Road Trippin'

I’m coming to you live tonight from a luxurious Comfort Suites in Des Moines, Iowa. We’re on our way to Kansas City for the weekend, to be at my good friend Tom’s wedding …

This hotel looks like a country club you’d see on an exclusive golf course. We snagged a room here tonight by calling in a reservation just a couple hours ago … During a stop at the Iowa Welcome Center we filled up on hotel brochures, and Kates started working the phone as we hit the road for our final leg. She called a load of Des Moines-area hotels and bargained for the best rates. And what we got was a top-notch hotel -- king-sized bed, nice pool, free computer and internet access, a sweet room -- for an excellent price …

We were on the road at about 1 p.m. today after a quick stop at Phoebe’s daycare to pick up some things we left behind yesterday and I picked up Kates from school …

We made our first stop just outside Rockford at 2:45 … Crazy as it may sound, I will say that’s one nice thing about having Phoebe traveling with us now. We’re making more stops, and the trip is going to take longer -- but the stopping sort of feels good. We can take a break and reflect. And breathe.

We had stop No. 2 at around 4:15 and a third at about 5:30 p.m. … We had a great moment as we took the road again after stop No. 2. Wilson Phillips’ “Hold On” came on the iPod. And Kates and I sang it loud and proud … And yes, I was totally thinking about Harold and Kumar. Phoebe thought it was pretty hilarious too; her toothless grin was absolutely beaming …

At about 6:45, we crossed the mighty Mississippi and stopped just over the Iowa border for supper. Starving, we grabbed some McDonald’s and filled up on all its fatty and salty goodness while sitting in the parking lot of the Iowa Welcome Center and overlooking the Mississippi …
As we got going again, we drove into a setting sun that looked as though someone had painted two water color stripes horizontally across the sky -- a blue stripe on top and an orange stripe on the bottom. It was gorgeous.

And that brings us to the here and now … We rolled in at about 10:45 tonight, and we’re going to sleep real good tonight …

Tomorrow we'll be in Kansas City -- home. Many of my best friends will get to meet Phoebe for the first time.

Toilet Prank

Night of a thousand Harleys

... So Kates and I went downtown with Phoebe for the Harley parade tonight ...

Amazing. Harley-Davidson motorcycles rumbling by and they were still coming from as far as you could see. We heard estimates of more than a thousand again this year ...

Thousands of people were lining the streets to watch them ride into the harbor. And as the motorcyles parked, the rows of bikes formed a virtual outdoor museum.


The sight and sound of it all made my eyes water ...

To Phoebe, the noise was nothing. Heck, she's already endured baseball games inside the Metrodome and Wrigley Field ...

Then again, Kates and I had planned to stay downtown longer than we did tonight, to enjoy the food and live bands ... But a poop explosion in Phoebe's pants (and the fact that we forgot to put extra diapers in her stroller bag) sent us packing ...

At least we got to see the parade ...

Rumblin' on

It's Harley week here ... A non-stop celebration of 105 years worth of Harley-Davidson ...

I've said it quite a few times now: I've never been a big fan of motorcycles, and I can barely stand the noise they make ... Except for this week. During this week, I almost can't get enough of it.

The last time we experienced such a spectacle was in 2003 for the 100th anniversary, and that was one of the coolest experiences of my life ... People from all over the world flooded the city, The motorcycles on the road nearly outnumbered the cars. And then the parade --1,300 bikes stretched over seven miles from one side of the city to the other -- it still gives me chills ...

... The motorcycles are rumbling through downtown again today, their echoes bouncing off the buildings. And tonight, we'll do the parade all over again ...

Equally fascinating to me is the Harley-Davidson history ...

Earlier this month, I got a chance to tour the new Harley-Davidson in Milwaukee. It was a whirlwind tour that passed far more quickly than I would have liked, and I felt as though I hardly got to study a lot of the displays ... So I'll be going back as soon as I can get some free time this fall to see it on my own terms ...

In the meantime, here's a piece I had published about the museum last week ...

To hear it from planners of the new Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee and read the gallery texts, it’s as if Arthur Davidson and Bill Harley knew exactly the institution they were building when they started tinkering with motorizing two-wheeled vehicles in 1903.

Within years of founding their motorbike company in a Milwaukee shed, Harley and Davidson began storing away some of their bikes for safe-keeping. They recognized almost immediately that it would be a good thing to document the progress of their company.

Today, Harley-Davidson holds in its rich archives about 450 vehicles, including at least one from every production year of the company’s history. About 140 of them are on display at the new Harley-Davidson Museum, which opened July 12, at Sixth and Canal streets alongside the Menomonee River.

Adding to the lure, most of the bikes have their original paint and parts, although organic materials, such as tires and seat covers, deteriorated and needed to be replaced on some of the earliest models.

Museum guides welcome you warmly into the atrium, which is awash in silver steel and orange paneling. They’ll tell you to plan for at least two hours to walk through the museum, but anyone with an above-average interest level in the Harley-Davidson lore could plan to spend a full day in the place.

With nine galleries spread over two floors, the motorcycles and artifacts are shown with more density in the initial galleries where people are likely to be fresh and excited. Toward the final galleries, the lights are brighter and displays are spaced farther apart; there’s less reading and more moving parts.

Each gallery tells a different chapter in the 105-year history of Harley-Davidson from the products to the people who rode the bikes. Planners designed the galleries so people can roam and explore at their own pace.

“It seems Harley to not try to force people,” says Jim Fricke, the museum’s curatorial director. “People feel more comfortable in the space if they can orient themselves early in the experience, being able to sort of look and ‘oh, there’s cool stuff down there.’ ”

Within each gallery, museum curators took pains to note each model’s history, deficiencies and changes, while a team of conservators stripped each bike down to its tiniest nuts and bolts, cleaned them and put them together again for display.

Not all of the bikes appear as good as new, however, which is part of the story, Fricke said. A 1932 model displayed at the museum with a Serv-a-car was restored with pinstriping — but it wasn’t done well and it wasn’t done by Harley-Davidson restorators, Fricke pointed out. Another bike has a large dent on its tail, likely caused by a fall.

“They were moved, they were not always in the best storage conditions,” Fricke says. “But that’s part of its history.”

The early years
The journey begins with a climb up a steel staircase that winds its way to the museum’s second floor. At the top, visitors are immediately confronted with a parade of classic Harley-Davidson vehicles headed straight for them. Throughout the museum, the vehicles are displayed and assembled in order by the year of their production, beginning with the company’s famed Serial No. 1, a 1903 bike encased in glass.

The second floor breaks down HD’s history prior to World War II with five galleries, starting with — as all enthusiasts know — that little wood shed where Harley and Davidson developed their first motorcycle. Visitors can see the 10 x 15-foot footprint of the shack outlined on a wood floor, which was recycled from a Milwaukee knitting factory, along with photographs and snapshots of industrial Milwaukee at that time.

