Chapter 54: Doctor Adams, I Presume?

May 28, 1996, Chicago, Illinois

“You did well for your first tournament,” I said to Jolene on Tuesday evening.

“Bullshit,” she spat. “Marcia won the championship her first time!”

“Oh, come off it,” I said, sure I sounded exasperated. “You know as well as I do that black belt competition is a whole different thing from lower belts. Marcia is going against kids who may never earn their black belt and I’ve already taught her black belt techniques. Sensei Jim didn’t win HIS first time! Are you better than he is?”

“That’s not the point.”

“You’re pissed about Therese being promoted past you,” I said as a statement, not a question.

“That’s just total bullshit, and you know it!”

I shook my head, “No, I don’t know anything of the sort. Think about your reaction to my promotion. That did you more harm than anything I could imagine.”

“I could kick YOUR ass!”

I shrugged, “Something we can never prove one way or the other.”

“And yet, even with your brain damage, you get promoted two ranks! You can’t even fucking spar!”

I shrugged, “And there is not a damned thing anyone can do about that. But Hiro «Shihan» decided it wasn’t material to me being a teacher. I didn’t ask for it! I never asked for it! That’s been true of every belt I’ve received.”

“You wanted them! Don’t lie!”

I shrugged, “I only ever competed against myself. Either I made progress, or I didn’t. Either I developed mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, or I didn’t. But it was always only measured against ME, not anyone else. And that’s the thing you could never understand. Take what I said to heart, and who knows what might happen. But I will tell you one thing.”

“What?” she spat.

“Being citywide champion won’t earn you a promotion to assistant instructor. If THAT was your plan, you misjudged horribly.”

“Well I sure as hell can’t go to Japan to earn it!”

“Neither can Molly, and yet, eventually, she’ll very likely become a full instructor. The same is true for Therese. None of us can do anything about Japanese tradition. But, Hideki «Shihan» is no misogynist! He accepted Molly as an Assistant Instructor and made it clear that Sensei Jim can promote her when he feels she’s ready. Your problem is your attitude and until you fix that, you’re going no place. I’ve been telling you that for going on ten years now!”

“But I’m BETTER than Therese.”

I shook my head, “Technical skill is NOT the primary characteristic of a good teacher. And it’s also not going to get you victory in the Labor Day tournament. It’ll get you TO the final rounds. It won’t get you THROUGH the final rounds.”

“How the fuck do you know? You’ve never competed!”

“Fine,” I shrugged. “I tried.”

I walked away from Jolene and joined Kara, Jessica, Birgit, and Stephie for the walk home.

“No luck?” Kara asked.

“No. I just do not understand her. The answer is right there and even if it wasn’t obvious, I’ve clearly explained it to her. Sensei Jim has explained it to her.”

“Maybe she needs a woman to explain it to her,” Jessica said.

“I could try,” Kara said.

“It certainly can’t hurt. Fundamentally, for her, the only way to get what she wants is not to want it.”

“A paradox!”

“Yes.”

“Dad, how can you not want what you want?” Birgit asked.

“What she should want is to improve, not to get a certain reward.”

“So, I should try to be my best, not worry about getting the next belt?”

“Yes. And you only compete with you.”

“With me?”

“Yes. Do you get better or not? That’s all that matters. Not how the moms do or how Stephie does or how Dad does. All that matters is how Birgit does. It’s like school. It doesn’t matter how Jesse does or Matthew does or any of the brothers and sisters or cousins do. It only matters that Birgit does her best.”

“I always do my best!”

“Which is all your moms and I want. That you do your best.”

“And me?” Stephie asked.

“Yes, little bunny rabbit, and you.”

May 29, 1996, Chicago, Illinois

“Happy birthday, Pumpkin!” I said on Wednesday morning.

“Thank you, Dad!” she exclaimed.

We hugged tightly, she kissed my cheek and I kissed her forehead, and then we went to the sunroom to cuddle.

“I made cupcakes with Mom yesterday to take to school today!”

“Does everyone do that?”

“Mostly, yes. Sometimes they bring cookies instead.”

We cuddled for about ten minutes before Kara came into the room and we went with her to have breakfast. After breakfast, we got the kids off to school, with Jesse and Matthew helping carry cupcakes, and then Elyse and I headed to the office.

