite pale.

 

31) Are you addicted to TV? Yes

32) Do you enjoy spending time with your In-laws? No, because I don't have any

33) Are you a sugar freak? Perhaps

 

34) What happened to Larry King? He retired, and not a moment too soon!

 

35) What sign are you? Sagitarius

36) What do you wish on your birthday? To be happy

 

37) Who did you copy this from? The Sunday Stealing site itself
 

38) Do you eat breakfast? I drink a Slim Fast breakfast shake. Does that count?

39) What would you name the royal baby? Princess: Diana Carol Elizabeth, after her grandmothers. Prince? I don't care as much.

 

40) Do you buy a newspaper? I subscribe and read it during my train ride to work.

 

Random weekend update

Are you sick of hearing about this cold yet? It continues to bedevil me, though I believe the end is in sight. For while my eyes are still irritated and swallowing is still hard, I no longer sneeze and blow my nose into bloody tissues and I'm not coughing up multi-colored phlegm. (TMI? I'm sorry.)

All I did today was get my hair done and eat pizza. And sleep. And read a little.*

I was back in my hometown but assiduously avoided my mother's house. Today was the big estate sale. My sister reports that a lot of people were over there. Let's hope they bought and bought. I'd prefer my mother's belongings go to people who will appreciate them, rather than a dumpster.

If the washer and dryer don't sell, my sister wants to donate them to the local animal shelter. That would make me happy. Her cat came from there, as did my dreaded Reynaldo, so it's like they're family anyway. Also, it's nice to see my sister open her heart a bit.

*With Malice Toward None. As I read about Lincoln's youth in this same Illinois prairie where I sit now, I'm a little ashamed of what a baby I'm being about this cold. I mean, I do have luxuries like heat and OTC meds and taxis to comfort me. And it is just a cold!

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: We Owned the Night

1) Can you recall a time when you danced and romanced like you "owned the night?" It's been a long, long time!

2) Samantha Winters admits she earned the name "Crazy Sam" during her party girl days in the 1980s. But now she's in bed by 11:00 PM. Do you have a regular bedtime? No. I really should try to get on a schedule. 

3) Lady Antebellum is one of the most popular acts in country music. Do you often listen to country music? No. I like country when I hear it, but I seldom seek it out.

4) Are you responding to this meme on a desktop or laptop or phone or tablet? Laptop.
 

5) How often do you check your horoscope? Not very often anymore. I used to check it regularly, but the newspaper keeps moving it. And since I spend less time going through the paper these days, if I don't happen upon it rather quickly I do without. I haven't noticed any impact on my luck, one way or the other.

6) Congratulations! You just won a trip to Switzerland! Is your passport up to date? No. I keep meaning to take care of that.

7) Do you know how to snow ski? No. I've skiied twice and am very, very bad at it.

8) What's the first beverage you drink in the morning? Coke. I know that's bad.

9) Are you a good speller? Pretty good.

I love insurance!

I know it's not a sexy subject. Paperwork is boring. Talking about deductibles and co-pays isn't likely to set pulses racing. But yesterday, my insurance coverage left me elated.

I went to the ER last month and had a CT scan. I'm glad I went. Head injuries are nothing to trifle with. But I was worried about what it would cost me. I figured it would be about $500. I wasn't happy about it, but I realize that's a fraction of what the procedure cost.

Yesterday I learned that my portion was less than $300. I feel very fortunate that I have insurance that affords me the luxury of taking care of myself.

Thursday Thirteen #205

 THIRTEEN POPULAR COLD REMEDIES

Like everyone else in my office, I have a cold. And I'm completely preoccupied by it. So here are the thirteen most popular items in the "Cold, Allergy, Sinus & Flu" aisle of the online shopping service, Peapod.

1) Conventional cough drops (Halls, Ricola, Luden's)

2) Vicks Vapo-Rub

3) Vicks NyQuil

4) CareOne Saline Nasal Spray

5) Zyrtec 24-Hour Allergy Relief

6) Coricidin Cold & Flu Tablets

7) Coldeeze homeopathic cough drops

8) Vicks DayQuil

9) Mucinex Expectorant

10) Afrin Nasal Spray

11) Allegra 24-Hour Allergy Relief

12) Robitussin Cold and Cough Syrup

13) Breathe Right Nasal Strips

I took Zycam at the beginning of my cold and, while it certainly did a number on my gut, I believe it has lessened the severity of the cold. And now I'm taking #8, Vicks DayQuil.

What about you? What do you take when you have a cold? 

