One Last Silly Thing

Ok, here's one last thing we will remember - David was way comfortable around Kat. He laughed, he shared and he did not hide from her. That is a pretty huge thing with David and "strangers."

But for whatever reason.... He could not remember her name or if she was a him or a her.

We tried all we could, but she was still "that over there" or "that um, that um, who isn't here right now?"

Yet David listened to her with respect, gave her hugs and told her stories and just seemed to sense that having her here was something special. And it was....

Having her here was very special. We miss her.

And David misses her bigtime.

Reflecting on Kat's Visit

Matthew's first time at the beach having his peepee covered in sand while wearing a silly hat his mother put on him.

Do I hear Paul Simon?

hhhmmmm... I got nothing....

Turns out, Kat actually knew people in our neck of the woods. She invited them over to our house for supper...She did what?! Guess what - We enjoyed them more than Kat herself! That is Mick in the background thinking um, well, um,... I am not sure...heehee... just checking to see if you are still reading this Kat.... Hey Kat - Dinner was way good!

We did St. Augustine. We did Jax Beach. (Ask to see her silly tan!) We ate very well. We also had the opportunity to go out to dinner - just Mick 'n Me - let me repeat that - Mick 'n Me - thanks to Kat she gave us a chance to go out like old time's sake and enjoy sushi at Ichibans and a couple of cold one's at Lynch's - just like old times...

Hey Kat - THANK YOU!

Big Hugs, and Thanks,

We love you

OK. Whatever. We saw Yanni.

Nana's Surprise



Ok - here's the timeline. We'll address my manlihood later.




Kat was supposed to arrive Tuesday night. The weather was way bad, and it was better to secure a flight on Thursday, rather than getting stuck in Philadelphia for a night. Wait - why is Kat grabbing Nana's boob?


Mikey looked at the calendar and called Nana. "So, what'd you think of the surprise," he asks...


Nana has, "No clue."


They both backpeddle and the conversation ends... Michele asks me if I talked to Mikey, which I have not and she fills me in. Surprising Nana is a difficult thing.


I call Mikey back and say I am about to surprise Nana with Yanni tickets. I'll put this next statement in quotes, "The surprise you were talking about, but never let on about, were the Yanni tickets...kapeeesh?"


kapeesh, or however it is spelled.


Phew....


Yanni was an amazing show. Easy. I love classic rock and alternative rock. But I also can admit when I see something that blows my mind. Yanni's tour, Voices, is a quality act. If I look at this as a scale of 1-10, this show was a 9. Please don't lose respect for me. Nana would say this was a 119 on the same scale.


Kat, Mick, Nana and me went to see Yanni. Deal with it. I still chew Levi Garrett. The kids had good baby sitters. Nobody was harmed.


Nana came alive and was nearly jumping out of her seat. This was more than a concert. This reached her soul. Pretty special.

As grown children, please think about how seeing something reach the soul of your own mother might feel....

Silent pause....take a deep breath in....

Pretty cool feeling, huh?

Hurricane Kat Arrives in Florida

Kat is Here



My sister, we call Kat, arrived from New England. Nana had no idea. We love surprises.



My other sister, we call Sis, also surprised us, but by saying that she had the dates wrong, and after planning a trip from Ohio to Florida for six months, she couldn't make it. We even grew a lawn anticipating her arrival, but I won't lay down the guilt. We even got Kat to come to FL for the first time because Sis and her kids would be here. But seriously, I'm not laying down the guilt. It is an innocent mistake she's made for the last six months. Have I mentioned, my sister prides herself on being Blonde...?!


Kat arrived, and Nana had no idea. Like I said, we love surprises. There is nothing like surprising our Mother. I surprised her once a bunch of years ago on Christmas Day. I called her Christmas morning from California, lamenting about how much I missed her, then showed up at Christmas Dinner 3124 miles away. I've never seen my Mother wet her pants, but I came close that evening. That was a pretty huge hug. I see pictures, and I still can't believe how long my hair was.



Kat snuck in through the garage and came out the front door, "Supper's Ready!"



Nana froze. Nana could barely get out of the rocker on the front porch. Seriously. Was it a heart attack? A stroke? Nah, just Kat. With a big ol' genuine smile on her face. Kat did this semi-kick, dance thing, rolling from one leg to the other.


