'The Greatest Weekend in SIU History' (hopefully)

I have been looking forward to this weekend since before officials in the Southern Illinois University athletics department coined this weekend as 'Super Saturday.'

Back in late October/early November I was already coining this weekend as potentially 'The Greatest Weekend in the History of SIU.' Well, at least since I've been at SIU.

I know those are some big expectations to fill, but I have full confidence that the events this weekend has to offer will leave everyone who was here for them with a sense of satisfaction.

But before 'Super Saturday,' one must note what a Friday night in Carbondale can bring, seeing that the very popular cover band Mike & Joe kick-off this weekend's festivities by playing at the Copper Dragon.

When you wake over from your hangover, then you can officially start thinking about 'Super Saturday,' which begins around 2:20 p.m. when the No. 4 seed SIU Salukis play the UMass Minutemen in the second round of what used to be called the Div. 1-AA playoffs.

SIU will be looking for its first semi-finals appearance since 1983, the year that they won the Div. 1-AA National Championship.

SIU's football team usually takes a back seat to the basketball team, because in all reality, SIU is a basketball school. It wasn't until head coach Jerry Kill came to Carbondale and put the Saluki football program on the map.

And despite five straight years of playoff appearances for SIU, the fans still don't come out like they should. That's why I think it is important that Saluki Nation heads out to McAndrew Stadium and support their Salukis.

After the football game, you can head to The Strip and take in one of the finest traditions in Carbondale, the annual Lights Fantastic Parade. The parade will run between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.

As for the main event, SIU men's basketball will host 15 Indiana University at the SIU Arena at 8:30 p.m. This is the second game of a home-and-home series between the perennial national powers of the Hoosier state and the up-start Salukis of the much slept-on Missouri Valley Conference.

But the night doesn't end there.

After the ball game, fans should be encouraged to (again) enjoy the Carbondale night life. I for one will be enjoying the sounds of 17^th Floor at the Copper Dragon.

17^th Floor is one of the best cover bands that comes to Carbondale and is worthy of any cover charge that the bar will be throwing at you. They are a cover band that combines a "party like a rock star" atmosphere with hip-hop music.

Sounds like a fun weekend doesn't it? On paper, it looks like one of those weekends that I thought that every weekend in college would be like. But like the Cubs, once every four years you get something special like this to happen all at the same time.

Poem #6: Ma's Margarita

Ma’s Margarita

One package frozen strawberries, one-third cup sugar
“Use less sugar; sugar and liquor don’t mix well with me,”
my mother says. One-and-one-half cups water,
good enough for me. I’m just trying to follow directions.
One-and-one-half cups tequila. Ma says, “Two cups.”
I look back at her. “Just do what I say.”
Four cups lemon-lime beverage. We got Sprite
downstairs in the fridge, I think that counts.
In food processor—not sure if we got one of those.
I’m gonna grab the blender in case we don’t.
Step two, combine—“Just put it all together, boy, mix it good.”
Ma insists I do it her way. I just wanna go to bed. I’ll comply.
Throw it all together and start stirring. “I think it’s done now.”
“I think you’ll get yours tomorrow night,” she snaps back.
Finally topped with carbonated beverage
it’s ready for the freezer. I’m ready for bed.


This was another fun poem to write. The assignment for this piece was to write a "found poem." Found poems are defined as "poems shaped from a collection of words or phrases found in one text." I decided to use my mother's famous margarita mix, while adding pieces of a conversation we had while making the mix one night.

I thought by mixing those two elements, I would have a poem that would be enjoyable for everyone to read. I hope that you enjoyed it. And yes, this poem has the EXACT recipe my mother uses. So use the poem wisely ;-)

...And another thing (last night's blog continued)

I realized that I really didn't finish last night's blog the way I wanted to. So here comes its proper ending (a two part edition):

• I forgot to mention that it was because of Vanessa's wedding shower why my mother didn't come down to visit me when DePaul came to play SIU in women's basketball. That would explain why she didn't return my calls all day and why she didn't tell me about her weekend plans.
• I guess Vanessa asked where I was and my mother told her I was at school. Vanessa asked my mother if she had told me, my mother said no. Vanessa responded, "you're going to have to tell him sometime." And the thing that will stick in my head for a very long time: "Luis was just too slow with the proposal."

