These are the thoughts and observations of me — a woman of a certain age. (Oh, my, God, I'm 65!) I'm single. I'm successful enough (independent, self supporting). I live just outside Chicago, the best city in the world. I'm an aunt and a friend. I feel that voices like mine are rather underrepresented online or in print. So here I am. If my musings resonate with you, please visit my blog again sometime.
Today's happiness is bittersweet.Whenever I leave the house in the morning, Reynaldo calls after me. I can hear him as I go all the way down the hall to the elevator. The vet has told me that my cat is "unusually attached" to me. So while I am happy to be loved, I am sad about this weekend. When I leave this afternoon, I won't be back until Monday.
Oh, I know he'll be safe. He'll have plenty of food and water, and I'll leave the AC on. He'll have Connie for company, but I know he'll miss me.
Each
day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy.
Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't
want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are
positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world. If
you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not
this individual post) each day in August, looking for the happy cat. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with August Happiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.
I wrote this back in May, and it's more true today:
"As I watch Hillary Clinton defend herself on two fronts -- from Bernie
Sanders supporters and Donald Trump -- I find myself admiring her more than I ever thought possible. I mean, I don't like the woman, and I see her flaws rather clearly."
So far this week, I have heard that "maybe" HRC:
• could be handled by "Second Amendment" folks • founded ISIS • is battling Parkinson's Disease
How ugly and lowest-common-denominator is this shit? Every time I hear crap like this, I get my wallet out and contribute more money to the DNC.
There ARE things to hit her on. Lots of them. For starters, she's too hawkish. She's never met a buck she didn't like. These things worry me. But this isn't what we're debating. We're talking about whether or not Trump called for her assassination. or whether she's "celebrated" by our worst enemies, or if her body man always has a dopamine injector at the ready to shoot her up and prevent yet another stroke. I believe that's the real tragedy of Donald Trump's candidacy. During the GOP debates, issues weren't discussed as prominently as his fingers vs. "Little Marco's," or Jeb Bush's "low energy." On the campaign trail, the emphasis was on the role a belt buckle may or may not have really played in Ben Carson's biography, and if Ted Cruz' father was implicated in the Kennedy assassination.
• Marco Rubio sits on the Senate Committees on Intelligence and Foreign Relations. He could compare/contrast his views on national security and international policy without calling her Isis' poster girl. • Jeb Bush was governor of a densely populated and widely diverse state of nearly a decade. He's certainly qualified to go toe-to-toe with Hillary about ethics and domestic policy. Because of the Bush family's personal relationship with the Clintons, and taking the elegant way George W. and Laura have treated the Obamas, I am confident we wouldn't hear any him trade in the trashy gossip about "seizures." Our country would be better for watching a Rubio/Clinton or Bush/Clinton race. Instead we get this. By the way, if you want to see how a patriot and a gentleman handles ugly campaign rumors ...
Today's happiness: an old joke.Somehow we got onto the subject of Paul Lynde, an actor/comedian all three of us grew up on. My art director contributed this joke, attributed to Lynde from his days as center square on The Hollywood Squares: Q: How many balls on a regulation billiard table? A: Depends on how many men are sitting on it.
OK, so it's not Noel Coward. Still, it made me laugh. And laughing is good for the soul. Each
day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy.
Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't
want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are
positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world. If
you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not
this individual post) each day in August, looking for the happy cat. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with August Happiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.
Things are going well for my Cubs this year. Very well. Right now, my heroes in blue are 30 games over .500. What a delightful but stunning turn of events for this ol' Gal, who has cheered them through seasons when merely reaching .500 seemed a worthy goal.
There is, however, something very weird going on that I want to read into the bloggy record, since I think in a few years it may be an interesting footnote in team history.
As in, "Whatever happened to Tommy La Stella?"
Tommy hasn't often started during this magical season, but he has contributed to the team's success. He's a dependable left hander, a good utility player and pinch hitter who was hitting .295.
But in late July, the Cubs had to send him down to the minors. It was merely a roster move, it happens all the time.The Cubs feel La Stella has enough talent and value to keep him in the organization, but for a variety of reasons just don't have room for him on their standard 25-player roster. But in September, when the play-offs start, the roster expands to 40 players. Obviously the Cubs want La Stella sharp and ready to join the team for the race to The World Series.
