Bringing In The Sheaves

I have to confess an addiction. OK it's really not an addiction... more like an obsession. No wait, it's an addiction. It has to be. After all, I can't go a day without it in some form. It's not caffeine. That's just a given anyway. I need that to live. It's not smoking. I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing. No, this is a television program. Survivor? Never seen it. Amazing Race? See my answer for Survivor. Little House On The Prairie? Bingo. I'll wait for you to stop choking on whatever you were eating or drinking. Better? Good. I'll continue. So yeah... Little House on the Prairie. Laura Ingalls and family. Walnut Grove. Michael Landon. That's the one. I always liked the show as a kid, and watched every Monday night on NBC in the 1970s as the Ingalls family dealt with everyday issues for a family in the 1870s-- drought, crops, chickens, money, the Olesons, church, school, mean kids, Indians, crooks, births, deaths, and of course, ending every day with a valuable lesson from Pa and Ma. I've read every Laura Ingalls Wilder book from cover to cover more times than any other book, ever. I still enjoy reading them today. The stories and the characters are just as enjoyable now as they were when I was in grade school. But the TV show holds an extra special place in my heart. Who could forget snobby busybody Mrs. Oleson rejecting Ma Ingalls' eggs at the Mercantile because they were brown, and "brown eggs get 4 cents less than white eggs." Or Mr. Edwards's jolly laugh and his theme song, "Ol' Dan Tucker." Or the lovely Miss Beadle teaching school, then the kooky but sweet Miss Wilder, then Laura herself after she became Mrs. Wilder. Or the adorably dopey Willie Oleson standing in the corner countless times at school. And then there's Nellie Oleson... wonderful, bitchy, bratty Nellie.... and the endless ways she schemed to get her way against Laura. Mary going blind. Laura meeting "Manly" for the first time and carving their initials in a tree. The horrific fire at the Blind School that killed the wonderful Alice Garvey and Mary's baby son. Carrie having a dream and meeting her "twin" (the character actually was played by twins). I have a lot of memories of this show, and they've been enhanced because I now watch the show every day on the Hallmark Channel. They used to show two episodes every day from 9-11am, but now they also show two MORE episodes from 2-4pm... so that's FOUR episodes of "Little House" that my DVR records for me. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. So yeah, I'm addicted. And it probably scares some of you, and probably makes you concerned for my sanity, but I don't care. So what if the show is schamltzy. And so what if it doesn't exactly follow the books word-for-word. And who cares that it took on a life of its own for Michael Landon to tell his own stories... I don't. The show is fun-- at times hilariously funny, and at times devestatingly sad. Just like life. And as for Hot Toddy's notion of Little House trading cards... I sense a business venture in our future. I'd bet the Nellie Oleson card alone would make us some big bucks.

Read this. Get pissed off. (Part 2)

