Our Forefathers Who Art In Heaven

This has been a crazy bizarre few weeks. We've seen natural and man made disasters and we've seen people trying to express their beliefs in peaceful ways.

Two things continue to be brought up.

1. Should people be punished for exercising their free speech.
2. Should people be restricted on gun and/or gun accessory purchases.

Some people absolutely REFUSE common sense or any gun control and/or any changes to the 2nd Amendment. They argue the Constitution is sacred and our founding fathers would disapprove.

Yet, many of those same people argue it should be illegal to do anything against the American flag, i.e. burning it, ignoring it, or disrespecting the flag. Basically, they want to change the 1st Amendment and restrict free speech.

To me restricting gun usage has the potential to save more people than restricting free speech usage. When has anybody been sent to the ER for spoken word wounds? Even with a bullhorn, words spoken from 400 yards away are nonlethal.

When will wake up and truly realize we have the power to save people with simple actions. Some will say stricter gun regulations would not have prevented many of the recent tragedies. I counter by saying we will never stop these disasters by doing nothing.

Our Constitution is a flexible document. It was designed to help us be as free as possible together not free and isolated in various groups.

WE decide how this country will evolve. That is what our forefathers had in mind when they decided change was needed.

Not So Fake Now Is It?

Dear "President" Trump,

I know you have a short attention span so I'll make this as quick as I can.

Please step down immediately.  You were given the control of the greatest country on Earth.  Under your control the reputation of your office and our country have reached historical lows.

You bragged during the campaign that our country would be so sick of WINNING under your leadership.  You were wrong.  Now you need to admit it.

The recent racial violence over this weekend is your fault.  You continue to spew real world problems as "Fake News".  The undereducated and morally defunct people that support you don't know any better.

All educated people know that the foundations of the kkk (small letters intended) and the neo-nazis are wrong.  All people are created equal.  Our entire country was built on that premise.  It took too long and too many people to die for that truth to be believed.

Then you come telling people news is fake and people shouldn't believe them.  They start believing things that aren't true.  I'm sorry, but your whole "Fake News" mantra just fuels the ignorant.  Then we have racists quoting you about taking the country back.  They are worshipping your words and ideas without direction.

Your whole administration seems dead set on undoing everything President Obama created.  Your dislike of Obama, for whatever reason, is unjust.  Your actions are fueling the haters.

If you contend to remain in office please start acting presidential.  Every citizen deserves to have a President they can respect.  I did not vote for every winning President, but I did respect the office.  Until now.

You have the position to change the world.  Start acting like it.

We Need To Fix Us

This world we live is broken.  

The evidence is everywhere.  
Here, in Chicagoland, the body count totals continue to rise like the numbers on a telethon toteboard.  
I won't link the story here, but in Florida two teens watched, laughed, and videotaped a disabled man drown to death.  If that wasn't bad enough they shared their video online.

We also have President of the United States that acts like a four year old.

I find myself seeking stories that lift my spirit.  It may be avoidism, but I am a positive minded person and I need to feed my soul positivity.  It heals.

I find animal stories to be uplifting.  Specifically animal rescue stories.  I found an interesting video of a herd elephants rescuing a baby elephant from drowning.  Animals SAVING A DROWNING animal.  Here's the clip;

Granted the elephants bragged on their Facebook profiles for weeks, but c'mon.

There are two YouTube channels I watch regularly that deal with animal rescue.  The first is Vet Ranch.  They show raw animals at their worst, sometimes, near death.  With skilled hands of the vets, these animals are healed. They show the cruelty that has put upon these animals.  Once the healing process begins you see the animals return to being adorable.  Here's a sample.

The other animal rescue channel is Hope for Paws.  Just a guy and few helpers go all over Southern California rescuing animals left to fend for themselves.  Here's a sample.

Lastly, anytime you can get 65,000 people to do anything in harmony it is a positive moment.

Enjoy!

All Hail Meatloaf - The American Meal

The last blog entry I wrote was dedicated to my Mom.  It is appropriate I would follow my Mom's blog with a food blog.  We all know she could cook!

