These are the thoughts and observations of me — a woman of a certain age. (Oh, my, God, I'm 65!) I'm single. I'm successful enough (independent, self supporting). I live just outside Chicago, the best city in the world. I'm an aunt and a friend. I feel that voices like mine are rather underrepresented online or in print. So here I am. If my musings resonate with you, please visit my blog again sometime.
But I was very disappointed in it. Sex and the City 2, that is.
The boondoggle to Dubai is every bit the distraction as I feared it would be. Carrie's enduring love for Manhattan is so much a part of her character that something vital is missing. The slapstick hijinks are silly and insulting -- both to Middle Eastern culture and my intelligence. Samantha has become such a caricature that she's lost her humanity.
But it has it's moments -- my favorite is when Miranda gets Charlotte plastered, comparing notes on their lives as mothers. These are two characters that don't get much one-on-one time, and besides, friendship has always been at the heart of the SATC saga.
I also came away with new respect for Chris Noth and Cynthia Nixon. They alone are consistently authentic, even as the situations their characters find themselves in become more other worldly.
Every day I am going to do something -- no matter how small -- to improve my standard of living at home.
A day of actually DOING what I say I'm GONNA DO to get my life in order. I finally took that sweater set (that's been just sitting atop the dirty clothes hamper) to the dry cleaner, along with two winter coats. This is something I've been telling myself I'm GONNA DO for two weeks now. I began a new bag for Goodwill and also dropped another bag of bags (yes, I know, my bag fetish is ridiculous) at Kohl's for recycling before I went to Best Buy to get my new camera.
Apparently electronics are popular Father's Day gifts, because Best Buy had a great sale on digital cameras. This is my new baby, a Kodak EasyShare M350. Hopefully I can figure out how to use it over the weekend.
1. When was your last train ride? Thursday. It feels like I'm forever on trains -- the el or commuter trains to and from work, Amtrak to visit my client in downstate IL. Which is fine by me. Trains are a very peaceful way to travel.
2. How many foreign countries have you visited? Tell us about one. Five. Liechtenstein is the easiest to talk about. We literally drove through it one afternoon. I recall that it was very beautiful, with lots of pink and red roadside wildflowers everywhere. From what I could tell, they speak German rather exclusively -- as opposed to Switzerland, where everyone seemed to speak German or French or English.
3. What do you always take with you on vacation? Stamps so I can send postcards to friends and family.
4. Tell us about something you've lost recently. My ambition to be very productive on this, my day off. I got three loads of laundry done, vacuumed and straightened up under the sink, but that's about it. I think I went horribly off course when I stumbled upon I Love Lucy reruns onthe Hallmark Channel.
5. Do you prefer action packed vacations or relaxing ones? Relaxing. I have no desire to go on safari or climb a mountain.
6. How long will you wait in a check out line before abandoning your purchases? Depends on whether I'm on my way to catch a bus or train. If I'm not on a schedule, I'm rather patient.
7. How old do you wish you were? 35. I felt very womanly and sexy at 35.
8. Do you consider yourself kind? Yes. But there's room for improvement.
9. Tell us about your tattoos. Or if you had to get a tattoo, where and what would it be? I don't have any tats and don't want any. However, if there weren't needles and permanent dyes involved, I might get something small and discreet on my right shoulder.
Every day I am going to do something -- no matter how small -- to improve my standard of living at home.
The bag situation around here really is pathetic. Why do I hang onto them? Why is the thought of being without the proper bag for disposing of sodden litter or glass/plastic recyclables so intolerable? Well, tonight I have set aside yet another big bag of bags for the Peapod driver to take in exchange for my groceries.
Every day I am going to do something -- no matter how small -- to improve my standard of living at home.
This may not sound like a big deal, but trust me, for this Gal, it is. Yesterday, en route to picking up my nephew for the ballgame, I stopped at Goodwill and dropped off a bag of little stuff -- about two dozen pairs of earrings, brand-new pink flip-flops (a giveaway from a salon), a pair of books. The old me wouldn't have bothered "yet," figuring the bag wasn't big enough to bother with. What the New Clean Me realizes is that I actually must DO what I'm GONNA DO to get stuff out of here. Whether it's actually mailing that package to Operation: Shoebox, remembering to place that extra cosmetics bag I bought in my gym bag, or donating my costume jewelry to Goodwill, follow through matters even more than intention.
I love a close contest, and this was one. It was tied into the bottom of the 9th. And, thanks to Kosuke Fukodome, the Cubs won. Now I'm exhausted.