This adult picture brought to you by... censorship! That's right folks, censorship is alive and well in the 21st century, and websites such as Gay.com (where the above image is from) are forced to "dumb down" their rules on pictures... pictures of members who have paid for this service. As a paying member of Gay.com, this upsets me. So I am posting the information that they have posted on their site about why they have resorted to this measure. So read it, get pissed off, and do something. That's all I'm asking. Changes to our photo policy mandated by the Bush Administration Always on the lookout for hot guys and ways to keep people from having fun, the US Dept. of Justice is taking a break from prosecuting terrorists to do something they think is more important: restricting your right to view and share photos online. All member photos identified as adult on our site are temporarily unavailable for public view, due to the sudden, and unconstitutional, decision by the US Dept. of Justice to place new restrictions on all web sites around the world that do business in the US (I guess nobody ever told them the internet is borderless). Gay.com thinks your adult photos should be sexy, secure, and legally protected, so we've joined with other companies to seek an injunction against this ruling. We're doing everything possible to minimize its impact on you. What does this mean for you? Your civil liberties are under attack by the US government! All photos identified as adult will be temporarily unavailable from public view Members will still be able to view their own adult photos and edit their profiles, but they temporarily won't be able to see anyone else's adult photos Gay.com will begin reviewing all adult photos, and will make them available again for public viewing if they meet our new standards (see below) About these new government regulations The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals has previously found these regulations to be unconstitutional, yet the Bush Administration has chosen to pursue them anyway The new regulations go into effect June 23, 2005 It only applies to "sexually explicit" content, not content that is merely "lascivious" (Hmmm, I don't know what explicit means, but I know it when I see it!) See below for a detailed, and entertaining, explanation of what's "explicit." Your adult photos The good news: most of your photos are OK (including your adult photos) and will be restored once they've been approved by Gay.com, because the dirty boys at the US government only consider certain poses and activities to be "sexually explicit" The bad news: under these regulations Gay.com will no longer be able to accept or display "sexually explicit" photos from its members for either public or private view New standards for "sexually explicit" content on Gay.com • A hand holding or touching genitals, or appearing to grip or stimulate genitals is considered masturbation and is prohibited. • A hand clearly "cupping" or covering genitals for the purposes of keeping them covered is allowable. • A hand inside pants is prohibited as it implies masturbation. • Pictures with more that one person that include nudity are prohibited. • All cartoons are prohibited. • While images of a nude person on all fours is allowable, an image showing the buttocks being held apart by hands would be considered explicit and prohibited. • In the interest of safety, no images of nude children (e.g. a nude baby at the beach with her two dads) will be allowed. • A clothed person posing with their pet is allowed, but a nude person with an animal is prohibited (no more walking your dog in the nude!). • An image of a person in a bondage or fetish outfit is allowed (but please, no polyester!). • Images that depict bondage or S&M "abuse" are prohibited (shockingly, images from Abu Ghraib prison would be censored under the new regulations) • Digital images run through an "illustrator" filter on software would be held to these same standards What is Gay.com doing about the regulation? • We have joined with other companies to legally challenge its enactment • We're fighting for your civil liberties, and oppose undue government interference with individual expression • We're fighting against such regulations because we know they have a disproportionate effect on historically isolated groups, such as the LGBT community Make your voice heard! Contact US elected officials and the Dept. of Justice to tell them you oppose 18 U.S.C. §2257 US Dept. of Justice: www.usdoj.gov/contact-us.html US Senate: www.senate.gov US House of Representatives: www.house.gov Support the Electronic Frontier Foundation in its efforts to defend freedom in the digital world www.eff.org Need help? Call: 1 (866) 313-6373 (Toll-free in the US & Canada)

Read this. Get pissed off.

One of my new favorite bloggers is Knottyboy. He's funny as shit, but sometimes he just rips into something with a vengeance like nothing else I have known. Case in point, today's posting. Read it. And you'll see what I mean. And here I thought I was sick of Tom Cruise? I'm much more sick of this asshole.

Dearest Tom Cruise: Shut the F**k Up!

