Done!

I stayed late and plowed through and finished developing two different concepts for introducing specific 2010 tax law revisions to the public. It didn't come easily and it wasn't fun, the way my job often is. My difficulty didn't spring from the subject matter -- over my career I have written glowingly about tube socks and mud flaps. No, today the problem was that I just couldn't get into the groove.

I'm pleased with the final result, which is only right. I mean, my clients don't get a special, reduced rate for work done when I'm not into the groove. And now I get to eat dinner and enjoy what's left of my evening, knowing that my four-day Labor Day weekend won't involve working from home. Yea!

September Fitness Challenge

Day 3. Planning ahead. I am looking at my day differently now, giving more thought to what I consume and even anticipating my day ahead of time. For example, today is Beer Cart day. On a day like this,* I KNOW I will want that brewski. So I had a lighter lunch -- hard-boiled eggs, grapes, cheese and crackers. My Bud Light is guilt free, and, in fact, acting as my muse, and I'll still be able to have whatever I want for dinner without going over my 1890 calorie-allotment.

*Writer's block AND a Cub loss to the White Sox!

This is so sad

My word well has run dry. No matter how hard I pump, no words come forth! I have to write tons of copy about the 2010 IRA tax laws, and make it (if not fun, at least ...) interesting and accessible. And I am hopelessly STUCK!

I shall now check the Illinois State Lottery ticket in my wallet. If I am not suddenly a freshly-minted millionaire, then I'm afraid I can't quit this job and must finish this project. So then I'll get some lunch. Maybe having some grub will inspire me.

Therapy? Did someone say "therapy?"

I found The Therapy Survey over at Kwizgiver's.

When was the last time you cried?
Months ago, while watching Marley & Me ("You were a great dog, Marley." "Goodbye, Clearance Puppy.")

What made you angry this week?
Over lunch on Tuesday, a coworker compared and contrasted Chicago and LA by explaining that at least the homosexuals here stay in the closet. Reminded me of why I shouldn't go out to lunch with coworkers.

What was the happiest day of your life?
I've had many. The first one that comes to mind is an evening in summer 1976 at the old Chicago Stadium when I first saw Paul McCartney live.

Have you ever laughed until you cried?
Yes

Have you ever laughed so hard you peed your pants?
No

Have you ever been suspicious of someone?
Yes

What was the last thing you envied?
How nice this woman on the street looked in her belted sweater.

Are you sarcastic?
Who, me?

Have you ever had your heart broken?
Oh, yes.

What is the last thing that disgusted you?
A scene in a Wednesday rerun of NCIS: a murderer cut out her victim's eyes

Have you ever been truly afraid because of a scary movie?
Yes. Dressed to Kill.

What is you biggest regret?
Not flossing when I was younger.

Have you ever had an obsession?
Other than the Cubs? (They play the White Sox today.)

Do you feel pity others who have less than you?
Yes

What is your biggest fear?
Suffering through a firey plane crash

What was the last lie you told?
I can't recall. Not that I'm ubertruthful. I just can't remember the last lie I told.

Have you ever cheated in a game among friends?
Not as an adult

Who was the last person you flirted with?
I don't even remember. Isn't that sad?

Have you ever seen an image that made you physically ill?
No. Several have come close, but none has succeeded.

September Fitness Challenge

Day 2. 35 minutes of cardio followed by leg presses and leg curls. It'll be close, I admit, but I just might stay within my calorie intake goal today, too!

I Saw Her Standing There

OK, she wasn't standing. She was walking toward me up the street, but too involved with her cell phone conversation to recognize me. She's a former coworker of mine, one I haven't seen in more than 10 years. She'd be in her middle 50s now.

She was reed thin, in denim from head to toe (including her bedazzled jeans). Her long, straight hair was very thin (was that scalp peering through?) and she had circles around her eyes.

Is it evil, or conceited, to say plainly right here that I am glad I look better than she does? Please say it's OK. It doesn't happen often.