Tommy is 27 years old. Not a star, but someone who enjoys the cheers of more than 40,000 Wrigley Field faithful every time he steps to the plate. And he is a fan favorite because when he gets off the bench, he produces. He is on the cusp of being on the team when they make history. All he has to do is show up and play for a few weeks with the Cubs minor league team in Iowa. So what does Tommy do? He goes home to New Jersey!
He's not injured. He has no sick relative to tend to. His house in New Jersey didn't burn down or anything. He just doesn't want to play in the minors ever again.
He's not talking to the Chicago press, but when ESPN reached him, he said he might retire.
This sounds batty to me, and I'm not alone. The Cubs have made the team psychiatrist available to him. The manager, wonderful Joe Maddon, has been remarkably measured in his public statements on the matter. Obviously the Cubs hold all the cards in this situation. La Stella is clearly in violation of his contract. We have so many good, young players in the minors we could just trade for a tried and tested major league leftie when the time comes to expand the roster.
I admire the Cubs' restraint and compassion in this matter. However it's resolved, La Stella will know his bosses gave him the time and space to decide what he wants to do with his life and career.
Today's happiness: sunshine on my face.I had a tough day at work today. Because my boss is a dick. (More on that some other time.)
I had to get away from my desk. When I slipped my book into my purse, I thought I was just going downstairs to the cafeteria. Then I thought, no, I'll go to the Italian cafe at the other end of the building. Then I thought, no, I want (deserve) a beer, so I went to the Billy Goat Tavern.
It's just a few blocks from my office. Less than 10 minutes on foot. But the walk to and fro did the world for me. Sun on my face. Sun shining off the bus shelters. The sidewalks filled with rubbernecking tourists. It all made me happy. (The cheeseburger and beer helped, too.) Each
day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy.
Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't
want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are
positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world. If
you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not
this individual post) each day in August, looking for the happy cat. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with August Happiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.
I decided last month that I needed to add more people into my life. Specifically, good girl friends. I believe I have two good candidates, Joanna and Nancy.
Truth to tell, I think I like Joanna better. But she has definite drawbacks, like I think she will soon be moving back to New Orleans. Then she'll be like Barb and the guys in Key West and my oldest friend: long distance.
Nancy is right here in my neighborhood. Nancy is smart and we're like minded. And Nancy almost always "likes" my Facebook posts. I don't have a lot of FB "friends" (just over 50), and with a small pool I don't expect everything I post to get a "like." Yet I notice that Nancy and I are so on the same page that she "likes" my stuff.
That matters to me.
Before the month ends, I've got to call Nancy and set up a playdate.
I fit into my Levis! I haven't been "dieting," per se. But I have been eating smarter and better. Last week, my friend John insisted I'd lost weight but I paid him no mind. This morning I was looking for a pair of jeans with a darker wash and slipped these on. They fit! Snug, to be sure, but still, I got 'em on. Each
day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy.
Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't
want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are
positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world. If
you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not
this individual post) each day in August, looking for the happy cat. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with August Happiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.
I don't know if it's fair to Bernie Sanders to call them "Sanders Supporters" -- because they aren't doing anything Sen. Sanders has requested they do and even booed him at the DNC -- but social media is filled angry anti-Hillary progressives who pound away at their keyboards about the Evil That Is HRC.
According to my new girlfriend "Julia Sugarbaker," Barack Obama is on IT. The big conspiracy that gave us "The Coronation." I guess he's backing Hillary because she's secretly for TPP, and as you know, TPP is really the biggest issue facing us as a nation.*
And yet they claim they will miss him. Apparently because of his charming performance at the White House Correspondents' Dinner back in May.
So they support a President who is backing a woman who:
• stole the nomination
• murders people (I'm not kidding)
• is the victim of a neurological condition that causes her seizures (that's what Trump is exploiting when he emphasizes that Hillary said she "short circuited" in her interview with Chris Wallace)
Do they really think they have been able to find things on Google about Hillary that the President of the United States doesn't know? So he's endorsed her, speaks out for her, campaigns with her, even though she's a thieving, stroked-out murderer.
