Pulaski 10K is still on for Saturday

Despite weather predictions of snow and below freezing temperatures, the inaugural Pulaski 10K race is still scheduled to occur as planned Saturday morning at 9 AM, with Race Day Packet Pickup starting at 7:45 and Gear Check beginning at 8:00 AM.

Preliminary weather reports indicate snow flurries with a high of 25°, probably 18-20° around race time.

“The race will be on as scheduled,” said Derek S. Sprau, President/Marketing Director of F3 Events LLC. “we have made some alterations to the course due to ice patches however the race will go on.”

From an email F3 Events sent to registered race participants:

THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE LAKEFRONT PATH HAVE BEEN DEEMED UNSAFE FOR RACING CONDITIONS. IN AN EFFORT TO MAXIMIZE PARTICIPANT SAFETY WE HAVE ALTERED OUR COURSE AND OMITTED THE NORTHERN SECTIONS.

I like running in the snow and as long as it isn’t bone chilling cold like it has been this week, I’m okay with this decision.

Avid runners, especially Chicagoans are a hearty bunch and it takes a lot to keep us away. In fact, we’d be more upset if the race were rescheduled like the Polar Dash did a few years ago, leaving many in a pickle because of plans for the following weekend.

“There will be no warming tents but parking is easy and close to the start,” Sprau added.

Three best decisions of my life

I’ve always been afraid to take Chances.  What I do instead is take Calculated Risks, which are Chances’ Boring Cousins. And that means I always second guess my decisions or even have trouble making a decision in the first place.  Sometimes I cannot even decide what I want to have for lunch.  However, there are three decisions I’ve made over the course of my life that I am at perfect peace with.

I refer to these as the Three Best Decisions of My Life. Sure, I’ve made many decisions that have arguably worked out better, such as marrying Nightingale. The reason I single these three out is they are decisions that I’ve never seconded guessed or looked back on and regretted, other than perhaps wishing I had done them sooner.

Going to G-School: When I finished undergrad, I swore I would never go back to higher education.  However, after not breaking into a journalism and suffering years as a litigation paralegal for BigName Law Firm, I decided that being able to eat and pay rent the same month was the life for me.

Becoming Catholic: My family is catholic but they didn’t send me to parochial school, probably more out of cost than true heathenism.  As I got older I got more spiritual and ironically, I was reading a lot of Anne Rice at the time and her descriptions of the Catholic rituals got me curious. I started going to church and a few months later I had my epiphany.

Unable to drown me in front of all these witnesses, the priest had no choice but to baptize me

It was Labor Day weekend 1999, and my roommate and long time friend from high school friend had just moved out. Talk about a souvenir of a terrible year: I had lost my job, broke my toes, and been mugged within a three week period. It was a very dark time in my life. I felt like a weight was about to crush me. The Fear was overwhelming, consuming. Then I took a deep breath and felt like everything would be alright.  And I know that wasn’t my own steam, God had shown some mercy on me.

Getting Lasik Eye Surgery: It was never a question of if but when. I’m glad I did it because not fumbling with contact lens or waking up to blurry vision is tremendous.  Lasik — short for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, which entails cutting and reshaping the cornea.

Looking back, I don’t think going to G-School any sooner would have been an option from a financial standpoint. Same goes for Lasik. And it took hitting rock bottom and having an epiphany to get me to become catholic. And in the baker’s dozen years that I’ve been, I’ve certainly not lived up to all the requirements and have certainly challenged the doctrine. The point is that these decisions occurred at the exact time in my life when I needed them to move to the next level.

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Six Way to Give Up Facebook for Lent

If you’re Catholic, Episcopalian or part of another liturgical faith, you might be mildly aware that Lent is around the corner. Maybe you’ve had this unexplainable gnawing sensation that you are supposed to be doing something or getting some ashes and when is Easter again? (It probably doesn’t help that it isn’t a fixed date like Christmas or the Fourth of July.) This year Ash Wednesday is March 5 and spans the 40 days (minus Sundays*) leading up to Easter. During this time, believers are encouraged to make meaningful sacrifices to improve their spiritual lives.

Assuming I’ve kept it this long, I usually give up my New Year’s Resolution for Lent. Heck, even if you are not Catholic, you can play along with this one at home. if you cannot give it up for 40 straight days, you can use the old catholic trick of Sunday’s being a reprieve**. Or, since I’m making up the rules here, all you have to do is give it up for 40 days total. So if you didn’t look Monday or Wednesday, but peeked on Tuesday, that’s still 2 days Mister!

**The debate over whether or not Sundays during Lent are actually part of Lent has been going since the 17th century when various branches of Christianity split from the mainline church over dogmatic changes and a particularly contentious game of Monopoly.

