Sunday Stealing

 VALENTINE'S DAY

1. What is the meaning of Valentine’s Day in your country/area? What happens on this day? Here's it's also known as Accordion Appreciation Day. Those who love the accordion celebrate by playing free concerts in bars and on street corners. The rest of us do a shot of schnapps whenever we hear "Lady of Spain." I'll probably be looped by noon. Oh, I'm sorry. I was possessed by the spirit of Bud there for a moment. There's a pandemic and it's both snowing and below freezing. NOTHING is happening around here today. (Except snacking and staying under the covers.)

2. Is Valentine’s Day more for men or women? Explain your answer. I'm not sure this is a gender specific holiday. I do think, though, that in every love relationship, one partner is more into Valentine's Day than the other.

3. Do you have any special plans for Valentine’s Day? What will you do? No plans. It's literally -3º as I write this, and I'm so grateful that I don't have to leave for anything today. Church is still on Zoom! Yea!

4. Which traditional gift would you rather receive: chocolates, flowers, or a card with a personal message? Oh, the card! Definitely.

5. Is Valentine’s Day only about romantic love? Or is it a good occasion to celebrate friendship as well? It's about love in all its forms. I don't understand prigs who would insist it's only for lovers. The bonds of friendship are always worthy of celebration, too!

6. Do you like romantic movies? What is your favorite romantic movie? I looove a good movie romance. The Way We Were is my favorite, though it makes me cry.

7. Have you ever received a Valentine’s Day card or gift from a secret admirer? How did it make you feel? Not technically a Valentine. But someone did send me a love note, postmarked London (!). One side was a photo of Paul McCartney. The other said, "What was I thinking? I'll leave Linda if you say the word. Love, Paul." The signature was a pretty good imitation of his autograph. No one ever took credit. Whoever did it had to find the card, copy Paul's handwriting and then hand it off to someone who was traveling to the UK and would be willing to stamp and mail it. Unless ...

8. Is Valentine’s Day the most romantic day of the year? If not, what day is? For me, when I had a boyfriend, anniversaries were more romantic.

9. What is the most romantic thing you have done for another person? No grand gestures from this gal, I'm afraid. I remember how moved a man was when I closed a handwritten letter with Christopher Robin's words to Pooh Bear: “You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." He'd never heard it before and it touched him, so that made me happy.

10. Valentine’s Day is promoted by companies whose only interest is making money. Discuss whether you agree or disagree. As a capitalist, I find this question offensive!  Are you some kind of democratic socialist libtard? Take off your Bernie Sanders button and sit in the corner.

11. Describe your perfect Valentine’s Day date. I think it depends on the two people and their personal history.

12. How should a single person spend Valentine’s Day? What do you suggest? If there's a pandemic, and it's below freezing and snowing, that gal should stay home in her pajamas.

13. Do you enjoy playing cupid? Do you try to introduce people in the hope they will make a love match? Nope.

14. Some restaurants charge higher prices on Valentine’s Day. Are you willing to pay more to dine out on this day? The windchill today will be -20º. The coronavirus is still a very real and deadly threat. I'm not willing to do anything "out" today.

15. Is a romantic gesture more powerful on Valentine’s Day or on another day of the year? No. Love is love is love ...

 

FEBRUARY BLOG CHALLENGE -- DAY 13

  

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13) What is something you loved doing when you were younger but don't do anymore? Why did you stop doing it?

I used to be a four-season sports fan, following first the Bobby Hull/Stan Mikita/Tony Esposito Black Hawks and then the Michael Jordan-era Bulls when the Cubs weren't playing. But when individual players retired and moved on, so did I. I suppose I didn't love the sport as well as the personality.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: My Valentine (2011)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Paul McCartney sings that he won't let a day go by without remembering why he loves his valentine. What blessings are you thankful for today? My cat Reynaldo is eating like a champ and taking his medicine like a very good boy. He's an old man now, he's had his health troubles, and I appreciate our time together.

