Ten on Tuesday #1 -- My life is wonderful

I got me a new meme!

The challenge: "Sometimes we’re so busy moaning and groaning about the stresses in our lives, wishing for things we can’t have or the life we should have had that we forget to appreciate how lucky we are to be alive. So what makes your life wonderful?"

1) My critters. My three cats have vastly different personalities and watching them interact with one another is so much fun. They also provide me with a font of unconditional love that I too-often take for granted.

2) My faith. Don't worry, this won't be one of those "I-gotta-convert-you" posts because my faith is just that … mine. It's personal, it's strong, and it has sustained me through the rough times.

3) The first-place Chicago Cubs. What more needs to be said?

4) My job. I am a writer. Words come easily to me and I am fortunate to get paid for something I enjoy. For the most part. I mean, after all, it is called "work."

5) Email. Because words (and typing) come easily to me, email gives me an easy way to stay in closer contact with people that might have drifted away otherwise.

6) My friends. A motley crew to be sure! But mine own. Gay and straight, representing a variety of occupations and races, single and engaged and married, from 32 to 61, they keep me entertained and educated as they share their lives with me. I'm lucky to have them.

7) The Beatles. Like the Cubs, the Lads have always been a source of joy as years turn to decades.

8) The sky. I love it. Really. From cloudless pale blue to stormy gray to inky and filled with stars.

9) Cable. OK, so maybe I'm shallow. But I love just surfing and seeing what's on. I'm often having mindless fun, but the HBO series on John Adams taught me a ton, so it isn't all mental junk food.

10) My mom. We've had our ups and downs, of course. But she's still my mommy and I love her.

For more information, or to play along yourself, click here.

NOW he's discreet?!??

Last month, my old boss shared every detail (and I do mean "every") of his proposed prostate cancer surgery. Since then we've exchanged emails and I've sent a couple of "cheer up" cards. Suddenly, last week he went silent. I understood and respected that, since Friday was the scheduled date for the surgery. I imagine that, just as talking about it earlier on made him feel better, talking about it as the day approached may have made him more nervous.

But that was Friday. He was supposed to be home Saturday. I sent this rose plant and it was successfully delivered. (Yes, I saved the 35%, too. Hey! It's the thought that counts!) And I have yet to hear WORD ONE from him!

Could he still be too tired? Trust me, he's not embarrassed about the nature of his surgery -- but I suppose he could be embarrassed if he chickened out … Or (shudder) what if his doctors discovered that the cancer spread?

I'm respecting his privacy, but it's not easy. WHAT IS GOING ON?

Random Tunes

My first time doing this meme on Monday. Let's see how I do …

The challenge: List 10 songs that sum up your weekend...or were on your weekend playlist...and one picture that relates back. (Oh, and if you feel like it, tell us why you picked the songs you did)

1) Talking in Your Sleep -- Crystal Gayle
2) Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue -- Crystal Gayle
3) Somebody Loves You -- Crystal Gayle
4) I'll Do It All Over Again -- Crystal Gayle
5) Why Have You Left the One You Left Me For? -- Crystal Gayle
6) Kiss This Thing Goodbye -- Del Amitri
7) Nothing Ever Happens -- Del Amitri
8) Always the Last to Know -- Del Amitri
9) Stone Cold Sober -- Del Amitri
10) Some Other Sucker's Parade -- Del Amitri

OK, here's the thing … For some reason, more than a week ago, "Talking in Your Sleep" came out of nowhere and landed in my head. And refused to leave … and refused to leave … so I finally bought an inexpensive Crystal Gayle compilation (shown) and downloaded it. The repeated listenings cured me and enabled me to move on to the next playlist on my iPod: Del Amitri.

Of course this is absolutely true. Could anyone come up with such a mundane saga otherwise?

To play along yourself, click here.

This is what first place looks like

Pretty, ain't it?

Doing it in stages

1) First I decided not to throw the mail solicitation out, instead keeping it on my coffee table -- separate from the mail that required response.

2) When the "reminder" mailing came, I recycled the original invitation and placed the second mailing in the yellow folder (where bills go).

3) After about a week, I sent in the $12 membership fee.

4) When the membership packet came, I put it on the coffee table.

5) After about a week, I opened it, peered in, and saw that I do indeed have a valid AARP Membership Card. My name is spelled correctly.

6) What's next? Actually moving the card to my wallet? Or checking what perks come with membership? We'll see … next week.

Look what I found! Guess where I found it.

At Kwizgiver's, of course. I think the end is true.

