New Oak Lawn Stop Sign Update

STOP

stop stop stop stop stop!

Yeller Box

Today was fun playing at the ole' Yeller Box. I get a kick out of traveling around and seeing and meeting a lot of people that I see on our arts schedule. Nice to put faces to the names. Although, playing up on the platform was a bit restricting: kind of felt like a caged animal. However, the flip side to that was being able to focus much more on my playing. Got to try some sweep-picking riffs. That was cool.

Check it out on the 'CCC Mulitiste Arts Blog' link to the right for this date (Dec. 30).

White Christmas - sort of

Snow! Once again we get to celebrate another white Christmas...a few days later.

entry a day

So I have been a bad blogger. A month of silence. It has been busy at the church.

I am going to try and do something radical (for me) starting on New Year's day: a blog entry a day. I wonder if I can stick with it? I think it would be fun to try. I have not been very good at it in the past. So, on Jan 1st I begin. Now a word of warning: some entries might only have one word! Some might go on for a while. I guess you never know what might be typed! Should be interesting to see what January will look like.

Oak Lawn Stop Sign Update

STOP

or we'll hunt you down

Ukulele weeps by Jake Shimabukuro

My daughter Katrina wants to get a ukelele to learn. If you know my daughter, something out of left field like that shouldn't be surprising. She said that this video is what "inspired" her. So now I want to play the ukelele. This stuff is amazing. Stick with it, about 3 minutes into the song this dude goes nuts.

If you go to You Tube, he has some other material that he performs that is just amazing.

And all on a ukelele...

mmmmm......Turkey!

Hawks win/Cubs lose

So how about the new president of the Blackhawks? Cubs loss, Hawks gain. Growing up I was almost as big of a Hawks fan as I was a Cubs fan. It's just that they became so irrelevant the last 10 years or so that I became completely disinterested. Now, it has been a bit more fun to watch them - some of these new kids they got, Toews and Kane, can really play. I like the direction they are going. Funny how when old man Wirtz passed away it didn't take long for the son, Rocky, to start changing things. Very much like how monarchies pass from father to son. Think about it through history. Heck, just read through the books of Kings in the bible to see the same thing.

As for the Cubbies. I don't know, but I can't help that this reinforces the feeling that I had that the ownership change is going to happen sooner than the press is talking about.

Totally Floored

Yeah, I was gone a while. A big part of the reason was my hibernating on the floors of my house. Yes, that is what it felt like...hibernating. Took a couple weeks to install the Pergo laminate floor (and get rid of the carpet), but I finished! Man, the crap that was in that carpet makes you wonder what was floating around in the air. Glad it is gone. I finished a couple weeks ago for real. I've just been lazy getting back here. I suppose I lost any readers. Oh, well, good therapy for me. My arm hurts. Tendonitis from all the hammering, I am sure. I have been icing it but, my awesome massage therapist (mary) tells me to ice it much more.

Hey, where is your Thanksgiving going to be at? Ours will be here. Somehow I have to fit in the cleaning up of the house with the extra work for CCC that I need to get in before Thursday. Should be....fun.

Oh, by the way. There are some more Oak Lawn stop signs that I need to get some pix of. I keep forgetting the digital camera when I go out there. I wish my Blackberry could do digital pictures.

drat!

Stop Sign Update

So I am going to my parents house the other day in Oak Lawn. I'm not sure if y'all heard of this yet but I very nearly stopped in my tracks (no pun intended - well, maybe a little) when I saw these . At various intersections with stop signs they have these creative "added features". So, as an alternative to the "church sign update" (thanks Eric - keep them coming!), I thought that I would offer an Oak Lawn stop sign update. Here are the first 5, with the first one on the left being our buddy Dave Heilman, who is the mayor (and the Executive Producer of the Oak Lawn Theatre where my dad and I film all of their musicals). There are many more and I will post them as I see them (and capture them on camera - these five are on the village website).

I think that these are hilarious. Let me know what you think.

Still here...

BOOYA! Still here. No the Cubs exit didn't put me in a funk! Rather our yearly Fallapalooza show did. I will have some stuff to post soon from that show. It was awesome! Took up some time and headspace in my life the last couple weeks but I think it turned out real good. Meanwhile, Bill has videos from all the bands on both dates on the multisite arts blog. It is one of the links on the right. Go there and check it out.

Be back soon...

Bad players/Good Players

Season's over. Game, set, match. Pathetic. If I was there, I would have been booing right along with them. That is all I have to say about that.

On a cool note, I got to play at CCC this morning and yesterday, the Hendrix version of "Star Spangled Banner" that he did at Woodstock. It was fun to say the least. I had never considered Hendrix one of my favorite guitar heroes but this was cool to play. There aren't alot of 60's guitar players that I was ever into, except for Jeff Beck. Now he was a very cool and interesting player. I know to many of you it would sound surprising that players like Page, Clapton, etc. didn't resonate with me but, nonetheless, that is the deal. Jimi was actually fun sometimes to listen to. He really was ahead of his time. If you watch him play "Star Spangled Banner" from Woodstock (it's on You Tube like everything else in the world) notice how he constantly has to tune his strings while he plays the song. Fact is that guitars back then couldn't handle the whammy bar like they would later in the 80's. Amazing how he was able to cope with that! Even saying that, it still causes havoc on the strings of my 80's guitar. I had to pray many times that the strings would hold up and not break. They stay in tune but there is some wear and tear.

Soon we will be getting on with some home improvements. There are always amusing anecdotes when stuf like that goes on! I'll let you know about them when I get going towards the end of this month.

Meanwhile, now that baseball has ended with a rather embarrasing thud, there is always football. Oh wait, that means the 1-3 Bears, forget it. Ok, so there are the Hawks...oh wait, they stink. There are the Bulls...we will just see about that!

Peace, man.

Mets are out/Padres are out - awwwww

So yesterday morning I catch the beginning of Regis and Kelly Live and Regis talks about his Mets collapse. Then he shows some newspaper pictures of really sad fans - including a heartbroken kid in tears. I'm sorry, but I have absolutely no sympathy. In fact, I can say it was a rather joyous moment in sports. These are the same Mets that have had a history of killing other teams in the past (can we say '69 Cubs?). Sorry Mets fans, but payback is a b#@&! Deal with it.

Then the Padres collapse both in Milwaukee (one strike away from a wild card berth) and last night in Colorado in the bottom of the 13th. Hey, I do remember 1984 and Steve Garvey and Padres fans taunting"40 more years". Sorry Padres fans, but payback is a b#@&! Deal with it.

No matter what the Cubbies do this postseason, those other things were fun to watch.

CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!

Bad Day/Good Day

I think we are in the middle of one of those times in life where much is going wrong. Nothing life threatening, so it could be always get worse. But, it just seems like stuff has been breaking down around this house almost on a daily basis: appliances, cars, etc. I wonder how we will keep up financially. I think that I am speaking to the choir regarding many of you - we all seem to go through stuff like this. "This too shall pass" - it will. But, man, it really sucks right now.

However, it may surprise you to know that I am smiling right now. Two reasons:

1) God loves me and my family. It will be ok (see my post from yesterday).

