Sunday Stealing

Freckles


Do You Have Freckles? No.

Do You Sleep With Your Closet Doors Open Or Closed? Open. The big walk-in closet is where I've tucked the cats' lavatory.

Can You Whistle? Nope.

Did You Wake Up Cranky today? I don't remember.

Zodiac Sign. I'm on the Scorp/Sag cusp.

What Is Your Eye Color? Green

Take A Vitamin Daily? Yes

Do You Sing In The Shower? Yes

What Did You Have For Lunch? Breakfast. I didn't get dressed and over to the coffee shop until 1:00. There I had bacon and eggs.

Do You Watch The Olympics? No.

Do You Prefer To Swim In A Pool Or The Ocean? Pool.

Bottled Water Or Tap Water? Tap. Lake Michigan water is really pretty good, and I hate the idea of all those plastic bottles being tossed away.

Do You work Better With Or Without Music? Depends on the ambient noise level. If there's a lot of chatter going on around me, I want my headphones.
Can You Curl Your Tongue? Yes

Is There Anything Pink Within 10 Feet Of You? Yes.

Have You Ever Caught A Butterfly? No.

Are You Easily Influenced By Other People? Depends on the situation.

Do You Have Strange Dreams? No

Do You Like Going On Airplanes? No. It terrifies me.

Name One Movie That Made You Cry.

Peanuts Or Sunflower Seeds? Peanuts

If I Handed You A Concert Ticket Right Now, Who Would You Want The Performer To Be?

Are You A Picky Eater? Not really

Are You A Heavy Sleeper? Not really
 
Do You Fear Thunder / Lightning? Not really
 
Do You Like Your Music Loud? Yes

Would You Rather Carve Pumpkins Or Wrap Presents?

What’s The Next Movie You Want To See In Theaters? Dunkirk

Been On The Computer For 5 Hours Straight? Not today

Do You Like Meeting New People? Not really
 
What Are Three Things You Did Today? Since "today" is only a few minutes old, I'll answer for "yesterday" -- read, watch baseball, sorted some paperwork

What Do You Wear To Bed? Oversized t-shirt

Do You Wear Jeans Or Sweats More?  Jeans

Name Something That Relaxes You. Cuddling a cat

 

August Happiness Challenge: Day 5

 Rizz is happy about his teammate

On Day Five, John Lackey made me happy. I worry about John Lackey. At 38, he's one of the (if not the) oldest Cubs on the roster. Last year he was key to our magic 2016 run to the World Championship. This year, he's struggling.

There have been whispers that he's passed it. He's old. He can't go deep anymore. He should be sent to the bullpen or DFA (designated for assignment).

There's an unseemly glee to all the buzz. Yes, Lackey is prickly. He snarls at umpires, at batters, his teammates and even birds if they get in his way when he's pitching. Other players seem to accept this as "John being John." But fans and reporters haven't embraced him.

GRRRR ....

Oh yeah, and on a team with four or five matinee idols, Lackey stands out as being scary looking. No car dealers or local restaurant chains have snapped Lackey up as their spokesman. I've never seen a kid wearing a Lackey jersey to the park. He's too intense and intimidating. I get that.

But all this makes me care about him more. If his manager and teammates stand by him, so do I. And today, he beat one of the best teams in the league, The Washington Nationals. It was his fourth straight win. OK, so he only went five innings. Whatever. He faced 22 batters and only gave up two earned runs and got a W next to his name.

I don't expect John Lackey to be a Cub in 2018. But as long as he's wearing Cubbie blue, he's one of my guys. And it made me happy to see the Cubs -- led by Lackey -- win today.

