Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Greased Lightnin'

1) Greased Lightnin' was the name of a car. Have you ever given your car a name? Sorry. I don't have a car.

2) Could your vehicle use a trip to the car wash this weekend? Well, the local PACE buses could certainly benefit from a little spring cleaning.

 

3) This song is from the soundtrack of the movie Grease, the biggest money-making movie musical of all time. Have you ever seen it? About a million times.

 
4) John Travolta's astrological sign is Aquarius. What's yours? I'm on the cusp between Scorpio and Sagittarius. 

  5)  In addition to being John Travolta's birthplace, Englewood, New Jersey, played a significant role in telecommunications history. In 1951, Englewood's mayor made the first-ever direct dial long-distance call in the United States. Now it's your turn. Tell us something about your birthplace. I'm going to define "birthplace" literally and tell you about the hospital I arrived in. While it was just a plain, old run-of-the-mill community hospital when my mom checked in, about 10 years after my birth it was converted to a mental health facility for those citizens who have either been found unfit to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity. My family has always enjoyed teasing me about being born in "the funny farm."

 

6) Travolta is an excellent dancer. How are you on the dance floor? I suck.

7) Grease is an upbeat musical about the students of Rydell High. Another Travolta movie is Carrie, which features the worst prom night imaginable. Grease or Carrie -- which is closer to your high school experience? Definitely Carrie. I hated high school.

 

8) What was your best subject in high school? What was your worst? English and American history were the best. Algebra and chemistry were the worst.

  9) Sam made good use of the bus ride to school, using that time to complete her homework. What do you remember about getting to or from school? We rode to school in a car pool. I hated it most of all when it was my parents' turn. My dad smoked constantly and drove this big boat of a Cadillac. Stuck in back seat, trying to breathe, we were like canaries in a coal mine.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 17

Day 17, Friday: A favorite photo of yourself and why

Because the 1960s appeal to me, and because I see so much of my younger self in Peggy Olson on Mad Men.

Yenta, heal thyself

I can be very bossy with my oldest friend. Life overwhelms her at times and it's hard to resist the impulse to tell her to move over, gimme the keys and let me drive. And ok, often I don't resist the impulse at all. Like I said, bossy.

One of the things I've been bugging her about is Meetup.com. Since moving to Los Angeles she's become more isolated. She needs friends! She carries on a tepid online flirtation with Archie Bunker and has been Facebooking with people we went to highschool with (back when Robert Redford was Gatsby). Other than that, she has the troubled son who sleeps on her sofa and her physically nearby but emotionally distant cousin to talk to. Period.

A coworker of mine here in Chicago used Meetup a lot last summer and expanded her independent, post-divorce circle of friends. She found foodies to eat out with (Chicago is a great city for dining). But there are plenty of LA-area Meetup groups that enjoy books and movies. My friend once loved her Chicagoland book club and hell, LA is the movie capital of the world. So I've been nagging and cajoling and being all pushy.

Then it occurred to me -- I haven't made a new friend in years. While my circle of friends is loving and diverse, there's no reason not to add to it, is there? And so, this past Tuesday, I attended a Meetup my damn self.

It was a screening of Mildred Pierce for about a dozen of us. The moderator, Will*, and I really hit it off. He appreciated my enthusiasm. Quite a few of the people in the room never saw the movie before, so it was fun to experience it with them. One of the women there was reserved but really bright and recommended another film noir classic, Leave Her to Heaven.

This group meets once a month. Next month is The Postman Always Rings Twice. I'm going to make an effort to go.

Now if only my oldest friend would get off her sofa and give Meetup a try!

*Will's path very nearly crossed with my friend, Ed. Will is an independent contractor for the company that laid Ed off. Chicago can be a small community.

Jodi Arias: Betty Broderick Redux

Betty Broderick was the defendant in one of the first trials ever covered by TV, gavel to gavel. In 1989, she shot her ex-husband Dan and his younger, second wife Linda as they slept. Five times. Pre-dawn. In their own bed. In their own home. That she snuck into, using a key stolen from their eldest daughter.

