Blunt force truth right here

I first became familiar with Chuck Woolery when my kid sister was very young. He played wacky mailman Mr. Dingle on The New Zoo Revue, one of her favorite early-morning shows. He is better-known as the host of the dating show, The Love Connection. Today he is an outspoken proponent of conservative politics. It's amusing that the people who holler the loudest about celebrities involving themselves in current affairs are the ones who voted for a reality show host who feels very comfortable quoting Chuck Woolery.

First Mr. Woolery declared himself "sick" of all the lies about Covid 19. Then he had to share that his son is literally sick, with Covid 19.

Mr. Woolery then deleted his Twitter account.

"Blunt Force Truth" is Chuck Woolery's brand. Sadly, he just got smacked with blunt force truth about the pandemic.

•  Stay home as much as you can
•  Wear a mask when you go out
•  Wash your hands often
•  If you come down with the corona virus and your doctor prescribes Remdesivir, take it

If you don't believe me, or Dr. Fauci, or the CDC, ask your own doctor. A real person who is more to you than just a screen name. The internet is delightful and good for many things -- hell, I'm on it right now -- but it can be a cesspool of misinformation. If you are skeptical about anything you read about the corona virus, ask your own doctor.

Stay safe. Save lives. Wear a mask.

WWW.WEDNESDAY

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

1. What are you currently reading? Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt. Defense attorney Andy Carpenter is my kinda guy -- he loves baseball, dogs, and lost causes. He also has a smart mouth. So even if I wasn't enjoying the mystery, I'd probably enjoy this book.
 

But I am enjoying the mystery. Why did Andy's father -- a legendary prosecutor -- insist Andy take on the appeal of a man he put on death row? Poor Andy will never know, because his father dies suddenly ... and more family secrets are revealed.

There's a lot at stake for Andy: emotionally, professionally and physically. His sense of humor not only makes us cheer for him, it makes the tension easier to take. So far, this is a highly entertaining read.

2. What did you recently finish reading? Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory. Disclosure: I hate hot, humid weather, and that's why I reached for this book. I wanted to read about Christmastime, bracing winds and the need for hot tea and fireplaces. On that level, this book really delivered. However, it let me down in other areas.

It has a fun chick-lit premise. Vivian, a 50-something Bay area social worker, is whisked away to London for Christmas week. Her adult daughter gets a dream assignment with the Royal Family and brings mom along so they won't be apart on Christmas. While her daughter is hard at work, Vivian enjoys a lovely little holiday romance. However, after Christmas, neither Vivian nor her new love interest, Malcolm, are able to just let it go.
       

Where this fell apart for me was in the depictions of Vivian and Malcolm. Even though they traded narration duties, chapter by chapter, I never felt I knew them. They each had fascinating occupations (she's a social worker in a hospital, helping families in crisis; he's personal secretary/advisor to the Queen herself in matters of Parliament), but all we really know of their jobs is that she loves her and he's frustrated by his. Not enough.

A smaller but equally annoying point: After New Year's, when an ocean and a continent separate them, they communicate by post cards. Nice, romantic and perfectly in keeping with people in their 50s who might feel they spend too damn much time with their email accounts. But here's the thing: I send postcards, too. No one on earth could handwrite such long messages on the back of postcards. Such sloppiness took me out of the action, over and over again, through the end of the story when I really wanted to be engaged.

In short: It's a three-star premise with a two-star execution. If you go into it with managed expectations, and take it for what it is, you may enjoy it.

3.  What will you read next? Maybe a biography. Or another mystery. My TBR pile is stacked dauntingly high with both.  

 

The "truth" about Remdesivir

Is this like looking in the mirror?

Do you believe that profits from Remdesivir line Dr. Anthony Fauci's pockets? Maybe you should take off your tinfoil hat and instead put on a mask to protect your neighbors.

It isn't true that Dr. Fauci benefits.

Have you heard that Remdesivir is the product of a vast, worldwide pharmaceutical conspiracy that can be traced back to Hillary Clinton and George Soros?

It simply isn't true.

Do you believe that person you never actually met but who posted online that she knows someone who knows a doctor who "admitted" masks won't help stop the spread of the corona virus? Why don't you just call your own doctor?

Even Fox News confirms the value of wearing a mask.

There is much about the Trump Presidency that depresses me, but nothing more than this: He's contributed to the growing mistrust of doctors, the CDC and the mainstream media (now including Fox). Demographically speaking, 53% of voters over 65 voted for Trump in 2016. 51% of those between 50 and 64 also chose Trump over Clinton. This is important because those voters are now 3 1/2 years older. 3 1/2 years more vulnerable. I may disagree with my paranoid online brothers and sisters, and despise the way they parrot misinformation without checking it, but I don't want them to get sick. Or die.