"I Want" Wednesday

This week's question is:

What meal do you want at this very instant?

I just had lunch, so I'm not hungry. But I am craving something cinnamon-y. And warm. Comfort food. So let's say a gi-normous bowl of oatmeal with warm cinnamon apple slices. Since it's my fantasy, I'll sprinkle EXTRA cinnamon on top, too! Just to make sure I have more sugar coursing through my system than anyone needs, I'll take a Coke with that.

To play along, click here.

September Fitness Challenge

Day 1. I'd like to be able to say that I started this month on the treadmill but alas, I'd be lying. We took our consultant, Maggie, out to lunch to wish her a fond farewell, so I couldn't work out during the day and I didn't get home until late. BUT I did do something to aimed at keeping me healthy. Because I had such a yummy, albeit calorie-laden, lunch, I opted to have a nutritious dinner. Apples and cinnamon oatmeal. Just 250 calories and 24 grams of fiber. It tasted all the better because it made me feel so virtuous!

I must learn to be more patient

One of my coworkers is, quite possibly, the nicest man in the world. Kind and sincere. He also stutters and is hard of hearing. I hate myself for becoming impatient with him when he doesn't get something or I find myself repeating myself. I hope he doesn't sense my frustration. After all, I should only be as nice as he is!

The Queen's Meme

Bloggingham Love Shack (aka The Romance Meme)

1. What is the craziest thing you've ever done in the name of love? I actually almost quit my job and left my family and friends to move to Fremont, California, with the most toxic man to ever draw breath. No, really, he is. You may think you've dated some repulsivos, but trust me, I wasted a decade with the real title holder.

2. How much mystery should there be in a relationship? Is it a good thing or not? I should be enveloped in mystery, and yet be able to know every damn thing I want about the man in my life.

3. Is there someone in the blogosphere you'd like to get to know more intimately? Have you been too shy to ask? Let me help you. Write a 3 sentence anonymous blove letter to them in this meme.
Leave a link if you dare. (I promise not to tell!)

Dear John Mayer, I love how sensitive you are on "Waiting for the World to Change" and "Daughters." I love how vulgar and silly you are on Twitter. I want to eat cereal in bed with you.www.johnmayer.com

4. Describe a "perfect evening" with the one you love. Watching a movie at home, sitting on the floor, drinking beer and eating pizza. Then lots of sex, please.

5. If you are in a relationship, describe the one thing that makes it work well for you. If you are not in a relationship, do you want to be? If so, what type of romance are you looking for? What would it look like in your life? To borrow from The Boss, I long for someone who will "guard my dreams and visions." Then lots of sex, please.

6. If you had to choose between having good s*x (I told you not to let your mother read this) OR intelligent conversation on a regular basis, which would you choose and why? Why? Why must I choose? Oh, my Queen, you are a cruel despot!

7. I've got the Bloggingham Blues. What type of man is right for Queen Mimi Pencil Skirt? Do any of you see love in her foreseeable future? What do you suggest I do to spice up my love life? What am I doing wrong????!
I object to the basic premise, for I don't believe you are doing anything "wrong." So much of love is timing. A coworker and I were discussing Gone with the Wind (and, yes, come to think of it, Rhett Butler would be great for you). We both read it for the first time in high school and loved it. But if we read it for the first time now, would we love it as much? The book remains the same but we evolve. So you just haven't found the right man for this time of your life yet. And why would any woman ask ME for advice on love? Are Liz Taylor and Jessica Simpson both busy?

09 August Happiness Challenge -- Day 31

Monday. Beautiful sky, perfect weather. The sky is blue and clear, except for a few puffy white clouds. The sun is bright and the mercury just grazed 70º. Simply gorgeous.

Now it's time to bid that Get Happy Girl, Judy Garland, "adieu" because, just like Christmas decorations, she's going to be tucked away until next year.

That felt gooooood

Worked out today for the first time in a week! Did my half hour of cardio plus some lat pull downs. My bruises didn't protest too much, which is good because my muscles have missed the exertion.

