I have made a concerted effort, on behalf of you....my readers, to watch as many movies as I can while on vacation....and all the while trying to do some reading also.
Man oh man....I can't wait until retirement! Here's the latest:
1) Bad News Bears--I refer, of course, to the recent update starring Billy Bob Thornton. BBT is sort of an acquired taste, as he's made some really horrible movies, and others that are absolute cult classics (Bad Santa anyone?). Here he steps into the Walter Matthau role of Morris Buttermaker, drunken wreck of a former baseball player, who is bribed into coaching a little league baseball team. Here's the amazing part: He's great in the role. He's even better than Matthau (which is really saying something). He gives the role a bit more believability than Matthau did, and adds an even sleazier background (he's a pest control guy, lives in a trailer park, likes to check out the girls playing softball on the next field over). Its a very solid performance by BBT, who is matched by Greg Kinnear, continuing to add to an already impressive resume in his role as the rival coach that was played by Vic Morrow in the original.
I always thought that Morrow's take on the role was one of real evil--here, Kinnear makes the character sort of a pathetic weasel. He seems to be channeling the ghost of former MASH character Frank Burns in this performance, and he's good at it.
The kids aren't as good as they were in the original, but there not bad.....especially the fat kid playing the catcher and the wheelchair bound kid who has managed to get a spot on the roster. Its all good fun....at the very least the equal of the original. And we really can't say that about a lot of films, can we? ****
2) Into the Blue---I remember when I was a teenager going to the movies and seeing a film based on a Peter Benchley novel called The Deep. It was a fairly average movie, but what everyone remembered was how awesome Jacqueline Bissett looked in a wet t-shirt while she was scuba diving. The film wasn't great, but it sure the hell was great to look at. And in a lot of ways, so is this movie. Everyone in the movie is so damn good looking it makes you sick. Jessica Alba is so hot, your remote practically smokes.
Paul Walker is absolutely ripped and even Scott Caan, playing the sorta weasel friend role has a six pack across his stomach. How in the hell do all those people in the Bahamas manage to find so much time to work out? Decent adventure tale, with the hot scuba divers trying to outwit the evil drug dealers.....but they all look great. ***1/2
3) Cinderella Man--a few years back Ron Howard hooked up with Russell Crowe and made A Beautiful Mind. That movie won about a zillon awards, most deserved and now they're back again with the tale of depression era boxer James J Braddock, who rose up from abject poverty to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world.
Crowe is sorta a huge jerk in real life....but man oh man, can he ever act. And Renee Zellweger, in her best role since Jerry Maguire, manages somehow to be from Texas but pick up a near perfect New Jersey accent for her performance. They are both matched by the great Paul Giamatti as Braddock's manager. Its a great film, not just as a boxing movie, but as a look at the struggles that average people went through during the depression. Very good, and highly recommended. **** 1/2
4) The Killing--I was lucky enough to stumble upon this gem this morning on TCM.
This was Stanley Kubrick's very first movie, and you could see the greatness that was ahead of him. Its the fairly simple story of a robbery, told from a number of points of view. There are no superstars here, but a lot of faces you'll recognize from terrific character roles throughout their careers (Sterling Hayden, Elisha Cook Jr & Vince Edwards---who is outstanding as a vain playboy here). Some have said that this may be the finest crime drama ever made. I don't know if its that good, but its a real good movie, that really shows you a gritty, dirty side of the late 50's that wasn't shown much.
**** very good stuff
5) Serendipity--now, unlike Must Love Dogs, which I reviewed the other day, here is a fine example of John Cusack making a good romance movie. Here the object of his affection is Kate Beckingsdale, looking so good you just want to jump through the screen, and both are ably supported by Jeremy Piven and Molly Shannon. No, really.
Molly Shannon. She's really good in this performance. ***3/4 good romanctic stuff
6) Dazed & Confused--this is one of those movies that I watch on t.v. everytime its on.
Why? Well, pretty simply because I knew EVERY kid in the movie. I would've been a sophmore when this film was set, and I knew all the characters. The burnouts, the jocks, the elitist geek who thought they were so above it, the ridiculously hot girl going out with someone who's an idiot....there all here. Okay, so we didn't have the creepy older guy hangin out around our school (a hilarious Matthew McConaghey) and we didn't have that disturbing ritual of beating and humiliating incoming freshmen. Other than that....it could've been old Plantation (FLA) H.S. back in the day. And if you are into classic rock, the soundtrack absolutely is SMOKIN. ****1/4
Yep, I have a movie about a bunch of pothead teenagers in the 70's rated above a Kubrick film....hey, no one said life was perfect.
Later,
Jeff
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Monday, December 26, 2005
12/26/05--Holy Cow---MOVIE REVIEWS!!
First of all, I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and got a visit from Santa.
I thought I'd do something I haven't done in the proverbial coon's age---review some movies! Because of the vacation time that I've actually had a chance to take advantage of, I've been watching some movies lately.
1) Batman Begins---****---I was really surprised, because I liked this movie a LOT.
Christian Bale makes an excellent Batman, Liam Neeson is a sinister villian and Katie Holmes is, well.....she's pretty hot and you can see why Tom Cruise would want to hook up with her--other than that, she's window dressing. A special mention however, goes out to Cillian Murphy, who is absolutely TERRIFIC in his roll as the scary psychologist//Sandman. Way, WAY better than any other Batman film. I realize that may not be saying a lot, but this is as good as the recent Spiderman movies.
