Ho, Ho, Ho....

Well, here we go... Christmas time in Chicago!

There's nothing like it! Perhaps the thing i like about Christmas here is that it's filled with all sorts of memories...

Probably my most favorite memory is growing up in Park Forest and going to Blackhawk Junior High and Rich East High School. Even though i was pretty much a big cry-baby (that's another story for another blog)... i managed to survive the experience! The Christmas season was when we would have concerts and basketball games... i was better at the singing than the playing basketball by far!

i can still recall the smell of popcorn in the halls at East during the basketball season... people shuffling in from the cold, snowy, wet parking lot. The trees by the campus lagoon standing in the middle of a blanket of snow. i can remember thinking... "Man, i feel sorry for Roscoe (one of our janitors)... he is going to have to clean up this wet mess!"
The Christmas concerts with the Singing Rockets (that's what our upper-class Choral group was called) were always a great event as well. Mr. Ulreich would wear his tux during the sacred song portion of the program and would actually let us sing these great songs about the coming of Christ. The fun part was after the program when we would just get a chance as students to hang out...

Which frankly is what i look forward to most with my own family... just hanging out on Christmas eve... there will be home-made hot chocolate, new pajamas from Old Navy and probably "The Christmas Story", you remember....
Ralphie: No! No! I want an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!
Santa: You'll shoot your eye out, kid... Ho, Ho... Ho.