Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Wait Till You See Him (1967)

This song was chosen in honor of Father's Day. Hear it here.

1) This is Nancy Sinatra's celebration of her father, Frank. She singles out the sound of his laugh as something special. Do you know anyone who has a great laugh? My boss, Ceecee. She laughs easily and it's infectious.

2) Frank Sinatra recorded this song himself a decade earlier. It was one of more then 1,400 recordings he made over his career. When you think of him, what song comes to mind? As I cheer on Yankee Anthony Rizzo this baseball season, I should say "New York, New York." But instead I'll go with this. Francis understood heartbreak, and it shows in his best performances.

3) Nancy always called her famous father "Daddy," while her younger sister Tina referred to him as "Pop." How did/do you call your father? "Dad."

4) Nancy went on to have two daughters of her own. The girls recall that their grandfather was loving and supportive, even when they went through a punk rock phase with spiky hair, lots of leather, and studs. Frank defended their extreme choices as a healthy means of self-expression. Did you have arguments with your parents over your clothes or hair? If you're a parent yourself, have you always approved of your kids' fashion choices? My mom didn't let me grow my bangs out, nor would she allow me to get my ears pierced, until I graduated from high school.

5) Back when our own Crazy Sam was in high school, her father gave her driving lessons. What grade would you give your driving today? Incomplete, because I don't drive.

6) For family barbecues, Sam's dad dons his "Kiss the Chef" apron and mans the Weber. What's the last thing you grilled? A couple weeks ago I fired up the George Foreman grill for some salmon fillets.

7) Because he takes his grilling so seriously, Sam once invested in a pair of forged steel tongs for Father's Day. Does anyone on your gift list have a passion that makes them easy to shop for? My friend Mindy loves pop music and enjoys weaving lyrics into conversation. So she's getting this game for her birthday.

Learn more about it here

8) Traditionally the most popular Father's Day gift have been ties, wallets and belts. However experiences -- like tickets to a concert or a sporting event -- are gaining in popularity. Which would you prefer to receive: something to own and hold or an experience to remember? You know what I'd really like? Gift cards! Especially to Chewy or Petco. I'm always buying cat litter and scratching posts and stuff like that. It would be fun to not have to pay for them myself.

9) Random question: Have you recently mistakenly called someone by the wrong name? No, but I got the names of these actors mixed up. The first is Dirk Bogarde, whose work I really like. The second is Laurence Harvey, whom I don't like at all. Yet I stumble over their names all the time.

Him I like

 

Him I don't

Thursday Thirteen #363

13 Popular OTC Medications. It occurs to me that when I go to Walgreen's, I seldom buy drugs of any kind -- prescription or otherwise. It's my go-to for paper towels, Coke, Gerber Baby Meats (for my cat, Connie) and all manner of cosmetics and skin care.

But that's just me. According to Nforming, the over-the-counter drug market was worth more than $150 billion in 2022 and growth is projected.

So what are we buying? I tooled around the internet and this is what seems to be on everyone's lists. While I don't buy them often, I do make sure I always have the ones with the asterisk on hand.

1. Acetaminophen (Tylenol).*

2. Ibuprofen (Advil)*

3. Fexofenadine (Allegra)*

4. Hydrocortisone cream*

5. Dextromethorphen (Robitussin)*

6. Psueoephenedrine (Sudafed)*

7. Loperamide (Immodium)*

8. Simethicone (Gas-X)*

9. Loratadine (Claritin)

10. Omeprazole (Prilosec)

11. Ranitidine (Zantac). Ranitidine is no longer available OTC.

12. Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto Bismol)

13. Bisacodyl (Dulcolax)

What about you? What's always in your medicine chest or handbag?

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

WWW.WEDNESDAY

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? Siracusa by Delia Ephron. Two troubled couples take a Sicilian vacation together. Taylor is a beautiful but tightly wound working mom, married to restaurateur Finn. Lizzie is a journalist, married to Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Michael. Lizzie is annoyed that Taylor and Finn brought their 10-year-old daughter along, and confused by Michael's attention to the girl. Does this mean Michael regrets he and Lizzie never had children?

Each chapter is narrated by a different member of the quartet. Delia successfully established separate voices for each of them. So far (about a third of the way through), I like Lizzie best -- not that any of them is especially likeable. There's a tingly sense of dread enveloping this trip. I don't know what's going to happen to these four, but I'm here for it.

