Milk does a body good, but it didn't do good for one batboy.
On a dare, a Florida Marlins batboy tried to drink a gallon of milk in under an hour without throwing up. But not only did the batboy not succeed in the challenge, his mere attempt cost him his job for six games, the Miami Herald reported Wednesday.
The Marlins suspended the unidentified batboy for the team's upcoming six-game homestand against the Cardinals and Mets from Aug. 28 through Sept. 4 for accepting the dare Sunday from Dodgers pitcher (and former Marlin) Brad Penny.
Read the whole story here.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
What readers do want from their newspapers
Column originally published Aug. 24, 2005
CLINTON - For anyone who has had the unfortunate experience of looking at my right forearm in the last few days, I did not get in a knife fight with an angry reader.
No, my fine collection of scratches and flesh wounds is due to an argument I had with the yew bushes in front of my home. I told them they could support my weight, and they disagreed.
On, then, to the more serious business of recounting the letters and e-mails I received in response to my Aug. 3 column titled "What do readers want from their newspaper?"
As I said then, I realize I opened myself up to harsh criticism - and we certainly took it on the chin from a few readers. We also got some well-presented ideas that we will take to heart. However, as I said four weeks ago, "even if you write me with a well-reasoned suggestion about how we should use our resources best, I'm neither the publisher nor the editor, so I can't promise anything."
Continue reading "What readers do want from their newspapers."
CLINTON - For anyone who has had the unfortunate experience of looking at my right forearm in the last few days, I did not get in a knife fight with an angry reader.
No, my fine collection of scratches and flesh wounds is due to an argument I had with the yew bushes in front of my home. I told them they could support my weight, and they disagreed.
On, then, to the more serious business of recounting the letters and e-mails I received in response to my Aug. 3 column titled "What do readers want from their newspaper?"
As I said then, I realize I opened myself up to harsh criticism - and we certainly took it on the chin from a few readers. We also got some well-presented ideas that we will take to heart. However, as I said four weeks ago, "even if you write me with a well-reasoned suggestion about how we should use our resources best, I'm neither the publisher nor the editor, so I can't promise anything."
Continue reading "What readers do want from their newspapers."
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Space Worms
Here's the deal: You use your cursor to move a little dot around the screen, trying to avoid the other dots that want to destroy you. It's much more fun than it sounds, and annoyingly addictive. Don't believe me? Click here.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Sometimes it's tough to have an open dialogue
Column originally published August 17, 2005
CLINTON - It's always great to be back after a week of vacation, especially after being 80 strokes over par on Tuesday's golf outing (45 holes) and sitting through a near three-hour rain delay Saturday at Wrigley Field before watching the Cubs fall to the Cardinals 5-2.
A sincere thank you to all those who have written in response to my Aug. 3 column regarding what general things readers want to see in the newspaper. As expected, there were criticisms (some constructive, some incriminating), but there also were compliments and general observations. Tune in next week for a full review of my findings.
For now, though, I'd like to take a few inches to tackle one of the biggest problems we face in the newspaper business: People who don't read the newspaper. While people who never pick up a copy are certainly an issue, it's the people who read just a few headlines and sentences here and there before spouting off that truly are dangerous.
Continue reading "Sometimes it's tough to have an open dialogue."
CLINTON - It's always great to be back after a week of vacation, especially after being 80 strokes over par on Tuesday's golf outing (45 holes) and sitting through a near three-hour rain delay Saturday at Wrigley Field before watching the Cubs fall to the Cardinals 5-2.
A sincere thank you to all those who have written in response to my Aug. 3 column regarding what general things readers want to see in the newspaper. As expected, there were criticisms (some constructive, some incriminating), but there also were compliments and general observations. Tune in next week for a full review of my findings.
For now, though, I'd like to take a few inches to tackle one of the biggest problems we face in the newspaper business: People who don't read the newspaper. While people who never pick up a copy are certainly an issue, it's the people who read just a few headlines and sentences here and there before spouting off that truly are dangerous.
Continue reading "Sometimes it's tough to have an open dialogue."
Evan's link(s) of the week
Here is an interesting take in the new "Star Wars" movie as seen in a foreign country with English subtitles. Much funnier in reality than my description.
And here is a site dedicated to Evan's pick for president in 2008. As long as he doesn't say "Marsupials scare me... 'cause they're fast," we'll be OK.
And here is a site dedicated to Evan's pick for president in 2008. As long as he doesn't say "Marsupials scare me... 'cause they're fast," we'll be OK.
Sucks to be this chick
(From today's Chicago Tribune)
Until recently, LaChania Govan's complaints about Comcast's service seemed relatively tame. The 25-year-old Elgin mother of two said she was put on hold, disconnected, even transferred to the Spanish language line.