Just a little update on my situation and why I'm writing a food blog.

In June, I moved back to my childhood home with my sister Gail.  After too many years of financial declines I had to foreclose on my house of 21 years.  Also, for reasons too many to discuss here and now, Donna and Jimmy moved into an apartment.

My health remains a tightrope act. In the past four years I've gone from 220 pounds to around 106 pounds.  In April and May of this year I spent a week each in the hospital with pneumonia.  My medical team and I, (fyi - never good to need a medical team), decided going on to hospice care would help keep me out of the hospital and keep me comfortable and healthy.  I'll blog about that another time though.

One of the many benefits of living back home is the reunion, if you will, with my family of cousins.  I have gotten to see them more than I had before.  No past ill will, just logistics and geography.  However, lately I've been the recipient of the all mighty PLATE OF LEFTOVERS.  Its Summertime.  Family is gathering for this and that and food is being prepared.  Too much food.  And that means leftovers.

Some people scoff at leftovers.  They would rather throw away whatever was left just to avoid wrapping it up and storing it and nibbling on it over the next few days.

I say leftovers should be revered as a whole new category of cuisine.  Some leftovers are even better than the original.  I would like to see a restaurant that serves only leftovers.  My personal favorite leftovers are chili, spaghetti, lasagna, and meatloaf.

Let's take my cousin Liz's meatloaf.  Meatloaf could be and should be considered just as American as the hot dog or apple pie.  ITS A LOAF OF MEAT!  It was a slice of meat that was prepared by hand.  Beef, salt & pepper a little this and a little that.  Good today & great tomorrow.

Meatloaf takes time to prepare.  You can mix into it whatever you wish.  You can cover it with ketchup or BBQ sauce.  You can wrap it in bacon, yes bacon.  You can shape your loaf of meat into various shapes and sizes or put it into a loaf pan.  Meatloaf is edible art.  And what you don't finish today you can eat tomorrow or the next day or two.  Not too many things quite as tasty as a cold meatloaf sandwich with cheese.

While my life settles into a new normal it helps seeing things like meatloaf never change.  I was recently given a mug with the phrase "Go With The Flow" on it.  This is the secret of life and its not that complex.  Get yourself a leftover meatloaf sandwich and a mug filled with your choice of drink.  Rejoice that you have family and/or friends that share leftovers with you and that your mug runneth over.

God Bless meatloaf.

Rest Mom, Rest

This week my sister and I said goodbye to our mother.

Frances Plocharczyk was the kindest, gentlest soul I ever had the privilege of knowing.  I was proud to be her son and prouder that she was my mother.

The following is the eulogy I had the honor to write.

God Bless You Mom.

1936 - 2017

Thank you all for gathering with us to rejoice and remember Mom, Ma, Grandma, Fran, Franny, Aunty Fran, Mrs. Plocharczyk, Mrs. P, or Mom Ploch.  Yes, Mom was somebody to so many people and she wasn’t even on Facebook.  As kids, my brother and I called our Mom so often during the summer months our neighbor’s parrots used to mimic us calling her. 

I’m sure each of you has a fond memory of our Mom.  That is who she was.  She was that person you would meet that makes you feel good and positive regardless of how you felt before you met her.  The amazing thing is she had no reason to be such the positive soul she chose to be.

She grew up at the end of the Depression during WW2.  Her family was not wealthy, some might even say poor.  She had four children, Scott, Todd, Gail and Mark.  All boys were physically disabled with Todd dying at the age of seven.  Our Dad worked while Mom took care of the home.  Dad died 30 years ago leaving behind a small insurance policy.

Despite what many would call a hard life, Mom stayed positive.

There was always food to eat, clothes to wear, a roof over our heads, and presents on holidays and birthdays.  When you visited her house you were welcomed with,
“Can I get you anything?”

And by the time you left her house, you left having eaten some amazing homemade food, having drunk a good glass of your choice, or having a good laugh about the past, present, or future.  You left her home feeling full in body and soul.

