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. 

PS I can no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? Meant to Be by Emily Giffin. The book begins with Joseph S. Kingsley III telling us that he has no real memory of his namesake father, an American hero laid to rest in Arlington Cemetery during a nationally televised funeral when he was just 3 years old. He has grown up with the weight of a country's expectation that he will pick up his late father's mantle and be a hero, too. It's heavy, and he compensates by being physically reckless. The public is obsessed with his romances, especially his relationship with a stunning, super-stylish blonde. Why, she's almost as beautiful as Joe's fashion icon mother!

Sound familiar? Don't be silly! The Kingsleys can't be the Kennedys. The elder Joseph S. Kingsley smoked a pipe and JFK preferred cigars.

Still, Emily Giffin is a very good writer. So far her prose is carrying me past my skepticism about this whole venture.

2. What did you recently finish reading? Golden Girl: The Story of Jessica Savitch by Alanna Nash. In the late-70s, Jessica Savitch was breaking into local news. The ridiculous, rampant sexism she faced inspired the character of Veronica Corningstone in Anchorman. Look at Christina Applegate's hair. Look at her suits. You're looking at Jessica Savitch as she was beside Mort Crimm in Philadelphia. 

Jessica's ambition drove her to NBC where she became a superstar, and promptly imploded. In the space of a year, she broke up with her soul mate, married and divorced, remarried and buried her second husband. Yes, you read that right: All that in 12 months. All that chaos while she worried about maintaining her place in the NBC food chain (even though Connie Chung was nipping at her heels). Soon she would be dead in a tragic car accident.

 

This book is compelling, heartbreaking, and terrifying. Published in 1988, it's also dated. Back then, it was shocking -- shocking, I say! -- that Jessica slept with a black man and palled around with lesbians. An interesting time capsule.

I admired Jessica Savitch. She was a talented broadcaster. Here she was as I remember her, every night. Take a minute to look at this cool, smart and sophisticated woman who stood out among a sea of old white men. RIP, Jessica.

3. What will read next? Time for a mystery.

 

 

That didn't go well

Monday is reserved for my movie group, but tonight I skipped it. I got a pleading email that our community hospitals need blood so I responded and got a 7:15 PM blood drive appointment.

Right now I've got an ice pack on my arm. I was told to expect pain and bruising. I've given blood often over the years, but this has never happened before.

The tech could not get the blood to flow properly. He found the vein, put a cuff on my arm, and inserted the needle. So far, so good. But my blood was coming out too slowly. Another tech came over and manipulated the needle, which hurt. I'm not used to feeling anything once the draw has begun.

The second, more senior tech told me that perhaps "clot and tissue" was interfering. They thanked me a lot, but sent me home.

I'm not as upset about this as I might be. Having Covid within 60 days is a reason not to give blood. It occurred to me that I don't know for a fact that I didn't have Covid last month. So I suppose it's possible that, once my donation was screened, it would have been tossed anyway.

Photo by Nguyễn Hiệp on Unsplash

SUNDAY STEALING

FROM SWATBOT

If any of these songs is unfamiliar to you, just click on the link.

1. a song with a food name Strawberry Fields Forever

2  a song with an animal in it Wildfire

3  a song about a bird Rockin' Robin

4  a song about a dog Me and You and a Dog Named Boo

5  a song mentioning a cat Year of the Cat.  (OK, it's really about the movie Casablanca, but it has "cat" in the title)

6  a song listing a character from wizard of oz Tin Man

7  a late night driving song Prove It All Night

8  a song from a movie 

9  a guilty pleasure song Julie, Do Ya Love Me

10 a song about friends I'll Be There for You

11 a song that is about summertime In the Summertime

12 a song that needs to be played more on the radio September

13 a song about drugs or alcohol Mama Told Me Not to Come

14 a song you would sing at karaoke I Love Rock 'n Roll

15 a song from year you were born in Jailhouse Rock

I gave this no thought. Each of these songs is the first one that came to mind. The results peg me as what I am: a boomer.

Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: Come On-A My House (1951)

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

1) In this week's song, Rosemary Clooney offers us candy, peaches, pears, grapes, cake, etc. What tasty treat are you craving this morning? Right now I'm craving oatmeal. When I have these cravings, I respond and so I shall whip up a bowl.