I'm feeling enthusiastic about all of this again because when I stood on the scale this morning, I found that at least I hadn't gained any weight.

09 August Happiness Challenge -- Day 30

Sunday. Well-timed words of encouragement. Not only did my cyber sibs, Kwiz and Snarky, cheer me up with their comments on the post below, my neighbor Brian stopped the laundry room to talk to me about working out, too. It would be so easy for me to throw in the towel and go to Stone Cold Creamery, but that's not what I really want to do. Thanks to my personal cheerleaders for keeping me on track.

Uh oh

Tomorrow is Weigh Day. I fear the results will not be what I want them to be. I have missed work outs due to work (bad excuse, because my health club is open 24/7) and tummy trouble and my bruises (valid excuses). I've also fallen off the diet wagon a time or two.

I must remind myself that this is not a diet I am on. It's a lifestyle change. So August wasn't all that successful. I can turn it around in September.

Besides, I know I'm stronger, if not thinner. That's an indication that I'm on way to a healthier life. And that is the point, isn't it? (Let me rephrase: that SHOULD be the point, shouldn't it?)

09 August Happiness Challenge -- Day 29

Saturday. Looking at him. Watching my cat Joey sleep always makes me smile. He does it so completely! He sprawls out, changes his position frequently, and looks like he's smiling as he dreams. My big old tub of guts is a "power napper extraordinaire."

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: The Waiting

1. Have you ever stayed online for a very long time waiting for someone? Not particularly. I will stay online and refresh my mailbox often if I'm expecting an email from a friend, but I'll be doing other things -- not just sitting there, scaring at the screen.

2. How do you eat oreos? I don't eat Oreos, but I do have a weakness for the lemon creme sandwich cookies my admin regularly brings into the office. I devour them in a bite or two, without taking them apart and eating the creme separately.

3. Are you cocky? Professionally, yes. Personally? No.

4. Did you have an imaginary friend as a kid? Hell yes! I had an entire imaginary cast of characters. It was great.

5. What t.v. station do you watch the most? MSNBC

6. Have you ever seen the ocean? Both the Atlantic and the Pacific and the Gulf, too.

7. Have you ever been hospitalized? Only once for the removal of uterine fibroids. Not really a big deal.

8. What's your favorite brand of rootbeer? IBC (though it's getting harder to find)

9. Could you live without a computer? Not happily

Faith and Redemption

I'm watching Ted Kennedy's funeral mass and my heart is so full. Not just in celebration of this one life or this one family, but because I know how fortunate I am to believe.

• I know that public service, politics and government are all noble callings. I know the Kennedys, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama (all of who I'm looking at on my TV right now) chose to better the country, even though they all could have found easier, more lucrative work in the private sector. Yes, I realize that no public servant is perfect and at times believing as I do leaves my heart feeling as bruised as my knee. But it also gives me so much hope and purpose.

• I know that we can change our own lives. I know I can become a better person, a better daughter, a better friend. I have that capacity. As I listen to everyone discussing how Ted Kennedy's love for his second wife Vicki helped him get his life back on track, I know that's possible. It's never too late, it's never over, we're never done ... not until God calls us home.

• I know that true love and soulmates exist. He was well into middle age when they wed. (See bullet above.) Just because I have fallen short in romantic relationships until now doesn't mean it will always be this way. (See bullet above.)

• I know that Jesus loves me and I will be forgiven. Service to man, love and redemption are all part and parcel of God's glory. Within my Unitarian faith I have the framework and reinforcement to worship as I wish, and I am so grateful.

I am a very lucky woman with a full heart. As Ted Kennedy said, "...the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."

09 August Happiness Challenge -- Day 28

Friday. Peapod. Because I'm still pretty sore (as explained in yesterday's challenge post), I really can't/shouldn't do a lot of heavy lifting. So thank goodness for grocery delivery services! All my heavy stuff -- Slim Fast, Coca Cola and a jug of Tidy Cat -- will arrive at my front door this evening. Hurray!