If you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not this individual post) each day in August, looking for the Happy Cub. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with August Happiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Wouldn't It Be Nice? (1966)

... because Nonnie recommended the Beach Boys
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In the video for this song, the Beach Boys dive into the pool with all their clothes on. Have you ever ended up in the water while fully clothed? If yes, were you pushed? The nearest thing I can recall is when I was in high school. A group of us had an autumn sleepover, and even though it was too cold to use the pool, her friend's parents hadn't drained it yet. Post-midnight/pre-dawn, we all jumped in, wearing nothing but our nighties. Yikes! I can still remember how cold, gross and green the water was. Couldn't wait to dry off, peel off that nightie and slide into that nice, warm sleeping bag.

 

Where it happened

2) In this song, Mike Love sings he wishes "every kiss could be neverending." Where did you receive your first kiss? Was it wonderful, or awkward? Awkward. It was beside a local hamburger stand. I happened to run into a friend's older brother -- a college student! -- who was home for the summer and was surprised by how I'd changed since he last saw me. I'd always been crazy about him, so this was literally a dream come true. But I still had braces, which worried me immensely. The college girls he was used to didn't have braces. The next summer, I lost the braces ... and then I lost my virginity in the backseat of his car, parked just blocks from the burger stand, and we went on to date for three years. I just Googled him and discovered he's head administrator at a hospital in North Carolina. Our mothers were lifelong friends, so I got frequent updates on him and last I heard, he worked for a hospital in Ohio. So he got a promotion. Good for him! He was a nice man, we were just so young.

 
 

3) Brian Wilson was the creative force behind the Beach Boys. It's possible that the group's legendary and unique sound came from an incident of bad parenting. Brian's father hit him so hard with a wooden plank that he is deaf in his right ear. Which of your senses is sharpest -- sight, hearing, smell or taste? I suppose taste. I mean, I wear contacts and I've been listening to rock through headphones for 30 years, so it can't be my sight or hearing. Maybe smell? Probably taste.
 
4) Brian's brother Dennis was the cutest member of the group, and also the only one who could surf. Have you been to the beach yet this summer? Nope. Could have gone to the beach with my niece when I visited her in Michigan last week. She lives in a community fueled by tourists, who stay in cottages and summer homes along The Lake. But instead, we spent our time wandering through the quaint shops. Both she and I burn so easily, it seemed like a safer choice.
 
5) Dennis was also the Beach Boys' most colorful member. In 1968, he struck up an unfortunate and dangerous friendship with Charles Manson. Is there anyone in your life that you worry has bad taste in friends/lovers? I worry about my niece. She needs to be in love, and that leaves her vulnerable to unsavory characters. Her first boyfriend, while she was still in college, was underwhelming -- kind of a slug who was happy letting her support him. She went from him directly to her next boyfriend, who was very ambitious but also a pretentious asshole. I was saddened but not surprised when he cheated on her with an ex. This new guy, though! I like him! He's affectionate with her, he is politically progressive and has won over her cat, Annabelle. I hope they stay happy, at least for a while.
 
6) Lead singer Mike Love is the grumpiest Beach Boy. He refuses to perform if the concert promotional materials refer to the group or their songs as "oldies." Does it bother you to hear the songs, TV shows and movies of your youth described as "classics" or "oldies?" No. But sometimes the passage of time makes me sad. I was watching a "Dick Van Dyke" rerun that revolved around a British playboy (Richard Dawson) who had designs on Rob Petrie's wife, Laura. It occurred to me that just about everyone who was making me laugh is now dead. (Please stay healthy, Dick Van Dyke!)

Dick Van Dyke, Richard Dawson, Mary Tyler Moore

 
7) This song has appeared on soundtracks for movies as diverse as Shampoo (1975), The Big Chill (1983),  50 First Dates (2004) and It's Complicated (2009). Do you own any movie soundtracks? Yes. One of my favorites is My Best Friend's Wedding.


8) In 1966, the year this song was popular, the Miranda Warning became law. Without looking it up, can you recite any of the Miranda Warning? "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights?" All those seasons of "Law & Order" taught me a thing or two!

9) Random question: The local college is pleading for models of all ages and sizes to pose for the life drawing class. Would you help the kids by volunteering to pose in the nude? No. It wouldn't be nice to scar those young people for life.