 

 

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Thank you for reading and I hope you will comment below. Please also do any and all of the following — I know pushy right!

• “Like” and “Share” this post using those buttons under the headline.
• see some mildly amusing photos and posts on my Facebook Fan Page.
• follow me on Twitter @Icarus2013
• Want to get an email as soon as a new post goes live? Just type your email address in the box and click the “Subscribe” button. My list is spam-free and you can opt out any time.

If you liked my Facebook Fan Page, thank you! The latest Facebook algorithm changes might cause you to miss some of my posts and you don’t want Facebook deciding what you can and cannot see do you? here’s a fast and easy way to stay engaged with my page.

1. Go to my Facebook Fan Page. Here is the link ( Facebook Fan Page.)

2. If you have already liked my page, move your cursor directly over the “Liked” button so you can see the words “Get Notifications” appear in a box.

3. Select “Get Notifications” so there’s a check next to it.

 

4. That’s it, you’ve done it! Now you will see a notification that I’ve updated my fan page when you check into Facebook. I share infrequently and try to make it as fun and interesting as I can. Thanks for making my page and my blog a part of your day.

Valentine’s Day aside, dating almost always sucks

For some reason, dating sucks.  Actually, there are lots of reasons it sucks and I’m gonna describe FIVE specific reasons in this post.  Everyone has there share of bad dates, but it seems that dating sucks more often than it should.  For some people it becomes a chore, like dieting.  You hate it, but you have to do it in order to reach a certain goal. This goal is, for many single people,  to end up in a loving relationship with a person that is loving, caring, affectionate, hopefully normal and of course, turns us on mentally, physically and sexually.   Not asking for too much, right?

Some people find someone with all these traits early in life.  We call these people freaks.  Actually, my theory is that in a past life, they suffered a horrible life and so God/The Universe/Whomever is controlling the Narrative is making up for it in this one.  For others there’s a reason dating sucks.  The simplest reason is because you haven’t recognized the right one yet.  The reality is that you might never.  Wait come back.  I want to tell you about the obstacles that are preventing you from finding the right one.

 

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Related Post:  How I Meet My Wife

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CTA Fail during the Polar Vortex

The other week, during one of the many sub freezing days of this winter’s Polar Vortex, I was waiting for a CTA bus to arrive at my stop. Before leaving my warm and cozy house a couple blocks away, I tried using this wonderful piece of technology called CTA Bustracker to tell me when the bus would arrive.

Alas, there was no information available for this particular route on this particular day. So I walked over to the stop and tried to use the text message feature on the bus stop sign. Also no information available. I suspected it was because a good portion of the bus route was under construction. Fair enough, a bus has to come by eventually, right?

Lo and behold after waiting less than 5 minutes what do I see but a bus approaching. And the light just turned green so the warm bus will be here in no time. Wait? What is it doing? It is stopping before crossing the street to the bus stop while the light is green and it is freezing cold! WTF?

I Swear it was Green!  By the time I got my camera out the light changed to Yellow

I got on the bus wanting to give the driver a piece of my mind, but since I have so little to spare, I kept quiet. As we approached the CTA train terminal we once again stopped at a green light instead of proceeding into the terminal. Now I was really starting to get mad. I get that you might be ahead of schedule but do I have to miss my train because you couldn’t just wait at the terminal a few more minutes? Again trying to work on my anger management, I kept the Rage Beast in check. However, I heard another passenger ask:

“why are we stopped here?”

The bus driver politely explained that because they were ahead of schedule they were not allowed to arrive at the station early or they get written up. And if they get three write ups, they get terminated. as I was getting out, i confirmed with the driver that was what had happened at my stop as well; the bus arrived too early. and even after allowing one light cycle back at my stop which presumably put it back on track, it was still approximately 1 minute too early at the Bus Terminal Station less than two miles away.  I should point out that we didn’t have too many more passenger pickups between my stop and terminal.

I pointed out that we had to stand a whole 30 extra seconds in the cold and it would have been nice to be on a warm bus even if it wasn’t moving and the driver apologized, explaining that the GPS was so precise, it could tell if the bus were at the stop or not and it counts against the driver for being at the stop too early.

Now I don’t want to get anyone fired or in trouble. Well actually, I don’t want to get this driver fired or in trouble. There are many I’d like to punish and when I Rule The World, the first one’s lined up and shot will be the people who stand on escalators AND block the path of those trying to walk around them.

but I digress. Being in the cold an extra 30 seconds isn’t the end of the world, nor is missing the next El train, at least not for me, not that particular day.  Some people unfortunately don’t have as forgiving an employer as mine. I just kinda think there should be a better system in place. One that doesn’t punish someone for driving with the flow of traffic.

