How I'm loving it!

I got the complete set of DVDs, every episode of the original nighttime soap, Peyton Place. And I am completely enjoying it.

When I was a kid, it was like a radio play because when it was originally aired, I wasn't allowed to watch it. Forbidding it made it my little first grade obsession. The livingroom tv was pushed up against the wall, and on the other side of the wall was my bed. If I laid on my bed and stayed very still and quiet, I could make out most of the dialog. This was how I came to know the two sets of characters had inhabited this steamy New England town: The grown ups (Constance MacKenzie, Elliott Carson and his father, Leslie Harrington and my favorite, Dr. Rossi) and the young people (the Harrington brothers, Allison MacKenzie and beautiful bad girl Betty Anderson). Every time we went to the drugstore, I'd run to the magazine rack to see which Peyton Place stars were on the covers. That way I could examine their faces and then imagine them as they acted out their small town dramas on the other side of my wall.

By the second season, the ban had been lifted and I was able to watch with my parents. I'm surprised by how many of the storylines I still remember. Some of it is still new, but the love triangles (Rod/Betty/Allison and Constance/Elliott/Dr. Rossi and Rod/Betty/Steven) are as indelibly, intractably embedded on my brain as cement.

Of the grown ups in the cast, I loved Dr. Rossi most. I thought he had the kindest eyes and I remember him being forever unlucky in love. He was played by Ed Nelson (shown). I wouldn't say I had a crush on him -- that wouldn't be accurate. As a little girl, I saw him as the perfect doctor and confidante. The kind of grown up every girl longs to turn to and trust with her secrets.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Meme From Memphis (part two)

 

Have any memories that you’d like to forget? Not many, but a few.

Is there someone you really like to hang out with and just talk about stuff?
My best friend. He's been awfully quiet lately on his end lately. I miss him and hope he's OK.

Have you ever been called prince or princess? No.

Do you think teenagers are weird? Yes, but I think I'm supposed to. Every generation of teenagers looks weird to adults. It's the natural order of things.

How fast does your mood change? I wish this one would change fast! I'm kind of in a funk these days.

How are you feeling? See above. I'm sure that once I come back from vacation and baseball starts, I'll feel better. I'm always happier when I can watch baseball.

Do you want someone to call you right now? My best friend.

What do you always take with you? My keys.

Is your bed comfortable? Indeed

Would you say you’re an understanding person? I try to be

Are you generally a happy person? Not this weekend, not this month, but generally yes

Who’s in your facebook profile picture with you? Just me and Don Draper. You can get yourself an awesome retro avatar, too, just go to Mad Men Yourself. (Use safari; it doesn't like Firefox.)

Were you single on Valentines Day? Yes

What is the last movie you watched? At the movies: Amour. On TV: Grand Hotel

Do you listen to songs when you’re done? I'm sorry, but I don't understand the question.

How long does it take you to fall asleep at night? Depends on whether I have stupidly napped on the sofa earlier in the evening.

Are you talkative? Yes, I'm pretty unstoppable

What are your St. Patty's day plans? I feel bad that I forgot it was this weekend. And here I am, 15% Irish.

Small Victory

I haven't been happy at work. Part of it is that four of us are toiling away in an office designed for two, max. I really can't stand this much togetherness. It's making me crazy!

Another thing that's bothering me is the work itself. We got a new, rather high profile assignment. It's an expansion of what I've been doing for the last (gulp!) eight years, only finally with a budget. It's something I'd normally tear into with the same relish that I approach a ribeye.

Except for my boss.

He had a vision for this that surprised me because it seemed so over-the-top and inappropriate. Our client is a highly conservative, middle American company and I believe strongly that they wanted work that reflects that. I worked on a concept that was sincere and authentic, reflecting what we had done with moderate success for them on a far smaller scale in the past.

My boss was openly derisive. "If your approach is so good," he asked, "why do they only have 4% market penetration?"

Oh, please! Because I never had a budget before! I could have developed the most brilliant campaign ever, but if no one sees it, it can't work!

I couldn't believe my boss was being so bitchy. I was also disheartened that he acted as though my past work was completely MY work -- like instead of being the supervisor who approved everything I did, he was on vacation in Belgium or something.

