This weekend was really weird.  It started off Friday morning when I was asked to work on my day off (now I am working like 12 days in a row).  Later, I went to the game night that I previously described (in my newly repaired automobile..l brake problems) where I learned that some friends were looking for a sitter for Saturday night.  The next morning, I contacted them and said that I would be happy to watch the four kids.  I get off at 4.  The plan ALMOST worked out.  Instead of a 12-4 shift, it was a 12-9 shift.  I felt horrible.  I immediately called and explained the situation.  Hopefully, there will be other opportunities when I ACTUALLY know my schedule.

Today was a fun day.  I only worked until 2 so another great friend and I went to see Four Christmases which was kind of cute.  You can read taylhis’ indepth review.  Some laughs, not the best movie ever made but it was worth seeing with a friend.  We then went to Wal-Mart and spent an hour there wandering around.  I ended up completing my  Batman movie collection (yes, I even am the proud owner of the horrendous Batman and Robin travesty; however, I still lack the original big screen adventure from 1966).  Along with my The Dark Knight DVD is a reproduction of the original comics in which the Joker and Two-Face are introduced.  One strange thing about the comic originally published in Detective Comics Issue number 66 (1942) the District Attorney who became the scarred supervillain was named Harvey KENT.  I’m not sure how long it took to change the name to Harvey Dent but this took away any confusion that might have been caused with Superman‘s alterego of Clark Kent.  That would have made for an interesting story.

I’m not entirely sure if I have posted on this event that happened about 25 years ago, but it stands out as one of those unforgettable experiences that will stay with my family forever.  It will definitely be passed on to at least the next generation.  It just happened to come up at work today as we were unloading a truck, but it made the manager shake her head in disgust and hide.  Ironically, right after relaying the tale, I pulled a case of cat litter off the track.

Anyway, for those not in the know, when I was younger I had a snow white cat named Snowball.  It was my cat and I was in charge of feeding, cleaning the litter box, etc.  I came across the kitten while outside playing and she came upon me and I had to go pet it.  Then, she followed me home much to my mother’s chagrin… she wanted NO MORE CATS in the house.  We had already had two that used all of their nine lives.  One used to enjoy leaping into the washer and going for a spin; however, this one later tried to cross the street at the wrong time.

Snowball’s demise was far more gruesome.  One summer evening, my siblings and I were home while the parents were away.  My oldest brother was doing a load of laundry.  Unbeknownst (says he) to him, the cat hopped into the dryer.  The clothes must have smothered the pleas for help or else she was ko’d shortly after start up.

My parents arrived home early the next morning and immediately called the 4 of us downstairs.  They had discovered the most awful smell anyone should ever have to experience of which we were about to be introduced.  My mother, armed with a trash bag, rubber gloves, clothes pin over her nose, handkerchief over her mouth, and shovel, opened the dryer door and started scooping it out.  This was after the idea of calling the fire department was abandoned.  The entire bag of clothes, and remains was buried in the back yard.  The next day, we went shopping for a new dryer.  Years later, we still like to bring that skeleton out of the closet 😉

I just remembered what prompted the story.  The truck driver used a power pallet jack to move the pallets around.  Everytime he used it, it sounded like a dying cat and I mentioned that I know a thing or two about dying cats.  My helper said that she knew the tale; however, the boss (who is the owner of two cats) did not.  So surprised by that, I told her the macabre tragedy.

Last night, I spent a few hours at one of my favorite places to play some games.  I must say that The Office DVD Trivia Challenge is a BLAST.  I may have come in a distant third with 5 Schrute Bucks, but it was fun nonetheless.  I will have to start rewatching episodes Tuesday nights on TBS to hone my knowledge of Michael Scott and associates.  However, I will not bother to say who won the rest of the games.

We also discussed the choice for the upcoming summer musical production.  C asked me if I was going to audition.  I immediately answered “No.”  Honestly, I cannot believe it came out as deadpanned serious as it did because the reaction I got was… “YOU JERK.”  I broke out in laughter.  Of course I am going to audition but he better be, too.  To which taylhis responded about his low self-esteem and the fact that he will complain that his audition was terrible.  On this note, I must agree.