I spent 9 hours with my nephew, start to finish, and that's one long day for a barren spinster who usually only spends 9 hours at a crack with immature art directors. He started out mega-excited and ended up a little sullen. But I guess that's what happens to 10 year old boys over the long haul. Even good ones.
And we can file this under, "from out of the mouths of babes." When he saw the BP ad on Wrigley Field scoreboard, my nephew asked me if they had to pay to get it shown up there. I confirmed that yes, indeed, they did. He said he believed they'd do better to give that money to the fishermen who have lost work because of the spill. I was very proud of him.
Like this kitty, I can't bear to have you look at me right now, because I have done nothing to improve my standard at living at home. Nada. Zip. Zilch. I just ate dinner, watched the game, twittered, and paid a lot of bills. Now I'm going to bed.
That's Jon Stewart on the President's address from the Oval Office about the spill. The Daily Show is funnier than ever these days. For those who suspected that Stewart and Colbert would be handcuffed by a Democratic President, unable to find topics to mine for humor, they need not have worried.
After riffing on Obama's lackluster speech, Stewart took off after the Fox commentators who called the President "disingenuous" for invoking religion at the end of his address. How, he asked, would they have responded if he'd attended church to pray for divine intervention about the Gulf?
"Cannibal Obama feasts on Christ's blood."
Don't get me wrong -- there isn't an aspect of this that doesn't break my heart. I hate what's happening to, and will continue to devastate, our neighbors on the Gulf Coast. I hate the partisanship when we should be pulling together. I hate the apathy, the way some citizen's eyes glaze over the topic of the spill comes up. I hate that last night I got Jimmy Carter when I longed for JFK.
But I've got Jon and Stephen. Reminds me of those long ago days of Watergate, when the first 10 minutes of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show took away some of the sting with laughter.
I am about to leave the office, not to return until June 21! These four days will include an observance of Sir Paul's 68th birthday, a trip to the vet, at least one workout and a possible excursion to the movies.
But the raison d'etre is tomorrow's baseball game! My nephew and I are going on our summer outing to see the Cubs play the Oakland A's. Some families have Ellis Island, mine has Wrigley Field. Once again I will point out all the signposts that bring past generations to life in that ballpark, and hopefully he'll feel a connection to those he never knew.
So much crazy news out there lately -from sunbursts to outbursts to implants to supplements. Here are a few topics spinning off the newswire.. Sound off and tell us how you really feel about it. Your opinion counts.
1. What would you do about the BP oil spill? Give us your suggestions. I don't understand why everyone says we must "partner" with BP because they have the technology to fix the problem. Don't BP, Halliburton and Transocean have competitors? Don't these other companies have contingency plans in case of a spill? Let's call on them, encourage them to help, and reward them handsomely if they can successfully clean up after BP. (BTW, I know they wouldn't work well together. I want the competitors to be as fiercely cutthroat as possible, trying to come up with the best way possible to fix hole.)
3. It’s hot! The heat index topped 104 degrees today in some parts of the United States. How is the weather in your part of the world? Low 80s and sunny.
4. Do you think smoking should be banned in public places? Yes. Here in Chicagoland it pretty much is prohibited.
5. Unemployment from the top down: Do you think President Obama has a good chance or no chance of being re-elected in the next US election? Depends on who he's running against.
6. What??! Actor Gary Coleman’s wife reportedly sold private pictures of the deceased actor on his deathbed. This girl gets progressively creepier with every new revelation.
7. Texting while driving.Do you? Don't you? Will you? Won't you? I don't drive, so I'm innocent of all charges.
8. Lindsay Lohan. Has she been treated fairly or unfairly by the legal system? Let's just say the legal system in California has a history of being more than fair to celebrities.
9. The Sarah Palin rumor mill caught wind of her recent decision to have breast implants….so said the reporters-who-need-to-get-a-job-and-stop-making-up-news. She has denied the earthshaking allegations. Was this really news? Sure. Why not? If Heidi Montag's multi-surgeries are newsworthy, so's the "did she/didn't she" on Sister Sarah.
10. An asteroid is supposed to hit Earth this Friday. Are you prepared? Asteroid ... Is that "duck and cover" or "stop, drop and roll?"
Play along and stay out of the dungeon! Click here for details.
Every day I am going to do something -- no matter how small -- to improve my standard of living at home.