2) Must Love Dogs--**1/2---okay, so if I told you that we had a romantic comedy, and it starred Diane Lane & John Cusack--certainly two of the most likeable movie stars working today--and had solid support from fine actors like Stockard Channing, Christopher Plummer & Elizabeth Perkins.....wouldn't you think that you had a date movie classic forthcoming? So would I. And its not that it wasn't "okay"....it just wasn't as good as the sum of its parts. I liked the romance between Lane & Cusack, but could've cared less about Lane's family and all its foibles. Merely okay.
3) The 40-Year-Old Virgin--now, here's a movie with a concept that is pretty funny.
Guy manages to go through his whole life (well, up until he's funny), and just never meets the right woman...and his friends find out and what happens next. Right away you have a movie that should be funny just from the plot, especially if you have the right cast (Steve Correll--from t.v.'s The Daily Show & The Office is going to become a huge, huge star). But by taking the plot, and making it raunchy...and by that I mean REALLY really raunchy...and still managing to keep the romantic subplot sweet and believeable....you've created a modern classic. This is one funny movie--both ways.
Raunchy & sweet. You don't find that in many movies. ****1/2
4) Deuce Bigalow--European Gigolo--aha! Now here is an example of a movie that is raunchy and TRIES to have a sweet side--but it just doesn't work. There are plenty of raunchy parts, and some are pretty funny and some are either gross or don't work, but the sweet side is totally ridiculous and unbelieveable. Its amazing to me that Adam Sandler has become a huge movie star. Its even more amazing to me that Rob Schneider found a niche to even make movies based on his "talent". The first movie in this series was fairly raunchy and disgusting, but had enough funny sight gags to make it a fun 90 minute deversion. Compared to this film, that film was practically a Woody Allen film. * (that's one star)
Later,
Jeff
I thought I'd do something I haven't done in the proverbial coon's age---review some movies! Because of the vacation time that I've actually had a chance to take advantage of, I've been watching some movies lately.
1) Batman Begins---****---I was really surprised, because I liked this movie a LOT.
Christian Bale makes an excellent Batman, Liam Neeson is a sinister villian and Katie Holmes is, well.....she's pretty hot and you can see why Tom Cruise would want to hook up with her--other than that, she's window dressing. A special mention however, goes out to Cillian Murphy, who is absolutely TERRIFIC in his roll as the scary psychologist//Sandman. Way, WAY better than any other Batman film. I realize that may not be saying a lot, but this is as good as the recent Spiderman movies.
2) Must Love Dogs--**1/2---okay, so if I told you that we had a romantic comedy, and it starred Diane Lane & John Cusack--certainly two of the most likeable movie stars working today--and had solid support from fine actors like Stockard Channing, Christopher Plummer & Elizabeth Perkins.....wouldn't you think that you had a date movie classic forthcoming? So would I. And its not that it wasn't "okay"....it just wasn't as good as the sum of its parts. I liked the romance between Lane & Cusack, but could've cared less about Lane's family and all its foibles. Merely okay.
3) The 40-Year-Old Virgin--now, here's a movie with a concept that is pretty funny.
Guy manages to go through his whole life (well, up until he's funny), and just never meets the right woman...and his friends find out and what happens next. Right away you have a movie that should be funny just from the plot, especially if you have the right cast (Steve Correll--from t.v.'s The Daily Show & The Office is going to become a huge, huge star). But by taking the plot, and making it raunchy...and by that I mean REALLY really raunchy...and still managing to keep the romantic subplot sweet and believeable....you've created a modern classic. This is one funny movie--both ways.
Raunchy & sweet. You don't find that in many movies. ****1/2
4) Deuce Bigalow--European Gigolo--aha! Now here is an example of a movie that is raunchy and TRIES to have a sweet side--but it just doesn't work. There are plenty of raunchy parts, and some are pretty funny and some are either gross or don't work, but the sweet side is totally ridiculous and unbelieveable. Its amazing to me that Adam Sandler has become a huge movie star. Its even more amazing to me that Rob Schneider found a niche to even make movies based on his "talent". The first movie in this series was fairly raunchy and disgusting, but had enough funny sight gags to make it a fun 90 minute deversion. Compared to this film, that film was practically a Woody Allen film. * (that's one star)
Later,
Jeff
Saturday, December 24, 2005
12/24/05---Ho, Ho, Ho....Merry Christmas to all!!
I read this online today, and thought it was pretty cute....its, The Night Before Christmas--Notre Dame style.
ND 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through South Bend
Not a creature was stirring, neither rooster nor hen"
The banners were hung on the stadium with care,
In hopes that St. Charlie soon would be there
The alumni were nestled all snug in their beds,
With dreams of Leahy and Holtz in their heads;
While the students at the Grotto, down by the lake,
Were just giving thanks for a long winter break,
When out on those quads there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The Dome with a crest of new-fallen snow
Gave a luster of mid-day to a campus below
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear
A high-powered offense: the champions next year!
With a large and proud leader, so friendly and nice
I knew in a moment it must be Coach Weis
As fast as Four Horsemen, onward they came
He whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now Hoyte, Now Samardzija, Walker, Fasano
On Stovall, On Shelton, Wooden, Anastascio"
To the top of the rankings, to the top of them all
"Now throw a-way, run a-way, and dive for the ball!
We will move like the wind, our runners will fly
And just for balance, we'll take to the sky!"
