Happy Birthday to Me -- Part 5

Old friends. On Friday, my actual birthday, I met up with John and Mindy at Madison Tavern. We've been friends now for (gulp!) more than 35 years! I see and speak to John regularly, and try to keep up with Mindy, but the three of us seldom get together.

I ate ... a lot. I felt loved and fussed over. Yea!

But here's the thing: I didn't really have as good a time as I'd like because we had too much to catch up on in 2 1/2 hours. John has lost his job and is possibly now forcibly retired. Mindy went on vacation to Vietnam. These are big things! Then there's my life. A lot of ground to cover in one evening.

Still, I'm grateful that my old friends wanted to spend my special day with me. I went to sleep happy.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) 1979

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

1) This lyrics use weather as metaphor for romance. Here at Saturday 9, we're more literal. How do the skies look where you are this morning? Well, I'm doing this on Friday evening. This morning, the skies were pale blue with puffy clouds. It was a pretty day.

2) According to Merriam-Webster, "enough is enough" is what you say when you want something to stop because you "can no longer accept or deal with it." When did you recently say -- out loud or to yourself -- "enough is enough." When my cat Reynaldo, firm in his conviction that he's starving, knocked a basket off the table. That earned him a time-out behind the closed bedroom door!

3) Grammy winner Luther Vandross began his career as a background singer and performed on "No More Tears." Tell us about one of your early jobs. I babysat in high school and loved it. The kids went to bed around 8:00, and that left me hours to eat potato chips and watch old movies on TV. No one pays me to eat potato chips and watch old movies anymore.

Best job ever!

4) Both Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand made slight changes to their first names. Summer was christened "LaDonna," while Streisand's parents spelled her name the more conventional "Barbara." When she was in high school, meme mistress Samantha Winters went from "Sammy" to "Sam." Did you ever make a similar change to your first name? My name doesn't lend itself to that. Besides, I watched my older sister do it every couple years. My parents called her "Patty." Then all of a sudden she became "Patti." Then "Pat." I'm just waiting for "Tricia" and then "Trish." It seems pretentious and artificial.

5) Hair was higher maintenance in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Streisand and Summer are both sporting styles that would require chemical treatment, like a perm or relaxer. Today's looks are less rigidly styled and tend to be smoother or slightly messy. How often do you change your look? I go to the salon every 4-5 weeks. But I haven't changed my look in about three years. I'm happy with my hair, but I think maybe it's time for me to change my makeup. I'm trying to convince myself to try false eyelashes.

6) In 1979, it seems every kid was asking Santa for Star Wars toys. Some things don't change, since the Star Wars franchise remains popular with children and toymakers after more than 40 years. What book or toy did you love as a child that remains popular today? I loved playing Barbies.

My Barbie

 

Holiday 2019 Barbie

7) Thinking of things that endure ... In 1979, the #1 show in the ratings was 60 Minutes. It's still on, every Sunday night, and in the summer of 2019 it came in at #4 in the Nielsen ratings. What's the most recent show you watched? Was it news, sports or entertainment? I have the news on right now.

8) In 1979, the price for a dozen eggs averaged 85¢. Today, it's about twice that. Are you more likely to use eggs to prepare a main course (like an omelette or Eggs Benedict) or as part of a recipe (anything from a cake to a meatloaf)? If it can't be nuked in the microwave or grilled on the George Foreman, I don't cook.

9) Random question: You’re alone in your car, driving through your neighborhood on a bright, sunny day. You get a flat tire. You have a spare and a jack in your trunk. Would you fix it yourself or call for help? I don't drive, so this could never happen to me. Still, I look forward to your answers.

 
 

Happy Birthday to Me -- Part 4

Across the miles. I opened a pair of packages on Thursday. First, from my oldest friend. She sent me a page-a-day 2020 calendar of quotes. It made me happy because she used to give me a calendar for my birthday (or was it Christmas?) every year.

Then from my aunt. She always gives me a box of a variety of hot teas. Living in Florida, she doesn't like thinking of me enduring a Chicago winter without sustenance. This year, she threw in a in a pair of sequined kitty slippers, too.

And I got a card and a letter from a friend of my mom's. I babysat her kids when I was in high school. I am always amazed and touched that she remembers! (Of course, for people a generation before me, 11/22 is like September 11.)

All these things are rather traditional, and I appreciate the sameness, the dependability, and the sentiment that goes with them.

From me to me. I took myself for a facial. I haven't had one in years! It felt good.

