Happy December

This is the sunset from the dog beach I take Ozzy to. Weird being here for the holiday season. Christmas ads on TV, decorations about the town, 80 degrees yesterday and sunsets like this one. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. But how gorgeous is this sunset?!

Lauren got a great check up with Dr. Doom and Gloom, er, Virkus last week. She has been given the go ahead to start walking. Of course it's a process and little by little she is applying more weight on her foot each day. Doc said it would probably take about 3 weeks to completely rid herself of the crutches and she has to continue to wear the boot for 6 weeks. In the days leading up to the crucial appointment with Virkus, we were all anxious. If we went into his office last Wednesday and he started his "Doom and Gloom" routine, I think I may have slapped him. We have followed all medical advice to the tee for 4 1/2 months now and none of us were in the mood for negativity. It went exactly the opposite. Virkus came and greeted us in the lobby with a big smile. That was a first. The smile, that is. Lauren already had Xrays at that point but right away he said he needed more. "Those weren't enough." He was so pleased with how the heel has healed. (That sounds funny.) I would say he was just shy of pounding his chest in victory! Another bonus was getting to see the nurse, Patty. Patty has been Lauren's bff through all of this. Not only always answering Lauren's calls but in the beginning when things were really rough, Patty would phone Lauren every single day. Patty has a daughter a year younger than Lauren who is a swimmer at Michigan State University. Lauren's injury really struck a chord with her. Quite frankly, it should with everyone. Please don't ever jump into a lake etc. Not from a boat, a cliff or a damned rope swing.

The Jeep is en route to California as I write. It should arrive sometime tomorrow provided the truck carrying it isn't toppled by these crazy Santa Ana winds. It will be so much easier here with two cars. We are not a one car family. That's just ridiculous. The goal is to get Lauren driving ASAP. There will have to be some driving lessons just so she can get used to using that foot again. Not sure how that will go or where I will take her to practice. All the roads here are very curvy and hilly and not intended for "practice." The dog beach has an enormous parking lot and there is never more than four cars, including mine, parked in it. Perhaps we'll go there.

Lauren's birthday and Thanksgiving were so much fun. We celebrated with Lauren, her roommate Jenny and her friend and fellow grad student Matthew at Duke's in Malibu. Not a good idea to pack at 11:30pm for 9am flight after that. We all got home to the HG with such worthless shit in our suitcases. What seemed like a great idea the night before made absolutely no sense when those suitcases were opened. For example, I had plenty of bras and underwear, my Ditka sweater for Hanie's debut last Sunday and one pair of jeans. For six days. I swear I had more clothes at home but anything I left behind in the HG, I left for a reason. I really don't like those clothes. Turns out Lauren's suitcase was much like mine. We have vowed no more drunk packing! It was her birthday. I feel like that should be a sufficient excuse.

Debbie, Denise and my mother made the most fabulous Thanksgiving feast. I didn't do a thing. I brought wine. I didn't cook anything and I didn't wash one single dish. Denise packed up a leftover bag that we enjoyed the entire weekend. Boy, do I owe my sisters. They have stepped up so much with my mom and the holidays since I've been away. Sisters ROCK. End of story.

And the nights with my girls Karla, Mikey and Sue. I need rehab.

Happy Birthday Lauren

Today Lauren is 23. Wow. I was 23 when I had her. Crazy. Crazy to think that 23 years have gone by so fast. And this last year has been a real doozy. Here's wishing my daughter a very happy day and a better year this year.

All that being said and out of the way, we did get some good news yesterday. After a series of circumstances that had us questioning the blood clot diagnosis, we contacted Lauren's doctor at USC who set us up for an appointment with an internist at USC yesterday afternoon. We picked up all her records, scans, etc. from the hospital she was in last week and headed down to USC. The doctor carefully went over all of her records and scans and did not believe there was a clot. He sent her down for another ultrasound and it was confirmed. NO CLOT. That means no coumadin. Yay! That coumadin is a very serious drug and we are all relieved to know that she does not need it. A good and competent doctor is invaluable. Lesson learned. The hard way.

Tomorrow we are going home to the HG for the holiday weekend. I am beyond excited to see my friends and family. The entire weekend has been carefully planned out including a birthday celebration for Lauren on Friday night. And my entire family is going to Debbie's for Turkey day. It isn't often that the whole Ubriaco clan is together. Even Bob and his clan will be in attendance, except for Allison. Getting to see all my beautiful nieces (minus Allison) is a definite bonus. Chicago here we come!

One Very Long Road

There was a bit of a setback this week. After a trip to the emergency room and another hospital stay, only 3 days, we learned that Lauren has developed a blood clot in her right calf. While this is very serious and a side effect we thought we were long past, we are glad to have discovered it when we did. With an impending flight home to Chicago for Thanksgiving, things could have gone quite differently. Risk factors for blood clots include recent surgeries, open fractures, recent air travel, immobility and birth control pills. All of which pertain to Lauren. Even her nurse in Chicago was shocked that this would occur so long after surgery. The result is a regiment of Lovanox (an injected anticoagulant drug) and coumadin (an oral anticoagulant) for at least 3 months. Coumadin is a very serious drug. The simplest kitchen accident can cause a coumadin patient to bleed to death. Honestly? How much more must she endure? And us as worried parents? I am certain that this is my penance for all the unscrupulous things I have done in my life. I only wish my daughter did not have to suffer for my indiscretions. Rick, Lauren and I all understand this could have been worse. She could have had a head injury or a spinal cord injury. And I always try to look at the glass as being half full, but enough already. When will the screams from across the lake stop haunting me? And when will my daughter walk again?

