THURSDAY THIRTEEN #96 -- "The Welcome Back" Edition

First of all, thanks to Mr. Pop Culture Dish himself, Malcolm, for reuniting me with my all-time favorite meme! Because it's too late/too early for me to be up, I'm going to let music, and this post, "soothe the mind and give it rest," so I can go back to bed for a bit. (Please remember that I am a proud Baby Boomer and my list reflects that.)

Without further ado ...

THIRTEEN SONGS MY IPOD
PLAYED WHILE ON SHUFFLE

1. 100 Years -- 5 for Fighting
2. (Between a) Rock and a Hard Place -- Rolling Stones
3. Domino -- Van Morrison
4. Martha, My Dear -- The Beatles
5. Just a Little Lovin' -- Dusty Springfield
6. You're My Best Friend -- Queen
7. Jessie's Girl -- Rick Springfield
8. I'm the Greatest -- Ringo Starr
9. Little Sister -- Elvis
10. Love in an Elevator -- Aerosmith
11. Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows -- Lesley Gore*
12. Already Gone -- The Eagles
13. The Rising -- The Boss

*Yes, I'm embarrassed that one came up. But what kind of person fakes her TT? I had to include it.

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Now I know my ABC's ...

This seems pretty easy to complete, even after those warm, fuzzy drugs. (Liberated from Kwizgiver.)

Accent: Well, I don't think I have an accent. My best friend, who lives in Denver, maintains I have "a Chicago accent, like Hillary Clinton," which he tells me means my r's are hard and my a's are broad. Which could very well be true, since I don't think Hillary has an accent, either.

Breakfast or no breakfast: Monday-Friday, just a glass of milk and a can of Coke. Weekends, either a bowl of cereal or a big coffee shop breakfast with eggs as the centerpiece.

Chore I don’t care for: I don't really enjoy any chores. I hate, loathe, despise and abominate laundry, though.

Dog or Cat: Cat. Or cats. Today my best feline friend has been my big old black and white tub of guts, Joey. He's been very affectionate and attentive surrounding today's festivities. He has seemed more in tune to why our daily schedule was off and he's been very sweet about it. I've said it before -- Joey may be my dopiest cat, but he's my hero. He has an unfailingly sensitive, positive nature.

Essential Electronics: iPod.

Favorite Perfume: Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker

Gold or Silver: Silver

Handbag I carry most often: No such thing. I change my bags at least twice a week.

Insomnia: At times.

Job Title: Associate Creative Director

Kids: None

Living Arrangements: Me and the cats in the a 2BR condo

Most Admirable Trait: I'm strong like bull

Naughtiest Childhood Behavior: I was a "loud" child. "Keep it down!" "Shush!" "Will you PLEASE knock it off?"

Overnight hospital stays: In 2003. Removal of uterine fibroids. Much worse than today's festivities.

Phobias: Air travel. No, make that suddenly and violently aborted air travel.

Quote: The proverb, "What man has done, man can do."

Reason to smile: All the kindness and support I received yesterday and today in regards to the festivities.

Siblings: Two sisters with me in the middle

Time I wake up: 6:00 or 6:30 am

Unusual Talent or Skill: I can wiggle my right ear

Vegetable I Refuse to Eat: Uncooked tomatoes. Their consistency is just wrong and gives me the heebies jeebies.

Worst Habit: I can be a very lazy, lazy slug (A habit Ms. Kwiz and I share)

X-rays: Dental x-rays and an MRI

Yummy Stuff: Whoopie pies. Newly discovered and highly addictive (A vice Ms. Kwiz and I share)

Zoo Animal I Like Most: Okapi

If you want to play along, let me know so I can compare.

Clean as a whistle

That's really all I have to say about today's festivities. I'm tired, I have a caffeine headache, and yet I'm very grateful.

• My oldest friend actually took the day off to get me to and from the hosptial. She's a champ!
• I don't have to go through this again for TEN YEARS
• I am completely healthy, gastrointestinely speaking
• I was strengthened by all the good wishes floating my way from the blogosphere

Nap time!

Now THIS was a feel good

The hospital called about tomorrow's festivities. I was hoping they were calling to cancel. No such luck. They wanted information about my insurance, my next of kin and my religious affiliation. You know, just in case I DIE!!!!* I was hoping that when I told them I was a Unitarian, they would say, "we don't touch your kind here." No such luck.

