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? The Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig by Jonathan Eig. Even people who don't follow sports know Lou Gehrig. His heroic public battle with ALS and that famous speech about being "the luckiest man on the face of the earth," even as his life was ebbing away, are immortal.

His baseball stats are impressive. A lifetime .340 hitter, he appeared in a record-setting 2,130 consecutive games. He was the first athlete to appear on a Wheaties box. As a teammate, he was as modest and dedicated as he was talented. He's the hero every kid should emulate, and Eig tells his story with respect and clarity.

 

But here's the thing: charisma is intangible. I've read two biographies of his fellow Yankee Babe Ruth and the Babe is simply more interesting. Certainly more flawed. Nowhere near as nice as Gehrig. Not even as handsome. But the Babe was more compelling and a lot more fun.

2. What did you recently finish reading? The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. Back in the day, this book and the mini-series it inspired caused a sensation. Oh! The forbidden love between the priest, Father Ralph, and the beautiful Meggie, who loved him her whole life!

Yeah, whatever. Read now, Ralph and Meggie were drips. She loved Ralph the way I love Paul McCartney. There was no depth to her feeling, nothing real that a relationship could ever have been built upon. And Ralph! There was little about service or the love of Christ in his priesthood. He seemed to view it as a road to success (and he does end up a cardinal). In this century, he might have been just as dedicated to advancing at Microsoft or Meta. I didn't like either of them and didn't give a shit if they were happy or not.

Still, I'm glad I stuck with it. Two of the supporting characters, Meggie's twin uncles, served in WWII and their experiences in combat were harrowing and heartbreaking. I also found Meggie's children, Justine and Dane, very interesting.

But I don't recommend this book. Gone with the Wind was far more original, with more vivid characters. Even when I didn't like Scarlett O'Hara, she never bored me the way Meggie Cleary did. When GWTW was over, I missed the denizens of Tara and Atlanta. I doubt that I'll give The Thorn Birds folks another thought, ever.

3. What will you read next? Competing with Idiots by Nick Davis. 

I'm verklempt

Part of why the pregnant girl chose my niece and her husband to adopt her baby is LGBTQ rights. Apparently she and her boyfriend both have gay relatives and want to be sure that if their baby turns out to be homosexual, she will be raised in a loving, accepting environment.

It's a sign of how comfortable we've become with homophobia that this is a concern of a young girl looking do right for her unborn child. I mean, it's easy to laugh at the hysterical MAGA attack on DEI extending to the Enola Gay, but when you think it through, it's not funny. Trump supporters seem to embrace the idea that gay pride should not be celebrated. Many wrap themselves in my Christian faith, which not only offends me personally, it's unconstitutional, since we are supposed to have a secular government. It's sad and worrying for young people trying to find acceptance in our society.

Which is why I'm so grateful – again and always – that God brought Henry into my life. Henry was not only an out-and-proud gay man, he was all about love and empathy. My niece never knew a time without Henry as a positive role model in her life. Example: During the summer between second and third grade, she had a growth spurt. When she returned to school, she was a head taller than her tallest classmate. She felt like a giantess. She compensated by insisting on wearing only dresses -- the frillier the better -- never slacks because dresses were what she needed to feel pretty. The battles between my little niece and her mother were fucking epic. I shared this Henry. He promptly got on his bike and rode across the island to the Lilly Pulitzer outlet store. He reasoned -- correctly, of course -- that none of her midwestern classmates would be wearing resortwear for back-to-school. She felt beautiful and proud in her lilac and pink floral dresses from faraway Key West. My niece is now over 30 and can still describe those dresses in detail. 

I know that, when the birth parents questioned my niece and her husband about their LGBTQ attitudes, Henry was not far from my niece's mind. So Henry is helping to deliver the baby they want into their family. I believe that where he is, he knows this, and he's smiling.

Henry may be gone, but his love and lessons are ours forever.

 

 

SUNDAY STEALING

Time Travel

 What were you doing ...

1. Twenty years ago? In spring/summer 2005, my Cubs weren't doing so great, but my favorite-ever pitcher, Hall of Famer Greg Maddux, was back in Cubbie blue so I was happy. I think I had a nice office. The agency I worked for rearranged and moved us often, and having a good office had a major impact on my attitude toward coming to work. I was still a redhead and I still had a waist. My cats were Joey, Charlotte and Reynaldo.

