"I Screwed Up Royally"

So wrote David Petraeus about the affair that cost him his job and probably a great deal more. 

How very, very sad.  Lots of people Screw Up Royally but few have to pay the price so publicly.

It is nice to think that folks can regroup and come back from even the most disastrous self-inflicted wounds.  Hopefully without a stint in rehab or prison!

My own worst screw-ups were thankfully not awful, not by any means, and the consequences to me or my loved ones were not horrible. But I know I was Lucky (with a capital L).  I definitely have the capacity to REALLY mess up!

;-)

Hit Me

The author's comments at the end of  "The Triumph of Evil"  included his email address and an invitation to write.  I rarely write "fan mail" but after the years and years of the pleasurable reading and listening experiences Lawrence Block has given me I felt compelled to at least say "thank you" once in my lifetime.

Holy Moly!  I got a personalized response almost immediately!  And a link to his blog and mailing list which held the promise of early notification of any new releases.  Yippee!!  I discover that LB has resurrected my absolute favorite of his protagonists - Keller of the Hit Man series!

Today's email brought a message from LB about his latest opus "Hit Me".  I had already marked my calendar for February 12th 2013, the day Hit Me will be released and figured this was a bit of pre-release hype.  There was an attachment, and after a mere glance at LB's note on my iPhone, I assumed the attachment was a few pages of a sneak preview of Hit Me. A teaser if you will.

Imagine my joy to find, upon a more careful reading and actually opening the pdf this morning, that attached to LB's email was ENTIRE text of Hit Me!  And the note from LB which read:
Hi—As you may know, Mulholland Books (and Orion in the UK) will be publishing HIT ME in February. It's the fifth book about Keller and the first since his presumed retirement at the end of HIT & RUN. I thought you might like an advance peek at it, and am attaching an eGalley in the form of a PDF; I'm assured it will work just fine on an eReader. Unlike the usual run of proofs, this is in fact the exact text of the final book. (Of course that doesn't mean there are no errors, but merely guarantees the permanence of any such errors as may exist.)

Should you like the book and be moved to review it or blog about it, I'd of course be delighted. But that's almost beside the point, which is that you've been generous to me and my work in the past, and this is a small (and remarkably inexpensive) way to thank you for it.

LB
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I have two important take-aways from this wonderful early Chanukah gift.

1. Never pass up an opportunity to tell someone, even a stranger, you admire them or to thank them for their impact on your life.  Send that Facebook post to an old, old friend.  You never know the riches that might await.

2. Lawrence Block is a class act.  He really did HIT ME with this one...

Mamie Edith

Edith and Dad

My father's sister, "Mamie" Edith (do not know where the "Mamie" came from) was the undisputed Matriarch of our family.  All important - and not-so-important -decisions went through her.  She approved my hubby-to-be (he endeared himself to her by eating her egg and onion omelet) and had my mother's wedding dress made from her measurements without Mom ever seeing it until her wedding day.  She is revered for locating my three cousins who survived the Holocaust, bringing them to Toronto (not that easy) and finding them nice Jewish boys to marry.

Yesterday my cousin Terri (Edith's grand-daughter) who is recuperating from surgery wrote me the following:
Don't I look like my grandmother? I can't say that it's my best look.......Lol. Time to get that Silverstein nose taken care of. Kind of half joking!

I answered:

HAHAHA Must be your Other Grandmother. You don't look like Mamie Edith by a long shot!

I once blogged about our "family resemblance" http://evelynsilvergold.blogspot.com/2012/09/family-resemblance.html

Take care of yourself. You look terrific to me!

 

;-)

Everyday Jeans

Here's a picture of me in my favorite "everyday" jeans.  They have become my daily companion (unless they are in the wash which I do almost everyday so they are quickly put back into use).  They are sturdy yet soft and comfy and have a enough tears and patches so that they could almost pass for designer knock-offs. I feel good just putting them on.

Like most other women, I have a big stack of blue jeans which I have divided into two groups - everyday and "best".  There is not much difference, perhaps the "best" ones are a little snugger and have more bling.  All of them came from Ross-Dress-For-Less or Goodwill.  None of them are "Mom" jeans (for old fuddy-duddies).  Heaven forbid! 

The ones in this picture came from Ross.  I found them in the women's section but wondered at the size, 16R.  I thought perhaps they were a mis-marked 6R.  I liked them so much I googled the brand name, "Justice Jeans", and found out they were indeed a size 16R since "Justice Jeans" are only in girl's sizes, hahaha.

So now I know why I like them so much.  I feel like a girly girl in them - tough enough to play but cute enough to go out and look good!

