May 27th, 2023

     Memorial Day weekend has arrived… the Summer of 2023 is getting ready to start. I haven’t got a clue what the hell is about to happen these next several months.

Fritz graduates from Eighth Grade this week. George has his first check up with an adult doctor and I’ve got to sign Hazel up for tennis.

For me, I’m gonna watch that race from Speedway Indiana and put a new Rolling Stones sticker on Betty the Green Blazer. Real grown up shit…

All these summers have piled up behind me. Most of them ended up with a memory, a theme or an era.

Some summers took years to look back and define and some ended already labeled and identified by Labor Day.

Last Summer was the Summer the Shepkids never left. George ran away to Riverside and the redheads were abandoned by their mom. It was the hardest summer I’ve ever experienced and it might have been one of the best.

I’ve been stalling on getting our pool pass this year because of the uncertainty of safety. It sucks that I have to be concerned about a group of people flashing up and creating havoc.

I’ve got to renew my zoo pass, but the Shepkids are at that age where walking over to the zoo is a hassle.

My dad would call me when I was in my thirties and tell me he’s picking me up and taking me to the zoo. I still have the last Mold-O-Rama my dad bought me…. a white polar bear.

Last night I told Fritz I wanted to get him a library card at the Riverside Library. He looked at me like, “what the fuck for?”

This will be the summer that little redhead reads either “Catcher” or “Mockingbird.”

Last night I told Hazel we need to buy a tennis racket this weekend. She told me she changed her mind.

This will be the summer that little redhead learns that life has you down forty love…

Last night I told George he needs to lockdown employment this summer. He “yeah, yeah’d” me! I’m gonna “yeah, yeah” him when he needs money for something.

This is the summer that big blonde learns how to earn a buck.

The Summer my Gramma showed me how to mow a lawn. The three Summers Robert McCutcheon got me a job working for Sunshine Promotions. The Summer my dad made me get a job painting houses. The Summer my cousin got me a job working at the Board of Trade.

Those summers were epic…

I don’t know what the Summer of ‘23 will bring, but by Christmas it will be defined for history. It will have a label.

Have a fanfuckingtastic Memorial Day…. Grill, swim, dance, sweat, orgasm, read, walk, run, listen to the ballgame, the race… start off making great memories. In 2053 this summer will be a thirty year old memory!

May 26th, 2023

 Throughout the year I’ll put how many days until Memorial Day on the Chalkboard. It gives me an idea how far Summer is. When you wake up and read the February 23rd “Morning Chalkboard” and see Memorial Day is only 94 days away… it gives your cold Winter morning something to look forward to.

Memorial Days counterpart to me has always been Labor Day, the end of Summer. These next hundred days will bring late sunsets, sunburns and lightning bugs.

The one thing I like about summer is driving without a winter coat. I hate getting behind the wheel in a bulky jacket, reaching over to put a seatbelt on and positioning myself to see what’s behind me when I’m backing up. I hate it….

In the summer you jump in the car, throw on the seatbelt and backup and go. No slush, no snow, no frost on the windshield.

These last five or six summers I’ve been counting how many summers I have left. I plan on dying on Thanksgiving when I’m eighty five. That would be Turkeyday in 2051. That gives me twenty eight more summers before I go to my heavenly retreat.

Twenty eight summers…. That puts things into perspective. Fifty summers ago I was climbing trees, listening to Elton John on WLS and playing little league.

Twenty summers ago I was walking around with a girl wearing an engagement ring and ten summers ago that girl had a Hazel in her belly.

I’d love to climb a tree this summer. I’d love to find seventeen of my buddies and play nine innings of baseball. This summer I’d love to hear my dad yell, “Moooooooose! Street Lights are on! Streeet Lights!”

Sly and the Family Stone reminds me of Summer. Cold basement floors remind me of summer. Sitting on picnic benches eating soft serve, that’s summer for me as well.

In 101 days I’ll have 27 summers left. George and Fritz will both be in high school in 101 days. Hazel will still be busting my chops in 101 days and the White Sox will have completely disappointed me 101 days from now.