To us, she was Mom.  She was Gail’s roomie, cooking instructor of the family’s recipes, dinner partner after one of too many doctor’s appointments, and best friend.  On her last night, Gail sat with Mom watching a Harry Potter movie, a simple Sunday evening.  This was what Mom liked.

To Mark she was the source of never ending support.  When he wanted to enter a computer training program, Mom never hesitated to support him.  It meant getting up early to be ready for a van to take him downtown to class for nine months.  It meant having his shirts and ties ready for work.  Her support helped him get his start in computers which changed his life forever.

To Donna, she was a second mom.  She was a good listener whenever she had a problem.  She taught her many Lithuanian traditions that Donna cherishes to this day.

To Jimmy she was a great person to be around.  She was always happy.  Jimmy knew he was especially loved as her one and only grandson.

You can’t talk about Mom without talking about her cooking and baking.  She could get a shoe to taste delicious.  Over the years she had created more lamb cakes around Easter than the Shepard’s flock of sheep.  The list of specialties is too long to list.  But rest assured, she has past the cooking torch to Gail.  Gail will be taking lamb cake orders after mass. 

Mom also got to be a Grandma.  It was fun to see her watching Jimmy grow up.  He does enjoy cooking from time to time so maybe her love of cooking rubbed off on him as well.

I think I can best sum up the type of person Mom was by sharing a story about the day Scott passed away.  She had taken care of Scott for 54 years.  In the last few years it was extra difficult as Scott required help with every aspect of his life.  As Gail, Mom and I gathered around during Scott’s last few breaths, Mom says to Scott as he lay there,
“I hope I did enough for you?”
She gave him everything she could and was still concerned if it was enough.  That was who she was.

I won’t go as far to say our Mom was a saint.  She did; however, seem to embody two quotes I’ve always liked by Saint Teresa of Calcutta

"Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action."

and

"In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love."

Our Mom did not change the world.  She did, change the world of those around her.

What's In Your Bucket?

People are amazing creatures.  If you watch them long enough you might scratch your head until you're bald.

In the disabled community there has been an ongoing debate regarding society's propensity to kill off us gimpy ones.  There have been many stories in the news involving the disabled and death.  The reactions to these stories are different when it involves a disabled individual.

When the world learned that Robin Williams had committed suicide we were shocked.  Stunned that this man of high tense hilarity had killed himself left many to wonder why.  Many assumed it was his life long struggles with depression that drove him to hang himself.  Then when we learned it was more likely he could not handle the dementia diagnosis he had recently received.  Society was more like, oh yeah I can understand that.  Williams couldn't handle being disabled, society approved.

There was a mother in 2014 who killed her THREE disabled children because it was very difficult to care for them.  One would think a murderer who confesses would spend the rest of their life in prison or a mental institution.  Society seemed to agree with her and she was home with her last non-disabled child in a year's time.

There was a woman with ALS that hosted a two day party then was euthanized at the end.  She lived in a state where that is legal.  The media loved this story.  

The most recent story is one that really made me scratch my future bald spot.  A 14 year old girl from Wisconsin decide she was tired of being disabled and in pain.  She wants to choose hospice and no longer use her ventilator.  Because she was only 14 she did want to experience Prom.  So word got out, money and services were donated and about a 1000 people helped this girl at her "Last Dance".  The girl in this story and I have the same disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy.  While SMA is no picnic, its also no gloom and doom existence either.  But, the media ate up this story and people were Ok with a 14 year old, basically, committing suicide.  A fund was setup that raised over $30,000.

FOR A 14 YEAR OLD GIRL TO DIE

I compare myself to this girl because we have the same disease.  I, however, want to live.  Am I in pain?  Hell yeah.  While writing this blog I have to stop every 5 minutes just to shift my butt to avoid getting a sore.  My neck is bent at an awful angle which is painful every night at bedtime.  Because I can't eat very well I've lost 100 pounds in the last three years.  I'm so skinny my bones are making sores from the inside.

Despite my listed woes, (trust me there are more), I WANT TO LIVE!  