It was a relatively quiet morning, and at lunchtime, Julia, Dave, and I headed to IIT for our lunch with Doctors Bauer and Driesson.

“We wanted to talk to you about an issue we’ve discovered,” Julia said. “And it came up in kind of a strange way. At Steve’s request, we looked into why we hired more women than men in technical fields, which is something completely out of the ordinary in our industry.”

“Something we’ve noticed,” Doctor Bauer said.

“It turns out that female applicants are far more likely to have a liberal arts minor than a science or math minor, and that makes them better candidates for NIKA. We didn’t realize it as it was happening, but only by reviewing everything after the fact.”

“What led you to ask the question, Steve?” Doctor Bauer asked.

“When I was unhappy with nearly every person we interviewed here. Julia and I went over their paperwork and discovered the difference. So I asked Keri to review all applicants and hires for developer or consultant roles. That’s what she discovered, and I’d say it hits the nail on the head.”

“We wonder,” Julia continued, “if you would consider encouraging CS students to take more liberal arts courses, even if they don’t minor in history or English or philosophy?”a

“A tough thing for a tech school,” Doctor Driesson said.

“Is it really?” I asked. “My minor was in history. Julia ended up doing hers in English. Dave’s is in business. Cindi did hers in marketing. I take it you’re getting the picture.”

“I hadn’t actually considered that,” Doctor Bauer said. “Scott encouraged you all to do minors in humanities, didn’t he?”

“Mostly, though he obviously was OK with business and marketing. Fundamentally, it creates a better candidate because they’re well-rounded. I will note we see less of this issue with Northwestern or Loyola or DePaul. Probably for the reason you gave - IIT is a tech school.”

“Doctor Bauer,” Julia said, “you’ve improved the CS program based on our input, and input from other technology companies. This is just the next logical step for developing truly good candidates. Ones that we’d want to hire.”

“Nerds with no interest in anything except computers don’t interest us,” Dave added. “Part of the point of Scott’s class was to expose us to the business and management side of computers. Except for that class, every class in the CS department was purely technology focused, not real-world focused.”

“Aren’t you missing out on some of the best programmers?” Doctor Driesson asked.

“Define ‘best’,” I requested. “Dave and I had this conversation about Beta versus VHS. Beta had the technical superiority but VHS could record two hours on a tape. Which one was ‘best’ for most people? And which one did they buy?”

“Steve’s point,” Dave continued, “was that we don’t win our deals based on specifications, but on being the best value to the customer. We think the same is true for members of our team. The best ones are the ones who do the most to enhance our team and help us provide the best value to our customers. We do have a few ‘classic nerds’ but even they have outside interests besides technology.”

“You certainly raise an interesting point,” Doctor Bauer replied. “I will point out that there are competing interests who feel that any courses which aren’t directly related to technology are, in effect, a waste of time and money.”

“I don’t believe either of you buy that for a second!” I said.

Doctor Bauer laughed, “I didn’t say I did, only that we hear from some segments that we should focus even more on technology.”

“Is there any reason you can’t do both?” Julia asked. “Perhaps multiple tracks - for those who want a purely technology degree versus those who want something more business focused? I think there is room for both in the world.”

“So more of a degree in Management Information Systems but with a programming component?” Doctor Driesson asked. “There are schools which offer that kind of program. It’s less tech-heavy and more management and analysis related.”

“Something like that might work,” I replied. “It would certainly help with hiring consultants who do a lot of that.”

“You’ve certainly given us some things to think about,” Doctor Bauer said.

The conversation during the rest of lunch revolved around NIKA and our projects, as well as trends in technology, and areas where we all thought the CS program should target for the future. When we finished lunch, we all shook hands and Julia, Dave, and I headed back to the office.

The afternoon was as quiet as the morning had been, and just before 5:00pm I got Ashley from the daycare room, and then she, Elyse, and I headed home where we’d have a family celebration for Birgit’s eighth birthday.

June 1, 1996, Chicago, Illinois

“That sucked,” I said as Kara, Birgit, Stephie, and I walked home from the dojo.

“What did you expect?” Kara laughed. “You invited a politician to the dojo!”

“Yes, but it was his idiot aides who were the problem! Stopping class and interfering so they could get the proper photos was NOT something we agreed to. I’d say based on my brief conversation with Sensei Jim that we’ll never invite a politician to the dojo ever again.”