The summers of Bill Clinton and waking up with fat bottom girls seems like yesterday, but those days are twenty eight summers ago. Twenty eight summers AGO? More perspective…..

Hope to see you in the Summer of 2051. I plan on being the old fucker talking about the Reagan years and punk rock!

Enjoy a safe and glorious weekend. Give thanks to those that died protecting our home. Wipe the tears from your face during “Back Home Again in Indiana” and listen to the leaves. They have that fresh sound when the wind blows through them. In just 101 days those leaves will have a crinkled tired end of summer sound.

May 25th, 2023

 I’ve got a girl on here that lost her mom last week. I have at least a half a dozen of you on here that lost a parent in the last year. I’ve got several of you that have survived cancer recently. I have a couple on here with a son who is confined to a wheelchair. I have a Chalkhead who lost a spouse this year. I have a relative on here who has a spouse that is slipping into dementia.

These aren’t things that we ask for, but this is what life is all about. These are the everyday heroes. These are the people that survive on courage.

I’ve told you guys how much I love seeing your posts from weddings, First Communions, Baptisms, Bar Mitzvahs, proms, graduations…. All the great milestones celebrated in life.

These are the events that keep our heads bouncing above the water.

One of my dearest friends is going to watch his daughter graduate this week, but in the same timeframe take his mom to chemo. This person thrives on courage to make these things balance out.

I have a friend who hugs her friends when she sees them. I mean she hugs them every time and hugs them tight. She is a teacher that has passion for the education of her students. She had to bury her oldest child earlier this year. No parent should ever have to lose their child. She has the courage to get up and teach, be a mom and hug me every time I see her.

This weekend we will honor those that have lost their lives protecting our country. Men and woman that had the courage to defend my fat ass from commies, islamic terrorists, japs and nazis. Their last breath took all the courage that they possessed.

This morning I want to honor all of you that have the courage to deal with something that is causing stress, fear or pain in your daily life.

We sure as fuck didn’t sign up for this shit. When we got yelled at to take our elbows off the dining room table, we didn’t think we’d be tucking that persons elbows into a casket. One moment our parents are taking us to little league and the next moment we are taking them to a cemetery…. And in between that flash of time life happens that makes us muster up the courage to live another day.

Today’s Chalkboard honors your courage that boldly gets you through your battles. Like they say on the rugby pitch…..

….WITH YOU!!!!

Today is National Wine Day, the official one made by people sitting in an office in Boise, Idaho.

Cheers, Prost, L’chiam, Slainte, Salud…….

May 24th, 2023

 In the movie “Big Fish” the main character looks into a witch’s eye and learns the details of his death. For the rest of his life he knows how and when he will die. This gift or curse allows him to take chances, be a daredevil and risk his life. Because he knows exactly what will kill him. In the end it was old age.

For years I’ve used this script with the Shepkids. There was an old witch that lived down the Monon tracks and one night we went to visit her. We got to her front porch and I knocked at the door. When the witch answered I asked her if I could look in her eye. She let me do it only if I came back tomorrow and mowed her lawn.

I looked in her eye and saw how I died. It’s on Thanksgiving and I’m an old man. I’m sitting in a recliner watching the Bears play the Lions. My grandchildren are all fucking around. Fritz is telling stupid jokes. George is talking about the history of computers and Hazel is fixing the afghan my gramma made me seventy five years ago. My grandson John Shepley grabs me an Old Style out of the icebox. I finish drinking it, put the recliner way back and close my eyes for my Thanksgiving nap.

Next thing I know I’m sitting in a nightclub with my parents watching Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday.

Wouldn’t it be great to know when and where you are leaving life and heading to heaven?

That reminds me that I better remove the Penthouse from under my mattress. I don’t want the kids finding it if I die over the weekend.

May 23rd, 2023

 I stole this quote from a dear friend that I’ve had since high school. She probably expects an incredible analysis.

Today’s quote has so many stories attached to it. I figure a couple hundred facebook friends will read it and four to five hundred will read the blog post. This quote has almost one thousand difficult roads to talk about. I’m going to need my old Rand McNally to figure out where to go.