Ouch. The story of my life.

I also forgot to note the end of my conversation with my mother had me thinking this: "You know what this means, right? This means that I need to find myself a really superficially hot date for this."

A little more than a week later, I still have those same feelings. I kinda feel bad about it though, because really, what's that gonna prove? Frontin' that I'm happy when I really am not is wrong. Now, let's say I'm in a genuine relationship and my girlfriend happens to be my date, then so be it.

But what if I'm still single? What if I don't have a date? Do I still go to the wedding? How do I save face in front of the former girl of my dreams and a family that still adores me?

I'm not even sure anymore.

Maybe I should take two or three dates to prove that I'm happy. Maybe the idea that it would take two or three girls to satisfy me would put the "what could have been..." thought in her head.

Oh, who am I kidding. The fact that I'm even thinking about that this early in the game and to that extent goes to show that I've got some serious issues going on in my head that need to be resolved a.s.a.p.

And on top of that, the idea that I will likely have to go through these feelings at least two more times is sickening to me.

Until then, I'll quote Tom Petty to end tonight's blog:

"Yeah I might have chased a couple of women around
All it ever got me was down
Then there were those that made me feel good
But never as good as I feel right now
Baby youre the only one thats ever known how
To make me wanna live like I wanna live now

The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you see one more ca rd
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part"
--Tom Petty, The Waiting

Until we meet again, good night from Carbondale.

Poem #5: Dinner Time

Dinner Time

It's like she cooks for an army.
Eyes grow large and mouths water
as we sit waiting. I don't want leftovers,
I want everything, now—AHORA!

"No te llenes tus ojos antes de tu barriga."
That's grandma's saying. It means something like
"Don't fill your eyes before your stomach."
Don't eat what your stomach can't handle.

If grandma only understood one thing:
ain't no arroz con gandules in Carbondale
that's worth a damn. She looks at me and repeats,
"No te llenes tus ojos antes de tu barriga."

I'll ignore it, just like last time, and the time before that.
The next morning I'll end up regretting it.
I knew I shoulda listened to grandma.


This was one of my favorite poems to write. The assignment for this piece was to incorporate a "foreign flavor." By that, I think my instructor wanted us to use a family story and/or the element of foreign language in our poem. That's easy, my family's Puerto Rican and a lot of the better stories come from the dinner table. And really, if you take anything from this poem, you should learn that grandma knows best. And that food in Carbondale ain't got sh*t on what my grandma cooks! If you've ever been to my house, you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about!

Poem #4: Beyond The Mask

Beyond The Mask

Traditional reds are made by spitting crimson
from the nuts of the betel palm tree.
Whites are made from oil and lime,
blacks from oil and charcoal.
More than carved pieces of wood,
masks represent regions, people
and stories of tribal traditions.
Like how an elongated nose
represents fertility and continuance.
Or how other masks scare children
away from initiation ceremonies.
Displayed at festivals, they conjure up spirits.


This poem is my museum art piece. For this assignment our class met at the University Museum and picked artwork to write about. I decided to write about a group of African masks.

It's hard to describe them now, since the exhibit is gone and I don't have any thing to show from it except this poem. And really, this poem does those masks no justice, seeing that I don't describe one particular mask.

Instead, I described the masks in a broad way while also describing what masks of that particular region meant. Masks do have certain history behind them and I thought I'd try to get some of that out there through my poem.

A lesson learned during Thanksgiving break

I'd like to interrupt the recent blogs of poetry to get some things off my chest. Besides, that's what blogs are for, right?

Since I've opened Life With LuDo I haven't been as forward as I used to be with my blogs. I've held back a lot of stuff that I would have written here, and I'm not sure why.

Maybe it was because work and school have kept me busy. Maybe it was because the Cubs kept me happy. Maybe it's because I'm afraid people will be bothered by what I write.

Well tonight, that ends. Because I have things to get off of my chest.

First, I'd like to note that my Thanksgiving break was absolutely wonderful. It was great to be home in the great city of Chicago with my friends and family. It was also fun to be able to listen to a morning show that wasn't a complete suckfest (Yay for DreX!!!) and some quality sports talk radio (Yay for 670 The Score!!!)

My night at the bar was memorable and lived up to all of the hype I heard from my friends. I loved it to the point that I already can't wait 'til the next celebration.

