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A NHL player once said about hockey that half the game is mental and the other half is being mental. That latter part often applies to hockey fans as well. On a cold Feb. 16, 1966, my mom was nine months pregnant and watching the Blackhawks vs Rangers. Fun fact, back then the center red line was painted in a red and white pattern to distinguish it from the solid blue lines on the black and white WGN broadcast. Bobby Hull scored his 46th goal that season at 07:27 into the...
Thirteen years ago on a sunny June 4, we picked up our kindergartner (Colette) and first-grader from school. Our son, strapped in his stroller and turning 1 in two weeks, seemed unimpressed with the excitement surrounding "school's out for summer." The moment was memorialized in a favorite family photo capturing us on the sidewalk that leads to Madison Elementary's front entrance. Fast forward to the same spot on a recent Sunday in May, and many of Colette's kindergarten...
To quote another Brett (but I spell mine with one 'T'), "Yes, we drank beer. My friends and I. Boys and girls. I liked beer. Still like beer." I've moved on from my '80s Old Style days with the rise of the craft beer/microbrewery scene around 2010. Back then, Three Floyds was, and remains, a 5-minute drive from my parent's house. When supply ran low, my dad was a willing interstate beer mule, delivering fresh Zombie Dust cases. As luck would have it, one of my 21 cousins in/ar...
For no reason in particular, my son and I have an out-of-town hockey tournament tradition of streaming classic country on our way to games. Hopefully I've passed the torch in keeping alive one of my favorite musical genres to the next generation. Most country artists who were popular from the '40s through the '70s have long passed (Willie and Loretta are the remaining icons), but the music lives on forever. This is American music to the core with very little exposure these day...
Your cares will disappear When you hear Hallelujah St. Nicholas is here When it’s Christmas time In New Orleans In a column last March, I summarized my travelogue recollections from prior visits to the city not for spectators, but for participants. Taking advantage of my college freshman’s holiday break, I joined Maya a few weeks ago in an easy pursuit of “bon temps” in New Orleans. Day 1 we started in the Bywater District with an outdoor table at Alma Café. Waiting on lunch...
Halloween is my second favorite holiday (live for New Year's Eve), but the Larbourd Oaks Mansion Ghost Tour left me with an awkward experience. Just after 10 p.m., I attended the adult tour where the guide informed us, "You can drink if you want, and you can say whatever the H you want." Some foul-mouthed guest, trying to be funny or get a laugh, was taking advantage of the no rules about swearing, and he ruined the tour. I felt sorry for the tour guide as it was probably the...
Actual texts from my high school senior on the day Lollapalooza tickets went on sale back in May. 10:51 a.m.: Do.Not.Forget.Lolla.Tickets.Get.On.The.Website.At.11:58.And.Be.Ready. 11:22 a.m.: DON'T FORGET 11:53 a.m.: I WILL PAY U BACK (*author's note – still waiting) Noon: BUY 12:10 p.m.: She called to confirm the purchase, and I gave her a, "Doh, I knew there was something I forgot to do" line (which, due to my prior track record, she gave no credence). I provided her some qu...
Growing up in The Region, my Dad had a sub-30-minute stretch goal from our driveway to Comiskey Park. Depending on the Dan Ryan traffic and his risk-taking appetite, this was sometimes achievable with us having lived in Munster (not the case for some clodhopper down in Griffith, Ind.). My love for the White Sox was cemented in the '70s, even though the Sox failed to make the playoffs throughout my childhood fandom. To me, the characters associated with the Sox (Bill Veeck,...
My double nickel birthday falling on Fat Tuesday had me pining for a return to the city not for spectators, but for participants. The following travelogue recollections spotlight how "bon temps" are an easy pursuit in New Orleans. NOV 1993: My Big Easy intro included a memorable dinner at Emeril's. A seat at the "Chef's Table" provided an up-close kitchen view of a young Emeril Lagasse prepping meals. The night concluded with a Neville Brothers concert at the legendary...
In September 2019, I thought it would be wise to get my doc's clearance prior to running 26.2 miles on a Sunday the following month. In my check up, he asked something typically not asked by a doctor - "What do you eat?" Although I ate relatively healthy at the time, he strongly encouraged focusing on a plant-based diet. He recommended some Netflix documentaries ("Forks Over Knives" and "The Game Changers"), a website (NutritionFacts.org), and a book ("How Not To Die" by Dr. M...
With politics dominating the headlines, I am consciously - but maybe not subconsciously - steering well clear of any partisan chatter. You'll get your share of that during Thanksgiving with the crazy relative who's convinced there is still a path to victory in a race already declared lost. Instead, this commentary is on a fall decluttering project. Recently, I elected to make a change and began a task of discarding things that I desperately wanted gone from the House. Back in...
Bob Dylan once sang about prior generations turning a cynical eye to youth activism. Fifty-six years later, when recent Hinsdale Central grad Maiwen Amegadjie organized June's peaceful protest against racial oppression, some Hinsdale business owners criticized young protesters claiming the timing was not right and that "nothing good will come out of it." A quote from Maiwen touched upon that criticism: "... I feel like a lot of people are sheltered and cloistered here. They...