2) The Cubs just now pulled off a dramatic 9th inning comeback victory. Maybe God loves them too? :)

A Moment in Time

It's cold outside tonight. Summer is nearing its end. I guess the weather guys and girls say it should be back in the 80's this week. But, we know that won't last. Right now I am just sitting in our basement typing away. I was looking back at some of the pictures from the Colorado trip last month. Man, that was a month ago already! It still seems like not too long ago. I guess when life gets busy, time moves awfully fast. Life seems busy now. That is why this moment feels a bit odd. Sometimes in the midst of tons of activity, when you get a break and having nothing cooking at the moment, it still feels like you have to do something. I wonder why that is? Anyway, I am right now appreciating everything that I have around me. I feel so blessed to have the family that I have: Mary, Katrina, Alec. I love them so much. Yeah, even our pets! Dixi the dog; Monster and Smokey the cats; and Derrick Lee the gecko. Life is good...

Well, time to go for now. Just wanted to share that little bit of insight. Maybe I should do this more often!

The Progression of Bon Scott

Got this the other day from a friend of mine. Some of you already got my email of this with that dreaded :re in the subject line. Ok, so maybe you deleted it and never watched it. Of course, "I never send stuff out like this but this time was just too funny" - yeah, heard it all before! So, all you blog readers out there, check these out. I know Spinal Tap really could have been about so many hundreds of bands. However, seeing these videos of AC/DC's former (and deceased) lead singer makes me wonder if they didn't take a bit from his life. Watch them in order from top to bottom to fully appreciate it:

Bubblegum:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ-45XG7n4k


Prog:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3q-T2Rg2bc


Glam:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSQPg2RWb5o


1979:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_uob-445JA

Random Rambling at night

5-4, Cubs win. 2-1/2 up in first. Yeah, first in a lousy division but, hey, it is still first and we will take what we can get!

After a few weeks, it is still cool to view the pictures from the trip. It convinces me more than ever to do it again next year. One thing we will also do is have a family vacation next year - just the four of us. We really haven't done anything like that since the Grand Canyon trip in '01. I mean, we have had other trips but it was always with a group of sorts. I don't know where we will go as of yet but we will figure something out.

I am tired and off to bed. Maybe I'll think of something tomorrow to say...

Pictures from the Trip

Here are the pix from the trip. Click a picture for a better view. The daily journal is further down. Enjoy!

Germanns go through Nebraska

Ahhh, Nebraska. Miles, and miles, and miles of...CORN!






The bloody remains of a bug on the window. Yeah, it's gross but what is there to do when you have miles, and miles, and miles of...CORN!

Mount Evans

The road up to Mt. Evans is the highest road in North America. It is located about 30 or 40 miles west of Denver. This kind of shows what kind of drop off one has to navigate around on the way up. It was very steep only a couple feet from the road.

And no guard rails...



Mountain goats in the parking area at the top of the mountain.





It was easy to lounge around in the thin mountain air. It was also easy to get winded - particularly after you had to climb about a hundred feet up from the parking area to the summit.









Here it is! Proof! We were there! WAY UP THERE!!!

Summit Lake

Just a little below the summit of Mt. Evans is a place called Summit Lake. This is one of my most favorite places I've ever been to. It starts with this lake then you follow a trail to a place that is a huge valley with a lake below it.



Yes you read it right, it is called Chicago Lakes! The valley is called Chicago valley! I think that there are some hills or something nearby with the name of Racine on it.




I think that this picture says it all. We could have spent all day there.

Church and a Game

We spent Sunday morning at Jacobs Well church. I took a lot of pictures. However, if you click over to the multisite arts blog on the right, you will see a few more that I am sure Bill will post sometime today. It was great seeing everyone and experiencing how they did things there. Much of it was the same with a few small differences.

We got to Coors Field a little early on Sunday afternoon. Man, was it hot! Alec is waiting for the game to start!

The view from right field where we were at...

Here we are at the game. We did have an obnoxious fan behind us. He wasn't vulgar or anything. Rather harmless, actually. But annoying. He had two kids: one a Rockies fan and one a Cubs fan. The guy was a Rockies fan but you could tell he was trying to be politically correct by sometimes cheering a Cubs play. Oh, did I say it was hot?

Arapaho Forest and Galbraith Mountain

Ok, so after the game we had nothing really planned. We originally thought about going into Denver and check it out but it was too hot for that (did I already say that?). We ended up heading to the mountains to cool off (that is a great benefit about living out there!). On our way driving through what was the Arapaho national forest, we came upon this sign along side some storage-type building. Folks, this sign was so random in the middle of nowhere on a highway in the forest!



What?? No Pancakes!!







We ended up at this place called Galbraith Mountain. Great hiking trails. We couldn't go on all of them because of time but this is a sample of one of the views. It was also nice because no one was really there. A nicely kept secret. Well, at least except for the two joggers we passed on the narrow, rocky trail.

Joggers?



Many of the large rock up there had resemblances to Pride Rock in the Lion King.
Here is Alec's best impression of Mufasa holding Simba. Just without the Simba...










A sign for a lot of mountain lion activity at the mountain...







...and Alec is scared. Gee, what a great impression.

Rocky Mountain National Park

On Monday we spent the day at Rocky Mountain National Park. Alec wasn't impressed with the energy bar but had one anyway. He was getting a bit winded at the start of the hike up the Ute trail on the continental divide.




One of the most cool parts of the trip. Walking up the switchbacks we turned the corner of one and came face to face with this fairly large elk! We were originally a little closer than this picture but backed off to sit on a tree stump and observe. I wasn't sure if this guy was protecting a herd or not. I think that those antlers would hurt! It ended up that there was no herd but another male elk just a little behind him (you really can't see in this picture). We just sat a while until he decided to move. He took his time...

Heading up to the top, this is one of the views. We were still below the treeline but were hearing some thunder. We kept our eyes to the sky as we pushed on.





Here is where we stopped - well above the treeline and a few degrees cooler. There was a lot of thunder around the area. We were tempted to continue on but I wasn't so sure with the lighting threat. This was another of my most favorite parts of the trip. I was at this place before, about 16 years ago, but this time was even better. It was cool seeing Alec enjoy it with me.

Yes, we really were there...

Home Through Nebraska

Here was more miles of nothing-ness in western Nebraska. Just no corn..

Anyone who has taken the drive through Nebraska must have seen this thing near Kearney (right in the middle of the state). It is called the gateway and is a "huge" tourist attraction. It goes right over the highway. This is it.

All I have to say about it is...huh?

Home

Arrived home today at around 12:30. There was a threat of rain for the drive but I think we outdrove it in Iowa and it seems to not have arrived here at home yet. Other than that, what can I say? Now it is "snap back to reality"! It is so good to see Mary and Katrina again. We did have fun but I did miss them. I guess the house is going to be noisy again (they said the house was very quiet when we were gone!).

And so now I have to figure out the ventilation fan replacement on our Saturn (anyone know an affordable mechanic?) because it went out (it was Mary's car - not the one I drove); and, just to make things fun, we have a leak on our washing machine (anyone know a washing machine repairman?). Then catching up on work stuff. I think I will just take a nap now and deal with it afterwards!