Times like that make you consider calling 911. Nana was frozen.


Kat's never been here. I haven't seen her in almost 3 years. I am a lousy big brother. I am old and crusty and she is still 22. Wait. She is 40, but looks and acts like she still feels 22. She will always be 22 in my eyes. She is a special girl. Seriously. And amongst all the other things that make her so special, you should hear this girl sing.



Matthew melted right away. This is the first picture of Kat & Matthew ever. This is the first time they've met. Check out his hands. Later, Matthew said she was "good people" and he enjoyed the peek down her blouse.



Nothing has changed - She's always had a way with the boys...

Do we all even want to know?

This was the only the first hour - and to think - the weekend only got better.

Quickly

Very quickly - there has been so much to write about these past few days. Having "Auntie Kat" visiting us for the first time has been something special. Once I get the many pics downloaded and I get enough cold beers replaced in the fridge - a post will follow. I only hope the upcoming posts will be as meaningful as the week has been.

Family is special.

Happy Easter

An Easter Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus Christ

On this day you conquered Death

And Rose from the Dead

Help us to remember

That You are here with us

Not only here with us today as we celebrate your Rising,

But, Here with us each and every day

Here with us in times of Happiness and Sadness

Here with us in times of Triumph and Loneliness

Help us to remember

That You are here with us to guide us, to strengthen us, to comfort us

We humbly ask for your continued blessings in our lives and to heal and comfort all of those in need.

Thank You for rising from the Dead to be with us today, and throughout eternity.

In Your name, Lord Jesus Christ, we Pray, Amen

Happy Easter to You and Your Families

The Chicago Disc Golf Road Trip Wrap-Up

It's the middle of Winter in April in Chicago...I still can't believe the plane was full - full of people who actually wanted to go to Chicago in the middle of winter in April!

A Random Wrap-Up of Thoughts, Thanks & Pics

Wow, the weekend went by fast.

When we tee'd off on Hole 1 at The Oaks in Mokena, it was frigid, windy, grey and wet. It was muddy and the conditions were just horrible. It really did feel like the middle of winter.

Yet...there was an excitement in the air. This trip was something special; this trip was many years in the making. With kids and wives and ex-wives and dogs and deadlines, sometimes it takes years to get away for a weekend. How sad. But it was finally here. Jeff D. actually turned off his Blackberry and locked it in the glovebox. Rob H. could only hold his breath and stare in disbelief, wondering if Jeff was just pretending...Time stood still...Jeff locked the door... Let the Road Trip begin!

As the weather improved over the day and into the next, we were in the middle of our 4th course out of the five and I asked Jeff if he felt the same - didn't Hole 1 at Mokena feel SO long ago? Truly it did.

Saturday was something special. West Park in Joliet was a great place to play. I think Community Park in Channahan surprised us both and we would both return in a heartbeat.

As old, crusty guys, amazingly out of shape; we became humbled by sore arms and shoulders and backs.

I am sure our enthusiasm will remember only the best parts of the weekend and the most enjoyable time we had. It's not only the disc golf either; it is not a weekend about winning or losing. I will not tally up the birdies, pars or bogies. (However - after playing 93 holes in two days, I must say that neither Jeff nor myself threw a 6 or higher on any one hole I am surprised and proud to admit!)

This is a Disc Golf Road Trip about such things as our friendship, the high-fives, the farting-while-trying-to-putt, the cold dark beers, the 6-hours of slow cooked ribs, the making one feel totally welcome and at home in a place one has never been before. Thanks, Jeff D.. You are a wonderful father, a truly patient man, as well as an amazing cook. For as much as we joke, I hope I never do beat you by 18 strokes - you are a far better human being than that.

Road Trip Magic.

The Chicago Disc Golf Road Trip Day 3

Day 3

Day 3 turns out to be a lazy, rainy, windy day with a threat of snow. As much as we talked the night before about being "Men" and going to play a couple of courses in the morning...turns out us "Men" are "Wimps" and we rather enjoyed sleeping in and drinking coffee. (My coffee was black - doesn't that make me still a "Man?")

We did however, do a Chicago-style-drive-by and I got to see the City. Carsick at 65 miles per hour. But even at that - it was way worth it.

