Sometimes breakfast is a just a warm up for something else

Location: Salonica Restaurant, Hyde Park, Chicago

Joining us: Jake Newberry, grandson, age 15
Music on the way: hip hop mixed with a little, very little, rap (grandson directed music selection)

First of all, let me say that Kate is not going to remember this as one of our most romantic Valentine's Day.   Breakfast was the usual short order bacon and eggs.  Nothing fancy...

At a little table in a little corner greek restaurant in Hyde Park.

And they were out of donuts!  But Jake got his second serving of hot chocolate at no charge. 

After breakfast we drove around the awe inspiring University of Illinois campus thinking we might be impressing Jake; thinking it might inspire him to run back and dive into this biology and algebra studies yearning for the glory of higher education. What were we thinking?!

Well, that little diversion preceded the main event:  the Museum of Science and Industry.  Why did we go there?  Because it was a FREE day at the museum!  We got there at 10:40 am, 20 minutes before opening, right behind the 3 million other people who showed up for a free day at the museum.  I dragged Kate and Jake through the crowds from one exhibit to another for two hours.  Finally, that had had enough and dragged me out and back to the car.  We went home and finished the afternoon with a few rounds of Mille Borne...the game where Kate always manages to convince the kids that I am the bad guy so they all gang up against me.  Oh, life is tough.

February 6, 2010 - Feeding others

Sometimes breakfast is all about feeding others.

Location: Aurora offices of "Feed My Starving Children"
Menu: 380-400 grams Rice, powdered chicken, powdered soy beans, dried vegetables
Music: rockin' motivational tunes
Guests: 94 adult and children  volunteers, brought together by the Batavia Chamber of Commerce Women in Business.

Our three grandkids joined us early saturday morning for two hours of volunteer work at "Feed My Starving Children." This is the kind of volunteer work you should do before breakfast when you think you are hungry.  Then watch their video of malnurished children in 3rd world countries.  Talk about putting hunger in perspective!!  For each "meal" we filled a small plastic bag with powdered chicken, freeze-dried vegetables, powdered soy beans and rice - in that order, not less than 380 nor more than 400 grams per bag. 

We worked in teams consisting of fillers, baggers, weighers, sealers and boxers.  Every time a team completed a box they shouted their "slogan" to announce another box was ready for the warehouse.  I am proud to say our team was the loudest shouting "bon appetite" with every completed carton.

Shouts rang out 119 times as the 94 volunteers worked their way feverishly to the beat of rock music through more than 4,000 completed meals, in 2 hours.

All the meals we prepared are now on their way to Haiti.  "Feed My Starving Children" serves many 3rd world country.  If you'd like to find out more, visist http://www.fmsc.org/.  It is a small but amazing organization.

After that experience, the five of us went out to IHOP and probably ate enough to feed a starving child in Haiti for a month