Thursday Thirteen #93 -- Is there someone named Max waiting for you at home?

THE THIRTEEN
MOST COMMON NAMES
FOR DOGS & CATS

The ASPCA asked veterinarians for the most popular pet names, and Max tops the list. I got the idea for this TT when I took one of my cats* to a new vet and saw they had displayed their own list of their most common patient names and yes, Max was on theirs, too.

1. Max
2. Sam (Samantha placed #19)
3. Lady
4. Bear
5. Smokey
6. Shadow
7. Kitty
8. Molly
9. Buddy
10. Brandy
11. Ginger
12. Baby
13. Misty

Does your pet's name appear on the list?

*Joey, a name not on the list.

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

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Back to work

I took two days off and was nothing but LAZY! I did laundry, but that's about it. My home is completely overrun by papers and mail and magazines. Did I do anything about it these past two days? No. I napped and farted around on the computer and stared slack-jawed at the TV.

When I do this once in a while, it feels stolen and wicked and delicious. But when I do it whenever I'm home, it just feels slovenly.

I'm taking another long weekend this week and I simply MUST do something constructive with it. Otherwise I'll have to deal with this self loathing.

In Memory of Paul Newman

Angel Tales, the magazine of Paws Chicago, gives credit where credit is due. Since 2004, Paul "Newman's generosity found its way to PAWS Chicago, where to date he has donated over $15,000 in support of the organization's mission to save the lives of all homeless animals and ultimately make Chicago a No Kill City."

I think it's interesting, and very sweet, that the magazine speaks of Paul Newman in the present tense. None of us like thinking he's gone.

For more about Paws Chicago, click here.

Heads & Tails #18

This week's theme is "Share an Autumn Memory."

Four years ago at this time, I was about as miserable as I've ever been. I'd spent a year working on Senator John Kerry's Presidential campaign, and we know how that ended. My lovely and loving ragdoll kitty, Billy, was literally wasting away before my eyes. He was diagnosed with untreatable bone marrow cancer, and I had to make the difficult decision that pet owners always dread.

I was confused and heartbroken by Senator Kerry's loss. I missed Billy. It not only was getting dark earlier, it was raining all the time. My world was so oppressively dark and sad. It felt as though I'd never be happy again.

Then, as I was running across a busy street, en route to Walgreen's to buy something mundane and boring, like cotton swabs or maybe Nair, this song came through my headphones and it lifted my heart. It sounds happy, the lyrics are hopeful, and it brought back memories of a happier time. So now, this is my autumn song.

Happy Birthday to me, pt. 1

This weekend, my oldest friend and I took the train down to Springfield, IL, to celebrate my birthday. We went to the Lincoln Library and Museum. As always, the museum is the best way to feel close to the man who gave us all the United States and the liberty we enjoy today. Today, as we welcome another President who, like Lincoln, toiled only briefly in Springfield and was accused of being "not ready" for the office, it was all especially poignant. I find it comforting to know that Obama is a student of Lincoln.

We also spent a lot of time in the library. It has ancestry/geneaological databases that anyone can search for free, so my friend and I looked up our families. I was tickled to find my grandpa's name on the manifest of the Bergensfjord, the ship he took from Norway to Ellis Island, back in the 1920s. I wish he was still here so I could ask him how/why he came over from Norway, instead of Germany where he lived my greatgrandparents. I also found my parents' marriage license. It was so cool!

Best of all, I will remember this weekend for the salmon. We enjoyed a room service dinner and I opened my gifts (a heartwarming cat book and a movie trivia calendar -- does she know me or what?) and I had shrimp cocktail, baked potato and grilled salmon. Then, for breakfast, I had lox and bagels. I do sooooo love salmon.

I'm home now, and boy do I know it! No one is celebrating me (and won't until I go to the theater with Barb on Wednesday), I'm eating a Lean Cuisine instead of salmon, and I've got two loads in the dryer downstairs.

A way-long meme

Liberated, once again, from Kwizgiver.

