Open House

We went to our son's open house at their high school. It was well-organized. We each had a list of classes to visit at specific times and we got to meet all of their teachers. They both have the same history teacher. My youngest son has him first period and my oldest has him last period. My wife went to my youngest son's classes and I went to my oldest son's classes. We only saw each other once the whole night. They both have a class right across the hall from each other one period. I got to see the basement of the school where my oldest son takes driver's education. I had never been down there. The weight room and locker rooms are all down there. My oldest son does a lot of walking up and down the stairs. I got a great work-out trying to find his classes. He has some great teachers. His Spanish teacher was his freshman football coach and he has the same math teacher as last year. A couple of his classes looked really interesting and made me want to be back in school. The night flew by. It was over at 9:30 p.m.

Fantastic 4

I watched the DVD "Fantastic 4."

Synopsis

Exposed to cosmic radiation during a space mission, inventor, astronaut and scientist Reed Richards, his ex-girlfriend Susan Storm (Jessia Alba), and pilots Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm, are torn apart and reformed atom-by-atom. Soon after they return to Earth, they each manifest fantastic superpowers. Richards can stretch his body to inhuman lengths; Susan Storm can become invisible and create force fields; her brother Johnny Storm can ignite his body into living flame and soar through the air; and Ben Grimm's human features have been erased - now he wears the rocky form of a super-strong, invulnerable 'thing'. Outsiders to the human race, the group remain together and try to stop a madman named Dr. Doom who wants to reshape the world into his own twisted image.

What I Am Doing Today Is Important

"What I am doing today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it." - Unknown

First Game

My youngest son played his first high school football game at home against Lyons Township High School. Their bus arrived late so there was a lot of waiting around. He played the whole game on offense at center and did a great job. I saw him knock the guy he was blocking to the ground a couple of times. The game ended around 8:00 p.m. and we got home about 8:30 p.m.

Be Happy About Your Struggles

"Be happy about your struggles. They can bring you untold satisfaction as you conquer them." — Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

Pushing Tin

We watched the DVD "Pushing Tin"

Synopsis

Nick Falzone (John Cusack) is a control freak. An air traffic control freak. He 'pushes tin' at New York's Terminal Radar Approach Control center. Part catacomb, part frat house, TRACON is the chaotic air traffic facility on Long Island that handles up to 7,000 flights a day into and out of the finite airspace above Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports. Nick works the Newark radar scopes, the busiest of them all, and he is the best of the best. That is, until Russell Bell (Billy Bob Thornton) comes to town. After stints in Albuquerque, Phoenix and Denver, Russell a cross between a motorcycle-riding cowboy and Zen master has come to New York looking for heavier traffic. Once Russell stood in the turbulence wake of a departing 747 just to see what it felt like. Call him crazy... he'll take it as a compliment. Fueled by caffeine and machismo, a rivarly ensues between Nick and Russell. The one-upmanship becomes a contest of wit and wills a game where the winner not the loser could lose it all... his job, his marriage, his mind.

Family Reunion Picnic

We went to the family reunion picnic for my Mom's side. It was in (Cousin) Rick and Jan's backyard in Lombard. We saw Aunt Nan and Uncle Norm who were in from Florida. The Bach family was also there - Dave Bach, Cliff Bach, Shirley (Bach) Hughes Sanders and her two sons Chuck and Gary and her daughter Pam. We saw (Cousin) Scott and Dawn Shannon who were in from North Carolina where they just moved to from Florida. (Cousin) Ralph and Karen were there. (Cousin) Peggy with her friend Harry.(Cousin) Jan and her kids, (Cousin) Judy and her new friend Bob, (Cousin) Tom showed up later and my whole family was there. We caught up with everyone. It turned out to be a nice day after all the rain we had. We saw a lot of branches down in Lombard. We usually have some kind of reunion picnic every year. In a couple of years we hope to have it in North Carolina again.

Family Life

"The great gift of family life is to be intimately acquainted with people you might never even introduced yourself to had life not done it for you." - Kendall Hailey

Essentials For Happiness

"The grand essentials for happiness are: something to do, something to love and something to hope for." - Allan K. Chalmers

Last Kiss

We watched the DVD "Last Kiss."

