CHRISTMAS KARAOKE

Christmas Eve, in our family, is the Swedish side of our family's day of celebration. We have been travelling to my Aunt Myra's home for 30 years. This year we thought it would be fun to break out of the traditional mold and add Karaoke. There was a microphone and background music and lyric sheets aiding us and after several glasses of Glog I went to the mike and sang Silent Night. It had been quite a long time since I had been on the other side of the mike but I nailed it. Granted theses were my relatives in the audience making it much easier. I can remember standing in front of as many as 5000 people at The Aragon. There were four of us which helped and it was so loud that nobody could hear us anyway. Back to Christmas, I had to reflect on the recent passing of another aunt, Corky, who was my mother's sister and always fun to be around. My mother passed away at an early age and Corky was my connection to my mom since she knew her better than anyone. Bud Morten did an interview with his mother and documented her life for generations to follow. I wish I had done that but now I have to rely on my memory. I will work on it and put it in this blog next year. Have a good new year and help bring joy to others.

This past July we sold our house and moved downtown. We went from a big house to a 1 bedroom 1 bath loft. We had to shrink our possessions down by 75%. With garage sales, donations and trashing we pared our lot to fit into our little home. Now we have decided to remodel the loft so while we are snowbirding our loft will be torn apart and put back together in a completely new configuration. Right now we have to pack up our possessions and reduce them again. At this rate of progression we will soon be living on a coat hanger in a closet. This brings to mind the saying you come into this world with nothing and leave with nothing. What we do have is each other.

FIELD MUSEUM

Is it a sign of aging, or maturing as I like to call it, going to the Field Museum and actually enjoying the day. Recently we met Lloyd Kuehn and his wife, Joan, at The Field Museum. My museum of choice had always been Science and Industry but I was pleasantly surprised how interesting The Field has become. We took a guided tour of the Egyptian exhibit and we were amazed with the technology of that ancient culture. Cecil B. DeMille took liberties in his depictions of ancient Egypt and in reality the pyramids were not built using slaves but rather paid workers. Most pyramids were raided, some soon after being sealed, even though precautions were take to discourage that practice. The art of mummification was intriguing. It took 40 days and 40 nights, sound familiar, to extract the inner organs and soak the skin in natron for preservation.
We spent 6 hours and didn't see half of the free exhibits. 1000 years from now we will be in museums on the other side of the glass typing on our archaic computer keyboards.

INCENTIVE

This morning I got up and started to dress for a cold walk. Thermal underwear followed by a jogging suit followed by a rain resistant golf coverall. A towel around my neck, a warm pulldown hat and a pair of winter gloves. It was 24 deg. out and when I hit the outside I started to think what a foolish thing this was. as I walked under Lake Shore Drive and emerged at Grand Avenue Beach I see this guy coming OUT OF THE WATER in a swimsuit. He starts to towel off and all of a sudden I don't feel the cold. I couldn't believe this. That water has to be 40 degrees and the air 24. This made my walk much easier to endure.

CABARET

Dolores and I met her brother at Peterino's Restaurant last night for dinner and a musical treat. It was Open Mike Monday and a dozen entertainers each took the mike accompanied by Becky Menzie on the piano. Some had played here before but some were new and Becky played their music perfectly. They ranged in age from 30 to 84 and for the most part were very entertaining. The 84 year old had been in several movies early in her career and did herself proud belting out tunes. If you get a chance to see Becky Menzie I would encourage you to go.

PROSPECTUS OR CAMOUFLAGE

Why do I hate receiving those stock market prospectuses, I'll tell you why. They give me a headache by trying to confuse the investor trying to justify why their portfolio isn't growing in the proper direction. As an example here is the opening line from a recent prospectus sent to me today: "New normal long-term outlook---marked by a shift in global growth drivers, deleveraging and re-regulation---points to the possibility of a desynchronized global recovery. As such, the economic growth rate in developed economies will likely be lower than in previous recoveries, but higher for developing and emerging market economies. for investors it is important to adjust portfolios to meet the challenges of this changing and uncertain investment environment".
I would rather hear: "Since our last idea isn't working due to lousy foreign investments, we will switch our investing from England, France and Italy to India and China".
Where do these financial advisers come from? Are they schooled to invest properly or to sell the investor on their expertise. We are trapped into following their advice since banks and mattresses give you zero growth. Maybe I'll invest in a pawn shop.