But after persistent problems with her digital recording system forced her to make dozens of calls to the cable company in July, her August bill came with a change really worth complaining about: In place of her name were the words "Bitch Dog."
"I could not believe it," said Govan, who works in customer service for a credit card company.
She said she immediately called Comcast to cancel her service and was sent to an operator.
"She asked me for my name. I said, `You really don't want me to go there,'" Govan said.
Read the full account, which inlcudes the word "scrotum bag," here.
Until recently, LaChania Govan's complaints about Comcast's service seemed relatively tame. The 25-year-old Elgin mother of two said she was put on hold, disconnected, even transferred to the Spanish language line.
But after persistent problems with her digital recording system forced her to make dozens of calls to the cable company in July, her August bill came with a change really worth complaining about: In place of her name were the words "Bitch Dog."
"I could not believe it," said Govan, who works in customer service for a credit card company.
She said she immediately called Comcast to cancel her service and was sent to an operator.
"She asked me for my name. I said, `You really don't want me to go there,'" Govan said.
Read the full account, which inlcudes the word "scrotum bag," here.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Cubs quote of the day
Today's gem comes from Trib writer Phil Rogers, who apparently got a break from wrting his rarely useful column to actually report on last night's Cubs 12-4 drubbing at the hands of the Astros:
Read it all here.
If the Cubs were looking to find some company for their misery, they came to the wrong place.Ouch.
With giddy fans cheering their every move, the Houston Astros wasted no time in showing why they are the favorite to win the National League's crowded wild-card race, which includes the Cubs the way the Chicago area includes Rockford.
Read it all here.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Random ramblings
No column to post yesterday since I've been on vacation all week and didn't have one written.
Vacationis consisting mostly of sitting around the house, though there are a new exceptions.
We spent last weekend, and will spend this weekend, in Libertyville with my parents. Last Saturday was spent laying bricks for my dad's new parking pad concept (which is what needs to happen when you have five cars, a two-car garage and a one-car driveway). The downside now is that he's run out of bricks and is having a tough time finding them at the insanely low price we got the first 1,000.
Next Saturday will be spent, weather permitting, at Wrigley Field watching the best team in baseball meat the living hell out of my beloved, yet frighteningly awful Cubs. This is definitely one of those times where I'm going for the experience more than the game, thoghI was pretty sure in February that a mid-August weekend seriesd with the Cardinals would be the highlight of the season. This nice eight-game losing streak we're on pretty much rendered the rest of August and September useless from a competitive standpoint. When does college football start?
On Monday I broke my all-time record for steps in a single day (all-time being intensely relative, as I have only been counting since October 2003) with 16,545. I topped 16,000 once earlier this year, and accomplished Monday's feat with a four-plus mile walk before Kristie and Jack woke up, a morning of cleaning out part of the basement, grilling fish (lots of in-and-out steps) and a riverfront walk in the evening.
I followed that up with 15,000 steps on Tuesday, thanks almost entirely to the 45 holes of golf I played with my former roommate, Boss, who was kind enough to use a vacation day of his own. We played a course with 27 holes, so we only had to play 18 of the 45 holes twice. For the record, I shot a 55-47-44-47-48, a whopping 80 strokes over par. I did, however, chip in for a birdie on hole 26, which may have been the greatest shot of my life.
The 10,000 steps I got Wednesday (owing to another early morning walk) almost felt like slacking. Today I'm sitting at less than 3,000, which I blame on the fact that it's actually been raining today. (Note to those not living in the Midwest this summer: This is a major milestone.)
Last night Kristie's mom watched Jack so we could have a little "date," we went out to eat and rented "The Upside of Anger." I enjoyed the move much more than Kristie, I think, but that may be due to the fact that I actually had food for dinner and Kristie had a cup of soup because the restaurant we went to didn't have any turkey yesterday, rendering about 40 percent of its lunch/dinner menu unorderable. Phooey.
Anyhow, I guess that's what I have for now. Jack has been starting his naps around 2 p.m. this week, but today's kicked in at 11:30 a.m. and he's still out (at 3:16 p.m.). No way to figure that kid. But, he's been in a great mood most of the week and a lot of fun to be with, which is always nice. I'm sure before too long our summers will fill up with either weddings (again) or trips to see friends' babies. But for now, everything has been wide open.
If you want a profanity-laced tirade about the Cubs, be sure to e-mail me directly after another seven-run, six-walk inning and I'll be happy to oblige.
Vacationis consisting mostly of sitting around the house, though there are a new exceptions.