;-)

The Daily Motivator

My friend Marj emails "The Daily Motivator" everyday.  These consist of slide shows of pretty pictures with meaningful (although a bit trite) messages set to background music from New Age CDs called things like "Serenity" or "Ocean Waves".  I believe Marj subscribes to this service and forwards them on to us for free. 

OK, I'll admit I do not ever last through a whole slide show if I even bother to open it.  But today I awoke feeling the need for motivation after a weekend of sloth and gluttony and the scale registering the expected extra 2 pounds. 

The slide shows (there were 3, to catch up on the long motivation-less weekend) and they were just as corny, but I have to say, I do feel invigorated from seeing them.  Not because of anything in them (I know all that good stuff already) but because Marj herself is motivated to send them out and keep her friends energized.

Thanks Marj!  I'm ready to tackle this new week!

;-)

The Triumph of Evil

I'm listening to "The Triumph of Evil" by Lawrence Block, one of my mostest favoritest authors. I do believe I've read everything he's ever written.  But there are a few things that make this audio experience special.

The title is inspired by a famous quote: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing" (Edmund Burke).  Block has tweaked the quotation a bit into "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do the wrong things" .

The book was written in 1973 so somehow I missed it.  It's currently out of print.  But by some act of serendipity, it was just recorded as an audio file and released as such this month.  That was the good news.

The "bad" news was that although it was available for download for free from the Broward County library and the one license for it was not being used, I had a heck of a time getting it downloaded.  I will not bore you with the details Dear Diary but after much finagling it now resides on my iPad.

This is probably the most thought provoking of Block's works which include such lighthearted offerings as the Burglar Who and Matt Scudder series which were adapted for the big screen in "Burglar" (with Whoopi Goldberg) and "8 Million Ways To Die".  This is obviously the work of a younger, idealistic, questioning Block who (with his Yiddisha kop) brilliantly dissects the events that might turn America into a fascist dictatorship.  Remember - this was written at a time of great student unrest, racial strife and a country deeply divided. Think assassinations, violence, political upheavals, right wing rage and back room manipulators.

Thank you Lawrence Block for many, many wonderful reading and listening experiences.  At 74, I hope you have not yet retired!

--------------------------
PS
A note from Lawrence Block himself!  I am soooo happy!

Evelyn, thanks so much! I'm delighted you enjoyed the audiobook of The Triumph of Evil, and grateful to you for blogging about it.

As you note, the book's out of print—but it's eVailable as an Open Road eBook, and indeed that's what led to its being released in audio. The eBook revolution has resulted in virtually everything I wrote over the past half century being available again—and that's very gratifying, as I'm sure you can imagine. Here's a link to a blog page with a full list of what's out there: http://lawrenceblock.wordpress.com/about-lbs-fiction/

Again, thanks.

LB

The New Normal

The New Normal.  Such a cute expression.  I really like it.  What is normal today is definitely not what was normal when I was a kid, say 50 years ago or so. 

Truth be hold, the "New Normal" is really a state of constant smaller changes and big time metamorphoses every few years.  I have gone through several iterations of "New Normal" in my life and as a result, I'm completely qualified to deal with the current "New Normal". 

Whatever it is...

;-)

Arts and Crafts

I love our Florida Art and Craft Festivals, a wonderful way to spend an afternoon in the company of cheerful companions.  There's free admission and fresh air and if you buy something you are helping artisans and crafters and also sponsoring the smallest of small businesses.  There's usually great food like funnel cakes or turkey legs which you can partially burn off by walking the length of the festival and back. You can breathe fresh air and people watch while checking out amazing jewelry, glass works, paintings and Judaica.

So I am looking forward to the 13th Annual Downtown Delray Beach Thanksgiving Weekend Art Festival with good friends Terri and Fred on Sunday.  It will be a pleasant reprieve from the noise surrounding Black Friday and the mass-produced electronics, toys, clothes and knick-knacks made in third world sweatshops!

:-)
 

Mitt

As this year's Thanksgiving turkey (whom I have named "Mitt") awaits his ultimate fate tomorrow, I am thinking about the things I am grateful for (see 60 of them in recent blog posts) but also about some scary things going on in the world.  Luckily there are far less than 60:

the conflict in Israel and Gaza
the Fiscal Cliff
Sandy-devastated states
the European economy
the stock market
health care changes
new taxes

I can do nothing or precious little to influence the outcome of any of these. 

In that way, I'm a bit like MItt awaiting his future...

;-)

A Little More Gratitude...

