Who Said No Pain No Gain!

Its been a hectic week of activity including a lot of naps.

Friday: After breakfast met one of the Panera guys, Roger, at the Park District gym.

We shot baskets and played horse and pig.

I then showed him the secret weight room and heavy bag.
We lifted a little and hit the bag a little.

While there we met a 78 yr old man who just finished
pressing 200lbs. He bragged he used to lift 300lbs when
he was younger. His name was Casey. A retired fireman.

Roger and I looked at each other and Roger tried to lift
what Casey was lifting. The weights didn't move and we all
laughed. we're 15 yrs younger than him. He looked better and
definitely had a good attitude.

Oh, Casey told us when he landed on Ellis Island, they volunteered him to be in the military. Within weeks he was in Korea.
He said it was really rough.

Went home and took a nap. When I awoke I felt refreshed and decided to take a walk.

I walked to the park ridge library. By the time I got there, it was chilly and I just wanted to warm up.

Who do I see there but Roger the Panera guy. We talked for awhile and it got chilly outside while talking. So I asked him to drive me home.

Ate with Karolyn and she wanted to exercise at the walking track....ooops.

After all the exercise I was tired but I couldn't say no and walked with her.

Saturday I was on the couch all afternoon and didn't get up for morning coffee, I was so beat.

Today, we went to see the Grandchildren boys at their house.

My son was so happy to see us.

As he was greeting us he handed me the coupons for Popeyes chicken.
Cost $23 for Popeyes chicken for dinner.


After dinner the boys wanted us to watch them drive their battery cars:

a fire truck & jeep around the driveway.






We did so while my son threw snowballs at them for 20 minutes and froze. Every time a snowball landed close, everyone laughed.

I crashed under the blanket on their couch.

Little Owen got his doctors bag and made me better.




He's only three and maybe I'll live long enough to say we have a doctor in the family.

Thats it, if this doesn't make sense, blame exercise.

Easter Is Special

Wow, Easter, It is special. It is like a re-birth. For those who believe,
its a celebration of Salvation.

For the others, its a rebirth of life via color. Not just eggs and
decorations but of our spirits....dull dreary winter is gone,
and spring blooming or about to bloom.

For us Elliott's its a day to enjoy and celebrate our family.

My oldest son Jim, with his sweet wife Lori and boys Nate & Owen.
They all enjoy life and each others company. That makes this
parent feel high spirits.

Jill with her guy Thomas and the beautiful Sara. Jill or sara's smile is so contagious, that my heart smiles with them. Especially, when Thomas has his contagious laugh going loud and often.

Jessie and son in law Mark are the yuppie couple you just want to
know and for a parent to ponder:
how perfect they are for each other

Jack: wasn't feeling well and stayed in bed until after dinner. We
all missed his loud and hardy laugh. He looked a dull gray.

Karolyn was so bright with her Florida Tan glowing as she labored
all week to prepare the house for the

Easter celebration.

Me: It was difficult to not smile and be proud. Easter is special
for our special family. I do love them all. Thank YOU.

Fun Day For A Dead Beat...

Some days are not going to be good days.

Bob Varga called last night and suggested we get together for breakfast. I was happy about it until I had trouble sleeping last night.

Awoke this morning and the last thing I wanted to do was get out of bed. But because I said breakfast, jumped, showered and drove off to pick up Bob & Randy in Wheeling IL near Pawaukee Airport.

I picked them up after hugs and handshakes and plenty of smiles. Mine was a tired smile but as much as I love them, we would only spend breakfast together.

We were going past my son Jimmys house. So gave his wife Lori a call, to see if we could drop in. She being so gracious opened the door to her house and greeted all of us as warmly as anyone could.

A great time with Lori and the two grandboys Nate & Owen for Randy-Bob and me.

We ate a great breakfast and I was driving them back to their motel when Bob suggested that we could do anything. As they had the time. Great. My eyes drooping and now he wants to be together even more.