2. Ten years ago? In spring/summer 2015, I was immersed in The Big Project. It was the highest-profile assignment, with the biggest budget, I would ever have in my career. I didn't know it then (wouldn't know until fall), but I acquitted myself well and it would be a success. Joe Maddon was managing the Cubs and the glory days were upon us. (I'm still a little in love with Joe.) Connie had just joined Joey and Reynaldo.

3. Five years ago? In spring/summer 2020, we were on Covid lockdown and I was obsessed with finding Cubbie blue masks. My cat Reynaldo really, really loved me working from home. I reread To Kill a Mockingbird, which was a good and inspiring choice, and rediscovered That Girl, which I loved as a little girl. I stopped wearing contact lenses because I didn't want to be touching my eyeballs all the time during a pandemic. I don't miss them and kind of like switching up glass frames.

4. One year ago? In spring/summer 2024, Anthony Rizzo hit his 300th homerun so I was happy. I had a wonderful time at the TCM Classic Film Festival, but so many of us returned home from the fest with colds/flu. This year I masked up for my flights and stayed healthy. I think that, like wearing my glasses every day instead of contacts, wearing a mask when I am on an airplane is my new normal. Catwise, it's Connie and Roy Hobbs.

5. Yesterday? Got my hair cut, had lunch with my nephew, bought my niece a Mother's Day card, and watched my Cubs kick Brewer ass.

Bonus! What will you do tomorrow? Monday I'm going to the dentist.

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Georgia on My Mind (1978)

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

1) This lyrics refer to "an old sweet song." What old sweet song is a favorite of yours? "More Than You Know" was published in 1929. This is one of my favorite Streisand performances.  

 

 

 

2) Composer Hoagy Carmichael said he was inspired by saxophonist Frankie Trumbauer to write a song about Georgia. In those days, bands traveled by bus and Frankie enjoyed rolling through Georgia. Hoagy recalled that Frankie even volunteered the first two words, "Georgia, Georgia ..." If we were to organize a Saturday 9 bus trip, where would you recommend we go for lovely scenery? Arkansas. I used to take an annual spring spa trip to Hot Springs and there was a courtesy van that would pick me up at the airport in Little Rock and take me to my hotel. The hour-long drive was lovely. Lots of rolling hills and dense green foliage. I love Chicagoland, but it's very flat here and in late March, the trees are still bare, so I really enjoyed that drive.

 

3) This version of "Georgia on My Mind" was controversial before it was even recorded. Willie Nelson's label, Columbia, didn't see the point of their outlaw country star singing an old standard that was associated with Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald. Willie had the last laugh. This record was a hit and Willie won a Grammy. Tell us about a time when you were a success despite opposition. Oh, this is an example of why I'm glad to be out of advertising. My client wanted us to save them money by encouraging customers to pay bills online rather than through the mail. I suggested using a simple front/back "buck slip" inserted in their monthly statement. One side would say, "Go Paperless. Save  Trees." and the other side would show how paper – and trees – could be saved annually if just 10% of customers switched to online payment.

 

My boss thought it was a good idea, but that I was "wasting" it on a buck slip. "No one reads those!" he insisted. Why don't we send a letter? It's more likely to be read and we would have more space to do an emotional appeal about saving water and trees and landfill space ... how we'd be helping future generations ... how we could toss in a buck slip but it would show a child planting a seedling on the front ...

 

I was like, "But we'd using more paper to discuss how bad using paper is." After all, his idea would include a separate envelope and an additional 8 1/2 x 11 sheet. As a consumer, that would set off my bullshit meter. Plus it would cost the client more in production and postage. My boss argued, "It will pay for itself."

 

He really didn't like being disagreed with.  At least not by me. He said he would present both concepts to the client and let them decide. HE would present? He never presented! I knew what he would do: he'd say, "you could just do a nice little buck slip ... or an effective, heart-tugging appeal that's certain to change minds and behavior." 

Well, based on the cost of the two concepts, the client chose mine. Every step of the way through execution, my boss bitched and complained. "I can't believe they chose THIS!" he would say as he approved first the copy, then the layout, then the final print. Over and over he made it clear that my idea was deficient and lame.