The 30 Day Challenge was far too easy.  Thanksgiving is almost upon us so here's a few more:

I am so grateful that:

1. Employers took a chance on me
2. I got a full scholarship to college many years ago
3. Hurricanes have never damaged our properties
4. There's a turkey and all the trimmings waiting for Thursday
5. I did not have to wait until I couldn't work anymore to retire
6. The god-kids are doing so well it amazes me
7. The strong chemical I found seems to clean the porcelain floor
8. I have a ladies' Canasta group
9. I have a fun night out planned for tonight
10. Good renters are returning for the season
11. De-Lites makes yummy low-cal ice cream
12. The fiscal cliff talks seem to be moving forward
13. Israel is surviving thanks to our brave IDF soldiers
14. Dolly very rarely has accidents
15. Young people still ask for my advice
16. Netflix sends me movies
17. Online games are free
18. The stock market was up 200 points yesterday
19. A simcha in March in Chicago!
20. A side trip to Orlando for Scott's birthday next month!
21. Hillary Clinton is going to Israel and Gaza today
22. I have a great gardener
23. I can now turn on the hot tub with a phone app
24. Cousin Jeannie will be back in a few weeks
25. Costco has the best tomatoes
26. The City of Hollywood is in better fiscal shape
27. Dexter is renewed for another season
28. Da Bears won at least a few games this year
29. I'll be volunteering this morning
30. Someone gave me a second chance...

Twinkies

The world is struggling to cope with demise of Twinkies, Ho-Hos (how will godson Jason survive?), Ding Dongs, Wonder Bread and my personal favorite, Sno-Balls.  It's a good time to reminisce over my other lost loves from the universe of consumer products.

Dippity Do - nothing plastered my naturally wavy hair into submission like this goop from the 60s

Riverview - the original Chicago amusement park and home of the Greyhound, the roller coaster for sissies (like me)

Angel Face pressed powder - I found this again in Mexico a few years ago.  But alas, no longer in the US of A.

Clairol Herbal Essense shampoo - the original, not the awful products that use the same name.  I am still hoarding a few decomposed bottles...

Black Jack gum


RIP Hostess treats.  A little bit of my youth goes with you...

:-(

It's A Look

We were wandering around the Boca Raton Art Fest yesterday with cousins Morry and Barb.  Hubby spotted me from a little ways away and when I got closer he said "you have that 'Rich B*tch' look". 

Did I take this as a derogatory comment?  Heck No.  I was thrilled. It certainly beats the "shlumpy middle-aged broad" look I feel like I carry with me most of the time. 

But of course his comment puzzled me.  After all, I was wearing my "everyday" blue jeans ($5. from Ross) not 7 For All Mankind or some other brand of $200.+ jeans.  I was wearing 3 year old sneakers (for walking around Mizner Park) and a $4. tank top from Wal-Mart with a $5. lace overlay and a $3. gold belt from the Swap Shop.  So what gives my "Rich B*tch" look its punch, I asked. 

Is it my sassy haircut? my mani in the pretty but understated color? my makeup? the Coach bag you gave me that I would never have bought for myself?  No, he said, it's just your whole look. Classy.  Put together.  Confident.

I think he means OLD don't you?!? Hahaha!

;-)

Sex Scandal

Generals Petraeus and Allen are the latest folks to be besmirched by a sex scandal. 

I used to be quite opinionated on the topic of sex scandals.  I used to think that anyone in a position of power and authority should be smart enough to rein in their libido and forgo all hints of impropriety.  In other words, if you are a philanderer you are just too dumb to be a leader.

But with so many of these otherwise decent folks brought down by their dalliances, I have opened my mind to a more forgiving attitude.  Let's face it, an extra-martial affair or finding out some guy is gay happens all the time to lots of ordinary folks. Should we expect more from our elected officials?

So I propose a new view on the subject, at least for myself.  From now on I will try and judge a person by their public accomplishments and try, as much as possible, to segregate their bedroom antics from my evaluation of their worth as human beings. 

Gary Hart, Bill Clinton, Anthony Weiner, Elliot Spitzer, Wilbur Mills, Larry Craig, JFK, Mark Foley, David Petraeus and John Allen - I give you all conditional reprieves.

John Edwards - you slimeball dirtbag - Never!!

;-)

Post Election Reflection

It's been a week since the election. Four days later Florida finally figured out who we voted for (but several local elections are still being tallied).  Contrary to all the pre-election polls, Florida went to Obama.  The surprising (at least to me) election results have caused me to re-think some things. 

First of all, I have vowed to eliminate (or at least greatly reduce) my viewing of Fox News.  They were totally off with their projections and are way over the top with their fear mongering and some of their nutty pundits.  I can't watch MSNBC either because their pundits are equally off-the-wall.  That leaves CNN, the only cable news network that, in my mind, is reasonably "fair and balanced". 