I tweaked my concepts but stood by them rather stubbornly. He was not pleased.

We had an internal review. He presented his vision with jokes and humor and enthusiasm. Then he got to mine -- which he'd pinned on the bulletin board much higher than my 5'2 frame could possibly reach, so I assumed he was presenting. No. He handed the meeting over to me with no fanfare whatsoever. I thought it was a disaster.

Well, guess what ...

Beginning Monday, we'll discuss how to make MY concept work for Thursday's big presentation. My boss seemed tired when he gave me the news. No praise, of course.

Like I said, it's a small victory.

I like doing my work. I like my client. I just really don't like the agency I work for. I hope the economy gets better ... soon ... so I can leave. Of my own volition. I hate going to work every day to a job I don't like because it feels like the best I can do. It weighs me down. Makes me sad. And makes any other bump in the road feel that much bigger.

Oh well, I'm a little over two weeks away from vacation.

Image courtesy of AMBRO / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Saturday 9: Hakuna Matata

1) Sam is crazy for The Lion King. Do you have a favorite Disney movie? Mary Poppins. It was my first movie ever at the theater and it had a tremendous impact on me. I still remember the moment when the red curtains parted and I was transported to the rooftops of London. It began a lifelong love affair with going to the movies.

 

2) The song tells us that Hakuna Matata "means no worries." Is something worrying you right now? The same stuff that's been bothering me for the last six months -- mostly that I'll be laid off before I can pay the costs involved in settling my mother's estate. I will be so grateful when this is over.

 
3) Who is the most optimistic person you know? Usually me, but the last 18 months have been rough. I'll bounce back though!

 

4) Elton John wrote "Hakuna Matata" but didn't record it. Name a song Sir Elton is famous for singing. I don't know how famous it is, but this one is my favorite. 

 
5) Can you play the piano? No, I'm tragically musically challenged.

6) Congratulations! You just won a guided African Safari Tour! 8 days in Zambia and Botswana for you and a friend. All expenses paid, and allowing you access to breathtaking, unforgettable sights. It takes at least 30 hours to get there, and before you go you'll need yellow fever and hepatitis vaccinations and medication to prevent malaria. Are you up for it? Not at all. Sounds like way too much stress for vacation. Can I get the cash value instead?

 
7) There's been a mistake. You really won a 4-night Disney Bahamas Cruise for two. Are you relieved or disappointed that you'll be partying with a guy in a Simba suit on the Lido Deck instead of observing a real lion in the wild? Relieved, I suppose. I know this makes me sound awfully ungrateful, but I don't know that I want to go on a cruise, either. Those cabins look awful tiny and restrictive to me. Can I get the cash value instead?

 

8) Let's bring this back to real life -- do you have any vacation plans? The Spa at Colonial Williamsburg in April. I cannot wait!

 

9) Describe your luggage. Is it durable and high quality? Or are you like Crazy Sam, who has been known to use an Old Navy shopping bag as her carry-on? I have very nice luggage. It's not new anymore, it's rather scuffed, but it's durable. Good luggage is a good investment!

 

THURSDAY THIRTEEN #214

Last week I cataloged everything I consumed and was surprised when someone commented that I "sure drink a lot." In just over 24 hours I had 3 colas, a hot chocolate, a glass of milk and a mixed drink. Add 3 glasses of water and that put me to nine beverages in a day. That got me thinking ... Is that really "a lot?" Quick answer: no.

THIRTEEN FACTS ABOUT HUMANS 

AND HYDRATION

1) Approx. 60% of your body weight is water, and maintaining that percentage is important to maintaining your health.

2) According to WebMD, the average woman loses 72 oz. of fluid every day, simply by living and breathing. For a man, the number is higher: 104 oz.

3) Those figures are averages and do not account for heat or exertion that can result in extra perspiration. On hot days, or on days when you exercise, you naturally just slough off more of your body's natural fluid.

4) It's important that every day you take in at least as much moisture as you expel.

5) If you allow yourself to become dehydrated, your body will have a more difficult time flushing out toxins and transporting nutrients to your nerves and muscles.

6) If you don't replenish the moisture you have lost, it's not uncommon to feel sluggish and rundown.