Thanksgiving dinner was amazing, and that description doesn't do justice. We had deep fried turkey, smoked turkey, honey ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, Mom's famous macaroni and cheese, Mama's famous arroz con gandules, Roy's famous ribs, and so much more.

Having Thanksgiving at my house was a blast. And I tell you what, there's nothing like waking up Thanksgiving morning with a nasty hangover and a pain in your body because you slipped and fell while "cranking dat soulja boy."

And then there was my early X-mas gift which I am thankful for.

However, there is just one thing from my vacation that is bothering me. It's a lesson that I learned, and hopefully I can (finally) learn from my own words: "Be careful what you wish for, it just might come true."

I arrived in Chicago on Sunday afternoon after a long night of being wasted in Carbondale and settled in to watch the Bears game against the Seahawks (which they would eventually lose.) At half-time, my mother needed to go to the store and she needed her chauffer to take her there. And that's where the story gets interesting.

While driving on a cold and rainy afternoon, I should have seen it coming. My mother started the conversation with, "I've got a date for you."

"Awesome, I'll shave tonight," I responded thinking my mother had set me up on a blind date.

"No, it's a wedding date," she replied. "Oh yay," I thought to myself. I love weddings and haven't been to one in a while. I joke around with friends of mine that are in relationships that they should hurry up and get married so I can go to their wedding, get drunk and have a time of it.

My mother responded: "I know I shouldn't be bringing this up while you're driving, but it's Vanessa's."

I was shocked.

Before there was "hot, blonde and southern" there was Vanessa, the original girl of my dreams. I call dibs on that line there because I pulled it from a poem about her that I have been working on since May.

Long story short: Vanessa's mom and my mom are really good friends and always thought we'd make a good trouble. As children, we crushed on each other and had our puppy love, but nothing ever came of it. We came close in high school when I finally realized she had liked me, but nothing ever materialized.

She dated other people in high school. I didn't date anyone.

A part of my blames my mother, who knew Vanessa liked me. I wish she would have said something, then I definitely would have made a move. But who am I kidding, it's things like this that make me believe that I would have just screwed it up anyway.

So anyway, back to the story. It's Vanessa, one of those classic "one's that got away" stories, that is getting married on August 8th 2008.

That's right 08/08/08. Let me note that she's a big Cubs fan (as am I) and that date (08/08/08) marks the 20th anniversary of the first Cubs night game at Wrigley Field. Now if that doesn't tie things together in a nice lil' package, I don't know what will.

That moment there marked the end of a strange week where the Cancer women who make my life miserable broke my heart twice in a three day period.

I guess since I'm on my soap box, I might as well dive into that topic too. But I'll keep this short and brief (heck, I'll summarize it with one solid punchline.)

"There's nothing like being woken up by the girl of your dreams telling you that there is a girl that has a crush on you. Unfortunately, it wasn't her."

That's how I felt the Friday before Thanksgiving break when I got a call that a certain girl might like me. I felt terrible, because I didn't share those feelings. And as much as I say that I want to play the heart breaker because it might give me a sense of redemption after all of the times I've been rejected or heart broken....being the heart breaker isn't the role I truly wanted.

That set off the awkward confessional I had later telling "the girl of my dreams" that I couldn't date her friend (who may or may not have had a crush on me) because I still had feelings for her. And that if I dated her, all I could think about would be what coulda, woulda and shoudla been. And really that does her friend a real injustice, because she's a nice girl and doesn't deserve that.

And I didn't wanna be that guy.

Then came the well I kinda used to like you at one point, but I'm glad that we never dated because we're still great friends part of the conversation, which sent me on a "oh my gosh what have I done" trip.

Seriously, now I really get to think about what woulda, coulda and shoulda been. I've spent time in the last two weeks since that day thinking about where I went wrong. And then came the gut check question of the year: "is having a best friend worth losing the possible girl of your dreams?"

I still haven't come with a conclusion for that one.

(AND THIS IS WHERE I TIE IT UP NICELY AT THE END)

The way I see it, this girl that I'm talking about...this girl is what I thought Vanessa was going to be. What she has, I've always wanted in a girl. And the idea that I could have had it, saddens me.

Don't get me wrong, it's nice to have a best friend understands everything about you...but at what cost?