CUBS, I'M BACK

In this busy world we live in there is only so much time to spend on any one activity. I started supporting the Cubs back in the late '50's to early '60's. I was an occasional fan and went to a few games every year. As I grew older and raised a family I found more of an allegiance to the Cubs and started to become the true definition of a fan (fanatic). I suffered through the highs and lows over the years and , although they never won the golden ring, the did offer an exciting product. When the Bartman incident happened, not really his fault, I was disappointed but stuck with them. Then they brought in LOU and we were convinced he would lead us to the promised land. I watched every evening and weekend games and listened to the rest on the radio. Now they have a big season and get to the playoff only to lose three straight before I could get comfortable on my easy chair. The following year we do well again and start with "the never can win the important games' Dodgers. Boom, Bang, Zip and the mighty Cubs are done. Well that was it. I got rid of all my Cubs memorabilia and clothes and vowed never to watch them again. I was true to myself and found so much extra time to do other things (much to Dolores's delight). Two seasons went by and I went to a game late in the 2010 season at the request of some friends. We sat up in the upper deck and I hardly recognized any players on the field. Late in the game this fellow was wandering the stands and plopped down next to us. This was Tom Ricketts (the new owner of the Cubs) and he was a regular guy. The 3 of us talked for 5 minutes and we told him he should hire Mike Quade as new manager. We shook hands and he went on to other eager hands to shake.
I will give it a trial run next year but only as an occasional fan. Now that we have retired there really isn't enough free time to waste on many ballgames.

DIRK PITT

Yesterday I went to the Union League club to hear Clive Cussler speak at a luncheon book review. Along with his son, Dirk Cussler, they wrote their recent book "Crescent Dawn". I know his books are formulaic but once you start it is difficult to put down. I will review the book in a future blog (since I haven't read it yet). The Union League Club is an old establishment that caters to the city's wealthier people. The food was very good and the room was beautiful. I would never join a club that would accept me as a member. They have a dress code there as they do at The Standard Club but it isn't what you might think. They only ask the men to wear a shirt with a collar and dress slacks (no shorts or blue jeans). Personally I like to dress up occasionally.It shows some respect for the history and tradition of an old organization and respect for your fellow attendees. Happy Thanksgiving to all and don't eat too much.

Hi. I'm Keith and I'm a walkaholic

Every day I walk since we got rid of our cars. Every other day I take a long walk (10-12 miles). Like running you get into a zone and the miles pass swiftly. Scenery is important and I couldn't ask for more than the Chicago lakefront or Lincoln Park. I have to take care of my feet so I treated them to some new walking shoes. Yesterday I used a groupon and had a 90 minute massage concentrating on my hands (slight arthritis) and feet. I don't use earphones or mp3 systems but instead listen to the sounds of the city. I try and greet all oncoming walkers/runners/bikers if they make eye contact. Amazing how a smile or hello can change your day. I have taken back some hellos from grouches but they won't spoil my day. If you read Jack Spatafora's blog about tabernacles you know where the grouches are coming from. The fringe benefits of walking are obvious. It is so difficult to keep a balance of calories in and calories out. I used to burn more calories thinking about a Big Mac than it produced, not now.

OH CAROL

Carol I hardly knew you but the news of your passing cut through me as if you were a close family member. You were one of the cheerleaders, the in crowd, popular and pretty. I, as a shy and introverted teen could only dream of dating any of you. In meeting you this past February in Florida I was impressed with how easy it was to talk to you and Karen and Diane. Life is so unpredictable and to allow any of it to just pass by without enjoying every minute is tragic. You and Les were a nice couple. Our class will miss you at the reunion but when we sing the NileHi fight song we will dedicate it to you. GOOOOOOOOO TROJANS

Girl and a Goat

On Wednesday we met my sister and to celebrate my daughter's birthday at "A Girl and a Goat" on West Randolph st. in Chicago. The restaurant was started by Stephanie Izzard who won the Top Chef television competition a couple of years ago. We had 4:45 reservations and by the time we were finished the place was packed. I enjoyed some of the food but stay away from their pizza. Thursday I went back to Northwestern Law School to sit in on another class. Interesting and stimulating to watch those young minds work. They reviewed the Ford Pinto case from several decades ago. Now I am having a flareup of a root canal which was done a couple of years ago but not completely finished. Antibiotics for a few days and painkillers will handle it. Tomorrow is the new season startover for the Bears.