Don't listen to me about Remdesivir vs. hydroxychloroquine or the importance of masks. Don't listen to anyone you only know as a screen name. Talk to your own doctor. You know, an MD or nurse practitioner who has, at some point, actually listened to your heart and taken your temperature. Don't become a Covid19 statistic.

Look at this way: if you're dead, you can't vote for Trump/Pence in 2020.

The curse of being "a good girl"

We took our condo building off the market on June 16. It took Aaron, the real estate agent, until Saturday to return the unit owners' keys. TWENTY FIVE DAYS.

First he just emailed me the combination to the lock box with the owners' keys within. How's that for security? I pointed out to him what he should have realized on his own: these are condominiums, it's not an apartment building. I'm not a landlady, I have no right to anyone's keys.

Days go by. No response to my email. So I text. And email again. No response.

Then Aaron offered to meet me somewhere, to hand me the keys. That will be easier for him, you see. All he'll have to do is hop out of his car while it's still running.

No. I reiterate that the unit owners surrendered their keys to HIM, so HE must be the one to return them. I'm not taking custody of anyone's keys. He knows I'm right. This is just so inconvenient for him!

Days go by. No response to my email. So I text. And email again. And phone.

Finally, Saturday Aaron did what he should have done on June 17. He came, got his lock box, and returned the unit owners' keys. He did all this without ever returning my call.

Today I called the managing agent of his office. I explained how displeased I was with the way our realtor treated the unit owners' security. The cavalier way he handled the deconversion from the word "go." I was venting, yes, but it was more than that.

In this situation, I am responsible for the security of the people who live here. He was way too willing to compromise that for his own convenience. And I can't emphasize this enough: this was not his first misstep. Nor even his second. I felt like I had to protect his future clients from his dismissive approach to an important business.

His boss told me that there would be "a course correction" and that he was asking to me to "read between the lines" when he said he was "looking for a new position for Aaron." 

Then I felt guilty. Isn't that stupid? If I hadn't spoken up, I would have been seething with resentment. I do speak up, and I'm racked with guilt. I can't help it. I was born in the 1950s. I'm supposed to be a good girl.

"You're going to take one for the team"

Why do I go to a therapist if I don't take her advice? My shrink and I had a disagreement Saturday about dealings with my family. She made it clear what she thought I should do. She's sensitive enough to know that's not what I will do. I let her know that I will depend on her to be there for me if she turns out to be right.

The issue at hand: My niece's bridal shower is August 1 at her mother-in-law's home in Holland, MI. I RSVP'd immediately that I'd attend via Zoom. Then my kid sister (the bride's mother) IM'd me. Did I want to play "Thelma" to her "Louise" and ride up to the shower with her?

My kid sister and I haven't been friendly for nearly 20 years. Initially, our fissure broke my heart. I helped raise my sister, tried hard to protect her from the ramifications of the disintegration of my parent's marriage,*and help guide her into adulthood. After she married, I was an ongoing source of financial support for her growing family. So when she suddenly let me have it with both barrels, I was shocked and appalled and beyond hurt. Apparently she'd been harboring anger and resentment toward me for decades, and she said some genuinely awful things.

There have been feeble attempts by both sides of rapprochement, but once my mother died, we rather gave up. With time -- and with my friend Henry's encouragement to examine her behavior more closely and with greater compassion -- I've concluded that my sister was dealing with post-partum depression when she lashed out at me. I understand how powerful both depression and hormones can be, and I'd be inclined to cut her slack, if only she'd apologize. She never has. So while I've forgiven her in my heart, that hasn't had a great deal of impact on my behavior. I don't trust her not to hurt me again.

Which is why my shrink recommends that I NOT travel to Michigan with my sister.  So much can go wrong in 4+ hours in the car, then during the shower, and then in the 4+ hours back. Since my sister is driving, I'm dependent and vulnerable in this situation. And, to use a trite expression, there's been no evidence that this leopard has changed her spots.

Yet I'm going. Because it means so much to the bride, my niece. Thanks to Covid19, her wedding plans are falling apart around her and I want her to have at least this one happy, conventional bridal day. So even though it could be very awkward, it will only be one day (a day and a half, if we stay overnight), which isn't a long time when you consider the length of a lifetime.