I May Have Scared Him

Today, as Lauren and I were leaving physical therapy, there in the courtyard of the plaza walking toward us, was Bruce Jenner! Lauren and I quickly looked at each other and said, "BRUCE?!" Sure enough. When we were moving to Calabasas I told Rick that him and Bruce should hook up. I seriously think they could hang. As you can see I wore my best outfit. After all, I was just zipping in to pick up Lauren then back home to pay bills, etc. If I had known I'd run into Bruce I may have opted to actually wash my hair rather than toss on my trusty Bears hat. And jacket. It is game day though. Right away we approached Bruce and asked for a photo. He was very nice and after Lauren took this one of me, I took one of Bruce and her. He even told Lauren that he would come over to her so she didn't have to crutch. I told him I was a fan long before the Kardashian show, way back from his Olympic days. He jokingly replied, "Oh, you're old enough to remember that?" Oh yeah. I certainly remember him on the Wheaties box, which probably meant all my brothers wanted to be him. I can be a little loud and aggressive, just a little, and I think at first he was a bit hesitant. Could I be some psycho stalker? And if you notice in the picture his fists are clenched. Well, not clenched, but definitely not open. Now I'm not a behavioral analyst but I think that speaks volumes. There you have it. My first celebrity sighting just a mile from our humble little apartment. No doubt there will be more but when? Where? And will I be wearing something cute? Odds are even on that one.

Unexpected Item in Bagging Area

Please remove item.

We have all used the self check outs at our grocery store. I actually prefer them because I think I can do it faster and more efficiently. I know, I think that about everything. But seriously. You're checking out, everything is going smoothly and quickly, when you get the dreaded warning, "Unexpected item in bagging area. Please remove item." When you remove the item the warning does not clear from the screen and after waiting five minutes, the attending cashier is looking at you like you're some kind of idiot while she casually makes her way over to your machine to clear the warning. My question is: Is it really that unexpected? You are buying groceries, you scan your milk and BAM, there's the warning. Is it so unexpected to put your milk in the bagging area? Where the fuck should I put it? I'd like to shove it right down Mr. Jewel/Osco/Albertsons/Sav-On's throat. And while I'm on the subject, the coupons that print out after your purchase are completely worthless. You may get a "Save $10 on your next purchase of $120 or more. Expires in 4 seconds. Or it could be "Save 50 cents on your next purchase of Jif peanut butter" in the save a third world nation size. For Pete's sake, save a tree and quit printing out all those worthless coupons. And hire a computer programmer who does not think that putting your milk in the bagging area is so off the chart!

That's my rant for the day.

Happy Birthday to the Big Guy

That's right. It's official. I am now married to the Medicare man. Freaky. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Rick's 60th birthday at the racetrack. Where did 5 years go? Today we will celebrate but everyday I celebrate my good fortune for having found him. He is the only thing that keeps me semi-grounded in this crazy world. So, to the love of my life, may this be your best birthday yet and may you have enough birthdays left to "piss on my grave!"

I'm in Love, I'm All Shook Up!

That's right. Henry was Elvis for Halloween. So damn cute. He could be my teddy bear any time. And I must give equal time to the equally adorable Audrey who was supposed to be Strawberry Shortcake but changed her mind at the last minute (like every woman) and was a butterfly instead. Spending time with Audrey and Henry has been the biggest perk of wintering in SoCal. Here's why.

I knew that Audrey and Henry's babysitter had taken them somewhere to see some chickens. For whatever reason I thought they were in someone's backyard.

Me: Audrey, does the babysitter have chickens in her yard?

Audrey: No.

Me: Where are the chickens?

Audrey: They're in the fridge, Non.

Another example. Audrey came out of her room wearing a princess costume a few weeks ago.

Rick: Audrey, you look just like a real princess!

Audrey: I am a real princess Appa. All I need is a castle, a wolf and a bush for the wolf to hide in.

The stories go on. One funnier than the last. Simply precious.

I had a terrific and much needed visit from Nancy and Colleen. Since I don't have any friends here (I am not a loser!) it was a welcome holiday from my duties as Lauren's slave. However, this visit was not without what seems to be our usual car trouble. No, not the new Traverse. We only have the Traverse here so with one car it can be challenging. The girls and I decided to rent a car for the duration of their stay to make things easier on everyone. Monday afternoon we are enjoying the views on PCH driving home from the beach in the rental. Lo and behold, the brakes went OUT. Fortunately we were near Neptune's net, and honestly, if you have to break down somewhere this is the place. Called Avis who gave us the roadside assistance number. Called roadside assistance and they said it would be 4 hours to get out to us with another vehicle. WHAT? Not acceptable in any way, shape or form. The supervisor that I spoke with advised me to drive the car back to the rental agency near LAX if I wanted to get another car sooner. I asked if the call was being recorded, and it was, so when me and my two friends die because there are no breaks in this car, this recording will be available for the lawsuit, RIGHT? Surprisingly, there was no response. Ultimately, we had it towed and did not get another car. Rick came to pick us up and we did just fine with one care for the last two days. Note to self: Do not ever, under any circumstances, rent from Avis. Morons.

Lauren is doing well. She enjoyed a much needed trip to spend a week with Nathan. And Rick and I enjoyed the time she was away. First break we have had since July 18. From empty nesters and loving it to 24/7 care. Tough deal. Her doctor back at Rush did not give her the okay to start putting weight on her foot. He said he does not want her to do anything until he sees her when we come home for Thanksgiving. We all sort of expected that. And after everything Lauren has been through theses last 3 1/2 months, we do not want to rush things and have a setback. She is so done with the crutches and I can't blame her. Hopefully in a few weeks. Fingers crossed.

Expecting rain in SoCal tomorrow. If it does rain, it will be the second time since we moved here on September 9. Far cry from October in Chicago.