2. What did you recently finish reading? If Death Ever Slept by Rex Stout. Do you know anyone who lives with their extended family? I don't either. It's probably just as well, because according to mysteries and melodramas, big multi-generational households are just a hotbed of crime.

 

Let's take the Otis Jarrell penthouse as an example. Mr. Jarrell is a millionaire businessman (back when a million dollars meant something) who shares his home with his wife, his wife's brother, his adult daughter and son and daughter-in-law, his personal assistant and his stenographer. First Jarrell is disturbed when it seems one of them is engaging in industrial espionage and costing him money. Then people in their circle start getting dead. There are many suspects, all with shifting allegiances. It's all too complicated for me!

But not for Nero Wolfe (and Archie Goodwin). A fun and worthy entry to the series.

 

3. What will you read next? Don't know.

 

This Old Heart of Mine Been Broke 1,000 Times

Anthony Rizzo is 1-for-June. I can't believe I'm writing this, but my favorite-most ballplayer simply cannot connect for a bloop single, much less a home run. He was benched for the first time I can recall, and tonight he got back in the batter's box and went 0-4. He made an exceptional defensive play and did it with his joy and enthusiasm. But Yankee fans are still calling him a bum, saying he sucks. The New York press is using words like "fried."

He deserves better. He is such a good man. Last weekend, 500 people -- pediatric cancer patients or their family members -- enjoyed a June afternoon at a Chicagoland amusement park. Free.

That's just here. Before this season started, Anthony got to party with pediatric cancer patients and their families at the Boomers Amusement Park in Boca Raton.

In New York, the $255 entry fee for the NYC marathon was comped for 27 runners who were competing on behalf of the Children's Hospital at Montefiore.

Then there are the grants. Unpublicized but more important than the big events. Parents of kids with cancer can apply for financial help to pay for what insurance won't: Parking and meals in the hospital, daycare for siblings while parents accompany their children to treatments, rent/mortgage assistance for parents who have to skip work to care for their pediatric cancer patient ...

And the letters! Anthony sends personal letters to young people all over the country who are battling cancer, giving them hope with the story of how he beat the disease as a teenager.

So during the first six months of 2024, Anthony Rizzo has done more to help others than some of us do in our entire lives. That's why watching him struggle hurts me so. He deserves more from life, from baseball, from karma. The public embarrassment of being told he sucks, that he's a loser, that he's fried ... I hurt with him.

Meanwhile, in Tampa, my Cubs lost in the bottom of the 9th.

Just because I love baseball doesn't mean it loves me back.

Teaser Tuesday

Here's how to play.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Siracusa by Delia Ephron. Taylor and her husband Finn have decided to travel to Sicily with another couple, Lizzie and Michael. Before the trip, Taylor, a working mom with a daughter named Snow, takes a moment to discuss the upcoming trip with her friend April.

"What's really wrong with Lizzie," said April, "is that she doesn't have children. Women who don't have children are entirely different from those of us that do."

 "She's nice to Snow," I said.

"Nice isn't what I'm talking about. This may be a terrible thing to say, but women without children are emotionally stunted. They lack depth."

 

Sunday Stealing

 

 

1.  Are you afraid of the dark? Nope.

2.  Can you curl your tongue? Yes.

3.  Can you wiggle your ears? Only the right one.

4.  Did you ever participate in a talent show? I'm sure I did as a child, but I don't recall any details.

5.  Do you have any piercings or tattoos? One piercing on each lobe.

6.  Do you prefer Mac or PC? Mac.

7.  Do you still have your wisdom teeth? I didn't think so, but it seems that one last, lonely one has worked its way down and poked through on the upper left.

8.  Do you watch cartoons? Nope.

9.  Have you ever been hospitalized? Yes. Twice. I had a uterine artery embolization back around 2002, which they thought would help save my reproductive organs. And it did, until 2011, when I was back in the hospital for a hysterectomy. I've been to the ER several times, but was never admitted.