An original buckboard motor is displayed along with artifacts that include original meeting notes and a piece of stock issued in 1907. A 15-page catalog from the era, however, shows the bike makers hadn’t yet mastered a branding plan — the catalog’s plain cover reads: “Motorcycles.”

That mentality didn’t last long, though. At a time when hundreds of manufacturers were trying to develop motorized bikes, the founders were one of the first manufacturers to understand the benefits of an organized dealer network. They developed a system to train dealers and ensure consumers could be confident in purchasing bikes, as well as getting them repaired.

Arthur Davidson, Fricke explained, spent years tooling around the country on a bike and signing up dealers.

“They not only had the foresight to establish this network but understand that they needed to train people to do the work,” Fricke says, pointing to a display of a leather-bound book titled, “To Help You Sell More Harley-Davidsons.” “You’re often rolling through some town in Montana and there’s a druggist that maybe comes out and looks at your bike and (gives the pitch) ‘Wouldn’t you like to be a Harley-Davidson dealer?’ ”

Style and color take hold
Later, as the company evolved in the ’20s and ’30s and cars became more prevalent, galleries show how style and color gained importance. Harley-Davidson was among the first to use the sleek streamline design before it became popular in trains, cars, appliances and electronics.

A wall also shows some of the graphically beautiful — and fear-mongering — posters to come out of the 1920s, a time when highway departments began paving roads and cars were driving faster. To convince people to buy motorcycles, posters painted cars as evil machines with Death behind the wheel and phrases like “60 out of every 100 children born today are doomed to death” in traffic accidents.

A small display, with a 1936 Harley model, also commemorates the 100th anniversary of Harley-Davidson’s first sale to a police agency before the galleries transition into World War II-era products.

Visitors also will see how motorcycles were altered for military use to include accessories like machine gun scabbards and ammunition boxes.

Engines and rallies
The top floor also includes “The Engine Room,” a gallery that opens with a disassembled motorcycle floating from the ceiling — an eye-catching piece of artwork that appears intact if you view it straight-on. Mounted on the wall next to it like player plaques in a hall of fame are an array of Harley engines.

While assembling the engine gallery, curators tried to give visitors an idea of the Harley engine’s characteristics and how it gets its distinctive sound.

“The engine not only makes the vehicle run but if there’s a Harley-Davidson credo, the engine is the jewel and we never cover it up,” Fricke says. “If you’re not a gearhead, you probably think you don’t want to go into that gallery. So one thing I wanted to do is create some kind of an experience that you look and it is attractive.”


Another gallery, “Clubs & Competition” focuses on the beginning of the Harley-Davidson club culture that emerged from competitions. More proof there’s something worth seeing in every gallery, the room includes a life-sized replica of a wood velodrome curve built at a 45-degree angle, complete with a group of racing bikes riding the boards.

The gallery’s glass cases are loaded with colorful racing sweaters, team photos, patches, trophies and medals, giving a sense of Harley-Davidson’s dominance in the racing culture.

“If you were a motorcycle collector, you’d be drooling,” Fricke says. “The factory racers are kind of the most collectible of the vehicles. It’s such a great story, I was resisting doing this initially because it takes up a bunch of space ... We’ve got this spectacular collection of old racing posters and all of this great material and it’s such a fascinating story.”

Original scrapbooks and photos laid out in the gallery illustrate in fascinating detail how passionate some people became, even in those early days, about bike touring and rallies. In one journal, a cyclist wrote on Saturday, May 18, 1940, “Got motorcycle. $521” Another cyclist noted every penny he spent and the places he stayed, including a culvert in western New Mexico.

“It was the first time in history that people went and slept inside the woods by choice,” Fricke says. “You used to be a hobo if you traveled and slept in the woods, and all of a sudden people were buying gear and doing it for recreation.”

The gallery also foreshadows the evolution of gentleman motorcycle clubs to bad boy motorcycle gangs. Club costumes started to take on a military look, and one of the most sought-after prizes at a rally was the award for “Best Dressed Club.”

Changing times
Post-war euphoria reigns as visitors enter exhibits on the museum’s first floor. A colorful storefront display shouts “Have fun in ’51” and advertisements illustrate HD’s introduction of more lightweight models aimed at teenagers and women. Visitors also will see a 1960 Model A Topper, a zippy little two-wheeler that was Harley’s contribution to the scooter craze.

And then there was the AMF-era. While a kiosk tells the story of Harley-Davidson’s 1969 merger with American Machine & Foundry and the ailing company’s move toward more recreational vehicles, the gallery houses a golf cart — which at one point was the company’s biggest money-maker — along with a fiberglass motorboat.

That era ended in June 1981 when 13 Harley-Davidson executives pooled their resources and bought the company back from AMF. That dramatic story is told in a short documentary within the gallery.

“That’s an interesting thing with the enthusiasts because all of the Harley enthusiasts that come in you’ll hear them as they walk into this gallery and talk about ‘oh AMF, that was the worst possible time!’ ” Fricke says in the voice of bitter Harley follower.

Harley lives on
After a moving photo and video gallery takes a look at the memorable 100th anniversary in 2003, visitors get a look at the celebrity and oddball sides of Harley-Davidson culture.

“Russ & Peg’s Rhinestone Harley,” a 1973 model belonging to Russ Townsend, is almost completely covered with red, white and blue rhinestones. The bike also is surrounded with Townsend’s photos and belongings, right down to the margarine containers where he stored spare stones.

“That’s what he kept them in,” Fricke says. “You can knock them off so it was a constant addition but also lots of repair. Gary, the son who came (for the museum opening) said that when he was younger as punishment his dad would make him go replace them.”

In a similar vein, some enthusiasts might consider the display of Felix Predko’s 1941 custom “King Kong” a travesty, Fricke explained. A long-time mechanic, Predko adapted the bike from two factory frames and built in a handmade electric starter he took from a pickup truck. That was a feat in itself, considering Harley-Davidson would not introduce the electric start for several more years.

The bike is outfitted with brass door knobs, taillights from cars and trucks, trailer hitches and scraps of metal that Predko hand-punched. The display also includes Predko’s riding costume and a handmade sign that hung in his shop and reads “I went for parts. Be back.”

“Some people would call it the waste of a couple good knuckleheads, but what’s interesting about this is it’s folk art and it’s an expression of a unique aesthetic , but it’s also a mechanical marvel,” Fricke says. “To extend the frame and take two engines, mechanically modify this so that they work in tandem to run the bike. In amongst all the deco excess are all sorts of really fascinating practical features.”

The section also looks at the Outlaw movement born in the 1950s from imagery in pop culture, film and records and movie posters. An entertaining and comical montage of some classic motorcycle movie scenes also shows how putting on a black leather jacket helped breed the bad boy stigma.

Although, you won’t see any footage of Dennis Hopper in “Easy Rider.” According to Fricke, Hopper is still upset Harley-Davidson refused to donate motorcycles for the 1969 cult classic. Fricke added the original bikes were destroyed or stolen during the movie’s filming, so a faithful replica of the bike belonging to Wyatt, portrayed by Peter Fonda, has a place at the museum.