1. My eye color: Green
2. Favorite car: One driven and completely maintained for me by someone else
3. Right-handed or left-handed: Right
4. Shoes you wore today: Blue/white tennies
5. My fears: Air travel, clowns (My idea of hell is being stuck on a Barnum & Bailey's charter flight filled with clowns)
6. Goal you would like to achieve this year: Stop gaining weight
7. Thoughts first waking up: Huh? Wha?
8. My bedtime: Midnight-ish
9. Pepsi or Coke: Coke
10. Single or Group Dates: It's been so long, I don't remember
11. Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate
12. Do you smoke: Nope
13. Do you sing: Yes, quite tonelessly
14. Have you been in love: Yes
15. Do you want to get married: No
16. Do you get along with your parents: Depends on which parent we're talking about
17. Do you play a musical instrument: No
18. In the past month have you smoked: No
19: Favorite candy bar: Three Musketeers
20. In the past month have you gone on a date: No
21. All-time favorite sports team: Chicago Cubs (if you didn't know that, you don't come by here too often)
22. Ideal girlfriend/boyfriend: He should be independent, gentle, and have great hair
23. My best friend(s): The guy I refer to on this site as My Best Friend
24. Do you believe in love at first sight: No
25. Favorite clothing brand: Jones New York
26. Dream vacation: Manhattan on an expense account
27. My favorite singer: Paul McCartney
28. My favorite movie: The Way We Were
29. Have you ever fired a gun: I'm told I did as a child, but I don't remember (It caused quite the row between my parents)
30. Do you like answering these questions: I do
31. Do you like yourself: Usually
32. I am addicted to: Purses, totebags, laptop bags, etc.
33. Favorite drink: Coke
34. Do you have a crush on anyone: Oh, yes. Sigh …
35. Are you ticklish: Yes
36. Favorite ice cream flavor: Mint chocolate chip
37. Define yourself in 3 words: Loyal, verbal, independent
38. Do you believe in God: Yes
39. Favorite day of the week: Friday
40. Heads or tails: Heads
41. Favorite author: Marian Keyes (fiction) and Doris Kearns Goodwin (non-fiction)
42. What magazines do you read: Time and Newsweek and People and Us and Allure and Glamour
43. Sweet or sour: sweet
44. Favorite chewing gum brand: Big Red
45. My hair color: strawberry Bronde (Brownish-blond)
46. Height: nearly 5′ 2"
47. My heritage: Irish & German
48. My weakness: Complete lack of discipline
49. My perfect pizza: Stuffed spinach
50. My most overused phrase on IM: LOL
51. My best physical feature: My nose
52. Do you get motion sickness: No
53. McDonalds or Burger King: Micky D's
54. Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: I HATE ICE TEA
55. Cappuccino or Coffee: I HATE COFFEE
56. Do you swear: frequently and with panache (Kwizgiver's original answer, but I'm keeping it)
57. Do you want to go to college: Not anymore
58. Do you think you’re attractive: No
59. Do you like thunderstorms: I like all weather
60. In the past month have you drunk alcohol: Yes
61. In the past month have you been on drugs: Nothing illegal
62. Favorite cartoon as a child: Magilla Gorilla ("Take our advice, at any price, a gorilla like Magilla is mighty nice...)
63. Favorite sport: Cubs baseball
64. In the past month have you been on stage: No
65. Ever been beaten up: Yes
66. How you want to die: Suddenly
67. Number of piercings: Two -- just my ears
68. Favorite color: Blue
69. Favorite food dish: burgers
70. My parents are: Separated, seeing as my mom's alive and my dad's dead
71. Do you have children: No
72. Do you have pets: Three enormously entertaining cats
73. My favorite music genre: Pop
74. My favorite season: autumn
75. Silver or Gold: Silver
76. Who was the last person that called you: My mom
77. Are you a good driver: Haven't driven since Reagan was in office
78. Would you rather be rich or famous: Rich
79. When I’m sad or down, I prefer to… wash my hair
80. What is your phone’s current ringtone: the generic one it came with
81. The longest you’ve gone without sleeping: 24 hours
82. What would you do with a million dollars: Pay off my condo and then redecorate it
83. What makes you laugh: Lucy and Ricky. Still.
84. Your favorite book: JFK: Restless Youth
85. Most embarrassing moment: Lots of 'em
86. Favorite item that you currently own: My cognac handbag
87. Have you ever moved: Yes
88. Kisses or hugs: Depends on who is doing the hugging and/or kissing
89. Are you a very emotional person: Yes

NOOOOO!!!!