We spent last weekend, and will spend this weekend, in Libertyville with my parents. Last Saturday was spent laying bricks for my dad's new parking pad concept (which is what needs to happen when you have five cars, a two-car garage and a one-car driveway). The downside now is that he's run out of bricks and is having a tough time finding them at the insanely low price we got the first 1,000.
Next Saturday will be spent, weather permitting, at Wrigley Field watching the best team in baseball meat the living hell out of my beloved, yet frighteningly awful Cubs. This is definitely one of those times where I'm going for the experience more than the game, thoghI was pretty sure in February that a mid-August weekend seriesd with the Cardinals would be the highlight of the season. This nice eight-game losing streak we're on pretty much rendered the rest of August and September useless from a competitive standpoint. When does college football start?
On Monday I broke my all-time record for steps in a single day (all-time being intensely relative, as I have only been counting since October 2003) with 16,545. I topped 16,000 once earlier this year, and accomplished Monday's feat with a four-plus mile walk before Kristie and Jack woke up, a morning of cleaning out part of the basement, grilling fish (lots of in-and-out steps) and a riverfront walk in the evening.
I followed that up with 15,000 steps on Tuesday, thanks almost entirely to the 45 holes of golf I played with my former roommate, Boss, who was kind enough to use a vacation day of his own. We played a course with 27 holes, so we only had to play 18 of the 45 holes twice. For the record, I shot a 55-47-44-47-48, a whopping 80 strokes over par. I did, however, chip in for a birdie on hole 26, which may have been the greatest shot of my life.
The 10,000 steps I got Wednesday (owing to another early morning walk) almost felt like slacking. Today I'm sitting at less than 3,000, which I blame on the fact that it's actually been raining today. (Note to those not living in the Midwest this summer: This is a major milestone.)
Last night Kristie's mom watched Jack so we could have a little "date," we went out to eat and rented "The Upside of Anger." I enjoyed the move much more than Kristie, I think, but that may be due to the fact that I actually had food for dinner and Kristie had a cup of soup because the restaurant we went to didn't have any turkey yesterday, rendering about 40 percent of its lunch/dinner menu unorderable. Phooey.
Anyhow, I guess that's what I have for now. Jack has been starting his naps around 2 p.m. this week, but today's kicked in at 11:30 a.m. and he's still out (at 3:16 p.m.). No way to figure that kid. But, he's been in a great mood most of the week and a lot of fun to be with, which is always nice. I'm sure before too long our summers will fill up with either weddings (again) or trips to see friends' babies. But for now, everything has been wide open.
If you want a profanity-laced tirade about the Cubs, be sure to e-mail me directly after another seven-run, six-walk inning and I'll be happy to oblige.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
What do readers want from their newspaper?
Column originally published Aug. 3, 2005
Welcome to today's column, folks. Let's try something a little new here: We're going to be interactive.
Some of you are very good at this already. You read the column, you form a response, you grab the nearest pen or keyboard and then give me a piece of your mind. Believe me, I live for those letters, even when people are taking a few moments from their day to call me a thundering doo-doo-head.
But this isn't about me, it's about we, as in 'We the Clinton Herald, in order to form a more perfect newspaper' and so on and so forth. I'm not doing this under corporate orders or anything, but I do have one basic question I hope people can answer:
What do you want in your newspaper?
Continue reading "What do readers want from their newspaper?"
Welcome to today's column, folks. Let's try something a little new here: We're going to be interactive.
Some of you are very good at this already. You read the column, you form a response, you grab the nearest pen or keyboard and then give me a piece of your mind. Believe me, I live for those letters, even when people are taking a few moments from their day to call me a thundering doo-doo-head.
But this isn't about me, it's about we, as in 'We the Clinton Herald, in order to form a more perfect newspaper' and so on and so forth. I'm not doing this under corporate orders or anything, but I do have one basic question I hope people can answer:
What do you want in your newspaper?
Continue reading "What do readers want from their newspaper?"
Monday, August 01, 2005
Wise Words
I don't have ESPN Classic or a decent enough connection to listen to Sandberg's induction speech, but I have read a few stories about it. Little did I know that I could just read the whole thing myself. Here's one of the two parts most people are talking about:
Read the whole durn thing here, courtesy of ESPN.com.
"The reason I am here, they tell me, is that I played the game a certain way, that I played the game the way it was supposed to be played. I don't know about that, but I do know this: I had too much respect for the game to play it any other way, and if there was there was a single reason I am here today, it is because of one word, respect. I love to play baseball. I'm a baseball player. I've always been a baseball player. I'm still a baseball player. That's who I am."And here's the other:
A lot of people say this honor validates my career, but I didn't work hard for validation. I didn't play the game right because I saw a reward at the end of the tunnel. I played it right because that's what you're supposed to do, play it right and with respect. If this validates anything, it's that learning how to bunt and hit and run and turning two is more important than knowing where to find the little red light at the dug out camera.And yes, Sammy Sosa, he's talking to you.