But Elvis Presley’s bike on display at the museum is an original. The 1956 KH Side-valve V-twin comes complete with a sale contract and delivery receipt showing that Presley agreed to pay $11,400 for the bike — just weeks before “Heartbreak Hotel” became his first No. 1 record.


The papers show Presley signed and registered the bike at the address of his guitar player Scotty Moore, and he agreed to pay $50 a month toward the purchase. He listed his profession as a vocalist, self-employed.

“If he bought it six months later he almost certainly would have paid cash,” Fricke says.
Like the parade of motorcycles that leads visitors into the first galleries, there’s one more that leads visitors into a final gallery about product development, a florescent-lit room that’s set up like a laboratory full of drawings and prototypes.

To some, however, the gallery, which also includes full-sized mock-ups and clay models, will not be nearly as enticing as earlier rooms in the museum. But that’s part of the beauty of the museum and the Harley-Davidson lore.

“You get Willie G. Davidson talking about the beauty of fasteners, it’s eloquent,” Fricke said. “The Harley design aesthetic is that machines are beautiful and each part is beautiful and we’re going to show all of it.”

Functional design
Constructed over two years for a $75 million price tag, Harley-Davidson’s massive steel and brick museum buildings are a nod to Milwaukee’s industrial past, but the entire property is a mecca that will attract even the slightest of motorcycle interests.

Opened July 12 at Sixth and Canal streets, near downtown Milwaukee, the much-anticipated Harley-Davidson Museum is as much a marvel to look at as the hundreds of motorcycles displayed as artwork inside.

Much like the Harley-Davidson mantra when it comes to building motorcycles, the building’s steel exoskeleton is functional framework and everything underneath is like the jewel within the frame.

More than 1,200 tons of galvanized steel beams were used to complete the museum buildings. An 80-foot tower bearing the Harley-Davidson shield looms over the main entry way, and the museum’s west wall is made entirely of glass allowing visitors to see inside.

“We chose the materials because they’re very honest and timeless and classic and bold, like Harley-Davidson,” said Amanda Lee, the museum’s manager of multimedia communication.

Almost everything is oversized, from the 17-foot tall doors visitors must use to enter the museum to the Harley-Davidson name embedded in the brick wall. For that project, a mason designed a grid, numbered each of the 4,700 bricks and then cut and placed them by hand.

But the 20-acre campus also is a scenic gathering spot nestled in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley, where the river flows by an outdoor patio and walking path. Close attention is paid to the landscaping on the grounds, too.

A bronze Hill Climber statue shows a rider wildly taking a vintage Harley motorcycle up a slope, and rows of shiny rivets lace the outdoor concrete in a tribute to Harley-Davidson dealers and clubs across the world.

The site is open to the public, free of charge, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Though 500 parking spaces are devoted to cars, there are 1,000 motorcycle spaces — located closer to the museum entrance — with orange striping on the pavement that acts like a red carpet for riders.

“When motorcyclists arrive it’s like, ‘OK, I know where to go,’ but also part of it is we wanted to foster and nurture a museum on the street,” Lee said. “A big part of Harley culture and motorcycle culture is going to a rally and being able to interact, connect with others, share stories. You see buddies that you met at a different rally, and just that connection is really looking at other people’s bikes, admiring what people have done with their bikes.”

In addition to the museum, two more buildings house the Harley-Davidson archives and a retail store. A restaurant and cafe, meanwhile, doles out menu items like “Potato Potato Potato Pancakes,” “Flathead Flatbreads” and “Bobber Brats.” Some of the dishes are made with actual motorcycle spokes as skewers. It’s hearty, American, stick-to-your-ribs food made by talented chefs who also are Harley riders.

There’s enough indoor and outdoor space to accommodate gatherings of as many as 15,000 people. Meanwhile, projections say the museum could attract 350,000 people annually from around the world.

“The design is meant to be a neighborhood within the city instead of just like Harley town,” Lee said. “Everything here is really about stories about connections.”

Big red ball

This piece of moving art is coming to Chicago next week ...

I so wanna see it ...

For our grandmothers

Hummingbird Back At Feeder Again, Grandmother Reports

Closing down

So I got five hours of sleep last night … I had stayed up late and into this morning to do laundry and various things around the house when, at about 1:30 a.m., I realized hey, I’m awake! I can watch the men’s basketball gold medal game! Perfect!

I tuned in and caught most of the first half … Though, for a gold medal game featuring the vaunted U.S. Redeem Team, I was hardly impressed … It was sloppy. The guys were seemingly throwing up shots and passes with no regard. I lost count of the number of times either team would move the ball up the floor, only to have the other team intercept the ball at midcourt and begin moving it the other way -- only to have the original team steal the ball back …

I survived until halftime, around 2:30 a.m., when I decided I couldn’t stay awake any longer and needed to go to sleep … I therefore set the DVR to record the remainder of the game, and watched the outcome this morning …

And the second half was just as sloppy as the first, I thought. Even worse, the Americans allowed Spain to stay in the game by continuing to toss around poor passes and shots. With a few minutes left Spain actually brought the score to within two points before the U.S. finally pulled away …

Then, after all that, I didn’t get to see the medal ceremony. I got to see the bronze and silver medals awarded and then, just after the announcer bellowed, “And now the gold medal team from the United States …” … Zzzzzzzp. The DVR cut out. Doh!

Kates and I did catch portions of tonight’s closing ceremonies, in between putting Phoebe to bed, downing leftovers for a late supper, tending to more household things, and adorable (so lip-synching) children singing whatever songs they were singing during the ceremonies …And I have mentioned how awfully sick I am of Leona Lewis?

We took the most interest as NBC showed the best moments of the Olympics in their entirety, complete with the commentary. No matter how times you see it, some of the Michael Phelps races and gymnast routines -- and hearing the commentators call them -- still give you chills …

And the whole Memory Tower thing … Yeah, that was pretty sweet, too.

An Olympics for the ages.

Extras

When you get opportunities in life, you have to try to take advantage and make the best of them …

On Friday, as Kates and I were readying ourselves for Phoebe’s first Cubs game at Wrigley, I also got an offer I couldn’t refuse with two tickets to today’s Brewers game …With J.J. Hardy bobblehead day and CC Sabathia scheduled to pitch, it was a no-brainer for me, not to mention the fact the Brewers are deep in a pennant race and it might be my only chance I get to see a Brewers game this season -- I had to go … But it took a near 24-hour-period of negotiations with Kates before we came to an agreement that involved her getting the things she needed and me going to the game …

On top of that, my buddy Matt offered me a chance to catch Saturday’s White Sox game with him at The Cell … In an ideal world, with the Sox game slated for a 2:55 start, I could’ve said good-bye to Kates and Phoebe after the game at Wrigley, taken the train straight south to The Cell for the White Sox game and met up with Matty within the first couple innings …

And I thought last summer’s double-dip was a lifetime achievement. How awesome would it have been to do the Cubs and White Sox games yesterday and the Brewers game today!? … But I wasn’t even going to broach that one with Kates, and I declined the opportunity to catch the Sox game.