2) Paul directed the video of Natalie Portman translating his song into American Sign Language (ASL), which is the third most commonly-used language in both the United States and Canada. British Sign Language (BSL), commonly used in EU countries, is very different. Do you find it easy to learn new languages? No. I wish I had taken my high school opportunities to learn languages more seriously. Being able to speak Spanish, French or ASL would expand my world.
 
3) The song is on Paul's Kisses on the Bottom CD, for which he won one of his 18 Grammy Awards. What compliment or accolade have you recently received? I had a client refer to my work as "amazing." She meant it sincerely as a compliment, and I accepted it gratefully, but I also thought it was funny. She had no idea how difficult I'd found her project! I thought the very fact that I got it done on time was "amazing."

4) Paul is an honorary NYPD detective. He was given this designation for performing a charity concert after 9/11. Do you know anyone in law enforcement? Nope.

5) Bob Dylan has said of Paul, "I'm in awe of McCartney. He's about the only one I'm in awe of. He can do it all. He never lets up. He's just so effortless." Tell us about someone whose talent you admire. Well, I love Sir Paul and always have. But I shall mix it up a little and say Dick Van Dyke. I recently rediscovered The Dick Van Dyke Show on the Decades cable channel and he's such a delight. I didn't appreciate him when I was a little girl. He's warm and handsome and silly, all at the same time. Not many clowns are as believable as leading men. He sings and dances very well, too. Before TV fame, he won a Tony for Bye, Bye Birdie and introduced "Put on a Happy Face" (which we sang at a Girl Scout recital for our dads).

 
This is the last Saturday  9 before Valentine's Day and so this morning we shall focus on the upcoming holiday.  

 

I took this at Lolla 2015. Sigh ...

6) The holiday is also known as The Feast of St. Valentine. Do you have a special meal planned for February 14? Nope.

7) The phrase "wear your heart on your sleeve" began in medieval times. On Valentine's Day, men would celebrate the holiday by displaying their lady love's name on their sleeves. If you were going to adopt this custom, whose name would you wear? OK, here's where I'll name Sir Paul. I have loved him since I first saw him on The Ed Sullivan Show. I love him still.

8) Women buy and send more Valentines than men do. Who received the last greeting card you sent? I just mailed two "thinking of you" cards to girlfriends. One to Nancy. She's been awfully quiet on social media these days. She lost her 23-year-old son last July, and I suspect she may be missing him especially as the new year begins. The second was to Joanna. A dear friend of hers died recently. She's trying to be brave, but she's hurt. He didn't tell her he was sick, and she didn't get a chance to say goodbye. She learned of his passing from his mom.

9) Men buy and send more roses at Valentine's Day than women do. What's your favorite flower? Carnations. Fragrant, durable and available in so many colors!

 

Soon!

They're spring cleaning the ball park! So far this week they have tested the lights and spruced up the famous marquee. 

Happy Birthday, Mr. President.

Watching the impeachment hearings, listening to Trump apologists wrap themselves in my Christian faith, the above quote feels like a cleansing shower.  

I hope Nikki Haley is right and Donald Trump will become irrelevant in Republican politics.  I can't imagine any person of true faith could listen to Donald Trump address those "special people" who stormed the Capitol and left 5 people dead, telling them "we love you," and feel good.

I like the two-party system, and think Donald Trump has done long-term damage to the Party of Lincoln, which is unfortunate. I long for the days when we could discuss policy, and not whether or not it's a good thing for a President to applaud his supporters for ambushing an opposition campaign bus on the highway. If you really want to "make America great again," let your Christian faith lead you back to Abe.

February Blog Challenge -- Day 12

  

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12) Who makes you feel envious? What do they have/what are they doing that makes you feel that way? What do you think that means?