Her defense? They drove her to it. By sleeping in their own bed in their own home before sunrise on a Sunday morning. I can see why she felt threatened.

There is no evidence of any abuse at the hands of ex-husband Dan. There is however, record of the $9,000/month he gave her. Even though she had relinquished custody of their children to him. With inflation, that's $18,900/month in today's dollars ... or $228,000/year. All for herself (remember, he had their kids.) In exchange, all he wanted was to be left alone. He took out restraining orders against Betty and she violated each and every once, once driving her Suburban (paid for by Dan) through his front door.

Believe it or not, there are women out there who don't revile Betty. They sympathize with and idolize her! Betty is big on jailhouse interviews and loves answering her "fan mail." Shudder.

Don't take my word for what a narcissistic, murderous bitch Betty is. 

Read CNN's account of her most recent and very colorful parole hearing here.

Jodi Arias is the 2013 model of Betty Broderick. I can't help but notice the similarities between these two high profile killers. Jodi murdered her former boyfriend, Travis Alexander because he drove her to it. While Dan and Linda put Betty in imminent physical peril by sleeping in their own bed, Travis terrified Jodi by being nude and vulnerable in his own shower. Just as Dan's real sin was growing weary of his batshit crazy, wildly self-centered ex-wife, Travis' was choosing to go to Cancun with someone other than his batshit crazy, wildly self-centered ex-girlfriend. Like Betty, Jodi has never met a TV camera she didn't like and like Betty, she can't stop sliming the man she murdered.

While Jodi's crime was more savage and hands-on (she used a knife), Betty's body count was double and through her monstrously selfish act she left her children parent-less. So which cold-blooded murderer is "worse?" I'll leave that for God to sort out.

As an old school feminist, I'm glad that Jodi isn't garnering the fan base Betty did. Maybe the times, they are finally a-changing, and women are beginning to own their lives and their choices. "Poor little me. He made me do it!" doesn't seem to wash anymore.

Both photos are from CNN

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 16

Day 16, Thursday: Something difficult about your "lot in life" and how you're working to overcome it

I survived physical abuse. When I was a teen, I was sexually molested by a revered older male relative. For the first 17 years of my life I was regularly beaten by my bigger, older sister. These two realities set the stage for a long, abusive relationship when I was in my 20s. I somehow came to believe that was my "lot in life," that somehow it's OK to handle me and treat me anyway you wish.

That is not the case. I deserve dignity, respect and kindness.

When I turned 30, I ended that abusive relationship, entered therapy and joined a church.

More than 20 years later, I still struggle. I ended a relationship with a good man perhaps prematurely, I was so worried about walking down that doormat road again. I have problems with intimacy -- I am more honest on this blog than I am in life. My shrink said my past has made me too reluctant to let people see my "backstage." And I worry about what is my fault, what is my responsibility, and what is not. 

But I am, for the most part, a happy woman. I have a solid sense of humor and many good friends whom I treasure. I find joy in the world around me. My past has made me strong, independent and resilient, and those are all things I'm grateful to God for.

THURSDAY THIRTEEN #221

THIRTEEN THINGS ABOUT COCA COLA

You know it. Everyone does.  

In 2011 it was declared the most valuable brand on the planet.

And it's always my drink of choice.

1) Coca Cola is America's best-known export, sold in every country in the world except Cuba and North Korea.

2) It was invented by an Atlanta pharmacist in the late 1800s who believed that his carbonated soda/syrup mix had "energizing" medicinal purposes (it was whispered to be a remedy for impotence) and could cure headaches.

3) Once the pharmacist sold the formula, it was marketed as a soft drink. The first ad ran in the Atlanta Journal, declaring it: "Delicious. Refreshing. Exhilarating. Invigorating."

4) Coca Cola memorabilia from that era is prized among collectors. Recently a 19th century antique clock with the logo was auctioned for nearly $100,000.