There's a selfish aspect to this, too. I'll get to meet some of the groom's family at this get together. If by some miracle my niece's wedding actually happens, I'll see some familiar faces at the ceremony and won't feel quite so much like I'm entering an enemy camp.

So, as my therapist put it, "You're going to take one for the team, aren't you?"

Yes. And if it goes badly, I will count on my shrink to help glue me back together afterward.

*Though they never divorced. I wish they had. My sister and I would have experienced less day-to-day tension and hostility if they'd just given up and lived separately.

Atta boy, Darius!

Darius is the convict I correspond with through my church's prison penpal program. He is serving a life sentence at Western Illinois Correctional facility. You would not want to his life. His every move is monitored and restricted and his days are literally filled with darkness and stench. I acknowledge that he is there because he is a convicted killer, and that he cannot ever fully repay his debt to society. But he is a human being, too, and whenever I write to him, I recall that Christ said, "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." So I keep the lines of communication open, letting him know that no matter how hopeless he feels in there, someone out here cares about him.

In June, I wrote to him honestly regarding my biggest concern about Covid19 -- that it will ravage the homeless population. You can't shelter at home if you don't have a home. You can't socially distance in a shelter. You can't wash your hands regularly if you don't have access to plumbing. With so many companies encouraging work from home, there are fewer passersby to rely on for the change that fuels your life. You could very well die before this is over.

Darius surprised me by echoing my concern. He admitted that while his life is unremittingly awful, at least he knows where his next meal is coming from.* He added something to my list of deprivations that hadn't occurred to me -- with fewer people dining out, there's likely less food in dumpsters for the homeless to scavenge. He also acknowledged that he has access to minimal health care, and minimal health care is more than the people on the streets get. 

When I hear someone complain about being "oppressed" because they're asked to wear a mask in public to protect their neighbor, I think, "SHAME ON THEM." Even a convicted killer serving a life sentence has greater empathy than these people. 

*Though you don't want to hear how he describes the prison food. You wouldn't be able to look at a chicken breast the same way ever again.

Of Gone with the Wind and snowflakes

Amazingly, some online conservatives are still bitching about the "removal" of Gone with the Wind. Even though there's nothing to bitch about. 

Because while GWTW was removed from the HBO Max for a matter of days, it's back. It's been been back. It was returned to the queue, completely uncut, weeks ago. You'd think that would stop the whining and misinformation. It hasn't. "The PC Police are taking it away!" "It's been banned!" You might also assume that people who can blog, tweet and post could also use Google, but apparently they can't. Because this is, literally, the first thing that pops up when you search "Gone with the Wind, HBO Max."

 

In early June, HBO Max temporarily suspended Gone with the Wind from its library. The move was inspired by a thoughtful LA Times op-ed by John Ridley -- which I'd wager my mortgage payment these bitchers haven't read -- where he states, "Let me be real clear: I don’t believe in censorship. I don’t think “Gone With the Wind” should be relegated to a vault in Burbank." Ridley just pleaded for some context to be place around the film. At the beginning or at the end.

Classic film lovers are used to the addition of context and are, by and large, grateful for it. TCM has been preceding potentially offensive films with host introductions for a while now. I specifically recall the ones I watched as TCM celebrated the 75th anniversary of D-Day in 2019. Before these wonderful old movies, certain serious flaws were acknowledged and discussed -- including the way less-than-equal treatment of black soldiers and their heroism was diminished, or internment camps right here in the United States were ignored. Putting works of art (and classic film lovers do think of movies as art) in the context of the time they were made does not harm them. It just helps the viewer better understand what they're about to see.

On June 24, less than two weeks later, Gone with the Wind was returned to HBO Max. Not a frame was removed. The narrative is untouched. Instead, HBO added a panel discussion The Complicated Legacy of Gone with the Wind. It was filmed at the TCM Film Festival in April 2019. I attended, and here's what I wrote about it at the time:
 
The only TCMFF panel I attended, but it was so provocative and intriguing. A quartet of film historians and authors discussed two inarguable points: GWTW is un-PC to the point of being offensive, and yet it's a great and highly watchable movie. As women, how do we process Scarlett, Mammy and Melanie? As people of color, how do we handle the romanticized depiction of slavery and Reconstruction? It lasted an hour and it could have gone on an hour more. 

Then there's this: Gone with the Wind premiered in 1939. It's regularly re-released in theaters: I've seen it on the big screen (at least) four times. It's been available on BetaMax, VHS, DVD, Blue-Ray and now streaming services. It was the first movie shown on TCM and (next to Casablanca) the one shown most often.