Happy Birthday to Me, Part 3

At the office. Well, Wednesday was a first! My team actually celebrated me!

Let me explain: For the last four years, when Monsieur Account Executive was at the helm, we were siloed. We seldom met as a group to talk about our client's business. He encouraged account to limit their interactions with creative, and he wanted us creatives to stay in our lane: Headlines and pretty pictures, no reason for us to think about strategy or the big picture. Last year at this time was the nadir of the creative/account relationship here. We were, literally, at each other's throats all the time.

Well, things have sure changed! Monsieur slowly saw his power diminished, two of his three most devoted acolytes have left the team, and they have been replaced by new, young (and cheaper) account executives. I find myself spending lots of time with these just-out-of-school kids, training them. Part of me has been resentful, because this is Monsieur's job. Most of me has enjoyed it. I like building relationships. It makes the day go faster, and it makes the work better.

Yesterday, my new team spent the day celebrating my birthday! I came out of a meeting and found an Anthony Rizzo birthday brownie on my desk. It was made for me especially by our producer.

Then my art director treated me to lunch. I had my first Negroni. I recently read it was JBKO's favorite drink and I was eager to try it. Girlfriend knew what she was doing!

Then we got an invitation to a late afternoon meeting.  I kept coming up with reasons to cancel it. We could get it all accomplished faster in one-on-ones, couldn't we? Young Audrey kept insisting we had to meet as a team. She never insists on everything, so I finally let it go.

The late afternoon meeting was for me! There was a a giant chocolate cookie with trick candles.  A Snoopy card, chosen because it had a blue envelope and blue is my favorite color. A Dove bar (more chocolate). And this pin.

The new kids wrote the nicest things on the card -- thanking me for being so upbeat and positive and looking forward to working with me even more, etc., etc. Each note was personal. No one took the cop out of "Enjoy your day," which is what I always write on birthday cards for people I don't like.

I was touched.

Will it be a happy new year?

Wednesday's 10:30 meeting was a nothingburger. It was difficult for the woman who called it. She is my boss' boss, and has been told that, come 2020, she won't have a job. Our client has specifically asked her off the account.

Strangely enough, that might be good news for me. The client hasn't fired our agency, which is how it looked back in October. They expressed their displeasure with Madame Creative VP and have told us there will be far less work in 2020, but there will be work. They have isolated Madame Creative VP and her counterpart, Monsieur Account VP, as the problem. He's also out.

In theory, I'm upset with Madame and Monsieur. Their arrogance put us all at risk. On the other hand, looking at this mom of two, who is painfully thin from stress and admitted that "currently" hers is the only family income, I felt my anger evaporate. After the meeting, I gave her a hug.

I'm still not out of the woods. The client is pissed at our agency, and has hired someone else entirely to do the bulk of their work. They maintain that they will "keep" us for 2020, but our workload will be reduced significantly.

I am cautiously hopeful, since many of my assignments can be very boring. (I recently wrote a six-page brochure about the glory of investing in annuities.) The new agency wants the glamor stuff -- the TV, online and broadcast -- and likely don't have staff adept in dullsville, where I live professionally.

Of course, no one knows.

However, I know I'm OK until January. So I'm going to try not to think about it anymore.

Happy Birthday to Me, Part 2

A gift from Rose. A couple months ago, I mentioned to my cousin that I was skipping the 2020 TCM Film Festival. My niece's out-of-town wedding, the special assessment for the new boiler and new roof, insecurity at work ... I just can't afford the trip now.

I expected Rose to applaud my decision. After all, it's the grown-up thing to do and she's always been a grown up. Plus, Rose has never been big on movies. It's a passion we simply don't share.

Instead, she counseled me to go, because attending this past April made me happy, and she advised me not to forgo happiness. To emphasize her point, she sent me a little wallet, decorated with retro movie images, and a card that says, "Make Memories."

I love gifts like this. It's so personal and could only come from Rose to me.

Tuesday 4

Holiday Favorites   1.   Favorite Holiday Of Yours? I'll say Thanksgiving, because it's coming up next and I'm excited about it.

2.   Favorite Holiday Character In A Movie? Scrooge. Have you seen Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol? I adore it!

3.   Favorite Holiday Dish Or Dessert To Make? I'm sorry, but I don't have anything for this because my friends and I eat Thanksgiving dinner out. I spend Christmas with different friends. Sometimes we cook, often we go out. Last time we cooked, I brought ice cream for dessert, and obviously I didn't make that!

