A Dream

Not all of this flows logically, but it was a dream. It's not required. That said, it felt very factual and true-to-life at the time. 

 I had a dream last night where I got a job working in an office in a typical Milwaukee home that was central to my family's history (aka like my real life home). But it was much longer, with a windowless side that stretched hundreds of feet.

The office existed because of a secret in the house: a sunken WWII submarine that was only half exposed in the basement, like a fossilized dinosaur still mostly trapped in stone. It ran the length of the basement (hence, I suppose, the unusual outside length of the home).  Although we sold tickets to go see the sub, it was also apparently a secret to the public at large. 

I was promoted into a position of some authority in the office, and revealed the submarine's existence to the public, because I felt the fallen sailors in the wreck deserved to be buried with honors. 

Cut to some odd scenes set in and around the Green Bay Packers of the late 70's and early '80's. 

Back to the office, where a worker/relative was angry with my decision. "Did you even think about our jobs? How are we supposed to make a living now?" I was told. 

And that was the dream in full. 

Worst. Adoption Profile Pic. Ever.

We ARE not looking to adopt another cat, but we were keeping tabs this past week on a cat that had been found and turned in to Lisa's work, and subsequently taken to the pound (eventually, it's owners retrieved him). While checking on his profile, I stumbled across this doozy. 

Why you wouldn't spend one additional second to get a picture that doesn't look like the cat was respawned in Pet Semetary, I don't know; but it did make me and Lisa laugh. 

 

Loretta Swit

Loretta Swit, who was nominated for ten Emmys for her portrayal of Major Margaret Houlihan on M*A*S*H,  winning two, has died. She was 87.

RIP

Book Smart, But . . .

Why yes, yes I do have a doctoral degree.

Yes,  I'm also the guy who used a garment steamer on his shirt while he

 was wearing it this morning, creating a painful burn on my belly. 

 Why do you ask?

Memorial Day 2025

This dog certainly feels the day was relaxed and peaceful.

It was a very chill Memorial Day for me and Lisa too. As Junie's sleepover wound down, we slept in until late in the morning.  After I had a serious but loving online convo with YaYa, Lu came home from her weekend trip to meet her boyfriend's Mom. She and her BF chatted about it with Lisa and I for awhile before they left for the night. 

Lisa and I then picked up my MIL and ran some errands. I took some window screens into the hardware store to replace them; bought some drill bits from Harbor Freight; Lisa returned and replaced sandals; we picked up a new wax warmer from Marketplace; and stopped at Culvers for a scoop of the flavor of the day. 

The MIL stayed for dinner while Smiley installed new window blinds in the dining room.  JJ stopped by to visit Lisa, and after she left we watched an episode of Dateline.

A very nice, quiet day for us all. 

Peter David

The comic book world lost a legitimate Great yesterday with the passing of writer Peter David.  He was 68.

David was a prolific author,  spanning several titles,  but his 12 year run with the Hulk was legendary. But don't limit his talent to that medium alone. He was an excellent prose author too, with a style that flowed so naturally it made me jealous.

I'm infinitely proud that books I read and loved in the '80's, the Photon series, were in fact written by David himself (although under the pen name of David Peters.) In my opinion,  that just cements the fact that I had good taste even as a kid. 

RIP sir. 

A Smiling Huckleberry

It's pixelated because I had to Zoom in from a distance,  but I loved this goofy look on The Goodest Boy.

Ollie has Passed Away

 Oliver, the 18 year old cat we adopted right before New Years Eve, passed away overnight. 

He had been sick for about two weeks, suddenly refusing food, or nibbling at it without much enthusiasm. A weight loss was noted, and Lisa bought him liquid meal replacements for cats, designed for weight gain. For the last week I've been feeding him with a syringe each night. A few days ago one back leg began to fail him; on Cinco De Mayo both back legs stopped working. 

While affectionate, he was not overly fond of *requesting* affection. That night, on the 5th, he demanded to be petted and cuddled and even nipped my hand when I stopped for too long. It was clear he knew the end was coming, and he was afraid. It broke my heart. 

