April Prompt -- Day 13

"How do you make decisions?" 

I have powerful impulses and not much discipline. Consequently, I go with gut. Fortunately, I'm also pretty bright about many things, so for the most part it works out OK.

For more about the April Challenge, click here.

Image courtesy of Youngkeit at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

April Prompt -- Day 12

"What is your perfect day?" 

I wake up on my own, not jangled by an alarm clock or disrupted by a skinny beige cat.

I take the #22 bus to Wrigley Field. It's a longer ride than the el, but it's scenic. Nice to see the neighborhoods roll by.

Get to the park and grab a hot dog and an adult beverage en route to my seat.

Enjoy sunshine and a lake breeze as I watch my heroes in Cubbie blue vanquish their opponents. I'll sing the stretch in the 7th and then, at the end of the game, join in "Go, Cubs, Go!"

Stop at my favorite Wrigleyville hole in the wall, Joe's on Broadway, and relive the game over a beer.

Ignore finance and forgo public transit, taking an uber all the way home.

BLISS!

For more about the April Challenge, click here.

Image courtesy of Youngkeit at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

April Prompt -- Day 11

"How important is fame?" 

Ironically, when this is posted I'll be in Hollywood at the TCM Film Festival, which is a tribute to the enduring allure of classic film stars.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is being screened at the fest this year, so it's only fitting that I invoke Sundance himself, Robert Redford, as I answer this question.

He's said that after his breakout role as Sundance, he became "a cartoon character." That he has worried about the shadow his success has cast over his children. He maintains there's a dangerous side to celebrity.

So all things considered, I'd rather be rich but not famous.

Image courtesy of Youngkeit at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

April Prompt -- Day 10

"A place you have never visited"

This is the TCL Chinese Theater. Formerly Graumann's Chinese.

It's famous for its forecourt, with the footprints/signatures of the stars in cement. (Lucy and Ethel stole John Wayne's, remember?)

Today it's best known as home to the Academy Awards broadcast. I've never been inside. But during the TCM Film Festival, I hope to see two of my favorites -- Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid and Gone with the Wind -- on its big, BIG screen.

For more about the April Challenge, click here.

This made me so happy

Monday was Opening Day. Always important in my heart. So full of both memory and promise. When I think of Cubs Opening Day, that Springsteen lyric keeps going through my head: "I'm ready to grow young again."

I put on my Cub necklace and my Cub jacket and headed to the office. Imagine my surprise when I saw this scarf draped over my desktop file holder! Brand new, with tags still attached.

Kelly, a worker who sits near me but works on another account, said she recently found it in her drawer,  never worn, and thought of me and Opening Day. How sweet was that!

I didn't wear it. I told Kelly we were keeping it draped over my files like Christmas lights to celebrate the holiday. I thanked her again and again.

The Cubs beat the Pirates 10-0 in the Home Opener. I told Kelly it was the scarf. Obviously.

April Prompt -- Day 9

"Your life story in five sentences"

Born at the stroke of midnight, on the cusp of days and astrological signs.

Confounding and confounded growing up.

Found and made my own way.

Loved and lost.

Ready for the next chapter.

For more about the April Challenge, click here.

Image courtesy of Youngkeit at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

April Prompt -- Day 8

"Three Things You and Your Best Friend Have in Common"

The coveted role of my best friend changes from time to time, but for the sake of this conversation, let's say it's John.

1)  Fandom, going all the way back to 1964. My great love is Sir Paul. His is Miss Diana Ross. He appreciates Paul (as all the best people do) and I, of course, adore Miss Ross. We spend an embarrassing amount of time talking about these two.

2)  Anthony Rizzo. I love Rizz like the son I never had. John's feelings for him are more carnal, but never mind. We both adore #44.

3)  Independence. We each go our own way, and don't much care if anyone is traveling with us. It's cool that, so often, we find ourselves going the same way.

For more about the April Challenge, click here.