It could be worse

Friends of this blog, the Bumbles, commented recently that, living in Boston, the Kennedy coverage is pretty much wall to wall.

Imagine what it's like to live here, in Chicagoland, and have THIS be the center of the press coverage! Doesn't quite reach the mythical majesty of Camelot, does it?

Friday Fill In

1. He was a gentleman and a scholar.

2. The cool night air, so I can sleep with the window open, is what I look forward to most this time of year.

3. My best friend is related to John and JQ Adams -- isn't that neat?

4. I can't say I miss Michael Jackson one bit, to be honest with you.

5. Appearances can be deceiving -- trite, but true.

6. The last person I gave a hug to was my nephew, who is imminently huggable.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to vegging, tomorrow my plans include vegging and Sunday, I want to veg!

To fill it in for yourself, click here.

Aw ...

Sir Paul and his gal pal, Nancy Shevell, enjoying a Yankee game. This makes me happy.

He can't possibly understand

This is Splash, the oldest of Ted Kennedy's three dogs and rumored to be his favorite. He's shown here in Kennedy's Senate office, sitting beneath a photo of JFK. But the great thing about dogs is that Splash doesn't know about the Kennedy Legacy and wouldn't care if he did. He was just sitting there with the light of his life, his favorite person, the one who gave him treats, scratched his ear, gave him rides in the car and took him sailing. In return, Splash gave his #1 person comfort and unconditional love. Not because Ted Kennedy was one of the most famous men in the world, but because that's what dogs do.

If you visit here often, you know I feel a special bond with dogs and cats. It's such a part of my heart that can't help looking at Ted's death through that prism. Splash can't possibly understand what has happened in his furry world. I wonder how long dogs mourn.

And then there was one

With the recent passing of Eunice Kennedy Shriver just two weeks ago and now, of course, Ted Kennedy, there is only sibling of their generation left -- Jean Kennedy Smith (second from left). I wonder what it is like for her these days.

She was there for the rivalry between Joe and Jack ... Honey Fitz ... sailing and swimming and football in Hyannis Port and Palm Springs ... their father's days in Hollywood ... the Roosevelts ... London during the war ... the glamorous but tragic marriage of Kick and Billy ... the heartbreak of Rosemary's illness ... Choate and Harvard ... PT-109 ... the sudden deaths of Joe and Kick ... the political ascendancy of Jack .... the addition of Ethel, Jackie and Joan ... the addition of Sarge, Steve and Peter ... Camelot ... their father's stroke ... the Cuban Missile Crisis ... the Special Olympics ... Dallas, Los Angeles and Chappaquiddick ... Bobby finding his voice and losing his life ... the trials of the "kids" (many of whom are in their 50s now), including drugs, cancer, brushes with the law and more tragic young deaths ... their mother's 100th birthday and her passing ... Teddy's growth into elder statesman ... her own time as Ambassador to Ireland ...

My mother and her brother are both seniors now and neither is in great health. My mother is stronger than she was six months ago, but she has COPD and a bad knee and tires easily. My uncle, her baby brother, is battling Parkinson's. I have watched their bond strengthen as their parents, aunts, uncles, spouses and lifelong family friends have passed.

In a very real, very human way, the Kennedys are simply a family. A family that has cast an enormous shadow across American life, to be sure, but a family, and Jean is the last one standing. Now, at 81, she has lost two of her siblings in the same month. Being the last of her parents' children must be bittersweet indeed for now she alone has all the memories.

My gratitude is with Ted Kennedy. My prayers are with her.

09 August Happiness Challenge -- Day 27

Thursday. Nice men. It was a strange day in Loop today, what with the police shooting & killing a man with a knife at noontime on State Street. But that doesn't mean Chicago isn't a terrific city. I bought a new microwave at Sears today. The box is bigger than I thought it'd be and I had a hard time getting into the cab. The cabbie helped me get it in and out of the trunk. Then, as I headed toward the door of the train station, I took a tumble on the wet pavement. Bruises on my knees, cuts on my arms. Embarrassing and painful. The cabbie left his car and helped me get back on my feet. So did a very nice man. Then, while I was on the train, a (rather cute) guy asked me if he could help me on the steps, since box looked so heavy. He did much more than that. Turns out he and I got off at the same stop and he carried it for me practically to my front door. Thank you, three men I've never seen before!