Life has potholes that can cause problems. We’ve all had to change a flat tire. Everyday is a destination and though not everyday is beautiful… it’s the only one we will have. There isn’t a guy at the end of my bed in the morning offering me curtain one or curtain two.

Tuesday morning doesn’t have any options, just decisions. Choose them wisely.

Let’s get it on……

May 22nd, 2023

 I was running errands on Saturday with Hazel. Just yesterday she was sitting in a booster chair in the backseat listening to Elmo. This weekend she called out her dad.

“Dad? Dad? Dad! What were you looking at Dad?”

As a father I always want to set a good example. I always use…. “The truth is faster,” so I wanted to live by example.

“Dad! What were you looking at that was so interesting?”

“Hazel….. I was looking at that lady walking the German Shepherd and I noticed that she had a very nice rearend.”

The next thing that happened caught me off guard. What was about to happen made me realize that Elmo is dead and there isn’t a pile of Cheerios strewn around the backseat.

Wait for it, wait for it! I don’t know how this happened….

“My own father is an ass man? How disgusting.” Came out of my baby girls mouth with a stern brow on her face.

I thought I was driving with my mom in the car, but my mom would have never called me out for being an assman.

“I learned it on YouTube.”

YouTube is no longer on my phone, her tablet or my television. YouTube is worse than this TicToc app in my book.

“Yeah Dad, I saw the sign on your desk that said “AssMan” that looked like a license plate on a car, so I looked it up.”

“It’s from an old fashion show called Steinfeld.”

I guess learning how to barbecue ribs wasn’t the only thing that I taught Hazel this weekend.

Hazel knows how to properly rub and smoke a slab of ribs and she knows her Oldman likes butts.

Solid campaign this weekend on the Father Front…..

Let’s have a fantastic Race week as we prepare to pile up Memorial Day Weekend with love and laughter.

May 21st, 2023

It might be difficult to write a post about a quote that has a question mark. My dad always said it was convenient the Romans crucified Jesus on a cross. They could have used a question mark…. Then every parish would have a question mark hanging above the altar. People would be questioning their faith constantly.

As for today’s quote and speaking of my dad. He often asked me this question, but he added the word “hell” to his question. When I use this sentence I usually add the “F” word.

When I wrote the quote I was thinking more about life and how time moves so quickly.

The other day I ran into a classmate and we mentioned how long ago we were in school together.

“How the hell did that happen so quickly?”

I ran into a colleague that was standing near me on Tuesday, September the 11th in 2001. We couldn’t fathom that this year marks the twenty second anniversary of that dreadful moment in time.

“How the fuck did this happen?”

When George was born all the older parents at our church told me that George will be in high school before you know it.

They were right and how did this happen?

I could write another post on events in our lives and how we ask ourselves, “how did this happen?”, but I’ll stick to the time theme.

As we get older we measure time with larger increments. Five years ago, ten years ago, twenty years ago, thirty years ago.

I was working in a kitchen for my summer job in 1984. I remember the day when we celebrated the fortieth anniversary for D-Day. It was June 6th, we had the radio on while we prepped for the lunch crowd.

Forty years ago? That was old fashioned days when everything was in black and white. Next summer will be forty years since I worked at the Manor House Club valet parking cars and pealing potatoes.

Forty years ago wasn’t the old fashioned days. Maybe it was?

We still listened to our music on albums and cassette tapes. My moms telephone still hung on a wall. if you missed “Cheers” or “Hill Street Blues” you had to wait until the summer when they showed repeats. You couldn’t stream “Miami Vice” on Tuesday.

How did this happen?

I really did live in the old fashioned days!

The day will come when Lenny Bruce will not be afraid and I’m gonna ask myself, “how did this happen?”

May 20th, 2023

 What breaks us?

It depends on who you ask… if you ask the migrants crossing the border they might say nothing. If you ask a Holocaust victim they might say hitler tried, but failed. If you ask a black person they will say hatred and justice. If you ask a divorced dad from the Western Suburbs, my own mistakes.