JBKO is my all-time heroine. She's my ideal. Everything she did, she did well. She was fluent in French, Spanish and Italian. She painted. She knew French and American history cold. As First Lady, she restored the White House, oversaw the original Rose Garden, gave Air Force One its iconic look, and brought the Mona Lisa to the United States for the first time ... among many other accomplishments.

She always looked good. Even when crossing the street in traffic.

She attracted the most interesting, accomplished men. Not just the two she married, but also Mike Nichols and Pete Hamill. 

She faced tragedy with guts and grace. She was fired upon in an open car and had to wipe her husband's brains and blood from her face. Five years later, her favorite brother-in-law was also murdered. She went through five difficult pregnancies in ten years, yet only brought two babies home from the hospital. Her father died of alcoholism, her mother suffered from Alzheimer's, her youngest sister died at 40 from cancer and she buried them all. 

She and her family faced an insane amount of public scrutiny and criticism. (Her husband and son have even been co-opted by QAnon! Part of what the lady herself would undoubtedly call "the river of sludge.")

Yet she kept going. She kept recreating herself. She exemplified Robert Frost's quote: The best way out is always through.

Her children loved her and did her proud. She saved Grand Central Station. She became a successful book editor. 

Isn't this enough? 

I can see in her everything I value. Courage, beauty, strength and originality. I also see in her how and where I fall short. That's why I should remember that she chain-smoked, bit her nails and shopped compulsively.

By the way, I'm in good company. You know who else was intimidated by Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis? Her Serene Highness, Princess Grace of Monaco. One of the most beautiful women to ever appear on screen, an Oscar winner who became a real-life princess, and she was jealous of Jackie, too. It galled her that no matter what she did, no matter what she accomplished, Jackie got more attention and better press.

I think all this means I have good taste, and that I was imprinted by the media I was exposed to as a little girl. I grew up on Jackie, and I've carried her with me throughout my life.

February Blog Challenge -- Day 11

  

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11) What have you been most worried about lately? Is it realistic to worry about it? Is there anything you can do about it?

Reynaldo. My skinny beige cat is 17 years old. That's approx. 84 in human years. He has an ongoing kidney condition, and now we're dealing with his overactive thyroid. 

He is happy and comfortable these days. He constantly cuddles with me (he's headbutting the screen to get my attention right now), crashes my Zoom meetings and plays with my girlcat, Connie, every day.

But I know he is in the winter of his years. I want to be sure that I make all decisions based on love, on his well being, not my own feelings. I worry about that. I am responsible to him. I must not be selfish.

February Blog Challenge -- Day 10

 

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10) Make list of everything you'd like to say "yes" to ...

Here are five things that reliably bring me joy.

1) The Beatles! I think about them all the time but especially this time of year. February 1964 is when they arrived on these shores, took the United States by storm and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" hit #1. March saw "She Loves You" ascend to the top spot. April was "Can't Buy Me Love." No other recording artists have ever dominated music the way they did. And they did it because they were upbeat, fresh and really very, very good.

Look how happy The Lads were landing in NY in Feb. 1964

2) Baseball. The commissioner promises us a full season this year. 160 games feels like the right number. Last year was just 60 games and that's not enough for me. I'm looking forward to a lot of this.

via GIPHY

3) Shopping local. There's a small independent grocery store on the other side of town that will soon be facing competition from a new chain store. They just introduced an app and delivery to help them stay relevant. I spent more shopping this way, but it's the right thing to do. Stores like this one give a community its character. I'm fortunate that I'm in a position to help them, and it makes me happy to do it.

4) Afternoon naps. When we finally go back to the office, I'll miss them. These naps feel luxurious.

5) These two. Reynaldo and Connie make me so happy.

WWW.WEDNESDAY

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here.  

