I’m part of a football pool at work, and everyone has a cool name for their team. I’m overtired, over worked, and really lame, so all I could come up with is “Mama Bear”.
Anyone got any better ideas for a cool name for my football team? I don’t want anything with “Yano” in it - remember, these are work people, they don’t know about my secret internet life (well, at least I pretend that they don’t know.)
Suggestions are welcome!
Hmm, I think I should start being a fan of Nickelback. I always seem to end up loving their music videos. Their music, not so much, but they always seem to have the coolest videos.
Here’s their latest, “Rockstar” which features several of my favorite things - people lipsynching, Eliza Dushku, Nellie Furtado, Chuck Lidell (and other celebrity cameos) and a lot of shots of Chicago - though it’s shots of Chicago (and other cities) that aren’t normally shown in videos.
This blog needs more Ben…but this time, I’ll show my “Creepy Kid” photos. Not sure why Ben is trying to look like a spooky kid here, but he’s a weird kid, what can I do?
Got this from Margaret on Myspace, it was pretty fun to do…
ONLY TAKE IF YOU’RE FROM (or were from) THE CHICAGO AREA.
1) What is your full name?:
Christine
2) How old are you?
32
3) What exit do (DID) you live off of?:
Well, now I live off the Lake exit, but I’m a suburbanite now *cries* When I lived in the city it was Nagle if you’re coming from the west, Bryn Mawr if you’re coming from the east
4) Very Late Night Munchies?
White Castle…the one on Addison
5) What’s Your Favorite Restaurant In Chicago?
Cafe Iberico! Yum! I take everyone there.
6) Your Favorite Food From there?
The Croquetas de Pollo, in a close second is the Pulpo a la Plancha
7) Can you handle driving through the Dan Ryan?
After living in California for year, I can handle driving through anything
Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robins?
Ohh, tough one. I’ll have to choose Dunkin Donuts because their donuts are yummy
9) Best Mall To Go To in Chicago?
Hmm…it’s so hard to choose! I guess Water Tower, since it has a little bit of everything.
10) Best Beach in Chgo?
North Avenue
11) The Most Tasty Slice Of Pizza You Ever Tasted Is From?:
Lou Malnati’s with the butter crust, and there’s always a special place in my heart for Little Caesar’s
12) You hear the town of Naperville what is the first thing(s) you think of?
Aquaman!
13) You hear the town of Cicero what is the first thing(s) you think of?
Crime
14) You hear the town Berwyn, what is the first thing(s) you think Of?
The Son of Svengoolie (BURRRRR-WIIIIIIIN!)
16) Six Flags or Beach?:
Six Flags…sometimes the beach can be smelly
17) Have You Ever Been Up Close To A Lighthouse?:
Not that I recall
18) What’s Your Favorite Bruce Sringsteen Song?:
Dancing in the Dark, though i have no idea what this question has to do with Chicago
19) How Many 7-11’s were In Your Town?:
Um, a lot?
20) Have You Ever driven down lower wacker?
It’s like my little secret highway. There’s hardly any traffic down there. Shhh!
21) 290 or I-55?
290
22) I-pass or no I-pass?
I-pass, definitely!
23)Cubs or Sox?
Cubbies!
24) Ever Drive To The City For No Reason?:
Yeah, though I make up reasons to go back into the city
25) Beach at the lake or a pool?
Beach
26) Cermak Rd or 22nd st?
22nd - it’s closer
27) Best Romantic Spot in Chicago?
Museum campus at night
28) Do You See Your Self Living And Starting A Family In Chicago?
Unfortunately, I’ll have to settle for a town outside of Chicago, but dammit, my kids are going to visit Chicago all the time!
29.) First thing(s) to come to mind when you hear Chicago mentioned?
Home!
30. Been to United Center or Soldier Field more often?
United Center, soldier field only once
31. Favorite movie made here?
That’s a tough one. Mercury Rising was filmed in my building, but Batman Begins made Chicago the perfect Gotham, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was all over the city!