I was eating lunch a few blocks away as this went on

August 27, 2009 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- A man who was shot by police after allegedly pulling a weapon on another man along busy State Street is dead, officials said.

And yet nothing seemed unusual. Didn't even know about this until I got back to the office. Kinda spooky.

So far the score is tied.

Gal 1/Reynaldo 1.

Regular readers know Reynaldo is my skinny beige cat. He is always sweet but often so hyper that I am completely exasperated. Imagine John Grogan's Marley mixed with Lilo's Stitch and you have my Reynaldo.

This morning, for the second pre-dawn in a row, he has raced into my bedroom, trying to get me to play with him. No, I don't know why he doesn't play with one of the other two cats. And anyway, he's Rey, so reasons are immaterial.

First he walks across my body and meows in my ear. An unpleasant way to wake up. I yell at him and pull the covers over my head. He digs at the sheet as if I am a buried treasure. I yell at him. He jumps onto my dresser. Sometimes he flips the light on, sometimes he just knocks things over. He wants me to get up and chase him. I want to sleep until my alarm goes off at 6:15.

Yesterday this went on for more than 40 minutes, until the alarm went off. This morning he began way earlier and really pissed me off. For he decided that the figurine on the TV stand needed to go and knocked it onto the floor. It is, believe it or not, an angel holding a cat -- a gift from a past art director who admired my compassion for homeless animals. Like Rey … until that dark day I brought him home from the shelter.

So I got out of bed and he raced out, sure I was finally playing his game. But no, I simply closed the door and went back to bed. Where my diva cat Charlotte was looking at me like, "Please knock it off. I'm trying to sleep here."

I hadn't done this before because the litter boxes are tucked beside a partition in my big walk-in closet and I didn't want to inconvenience the two cats who are not demonically possessed. To wait 90 minutes to use the facilities seemed unfair, but what the hell. I wanted to go back to sleep and besides, I was busy playing Annie Sullivan to Rey's Helen Keller.

The alarm clock went off, I opened my bedroom door and triumphantly saw the cat I thought I'd vanquished, looking at me expectantly. I stepped over him and went into the bathroom.

Where he had taken a dump on my pretty new pink bathmat.

This isn't over, Reynaldo!

09 August Happiness Challenge -- Day 26

Thursday. Bipartisan grace. I got home and turned on the news, as I do every day. And, knock me over with a feather, I was treated to Nancy Reagan speaking glowingly about Ted Kennedy! She said the two conferred often regarding health care, specifically stem cell research. Imagine all that could be accomplished if that spirit of bipartisanship could be bottled and shared throughout the House and Senate!

Feeling very Dorothy just now

I'm not sad this morning

… about the passing of Ted Kennedy. For at last we saw a Kennedy brother live a long life and die at home, of natural causes.

Today at lunch I bought my skincare at The Body Shop, gave my change to a homeless man, and renewed my membership in Greenpeace. While Ted wasn't on my mind as I did these things, it occurs to me that that they each came so naturally because I'm a Kennedy Girl. Since childhood, JFK, Bobby and Ted have shaped my world view. Government should do for the individual what the individual can't do alone. We are all responsible to one another.

I met him at a "Kerry for President" fundraiser in 2004. He was round and white-haired and friendly and LOUD and bigger than life, and I never expected to get so close to him. When he grabbed my hand, I was at a loss for words. (It doesn't happen often, but it happens.) So I just said, "Thank you." At the time I thought it was a dopey thing to say. In retrospect, I realize that "thank you" just about covers it.

"...the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."