 

He was the Vice President/Creative Director. He could have killed my idea before the client ever saw it. Instead he presented it, along with his own, just so he could prove me wrong. Put me in my place. What a petty shit he was. We worked for the same agency. Any time the client was happy with us was a win for us. Not in his eyes. 

 

This kind of thing happened all the freaking time. I'm glad to work at the card shop.

 
4) While it's at odds with his "outlaw" image, Willie was a popular and active high school student. He played three sports and was a member of Future Farmers of America. What school activities did you participate in during your teen years? I wasn't big on participation. I'd join a club at the beginning of the year so I could work on and ride the homecoming float, but then drop out before Christmas.

 

5) Willie once worked as a tree trimmer, so clearly he didn't suffer from acrophobia. How about you? Do you have a fear of heights? Nope.

 

6) He wrote the lyrics to one of his biggest hits, "On the Road Again," during a flight, using the airplane barf bag as scrap paper. That was back in 1980. In 2025, do you handwrite onto note paper, or do you make all your "notes to self" digitally? I scribble on lined paper.

7) In 1978, when Willie was singing "Georgia on My Mind," audiences were flocking to see the movie Grease. What's your favorite song from Grease? The first one that comes to mind is "Summer Nights." Wella, wella, wella, ooh, tell me more, tell me more ... 

8) Also in 1978, Karina Smirnoff was born. After spending her early years in the Ukraine, she came to America and found success on Dancing with the Stars. Are you a DWTS fan? I was during the early seasons but I've lost interest.

 

9) Random question: Do you ever carry a backpack? Not often. I switched to a backpack during my vacation at the TCM Classic Film Festival. It holds so much and made it possible for me to not keep running back to my hotel room. But for day to day, the backpack is in the closet.

 

 

 

 

It's a Girl!

My niece was invited along to the expectant mother's latest ob-gyn appointment, heard the heartbeat, and now knows the baby's gender.

Of course I'm relieved that the pregnancy is going smoothly. But more than that, this makes me happy because it indicates how committed the mom is to having my niece and her husband adopt the baby. 

I worry about niece because the birth mother has 72 hours after the baby's birth to change her mind. I love my niece very much and don't want her to have to endure that. But statistically, that is not likely. Plus the expectant mom is spending more time with my niece and that's a good sign. 

I'll breathe easier when that baby girl is sleeping in the room my niece and her husband have been calling "The Nursery" since before Christmas.

 

Photo by Suhyeon Choi on Unsplash

Thursday Thirteen #408

 

 

The Eric Blore Edition. A British actor with sharp comedic timing, Blore specialized in playing waiters, butlers, etc., and appeared with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in several musicals. He's been dead more than 60 years and is largely forgotten, except to those of us who watch TCM. At the TCM Classic Film Festival, a pair of super fans wore Eric Blore t-shirts, which amused Ben Mankiewicz, the channel's primary host. "What a wonderful group of weirdos you are!" he said, toasting us on the last night.

I didn't see any Eric Blore films this year, but I did just so happen to take in exactly 13 movies, making it the perfect topic for this week's TT. As much as I loved watching and talking classic film, I was that happy to be among classic film fans, some I see year after year and enjoy spending time with. (Mostly squealing like teenagers when we saw each other in the ladies room.)

So here they are in the order of my affection for them:

1. Animal Crackers. (1930) The first time I've seen this Marx Bros. classic in years, and the first time ever on the big screen with an audience who loves it like I do. Hooray for Captain Spaulding! Hooray, hooray, hooray!

2. Splendor in the Grass. (1961) Moody and beautiful story of love and life in a small town. I'd never before seen it on the big screen, and was thrilled it was introduced by Natasha Gregson Wagner and her daughter Clover. They're Natalie Wood's daughter and granddaughter.

3. We're No Angels. (1955) What a delight! I've never seen this Humphrey Bogart Christmas movie before but will be sure to see it again in December. (I'll be honest, I never before mentioned Bogart and Christmas in the same breath.)

4. Suddenly, Last Summer. (1959) Elizabeth Taylor and Katharine Hepburn go toe-to-toe in a story by Tennessee Williams, script by Gore Vidal. Beautiful, literate and quite twisted, it's a movie my late friend John and I quoted all the time.