 

1. What are you currently reading? The Good Son: JFK Jr. and the Mother He Loved by Christopher Andersen. Guess what this is about. Christopher Andersen has made celebrity biographies his stock in trade. He's written at least 5 about the Kennedys and 5 about the Royals. I've read many of them. Andersen is a good storyteller, but he treats his subjects like movie stars, not historic figures. So his books are readable, but they aren't serious. Example: Andersen constantly quotes (verbatim!) intimate conversations between two people that he cannot possibly know are accurate. It's entertaining, but, well, buyer beware. 

This biography begins with the two most iconic moments of John's life: the salute as his father's coffin passed and his death in a plane crash. If that doesn't grip you, you're reading the wrong book. It goes on to tell the story chronologically, emphasizing that, as the only child ever born to a President-elect, John was famous before he was born. As Ted Kennedy noted, "the world knew his name before he did." There's little that's new here, but it is involving.

BTW, there is no credible evidence -- NONE WHATSOEVER -- that John ever gave Donald Trump serious thought. Not as a fellow New Yorker, not as a friend, and certainly not as a potential President. He never wrote about him in George, as has circulated on Facebook. No one has ever been able to produce a magazine tearsheet to confirm it because it doesn't exist. The most that can be said if that they happened to sit side-by-side at a basketball game. Once. By chance.

 

JFK, Jr. was however fond of Bill Clinton and corresponded with him via fax (remember those?) during impeachment. He was reportedly less fond of Hillary, because she was interfering with New York politics when he was considering a dabble. They did not murder him.

 

I only mention this because of the way Trumpsters and the Q-Anon cult have co-opted JFK, Jr. It's silly, of course. But I guess every American conspiracy theory somehow must tie back to the Kennedys.

 

2. What did you recently finish reading? The Princess Bride by William Goldman. It's all here: Fencing, fighting, torture, poison, true love, hate, revenge, giants, pirates ... Everything you loved about the movie, everything you love about fairy tales and adventure stories, it's all here. 

But it's also tinged with adult resignation that touches me every time I read it. For there comes a time when -- though we may still enjoy reading about it -- we no longer expect to find fiery passion and high adventure in our day-to-day lives anymore. That's real, that's natural, and that's sad.

 

It's rare that a book can be this funny, this accessible to a mass audience, and still this touching. Read it. Read it. Read it.

 

3. What will read next?  A mystery, I think.

Prayers answered, at least for now

I recently posted about a former coworker and Facebook friend, Warren. A man in his mid-50s who lives alone, he had been partying nonstop during the pandemic, even when the bars were still closed. No social distancing, no mask. I was very worried about him.

I understood a little of what motivated him. Warren has always been very gregarious, very social, very much into sharing his life with everyone he meets. And now, with the pandemic and work from home, he's isolated. 

To exacerbate matters, he moved to Wrigleyville this year. It's the neighborhood that cropped up around my beloved Cubs' ballpark. For generations, it was kinda neglected. But then the Cubs started winning and, during this century, it's become younger, more single, and more upscale. It's a lot of bars. (I remember wandering around after a game with my then 19-year-old nephew, and I could see in his face that he thought Wrigleyville was better than Disneyland.) It's filled with rather privileged young people who are sure Covid will never happen to them. Wrigleyville is not where you go to avoid temptation.

Today Warren posted that he realized that he's been "acting like a frat boy" as he tried to escape his "fear and anxiety." I was so happy to see this! He said he's embarrassed by how he's been acting and has reached out to a local church for socially-distanced volunteer work.

I know how hard it is to turn over a new leaf, and I'm not expecting this new attitude to change his life 100% overnight. But I'm glad he sees the problem. Recognizing it is the first step to solving it.

 

Maybe you had to be there

I did it again. I closed my eyes for "a minute" after work and woke up nearly four hours later! So now I'm wide awake and have turned to my DVR for comfort and entertainment.

God, I love this movie! I haven't seen it in ages, yet I find I recall it nearly scene-by-scene. I find myself saying some of the dialog with the characters. My favorite scene is when Sam walks in on Nick watching an obscure old movie on the late show.

