Lol sure don’t! Had family members that loved the game but could never quite remember which piece could do what! - Lisa

Advice?

 New Years is usually a fail for me. I feel like there’s three kinds of parties: 100% drunk and nervous as you watch others drive home, OR buy a $200 dress, $100 shoes, and pay $300 a couple at a hotel ballroom OR celebrate at a kids event with 300 6 year olds

Any advice? - Lisa

UnCut Gems

The only bad part of this movie was seeing it in a theater packed with youngins barely old enough to vote. Not that that's automatically bad, but it did lend the room a frat house vibe. As a matter of fact, I don't think there were any females in the room, and no one else over 25. Which was odd, bc this was a serious, sometimes artsy movie.  

No one in the film is a very good human being, except perhaps the wife and kids (and maybe not even the kids), and nothing good happens to any character along the way. 

It's misery and miscue and poor life choices, one after the other, building tension until the movie finally screams "Enough!" 

Sandler is wickedly good and should give Joaquin a run for Best Actor, and the movie itself, while not for everyone, impressed me greatly.

Sorry Alderman

 Apparently my privacy settings have been set to only show my posts to alderman T Anthony Zielinski. I’m guessing it’s been this way at least a week!

omg. Hope the alderman has enjoyed the content! - Lisa

The Addams Family and Frozen 2

I saw these movies on successive days at Showtime Theater and was impressed by both. 

I was surprised to like Addams Family, as I have no love for the source material, but it was funny and the animation was STELLAR. 

 I took Junie to see Frozen 2 on Boxing Day despite the fact that I've managed to avoid ever seeing the original. I thought it was a good story and the "fight" against the river was legitimately impressive. I can't speak to how it holds up against the first one, but I dug it.

More Cookies

 More ugly sweater decorating fun. I think they lost their Xmas spirit when LuLu brought out the leftover knife sprinkles from Halloween lol - Lisa

Yum Yum

Smiley makes a mean tuna casserole! 

Helping at the Food Kitchen

Lisa and I spent part of the late afternoon helping the Street Angels prepare 100 pork dinners for local warming stations. Well, she helped with food - I got stuck washing dishes in the church kitchen. D 'oh.

ISO

We have a family friend in need of help to make Christmas special. If anyone wants details on how to help dm Dan or myself. - Lisa

Ms. Heidi

Smiley considers this lovely lady his most important teacher. Smiley has speech apraxia, and Heidi Reid was crucial in his speech development. We finally hooked up on Facebook to insure a connection after our youngest leaves Humboldt Park school. Happy to have her in our fb circle - Lisa

The Baby Jesus Statue

I teased Dani for this old chipped GIANT baby Jesus flea market find. Made him wait multiple weeks to get it, telling him he was nuts and weird and that we already had a nativity. Well, It’s rare but sometimes I’m wrong. I love it now, and don’t see a future tree with out it at the center! ❤️  - Lisa

Hayden Fry

 Great Iowa football coach Hayden Fry has passed away at 90. RIP

A Nice Momento by Smiley

 A moment from the dean’s luncheon captured by Smiley

Terminator Salvation

Honestly, it bored me. If you have only seen the first two movies, maybe - maybe - you won't find it mind bogglingly derivative. They tried, they really did, and the action scenes were good even if they were predictable. But oy, I think this series is done.

Flappers

Dan's sister Chrissy recommended The restaurant/bar “Flappers” to us. It’s on 76th and Becher. It used to be called “Beacher Street bar and grill” years ago when we were regulars to their Fish Fry. It was delicious! Best burger I’ve had in a while Great prices too! We’ll definitely be returning! - Lisa

The State Fair Light Display

So we did the state fair drive through light/music display tonight. Not crowded, $20 a-car Sun-Thursday. Really enjoyed it. Question to my fb friends: what other drive through displays have the synchronized music? That was neat! - Lisa

Gross

 
Just bought meat there the day before they closed. should I still use or toss?

Lisa

Gerrit Cole joins the Yankees

Great news. Now bring us that ring - you know, the one we should have had in 2017 except the Astros were dirty rotten lying cheats that should be banned from the post-season for the next decade.

Nope. Nuh-uh.

 Nope. My kid’s phone will remain on them 100% of the time. If you catch them using it, then you can punish them. Until then, they’ll keep it on them. Parents, re think rolling over on these phone rules. Their phones are their most immediate means of help in an emergency. If it’s locked in their locker or with their teacher it’s of no use to them. If in doubt look into the most recent events, the KIDS with phones are calling 911 most of the time!

- Lisa

A Gift

So the oldest wrote a thank you note for a professor who’s class she enjoyed, and got a gift. I’m impressed I don’t remember liking any of my college classes THAT much

- Lisa

Knives Out

Knives Out is brilliant and a joy to watch. The ensemble cast carries the movie almost exclusively through dialogue but it still moves at the speed of light.  Well worth the ticket price!