5)  In 1935, Coca Cola was certified "kosher."

6) Its color is caramel -- Caramel E-150d to be exact.  

7) Coca-Cola, the logo, the name Coke and the shape of the bottle are all trademarked

8) In 1944, the billionth bottle was sold.

9) In 1951, a little known actress named Marilyn Monroe made a Coke commercial with Jack Paar as part of a promotion for their movie, Love Nest.



10) In 1955, Coca Cola began being sold in cans.

11) Its most famous jingle, "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing," became a hit record in 1971.

12) Early in his career, Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain worked for Coca-Cola as chauffeur to the company president.

13) A large portion of Coca Cola's business -- both nationally and internationally -- comes from their long relationship with another well-known brand: McDonald's.

For more about the Thursday 13, 
or to play along yourself, click here.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 14

Day 14, Tuesday: Ten things that make you really happy

1) Singing along with my shower radio as I wash my hair 
2) Cuddling with my big old tomcat, Joey
3) Going to the movies
4) Losing myself in a book
5) The color of the sky
6) Cubs Win! Cubs Win!
7) A job well done
8) Kids. At church last Sunday, two little ones were dedicated (baptized) and it was a delight to both observe them, and their slightly older sibs.
9) Seeing my best friend's name in my inbox
10) Being downtown

 

Trifecta

 

This week's challenge: Using between 33 and 333 words, compose something that includes the third definition of the following word:

 

DELIBERATE

3: slow, unhurried, and steady as though allowing time for decision on each individual action involved

There was no sharp realization, no Oprah “Aha! Moment.” It wasn’t that neat or clean or sudden. 

It may not have happened "All at Once," like in the song, but it happened all the same. As deliberate as it was ineffable.  

I find I'm no longer in love.

About the photo: Life Magazine makes a library of their archive images available for free to use for “non-commercial personal purposes."

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 13

Day 13, Monday: Issue a public apology.

Dear Fat Me, I'm so sorry I didn't go to the health club today. I know I am in abhorrent physical condition just now, and blowing off my cardio time is not good for my self esteem, self respect or health. I feel bad, but that's not productive, either. So I will simply work harder tomorrow to do better by and for myself

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 12

Day 12, Sunday: What do you miss? (a person, a thing, a place, a time of your life...)

This is a no-brainer for Mother's Day, but I miss my mom. This was my first Mother's Day without her in my life, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. And this blog really helped me get through it.

For I have a real-time, honest log of my feelings on Mother's Days gone by and, frankly, those posts don't represent my mom and me at our best. She was wrestling health problems, she was vague, she was thoughtless ... I am not sorry to not have another painful Mother's Day to add. 

Which is not to say there isn't a lot about my mother that I admire and that I don't miss her. But it's important to see her clearly. She wasn't perfect. Our relationship wasn't perfect. And I'm glad that her health problems are behind her and that she is happy, whole and with God.

Compare and Contrast

I kept busy this weekend with an old friend, Jay Gatsby. I loooooved The Great Gatsby the first time I read it, in high school. Yes, I was listening when the teacher told us it was about the American belief in money equaling success, and our national penchant for invention. (She may even have used the word, "penchant.") But that wasn't my takeaway. For the first time I understood the phrase, "the end doesn't justify the means." I got it. I realized that it didn't matter why Gatsby was bootlegging and money laundering. Love wasn't a good enough reason. Buried in the lush, beautiful prose was a real life lesson and I got it.

Of the great Jass Age novelists, I enjoy Hemingway's style more than Fitzgerald's. It's clean and spare and credible. But Fitzgerald's masterpiece has a moral core that touches me and teaches me.

To celebrate the release of the latest cinematic incarnation, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as my old friend, I watched the 1974 version. The one I saw in high school, starring my great teenage crush, Robert Redford. At the time, I loved him as Gatsby, but I couldn't stand Mia Farrow as Daisy. I remember thinking of her as "Dismal Daisy." Why was he so obsessed with such a silly girl? Watched today, I still feel the same way about Jay and Daisy. Karen Black as Myrtle is woeful. But I loved the sets and the clothes and the music. And I appreciate Sam Waterston -- so familiar as Jack McCoy on Law & Order -- as Nick. Our Everyman. Our entree into that privileged world.