Image courtesy of Youngkeit at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sunday Stealing

Love Me Some Surveys

1. If you could build a second house anywhere, where would it be? Do I have to build it? That seems like an awful lot of work. Instead, I'd like a nice little ranch house in Hesperia, CA. That's where my oldest friend is currently. She could stay in the house and take care of it for me in between visits. 

Right now, she's living with her cousin, collecting disability. She gets awfully blue sometimes. Maybe if we spent more time together and she had a bit more autonomy, she'd be happier.

2. What are your favorite articles of clothing? Jeans and t shirt.

3. The last CD you bought or downloaded? The Hamilton soundtrack

4. What time do you generally wake up in the morning? When Reynaldo decides I should. My skinny beige cat either rakes his claws through my hair or jumps up on my vanity and knocks everything over.

5. What is your favorite kitchen appliance? My George Foreman grill.

6. If you could play an instrument, what would it be? Guitar.

7. What is your Favorite color? Pantone 294, aka Cubbie blue.

 

8. Do you believe in the afterlife? Unquestioningly.

9. Your Favorite children’s book? Charlotte's Web.

10. Can you juggle? Not well. I am a klutz.

11. What’s your favorite day of the week? Tuesday. NCIS and This Is Us.

12. Which do you prefer, sushi or hamburger?

13. What is your favorite flower? Carnations. They are fragrant, colorful and hearty.

14. What is your favorite meal? I think Eggs Benedict would be good right about now.

15. Describe your ideal weather? Sunny, dry and 65º.

16. What is your favorite ice cream? Mint chocolate chip

17. What is your favorite breakfast? Damn! I knew I should have read these questions first! See #14.

18. Where did you meet your spouse or significant other? Ah, the very moment when I fell in love. When I saw Paul. The Beatles on Ed Sullivan, February 1964.

No, this isn't really me. Though when it turned up on FB, my friend Kathleen thought it was.

Bonus: something you’d like to do that you’ve never done before? Skydiving.

April Prompt -- Day 7

"How are you feeling today?"

Worried!

Have the Cubs really snapped that losing streak? Can they make it two in a row?

Will my work on the car financing project be well received? (I've never, ever bought a car, so I'm uniquely unqualified to work on this.)

Will I have a chance to get to the ATM for my vacation cash before Tuesday evening?

What will I forgot to pack for my trip?

When I get to LA, will I have an easy time checking into my Airbnb?

When I get to the TCM Film Festival, will I be able to find my way from theater to theater? Will I be able to find Betty and Will? (I have the worst sense of direction of anyone you'll ever meet.)

Will my gut, my spinal stenosis or my kidney stone act up when I'm traveling?

Will Reynaldo and Connie be okay on their own for four days?

And oh! Flying!

For more about the April Challenge, click here.

Image courtesy of Youngkeit at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: If I Could Turn Back Time (1989)

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

1) The official video for this song was filmed on board the battleship USS Missouri. When is the last time you were on a boat or ship? Golly, I don't remember. Probably when I was in Tampa five years ago. My cousin Rose and I took a dolphin cruise.

2) This song was written by Diane Warren. Ms. Warren has written love songs recorded by Celine Dion, Toni Braxton, LeAnn Rimes and more, yet she's never married and has really only had one serious romantic relationship. She acknowledges this makes her an unusual spokeswoman for the glory and pain of love. When you have a relationship problem, who do you go to for advice? HA! I'm like Diane Warren. I've never had a successful romantic relationship, yet somehow people ask ME for advice.

3) In this song, Cher wishes she could turn back time and have a different conversation with a former lover, changing what she said to him. Here at Saturday 9, we're not so ambitious with our time travel. We're only going back to yesterday. Is there anything you'd do differently? I wouldn't have polished off that bag of Cheetohs.

4) In 1966, Cher and her then-husband Sonny sang at a private birthday party for Jacqueline Kennedy. At first, Cher didn't want to do it, thinking that performing to a small gathering would be awkward. But it turned out to be a wonderful opportunity for her. That night, she met Diana Vreeland, the editor of Vogue. Vreeland liked Cher's look so much she set up a photo shoot. Cher, who always loved experimenting with hair and makeup, enjoyed the shoot immensely. Tell us about a social gathering where you had an unexpectedly good time. My friend Joanna's New Year's Open House. I went mostly to support her, but found I enjoyed welcoming 2019 with new people.

