I have lived in Downers Grove since 2004 when, in an unimaginable moment of naïveté, I purchased an old Sears catalog home and have been wearing down the asphalt between it and Home Depot ever since.

I've been a passionate Blackhawks fan long enough to remember when Wayne Van Dorp was about the only player worth getting excited about. I love the White Sox, but don't hate the Cubs. My musical tastes range from Whiskeytown to Exodus and I have a deep affection for '70s soft rock. In the next life I want to come back as Sammy Johns and play Chevy Van on the festival circuit every night.

I have two children, Eva and Anthony, who are their parents' greatest joy (cliché be damned), a fine dog named Zoe who burps when she begs, and an amazing wife, Beth, who is very, very patient.