This collection of entries is from August 2004.
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Sibling rivalryEven though they're in separate cages, both Indy and Chip are very aware of each other. Tonight, while Indy was out and Chip was in his cage, Indy walked (hopped) over to Chip's cage. Chip had been eating kale, something Indy didn't seem to like. Well, there was a stalk of kale laying up against the bars of the cage and Indy just stuck her nose inside the cage and pulled the stalk of kale out and started eating it. We're not sure what it means - whether it was just a little show of power, to show Chip who's the boss, or maybe after 7 years she's developed a taste for kale. In any case, it took us by surprise and we laughed our asses off at them.
In the meantime, my sister Diane and Melinda took off this afternoon for Europe. They're flying to Barcelona and hanging out there for a while, and then driving to Nice and finally Milan before coming back a week from now. Diane always goes away for her birthday, never staying home. And I'm jealous because she's the world traveler, going to great places... while Carol and I have had to cut way back because of my prolonged unemployment... we don't leave the midwest... perhaps we'll get back to this again someday...
posted at 08:45 PM | Link | Bunnies § |
Monday, August 30, 2004
How'd he do that?I didn't watch the ballgame this afternoon. The Sox were playing Philadelphia in a makeup game. I'm just having trouble getting behind the team right now, as everything and everybody has been sliding downhill. One of these guys is Joe Borchard. We've been hearing about this guy for years and years that he's the future for the outfield - in 2001 he was named by Baseball America as the No. 1 Prospect in the White Sox organization, No. 2 Outfielder in the minor leagues. He played 16 games in 2002 and 16 in 2003, and 34 this year. His batting average was .222 in 2002, .184 in 2003 and is .163 for this year (.139 over the last 10 games). In 30 games in the outfield this year, he's made 2 errors and has a fielding percentage of .957 (worse than Jose Valentin, another one of our defensive geniuses). It's easy to see why I'm questioning why the hell we have somebody like this in the lineup.
In the 2nd in today's game, with a man on base and one out, he does something that has been pissing me off just like so many others on this team - he swings on the first pitch.
This time, though, he hits a HUGE 504 foot homerun to right-center that easily cleared the bleachers and landed halfway up the concourse. It's the longest ever at U.S. Cellular Field. Ever. (Before that was 495' from Frank Thomas July 23, 2003 against Minnesota off of Johan Santana. Barry Bonds had one at 475' on June 10, 2003 off of Jon Garland)
Oh, what did he do the other 3 at-bats? Struck out each time.
posted at 05:01 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Sunday, August 29, 2004
*whew* It's over...
The latest version of the Olympics are officially over, the games are closed, the flame is out.
NBC's coverage of the closing ceremonies was mas muy sucko. Between too many commercial breaks and Champion flashbacks, there was no way in hell to understand what was being presented on the field. I'm sure there was a story to tell but hell if I could figure it out.
Anyway, 4 years to Beijing. I'm sure they'll be ready.
Oh, and BTW, what the hell was that idiot doing on the Marathon route?
posted at 09:29 PM | Link | Mundane § |
Saturday, August 28, 2004
20 Years
It was 20 years ago today that Carol and I signed the closing papers on our house.
20 Years.
It's the longest either of us have lived in one place in our whole lives. It's kind of a weird feeling when I think about it. 20 years in one place. The thing is, we love our house and have never considered moving. It was a brand new house in a new development. Not exactly new anymore! There's only one thing we would have done differently - payed the extra $10,000 (at that time) for a basement! There's just no place in this small house to store stuff. A basement would have been great!
Oh, well. It's HOME.
posted at 07:42 AM | Link | Mundane § |
Friday, August 27, 2004
Bunny update
So far, Indy & Chip have not been back together. Each of the bunnies take their own turns alone being outside their cages. They go nose to nose and check each other out, with Indy trying to like or rub Chip and Chip sometimes allows it or sometimes freaks and lunges.
It's hit or miss.
Other than that, Indy's attitude and character is back to normal. She's not traumatized at all. She runs around the house and acts normal, which we're happy about.
Chip is wonderful. He's been a very good bunny. He's not chewing on a single thing and he just doesn't get into trouble. He seems to be very affectionate to both of us, constantly licking us and coming up to us for attention. I just wish that we could do something about his nails. The quick is all the way up to the tip of the nail so we can't cut them, and they're razor sharp and hurt like hell. We can tell that he's already grown quite a bit, and he still has a ways to go until we can get him neutered and try to reintroduce him to Indy.
Other than the fact they are living separate lives, both of the bunnies are happy and so are we.
posted at 08:47 AM | Link | Bunnies § |
Thursday, August 26, 2004
White Sox Scout Seats?
I just got an email from my White Sox ticket rep.
They're building a new seating area behind the plate with all kinds of new amenities.
If you want the front row, the cost of the seat is $200. Otherwise, it's $170.
After a season like this one where I felt the team just folded and collapsed, I guess all I can say is "Good luck to you selling those seats!"
What do you get for that price?