What Your Taste in Chocolate Says About You

You are sophisticated, modern, and high class. Your taste is refined, but you are not picky. You are often the first to try something new. You are a whimsical person prone to daydreaming. Artistic and creative, you're always in the middle of a project. While you are an inspiration to others, you can come off as flaky. You love being by yourself and thinking. Developing your own theories and ideas is fun. You feel lost when you're forced to be social. Being with other people can be lonely for you.

The Chocolate Oracle

BIG Concern!

The rumors are all over the place -- "a major character" dies in the Sex and the City movie that opens over Memorial Day weekend. I am guessing that "major character" means not Miranda's mother-in-law nor Charlotte's friend Anthony.

As someone who has always taken SATC too seriously, I am plagued by concern about this. Yes, it could be Samantha -- always my least favorite of the Fab 4 -- because she was battling breast cancer. Or Charlotte -- finally pregnant -- because Carrie is reading to her adopted little girl in the trailer. Does this mean Carrie will help raise her dear friend's daughter?

But I fear it's Mr. Big. He had heart trouble toward the end of the series and yet still enjoyed his cigars, wine and women a bit much. Plus that does seem to be how life goes for our poor Carrie … she finally gets the man of her dreams to pop the question and he dies en route to the altar.

At least Chris Noth is back playing another of my favorite characters, good Catholic boy turned NY detective Mike Logan in L&O: Criminal Intent. So, if I'm right and poor Big does bite it, he'll still have walking-around money.

ADDITION AND SHOUTOUT TO CUPCAKE!

After giving this entirely more thought than it deserves, I have a new theory. What if the fatality is Miranda? By letting it slip herself, Cynthia Nixon might just assume that we would never think it was her! (She wrote, sitting back and feeling quite proud of her cleverness.)

Well, that it explains it

Hadn't heard from my dear old friend in Key West in quite some time. Not since I returned from my vacation outside of Atlanta weeks ago! This is not like him. An attentive man who loves his friends like his family, he puts a great value on maintaining ties.

In the past week I called and left messages at his home, at his office, on his cellphone. I sent emails. I expressed my concern over and over again throughout the last few days.

He finally called me this morning and we had a lovely, hours and hours long chat. I'm so relieved! Why had he been incommunicado? A busy schedule, both teaching and taking university classes. And, most of all, his suffering and very ill-tempered lover.

His partner is trying to stop smoking and is having a TERRIBLE time. Nothing that he has used, not OTC nor prescription, has been able to help. The last avenue seems to be hypnosis. In addition to suffering from nicotine withdrawal, which I hear makes one ever-so grumpy, he has to deal with the self-loathing when he gives in.

My friend, never really much of a smoker who gave it up more than twenty years ago, is devoted to making the transition as easy as he can for his lover. If what his lover needs is a delicate combination of complete attention and total silence, so be it. My friend knows how hard his lover is trying to kick the habit.

This all surprises me. For his lover has always been -- at least with me -- downright defiant about his smoking. It's his privilege, his choice, he enjoys it, etc., etc., etc. Until this morning, I didn't realize it was all bravado designed to cover his inability to quit.

Right here in my own backyard!

Got a really terrific massage yesterday afternoon … right here in town!

We have three salons within a few blocks of each other that offer massage services. One is in a sumptuous setting but it's overpriced and there is terrific pressure to sign up for additional services. If there's anything that's at odds with a relaxing massage, it's being made to feel I'm expected to spend first a lot of money, and then more.

The second is more austere, and the service was perfectly adequate, but to me the greatest thing about it is that it has Sunday hours so it fits more easily into my schedule.

Like Goldie Locks, the third one I tried turned out to be just right. The masseuse was good and actually listened, tailoring her services to my needs; the price was reasonable; the salon, while a bit of a clusterfuck downstairs at reception (I was so annoyed I almost left without paying), has devoted the quieter, more relaxing upstairs to the only services I would ever be interested in -- nail care and massage.

Massages are good for my body (especially my right shoulder) and spirit. Finding this salon, right here, within walking distance, makes me soooooo happy!

In praise of Greg Maddux

Tonight he's going after an even more prestigious place in the record books with his 350th win against the Diamondbacks. While I'm as excited as all get out, the Man Himself is downplaying the importance of reaching 350. Maybe it's because he already has:

• More than 3,200 strike outs
• 17 consecutive Gold Gloves (1990-2007)
• 4 consecutive Cy Young Awards (1992-1995)

And just think, he's managed to do all that without steroids! When he goes into the Hall of Fame, no one will even mention putting an asterisk after his name (unlike juiced-up Cheater McCheaty Pants Clemens, who -- to be fair -- has racked up even more impressive stats but had to shoot up to do it).

