Category: Well why not?

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The Interrupters

Wow. This trailer brought tears to my eyes and left me wanting more. Now that’s a preview.

The film documents a year in the life of Chicago’s communities and their struggles with urban violence. The 3 main characters are the “Violence Interrupters” who work for CeaseFire, a local organization aimed at stopping violence at the source. Ameena, one of the 3, spoke at Marquette today, and R showed me the video of her appearance. Amazing – I want to see this even more after hearing her speak.

You can expand the synopsis under the YouTube video to read more, but here’s what captured my attention:

 

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Super Logo

So R created this mash-up of WI sports teams’ logos, and has called it the Wisconsin Super Logo. He made himself a shirt bearing it, and we can’t go anywhere without at least a handful of people commenting on how awesome it is.

And I must admit, it is pretty sweet. Although I would change the G in the middle to the C for the Chicago Bears, but I’ll let that slide.

He posted it on Facebook a few weeks ago, and now it seems to be spreading like wildfire. Yesterday one of the big sports analysts in the area even tweeted about it.

Poor R feels like everyone’s stealing it from him now, so I wanted to at least give him credit for it here. Like I said, he was the original creator, and you can even go to his site if you’d like to order one (or more): www.wisuperfan.com

Here it is in all its glory:

Super Logo!

 

 

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Thoughts

This is totally random, and a terribly sad subject, but it’s just been on my mind this morning. So lucky you, dear readers.

I have read so many stories lately of babies lost far too soon – women having multiples where either one or more perishes before birth; singleton miscarriages; multiples being born and spending their first hours, days, months in the NICU only to lose one or more of their siblings before going home; multiples being born healthy and happy and having gone home, only to have to rush back to the ER some time later and not bring everyone back.

I cannot even imagine that pain.

And I think now, being a parent myself, it makes it seem so much more real. Not that I can put myself in those parents’ shoes by any means whatsoever. But just knowing how devastated I would be if we lost D, such stories from complete strangers often bring tears to my eyes. From the moment she was born she captured my entire heart and world in her tiny little body, and if something were to happen to her I don’t know how I would make it. So when I hear what all these families have had to go through, my heart breaks for them each and every time. Especially when the baby(ies) have been born and the parents have gotten to see and hold and know them, even if just for minutes, then to sit there and lose them knowing no more can be done to stop it. Whew – I’m choked up just thinking about it.

I mentioned this to someone earlier today, this unfortunate plethora of angel baby stories that I’ve encountered, and their response was that it’s nature’s way. Now they totally did not mean it in a disrespectful way at all, like well those people must have done something to make that happen. No, that certainly wasn’t the case. (because when i heard that response i, too, was like what!? are you serious?? no that’s not nature’s way!) They were just thinking of it more along the lines of how when animals have offspring they know when some are not going to make it and focus their efforts and attention on those that they know will instead of trying to save each and every one. (let me also mention that this person does not have children of their own, and even admitted that they’re sure they would view things differently if they did. but right now they just have pets, so that’s their frame of reference) I said well that’s true, but we as humans rarely birth like 7 children at once (save octomom, of course), and our 40 week gestation period is so long that by the time that baby(ies) comes out it already feels like it’s been a part of us for eternity. Don’t we have one of the longest gestation periods of all species except like whales and elephants? I don’t know – I didn’t Google that yet so I could be way off. But anyway. If something was wrong with one of my babies, you’d better be damn sure that I’d do absolutely everything possible to save him/her. That’s what doctors and hospitals are for.

So there you go. See, told you it was random. Just another one of those posts where I kind of dump my thoughts out to you. But if you’re reading, please say a prayer for all the angel babies and the families that are so desperately missing them every second of every day. I guess that was really my point. And as selfish as this may sound, I hope to never know that pain.

 

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A tease

I finally got the rest of our Colorado pictures uploaded last night; now begins the process of going through all 500 or so and picking out the best. As you can imagine, that might take a minute. So in the meantime, I’ll whet your palate with a little teaser shot.

