www.MattandSally.com

We've moved.

2012-02-06T22:09:00.002-06:00

We've officially moved to our own site. No more blogspot.

Come on over and check us out:

www.mattandsally.com

New Blog!

2012-02-04T00:20:00.001-06:00

Well, we finally... 7 years later took the plunge and now have blog hosted on our own URL.

Come check out the new design! :)

www.mattandsally.com

I'll Take A Double.

2012-01-29T22:04:00.004-06:00

I have worn glasses or contacts since the fall of 1982. I wore my first pair (pictured here) with honor. At a time when my older siblings wore orthodontic gear and glasses or contacts, I was happy to have gear of my own. It felt grown up.

Playing football was always a challenge. In 6th, 7th, and some of 8th grade football, I just wore glasses inside my helmet. No special sports goggles, just regular plastic and metal-framed glasses. That led to a lot of unfortunate collision incidents, and eventually I broke a pair in half and played the rest of the season blind. I was not an effective pass-receiver.

Also, as you might guess from the picture, I did not receive much attention from the ladies.

I got contact lenses in the spring of 88, when I was in 8th grade. I was not immediately more successful in athletics or romance. In fact, one girl, who we will call Amy Plumlee, asked me pointedly, "are you prude?" when I had failed to pull the trigger on several kissing opportunities. Apparently, my lack of glasses gave the impression that I might know how to kiss a girl when, in fact, I did not.

I got used to wearing contacts eventually. A little too used to it: I slept in them and wore them much longer than you should. I abused my eyes. So for the last few years, I've worn glasses most of the time, and contacts when I played sports.

Sally and I finally decided to get Lasik surgery this year. We set aside the money in the flex spending account, and made our appointments. Sally did it two weeks ago, and I did it this morning. Here's my experience.

I arrived at 11:30, and the receptionist, Olga, took my name and handed me the customary paperwork. The warning page starts with "The long-term effects of Intra Lasik (TM) are unknown." Great. Then they describe a couple of possible infections that could lead to loss of your eyeball. Not just your vision, but your eyeball. Again, great.

I finished the paperwork and gave it back to Olga. She gave me a valium at 11:55. I settled in to read about the superbowl, and was not at all prepared when they called my name at 12:03. That was my first-ever valium, so I didn't know what to expect. Evidently, I should have ordered a double.

I went behind the glass (the operating room is set up like a fishbowl in full view of the waiting room). The doctor introduced himself and said, "why don't you let Alex (his assistant) borrow your glasses for a minute. I took them off, as I had done a million times before, and did not think about the significance of the moment. The doctor invited me to lay on the table, amidst the millions of dollars of equipment arrayed about it.

Someone put deadening drops in my eyes. The whole process was narrated by the doctor. He warned that I would feel some pressure when they attached a ring-shaped device that would hold my eyelids open (and my eyeball still?) while they used a laser to cut a flap in my corneas. The pressure is no joke, and made me wish that I had asked for a double valium. While the pressure was applied, my vision went completely black.

The doctor narrated all of this in a tone that you might expect from an elevator operator. Fifth floor: ladies' accessories, kitchen goods, temporary blindness.

After they got the flap flapped, they hit the exposed eyeball with pulses of laser that (I guess) reshape my eye into something that will work better. That's how I found out what my eyeballs smell like when they're burning. Not totally unpleasant, but unlikely to be a marketable fragrance.

Repeat with the left eye (a longer series of laser blasts were required because of more correction needed), and we were finished. They helped me sit up, took my hairnet off, and put me in a different exam chair. "Looks perfect," said the doc. Alex handed my glasses back to me, and I had a little catch in my throat as I folded them and put them in my pocket.

Sally drove me home. They tell you not do drive the first day. I am frankly amazed at how well I can see right now. This is like a miracle.

You Told that Lady Sam was Potty Trained

2012-01-17T20:58:00.002-06:00

In a parenting first for me, Francis called me out on a lie I told someone else. This weekend, we went to IKEA. Our plan was to drop the kids, including Sam, off at the playland. I probably could have told you that the First Rule of Småland is that children must be potty trained. Two-and-a-half year old Sam can actually pass for potty trained, except when he has soiled himself. Helping the ruse, if you ever ask him if he just pooped his pants, he always responds with an emphatic, "No!" Our plan was to put him in there with a pull-up on "just in case."

As we approached, an IKEA employee was putting out a sign that said, "Småland Will Not Accept More Children For 35 minutes." Viewing an hour of free childcare by complete strangers as worth the wait, I sat with Francis, George, and Sam while Sally started shopping. The kids and I waited, playing twenty questions to pass the time. Francis was stumping me by picking kids in her school that I'd never met. Finally, after about forty five minutes, our time came.

Wait. Have that one stand on the green feet over there. He's potty trained?

Well, yeah.

He's not wearing a diaper?

He's got a pull-up on. You know, just in case.

It's right here on the sheet you just signed. No diapers OR pull-ups. No exceptions.

OK, sorry Sam. Francis, George: I'll see you in an hour.

Sam had been watching the fun through the giant window as we waited. He'd pointed out everything he wanted to play with. When he was refused entry, he wailed. It was sad and I felt guilty for leading him on this fool's errand. I felt guiltier later that night, when Francis said: "you told that lady Sam was potty trained."

I looked at Francis and said, "that didn't work out very well, did it?"

Francis laughed, and I hoped -- not for the first time -- that kids could learn from their dad being a dolt.

Golf ball sized hail

2011-05-24T21:05:00.001-05:00

Scout's Vise

2011-05-15T21:26:00.002-05:00

Our coffee table is made out of rattan with a little triangle of space in between the supports on the floor. Ever since he was a little puppy, Scout has been using that triangle as a vise for things he needed to chew. Tonight, he's in his workshop taking a rawhide down to size.

Fire Ants!

2011-05-09T23:00:00.002-05:00

I'm so glad that the fire ants found me after I played golf this weekend.

In other news this week: we finished Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets tonight. It probably took a solid month and a half of bedtime reading, but F and G were engrossed to the end. Two things I love about reading to these kids: (1) stopping on adjectives and asking them to show me what they look like with their faces (e.g. "astonished," "aghast," or "perplexed) and (2) inserting Notre Dame references throughout (always annoying the children).

In more other news: I'm really going to miss G saying "Di-Lego" instead of "Diego." F pointedly corrected him tonight, and I'm not sure he'll ever say it again.

Laying sod

2011-05-01T20:56:00.001-05:00

I almost neglected to take a "before" picture. This was 3.9 pallets of sod and two days ago. It's Sunday night, and I still have more work to do, but we now have a lot of St. Augustine grass in front of and behind our house. With the rain today, I'm going to have to sharpen the mower blade soon.

