Month: May 2024

Memorial Day 2024 is in the books, the weather is warm, the grass, trees and plants are thriving.  Wrigley Field’s ivy is fully flushed and green, school days are winding down and we can smell the season of summer approaching.  We had a mild winter but no matter, the days of the summer solstice are always pined and looked forward to.  Here’s some of what’s going on.

Suave Don Draper from “Mad Men” shares thoughts on the coming of summer.

On the subject of baseball, the Cubs are chugging along O.K. in spite of plenty of players injuries.  The White Sox? Not so much.  Al Flash and I put together a Sox suck parody and as critical as I often am towards our works, this one turned out damn good.  So good that it has garnered hundreds of views on You Tube with very little push from me or Al.

Three weeks ago^, I drove by East End Pool and all swimming splashing sections of the place were completely filled with water.  That seemed early until I realized that the lifeguards who’ll work there this summer need to undergo their annual training and safety certifications and that takes a bit of time.  East End opened on Saturday May 25^th. More on that to be shared on a future post.

One caveat this year is the Elmhurst Park District agreed with my pleas to give us season pass holders freebie guest passes for friends.  We each get four of these passes so folks who normally aren’t at the pool can hang with us for some sun, fun and swimming. 

The Memorial Day weekend weather only allowed me to swim on Saturday but it was still good to be back in the water.

I’ve got freshly bought Reef flip flops to wear to the pool and a new tote bag.  My previous tote was in fine shape but I gave it to one of my students who was in need of a book bag.  She likes that bag and I was happy to give it to her.  Once the swim season is in gear, I pretty much live out of my tote bag.

This is the pool & beach tote bag I’ll be living out of for most of the summer.

Speaking of students, today Tuesday May 28^th my school holds its annual graduation commencement ceremony for high school and middle school grads. It’s a simple but touching event where we teachers get to pay personal tribute to the kiddos who’ve achieved and are preparing for the next step in their academic or real world lives.  I have three seniors from my caseload to honor that day and it’s going to be fun to launch them to the next phase of their lives.

Our school’s Graduation Ceremony happens on Tuesday May 28th. It’s always a special event.

Later this week, we’ll start ESY (Extended School Year or as most call it, ‘Summer School.’)  Those four weeks fly by fast and then we’ll get to our anticipated vacation time.

Summer school starts at the end of the week. And “Summer School” the movie is a fun watch.

ODDS & ENDS.  In June, I have an appointment to be re-fitted for contact lenses, which I haven’t worn in over ten years.  Glasses are O.K. but it’s time for a change both at school and at the pool.  I just need to remember when swimming to not open my eyes underwater when wearing those lenses.

Other things to take care of include getting my house fully scrubbed and cleaned by a local maid service which is something I do a few times a year. I’ll patch up a few driveway cracks then have it re-sealed and my back steps need to be water sealed.   I’m also out shopping for a new bed.  My mattress and box spring are worn down to the thinness of a Matzo and it’s time!

So, here’s to the tasks to take care of and the fun to be had come summer…

Clint Black sings it and we can feel it, Summer’s Coming.

Next Blog- A Special 40 Year Anniversary.

This past Sunday my alma mater York High School hosted its graduation ceremony.  It was held at the football stadium (Clarence D. East Field to you old timers) on a beautiful warm and sunny day.  The bleachers were packed butts to guts as were all other spots to witness the class of 2024 as they walked across the stage to get their diplomas. 

As we all know, the commencement event marks the end of one part of the students’ lives and the start of everything else.  These young folks had to endure remote learning in their first ever semester at York thanks to COVID and they now see a world full of plenty of other challenges. The whole Israel/Palestinian/Gaza conflict, our own country sharply divided in politics and loads of social issues, not to mention another contentious presidential election that will take place in November.   I wish them all the luck they can get.

As I drove by York’s event, I saw some late arriving family members rushing in with balloons, cards, bouquets of flowers and all sort of things to help celebrate the day.   A block north of Saint Charles Road, some kids around age 10 or so, were peddling freshly made lemonade.  I pulled my car over and asked how much. The drinks were free as the kids explained they were doing this to celebrate graduation day!  I thanked them for the drink and said in a couple of eye-blinks, THEY’LL be the ones graduating high school.  They smiled and waved as I pulled away.

This June will mark the 45^th year since I graduated from York at that very same football field.  Earlier that day in 1979, my family took in a lunch at the Café Parisien on North Avenue as a pre-grad celebration.  After the ceremony while my dad drove my sister and grandparents back home, my mom and I ended up walking the half mile home together.  Once at the house. we enjoyed cake and gifts.  The best one being the Norelco electric razor I asked for and my grandpa Kahler gave me.  I also got a cool steamer trunk for future moves. 

Then it was time for me to go out with friends and party it up a bit.  We ended up at a classmate’s house (I’ll withhold that person’s name) because the beer bash was packed enough to draw the police who swooped in to break up the fun.  I recall some girl cried out that she’d been maced!  Next, it was me and three pals heading out for late night beers at Stimac’s bar in Hillside and I rolled into my bed that night at about two a.m.