Here's 20-year-old Cher from that 1966 Vogue shoot

5) At that same party, Cher said she was surprised by how big Jackie's hands were. Do you like your hands? Suddenly they have spouted age spots. I kinda like them. My hands remind me of my favorite grandmother's hands.

6) One night, before a performance in Detroit, Cher saw a little furry something under one of her tour buses. It was a kitten that that she named Mr. Big, hoping he would grow into the name. He did, and the tomcat was her constant companion for four years until he died of a congenital heart ailment. She has said that she will "never not miss him." Is there a furry companion who has a special place in your memories? My beloved Joey. My gentle giant. He's been gone for a while now, but I still miss him. He was a sweetheart with a sweet heart.

7) Cher recently appeared in Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again. It's the second movie based on the music of ABBA. What's your favorite ABBA song? I'm not really an ABBA fan. But now I have "Mamma Mia" running through my mind, so I'll say that one.

8) In 1989 -- the year this song was popular -- Mattel released a series of special "Scarlett O'Hara" Barbie doll to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Gone with the Wind. Did you enjoy the classic movie? Have you read the book? Read the book almost as many times as I've seen the movie, which is like a gazillion times. Looking forward to seeing it again, on IMAX, at this month's TCM Film Festival!


9) Random question -- Check your spam folder and tell us one of the subject lines. "Toe Fungus Destroyed My Life, Until I Found This."

April Prompt -- Day 6

"One Thing I Need to Start Doing"

Working out! Not only is the recumbent bike good for my heart, those stretches on the mat help my back and leg.

I have two gym memberships, one near the office and one here at home. If I amortized how much money I waste every day by not working out, I just might make myself sick.

For more about the April Challenge, click here.

Image courtesy of Youngkeit at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

April Prompt -- Day 5

"One Thing I Need to Stop Doing"

Napping after work. I close my eyes "for a minute," then it's 1:30 AM and I'm wide awake! I give the cats a snack, do a little social media or catch up on what I missed via DVR, and go back to bed for a few more hours.

Not very bright, Gal.

For more about the April Challenge, click here.

Image courtesy of Youngkeit at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

April Prompt -- Day 4

"The Most Important Qualities in a Friend"

Availability. Today, we're all very busy. But we all also have lots of avenues to stay in touch: Facebook, email, text, phone and -- oh, yeah! -- face to face. I value a friend who values me enough to regularly reach out and reach back.

For more about the April Challenge, click here.

Image courtesy of Youngkeit at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Well, then!

Chicago has a new mayor. A black lesbian who has never held office before. When we mix it up around here, we really mix it up!

There's more to Lori Lightfoot than her color and her sexuality, of course. First, she's not remotely beholden to The Machine. Her opponent -- another black woman named Toni Preckwinkle -- is Cook County Board President and head of the local Democratic Party. Can't get much more Establishment than that. What's more Preckwinkle accepted fundraising help from Ed Burke. Alderman Burke is the poster boy for Cook County corruption.

Here's the thing: Toni Preckwinkle has been in city government for nearly 30 years. When she came up through the ranks, she simply had to play along with The Machine. There simply was no other way. Last week, those relationships weighed her down.

Meanwhile, Lori Lightfoot is seen as a reformer. She headed Rahm Emmanuel's Police Accountability Task Force, a civilian organization that explored the myriad problems with the Chicago Police Department. She worked with Rahm, but never seemed indebted to him. She played it smarter than Toni did.

After Laquan McDonald, this city wants someone new. Someone clean. Someone different. And we got her.

God bless her. Let's hope she doesn't let us down.

Don't they TALK?

I've never been married. I don't pretend to know what goes on in a marriage. For me, married people are like exotic creatures in nature specials. "Look! There are the spouses, behaving as they will in their natural habitat."

