Friendly Encounters

This is a weekly feature highlighting friends who have met celebs.

Today's featured guest is celebrating a birthday.  The big guy is eleven (going on 16).  I have had the pleasure of knowing him almost since birth and I was with him at a memorable Hawks game.
Last season, Laurie scored some great seats for a Blackhawks game against the Los Angeles Kings.  The seats were on the glass, about even with a face-off circle.
We all had a great time, but Jake probably had the game experience of his life.  Before the game, one of the Hawks flipped a puck over the glass right to Jake.  He later flipped another for Jake's pal.
During the intermission, we all met Keith Carney, a former member of the Blackhawks who was their alumni-signer of the night.  Carney signed pictures and pucks for us and posed for pictures, too.  He was great.
On the way back to our seats, we ran into Tommy Hawk, the Hawks mascot.  Laurie alertly snapped the picture.  Tommy had some fun with the boys by placing his "wings" over their faces.  (It didn't prevent this from becoming a 'Friendly Encounter' though.)
As for the game itself, the Hawks won 3-0.  Pre-game, there was a celebration honoring Hawks Hall of Famer, Denis Savard.  The United Center crowd was at a fever pitch throughout the night.
Jake's night of excitement did not end with the final horn.  One of the Hawks staff called Jake over and handed him the broken stick used by Kings goalie Jonathan Quick.
Like I wrote, it was the game of his life.  Maybe I have grown up a bit, because I was happier for him getting the pucks and stick than if I would have gotten them (and I am a memorabilia nut).  It was great seeing his excitement and knowing he would remember this night always.
Happy birthday Jake.  I hope the next year is full of fun and wonder!

Tommy Hawk having fun with Jake and Jake's pal in Chicago, IL-March 2010.

Happy Birthday Laurie

Today is Laurie's birthday. Hopefully, it will be full of sunshine for her.
Laurie is the person who encouraged me to actually interview Roddy Piper when given the chance. Small brain me, I just wanted a quote for an ad series I was running and had no idea what to do with the interview. I took her advice and it launched me/us into a series of unbelievable experiences. Laurie encouraged me to put my rantings down on paper (without knowing of my long ago abandoned desire to write). She gave me the opportunity and helped me make the most of it at the newspaper.

Laurie is really the person to credit (or blame?) for this blog. She told me to write. Although most of the time I am not writing socially significant pieces, I am having fun and I thank her. I appreciate all of it and I owe her.

Happy Birthday Laurie!

Laurie and me in southern IL-mid 2000's.

Sweetest Day:Part 1

Tomorrow is Sweetest Day. Look, I'll be the first to say that I hate this "Special Day". It is a sugary, man-made (business-driven) day. Isn't it really just a cheap (although not in this economy) imitation of Valentine's Day?
I have also learned over the years when to back off of a fight. This is one that I can't win. Sweetest Day is here to stay. With that in mind, I want to highlight 3 sweeties in my life.
I have known Jake for several years. The first time I met him, I dropped off some folders at Laurie's (his mom and my coworker) home. Within minutes, Jake had wrapped himself around my leg in an attempt to wrestle me.
This behavior has repeated itself many times over the years. I will admit that I am not sure how many more years I will be able to outmuscle him, as he is growing to be a big boy. (He doesn't read this, though...so I am not giving him any edge.)
This kid is destined for something big. He is genuinely sweet and kind, but definitely not soft. He's a great kid.
The pooch in my lap is Mandy and her brother Max is in front. Although Laurie got them to save them from an uncertain future, I was very unsure of it all. The dogs were energetic beyond my comprehension. They drove me crazy.
Years later, I have to admit that they have grown into fun dogs, each with a special personality. Make no mistake though, both demand loving (and well, I guess both deserve it, too).
However, I remind Laurie often and I am writing it here for all to see (and her to check if ever she has doubts). This trio is special, loving, smart and fun. None of that is happenstance. All of it goes right back to Laurie (a true sweetie in herself).
Laurie is so dedicated to Jake (not just as a mom, but as a friend...but not at the expense of being a mom). It's been great to be a part of this and to witness it all.
This post was supposed to run last April, on Laurie's birthday week. PC problems prevented that from happening. I thought today might be the next best time to run it.