Read the whole durn thing here, courtesy of ESPN.com.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Sandberg's day
Well, I don't have anything myself yet to say about Sandberg's HOF election, but tons of other people do. A sampling:■ Here the Sun-Times tracks Sandberg's career from the beginning.
■ Phil Rogers, the Trib national baseball columnist who also writes for ESPN.com, tries to put Ryno's offensive numbers in perspective.
■ Sun-Times writer Chris DeLuca reminds us the Joe Morgan seems to have great disdain for Sandberg. This is not the only reason I hate Joe Morgan, but it's one of them.
■ This Sun-Times article takes a cursory look at family problems that led Ryne to retire suddenly in 1994 (one of the worst days of my life as a sports fan).
■ The Tribune list five things that helped get Sandberg elected. No. 6 should have been "Be really damn good at baseball."
■ Readers at The Cub Reporter share their own Sandberg memories.
■ MLB.com tells us Sandberg is enjoying his summer of acclaim. Really? You think?
■ I enjoyed looking at the Jan. 27, 1982 Jerome Holtzman Trib story about the trade that brought the unknown infielder to Chicago from Philadelphia.
■ Shawon Dunston shares his thoughts on the man he turned double plays with. By the way, did you know the Shawon-O-Meter is in Cooperstown? I learned that in Vine Line.
■ And, for good measure, Fred Mitchell, who wrote Sandberg-s kid-friendly biography in the mid 1980s, which I checked out of the library at least 12 times, gives us some neat stories from Ryno's youth.
Wise Words
Got this from an e-mail from my college friend Mikey. I'm sure you've read something like it before, but intersting information is alwaysworth passing on and, well, I can't think of anything else to write right now, even though my all-time favorite baseball player is going into the Hall of Fame tomorrow. Anyhow, here's the lowdown:
If we could shrink the Earth's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following:So there you have it. See, I told you it was interesting.
57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 from the Western hemisphere
8 Africans
52 would be female
48 would be male
90 would be non white
10 would be white
70 would be non Christian
30 would be Christian
89 would be straight
11 would be LGB
6 people would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth, and all 6 would be from the United States
80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death; 1 would be near birth
1 (yes only 1) would have a college education
1 would own a computer
When one considers our world from such a compressed perspective, the need for acceptance, understanding and education becomes glaringly apparent.
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Looking forward to the rest of the baseball season
Column originally published July 27, 2005
At this point in the baseball season, I thought it would be a good time to take stock of what's happened and look forward to the next two months.
Baseball is a fickle sport. The beauty is that it gives you something different every day, but the frustration is overwhelming when you follow a team like the Cubs that can't seem to do anything with any semblance of consistency.
Competitive balance, long a goal of the National Football League, seems to be all the rage in baseball now. As I write this Tuesday evening, 10 of 14 American League teams are within four games of a playoff spot.
See what I'm doing there? If you're missing it, read the rest of "Looking forward to the rest of the baseball season."
At this point in the baseball season, I thought it would be a good time to take stock of what's happened and look forward to the next two months.
Baseball is a fickle sport. The beauty is that it gives you something different every day, but the frustration is overwhelming when you follow a team like the Cubs that can't seem to do anything with any semblance of consistency.
Competitive balance, long a goal of the National Football League, seems to be all the rage in baseball now. As I write this Tuesday evening, 10 of 14 American League teams are within four games of a playoff spot.
See what I'm doing there? If you're missing it, read the rest of "Looking forward to the rest of the baseball season."
Thursday, July 21, 2005
We Didn't Start the Fire
"Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray/
South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio."
I'm assuming most of you are familiar with the Billy Joel epic "We Didn't Start the Fire," which my freshman world hisotry teacher (Mr. Something... freshman cross-country coach, I think, wore glasses, gray hair... anyone? Lara Safran was in my class, if that helps) played for us at the beginning of the year (He also sang "I'm Henry VIII" while a battery-powered monkey toy played cymbals). He asked us to write down as much stuff as we could hear, then we talked about the historical significance of each item.
If only I'd have known about this insanely handy Web site, I'd have ruled the day. Of couse, when I was a freshman in high school back in the fall of 1993, most regular folks didn't so much have the Internet, but that's another story.
South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio."