Another day another tooth

2011-04-16T11:38:00.001-05:00

Ate a Tooth

2011-04-15T21:01:00.001-05:00

Francis lost one of her top front teeth yesterday. She was eating a muffin as we walked up the sidewalk at Lily B. Elementary. Only seconds after talking about how she might lose her tooth at school, she stopped in her tracks and said, "It's Gone!"

We retraced her steps, but couldn't find the tooth. My guess is that, like her very first lost tooth, this one is in her belly. I expected her to be a little upset, since she had been looking forward to the celebration that accompanies losing a tooth at school (including wearing a special necklace with the lost tooth inside). She just laughed about eating another tooth.

Woodturning Baby Gifts

2011-04-14T00:52:00.012-05:00

We're at that stage in life where all of our friends have been having babies for a while. In the last couple of years, since I've gotten into woodturning, it has been a lot of fun to give baby rattles on these occasions.

This is the second type of rattle that I've made. Step by step, here's how you do it. (1) cut two pieces of maple and one piece of walnut to identical size. I think these are about 2.75" x 6". (2) using a forstner bit, drill a biggish hole all the way through the walnut at both ends. I used one of the maple pieces as a backstop for the drilling, because it helps me line up the pieces during gluing (3) glue the drilled walnut to one piece of maple and fill the voids with some popcorn kernals (4) glue the other piece of maple to cover the corn-filled holes, clamp and let dry overnight.

The picture above is what you end up with after step 4. Sorry I don't have pictures of the first steps.

5) After mounting on the lathe and applying the roughing gouge, we have a cylinder.

(6) I mark out the high and low points with pencil before cutting to shape with a bowl gouge. Two of those marks remain in the picture below.

(7) First using a round-nosed scraper, and then 120, 220, and 400-grit sandpaper, I refined the shape of the rattle.

(8) (unpictured) turn the piece off of the lathe. That means you remove material until there is just a tiny bit holding it on each side and then take the last bit from the drive side and catch it as it falls.

(9) after sanding the evidence of mounting off of the ends, I put a few coats of mineral oil and beeswax on the rattle.

Pronunciology

2011-04-10T22:53:00.002-05:00

Francis liked to bake pupcakes.

George always ate frackers.

Sam requires a bottle of milt.

I smile when I hear him say it, and I find myself responding in kind: "Sam, we ran out of milt yesterday." Francis and George don't say pupcakes and frackers anymore. One more sign of my mortality. Damn the speech therapists, I don't care if Sam says milt forever.

Already Gone

2011-04-10T22:48:00.002-05:00

Already Gone from gulde on Vimeo.

Francis and Matt rarely collaborate musically. When he asks her to sing the Notre Dame Victory March, for example, she sneers and says "Go TCU." If we even look in the rear-view mirror when we hear her singing in the car, she buries her face in her chest. So I was very lucky to get this video of her playing the guitar with her daddy.

Three things I love about this video: (1) george banging his cars in passive-aggressive protest (2) uninterested dog on couch, and (3) Sam teetering on the chair across the room.

We Should Start Blogging Again

2011-04-06T21:28:00.003-05:00

The kids were asking about their birthdays tonight at bedtime. Not their upcoming birthdays, but their second birthdays. We had a hard time coming up with some of the details. A lot of the details, actually. So I went into the blog archive and pulled up this post. I'd forgotten George's turn of phrase:

"George's favorite food is probably either waffles or pancakes. He will eat two very large pancakes, pausing only to demand, 'need more butter' several times per cake."

I'm sad to have let these moments slip from my mind, but grateful to have written them down. So, at the same age that I tried to capture George, here are some things that make our Sam our Sam.

Sam is a dancer. We've known this for a long time. Sally had an old party CD with "Mambo No. 5" that found its way into the minivan. Every time it came on, year-old Sam would start dancing --- mainly shoulders with a little grin. Play Mambo No. 5, and Sam would start moving his shoulders, even if he was half asleep.

The dancing has continued. Two weeks ago, he entertained the upper deck at the TCU-Houston baseball game with his moves. Every time a TCU batter came up, they played a theme song, and Sam jumped off the bench to shake it.

Sam's first word, beyond mommy and daddy, was "help!" Appropriate for third-born, I think.

Sam has a special relationship with Scout. He gives the dog hugs and kisses, and sometimes sits on him, saying "eee-ha!"

Just like Francis used to give her scary face, Sam loves to show how strong he is. He clenches his fists and teeth and poses when asked.

Sam's not climbing out of the crib yet, but he'll climb anything else. He loves to go up and down the playset that we inherited from the Blacks. Mischievous, too: his daily forays into the pantry forced us to install child locks on the doors.

Sam is a blanket hoarder. My mom made him a yellow one that he loves, but he also must have George's blue blanket. He calls them his "di-dis" and sleeps with both of them whenever he can.

Our Sam loves the water. He rolls around in the bathtub like an otter. In the pool, he puts his face under and comes up smiling.

He is currently the only child who says "go irish" without irony.

I love who this kid is. Can't wait to see who he becomes.

Cheap Treat

2010-09-01T00:06:00.001-05:00

Originally uploaded by ..Sally..

I am not a fan of fast food. I can't say I've officially banned it from my life, but unless a mom's group is meeting there or unless I'm on a road trip - you will never find me eating there. Wait, Chick-fil-a doesn't count, right? Okay, so like I said, it's not a hard and fast rule in my house, but you won't see me breakin' down any doors... until that is, I found out about this silly little key fob at Wendy's.

Wendy's has a frosty key fob that costs $1. With it, you get a free Jr. Frosty with every purchase you make there until the end of 2010. My kids always appreciate a special treat (especially with this Texas heat) and getting ice cream nowadays costs a ton. You can easily walk out of Braums having spent $7+ on ice cream that is a) way too much to spend and b) is way too much for your kid to eat. Half of it goes uneaten and I can't help but always feeling like it was a waste. Enter, the Jr. Frosty deal. Buy one, get one free and it only costs $1 plus tax. It's the size of a Dixie cup and I found out that if you ask for whipped cream on top, they add it for free. Perfect.

My kids think I rule... and I don't hate myself for wasting money.

Sure, sure... it's not in the healthy treat category, but you gotta splurge sometimes. ;)

Show me

2009-05-07T21:30:00.000-05:00

George, show me your loose tooth again.

more to come

2009-04-17T00:30:00.001-05:00

Per the chart below, looks like Caroline or Davis is going to be $20 richer come nightfall. We're headed in for a 7:00 induction appointment. More to come . . .

