Pizza Party

The seven pizza’s in seven days experiment is over. I am now off pizza until Christmas. (I am kind of sick of it.) Anyway, here is a rundown of each pizza with a grade attached. Kudos to my wife Joyce, for allowing me to indulge in this little exercise.

Friday June, 19^th Gino’s East – (http://featuredfoods.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/a-store/c-GinoAns_East.shtml?E+scstore+ginos) - We went to the O.G. location for my brothers graduation celebration. The first problem was that the 15 year old they hired to wrangle everyone in line could not have been more rude if she tried. Just a complete bitch. Anyway, I will say the appetizers we ordered were really good. The pizza, well that was another matter.

I got my usual, deep dish cheese and sausage. Now, I won’t say it sucked because it didn’t. However it did leave a lot to be desired. Maybe I just remember it being better then it was. I remember loving that pizza when I was a kid. This time the crust was really thin for a deep dish and it was very “soupy.” I really wanted to love it and sadly I was a tad disappointed. Grade C -

Saturday June20th Ricobene’s (http://www.ricobenesfamoussteaks.com/) -We traveled to Orland to hit the location on 159^th street. Ricobene’s has become one of my favorite thin slice pizzas. I went years without ever eating a slice simply because when looking at the menu my eyes stopped as soon as I saw the breaded steak. Thiers truly rocks. Then one day Joyce got a slice and I had a bite and all of the sudden I realized I was missing out on a quality ‘ZA.

Now, their slice is very New York like. Which if you like that style (and no matter how much shit I get from other Chicagoan’s I do) is very good. They have the fixings like NYC as well. I only recommend the thin as that is all I can personally attest to. They have a think as well but their thin is so good and I go there so rarely that I have never ventured to the pan slice. I got 2 slices of cheese (Thiers is so good, I don’t even need a toping) and devoured them in record time. A great sauce that makes the slice. Grade A -

Sunday June 21^st Fasano’s (http://www.fasanospizza.com/) – On Sunday I hit one of my all time favorites in Fasano’s in Justice. I pretty much grew up (and out) eating this pizza. I know it is not for everyone but to me there is nothing better in the thin pizza realm.

I was at my Aunt’s house celebrating my birthday so I went in on a cheese and sausage. Needless to say I was not disappointed. It was greasy like it always is, but I have always maintained that is what makes that place so good. Grade A

Monday June 22^nd Joe’s Italian Vila (http://chicago.citysearch.com/profile/3586648/bridgeview_il/joe_s_italian_villa_inc.html) – On Monday I went with another of my favorites in the Villa on Harlem in Bridgeview. I was fearing I was getting in a sausage rut so, I went with the pepperoni instead and got half cheese for Joyce.

Joe’s crust is really thin and his sauce is on the sweet side. I like the thin crust but, I know others are not big fans. One thing I like about Joe’s is that you will never get an undercooked pizza there. I live my ‘za well done as they say and for Joe’s that is the standard. It is greasy (not as greasy as Fasano’s) and delicious. Grade A –

Tuesday June 23^rd Vito and Nick’s (http://www.vitoandnick.com/) – Went to the O.G. Vito and Nicks on 84^th and Pulaski. I remember this place being the balls back in the day. I hadn’t been there in over ten years so, I was anxious to go back. There is a knock off on 95^th street right by my house but, it is very hit or miss so I never order from there.

So Joyce and I headed over and well I was disappointed. Again this may be a case of me remembering it being better then it was. I thought it was good but not anything to write home about and certainly not worth the ride out there. I will admit it is worth a trip to get a look at the decor (like carpeting on the walls.) We ordered the half and half which is half sausage and half cheese. Joyce simply hated it while I was pretty much indifferent. It is very thin and they still cut in into very small pieces. But something just wasn’t right. Maybe we just got a bad one, it happens. Grade D

Wednesday June 24^th Palermo’s (http://www.palermos95th.com/) – On Wednesday I decided to grab some Palermo’s on 95^th street in Oak Lawn. Palermo’s makes a pizza that I really like but one that I don’t think you can eat all the time. However, when you get a taste for one nothing else comes close to it.

I again got a half sausage, half cheese and we ordered it with their thin and crisply crust which I highly suggest. Of all the pizza’s I had last week Joyce would probably give the biggest ups to Palermo’s. She really liked it. I also liked it a lot and always have. There pizza is very consistent. I have never gotten a bad pie from them. It is always fresh and always tasty. It is unique and if you don’t like sweet sauce look elsewhere, but for my tastes the place is damn good. Grade A –

Thursday June 25^th Lou Malnati’s (http://www.loumalnatis.com/) – Since I was giving up pizza for awhile I decided to end with a bang and grab a Lou’s. We ordered from the carryout joint in Western Springs. I was always a Gino’s East guy but in the last couple of years, I have switched lanes and now prefer Lou’s deep dish.