PS Um … He kinda got shellacked. Giving up 6 runs in the first inning alone. But he'll be ready to try again next week!

Well, that was an interesting way to start the day!

Before dawn I woke up suddenly. I didn't know WHY I'd awakened, but I assumed I had a dream. I did what always do first thing when I wake up (after I stop at the little writer's room): I turned on the news. Guess what:

WE HAD AN EARTHQUAKE!

It was a 5.2 tremor down in southern Illinois that shook me from slumber. Earthquakes don't happen much here in Chicagoland. Since no one was hurt, I can just enjoy the fact that Mother Nature just reminded us that she can toss more our way than just tornadoes.

The face of evil

Meet 18-year-old Jean Pierre Orlewicz. His story is NOT for the squeamish.

"JP" is on the stand in his own defense, explaining to the jury why he came up behind Daniel Sorenson … slit his throat and proceeded to stab his victim another dozen times … then took a hacksaw and beheaded him. Oh, we're not done yet. Sweet, handsome young JP then took a blowtorch to each of Daniel Sorenson's fingertips so it would be more difficult for the authorities to identify the headless body. (Hey! I warned you!)

Please note, he's not denying any of this. (Though he did deny what one witness alleged -- that JP played with Daniel Sorenson's head for a while, moving the lips and making him "talk.") He's explaining that he did it in self defense.

The jury didn't accept this explanation and found him guilty of first-degree, premeditated murder and mutilation of a corpse. They believed the version put forth by the prosecutors -- that this kid wanted to know how it felt to kill someone, what it was like to commit the perfect crime. As prosecutor Robert Moran said in his closing arguments, "Where was his emotion when he testified? Where was his emotion when he testified that he had to kill Mr. Sorensen? When he had to cut off his head? He testified like he was ordering a pizza. A typical day. That's him. That's cold."

Speaking of "cold," wait till I tell you where JP committed these heinous acts: in his grandfather's garage. Since his dear, doting Grandpa was fighting a losing battle with dementia, he was sure he'd be safe there.

Look at this wide-eyed, clean-cut suburban kid. Remember his depraved saga next time you're tempted to say, "He doesn't look like child molester …" or drug dealer, or animal/kid abuser, or con man, etc. Jean Pierre Orlewicz proves that evil can look as clean, harmless, and "normal" as the boy next door.

Thursday Thirteen #63 -- Create your own Fountain of Youth

THIRTEEN TIPS
FOR LOOKING YOUNGER

I got this idea from Allure (April/Mariah Carey cover), with its headline about 203 ways to help us turn back time. It’s intriguing and it sure drew me in, but really, who has time to learn and implement all 203? Besides, I wanted this TT to be non-gender specific, so here are 13 of the best (or at least the most doable) for all you boys and girls in the blogosphere.

1. Everybody needs a good sunscreen. And to be good, it has to have an SPF higher than 15 to block the evil UVA rays. These rays not only cause melanoma, they also damage the collagen and elastin in your skin and make you look older.

2. Fall in love with salmon. This fatty fish helps keep your arteries clear and keeps that blood pumping everywhere it needs to go, including your skin. Walnuts are good, too.

3. Cut back on alcohol. There’s evidence that liquor may deplete the important fatty acids like those in salmon, and eventually that will have an impact on your complexion and appearance.

4. Exercise. Yeah, yeah. It’s good for your heart, it’s good for your blood pressure, it enhances your muscle tone, whatever. Just as importantly, like salmon, it helps your blood course more efficiently through your veins, which leaves your skin looking better.

5. Floss. It’s not sexy but it’s important. Receding gums can give away your age (hence the phrase, “long in the tooth”). It’s important to your general health because gum disease can lead to more serious problems, since bad gums give bacteria an easy way to enter your blood stream.

6. Stop smoking. There are a million health reasons, but how about this vanity-based one? Smokers squint more than the rest of us (an involuntary reflex when presented with smoke and flame), and that causes crow’s feet. Smokers also have more tell-tale wrinkles around their lips.

7. Reduce stress. No, really. Doctors theorize that stress puts a drain on your adrenal system, which can allow skin conditions from acne to psoriasis to worsen. And, since nothing is more important to a youthful look than a healthy-looking complexion …

8. Eat fruits and veggies. As with eliminating smoking, adding fruits and vegetables is good for your general health. But this post is dedicated to the deeply superficial, so I must note that it’s also VERY good for your skin because it helps balance your pH level. If your body has too much acidity (which can come from eating too many proteins and refined sugars), you can find yourself with poor skin color and tone.