Synopsis

With his thirtieth birthday right around the corner, Michael (Zach Braff)is thrown for a loop when his long-time girlfriend Jenna (Jacinda Barrett) announces she's pregnant. As he contemplates his impending fatherhood and the commitments he faces, Michael finds himself increasingly drawn to Kim (Rachel Bilson), an 18-year-old with whom he shares an undeniable chemistry. Meanwhile, Michael's closest friends, Chris (Casey Affleck) and Kenny (Eric Christian Olsen), are reluctantly grappling with their own responsibilities and contemplating a trek across South America, while Jenna's parents, Anna (Blythe Danner) and Stephen (Tom Wilkinson), are tiring under the weight of many years of marriage and looking for a new spark.

A Kiss

"A kiss is something you cannot give without taking and cannot take without giving" - Unknown

Side Effects

I watched the DVD "Side Effects."

Synopsis

A young woman fumbles with love and ethics as she navigates a career with one of corporate America’s darlings: the pharmaceutical industry. Karly Hert (Katherine Heigl) has spent the last ten years selling pharmaceutical drugs. Although conflicted on a daily basis by the values within the pharmaceutical industry an industry driven by profits at the expense of patients Karly has been seduced by the golden handcuffs of corporate America. Enter Zach Danner (Lucian McAfee), who convinces Karly to be true to her values and walk away from her lucrative but empty job. As their relationship blossoms, Karly devises a plan to get out. But leaving is never quite as easy as it seems.

Be Kind

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." - Philo

The Departed

I watched the DVD "The Departed."

Synopsis

In South Boston, where the state police force is waging war on organized crime, young undercover cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Costello (Jack Nicholson). While Billy is quickly gaining Costello’s confidence, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), a hardened young criminal who has infiltrated the police department as an informer for the syndicate, is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit. Each man becomes deeply consumed by his double life, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of the operations he has penetrated. But when it becomes clear to both the gangsters and the police that there’s a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin are suddenly in danger of being caught and exposed to the enemy – and each must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save himself.

Brighter

"Whenever you see darkness, there is extraordinary opportunity for the light to burn brighter." - Bono

Kindness

"Kindness, like a boomerang, always returns." — Anonymous

Do A Thing Right

"It takes less time to do a thing right, than it does to explain why you did it wrong." — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Meatballs

I watched the DVD "Meatballs." I'm not sure if I ever saw it. It came out in 1979 and was Bill Murray's first movie.

Synopsis

Set at a low-end summer camp and aimed squarely at a teen audience, Meatballs is a light screwball comedy that turned its low-budget Canadian roots into a very profitable box-office run. The biggest reason for the film's success is Bill Murray who stars as Tripper, the head counselor who runs things at Camp Northstar with the help of his love interest Roxanne (Kate Lynch) and the camp's director Morty (Harvey Atkins), who is affectionately known as Mickey. Camp opens with Tripper and Morty preparing the misfit counselors-in-training - Spaz, Fink, Crockett, A.L., Candace, Wendy, and Wheels among them - for the arrival of their hyperactive little charges. After settling in, kids and counselors begin their activities with a soccer game in which depressed 11-year-old Rudy (Chris Makepeace) accidentally loses the game. Cast out by the other children, Rudy runs away only to come across Tripper, who befriends the boy and makes him his running partner. Romance, sexy fun, and comic hijinx - usually with the heavy-sleeping Morty as their target - lead up to an annual Olympiad in which Camp Northstar battles the wealthier and athletically superior residents of Camp Mohawk. The challenging events include cup stacking, potato-sack racing, and a nauseating hot dog-eating contest in which the portly Fink devours his way to victory. With the two-day event tied up, it comes down to the cross-country run, in which Tripper enters Rudy.

Scrimmage

My youngest son had his first scrimmage on the main field and then they had a barbecue for the players and parents afterwards. He played both ways at defensive guard and offensive guard the whole first half and center the second half. I saw him make four tackles. It was a beautiful night and I'm getting excited for the season.