Joyce at this point was sick of pizza so, I ordered a small cheese and sausage and devoured two slices. Their butter crust is to me what makes this pizza. They also use fresh ingredients. Many people will tell you that there are some Lou’s locations that are not as good as others. I usually order from this one in the western burbs and don’t have any complaints. Grade A+

I Just Want to Thank You

With it being my birthday I thought I would reflect on how lucky I am and send out some thanks to everyone who helped turn me into the middle aged man that I am today. So, here goes. (BTW, sorry if this is really sappy, us middle aged folks tend to get that way from time to time. I promise my next blog will be nothing but a bitch fest.)

I want to thank the following people

My Mom - For doing a kick ass job as a single mom for as long as she was. You sacrificed a lot for me and my Vince and I don’t tell you nearly enough how grateful I am for that. Thanks for teaching me to respect women and setting the bar high in who I looked for in a soul mate. Also, for looking past my faults and loving me for who I am.

My Dad- For instilling in me all the values that I still have. You taught me to be a leader not a follower and to respect your elders. Thanks for those summers in Ohio. For letting me stay up and watch horror movies. I think I got my warped taste in cinema from you. Also as much as I may bitch about it thanks for raising me a Cubs fan. I couldn’t imagine being anything else.

My Brother Vince – Well thanks for a lot of things. First off for being my best man. You gave a kick ass speech. Thanks for being such a gifted writer. Every time I think about that speech you gave at our Grandfathers wake I start to get verklempt. Thanks for playing catch with me back in the day, I know you hated it. Thanks for getting me into the Kinks. I have been getting deeper and deeper into their catalog and you are right they rock. But most of all thanks for being a kick ass brother.

My Grandpa Joe- For the millions of laughs and great memories I have. He was such a happy go lucky guy. I can’t think of one person who ever met him who didn’t love him instantly. Thanks for teaching me to know no strangers in life and to greet everyone with a smile.

My Grandma Rita - For all those stories you used to tell me as a kid. She would come up with these off the top of her head and they were captivating. Also, for never letting me win at 500 rummy when I was a kid. It made me a much better player and I love the game still.

My Grandpa Jim and Grandma Clara - You both passed on before I really got to know you. I am told you both loved me very much. I wish I would have got to know you both better.

Lou – Man I can’t even imagine marrying a woman with kids 15 and 13 years old. Thanks for putting up with me at that age. Thanks for teaching me to drive. Thanks for fixing my car when I needed it. Thanks for at the drop of hat when I call you coming over and fixing some ailment at my house. I probably should have paid better attention to when you were fixing things back in the day as opposed to just standing there holding a flashlight. I could not in a million years ever ask for a better step dad. You truly rock.

Tamara - Thanks for putting us up on our recent visit to Ohio. I know it is a lot of work. Thanks most of all for making my Dad happy at long last.

My Aunt Kathy – For all those amazing thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter meals you slave over. You have raised the bar so high that I can’t enjoy anyone else’s turkey or lasagna. I know how much work you put into it and I never fully showed my appreciation.

My Uncle John – For all those Cub games you took me to as a kid. For taking me to the Hawks games as well. For giving me my first job. You gave me my love of sports that I still have today. Some of my best memories are of sitting at Wrigley with you and my Uncle Dan.

My Aunt Joanne – Thanks for those Friday nights. Vince and I still talk and tell stories from those evenings of our youth. We both have such fond memories from those times. Thanks for taking me to those special reading classes when I was a kid. I really appreciate it.

My Uncle Dan – Where do I begin? Thanks for giving me my sense of humor. I know how sarcastic I am and I no doubt got that from you. Thanks for the chili and Swedish meatballs. Thanks for putting up with us on those Friday nights. Thanks for introducing me to the Arp’s. Thanks for the ballgames and hotdogs. Maybe I can pick some more weeds and I can knock a couple more off the list.

My Aunt Jennie – Thanks for never hiding your emotions. You taught me it is okay to wear your feelings on your sleeve. Thanks for all my wonderful cousins. Thanks for renting me Re-Animator when you went to rent a Care Bears movie for Leyna.

Jim – Thanks for bringing another Cub fan into the family, there is strength in numbers. Also, thanks for everything you did on that camping trip. You were a born camper even if that was your first time going.