9. Wash your face. Perhaps not as often as you wash your hands, but do it twice a day. It’s exposed to tobacco, pollution, and other environmental factors that simply do damage.

10. But be gentle! Those who exfoliate their skin too often with alpha-hydroxies or scrubs can deplete the natural oils and even exacerbate acne and discoloration. FELLAS, THIS GOES FOR YOU, TOO! Remember, if you’re clean-shaven, you already exfoliate your face daily with a razor.

11. Moisturize as soon as you get out of the shower. This is the best time to apply moisturizer to your body – after toweling yourself but before your skin has a chance to dry completely.

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING TWO -- Find moisturizers that contain these products. I imagine swabbing a tea bag all over would be time consuming and, well, icky.

12. Don’t just drink green tea. Slather it on your skin, too. Green tea is easy for the skin to absorb, so a moisturizer fortified with it comes with antioxidants that help protect against the damage from pollutants.

13. Same with Vitamin C. Studies have shown it can actually help REPAIR skin damage because Vitamin C has been proven to enhance collagen production.

If you enjoyed these, pick up the April issue of Allure for
more tips and greater detail.

Leave your link in the comments section and I'll add your name here:

1) Malcolm names some of our favorite TV duos
2) Pjazzypar looks back on In Living Color
3) Holly goes random on us
4) Anthony North doesn't have a TT, but he has some very provocative posts
5) Kay has a very entertaining TT
6) Linda Moore has a taxing TT
7) Nicholas has another one of his charming literary TTs
8) Ornery's Wife invites us to Miller Manor
9) Claudia bravely brings up life's unanswerable questions
10) Sandy Carlson shines a spotlight on one of her favorite animals
11) Adelle shares her wishlist
12) Siteseer has a fragrant, floral TT
13) Journeywoman looks back on Hollywood Hunks for days gone by
14) Lori warns us what movies NOT to see
15) Lori (a different one) goes back to the 80s
16) Wacky Mommy is all over the place with a pleasantly random TT
17) Grace takes us off the beaten track to a museum in Dubai
18) Mo helps us with our word choices
19) Ivanhoe sings the praises of cruising
20) Marcia celebrates her own birthday with a trip down memory lane

21) Xakara gives us an animated view of her week

22) Storyteller has an imaginative TT

23) Laura had to search for her TT

24) She became a butterfly lovingly remembers those who were "gone too soon"

25) Brenda shares tips on writing

26) Candy Minx has a super-terrific TT

27) Chris shows us what his students would see if they could read his thought bubble

28) Lisa's TT is brought to us by the letter K

29) Lucy's TT starts at the top and works its way down

30) Angelie has a highly visual TT

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Welcome back to Wrigley Field, Dusty Baker!

Your team is losing 9 to 5 to the Cubs. Every time you step out onto the field, the fans boo you. I can think of no better homecoming for the man who broke my heart by trading my beloved future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux for freaking Cesare freaking Izturis.

To borrow from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, we got lucky, babe, when we found Lou!

Heads & Tails #20

This week's theme is "tip," or a word that rhymes with "tip."

"Tip" brought me to "lip," which brought me to the Rolling Stones and their lips/tongue graphic. I'm really not much of a fan, but I like them well enough. And, since Monday-Friday I toil away in the world of advertising and marketing, I genuinely admire how this logo captures who they are, how iconic it's become, and how long it's lasted in this disposable world.

Tuesday Tunes #3

Word Association Week! Remember, name the first band/artist/song/album/instrument etc that comes to mind when you see these words.

Drum: Ringo Starr
River: "Oh, I wish I had a river I could sail away on …" Joni Mitchell
Sea: "Somewhere, Beyond the Sea" Bobby Darin
Sand: "Circle in the Sand," Belinda Carlisle
Travel: "Yes, I'm a travelin' man …" Ricky Nelson
Time: "Time After Time" Cyndi Lauper
Journey: "Don't Stop Believing" Journey
Number: "Rikki, Don't Lose that Number"
Theme: "Ringo's Theme," an alternate name for "This Boy," The Beatles on A Hard Day's Night (This seems to be very Ringo-centric this week, doesn't it?)
Magic: "Ho, ho, ho, it's magic, you know. Never believe it's not so …" Pilot (I had to look it up the band's name Pilot)

For more information, or to play along yourself, click here.