REJECTION

I recently signed on with an online writing company to see if I could contribute an occasional vignette to review some points of interest in Chicago. I have the time and the pen but they rejected my offer. They tossed me a softball excuse like "we have so many requests for this position" yadayadayada. It boils down to them not liking my writing style. Am I disappointed, NO, will I keep writing, YES.
We went to the Pilson neighborhood today and visited the Mexican Fine Arts Museum. They were highlighting the "Day of the Dead" which is celebrated Nov. 1 and 2. They feel that every year their dear departed come back to life in their hearts if not in person. They display the departed's favorite foods and hobbies with many pictures to surround the display. In a way we probably all have done this by visiting our parents gravesites leaving flowers and speaking to them. I haven't gone back for several years but I am going to do it soon.

BEGGARS NIGHT

Beggars night was a tradition in our Skokie neighborhood while I was growing up. When you mention this to people from other parts of the country they hadn't heard of it. We would dress up in costume and get a jump on the treaters who followed the traditional timeslot. As we were often rejected by traditionalists we had to resort to tricks. Nothing too maliscious but the dog poop in a flaming paper bag on the front porch was a classic.
Last night Dolores and I took the train to Palatine to go to dinner with Rod Bartels and Jan Jacobs Warsaw. We met Var and Carol Lordahl at Biagis and had a very nice dinner. Back on the train revelers in costume dominated the ride in very colorful costumes, heading to the city for parties. They were still sober and harmless and we could only hope that their evenings ended in safety, although we did hear of a couple of party-related tragedies.

INTERNATIONAL LAW

Today I sat in a class on International Law at Northwestern University School of Law. I didn't know what to expect since I hadn't been in a classroom or lecture hall for over 40 years. This was a smaller lecture hall with tiered desks and comfortable leather chairs. There were about 20 people there mostly early 20's, one dude in his 50's and me. They discussed hate speech vs. freedom of speech. US law didn't classify hate speech as illegal whereas the European community did. They brought up the illegality of denying the Holocaust. About half of the students participated with 3 doing most of the talking and I sat there with my muzzle on trying not to say anything. This was quite enjoyable and I plan on doing it at least once a week. Next will be The School of Medicine.
At the start it took the professor 10 minutes to find a time to have a cancelled class made up. He chose 15 different dates until he found one where all but 1 student could attend. Sounds like our committee meeting planning.

NOTHING

I got nothing today but I'll write anyway. They're selling an apartment in my daughter's building for $40,000.00. It is bank owned but this devalues all of the other apartments in the building.
I walked to Office depot this morning and bought a filebox to store our papers. Woohoo
I talked with my friend in Las Vegas. He is a professional gambler. He told me he is playing $1-$2 no limit holdem. He buys in for $100.00 and that is the most he might lose. He plays about 10% of the hands and waits for the good one. We will visit him and his wife wile we're out in Palm Desert.
Dolores is volunteering at The Anti-Cruelty Society dealing with adopted dogs. I told her not to come home with 2 dogs under each arm (our building doesn't allow dogs). She also is volunteering at S.O.A.R. (Streeterville Organization for Active Residents). I have to look into doing something. When our reunion is over I will have even more open time. I can only walk so far in a day before my feet fall off.
Haven't heard from Donna Miller Hitchins in quite a while, hope she's OK.
I hope this has enlightened you today, let's hope tomorrow is more exciting.

