Saturday 9

I Dream of Jeannie Theme (1965)

... Because Harriet requested it. If you're not familiar with today's song, you can hear it here. 

1) Jeannie was memorably discovered on the beach in an ornate bottle. Have you ever brought a souvenir home from the beach? (It doesn't have to be a genie. A shell or a stone will do.) Over the years I've brought shells home, but they've always gotten lost somewhere along the way.

2) Major Anthony Nelson, the man who released Jeannie from her bottle, was an astronaut. When you were a kid, did you dream of being an astronaut when you grew up? No. There were no female astronauts back in the day.

3) Upon discovering Jeannie, Major Nelson's first wish was that she could speak/understand English so they could communicate. If you found a genie, what would your first wish be? I'm with Major Nelson on this one. I'd want to be absolutely sure I understood the rules/ramifications of genie ownership, so the English thing would be #1.

4) Major Nelson's best friend was fellow astronaut Major Healey. Where did you meet your best friend? Kindgergarten

5) This theme song was written by Hugo Montenegro, who is better known for the music he wrote for a pair of Clint Eastwood movies (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and A Fistful of Dollars). Do you have a favorite Clint Eastwood movie? Not in front of the camera. As an actor he leaves me completely cold. But I loved Million Dollar Baby, which he directed.

6) The last episode of the series was titled, "My Master, The Chili King." What ingredients make up your favorite chili recipe? Chili and I don't get along and, therefore, avoid one another.

7) Jeannie was played by Barbara Eden, who was born in Tuscon, Arizona. Summer in Tuscon can get very hot, with the mercury often reaching 100º. What's your favorite season? Autumn. Hopefully this year I'll be watching my Cubs in the World Series!

8) Anthony Nelson was played by Larry Hagman, who went on to play the villainous JR on the popular Dallas. Can you think of anything else Dallas is known for? Death of a President, 1963

9) In the autumn of 1965, just weeks after I Dream of Jeannie premiered, St. Louis' famous Gateway Arch was completed. An estimated 4 million tourists visit the Arch every year. Do you have any summer vacation plans? No travel plans till Fall.

June Challenge -- Day 9

Click here to see what it's about

9. What do you like the most about yourself? I find the joy. Today was another tough day in a long tough week, in a year that has, in a word, sucked. Yet tonight, as I was getting off the train, I caught sight of the Chicago skyline in the distance. I've seen Sears Tower at 8:00 glowing in the snowy dark. Tonight I saw it
glistening in the waning sunlight. And I thought, how lucky am I?


I get to live right here, near the greatest city in the country. I get to see its beauty from season to season.


I like that I'm never too blue to recognize what can make me happy.

June Challenge -- Day 8

Click here to see what it's about

8. What song would you pick to represent you? "Two of Us" by the Lads. The older I get, the more this song means to me. "You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches on ahead." It was true of John and Paul, though they didn't know it in 1970. And it's true of me and all my friends today.


Two Of Us 1970 by moss3516
 

June Challenge -- Day 7

Click here to see what it's about

7. Pick a T.V. sitcom to represent your life. Oh, this is easy. My office life consumes an inordinate amount of my time, but I'm OK with that. My friends are my family. And yes, I'm still unmarried. If only I could turn the world on with my smile, The Mary Tyler Moore Show would be the perfect representation.

Now the question was about a sitcom. If you were to ask my which fictional TV character best represents my life, my answer would be different. Then I would go with Peggy Olson from Mad Men. The similarities amaze me, and were not lost on people who knew me back in the 80s and 90s.
 

We can all change and become better

Bobby Kennedy died on 6/6/68. I was 10 years old. It completely rocked my world. There had already been so much real-life violence on TV that year, including Dr. King's assassination and the ensuing riots and nightly coverage of the Vietnam carnage. To my child's eyes, this man -- who always seemed to be surrounded by kids or dogs -- could help. Then he got shot, too.

He didn't die instantly. The bullet that shattered his brain didn't blow off part of his skull, as in the first Kennedy assassination. Bobby lingered overnight. I remember going to sleep hoping he would make it, not understanding how much damage a bullet lodged in the brain could do. Of course I know now that what made him HIM was already gone. But I was 10 and life seemed full of infinite possibilities. So it broke my heart to hear he died.