Yet NOW whiners demand to see it and are furious they can't? NOW they better hurry, before it's taken away forever?

They can see it for free, right now, on HBO Max. They can watch it for free, right now, with a video of a panel discussion I had to pay to enjoy. And they still aren't happy.

To what can we attribute this?

•  Genuinely fake news. These folks never actually read what HBO Max said in the initial, early-June press-release where it was stated the film wouldn't be banned, edited or censored. Instead they trusted hysterical, slanted social media for their news. And hysterical, slanted social media never told them HBO Max has restored the movie to their line-up.

•  Laziness. They read a headline and never bothered to follow up on the story. As I indicated above, all one has to do is Google the movie and HBO Max to be greeted by ads to watch it at home for free. But why let facts get in the way of their spreading misinformation that fits the narrative?

•  Professional victimization. Yes, those nasty PC police are trying to keep YOU from seeing a movie YOU haven't yet bothered to purchase, rent or even watch -- even though it's been readily available in a variety of formats for 80 fucking years. This is all about YOU. Not about how it would feel to be a person of color watching a movie that celebrates the Confederacy, romanticizes slavery and normalizes the Ku Klux Klan. No, this is about YOU.

Sunday Stealing

Movie Challenge

1. Last movie you watched. 13th, the 2016 documentary by Ava DuVernay about racial inequality in our prison system. My church has designated criminal justice and prison reform a priority for our congregation, so watching it now felt especially important to me. I learned a great deal. Netflix has made it available for free on YouTube here.

2. Last movie you watched in a theater. Casablanca. My friend Kathy took me to see it on the big screen at this glorious old movie palace, originally built in the late 1920s. The event was a fundraiser to support its restoration.

3.  Film you’ve always wanted to watch, but haven’t. Frozen. I've heard so much about Anna and Elsa. This month, I bought Disney+ for Hamilton, and I must take the time to watch Frozen, too.

4. Favorite movie soundtrack. I love the soundtrack to My Best Friend's Wedding. I enjoyed it more than the movie, to be honest.

5. Your favorite movie duo. Newman and Redford, the coolest guys ever.

6. Movie you like because of its story. Holiday. A thirty-something man who has worked since his teens wants to retire now, to take a few years off to travel and meet different kinds of people. Then he plans to go back to work, now understanding what he's working for. He falls in love with Julia, who thinks he's hot and charming and shows a great deal of promise. She also hates his idealistic, impractical plans and pressures him to change. I love this movie because it questions what we value, and why we love who we love. Made in 1938, it was a box office failure, despite starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, because during the Depression, audiences had no sympathy for a young man who could work, who could have a precious job, and simply didn't want it. But I find the story and the sentiment are very dear.

7. A film that disappointed you. Rebel without a Cause. I just don't get James Dean.

8. Favorite scene from a movie. "Your girl is lovely, Hubbell." The Way We Were. (Cue my tears.)



9. Your guilty pleasure movie. I love every wretched moment of this movie so much.

10. A movie you keep going back to.

11. A quote your admire from your favorite movie. In the immortal words of Bruce Willis/John McClane: Welcome to the party, pal!

12. A movie based on a true story.

13. Your favorite actor/actress. Robert Redford, Katharine Hepburn

14. A sequel you’re not a fan of. Funny Lady

15. A film you know by heart. I'll go with Die Hard again here.

16. Your favorite opening scene. I love this credit sequence. I remember it more vividly than I do the rest of the movie.



17. A film that was based on a book and was executed well. To Kill a Mockingbird is a beautiful movie. The Godfather is actually better than the book. Jaws works so much better onscreen than on the page. All the President's Men is both faithful and entertaining (Bev reminded me). So don't simply buy into that silly elitist fiction that the book is always better than the movie.

18. A comedy film. Aside from making fabulous music, the Lads from Liverpool are really very funny.

19. TV series you’re binging on now. The Dick Van Dyke Show is on the Decades channel all weekend. It's a tribute to series creator Carl Reiner. It is a gem.

20. A TV series you think is underrated. I enjoy Michael Douglas series, The Kominsky Method, but I don't know anyone else who watches it.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: 77 Sunset Strip (1958)
 
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) 77 Sunset Strip was one of TV's early hits, running for six seasons. Before this morning, were you familiar with this show? I watched it when it was on MeTV. It's an interesting show. Some episodes were funny and others were more typical detective fare, with car chases and gunplay.

2) The show's jazzy theme is punctuated by finger snaps. When you snap your fingers, is the left-handed snap as loud as your right-handed snap? My right snap is much louder.


