Looking up

To get ready for the construction that starts Monday, we spent the last five days moving EVERYTHING off our main floor. We finished Sunday.

Exhausted, Terri and I laid on our backs in the living room, looking up.

Red walls, white ceiling and amber glow from the kitchen lights. The dark triangle is the partition wall and the dark circle is from the wide angle lens. It doesn't seem like it, but this photo is real.

LSD

After meeting friends for dinner at Viaggio in Chicago's West Loop Friday night, we drove around to get some city pics.

This is looking northwest while going north on LSD-- Lake Shore Drive. The Willis Tower is just left of center. Somehow, my outside mirror appears three times. The "LSD" headline seemed appropriate for this particular Dali-like shot.

Rice Krispie treats

Not the same as homemade, but the store-bought Rice Krispie treats will do in a pinch.

NOTE: Off brand imitations are NOT acceptable. Just sayin'.

Muck-buck

Some say I wasted a dollar. I prefer to think of it as purchasing immortality at a really good price.

February sunset

A small slice of a February sunset in snowy south suburban Chicago.

Hey ref!

"The trouble with referees is that they know the rules, but they do not know the game." --Bill Shankly

The irony here is that Bill Shankly is a famous British football (soccer) player and manager. The stripes, however, indicate an American football referee's shirt.

RGB+K

Red wine

"We are all mortal until the first kiss and the second glass of wine."  --Eduardo Galeano

Things I won't miss, part 2

The thing about our first floor remodel that Terri is most excited about is the new cabinets-- specifically, the window seat. I am most looking forward to our new floor. Why? Because this photo is of our old floor. 'Nuff said?

Things I won't miss, part 1

We are remodeling our main floor, which includes the dining room. Many things from the home's original decor will not make the cut. Here is one example.

This is the light fixture over our dining room table. The style that Terri and I prefer is "casual/earthy". This seems to be "1980s Greek banquet hall".

Buh-bye.

Yee-hah!

The big melt

Ugly, dirty snow. That's one of the bad things about a big melt. (Mud and unburied garbage are others.)

Odd how craters formed under what were once large chunks of snow. Looks kind of like fried eggs, doesn't it?

John Karl

Son John's initials, right there on the keyboard. In order too. Cool.







Interesting follow-up to this post... I sent John an email saying he would want to check out my blog today. He wrote back, "That is too crazy for two reasons...  I was wanting to check out the blog today, I haven't in awhile. AND about 3 days ago I took a picture just like that and had that as my background on my phone!"

Ashley

My niece, Ashley-- a beautiful dancer and a beautiful girl. She really does stand out from the rest.

(Photo is from Winterdance, 2011.)

Valentine$ Day

Terri and I enjoy our personal Valentine's Day tradition each year. I encourage more people to adopt it because it captures a spirit of togetherness and whimsy. Here's what we do: We pick out a card for each other, exchange them, laugh (if appropriate), kiss, laugh again, and-- here's the magical part-- put the cards back on the shelf where we found them!

All the pleasure, none of the guilt, time together having fun, and zero dollars. Literally priceless!

Happy Valentine$ Day!

Nuts!

1. Why do I have to open them?

2. Why can't I eat just one? Or 20?

3. Remember when pistachios were dyed red?

4. Why were they dyed red?

5. Don't they look like they're laughing? I mean, really, doesn't this pile look like a room full of laughing heads?

Happy birthday...

... to me!  Yes, I just completed my 53rd trip around the sun. Terri made sure I had a wonderful day. As we were headed home after dinner, we stopped at Dominick's for a piece of my favorite cake-- German Chocolate. Unfortunately, other GC lovers had cleaned them out and my choices were: (A) carrot cake or (2) carrot cake. I chose the former (or latter?) and-- hey what's that in the background? A birthday shot? Oh, all right, if you insist...

Seriously though, Terri offered to make a whole cake just for me instead of buying only a slice. What a great lady! Yes, I think 53 is a very lucky number.

New floor!

We finally selected a tile that meets all criteria: texture, brown family, color variance (but not too much!) and in the right price range.

And we're still married.

Brrrrr

But look ahead to next week-- practically shorts weather!

Not my feet

Those are Terri's feet in the Caribbean waters surrounding Grand Cayman a few years ago. I want to go back. Now.

To answer a few questions you may have...

1. Yes, the water really is that color.
2. Yes, her toes really are that long. (It's as if her feet have fingers!)
3. Yes, she can (and does) pick up things with her toes.

Any ideas?

Anyone?

Anything?

Nothing?

Hellllllllooooooooo.....?

Oh, it's going to be that kind of day.

Stack of folders

Disrespect

Lea Michelle did a lovely job with America the Beautiful before the Super Bowl. (Insert polite applause here.)

When I saw Christina Aguilera take the stage for the National Anthem I said (out loud), "OH, NO!" (And, yes, I did say it in all caps and bold.) I reacted that way because I've seen and heard Xtina "do" her version of OUR anthem before.

Turns out my fears were justified as she had a lyrics malfunction during what turned out to be the Star Mangled Banner.

Her stretching of single syllables into eight-note wails is ugly and does not enhance the song at all. Even worse, there is a whole generation of Xtina wannabees that do the same thing to OUR song at sporting events all over the country.

Regarding her lyric malfunction, I understand that people make mistakes, but I've got to believe that this was just a matter of not taking the time to prepare. And that is disrespectful.

Memo to all who perform the National Anthem:

1. This song belongs to the people of the USA.
2. As such, it is NOT your song, so you may not
   A. Change the lyrics
   B. Change the melody

Respectfully yours,
Michael Muckian

P.S. Ms. Aguilera, how would you feel if other performers took similar liberties with your songs?

Remodeling

Samples, choices, decisions. This ain't gonna be easy!

Another step closer

Now we know our plan for increased cabinet and countertop space and an open floor plan will allow us to fit in all the furniture too! That's a good thing.

Next up: choose countertop material, floor tile, and start date.

Blizz-B-Q

It snowed Tuesday. A lot. We shoveled Wednesday. A lot. After the driveway and sidewalks, the next objective was to cut a path to the grill. We had rib eye steaks and were not about to cook them inside!

The back yard had the most snow and a drift kept us from opening the door, so getting to the grill was tricky. After wading through almost waist-deep drifts, it was just a matter of carving out a path.

Once finished, it was time to enjoy the 2011 Blizz-B-Q with Morgan and a cold one-- or two.

Tropics anyone?

On Day 2 of Chicago's Snowmageddon, or the Blizzaster, or SnOMG!, I present a close-up of a fruit that was grown thousands of miles away in Costa Rica, a country just 10 degrees north of the equator.

Never really looked that closely before, but the pineapple is a great example of nature's symmetry isn't it?

Pals

Iggy (the bearded dragon) cuddles with Morgan (the yelow lab).

They both tolerate our photo-op whims so well!