*It's not the dying part that I'm unhappy about. My faith in Jesus and Heaven give me peace in that regard. However, even though I know He loves me no matter what, I really don't want to meet Him when I've got a tube up my ass!

I'm IT!

Cuz Lulu tagged me!

“Your ship has sunk. You have, of course, been stranded on a deserted island. You have salvaged a copy of the King James Version of the Bible and a copy of the complete works of Shakespeare. Nothing else.

“The very next day you find one of those Arabian Lamps in the sand. Of course, you rub it and, of course, a rather grumpy Genie appears.

“‘Let’s get this straight - there is a recession going on. There are restrictions on the three wishes now. I don’t do water or air transport now so no boats, planes or magic carpets. As for electronics, forget it. There isn’t the infrastructure on this island.

“‘I can let you have one book and I mean one VOLUME, one essential item and one luxury item. Now hurry up and make your choices, I have to get to those five other islands you are going to nominate.’”

Book -- JFK: Reckless Youth by Nigel Hamilton. This warts-and-all study of Kennedy is my favorite book of all time because it reinforces a valuable life lesson: no matter how good a life looks from the outside, you have no idea how it feels from the inside. Also, I may need some survival tips from the chapter on PT-109.

Essential -- Wilson the Soccer Ball. He has experience in situations like this.

Luxury Item -- LOTION! Unlimited moisturizer formulated without fragrance but a high SPF. I'm not turning into a prune for anyone!

Let me know if you play along. (Lulu and) I will want to see how you did.

Tuesday Tunes #15

Wednesday would have been George Harrison's 66th birthday, for our Tuesday Tunes, we're going to have a George theme.

What are 5 things that you like about George Harrison?

1. He was the funniest Beatle onscreen. By far. Remember the scene in A Hard Day's Night when he refers to the spokesmodel as "the posh bird who gets everything wrong? She's a drag. A well known drag. We turn the sound down on her and say rude things." Or when teaching Norm to shave, George instructed him to, "Put yer tongue away, it looks disgustin' hangin' out, all pink and naked." If these words don't look funny on the page, wait for them next time you watch the movie. George's timing was impeccable.

2. He didn't like Madonna, either. I have always believed all the best people dislike Madonna. His Handmade Films made Shanghai Surprise, possibly the worst movie Sean Penn will ever make, starring ol' Madge. I know this will shock you, but George regarded her as a difficult personality and a bad actress.

3. "Savoy Truffle." An ode to candy and a cautionary tale about toothaches.

4. He loved to play the ukulele.

5. The Concert for Bangla Desh. He originated the supergroup fundraiser.

Happy Birthday to George Harrison, The Scouse of Distinction.

To play along yourself, click here.

Busy! Busy! Busy!

Today I touched on three different projects! Everything went so smoothly that I wasn't even tempted to strangle anyone, or touch my secret stash of vodka! I appreciate this sudden flurry of activity because: 1) it distracts me from the joy that begins tomorrow night and 2) it makes me more confident about taking that vacation I booked. Because if I'm busy, I'm billable. If I'm billable, my agency gets more money ... and my paycheck is secure. Yea! (Yes, we were promised no more layoffs, but who knows what unforeseen fiscal maladies could plague us next. I like the reassurance.)

Watching the Oscars, I'm a little in love

Watching the Oscars tonight, I'm reminded that I love Robert Downey Jr.'s voice. I think it's because it reminds me of a former lover, and in only nice ways. I also love the way his attitude transcends his size (he's only about 5'8). I'm glad his career is back on track and I hope he stays clean, so I can stay a little in love with him for years to come.

I'm also reminded how much I loved Sydney Pollack's work, both as a director and as an actor. From This Property Is Condemned to The Way We Were to The Firm. As an actor, I loved him in both Michael Clayton and as Will's dad in Will and Grace. I was happy to see him remembered on the Oscars tonight.

And Paul Newman. It seems he was as well respected by his peers as he was well loved by all of us.

All this is why I love the Oscars.

Indulge me as I send my mind to the happy place

I'm dreaming of my vacation again. Dreaming is very important now, when I have to do laundry and wash the kitchen floor ... today, when I had to buy Gatorade, Dulcolax and Miralax in anticipation of Wednesday's "big event" ... it helps to concentrate on what's beautiful and luxurious. Like tonight's elegant women and handsome, tuxedoed men at the Oscars. And my upcoming spa vacation at Chateau Elan, just outside of Atlanta.