I never hiked across a jungle carrying everything I owned for a chance at a better life. I never watched my Rabbi get shot in the head and dragged across a concentration camp. I’ve never had to worry about the color of my skin keeping me from walking into a diner.

I’m laying on a couch under an afghan my Gramma made for me. I’m watching a squirrel jump from branch to branch on a tree near my balcony. I hear a mourning dove coo and a Lion roar.

No border police, no gestapo, no gang bangers threatening my morning coffee.

Hemingway was wrong… the world has never broken me. The closest I come to a broken world is through the network news and I’ve learned to turn the television during the news.

The painful events that have occurred in the first two thirds of my life pale in comparison with those desperate immigrants, those tortured Holocaust survivors, those beaten Civil Rights activists.

I think I’m going to have a hectic summer that involves big changes and loads of stress. I won’t be tramping across Columbia. I won’t be forced to wear a Star of David patch on my sleeve. I won’t have the klan putting a noose around my neck.

I’ve been fortunate to realize the things that have happened in my life had a purpose. I recently heard someone say that events don’t happen to us, they happen for us.

What a great way of digesting the negative issues in our lives.….

Titus is roaring again and I need more coffee. The Shepkids are unexpectedly in Riverside so I have to open my diner.

The events that I would like to happen today involve a cigar, rugby, a growler of BuckleDown, an Alpine Sub and a peaceful day.

The events that will probably occur is an argument with a Hensdale Jayhawk and two sad faces.

I’ll take that over a jungle, a concentration camp and a noose.

As a reminder to all Chalkheads… please enjoy the smells of spring today. Please enjoy your pain in the ass family. Please enjoy the only 20th of May, 2023 that you’ll ever have!

May 19th, 2023

Hazel wanted to contribute a quote to the Chalkboard. She didn’t think it was fair that Fritz got to do one. So I told her to come up with a quote and ten minutes later she handed this one to me.

She picked a doozy…. I asked her what she thought this meant and she told me that it was pretty much self explanatory.

It seems all we do is fix stuff in life. I’ve been jerry rigging stuff for years.

We had a bar down by the Board of Trade called Alcocks. It was Alcocks before it was Alcocks. A guy named Frank bought it from the Alcock family in the 1980’s. Frank never changed the name.

Sometime in the early part of the new millennium some guy named O’Neil bought Alcocks from Frank and do you know what he did? He changed the name to O’Neils. Nobody goes to O’Neils, everybody goes to Alcocks. To this day if we have little reunions or CBOT get togethers we meet at Alcocks.

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it!

Frank never changed the name!

One thing that has never changed is the smell of Alcocks. It’s where the smell of stale beer and toilet mints meet. If you buy a cocktail your change smells like cocaine and the waitresses smell like the same shitty perfume from the 1980’s.

Still…. It wasn’t broken Mr. O’Neil!

That is my “don’t fix something if it ain’t broke” story.

It kept me from talking about the big thing poor Hazel thinks needs to be fixed in her life. Life west of Mannheim.

Next weekend is Memorial Day. School is wrapping up. Spring is almost finished preparing Summer for its arrival. BBQ something on your grill and make love to someone in your bed. Actually there isn’t any moonlight. Go make love in the backyard!

May 18th, 2023

 Today’s quote was something I heard on “Ted Lasso” last night and since shit was a part of yesterday’s quote… let’s just keep it flowing.

Shit is a big word in the Chicagonese language. The “F” word is as well and so is Jagoff and Assclown. Dease, dem, doze, youse are great Chicagonese words that flow regularly from the mouths of Chicagoans.

Our Mayors use to speak fluid Chicagonese years ago. Our new Mayor sounds like the guy from “Fat Albert.”

I’m not shittin’ youse, these next four years should be interesting.

I got carried away, I was going to talk about how pretty flowers grow with the help of manure. I was going to talk about bad days making good days seem better. I thought about the shitty periods in our lives making us stronger. How shitty days help us grow wiser…..

