a night on the town with kids (Windy City Ribfest)

I went to the Windy City Ribfest where my two nephews Zach & Chris  were playing in their band, Catchpenny (see http://www.catchpennyband.com/ ). They sounded great, they seem to have a harder edge to their rock which I loved to see. For instance, they played Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" rather than "Ramble On" complete with expert feedback. Clearly, the heart of their set is their own music that is on their debut CD and also their second CD From Where You Are. Catchpenny has been touring in Iraq repeatedly, and is always and consistently well received there.

Also, in attendance was Maribeth's co-worker, Annie, who is shown in the first picture. She was able to see Catchpenny for the first time. She was kind enough to take a picture of Chris, Zach, my kids and me, but unfortunately, I didn't press SAVE, & the picture she took became lost to oblivion. However, Chris took a picture too, thank God, so, our hope is that Chris will send his picture to me which I will add.

Then we saw a band greatly admired by Catchpenny which is from New Orleans called Cowboy Mouth. They put on a very energetic and engaging show. They're a very talented band, and one of the view bands where the drummer/lead singer is right at the front of the stage.

After hearing Cowboy Mouth, the trip home on the interstate was speedy, fast and short. We took an admiring look at the lit up skyscrapers and loved hearing Santana on the classic rock radio station, The Drive, 97.1. I wholeheartedly agreed with Ted that Chicago is a great city to live in. This month marks 20 years that I have lived in the Chicago area. It was 20 years ago that I moved from LaCrosse, Wisconsin to take a job teaching for the Archdiocese of Chicago at one of the parochial schools in the neighborhood of Pilsen in Chicago.

about an ad on dairy farm

There was a great ad by Google AdSense that I was proud to have on my blog. By the time you are reading this, I am not sure if you will see it or not. Anyway the website is

http://www.dairyfarmingtoday.org/DairyFarmingToday

I would strongly encourage you to look at this ad, because I grew up on a dairy farm. I worked on and off on dairy farms until about 1987. The summer of 1987 marked the last time I worked on a dairy farm (my father's) full time. Dairy farming is a vital, noble profession. It is a very tough profession as my 3 older brothers do it; 2 of them are required to wake up at 4:30 am each and every morning. Dairy farmers are required to milk their cows either 2 or 3 times a day. That means if you go to a wedding and then the wedding reception, when the clock strikes 3:30 or 4pm, you are required to leave and go feed and milk the cows and come back (depending on how much help you have and how many cows you have to milk) to the wedding dance until sometime around 7 or 8. If you don't have replacement help, you don't get to go on vacations.

Dairy farming is one of the best places to raise your children, because it's a great place to teach the value of hard work. I sometimes miss the farm, b/c it seems that my kids' day revolves around play whereas when I grew up their day revolves around work. Now, I don't want to say that my kids are a bunch of "good-time Charlies", they work very hard during the school year, and they are given lots of chores to do during the summer. Still, it seems like they are loving the computer and PlayStation a bit too much at times. Yes, they are also outside (rather than inside watching the TV), b/c our condo has a swimming pool, and they swim a lot there.

At any rate, please check out the ad. I agree with the ad, and I would look at all the aspects of the webpage which is very educational to those not knowing a lot about dairy farming.

health insurance statistics

The average income of health insurance executives: $11.9 million
The profit growth of health insurance from 2001 to 2007: 484%
The percentage of people that have become uninsured in the same time period: 19%

Wanting to smile/wanting to frown

Wanting to smile

Last night Charlie Rose interviewed Nora Ephron and Meryl Streep. Nora Ephron directed the new movie about Julia Child, and we all know that Meryl Streep is Julia Child in the movie. I loved listening to Meryl Streep being interviewed by the very clever Charlie Rose. She's the best actress of our generation, if not the best actress ever.