August Happiness Challenge: Day 4

Rizz loves art

On Day Four, I enjoyed everyday artwork. I walk along the el tracks every workday, and often over the weekends. This form of public transportation makes my life easier and helps my community thrive. On the other hand, it can be dirty and ugly. 

The village has done wonders to prettify the el tracks. Local artists submit sketches, the paint is provided by a local store, and we get to enjoy the view. Here's just a sample of the artwork I pass every day. Today, I stopped to appreciate it.

Ugly, untreated wall

Behind the bike rack

If you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not this individual post) each day in August, looking for the Happy Cub. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with August Happiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.

What I left out

When I recounted this week's emotionally-charged conversation with my friend, Barb, I didn't include these two aspects. Composing the post was tiring, and in my attempt to get as much down as I could, as quickly as I could, I chose to save these for later.

Later has arrived.

1) Her terrier, Lucy, was once John's girl. When she and John first began dating, he dozed off on her sofa and puppy Lucy awakened him by licking his bald head. He found this delightful, and his warm and loving response to her dog helped assure Barb he was "The One."

Since John has been away so much, hospitalized so often, and has lost so much weight, Lucy is now afraid of him. He looks different, he smells like medicine, and he doesn't take her outside anymore. For me, that was the saddest story she related. I'm sure John feels bad about this, and I'm sure Lucy is lonely and confused.

2) Her first counselor was, literally, a joke. Barb is under so much pressure, is so sad, is so overwhelmed that her own health has begun to suffer. So her doctor recommended a shrink. Fresh out of school and young enough to be Barb's daughter, this PhD just stared with wide eyes as Barb recounted all her troubles -- financial, emotional, physical. Then she recommended an app. "How millennial," Barb laughed. My friend really does need help to get through these next difficult months/years, so I'm happy to report she now has sessions with a new, more mature and actual shrink, not a virtual one.

August Happines Challenge: Day 3

 Rizz loves nice people

On Day Three, teaching kindness made me happy. Today, downtown is filled to the brim with happy people. The Cubs are home, playing an afternoon game, and it's the first day of Lollapalooza. The streets are crowded, but the energy is positive. Amid all this excitement, I witnessed a small moment that touched my heart.

A dad and his towhead little boy were waiting at the light at Michigan and Randolph. The son was so young that his shorts -- clearly covering a diaper -- were the biggest thing about him. His father had a grocery bag filled with snacks. Dad dropped to his knees on this busy corner, withdrew a small bag of Cheetos, and handed it to his son. The boy started to open the bag, but his father told him to stop.

He pointed his son to the teenager tucked beside the streetlight, holding a sign that read, "Homeless & Ashamed." The toddler waddled on over and, with great solemnity, presented his Cheetos to the kid.

I know the little boy was too young to fully understand what he'd done. But in a way, that's what made it so great. I hope that seeing and interacting with the less fortunate becomes a natural part of his life.

If you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not this individual post) each day in August, looking for the Happy Cub. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with August Happiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.

August Happiness Challenge: Day 2

Today Rizz loves American history

On Day Two, I enjoyed The White House. Not the current residents. Not the Presidency. The building itself and its grounds.

I belong to a Facebook group devoted to JBKO. Since historic preservation was one of her passions, and she's so identified with the White House restoration, it's just natural that the conversation this morning turned to Donald Trump allegedly describing The People's House as "a dump."

Whether or not Mr. Trump said that is not the issue for me. What made me happy was the flood of photos and links others in the group posted. The private residence at The White House has always interested me ... maybe because it changes so often and I'll never see it, anyway. It was fun to take a peek at the home during Kennedy, George W. Bush and Obama years.

If you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not this individual post) each day in August, looking for the Happy Cub. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with August Happiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.

Then there's this

As you can see from the post below, Wednesday was not a good day.

The evening sucked, too.

I got home, I found an EOB from Blue Cross that says I'm responsible for $739.94, as a result of my colonoscopy.

