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. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? Nothing but the Night by Greg King and Penny Wilson. Leopold and Loeb, two rich Chicago college students kidnapped and murdered a 14 year old boy, just to see if they could pull off "the perfect crime." Though it happened more than a century ago, this 1924 crime still comes up. My friend Nancy laughingly told me about how she heard Broadway composers Lerner and Loewe (Camelot, My Fair Lady) referred to as Leopold and Loeb by a confused coworker. When I saw Hitchcock's Rope at this year's TCM Film Festival, Professor Jacqueline Stewart introduced the film about a pair of thrill killers and couldn't resist adding that she, Leopold and Loeb all have ties to the University of Chicago.

 

So now I want to learn more about the truth behind the legend. This book, published in 2022, promises to give me a more nuanced look at the first murder to be dubbed "Crime of the Century." I know the original press coverage leaned heavily into the wealth, Jewishness and homosexuality of these two, obviously trying to "other" them. I hope this book examines whether that was a fair depiction.

 

One impression I have thus far is "too much, too soon." They both skipped grades and found themselves at U of C at age 14. They were not emotionally ready for the social and philosophical milieu they were thrust into. I'm not saying this explains what happened, but it didn't help.

 

2. What did you recently finish reading? Conversations with Kennedy by Ben Bradlee. The last two words of this book are "warm and kind." I'd say that about sums it up. Ben Bradlee and his wife became the couple that most often joined John and Jacqueline Kennedy for  dinner for four at the White House. The Bradlees also spent weekends with the Kennedys in Palm Beach, Virginia and Camp David. 

 

This gave them a view of the couple, and of life as First Couple, others didn't see. I enjoyed those glimpses. The President liked being teased by his wife, who called him "Bunny." He made bets but didn't honor them. He swore like the sailor he once was (saying "bastard" the way some of us say "shit"). He liked Noel Coward and Gertrude Lawrence records. It was the dawn of the space program and he loved hanging with the astronauts, just like any other red-blooded American boy. Except for sailing and the occasional game of golf, he was not at all outdoorsy and hated being dirty. His idea of "roughing it" was Bloody Marys on the veranda. Jackie, with her horseback riding, tennis and skiing was the jock of the duo. As I was reading, I found myself hoping that someone could give me a similar view of Abe and Mary Lincoln or Barack and Michelle Obama when they were at home and off the clock.  

 

My favorite part of the book was when the President insisted on including the Bradlees in an on-going argument he and Jackie were having. Apparently, in 1961, Jackie spent $40,000 on "department stores." That would be $400,000 in today's dollars. The President asked her to explain this, and she could not. She was embarrassed and baffled, but unable to make her own case. So her husband brought in Carmine Bellino, the FBI accountant who specialized in organized crime and money laundering, to help his wife budget. It's good to be king.

 

The couples were so close that immediately after the assassination, the Bradlees waited with Jackie at Bethesda Naval Hospital as the President's autopsy was being done. Yet by the time this book was published, Jacqueline Onassis no longer wanted anything to do with Ben Bradlee and cut him dead whenever their paths crossed. At first her behavior confused me, because this book is so affectionate and funny. But it's also very intimate. There's a lot about how they related to their young children and how they were with one another and family members. My guess is that it didn't bother Jackie that this memoir put them in a bad light, because it doesn't, but that as a private person she didn't want these anecdotes published at all. 

3. What will you read next?  Something light!

 

  

 

Walking and talking

My niece sent me the most enchanting video! It was a two-fer: 

1) This was the first time I saw Violet walking. She pulled herself up to standing and then stumbled, gracelessly but purposefully, from the sofa to the chair where her mother was sitting and taping her.

2) Violet is also definitely talking. She said "hi" to the camera! My niece reports that her other word is "baby," spoken when she sees a picture of a baby or when she just feels like saying it.

And to think I was worried! She was so tiny, such a preemie, that I was concerned she'd never catch up. But here she is, weeks before her first birthday, and walking and talking a little ahead of schedule. 

Her first birthday is June 3, but unfortunately I can't make her party. Her grandparents – my niece's in-laws – were nice enough to include me. But my Connie Cat's veterinary adventures were just too expensive, and airfares are too high at the moment, for me to make the trip now. I have a little travel fund set aside for visiting Violet and it has $400 in it, which is just not enough, and until I pay down that Discover card bill, I have to stay put. Maybe the larder will be full enough in the fall.

By Tea Collection

But that doesn't mean I can't shop! I know she is going to the beach this summer, and now she'll dazzle in this little sunsuit. Because the shoulder straps are adjustable and the leg holes elastic, it should take her throughout the summer. I also found her a pair of yellow and pink barrettes to complete the ensemble (though to be honest, she doesn't really have enough hair to need them).