Baby lottery

2009-04-10T21:27:00.000-05:00

Sally's family came in for Easter, and we set up a baby lotto. A
dollar a pick. Maybe George knows something we don't.

Happy Birthday Grammie!!

2009-04-05T14:32:00.000-05:00

Celebrating at The Plaza.;)

Francis and Matt headed to the theatre to see Annie

2009-04-01T19:41:00.001-05:00

Francis and Matt headed to the theatre to see Annie
Originally uploaded by ..Sally..

So adorable...

2009-04-01T19:39:00.001-05:00

Annie ticket!
Originally uploaded by ..Sally..

Tonight Matt and Francis headed to the theater to see Annie. Thanks to our old neighbors in Oak Park we inadvertently ended up with their DVD movie and it has turned into a favorite for Francis. She has all the songs memorized backwards and forwards. One of her favorite afternoon activities is to have me play the soundtrack loud in the van while parked in the garage. She fills a mop bucket and scrubs our driveway - no joke. Add to that crazy scene, she'll tell me to yell at her to "scrub harder" (like Mrs. Hannigan yells). I'm sure our neighbors are talking! As luck would have it, we found out about a month ago that it was coming to town for a two day show and we scooped up two tickets.

Well, tonight was the big night. Francis could not have been more adorable and more excited about going. She decided to wear her "fancy dress" which is actually a Dorothy costume that her Aunt Denise made years ago for her cousin Jacki. ;) Francis said that it looked like an Annie dress. And she couldn't stop smiling through dinner and talking about every scene. Why is Matt the lucky parent who gets to join her? Well, we told her we bought two tickets and she could chose who she wanted to take... she thought very seriously and then responded "Mommy, I can't take you because you're two people - you and baby- and we only have two tickets. So, I'd better take Daddy." Smart girl. Let's hope the freeloader in my tummy makes an appearance soon - today is my due date afterall.

Happiest Kids at the cemetery

2009-03-31T11:16:00.001-05:00

Happiest Kids at the cemetery
Originally uploaded by ..Sally..

Francis told Sally that she wanted to go see Grandpa Joe's grave yesterday, so they went out to Llano Cemetery on the windiest day of the year and brought flowers. The wind didn't keep them from chasing each other around and otherwise ignoring any protocol of solemnity. That's how I would want it if it were my grave.

Blizzard Watch

2009-03-26T17:15:00.001-05:00

Got this email today - March 26:

The NWS Amarillo has issued a "Blizzard Watch" for Friday. The weather event should start Thursday evening as rain, transitioning to snow around midnight. Conditions will continue to worsen with blizzard conditions on Friday morning (4 AM to 10 AM) with winds expected to be 30-40, gusting to 50 mph out of the north. Winds will remain in the 20-25, gusting to 30 mph range during the day, diminishing Friday evening. Temperatures will hover between 24-29 degrees all day. Snow is expected to end Saturday morning around 7 AM.

NWS is predicting 7"+ accumulation in Amarillo with 12"+ accumulations in Dumas.

Recovery should be relatively quick with temperatures expected to reach around 44 on Saturday and a high of 68 on Sunday.

Given the forecast, the EOC will be activated on Friday morning by 6 AM. AFD will have a command team at fire admin at the same time. Personnel are invited to arrive earlier and please be safe!

Also, the NWS Amarillo will be conducting a conference call at 1:30 p.m. today to provide an update on the forecast. We will have the briefing up in the EOC or you can monitor from your individual locations. I will send the information out when I receive it.

The Grotto

2009-03-23T00:43:00.002-05:00

matt and francis at the grotto
Originally uploaded by ..Sally..

A few weeks before we left Chicago, we visited Notre Dame for one last time as midwesterners. We spent a little while at the grotto -- a replica of the grotto at Lourdes. It's a special place, and I spent a lot of evenings there asking for guidance and peace in one form or another. Francis and I found one open space for a candle, and I asked her what we should pray about. At first, she was silent, so I asked her what was most important to her.

"The new baby," she said, and then lit the candle. We had told her about the baby a few days earlier, but we weren't sure she understood. We were touched to discover that she not only understood, but placed it at the top of the list. Sally's pregnancy wasn't public knowledge at the time, so we didn't blog it then.

Just a couple more weeks. . .

My generous daughter

2009-03-20T17:43:00.001-05:00

At The Discovery Center yesterday. We've hit all the museums this
week.;)

At the panhandle plains museum

2009-03-20T15:18:00.001-05:00

Go Irish!

2009-03-17T17:23:00.000-05:00

Happy St. Pattys!

Easter Baskets from Illinois

2009-02-26T16:09:00.002-06:00

"It's hard not to eat the stuff you love."

That's what Francis said when Sally told her that too much chocolate would give her a tummyache. Thanks, Carlssons, for the beautiful and delicious Easter baskets!

Monkeys on my car

2009-02-18T13:29:00.001-06:00

I pulled into the garage and turned my back for just a moment and look
what these monkeys were up to...

Enchilada Night

2009-02-17T20:47:00.003-06:00

Just in case you think it's all sicky frowns and broken collarbones around here, I present ENCHILADA NIGHT WITH FRANCIS. Francis is wearing the apron I bought Sally at Harrod's in London back in November 2001. Remember? That was the trip when Sally thought I was going to propose and I wasn't planning on it. Boy, that was a fun trip.

Amarillo makes us sick...literally.

2009-02-17T18:12:00.002-06:00

Back at the doc again...maybe strep. What's up...this is gettin'
ridiculous.

Update: the rapid strep test came back negative. Now we're in the process of trying to get a stool sample so we can test for salmonella poisoning. Long story, but we'll keep you posted.

Watching Tom & Jerry at the doctor's office

2009-02-13T11:45:00.001-06:00

This is another "good news/bad news" post. The good news is that George's collarbone is healed. The bad news is that he threw up a couple times today. He seemed to be recovering as we left the doctor's office. He repeated "ememeenuts" until I realized he was asking for Peanut M&Ms.

Chia Socks

2009-02-12T10:35:00.001-06:00

I recently went to a playgroup where we made homemade Chia pets (thanks to our great host and my new friend, Darla) and it turned out so great I had to share. Francis is out of her mind...she thinks this Chia sock is so hilarious.
It's super easy all you need is:

mason jar
sock
buttons for eyes, nose, etc.
Hot glue to attach buttons
potting soil
grass seed

The instructions are likely obvious, but I'll recap for the heck of it:

1) Decorate your sock using hot glue and buttons.
2) Fill first with grass seed so it is at the top of the "head"
3) Fill with potting soil
4) Tie knot in sock
5) Place in mason jar
6) Water (the sock sits kind of down in the jar, I just filled the jar to the top every day I remembered)
7) Enjoy and cut hair when it gets too long. ;)

The photo I attached shows our Chia sock with about a months worth of growth.