• I want to see my son become whatever he chooses.  
• I'd like to see the White Sox, Bears, and Blackhawks win another championship.
• I want to have drinks with Tom Hanks, Barack Obama, Jerry Seinfeld, and Jim Gaffigan.
• I want to go on vacation with my mother, who raised three disabled children and didn't kill us.
• I want a roll in shower.
• I want to see my Facebook friends & family face to face.

I want to see if society will agree.  

Society needs to know, being disabled is not the end of the world.  Sometimes, being disabled, is the beginning of a whole new world.

Will society share my story and donate to living?  Let's find out.

If you support living, share this story and/or click life here, 

GoFundMe.com/markploch

A Special Olympics of Illinois Request

My wife is doing a roller coaster marathon to raise money for the Illinois Special Olympics.

I'd appreciate it if you'd consider helping her reach her goal.

Here's a link to her donation page.

http://soill.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=22027

Time To Make The Crownuts

Celebrate Chicago Blackhawks' Corey Crawford and his great ability to shut out the opposing team.

Cheer for another Crownut!

Get your Time To Make The Crownuts T-shirt here.

Crownuts!

https://teechip.com/crownuts

Happy Birthday Mr. Butkus

It is 2015 and the world seems to be in chaos.  I don't mean to minimize the seriousness of the world's problems, but I would like to escape them for a little while.

I happened to see that today, Dec. 9th, is former Chicago Bear legend, Dick Butkus' birthday.  On Facebook I posted a comment,

"A former Bear I truly would enjoy sitting and watching a game with."

Well, that made me start to think.  Which, current or former, Chicago Bear would I invite to my house to watch a game?  I'm going to keep it to living people, because if Walter Payton was here people would just swamp him.

My list, in no particular order or reason.

Dick Butkus

Mike Ditka

Dan Hampton

Charles Tilman

Mike Singletary

Jim McMahon

Matt Forte

Matt Suhey

Tom Thayer

Doug Plank

Brian Urlacher

Roland Harper

Leslie Frazier

This is my list.  I just think having a beer eating some snacks and watching a game talking football would be a blast.

Please share with me who you'd like to watch a game with.  Doesn't have to be a Chicago Bear.

Last Chance Cubbie Fans

A few weeks ago I made an offer to Cubs Nation.  If they were to show me the money I would put aside my lifelong support of the Chicago White Sox, 2005 World Series Champions, and genuinely support these Cubs.

I was surprised only one Cubs fan took me up on my offer.  It was my nephew, Jimmy. Jimmy might be a young Cubs fan, but he has all my respect.  He is a Cubs fan swimming upstream against a steady flow of family White Sox fans.

Now the Cubs are one game away, again, from year 108 without a championship.

I try to be an open minded White Sox fan. We all know Cubs fans are going through epic Cubbie Blue balls for a championship.

They will cling to any "sign" that this is "next year". The fans collect more messiahs than cult compounds in Texas. The fact is this team is very talented and well led. But, they are very young and green and they lack a strong veteran presence.

With the fans and media pre-printing World Series tickets I think these young players started buying into the hype. I realize having an 80's science fiction movie predicting your fate is kinda cool, but they can't forget, its still fiction.

I'm not a baseball expert. However, I remember a phrase the White Sox were described by years ago.

"Live by the home run, die by the home run."

This talented team needs to play better and stop listening to Cub Nation.

If the Cubs fail I will feel bad for the real Cubs fans.  

• The real fans that understand why potentially losing to the Mets will hurt 69 times more than any other team.
• The real fans that can fill in the following blank;
  
  
  "To Tinker, to Evers, to _________."
  
  
• Real fans that know why a former iconic White Sox owner is responsible for a Cubs iconic symbol.

Ok Cubs fans.  I will extend my offer for tonight's potential elimination game. 

Here's my original offer.

Starting right now you can buy my baseball allegiance.  Yes, you heard me right, you can buy my fan support.

Admittedly, it won't be cheap.  I have 50 years of South Side cheering to reverse.  

But ask yourself, "How badly do I want to see a World Series Championship?"