To help me set the scene, let me share the weather -- it's sunny and 25º warmer in Atlanta than it is here today -- and these photos. The robe-clad women eating heart-healthy food prepared by Chateau Elan's chefs are dining right there in the spa. The suites, where I'm staying, are in the hallway past the blonde. The spa treatments -- and my spa representative Larissa has two days of them scheduled for especially for me -- are performed down the hallway behind the gray-haired lady. Out the window you can see the gazebo, which is the centerpiece of the next photo. Isn't it great that I'll be right there on the water? From this vantage point, my suite appears on the far left and the spa itself is on the far right. Note the woman in the gazebo in her fluffy robe. It's perfectly acceptable, even encouraged, to wander around this building and the nearby grounds in the robe and flip-flops provided.

Much better than bleaching my whites down in the laundry room, isn't it? And certainly much, MUCH better than Wednesday!

The Blogthings Oscar Quiz

Thank you, Kwizgiver.

You Would Win Best Supporting Actor / Actress

You are a quirky, fascinating person. You understand the world well. There's no one quite like you. Your uniqueness leaves a strong impression on people. You are bold and willing to take risks. People may love or hate you, but at least they'll notice you. You are just different enough to make a great character actor. You can make a smaller part come alive.

What Would You Win an Oscar For?

It's Oscar Time

The Gal Herself shall return to the Academy Award telecast the way the swallows return to Capistrano, partly because I'm hot for Hugh Jackman, but also because it's the Oscars. It's glamour, it's history, it's Hollywood!

Of this year's crop of actresses, I can imagine Anne Hathaway dressed beautifully enough and moving gracefully enough to join these two in the pantheon of Oscar elegance. (Plus, her against-type performance in Rachel Getting Married could be as big a revelation as Grace Kelly's in The Country Girl, approx. a half century before.)

To make it even better, Jerry Lewis is scheduled to be honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. One of my guiltiest guilty pleasures is listening to Jerry's incoherent and frequently offensive ramblings. I enjoy it so much and so wickedly that I give generously to MDA in an attempt to cleanse my conscience.

It was on again tonight

I have never seen My Cousin Vinny. But obviously the Cable Gods think it's desperately important that we all watch this movie, since it seems to be on every day.

My tummy hurts

Could it be because I finally read that packet of materials I received from the hospital -- the one that details my upcoming colonoscopy? I have never had one and am not looking forward to Wednesday, when I submit to my first. Ugh. Not very attractive, is it?

Saturday 9 -- Letting the Sparks Fly

1. Where would you go if you wanted to spark your creativity? Water is very good for me. A quick shower, a leisurely soak in the tub, even a walk along the Lake. I get my best ideas when I'm near water.

2. What would be one thing that would embarrass you a great deal? I can't sing worth a damn, so the thought of soloing at a karaoke bar is just too awful.

3. What values did your parents instill in you? I got my patriotism from my dad, and my love of animals from my mom.

4. What’s a fad of your teen years that you remember well? Smiley faces. "Have a nice day."

5. What is your favorite breakfast? Eggs. I switch it up from time to time (scrambled, poached, over easy), but I love eggs.

6. What is the best birthday gift that you have received? When I turned 50, my best friend got me the book that was at the top of the best seller list at the time of my birth, the movie that won Best Picture that year, etc. I loved it.

7. What gadget could you not live without? My iPod!

8. Do you collect anything? Purses. I looooove them.

9. What website (non-blog) do you regularly visit? MSNBC. I'm a news junkie.

Saturday 9: Letting the Sparks Fly

What I've been dreaming of

It's official: This March I'm returning to Chateau Elan in Atlanta. Here are photos of the suite I booked. Isn't it grand? Larissa, my personal spa rep, helped me put together my own individual"spa itinerary." Two full days of yummy, relaxing pampering. I'm going to be made up and massaged and exfoliated and wrapped. Since all my meals are included and my suite is right there in the spa, it's possible that I could literally stay in my fluffy white robe for both days. (I tend to get antsy, though, so I'll probably get dressed every now and again to wander the vineyards.)

I'll come back revitalized, refreshed, and ready for baseball season!

Friday 5

Friday 5 for February 20: Souvenirs

1. Is there a certain kind of souvenir you always bring back for a particular someone? My 9-year old nephew loves those little plastic bracelets first made popular by Livestrong. If I can find one bearing the name of place he's never been, it makes him happy.
   