10. Have you had braces? Yes.

11. Were you ever a Girl or Boy Scout? (Or a brownie) Brownie, Junior, Cadette.

12. What is one food you refuse to eat? Anything with red peppers. I have a sensitive gut.

13. What's the most expensive item of clothing that you own? Golly, I don't know. Probably one of my coats.

14. What's your favorite foreign food? Lasagna

15. Who's your favorite fictional character? Oh, it changes. Right now, I aspire to be more like Melanie Wilkes. (Book and movie. She's better than me in both iterations.)

 

 

Misinformation Microcosm

 "Michael Jackson set his hair on fire. Druggies do that." So went the answer to what I thought was an innocent enough question on this week's Saturday 9: Without looking it up, can you recall why Michael Jackson's Pepsi commercial made headlines the world over? 

No, you dark-hearted dipshit, Michael Jackson did NOT set his own hair on fire. During filming, the pyrotechnic display went horribly wrong and, as he was descending the stairs, the explosion went off too close to his head and his hair caught on fire. In front of thousands of witnesses. On videotape. I only asked the question because it was one of the major news stories of 1984 and I thought anyone not living under a rock would recall it.

Michael Jackson had second and third degree burns on his face and scalp. Can you imagine how painful that must have been? (Remember the last time you burned your finger on a hot iron? Magnify that a million times over all over your head and face.) He endured several surgeries as a result. Here's the video:

Yes, Michael Jackson went on to have serious substance abuse problems -- likely as a result of this accident. I am no Michael Jackson fan. In fact, I can think of little nice to say about this artist as a man. But neither he, nor anyone who struggles substance abuse, deserves this black-hearted dipshit's dismissive attitude. Addiction is a disease, not a character flaw. No one would say, "He set his hair on fire. Asthmatics do that." 

Well, maybe our black-hearted dipshit would. Who knows what misinformation about asthma she embraces? After all, look at all the conspiracy theories that stubbornly swirl about the covid vaccine.

And, of course, there's the FACT that he didn't set his hair on fire. Not that facts matter when you accept a stereotype and hug it tight.

Sometimes I love the internet. Right now I hate it. "Michael Jackson set his hair on fire. Druggies do that." That cruel, cavalier, thoughtless comment encapsulates everything that's wrong with the world wide web. Because someone might read it and believe it's true. "I read someplace Michael Jackson set his hair on fire. He was freebasing. He was a black kid from Gary so naturally he was on drugs and druggies will do that ..." And so it will go.

Or let's look at the case of Paul Pelosi. The 84-year-old was home alone. Asleep. He woke up to find a man half his age standing over him. With a hammer. He tried to reason with the man. He contacted police. The intruder bashed his skull in. Again, like the Michael Jackson accident, the attack was filmed. Instead of regarding this as a crime, it became the source of ugly rumors ... and unexpected hilarity. Want to see Donald Trump Jr., eldest son of the former President and officer of The Trump Organization, joke about it? Click here. Suddenly a home invasion becomes a gay tryst gone wrong, and somehow Hunter Biden is dragged into it. This ugly bullshit was retweeted more than 4,000 times. (People take tweets down all the time. Not Donald Trump Jr. He apparently stands by this. Which tells you a lot about him.)

Of course the problem is not the internet, per se, but media in general. And the willingness of some to be uninformed and hateful. It's an age-old problem. I've wandered through the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum many times and the cruel stories and cartoons printed about Abe during the 1860s would be enough to make you cry. (Unless, of course, you're a black-hearted dipshit. The proliferation of Confederate flags makes me wonder what my countrymen really believe about our greatest President.)

Before I slide my soap box away, I promise you this: I try not to spread misinformation. As with the Michael Jackson and Donald Trump Jr. references, I try to include links. I want to be what's good about the internet, and human nature. Not what's bad.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Footloose (1984)

1) In this week's song, Kenny Loggins encourages everyone to lose their blues by dancing. What reliably shakes you out of a funk? Cuddling a cat.

2) To cut footloose, he has to kick off his "Sunday shoes." What's on your feet as you answer these 9 questions? Nothing. I'm barefoot and suddenly very aware of my chipped pedi.

3) This is the title song of the popular 1984 movie of the same name. It's so well-identified with the film that the AFI named it #96 of the top 100 movie songs of the last 100 years. Have you seen Footloose? Once. I didn't care for it much, one way or the other. I can still sing along with the soundtrack, though. "Let's Hear It for the Boy," "Almost Paradise," "Holding Out for a Hero." They were all very popular and ubiquitous on the radio.