One interesting note about the driving portion of the trip: type of music played. Talk about strange reverals. Alec was always wanting to hear the classic rock songs of the 70's and 80's. He had those on his PSP that he brought. My iPod has all kinds of music on it, much of it new. It would be funny that when I played the iPod in the car, he would put on his headphones and listen to his classic rock stuff. Shouldn't that be the other way around? I guess not. I like new and old stuff; he wants to hear AC/DC and Motley Crue. And that his typical of kids his age - I teach guitar to a few who are only into that. I don't know if that is a social commentary on pop music nowadays - I just thought that it was an amusing observation!

Pictures coming later...

The Long Drive

Tonight I am in a Travelodge in Iowa City. Probably the best hotel the whole trip. Not much to report. It was a long drive from Ft. Collins. Alec is much better today - not sick at all. We got some rain just after Des Moines this evening with a lot of lightning literally striking all around us. I was considering going all the way home today. I have done longer drives in the past (like the 22 hour deal to Miami some years ago). However, those were done with other drivers. To be honest, I was getting a little loopy the last 30 miles or so. Almost getting hard to focus right about the time we arrived. Good timing. Tomorrow is a short 3 - 3.5 hour drive. Should be good. I'll have pictures. There are some real good ones. I'm tired. Going to bed.

Good night.

Rocky Mountain National Park

I write this tonight at a Days Inn in Ft. Collins,CO. Alec is feeling sick tonight. I hope he will be well enough for the long drive tomorrow. My guess is that it was a lot of thin mountain air that got to him. My other guess is that he will be fine tomorrow.

This morning we departed the Riche's house. They were so great. Everyone was still asleep so we couldn't say good bye to everyone. We then made the trek to Rocky Mountain National Park. What a great place! The drive was ok. One funny thing was that we needed to stop at a grocery store to get stuff for when we are in the park. So, we are in Boulder looking for one. The only place we saw was a Whole Foods. I have to drive long ways back home to get to one! We had a healthy assortment of food! Driving through was cool. It wasn't as crowded as it could have been. That is why we went on a Monday. We started on Old Falls River Road which is a weird, dirt road that winds its way through the high parts of the park. I took it to avoid some construction. The road is rather dusty and slow. It was alright. I was also concerned about thunderstorms in the area. After we got back to the main road we went to the Ute Trail which is on the Continental Divide. I took it last time I was here. I did want something different but given the conditions (concern the weather could turn on us), it was the right trail to take (since it was nearby). It was fun! We did have an abrupt encounter with some elk on the trail. It was cool. I literally turned a corner on a switchback and there he was - about 10 feet away. We just sat down and let him be on his way. There were others too. We made it up to above the tree line but didn't stay long. There was rain in the distance and we were hearing thunder. You need to get out of open ground when you hear that stuff (lightning kills people out there every year). After heading down for a while it cleared up. Figures. I think that it actually turned out as a blessing, though. We got back to the car and were originally going to try another trail. Alec was exhausted. He fell asleep in the car for the rest of the time in there. Naturally, the day was over. That's ok, it still was great there butI was getting a bit weary too. Now that Alec isn't doing too good tonight, I am even more glad we cut it short. I think that it might have been just a little too much for him. He has said that he would one day like to hike a big mountian. I think one day he might - today was just a start.

As I get ready for bed it is now settling in that the trip is over. I am now longing to get back home. I usually feel that way once I am done with whatever I do out of town - whether it is something that lasts a few days or a few weeks. Once I am done, I want to get back. I was even listening WGN radio out here tonight! Other than Cubs games I really don't listen to them. Tomorrow brings a long drive. Probably to somewhere in Iowa. I'll check in then.

The Day In 3 Parts

1) The morning was spent at Jacobs Well Community Church. I had a great experience there! It is so cool to be part of church that is basically just like home. It was the same big idea topic but done with a different service flow. They were auditioning a new worship leader that they are hoping to hire soon. Travis is a young 'un at 23 but very gifted at singing and playing guitar. There were some subtle differences but, for the most part, much resembled what we have back home. I could spend an entire blog on all the details! They are doing such a great job with an incredible team of people so dedicated to getting the service up and running! I really loved it here and can't wait to come back.

2) So, following the service we headed to Coors field to see the game. The Cubs lost 6-3, drat! Oh was it hot there! 95 in the shade. Thankfully it is a dry heat but we still had to take several occasions to leave our seat for the shade under the balconies. We did sit out there when some clouds came over but it wasn't like that all the time. It is a real nice field. It had about 50% Cubs fans who left a bit dissapointed. The division is tightening up so it should be an interesting ride to the finish in October. Somehow I still can't help feeling they will end up in the playoffs - don't know about during them but still, after last year, it is still a huge improvement!

3) We really didn't have the rest of the day planned after the game. Originally we were going to check out downtown Denver. But, with the heat, we said forget it! We ended up heading for mountains to drive around a bit. Very refreshing in the cool air. That is one advantage they have out here to get away from the heat! We ended up driving through Arapahoe Forest where it actually rained a lot. It was a nice area but we were getting bummed that we couldn't get outside the car. It is so funny with the weather out here. We literally crested a ridge of a mountain and like a faucet, the rain stopped. In fact, it didn't look like it rained on this side at all! We ended up, on a whim, at a place called Galbraith Mountain. It is a park with some hiking trails up the mountain. It was very out of the way and ended up being a priceless treasure. Alec already told me that it was his most favorite part of the trip. We hiked part way up and in (1.3 miles - one way and about 600 feet up from the trailhead). Great, totally awesome views! At some spots you could see Denver and beyond very clearly (maybe even all the way to Nebraska!). Turns out that this county has several of these - we will have to experience more when we come out here next. It was wild to see some people jogging up and down this narrow, rocky trail. God bless them!

And so, after dinner we are back here at the Riche's where I am typing this late at night. Tomorrow morning we leave for Rocky Mountain National Park to spend a day there. I think the plan will be to try a couple of the trails and then stay at a hotel off of I-25 in Colorado (don't stay in Estes Park unless you have a LOT to spend!).

As I said before, we have many pictures that will be shown later after we get back (there are some real good ones!).

2nd day

Hey there y'all, so ends another day on the traveling front. The first half was more of an uneventful day of travel. We left York, Nebraska and continued on our way west. It wasn't as bad as everyone said it was going through that state. To be honest, going down Rt. 57 towards southern Illinois is more boring (until the Shawnee forest). Western Nebraska is more open plains, just like NE Colorado which is primarily open space - quite simply that: lots of nothingness! We made it to the Riche's place where I met Heather. She is such a nice person; you instantly get along with her. Dave was out playing golf with Kerry in the 95 degree heat! Ouch! We settled in - we are staying in their basement for a couple nights. Alec and I wanted to get out to see the mountains so, right away, we headed out to a favorite place of mine: Mount Evans. It is the highest road in North America! What a trip! I really just love it there. You go way, way up there: 14,250 feet! Lots of thin air. We had to catch our breath a few times since we aren't used to it yet. There is one spot near Summit Lake (which is real close to the top) that is one of my most favorite places ever. It is called The Chicago Ravine. Easy to remember!

So we just got back a little while ago. I am kind of tired. We did take lots of pictures but must have forgotten to bring the cord that I need to upload to the pc. That only means you will get a picture show when we get back next week. I am guessing that it would be Wednesday but it is possible that it could be Tuesday night. We will see. Many have been trying to talk us into detouring to Mt. Rushmore on the way home. I dunno. The $'s would be running kind of short to do that.