The Long Day Closes

2009-02-04T00:29:00.002-06:00

Nearly thirteen years after graduating from college, there are a lot of glee club songs that I don't remember in their entirety. One that I do remember is "The Long Day Closes," cowritten by Arthur Sullivan before his shared fame with W.S. Gilbert. The words, pasted below, come to mind when I'm putting the kids to bed, but only when they're content to snuggle and listen rather than demand new made-up songs. Then I go lay awake myself thinking about having sung a song about death to my kids. Come to think about it, my kids are experts on songs about death. They've heard this one, "Loch Lomond," and "Danny Boy" hundreds of times.

No star is o'er the lake,
Its pale watch keeping,
The moon is half awake,
Through gray mists creeping,
The last red leaves fall round
The porch of roses,
The clock hath ceased to sound,
The long day closes.

Sit by the silent hearth
In calm endeavour,
To count the sounds of mirth,
Now dumb for ever.
Heed not how hope believes
And fate disposes:
Shadow is round the eaves,
The long day closes.

The lighted windows dim
Are fading slowly.
The fire that was so trim
Now quivers lowly.
Go to the dreamless bed
Where grief reposes;
Thy book of toil is read,
The long day closes.

After My Own Heart

2009-02-02T21:34:00.003-06:00

This afternoon, Sally and Francis were playing restaurant. This is not uncommon. Francis sat at her play table and the following exchange occurred.

Sally: Thank you visiting my restaurant, may I get you something to drink?

Francis: Yes, please

Sally: All we have is milk and water.

Francis: [considering] I'd like some milk please.

Sally: What size would you like? We have large, medium, and small.

Francis: [considering] medium.

Sally: OK, one medium milk coming right up.
[returning] Here's your milk, ma'am.

Francis: Excuse me, do you give free refills?

Sally: [laughing] yes.

Found in her bike pouch

2009-01-30T17:16:00.001-06:00

Francis told me this is "an autumn leaf from Chicago and an ipoder."

Pictures That Brighten My Day

2009-01-30T14:33:00.004-06:00

Often during the day, an email like this arrives in my inbox. I smile every time.

Revival of the Silly Music Project

2009-01-28T20:03:00.003-06:00

I pulled out the microphone that Sally gave me a few years ago, and dusted off the vocal chords. You might recall that I recorded a few a capella songs for the kids a while ago. Last night, I recorded a couple versions of the beginning of Seven Bridges Road. You can hear them here and here.

They don't reflect any great musicality, but it's just so much fun to make these songs. It makes me want to revive the silly music project.

How good is government insurance?

2009-01-02T14:23:00.005-06:00

This is a good news, good news, good news, bad news post.

The first good news is that Francis is feeling much better. She hasn't had a fever in days, and her appetite has returned in full. The second good news is related: I don't think I got strep from the other night's unorthodox maneuver. The third good news is that on my day off yesterday, we finally bought and assembled bunk beds. Francis has long wanted bunk beds, and we'd been planning on putting her and George in the same room to free up a room for the baby. The bunks are great, and they're already outfitted with Spider Man and Dora sheets.

The bad news is that George fell out of them yesterday and broke his collarbone. Before you go blaming the bunk beds (or the parents), know that he fell out of the bottom bunk while sleeping. We heard a thump around 10:00 last night and saw that he had fallen out of bed. Unable to console the usually stoic George, we started getting worried after an hour of wimpering. We couldn't feel anything obviously wrong, and eventually he calmed down and went back to sleep. He woke again every couple of hours, and just wasn't the same kid we're used to.

Sure enough, an x-ray this morning showed that he broke his left clavicle. He has a brace that pulls his arms back, so now he struts around like a professional wrestler.

Fatherhood

2008-12-31T09:45:00.003-06:00

Francis has had a difficult few days. Her last solid meal was on Christmas day (when she ate an entire steak at Hunk and Jerry’s house in Clarendon). She’s had a fever for most or all of the intervening time. The Urgent Care center told us that she had bilateral pneumonia, strep, and ear infection, and possibly a UTI. After an evening with a kind ER doc, it turns out that some of those diagnoses may have been exaggerated, but I want to talk about Francis’s nose right now. She was blocked up and unable to breathe comfortably last night. She couldn’t sleep, and she hasn’t developed an effective nose blowing technique. Sally tried to use the suction bulb, but it didn’t reach the problem.

If you have a queasy stomach, you should stop reading now.

Other people might have run a steamy tub to try to loosen it up. More medication was also an option. We eschewed these modern solutions and reached deeply into our frontier traditions. I sucked Francis’s nose clean with my mouth, and then spit the offending snot out. No one enjoyed it, but it helped.

The device pictured above is made by a Swedish company called Nosefrida. I am ordering one today.

Somebody is sick

2008-12-30T13:54:00.000-06:00

For all you non-believers...

2008-12-12T11:09:00.002-06:00

Prego#3
Originally uploaded by ..Sally..

I really am pregnant with #3! The belly has arrived.

Ugh.

2008-12-12T11:07:00.004-06:00

Sick with no medicine in sight.
Originally uploaded by ..Sally..

One of the worst things about being pregnant is getting sick. You are banned from all effective meds and are left to fend for yourself. In the last 24 hours, I have consumed ridiculous amounts of hot tea with honey and find myself looking at two empty boxes of PuffsPlus. Nevermind, the back pain every time I cough and the heartburn. Let's just say, pregnancy is not for wimps.

Picking out our Christmas Tree

2008-12-10T14:56:00.001-06:00

Picking out our Christmas Tree
Originally uploaded by ..Sally..

This past weekend, while enjoying the 70º weather here in Amarillo, we picked out our first real Christmas tree. We tried to find a local boy scout lot to purchase one, but without success, we ended up at the Home Depot. This marks the first year that we have a REAL tree. Both Matt and I grew up with real trees, but never could justify the hassle with small children and always being out of town for the holiday. Francis was so excited as you can see in the photo above. I love that she's at an age where this is all beginning to get exciting. For the last few nights before bed she's been asking if tomorrow is Christmas. Remember that feeling?

Encouragement

2008-12-09T18:23:00.000-06:00

Heard just now:

Francis: I'm going to jump from the ottoman to the couch.