5. Misery. (1990) I was sitting on an aisle seat, watching the climactic clash between Paul and Annie, when I looked up and saw Kathy Bates! She and director Rob Reiner spoke to us after the movie. Anyway, it was a trip to see her, looking vibrant and elegant in little turquoise boots, at the same moment she was literally getting her brain bashed in.

6. The American President. (1995) After 1000 days of MAGA, I needed to see a President with integrity, a President I could be proud of. I'm one of the voters Michael J. Fox means when he says, "They're so thirsty for it (leadership) they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they will drink the sand."

7. Moonlight and Pretzels. (1933) A so-bad-it's-good musical, made on a tiny budget with good intentions and little else. The big dance numbers weren't majestic, they looked like my yoga class. We all laughed so hard when our leading man broke into a song called (I'm not kidding) "Let's Make Love like the Crocodiles." Introduced by Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings, who unknowingly addressed us with his fly open. Nothing could have been more fitting for this silly mess of a film.

8. Enchanted Cottage. (1945). A homely girl and a disfigured war veteran are transformed when they honeymoon in a secluded cottage. Only it's not magic, it's their love that makes them beautiful. A very sweet movie, and a favorite of my oldest friend.

9. The Divorcee. (1930) Norma Shearer won her Oscar for this oh-so-shocking tale of infidelity. She's beautiful and likeable but I wish she'd ended up with one of the other men. Robert Montgomery may have been a flighty boy toy but he sure was cute.

10. Preview Murder Mystery. (1936) A seldom seen oldie but I loved it because Gail Patrick is my Eric Blore.

11. Brigadoon. (1954) Two of the featured dancers, Barrie Chase and George Chakiris (who went on to win an Oscar as Bernardo in West Side Story) introduced it. Barrie matter of factly told an ugly casting couch story regarding her role in this film. TCM host Dave Karger was surprised by her candor and said, "I'm sorry you went through that." He spoke for all of us.

12. Heat. (1995) Long, violent, noisy and cynical. But I got to see Al Pacino live and in person so I'm happy.

13. Blithe Spirit. (1945) I hated everything about this movie, including the cast and the intro by Broadway actress Christine Ebersole, who told us more about appearing in the play than about the film we were about to see. Oh well, I'd never seen it and now I have.

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

I now call myself FAA

That's for Fucking Awesome Aunt. You see, it looks like my niece may become a mother as early as June, which would make me, in genealogical terms, a great aunt. But I believe I'm already a pretty great aunt, so the title must be ratcheted up a bit. Hence FAA.

I got the word after church today. It's funny, my minister shared how unusual it is for Easter Sunday, Eastern Orthodox Easter, and the last day of Passover to all fall on the same date. That we should be heartened as we await new beginnings. And then I heard that soon I may be holding a baby!

My niece and her husband met the expectant birth parents at the adoption agency on Thursday.* The two couples hit it off and the birth mother wants to stay involved as a friend of family, which is what my niece was hoping for. Legally, the birth mother can't consent to an adoption until the baby is born. But on Friday, she gave word that she had decided on my niece and her husband.

The girl is in her last trimester and the pregnancy has been uneventful, so that doesn't worry me. But she could change her mind. That worries me. I suspect that deep inside, my niece and her husband are worried, too. She said they don't want to know the baby's gender yet. I think that would make it too real.

But there's plenty of time for worry. I want to allow myself today for just being happy. 

*Come to think of it, I don't know if that was their only meeting. I didn't ask. I don't really know a lot about the adoption process.

 

Sunday Stealing

F.A.B.

F. Film: What movie or tv show are you watching? I just watched the first couple episodes of Ransom Canyon on Netflix. It's pretty standard, soapy stuff. But sometimes life calls for watching a hot cowboy and the woman who has loved him from afar since they were in high school.

A. Audio: What are you listening to? After church and Easter ham, I promise myself I'm going to try restore some order to all the crap in my den. I'm taking the Cubs and our fabulous radio broadcaster, Pat Hughes, with me.

B. Book: What are you reading? The Thorn Birds. It's about 700 pages and I'm nearly halfway through. It's OK, but not as good as I expected it to be.

