And, They're Off!

                             

Today is the beginning of running season in Chicago!  Welcome to Chicago's Annual Shamrock Shuffle! They do like to start things off here with something to grab your attention!  How about an explosion of Green?  Even though St. Patrick's Day has passed, I think this race is being held now to assure that everyone is over the massive hangovers that ensued a few weeks ago!

 

 

Thousands of runners get ready to hit downtown Chicago for the annual Shamrock Shuffle the world's largest 8k. Over 40,000 runners registered for this race.  Drivers had to prepare for plenty of street closures in the Loop.  Thank goodness for Metra!  The first race wave stepped off at 8:30am, followed by a second way of runners at 9:00am.  The 8K course started and finished in Grant Park, and weaved through downtown streets.  We actually had a weather-perfect running day...no so perfect yesterday! 

Some Fronterrunners/Frontwalkers Chicago club members gathered to volunteer for the race.   This is more my style.  I think I will volunteer next year.  I guess it is sort of like a pacer car at the Indy 500, don't you think?  I would, however, that I  would need to start walking the day before the race if I was to walk the whole 8k!!!! 

A great day and a great race sponsored by Bank of America!  

I live in Chicago!  Welcome to My City!  Please stop by Unknown Mami (click on link) today and read about some really great things going on in a city close to you!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Night at Jerry's - Wicker Park (Sundays In My City)

It's Friday night in Chicago...like there's not a whole lot going on...every single corner of every street within a 20 mile radius of the City.  But in the small little neighborhood of Wicker Park, there is a little sandwich shop/bar/entertainment venue called Jerry's that we had the pleasure to explore.  Theses restaurant/bar/venues line the streets of these wonderful small neighborhoods and provide much needed entertainment for the locals, as well as, the suburbanites who dare to step outside of their comfort zones.

We began our adventure this past Friday, at 8:00pm...(our normal "let's get into our jammies and watch some TV" evening) by weathering the interstate (one of many - which are usually always under construction) that would bring us to Wicker Park, just north of Downtown Chicago.  Why, you ask?  Well, it just so happens that Jerry's is a proud supporter of the artistic expression of Rap Battles and my Firstborn was going to perform.  Many a Battle has gone down at Jerry's with winners and losers and new-formed friendships while rekindling the old.  These Battles are what I consider the closest thing to Stand Up Comedy, but in pairs...and in competition with each other.  It's just not who can be the funniest, but who can be funny, witty, critical, sarcastic and sometimes caustic and deliver it all in the language of Rap.  I have to laugh because it is not far from what is going on with our recent political debates.  Rap Battling does not need a moderator, however, except for introductions.  Each Battler has three opportunities to perform what they have prepared.  They battle, then are judged, and winners are announced later.

The Battlers all have stage names to identify them...names that have a personal connection to their lifestyle or life interest.  My son is called "The Boneman," possibly for his love of archeology or maybe because it gives him a plethora of material to use as he prepares for his battles.  We send him anything "bone" related that comes our way, with the hope that he may be able to use it at some point. (I especially love anything "Dia de los Muertos" as there are always skulls, bones and death-stuff involved!)

Here is the evolution of The Boneman over the last eight years....started out a little rough, but over time, and some creative tweaking...he has come into his own!

2008-2010

2011-2014

2015 to Present

Don't be creeped out.  He's a big teddy bear and the nicest, most thoughtful young man...which is totally opposite of his Boneman character!  He currently battles in the Midwest, but has plans to branch out to far-away exotic places like Florida, California and possibly even Canada!  I'll send you postcards!

Here's the group from Friday.  This is what a typical battle looks like.  Everyone stands around the two battlers and reacts to their raps.  It's sort of like "standing theatre in the round" in an intimate-kind of way.  The battlers show each other respect by greeting each other before the battle and shaking hands afterwards. 

I brought cupcakes...because it was Boneman's birthday...and because I'm a good mom!  He shared them with the other battlers after the show! 

I live in Chicago, Illinois!  Welcome to my city!