“Will you talk to Alderman Bloom?”

“Maybe, but I’m not sure how much good it will do. I guarantee you the photo op was very valuable for him. Even if he isn’t invited back, he can use the photos. And I’m not going to invite controversy by making a stink about it.”

“Not even to your friend who works for the Trib?”

“It wasn’t the reporters or their photographers. They were very respectful.”

“Speaking of which, what time will Jasmine be here?”

“Around 1:00pm,” I replied. “I wanted to pick her up at the airport, but she insisted she’d take a cab. I made sure the nanny room was ready before we left for karate.”

We arrived home and after we had showers, we ate lunch. Just after 1:00pm, the doorbell rang and a moment later Kara ushered Jasmine into the great room. We exchanged greetings, then helped her get settled in her new room. Once she had her things put away, I showed her where the family calendars were, and Kara and I filled her in on our usual household procedures.

“You have to join us for Girls’ Night Out!” Kara said.

“I was planning on it!” Jasmine replied with a smile.

“And tomorrow evening we’ll be celebrating Matthew’s birthday at our family dinner. You absolutely should join us for that meal each Sunday. You’re part of the family for the next ten weeks!”

“Ben Jackson warned me you were like that!” she laughed.

“What ELSE did Ben Jackson warn you about?” Kara asked.

“Originally? That Steve was a major flirt.”

“Guilty as charged,” I chuckled.

“Come join us in the sunroom,” Kara said.

She did, and we spent the rest of the day relaxing until dinner. After dinner, our guests began arriving for Guys’ Night and Girls’ Night Out.

“When can I expect to see your kids?” Sofia asked when she and Stavros arrived.

“As soon as we can make appointments,” Kara replied. “You start on Monday, right?”

“Yes. My office will be in a medical building across the street from Rush. I’m the eighth pediatrician in the practice.”

“What do we need to do to get the kids’ records transferred?” I asked.

“If you call on Monday we can get the forms to you. You sign them, and then we fax them to your current pediatrician. Does she know?”

“Yes,” Jessica said. “Kara and I talked to her. She totally understands.”

“How was your first day on your new schedule, Jessica?” Sofia asked.

“Fantastic! Of course, tomorrow morning is going to suck because I’m going out with the girls tonight! But the fact that I finally get to sleep regularly with my husband and wife makes it well worth it!”

“You get your new medical students on Monday, right?”

“Yes. Poor little newbies have no idea!”

“But your Resident was a big catch from what I hear.”

“He was. We were really lucky to get him! Where will you have admitting rights?”

“Rush, Cook County, and Loyola once all the paperwork is done.”

“Alejandra, you took the Attending position at Northwestern?”

“Yes. I think we’ve given up on going to Argentina. And I’m pregnant!”

There were squeals of approval from the women, and the men took that as our cue to head to the poker tables.

“Congratulations!” I said to Trent as we sat down.

“Thanks. My part wasn’t exactly tough! And it was a HELL of a lot more enjoyable than what she’s going to go through in about six months!”

“I’m still trying to figure out how a woman becoming pregnant turns all her friends into twelve-year-old girls,” Stavros said, shaking his head.

“Don’t ask questions like that,” Karl laughed. “You won’t like the answers from our wives!”

Pete and I looked at each other, smirked, then jointly said, “Men!”

“Exactly,” Karl laughed. “We’ve all heard THAT at one point or another. Of course, none of them understand why we aren’t excited, so it goes both ways.”

“It’s sort of like being frocked,” Howard said. “Until the baby is actually born, it’s not real, if you know what I mean.”

“Say THAT to a pregnant woman at your own risk!” Kurt laughed.

“Oh HELL no!” he replied. “Jeri was pretty mellow most of the way when she was pregnant with Caleb, but there were points where I truly feared for my life!”

“Try being married to a half-Greek, half-Swedish girl,” Stavros sighed. “You have NO idea!”

“Try being married to a Latina!” Trent countered. “YOU have no idea!”

“The man who is truly fearful is the banker Leila married,” I declared.

“They’re supposedly coming to visit sometime in September,” Trent said. “Leila wrote Alejandra. She, her husband, and their two sons.”

“Two now?” I asked. “Not wasting any time!”

“She had them about as close together as possible. Now she’s back to work full-time. They have a live-in nanny AND a live-in maid who is also a cook.”