For more about the Thursday 13,

or to play along yourself, click here.

I want Wednesday

I want this cold to be over! I'm tired of being tired. And my brain is so fuzzy.

Happy birthday to that old hip-shaking King Creole

Elvis would be 78 today. I love this song, especially the way he sails on the last note.

Trying not to go there

I really hate how much space my older sister has in my head. It occurs to me that, by only paying $1,000 for my mother's funeral and not her fair share, she has sacrificed her long game -- which is to make me do what she wants. I am not a wealthy woman -- not by any stretch -- but I could repay her what she has shelled out to date* without much difficulty. So she really has no leverage. When she says she "expects to see real receipts, not post-its," I realize she has no recourse if I don't provide them. (Of course I will, because I am a grown up and am trying mightily to take the high road.) She has no cudgel any more.

So why did I let her ruin my shower this morning? I can't even remember which oldies I heard on the radio! When I hear her voice in my head, I must dismiss it. Change the channel in my head. Pet a cat. Think about a movie. Listen to the Lads. Cover my ears and sing "Camptown Ladies."

When this is over, I won't have to have anything more to do with her. So, to borrow from Bill Murray in Caddyshack, "I got that going for me, which is nice."

* But I didn't. Thank you to SnarkyPants and Vivian for the advice. It was wise and I took it.

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Why couldn't I have been an only child?

My kid sister suspects the estate sale coordinator she hired has walked off with some of my mother's more valuable pieces before this weekend's sale. Well, what does she expect me to do about it? He wasn't my choice,* I've never met him, and that house was so full of stuff, I have no idea what was there and what wasn't. Oh yeah, and I don't care. This was never going to be a massive money maker for us anyway. I thought it would be neat if we could have simply said, "Get all the stuff out and give us $500." But this is the path we're on.

Then there's my bitch of an older sister. Remember, she is not involved in this -- not in terms of money, except for $1,000, nor in terms of time. Yet she seems to think I'm willfully mismanaging everything and has relayed to me, through my kid sister, that she insists on "real receipts, not post-it notes" for everything. Oh, PUH-LEEZ! There is no fortune. At the end of the day, we'll probably just break even. She's just trying to insert herself into the process and give herself the illusion of control. I'm reimbursing her for her princely sum of $1,000 today, out of my own pocket, hoping to stave off any battles going forward. But it's hard to know how to pacify a crazy person.

I had a dream the other night that my mother came back from the dead, for just a few hours. I had so many questions for her -- not about the afterlife, but about our relationship and what she thought of the service we had for her. Then, even in my dream, I toyed with asking her to sign a check so we could get the money out of her checking account. In the dream scenario I stopped myself because I didn't want to waste our short time together on money. But that's how much I hate this process! It's even permeating my dreams.

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net


*She could have hired the woman my oldest friend used to empty her house prior to moving cross country. I would have preferred that woman because we know what her services are and had a credible reference. But my sister didn't like her and thought she wasn't worth the extra expense. I let my sister make the choice and here we are.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: 40 of The Most Random Questions Meme, Part One 

1) What side of the heart do you draw first? Right. (What a neat question! I do always draw it the same way and never gave it a moment's thought.)

2) Can you dive without plugging your nose? Yes

3) What color is your razor? Pink

4) What is your blood-type? AB Positive.

5) Who would you want to be tied to for 24 hours? My best friend. He has a very calming effect on me. Anyone else I think I'd want to kill.

6) What is a rumor someone has spread about you? It seems I'm forever sleeping with this or that guy at work. Although now that I'm old, I suspect that will stop. But then what will they say about me? Hmmm ... never married, has cats, maybe I'll transition from office slut to rumor mill lesbian.

7) How do you feel about carrots? They are a lucrative crop on Farmville 2.

 

8) How many chairs at the dining room table? Four. But you can only sit on two. One is covered in coats and another with Christmas presents. The woman who runs this place is a slob and really should put her coats and gifts away!

9) Which is the best Spice Girl? Ginger Spice, because she's the one who left.

10) Do you know what time it is? Indeed I do. Way too early. I have a cold and my head is all stopped up so my sleep is fitful. M'lady shall return to her bedchamber upon completion of this meme.

11) Do you know all the words to the Fresh Prince Theme Song? Nope. But I do know all the words to the Friends theme and will share that instead: "So no one told you life was gonna be this way/your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's DOA/It's like you're always stuck in second gear/It hasn't been your week, your month, or even your year/But I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to fall/I'll be there for you, like I've been there before/I'll be there for you, cause you're there for me, too." You're welcome.

12) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator? I have been stuck in an elevator. I waited patiently for someone to let us out. I rang the bell (which wasn't necessary, because they track the elevators anyway) and was out in less than 10 minutes. Really not that great a story. Sorry. Want to hear the "Friends" theme again?


13) What’s your favorite kind of gum? Big Red

14) All’s fair in love and war? Yes

15) Do you have a crush on anyone? Yes

16) Do you know how to use some words correctly, but not know the meaning? I don't understand the question. However there are words that I can use correctly in prose but not conversation because I'm not 100% sure how to pronounce them. (Specifically "hackneyed" and "oeuvre")

17) Do you like to sleep? Right now I wish I could

18) Do you know which US states don’t use Daylight Savings time? I know Indiana finally got on the bandwagon a few years ago. I thought they were the last hold outs.


19) Do you know the words to the song Total Eclipse of the Heart? These questions have a definite retro vibe this morning! Fortunately I'm old and am up to the task: "Once upon a time I was falling in love, now I'm only falling apart/There's nothing I can say, a total eclipse of the heart ..." Was there a prize involved?

20) Do you want a bright yellow ‘06 mustang? No, but thank you for asking.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Brand New Me

And here she is. (I love Dusty.)

 

1) It's a brand new year! Do you have any resolutions for 2013? To save a little money by brown bagging it more this year.

2) Dusty Springfield sang of feeling "brand new." What leaves you feeling refreshed and/or rejuvenated? A shower and lots of shampoo.

3) Dusty's given name was Mary Catherine. If you could give yourself a brand new first name, what would it be? I don't know why, but I see myself as a "Julie."

4) Actor Billy Bob Thornton has dismissed antiques, saying, "I'm creeped out by old stuff." Do you ever shop at estate sales, yard sales or second-hand stores? Or do you want everything brand new? I've become very fond of used books. I like the musty smell and wondering who all has held and enjoyed them before they came to me. I really should get to the library more, rather than purchasing. Maybe that can be another 2013 resolution.

5)  Are you sad to see the holiday decorations slowly disappear until next year? Or do you think they should come down on January 2? I think they should come down quick. There's something a little depressing about carols and mistletoe and holly once the new year rolls around. I confess there's still a Santa on my front doorknob. I keep forgetting to take it down because it's on the other side of the door. 

6) Do you like the picture on your photo ID? My work ID is fine. My driver's license pic is hideous.

7) Crazy Sam shudders at the very thought of a snake. Which is your least favorite member of the Animal Kingdom? I am both fascinated and repelled by gators and crocs. I have tremendous respect for their jaws and teeth, and can't stop staring into those unblinking eyes.

8) What's the most recent magazine you flipped through? Entertainment Weekly came yesterday and I checked out the early Oscar predictions.

9) Do you have nice handwriting? Yes. It's very feminine and actually not that different from the cyber one I use at the end of my posts.

 

Shouldn't have looked

The big estate sale at my mother's house is next Saturday, and so they were supposed to begin promoting it this morning. I checked to see if the ads were up because, well, I'm the executor and a "responsible adult" and that's what I'm supposed to do. But it was hard.

There were my Monkees albums* and my mother's commemorative Kennedy magazines and all those photo frames! My niece's baby picture is still in one of them. I also recognized a lot of her clothes, a large carved cat from Thailand that my uncle had brought home after he left the service back in the 1960s and the tools Grandpa left to my dad.

I should have just checked to see that the ad was up. I didn't have to click through all 113 photos. But it was like probing a cavity with my tongue. I just had to do it. But I must resist doing it again. It's so much more positive to focus on moving forward.

*I thought I took those! Oh well, they're worth more to me for sale at my mom's than they would among all the scratched vinyl records in boxes in my closet.

Reflections of a new Bond Girl

Last month I say my first-ever Bond film, Skyfall, and was bowled over. I conferred with friends who are diehard Bond fans before deciding which other installments I need to see. The advice I have received was consistent:

•  Avoid the Roger Moore Bond movies
•  Feel free to skip the Timothy Dalton Bond movies (no one even mentions poor Lazenby)
•  Remember that the quality of the Pierce Brosnan Bond movies is spotty
•  Don't miss Daniel Craig as Bond in Casino Royale

And, most of all, embrace the fact Sean Connery is the REAL James Bond.

So over the Christmas holiday I treated myself to Goldeneye with Brosnan/Bond and Dr. No, the original Bond movie with the original (and I'm repeatedly told, REAL) Connery/Bond.

