You scream, I scream, We all Scream...

... For IPASS.

IPASS is Illinois' electronic toll device that lets you zip through the ungodly number of road tolls in this state without stopping. There are critics who say it is the first step in sending out electronic tickets, too, as it gives the government a way to monitor how fast you get from one toll to the next, i.e., speeding.

Today I made my way into the city of Chicago, and as I came to the first toll on I-90, I could see a bazillion brake lights ahead, I thought aww crap. But, as I neared the toll, I saw that the bazillion of brake lights were in the CASH ONLY lane, and I got to zip right on by. Big Brother may have been calculating my precise speed as I blew through the Open Road Tolling, but hell if I cared. It saved me a good 20 minutes of waiting to throw a few coins at a toll road operator. I'll take my chances.

What blew my mind was how the majority of the cars waiting in line were from Illinois. Seriously, get an IPASS already. Those of us in the IPASS fan club already pay half the amount of toll charge as you cash payers. Isn't that enough incentive in itself. Seriously.

A Few Evanisms...

Q: Is that lollipop yummy in your tummy?
A: No, it's yummy in my mouth.


Evan was studying a warning picture on our hot water heater of a person engulfed in flames. Trying hard to explain the picture without scaring him, I told him that fire was a tool, and when used safely, it was ok, but you had to be careful. It was very hot.
E: What's a tool?
M: Something useful, like Mommy uses fire to cook food. That makes it a tool. Like Daddy uses a screwdriver to fix things- that's a tool, too. As long as you are careful with it, you won't get hurt.
Evan looks at the picture again.
E: No sit in da fire. You hafta be careful! It's HOT!
M: Right, don't sit in a fire. That would hurt. Don't touch a fire either.
E: No sit in da fire. No touch da fire. Be careful!
M: Right. You got it.
E: And no sit on da tool!

Evan looks at himself in the mirror after a bath. We talk about how brushing his teeth makes his teeth nice and white. He smiles in the mirror.
I say "See? See what a handsome smile you have? That's because you brush your teeth."
Evan smiles again at himself in the mirror. Then, with much fanfare, he raises his hands high above his naked little self and shouts, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you very much!" My rockstar in the making.

OOOOP, It Didn't Work!

Conversation tonight while Little E was in the tub:

"What are you doing?"
No answer.
"Hey, are you trying to poop?"
Strained Answer, "yyyes!"
"No poop in the tub! Will you poop on the potty?"
Thought real hard, "yes!"

So I lifted a soaking wet little boy onto the big potty which, until this moment, he has acted like it will either a) set his ass on fire or b) swallow him whole. We haven't even been able to get him to sit on the little potty unless he has pants on. Yes, pants ON.

"Ok! Try to go poo-poo!"
A good try on his part.
"OOOP, It didnit wert!"
"That's ok. Try again. Ready, go!"
Another good try on his part.
"OOOP, It didnit wert again!"
"Ok, one more time! Go!"
This time, in an effort only a mom can appreciate, a little pee comes out instead.
"IT WERT! I WENT PEEPEE IN DA POTTY!!!"

Much celebration was done, including a prize from the Potty Prize Box (another story moms desperately trying to potty train would appreciate), a rambunctious run downstairs to tell Daddy, "I WENT PEEPEE IN DA POTTY!!!", where multiple rounds of high fivers took place, followed by a Hershey's Kiss and lots of hugs.

And so I give you, THE first peepee in the potty. Aren't you lucky.

Constant As The Night

As I sat in the darkened Park West Theater last night, the anticipation of seeing Lowen & Navarro live once again was incredible. Two years had gone by since we saw them last, and that was not for lack of trying- the first year my husband was in Hong Kong and I spaced on when they were coming to Chicago and the second time tickets sold out before we could get them.

For Christmas, my husband bought 3 tickets to go see them, an extra one as a birthday present for my friend, Kristen, and I couldn't have been more excited. Lowen & Navarro have been a running theme in our relationship, from the breath-taking, heart-pounding first days of dating to the comfortable meanderings we call vacations to the birth of our son to now. They have been, to use a song title, as Constant As The Night in our lives. The music that L&N writes is the kind that gets you right in the gut, pulls on your heartstrings, makes your eyes well up with tears. Their music is real, their music is enveloping, their music is life. You cannot listen to these two guys harmonize without being changed forever. It's powerful stuff.