I'm assuming most of you are familiar with the Billy Joel epic "We Didn't Start the Fire," which my freshman world hisotry teacher (Mr. Something... freshman cross-country coach, I think, wore glasses, gray hair... anyone? Lara Safran was in my class, if that helps) played for us at the beginning of the year (He also sang "I'm Henry VIII" while a battery-powered monkey toy played cymbals). He asked us to write down as much stuff as we could hear, then we talked about the historical significance of each item.
If only I'd have known about this insanely handy Web site, I'd have ruled the day. Of couse, when I was a freshman in high school back in the fall of 1993, most regular folks didn't so much have the Internet, but that's another story.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Americans live in a magical, modern world
Column originally published July 20, 2005.
CLINTON - "You don't know what you have 'til your everything is gone."
When members of the teen angst band Blessid Union of Souls (yes, that's spelled right) sang those words in their mid-90s quasi-ballad "I Wanna Be There," they probably weren't thinking of my air conditioner. They also were conspicuously absent Monday as I sat in my 83 degree living room.
I consider myself a man of perspective. I'm a Cubs fan, for Pete's sake. If I didn't have perspective I'd have thrown myself off the Gateway bridge by now. But saying you realize what a convenience air conditioning is and then going unwillingly without it in the middle of a mild heat wave are two totally different things.
Don't get me wrong - it wasn't all bad. I still had a working refrigerator containing well-preserved deli meats and cheeses, cold water, the culinary wonder that is Baked Lays, a functioning dial-up Internet connection, cable TV and my PlayStation 2.
Continue reading "Americans live in a magical, modern world."
CLINTON - "You don't know what you have 'til your everything is gone."
When members of the teen angst band Blessid Union of Souls (yes, that's spelled right) sang those words in their mid-90s quasi-ballad "I Wanna Be There," they probably weren't thinking of my air conditioner. They also were conspicuously absent Monday as I sat in my 83 degree living room.
I consider myself a man of perspective. I'm a Cubs fan, for Pete's sake. If I didn't have perspective I'd have thrown myself off the Gateway bridge by now. But saying you realize what a convenience air conditioning is and then going unwillingly without it in the middle of a mild heat wave are two totally different things.
Don't get me wrong - it wasn't all bad. I still had a working refrigerator containing well-preserved deli meats and cheeses, cold water, the culinary wonder that is Baked Lays, a functioning dial-up Internet connection, cable TV and my PlayStation 2.
Continue reading "Americans live in a magical, modern world."
Random ramblings
Jack has taken to opening the drawer on Kristie’s nightstand and taking stuff out of it, then walking to wherever she is and handing it to her.
On one of his recent excursions, he uprooted the receipt from Kristie’s engagement ring. I took a look at it last night and noticed something — the ring was purchased April 24, 2001... exactly three years to the day before Jack was born.
Crazy.
On one of his recent excursions, he uprooted the receipt from Kristie’s engagement ring. I took a look at it last night and noticed something — the ring was purchased April 24, 2001... exactly three years to the day before Jack was born.
Crazy.
Monday, July 18, 2005
Cubs stat of the day
Check out the combined stats from the four starters (Prior, Wood, Maddux, Zambrano) in last weekend's 3-1 series win over the visiting Pirates:
30 IP
14 H
6 R
3 ER
8 BB
25 K
0.90 ERA
.73 WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched).
If that continues, I look for at least three more wins in Cincinnati before heading to Busch Stadium this weekend.
30 IP
14 H
6 R
3 ER
8 BB
25 K
0.90 ERA
.73 WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched).
If that continues, I look for at least three more wins in Cincinnati before heading to Busch Stadium this weekend.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Random ramblings
Apologies for my lack of regular writing. I know that's getting to be a regular theme on this so-called blog, but life has been extra topsy-turvy these days.
Kristie decided not to go back to school next year and is now working part-time in a real estate/insurance office. We're adjusting into our new schedules pretty nicely. Jack is getting routine naps (from about noon to 2:30 p.m. daily) and we're usually able to do dinner as a family five or six nights a week. Jack. of course, loves this because he would much rather eat people food than baby food, with the exception of the Gerber Second Foods "Banana with Mixed Berries" flavor, which can best be described as a purpley goo that he absolutely loves. Go figure.
We made our first trip to Libertyville since Christmas on June 24-26, then returned July 8-10. We have a wedding next Saturday and, after that, perhaps a weekend with nothing scheduled. But I'm sure something will come up. My grandfather, from Florida, was visiting his two kids in the Chicago area during the time we were there, and we got an extra bonus since he opted not to fly last Saturday morning due to Hurricane Dennis.