2. Of the souvenirs you’ve collected from your travels, what are some that have special meaning for you? I have a snowglobe from a quick jaunt to LA with my best friend. I don't know why, but it really touches me.
   
3. What’s the silliest souvenir you’ve brought back for yourself, or what’s the silliest souvenir someone has brought back for you? My friends in Key West got me my very own Robert the Haunted Doll. The original Robert is in a museum down there, and he's supposedly imbued with dark magic powers, and the tales completely cracks me up. I'm proud to have my own.
   
4. If you were going to send someone a souvenir from places you visited today, what might it be? A pencil with a worn out eraser. That kinda sums up my day so far … a lot of writing and a lot of rewriting.
   

This goes out to You Know Who (both of 'em)

For different reasons, of course.

MY BELOVED FUTURE HALL OF FAMER GREG MADDUX. This is my first spring training in more than 20 years without you!

MY BEST FRIEND. This is your first trip to Chicago where we haven't even spoken to one another!

Fortunately, I ain't missing either of you. No, not at all.

Hi! I'm buzzed!

This is what comes from having cranberry juice and vodka on an empty stomach. This buzz is very pleasant, though. Maybe if the writer thing falls through, I should consider becoming a bartender so I can spread this joy.

In the meantime, I will amuse my drunken little old self by seeing how much of the dialog I can recite along with the characters from Godfather II:

"I didn't ask who gave the order, because it had nothing to do with business!"

"Old man Roth would never come here, but Johnny knows these places like the back of his hand."

"I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart!"

I can sense his presence

My best friend is in town today, but alas, I cannot see him. He landed this AM (sent me a text so I wouldn't worry about his flight), is giving a presentation today, taking his clients out to dinner tonight, and returning home in the morning. The unfairness of this is staggering! This Recession has stopped being a joke when a client won't spring for an extra night in Chicago!

Seriously, though, I miss him something fierce. Everything is easier to both stand and understand when I have him to talk to.

Ah! That feels good!

Been very busy here at work yesterday and today and while the workload and truncated timelines have caused me to miss my workouts, which is a bummer, it's still rather satisfying. Like stretching creative and collaborative muscles you haven't used in a while. Plus it's been a good antidote/distraction from my icky mood.

Tonight's Idol Observation

Ryan Seacrest, quit trying to be a stand-up comic. You're not Don Rickles, you're a pretty face, so there's no reason to attempt "jokes" about Simon's anatomy. Introduce the contestants, recite their phone numbers, and then shut up. Thank you.

Vodka, chicken fingers and American Idol

Vodka and chicken fingers are not exactly a heart-healthy meal, especially for a pudgy middle-aged woman, like me, who missed her workout. However, I'm in a mood and it's what I want when I watch American Idol, and I am too sensitive, darling and compassionate to deny someone as adorably poignant as me anything. On the way home, I stopped at a popular dine-in/carry-out place.

At least it used to be popular. Tonight it was damn empty. There was just me, waiting for my yummy fingers, and (I suspect) a long-married couple sitting together, eating their meals in silence. Last time I was there, around Christmas, it was bustling. I couldn't read the menu specials board for the people milling around. Not tonight.

Worse, I can tell they're paring back. No more free chips for us to enjoy while we wait (which is OK, because I really didn't like them), no more bakery for dessert (just ice cream). It makes me sad.

I know I haven't been there in nearly two months because I'm economizing. Perhaps others in the neighborhood feel the same way. All this fiscal self-restraint must be hell on small businesses. I hope the stimulus package stimulates consumers in time.

In A Mood

First I held him lightly and we started to dance.
Then I held him tightly, what a dreamy romance!
And I said "Hey, baby, it's a quarter to three,
There's a mess of moonlight, won't-cha share it with me?"
"Well," he answered, "Baby, don't-cha know that it's rude to keep my two lips waitin' when they're in the mood?"

NO! That's "In THE Mood!" I'm in A mood. A pissy, melancholy, discontented mood … not the good, old-fashioned, sugar-coated horniness that Patty, Maxine and Laverne sang about. (Though I'm sure a nice carnal interlude would do me a world of good.)

I didn't work out today … my hair feels all thick and frizzy … I'll probably never have sex again … I'm short on my self-monitored "allowance" for the rest of the month ... I miss my best friend … I'm worried that Highball the dog lived out his life traumatized by what he witnessed on Valentine's Day 80 years ago ... to paraphrase Crash Davis in Bull Durham, "I'm dealing with a lot of shit."

