Two Questions Thursday: Things I've always wanted to do edition.

I am participating in Self Sagacity's Two Question Thursday for the first time in a long time. Here are my questions:

# 1 What have you always wanted to do, but never have done?

One of mine is go to the Ringling Brother's and Barnum Bailey Circus. I never have been. Sure, when I was a kid I was part of the audience at the Bozo Show. I even was one of those foolish kids who stood up thinking the arrow was pointing to them so they could play Bozo Buckets.
It was the kid next to me :(

I have even been to one of those travelling circuses that come to neighborhoods throughout the summer. But Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey. Those are they guys that do this

and this . . .


My wife and kids went a few years ago but I had to work.

Question # 2 What have you always wanted to do and did?

There are so many ways that I can answer that question. Tomorrow night I will be able to answer, going to the Ringling Brother's Barnum and Bailey Circus!

Yes, my dream is coming true tomorrow! Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Feld Entertainment is proud to present. . . Starting tomorrow, November 3rd and ending November 13th, the circus will be at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Il. Then the circus rolls into Chicago proper November 16th through the 27th at the United Center. If you are in the Chicago area this month I hope you can make it! But wait, you say, the circus is expensive. Well here is a special offer that I can pass on to you. All weekday shows: 4 tickets for $44.00. weekend shows $4.00 off. Here's the skinny.

Until tomorrow night, my answer will have to be running to and hopping on a train as it is moving out the station. This is one of those scenes you see on so many movies, A River Runs Through It, and A League of Their Own, just to mention a few that start with A. I had always wanted to do it and when I lived in Russia, and used to travel from Khabarovsk to Birobidjan, I accomplished that goal on more than one occasion. I never missed the train, and that's good, cause missing a train was never a thing I always wanted to do.

Speaking of trains, did you know . . .

That The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® circus train that brings Fully Charged® to each city on tour has a total of 59 cars, and has a total length over a mile long?

and . . .

That The 59 cars on the Blue Unit Train include: 4 animal stock cars, 30 coaches for living, 2 concession storage cars, 19 flat bed equipment cars, 1 pie car (diner), 1 generator car, 1 shop car, and 1 auxiliary generator/shop car?

So that's it for me and my questions. I am looking forward to your answers. I'll be back on Friday to talk about our time at the circus. For more of this week's questions click here.

Circus without a Circus Trip :(

Every year about this time in Chicago, like clockwork, a familiar pattern repeats itself. The Bulls begin their NBA season and almost as soon as it began they hit the road for thier longest trip of the year. This road trip is generally called the Circus trip as the trip is necessitated by the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus coming to town and landing smack dab @ the United Center AKA the house that Jordan built.


This year the NBA season has not gotten underway so while The Greatest Show on Earth must go on, it can do so without disturbing one of it's tenants. Sure the Blackhawks still have to take a Circus trip of their own, but hey that's just Hockey.








The Bulls loss can be your gain if you are in the Chicago area.

The circus will be at the United Center November 16th through the 27th

It will also be at the All State Arena in Rosemont starting tomorrow and running through the 13th.


I am passing on a special promotion for the event. You can get 4 tickets for $44.00 for weekday shows or save $4.00 per ticket on weekend *Friday -Sunday) shows.

So be a good sport and head over to the UC or ASA and have a great time.

For more info on the event click here to chck out my other blog.

NABLOPOMO is just over and I have decided to start it again.

If you are reading this on November 1 2011 or later I am to be considered a time traveller from the past. It is 11 months ago December 1, 2010 as I write this. In my time it is 5 days from my daughters 5th birthday. In your time, it is my son's 10th birthday.

So you are probably wondering what is so important to pull me out of the past. I have decided to participate in Nablopomo again this year. But this year I hope to write some of the blog posts early. That way I will not be forced to write every day. November is generally a busy month for our family. Spider Droid's birthday, Thanksgiving, the end of fall semester at our co-op. I generally don't post everyday anyway. Just about 3-5 times a week. I have done Nablopomo 2 times previously. The first time it put great stress on me and my family. Last year (or yesterday to me) didn't take as much of a toll. Amy wrote a few posts and I introduced HSD rewinds (reprints of previous posts and got through it). These prewritten posts can be considered HSD forwards.

I still will be popping in from your present from time to time but you will also get these blasts from the past as well. The thing is I might not always mention when I am while writing these.

Meanwhile back in the present . . . I have decided not to participate in NABLOPOMO this year.