 

2) The song was co-written by a pair of cousins more famous for their other jobs. William Saroyan was a Pulitzer Prize winning author and Ross Bagdasarian created Alvin and the Chipmunks. Tell us about one of your cousins. My favorite cousin is so cool! Talented on the trombone, he taught music at the community college and played in the orchestra pit when Broadway shows came to Chicago. When he turned 50 and both of his kids were on their own, he decided to make a change. He's switched to art. When he's not painting himself, he's renting himself out as a "curator for hire" (who knew there was such a thing?) for art shows. I admire his creativity. And his marriage. He and his wife seem happy and supportive.

3) The song was inspired by the cousins' recollection of their Armenian relatives encouraging friends and family to visit by promising lots of food. Who most recently invited you to their home? What was the occasion? My friends Nancy and Paul invited me over because we hadn't been together in a while. I flipped it a little and treated them to lunch at a dive bar near me. I wanted to celebrate her birthday, and it seemed crappy to expect her to cook for herself.

 

4) This was a big hit for Rosemary Clooney. She got her start singing live on Cincinnati's WLW radio station. Today WLW is an all-news station. When you were a kid, what radio station did you tune into for the hits and new music? WLS. Musicradio 89. I listened to Larry Lujack as I got ready for school and did my homework to Bob Sirrott. Alas, now it's conservative talk radio (Mark Levin, Ben Shapiro). 

5) Rosemary was also an actress, appearing in motion pictures and made-for-TV movies. The most famous is 1954's White Christmas. Have you seen it? Yes. It's not a favorite, but it's ubiquitous at Christmastime.

5) Yes, Rosemary Clooney is related George Clooney. She was his aunt. She appeared with him on ER and received an Emmy Award nomination. Do you enjoy doctor shows? Not really. I don't know why.

7) In 1951, when this song was #1, Yankees superstar Joe DiMaggio retired from baseball. He remained in the public eye, endorsing products and acting as Major League Baseball's ambassador around the world. His second marriage, a few years after his retirement, was almost as legendary as his baseball career. Without looking it up, do you know who his bride was? Yes. Perhaps you recognize her.

 

8) Also in 1951, I Love Lucy premiered and has never been off the air since. That's right: for 72 years, without interruption, viewers have been entertained by the Ricardos and Mertzes. When you think of I Love Lucy, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Lucy and Ethel want to bring home the ultimate Hollywood souvenir: John Wayne's cement footprints from in front of the Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd. When I was out there last month, waiting in line to see movies for the TCM Classic Film Festival, I passed Wayne's footprints often  and every time, I thought of the girls.

 

My photo from last month

9) Random question -- You're playing roulette and suddenly doubled your winnings. Do you walk away when you're ahead, or do you stay at the table to play your winning streak? Neither. I'd make one more modest wager. If I won, I'd assume my streak was continuing and play on. If I didn't? I walk away.

Thursday Thirteen #307

13 movies based on books: Which do I like better? I admit I shamelessly stole this from Kwizgiver.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird. Both are beautiful.

2. The Godfather. To paraphrase Clemenza, "Watch the movie, skip the book."

3. Gone with the Wind. Don't make me choose. I simply cannot.

4. The Horse Whisperer. Until the end, I give the book the edge. The horse, Pilgrim, is a real character on the page. But the movie concludes correctly, the book's ending just rings false to me.

5. The Princess Bride. The movie is darling, but the book has more layers. William Goldman wrote both. I adore him.

6. Magic. A young Anthony Hopkins is impressive, but the book! Oh my God! It took my breath away. If you haven't seen the movie yet, snag the book and let William Goldman shock you.

7. IT. That book terrified me. Neither the theatrical movie nor the made-for-TV version had anywhere near as powerful an impact.

8. The Exorcist. Just the opposite of IT. Seeing the nightmare world of Regan's bedroom is more shocking than reading it.

9. All the President's Men. The movie is better. Woodward and Bernstein are better reporters than narrators. (BTW, William Goldman wrote this script, too.)

10. The Diary of Anne Frank. While I'm all for her story reaching everyone in every way possible, I give the edge to Anne herself.

11. Little Women. I've seen four different movie versions of this story. What a testament to the talent of Louisa May Alcott!

11. Valley of the Dolls. The movie is glorious over the top fun. The book is just stupid.

13. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. I like the book much better.

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

Feeling better about it

I spoke to my oldest friend yesterday! An actual conversation. You know, where I say something and then she responds and we react to one another in real time. I found tremendous comfort in this.

The hospital cancelled her surgery at the last minute and at that point, hadn't rescheduled it yet. So naturally she was upset. She's also clashing with her son again. I hope I was able to give her some respite from stress and unhappiness.