My Aunt Angela – First off sorry for being such a pain in the ass during your teen years. I was 8 and a brat, my bad. Thanks for walking me to school when I am sure you would have much rather been hanging out with your friends. Thanks for being the glue in our family. You keep us organized and make us feel appreciated.

Randy – Thanks for introducing me to some great 70’s rock. You came along at a time when the Billy Joel and Elton John music may have infected me as well. Thanks for helping me with the St. Joseph’s statue all those years.

My Cousin Kristie – Thanks for being the only girl in the bunch when it was the four of us. That probably sucked. Thanks for taking the pressure off of me, Vince and Kevin by giving us Danny.

My Cousin Kevin – Thanks for being an usher at our wedding and for making our wedding that much more fun with your mere presence. Thanks for showing Vince and I a side of Vegas I had never seen. Thanks for not making me look like the only slob when it comes to eating rolls on Thanksgiving.

My Cousin Leyna – First off thanks for being born. You took the pressure off me and Vince. Thanks for your smarts. You kick ass at nearly every game we play at the family functions and make me raise my game to a much higher level.

John – Thanks for laughing at my jokes. Our family functions are not the same for me without you there as no one else seems to get my humor like you do. Thanks for becoming my as I like to call you “pseudo cousin in law.”

My Cousin Michael – Thanks for all the wiffle ball games. Even though we both know that was a foul ball. Seriously, though thanks for being a fellow smart ass. I don’t think I know anyone as comfortable in their own skin as you.

My Cousin Marisa –Thanks for taking the abuse for some reason we heap on you. It is all in jest and they say you only kid the ones you love.

My Cousin Joe – Thanks for keeping me young. I got on myspace and facebook after you joined. Also, thanks for opening up my world with the IPOD. Mine sat on my desk til I saw you rock yours. I haven’t been the same since.

My Cousin Catie – Thanks for giving me the experience of seeing someone roll 4 yahtzee’s in one game. Thanks for playing fold that towel and not holding a grudge when my brother almost stepped on your head when you were an infant.

My Cousin Brinn – Thanks for being the flower girl at our wedding. You did a bang up job and made our day more enjoyable. I’ll make a Cub fan out of you one of these days.

My friend Chuck – Thanks for asking me to be a groomsman at your wedding. Thanks for being a sounding board all these years for my bitching about my fantasy baseball team. Most of all thanks for all the memories. I think I share as many funny memorable moments with you as I do anyone else.

My friend Dell – Thanks for all those rides in the Impala. Thanks for the good times in your Mom’s basement. Thanks for all the great times in all the bars we have been in together. Lastly, thanks for going on the St. Fabian’s retreat with us. We could not have gone without you. (p.s. Thank your brother for all the 15 packs of Stroh’s)

My friend Rob – First off thanks for not holding a grudge about the price gun. Thanks for all the wonderful “Robbie” moments. Thanks for the fun we had on the Vegas and New Orleans trips. (We need to go to Vegas again, BTW.) Thanks for the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club. And finally thanks for enduring the suffering along with me for all those Cub playoff losses.

My friend Wally – Thanks for all of those great times at IRI. I still get mileage out of those stories. Thanks for introducing me to the rest of your family, you certainly have a fun and wonderful clan. Thanks for introducing me to Howard and the White Boys. Thanks for all the Sundays watching football no matter where our home was.

My friend Zar – Thanks for making Argo enjoyable. Thanks for the T and C Shirts and the years we hung with Doyle. Thanks for picking out some really bad videos back in the day. Thanks for letting us party at your Mom’s house.

My friend Tony – First off sorry about that year we lived together. I was in a really bad place and was dating a psycho. Thanks for driving our asses around all those years we would go out boozing. Thanks for all the movie passes. Thanks for all the good times we have had a Wrigley.

My friend Chris – For all the trips to the drive inn on Columbus Drive and the Aids popcorn. Thanks for those parties in that apartment in Worth. Thanks for adding the term “Yestergay” into my vocabulary.

My friend Don – Thanks for your knowledge of useless trivia that I seem to also posses (Polly Holiday). Thanks for the thousands of stories I now have. Thanks for keeping the House of Pain in the family.

My Friend Kevin (Cons) – Thanks for those times we rocked at the Mickey D’s at Moraine. Thanks for melding your posse into mine and my brothers. Thanks for some kick ass wild card weekend parties.

My friend Mike (Shields) – Thanks for “Larry Flint is right.” Thanks for making the Banana Sack show while piercing to the ears, still a good time with the lines you had that night.

All the guys in both the baseball and football fantasy leagues – If I haven’t mentioned you already thanks for playing a geeked out game and allowing me to be a part of it. I have a lot of fun and waste a lot of time playing fantasy sports and look forward to the next draft.