On the 6th he tried and failed to get off the bed and use the litter box, and Lisa, sadly, made the right decision by scheduling a euthanasia for 11am the next day. 

She let him remain on the bed tho, throughout the day he would shift from one spot to another, sleeping almost the entire time. When I went to bed for the night, on the couch, he was twitching in his sleep. 

Lisa returned from an overtime shift at about 330 or 4. He was awake and alert, and she spent some time petting him before drifting off to sleep.

At 5:30 AM she woke me up. "Danny, I think he's gone." I went and checked on him and rigor mortis had already set in. He had avoided the euthanasia appointment by seven hours, and died at home on the bed next to Lisa, some time in the 90 minutes after she returned home. 

In my mind, I know he waited for one last goodbye with her. He loved spending time with Lisa. 

Smiley buried Oliver in our backyard shortly after six, with most of the house still asleep. 

We had Oliver for only 129 days (12/30/24 - 5/7/25) but I do not regret adopting him. He was a loving cat that was loved in return, and brough a lot of happiness into our lives in that short time. Man, it was good to have another gray and white cat in the house. 

RIP Ollie. You were grand. 

RIP Mr. Eggener

The same day I heard about Ms. Kusch dying, I was told my 7th grade teacher, Mr. Eggener, had also just passed away. Here's how I remember him, with a smile, glasses, and a mustache. 

I hadn't seen him since 1989, at my sister's graduation, but according to his obituary photo he really leaned into the facial hair over the years. He looked good. 

 

If you take the time to read the extended death notice below, you'll see what was evident to his students, even if we weren't privy to all the details listed there: he was an intelligent, fun loving guy who devoted himself to his family, and to the causes and hobbies that he believed in. 

He started working at St. Adalbert's partway through 7th grade, when his predecessor, Mr Anderson, was fired. I liked Anderson, but I quickly recognized Mr. Eggener was a man to respect, and the superior teacher. 

I remember him telling us he was a Vietnam vet (and that's probably all he ever said of it to us), I remember he was very kind to my sister Katie, who followed a year behind me, and I remember asking him - Lord help the naivety of a 12 year old in the '80's - if the recently deceased Liberace had been gay LOL

He was, to quote one of my Grandma's favorite phrases,  "a good Joe."

RIP

************* 

Or, She Could Have Just Had Leftovers Like I Did

"This Father," Junie said,  tapping the side of the can with her fingernail, "this is a Recession Indicator. I haven't eaten fruit cocktail since school lunch in 6th grade."

The Green Mill

My friend Seth, knowing my love of Big Band, has been encouraging me to go to the Green Mill in Chicago, where they routinely have a swing band riling up the crowd. The problem is that's only on Thursday's. As Lisa had a string of Thursday's off - and because I am incapable of saying yes to fun until it is forced upon me - I delayed until I could no longer do so. 

So after work this Thursday we drove down to Illinois. We thought we had plenty of time to kill, so before the bar we stopped and got some pizza. 

At this point he suggested leaving the car in the great parking space he'd found, and walking to the venue. That distance? 1.8 miles each way. 

 I'm 20 years older and 200# heavier than him, and have a messed up hip. I did not want to spend the evening in a Chicago ambulance.  So, to the visible disgust of my young healthy friend, we did NOT wind up walking to the show. 

I was somewhat vindicated when we found a good parking spot a couple blocks from the bar and headed in.

There's a ten dollar cover charge. They checked Seth's ID at the door but even when I volunteered mine they shook me off. Grrrr.

It's an old bar, built in 1907, and during prohibition it was a speakeasy owned by an associate of Al Capone, and the booth that Al preferred is still there in use. When you first walk in there's a very small open space,. All the action is to the right of that, where a very long bar runs down towards a small stage, and between the bar and the people seated along the wall there isn't much room to walk, even if the place was almost empty - and that it was not. 

The place was packed, Getting down to the stage area was a game of human bumper cars, and it didn't get any better when we got in sight of the band. 

With that many people in that small an area, it was hot. Dripping sweat hot. This was, in part, due to wearing a sports jacket, as the unofficial dress code calls for a little class. 