I really had not even thought about anything past the breakfast. I then realized that my friends had come from far away and were willing to spend their time with me. Idiot. How impolite can I be...

I drove past the entrance and around the airport. I couldn’t get my butt in gear.

Randy mentioned a CD and I said Hey I got one and let me put it into the radio.

No, he means a movie.

But the music started. Then a strange thing happened. Randy started naming and singing the songs along to the music.

He was so happy and the electricity spread throughout the car. Suddenly, we’re all singing RAW HIDE—RAWHIDE—RAWHIDE keep them doggies moving, Rawhide…

I woke up and we didn’t stop singing until we arrived at my house back in Chicago.

Randy mentioned he could play all the songs on an organ. I said we have an electronic piano in the house and maybe it still works.

Sure enough I removed all the stuff hiding it and carried it downstairs and put it into the dining room. I plugged it in and Randy hit the Power button.

Immediately tunes were flowing and Randy was experimenting with all the different tones and instruments that the machine could produce.

We laughed and sang some more. Randy was as happy as could be and I was so awakened by these magic moments, that I almost let slip by.

We turned off the power and drove to Al’s beef stand where Randy wanted a Hot dog with just Ketchup. Then it was time to return to the motel.

As tired as I was, I did not want this good time with Great friends to end. But a man must know his limitations.

So as I was about to say: Some days are not meant to be good days, but sometimes our good friends can change dreary into sunshine.

Thanks Randy & Bob.

Its Great To Be Irish

What It Means To Be Irish:

1) You will never play professional basketball.

2) You swear very well.

3) At least one of your cousins is a fireman, cop, bar owner, funeral home owner or holds political office.

4) You think you sing very well.

5) You have no idea how to make a long story short!

6) There isn't a big difference between you losing your temper or killing someone...

7) Much of y our childhood meals were boiled.

8) You have never hit your head on a ceiling.

9) You spent a good portion of your childhood kneeling in prayer.

10) You're strangely poetic after a few beers.

11) You are, therefore, poetic a lot.

12) You will be punched for no good reason...a lot.

13) Some punches directed at you are from legacies of past generations.

14) Many of your sisters and/or cousins are named Mary, Catherine orEileen.. and there is at least one member of your family with the fullname of Mary Catherine Eileen.

15) Someone in your family is incredibly cheap. It is more than likely you.

16) You may not know the words, but that doesn't stop you from singing.

17) You can't wait for the other guy to stop talking before you start talking.

18) You're not nearly as funny as you think you are...but what you lack in talent, you make up for in frequency.

19) There was not a huge difference between your last Wake and your last keg party.

20) You are, or know someone, named Murph.

21) If you don't know Murph then you know Mac. If you don't know Murph or Mac then you know Sully. Then you probably know Sully McMurphy.

22) You are genetically incapable of keeping a secret.

23) You have Irish Alzheimer's... your forget everything but the grudges!

24) "Irish Stew" is a euphemism for "boiled leftovers."

25) All of your losses are alcohol related (loss of virginity, loss ofdrivers license, loss of money, loss of job, loss of significant other, loss of teeth from punch...) but it never stops you from drinking.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

A Heart Trip...plus more.

We had several inches of snow last light but the roads were clear of snow and traffic at 12pm when I left the house.

I took the Kennedy express I90-94 and drove at 80 mph until it all came to a stop.

A salt truck, and 2 semi's tangled near downtown, all lanes were blocked and the Kennedy was CLOSED.

I somehow moved/exited the highway and just made it on time to Heart Scan at 100 E. Walton, just across the street from Bloomingdales. And you know who lives on the top floor--Oprah.

To get there, I drove thru neighborhoods I had not seen in a decade.

Gone were the dirty old store front businesses. Now they had ferns or drapes or crapes. It turned all Yuppie.

It looked marvelous but no parking.

It all smelled of money.

The tests.
They actually did two separate test.










One included the Lungs, heart, Guts/pelvis.
The other did the Carotids and part of the brain.