Then I went to see the new, 3D Baz Luhrman version on the big screen. Oh, how it sucks! The sets are elaborate and annoying. The soundtrack is intrusive and pretentious. I'm sure Leo is a better actor than Redford, but he's less of a star, and when he appears behind the wheel of the yellow convertible or slips into the pink suit, the audience actually snickered at how silly he looked.

Carey Mulligan is Leo's object of desire and I found her to be just as dismal a Daisy. I think maybe that part is unplayable. I found her so sympathetic in the book, a woman as restricted by her money as she would be by poverty. But in both 1974 and 2013, she's just grating.

I wonder why it's so hard to make a good movie based on this wonderful book.

One thing at a time

My living room is slowly coming together. First I got the new air conditioner. Today I bought this new futon (though when it arrives it will have a green/pink print cover).

I went futon for a reason: When it gets too dirty or shows too much wear, I can just get a new cover or mattress. I'm tired of everything in my life being disposable. My last two sofas lasted little more than five years each. One was an off-size, so I couldn't get a slipcover for it and it wasn't worth the investment of having it reupholstered, and the one I'm sitting on now turned out to be a piece of crap.

Anyway, next on my list of things to do in this living room is get rid of a lot of crap. Then I'm going to use my carpet cleaner. Soon this place will be presentable.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

Thinking about: A new sofa or futon. I think I want a futon, because I just throw the cover in the washer when it gets dirty. But I wonder if a futon will be sturdy enough for the wear it will receive. The one I'm sitting on, from Crate and Barrel, started falling apart after four years.


Feeling: Broke. Just bought a new air conditioner, and now I need a sofa! But I have to have these things before my oldest friend comes to visit in August.


Reading:  Dean and Me: A Love Story. No one is more surprised than I am that I'm enjoying it. I was barely aware of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis as a duo. They broke up before I was born and, unlike the Marx Brothers, their movies don't show up on TV. Also, I'm not a big fan of either of theirs separately. Yet I find this book wildly entertaining. A great portrait of the 1950s in America.

Listening to:  Amy Winehouse. "He walks away, the sun goes down, he takes the day but I'm grown," from my favorite track of hers:





Wondering: Why I suddenly have such a craving for barbecue!

Looking forward to:  Devouring that small plate of Trader Joe's barbecue pulled pork that's waiting for me in the microwave.

Missing:  My mom. It's my first Mother's Day without her. Although today isn't as painful for me as I'd feared it would be.

Watching:  The 1974 version of The Great Gatsby. I saw the new version Saturday and I like this one better. Though I'm not that crazy about this one, either. Redford is a better Gatsby than Leo, but Carey Mulligan is just as unsympathetic a Daisy as Mia Farrow was. Why is it so hard to make a good movie of this terrific book?





Eating:  My Trader Joe's barbecue pulled pork.

Making me happy: My Trader Joe's barbecue pulled pork. 

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 11

Day 11, Saturday: Sell yourself in 10 words or less

I'm loyal and sweet and smart and sexy and funny.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Mama Told Me (Not to Come)

1) This song is about a lad who didn't take his mother's advice and attended the wild party anyway (hear it here). When you were young, did your parents approve of your friends? If you're a parent yourself, how have you handled it when your kids start hanging around with friends you're not crazy about? While in high school, I had a friend named Judy whose appearance really got on my mom's nerves. Judy wore her long blonde hair stick-straight and parted down the middle and didn't wear any makeup whatsoever. Mom would prefer I hang around with more conventional kids, people she understood. She didn't "get" Judy at all.

 

 

 
2) A 2010 poll named Marge Simpson of The Simpsons the most popular TV mom of all time. Who is your favorite TV (or movie) mother? Donna Reed. Or Kitty on That 70s Show.

