Brothers

When you have teenage boys, you have pranks. 

How would you like to climb into bed at the end of the day, look up and see a 5ft image of your brother holding a baseball bat watching over you?

TJ's retaliation? He took Cal's sheets off his bed and hid them and turned his TV around to face the wall.

It's  the simple things they do that crack me up. Can you image getting into bed and find there are no sheets? Then you get into bed and push the remote to turn on the TV just to realize you're starring at the back of the set.

One time I told TJ to wake up Callahan, so he went into Cals room and said 

"time to get up" and flipped Cals entire bed over with Cal in it

This is my life

Catching up on Karrick

Karrick is loving his time with the Opera. Everyone- International Opera stars included are so friendly and down to earth...just amazing. Yesterday was the 1 day in costume and they ran through 2 acts. I was able to sit through the second act with the SupraTitles, which is great as I don't speak German

  tiny Karrick needed some last minute elastic suspenders to hold up his high waisted, corset like pants

The final product to play Nachtigall's son

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"Coloring"

Last Thurday we attended the Premeir of Karrick's film "Coloring".

It was really cute and funny.

It is due to hit the Film festival this spring

We had a family vacation planned to go snowmobling/sking in upper Wisconsin this week. I had to stay back with Karrick due to the Opera. TJ didn't want ot miss school and not a big winter sports person. Tim and Cal went up alone to play with family and friends. His brother rented a 5 bedroom cabin for the month. 

Worked out well because we got to attend Karrick's premeir. There will be more showing's for Tim and Cal to see.

Karrick during the  Q & A session after the movie

Me and only me

So much has been going on the last few weeks...all good stuff. Kids busy with acting careers. I booked my 1st wedding (so many people have asked me, but I declined in the past). I don't take someone's wedding lightly as there are no redos. I have also been bombarded with headshot requests. Shot my 1st one yesterday and they are really good

Will blog about all that later. I have been aggravated by left shoulder pain that has artitis (actually in bootcamp I was throwing the medicine ball over my head to the padded wall where in bounces on ground, you catch and repeat until you hear the 20 sec whistle. I should have been throwing from my chest. Well my arthitic left shoulder popped out of the socket and back in OUCH. I was corrected right after that as my scream alerted the instrucutor (I didn't stop though) ) but this pain was more than just my arthitis and my arm has been numb and tingling. I went to my pain doc for my quarterly follow up (must go to keep meds and eye on my injuries) which was actually my 6mo follow up. They threatened to not refill my pain meds.

I thought my arthitis just got out of control and was hoping for a steroid shot in the shoulder joint and all would be good.

No Such Luck!

My doctor is hilarious and I'm probably one of the only patients under the age of 65. Once you are deemed incurable and only treatable you are pawned off the the pain center for pain management. I won my slot 5 or so years ago. 

Dr K that always greets me with an Irish Brogue (she hasn't an ounce of Irish blood in her)

She says she doesn't think the problem is my shoulder but my neck...I didn't believe her. She proceeds to push on a nerve on my shoulder that goes to my neck. I immediatly fall over on the bed laughing...yes laughing in gut wrenching pain as muscle spasms cripple my neck. Ever had a charlie horse in the side of your neck?..I get them often...they hurt and you can't breathe. 

Then a crippling blinding headache sets in where I can't open my eyes. (that I still have to this moment..it's dulled though)

"What is wrong with you!" I ask her

She reply's with a "Told you it was your neck"

I had severe whiplash 7 years ago and have bulging disks at C 3, C4 and C5. I have severe nerve damage...spent years unable to move my neck. After years of Steroid injections and mulyiple meds I had Radio frequency ablation...3 times to be exact (it's where they cut the branch nerves) 1 st two times they grew back. The last time was 2 years ago I had C2-C6 cut bilaterlly, which ahs been a Godsend. I still have crunching, stiffmness, muscle spasms and reguler pain. It's just a 2 on a great day, 4 on a normal day and 7 on a bad day. Not the 10 that I use to live with.

Plus after you have been in horrible chronic pain for a long period of time, you start sucking it up and living your life again. I had no choice because I have kids that need a functioning mother, I had to buck up and stop letting my pain identfy me.

I digress

So Dr K. sent me for a new MRI and Xray with the words "I'm afraid what it is going to show" and get used to the "S" word...surgery...what kind you ask....discectomy and Cervical Spine fusion. Really?! who says that? but we have that kind of relationship after all these years together.