3) The show revolved around Bailey and Spencer Investigations. Stu Bailey and Jeff Spencer were among TV first "private eyes." Who is your all-time favorite TV PI? David Addison on Moonlighting, the genesis of my mad and enduring crush on Bruce Willis. I do not recall if David was a good private investigator. Whenever I think of him, moments like this spring to mind.



4) Their office had "a fancy label," meaning an attractive address, on Los Angeles' Sunset Blvd. Tell us about the prestige area of your neighborhood. In Chicago, it's the Gold Coast. If you live there, you're likely in a high rise apartment or a restored 19th century home. You can walk to Lake Michigan, to designer retail stores, and some of the nation's best restaurants. But are happy?

5) Next door was Dino's Lodge, the real-life restaurant and bar owned by entertainer Dean Martin. Are you a Dean Martin fan? Not at all. He always gave me the willies.

6) The valet at Dino's was Kookie. He was known for his perfect hair, his slang ("ginchy" meant cool, "germsville" was the hospital, "a dark seven" was a bad week) and his desire to someday be a private investigator, like Stu and Jeff. Do you think you'd be a good detective? No. I read a lot of mysteries and I'm happy to let my protagonists do the work. Conversely, I get the same kinda feeling when I watch crime/caper movies. I have no idea how to plan a heist or go on the lam. I suspect Kookie might deem me "dullsville."

A publicity photo of the real Dino and his TV valet

7) Stu and Jeff had a loyal secretary named Suzanne, played by French actress Jacqueline Beer. In real life, she was married to adventurer Thor Heyerdahl, who famously traveled from Peru to French Polynesia by raft. Does 100 days on a raft, sailing the south seas, sound fascinating to you? Not in the least.

8) Clint Eastwood was fan of the show and, in the 1990s, tried unsuccessfully to bring 77 Sunset Strip back. Is there a show from the past you'd like to see "rebooted?" Not really. There are old shows that I dearly love (Friends, Designing Women, The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Love Lucy) but I'm happy with the reruns.

9) Random question: Thinking about the last week, did you nag anyone? Or were you the one who was nagged? I nagged. And nagged some more. To no avail. The real estate agent who showed our building has been slow to return unit owner's keys. He's very cavalier and seems to take me not at all seriously. I wish I wasn't on the condo board, because then I could just forget about this. But everyone's security is my responsibility. Alas, I've got to handle this somehow. AARGH!

 
 

How'd we ever get this way?

What a fascinating time capsule this is! And how very relevant to today.

Listening to JFK field questions from Walter Cronkite about race, domestic politics, the economy and America's place on the world stage, it hits you that these subjects are on Donald J. Trump's plate today. Only he never responds with a modicum of the grace and dignity Kennedy unfailingly displays.

•  George Wallace resisted the Kennedy DOJ's order to segregate Alabama schools. In discussing this very important issue, JFK never speaks Wallace's name. He talks about his immediate actions and next steps. Imagine that! He had an adversary that he could have engaged with in the media, but simply chose not to.

•  When asked if his stand on civil rights would cost him Southern votes in 1964, Kennedy concedes it will. He also expressed hope that the GOP would join him in ensuring equal opportunities for all. He doesn't demonize those who would vote against him. He doesn't call them "unAmerican." Nor does he call the rioters in Louisiana "thugs." He just reiterates where he stands on civil rights and why.

•  He refused to speak the names of those lining up to run against him in 1964, saying he would leave choosing a Republican candidate to the Republicans. I believe in early autumn 1963, the list included Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, Gov. George Romney and Sen. Barry Goldwater. Somehow he managed to refrain from dubbing them "Crooked Nelson," "Sleepy George" and "Lyin' Barry."

•  Listen to how Kennedy responds when Cronkite asks him what he would say to the millions of unemployed Americans who have nothing to celebrate on Labor Day. He honestly says there's no "magic action" he can take. He discusses young people entering the job market without sufficient education, and those who have lost their coal/steel jobs and need to be retrained.

Now recall how Donald Trump responded to Peter Alexander's question about the corona virus. "What do you say to Americans who are scared?" "I say you're a very bad reporter," our President said. "I think it's a nasty question."

•  Asked about his predecessor's criticism of his foreign policy, Kennedy said if the "treaty is not substantial enough to withstand discussion or debate, it's not a very good treaty." He didn't call for Eisenhower to be investigated by Congress. He doesn't question Eisenhower's motives or patriotism. Now think about any exchange you've heard Donald Trump have about Barack Obama. You know, the guy whose portrait he won't even allow to be unveiled.