Still, life goes on.

So while Kates and Phoebe spent time with Kates’s mother, I took her pop to Miller Park for today's Brewers-Pirates game … We hit heavy traffic heading into the stadium and had to listen to the first inning on the radio as we moved into park. From the parking lot we scurried toward the stadium and could hear the crowd roaring inside.

Once the J.J. Hardy bobbleheads were in our hands, it was up the escalators to our seats -- waaaaaaaaay up in the left field corner. In fact, our seats were in the second to last row of the stadium, right in line with the foul pole so that I had to lean one way and Kates’s pop had to lean the other to see home plate …And it felt, to quote Rob Thomas, like “seven inches from the midday sun.”


We arrived as the Brewers were batting in the bottom of the second, but Sabathia hardly appeared to be the pitcher he was in his nine previous starts for the Brewers. After all, we’d been musing on the way to the game about the number of innings Sabathia had thrown since the trade, including the complete game he tossed in Monday night’s blowout …Today, CC only lasted six innings while giving up eight hits and one run.

On top of that Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder looked awful at the plate. Braun went 0-for-5, with three strikeouts and two double plays, all of which are almost unheard of stats for him. And Fielder was 0-for-4 with a walk …

We also watched the Brewers load the bases with no outs in the third and again in the fourth with one out. But they couldn’t get a run across either inning … Then when they had the 3-2 lead in the ninth, they failed to shut the door and allowed the Pirates to tie the game and send it into extra innings …

The first nine innings had shaped into such a disappointment that we hardly noticed the strong showings J.J Hardy and Bill Hall were putting together, and Mike Cameron had a 5-for-5 day, including the homerun he hit in the eighth inning to give Milwaukee the 3-2 lead. Suffice to say, that homerun was the only highlight worth mentioning from the first nine innings.

But the extra innings …

First of all, we didn’t waste any time upgrading our seats. Fans had started filtering out of the stadium in the eighth and the exiting crowds really got heavy when the game moved into extras. After each inning we moved further down the left field line, eventually ending up halfway between third base and the left field corner.

We also got treated to a bonus sausage race …

And the day looked all but over when the Pirates loaded the bases with no outs on Carlos Villanueva. But Guillermo Mota came on in relief and got Brandon Moss to fly out to Cameron, who fired the ball to the plate and held the runners. Then a strikeout and a bouncer back to the mound and Mota -- miraculously -- was out of the inning …

Into the bottom of the 12th. Rickie Weeks walked and swiped second … J.J. Hardy had come up to-bat. With it being his bobblehead day, you just knew he had to be the one to do something … I snapped this picture of the moment ...

And then it happened. Hardly shot a line drive into center field and Weeks was tearing for home plate. The throw was off. Weeks crossed the plate standing up. And the Brewers mobbed Hardy as he rounded first base. The Brewers had won 4-3.

The crowd -- or what was left of it -- went nuts. In an instant, it was all worth it.

It was the Brewers fourth straight win and their 23 rd in their last-bat. It was the 21st consecutive sellout at Miller Park and the 45,163 who saw it made up the sixth largest crowd in Miller Park history.

And we got J.J. Hardy bobbleheads.

Sunday reading

Some of the reads that caught my eyes during the last couple weeks ...

Baseball ...
a Rooftop seats a big hit with fans, management
a Cubs fans: Keep your eye on the ball, not on history
a Such Sweet Relief —Forget the curses, the billy goats and the Bartmen—let's deal in the rational world: The Cubs are the most complete club in baseball ...

Olympics ...
a Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin have friendly rivalry
a Olympics coverage heavy on gizmos

Movies ...
a 'The Rocker' shows off Rainn Wilson's Dwight stuff

TV ...
a Olympic TiVo relay team nears the finish line
a Craig Ferguson Refreshes Late Night With "An Hour Unlike Other Talk Shows"
a Heigl takes heat for blunt comments
a Aaron Sorkin Announces New 'West Wing' Animated Series At SorCon ... Pretty good. From The Onion.

Music ...
a Rapper Ice Cube talks about the 20th anniversary of N.W.A's 'Straight Outta Compton'
a After a year, The Police end comeback tour in NYC
a Brian Wilson feeling sunny about new album

Technology ...
a Photosynth uses lots of photos to put you amid a 3D scene
a Microsoft Live Labs Creates Web ‘Synth’ For 3-D Photo Tour

Politics ...
a Fashion Designers Hope to Stitch Up an Obama Win
a Memo From a Poison Penn
a The plight of the lame duck
a Is McCain '08 channeling Dole '76?

Life & other (crazy) stuff ...
a In Rural Missouri, The Place to Bring Your Cents of Humor
a Walls That Talk, and Repeat Themselves
a Chicago area's first Sonic Drive-In finally opens Tuesday
a Potter, Leno, Favre are constants for Class of '12: Yearly list offers a glimpse at the world according to college freshmen ... A good one, compliments of my friend Raechel.
a Even if you look drunk at a game, you can likely keep buying booze, says study of sports stadiums ... Interesting, sad and true.
a Four ears make Downers Grove cat an Internet star
a Purple Prose? His Is Truly Bruising
a Woman arrested, booked over library fines

Perfect day

We took Phoebe to her first Cubs game today …Her second Major League Baseball game overall …

And like the Twins game a few weeks ago, it couldn’t have been smoother or sweeter … Believe me -- no matter how much I love the Cubs and my treks to Wrigley -- with all the chaos and party ‘tude at Wrigley, I had more than my share of doubts about whether we were shattering our innocent little Pheebs for life with this trip …

But we moved ahead anyway …

In fact, it was almost as though she couldn’t wait to get their herself. Phoebe was up at the crack of dawn this morning and managed to drag Kates out of bed after her by 6. I managed to lay in bed until a little after 6:30, though not comfortably …

We dressed in our Cubs blue -- Phoebe too! We stuffed a backpack with Phoebe’s toys, formula, diapers and spare outfits, plus our rain gear, snacks and water bottles … And we left the house at 10 a.m., about a half hour behind our targeted time. But if that was the only snag we hit today, I was fine with it …

For the first time in my years of going to Cubs games, we decided to forego the train rides today and drive it -- A screaming Phoebe on a crowded train, we thought, could be catastrophic. Instead we took it at our own pace, calm, cool and collected in our cozy little Forrester … Construction was minimal and only at the Addison exit did we run into traffic delays …

It took us about 90 minutes to get to Wrigleyville. We found parking on the street about a mile from the park, and decided to hike it the rest of the way. We slipped Pheebs into the Baby Bjorn and tracked to the stadium … A mile-walk has rarely felt better. And we got the added joy of passersby pointing and admiring Phoebe all the way. At one intersection, a little Hispanic man, between directing cars into his personal parking lot, looked at Phoebe dressed in her Cubs outfit and then looked at me and signed “OK.” “That-a-way, start ‘em off early,” the man said to us.