7) It can also lead to some embarrassing problems -- like bloating, belching and constipation. This is because your digestive system really needs hydration to work as it's supposed to.

8) More serious symptoms of chronically not taking in enough fluid are early-onset arthritis and food allergies.

9) Staying hydrated is important to weight loss, too. While drinking all that soda is unarguably bad for me (Bad Gal!), it's essential that you drink 8 or more beverages a day in order to maintain your metabolism. And a sluggish metabolism frequently contributes to obesity.

10) While liquor and caffeinated drinks are most emphatically not good for you, they are not effective diuretics because they contain more water than they drain, and therefore do "count" as you tabulate your fluid intake.

11) A healthy, hydrated adult should have to urinate every 3-4 hours.

12) You should also never let yourself get very thirsty.

13) Remember, water is not the only way to consume water. Grapes, watermelon, tomatoes, milk, juice, soups ... they all help hydrate you.

And this is one reason why I still love my TTs. I learn so much doing them!

For more about the Thursday 13, 

or to play along yourself, click here.

I Want Wednesday

I want this to be over! The reverse mortgage company contacted us -- they may be willing to do the DIL of foreclosure, rather than let the foreclosure process drag on interminably, if we empty out the house. Good news, right?

You'd think so. Except that my brother-in-law and his friends, who were in charge of emptying the house, didn't do the job 100%. There's a baseboard, a wall mirror, and other miscellaneous junk throughout the house. Now all we have to do is get that stuff out of there. Should be easy, right?

Well, no. My kid sister is upset that her husband has to go back and do this again. Never mind that he and his buds were supposed to do it completely in the first place. I'm trying not to be pissy, but my mom's estate did pay him and his friends to do this and they simply didn't complete the job.

Also, my kid sister now seems to think that the the DIL is a bad idea because they (the mortgage company) is never going to sue us. They may not, true. But the "us" they would sue is really "me" because my kid sister has no money and my older sister is a bitch.

Because my kid sister is so upset, I called her back offered to take care of this all myself. I mean, why not? It might be easier than the agita of dealing with her. But that didn't make her happy either.

I know that we're each mourning in our own way and this is hard on all three of us. What my sisters fail to get is that I'm still carrying a lot of this -- it's still a lot of my daily life. And I'm not enjoying it, any more than they are/would.

A touch of writer's cramp

My federal income tax refund was direct deposited on Saturday! Here with the sequester I was expecting to have to wait forever but no, I got it in less than three weeks. I spent the afternoon today writing checks -- I made an extra mortgage payment, paid down my credit card debt and put some aside for my mom's grave marker. I have felt very bad about her being in an unmarked grave, and with this refund I won't have to wait for the whole estate/mortgage thing to be settled before I can take care of that for her.

Misty water-colored memories ...

Watching The Way We Were again. It's on TCM this afternoon. I am bowled over anew by how much I love Streisand as Katie, and how completely gorgeous Redford was. When did men start manscaping? I think it's our collective loss.

Sunday Stealling

Sunday Stealing: The Meme From Memphis 
(part one)

Be honest, who texted you last? My friend Tom.

Do you sleep with the bedroom door open or closed? Open.

Do you drink tea? Not very often.

Do you have plans for tomorrow? Monday it's back to work and back to the project that's due for internal review on (gulp!) Wednesday.

What’s worse: dry skin or chapped lips? I'm suffering from both right now. I'll vote that chapped lips are worse because at least the maddeningly dry spot between my shoulders doesn't show.

Would you be surprised if Facebook started charging? Charging individuals? Yes. Charging businesses? No.

Would you rather go to Canada or California on vacation? California, because my oldest friend lives there and we had fun when I visited her last fall.
 
How many social media sites are you registered with? Three: Linkedin, Twitter and FB.

Are you wearing jeans, shorts, sweatpants or pajama pants? Jeans

So, what if you changed lives for one day with the last person you texted? That would be Tom, which would mean I'd suddenly be a newly-engaged thirtysomething Cuban American man, instead of a fiftysomething pale-as-paper old chick. I might like having some color to my skin.

Last person you told a secret to? Tom again! Third Tom answer this meme. I told him a secret, but I must confess he didn't care.

What are you listening to at the moment? I've got the TV on.