Of all the things I hoped to do during this trip - aside from playing Disc Golf and drinking beer with a good friend - I wanted to see Millenium Park in Downtown Chicago. Jeff obliged and we braved the drizzly cold wind and saw "The Bean." Very Cool. Cooler than Very.

Cloud Gate on the AT&T Plaza
Cloud Gate is British artist Anish Kapoor's first public outdoor work installed in the United States. The 110-ton elliptical sculpture is forged of a seamless series of highly polished stainless steel plates, which reflect the city's famous skyline and the clouds above. A 12-foot-high arch provides a "gate" to the concave chamber beneath the sculpture, inviting visitors to touch its mirror-like surface and see their image reflected back from a variety of perspectives. Inspired by liquid mercury, the sculpture is among the largest of its kind in the world, measuring 66-feet long by 33-feet high. (milleniumpark.org)

I will download a few more pics soon and wrap this up.

This was a great weekend.

Road Trip Pics as of Day Two

Day Two 4/4/09

Doogan Park, Orland Park
An Intermediate course; very well layed out through a small area of a well maintained park. We used this course as a warm-up before heading to Joliet to play West Park. This turned out to be a good thing - this allowed us to loosen up our tight arms from the rounds the day before and also allowed Jeff to sneak in a well played round and beat me by a stroke! (Can you say, "My putting sucks!") And hey - watch out for trains!

Look closely - is this really out of bounds? Is this a playable lie?

Nine Holes: Jeff: -1 . Carl: Par

(All scores throughout are based on Pro Par - all Holes are considered as a Par 3)

West Park, Joliet

I just realized, that I sadly have no pics from this course. This was a GREAT place to play and I may even say this could be on my list of Favorite Places to Play Disc Golf. Created in 1979, this is an older, well established course with a lot of history. West Park reminded me of Mount Kisco in NY. But something about the rough terrain and the mud and the fear of water, gave this course an edge. An edge that made it exciting, not daunting, if you know what I'm trying to describe. I also need to put out a high-five to groups before us and behind us, for being Good Peoples. Both groups recognized nice shots from the groups around them and cheered everyone on. This was the kind of day that made me excited about Disc Golf, and then I realized I live in another time zone from here!

Front 18

Jeff: +9

Carl: -3

"Back Nine"

Jeff: +3

Carl: -2

Community Park, Channahan

Wow. Jeff D. stumbled on this course by accident. Turns out that Community Park is only about 5 miles from West Park. What a difference 5 miles can make! But in a Good Way! Years ago, we played a course in Rhode Island called Ninigret Park. We talked then about how nice of a course this could be if it were only manicured. We got to play such a course at Community Park. This was like playing on a Golf Course. Well-defined fairways, mulched islands of trees, and accurate signs. Plus there are way nice paths and defined tee markers. Somebody has a lot of time on their hands!

Two things also stood out and made us smile - First, were the tee pads. The grooved cement tee pads were long enough for a nice run-up. But even more importantly, the front of the tee pads were landscaped in gravel - in the shape of an arrow, pointing in the direction of the basket! Pardon me if this is a regular cool thing you all have heard of, but for a first timer, we thought this was way cool.

Secondly, a cool a thing that took a few holes to realize - there was a "Hendrick's Hook" painted red on the basket. At first, I assumed an extra hook was added to prevent small diameter discs from falling through the basket. And then I realized that this was the way to point to the direction of the next tee area! Very sly!

This course was established in 1982. It feels brand new and beautifully done - although we did mention on numerous holes that this course was designed by a demented left-hander!

Jeff: +10

Carl: +1

I hated for today to end. The weather doesn't look so good for Sunday.

I asked Jeff, "How about a bar stool and a pretty bartender? Instead I got Toby & Phil.

...At least I got my bar stool.

Today was a great day. Thank You Jeff.

Road Trip Pictures As of Day One

Frisbee Central
Palos Hills, IL


Day One: Friday April 3, 2009

The Oaks, Mokena

A beautifully laid out course, well maintained through a community park. Although it was muddy being this time of year, this is a beautiful course that most parks could aspire to become, when considering a course of their own. Rubber tees, EXCELLENT signage - I'm sorry I did not take a picture of the tee signs. If I had one more day, I would use the excuse that I needed to take pics of the signs, just to play this course again. I wanted to return to the park office and ask if there was a guest registry, just to write my appreciation for this course and say Thank You. This was a lot of fun to play, even being 37 degrees and windy and muddy.