After it was all finished I was supposed to see and discuss it with a dr


reader (not a gypsy reader). But he didn't make it in because of the snow.

As I drove back to the Kennedy..I drove past Montgomery Wards on






Chicago ave. Now its Condos with River Front views. Say what!


and Valet parking.









Monkey Wards was located alongside the Cabrini Green Projects.







It was dangerous to walk to your car back in the 60's. I know as

I worked there as a teenager.

I would take the bus north to Belmont thinking boy I'm safe I made it
onto the bus.
Then I would read how the gangs would stop, enter and
rob the bus like bandits of old Butch & Sundance.

Except their names were LeRoy & Junebug...

Now the big buildings of the Green are almost gone.

Memories from 45yrs ago should be a little bit foggy...but some are not.

I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES...

WARNING: A UGLY NUDE PHOTO FOLLOWS THIS STORY.

A short story. We stayed at Disney Key West Club...maybe it has a different name now.
Its a motel, Points share condo with 3 other couples.

One women was a little out of shape, a lot but thought she was sexy.

I was sitting at a kitchen island having my first cup of coffee. You know,
elbows barely on the counter with my hands supporting my head and the cup.

Ms beauty about age 50 walks into the kitchen wearing a sleeping top like a shirt with a wrap around belt.

She walked past me cheerfully toward the far cabinets.

Of course I looked up and said good morning. Then it happened.

She reached up to the upper shelves of the cabinet and the blouse rose with her reach. The higher she reached, the higher her blouse went until I saw the full moon. Crators and all.

I actually gagged or choked and ran away up the stairs to my wife and would have jumped into her arms if she could have held me.

I was yelling MOMMIE, MOMMIE...another couple was with my wife and were so concerned.

When I finally told the story,,,they hugged me and comforted me until my breathing returned to normal.

Honestly, she did it on purpose. Made some comment...like, oh you got a view, I guess I forgot my undies.

Yes, some nightmares never are forgotten. This photo below, is nearly what I saw, but Ms Beauty had way more wrinkles.

Some wrinkles were large, I did think I saw her husband..nah..couldn't!!

I tried to cover it up, so you all can sleep.

These Are The Good Times, again...

Wow, when they say what goes around comes around. Or life repeats itself, whoever said it was not kidding.

When we started dating, our favorite restaurant was The Come Back Inn.

You've all been in them. Supposed to be a log
cabin in the Yukon with peanut baskets and all the shells on the floor. A big Kodiac bear above the entrance.

The Inn had 6 rooms upstairs and the catacombs downstairs (made to look like a cave).

The main room had a Giant Fireplace with the front half of a moose above it. A surprise waited in the room behind it.

Another Giant fireplace with the back half of the moose. Always good for a laugh.

The rooms were so dark it was difficult to see much with just small candles in little red glass jars burning on the tables.

There must have been a hundred tables upstairs and downstairs. Our group sat in every table at least once thru the years.

The main nourishment was the pitchers of beer. The Come Back had the best food to go with the beer. "THE KODIAC BURGER" on dark rye bread with sliced onion, tomato, lettuce and in a basket filled with the best fries.

Our last visit was 5 yrs ago when Jimmy & his wife Lori told us they were expecting their first. Of course we cried, but not in our beer.

Soon, the neighborhood changed and the Come Back Inn closed.

Now we're stuck with wannabee pubs like Barnabys. The Barnabys near us celebrates Valentine's day with Heart Shaped pizza.

Its not the best pizza but its cute and we've been going for 10yrs.

There are no peanuts or Kodiac burgers but it does bring back memories of good times.

Times where you had to keep an eye on your glass of beer. For if you didn't suddenly peanuts would be floating in it.

Times where single friends would toast their beers to the good times.

I remember each and every smile and laugh.

Too bad we were cool and didn't bring any camera's.

So, 40+ yrs later we settle for Barnabys.

Tonight, we toast to the new good times with our kids who have their own children

Location and times have changed
yes, these are the good times "2".