I picked up a souvenir when I was at the TCM Film Festival. It's a little black shirt with HOLLYWOOD in bright pink letters. Violet seems drawn to bold colors, so I think she'll like it.

Everybody reads to Violet, all the time, so I also got her a book. I chose this one because I like the message and because the cover illustration appears toward the end of the book. We know Violet is paying attention at story time because she gets excited when she sees the cover illustration inside on one of the pages.

Yes, you're right, she is brilliant. We are so lucky to have her in our lives.

 

Sunday Stealing

Which one?

1. Pepsi or Coke? Coke, 8 x out of 10. The only time I willingly drank Pepsi was at my last job, where we had free Pepsi in the office frig. Sometimes I do prefer Dr. Pepper. 

2. Cappuccino or coffee? I don't drink coffee. 

3. Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate.

4. Hot tea or iced tea? Hot. I don't know why, but iced tea tastes slightly medicinal to me, whereas hot tea does not.

5. Dinner for two or a party? Dinner for two. More than three people at a gathering makes it too difficult for me to spend time with everyone.

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Fun, Fun, Fun (1964)

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

1) This song is about a girl who borrows her father's Ford Thunderbird. When is the last time you drove someone else's car? It was my cousin Rosemary's car. We were on a highway headed to Florida for a trip to Disneyworld. This man was President. (I was a terrible driver and don't do it at all today.)

2) The teen in question is well known for ability to drive "like an ace." If we were to ask your high school classmates what they remember most about you, what do you think they'd say? Nerd.

3) She told her father she needed the car to go to the library but used it instead to meet friends. Can you recall a time your parents caught you in a fib? Yes. I was in junior high and went to a party at Nancy's house. Nancy's parents weren't home and I knew I shouldn't stay. My mom was very strict about unsupervised parties. Anyway, I was too embarrassed to leave. When I got home, my mom asked me about Nancy's mom and I made up an elaborate tale about her hair and her bathing cap (Nancy's family had a pool). My mom ran into Nancy's mom at the grocery store a day or two later. Such is life in a small town. Being caught in the lie was mortifying.

4) For this girl and her friends, fun centered on cars and fast food. What did you and your friends do for fun during your teen years? The mall! Every Tuesday, Korvette's (the big department store) ran an ad that announced which record label was on sale that week. We'd spend days deciding which albums we'd snag for just $5 each and then on Saturday afternoon we'd take the bus over. In addition to Korvette's, we'd stop at either Orange Julius or McDonald's and maybe the movie theater. We saw the same movies over and over (The Sting, The Way We Were and Cabaret stand out in my memory). The mall is still there, but many of the smaller shops stand empty. The movie theater is now a Best Buy and Korvette's is Kohl's. 

5) Legend has it songwriters Brian Wilson and Mike Love got the idea for this song from a Salt Lake City disc jockey. He told them he'd lent his T-bird to his daughter so she could go to class at the community college but discovered her deception when the car was ticketed in front of a fast food restaurant. Can you think of another song inspired by true events? Abraham, Martin and John.

 
6) As in the song, the disc jockey punished his daughter by taking her driving privileges away. Were your parents strict when you were growing up? Not really. But they didn't need to be, either. The hijinks in #3 were about as naughty as I got.

7) This song was recorded on January 1, 1964. The Beach Boys had to work on the holiday because they were under pressure to meet a February release date. How did you spend New Year's Day 2026? I don't recall, but I bet I stayed in my pajamas all day.

 
8) 1964 was a great year for Capitol Records. They had chart-topping hits by the Beach Boys, Barbra Streisand and, most spectacularly, The Beatles. The Capitol Records Building in Los Angeles is considered iconic and it's a stop on tourist bus tours. Have you ever been to Southern California? If yes, what did you do? I just got back from Hollywood! I was there for the TCM Classic Film Festival and the movies kept me very busy. But I saw the Hollywood sign and the hand and footprints at the TCL Chinese Theater.

 

 
9) Random question: What's the last compliment you received? The aesthetician marveled at my unlined skin. Of course, I've been seeing her twice a month since February, so I'm not sure if she was complimenting me or herself.

 

It wasn't all movies

I socialized quite a bit when I was in Hollywood for the TCM Film Festival. I enjoyed it, and I learned a lot from it.

Spending time at Mel's. This iconic diner, right off Hollywood Blvd., is very convenient to both the festival and my hotel. I had two rather important meals there. 

The first was dinner with my oldest friend's daughter. I held her as a baby and now she's a tall, willowy woman. She's got a good job she enjoys with an LA ophthalmologist and lives with Jose, the 30-something she brought along. I was glad he was there. Her mother is a mess and it was valuable to hear his take, which is more objective than her daughter's or mine. Some of what he told me was legit disturbing – maybe I'll post about it later, maybe I won't – but it was important for me to hear. This situation is bad and my ability to impact it is maddeningly limited. I have to accept that, and try not be sucked into my friend's crazy.