Jake, Mandy, Max and me in IL-December 2008.

John, Paul, George, Ringo, Laurie and Butch

Last Saturday, Laurie and I had an evening I won't soon forget. We saw a great show, had a tasty meal and possibly saved a dog's life.
The evening started at Rosewood, a great steakhouse in Rosemont (IL). We ordered our entrees and 3 side dishes to share. There was so much food, we needed a doggy bag (which would really become a 'doggy' bag later one).
After dinner, we saw '1964 The Tribute' at the Rosemont Theatre. This Beatles tribute band has been recreating the early Beatles shows experience for over 25 years. The show/band was awesome.
I do have to mention one funny note involving the audience. Near the end, 'John' announced they would do one more song. Some woman behind us started shouting 'Get Back'. Okay, first, it's not really a concert. More importantly though, 'Get Back' came out in 1969 on Let It Be, the final Beatles album. In other words, 'Get Back' is about as far away from early Beatles as you could get.
After, as we drove home, we talked about snacks, wine and Coke by a small backyard fire to end the evening. That plan got derailed a bit as Laurie saw a runaway schnauzer zig-zagging through traffic on a busy street. Knowing Laurie, I really didn't need to ask...I knew we had an unexpected mission.
Laurie jumped out to catch and befriend the dog, while I pulled into a nearby gas station. Laurie asked me to get our leftovers for 'Butch', who snarfed them quickly. I read the tag and Laurie called Butch's owner. We bought beef jerky for Butch and laid out a blanket while we waited. It was our own late night picnic, right there at the gas station. The owner came quickly and Butch was safely on his way home. Of course, Laurie was (and probably is) still worried about Butch's well-being.
This wasn't the first time I have been part of a potential dog-saving experience with Laurie. Each time, I am so impressed by her eagerness to jump into action. She just loves all of nature and cannot bear to see animals in potential trouble.
I want to publicly thank her, too. I still feel great about helping Butch. It's a special feeling to be an active participant (and not just a bystander) in real life. Thanks to Laurie and her big heart, I feel like I made a difference.

Aquaman is THE Man!

I just learned that May 2 was Free Comic Book Day. It is always the first Saturday of May. On that day, participating comic book shops around the world give free comic books to people for just coming into the stores. I don't know if you get to pick out specific comic books, but I know which one I would pick.
Anyone who knows me, knows all too well that my favorite Superhero is Aquaman. I am not sure when my fandom began, but it has been this way as long as I can remember.
I often refer to him as the most maligned Superhero ever. In fact, Maxim magazine once listed Aquaman at #2 on the list of most useless Superheroes (behind Robin). This was an insult, but not really important enough to really incur my wrath.
In mid 2003, when I heard that the producers of Aquaman were changing Aquaman by giving him a harpoon in place of one hand, I wasn't happy. It's one thing for a silly magazine to insult Aquaman with so little respect for his abilities. It is entirely another for his own makers to have so little faith in the depths of Aquaman that they needed to 'spice up' the story by giving him a harpoon hand.
I might have mentioned this a couple times (or maybe a dozen) around the office and particularly to Laurie. Her response (to all of my rants) was for me to write a column.
Laurie had a keen sense for what her readers would like. Fortunately, I rewarded her faith by producing a column (with a lot of help from her) which resulted in a handful of calls/emails from readers.
I am really grateful that Laurie allowed (and encouraged) me to write. I am also pleased that she liked my writing, since I was a fan of her writing before I really even knew her.

My Aquaman guest column from the Lerner Times-October 9, 2003.