What the hell?

The day before the procedure, right after I began the prep, got a call from the hospital. They asked me to give them a credit card number and pay them $327 -- the amount they said Blue Cross wouldn't pay. I still have the receipt. Plus, you don't forget conducting business when your colonoscopy prep has begun to take effect.

I'm looking over the EOB, and nothing adds up to $327.

I don't have an additional $412.94 just sitting around.

No, it hasn't been a good day.

"I'm sorry about this, I've got to cry."

A few years after Linda died, Paul McCartney gave an interview to Rolling Stone where he talked about his grief. He talked about the tears he couldn't hide, and didn't bother to. "I'm sorry about this," he'd say to people, "I've got to cry."

I talked to my friend, Barb, today -- at length, for the first time since June. Her recitation about her life these days was frequently interrupted by, punctuated by, tears. She didn't say it, exactly, but Paul's quote would not have been out of place in our conversation. "I'm sorry about this, I've got to cry."

Today it was unsaid, but her husband is dying. His body is simply quitting on him. This isn't surprising, really. When he was diagnosed with lung cancer back in September, his first doctor gave him six months. It's been 11. For the first five months, John stayed strong and Barb stayed hopeful. Then in the spring, the wheels started to come off. The cancer began to spread.

He had a bout with brain cancer in spring. His oncology team took drastic measures and they thought they caught it all. They didn't. In June, he suddenly began vomiting blood. The brain cancer was back. He stayed in the hospital a few days, undergoing that same radical treatment. He was released. He was weak -- he hasn't been able to handle stairs at all in 2017, and with this latest hospitalization, he stopped being able to get around without a walker. But his spirit was strong, he was happy to home, Barb continued their plans on the new home they've been building in Hilton Head.

This was early June, and the last time I'd heard from her in a while. I thought maybe she was busy going ahead with their plans -- to prepare their home in Chicago for sale so they can 1) pay for the new house and 2) get out of here before another punishing winter. Since I thought this was a bad idea -- John is currently being treated at Northwestern, ranked #1 in Chicago for cancer treatment, and there simply isn't a comparable hospital in Hilton Head -- I gave her space. She doesn't need a naysayer ... she's busy ... she's living what I thought was a fantasy, but who am I to say what the future holds?

I was wrong. Her radio silence had nothing to do with preparing for the move. She was just crazy busy -- with John's deteriorating health.

He was home barely a week in June when something terrifying happened. He began speaking gibberish and showing "signs of dementia." It was an unexpected side effect of the cancer treatments. He was admitted into a long-term facility especially for cancer patients. He got home in July, and though physically diminished -- he's down to 135 lbs. -- he was sharp and hopeful and happy. It looks like the brain cancer, while punishing, has been vanquished.

But now his damaged lungs are quitting on him. Pneumonia. Back in the hospital. It's telling that he's in the pulmonary ward. His oncologists are no longer directly involved in his treatment. It seems there's no point.

He's still in the hospital today, and hopes to come home on Friday. But he's not well. He's just no longer out of imminent danger. Barb will be happy to have home, but views it as a respite between hospitalizations.

Barb and John have consulted with the doctors about "not taking heroic measures" to save his life.

The house in Hilton Head is done, but John has never seen it. Barb is tacitly admitting he never will. "I think I'm going to keep the new house," she said, apropos to nothing.

I realized today that this was the first time we've spoken in two months. I'm embarrassed and ashamed. This weekend, I'm going to buy some silly cards. I'm going to drop them in the mail to her on a regular basis. I'm going to email her more often. I'm going to be a better, more attentive friend.

August Happiness Challenge: Day 1

Rizz is happy about Reynaldo

What's that you say? What's the August Happiness Challenge?

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

Day One was a pretty good day all around. I got a new (loaner) laptop at work that is sooo much faster than the old one. I attended an entertaining storytelling workshop. Then I got home and watched the Cubs beat the Diamondbacks 16 to 4.