4) The title of his 2022 memoir, Still Alright, was inspired by "I'm Alright," the song he wrote for the raucous golf comedy, Caddyshack. Do you play golf? (Yes, putt-putt miniature golf counts!) Do you watch it on TV? I don't get golf. I wish I did, because I admire the passion of those who are into it.

5) Thinking of movies, Kenny says watching Yankee Doodle Dandy when he was just 7 years old made him think performing looked like fun and says, "I knew deep inside this is something I could do." Do you recall when you set off on your chosen career? When I was a little girl, I used those wax paper squares made to separate hamburger patties. I'd trace pictures out of my Golden Books and make up my own stories. Then I'd staple the squares and announce I'd "written another book." So my mom was not surprised when I became a professional writer.

Where it all began.

5) Kenny grew up in Everett, Washington, north of Seattle and 84 miles from the Canadian border. Have you ever visited Canada? If yes, where did you go? Montreal when I was 8, Toronto when I was in my late 30s.

6) In 1977 Kenny struck up a friendship with Stevie Nicks, who was a source of encouragement and would sing with him on one of his biggest hits, "Whenever I Call You Friend." Tell us about when you met one of your best friends. At my first job as a writer, for the Sears catalog, I was given the cubicle next to John. He was an old-timer who had been there two years already. He came over to give me the keys to my file cabinet. My first assignment was to write about men's tube socks. "Why do I have to lock the drawer? Are we worried about spies from JC Penney's?" He knew then I had attitude and he liked me. Over our shared cubicle wall I saw a cardboard silhouette. I went into his cubicle and saw he'd taken a photo of Diana Ross (his goddess) sitting at a fashion show, cut it out, backed it with cardboard, and made a paper doll to "watch him work." I knew then he was an original and I liked him. We were dear friends for 43 years, until his death in April.

7) In 1984, when this song was a hit, Angela Lansbury premiered in Murder, She Wrote, a show still seen in reruns today. Were/are you a fan? Not really. I'll watch it if it shows up in the middle of the night when I can't sleep, or if I'm spinning the dial and see a guest star I recognize. 

Yes, that's a young George Clooney in Cabot Cove.

8) Let's tweak your memory about something else that happened in 1984. Without looking it up, can you recall why Michael Jackson's Pepsi commercial made headlines the world over? His hair caught on fire during filming.

9) Random question -- Think of your last professionally prepared meal. Did you dine in, carry out, or have it delivered? Carry out.

 

Judy Garland Blogathon: Judy's Influence on Barbra

I recently finished My Name Is Barbra, Streisand's epic autobiography, and was delighted to read how consistently positive Barbra was about Judy. Over the years I've read that Judy felt threatened by Barbra, or that Barbra dismissed Judy as irrelevant, but in Streisand's telling, none of that's true. Judy recognized Barbra's talent and was enthusiastic about working with her, and Barbra acknowledges Judy's exceptional skills as a performer and how open and welcoming the established star was to the newcomer. 

So if you're looking for juicy gossip about a feud, move along. There's nothing to see here. Not in my post, nor in Barbra's book. I'm going to concentrate on how Judy influenced Barbra and the younger woman's career trajectory.

Barbra appeared on The Judy Garland Show in October 1963. Considering Judy's career in the 1960s, I've always wondered: What If? What if Judy had a manager who cared about her, respected her talent, and took the long view of her career, the way Brian Epstein looked out for the Beatles and Marty Erlichman took care of Streisand. Marty discovered Barbra when she was just 18 and has been with her more than 60 super successful years. And it's Marty who made Barbra's historic appearance on The Judy Garland Show happen.

David Begelman and Freddie Fields were handling Judy at the time, and they wanted to bring young Barbra to their agency. They kept calling Marty, asking him what they'd have to do to "get Barbra." Marty said, "You get us The Judy Garland Show and you'll get Barbra." While Judy's show was not a hit, Marty was smart enough to know watching these two generational talents work together would get a tremendous amount of media attention. Barbra, just 21 and still in rehearsals for Funny Girl, could benefit enormously from being in Judy's spotlight. Judy was enthusiastic about sharing her stage with this hot new girl singer. As Mel Torme recalled in his book, "When Judy and Barbra met, it was instant warmth. I knew Garland would be on her toes all week to keep pace with this extraordinary girl."