Dearest Tom Cruise, I want to start this letter by telling you that I've always liked you. As far back as I can remember, I thought you were pretty cool. OK, I had a crush on you. I won't lie. I'll never forget the issue of "Teen Beat" that my sister bought with you on the cover in a tank-top. I about wet myself. Let's face it, Tommy. You've had one heck of a career. Nobody can deny that. You've been a heartthrob teen star, a dashing young man, a swinging single, a devoted husband and father, and then a once-again available divorcee. And yet you've always remained high in the public's admiration. But Tom, you're blowing it. Big time. First of all, let's talk about that monkey act you pulled on Oprah. I mean come on. Beating your chest and swinging your arms like a friggin' chimpanzee. Over what? A girl? Who's half your age... or LESS? What's going on, Tom? Why are you resorting to such foolishness? You're not 20 anymore. You're not even 30. You're in your 40s. 40-something men do not jump on furniture. They don't do backflips. They don't act like 10-year olds. What's gotten into you? OK fine, you love the girl. Great! Good for you. But can't you just sit there like a grown man and say so? Why the antics? Why the acrobatics? We'd believe you if you just tell it to us straight ... er... honestly. And all this Scientology stuff is getting out of hand too. We've been hearing about it for years, but it's starting to get ridiculous. How many brains have you washed in your lifetime? Nicole converted. (But is she still "in"? I wonder.) Now you've got Katie. And now she's "in" too. Oh now I'm not begrudging your right to believe what you want to believe in. This is America after all, and it is, despite what some people want us to believe, a free country. But all this machination is just a little bit too suspicious, Tommy Boy. And now you're engaged? Well what a surprise that was! How long have you been dating her, Tom? A month? Two? How well do you know her, really? Have you met her parents? Do they approve? Well I would be happy for you, Tom, but what I read the other day in the papers, which you know always print the truth, really cinched it for me. You said that you asked her to marry her to quell the rumor mill and put an end to the tabloid witchhunt. Oh Tom. Have you learned nothing in your 42 years? The hunt has just begun. Of course, it may be just mere coincidence that both of you have movies coming out right about now... Katie has that Batman flick and you get to play Orson Welles or something or other in War of the Worlds. Coincidence? Ha. Come on, Tom. You know exactly what you're doing. You're playing this for all it's worth, and you're loving every minute of it. You're getting attention galore, and YOU LOVE IT. It's been kind of quiet on the Cruise front for the last few years, and you just couldn't stand it. Yeah ok, you dated Penelope Cruz for a while, but oh, I don't know, something about the Cruise/Cruz rhymey-rhyme thing probably didn't appeal to you so you nixed that one. Thing is, I just don't buy it, Tom. I really don't. In fact, it's been hard for me to buy in to most of your romances. Yeah I know the rumor mills have been going around for YEARS about your sexuality, but I really don't care about that anymore. If you're gay, fine. If you're straight, fine too. I'm just tired of hearing about you. I'm tired of seeing your face. I'm tired of hearing your shrieky voice. I'm tired of the tabloids salivating over your every move. It's getting old, and I am over it. So Tom, do me a favor and just shut the fuck up. Please. Go away. Get married if you must (again), move to some deserted island, and stay there. I'm done with you. I don't care what you do, I don't care who you date, and I don't care who you "love." If you're so hungry for attention that you have to pull these stunts and make these scenes, then you're more screwed up than I ever thought before. Get help buddy. And get lost. At least Nicole seems to be doing well. Which is good, 'cause I always liked her better anyway. Best of luck. Sincerely, RcktMan Rick

The Ride Home

There were numerous things to talk about today. There was a huge fire in Lakeview that burned down a Dominick's grocery store. There was a ton of sunshine and pleasantly warm temperatures. There's the fact that I am still suffering from some sort of cold or allergies or something that is making everything miserable. And there was the long six-hour rehearsal that I went to for CGMC, which officially kicks off "Hell Week" for our show "World Tour." That's all well and good, but what happened after all of that, during the ride home, trumped all of it. Exhausted after a six-hour day in the sweltering basement hall of the church at which we rehearse, I made my way home. Usually I join some of the boys at North End for a drink, but I was beat, and since I was still not feeling 100% great, I figured it'd be better for me to just relax. Driving north on Broadway Avenue is nothing exciting. There isn't a whole lot to see. It's just the ride home. Nothing special. Traffic was moving along at a perfectly fine clip, and in just a few minutes, I would be safe at home. As I approached Irving Park Road, about ten blocks from the church, I suddenly saw a man dash out from a taco stand at the right side of the street. He seemed to be running away from something, or to something... I couldn't really tell. But instead of stopping at the street and waiting for traffic, he continued, full speed, directly into the street. And that's when it happened. The car in front of me barely had time to stop. In fact, I am almost sure it didn't. The man dashed past the parked cars and directly in front of the car in front of me. Both were going at their full speed, and the reaction was instantaneous. The man was clipped at the arm by the car's driver side mirror. He flipped over two, maybe three times, and landed at the side of the road, crumpled by the fire hydrant. The mirror shattered and sprayed all over the street. Had I been looking down, or off to the side, I would have missed it, but for some reason my eyes watched every waking second of this event. Dumbstruck, I of course shouted "Oh My God!" pulled over and immediately called 911. After giving the fire department all of the information, I turned my car around and parked it. The car that hit the man had pulled over by the intersection. I could see the hood was crumpled and the mirror was gone. The windshield was smashed. The driver and a girl came out of the car. The girl was crying hysterically. She was on the phone, I assume trying to call 911. I told her I had already called. She kept crying and didn't hang up. I walked over to the man on the ground. He was surrounded by his friends and other witnesses. His arm was definitely broken. I was suprised it was even attached to his body. There was blood pooling at the curb. I couldn't look for long. It was gruesome. The police were the first to arrive, then the fire department and the paramedics. I gave my statement to the police as they gingerly tended to the man at the curb. Everyone gave pretty much the same account of the event. The man darted out, the driver didn't see him, and they hit. I couldn't tell if the driver was going too fast, but in hindsight I really believe he was going at about the rate of speed as the rest of the traffic. And then I said to the officer, "If I had been in the driver's position, I wouldn't have seen him either. It just happened so fast." And then it hit me. It could have been me. I could have hit this man. If the timing were just a second off, or if there was nobody in front of me and I was driving just a little bit faster, it could have been me. But thank God it wasn't. The man was responsive, and alert. He's going to be OK, but he's going to be in a LOT of pain. It could have been worse-- MUCH worse. I have never seen anything like this, and I hope to heaven I never will again. As the ambulance took off, the crowd began to disperse. I walked back to my car and took one last look at the car that hit the man. It could have been me. But thank God it wasn't. And then I finished the ride home.