Oh yeah, and the POTUS gave us Obamacare -- which according to Sanders himself is a mess and must be overhauled -- and the aforementioned heinous TPP. And Debbie Wasserman-Schultz! Who do they think hired her in the first place?
But three months ago, he made a cute video about his lame duck days in the White House, so they'll miss him.
Nerd Prom was back in May. And it was covered extensively, as any news event about Washington correspondents naturally will be. So were they paying attention to political coverage back in May? You know, in the run up to the West Virginia, Kentucky and Oregon primaries. No. It's more fun to follow each other and make fun of Hillary's "shrill" voice and pantsuits. (Because Sanders has the pipes of an FM jazz dj and is sartorially splendid.)
Where the Clintons have always been lucky is that no matter how badly they act, the people who attack them are always worse. As I watch Donald Trump imply that Hillary is not "all there," and I see "progressives" slander her more and more insanely, I find myself defending her more and more. Contributing more and more cash. A woman I don't really care for! OOOOH! Maybe that's part of her brilliant master plan, too!
By the way, the President's video was a remake of the one Bill Clinton made for the same event in 2000.
*I thought it was guns, or perhaps upcoming Supreme Court nominations, but that's because I'm a silly woman who lives in a mixed-race urban area ... ON PLANET EARTH!
Fresh Express sweet butter lettuce in a bag.I'm trying to eat better, and that includes salad. This evening it occurred to me that my dinner -- a Potbelly's chicken salad sandwich -- wasn't all that nutritious, so I threw some of the sweet butter in a bowl and doused it with Thousand Island, and now I feel all virtuous. Each
day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy.
Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't
want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are
positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world. If
you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not
this individual post) each day in August, looking for the happy cat. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with August Happiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.
Paul O'Neal is a difficult hero to embrace. He's been implicated in the theft of more than 30 cars out in Bolingbrook and Naperville. On the last day of his life, he was caught on video pumping gas, paid for with a stolen credit card, into a stolen vehicle.
But even more disturbing, he was shot in the back by the Chicago police. The bodycam video shows officers going through the dying kid's backpack and finding no weapon.
The Chicago police shot an unarmed kid in the back.
The body- and dashcams are all over the internet. If you're interested in this case -- or in big city policing in general -- you should view them.
This is how the case appears to unfold to me. O'Neal was reported driving a stolen Jaguar. Two different squad cars begin pursuit and he's caught between them. Someone -- I believe it's an officer in the police car behind O'Neal -- begins shooting at the car. This is in violation of department policy.
The police in the other car apparently believe O'Neal is firing at them. O'Neal crashes the car, jumps out, and runs. He leaps over a fence into a backyard. Police chase after him on foot.
We can't see the actual shooting -- the cop who actually fired is the one whose body cam isn't working -- but we can hear it. Six shots. Into the back of an unarmed kid.
The Chicago police shot an unarmed kid in the back.
This breaks my heart. I like cops. When I see them, I'm always grateful. I've never been treated with anything but respect.
But what I saw on the videos is just wrong. Police firing live ammunition into a stolen car? That Jag belonged to someone completely innocent in this saga. And what about the welfare of the residents? What if O'Neal had crashed the car into an innocent bystander? What if a bullet caromed off the car and hit someone?
Also, by firing when he wasn't supposed to, that first cop set up the false assumption that O'Neal was armed.
I don't, however, think this racially motivated. However, the motivation doesn't really matter, does it? Stealing a Jag and a credit card isn't punishable by death. And even if it was, O'Neal is entitled to a trial he didn't get.
I do, however, think this is the last thing my city needed during this long, hot summer of violence.
What’s your favorite word or phrase? "Gubernatorial." It's just fun to say. And living in Illinois, where two of our last three governors have ended up behind bars, newscasters unfortunately have many opportunities to use it. Generally "gubernatorial" is followed by "misconduct."
Tell us about a person who made you
smile today. It's still early so I haven't had any real-life human interaction yet today. But the local weather man made me smile. It's not going to be that hot today.
What were you doing
at 8 am this morning? It's not 8:00 yet. But I will be watching Meet the Press with Chuck Todd. I appreciate his brains, his enthusiasm, and his ability to keep the big picture in clear focus. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Feeding the cats. Reynaldo has a special diet that Connie shouldn't eat, so their breakfast requires vigilance.