All the girls I loved before – First off, I am sorry. I was young and didn’t know what the hell I was doing. Thanks for playing a part in shaping and molding me into the man I am today. Some played small roles others played larger ones, but there is no doubt that each encounter I had with the opposite sex no matter how awkward or smooth I was, helped turn me into the man that lead me to Joyce.

To anyone else I may have forgotten to mention – Thanks for reading this far down. I’m sorry as you can see I am getting old and forgetfulness comes with the territory.

And last but in no way least Joyce – Thanks for so much. Thanks for choosing to spend your life with me. Thanks for making me feel like the best looking guy in the world when we both know I am far from it. Thanks for putting up with me when the Cubs lose. Thanks for making me a better man. You have no idea how lucky I feel I am that I get to spend my time on this earth with you. For all that and so much more I owe you a huge thank you.

2009 All Stars

Every year, I do this as I am a baseball nerd. Here would be my picks for this years all star game as we sit today a month away but only a couple of weeks from selecting rosters. Again, you have to account for each team being represented.

Starters

AL

1B Justin Morneau Min

2B Aaron Hill Tor

SS Derek Jeter NY

3B Evan Longoria TB

OF Carl Crawford TB

OF Ichiro Suzuki Sea

OF Tori Hunter LA

C Joe Mauer Min.

Reserves

Infield – Kevin Youklis Bos, Ian Kinsler Tex, Marco Scutro Tor, Mike Lowell Bos, Miguel Cabrera Det, Mark Texiara NY.

Outfield – Adam Jones Balt, Johnnie Damon NY, Nelson Cruz Tex.

Catcher – Victor Martinez Clev,

Pitcher – Justin Verlander Det, Roy Haladay Tor, Mark Buerhle Chi, Zach Greinke KC, Andrew Bailey Oak, Jered Weaver LA, Erik Bedard Sea, Edwin Jackson Det, Kevin Millwood Tex, Jonathan Papelbon Bos, Joe Nathan Min, Marino Rivera NY.

NL

1B Albert Pujos Stl

2B Chase Utley Phi.

SS Hanley Ramirez Fla

3B David Wright NY

OF Raul Ibanez Phi

OF Carlos Beltran NY

OF Ryan Braun Mil

C Brain McCann Atl

Reserves

Infield - Ryan Zimmerman Wash, Miguel Tejada Hou, Freddie Sanchez Pitt, Adrain Gonzalez SD, Orlando Hudson LA

Outfield – Brad Hawpe Col, Justin Upton Ari, Hunter Pence Hou, Juan Pierre LA.

Catcher – Bengie Molina SF

Pitchers – Ted Lilly Chi, Chad Billinglsy LA, Johnny Cueto Cin, Matt Cain SF, Tim Lincecoum SF, Dan Haren, Ari, Yovani Gallardo Mil, Jason Marquis Col, Heath Bell SD, Jonathan Broxton LA, Francisco Cordero Cin, Trevor Hoffman Mil.

Eleven More Days

I turn 40 soon. I have been asked what I want for my birthday from a couple of people. The answer is I have no idea. I am pretty lucky, in that if I want something, I just buy it. If it is an expensive item, I save up for it then I just get it. I definitely spoil myself (and hopefully I spoil Joyce as well.) My logic is that I work my ass off and I should enjoy the fruits of my labor with tangible goods that I can actually see and touch.

So, there is nothing I really need. (Yes, I know how lucky I am.) I think I am an easy person to buy gifts for. Anything with a Cub’s logo on it and I am happy. I love music so an I Tunes gift card is always nice. But, I really don’t want or expect a bunch of gifts. I have never been a gift guy. I like giving them but always feel guilty when I get them. (Damn that Catholic upbringing.) So, if anyone reading this is thinking about getting me something, I would rather you just come out for a beer with me on my pubcrawl.

As far as my 40^th birthday pizza challenge it has had to be a tad modified. I am going out of town for work next week so, I will begin things on Friday the 19^th. I am going to Gino’s East for my brother’s graduation gala. On Saturday before the pubcrawl we were going to meet at Palermo’s. But we are now meeting at Top Notch so, I will have to grab some Palermo’s for lunch instead. On Sunday I will fit in some Fasano's at my Aunt’s house after the Cub game.

Monday I am leaning towards The Villa in Bridgeview. Tuesday then seems like a Little Frank’s day. Wednesday I am going to try to talk the wife into a trip to Vito and Nick’s on Pulaski. That leaves Thursday and a trip to Lou Malnotti’s.

