Classic Will Ferrell...

Stressful...

The holidays are so stressful. Seriously. This has not been fun as enjoyable as it could be. I can't wait to drink with all of you this holiday season...

Oh yeah..bought a car last night. Twin Turbo Audi A6 w/ 25K miles. It boogies, but doubles as a family sedan. I'm so clever....

Merry Christmas.....(and Maureen is leaving Kraft!!!)

Maureen and I really do love Christmas. Its a great time to spend with family and friends. Exchanging gifts is always fun, and who doesn't like to eat and drink like fools.

Besides Peace on Earth, I would like the Bears to demolish the Packers on Sunday the 23rd. Its a noon game, but who knows if that won't change.

So what's new with Marty and Momo? Maureen is leaving Kraft!!! She recently accepted a position a a Finance Controller. Her last day is today, Friday, December 14th. Its a sad but exciting time for Maureen and I. We met at Kraft and it will be a little weird no to work with each other. But, she is really excited about the new opportunity. I know most of you are thinking..."Maureen, you are 7 months pregnant, what are you thinking?" Don't worry, she's thought it all through and it ready for the change. She'll be working with her brother Joe, which made the decision that much easier.

Other than that, life is good. I sold the BMW M3 last week and have been car shopping. The baby is coming in just over 2 months. Work has been craZy. My parents are in their new house and appear to be way over their heads trying to manage moving, working, and Christmas. Everyone is doing great. Shawn and Ingrid's Christmas party is this weekend, as is the Bigane family Christmas at Andy and Anne's.

Take care everyone!!!
Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!!!

Thanksgiving and more...

Hi everyone - just a quick update on what's going on in Franchiville.

Thanksgiving was great. We spent the early afternoon with the Roger's clan at Tom and Karen's house. It was fun to visit with everyone. We then made the 1 hour drive to Port Barrington to see the Franchi clan. Seems everyone is doing well on both sides of the family.

The Thanksgiving Turkey Bowl was a lot of fun. We played on 'field turf' in Northbrook for the first time. We had 8 on 8 this year, so the turnout was a little less than normal. Might have been the snow and cold weather that scared everyone away. No injuries, except Patrick (155lbs), who is currently vacationing in Rio de Janeiro, slammed into Mike Didden (220 lbs) and walked away with a black eye. He did force a fumble on the play that they recovered, so props to Patrick.

Maureen and I have been working on the house as usual, trying to get all out projects squared away before the baby joins us in February. Andy Bigane and Tim Ude and I played amateur carpenters last week building a built-in cabinet and hanging the TV on the wall. Then Tim played amateur electrician (under real electrician supervision) and wired a bunch of new lights in the house. A big thanks to both of them for their help. Clearly next time they have a project or need help moving I am in.

Maureen has been doing a million other things on the house, to include decorating and ordering window treatments. She's been putting the finishing touches on unpacking and getting the house ready for our housewarming party this Saturday at 4.

We've had my mother-n-law over to help with decorating the baby's room. I'll post a picture once its done. So far it looks amazing...

Maureen and I ordered a new bed. Maureen, being over 6 months pregnant, sleeps with a lot of pillows and is never comfortable, so we upgraded to a King bed in hopes she'd have more room to get comfy. Added bonus is I will now have enough bed left for me that I don't feel like I am constantly falling off the edge.

Dominic and Jami have been painting and getting new furniture for their house, so I am excited to see that. Andy and Anne remodeled their entire house, and it doesn't even look the same. It turned out perfect. Joe and BB remodeled their house, and once again, it is amazing and unrecognizable. And.....my parents are moving in mid December to a beautiful house in Cary, IL (about 5 minutes from the Canada border, kidding)

And most important, the baby is doing great. They can't wait to meet you all!

Anyways....thanks for checking in with us.
;-)

Chicago Bears

The Bears won yesterday and it was great to see. It was even nice to see Grossman firing up rockets down field. As risky as they are, it reminded me of his upside potential.

I just hope we still get a high enough draft pick this year that we can fix one of the many many problems this team has.

I just want to beat the Packers again. That would make the season for me at this point.