I recall reading somewhere — my Google-fu is too weak to find it — that when the CTA first started using GPS to track buses, there was resistance among bus drivers because they feared it would be used against them for being late. Who would have imagined it could be used against them for being early.

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Get your Pulaski Day Scholarships at the PMA

PRESS RELEASE:  The Polish Museum of America (PMA) is pleased to announce The Polish Museum of America Pulaski Day Scholarship Program.  The scholarship recipients will be introduced at the annual official State of Illinois Pulaski Day Celebration to be held on Monday, March 3, 2014 in the Sabina P. Logisz Great Hall of the PMA during the 10 a.m. program.  The PMA will select two recipients.  Each will receive a $1,000 scholarship applicable for the 2014-2015 school year.  High school seniors and college students are encouraged to apply.  Submissions must be received no later than Tuesday morning, February 25, 2014, by 11 a.m. with no exceptions.

To participate, each candidate must submit an essay in English (not to exceed 500 words, excluding citations of sources) on the following subject: Discuss a specific work of art in the Polish Museum of America collection and the importance of the artist.  The PMA and its Library can help serve as excellent resources for information gathering.  The essay should be accompanied by a personal statement of the student’s academic accomplishments and career goals.  The personal statement and applicant’s name MUST NOT appear in the body of the essay and MUST not exceed 250 words.

Essay entries MUST be typed, double-spaced, and in 12 point font.  Candidates must be residents of the metropolitan Chicago area, and must include their first and last name, email address, phone number, and school address with their personal statement, but NOT on the essay.  Last year’s scholarship recipients are not eligible this year.  Family members of the PMA staff and PMA board members are not eligible.  Please email the entries to: PMA@PolishMuseumofAmerica.org.  Applicants will be notified no later than Friday, February 28, 2014.  If there are any questions, please call (773) 384-3352, ext. 104, weekdays between 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The two 2014 scholarship recipients must also attend the official scholarship presentation at The Polish Museum of America on Monday, March 3, 2014.  There will be a photo session after the event.  Scholarship checks will be mailed to the two recipients during the week of March 3, 2014.

In recent years, guests at the Pulaski Day celebration have included the then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama, Governor Patrick Quinn, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, U.S. Senators Richard Durbin and Mark Kirk, guests from the Polish government, military, and Polish Embassy, along with other distinguished political and community leaders.  A short program of speakers will take place, with a public reception to follow.  Admission and parking are free.

>In Illinois, the first Monday of March honors Polish-born Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski, a famed cavalry officer in Poland, who joined the American Revolution and became a hero and a source of great pride for Polish Americans.

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General Pulaski would want you to:

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Illinois to Honor General Pulaski

PRESS RELEASE: The public is invited to celebrate Pulaski Day on Monday, March 3, 2014, at 10 a.m. in the Sabina P. Logisz Great Hall of The Polish Museum of America (PMA), 984 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. The presence of distinguished leaders of national, state, county, and city government is anticipated, as well as leaders of Polonia. A short program of speakers will take place, concluding with an official wreath laying ceremony at the painting, Pulaski at Savannah, by Stefan Batowski.

Uncle Pulaski Wants You!

General Kazimierz (Casimir) Pulaski (b. Warsaw, Poland, March 6, 1745 – d. near Savannah, Georgia, October 9-10, 1779) is recognized as the “Father of the American Cavalry.”  He offered his services as an experienced military leader to the American Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.  “I came to hazard all for the freedom of America,” stated Pulaski in a letter to the Congress. Even before he was officially commissioned by Congress, Pulaski joined the American Army as a volunteer. At Brandywine, in 1777, he greatly distinguished himself by leading a daring attack against the British, thereby saving the retreating American Army.

At the insistence of General George Washington, Pulaski was made a Brigadier General and the first Commander of the American Cavalry. He established the Pulaski Legion, a corps of Frenchmen, German Hessians, and Poles, who were instrumental in saving the City of Charleston, South Carolina, from British occupation in 1779.  In October of 1779, at the age of 34, General Pulaski paid the ultimate price for freedom: he died from mortal wounds received while leading a cavalry charge in Savannah, Georgia. The General’s mortal remains were ceremoniously reinterred at the Pulaski Monument at Monterrey Square in Savannah, GA in October of 2005. Posthumous honorary US citizenship was granted to General Pulaski in 2009.

Refreshments will be served following the official program in the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America Social Hall on the first floor. Free parking.

Additional information may be found on the PMA website www.polishmuseumofamerica.org

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Contact: (773) 384-3352 ext. 104′

 

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Super Bowl and some other things we need to move or eliminate

I know it will NEVER happen but there are some things in the world we live in today that we would be better off without or at least better off if we didn’t have to deal with them when some archaic tradition says they need to appear on the calendar. Some of these may have made sense back in the day, others just fell into place.

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