Pinstripes Restuarant

Wow, do I love this place! There is a new one opened up in the Arboretum Mall in South Barrington. Some nights the kids eat free and they have been giving out wrist bands that gets you a free glass of wine with dinner. I can't imagine that lasting for too long... but it is really good.

Kids love it and food is great - prices are decent. The service has been terrific. Bowling and Boccie ball if you get board.

We went there tonight after the Willow Creek Church - Christmas service. We went with friends Wolfgang and Berit and Silas and Arti. Lots of fun!!!

http://www.pinstripes.com/

Packers 21 Bears 14

Mom and Dad came down for the game at Soldier Field, I scored tickets off my neighbor. These were the best tickets we've ever had! Near the 5 yard line 12 rows up.

We had a great time, right from GB's first play where Ryan Grant ran 62 yards untouched into the end zone for a 7 - zip lead, it was a blast. The Bear fans in our area were not all that bad either. The guy next to me was pretty sharp and most the folks near us were Bears season ticket holders. Soldier Field was really pretty nice, the grass looked awful but the new stadium was nice.

The game was another winning ugly for Green Bay and honestly it was losing ugly for the Bears. This whole Cutler trade appears to have backfired. I mean they couldn't be any worse with Orton at QB. Cutler has a great arm and can have amazing accuracy, but he appears to just lose his mind and throw it to the wrong team. The interception to Nick Collins in the 4th quarter was kind of mind numbing, it looked like it was intended for Nick. I am sure Cutler is a good QB, I mean you can't be good with one team and then just lose all your talent. Maybe he has mental issues or something but clearly he is not in the right mind. Part of me thought maybe he is trying to get Lovie fired so they can bring in Mike Shannahan? His old coach. Who knows?

Then we met grandma, Shoji and the kids at pinstripes - what an awesome place!! I am going back there. Great food, bowling and bocce - big screen TVs. It was great.

An Indian Thanksgiving & Ketchup and Cutlets!

We drove all the way to New Jersey to spend Thanksgiving week with Shoji's family. We had a great time of celebrating Priya and Stephen's birthday with all the aunties and uncles. Mummy feed us authentic Indian food all week, we had chicken curry, goat curry, mean curry...nice curry! I had to drink a lot of milk and eat lots of raita (yogurt salad) to keep my internal temperature below en fuego!

Then the ladies of the house (Mummy, Shiji-mama, and Shoji) put on an awesome display of versatility and made an authentic American style turkey dinner for Thanksgiving day (maybe a little spice rub just to liven it up a bit). Sweet potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberries and Shiji-mama's famous pear & apple pie. Uncle Alan fasted all day getting ready for the big meal. We were suppose to eat at 1pm - but you must remember that many family members operate on IST (Indian Standard Time) - so we started eating at about 3pm. It's a little challenging keeping things hot for a couple hours... Needless to say uncle Alan was ravenous by this time, he probably ate half the turkey himself, hot or cold it didn't much matter.

Shoji and I also had a fun meeting with the young adults of Shoji's Indian Church. We had a discussion time around the identities that second generation Indians struggle with.

1. Traditional Identity - This is the traditional Indian culture that they grow up with in the home. The culture of their parents and ancestors. Things like arranged marriages, family expectations for education and career. Pleasing the parents, think of the Indian movie 3KG "kubby kushi kubby gum". I am sure I misspelled that but I got it phonetically!

2. Current Cultural Identity - Growing up in the US, having lots of US friends - a culture of high individualism and choosing your own destiny, you can be whatever you want! You don't have to be a doctor or engineer, really!! This culture sees dating and choosing your own spouse as the relational norms and so much of this is in tension with the traditional values of the parents and family. How are young Indian adults to deal with these clashing worlds?

3. Spiritual Identity - But as Christians what does our faith say about these things above? Is there a way for faith to transcend cultures? Of course this is where Shoji's and my story comes in, we have been able to navigate the cultural waters and have a growing marriage where we like both of our families and value the best of both cultures. It's like having ketchup and cutlets!! Ketchup an American staple and cutlets are a main stay in the Indian diet put them together and wham!! You can have the best of both worlds! The key is the parents and the next generation must be humble and open on a faith level and engage in honest communication to talk about what values are most important in life. This dialogue must happen in order to create honoring and loving relationships that can last a life time.

So that was our Indian Thanksgiving!

Packers 27 Ravens 14 - Winning Ugly

Well that was about as ugly a game as I have seen in a while. I mean when you tie the Seahawks and Bucs for the second or third most penalties in a game... that can't be good. I watch the whole thing while walking very slowly on the treadmill at the local Snap Fitness. That was great, I burned like 400 calories just watching the game and didn't even break a sweat!!

As ugly as the game was I will have to be honest and just rant all over the officiating. That was the worst officiating I have ever seen. The pass interference calls, against both sides, were in my opinion just horrible. I mean guys calling for the flag and then getting it like a minute later is ridiculous. The amount of incidental contact and hand fighting that guys were getting called for is something that happens on every play!! When guys are looking for the ball and fighting for position it is what we call "football" and that is why it is not called "synchronized swimming". We want to see players make plays and determine the outcome of the game more directly.