09 August Happiness Challenge -- Day 25

Tuesday. Shrimp. After work I stopped at Whole Foods and picked up some cooked and peeled shrimp. Oh ... YUM!

Now I may be Team Kate

At first I admit I was Team Jon. Kate was too bossy, too critical, too much the perfectionist. (Remember when she scolded him for not using a coupon?) He was so much easier going with the kids, more natural.

Now I am grudgingly Team Kate. Jon's acting like an overripe frat boy, smoking and drinking and partying with The Pink Ladies from Grease. Kate seems to tbe stable one, even though she wears more than a hint of martyr these days.

Actually, now that I think of it, I don't especially like Jon or Kate. But, oh, those kids! Especially the little boys. I'm so hooked on the Gosselin kids it's like they're crack. I hope that when all is said and done, they turn out OK.

This friend of a friend is no friend of mine

I'm upset, and who better to share my disquiet with than my blogbuddies?

I have a dear old friend who is very fragile right now. She feels her life is spinning out of control. Naturally my first instinct is to protect her and try to help her get through this. My friend has befriended, travelled with and played hostess to a woman she met online and very little good has come of their relationship.

I shall spare you all the wacky, sad details, but I'm not joking -- my dear old friend is in a bad crowd when she's with this cyber buddy of hers. Since I know how delicate she is, I have been monitoring her cyber buddy's blog. I just want to be sure there are no expensive trips or Lucy/Ethel episodes being planned.

No, I found a link to waaaay right of center message board. I'm not talking fiscally conservative, or even socially conservative. Everyone has a right to their opinions ... except these opinions.

I saw a graphic of President Obama as HITLER! And he was continually referred to on this message board as "The Kenyan." This is scary, nutball stuff. I worry about the President's safety when I read crap like this.

This woman -- my friend's friend -- and her daughter often communicate my old, dear friend's daughter, who is 13. No 13 year old should be exposed to this despicable crap.*

My friend is not very informed about the world. She has told me more than once that politicians are "used car salesmen" and she doesn't believe in any of them or what any of them say. Therefore I don't imagine she and her cyberbud discuss national affairs and doubt she realizes her cyberfriend seems to believe that our President is a Nazi. (Not just "a Nazi." THE Nazi.)

I'm keeping this to myself for now. As upset as I am about it, I know my dear old friend has more than enough on her plate right now. However, if her cyberfriend initiates plans to actually spend face time with my friend's daughter, I'll speak up.

*Go ahead, search my archives. You will not find anything that even implies that President Bush wasn't a patriotic American. Maybe a patriotic America who could be depended upon to make the wrong decision every time, but I never said he was evil and I never compared him to frigging Hitler! I also respect the office, even when I'm crazy about the man holding it.

The Queen's Meme

Touch the bottle to see the secret message.

For more information, see the Queen of Bloggingham.

09 August Happiness Challenge -- Day 24

Monday. Resilience. I'm not losing weight as quickly as I'd like, but that's OK because I have visceral proof that my new attention to diet and exercise is working. Today I did 35 minutes of cardio, with my heart rate at 130+/minute, and while I was winded and broke a sweat, I wasn't at all as tired as I was doing less (25 minutes) back in May. So this is working, and I'm feeling good about it.

Monday Movie Meme

This week's movie topic is all about Villains...

1) Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) in Die Hard. So smooth, so well spoken, and so bad. Remember, it was his idea to shoot the glass, thereby leaving our barefoot hero, John McClane, with painful slivers of glass in his feet for much of the movie.

2) Barzini in The Godfather. He was behind the shooting of the Don and the massacre of poor Sonny in the causeway. To quote Clemenza, "I hate goddam Barzini!"

3) Helen Lawson (Susan Hayward) from Valley of the Dolls. She makes our heroines so mad that Neely O'Hara (Patty Duke) chases her into the ladies room, snatches the wig off Helen's head and flushes it down the toilet. (For me, that scene makes the rental worth it.)

If you'd like to make your own list of evil doers, or see who other bloggers mentioned, click here.