Looking Back:Johngy in Global Traveler

A little over a year ago, Lisa Matte, Editor of Global Traveler magazine contacted me about writing an article for the May 2008 issue. The fact that the piece was to be about Chicago made it an absolute no-brainer.
Matte knew that I had done some writing before. I had several pieces published in Lerner Newspapers and a few random pieces published in autograph or collecting publications. This piece would certainly be my biggest in terms of size and exposure.
Using the format for the 'Destination One' section in which my Chicago article would appear, I broke down my assignment into 5 parts. The first and most important part would be the interview with Mayor Richard M. Daley.
In other GT pieces, the interview segment would often highlight a Director of Transportation at the airport. In smaller cities, occasionally a Mayor was featured. Clearly, Mayor Daley would be the biggest interview subject and I was determined to land hizzoner!
I immediately contacted an old colleague, Brian Steele, who was Director of Communications for the Chicago Dept. of Transportation. Steele guided me to several other members of Mayor Daley's staff. Each would play a vital role in the article.
One of Steele's leads was Kate Sansone, a spokesperson for Mayor Daley. Sansone was very receptive to my request, but Mayor Daley was very busy, of course. Sansone promised the interview, but time was an issue.
With that on the backburner, I finished the easiest part first. The 'Info To Go' section is a few paragraphs on transportation in and out of Chicago, as well as around the city. Basically, this was a blurb on O'Hare, Midway and the CTA, including website info.
With one part done and another part simmering, I tackled the toughest part, the meat of the article. With Chicago's rich history, I had too many options on my mind.I decided I didn't want to simply regurgitate the history of Chicago for the umpteenth time. I wanted to present today's Chicago, as I have seen it change in recent years. I wanted to concentrate on Chicago's ascension to world class status under the regime of Mayor Daley.
I did a quick 3 paragraph recap of the history of Chicago, just to set the stage. Then I immediately jumped into the improvements made during Mayor Daley's reign.
I discussed the beautification plan. I talked about how city investment had been followed by private development in many areas of the city. I mentioned Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics. All of these factors and several more were reasons why Chicago is poised to take its rightful place on the global stage. I also included a quote by Jennifer Martinez, Director of Media Relations to add some color.
A few (about 25) rewrites and this part of the article would be tight and (more importantly) done. I trimmed it and reworked it until I really thought it was solid.
Two parts were now finished. Sansone had kept in contact and kept assuring me that Daley would come through with the interview. I was starting to worry, but threw that energy into the next part, a section called 'Diversions'.
This section is a several paragraph mini-article about things to do in a day in Chicago. I refused to go the typical high-brow (boring) route. I wanted to list stuff real people did and enjoyed. I researched on the web and through friends. I came up with several activities such as a Shoreline Sightseeing Cruise, a ball game at Wrigley Field and a concert at Ravinia. I was happy with this part.
Later I would realize that the 'Diversions' section contained the one error I did not catch. I mentioned the 146 foot Ferris wheel at Navy Pier. I never liked the metric system and it came back to bite me here, as the Ferris wheel is actually 146 metres or about 3 times the size I listed. Oooops.
That made 3 parts down, one in limbo and one to go. The last part I did was the highlighting of 3 restaurants and 3 hotels in Chicago. Again, I did not want to go with the standard easy choices. I wanted to pick places from a Chicagoan's point of view.
For restaurants, I picked Gibson's, Costa's and LaLuce. I have eaten at each and each is outstanding. For hotels, I chose the Amalfi (a trendy hotel just north of the river), the Sheraton (an awesome hotel with a great view of everything) and the Peninsula (a favorite of GT readers, as well).
Like in any great drama, just when I thought it was hopeless, Sansone came through for me and I had my interview with Mayor Daley! I couldn't have been more pleased!
I breathed a sigh of relief and anxiously waited for the article to appear in print. Coincidentally, I received a copy direct from Fran Gallagher (the Publisher), while I was in New York for a GT event. I absolutely loved seeing it in print.
I really appreciated Fran and Lisa for giving me the chance. I give thanks to Brian, Kate, Jennifer and Mayor Daley for their cooperation. I also thank Laurie for honing my skills at Lerner and giving me confidence to be able to do such a piece ("she started it").

