So I unplugged for a few days to join with family and friends to say farewell to Bobby, my sister’s son, who’d run out of options for treating an aggressive form of cancer. Unfortunately, our nephew passed not long after our plane touched down at O’Hare.

The weekend was spent huddling with family, sharing our grief along with accounts of Bobby’s diamond peg fitting into a square hole life. There were shared meals and tears, promises and fears, along with getting to know people from his world we’d never even heard of. Children were underfoot everywhere, and Zero the dog patrolled constantly, looking for fallen morsels and pets on the head.

The marquee event of the weekend was a White Sox baseball game. Bobby loved the Sox, especially after the Cubs sold their souls for wins and merch and higher ticket prices. The original plan was for him to attend a game with a bunch of friends; we went to the stadium to honor his memory. To make a long story short, the Sox losing record was only exceeded by that of their opponents, the Kansas City Royals, who were winning 4-2 when the thunderstorm approached.

Chicago is a wonderful city, bursting with pride at its bigness and diversity. It serves as a testament, both good and bad, to what the government can do for its citizens. Bobby led a wonderful and service-to-others-filled life, and I’d like to think his appreciation for his environment made life better for everyone along the Chicago river.

I’ll be back with an analysis of “the situation” at midday.