Hidden gem in Lincoln Park, Chicag

Have you seen this small park just north of the Lincoln Park Zoo?   It is small but fabulous.  Got some great shots.

Pond in Lincoln Park, photo by Larry Masa

Waterfall in Lincoln Park, photo by Larry Masa

Chicago at Night

A softened view of the Chicago City in the Summer.  By Larry Masa 2012.  The lights are a small fire ball in the night.

 

Chicago by the River. By Larry Masa, 2012

Great Chicago Photographs

Love the motion in this photo.  Fire twirlers at the Chicago Halloween Parade.  By Chicago’s own Larry Masa.

Halloween Fire Twirlers Photo by Larry Masa

Weight Loss Tips

People ask Larry Masa all the time how he stays in shape and what he recommends to people to help lose weight.  These tips are not hard to follow (certainly not as hard as the training they do for firemen or Army Special Forces rangers).  While Lawrence Masa doesn’t always follow this advice, here are some tips that  might help you get ready for summer:

1. Drink water. 

You can never go wrong making sure you stay hydrated.  And everyone will tell you it helps you feel full.  If you don’t like plain water, try the sugar free sports drinks. 

2. Don’t skip meals, don’t overeat at them. 

Everyone says it – a good day starts with breakfast – especially one with some protein in it.  Eat sensibly so your body doesn’t crave for food.  Try to have 3 small meals and 2 snacks.  It will help you not over eat at meal time and make you less likely to splurge at night.  Also try using smaller plates – it will encourage you to take smaller portions.  And no eating standing up by the fridge.  Take what you want and force yourself to sit down and eat it.  Standing up by the food source will just encourage you to eat more.

3. Use weights and Cardio

Sorry – there is no escaping exercise.  But your body needs both weights and cardio to help you burn fat and calories and build build.  Alternate your exercise to get a good mix of both.

Need help with your weight loss program?  Feel free to reach out to Larry Masa for a free evaluation.

Hockey Fans

Today, we are taking a break from philosophy and requests on behalf of Larry Masa to discuss Larry Masa’s favorite sport – Hockey!  Lawrence Masa (the former fireman and Army Veteran from the Special Forces) is a long time fan of several teams, a constant spectator of professional and high school games, and a participant in a fantasy league.  And while he has some crazy traditions associated with the sport, I have never heard as many crazy ones as these that I found Kidzworld.com website:

Detroit Octopus On Ice
For nearly 50 years, hockey fans in Detroit have been throwing octopi on to the ice after a big win by the Red Wings. This started on April 15, 1952 during the Red Wings’ Stanley Cup run. Two brothers, Pete and Jerry Cusimano, who owned a fish shop in Detroit threw an octopus on the ice during a game in Detroit. Each tentacle of the octopus was symbolic of a win in the playoffs. Back then, the NHL had just six teams and eight wins (two best-of-seven series) were needed to win the Stanley Cup.  The largest octopus to be thrown on the ice was a 50 pounder in 1996. The creature was proundly displayed on the hood of the Zamboni while the ice at the Joe Louis Arena was being cleaned between periods.

Florida Rats on Ice
In 1996, Florida Panthers’ winger, Scott Mellanby, was getting ready for a game when a large rat ran through the dressing room. Scott jabbed the rat with his hockey stick and killed it – then scored two goals in the game. After that, Florida Panthers’ fans started throwing rats (plastic, not live) on the ice whenever the team scored a big goal. During the team’s run to the Stanley Cup finals, the ice would be completely covered with rats every time Florida scored. Opposition goalies had to hide in the net to prevent themselves from getting hit with rats. The NHL banned the tradition after the 1996 season because games were being delayed for so long.

Hats on Ice
If you’ve ever seen hockey fans throw hats on the ice – it’s not because their favorite player needs some new head wear or is going bald. It’s to celebrate a player scoring three goals in a game which is called a hat trick. The term comes from the game of cricket (a lame form of baseball played in England.) In 1858, a player knocked down three wickets in a row. This feat was considered so great that the team gave the player a brand new hat – big whoop! The fastest hat trick in NHL history was scored by Bill Mosienko of the Chicago Blackhawks who potted three goals in just 21 seconds in 1952. A “natural hat trick” is when a player scores three goals in a row – with no goals by the other team in between. The player who scores the three goals doesn’t keep the hats. They’re given to charity instead (for all those hatless kids!)

Towel Power
In 1982, the Vancouver Canucks were playing the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference finals. During the second game, the refereeing was absolutely horrible. The ref called nine penalties against the Canucks and disallowed one of the team’s goals. To protest the ref’s poor eyesight, the Canucks’ coach, Roger Neilson, waved a towel on the end of a hockey stick to signal surrender. When the Canucks returned to Vancouver for their next game, thousands of fans waved white towels – as a tribute to Roger’s protest. The tradition became known as Towel Power and is now used by sports fans all over North America.

Know any others to share?