In the end, the feeling I felt when I found out Vanessa was getting married will happen twice more because of the Cancer women in my life.

The funny thing about it is that my mother loves the three of them (of course my mother herself is a Cancer too.)

Two of them have met in person, not knowing of course what each meant to me. Two of the others know about each other and what they mean to me. And then there's one that knows each story.

Confusing, yes. That is just one half-hour inside my mind on a Tuesday night that has just turned into Wednesday morning.

RANT OVER!

Poem #3: Cure For The Common Curse

Cure For The Common Curse

Heart of goat, tail of black cat,
golden gloves and wooden bats.
Add shoulder slings for broken wings
of home run hitters and strikeout kings.

Time to end this dreaded curse,
lift it before it does get worse.
May it inflict our rivals worse,
it’s time to end this dreaded curse.

This poem is the second poem inspired by the Chicago Cubs.

The assignment for this piece was to emulate the style of trochaic meter, as found in the classic line "double double, toil and trouble." Part two of the assignment asked for me to write an incantation, so I decided to write an incantation that would reverse the curse of the billy goat.

For those of you who aren't as baseball savvy as I am, read further for a brief history lesson.

The curse of the billy goat has plagued the Cubs since 1945, when a gypsy and his goat sat in the bleachers of Wrigley Field during a World Series game. The goat smelled, fans complained and the ushers asked the man and his goat to leave.

They didn't want to, so on his way out the man allegedly cursed the Cubs, saying they would never reach the World Series ever again.

They haven't.

The first part of the first line ("heart of goat") was inspired by that. The second part of that line ("tail of black cat") was inspired by the infamous black cat incident. For more info., keep reading.

In 1969 the Cubs had a team of stars that held first place for over 100 games and were looking to go to the World Series for the first time since 1945. That team had Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins and Ron Santo (who should be in the Hall of Fame!!!)

However, the team swooned in the second half as the up and coming New York Mets charged for the division. Late in the season the Cubs and Mets met in a pivotal series.

During that series a black cat appeared at Shea Stadium (home of the Mets) and circled Cubs third baseman Ron Santo, who was standing in the on deck circle and then stared directly at Cubs manager Leo Durocher.

The Cubs would go on to lose that game and the division to the Mets, who would go on to win the World Series (of course).

That moment was the first of many misfortunes the Cubs (and Santo) had in that park (which will thankfully be demolished soon). This Cubs fan will never forget the time Santo's favorite hair piece caught fire in the Shea Stadium press box.

Now that I've got those two history lesson's out of the way, I hope that this will clarify any questions you had about the poem.

I hope you enjoyed it.

Inside 'The Dugout'

Inside 'The Dugout'

Disgruntled players with heads in their hands.
Their ears are assaulted by ruthless fans
who rise with a ringing chorus of boos
for the rookie on deck, ready to bat.
His shoulders are slumped and his face is pale.
Another year of damned disappointments
conveyed by teammates, with heads in their hands.

The crowd gets louder with every pitch
as the rookie remains waiting on deck.
Impatiently waiting are fans at home.
Cubdom is a tragicomical group
of fans deserving of a better fate.
Ninety-nine years of tears over a team,
(their team) whose heads are buried in their hands.

This poem was inspired by artist Norman Rockwell's piece 'The Dugout', which can be viewed here.

The assignment for this class was to write a poem based of a piece of artwork. I chose this piece of art because it is one of my favorite pieces of art (mostly because the scene provides the viewpoint of Cubs fans.)

What I tried to do here was describe what was going on in the artwork. I tried describing the looks of the players, the fans in the background and really--the main thing I tried doing here was to describe the artwork as a whole.

Later, I got a little more specific, and wrote about emotions that could be drawn from this piece. I wrote about those emotions from the viewpoint of Cubs fans. It was easy to write that because as a life-long Cubs fan, it is easy to describe and write about heartbreak.

I've always said, the Cubs have broken my heart more times than any woman...and that trend will likely continue.

Dear Mr. Hughes (and intro to my Fall '07 Poetry Portfolio)

First of all, I'd like to welcome all of you who read this blog to the first installment of poetry that will be submitted to my ENGL 382B class as my "Fall 2007 Poetry Portfolio."