Premium reserved parking outside of Gate 3 Premium buffet in the 5,000+ square foot private restaurant/lounge with all beverages included Private access to seat location Wait service at the seats for food and beverages Comfortable, wide seats Self-service island featuring popcorn, ice cream, peanuts, soda, water, etc. One of the best seats in the house, some of which are closer to home plate than the pitcher!
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, August 26, 2004
NEW ALL-INCLUSIVE 'SCOUT' SEATING AREA
AMONG CHANGES TO U.S. CELLULAR FIELD FOR 2005
CHICAGO - A brand new "Scout" seating area for fans - located directly behind home plate and featuring behind-the-scenes views, pre and postgame access to a premium club offering Levy-catered dining, in-seat wait staff during the game and special parking next to the ballpark - is planned for U.S. Cellular Field in 2005.
This new 314-seat area will be built behind home plate, replacing the current field access tunnel and some existing seating. Fans with tickets to this area will have access to a 5,000-square-foot private restaurant and lounge located inside the ballpark at Gate 3 and will enjoy behind-the-scenes views of the ballpark's inner workings. These seats will feature personal wait service from Levy staff, as well as reserved parking just outside Gate 3. Please see the attached renderings.
"These will literally be the best seats in the house," said Brooks Boyer, White Sox vice president of marketing. "We are offering fans a unique ballpark experience that will come as close as possible to actually being a member of the team. Fans will park right near the ballpark, spend pre and post game in a premium club with a first-class Levy dining experience, walk to their seats past the visiting clubhouse and then sit right behind home plate with personal wait service throughout the game. All of this will be available for one price - parking, the cost of the ticket, food and beverage - which we think makes this a very well-priced option when compared against other professional sports facilities in Chicago and across the country."
Scout Seat tickets are being offered in season packages, first to existing White Sox season ticket customers. Prices are $200 for seats in the first row of the special section and $170 for all other seats.
"You see the popularity of these exclusive seating options throughout sports and in all of the new ballparks and venues," Boyer said. "And we think the amenities provided with this experience will be unmatched for fans in this area."
Phase V renovations, which are scheduled to be completed by Opening Day 2005, also include a new, multilevel baseball and softball skills area called "FUNdamentals." The ballpark's Phase V renovations, designed by sports architectural firm HKS of Dallas, Texas, were made possible by the 2003 naming rights agreement with U.S. Cellular.
FUNdamentals, a 15,000-square-foot baseball and softball skills instruction area, will be relocated on the left field concourse and will feature a youth-sized baseball diamond for coaching clinics, batting and pitching cages and areas for baserunning and skills instruction, in addition to a kid-friendly concession and novelty stand.
-30-
© 2004 Chicago White Sox
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posted at 05:02 PM | Link | White Sox | 1 comment § |
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
The Tomatina in Bunol
I've seen videotape of this event and and didn't know it was that time of year again.
Imagine a village in Spain that has - every year - a tomato throwing fight on the streets of the town. They go through 132 tons of tomatoes, just loaded into dump trucks. People climb inside, the trucks drive through the streets and the people on the ground and the people in the trucks just wail on each other with tomatoes.
posted at 06:32 PM | Link | Odd § |
That's gotta hurt...Was flipping through the channels and saw something I've never seen.
It was cycling at the Velodrome at the Olympics. I don't know what event it was (I found out it was the second heat in the Men's Keirin, whatever the hell that is). There was a collision and two cyclists went down. There was a shot of one of them being tended to. He was in a lot of pain. When he fell onto the wood track and slid, going probably around 50-60 kph, the track burned away his uniform and burned him.
Lets face it - they're not wearing any real padding or protection and it's not like those suits are made of Nomex or other material that will protect the wearer from burns and abrasions.
Boy that's gotta hurt...
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ATHENS, 25 August - A spectacular crash before the finishing line in the Men's Keirin second heat had Theo BOS (NED), the 2004 Olympic Men's Sprint silver medallist jeered off the track after he bumped local rider Labros VASILOPOULOS (GRE), causing both rider's exit from the competition.
Shane KELLY (AUS) won the second heat after taking the lead in the back straight with Men's Sprint bronze medallist Rene WOLFF (GER) second and Mickael BORGAIN (FRA) third. KELLY will join compatriot Ryan BAYLEY (AUS) who, in winning the first heat, showed the speed that won him the Men's Sprint gold medal on Tuesday.
BAYLEY turned the power on in the back straight to win with Josiah NG (MAS) sitting on his wheel to come second and Jose ESCUREDO (ESP) third to claim a place in the final later tonight.
Jamie STAFF (GBR) crossed third in the first heat but the 2004 world champion was relegated for moving down towards the inside of the track when a rival was already there, thus ending his chance of being dual Olympic and world champion.
