Congratulations!!

Thanks everyone....it only took me 117 hours to get signed in as an author.

Christmas Test

This is your first pyschological test sponsored be DAFAFI to determine your Christmas state of fitness.....let's see those honest or funny answers.


1. Wrapping paper or gift bag?
2. Real tree or artificial?
3. When do you put up your tree?
4. When do you take down your tree?
5. Do you like eggnog?
6. Favorite gift received as a child?
7. Do you have a nativity scene?
8. Hardest person to buy for?
9. Easiest person to buy for?
10. Worst Christmas gift you've ever received?
11. Mail or email Christmas cards?
12. Favorite Christmas movie?
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
16. White or colored lights?
17. Favorite Christmas song?
18. Traveling for Christmas or staying home?
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers?
20. Angel or Star on top of tree?
21. Open presents Christmas Eve or Morning?
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
23. What I love most about Christmas?

Chicago Slang

Posted by the commish for Julie Danca. Too funny. Thanks Julie! I have already shared this with many.


CHICAGO SLANG
1. Grachki (grach'-key): Chicagoese for "garage key" as in, "Yo,
Theresa, waja do wit da grachki? How my supposta cut da grass if I don't
git intada grach?"
2. Sammich: Chicagoese for sandwich. When made with sausage, it's a
sassage sammich; when made with shredded beef, it's an Italian Beef
sammich, a local delicacy consisting of piles of spicy meat in a
perilously soggy bun.
3. Da: This article is a key part of Chicago speech, as in "Da Bears"
or "Da Mare" -- the latter denoting Richard M. Daley, or Richie, as he's
often called.
4. Jewels: Not family heirlooms or a tender body region, but a popular
name for one of the region's dominant grocery store chains. "I'm goin'
to the Jewels to pick up some sassage."
5. Field's: Marshall Field, a prominent Chicago department store. Now
Macy's. Also Carson Pirie Sco tt, another major department store chain, is simply
called " Carson 's."
6. Tree: The number between two and four. "We were lucky dat we only
got tree inches of snow da udder night."
7. Over by dere: Translates to "over by there," a way of emphasizing a
site presumed familiar to the listener. As in, "I got the sassage at the
Jewels down on Kedzie, over by dere."
8. Kaminski Park : The mispronounced name of the ballpark where the
Chicago White Sox (da Sox) play baseball. Comiskey Park was renamed U.S.
Cellular Field (da Cell)
9. Frunchroom: As in, "Get outta da frunchroom wit dose muddy shoes."
It's not the "parlor." It's not the "living room." In the land of the
bungalow, it's the "frunchroom," a named derived, linguists believe,
from "front room."
10. Use: Not the verb, but the plural pronoun 'you!' "Where use
goin'?"
11. Downtown: Anywhere near The Lake, south of The Zoo (Lincoln Park
Zoo)
and north of Soldier Field.
12. The Lake: Lake Michigan (What other lake is there?) It's often used
by local weathermen, "cooler by The Lake."
14. Braht: Short for Bratwurst. "Gimme a braht wit kraut."
15. Goes: Past or present tense of the verb "say." For example, "Den he
goes, 'I like this place'!"
16. Guys: Used when addressing two or more people, regardless of each
individual's gender.
17. Pop: A soft drink. Don't say "soda" in this town. "Do ya wanna
canna pop?"
18. Sliders: Nickname for hamburgers from White Castle , a popular
Midwestern burger chain. "Dose sliders I had last night gave me da
runs."
19.. The Taste: The Taste of Chicago Festival, a huge extravaganza in
Grant Park featuring samples of Chicagoland cuisine which takes place
each year around the Fourth of July holiday.
20. "Jeetyet?": Translates to, "Did you eat yet?"
21. Winter and Construction: Punch line to the joke, "What are the two
seasons in Chicago ?"
22. Cuppa Too-Tree: is Chicagoese for "a couple, two, three" which
really means "a few." For example, "Hey Mike, dere any beerz left in da
cooler over by dere?"
"Yeh, a cuppa too-tree."
23. 588-2300: Everyone in Chicago knows this commercial jingle and the
carpet company you'll get if you call that number -- Empire!
24. Junk Dror: You will usually find the 'junk drawer' in the kitchen
filled to the brim with miscellaneous, but very important, junk. (ha ha
ha so true.)
25. Southern Illinois : Anything south of I-80. This is where Smothers'
is from....
26. Expressways: The Interstates in the immediate Chicagoland area are
usually known just by their 'name' and not their Interstate number: the
Dan Ryan ("da Ryan"), the Stevenson, the Kennedy (da "Kennedy"), the
Eisenhower (da "Ike"), and the Edens (just "Edens" but Da Edens" is
acceptable).
27. Gym Shoes: The rest of the country may refer to them as sneakers or
running shoes but Chicagoans will always call them gym shoes!
=============