Cubs: Kerry Wood won't be back after trade for Kevin Gregg

I NEVER would have gone along with this move. I LOOOOVE Kerry Wood. Yes, he's been injured a lot. OK, so maybe he hasn't delivered on his terrific "Kid K" potential. But he's got so much talent and so much heart!

I get very sentimental about my guys, and so I hate to see him go.

Pinella Named NL Manager of the Year

So tell me something I don't know!

If I were the kind of fan that assigned blame, there are some folks I could single out regarding the Cubs rather rapid fall from the play-offs. But this man isn't one of them. Love 'ya, Lou! Can't wait till April so we can do it all again.

Thursday Thirteen #92 -- One reason why we fight over the remote ...

THE THIRTEEN TOP FILMS
OF ALL TIME …

FIRST AS JUDGED BY MEN,

THEN AS JUDGED BY WOMEN

If you're a movie fan, you should have IMDB.com bookmarked. It's a treasure trove of verified information and fascinating trivia about films (TV, too). The film buffs who run this site recently asked their registered users to name the top movies of all time. I think it's interesting how the boys' list differs from the girls'. Here I thought Titanic would be the ultimate chick flick, but I guess it's The Lord of Rings Trilogy.

First, the men have their say:

1. The Godfather (1972)
2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
3. The Godfather, Part II (1974)
4. The Dark Knight (2008)
5. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
6. Pulp Fiction (1994)
7. Star Wars – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
9. Schindler’s List (1993)
10. Twelve Angry Men (1957)
11. The Seven Samurai (1954)
12. Star Wars (1977)
13. Goodfellas (1990)

Now here are the top films of all times, as rated by women:

1. Shawshank Redemption (1994)
2. The Dark Knight (2008)
3. Schindler’s List (1993)
4. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
5. Rear Window (1954)
6. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
8. The Godfather (1972)
9. Casablanca (1942)
10. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
11. The Usual Suspects (1995)
12. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
13. Gone with the Wind (1939)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


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

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

This just in! Job security into December.

My boss told one of the art directors that there's an important agency-client meeting set for December 5. Management will have a solid idea of what's coming in, and how many of us will be needed, then. I choose to believe this, even though I didn't get it first hand. I suspect my boss will share similar information with the whole team tomorrow during our status meeting, and besides, I like believing I have until December 5 before I begin freaking out again.

Cheers to the Cubs' award-winning All Star rookie catcher

Geovany Soto is the National League's Rookie of the Year! Catchers are often passed over for thiss prize, but Soto's numbers this year were hard to ignore -- he hit .285 with 23 homers. Just as important as his wicked bat, he gained the respect of a seasoned pitching staff, especially Dempster and Hardin. Congratulations, Geovany! Enjoy the honor, enjoy your winter vacation, and we'll see you again in April.

Tuesday Tunes #15

November 10th was the anniversary of the day The Edmund Fitzgerald went down during a storm on Lake Superior. So we're going to have a nautical theme meme, word association style:

Ocean: "Out on the ocean, sailing away. I can hardly wait to see you come of age." (Which, of course, he didn't because some bastard murdered him before Sean grew to adulthood.) "Beautiful Boy" by John Lennon.

River: "Ain't no river deep enough to keep me from you." You may call her, "Miss Ross." (I love divas!)

Sea: "I'd like to be under the sea in an Octopus' Garden." The Beatles

Sailor: "Sail on, Sailor." The Beach Boys

Ship: "There's a port on a western bay and it serves 100 ships a day." Brandy by Looking Glass

Wave: "Changing my life with the wave of her hand." Here, There and Everywhere by the Beatles*

Sand: "Along the sand, let's walk together now, just hand in hand." California Nights by Leslie Gore

Sail: "Till every fear you've ever felt bursts free and goes tumbling to the sea." Janey, Don't You Lose Heart by Bruce Springsteen

Navy: "In the Navy" by the Village People

Deep: "How Deep Is Your Love?" The Bee Gees*

*OK, so they aren't nautical. But they're the first lyrics that came to my mind.

To play along yourself, or to see how other bloggers responded, click here.

Manic Monday #20

What was the first thing you thought when you looked at yourself in the mirror today? Gawd! My bangs are curling!

