Happy Birthday Hailey!

Here's a happy birthday message to my one and only 6 year old. You are a bright, beautiful, wonderful daughter that I am blessed to be responsible for! Here's a special picture for you, my "My Little Pony" afficianado:

Cupcakes Are Made, Man!

It's just after 6 p.m. CST, and quite a bit of the day's to do list is done. Had a small glitch when the dryer decided to stop spitting out hot air, but the repair service can come early next week, so we may avoid going to the [gasp!] laundromat. Kids are in the basement with me watching one of my all time favorite Christmas cartoons -- "The Year Without A Santa Claus." Weekend is slowly coming into view...

Thursday, December 15

Busy day today. I'm finalizing documents for an asset purchase on Monday and a real estate closing tomorrow, and also trying (with the help of our awesome sitter, Jamie) to bake 4 dozen cupcakes for treats at Hailey's school and her party for her 6th birthday, which is tomorrow. We've got two playdates today with friends of the girls, need to pull pictures for a testimonial about Hailey's life so far for her afternoon school, the Academy tomorrow... The list goes on!

Sam (my 2 year old) woke me up this morning with this: "Daddy? Daddy! I awake. I naked Daddy. Daddy, I naked! I no clothes! Come see me!" Sure enough, he had stripped down to nothing -- I'm starting to take this not so infrequent (these days) morning greeting as a sign he is not a fan of a wet diaper, so maybe potty training is on the horizon...

Sam also told me later this morning: "Watch out Daddy. I a shark. I gobble up you parts [meaning the shark would like to take a bite out of Daddy]." When I told him I needed all my parts, he replied, "No you don't. I a shark. I eat them!"

More later...

Birthday Books

Went to Borders the other to cash in my birthday gift card from Nana, Papa, David and Chill Factorino (along with a bit of birthday dough from Mom). Many thanks, I got four books I can't wait to read:

Into the Wild -- story of a 24 year-old who hiked into the Alaskan bush alone and underequipped, just to see if he could survive -- he didn't.

Let Me Go -- Mother abandons husband and daughter in Austria in WWII. 30 years later daughter discovers Mom left to become a notorious SS concentration camp guard for women. Mom remains unrepentant about her role -- daughter must come to terms.

A Brief History of the Middle East -- enough said


1491: The Year Before Columbus -- anthropologist's reconstruction of ther lives of Native Americans in both North and South America the year before Columbus arrived.

Just finished "Disgrace" by J.M. Coetzee, a story about a South African professor who is forced out of his university after having an affair with a student, and then travels to his estranged daughter's homestead in the bush, where Afrikkaners have become persona non grata. After a robbery and brutal attack on father and daughter, it's about coming to terms with the new South Africa, where the oppressors are now being oppressed. Bleak, but a worthwhile read.

Belleau Wood -- A Soldier's Christmas Poem

Belleau Wood
by Joseph Gilbert

Oh, the snowflakes fell in silence
over Belleau Wood that night
For a Christmas truce had been declared

By both sides of the fight
As we lay there in our trenches
The silence broke in two
By a German soldier singing
A song that we all knew

Though I did not know the language
The song was "Silent Night"
Then I heard my buddy whisper,
"All is calm and all is bright"
Then the fear and doubt surrounded me
"Cause I'd die if I was wrong
But I stood up in my trench And

I began to sing along

Then across the frozen battlefield
Anothers voice joined in
Until one by one each man became
A singer of the hymn

Then I thought that I was dreaming
For right there in my sight
Stood the German soldier
'Neath the falling flakes of white
And he raised his hand and smiled at me
As if he seemed to say
Here's hoping we both live
To see us find a better way

Then the devil's clock struck midnight
And the skies lit up again
And the battlefield where heaven stood
Was blown to hell again

But for just one fleeting moment
The answer seemed so clear
Heaven's not beyond the clouds
It's just beyond the fear

No, heaven's not beyond the clouds
It's for us to find it here

The Tablecloth --- A Christmas Story

Is this story true? Don't know, but even if it's not, I like it.

The Tablecloth

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church,it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc. and on Dec 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On Dec 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church. By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it.The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria. The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. She was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again. The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood, continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike? He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety, and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

Cubs Could'a Had Furcal Too

WSCR Radio 670 in Chicago reported this afternoon that higher-ups in the Tribune Company put the kabosh on raising their offer for Rafael Furcal. The Cubs' offer was 5 years $47M, with the last two years "guaranteed" based on a games played incentive in years 3-4 of the deal. According to the report, when the Dodgers made their offer of 3 years, $39M guaranteed, Furcal came back to the Cubs and asked for 5 years, $50M with the games played incentive taken out. The Cubs balked, and it appears that someone higher up the Cubs' food chain than GM Jim Hendry (i.e, Andy McPhail or Tribune management) communicated that the Cubs' offer would stand.

So for an extra $3M, the Cubs may have had both Furcal and Pierre, as the Pierre talks were ongoing with Florida at the time of the Furcal offer. Way to let the big one get away!

George Bush -- Worst President Ever?

So says this article by Richard Reeves, the apparent result of a poll of 415 historians, with 338 of those believing the President is failing in his duties. While I agree with many of the critiques listed in the article, it's not too hard to list other presidents who were worse -- Martin Van Buren, perhaps? Chester A. Arthur? Carter? Ford? Hoover? Andrew Johnson? I'm no fan of the President, but let's be reasonable. First, it seems unfair to rate a presidency before it's over. Second, we won't have a full understanding of the hows and whys of the Bush presidency until administration documents have all been made public, and we have some benefit of hindsight to see how things play out. Third, I say again, Chester A. Arthur? The guy's biggest accomplishment wasn't even his -- it was the Statute of Liberty, which was a gift from France...