I’m not going there this morning.

I’m losing my thoughts this morning and before I start sounding like a Pennsylvania Senator…. I’m going to end this.

Look at that smiling sun on the Chalkboard! Thirsty Thursday is going to be beautiful.

Let’s hope the shitty months of March and April usher in a gorgeous end of May and month of June.

May 17th, 2023

 I don’t even know if this is a quote. I was pissed when the piece of chalk was in my hand.

Emails from teachers, text messages from the ex wife, IM’s from a big customer…. Nothing good!

Missing homework, mental instability and a stupid mistake….

….whoa is me!

I started watching that documentary about Michael J. Fox and his life with Parkinson’s. That’s when I realized all three of the issues from Tuesday afternoon were all fixed by Tuesday night. At least the homework issue and the customers position were taken care of. The mental instability west of Mannheim will never go away.

My problems were fixed, but Michael J Fox will still have to deal with Parkinson’s Wednesday morning.

So I guess the angry quote does work today. Stop bullshitting yourself and realize the present will be golden memories down the road.

The problems I had in the 1980’s and 1990’s all went away, but the good memories from those years remain.

In 2040 I’m not going to remember George’s missing report or Fritz’s incomplete assignment. I’m not going to remember the negative banter from an alcoholic or the mistake I made at work.

I’m going to remember how the sun shined on my balcony on a May afternoon. I’m going to remember how the lilacs smell in the spring. I’m going to remember George coming home from school and telling me he loves me. I’m going to remember walking through Riverside and seeing people I know.

I’m on day 20,774 of a pretty good fucking journey. I gotta stop bullshitting myself that the negative things matter so much and it’s the good things that need to be kept.

It’s Wednesday… kick the bullshit off your boots and strut your ass across the dance floor… and smell the lilacs while they still have a fragrance.

May 16th, 2023

      Why in the hell is National Mimosa Day on a Tuesday? Couldn’t these National holiday schedule guys roll it on the second or third Sunday of May? Do it like the Pilgrims and Indians when they planned Thanksgiving. That Thursday in November idea seems to have worked well all these years.

I grew up a Bloody Mary guy. The spicier the better. The more ornamental eats hanging off the glass, the better. You’d never catch me at a pregame tailgate with a mimosa. Bears game day…. Give me a Bloody and a can of Old Style.

Then into the new millennium I started dating a girl whose mom introduced me to these orange juice cocktails for brunch.

“ Can I wear my Walter Payton jersey to brunch on Sunday?”

“Please don’t John…..”

So began the mimosa era in my life. Oh I still have an occasional Bloody Mary, but the simplicity of a mimosa is so refreshing.

I actually made this same lady a mimosa on Mother’s Day. Freshly squeezed oranges and some Prosecco. She was happy to see that she made a lasting impression. Making today’s Chalkboard quote more clear….

Back to Mimosa Day falling on a Tuesday. I’m not sure my boss would be too happy if I had a couple mimosas before the trading day gets busy.

Might not go over to well if I sell when I’m supposed to buy. I wouldn’t be able to afford Hazel’s Saturday night steak if I’m standing in the unemployment line.

I’m gonna move National Mimosa Day to this coming Saturday, May 20th.

I’m gonna make it where you can wear your Walter Payton jersey. If you where a Brett Favre jersey we will give you a Vicodin. If you wear a Dick Butkus or Ray Nitschke jersey, you’ll get a beer and a shot.

No way would 51 or 66 be caught with a mimosa in their grizzly paws.

May 15th, 2023

 May is already halfway in the books… there are two lilac bushes at the stoop of my building. This time of the year is when their fragrance fills the air.

The city of my birth has been in decline since Mayor Daley’s son left the fifth floor office. Tonight will be the night Chicago officially dies.

The Shepkids wanted to drive into the city Saturday night and see the lights of the buildings. I couldn’t tell them the truth that it isn’t safe to drive on Lake Shore Drive or Wacker Drive.

We need Nuns, Richard J. and Mr Accardo to return and make the streets safe again.