My First Throw on the First Course of the First Chicago Frisbee Golf Road Trip:

Mokena and The Mud

Scores for 27 Holes:

Jeff: +15

Rob: +40

Carl: +8

Haines Wayside Park, New Lenox

Vandalized, short, depressing, and smelly. I thought Rob H. was smelly, but it turned out the sewer plant smelled much worse. Two missing baskets. Teenager hangout. However, there are a few interesting and sweet holes along a river and through the woods.

Jeff: +9
Rob: +13
Carl: +2

Road Trip Stats as of Right Now

Frisbee Central:
Jeff D.'s Townhouse in Palos Hills, Illinois.
Way cool seeing Rob H for the first time in 15 years.

Courses Played:
Friday
The Oaks, Mokena
Haines Wayside Park, New Lenox

Saturday
Doogan Park, Orland Park
West Park, Joliet
Community Park, Channahan

The Top 10 Reasons God Created Excedrin:
Sam Adams Oktoberfest
Sam Adams White Ale
Sam Adam's Lager
Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest
Fat Tire Amber Ale
Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale
Coors Light
Miller Lite
Eagle Rare Single Barrel Bourbon 10 Year Old
Woodford Reserve Bourbon

Number of Holes Played in Two Days: 93
Number of Miles Driven: 268

#1 Medicinal Remedy Needed:
Arbonne Bio-Nutria Herbal Muscle Massage Pain Relieving Gel. And lots of it. We are old and crusty.

Chicago Weather:
Friday: Cold, Drizzly and raw to start, then sunny and breezy to finish. Lots of Mud.
Saturday: Frost to Start, Sunny and Warm to finish. A beautiful day.
Sunday: Raw, wet and threatening. Definitely NOT Frisbee Golf Weather for old crusty guys with lame arms and sore backs.

Road Trip Low: 32 degrees
Winds: 25mph sustained with gusts to 40mph
Drizzle
Wind Chills: Way Freakin' Cold
Something worried me when I looked down and saw that I was drinking coffee out of a coffe cup with a Snowman on it. An omen?
Frost on Saturday Morning
Road Trip High: 54 degrees - seemed much nicer than temps show. Saturday was beautiful.

Sunday Weather Predicted: Rain, Sleet & Snow
Calling for 3-8 inches before I leave. (My first Snowflakes seen in at least 4 years, seen at 1:55pm CST)

I know, I know, Who CHOOSES to go to Chicago in the middle of Winter in April??
"It's the middle of Spring," Jeff yells repeatedly...

Sunday Sightseeing in Chicago in the Middle of Winter in April at 65 Miles Per Hour
Rain. Wind. Traffic. Navy Pier. Sears Tower. Michigan Avenue. The Wacker. Rock 'n Roll McDonalds Drive Thru. (yes, Jeff slowed down) Millenium Park. The Bean. (Way Cool)

And Lastly, an Item of Note for Those That Know Me:
Yes, I am still in shorts

Getting Through Security

When I tell stories like this, I must make my wife and children so proud. What a goof.

I am at the airport and I am in line at security. The TSA agents are checking boarding passes and pointing each person to each security check. A large black woman looks at me and says, "Sir, come with me." She pulls open the roped divider and points to an empty table. "Have you done this before? Do you know what to do?"

"um...yes..." I am randomly pulled from line and told to go to a special place. I can feel the burn of everyone's eyes staring at me.

"Open your bags, off with your shoes and pull out all your gels and creams."

I am all sweaty now and know my forehead is getting all shiney. I know everyone is staring at me, but I keep my head down and I do what she says. I have everything all spread out, easy to search through and I take up a good sized area of the alotted space with nice neat piles. I wait, then look around for my next instructions. She's gone. She went back over to the other line and has her back to me. So I wait.

I turn and look around and see that all the windows open up to the food court and the crowded waiting area. I'm thinking, this a crazy place for a cavity search. Shouldn't there be curtains?