Happy Easter from the Peeps of Downton Abbey

 

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Here Comes Peter Cottontail (from the archives)

1) Which do you prefer: colored hard-boiled eggs, chocolate marshmallow eggs, or plastic eggs with coins inside? I'll go rogue and say wooden. At the card shop where I work, I fell in love with this egg coloring kit by a company called Tiny Easel. Kids can make little works of art that moms and dads will likely cherish forever.

 
2) What's your favorite color of Peeps (yellow, purple, or pink)? Honestly, I don't like how they taste. I suppose to look at, I prefer classic yellow.

3) All this talk of sweets is making Sam hungry. What's for lunch? Not ham. Probably pizza or Chinese.

4) This song was introduced by country singer Gene Autry and it's still a favorite. Please share some of the lyrics. (And you're on your own; Sam didn't include a link to the song this week.) Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail. Hippity hopping, Easter's on its way ...

5) Gene Autry was so popular that a town in Oklahoma named itself for him. Have you ever been to Oklahoma? Nope.

6) He and his horse Champion also had a TV show. Can you name another famous horse? I don't recall the horse's name, but Little Joe Cartwright always rode a pinto on Bonanza. When I was a little girl, I was enchanted when he would share his water, or sometimes coffee, with his horse when they were on the trail. I very much wanted a horse like Little Joe's.

7) Gene Autry also recorded "Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer," and it was, of course, wildly popular, too. Who is your favorite recording artist? Still and always.

 

8) In 1950, the year Autry recorded this song, Diner's Club issued the first credit card. Think of the last thing you purchased. Did you use cash, a credit card, a debit card, an e-wallet service (Visa Checkout, Paypal, Google Pay, Apple Pay ...) or a check? Cash.

9) Easter is recognized as the start of the spring season. What are you looking forward to this spring? The TCM Classic Film Festival. (Soon! So soon!)

Learn more here

Thursday Thirteen #407

 The "Transform Your Yard" edition. I don't have a yard and I don't miss it. But I see the commercials and hear the conversation of homeowners around me and know April is important for those who garden and do yardwork. So I went to The Home Depot website to see what homeowners in my neighborhood are buying.

These are the top sellers under the "Transform Your Yard" tab for the store in my zip code.

1. Earthgro Brown Wood Shredded Bagged Mulch (1.5 cu. ft.)

2. RYOBI Cordless Attachment Capable 15" String Trimmer & 550 CFM 120 MPH Blower Combo Kit with 40 Ah Battery (I have no idea what this thing is, but my neighbors seem to love it.)

3. Miracle-Gro All Purpose Garden Soil (0.75 cu. ft.)

4. 5/8 in. x 5 1/2 in. x 6 ft. Pressure-Treated Pine Fence Picket

5. 18 ft. Aluminum Gorilla Ladder

6. Miracle-Gro Potting Mix 25 qt. for Container Plants

7. Miracle-Gro Organic Raised Bed and Garden Soil (1.5 cu. ft.)

8. 20-in. Large Walnut Brown Resin Wine Barrel Planter

9. Gorilla 3-Step Compact Steel Step Stool

10. 6 ft. Werner Fiberglass Step Ladder

11. Mudmixer Continuous Concrete Mixer with Hopper Extensions and Chute Extension Included (It's on sale for $3,395)

12. Earthgro Black Wood Shredded Bagged Mulch (1.5 cu. ft.)

 13. Quikrete 50 lb. Fast-Setting Concrete Mix

Are any of these items on your shopping list?

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

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? The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. The epic begins in New Zealand, where the Cleary family is barely scraping by. It's 1915, a tough time to work the land. It's an especially masculine family, with 5 sons and just one daughter. Meggie. Beautiful Meggie! Even as a 4-year-old, she beguiles everyone.

 

I know the family is somehow going to end up in Australia where they will meet a handsome priest. It's what I recall from the mini-series a million years ago, which I watched like everyone did. I know I owned the book -- a book club edition that I lent it to my mother -- but I don't recall ever having read it. Maybe I did -- I virtually devoured books in those days. The passing of Richard Chamberlain, who played a major role in the mini-series, renewed my curiosity.

 

Anyway, it feels very new to me and I'm enjoying it. Ms. McCullough knows how to paint a word portrait.