My friend, you have inspired me soooooo much in the past few years… I’m not sure I have mentioned all the ways  and I will not elaborate here.  I just do not understand how one that has inspired not only myself, but I am sure other members of this blog site can be so goofy.  I have seen first hand this TOTALLY UNFOUNDED quality in you more than once and it drives me CRAAAAAAAAZZZZZZYY!!!!!  Man, you are so unbelievably talented and ‘I know nothing any of us can say will change your mentality.  However, I do expect you to be right along with me in May when we BOTH go to audition.  Amen.

On the cover of our extremely late newspaper this evening (inserts for Black Friday sales, but really the store did not get their supply until after 6.30) there was an article detailing various peoples mishaps in the kitchen.  Invariably, this causes my mind to wander to two incidents that I have heard tell about time and again.  They both involve the culinary artistry of my father (who is back to his old self again and we can all be thankful for that).  Apparently, long ago either when I was a wee lad or not even born, he ATTEMPTED to cook goulash.  I say attempted because he began by putting the uncooked macaroni along with the meat and other ingredients into a pot of not boiling water.  I guess he was going for the goulash soup.

On another occasion while serving as Assistant Scoutmaster of my brother’s Boy Scout troop, he attempted to cook spaghetti on a camping excursion.  What the boys eventually were about to consume was a pasty substance that only the Scoutmaster himself would sample.

I think from then on, my mother was the gourmet and dad was left to the everyday hamburger, grilled cheese and the like.

So from all of us to all of you, may you have a blessed Thanksgiving filled with family, friends, blessings, and a day void of cooking disasters.  BTW, taylhis, what time did your paper arrive at your doorstep?

WOW… One month from today is one of the most perfect nights of the year… better get started.  I’m sure I can fill my blog with many a holiday tale by then.  This one was prompted by an email that was sent to me which I forward to a bunch of people.  A list of questions that got me even more in the spirit of things.  One of the questions was

• What was the WORST Christmas present you ever received?

My answer was quite cryptic as I replied that it was a “keyboard that I THOUGHT I was getting after someone else snooped and informed me of.”   Santa always delivers our presents early and strategically hides them throughout the house.  How else can he get to all those houses in one night?  Anyway, my second oldest brother who is extremely fond of pulling little pranks (if you know him at all then you can imagine).  One day, he was investigating one of Santa’s favorite hiding places and came upon a small keyboard and immediately thought that he knew to whom it would be going.  He subsequently told that person of his discovery.  So, Christmas morning came and no keyboard.  At our extended family gathering, my cousin opened up said keyboard.  Of course Chad had to have been the one to open his mouth and say “oops. I thought that was for you.”  At the time, I am sure that I was a bit let down but soon after everytime the incident is mentioned, everyone in the know gets a big laugh.  Lesson learned by me: don’t trust everything your older brother tells you, especially THAT one.  I’m not sure if Chad learned any lesson that year, but judging from other years, I don’t think so.  It was a pretty easy prank to pull since Dan and I are both musically inclined.

Tonight a group of friends and I went to support a theatre family member who is part of her high school swing/show choir (and her beaming papa as well).  I won’t delve too deeply on the performance, but will say that one of the songs deeply touched me.  I know I have mentioned the beautiful piece entitled “Believe” from the magical movie The Polar Express sung so majestically by Josh Groban.  It has become one of those songs that I HAVE to listen to at least 50 times each holiday season.  It speaks of the magic of dreams and how as people grow older they often lose sight of those dreams.  But just look in the eyes of a child and often you can see, remember, and believe what it was like to be that young and have that wonder inside.  Of course, for some of us that wonder can so easily be reignited or may never have left.  I get goosebumps all over just hearing the song everytime.  Just a chill runs through my entire body.  Maybe those words are trying to tell me something?

The evening also took me back huumanah years to my final holiday concert and the festive medley that the choir sang, entitled Cool Yule.  I don’t remember the entire plot but I do remember that Santa (played by your’s truly) and Mrs. Claus had to rap… and I’m not talking about present wrapping  here.  This was the second time that I had put on the red suit and black boots.  In fifth grade, I was the jolly old elf in our elementary Christmas musical Santa and the Snowmobile in which a slick salesman almost convinces Santa to abandon his team of eight tiny reindeer for a gas-propelled vehicle.  I do remember doing some improvising as the sound of the snowmobile was not properly cued.  I think I gave the cardboard cutout a good swift quick and said to heck with it.  This was long before you-know-who or I would have uttered a quick you-know-what.