Where was the last place you fell asleep other than your bed? I crashed on the sofa. I hate it when I do that.

Is there someone that you believe you will always be attached to? Romantically? No. Emotionally? My best friend.

Are you going to any concerts this year? If Bruce Springsteen's tour comes through Chicago again.

Do you believe in Karma? Yes.

The final shot

Just watched George Clooney's Ides of March again. That last shot, where once idealistic Ryan Gosling silently stares into the camera while listening to the candidate's platitudes in his head and wonders what they've both become, reminds me of another final scene …

Michael Clayton, where George Clooney is alone with his thoughts in a cab, wondering what he's become.

Clooney directed Ides of March after working with Tony Gilroy on Michael Clayton, so I don't think the similarity is an accident. I suspect it's an homage. A risky one, at that.

It works more successfully in Michael Clayton because Michael Clayton is simply a better movie than Ides of March. It's about something, whereas Ides of March is at heart just a thriller, so that self reflective last shot feels inauthentic. And Ryan Gosling -- hottie though he is -- is not yet actor Clooney is and Clooney -- hottie though he is -- is not yet the director Gilroy is.

Still, it was an entertaining movie to rewatch and I enjoy Clooney's career soooo much. The boy ingenue who was a supporting character on The Facts of Life has turned into a movie-making presence. The new Robert Redford. (Not that the original Robert Redford is done. His new movie, The Company You Keep, will be in limited release next month.)

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Midnight Train to Georgia
 

1) Have you ever been to the Atlanta? In the city proper? Only the airport. But I have gone from Hartsfield to a town called Braselton, home of the completely wonderful Chateau Elan Spa. I'd love to return there someday (maybe 2015?).

 
2) Do you enjoy traveling by train? Yes. I take the el to and from work each day and enjoy taking short trips by Amtrak. It's relaxing.

 
3) "Midnight Train to Georgia" is Sam Winters' signature number at the karaoke bar. What's your go-to song when you take the mic? I don't have one because I'm utterly tone deaf. So instead I'll share my best friend's favorite karaoke song -- "Friends in Low Places."

4) Do you drink tea? Only occasionally. On mega cold mornings.

5) What's the most recent thing you purchased for your home? A shower curtain liner.

 
6) Are there dishes in your kitchen sink right now?
Yes. Always.

7) Have you ever been fingerprinted? Yes. When I refinanced my condo, the loan officer took my thumb print.

 
8) What was the last check you wrote? To the electric company.

9) What color are your eyes? Green

"More exceptional in every way than you know"

Gulp. That's how my shrink described me as I was walking out the door at the end of our final office session.

It began as a pretty ordinary session. I told her I needed new coping mechanisms. My officemate plays the ukulele at her desk, just feet away from me. When she's not annoying me, she's insulting me ("You couldn't be on What Not to Wear. You don't dress badly enough."). My oldest friend decided we were spending a week together this summer -- in August, Chicagoland's hottest and most hellacioius month -- even though this is not when I want to take off and it's not how I want to spend my time and money. My friend John had us traipsing up and down Randolph Street in search of the "right" place to have a burger and a beer -- even though we passed some perfectly adequate bars and restaurants. It all annoys me. I'm annoyed a good portion of my day. I wake up annoyed, I go to sleep annoyed. How can I dis-annoy myself?

She told me that maybe I'm annoyed not because my reactions are outsized but because the people around me have been annoying. Maybe the problem is the way I'm being treated. I so hate bullies and bullying that I often let people who appear weak and vulnerable get the better of me, and then I'm willing to blame myself completely for the situation. She told me other people's chaotic lives don't entitle them to disregard my feelings.

Then it was time for us to end. Our last session was over. She gave me her cell phone number and told me that within about a month -- after she's settled in her new home/office -- to see if I want to schedule a phone consult.

And then she said it. She's confident I'll be fine because I'm "more exceptional in every way" than I know. Wow.

This all feels very big and important. I just wanted to get it all down. I'll process it some other time.

THURSDAY THIRTEEN #213

THE "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT" EDITION

I know I have to lose weight. I want to lose weight. I understand what I have to do to lose weight -- which is eat less and move more. And yet I am somehow not prepared to do what it takes to achieve the results I want.