That summer of 1979 I spent working at White Castle, playing American Legion baseball and seeing most of my buddies leave to attend college out of town.  I did a year and a half at College of Du Page then scooted off to S.I.U. before settling my academics down for a three stint at Elmhurst College (now called Elmhurst University) and graduating in May of 1984.  The five-year plan wasn’t such a bad deal.  Ten months after that I was hired to be Larry Lujack’s producer and writer at WLS AM.  The rest after that was a crazy and memorable history.

But this all started with graduating from York High School.  Just like the class of 2024 has just done.  If those young people have just half the fun, adventures and success that I landed in my post-grad life, they should consider themselves lucky.  Heck, I wish them even more than that!

NEXT BLOG- Summer’s Coming.

The cicada invasion is underway.  The first 17 year cicada visit that happened in my lifetime was in 1973 when I was twelve years old.  Our whole street was lined with huge Elm trees and those bugs were all up in them!  The loud buzzing sound they made was one thing but so was the crunching sound that happened every time my blue suede Converse All-Star shoes walked on the cicadas and their leftover shells as well.

Those red-eyed bugs are back in town!

The next cicada tour stop was in 1990. Our Elm trees were gone thanks to Dutch Elm Disease but there were still lots of those red eyed buggers to see and hear.  There was talk of people baking cicadas into cookies and my mom did this.  We talked about it on the air as I was producing the Murphy in the Morning Show on Q-101.  Our host, Robert Murphy even agreed to EAT one of those cicada cookies and did so!  Murf was braver than I was.

Here’s a new tune from me and Al Flash as we celebrate the return of the cicadas.

The most recent tour of the cicadas happened seventeen years ago. Let’s look back on what was going on back then.  Some of these events didn’t happen when the bugs were here but within the calendar year of 2007.

Richard M. Daley was elected in what would be his final term as Mayor of Chicago.

Illinois Senator Barack Obama announced his candidacy to run for President.  

Down in Miami, the Bears lost to the Indianapolis Colts 29-17 in Super Bowl 41. Prince played the halftime show and while in a dressing room before the show, he was told it was raining hard.  Prince smiled and asked, “Can they make it rain even harder?”

The Chicago Blackhawks landed two young kid players who would turn the team’s fortunes around in just 3 years; Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. 

The first I-Phone made its debut.  Apple bigwig visionary Steve Jobs was still alive, not passing away until 2011.

The Eagles released their last original set of songs, the double album “Long Road Out of Eden.” Then they went on another of their big money tours to support it.

Speaking of concerts, The Who went on a tour to support their “Endless Wire” album.  Since then, Pete Townsend and Rogers Daltrey and company have done 7 more world tours.

Taylor Swift’s debut album “Taylor Swift” was released late in 2006 and had amassed 5 top 40 singles by the end of 2007.  In the coming years Tay Tay would take over the world in music sales and sell out stadium concerts.

Top grossing movies in 2007 included “Spiderman 3”, “Shrek the Third” and “Transformers.”  Also, in the top 10 that year was, “Ratatouille.”  My mom and I saw that fun film the first weekend it was out.  Driving home mom said she’d like to try to make ratatouille for the first time ever. She went straight to Jewel, picked up all the ingredients and that night for dinner we were dining on the most delicious stew ever!  That was my mom.  Great cook and adventurous as she could be.

Also, in 2007- “Mad Men” premiered on AMC and would run for seven great seasons and “The Sopranos” ended its eight years of excellence with a controversial final scene. Was Tony Soprano whacked in that eatery?  Hard to know but I’d say yes.

Famous deaths in 2007 included the passing of Anna Nicole Smith, Robert Goulet, Charles Nelson Reilly and TV mogul Merv Griffin.

I’m sure there are other landmark events that happened in 2007 but these mentions give a peek at where we were in our American lives.  We were still mired in the Iraq War and eight years away from Donald Trump becoming a disruptive force in American politics.

Finally, for me back in 2007 I was out of radio and in my 5th year as a paraprofessional and substitute teacher at South East Alternative School.  I was also finishing my part time studies at Roosevelt University to become a Special Education teacher.  All that waited for me in September were stints of student teaching:  Five weeks at Jefferson Middle School in Villa Park then ten weeks at Fenton High School in Bensenville which I wrapped up in December.  After passing my final state exam I became an official LBS1 teacher.  And what a ride that’s been since!

So where will we all be in 17 years when the cicadas return for another short visit of noise making and mating?  Here’s hoping we’re all still above ground.

Next Blog- Summer’s Coming!

I’ve been enjoying some serious big screen and little screen time.  Here’s what I think.

“The Fall Guy” gets a solid grade of a “B” from me.  I normally don’t go in for action movies but this one has more to it than cool stunts and fights.  Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt have great chemistry and their relationship prevents this from being a mindless action romp.  Also, a 45 year old song from Kiss is at the forefront of this film.  Enjoy it plus stay to watch ALL of the closing credits for 2 reasons. One, there’s serious tributes paid to the stuntmen and stunt women in the movie and there’s another little twist at the end that will bring a smile to your face.