Do you have a recurring nightmare? If so, explain. Not lately. But I used to have a dream that I was in Thomas Magnum's Ferrari when it exploded and he had to save me. This dream bothered me for two reasons: 1) I don't find Tom Selleck attractive and don't even think of him very often; 2) the damn car is a convertible and how can I not be able to figure out how to escape on my own? I mean, isn't this akin to being trapped on an escalator? My shrink told me that dreams are symbolic, not literal, and that this dream reflected troubles I was having at the time at work, when I wasn't sure who my allies were in the convoluted game of office politics.

List three foods you can’t stand: Tomatoes, melon, and Buffalo wings

To see how other bloggers responded, or to play along yourself, click here.

Yup, that's Debra Winger

I saw Rachel Getting Married yesterday. Yes, the critics are all correct -- Anne Hathaway is that good in the lead role (but the movie ran a little long, perhaps because we saw every virtually every damn moment of the wedding and reception). But for me, the revelation was Debra Winger as Abby, the withdrawn Mother of the Bride. She's so good, and playing so far against type, that I didn't even recognize her at first. Guess it's because, to me, she'll always be the small town girl who gets carried out of the factory and onto Happily Ever After.

I simply can't live like this

Am I going to be let go tomorrow? Wednesday? After Thanksgiving? Not at all?

I don't know. And there is nothing I can do about it.

I resist situations I can do nothing about. It's my nature to stir things up and force an issue, because doing something almost always feels better than doing nothing. But that would be stupid. Every day that I work is another day I get paid for. I must remember that I am the only asset The Gal, Inc., has. I don't have a working spouse or wealthy relatives. All I have is me. So while it might be satisfying to go into my boss' office tomorrow and say, "If you're gonna lay me off, just do it already!", it would be ridiculously unwise.

But this is all I think about, and it's pointless. So I'm going to the movies, maybe a little Christmas shopping.

Sunday Stealing #9

Sunday Stealing: The Nudder Meme

1. Who did you spend at least two hours with today? Tony

2. What do you look forward to most in the next six weeks? A lot! A trip to Springfield to see the Lincoln (and now Obama!) sites, Thanksgiving, my birthday, and my mom's birthday.

3. Who was the last person you called? My mom, but she wasn't home. (Party girl!)

4. What were you doing at 12am last night? Probably watching a campaign-related post-mortem on CNN or MSNBC.

5. Are your parents married/divorced? Well, they were married, but my dad's been dead for years.

6. When did you last see your mom? About 10 days ago.

7. What are you wearing right now? A fabulous cat nightshirt.

8. Where is your favorite place to be? Tucked in the corner of my sofa. I find this a very comforting spot.

9. Where is your least favorite place to be? The doctor's office. I really should go in and see my GP, but I don't wanna.

10. Where would you go if you could go anywhere? The Chateau Elan spa outside of Atlanta. I think my shoulders, aching back and soul could use a little pampering.

11. Where do you think you'll be in 10 years? Hopefully right here. I worry about becoming unemployed for a long period of time and not being able to make my mortgage payments.

12. What was the last thing that really made you laugh? The antics of Lucy and Ricky Riccardo

13. What cities/towns/villages have you lived in? I've only ever lived in the Chicagoland area. I love it here.

14. Are you a social person? Sometimes. I also really value my alone time.

15. Do you sleep alone? Yes. Dammit.

Why do I let such things bother me?

My bus driver this morning was so freaking hostile! Even worse, it's been bothering me all day. Why did I let her talk to me that way? It's not right. Even worse, why do I let this get to me? I know I did nothing wrong or rude and besides, I know I'll probably never see that woman again. What difference does it make?

Saturday 9 -- So Far Away

1. Where is the furthest place that you have traveled and how far away from home is it? Berne, Switzerland; 4443 miles from Chicago (I looked it up)

2. What is a blog that you would recommend for us to read and why? Wonkette. It's a deliciously gossipy, very funny political blog with tons of links to actual, more serious articles from all around the country. (I'm often pissed off by the content, which leads me to believe that Wonkette is an equal opportunity offender.)

3. What is the biggest surprise you ever have had and was it a good one? I cannot come up with anything that's easy to explain so I'm going to pass. Sorry. I'm probably overthinking this.

4. What is your favorite quote? (We know we've asked this recently. But there is always another great quote! :) "Books. Cats. Life Is Good." Edward Gorey. As it looks more likely I'll lose my job soon and my professional future is hard to predict, it's important to remember the permanent things in my life that I'll always have and that will always bring me joy.