20 Week Ultrasound Pictures

So we're in our 23rd week right now. Everything is going great. Maureen is doing very well, although she needs to sleep with 7 pillows to get comfortable, and even that doesn't really work. The baby is moving around a lot, and although its very difficult for me to feel, Maureen feels it all day long. I've been told in about two weeks I'll be able to feel the baby moving also.

I added some of the 20 week ultrasound pictures to the blog. You can see the baby is upside down in two of them, and you can see the legs and feet pointing upwards.

We'll keep you posted as Maureen progresses!!!

Storm the Castle Walls...

They are building a White Castle approximately 3 miles from the house. I know this comes as a shock, as most of us thought this could never happen, but its true.

It will be located near Dundee and 53 in Palatine. The owner tried to get a permit to open one in Arlington Heights, but it's illegal to serve Grape Soda in the 60004 zip code, so they were denied.

We're in the process of trying to find out when opening day is, and we'll be holding preliminary time-trials in anticipation of Slider-Rama 2008. Anyone who can get together to make this monumental occasion is welcome to join us.

Happy Eating...

I hate wallpaper

Seriously, I really hate wallpaper. What were our parents thinking?

Proud of my Family

I was just thinking today...........I am very lucky. I married an amazing woman who comes from an amazing family. I have 4 great brothers, and amazing parents also.

My brothers are great guys and I am so proud of them all.

Gary has really made great strides in the last year to become the Gary I always expected him to be. We disagree on a million points, but leaving that aside, I am so proud of him. He just moved into a great house in Northbrook with his wife Angie, he has taken his hobby and his interests and been able to turn it into a career, and he seems as happy and composed as I have ever seen him.

Dominic finally popped the question to Jami, and they have so many great things to look forward to.

Patrick has been working his tail off at Enterprise in Elmhurst, and bought a place in Schaumburg.

Christopher is studying and doing great at Illinois State (despite his late night text messaging habit where he tells me how much he likes Oreo Cakesters). He's working while in school, which many of us know is challenging.

My parents have been working very hard through a tough time in the mortgage industry, but somehow they are bulletproof and keep making it happen without blinking, all the while making sure to keep their family close by and help out when needed. They are not only great parents, but great siblings to their siblings, and great children to their parents. and to think they are doing all of this despite some recent health scares.

And on top of it all, Maureen and I are going to be parents. We're so excited. We'll have the opportunity to be parents, raise a family, and watch it grow over the years. If we are half as lucky as both of our families have been, we've been blessed...

Chicago Sports

The Cubs lost. That hurt. And it looks like the World Series is going to be the Rockies and the Indians? Really? Yeah. I'll be watching. No wait, I would rather set my eyeballs on fire.

Then the Bears lose a heart breaker to the......wait for it....Vikings. Ouch. Andy Bigane and I were drinking Coors Light all day scratching out heads on how on Earth that happened.

Chicago Sports gets a big phat......thumbs down.

Half Way There...

Maureen and I are heading to our 20 week doctor appointment this afternoon. I have to say, time is really flying. We've started looking at some baby names, which is fun and new, but don't ask........we're not telling what our favorites are.

We're excited, and I think we're going to get some new pictures, so we'll make sure to post them for you all!

And on a side note...we're tentatively planning a housewarming party for December 1st. Hope you can make it!

Been a while...

It's been a while since we posted anything...so here is a quick summary of the last few weeks.

Maureen is doing very well. She's as tired as a Kenyan after running the Boston marathon, and she's as sick as an Irishman on March 18th, but all in all its very normal pregnancy issues she is experiencing. Somehow she manages not to complain about it all, and she is very focused and excited about being as mother. I am beside myself at this point. I am so excited I can't really put it into words. We're both waiting to feel the baby kick. We've been told that's should be coming up shortly. Also, we have our 20 wk ultrasound in about 10 days, so we're halfway there. And for all of those who are curious...we are not going to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. I'll never forget the look on Joe Bigane's face when he announced to the room they had just had their daughter Mae. I wouldn't rob myself or all of you that excitement...!

Shawn and Ingrid got married. What a blast. The reception was at this great Dego joint in Elmhurst, Angelo's, and it went off perfectly. Ingrid looked amazing, Shawn was sober (at Church), and it was a great time. If you see Shawn, ask him about being stabbed in the foot by a huge piece of glass right before the ceremony. hey just got back from Mexico, so we're waiting for stories and pictures.

