Happy Birthday, Chuck!

Today I celebrate the birthday of my dear friend Chuck. As Chuck would say, he looks great for 70.

Of course, all who know Chuck know he isn't 70, but that's the type of backhand compliment Chuck made famous.

I've known Chuck for 30 years and it's been a great time. He's a friend, mentor, brother, sounding board and more. The mere fact Chuck is my friend makes me feel good about myself. He's well-grounded with a deep love of his family and faith.

Call him Chuck, Chuckles, Charles, Chachi or any other similar name, I wish him a fantastic birthday.(I didn't just use this post as an excuse to showcase a first edition JohngysBeat.com shirt. Newer ones are available at Pro Wrestling Tees if you should be so interested.)

Chuck and me in Arlington Heights, IL-December 2013.

Happy Birthday Chachi

Today I celebrate the birthday of Chuck Gekas. "Chachi" is one of my oldest and dearest friends.

I have had so many laughs (and a few cries) and great times with Chuck over the years. I am so grateful for our almost 30 year friendship.

Chuck and his wife Mary share the same birthday. How unlikely is that? It would seem pretty high, like 1/365 or so. However, the Birthday Paradox states differently. I won't get into the details and the answer isn't even clear, but the odds are actually much better. A stats guy like Chuck would appreciate that.

In the picture below, Chuck is celebrating with Mary, who I always call his "long-suffering" wide. The truth is you will not find two better people.

Happy birthday, Chachi. I raise a virtual glass of Merlot to toast you.

Chuck and Mary in Schaumburg, IL-November 2022.

Happy Birthday Chuck

Today is my friend Chuck's birthday! I have known Chachi for 25+ years. Technically, I first came across him in the mid-80s, when he worked with my sister Jean at the Chicago SunTimes. We became friends though when he joined Lerner Newspapers in 1995.

Over the years, Chachi has become one of my best friends. I think of him as a brother. We've been all over the country together, on baseball fields, in restaurants and everywhere else. I've shared many great times with Chuck. I even witnessed how he could have changed history at Dodger Stadium, but that's a story for another time.

Today, while I celebrate Chachi's day from afar, I want to let him know how much I appreciate him being in my life. I'm a better person for knowing Chuck.

I love the picture below. Chuck surrounded by his grandkids, is heartwarming. I'm proud to know Chuck's whole family. They are truly a great bunch, but it all starts with Chuck and his long-suffering wife Mary. (Ooops, I used an old joke there.)

Happy birthday, Chachi. Enjoy your day!

Chuck Gekas and his grandkids in Arlington Heights, IL-Summer 2021.

The Boys of Summer in Washington, D.C.

This year, my friends and I went on our 19th annual "Boys of Summer" trip. The Washington Nationals lost, but that did not detract from a great trip.

Borrowing the name from Roger Kahn's great baseball book, "The Boys of Summer" started in Cleveland with a win in 2001. The original "boys" consisted of Chuck Gekas, Jim Gekas, Jason Farber and me. The first four have been on every trip. Over the years, Cuzz Gekas and Jason Fleigel joined for many trips, while John Roelke and Louie Atsaves finally joined us for the last two trips.

We have now been to 29 ballparks, only needing to add the Los Angeles Angels, Houston Astros (although I have been there), Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves to complete the current stadiums. (I purposely named the teams and not the stadiums, because those names seem to change so often).

Back in 2001, I was very grateful to do one baseball roadtrip. I had hopes that there would be more, but I never thought we would manage to take group trips for 19 years straight. I consider myself blessed to be a part of this, to have been to so many cities and , most of all, to have such great friends.

In the end, the baseball is the backdrop (or the excuse to go). While we enjoy the games, they have increasingly taken more of a secondary role to trying new things (like this year's Segway tour) and simply hanging out. 

It is way too early to start thinking about our 2020 trip. I certainly hope most of us can coordinate things enough to have our 20th trip. I know we all work hard at being flexible in scheduling. We shall see, but for now until spring, I am happy to simply recall the fun times with great friends in beautiful places.

I wrote more about this year's "Boys of Summer" trip online for Global Traveler at Segway Touring Around the Nation's Capitol and Capitol Dining. As you see, activities and food are a big part of the trip.

Jason Farber, John Roelke, Chuck Gekas, me, Jim Gekas and Louie Atsaves in Washington, D.C.-June 2019.