After that week I am thinking I will not want to eat pizza for at least a month. I am going to try to see how long I can go without my favorite food. I want to make it 6 months if I can but it will be hard as I am a pizza junkie.

I also decided to take a week off from running. I have been running pretty much non-stop since October and think I deserve a one week vacation. I will start back up once my birthday week is over with the plan to get in shape for a 10K. I am looking for one to run in the fall.

Other then that I am looking at this milestone with a big shrug of the shoulders. I certainly don’t feel forty. Sure, I can’t drink and eat like I did 20 years ago and I don’t spend my Saturday nights out drinking myself stupid at places like Durbins. I have a mortgage and responsibilities. I also know that I have a person I share my life with and have to consider her in any big decision I make.

I am in a pretty good place. In this economy my job is pretty solid and I am happily married. I have a nice roof over my head and have a great family and friends that I wouldn’t trade for anything. I always like to reminisce to my early 20’s and think back to that being the best times of my life. Now, I am not so sure. I have a pretty sweet setup now and hopefully my 4^th decade will be filled with as much good times as the first three.

A Working Vent

The last month has been by far the busiest in the over three years that I have worked at my current job. I don’t want to sound as if I am complaining, I like being busy but at this point I am running on fumes. Each day I go into the office with a box full of voice mails and a “to-do” list that I know I will be lucky to get half way through. I have resorted to working most nights when I go home and on weekends. This is not a good thing as I am turning into the stressed out zombie I was during my last days at the bank.

Again, I am not complaining so much as venting. A nice part of being busy is that my day literally flies by. I will look up and be amazed at what time it is at some point. However, I also have this feeling of drowning. It seems no matter how much I do, I can’t seem to catch up. I don’t want to bore everyone with the mundane day to day details of my boring job. But, for some perspective, I will give a little update.

We are now short three people. One person we lost due to downsizing, another quit and another moved onto another department. We have a hiring freeze so, we can do nothing to replace the resources we lost. That leaves me and one co-worker to support a region that five people used to support. Even with a lot of layoffs in our company it is still a huge burden. On top of that we are going through two huge projects. We are merging offices and updating all our government offices with new equipment while updating the backend of some rather old networking configurations.

Trying to balance my day to day work with the projects is a Herculean task at this point. I am keeping my head above water but barely. I start traveling again real soon to exciting cities like Rock Island, Illinois, Ft. McCoy, Wisconsin and Crane, Indiana. The problem is that when I am on the road my day to day tasks get put on the back burner and when I get back to my home office in Downers Grove the work is piled up to my neck. It doesn’t help that the clients in Downers need a whole lot of hand holding. I don’t mind that, (I mean that is part of my job) but I just simply don’t have the time to spend with each client that I would like.

So, right now I am just trying to do my best. That is really all I can do. Thankfully, I have a tremendous boss who totally gets how over worked I am. He gets it because he is equally over worked. I know that by putting in the work now, it will get rewarded later when salaries and hiring gets unfrozen. (Hopefully, sometime before I turn 50.) I know this because my boss has always been honest with me and has treated me fairly in this job and my last spot. (I used to work for the same boss in my days at Harris bank.)

One of the reasons I left Chase was that I felt that I busted my ass and did some solid work and then was told how much I sucked if I messed up one thing. I don’t need to have my inner thigh stroked or anything like that. I just don’t want to hear about some nonsense when I am doing 99% of my job effectively. That should buy me some slack when something does happen to go bad. That and the bank basically sucked the life force out of me.

Also, I don’t want to hear “At least you still have a job.” You see that attitude is part of the problem. I know a lot of people out there who lost their jobs. I feel for them. I think it royally sucks. I get that and I do know I am fortunate that I am still employed in this environment. The problem is that in this market companies basically have got you by the balls. Because everyone is thinking “At least I still have a job” they can do whatever they want right now and know most people won’t complain no matter how fair or unfair they are being treated.

It seems like it is a vicious cycle. We want people to start spending money and spur the economy on and yet corporate America keeps laying off more and more people. How much money do you think people without jobs are going to spend on goods and services? Plus a lot of the people still working are worrying about their employment situations and when you are thinking like that you basically put off any purchases except the basics.

Anyway, I am personally just trying to ride this out. I know soon this project will be over and eventually we can hire someone to replace one of the three that have left. Until that time, Nick is going to be very busy. I don’t mind working hard, never have. I just don’t want to cheat my clients that I support by not being able to spend the appropriate time on each issue. I feel like I am band-aiding everything right now. It is frustrating from not only my end but the users end as well. Hopefully June is better than May was.