Dreaming of the vaunted Walla Walla-Kalamazoo corridor

This corny bit of Americana heralded the start of  each WGN radio Cubs broadcast of my girlhood, and explains why every time we heard from my cousins in Kalmazoo, I wished we had people in Walla Walla, too.



This song has been on my mind all day because the Cubs are starting two very important series. Tonight we take on the Cardinals -- a team that's been scary good so far this year, and are historically our #1 rivals. After the Cards leave town, the White Sox stop by. My feelings about the Sox are a bit more complicated. I don't actually care about them, and since it's interleague play those games won't have much impact on the standings. It's just Sox fans are so hostile to Cubs fans and our Wrigley Way of Life that I'd really like to see my heroes in pinstripes kick ass.

I'm told there are people who don't love baseball. I'm sad for them. For I wonder if they know the joy that comes when you "cheer ... and boo ... and raise a hullbaloo."

Sunday Stealing

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MASH UP MEME

1. What’s overdue for a good cleaning? My carpets. They're enormously funky.

2. What’s overdue for some kind of professional examination, service, maintenance, or upkeep? I need to go to dentist.

3. Who’s overdue for a phone call or letter to you? My Cousin Rose and my friend Tom. (Tom and his young family just moved to their first house and I want to send him a snailmail Hallmark card, not just an e-card.)

 4. What’s overdue for an appearance in your neighborhood? You mean where should I go that I haven't been? Public library. I don't use it as much as I should.

 5. Who’s overdue for a good comeuppance? So many people!

 6. What’s a gross food you like anyway? Cheetos

 7. Who’s an unlikeable person you like anyway? Nancy Grace. I don't like her, but her show is the television equivalent of Cheetos.

 8. What’s an unpleasant task you enjoy performing anyway? Grocery shopping

 9. What’s a dumb song you enjoy anyway? His life, his love and his lady is the sea. (Even the lyric's grammar is lousy, yet I love it.)

 10. What’s a lousy restaurant you frequent anyway? Red Robin. YUM!

 11. What's your favorite Sci-fi film/program, etc? I'm sorry if you're a fan, but scifi really feels like a tremendous waste of time.

 12. Have you ever had a proper Tarot reading? Yes.

 13. Have you ever used the phrase "back in my time" to someone younger than you? Yes.

 14. Have you ever done something really unbelievable, only to have no one around to see it? Nothing springs to mind.

 15. If you were famous, would you want a statue or a building names after you? Couldn't I please just have the cash?

Independence Day Musings

This happy gent decorates a friend's lawn each 7/4

I love my country. I support my President. I believe in God. So I think "God bless America" sums up my feelings rather nicely.

Happy to see the couple that has taught me so much about being a good American on the cover of this week's People. He's been gone more than 50 years. She's been gone more than 20. And yet here they are, appearing on newsstands just in time for our country's most patriotic holiday.

Sometimes I wish we could just let them, literally, rest in peace. But then again, maybe we need them. Certainly there are times when I do.

"Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." I can do more. I must remember that. I must allow him to inspire me to do more than write checks. I must do the work required to help improve the lives of my neighbors. After all, JFK was never one to sit back and let others do the heavy lifting.

And then there's JBKO, sharing a cover with -- of all people -- Bristol Palin. Ms. Palin is spilling her guts about her broken engagement and second pregnancy outside of marriage. Jackie would never, NEVER discuss her personal life with the public. Wonder how she felt about The President's infidelities? Curious as to why she married Onassis? We never heard the answers from her lips. Not once. I know there are RWNJs out there who adore the Alaskardashians  but there is no way Jackie would allow her family to be merchandised the way Sarah Palin has sold hers. (I know of two reality series -- Sarah Palin's Alaska and Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp -- and perhaps there are more.) I think it's obvious JBKO was the real "Mama Grizzly" when it came to protecting her young.

Yet for all we don't know about Jacqueline's internal life, we do know how much she cared about America. How hard she worked on the White House restoration. How seriously she took the architectural restoration of Washington, DC. How badly she wanted this country's schoolchildren to see the Mona Lisa. While her personal papers have been kept private, as per her wishes, just about every piece of paper she touched in her official role as First Lady was preserved and passed along to the JFK Library, also as per her wishes.