Summer softball ended. We made it to the Championship game and couldn't pull it off. Fall softball has just started and we're 3-1, tied for second place.

The Cubs are in the playoffs!!! Game 1 vs Arizona is tonight. We're hoping for a resounding victory with Z on the mound. Fingers crossed for no cramping. I'm hoping somewhere up in heaven Papa Rogers can put in a good word for our Cubbies.

The Bears are terrible. 1-3 right now against teams I thought they would crush. They have no offense to speak of, and the defense is on the field so much they look average at best right now. If we can beat the Packers @ Green bay this weekend, then we're back in the saddle. If we lose, the season is over. I am just glad I didn't bet Shawn on the Lions this year.

Work is good. No complaints there.

Family is health. No complaints there.

Lots of work still to be done at the house, but we're getting there. We should have carpet in to replace what we lost in the flood in about a week. After that we're almost fully operational.

Anyways....sorry to ramble. Be well everyone and GO CUBS!!!

Jack Rogers

This is another tough one...

I have married into a great family. I cannot say that enough. It breaks my heart to share with them a time of such great loss as the passing of the family Patriarch, John 'Jack' Rogers.

The Rogers family rallies around each other in hard times, they encourage each other in challenging times, and they celebrate with each other in the best of times. I can say without question that they have all been there for each other, and for Maureen's grandmother, Ginny Rogers.

"Papa" was a caring, loving, family man, and he truly helped mold a great family to carry on his legacy. His relationships with his children, his grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren show how much he enjoyed life and his family. His family's tears these last few weeks have shown how much they loved and will miss him.

At his wake I met several of his friends, to include friends from high school and elementary school. Each was just as touched by his loss as the next, and each had such nice memories of their time with him.

I guess what I am trying to say is he was truly a great guy, a great grandfather to Maureen...and he will be missed.

One last thing...should the Cubs make the post season and God willing win the World Series, there is not a doubt in my mind that Papa had something to do with it.

Cheers to Papa.

Birthdays, Babies, Rain, Bachelor Parties, and a Franchi Engagement...

Where to begin...

My favorite day of the year was this past Saturday...Maureen's birthday. I sent her to the spa for the day and then we had a fun dinner at Melting Pot that evening. Its was a fun night out, but it was a little different celebrating a birthday without at least a moderate about of cocktails. Next year we'll have to make up for the lack of partying, so buckle up for Momo's birthday in 2008.

My brother Dominic got engaged!!! He just called me yesterday from the Dominican Republic to spread the good news. He has been dating Jami since college, so we're glad they are getting hitched. So, look out for a Franchi wedding in 2008 as well.

Our house flooded with all the rain last week. We're getting it all fixed up, but its been a huge pain. Thanks to everyone who came to help with the clean up and the big dig! A huge thanks to Hershy, Andy, Phil, Pat, Mom and Dad, and Dominic...and of course to Feliciano "El Caballo" Bandito Grande.

Phil's bachelor party in Three Lakes Wisconsin is this weekend. Kegman's bachelor party is the following weekend. The weekend after that is Keg and Ingrid's wedding. Phil and Trisch's wdedding is three weeks later. I should be in great shape for a few weeks.

Maureen and I have our next doctor visit September 11th. We'll keep you posted on progress of Baby Franchi.

We'll post some pictures sooner than later.
Not much else going on over here.
Marty...signing off.

We're In!!!

First off, thanks to everyone who has sacrificed their time over these last few weeks. Moving is hell, but your help packing, cleaning, moving, and unpacking has been phenomenal. Next time, I am hiring illegal labor from the parking lot of a convenient store in Waukegan.

So........the move is done. The closing on the sale of the Buffalo Grove house went smooth and we closed in just about an hour. I had a nice big check in my hand for about two hours while Maureen and I were homeless. Then, as is normal, I had to sign the check and hand it over to the title company to buy the new house. We're in the new house and couldn't be happier.

We've been spending all our free time trying to sort out all the boxes and get settled in. Its going to take a few more weeks, but we'll get there. We have to buy some furniture and do some decorating too, but we have time.