These are not complaints, btw, merely observations. 

The band was great, with a fine clarinetist, and it was a great joy to see the regulars dance. 

We did not stay long, as it was truly crowded and hot, and standing room only, but it was great. On the way out a wonderful sight: a line of people waiting to get into the club. 

Afterwards we drove around Wrigley Field, then drove back to work to pick up my car. 

It was a lot of fun, and I do look forward to doing it again - only this time, with a seat!

A Dream

I had a dream last night, set only at night, in a very modernistic home that had been converted into either a law firm or some dual purpose - investigative and law perhaps. There was a pool, and most of the lighting, at least on the exterior, was purple and orange. 

Although most of the people there were whole-cloth creations of my mind, the lot of them had the feel of the cast of RENO 911. We were having an employee pot luck, and there was a great commotion about it between some co-workers who didn't trust the cleanliness of the other's kitchen. 

Real-life secretary Vanessa was there too, bringing a dish from Peru, and Eladio, an investigator I know, who was angry about something and left the event to stay in his office. 

At some point we were outside, eating at a long patio table, right outside some French doors. It was still the night. At the table were two attorneys. Both were dressed in suits, long trench coats, and fedoras. All of their clothing - ALL of it - was both hand crocheted and in bright, seventies colors more suited to a movie pimp. They did not work with us, but were instead there to negotiate over a shared meal. 

And that's all I remember. 

RIP Ms. Kusch /Mrs. Miles

I found out from a former classmate that our 3rd grade teacher, Miss Kusch, passed away April 3rd at the age of 69. 

 My memories of 3rd grade are rather dull and limited: 

The classroom was on the second floor, third from the west (it went 2nd, 1st, 3rd, 4th in that direction) with windows overlooking Beecher St. 

For some reason we had to create life sized scarecrows of ourselves with a cardboard face featuring our self portrait. I am not, and was not an artist, but basing my technique on a sketch of Fred from Scooby Doo, I did a fairly impressive job (for me).  I still have that face in some storage bin here LOL

Once a week a student had to do a presentation to the class about their life. It was called "All About Me" and my project, still intact, is also in storage LOL

[Alex Q mocked my thoroughness on the project. Ha. Time showed him. He grew up to be the most prosperous and successful of our class, whereas I write this blog]

I remember Ms. Kusch was, if memory served, engaged to her future husband for most of that school year. 

And remember an end of year picnic held at her house. Here's a picture taken that day in 1983. I'm the kid in the Brewers hat and red, white, and blue collared shirt. 

Ms. Kusch taught at my grade school for 36 years, all but a few of them after I was in her class. That's an impressive feat, and I'm sure she made a difference for a lot of kids. 

RIP

The Fall of Saigon - 50 Years Later

50 years ago today,  a conventional military offensive - not a partisan uprising or guerilla warfare -  finally brought the end of Saigon and the nation of South Vietnam. It closed the books on what was,  to that point,  America's longest war, and the first we lost, even if not on the battlefield

Although the anniversary lived in my memory all day,  I've seen precious little about it in the news, or on social media.  Two history accounts on Instagram posted about it, and that was it for my algorithm. 

That's so hard to believe.  Growing up in the immediate wake of the war in the 70's and 80's it seemed destined to be a permanent stain on our psyche. The anger over the loss of so many men for, in the end,  nothing; the loss of trust in government; the embarrassment over the iconic photos of Saigon's fall,  and the tens of thousands of allies we left behind to endure "re-education camps" and misery.  

Growing up,  "Vietnam" was just another name for the bogeyman. The 10th anniversary, in 1985, was like reliving a funeral. 

And now? 

Ask a teenager what's the first thought that pops into their head when you mention Vietnam and they'll probably answer "Pho." Vietnamese restaurants are scattered throughout my city,  one only a short walk down the road from my home. 

We, as a people, have chosen to move on, to view Vietnam as just another nation in the world, with the war now confined to history books and Hollywood movies. And that's a good thing.  Let Europe hold a grudge for centuries over long forgotten squabbles. I have no energy for that nonsense.  

