When I was younger, I used to have this memory of my parents taking me somewhere where there were cobblestone streets and all these little shops.  It seemed to be something of Charles Dickens and I always asked them where this was and they never remembered.  Then when I got older, I realized it was the Lincoln Square Chicago neighborhood.  And it was actually only one street with cobblestones on it.  In fact, it wasn’t even that long of a street.  Plus, I don’t really like any of the shops on it.  Still, it was nice to know where this particular memory came from.  I knew it was in Chicago.  In fact, it had to be Chicago since my parents never go anywhere.  My father’s idea of a vacation is to go to Indiana.  Once, we went to Wisconsin.  Yes, I know.  The excitement never stopped. I was especially thrilled with the chance to go to Rockford.  There was just so much to do and see there.  Yeah, Rockford.  For some odd reason, my brother loves it down in Champagne.  I have no idea why.  There’s nothing down there but the University of Illinois and it’s not like he went to school there.   

My uncle has a construction business that he started way back when he was just 22 years old.  He says Grandpa was a big reason he started it.  Grandpa saw that he was not going to be a college graduate anytime soon, so he told my Uncle that he needed to take a break to make some money to pay for his continued education.  Grandpa always told my uncle he was good at carpentry, and would help him renovate the cottage in the back yard.  He did such a good job of it he started a business from there when a neighbor asked him for some construction help.  He just needed help keeping his books, so my Aunt decided to lend him a helping hand, keeping his records updated and doing an online data backup more frequently than once a month when the business took off.  Grandpa is really a very smart man.  What would we do without him?  I hope he sticks around for a long time.  If Grandma has anything to do with it, he will.  She always takes such good care of both herself and Grandpa.  I am so blessed to be a part of this family. 

This week I was supposed to meet with one of the attorneys my mom works with at her office. She wanted me to talk to him about becoming a lawyer and taking the LSAT. I did not get a chance to though because he is handling some Washington DC Filling Bankruptcy case and will be gone for the week. I am actually not really sure what to ask him about it. I am not even sure I want to be a lawyer, I am sure it is not all I think it is cracked up to be. Plus, the friends that I have that have law degrees all tell me they hate their jobs and not to bother going because all I am going to end up with is a headache and in debt up to my ears. That is definitely the deterrent I was looking for. I would have though, as I am sure many before me have and after me will, that after all the times people have pounded into our heads the idea that if we do not go to college we will not amount to anything, I would actually amount to something after I graduate. Yet, here I am stuck in limbo because I have no idea what to do with my degree.

When I was young I always wanted to be a professional gymnast. One might not think that it is a weird dream, but my family of military generals and officers did. Mainly because I am a boy, who grew into a gay man, hence the gymnast. My Air Force Officer father did not agree with my dreams. He always tried to get me to throw the football around. Even when I was sixteen he wouldn’t give up the dream, offering me a beer and a cigar if I would go play catch with him. I always refused. Looking back now I wish I would have played but deep down I knew it wasn’t my company he wanted. He wanted to turn me into a straight man who knew how to play American sports. Even my mother looked at me like an outcast. She was the proud owner of a

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company in downtown Chicago. My hopes and dreams of becoming a professional gymnast feel onto deaf ears. Unfortunately time passed, and with time came age. By the time I was able to afford to pay for my own gymnastics classes I was too old to even think about the Olympics.

Everything is back to normal at home, thank goodness!  Mom is almost back to her old happy busy self again and not constantly calling me on the phone.  Yes, glad to have a nice clean-up house after dealing with that flood problem in the basement.  We are finally able to live down there again.  After she got the money finally from the insurance company, she made quick work of getting a new backup generator.  I guess the one that was there was never serviced.  Mom is great at getting things done.  I have a new respect to what it takes to keep a house going.   We have to help Mom re-furnish the basement.  All of us pitched in and got some new furniture, new carpet and we all got together and painted for her.  She can use the money from the insurance company on the house itself to make sure everything is updated as much as possible.  Money is always in short supply around here.  Good thing we all work and don’t mind pitching in when we need to.  We tried to make short work of getting all that work done and out of the way because we still have to through all those boxes for her.