6 Unimportant Things about ME

Discovered at Kwizgiver's, as all the best memes and quizzes are.

1) Coke in cans tastes better than Coke in bottles.

2) When I hear them on the radio, I often can't tell Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson apart.

3) My fascination with TruTV (once CourtTV) is kinda creepy. I especially enjoy when women break bad. I have my favorites (Piper Rountree and Melanie McGuire). See? You're a little creeped out by this, aren't you?

4) I hate going to the health club or preparing to embark on a long walk. But I enjoy exercising and having exercised. Go figure.

5) I KNOW that Katie Couric never should have left The Today Show and Meredith Vieria never should have left The View. These are not my opinions. These are indisputable facts.

6) My favorite Girl Scout cookies are the peanut butter sandwiches.

Now the fun part: Come up with six unimporant things about yourself. Once tagged, post back here so I can come visit, 'k? I tag: you, you, you, and you and you annnnnnnd YOU!

90.5 out of 100

That's what my niece scored at the statewide culinary competition. That highly respectable point total won her a medal for individual achievement. I am so very proud of her, even though I don't much understand what all she did to win it.

I'm also pleased and proud that she was away for two nights, staying with other young chefs from across the state at a hotel/convention center, without incident. I am hoping that she has turned a corner and that she is on her way to showing everyone what a kick-ass girl she can be.

Family Ties

See this family? They are that beloved TV clan, The Keatons. And they have nothing whatsoever to do with my family.

My older sister and I have never gotten along. And I do mean never. Just a little more than a year older than I am, she has always resented my very existence. From the time my mother bathed us together in the big tub to the day I moved out, she physically hurt me. I was pinched, kicked, scalded, and hit in the head with a baseball bat. When we were in high school, she threw me into the stove so hard my body caused a gas leak.

My mom used to minimize this by saying, "the girls fight." That was not true. WE were not fighting, I was getting the shit beat out of me on a regular basis. When my sister was a college freshman but still living at home, she lost her temper with my mother and slugged her in the face with a broom handle. Suddenly my sister's violent tendencies were considered serious and we were all dragged to a family counselor. A highly-attidunal high school senior, I thought it was all sad but funny: you can do whatever you want to me and my body and it's dismissed; touch anyone else in the family and it's a problem.

The family therapist said that my older sister needed more attention from my parents than they could give -- my dad because he was so distant and my mother because she had another baby (me) so soon and then, just as my older sister was entering adolescence, my baby sister arrived. We couldn't stay in family therapy long, though, even if it probably would have been good for us because my older sister was 18 and refused to go any more. She believed the shrink was persecuting her and blamed her for everything. My mother thought SHE was being blamed. The irony of all this is, I'm the one who has returned to therapy off and on for decades. (And I'm better for it.)

My sister's antipathy toward me hasn't abated with time. Even though we are now in our 50s, she still gets jealous of the time my mother spends with me. She lives 2000 miles away in Los Angeles, and yet the competition continues. Yet when my mom needs help, my sister is conveniently unavailable. She also did something pretty sleazy and unforgivable in regards to my late grandma's estate, and she kisses up to my sick uncle when it suits her because he's a millionaire and I think she's banking on him dying soon. (HA! He has Parkinson's and could linger in agony and depression for years more, so she won't get to cash that inheritance check any time soon.)

Her husband left her. Her kids hate her. She doesn't have any close friends. And no matter how pudgy I get, she somehow manages to be fatter.

She got engaged recently. Her betrothed is a widower in his 60s with a huge family. She's done the rounds of showing off her ring to his huge clan and is embarrassed that she has so little family interested in seeing it, or her. (My kid sister has her own issues with our oldest sister, but let her post them on her own blog.) She came in for the weekend but has been dreading it. My sister's sadness over her sorry family relationships has been depressing my mother, who keeps hoping, hoping, hoping that this new man (or new job, or new car, or new home … whatever) will be the thing that finally makes her oldest daughter happy.

So last night I did something uncharacteristic. I stopped by my mother's house to meet the fiance and see the ring and then I let them buy me dinner. I was home by 9:00, so the whole ordeal was 5 hours long. And I do mean LOOOOONG. It was awkward, of course. Still, I'm glad I did it. It made my mom so happy to see us together. And besides, how often do you get to save another human being from discomfort and embarrassment?

Don't get me wrong. We aren't going to be buds. I realize that my sister still/eternally has competition and anger issues. I know her patterns, I've had a lifetime to observe them -- when she gets stressed, when life doesn't go her way, she gets mean and vindictive. I am not putting myself in harm's way in the future, just because last night didn't end in bruising and bloodshed.