So up to the top of the rankings they flew
With a big book of plays, and Brady Quinn too
And then in a twinkling, to the sound of the cleats
The scoring and wins, I forgot past defeats
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney, Coach Weis came with a bound
He was dressed with his rings, and headset to boot
And his clothes were all drenched with Gatorade and soot
A number of victories he carried on his back
And he smiled as he turned and presented a sack
of trophies--how they twinkled! Like heaps of gold treasures
His cheeks were like roses, his wisdom p! ast meas ure
Weis commanded the team on fourth downs to throw
Through hail and through fog, through sleet and through snow
His genius caused points in the forties and fifties,
to hearten alumni and keep our stats spiffy
Weis had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed, like a BCS bowl-ful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, and so sure of himself,
That I cheered when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know, Ohio State would be dead
He boasted not a word, praise makes not his day
But all now know, for the title we'll play
And laying a finger to the side of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the rankings we rose
At his departure I heard Trooper McCarthy say;
If your sleigh flight looks fishy, you'll be the catch of the day!
Weis sprang to the roof, to his team gave a cheer
And away to a victory in the Fiesta next year;
And I heard him call plays, for winning that game
"Merry Christmas to all. And love thee Notre Dame!
(Written by John Rosemeyer)
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Indeed.
Later,
Jeff
ND 'Twas the Night Before Christmas
"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through South Bend
Not a creature was stirring, neither rooster nor hen"
The banners were hung on the stadium with care,
In hopes that St. Charlie soon would be there
The alumni were nestled all snug in their beds,
With dreams of Leahy and Holtz in their heads;
While the students at the Grotto, down by the lake,
Were just giving thanks for a long winter break,
When out on those quads there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The Dome with a crest of new-fallen snow
Gave a luster of mid-day to a campus below
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear
A high-powered offense: the champions next year!
With a large and proud leader, so friendly and nice
I knew in a moment it must be Coach Weis
As fast as Four Horsemen, onward they came
He whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now Hoyte, Now Samardzija, Walker, Fasano
On Stovall, On Shelton, Wooden, Anastascio"
To the top of the rankings, to the top of them all
"Now throw a-way, run a-way, and dive for the ball!
We will move like the wind, our runners will fly
And just for balance, we'll take to the sky!"
So up to the top of the rankings they flew
With a big book of plays, and Brady Quinn too
And then in a twinkling, to the sound of the cleats
The scoring and wins, I forgot past defeats
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney, Coach Weis came with a bound
He was dressed with his rings, and headset to boot
And his clothes were all drenched with Gatorade and soot
A number of victories he carried on his back
And he smiled as he turned and presented a sack
of trophies--how they twinkled! Like heaps of gold treasures
His cheeks were like roses, his wisdom p! ast meas ure
Weis commanded the team on fourth downs to throw
Through hail and through fog, through sleet and through snow
His genius caused points in the forties and fifties,
to hearten alumni and keep our stats spiffy
Weis had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed, like a BCS bowl-ful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, and so sure of himself,
That I cheered when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know, Ohio State would be dead
He boasted not a word, praise makes not his day
But all now know, for the title we'll play
And laying a finger to the side of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the rankings we rose
At his departure I heard Trooper McCarthy say;
If your sleigh flight looks fishy, you'll be the catch of the day!
Weis sprang to the roof, to his team gave a cheer
And away to a victory in the Fiesta next year;
And I heard him call plays, for winning that game
"Merry Christmas to all. And love thee Notre Dame!
(Written by John Rosemeyer)
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Indeed.
Later,
Jeff
12/24/05---Now here's something I almost NEVER do...
I'm going to ask you to help me out. There's currently a proposed bill in the Florida House....Bill #1197, which would lower the retirement requirements for employees under the state of Florida Retirement System from 30 years of employment to 25 years.
Of course, since I am just about coming up to my 20th year (YIKES!) on 1/26/06, this bill has TONS of interest for me.
Let me reprint what I wrote to some other employees:
Hey everybody....as some of you know, I recently sent an email out to my state legislator, Ari Porth. I have known Ari for a few years now, as he has been the assistant state attorney in charge of the child truancy department with the state attorney's office.
I wrote Ari and asked him about a bill that I had been told about, which would LOWER the requirements for those of us within the state of Florida's retirement system to 25 years (from 30). This would include that the candidate also be a minimum of 50 years old to be considered. I expected to eventually hear from him....and did. THE NEXT DAY.
The next day his legislative aide wrote me a nice letter explaining the status of the bill in question (House Bill #1197) and told me what the history of the bill was, etc etc.
I went to work and mentioned this to a few people, who suggested I send out an email to everyone who might be effected by this bill---including clerks office employees, judicial assistants, state attorneys, public defenders and court administration staff. Employees of the Broward Sheriffs Office get retirement after 25 years because they are considered people who work under "hazardous conditions"---i.e., working with prisoners. Hello!! Every in-court clerk that I know deals with prisoners on a daily basis!! Why aren't we given the same sort of consideration???!!!! Let Ari know that!
Then, when I returned home later that day....I got a personal phone call from Ari thanking me for inquiring about the bill and trying to answer any questions regarding it. He gave me the pro's and con's of the issue...which he, just for the record, IS CO-SPONSOR OF. HELLO!!
I really believe that Ari is a man who can help all of us who are interested in this issue. However, you know what they say.......THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE!!!!!!
I'm enclosing a link to Ari's website in the Florida House....which also has a link to his email address within the House. I urge you, if this issue interests you....to contact him, and if nothing else....tell him that you are interested in House Bill # 1197!!!!! I really believe the best way to get some action on this issue is to keep it fresh in the minds of our legislators.
I think Ari will get behind this bill on our behalf if we let him know this is something we all would be interested in.
Ari Porth can be reached by going to this link:
Florida House of Representatives - Ari Abraham Porth
Let him know how you feel about House Bill #1197 and how much you appreciate his support of this bill!!
Now, I'll get off of my soapbox.
Later,
Jeff
PS...if you know anyone else who is effected by this bill, and who you think might be interested, please pass it along to them.