Oh yeah, Kendra and Hank are on the cover, too. I wish I could tell you I'm completely unfamiliar with their saga, but I'd soooo be lying. (Shame on me.)

Oh well, Happy 4th! And let's try to think of how we can continue to help our nation on her way to being a more perfect union.

Not a damn thing was accomplished

I have celebrated the Fourth by doing nothing. I feel kinda bad about it, but not that bad ... or I would have accomplished something.

Spoke to my friend from California today. She began the conversation by saying she thinks she's on "a manic swing," and I agree. She was filled with plans for starting her own business on the side. Her son helped her set up a website. She looked into ordering business cards. She was so happy and positive.

Which is why I chose my words carefully. I didn't want her to think I was peeing on her parade. I told her my fear wasn't that she'd fail. I said I was worried that she'd make such a success of it that she'd be overwhelmed.

I pointed out to her that at times (meaning, "usually"), she is so overwhelmed at the office, so tired on weekends, that she never goes to the movies, can't summon up the energy to join a book club, doesn't even stay awake long enough to watch the late night comedy shows. How will she handle it when she hits one of those busy/overwhelming patches and she has extracurricular clients depending on her?

I mean, just last week she was talking about taking a week off work to "decompress" (my word). To eat nothing but healthy food, to exercise, to write in her journal, to get her head back on straight. That was last week. This week she's launching a business in her spare time.

I know this is part and parcel of her bipolar condition. If it's difficult for me to listen to, it must be a million times harder for her to live with. That's why I hope that she heard me when I said I was sure she could do this, that I know she has what it takes to be a success, and that I will help her. I want to sound supportive.

I also hope she heard me when she said she needs to talk to Susan (her psychologist) about all her big plans. I don't want to see her setting herself up to for stress and failure.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Hungry (1966)
... because it's 4th of July

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

1) Are you eating anything as you respond to these questions? Nah. I'm answering these on Friday night and I'm quite full right now.

2) Paul Revere and the Raiders performed in Revolutionary garb. Have you ever worked at a job that required you to wear a uniform? When I was in high school, I had to wear a polo that carried the logo of the place where I worked retail.

3) The "Paul Revere" of Raiders fame was born Paul Revere Dick in Boise, Idaho. What else is Idaho known for? Potatoes.

4) The original Paul Revere was a silversmith by trade,  known for making church bells. Can you hear church bells from your home? I live within walking distance to three places of worship, so on Sunday morning it can sound like quite a concert out there.

You go, Abigail!

5) In April, 1775, Paul Revere literally rode into history when he galloped into the night, spreading the word that "the British are coming." Name another Revolutionary War-era hero. I'm gonna go with Abigail Adams. Her letters revealed her to be smart, independent and forward thinking. As she wrote to John,"In the new laws which you will make, I wish you will remember the ladies. Be more favorable and generous to them than your ancestors. Do not put so much power in the hands of husbands."

6) Historians tell us that Revere's famous "midnight ride" actually took place between 9:00 and 10:00 PM. When is your usual bedtime? Whenever I feel like it. I'm a big girl now.

7) Earlier this year, officials from Boston's Museum of Fine Arts uncovered a time capsule buried in 1795 by Paul Revere and Gov. Sam Adams. It included coins and newspapers. If you were to bury a time capsule that reflects American life in 2015, what would it include? A rainbow flag for marriage equality and a smartphone.

8) Will you attend a fireworks display during the 4th of July weekend? Nope. I can see the fireworks from my living room window.

9) What's your preferred way to celebrate Independence Day -- a parade, a picnic, or both? Picnic

It's like coming home

My first trip to Wrigley Field since the renovation! I admit I was a little apprehensive. I love this place sooooo much and I hate to think of anyone messing with it. But it's that great old, hand-operated scoreboard beneath flags flapping in the breeze that really means home to me, and as you can see, she's still there in all her glory.

My friend John and I were celebrating his (gulp) 60th birthday. The weather was beautiful and the park was awesome -- we sang the stretch with former Cub Ryan Dempster and Cub legend, the late Harry Caray. I shot this rather blurry photo with my own little camera. Here's how the scene looked to those watching at home.