The more I learned about Bobby, the more he taught me about the human spirit. For there were really two Bobbys. In the late 1950s-early 1960s, he was pugnacious and (to use the term popular at the time) "ruthless." He lived in a black-and-white, us vs. them world. He prosecuted the Mob and clashed with Jimmy Hoffa because he believed they were BAD. The ends justified the means. He served his brother with energy and imagination and loyalty because JFK was GOOD. He did whatever it took to further his brother's agenda. No questions asked.

Then, in November 1963, he was shattered by his brother's murder. He emerged from grief a different man. The public outpouring of affection for his family transformed him. Expanded him. If you hurt, he heard you. Anti-war protesters, disenfranchised blacks, blue-collar whites, the poor ... you were his constituents. It's hard to believe now, but he was wildly popular with two demographics -- urban Northern youth and lower middle class Southern. No one has ever had such a diverse constituency since. It wasn't based on ideology, it sprang from belief in the man. After Bobby's death, many of his supporters went not to McCarthy or Humphrey or even Nixon but to George Wallace (!). I wonder what this nation could achieve if we had a leader who could unite those groups the way Bobby did.

As Ted Kennedy eulogized his brother, "He saw wrong and tried to right it. He saw suffering and tried to heal it. He saw war and tried to stop it." To Bobby, who still saw the world as black and white, it really was that simple. It's just that his heart grew to encompass everyone who needed him.

We can all change. We can all become better. We can all learn to love more and love better. That's what I learned from the man who died on this date.

I originally posted this in 2013.

June Challenge -- Day 6

Click here to see what it's about

6. Where is the place you dread the most? Wedding receptions. I'd rather go to a funeral than a wedding reception. After the funeral, when people are milling about and heading off for the buffet luncheon, you can just peel off and go home. With wedding receptions, you have to hang out. Fucking spare me.
 

June Challenge -- Day 5

Click here to see what it's about

5. What has been your greatest challenge in life so far?  I don't like to think about it, but I suppose not thinking about it doesn't solve anything, either.

I suffered abuse as a child and teenager. Physical, sexual and verbal. From three different people. Two are dead. All were family. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that colors my attitude toward the sentimental depictions of holiday celebrations in pop culture.

At times, though, I am proud of what I learned. I walked away from the abusive relationship I landed in as a young woman. I understood how my upbringing had led me to believe that's what I'd been bred for, and I broke the pattern and walked away.

Rest in peace, Champ

The man gave up 3 1/2 years of his career, when he was at his physical peak, for his beliefs. He risked prison for his beliefs. He gave up millions and millions of dollars for his beliefs.

Today he's being mourned and revered. Yes, he was handsome and graceful and abundantly talented. Yes, he met the ravages an ugly affliction with a beautiful dignity.

But he wasn't always so beloved. I hear echoes of Ali's coverage when I was a little girl. In announcing the Champ's passing, 88-year-old Dodger announcer Vin Scully called him both "Muhammad Ali" and "Cassius Clay." He changed his name in 1964. While the rest of Scully's announcement was touching and respectful, it brought to mind other sportswriters (New York's Dick Young comes to mind) who insisted on referring to him as "Clay," as though the man's conversion to Islam was not sincere. Just a way to dodge the draft. Just more evidence that he was too brash, too black.

I look at this man and I see the story of my country's last 50 years. I'm proud of how far we've come -- a black man with an decidedly un-WASPy name is in White House -- and I'm grateful to the Champ for the role he played in leading us along.

The Greatest of All Time, indeed.

Sunday Stealing

Meal Skipper Meme

1. Do you skip meals sometimes? I try not to. Though I've been known to snarf down a bowl of breakfast cereal for dinner.

2. Last time you overate? At work on Thursday. There was a celebration with lots of donuts ... and champagne ... and beer ... and chicken ... and nachos ...