Now for the legendary "Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy" Medley. Barbra included "Happy Days" on her first album. Listening to the LP in her dressing room, she began weaving her own song, "Get Happy," in with Barbra's. Judy requested that Mel Torme, musical director on the show, shape it into the duet that the two ladies so memorably performed.

Barbra recalls Judy as "completely generous." She was surprised that, when they performed together, Judy grabbed her hand and held on. At 21, Barbra didn't know why Judy was apparently so nervous during the taping. Now, 60 years later, she thinks she does. Barbra believes that Judy wasn't worried about her audience, but producers, money men and critics who often seem to just be waiting for artists to fail.

In 2012, I saw Barbra perform the "Happy Days/Get Happy" medley live onstage with her sister Roslyn Kind singing Judy's part. (Not as well as Judy, of course, but I was excited to hear it again all the same.)

Near the top of the charts in the autumn of 1964 was Barbra Streisand: The Third Album. You see Judy's influence the moment you pick it up. The photograph on the cover was taken by Judy's dear friend Roddy McDowell while Barbra was performing on The Judy Garland Show.

Caution!  In the early 1960s, Barbra threw a party and Judy surprised her by showing up. She didn't stay long but demonstrated why Barbra referred to her as "kind, truthful, supportive." Watching Barbra's career take off with gold records, award-winning TV specials and a starring role on Broadway, Judy warned the younger woman, "Don't let them do to you what they did to me."

A Star Is Born. Full disclosure: Judy's version is my very favorite, Barbra's is my least favorite. But I'm not going to debate that here. Nor am I going to compare and contrast. Instead I'm just going to point out that both Barbra and Judy performed in menswear-inspired outfits as Esther.

Esther Hoffman sings "Woman in the Moon"

 

Esther Blodgett sings "Gotta Have Me Go with You"

Again with the What If? Barbra has two Oscars. In fact, she's an EGOT. I am a Streisand super fan and celebrate her accomplishments.

But this all makes me wistful about Judy. What if she'd had the gift of time (Barbra has more than 30 years on Judy) and the benefit a role model, like she was for Barbra? How much more joy could she have given us, and enjoyed herself? At the end of My Name Is Barbra, Streisand is content with her life and happy in love. How I wish we could listen to Judy at 80, reflecting on her life and career.

More Judy here and here

Thursday Thirteen #362

My first 13 books of 2024. June seems like a good time to look back on my reading so far this year. 

My list is in the order that I read them. I put my personal grade after the link.

1. Babe: The Legend Comes to Life by Robert Creamer. My grade: B. A moving, but very detailed, biography of Babe Ruth.

2. Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena. C. A fun but forgettable thriller.

3. Murder, Stage Left by Robert Goldsborough. C+ An entertaining latter-day entry in the Nero Wolfe series by the author chosen to replace creator Rex Stout.

4. Laura by Vera Caspary. A. Originally published in 1943 and made into a classic film, this is a very nearly perfect murder mystery.

5. Mary Lincoln: Biography of a Marriage by Ruth Painter Randall. B+. A fascinating study of our most misunderstood First Lady. Originally published in the mid-1950s, so some of the language gave me pause, but that makes it an accurate reflection of its time, as well as Mary's.

6. Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist by MC Beaton. C- Number 6 in the series, this wasn't my favorite. It takes Aggie out of her usual setting in the Cottswold and places her in Cyprus, so the small town charm is missing.

7. Camera Girl: The Coming of Age of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy by Carl Sferrazza Anthony. A+. A unique biography of one of the most famous women of the 20th century because it focuses on a very narrow slice of her life: the period between her college graduation and her marriage to Senator John F. Kennedy. She traveled extensively, got engaged to and broke up with a stockbroker, and embarked on a newspaper career she loved. A completely charming book. Made me wish I'd discussed this period of my mother's life with her.

8. Murder in the Ballpark by Robert Goldsborough. C. Another latter-day Nero Wolfe book, penned by Stout's successor. The atmosphere and dialog are right, but the mystery was meh.

9. Hollywood: The Oral History by Jeanine Basinger and Sam Wasson. I appreciated it, but don't know how to grade it. A comprehensive reference book, I inadvisedly read it straight through for my book club and was overwhelmed.