This post is brought to you by the magnificent Unknown Mami who hosts Sundays in My City every week.  Please stop by her casa (click on the link above) and say hello.  You will love to see all of the places who come to visit her!

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY TODAY!

Coffee I Need...

Four years ago, I embarked on a journey of self-improvement, self-discovery and most of all...self-love!  I was at a point in my life where I was absolutely miserable, but couldn't really put my finger on why.  Through support of friends and family, I found myself wanting to move forward with my life...it occurred that I was spending a lot of time spinning and spinning and not really going anywhere, but getting dizzy really fast!

I lost some weight, which gave me the motivation and courage to make some other changes in my life.  I found that it was just a little more than intake and output.  I had to look at the reasons why I was consuming twice the calories that I was burning... and then decide if or when I needed to burn any of those calories.  Once I got that worked out, I was ready to take the next step.  I cut the calories by cutting out sweets and white flour...that left only carrots and celery.  One can shed quite a few pounds living off of carrots and celery!  Okay, I'll come clean!  I was still eating protein, grains and tons of fruits along with the carrots and celery!

As the pounds began to fall off, I decided to see if I could make some more changes.  I had substituted whole wheat for my flour addiction, but the wheat was beginning to wreak havoc on my digestive system...probably because it didn't have the refined sugar to balance it out!  (This is my professional opinion!) So I began to understand what gluten free meant...give up a bunch of really tasty things so I don't have to pay for it later!


As time passed, I found more and more foods that just didn't want to behave as they worked their way through my intricate plumbing, so I said goodbye to a few more things.  I have been blessed to have found a balance of the right foods, mixed with five gallons of water, and 20 dog walks a day.  Stuff works for me now!

The one addiction/vice/fix/monkey-on-my-back that I will never give up is the almighty cup of Joe! I live for the aroma, the warmth and the smile that it brings to me...exactly 30 minutes after I take my thyroid medication each morning!  I will lie, cheat and kill for this addiction.  Nothing makes me feel more human than my 12 cups a day of unadulterated caffeine.  My Will even has a clause that states that as I am breathing my final breath, there must be coffee administered along with my Last Rites.  When I go, I want to go with a big caffeinated smile, teeth stains and all!

This post has been brought to you by Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop.  Please grab a cup of coffee, click on the link and enjoy the personal tributes from her many gifted writer-friends!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Answered Prayers

This is Braeden! He belongs to my Goddaughter and her husband. He was recently admitted to the hospital with the RSV virus in late January. He was in the ICU and on oxygen. She posted on social media about it and asked for prayers.  It was very a scary time for the new parents and their families.  I immediately reposted and asked for prayers.  I asked my friends to lift him up as his life had just begun and there was so much more for him to do. We all kept in touch with each other. 

The following morning, I received this message from my Goddaughter: "Thank you, and everyone praying for my son! It means so much to me. He has been taken off oxygen and just finished an entire bottle. This is some good progress. We hope he can do well off the oxygen now."

By the afternoon, I received this message:  "Thank you all for the prayers! Brady is doing well enough to come home from the hospital today! I really feel once everyone started praying he was lifted into recovery. I truly believe in the power of prayer!"

I have been thinking of closing down my social media account as I realize it has become a distraction to me.  Hours can go by in a blink of an eye with nothing to show for my time.  But then, something like this comes along, and my heart says "go!" So, I go!

This post is brought to you by Warm Heart Wednesday with Jenny Matlock.  Please click on the link and visit a wonderful place where you will be guaranteed to feel a lot of warmth and love!

Thank you for stopping by today!


  

My Parents Met In Middle America

A re-post from February, 2013...

It has always fascinated me to learn how people get together, share a life, and produce a legacy for future generations.  Have you ever considered the "what ifs" that might have changed the course of your life?  I am convinced that a very well-thought out master plan is responsible for how we came about, even with all of the choice possibilities and coincidences (or co-inky-dinks, as we say in my family) that cause the twists and turns of our lives.  Each of these twists has a purpose, whether we are aware of the purpose, or not.