Geez, a political rant on the Chalkboard… I don’t have anytime to talk about the great Mother’s Day we had with my ex in laws. I was sad when they left and I realized how much they meant to me for many years.

Time to kick start this journey into the end of May…

...Chalkheads start your engines!

May 14th, 2023

     I have great memories of my mom and I also have some bad memories. All I know is my mom tried as hard as she could and her love was unconditional.

My mom’s “go to” was the Holy Spirit when she needed help. Which meant the Holy Spirit was at our house daily.

She did all the things a mom is supposed to do, but to her she felt the most important thing was to make all my troubles go away.

Unfortunately for my mom, trouble was my middle name.

The last time I saw my mom her biggest concern was that she wasn’t going to be there to make the troubles go away. Now I was forty nine when my mom made her death bed and I hadn’t lived with my mom since I was nineteen. So she really wasn’t around to hold my hand for thirty years.

Since my mom went to heaven she has been holding my hand daily. I realized heaven is much closer than Indianapolis, Indiana. My mom has kept me out of trouble these last several years. I think she purposely died so she could be closer while I finished my failed marriage and went through the divorce.

I see my mom in Hazel, I see my mom in two twenty two, I see my mom at my thanksgiving table, I see my mom when I drive by a church, I hear my mom when a certain song plays and she has popped up at times when I’m bumping fuzzies.

I was laying in bed with a lady and she asked me if I smelled a cigarette burning. I told her that it was my mom having a smoke. That was a Grand Opening/Grand Closing with that lover.

That was my mom making sure all my troubles go away.

So today I’ll think of the ups and downs that I had with Cecilia Marie. The first person to love me unconditionally.

To all you Chalkheads…. If you see your Ma today, give her a hug for me.

If your Ma is with my Ma…. They are standing there in front of us…. Bringing unconditional love straight from heaven…

Thanks Mom….

May 13th, 2023

    Today’s quote comes from Fritz Shepley, my middle child. From the moment his little sister was born I’ve referred to him as the glue. Glue holds everything together and that is what Frederick does… he holds it together.

Last night Fritz had an eighth grade dance in the school gym. Parents were asked to stay for the first fifteen minutes. l parked Betty the Green Blazer between the fancy SUV’s and Minivan’s and we walked into the foyer. Fritz was directed to the right and I was directed to the left.

I stood there by myself while all the other eighth grade parents talked amongst themselves. Everyone knew each other and I didn’t know a soul. I didn’t know if I should feel uncomfortable or just lucky that I didn’t have to fake nice and bullshit conversation with people west of Mannheim.

When I lived west of Mannheim my friend base was with the Saint Cletus crowd. I never took the time to meet the other people. Now I’m the divorced dad from Riverside.

So here I am patiently waiting for whatever parent of a graduating student crap was about to happen.

The gym was decorated like a beach and the kids were asked to wear Hawaiian shirts. Fritz had one with bananas on it and a Pizza Planet t-shirt underneath. He looked perfect for the theme.

The DJ started announcing each student and they walked into the gym between two rows of cheering parents…

When I finally heard…. Friiiitz Shepleeeeeee!!!

I saw my middle guy Beastie Boy video his way through the crowd. I was surprised how cool and calm he looked. Later when I asked him how he picked his entrance he replied,

“I was just doing my thing dad! If I’m not bothered, why bother?”

All these entrances…. Nerdy kids, introvert kids, cool kids, weird kids, special needs kids, nervous kids and then MCA from an old hip hop group. This was their moment to show the world who they are starting to become.

Fritz didn’t even see me as he did his intergalactic planetary shuffle into his last dance before high school.

Just my witty little Shepley caught between his always talking big brother and his spoiled little sister.

His quote stuck with me as I thought how awkward I was standing in a room with strangers. I’m not use to that feeling. Fritz was my glue for the evening.

The drive home last night to the East of Mannheim was automatically a good memory for me… Fritz just wanted to get home and make sure Hazel didn’t beat the crap out of George.

May 12th, 2023

 It’s Friday and this weekend we celebrate everything that is mom.

