Summer Recap

OK! I know I've been negligent in my writing lately. I wish I could chalk it up to being super busy with work, but that's not really it (although, I have been busy - just not very productive).

Mason has had an eventful summer. Her first one as a teenager (I know, I still shudder at the thought of what's to come). She's really growing up FAST. If Jenny were still here, Mason would be able to look her straight in the eyes - right now, she stands almost 5'4".

She finished 7th grade with a flurry - almost making straight A's - only a B in Mathematics (which is odd, since she is always telling me that Math is her favorite class). She achieved High Honors - so I guess she's doing well in school. During Summer School, Mason managed to pass all of her music pieces so that she could join the Concert Band for eighth grade. She's been first chair for the past couple of years in Cadet Band - she probably won't make first chair, but playing with the Concert Band will help her to get better.

In June, Mason spent a week with the Elseys and the McNeills in Michigan. They were staying at a friend's house on Saddle Lake. It was sort of like going to camp, except when I went to camp we didn't have Jet Skis, ski boats, inner tube rides and nice comfy beds. She took a lot of pictures, which we'll soon upload to Flickr.

The month of July was spent around the house. We watched the fireworks on Chicago's lakefront. Mason hung out with Grandma and Grandpa V and played with her friends. Found some kittens in the garage (no, we didn't keep them). I got stung by bees - luckily, our neighbor Flo came to my rescue with an Epi pen. I was stung on the leg and toe (of all places) and both of them turned purple and swelled up to about double their normal size. It took about a week for the color to fade and the swelling to disappear. If only Mason had been taking video of me at the time - surely would have won the $10,000 prize! Although, bleeps would have been required for family viewing.

I've been trying to clean out the house a bit. Hopefully, I'll have it in shape to put it on the market by next Spring. We did have a few storms blow through here, one caused our neighbor's tree to fall on my roof - unfortunately (or fortunately if you're State Farm) no major damage to the house - would have been nice to get a new kitchen ;-)

Yesterday, Mason returned from a two-week trip to Sarasota. She spent some time with Jenny's brother Bob (who seems to be doing much better, but he tires easily) and his girlfriend Renee, her kids and grand kids. Renee showed Mason a great time - spending nearly every day in the pool and when they weren't swimming, they were at Disney World, Busch Gardens and a local aquarium. She flew all by herself (well, other than the flight crew and the 100 other passengers) - it was tough to put her on a plane alone - but she handled it like a seasoned pro.

That about sums up the Summer. School starts in a couple of weeks. I'll work on getting the pictures uploaded soon.

~ Max

Visit From Family

Last Thursday, Mason and I got a nice surprise. My mom, aunt Linda, uncle Vern, cousin Josh and his girls stopped in the Chicago area on their way to the visit grandpa Cimino in Maryland.
We were originally trying to meet them for dinner on Wednesday night, but due to some miscalculations, they arrived too late. So, Mason and I got up a little earlier than normal and drove out to their hotel and met them for breakfast. It was nice to see everyone. Not sure why the photo has a bluish tint, oh well.

~ Max & Mason

Viola is Recovering

We've been to the hospital a couple of times to see Viola (Jenny's mom). She is in some pain, but managed to put a little weight on her hip yesterday. She'll probably be in the recovery room a couple more days and then she'll move to a physical therapy room. I haven't spoken to the doctors yet, hopefully I'll be able to today.

She does have a great view of Chicago from her room.



~ Max & Mason

Viola is in the Hospital

Jenny's mom, Viola, went in for surgery today. She had what is called a "Total Hip Arthroplasty". According to her husband, Bob, the surgery went well, but she lost a lot of blood because the procedure took longer than expected. She's at the La Grange Hospital, and doing fine.

Mason and I will be going to visit her tomorrow. I know that Mason is a little worried, but Viola is in good hands. She should be home in a few days.