A Kind Deed

"The whole worth of a kind deed is in the love that inspires it." - The Talmud

Getting Up

"Getting knocked down in life is a given. Getting up, starting from where you are and moving forward, is a choice." - Zig Ziglar

Give Of Yourself

"You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give." — Kahlil Gibran

Goodwill

"Goodwill cannot flow towards you, unless it flows from you." — Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

Inches

"Inches make champions." - Vince Lombardi

Be Your Own Hero

"Be your own hero, it's cheaper than a movie ticket." - Doug Horton

The More A Man Knows

"The more a man knows, the more he forgives." - Confucius

Music And Lyrics

We watched the DVD "Music and Lyrics."

Synopsis

Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant), a washed-up ’80s pop star who's been reduced to working the nostalgia circuit at county fairs and amusement parks gets a chance at a comeback when reigning diva Cora Corman (Haley Bennett) invites him to write and record a duet with her. However, there’s a slight problem Alex hasn't written a song in years, he's never written lyrics, and he has to come up with a hit in a matter of days. Enter Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), Alex's quirky plant lady, whose flair for words strikes a chord with the struggling songwriter. On the rebound from a bad relationship, Sophie is reluctant to collaborate with anyone, especially commitment-phobic Alex. As their chemistry heats up at the piano, Alex and Sophie will have to face their fears and the music if they want to find the love and success they both deserve.

Happiness

"Happiness is never stopping to think if you are." — Palmer Sondreal

Learning From Experience

"There is only one thing more painful than learning from experience, and that is not learning from experience." — Archibald MacLeish

REO Speedwagon Soundstage Show

Congratulations!

You have been awarded two seats at the REO Speedwagon Soundstage show! Attached is the audience tip sheet for the taping, please arrive at the studios between 6:30pm and 7:30pm. Thanks, we will see you at the show!

Soundstage

On Tuesday we found out we won two passes from WDRV "The Drive" radio station to the taping of REO Speedwagon's Sound Stage show. Wednesday afternoon we left home about 4:30 pm and arrived at the studio about 5:50 pm. We stopped at a Subway for some sandwiches before we got there. They had us wait outside until 6:30 pm and then let us into the studios to be seated. It's a big room with lots of equipment. They said they use 11 cameras when taping. We sat about ten feet from the stage. Steve Downes from WDRV introduced the band and gave us instructions. Because the audience was so small we had to make a lot of noise and we stood the whole concert. It was an incredible experience. Very intimate like your own private concert. The sound was excellent and it was fun watching the audience and the band play to the cameras. They played all the favorites and Kevin Cronin even did a solo at the end. They finished just after 10:00 pm, a little over two hours. On the way out the security guard gave us an all-access pass, a nice souvenir. Outside they gave away free vitamin water after the show. We left the WTTW Studios at about 10:15 pm and made it home in great time about 50 minutes. It was a very wonderful and memorable evening. They said the show will be broadcast in January or February after all the editing.

The Word Happiness

"The word ‘happiness’ would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness." — Carl Gustav Jung

The Future

"The future lies before you, like paths of pure white snow. Be careful how you tread it, for every step will show." - Unknown

Entourage - The First Season

I finished watching "Entourage - The Frist Season" - excellent show.

Synopsis'

Entourage, the hit comedy series executive produced by Mark Wahlberg that takes a look at the day-to-day life of Vincent (Vince) Chase, a hot young actor in modern-day Hollywood, and his entourage. He's brought with him from their hometown in Queens, NY: manager Eric, half-brother Drama, and friend Turtle. The series draws on the experiences of industry insiders to illustrate both the heady excesses of today's celebrity lifestyle, as well as the difficulty of finding love and success in the fast track of show biz. Now that the boys are getting used to the perks of stardom, Eric, along with superagent Ari, keep Vince's star rising while making sound decisions for a long-lasting career in a world of fleeting fame. Adrian Grenier ("Drive Me Crazy," "Hart's War") stars as Vince. Kevin Connolly ("Antwone Fisher," "John Q") plays Eric, Vince's closest confidant who's learning the rules of the business as he tries to help Vince make the right choices and keep his trajectory aimed high. Kevin Dillon ("The Doors," "Platoon") plays Vince's half-brother Drama, whose own acting aspirations have been eclipsed by Vince's success. Jerry Ferrara ("Grounded for Life," "Leap of Faith") plays Turtle, the house manager, who's always up for a good time. Jeremy Piven ("Old School," "The Larry Sanders Show") plays Ari, Vince's aggressive, high-powered agent, who clashes with Eric over his client's decisions. Also appearing in ENTOURAGE are Debi Mazar ("Goodfellas," "The Tuxedo") as Vince's publicist Shauna and Rex Lee as Lloyd, Ari Gold's much-maligned assistant.

