RandomCha

O gee. I will write all my New Year’s stuff later this weekend. I’m too veg-like to do it right now. Looking forward to our Tiny New Year’s Eve Party tonight. Spiked Cider, Hot Buttered Rum, Champagne, all the rest of the frippery. Total of 7 guests. Maybe? Unless there are some surprises. Andy has sworn that he will not get overly sauced, while I have sworn that I WILL get overly sauced. Balances out, right?

For a reason which I cannot remember right now, last week I started thinking about “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” again, a show which I’ve never seen but which sounds fascinating. It isn’t on DVD yet. It ran from 1976-1978. Normal Lear was its executive producer. No major network wanted to carry it so it was shown exclusively in syndication (like “Star Trek”). It was on FIVE DAYS A WEEK, just like the kind of soap operas it was satirizing; thus, even though it was on the air for less than two years there were 325 episodes. It took place in the fictional small town of Fernwood, Ohio and starred Louise Lasser as Mary Hartman, a homely-looking and somewhat dim housewife continually beset by bizarre tragedies. And apparently she was also paranoid about the “waxy yellow buildup” on her kitchen floor. Martin Mull, Dabney Coleman and Mary Kay Place were among the other cast members. Reading about it online really makes me want to see it. It sorta sounds like “The Incredible Shrinking Woman,” a movie I was obsessed with when I was a kid; it was on cable constantly.

This was a weekend of food.

Here’s a food diary: Thursday night it was Pasta Shells Stuffed with Ricotta, Onion, Sausage; dessert, ginger snaps and coffee; Friday breakfast, Sausage & Egg Omlettes; lunch, chips & salsa; dinner at Ann Sather, 2 glasses of glogg (hot mulled wine), cinnamon roll, Shepherd’s Pie, Spaetzel, rice medley; dessert, homemade french apple pie with whipped cream, coffee; Christmas morning, cinnamon rolls and coffee; dinner, Round Roast, Scalloped Potatoes, Winter Veggies Braised in Red Wine, browned rolls; dessert, apple pie with whipped cream, Hot Buttered Rum; yesterday’s breakfast, cereal and coffee; lunch, leftover Pasta Shells, apple pie with whipped cream; dinner, leftover Roast, Scalloped Potatoes, Winter Veggies; dessert, ginger snaps.

It’s a weird time. This was probably one of the most wonderful Christmases I’ve ever had. There was a bounty of comfort, relaxation, good spirit and amusement. But there was also the horrible news since yesterday of the earthquake devestation in Asia, the likes of which probably none of us (we should hope) will ever personally see. And this is a time here in the U.S. where the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer. It’s no surprise that luxury retailers performed well this month, unlike pretty much every other type of retailer. I made a donation to the Chicago Food Bank. And I’m sure the tony amount I gave has alreeady been used. Work at the office this week will be slow, slow, slow, with only the annoying frippery of the year-end wrapup to mark the time. I wish I were home, but so many people would overjoyed to have my job. I damn glad to have it. 2004 was the Year of My First-Ever White Collar Job.

I know I’ve said it before, but the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day always creates a wistful bittersweet feeling inside of me. It’s a limbo week: no longer the old year exactly but not quite the new one yet. I always feel vague regrets for the past 12 months, some nice memories, some pangs of hope for the future. If we had more intelligence, we’d make it a week-long holiday so we could all reflect and ponder.

After work I’m heading over to Binny’s to stock up for our Tiny New Year’s Eve Party. Gee, it’s gonna be fun. Among the new games we can play is Truth or Dare Jenga (courtesy Santa AKA Andy). Hubba Hubba.

Ahhhhhh what a nice day! There were many wonderful moments (not to get all mushy), but probably my favorite was early this morning, sitting with Andy in the front room, curled up in my chair right in front of the window by the Christmas tree, presents strewn about us and ready to be unwrapped, cup of coffee in one hand and a plate with a warm cinnamon roll in the other, then turning my head to look out the window and see the snow gently beginning to fall. It was a perfect 10 on the scale of Christmas Memories.

More later. Hope everyone had a swell day! Merry Christmas!

O gee, 15 below with wind chill but no snow for Chicago. It all ended up in Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, or in the burbs and downstate. Might have an early day here at work. Otherwise, I’ll just sit here and listen to Elvis’ Christmas album.