May 11th, 2023

 Tonight the sunset across Chicagoland is at 8:00pm. We will have sunsets after eight until August 9th. A sunset after eight at night means we are in the brightest days of the year.

It means, put the Vicks Vapor Rub in the drawer and put the GoldBond out on the shelf. It means, the wonderful sundress with no underwear will start appearing.

Until I had Hazel I loved Sundress Season. Oh the beauty of ThighGapHenge. If you catch the sunlight just right… you can see the shadows of paradise.

Better yet…. Naïve tourists or Downers Grove girls walking around downtown. If a gust of wind caught that sundress just right, you could get a quick glance directly at paradise.

I learned most tourists wear undies, most girls from the Western suburbs have interesting tattoos.

Then I was given the gift of Hazel and the sundress lost it’s appeal. All those lovely sundresses were worn by someone else’s daughter.

I could no longer look for thigh gap shadows. I could no longer gawk at the flap of a skirt sailing high with the wind.

Remember the Chalkboard from a few weeks ago when I talked about my tree? The tree in the middle of a field?

Sometimes Julia Roberts is wearing a yellow sundress as she walks through the tall grass.

Shit…. In a few years that could be Angela Lansbury. This getting older in life has happened so quickly.

Just yesterday I hurried home after school to watch Cindy Brady. The other day I thought Mrs. Howell was looking sexy.….

….she just happened to be wearing a sundress on that deserted island.

Alright, alright I can’t get worked up right now about Sundress Season. We set our clocks back in 178 days and the sunset will be at 4:22pm for four weeks straight.

Boner kill!

Not to many sundresses around the OakBrook Terrace Board of Trade building. A ton of dad bodies and those poor bastards became second fiddle when this dad body started working out there.

Sundresses and Dad Bodies! I think I found my theme for the Summer of 2023. Last summer was Great Gatsby Summer.

This summer…. Sundresses and JumboLove….

…and Hazel saying, “Dad? What are you looking at?”

Actually it won’t surprise me if she says, “Dad, take a picture! It will last longer!”

You better bet Hazel will know how to hold a skirt down on windy days. She will also learn to walk with a chastity belt.

Go do what Thursday is meant for…. Preparation for the weekend! Thirsty Thursday…. Seems like yesterday Thursday was “Seinfeld” night.

Lots of “seems like yesterday” going on here…. Get out of your own way and enjoy May22th, 2023. It’s the only one you got…..

May 10th, 2023

 Tic tic you don’t stop…. That clock doesn’t stop and for many of us we are left scratching our heads thinking, “where the fuck did all the time go?”

I’m not sure about you, but for many of us in Generation X we still have some living to do. We are at a crossroads or a new chapter and the road ahead or the pages that need to be written leave us worrisome.

Maybe it’s aging or money or health that leave us in a terrifying place. Lately the phrases “take one day at a time” and “if one door closes another one will open” have come into play.

I’m not sure there are many miracles out there and hope seems to get in the way of judgment. Let the politicians pretend to hope.

Just know you’re not alone and that what you’re going through will work itself out.

Don’t just sit there and wait for the light to change. The ink is dry on the pages of your last chapter.

Tic tic you don’t stop…..

The mirror fell off again from Betty the Green Blazer’s windshield. So, OMG I still have that issue. The charge port on my phone must be linted up with dust. It didn’t take a charge overnight and OMG…. I have to deal with that as well.

The worst news received yesterday was a text from the other side of Mannheim. There seems to be old videos or pictures left on the dreaded cloud, I think the text said 2013 or 2015.

This was a time when I had a baby, a toddler and an elementary age child running around my feet. So I’m confident it can’t be too scandalous, but the material is being handed to the authorities immediately. So this is something else going on in life.

Rearview mirrors, charging chords and sex tapes highlight mid May in my life. I’d be crazy to let any of this crap take me off of my game.

Crossroads and new chapters. We are all where we belong.

Wednesday is National Shrimp Day and also School Nurse Appreciation Day. Take some shrimp Creole to the school nurse today.