Do B.J. and Ali read the blog?

Do B.J. and Ali read the blog? This photo should get a response.

B.J. and Ali, are you are out there? Do you have a new address, email and phone number to send us? Have you found a house? Have you sold any trailers lately? Do you have new pictures of Alexis? Has she converted from Hinduism yet? Inquiring minds want to know...

There is something profoundly correct about this cartoon. I needed to see this today.

Good bicycle repair available

The Catholic Worker House on West Washington in South Bend has a guy who fixes bicycles for cheap. He'll basically rehab a bike for $10. He needs the money, so if you need some bicycle repair, let me know and I'll put you in touch with my colleague at Holy Cross, Mike Griffin. Griff lives at the CWH. You can give me a call or reach him directly at mgriffin@hcc-nd.edu. This repairman also fixes garden carts, tricycles and other stuff like that.

After ten years, Irv Kloska takes a new job.

This will come as a surprise to many of you, but Notre Dame has just announced that Irv Kloska has been named Director of Campus Decorating. Apparently this all transpired very quickly after David and Michael Thomas helped him clear a path to his backyard crucifix. Having completed that project, there wasn't much left for him to decorate in his backyard.

Wanting to send a signal that Notre Dame needs to renew its Catholic character, Kloska's first act at Notre Dame was to erect this 37 foot statue of Mary in front of the stadium and Joyce ACC. Dad bid his farewell to Elkhart East last week. Shortly thereafter the statue appeared.

Rumor has it that his next project is to create a crucifix out of lights on the Carroll Hall front lawn that will be visible from outer space. "Hey, aliens need Jesus too!" was Kloska's response when questioned by administrators.

Irv's wife Bonnie is elated with his new job. She plans on hanging a secular picture somewhere in the house next week. Mom actually hung a floral painting yesterday and was very satisfied until Dad pointed out three miraculous hidden images within the petals.

Already, Kloska has designed a master plan for the campus. You can read more about the oversized monstrance that will be placed on the Hesburgh Library in this weekend's edition of the South Bend Tribune.

Book suggestions from Kathy Fean of Fort Wayne

We have returned from vacation and I have two book suggestions for your entire family...I feel so strongly about them that you may want to post it on your website. Perhaps you may have read them: "The Healing Power of the Eucharist" and "The Private Prayers of Pope John Paul II, The Loving Heart". Pray for Peace, Kathy

Freaky Monday

From Patti Pope

I just thought I'd share this with you guys since it is in reference to your brother/son. After researching and driving several vehicles, Ross and I headed to the Toyota dealership in Lansing to see about a new minivan.(don't laugh, i know we aren't a mini family) I'm tired of driving around town in what is just short of an RV now that we have 2-3 out of carseats. Anyway, I prayed a rosary on the way there and asked some specific prayers for this experience. I had talked to a salesman via email so I knew who to ask for. When we got there this young man walked up to us and said my name aloud. Ross and I just looked at each other for the young man looking at us looked very similar to Johnny. We spent about 3 and a half hours there dealing, driving and wrapping up the deal. Every time Keith walked around the corner with a big smile on his face I had to shake my head. Finally, I had to tell him. I said, I know this will sound funny coming from me, but you look a lot like my cousin. He laughed and said that he must be a good looking guy. Yes, he was. Then driving home, and running late, we stopped at Walmart and Ross ran in to buy the treat for Aidan's baseball game. While he was in the store I was thanking God for our blessings and thinking about the day's experience with Johnny's look-alike and on the radio came the song, "Heaven." Did I cry...like a baby.

I know we will be coming down there sometime this summer and I hate to say it, but I'm not really looking forward to coming into your house, Uncle Irv, for the first time. I remember after Grandpa died and the first time that we went there and I walked in and seriously rounded the corner to see if he was in his chair watching a ballgame. I just want you guys to know that you are all in our prayers and that we will always remember and always feel your loss, our loss. God bless. I love you guys.

Happy Birthday Rachel Thomas!

If I had a digital picture of you, I would post it.

Have a great birthday.

Man of the Year

Na Zdrowie nominates this man as the 2005 "Man of the Year". Gee, I hope he's not straining himself with that six-pack.

Question: What was the sandwich that all Kloska kids ate during grade school?

Click here for the answer. Turn up the volume.

Don't forget the free films at the PAC this week - Tuesday through Saturday

See the Tuesday, May 24th post for more info.

NOTE: I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS, BUT YOU STILL NEED TO GET A TICKET AHEAD OF TIME IF YOU WANT TO GO. WEDNESDAY'S SHOWING OF PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN IS ALREADY SOLD OUT.

Doing the dishes

I washed a lot of dishes growing up.

Strange, but as I washed the dishes the other morning, I reflected back on the dishwashing memories of my childhood. I'll never forget complaining of dishpan hands in gradeschool. (Note: For those younglings who have grown up in world of refined dishsoap that doesn't screw up your hands, dishpan hands was a condition caused by abrasive soaps. It felt like your hands had been scrubbed with steel wool.) I remember having to finish the dishes before I could go to my summer baseball game. I remember that hand washing the dishes was the worst job you could get after dinner.

We used many different kitchen clean-up systems growing up. For a while, jobs were simply assigned. Then, as our family grew, we used a system of calling out the job we wanted at the end of dinner. Remember the call of "Table, cupboard, floor, dishwasher, dishes!" From Theresa to Lisa, we'd all have to take the job we called and the sequence of calls hardly ever varied. After a while, this caused enough sibling discontent for Mom to organize the jobs on a weekly rotating basis. And I'll never forget the promise that the electric broom would make doing the floor a more popular option. (Thank God for that invention - we use ours every day on St. Peter Street).

But most of my memories revolve around doing the dishes:

Remember the great psychological boost that you received when someone came to stand next to you and dry the dishes and put them away.

Remember the great bubble debate about whether the soap should be put into the water before or after the sink was completely filled. Are bubbles desirable? Do they help or hinder the cause?

Remember that when scrubbing out baby bottles you could create an entirely different bubble texture by putting just a little water into the bottom of the bottle and then vigorously scrubbing up and down like a piston.

Remember how Chore-boys would work on some pot and pan stains and SOS pads would work on others. (By the way, Margy now buys these wonderful scrubbing pads that are similar to SOS pads but they never rust.)

Remember that doing the dishes was never complete without scrubbing the sink with Comet Kitchen Cleanser. In many ways, that was the most difficult aspect of the job - the straw that would break the camel's back and lead to despair.

Remember how the stream of baby bottles was never ending.

Remember how the front of your shirt would always get wet where you leaned up against the sink.

Ahhh, the memories of the work done in childhood....

By the way, look for an upcoming entry on Saturday morning jobs - those I'll never forget.