4.   Favorite Holiday Weather You Wish For? Depends on the holiday. For Thanksgiving, I will be here in Chicagoland and I'd like it to be cold, but not freezing. The restaurant where we're dining offers a view of the Millennium Park Rink, and it's fun to watch skaters spinning around.

Now Christmas will find me in Key West. My friends don't have air conditioning, so if we eat in, I'd prefer it to not be too hot.

Wedneday morning at 10:30

That's when I will find out what's going on with my career.

On the one hand, it can't be too dire. They don't generally give you two days' notice that you're being let go.

On the other hand, why not just tell me today? Why make an appointment days in advance if you already know what you're going to do with me?

I suspect this has to do with our St. Louis sister agency. One of our directors is going to be down there, meeting with them, at the same time that I'm going to be in the conference room learning my fate. Coincidence? I think not.

I'm trying not to freak out too much.

I am not altogether successful.

He's "perfect"

The vet reports that Reynaldo's thyroid test came back "perfect." I am so relieved! I admit I was very worried about my little man. It looks like he will be his sassy self for years to come.

Yea!

In other pet news, Anthony Rizzo has a dachshund puppy named Kevin.

Happy Birthday to Me, Part 1

I didn't think Kathy remembered. But she did! She came into town to take me to lunch and a movie. She's on a fixed income now, so instead of a stop at the candy counter she slipped me baggies of Snocaps, Raisinettes and Twizzlers (all my faves!) that she picked up at The Dollar Store.

We were together five hours in all, and I could feel myself getting annoyed with her. I really have to dial that back. People love me and want to celebrate me and I get bitchy. I think I've lived alone too long.

It's just that she's so ditzy these days. She gets times wrong. She confuses the theaters. She's got a lot on her mind -- health problems, money problems, and yet she remembered my birthday, so I shouldn't be such a bitch.

Anyway, we saw The Good Liar, a thriller starring Helen Mirren and Ian McKellan. I was excited to see Jim Carter, Mr. Carson from Downton Abbey, playing a character Mr. Carson would never let through the front door at Downton. (He's at a strip club, for Chrissakes!)

Anyway, it was a nice start to my birthday week. I enjoyed it. I am happy.

Sunday Stealing

Facebook Questions

1) What is your favorite TV show (currently)? This Is Us
 

2) Would you like to be a child again? Not really

3) Has anyone ever told you that school times were the best period of his/her life? Would you say that to someone? Why? My mom insisted those were her happiest days. I think it's sad that you could peak at 16. Also, I recall high school as a rather miserable time anyway.

4) How's the weather? It's November in Chicago, so you need a winter coat to be comfortable and you should enjoy the sun when you can see it because it sets so damn early.

5) Do you like camping? No
 
6) Do you believe in paranormal phenomena? Not really

7) If you would create a holiday, what would it be called and how would we celebrate it? When would this holiday be? Every February 9, we would celebrate International Beatles Day. We would flash peace signs and remind one another that love is all you need. Best of all, we would revel in the joy and that fabulous music. 
 

8) What word(s) do you dislike? Can you tell why? Anything that ends in "tard." Like "retard," or "libtard." It's mean, ugly and people who use it should be ashamed of themselves.

9) What color do you dislike? What do you associate with it? I have thought about this, and I don't really dislike any color.

10) Do you believe in otherworldly creatures, eg. ghosts, etc? OK, how is this different than #6?

11) Pick two of your favorite fictional characters. Where are they from (what movie, book, etc?) and why are they your favorite? Katie Morosky from The Way We Were and Linda Seaton from Holiday. These ladies were true to themselves.

12) If you could change anything or add anything to your body would you? (this can be interpreted however, but, think, would you like to have fins or extra hands?) I'd rather just have my old waistline back.

13) What are some family traditions you have/had growing up? Do you still continue them, if yes, why, if no, why not? This isn't a tradition, really. But my mom always included a salutation in each Christmas card she wrote. I have adopted that.

14) What do you think of tattoos? Do you have any? I don't have any tattoos and, consequently, don't think too much about them.

15)  What is the most disgusting habit some people have? Smoking. It stinks.
16)  If you could bring back one TV show that was cancelled, which would it be? The West Wing.

17) What was the most unsettling film you have ever seen? The Exorcist
18) What book has impacted you the most? Saving Graces by Elizabeth Edwards. It taught me to share more, to strengthen my relationships by allowing others to see my vulnerability. Needing help does not indicate weakness. It's sharing the bad times that makes celebrating the good ones that much sweeter.