Lordie, but I have a lot of buttons! And yarn. Seems every blouse or sweater I buy comes with extra buttons and yarn and, being a slob by nature, I just kinda leave them wherever they lay. Not anymore, folks! Not the new Clean Me! All the buttons and yarn -- as well as their "clutter cousins," the earring backs -- have been assembled.Oh! And the hair clips and headbands I bought while experimenting with longer hair have been collected and tucked away, too. The top of my dresser looks like someone else sleeps in this bedroom! I also threw went through my cosmetics basket on my dresser and threw away three tubes of lipstick because, well, I hate lipstick. I have no idea why or when I bought this stuff, but it was beyond time to bid it adieu.
En route from lunch I road the elevator with a pair of impeccably groomed young men who were commenting on how "rotten" Chicago's baseball teams are and that's why they "hate baseball."
I fantasized spinning around, in full Scarlett O'Hara/fury mode, and slapping them across their smug faces. "Hate baseball? Don't ever say you hate baseball! Why, that's the same as saying you hate your Pa and Mother, that you hate America!"
Do twentysomethings still watch Gone with the Wind? Would they know that scene?
Oh well, I like imagining them rubbing their freshly shaved (and now freshly slapped) cheeks and wondering "what the fu ..." as I flounced off the elevator. (Because Scarlett would flounce.)
Every day I am going to do something -- no matter how small -- to improve my standard of living at home.
I was once involved with a guy who was really into ... um ... a particular kind of lingerie. And, because I especially enjoyed being with him when he was especially happy, I had a drawer of that lingerie.
Note the tense: "had."
For I opened the drawer disposed of all the lacy lovelies. I mean, I couldn't donate them to Goodwill, could I?
While I hope I'm through with the support hose, I won't know for sure until next month. And, since they cost about $30/pair, I don't want them to snag so I put them in the quilt-top lingerie box.
It was a true sitcom moment. Rhoda would tell Mary how this was the perfect metaphor for a life gone hopelessly awry: yesterday's silk thigh top stockings are now today's industrial-strength support hose.
I'm trying not to look at it that way, though. I'm trying to see it as simply freeing up most of another drawer and bringing me closer to a "Clean Me."
Today at lunchtime I did 32 minutes on the stationery bike, about 20 shoulder presses, lots of leg presses because they're easy and, at the opposite end of the easy spectrum, just about a dozen crunches. I have very strong leg muscles and mushy old abdominals.
Still, it was good to feel those endorphins pumping. I realize that one trip to the health club won't make me the world's oldest SI Swimsuit Cover Girl, but it was a natural mood enhancer.
BABY TALK. Share movies featuring babies, linking back here at the Bumbles.
Away We Go. Sam Mendes of Revolutionary Road and American Beauty directed this lovely little road film starring John Krasinski of The Office (hidden behind a bushy beard and glasses) and Maya Rudolph of SNL. These expectant parents travel around the country, trying to find the right place to settle down and raise the baby she's carrying. Not only does mommy-to-be keep getting bigger and bigger, which reminds us that a wee one is imminent, they visit parents and kids in their travels. (Maggie Gyllenhaal is the funniest and most disturbing new mom in recent memory.)
Terms of Endearment. This modern classic is a love story between a mother and daughter. The tenor of their relationship is established early on when Aurora stands gazing at peacefully sleeping Emma and then starts worrying that the baby isn't asleep at all, but dead. She is so paniced she practically climbs into the crib. Realizing she won't fit, she pinches the baby. Once Emma starts screaming in pain, Aurora is reassured that her baby is fine. The encounter between baby and mama shows us how deeply Aurora cares, but how important it is to her that Emma behave as Aurora wishes and in the way she expects.
Every day I am going to do something -- no matter how small -- to improve my standard of living at home.
Even if I lose a gazillion pounds, I won't want to wear control-top, reinforced toe panty hose ... EVER! Especially not after my interlude with support hose. So I disposed of an entire drawer of obsolete hose. I even had one pair still in its L'Eggs Egg ... and those plastic containers were discontinued in 1991!
Now I have an empty drawer I can devote to all that junk jewelry I discovered. If I keep it organized, I'll wear and enjoy it again.
Ted Lilly pitches a no-hitter into the 9th. Toss in a balk for good measure. The game ends with the bases loaded with dreaded White Sox ... standing there in the freaking rain!
People who say baseball is "boring" didn't watch THIS game!
My apologies to my beloved old tomcat, Joey, who endured me clapping and cheering throughout this awesome game. He's giving me "curly paws" now as he hopes he can go back to napping in earnest.