By arriving after the first pitch, we also avoided the wall-to-wall crowds on the streets and outside the stadium … Once inside Wrigley, we made our restroom stops, purchased our food, got our bearings and then hiked the four flights of ramps -- passing more admirers -- to our seats in the upper deck, section 532, on the first base side. The same seats we had during that whirlwind night-game experience last season.

We slipped into our seats sometime during the bottom of the third inning; the score was still at 0-0. I didn’t get my scorecard today … But I didn’t care. I was soaking up the sights and sounds today and enjoying this one with Phoebe …

Then, the scoring began in the fourth -- with a bang. Derrek Lee knocked in Alfonso Soriano with a single, and then Aramis Ramirez smashed a three-run home run to the left field bleachers. The crowd burst into a roar, and Pheebs burst into a scared cry that was adorable and heart-breaking at the same time. She recovered quickly though; she’s a trooper …

After the Cubs added one more in the fifth, Kates took Phoebe to Wrigley’s nursing station for a feeding and diaper-changing. In the meantime, I watched Mark DeRosa hit a home run of his own in the sixth inning …

Kates and Phoebe returned just in time for the seventh inning stretch. One of my faves, Fred Willard was the guest of honor today …

And then the scoring continued. The Cubs put up more runs in the eighth on another three-run shot by Aramis Ramirez. And that time, Phoebe didn’t cry …

It also was about this time that a dark cloud rolled over Wrigley out of nowhere and started dropping buckets of rain over the field. Luckily, we were protected by the roof and didn’t share any part of it … And still, it moved out as fast as it moved in. Despite all the forecasts of storms today, that was the closest we got to any of it.

The sun came out again for the ninth; Phoebe was in my lap, and she was all smiles … The Cubs finished off the Nationals, 9-2, there were fist bumps and high-fives all around -- a dude next to us even gave Phoebe a celebratory fist bump.

... Then came the moment I’d been waiting for all summer. Celebrating a Cubs win with Phoebe at Wrigley and singing “Go Cubs Go” as it got blasted over the P.A. … My eyes welled up a little.

… When it was over, we snapped a few more pictures and took our time exiting the stadium. In fact we were among the last to leave only as the ushers started clearing the stragglers out of their seats. Then a couple pictures outside the stadium and we started our mile-hike back to the car -- with a stop for mango blast Smoothies at a Dunkin Donuts along the way …

The iPod had been playing some impressive tunes all day, and as we pulled into our garage Clay Aiken’s “Perfect Day” was playing … Cheesy? Say what you want … But it was a pretty awesome day.

The world is a cartoon

It's been awhile since I've posted any cartoons but here are some I caught recently that I identified with and had me smiling ...

Latest Poll Reveals 430 New Demographics That Will Decide Election

This gets better and better the more you watch it and the more crazy demographics they throw at you ...


Latest Poll Reveals 430 New Demographics That Will Decide Election

Much too young?

There's news tonight that the IOC is investigating the Chinese gymnasts' age discrepancies ...

It's about time.

That, and it's about the most interesting Olympics-related thing I've seen or read this week.

I figured nothing was going to touch last week's Olympic fun, but I was at least hopeful someone would steal the spotlight ...

But after Michael Phelps and the women's gymnasts left their arenas ... Nothing. The track isn't up to par. And I missed Misty May and Kerry Walsh win the gold medal in the rain last night because I was playing another sport.

Night game

… Another tough loss tonight. But it was a fun one, if that makes any difference. We were loose and having fun in the dugout. We were as cohesive a group tonight as we’ve been all season …

Still, I can’t keep from thinking how things might have turned had the balls drifted a little more my way …

We had a rough first couple innings to start tonight’s game. And I got beat up in left field. Plain and simple … The Javs were hitting Garre hard, and nearly every ball came my way …

Making it even worse, most of the balls were tailing shots close to the left field line. I wasn’t seeing the ball very well off the bats tonight. As a result my footwork was awful and balls that I should’ve gotten to were dropping … Finally, the one ball I did get to was a towering shot in the deepest corner of left field, just beyond the bullpen, which is treacherous ground at old Simmons. I’ve had my share of tough balls there, but this one I tracked down for a welcome out …

I can say I’m a little prouder of my plate appearances tonight … I got my first at-bat with an out and no one on in the third, and I went to plate confident. I usually have hit the Javs pretty good … Tonight’s hurler had a good combination of heat and slow stuff, and I was staying aggressive. I swung and fouled off the first pitch, took a ball outside, swung and missed again, and then took a ball high to work the count to 2-2. … I was thinking off-speed for the next pitch and I got one down and inside. I roped it down the third base side, the left fielder made a nice play on it, and I rounded the bag at first with a pretty single … But after advancing on a fielder’s choice, I was left stranded on second base …

I came up once more in the sixth inning with two outs and a runner on first base … I got a pitch right in my wheelhouse to start the at-bat, but I fouled it off on the first base side. Then I swung and missed the second pitch before blooping a shot toward the right side on the third pitch … Off the bat, I thought for sure it was going to drop over the second baseman’s head for a single, but he made a good catch running back on it to end the inning …

And that was it for me. I was pulled for the rest of the game -- a decision that had been made before the game started, not because of my unfortunate playing in the field …

In the meantime, our guys put on a pretty good rally in the later innings, thanks in part to some great base-running by our center fielder Timmy -- the guy has a knack for rattling pitchers and he did it again tonight by stealing second and then taking third and home on passed balls …

Unfortunately we couldn’t come all the way back and lost it, 6-4.

The best band of this generation?

I'm on a Shins kick ...

And waxing nostalgia about how great the band's Letterman performance was last year ...

And how I was so sick I missed my chance to see them live. Sigh ...

Here's the classic Letterman performance and a ton of other videos here.

Still waiting

This was a great read from the Tribune this morning about the buzz around the Obama campaign's initiative to text people about his Vice President announcement. I've been waiting too ...

Suffice to say, I've never had any interest in watching a political party convention. This year, I can hardly wait.

DMB saxophonist dies

Wow. They'll never be the same ...

DMB saxophonist dies

Happy Days

... So Shawn Johnson finally got her gold medal tonight! And Nastia Liukin added another -- a silver -- to her load. Sweet.

But I could've told you that without watching the NBC coverage tonight.

... I was watching Sportscenter this morning when I caught Nastia's name scrolling in the bottom line. Curious of any news surrounding her, and still bewildered from last night's tie-breaker conundrum, I -- stupidly -- hit the rewind button on the DVR and ruined any ounce of surprise ...

BEAM: Shawn Johnson wins gold, Nastia Luikin wins silver

Doh!

Then, I caught the headline on the Tribune's Daywatch, too ... though not as revealing. But it didn't matter ...

