The tree that ate Zachary?

Finding a single word to describe a son’s visit is difficult, if not impossible. Zachary came in from Hoboken late on the Monday night before Thanksgiving, made even later by Vice President Biden’s visit earlier in the evening. It was nice to have him all to myself for that late-night, hour-long drive from Midway. It was also nice to see his reaction to a freshly de-cluttered and painted room.

 I forgot how helpful he is in preparing the Thanksgiving meal, but it all came roaring back to me, quickly, as the week progressed. Thursday we did the traditional stuffing of the turkey (ew, yuck), and later stuffed ourselves.

We had the pleasure of an elder generation this year, Sanchita’s parents who were celebrating their first Thanksgiving at the end of a four-month visit from India. Naturally we enjoyed the lively entertainment provided by Grayson and Caleb, who both adored Uncle Zachary, and the Mukherjee girls.

 Friday it was just the three of us (plus the dog) making the traditional trek to McHenry County to cut a Christmas tree. Again, it was great to have the time to reconnect with Zachary. And from a canine perspective, Spencer enjoyed the drive time spent curled up in Uncle Zachary’s lap.


 This year we tried a new venue. Rather than going all the way out to Chemung, which may not be on the map but it’s just past Harvard, we stopped at Oney’s in Woodstock. OK, not in Woodstock, but on the outskirts of Woodstock. It worked out fine, and Zachary found a suitable tree in near-record time. (The only shorter expedition I remember is one year a while back when it was f-f-f-freezing cold and windy.) We knew this one was on the plump side, but wow! It was really, really big once we got it into the family room. It will be a great tree, but I’m already wondering how I’ll ever get it out the door.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Extraordinarily musical numbers

Having now seen Once twice, it's high time for me to make a few observations. First of all, it's a terrific show. Zachary took us to see it on Broadway last December and we were captivated. So when we saw it was coming to Chicago on tour, it was a no-brainer. We were going to see it, and I am pleased to report that the touring company is every bit as good as the Broadway cast.


As a musical experience, Once is simply extraordinary, and likewise as live theater. It's the kind of performance that makes me wish I was that good a musician, and that I was that good a writer, too. It also made me want to snap a photo, just to preserve the memory of the experience. But knowing that's not permitted, I was delighted to find photos on the official show website (www.oncemusical.com). I've taken the liberty of sharing a few here that capture key elements of the story. But more importantly, they preserve for me the memory of this touching performance. See more photos at http://pittsburgh.broadway.com/shows/once-baa/photos/.

The touring company is visiting 28 cities from now through early next October. If you have the chance, go see it. You'll be glad you did. That's all I have to say about that.