This is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about Chicago .
If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through
May, you live in Chicago
If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't
work there, you live in Chicago
If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you live in
Chicago .
If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed
a wrong number, you live in Chicago
If "Vacation" means going anywhere south of I-80 for the weekend, you
live in Chicago .
If you measure distance in hours, you live in Chicago .
If you have switched from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day and back
again, you live in Chicago .
If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging
blizzard without flinching, you live in Chicago .
If you carry jump ers in your car and your wife knows how to use them,
you live in Chicago
If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you
live in Chicago
If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80 and
everybody is passing you, you live in Chicago
If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled
with snow, you live in Chicago .
If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and
road construction, you live in Chicago .
If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you live in
Chicago
If you find 10 degrees "a little chilly", you live in Chicago .
If you actually understand these jokes, and forward them to all your
Chicago friends & others, you live or have lived in Chicago

Nathan the young artist

Nathan is in first grade this year at Westmore School. You can view and comment on his artwork at artsonia.com/nathan1772. (This is a site on which the art teachers can upload the students' artwork.)

Isn't technology amazing? Now you don't have to have that box full of art projects sitting in your attic that you just can't bring yourself to throw away.

Love,
Bonnie

Lynn's Teeth!

Lynn & Sara - Sunday, November 4, 2007
Lynn, Sara & Nate - November 4, 2007

Hey, I hope everyone is doing good. We're happy to be out of Byron. Belvidere has so many more conveniences than Byron. Lynn's new school has much more experience with brain injured children than Bryon. She's already advanced to a 7th grade level reading/language arts class & 5th grade level math & science. Last school year, she was at a 2nd-3rd grade level in all subjects. Nice progress! Lynn walks now too. Still a little shaky, so at school & trips to stores she uses her walker. As you can see, she's got teeth! Sara & Nate visited last Sunday, so I took these pics. The 2 of them are really excited, (I am too!) about being in their last year of college & about getting married next June. Things ain't so bad.

Take care all. Pete & Lynn say "hi"

Love,

Shari

Iowa Game... er... NorthWESTern Game

Tickets: 25 dollars

Hot dogs: 3 dollars

Popcorn: 3 dollars & change...

Enjoying a family outing to a Northwestern Wildcats football game during Bonnie's senior year of college: PRICELESS!

The Wildcats suffered another unfortunate loss to a team wearing black and yellow (Iowa this year... Purdue last year) as our family contingent looked on. We made it to our seats in time for kick-off, but we left before the final set of downs. By the end of the game, it felt as though IOWA had the home field advantage. Their fans were enthusiastic, to say the least...

Our group of Bonnie & Mark, Kathy, Yvonne & I + Courtney & Heather, Uncle Joe & Aunt Vern, Aunt Lee (aka my Mom) and Janet W + Abbey & Maddie would've loved to see more of you at the game; nonetheless, we had a great time! The weather was uncharacteristically warm for a November in Chicago, and a bad day of football with people you care about is better than a good day alone... ANY day!

Finally, let me take a brief moment to "bust bad" on the majority of the family for NOT participating in this family 'blog!!!

If anybody is reading this... hello?... anyone?... Bueller?... P-L-E-A-S-E spread the word that this DaFaFi site is up and running. Any of you can become an "Author" by opening a GMail account and sending your new GMail address to cousins Bill or Steven F. At the VERY least, send an email to let us know that you're CHECKING IN on the site from time to time.

Remember... If we're not using this site as a means of keeping our family connected, THE TERRORISTS HAVE WON!!!

Love to all,
-Steven F (the "Steven" who ain't "Weaver")

Cubs: No Curse...Just a Complete Meltdown

Reprinted without permission.

There was no Bartman, no Leon Durham error, didn't face Will Clark batting 500 in post season... and there was no goat. Well not a literal goat but the whole team played like one.
No one in the lineup showed up to play. They looked lost and as if they didn't want to be at the plate when things mattered. They hit into more doubleplays in game 3 than runs scored in the whole series. Ramirez was hitless. Soriano only had 2. All 3 sluggers hit into a dp at crucial parts. Not one person got a hit in a key moment in a game. And they had many chances. The pitching wasn't perfect but was good enough in at least 2 of 3 games.
Sadly I think Pinella (whom I normally love) is alot to blame for this lack of wanting to be at the plate when things mattered. What are you telling a team when you aren't playing to win game 1 but are scared about game 4. Now Zambrano won't have to pitch on 3 days rest...rather he will have nearly 6 months rest before he has to report in the spring. This was just flat out embarrassing.

Erynn Murphy's First High School Dance!

Maureen Filetti's daughter, Erynn Murphy recently went to the BGHS Homecoming Dance. Erynn is second from right. She is really becoming a very pretty young lady...don't you all think?!

Great photo of you and your friends Erynn!

Kelsey Danca...Born Activist!!!

http://video.wgntv.com/global/video/popup/pop_player.asp?clipid1=1808526&at1=News&vt1=v&h1=Seniors+suspended+for+anti%2Ddrinking+t%2Dshirts&d1=127133&redirUrl=http://www.wgntv.com&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage&playerVersion=1&hostPageUrl=http%3A//video.wgntv.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp%3Fclipid1%3D1808526%26at1%3DNews%26vt1%3Dv%26h1%3DSeniors+suspended+for+anti%252Ddrinking+t%252Dshirts%26d1%3D127133%26redirUrl%3Dhttp%3A//www.wgntv.com%26activePane%3Dinfo%26LaunchPageAdTag%3Dhomepage&rnd=20154443

Hey, everyone...check this out. Definitely DAFAFI worthy! Way to go Kelsey...and way to stand up for what you believe.

Oswego school district...you guys BLEW IT!!!

Dave and Julie...you gotta be proud.

Note from the Editor...thanks for anything "WGN"...El Paso has the only cable company covering a market area with population over 3 in all of the great United States that doesn't carry WGN...or so I whine.

CUBS are the 2007 NLDS Champs!!

OK....it is not "I hope it is the year"...it's, "This is the year!!" Keep the vibe going and tune in on Wednesday 10/3/2007 to see the Cubbies thrash the Diamondbacks. We were at Chase Field to see the Cubs get punished by the D-Backs on August 25th. It's payback time boys. Sorry, Steven, you will have to push your Sox fervor over to our Cubbies. It is real bad Feng Shui if you don't!!

WOO-WOO!!! Can't this baseball season last past the Bears football season?? Wishful thinking.

Who is buried in this tomb?

Okay history buffs...this should be an easy one. Who is buried in this tomb? First one with the right answer wins a shiny new dime. My bet is on Jim Fanizza. This is absolutely my last vacation shot...I promise. 3 pictures of anybody's vacation is the international maximum...unless of course you beg me.

Seville, Spain

Bill, Lupita, and Rebecca...OK...there was nothing wrong with the camera...the red eye is just from watching too much Flamenco Dancing. Really a great show. The dancers exuded a lot of emotion and energy. The whole show was made better...by seeing the dancers in their street closes chain smoking in front of the restaurant after the show. Note to self....don't drink wine and go to the early Flamenco show...it was still light out and 95 degrees when we left the restaurant. Not a good combination.

Paseo Del Prado

The Filetti's were fortunate enough to go to Spain/Portugal/Morocco on vacation this year. Here is a shot taken right after we landed in Madrid with Rebecca and Lupita pointing to the road sign. The main drag in Madrid is called "Paseo Del Prado"...or the street of the Prado (where the Prado museum is located. Actually, this is the same street we live on in El Paso. Good omen don't you think?!

Northwestern Family Weekend Football Game

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to let everyone know that the Northwestern Family Weekend Football Game this year is November 3 against Iowa. If we pre-order tickets they are $25 each. Everyone is invited so just let me know if you want to come - it's been a good time the last three years and our crowd just keeps getting bigger each year. And don't forget, this is my last year at Northwestern so this might be your last chance!