3 Months, 2 Days and 6 Surgeries Later

This is the X-Ray of Lauren's foot after the last surgery to repair the fracture. One big plate and 10 screws. I only count 9 screws but they assure us there are 10. While it does not look so good in this X-Ray, it looked fabulous in yesterday's CT scan. The bone is growing nicely around the screws and the ankle joint is still in tact. Very major. The doctor at USC said she can begin putting weight on it but before she can do that she has to get approval from her doctor at Rush. So today I will mail a copy of the CT scan to him and then we wait for his call. That call cannot come fast enough for Lauren. Three months ago I thought we would never reach this point. It has been a long road for all of us, especially Lauren.

We have been overwhelmed with the love and support from family and friends. All those prayers, well wishes and crossed fingers have been good to us. We cannot thank everyone enough. But here's where I have to give a special shout out to my BFF Karla. She is simply amazing. Her generosity and willingness to help in any way has almost left me speechless. But we all know that could never happen!

Happy Birthday Ma

This is the first time in a long time that I have not spent my mother's birthday with her. Happy 79th Shirl. Miss you and love you and hope you have a great day with Deb and Sophia. This photo is last year's birthday at Navy Pier. Aren't we a good looking bunch?!

Appa Love

Before and After

This is an old dog, who still thinks he's young, at the beach.

This is an old dog, who is completely worn out, the next day.

A lot like us I suppose. We never think we're too old for anything until the next day.

My Drive

This is the Malibu Canyon Road. This is my drive everyday. It is so breathtakingly beautiful. It's 9 miles from Calabasas to Pepperdine and about 6 of it is just like this picture. When the road reaches the coast, Pepperdine is directly on the right. Not only is it a piece of heaven on earth, it's a blast to drive. Sort of like playing Mario Kart on Wii. Rick and I had to drive up Piuma Road to get this shot. There are some incredible views from Piuma Road but not many places to pull over and take pictures. Apparently Will Smith lives on Piuma Road. And so do a lot of other very wealthy people, judging from the houses.

I've had a few requests for pictures of the apartment. Not much to see. Take special note of the awesome kitchen. I can't believe this is what I'm cooking in. It's what I call a "one thing at a time" kitchen. And that overhead light? Really? It's as big as the kitchen itself. Sometimes when I'm in there for a long time I feel like I'm going to be sucked up by the alien spacecraft above me! Very claustrophobic.

Calabasas Apartment

Lauren had a good check up at the doctor this week. It appears the calcaneous (heel) bone is growing nicely around the plate and 10 screws holding it together. She will have a CAT scan in three weeks to get a closer look. Dr. Virkus (Rush Hospital) and Dr. Thordarson (USC Hospital) will then confer and maybe, just maybe, she will be able to start putting some weight on the foot. A big maybe but we are all hopeful. That would be about 3 weeks ahead of the original schedule so we are cautiously optimistic. Her physical therapy continues to progress nicely.

Finally got the big man to play hooky with me on Friday. We drove up Piuma Road, then down to PCH and north to the dog beach with Ozzy. We just chilled on the beach all afternoon watching the surfers and wind surfers. We got another great recommendation from Jeanne for dinner. Neptune's Net. I've linked it here on the blog. Great place for seafood and sunsets and beer. Totally local and totally casual. Definitely taking Nancy and Colleen there when they visit at the end of the month.

Today we're off to a festival for Audrey and Henry's school. Well, future school. Maybe Appa can win some obnoxious stuffed animals for the kids. He's pretty good at that stuff.

If Only

If only the NFL donated the monies spent for pink gear to breast cancer research. Now that would be something. We all know someone. Someone's mom, friend, sister, aunt, cousin, daughter, co-worker. I am pretty certain that if I were to ask my few friends that have survived breast cancer what their take on this is, they would agree with me wholeheartedly. That being said, there was much less pink garb this year than last year. Do you think they actually read my email? Seriously. I did not email them last year but I so wanted to. I'll stop now because this could get ugly.

The Bears had a great game today. Matt Forte was on fire and Devin Hester is simply unbelievable at punt returning. Not being able to go to the games this year has been so hard. While we miss our families and friends, we miss the Bears games. Tailgate, champagne, good food, my family and a W, now that's the perfect fall day. We watched the Bears from a sports bar nearby and proudly sang the fight song with each score. Loudly. It was awesome. The bar had a special: all you can drink mimosas for $15. Sign me up. I ordered mine without orange juice. I'm confident that I drank my $15 worth and then some. So there.

And a shout out to the Fighting Illini on their big win over Northwestern yesterday. Always a contentious game in our house since Justin went to Northwestern and Lauren went to U. of I. But it was a nail biter to the end. The Illini won it in the last minute after coming from way behind. Man I love football. Especially when my teams are winning. That's the key.

Lauren goes to see the doctor at USC tomorrow for the first time. He will take X-rays and send them back to her doctor at Rush. Her physical therapy is progressing nicely and she is able to move her foot/ankle a little more with each session. With any luck, tomorrow she will get the okay to go in the pool. Nice to be in California with this great weather, not so nice if you can't go in the pool.

We had to skip the farmer's market this weekend because I cannot possibly eat all the fruits and vegetables I am buying. I really need to get a grip and the first step in doing that is to stay away for one Saturday. Going just for the flowers might have been a good idea but I know that I could not go there and only buy flowers. I just stayed away and I'm proud of myself for not caving.

Saturday was instead spent with Audrey and Henry. Those kids are so special. I know everyone says that about their grandkids, but you've never met Aud and Henry. Audrey is still smitten with her Appa but I got her attention most of yesterday. Nothing compares to the deep belly laugh of a toddler. The kind where they can't even control themselves and sometimes end up with hiccups from. I witnessed a lot of that yesterday. And big Hank, he has lots to say but you can't understand a thing. He will come up to you and look you in the eye and go on and on about something that is apparently very important to him. Not understanding all but two words you respond with, "really?" then he looks at you so seriously and says, "BRGNT!" And he continues about his business. Awesome.

On this week's agenda:

Dr. David Thordarson

Malibu Seafood for whole lobsters

Dog beach with Ozzy, but only once. He is getting too old for twice in one week.