It's a Whole New Look

Not exactly sure what caused her to make this decision. Mason's always been pretty attached to her hair (pun intended). Her long, red hair is, well, her trademark - her brand. It makes her stand out from the crowd. Literally, it makes it much easier to spot her in a crowd ;-) The color is the same, but today Mason's locks are about 12" shorter.



Mason decided to donate a pony tail to Locks of Love, a well-known charity that makes wigs for kids. Hair donation is a simple way to provide a child with locks of love. Donating it is actually very simple (it's the growing it that takes the time and effort). If you have a ponytail that is 10 inches or longer, you can donate hair so that that a kid whose lost theirs can look more like themselves.

Children undergoing chemotherapy, suffering from alopecia areata, or recuperating from scalp burns face multiple hurdles. In addition to the physical challenges of medical treatment, children also must combat low self-esteem and poor self-image from losing their hair. Oftentimes, bald children believe it necessary to hide their condition under hats and feel they stand out among other kids.

When kids feel better about their appearance, they feel brighter about the outlook for their future. With renewed confidence, these children will go out in public again, without feeling self-conscious. They can look proudly in the mirror. They see themselves again.

A custom human-hair wig can cost more than a thousand dollars to make and is too expensive for many families. But, several non-profit groups are working with volunteers to make wigs for financially disadvantaged kids. To make this happen for a child, all you have to do is donate your ponytail, the next time you get a haircut.



We went to Fantastic Sams in Forest Park and they made the process even simpler. Judy, Mason's hair stylist, took care of everything. She gave me the hair donation form to fill out and then she packaged the hair and shipped it off to Locks of Love.

I think a few of her friends will be surprised on Monday. I think she looks great of course :)

~ Max

Neon Golf

I'm continuing to chronicle Mason's Spring Break. We've had a great time together.

On Friday, Mason decided that she wanted to go play mini golf. The closest one to us is in Norridge - Putting Edge. It's a psychedlic, black-lighted, 19-hole, glow-in-the-dark course with a little Chuckie Cheese added for good measure.







Mason held her own, finishing 3 over par. I didn't break any course records, but was lucky to finish at 3 under par :) We played some video games and some skee ball. Mason won enough "tickets" to get herself a stuffed turtle.



~ Max & Mason

Garfield Park Conservatory

Recall that I had mentioned that Mason had only received less than an "A" in one class last quarter? That class was Science. So, yesterday Mason and I went to the Garfield Park Conservatory for an extra credit assignment.

It's actually a very interesting place, especially if you're into plants :] We're talking all kinds of plants, some with very historical value. There are few plants that were on display at the Columbian Exposition, the Worlds Fair that was held in Chicago in 1893. Not just decendants of those plants, but the actual plants and trees themselves (although they house some decendants as well) that makes them over 105 years old.

Mason's assignment was to take notes and report on a new exhibit about Sugar from the Sun. The exhibit details how a plant uses air, water and light to make sugar. We saw oranges, pineapples, mango, papaya and banana plants. Of course we took some pictures and will upload them to Flickr. I'll post some here later today as well.

It was good to do something indoors, since our weather here is still more like Winter.



Hopefully its warmer and sunnier where you are ;)

~ Max & Mason

Nothing Too Exciting

Mason spent most of her day with her friend Nikki. I have no idea what they did, except for some bike riding and hanging out at Nikki's house. They went to a movie tonight, and she should be back home around 10:00. She has the camera, so maybe she'll take some pictures.

Here's another good shot she took at Tony's Finer Foods the other day.



~ Max

Mason's Spring Break

I thought I'd chronicle Mason's 2008 Spring Break - not sure if it will be exciting, but at least we'll have a record of it.



After I got back from the gym, Miss Mason and I went to the Petco. Mason has a couple of mice, Mylie and Lola, who would like a larger pet condo - Mason picked out an extension for the critter trail. Next, we went to Michael's Crafts. Mason has a project due that involves painting on canvas - this is the only place to buy those things (this is the third one we've had to buy this year). Next, we went to the NEW Tony's Finer Foods to do some grocery shopping and some picture taking. I know, not the most thrilling way to spend a vacation day, but I don't really remember most of my Spring Breaks being that thrilling either, and I got over it!