I was happy to see that my friend's daughter and Jose are committed to one another and are really working at their relationship. They have even taken a couples' vacation to Vegas with her dad! I admit I never liked her father, but that's not the point. It's completely natural for her to want to have a relationship with him, and I think it's great that Jose encourages her in this while also supporting efforts to help her troubled mother.

Then there was "the kick-off breakfast." A rather tight group of TCMFF regulars meets on the first morning of the festival to catch up on their lives and compare notes on what they're looking forward to in the festival line-up. Last year I happened upon it rather accidentally. It meant a lot to me that this year I was specifically included. That felt good. Especially because of Doug. He's the husband of Laura, a passionate baseball fan like me only she roots for the Dodgers. I respect her commitment as she does mine and we have a nice time together. Doug has always been another kettle of fish. First of all, he loves John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and all that toxic masculinity. Online, he almost shits a brick when Jane Fonda's name comes up (and it comes up rather often in classic film discussion groups). And, during the first year of the festival after covid, he mocked those of us who wore masks (as per the rules) "sheeple." 

The thing of it is, last year he got such a kick out of listening to his wife and I fan girl over baseball that he actually now looks forward to seeing me. He hugged me every time we ran into each other throughout the festival. He gave me a pin. It's some cowboy actor I couldn't identify but that's not the point, he wanted me to have it. We even had a fun time together in line later, waiting to see Modern Times.  

Do I agree with Doug on just about anything? No. But this turn of events makes me happy. It's better to have someone out there liking me than disliking me.

Gazing upon the fountains.  There's a restaurant called La Piazza at The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles. The Italian food is very good – I had carbonara – and it was nice to dine outdoors. 

My lunch partner was Tina. We worked together a million years ago, back during the Clinton administration. She now lives outside Los Angeles and is happy to see me and get a little dose of Chicago when I come out for TCM.

I'm always surprised and gratified that she enjoys spending time with me. It reminds me of the olden days, when I was the "go-to" girl at the center of every project at the advertising agency. That's how Tina still sees me. She always was and still is gorgeous – thick black hair down her back, great clothes, slim figure. In the looks arena, she always intimidated me. But her career never really took off and after she had her first baby, she left the workforce. She and her husband are still together after all these years – no mean feat – and their two kids are both embarking on careers, so I don't think she regrets her choice at all. Yet she told me that her daughter asked who mom was dining with today and she described me as "super talented" and said she admired me. Wow. And here I thought I was a fat spinster who sold candles at a card shop, while Tina is living the LA lifestyle! 

There's a lesson in there somewhere. 

 

Thursday Thirteen #462

More than a singer. At last week's TCM Classic Film Festival, Eddie Muller called Frank Sinatra "the greatest singer of the 20th century." I don't know about that, exactly, but certainly Sinatra was a genius, influential singer. However I'm here to celebrate him as an actor. In the right part, away from the ring-a-ding-ding slickness of his Rat Pack persona, he can be authentic and affecting. Of his more than 50 films, these are my favorite 13.

1. Young at Heart (1954). I've seen this Technicolor musical more times than I can count. Barney Sloan is one of life's losers, but he has natural talent and when he falls in love, he really falls. His vulnerability is breathtaking, and he sings the most heartbreaking version of "Someone to Watch Over Me." 

2. The Joker Is Wild (1957). Based on a true story, Chicago crooner Joe E. Lewis runs afoul of the Mob and pays a hideous price. Even though the movie is in black-and-white, the violence is deeply disturbing. I admit it: I cried the first time I saw it,  I think in large part because Joe is such a likeable guy. Sinatra sings a justifiably famous rendition of "All the Way." 

3. From Here to Eternity (1953). He won his Oscar for Maggio, the skinny, noisy soldier who had more passion than sense. I won't say anything else about this performance in case you haven't seen the movie. I don't want to spoil it for you. But yeah, he was that good.

4. The Man with the Golden Arm (1955). Frankie is a talented drummer, an accomplished gambler, and a tragic heroin addict. He wants to stay clean and he wants to do right, but wanting ain't getting. Sinatra is the best thing in a very good movie.

5. Kings Go Forth (1958). As WWII winds to an end, two American soldiers (Sinatra and Tony Curtis) fall in love with the same girl in the South of France. I'm not going to give away the plot twist, but Sinatra is moving as the man who is going to get his heart broken, no matter how this triangle is resolved.

6. The Manchurian Candidate (1962). A sweaty, sad, focused performance as a traumatized veteran. I appreciated this much-acclaimed political thriller, but it's too intense for me and I'll never watch it again.  