3) Crazy Sam's mother is a big fan of The National Enquirer. As she likes to say, "They were right about John Edwards!" Do you read the tabloids? Cast a guilty glance at them when you're in line at the store? Or ignore them altogether? Ya got me. I admit I look at the headlines when I'm waiting in line. Can't recall ever actually purchasing one, though I'm sure I have.

4) Mother Winters always gave Sam peppermint tea to calm her stomach. Do you have any tried-and-true home remedies to share? I believe in soda pop. Ginger ale for tummy aches, Coke for headaches. It sounds frivolous but there is some basis in fact -- ginger settles the stomach and caffeine is included in migraine-formula OTC meds.

5) Thinking of guts ... When making decisions, do you tend to consider all the options carefully or do you "go with your gut"? Yes. I mean, the approach I take depends on how important the situation is and/or how strong my gut feeling is.

6) Spring is here! Do you have a green thumb? Yes.

7) Have you put away your winter clothes yet? I should and I might this weekend.

8) After you lather and rinse, do you repeat? Not often.

9) To celebrate Mother's Day, Sam is giving away Hershey bars. Would you prefer classic milk chocolate, dark chocolate or milk chocolate with almonds? Milk chocolate with almonds.

 

 

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 10

Day 10, Friday: Most embarrassing moment (s). Spill.

I can't think of just one MOST embarrassing, so let me share a recent one. I had a hysterectomy in 2011 that left my belly with a substantial scar. Runs from my belly button as far down south as it can. Consequently, when I'm at the health club, I keep my rump to everyone because I'm embarrassed by the scar. In retrospect, the hunk of toilet paper hanging out from between butt cheeks was probably more embarrassing.

Now if you'll excuse me, I must move to a land where no one speaks English and therefore cannot speak of my shame.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 9

Day 9, Thursday: A moment in your day (this can be just a photo or both a photo and words)

Lunch at Wildberry

THURSDAY THIRTEEN #220 -- "BELLA! HERE, GIRL!"

THE THIRTEEN
MOST COMMON NAMES
FOR DOGS & CATS

When I first tackled this topic, in 2008, the most popular names for dogs and cats were Max and Samantha. But styles change. According to the folks at babynamewizard.com, here are the most popular names as reported by veterinary clinics in 2012. Max remains, but Samantha goes by the wayside.

1. Bella

2. Max

3. Buddy

4. Daisy

5. Bailey

6. Coco

7. Lucy

8. Charlie

9. Molly

10. Rocky

11. Tiger

12. Smokey

13. Shadow  

My cats are Joey, Charlotte and Reynaldo. Do you have pets at home? Do their names appear on the list?

For more about the Thursday 13, 
or to play along yourself, click here.

I Want Wednesday

I want to know what's going on. My best friend has been unemployed since August 1, has had precious few interviews and his leads are dwindling. When I hear from him, he's either depressed and withdrawn and all Eeyore, or he's regaling me with tales of his latest vacation.

Huh? How is someone who hasn't worked in more than 9 months affording to take all these trips? Thanksgiving in Puerto Vallerta. Easter in New York. He just got back from the New Orleans JazzFest and has a trip to the Grand Canyon on the calendar. He and his family would also like to go to Southern California but that's still up the in the air. Not because of money, mind you, but because his two now teenaged girls have so many activities planned for summer.

He must be taking money from his father-in-law, a very wealthy and not very nice man. Whenever my best friend does this, it's at the behest of his wife. Her family has money and she doesn't see why she should do without the things that her sister has. There's something to that. Every year her father has to give money away to family to avoid paying taxes on it anyway ... why not give it his kids?

Except that whenever he does take her family money, it seems to numb his soul. And, since when he's not telling me how much fun vacation was, he's telling me how little self confidence is left, I worry about him. A lot.