While you were sleeping: American gymnast took gold in beam finals

... And yet, none of that stole the excitement of watching the American girls duke it out on the beam tonight. Both of them have been so charming, and adorable, and fun to watch all week long, watching tonight and seeing Shawn finally snag a gold medal of her own still sent chills down our spines ...

* * *

Milwaukee got its Fonzie statue today. Pretty cool ... And the statue was done by a guy from Lake Mills. Even cooler.

Wish I could have been there.

... Kates had no idea that "Happy Days" was set in Milwaukee. Or even that "Laverne & Shirley" and "Mork & Mindy" were spin-offs of the show ...

C'mon, Kates. I did some 'splainin' and quickly pulled out the youtube clips for her ... Check out this classic -- featuring, I might add, Kenosha's own Al Molinaro as the shooting target.

And this next one brings all the world's together ... Oh, the star power standing together on that set ...

Emotions, baby

… Kates and I have opted to watch the Brewers game tonight …

Nothing exciting going in the Olympics tonight. Michael Phelps is done swimming, after all.

Yep, tonight it’s all about CC Sabathia and the Brew Crew. They’re looking good too … Corey Hart just cranked a home run to put the Brewers ahead 8-2 against the Astros …

Which brings me to yesterday …

I was parked in front of the TV yesterday afternoon. One eye on Phoebe playing on the floor, one eye on the Brewers-Dodgers game on the TV …

Heading into the ninth, the Brewers were down 5-1. But we know better than to count these guys out …

The Brewers cut the lead to 5-3, and then Ryan Braun stepped to the plate with a runner on and two outs …

At this point, I’m already playing out the scenario in my head: Great, here I am playing with Phoebe, she’s all quiet and content. But Lord knows Braun’s going to hit a home run to tie the game, I’m going to erupt in a burst of cheers, it’s going to scare Phoebe and she’s going to burst out crying …

Well, that’s pretty much the way it happened … Braun got a hold of a 2-2 pitch and crushed it over the left field wall at Dodger Stadium; it was one of those home runs that you knew was gone as soon as he hit it …

I shouted, “He did it!” -- although, in my defense, I will say my shout was a little more subdued then what it might have been had Phoebe not been sitting right next to me …

Phoebe jumped. Her eyes widened in fear. Her mouth furled. And she burst out crying … Ryan Bruan had barely started circling the bases when I rushed to scoop her up and console her.

Oh, the tears she cried. … She’ll learn though. Her dad’s a pretty emotional guy.

Monkey skating

Caught this on MySpace today ... I couldn't possible say more.

Monkeys On Ice

Sunday reading

... I know. I've been slacking.

Here's some of the good reads I've come across the last several weeks.

Baseball & Sports ...
a 104-year-old Cubs fan wants to throw out first pitch during playoffs at Wrigley
a Edmonds winning over Wrigley fans ... I told you it would happen.
a Fukudome tops Cubs' list of problem areas
a Columnist Mike Nadel takes heat for Erin Andrews column ... I personally really enjoy Erin Andrew's commentary. Though I don't disagree with Trenni Kusnierek comments.
a Leyland shocked Sheffield is unhappy with his role ... I should've known Gary Sheffield wasn't going to retire happily with the Tigers.
a A Shutout at Cooperstown
a Why the Rays have what it takes to stay in the AL East race ... This one may not read as well now that Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria are out -- but it's still interesting considering the Rays' pitching.
a There's Something in the Air, Other Than Another Ball Headed for the Fence
a Fans cheer Favre during penalty lap

Music ...
a After 10 years, New Pornographers still search for their true identity
a Katy Perry never ‘Kissed a Girl’ ... Turns out more people do remember Jill Sobule's version other than me.
a Randy Newman, back in the saddle
a Dave Matthews tries to dispel fans' uncertainty
a Concert Era Draws To A Close As Rock Legends Age
a Still fabulous at 50: Pop icons Prince, Madonna and Michael Jackson

TV ...
a The Office takes over the world
a Campaign underway to save Mister Rogers
a Characters may perish by ‘ER' end
a That 'Office' spin-off may be a little slow in coming
a NBC's plan for late night spurs question: What's Leno's future?

Movies & theater ...
a Rainn Wilson Is Ready to Rock
a Broadway-bound '13' explores teenage angst

The Internet & media ...
a Constructed Criticism: Just Hit 'Send' on Those Helpful Insults
a News Under Our Noses ... a good take on the media's reporting of the John Edwards affair.
a CNN, 'SNL' and TV Critics' Primary Concerns ... Ah, that was a great episode.

Life & other stuff ...
a Revelation About Singer Leaves That Syncing Feeling
a Children see man decapitate fellow passenger on Greyhound bus in Canada ... this, compliments of my corhort Nick, is plain awful.
a More hotels are evicting phone books from rooms
a Price Of Gas Rises To Four Expletives Per Gallon ... from The Onion.
a Johnson & Johnson Introduces 'Nothing But Tears' Shampoo To Toughen Up Newborns ... also from The Onion.
a Waterfalls make Oregon state park a photographer's paradise
a The Extreme Reality Makeover Show

Game day

We lost a tough one today. A back-and-forth affair. 12-10 was the final …

We didn’t make the plays when we needed to, and we left a ton of runners on base … And I felt today like my legs were full of lead …

The team we were facing barely hit a ball out of the infield … The only piece of action I got in left field was a base hit my way. I fielded it cleanly and gunned the ball toward home plate to try catching a runner who was rounding third. But the pitcher smartly cut it off and threw to second base where our infielders caught another runner in a run-down …

I got my first turn at-bat leading off the third inning and grounded out to short.

In the fifth, with a runner on first, I took the first pitch I saw for a strike, which was unfortunate because that was the best pitch I saw in the at-bat, perhaps even the day. I got the count to 3-1, then took a pitch I thought was off the inside part of the plate, but the umpire called it a strike. The next pitch, though, was away and I got the walk … I moved over to second thanks to a sacrifice by the next batter and then scored on a base hit …

In the seventh, with a runner on third, I worked the count full again. But my so-so day at the plate was starting to get to me, we were trailing, and I knew I had to do something here … I got a decent pitch and made contact, but I didn’t hit it square. All I knew was the ball bounced somewhere in front of me, I had two outs with a 3-2 count --- I just put my head down and started running to first base … The next thing I knew I had beaten the throw for an infield hit, and a moment later the ball was sailing past me and the first baseman. So I made the turn toward second and scooted toward third base before the defense recovered. But I was left stranded there … I learned later the ball I hit was a slow roller down the third base line.

Finally in the ninth, with our team trailing by three, I was due up fifth in the inning. Luckily our team put together a bit of a run, and I got another turn with two outs and runners on second and third. Again, I knew I had to do something … I took the first pitch for a high ball. Then I connected on the second pitch and blooped a ball beyond second base for a hit, and I took second base when the shortstop misplayed it. I had my second RBI of the game …

But that’s where it ended. The next batter struck out and we were done for another day.