One year, several years ago now, my husband and I planned a trip to California. We were going to drive up the coast in a rented convertible on Hwy 1 and just see California from bottom to top. We had a perfectly laid out plan of when we would drive where so that our trip just lazily led us up the coast. But then we found out that L&N would be playing in San Diego while we were in CA, and the whole roadmap got shot to hell. We ended up looping and back-tracking so we would end up in San Diego just hours before they were to play. And it was worth every extra mile.

For those of you who have no idea who Lowen & Navarro are, I pity you. You are truly missing out. Their music is played on 93XRT here in Chicago- songs like Walking On A Wire, Pendulum, Just To See You and Scratch At The Door. You may know their song, covered by Pat Benetar, called We Belong. Their music is folksy but gutsy, full of regret, promise, angst and tears, yet ever hopeful. It is full of all things that music should be, and they are those rare performers whose cd recordings don't even do their live performances justice. You just cannot believe the harmony between these guys until you hear it for yourself.

Last night, as the lights went out and the crowd roared to its feet, Eric Lowen made his way onto the stage via a motorized wheelchair. Having the two year lapse since seeing him last, the image was shocking and all too real. Eric was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), more commonly known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease" in 2004. He can no longer get around by himself and has an assistant to tune his guitar, bring him his water, or simply adjust him in his chair. My eyes welled up watching his assistant shift his legs for him, my heart truly broken for the gift that this world will not have for much longer- the gift of the harmonies of Lowen & Navarro.

As Eric explained, ALS will soon rob him of his ability to "make his guitar speak" and, soon thereafter, his voice. The thought saddened me, and I would be lying if I told you that the thought didn't cross my mind that it should have been Eminem instead. But the minute the band came to life and Eric began strumming his mandolin, all sadness disappeared. Eric was not going to go out quietly, he was going to go out playing and singing until he couldn't play or sing anymore. And damn, can that man sing.

The show was awe-inspiring and a million thumbs up. Dan Navarro, the equally talented and amazing counter-part to Eric Lowen, quite frankly, rocked. His good humor, his efforts to fill the minutes while Eric was adjusted for the next song, his gravitation towards Eric at certain songs did not go unnoticed. Dan is not only a first class musician, but today I have more respect for him than ever for not bailing when Eric needed him most.

I'm sure last night is the last time we will ever see Lowen & Navarro live in Chicago. I wish I could hope otherwise, but I dare not. It almost feels like a chapter is ending, not only in their careers, but in our lives. I hope, when Eric can no longer tour, that they record and record and record until he can no longer sing. That will be the greatest gift that they can give to the world.

Rock on, guys. You should have been way more famous than you are.

The Year In Review

Instead of making up lots of things that I want to do with the next year (that I more than likely will not follow through on), I thought I'd take a look back at the milestones and accomplishments of the year past.

- Successfully managed a new non-profit to a status of greater recognition and success in the first year of it's life.
- Celebrated a 2nd wedding anniversary- happily!
- Celebrated the 2nd birthday of my beautiful son, who is as smart as a whip and has a great sense of humor- my greatest accomplishment ever.
- Lost 6.8 lbs (still working on that one!)
- Severed ties with a person who was bringing me down- yay me!
- Became even closer with my in-laws on my husband's side, making our family stronger.
- Tolerated a dinner with my father's mistress-turned-live-in-girlfriend successfully. Also tolerated (though not well) having her attend my son's birthday party. For those who know me, you she's lucky she was allowed to set foot in my house. But I digress...
- Attended my 10 year high school reunion, only to find the only people I really wanted to see were too chicken to show up, which made me feel brave for having the balls to show up myself.
- Because of the non-profit work, I have been in the newspaper twice.
- Got my picture taken with Cesar Millan, Dog Whisperer. Ate dinner with him, too. Nice guy.
- Went on my first plane ride with a child across country to San Diego. Way fun.
- I have personally fostered 16 homeless dogs in my house, all of which now have homes of their own.
- I have cleaned the floors more.
- I have put my laundry away faster.
- I have kept the sink cleaner.
- I have vacuumed more often.

I do have resolutions this year, so I guess I'll write them down anyway.

1. Lose 15 pounds and keep it off.
2. Get pregnant (which would somewhat omit resolution #1, in which case I would then resolve to still exercise and eat well with this pregnancy, so I don't become the pudge I am today!)
3. To continue to improve in my laundry-putting-away skills.
4. To call my friends more.
5. To spend more time on myself.
6. To regulate the time between business and home better.

Nothing too hard, but still a large undertaking, as I am a creature of habit.

I hope everyone had a great New Year! Happy 2007!