"What's this?"
"I'm not sure."
"What's it about?
"I think the man in the hat did something terrible." And all the men onscreen are wearing hats.

OK, maybe you had to be there.

Anyway, apparently this movie is an acquired taste. On message boards, I've learned that Millennials don't tend to like it. The characters are too rich and too self absorbed and their obsession with pot seems quaint. I get that, too. Maybe you had to be there.

PS Tom Selleck was originally supposed to be in the cast but had to drop out because he was filming Magnum PI in Hawaii and couldn't make it to Los Angeles in time. Writer/director Lawrence Kasdan tweaked the character of Sam (mustache, detective show where he drives a cool car) as a needle or an homage to Selleck. As a big Magnum fan, I really enjoy the touches.

February Blogging Challenge -- Day 9

  

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9) Make list of everything you'd like to say "no" to ...

I say "no" to this prompt. With Marjorie Taylor Green, QAnon and Trump apologists being both ubiquitous and toxic, I'd rather accentuate the positive. 

This is the earliest available photo of Major Biden as a puppy. The Delaware Humane Society says he is the one at the top.

 

This litter was found living outside and, being puppies, they'd gotten into something they shouldn't have. The spent their first days at the shelter on fluids. They bounced back, but needed socialization before they could be adopted. Ashley Biden saw a Facebook post about the litter, contacted her dad, and on Easter Sunday, 2018, he became Major's fairy dogfather. Months later, Joe and Jill officially adopted their new family member.

February Blog Challenge -- Day 8

  

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8) I feel most tired when ...

I am working hard but on something that doesn't grip me. I have a new automotive client and writing about car care does not come easily to me! Some of the assignments go smoothly and I roll merrily along with my writing, happy that I'm helping build my clients' business. But if I'm working on an assignment that requires a lot of research, it exhausts me. I feel like I just plowed the back 40.

Two very different women

Today is Super Bowl Sunday. It is also my Cousin Rose's birthday. She's not really a football fan, but now that she lives near Tampa and the Bucs are competing, and her adopted hometown is hosting it, she's into the game. She also really, really loves Mark Harmon. So I posted this photo for her on Facebook to wish her a happy birthday.

Jeri is a journalist and a classic movie fan I apparently met at the TCM Film Festival in 2019. I say "apparently" because, honest to God, I don't remember her. But after the festival, when we all got home, she reached out and wanted to be Facebook friends. OK! You want to talk William Powell and The Thin Man movies? I'm your Gal!

Jeri commented on Rosie's birthday pic immediately, saying she's loved Mark Harmon since St. Elsewhere. Rose and Jeri gave one another's drooly comments thumbs up. This amuses me mightily.

For in real life, Rose and Jeri would likely never meet or speak. Rosie is a very devout Catholic. She never misses worship. If she comes to visit you, she'll tell you which of your neighborhood churches she'll be attending and when because she's done her homework. Rosie never swears. Ever. If you cuss (and I do), she will firmly ask you to "cut it out" because it make her uncomfortable.

Jeri was not born a woman, but she lives as one. She writes for The Advocate. 

While Rose was very supportive of my gay friend Henry after his accident, contributing generously to the GoFundMe set up to pay his hospital bills, I know that was out of love for and loyalty to me. The LGBTQ world confuses her. She simply doesn't get it.

And today, Rose and Jeri were trading giggling comments on Mark Harmon. It makes my heart happy. I keep hearing how "cruel" Facebook is. I seldom find that. More often, I see connections made and maintained. Maybe I'm a Pollyanna, but I remain a social media fan.

I have an aunt who forgets her manners on Facebook, but that's only in relation to Donald Trump. I blame the former President for that -- his disrespectful all-caps Tweeting just overheated everything and made rudeness fashionable. And I blame my aunt. I know she loves me, but her Trumpy anger eats her up. It came between her and her oldest son early on and, if I let it, it would separate us. I email her regularly, but I won't engage her on Facebook. But that's on her, not Mark Zuckerberg.