What is your favorite holiday? Why? Thanksgiving. Since my mother's passing, I've been spending it with my friend, John. It's always such a warm, relaxing, delicious evening, and a great way to officially kick off the holiday season. Tell us about a visit to another
country. The mug on my counter, where I keepthe quarters for my laundry, is a memento from the Hofbrauhaus Munchen. Itook my one and only trip to Europe when I was in my late teens.
What is the last thing you said aloud? "Connie!" What was the last thing you had to
drink? A glass of milk What are you wearing right now? An oversized t-shirt that wear as pajamas. What was the last thing you ate? Last night, I had a handful of Saltines before bed.
Have you bought any
new clothing items this week? Nope.
When was the last time you ran? HA!
What’s the last sporting event you
watched? The Cubs beat Oakland As ass Saturday afternoon. Look at those standings.
If you could go anywhere in the world,
where would you go? If this was an all-expenses-paid trip, I'd take my nephew to Washington DC. He so wants to go, and I'd love to show it to him. But right now, I can't afford it.
Who is the last person you sent a
comment/message to on Facebook? My friend, Chuck. I wondered what was up in the continuing saga of White Sox pitcher Chris Sale. Ever go camping? If yes, tell us
about one time.The last time I went camping was about 15 years ago. My niece -- who just graduated from college -- was in first grade. Her mother had just had a baby so I was drafted to play "Brownie Mom" on her first-ever overnight with her troop. I was fascinated by how trusting the little girls were. They'd never seen me before, and yet since I was in the role of "Mom," I had to be OK. I remember sitting down on a bench and this little foot suddenly appeared on my thigh. This wee one didn't know how to tie her own shoe, I was an adult, why not press me into service? Do you think a tan improves your looks? No. All a tan means to me is more wrinkles and perhaps a mole that will need to be lopped off. Have you ever lost anything down a
toilet? Well, not literally. But I have had to dispose of things that I dropped in the bowl and didn't think I could disinfect properly. Does that count?
I'll take the one on left, please.
What is your guilty pleasure? 1960s-era TV westerns. Especially Bonanza and The Big Valley. The cowboys were all so handsome and good and true. Sigh.
Everything about my movie group made me happy.Yesterday's highlight was a special Saturday night meeting of our classic movie meetup.
Usually we meet one Tuesday/month, and lately we've been concentrating on the films of director Preston Sturgess. But Will, our enthusiastic moderator, introduced another topic -- the films of 1939 -- and we're going through those one Saturday/month.
So yesterday I headed backinto the city and into the South Loop. It was a beautiful late afternoon walk from the el stop to the community center where Will shows the films. Often when I take this walk I'm in a hurry -- it's too hot, or raining, or cold, or I'm late. Today I was able to stroll, and appreciate how different the neighborhood looks in summer.
South Loop is an interesting mix of commercial and residential. Apartments cosset the bars, restaurants, salons and daycare centers. I loved seeing all the colorful patio gardensoverhead. Old buildings butt right up against newer construction, so it's cool to take in the architecture.
Joanna is traveling this week and was unable to make the Meetup, and in a way, that made me happy, too. I feel such a great affinity for her that when she's there, we tend to talk to each other rather exclusively. When she's not there, I talked more with Betty, Barbara and Barbara's best friend -- a woman who joins us occasionally but doesn't wear a nametagbecause she isn't a member of the group.
She's right. He was a hottie.
Mme. Nameless was my favorite to chat up because she isn't really a classic movie fan -- she just wants something cheap to do on a Saturday night. She exudes joie de vivre and kept raving about how handsome the movie's star, Tyrone Power, was. All of us movie geeks are already very familiar with Power, so it was fun to see him through new eyes. Each
day in August you are to post about something that makes *you* happy.
Pretty simple. And, it doesn't even have to be every day if you don't
want it to be. It's a great way to remind ourselves that there are
positive things going on in our lives, our communities, and the world. If
you want to play along, just come back here (meaning to this blog, not
this individual post) each day in August, looking for the happy cat. Every day I will try to have a post with the headline: August Happiness Challenge: Day [X]. Leave a comment and then post your own daily happiness, with August Happiness Challenge in the title to make it easy to find.