Setting up the utilities has been a nightmare, but its just about done. Hanging the TV on the wall is going to be the next big project. We'll post some pictures later, but for now, I just wanted to put something out here since its been so long.

Look out for a housewarming party email coming soon. We think the party will be in late September.

Baby Franchi

Maureen and I have some news that we are very very exited to share with everyone. Recently we found out that we are expecting the arrival of Baby Franchi!!! Maureen is 9 weeks pregnant, and we couldn't be more excited.

We went to the doctor this weekend, and we got our first pictures, were able to see and hear the heartbeat, and were told our due date...March 1st. Luckily our Doctor is right down the street from the new house.

Maureen is doing well. She has determined she cannot stand vegetables. Also, her sense of smell has surpassed that of world class bloodhounds.

We're overjoyed with the news. I feel like the most blessed man on the planet. We look forward to keeping everyone in the loop during the coming months...

Thank you all for your love and support.
Baby Franchi can't wait to meet you!

Moving Sucks

So we started going through the house and planning out our pack/move........my God. Moving sucks. We only have two beds, a futon, and two couches. We only have a few tvs and other large items. BUT...the thought of moving everything is such a scary one. Just remember this piece of advice my father told me a few years ago. "One day you'll sell this place, and everything you have ever brought in, you'll have to bring out."

The move will be relatively easy compared to packing everything.

Pray for us.

House is Sold!!! WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!

Well everyone, it looks like the house is sold!!! There are always details to iron out and we still have to make sure we close, but assuming all goes well, we are moving starting Sunday July 29th!!!

Maureen and I are officially calling in some favors.

We need a small army of loyal friends and family to come over and help us move on:

Sunday morning, July 29th (to load the truck and clean the house)
Monday afternoon, July 30th (to unload the truck)

The usual freebies will be included (cold beer, hot pizza etc...)

Its a little bittersweet to move of the 'block', but we're excited to move to Arlington Heights and to have everyone over....

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!!!

Paintball

Paintball is being postponed until further notice...

Chloe Grace Hershberger

I wasn't sure if I was going to blog about this. Its been such a rough one for so many people I love.

My cousin Lisa and her husband, my good friend Matt, lost their 10 week old baby over the weekend. Chloe Grace Hershberger passed away in her sleep overnight on Saturday. It has been determined that it was due to SIDS.

We were blessed enough to be able to spend the entire day with her on Saturday with the entire family while we celebrated my brother Gary's 30th birthday.

The funeral is this Friday, and we are so heartbroken for them and the entire family. If anyone reads this who wants details of the funeral, please call me. Also, anyone who knows the family and has the means to make a donation to help cover the cost of the funeral (we are trying to raise $4,000 by the weekend), also please let me know.

Please pray for this young family during this incredibly trying time.

Rehersal Dinner Toasts

So Maureen and I are starting to get a little more technical...although we still needed to hire an outside consultant from KegTV.

So, here is our first attempt at our home videos online.
(These provided once again by a subsidiary of KegTV)

Let us know what you think...
Enjoy!!!

Sharks with laser beams on their freaking heads...

So this week has been interesting.

Sunday we dropped the price on our house to see if it would spark some new interest, and it has. No offers or anything yet, but I think we're on the right track. http://homes.realtor.com/prop/1082277123

I got sick this week, and had a 104 fever. Thank God I have Maureen by my side, or I would have never made it through it. I was border line delusional. Fever is finally gone this morning and now I am just waiting for this sore throat to go away.

We have all kinds of parties this weekend. Birthday parties, father's day......should be a fun one.

Softball team is still undefeated in 6 games. (5-0-1)

Some recruiter has been calling me all week about some finance job working for a company in BG that sells medical lasers. I would interview if they promised to install a pit in my house that was filled with sharks with laser beams on the fricking heads. Until then I am slanging Mac-n-Cheese.

Maureen is in the other room watching "John Tucker Must Die", so I opted to sit on the computer until it was over.

Other than that, nothing craZy to report. Life goes on...

Been a while...

Its been a while since our last posting, so I felt like dropping a message out here.

Momo and I visited Grandma in the hospital. She was in good spirits and seemed to be doing very well. She'll be home in a few days and hopefully all better. I hate seeing her sick...but was glad she was doing okay.