Me: oh no, that's much too far. You'll hurt yourself.

Francis: ok...

Francis: George! You try it.

Capitalism

2008-11-25T21:31:00.002-06:00

Sally and I were just talking about how much better Noggin is than other kids' channels on television. When we hooked up cable in Amarillo, we didn't have Noggin, and were amazed at the uneven programming of the other so-called kids' channels, but even more disgusted by the constant barrage of commercials targeting our kids, making them little robots of greed. We changed to the plan that included Noggin, conveniently setting aside the problem of how much TV our kids are watching in the first place.

So I heard from the back seat this evening, "Daddy, I want Swim To Me Puppy."

"What's that?"

"It's a puppy that goes in the water and comes back to you."

"So it's a Swim To Daddy Puppy?"

"No, it's a Swim To ME Puppy."

"A Swim To Francis Puppy?"

"No, Swim To ME Puppy."

"Where did you hear about Swim To Me Puppy?"

"I saw a commercial on TV. I want it."

Choroid Plexus Cysts

2008-11-25T11:28:00.002-06:00

“Are cysts a bad thing?” I asked the sonographer who was rubbing her instrument on Sally’s lubricated belly. She had been zooming in on pictures of various parts of our baby, who has 21 weeks of in utero growth under his or her proverbial belt. The sonographer had applied various labels to the pictures she was taking: leg, hand, heart, stomach. When she got to “cyst,” I asked the question off-handedly, without thinking how I would respond if she said “yes.”

“Not always,” the sonographer said. I immediately wanted to take off my coat, as the temperature in the room had suddenly jumped. Trying to joke, as is my custom, I said, “you know, I probably wouldn’t have asked that question if I thought you’d say that.” I moved away from the monitor, where I had been watching closely, to hold Sally’s hand.

Linda, the sonographer (who had a terrible head cold and paused now and then to cough up and spit out phlegm), said later in a sweet west Texas drawl, “I generally don’t say anything while I’m looking at something. And some people, it goes right over their heads; they don’t notice you paying particular attention to one thing or another. But if someone asks me, I’m not going to lie to ‘em and say there’s nothing there.”

“Not always” turns out to be “very rarely,” but we’re still shaken by these two symmetrical black dots in the cross-section of our child’s head. Linda described them as two choroid plexus cysts (abbreviated as “CPCs”) in the brain of our little baby. CPCs are sometimes a signal of chromosomal disorders, but Linda did not give us any details. We immediately thought Down’s Syndrome, and spoke our concern, but Linda just said that incidence of any disorder is rare---even with markers. She did note that when CPCs are present, she looks very carefully for other markers. Sally and I noticed that she took a very long look at the heart. While noting that it clearly has four chambers, Linda could not get a good view of blood coming in and going out. Likewise, she couldn’t get a good look at the kid’s nose, the septum of which apparently would have told us something. We didn’t talk to a doctor during this appointment, so we immediately started Googling CPCs on the way home. From the UC, San Francisco website:

The choroid plexus is the part of the brain that makes cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid that normally bathes and protects the brain and spinal column. In about 1 percent to 2 percent of normal babies -- 1 out of 50 to 100 -- a tiny bubble of fluid is pinched off as the choroid plexus forms. This appears as a cyst inside the choroid plexus at the time of ultrasound. A choroid plexus cyst can be likened to a blister and is not considered a brain abnormality.

When they occur, these cysts almost always disappear in normal gestation, and don’t cause any trouble for the baby. The cause for concern, and the reason Linda was taking so many pictures of them, is that CPCs have a loose correlation with a nasty chromosomal disorder called Trisomy 18. If your kid has Trisomy 18, meaning that he or she carries an extra copy of chromosome 18, then the kid is going to have big problems. Likely, the child would be stillborn and almost certainly would not live beyond infancy. While these facts are jolting, the numbers are in our baby’s favor. Trisomy 18 afflicts fewer than one of every hundred children with CPCs. From our amateur internet research, it is not clear that Down’s Syndrome has any correlation with CPCs, even a one-in-a-hundred connection like Trisomy 18.

Sally read a lot more than I did last night. I just wanted to see the numbers and get an idea for the rough odds. Knowing that it’s still a really long shot, I can put it out of my mind until we know more. As we sat there with Linda this afternoon, before I knew about Trisomy 18, I imagined myself as the long-term care provider for a child with Down's Syndrome. I pictured difficult social settings, hard decisions with educators, lamentation about lack of connection, and some fleeting moments of transcendence. With those images in my mind, I pray that I could raise a disabled child without bitterness; that I can be grateful for what has come, regardless of its form.

Genocide

2008-11-20T18:28:00.000-06:00

At a Mexican restaurant in Amarillo:

"Mommy, play ball!" (Stop taking pictures!)

2008-11-14T09:01:00.001-06:00

"Mommy, play ball!" (Stop taking pictures!)
Originally uploaded by ..Sally..

As I was taking pictures of my boy the other day, he grew impatient. After posing nicely for a few minutes, he began to object every time I brought the camera up to my eye. The caption here: "Mommy, play ball." is exactly what he was saying as I snapped this picture.

Excitement everywhere...

2008-11-06T12:22:00.001-06:00

Split Vote

2008-11-04T11:45:00.002-06:00

Split Vote
Originally uploaded by ..Sally..

We are a house divided. Francis supports John McCain, while George prefers Barack Obama. It's somewhat fitting, as I've noticed that Francis endorses a "trickle down" policy as to toys in our house, whereas George is a vocal advocate for change.

My mom was working the polling place at her local elementary school, so we brought her donuts when we voted. That's an issue that unites our household. We may disagree on who should run this country, but we can all agree on the consumption of donuts.

UPDATE:

The headmaster at Francis's school just emailed the election results from her school. His email describes an election in which the 3rd - 8th graders elected McCain by a landslide:

It has been an exciting morning here at St. Andrew's with the students (3-8) casting their vote for President. We have had two television stations (channels 4 and 7) here to tape and interview the students. The results are as follows:

McCain 120
Obama 40

Fallen Soldiers

2008-11-03T10:50:00.001-06:00

My Uncle Hunky collects aluminum for recycling, and my saving cans for him has exposed my Diet Dr. Pepper habit in a new way. Before I started saving cans for him, I told him that I would likely be embarrassed for him to know how much soda I drink. "I don't tell the secrets of those who save cans for me," he replied. Here are the first twenty-three cans (276 ounces or 2.16 gallons).

"oh, man..."

2008-11-03T00:38:00.001-06:00

"oh, man..."
Originally uploaded by ..Sally..