7. Pal Joey (1957). Joey is a singer with a lot of attitude, ambition and talent. He's torn between two women – a wealthy red-headed widow who can bankroll his dreams and a naive blonde who can't even take care of herself. Yeah, the plot is predictable, but Sinatra is so good as a heel.

8. The Detective (1968). This is a rather unpleasant movie about a very unpleasant crime. A murder victim was not only bludgeoned to death, he was mutilated. Sinatra plays Joe, the police detective determined to solve the case. The movie is mature, gritty and realistic and Sinatra disappears into the role. We don't always like Joe, but Sinatra makes sure we always understand him.

9. High Society (1956). In this remake of The Philadelphia Story, Sinatra has ridiculously blue-black hair. That aside, he's achingly romantic as he pines for Grace Kelly, and he has a great musical number with Bing Crosby, "What a Swell Party."

10. The First Deadly Sin (1980). Another Sinatra cop cleaning up New York. This detective is nearing the end of his career and he wants to go out a pro. But he's dealing with an insurmountable problem – his wife is in the hospital and he has to accept that she's not coming home. So he's losing the two pillars of his life at the same time. There's vulnerability, tenderness and resignation in Sinatra's final major acting role.

11. Robin & the Seven Hoods (1964). A retelling of the Robin Hood saga, set in Prohibition-era Chicago. Sinatra plays Robbo, a gangster with a heart of gold. It's not a great movie, but Sinatra inhabits it with superstar charisma. And he sings "Chicago." So there's that. 

12. Marriage on the Rocks (1965). Sinatra is kinda cute as he falls into The Generation Gap. He plays a man who spends too much time in his role of provider and not enough as husband and father. His long-suffering wife is sick of it. She feels too young to behave like an old married lady and demands a divorce. Frank is good as a man who is confused because, after following all the rules and doing what's expected, he still gets kicked in the pants.

13. It Happened in Brooklyn (1947). Another Sinatra soldier. He's eager to get home to Brooklyn and the girl he left behind. He brings a friend home with him, a shy and wealthy bachelor, and a love triangle ensues. Sinatra is charming as a silly, clueless young man who is all heart.

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

And that's a wrap!

 

Eleven movies over four days. What a celebration of cinema! Not to mention a reunion of fellow film nerds. My vacation may have ended very badly (see post below), but that doesn't mean it was a bad time.

 

Here are the movies I saw in the order I saw them: 

 

Modern Times (1936). I don't much like silent movies and my sense of humor is more verbal than visual. The only Chaplin I'd ever seen before was a few minutes at the Museum of Science and Industry when I was a kid. Yet I loved this. It's the adventures of a kindhearted Tramp during the Depression. It's funny, romantic and rebellious. The intro by Tony Shaloub (Mr. Monk) reframed the movie and helped me appreciate it. He recommended rewatching movies we loved as children (when he fell in love with Chaplin and Laurel & Hardy), that while we remember the slapstick they probably have more heart and pathos than we understood. 

 

 

The Mouthpiece (1932). A pre-code talkie I'd never even heard of before! A flamboyant defense attorney, Vince Day, will do anything to win the case and gain greater fame and publicity for himself. He seems the inspiration for Richard Gere's lawyer in Chicago. The (unrequited) love of a good woman changes his heart and he does the right thing. The ending was satisfyingly ambiguous. I can't wait to see it again.

 

Letty Lynton (1932). Okay, NOBODY has ever seen this one before! This Joan Crawford crime drama was wildly popular when it was first released but then it's been tied up in litigation and disputes for the last 90 years! Seeing this unicorn was the highlight of the festival for many. I liked it, didn't love it, but it was exciting to be part of the crowd seeing it for the first time since the 1930s.

 

Strangers on a Train (1951). A Hitchcock that I've seen many, many times. I always enjoy how twisted it is, but seeing it on the big screen with an audience was a thrill. Even better, it was introduced by CAROL BURNETT! She's always been a massive classic movie fan, and this one has personal meaning for her. I couldn't get close enough to get a photo, but at 93 she's still very funny and sharp. 

 

Pal Joey (1957). The world premiere of the 35 mm restoration and it was gorgeous! Tina Sinatra introduced it and I'm glad she got to hear us all spontaneously applaud when her father performed "The Lady Is a Tramp" for Rita Hayworth. It's a classic musical moment, and Daddy's Girl Tina was justifiably proud. This was a highlight for me.

 

A Face in the Crowd (1957). Andy Griffith is a folksy TV personality who lets power go to his head until he becomes The Demagogue in Denim. This film was introduced by conservative author and commentator Jonah Goldberg, who shocked me by saying that this character reminds him of Tucker Carlson (ouch). While it's easy to see this film as an indictment of right-wing media types who promote Trump to a gullible public, Goldberg and TCM's Ben Mankiewicz explained it's more than that – it's about how willing Americans are to be misled. That Trump is a symptom, not the disease. And I get it because this movie is almost 70 years old. We've been here before. A searing movie and thought-provoking discussion. If you've never seen this movie, FIND IT! It's free on Tubi and available on Amazon Prime and it's even more relevant today than it was in the year of my birth. (Plus you'll see a dimension to Andy Griffith you never guessed existed.)