Of course, since I am just about coming up to my 20th year (YIKES!) on 1/26/06, this bill has TONS of interest for me.
Let me reprint what I wrote to some other employees:
Hey everybody....as some of you know, I recently sent an email out to my state legislator, Ari Porth. I have known Ari for a few years now, as he has been the assistant state attorney in charge of the child truancy department with the state attorney's office.
I wrote Ari and asked him about a bill that I had been told about, which would LOWER the requirements for those of us within the state of Florida's retirement system to 25 years (from 30). This would include that the candidate also be a minimum of 50 years old to be considered. I expected to eventually hear from him....and did. THE NEXT DAY.
The next day his legislative aide wrote me a nice letter explaining the status of the bill in question (House Bill #1197) and told me what the history of the bill was, etc etc.
I went to work and mentioned this to a few people, who suggested I send out an email to everyone who might be effected by this bill---including clerks office employees, judicial assistants, state attorneys, public defenders and court administration staff. Employees of the Broward Sheriffs Office get retirement after 25 years because they are considered people who work under "hazardous conditions"---i.e., working with prisoners. Hello!! Every in-court clerk that I know deals with prisoners on a daily basis!! Why aren't we given the same sort of consideration???!!!! Let Ari know that!
Then, when I returned home later that day....I got a personal phone call from Ari thanking me for inquiring about the bill and trying to answer any questions regarding it. He gave me the pro's and con's of the issue...which he, just for the record, IS CO-SPONSOR OF. HELLO!!
I really believe that Ari is a man who can help all of us who are interested in this issue. However, you know what they say.......THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE!!!!!!
I'm enclosing a link to Ari's website in the Florida House....which also has a link to his email address within the House. I urge you, if this issue interests you....to contact him, and if nothing else....tell him that you are interested in House Bill # 1197!!!!! I really believe the best way to get some action on this issue is to keep it fresh in the minds of our legislators.
I think Ari will get behind this bill on our behalf if we let him know this is something we all would be interested in.
Ari Porth can be reached by going to this link:
Florida House of Representatives - Ari Abraham Porth
Let him know how you feel about House Bill #1197 and how much you appreciate his support of this bill!!
Now, I'll get off of my soapbox.
Later,
Jeff
PS...if you know anyone else who is effected by this bill, and who you think might be interested, please pass it along to them.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
12/22/05---News from the Midnight front
Well Midnight the Wonder Dog has returned home. We picked him up from the hospital around 3pm, and holy cripes was he ready to go home! He's now sporting a new t-shirt to cover his incision (although later he'll find out, just like every other man, that chicks dig scars). The emergency room nurse that helped us check him out told me that everything went very well during surgery, and that the incision might seem to be a bit larger than we expected but it was done with the intention of getting as much of the cancer as MIGHT be there---so I can totally understand that. So we bring him home, and I keep him in the bedroom with me for the remainder of the afternoon and into the evening until Kim got home...and he's just pretty much taking a snooze (sorta like me).
When Kim got home, he ate his dinner like he hadn't been fed in weeks (good sign) and then did a good job taking the medicine that the doctor had sent home with him (anti-biotic and something for pain--little doggie valium--HELLO!!). So after that I take him out in the backyard for a little early evening constitutional, and I'm getting ready to head to the computer to update everyone.....and he has a freakin seizure! I thought I was going to have heart failure. Its the first one he's had in like a year, but we were worried that maybe it was triggered by the medicine (doubt it though) and what concerned me at first was that when I looked at him his left forearm was twisted underneath him in a very weird angle--and the first thing I thought was that in the midst of his seizure that he could dislocate his forearm and not even realize it. Anyway, Kim called the hospital while I just held on to him, talking him through it (which is pretty much what I do when he has one). 5 minutes later he was fine....its just a scary couple of minutes when it happens.
So, he's going to take it easy for a week or two before his stiches come out, and for the next few days he'll be having those Pink Floyd dreams that doggie valium can give you.
I wonder if he'll dream he's part of that painting of dogs playing cards? Hmmm......
By the way, I just want to say how thankful that I am for the overwhelming show of concern and support during Midnight's medical situation--which of course isn't quite over yet. We will not get the pathologist's report for a week or so. Until then, continue to think a good thought for my boy. Thanks foreveryone who expressed concern or interest in how he was doing....and thanks to my sister for reminding me of who it was that was REALLY monitoring the entire situation during his surgery.
Later,
Jeff
When Kim got home, he ate his dinner like he hadn't been fed in weeks (good sign) and then did a good job taking the medicine that the doctor had sent home with him (anti-biotic and something for pain--little doggie valium--HELLO!!). So after that I take him out in the backyard for a little early evening constitutional, and I'm getting ready to head to the computer to update everyone.....and he has a freakin seizure! I thought I was going to have heart failure. Its the first one he's had in like a year, but we were worried that maybe it was triggered by the medicine (doubt it though) and what concerned me at first was that when I looked at him his left forearm was twisted underneath him in a very weird angle--and the first thing I thought was that in the midst of his seizure that he could dislocate his forearm and not even realize it. Anyway, Kim called the hospital while I just held on to him, talking him through it (which is pretty much what I do when he has one). 5 minutes later he was fine....its just a scary couple of minutes when it happens.
So, he's going to take it easy for a week or two before his stiches come out, and for the next few days he'll be having those Pink Floyd dreams that doggie valium can give you.
I wonder if he'll dream he's part of that painting of dogs playing cards? Hmmm......