Well..................its Friday. That rocks. I just drank two margaritas and eat enchiladas for dinner with Momo at On The Border (Mo loves chain Mexican restaurants). That's a good start to any weekend.

Sunday we have our second open house, so we're hopeful we get some traffic.

We put a contingent offer on a house in Arlington Heights that was accepted. We had the home inspection Wednesday. It went well, with very few points to talk to. We're waiting to hear back on some items.

Other than that...not much to report. Just a lot of waiting and praying on the real estate front...

Hope all is well with you all...
Until next time...

Helping a buddy....

Showing a buddy how to create a blog. I am not good at this.....but hopefully he can't tell.

Our CraZy Weekend...

So we spent Wednesday through Saturday in Vegas. What a blast. We actually got some sleep this trip, about 4 to 5 hours a night, which is a ton in Vegas hours. Vegas hours relate similarly to cat years. You know what I mean. I'll post more about our trip later and put some pictures up. We partied hard, gambled a bunch, and left smiling (although we did not come home winners as I had predicted).

Then, we spent all of Sunday and Monday getting out house clean and ready. We moved a bunch of boxes to a storage facility, went through everything in the house......and now......it is ready to go on the market. It will be on the market Tuesday.

Anyways...I'll post more later. I am so tired I am hallucinating. The computer monitor looks like a slot machine...

The Gimp Goes to Vegas...

Momo and I are leaving for Vegas tonight. We're way excited, as we haven't been to Vegas together in almost two years. I have been having visions. I am supposed to play "Let-It-Ride", a progressive poker style table game, and I think I am going to win between $80-$82K. Hopefully it happens.

One problem, Vegas is a walking town and I have a right sprained ankle and a 'smashed' left ankle. I am walking like a gimp. Maureen has a wheelchair ready for me at the airport.

I hope the vicotin and the tequila help me walk out there.

Rock and roll peoples...
Viva...

Hurricane Chang

Jeni Chang came into town last night to finalize the sale on her house and pack up and ship a few last things to NY. Her flight got in late because of the rain, so she showed up at the house about 12:30. Kind of late for a school night, but we stayed up to visit and have a few cocktails. Next thing you know I am at work on three hours of sleep and I hate beer. The end...

Paintball

Tentative Date for the 2nd Annual Franchi Paintball Massacre is August 4th.

Location is TBD, as Paintball Blitz has been shut down after over 20 years in business. Call Martin if you have any fun locations to suggest. Specifically a location that lets us drink beer freely and without prejudice.

Feel free to invite a friend providing you vouch for them. No jackazzes. Call with questions.

Be ready to shoot and drink.

The House and Getting Ready to Move...

Maureen and I have been working on the house pretty much every night and day. It's a real pain. The contractor finally finished the closets, so I am busy reinstalling the organizers. Both of us are going through our clothes and making piles to give away to the National Children's Cancer Society (www.nccstruck.com). After this we have to:

Re-paint bedrooms

Move furniture and storage bins to a storage area (aka Dom's house)

Hire a carpet cleaner

Clean out and organize the laundry room

Get rid of basement couch and old dishwasher

Service the refrigerator

Among a million other things....

If you are reading this, then that means you know we are listing the house and hoping to move this summer, so consider this our request for slaves on moving day. Buckle up...

Back to it.

Softball - Week Two

So last night's softball game (Thursday night league)........we went down to the wire and in the last inning, we scored three runs to TIE. WTF? A Tie after a comeback like that? It felt more like a loss but we'll take it. What sucks it is was an inferior team by far, we just played sloppy. I also happened to jam my left leg (that's right, I jammed the entire thing) and I took a sinking line drive off the ankle, which is swollen, bruised, and appears to have internal bleeding. I am walking like an idiot. I am still leading the team in batting and on-base-%. Hopefully I can keep it up...

I love this game...but I am an injury waiting to happen (knock on wood)...

A few wedding pictures

We are in the process of going through all of our professional wedding pictures so I thought I would share a very few of my favorites. We have been so busy getting the house ready to list that we have not even started to pick out which pictures we are putting in our wedding album...we are way behind on that stuff! As we start going through the wedding and honeymoon pictures I will share a few.

Weekend and Beyond...