And so, starting next week, I am going to begin taking my food diary more seriously. And I'm using this week's TT to make myself examine the fuel I put into the machine I live in.

THE LAST 13 THINGS I HAVE CONSUMED

1) Coke
2) Cheeseburger
3) French Fries
4) Cranberry Juice and Vodka
5) Tuna Salad
6) Apple
7) Starbucks Tall Hot Chocolate (skim milk, no whipped cream)
8) Coke
9) Milk
10) Coke
11) Peel-and-eat shrimp
12) Corn
13) Beef/barley soup

Clearly I have to pay as much attention to what I drink as what I eat!

How about you? Does your diet enhance your health … or get in the way?

For more about the Thursday 13, 

or to play along yourself, click here.

I admit I'm hooked

There's a snowstorm going on outside my window. The first bona fude snow storm of the season! And all I can think about is -- do I have enough Coke at home? I'd hate to run out and not be able to get to the store to restock.

Same as it ever was

There has been much ridiculous criticism of Michelle Obama for appearing on this year's Oscar telecast. It wasn't "appropriate." "No other First Lady ..." It's all nonsense, of course. As First Lady, Nancy Reagan not only appeared on Diff'rent Strokes, she posed sitting upon Mr. T's lap and gave lengthy interviews to her friend, talk show host Merv Griffin. While President, her husband called a few innings of a Cub game at Wrigley Field alongside Harry Caray. As First Lady, Barbara Bush appeared with Big Bird on Sesame Street and she and her Presidential hubs attended the CMA awards. So this negative chatter about Michelle Obama is just partisan bullshit. No surprise there.

As always when the talk turns to First Ladies, my mind wanders back to my all-time idol, JBKO. She never appeared on an awards show but she does have the distinction of being the only First Lady to ever win an Emmy. It's on display at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum (where I swiped this photo). She won it for her televised Tour of the White House, highlighting her restoration of The People's House.

Jackie was like every other First Lady in that, during her time, she was slagged relentlessly in the press. She was so popular internationally that The State Department took her televised tour and added subtitles so they could honor requests for it from all over the world -- including the Soviet Union. But here at home, The Jackie Show, as it was condescendingly called, received a ton of criticism. She was "stiff" and "phony." Her breathy voice was parodied in a top-selling, award-winning comedy album called The First Family.

First Lady is a thankless job. It has no job description and no official responsibilities and yet somehow, no matter how each woman performs it, she's doing it "wrong."

Jackie was so self-contained that it's always been easy to assume she was immune to the criticism. But she wasn't, because she loved her husband. As she said in her own words, she worried about being a political liability because of all the people who "didn't like your hair, that you spoke French, that you just didn't adore campaigning or didn’t bake bread with flour up your arms." I bet every woman who was ever mistress of The People's House loved her husband, and felt that same anxiety. 

And that's probably part of why no First Lady has ever looked into a camera or a reporter's face and said, "Screw you all!"

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The 5000 Question Meme, Part Five 

101. What does happiness/joy feel like physically? There's a lightness to it as tension melts to make way for euphoria.

 

102. List five things you love starting with the one you love the absolute most.

A  Books

B Cats

 

C Cubs -- Opening Day at Wrigley Field is Monday, April 8!

 
D Movies

E Alone time


103. How many movies have you gone to see this year? So far in 2013 I think I've only seen three, but they have been stellar: Les Miz, Silver Linings Playbook and Amour

104. If you could have 3 wishes...but none of them could be for yourself, what would you wish for? This Recession has been brutal for many around me, so: 1) A job for my best friend; 2) A job for my former boss; 3) A financial windfall for my underemployed friend in the Keys

105. In what ways do you relax and de-stress when you are really tense? Cardio helps, if I can get off my fat ass and get to the club. I've been napping a lot. I have been known to turn to vodka (year round) or Bailey's Irish Creme (winter/spring).

106. How much money would it take to get you to sell your blog address? It would depend on who wants it and why.

107. Have you ever been hunting? NO!

108. Have you attempted this 5000 question meme in the past? Only if it was part of a previous Sunday Stealing.

109. What do you think of cloning? I don't. I mean, it's not a subject that interests me much. Like life on other planets, it only comes to mind when I'm asked about it in memes.