Unfortunately, the good guys lost 2-1. But I'm a Cub fan, so I won't let the outcome steal my joy. Besides, I know tomorrow we'll filet those damn Marlins.

Jealous!

These are Cub fans who made the pilgrimage. To New York. To see the Cubs play our lifelong nemeses, The Mets. I love how confident they were -- they packed our iconic "W" flag. By the way, the Cubs not only won today, they swept the Mets. I would have loved to have been there among the traveling faithful.

Tomorrow John and I are going to Wrigley Field, my first trip to The Friendly Confines this season.  We're celebrating his 60th birthday. I've dug out my Greg Maddux jersey in preparation. I have a Cubs necklace and Cubs sunglasses ready, too.* (I'm on the fence about whether to carry my Cubbie handbag.) It occurs to me that this lady is my own personal Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

 

*Thanks, Snarkela.

Farewell to Chicago's rainiest June

That's me on the left

We broke a record for precipitation last month. I realize, when some parts of the country are suffering from drought, that there are worse problems we could have. I get that.

But do you have any idea what this most humid June has been like for my hair?

WWW.WEDNESDAY

This meme is no more. And yet I persist in answering the three questions it asked each week. Stubborn, ain't I?

1. What are you currently reading? Being Nixon by Evan Thomas. I just started it, but I'm confident I'll thoroughly enjoy it. First of all, I have a massive geek crush on Evan Thomas. He's whip smart, savvy, and his writing style is crisp and knowing. His biography of Robert Kennedy is one of the best I've ever read.

Then there's Nixon. I mean, really! The man is fucking Shakespearean. If I hadn't lived through his Presidency, I'd accuse reporters of making him up. More Americans voted for Richard Nixon than any other politician. What does that say about him ... and us? I'm hoping Evan Thomas will help me understand.

2. What did you just finish reading? Edith Head's Hollywood by Edith Head with Paddy Calistro. I wanted this book to include new information about old movies that I love, and it did. I loved the details of Head working with La Liz throughout her career, and how this iconic dress from A Place in the Sun came to be. How Newman and Redford ("the boys," as Edith Head referred to them) were dressed off the rack from the studio's Western costume department for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, except for their hats. Redford's hat, especially, was important to how his not yet familiar face photographed because of his very square jaw.

What I didn't expect was how clear-eyed this book is. It began as Edith Head's autobiography, but she died before it was published. Ms. Calistro took it over and is very balanced about Head's career. The final verdict: Edith was a better business woman than she was a designer. That's just as fascinating as her work.

Edith Head's real genius was the way she promoted/marketed herself. She intentionally attached herself to one of the "it girls" of the moment: first Mae West, followed by Barbara Stanwyck, then Elizabeth Taylor, finally Natalie Wood. She made herself well known to the public by appearing first on radio shows and then daytime TV. She lobbied the Motion Picture Academy hard for a category for costume design, and then campaigned relentlessly to get herself nominated frequently and to win as often as possible. It was rumored she was very comfortable taking complete credit for popular films that she had only worked on tangentially -- including her second film with "the boys," The Sting, for which she accepted her final Oscar. (Significant as the only film to date with a primarily male cast win the costume design Oscar.)

I came away thinking Edith was a woman before her time. If she could figure out how to build a career like that in the 1930s through 1970s, imagine what she could have accomplished in today's more female-friendly workplace.

3. What will you read next? I don't know.

Poignant

Watching the documentary I'll Be Me on CNN. It's about Glen Campbell's battle with Alzheimer's.

It's not easy to see him diminished. It reminds me of my uncle's battle with Parkinson's -- though with my uncle, his mind stayed sharp while his body deteriorated. But it's the same pain of watching someone disappear, bit by bit, and to ache along with their frustration and struggle.

Plus, Glen Campbell was one of my uncle's favorite recording artists. He used to play this song all the time. The sound of the guitars reminds me of my uncle. When I got older, I began paying attention to the lyric (written by John Hartford). I hope that the men who once held me in their arms still keep me in the backroads by the rivers of their memory, ever smiling, ever gentle on their minds.

Sunday Stealing

Unusual Things

1. Who was the last person of the opposite sex you laid in a bed with?  Sprawled out with my friend in the Keys when I was down there at Christmas.