Instead, I will enjoy the connection between Rose and Jeri, and I will keep an eye out to see what other of my posts they both respond to. Maybe someday I can introduce them in real life!

A real-life Howard Beale

Howard Beale was the cinematic brainchild of Paddy Chayefsky, the Oscar winning screenwriter who who gave us Network in 1976. Chayefsky understood that somehow angry white middle-class white people* need an anchorman to scream for them. And so the phrase, "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!" was born.

Fast forward to 2021. Lou Dobbs has lost his gig at Fox Business because much of what he said on air cannot be substantiated. If it could, voting technology company Smartmatic wouldn't be suing Fox and Dobbs for $2.7 billion. 

Clearly Fox understands that they have considerable exposure and are trying to distance themselves from the Dobbs "Stop the Steal" conspiracy theories that have been circulating since November. I get that.

And I get how angry white middle-class white people* might have found watching Dobbs rant cathartic. 

But this is also obvious: little of what Dobbs said about election fraud can be verified. If it could, he and Fox would be salivating, waiting for a show trial that would vindicate them and substantiate their claims that Donald J. Trump was robbed. Instead, Fox is all, "Lou Who?"

So what I don't get is why the loyal viewers Dobbs has been lying to are still clinging to him. He lied to them. Either he's deluded or he knowingly misled his viewers. But he broadcast untruths. Why the loyalty?

It's like my friend Kathy with Sen. Al Franken. She has long complained that he was run out of office without due process over innocent hijinks. I have always hated what he did. Do I think he was denied due process in the Senate? Probably. But I also believe he enjoyed grabbing the boobs and butts of women he didn't know, just because he could. I'm not going to defend him.

Sen. Al Franken betrayed me. Lou Dobbs betrayed his viewers. Why do we remain so infatuated by the men who do us wrong?

*I've been a middle-class white person all my life and grew up watching this phenomenon. My dad used to yell at the TV, complain about liberal bias and worship Archie Bunker as some kind of Queens oracle who understood how "they" (blacks, Jews, Hispanics, women ...) were trying to crowd him out. I learned from him. Instead of parking myself in a recliner and screaming to no one in particular, I write letters, raise money and work on campaigns. I am, on balance, happier than my dad and have fewer lines on my face because I don't feel powerless.

February Blog Challenge -- Day 7

 

  

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7) I feel most energized when ...

I get out of the shower. There's just something about water that makes me feel good about everything.

Sunday Stealing

 JANUARY, PART 2

1.Can you eat with chopsticks? Nope. I am seriously uncoordinated.

2.Could you tell real money from counterfeit? Well, I understand a $5 is supposed to feature Honest Abe and NOT be pink, so I know these are fake. Other than that, not really.

 

 

3.What do you think about school uniforms? I've evolved on this. When I went to public  high school, the "uniform" my friends and I adopted for ourselves was very egalitarian: jeans and t-shirts. Subsequently things have gotten much dressier, with a greater emphasis on accessories. While I'm all for self expression, I worry about the kids who can't afford the accoutrements. So now I like uniforms because they're an equalizer.

4.What ancient civilization would you most like to visit? Ancient? None, thank you. However I am very curious about 19th century America. I'd like to visit Springfield, IL, ca 1860. I've toured the Lincoln sites so many times and find them captivating. A very romantic time. No slaves, of course. And maybe I'd run into Mary and her boys on Adams Street as they stop by to visit Mr. Lincoln at work. There's a Subway near there now, and I remember daydreaming about seeing them as I ate my sandwich.

 

5.What would make a great new Crayola color? Pantone 294, Cubbie blue! I believe the Dodger blue is similar (if not identical), so this addition would be helpful to many artistic young fans.

6.If an art project is created with the intent of getting rich and famous, does that cast doubt over its significance as a work of art? No. Art is about what we get from it.

7.What do you get in trouble for the most? Ha! My big mouth.