While I'm not glad this happened to her, I am grateful for two things:

1) We reconnected in a way that seemed real to me. I'm no longer as worried about her mental state. I felt so helpless before and now I'm way less concerned.

2) This may help remind her why Hesperia is where she 100% didn't want to live before she began this very fledgling relationship (one month) with Robert. She can't get the quality, dependable medical care she needs in that town. Robert has a truck. If he loves her, and he can drive the 45 minutes to see her. And if he loves her, he'll want her to move.

We'll see. At least now I know what's going on, and I feel like I have my friend back.

It's funny. Once I spoke to her, I made plans to see Elaine for lunch downtown. It's like a weight was lifted, and I can move on.

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. 

PS I can no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? Golden Girl: The Story of Jessica Savitch by Alanna Nash. Jessica Savitch was a favorite of mine, back in the long-ago 80s when we only had three major news networks (and sometimes PBS) and two network news casts each day. She was so very good on camera. (Here she is on the Today Show.) She projected cool, sophistication, and control. I felt terrible when her career began to unravel and then suddenly she died in a car crash. She was 36.*

I first read this book when it initially came out in 1988, shortly after death. It fascinated me because the real Jessica was so different from her on-air persona. I picked it up again recently after Barbara Walters died. With all the talk of Walters as a trail blazer, I wondered how Jessica could have been forgotten. In 1982 she was named America's fourth most trusted anchor, the only woman in the top 5. 

It's compelling and heartbreaking and I don't want it to end because I know how it ends. RIP, Jessica.

2. What did you recently finish reading? Revenge Tour by Mike Lupica. Everything is coming together nicely for Melanie Joan Hall. Her historical romance novels have become so successful that Hollywood wants to turn them into a miniseries. Her new business manager is her new lover, and is making her very happy in both his roles. So why is someone trying to ruin it all for her, and in such a menacing way? She's suddenly begun receiving blackmail threats, threatening to expose her as a plagiarist. 

She hires Boston PI Sunny Randall to get to the bottom of this before Melanie Joan's empire comes tumbling down. The stakes are raised suddenly higher when people around Melanie Joan start getting dead.

It was an interesting premise to set a mystery against. Sunny is a straight shooter, in every sense of the word, and has a hard time serving and protecting a client she isn't sure she can trust. Is Melanie Joan just the victim of a crazy crank, as she insists? Or did she do something crappy to someone in her hazy past, and now that someone is seeking revenge? And can Sunny figure it out in time? (I guessed who the baddie was and had a nice time doing so.)

3. What will read next? I don't know.

 

*It's not by design but this week's WWW is illustrated by another blonde heroine of mine who died tragically at 36.

I miss them

I haven't heard from Henry in weeks. He called me when I was in Hollywood for the film festival, and my phone was off. He reported that the police were there, in his Key West home, and he wanted them to leave. He didn't sound sad or frightened, just weary. The message was hours old by the time I received it, and I wasn't sure I should return it. The police have been called to the house before, and that's ended up in the invocation of The Baker Act (a judge has admitted him to a psychiatric facility because Henry was a danger to himself and others). I texted Patrick, a friend who lives there with them during the winter months, and he said that the police were there when he got home. "Henry had no sense of reality, and Reg was drunk and abusive. A total shitshow. But an hour after the police left, Henry was fine. He forgot all about it." Since things were peaceful, I chose not to rock the boat.

Henry's mental state is deteriorating rapidly. He likely will get even worse faster now that they are leaving Key West. Reg missed three mortgage payments. When he went to the bank to pay in person and catch up, he was told that the bank was taking advantage of a clause that entitled them to raise his monthly payments. If that sounds punitive, well, really, it's not. The bank had contacted Reg by both phone and mail during those 90 days, and he ignored the notices. The property already has a lien because Reg has skipped the homeowner association assessments. He has no choice but to sell and move somewhere where the cost of living is cheaper. 

This means pulling Henry away from his routine and the familiar surroundings, like his church. (He gets dressed up every Sunday morning for service.) Even before they move, they have to pack up the house and Henry hates parting with anything. He won't understand perspective buyers opening doors and checking out the property. Thinking of the confusion, even terror, all this will cause breaks my heart.

Especially because Reg refuses to seek counseling for himself or Henry. 

I worry about Henry. I worry about Mork and Mindy, their two very badly behaved chihuahuas. I can't imagine any apartment complex welcoming those yappy beasts -- though their behavior is not their fault. I fear they will be rehomed or put down. 