“Of course they do,” I chuckled. “And I bet you anything Leila banned her husband’s mother from the house.”

“I can’t imagine her playing second fiddle to anyone,” Trent said.

“Exactly.”

“Are we going to play cards or gossip like a bunch of women?” Clayton asked.

“Play cards!” came the chorus in response.

June 2, 1996, Chicago, Illinois

“Happy birthday, Foo!” I said on Sunday morning when Eduardo brought Elyse and her kids home.

“Thanks, Dad! Did Mom tell you what Eduardo arranged?”

“What?”

“He arranged for us to meet a Formula One driver! Jos Verstappen.”

“Cool! Where are your seats?”

“They’re by the second turn,” Eduardo said. “We’ll be able to see the cars coming from the starting grid almost directly at us.”

“Who’s the driver? I haven’t heard his name.”

“He’s a Dutchman, and he’s a friend of our managing partner in Amsterdam.”

“Very cool.”

“Do you have a minute to talk?”

“Sure. Let’s go to my study.”

We went to my study and I shut the door.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“Actually, it’s work-related. We’re looking at a new database system for the firm and our managing partner, Kai, wondered if you might consult with us on it. It’s being driven by our European offices, and we want to make sure it truly meets our needs.”

“I’m sure we can come to some kind of arrangement.”

“I think we’ll also want to talk to you about improving communications between our offices. We have an IT guy, but he’s pretty much out of his depth. He’s self-taught, and is really an accountant.”

“I think we can help for sure. If you have someone call Kimmy, we’ll set it up. I’ll bring Sam with me; she’s our senior technical person.”

“I’ll have Kai’s assistant Linda call Kimmy tomorrow.”

“Excellent. Are you staying for the day?”

“I have some stuff to do, but I’ll come back late in the afternoon for dinner and the family birthday celebration. He’s only having guys at his party this afternoon?”

I nodded, “No girls allowed, not even sisters!”

“He’s at that age, isn’t he?”

“Pretty much. Except for Chelsea, he barely talks to girls. And with her I think it’s more her than him.”

“Elyse told me about ‘The Incident’,” he laughed.

“Chelsea and her family will be here in early August for their usual visit.”

“She’s what? Twelve?”

“She will be, yes. She’s three years older than he is, give or take.”

“What do you think?”

“I think she’s a very determined young woman and my son has very little chance of resisting!”

“I think we ALL suffer from that!”

“Indeed we do.”

We shook hands and rejoined the family in the sunroom. About twenty minutes later, Eduardo left, and not long after that, we began setting up the backyard for Matthew’s party. The twelve boys were going to play pool, have lunch in the backyard, then go to the park to play soccer.

“What are we doing with the girls?” Elyse asked as she helped me set up the tables.

“Kara, Jennifer, Kathy, and Bethany are taking them shopping. We’ll keep Keith and Bobby, even though they’re too little to join the party. I’ll keep an eye on them, and Tom and Kurt will do the cooking.”

“We could have arranged for a babysitter.”

“It’s OK. The little guys will sit with the boys for lunch. I cleared that with Matthew. He’s actually OK with them being there, but they’d get creamed if they tried to play soccer with the bigger kids. Even Albert is right on the edge, but he’s big for his age, like Jesse, so he’ll be able to hold his own. And having the two little guys means Matthew and his friends won’t feel like I’m ‘hovering’ by watching them!”

“You are NOT a helicopter parent!” Elyse laughed.

“No, but your son is as independent as Jesse is. They have very little use for adult supervision of ANY kind. So better that I have some distractions and I’m there with Tom and Kurt in case there are any injuries or incidents.”

“You’re not bugged about us going to the race in Canada, are you?”

“Why would I be? Matthew goes to North Carolina every year to see Jason and Abbie.”

“I was just a bit worried when he responded to you wishing him ‘Happy birthday’ by talking about it.”

“I’m not jealous, Elyse. I want the boys to have a good relationship with Eduardo. I’m assuming you plan to keep him around for the long term?”

She laughed, “So much for my idea of changing out boyfriends every few years!”

“We all change,” I said.

She slipped her arm around my waist, and I responded in kind.

“True. Do you know how much I love you?”

“I do. And I love you just as much. And that means I want you to be happy. And yes, that includes you guys buying a house in the western burbs in two or three years. Have you decided how you’ll commute?”