Here are some good photos that Mason took at Tony's.







More are on Flickr.

~ Max & Mason

So Much For Spring Break!

On Thursday I met with Mason's teachers for conferences. Everything is going well; all "A's" except for a "B" in Science - but Mason is sure she'll get that up before the end of the year.

On Friday, we got hit with another snow storm! At least we aren't in Wisconsin, they got a foot of snow in some places, we only got 5". Not a great way to start a Spring vacation. I don't think the Cardinal in the picture below is thinking that Spring is off to a good start either.



We were planning on going to visit some friends who live in Indianapolis, but sadly, those plans were cancelled because my friend accepted a new position that has caused them to move back to Chicago - tomorrow! So, we will be sticking around. Mason's very torn up over this, she was really looking forward to the road trip. We had planned on bringing Daisy and staying with our friends for about 3 days. Even though it was just Indainapolis, Mason really had her heart set on going away.

So, we have a week to make some fun without going too far from home. Tonight I tried to "find" some things to do, but she wasn't really listening. I'll try to come up with something tomorrow.

~ Max

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Ah, St. Paddy's Day - a sure sign of Spring! Next we'll be singing about Peter Cottontail, but for now, for today - everyone is Irish!



Actually, since yesterday was Palm Sunday, St. Patrick's Day was officially moved to March 15 this year (officially, if you believe that the Catholic church is in charge of this holiday)and that's the day the Chicago River was dyed green and the parade marched up Michigan Avenue. We skipped the downtown festivities because we had a prior engagement (plus, after several days in the upper 40's and even 50's, the temperatures dropped to the low 30's - factor in the cooling lake "breeze" and not even some Irish Whiskey in a cup of Starbucks would keep you warm). Mason and her friend Kali had a date with the judge - as in music.



Mason and Kali won a gold medal in the Solofest. They did a simple piece, "America The Beautiful", but did it very well - and the judge agreed.

Chicago is known for it's Irish heritage and culture. The Mayor's name is Daly, it was mainly Irish imigrants who, in the 1860's, dug the tunnel 60' under Lake Michigan to pump fresh water from the unpolluted part of the lake to the city, and it was Patrick and Catherine O'Leary's cow who started the Chicago Fire.

Some more interesting facts:

♣ There are 34.7 million U.S. residents who claim Irish ancestry. This number is almost nine times the population of Ireland itself (4.2 million). Irish is the nation's second most frequently reported ancestry, trailing only those of German ancestry.
♣ There are 4 places in the United States named Shamrock, the floral emblem of Ireland. Mount Gay-Shamrock, W.Va., and Shamrock, TX, were the most populous, with 2,623 and 1,841 residents, respectively. Shamrock Lakes, Ind., had 162 residents and Shamrock, OK, 125.
♣ There are 9 places in the United States that share the name of Ireland's capital, Dublin.
♣ Some areas in Ireland are known to receive 90 inches of rain each year, which accounts for the brilliantly green grass that has earned Ireland the nickname the "emerald isle".
♣ The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in the United States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762.

An old Irish recipe for longevity:
Leave the table hungry.
Leave the bed sleepy.
Leave the bar thirsty.

Slainte

~Max & Mason

Spring is Welcome Here

The only snow to be found are the mounds left in the parking lots of Home Depot and Target - Mason calls them "glaciers" and they do sorta look like glaciers.

Thursday, Mason took Daisy for a walk and took some nice photos. I really liked the one of the melting snowman.



It was considerably colder today than the past couple (we had a high of 52 yesterday). Today it's about 36 degrees F and I can only hope that we've seen the last of winter.