3. Do you like Mexican food? Not especially.
 
4. Do you like Chinese food? Very much.
 
5. Do you like Italian food? Even better.

 
6. Do you like American food? The best!
 
7. Have you ever been on a diet? Not really, but I should be.
 
8. Do you like vegetables? Some -- like spinach, corn and peas -- I like a lot. Most? Not so much.
 
9. On a scale from 1 to 5 how much do you eat a day (1= not eating, 5= eating 3 meals)? 5, I think. This question confuses me.
 
10. Do you think you eat healthily? Better than I used to, but not as good as I should.
 
11. Do you think you are ugly? I'm OK.
 
12. Do you like your hair? Yes.
 
13. Do you like the way you look? We're obsessing on the superficial this Sunday, aren't we?
 
14. Would you want to change anything? About what? My life? My face? The world?
 
15. Do you ever wear a lucky color? Yes. I wear a lot of Cubbie blue (Pantone 294). And it must be working. My heroes have the best record in the major leagues!

16. Do you care how other people see you? Yes.
 
17. Do you or have you ever worn braces? Yes.
 
18. Do you wear glasses and/or contacts? Yes.
 
19. Do you want to gain weight, lose weight, or stay about the same? Yes.
 
20. What do you do if you have the flu? If I have a fever, I stay home from work and call the doctor. If I don't -- and it's just a cold and not the flu -- I ride it out.
 
21. How many tries to get your drivers license? Only one. Which amazes me, because I was a terrible driver.
 
22. Are you saving up for anything in the future? Yes. There are some big homeowner-y expenses in my future.
 
23. Do you have a lot of spare time? Yes, but I want more!
 
24. Do you consider yourself a responsible person? Yes.
 
25. Do you consider yourself a lazy person? Yes.

A real life Boo Radley

This is The Walking Dude, or Mr. Chicago, as my friend John and I have always called him. If you've spent any time in the city over the last 30 years, you've seen him. His clothes are threadbare but his hair and mustache are always, always kempt.

He walks. He seldom speaks -- I don't know anyone who has actually heard his voice -- but it's been documented that he sells wristwatches to cab drivers as they wait at cab stands. Then he resumes walking. Up and down Michigan Avenue. Throughout the Loop. In and around Lincoln Park. He'll stop to look in shop windows, observe roadwork, or watch the Chicago River flow by. Then he starts walking again.

Tour buses point him out, and while visitors shout and wave, he ignores them. Occasionally, on very cold days, he'll accept the kindness of a local coffee shop and slip in for a cup of joe. But for the most part, he enjoys silence. And walking.

Until last month, when some thug with a baseball bat assaulted him. Smashed him in the head and across the legs. Why? We don't know. Certainly Mr. Chicago had no money or belongings worth stealing. It's just another example of the rage that's taking over our streets.

I was broken hearted to hear this. So were my friends, John and Kathy. And everyone at work. And so many, many people all across the city. To date, more than 1000 Chicagoans have contributed $38,000 to help Mr. Chicago when he's released from the hospital.

Ah, but there's the rub. He doesn't want our help. 

It turns out he has family out in the suburbs, but he has long refused to live with them, preferring shelters. He has spent Thanksgiving or Christmas Day with his brother, sister and nephew, but then insists on going back on the street. To walk.

His independence is making life hard for the police and prosecutors. The man who viciously assaulted him was arrested, but Mr. Chicago refuses to press charges. Or cooperate with the police in any way. He never wants to appear in court. He wants to be left alone.

Likewise, he refuses to see his nephew or remaining siblings. Without the patient's permission, the hospital can't release any information to them about Mr. Chicago's condition, including room number. They are taking some of that $38,000 and trying to find a lawyer who can force the hospital to release him to his family's care. Because Mr. Chicago may not regain all his sight and could need a service dog. That requires training and a home.

I'm reminded of Boo Radley. Remember the end of To Kill a Mockingbird? Atticus thinks Jem killed that awful Mr. Ewell. The sheriff tells him, no it was Boo. But the official report will state that Ewell fell on his knife. Atticus still isn't following, and the sheriff has to spell it out for him. Boo did stab Ewell to defend Atticus' children, but no one must ever know.