I enjoyed Goldeneye. It was more playful than Skyfall, but that was OK because Brosnan has less depth but more humor (though substantially less cool) than Daniel Craig.

I'm sorry to report that I really didn't like Dr. No at all. In fact, I was bored. It was hopelessly dated and I felt no real suspense.

I feel like a failure as a Bond Girl.

Breakfast for lunch and dinner

I'm coming down with a cold and it's manifesting itself in a ravenous desire for breakfast foods. I had a bowl of oatmeal and a trio of sausage links for dinner last night and scrambled eggs and minced ham for lunch today.

Hopefully lots of comforting breakfast foods, combined with Zicam and oj, will get me through this with minimal ick.

Thursday Thirteen #204

THIRTEEN FACTS ABOUT
ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S  
PSYCHO

I just saw Hitchcock, starring Anthony Hopkins, and was fascinated and delighted. The movie centers on the making of the director's most successful and controversial film, Psycho. Here are thirteen facts about that dark, twisted masterpiece.

1) Hitchcock turned down directing Dr. No, the first James Bond film, to do Psycho instead. He said that instead of another espionage thriller, he wanted to make the first high-quality horror movie.

2) While Marian Crane is Janet Leigh's most famous role and earned her an Oscar nomination, she was not Hitchcock's first choice. He wanted Eva Marie Saint, the female lead in his last movie, North by Northwest.

3) Roddy McDowell wanted to play the part of Norman Bates, but Hitchcock preferred the more diffident, less famous Anthony Perkins for the role.

4) While he enjoyed working with Hitchcock, Anthony Perkins regretted taking the role, saying it typecast him.

5) John Gavin, who plays Marian's lover Sam, disappointed the director with his "wooden" performance.

6) Hitchcock had a small budget for Psycho and shot in black and white because it was cheaper and easier. For example, he was able to use chocolate syrup (Bosco, to be exact) instead of stickier, conventional fake blood in the famous shower scene.

7) The 3-minute shower sequence took nearly a week to shoot. Janet Leigh said that since it wasn't particularly difficult to perform, she was surprised by how terrifying it was to watch ... and once she saw the finished film, she always took baths.

8) The screeching score that accompanies that famous screen murders is performed exclusively by string instruments.

9) Made for just $800,000 in 1959, Psycho has earned nearly $600 million to date.

10) Popular as it turned out to be with audiences, Psycho was nearly not released. Paramount thought it was too grisly and Norman Bates' sexuality was too confusing for audiences.

11) Walt Disney was so offended by Psycho that he refused Hitchcock to shoot on location in Disneyland for the Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV show.

12) Hitchcock appears in all of his films, and in that regard, Psycho is no different. You can see him through the window of Marian's office near the beginning of the film. He's the one in the white fedora.

13) While shocking upon it's release in 1960, a rep from the MPAA has said unofficially that it would probably earn a PG-13 rating today. After all, there's no explicit nudity and we viewers never see a knife piercing skin.
 

For more about the Thursday 13,

or to play along yourself, click here.

Nothing is uncomplicated

Back from 4 nights in the Keys. It was bittersweet, for while my friend down there loves me very much and truly wanted to be there for me -- making this troubling first holiday season without my mother easier -- he is facing some severe financial problems of his own and it's coloring his outlook.

He just turned 50 last week. His 401k is empty. He has quit paying his credit card bills because he can't afford them and the mortgage payment. He would file for bankruptcy, except it costs $2000 -- and he doesn't have $2000.

Yes, he should have filed for bankruptcy a year ago before he raided his retirement fund for eating money and the roof over his head. But a year ago he truly believed his unemployment/underemployment was temporary and somehow, he would either get a big legal settlement from the college that illegally fired him or a lucrative new job from another school. His outlook was rosy to the point of delusion, and his disappointment gave way to serious depression, and he had to work this through in his own way and in his own time.

Anyway, he's now working full time at the local newspaper and he really enjoys it, even though it doesn't pay the salary he needs/hoped for. He's begun writing fiction and hopes to get his novel published this year (though since he shared that particular hope with me after a few drinks, I don't know how devoutly he cherishes that dream or understands how difficult it will be to realize). He has expanded his circle of friends and his relationship with his longtime lover is inspiringly solid.

It's just that sometimes his tenuous situation gets him down, and when that happens, he gets argumentative and gives in to his unfortunate "tinfoil beanie" tendency. One ridiculous highlight/lowlight was his pugnacious insistence that  -- get ready -- Abraham Lincoln was really gay and the only reason why Doris Kearns Goodwin didn't mention it is that "they" (how my friend hates/fears "them") would black ball her. When he gets like this, I just want to scream!

