It's is a Family Memership

My two boys ages 13 & 15 joined me for a trip to the gym. We were there for at least 90 minutes. I went for the treadmill again and they started with a pickup game of basketball. When I had five minutes remaining of my 35 minute session they started weight training. I thought it would be good to cool down by walking the track. I dutifully started in the lane marked "Walkers", I know my place. I don't run or jog on the treadmill because I fear that I am to uncoordinated and will end up on You Tube because someone caught my Lucy moment with a cell phone camera. I don't like running on solid ground because I never have run and I figure it is to late to start. Sure enough there was a young chippy lapping me in the "Runners" lane. At first I didn't give her much thought she looked about 23 so I was not going to break a hip trying to keep up with a fetus. A middle aged couple (about 10 minutes older than me) joined in and I realized that if I pushed myself I could lap them. I did that a couple of times and realized that young chippy was just ahead. My goal was to keep her in sight preventing her from lapping me again. In an effort to pass some kids I sped up and suddenly young chippy was arms length away so I passed her, yes I was running. I decided that I would quit once I lapped young chippy, so I found a second wind, put it in fourth and off I went. I was looking for her familiar thick ponytail, I couldn't wait to triumphantly leave her in the dust, but there was a problem I couldn't find her. Was she afraid of my heat, did I bruise her ego by passing her and she was now burning her Nike in the locker room or worst, was she behind me? No, it was a bladder matter, I spotted her coming out of the ladies' room then she picked up her workout next to me. I kept pace with her for one full lap and I declared myself the Winner!!

Happy New Year

Of course the parking lot was full, there is nothing original about heading to the gym the first Monday of the New Year. The place was packed I usually go every Tuesday, my four year old has swim lessons. It was strange to enter the "Womens" locker room, I know the code for the "Family" locker room. It's a cliche but upon entry I was flashed by a 250bl senior exiting the shower, why? I located a locker and began to undress only to find out that I left my Ipod at home, I had my radio but talk radio was highjacked by college basketball games. During my ride to the gym I was desperate and turned to FM talk. Ron Reagan needs Jesus, what happened to him? Is he the adopted child? I digress.. I went to empty my bladder and the toilet splashed the back of my legs, I hate workingout. I had planned to speed walk the track around the basketball court but without a my Ipod I went to the tredmill area and luckily I found one available so I plugged my headset into the machine and hit the quick start button. I couldn't resist peaking at the two women one either side of me to see how fast they are walking. The women to my right was wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt and was kicking my but at 4.5mph, my personal best is 4mph at a 4.0 incline. She finished her workout put on a corduroy blazer, a ski jacket and left, I thought I was being Punked. I walked/jogged for over 35 minutes and now I sit here unable to get up from my chair. Oh yeah, I was flashed as I exited the locker room, next time I am keeping my eyes aimed at the floor.

Tributes of 2008

Every December I purchase the last People magazine of the year. I read the tributes looking for names of celebrities who died, most I was aware of but every year there are one or two that are missed, for example I didn't know Van Johnson died, I remember him in the original Yours, Mine & Ours, funny guy. Charlton Heston, Planet of the Apes, NRA and one of the few conservatives in Hollywood (for the record Arnold is a moderate, a true conservative would never marry a Kennedy)... The Bernie Mac Show was brilliant, I regret that Soul Man was his final movie..Allen Melvin, who played Sam the butcher and Archie's best friend, wonderful actor..Estelle Getty and the cast Golden Girls still crack me up...David Groh swept Rhoda off her feet..Tony Snow was a great voice for the Republican Party, I was thrilled when he was name Press Secy, his passing went unnoticed, liberal journalist Tim Russert got the cover of People...Issac Hayes a legend of 70's soul music...Roy Sceider had the courage to clear the beach when the mayor was only concerned about a shark scaring away tourist, very talented..Dody Goodman, the mother in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, the messy secy in Grease and she stole the film by wearing her bra on the outside of her sweater in Splash..Harvey Korman (Chicagoan) together with Tim Conway made The Carol Burnette Show a perfect way to end the week..Heather Ledger so sad..Suzanne Plushette was sassy in The Birds, timeless in The Bob Newhart Show and killed as Karen's mom on Will & Grace...The best for last, Paul Newman, rough around the edges, sexy, firm, diverse, a real man's man. Rent Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, he and Liz were the most beautiful people on the planet during that space in time, I have issues with Brad Pitt but the man could be the next Paul Newman. You can't go wrong by renting any of his classic films, he was a movie star..

I Love My Ipod - Music, Yesterday & Today

My big kids surprised me with Ipod for Christmas in 2007, it has changed my world. I pop it on and tune out everything around me. I proudly have 163 songs loaded on my device. I listen to Stevie Wonder, Luther, Tracy Chapman, Chaka, Barbara, Diana, Earth Wind & Fire, Alicia Keys, and Beyonce. I was cleaning on Sunday and heard the words very clearly to "Waiting for the World to Change", he basically says his gerneration is not happy with the way things are but they feel over powered so they are waiting for the world to change. Wow, the radicals from the 60's would be ashamed, the founders of our great country are rolling over in their graves, imagine if they had simply waited, Starbucks would be selling tea at even high prices. Maybe I am over-thinking the lyrics but music set your mood and words matter. When Luther sings "If this world was mine I's give you everything.." or Stevie's "Isn't she lovely?" you are reminded of true artist not the cry babies making videos that degrate women and hate our counrty. I shutter at the use of the word artist when I refer to some in the modern group. I hate to sound like a typical old person shaking my finger at young whipper-snappers but "-uck the police" are not the words of a gifted person. Some of the music is fine, I just prefer the old stuff...I also enjoy downloading books, it reminds me of my youth when adults read to me, I love it. I am often found in bed listening to my book club's selection, bedtime stories, what's not to love? Ipod, if you don't have one, get one.