I've finally decided to "let go" of a lot of stuff. You know the "stuff", items that haven't been touched for the past umpteen years. Things that have been moved in boxes several times but never opened. Jenny's old clothes and furniture that only meant something to her. I'm ordering a dumpster this week and plan to start some serious Spring cleaning. I plan to donate many items to charity and particularly animal and women's shelters here in the area. I'll also be selling some things on Ebay. The goal is to get the house in shape to sell it this summer. I've probably held on a little too long, but now I think I'm ready to move on. Mason will be disappointed. That will be difficult to deal with, but I'll manage. I'm just doing the best I can.

~ Max

17 Years Ago

Today would have been our 17th wedding anniversary. Jenny and I always liked it when the anniversary fell on a Saturday; we could spend the whole day together and then go out for a nice quiet dinner. We were married on a Friday, but hey, we were in Mexico =D.






I found some more pictures that need to be scanned and uploaded, so I'll probably do a little of that this afternoon. Other than that, not much going on.

I miss her as much today as I ever have.

The Big Race (Iditarod Part 2)

I had a blast watching Mason's 7th grade class compete in their mini-Iditarod. I took a lot of pictures and posted them to Flickr. Fortunately, Mason had to write an essay for the project, so she was able to "kill two birds with one stone" and we can publish it here.

If you didn't read part one (and see the cute huskies), click here.

The Iditarod IDU by Mason Rose

“Mush” I say as we start the race. The dogs run and we see the finish line ahead of us.

Every year we have an IDU week. IDU stands for Interdisciplinary Unit. An IDU is when you stay in one room for basically the whole day. You use almost all the subjects to finish the project. The real Iditarod Race starts in Anchorage and ends in Nome. It’s a sled dog race in the freezing cold weather. Now we had to build a sled and then race it around the block (not your ordinary block, more like a double block). I like IDU week.



On the first day we spent about three periods planning outdoor ideas. Every time something went wrong, we held a short team meeting. I couldn’t explore the course because I was in my Italian class when the rest of the team mapped it out, so the team had to tell me about it. Noah drew our blue prints for building the sled, and then we looked them over as a group. We made many changes to our wheels.



We worked very hard on our sled throughout the week. We attached the axels to the bottom of the base platform of the sled and then attached the wheels to the axels. We had to cut out some room from the base so the wheels had enough room to make turns. Everyone pitched in and helped with everything. Noah drew our moose logo, Maddie and I painted and Ryan and Kathryn screwed in the side antlers. Friday was race day and we still had a few problems to fix.





I’m glad we did a test run because we discovered some problems that needed fixing with our sled. One big problem was turning. There wasn’t enough room for the wheels to turn a full 90 degrees, the wheels rubbed against the sled. We had to fix the axels and cut out more room for the wheels so that we could turn more easily. Thursday we took the sled for a test run around the course to make sure everything was running smoothly for the big race. We had to make sure that our “dogs” could pull hard enough and I needed to know that I would be able to make the turns.



Friday was race day. We were well prepared and were scheduled to start at 9:15. I couldn’t wait to race. I knew we were going to do well and our sled would not fall apart! Shortly after the start, our wheels began to squeak very loudly, but we kept going. Everyone on the Moose Team did their best and most importantly, had fun! I thought I did pretty well with the mushing and steering; and the “dogs” pulled really hard and fast. Everyone, including our sled, survived the race.

I’m excited that I learned how to use power tools! If I were to do it over, I would once again improve our wheels and make it so our axles wouldn’t squeak. Everyone on our team had a great time and as a result of this project, we all learned some new things. We made a good team; after all we finished in six minutes! Working together with the same group every day, for an entire week taught me a lot about teamwork and accomplishing something as a group. Go team Moose!

Mason now has a cold (or maybe the flu), but she is fighting through it and has another two days of ISATs. I'm starting to get sick as well, but so far it's just a sniffle and a sore throat - taking plenty of vitamins and doing the best I can to sleep through the night (but that never happens).

~ Max & Mason

Just Who Is Casimir Pulaski?