Tomorrow we will attend the service at Jacob's Well then head out to the main reason we traveled: see the Cubs/Rockies game in the afternoon. It is going to be a hot one! Hopefully a better score than today's! The evening is still up in the air. Stay tuned for tomorrow!

Off to Denver

Right now I am in a motel room in York, Nebraska. Not much here when you get away from the main road. This was the first day of the road trip to Denver. Alec and I are going to see the Cubs and Rockies play on Sunday. This is the second of our road trips to see Cubs road games (the other was in Milwaukee - which felt more like a home game). Besides the game we will be, of course, heading for the mountains. I love it there. More to come about that later. For now, it was an uneventful trip here. Iowa was actually a somewhat scenic part of the trip. I never really expected it. Tomorrow, through Nebraska. Should be...fun.

Tony Simpson

Hey, here I am! At least how I would look in Springfield - land of Homer and Bart. Yes, if you go to http://www.simpsonizeme.com/ and upload an image of yourself it calculates what you would look like as a Simpsons character. This one ended up as me. Doh!

Hello, I'm Here!!

So, life has been one heck of a busy one lately. Hasn't yours? No need to bore with all the details. I did, through all that, read the new Harry Potter book which was, I must say, quite good. No I won't spoil the ending! The Cubs are in first, barely. I still play the guitar lots! :)

A former bandmate from 7-8 years ago made contact with me the other day - that was cool. What was strange is that I was looking for him too! Well, I guess Google is good for something! I'm all over it. Now I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing! Isn't it interesting to see how many people in the world have the same name as you? I mean, mine isn't very common. Just finding people with my last name isn't all that common; although, there is an actor named Greg Germann out there. You would definitely know him if you saw him - plays in mostly co-starring roles in movies and tv. Then I see people with my complete name. It is funny to see who they are (from med students to plumbers) and even if they have a picture (only found one). Well, I guess if a long lost friend needs to find me they have no excuse!

By the way, I need a new picture to this blog.

Cubs Win

12-1 today! This isn't the same Cubs team that sucked in April and May. They are fun to watch. This could get interesting in the next couple months. I guess 2003 really made me more cautious about what to expect so I am not jumping up and down. For now though, this is real good.

And Sox fans, you had your championship in '05. That was great, Cubs fans can't say that (when will we?). But please, stop living in the past before you start to sound like those Bears fans who still talk about 1985 . It gets a little old.

Lights

Last weekend I got to do lights for our Sunday service. Lighting is my second most favorite art form (to music of course). It is my one way to perform visual art. I am a horrible artist (stick figures are the best for me) and don't even go there with graphic design or sculpting, etc. It is just cool to be able to visually complement what is going on the stage. I attended an arts conference at Willow Creek a few weks back. One of the sessions I attended was lighting for music and I really got a lot out of that. I coincided so much with how I play music, write songs, and design set lists. I learned how to create settings based on how the song is constructed: a verse may have its own look while a chorus is another, and so on. They really discouraged the excesses of flashing lights. Flashing lights do have their place but it can be the most overused thing that lighting artists do. The idea is to complement the song (or anything else on the stage) and not take over. Draw the audience into the moments and not distract them.

I really wanted to test some of that out last weekend but of course there were 5 lamps out! Couldn't do much! Well, I am back on board in a couple weeks - with all lights working! We will see how things go then.

Order of the Phoenix

Last week I attended the midnight premier for the newest Harry Potter movie: "Order of the Phoenix". I went with my family and Katrina's boyfriend (who might as well be family too). I am not one of those Harry Potter nuts - my daughter and wife are! :) I did go because it would simply be a fun thing to do...and it was! It was late and the place was crowded but I really did enjoy the movie. Now I should say, unlike others whom I will not mention, I did not read the book 50 times, nor even 5 times. I read it once a couple years ago. So basically the movie was a refresher for me. I didn't notice things that were left out or done differently. It gave me a unique perspective. The movie did have a faster pace to it but it was good. I personally don't understand all the hoopla but then again, no one understands why I am a big Doctor Who fan (more about that another time). So I would recommend going (to me, it was the best one so far, but that is only me).

Au revoir....

Dumb Lead Player

Loved that bad music in the earlier post! Played some good stuff this past weekend, however. Here was a case where I played with a group that wasn't a trio and it was a blast! At Montgomery it was still bass, drums, electric but we also had a solid acoustic player. I tell you what, it was fun for me. I didn't have to lead anything so I got to play dumb lead guitar player! One great thing about having a solid rhythm player is that I can open up to do more creative, "artsy" things. It was fun doing that.

Amen!

Awesome Tunes

I thought that I would share with you a link to hear some of the most refreshing music that I have heard in a while. Many thanks to that great source of cool music...my daughter, Katrina.

http://www.purevolume.com/albums/predatoryhomeloans/majesticpony

Guitars and Sounds

Last weekend I was in a trio that played at Romeoville for services. Trios are such a different approach to play as a guitarist from any other setup. I played in a real good one about 7-8 years ago called Trailer Park Palace. On guitar, it is you and only you covering those melodies and chord arrangements. I love that. It really forces you to stretch as a musician. As the only guitar, you learn to fill spaces. One thing to pay attention to is in the equipment you use. It depends on the music but I think certain guitars and amps work better than others (unless it is a punk band then all bets are off!). For example, my Martin electric is far better for that arrangement than my Charvel. It just has a fatter sound when needed but also can go very clean. It is quite vesatile: I can cover metal and jazz in one set if need be (although that would be one weird set!). I play a little faster on the Charvel - it has a faster neck. But the Martin can get me any sound. I used the Charvel Saturday night and the Martin on Sunday and it was a noticeable difference. I know we had different venues but the type of guitar used did make an impact. It ended up being a more full sound. Versatility is a must for a trio. It allows you to be more creative.

Also, when you are the only guitar, it would be good to use your effects wisely. Note I said 'wisely' and not 'abundantly'! Effects can really get overused. Back in the 80's, the chorus was used to death (of which I was a guilty party for a while!). Nowadays, the delays are really used heavily. None of that stuff is bad. They can provide quite interesting sounds. Just use them in the right places: have your play dictate your sound and not the other way around! It gives you control over your creativity. That being said, when you are in a trio, effects can fill gaps in sound where need be. I personally like to go to the chorus, phase, and delay to help create a more complete sound. Last weekend, on a song that originally had a Leslie organ and acoustic, I kept a slightly overdriven electric with a rotary effect to simulate the Leslie. It seemed to have turned out quite right!

Trios will of course affect how I play. Unless it is a metal or punk rocker, I will often add various arpeggio patterns in my rhythm arrangements and forego any lead fills that might originally have appeared in the song (although one can do that in metal too). Anyone who knows me would agree that I love soloing with the best of them! However, you need to pay attention to how the song goes, and how it is being executed by your band. Sometimes restraining from going to that solo bit is a better idea for the song to sound good to your audience! Then, when you play "Cliffs of Dover" or "Satch Boogie" you can let loose!

So that is my guitar article for the week!

Cubs don't suck anymore!

In an earlier post several weeks ago I had made mention that the Chicago Cubs suck.