Mostly hormones, I suspect.

Don't screw with me, though. I may bite you. Or cry. Right now, I could go either way.

Tuesday Tunes #18

Tell us your biggest musical regret.

Not treating my vinyl with more respect and tender loving care. I have cartons of old LPs and 45s in my closet, but they are virtually unplayable. Yet I can't part with them. I know that, as delivery systems for sound, downloads are superior. But records! You could fall in love with a record! Cover art, liner notes ... stacking LPs on the spindle ... I miss 'em.

To play along yourself, click here.

Sorry, but I can't watch it

I had a plan for this President's Day morning -- settle in on the sofa with my laptop and get a headstart on a project for work tomorrow while watching the NCIS marathon on USA. This plan made me happy. For even though my oldest friend once told me she uses work like mine "to light the grill," I still find it satisfying. 95% of my audience treats advertising the way she does. But trying to figure out what will grab that 5% and get them to buy -- even after all these years, I still get off on it. And, even after all these years, I still get off on Mark Harmon. So, as I say, I had a happy plan.

But then USA had to run the NCIS episode featuring Abigail Breslin -- the Oscar-nominated child actress of Little Miss Sunshine and Kit fame -- as a blind girl who is kidnapped and terrorized. There's something about this kid that touches me deeply and it upsets me to see her in peril, even though I know Harmon/Gibbs will save the day. So there goes my plan! I have defected to the Biography channel and their President's Day special on JFK.

Breaking in my brand-new Avia cross trainers

I walked my 10,000 steps through town today and was sad to see two more stores are going or gone. One was an American Mattress location, which is sad for the people who work there, of course, but there will still be two other stores within a 5 mile radius. The other was an independently-owned design studio that specialized in feng shui. I'm afraid high-end decorating is not a high priority for most home owners in this economy. This is all so sad ...

Which makes me feel almost predatory for being so excited about my trip to Famous Footwear. The new cross trainers were on sale for $30, thank you very much. Also picked up these adorable Roxy plaid flats for 1/2 price. I haven't been shoe shopping in soooo long and I was gratified to find such great deals. While I'm confident that I'll be employed through summer, I still don't think it's wise for me to spend the way I used to. (It's possible it was never that wise, but that's another story for another time.) I understand that the retail sector has been hit very hard by the economic downturn, but I have to tend to my personal economic health and welfare, too. It's seductive to rationalize indulging in retail therapy as my patriotic duty, but that's a trap I'm trying to avoid.

Sunday Stealing #20

Sunday Stealing: The Q & A Meme

1. where is your significant other? In my imagination.

2. your favorite thing? The clear blue sky I see out my livingroom window.

3. your dream last night? Don't recall.

4. your goal? Getting organized.

5. your hobby? Reading or farting around online

6. where do you want to be in 6 years? Margaritaville

7. where were you last night? Right here

8. what you're not? Thin

9. one of your wish list items? Cash would be nice

10. your pet? Reynaldo is sitting on the window sill, looking at me. Hi, Rey!

11. missing someone? Yes

12. your car? Don't have one

13. something you're not wearing? socks

14. love someone? Yes

15. when is the last time you laughed? SNL last night

16. last time you cried? Don't remember
17. favorite past time? See #5

18. are you a hater or a lover? Depends on the circumstance

19. any vices? Sloth

20. favorite meme other than Sunday Stealing? I miss The Thursday Thirteen ...

Happy 80th Anniversary

On Valentine's Day, 1929, it was snowy and cold in Chicago. Al Capone said he was in Florida that week to escape the bad weather. The police believed he traveled south to establish an alibi for what became the biggest event of his criminal career, The St. Valentine's Day Massacre.


This is Highball, the only survivor of the Massacre. Highball belonged to John May, a mechanic who did jobs for the Moran Gang and quite literally lost his head that day. Police heard Highball howling from under one of the beer trucks. The killers knew he was there but they spared him. I find that fascinating. They fired seventy machine-gun bullets and two shotgun blasts into 7 men -- at close range. Yet they didn't touch this dog, leaving him tied up to plaintively howl and bring the police to the garage.

