A Look at 2013
This is my last Blog for 2013...please hold your applause. It started as a way to talk about the effects of Parkinson's Disease and while that's still the main focus, like every ChicagoNow Blogger, I can write about whatever I like, at any time.
Freedom of the Press, baby!! Power to the people!
So for this year's finale, I thought I'd talk about five items from the Parkinson's World and five things from Howie-land. Wow...wouldn't it be cool to have your own place like that? Maybe in 2014.
Let's start with the disease that made this all possible....
5. Parkinson's Moving Days- 20 events nationally, 25 in 2014. The Chicago event had a goal of raising $250,000. It passed that by more than $100k.
4. Former Pittsburgh Pirate ballplayer Dave Parker announces he has Parkinson's. Known for his strong throwing arm and his cocaine habit, there's speculation about the latter leading to his Parkinson's. Is there a connection? Unknown at this point.
3. Linda Ronstadt's heartbreaking announcement that she has Parkinson's. She says it will end her singing career of close to 50 years.
2. Linda Ronstadt is elected to the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. She says she has no plans to attend the ceremony. Whether or not she does, it promises to be one of the most moving events of 2014.
1. Michael J. Fox goes back to work full-time on a new sitcom with his name in the title. Show is panned by a semi-famous local blogger.
Here are the personal things that affected my world this year....hey...it's my blog!!
5. A walk past a pet store leads to a series of doggie blogs, meeting the Puppy Mill Project people and the Governor.
4. Talking about Governor Quinn, last summer I wrote a piece about medical marijuana. The bill had been sitting on his desk for months. He signed it a few days after my blog published. It also helped that there was a big story in The Reader that week. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. The bill was going to become law as long as he didn't veto it. Why he signed it then, we'll never know.
3. Walking and finishing the Chicago Parkinson's Moving Day 5K. The walk itself was no big deal. Talking with some of the other participants was. Seeing what some of them have overcome made a huge impact on me. It was a very "moving day." OY!
2. Having a pulmonary specialist and his supervisor tell me I "probably" have lung cancer. After two weeks of being a zombie and running all over town to complete a series of tests, I get a call where he did an Emily Litella...."Nevermind". Two weeks after that he lost the test results and blamed the nurses.
1. Knocking over a wine display at a local Whole Foods grocery store. I was walking along, minding my own business. Suddenly I lost my balance and fell into a bottle of wine. It was like watching those cool dominoes things where one hits another, after another until they all fall. Pretty cool on tv...not as cool in real life.
So kids, that's it for 2013. I can't believe I've found enough stuff to write 115 of these things.
To the readers, thanks. To the subscribers, meaning you get an email warning you of this (ps, if you aren't a subscriber, why not? It''s easy!) more thanks. And to the people, I don't know, who are regular readers....what's wrong with you...but thank you so much.
We'll see you in 2014...until then...let's roll and let's be careful out there.