2. Where was the last place you went out to eat? My second-favorite coffee house. I miss my favorite coffee house, but apparently it's everyone's favorite because these days it seems there's always a line.

3. What was the last alcoholic beverage you consumed? The usual -- vodka/cran.

4. Which do you prefer - eyes or lips? For viewing, I prefer eyes. For whistling, I'll go with lips.

5. Medicine, fine arts, or law? I think I would have been a good lawyer.

6. Best kind of pizza? Sausage.

7. Is your bedroom window open? Open

8. What is in store for your future? Laundry. Today I bleach my white. Woo hoo!

9. Who was the last band you saw live? The E-Street Band. BROOOOOCE!

10. Do you take care of your friends while they are sick? Of course.

11. Any historical figures that you envy? Not really envy. But there are many I admire.

12. How many songs are on your iTunes? Lots

13. What brand of digital camera do you own? My little Kodak Easy Share M350


14. When was the last time you got a good workout? It's been too long. Lately I've just been doing cardio, and I haven't done near enough of that, either.

15. Are you experienced? Sure.

16. If you need a new pair of jeans, what store do you go to first? Old Navy

17. Are you a quitter? I suppose so

18. What are two bands or singers that you will always love? I've already shown Bruce, so now, of course, I honor Sir Paul. Seeing him at Lolla at the end of July. Yea!

19. What of the seven deadly sins are you guilty of? All of them, at one time or another.

20. Did you just have to google the seven deadly sins to see what they were? Yes, because I always forget gluttony.

Saturday 9

I Miss You (1997)

... because Smellyann suggested it

1) In this song, Bjork knows what she's looking for in a mate, she just hasn't met him yet. If you are/were still looking for The One, what two qualities would you hope he/she possessed? Integrity and humor.

2) The lyrics ask if you believe "that a dream can come true." Do you believe that dreams come true if you wish hard enough? If they did, you'd be referring to me as "Lady McCartney."

3) Bjork turns 50 this year. Do you treat "milestone" birthdays differently? Or to you, is your age just a number? I love all my birthdays. (It's in late November, by the way. My favorite color is blue. It's never too early to start shopping.)

4) Bjork was always highly musical. At the tender age of 6 she began studying classical piano and flute. Sam is impressed because at the age of 6, she was still trying to master tying her shoes. Do you consider yourself musical? I don't. And neither does any unfortunate soul who has ever heard me sing.

5) She was born and raised in Reykjavik, Iceland. While the city is known for its bar scene, beer was banned there until 1995. How often do drink beer? I can't recall the last time I had a beer. I find I'm less likely to get a headache from a mixed drink.

6) 66ºNORTH is one of Iceland's biggest employers. This clothier makes quality outdoor wear and this time of year they sell a lot of durable rainwear. Do you have a raincoat? Yes. And I should have had it with me Friday but I didn't. The mercury barely touched 70º and I was stuck waiting for the bus in a downpour. My little blue hooded anorak would have come in handy.

7) In 1997, when this song was popular in clubs, Titanic was popular in theaters. Sam saw it and yes, she cried. How about you? Have you seen the saga of Jack and Rose? Did you enjoy it? Saw it when it first came out. Rented it when it came out on video. Saw it again at the theater when it was released in 3D for the 15th anniversary. And I've seen parts of it countless times on cable. I guess this makes me a Titaniac.

8) Also in 1997, singer John Denver died. Name a John Denver song. "Annie's Song." You fill up my sen-ses like night in a forest ...

9) Random question: If you had the opportunity to sky dive, would you take it? Maybe. While I'm terrified every time I fly in a plane, sky diving kind of intrigues me.

 

What he said

Marriage equality is the law of the land. So says the Supreme Court. 

It's a great day.

 

Love

Not my family. Turns out maybe it could have been my family.

My aunt/godmother was back in Chicagoland for the first time since my mother's funeral back in 2012. She was here to visit her son, my very talented cousin Ryan, and his family -- especially her granddaughter, who is home from New York for the summer.

She also wanted to see me and my kid sister, and so I set up a Tuesday night dinner in LaGrange. My aunt went to high school in LaGrange, and I wanted her to see the beautifully restored movie theater, where I knew she spent many hours during her teen years.