Triumph

"Life sucks and then you die." That's the phrase that goes through my mind this morning as I watch an episode of Biography about Princess Diana. Beautiful but insecure, adored by the public, hunted by the press, betrayed by her husband ... her life was cut short in the most tawdry way -- by a drunk driver. She never got to see her sons grow up. She never knew contentment. Her life was a tragedy.

As my heart goes out to this poor girl (and Diana will, eternally, be a poor girl), I remain in awe of "America's queen," Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. Like Diana, she was both a loving mother and a betrayed wife … a paparazzi target and the subject of international scrutiny … a damaged daughter of divorce and a Daddy's girl who had a turbulent relationship with her mother. Unlike Diana, she was an eyewitness to one of history's most famous murders, she cradled her husband's bloody head in her lap, and had to honor him with a state funeral as the world watched. She also had 5 difficult pregnancies in 10 years, with only two of her children surviving to adulthood.

But Jackie was made of very stern stuff. She lived her life the way she wanted to, despite the disapproval of her formidable in-laws or (when she married Onassis) the entire world. Instead of alternately fleeing and wooing the press the way Diana did, Jackie took the paparazzi to court and got a restraining order. She worked before marrying JFK and went back to work after her children left home, finding fulfillment as a book editor. She always put her kids first and saw them grow up and embark on successful careers of their own. She lived to hold her grandchildren. She found, if not great passion, then love and companionship with a man who shunned the spotlight. This photo was taken of her near the end of her life, well after she had passed her 60th birthday. It makes me sad that there is no similar picture of Diana as a mature woman who could luxuriate in having made it through the bad times.

There was no scandal or gossip attached to Jackie's passing, of natural causes at the age of 64. She even died in her way own way. She checked herself out of the hospital and went home, to be (as son John later said) surrounded by her books and the things she loved. There were crowds outside her Park Avenue apartment, but her death was private and attended by family and friends.

No matter how you measure a life, Jackie's must be considered a triumph. Others remember her for class and beauty and style. Yes, she exemplified all that. But it's her personal integrity and her guts that inspire me. "To thine own self be true." That's a helluvalot more positive than, "Life sucks and then you die."

Ha! I believe I have thwarted him.

Behold my weapon -- the simple, interoffice envelope.

Regular readers are familiar with my ongoing battle with my cat, Reynaldo. For the last four years, he and I have been engaged in a battle of nerves. No, wait, that's not right. Rey has no nerves. Make that a battle of wills. For you see, like Stitch in Lilo and Stitch, Rey is programmed to destroy. Sometimes he gets so wild, so pumped on adrenaline, that he can't seem to stop his little furry self from knocking over all my manila folders, letting the contents spill onto the floor, and then digging around in them so there is no semblance of order anymore -- none whatsoever. Last time he did this, I was so overwhelmed by the mess he made that I nearly cried.

After giving it some thought -- and reminding myself that as a human, I am gifted with both superior intellect and opposing thumbs, so I should be able to win this battle of wills -- I have stumbled upon the solution. I replaced the manila folders with interoffice envelopes that have velcro on the flap! These well-worn envelopes were en route to being recycled anyway, so I have given them a new lease on life. And, should Rey knock them over, the contents can't come out and he can't dig around in the paper like a picnicer digging for clams at the seaside.

He watched me move the files last night. Very attentive. All purry and affectionate. Poor little guy. I bet he didn't realize he was watching me stage his Waterloo.

In praise of Border's

I live in the navy blue village of a deep blue state, and we tend to examine and protest everything. Especially big chain stores, which are perceived as the death knell for the small, independently-owned shops that add to our town's character. That's why I signed petition after petition to stop Border's from opening on the main drag in my town.

I was wrong. I am so glad Border's is there. It's my first choice when I'm buying books, DVDs or music. Why?

1) They have an enormous selection. Smaller bookstores just can't carry all the titles.

2) They're one-stop. I can buy gifts and cards in one place. Also, when I don't know what to buy someone, I buy them a Border's giftcard. Who doesn't like books, music, DVDs or magazines?

3) The help is always helpful. We have two independent booksellers on the same street as Border's. I admit that if I'm not in a hurry, I like to browse in one of them. It looks and smells like a nice wooden loft. Customers in there take their books seriously and so there's always a good conversation going on. They also have way-cool wooden postcards! Alas, they aren't open as early, nor as late, as Border's. But the other one (Barbara's Bookstore) is icky and I will never go in there again. The staff is too cool for school. They actually scoffed at a friend of mine who asked if In Cold Blood was in stock -- apparently they didn't feel it was worth carrying, ordering or even reading. (And here I thought it was a classic. Silly me!) At least he got someone to wait on him -- they're usually too busy chatting with one another to be bothered. Worst of all, they recently had Sam Giancana's daughter signing books on 11/22 -- the anniversary of the Kennedy assassination, which she claims her father was involved in. That was tasteless. At Border's, the staff is always accessible and helpful, and I've never seen them mock a national tragedy.