110. Do you read or watch TV more often? Yes. It seems I'm always doing one, the other, or both.

111. With all this talk of terrorism going around are you willing to sacrifice rights and freedoms for increased safety? No. If we give up our rights and freedoms we become like those who try to defeat us. Of course, I don't think it's a right to board a plane or enter a skyscraper without going through security.

112. What is the punishment you would come up with for Osama Bin Laden if you caught him alive? Trial and imprisonment. People I respect have pointed out that my way would give him a platform (at a trial, he'd have the right to testify and then he could give jailhouse interviews a la Charles Manson). So maybe his ugly story ended the only way it could. Still, there is no way I'm going to applaud the murder of another human being -- regardless of who that person is. I can accept that it may have been a necessity but I refuse to cheer it. That goes against Christian teachings and I simply won't do it.

113. Have you ever named an individual part of your body? No

114. Have you ever been on the radio or on TV? Election night 1992, Bill Clinton's Chicago campaign headquarters on Michigan Avenue. The local ABC affiliate showed campaign workers viewing his acceptance speech, and I was in the front row because I'm so short. My mom saw me.

115. Have you ever won a lottery, or sweepstakes? More than 20 years ago I won $6,000 in the Illinois State Lottery. I was excited about the $6,000 for getting 4 of the 5 numbers, till  my boyfriend pointed out I was 1 digit away from $2 million.

116. Have you ever won a contest or competition? In third grade I won an essay writing contest sponsored by the local newspaper.

117. Have you ever watched The Joy of Painting show with Bob Ross (check out this link if you don't know who he is.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Ross_(painter)? No

118. Do you know what your grandparents and your great grand parents did for a living? My grandfathers worked together twice -- first doing construction on a WPA (Works Progress Administration) Project during the Depression, and then at a factory that made train engines. It was a small town so obviously they knew each other, but they had nothing to do with my parents getting together. (My mom and dad met at a party.) My maternal grandmother worked in the office at that same plant for a while, then had a number of retail jobs. My dad's mom worked but as a volunteer at church and the Girl Scouts. She was tireless and even though she wasn't paid, she worked hard and made very valuable contributions.

119. Is there anything really interesting in your family history? My grandfather vs the Nazis. Grandpa left Germany, alone, right before Hitler began his reign of terror. While he was penniless here, he came from money -- his father (my great grandfather) was a wealthy orchestra conductor. My grandpa had a really awful falling out with his parents (he refused to talk about it to anyone but my grandmother, who honored his request and kept his secret), never corresponded with them and certainly never asked them for money, even during the Depression while he was working so hard to care for his family. 

Anyway, my great grandparents died together in a car accident and left their fortune to their only child, my grandfather. The catch: he would have to go to Munich to claim the money. By now the Germans had invaded Prague so the war was beginning, even though America wasn't yet in it. Our government advised my grandfather not to make the trip because the Nazis would likely not acknowledge his American citizenship and draft him. So my grandfather had to pass on the money, which was then lost to him forever, even though he suffered many sleepless nights about how he was going to feed his kids. 

Usually a very happy man, Grandpa's mood got very dark whenever I asked him about his parents and Germany. "What difference does it make?" he'd ask. "We're here now." There was no one more patriotic about the United States than my grandpa. He always self-identified as American. Not "German-American." Just American. He had no use for his homeland.

120. Is there anyone you trust completely? My best friend

I am smiling

Yes, it's Saturday night and my tummy is killing me. But still, my mood is pretty good. Here's what I'm smiling over:

•  "She said yes." I have heard from Tom a lot today. He's the coworker we lost to layoffs nearly two weeks ago. His first concern. even before he opened his packet and saw how much severance he was receiving, was his girlfriend. They're both in their 30s and she is so eager to have a baby. He was going to buy her a ring and propose before they go off on their long-planned California vacation next week. "This is gonna break her heart," he kept saying, referring to the impact his layoff would have on their plans. "How can I tell her about this? It's gonna break her heart." I kinda gave him a verbal Cher/"snap out of it." I told him that she will take it just fine. That she loves him, and her first reaction will be about his pain, not about her ring. Well, apparently I was right.* She was excited and happy to keep him facing forward, toward his job search, instead of reliving what went wrong at our office. He felt so happy -- so positive -- that he bought the ring anyway. My day started with a photo of it in my inbox. And then, this afternoon, I got a text: "She said yes. You are one of the first ones I'm telling."