 

All the President's Men (1976). More than a tribute to Redford – though he deserves all the posthumous accolades he's getting – this screening was a celebration of intelligent filmmaking and a free press. Former White House counsel John Dean (!) introduced the film and took questions afterward. I can't believe I was so close to history! My favorite moment was when he shared with us that The Nixon White House always knew Mark Felt was Deep Throat. It's just no one ever asked them.

 

 

Signage promoting the festival on Hollywood Blvd.

 

I'd Rather Be Rich (1964). My oldest friend and I saw this movie on TV when we were little girls and I was excited to revisit it. I enjoyed it thoroughly, even though it's fabulously stupid. The plot is all about misunderstandings and sex and mistaken identity – kind of like a less smutty episode of Three's Company. The hair was poofy, the clothes were gorgeous and Andy Williams was charming in his only film role. It was introduced by Kate Flannery from The Office, who clearly loves movies like this as much as I do.

 

Anastasia (1956). I was disappointed by this one. It was opulent, but slow moving and I admit I was bored. Yeah, I know: Oscars and Golden Globes. Blah, blah. 

 

Rope (1948). My second Hitchcock of the festival was definitely a highlight! First of all, I'm just captivated by this movie, which starts with a murder on a bright sunny day. So it's like Columbo – we know who did it and we know why they did it, the tension comes from watching the killers try to hide their crime. Then there was Mario Cantone (Anthony from Sex and the City). He was hysterical. Since the movie is clearly patterned on Leopold and Loeb, he yelled, "GAY HITCHCOCK!" Here he is cracking up Professor Jacqueline Stewart. Cantone was also insightful. He reminded us all how hard it was for gay actors in the 1940s and that he believed keeping a real-life secret infused John Dall's and Farley Granger's performances with desperation.

 

On the Town (1949). Closed out the Festival with a grand old MGM musical. Three sailors see all of New York – and find love – during their 24-hour shore leave. I've always had mad affection for this confection ("New York, New York, a wonderful town/the Bronx is up and the Battery's down/the people ride in a hole in the ground/New York, New York!") By late Sunday night we were all pretty punchy. The intro by TCM's Dave Karger started out rather high-brow, talking about Leonard Bernstein and the challenges of filming on location. Soon it devolved into silliness, with Karger, Cantone and Kate Flannery leading us in a game of "Shag, Marry or Kill" with the film's leads: Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin. Sorry, Jules.

 

Here's hoping the Paramount merger doesn't fuck everything up and we'll all be together in Hollywood for 2027.

 

 

 PS As soon we got home, we heard Ted Turner had died. That felt like a death in the family. Without Ted Turner there would be no CNN, no 1995 World Champion Atlanta Braves, and most important to a legion of old movie nerds, no Turner Classic Movies. I wish we'd been together when we got the news. We could have toasted him.

Magical thinking

I've been back from vacation for a week and have yet to post about it! I'm beginning at the end. I don't fly well. In fact, I'm fucking petrified the whole time. I will not get on a plane without knowing there's Xanax in my purse. I want to be able to knock myself out if the terror becomes too great. When I asked a shrink what we should do about my fear, she said that everyone had irrational fears and instead of berating myself for being afraid, I should be proud of myself that I still fly. It would only be a problem, she reasoned, if it had an impact on my lifestyle. I'm proud to say I didn't take my Xanax once through the tale you're about to read. 

I did fall victim to magical thinking, though. I have a rule for myself when I fly – I never change my originally assigned flight. Let American Airlines offer me money or miles to take a later flight. I won't do it. I truly believe that if I do, I am opening myself up to bad luck. No, it makes no logical sense. Just as it never made any logical sense that if I was watching or listening to a baseball game and Anthony Rizzo came up to bat, I had to stop what I was doing and concentrate on helping him. Superstition, magical thinking, wackiness ... call it what you will. 

This time I was right. I broke my own rule and very bad things happened.

I got to LAX at 8:30 AM for my 10:30 flight home to O'Hare. As I checked in at the kiosk, I got the news: there was no crew and my flight was delayed six and one half hours. Not only would I have to hang around in the airport for hours, I wouldn't get home until after midnight, CST. That was unacceptable. My girlcat had been ill* and I wanted to get home.

American Airlines recommended a flight taking off in little over an hour to Tuscon, where I'd change planes for O'Hare. I was reassured that, since I'd be landing at the gate right next to my flight home, it would be smooth.