To those who fought for us in Vietnam,  including my own father,  thank you for your service.

To those Vietamese we couldn't help that awful April day in Saigon,  I'm sorry. 

And to the worst of the stigma of that era,  I'm glad you're gone. 

Ollie

The Wiz

Last night Lisa and I accompanied Junie to a performance of THE WIZ at the High School of the Arts. I have seen countess performances there for the last ten years, as well as a few back in the '90's, so please take that into account when I say that this was easily the best musical I've ever seen there. 

How ironic that this will also be the last performance I see there, unless a grandkid attends in the far future. I guess they saved the best for last. 

 

Lex Crump (Dorothy) and Jordan Rodriguez (Lion) were superb, showcasing talent and charisma at a professional level. The orchestra, which I've always considered hit or miss at performances, was note-perfect, as was the vocal ensemble. The dances were tight and full of energy. The props and scenery . . . well, with a few exceptions, let's not think about them. 

Now you'll note I only referenced two performers by name, but don't take that as an insult to the rest. Junie's friend Kevin was very sharp in his turn as the Wiz, and even Auntie Em had a heck of a voice.

The show was just dang GOOD. 

Junie, as always, came prepared with flower bouquets and gift bags for each friend in the cast. 

Kudos to the cast, crew, and leadership. Bravo!!

Val Kilmer

I first saw him when my Dad took us to see Real Genius in 1985, and I was happy to watch his career take off in the following years.  RIP sir, you were a hell of an actor. 

Never Forget Their Heroism

 

Today marks 189 years since the fall of The Alamo at the hands of the tyrant and dictator Santa Anna. This years anniversary carries with it extra meaning: 189 years, one for each of the 189 confirmed and identified defenders who died that fateful morning. 

May they continue to rest in Peace and Glory. 