1. You’re building your dream house. What’s the one thing that this house absolutely, positively MUST HAVE? (other than the obvious basics of course) A good location. I want to be able to leave the house and walk around in a neighborhood that makes me feel comfortable and welcome.
2. What is your dream car? One that comes with a driver.
3. What is your favorite website that isn’t a blog? imdb.com
4. iPhone 4 or Droid, which do you want? I'd prefer the cash, thank you.
5. When you’re feeling down or lonely or just generally out of sorts, what do you do to cheer yourself up? I turn to Cubs baseball, or I listen to The Beatles. Those two things have been cheering me up for decades now.
6. Tell me about something or someone that you love that most people seem to hate. Nancy Grace. She's so hideous, so hostile, so inconsistent and insincere, she's sublime.
7. What do you want to be when you grow up? A great singer/actress. Being tone-deaf and plain got in the way.
8. Would you go on a reality show if given the chance? NO! Dear God, no.
9. Who was your favorite teacher when you were growing up. (Grade school, Middle School, Jr. High or High School only.) My third grade teacher. She made us all feel as though there truly are "no bad ideas."
10. You get one pass to do something illegal or immoral. What are you gonna do? Sleep with someone I shouldn't.
11. What were you doing 10 years ago? Trying to decide if I wanted to buy or continue renting.
12. By this time next year, I ... want to both my body and home to look and feel better.
13. Do you think the United States will elect a female President in your lifetime? Do you think this would be a good thing? Yes, I do. And whether it's a good or a bad thing depends on the woman.
15. What is your greatest pet peeve? People who are so in love with their own victim status they do nothing to change it.
16. Tell me about your most recent trip of more than 100 miles? Our client is located 114 miles south of here. I went down there last Thursday. The creative presentation went well, and I rewarded myself with a trip to their local mall, which includes an A&W, so I had a root beer float.
17. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus? Thesaurus
18. Do you have a nickname? What is it? My nicknames come and go. Years ago, my dad called me, "Tiger."
19. What are you dreading at the moment? Being old, poor, and dependent.
20. Do you worry that others will judge you from reading some of your answers? No.
21. In two words, explain what ended your last relationship. His youth.
22. What were you doing this morning at 8am? Hitting the snooze-alarm.
23. Do you have any famous relatives? No.
24. How many different beverages have you drank today? 5 (water, milk, coke, juice, vodka) 25. What is something you are excited about? My nephew and I are going to the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field this Thursday. It's Ryan Theriot Juicy Fruit Bobblehead Day at the ball park.(Doesn't it look more like Tom Cruise?)
26. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group? It was a presentation for work in February. The conference room was pretty packed. I think I did rather well.
27. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
28. What were you doing at midnight last night? Snoring
I was having a good day. It began with a very virtuous morning -- returning my library book on time, mailing a box of paperbacks off to Operation: Shoebox, and donating a bag of groceries to the local food pantry. I rewarded myself with a lovely lunch at FlatTop Grill (including a "taste size" Triple Chocolate Storm for dessert, as I'm back on my diet tomorrow). Took a nap, and then watched a nearly satisfying Cubs game (see below). Then I made my mistake -- checking in with my mom. Once again, something that has nothing to do with me is MY FAULT. It's as though in this family, my culpability is pre-destined, as though the dictate came from on high: Everything is always MY FAULT.
My oldest friend began preparing her home for possible sale back in the spring. She asked me if my brother-in-law (a maintenance worker by trade) would be willing to make some extra money, doing extra jobs around her house. I conveyed her question to him. He said that since money in their house was going to be tight for months to come, he was eager to do it. So I gave him her number.
He didn't call. He forgot. Fine, whatever. Shit happens.
More than a month went by. My friend wrote out a list of projects she wanted my brother-in-law to do and handed it to my niece to take home and place in her dad's hand. My niece complied.
So I heard (through my mother) that my brother-in-law called my oldest friend "yesterday" and she "still" hasn't called back. Give me a fucking break. The woman is a single, working mother, trying to decide whether or not to change jobs, sell her home and move 2000 miles away this summer, and my sister* is upset that she didn't return my brother-in-law's months overdue call instantly.
So my brother-in-law finally makes his way to my oldest friend's house last Saturday. He spent the day there, accomplishing everything on her list. She paid him, and mentioned to me that he did a good job and was "a godsend." I thought it all went well. I thought this was the end of it. I know my friend thinks it's the end of it.
But today my mom asked why he's not going to my friend's home anymore. What was the problem? Is she unhappy with what he charged or something?