Children sleeping, snow is softly falling
Dreams are calling like bells in the distance
We were dreamers not so long ago
But one by one we all had to grow up
When it seems the magic’s slipped away
We find it all again on Christmas day

Believe in what your heart is saying
Hear the melody that’s playing
There’s no time to waste
There’s so much to celebrate
Believe in what you feel inside
And give your dreams the wings to fly
You have everything you need
If you just believe

Trains move quickly to their journey’s end
Destinations are where we begin again
Ships go sailing far across the sea
Trusting starlight to get where they need to be
When it seems that we have lost our way
We find ourselves again on Christmas day

Believe in what your heart is saying
Hear the melody that’s playing
There’s no time to waste
There’s so much to celebrate
Believe in what you feel inside
And give your dreams the wings to fly
You have everything you need
If you just believe
If you just believe
If you just believe
If you just believe
Just believe
Just believe

Ok… look at those words.  Definitely.  Not just on Christmas Day.

I know that the baseball season has ended and legions of Cubbies fans are still mourning the playoff showing (not trying to rub it in; honestly, there is a point to this madness).  Tonight at work, I was chatting with a friend and customer whose daughter lives in Chicago.  I told him that some of my best friends moved to this area from the Chicago ‘burbs.  Greg’s daughter lives within breathing distance of the hallowed ivy covered outfield walls of Wrigley Field in Wrigleyville.  Her apartment building is near the Budweiser sign where a game can be seen right out the window.  Coolers and grills are frequently seen going while games are going on.  I said, “Don’t tell my brother.”  “Don’t worry, Chad and I have already discussed it.”  But don’t be asking to use any connections anytime soon.  The apartment complex has been purchased to be redeveloped into something more lucrative (just don’t ask me what).

This brought about a discussion of my brother’s devotion to the team.  Every spring, he conveniently becomes ill at lunch on opening day (or takes a vacation day from work)… EVERY YEAR.  One would think that the school would catch on.  In our youth, Chad and I shared a bedroom.  He would spend hours in the room making towers of baseball cards.  Invariably, these towers would be placed right beside the closed door.  Consequently, the door would open and the towers would come crashing down.  THIS was not done purposely.  Periodically however, I have a cousin who would stay overnight and we would have some fun by going into the bedroom and mischievously knocking over the cards.  OH, My… you would not want to be caught dead after Chad discovered his hours of work destroyed (intentionally or not).  And guess who was first on his radar?  To this day, I never understood why he stacked and restacked those cards when he could have been protecting them and probably would have some money in them.  Even less did I understand his practice of personally autographing the cards that did not have a signature on them.  I do not know how many cards he has but we have speculated that it has to be in the millions (I’m not kidding).  He would also get entire sets of cards for Christmas year after year which he would open and mix in with all the other cards or trade with friends.  AH… YOUTH.

Not so sure about the life part but the reality definitely.  I got back from Toledo Airport around 2 Thursday afternoon.  I was back at work at noon on Friday.  While there for my NINE HOUR SHIFT in which I was dressed in pants and long-sleeve shirt, I had the (mis)pleasure of purchasing a bottled version of an A&W Root Beer Float.  I was not expecting much but when I came to the bottom of the bottle, I had a remarkably queasy feeling the rest of the evening.  I certainly hope that the experience has not turned me off the real McCoy (no, not Dr. Leonard H. “Bones” McCoy).

Saturday morning, the entire town was supposed to be without power from 6AM-2PM which means that the store would not be open until 3PM.  On Thursday, the town officials announced that a generator was being installed to limit the outage to a total of two hours (one in the early morning; the other around 11AM).  This meant that the store would in fact be open for all but the hour in the middle of the day.  The people who were originally scheduled to work in the morning had made plans to be out during the outage.  So, guess who said that he would work no later than 12.  I had plans of my own.