ONS ed/pjg
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posted at 11:00 AM | Link | Mundane § |
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Confirmed: Amazing Race 6 was in Chicago THEME
More excited fans have started checking out the TAR6 rumors. The Chicago Film Office has confirmed the permit was for August 13th, and covered O'Hare airport and Buckingham Fountain.. Speculation now is that Chicago is the Starting point. (Buckingham fountain would be a great start point!) The what was the team doing on Adams? Don't know - going to a Blue Line stop to take the El to O'Hare? Union Station to the O'Hare Metra stop? There are reports of 8 teams (?) in Boston around that time (Friday the 13th, Saturday the 14th), and then a sighting of teams in Iceland at 6:20am on the 14th. (Makes sense - there are flights from United that connect in Boston with Icelandair. There's even a newspaper report with pictures (and a second). Too bad I can't read it! The next stop - if you can interpret a few things - appears to be Oslo! There is also a report today from someone that might have bumped into a team in the ticket line at the Ostbahnhof train station in Berlin today. This is really cool hearing about TAR in real time!
posted at 10:08 AM | Link | Amazing Race § |
Monday, August 23, 2004
One RunJust watched the U.S. Women's Softball Team give up their first run in the Olympic Games. It was in the 6th against Australia. The runner got a double because the first baseman and right fielder didn't call who had a popup. The next batter had a double as the run scored.
It was the only run they gave up throughout the games. Damn straight they deserved the Gold Medal! I think their total scores for all of the games was 51-1.
Remarkable.
posted at 11:12 AM | Link | Mundane § |
Sunday, August 22, 2004
White Sox 5 - Red Sox 6
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Still another game to attend that's been mucked-up. We had Elvis Friday night, Fox moved our normal Saturday night game to 12:15pm. Today, our 2:05 kids day game was moved to 7pm so ESPN could cover this debacle nationally. SO, since it's Kid's Day (they were giving out book bags as a promotion), they were having the autograph sessions before the game. Saw a group of people dressed up in Yakult Swallows gear to get Shingo Takashi's autograph, and there was a group of people sitting a couple of rows back with their bento boxes and sushi... I'm actually happy about this. I'd like to see us jump on the Japan bandwagon and ride this for as long as Shingo is here.
The other big thing is that ESPN's Baseball Tonight is setup on the field and is being done live before the game. I went over to check it out, but it was difficult to follow anything that's going on, since most of the talk was voice-overs of videotape of the afternoon games. A crewman came over and shared a plate of desserts with the fans (which, to my shock, didn't storm the guy). Had a great fudge brownie.
The game... sucked again. We actually got into the lead for the first time this series. Freddy Garcia, who has thrown about 117 pitches, comes out in the 8th and on the first pitch, Manny Ramirez hits a homer to tie the game. Ozzie brings out Damaso Marte who throws one pitch to Ortiz who hits a homer putting them in the lead.
That's it. That just sucked the life right out of me. I'm angry, I'm disappointed, I'm shocked, I'm disappointed, I'm despondent, I'm disgusted, I'm tired, I'm sick.
We were in First Place for a good part of the year. If we weren't, we're just a few games out.
We're in 3rd, 8 games out. Everything has failed - hitting, pitching, defense - everything.
To top it all off, there were a TON of Boston fans at each of these three game. Where the hell are these people coming from? Are there that many displaced Bostonians in Chicago? Are people actually traveling here to see them? Even on a Sunday Night?
However - Props to those fans. They were THE BEST fans for the visiting team I've ever seen. Cub Fans should take lessons from these guys.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:07 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, August 21, 2004
White Sox 7 - Red Sox 10
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Today's game was moved up to 12:15 so that Fox could broadcast it. We got to the park really early just to get... an Esteban Loaiza bobblehead doll. Yes, even though he got traded to the Yankees, they got to get rid of them, and for the second day in a row, it's a sell out.
And for the second day in a row, the game starts poorly and I can feel myself disconnecting from the game. It's also the first day of the Chicago Air and Water show, so I switched my radio over to listen to that as I kept my eyes on the skies to see if we could see anything from the south side. (We saw a little).
It was still better than watching the game, which sucked again.
On the way home, we're going down the Dan Ryan when The Blue Angels, in the middle of their routine in the air show, came roaring toward us on a very low high speed pass and turn. You could see everyone slam on their brakes and stop and cheer and yell and applaud. Wild.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 08:05 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, August 20, 2004
White Sox 1 - Red Sox 10 - ELVIS NIGHT!
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I honestly couldn't tell you a thing about tonight's game. I went to the game - I shut it out. We were losing 6-0 in the 2nd and that was enough for me to give up. Hell, it was Curt Schilling.
Oh, it was Elvis night again. Saw the performers, saw my old friend Peg and spent quite a few innings talking to her and her husband Rob about the state of the team, played the Sox Spilt Raffle, (but didn't do as well as two years ago).
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:23 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Thursday, August 19, 2004
The Amazing Race 6 IN CHICAGO! THEME
The Reality TV website Reality Blurred: The Reality TV Weblog is reporting that not only is Amazing Race 6 currently in production, but a team was actually seen here in Chicago last week!!!
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A team that was likely part of The Amazing Race 6, which is taping this month, was spotted in Chicago on Friday. As the show typically concludes in the US, and since it's late in the month, that suggests Chicago is either the final destination or a stopover in on the way to the final city in the US. Mike in Chicago writes:
Looks like TAR 6 may end in Chicago. On Friday Aug 13, I saw them running down Adams St, towards the Sears tower. ... I saw a team of 2 females, with a camera crew of two (one camera, one mic guy). The girls had on their fanny packs with the yellow/red marker/flag on them. It was about a second after they passed me by that I realized they were Amazing Race people.