Ugly Sweater Cookies

 Creative! “Ugly sweater” decorating kits at Walmart. Junie and her friend did a great job! So cute! - Lisa

 Can I just say I’m thankful that there’s no admin on my personal fb page? Lol - Lisa

A Message from Lisa

 So I’ve been dragging my feet on holiday prep and generally down-trodden and anxiety ridden about the upcoming holidays all together, but I feel it turning a corner. The ability of music to heal is powerful. Two of my favorite Christmas songs played back to back this morning...seconds after I dropped off the middle two and was alone (rare).

No other song makes my body, heart and soul react like “oh night divine”. Never have I heard the following lyrics and not had it affect me.

FALL ON YOUR KNEES

Oh hear the angels' voices

Oh night divine

O night when Christ was born

So I let the full reaction hit me as I was alone in the car. Rejoiced in every note, tears free flowing.

Then...another favorite, Mariah’s “All I want for Christmas”. First, broken down and humbled in gratitude then lifted up and tapping my toes in joy...all in a 7 minute span.

So, if you were feeling how I was...my hope for you is whatever has the power to lighten life’s load for you reveals itself to you today, or soon, so you can fully enjoy your holiday prep and celebration (however that looks for you). Life’s hard but it’s worth it!

- Lisa

YaYa

 The oldest of my beauties

Goodbye Chaco :(

RIP Chaco. Best dog EVER. And everyone knows I’m NOT a dog person, but Chaco was different! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ The neighborhood dog. The family that owned Chaco and shared him so graciously, also owned Simon the neighborhood cat. We were so blessed to know them both. Chaco’s family has been struck by tragedy before and I’m praying they’ve met their sadness quota for a long while! 😞 - Lisa

Goodbye Chaco

 RIP you wonderful doggy. you'll be missed by so so many. I really wish I could give you one last walk around the block, chaco - Junie

Bloody Genius by John Sandford

"Bloody Genius" is bloody good. #johnsandford #virgilflowers

Ah. THAT'S why lol

This must be why my wife is so unhappy all the time. #icanthelpimbeautiful

Blue Moon by Lee Child

Easily one of the worst Reacher novels; certainly in the bottom two or three. A weak incentive for action, idiotic victims, a disjointed plot, a death toll larger than some Civil War battles, and allies that sound like Reacher clones. Pfui. Skip it.

The Popeyes Spicy Chicken Sandwich Debacle

So Dan tried to get the Popeyes sandwiches but instead got yelled at, so he yelled back. No sandwiches for us. Giving up, it just ain’t worth it!

Employee was not responding to the microphone so he pulled up and she told him she's the only one working. He said but you could let your customers know that so they don't just sit there. Manager came screaming he has no right to disrespect her employees blah blah. He called her some choice words and left.

[in the meantime I left and got sandwiches from Hothead Chicken]

Best chicken sandwich ever. First time for the sandwiches. “Nashville” level spice. Omg so good! Why we were even trying for Popeyes with hot head around the corner?!

OMG. Seriously. So good!

- Lisa

Some people man

This idiot (who just watched a '50's film about heroin) wins the Boomer award for the day.

Stagecraft

theatre stagecraft 214 class in front of our beautiful set 🥺 - YaYa

Proof. But not of what they think.

People always hold discoveries like this up to be sad "proof" of global warming. In fact, they are proof humans once freely lived in lands that, in modern centuries, have been snow and ice covered - and only now are those lands returning to that "norm." Thus proving the Earth's climate ebbs and flows and doesn't give one tinker's dam about Al Gore and dear young Greta.

Joker

I finally saw Joker. It's grim and hopeless and full of emotional pain and my word it was good. Joaquin Phoenix is a spectacular Joker. If you want me to rank them, I still prefer Heath, but it's no landslide victory.  

I'm no conspiracy nut but I felt a lot of the dire warnings that preceded Joker's release stemmed from Marvel/Disney using its media clout to try and bury a DC masterpiece. 

I saw nothing in the film that encouraged or condoned violence. Arthur was a damaged man, mentally and physically, and an unreliable narrator. His actions are fruit of that poisoned tree, and SPOILER the mob he inspires uses his image as an excuse for mayhem, not inspiration. END SPOILER

I dont even buy the film as an example of class struggle. It wasn't rich vs poor. It was chaos vs order. The chaos of a pre-Guilanni Gotham/NYC where crime was accepted as the norm, where filth and grime were the decor of the day, where hope was absent. The Joker is that chaos; his future enemy, young Mr Wayne, is the balm of order and respect.

It's a great film, certainly better than anything the MCU has or will create. Go see it.