By the way, I just want to say how thankful that I am for the overwhelming show of concern and support during Midnight's medical situation--which of course isn't quite over yet. We will not get the pathologist's report for a week or so. Until then, continue to think a good thought for my boy. Thanks foreveryone who expressed concern or interest in how he was doing....and thanks to my sister for reminding me of who it was that was REALLY monitoring the entire situation during his surgery.
Later,
Jeff
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
12/20/05---Tomorrow is my Lil Bubba's big day
Midnight goes in for surgery tomorrow morning to remove the tumor on his stomach.
Please do me a favor and think an extra special good thought for him in the morning.
I've included my very first picture of him ever in my journal.
He's the world's smartest dog!
Later,
Jeff
Please do me a favor and think an extra special good thought for him in the morning.
I've included my very first picture of him ever in my journal.
He's the world's smartest dog!
Later,
Jeff
Saturday, December 17, 2005
12/17/05---Bad news comes in the form of an email
Here's one of those awful ways that you realize you're starting to get older. I got an email this morning from a guy I went to high school with (in the words of George Harrison---"All Those Years Ago") with the sad news that a friend of mine had died.
The news came to me this way:
The news came to me this way:
Barbara Friederich, nee Swierczek, 44, of Germantown, formerly Belleville, Ill, born Sept. 15, 1961, in Belleville, Ill., died Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2005, at Scott Air Force Base Hospital. Barbara was employed as a Chiropractic Assistant for New Baden Chiropractic.
She was preceded in death by her father, Joseph Swierczek, Sr.; and her father-in-law, Vernon Friederich. She is survived by her husband, Nick Friederich, Sr.; her children, Nicholas Friederich Jr., Elizabeth Friederich and Zachary Friederich; her mother, Gloria, nee Klinckhardt, Swierczek of Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.; a sister, Kathleen (Ed) Hock of Belleville, Ill.; three brothers, Joseph (Paula) Swierczek, Jr. of Belleville, Ill., Patrick Swierczek of Kansas City, Mo., and Michael (Annette) Swierczek of Freeburg, Ill.; her mother-in-law, Nonna Friederich of Belleville, Ill.; a brother-in-law, Larry and Barbara Friederich of Collinsville, Ill.; and two sisters-in-law, Diana and Mike Compton of Highland, Ill., and Debbie and Danny Grimmer of Waterloo, Ill. She was a very loving aunt to thirteen nieces and nephews
I met Barb my senior year of high school. She was a total knockout brunette and always quick with a smile. I got to know her through powderpuff football and our senior year club called the "Phantoms". We were the students who would get up at 4am on Friday mornings before the football games and hang up the various banners around school and t.p. the trees around the campus (and can you believe that the school administration not only allowed this--they ENCOURAGED it??). Barb was one of the people out there with me on those cold mornings. She was a lot of fun, and I find myself this morning....feeling just a little bit older than I was the day before.
Later,
Jeff
Monday, December 12, 2005
12/12/05---Becoming my father......slowly
So this past Saturday, we finally had the party that we had promised Andy & Kellie a few months ago. The first time we scheduled it, we had this little storm called Wilma that, um.....postponed it.
So the party in question was held at the kids tae-kwon do school, which the instructors very graciously allowed us to use for the evening. We had the place basically set up into two different rooms--the back room was set up with televisions and videogames--in other words, Andy's friends. It was like a Star Trek convention. The front of the place was where the stereo was located, blasting out the hip hop and rap music. Oh boy, my favorite. Anyway, that's where Kellie's friends, the "alledgedly" cool kids were located. I found out that Kellie has a few friends that could definitely fall into the "hoochie mama" category. For those of you who aren't familar with that term, its sort of like...a girl who's kinda trying to look like she's older, but also like she's, well.....
trashy and older. The first of her friends that showed up looked like she was going down to South Beach to go clubbing, not going to a 13 year olds party. Then she had another friend....a supposed "shy girl" who is in her tae-kwon do class, who apparently is dating another boy from the class (she's the same age as Kellie). Kim and I had even laughed and said that the girl would end up making a perfect wife down the road for Andy, because she seemed so shy and was, according to her mom, just as much of a bookworm and quasi-nerdy as our son. Well...let's just say, after her mom dropped her off....that the butterfly emerged from her cocoon. She and her boyfriend were doing the whole slowdancing routine, the dirty dancing number...and...in my favorite moment of the evening....attempting to work their way out of the back exit to spend a little "quality time" with one another---alone. Uh....no, I don't think so.
Kim & I were sitting out front for the most part, giving the kids (well, let's be honest--giving KELLIE) their space and allowing them to enjoy the time with their friends.
Finally, at one point Kim glanced behind and told me that I needed to look and see what was happening. I went to turn, and was immediately chastized by my wife for being so OBVIOUS.
"No," she said, "you have to do it so she can't see you."
I turned and watched my daughter's first slow dance. I was torn between enjoying this special moment for her....and that whole fatherly thing about wanting to know why that kid was so close to my daughter--hey, let's put a little space between the two of you there mister! After it was over, I called my parents. I told them that I was now paying for all that crap I had put them through when I was a kid. My parents graciously told me that they didn't remember any sort of bad things.
Oh yeah, that's right. I never did tell them about those things. I wonder what I don't know about my daughter?