Based on when TAR 6 airs, this is likely the end of the race, not the start. Unless Chicago is the first stop back in the USA, before they go to the final US city. Either way, looks like Chicago is part of the final TAR 6 episode! « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 03:54 PM | Link | Amazing Race | 1 comment § |
Olympic thoughtsOK, the Olympics have been on for less than a week, and I have even said a peep about them.
Opening Ceremonies: The Olympics meet Cirque du Soleil. I really enjoyed it. I thought the cauldron looked like a huge Bic lighter that tilted to be lit. Cool.
Greece itself: Beautiful. Gorgeous. Would like to go, but never will. When looking at the cities, towns, villages it's just beautiful. When you look at the venues - they're stark, without any landscaping (ran out of time?) and look hot and uninviting.
Swimming events: best use of electronic effect technology showing the flag of the swimmer at the bottom of each lane, and the use of the World Record line when it looks like the lead swimmer is close.
Fencing: I was lucky to go to a high school that had a fencing team and was fascinated with it back then and fascinated now. Glad to see that the electronics have advanced so the fencers don't have to be hard-wired to the scoring equipment. Love this event.
Women's Weightlifting: These women are small and not what I expected to see. One woman was introduced at being 5' 5" - "one of the tallest in the games"
Cheerleaders/dancers and Beach Volleyball? Why? This is the Olympics - how do they add to the athlete's performance? Then again, I'm just writing-off Beach Volleyball as the Snowboarding of the Summer Games - just another viewer-grab and the Gen X-er/extreme games people.
Doubles Table Tennis: First, these tables look a hell of a lot smaller than what I'm used to seeing in people's basements and rec rooms. Then seeing 2 huge guys on each side of one of these little tables just looks... odd.
Badminton: The Curling of the Summer Games - a game that looks like anyone can participate in.
Field Hockey: Somehow, I don't remember the sticks resembling a hook than a hockey stick. But, it's just so... cool... seeing all the pretty girls in their skirts...
Womens Softball: Wow wow o woweewow... I never would have imaged that the US Women have gotten this far without giving up a single run! These women are remarkable. Saw a piece on a doctor here in Chicago that worked with the team to increase the speed of their eye movement. He did this by shooting tennis balls at them that have colored numbers on them at 120 mph while they stood in the batters box. The object was to call out the color and number of each ball and try to put the bat on the ball. The result is that that the batters can see a softball rotation and movement quicker and easier. I know some Major League Baseball teams that could use this guy's help...
Canoeing: When did Kayaking change names to Canoeing?
Gymnastics: Are we really that good?
Basketball: We suck. What an embarassment. I blame the whole "punk" influance of the current NBA "stars".
Synchronized Diving: Way cooler than it sounds. Oh, and that "drop camera" that they use to shoot diving is one of the best views of any of the sports I've seen.
Water Polo: looks like hell to play
posted at 10:39 AM | Link | Mundane | 1 comment § |
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
OK, this will be a long-term issue...Did a lot of research on socializing rabbits and introducing a new rabbit to an existing single rabbit. One thing is for sure: We're going to have to wait for Chip to get older so we can get him neutered. Everything that I've read said that this must be done for any success. Makes sense - poor little Chip is hard-wired for certain behaviors, so we'll just have to keep them apart for what may be a couple of months. They're in their own cages, side by side. The can see each other. In fact, they can stick their noses into the other's cage so they can smell, lick, rub and even bite each other. They each have their own "out" time by themselves, so they won't meat each other and fight like they did last Sunday.
We still hopeful.
In the meantime, I'm still getting scratched-up by our little boy Chip. I may have to do something to take those sharp points off his toenails.
posted at 06:19 PM | Link | Bunnies § |
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
Cast announced for Survivor: Vanuatu - Islands of Fire THEME
The cast for the 9th edition of Survivor, called Survivor: Vanuatu - Islands of Fire. There are 18 people (which is interesting since All-Stars was the first series with 18 people). It's also back to "Battle of the Sexes" again - the tribes' colors are yellow for Yasur (the women) and red for Lopevi (the men).
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- Julie Berry, 23, a youth mentor from Gorham, Maine
- Chad Crittenden, 35, a teacher from Oakland, Calif. (Chad is an amputee, losing part of his leg to cancer)
- Ami Cusack, 31, a barista (coffee server) and model from Lakewood, Colo.
- Chris Daugherty, 33, who works in highway construction, from South Vienna, Ohio
- Brady Finta, 33, an FBI agent who was formerly in the military service, from Huntington Beach, Calif.
- Rory Freeman, 35, a housing case manager from Des Moines, Iowa
- Mia Galeotalanza, 30, a finance manager from Tom’s River, N.J.
- Brook Geraghty, 27, a project manager from Boston
- Lisa Keiffer, 44, a real estate agent from New Orleans
- John Kenney, 22, a mechanical bull operator and model from Los Angeles
- Scout Cloud Lee, 59, a rancher and entrepreneur from Stillwater, Okla.