5. Have you ever been hospitalized for a major health situation? I was hospitalized for a day and a half after a UFE. It's a chick procedure, fellas, so if you're squeamish, don't look it up. Ladies, it's a safe and non-invasive fibroid treatment and if you're plagued by this problem, I recommend you look into it.

6. Do you prefer long hair or short hair for yourself? Since my hair is currently growing out after I spent decades of wearing it short, I admit I am embarrassed by how much I think about this. Once I come to a conclusion, I'll let you all know!

7. What was your favorite amusement park ride growing up? Tilt-a-Whirl. Loooove it!

8. How long do you talk on your phone on a typical day? Not so much anymore! It seems everyone emails and texts.

9. Other than Saturday 9, what is your favorite meme to do each week? Thursday Thirteen. I've been doing it so long it's a habit, like brushing my teeth.

For more about Saturday 9, click here.

This may be true ...

But if it sounds a little downbeat, I think it's because I was imagining spooky old Collinwood (technically speaking, it was a "manor," rather than a "castle") with Barnabas and Angelique racing about.

The Castle Personality Test

You are scared of new experiences. It's hard for you to break outside of your comfort zone. You like to think that people see you as dramatic and fascinating. You do your best to seem mysterious. You are a very realistic person. You see the world as it is, flaws and all. Right now, stress occasionally makes you feel trapped in your life. You usually have a clear perspective on things though! Overall, your life is dramatic and unpredictable. You life in interesting times. You aren't optimistic about the future. You worry about what will happen to the world and if we'll be able to clean up the messes we've made.

The Castle Personality Test

Oh, leave her alone!

I never thought I'd say this, because Sarah Palin makes my skin crawl, but the McCain staffers who trash her simply are not being fair.

If she's not qualified to be VP, who is responsible for putting her on the ticket? Many of these same McCain campaign "insiders." Not to mention John McCain himself.

According to legend, she and McCain met once and spoke on the phone before he chose her as his VP candidate. Think about your own job. How many interviews did you have? How detailed were they? It bothers me that the HR department at the agency where I work spent more time with me than John McCain spent with Sarah Palin before deciding to put her a (70-something) heartbeat away from the Presidency.

So let's leave Caribou Barbie alone and hope she simply disappears from the national stage forever. And let's be grateful that our new President is the one who is putting together the Cabinet that's going to help him run our country. He may have less experience than McCain, but his campaign ran more efficiently and suffered fewer leaks. He added Joe Biden to the ticket without uproar or internal dissension. He has demonstrated greater people skills and comforting judgment in these matters.

President-elect Obama. To borrow from Tom Petty, we got lucky when we got him.

PS I really do love those jackets Sarah Palin wore during the campaign. Aren't those navy buttons cool? I wish I had her figure so I could carry this stuff off.

The News from Greg Maddux Land

I thought it was a done deal that my beloved future Hall of Famer was hanging it up. But not so fast!

DANA POINT, Calif. -- If right-hander Greg Maddux doesn't follow through on his intention to retire, he'll be welcomed back to the Dodgers for the 2009 season, general manager Ned Colletti said …

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

LOS ANGELES -- In what likely amounts to a parting gift, Greg Maddux won the Gold Glove Award for the 18th time in the past 19 years ...

Please don't leave me, Professor! April won't be the same without you!

Blog Blast for Peace: An Open Letter to Barack Obama

Dear Mr. President-Elect,

As the leader of the most powerful country on the planet, you now have the ability to help make our world a more peaceful place. I like to imagine that, as you walk the halls of the White House, you will draw inspiration from the great men who served us before you … men who, like you, were great orators, and both warriors for liberty and believers in a peaceful, more unified world.

Thomas Jefferson
“Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy."

Abraham Lincoln
“Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?”'

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan - to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."

John F. Kennedy
“Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures."

“Our duty as a (political) party is not to our party alone, but to the nation and, indeed, to all mankind. Our duty is not merely the preservation of political power, but the preservation of peace and freedom.”
(Undelivered speech planned for Dallas Texas, 11-22-1963)

Doe more information about the Blog Blast for Peace, click here.