"I never heard tell that it's against the law for a citizen to do his utmost to prevent a crime from being committed, which is exactly what he did, but maybe you'll say it's my duty to tell the town all about it and not hush it up. Know what would happen then? All the ladies in Maycomb, including my wife, they would be knocking on his door bringing angel food cakes. To my way of thinking, Mr. Finch, taking the one man who's done you and this town a great service and dragging him with his shy ways into the limelight. To me, that's a sin. It's a sin and I'm not about to have it on my head. If it was any other man, it'd be different. But not this man, Mr. Finch."

Similarly, this strange and gentle man doesn't want our charity or attention. Like Boo, Mr. Chicago has "shy ways" and is working hard to shun the limelight.

It just makes me sad and sick that he may no longer be able to freely wander the streets as he's long chosen to.

June Challenge -- Playing Catch Up

Here are days 1 through 4 of the Challenge.

1.  What famous or fictional person/character did you admire as a child? When I was a little girl, I read obsessively about my two favorite Presidents: Abe and JFK.* By the time I graduated from grammar school, I was proud to tell the librarian I had read every book on Lincoln she had on her shelves. Among other benefits, reading about these two men perpetuated my love of reading because they were both book lovers. A lifetime later, I still stop and pay attention to anything about Abe and JFK that comes my way.

2.  Plan your last day on Earth. No, thank you. I hope I die suddenly, with no advance warning.

3.  If you could wish for only 3 things to come true, what would you wish for? Religious tolerance, serenity for those closest to me, and a winning lottery ticket.

4.  What does love mean to you? Putting the well being of another above your own.

*Happy belated birthday, Mr. President. 

Saturday 9

Ode to Billie Joe (1967) 

1) This song takes places on "the third of June," which is described as "another sleepy, dusty" day. Describe the weather where you were on Friday, June 3, 2016. It was sunny and about 80º. Unfortunately I was chained to my desk all day.

2) In this song, the family sits down to eat and discuss the doings of their friends and neighbors. Mama, Papa, Brother and Sister were at the table. Who did you have dinner with on Friday? I consumed the salmon fillet and side of creamed spinach all by myself.

3) Young Billie Joe MacAllister playfully put a frog down another kid's back. Do you see many frogs where you live? Nope.

4) This song made Mississippi's Tallahatchie Bridge famous. What's the name of a bridge in your neighborhood? I cross the Lake Street Bridge every day, to and from work.

5) Bobbie Gentry often performed with Glen Campbell. Mr. Campbell's family is very open about Glen's battle with Alzheimer's. Is anyone in your life facing this terrible disease? My friend Mindy's mom may be dealing with it. She's in hospice now, receiving end-of-life care. Her caregivers believe that her "vagueness" may be from Alzheimer's because Mindy's grandmother died from it. However, the lady is dealing with very advanced emphysema and painful arthritis, so her powerful meds could be the cause.

6) "Ode to Billie Joe" was made into a movie directed by Max Baer, Jr. Mr. Baer is better known for playing Jethro Bodine in a famous 1960s era sitcom. Can you name it? The Beverly Hillbillies.

7) Bobbie Gentry made one of her last public appearances in 1981 on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Johnny is now seen in reruns on the Antenna TV channel. Think of the last TV show you watched. Was it new or was it a rerun? I'm watching a Law & Order rerun right now. I'm amazed to report it's one I haven't seen before.

8) In 1967, when this song was popular, Sweden changed its traffic laws and Swedes began driving on the right. Have you ever driven in a foreign country? If so, did you have a hard time adapting to their laws? Nope.

9) Random question: Which would you rather have more of -- compliments or hugs? It's review time at work, so I'd prefer a compliment from someone in high places. (And a raise.)

June Challenge

Thanks to Kwizgiver for finding this for me.

No rules, no linkies, just prompts!

 

It would appear that I have some catching up to do this weekend.

