City Life

 JENN McKINLAY: I had the luck of traveling to new places this summer. San Francisco and Chicago, to be exact. Now, I'd been to San Francisco before in 2015 to attend the American Library Association's annual conference (as an author not a librarian) and I was lucky enough to have my friend Kate Carlisle with me to show me around. Our days were scheduled around events however so it was more of a do a panel discussion, run outside and catch a cab to go see the Golden Gate Bridge type of trip. 

This time it was just me and Hub, meeting up with some friends to attend the 60th anniversary concert of the Grateful Dead in Golden Gate Park. We left the 110 degrees of Phoenix and thoroughly enjoyed the 60 degree weather of the City by the Bay.

Then, for Hooligan 2's birthday, we went to Chicago to attend UFC 319 at the United Center as the boy is a huge MMA fan. I had never had a chance to see much of Chicago - mostly what I'd seen was from the window of a plane as I landed and took off again during a connection. 

What a fabulous city!!! We loved, loved, loved it. And my people made fun of me because I was completely obsessed with "the bean" aka Cloud Gate. 

Normally, my vacations are spent on the beach either in Puerto Penasco, Mexico or Nova Scotia, Canada or both. So, to attend events in two cities was a real change up for me and I really enjoyed it even though I don't consider myself much of a city person. 

So, now I'm trying to decide what my favorite U.S. city is -- I'm leaving out all of my trips to Europe because then it would just become impossible. 

Boston was my favorite as a teen -- Newbury Street! New York was the top as a college student -- Broadway and Museum Mile! NOLA became my go to when I traveled in my twenties -- Preservation Hall and Cafe Du Monde! (Have fun everyone who is going to Bouchercon, btw!). Then of course, I moved west and discovered San Diego, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland, and Denver. I've also had amazing trips to Nashville, Savannah, Orlando, and Miami. Shockingly, I have yet to make it to Seattle. So, as I think of all these places and my memories made, I'm trying to pick my favorite and, y'all, I think it might be Chicago. 

I just asked Hub what his favorite city is and he said it's either New York or Los Angeles because he feels like he's in the middle of everything in those two places. Interesting. I felt the same way in Chicago, but I'm not ready to fully commit yet. I still need to see Seattle and I've been very neglectful of the flyover states and need to check out Kansas City, Detroit, Milwaukee, Columbus, Boise, Cleveland, and Indianapolis to name a few. LOL. 

So, how about you, Reds and Readers, what is your favorite city in the United States and why?

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?

JENN McKINLAY: Names. They're so interesting, aren't they? Writers spend an awful lot of time thinking about them--character names and setting names. If you write under a pen name, you even get to make up your own name, which brings me to my question for the day. Would I have chosen the name Jennifer if I'd been given a choice? Probably, not (sorry, Mom!). 

Seriously, though the Jennifers owned the 70's and early 80's and you couldn't throw a rock without hitting one of us. There were so many Jennifers in my suburban high school that my squad changed my name to Nnifer just to be sure to get my attention and not that of the twenty-five other Jen, Jenn, Jennie, Jenni, Jenny, Jenifer, and Jennifers who would all answer to any of those variations of our ubiquitous shared monickers.

What would I have chosen? I really don't know. I loved the names Sabrina and Zoanne when I was a kid, which is likely why the heroine in WITCHES OF DUBIOUS ORIGIN is named Zoanne. But now, I'd like something more old fashioned like Eloise or Astrid -- yeah, I don't look like either of those but give me a few years to let the grays come in!

When I worked at the library with a friend named Susie (the Jennies of the 50's), she told me that if she could change her name it would be Tina and she would tattoo it on her chest like one of our younger colleagues had done. She was fascinated by that tattoo. Lots to unbox there, I know, but the point remains that she, too, would have changed her name. 

So, how about you, Reds and Readers? What name would you choose if you could have any name you wanted? And has it changed over the years? 

The Nightstand Phone or Not?