Remember the skyscraper shoes I said I was wearing? They lasted just about through the beginning of the reception before I opted to switch to my much more comfortable and dancing-friendly flats. But they did their job and dazzled. They really were quite ridiculous, but I got lots of comments on them! And isn’t that all that matters? Ah, the pain we endure all in the name of beauty. Check these babies out…

Ta-daa!

Stay tuned for the rest of our wedding weekend pics. They’ll be coming soon.

 

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Excessive use of dance

Ok, I know they’re just having fun and all, but I think these NYPD cops took it a little too far with the parade-goers here:

NYPD officers get down and dirty; CNN | Added on September 13, 2011

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have my law enforcement officers doing just that – enforcing the law – than doggie-style dry humping partiers.

What do you guys think? Did anyone actually see this parade in person and can give a first-hand account? I just personally think it’s a little out of line.

 

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Good eats

I just love long weekends, don’t you? This past one was no exception, it being the Labor Day holiday and all.

Friday night we saw the Tedeschi Trucks Band in concert at the Riverside Theater downtown (side note: if you ever have the chance to see live music at either the riverside or pabst theaters in milwaukee, do! they are the most awesome, intimate venues). They were amazing!! Susan Tedeschi is an excellent bluesy/jazzy singer, and man, can she play a mean guitar, too. Her husband, Derek Trucks, is also the guitarist for the Allman Brothers. So, duh, you know he’s good. But the best part? Susan wore blue strappy stilettos on stage for the entire show! That’s my girl.

Saturday morning I got my hair trimmed and colored (sayonara grays!), then we went up to the Sheboygan County Fair that afternoon. If there’s a Hot Wisconsin Cheese stand within 100  miles you know we have to get our fix. Fortunately the rain held off for us up there, because it poured here for the better part of the day. Pushing D around in her stroller in mud and barn slop would not have been pleasant.

Sunday and Monday were a continuation of the culinary adventures that always occur on our holiday weekends, and this time we nommed on 2 rounds of surf ‘n turf. Yumola! Sunday night we had our good friends A and S over, which is always a blast. They are expecting their first baby, a boy, due in January, so I always love catching up with S and seeing how things are going. And of course D had to show off her walking and running skills, along with all her toys. Monday night was round 2 of our meaty delicacies, for just me and R. Who says you can’t enjoy this stuff just cuz?

 

 

The weather has taken a decidedly cooler turn, too. Yesterday was quite brisk in the breeze, and the nights are downright chilly. I do love Fall, but this year I’m just especially sad to see Summer go. I love being outside in the sun and warmth. Maybe we’ll get some wonderful Indian Summer days to stretch the season out just a little bit longer…

 

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Glad that one was just a dream

When D woke me up 20 minutes before my alarm this morning I was having my first 9/11 nightmare in a long time, if ever. I’m guessing it stemmed from all of the current publicity surrounding the 10 year anniversary of it that is approaching.

In my dream I was down in the subways under the World Trade Center as I was that morning, but this time I knew everything that was going to happen. It was like I was the only one who knew what the next few minutes held, so I was trying to get up and outside to where I had been that day. I kept warning people to get out of there and take cover, but no one paid me any attention. Just another crazy New Yorker running around. I finally wound my way around to the outer perimeter of the WTC, and watched, plain as day, the first plane crash right into the north tower. It was weird, though, because from my vantage point in the dream the towers were a fraction as tall as they really had been, so everything was magnified since it was so close to the ground. A piece of glass from the explosion fell into my eye.

After witnessing that first crash (i’m still in the dream here), I ran around to another side of the shortened tower, where I began seeing people jumping from the windows to get out. Thank god I never saw that in real life. I think it would have caused many, many more nightmares before now. But this morning I was frozen in place, watching people throw themselves out of the towers in droves; some peaceful-looking, resigned to their fate below, some screaming in sheer terror. I couldn’t believe it.

Then at the end of the dream I found myself over on the very lower eastern tip of Manhattan, where a huge tidal wave was crashing in to destroy that part of the city. I have no idea where that one came from, since there were no tidal waves occurring in NYC on 9/11. That would have been really unfair.

Whew. That was one of those dreams where you are just so thankful to be able to wake up and walk away from the shadows.