Take, for example, my parents.  They are both in heaven, probably dancing, golfing or playing Bridge.  I loved hearing the stories of how they met and looking at the pictures of their first years together.  My mom, originally from New York, was a student at Missouri Valley College, and my dad, originally from California, was in the Navy, stationed at the same school for training.  He was dating my mom's roommate.  If the roommate was not ready to leave for a date when my dad arrived (which was often because my dad was always early), my mom would sit and talk with him while he waited.  One thing led to another and soon they were dating and my mom's roommate was not.  Fortunately, there was another great guy waiting in the wings for the roommate.

My mom was the Editor of the school newspaper, and she was not afraid to exercise her First Amendment right.  The Navy had a football team that played against the school's team for practice.  She wrote about a game where there were questionable calls, as well as, questionable tactics involved.  In essence, she blasted the Navy's team! I think her courage and assertiveness made my dad love her even more! This cost her the Editor's position, but she got over it.

My mom graduated, joined the Navy, and married my dad on a weekend leave.  The rest went according to The Plan. Theirs is a great story, with so much more to tell...another post!

This post is brought to you by the effervescent Mama Kat at Mama's Losin' It.  Each week she provides writing prompts from her Pretty Much World Famous Writer's Workshop, to her writer followers with a challenge to crank up our brain muscles.  Please click on the link above to visit Mama Kat and read some great stories from some very talented bloggers!  Thanks for stopping by today!

A Little Romance to Heat Up The Month!

 

I was recalling my most favorite Romance movies, when I realized that my memory just doesn't have enough space to hold them all.  I could watch Romance movies (chick flicks) 24/7 if I could afford to, and be a perfectly content! To help my lack of memory, I googled "Romance Movies."  There are only 32,543 of them listed...I just didn't have the time to search them all!  So I went through the top 25 and picked out a few to share with you!

Somewhere in Time with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour has got to be my all time favorite.  I watch it as often as it comes on both cable and network television.  It's a movie that intrigues me with it's time and space ideas.  That first kiss...oh, my...I will never forget it!

I have watched Pride & Prejudice at least a dozen times in the last six months.  I will never tire of it!  Keira is delightful and Matthew MacFadyen is...well...if I were 20 years younger!  The build-up of anxiety when they find each other in the meadow...I really hoped they would have kissed!

  

 
 Who doesn't love John Cusack?  Serendipity, for me was a reminder to listen to those little signs and messages and gut feelings that we experience from time to time. Persistence and faith will always guide us to happiness.

Bogie and Bacall, Tracy and Hepburn, Taylor and Burton....Hanks and Ryan are right up there on the screen with the best of them.  They know how to make magic.  I love Sleepless in Seattle and the message that we all have a "special someone" just for us! 

The Lake House took me a little time to figure out. Here's another movie that deals with time and space, and I want to believe that maybe somewhere, at some point, it might be possible.  I love the banter between Sandra and Keanu.  It's almost like they had known each other in a different life...like maybe they road a bus together once...or something!

I fell in love with Always, not just for the underlying love story, but also for the hope that we might be able to receive messages from our loved ones who have passed on.  There are many books and movies that explore this possibility.  I would love to think that some form of communication is possible.  Maybe the songs we hear, or the words we read or hear others speak, could be someone saying hello from far away.  One never knows!

What are your favorites?  What movies light that little flame inside to warm your heart and take you away for an hour or two?

This post of my five...well, six...of my 100 favorite Romance movies is brought to you by Mama Kat's Writers Workshop.  Please click here to visit her site and let your mind and heart be entertained.

 

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a great weekend...watching movies, or maybe a football game!

Heart Melts

Heart Melts

Puppies, Kittens and Babies 

Always melt my heart.

Littles, Bittles and Cutie Patooties

Warm My Insides and Make Me Smile.

The Last Time My Heart Melted...

Right Now

When I Realized How Blessed I Am To Be Alive

To Start Each Day In a New Adventure

What Melts Your Heart?

This post is brought to you by Jenny at Jenny Matlock Off On My Tangent, Warm Heart Wednesday, and Mama Kat at Mama's Losin' It, Writer's Workshop.  

Thank you for stopping by today.   Stay warm out there!