Fantasy Soon to be Reality! (?)

It's looking like my fantasy of a new home for my ramblings is taking steps closer to reality! Thanks to Feisty Girl and Scott-O-Rama, and possibly a few others who may be recruited (I know who you are!), things are progressing! It may not look EXACTLY like what you see to the right... but it will hopefully look somewhat like it. I've just about abandoned the WordPress idea though. I can't seem to find anyone that knows how to set up a template, and when I tried to do it myself, the results were disastrous to say the least. So I think we're just going to start all over again and see what comes up. In the meantime, RcktRamblings is what it is, and will stay that way for a while. And if you are handy with coding sites like this, and want to help out, do drop me a line and let me know. Your help would be most greatly appreciated!

Why I hate to answer the phone

***RING*** Me: Hello? Annoying Sales Guy: Hello, is this Richard Ayelyeo? Me: Aiello, yes. Annoying Sales Guy: How do I pronounce it? Me: (louder) AIELLO.... (pronouncing) I-L-O. Annoying Sales Guy: Oh I'm sorry Mr. Aylelo, I'm calling from Vonage phone service, have you heard of us? Me: Yes, I have, but I am not interested, thank you. Annoying Sales Guy: Well sir, I am calling today to offer you.... Me: I'm sorry, but I already said I am not interested.... Annoying Sales Guy: $24.95 a month, sir. Me: Look, I've told you twice already.... Annoying Sales Guy: You have to admit that's a great.... Me: (sternly) Listen, sir, I have told you more than enough times that I am not interested, and I am not going to change my mind. Please do not call me again! ***CLICK*** I've gotta get on that "Do Not Call" list once and for all.

Michael Jackson - Not Guilty

I can't say I'm shocked. But I am disappointed. Yeah, ok, innocent until proven guilty. I know. But still... how could he not have done any of those things? I'll say this much... don't expect him to be touring the world or moonwalking anytime soon. That is, of course, unless his back miraculously heals. Which you know it will. Tomorrow. Ah, yes... the wonder of the American justice system.

The Verdict is Coming! The Verdict is Coming!

....so if he's guilty, is the smoke black or white?

