Posts tagged ‘Chicago’
Flat Stanley Cup’s Big Adventure
Last month the Chicago Blackhawks won hockey’s top prize – the Stanley Cup. Their third win in 5 years.
Unlike other trophies, the winning team only gets to keep the cup until a new champion is crowned. However, they’re allotted 100 days to pass the Cup around.
So far, the Cup has been spotted at bars, public events and various places around Chicago. It will even travel to the players’ hometowns.
The Cup is such a big deal, there’s an app to track its location.
Because we were fairly sure the Stanley Cup wouldn’t be driving to North Dakota, in the tradition of Flat Stanley, we decided to create a Flat Stanley Cup and take it on a road trip.
Following is a sampling of its adventure.
People’s reaction to Flat Stanley Cup was surprising. There was a lot of laughing and pointing. Clearly, people enjoyed it.
In fact, it was so popular, we might get an app to track it!
May the farce be with you!
Your IFF,
Pam
Dibs on Parking
The city of Chicago has more than 4,000 miles of streets, so it’s no wonder that some neighborhoods aren’t plowed right away following a big snowfall. That means residents are forced to dig out their own cars.
After expending great effort to clear a path, people want to save their parking spot so they don’t have to dig out again. “Dibs” is an unwritten rule and the consequences can be extreme for those who violate it.
Here are a few examples of how people call dibs on their parking spot in Chicago after a big snow storm.
May the farce be with you!
Your IFF,
Pam
(Photo credits: Chicago Tribune)
Be Still My Bleating Heart
The Chicago Cubs baseball team introduced a new mascot last week – Clark the Cub.
After nearly 80 years, the Cubs missed the perfect opportunity to break the curse.
As you may recall, the Cubs were cursed in 1945 during the World Series following a heinous act toward a goat.
Billy Sianis routinely brought his goat, Murphy, to the games.
When he was asked to remove Murphy because his odor was bothering other fans, Billy cursed the Cubs. Billy declared “Dem Cubs, dey ain’t gonna win no more”.
The only way to break the curse is for the Cubs to willingly invite a goat to a game (not just for publicity).
The Cubs should have taken this opportunity to break the curse by introducing a goat as the new mascot.
Although it’s been a while, mascots aren’t new to the Cubs. In 1908, the Cubs tried a bear that looked strangely like a scary giant rat.
A few years later, they experimented with a live bear that is said to be Clark’s great grand father. (Ahem, Clark isn’t real.) Surprisingly, a live bear turned out to be a bad idea but a live goat could work.
Clark made his debut at a pediatric hospital but given his no pants status, he should have been introduced during the annual no-pants subway ride.
Time will tell how long Clark will be around and whether he’ll affect the Cubs’ performance.
But given what we know about the team’s history, I think it’s safe to say: dem Cubs, dey ain’t gonna win no more.
May the farce be with you!
Your IFF,
Pam
Fractured Cliché #49
When I worked in Human Resources, a significant portion of my time was spent coaching other managers.
I recall one incident in which a manager needed encouragement to complete a difficult task. He had the skills but simply lacked confidence.
During one of our pep talks I fractured a cliché. He smirked when I said it but didn’t say anything.
When he stood up to leave my office, he smiled and grabbed himself. That’s when I realized what I’d said.
I told him to grab the ball by the horns (Fractured Cliché). (Note – I didn’t suggest he grab his own balls.)
Whether he grabbed the ball or the bull (Correct Cliché) it worked, because he succeeded.
May the farce be with you!
Your IFF,
Pam