So Ryan, his wife and daughter, my sister and her husband, my nephew and I joined my aunt and

her husband at a burger place in LaGrange. There was much laughter and so much affection. After dinner, four of us peeled off and walked up the street to the theater. The high school students who work there very kindly welcomed us, even though we weren't seeing a film, and encouraged us to look around.

It made my aunt so happy to be in the old neighborhood. She bubbled as she told her husband about the parade floats she rode down the main drag, so many years ago.

She loves me very much, was very big on hugging me and seemed to like just looking at me. I think part of it is that I remind her of her late parents. I inherited my rabid Cub fandom from them, and my dad. I said that, if this is the year when the Cubs return to post-season play, I'll wear my grandmother's Ryne Sandberg #23 jersey to a game. It cracked my aunt up that my team is in third place and I'm already getting the jersey pressed in celebration.

Much of my antipathy toward family comes from hostile relations with my mother's mother -- a very bitter, very angry alcoholic -- and the tension in my parent's marriage, and my older sister's violent rages. Then there was the family patriarch, always in attendance, who never tired of reminding me that he molested me ... and enjoyed it. Family gettogethers were either ugly, or fraught with the potential for ugliness. I never felt like I was welcome, like I belonged or was even safe.

Those were the people I "celebrated" Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving, Easter and Fourth of July with until my early 20s, I unfortunately allowed their toxicity to ruin how I feel about family. The bad memories crowd out the extended family, the relatives I saw at other times. I forget how much my oft-mentioned Cousin Rose loves me, how much my late uncle (my mom's kid brother) loved me, how much this aunt loves me, how much I have in common with my artistic cousin, how happy my nephew always is to see me.

I do have a lot of love. I just have to let myself feel it.

"Yes, Boss?"

The client was in town this week. It was an all-day meeting, during which we recapped our work for the first six months of 2015.

My boss presented a board depicting our work to date on my Big Project. After giving an overview, he tossed it to me. I blabbed and answered questions without notes. One of our clients said, "I always get a kick out of your enthusiasm."

I realized as the day wore on that I was doing a lot of the talking. I wasn't on the agenda, I had no predetermined part of the agenda. It's just that I know my shit.

So much so that, this morning, when I went to my boss' office to discuss next steps, he looked up and said, "Yes, Boss?"

I was flattered, of course, but also cognizant of the role Long Tall Sally (aka The New Girl) has played in my career renaissance. Yes, her personality is too big. Yes, there's too much drama and volatility in her wake.

But when her predecessor, The Chocolate Covered Spider, chaired December's similar client meeting, I wasn't even invited. Spidey didn't share the spotlight. Spidey didn't want others to shine.

So I'm enjoying this new chapter in my work life.

Image courtesy of iosphere at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Let's get our facts straight

I'm not a Southerner. I've vacationed in the South -- Atlanta and Little Rock/Hot Springs, specifically -- and enjoyed it. I feel far more comfortable there than I ever have in Los Angeles. But I am not a Southerner. I grew up in the Land of Lincoln, and am proud to hale from the state that gave us the man who saved the Union.

That's why I don't get the affection anyone feels for the Confederate flag. At best it stands for secession. At best, flying that flag flies in the face of "one nation, under God." So I don't understand why it's flown on any day, anywhere, after 1865.

But if you want to know why it flies over South Carolina today, it's more about this man than it is about Robert E. Lee.

In January 1961, a Federal court upheld the right of black students to attend the University of Georgia. That didn't play well in the South. "Two four six eight, we don't want to integrate!" Then, in March, 1961, President Kennedy signed an executive order prohibiting segregation in the federal workplace.

The Confederate flag went up over the South Carolina statehouse just weeks later. In April 1961. Ninety six years after the end of the Civil War.

If the GOP wants to truly own the mantle, "The Party of Lincoln," it's time for them to join statesmen like Sen. Lindsay Graham, and Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney and call for the removal of the Confederate flag.

Sunday Stealing

THE GET IT ALL DOWN MEME 

Are you a good dancer? No, I'm a very bad dancer.

Are you a good singer? No. It's one of the few things I do worse than dance.

Are you a good cook? Oh, come on! Is this meme designed to make me feel bad about myself?