Even with advance written posts and the ability to go HSD rewind when I need to, it just wasn't worth the extra time comittment. I hope to get back to the 3-5 posts per week that I was doing pre sabbatical.

Happy Birthday Spider Droid. We are going to have a great day.

I Cry A Lot

It's true. I'm a bawler. Especially when I watch t.v. or a movie, I always cry at the climactic scene. Even when the moment for tears is so painfully obvious that I have called it ten minutes before hand, and have been mocking it since. It's still tearduct city.

For example, Friday night I cried at the conclusion of Super Sleuth's Christmas, and the only part of Christmas programming lamer than that show, was Tiny Tim and he was really lame.

Yesterday we were watching about the only current t.v. show we watch as an entire family. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. We really like watching how special families are given a special house. We really liked this week's episode about a family with 3 precious boys, 2 who have autism.

This is usually where most people would say something about the show and preface it with spoiler alert. If you are familiar with this blog, you know I am not most people. I mean I'm hardly even me. Instead I'll give you this . . .

SPOILER PREVENTION

If you have not yet watched the program, you can watch it right now, on hulu, like we did. But don't go anywhere. I have brought Hulu to You (hoo). It will take less than 2 hours and I'll wait for you.

Part I

Part II


Welcome back. How did you like the program?


I liked so much of it, I'm not quite sure where to start. I was really psyched at the beginning of the show to find out that Temple Grandin was going to be on. We really enjoy the biopic of her starring Clair Danes. Watching the real Grandin in action not only highlighted what autistic people can achieve, it also showed what a spot-on portrayal Danes turned in in the film.


I also liked the fact that the mom on the show blogs. Yesterday she wrote a cool post some features of the not talked about on the show.


I also loved all 3 of her children. I thought EMHE did a great job giving us glimpses of all 3 kids not just the ones w/ autism.

As wonderful as the house was, as great as the kids were, as fantastic as it was to see Temple in action the real star of the show in my mind was the organization C.J. works for, The Sparrow Clubs.

Sparrow Clubs work with schools to have them adopt families in their communities with extreme medical needs. The schools then adopt those families and raise money and awareness in the community. Almost all of my multiple crying moments of the show were Sparrow Club moments. It was especially poignant when they revealed that the families oldest child had become adopted by a Sparrow Club .


It wasn't until after the show when I was researching Sparrow Clubs that I did my most serious bawling. It was when I was reading about how the Sparrow Clubs FKA Sparrow Project was born. I double dog dare anyone to read this without crying.

Well, I have to run out to the store and get more tissue. This probably won't be the last time I talk about Sparrow Clubs. It's also not going to be the last Home Makeover recap, as next week they are going to Joplin.


Next Time: The Best of Chuck, The Worst of Chuck

Free Circus Tickets is No Trick

I am part of a group of bloggers that promotes certain family events in Chicago for a national marketing company.

One of those events is the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus.

There is a really good promotion happening October 31st which for some people is Halloween. Even though my family doesn't participate in Haloween, I thought I would pass this cool trick or treat give-a-way on to my readers in the Chicago area. I will also have it on my twitter feed and facebook page.

Here it is . . .

Halloween Trick or Ringling Treat!

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents Fully Charged is taking Halloween to a whole new level! This year you can Trick or Treat for a FREE Ticket to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents Fully Charged! Simply visit one of the 5 Halloween Ringling Treat Houses during their Ringling Treat hour:

House 1 – Roseland, 11350 S. Calumet Avenue – 3pm – 4pm
House 2 – Oak Lawn, 9643 Melvina Avenue – 4pm – 5pm
House 3 – Barrington, 9149 Jasmine Way – 4pm – 5pm
House 4 – Oak Park, 300 Forest Avenue – 5pm – 6pm
House 5 – Naperville, 4711 Snapjack Circle – 5pm – 6pm

Parents who visit a Ringling Treat House with children between the ages of 2 and 12 will receive one voucher for a FREE Kid’s Ticket for each child present. Voucher is redeemable for a ticket to any Monday – Friday performance of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents Fully Charged at Allstate Arena and United Center. Voucher must be redeemed for Kid’s Ticket at the arena box office. Additional tickets and adjoining seats may be purchased at that time. Trick-or-Ringling Treating is available on Oct. 31 until the end of the hour noted or until 100 FREE Kids’ Vouchers are distributed at each house, whichever occurs first.