Our record is 5-7 now. Next game Wednesday night under the lights.

The week passed

We’ve made it through another week …And somehow, someway as I write this tonight I’m feeling as if my head is as clear as it’s been in a long time …

Must be something about August. I remember feeling this way about this time last year too -- not long after Kates and I had learned we were going to have a baby and we started sorting out the changes in our lives …

Here we are again. Kates is preparing to start another school year -- her eighth! -- and we are both looking forward to get back into something of a routine …

We’re also optimistic -- and sort of bracing -- for what could be a year of more changes. We have no idea what lies ahead of us … But then again, who does, really?

Stay tuned.

* * *

Phoebe survived her first week of daycare … Though Thursday apparently wasn’t so good. Pheebs spent much of the morning screaming and refused to eat, an odd behavior that’s come up here at home recently, too. Eventually, our caretaker placed Phoebe in her car seat; that worked and she took her bottle there …

Phoebe also began gripping things this week. … The developments are so small, but there’s no way we could have known any of this stuff was so exciting without experiencing it. Over the last few days we’ve watched in wonder at her take a hold of her bottle and hold onto some of her toys -- if only for a few seconds. Tonight, as she sat in her bouncer, we watched her pull on a bear hanging overhead … But perhaps the most fun has come in watching her pull out, play with and replace her pacifier …

I also discovered a new game with her last night as I was playing with her after work. Holding her under her shoulders, I started swinging her from side to side in the air like a pendulum and saying “tick, tock.” … She started laughing heartily and was loving it …

Those are the best moments lately, when she gets that huge, toothless, clown-like grin on her face and it melts the rest of your crazy world away …

Another good time, we took a nap together on the couch this afternoon -- while watching the Saturday baseball game.

* * *

The other highlight of our week? … How ‘bout these Beijing Olympics!?

I’ve often said I’m a bigger fan of the winter games, and therefore, didn’t expect to get very excited about this summer’s games … We didn’t even bother watching last weekend’s opening ceremonies -- though we had plenty of other things to worry about …

Then Kates and I happened to turn it on Sunday night. We got sucked in and there was no looking away …

We caught that amazing 4x100 freestyle relay race on Sunday night -- and remained in awe on Monday as everyone was talking about it and calling it the greatest race in Olympic history … Heck, we were in awe all week as Michael Phelps won gold after gold after gold -- right on to tonight. Kates and I have just watched the U.S. win the 4x100-meter medley relay, securing Phelps record eighth gold medal and his place on a list of Greatest Sports Accomplishments -- ever. The dude’s pretty remarkable. ... Though, I will say, it also was amusing to watch NBC piling on the pressure and drooling over the idea of him actually winning all eight gold medals as the days passed ...

Meanwhile, we just heard, with tonight’s race, the swimmers have broken an unheard of 20 world records this week -- so many were falling so fast that earlier this week it seemed like every news channel was airing segments about why the records were falling, with the space-age swimsuits, the architecture of the Beijing “Cube,” even the special wave-swallowing bouys in the pool …

In addition to Phelps, we’ve gotten to know names like Jason Lezak, Kirsty Coventry, Natalie Coughlin, Aaron Peirsol, Christine Magnuson, Rebecca Soni and Dara Torres …

And we got to know Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson. We couldn’t stay up long enough Tuesday night to watch the U.S. battle China for the team medals (I agree: those Chinese girls look way too young ...), but we thought we could make it through all of the individual competition Thursday night … It didn’t happen. Kates and I parked ourselves on the couch, prepared to be there into the wee hours of the morning. But Kates barely made it through the first rotation, and I, barely being able to hold my head up when the contest started, was out before the third rotation …

I woke up just as Shawn Johnson was finishing her floor routine and saw Nastia fall into her father’s arms after learning she’d won the gold. Kates woke up for a few moments to see the screen and say “Nastia did it, huh?” before dozing off again … Fortunately, I was coherent enough to turn on the DVR, if only to record the post-competition interviews, and actually got the early morning re-broadcast of the entire competition … Watching it later, the whole thing still gave us chills …

A couple other things …

I would have shrugged you off a week ago if you told me I’d be watching the sand volleyball. But Misty May and Kerri Walsh have been darn exciting to watch …

And who knew a marathon could be so mesmerizing … But I watched almost every minute of tonight’s run from Tenemen Square to “The Bird’s Nest.”

I’m sure I’m forgetting to mention things … How can next week get any better?

The great Don Newcombe

So there’s a card shop nearby that I frequent, and each summer the guys down there bring in a couple big names for meet-and-greets. ... To go there and meet some of them has become one of my favorite parts of the last few summers. It’s quite a thrill, and today I got to meet Don Newcombe.

… Don Newcombe, the star righty for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The 1956 MVP and Cy Young winner. A 6-foot, 4-inch, 225-pound fireballer, he is the only player in history to have won the Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player and Cy Young awards … In 1949, he became the first black pitcher to start a World Series game, and in 1951 he became the first black pitcher to win 20 games.

The guy was Jackie Robinson’s teammate. He played in Ebbets Field … He’d be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame had alcohol problems not derailed his career.

When Newcombe arrived around 10 a.m., I thought there were surprisingly few people there -- maybe 40 -- for such a player. But maybe that’s just me. After, all he was only scheduled to be there for an hour …

But there were quite a few kids, and as he entered the store, he strode down the line and eagerly shook each of our hands, looking everyone of us in the eyes. Wearing white pants, a collared striped shirt and white sun hat, he looked as though he’d come straight from L.A.

I didn’t converse with him. I didn’t know what to say. I usually don’t at these things. I just shake the men’s hands, get my autographs and repeat my thank-yous, enamored with their greatness.

One boy was particularly enjoyable to watch as we passed through the line. As he shook hands with Newcombe, the boy was so breathless and looked almost as though he was about to cry. He gripped Newcombe’s hand for what seemed like several minutes …

“How old are you?” Newcombe asked.

“Nine,” the boy said.

“You a pitcher?” Newcombe asked.

The boy nodded. “He’s one of our best,” the proud dad said, standing behind him and putting his hands on the boy’s shoulders.

“Use your legs,” Newcombe told the boy sternly. “Run. No weight-lifting. It’s all in your legs. You go running. Your legs will take you anywhere you want.”

I thought that was pretty cool.

Dreaming

So I was having some crazy, random dreams last night …

… In one, I was trying to pour some cereal for breakfast, but I kept pulling bowls from the cupboard that were too big. They were like the size of mixing bowls, and every time I would finish pouring my cereal, I would step back and say something like ‘What the heck!?’ I couldn’t figure it out. It was excruciatingly frustrating … Eventually Kates came into the kitchen -- we were in a completely different house -- to see what all the fuss about, and I couldn’t explain it to her …

… In another dream, we were at a gathering with my extended family, this time in a dining area that I didn’t recognize. My mother, myself and my grandmother were sitting at a large dining room table as others sat to the side. The table was covered with family photos; I picked up and started thumbing photos of me as a toddler. Then my mother picked up a large, recent family photo -- which in reality has never been taken. It was a picture of the Horns family gathered at a park for an outdoor picnic. My mother was suggesting my grandmother get an 8x10 print of the family photo, but my grandmother was adamant she wanted it in a poster size. "Ok," we told her, but it's probably going to be grainy and not reproduce as well" … That didn’t matter to Grandma.