My oldest sister is the same age is Meryl Streep. Apparently, in 1949 (when she was born), Tarzan. So her invitations say what do Michaeleen and Tarzan have in common? They both started in 1949! Duh, Michaeleen! Use a better cultural reference with MERYL STREEP!
She has an amazing sense of balance. She knows she's an excellent actress. Yet, she finds a way to be humble without making people roll their eyes and thinking she's putting them on. She was asked about the toughest role she ever played. She explained about the process of how she usually assumes a character in a movie. Then she discussed how that doesn't work, and she has to "start from scratch" and figure out how to do the role better. Then in the middle of explaining how she performed her toughest roles, she looks at Ephron & Rose and said, "Neither of you know what I'm talking about" and the implication was, "& I feel embarassed going off on a tangent!" Then they stated in unison they understood what she was saying and wanted her to continue to explain herself. But she didn't........

Consistency at a high level is one of the hardest things to do. That's what makes Meryl Streep such a great actress. I've seen her read many of her interviews. She consistently doesn't want the interviewer to go on and on and count the ways she is great. With Rose, she didn't have to!
Seeing her be interviewed is nearly as fun as watching her act. Wish I saw last night's interview from the very beginning.

Wanting to frown

I had a written a previous blog entry about Michael Jackson. Now that I read the large Rolling Stone (Issue 1,084), I feel a strong sense of loss. Why do I feel this way??!?? I only like about 5 of his songs and the rest I either don't like or am entirely indifferent to. Why does it hurt that he's dead? I'll try to answer that now.
The pognant feelings are on 2 levels. We heard that when M. Jackson was trying to be revived, his kids were fearfully crying, "Daddy! Daddy!" That situation strikes a painful chord for many parents. My biggest fear (as recent as 1 1/2 yrs. ago) was that I would retire sick and poor. I haven't saved nearly enough money for retirement, & in the next 3 years, I know that I will invest less than $500 in my retirement accounts. So, that's a big fear, but the worst fear is leaving my kids, b/c I died before they were 18. There's an unbreakable bond between my three kids. The scary thought hurts, and it makes one think about a tragic death and the kids left behind. You can think of one instance right now as you read this. I think of President John Kennedy being shot, and during the funeral procession, his 3 year old son salutes him. Ouch.
The second level/reason why I feel bad is the sense of what might have been. I read in Rolling Stone that Jackson was finally somewhat in touch with reality. He wanted to be better than his rival Prince. He was preparing for his concert. Who knows if it was going to be the best ever as he wanted it to be, but even with me being biased against 90% of his music, even I knew the concerts in London were going to be something to behold. Then he died.

He was in better physical shape, and he didn't act as old and go around in a wheelchair like he was last year. He wasn't sleeping with little boys anymore. He was trying to be a good father. He wasn't even dangling his kid off of hotel balconies anymore. Then he died.

Like millions of people, including me, he had a problem with insomnia. Unlike me, he was one of the very, very few that would take 40 Xanax to sleep and live to tell about it. The night before his death, after his very triumphant rehearsal, his physician give him an IV of a drug that is used to sedate patients before surgery. Then he died.

Today & tomorrow

Today is my parent's 62nd wedding anniversary. 62 years! It seems like a lifetime, doesn't it?

I wish I could celebrate a 62nd wedding anniversary, but I most definitely won't! Oh well, that means I need to redouble my efforts being a good dad.

Tomorrow is MB's 42nd birthday. She seems to have aged well. She still is attractive, and she seems more mature, more tolerant of opposing view than she once was. She could still work on sharpening her budget-cutting knife and her subjectivity, but tomorrow, we'll celebrate all the progress she's made.

a new season w/ new hopes

Ted has started football season again in the Oak Forest Park District league. Last year was successful insofar as he had fun, learned a lot and he played nearly every down of football as he was starting defensive end and center. However, his team, the expansion 49ers of Oak Forest, were winless and in 5 games, they only scored 3 touchdowns. I know a little bit about that as 2 teams I was on were winless (my 7th grade and my sophmore year). The first time we were winless, we came back the next season and posted a 4-1 record! Let's hope that's what Ted does.