Flashbacks

Even though I try not to anymore, I found myself sitting here just now, wondering what to write about. I've come to the conclusion as of late that if I ever have that feeling, I'm simply not going to write. There isn't any reason why I MUST post something every single day of the week. There is no rule that says this is so. So why force myself? It isn't worth the strained effort, and the end result is usually not worth reading anyway. So I closed the "Compose" window and started reading some blogs. I started with Joe.My.God., who, I must confess, I haven't read for a while. It's funny how blogging goes in cycles-- both in terms of writing and reading. I have a long list of "blogs I read," yet I am embarrassed to say that I haven't read many of them in quite some time. It's not intentional, and I feel badly about that. So I was reading Joe.My.God. and he was telling a story about clubs and people in the early to mid-90's, and I was reminded of the days and the times when I first came out, drenching myself in too much cheesy cologne, driving from Kenosha to Chicago, and hitting the clubs. This past Monday, I attended a special event that was co-hosted by my Chorus and the cast of Wicked. It was a "Broadway Cares" event to raise funds for various HIV/AIDS charities as well as the Chorus. I, along with 11 other members of the Chorus, was chosen to sing a few numbers for the crowd in a show that also featured members of the "Wicked" cast. It was a great event, tons of fun, and it raised a heck of a lot of money for all the groups. Attending this event was an old friend... someone I haven't seen in a couple of years, but I have known for well over ten years. We were AOL chat buddies, bar pals, and even roommates for the first year that I lived in the city. Seeing him brought back a flood of memories. When I first met him, I had a huge crush on him. Which wasn't uncommon, as everyone seemed to develop a crush on him the first time they met him. He was fun-loving, carefree and a bit naieve in those days, having fairly recently come out. His windswept hair and icy green eyes laughed about as much as he himself did-- which was almost all of the time. My crush on him almost ruined our friendship. I remember vividly a party where I became insanely jealous when he disappeared with another friend of mine for a few hours. I wanted so desperately to disappear with him myself, but never had the courage to make it happen. But eventually, I got over my obsession with him, and somehow we became friends. We'd talk on the phone, chat on AOL, go out to bars, and just have a great time. Then he moved to Philadelphia. I was sad to see him go, but glad that we could at least keep in touch via Email. When he returned to Chicago a couple years later, we started hanging out again. He got an apartment in Boystown, which became my crashing spot after many a night on the town. We became closer friends in those years, and I was glad that my crazy antics from a few years prior hadn't ruined our friendship. When I got the job that would move me to Chicago, he brought up the possibility of being roommates. So we did the roommate thing for a year. That whole story is told in the "Old Journal" which you can start reading here. I won't go into all that again. So he and I had a close bond for many years, and had a great time together. But in recent years, as we both moved on with our own lives, we drifted apart. And even though, as many people do, we tried to keep in touch... we just didn't. But seeing him again at the event was really great. We caught up on things, and shared a couple drinks. I'm thinking we should do dinner sometime and just reconnect. It'd be great to have an old friend back in my life.

It's not sweat... I'm GLOWING

It's hot. I'm not just saying that because it's been cold up until a few days ago. It's just plain hot. As in heat and humidity. As in sweat. Lots of sweat. Yep... summer has arrived early in Chicago. And my apartment, which is outfitted with two air conditioning units, is sweltering. Oh sure, they'd be doing a great job... if they COULD do the job they were supposed to be doing. One of my A/C units is a monster thing that saps enough energy to cause the second coming of the eastern seaboard blackouts of 2003. I had to run downstairs four times yesterday to switch one of my measley 15 amp circuits back on because it kept tripping it. When I moved in here, I had only the smaller unit, which I kept in my bedroom. It worked great, but the rest of the place was uninhabitable. I don't think I used my living room until winter arrived. Last spring, I purchased the larger unit, and put it in the living room. But when I started using both of the units, I realized that I had to move one of them, because they were both on the same circuit, and would trip the circuit as soon as I turned them both on. So I took the small one out of my bedroom and moved it to the dining room which adjoins it. This seemed to work OK last summer, but my bedroom never got very cool. And I like it cool. VERY cool. So this year, when they installed my new windows, I switched the units-- the smaller one went in the living room, and the larger one went in the dining room/office. I figured this would work great-- the big unit could easily cool both the dining room/office and my bedroom, and the smaller one would cool the living room. Wrong. I seemed to forget that the circuit being used in the dining room/office also operates everything in the kitchen (including the refrigerator) and my computer (which as you can imagine is just chock full of stuff that saps electricity). So when things heat up, and big mama starts wanting to cool things down, trip goes the circuit. So I've moved the small unit back into my bedroom, and the big one is just kind of sitting here. Doing nothing. And my apartment is hot. VERY hot. All this makes me ponder this bit of trivia... if you have a three-floor apartment building, and are outfitting said three-floor apartment building with electricity (as well you should, in this day and age), would you put the higher-amp circuits on the bottom floors, which don't get nearly as hot in the summertime and therefore don't require as much electricity to keep cool, or put them on the top floor apartments? Apparently, my landlord wasn't thinking about this when she (or he, whoever does the electrical work in this joint) put 20-amp circuits in all the 1st and 2nd floor apartments, but 15-amp circuits in all the 3rd floor apartments. Now, I will admit, I know nothing about electricity. In fact, I had to browse Google just to understand what the hell I was talking about in the above paragraph. (What did we ever do before Google?) But I do know that you need higher-capacity circuits in order to run things that need more power. Believe me. I know this. Because I've run down into that nasty, dusty, spider-infested basement more times than I care to remember in the last three years to turn my power back on. And I'm getting sick of it. I've asked my landlord to upgrade my circuits many times, but nothing has been done. Is there any way (short of bribery and/or begging) that I can make her do it? Or do I just have to suffer until I move (which, since I just signed a new lease in May, isn't anytime soon.) It's gonna be a looooong summer, folks.