19) You're on Death Row and get one final meal: What is that meal and why do you choose it? I'd like a nice, juicy rib eye steak. Mashed potatoes. Chocolate cake. An unending supply of Coke. It would leave me sluggish, but that wouldn't really matter under the circumstances, would it?

20) What is the first profession you remember wanting to become as a child? I wanted to sing and dance. But since I'm a tone deaf klutz, that really wasn't in the cards for me.

 

Color Me Happy

The Decades Channel is showing 86 episodes of Batman. I am delirious with joy.

First of all, it's just too funny. Adam West is pitch perfect in every scene, both as Batman and as millionaire Bruce Wayne. Frank Gorshin and especially Cesar Romero are all in as The Riddler and The Joker. Their complete commitment could be a master class in comedy.

And then there are memories it evokes. When it was first run, I believed the action, straight up. I thought Robin was dreamy. My classmates talked about the show at recess every day (it was on both Wednesday and Thursday, so there was always something to anticipate or relive). I was so obsessed that I carefully updated my uncle, then fighting in Vietnam, so when he came home he wouldn't have missed anything this important. He was so amused by my letters that he kept them and when he died in 2010, my mom found them -- pencil scrawled on pages torn from a spiral notebook -- among his personal papers.

This past April, when I was in Los Angeles for the TCM Film Festival, I stopped by The Hollywood Museum and saw The Batman '66 Exhibit. I fangirled so hard!

Saturday 9

Judy at Carnegie Hall (1961)

We're spotlighting this legendary concert because  Bev from Sunday Stealing loves Judy Garland. This week's Saturday 9 is a "thank you," one meme-mistress to another, in gratitude for Bev's willingness to pick up Bud's meme and keep it going.

Song #1: "When You're Smiling." What made you smile this week? I did well at a presentation on Monday.

Song #2: "Almost Like Being in Love." We've all had many crushes, but love is rare. How many times have you fallen in love? Three

Song #3: "This Can't Be Love." This Rodgers and Hart song as introduced in the play, The Boys from Syracuse. Syracuse is the county seat of Onondaga County, NY. What county do you hail from? I've lived in Cook County my whole life.

Song #4: "Do It Again." What's something you'd do again, if only you had the time or money? (A book you'd like to reread, a recipe or pattern you'd like to make again, a vacation destination you'd like to revisit, etc.) I haven't had a solo spa getaway in a long time. I'd love to go back to Colonial Williamsburg, nerd out on some American history, and then unwind at the spa -- being massaged and exfoliated and all that good stuff.

Song #5: "You Go to My Head." Judy forgets the lyrics, but gamely keeps going. Tell us about a recent moment when you chose to keep going, no matter what. Tuesday I spilled an entire cup of hot chocolate down my leg. It got cold, and uncomfortable, very quickly. I sopped up as much as I could -- denim is both stubborn and absorbent -- and tried to concentrate on the task at hand. I know what you're thinking: "This counts as adversity in your world, Gal? You're very lucky." Yeah, I guess I am!

Song #6: "Alone Together." Is anyone there with you as you answer these questions, or are you alone? My cat Reynaldo is on my lap.


Song #7: "Who Cares?" This song was written by brothers George and Ira Gershwin. They had a lesser known brother, stockbroker Arthur. Are you more creative and artistic, like George and Ira? Or more analytical and methodical, like Arthur? I'm with George and Ira on the creative side.

Song #8: "Puttin' on the Ritz." Judy sings that The Ritz is the place in New York "where fashion sits." If we wanted to see everyone "all gussied up" in your town, where would we go? The first one that comes to mind is Shaw's Crab House. It's a very old-school Chicago restaurant, with terrific food. But if you're in jeans, they'll "suggest" you sit on the bar side.

Song #9: "How Long Has This Been Going On?" Judy sings about discovering how glorious romance can be. Have you made any new discoveries lately? It doesn't have to be as groundbreaking as Judy's. A new podcast or a faster route to work counts, too. Netflix. I resisted it, because I already pay for every cable channel known to man, plus Amazon Prime. But Lisa (aka SnarkyPants) was nice enough to include me on her membership, and now I'm hooked!

Feisty and confused

Saturday morning at 8:00 AM, Reynaldo is having blood work done. Hyperthyroidism is common in geriatric cats and Rey is now 15, so it just makes sense to test him.

However, he has to fast for 12 hours before the test.

We're only1:15 into it, and it's not going well. He's knocking everything over and singing (like he's doing in this photo).

I've tried catnip. That gave me about 30 minutes of relief. Now I think I'll try some toys.