The 49ers have all but 2 starters back this year, and they have some pretty good new players. The hope is that they will score more touchdowns as that was lacking last year. We had some good moments on defense, and Ted was able to sack the quarterback several times. The hope is that they consistently do well on defense.

I am assistant coach, and the head coach says that I'm in charge of special teams. That's fine I know a thing or 2 about specials teams. He has some new ideas that will hopefully help us be a better team, so there is a lot of hope.

PS. If you look at the helmet in the 2nd picture, each decal he got was a personal or team award that Ted earned. For instance, he received a decal for each sack and also defensive stops he made by himself.

missing Mike Sullivan!

I was catching up with a former boss of mine. I heard he left our old law firm and started his own. I asked him how a mutual co-worker of ours was. The co-worker's name was Mike. He quickly e-mailed me back and said Mike died in March at the age of 49, of a heart attack. Very sad, not very surprised. Mike smoked like a chimney, and if you smoke like a chimney, it's not incredibly shocking to die of heart disease at the tender age of 49. But as a fellow paralegal, I really really admired Mike Sullivan, so much!!! He was quite simply the best paralegal I ever knew!!

We worked together for less than 2 short years, and I saw him run a Workers' Compensation Dept. by himself. Well, he was a paralegal, so he had to have a lawyer go to the Commission instead of him, b/c as a paralegal he couldn't. But that lawyer didn't have to do a ton of WC work b/c he already had over 120 PI cases that I was helping him with. The lawyer who Mike & I worked for was Jim. Jim was the man that e-mailed me today about Mike's death. He must have felt terrible, b/c Mike & Jim worked great together. They were a synergy. They worked so well together that we nicknamed them Batman & Robin. I could go on for a 100 pages about all the things Mike Sullivan did to help me be a better paralegal.

He was a great paralegal and an even better person!

Brianna learns to bike/My past

Brianna knows that we wanted her to get a bike, so she hasn't been shy about asking. We were delayed when we had to get a refrigerator when our old one died after 14 years. Yesterday, the day finally came where she got her beloved bike. I took her out on her first lesson. I taught her the same way I learned. I would go down hills because you don't have to work so hard at pedaling. & I wanted her to pedal down a grassy hill so that she wouldn't get scraped up if she fell (which is pretty inevitable when you first learn).

So, we went to this park not far from where her grandpa/my FIL lives. She learned quickly!! So quickly that I was really surprised. Then she said something pretty funny. I said, "Brianna, you are doing a great job!"

She associated "job" with being "paid", so she asked, "Do I get $3?"

I replied, "Brianna! I just gave you $54"

"What?"

"$54 was the cost of the bike!"

"Oh".

So, she kept learning and doing well. I was very impressed and now Brianna passed one of those little milestones that a kid goes through!

--------------------------- ********** --------------------------------

MY PAST
When I was a growing up, I lived on a dairy farm. It was a good childhood, because there wasn't a better way to learn a good solid work ethic than working as a kid on a dairy farm. There were high expectations, and my parents and older brothers and sisters were not shy about telling me if my work fell below expectations. The lessons have helped me a great deal even now!!
Well, last night I saw a new show that will be on weekly on the HISTORY CHANNEL called Pawn Shop. The story is of a grandfather, his son and the grandson running a pawn shop. Seeing the dad chew out the son really seemed like a flashback of the old times during the 70s when my father and Jerome, my brother, would get into a bitter argument. It was amazing, the argument would on a rare occasion seem to last the entire time of milking (about 2 hrs.) Usually when they fought, it was "only" an hour.
Last night the young son was approached by a man who wanted to sell him a boat for $25,000. They haggled, and he bought a boat for $16,500, and the motor was shot on it so it couldn't move in the water. Thinking he made a terrible deal, his dad was furious with him, and the son knew there was going to be a big argument. Of course, the big argument happened with plenty of bleeping and deleting of swear words. The son also was knocking stuff off of the drawers. But lo and behold, everything worked out! They son took the boat to an expert repairman who charged him $4,000 to make the boat run again and make it look like new. The repairman said the boat was really the Cadillac of boats so they shouldn't have any problems getting $30,000 for the boat. (That would be a $10,000 profit for their pawn shop).
There was a scene where they were riding on this grand boat and father, son and friend were all smiles. It made me smile too! I wonder how many times Jerome and Dad were all smiles??