I love the little sumbitch

My cat Reynaldo spent a month tormenting me. Ever since I came home from vacation on April 5, he has been even more rambunctious than usual ... knocking over even more knick-knacks, running around even more, howling even louder, waking me from a sound sleep even more aggressively and, most disturbing, peeing ON my dining room table. He's ruined important papers and photographs and souvenirs with cat urine. He made such serious eye contact with me, it was as if he was angry. But really, can an otherwise sweet cat with a brain the size of a plum pit hold a grudge for weeks? I don't think so.

So I took him to the vet. During the preliminary exam, the vet predicted Rey's problem would turn out to be behavioral. After all, I could tell there is no blood in his urine. His eyes are good, his heart is strong, his gums are the right color, and he's social. OH, BOY! Is he ever social! Not only had he began interacting with the other cats, he was not leaving me alone, and usually cats who aren't feeling well mask their symptoms and keep to themselves.

Just to be safe, the vet took a urine sample from Rey and my little feline friend and I waited in the examining room for it to be tested. All the while, Rey never calmed down -- flipping from side to side on the table like a salmon in the bottom of a boat, leaping off the table and checking out the room. I know it sounds counter intuitive, but I actually wanted him to be sick, because behavioral issues in cats are notoriously hard to treat, but I was doubtful.

The vet came in and was as surprised to report that there were crystals in Reynaldo's urine, indicative of the early stages of feline lower urinary tract disease. So he was sick after all! He now requires prescription food, and will for the rest of his life, but that's OK. We know what's wrong and we can fix it. He's already been on the food for more than a week and seems to be feeling better.

The vet shared that he was surprised because my manic little cat was so lively and interacted with my sooooo much. As though he was trying to get my attention, yelling, "FIX ME!" This is "unusual," he said, elaborating with, "Your cat is is unusually bonded to you."

He is! Some mornings, as I leave for work, I hear him on the other side of the door as I'm locking it and then walking down the hall. He calls out to me, not wanting me to go. It kinda breaks my heart. But he is 9 years old, which is too old for plain old, garden variety separation anxiety. He's not alone during the day -- he has my other two cats, Joey and Charlotte. On the other hand, he's not going to outgrow this. This is just who he is.

Early in April, when I was at the end of my tether with Rey, I had a consultation with a pet psychic recommended to me by Snarky Pants. And everything she told me echoed the vet. She told me that Rey was uncomfortable and was trying to make me HEAR HIM. Even though it's not typical feline behavior, it's my Reynaldo.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 8

Day 8, Wednesday: A piece of advice you have for others. Anything at all.

"Don't listen to what they say. Watch what they do." It's the best piece of workplace advice I've received, and I'm happy to pass it along.

Management often makes pronouncements that are filled with rosy-sounding crap phrases, all the while doing things like eliminating holidays (What? We don't get President's Day off this year?) and suddenly paying closer attention to how many pencils and paperclips you order. When that starts happening, get your resume in order. No matter what they say.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 7

Day 7, Tuesday: The thing(s) you're most afraid of

1) An airplane crash. Specifically the few seconds before. The screaming and the pandemonium as my fellow travelers and I realize the inevitable. Shudder!

2) Losing my independence. "Old age is a shipwreck." So said President Kennedy after seeing his father incapacitated by a stroke. My father, too, had a massive stroke. My uncle was brought down, painfully and slowly, by Parkinson's Disease. I hate the thought of being that vulnerable.

Hey! This was cheery! I haven't read these in advance, so I don't know what tomorrow brings. But I hope it's a little rosier!

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 6

Day 6, Monday: If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, 'what do you do?'

 

"The Gal Worries." That's what a friend likes to say, and it's true. What if I lose my job? What if the company that holds my mother's reverse mortgage sues? What if my oldest friend can't overcome her Depression? Why is my oldest friend so quiet? However will my friend in the Keys move with that unsellable house hanging around his neck? What if I can't find a futon store that delivers and will take away this filthy sofa? What if I never lose this weight -- will I become diabetic? What's up with mole on my back? What if John and Ed never get new jobs? The list goes on ... and  on ... and on ...