•  Walter Cronkite tosses one right across the plate, asking Kennedy how he feels about French President DeGaulle "sniping" at Kennedy's Vietnam policy. "Sniping" was Cronkite's word. Instead of taking a swing, the President keeps his cool, referring to DeGaulle as a man "of great stature," and "a candid friend" of the United States. Today our President Trump personally attacks allies who criticize his policies (Merkel, Trudeau), all the while cozying up to our enemies (Putin, Erdewan).

It breaks my heart, how Donald Trump has debased the office of the Presidency. It wasn't always this way. It doesn't have to be this way. Here's proof!

I hope that Joe Biden can restore a sense of civility and calm to the Presidency.

Tipping tuckers me out

Yesterday, one guy delivered and installed two air conditioners. He did it alone on a hot day. He worked quickly and efficiently. I appreciated his efforts and showed my gratitude with $15 and a small bottle of cold water.

It's over and done and I'm glad I did it. But tipping appliance/furniture delivery men still befuddles me.

•  My niece, who works for a high-end appliance retailer in Michigan, told me that her delivery staff doesn't expect gratuities. She said that she checks Yelp and Google reviews and if any of the deliveries are singled out as a positive experience, or if someone calls and mentions their delivery, her company will make sure they get a bonus in their checks at the end of the month.

•  My friend Nancy told me she always slips each guy $10 because they're doing hard work that she doesn't want to/can't do herself.

•  My aunt in Florida tells me that her husband has forbidden her tipping unless the weather is over 100º. He used to do deliveries on weekends when he was younger, and insists it's the store's responsibility to pay their staff, not the customer's.

•  My oldest friend buys $5 Dunkin or Subway gift cards and tells the delivery guys to have lunch or a cup of coffee on her.

What about you? Would you slip some cash to the delivery man/installer? Or would you expect the appliance store to do it?

And why, oh why, can't we have an established, published set of rules for tipping? I'd be ever so grateful!

The new ac's arrived

The moment the big one in the living room was installed, Reynaldo claimed it as his own. The smaller one in the bedroom is sooooo much quieter than the old one had been.

I am so lucky ... that I was able to afford this when others are struggling, that there's a local appliance store I can trust when it comes to big purchases I know little about, and that I'm working from home so that I could take delivery without sacrificing time off. Yet it was an unsettling today because I did something thoughtless.

My delivery guy arrived at 11:00. I thought he'd be in a little van because neither air conditioner is very big. What I didn't realize was that my condo was just one of his stops. He came in a big truck to accommodate the two dishwashers he had to deliver/install today, as well. He asked if he could park in the building driveway and I said, "yes."

I shouldn't have.

One of my neighbors needed to get to her office for a meeting and because of the truck, she was blocked in. I heard her lean on her horn and I rushed downstairs. The look on her face, before she saw me, was killer. Pure hostility. When she saw it was me, she softened. She likes me.

I explained that I'd be right back with the delivery guy. I went back upstairs, got him, he and I went back downstairs, he got into his truck and backed it up. I apologized to her profusely.

The whole drama -- start to finish -- took less than 15 minutes. But you know how stressful running late can be and that 10-12 minutes was undoubted an added a layer of tension to my neighbor's day.

At lunchtime I went out and bought a bottle of Mondavi Bourbon Barrel Cabernet -- a wine recommended to me as an affordable good one by a wine snob friend of mine. I left it in front of her door with a note. I hope she forgives me.

I have clients. I have meetings. I understand the ramifications of what I did today and I'm so sorry.

WWW.WEDNESDAY

WWW.WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt us to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here.

1. What are you currently reading? Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory. A frothy Christmas story, set among the Royals (!), has captured my attention in these hot, sticky July days. It's a light and charming relief. 

Vivian is a 50-something social worker from the Bay area who finds herself whisked away for a few days in London. Her daughter Maddie has a dream assignment, working with the Royal Family, and invites Mom along. (After all, mother and daughter have never before been apart on Christmas.) While moving in the Royal circles, Vivian enjoys a holiday romance.

This is my first time with this author, who keeps the action moving. The Royal setting is glam (I just read the passage where Vivian gets to touch Queen Victoria's sapphire and diamond crown), and I'm enjoying that in this love story, our heroine is middle-aged.

2. What did you recently finish reading? Being Elvis: A Lonely Life by Ray Connolly. What a sad book! Connolly tells Elvis' story chronologically, and rather matter-of-factly, giving no greater weight to the career highs than to the lurid personal lows. It's this even handedness that makes The King's descent into depression and addiction inexorable and heartbreaking.