And maybe a massage

Life is good in Southern California.

Farmer's Market Bounty

Incredible. That is the only way to describe the Farmer's Markets here. The couple of times we've been to Italy I was always amazed at the open air markets and the produce they had to offer. Why can't we get produce like that in the states? Well, we can. You just have to go to California to get it. The produce in the midwest sucks. Plain and simple. In Chicago we wait all year for July and August for the chance, and I do mean chance, to perhaps get a good tomato or ear of corn. And then nothing is guaranteed. If you are lucky enough to get a good tomato, don't worry, you won't next time. It is so hit or miss in Chicago. But in Cali it is a totally different story. The local Farmer's Market in Calabasas is every Saturday. There are about 100 booths with about 85% of them selling produce. The other booths sell everything from fresh cut flowers to nuts and spices to fresh fish. Unbelievable. They have produce that I've never heard of. These markets are every non-meat eater's fantasy. I'm not sure how much Rick appreciates all the veggies I've been cooking lately. But I'm taking care to make sure he gets lots of meat. Lauren too. She needs the protein for her bones to heal. This past week I made the most delicious Eggplant Gratin courtesy of Ina Garten. I just love her and her cookbooks. Always looking for new recipes. This week is zucchini fritters, sausage and peppers, plum salad, some kind of squash (the big orange thing in the photo), tomato bread, chicken Caesar salad and we'll see what else.

I may have to move here just for the produce. Hmmm.

Another Beach Day

My new routine is drop Lauren off at school and head to the beach. Yesterday it was Leo Carillo State Beach, the only dog friendly beach in Malibu. Simply gorgeous. I wanted to take more pictures but something happened to my camera after I took this one of Ozzy. My camera is completely fried. I think I bought the replacement policy for it but of course that would be back home in Illinois. DOH! Today I will head to Best Buy to see what they can do for me. How do you think that will turn out? I'm not holding out much hope either. Anyway, the beach was gorgeous but then again, I haven't seen a beach that isn't gorgeous. There were exactly 4 people and three dogs including me and Ozzy. So nice not to have to work and be able to go to the beach on a Tuesday afternoon. Ozzy didn't last long. After about 20 minutes he just laid down in the sand next to his water bowl. He did not want anything to do with those big waves. He was a scaredy cat. Every time a wave would come crashing in he would flinch and back away. Very different from the only other beach he has ever been to, the beach at Lake Barkley. No big waves there.

Lauren has started physical therapy for her foot. The first day she was able to move her foot up and down and rotate the ankle in both directions. Not very big moves but certainly a good sign. She said it wasn't really painful, it just felt tight, probably because there is still some swelling. This weekend she heads to San Francisco with the debate team. That means me and the big guy get a whole weekend to ourselves. That has not happened since the dreaded accident in mid July. Totally going to make the most of that. Perhaps a little beach action on Friday, sunset dinner on Malibu beach Friday night, and maybe a drive up to Santa Barbara on Saturday. The drive north on PCH is so breathtaking. I can't wait to show Rick. Hopefully I will have a new camera by then so I can post some pictures.

Our California Adventure

We're one week in and things are finally coming together. Lauren is all settled into her townhouse with her two roomies and their dog Kingston. We are almost settled into out tiny, tiny, 900 square foot apartment. Talk about a lifestyle change. The biggest adjustment would have to be watching people walk within 5 feet of our window. Certainly not something we're used to. I looked at this temporary move as a trial period to see if Rick and I could actually downsize to a smaller place and not kill each other. This past week we've spent a great deal of time asking one another to move out of the way. While I think we could live in a smaller place, not this one. Too, too small. Maybe 1500-2000 square feet. And definitely a better kitchen. The kitchen here is a one person kitchen. If you're standing in the kitchen, the fridge is on the left, the stove and microwave just in front of you, and the sink and dishwasher on the right. That's it, no room for anyone else. That being said, the appliances are all new, new vertical blinds throughout (my personal favorite), new carpet in the bedrooms (the cheapest carpet ever!) and new fake hardwood floors. I will not complain since I am only 15 minutes from beautiful Malibu Beach. Yesterday I dropped Lauren off at Pepperdine for class and headed to the beach. This beach. Cranked up the ipod and walked the beach for 90 minutes. The best 90 minutes I've had in about 2 months. Maybe I'll lose a few pounds while I'm here. That's a big maybe! The restaurants are amazing, seafood up the wazoo. My fav. I'm a little worried about the pizza but I haven't craved any yet so it's been a non-issue. I may have to make my own when the time comes.

Pros and cons of our new temporary life:

pro-all new kitchen appliances

con-kitchen is exactly 3 feet square

pro-pool and playground outside our balcony

con-all the kids are driving Ozzy crazy

pro-all new furniture

con (pro for Lauren)-Lauren gets it all next year

pro-cheap to live here

con-expensive to move

pro-Calabasas is incredible

con-I haven't run into the Kardashians yet ):

pro-don't have to take the trash to the street

con-the dumpster is kind of far away

pro-new carpet in bedrooms

con-cheapest carpet ever

pro-we live about 30 min. from Audrey and Henry

con-we can't see them every day

pro-the most incredible fruits and veggies at the local Farmer's Market

con-someday I will have to return to Chicago and the shitty produce at Jewel

pro-I get to be with my honey all day, every day

con-my honey still has to work. BOO

All in all, we're adjusting. There are worse things in life than wintering in Southern California.

Bittersweet

Well, the Escalade is history. Meet the new Chevy Traverse. It won't have the same ring to it when I'm trying to beat someone off the light and say, "Get a Traverse!" But I do love my new car. Good thing since we tend to drive our cars until they drop. The Escalade didn't drop but was pretty damn close. That car served us well for 10 years. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my Escalade for the memories. I almost cried trading it in yesterday.