If you've spent any time around our boy George, chances are you've heard him voice his disappointment or dismay by saying "oh, man!" As the little brother, there are many such moments, and it's hard for us not to smile when he says it. If our life were a sit-com, "oh, man!" would definitely be George's catch phrase, and I'm sure it would end up on t-shirts and coffee mugs.

In this episode, Francis and George are holding a candy sale the day after Halloween. There are laughs all around as the pint-sized entrepreneurs peddle left-over candy at a quarter a bag. Although this picture captures a moment of exasperation, they actually sold two-dollars' worth. Born salesmen.

Rainbow Fish and Pirate

2008-11-02T23:57:00.002-06:00

IMG_8127.jpg
Originally uploaded by ..Sally..

After flirting with the idea of being a good witch for Halloween, Francis decided to portray a rainbow fish. In a single afternoon's work---and fighting a malfunctioning sewing machine---Sally created this amazing costume. As with Francis's second-birthday otter cake, her 2007 tightrope-walker costume, and countless other great-mom moments, Sally pulled this off in the style to which we are accustomed. There has never been a prettier, more stylish rainbow fish --- or a luckier kid.

George was much more steadfast in his costume choice. For months, he's been telling us that he would be a pirate. He says it with a growl, along with a signature "harr matey." I had originally planned a more conservative mustache, but during application, George wiped it across his cheek to his ear. I think it made him look like Salvador Dali.

One Riot One Ranger

2008-10-28T12:15:00.001-05:00

I was filled with nostalgia when I saw this statue honoring Texas Rangers at Love Field airport. A statue identical to this (or maybe it's the same one) stood in Canyon,Texas at the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum during my youth. I remember loving the arrogant inscription, "One Riot One Ranger," as a kid. I should have known I'd end up doing a stint in law enforcement.

Getting back to normal...

2008-10-28T09:18:00.000-05:00

My first cup of French press coffee in Texas - ah...

I filled up the van for $40.17!

2008-10-27T09:09:00.001-05:00

In Chicago I averaged about $80 a fill up!

Texas pride everywhere

2008-10-26T19:59:00.001-05:00

Sam's Wholesale Club

2008-10-25T13:53:00.000-05:00

For scale, each one of the cheese puff containers is about eighteen
inches tall.

Overheard

2008-10-22T14:00:00.000-05:00

From the kitchen, Sally heard the following exchange in the living room:

FRANCIS: Ow! You hit me.

GEORGE: . . .

FRANCIS: Listen, we have to compromise. Do you want to play with me?

GEORGE: Yeah!

FRANCIS: Then you're not allowed to throw things.

GEORGE: Otay!

Blueberry pancake and sausage corndogs...gotta love walmart.

2008-10-15T11:21:00.001-05:00

Btw: I did not buy these.

Cadillac Ranch

2008-10-13T12:51:00.000-05:00

I expected the weather to be nicer.

Viva El Farol

2008-10-11T19:34:00.000-05:00

Thank you Jeff and Denise (and especially babysitting dynamo Jacki)
for springing us. We're in Santa Fe for the weekend with our great
friends the Breits.

Under $3!

2008-10-08T13:37:00.000-05:00

Bushwood

2008-10-07T23:31:00.003-05:00

When I receive great customer service, I have to tell people about it. Chicago golfers, take note. Before we left town, I had been visiting Bushwood Driving Range in Maywood, IL. I even purchased a $100 card for 12 buckets of range balls. I was three buckets into the card when a storm hit the west side of Chicago and tore down Bushwood's boundary nets. For the next few months, they struggled to repair the nets, and were hampered by another high-wind storm.

I called today and explained that I'd moved to Texas and wouldn't be able to use my card. I wanted a refund, and planned on asking for a portion representing what I hadn't used. "Say no more," the owner said, and promptly offered a full $100 reimbursement. He refused to deduct the buckets I'd already used, and apologized sincerely for the downtime caused by the nets.

Visit Bushwood, if not for their devotion to customer service, then for their homage to Caddyshack.

I'm so tired of this scene!

2008-10-05T10:59:00.000-05:00

Register To Vote!

2008-10-04T00:15:00.003-05:00

In the last 3 days, I have had my car inspected and against all odds, found my birth certificate and SS card buried in a box of moving documents. I've purchased Texas car insurance (which costs more than Chicago by the way?!), purchased $200 worth of car tags, and received my new temporary 6-8 week non-photo driver's license...all just to freakin' meet the requirements (and deadline) to vote in the state of Texas. I can now breathe a little easier knowing I have a voice in this election.

Folks, in many states today is the deadline to register. Please, please take the time. Our ancestors fought for this right - especially all of my fellow women - you have no excuse... go freakin' register!

If you don't know where the closest place to register is, go to: www.maps.google.com/vote

Unless, of course, you encounter a curve...

2008-10-03T12:12:00.000-05:00

Nothing like high school football in Texas

2008-10-02T16:34:00.000-05:00

Watching our nephew Joey play football.

Goodbye public blog, hello new federal prosecutor.

2008-09-30T11:00:00.002-05:00

swearing in
Originally uploaded by ..Sally..

I think this marks the end of our public blog. In the next few days we'll be working on the new version of mattandsally.com. If you have any problems logging on, just shoot one of us an email. We've loved keeping our friends and loved ones updated here and hope to continue to do so. Don't make yourself a stranger, ya hear?!

Eating Rudy's BBQ with Amarillo's newest federal prosecutor.

2008-09-29T19:18:00.000-05:00

How Many Pennies?

2008-09-23T23:05:00.006-05:00

Moving from Chicago to Texas has left us strapped for cash. We're so poor that I'm going to cash in the jug of pennies that's been a doorstop in my childhood bedroom for about twenty years.

How much do you think is in there?

According to this site, the volume of a penny is right around .35 cubic centimeters. Precision in this matter is difficult. Before 1982, pennies were a little bigger than .35, and later pennies are smaller than .35. We'll call it .35.

Using google's handy conversion feature, I see that 1 U.S. gallon is 3,785.41178 cc's.

Without air voids and assuming it is filled to the gallon line, there would be room for 10,815 pennies in this jug. As we can see, though, pennies are not a shape that can be stacked or crammed in such a way as to fill a space completely. So how much air is in there with the pennies?

We could be rigorous about this guess, maybe by seeing how much water the jug will accept in addition to the pennies. But I don't really want to pour wet pennies into the counting machine tomorrow. Instead, I'll make a wild guess. In our tradition of making oddly precise guesses, I say that 87% of the volume is coin and 13% is air. Sally guessed 92/8. Splitting the difference at 89.5%, then we should have $96.79 in the jug.