Later,
Jeff
So the party in question was held at the kids tae-kwon do school, which the instructors very graciously allowed us to use for the evening. We had the place basically set up into two different rooms--the back room was set up with televisions and videogames--in other words, Andy's friends. It was like a Star Trek convention. The front of the place was where the stereo was located, blasting out the hip hop and rap music. Oh boy, my favorite. Anyway, that's where Kellie's friends, the "alledgedly" cool kids were located. I found out that Kellie has a few friends that could definitely fall into the "hoochie mama" category. For those of you who aren't familar with that term, its sort of like...a girl who's kinda trying to look like she's older, but also like she's, well.....
trashy and older. The first of her friends that showed up looked like she was going down to South Beach to go clubbing, not going to a 13 year olds party. Then she had another friend....a supposed "shy girl" who is in her tae-kwon do class, who apparently is dating another boy from the class (she's the same age as Kellie). Kim and I had even laughed and said that the girl would end up making a perfect wife down the road for Andy, because she seemed so shy and was, according to her mom, just as much of a bookworm and quasi-nerdy as our son. Well...let's just say, after her mom dropped her off....that the butterfly emerged from her cocoon. She and her boyfriend were doing the whole slowdancing routine, the dirty dancing number...and...in my favorite moment of the evening....attempting to work their way out of the back exit to spend a little "quality time" with one another---alone. Uh....no, I don't think so.
Kim & I were sitting out front for the most part, giving the kids (well, let's be honest--giving KELLIE) their space and allowing them to enjoy the time with their friends.
Finally, at one point Kim glanced behind and told me that I needed to look and see what was happening. I went to turn, and was immediately chastized by my wife for being so OBVIOUS.
"No," she said, "you have to do it so she can't see you."
I turned and watched my daughter's first slow dance. I was torn between enjoying this special moment for her....and that whole fatherly thing about wanting to know why that kid was so close to my daughter--hey, let's put a little space between the two of you there mister! After it was over, I called my parents. I told them that I was now paying for all that crap I had put them through when I was a kid. My parents graciously told me that they didn't remember any sort of bad things.
Oh yeah, that's right. I never did tell them about those things. I wonder what I don't know about my daughter?
Later,
Jeff
Saturday, December 10, 2005
12/10/05--Thanks for asking.....and my personal nightmare tonite
Well first of all, thanks for everyone is asked about my son...my boy....my dog....my beloved Midnight and his visit to the doctor this past Wednesday. Let's just be polite and say that I was "slightly" nervous about this visit.
Midnight will have surgery on Dec 21st for removal of his tumor. Suffice to say, with the price of the procedure, there will not be many new dog toys under the tree for Midnight this year. UGH! However, here's what the doctor told us...good and bad.
The tumor is located on his stomach, which the doctor indicated is a good thing. There's a lot of excess skin and tissue so the doctor can not only get the tumor, but also the area around the tumor to insure that he basically gets all of the cancerous area.
Kim & I were told that the location of the tumor is good as opposed to a dog getting a tumor on his nose or ear, where there isn't extra skin--hence more of a chance that the doctor will NOT get all of the cancerous tissue. The doctor was somewhat concerned with the size of the tumor, saying that in a best case scenario it would be smaller, but its not abnormally large. He advised us that there are 3 types of cancer. The first stage of the mass cell tumor is that its totally benign---essentially just a growth and not cancerous. Obviously that's what we would wish for, but the doctor admitted that its not very likely. The 2nd stage is the kind where the most unknown exists. Basically you don't know what you're going to get until the tumor is removed and examined by an oncologist. In this case, you could have the cancerous tissue totally removed by the surgery....or, it could be an aggressive case that has to also be treated with a form of canine chemotherapy. If that is the case, the chemo is not the same as the type that humans endure, in that its given to them in a much smaller dose and does not involve them losing hair, etc. Canines might become nauseous and become very tired, but those are the two major side effects. The third stage is the most serious, is the instance where you have a tumor that has appeared from essentially from no where and grown in a month or so into an abnormal size. The doctor indicated that since Midnight has had his tumor for over a year, the stage 3 type does not appear to be the case, much to our relief.
So basically, we won't know anything for sure until after the 21st, but hopefully all will go well. After his surgery, he will have to be seperated from his brother and sister for about two weeks because of the incision and scar that no doubt the other dogs will want to investigate. Thankfully, this timeframe will occur when the Christmas holidays occur and I've already put in for a week off.
But on the 21st, if you remember....think a good thought for my other son.
Now....onto happier things. Tonight.....UGH.....is the kids party. 25 teenagers and me & Kim. Its my personal nightmare. The only good thing, as pointed out by my sister--is that I will have enough stories to fill a week's worth of journal entries. Something for you to look forward too.
Later,
Jeff
Midnight will have surgery on Dec 21st for removal of his tumor. Suffice to say, with the price of the procedure, there will not be many new dog toys under the tree for Midnight this year. UGH! However, here's what the doctor told us...good and bad.
The tumor is located on his stomach, which the doctor indicated is a good thing. There's a lot of excess skin and tissue so the doctor can not only get the tumor, but also the area around the tumor to insure that he basically gets all of the cancerous area.
Kim & I were told that the location of the tumor is good as opposed to a dog getting a tumor on his nose or ear, where there isn't extra skin--hence more of a chance that the doctor will NOT get all of the cancerous tissue. The doctor was somewhat concerned with the size of the tumor, saying that in a best case scenario it would be smaller, but its not abnormally large. He advised us that there are 3 types of cancer. The first stage of the mass cell tumor is that its totally benign---essentially just a growth and not cancerous. Obviously that's what we would wish for, but the doctor admitted that its not very likely. The 2nd stage is the kind where the most unknown exists. Basically you don't know what you're going to get until the tumor is removed and examined by an oncologist. In this case, you could have the cancerous tissue totally removed by the surgery....or, it could be an aggressive case that has to also be treated with a form of canine chemotherapy. If that is the case, the chemo is not the same as the type that humans endure, in that its given to them in a much smaller dose and does not involve them losing hair, etc. Canines might become nauseous and become very tired, but those are the two major side effects. The third stage is the most serious, is the instance where you have a tumor that has appeared from essentially from no where and grown in a month or so into an abnormal size. The doctor indicated that since Midnight has had his tumor for over a year, the stage 3 type does not appear to be the case, much to our relief.