2. What did you recently finish reading? The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue. I loved this book! It's set in Cork, Ireland, in 2010, but it could have been here in Chicago in 1981. It reminded me that much of me and my friend, John, when we were in our 20s. To borrow a phrase that our heroine/narrator uses more than once, this book captures "the vibe" perfectly. 

It recreates that magic time of life: young adulthood. Everything is new. Everything is important. As Rachel says of those days, "I was twenty and I needed two things: to be in love and to be taken seriously." James works with her in the bookstore. They become best friends and go through this adventure together. They tell one another everything and expand their worldview by walking in one another's shoes.

I loved these characters so much -- even when I didn't like them -- that it was a relief to have the story told in flashback. It begins with a thirty-ish Rachel living in England, happily married and expecting her first baby, constantly texting James in New York. Knowing they were going to come through the romantic, financial, scholastic, and financial hurdles they face -- and come through them together -- helped propel me through the story. 

3. What will you read next? I think it will be time for a biography, and one of an American. Of my last five books, three were set in England, one in Ireland and now here I am headed to Australia. I want to come home!

 

 

He would have enjoyed this

Saturday was the anniversary of my friend John's passing. I still miss him, and I continue working on accepting that his death even happened. He was a part of the warp and woof of my life and you don't just lose that without major ramifications.

Fortunately Gregory noticed Saturday's date, too. He invited five of us to dinner.* We were five planets who had rotated around John's sun for decades, and it was good to spend the evening together. Also, Gregory cooked! Chicken and pasta with cream sauce, green beans, and cornbread, then brownies for dessert. I literally cannot recall my last home cooked meal.

I was amused by how different this Saturday was from our Saturdays back in the day. In the 80s it was all about sex, romance and careers. Instead of dancing at a club and then trying to find a greasy spoon open at 2:00 AM on Sunday morning, we met around Gregory's kitchen table at 5:00 PM and I was putting my key in my front door before 11:00 PM.

Now Wes wants to retire to Florida within the next three years, but mother (still in her own apartment at 96) is not willing to live in The South. Jeremy is the only one of us still working full-time. He's a speech therapist for students K-3 and oh! Does he have funny, affectionate stories to tell about the kids in his care. He and Wes went to Japan together last summer and hope to visit Spain this summer. He's not sure they will be able to travel internationally after the 2025-26 school year, when Jeremy will retire and he and Wes are both on pensions. Lori is now retired, and the mom she took care of for years has passed away, so she got her first-ever dog. She wishes she'd begun pet parenthood when she was younger and had more energy. Gregory has been retired for six years now and is considering a part-time gig like mine. He also has several of John's posters – inexpensive, silly, campy pieces – that John had displayed with thumbtacks on the wall. Gregory is going to have them matted and framed, and we all laughed at how our friend's crappy pictures were about go uptown.

I looked around the table and realized I was the only straight white woman in attendance. I think that was John's greatest gift to me. I grew up in such a narrow world, with only people whose experiences were like mine. My kid sister and my oldest friend still surround themselves with WASPs because it's what they know and it's what's most comfortable. I'm so lucky I met John. He introduced me to people who grew up very rich and very poor, to blacks and gays. Our country is vast and mixed and it's made me a better, more empathic citizen. For example, when people rail against DEI and want to rewrite American history to minimize Jim Crow, they don't take into account people like Wes, his siblings, and his nieces and nephews. They grew up with a matriarch who is afraid to live south of St. Louis because as a child in Arkansas, she literally saw lynched bodies hanging from trees. That happened. I will now consider the expense of denying it because I talked to and listen to Wes. And I met Wes because of John.

Of course, John was more than my own personal AP civics class. He held my hand during bad break ups. He ate hot dogs and drank beer with me at Cub games. (We saw Anthony Rizzo's first Wrigley Field home run together!) We celebrated birthdays and Thanksgivings. We visited one another in the hospital and mourned our parents together.

But in addition to all that, he did expand my worldview, and I am eternally grateful. 

*Vanessa couldn't make it. She was in some faraway burb for the weekend, helping with a sick relative.

 

"The happiest days are when babies come"

So said Melanie Wilkes in Gone with the Wind, and she wasn't wrong. Meet my new baby: A pale blue 2025 MacBook Air.

 

I ran my old one into the ground. I'm very hard on my toys, plus I used it like mad during Covid lock down when my work computer wasn't operational. The battery was compromised and my keyboard was sticky, so on Thursday when it crapped out completely I was sad but not shocked.