Well, they didn't lie about that. The flight to Tuscon was short and uneventful, and yes, the gate was right there. I had time to snarf a breakfast sandwich and bottled water before boarding for my flight home ... and entering hell.

•  First, I was in a middle seat. Between a couple. Who kept talking to each other and passing things over me as though I wasn't there. I asked them if they wouldn't prefer sitting together. No, she's window and he's aisle ... and they're both dreadful. Because we were three fat people in a row, it was hard to move. I had a difficult time getting to my Xanax but I thought, "oh, well, you got this far and you're almost home. It'll be fine."

• As we flew east I monitored the Cubs game on my phone and saw it was delayed. Storms in Chicago.  But the game was not cancelled, so I knew the rain was expected to stop soon. I didn't think it was as big a deal as Mr. and Mrs. passing their reading glasses back and forth over me. "These are yours." "No, these are yours." "Wait a minute, you were right!" "Where's the case for the glasses?" etc.

• The pilot came on and acknowledged the storms, saying we were going to circle high above them for a while until they passed. Because we were, as Dorothy said in The Wizard of Oz, "beyond the rain," what I could see out our window was sunny and fine. I don't know how much time had elapsed before he came back on and scared the living shit out of me. "We're running low on fuel so we're going to touch down in St. Louis." Oh, great! I could fall out of the sky!

• When we got to Lambert, we there wasn't a gate for us. That many flights to O'Hare had been rerouted. So we had to sit, and sit, and sit. I had downloaded The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt for the flight. I shall never listen to it again, for fear of PTSD. Finally we started moving. We were not taking off, however, there was no available runway for us. It's just there's a law about how long we're allowed to sit on an unmoving plane, so we had to get off. We were warned not to wander far, though. We'd be taking off within the hour. 

• Well, they didn't lie about that. Just after midnight, we were corralled back onto our flight and we all took our original seats. (Me in the middle.) It occurred to me that this would be the time I would have gotten home if I'd followed my rule and just hung out LAX all day.

• We took off and then – you can't make this shit up – within minutes the pilot came on and told us we were going back to St. Louis. There was smoke in galley. I sniffed the air and yes, it did smell like something was burning. My new husband said, "Gee, I hope they'll make us use the chute."  I hated him.

 

No, I didn't.

Actually, I was more frightened when I heard we were out of fuel. Though it's not a feel good to pass firefighters in the aisle as you disembark.

 

•  By now it was 1:20 AM on Tuesday. At the gate we were told to line up for hotel and meal vouchers and that we would be rebooked for a 9:30 AM flight to Chicago. OK, this is simply not acceptable. I worked in Chicago for more than 40 years. I know how busy the Lambert-O'Hare corridor is, especially on a weekday morning. People arrive at O'Hare and are in offices for their meetings every day before 9:30 AM. So I told them I wanted to be booked onto the first flight of the day to ORD.

 

•  That was 5:50 AM, boarding at 5:15. Not enough time to deal with a hotel. In a perfect full-circle moment, I was looking at killing hour after hour in an airport again. So be it. I want to go home. It really wasn't that bad. It took some time to find the baggage office – at this hour all the carousels were down – and explain my situation to the nice, lonely lady who worked there overnight. She explained to me that I would have recheck my bag and go through security again but I'd likely be first in line. Then she emphasized this – DO NOT USE THE KIOSK. CHECK IN THROUGH AN AGENT. She explained that according to the app, I was somehow still on the original flight from LAX to ORD and the kiosk won't "know" me.

 

•  I read. I wandered. I drank a lot of water. As soon as the agents began their day at 4:30, I was there. I thought it would be easy. HA! These four women – who had no one else to wait on, just me and one confused looking couple who just arrived – treated me as an adversary. They wouldn't let me finish a sentence! I tried "Yes, but I was told ..." but they insisted I had to try the kiosk before they would even speak to me. No "I'm sorry." Not even a "Good morning." Just "you have to use the kiosk first."Oh, and the kiosks weren't up yet. 

 

•  So when the kiosks finally came on, I gave one a shot. It insisted on charging me $45 to check my bag to O'Hare. NO FUCKING WAY.  I had been a good, uncomplaining sport until this moment. "I am not paying this!" I announced. Loudly. Your voice can really carry through an otherwise empty airport. Finally someone looked at my printed boarding pass. "The Tuscon flight," she said to herself as she read her monitor. Apparently our ill-fated flight was famous. She checked me through. No apology though. When I complained to American Airlines, this is the only thing I mentioned. My treatment here was the only thing I couldn't justify, the one thing they absolutely could have prevented.

 

• I got through TSA very easily and was home by 8:30 AM. 24 hours after I checked out of my hotel in Los Angeles. I now know why the Pope kisses the ground when he lands. 

 

I am proud of myself that my Xanax remained untouched. I did all this without it. I feel empowered. Angry, exhausted, and traumatized. But empowered, too. 