1. Juan Abamillo, San Antonio
2. Robert Allen
3. Mills DeForrest Andross, Vermont
4. Micajah Autry, N.C.
5. Juan A. Badillo, San Antonio
6. Peter James Bailey, Ky.
7. Isaac G. Baker, Ark.
8. William Charles M. Baker, Mo.
9. John J. Ballentine
10. Richard W. Ballantine, Scotland
11. John J. Baugh, Va
12. Joseph Bayliss, Tenn.
13. John Blair, Tenn.
14. Samuel C. Blair, Tenn.
15. William Blazeby, England
16. James Butler Bonham, S.C.
17. Daniel Bourne, England
18. James Bowie, Tenn
19. Jesse B. Bowman
20. George Brown, England
21. James Brown, Pa.
22. Robert Brown
23. James Buchanan, Ala.
24. Samuel E. Burns, Ireland
25. George D. Butler, Mo
26. John Cain, Pa.
27. Robert Campbell, Tenn.
28. William R. Carey, Va.
29. Charles Henry Clark, Mo
30. M.B. Clark
31. Daniel William Cloud, Ky.
32. Robert E. Cochran, N.J.
33. George Washington Cottle, Tenn.
34. Henry Courtman, Germany
35. Lemuel Crawford, S.C.
36. David Crockett, Tenn.
37. Robert Crossman, Mass.
38. David P. Cummings, Pa.
39. Robert Cunningham, N.Y.
40. Jacob C. Darst, Ky.
41. John Davis, Ky.
42. Freeman H. K. Day
43. Jerry C. Day, Mo.
44. Squire Daymon, Tenn.
45. William Dearduff, Tenn.
46. Stephen Dennison, England
47. Charles Despallier, La.
48. Lewis Dewall, N.Y.
49. Almeron Dickinson, Tenn.
50. John H. Dillard, Tenn.
51. James R. Dimpkins, England
52. Andrew Duvalt, Ireland
53. Carlos Espalier, San Antonio
54. Gregorio Esparza, San Antonio
55. Robert Evans, Ireland
56. Samuel B. Evans, N.Y.
57. James L. Ewing, Tenn
58. William K. Fauntleroy, Ky.
59. William Fishbaugh, Ala.
60. John Flanders, Mass.
61. Dolphin Ward Floyd, N.C., N.Y.
62. John Hubbard Forsyth
63. Antonio Fuentes, San Antonio
64. Galba Fuqua, Ala.
65. William Garnett, Tenn.
66. James W. Garrand, La.
67. James Girard Garrett, Tenn.
68. John E. Garvin
69. John E. Gaston, Ky.
70. James George
71. John Camp Goodrich, Tenn.
72. Albert Calvin Grimes, Ga.
73. Jose Maria Guerrero, Laredo, Tex.
74. James C. Gwynne, England
75. James Hannum
76. John Harris, Ky.
77. Andrew Jackson Harrison
78. William B. Harrison, Ohio
79. Charles M. Haskell (Heiskell), Tenn.
80. Joseph M. Hawkins, Ireland
81. John M. Hays, Tenn.
82. Patrick Henry Herndon, Va.
83. William D. Hersee, England
84. Tapley Holland, Ohio
85. Samuel Holloway, Pa.
86. William D. Howell, Mass.
87. Thomas Jackson, Ireland
88. William Daniel Jackson, Ireland
89. Green B. Jameson, Ky.
90. Gordon C. Jennings, Conn.
91. Damacio Jimenes, Tex.
92. Lewis Johnson, Wales
93. William Johnson, Pa.
94. John Jones, N.Y
95. Johnnie Kellog
96. James Kenney, Va.
97. Andrew Kent, Ky.
98. Joseph Kerr, La.
99. George C. Kimball (Kimble), N.Y.
100. William P. King
101. William Irvine Lewis, Va.
102. William J. Lightfoot, Va.
103. Jonalhan L. Lindley, IL.
104. William Linn, Mass.
105. Jose Toribio Losoya, San Antonio
106. George Washington Main, Va.
107. William T. Malone, Va.
108. William Marshall, Tenn.
109. Albert Martin, Rhode Island
110. Edward McCafferty
111. Jesse McCoy, Tenn.
112. William McDowell, Pa.
113. James McGee, Ireland
114. John McGregor, Scotland
115. Robert McKinney, Ireland
116. Eliel Melton, Ga.
117. Thomas R. Miller, Tenn.
118. William Mills, Tenn.
119. Isaac Millsaps, Miss.
120. Edwin T. Mitchell
121. Napoleon B. Mitchell
122. Edward F. Mitchusson, Va.
123. Robert B. Moore, Va.
124. William Moore, Miss.
125. Robert Musselman, Ohio
126. Andres Nava, San Antonio
127. George Neggan, S.C.
128. Andrew M. Nelson, Tenn.
129. Edward Nelson, S. C.
130. George Nelson, S.C.
131. James Northcross, Va.
132. James Nowlan, Ireland
133. George Pagan, Miss.
134. Christopher Parker, Miss.
135. William Parks, N.C.
136. Richardson Perry
137. Amos Pollard, Mass.
138. John Purdy Reynolds, Pa.
139. Thomas H. Roberts
140. James Robertson, Tenn.
141. Isaac Robinson, Scotland
142. James M. Rose, Va.
143. Jackson J. Rusk, Ireland
144. Joseph Rutherford, Ky.
145. Isaac Ryan, La.
146. Mial Scurlock, N.C.
147. Marcus L. Sewell, England
148. Manson Shied, Ga.
149. Cleveland Kinlock Simmons, S.C.
150. Andrew H. Smith, Tenn.
151. Charles S. Smith, Md.
152. Joshua G. Smith, N.C.
153. William H. Smith
154. Richard Starr, England
155. James E. Stewart, England
156. Richard L. Stockton, Va.
157. A. Spain Summerlin, Tenn
158. William E. Summers, Tenn
159. William D. Sutherland, Ala.
160. Edward Taylor, Tenn.
161. George Taylor, Tenn.
162. James Taylor, Tenn.
163. William Taylor, Tenn.
164. B. Archer M. Thomas, Ky.
165. Henry Thomas, Germany
166. Jesse G. Thompson, Ark.
167. John W. Thomson, N.C.
168. John M. Thruston, Pa.
169. Burke Trammel, Ireland
170. William Barret Travis, S.C.
171. George W. Tumlinson, Mo.
172. James Tylee, N.Y.
173. Asa Walker, Tenn.
174. Jacob Walker, Tenn.
175. William B. Ward, Ireland
176. Henry Warnell, Ark.
177. Joseph G. Washington, Tenn.
178. Thomas Waters, England
179. William Wells, Ga.
180. Isaac White, Ky.
181. Robert White
182. Hiram J. Williamson, Pa.
183. William Wills
184. David L. Wilson, Scotland
185. John Wilson, Pa.
186. Anthony Wolfe, England
187. Claiborne Wright, N.C.
188. Charles Zanco, Denmark
189. John, Negro