But I helped her save face and I made my mother happy. And I ordered dessert! (Peppermint ice cream.) I believe that last night just might be my ticket to heaven.

Now it seems slightly scary

The ivy covered outfield of beautiful Wrigley Field is famous. But now I wonder, is it dangerous, too?

Last night I saw the movie The Ruins, in which the evil force is neither man nor beast but hungry killer vines. I shall now be a little frightened every time our phenomenal new right fielder Kosuke Fukodome chases one to the wall. And, for the love of God, Kosuke, OBSERVE THE GROUND RULE DOUBLE REG! Do not put your hand into the plants to retrieve a ball under any circumstances. Really. You could find yourself giving up more than a run!

I turn my back for a moment and IT ALL FALLS APART!

I went out last night instead of flipping back and forth between the Cubs game* and American Idol. And look what happened!

Michael Johns was voted off!

PEOPLE! What's up here? There was nothing wrong with his version of "Dream On." And I'm still a-swooning from his rendition of "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right." I don't think he belonged in the bottom 3, much less sent packing!

Idol is now bereft of eye candy. I'm so sad!

*They won, sweeping the series. Hey, hey! Holy mackerel! No doubt about it! The Cubs are on their way!

Well it is what I am, after all

Liberated from Kwizgiver (of course). I do love the Jackie O glasses.

You Belong in the Baby Boomer Generation

You fit in best with people born between 1943 and 1960. You are optimistic, rebellious, and even a little self centered. You still believe that you will change the world. You detest authority and rules. Deep down, you're a non conformist.

What Generation Do You Belong In?

THURSDAY THIRTEEN #61 -- A Legendary Tale of Lunacy, Firearms … and Baseball

THIRTEEN FACTS ABOUT

THE REAL "NATURAL"

This is the sad-but-true story of Eddie Waitkus, the inspiration for The Natural starring Robert Redford. Alas, what follows doesn’t have a happy Hollywood ending.

1) Eddie Waitkus was both a decorated WWII veteran and an All-Star first baseman who played for the Cubs, the Phillies and the Orioles.

2) However, he’s best known as the player who was shot by
a young, beautiful and very looney fan in a Chicago hotel in 1949.

3) She was 19-year-old Ruth Ann Steinhagen. She became obsessed with Eddie when he played for her hometown Cubs. She was furious when he was traded to the Phillies and plotted to destroy him when he returned to Chicago with his new team.

4) Ruth Ann may have been crazy but she wasn’t dumb. She did her homework, checking into the hotel where the Phillies stayed in Chicago and using the name of one of Eddie’s real-life girlfriends.

5) She went to Wrigley Field for the Cub/Phillies game, then returned to the hotel she and Eddie “shared” for a few drinks. She wrote him a note, signed it with her alias, and paid a bellboy $5 to deliver it while she went up to her room. Eddie showed up at her door, hoping for romance.

6) Instead he got a single shotgun blast to the chest. Ruth Ann immediately called the front desk and told the clerk, “I just shot Eddie Waitkus.” If she hadn’t reported her own crime so quickly, he probably would have bled to death.

7) The bullet pierced his lung and lodged between his heart and spine. Because of the location, surgeons decided it was safest to leave the bullet where it was.

8) The next day, after several hours on the operating table, Eddie awoke in his hospital room to police officers and Ruth Ann. He identified her to the authorities with one word, “Shooter.” He later added that he had never met her before and had no idea why she would shoot him.

9) Eddie required four more surgeries and months of rehabilitation in Clearwater, Florida. He heroically returned to the Phillies in 1950 and hit .284 in Philadelphia’s pennant-winning effort.

10) In 1951, Eddie married and started a family that would grow to include a son and daughter.

11) Ruth Ann Steinhagen was tried and found “not guilty” due to insanity. She was committed to a state hospital, underwent shock treatments, and was judged sane and released in 1952.

12) After his career ended in 1955, Eddie suffered through divorce and battled alcoholism. He supported himself by working with kids at Ted Williams’ baseball camp each summer. He often collected unemployment during the winter months.

13) He died in a veterans’ hospital in 1972 at the age of 53. His son blames the bullet that remained in his body for all those years for his father’s lung cancer, saying, "Steinhagen was more successful than she thought.”


PS Thanks to Harlekwin for the KiTTy Banner.