To play along, click here

1. What famous or fictional person/character did you admire as a child?
2. Plan your last day on Earth.
3.  If you could wish for only 3 things to come true, what would you wish for?
4. What does love mean to you?
5. What has been your greatest challenge in life so far?
6. Where is the place you dread the most?
7. Pick a T.V. sitcom to represent your life.
8. What song would you pick to represent you?
9. What do you like the most about yourself?
10. What are your bad habits?
11. What do you think is something worth dying for?
12. What would you say is your biggest fear in general?
13. If you could change one thing about the world, what would you change and why?
14. What do you see while casually observing people?
15. What’s something you wish you could say to Michael Jackson?
16. If you could go into an alternate universe, where would you go & what would it look like?
17. What can you guarantee will always be there?
18. What’s your passion?
19. Write a letter to yourself in 30 years.
20. Talk about the first time learning about sex.
21. Who do you consider your best friend right now in life?
22. Talk about your obsessions.
23. Put your iPod on shuffle and talk about the first 10 songs that pop up.
24. Pick one food item and beverage to live on forever.
25. What are the 10 most significant events in your life?
26. What’s your favorite store to browse in?
27. If you could turn into any animal for a day, which one would you pick?
28. What did you want to be when you were a kid, teenager, now?
29. What bit of advice would you give to your 8 year old self?
30. What do consider the best thing about starting a blog?

As seen at Verba Mea Vita

John: check! Barb: check!

This weekend I checked two names off my worry list:

John is still home, recuperating from his hospital stay/amputation, but he's very bored. I take that as a good sign. We talked about our fantabulous Cubs (still the best record in all of major league baseball!) and his first time ordering groceries from Peapod. His attitude toward his new diet is very positive. I haven't asked him about the elephant in the room -- his drinking -- because the time wasn't right. He told me how his brother and cousin gave  him shit about ignoring his health issues as long as he did. I just didn't have the heart to pile on by asking about his rather prodigious alcohol intake.

Barb is back at work! Only half days, and she exhausted, but she goes to the office every morning all the same. The word "cancer" never came up. Nor did the infection at her incision site. This is good. She is bedeviled how slowly her energy is returning -- especially since she has a second reconstructive surgery coming up in July -- and how chronically uncomfortable her chest is. She brushed off my worries, convinced that the worst is behind her. And I believe her.

It is such a relief!

How did I let this happen?

Over the four day weekend, I spent 15 hours doing housework. And I never touched the bathroom or the kitchen. That was all spent in the bedroom, the den and the living/dining room. My home is still overstuffed and cluttered, but at least it's no longer dirty.

All this in preparation for an inspection for vermin that most likely came into the building in the luggage of a unitowner who is undoubtedly cleaner than I am. The irony of this is not lost on me.

I must not let this happen again.

I still have seen no visible signs of the bed bugs. Nothing in the seams of my bed, no "dirt" on the nightstand beside it. So I am hopeful that my unit will be exempt from the fumigation (what an ugly word). But the way my 2016 has been going, I think I should count on it.

There is a silver lining to all this. No, really. Late last week I got a letter from Cousin Rose, asking if I was "up for company" this summer. Now as much as I love her, I cannot live with her for any period of time. So I'm using the bed bugs as an excuse. I told her she doesn't want to stay here, and I added I don't want to stay here, either. That I'd be happy to see her, but I'd understand if she didn't want to hug me, lest one of my creepy crawlers leap onto her. Hopefully that will do the trick. I do want to see her and I don't want to hurt her. I just don't want to sleep under the same roof with her!

Sunday Stealing

To play along, click here.

• When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper? I'm a bit of a dinosaur, I guess, but I write letters about once/month. This past week I enclosed a letter with a souvenir theater playbill I sent to my aunt.

·  Can you change the oil on a car? No.

·  Ever gotten a speeding ticket? No.

·  Run out of gas? No. It's not that I'm a careful driver. I don't have a car.

·  Favorite kind of sandwich? Ham on wheat, with lettuce and relish and mayo.

·  Best thing to eat for breakfast? Eggs Benedict.

·  What is your usual bedtime? I'm a grown up. Whenever I wanna.

·  Are you lazy? Fuck yeah!

·  When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween? I had a different costume every year.