Second, I realize that the country is truly changing from the one I've known from previous decades.  The ethnic make-up of the country is changing fast and forever and those folks may have different perspectives and life experiences from mine.  The things I think are most important are not necessarily what most of the country thinks are important.  Government truly is getting bigger and any "bad stuff" that happens seems to be the responsibility of the government to do something about. 

Third, I have made a personal pledge to myself to fully support the current administration and send only positive thoughts for its success.  Of course, all bets are off if they fail to fully support Israel!

:-)

30 Day Challenge

Facebook friend Samantha (Victoria's brother's girlfriend) seems to be posting "30 Days of Gratitude". 

I knew there had to be more behind this so I googled it and sure enough, it's a whole program.

Not a day goes by that I am not thankful for my wonderful life and in awe of all the good things in it.  I am sure I can easily rattle off 30 things I am grateful for without stopping for air.  But I will take this "challenge" seriously and so, with a full heart, here they are:

1. my hubby
2. very special answered prayers
3. our good health
4. that I was born a Jew, the essence of who I am.
5. my godchildren and their families
6. my small but wonderful family of cousins and friends
7. that we live in the USA and this tropical paradise called Florida
8. financial security after a lifetime of work
9. retiree health benefits
10. Social Security (in a few years)
11. my beautiful home, filled with things I love
12. my weight, which I believe is optimal
13. Facebook and FB friends I've never met
14. my blog
15. the Internet, my iPhone and other techie goodies
16. favorite TV shows like Dexter and Homeland
17. memories of lost loved ones, my parents and Sheryl especially
18. Temple Solel
19. Popeyes Fried Chicken
20, Thrift Shops
21. the Broward County Library
22. my car
23. Dolly, my sweet puppy
24. Hollywood Oaks, my beautiful, well protected community
25. my closet of pretty clothes and shoes
26. a career I can be proud to look back on
27. our trip to Israel last year, the vacation of a lifetime
28. my face, which is holding up pretty well 
29. make-up! and hair products too
30. a future that looks bright

See, that didn't take long at all!  More like a 30 minute challenge...

;-)

The Sunday Ads

One of the reasons I still have the newspaper delivered is for the Sunday Ads. 

The folks at the Sun-Sentinel got the message a few months ago that their subscribers would be better served by getting the ads on Saturday rather than Sunday so that they could plan their weekend shopping excursions. A good idea.

I love perusing the pile of ads even though I rarely see anything I need.  Occasionally there will be a lost leader of such magnitude that it demands a special trip to scoop up said bargain. 

From now until after Christmas, there will be an even heftier load of ads in the Saturday paper.  I will wish I actually needed or wanted some of the stuff  so I could take advantage of the great prices.   For sure I don't need Christmas trees or ornaments or wrapping paper.

To tell you the truth, I make a point of shopping for nothing  (but food) for the last six weeks of the year.  The mall and the big box stores cannot possibly entice me to try to find parking and battle those crowds.

But when  the dust has died down and the stores have been ransacked and Santa has come and gone, I'll venture out again to grab those even better after-Christmas sales! 

;-)

Skyfall

I am looking forward to seeing Skyfall, James Bond flick #24, tonight at the IMAX theater in downtown Fort Lauderdale. 

Actually, truth be told, I could not care less about Skyfall. But I am anxiously looking forward to schmoozing with friends Terri and Fred after not seeing them for several months.  They are in a strange but fascinating business that puts them out of town for long stretches of time. 

007 is an icon, a cultural phenomena that has always run parallel to my life.  I have seen them all (and remember none of them very well). 

I guess that could describe a lot of the events in my life, hahaha.

Plan B

I was wondering if the folks that surprisingly lost this week's election had made any "Plan B's".  It must be very tough when you have put all your efforts and commitment to a single goal and then have to regroup and find a new direction.  How do you replace your life's passion?  Or the power and attention you may have once received?

Broward County's Sheriff Al Lamberti spent 35 years at the Broward Sheriff's Office, working his way up. He lost his job on Tuesday night.   What will he do now?  Is it harder for someone to regroup if they were very high up the totem pole?

And what if you went from society darling to despised pariah like Mrs. Madoff did late in life?   And how do you re-invent yourself if you are just a small fish that got a layoff notice from your "secure" factory job of 20+ years?

I have always tried to imagine "what if" and at least think about what my Plan B would look like.  I fool myself into thinking this will prepare me in some way if my life ever requires a course correction...

I know it won't, not really.

;-) 

Forward

President Obama won re-election last night.  I'm thrilled this election season is over and I'm also happy the decision was decisive and will not drag on like it did in 2000. 

