He's a Very Big Boy

20.5 lbs, 29 inches long

A Trip Up I-90

Zach and his fellow Z enjoy a nice meal
Audrey and Aunt Martha listen to Toasty McToast babble
I'm much bigger than I was the lost time I saw Barbara

Zambrano Goes to the Zoo

Milena, our wonderful sitter, took Zambrano to the Lincoln Park Zoo.
When Zammy got his pants changed...
... he became the attraction to this friendly primate.

Thanks, Milena, for such a fun trip!

Greg's Birthday

We got to the ballpark very early this day... (the flags would change later)

Zammy got some shots earlier in the day, so his tank was low...
And perhaps he knew the game would go so long that he would not be able to make it to the ninth...

...when the Cubs won in dramatic fashion, and went into FIRST PLACE!

Too Bad He's Dead: Tom Snyder

I saw Bonnie Hunt at a Cubs game, and yelled "I loved you on Tom Snyder," and she gave a big smile and wave.

Fire up a colortini, sit back, relax, and watch the pictures, now, as they fly through the air...

2007 GGO Cancelled

The 2007 Greg Gross Open has been cancelled "for lack of advertising funds."

Perhaps it was because of the high number of people who couldn't make it.

Perhaps it was because of the lack of response from people at all.

Perhaps it was because of the late notice.

Perhaps it was because of the golf course.

Perhaps it was because of the Tournament Director's babysitter issues.

Perhaps it was because of the potentially oppressively hot weather.

Perhaps it was because of the Tournament Director's apathy.

Perhaps it was because the event needs a year off to rest.

Perhaps it was because no one wanted crappy give aways as prizes.

Perhaps it was because everyone wanted Scott Strangberg to have another year to defend his title.

Quizas, Quizas, Quizas

Brush with Greatness: My Good Pal Amy Jacobson

On June 29, Kevin, Burke, and I went to the Cubs game against the Brewers. It was one of the most thrilling games I have ever been to, with Aramis Ramirez hitting a two-run walk-off home run, giving the Cubs a 6-5 win. You can watch the home run here.

After the game, the three of us went to Bernie's and had many beers. We always enjoy reliving exciting moments, giving grief to Brewers' fans, and generally people watching.

That afternoon at Bernie's, one of those persons happened to be Amy Jacobson, the then-intrepid reporter for Channel 5. I believe the conversation started with me saying, "hey, Amy Jacobson!" She came right over and we started chatting, about all kinds of things, just kidding around, and at one point, I asked about that missing woman in Plainfield, and asked her, "So, he did it, right?" She kinda laughed and said, "the things I could tell you...."

There really was no serious conversation, and because the weather was coolish and threatened rain, she was wearing her Channel 5 / Telemundo windbreaker. At some point, and for no real reason, she gave me her windbreaker...

She was with a bunch of friends, and at some point, they decided to take a picture. Being the goof that I am, I jumped in the back, and smiled. They didn't complain, and I gave one of them, I think the guy that was with them, my card and told them to send me a copy.

So, a week or so later, the story breaks about how Jacobson was videotaped in a bikini at the missing Plainfield woman's home with the missing/dead woman's husband and his sister. Apparently Jacobson told her Channel 5 bosses she was trying to gain the confidence of the sister by accepting an invitation to visit the family's home on her day off while headed out for a swim with her kids.

Anyway, that day at work, I get an envelope marked "personal and confidential" and enclosed was this photograph.

Let's just say I was very surprised.

Turns out, she was at the wedding of our friends Dan and Jennifer, though they will have to remind what her connection is/was.

Anyway, in what I really thought was a raw deal, she ended up leaving Channel 5 over it.

The whole sordid story is here. The video can be found here.

Here is the photo without the post-it. A shame you cannot tell I am wearing the sweet Telemundo / NBC5 jacket.

Good Luck to Amy.

2007 GGO Set

The GGO Competition Committee hereby invites you to the 17th Open Championship.

The “Gross,” as it has been come to be known, is named for the Cub outfielder/pinch-hitter of the mid-late 1970s who shares batting side (left), first name (Greg), and birthday (August 1), with the tournament director.

For more info on Greg Gross, click here.

UNBREAKABLE RULES:
 All players must attend the post-tournament Awards Ceremony, to be held this again year at nearby Grandpa’s Place in Glenview.
 The low scorer must wear the coveted “Pink Visor” on the course, and the high scorer must wear same for the first round of cold, frosty beverages.
 Ties for first or last place MUST be broken with a playoff hole.
 Apparel typically worn on nice golf courses strongly discouraged. Ditto for spikes.
 Failure to follow these rules will result in disqualification, a lifetime ban from future Greg Gross Opens, and in some cases, death.

By popular demand, this year's event will again be held at Anetsberger Golf Course in Northbrook, with two sets of nine holes, and a cut after the initial nine holes. Those that miss the cut will carry around the cooler and alternately cheer, heckle and taunt those in competition.No caddies, no carts, but plenty of parking. This is a “competitive” tournament, but the main point of this event is to have fun, not show off your prowess.

• WHEN: August 4, 2007 (sorry for the short notice)Approx. 10:00 a.m.

• R.S.V.P. GregGrossOpen@hotmail.com (or in the Comments section below)

For weather conditions at the course, please click here.

The Tournament is always looking for additional corporate sponsors to award prizes for Longest Drive, Closest to the Pin, etc. We thank Botek, J.C. Whitney, and the Company Peter Works For for its fine support in the past and look forward to working with these and new corporate sponsors in the future.I hope to see all of you there.

Very truly yours always sincerely,

Gregory F. Kelly
Tournament Director

Greg and Tania go to the Rock Show

We went to the Dave Matthews show at Toyota Park, where the Chicago Fire (no, not the old football team, but the soccer team) plays.

We had real good seats, and the beer was typically as cold as the weather was hot. Tania took another couple's picture, and we asked them to take ours, and they did and sent it to us. That was nice of them, wasn't it?

Birdland

On the light above the garage of our next door neighbor (the nice one), a robin family has built a nest, and has at least one youngin'. For the minutes before we got the camera out, the baby was quite visable, but alas, not so much afterwards...