But I wasn't surprised Tuesday was a good day, because it started well.

Reynaldo let me sleep, all the way until my alarm went off!  

Usually my beige tomcat wanders in well before dawn -- motivated by boredom or hunger -- and mews and knocks items, one by one, off my dresser. This never gets him the outcome he desires. Instead of a hug and a snack, he gets yelled at, chased and a door closed on his tail.

But this morning, I was allowed to sleep until the waking time of my choosing. Reynaldo was a good boy. I rewarded him by cuddling him and carrying him -- like the little prince he can be when he wishes to be -- to his food and water.

 

If you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not this individual post) each day in August, looking for the Happy Cub. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with August Happiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.

A Cubbie blue baby boom

Get this cap yourself on etsy

This week will mark nine months since the Cubs captured their first World Series title in 108 years. And recent births have nearly doubled at Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Coincidence?

Not according to this Bravo article, shared with me by Kwizgiver.

Wrigleyville has long been known moments of impetuous passion. Even President Obama joked about it when he celebrated the Cubs at the White House. “Tom met his wife, Cece, in the bleachers of Wrigley about 30 years ago,” Obama said of Tom Ricketts, “which is about 30 years longer than most relationships that begin there last.”

It's nice to see that the 2016 miracle Cubs team also inspired romance of a more lasting and committed nature. I predict that, in high schools all over Chicagoland, graduating seniors of the Class of 2035 will have names like Wrigley, Addison, Clark and Ivy.

Well, look at this!

I admit it: at the run-up to the All Star break, I was confused and sad about the Cubs' performance. They weren't playing like World Champions. They weren't even playing .500 ball, and I was worried they wouldn't even make the play-offs.

HA! My guys are now 8 games over .500 and have roared into first place!

A friend of mine, a Chicagoan who moved to DC, teased me on Facebook for the "it's OK, we'll always have 2016" attitude I displayed before the break. Shame on me! I should have greater faith in Joe, Bryzzo, Lester and Lackey.

Sunday Stealing

 Music, Music, Music.

1: A song you like with a color in the title "Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell. Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone?

2: A song you like with a number in the title "The One After 909" from the Let It Be CD. One of the first songs Paul and John wrote together, one of the last they performed live together.
  
3: A song that reminds you of summertime "Somebody's Baby" by Jackson Browne

4: A song that needs to be played LOUD "Stoney End" by Barbra Streisand. When "the fury of the broken thunder comes," I want to hear the fury!

5: A song that makes you want to dance "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire
  
6: A song to drive to Sorry, but I don't drive
 
7: A song about drugs or alcohol "Wasting away again in Margaritaville ..."
         
8: A song that makes you happy OK, since I'm thinking of Buffett, "Fins to the left, fins to the right, and you're the only girl in town ..."
         
9: A song that makes you sad "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt
  
10: A song that you never get tired of "Tears Dry on Their Own" by Amy Winehouse

11: A song from your preteen years "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" by Cher

 12: One of your favorite 80’s songs "Starting Over" by John Lennon

 13: One of your favorite classical songs I got nothin'

  14: A song that you would sing a duet with someone on karaoke Joan Jett's "I Love Rock and Roll" because there is very little actual singing involved
         
15: A song from the year that you were born "Jailhouse Rock" was #1 while my mom was pregnant. I think it explains by affinity for Elvis.

 16: A song that makes you think about life "The Way We Were." How accurate are our memories? Does it matter? Would we do it again, if we knew how it would end?

 17: A song that you think everybody should listen to "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" by Sinatra. Frank shows us that pain is a great equalizer. He knows how you feel.

Just three young lads, about to change the world

18: A song by a band you wish were still together "She Loves You." Because if the Beatles were still together, John and George would still be alive.

19: A song by an artist no longer living "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go." Yeah, it's a goofy song. But George Michael sounds so energetic and hopeful. It's poignant to think of where his life would take him.