Ok, I think it is time to retract that statement. Whoa, what a game today! A couple of bottom of the ninth heroics in the last two series is quite thrilling. Still a ways to go but oh what fun!

Division Winners!

The Romeoville Cubs win the Blue Division North in the Greater DuPage Bronco League (Division 2)! The final record was 14-3 with one rainout that wasn't played. So now it is off to the playoffs which start tomorrow. We are grouped within what is called the Division 1 Silver Group. What that means is that the best of the Division 2 kids play along side the worse of the Division 1 teams. We are in a pool of 4 teams (2 pools total). If we win the pool round, we play for the championship against the winner of the other pool of 4 teams on June 30th. It is quite exciting and we all can't wait until it starts. I think the kids are all ready. The big key for us, as coaches, is to keep the kids loose and not all tense with the pressure of winning. I have seen that a few times already with good teams losing because they feel pressured to win. Kids (like any players) then tend to try too hard and mistakes happen. I think that we do keep our kids loose and that they continue to have some fun. If we play good defense I think we will be unstoppable. I really believe that. Our hitting and pitching are real good. So, stay tuned for those updates!

Fareed Haque

Anyone who plays guitar should check out this site by Fareed Haque. Fareed played in a jazz fusion band called Chevere (based in Chicago) in the late 80's/early 90's. I used to have a friend that sat in on bass with those guys. He later went on the be the guitar guy on most of Sting's solo albums in the 90's. He has some great approaches towards perfecting one's craft on guitar. I love the way he thinks. Here is the site:

http://www.fareed.com/lessons.html

"Di-Verse"

"Live in the contradiction"; "start the day with a full cup"; "a bird sings, not for an answer, but because it has a song". Those are just a sample of some of the random things I wrote from this Willow Creek Arts Conference that I just attended. Great stuff. I won't get into all the details, I'm sure you can go to their site and get stuff online. What it did for me is provide some great insight and self evaluation. It was very good. One thing I wrote was, very simply, "don't be afraid of reality". For whatever reason, it made me think of where I was with my gift of music - specifically, playing guitar. You see, I have been feeling quite a bit frustrated over that part of my life. It seemed like much was about completing tasks and not having room for creativity. That is hard for a musician like me. It's funny, until a couple weeks ago, I have played the instrument a lot in the past few months. However, it was more for teaching or for charting or for simply going through the motions of learning something for the weekend. It became tough. The last couple weeks I really haven't played much. Not really feeling like it. That is not so alarming because I have gone through this kind of phase before - it usually ends up in becoming a very healthy thing. So how do I move on from this point? I need to get back to a more creative phase or it simply becomes a job. I don't like jobs. I love making up stuff like solo riffs; writing new songs; learning other songs just because I can - not for a purpose.



Well, at the conference there were many things that were brought up that kind of told me to find my way back to that. I really need to get there. The artist in me needs that. Artistically it can be hard for me to stay on the same thing for any length of time.

One of the more weird moments at the conference was a musical number that repeated this: "Di -Verse". It was puzzling then but after a few days something came to me. I have been contemplating getting in some kind of secular band. Diversity is part of what I crave, musically. Too much of one thing can get to be stale. I look at all the bands I was in for the past 25 years and almost all never had me in them past maybe 2 years. Perhaps this will help me becoming a better artist. I am not sure about it yet. I need to see what God is telling me.

Being Active

I do feel the need to report on the state of our Pony league baseball team. We are the Cubs team that does win. So our record now is 13-2. Pretty good. The two losses were silly ones on our part. I like to say that we lost them more than the other team won them - and yet still we almost won those two! This morning we were scheduled to play a rain out make up game. Well, we were there but no other team. They didn't show up. I don't get that. Wouldn't it be courteous to at least let us know? It looks like a win by forfeit. I hate those. I mean, the team we were to play wasn't that good anyway but it still wasn't the point. Let's play them! I had to get someone to cover me at lights this morning at CCC so I could make this game. It still ended up being a fun morning; the kids decided to play a scrimmage game amongst themselves. The coaches (including me) got in on it too. Hey, I had two hits: a triple and a double and very nearly duplicated my son's feats in center field by having some near-spectacular catches! And no, I am not sore! I guess it pays off in other ways to be training for a sprint triathlon!

Speaking of that training bit, I am still a bit leery of getting back in the Lifetime lap pool after contracting that sinus infection a few weeks back. I am going to attempt it again this week and see if I can manage with a nose plug. We'll see. I do wish there were a lake somewhere nearby where I can train instead. I really don't like diving into chemically enhanced water (lots of chlorine). I am back to running and biking though. That patio work really put a hold on other things in life. Sound familiar to anyone?

I did finish getting the sand in the cracks between bricks. I just did it brick by brick. It was very tedious but I think it paid off. I just had to make sure it was all compacted in the cracks. There are still some finishing touches that are needed but I am in no hurry to get back to it yet!

But I digress...we have three more games to go for our Romeoville Cubs (Div. 2). One tomorrow night, one on Thursday, and one on Saturday. The Thursday one has the potential to be a big one. We will be playing the other team tied with us for first place (assuming we win tomorrow). Should be fun. We will, however, only be down to 10 players - including one kid who is our best pitcher. We have some other good ones (which includes Alec). I believe they will step up and make it happen. Our kids seem to rise to the challenge when it presents itself. It is also interesting to check the standings in Bronco Division 2: there are 7 teams with no more than 3 losses (which includes us). Then, the next best teams come in with no fewer than 7 losses! That is a 4 game dropoff. Amazing how that stuff works itself out. Feast or Famine. I am just glad that we are the ones feasting! :)

Patio

See this? The patio is nearly done!

ME DO GOOD WORK!

Oh yeah, Mary helped...A LOT! Same with Kat's boyfriend Timmy and even Alec for a little while.

Um, does anyone know a better way to fill the cracks between bricks with sand besides using a broom several times?

Taking a Time Out

It is late Monday night. I have taken a few days off. To be honest, it feels kind of weird. I realized that I don't take much time off. I know that for one, I like what I do at CCC. However, it is also for that precise reason that we all need to take time away. I have no particular vacation planned. We just finished the patio (see mary's blog for pic's)' so working there is not an option (woo hoo!). I need time for me, I think. So, tomorrow, weather permitting, I will get on a 30-35 mile bike ride. You know, since I started this backyard project, my fitness routines took a back seat. Today I got back to running my 5k (it has been a week and a half). My time slipped a little but it wasn't as bad as I thought it could have been - despite the rain. Very encouraging. We also plan on seeing the Pirates-3 movie tomorrow. Katrina has seen it twice already. So, I will finally use a gift card from Christmas (can you believe it?) and Mary, Alec, and I will take in an afternoon matinee. I don't know about the other two days. One place I like to go for a mini-spiritual retreat is Buffalo Rock State Park. I like it there. Maybe one of the days I will go there. Sometimes it is also neat to go for a few hours and walk the trails at Starved Rock. However, I like starting from the other end of the park and not the main place where the lodge is. There are some real cool sites out there that I really don't think that many people see (it is often too far from the lodge area).

Ok, so I guess I have some things planned after all! I need to do this more often. It can only make me better at what I do. Funny how at my old job as an engineer, the planning of vacation time was of utmost importance! Now, I have to consciously make time for it. Amazing. How well do you do with taking time off?