Thanks for:

At least 100 skating trips, at least 1000 skating practices, countless Girl's Weekends, bringing Ozzy home from the shelter, hauling everything from Christmas trees to mulch to college stuff, not a single flat tire, more than 100 Bears tailgate parties, NO speeding tickets, only one breakdown on the road, being one of the few vehicles that made it up the hill out of our subdivision in the winter, the toasty "butt warmers" when leaving the rink at all hours, so many trips to the lake, taking Bob and Shirl to NY (a trip my Dad would still be talking about if he were alive), and finally, the $6500 we got for a trade-in when it was only really worth $5000. It's been one helluva ride.

I Got a Bad Owie!

Yesterday Ozzy's friend Lucky came over and Ozzy got so excited he hurt himself! Nothing that $396 won't fix. Hopefully, anyway. The vet said he didn't break anything but may have torn some ligaments. He has to keep the splint on for a week and then they'll remove it and see if he's any better. He cried and whimpered all night long. Rick and I even slept in the family room with him since he is not too good on the stairs just yet. We are all going to Champaign for the weekend for Lauren's graduation. I hope Ozzy is up for college!

Goosies

Every year the geese have their babies and nest near my neighbors pond. There are always several goslings at the start but by the end of spring there are usually only one or two left, thanks to the bad coyotes, one of which we saw this morning heading through our yard toward where the geese nest. Right now there are seven. We'll see how many there are in a week or two. Bad bad coyotes!

Time for our "Bad Saturday Morning Movie!"

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms for all they do, and we all know that's a lot!

Nothing but Rain

Yep. Two plus weeks of it. We still managed to enjoy our time with family and friends. And I always adore some alone time with my man. Nothing like it.

Ron and Bon joined us for a week and Lauren and Nathan came down for Easter weekend. Rick and Ron caught plenty of fish. Enough for a Good Friday fish fry and then some. Ron caught a 20lb. spoonbill catfish that he cleaned and fileted. Not knowing what it would taste like we cooked a small portion and all decided it was not fit for human consumption. However, it was the biggest fish Ron has ever caught. Go Ron!

Nathan trailered his new motorcycle down here but only got a chance to ride once. I felt bad for him. All he wants to do is ride that bike. When he was buying it a few weeks ago I told him he needed to get a helmet for my daughter and he did. He is such a nice young man. The nicest boyfriend Lauren has ever had. I can't find a thing I don't like about him. Makes me suspicious, just my nature. But I'm going to try and lighten up. Lauren, Nathan and I stayed up late one night playing Sorry and the two of them were so busy jumping each other that I won. Twice. I love it. I never win at Sorry but they won't play Scrabble with me anymore. I'll have to wait until we go to New York this summer to play Scrabble. Gotta beat Caroline.

And then there was the egg coloring party. Rick made his usual "Floyd" egg and Nathan made a "John Deere" egg. Yes, he's a farm boy. Lauren made an "I heart U" egg for Nathan. I looked at Nathan and said, "I used to get the "I Heart U" egg!" So Lauren made another one for me that simply said "Mom." Oh well.

We had some of the most incredible storms over the past 2 weeks. Several trees in the hood are down including two of our neighbor's trees that fell on her boat dock. A total mess. It looked as if the neighbors would be able to salvage their boat dock but after more heavy rains and rising waters the dock just couldn't take anymore and went under. DOH!

Rick had a client come down for a weekend of fishing. Something they have been trying to do for years and finally managed to get it together. Well, needless to say there was no fishing. It was all we could do to get to the dock. But the inventor and the patent attorney put their heads together and came up with the Redneck Raft. I have to say it worked pretty well except that you really need to step onto the raft in the middle. Learned that the hard way.

Last but not least, our house was struck by lightning. We were lucky, though. No fire and no serious damage. But it did fry our TV, surround sound, my beloved ipod, the Wii and my Jacuzzi tub. Currently waiting for Lakeysha, the insurance adjustor, to get back to me. I have expect to get screwed by the insurance since insurance is the biggest "legal" scam going. As soon as you make a claim, boom, up go your rates. We'll have to see what happens with that. I sincerely hope I am wrong.

Cadiz April 2011

A couple of weeks ago was my last Mom's weekend at U. of I. Colleen flew in from New Mexico to tag along with me, Karla and Michaelene. Then, just for fun, Rick came down on Saturday. That meant that Rick, me, Karla, Mikey and Colleen all shared a hotel room Saturday night. Rick has been known to crash Girl's Weekend in the past and the girls never seem to mind. He fits in quite well. So we get back to the hotel on Saturday night about 2am, Rick is parking the car and we are heading to the room when someone says, "Do we have to sleep in our bras?" Turns out it wasn't an issue since we were all tucked in by the time Rick got to the room. Lights out, ready to crash and who starts the giggling? That's right, Rick. We all were like, "REALLY Rick?" Guess he never had too many sleepovers.

Lauren has a good friend, Billy, from high school that pitches for U. of I. baseball. Billy and Rick have always had the baseball bond and have talked incessantly about the game over the years. It was fortunate for us that Billy was pitching that Saturday of Mom's Weekend so we finally got to see him play. Rick sat right beside the girl with the radar gun and asked her after each pitch how fast Billy was throwing. Billy was so thrilled that we came to see him play that he got Rick a game ball signed by the entire U. of I. team. It now sits in a case on our fireplace mantle in the basement. A nice addition to our sports memorabilia collection.

Oh, and Ozzy loves college!

Mom's Weekend U. of I. 2011

Next up is graduation weekend. Where did those 4 years go?

A belated happy birthday shout out to Justin. Love you and miss you man.

And Henry is walking! Look out world!

OMG!

That was my response when Lauren called today to tell me that she was the proud recipient of a full scholarship to Pepperdine University! Actually, it may have been, "Are you fucking kidding me?!" It was one of those. We are so proud, as are her brothers. She has worked so hard for everything. I have always said that good things come to those who do good. I think she just might believe me now. She told me she posted something to that effect on her facebook page. The time has come. I must do the facebook thing. UGH!