 

  

*She's so healthy now, I needn't have worried. 

 Photo by Briana Tozour on Unsplash

 

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. 

PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? Conversations with Kennedy by Ben Bradlee. Ben Bradlee and his wife Toni were pushing a baby carriage down the street near their home on N Street in Georgetown. They ran into their new neighbors, Jack and Jackie Kennedy, who were also pushing a carriage. They ended up having drinks in the Kennedy's backyard and a friendship was born. The men – a Senator and an editor at Newsweek – had a lot in common. Their wives liked one another. Their kids were the same age. This foursome hung out from that day in 1959 until the President's death in 1963. They vacationed together in Palm Beach, Virginia and Camp David. They dined together upstairs at the White House. Bradlee was a pallbearer at the President's funeral. 

 

JFK and Jackie obviously knew Ben Bradlee was a newsman. He told them he was taking notes. He promised Kennedy he would not publish anything about their personal relationship until 5 years after JFK left the White House. He waited more than a decade until after the President's death, writing this while on sabbatical from his job as editor of The Washington Post after The Post broke the historic Watergate scandal. 

 

I know from Bradlee's memoir (see below) that he gave Jacqueline Onassis an advance copy of the book and she was so offended she never spoke to him again. I read this book decades ago and didn't understand why she was pissed. I'm almost 50 years older. Perhaps I'll get it now.

 

Even if I don't, this is a view of JFK you seldom see in biographies. Bradlee was not a member of the Kennedy Administration or family. He was never a relative, coworker or an employee. Also, he was a friend of the couple. Kennedy was known for his ability to compartmentalize, and few of the people who knew and then wrote about him saw him socially as Jackie's husband. Maybe this will give me an idea of what they were like when they lived in The White House. 

2. What did you recently finish reading? A Good Life: Newspapering and Other Adventures by Ben Bradlee. It strikes me funny that Bradlee, who edited Woodward and Bernstein at The Washington Post during the Watergate scandal, could write a memoir that so clearly cried out for the steady hand of a good editor. The middle of the book – Bradlee's years in Washington with the Kennedys (see above) and then Watergate and the Janet Cooke scandal – was exciting and fascinating. But the beginning, about his childhood and Navy years, was boring and the end, after his retirement from The Washington Post was embarrassingly self aggrandizing. 

 

I was ruefully amused by how relevant this book, originally published in 1996, is today, when it's fashionable for MAGA to bemoan "what the media has become."  Oh, for fuck's sake! Bradlee mentions that FDR didn't understand why the press criticized him so, that JFK was so angry at one of the New York papers that he cancelled the White House's subscription, that Nixon resented  The Washington Post after Watergate and The Pentagon Papers, that Jimmy Carter thought it was reckless, that Reagan hid behind "national security" to try to get them kill stories ... when exactly did the media "become" bad? If you visit the Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, there's an exhibit devoted to unflattering political cartoons published during the Civil War. Grow up and grow a thicker (orange) skin. That friction between a free press and a president is one of our greatest assets. Don't bemoan it – appreciate it. (Or just watch Fox News. Don't get me started about the Dominion Voting Systems scandal.)

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

 

  

Sunday Stealing

Thursday Thunks

1. Is there anyone whose home you enter without knocking? Does anyone (who doesn't live with you) have permission to enter your home without knocking? No, not since my mom died.

2. Tell us about a school trip you took. In February 1968, little 4th grade me and my classmates took a long bus ride from our suburban school parking lot to Chicago's Art Institute. It was thrilling. For me, it wasn't so much about the artwork as the beehive of activity that was downtown Chicago. I fell in love that day. Imagine my terror when I watched those same city streets on my family's living room TV, overcome with rioters and violence – first in April, after Dr. King's assassination, and then over the summer during the infamous 1968 Democratic convention. The televised upheaval of 1968 – assassinations, riots, Vietnam – marked me like my vaccination scar. I warn parents to be very careful how much news their little ones see, and to be sure to put it in some real context. My mom did the best the she could, but I don't think she comprehended how much I was taking in and how it scared me.

3. Name three things within arm's reach right now (but they can't relate to your phone, computer or laptop). My glasses, my cat Connie (who is demanding a snuggle), the TV remote.

4. Weather permitting, do you dry your clothes outdoors on a clothesline? No. I don't have a yard or a private porch.

5. If every flower in the world only bloomed in one color, what color would you like to see? Pantone 294. Wouldn't the world be beautiful if it was all Cubbie blue?

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Like My Mother Does (2011)

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

1) In this song, Lauren Alaina tells us she knows she's beautiful and strong because she sees herself as her mother does. Who in your life consistently sees the best in you? Oh, this question makes me miss my late friend Henry so much! No one has ever, ever seen me as he did. I remember one night we were having a late dinner and he stared into my eyes and said suddenly, "Your (facial) features shouldn't work together, but they do. It's what makes you so beautiful. Like Sophia Loren." Trust me, I am not beautiful and I only resemble Loren in that we both walk upright and neither of us has a tail. But that was Henry. He loved me and saw me as all things wonderful.