Dusty Rhodes Flirts; Mick Foley Cares

As previously mentioned, I had a blast at Wrestle Reunion. I pretty much figured I would enjoy it. I also knew I would really enjoy watching Laurie at the event. However, I admit, I underestimated how much fun Laurie would have and how much interaction she would have with the wrestlers.
Two of the funniest events came from the question-answer session with 4 of the legends. Terry Funk, Mick Foley, Dusty Rhodes and Kevin Von Erich were on stage together, answering questions from the audience.
During the session, Laurie snapped a few pictures of the guest panel. She did nothing intrusive or distracting, but she did catch Dusty's eye. He gave her a smile and a little finger wave (which only Dusty could pull off and still look manly). I couldn't believe what I just saw. Big Dust just tried playful flirting in the middle of the session on stage.
After that session, when the wrestlers were at their signing tables, Foley waved over Laurie. He asked her if she was okay, stating he thought he saw her crying. Laurie said she was fine, but he asked again. Laurie assured him that all was right and thanked him for his concern.
Of course, my response to both of these events was laughter quickly followed by my stating that I knew she would make an impression on the wrestlers. However, I do admit that maybe I might have underestimated her involvement.
Laurie's genuine interest and thirst for knowledge coupled with her ability to really reach these wrestlers on a unique level made her stand out. Add to all of her qualities the fact that the rest of the crowd was 99% male diehard wrestling fans. Not only was Laurie a refreshing change of pace for each wrestler, she asked intelligent and different questions which usually looked into the man behind the gimmick.

Terry Funk, Mick Foley, Dusty Rhodes and Kevin Von Erich in Tampa, FL-January 2005.

Happy Birthday Laurie

Most of the ads in the NIE ad series featured local (or national) celebrities. One notable exception was the NIE ad featuring Laurie, who happens to be celebrating a birthday today.
Laurie was a vital player in the NIE ad series.
After I developed the concept, our graphics department did as little as possible with the ad. Quite frankly, the first 3 ads looked horrible, embarrassing even. The series would have died if Laurie had not intervened.
Laurie was the Editor of the largest (and most successful) newspaper Lerner had. Knowing how important this project was to me, Laurie stepped in (unsolicited and unbeknownst to me) and somehow managed to get one of the ads redone in almost breathtaking fashion. From that point on (sometimes with more cajoling from Laurie), the ads looked very good, sometimes even awesome! Laurie truly saved the ad series.
After Laurie's intervention and after the series started gaining momentum, I really wanted to get Laurie to appear in an ad. I knew her readers would love it. I also wanted her in the ad because she really got it and supported it. Laurie loved the printed word, be it newspapers or books.
Laurie's NIE ad sparked a lot of conversation within the office. First, let me state that I love every aspect of the ad. Her quote was a great quote, but some staffers (small brains) did not understand it. Maybe that shows the effectiveness of her quote. It got people talking and thinking. I think the actual quote was one of the best, even topping some literary professionals who appeared in the ad series (all of whom Laurie edited).
Laurie was the only Lerner staffer to appear in the NIE ad series. (Surprisingly, with my ego, I did not put myself in an ad.) I think that is fitting, as Laurie was so instrumental in breathing life into the series. She also had a loyal and rabid following.
Thank you, Laurie, for taking the underachieving NIE ad series and making it into a winner. Thank you for all of your input and work on it. Thank you, too, for agreeing to appear in the series.
Oh and Happy Birthday!

Hacksaw Jim Connects with Laurie

In an earlier post, I wrote about Laurie meeting Hacksaw Jim Duggan. During that convention, Laurie and Duggan crossed paths several times. One of the most interesting times occurred during his match with Kamala the Ugandan Giant, but there were other Duggan-Laurie moments, too.
Previous to the actual match, during one of the autograph sessions, we approached Duggan. He signed my photo and looked up at Laurie and let out a big "Aaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyeee", followed by "now that's my kind of fan".
During his match, they had a couple more moments. An excellent photog, Laurie made it her mission to get great pictures for me all weekend. To my surprise (although I shouldn't have been surprised), this also included her walking to ringside during the actual matches and joining the professional photogs. Unlike the others, Laurie dug in and almost joined the action a few times. Once, she was in the middle of a skirmish between Sir Oliver Humperdink and Bobby Heenan.