Oh......and Happy 50th Birthday to my big brother Michael! So good to see you today. May you have 150 more!

Its Official

Skating is over and Lauren is heading to California this summer. Two big whammies.

IllinoiSkating actually got the chance to spend a day at Disneyland before competing. This photo is of the four seniors, at Disneyland, who skated all four years. There were others but they didn't last. Illinois placed 8th out of 9 teams. They had their best skates of the year and you can't ask for more than that. So sad to see it end. I can hardly look at the pictures without tearing up a bit. It's been a crazy 12 years. But so much fun. To my daughter: While I will miss all the good times we shared during your skating career, I am totally psyched for the next stage of your life. Pepperdine look out!

Yep. Its a done deal. Lauren will be attending Pepperdine University . We went for a tour and she was sold. We were sold. It wasn't hard to sell any of us. The campus is gorgeous and the graduate program that Lauren will be in only takes 6-12 students per year with about half of them continuing studies to pursue doctorate degrees, something Lauren is interested in. Most of her classes will be 6-12 students with the exception of her few "gen ed" classes that will have about 20-22. There are only 3500 total students at Pepperdine, smaller than Lauren's high school by 500. Wow. What an opportunity. Good for her. She has worked very hard, not only in college, but high school as well. I have always said that good things happen when you work hard. I think she gets it. First thing on her list is taking surfing lessons with her brother!

As for our time with the grandkids.......Too short. Audrey and Henry are growing up so fast. Henry is the happiest baby you have ever seen. The only time that kid fusses is when he is tired or hungry. That makes things so simple. Feed him or give him a nap. All the pictures can be viewed here. Disneyland, story time, park trips, meals and just plain fun. And we get to see them again in August when we take Lauren to school. Yippee!

Finally

Yesterday Lauren received an acceptance letter from Pepperdine University. Thank the good Lord. For the past month I have been inundated with phone calls and text messages from Lauren wanting to know if the mail has come and if she got anything from any of the schools she applied to. Like if something from one of the schools came in the mail I wouldn't call her! Pepperdine and USC are her top two choices, both of which we are touring on Monday while in LA. But just look at this place, who wouldn't want to go there? She has yet to hear from USC but just knowing she got into Pepperdine will make vacation more fun. We leave tomorrow morning for 11 glorious days in southern California. The first 4 days will be skating nationals, Lauren's last, then it's a week of fun with J & J and Audrey and Henry. I simply cannot wait to kiss those babies all over! So while we will have lots of fun over the next week it is also bittersweet. This will be the last time we see Lauren skate competitively. 12 years and it all comes down to this weekend. I hope I can hold it together. After Saturday there will be no more skate painting, bun sewing, I-L-L I-N-I yelling, late night lobby parties with the other parents and no more drama. At least skating drama. But Lauren loves drama so I'm sure she will find another source ASAP!

Go IllinoiSkating!

Happy to LIve in the HG

At least today. Two reasons. The first being the mayoral election coming February 22 in Chicago. Rahm Emmanuel. Really? He is the front runner as of now. He will most likely win only because of his association with Obama. It doesn't seem to matter that he has not even lived in the city for the last two years. In my opinion, that is why he should not win. Then there is Carol Moseley Braun. Where should I start? At a recent mayoral candidate forum she called another candidate a crack addict! If you don't believe me, Google it. This is who we want to run the great city of Chicago? And when she was a senator years ago, she was caught using campaign funds to fund a vacation to Hawaii with her then boyfriend. When asked to reveal her past years tax returns she told the public it was none of their business! That statement was quickly retracted and the spin doctors when to work. She is currently in second place behind Emmanuel in the polls. Why? She is a black women. Good for her but not a reason to vote for her.

Reason number two: Everyone knows by now of the great snowstorm of 2011. For a week prior to the storm, the media warned of the dangers impending. "Stay home!" "Take public transportation!" Yada, yada, yada. Most people did just that. Not the 300+ motorists that wound up stranded on Lake Shore Drive. Each and every one of them needed to be rescued by the city costing taxpayers lots of dough. They aught to be responsible for at least some of that cost. One motorist even admitted to being on his way to Starbucks! Idiots, all of them. And now they are screaming at the city for not rescuing them sooner. These folks need to take responsibility for their own moronic actions and stop blaming the city. The majority of Chicagoans are more than pleased with the handling of the blizzard. But the media will continue to focus on these idiots because they deem it "news."

So, while the politics in the HG leave much to be desired, I am thankful to live here. At least today.

IllinoiSkating Senior Team Takes Silver at Mids

This year IllinoiSkating has two teams: Collegiate and Senior. Lauren skates on both. There are several levels for colleges. The most popular being Collegiate and Open Collegiate. Those are the levels at which Illinois has skated in the past. This year they advanced their program and eliminated the Open Collegiate team and added the Senior team. I guess you could call it a rebuilding year. Unfortunate for Lauren since she is used to skating for winning teams. Senior level is the highest level of synchronized skating. And there are only nine Senior teams in the country, four of which are in the Midwest division. So while they took silver this weekend, there were only two teams competing in their division. The other two Midwest teams received a bye because they placed in the top four at Nationals last year. Illinois was either going to get silver or gold and they got silver. The big test will be at Nationals in March where all nine teams will compete. We're just hoping not to come in last place at Nationals.

There is nothing we love more than traveling, especially to see Lauren skate. But we love to come home to our pillows and our coffee. Ahhh, the simple pleasures of life.

And I really hate the Packers. All those cheeseheads will be wearing their championship t-shirts at Soldier Field next season. UGH!