Which is why I was kinda grateful that Monday (New Year's Eve) he had to work and I was on my own. Had a lovely lunch (here's the view from my table), wandered around Duval Street and went to see the new Hitchcock movie starring Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren. By the time we got dressed up for our delicious dinner at the Grand Cafe (below), I was rejuvenated and ready to ring in the New Year with my dear, very loving and slightly flawed friend.

I resolve

All this talk about "the fiscal cliff" and the possibility of another (!) Recession got me thinking about my finances in a more immediate way. Lately I have been concentrating so much more on what I'm saving and where (IRA, 401(k), annuities, bonds) for the long-term that I have ignored what I'm spending today. Also, the daunting bills attached to my mother's death have given me a "what the hell/I'm already in the hole" attitude.

But I'm almost out of "the hole" left by my mother's estate* and it's time to start behaving like a grown up. So one of my resolutions for 2013 is to bring my lunch to work at least once a week. I estimate that will save me approximately $500 over the year.

$500 in and of itself isn't that big a deal, I know. But it's a start. And it's daily reminder to keep an eye out for opportunities for austerity.

*Hopefully it will all be settled by the end of next month

I Want Wednesday

I want those bags -- the ones I left beside the front door -- to unpack themselves. It would be nice if the clothes contained therein would launder themselves, too.

Saturday 9

Posted 24 hours early because I'm on the road this weekend

Saturday 9: Same Old Lang Syne

1) This week's song is the tale of an accidental holiday encounter between former lovers. (Hear it here.) They sit in her car and spend hours catching up, then she gives him a chaste kiss and they never see one another again. Is there a past love who still has a special spot in your heart, despite the years or the miles since your relationship? Yes. 20 years ago I was in love with a very nice man -- it just didn't work out. I found out that over time, life has dealt him some tough blows. The woman who gave him a daughter refused to marry him, his father died, he married and the son he wanted so badly was born with autism, he and his wife divorced, his mother died ... I learned earlier this year that he has become very involved with his church and appears happy, which makes me happy. I loved him then, I love him still, and am glad he has found joy in his life.

 
2) This week's song includes a play on the traditional Scottish song, "Auld Lang Syne." Have you ever visited Scotland? No. 

 

3) Mother Winters has long told Sam that if she has a glass of water for every glass of champagne she drinks on New Year's Eve, she'll feel better on New Year's Day. Do you have a favorite hangover prevention tip or cure? Don't drink. 

 
4) Do you like champagne? In small doses. I'm more a mixed drink gal myself. 

 
6) This year at midnight, Crazy Sam will kiss the nose of her puppy, Chico. Will you be kissing anyone when the clock strikes 12? I'll be among friends, so I'm sure someone will peck my cheek.

 
6) The Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy was the runaway publishing phenomenon of 2012. It was so successful that the publisher, Random House, was able to give its employees massive bonuses this year. Have you read it? Nope.

 
7) Year-end is a time for newspapers, magazines and websites to run lists. According to Askmen.com, Jennifer Lawrence of The Hunger Games is the at the of the year's "Most Desirable Woman" list. People magazine has declared Channing Tatum "The Sexiest Man Alive -- 2012." Do either of these two set your pulse racing? If not, who is your celebrity crush? I'm old. My TV Boyfriend is 1986's Sexiest Man Alive.

 

8) Pasadena, California, is known for hosting the traditional Rose Parade. It begins at 8:00 AM on January 1, so the people who watch it live must be there very early. Does the thought of getting up and dressed to sit in the California sun, bright and early on New Year's morning appeal, to you? No. I'm afraid I'm not a big fan of early mornings or parades.

9) Sometimes aches and pains that aren't serious can still really hurt. For example, Sam just dropped a can of tomato paste on her foot and the little red mark it left is making her crazy! Are you suffering through a bump or bruise or cut right now? I burned the roof of my mouth. It made me nuts for about a week!

Happy New Year, Everyone!
Special shout outs everyone in the blogosphere who left me messages and sent good thoughts my way 
this holiday season. 
Very much appreciated!

Almost ready to go

I hate traveling. Especially to Key West, because I have to change planes to get there. I have compensated by completely overpacking. It gives me an illusion of control to believe I am now prepared for just about every eventuality.

Oh well, soon I'll be down south among my friends and that will make me feel better.