Leave your link in the comments and I'll include you here:
1) Claudia highlights the inspiring Everyday Kindness Challenge
2) Sue introduces us to a merry band of enchanted folk
3) Anthony North takes a different look at saving the planet
4) Candy Minx takes on her condiment "addiction"
5) Nicholas watches movies in an old format
6) Sandycarlson has a moving post about charity
7) Lazy Daisy celebrates the "whites" of Spring
8) Susan Helene Gottfried introduces us to a new character with poetry in his soul
9) Journeywoman has a thoughtful (but still rockin') TT
10) Adelle gives us vacation ideas
11) Lori shares dos and don'ts for the all-important first date
12) Marcia has breaktaking butterfly pix
13) Lisa has an entire TT devoted to the letter J
14) SJR has a movie TT (and I love movie TTs) devoted to Cary Grant
15) Denise vents about a late-blooming spring
16) Alice shares her innovative approach to housework
17) Winter offers up helpful hints for disposing of a body (no, really)
18) Storyteller shares her life story, 4 facts at a time
19) Starrlight proves random can be very funny
20) Laura gives us the skinny on military housing
21) Sassy Mama Bear shares 13 real-live license plates

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Golden Goodie Blast from the Past

A former client contacted me yesterday. He was Mr. Important at a west coast company I worked with back in 2000-2002. His company chose to quit working with the agency I was with … I switched agencies … There was really no need for us stay in contact so we drifted apart.

He happened to come upon my name on a phone list (long story) and shot me an email, referencing my position at my current agency and mentioning how much he enjoyed working with me. How nice! His son is looking at colleges in the Chicago area and he promised to call me next time he's in town … maybe we could go to a Cub game.

I don't think that will ever happen, but it isn't the point. It made me so happy that a Mr. Important would remember little old me after more than 5 years. And he even remembered that I'm a Cub fan! Just yesterday I wrote that we should tell those who are important to us. I guess this is proof, huh?

Things are tenuous at work and on top of it, I took today off. (I had a migraine this morning at about 4:00 AM that felt like it split my head in half.) But this cheers me up. Knowing there are Mr. Importants out there who believe I'm good at my job gives me faith that I'll find work again if I have to.

Important to know

Found this at Kwizgiver's. I probably could have scored higher, but refused to consider my pets as "an additional food source."



Created by OnePlusYou

I miss him

My best friend, I mean.

There are a dozen pissy little things bothering me today. None are huge, all are probably PMS exacerbated.* I have a project to do that just doesn't excite me … I made a hole in the wall under my sink and if I wasn't stuck at the office (not working on a project because it doesn't excite me), I could be repairing it … I can't voice any of my professional ennui because MORE coworkers were laid off today … It's tiring to pretend I care when I have never even met them … I didn't work out at lunch today and feel especially fat and lazy …

And I just know if he was here, it would all somehow be better. I think I'll write him an email that says that. Those who are important to us deserve to know it, don't they?

*I'm 50, dammit! When can I put periods and being a hormone hostage behind me?

Thinking of songs ...

Here's my second Tuesday Tunes:

What music related tv shows do you or have you watched? I am sadly addicted to American Idol. There should be a support group for people like me.

Have you ever gone to see a movie just for the music? No.

What is you favorite music related movie? (Blushing and averting my eyes) The Sound of Music.

A sad old song that's stuck in my head

Talking in Your Sleep (as recorded by Crystal Gayle)

Three o'clock in the mornin'
And it looks like it's gonna be
Another sleepless night
I've been listenin' to your dreams
And gettin' very low
Wond'rin' what I can do

Maybe I'm bein' foolish
'Cause I haven't heard you mention
Anybody's name at all
How I wish I could be sure
It's me that turns you on
Each time you close your eyes
I've heard it said that dreamers never lie

You've been talkin' in your sleep
Sleepin' in your dreams
With some sweet lover
Holdin' on so tight
Lovin' her the way
You used to love me
Talkin' in your sleep
With lovin' on your mind

Maybe I'm bein' foolish
'Cause I haven't heard you mention
Anybody's name at all
How I wish I could be sure
It's me that turns you on
Each time you close your eyes
I've heard it said that dreamers never lie

You've been talkin' in your sleep
Sleepin' in your dreams
With some sweet lover
Holdin' on so tight
Lovin' her the way
You used to love me
Talkin' in your sleep
With lovin' on your mind

I'm so into it

I am genuinely happy to see Paula, Randy, Ryan and Simon on Larry King Live. I love American Idol. I'm so into it that right now I may very well be on the verge of pathetic. If Randy refers to Larry King as "dawg," I'll die of completion.