My mother is asking because clearly my sister* was expecting him to make more money at my friend's house than he did. I am supposed to impose myself into this somehow. Fix it. Make it better. Get my sister more money somehow.
My brother-in-law is knocking on 50. He has been doing these side jobs for years. I assume he knows how to negotiate his own price.
My friend gave him a list. He accomplished all the items on it. She cut him a check. Why are we even talking about it anymore?
Because everything is my fault. My responsibility.
It doesn't feel like such a good day anymore. I need a drink.
* It's always my sister who is upset. By contrast, my brother-in-law almost never gets upset. It's as if their household has a pissy quota and my sister fulfills it.
The Cubs dropped the first two games of the Crosstown Classic to the dreaded White Sox, and yet I really enjoyed today's contest. Yes, it was a loss. But it was exciting, a nailbiter to the end. If they continue playing with this much heart, I'm sure the Cubs' fortunes will turn and a winning streak is in our future!
1. Have you had to say goodbye to a good friend or lover because they were moving? I had a lover up and move on me because he got a job offer that was simply too lucrative to refuse and we embarked on a long-distance love affair, which, I learned, suited me fine. We spoke every day but saw each other only four days/three nights a month (unless there was a holiday or special occasion). I liked the combination of feeling connected yet still independent.
2. Have you ever wanted to use personal information about someone to sort of "blackmail" them? If yes, tell us about it. Ew! Ick! No!
3. What two things influenced the choice of your present job or to stay at home? The location and the benefits package were both superior to the other offer I received.
4. Do you like warm weather? How warm does it get where you live? What is the best way to spend a hot, summer day? I hate the heat and humidity! When it gets over 85º, I just kinda shut down. The best way to spend such a day is indoors, enjoying the air conditioning, a beer, and a Cubs game.
5. What do you find "hot" in a man/woman? What is the first thing you notice about someone who is hot? Do you ever think of yourself as hot? I love a guy with great hair. I think it's because my first-ever crush was Michael Landon. (I don't actually remember this, but my mom reports that when I was pre-school aged, I would cry inconsolably whenever an evildoer invaded the Ponderosa and hurt Little Joe Cartwright.) I have had my "hot" moments.
6. Are you quick to anger? How do you react when you are angry or frustrated? What do you do to cool down? Yes, I am quick to anger. I can be rather sharp tongued. I need alone time to cool down. Vodka helps.
7. In your family, who is the least like the rest of you? Me. I sometimes feel like Marilyn Munster.
8. What are a few great books that you've taken along to the beach or on vacation in years past? If you aren't a big reader, what do you do to while away the lazy hours? This year I took Game Change on vacation with me. Last year, my vacation books were Ted Kennedy: The Dream that Never Died and Oxygen. This list makes it appear as though I'm not much on light beach reads, huh?
9. Do you like going outside during a thunderstorm and watching the lightening? No. I don't care much about thunderstorms one way or the other. Now snowstorms! I think those are awesome and beautiful to watch!
Every day I am going to do something -- no matter how small -- to improve my standard of living at home.
I continued sorting through the junk jewelry in my bedroom and discovered many, many pairs of earrings I thought I had long-since discarded (forgetting that I got into this predicament because I never discard anything). Finding them made me very happy. I also added more than a dozen pairs of earrings and some pendants (when did I ever wear pendants?) to the Goodwill bag and tossed more broken/solo earrings.
"Couldn't you just take the Pedway?" my best friend asked when I told him I was unable to cross Michigan Avenue (see below).
Damn! He's right. I could have gone into Macy's, taken the escalator to the lower level, and then follow the Pedway under Michigan Avenue. No Black Hawk fans would have been crowding the underground footpath because you can't see the street from there!
It never occurred to me. It never occurred to the policeman I spoke to, nor to the fan who overheard the cop and I in conversation. Yet my best friend, who lives in Denver, suggested it. I told him he's smarter than he thinks.
I skipped work today because of a parade. I am not kidding. I could not get into the office because of a parade.
I began trying to cross Michigan Avenue to get to my office at about 9:45. I kept trying until after 10:00, walking up north, but barely making it a block. There were that many people waiting for the Black Hawks parade/rally already!
I asked an officer where I should go to cross Michigan Avenue. "You can't," he said simply.
"But I have to get to my office over there," I said, pointing at the way-tall building not far away in feet but very far away in terms of crush of humanity.
"You can't," he repeated. "We don't expect anybody to move outta here until 12:30."
