I was born and raised on Chicago's South Side and grew up a staunch Cub fan simply because my dad and grandfather hated Comiskey Park and took me to Wrigley. I attended 3 years of High school (Providence, Oak Lawn) before my family relocated to Phoenix, Arizona where I graduated. I attended the University of Arizona and have fond memories of going to see many, many Spring Training games. Back then, before it was popular, we were able to get our tickets the day of the game, sit in the front row and talk to the players. Back in the seventies, the stands were pretty empty and there were never more than a few old men with scorecards in one hand and a cold beer in the other. After college, I enjoyed a fruitful music career playing drums on a professional level. I toured and recorded with various pop-rock, country and new wave acts including national touring and major label bands. I had the fun of being able to hear songs I recorded on the radio and play to audiences of 15,000 or more. In '94 I married and settled down on a 20 acre ranch nestled in the Oregon coast range. After bouncing around as a freelance writer, I opened a hot dog joint serving up Vienna Beef Chicago style hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches in downtown Portland called Wayne's (after my dad) Chicago Red Hots. Currently the place is very popular with all kinds of people especially those who have never tasted an authentic, REAL Chicago style hot dog. Wayne's Chicago Red Hots also plays host to an abundance of misplaced Chicagoians who gather there for each and every Cub game. As you can imagine, we have accumulated quite a collection of Cubs photos and memorabilia which grace the walls.

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