Greetings from Geek Heaven

As I write this, I'm watching Abigail Adams tearfuly marry off her only daughter in the HBO mini-series. This came on right after the King documentary on The History Channel. And this morning, I finished book, The Day Lincoln Was Shot.

Except for the time spent listening to the Cubs kick Astro ass as I replaced the shelf paper under the sink, I have been ensconced in American history. It's been an exciting and emotional ride and I've enjoyed it enormously.

"Picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been ..."

Your Old Fashioned Name Is...

Elinor Gosebourne

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Now THIS is why God made Saturdays!

It's sunny and in the low-to-mid 60ºs! I celebrated by walking my 10,000 steps through the park and along the side streets to and from the cheapie pet store (where Friskies are only 38¢/can!). Most gloriously of all, I had Pat and Ron in my headphones. So I exercised AND economized. I am happy.

I love my Cubs broadcast team. Especially on a day like today, when the Cubs come from behind to win! Unflappable Pat reports the play-by-play and Ronnie (Cubs great Ron Santo) provides the heart, and the insights of someone who played All Star-caliber third base in Wrigley Field.

The games on TV are enjoyable for sure. But there is nothing like wandering around town on a bright sunny day with Pat and Ron company. All the better when DLee goes 4-for-4 and Kerry Wood gets the save.

Still the gold standard when it comes to obnoxious Beatle Birds

Yoko Ono has leapt to the defense of Heather Mills, encouraging the former Lady McCartney to "do her very best and try to survive."

I'm sure the $50 million that Sir Paul's ex will receive will make "surviving" a little easier. To put it in perspective, according to Great Britain national statistics, households in London have the highest total average income in the UK and that is approximately the equivalent of $77,000/year. Average households throughout Great Britain "survive" on less.

And these women wonder why the public dislikes them. To paraphrase Jennifer Aniston's assessment of Brad Pitt, each of these Beatle Birds seems to be missing a sensitivity chip.

Shame on me!

I let economizing and PMS get the best of me! Yesterday for lunch, instead of working out, I went to Border's because I had a soon-to-expire coupon for 25% off and I NEEDED new headphones. (No, really. Without my iPod I am simply not myself!)

To make it worse, I also bought a chocolate bunny wrapped in gold foil and wearing a little red ribbon. This year, at Easter, my mom gave me little Tootsie Rolls and jelly beans. It was fine, but I missed having a chocolate bunny. It was on sale. I'm PMS-ing. And who knew Border's had chocolate?

To make it even worse, I stopped at McDonald's for lunch on the way back. PMS protein cravings took over. I chose a QP with cheese because it's fewer calories than a Big Mac. Somehow that made me feel virtuous.

At 3:30, our office had a party to celebrate the start of baseball season. I knew the beer cart would be there (a major beer company is one of our clients) and that Cub and White Sox cookies would be provided so we could declare our team affiliation. I passed on the beer and cookies but instead grabbed what I didn't expect -- a hotdog and a bag of peanuts. I figured: free dinner. Again, I'm taking my resolution to economize seriously.

But what I did yesterday was UNwise and UNhealthy. Bad for my skin. Bad for my heart. Bad for incredily big thighs and round, round tummy. Bad for my self esteem.

Move more, Gal. Eat better, Gal. Drink more WATER, Gal. I realize it's as important as saving money.

Where are you?

As we reach the anniversaries of the murders of MLK and Bobby Kennedy, I am becoming sadder and sadder about all we lost, and what might have been. Remembering 1968 makes me more and more nervous about the Obama/Clinton stand off.

The Democrat nominated here in Chicago in 1968 wasn't Gene McCarthy and it sure wasn't Bobby. It was the compromise candidate, Hubert Humphrey. And we ended up with President Richard Nixon.

I know that John Edwards is sensitive to the legacies of Kennedy and King. Perhaps he is waiting until the anniversary of Bobby's murder (June 6) to make his much awaited endorsement.

It's time for this primary contest to end. We aren't talking about policies nor issues anymore. We're simply waiting for Hillary to give up or for Obama to self destruct. I don't think either is likely to happen. We may, however, just continue watching two good candidates beat and bruise and weaken one another.

I'd feel better if I knew that Gore and John Edwards were talking, perhaps Bill Richardson, too. I have never believed that Howard Dean had the sense the Lord gave a duck, and I want to know that people who are objective, those who have my party and my country's best interests at heart, are talking about the end game here. I don't want to see a repeat of 1968.

Plus, I miss John Edwards' hair and magnolia voice.