Give us your best guess in the comments section. We'll post the results as soon as we cash in. The person with the closest guess will receive nothing and like it.

Update:

Pre-1982 pennies are 95% copper, and the first ten pennies I pulled off the top of the jug are pre-1982. Although you could get more than a penny by salvaging the copper in each penny, it's actually illegal. Don't even think about it.

Update 2:

Kat was very close. We cashed in 5548 pennies this evening. That means the space in the jug was 48.7% air.

Did we mention that Dr. Pepper, football, and Texas go together?

2008-09-19T14:39:00.000-05:00

I love you, tri-state fair

2008-09-16T18:54:00.000-05:00

We're Home

2008-09-14T17:01:00.000-05:00

Back in Texas, where football and Dr. Pepper rule.

On the Truck

2008-09-12T13:58:00.000-05:00

It's good, I think, for the rain to fall today. I'd feel worse about
leaving if it were a beautiful day.

Last Night Here

2008-09-11T21:25:00.000-05:00

It's gonna be a late one.

Sorry folks. Museum's closed.

2008-09-08T11:41:00.000-05:00

More Things Francis Says

2008-09-05T20:55:00.002-05:00

1. Tonight before bed, Sally was telling Francis that Notre Dame will play its first game tomorrow. "Will we get to watch it?" Francis asked. "Sure," Sally said, "we'll watch it on TV."

"No," Francis complained, "I want to watch it at the football court."

2. Late last night, around midnight, Francis got up to use the bathroom. I checked on her, and happened to be eating a grape popsicle. Half asleep, Francis asked "Daddy, why do you have a hot dog?"

Too Clever By Half

2008-09-02T00:21:00.004-05:00

It seems that I've noticed people using this phrase more often lately but I've never quite known what it meant. I'd always interpreted it to mean that an argument or position is needlessly complex and that faults lie in the details. Like a Rube Goldberg contraption that almost worked.

The Cambridge Dictionary of Idioms suggests a very different meaning: that to be too clever by half is "to be too confident of your own intelligence in a way that annoys other people." But other sources propose different meanings.

This message board of etymology geeks suggests that the idiom means "too smart for one's own good," or that someone has "outsmarted himself" --- both of which are compatible with my previous understanding. A different site suggests that "by half" suggests simply, "by a long way."

I suspect that the negative connotation conveyed by this old saying has something to do with a negative meaning of the word "clever": "Superficially skillful, witty, or original in character or construction." If cleverness is only superficial, it's easy to understand why too much of it is a bad thing. But the specific prejudice against (1.5) x (cleverness) is a mystery to me unless we embrace the "by a long way" meaning for "by half."

These are the kinds of things I think about at 12:30 am while I'm trying to avoid thinking about trying to sell my house.

Francis's Future

2008-08-31T14:51:00.002-05:00

Today after a visit to the aquarium, Francis turned to us and said, "do you know what I'm going to do when I grow up?"

"No Francis, what are you going to do?"

"When I grow up, I'm going to do flips on the balance beam and take care of animals."

I think those are worthwhile goals.

Last Train Home

2008-08-29T17:34:00.001-05:00

Today was my last official day of work. I have to come in tomorrow to wrap up some loose ends, but I will drive in, so this is my last ride on the CTA as a daily commuter. Thanks for taking me to work, relatively reliably, for the last seven years. Thanks for giving me the time to read. Thanks for helping us be a one-car family. Thanks for all the interesting characters who ride your cars. I will forever remember your smell, the stalagmites that grow on your platform floors, and the welcome sound of an approaching train. And I've never told anyone this before, but I have always had to look behind me as a train approaches, to make sure no one is going to push me onto the tracks. I'll miss you, my smelly, somewhat reliable, dangerous friend.

Hands on a Hardbody

2008-08-25T23:44:00.002-05:00

There was good news and bad news on Jason Kottke's blog today. The good news is that one of my favorite movies, Hands on a Hardbody, can be viewed in its entirety, for free, on Google Video. I've forced this movie on many visitors over the years, and I've never met anyone who did not love it. If you haven't seen it, please go watch it now. You will enjoy this documentary following one year's installment of a contest held by the Nissan dealership in Longview, Texas. The contest itself is wonderfully absurd: a number of contestants stand with one hand on a "hardbody" Nissan truck, and the last one standing wins the truck.

The bad news is below. Highlight the area below to read it, but you should really consider watching the movie before reading the bad news. It could taint your first viewing of the film.

****

The contest has not been held since 2005, when a contestant shot himself in the head minutes after losing his chance at winning the truck. This news report says that he excused himself 48 hours into the contest, and then threw a trash can through a Kmart window. He entered the store, took and loaded a shotgun, and then shot himself.

Visit to Notre Dame

2008-08-25T09:36:00.001-05:00

I've read them all.
Originally uploaded by ..Sally..

There's a sense of "one last time before we go" that permeates our days lately. Yesterday, that spirit took us over to Notre Dame for the day. We had a good lunch, visit to the bookstore and a nice long stroll through campus. Francis lit a candle at the Grotto for her own special intention. Click on the photo to see the full set of pictures.

Climbing George

2008-08-19T13:40:00.002-05:00

Sally just sent me this photo of George climbing at Barrie Park, a few blocks from our house. Funny story about George from this morning: Sally just bought him some Spiderman underwear, and he was insisting to wear it. George is nowhere near toilet-trained, so I was reluctant to put the underpants in harm's way. Sally walked by George's room a few minutes later and noticed that he had crawled up on top of his changing table, gotten the underwear, put two pair on his legs, and was wearing another pair with both arms through the leg holes.

What The Hell Is Wrong With My Hands?

2008-08-16T15:58:00.001-05:00

All of the skin is sloughing off of my hands. Can somebody diagnose this hideous condition? Unlike my previous post, this is real, and I am concerned.

Aged

2008-08-14T20:52:00.003-05:00

Selling a house, moving, looking for a new house. All that stuff can really age a man. This picture, for example, was taken this evening. Check out this photo transformer to see what you would look like under similar strain.

Google Street View

2008-08-12T00:34:00.006-05:00

I played around with Google Maps' new(ish) feature, Street View, tonight. It's spooky. You click through neighborhoods and see 360-degree shots of every inch from a passing car's perspective. I felt almost voyeuristic when I was clicking through our block of Humphrey and saw our neighbor Mary Fran and her black lab, Rocky, strolling by their house.

We're really going to miss our great neighbors. It's nice to know that Google will help us keep an eye on them and their dogs.