Pierre A Cub

It's Official -- the Cubs have acquired Juan Pierre. Couple more bats, maybe a starting pitcher and a good off-season becomes a great one...

Now We're Cooking

ESPN Radio 1000 in Chicago is reporting the Cubs have acquired Marlins CF Juan Pierre for Pitchers Sergio Mitre, Ricky Nolasco and Renyel Pinto. If the trade is confirmed, the Cubs have bounced back nicely from losing Rafael Furcal and have saved some bucks in the process. Now onto the corner OF spots, and maybe SS.

Cubs / Texas Blockbuster in Works?

The Chicago Tribune (hmmm, can we say potentially biased reporting?) is reporting that the Cubs and Rangers have a big deal brewing: Jerome Williams, Corey Patterson and Todd Walker to Texas for Alfonso Soriano and Kevin Mench.

Trib also reported that the Cubs may wade into the waters for A.J. Burnett, and if they land him, substitute Kerry Wood for Jerome Williams in the above deal.

I'll believe it when I see it, but if the Cubs could make the first deal, they'd be crazy not to take it. The second deal would also be acceptable. Soriano is young, and a monster hitter and Mench is a good power guy who doesn't strike out a lot (68 and 63 times the last two years). I note, however, that the team would still need someone to set the table...

They Say It's Your Birthday...

It's my birthday, too, yeah. 35 today. Not as old as the BQP (he's ancient, for the love of Pete), but starting to get up there nonetheless. When I was a kid, I thought 35 was Methusa-like. (Methusala, Methusa-like, get it?) As I get older, particularly when I see my Mom and Jen's parents doing things like they too were in their 30s, I feel like I've got a lot of prime years left. Although, when I asked Hailey and Rachel (my almost 6 year old and 4 1/2 year old) to hazard a guess as to how old I was, Hailey volunteered "54?", and Rachel followed up with "61! No! 41!" Sam (my 2 year-old) just said, "You old, Daddy?"

I'm not really one to dwell on my age, and the fact of the matter is, while I have a few more aches and pains when I run or play basketball, I'm still enjoying myself...

Furcal? He Gone...To L.A.

Looks like L.A.'s last minute bid $13M per year for 3 years has snagged Rafael Furcal. Would have liked to see the Cubs get him, but not at the Dodgers' price. Problem is, this severely limits the options out there for some leadoff help/solid middle infielding. Always seems to happen to the Cubs. Hope springs eternal however, the hot stove is heating up with baseball's winter meetings next week...

McSweeney's

Timothy McSweeney's Internet Tendency -- Jen plugged it in her blog previously, and I'm doing the same because it is hands down gut-busting funny. Below is one of their lists.

State Songs, If They All Suggested the Apathy of Idaho's "Here We Have Idaho."

BY CRAIG ROBERTSON

- - - -

Check It Out, Dude, I Think That's Florida

Well, If You Insist, Then I Guess I'll Take Indiana

Hey, Is That Oregon? Oh, My Mistake, It's Washington

Hey, Kentucky, How You Doin'?

Texas, Does This Mole Look Irregular to You?

I Was Only Born in Arizona, Then We Moved When I Was 2

No, This Is the Other Carolina, but It's an Honest Mistake

Please Pass the Salt, Wyoming

I Don't Even Know Why I Try With You, Arkansas

To Maine It May Concern

Do You Like Nevada? If So, Check This Box

What Are You Going to Do, It's Michigan, You Know?

Kansas Loves Its Zoloft

Utah: The State Version of a Polite Nod in the Office Hallway

Minnesota, Land of Minimum Expectations

The Collective Sigh of Florida

Another Day, Another Delaware

One Little Slip

I'm a big fan of the Barenaked Ladies. The rock group, just to be clear. They performed a single for Disney's movie Chicken Little, which our whole family went to see. Kids loved it, and love the video for "One Little Slip" because it's interspersed with clips from the movie. Now you can enjoy it too!

Go to Video, then the "Clips" section on the right hand side of the page. It's the fourth clip down.

Furcal on Hold

The Dodgers have jumped into the mix for Rafael Furcal, making him a 3 year, $39M offer versus the Cubs' 5 year, $50M offer. Let's get it on. Cubs need him. Let's hope they make this work.

Figured Out How To Add Pictures

So feel free to peruse the the breathtaking grandeur of this new and improved blog!

Sam is Crack-a-lackin'!

Working in my office today (former guest bedroom in our house) while Sam was taking his nap, and our sitter was outside with my girls. After I'd been working awhile, I hear Sam, almost whispering, "Daddy, Daddy, I ready..." When I fail to respond, he breaks into his new rendition, of an old favorite song, "Old McDonald", singing, 'Old McDonald Had Some Pants, Daddy I ready!"

The Hubble Space Telescope

How cool is this telescope? Bash NASA all you want, but this telescope is an unqualified winner. The photo is of the Crab Nebula, the only fixed remains of a supernova. Amazing.



Wispy filaments, primarily of hydrogen, weave through the Crab Nebula, at the center of which sits a neutron star that spins 30 times per second. -- AP photo

Carl Sandburg

Another of my favorite authors/poets -- brilliant, but also one with the City of Chicago:

A snippet from his poem Chicago (full text at the link)

And having answered so I turn once more to those who
sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer
and say to them:

Come and show me another city with lifted head singing
so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning...