Weekend Links

• The New York Times did a piece on the French vendetta against doggie bags at restaurants and how that may be changing.  I thought it was a really interesting piece on a culturally complex issue.
• For those of you who know me, you can attest to my obsession with the show Friday Night Lights.  Although I love sports, I can't stand football, but I fell in love with the "human interest" part of the show.  I think Connie Britton's Tammy Taylor is a fabulously strong, sassy female character {much more so than the disappointing, barely-there version that she plays in the movie that preceded the show}, and, when I saw an interview with her in which she explained that she is teaching her young son to grow up a feminist, it was confirmed that she is just a wonderful human being.  So "The Cult of Connie Britton" is an awesome read. 
• I am kind of predisposed to love comedian extraordinaire Jim Gaffigan given that he is a Georgetown grad, but his new book, "Food: A Love Story" knocked it out of the park.  Seriously, this guy is funny {note: other vegetarian readers may be slightly bored/disgusted during the many meat chapters in the middle of the book, but he makes up for it with his hilarious examinations of kale and the Whole Foods cult}.  I dare you to read an excerpt and not laugh.  Also note: his first book, "Dad is Fat", is also hilarious and is particularly pertinent if you are a parent.
• While they are sadly not reuniting for a special TV episode, members of the Gilmore Girls and Dawson's Creek cast and crew will be convening in Austin next summer for an ATX Writers' Room.  For those of us not fortunate enough to live in Austin, you can stream it! 
• The holidays are almost upon us, and that means it's time for those of you who are coupled off to stress about where to spend the holidays.  Even though I would love nothing more to spend a holiday with Dan's family this year, especially in light of our engagement, we decided that, while we're living far away from both families, we'll do holidays separately but will try to spend some time together over Christmas break if at all possible.  I think we may need to reevaluate for next year, though, because I'll miss him!  Learn more about holiday-splitting anxiety here.

Happy Weekend to all of you! Here's what we have on tap: we are going out to an AMAZING pizza place tonight {keeping our Pizza Friday tradition alive}; to a party tomorrow night with Dan's classmates during which they will premiere videos that each cohort made; on a tour of the Chicago location of Lagunitas brewery and then out to dinner at Giuliana and Bill Rancic's Italian restaurant on Sunday.  We'll throw some long runs in there too for good measure - my 15K last weekend came just in time, since the temperature is about 20 degrees cooler this week!  Super pumped for our busy weekend, and also simultaneously pumped to go home for Thanksgiving so soon!  Oh, and we found our wedding photographer - yay!

The Greatest Generation

I was reading an article this morning about Louis Zamperini, the inspiration behind the book {and now movie} "Unbroken", and it really resonated with me.  I have always been interested in World War II and the accomplishments of the "Greatest Generation" ever since I can remember, and I am so excited to begin reading the book, in the hopes of devouring it before the movie comes out next month.

My paternal grandparents, who passed away 14 and 16 years ago, respectively, have continued to be a moral compass for our family. There is never a dry eye whenever Pop Pop and Ma are brought up at family dinners and celebrations {this happens frequently}.  Our entire extended family truly does feel them looking down on us in everything that they do, and, being that I was young when they passed away, I often find myself wishing that I had had more time to get to know this indomitable couple.  Pop Pop was a doctor who served as an Army medic in the Pacific theater during WWII, and his unit was the subject of a children's book that has become a family heirloom.  From what my dad has told me, Dr. Bonanno, as he is known in the book, didn't like to talk about his military experience when he returned home.

He became a highly respected OB-GYN and a pillar of his community whose name still elicits excited exclamations throughout the region.  He easily could have bragged about his experiences in the war or as a professional, but Pop Pop wasn't a bragger.  Similar to Zamperini, he believed in doing things the right way, coming by success honestly, and treating others with compassion, which endeared him to many in his community.  He based his actions on what he felt was right, rather than what he felt would gain him the most recognition.   As I reflected on Veterans Day yesterday, my mind instantly went to Pop Pop.  His generation, and Zamperini's, selflessly put themselves in harm's way and brushed it off as only "doing their job".  The families of those soldiers, too, made incredible sacrifices during World War II, and I would imagine that that experience turned Ma into the resilient, tough-as-nails lady that she was.  She raised an army of five children {some, like my dad, highly unruly ones} and raised them to be respectful, compassionate and hardworking individuals.  My dad and his siblings would not be the exceptional people that they are today without the strong core values that Pop Pop and Ma instilled in them.

Zamperini made a few references in his interview to people who approach their lives in the wrong way in my generation, whether they are using banned substances to get ahead on the playing field or letting their lives be dominated by hatred for others.  While he admitted to a dark period in his life immediately following the war where his hatred for his Japanese captors led him to be self-destructive, he later chose to live his life with gratitude and forgiveness, which I know I can certainly learn a lesson from, particularly now that I am in a job that I dislike and in a highly dysfunctional office.  I think my generation could learn a thing or two from the greatest generation about working hard without expecting any reward, coming by our success honestly and treating others who have wronged us with compassion.  I know that the article provided me with some serious food for thought moving forward, and I hope you enjoy it as well!  Even though this is a day late, I am so grateful for the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform, as well as their families, make day after day to keep us safe.