Specific plays to note:
1. Ravens WR Mason was called for offensive pass interference violating Charles Woodson. Ridiculous!! That was so crazy, Woodson was equally involved in creating the contact and it should have just been a no call.

2. Pass interference against Green Bay's T. Williams on a long pass play to the end zone, it looked to me like he made a great play, he was looking at the ball and made great play. A little hand and arm fighting both ways, that should have just been a no call. Instead it was a horrible call.

3. There was another call on T. Williams (I think in the end zone again) and it looked like he made another good play. I'd have to review that one but I think it was pretty good.

4. Donald Driver got a call down the middle on about a 15 yard pass from Rodgers over the top. Driver flopped a bit and made a big stink and got the flag to come out of the 5th row. It looked like the contact was minimal and he wasn't going to make the catch anyway. Just let it go.

5. Also some of the other penalties seemed so ticky-tac. I think Taucher got called for holding and it seemed soooo... lame. And I think there were some calls against the Ravens as well just seemed so wimpy.

At some point they should let the guys with pads on make plays.

I tend not to rip on the officials (they have a tough job and usually do it well) but tonight it just seemed so bad. Maybe it was because I was having a bad fantasy football weekend or something, I mean how can Wes Welker have like 20 catches in a game for 160+ yards and not be in the end zone at some point! Two weeks in a row!

Priya's first field trip to Gobbert's Pumpkin Patch

Priya's Kindergarten Class goes to Gobbert's in Hoffman Estates. She had sooooo much fun!!!

Cross Cultural Marriage - 3 F's

Being married cross-culturally has been a really fun adventure for us. It of course has its unique challenges but also unique rewards.

1. Food - you gotta be a little adventurous with food. Hey, if other people eat it you have to just get over yourself and give it a whirl. Many foods are an aquired taste but you really can aquire it!! I actually crave Indian food and look so forward to visiting the in-laws to get some good old South Indian Cuisine. So get outside of yourself, get a good attitude and you might find you like it. Also, others love it when you take an interest in them and their food. My mother in-laws cooking is so good! Even if the food doesn't agree with you there are some tricks to help you out. The first is milk and yogurt! If the food is so spicy, that it feels like fire in your GI track, drink lots of milk and yogurt - this will cool it down. It really works!

2. Family - It is good to be aware that not all cultures view family the same. Eastern families tend to see family as intergenerational where parents have lots of influence in the lives of their married children. Western families have a high value of the nuclear family where the primary influence is your "immediate" family and extended family doesn't have as much influence, the final say is left up to the nuclear "immediate" family. Neither view is right or wrong just different and if you are not prepared to deal with it, it can be very difficult and frustrating.

3. Faith - Many people don't think this is a big deal. Let me just set the record straight... it is a big deal. Even if you don't think it is when you get married it will be later. Especially, once you have children. If you have different worldviews or faiths it is easy for your children to get caught in the middle. Even if you are not spiritual you may start to feel like your spouse is pushing their views on the children and vice-versa. One thing that has really strengthened our marriage is the fact that Shoji and I are on the same page!

Before you get married talk long and hard about these things. Then when you think you come to some common ground, talk about a it lot more!

Shoji is 36 today!!

Happy Birthday Shoji,
The kids picked out a vase, pink roses, card and chocolate for mom! all glutten free...LOL
They were so excited to surprise mom with a gift.

Shoji got a gift cert to the spa from Shiji-mama and a dinner with friends at Bistro Wasabi from Dad.

Mom's Catfish! Clam Flowage

Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Michael Vick

I am not sure what to make of all the talk about Michael Vick coming to Green Bay. It would definitely help the depth at QB. It would seem crazy to bring him in to compete with Rodgers and any level. But every QB is one play away from an ACL snap. So it would make some sense just for depth. Also, if you have Vick on your pine as backup, maybe give him an occasional Wildcat formation then you also keep him off the field with another team that could really use him... Like the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings are crazy for not trying to get him. He is so much better than what they have, it is insane. And I think he'd fit the Vikings style of offense perfectly.

All of this is from a purely football perspective, with the assumation that he really did have a change of heart. But Tony Dungy seems to think so and that is a very good recommendation. Dungy has always been a straight, upstanding guy.

Here are some teams that I think he'd fit and could start.
1. Minnesota - perfect fit
2. Carolina
3. Denver
4. Oakland - Jamaal is a big question mark.
5. SF
6. St. Louis

Maybes
1. Seattle - Hasselback is fragile
2. Tampa
3. Cinni - Palmer might not make it more than a games before he gets hurt

Possible?
1. Detroit - why not they need as much help as they can get.
2. NE - they need a backup

So there you go....

Perpetuum Jazzile - Africa

I love this... it gives me chills!