Just wanted to drop a note out here to report on the last few craZy days.

Saturday was the Cubs game with the Groomsmen. Cubs won, so I am 2-0 this year. I am so good at baseball. Had a great time with the guys. Afterwards we tried to get to Arlington Park to watch the Derby and bet on some racers, but we got stuck in traffic forever and didn't make it. We ended up playing bags and drinking while watching the Bulls get massacred. Then we got the De La Hoya/Mayweather fight at the house. Good fight, I still love boxing but it doesn't compare to MMA at all anymore. Maybe if the heavyweight division ever comes back. We ordered pizzas and passed out. Good times.

Sunday was work around the house all day. Maureen and I have been working out tails off trying to get the house in shape to put on the market. What a chore. As much as I dislike all the work, we have gotten so much done.

Monday our softball team got smoked. We lost by 10+. I don't remember anyone getting clean hits on our entire team, and in 16 inch men's league, that's bad. Could be that the team was at the bar for two hours before game time. Also, our first basemen, Gelderman missed like 5 balls. He said he couldn't see because of all the Jameson.

Anyways....work has been insane this week. Back to it...
Rock and roll...

Here I am

Finally I am here to write something.......
Not much to say except TGIF! This week has been a long one and I am so glad it is almost the weekend! No huge plans this weekend except working on the house and a fun girls dinner on Sat night. I am also planning on catching up on some TV.....wooooo hooooooo I am a wild and crazy girl, I know. Hopefully next time I write I will have a fun story to tell because this is kind of boring but I figured I better write something so Marty would stop telling me to ;-)

Count down to Vegas....19 days

Batter up...

Softball season started tonight in our 12" hardball league in Buffalo Grove. I play with Dominic, Patrick (my brothers), Ben Marsh, RJ, Didden, Isenberg, and a few other fellas. We slaughtered the other team, 30 to 16. Sounds more like a football score to me. I was on base 5 for 5, with 3 hits and two walks. The whole team played great. Some fielding errors that we have to fix...but it was our fist game so its to be expected.

Dominic played with blistering sunburn (that looked hella painful) from when he and Keg went to the casting call. http://kegsandpies.blogspot.com/2007/05/deal-or-no-deal.html

Pat and Dom played great. They are maniacs on the bases. No care or thought, just hustle and blood.

Kind of sore, and once again, I feel like I am 100.

Balls Deep 1-0

Been a while...

It's been a while since I posted anything. What has happened since my last post? Maureen threw me a great birthday party at the house for my 28th. I know 28 doesn't seem old but I feel like I am 100.

Softball season starts this week. Very excited about that.

Cubs are starting to pick up the pace, which is nice. The groomsmen are going to the Cubs game on Saturday (Cinco de Mayo), so hopefully I'll have some stories for next time.

Other than that just same old...

Word...

My 1:20 Meeting...

Cubs won. Lee finally hit is first dinger after 82 at bats. This is the start of the rest of the season. Plus I ran into Anthony Joaquin and Jim Cavalleri at Murphy's. Haven't seen them in years. It only took 5 seconds before we were slamming tequila. Good times...

Okay, weekend starting in a few. I'll let you know how it went later.

Also, still waiting for Momo's first posting.

Offsite Meeting at 1:20

Kraft is sometimes a magical place to work, kind of like working for Willy Wonka or in a Bong Shop. Sometimes it is more like working in a Thai sweatshop for no pay and risking you fingers in a widget machine. Today is more like Willy Wonka. 5 of us scored free Cubs tickets and have the hallpass to go. Let's go Cubbies...

Maureen and I were in Hawaii when we stumbled across this postcard. We decided it should go to Shawn and Ingrid. Why you ask? Because nobody would appreciate it quite like Keg. According to Shawn I have started the 'Postcard War'. I think he's just mad because of this guys ocean-wet power-mullet and fancy softcore 70's mustache.

What am I doing...?

Ok, so I don't really know what a 'blog' is other than Keg and Ingrid's blog. I was just screwing around online at work trying to kill some time in-between lunch and a meeting, so I started clicking and typing and ended up here...I think I am writing in a blog right now.

Not much else to say. I am going to hit the 'publish' button and see what happens.
Wish me bluck.

Marty