The Two Minute Rule

I finished reading "The Two Minute Rule" by Robert Crais.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ask anyone on the wrong side of the law about the two minute rule and they’ll tell you that’s as long as you can hope for at a robbery before the cops show up. Break the two minute rule and it’s a lifetime in jail. But not everyone plays by the rules…When ex-con Max Holman finally gets out of jail, freedom doesn’t taste too sweet. The only thing on his mind is reconciliation with his estranged son, who is, ironically, a cop. But then he hears the devastating news: His son and three other Los Angeles police officers were gunned down in cold blood the night before Holman’s release. When the hit is exposed as a revenge killing and the question of police corruption is raised, it becomes a father’s last duty to clear his son’s name and catch the killer. The Two Minute Rule is gripping, edgy suspense from the author who sets the standard when it comes to surprising plot twists and powerful characters.

Scoop

We watched the DVD "Scoop."

Synopsis

The late U.K. journalist Joe Strombel (Ian McShane) is being mourned by his colleagues—even as, stuck in limbo, Joe remains committed to pursuing a hot tip on the identity of “the Tarot Card Killer” at large in London. But how can his legwork get done now? Via the very much alive Sondra Pransky (Scarlett Johansson). Sondra is an American journalism student visiting friends in London. During a stage performance by another American, magician Sid Waterman (Woody Allen), Sondra is shocked to find herself able to see and hear Joe. From beyond, he gives her the scoop of a lifetime and urges her to pursue it. Sondra immediately starts chasing the big story, enlisting the aid of a reluctant Sid. That chase leads right to handsome British aristocrat Peter Lyman (Hugh Jackman). Soon, Sondra finds that the romance of her life may well be the dangerous scoop she's looking for.

Miami Vice

I watched the DVD "Miami Vice."

Synopsis

Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) is urbane and dead smart. He lives with Bronx-born intel analyst Trudy, as they work undercover transporting drug loads into South Florida to identify a group responsible for three murders. Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) is charismatic and flirtatious until-while undercover working with the supplier of the South Florida group-he gets romantically entangled with Isabella, the Chinese-Cuban wife of an arms and drugs trafficker. The intensity of this case pushes Crockett and Tubbs out onto the edge where identity and fabrication become blurred, where cop and player become one-especially for Crockett in his romance with Isabella and for Tubbs in the provocation of an assault on those he loves.

An Accomplice

"When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice." - Charles Varlet Marquis de La Grange

Happy Endings

I watched the DVD "Happy Endings."

Synopsis

Mamie Toll (Lisa Kudrow) is an abortion clinic counselor with a massage therapist lover, Javier (Bobby Cannavale), and a secret: when she was younger, she and her gay stepbrother, Charley Peppitone (Steve Coogan), had a child she gave up for adoption. One day, Nicky Kunitz (Jesse Bradford), a sleazy filmmaker, shows up and plans to blackmail her with information on her child's whereabouts so that he can film the reunion and use it to get into the AFI. Charley now runs his father's restaurant with his lover, Gil (David Sutcliffe), and suspects that their lesbian friends, Pam (Laura Dern) and Diane (Sarah Clarke), lied about using Gil's sperm to create a child so that they wouldn't have to share him with them. Jude (Maggie Gyllenhaal) has been kicked out of her cousin's house and is now living with the latent Otis (Jason Ritter), who lives with his widower father, Frank McKee (Tom Arnold), who has become infatuated with Jude. What Jude didn't count on was actually falling in love with Frank. In the end, will anyone have a happy ending?

What You Can Do

"Focus on what you can do, not what you can't do." - Zig Ziglar