Since it is that time of year, I’d like to tell y’all a little story and rant just a little bit, but only a little bit.  My dad grew up on the North side of Chicago and (thus) grew up a fan of the Chicago Cubs.  Being my father’s son, I too grew up a Cubs fan just like my daghter is starting to become.  You see, true Cubs fans are born into it; they are born into a life of always falling short and “waiting for next year.”  We Cubs fans have 100 years of futility and unfulfilled dreams weighing us all down and shaping our world views.  It isn’t that we want to be pessimists, honest, we just can’t help it.

At some point during the soon-to-be-over baseball season my daughter discovered that if she asked me if she could “Watch Cubs,” that we could snuggle up in the recliner and prolong bedtime a few minutes while watching a little Chicago Cubs baseball.  What father could resist watching baseball with his little girl?  Along the way I’ve told her all about Theriot, D-Lee, Dempster, Soriano, Soto, and Zambrano (that’s her favorite but she insists his name is Ambrano, without the Big Z).  I’ve tried to explain (as best I can to a 3 year old) the rules of the game but she simply likes to comment on guys running, throwing, and swinging the bat.

The Cubs were better than I thought they were capable of this year.  There were even times when I has nothing to complain about and was actually a little giddy talking to people about my Cubbies.  It was magical and to share that with my daughter made it even more special.  It all (however) came crashing down like a house of cards this past Wednesday with the debacle that was game one of the NLDS.  My daughter knows nothing about curses, billy goats, or Steve Bartman and doesn’t understand why I might yell at the TV when Ryan Dempster walks 7 batters in less than 5 innings (who wouldn’t).  She doesn’t yet understand that the season is over (even if not offically yet) or that the boys in blue sometimes play day games, but someday she will.  She also doesn’t understand how Cubs fans like me live and die with each win and loss but, like all true Cubs fans, someday she will.

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At about 5:30 I decided that I’d had just about enough of it and headed out into the pouring rain, trying to make my way home.  As expected, traffic was horrendous.  Why is it that people seem to forget how to drive whenever any sort of precipitation is falling?  When I finally made it into the garage and through the door, all I wanted was to see my little girl; my smiling almost-three-year-old baby girl.  Sometimes when you have a bad day it only takes one little smile from you child to make everything else just sort of disappear.  One little, “I love you,” to make your worries fade away.  Well, that didn’t happen.

I tried to give her a hug and got, “No!”  I tried to kiss her head and got, “No!”  Looks like when it rains it pours even at home.  At least tomorrow is Friday.

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I don’t know why it surprised me to learn that comedian George Carlin passed away Sunday at the age of 71, but it did. I mean, he’s been doing his thing since before I was born and even though his material was often indecent and crude, it was also satirical and thought-provoking. I thought he was great.

Now I didn’t hear Carlin’s “Seven Dirty Words” bit until 20+ years after it got him arrested, but it still (even today) poses the question of what speech is acceptable for mass-consumption and what isn’t. In my eyes (however) that isn’t his most memorable performance.

As silly as it sounds, one of my favorite movies is Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure which starred George Carlin as the mystical guitar-playing guru Rufus. He also appeared in Dogma and even as the voice of Fillmore in the animated Pixar film Cars, a movie that our daughter Hailey can’t get enough of.

So whether you loved him or loathed him, George Carlin is gone. And at least at our house, he will be missed.

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1. Boss men’s fragrance by Hugo Boss.
2. Vans Zapato del Barco shoes. These bad boys are Half boat/deck shoe, half skater shoe and 100% awesome.
3. A Huge Type Looks Sweet t-shirt from Turn Nocturnal. Because it does.
4. iPhone.
5. Iomega’s 250 GB brown leather wrapped external hard drive. A leather wrapped hard drive? Yes.
6. Nixon’s Capital Automatic watch. It is very, very stylish.
7. New specs.
8. The Electra Townie 3 cruising bicycle.
9. A nice tall glass of whatever artisan beer Two Brothers Brewing Company is making (currently the delicious Oh Brother! Tripel Ale)
10. Canon EOS 450D digital SLR camera.

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I’m not sure what the weather is like where you live, but here in Chicago, it seems that things are finally looking up (at least in a meteorological sense) and I love it.

Back in mid-January (that’s less than 6 months ago), I made a decision that I was going to lose a significant amount of weight and get myself feeling like myself again; like the guy who ran the 2003 Chicago Marathon. So I made a plan and a plan to stick with that plan and as of today I’ve dropped 41 pounds and I’m hoping for at least 10 more by the 4th of July.

The funny thing about losing 40+ pounds is that it was actually pretty easy. Sure, there are sacrifices and staying motivated (especially at first) can be difficult, but it isn’t really that hard. Think about it; losing 40 pounds in about 20 weeks works out to 2 pounds a week. That’s a healthy and well-paced weight loss.

My formula for success is also pretty simple and there are 5 things you need to do:

* 1. Eat less, but don’t starve yourself. There are a million different places on the Interweb to find out what your BMR (basal metabolic rate) is and how much you should be eating so there isn’t any excuse. Some experts say keep a food log, but you know how much is too much. Yes you do.

* 2. Cut out refined sugars and processed carbohydrates. You don’t need to go low carb crazy, but stay away from breads, pasta, etc… Do eat as many fruits and vegetables as you care to. I know I could binge eat an entire bag of Doritos, but try eating an entire bag of apples or baby carrots. I’ll bet you can’t do it.

* 3. Exercise. Don’t be afraid to start slowly and stick with it. Back in January the first time I was on the treadmill I managed to go a little over a mile while alternating between walking and slow jogging. Yesterday I ran a little over 6 miles at about 9:00 pace.

* 4. Take a day off once in awhile. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was the body of a fitness pro. Also don’t be afraid to have a cheat meal once in awhile. Have a slice of pizza and a beer on Friday night, but follow that up with a spinach omelet and 3 miles on the treadmill Saturday morning.

* 5. Have fun. If you hate running, you’ll never do it. Find something that you enjoy (swimming, biking, tennis, etc…) and stick with it.

That’s about it. Just eat less bad stuff, eat more good stuff, exercise, and don’t go overboard and set unrealistic goals you can’t meet. The only supplements I’ve taken during this time have been a daily multivitamin, fish oil capsules, and about 2 cups of green tea a day. If I can do it, so can you.

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This morning Hailey told me that I was putting my, “Belt on,” and that, “Daddy go [to] work.” Luckily she then told me she loved me and would see me soon. This evening the two of us were reading books when she stated that she, “Have fun [at] Suzi’s house.” Suzi is our sitter. Anyhow, Hailey then proceeded to tell me, “Daddy pick you up. 6 o’clock.” It broke my heart.

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