10. She's Not Sorry by Mary Kubica. C+. A thriller set in Chicago, it's good at setting the time/place. I enjoyed it while I was reading it. Then, after it was over, I kept turning the plot holes over in my head. "Hey, but how did ..."

11. My Name Is Barbra by Barbra Streisand. B+. More than 990 pages of Barbra's story told by Barbra. Charming at times, infuriating at others, but always fascinating. A delicious wallow for Barbra buffs.

12. The Doorbell Rang by Rex Stout. B. I returned to Wolfe's brownstone with the series creator, Rex Stout. And yes, it's better with Rex.

13. Any Given Tuesday by Lis Smith. B. A political consultant takes us through 20 years of Democratic campaigns on both the state and national levels. I was fascinated because hers is a life I could imagine myself living -- if I wasn't so cautious. I just wish I liked her more.

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

Handsome Is As Handsome Does

My favorite-most ball player Anthony Rizzo is in a slump. This has broken my heart in 1,000 different ways. The owner of the Yankees pretty much called a press conference just to say they weren't going to keep him next year so they can give more money to Juan Soto. I am obsessed. I must be watching/listening when he rises up from this ravine.

It's against this backdrop that I went to volunteer for the local library book sale last night. At this point, all we're doing is sorting donations. You know: FICTION, NON-FICTION, CHILDREN'S, DVDs, CDs. It's neither complicated nor taxing, but it's important.

I volunteered to build boxes. I'm good at building boxes, and we need lots of boxes. It's easy on my back, too. Books are heavy and toting them to and fro can be a strain. Best of all, it's a rather solitary activity. Just me at a table with a palette of flat boxes and a tape dispenser. It gave me an opportunity to keep up with Rizz on the MLB Gameday app. No sound, so I wasn't disturbing the trio of sorters.

One of those sorters was a very nice-looking, age-appropriate man with nice arms and sandy hair. I like men. I liked looking at him. Between him and the ballgame, I was looking forward to a pleasant 2 1/2 hours.

What a jerk he turned out to be! I stacked my newly-built boxes three deep on the floor. More than once he cavalierly kicked them over -- literally, with his foot! -- so he could get closer to the sorting table. He also slid books across the table where I was working, knocking into my phone and water bottle.

At the end of our shift, we all chatted amiably for a few minutes. One woman told us how hard it was to part with the books she donated. I recalled how last year an argument broke out how to categorize In Cold Blood -- non-fiction? classic? true crime? A man in a Sox cap was asking if anyone knew military time as he looked at his parking receipt and tried to calculate what he owed. 

Good Lookin' just wordlessly signed out and went home. Ha! Just for that, I'm not going to fall in love with you.

Rizz went 0-4!

I had to content myself with the fact that I'd given of myself to the community.

WWW.WEDNESDAY

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? If Death Ever Slept by Rex Stout. Otis Jarrell is a millionaire businessman who lives in penthouse with his extended family. He's sure his daughter-in-law is "a snake" and hellbent on destroying his son and his fortune. He hires Wolfe (and his associate, Archie, of course) to find the evidence he needs to convince his son to divorce her. What begins as an easy case with a big fee for uncovering marital shenanigans and perhaps industrial espionage becomes murder and nothing is as easy or obvious as it seems.

2. What did you recently finish reading? Fairy Tale Interrupted by RoseMarie Terenzio. RoseMarie was John Kennedy Jr.'s personal assistant at George and she shares her insider's view. It was exciting and fun -- chatting with Marlon Brando on the phone, celebrating her birthday with courtside seats for the Knicks, helping Carolyn Bessette pack for that super-secret wedding -- until it wasn't. When John's plane went down, she lost her boss, her mentor ... and her job.

In short order her best friend died suddenly, then JFK's plane crashed, and her father lost his battle with illness. The book could be infuriating and tone-deaf at times, but the universality of her struggle and loss at the end redeems it.

 

3. What will you read next? More fiction: Siracusa by Delia Ephron.

I deserve ice cream

On the way home from the card shop yesterday, I stopped for a cup of mint ice cream. I deserved it. I got two -- 2! -- compliments for my work. 