Which is why I'm so flummoxed by what is happening between Reg and Henry. The lack of communication between the two of them is astounding, and it isn't all rooted in the sad aftermath of Henry's accident.

Their dog, Lola, had been in declining health for a year or so. I clearly remember a conversation Henry and I had last summer. Before his accident. We were talking about my cat Reynaldo's 2017 dental work. Lola's breath was bad and she'd become a pickier eater, and I wondered if she didn't need her teeth checked. Henry said he understood why I had I had taken Rey in first for a check up and a tooth extraction, but he felt it was too expensive and too risky for his Lola. "I am convinced if they put her under, she will not wake up," he said. 

Even more telling, I recall the way Henry recounted the euthanizing their cat. He told me about this over Christmas 2017. She fought it, Henry insisted. She writhed and lifted her head and refused to die. I told him that she was already dead, really, that those were just involuntary reflexes. "Like a chicken with its head cut off." I told him he should be mad at the vet for not preparing him this possibility.

Henry dismissed me, saying the incident had taught him that putting an animal down is wrong and he would never do it again. That conversation took place more than 9 months before his accident.

Last week, Henry's husband Reg began posting about Lola's decline. He actually wrote that, "Henry and I have had many dogs and cats since we have been together over 20 years. Initially, we held on to them, regrettably, too long. But we learned, a few years back, to let them go when it was their time." 

That is simply not true. At least, not judging by what Henry told me after they put their cat down. 

Lola died Sunday night. At home. In Henry's arms. When Henry recounted her passing to me, he told me about how he carefully placed her on a purple pillow ("purple is the color of royalty") and said that when Reg woke up, Henry told him they needed to first find a box to put her in, and then decide who would cremate her. Reg was upset, naturally, but he went to the office. And Henry went about finding a box for her little body. It was decided that Tuesday afternoon, she would be cremated by the local humane society. That made sense to Henry. Symmetrical. After all, they adopted her from the humane society.

Reg's version could not have been more different. On Sunday, he recounted how Henry awakened him as soon as Lola died pre-dawn. He posted, "Cremation? Backyard burial? I am going to talk to humane society. Why do I have to do everything? Oh! I know! Because, within my marriage, I am the only one of two with rationality. That's a scary thought. We will get through this."

I believe each man believes he's telling the truth. And I have no idea what actually happened in their house on Sunday.

But I do know this: Even if Henry hadn't suffered a brain injury in his accident, he would have resisted putting Lola down. This is a sincere disagreement between two men, not a case of "only one of two with rationality."

What's worse, I feel like I'm watching a car crash happen in slow motion. Right now, Henry avoids social media. He says it "infuriates" him. But one of these days, he's going to go online and read what his husband has posted. He will not be happy. I worry that he will regard it as an unforgivable breach of his privacy.

Sometimes I'm very happy to be a barren spinster.

Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

April Prompt -- Day 3

"What are you most grateful for?" 

Another day. Another chance. Every morning, when I wake up, I have opportunities, and for that I'm grateful.

For more about the April Challenge, click here.

Image courtesy of Youngkeit at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

April Prompt -- Day 2

"What place do you consider your home?" 

I feel I'm home in my neighborhood. I first visited here on a shopping trip when I was in high school and just fell in love with the diversity and the architecture. We have good restaurants and a great art deco movie theater. There's a thriving independent bookstore and three library branches! My GP and dentist are here, too, and so's the vet. I can get to the Loop by el or commuter train, and I can get around town by local bus.

When I think of moving, I like to think of staying here.

For more about the April Challenge, click here.

Image courtesy of Youngkeit at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So what if we're 1-2?

The Chicago Cubs may not (yet) be baseball's winningest team, but oh! They are the most adorable! Enjoy their April Fool's Day fragrance spoof.

April Prompt -- Day 1

"Your Biggest Dream." 

To be peaceful. Satisfied. I'm usually happy. But this is different. I long for a contentment I just never feel. Maybe no one does.

For more about the April Challenge, click here.

