Sorted by date Results 1136 - 1148 of 1148
I wonder, if I started interviewing celebrities, whether my writing style would change. After all, it seems every article I read about someone famous opens with a ridiculous account of the circumstances surrounding the interview. Years ago I read a piece about Julia Roberts. The author opened with an account of his lunch meeting with her, describing in overwritten detail where they sat and what she wore and what she ate. “Who cares?!?” I screamed at the magazine. I tried to...
Has anyone seen my white go-go boots? Yes, I actually own white go-go boots. I acquired them a few years back when I had to dress up like a University of Illinois cheerleader for a scene in the Community Revue. I might need to wear them again in this year's show, and I have no idea where they are. They are not in the plastic bin that has been officially designated as The Spot to hold all revue and Halloween costume items. They are not in the guest room closet, which has been u...
When I heard the news, I was drawn to the bookshelf in the basement. There it sat, in pristine condition. My autographed copy of “Beloved.” The book was a gift years ago from a friend who managed to get me autographed copies of two of my three favorite novels (Graham Swift inscribed a copy of “Waterland” and Virginia Woolf, of course, is not available to sign autographs). Knowing Toni Morrison had died Monday made me want to hold the book in my hands and leaf through its pag...
I baked my first cheesecake under duress. Dan and I were newly married, living in an apartment in Wrigleyville, and we had invited his parents over for a Saturday night dinner. Being young and foolish, we had indulged in some merriment the night before. Overindulged, to be truthful. And so much of Saturday was spent recuperating on the couch. I don’t think I started working on dinner until about two hours before my in-laws were expected to arrive. Somehow, I managed to pull it...
Vacation. It is a time of rest, relaxation and recuperation. It is a time when families can get away and re-strengthen their bonds. It is a time when the rat race of the American lifestyle can be safely left behind and the relaxed lifestyle of other countries and cultures can be embraced. Yeah, right. We are Americans, and we can leave America behind, but the American in us is always strong and manages to shine brightly, even during our vacations. Take my trip to Paris last su...
My baby just turned 10 and, even setting aside my emotional baggage over that, it is a momentous birthday. This milestone involves special traditions in our home, the most sentimental of which is a letter from me entitled "10 Wishes." I outline 10 things about my child right now that make me proud and 10 wishes I have for their future selves. As I worked on this last letter, I realized it is a list that we could all use right now. So I humbly offer up an abbreviated version...
I knew this column would be written one day - I just wasn't sure when. After 12 years in Hinsdale, the Neiman family is packing up and heading back to the West Coast. When I dragged my family here from California, I made my wife, Nancy, a deal. Once our daughter Madison graduated from high school, we could move back if my job allowed it. Madison graduated from Central in May and Nancy called in the contract. But where to go? Back to California? Nope, to the surprise of many....
On Thursday morning, the alarms went off. All of them. Every cell phone. Every egg timer. Every theft alert in every Walgreens, Walmart, Best Buy and bank. In an instant, every man, woman and child was awash in the clanging, clicking, beeping, buzzing, trilling, chiming, whooping, squealing cacophony that blanketed the Earth. Sump pump alarms sent homeowners scrambling to the basement and crashing through dusty cardboard boxes, wondering if maybe it wasn't time to start Marie...
I recently read about a study that investigated the relationship of human happiness to random social contact. Scientists found that even momentary social interaction with a stranger increases our well-being. As simple as making eye contact or smiling and nodding - whatever the interaction was - it apparently makes an actual, chemical difference in our brains. This story seems similar to a refrain we've been hearing for a while now: the idea that, for all the technological...
A new school year is beginning (yikes!), marking the annual abrupt end to summer vacation and the frenzied first day approach. This week’s expert, District 181 teacher Jessica Schultz, offers useful advice on starting the year strong (see Page 14). Here are some other tips that can smooth out re-entry, courtesy of pbs.com. • Meet the new teacher One of the biggest back-to-school fears is “Will I like my new teacher?” Break the ice early by taking advantage of a school open house or back-to-school night. Some teachers welcome...
More than a quarter of a million pets have found homes during the NBC and Telemundo Clear the Shelters pet adoption drives over the last four years. Folks at the Hinsdale Humane Society — along with 1,000-plus participating shelters and rescues across the country — hope to see that number climb during the fifth annual event Saturday, Aug. 17. Ten dogs and 13 cats from the Hinsdale Humane Society found their forever homes during the 2018 drive. Humane society staff members expect to see a higher number of adoptions this yea...
Summer is the time to soak up outdoor pleasures. But it’s also the season for high temperatures and humidity, which can foil the fun if one is overexposed to them. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can escalate rapidly, leading to delirium, organ damage and even death. In 2017, according to the National Safety Council, 87 people died in the U.S. from exposure to excessive heat. Infants and young children, seniors and those with chronic health conditions are most at risk, but anyone exposed to hot weather for an excessive p...
Hunger never takes a vacation, the website of the Northern Illinois Food Bank reminds us as we head into the final days of July. Many of us spend the summer months traveling to distant shores or enjoying the lazy, hazy days relaxing at home. We might not be as focused on the needs of area agencies as we are during the school year, when our schedules are more regimented. But many experience no vacation from the needs they face year-round. For some — such as the children who are entitled to free lunch during the school year ...