4) Border's Rewards. I admit it: I'm a loyalty-points whore.

5) They give local charities a chance. For example, over the holidays, I was able to have my gifts wrapped right there in Border's by developmentally-challenged adults from Lamb's Farm. It was lovely to interact and support people I wouldn't see otherwise.

Rumor has it that Border's is suffering in this economy, so SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BORDER'S. This weekend I may just hit Border's again. I suggest you all do the same. I bet they're an asset to your community, and if they disappeared, you'd miss them.

Book Mama, this one was for you.

It won't be long now!

Pitchers and catchers report for training camp today!

Alas, this is the first spring in decades that I'm not checking on my beloved future Hall of Famer, Greg Maddux.

But poignancy is part of the beauty of baseball. So as I look back I will also look forward -- to April 6, when the 2009 campaign officially begins in Houston.

One President Honors Another

Barack Obama came home yesterday. Two years ago, he announced his candidacy in Springfield. Today, he returned to honor the only other President to serve in the Illinois Assembly -- Abraham Lincoln. It was very exciting for me as an American, as an Abe-o-phile, as an Obamaniac ... and as an Illinois citizen who hungers for something to wash away that bad Blago taste.

The President was clearly in a relaxed, happy mood: "The former state senator said the roomful of supporters reminded him of what Lincoln once said to a favor-seeker who claimed he helped the president get elected. 'Well,' said Lincoln, 'it's a pretty mess you've got me into. But I forgive you.' So whoever of you think you were responsible for this, we're taking names," Obama said."

On a more serious, more inspirational note, Obama invoked Lincoln's view of government, which couldn't be more relevant today: "He recognized that while each of us must do our part, work as hard as we can and be as responsible as we can—in the end, there are certain things we cannot do on our own," Obama said. "There are certain things we can only do together. There are certain things only a union can do."

The 44th President spent all day Thursday remembering the 16th. While Lincoln certainly earned all the honors, it occurs to me that invoking Abe could be dangerous for Obama. For it invites comparison -- and was anyone ever braver, kinder or more wise than Abraham Lincoln?

Thursday Thunks #1

This week's crazy questions are brought to you by Berleen, the color Cotton Candy Pink and the number 3,333,333,331.

1. You are driving down the road and there is a puddle in the road. A big puddle. Not one that will really wreck your car or anything, but a big puddle. There is no other cars in front of you or behind you - do you drive through the puddle or drive around it? Through it so I can enjoy the splash.

2. Go to Google Images, type in any word that comes to mind and post the 1st picture you see.


3. A college calls you up and says that you have been selected to take get any degree that you want on their dollar.... what do you choose? Film appreciation.

4. Are you blogging on a laptop or desktop? Laptop

5. Which store, excluding a grocery store, do you shop at most often? Border's

6. My daughters tried out for the school musical last night. Were you ever in a school play/musical? Which one? No school musicals for this gal.

7. I read yesterday that a school PTA group wants to try to ban white bread, cakes, brownies or any other "treat" from their lunch menus... plus make kids' lunchboxes brought from home not include any "junk food". Thoughts on that one? As a barren spinster, I don't think I'm qualified.

8. How many people can your kitchen table seat? No table in my kitchen. But the kitchen floor does comfortably serve three cats.

9. What time is it right now? After 4:00 PM

10. Walk out the front door of your house/apartment, turn right, walk 2 blocks. What do you see? The Competitive Foot, a store that specializes in workout attire.


If you'd like to think along, click here.

Thinking of you today, Mr. President

Happy Birthday to one of the heroes of my girlhood -- one of the few who actually deserves the adulation of schoolchildren. I fell in love with American history by reading about Abraham Lincoln. He's a leader who changed the world in his own time and continues to inspire today.

This is an old Life magazine shot of his living room in Springfield, IL. I've visited his home many times, and plan on going there many more. Hopefully, this year I'll bring my nephew. I am proud to be from The Land of Lincoln.