My mother believed in the prayer she learned when her mother was in AA. You know, the one by St. Francis. "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference." And I get that -- in theory.

But I find that by (as my best friend refers to it) "awfulizing," I help myself prepare and withstand. If I worry, think it through, imagine the worst possible outcome there can possibly be, I then recognize that, "HEY! I can handle that." It doesn't paralyze me. It helps me go on.

Blog Every Day in May -- Day 5

Day 5, Sunday: Publicly profess your love and devotion for one of your blogger friends. What makes them great? Why do you love them? 

 

Today I genuflect to true blog royalty, Queen Mimi of Bloggingham over at Mimi Writes. I hope this will get her attention because I don't think she blogs enough and this loyal subject misses her.

She's a teacher and a proud crusader for peace (The Blogblast for Peace is her innovation). She's also a daughter, a mother and grandmother. Her posts about the dearest men in her life -- her father, her son and her grandsons -- are always enormously touching. And she's a gifted a photographer. No one marries words and pictures quite as well as Mimi does. (Treat yourself to this journey through a doll house.)

I'd also like to bend the May rules and also give a shoutout to Kwizgiver, Endomental, Snarky Pants and Vivian. They have been wonderfully supportive and have put a little extra steel in my spine when I've needed it. Thank you, Ladies.

Sunday Stealing

The Wish List Meme, part two 

26.) If you had to order from a kid's menu, what would you get?  Grilled cheese

27.) Do you speak any other languages?  I tried to learn Spanish but I let myself get distracted. I must try again!

28.) Do you use Twitter? Yes, when watching NCIS or a Cub game. It's like being in a bar without having to actually deal with people.

29.) Do you go onto YouTube?  Yes, and I'm always fascinated by the crap that's up there. I mean, it never occurred to me that this clip would matter to anyone but me, but here it is. And it's gotten more than 100,000 views! (And before you click on it, beware. It is indeed crap; the epic teeny bopper pairing of Bobby Sherman and David Cassidy.)



30.) Do you play Angry Birds? Not as well as my nephew, which is humbling because he's 13.

31.) Do you like theme parties? No.

32.) Do you like current cartoons?  No.

33.) Have you ever cried because you were so happy?  No. (I feel bad with all these no's, like I'm not giving this meme my all.)

34.) Who would you like to see in concert? Recently I've seen the Three B's: A Beatle (Sir Paul), The Boss (Springsteen) and Babs (Streisand). And I'd love to see each, any and all again. As soon as possible, please.

35.) Can you swim well? Yes. I think I could do the backstroke forever.

36.) Ever won a contest? Yes. When I was in third grade I won an essay contest from our local newspaper and I used the money to buy a Madame Alexander doll (Jo from Little Women). It meant a great deal to me to find, as I recently went through my mother's belongings for the last time, that she hung onto it for all these years.

37.) Ever won a giveaway?  Yes

38.) Do you get a full 8 hours of sleep every night? Probably, though not uninterrupted.

39.) What tea do you like?  Cranberry pomegranate or cinnamon vanilla, please


40.) What mixed drink do you like? Vodka and ... (Once we've got the vodka, we really can't go wrong, can we?)

41.) Do you shop at Walmart? I'd prefer not to. Parents don't watch their kids and it makes me nervous. I'm always terrified that the little boy or girl who races past me unattended will be on Nancy Grace next week. (This impulse to monitor all children everywhere is why my best friend maintains I must be part border collie.)

42.) Do you shop at Target? I recently started because now there's a "City Target" near my office. Geez, they really do carry everything, don't they? And the "City Target" supposedly has a "limited"
selection!

43.) What do you order at your local coffee shop? My local coffee shop is Starbuck's: Tall hot chocolate, no whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon.

44.)  Do you drink bottled or tap water? Tap. I want my old teeth to get as much fluoride as possible.

45.) Do you like homemade meals?  Not if I have to cook them.

46.) Do you like homemade baked goods?  Not if I have to bake them.

47.) Do you shop online?  Yes, indeedy!

