little blog on the prairie

Saturday is dog’s day at the University of Illinois softball game against Northwestern, one of the top teams in the NCAA. If you bring a leashed dog, you get in for free. Of course, they don’t specify that the dog must be an Illini fan, which is good news for the purple and white lbotp family. To add to the festivities, the Humane Society will be there with adoptable animals.

I’m not sure how this is going to work, considering the area around “Martin Stadium” (it will always be Eichelberger Field to me) is still a mess. But the bleacher areas have been unaffected by the construction, so all dogs (and their owners) should have a place to sit.

I wonder if there will be biscuits for sale at the (unfinished) concession stand.

I know all of you are just dying to know what we ended up doing for Peanut’s birthday party. Well, after all that whining and moaning about not wanting to have the party in our house, we ended up doing just that. One of the big reasons was my discovery of Teresa Brennan, a local music teacher who dazzled us when we attended a free lesson at Pages for all Ages one Saturday afternoon. (Pages does the free music class the second Saturday of every month). We were so impressed with how well she handled so many kids of different ages. It was a wonderful program and Peanut loved every minute.

I’m not shy (I know that shocks all of you) so I went up to Ms. Teresa and asked her if she did birthday parties. Voila, a party was born. We centered the party around a music theme and gave out mix CDs of Peanut’s favorite music as the favors. It was a blast. My brother, who never lacks for an opinion, enjoyed the program so much that he wants Ms. Teresa to drive up to Chicago and perform her magic at his son’s next birthday. That was the ultimate nod of approval.

So now I have a favor to give all of you. Ms. Teresa is starting classes this spring as she launches her new venture, Wee Love Music. And she wants to offer all lbotp readers a free introductory class. Here’s the 411:

No, I’m not talking about Kansas. I’m talking about my entry in the first annual Little Blog on the Prairie NCAA tournament pool.

I was languishing in third place, behind Mr. Chicken and Jenna, until last night. For I picked Kansas to beat Memphis in the championship. And boy, I have never rooted for those Jayhawks so hard (and probably never will again).

So I won my own pool. And it looks like I will also win the women’s pool, although we had only one other entry from Rayne of Terror.

It’s too bad I didn’t stake my entry anywhere else. Mr. lbotp says I could have won a lot of money. For not only did I pick the championship game correctly, but check out the score I predicted: 74-69. The real score? 75-68. I guess I’ll go play the lotto today.

Mr. Chicken, even though you talked trash to me, I will still take you to lunch. Only I get to pick the place.

Thanks to everyone who played.

Every day at our area’s fine land grant institution, there are plenty of academic studies that need local research participants. From the ageless to the aged, there is a study looking for you.

Many of you parents have probably been recruited for studies at the Infant Cognition Lab. I got on their list too, but never made it into the lab with Peanut. Most of them will compensate you for your time, either with cash or gift cards, or the like. I don’t think you could make a living at this, but I’m sure there are plenty of semi-professional research participants in this town.

So when I saw a listing for a “salmon study — mother’s needed” on craigslist, I decided to take the plunge. Get paid $15 to sample salmon puree for a study looking at American mother’s acceptance of salmon baby food? Sure, why not. I’m game. That’s a few gallons of gas I didn’t have otherwise.

And some day, if that salmon baby food lands on a shelf, I can say that I was there when.

WARNING: What you are about to read may be hazardous to your health.

I nearly choked on my tongue this morning when I read the following comment by the mother of the now infamous Urbana pedophile, Jon White, uttered at his sentencing hearing:

“I am truly sorry for what everybody has had to go through. However, I am not ashamed of my son. I love him and I will support him as his mother.”

If my child, G-d forbid, ever did something so heinous as this man did, I would do my best to support her. But I wouldn’t be ashamed to admit shame.

But wait. It gets better. Mary Schenk reported in Saturday’s News-Gazette that Joyce White “talked of her son as a wonderful father, brother, son and husband and asked the judge to impose the fewest amount of years in prison possible.”

Yes, most wonderful husbands and fathers molest little girls, especially little girls they had been entrusted to educate.

Perhaps this woman needs a sentence of her own — a stay in the looney bin.

*RANT OVER*

• A few weeks ago I saw this billboard in Chicago and I meant to mention it then, but forgot all about it until today when I heard that today’s Oprah show will focus on puppy mills. This is a huge moment for animal lovers everyone. Love her or hate her, Oprah has incredible influence in this country (her show airs at 4 p.m. on WCIA, then is repeated on WCFN at 10 p.m.). Puppy mills are a problem everywhere, even in Champaign-Urbana.
• Speaking of WCIA, the station is sponsoring another recycling effort — first it was computers, but this time it is shoes. Athletic shoes will be collected in Champaign, Danville and Springfield on Saturday, April 11.
• A while back you may recall me complaining about our trash collection company. Well, I have nothing on Mrs. Chicken’s recent garbage guffaw. (caution: adult audiences only.)
• Some people have too much time on their hands, but that’s OK if they waste it for our amusement on the C-U craigslist. Pretty funny.

No, I’m not talking about my beloved Cubbies.

Every year I say I am going to the Vet Med Open House. Well, there will be no excuses this year. After all, who can resist a cow with a hole in it? Or seeing an equine fetus via ultrasound? Or face painting? I am determined that Peanut and I will be out early Saturday morning for this annual free event. The Killer Cockapoo will have to stay home; no companion pets allowed.

Vet Med Open House
Saturday, April 5, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Urbana; campus off of Lincoln Ave., south of Florida
Free!

May 10 may be a good day to get out of town, with the masses of proud parents on their way in to witness the bloated pomp and circumstance that is UI graduation. Amtrak is providing us all with some incentive, for that day is the first annual National Train Day (gosh I love made-up holidays). To celebrate, Amtrak is offering one free companion ticket with the purchase of one full-fare adult ticket. Tickets must be purchased this Thursday (April 4) using discount code H768.

Our family uses Amtrak often, especially since the additional morning trains were added to and from Chicago’s Union Station. Just last week a good friend of mine used it to visit us. I don’t get on it as much as I should, but that’s because I often travel with the Killer Cockapoo.

Recently Peanut has started saying choo choo every time I say train, and I’ve been wanting to take her on her first train ride. Perhaps this is a good opportunity. Maybe we’ll have Mr. lbotp pick us up in Rantoul, that would be exotic.