·  Do you have any magazine subscriptions? Allure, Glamour, People, US and O.

·  Which are better, Legos or Lincoln Logs? I played with Lincoln Logs at my grandparents' house. Never had Legos.

·  Are you stubborn? Yes.

·  Who is better…Leno or Letterman? Colbert.

·  Ever watch soap operas? No.

·  Afraid of heights? No.

·  Sing in the car? No.

·  Dance in the shower? Isn't this dangerous?

·  Dance in the car? No.

·  Ever used a gun? Most emphatically no, and God willing I never will.

·  Do you think musicals are cheesy? Yes, but I love them anyway.

·  Is Christmas stressful? Yes, because I travel. Airports are a nightmare over the holidays.

·  Ever eat a pierogi? Yes.

·  Major annoyance right now? Bed bugs and the unfortunate prospect of fumigation.

·  Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? Teacher, nurse, reporter.

Saturday 9

1) Are you a veteran? Are there veterans in your family? Do you know anyone who is active military? (We are grateful and want to hear about it.) My dad served in Korea, my uncle in Vietnam and my oldest nephew is currently assigned to The Nimitz.

2) Memorial Day kicks off the summer season. What's your favorite picnic food? It's the only time I ever eat potato salad. Love it outdoors off a paper plate.

3) Let's celebrate the Memorial Day holiday with ice cream. What's your favorite flavor? Cone or cup? Mint chocolate chip in a cup, please.

4) This marks the weekend when Americans step up their outdoor activity and do things

they may not have been able to do during the winter months. For example, when is the last time you rode a bike? Other than a stationery bike, I haven't pedaled in years. The last I recall was a trip to the Key West public garden. It was a lovely afternoon. I don't know why my conch friends and I haven't been back.

5) Or went hiking? We walked the beach on Christmas Day. I think that counts.

 

6) Or rode a horse? Decades ago! In New Mexico, visiting my cousin and her then-husband.

7) Or toasted a marshmallow? Don't even recall.

8) As you answer these questions, is there an air conditioner or fan on? The fan's whirring away in the window.

9) Crazy Sam needs your help: What song or a performer would you like to see featured in a Saturday 9 this summer? You'll begin seeing your suggestions as Saturday 9 themes in mid-June. Thanks! I defer to everyone else.

Bed Bugs!

Friday morning, while in the tub, I noticed a cluster of welts on my foot that was (pardon the phrase) bugging me. I have extremely tasty blood and am often the only one at a gathering to be bit by a mosquito, so I didn't think much of it.

Until I got the email at 1:00 that says next Friday, we're all having a mandatory inspection for bed bugs. That means a day off on Day 3 of this year's biggest project. Maybe I can work from home. It's not optimal. But maybe ...

I may have to miss my niece's graduation as I prepare for the fumigation, or whatever it will be. I was going to fly to Muskegon to celebrate her big event, but now that's in jeopardy. I've got to board the cats* and put some things in bags and other things (aerosols, medications) in the refrigerator and, oh, I'm sick just thinking of it.

Also, I'm in hell. I don't people picking and poking and prodding through my belongings, which is what one of these inspections entails. It so offends my sense of privacy. I don't want to have to dry every article of clothing I own in high heat. We only have two dryers for this entire building (24 units), so it makes more sense for me to spend an entire day (or two) at the laundromat.

Of course, I don't know that I have the bugs. My brother-in-law, a maintenance man at an apartment complex, feels that if I had an actual infestation I'd be "covered in welts." But still, the way this year is going, I'm sure I do have them

This is continuing to be the worst year of my life. One thing after the other.

My tenacious illness ... Joey's death ... Rey's and Connie's ongoing health problems ... Barb's cancer ... John's hospitalization, amputation and the cancellation of our trip ... the HUGE special assessment for the elevator and now, perhaps, the expense of bug eradication .... time off work at the worst time ...

Right now I hate my life.

Thank God the Cubs won yesterday.

*One of the day's few bright spots: The vet's office will take Rey and Connie.

Me and Hillary

Sometimes I think I'm the only one who remembers the high school lessons of Romeo and Juliet.