Send your payments through the following link;

paypal.me/CubsWin2015

• If I receive $500 by game time I will actively root online for the Chicago Cubs.
• If I receive $1000 by game time I will create an online video for the Chicago Cubs.
• If I receive $1500 by game time I will sing "Go Cubs Go" online for the Chicago Cubs.
• If I receive above $1500 by game time I will actively seek ideas online has to how I should root for the Chicago Cubs.
• If we can pay off my house, I'll tattoo a Cub, selected by Cub Nation, on my chest.

It's in your hands now Cub fans.  

How bad do you want it?

Living In The Past

I was challenged to write an essay about my favorite subject.  I thought about this and realized I enjoy living in the past.

But, "Mark", you say, "You need to live in the present, its a gift."

If you think about that logic by Christmas morning all our gifts would be discarded to a box in a closet only to stumbled upon every 4-5 months.  We love gifts. I love gifts. The trick is to define as many things as possible as a gift.  I dare say the past can be a gift, or present, if you will.

I really love looking at photos.  Any photos really.  Personal, historical, news, friends, family photos are all "presents" to me.

Photos are a $10 billion industry.  That's a lot of living in the past.

We all have loved ones we've lost and that makes us sad.  However, most of us have photos of these loved ones that we can look at and that makes us happy.  That can't be bad.

The past shouldn't be looked down upon.  We can't escape the past, it comes too fast, and there it goes.  I say embrace the past it can be a present.

Enjoy a few presents from my past.

ON SALE NOW!

Ok Chicago Cub fans how bad do you want a playoff victory?  

Have you done everything you can within your legal powers to help your team of Cubbie Blue?

I saw a man eating a goat to help lift the "curse".  That's good, but it has been done before.  Plus, I don't think the goat eater, Takeru Kobayashi, is a Cub's fan.  Does his lunch count as a "curse buster"?  I fear an innocent goat was wasted in an attempt to lift the dreaded curse.

For the sake of argument, let's assume the original goat that created the so called "curse" is no longer alive.  Without reliable DNA evidence any current goat shouldn't be linked to the cursing goat, agreed?

If you need a goat fix, try The Salty Goat.  They sell soaps and candles.  You can wash that stinky curse away.

A gyro, perhaps, from your local favorite eatery.  Here's a few choices:

Nicky’s Carryout - Old school good!

T & G Gyros - Makes their own tzatziki sauce!

Athens Gyros - Mmmmm gyros!

Today I saw one of those social funding sites trying to send Steve Bartman to the Cub's Wildcard game.  I like the open arms embrace of Mr. Bartman.  He, like many poor goats over the years, did nothing to deserve being blamed for the curse.  At least Mr. Bartman was eaten, grilled & steamed, but never eaten.

I think I have a sure fire Winning solution for Cub's fans.

I am a lifelong, die hard Chicago White Sox fan.  I have never rooted for another team in 50 years.  My devotion was rewarded with a World Series Championship in 2005.  I don't think there are many Cub's fans left who can say the same thing.

Cub's fans I have enjoyed every flop you've experienced.  1969, 1984, 2003, 2007

Today I want to help you.  This playoff season I have no team to cheer for.

Starting right now you can buy my baseball allegiance.  Yes, you heard me right, you can buy my fan support.

Admittedly, it won't be cheap.  I have 50 years of South Side cheering to reverse.  

But ask yourself, "How badly do I want to see a World Series Championship?"

Send your payments through the following link;

paypal.me/CubsWin2015

If I receive $500 by Tuesday I will actively root online for the Chicago Cubs.

If I receive $1000 by Tuesday I will create an online video for the Chicago Cubs.

If I receive $1500 by Tuesday I will sing "Go Cubs Go" online for the Chicago Cubs.

If I receive above $1500 by Tuesday I will actively seek ideas online has to how I should root for the Chicago Cubs.

If we can pay off my house, I'll tattoo a Cub, selected by Cub Nation, on my chest.

It's in your hands now Cub fans.  How bad do you want it?