32. Fave Actor/actress from here?
John Cusack
33. Do you call it a front room or a fronch room?!
Living room 
34. Fave outside game as a kid?
Tag
35. Fave season in Chgo?
Fall, I love the changing of colors and crispness in the air
36. Jerry Springer or Oprah?
Oprah, but I’ve actually seen Jerry live
37. What do you think of when you hear Lake Shore Drive mentioned?
How ugly Soldier Field looks from it
38. Fave museum?
Field Museum, though my favorite exhibit in Chicago is the sliced people at the Museum of Science and Industry
39. Fave italian ice flavor?
Lemon
40. Slip n slide or sprinklers?
Sprinklers
41. Whats the number for Empire Carpet?
588-2300 - my mom HATED that commercial
42. Do you get mad when people pronounce the “S” at the end of Illinois.
Yes. It makes me want to bite them
43. Is it pop, soda, coke, or soft drink?
Coke
44. Is it gym shoes, sneakers, tennis shoes, or trainers?
Gym shoes
45. Ditka vs. a hurricane.
Ditka
46. What about hurricane Ditka?
A sure sign of Armageddon
47. Have you ever used furniture to save your parking spot in winter?
When we lived in the city, definitely! I worked hard to clean out that spot!
Can you believe that it’s been four years that Dave and I have been married?!?! It’s crazy!
Thought I’d post up this pic since the Cubs have been doing so well!
Well, well, Mr. Pop Culture has corrected my earlier “Cat Stevens” post, by submitting this comment:
When did Cat Stevens do a Harry Chapin song? I’ve only ever heard him or Ugly Kid Joe do it.
Of course, I need to make sure, and found this on wikipedia:
Many people mistakenly believe the song to be the work of artist Cat Stevens, and a mis-titled MP3 version is widely circulated on the internet. Jack Black contributed to this confusion, playing part of the song in a Saturday Night Live sketch where Black’s character claimed the song was by Yusuf Islam, a.k.a. Cat Stevens. There are no known, verifiable recordings of Cat Stevens performing the song however, and a Cat Stevens fan web site assures readers that Stevens has never performed the song, “not live, not in the studio, and not even privately.
I hate it when I’m wrong!!! It sounds like Cat Stevens, I swear!
She’s out in Detroit working her way to becoming Redpac’s sugar momma.
Happy Birthday Claudine! Miss you much.
…and YES, I did watch VH1, and homeboy got chunky!
As I must have mentioned a million times already, I’ve been REALLY busy with work. Working a lot of late nights, a lot of weekends, drives up to Milwaukee and a little traveling here and there…I have been working non-stop. It’s been a bit unfair to poor little Ben, since a lot of the time I’ve gotta hand him off to Dave or keep his attention busy with television or toys.
When Dave was busy with studying for his boards, or when he was on-call all the time I would always sing to him the song “Cats in a Cradle” by Cat Stevens. He, in turn, would sing it when I was traveling. For those of you who have never heard it, it’s about a father who is always busy, and his son is yearning to spend time with him. When the father actually stops to spend time with his son, it’s too late, the son is grown and has a life of his own.
Sometimes I really feel like that’s happening. Ben’s growing up so fast and every free moment I have I try and soak him up and marvel at all the new things that he can do. I feel horrible when he wants to spend time with him and tries shutting my laptop. It sucks that I’ve got to wake him up at 5 in the morning so I can drop him off before I drive up to Milwaukee, and then cries when I hand him off to his grandparents, reaching his hands out to me saying “Mama! Mama!”
That song echoes in my head, the warning loud and clear to me…if I don’t take the time out to be with him now, it may be too late if I wait.
So, here’s my favorite rendition of the song, by Ugly Kid Joe:
FYI - Yusuf Islam is the Islamic name of Cat Stevens, who had converted in the 70’s. For some CRAZY reason, Movable Type won’t let me put Cat Stevens in the title of my post!
Click on the link for the lyrics.
[Read more →]
I guess I’ll do my Wizard World Comic Convention in little snippets…there’s no way that I have time to sit down and do one complete write up! I’ll start off with my thank you’s, because it wouldn’t have been as fun as it was without the help of friends…
There’s a buttload of other people to thank, mostly people that I see every year at the convention as well as new people I’ve met. Thanks to the artists that did sketches for me (I’ll post ‘em up eventually!) and anyone who made Ben’s first convention a memorable one - for me, not him.
