Every Picture Tells a Story 9/24/18

This is Moose.

Moose is one of Mom's cats.

Actually, since I currently live with Mom and sleep on her couch, he's my cat.

Moose was named for his size--you can't tell from this closeup, but Moose is an enormous cat. Weighs about 20 pounds, but he's not fat--most of that weight is muscle. He gets his exercise chasing the other cats around the house, especially the youngest, Lincoln--another male. (More on him later.)

Moose is also an indoor cat--very important, especially since we live on a fairly busy street and he'd likely get run over if we let him roam the neighborhood. And? he's a black cat--not good to leave black cats out with Shocktober almost upon us.

The Song Stuck in My Head This Morning

I rarely get songs stuck in my head anymore, mostly because of the memory issues brought on by the heart attacks I suffered back in June 2015. (I have enough trouble remembering the code for the bathroom at work, much less the lyrics to "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" or "A Day in the Life.")

This morning, though, I've had a particular song running through my brain. A power ballad, in fact, from a most unlikely source:

Kiss.

"Beth" isn't really a Kiss song, though. It was recorded with only one member of the group in the studio, and the least likely to do so: Drummer Peter Criss. He'd co-written the song (with Stanley Penridge) as "Beck," short for Becky, the wife of a bandmate in a group Criss belonged to before Kiss (according to Wikipedia, anyway).

Gene Simmons was apparently opposed to including the song on a Kiss record, and I kind of get his point: the band was known for hard rock, big sound, tongue-wagging and blood-spitting--not gentle ballads devoted to lonely spouses. Cooler heads prevailed, though, and "Beth" made it onto the very Kiss-tastically named "Destroyer" album.

And it went on to be the group's highest charting single.

So there.

(EDITED TO ADD: With this entry, I've written four this year--one more than the last two years...combined.)

Dear CTA Riders

Hi. How are you this morning? Happy Tuesday!

Most people I know don't drive to work, but they do take the train or bus (sometimes both).

Makes sense. We live in one of the largest metropolitan areas on the planet, with one of the most extensive public transportation systems. It might not get you there on time, but it will get you there.

Riding the bus and/or train becomes a hassle, though, when other riders don't respect the rules (and, thus, other riders) by keeping their bags slung over their shoulders rather than taking them off and holding them in front of them as they push their way through the conveyance of choice/necessity.

And then? if they do find a seat, they like to have a seat for their backpack or purse or shopping bag or whatever, too, thus leaving someone else to stand and stare.

Listen, please. We all want to get where we're going as quickly, quietly, peacefully and comfortably as possible. Nobody likes to stand, especially when there's a seat available.

So do those of us who usually do the standing a favor: Move that backpack/bag/purse into your lap. Or onto the floor. Yes, I know--CTA floors are nasty. They usually run with fluids that may be the remnants of cleaning fluid, or...not. I agree. I sympathize. Really, I do.

But I also am usually the person who gets smacked in the head or shoulder or back by your bag as you try to squeeze past me to as seat in the back of the bus that isn't really there, or as you stand beside me and turn to check your iPhone for the latest LOL Cat meme.

So please. For the safety and comfort of your fellow passengers on the bus, on the train, and in life, hold your bag toward the floor and hold it ahead of you as you try to squeeze past me toward that seat that isn't there. My shoulders/thighs/back/head would appreciate it.

(Almost) That Time of Year Again...

This morning on my way to work, I couldn't help but notice the autumnal snap in the air. The leaves on the trees are still green, but a strong northerly breeze sends the unmistakable signal: Fall is almost here.

As regular readers might know, I love Fall more than any other season. The coolness. The colors. The horror movies on every station that still shows movies.

And in the stores? All Halloween, all the time.

Been that way for years now--They don't even wait for Labor Day anymore. Now? Pumpkins and witches and spiders galore can be found on display in every store. From the neighborhood Family Dollar (a converted Woolworth's, if I'm not mistaken) to the local Targets (seems you can't shake a broomstick without hitting one) to even Walgreens and CVS, the summer stuff has been put away, and shrieks and screams from all sorts of window hangers abound.

Most years, I've held to a strict routine: Wait until October. Wait until the month of Halloween. Wait.

This year? No waiting.

This year? I'm ready.

NOW.

So drag out your jack o'lanterns, dust off your rubber rats (sorry, JB) and string those cottony white spider's webs across front yards and windows. Hang your cardboard vampires and werewolves from your doors. Dangle those skeletons in your entry halls.

I'm ready for you all. Bring. It. On.

Bloggity Blog Blog...

I know. It's been a while. I'm sorry. I've been busy.

No. Seriously. Busy.

As in working. For a living. And having somebody PAY me for it.

Back in January, I was hired by a publishing company in Evanston. Yes, THAT publishing company. (For those "regular" readers of this blog, you know which publishing company I mean.) I worked there for a few months and was relatively happy with it--the pay was crap and the location was on the ass end of one of Chicago's near-in suburbs, but it got me out of the house for ten hours a day (including commute time to and from).

In May, I got the chance to interview with a downtown advertising agency, where a LOT of friends from my former agency days wound up. So, I went downtown...and nailed it down.

Now? Instead of having no view whatsoever at a low-paying gig, I can look down the Chicago River at the Civic Opera House, the Sears Tower (yes, I know, its name has changed...I don't care) and a bunch of other city landmarks. Also? I can walk over to the Merchandise Mart (another landmark) and eat lunch whenever I want. (Expensive as fuck, but damn, so good.)

And my health? So far, so good. (knocks on...not sure what this desk is made of...wood? particle board? plastic?).

So...my point is this: I'll be here more often. Maybe I'll even post a new movie review or two. (Once I've actually seen a few new movies. Which I haven't. Yet.)

I'm not going anywhere.

So...Wassup, Interwebs?

Sorry I've been away so long, but things have been going down on this end--not necessarily good things, either. Can't go into details, but suffice it to say I'm Ok--both physically and mentally.

Still looking for work, though. If anybody out there needs a proofreader, let me know. I'm ready and able to go!

Happy(ish) 2017!

So...um...Happy New Year!(?)

I promise to be around here more this year. The past two years have been personal nightmares--two heart attacks, long convalescence period at Mom's house, the loss of my apartment and, unfortunately, my subsequent suicide attempt.

Rest assured that I'll be around here more, reflecting on the past, updating the present and hoping for the future. For now, though, know that I'm OK.

Not great. Not awful. Just OK.

But that's better than the alternative(s), yes?

More later...

e