john hancock (not THE john hancock you dolt!)

the cubbies? or the sox?

today (sunday, april 20) on a beautiful Lord's Day, we began with a stroll/run towards Lake Michigan. the dogs and kinder were out in force as we joined in the buffeting (wind/sand/pan-handling) that must take place hourly on the big lake. Amy (my favorite niece - "hey...woe there hoss..don't you have other nieces?") called and asked us to join her for a beverage or two pre or post game (the cubbies were playing (that's why i included the sox in the title you dolt)) depending on when we arrived.

as most of you know...i'm inclined to participate in travel a la mass transit when and how i can with the "el" being no exception. the doorman at 40 E. Delaware has superlative skills including a sense of direction and the best line (red/green/blue/orange) to facilitate our trek to Wrigley Field; hands down the definitive mecca of base-oo-ball-roo (a japanese pronunciation as we're inclined to think that they love baseball more than the americans ("why, i believe that's a might sacriligeous there pardner"). our Amy (she's OUR Amy now (she's always been Gina's Amy but as i haven't spent much time with her 'fore now haven't had the pleasure of her being my Amy as well...thus, OUR Amy) called and asked us to meet her after she fled the festivities sometime during the fifth inning (the shade...the wind, contributing negatively to the game experience....plus it's not the attending the game itself (das Spiel selbst), as much as the quaffing 'o ales in and about the immediate Wrigley environs, in this case a block from the stadium. we met at a local bar...mingled with a few hundred thousand revelers and embraced/hugged following a perfectly spent and lovely afternoon. Amy; you're an exceptional woman and we can't begin to express what that meant for us to share in your life. don't forget us on your way up, dear. and try to remind Ryan next time to get his young, professional, and a bit neer-do-well ass oer to the field.

moving to Chicago soon...going to be a dennil floss tycoon

Gina and I attended a service in Chicago on Friday (april 19) devoted to the memory of a dear family member's father (Bob). as any experience surrounding rememberance and the passing of close family clouds the days/weeks/months, our family couldn't help but embrace us...cajole and otherwise force us into the funnel of their Polish arms (laden with drink, food (we'll begin a discourse soon on the wonder and splendor of a three meat platter (CBS ; chicken, beef and sausage)backfilled with various vegatables including macaroni - similarly described as a vegatable in the south))) - how parenthetical.

amidst the sorrow, our family (doug, sue (pronounced Soo with a faint schwa) amy and ryan) eulogized and celebrated their father/grandfather's life the while weighing in on the more subtle threads woven through the Polish/American community. i've never had a single experience in my forty eight years combining sobriety, a somberness, if you will, unique to the midwest coupled with the sheer folly and hilarity i could only associate with a wedding. the months of postings, photos, and snippets we've been gifted will only continue to reinforce my own sensibilities that this world is made up of an infinite collection of Gott's gifts...mostly surrounding the ways in which our families labor each day to reproduce the basic themes of greek tragedies. thank you Bowen/Olecks.....your fodder is priceless!

Noah's back in der Fatherland

last night a sad thing happened on the way to the.....oh wait...Noah flew back to his day job as a master's student in Germany. the ennui...the malaise was palpable in his demeanor as he boarded plane after plane on his trek from Knoxville to Stuttgart. he'll be back however.....in a few months and then we're on to the doctoral work at UT (what???how does a Dawg matriculate to a Vol school.....sheesh!).. Hazel Motes once said, "i've met my double and i had to kill my doppleganger." okay....noah..flannery always had it right. or as a wonder of a friend's father loved to aver...."it's a trickbag..."