Another similarity was that the 3 men all gave a damn about their business wanted the business to succeed. So, I would be very surprised if they have an episode where they are having a hard time making a profit.
That's the way our father was, and his wife, sons and daughters also wanted the farm to succeed! Most of the time Dad was working, it seemed he was worried. Usually it was about a good cow that was sick. One time when we were milking, he said something that I would never forget. The 70s were a very good time for dairy farmers, much better than the 80s. He looked at the brothers and I and said, "You really have to be a screw up to not make money at dairy farming." He didn't talk much (except when he was arguing w/ Jerome), but that was one time when he didn't have to. It was one time when Dad really seemed content that he was a farmer. I later learned that there were many times that he was happy to be a farmer. One of the best college projects I did was interviewing my parents. My father told to me he loved being on the field and planting and harvesting crops.

The farm did very very well and earned trophies and many plaques because our cows gave so much milk. We had one cow who, during her lifetime, gave over 200,000 pounds of milk. We had another cow that gave over 32,000 lbs. of milk in 1 year. Our farm earned a number of plaques when they found out the average cow on our farm in 1 year would give 700 lbs of butterfat (cream) and over 20,000 pounds of milk.

Walter Cronkite and a little perspective

Less than a month ago, Michael Jackson died. Tonight, Walter Cronkite died. Michael Jackson's death is the more tragic. A man only 50 years old cut down while he still could have made music, and he still had kids to raise. Far more people will be sadder at the death of Michael Jackson than they will the death of Walter Cronkite. For the same reason, Cronkite's death doesn't carry the same pain and tragedy of Tim Russert's death early last summer. ($5 for each of you who remember Tim Russert!!)

I confess I never was that big a Jackson fan. I feel that Walter Cronkite's death means more. He was so trusted, so admired, so listened to!!!! He was the newsman and then anchorman for CBS for a long time 1962-1981. I know some reading this may have either been extremely young or not even born in 1981. I grew up with him. CBS was the only station my family was able to get because it was the only VHF station in the area. (NBC, ABC & PBS were all UHF stations and did not transmit strong enough signals to reach us situated in a valley ringed with high hills).

He was a calm, cool, collected voice. He loved the space program just as I did, & I listened to him cover the 6 space flights to the moon spanning from 1969-1972. He represented a time when the news was covered objectively. Journalists or political talking heads didn't have an "axe to grind" in those days.

I can't really say how terrible the death is or how awful it was, because at 92, what else is there to accomplish?? He was born in 1916 and died tonight. He wasn't in the middle of his career or leave young sons and daughters behind. His kids are probably approaching retirement age. He was 92; he lived a fantastic life. He accomplished so much and did the achievements of 5 men. He'll be missed, but he was in retirement for 28 years. He still was heard from and was seen in his retirement. Still, it's sad that a large group of people younger than 30 don't know very much about him.

I have very mixed feelings about Michael Jackson, but I can state unequivocally and without hesitation that I not only admired Walter Cronkite, but loved all the coolness, objectivity and professionalism that he stood for. All the tributes and statements made about Walter Cronkite are true. He was an AMAZING GIANT in the field of journalism. He is a symbolism of journalism that enjoyed a better more prestigious time and is a painful contrast to the lack of funds, cutbacks and subjectivity that journalism suffers now.