- Lea "Sarge" Masters, 40, a drill sergeant who lives in Columbia, S.C.
- Dolly Neely, 25, a sheep farmer from Mercer, Pa.
- Eliza Orlins, 21, a pre-law student from Syracuse, N.Y.
- John Palyok, 31, of Los Angeles is a sales manager at a Home Depot.
- Travis "Bubba" Sampson, 33, of Johnson City, Tenn., works in loss prevention.
- Leann Slaby, 35, a research assistant from Kansasville, Wis.
- Twila Tanner, 41, of Marshall, Mo., who works in highway repair
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posted at 11:31 AM | Link | Survivor § |
Monday, August 16, 2004
Hooky
Carol and I are both exhausted. In fact, Carol called-in to take the day off. We're sleeping at every possible moment. I think the wedding last night just wiped us out.
Back to Bunny Duty, keeping an eye on each of them and only letting one of them out at a time. Chip's toenails are still razor sharp and I have to watch how I handle him. We can tell that he's growing already.
posted at 01:39 PM | Link | Mundane § |
A boom in the nightIt's exactly 1:03 am. Carol and I were in bed 3 minutes when we heard this muffled "boom" that actually shook the house, like an explosion a couple of suburbs over. We had the police radio on and there were calls all over the northwest suburbs about an explosion and a flash of light, but no one was ever able to find anything. I think I know what it was, but it still shook us up since the house actually shook.
Update: Yep, it's what I thought it was. We're in the middle of the Perseid meteor shower and it was a meteor that landed somewhere near Waukegan. The flash was the entry into the atmosphere and the boom was a sonic boom as it decelerated. Pretty damn cool to experience.
posted at 01:03 AM | Link | Odd § |
Sunday, August 15, 2004
A wedding to rememberWe had a a wonderful, unique experience tonight.
Our buddy Victor (whom some of you know as The Diz evenings on WGCI, and may have seen him in a few pictures around this blog) who sits right next to us at our White Sox games got married tonight.
The ceremony was something to see. First off all, the wedding was at 5pm. On a Sunday Night.
Now Michelle, Victor's lovely wife, had won a special "thing" at a Bridal Fair - she was selected to become a "Buff Bride". She (and Victor) got personal trainers, dietitians, etc to get them in shape for the wedding. Oh, and this whole process was shot by a crew for NBC's Dateline (and it's supposed to air sometime in September). So, let's add in a Dateline crew, plus a crew to videotape the wedding for Victor & Michelle, the official wedding photographer(s) and the place gets a bit crowded.
Now, another aspect of the wedding is that it's actually a Black and White Ball - everyone was to wear black and/or white and Black Tie was invited (which I did - yes, I got a tux for the wedding). This whole thing just upscales the wedding dramatically. And speaking of dramatics, it just begins.
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We saw Victor just before the wedding and realized that everyone that was standing up had boutonnières that had gold masks of comedy and tragedy. Odd? The lights in the room went down dramatically and the ceremony started. The groomsmen walked in, all in tuxes, taking One. Step. At. A. Time. The lines the aisle, Then Victor walked in the same way. When he reaches the front, the Groomsmen bow to each other and cross to the right side of the aisle. The bridesmaids enter the same way, each carrying a masquerade mask on a stick. The women are also dressed in black. They all enter, turn to their partner across the aisle. Then men bow, the women curtsy. The walk hand in hand to the front of the room. We then have the regular Ring Bearer, Broom Bearer and flower girls. Then Michelle enters. Holy Cow. If this is a Black and White Ball, the Bride and Groom must different, right? Well, victor had a black tux, red vest, black shirt, red tie. Michelle's dress was all read. And flowing. And long. And gorgeous.
(Now, I have to admit, that for a split second, in the dark, with all of the candles, seeing all the guys in tuxes, all the girls in black dresses with masks, the bride in red... I had this flash that I was at the secret party in the middle of "Eyes Wide Shut"...)
The Ceremony was wonderful, the ministers fantastic. Toward the end of the ceremony, was another piece - they christened their daughter Chloe (who, just like Victor, you would have seen in pictures in this blog from the White Sox games). A bridesmaid took a header and we didn't know it until the minister asked for someone to call 911 (as far as we know, she was OK, even though the Arlington Heights Fire Department came out to make sure).
The ceremony started at 5:45 and was over by 6:30. Time for cocktails and appetizers. The room was on the second floor, but now we had to go to the basement, to a Jazz Club called The Boiler Room. We had free drinks and I never did see the actual appetizers - for an hour and a half. We were finally invited upstairs to dinner at 8pm. The room looked great. The Bridal Party was introduced, and when Victor and Michelle were introduced and entered the room, the first thing that went on in the front was cutting the cake. Again, this looked like a media circus. Then we had the toasts, not only by the best man, but by Victor, his radio on-air partner, and their boss. Eventually we started eating. The soup arrived at 9pm and the entrée somewhere around 9:50.
So we're eating dinner at a wedding reception at 10 o'clock on a Sunday night.