Are you a good artist? So now I'm 0-4.

Are you a good listener? Ding! Ding! Ding! I finally got one!

What's your favorite clean word? "Gubernatorial." It's just fun to say.

What's your favorite swear word? The "f word" is very versatile, and I appreciate that in a word.

What's your least favorite word? I'm beyond sick of the work vernacular. Especially "recco" instead of "recommendation." It's not like, at the end of my life, I'll say to myself, "I could have accomplished so much more if only I'd abbreviated 'recommendation' to 'recco.'"

What was the last film you saw? Jurassic World

What football team do you support? I have a passing interest in the Bears. But my massive Cub obsession takes up all the sports space in my cranium.

Have you ever been bobbing for apples? Once, when I was in Girl Scouts.

What's your most expensive piece of clothing? I'm sure it's my winter coat.

 

What's the last thing you took a picture of? My cat, Connie.

What's the last thing you drew a picture of? I did a crude sketch at work, a schematic of how I wanted a brochure to unfold.

Have you ever bought anything from eBay? Yes, the last thing was this new Miche. (Without the little "new" pennant, of course.)

Have you ever invented a fairly unique meal or drink? No.

Do you have any secret family recipes? No.

A day in my village

A lot of little things made me smile today.

 •  Stopped by the food pantry again today, dropping off cans of soup, tuna and vegetables, as well as some no-longer-needed-but-still-sealed feminine products. The women who took my contribution were so friendly and I could tell that they treated those who need this service with utmost respect. On the way out, a school bus pulled up. About a dozen junior high school aged kids got off, ready to help the pantry pack up/shut down until it reopens next Saturday. It made me happy to see kids giving their time on a summer Saturday.

•  Went to the bank to buy a roll of quarters for laundry. I was surprised to see a line. There's so seldom a line anymore because really, how often do you need to see a teller anymore? Well, it seems that beginning in July, Chase banks in the Chicago area will no longer have coin counting machines. I hadn't heard about this, and the others in line very generously explained it to me. I told them where the nearest Coinstar machine was, and how they could avoid the Coinstar fee. It made me happy that everyone was so friendly and helpful.

•  Then I had brunch in my second favorite coffee shop. (My favorite had a line and I didn't want to wait.) While I was enjoying my eggs and bacon, I eavesdropped on the family in the next booth. Mom and Dad sat on one side, Son and Daughter sat on the other. I'm guessing the kids were 10 or 11 and 11 or 12.

They were dining before the matinee at the movie theater, where the kids were using their own money to buy Dad his popcorn and a Coke for Father's Day. They were discussing whether to see Jurassic World or Spy. Son wanted to see Jurassic World because "Melissa McCarthy is fat."

Dad told his son that he only sees her that way because he's still young. "When you grow up," Dad said, "you'll look at Melissa McCarthy and see a woman who is smart and successful and funny, and those things are all very attractive. Those are the things you'll look for in a woman."

I don't know if he said it to get in good with his wife, or to help his daughter grow up feeling empowered, or if he truly felt that way. Doesn't matter. His kids were hanging on his every word, and it was so lovely it made very, very happy.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Daddy's Little Man (1969)

1) This song is about an afternoon visit between a father and son. What are your plans for Saturday afternoon? I don't have any specific plans. Just general ones, that include laundry, naps and The Cubs vs. Minnesota.

2) The lyrics talks about enjoying an ice cream cone. Do you have any ice cream in your freezer right now? Not ice cream. Outshine frozen fruit bars. They're "berry delicious," you know.

3) Sam's father hates it when she swears. When is the last time you cursed? Friday afternoon. Specifically, I said, "What the fuck?" I wasn't angry. I was genuinely confused.

4) In a recent ranking of movie dads, Mufasa (Lion King) and Atticus (To Kill a Mockingbird) got very high marks. Who is your favorite movie or TV father? Mayberry's Andy Taylor would be my choice. He has to be a great dad. Look how well Opie turned out.

5) Sam's own father often traveled for business, and always remembered to bring her the little complimentary soaps, shampoos or body lotion he got from the hotel. When you take a trip, do you bring back souvenirs? I'm big on sending postcards. It's a dying custom. My 14-year-old nephew recently told me that I'm the only one who has ever sent him one. It's cheaper and easier to post vacation photos to your Facebook feed. But I can be very sentimental, so I continue sending postcards.