I look over and a really big TSA agent raises his arms, like, "Hey you, what are waiting for?" But I think he's looking to the side of me, so I just wait. My pits are pretty sweaty now too.

I glance around again and I see the really big TSA agent again, and he seems a little agitated. He points right at me. I'm like way hot behind the neck now and really, really shiney on the forehead.

"Me?"

"Are you ready or what? he says obviously agitated at something or oh god, somebody. Me?

"Do I need to take my pants off?

He stands up from behind the camera x-ray monitor thing and stares at me. He is really big. Really big. I am feeling weak. And then I notice he has one lazy eye and one eye is looking in one direction and the other eye is looking at me or maybe at me, I can't tell. I keep catching myself not knowing which eye to look at and I keep looking from one eye to the other and panicking and going back to the good eye, then back again because what if he wasn't really talking to me. I am weak and sweaty and I just know they suspect that I am some drug smuggling frisbee player about to blow up the plane with a suspicious package of hair gel.

He barks, "Shoes in the bin, push your bags on through and walk through."

And then I get that sudden sinking feeling and realize that, Yes, he is barking at me. And yes, there are about a dozen people all waiting patiently behind me, not knowing what in the world I am waiting for, and why am I holding everything up? Turns out, when she opened up that rope, she started a new line and I am the first person in a newly opened security line hoping to speed things up on a busy evening. Instead, I have a bunch of people waiting impatiently behind me wondering what in the world I am thinking. If they only knew I thought I was about to be strip searched!

I push everything through and I stumble all over myself trying to explain to the really big TSA agent's good eye that I thought I was being pulled aside when she opened up the rope for a special search.

"Oh you are special alright," he says with a straight face.

I don't think I have ever been so embarassed. Seriously, I can only imagine my eyes were like, Huge! Everything turned out fine, yet all I kept hearing in my head was what Michele would be saying if she was there: "I don't need to wooorry a bit about anybooody else falling in love with you, do I?!!"

...Oh Boy. The Adventure has begun!

Road Trip Magic Begins and The Road Trip Hasn't Even Begun!

Road Trip Magic.

During our first Disc Golf Road Trip, Jeff D. and I experienced many episodes of "coincedental occurrences" we could only describe as Road Trip Magic.

Tonight, I am packing my things into a suitcase-style handcarry with the handle and the wheels. I hate these things. Sissy things. Give me a backpack and a frisbee bag and send me on my way. Except I am going to Chicago. Yeah, Chicago in April. The Frozen Tundra. Oh wait - isn't that Green Bay? Nonetheless, I am pretty sure, according to weatherbug.com, that I will experience sun, wind, rain, snow and mud.

So I am packing my "layers" and cussing up a storm that I am turning into that very teenage son of mine that comes to visit for like, three days, and packs for like, three months. I am now that person. My handcarry has wheels for pete's sake.

Okay, I know - Road Trip Magic. Get to it.

So I'm packing my things into this sissy handcarry suitcase with wheels that hasn't been used in at least two years and I pull on an elasticized strap and a little tiny zip-lock bag appears from between the packing area and the sidewall.

I am listening to, at that very moment, a song called, "Hope in a Hopeless World" by Phil Roy. Also recorded by Widespread Panic. This is a song with sentimental meaning for us and we have signed CD's by Phil Roy to prove it.

Okay, I know, the Road Trip Magic story; here I go. I find in this little zip-lock bag, a bag of Michele's favorite jewelry she lost or thought was stolen two years ago when she flew home from her Grandma's funeral.

Deep breath. This is huge. This is something she misses bigtime, and we talk about it on a regular basis. Just last Monday matter of fact, when she mentioned next Thursday's Memorial and how she misses her favorite earrings.

Ever lost something? A favorite something? For over two years? Something like favorite jewelry? And then found it? Two years later?!

When I put that little bag of jewelry in her hand, she not only lit up, she lit up the kitchen; she lit up the whole house; her smile lit up the whole side of the Eastern Seaboard.

If I had not given in, into using this silly suitcase, who knows how long it would've been until we found this - if ever. And for this to happen with that particular song playing.... it's kind of freaky...

Road Trip Magic and The Road Trip Hasn't Even Begun...