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Breakfast with Rosie

Mar 25, ’11 3:36 PM

Far and away, the most fun I’ve had in Chicagoland has been getting to spend my mornings with my grandma Rose. We’ll share a pot of coffee, flick through the newspaper and chit-chat about what’s coming up in the day or what the weekend was like.

Lucky me

This morning Rosie took me and my cousin Jackie out to breakfast  to Dimitri’s Cafe, just a few blocks from Colleen and John’s place in Downers Grove. It’s a fairly typical breakfast diner but it’s Greek-owned, so mounted among more familiar diner wall hangings a there’s a big “ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ” poster and the menu offers a “Spartan skillet,” potatoes with asparagus and feta. I ordered a huge No Sweat inspired plate of potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach and cheese, with an egg on top for good measure.

Thanks for breakfast Rosie! That’s not a bad way to start a Friday.

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¡Vámonos!

Dec 31, ’10 11:50 AM

First stop: Puerto Morelos

The Taleff O’Caseys are heading to Mexico for the new year. As of this post’s going live we’re mid-flight, zooming high above the Gulf of Mexico. We got stuck on the runway this morning in Bozeman, some delay deicing de-plane’s wings it seems. Fortunately though, the Cancun flight was just as late leaving Minneapolis.

As you can tell from the last bit of video we may need a little polish on our Spanish elocution, but we are a fearless crew. Also, Chris seems to know what he’s saying.

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A Post Card from AlberQQ

Oct 8, ’10 7:42 PM

My mother, sister and little baby nephew are enjoying the annual launch of hot air balloons in Albuquerque, New Mexico this weekend.

From the looks of it they’re having a great time and Bannack’s enjoying watching the massive rainbow globes expand and take off as much as I did my first time.

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Get Y’r Baby Fix

Sep 16, ’10 12:13 AM

I’m missing my baby nephew Bannack a lot. But getting to see him grow up through the eyes of his parents is a pretty cool consolation. Chris and Sara keep their own blogs, don’t ‘cha know, and have been posting some pretty adorable photos of my stunning nephew.

Taleff O’Casey is their joint space. My sister started it before her wedding, to keep in closer touch with all the family and friends they were reconnecting with at the time. She continues to keep up to date, but I especally love the continuing series of Bannack’s growth from a little bean to the wide grinning old man he is constantly becoming. (I smile just as wide whenever I look at these photos.)

Chris posts there too, but he’s just launched his own site at his personal domain: christaleff.com. You’ll notice right away that we’re sharing the same template, but his site will give some insight into the life of a new father and student of architecture. I can’t wait to see and read more from both of them.

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Pete’s Big 50

Aug 23, ’10 2:23 AM




Saipan can throw a party.

Pete got the full treatment on his birthday, he clearly married into the right family. They prepared from time Mary Ann called her sister Tina to tell her they were coming.  A huge roast pig, the whole haul from our night fishing, massive containers of rice, roast veggies, crab salads, perpetually refilling coolers of beer, four cakes and platters of sweet bread. Enough to feed and re-feed about 150 members of da familia. That’s not to mention the live music and the 35 Polynesian dancers.

It was a familiar site for most of the attendees. I asked PJ’s girlfriend, “have you ever been to a party this big before?”  “Oh, yes, there was a baptism.”

The Lieto’s had the party planning down to a fine science. Auntie Tina arrived at the pavilion gate before 8 A.M. to get started as soon as the gate was unlocked. She had trunkloads of flowers and palm leaves, some as big as tablecloths, to wire up and around the pavilion. The family was given specific instructions of what and how much food they would need to prepare for the night. Serving tables arrived, a bar was setup, food laid out, live flower leis were threaded, the loud-ass PA system was sound checked and everything was in perfect order when Pete arrived, right on time, at 6:30.

The party was almost indescribable. Partly because I was sitting close to the bar, but mostly because it was so enjoyable. After a particularly strong cheek full of betel nut (more later) I took a walk to the edge of the park and looked on at the whole scene from a distance. The pretty white pavilion lit up and loud with laughter and music for Pete, who may as well been another haole, but here he is family and deserved no less than the best birthday party I have ever been to.

By midnight the pig was wrecked, having been picked over twice, and there were nothing but empty plates, serving dishes and beer cans on the tables. As the singers packed up their equipment the rest of the clean up started and was over in less time than it took to say goodbye and plan for going out for a night dancing in Garapan.

Not a bad way to celebrate a milestone birthday is it?

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