Still Snowing

I am just loving this storm. It's hard to tell how deep the snow is from the pictures without someone standing in the snow, but trust me, it's deep. I just walked Ozzy and a few times he became lost in the snow drifts. He actually did his business standing up! The snow plows have yet to come through. No biggie though. Truthfully, no one is going anywhere anytime soon. Even Rick's office closed today. In his almost 40 years practicing law he has never had a snow day. Sophia was super excited to have a snow day until she found out that she would have to go to school an extra day at the end of the year to make up for it. She was not happy about that. And it is so cold and windy that the kids can't even play in the snow. Just too dangerous. I was only 2 years old when Chicago was hit with the snowstorm of 1967. However, I remember my brother Joe opening the door and the snow was taller than me. Today I walked through some drifts that were up to my behind. While I am only 5'3" that's still a lot of snow! I took a few pictures, nothing too exciting.

Snowstorm of 2011

IllinoiSkating is supposed to head to Rochester, MN for Midwestern Sectionals today. So are all the other midwest teams. Safe travels to all the skaters. And go ILLINI!

If It Must Be Cold...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Today we are expecting some serious snowfall. They are predicting up to 30 inches! I am not a fan of winters in Chicago. I know I have lived here all my life but I still don't like it. Yesterday I had to stop in the store for a few things, literally. Coffee, cream and onions. The grocery store was MOBBED at 11:30am. Six lines were stacked five and six carts deep and all carts were full. These are the people that my brother Mike does not want to be stuck with in a storm. He has always said that if there was a blizzard or the like that causes us to be stranded in our homes, he would like to be stranded at my house. Why? Because my pantry and freezers are stocked full. Who are these people that don't have anything in their house to eat for a few days? I have enough groceries here for us to live on for months. Even enough for Mike. And Kenny. The snow hasn't even started yet and people are freaking out. Schools are already closed today. Public transportation is gearing up for record numbers of travelers. And people are cramming the grocery stores. They're probably cramming the hardware stores too, for shovels, snow blowers and salt. I wouldn't know since I try to stay away from the hardware store! I don't need to worry about that. Last year we hired a neighbor kid to take care of all our snow removal. He has one of those 4 wheeler ATVs that he attaches a plow to and plows our driveway in about 5 minutes. It's a beautiful thing. I'll go out at 6am to get the paper and our snow is done. Can't beat that with a stick. So bring it on Mother Nature. I'm ready.

And to my Adirondack cousins: stop laughing at us. We know you get this kind of snow all the time. That's the deal you made when you chose to live in ski country. Honestly, I'm chuckling a bit myself.

It Wasn't Meant to Be

Yea, yea, we lost. Tough loss to our arch rivals. I refuse to jump on the bash Jay Cutler band wagon. But if you want to bash Lovie, I'm in. This guy has been notorious during his time with the Bears for calling time outs at all the wrong times. And then to lose a yard after the time out, great play calling Lovie! The officiating effed us a little too. But I am not blaming them either. The better team won. Period. Difficult to admit, but true. We really thought they might do it in the 4th quarter with Hanie. Why Collins was ever put in is beyond me. This guy has never done anything good. Not in training camp, preseason or regular season. Hanie should have gotten the shot first. Then maybe, just maybe, we may have had a chance. All water under the bridge now. And after being a life long Cubs fan I will not say, "Maybe next year."

Tailgate was a blast though. And sharing the experience with Lauren was awesome. When Lauren goes to the games with us her and I always take a walk through the parking lot to check out other tailgates. And boy was there a lot to see Sunday. A bloody mary bong, the burning of a foam cheese head, the drum corps and some other things we didn't get a chance to see. For example: rumor in the parking lot was someone had a life sized stuffed bear sitting in a lawn chair with a life size Packer dummy on his knees in front of the bear performing a certain sex act! And if that wasn't enough, apparently there was another life size Bear player standing behind the stuffed bear holding a dollar and waiting his turn. Beautiful. I just wish we could have found that. We had lots of visitors at our tailgate. That's the advantage of parking in the same spot each game. Everyone knows where we are. I saw my friend Tony who was on the news last week. And my seat mates, Paul and Tooch, stopped by with some of their friends. We also met a guy who flew from Albuquerque (how about that, Col) and a couple of guys from Toronto that didn't even have tickets but were hoping to scalp some for not too much money. Not sure how that worked out for them. And there were plenty of cheese heads. Not much you can do about that. All in all, it was a great season and we look forward to Pittsburgh kicking the crap out of Green Bay in the Superbowl.

As Ready as I'll Ever Be

Tonight we are going out with the Roseland gang. Thank God. It will be welcome distraction from waiting for the big game tomorrow. All the tailgate food is made. Cocktail shrimp and buffalo chicken dip for snacks (along with the usual mixed nuts and anchovies for Ron and Rick, yuk!), sausage and pepper sandwiches and cheesy potatoes for dinner. The car is loaded up with the grill and tables and lap blankets, a must for the cold weather. But something tells me we won't be sitting much tomorrow to use the lap blankets. I even have all my clothes ready for the morning. Two pairs of long underwear, jeans, two pairs of thick socks, two thermal underwear shirts, my vintage Ditka sweater and my big grey wool sweater. My big down Eddie Bauer coat, two pairs of gloves, two scarves, my Bears hat, Ugg boots and plenty of hand warmers. Oh, and liquor. Plenty of liquor and few flasks to sneak into the game. We are leaving the house at 9:15am. I would pass on the Superbowl if we could just beat the Pack tomorrow. God willing.

B E A R D O W N !