The death hurts more because it shows in bleak terms that the way news is covered may not be done quite as well as before. Someone with an opposing view can state that news is more available and easier to get than it was before. Consider this, however. There were many millions that saw Walter Cronkite (or even other objective, professional anchors at ABC or NBC). Those millions received news from a damn good source, and it made us a better informed, smarter country as a result. Now, there are some people out there that get their news from a Rush Limbaugh or a Sean Hannity. The mind reels at the contrast between the former icon and the latter 2 jokes.

Walter Cronkite was voted "The Most Trusted Man in America" back in the 1970s. Now, the 70s get criticized for a lot of things, but there was NOT a shortage of excellent journalists. "The Most Trusted Man in America" wasn't a priest, journalist, singer, preacher, or the president. Think about that for a second! The Most Trusted Man in America spent less than a 1/2 hour on TV and explained what happened that day. He was trusted precisely because he didn't have an axe to grind, wasn't partisan, and didn't exaggerate to make a point. His trust was extremely well deserved and never, ever lost! Sadly, we'll never see a journalist like him again on TV. No one will command the attention of that high a percentage of American audience that Mr. Cronkite commanded and very much deserved.

more on summer fun

I had a nice weekend and didn't go anywhere. Thursday night, I went to a community festival (Oakfest) where the kids could go on lots of rides. Then Saturday and yesterday, I went to the condo get-together and had a nice time w/ my neighbors. It's not about spending a bunch of money that I don't have, it's about having a nice time w/ people I care for. My kids were upset we didn't go to Oakfest more often, but if we don't have the money, then we can't go, that's that. We were going to go to Taste of Chicago, and see Buddy Guy. But they had him scheduled later in the evening & we would have only been able to see him for about 15 min. b/c our train left soon after he started his show. So we said, "no, doesn't make sense".

The money issue has been playing a more prominent issue because our refrigerator has been making very loud noises. It has always ran quiet before and now sounds like a buzzsaw, something is definitely wrong. In fact, MB told me just this morning that the motor is out and it's OPD! (officially pronounced dead). So we better start saving up money for that.

Which brings me to another issue. I was not looking forward to early morning today. I loved the relaxing 3 day weekend. But I am thankful for a job, and it logically follows that I'm thankful to get up go to work this morning. We need the money, and I plan on doing overtime to pay for all these additional expenses.

summer fun

part of the summertime festivities was our condo having a hula hoop contest. Brianna won 2 of the contests. Ted did not fare as well. I even entered. I wasn't the best but I wasnt the worst, believe it or not. The hoop stayed on me all of 2 seconds, lmfao!

An awesome concert from Eric Clapton/Steve Winwood

I'm going to have a difficult time writing about what transpired at the concert. Why? Because it clearly doesn't do justice to the fantastic, superior music I heard on June 17, 2009. As I write this, I realize sometimes the best gifts are the ones we give to ourselves. For my Christmas of 2006, I gave myself the Led Zeppelin DVD of them performing in concerts from 1969-1979. Frankly, I have a very difficult time thinking of a better Christmas present I ever received. Well, it wasn't the best. That would be the money my dear parents give me before every Christmas. The concert was exactly one week after my 46th birthday. What a sweet present it turned out to be. Chicago is only 1 of 14 places the Clapton/Winwood concert will play!! Clapton/Winwood set list Wednesday at the United Center