Beak to Beak

2008-08-10T23:02:00.001-05:00

Beak to Beak
Originally uploaded by ..Sally..

During our open house today, we went down to Hyde Park for some quality time with our old next door neighbors and good friends Ben and Maureen. They live a couple blocks from the Museum of Science and Industry, so we walked over there and took advantage of their membership.

Here are George and a newly hatched chick sizing each other up. Click the picture for a small album of our museum trip.

Words!

2008-08-08T23:35:00.002-05:00

Just because I don't want the top entry on this blog to be my dumb face, here's a quiz for you: in five minutes, list as many of the top-100 most commonly used English words as you can. I'm embarrassed that I could only name 50 of them. I bet most can do better, but I would expect someone closer to 8th-grade english (and the parts of speech) to do a lot better. Post your results in the comments.

via Kottke

On The Face

2008-08-08T21:08:00.002-05:00

The cheap online glasses made it to Oak Park a couple days ago, but we had to sign a delivery receipt for postman to leave them at our house -- so I didn't get them until today. Like the last pair, I'm pleased with the result.

I've never had rimless glasses before. These are surprisingly lightweight, though their hingeless nature must add to that effect. I'm pleased with the look of them, but I'll leave the final word on that to Sally (who is on the road back from Ohio as I type). Even if she doesn't like them, they were cheap.

I'm definitely a convert and evangelist for buying glasses online. Go to Ira's blog to learn more about the process and try it yourself.

More Cheap Glasses on the Way

2008-08-06T10:59:00.004-05:00

Although my co-workers keep telling me that I got exactly what I paid for, I consider my last experiment in purchasing cheap eyeware online a complete success. At $36 (including coated, prescription lenses), I really don't have to worry much about George punching me in the face and breaking my glasses. Or at least, the monetary cost of the glasses will be the least of my concerns in that scenario.

Because it is inevitable that I will break or lose my glasses, I ordered another pair, again online, this time through Optical4Less. As you can see, these are hingeless glasses, which I hope are resistant to the impact of a two-year old's fists.

My new glasses were made in China, and arrived in New York last Wednesday. Just like last time, I will post the results here for your praise and/or ridicule.

Weekend Parenting

2008-08-03T21:38:00.003-05:00

Having the kids around the house hasn't really helped our home-sale preparation effort, so one of us will take the kids out for a few hours while the other gets things done at home. Today was my turn to babysit, although my secretary strenuously objects to the use of the word "babysitting." "It's called parenting, Matt," she says with disgust. Anyway, I had the kids, and we went to George's Pancake House for breakfast. Then we visited the playground at Taylor Park while browsing the local movie selection on the phone. We decided on the 12:40 showing of Space Chimps, the only G-rated movie that we hadn't seen.

A word on Space Chimps. I didn't expect much, and got pretty much what I expected in terms of movie quality. It had the feel of a story written, filmed (or animated, as was the case), and edited without pause for reflection. Things that "seemed like a good idea at the time" made it into the movie. But the quality of the film did not trouble me. The problem was that despite the G-rating, characters in this cartoon film made four or five penis jokes.

I am aware of two general categories of penis jokes. The first, in which some male is kicked or struck in the crotch and falls down, is acceptable in children's films. The other relies on some knowledge of or reference to sexuality, and does not belong in a kids' movie -- at least not in a film supposedly approved for General Audiences without Parental Guidance. I'm really not sure what the MPAA reviewers were thinking on this one.

On that note, for a very interesting documentary on the MPAA reviewing and rating system, check out This Film Is Not Yet Rated. It focuses mainly on the weird border between the NC-17 and R ratings, and the odd prejudices seemingly held by the rating committee. Don't watch this movie if you think you might be offended by candid reference to scenes on the NC-17 side of the boundary.

Grocery list: carrots and milk

2008-08-01T10:26:00.001-05:00

2008-07-31T20:31:00.003-05:00

George turned two yesterday. No gifts or cake yet; we just hugged him and sang to him. On Saturday, we'll be having a joint party for him and Francis (if you're reading this and didn't get your invitation, you should come anyway - 10 to 1).

As the second child, George's milestones sometimes arrive with little fanfare. Let's review some of his exploits here.

George is a climbing fiend. Not only can he get into a high chair by himself, but he started climbing out of the crib a couple weeks ago.

George also loves books. The other day, he crawled out of his crib, grabbed two books, put them into his crib, then climbed back in and examined them.

George is very loving, and also very physical. He gives hugs and kisses freely, but just this evening, he followed up a hug to Sally with (1) a vicious head-butt and (2) gloating laughter.

George's favorite food is probably either waffles or pancakes. He will eat two very large pancakes, pausing only to demand, "need more butter" several times per cake.

George loves the color green, so much so that he sometimes identifies other colors as green.

If you ask George if he loves his daddy, he will usually reply, "no. Mommy."

George hates changing clothes. It's not just the action of changing; he actually prefers the clothes he's been wearing. He fights to prevent their removal and then tries to put them back on. This applies to both pajamas and day clothes. Yesterday, he wore his pajama top all day -- the result of a deal in which he consented to changing his pants.

We love you, George. Keep up the good work.

Good Publicity for Our Neighborhood

2008-07-29T14:33:00.001-05:00

Side view of house and neighborhood
Originally uploaded by ..Sally..

Yesterday, Crain's Chicago Business magazine published a story praising our neighborhood in Oak Park, the Harrison Arts District. This is good timing, as we are trying to sell our house and move to Texas.

"It's very trendy right now," says Ms. Bovio, 32, a stay-at-home mother, of
the neighborhood built around the Oak Park Arts District on Harrison Street.
"It's a little piece of the city in Oak Park."

If you're selling a place, I guess there are worse things to be than "trendy." Still, I hadn't seen it that way, or even as a "little piece of the city." These are 90-year old homes beneath a canopy of 90-year old elms lining brick-paved streets. Walking the streets, you feel tradition, not trend. Even above these atmospherics, the best thing about our neighborhood is our neighbors. We know and enjoy a lot of them, and that seems very un-cityish. Anyway, it's a great place to live, and it's nice to see Crain's spreading the word.

In conclusion, please buy our house.

Two Sonic cherry limes, please

2008-07-25T12:50:00.000-05:00

Who knew the cuisine of our childhood would be such a comfort amidst
such a stressful week?

Corndog 7

2008-07-24T17:53:00.000-05:00

If I had nickel for every corndog.

For Ame and Amber

2008-07-24T17:46:00.000-05:00

Can you believe my good fortune?
Ah, the memories...