I'm so lucky to live not-too-far from The Apple Store on Michigan Avenue. First of all, it's a gorgeous building on The River, and being there takes some of the stress out of being without a laptop. 

Second, the geniuses at The Genius Bar are unfailingly kind and patient. I was pretty sure when I went in that my laptop couldn't be saved, but we talked it through. The first genius, Jon, explained that just fixing the immediate problem would cost between $600 and $700. Did I really want to invest that in a five-year-old laptop with a faulty battery and keyboard? No, of course not. So then we moved on to selecting a replacement. 

Blue is my favorite color and I was happy they had a blue MacBook Air in stock. I wouldn't have risked ordering one. I know the fakakta Trump tariffs don't apply to laptops now, but who knows which way the winds will be blowing in the Oval Office tomorrow? (Does anyone seriously still think our President has a plan?) Sometimes things work out and I got one.

Then Jon told me that they would do a data transfer from my old laptop to my new one, free of charge. YAY! I don't know how this was possible, since the monitor on my old one was no longer working, but they are Genius Bar geniuses and they have their ways. The only glitch? It would take at least 24 hours. (Yes, most of my stuff was on the Cloud. But I'm a suspenders-and-belt kinda gal.) Oh! And Jon the Genius actually flirted with me. ("You have a very positive energy. I wish I worked on Sunday so I could see you again.") I guess I must be fetching when I'm borderline hysterical and wearing my Cubs jacket. Sometimes I think I must be the only age-appropriate single woman in Chicagoland.

So I was unable to bring the new laptop home this morning. Then I spent hours (and hours) trying to log back into my accounts. Then I took a nap. Being without a laptop was actually rather stressful!

 

Thursday Thirteen #406

The Fortune 13. Since taxes and finances are at the forefront this week, I'm thinking about big bucks. Here are America's 13 largest companies, based on revenue, as reported by Fortune Magazine in 2024. I knew healthcare was big business, but until this morning I didn't realize how big. There are more healthcare companies in the top 13 than tech or energy or banking. Wow.

1. Walmart

2. Amazon. 

3. Apple.

4. United Healthcare.

5. Berkshire Hathaway.

6. CVS Health.

7. Exxon Mobil. 

8. Alpahabet. Google

9. McKeeson. Medical supplies

10. Cencora. Pet and animal pharmaceuticals.

11. Costco.

12. JP Morgan Chase.

13. Microsoft.

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

 

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? The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue. This novel is set during that most magic time: young adulthood. Rachel is a college student, working in a bookstore, becoming instant best friends and roommates with James. Everything is new, exciting, and romantic. As our narrator recalls of those days, "I was twenty and I needed two things: to be in love and to be taken seriously."

The story is told in flashback, with Rachel juggling career and pregnancy and James a success in New York. It's nice to know that these two get through the drama of their twenties that will unfold in the pages to come.

2. What did you recently finish reading? None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell. This thriller centers on "birthday twins." Josie and Alix were born in the same hospital, on the same day, in the same year. They meet by accident on their mutual 45th birthday. Josie imbues their chance encounter with meaning and is sure it's her opportunity to examine and change her life. She convinces Alix that they should do a podcast comparing/contrasting their lives and their journeys, and so "I'm Your Birthday Twin" is born.

Here's the hitch: Josie is batshit crazy. Slowly, dark secrets are revealed. Alix doesn't see it at first, not until dark shit begins to happen. Then, tragically, it's too late.

As you read this book, keep the title in mind. Josie is a most unreliable narrator. It's an entertaining and, at times, haunting book.

3. What will you read next? Something set stateside. My last four books have been set in the UK. Not by design, it's just happened that way. But enough! I want to come home.

 

 

The view from the top

 

Yeah, I know it's only April 7. But during these last 10 games, my guys have looked good. Loving the stellar defense and the speed on the basepads. 

But I still miss Anthony Rizzo. His wife is in her last trimester as they await the birth of their first baby. Is he happy? Is he excited? Is he OK? Retirement is an adjustment for anyone, but most of us pick up our careers as young adults. He's been playing baseball since he was a child. It's not a profession, it's a way of life. I hope he's OK. He deserves only good things.