THE FALL GUY IS FAST AND FUN ROMP. THIS COMING FROM SOMEONE WHO RARELY GOES IN FOR ACTION FLICKS.

“Unfrosted” is a Netflix offering as Jerry Seinfeld directs and co-writes this made- up history of the creation of the Pop Tart.  So many quick jokes and twists on pop culture and history both long ago and very recent are in this ninety three minute movie. It co-stars Jim Gaffigan, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Shumer, Bill Burr and hilarious scene stealing by Hugh Grant as Tony the Tiger. There are other guest stars that pop up and I don’t want to spoil any of that fun.  I’ve heard the critics reviews aren’t the greatest for “Unfrosted” but to be honest, I think to “get” this movie, you need to be at least 50 years old or older.  In fact, I think anyone 60 and older will get the best tastes out of “Unfrosted.” My grade for this one is a strong “B+.”

LOTS OF POP CULTURE LAUGHS AND MORE WILL BE SEEN AND HEARD WITH THIS LATEST OFFERING FROM NETFLIX.

Amazon Prime Video offers up “The Idea of You” which stars Anne Hathaway as a woman who falls for the much younger star of a boy band.  It’s a typical Lifetime romantic styled movie until it gets racy with some steamy sex scenes.  Kind of a weird twist but the movie is rated R.  On the subject of letters, I graded this movie a ‘C-.’

THE IDEA OF YOU IS NOT MY IDEA OF A GOOD MOVIE, BUT I THINK MOST WOMEN WILL ENJOY IT.

HBO Max brings us a third season of “Hacks” starting Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder.  Smart’s character, Deborah Vance is a more polished and bawdy version of what Joan Rivers used to be and Einbinder’s “Ava Daniels” is unflinching in standing up to the woman she writes and advises for.  There are side characters and subplots but it’s Deborah and Ava that make this series a fun one to watch.  Plus, Jean Smart’s cackle is timely and always cracks me up.

HACKS IS A WELL WRITTEN SERIES AND I’M GLAD IT’S BACK ON HBO MAX.

Back to Netflix, David Letterman’s “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” has started a new season.  Dave’s first guest featured is the very cleverly funny John Mulaney.  They do a revealing sitdown interview at the Den theater in Chicago and visit Mullaney’s old high school, St. Ignatius Prep High School.  Letterman and Mulaney also have a dinner table chat with John’s father who is often featured in his son’s comedy.  Frank talk about Mulaney’s addictions happens and while Letterman asks great questions, he also often offers some insight to his own life and psyche.

JOHN MULANEY IS ON A ROLL WITH HIS STAND UP COMEDY AND HE AND DAVID LETTERMAN SHINE ON THIS SHOW.

On a side note, if you’ve never seen John Mulaney’s “Baby J” comedy special, that’s another one to see on Netflix.

I’m posting in a link to a recent CBS Sunday Morning feature on country star Randy Travis.  You’ll see how Artificial Intelligence and some backing vocals from another singer have brought stroke victim Randy a new song that’s been released.  Full disclosure: Randy Travis was and always will be one of my favorite country singers and I was blessed to spend time with him on several occasions during my radio days and before a stroke took away his voice.  The story behind what’s being attempted with Travis’ music is incredible and inspiring.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/randy-travis-sings-again-courtesy-of-ai

CLICK THE ABOVE LINK TO SEE A COOL FEATURE ON HOW A.I. IS BRINGING RANDY TRAVIS BACK TO COUNTRY RADIO.

Side Note on Show-biz- I read that tickets to Jennifer Lopez’s concert tour are not selling. Earlier this year, J-Lo released her “This is Me Now: A Love Story” record.  It’s a tribute to her re-discovered love for actor Ben Affleck and their subsequent marriage.  I have not heard any of the songs from that disc but have my own theory on why the Jennifer Lopez concert tour is struggling to attract fans. 

#1. Lopez and Affleck’s relationship has been magazine and online fodder for going on 3 years.  And that’s not including their first go-round a couple decades ago.  Folks are tired of them and familiarity breeds contempt.

#2. J-Lo’s music is being overpowered by the works of Taylor Swift double album and Beyonce’s popular country set of songs.  Swift and Beyonce’ tours are also a major draw as is Rhianna’s and Madonna just finished her massively ambitious world tour.  Lopez is left in the dust.

#3. Jennifer needs to figure out who she wants to be.  A movie star or a singing star.  Trying to be both leaves her failing on both attempts and it’s hard for fans to embrace her identity.

#4. So much attention is focused on J-Lo’s butt, her age defying looks and dancing. But when you see a concert you’re gonna ask about her voice and the songs.  I think she’s lagging there.

So, if you want to see J-Lo when she comes to Chicago this summer, have at it.  My guess is you’ll be able to buy close-up seats and below market value prices.  And have fun!

NEXT BLOG– Here Come the Cicadas.