Lactivists

This fun article was posted on the news section of my Firm's intranet today. And I had to laugh. It contains what I believe will be the best new word of the year. I wanna be a lactivist too. And on another note... do they really pay these people to talk about this stuff? I want their job.

Nursing moms protest 'The View' comments NEW YORK, June 7 (UPI) -- About 150 "lactivists" nursed their babies outside ABC's New York City studios to protest comments made by the women of "The View." Barbara Walters had said she and a companion felt awkward sitting next to a nursing mother on an airplane, the New York Daily News said. "It made me very nervous," Walters said on the May 17 show. "She didn't cover the baby with a blanket. It made us uncomfortable." Co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who is nursing her daughter, Grace, said she was "uncomfortable breast-feeding in general." Then the hosts appeared to celebrate when Hasselbeck said her daughter had her first bottle of formula, sparking nurse-in protests in four cities, the Daily News said. Women protesting in New York Monday said they feared the comments may keep some mothers from nursing and some even demanded an on-air apology. Walters said she was surprised by all the fuss and said all the hosts of "The View" support breast-feeding.

I Have Been Changed For Good

I'm flying high, defying gravity tonight. That's right... I saw "Wicked" tonight. And I loved it. Every. Single. Moment.

So call me a dork, call me a musical junkie, call me a gayboy, call me whatever you want. I loved it and I am not ashamed to say it. Everyone's entitled to their opinions, right? Right.

I never got to see Wicked in New York... in fact, I have never seen a Broadway show ON Broadway. (It's time I change that, don't you think?)

But fortunately for me, Chicago has a pretty decent stream of Broadway-bound shows that premiere here, as well as well-known Broadway hits, such as "Wicked," that play either short or extended runs here.

We're really lucky with "Wicked," because after this current cast, which is a touring production based on the Broadway show, we are going to get our own, permanent cast (starring, interestingly enough, Ana Gasteyer from "Saturday Night Live" as Elphaba) that is going to say for an open run. Needless to say, the city is abuzz.

The current cast is not represented on the poster displayed here... that, of course, is the original Broadway cast that everyone knows. But this cast was really superb. Stephanie J. Block (Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West) was simply outstanding. She easily gives Idina Menzel a run for her money. And Kendra Kassebaum (Galinda/Glinda) was also fantastic, maybe not as vocally strong as Kristin Chenowith, but every ounce as perky and entertaining. Other strong performers were David Garrison as the Wizard, who you may remember playing Steve, Marcy's first husband on "Married, With Children;" Barbara Tirrell, who was the understudy for Carol Kane in the role of Madame Morrible, and Jenna Leigh Green as Nessarose.

My only disappointment was with Fiyero, played by Derrick Williams. He was a little cardboard in his presence, and at times I wasn't happy with his voice... but when he and Stephanie Block dueted on "As Long As You're Mine," it was pretty electric.