1. Had to Cry Today (Blind Faith)
   1st impressions: Winwood and Clapton both playing guitar. Why the hell is Winwood wearing a white T-shirt underneath (Winwood is no nerd, but the picture of him above in that same t-shirt does look a little strange, doesn't it?!?) Don't you get hot playing in a rock n roll concert, you know those bright lights and all the activity? Well, he is 60, and older people like that sometimes dress warmer than someone younger (poor circulation and all). Winwood sings great! How the fuck does he hit every single high note when he's in his 60s? Must take great care of his vocal cords (no smoking??). Everyone knows how great Clapton is on the guitar, and everyone knows what a great keyboardist Winwood is. Not enough people know that Winwood plays some very good guitar, TOO! The notes I wrote on this song state that there is some "heavy riffing" on this song - just the way I like it!
2. Low Down (J.J. Cale)
   Damn! Another song I don't recognize! I didn't know the names of 7 of these songs until Greg Kot put this HEAVEN-SENT SET LIST ON THE WEB!!!!!!!!
3. After Midnight (J.J. Cale)
   Yes, finally a song I recognize!! Is this going to be like the studio version (the best one that expresses pure, unadultrated joy)? Or is it going to be like most of his concert versions where he sings the song with all the confidence of a man that's going to get laid at "midnight"? It's more like the usual concert version. The studio version has a faster tempo and this seems a little faster. "After Midnight" goes right into song #4 which I also recognize.
4. Presence of the Lord (Blind Faith)
   This is a song that Clapton wrote when he discovered and purchased his first house, Hurtwood. I don't really care for the harmonizing that they do, which isn't sung together but is some sort of muddled, echoish "call-response". This is only 1 of 2 disparaging things I have to say (& the only musical criticism) about this very hallowed and unforgettable concert!
5. Sleeping in the Ground (Sam Myers/Blind Faith outtake)
   Another song I don't recognize. But here's the magic of an Eric Clapton concert that I soon discover. Clapton is a blues master! He has every right to draw not only from his very formidable catalog of songs he's built up for over 44 yrs., but he's a bluesman, so he can draw from these blues songs like this one and song #s 2, 8, 9, 15, & 21. The irony is that Winwood's and Clapton's respective discographies are large, so by choosing blues numbers (which is a solid choice) they can't play as much from each other's catalogue.
   I was planning on getting an accurate set list whether I got it from the web or not. One method I planned on doing was writing down the lyrics of songs I didn't know. Then I would match them up with the lyrics sheet on the web. The lyrics to this song is a common blues theme of the double-crossin' woman cheating on her man. & Winwood sings, "I would rather see you 6 ft. in the ground!"
6. Glad (Traffic)
   What an awesome SWEET SURPRISE!!!!!FUCK YEAH!!! Not a Clapton song at all, but a song Traffic did w/o David Mason. One of my favorite songs by Traffic, and the very reason I bought the album it's on, John Barleycorn Must Die. Clapton's guitar substitutes for the saxophone very nicely. They don't play the final section of the song, but that's ok. I heard that Clapton told Winwood that he would pick the Winwood songs Clapton liked the most, and Winwood would pick out Clapton's. If that's the case, Clapton hit gold w/ "Glad".
7. Well Alright (Buddy Holly/Blind Faith) - back in mid 1990s, I went to Traffic's last concert tour. They had released the album Far From Home. During the concert, they played this song, and Winwood was playing lead guitar. It was the first song ever that made me realize, "Damn, Steve's not only great on the keyboard, but good on the guitar too!" This concert, Clapton plays the guitar solo.
8. Tough Luck Blues (Big Maceo)
   Didn't know this song but was aimin' to find out what it was. I wrote the lyrics on this one too. "It's too bad!", "I used to have a car & painted white & black" "I used to smoke cigars".
9. Pearly Queen (Traffic)
10. Crossroads (Robert Johnson)
    One of my favorite Cream songs and the only Cream song played in the concert. But it's fantastic blues, so a good choice. Wouldn't mind hearing "Sunshine of Your Love" but hey, who am I to be pickin Clapton's set list?
11. There’s a River (Winwood), slow ballad song
12. Forever Man (Jerry Williams/Clapton)
    DEFINITELY ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CONCERT! I was just pining for Clapton's guitar solo that starts w/ a beautiful long, sustained Bflat. When I heard it, it felt like euphoria washing over me. This is another instance where one chooses from the other's catalogue. To Clapton's surprise, Winwood chose to include in the set list "Forever Man". It was "surprising" b/c Clapton had not played that song in concert for years. Great choice!
13. Georgia on My Mind - Winwood solo (Hoagy Carmichael)
    Winwood is alone on stage. He very humbly thanks everyone and tells us how much he enjoys playing in Chicago. This is a little bit of a contrast to the very reticent Eric Clapton whose talking is a quick, high-pitched "thank you" after each song. I'm not complaining! The music is "front and center" of this very masterful concert.
14. Driftin' Blues – acoustic (Charles Brown)
    Don't know this song, but know that it's from Clapton's awesome album From the Cradle (which I proudly own). He's all alone on the stage.
15. How Long Blues – acoustic (Leroy Carr) This is also a From the Cradle song.
16. Layla – acoustic (Derek and the Dominoes)
    They play the acoustic version of this song, not the studio version. So, it's like the album Unplugged. Winwood plays guitar on this song for the 1st time since the 1st song of the concert.
17. Can't Find My Way Home -- acoustic (Blind Faith) Wnwd on guitar again
18. Split Decision (Winwood)
    Great choice of a song from Winwood's solo career! Clapton plays a great guitar solo making it a highlight of the concert.
19. Voodoo Chile (Jimi Hendrix)
    By far the longest song of the night, didn't even know the name of the song until Winwood sang the chorus. Another thing many people don't know is that Winwood played organ on the original version of the song done by none other than Jimi Hendrix. Clapton makes it 2 IN A ROW for ass-kicking, sweet-soaring guitar solos! I think I died and went to heaven!
20. Encore Sweet Home Chicago (Robert Johnson) Easily the most crowd-pleasing song of the night. 3 things come together to make the crowd so happy. Obviously, people wanted Clapton/Winwood back out playing music after they left the stage the 1st time. So when they did come out, everyone was happy. 2ndly, people were elated to see the great, legendary Buddy Guy, and finally, people were flattered at hearing a song that is so clearly a tribute to my great city.
21. Drowning on Dry Land (Al Jackson) Buddy Guy does a masterful version of playing to the crowd and "acting" humble when he talks about what his dad told him, then when he's about to sing about what his mom told him, he said something like, "I tell you what she said, and then I'll quit." We didn't want him to quit on June 17. When the lights first went on after this concert, you could hear a very clear groan from people who did not want this night to end. I was definitely one of them. It's got to be a pretty fuckin' uplifting concert if you spend over $100 to be there and believe that it's money WELL SPENT!