GHOSTS ON THE STREET

As we walked home from the train on Saturday evening we would move at a brisk pace to cover the 2 mile distance. I was carrying a take home bag from our dinner with Lloyd and Joan. Silently we would be approached by a homeless person who would ask for the carryout. I felt bad in denying him (in fact several hims) and for selfish reasons. I wanted that sweet and sour pork for lunch the next day. They would ask and then fade into the crowd to ask another. Sometimes I would turn around after denying them and they were gone. This homeless phenomenom is not uncommon to any major city or even smaller cities. I would like to stop and talk with them to find out what had caused their paths to be lost but I'm afraid that would be a waste of time. They probably don't know why they are there or what led them to this place in their lives. I do know one homeless person, John, up in Waukegan who was a quality control engineer until alcohol took over his life. He lost his wife, his job and his home in a short period of time. When I see a homeless person I think of John.

A CENTURY

This morning I went for a walk on the lakefront. What a beautiful morning it is with temperatures reaching to 77 by noon. My sister (Lynne Anderson Valentine '59) and I are taking a bus to Humboldt Park today and having our picture taken in front of Leif Erickson's Statue. Our grandfather (A.I. Peterson and his brother E.I. Peterson) stood in front of that statue exactly 100 years ago and I will post both pictures on the website this afternoon. I wonder if I'll feel the vibes while standing there.
The warmup party in Southern California went quite well from all reports with 14 classmates attending. Chuck Scharf is sending me pictures and names soon. Gotta go and meet my sister, more later.

I'm Back

I know it has been over a year since my last blog. Plenty has happened since then. We formed committees for the 50th reunion and have held 4 or 5 meetings. The list of found classmates has grown to over 850 with less than 70 on the lost list. We settled on a venue, The Standard Club in Chicago, and we instituted a donors club to assist with the extra costs surrounding the event.
Dolores and I put our Northbrook home on the market and much to our surprise it sold on a week. This precipitated our move into retirement sooner than expected. We moved downtown to our tiny loft and gave up most of our furniture. Going from a 5 bedroom, 3 bath home with 2 cars to a 1 bedroom, 1 bath loft with no cars has been an adjustment. We walk and take buses and trains everywhere. We took a 1 month trip to visit our son, Bret, in Seattle and left him with our last car and flew home. We are planning a 3 month stay in Palm Desert, CA to avoid the Chicago winter for the first time in 67 years. When this reunion is completed I will have to find another hobby to fill up the time regularly spent on the computer running the website. I had lunch with classmate Steve Schada the other day and he mentioned that this will probably be the last opportunity to have a large reunion from our class. I'll try and write more often.

I could learn to like this

This past week I took off from work since our plant was closed until Jan. 4. Dolores still had to work Mon.-Wed. so I became house husband. We recently watched Julie and Julia which prompted me to buy Julia Child's book. Monday night I started with a potato leek soup followed with Supremes De Volaille A Blanc or chicken breast with cream. Also Petit Pois in mushroom sauce. I must have used a whole stick of butter along with a pint of whipping cream. Last night I prepared the dough for the shell to be used in Quiche Lorraine. I prepared the quiche this evening and it was fantastic. It also had butter and heavy cream. We had enough left over for 3 more meals. Tomorrow we head downtown for and evening at Bandera Grill followed by going to the roof at our loft's building and watching the Navy Pier Fireworks at midnight.
Getting back to the time off idea, if I felt that I could make the break and hang it up, I would but we plan on at least another year and a half until Dolores qualifies for medicare.
Happy New Year to both of my loyal readers and I hope to supply you with more offerings next year, Keith

The art of conversation

This morning we were getting ready for work, preparing breakfast and lunches. Dolores was slicing carrots for a soup she would throw in the crock pot. As she chopped she had the unwanted parts to dispose of and she had to scrape them into the sink with her left hand because the garbage disposal was on the right side sink. She wished that we would have put the disposal on the left side and I commenced to explain that you want the disposal in the smaller sink because you use the larger sink for hand washing and ---boom she stops me and says she understands and doesn't need a whole dissertation on the problem. I, of course being wounded, had to mention that her stories tend to drag on where she uses 10 minutes to describe a 1 minute situation. This leads to the eternal problem between men and women. In my observations of our species the female loves to talk and they can go on and on where the male sees a problem, analyzes it and solves it ba-dah-bing, ba-dah-boom. I guess if we left it up to the men there wouldn't be much conversation at all.