20: A song that breaks your heart "Touch Me in the Morning" by Diana Ross

 21: A song by an artist with a voice that you love "Kentucky Rain" by Elvis

I felt like I knew her

Today was a slow and unique today, unfolding in its own way and at its own pace.

I wandered over to the high school and volunteered to sort books for the upcoming library book sale. I attend the sale every year, but I never worked it before. It was overwhelming! Boxes and boxes and bag after bag of books! Some were so esoteric I couldn't believe anyone would devote themselves to researching, writing and then publishing them (mathematics as taught in Victorian classrooms, for example). The variety in some boxes was a little surprising -- the same household donated both Danielle Steele romances and scholarly studies of the Royal Canadian Navy's role in WWII.

But one Mariano's bag of books made me feel like I knew the donor. Seeing what she read and how she packed the books gave me an insight into her. She's precise -- all the books were packed into the bag so you could easily read the spines, She's a heavy smoker -- the books reeked, but she probably didn't notice. She once had a cat -- one of the books was a cat care book published way back in the 1950s. She loves mysteries -- especially Evanovich and Grafton. And she has a bad back -- there were books about coping with back and neck distress.

In exchange for my efforts, I got to take any paperback I wanted for 25¢. I chose a very well-worn Agatha Christie called A Murder Is Announced. This edition was published in 1991. On 6/8/95, the Charlestown Branch Library marked it as "discard or destroy." I'm glad someone rescued it, but how did it travel the 1000 miles from Massachusetts to Chicagoland? I wish Miss Marple could solve the mystery of the book itself for me, as well as the contents.

Then I had a lovely, leisurely lunch at the newish (opened in April) restaurant that opened a few blocks from the high school. It was quiet and cool, and the pulled pork sandwich was delicious. I didn't really want the side salad, but I must eat like a grown up. I had a summer mule, and it always makes me happy to find new ways to enjoy vodka.

Grocery shopping, nap, Cub game. It's all tied up at 1-1 in the top of the 9th. Gulp! If we win this game, we're in sole possession of first place, thank you very much! If we lose, we stay tied. (My, but it's hard to type with fingers crossed.)

Saturday 9

--> Saturday 9: Angel (1998)... because Bev recommended it

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Sarah McLachlan wrote this song about someone she barely knew. She read the obit of Jonathan Melvoin, keyboard player for the Smashing Pumpkins, who died of a heroin overdose. What's the most recent news story that touched you deeply? This story on football players and CTE. I've never been a big football fan, but I'll never watch at all now, never again. These young men are like modern-day gladiators, destroying themselves for our entertainment. It's tragic.


2) Ms. McLachlan performed this in tribute to Linda McCartney at the 1999 Concert for Linda. She was expressing her hope that, in death, Linda found relief and peace after a long and painful battle with cancer. What do you think happens to us when we die? We go to heaven and enjoy eternal life. There's nothing in life that I'm surer of than that.

3) Daytime dramas General Hospital and As the World Turns used this song on-air after a major character died. Do you follow any "soap operas?" Not anymore. But in the olden days, I used to watch All My Children in the daytime and Dallas at night.
 

4) In 2007, Sarah donated her recording of this song to the ASPCA. Do you have a pet? If yes, how did you get it (shelter, pet store, etc.)? I share my home with two cats, both shelter rescues. Giving them a good home has been my pleasure and honor.

5) She admits she can't watch those ASPCA commercials, where her recording of "Angel" plays over sad photos of animals. Is there a TV commercial that really gets to you (in either a good or a bad way)? "Brad" is back! You know, The Liberty Mutual commercial where the girl in the cute denim jacket talks about the car she had for four years. She named it "Brad." She loved Brad. Then she totaled him. She and Brad had gone through everything together. Nothing could replace Brad. Then Liberty Mutual calls, and she breaks into her happy dance.

6) In 1994, Sarah was stalked by an obsessed fan. Tell us about a time you were really frightened. In retrospect, was your fear commensurate with the threat? I'm terrified every time I fly, and I flew twice this week, and in a small plane, at that! No, it's a baseless fear. It is never commensurate with the real danger.

