the 312 hole

See more photos from Christmas in Elizabeth.

See more pictures of Emma

It’s the holiday season, and I will be heading over to my Grandparent’s house this weekend for our family Christmas. We will escape the cold later in the week and fly down to Florida.

Here’s a picture of Grandpa from a few weeks ago on his 79th birthday.

Visiting my parents = Seeing Reggie. Good stuff.

See more photos of Reggie.

I forgot to make note of Ron Santo’s recent extension, which he signed on Monday. He will be in the radio booth for three more years. Personally, I love the dynamic between Pat and Ron. I enjoy the fact that Ron gets frustrated and confused in the same breath. He makes it fun and helps us to remember that baseball is only a game.

Seems like a good excuse to post this old photo of the Harry Caray statue at Addison and Sheffield. Is there room for one of Ron out there?

I visited my parents last weekend in Des Moines, Iowa. I landed early Friday evening – just in time for Chicago Rick’s Work Release Party at Blues on Grand – a blues club my parents have recently enjoyed. We arrived around 4:30, and the band was starting to set up and get ready to play. The name of the band for this particular evening was Sumpin’ Doo – comprised of a few local blues players. Sumpin’ Doo is led by brothers Gilbert and George Davis. Joining them on stage for the evening was Rob Ankum on guitar.

Gilbert Davis is the eldest brother, and he is an Iowa Blues Hall of Fame Inductee. He has been playing music for over 50 years in various bands, but in the last decade has returned to Des Moines. I was shocked to learn that he played with Springsteen on two tracks from the Greetings From Asbury Park album. I was not shocked to learn that the bartenders at Blues on Grand knew exactly what Gil drinks.

See some more photos of Gil.

I visited my parents last weekend in Des Moines, Iowa. I landed early Friday evening – just in time for Chicago Rick’s Work Release Party at Blues on Grand – a blues club my parents have recently enjoyed. We arrived around 4:30, and the band was starting to set up and get ready to play. The name of the band for this particular evening was Sumpin’ Doo – comprised of a few local blues players. Sumpin’ Doo is led by brothers Gilbert and George Davis. Joining them on stage for the evening was Rob Ankum on guitar.

George Davis is the younger brother to Gilbert Davis, another Iowa Blues Hall of Fame Inductee. George and Gil engaged the crowd and really brought the place alive – with their jokes and music. My parents saw them play a week before and met them after the show. A week later, on this Friday, they gave me a shout out for coming all the way from Chicago to see them.

See more photos of George.

I visited my parents last weekend in Des Moines, Iowa. I landed early Friday evening – just in time for Chicago Rick’s Work Release Party at Blues on Grand – a blues club my parents have recently enjoyed. We arrived around 4:30, and the band was starting to set up and get ready to play. The name of the band for this particular evening was Sumpin’ Doo – comprised of a few local blues players. Sumpin’ Doo is led by brothers Gilbert and George Davis. Joining them on stage for the evening was Rob Ankum on guitar.

Rob Ankum was a younger guy, but he knew how to carry the band. On several occasions, Gil and George just let Rob jam for a few minutes – you could see them look at Rob with amazement at some of the stuff he was doing. Not only could he jam, but he was a genuinely nice person, and he seemed very appreciative when I thanked him for a great set. I got a chance to say hello to Rob and shake his hand after the show – albeit briefly – as he quickly packed his guitars and amps into his station wagon and sped away to another gig for the evening. Hopefully I will get a heads up next time he makes his way into Chicago to play at Kingston Mines.

See more photos of Rob.