48.) Name 3 stores online stores you would like to shop at:  Drugstore.com, Amazon and Ebay

49.) What holiday don't you like? They have each been a challenge since my mother died last fall. I'm sure I'll enjoy them all again. It's just hard now.

50.) What do you eat more when you're sick? Gooey cheesey stuff. Like mac and cheese.

It's a good day

My new air conditioner is humming -- and quietly! Thank you, Kenmore. The delivery went almost smoothly. I wasn't crazy about all the whining on the part of Bob, the installer, because he couldn't find a place to park his truck. Um, Bob? That's a YP, not a MP. After yesterday's screw up, I wasn't in a mood to be especially helpful. All I said was, "I can't help that." This cannot be the first condo in a congested area that he's installed in. And he worked it out somehow. Once Bob got up here to do his work, all was well. I was a little disappointed to learn that, to his knowledge, my old unit will be scrapped. It did still work, and at the Sears store they implied it would be recycled. Maybe it's too old, and there aren't any parts that can be used. I comfort my conscience with the words of Snarky Pants and Bud, who assure me that at least this new unit will burn less energy over the long haul.

Then I tried a new restaurant (at least new to me) here in town for breakfast. Brunch, I guess, since I got there at 11:00. I was able to eat outside, because the day was so nice and sunny. I had a bacon/egg flatbread and their "brunch punch" (mango vodka, champagne and pineapple juice). This was the first time I had a drink with my breakfast since Key West. I said a silent toast to my friends down there -- especially Ted, who is battling a brain tumor. It seemed like a fitting way to remember them in prayer, as I was doing just what we'd be doing if we were together.

I feel bad because I'm about to abandon the book I read over breakfast, Anne Frank's Family. I want to like it, I do! I think it's neat that Anne's paternal grandmother was as good and dedicated a writer as Anne. But I don't care about Anne's great-grandparents. They never knew her, barely knew her father Otto, and they seem very distant and snobby, anyway. Oh well, maybe I'll just skip those parts. It's important to remember that, in addition to their father, Anne and Margot left cousins and a grandmother who loved them, and that for them, Anne's story is more than a chronicle of long-ago horror. It was real and intimate.

Then I came home and watched the Cub game. Yes, they lost. And OK, it was a heartbreaker. But you know what? Those are the exciting games. I'd have preferred a win, of course, but it's a long season and we will win our share!

I'm worried about my oldest friend and my best friend. They each seem to have hit a rough patch. But I prefer not to write about that just now. Maybe later.

They're still people, People!

I'm watching Cubs manager Da1e Sveum try to explain the inexplicable -- which is how, by giving up just one hit, the team blew a 4-2 lead and still lost 6-4. Dale looks so weary.

And why wouldn't he? Today was the first really nice Saturday of the season. It was Cubs Derby Hat Giveaway Day. There were more than 35,000 fans within the Friendly Confines. It began well and then, in the time it takes to walk four batters and hit another, a win turned into yet another loss.

I'm sad for everyone involved. Baseball is supposed to be fun, but it can't be fun for reliever Carlos Marmol to hear 35,000 of the most faithful fans in baseball boo. It can't be fun for Alfonso Soriano watch his best day at the plate so far this year go for naught. It can't be fun for Jeff Samardzija to pitch six solid innings and then end up not even being the pitcher of record. And it can't be fun in the clubhouse when Soriano and Samardzija come face-to-face with Marmol.

A lot is made of how Cub fans "suffer." I watched an exciting game today. I didn't "suffer." I think my heroes in Cubbie Blue are the ones suffering. That's why I never boo. (Well, not since the Cubs unloaded Zambrano.)

Blog Every Day in May -- Day Four

Day 4, Saturday: Favorite quote (from a person, from a book, etc) and why you love it

"What man has done, man can do."

It could be a Chinese proverb or a quote by an American Colonist or maybe some Russian.  Whatever. I still think it's very wise. I try to remember it when I feel myself becoming daunted.