I feel bad that he's so frustrated. I know on the one hand he's being a willful little shit, but on the other hand, he's really using the only tools at his disposal to express himself. He thinks I just don't get it.

And I love how lively and engaged he still is at 15.* Because for all that me makes me nuts at times, he can also be very sweet. He's my little man, and I want him in my life for years to come.

*16 in April.

I think too much about sleep

My sleep schedule is completely messed up! Monday night, I was exhausted as I rode the el home. I thought it was the stress and newness of commuting in cold and snow for the first time this season. (We are setting and breaking November records this week.) I know I'll be used to it again in a day or so. It's just that waiting on the platform in the wind and wet and then scrunching into the seat in my winter coat, surrounded by other down-clad scrunchers, always feels a little extreme at first.

I watched an episode of Blue Bloods* with dinner and then the CNN Town Hall with Joe Biden. I couldn't keep my eyes open, so I went to bed. It was 9:30.

And then at 2:00 AM, I woke up, feeling head-achey.

I promised myself no soda at home because I drink way too much Coke and not enough water. But tonight, I think I was disturbed by a caffeine headache, so I'm downing a can and going back to bed.

I live alone, so I suppose this wacky sleep schedule isn't disrupting anyone and doesn't really matter. Except it just feels unhealthy and unproductive.

I still believe cutting back on caffeine and sugar is a good idea. (You never hear or read about doctors recommending more caffeine and sugar, do you?) But I think I need to move more. I dug out my exercise bands and, beginning Tuesday, I'm going to do reps in the evening after dinner. Maybe I can make that a habit, the way stretching in the morning is. Good for my spine, good for my adrenaline.

And I think I have to avoid naps after work or going to bed before 10:00 or 11:00 (<<
Because I'm becoming preoccupied by sleep and this annoys me.

*That's twice I've watched it now, and I still don't get it's appeal. So I'm officially giving up. I think I prefer my Tom Selleck as Magnum.

Gazing upon my idol

Two Jackie items captured my attention this weekend.

Who wore it best? That's Tatiana Schlossberg on the left, wearing her grandmother's dress to a tribute to designer Carolina Herrara. The gesture was a meaningful one because Herrara has said that the night Jackie wore that dress to the Kennedy Center in 1972 was the moment her career took off.

Caroline only seems to have worn the dress twice before bequeathing it to her daughter. Still, it leaves me in awe of couture. I don't suspect anything I bought off the rack at Kohl's will look good in 45 years.

A horrible picture. High school aged Jackie wrote, "Dear Mary: I'll blush every time I think of you looking at this horrible picture." If she thought this was unflattering, it's clear once again that Jackie and I experienced puberty differently.

Requesting permission to vent

She can wait. Last night I posted that I had no emails or calls that had to be answered just now. That's not quite true.

My oldest friend has written me two emails -- one on Friday afternoon, the other on Saturday morning -- reaching out. Chatty emails. Filling me in on her life.

Her blood sugar spiked and she ended up in the ER, but left without being treated ... her anti-depressants have stopped working ... Most interesting of all, she complained about the company that was coming over. She lives rent-free in her cousin's home. Her cousin's husband's family came over to celebrate their son's birthday (the whole clan, including their dogs) and this disrupts my friend. What the ever-loving fuck? Sharon, her cousin, took her in when she had nothing. Literally nothing. Even her car had been repossessed. She's really going to complain when Sharon has company? Plus, unless she's holding out on me, these visitors are the only non-household members she speaks to (medical personnel not included).

Oh yeah, and how are you, Gal?

It was nearly a month ago that she called me, after a long drought, and we reconnected. We laughed -- she can always make me laugh -- and caught up. I felt supported, reinforced, happy. Now I feel silly for thinking it was the start of a more involved, co-equal relationship. A return to the give-and-take she and I shared for nearly 50 years.

Here's the thing: she's doing the best she can. She's bipolar. She makes bad decisions, yes, but no one pays for them more dearly than she does. So I'm going to take the high road and answer her. I'm going to continue to love her.

But I have to work through my feelings first. I'm wounded, I admit it. She goes days, weeks, months without communicating with me. It hurts that I've become so peripheral to someone who used to be at the center of my life. I miss her. I miss us.

How I spent my Saturday

I slept in, shopped, had lunch, and slept some more. I'm tempted to curl up and get back under the covers. It feels both indulgent and wasteful to spend a day this way.