7) Sarah was adopted by Jack and Dorice McLachlan. Though she has a friendly relationship with her birth mother, she always considered Dorice her mother and sees herself behaving with her son the way Dorice did with her. Is there anyone in your family that you feel you resemble, either physically or by behavior? I look and act an awful lot like my aunt. Fair skin, round face, firmly held opinions.

8) McLachlan is one of the founders of Lilith Fair, a summer concert series designed to showcase talented female performers. Do/did your summer plans include an outdoor concert? Nope. Though last week, I heard three different bands playing at different spots up and down MIchigan Avenue.

9) Random question: Which of these men would you most like to be seated with at dinner -- Clint Eastwood, Prince William or Jimmy Fallon? Well, I never have been able to stand Clint Eastwood since he made such a fool of himself, yelling at an empty chair at the 2012 Republican National Convention. I like Jimmy Fallon, but only in small doses. So William, definitely William! I look forward to hearing stories about George and Charlotte and Lupo, the royal dog.

We liked each other!

Part of why I went up to Michigan was to meet my niece's new fella. I was a little nervous about it, because I was underwhelmed by her first boyfriend, Jason, and hated her second one, Michael (I referred to him as "a sanctimonious pain in the ass if ever there was one" in a post written upon our first meeting).

But Mark! I liked him. And he liked me. We're both liberals, we both like cats, we both love my niece. If he only he loved the Cubs ... but alas, he's just not into sports.

Both he and my niece had to work until after 8:00 on Wednesday night, so I swam in the Best Western's pool and then unwound and watched the Cubs beat the White Sox on the big flat-screen TV. Really, is there any better way to spend an evening?

Then we got together and bonded over appetizers and I feel so much better about my niece's life. She's got plans for a new job, beginning in 2018. Instead of food service -- she's now a restaurant manager -- she'd like to try customer solutions at a restaurant supply company. Her plan is to try as many different aspects of the hospitality industry as she can before she settles into one job. As one who let my career just unfold, I'm impressed by her self-awareness and forethought.

Those shelves along the wall are all penny candy!

We spent the whole next day together in Holland, Michigan, where Mark grew up. A French bistro,  an Irish pub, lots of shopping in little stores, including one filled to the brim with old-school penny candies. Stops at a couple bookstores to indulge me -- even though I've promised myself not to buy books anymore for a while.

It was good to get away, it was good to spend time with them. Now I have Saturday and Sunday to spend, just chilling.

A new look at a familiar place

I usually fly American Airlines. I like the way they handle check in and I know my way around their concourse at O'Hare.

This week, however, I flew United. My niece lives in Michigan and United is the only airline that flies the ORD-MKG route. And so I took in some new sites as I made my way to Gate F2.

It made me a little sad that no one but me seemed impressed by her. Everyone just seemed so eager to get where they're going that they didn't look up to admire the lady craning her neck heavenward.

I want to learn from this. I must try to stay more in the moment and see what wonders I can discover.

Cheers!

Today would have been JBKO's 88th birthday.

I found a Facebook group of people just as enduringly fascinated by her as I am. According to posts, John Jr. reminisced about celebrating with his mother, saying she wasn't big on gifts but, every year, she always wanted a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, rocky road ice cream, and a glass of wine. He said that after she died, he continued to have the chocolate cake and rocky road and would silently toast her with a glass of wine.

It's also been said that, if she really liked you, she would make you a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting on your birthday.

Happy birthday, Jackie. I wish I'd known you well enough to share a piece of cake.

Happy Reminder

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

You're invited to join me. Visit me with a link to your daily August happy, and I'll come read it. I've found that experiencing other peoples' everyday pleasures is a great mood lifter.

It helps if your August Happiness Challenge posts are marked with an icon. Just something that means "happy" to you. Here's a pair of my past happys.

THE HAPPY BEGINS AUGUST 1!