If you don't live in Chicago (or another major city with a large Polish population), you probably haven't heard of Casimir Pulaski. Here, Pulaski is honored with a city and state holiday - giving many employees and kids the day off from work and school.

from Wikipedia

Casimir Pulaski Day is a holiday observed in Illinois on the first Monday of every March to commemorate Casimir Pulaski, a Revolutionary War cavalry officer born March 4, 1747 in Poland as Kazimierz Pułaski. He was a Polish soldier. He is known for his contributions to the US military at the time by training its soldiers and cavalry. The day is celebrated mainly in areas that have large Polish populations. Chicago has one of the largest Polish populations in the United States. This is a separate holiday from the federal holiday, General Pulaski Memorial Day, which commemorates Pulaski's death at the Siege of Savannah on October 11, 1779.

After getting home from a few midday meetings, Mason greeted me at the door and said, "I'm bored, so let's go bowling."

"Sure, let's go." I replied; and away we went.





We go bowling two or three times per year - and Mason reminded me that this is only her second time bowling without the bumpers in the lanes instead of the evil gutters :D. We rolled a couple of games and even managed to get a few strikes and spares. Mason and I each got strikes when the head pin was *Pink* - this was pure bonus, because that meant that we won two free games, yippee!


Today, back to the ole grind. Mason has ISATs all week, she doesn't seem too concerned - and she shouldn't be, she'll do just fine =).

We had fun, maybe we'll do this more often.

~ Max

Hello Huskies :})

On Thursday, the seventh grade had a visit from two huskies and their owner. They live in Michigan, I think. They compete in a small dog race similar to the Iditarod. Thursday was a preview of our IDU (Interdisciplinary Unit). We Have an IDU every year - an entire week where every class spends time on a common subject.







This year we will be building our own sleds, and then we will race around the block. During the race we stop for pit-stops to see if the "dogs" are ok,(the dogs are actually seventh grade students)and to answer trivia questions. The dogs came to our school so we could see how they pulled the sled so we could get an idea how we will. The owner had two dogs, a boy and a girl. The girl's name is Mandy, the lighter one, and the boy's name is Cruiser, the darker one. So far, our team has figured out our blue prints and I've been selected to be the musher (I'm the lightest of the group, so no running for me =D. We have almost attached our wheels and everyone, but me has seen the trail. During the IDU week we go to our 1st period class (Tech)8th period class (Gym)and our foreign language which is my 4th period (Italian). So far, I love this IDU. Too bad I have to miss Tuesday for an Italian field trip (but at least my Papa gets to come!).

This Friday, the 29th, is the day of the race. Stop back here this weekend and I'll tell you what happened.

~ Mason

Nice Day for a Walk - Finally!

The sky is clear and blue. The sun is shining brightly. The temperature is about 25 degrees (where is that little degree symbol on a keyboard anyway?) - by recent standards, this is a perfect day to get outside.



With Daisy leading the way, we meandered through the Thatcher Woods Forest Preserve located a few blocks from our house. The whole time, we kept hearing loud popping and cracking noises. No hunting is allowed out here - but it wasn't gunfire, it was the sound of the ice sheets cracking from thawing out.



The river was flowing, but there was still a lot of ice everywhere.



Have a great weekend.

~ Max

Ultimate Egg Salad Sandwich

Jenny and I used to eat egg salad sandwiches about twice every month, I've had maybe 2 since she died - and today, for some strange reason, I had this unbearable craving for one.

In the past, whenever I hard-boiled the eggs, they would end up rubbery and get that gray ring around the yolk - yep, overcooked. Jenny taught me the proper way to hard boil an egg, and I've never forgotten.

First, cover the bottom of the pan with one layer of eggs (or as few as one, but what's the point in that??), then cover the eggs with cold water - there should be about an inch of water above the tops of the eggs. Bring the water to a boil, on medium to high heat - uncovered. Once the water boils, remove the pan from the heat and move it to a cold burner or counter top and cover the pan. Set the timer for 14 minutes for large eggs (12 for medium and 16 for extra large). Once the time is up, run cold water over the eggs while they are still in the pan for at least two minutes to stop the cooking process. Crack and peel the eggs to eat (I'm sure you knew that, but hey - you never know who reads these things =D)

Now, for the Ultimate Egg Salad Sandwich.