Another brick...

Whoa! Has it been that long since I typed anything? Time sure flies - especially when life revolves around building a brick patio in your backyard. Yeah, it's home project time. Digging, setting stone and sand, then setting bricks. It will look great but, to be honest, it isn't fun. Very tedious if you want to do it right (which I do). I consider myself capable of home projects but some just aren't enjoyable. It will be done soon. If you check Mary's blog she will be having progress pictures. I'm about 1/3 through setting bricks now. But tonight I stop.



"all in all, its just another brick...in the ground"

Born to Wealth

Here is the first music video I ever made from 1985 - back in the days when I was young and stupid. You 'gotta love the 80's styles! For those who have heard of them, we were a lot like the 80's techno band, Missing Persons. Believe it or not, this video was high tech for the common man back in those days. Anyways, check it out for a good laugh. And yes, I did have a perm.

Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHyORf3dRTY

"put me in coach, I'm ready to play..."

So we played the other 8-1 team in our division that was tied for first place with us, the Bolingbrook Dodgers. We beat them by slaughter rule in the 5th inning, 11-1! The best complete game our team played. They stepped up to the challenge. Most notable was our exceptional defense. I think that if we play good 'D', we are unstoppable. We have the pitching and hitting. So now we have a 10 day break before the brutal stretch in June. It is much needed. We have some kids banged up. Oh yeah, that is another thing. It was classic with some of the hurt ones: "put me in coach, I'm ready to play" was a theme. Well, they all played. And all contributed to a great team effort. This is something that any coach of kids loves to see. It was fun.

9-1 and rolling!

Pokey Hokey

Apparently my You-Tube account doesn't have a direct link to this blog (even though it is supposed to). Anyway, here is one of the two music videos I promised. This one is from 2002 (I think). It is funny and I thought it came out pretty good. We recorded the song (along with others) the year before on a friend of mine's CD called Ready to Snap. Check out this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3P0NUbMHPM

The 1985 one is coming up - once I get it from VHS to digital. Stay tuned to that one! It is hilarious, if for nothing else but for the styles (very New Wave - Missing Persons-like).

Random Ramblings - 2

Our Romeoville Cubs win 3 in the last two days (8-1); D-Lee cranks a slam and the Chicago Cubs take the first two over the White Sox. Ahhh, a great day. Maybe a sweep today?

I'm working on singing Too Much (Dave Matthews) next weekend at CCC - that is going to be fun. Love singing his stuff - it is so random.

We are starting our summer project at home: a patio in the backyard. I actually 'dig' doing that stuff!

Did anyone who followed Survivor/Fiji like that finale? The guy who won, Earl, was my pick after around the 3rd or 4th episode - although it would have been awesome if the older guy, Yau Man, won. That dude was amazing. A lot of bitter people on that jury and a guy, Dreamz, that fit the Surivor credo on trying to win: lie and cheat your way there. A true low moment of the show but great for entertainment value. Which is what it is: entertainment (a game).

Also upcoming, if I can figure how the technology works to get it converted and uploaded to you-tube, is a link to a music video I was part of in 1985. Another was from around 2002. Stay tuned...

Little bugs can bring the big ones down

How do some of you keep up regularly with blogs? It has been a week. Well, I have actually been out of commission with a sinus infection I contracted on Friday morning. Today I think I am finally getting over it. I tried to function a couple of those days (one of them being Mom's day) but it was really getting ridiculous so yesterday I just had to stop everything and lay low at home. I think that helped. I got this thing from swimming the lap pool at Lifetime Fitness that Friday morning. The sneezing started not 10 minutes after I got out and it was downhill from there. I have been training to do a sprint triathlon for later this summer. Now, I don't know. The swimming has been a good train for me but I am going to be thinking twice about going in there again.

I haven't been sick like this in years. Funny how one can pride themselves on health and trying to do the right things and then, BAM!, along comes some little virus "bug" and everything gets turned around. I can at least be happy that this was battled with no drugs, all natural healing stuff. It has worked. Today I am about 85% and moving up!

Go Romeoville Cubs

5-0! Off to a good start for our baseball team. Our pitching is strong. I have made an observation though in the beginning of this season. The focus at this age (11-12) should not be about winning. That is always stressed in our league. It is about learning and having fun at the game. However, if you as a coach know that you have a group of kids that have good abilities you will win most of the time if all of the following happen:

1. Good sportsmanship: with each person on your team. You work together, no matter how good each kid is. We pick each other up. Good comradarie.
2. Keep your head in the game.
3. Play hard and to the best of your ability.
4. Have fun doing it.
5. Never put down another team's players.

If you do all those, winning will follow. I believe that is what is happening to us - at least so far. Even if your team isn't maybe the most awesome on the field, you will still have fun (rule #4).

Go Romeoville Cubs!

Snakes and Arrows

(Mary, you need not read any further!) :)

I still remember the day when I was 15 I think, when my friend Tom tells me to come over to his house. He picked up an album by this band that I had to hear. When I got there he plays the first song on side one. It was this band called Rush and the album was 2112. Admittedly the first few seconds weren't impressive with all the synth stuff in the beginning. Then the band kicked in and I was hooked!

The other day I just got the new album by them, Snakes and Arrows. Usually I have to listen a few times before I formulate an opinion. I did and this one is definitely a winner! HUGE improvement over the last one (Vapor Trails) and more in line with Test for Echo (one of my favorites). The production quality is much better. The best in a long time. Lyrically, it seems that Neil Peart has finally moved on from the tragedies in his life (losing a wife and daughter in separate incidents). It is definitely a more in depth view on how he sees the world today.

Musically what can one say? They are always great. I think Alex shines much more than he has in a while. He even moves on to some other styles that we don't normally hear from him. He does this acoustic guitar instrumental, Hope, that could almost fit on a soundtrack similar to "O Brother Where Art Thou"! However, the piece transistions nicely between the songs before and after. The one before, The Way the Wind Blows, is one of my favorites. The last song, We Hold On, is the best track on the CD - at least to me. They have 3 instrumenals! That is new for them even. Besides 'Hope' (awesome!), there is The Main Monkey Business (ok) and Malignant Narcissism (great! but say that title 10 times fast!). I think that the stronger tracks are in the middle and end of the CD. Far Cry is their first single and the first song on the CD- I think that one is starting to grow on me - I wasn't wowed the first couple times I heard it. Many of the tracks even venture towards a more bluesy sound. Haven't heard much of that in a while. I think that the only negative I have to say is that Geddy needs to get a little more creative with the vocal melodies. It isn't true on all the tracks, but many of them have predictable vocal lines that resemble many songs from the past few CDs.

However, over all, a very good CD. They do make many moves toward some kind of new direction and this one doesn't disappoint. One great thing about Rush is that they are never influenced to go in any direction. They take it where they feel it needs to go. I am very happy with it. Maybe not quite up there with some of the best (Moving Pictures, Hemispheres, 2112) but definitely up there on the list!

comments fixed

Doh! Blog darn it! I just found out that I had my 'comments' section set for logged in users only! It is now fixed and anyone can respond if they want to.