So basically, we won't know anything for sure until after the 21st, but hopefully all will go well. After his surgery, he will have to be seperated from his brother and sister for about two weeks because of the incision and scar that no doubt the other dogs will want to investigate. Thankfully, this timeframe will occur when the Christmas holidays occur and I've already put in for a week off.
But on the 21st, if you remember....think a good thought for my other son.
Now....onto happier things. Tonight.....UGH.....is the kids party. 25 teenagers and me & Kim. Its my personal nightmare. The only good thing, as pointed out by my sister--is that I will have enough stories to fill a week's worth of journal entries. Something for you to look forward too.
Later,
Jeff
Saturday, December 3, 2005
12/3/05--My apologies....hey, can't a guy get sick twice a year???
Well that's the story morning glory. Yeah, maybe I had taking a couple of days off from the blog--maybe get a recharge of the old batteries. So what happens when I'm ready to come back? My wife...God bless her, after about a week of hacking and coughing in my face at night...finally hands her cold//flu off to me, her beloved. I remember waking up around 5am last Friday morning--the day after Thanksgiving--and feeling a little scratchiness in my throat. My first thought?
Aww man!
Now I will tell you one thing about myself. After 44 years on earth (YIKES!), I know my body (and yes, its a temple--don't kid yourself). I can tell at the earliest possible moment when a cold and or flu is invading my body. Now, here's another thing about myself you need to know. I only get a cold or flu about once a year--maybe twice (my last one was in March right before we went to NY). But when I get sick...and my wife will verify this....I am the world's biggest baby. I admit it.
So we we were supposed to go to my co-worker Ceci's surprise birthday party the following day, and by mid-afternoon Saturday, I had to call her sister and bail out. I was just feeling like crap. And like I told someone the next day, you know I felt like shit if I missed something for my baby Ceci. Hell, I call her my 5th wife! So Sunday I'm feeling a little worse...and then Monday, it absolutely hits me like a truck. Well, I have court that morning, and I don't feel like stiffing someone with my work...so I go in, finish court...and go home early. Meanwhile, at home, Kim is suffering from an ear infection. Quite a pair, the two of us. The next day, I had court again, and went in and then vamoosed for home. Wednesday, I woke up and was considering whether death would be preferrable. I felt that horrible. The whole stuffy head, chest cold, body aches. I was quite the hunk of burning love--literally. Thursday was still a bad day, but I went in because I was scheduled for court (Wednesday I was out--part of the reason that I had called in). Friday I woke up covered in sweat. Despite that sounding like a vision from your worst nightmares, I took it as a good thing. I figured I was finally breaking whatever the hell it was that I had. Same thing happened today, and I've felt slightly better both days, so maybe I'm finally coming out of it--and that's good news for you, because Lord knows you've missed me--admit it.
Meanwhile, Kim's one ear gets better...and the infection goes into her other ear. Then she calls me on the way home Friday and says that she's taking Andy to the doctor because HIS ear has been hurting. And at work....Ceci? Remember the girl who's party we had to miss? She goes in for a wisdom tooth extraction and comes out looking like Brando in Godfather 1--complete with the cotton in the side of her mouth.
It has NOT been a good week to either be related or to know me.
And that wasn't the worst of it. The day after Thanksgiving, Kim & I took my dog Midnight to the vet. He's had a small tumor on his stomach for quite some time now, and we had showed the vet before, but were told that some dogs get them and its relatively routine. That's true, because our other dog Beezer has one on his shoulder and its been there for awhile. We brought Midnight in because Kim felt the tumor was starting to get bigger. Maybe I realized it too and just didn't want to think about it.
We had been told that we shouldn't be concerned if the tumor got bigger. The vet looked at Midnight and told us the only way to know was to do a sort of needle biopsy.
She took him in the back and performed the procedure, which she said would feel no different to him than getting a shot. When she came back, she termed it "highly suspicious". That was not what I wanted to hear. She said she wanted to send it off to a pathologist and have it examined.
So besides everything else this past week....I had to sweat that out.
And Kim called them yesterday....because I didn't want too. But our worst fears were realized when we were told that the tumor was indeed cancerous. We meet with a surgeon on Wednesday evening to discuss the next step.
I'm so scared. I'm so scared for one of the most things in my life. Its a family joke by now. I call Midnight "my son". We have two other dogs, Beezer & Jazz...and I love them both very much. They're both great dogs. But Midnight isn't a dog. He's almost like a part of me. I thought about it the other day and came to this somewhat selfish conclusion. I think in my immediate family (meaning the one that lives in Coral Springs),
there are two indespensible parts of it. If anything happened to either of the kids, I'd be devestated...but I'd want to be strong for Kim. If anything ever happened to Beezer or Jazz...I'd be hurt, and I'm sure it would be hard to get over it....but I think I would.
But....Kim I could never replace. Whether she knows it or not....I would be helpless without her (I'm practically helpless WITH her, but that's another story). And then there's Midnight. My buddy....my boy...my black dog...my Mr. Man...my Mr. Shifty.
The worst day of my life was when my boyhood dog, Lady, died. I found her floating in our pool. She was old, maybe 15 or 16....had bad eyesight from cataracs...but the memory of finding her still bothers me. I remember carrying her out to my front yard, looking for anyone to help me.....my parents weren't home. I remembering crying out for help and that it was.....almost primal. It wasn't a cry. It was a wail. It was a cry for the last link to my childhood and my best friend, laying dead in my arms.