To Dust You Shall Return . . .

 

Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, and my co-worker Seth started the day with a 7 am Mass before work. I've vowed to give up Mountain Dew for Lent, and I'm already regretting that choice LOL

BTW - of course Team Slap indulged in paczki to celebrate Fat Tuesday yesterday

Enjoy this Easter season!

She's a Little Ungrateful

Junie on why she prefers talking over her teenage problems with her Mom:

 "No offense, but your advice lacks nuance. All you ever say is "Do you want me to kill those c--k suckers for you?" That isn't very helpful."

It Ain't a Lie

Whatever the purists say, chili without beans is just spicy water

10.958 Days

Thirty years ago today, at this very hour, I sat across from a young waitress I had just met. We were seated at a George Webb's restaurant on 43rd and Loomis, as she ate breakfast after an overnight shift at a different Webb's. I had only coffee. I found her repetitive pick of venue an odd choice at the time, and while she ate and summarized her life for me I was awkwardly quiet, and quite focused on a stain on her front tooth. 

Not exactly the greatest start to a date, in retrospect, but it did a quick 180 within an hour. If you want the details of it, start to finish, you can find them here, in a post I wrote back in 2008.

In a very real sense, that date continues to this day, a narrative thread that as of today spans thirty years, or if you want to get down to the nitty gritty, a whopping 10, 958 days. 

(I work with a few lawyers whose entire lifetimes fit in that span!)

Now I don't, in any way,  dismiss or discount the value of our wedding date 18 months later, but it has never had the same oomph or importance for either of us, even as pro-marriage as we are. October of '96 doesn't happen without February of '95, the kids don't happen without it, nothing happens, for Team Slap, unless February 22nd of 1995 unfolds as it does. 

I'm very proud to have reached this milestone. Not because it's been so difficult to get there - it was but a blink of an eye - but because it brings me happiness, and fulfillment,  to know that I've been blessed with the woman I love, my wife and my best friend, Lisa, for thirty years now.  

Happy Anniversary Sinatra!

Don't you dare mock the glasses. It was the '90's man, you think Lenscrafters stocked 2025 frames back then???

 

50 Year's Ago Today

50 years ago today: the north tower of the World Trade Center was the victim of an arson attack that consumed 65% of the 11th floor,  with the fire spreading to six floors of the building. 28 people were treated for injuries, and one employee died of a heart attack. 

It was the second attack in the history of the doomed complex. During construction 5 years earlier, a trailer on site was bombed by anti- war protesters.

Dang Right, And Don't You Forget It!

 

photo credit: YaYa

So much for the ballyhooed Chiefs 3-peat. With the referees calling a (largely) square contest, KC was trampled by the Eagles, with most of the Chiefs' points coming in garbage time. 

To those who claim this is proof the referees didn't help KC win this year, I say, uh, what now? It proves nothing, but it certainly lends credence to the claims that they were helped by the zebras each week. 

I don't think the NFL is scripted, or that the refs are on the take. I do, however, think that any play that would be 50-50 to warrant a flag for anyone else will earn KC a first down, and that any call that is questionable would fall in the Chiefs favor. 

They are (were?) the face of the league, and as such, were pampered. 

Regardless, they were pummeled when it counts, marking two such lopsided losses in Mahome's brief but fantastic tenure. 

Will they be back to the Super Bowl again before he retires? I think that's a bet I'd take, 

Not a Winter Cat

 The heat calls to him!  - LuLu