Turns out the results showed Degenerative joint disorder and 2 new bulging discs at C6 and C7.Makes 5 if you're counting. Nurse called with that special news. I will meet with Doc tomorrow to find out what is next.

I will add this to the lumbar spinal fusion that I had 15 years ago from degerative disc, that is now riddled in arthitis which makes my hips, lower back and right leg in horrible pain, numb and tingling. I have arthitis in my right elbow from Ulnar nerve relocation surgery in 2007- another dandy gift from my accident for which I receive steroid shots in order to have use of it.

If I'm going to be thorough I have to add my Right big toe and right thumb that burns and which I am losing use of.

I write this for myself because no one really wants to hear mine or your aches and pain, because in my age brackett give or take 10 years...everyone has something that is making their life a living Hell. Whether it's 1 bad disk or 5, whether you suck it up and move on or let it define you...it hurts. No one can feel your pain as their pain is all they know. So I am complaining here on my own blog.

I think people aren't really complaining and looking for sympathy as much as they are afraid and really want people to understand what they are going through...it's scary

I am glad I am one of those people that have chosen life over sitting home complaining and I doubt anyone has more going on than me...Im sure someone does somewhere.

Now that I got it out, I can continue taking care of my family, going to work, schlepping my kids...doing my bootcamp..Yep, my bootcamp-to the best of my ability, taking peoples pictures which requires so much squatting that I couldn't do a year ago, but now I can just from being a photographer! I will suffer through 5 1/2 hrs of my darling 8 years Opera...if I have to stand in the back of the theater. I will fight to the finish and my kids will remember, not the mama that used to lay in bed crying (in the beginning I did) but the mama that was there for everything they do!

I

yes, my kid is 'that kid"

Callahan started basketball...yeah, that's him #34 the tall one. See those shoes, bought them last week mens size 13. Three or so months ago I talked about his new mens size 12's...they didn't last long and they look brand new. Cal is pushing 5'11 at age 13..he shot up so fast that he only weighs 130 lbs. He was about 6'2 before his haircut last week. With puberty came these adorable curls

Cal's team was the Home team. Callahan scored the 1st, 2 baskets of the game Yay Callahan!

 Final score 47-13. It was the quietest game I have ever been to...how can you even cheer with that score?

"Sex City"

Callahan and TJ shot an episode of "Sex City" in Logan Square. Karrick also booked the project but had Opera rehearsal at the same time.

Had to capture the sign above as we entered the banquet hall via the alley. Kinda awkward when with my teenage sons .

The boys had fun, they played the children of "Larry" that has 20 plus kids from multiple ex-wives

Sex City is a nine-part Web series that has been in development since October 2011 by Everything Is Terrible!, a found footage collective (http://www.everythingisterrible.com). The series was written by Lehr Beidelschies, one of the group’s founding members, as the first original content to be created and promoted under their growing brand.

My little super

Everything about the Lyric Opera of Chicago is huge...just an amazing building

Karrick had his 1st rehearsal for Die Meistersinger at the The Lyric Opera of Chicago. He jumped right in and got to work. The kid is a natural.

Karrick's castmate and guess what? He lives in Lombard...just a few blocks away. Small freakin world. They hit it right off

Karrick and a little girl were cast as the children of the two in back wearing orange and blue. That gave Karrick a little more stage time and direction

Needless to say, Karrick had a ball and was amazed when the adults sang. He has never heard of Opera before...he is just in love with it and wishes he spoke German. It is just beautiful when they sing. It's actually weird because the people look like normal older people and when they open their mouths this amazing sound comes out . just mesmerizing 

 I want a badge

Photoshoot for movie

Tuesday night we headed to Berwyn. The writer/director of Karrick's movie Coloring wanted the kids to all come back and color. They got to choose either Pilgrims or Indians to color in their own likeness. As you can see Karrick chose Indians. His Indian's are blond with very pale skin. Arif, then took pictures of each kid holding up there artwork. They will be added to the film as the story line is based on kids exploring their heritage and skin color.

While there we got to watch the rough cut of the film. It is so cute! Not to mention seeing your child on the screen...Karrick is stinking cute! Karrick loved it and was thrilled that he has second billing on the credits.  "Karrick McGinty"  in big letters roles across the screen. We also got to listen to the song the kids recorded...just precious.