16 December 2004

Mr. Jeff Rynegan
Area Manager
CRUNCH FITNESS
38 E Grand
Chicago IL 60611

Mr. Rynegan,

I hope I’ve written down your name correctly and I apologize if it’s misspelled. Thank you very much for your phone message from yesterday. I only wish that it had come back in August when I first lodged my complaint. To avoid being overly redundant, I have enclosed a copy of my original letter (a letter I wrote after being told by the receptionist at the Grand Avenue location that I could only cancel my membership through the California office, and I received no acknowledgment after sending an email through http://www.crunch.com).

So what exactly has my “free” membership cost me?

$70.00 1st month’s membership billed to my CC
$286.00 additional months billed & late fees accrued before membership could be cancelled
$50.00 cancellation fee
TOTAL = $406.00

I have done some research. I know that Crunch used to be a fine company. Before it was bought out by Bally’s. Since then its predatory and callous attitudes towards consumers have been the subject of many complaints and lawsuits (including one brought by the Attorney General of the State of New York). In fact, I find it telling that it was only AFTER I filed a complaint with Lisa Madigan’s office that I was taken seriously at all (please find a copy enclosed). I was finally able to get ahold of a supervisor in the California office in mid-November, and it took a half-hour to basically find out “I believe you sir, but I wasn’t there. I can’t cancel your membership. If you could go back to the club and speak with the sales person who signed you up, he could perhaps sign an affidavit and then we can take it from there …”

Well sir, I know from experience that that would get me exactly nowhere. So I chose to just wash my hands of the whole situation. I highly doubt you could get me a refund even if you wanted to. The sad part is that I was enjoying Crunch, UNTIL I discovered I had been misled. I might have considered staying with Crunch if I had initially been set up on some sort of a month-to-month membership. You need to let your salespeople (including Steve Saitta, who was the rep that signed me up) and your superiors know that tricking a customer into signing a 36-month contract is NOT a way to encourage either club loyalty or positive word-of-mouth.

Sincerely,
Rob Christopher

Today is a Winter Cocoon Day. Those of you in Chicago know exactly what I mean. Yesterday I did all the errands I needed to do because I knew today would be freezing. And it is. High today is 15. Add some lovely wind from the lake and you get the picture.

I’ve been feeling like I was in some demented holiday special.

The Chris Isaak Christmas album is really cool; his take on “Mele Kalikimaka” is second only to Mr. Crosby’s in my view. Last night we watched “Bad Santa.” John Ritter is so funny. The movie is so incredibly profane and gutter-mouthed and WRONG and yet very, very funny in parts. Andy has basically been dubbing ultratrashy Christmas music from vinyl onto CD all day long (Sandler & Young, Gladys Knight, Jim Nabors, Al Martino) and I’ve been baking ginger molasses cookies. I swear these cookies are so damn good I feel like my head’s going to pop off from all the joy enzymes in the dough.

After reading through people’s recent LJ entries I’ve come to a few conclusions: (1) I will never, ever, ever go to law school, (2) I’m glad I don’t have to travel anywhere this week, (3) I still wish I had a cat.

Andy and I want to have a nice, low-key dinner somewhere on Christmas Eve since on Christmas Day we’ll be cooking. After lots and lots of time finding out exactly what will be open (answer: not much, unless you want Chinese or are willing to pay $60 a person minimum), it looks like we’ve settled on Ann Sather. Who knew they were open?! But I called to double check and yessir they are open till 9. Mmmm Swedish Meatballs.

6 gimlets, 1 Suffering Bastard, 2 Kool-Aid shots at Spin with Jeremy. I’m very happy to be home with my bag of Frontera Blue Corn Chips. What a great Saturday night though. I really can’t type.

Not necessarily released in 2004, these were nevertheless some of the songs I listened to all year long: a personal time capsule of the past twelve months.

1 skating in central park: the modern jazz quartet
2 ultra privleged: arto lindsay
3 for what it’s worth: sergio mendes
4 une very stylish fille: dimitri from paris
5 fake french: le tigre
6 you were the last high: the dandy warhols
7 more, more, more: andrea true connection
8 all the way lover: millie jackson
9 showroom dummies: senor coconut
10 let me kiss you: nancy sinatra
11 autrefois: pink martini
12 my fair lady: david byrne
13 it’s too late: carol burnett
14 stoney street: amon tobin
15 portland oregon: loretta lynn & jack white
16 if jesus drove a motor home: jim white
17 40′: franz ferdinand
18 a little lost: arthur russell
19 both sides now: dengue fever

The first 5 people to email randomcha@earthlink.net their name & address get a CD copy! Enjoy.