It was hope vs. fear, and HOPE TRIUMPHED

Barack Obama ran a masterful campaign that centered on change. Not smaller government, not bigger government, but more effective government. But change can be scary, and so he was demonized. I'm not sure how much of this crap can be laid at McCain's feet, even though it certainly was spread and even embraced by many of his supporters.

Psst! Obama "pals around with domestic terrorists," like William Ayers. Never mind that the rumor is just that, nor that in addition to Joe the Plumber, Senator McCain pals around with another Plumber -- the unrepentant former convict, G. Gordon Liddy.

Psst! Instead of backing Israel, Obama supports a radical Palestinian named Rashid Khalidi. Never mind that not only is this not true, but John McCain supported Khalidi's foundation financially.

Psst! Michele Obama is an elitist bitch who dined on lobster at the Waldorf Astoria! I don't understand why ordering lobster makes her elitist, but never mind. It never happened.

I could list more, but I'll only give myself a headache. Also, I want to make it clear that I don't know for a fact that these smears actually originated with McCain.

The thing of it is, though -- the American public heard the spooky, ugly whispers and rejected them.

We voted FOR one candidate
instead of AGAINST the other one.

We listened to soaring rhetoric and took it to heart. We allowed ourselves to have faith that we can come together, can reconcile, and move the country forward. We want to believe that we can have a strong but respectful presence in the rest of the world.

I was genuinely inspired by the crowd I was in last night. In the 40 years since we lost Dr. King and Robert Kennedy, in the same Grant Park was the site of the miserable 1968 Democratic Convention riots, we came together to peacefully celebrate the election of a man who embodies our desire to change and our belief that we can make tomorrow better.

YES, WE CAN!

Proud of my country and VERY proud of my city

It was my distinct privilege to be in this integrated, peaceful, friendly and overwhelmingly positive crowd last night.

Shout out to Jenny McB!

I have tried to leave a comment on your "7 Weird Things" post but the "comments" box disappears before I can finish! Is it my browser?

Good News!

Over the weekend my family got word that my nephew's MRI shows no abnormalities! The search for the cause of his headaches goes on, but now the prospect of visiting a pediatric neurologist is neither urgent nor daunting. I believe the next step is for him to have a thorough examination by an allergist.

Look who has the hottest ticket in town!

I'm going to the Obama Rally! I'm going to the Obama Rally!

7 Weird Facts about Me

I liberated this one from Canada's own No Nonsense Girl.

1) After decades of loyalty to The Today Show, I have switched my allegiance to MSNBC's Morning Joe, with Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist. I think it's because I prefer Mika to Meredith Vieria. At times I miss Matt Lauer. As you can see, I think about this way too much.

2) I think I'm the last blogger in North America with dial-up. I keep meaning to do something about it, but it seems like so much work to decide which service I want to get.

3) Looks like my nemesis from the third floor -- that snotty, snippy neighbor of mine -- has moved out. This makes me sad somehow. I never liked her, but I feel bad for her recent financial setbacks. I didn't expect to care what happened to her one way or the other, but I guess I do.

4) I have an issue with bags. I have a hard time parting with them. I have bags of bags under my kitchen sink.

5) I can wiggle my right ear and pick up things with my toes.

6) When my nephew was a baby, I was afraid of him. His whole head -- face, ears, bald head -- would turn red and then he'd emit the loudest, most piercing cry. He could howl like that forever! My nickname for him during this period was "Scary Baby Person." Now 9, he finds it amusing that he could terrorize me.

7) I can't remember the last time I wore a skirt.

If you play, let me know so I can swing by and see what makes you so weird.

Senatorial Musings

Senator Kerry appeared on Meet the Press, acting as an Obama surrogate. He praised Obama's talent and ability to inspire the electorate. I was impressed. If I were him, I'd be grumbling about all the Obama donors and saying, "Where were you four years ago? If you had supported me with this much enthusiasm, I could have helped you avoid this mess!" But I cannot imagine John Kerry saying that. To improbably borrow from Peggy Noonan's assessment of Ronald Reagain, Senator Kerry is "hardwired for courtesy."

On a separate note, I am saddened to learn of the death of my "other" senator's daughter, Chris Durbin. She was only 40. As he approaches a landslide reelection to his third term on Tuesday, I hope Senator Durbin can take solace that his daughter is at peace after enduring a long battle with heart disease.