P.S. Kudos to Steven and Bill for starting this thing - great idea!!

Love,
Bonnie

Welcome to the DaFaFi Blog!!!

Hello to all!

Thanks to cousin Bill for suggesting this "Family Blog". I think -- if used correctly -- it'll be great fun for us all!

To kick things off, we though it would be nice to pay tribute to Joe Danca's milestone birthday -- Happy 80th, Uncle Joe!!!

I'm looking forward to seeing stories and photos from all of you as time goes by! Also, don't forget to post comments in response to existing postings from others in the family.

Love,

-steven

JOE DANCA -- 80th

Joe... Dad... Uncle Joe... Grandpa... Great-Grandpa... he answers to many names. (Just don't call him "late to dinner"...)

Since our hope for this 'blog is to see it become a centerpiece of staying in touch and learning more about each other, we thought it would be fun to feature a family member from time to time; our first "Featured Family Member" is Joe Danca, Sr.

We've compiled a list of "Twenty Questions" -- ranging everywhere from "Wow!" (see "Advice to Younger Generation") to "Duh!" (see "Cubs or Sox?")

Joe's answers are below, but of course ANY of you can share additional memories of him -- or of anything else that comes to mind --- by commenting on this entry. So, here we go:

QUESTION #1 - Entering the world of Octogenerians, how do you feel?
JOE: I feel good about reaching 80... I never thought I would make it. Ask me again when I'm 90...

QUESTION #2 - Any advice for the rest of us young whipper snappers?
JOE: Keep busy, work hard for your family, and stay happy. Always be glad for what you have and not sorry for what you don't.

QUESTION #3 - Can you share a story with us about your military service?
JOE: It was a good experience that helped me grow up and learn to take orders.

QUESTION #4 - What was the happiest moment of your life?
JOE: Meeting my wife and getting married.

QUESTION #5 - Who is your best friend?
JOE: My wife. (Editor's Note: Good answer, Uncle Joe!!!)

QUESTION #6 - What is your favorite childhood memory?
JOE: Going to Maxwell Street every Sunday with my father.

QUESTION #7 - What are you glad you did and would never change?
JOE: Having all the children and grandchildren that I have. Also for having such a wonderful extended family.

QUESTION #8 - What do you wish you could change?
JOE: Make the world a better place to live.

QUESTION #9 - Could you tell us a story about working at UPS?
JOE: The first day I worked at UPS, I quit. My manager was supposed to train me. He decided to go to a movie, instead. He handed me the delivery and pick-up sheet and said, "Just do what it says." I waited and picked him up after the movie and gave him the sheet back and said, "I quit". He said, "You can't quit; I'll be in trouble because I was supposed to ride with you and train you".

He did train me, and I worked there for 35 years.

QUESTION #10 - Can you remember something about your wedding day that the rest of us might not know?
JOE: Yes, but I'm not telling anyone...

QUESTION #11 - What's the farthest you've been away from home?
JOE: When I was stationed in the Phillipine Islands.

QUESTION #12 - Cubs or White Sox?
JOE: What a question... need you ask? CUBS!!!

QUESTION #13 - Favorite food?
JOE: A good breakfast of bacon or ham or sausage, eggs, toast, coffee.

QUESTION #14 - Best movie you've ever seen?
JOE: The Godfather

QUESTION #15 - Best book you have read?
JOE: Taylor Street -- Chicago's Little Italy

QUESTION #16 - What is your biggest unfulfilled dream?
JOE: Becoming a millionaire -- Although I feel like one because of my family. I love all of them...

QUESTION #17 - What do you want your children to know?
JOE: To know how much I love them, and how I've had such a wonderful life because of them.

QUESTION #18 - What do you remember most about your parents?
JOE: Good, loving parents. The best you could ever meet. They were always there for me.

QUESTION #19 - What do you remember most about your siblings?
JOE: That I grew up loving and sharing a good life with them.









QUESTION #20 - Wool, cotton, or polyester?
JOE: Cotton. (Editor's Note: I always thought we were a wool family...)
















Thank you for sharing, Joe!