We've also been making semi-regular trips up to the farm of my dad's parents in Elizabeth, Ill., which they are preparing to leave in favor of the nursing home. Between that lengthy process and my mom's dad's cancer, it's been a pretty heavy month, although a lot of this stuff goes back months and years, so there's no major shock element. A lot to deal with, however, especially through the eyes of my parents who, like me and Kristie, are the oldest children in their families. (Based on what my mom has told me about child psychology, if Jack marries someone who's the baby of a family, I'll be stunned).
That said, I realize I haven't given a real good update of Jack lately and, since I know most of you don't care to hear me wax poetic about getting a text box to align with the baseline grid, I thought I'd give you a rundown of where he's at almost 15 months into his life.
He weighs in at about 21 pounds. I'm not sure how tall he is, but he looks pretty average. He has had one minor haircut, just clearing up a few locks from in front of his eyes. The back is still bushy, blond curls. He's got the Todd Hollandsworth look going on, if that means anything to you.
As I said, he's a big fan of people food. Kristie likes to eat Cocoa Krispies (no milk... what a weirdo!) in the morning on the couch in the living room. Jack, being a creature of routine, typically stands on the couch next to her, or on top of her, waiting for handouts. If he doesn't get what he wants, he usually goes in after it.
He doesn't really talk yet, with the exception of saying something that sounds like "Hi" into his play telephone and making a sound approximating the word "hot" when we open the oven. He does, however, understand just about everything.
The first thing he really learned well was the concept of "bye-bye," wherein if you ask him if he wants to go bye-bye, he stops whatever he's doing, stands up and walks to the back door while waving his right hand. If you tell him he needs his blanket, he'll go pick one up. The same thing works with his plug (pacifier). If he needs to get his shoes on, he will walk away from you for a bit, find a completely random spot on the floor and plop his butt down until you get the shoes on.
He won't go down the basement stairs by himself because he knows he can't make it. After we open the door to the basement stairwell, he usually calls out for the cats just to make sure they know he's down there. As soon as we get outside, he has to toddle over to the neighbor's fence to see if the Airdale and Cairn Terrier that live next door are out playing. If so, he'll stand there for as long as we let him. He hates getting in the car (or his stroller) but usually the violent opposition dies down within less than 10 seconds.
When Kristie tells Jack he needs new britches (diapers), presuming she uses the proper tone of voice, Jack marches himself into his room and stands at the foot of the changing table. He also understands the concept of taking a bath, and eating lunch and dinner. When he's getting a bottle (yes, he should be past that, but he's chosen to stick with what he knows), he always walks over to the same seat on the couch and waits for it.
At my parents' house a month ago, we fed him a couple of times on the porch. When we went last week, he remembered that, without being told, and as soon as he saw the bottle preparation drug his little can out there. He also remembered where the dog food is at home and made a beeline for that. Same with the fireplace tools.
He loves to have books read to him. Kristie noted a few days ago that the whole him doing everything we do and understanding our words kind of coincided with his rampant interest in books. He's always bringing us books and, for a few of them ("The Going To Bed Book, "Pat the Bunny") has learned motions that either go with the book or were contrived by his parents to make things interesting.
For example, in "The Going To Bed Book," there a line that goes "With some on top and some beneath/they brush and brush and brush their teeth." I had to do a simple teethbrushing motion about twice before he started doing it on his own. On the last page of that book, the words are "The moon is high, the see is deep./They rock and rock and rock to sleep." Jack starts his rocking motion about two pages into it because he's really excited about the participatory part.
He's doing a better job of handling no, but only in certain instances. For example, if he takes a butter knife out of the silverware drawer, we can say no and take it back because he realizes he isn't supposed to have it. If he's playing at the park (such as last evening) and we decide it's time to go home, he's pretty ticked. In his brain, he seems to be drawing the line between "I understand that's bad" and "Why don't they let me keep doing what I want." It's helpful.
That said, we no longer have toilet paper on the roll because he's decided a few times in recent weeks while Kristie was in the shower that the two-ply belonged in the living room instead of conveniently located next to the toilet.
He enjoys emptying laundry baskets and then reloading them. This isn't such a big deal before the clothes are folded (which, in our house, is pretty standard), but it's pretty frustrating after they've been dealt with.
He also enjoys playing in the fridge, which I may never understand. He is getting better about learning when he needs to get out of there, going so far as helping to close the door.
I could go on (and, frankly, I'm amazed if anyone outside of my family is still reading this far), but you really just have to experience Jack. He's doing what all kids his age do -- growing and changing every day. It's pretty awesome to be around him and I'm able to tell how the bonding process is going. He and Kristie have gotten much closer since her last day of school and, with her new job being from 2 to 5 p.m., he's really only going about two hours each day without seeing her, and he typically spends those hours with me.