Coloring is due to premier in 2 weeks downtown. They want to have it on 1 of 2 days, the 1st day Karrick is free, but the other date he is scheduled for Opera rehearsal. That would just stink if he didn't get to walk down the red carpet. What can you do? Nothing, it's just life of a budding star I guess

Karrick "mom, can you take a piture of this piece of popcorn and make me all blurry in the background?"
Of course I can. The kid knows about aperture

Bootcamp

TJ and I signed up for a 6 week boot camp at Iron Dragon Innovative Training Facility in Lomabrd. The class meets every M-W-F from 5:30 - 6:30 pm.

It is a get down and dirty gym. They train professional MMA fighter's (mixed martial Arts)

web shots from Iron Dragon website

I have too many ailments, that working out at my healthclub just wasn't working. I would just end up in muscle spasm Hell!

The instructor Mick is great, he motivates and the stuff we do....anyone can do. We do a lot of core strengthing circuits which keeps everyone moving. There are about 8 of us in the class...TJ, another teen and the rest of them are in my age bracket.

My body is riddled with arthitis and the best thing is to work out and keep moving. It hurts like HELL, but a good burning hurt.

I may sign TJ up with a personal trainer after bootcamp to get him back into chiseled shape

Today kicked my ass, we ran on the prarie path for the last 1/2 hr. I did a walk fast/run slow type of deal....by the end I was walking and wanted to faint. Blood sugar plummeted ...nothing like getting into your car and shoving 5 mini NestleCrunch bars down your throat. No I am not diabetic...I have been tested for everything sugar related. I just have a fast metabolism and I didn't eat enough dinner.

2 classes down and 16 left. I may weigh and measure myself tomorrow and see if anything changes  by the end of camp

Wish me luck!

Lombard Fire Dept- 100 years

January 3rd, 2013 Lombard's Fire Department celebrated 100 years of service. Proir to that it was a volunteer fire dept. called Glenbard Fire Dept. (Glen Ellyn-Lombard).

I have the honor of sitting on the Centennial Committee. After much preparation we had our kick off celebration Thursday (Jan 3). It was just wonderful. I have learned a great deal about my village history throughout these last few months.

I am the photographer for the events and had the honor of capturing our new chief, 2 new firefighters, pictures of all 3 shifts of ff's and our current apparatus' to go into the new time capsule. 

The event was attended by present LFD personnel, retired LFD, village officials and FF's from Chicago and surrounding suburbs.

One of Lombard's retired chiefs Jack Jones, served on the committee...he is 88 years old and a walking history book of the LFD and Glenbard Fire Service.

 Lombard's new Fire Chief Paul DiReinzo

The training room was converted into a museum . The walls were originally a light blue. One of the firemen built the bunker case that now houses 3 different era's of gear (above). Many artifacts were loaned or donated for the event. We spent the day before the party decorating the room.

Below a history of the rigs were displayed, the 1st and 3rd on bottom row from the right I took

The ceremonial flag was raised by the honor guard as the truck sirens blarred

The chairman of the committe, Battalion Chief Commes on the R in the above pictures gave a thank you, during his speech. When he got to me he thanked me for my hours of dedication, talked about my ties to CFD Engine 18 and the boats etc. I never felt so honored, I almost cried. I feel like they are doing me a favor by letting me be part of this celebration.

Well, the Chicago Fire Dept Chief, Chief Burke (below L wearing white hat) came up to me and asked my name and what my connections to E 18 were. My dad of course. He worked with my dad way back when (honestly everyone knows my dad...quite the name he has) . Now Chief Burke works with my brother (different shift) in Englewood

Small world I tell you.

Chief Burke grew up in Lombard, his father was an Asst Chief with LDF. It's like we switched towns

The official LFD Chaplain started off with the blessing-on right is our new acting village President

  Lombard Battalion Chiefs, LFD Chief and retired Chief Jack Jones on the right

and below sharing stories of the past

 

The time capsule from 1987 was dug

 up and opened. A new one will be burried around May when the 100 year commemorative book is complete 

 this flag has 48 stars and came out of the original time capsule and was put back into the 1987 capsule. All these contents plus new artifacts will go in the 2013 capsule

Next event we are planning for- Lombard's Lilac parade in May

Below are a few of my new trainee shots