•  Levis. I found a pair at Macy's that fit me perfectly.

•  My tax return. I filed today. The sooner the IRS reviews it, the sooner I get my refund!

*I am almost always right about other people's lives, you know.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: It's a Sunshine Day
  
1) The best known Brady Bunch song is, of course, the show's theme. Do you know the lyrics? It's the story of a lovely lady who was bringing up three very lovely girls ... I bet more people know all the lyrics to the Brady Bunch theme than can sing The National Anthem.

2) The Bradys were a blended family. Do you have stepparents, stepchildren or stepsibs? No.

3) Samantha admits that, when she was 12, she taped Greg Brady's photo over her bed. Before you judge her too harshly, come clean yourself. Did you have a major pre-teen crush? Who was it? Bobby Sherman. This very photo looks familiar, and I would argue he was cuter than Greg Brady.

4) Which TV character do you wish lived next door? Judge Marilyn Milian or Judge Judy. No one would mess with our block with either of those two around.

5) It's a sunshine day! Describe your sunglasses. Slightly upswept ovals in a black/white  frame. I'm very happy with them. Less than $15 at CVS!

6)  You're on a 90-minute flight. How will you spend the time? Do you read a book? A magazine? Look out the window? Take a nap? If my Xanax is working, I'm asleep. If it's not, I'm sitting there with white knuckles. I don't fly well at all.

7) Do you have a favorite brand of toothpaste? Close-up, if the store I'm in carries it. I like starting the day with cinnamon. 

 

8) How many keys are on your key ring? Oh, God! Too many! And I have no idea what some of them are for. I suppose my key ring is a metaphor for my life. I hang on to things when perhaps I should discard them and move on.

9) What do you miss about summertime? BASEBALL. I'm always happier when I can watch The Cubs.

THURSDAY THIRTEEN #212

THIRTEEN AFFORDABLE 

HAIRSTYLING PRODUCTS

According to the online shopping site, Peapod, these are their 13 best-selling hairstyling products. All retail for under $10, with the most expensive being the only one marketed specifically to men. Would any land in your shopping cart?

1)  Tresemme Extra Hold Aerosol Hairspray (I admit I'm typical; this is in my bathroom now)

2)  Suave Max Hold Unscented Non-Aerosol Hairspray (Least expensive at $2.79 for an 11 oz. bottle)

3)  Tresemme Extra Firm Hold Aerosol Hairspray

4)  Tresemme Extra Hold Mousse

5)  Pantene Pro V Touchable Volume Flexible Hold Aerosol Spray

6)  Aussie Scrunch Catch the Wave Strong Hold Pump Hair Spray

7)  Dove Style + Care Flexible Hold Aerosol Hair Spray

8)  Pantene Pro V Anti-Humidity Aerosol Hair Spray

9)  Aussie Mega Hold Aerosol Hair Spray

10)  Pantene Pro V Curly Hair Styling Mousse

11)  AXE Whatever Messy Hair Paste for Men (Most expensive at $7.99 for a 2.64 oz. jar)

12)  Tresemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Pump Spray

13)  Suave Professionals Moroccan Infusion Styling Oil

 

For more about the Thursday 13, 

or to play along yourself, click here.

WWW Wednesday

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions… 

• What are you currently reading? Where We Belong by Emily Giffin. It's only my second Giffin, but I can see why she's crazy popular. She so clearly likes her characters and draws them so compassionately. Very good chick lit.


• What did you recently finish reading? Sybil Exposed by Debbie Nathan. Fascinating and really quite shocking. Sybil -- both the book and the made-for-TV movie starring Sally Field about the woman with 16 personalities -- was something of a fraud and worse, the real woman behind the story was used as a marketing tool.


• What do you think you’ll read next? So many possibilities! Perhaps Kinsey and Me, by Sue Grafton. Or Anne Frank's Family, a biography of the entire clan that gave us that extraordinary young diarist.