In all, our household is much happier now that we're actually seeing each other on a regular basis. It's amazing how that works.
Thanks for reading. As always, I'll try to do better about keeping people informed. This site is supposed to be an avenue for me to write about things I can't always fit in the newspaper and lately it seems that the only things up here are things I've put in the newspaper. If I could type at home without Jack pounding on the keyboard,d perhaps I could remedy that situation.
Kristie decided not to go back to school next year and is now working part-time in a real estate/insurance office. We're adjusting into our new schedules pretty nicely. Jack is getting routine naps (from about noon to 2:30 p.m. daily) and we're usually able to do dinner as a family five or six nights a week. Jack. of course, loves this because he would much rather eat people food than baby food, with the exception of the Gerber Second Foods "Banana with Mixed Berries" flavor, which can best be described as a purpley goo that he absolutely loves. Go figure.
We made our first trip to Libertyville since Christmas on June 24-26, then returned July 8-10. We have a wedding next Saturday and, after that, perhaps a weekend with nothing scheduled. But I'm sure something will come up. My grandfather, from Florida, was visiting his two kids in the Chicago area during the time we were there, and we got an extra bonus since he opted not to fly last Saturday morning due to Hurricane Dennis.
We've also been making semi-regular trips up to the farm of my dad's parents in Elizabeth, Ill., which they are preparing to leave in favor of the nursing home. Between that lengthy process and my mom's dad's cancer, it's been a pretty heavy month, although a lot of this stuff goes back months and years, so there's no major shock element. A lot to deal with, however, especially through the eyes of my parents who, like me and Kristie, are the oldest children in their families. (Based on what my mom has told me about child psychology, if Jack marries someone who's the baby of a family, I'll be stunned).
That said, I realize I haven't given a real good update of Jack lately and, since I know most of you don't care to hear me wax poetic about getting a text box to align with the baseline grid, I thought I'd give you a rundown of where he's at almost 15 months into his life.
He weighs in at about 21 pounds. I'm not sure how tall he is, but he looks pretty average. He has had one minor haircut, just clearing up a few locks from in front of his eyes. The back is still bushy, blond curls. He's got the Todd Hollandsworth look going on, if that means anything to you.
As I said, he's a big fan of people food. Kristie likes to eat Cocoa Krispies (no milk... what a weirdo!) in the morning on the couch in the living room. Jack, being a creature of routine, typically stands on the couch next to her, or on top of her, waiting for handouts. If he doesn't get what he wants, he usually goes in after it.
He doesn't really talk yet, with the exception of saying something that sounds like "Hi" into his play telephone and making a sound approximating the word "hot" when we open the oven. He does, however, understand just about everything.
The first thing he really learned well was the concept of "bye-bye," wherein if you ask him if he wants to go bye-bye, he stops whatever he's doing, stands up and walks to the back door while waving his right hand. If you tell him he needs his blanket, he'll go pick one up. The same thing works with his plug (pacifier). If he needs to get his shoes on, he will walk away from you for a bit, find a completely random spot on the floor and plop his butt down until you get the shoes on.
He won't go down the basement stairs by himself because he knows he can't make it. After we open the door to the basement stairwell, he usually calls out for the cats just to make sure they know he's down there. As soon as we get outside, he has to toddle over to the neighbor's fence to see if the Airdale and Cairn Terrier that live next door are out playing. If so, he'll stand there for as long as we let him. He hates getting in the car (or his stroller) but usually the violent opposition dies down within less than 10 seconds.
When Kristie tells Jack he needs new britches (diapers), presuming she uses the proper tone of voice, Jack marches himself into his room and stands at the foot of the changing table. He also understands the concept of taking a bath, and eating lunch and dinner. When he's getting a bottle (yes, he should be past that, but he's chosen to stick with what he knows), he always walks over to the same seat on the couch and waits for it.
At my parents' house a month ago, we fed him a couple of times on the porch. When we went last week, he remembered that, without being told, and as soon as he saw the bottle preparation drug his little can out there. He also remembered where the dog food is at home and made a beeline for that. Same with the fireplace tools.
He loves to have books read to him. Kristie noted a few days ago that the whole him doing everything we do and understanding our words kind of coincided with his rampant interest in books. He's always bringing us books and, for a few of them ("The Going To Bed Book, "Pat the Bunny") has learned motions that either go with the book or were contrived by his parents to make things interesting.
