Monday Mug Shot

Museum of Broadcast Communications
Chicago, Illinois

In September of 1996, Rich, Heather H and I made a weekend forage to Chicago for what I called “An Astounding Cubbies Weekend” on the flyer I’d crafted to invite people along on the trip. The name of the weekend was a takeoff on a Chicagoland car commercial campaign in which Ryne Sandberg talked of “astounding coincidences” between the new cars and great moments in Cubs history.

In the late season game on Saturday afternoon against the visiting Phillies, we didn’t end up the happy Cubs fans. The Phils won the game 6-2, but a trip to Wrigley is never a bad trip!

After the game on Saturday, we went to Planet Hollywood for dinner. That was the trip where I tried the Captain Crunch Chicken Fingers. They were wonderful! I’ve since made them at home, but with Honey Nut Cheerios and I’ve also done a baked variation with Buffalo Wing sauce and Fruit Loops. Both were great!

On Sunday, since the game was a night game, so we couldn’t make it a double-header weekend, we took in some Chicago sites. There was walking to see architecture, a photo OP by the prominent building and street that share Rich’s last name and a stop at The Popcorn Store for a couple souvenir tins of Chicago-stye popcorn. There was also the stop at The Museum of Broadcast Communications!

The three of us all shared our first out of school employer in the media world, working in the local programming department at Omnicom Cable. In September of 96, Rich was still there, but Heather had moved up to the marketing department and I had left in May to return to college. Over the years we’d worked together, we’d become good friends. Traveling together and getting together even after we no longer worked together was common, in fact, it still is! But since our friendships started in the field, we thought it was a great idea to go to that particular museum together!

What great fun it was to see all the antique equipment and pose for pictures behind TV cameras that were older than we were! There was also a section devoted to sports broadcasting and Schoolhouse Rock, which we all grew up with! One of my souvenirs from that trip is my “Bill” figure, as in “I’m just a Bill...”

It was a great weekend for the inner-child, outer baseball nut, the taste buds and a weekend with friends is always good for the heart and the soul!