JENN McKINLAY: I was soundly scolded the other evening and I’m not sure how I feel about it. Why was I lectured? I’m so glad you asked.

Hub and I do not keep our cell phones in our bedrooms and we do not have a landline. Subsequently, if someone calls late at night, we have to stumble to the kitchen and check to see who it is and why would they be calling after 9 PM?! Seriously, the audacity! As I was complaining about this to a Hooligan, it suddenly turned into a lecture on how I’m old and should keep my phone nearby. (Picture Jenn glowering here). I was assured that this stance was for safety reasons, but it just felt rude to me. 

So, how about it, Reds? Do you keep your cell phone on your nightstand or do you keep it elsewhere to ensure a good night’s sleep?

HALLIE EPHRON: My kids say the same thing, but I’ve got more than a few years on you, Jenn. So I’m just glad they’re looking out for me.  

No land line here, either, and overnight I keep my cell on my night stand with the sound muted. You can designate “emergency callers” and (I think) if they call the phone’s supposed to ring. Or that’s how I think it works. Have not tested it. Yet. And I think it’s sweet and adorable that your son worries about being able to reach you if he’s worried about what you’ve gotten up to.

HANK PHILLIPI RYAN: Totally keep my phone on the nightstand. Cannot imagine not doing that. 

We still do have a landline, since if you call 911 from a cellphone, it does NOT know where you are, but the landline does. (That’s why dispatchers now say “911–Where’s your emergency” instead of “what’s your emergency.”)

Oh, in every way I think it’s important to have the phone nearby.

LUCY BURDETTE: Yes phone on the nightstand, set up as Hallie described. I use it for my bedtime stories–like THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, or lately, listening to a Jenny Colgan book that I’ve already read. That way I don’t have to pay attention too much or worry about what I’ll miss. 

PS we don’t have a landline either

PPS sometimes I do get in trouble by doomscrolling because it’s so convenient, but I lecture myself sternly about that…

RHYS BOWEN: my phone lies charging beside the bed every night and the first thing I do when I wake in the morning is pick it up! I confess to addiction. We still have a land line that John insists on keeping. And if I forget to take off my Apple Watch before bed it shakes me to remind me to get up and move at 3 am 

Lucy, I also listen to Calm bedtime stories when I can’t sleep. 

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Absolutely plugged in on the nightstand! I have to put ointment in my eyes at night so listen to audiobooks to go to sleep. I do not give in to the temptation to doomscroll. I silence the ringer. We do still have a “landline” number, but it’s actually VOIP (internet phone) so I don’t know if it identifies us to 911. I guess I should ask my techie/ex-dispatcher husband.

And, like Rhys, I confess to checking the phone first thing in the morning instead of doing something positive like meditating. In my defense, I usually check the weather and read the blog!

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I’m midway between the yes phone and no phone positions. I do keep my phone on my nightstand (I don’t listen to anything except ambient noise on my Alexa, but I do like to unwind with a few rounds of Ultimate Jewels.) However, I always turn it off, unless I’ve got reason to think one of my kids might need to get in touch with me - for instance, when Virginia is traveling back and forth from Europe. When it’s on, it’s on Do Not Disturb with the select callers feature; as you might imagine, the select callers are my three children.

I used to have it on more frequently, but to be perfectly blunt, all the older relatives I might need to know about in an emergency have already died! My sister and brother might want to tell me about an issue in their families, but they wouldn’t need me in the middle of the night - and honestly, neither do my adult offspring. And I REALLY value my sleep!

We dropped the landline back in, I don’t know, 2010? Out here in the heavily forested countryside, the phone lines would go out as frequently as the electricity. My cell is more reliable, especially since I have a constantly-charged battery pack.

JENN: Maybe it's because I'm a child of the eighties, where we were punted outside and told not to return until we heard my dad whistle but I frequently leave the house without my phone, too. Shocking, I know!!! I just don't feel like I need to be in touch with everyone all the time. Is it just me?

Your turn, Readers! Cell phone on the nightstand, yeah or nay?