Class of 1983

In August of this year I attended my 25th class reunion at White Sox Park (I refuse to call it US Cellular Field, sellouts). I was thrilled from the moment I heard Kelly Heeter on my voicemail informing me that we were getting together. I may be corny but I love reunions. Lourdes was a Catholic all girls school in the Marquette Park neighborhood of Chicago. My mom insisted I attend that school while I was leaning toward Cathedral in downtown Chicago, I am so glad she insisted. I was terrified my first day and proud on graduation, I loved Lourdes. The only time I had been to Marquette Park was as a scout to bowl at Archer Ave. & Pulaski Rd., we were called some not so nice names as we stood at the bus stop. In 1983 I felt very special that my mom had made the sacrifice. The reunion was so weird for me, I kept referring to my classmates as girls, like they were frozen in time. They still look the same to some degree. Friends from then were still friends. Prior to the reunion some emails describing favorite high school memories informed me just how different our experiences were. I lived on the westside unitil junior year when we moved to Logan Square, I went to school on the southside and worked in Maywood. I was constantly trying to fit in with 3 or 4 different social groups. I was the only black girl in many classes so I would look for another minority to connect with. I realize that race was a factor when I reflect on my high school years. Mayor Washington was elected my senior year and during the election one teacher was not happy when Gail Dean and I would tag his board with pro-Washington messages. After the election a girl who loved singing Double-Dutch Bus (rap) was crying because she heard her neighborhood would change, I could relate, sophomores year my neighbors said we would be slave again when Reagan became president. We chatted, exchanged updates, sang the fight song and reminisced. I enjoyed myself, I wish I had gone to the after-party and look forward to many more.

Thank You Family and Friends

I called my sister and mother when we discovered Patch. Then I started calling friends, Autumn offered help from her husband Vince. I declined, she insisted and said they were coming right over. My husband suggested I take the baby to McDonald's while Patch was removed, our dear friend Dennis was already in the backyard. Autumn told Rita who said that McDonald's was not acceptable, she would meet us at her house. I called Sierra and told her where we would be, Bill had told me how hard she was taking it. When Rey and I pulled up to the Jackson's Mike ( husband) and Nick (son) were very kind to make us feel at home. Mike left to help Bill. Sierra arrived with a puffy face. Autumn came when she completed her job on the recovery crew, thanks. All three families eventually gathered, ordered pizza and pasta. I am so blessed that my friends understood better than I did that we needed to get out...My mom and sister loved him so much. My mom would take him on long walks in the Meadows every time she visited. Marvine put up with me bringing him to every family function at her house, I was crazy, thank you. Marvine offered to come out but I thought that it would be a risk with the big storm we are expecting, thanks....I got a text from a friend Kerry that was very sweet... Telling Bill's sister Jeanne who lives in town will be hard, she loved Patches (she drove me nuts adding -es to his name). We have decided to cremate him and spread the ashes in the garden next spring.

Patch 1999-2008

Our beagle Patch fell through the ice of our pond and drowned. The night we learned that our full term son would be stillborn one of the first things I said was, "Let's get the kids a dog". We decided to get a beagle so we went searching the net with our WebTv device. Beagle pups were at least $400. Bill went to work and learned that a family was divorcing and couldn't take the dog with them, a 10 month old beagle, cage and accessories all free. On January 29, 2000 the entire family, except for me went to pick him up, the front door openned and he ran straight to me, I was terrified about the possibilities of owning a dog. The next day I took him for a walk and he slipped out of the collar. He raced through the snow as I screamed thinking that I was dead if those kids got off the school bus and there was no dog, after a tour of the area he came to me. He was just what I needed that first year we lost Thaddeus, I would walk him and not have to talk or feel like I had to act a certain way just to make people think I was OK. He would lay at the foot of my bed when I was sick, yes he sat on the furniture and slept with us nightly until we moved into our current home, the bed is to high. When we were house shopping I kept in mind that my dog deserved a backyard with a fence. We lived in houses that required him to be tethered, he got tangled every fifteen minutes. We brought Pepper home and they were instant partners in crime, they would get out of the yard and go on adventures for hours. Once they were skunked they would surrender to anyone willing to read their tags and call us. We gave Pepper away last year, puppies are very needy but Patch was family. Lately we have been lifting him in bed since he was to old and fat to jump. He barked at each delivery person even if the package was left 3 houses away. Bill shared his midnight snacks, Jewel frozen pizzas with him. I drove him everywhere even to in inner city for short trips. I will miss the fattest beagle who never demanded anything, he just wanted to be next to a warm body. I called him my furry son, (I stole that from Dennis Miller). I tell my children, "There are two quick roads out of my house, mess with Reagan or mess with Patch".