The thing is, the food was great, the room was great. Masks were given out to all of the women in the room (they had little "Michelle and Victor" ribbons on them). Eventually, there was a first dance and as I had thought would happen, Chloe had to join in, and they looked great as a family.
Being radio people, the DJ was great and what people were left were finally dancing at around 11pm)
Well, we had to finally go. This was late for us! We found Victor and Michelle outside on a balcony getting some air. They looked great and just so damned happy! « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:49 PM | Link | Mundane § |
Fur flying devastation
DISASTER. UTTER DISASTER.
We decided to do it this morning - put the two bunnies together for their first meeting.
It looked OK for 15 - 30 seconds as they slowly checked it each other out, then it escalated and escalated and escalated until we had two rabbits in a kicking and biting death brawl on the floor right in front of us. Each of them had grabbed on to each other with their teeth and they were using their large back feet to try to disembowel each other. (Ever see Warner Brothers' Tasmanian Devil? Know that whirling mass on screen that's moving so fast, it's just a blur? THAT was the bunnies.) Carol and I reached in and pulled away a bunny.
It was scary and ugly and much quieter than I thought it would be.
We were devastated. I don't think either of us expected a fight like that. Neither rabbit was bleeding, but both had fur in their mouths and Indy lost a clump of fur from her side (but the fur is so dense it isn't noticeable).
I tried an experiment later on by my self and the two rabbits.
It's Chip, not Indy. Indy looked more inquisitive and Chip was definitely the attacker (neither of them touched each other in my experiment - I stayed with Indy and kept her calm and secure while Chip pranced around with his tail high in the air).
This is going to take time - if at all. I've got a bad feeling that perhaps Chip was a mistake after all. I'm not giving up, We're not giving up. We may have to wait for him to get a bit older so we can get him fixed before this gets attempted full-scale.
I feel terrible.
posted at 11:33 AM | Link | Bunnies § |
Saturday, August 14, 2004
Dinner with friendsWent to Barry & Buffy's tonight to have a quick barbecue and yack with friends. Debbie was able to squeeze in some time and come and join us. We sat out in their backyard while Barry grilled some chicken and ribs. The sun was actually hot and there wasn't much of a breeze either. The neighborhood was quiet, which was odd since they're just blocks from Wrigley and the game had only been over for an hour or so.
After the great dinner, we watched whatever was on the Olympics, making snide comments about the male divers' outfits, as well as the build of a lot of the swimmers. I'm telling you, watching the Olympics with friends gives you another perspective of the games!
Again, I know I say this a lot about them, but we enjoy the company of the three of them and miss them terribly.
posted at 11:11 PM | Link | Friends § |
Carol - Four Years On
Four years ago this morning my wife Carol underwent double mastectomy surgery.
Four years ago and she's still with me.
I wrote about it last year and the year before (go here for details, if you want) and I'll always write about her on this day, just like one of my "things" is to give her a pink azalea today.
She's alive and kicking and still with me and I can't tell you how happy that makes me feel.
posted at 09:53 AM | Link | Family § |
Friday, August 13, 2004
Bunnies on the 13th
Nothing new to report, except the new guy is pretty damn cute.
Carving out 4 hours to sit in front of the the TV to watch the Opening Ceremonies from Athens tonight.
Also trying to ignore that it's Friday the 13th...
posted at 01:08 PM | Link | Bunnies § |
Thursday, August 12, 2004
From Roscoe to Chip
The new bunny got a new name today. I really wanted something that would tie-in to the Wisconsin State Fair in Milwaukee, but absolutely nothing comes to mind that I feel good about. Carol came up with Roscoe and that stuck, but then I accidentally called him Oscar yesterday and all of a sudden the names weren't fitting. We tried Harley for a while (since Harley Davidson is up in Wisconsin), but that just sounded too tough for the little guy. So now, the new name is Chip - as in "chip off the ol' block" since he's a black and white dutch just like Indy.
Well, Indy looks like she's in the next stage - denial. She's not trying to attach Chip at all. She's kind of ignoring him. If she gets close she tries to sniff him and maybe lick him, but that's about it. They're still separated - only one of them are allowed to be out at a time.
posted at 08:08 AM | Link | Bunnies § |
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
Keeping an eye on the new kid
I've spent the day making sure that Indy and Roscoe have had their turns out exercising, but not together.
Indy is still pissed and wants to really get at the little guy, but she's slowly mellowing. I think as time passes she's realizing that we not treating her any differently. I'm feeling more positive that in a few days we'll be able for our first play date.
In the mean time, it's been interesting learning a new bunny. He's pre-wired better than Max or Travis was and he's acting a lot like Indy. He's been slowly exploring the area that he's allowed to roam with me chasing after him and telling him firmly "No" and moving him out of the problem areas.
I've forgotten about one other baby bunny problem - toenails. They're sharp as hell. The nice side to Roscoe is that he allow us to pick him up, hold him, and even flip him over - all things that Indy doesn't allow.
Roscoe has been running around the family room at high speed today, doing that bunny thing where they run so fast that their butts kind of fishtail out.