1) Do not let hate become ingrained.

2) The more you ask a person to defend a lover, the more in love that person falls.

As I watch Hillary Clinton defend herself on two fronts -- from Bernie Sanders supporters and Donald Trump -- I find myself admiring her more than I ever thought possible. I mean, I don't like the woman, and I see her flaws rather clearly.

But I understand why she is winning. It's not because of Super Delegates or Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, it's because of the popular vote. 2.9 million more citizens voted for her than voted for Bernie Sanders. I suspect the Sanders supporters who insist otherwise do not have many friends of color. I have friends who are Puerto Rican, Cuban and African-American, and they all view Sen. Sanders with great skepticism. They eloquently explain their discomfort with Sanders' stand on guns, their sense that he doesn't understand urban issues, their suspicion that he can't be trusted to maintain the Obama policies they support. Now that I think of it, none of them even mentioned Hillary when I asked why they didn't vote for Bernie Sanders. It was really more about Obama than Hillary.

I admit that they have influenced me. Not because I agree with them about Sanders. I don't. If he becomes the candidate of my party I will enthusiastically support him. I'm an old-school Kennedy girl/liberal who believes in inclusion, and the Democrats are about the government providing more  opportunities for more people than the GOP is.

I also believe demographics are destiny. If people of color don't come out to vote, my party won't win. And I'm convinced a large swath of the minority community isn't hearing Bernie Sanders. So when rabid Sanders supporters make it sound like Hillary has stolen this election and that people who voted for Hillary are stupid or just not listening, I'm offended on behalf of my thoughtful and involved friends. They are NOT stupid. They ARE listening. They just don't trust Bernie Sanders. And, in part, when I stick up for Hillary I'm responding emotionally because I don't like hearing my friends belittled or dismissed. R&J Lesson #2 applies here.

I am grateful to Bernie Sanders. I love the passion he has engendered in young people, like my nephew. I hope he stays in through the Convention and he makes himself heard in Philly. But he's not going to be the nominee. Because 2.9 million more citizens voted for her than voted for Bernie Sanders. This is where R&J Lesson #1 kicks in. Sanders supporters have convinced themselves that she is their hateworthy enemy and they can't let it go. Hopefully, when Barack Obama speaks out for her forcefully, his eloquence will snap 'em out of it.

via GIPHY
In honor of Cher's 70th birthday

And then there's Trump. Blaming Hillary for the way she responded to her husband and his women? Really? It's painful to watch. I was desperately offended by Bill's behavior in the 1990s and it's difficult for me to accept today. I reflexively wince and turn away when it's brought up. And again, I find myself defending her.

Trump is a fucking bully

I suppose, when examining the complicated web that is the Clinton marriage, there's a justice to her being blamed for Bill's lazy zipper. After all, 20 years ago, he was blamed for her greed in the Whitewater mess.* But bring up the women and I relate to her in a more personal and powerful way than I otherwise would. 

And then there's Vince Foster. A man she saw day in/day out during two different chapters of her life committed suicide while she was dealing with the death of her father. At the time I remember wondering if any of the RWNJs who soullessly blamed her for Foster's actions ever lost anyone. I guess they had fallen victim to R&J Law #1. 

And what's the point of bringing it all up again? Instead of tarnishing her, it makes her appear rather valiant, like Don Quixote. Say what you will about Hillary, the woman can take a punch. And for a woman born in 1940s, being POTUS probably is The Impossible Dream. See? Here I am defending her. R&J Law #2.

So yes, I'm with Hillary. A little more every day. A bit more every time Sanders supporters and Trump lay into her.

*While you'll never convince me of her illegality, I am completely on board with her involvement. I don't have many illusions concerning the Clintons.

On the mend

Spoke to John briefly. He's happy to be home, and looking forward to this new, healthier chapter in his life. I'm so relieved. He gave me quite a scare.

My friend Barb was supposed to call last weekend and didn't. I did, however, enjoy a rather silly text exchange with her. I know she's been depressed about how her reconstruction has been progressing, so I take her ability to laugh and tease as a good sign.

So good to have something positive to report!