Lunch with my niece

We celebrated her birthday, just she and I, at an Italian restaurant. Now a sophomore in high school, she's taller than I am. She came in with a big beige fabric handbag decorated with peace signs. We talked about school, Halloween, her upcoming birthday party, her driving, and, best of all, The Beatles.

She has become a rabid Beatles fan, and I couldn't be more pleased. Her screen name is taken from a Beatles song. Her desktop is Abbey Road. She wore a Beatles t-shirt in her yearbook picture. All she wanted for her birthday this year was Beatles "stuff."

So I got her necklace with this logo, a pin that's a replica of John Lennon's guitar, a George Harrison notepad (he's her fave), a Beatles wallet, a t-shirt adorned with the Rubber Soul cover art, and the Concert for George tribute concert DVD.

I'm so glad that we have a passion in common. I love her very much, but I worry that as she grows up, she'll grow away. Now we have the Lads will keep us tethered to one another.

Saturday 9 -- Being a Good Sport

1. Were you raised around a lot of sports? My dad was a big Cub and Bears fan. My grandparents on both sides were Cub fans. My mom is a Michael Jordan-era Bulls fan, but I was long out of the house by then.

2. What is your favorite sport? Chicago Cubs baseball.

3. When did you last play a sport? I never play sports unless absolutely forced to. I played pool very badly in a bar a few months ago. Does that count?
4. When did you last attend a professional sporting event and what was it? I had the pleasure of taking my 9-year-old nephew to his first Cub game in Wrigley Field this past July.

5. What was the last sport you watch on TV? Dodgers/Phillies earlier this month.

6. If you have children, do they play the same sports that you did? If not, someday if you have kids, would you like them to? I am such a klutz I was even bad at jump rope, and I don't have kids, so I don't know how to answer.

7. Do you think other people care too much about sports? No.

8. Do you have the freedom to be as involved in either playing or watching as much sports as you’d like to? Yes.

9. Who is your favorite sports team? If you don't know the answer to that question, you haven't been reading very carefully. I bleed Cubbie blue.