Romeoville, IL 01/15/2010  A Poor Turn Out and a Lousy Game!
Attendance 22                 

The turnout was not much better since we lost Brinks to the sunshine state, but he did send beer!  What a guy, He's vacationing and sending us beer.  Thanks Don!!  The game was a dog, with the outcome never in doubt.  The Reds couldn't score on the Brain and the Whites violated the Anvil at will.   V-Man showed no mercy as he popped in a Hat Trick.  Papa Joe, just 1 month shy of his 80th birthday had 4 break aways and scored on 2 of them.  The Anvil had to stop 12 other break aways, he was pretty good at it by the 3rd period.  John "Cone" Koss asked never to be paired with Fruit Cake and

There was a much better game on Sunday.  The Hawks beat Detroit!

After reading Neil Steinberg write about the Catholic Relief Services, I was in my Mom's name. I know she would have sent something.
As Kramer would say, "It's a write off!"
January 18, 2010
BY NEIL STEINBERG Sun-Times Columnist
You have what they need
Mayor Daley suggested those who want to help suffering Haiti give to the American Red Cross, and I suppose that's always a safe bet, assuming of course the Red Cross has finally gotten its act together and escaped its legacy of mismanagement and deception.
But I want to suggest to those touched by the Haitian disaster that they consider
supporting another organization: Catholic Relief Services.
CRS has been operating in Haiti since 1954, focusing on development -- helping communities build water and sanitation systems, setting up agricultural projects and food distribution networks, vocational classes, medical clinics and HIV services. They have 300 people working in Haiti, and all somehow survived the earthquake.
"It is a miracle," said Madeleine Philbin, CRS' Midwest regional director. "But unfortunately, many of their family members were killed."
Obviously, in the wake of a disaster, CRS shifts gears, putting development on hold and focusing instead on emergency needs.
"We have warehouses in different parts of Haiti and in the Dominican Republic," Philbin said. "We distributed what little we had, and now we're waiting for what's in the pipeline."
The great thing about Catholic Relief is they are not just racing in, handing out bags of rice, taking a few pictures for the annual report and then getting out. They're in for the long haul.
"We are doing relief, but what we really want to be doing is development," she said. "We don't want to just rebuild an impoverished Haiti."
I asked Philbin what people in Chicago can do to help.
"The best way to help is to pray for the people who are suffering and the people who are serving them," she said. "And to give financially."
Catholic Chicagoans did both simultaneously on Sunday -- Catholic churches held a special collection, with all proceeds going to CRS. If, like me, you missed church, you can call (877) HELP-CRS, as I did, and donate using a credit card. They ask if you'd like to make your donation in honor or memory of anybody. I said yes, I'd like to make mine in honor of Didier Thys, my old college roommate, who after graduation spent years in Haiti, tirelessly working to ease the suffering of her people as an employee of Catholic Relief Services.

Today's chuckle . . .
Rich Heller of Hanover Park shares the following:
I recently picked a new primary care doctor. After two visits and exhaustive tests, he said I was doing "fairly well for a man who just turned 67."
Concerned about that "fairly well," I asked: "Do you think I'll live to be 80?''
"Hmmm," the doctor said, furrowing his brow. "Do you smoke tobacco, or drink alcoholic beverages?"
"Oh no," I replied . . .
"Do you eat sirloin steaks and barbecued ribs and such?"
"Rarely," I said. "My last doctor said red meat is very unhealthy."
"I see," he said. "Do you spend a lot of time in the sun, playing golf, sailing, hiking, that kind of thing?"
"No, I don't," I said.
"Do you have a vigorous sex life?"
I paused. "I guess not anymore," I admitted.
"Well then," the doctor said. "I don't understand why you give a damn whether you're alive or not."