I look forward to days when I have no imperatives: Nowhere I have to go, no one I must call, no chore that positively, absolutely has to be accomplished. It feels luxurious.

But I also feel a little guilty. I was gonna work on my Nanowrimo. Friday night I wrote the beginning of my first-ever murder scene! Lest that sound too ghoulish, it should be noted that I read many murder mysteries and trying my hand at writing the actual dastardly deed is hard! I'm good on most of the forensics -- my villain wants to set the scene to look like an accident -- but I don't know how he's going to dispose of the murder weapon. Then it occurred to me: the story could be told from the prosecutor's POV, and I could just say, "the weapon was never found." Now all I have to do is finish it ... and then write it again for the defense.

Or I could sleep some more.

And I should scrub my bathroom floor, and sort through the papers on my dining room table, and answer some emails for the condo board ...

Or I could sleep some more.

Saturday 9

Heart to Heart (1982)

Unfamiliar with this week's song. Hear it here.


1) With whom did you most recently have a "heart-to-heart" talk? My friend Henry. He seems to want to reconcile with his father, from whom he's been long-estranged, before it's too late. (Dad is 80-something.) I hope he does, and I hope his mother -- divorced from Dad for 30 years -- doesn't make him feel guilty about it.


2) When this song was on the charts, audiences were tuning in to a TV show called Hart to Hart. Are you familiar with it? Vaguely. I watched a rerun from a hotel room while on a business trip and thought it was completely unrealistic. Like it made Murder, She Wrote look like Forensic Files. I never watched it again, but I do recall thinking Mrs. Hart (Stefanie Powers) had great clothes.

I like her earrings, too.

3) In the music video, Kenny Loggins plays an illustrator. It’s said that the hardest thing to draw is a straight line, because all the joints in your hand have to work together in sync. Can you draw a straight line, without the aid of a ruler or a straight edge? It is a dichotomy of my life: I have beautiful handwriting but I can't draw. Anything. Can you figure that? I can't.

4) This video also prominently features teddy bears. A 2018 article in the NY Post estimates that 4 in 10 adults has a plush toy of his/her own. Are you one of the 40%? Yes. As I write this, I'm looking at stuffed animals I received as gifts from my late mother and my friend, Henry.

5) Kenny Loggins performed in a tribute to Aretha Franklin at Carnegie Hall. Do you have a favorite Aretha Franklin song? Enjoy!

 

6) Kenny cowrote this song with Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers. You can also hear Michael on the background vocals. Do you have a favorite Doobie Brothers song? I love this one because the music sounds upbeat, but the lyrics are so poignant.

 

7) The third cowriter is David Foster. 1982 was a big year for Foster, since Chicago had a big hit with another of his compositions, “Hard to Say I’m Sorry.” Do you have a favorite Chicago song? I like my Chicago old school.

 

8) In 1982, when this song was popular, Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide killed 7 people in Chicago. In response, tamper-proof packaging was introduced. What’s the last thing you opened that required you break a seal? Salad dressing. First I had to peel away the wrapper around the cap. Then I had to remove the cap to peel off the seal over the bottle. A lot of work for a little honey mustard goodness.

9) Random question – You’re having a party. Which guest annoys you most: the one who arrives 20 minutes early, or the one who shows up 20 minutes late? 20 minutes early, because I will not be ready.

Reflections on Jury Duty

I was called in by The Feds! I was summoned for jury duty at the Federal Courthouse on Dearborn. I've served on two juries, but they were local affairs and this was my first time offering up my wisdom to federal proceedings.

The case at hand was, technically, a bank robbery, which is a federal offense. A man was lurking outside a Chase location before the bank opened. When an armored car arrived to collect cash from the ATM out front, the man used a gun and pepper spray to steal more than $100,000. It falls to the jury to decide if the defendant in custody is the man who committed the crime.

While I was not empaneled, I did sit through voir dire. More than 30 of us were interviewed to get 14 jurors. This gave me, literally, hours to observe my fellow northern district residents and here are my observations:

• Many of my fellow citizens have master’s degrees. I was surprised.
• We were asked what shows we watch, and Blue Bloods is very popular, with people of all ages. Go figure.
• Only women watch This Is Us, and only men watch 2 ½ Men reruns.
• Lots of adult children still live at home
• When asked what the members of our immediate household do for a living, lots of parents and adult children have no idea. As in: “My dad does pipefitting or something, I think” and “My daughter works in an office … and um …”
• I look good for my age. I am proud of that.

They can’t call me again until 2020! Yea! (Wait! That’s less than two months away …)