I did not vote for him but, just like in 2008, I wish him well.  I will be supportive of his efforts to address the great challenges this country faces.  

As I think about the other results of this election, I am pleased.  Nutcases who made horrible comments about rape and the children born of rape were defeated.  Marijuana for everyone was legalized in Colorado and for medicinal purposes in Montana.  Gay marriage was expanded into several states.  My City Commissioner, Dick Blattner, and the Mayor of my City, Peter Bober, were re-elected (both are members of my Temple).  I am also pleased that the Supreme Court Justices that will need to be selected in the next four years will be likely to uphold Roe vs Wade and a woman's right to choose. 

Every day is one step forward and one step back.  We accept the things we cannot change and work to change the things we can. As President Obama has been touting in his campaign, I am ready to go "Forward"!   

:-)

A Long Time Ago

Godson Scott has undertaken to digitize old pictures.  I guess he is taking a short break from re-building his house from the studs out and all the other amazing things he does. He is posting a bunch of them on Facebook and wow! what a trip down memory lane. 

He calls his album "A Long Time Ago" but when I see the pictures it seems like yesterday.  It all went by so quickly. 

The pictures are posted in no particular order - there are Scott and Laura as babies!  As toddlers!  As teenagers!  As newlyweds!
The pictures skip around just as do the memories in my mind.

I know I am getting old when I write stuff like this!  Snap out of it Ev!  Life keeps getting better and the best is yet to come! 

There will be lots more pictures to fill up Scott's album...

;-)

When I Knew It

I knew I could not vote for Obama when:

1. I heard the disparaging "off camera" remarks Obama made to Sarcozy about Bibi Netanyahu:  "you're fed up, but I have to deal with him every day"

2. I read the 2012 Democratic Platform that greatly watered down support of Israel
 and eliminated any mention of Hamas as a terrorist state

3. I heard the THREE "nay" votes  at the Democratic convention when the platform was belatedly attempted to be amended to include a statement that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel

4. I realized that his greatest efforts to "reach out to the Muslim World" have been a disastrous failure as witnessed by the events of 9/11/2012 and the murders of our Patriots in Benghazi

5.  I realized he did nothing - not even one word of encouragement - to support the brave Iranians standing up for the corrupt regime that enslaves their country and threatens Israel's existence

6. I know that Iran moves closer each day to a nuclear weapon that could literally "wipe Israel off the map".  The sanctions are NOT working, except to harm innocent civilians in that country.

7. I read a transcript of him saying that there should be "daylight between the United States and Israel"

8. I learned that he has an abysmally low approval rating among Israeli Jews but an exact opposite high rating among Israeli Arabs

9. It became obvious he has, at the very least, an extremely strained relationship with Bibi Netanyahu, a man I admire greatly. He rejected the request to meet with the leader of the only true democracy and America's best friend in the region when both leaders were in the same city.

10.  He referred to Israel as "one of our closest allies in the region."   Who the heck is closer to the United States than Israel?

11. He openly and warmly welcomed Mahmoud Abbas to the White House despite the fact Abbas has repeatedly said he will never accept Israel as a Jewish state. But  Netanyahu was quietly shuffled into the White House through a side door, and in a clear statement of disrespect, left on his own for dinner.

12. He chose to undermine Netanyahu when he made his famous "1967 borders" speech.  As one who has been to Israel and seen for herself how truly indefensible the 1967 borders are, this proved to me that Obama has absolutely no idea what Israel really needs to survive.

13. I learned that in 2010, 87 US Senators - both Democrats and Republicans - were so disappointed in Obama's consistent unfair treatment of Israel they sent him a letter asking him to be more fair toward the Jewish State. No previous president has ever received such a letter.

14. He instructed NASA (NASA???) to create a program to "reach out to the Muslim World" and share our technology (our TECHNOLOGY??)

15. He called the Muslim call to prayer the "sweetest sound on earth" in his 2009 speech in Cairo. 

To me the sweetest sound on earth is the sound of the shofar on the High Holidays...

I Need Coffee

I have a great day planned.  There will be lunch with five friends from my days working at Broward County and a lovely musical Shabbos service tonight.  I've missed about four Friday night services in a row due to the cruise and other things so I am greatly looking forward to an evening of peace and inspiration. 

The day promises to hold other surprises.  The monthly jobs report is due out.  Obama will make a stop in Broward County sometime soon, no one is sure where.  The Homestead Air Show is tomorrow and I must do a little preparation. There will be the usual - bills to pay and the house to clean and we are out of onions (a disaster chez Gold).

But right now it's only 7 a.m. and coffee and the paper await. 

;-)