There's little that's new here, but it's the context Connolly creates for Elvis' oft told tale that's important. This is a sympathetic portrait of an average man with an extraordinary gift. He could perform and he loved it. And the world loved him for it. At times, Elvis seems confused and overwhelmed by his talent, questioning why all this success came to him. He was still trying to figure it all out when he died.

Manager Col. Tom Parker is the villain of this piece. To him, Elvis wasn't a sensitive and naive artist, he was a cash cow. Without the Colonel, would Elvis still have died young, overweight and addicted? Perhaps. His mother died in her 40s, her passing hastened by weight, pills and liquor, and there's a genetic component to those diseases. But I doubt The King would have ended up as disillusioned, frightened and confused without his scammer manager. 

When I was done, I listened to my favorite Elvis song ("Kentucky Rain"), and wished for his sake that I'd never heard it ... that he'd somehow remained a regional artist, making music he loved for the Sun label, happy to hear his songs on the local radio station and thrilled to be recognized while buying new threads at Lansky Bros. Menswear in Memphis. Of course, if I never got to hear Elvis, neither would The Beatles or Bruce Springsteen and the landscape of modern music would be the less for it. I'm just sorry his pain matched his talent.

3.  What will you read next? A mystery. I'm looking at one called Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt. Do you know it?

Another Beatle post

Sir Richard Starkey, MBE, was born on July 7, 1940. 80 (gulp!) years ago today.

"The day it started moving"

On July 6, 1957, John Lennon met Paul McCartney for the first time. And the world is better for it. Here's the plaque that hangs at St. Peter's Church in Woolton, a suburb of Liverpool. John's band was playing at a church dance, and a mutual friend introduced him to the 15-year-old McCartney kid. As John recalled, "That was the day, the day I met Paul, that it started moving."

I'm happy to report that St. Peter's still stands and has a thriving congregation. It's closed now, of course, because of the global pandemic. But they're preparing to reopen soon for weddings, funerals and baptisms.

Who should apologize?

Sure, we're in the midst of a pandemic and have lost more than 130,000 of our fellow citizens. But this, ladies and gentlemen, is what our President chose to share with us today ...

1) Bubba Wallace isn't the one who found the noose. One of his team did. Mr. Wallace never saw the noose. He certainly is not the one who tied it.

2) Bubba Wallace didn't request the investigation. NASCAR President Steve Phelps did.

3) The FBI (you know, part of Trump's government) referred to it as "a rope fashioned as a noose" in their official report.

So why, Mr. President, should Bubba Wallace apologize? And to whom? 

If anything, President Trump should apologize for this tweet. Of course, he should also apologize to Barack Obama for birtherism (hoax, anyone?). But then again, why should he? Blaming blameless black men is good for his brand.

People maintain that our country is more divided than ever before. I'm old enough to remember 1968, so I dispute that. But let's go with that premise.  How do misinformed tweets like Donald Trump's do anything to bring us together?

Just another reason to vote this November! Do whatever you can to help elect Joe Biden. Don't let anything deter you from sending this man home to Mar-a-Lago for good. Then, in January, we can begin to heal.

Sunday Stealing

WEATHER QUESTIONS

1. Have you ever had a vacation ruined by the weather or did you just work around it? The first time I visited Key West, it rained every day. Every day. My hosts, Reg and Henry, were mortified, as though somehow it was their fault! But I recall having a good time, despite the "liquid sunshine."

2. What small changes do you feel people could make to give the planet a fighting chance against global warming? Vote. Be sure to support candidates -- from President to your local councilman -- who embrace science and take global warming seriously.
 
3. Are you adversely affect by the weather, such as SAD? Not by SAD. But when it's oppressively hot like this, I get grumpy.

4. How is the weather where you are and have you seen drastic changes in it during your life time? Here in Chicagoland, it isn't just that our summers are hotter and winters are colder. It's more subtle and insidious than that. Average daytime temperatures in summer have only gone up slightly, but at night, the mercury doesn't drop the way it did prior to 1980. We don't get relief overnight the way we used to. It means we're using our air conditioners around the clock, instead of just sleeping with the windows open as we did when I was girl.

5. Do you think we can stop global warming or is it too late? See answer #2.

6. What could you do for an hour or so today that you would really enjoy doing? Plowing through the backlog on my DVR! I have so many movies I've yet to get to.

