What about ‘quiet’ don’t you understand
If there's one thing I've been reminded of since resuming life as a train commuter this summer, it's how the Metra "quiet cars" have created a culture of their own....
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Manker: Cubs’ late-night victory a joy to behold, but messes with bedtime
The return to school for students in Districts 203 and 204 also means a return to routines, to eating dinner at a regular hour and — try as we might...
Manker: As the kids’ musical tastes develop, will they appreciate GNR and Pearl Jam?
Think back to your childhood. Do you remember the first record or tape or compact disc you ever owned? You know, back when music was a physical product that you...
Manker: Relief that school’s started mixed with melancholy that time’s passing
You knew this day would come, that morning you would herd your precious cherubs to the corner, board them on the bus and send them off to school. How you...
Manker: Watching Olympics more fun without jaded worry of steroids
Say what you will about the chronically cost-overridden, perpetually promoted and thankfully-not-in-Chicago Summer Olympics. But one thing's for sure — few sporting events elicit the sheer wonderment in kids like...
Manker: Plan your summer bucket list now before summer’s over
With just over two weeks left until the first Naperville children return to school, you're likely greeting these words with one of two thoughts: *"Oh, fiddlesticks. There are just two...
Manker: Challenger baseball means ‘world’ to dad of disabled daughter, other parents
Of the thousands of youth baseball and softball games played throughout Naperville this spring and summer, four in particular stand out as a bit more extraordinary than the others. For...
Manker: Social media shaming keeps us cleaning up after Fido
If you spend any time on social media, you likely know how quickly networks such as Facebook and Twitter can become platforms for venting about life's travails. Sometimes these matters...
Manker: Two steps forward, one back, as first child gets braces
Life with kids is full of all sorts of rites of passage, those moments and experiences that not only make us stop to recall our own youth but also mark...
Manker: Return to the commuter rat race not as bad as it could be
Three years away from the commuter rat race in and out of Chicago every day will make you appreciate those close-to-home jobs with 10-minute commutes. Turns out, you appreciate them...