After my shift, my good friend Megan invited me to be her guest at her brother’s wedding.  Being a Catholic ceremony I knew exactly what to expect, but since only the bride was Catholic it was not a full mass.  Mother of the groom, Carol, sang a beautiful rendition of Tracy Byrd’s Keeper of the Stars.  There was a harpist and violinist who also played beautifully.  Megan read from 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7.  Overall, a beautiful ceremony.

Along with the wedding came the reception.  I was momentarily apprehensive about all the people whom I would not know.  However, I was pleased to discover the friendliness and easy-going atmosphere generated by all.  And the Italian feast was delicious and filling.  Megan and I danced a lot and I met her father and step-mother and lots of her relatives and other friends so it was very fun.  I had to make my way out a little after 10 since I had to be at work at 8 the next morning.  I also reminded Carol of the package I asked her to deliver as she checked the pooches of the soon to return vacationers.  My only regret is that I failed to bring the camera I had recently acquired.

It has been just over a week since Emily’s memorial service; however, I had to include one of the most emotional moments. A soloist sang a song that I knew that I had to know but at the time could not remember from where. It was THAT powerful. While listening to my library of songs on my itunes shuffle, the song For Good from the musical Wicked played. AHAHA. Just hearing the words to the beautiful song took me back not only to the service but through many of my most cherished moments with Emily. Amazing the power of the gift that she helped me cultivate for so many years.

I’ve heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don’t know if I believe that’s true
But I know I’m who I am today
Because I knew you…

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You’ll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend…

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
Because I knew you
I have been changed for good

And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness
For the things I’ve done you blame me for
But then, I guess we know
There’s blame to share
And none of it seems to matter anymore

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood
Who can say if I’ve been
Changed for the better?
I do believe I have been
Changed for the better

And because I knew you…
Because I knew you…
Because I knew you…
I have been changed for good…

Everyone has at one time turned to someone be it a parent, sibling, friend, teacher, or even a complete stranger and been changed profoundly in some way. Thank you for being that someone to not only myself but to all those whose lives you touched, For Good.

Wicked (Piano/Vocal Selections) (A New Musical) By Stephen Schwartz. Songbook for voice, piano and guitar chords. This edition is in standard piano/vocal format with the melody in the piano part. 120 pages. Published by Hal Leonard. (HL.313267) See more info…

Ok… today (all right, yesterday) was the second annual Theatre Softball Game/Picnic. When I arrived, I saw people decorating the pavilion where we were to meet decorating for a birthday party. Unfortunately, the sheet that claimed our group’s rental had fallen off. However after the offer was made to share the space, the birthday revelers graciously set up at another nearby location.

So after the large contingent of theatre regulars and new recruits ate, the time had come to do battle on the softball diamond. The teams were chosen and the game commenced. I again amazed myself by getting on base 4 out of 6 times. the first at bat being a strike out. Happily, I hit a triple but almost caught up with the runner in front of me; I kept shouting… “GO, C____, GO!” The fielding however, not so good. Although, I was instrumental in turning a double play at first base. I kept offering to let someone else take the position, but… However, after 7 innings of play, my team had 19 runs to our opponents 18. Not too bad for a group of thespians out having a day of fun. Yes, I WOULD say that had my team lost. I did see the tell-tale sign of the buzzards circling our territory as they did last year looking for any fresh meat that happened their way.

The festivities continued at the wonderful home of some of the best people anyone could ever have the great pleasure of knowing. We watched the 1994 Kevin Spacey starring film Swimming with Sharks. For anyone who has ever wanted to get into the film industry, this is DEFINITELY THE MOVIE FOR YOU. A very dark, but hilarious tale about a little guy getting revenge.  The movie tells the story of a young man who hopes to break into the business who has the boss from hell (played marvelously by Mr. Spacey). The young assistant grows so tired of his demanding, overbearing, rude, obnoxious boss that he kidnaps him and well… you just have to see for yourself. Also in the cast is Michelle Forbes who appeared as Ensign Ro Laren on Star Trek The Next Generation.

The evening ended long after most everyone else had left. Three of us were trying to convince our fourth wonderful friend to join us for a few days in Florida next month. She promised that she would consider it (look at her syllabi, try to get off work for 4 days, etc). Honestly, we were not trying to force her to join us; we just thought it would be so great to have her come along. But, she promised to let us know soon.

So, yet another fun day with great friends.