Lunch with my niece

We celebrated her birthday, just she and I, at an Italian restaurant. Now a sophomore in high school, she's taller than I am. She came in with a big beige fabric handbag decorated with peace signs. We talked about school, Halloween, her upcoming birthday party, her driving, and, best of all, The Beatles.

She has become a rabid Beatles fan, and I couldn't be more pleased. Her screen name is taken from a Beatles song. Her desktop is Abbey Road. She wore a Beatles t-shirt in her yearbook picture. All she wanted for her birthday this year was Beatles "stuff."

So I got her necklace with this logo, a pin that's a replica of John Lennon's guitar, a George Harrison notepad (he's her fave), a Beatles wallet, a t-shirt adorned with the Rubber Soul cover art, and the Concert for George tribute concert DVD.

I'm so glad that we have a passion in common. I love her very much, but I worry that as she grows up, she'll grow away. Now we have the Lads will keep us tethered to one another.

Saturday 9 -- Being a Good Sport

1. Were you raised around a lot of sports? My dad was a big Cub and Bears fan. My grandparents on both sides were Cub fans. My mom is a Michael Jordan-era Bulls fan, but I was long out of the house by then.

2. What is your favorite sport? Chicago Cubs baseball.

3. When did you last play a sport? I never play sports unless absolutely forced to. I played pool very badly in a bar a few months ago. Does that count?
4. When did you last attend a professional sporting event and what was it? I had the pleasure of taking my 9-year-old nephew to his first Cub game in Wrigley Field this past July.

5. What was the last sport you watch on TV? Dodgers/Phillies earlier this month.

6. If you have children, do they play the same sports that you did? If not, someday if you have kids, would you like them to? I am such a klutz I was even bad at jump rope, and I don't have kids, so I don't know how to answer.

7. Do you think other people care too much about sports? No.

8. Do you have the freedom to be as involved in either playing or watching as much sports as you’d like to? Yes.

9. Who is your favorite sports team? If you don't know the answer to that question, you haven't been reading very carefully. I bleed Cubbie blue.

A Chicago Ghost Story

Michelle's TT about The Red Dwarf of Detroit inspired me to do a Halloween post introducing Chicago's own Resurrection Mary. There are many versions of this story, which has been told and retold countless times since the 1930s, but I'm going with my favorite …

Imagine that it's a late, moonlit night. You are in nearby Justice, IL, driving down Archer Avenue and are just about to pass Resurrection Cemetery. Suddenly a teenage girl appears by the side of the road. She's easy to see, even in the dark, because she has white blonde hair and is wearing a white party dress. It can't possibly be safe for her to be out alone, walking around near a cemetary on a night like this, so you roll down the window and offer her a ride. She wordlessly shakes her head and you start to pull away.

Just as you're picking up speed, she somehow appears directly in front of your car! You cannot stop and are sickened by the thud and crunch of breaking bones as you run her over. You get out to see if there's anything you can do to help this poor girl. But there's no trace of her. For it wasn't a real-live girl you encountered … It was Resurrection Mary!

In the 1930s, the "real Mary" (if there was one) was a vivacious and popular girl who was thoroughly enjoying her prom at the Willowbrook Ballroom. Her boyfriend got a little too fresh and Mary, ever the lady, ran out of the ballroom and into the night, in search of a ride home. While trying to hitch a ride on Archer Avenue, she was hit by a car. The cowardly driver sped away, leaving poor Mary dead in the street.

Her family buried her in best white dress in Resurrection Cemetery. But, since it wasn't "her time," she frequently escapes from her grave to spend another night dancing among the living. Since history has a way of repeating itself, she is often hit by a car again as she heads back "home" to her grave.

It's not unusual for the Justice police department to be called out to the cemetery after a Resurrection Mary sighting. I'm not sure she'll come out tonight, though. Haunting drivers on Halloween just might be too typical for a "free spirit" (pardon the pun) like Mary.

Economic casualities

In the humongous office building where I currently work, there used to be a small fragrance store and a restaurant that specialized in salads. Both disappeared this month. Right here in town, I pass an independently-owned furniture store every day as I walk to and from the train. As of this evening, it's empty, too.

I never shopped in any of these places, yet still, I feel like crying. Each of these small business represented someone's dreams and it's painful to consider the heartbreak these closures have caused.