Pony League update

Hey our Romeoville Cubs Pony League team is now 2.5-0! Today we beat the Darien Astros 6-3 in a great pitching matchup. I think we will be 3-0 when we finish that suspended game from 8 days ago (we were up 14-2 in the 4th). It is great to finally be on a competitive team. We always seemed to end up on struggling teams in years past. Alec is close to ready to being back. He is chomping at the bit to play again. I am not rushing him with that ankle. Our schedule is still fairly light. Our next game isn't until Saturday and I'm still not sure about him going in that one. We need him for the brutal stretches right before Memorial Day weekend and especially in June (6 games in 8 days). Our strength is by far our pitching. We have 4 real good pitchers (Alec is one). We still have to work with our #5 and #6 pitchers just in case. They haven't been called upon yet, but in this game you never know.

Standings and scores are here: http://www.gdpba.org/standings.cfm. (We are Division 2's Romeoville Cubs in the Blue Division-North). Sometimes it takes a day or so for them to update. Incidentally, the team we were destroying in that suspended game is the Darien Giants - the other 'undefeated' team in our division!

Twist(er) of Fate

Here is a humorous note on that twister tale. Told my mom about that story (see the post right below this one). She then says to me "that is the second time in your life that has happened to you!". I vaguely remember it when I was five years old. There was a nasty twister that hit Oak Lawn in 1967. We lived in Bolingbrook at the time but she took me to a doctor appointment on 91st and Western in Chicago. I guess back then Southwest Highway was part of the route home. Somewhere along the route home she got into the wrong turning lane to get to Southwest Highway. So, instead she went straight and decided to visit her parents nearby on Damen. Well, at about that time, the nasty twister was moving right along Southwest Highway! People got killed from that one as well as Oak Lawn HS getting torn to shreds. She could never figure out what made her take that wrong turn - one she corectly made many times before and since!

I also remember the 1991 Lemont tornado. I saw that one from a distance. I then saw it spinning in the clouds above my head in Willowbrook (where I worked at the time).

Maybe it would be wise to check out some real estate in Oz...

Stormy Thursday

It was about 2:30pm on Thursday, April 26. I left the house needing to get to Mid America Bank on Weber Rd. in Romeoville; I wanted to clear up a charge that went to my account as well as get a debit card for that new account. Following that, I had to get to Wal Mart on 127th & Rt. 59 to return a car filter that was the wrong size for our Saturn. The whole day was a rainy one. Earlier, at around noon, I ran my best 5k in a long time: 24:49 - despite the downpour that ensued during my last mile. That time will improve even more for sure.

I arrived at the bank where it began to rain hard while I was in there. After getting everything done, I left at around 2:50 or so. I was aware of the time because I know how Weber gets at around 3pm with traffic - I wanted to get ahead of it. The plan was to go north on Weber, turn left at frontage road (just north of Rt. 55) which would then turn into 127th and take it to the Wal Mart. I made my first mistake getting in the turning lane to get on Rt. 55-south. At first I was mad. I never do that. But then I got to thinking it wasn't so bad - I can take it to Rt. 126; go right on Essington and get to 127th from there. The sky was getting real dark awfully quick. However, I'm thinking that it was only another downpour coming.

So, I get off at 126 and turn right at Essington. Now, it is like night outside. Except for on the near-western horizon it was sunny. I still had my sunglasses on! Then comes my next mistake.

I end up turning left on 135th street instead. Now why did I do that? No idea. Whatever, I'll just drive straight ahead to Rt. 59 and then go north to Wal Mart. The sky is now really dark and, as predicted, the downpour begins. It was shortlived however. I get to 59 and turn right (north). It looked real odd to my right. There are still a number of farm fields that stretch east from 59 for a couple miles. Soon, I fear, the subdivisions will end up tearing them down. However, this time, as I look and see, maybe 500 yards or so away from the road, this wall of brownish-black. My impression was that it was one heck of a downpour! The storm was moving away to the northeast; I figured that was it for the rain. On my way down 59, several emergency vehicles were heading south.

I get to Wal Mart and make my exchange. The sky was almost sunny at this point. But, the tornado sirens start running outside. I leave the store. But, right as I get to the door, employees are yelling me back to get to the center of the building - there was a tornado warning. Ok, I know that is what you are supposed to do: go to the center of the building. However, I have seen too many news flashes of roofs torn off and down from large buildings from wind/tornado damage. I wanted no part of that place! If needed, I would hit the ditch that was just outside by the parking lot. Besides, I was just through that storm and it was sunny now. I get in the car and head home.

So when I get home I start hearing on tv about a tornado hitting Plainfield and Bolingbrook. I then find out that it hit at Route 126 and on Essington Road by 127th st. I then find out that it hit at about 3pm, right when I was there! Oh boy! That was close! What made me make those turns that I would not have normally made? Now, it wasn't the biggest tornado - fairly weak they say. Still, it was interesting how it all turned out. But the story isn't over...

I occasionally work 2nd camera for my dad at various playhouses during the year. That same night I had to go preview one in North Riverside (we actually record the following week). I couldn't remember the play we were seeing - there are so many, I can't remember them all. I get to the place and look on the marqee. What play is it?

Wizard of Oz

Queen

Last night I watched on PBS, clips from the "Queen with Paul Rodgers" live concert DVD. Wow. It brought back a lot of memories of when I was starting to learn the six strings! Brian May is one amazing guitarist - and that sound! People have asked me over the years who some of my main influences were and I tell them the usual suspects: Alex Lifeson, Neil Schon, Joe Satriani, Michael Schenker. I never mentioned Brian May but after watching and listening last night, I realized how much he actually influenced my playing. Mostly with his style. I know I don't sound like him (nobody does), nor play like him (nobody does) but the way he plays is something I relate to. I think only musicians might understand that (maybe more?) but there are players that when I try to jam their stuff it just comes easy and others where it doesn't. I think technique is not the reason (Satriani and Vai styles come easy to me). There is just some kind of stylistic relatability. On the other side of the coin, for example, I have always had trouble relating to how Eric Johnson plays. He is one of the best, no doubt. But, sometimes the language of of what he is playing can make it harder to do myself (although I still can do Cliffs of Dover!).

I do remember another way Brian May influenced what I do: originality on the guitar. I noticed on the concert that he used really the same custom guitar the whole time (unusual for many pros - you can see them switching guitars many times in a show). The variety of sounds he gets! I do remember way back when, looking for a new "good" guitar in that I wanted something versatile, yet original, like Brian had. Hence, I bought my Martin electric which I still use to this day. It is a very versatile guitar (I can safely play jazz to heavy metal on it). Granted, it is souped up a bit, but since I don't have the gift to design my own guitar stuff (like Brian May), this is the next best thing.

Speaking of Queen, anyone have favorite songs out there? It's funny that some of my favorites are the more obscure ones. "It's Late" from News of the World (which had "We Are the Champions") has always been one of my favorites from them. "Tie Your Mother Down" was one of the first songs I ever learned. The album "The Game" is one of my favorites from them. It had "Another One Bites the Dust" which was my least favorite song on the album. I really loved the song "Need Your Loving Tonight". I suppose I could go on.