Another time, she was positioned near the corner outside of the ring. Duggan (with the U.S. flag) was outside of the ring doing his trademark walk-stomp. In another surreal moment, their eyes met and Duggan gave her the big "thumb's up" to snap the great action shot below. Laurie was the only photog to nab this particular shot.Later in the match, Laurie returned to our seats, but her connection with Duggan remained intact. At one point, Duggan stood in the corner of the ring on the 2nd rope and looked into the audience. His eyes caught Laurie's and he gave her another thumb's up. If anyone else said this, I would say they were dreaming, but I saw it very clearly.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Laurie. Who would have thought? Yet, it all makes perfect sense. I still get a kick out of hearing her talk in glowing terms about Duggan.
After returning home, I scoured the online community and found some pictures others took of the Wrestling Reunion. Among the more interesting pictures was one that included Laurie. While Mike Rotunda grappled with Ron Bass in the ring, Laurie can be seen in the lower left corner capturing the moment.

Friendly Encounters

This is another in a series of meetings of my friends and celebs.

In January of 2005, Laurie and I were in Tampa (FL) for the Wrestling Reunion. I was going down there to meet a bunch of wrestlers, but especially Roddy Piper and Lanny Poffo. I knew going with Laurie would be a lot of fun. I even thought she would find some interest in the whole wrestling scene, despite not being a wrestling fan. However, even I did not imagine just how incredible this trip would be.
Laurie had read In the Pit with Piper (by Roddy Piper) and Tietam Brown (by Mick Foley). She had hoped to be able to talk to each about those books. In her usual unassuming way, Laurie doubted either would pay her much more attention than that given to the average fan. I predicted that she would stand out among the crowd and each would take notice.
When we met Foley, Laurie started to talk to him about her writing career and her take on Tietam Brown. Foley (who was probably surprised to see a female at this event, let alone one who had writing credentials and who read his book) immediately became engrossed in their conversation.
This wasn't the typical fan talk about his greatest match. This was a real conversation which lasted several minutes, much to the dismay of several fans behind us who simply got a signed photo as Foley continued talking to Laurie.
For me, this was one of the more surreal moments I have ever witnessed. Laurie and I had discussed Foley and Tietam Brown several times. We had also theorized on how their potential conversation would go, but seeing it actually happen was just unreal.

They discussed themes and styles. They talked about the possibility of a movie based on the book (a chat that Laurie would continue with Terry Funk). All the while, I stood there just enjoying the scene.

Mick Foley and Laurie in Tampa, FL-January 2005.

I Love My Coke

After my local White Hen eliminated Coke products from their fountain beverage selections, I was angry, not to mention thirsty. I had a nice routine of getting a turkey sandwich and a fountain Coke for lunch most of the time. I'd maybe get another fountain Coke later in the day.
Most of my friends question my (sanity and) allegiance to fountain Cokes. I staunchly maintain the Coke is the best beverage and fountain Coke is the best option. Most of my friends eventually agree that fountain beverages do taste better. Eventually, they realize that not all fountain Cokes are created equal.
I was espousing this theory to Laurie when she suggested I write a column about my search for the best fountain Coke in my area. Some people might say that was her way to get me to shut up (and they might be partially correct), but Laurie would never use her newspaper like that. She legitimately thought it would make an interesting column.
I was excited and I worked very hard to make it a good column. I was willing to drink as many fountain Cokes as necessary to ensure the column was credible.
Writing for Laurie was always interesting. She is a tough Editor and I loved the challenge and the synergy. Laurie has a knack for making any piece so much better without ever losing the voice and feel of the author. I have to say I was ecstatic with the outcome and a few of her readers even voiced their pleasure with it, too!
A copy of the Coke column now hangs in Rex's Italian Foods in Norridge (IL). I giggle silently every time I see it there and I know it wouldn't be there without Laurie (much like this blog). I had no writing career (just a long dormant interest in writing). Now, whatever writing I do really does stem back to those columns Laurie encouraged me to write.