My heart is sore.

Henry is gone to me.

 

Similarly, my oldest friend is going through ... something. She's begun a new relationship with Robert and is either gloriously happy, or going through a manic phase. She doesn't have time to talk to me right now. She's preparing for surgery on her leg next week and cooking for Robert and well, busy, busy, busy.

 

All this would be fine if I thought it was real. She's only known Robert a month. She's counting on him to take her to/from the hospital this week. She has given up her writing -- it wasn't that long ago that her Beatle fan fiction was the center of her life and she wondered about becoming a published romance novelist -- and she's no longer looking for a new place closer to her daughter in Los Angeles. She's going to try to stay in the mountain community she's in (even though six months ago she complained that there is no quality, affordable medical care there) because it's where Robert lives.

 

A month. She's known him a month. Her landlady wants her out of that apartment. Is Robert going to invite her to move in with him (after a month)? I'm scared for her.

 

And I miss her. 

 

She doesn't know how my trip to Hollywood was. She doesn't know I had the flu. She doesn't care. Busy, busy, busy.  

I've known her since Kindergarten. I have so much history with her. When she's herself, she is funnier than anyone I know. But she's bipolar. I know she can't help the mood swings, but it's hard for me to hang on. (Especially because when she's manic, she acts like her depressive self never existed so I can't ask her: "Are you seeing your shrink? Are you on your meds?")

 

But I'm holding on. I sent her a little get well gift -- a little kitten-shaped dish she can use for her meds as she recuperates -- that she should get Tuesday. I want her to know I'm here. I think that matters to her more than she might realize right now.

Sigh.

I owe Elaine an email. She wants to get together for pastrami at the deli around the corner. 

 

My former art director wants to come out here for seafood and tater tots at my favorite sports bar because she thinks it would be fun to listen to me and her boyfriend talk baseball.

Nancy and her husband Paul just left me a note on Facebook: "We love you, you know."

But I don't want Elaine, my art director or Nancy and Paul. I want my oldest friend and Henry. 

Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: Promises, Promises (1983)

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

1) In this week's song, Naked Eyes lead singer Pete Byrne admits he believed his girl's promises, right from the start, but now he knows he should have been more careful with his heart. Do you consider yourself more trusting or skeptical? I've become more skeptical with time.

 

2) He looks back on when he and his girl laughed like kids. When did you recently literally laugh out loud (opposed to keystroking LOL)? "60% of the time it works every time." I just watched reporter Brian Fantana (Anchorman) explain his choice of cologne.

 

3) He accuses her of not being able to finish what she starts. How about you? Do you finish what you start, or can you think of projects that you're unlikely to ever complete? I have a list of things to do around here, but it sometimes seems adding to the list is as far as I get.

 

4) Naked Eyes was a British New Wave band who had four Top 40 singles, including "Promises, Promises." They never toured 40 years ago because it was difficult to recreate their synthesizer-driven sound onstage. Is there a band or singer you would have liked to have seen perform live, but never did? Sinatra or Elvis.

 

5) While "Promises, Promises" is about an untrustworthy lover, Peter Byrne says he and bandmate/cowriter Rob Fisher worked well together because they knew they could trust one another professionally. By sharing honest assessments of creative ideas, they knew Naked Eyes would never put out "rubbish." If you want an honest opinion on something important, where do you turn? It depends on the subject. Different friends have different strengths.

6) Madonna was a Naked Eyes fan. Are you a Madonna fan? Not in the slightest.

7) In 1983, when this song was on the radio, the Lotus 1-2-3 program made it easier for PC users to build spreadsheets. Are you answering these questions on a PC or a Mac? Laptop or desktop? Android or iPhone? MacBook Air.

 

8) Also in 1983, America West Airlines took off for the first time, taking passengers from Las Vegas to Phoenix. Where did you go on your first flight? What about your most recent flight? First flight: O'Hare to Fort Lauderdale. Most recent: Los Angeles to O'Hare.

9) Random question -- Finish this statement: If I knew then what I know now, I would have worked harder for, and contributed more money to, Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. I just never believed anyone would look at that narcissistic reality show host and say, "YES! He deserves access to the nuclear codes." I was wrong. We cannot let this happen ever again.

Gentle souls preparing to peacefully tour the Capitol

 

But am I "the kindest and most thoughtful?"

My auntie thinks so. Two weeks ago, when I was on vacation in Hollywood, she was admitted to the hospital with mysterious and crippling pain in her gut. It was duodenal diverticulosis and emergency surgery was required. She was frightened and in a great deal of pain, both before and after her surgery.