And yet in another dream, I was driving a big pickup truck in the Wisconsin River. Several of my childhood friends were there -- now grown-up, of course -- and giving me a hard time for the driving … But with all the sandbars on the river, I was barely deep in the water. "What do you mean? I told the others, the Wisconsin River is made to drive through!" …

News Bites

... I caught this interesting post on Chicago Reader this morning about the Tribune’s Daywatch e-mail.

... I’m a big fan of Daywatch and side with the camp that says it’s a good thing to link to other sources and Web site's than your own. It’s the essence of the Internet, I say. I especially like the one reader’s “Miracle on 42nd Street” comment.

Also there was this: Chicago gets its very own HuffPo site

Not fair

… You don’t realize how important the Internet is in your daily work until, oh, it just shuts down all the live long day. Yep, no Internet in our office. None. Nada. Zilch … Good thing I had a lot of other things to work on that didn’t involve the Internet …

That, however, wasn’t as depressing as the fact that our little Pheebs went off to daycare for the first time today …

We don’t think we could’ve found a better person to care for her. And we know the socialization with other kids will be good for her. She’s been so content and laid back these first few months we know she’ll be just fine …

But it hardly seems fair. Shouldn’t it be that she doesn’t go out on her own until preschool or kindergarten? It doesn’t seem fair that we can’t raise her on our own, at least until she’s walking or out of diapers. She’s only four months old. We fear missing some of 'her firsts.'

This is the way it is now, though. We’re a family of two incomes, and we're barely surviving on that in these days of rising gas and food prices, a housing crisis and the threat of layoffs … Both of us need to earn an income. It doesn’t seem fair.

Last night, as we put Phoebe to bed, Kates and I embraced and gazed at her. It was easy to tell both of us were thinking the same thing, and I caught Kates welling up. It would be OK, I told her …

Today, it was OK. Kates and I left Phoebe with her new caretaker at about 8:30 this morning … Pulling out of the driveway and heading back home together we smiled briefly and began talking about our respective days without Phoebe. For a few moments we were just the two-person family we were before April 12. Then we separated and went off to our workplaces.

Meanwhile, word had it, Phoebe had a wonderful day playing and watching Barney with the other toddlers. Apparently a couple other girls there took a liking to her, too. And then she napped for most of the afternoon …

At the end of my work day, I was more excited than ever before to get home and see my girls …

Feist visits Sesame Street

Count this as perhaps one the fun moments of this first summer with Phoebe ...

Kates and I heard a few weeks ago that Feist was going to perform her "1-2-3-4" on the premiere of "Sesame Street" today ...

So we set the DVR and then anxiously watched it with Phoebe during my lunch break ... Phoebe didn't know what the heck was happening, but Kates and I soaked it up ...

Although, the lyric changes threw me a bit ...

In case you missed it, here it is ...

Blessed

Lately, it seems as though we’ve been hitting new milestones with Phoebe almost daily. And we got another good one yesterday -- her baptism.

Kates and I put in a lot of late hours over the weekend preparing for the big day -- I don’t think we made it to bed earlier than 12:30 a.m.; and then we were up every morning by 7:30 …‘Course that doesn’t include me taking off to the Cubs game on Saturday (... They got clobbered. Hello, Troy Glaus ... ). But Grandma Perry was here to help in my place …

While Kates worked inside the house and ran errands, I spent all day Friday outside, cleaning up our yard and gardens … Which leads me to a story in itself: I’d been out all day, mowing, trimming, etc. I knew the city’s yard waste site closed at 6 p.m. and kept a close eye on the time as the deadline drew near. I could’ve taken our yard waste around 5, but I got into trimming another corner of the yard, and figured I could still get to the dump if I finished by 5:40. … So I finished at 5:45, packed my bags in the car as fast as I could, and started toward the dump -- which, as frustrating as it is, is on the opposite side of the city. And I proceeded to hit every stoplight on my way. Grrrr! …

As I got closer, I kept glancing at the dashboard clock -- 5:57, 5:58 -- I was hopeful I could make it … Then, after another stinkin’ stoplight, I rolled into the yard waste entrance at 6:01 p.m. -- just as the attendant was starting to close the gate. But does he wave me in? Nope. Instead he shakes his head and continues pulling the gate closed. When I make eye contact with him and throw my arms in the air, he points at the sign prominently displaying the site’s hours. I know the dang hours, but I’m barely a minute late and you haven’t closed the gate! … The guy wouldn’t even blink. I was mad.

That was Friday … Kates spent Saturday preparing the celebratory food with her grandmother, while Ryan and I ventured to the Cubs game.

Sunday was our big day … Phoebe was her happy-go-lucky self as Kates got her ready and dressed her in her long, flowing white baptism dress -- which she got from, of all places, baptismdresses.com. Though the accompanying bonnet made Pheebs look like, as Kates’ father pointed out, a little puritan.

When the time came for the ceremony, Kates’ youth choir processed down the aisle and sang a response in the tune of “Morning Has Broken” -- which was a total surprise to us. Orrin and Stephanie joined us at the altar, along with Kates’ father, a pastor who we wanted to be a part of the ceremony …

Phoebe remained content throughout the blessing, and didn’t shed a tear -- even when our pastors hunked a handful of water on her head. Kates’ father was so gentle about it and wiped barely a couple drops on Phoebe’s head. Our other two pastors practically poured a cup full on poor Phoebe.

No matter. The experience was a joyous time for us that made our eyes well up.

After church, family and friends gathered in our backyard for the sunny afternoon. Kates made her Indian Barbecue, and we had a gargantuan sheet cake that was oh so rich with frosting. … The babies played, we took family photos. It went too fast, though. Now I'm feeling sorry I didn't get to talk to our guests as much as I would've liked.

Orrin was the last to leave at about 4. … Kates and I put things away and then wasted little time crashing on the couch, exhausted from our weekend. We didn’t wake up until almost 7:15, played with Phoebe and then put her to bed.

Now here we sit tonight … We’re watching the Olympics; the U.S. swimmers just pulled out an astonishing come-from-behind win to beat France in the 400-meter freestyle relay. Michael Phelps has his first gold medal.

It’s been a great, great day …

And now we must get ready for the next chapter. Phoebe goes to daycare this week.

They 'Kissed A Girl'

... Ok. So the whole Katy Perry "I Kissed Girl" song is really starting to grow on me -- it took awhile ... And is it just me or does it seem like Zooey Deschanel could be Katy Perry's twin?

But c'mon, doesn't anyone remember the cooler, folksy mid-90s Jill Sobule take ...