I'm finding out that he's a little vocal, too, if it's quiet and you listen carefully. It's a few quiet whimpers and a kind of quiet squeak. It's really cool and I hope he doesn't lose it. He's been laying on my shoulder for the past half hour as I've been sitting on the couch typing this.
I REALLY want Roscoe and Indy to get along.
posted at 04:04 PM | Link | Bunnies § |
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Swimming pigs, cream puffs and bunniesCarol took the day off and we drove up to Milwaukee to go to the Wisconsin State Fair.
We love going to this thing. I would rather go to the Illinois State Fair, but Milwaukee is much closer than Springfield. Our family has been going up there for years. The draw for us has been the animals, the absolutely crappy merchandise being sold in the pavilions and the food food FOOD!!!
The weather isn't the best - cloudy, breezy and temps in the high 60's.
We try to go on a day when the rabbits are being judged so we can see all the breeds. It's always a highlight for us.
We started walking around to get an idea of food choices. Every year there's more and more and more food stands, which of course make the choice even harder. I thought I read somewhere that there are 172 stands here. We got a few ideas and then it was post time for the pig races. Carol hadn't seem them before, and this year they added a swimming pool. Yes, the last race was also a water race as the pigs swam the length of the pool. No, seriously!
So, after the races, we picked-up some Reuben Rolls (like eggrolls, but filled with corned beef, sauerkraut... everything to make a reuben sandwich), potato pancakes, brats, and pierogi's.
Well, we needed to walk that off, so we walked all the way down to the exhibit halls to look at the real bad merchandise for sale. Now, yes, there are a few good products, but how many juicers, mops and pieces of fudge do you really need?
The Milwaukee Admirals had the AHL Calder Cup at their booth. Boy, is it in bad shape!
Well, we got what we were looking for - a pet carrier - and started heading back across the park, stopping for a World Famous creme puff along the way.
Creme puff.... augggllllll.....
Anyway, it was getting darker out and it was getting later into the afternoon, so it was time to go pick-up our purchase and take him home.
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What? What am I talking about?
Well, yes, I sort of didn't tell you about what took up most of our day.
Well, when we went to go see the rabbits, there was this little house with a pen just outside the entrance. There was at least 50 baby bunnies hopping around and there was a girl that was allowing people to hold the bunnies. These were all rabbits from breeders at the fair. The bunnies were not "show quality", but still cute as all hell.
So we stopped by, and got a baby bunny to hold. Carol had him first and he was really sweet, allowing her to hold him with no problem (not like our Indy who doesn't like being held AT ALL). The Carol gave him to me to hold and he was just really sweet. He didn't struggle at all. He had a number 53 written inside his ear.
That's when we found out that they were selling them for $25. I looked at Carol and she just looked at me and loudly said "Oh, no we're NOT!" I didn't say anything and just held him and petted him some more. We must have been out there for half an hour.
We must have been back 3 more times to find out how to get him home. Carol actually paid for him. We thought we would have to take him home on Sunday, but found out it could be today, and that's when I thought we'd be able to find a pet carrier in the exhibit hall.
So we picked-up our little boy at the end of the day. He was in the carrier on Carol's lap all the way home. He was awake the whole time, but flopped on his side and relaxed as much as possible. When we got home, Carol went to the pet store and got a small temporary cage for him and we put him up right next to Indy.
Indy went from inquisitive to agitated. She went nose to nose with him and bit him. You could tell by the way he was rubbing his nose and upper lip that she really hurt him.
Indy is pissed. It's going to be a lot of work to get these two to live together in harmony.
But the new guy is sooooo cute and sweet.
This will be interesting bunny times in the house...
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posted at 08:07 PM | Link | Mundane § |
Monday, August 09, 2004
Still not getting there...... the motivation, that is.
I know I've got stuff to say and write, I'm just not interested in doing so. Must be just another manifestation of this funk I've been going through over the past few days/weeks/months/years.
posted at 08:45 PM | Link | Mundane | 1 comment § |
Sunday, August 08, 2004
White Sox 3 - Indians 2
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The day starts off well - it's the annual Fuji Film Photo Day where. if you show up early enough, you can go out on the field and take pictures of the team. Always very cool. I took between 80 - 90 shots.
Jose Contreras pitched a very good game - 9 innings, 9 strikeouts, only 1 run - but he had 108 pitches, so he didn't come out in the 9th to defend our 2-1 lead.
Instead, Damaso Marte comes out in relief. I HAD LOST ALL HOPE for this guy. I cringe every time he comes to the mound. I think he's lost "it". But, since there were left-handers coming up and that's what Shingo failed against last night, Ozzie sends Marte in instead.
Marte strikes out the first batter - and then promptly gives up a homerun, tyeing the game.
All those crappy feelings from yesterday - and almost every game in the the last 2 dozen - come back again.
Shingo comes in and retires the side.
In the bottom of the 9th, Timo Perez singles to center. Timo is jumping all around first, forcing Rafael Betancourt to keep throwing to first while Ben Davis is up. Davis, goes through 9 pitches as well, keeping the inning alive. Eventually, he hits a gapper to right center and Timo comes all the way around and scores, winning the game.