For example, in "The Going To Bed Book," there a line that goes "With some on top and some beneath/they brush and brush and brush their teeth." I had to do a simple teethbrushing motion about twice before he started doing it on his own. On the last page of that book, the words are "The moon is high, the see is deep./They rock and rock and rock to sleep." Jack starts his rocking motion about two pages into it because he's really excited about the participatory part.
He's doing a better job of handling no, but only in certain instances. For example, if he takes a butter knife out of the silverware drawer, we can say no and take it back because he realizes he isn't supposed to have it. If he's playing at the park (such as last evening) and we decide it's time to go home, he's pretty ticked. In his brain, he seems to be drawing the line between "I understand that's bad" and "Why don't they let me keep doing what I want." It's helpful.
That said, we no longer have toilet paper on the roll because he's decided a few times in recent weeks while Kristie was in the shower that the two-ply belonged in the living room instead of conveniently located next to the toilet.
He enjoys emptying laundry baskets and then reloading them. This isn't such a big deal before the clothes are folded (which, in our house, is pretty standard), but it's pretty frustrating after they've been dealt with.
He also enjoys playing in the fridge, which I may never understand. He is getting better about learning when he needs to get out of there, going so far as helping to close the door.
I could go on (and, frankly, I'm amazed if anyone outside of my family is still reading this far), but you really just have to experience Jack. He's doing what all kids his age do -- growing and changing every day. It's pretty awesome to be around him and I'm able to tell how the bonding process is going. He and Kristie have gotten much closer since her last day of school and, with her new job being from 2 to 5 p.m., he's really only going about two hours each day without seeing her, and he typically spends those hours with me.
In all, our household is much happier now that we're actually seeing each other on a regular basis. It's amazing how that works.
Thanks for reading. As always, I'll try to do better about keeping people informed. This site is supposed to be an avenue for me to write about things I can't always fit in the newspaper and lately it seems that the only things up here are things I've put in the newspaper. If I could type at home without Jack pounding on the keyboard,d perhaps I could remedy that situation.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Cubs quote of the day
Not so much a quote as a columnist's take on the season, but here's what Trib scribe Rick Morrisey has to say:
So this is it. A new beginning after going nowhere fast. From zero to zero in 88 games. But now there's time. And, dare we say it, hope.Read more here.
Thursday, July 14, 2005
The wonderful world of television
Column originally published July 13, 2005
CLINTON - Imagine, if you will, a world where all of your technological dreams are reality.
Imagine a world in which you can order cable TV channels individually instead of being forced into a package. A world in which the Internet runs smoothly without pop-up ads and e-mails from strange African women asking you to help secure millions of dollars. A world in which your cell phone doubles as a satellite radio so that you are never, ever without access to what's happening in the Cubs game.
I have imagined this world, and for a hard-core couch potato, it is beautiful.
With all of the advances happening in today's entertainment world, some of the things I'd long thought impossible don't seem so far-fetched.
When I was in high school, I decided I wanted to have a copy of every episode of "Cheers" preserved on videotape. When WGN began the syndication cycle with the pilot episode, I began plugging in VCR tapes and trying to keep a log of everything. Given that I was so focused on my education at the time (nudge, nudge, wink, wink), it was a pretty daunting task.
Now, less then a decade later, I can walk into a store and pick up a DVD set that has entire seasons of that show - and countless others - in one package. And while that's very handy, especially when gift-giving seasons roll around (I've gotten a new "Simpsons" season on DVD each Christmas for the last four years), it doesn't completely satisfy my needs.
Continue reading "The wonderful world of television."
CLINTON - Imagine, if you will, a world where all of your technological dreams are reality.
Imagine a world in which you can order cable TV channels individually instead of being forced into a package. A world in which the Internet runs smoothly without pop-up ads and e-mails from strange African women asking you to help secure millions of dollars. A world in which your cell phone doubles as a satellite radio so that you are never, ever without access to what's happening in the Cubs game.
I have imagined this world, and for a hard-core couch potato, it is beautiful.
With all of the advances happening in today's entertainment world, some of the things I'd long thought impossible don't seem so far-fetched.
When I was in high school, I decided I wanted to have a copy of every episode of "Cheers" preserved on videotape. When WGN began the syndication cycle with the pilot episode, I began plugging in VCR tapes and trying to keep a log of everything. Given that I was so focused on my education at the time (nudge, nudge, wink, wink), it was a pretty daunting task.
Now, less then a decade later, I can walk into a store and pick up a DVD set that has entire seasons of that show - and countless others - in one package. And while that's very handy, especially when gift-giving seasons roll around (I've gotten a new "Simpsons" season on DVD each Christmas for the last four years), it doesn't completely satisfy my needs.
Continue reading "The wonderful world of television."
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