7. What could you do for an hour today that might improve your life in the future? Housework.

8. What could you do for an hour today that could strengthen or improve a skill you would like to be able to rely on? I'd like to go back to learning Spanish.

9. What could you do for an hour today that would make your living space more pleasant to live in? Divest myself of stuff. I have so much stuff.

10. What could you do for an hour today that would improve your relationships with loved ones? I owe emails and letters to people. I should get on that.

11. Do you like, dislike, or pay no attention to the wind? For the most part, I pay no attention. It's only on rainy days that it vexes me because it's hell on umbrellas.

12. Do you have allergies or sinus made worse by the wind? Nope.

13. Have you ever been caught in a big wind (not a hurricane or tornado)? All the time.

14. When was the last time you flew a kite? I don't believe I ever have. But that song from Mary Poppins makes me want to.
 

15.Would you like to have the power of flight? Yes. Ever since I saw her do it. I adore Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins.

 

via GIPHY

A lot of conversation

This year I spent July 4th at home blabbing, and I'm good with that. Reinforcing the connections was satisfying and, at times, surprising.

•  My session with my shrink. This was my regularly scheduled Saturday tele-session. I was surprised that she was open to having it on the holiday. After all, I know she has a young daughter and, for the many people who enjoy 90º temperatures,* the weather was nice. But with no parades scheduled, her Saturday was business as usual. And so we connected. It was an interesting session.

I reiterated my ongoing concern about my left breast. My eternally fibrocystic left breast. Whenever I feel that slight muscle ache, I get scared. And I must wait weeks for my mammogram, and then days after that for the results.

Instead of "why me?" I think "why not me?" when it comes to cancer. After all, Ed and Barb and Kathleen have all dealt with it in the last decade. Barb's husband died of it. Maybe it's just my turn. Then there's the new mole near my left eye. It's black, while just about every other mole on my body is brown. I'm going to call the dermatologist next week.

Am I overreacting?

She said that I'm taking care of myself. That I'm being responsible with my health. That's it's natural to worry, and that I should stop Googleing my symptoms.

When we came to the top of the hour, she said something that surprised me: Do I want to continue? Not with this session, with therapy in general. She thinks I've accomplished a great deal, and wonders what else I hope to get out of our therapeutic relationship.

I wasn't expecting this. It's only been four months. I still feel like a hot mess.

But I did like that she broached this. There's a myth out there that shrinks try to "hook" their patients, make us dependent to make more money off of us. Clearly, that's not the case with this doctor.

Then I celebrated the 4th by eating a steak and watching Abe Lincoln in Illinois. Then ...

•  My oldest friend called. She lives with her cousin in the California mountains, and was trapped in her room. Her cousin's in-laws had come over, en masse, for barbecue. While they proudly put on MAGA hats, they won't wear masks or social distance. They feel masks signal disdain for their President. Never mind that California is suffering an alarming uptick in corona virus cases and that my oldest friend has heart disease and diabetes and is currently battling a tenacious bladder infection that's resulted in an elevated white blood count. These in-laws know about her conditions. They just believe in Donald Trump more than science (or good manners).

My friend didn't want to put her cousin in the position of choosing between blood family and in-laws,† so she announced she had to call me -- her friend since Kindergarten! -- because I suddenly needed to talk. It was a lie on the surface, I hadn't reached out to her at all. But it was wonderful to catch up.

Must of what we talked about was silly: bad TV shows we both revel in, Joe Namath's Medicare commercials, and Beatle trivia, Some of it was comforting: we compared notes on our medical maladies and she reiterated that she didn't think I had breast cancer. ("I would know," she said, referring to how close we've always been.) We compared notes on family. We've always been able to make one another laugh, so it was a happy, healing way to spend our time.

I had a margarita and was about to watch Hamilton. Then ...

•  I exchanged texts with John. The Birthday Boy had been a little melancholy about turning 65 during a pandemic. Usually he has several celebrations, with his vast circle of friends, often at Chicago's fairs and festivals. But this year, there were no events and many of his circle were afraid to go out.

Well, Friday night (his actual birthday), the bar he frequents celebrated him. They tied balloons to an isolated table for two, labeling it "John's Corona Corner." When he arrived -- as they knew he inevitably would -- they played Diana Ross at full blast and presented him with a sheet cake adorned by a photo of Miss Ross herself.

He was so proud! I'm glad he was able to spend his July 4th with good memories of July 3rd.

I fell asleep happy last night.

*I am not among you.

†Her cousin's husband, the man related to these cretins, is suffering from dementia and has no opinions on the pandemic, Donald Trump or the 4th of July.