Cruising north: Alaska, Part 2

In May 2018, Eileen and I enjoyed a combined land tour/ocean cruise vacation to Alaska. In part 1, we described our land tour visit to a gold mining area, a riverboat excursion, an indigenous American native area, visiting Mount Denali National Park and lastly, a scenic train ride to our ship in Whittier. Once we were boarded and somewhat settled, it was time for the “muster” drill; what to do in case of an emergency. Then the first of many food courses.

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Ask an Angel: October 4, 2018

Mom has been living in an assisted living community and we know she will not return to her home. As her power of attorney, I am faced with the task of selling her beloved home. I don’t know how to tell her I will be doing this. It is overwhelming. Some people have advised me not to tell her, others say they would. I am torn.

Hang Your Hat: October 4, 2018

Letters for the week of October 4.

Huntley considers rezoning former outlet mall site

Huntley’s former outlet mall property is very slowly coming back to life. But much planning and negotiations remain to be done.

Both the village and area developers have been talking together for the past year about the future of the now-vacant property. They agree on the need to redevelop it into something financially and commercially viable. But there are varying opinions between the property owners and village officials regarding exactly what to do.

Are those abs under your shirt or ads?

During my senior-year high school art class, I would almost daily ask the teacher for the bathroom pass, but instead of heading to the bathroom, I’d pass them up and head straight for the cafeteria with a pocket full of money and several snack orders from other students. I’m not sure how I got elected to be the official third-period snack runner, but it became my job.

The Craftsman hammerhawk lesson that will outlive Sears

When I read that Sears was closing still more of its stores nationwide, my nostalgia gland ached just a bit, because once long ago I learned a valuable life lesson in a Chicago Sears hardware department.

When I was a kid, my philosophy of life was: “Let Someone Else Break It.” It worked like this.

There are the White Sox and Red Sox, and then there are Chuck Hund’s socks

Baseball uniforms are unique for teams in the majors, minors, Little League, t-ball and Sun City.

The uniforms here in Sun City reflect the generous sponsorship of the community. But nothing is as unique to baseball as the stirrup sock.

Chuck Hund, a team member for the Capitals, is known for the variety of Socks he wears to the games.

Coffee sessions focus on giving residents a voice

No one can say that the Sun City Board of Directors isn’t trying to communicate with residents.

The board recently expanded its written communication with residents through the Lifestyle Magazine and the community website, with more detailed reports on board meetings, more details in the staff’s weekly e-mail messages, and similar initiatives.

Board discusses range of topics from lightning safety to insurance

Topics ranged from lightning warning, insurance policies, parking lot improvements, and a refuse and recycling contract, among many others, at the Sun City board of directors meeting on August 22.

The following is a report on discussions held and actions taken by community directors.

“I worked for Hollywood Casino for 5 years. I was hired in June 1993 and received 8 weeks of training and received certification from the State of Illinois. I was trained on blackjack, Caribbean stud poker, and the roulette table. Blackjack is the most popular table game. When you sit down at a blackjack table and face off against a dealer, you are playing the best odds in the house.”

I wrote my first negative Yelp review and here’s what happened

A few days ago, I felt moved to do something that I forgot real people do: write a review on Yelp.

Sometimes, without realizing it, I imagine that Yelp reviews of restaurants or YouTube tutorials on how to knit a hat just appear on the internet out of the blue. But people write them and film them and share them with the world everyday. Now I’m one of those people.

Prairie Singers welcomes new choir director

When your choir director retires, a typical scenario might be – what do we do now?

Do you know anyone who might help in a search, or, who might be a candidate for a replacement? You had a unique and special relationship with your recent director, how do you find someone else who is equally desirable?

In Sun City’s Prairie Singers choir, however, none of the above was necessary.

Becoming motivated to fitness walk

I have oft informed my Sun City readers of the outstanding rewards of a fitness walk. As we approach the fall season of the year and its more modified, cooler temperatures, it’s time to reconsider this easy-to-do and “just about anywhere” sport.

Surviving Kodak and clothesline “sexting” — 1950s style

When I was eight years old, Mom shocked me by snapping a photo of me with her little Kodak camera — while I was sitting naked in the bathtub.

Keep in mind that this was in the mid-1950s, when snapping a photo was a big deal that required loading film into a camera, screwing on a single-use flashbulb, driving to a photo shop to have the film developed, and going back a week later to pick up the prints. It was faster to make a Thanksgiving turkey than a photo. I don’t think more than a dozen snapshots of me were taken before I entered high school.