The travel suggestion

I got a letter the other day from one of my brothers (have 5, all older). He suggested I take my mom to Croatia. Yep, a pretty strange request, but let me explain some things:
- I love to travel internationally and have been fortunate enough to be able ($ and time) to take myself on a birthday vacation (November) each year for the past 5.
- My mom is second-generation Croatian and would very much like to see the place where both her parents were born.
- My mom is 77 but still very mobile and in good health. She just came back from a visit to the East Coast to visit my sister, so flying is not a problem.

So, what's the big deal? Well, the letter came from a brother who lives with my mom (because he's been unemployed for a few years). Needless to say, he doesn't have the $$ to take my mom anywhere.
BUT!
I am NOT the only family member with a decent-paying job and no spouse or kids to complicate matters. There are 9 (NINE) children in our family and I am the youngest.
I am NOT the only family member who enjoys international travel.
I already spend considerable $$$ buying gifts for my family during said vacations.
And I already drive 40 minutes each way to take my mom out to breakfast each Saturday morning.

But, of course, the Catholic guilt is starting to seep in (as I use my brother's letter as a coaster on my coffee table.)

Here's the plan...I already did some reconnaisance during breakfast this morning and found out that my mom has been to Croatia once, but not the island where her parents were born. I think if I can find a tour group that goes to Croatia (and allows for free time to go island-hopping), I might be able to convince my siblings to chip in and buy my mom the trip for Christmas!

Why don't I join her???

Well, I like to walk around a lot on my vacations. I think it's the best way to see a new place and meet its people. At 77, my mom likes to walk, but not so much. Also, her generation would not DREAM of going out alone at night (and going with me would be considered alone because we don't have a man with us. Crazy, but true!)

I really think a tour group of older adults might be the best way.

By the way, while talking about travel, my mother told me that during the last tour of Croatia, a widowed man in their group (my mom is a widow) asked her if she would "have dinner with a poor man." My mom said, "I don't date poor men." Fabulous! I would've loved to have known my mom as a young single girl!

summer cold

So this is what it feels like to drop acid...hmm. Not bad, kinda calming actually.
I have a summer cold and a while ago I popped some Walgreens brand, multi-colored pills that are supposed to dry up the Niagara Falls that is my nasal cavity. Guess I should've waited until after lunch but too late now!!
Think anyone would notice if I put my head down on my desk and napped for say, 2 or 3 hours?? Maybe if I didn't snore...
Doped up on cold medicine, I stumbled out of the office for a late lunch. Tomorrow's storm is causing today's gale-force winds outside my building and that, combined with my blurred consciousness, has caused me to stroll a la drunken sailor. I've decided to follow the seam in the middle of the sidewalk to minimize crashes.
By the time I emerged from my single-minded concentration, I was about 4 blocks away from my office, standing in front of a Subway sandwich shop. That'll do, since I was one step from "eat roadkill" starvation.
At least I wasn't in such an altered state that I forgot to flirt with a cute legal-type at Subway. At least, I THINK he was cute...
and I THINK it was a guy.

Sandberg! Woo! Cubbies! Woo!

Ryne Sandberg was, is, and always will be MY second baseman. No offense to the Cubs' current second baseman, but Todd Walker makes it look tough whereas Ryno made everything look sooo easy!
I've never one to hide my Cub fandom, but this weekend, I was unabashedly proud of my Cubbie blue. Ryne Dee Sandberg joined the ranks of the baseball immortals and my heart swelled!
Since I was attending Sunday's Cubs game with Arizona (don't ask about the result!), I missed the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. I did get to watch some of the "Sandberg game" on ESPN Classic at Murphy's. The game in question is an extra-inning game in June 1984 where Ryno hit not one, but two homeruns off Cardinals ace (and nasty beard-wearer) Bruce Sutter. Ryno went 5-for-6 with 7 RBIs that day!
The summer of '84 all came back to me, watching Sandberg field ground balls effortlessly and turning a doubleplay with the grace of Baryshnikov. Boy, I miss those days! Watching the classic game, I was able to name the Cubs pitcher (Lee Smith), catcher (Jody Davis), first baseman (Leon Durham) and at least one outfielder (Keith Moreland). It's no big deal to name today's Cubs, but this was 21 YEARS AGO!!! (pardon me, while I fix my support hose!)
The best moment of the weekend, for me, was Ryno's induction speech. (I saw a bit on the news). He mentioned that he played the game the way it is supposed to be played. He was more concerned with moving the runner over, hitting the cutoff man and turning the doubleplay than he was with knowing where the red light was on the dugout camera! Take that, Sosa!!! Ryno is definitely the right person to take that stance against today's showoffs. In 15 years with the Cubs, he never showed up a pitcher or a teammate. The team always came first.
And now Ryno is where he should be...in the Hall.