 

So very not me.

2) She sings that her mother is her "rock." In this context, what do you think that means? Unwavering in support. 

 

3) When Lauren performed this song in concert, she brought her mother Kristy up on stage and held her hand as she sang. Kristy said she was touched, but also embarrassed because her daughter was the entertainer, not her. Do you get shy when all eyes turn to you? It depends on the situation. I can present and sell with tremendous confidence. But I die inside when people sing "Happy Birthday" to me.

 

4) Lauren began reading in pre-school and always read well above grade level. As a child, were you a big reader? Are you a big reader today? Yes.

   

5) According to the National Restaurant Association, we like to eat out on Mother's Day, and brunch is especially popular. If you could have whatever you want for brunch, what would you order? Eggs Benedict.

6) Mother's Day is the third biggest card-sending holiday in the US, just after Christmas and Valentine's Day. Who received the last card you purchased? I just mailed a birthday present to my friend Amy and there was a card with the gift.

 

7) While flowers are the most popular Mother's Day gift, jewelry comes in second. Are you wearing any jewelry as you answer these questions? If yes, did you receive it as a gift or buy it yourself? I am wearing plastic faux pearl stud earrings, purchased myself on a card from Claire's Boutique. (Sophia Loren would not be caught dead in these.)

 

8) According to the National Retail Federation, more and more of us are celebrating our mothers by taking her to a paint and sip event, a pottery class, or candle or soap making. Which of those four options do you think you'd enjoy the most? Soap. Or even better, lotion (though that wasn't one of the options).

9) While there's a spike in phone traffic on Mother's Day, these days it seems the trend is texting. On holidays, do you receive more calls or texts? Texts. I miss calls.

 

 

 

Thursday Thirteen #461

Younger than Springtime. Flipping through the April/May issue of AARP Magazine,* I came upon many tips to slow the aging process. I augmented their list with other info I found on the web. Some were common sense, some were surprising. 

1. Walk faster. Those of us who walk slowly tend to be at a higher risk for falls and weakness. With my knee and heel issues, I'm doing the best I can.

2. Maintain your balance. Again, the goal here is to reduce falls. My balance has never been good – not even as a child – because of my scoliosis. But my yoga helps. 

3. Stay social. Ding! Ding! Ding! I got one! I'm lucky that I make friends easily and with my little job at the card shop, I see people I like as often I as wish to. For me, the challenge is to remind myself that my friends aren't just fun, they are a support system for my physical and mental health. Which leads me to ...

4. Make mental health a priority. Many of us seniors (it's hard to believe I'm in that group but I indisputably am) accept loneliness, isolation and depression as a natural part of our lives. I don't. God did not put me here to be unhappy. While I accept that there is unhappiness in every life, it's not our baseline. I'm glad I'm in therapy.

5. Remember your cognitive health. I worry about this one a lot. My shrink (see above) assures me she's watching my reasoning and word choices to make sure I haven't declined and if she sees that I have, we will take steps. 

6. Eat more fiber. This is not only important for gut health, fiber helps regulate blood sugar and reduce the risk of diabetes. As a woman of a certain age, I should consume 22 grams/day. I likely don't. I do take an extra gram each day in 2 fiber capsules each morning. Maybe I should up that.

7. Beans are our friends. Lima beans, navy beans, pinto beans and black beans are all affordable and rich in fiber and nutrients. Unfortunately, I don't like them. I do like cooked peas, though. They're pretty good. Must add them to my meals more often.

8. Watch the processed sugar. Sugar is added to everything from condiments to yogurt. With this in mind, I should eat fewer cookies. I don't. Note to self: pay attention to my snacks. 

9. Establish a sleep schedule. Going to bed at approximately the same time every night promotes more restorative sleep. I do this.

10. Mind your dental health. Good oral hygiene reduces risk for infections, inflammation and heart attacks. No one spends more time at the dentist than I do.

11. Keep an eye on your vision. Seniors are at a higher risk of glaucoma and cataracts. Get your eyes checked regularly so these conditions can be diagnosed and dealt with promptly.

12. Wear your sunglasses. Damage from ultraviolet light has been linked to an increased risk of dementia. Most sunglasses come with built in UV protection. I do this one.

13. Wash your hands. It's not just for during a pandemic. Wash your hands several times a day for 20 full seconds. It will help protect your immune system. I need to do this more often.

How many of these do you do? Are you helping your body resist aging? 

*Not only was I reading an AARP publication, it was in actual printed form. I am a dinosaur! 

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.