 

8. Do you blow your nose in public? Of course. I don't make a performance of it, but I don't think sitting there with snot on my face is elegant or hygienic, either.

9.If all the nations in the world are in debt, where did all the money go? Jeff Bezos and Amazon. Maybe Walmart. An oil company?

10.Is it as easy to make you happy now as it was when you were a child? Yes.

11.Who knows more...you, or your parents? My parents are both dead, so I win!

12.What instrument would you like to be famous for playing? Guitar! However, see #1. I'm really bad with the manual dexterity thing.

13.Would you have sex with a stranger for one million dollars? Call me, Bob.

 

14.Are you completely in control of your body? No. Our bodies call the shots. I think as women, we feel that more keenly than men.

15.What is the coolest web site you know of? I don't know how cool they are, but I spend a lot of time on Goodreads and Letterboxd.

 

 

Hero

Anthony Rizzo: Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2008

All-Star First Baseman: 2014-2016

Gold Glove First Baseman: 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020

World Series Champion: 2016

My Favorite Most Cub: 2012 through all Eternity

 

 

February Blog Challenge -- Day 6

  

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6) What is something you have always wanted to try but haven't yet?

Cross-country skiing. I prefer really cold days to really hot ones, so it would be a fun and healthy way to take advantage of the way I'm naturally calibrated. Also, I have like NO upper body strength, so it would be a good workout for me.

Saturday 9

 
Saturday 9: Waiting for Tonight (1999)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Jennifer Lopez anticipates a night of unbridled passion with the love of her life. What are you waiting for tonight? (No pressure; it doesn't have to be as thrilling as hers.) I'm watching this film for my movie group. It's new to me and I'm enthusiastic about it. Afterward, I may reach out and call my oldest friend. Seeing Louis Jordan makes me think of her mother. When we were in junior high, comparing and contrasting David Cassidy, Bobby Sherman and Donny Osmond, her mom would interrupt and say, "Now Louis Jourdan! HE is dreamy!"

2) She sings that she's glad she's beyond those nights that found her tossing and turning alone in her bed. Did you enjoy restful sleep last night? Yes. I put clean sheets on the bed (the flannel ones!) and they felt positively delightful.

 

3) Whatever Jennifer has planned for tonight, it won't include alcohol. She never drinks liquor. What's the last adult beverage you enjoyed? I had a glass of Bailey's Irish Creme back before Thanksgiving. Since my case of the coronavirus settled in my gut, not my lungs, I've been reluctant to drink again. I don't want to upset my newly-settled stomach.

4) Ms. Lopez performed "Waiting for Tonight" during last year's Super Bowl halftime show. Will you be watching The Big Game this weekend? Nope. This is what I'm living for. (Soon, Gal, soon ...)

 

 

5) Speaking of this weekend, The Weeknd will headline the Super Bowl 2021 halftime show. Are you a fan of his? Nope. I'm barely aware of him. He played at Lollapalooza in 2015 when I was there to see Sir Paul. So was most of the midwest. Apparently his fans are passionate and therefore upset that The Weeknd wasn't getting the attention they believe he deserved.

6) Super Bowl Sunday is the #1 day for guacamole consumption in the US. When did you most recently eat something with avocado in it? I don't recall. I'm not a big avocado fan.

7) Chicken wings are a popular Super Bowl dish, too. When did you most recently eat chicken? How was it prepared? I had a pulled chicken sandwich on Friday.

8) This year, fast food chain Chipotle will run their first-ever Super Bowl ad. Do you pay closer attention to commercials during the Super Bowl? No, because I see most of them before the game. I work for an ad agency. This really is a big fucking deal within the industry.

9) Random question: Are you more likely to pretend to be more naive than you really are, or more sophisticated? I've done both. Most recently I pretended to be really unaware of the thinking behind about a project to save a colleague embarrassment. (Hey! Do you think it's possible that they might have meant ....)