My parents were newspaper readers. So was my gramma from Greensburg, Indiana. My love for the paper came from them. I delivered the Chicago Daily News, The Indianapolis News and The Indianapolis Star… two out of three of those papers are no longer around.
My Gramma dissected the paper into precise pieces, placed them in order, perfectly folded… the last section was the crossword puzzle. Loretta Stier Zoellner didn’t finish high school, but was the smartest woman I knew.
My dad read the Sun Times on the el train into work because it was folded like a book, made it easy to read. He read the Tribune on the front porch after work. Usually in his boxer shorts and a white t-shirt.
He traveled often for business and always picked up the local newspaper. It gave him a different perspective about how other people, people outside Chicago operated in life.
My mom read the paper because the knowledge of current events made her a stronger conversationalist. It helped my mom land a job in the newsroom of WTHR in Indianapolis.
I love driving Betty over to the newsstand on Cermak to get the Sunday Papers. Too bad they cost an arm and a leg and are thinner than Karen Carpenter.
Everyone is looking at their phones nowadays. The romance of reading the newspaper is gone. All the great writers have turned to blogs. John Kass has gone from page two of the Trib to JohnKassNewsDotCom. Royko is turning in his grave.
Newspapers have lost their style, their opinion, their character. They carry the same wire stories being created by the same service located outside of DesMoine.
A cup of coffee and The New York Times. Another cup of coffee and the Wall Street Journal. Another cup of coffee and the Tribune. A bottle of Old Style and the Sun Times. A cigar and the Racing Form. Those days are gone.
The day will come when I die and you’ll read about it online. The day of reading The Irish Sports Page is a thing of the past. I’m not sure if it’s a Chicago thing, but the Irish Sports Page is another name for the Obituary.
I guess if you get in trouble in the neighborhood your name won’t be in the Police Blotter. That’s a good thing!
Though it was entertaining seeing what ladies from the other parishes got a DUI on Girls Night Out. It wasn’t good though when that girl was from your parish. If she went to a good parish they hugged her after 10:30 mass, if she went to a bad parish they all whispered.
“Did you hear Mary Therese MacGillicutty from Saint Basil’s got pulled over on Roosevelt Road Thursday night?”
“I didn’t, but that’s the night all the broads from Basils go to Friar Tucks for Ladies night… so dat makes sense!”
It’s going to be a dreary day… go get the papers and lay around.
You’ll see the weather turns shitty for Monday, the Sox beat Baltimore, the Cubs lost late to the Dodgers, a police car was set on fire on Michigan Avenue, Bud Light is bringing back Spuds MacKenzie and Joe Biden and Dr Biden watched “Weekend at Bernie’s” with Oprah.
Shots of Ouzo for my Orthodox friends… Greek Jesus has risen! Opa!
It’s already the middle of April. If you bought flower’s yesterday at Home Depot, cover them these next few days…..
As always….. Peace, Love and big butts!