Thursday Thirteen #91 -- Meet the original girl super-sleuth

THIRTEEN THINGS
ABOUT NANCY DREW

Before Kinsey Milhone, before Kay Scarpetta, I followed the adventures of the original girl super-sleuth, Nancy Drew. So did just about every girl I grew up with. We weren’t alone: Since 1930, girls between the ages of 9 and 12 have been introduced to the mystery genre through these 175 titles.

Nancy Drew has conquered Hollywood, too, starring in 5 movies – four in the late 1930s with Bonita Granville; one in 2007 starring Emma Roberts. There have been two Nancy Drew TV series. In the first, which premiered in the 1970s, she was played by Pamela Sue Martin (who was replaced by Janet Louise Johnson). The second series ran in 1995 and starred Tracy Ryan.

In the 1990s, Nancy’s adventures as a third-grade sleuth solving mysteries with her young friends (“the Clue Crew”) were chronicled for a younger audience in a series known as The Nancy Drew Notebooks. Also, today’s kids can help Nancy solve mysteries interactively with her computer games.

She has her own website and a line of collectibles . With all this merchandising, I’m surprised the girl still has time to sleuth!

Here are thirteen facts about the girl who has played a role in countless young lives: Miss Nancy Drew.

1) Nancy has always had blue eyes, though her hair color has changed from reddish blonde to just blonde over the years.

2) Except for her incarnation in The Nancy Drew Notebooks, Nancy is done with high school but still a teenager. (I think of her as forever 18.)

3) She lives with her widowed father, famous attorney Carson Drew, in River Heights.

4) Her late mother, who descended from Scottish aristocrats, died when Nancy was either 3 or 10 (depends on which book you reference).

5) Nancy and Carson are tended to by their housekeeper, Hannah, who cooks and cleans and keeps the 3-story brick house running smoothly.

6) Nancy has always loved her blue car. In one book she drove a maroon car, but by the next volume she was back to blue. Over the years it’s evolved from a blue “roadster” to a blue Mustang.

7) Her two best friends are a pair of cousins named Bess and George. Bess is Elizabeth Marvin and George is Georgia Fayne. Bess is pretty and plump, and George is a big, clumsy tomboy.

8) Nancy is without a doubt the leader of this trio, unafraid to do whatever it takes – climb a fence, pick a lock, rifle through drawers – in search of a clue. Bess and George are helpful, but generally just along for the ride.

9) In addition to being fearless, Nancy is always fashionable, and capable of solving crimes in high heels and pearls. She is fond of hats and has a gift for coordinating them with her handbags.

10) Nancy doesn’t just solve crimes. Even though she doesn’t seem interested in college, she enjoys artistic pursuits like music and dancing. She is a fine cook, but loves sports – golf, sailing, swimming, tennis, and horseback riding.

11) Naturally this spirited and accomplished girl is irresistible to boys. But her heart belongs to Ned Nickerson, a sophomore at nearby Emerson College. He is 6’2, with wavy hair. He, too, is excellent at sports and has spent a summer or two as a camp counselor.

12) Ned would like Nancy to settle down and become his wife, but she’s just not ready. In the meantime, he’s welcome to help her solve mysteries.

13) Her latest adventure was Werewolf in a Winter Wonderland (2003). Here’s the plot summary, courtesy of Amazon.com: “Things are hairy in River Heights this holiday season. Two wolves have disappeared from WildWolf, the federal wolf preserve just outside of town. Local farmers think the missing wolves are killing their sheep, but there are also rumors of werewolf sightings nearby. At the same time, the annual River Heights Winter Carnival is set to begin. When the first two days of the outdoor festival are full of tragic disasters, Nancy can't help but wonder -- is there a link between the carnival's trouble and the missing wolves? After the carnival's beautiful ice palace is destroyed, Nancy's sure there's a wolf at River Heights's door. But is the leader of this pack of crimes human, or beast?”

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It took two hours, but I VOTED

I have lived more than half my life in the same town, yet had never been inside Village Hall until today. Now I'm an expert on its layout. I can tell you how to find the public restrooms, animal control, and the window for paying traffic fines because the line of early voters snaked through the entire first floor.

I saw a report that said just over 55% of all registered voters cast a ballot in 2004. I predict we're about to see what happens when that percentage rises. My advice: Take a book and bottled water along when you go to vote Tuesday!