The City of Chicago

deserves its own Drawer. But in the meantime this will do because it’s Spring and Spring in Chicago brings only one thing to mind (no, it’s not Svengoolie, nor is it Svengoolie lookalike Lori Lightfoot):

In August 1947, Maurie Berman married his high school sweetheart Flaurie. In May 1948, they both opened Superdawg at the corner of Milwaukee, Devon and Nagle in Chicago. A visit to Chicago is not an official visit without a trip to Superdawg. When Maurie and Flaurie took their iconic Dancing Dogs down for re-furbishing, many locals would miss their turns and all directions ceased to work because ALL included the Dancing Dogs reference.

Maurie and Flaurie are serving Superdawgs in Heaven these days, but their children are keeping the spirit alive at the corner of Milwaukee, Devon and Nagle. And the Dancing Dogs? Well, see for yourself:

One year after the 9/11/01 attack, my lovely wife and I decided to take our 10-year-old son to the “Site”. We took a ferry from Jersey and a bus downtown. We got off the bus at West Street and Albany, walked two blocks to West Broadway and turned left. We were 2 blocks from the “Site”. I stopped dead in my tracks. The smell of concrete dust was overwhelming (remember – it was 1 YEAR later!). I said, “We’re not going any closer.” And we didn’t. We walked south to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal and bought pretzels.

In 2016, in a Guardian US interview with Editor, Betsy Reed, former EPA head Christine Todd Whitman admitted she was wrong to tell New Yorkers post-9/11 air was safe. “I’m sorry. We did the very best we could … with the knowledge we had”, Whitman said.

One of Dad’s Quotes says :  “ When you screw up – APOLOGIZE!”

I guess I must forgive her. (Damnit!)

Tch Tch Tch, a clicking sound, often read as tɪskˌtɪsk tisk. Britannica Dictionary definition of TCH TCH. — used to show disapproval. Usually pronounced as three clicks, Tch is closely related to the interjection tut, which is also used to express contempt or disdain and can mean “for shame.” Tch and tut are often used interchangeably.

My Aunt Edda (pronounced with a long E sound) used Tch Tch Tch all the time. “Hey Aunt Edda,” I’d say, “did you hear the O’Ryan’s dog got hit twice by a car in the same day?” “Tch Tch Tch,” she’d say, “That’s a dog what needs a lease”. She meant to say leash but no one ever corrected her. Aunt Edda was proud that she completed 8^th grade. Her sister, my grandmother (Nana), only completed 6^th grade.

I was visiting Aunt Edda when Ronald Reagan was running for president in 1980. I asked if she was going to vote for him. She replied: “He is MY age. Somedays I wake up and I don’t remember my name! I’m voting for the young guy(Mondale).” Aunt Edda would be Tch Tch Tching over old man Joe Biden thinking he can be President at 86. WTF is maybe the modern day equivalent to Tch Tch Tch. I miss Aunt Edda.

In the last six months:

My McAfee anti-virus subscription has expired 235 times.

I have 87 packages awaiting my confirming receipt.

I’ve won 65 Milwaukee Drills.

I’ve missed 122 opportunities to unclog my bowels.

I’ve passed on 49 free MacBook Pro offers.

I’ve passed up 181 opportunities to get my “erection muscle” working like a teenager.

I could have cut my electric bill by 70% 87 times.

I do my best to make life hell for any phone caller who attempts to take advantage of my diminished mental capacity. A few, I have driven into fits of apoplectic rage. One unfortunately was my wife who actually started to feel sorry for the Mumbai guy who just wanted my credit card number. For the rest, I rely on my Spam filter. Otherwise, I like my Spam fried with a sunny-side up egg.