My Coke Guest Column from the Lerner Times-January 1, 2003.

Johngy in Print

Believe it or not, I have written several pieces which have been published by legitimate, credible publications. I have written serious pieces and I have written not-so-serious opinion pieces.
My most "prolific" period was 2002-2004. I was the Director of Circulation at Lerner Newspapers in Chicago (IL). Lerner occasionally ran guest columns. Most of my columns were printed in the Lerner Times, which had an adventurous, successful Editor at the helm. Laurie had a very loyal following, because she was talented and she knew her readers. However, my first piece in this period was written for my local newspaper, the Skokie Life.
It started when I went to the local White Hen for my usual lunch of a turkey sandwich and a big fountain Coke. During my purchase, Joe (one of the Managers) told me the White Hen was switching from fountain Coke products to fountain Pepsi products.
As a staunch Coke drinker, this deeply saddened me. (Okay, it enraged me.) I wrote a letter to the Editor of the Skokie Life, the late Don Alexander, a likable curmudgeon.
It was a bit long for a letter, but Alexander ran it as a 'Guest Column'. My "writing" career was back on track, although it wouldn't "flourish" until I started appearing in Laurie's Lerner Times. More on that in future posts.

My Guest Column from the Lerner Life-November 14, 2002.

Christmas Chaos Courtesy of Mick Foley

I couldn't let Christmas week pass without highlighting a man who absolutely cherishes Christmas. Mick Foley loves Christmas. Foley has even authored a book about his favorite holiday called 'Christmas Chaos'. It is an amusing tale, complete with artwork by Jerry 'the King' Lawler. Together, they make this book fun for everyone.
I first met Foley years ago at a Borders Books in Oak Park, IL. He was wearing the Santa hat and was definitely in the holiday mood as the snow started to fall. I didn't have much of a chance to talk with him or even pose with him for a photo, because the line was too long.
Years later at a Wrestling Reunion, I would get to spend actual quality minutes with Foley. That time was highlighted by Laurie and Mick discussing writing (but I will discuss that much more in depth in a future post). Suffice it to say, it was one of the most surreal moments I have witnessed.
Since then, I have met Foley a few times. He is different from the average celebrity at appearances. Foley will talk with you about virtually anything and for longer than the average time it takes to sign a picture.

Mick Foley and me in Tampa, FL-January 2005.

Friendly Encounters

This is another in a series of meetings of my friends and celebs.

In January of 2005, Laurie and I went to the Wrestling Reunion in Tampa, FL. I was excited because I was going to meet many of my wrestling favorites from my younger days. I was also excited because I knew it was going to be extra interesting with Laurie being involved in all of this.
Pre-Johngy, Laurie was not a wrestling fan. I think she was more ambivalent. I had exposed her to some bits of wrestling, like Roddy Piper and Mick Foley. I knew she would stand out from the crowd. Let's face it, most of the attendees were guys like me. An attractive woman like Laurie would surely be noticed. Her open mind, her growing knowledge and her natural inquisitiveness made her a lightning rod for some of the most fascinating moments I have every witnessed.
I was talking to Hacksaw Jim Duggan, when Laurie walked up to rejoin me. Duggan immediately noticed her and let out his trademark booming "Heeeeyyyyyyyyy". The look on Laurie's face was priceless.
Intrigue? Curiosity? Entertainment? Perhaps even trepidation? I think it was a combination of all of that and more. This moment has become one of our long-running jokes. There are others from this weekend that will appear here in the future.

I really have to give Laurie credit though. She eagerly went along with me on a 3 day wrestling fantasy trip. Clearly this wasn't her hand-picked activity, yet she was more than a trooper. She got into it and I believe she came out of it with some great memories, laughs, stories and a bit of an appreciation for wrestling and the wrestlers.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Laurie in Tampa, FL-January 2005.