First, my boss Ceecee held the first of what will be regular monthly meetings of the assistant store managers. I found afterward that Jen, the manager I work with most often, reported how well I was doing. I don't know the details -- I'm going to be formally reviewed this sometime this month -- but Ceecee wanted me to know. 

I appreciated hearing this because I'd been a little anxious about the review thing (I thought I'd left that heinous ritual behind when I retired from advertising) and because when I first started at the shop six months ago, Jen and I were like oil and water. Since she's become more patient with me, I have been doing better.

Then something extraordinary happened.

A woman called the shop. She wanted a narrow gift box for a tube of mascara. I recommended a gift bag -- we have plenty of those -- but no, she wanted a box. So I carried her with me as I checked our box stock. None on the display on the east wall ... none under the gift display in front ... none in the overstock on the back wall. Sorry. No gift boxes that would be perfect for a tube of mascara.

She asked to talk to the store manager.

Gulp.

I told her I'd be happy to put Ceecee on the line, but she should know that we are corporate owned and don't have a lot of influence over the stock we carry. "I still want to talk to the manager," she insisted.

I took the phone back to Ceecee, who was in the office, and told her who the lady was and what had happened.

Ceecee listened for a moment and then said, "Thank you. Very nice to hear .... Our store has been here 30 years but the Gal is one of our newer employees ... I will tell  her ... We hope to see you in person soon ...."

She was that impressed by how "pleasant" and "extremely helpful" I was! All I did that anyone else might not do was, instead of putting the phone on the counter and looking around, I brought her with me and told her what I was seeing. Not that big a deal and it felt very natural to me. But it was a big deal to her.

Here's what I learned: If you receive good service, compliment it. I never before realized how much it matters.

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash

You're not imagining it

We have been here before. MAGA supporters are just like Nixon supporters ... on steroids and with the internet.

Teaser Tuesday

Here's how to play.

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

If Death Ever Slept by Rex Stout. Otis Jarrell is a wealthy Manhattan businessman with a problem and he hopes that with a persuasive argument and a ton of money, he can convince Nero Wolfe to solve it.

Jarrell opened his mouth, closed it, made a decision and spoke. "I want you to get a snake out of my house." He made fists. "My daughter-in-law. My son's wife. It must be absolutely confidential. I want you to get evidence of things she has done, things I know damn well she has done, and she will have to go!"

 

Sunday Stealing

 

1. If you like art, who is your favorite artist and why? Thomas McKnight. I love his idealized interiors. They make me want to enter them and sit down.

 2. If you were able to learn any three skills or talents instantly and with success, what would they be? Speak Spanish, play guitar and -- most of all -- master that fucking cash register at the card shop. Just when I think I've got it down, something happens and I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle: woman vs. machine.

3. If you were to live in Ancient Times, where - in what country - would you want to live in? I wouldn't go. I'm too fond of running water, deodorant and air conditioning.

4. What is something you’re embarrassed to admit to liking? Whether it be a guilty pleasure show, or unusual hobby, etc. Valley of the Dolls. I love every wretched frame of this trashy film.

5. What is the worst job you’ve ever had? I was an admin to a trio of men I neither liked nor respected. One of my bosses had me xeroxing catalogs all day to help him buy and sell his toy cars. Another had me take his personal checks -- made out to cash -- to the company cashier so his wife wouldn't know he was funneling money to their adult son. The third would scold me for either opening his mail (if it was personal) or not opening his mail (but didn't he just tell me ...). I truly hated going in each day.

6. What is something that you wanted to do as a child that you would still like to do now? Marry Paul McCartney

7. What do you hate being judged for more than anything else? I'm not crazy about being judged at all.

8. What is your life’s mission? To be a kinder person.

9. If everyone walked around wearing warning labels, what would yours say? Tread lightly.

10. At what age did you first feel like you were an adult? 19.

11. When did you not speak up, but wish you had?  At my old job, I let us present work I didn't believe in because I didn't want to argue with my new boss. It wasn't fair to my client.

12. What is something that makes your skin crawl? Donald Trump

13. What was the last thing to give you butterflies in your stomach? Air travel. I really hate to fly.

14. What's your favorite type of media to work with? (Paint, clay, pens etc.) I like a good marker.

15. What question do you hate answering? Nothing is coming to mind. I guess that means you can ask me anything!