FINALLY.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:04 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Saturday, August 07, 2004
White Sox 5 - Indians 6
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A boot to the head.
A kick to the groin.
Watching another White Sox loss.
It looked bad from the beginning. We were losing 3-0 until the 6th, when Roberto Alomar got a 3-run homer, followed by a 2-run homer by Juan Uribe.
The game was sewn-up. I mean, Shingo Takatsu came in to save the game in the 9th - when Mr. Zero gave up 2 singles followed by a homerun, thus losing the game.
I'm sick to my stomach.
The boys are now 7 games back, in 3rd place, behind Cleveland.
(Boxscore) « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 10:03 PM | Link | White Sox § |
Friday, August 06, 2004
Dear Loyal ReaderI've got a confession to make.
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I can't get myself to write anything here. My life is just so crappy, that I can't think of anything worthwhile to share.
I'm lacking any motivation at all. Every day is the same. When I worked, I had interaction. I drove to work, I saw things I heard things. I had coworkers. I would talk to them. I would share stories and get ideas.
Now, I'm not doing a damn thing and nothing sparks me.
PLEASE be tolerant of me - I need to work this out.
Somehow. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 06:09 PM | Link | Mundane § |
Thursday, August 05, 2004
Big Brother 5 - Episode 13 THEME
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After a very stupid "Dumb and Dumber" POV meeting earlier in the week, where Jase won POV and took himself off, the nominees are now Marvin and Scott. In the strategically correct move, Scott is voted out 4-3.
The main event of the show, however, was the Twin Twist. (Wanna see the segment? I have a copy of it here as a DIVX AVI - be warned it's 36Mb)
With all of the houseguests in the living room, Julie Chen asked Diane a question: How many houseguests have played the game this year? Diane answers 13 and Julie tells here that the answer is incorrect - there have been 14. Everybody looks confused and Julie continues to remind the houseguests that the them this year is "Do Not Assume" and that one of the housemates has been playing the game with their identical twin. Drew and Diane, who both have twins, seem to be saying it's not them. Cowboy blurts out "It's Holly." (WTF? As a side note, the houseguests for the next couple of days, continue to talk about Holly and her "twin" and about the numerous times when she changed the way she acted while in the house. I have no freaking idea where this came from...) Even after Julie says that the twins have actually changed places 10 times, Cowboy is still convinced it's Holly. Throughout this, Adria is looking as confused as everyone else. Julie tells the group that the twins' goal was not to be discovered or evicted for 5 weeks. Tonight, they have reached their goal. Now the houseguests are thinking through this. Jase thinks that Scott has a twin (but, of course, that wouldn't fit with what Julie just said).
Natalie walks into the house through the Diary Room door and place goes nuts (It turns out Adria never talked about being an identical twin). What is most priceless is the look on Jase's face - he had just lost Scott, so his alliance was short one key person, and now another person enters the game - and they're not on Jase's side. You could just see how screwed he knew he was.
Anyway, HOH competition nets Jennifer as the winner, just about sealing Jase's fate in the house.
« hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 08:05 PM | Link | Reality TV § |
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Movie Night
Well, on request of Carol, I got out of the house tonight so she could just have a night to herself (you know, without me "breathing in the house"). So, I went over to the AMC South Barrington 30 and caught the 5:30 Thunderbirds. I knew Carol didn't want to see it and I just had to see it since it was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid. I was upset that they twisted the story line into a kids movie, but they were pretty damn true to the spirit of the original series. It was a fun ride, but if you're not a fan, don't bother.
The movie was over by 7:20, so I decided to stay and caught the 7:40 Catwoman. I don't know what I was hoping for, but I wanted more. There was something missing. I mean, Halle Berry was great to watch but the movie just didn't hold me...
posted at 10:04 PM | Link | Movies § |
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
This year's Out-Of-The-House challenge THEME
Found this tidbit out on the web... it might be from Zap2It.
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The winner of the reality show's annual you-get-to-leave-the-house-for-a-while challenge will step out of the "Big Brother" set and onto the set of "The Young and The Restless," CBS' long-running daytime serial. The contestant will share a scene in the Genoa City Athletic Club with "Y&R" stars Michelle Stafford and Christian LeBlanc. « hide the extended part of this entry
posted at 11:44 AM | Link | Big Brother | 1 comment § |
Monday, August 02, 2004
Harry Letterman - 9 months
David letterman just showed a picture of his son Harry that he took yesterday after giving him a bath. Harry is already 9 months old!
posted at 10:56 PM | Link | Entertainment § |
Chicago = GothamThe big deal in town (now that Millennium Park is open) is that Batman Begins is filming here. There are new tax incentives in place to try to persuade production companies to film here. I guess director Christopher Nolan liked Lower Wacker Drive, so they've built the entrance to the Batcave down there. Also, I've been seeing tape of some of the news reports and they've shown the new Batmobile - still another different look, more military meets mad Max (you can see it at the official website).
Here's the story from tonight's NBC5 Chicago News... (5Mb AVI)
posted at 10:29 PM | Link | Mundane § |
Sunday, August 01, 2004
*nose wiggle*posted at 06:31 AM | Link | Memes § |
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