Isaac

My last name, Allerton, is fairly unusual around these parts. I am certain that if anyone still had a phone book, our number would be the only one for Allerton in this town, if not in the whole state.

So, I was a bit taken aback when someone at work asked if I knew and was related to Isaac Allerton. Of course I do. He was one of our family's better known ancestors, having been one of the prominent travelers on the Mayflower.

Yes, he had a falling out with the rest of the colony some time later over financial matters, but he was still related to a good number of the colonies founders and after moved to what is now New York and was a respected businessman there.

The fellow at work knew him because of the street and neighborhood named after him in New York.

In England, you can find a number of Allerton's running around and even a town or two with this name, but in the U.S., the pickings are a little slimmer.

But, notable Allerton's here include The Allerton Hotel in Chicago, where I hope to one day to be comped a room, The town of Allerton, also in Illinois and the Allerton Garden in Hawaii, named after a Chicago Allerton.

While the Allerton's in England are distantly related somehow or the other, The Allerton's you find in the U.S. are almost certainly descendants of Isaac and, more likely than not, have something to do with Chicago. Maybe I should plan a trip there sometime soon.

What are some notable things/events/places affiliated with your family?

Dress Blues

Most uniformed personnel do not like to wear their Class "A" dress type uniforms. The dress uniforms are generally uncomfortable, they make you focus your attention on uniform details distracting you from the things going on around you and you are often told you have to wear it to events you are uncomfortable going to anyway, like board interviews or when you are in some sort of trouble.

But on certain occasions, we will gladly wear our Class "A"s with pride. When one of our own has fallen, we go all out in making sure that our uniforms look as good as we can make them in a final tribute to our fallen brother or sister.

This weekend, we are having the funeral for two of our fallen, one that was active and one that only recently retired due to illness.

So, if you see any of us with our shiny shoes, sharp creases and polished leather, or if our line of cleaned up cars was in your way, take a moment to honor our fallen with us.

Crisis Averted???

Happy New Year!

Fortunately for us all, our government has reached a deal so we do not plunge off the fiscal cliff.

 I did notice that no-one seems to really care about this fiscal cliff thing and the crisis we have averted. Maybe because the solution has just created another crisis that has to be dealt with in another couple of months, and it is sure to be, once again, a wait til the last minute nail biter.

Or maybe no-one cares because they really don't think the solutions that are presented are really going to make much of an impact.

When the rising tides of debt, spending and financial irresponsibility are a tsunami wave already as high as the cliffs, going over the fiscal cliff feels more like stepping into cold water than a flying leap to the rocks below.

Fortunately, the congress got a raise, which is sure to spur them to good works and sound decisions.

That being said, perhaps the answer for fixing our country is not to be found in our government. Perhaps.