"But my office closes at 12:30 on Fridays!" I said, as if a cop concerned with controlling two million Black Hawk fans cared about my agency's Summer Hours policy.
"Call your boss," he said, his eyes crinkling into a smile, "and tell him you can't get into the office by order of the Chicago Police Department."
I realized I had taken up too much of his time already and just stood there, people jostling me, trying to figure out what to do. A very nice man shook me out of my confusion by saying, "Yeah, call your boss. Want to use my phone?" He seemed thrilled to be helping me play hookey.
I thanked him but told him I had one of my own. Then I slooooowly worked my way over to the doorway of a not-yet-open steakhouse and called the office to ask if anyone needed me.
I had a hard time reaching anyone. Bet my coworkers were either stranded or out in the celebration. I left word with Ann, the only one I could find who told me being at the office for just 3 hours with a massive parade/rally going on right outside our windows was "a waste anyway" and advised me to go home.
Just so you can see what 2 freaking million people look like (double what the White Sox drew for their World Series celebration) and what I was stuck in, I included these photos from The Chicago Tribune.
I'm watching the Black Hawks victory rally live on TV and, while no longer even remotely a hockey fan, I once was, so I choked up a bit when Bobby Hull was introduced and cheered by the crowd. The old boy looked sooooooo happy.
I'm not sure if I'm happy for Bobby Hull, or melancholy because this isn't the Cubs the city is celebrating. Ernie Banks is 80 years old now, and has a little trouble walking without a cane. Then there's Ron Santo, the all-time great third baseman and radio voice of the Cubs. He's had a staggering number of health problems and yet still is at most games, cheering his team on victory.
I wish Ronnie and Ernie could experience the kind of elder statesman love and reverence Bobby Hull is reveling in right now.
Every day I am going to do something -- no matter how small -- to improve my standard of living at home.
I realize this is going to sound really small, and literally it is, but it got me over a certain emotional hurdle about my stuff. I noticed that my current favorite pair of earrings -- teeny, tiny bird posts -- are tarnished. I made myself throw them out, along with about 8 other pair that are unwearable for one reason or another. The most expensive pair probably cost $15, their value was emotional. Hanging onto tarnished, broken or solo earrings just adds to clutter, though. So out they go.
My best friend received his birthday presents today and he opened them while we were on the phone. I think I was hitsville with my choices, which were more sentimental than usual but he felt they captured him at this time in his life quite well.
The ornament is a quote from, of all the things, Winnie the Pooh. The passage actually reads, “If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together, there is something you must always remember: you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart, I'll always be with you.” My friend is so hard on himself, so insecure professionally. And it's so unnecessary. He needs to remember these words, even when I'm not around to reinforce them The book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, is because he's a dedicated and sensitive father whose girls are growing up. His oldest turns 13 this month. With adolescence he knows their relationship, and his role, will change, and I wanted him to have a reminder as we approach Father's Day that both girls appreciate and need him.
I loved talking to him, loved celebrating with him. Even though we can't be together, my best friend's birthday* is one of my favorite days of the year.
*His actual birthday is Saturday, but the gift arrived today and why wait?
I was feeling rather bookish. Hope you like it. Or if you don't, hope you'll get used to it. Templates are like hair -- you can change them with the wind
Every day I am going to do something -- no matter how small -- to improve my standard of living at home.
This may not sound like much, but I think it should count as a two-fer: I threw out the coupons/flyer from Carson's and the coupon from Kohl's ... unopened and therefore unviewed and unused. For, as I admitted earlier, I have too much of everything I shouldn't and I really don't need to even contemplate using more credit to buy more stuff.
I hung a bag on the linen closet doorknob. Inside it is a padded envelope and some drugstore sample sized packages of tampons and facial wipes (which had been taking up space on the kitchen counter). I'll add the little things I come across for our soldiers overseas and when it's full, I'll just slip everything into the padded envelope and send it off to Operation: Shoebox.
Cagey old Lou issued a stern warning to the offense before the game, saying, in essence, "Hit or be benched."
Team Leader Derrick Lee reinforced Lou's message by showing the other boys how it's done -- joining Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Ron Santo in the Cubs' exclusive 300 Home Run Club. This Tribune photo captures an important moment between the men who comprise the heart and soul of my team. Hopefully this big win in Milwaukee will be the beginning of a good, long streak.
And, since the Hawks have won the Cup, maybe now Lou will lose the old man beard.
But I was very disappointed in it. Sex and the City 2, that is.