6) Back when Sam was in high school, it was her father who gave her driving lessons. Who taught you how to drive? Coach Brown. Neither of us wanted to be in that driver's ed car.

7) Sam's own father is easy to buy for: every year he wants a new pair of loafers, so every year for Father's Day she gives him a DSW gift card. Would you rather receive a gift that someone chose, even though it might not be just right, or do you prefer a gift card or cash so you can get exactly what you want? I appreciate gifts, no matter what!

8) For family barbecues, Sam's dad dons his "Kiss the Chef" apron and mans the Weber. What's the last thing you cooked on the grill? A rib eye on my George Foreman grill.

9) Sam's father satisfies his afternoon sugar craving with an almost endless stream of Butter Rum Lifesavers. When you crave a snack, do you usually want something sweet or salty? Lately it's been salty. Cheesey and salty. Like Cheetos.

I will not

After the Charleston massacre, pro-gun advocates were defensively in front of the cameras, explaining how it's gun laws that somehow make us vulnerable to gun violence.

Schools like Sandy Hook and churches like Emanuel AME are "soft targets" because guns are currently not allowed. Mr. NRA reasoned that, if crazy-hateful killers knew Kindergarten teachers and parishoners were armed, they wouldn't open fire. 

I will not bring a gun to church.

I remember after 9/11, when our church became a sister congregation to a mosque to help combat anti-Muslim sentiment, some were concerned that the choice would make us the target of hate. I was OK with that.

I will not own a gun. And I will certainly never, ever bring a gun to church. The very thought is repugnant.

Now I cannot think about this anymore. It hurts my heart too much.

Yesterday's mail required a glass of vodka

Thursday evening, I opened my box and retrieved four pieces of mail:

1) Coupons from CVS (yea!)

Thanks, Lisa!

2) A package from the always awesome Snarkela, who surprised me with a pair of my very own, officially MLB-licensed Cubs sunglasses.

3) A summons for jury duty. Yes, it's my patriotic duty and I'm very willing to do it, but I'd be lying if I said I was happy about it.

4) A registered letter. Gulp.

It was #4 that had me mixing booze in with my orange juice. I couldn't pick it up until this morning and I had no idea what it could be. None. And, me being me, I was sure it was bad news. From a lawyer. Probably about my mother's estate. Which would precipitate spending money I don't have and dealing with my sisters -- which is always a galling experience.

I got to the post office and had to both sign/print my name twice while the mail clerk was holding the letter. I was so agitated that it actually took a modicum of self control to keep me from ripping it from her hands.

As I walked away from the counter, I saw it was a letter from a law firm in a far off suburb. Bleh. What could it be? I thought the crap about my mother's house was behind us! Ripping it open I saw my village mentioned in the first line. Condo association drama? I was so nervous and upset, my heart was beating out of my shirt like a Warner Bros. cartoon character.

Oh, for pity's sake! Turns out I live within 300 feet of a proposed ATM that's being built to be especially handicap accessible and I have a legal right to "cross examine witnesses about the appearance of the unit."

All that worry over a piece of paper that's going to go into the recycling bin as soon as I publish this post!

I do this to myself all the time. Will I never learn not to borrow dread?

Who knows how long I've loved you?

 

 One of the biggest thrills for me still is sitting down with a guitar or a piano and just out of nowhere trying to make a song happen.

Happy birthday, my liege.

And now a word from Reynaldo

You're welcome

 I watch one hockey game all year, and look what happens.

Yes, I am taking credit for The Cup.

While this certainly was exciting, and I'm very happy for genuine Hawks fans, something happened spontaneously last night that I found fascinating. After the game, literally thousands of fans went out to party. But they didn't go to the United Center, the Madhouse on Madison, where the Hawks reigned victorious.

The congregated on the North Side, in front of The Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field. Home of my Chicago Cubs. It's as though the victory wasn't real until it was announced on the marquee.

I think this tells you where this city's heart is. Yes, we're cheering The Hawks. But what we're really waiting for is the moment when the team we love finally, finally comes through for us.