I called her hospital in Sarasota. She mentioned in her text message that her condition was rather rare, so I didn't want to bother any of her team while they were giving care. I just asked them to 1) let her know I called and 2) the exact address I could send where I could send a floral arrangement.

I changed my mind and went with this plant. I knew she was likely to be in the hospital for a long while I didn't like thinking of her stuck in bed, watching the flowers die. I'm glad I did it. The plant made her happy, and that's when she declared me "the kindest and most thoughtful" person she knows. I think it was especially important to her because she's estranged from her oldest son and two of her grandchildren. 

I was feeling guilty that I didn't stop to see her when I was in Tampa in February. I just couldn't. She is so proudly MAGA, so loudly racist and homophobic, and can't resist being provocative. But now here she is, 77 and in crisis, and I missed a recent opportunity to spend time with her. 

But then she started posting to social media from her hospital bed. She was upset about Tucker Carlson's dismissal, going on about how he was the victim of the brainless woke mob. Now this isn't true. But that doesn't stop her from spreading misinformation.

I didn't engage her. She's sick and she's medicated and I'm not going to let Fox News come between us at a time like this.

But I'm also no longer sorry I didn't spend time with her earlier this year. It wouldn't have gone well. I don't think she'd still think I'm "the kindest and most thoughtful" if we had. Better that I hold her tight but at arm's length. 

May is almost upon us -- that's Mother's Day and her birthday. I have a package here and I'll drop it in the mail on Monday. It's a pair of books I think she'll like and a little get well present. I know she misses her son and grandkids a lot this time of year and I'll try to fill the void. From a distance.

 

Thursday Thirteen #306

The 13 Most Influential First Ladies

I’m fascinated by our First Ladies. It’s such a public position, and yet it’s so undefined. Each woman who has held it has made it her own, finding individual ways to balance the support of her husband and family with her duties as a representative of the United States. Because the job has no formal parameters, she can be as involved (Eleanor Roosevelt), or as remote (Bess Truman), as she wishes to be.

The Research Institute at Sienna College in upstate New York regularly reviews the First Ladies and, with the help of 90 history and poli sci professors from across the United States, ranks them based on their integrity, intelligence, courage, value to country, value to the President, leadership, public image, and “being her own woman.”

Here’s the most recent ranking, which was conducted in 2014:
1. Eleanor Roosevelt
2. Abigail Adams
3. Jacqueline Kennedy
4. Michelle Obama
5. Hillary Clinton
6. Lady Bird Johnson
7. Betty Ford
8. Martha Washington
9. Rosalyn Carter
10. Barbara Bush
11. Laura Bush
12. Edith Roosevelt
13. Edith Wilson

The list is fluid. Here's my TT from 2008 on the exact same subject, if you'd like to see how it's changed.

Please join us for THURSDAY THIRTEEN. Click here to play along, and to see other interesting compilations of 13 things.

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. 

PS I can no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.

1. What are you currently reading? Revenge Tour by Mike Lupica. Boston PI Sunny Randall has taken on a fabulously successful romance novelist as a client. Melanie Joan Hall is turning her bodice-ripping series of novels into a mini-series and a cable channel, and someone is threatening her, implying that she's a plagiarist. Sunny has to get to the bottom of this before her client's burgeoning empire comes tumbling down. The stakes are raised suddenly higher when people around Melanie Joan start getting dead.

I like Sunny. She's independent, smart, strong and feminine. Let's hope this story is worthy of her.

2. What did you recently finish reading? Capote's Women by Laurence Leamer. In life, Truman Capote was better known as a celebrity than an author. He was a mainstay in the gossip columns and society pages because he surrounded himself with New York's wealthiest, most beautiful, most stylish women. 

These women fascinated him. For the most part, they were self-created. Small-town girls, children of divorce, survivors of lost fortunes ... each gained the spotlight by becoming beautiful, learning about style, and capturing the eye of progressively wealthier and more powerful men. I suppose there's something admirable, or at least likeable, about this pursuit. Especially put in the context of their times (these women were born between 1912 and 1933). 

 

Truman Capote ingratiated himself to them. He took their hospitality, encouraged their confidences, and then betrayed them in print with Unanswered Prayers. They were humiliated and they cast him out.

To me, it read like a clash of mid-century Gatsbys. It's a uniquely American and a very sad saga. I look forward to Ryan Murphy's mini-series.

3. What will read next? I don't know.