Now This Is Customer Service

I needed to order a baby gift for the guy who sits next to me at the Bears game who just had his first baby. He too is a season ticket holder and a great guy. His son Jake was born on January 7th. Since then, I have seen "Tooch" at the Seahawks game on January 9th and I will see him again Sunday. And I still have not sent a gift for his baby. I have to sit next to him for the rest of my life and need to maintain a good relationship. So, in somewhat of a small panic, early this morning I went online and found exactly what I was looking for. The perfect Bears sleeper and 2 Bears pacifiers. I paid extra for 2 day shipping not realizing it was 2 business days and the gift would not arrive prior to Sunday's game. Having seen my gift note and being able to put 2+2 together, this was the email I received from the Customer Service department at Baby Fans:

Michelle,

I wanted to send a quick email to let you know we upgraded your package to overnight delivery. We saw your gift note and 2-day air would not have made the package arrive until Monday (it is 2 business days)

Although our company lost money on this order due to the high FedEx overnight fees, we did not want your little Bears fan to go without an outfit for the big game on Sunday.

Thanks and Go Bears!

Take care,
Todd Wilson
Baby Fans Inc.

Tell your friends about us or write a review.... www.facebook.com/babyfans

So I am telling my friends and family and anyone who reads the blog to shop at Baby Fans for all their favorite team baby clothing needs. They have NFL, MLB, College, NASCAR, everything. Not to mention the best customer service I have experienced in a long, long time! And someday I really will get a facebook page!

B E A R D O W N !

I'm Taking it as a Sign

When I am home during the day I NEVER have the TV on. I basically hate TV, except for sports and news. Imagine my surprise when I turned on the afternoon news yesterday for my mom only to see my friend Tony from our Bears tailgates on the news. I immediately hit record on the Tivo. They were interviewing him regarding ticket prices for the game on Sunday. He, like us, would never sell his tickets. It doesn't matter that we could easily get a grand per ticket, enough to pay for our tickets for the entire season. It doesn't matter that the temps will be in the teens and we are expecting snow. It doesn't matter that parking will cost $101, not $100, $101. It just doesn't matter. The only thing that would keep us from going to that game is some sort of natural disaster. Let's hope the Gods are on our side!

B E A R D O W N !

Super Fan Eddie in all his Glory

The fans were crazy Sunday! I can't even imagine what the game will be like this Sunday. I am so excited I feel like a kid at Christmas. I know I will have a hard time sleeping all week. Nutso, I know. But I have been to so many losing games and seasons that this is too sweet for words. Tickets in our section (130) are going for $900-$4500 apiece! Whether they sell for that or not is another story. I wouldn't sell our tickets for a million dollars.

The big news of the week is Lauren is going to be able to go to the game. Her skating team has practice every Sunday afternoon. The coach gave the team the option of skating on Friday morning @ 5am or their usual Sunday afternoon practice. Not many wanted to skate Friday because during "syllabus week" Thursday night is a big night at the bars. The team voted and three times came up tied. Then one of the skaters got up and gave a speech that if something is that important to a teammate it should be important to the entire team. Another vote and Lauren won, unanimously! I really do love those girls! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and Rick and I are thrilled to share it with Lauren. So it will be me, Rick, Lauren and Ron, not my brother Bob. Although Bobby is probably still holding out hope that the phone will ring and it will be his favorite sister inviting him to the game. NOT! Love you bro.

B E A R D O W N !

What Stinks?

This was taken back in September when we beat the Packers at Soldier Field. I just had to dig it up and share it now. BEAR DOWN!

Millennium Park Flash Mob

Wow! Check this out. Turns out there was a flash mob in Millennium Park and Lauren was part of it. There are a few hundred people total but only about 25 actually dancing on the ice. Lauren is front row, all the way right on the ice in the video. So much fun and really interesting to see the reactions of bystanders.

Another bonus was getting to see some old skating friends from way back in the day. I'm talking Darien Dynamites and Chicago Jazz days dating back to 1998. And all the girls are grown up. Really makes me feel old. One is teaching 3rd grade in the city and another will graduate rom Loyola this spring with a business degree. Lauren is the only one still skating competitively. Lots of good times with these parents. I even shared officer duties with one of the moms several years ago. We shared many laughs over the trials and tribulations of the business of a team.

Later we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner with Lauren and Sam. Indeed we had everything I previously mentioned: oysters - yum, sushi - yum yum, lobster - triple yum, and a lovely pinot noir. Capped off by some of the best Key Lime Pie you'll ever have. It was our last night with Lauren as she heads back to U. of I. today, a week earlier than non-skaters, for skating boot camp. The name says it all. She will be skating insane hours this week along with intense off ice conditioning. The big competitions are right around the corner and IllinoiSkating will be ready. I-L-L - I-N-I!

Tree in the Closet

I bought a new pre-lit tree this Christmas season in an effort to make my decorating a little easier. But the reality is, pre-lit or not, an artificial tree is a huge pain in the ass. For an artificial tree to look half way decent it must have a lot of tips. And each and every one of those tips need straightening/shaping. So the pre-lit thing doesn't save a whole lot of time since once the tree is up and shaped, putting on the lights doesn't take that long at all. Here's where the plan was devised. I decorated my entire tree with plastic ornaments. That's right, plastic. Therefore when Christmas was over I could just shove the decorated tree into the closet in my family room. But first the closet would need a serious cleaning out and a few shelves removed. Then with a little help from GOAA (God of all Assistants, she made me call her that!) Karla and Robert Mondavi and Ernest and Julio Gallo, I jammed that tree right through the closet door and into position in the corner. Only one problem; once the tree was in position I was stuck on the floor of the closet in the corner behind the tree! Escaping was neither easy or pretty. So this year, as soon as the roasting pan is cleaned from the Thanksgiving turkey, out comes the tree. Voila! Christmas in minutes. Or maybe I will want to have a little Christmas in July. Just slide that puppy out and pour the eggnog. Might be hard finding eggnog in July though.

Heading to Millennium Park today with Lauren and Sammi to go skating. Skating with Lauren is absolutely no fun because she makes us all look like incompetent fools. I'm really just going to have dinner at Shaw's! Yummy. Oysters, wine, sushi, a little lobster. What more could you ask for?