And this week, when I thought about worst case scenarios with Midnight....I kept thinking about that day and that moment. And if the worst case scenario happens...if he is taken from me.....this will be worse.
This won't be an old dog who lead a long life finally leaving. This will be a young dog, being taken from me. And I will perceive it, correctly or not, as being done with a malice of forethought. As if it is some personal grudge being taken out on ME.
This one....I may not recover from. This one would be like Kim being taken from me.
This one....I would take with me for the rest of my life.
Wednesday will be a very big day in my life, and in the life of my buddy Midnight.
Please think a good thought for him if you remember.
Later,
Jeff
Aww man!
Now I will tell you one thing about myself. After 44 years on earth (YIKES!), I know my body (and yes, its a temple--don't kid yourself). I can tell at the earliest possible moment when a cold and or flu is invading my body. Now, here's another thing about myself you need to know. I only get a cold or flu about once a year--maybe twice (my last one was in March right before we went to NY). But when I get sick...and my wife will verify this....I am the world's biggest baby. I admit it.
So we we were supposed to go to my co-worker Ceci's surprise birthday party the following day, and by mid-afternoon Saturday, I had to call her sister and bail out. I was just feeling like crap. And like I told someone the next day, you know I felt like shit if I missed something for my baby Ceci. Hell, I call her my 5th wife! So Sunday I'm feeling a little worse...and then Monday, it absolutely hits me like a truck. Well, I have court that morning, and I don't feel like stiffing someone with my work...so I go in, finish court...and go home early. Meanwhile, at home, Kim is suffering from an ear infection. Quite a pair, the two of us. The next day, I had court again, and went in and then vamoosed for home. Wednesday, I woke up and was considering whether death would be preferrable. I felt that horrible. The whole stuffy head, chest cold, body aches. I was quite the hunk of burning love--literally. Thursday was still a bad day, but I went in because I was scheduled for court (Wednesday I was out--part of the reason that I had called in). Friday I woke up covered in sweat. Despite that sounding like a vision from your worst nightmares, I took it as a good thing. I figured I was finally breaking whatever the hell it was that I had. Same thing happened today, and I've felt slightly better both days, so maybe I'm finally coming out of it--and that's good news for you, because Lord knows you've missed me--admit it.
Meanwhile, Kim's one ear gets better...and the infection goes into her other ear. Then she calls me on the way home Friday and says that she's taking Andy to the doctor because HIS ear has been hurting. And at work....Ceci? Remember the girl who's party we had to miss? She goes in for a wisdom tooth extraction and comes out looking like Brando in Godfather 1--complete with the cotton in the side of her mouth.
It has NOT been a good week to either be related or to know me.
And that wasn't the worst of it. The day after Thanksgiving, Kim & I took my dog Midnight to the vet. He's had a small tumor on his stomach for quite some time now, and we had showed the vet before, but were told that some dogs get them and its relatively routine. That's true, because our other dog Beezer has one on his shoulder and its been there for awhile. We brought Midnight in because Kim felt the tumor was starting to get bigger. Maybe I realized it too and just didn't want to think about it.
We had been told that we shouldn't be concerned if the tumor got bigger. The vet looked at Midnight and told us the only way to know was to do a sort of needle biopsy.
She took him in the back and performed the procedure, which she said would feel no different to him than getting a shot. When she came back, she termed it "highly suspicious". That was not what I wanted to hear. She said she wanted to send it off to a pathologist and have it examined.
So besides everything else this past week....I had to sweat that out.
And Kim called them yesterday....because I didn't want too. But our worst fears were realized when we were told that the tumor was indeed cancerous. We meet with a surgeon on Wednesday evening to discuss the next step.
I'm so scared. I'm so scared for one of the most things in my life. Its a family joke by now. I call Midnight "my son". We have two other dogs, Beezer & Jazz...and I love them both very much. They're both great dogs. But Midnight isn't a dog. He's almost like a part of me. I thought about it the other day and came to this somewhat selfish conclusion. I think in my immediate family (meaning the one that lives in Coral Springs),
there are two indespensible parts of it. If anything happened to either of the kids, I'd be devestated...but I'd want to be strong for Kim. If anything ever happened to Beezer or Jazz...I'd be hurt, and I'm sure it would be hard to get over it....but I think I would.
But....Kim I could never replace. Whether she knows it or not....I would be helpless without her (I'm practically helpless WITH her, but that's another story). And then there's Midnight. My buddy....my boy...my black dog...my Mr. Man...my Mr. Shifty.
The worst day of my life was when my boyhood dog, Lady, died. I found her floating in our pool. She was old, maybe 15 or 16....had bad eyesight from cataracs...but the memory of finding her still bothers me. I remember carrying her out to my front yard, looking for anyone to help me.....my parents weren't home. I remembering crying out for help and that it was.....almost primal. It wasn't a cry. It was a wail. It was a cry for the last link to my childhood and my best friend, laying dead in my arms.
And this week, when I thought about worst case scenarios with Midnight....I kept thinking about that day and that moment. And if the worst case scenario happens...if he is taken from me.....this will be worse.
This won't be an old dog who lead a long life finally leaving. This will be a young dog, being taken from me. And I will perceive it, correctly or not, as being done with a malice of forethought. As if it is some personal grudge being taken out on ME.
This one....I may not recover from. This one would be like Kim being taken from me.
This one....I would take with me for the rest of my life.
Wednesday will be a very big day in my life, and in the life of my buddy Midnight.
Please think a good thought for him if you remember.
Later,
Jeff
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