Dad with a Bucket-mouth Bass

A lovely day on our favorite secret lake. Actually the Big Hurta and I didn't catch squat until...



Yikes that is a big bass! 20+ inches and about 5lbs

Stephen's Sayings - Hair Jello

Stephen got a hold of my hair-gel and went wild. He said, "look I put hair-jello in my hair!"

Priya's Proverbs - Consti-patiences

shoji will fill in later...

Centegra Health Care - Open House

A lovely 68 degree July day! Shoji is in Houston at Teena Thomas' wedding, dad and the kids are home alone. We went to Centegra's Open house and got free bike helmets for the kids! It was awesome. And we got free lunch and they had lots of fun stuff, like rock climbing, balloons, jamba juice and fire trucks. We even saw friends! It was great.

Priya's Proverbs

Both Stephen (3.5) and Priya (5.5) completed the Algonquin library reading program and one of the prizes was a cool harmonica. Do you ever experience your children saying something wrong but it is just too cute to correct them? Well Priya got the harmonica and she calls it a commoddada (cah-mod-da-da) and she was so serious about playing it and using it. That night we sat around a fire to roast some marshmellows on the patio. She says she needed to go get her commoddada to play some music. She keeps calling it her "commoddada" and it was just so cute I can't correct her.

Shoji's Crappie, not "Crappy" but "Croppy"

Shoji was up to her old tricks as she slayed the crappies at Bear Trap!

Priya's First Fish - Bear Trap

Priya caught her first fish on the 4th of July!! What a great day, perfect weather and good fishing for the whole family.

Fishing Derby

They Kids at the Fishing Derby. Priya won a hula-hoop contest!

Priya's Proverbs - Heaven

Priya asks me, "Hey Dad, is Jesus in heaven? And we get to see him when we die?"

I said, "Yes that is right"

Priya, "I think I want to be died..."


Nice Theology Dad.....

Stephen's Sayings - "Maybe not"

This is Stephen's latest saying. He will say something like, "I want to watch Tom Thomas the train!" And Priya will then say how it is her turn to pick the DVD and a big fight insues. So we finally resolve that it is stephen's turn to pick and I will say, "So you want Thomas the Train DVD?" He looks at his upset sister and then me and says... "may-beee not" It is so cute.

Stephen's Sayings - Promisetowne Rules

Tonight while putting Stephen to bed, we were discussing who his friends are. One of his favorite friends, Maya, no longer comes to Promisetowne. But he reminded me he still has his friends Porter, Avery and Lorilie (Low-e-lie). He said that "Low-e-lie is not in the baby class anymore because she is 3 now." Lorilie loves to give hugs and so I asked him if she still gives him a hug. And Stephen said, "In Promisetowne, you keep your hands to yourself! No hugging, no kissing, no pushing, no grabbing things from hands and no stealing." I asked him if there is anything else and he said, "No, that's it!"

Ice Fishing - with Chris Hurta

Welcome the "Big Hurta" to Wisconsin. He is hooked on ice fishing and Mies fish batter!

Stephen's Sayings - Cabela's and shopping

A couple days ago Stephen saw the socks Shoji was wearing and said, "Hey Mom those are the socks that Dad and I got for you at Cabela's... Cabela's, Cabela's hey that rythmes!"

Stephen Takes Charge - Potty

We were hoping we would be diaper free by the New Year. However, Stephen has taken matters into “his own hands” and we need to rescind him from our Top 8 List of 2008. Over the vacation time Stephen, after some significant success with going potty, decided that he was going to take some control by consistently soiling his pull-ups. After a few serious conversations between Ryan and me, we decided that we will pull away and give Stephen a week off from asking him to go potty. He is back in diapers and we do not remind him. We decided to go the Kevin Leman way and let it go and let Stephen decide what he wants to do. However, we would no longer clean up the mess – Stephen would. This week Stephen spent on average 30 minutes 3x a day in the bathtub, cleaning himself often with a great attitude and very agreeable – “OK! Like this?” he would ask in a cheery voice. As I helped him get dressed today for the 3rd time he says, “I love it, Mommy. I love cleaning myself!”

GOXED

One other note, during our trip to Seattle we went up on the roof top to watch the new year's fireworks. While in the elevator on the way up some new year's partiers got in the elevator and we got Goxed. I thought Shoji and Ashley were going to die.

Check out Gox in the scrabble dictionary...

Christmas 2008 - Seattle

We had a great Christmas visiting Uncle Alan & Shiji-mama in Seattle. We did lots of fun things.
Priya loved taking the bus around and Stephen loved the mono-rail. Shoji and I got to go to the "Nutcracker". We went to the Science Museum, We got to help Ashley move! We help Alan take down the Christmas Tree, needles everywhere- LOL. We went to the Christmas Eve candlelight service at University Pres. Church. We got to see Mary Sahli, Shoji's counseling buddy. We played lots of scrabble.

We dodged the snow storms got free 1st class upgrades on the flight (thanks to uncle Alan), the kids were great!