The portfolio consists of 17 assignments and 21 poems overall. A lot of these poems will be new to my readers. Others I have used before, but have been re-written for this particular class. So if you think you've seen a poem before, you probably have...but now you're seeing it after being through workshop and re-written.

To my readers, be kind with your reviews but also be truthful as well. But don't be like "This sucks" and not have an explanation. If you have any questions, ask them? Something bother you? Tell me about it. A writer's job is to write for a mass audience.

Any changes that you suggest will be taken under consideration, but will not likely be used in my portfolio since I am under a deadline (that technically has yet to be determined by my instructor).

Now, for your feature presentation.

This poem Dear Mr. Hughes is an example of an emulation poem. The assignment for this piece was to emulate one of your favorite poets. Langston Hughes is one of my favorite poets and wanted to write something that maybe he would appreciate.

However, this is less of an emulation and more of a response to Hughes' Dream Deferred which can be read here.

Dear Mr. Hughes

What happens to a dream
deferred by outsiders
who wish for our demise?
They try to kill our self esteem,
instead we use their hatred
to power and fuel our dreams.
What happens to a dream deferred?
we make it come true.
For dreams are not just
for those with tired eyes.

copyright Luis C. Medina 2007

Homecoming

"Baby, do you remember when?
Fireworks at Lake Michigan
Oooh, now I’m coming home again
Maybe we can start again."
--Chris Martin, Homecoming (by Kanye West)

Well folks, I'll be on my way home for Thanksgiving break and I'm excited. So far, this semester has gone very well for me. The way this year has gone, I thought this is exactly how college was supposed to be from day one.

I guess this is one of those times where I note that I've learned a valuable lesson. This lesson, of course is that nothing in life comes easy.

Anyway, I'm coming home and am scheduled to arrive sometime Sunday afternoon. I'll be here until Saturday at 4 p.m. Plenty of time to do the things I need to do.

Unfortunately, I'm going to be a busy man during my vacation. I have a 7-10 page paper to write for my JRNL 332 class (journalism law.) I have a 1,200 word paper to write for my JRNL 311 class (news writing and reporting.) I also have to put together my poetry portfolio for my ENGL 382B calss (intermediate poetry.)

I also have to go to the dealership and see if I can get my job back. I also have to help my family with preparing for Thanksgiving.

The only fun I will be having will happen Wednesday night at Merkle's with my homeboys. To quote Bryan, "I saw the forecast for Wednesday, it's going to rain!!!!" Can't wait to make it rain in Wrigleyville again!!!

Other than that, I'm booked. Oh and Friday I'll be shopping with my mother. Other than that, I'm booked.

Hope to hear from you while I'm home.

Don't forget, I do DO NOT have a lot of your numbers. So you can leave me a messgae and give me your number so I can contact you.

In conclusion: I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.

--LuDo

Poetry Coming Soon & Blog Neglect

If you ever read my old blog, then you know what is coming soon. That's right, poetry!

For those of you who are new, when the semester winds down I am usually putting the finishing touches on a semesters worth of new poetry. This year is no different. If you'd like to read my old poetry, you can go here and check it out. I suggest that you do.

Everyday I'm working just a little bit harder on putting together my poetry portfolio that comes at the end of the semester. When I feel I have a finished piece, I'll post it here, at my MySpace page and on Facebook.

I've got about 15 new pieces that I've written this semester. So get ready folks, cuz here I come!


What About Blog Neglect?

I've committed one of the blogging sins, and I am sorry for it. I realize that my last post here was on October 28th and that's such a long time to not post anything. I have found myself busy ever since signing on to be the Chicago Cubs beat writer for fansite armchairgm.com.

When I'm not doing school work or at my job, I'm trying to dig up all the dirt I can on the Cubs. I'm talking trade rumors, researching potential free agent signings, taking a look at minor leaguers who could impact the '08 team, etc. I'm a busy man to say the least.

I promise I'll make a bigger effort to keep this blog up to date as much as I can. I'd think about posting my Cubs stuff here, but I doubt many people would read it. But if you're willing to read it, I'm willing to write it. So tell me if you will or not. The latest Cubs news and analysis is only a copy and paste away.

Well, that's all for tonight. Nothing major to update tonight. Well, nothing I'm willing to talk about at this moment. The time will come. This blog will be back and kicking in no time!

-LuDo