But the show belonged to the leads... and they were wonderful. There wasn't a dry eye in the house during "For Good," the final duet between them. And when Elphaba lept and flew above the stage during "Defying Gravity," the audience was stunned.

Stephen Schwartz, who wrote the music and lyrics to "Wicked" has long been one of my favorite composers. Ever since I sang "All Good Gifts" during a production of "Godspell" in my sophomore year of high school, I've been hooked. Hell, my cat's name is Pippin... you don't think I named him after the former Chicago Bulls star, do you? ;-)

Some say this isn't his best score, but I say it is. There are some downright gorgeous songs in this show. And one of them-- probably my favorite of all-- is "For Good." The words are as moving as the melody. And they fit so many different situations, and mean so many different things to so many people.

So I am sharing some of them with you. Because they express how I feel about many of you out there... and I just want to thank you for all you've done for me in the last year. (Can you believe it's almost been a year since I started this blog?)

Of course, these are copyright of Mr. Schwartz, so I must give credit to him here... so please visit his website at www.stephenschwartz.com.

For Good from "Wicked" I’ve heard it said That people come into our lives for a reason Bringing something we must learn And we are led To those who help us most to grow If we let them And we help them in return Well, I don’t know if I believe that’s true But I know I’m who I am today Because I knew you... Like a comet pulled from orbit As it passes a sun Like a stream that meets a boulder Halfway through the wood Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better? But because I knew you I have been changed for good … It well may be That we will never meet again In this lifetime So let me say before we part So much of me Is made of what I learned from you You’ll be with me Like a handprint on my heart And now whatever way our stories end I know you have re-written mine By being my friend... Like a ship blown from its mooring By a wind off the sea Like a seed dropped by a skybird In a distant wood Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better? But because I knew you... Because I knew you... I have been changed for good... And just to clear the air I ask forgiveness For the things I’ve done you blame me for But then, I guess we know There’s blame to share And none of it seems to matter anymore

For the full set of lyrics and other good stuff about "Wicked," visit this link: http://www.musicalschwartz.com/wicked-lyrics.htm

Springtime

Lily of the Valley
Originally uploaded by RcktManIL.

I took this photo of a single lily of the valley at my Mom and Dad's a couple weeks ago. It's my favorite picture so far.

Essay in Cubdom

Today I received an Email from the Chicago Cubs telling me about an essay contest they were holding with Swedish Covenant Hospital, one of the zillions of hospitals in the city of Chicago. The instructions were to write a 250-word or less essay about an unforgettable moment that made me a Cubs fan forever. The Grand Prize winner gets to throw out a ceremonial pitch on "Swedish Covenant Hospital Day," July 15, 2005 at Wrigley Field; Four tickets to the game; a tour the Press Box; and their winning essay published in the Chicago Tribune. I bit. Here it is. Wish me luck! Growing up in Kenosha, Wisconsin in the 1970s, my allegiance to baseball teams could easily have gone in any number of directions, but my father made it easy. He told me that I could either be a Cubs fan and get presents from Santa at Christmastime, or be a White Sox or Brewers fan and get coal. I quickly chose the Cubs. I was no fool. My first trip to glorious Wrigley Field was on a sunny August 22, 1977. The Cubs were playing the Giants. Rick Reuschel was pitching against Jim Barr. I remember this clearly because I distinctly remember a plane flying overhead with a banner attached, saying “GO JIM BARR AND GIANTS,” and thinking, even at the ripe young age of 6, how strange it was for someone to be cheering on the Giants at Wrigley Field. My hero at the time was Bobby Murcer, who was having a miraculous first year with the team. He ended up being the team leader in Home Runs with 27 (which seems like small potatoes when compared to the Sammy Sosa years). My hero Murcer was also the game’s hero that day when he hit a home run and solidified the 3-2 win in the 8th inning. After that first visit to Wrigley Field, witnessing my first Cubs home run, and my first Cubs win, I never again had to choose my favorite baseball team. I was a Cubs fan from head to toe, and nothing would ever change that.