Image courtesy of Youngkeit at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

April Prompts

I stole this from Kwizgiver. You're welcome to spring into spring with us.

Sunday Stealing

Thought Provoking Questions

1. If you had to teach something, what would you teach? The role of the modern First Lady. I find these women fascinating.

2. What would you regret not fully doing, being or having in your life? My friends.

3. Are you holding onto something that you need to let go of? Sure. I'm a grudge carrier. I try not to be, but there you go.

4. When you are 80-years-old, what will matter to you the most? My independence.

5. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards and just do what you know is right? Always. I'm really bad at the risk/reward thing.

6. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? People assume I'm younger than I am, so I'll say 52.

7. Would you break the law to save a loved one? Depends on the law. I wouldn't murder.

8. What makes you smile? So many things. For example, Saturday night, this guy executed a perfect pick off at first base. 

I love Anthony Rizzo.

9. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done? I'm blabby, so I'll have said more than I've done.

10. If you had the opportunity to get a message across to a large group of people, what would your message be? Don't let Donald Trump define and therefore demean us.

11. If the average human lifespan was 40 years, how would you live your life differently? I wouldn't.


12. What do we all have in common besides our genes that makes us human? "We all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. We are all mortal." JFK. We did once have a President who "had the best words."

13. If you could choose one book as a mandatory read for all high school students, which book would you choose? The Great Gatsby. It had a tremendous impact on me when I was a high school girl. Made me think about values, about capitalism, about power. And it made me proud that Fitzgerald was an American author.

14. Would you rather have less work or more work you actually enjoy doing? More work that I enjoy. Although I admit that I'm also tired and looking forward to retirement.

15. What is important enough to go to war over? Genocide. WWII was a just war.


16. Which is worse, failing or never trying? Whichever one would cause me more regret. I hate regret.

17. When was the last time you listened to the sound of your own breathing? I don't recall.

18. What’s something you know you do differently than most people? Eat. I eat more slowly than my friends, and I eat one thing at a time.

19. What does ‘The American Dream’ mean to you? Self actualization.

20. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton? Joyful simpleton.

I prefer my drama on the diamond

As I write this, the Cubs are playing the Rangers. It's a sloppy -- albeit highly watchable -- game. While I love a good, tight pitchers' duel with heroic defensive plays, I can get with a game like this, too, where nothing seems to go right for either team and I have no blessed idea what can possibly happen next. It's only the fourth inning and our #2 starter, Yu Darvish, is already in the showers. He gave up just 2 runs, which isn't bad in and of itself, but it took him 75 pitches. By contrast, the average Cub starter throws less than 100 pitches in a game. Still, it's not like the Rangers are having a stellar night, either, and the score is still 5-3 Cubs.

So while I am enjoying a little more drama than necessary within the Rangers ballpark, I could use less unnecessary drama in real life.

For example, there's Hanna. She's my neighbor at the end of the hall. A tall, imposing lady who immigrated from Poland. Her English is admirably fluent but her accent is very thick and she's hard to understand. She also always seems angry. Maybe she isn't (let's assume good intent), but her manner can be abrasive. She is very much against the condo deconversion and wants to write to the Board about it (I'm a board member). OK, so write to us, Hanna. You know our names (they're in the minutes), you know our addresses (the same as yours). Buy a stamp. Knock yourself freaking out. We've also set up a separate gmail account, specifically for emails to the entire building about the deconversion. Why not post your questions, objections and suspicions for all to see there?

Oh, no. She's spoken to her lawyer. Who tells her she has a right to our unit numbers, email addresses and phone numbers. Our lawyer tells us that, strictly speaking, that isn't true, but questions whether this is worth the legal action. Our lawyer recommends we give her our email addresses, phone numbers and unit numbers (have you never looked at the mailboxes you pass every day, Hanna?) along with a notice that if she uses email or phone to harass any one of us, she will be fined $500.

Really? We're neighbors. There are only 22 unitowners. Why did she have to call her lawyer about this?

Cubs lost 6-8. Oh well. There's always tomorrow.