8/30/2010

Hello reader,

The U.S. (tennis) Open started today. I could do without the first week of the majors, but can't help getting drawn in for the second. Don't know who I will root for yet, but I will by the end of this week. For whom are you rooting?

Looking forward to the start of college football this year. NIU starts on Thursday night! I want to try to get to an NIU home game this year. Never been before.

Went to Bears game spontaneously Saturday night with Barb, Molly & Shannon. Had been at the Hyatt McCormick dropping off Lowell, saying hi to Jen, and meeting Zach! I got to hold him the longest and I made him smile at one point. It was so fun. The hotel was teeming with groupies for the Arizona Cardinals, in town to play the Bears; the New York Yankees, who were facing the White Sox; and people who had apparently traveled in to see the Bears. The Cardinals were staying at the Hyatt. We saw many of the players, including, we think, maybe, Larry Fitzgerald, though it's hard to say because the Cardinals have so many players in dreads these days. The girls feel as though they "met" the Cardinals and have now identified them as a team they like.

Personal Training at the GE Fitness Center starts for me tomorrow. I weighed in today at 177 lbs, which is less than I weighed when I graduated from Augustana in '88. I'm down 38 lbs from my all time high of 215 lbs. Started dropping weight in March when Evan was hospitalized for seven weeks. Then it really started coming off in earnest in May when I stopped drinking, and late June when I started hitting the gym for about an hour every day. Amazing! I feel so good! Except I need to buy all new clothes. Oh well.

Big blow out at girls bed time tonight. I swear they cannot speak to each other without having a fight. Tears, yelling, screaming. Whole family up in arms. Joy.

Finished "When you are Engulfed in Flames" by David Sedaris tonight. Great book. (See my Goodreads page for that review: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/688652-Dave. And while you are there, create an account and friend me. It's a really great site!) Now I've got to finish "Under the Dome" by Stephen King.

Excited to see Manny Ramirez play for the White Sox tomorrow night!

Was surprised to read that the Cubs are 20.5 games out of first place. I knew they were having a pathetic season, but man, I guess I just didn't realize they were that bad. Must be among the worst records in baseball. I actually feel kind of bad for their fans, because they do have some really good fans.

828 is now a desktop computer free zone! We are down to three laptops plus the GE laptop which makes it's way home most nights. Pretty excited about that! Now we just need to swap out that TV in the family room for one that actually works!

That's all folks. Time to go read. I need a good night's sleep tonight. Would like to get up in time to walk the dogs and/or go for a bike ride; take Molly to school at 0700; get to work have breakfast and go through the night e-mails from Asia etc.; and then hit the fitness center at 0930 for my first ever personal training session. Wish me luck.

dm