Two hard-boiled eggs (done to perfection;-)
Tablespoon of Hellman's Lime Mayo
Teaspoon of brown mustard
Two green onions, finely chopped
Garlic salt
Black pepper
Combine ingredients in a bowl

Two slices of bacon
One slice of sharp cheddar cheese
Two slices of bread, toasted (my favorite is Brownberry Healthnut)

Enjoy, it's Delicious =D.

~ Max

No School - President's Day

Mason and I decided to venture outdoors on her day off from school. Not such a great idea, the high reached 14 degrees :P We made the most of it by checking out a new driving range that opened up. There are only three like it in the country.


Top Golf USA has found a way to use microchip technology for golf. Each golf ball that you get from the dispenser has a microchip that identifies the ball as "yours", so when you hit it to a target, it registers back at a computer terminal your points, yardage and displays how far you were from the intended target. They even have leagues for this - my prediction, this will evolve into something everyone can enjoy, much like bowling or darts. Top Golf will let you use clubs from their inventory, so even someone who doesn't own clubs can play (like renting bowling shoes and balls) - this could sweep the nation, but will only be found in populous places.


The "suites" are heated and they have a full menu and bar, so should be great for parties too. Why didn't I think of this???

~ Max (trying to stay warm and not depressed).

Breakfast at Mother's Day

Sunday we went to a restaurant called Mother's Day for breakfast. I ordered a Belgian Eskimo Waffle and hot chocolate and papa had bicuits & gravy.


The waffle was huge! I thought the food was good, but the service wasn't. It took a long time to be greeted, even though several people walked by us while we "waited to be seated". The room wasn't completely full, there were several empty tables. Papa's coffee cup was empty for most of breakfast too.

Overall I would give this a 6.5 out of 10.
~ Mason

Happy Valentine's Day

Mason and I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day.

Whoooaaaa! Ouch!

Tonight the snow started to come down just in time for the drive home. I handled the treacherous traffic with no problems, but when it comes to walking, er...um, that's a different story.

It was about time to leave for Mason's dance class, so I decided to go start the car and let it warm up a bit. There was some new snow - and that is really slippery when it's covering a thin layer of ice that had accumulated on the last step on the front porch (how? I have no idea, since it didn't get over 10*F today). After I got over the shock and the pain in my butt, I realized my watch was no longer on my wrist - I found it, a little worse for wear, on a pile of snow.


The watch must have caught the edge of the step and the weight and force of my fall, slid the watch up my wrist - removing a little skin along the way - before the band couldn't take it anymore. Oh, well - I haven't written anything on the blog in a while...


Sure will be glad when Spring gets here.

~ Max

Another 6-12" ?????

I can't take it! This is getting way out of hand. What in the world am I doing still living on the frozen tundra? Oh, I remember - I have a daughter, who I love very, very much. She has "roots" here, friends, family; and this is home.


We are supposed to get another big snow storm tonight, so far it's just rain and sleet, but they (crazy weather people) tell us it should dump another 6" to 12" (how much room for error do they need? well, around the Great Lakes they need a lot of room for error - it's not Hawaii people!)it all depends on how fast the temperature drops.

Just in 2008, we've gotten about 16" of snow so far - just the other night we added about 3 inches to the already 7 inches left from the weekend before. Then the rain came today and melted about half of it, so even if we get the low end of the projection, we'll have about 10 inches of cover - great for skiing and sledding, not great for anything else!

Oh to be here - someday. This picture was taken by one of our friends on Flickr, Michelle. She takes some amazing photos and she said it would be ok if I "borrowed" it.

Sailboat at Ios Port Greece