So, while Rush is still the most influential on me, I think Queen is right up there. And I think many, many musicians out there (pros and amateurs alike) would agree,

Random Ramblings

On a lighter note, our Cubs pony league team is looking good. We are 1.5 - 0. The .5 being a suspended game for darkness. We are ahead 14-2 in the 4th. Alec sprained his ankle on the first game of the season last Saturday. Stepped on the 1st baseman's foot as he beat out a throw. It seemed real bad at first. However, it ended up being only a sprain. He is recovering nicely. Hopefully will be back playing in a couple weeks. He's a great player: alert, fast, can catch and hit, plus throws a great fastball and change! He's a great kid. Makes a dad proud! :)

Anyone watching Heroes? It's back and still real good!

Earlier in this blog I talked about a book I was waiting a long time for. I got it - although via Amazon.com and for about the same low price! Next to Lord of the Rings, and on equal footing with the Dark Tower series, the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant is one of my favorite fiction reads. This book, Runes of the Earth, is the first one in 20 years. There were two trilogies back then. This begins the third, and final one - although it is supposed to be 4 books. The only problem is that the last one is scheduled to be finished in 2013! Ouch! That will be hard waiting for.

Speaking of books, Wild at Heart is recommended for any guy who can read. I'm not done yet (yeah, reading two at the same time!) but there is some great stuff in there. I'll review when I'm finished.

New Rush CD out May 1st. Can't wait! (Sorry Mary!).

Asta la pasta. Till the next time...

Frustrated Fan

The Cubs suck. A very expensive waste of dung.

There. I said it.

Good night.

Fight the Good Fight

With everything going on lately an old song has come to mind. Back in the early 80's, there was a Canadian trio rock band that I really liked (no, I'm not talking about Rush!). They were called Triumph and had some great lyrics that I turned to a lot (way before I ever knew what a Christ follower ever was). I thought I would post these because they meant something to me (and still do):

The days grow shorter and the nights are getting long
Feels like we're running out of time
Every day it seems much harder tellin' right from wrong
You got to read between the lines

Don't get discouraged, don't be afraid, we can
Make it through another day
Make it worth the price we pay

The Good Book says it's better to give than to receive
I do my best to do my part
Nothin' in my pockets I got nothin' up my sleeve
I keep my magic in my heart

Keep up your spirit, keep up your faith,
babyI am counting on you
You know what you've got to do

CHORUS:
Fight the good fight every moment
Every minute every day
Fight the good fight every moment
It's your only way

All your life you've been waiting for your chance
Where you'll fit into the plan
But you're the master of your own destiny
So give and take the best that you can

You think a little more money will buy your soul some rest
You'd better think of something else instead
You're so afraid of being honest with yourself
You'd better take a look inside your head

Nothing is easy, nothing good is free
But I can tell you where to start
Take a look inside your heart
There's an answer in your heart

CHORUS

No Trip This Year

Yeah, it has been a rough week or so. The mission trip to Rwanda was canceled. So was GFR's operations there. It has a lot to do with political problems over there. Apparently they think GFR is some kind of threat to the government. Amazing. I really feel for the families that were sponsored over there. The funding has basically stopped. I can only hope that by teaching them "how to fish" will begin to sustain them for a long time. I am also hoping that the seeds planted over there will flourish. Who knows? Maybe it could be the beginning breeze to the winds of change over there. I hope and pray that is what will happen. Meanwhile we are seeing where to go next. I know there are other areas of the world to go. However, I don't want to go just for the sake of going. I need to feel the leading. I know it will come around. One place I am sure of is a return to France next year. Somehow that will happen. Stay tuned on that one.

Au revoir...

Tragedy

Most of you reading this know we lost some members of the CCC family last week. I knew Josh and his family. He did lights for us at church. He also played guitar which I had always asked to hear him play. For some reason I never heard him play. The other kid, Anthony, I didn't know so well; although, from the testimonies at the funeral, I wish I did. It was tough at the funeral. I really feel for the parents - JR was one I knew particularly well. I look at my kids and have realized that I need to value the time I have with them. They are gifts from God to us. So, if you have kids, just give them an extra hug. Here is the link to the article about them from the Plainfield Sun. Funny how this happened at the same time I took my son to a game in Milwaukee.

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/plainfieldsun/news/334914,6_1_NA13_CRASH_S1.article

Idol Losers (winners)

I don't watch that Idol show. Never was in to it. However, there are names that I have heard of. I find it amazing that overall I have heard more from "runners up" on the radio than winners (Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood aside). So that makes me wonder. The point is to really get on the show. Winning guarantees nothing (Taylor, Rubben, Fantasia...hello? - I had to look those names up, couldn't remember them). Funny how the losers often are the winners. Case in point, who is big from last season? I have heard of Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson (I never knew they were on Idol until after I heard of them). So the drama of who wins is gone really.

Take Your Son to The Other Team's Ballpark Day

Every dad needs to have a regular "take-your-son (or daughter)-to..." day. Find a common interest and go with it. One common interest that Alec and I have is baseball. We love the game. I watch it more than he does but he knows much that goes on. I coach on his team and we start April 21st (the weather better have improved by then!). Today we took a road trip to Milwaukee to see the Cubs play the Brewers. They list it as a 'road' game but judging from the number of Cubs jerseys and hats (as well as the cheers), I definitely see why it is sometimes jokingly referred to "Wrigley Field North"! We were happy about the fact that they have a roof! It was about 60 in there (compared to 29 degrees outside!). Traffic really stunk getting there: we arrived early in Milwaukee at around 11am. We were thinking we might even catch some batting practice! Then the wheels fell off. It took us about an hour and a half to go the last 5 miles! And to think it took us an hour to reach the Wisconsin line from Plainfield! Ouch!

Know what though? I don't think we minded. It was cool spending time with Alec. As time moves on, our kids spend more and more time with their friends. Times like this you enjoy. We had fun getting there, enjoying the game, and hanging around the park afterwards (waiting for the exiting traffic to die down). It was a quick ride home. We are going to do a couple more 'road trips' this season to different parks. Maybe Atlanta or Cincinnati or Pittsburgh or even Denver. We will see how the schedule and the money holds up in the upcoming months.

Oh, and by the way, the score was Cubs 6, Brewers 3. CUBS WIN!

GFR Fundraiser

Anyone within shouting distance of this blog knows that all of my family is heading to Rwanda on a mission trip this summer. The cost is fairly large yet somehow I believe it will all come through in time. Lots of faith is required! Part of the fundraising for us and several others who are going is a large event on April 15th. Hopefully anyone nearby can come on by and check it out. I can tell you that it is rapidly shaping out to be potentially a great event! Here's the info:

Global Family Rescue Fundraising Gala: Sunday, April 15th, 2007 - 4:00pm to 8:00pm. Global Family Rescue will hold a fundraising gala at the Friendship Center at Highpoint, 175 S. Highpoint Drive in Romeoville, IL, where Sunday services for the Romeoville campus are held. The gala will raise funds for upcoming mission trips to Rwanda, and families are invited to enjoy live music, raffles, a silent auction, a vendor and craft fair and refreshments. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.

Y'all can find me if you want a ticket. There are other ways to help too - just let me know.

I don't know what to call this post

Hey I saw the last half of American Idol last night. I understand someone local is a finalist. Cool. However, the show is not something I really am in to. Ok, so that is my one mention of it.

I haven't written in a while. I do have some stuff I want to write about. Time has been a problem these past few days. Anyone have that problem?

And I thought it was only me. Back soon with more...