here's what a man who knows more about music than I, Greg Kot, is from the Chicago Tribune. I am putting quotes so that the reader knows exactly what was said by Mr. Kot.

Concert review: Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood (and Buddy Guy!)
at United Center
By Greg Kot
"Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood shuffled on-stage Wednesday at the United Center like a couple of golf buddies in loose-fitting jeans and untucked shirts. No introduction, a couple of waves, a brief smile, and then they got down to business.
When the concert ended more than two hours later after a satisfyingly intense exploration of most facets of their careers, together and apart, they ceded the stage to a man who inspired them both: Buddy Guy. Without introduction, the shaven-headed Guy radiated testosterone and charisma, and Clapton and Winwood traded a knowing smile as the master in their midst tore into his solos with a violence that was jarring.
The performance capped a night in which Clapton and Winwood renewed their vows to a style of music-making that is no longer particularly in fashion, a style of in-the-moment interplay that has been replaced by more choreographed brands of entertainment. But on this night, it was a love that burned, to paraphrase an old Peter Green classic cut in the mold of Chicago blues.
A few years ago, Clapton was coasting as a live performer. The nadir was his defanged version of "Layla," a song once so intense it approximated a sob. Now it had been reduced to a cabaret parody. Clapton was touring with a big band of competent pros but nobody who could really push him, and he turned in rote versions of his hits.
But then at his 2007 Crossroads Festival at Toyota Park in southwest suburban Bridgeview, he looked and sounded renewed, in no small part due to the brief but intense cameo turned in by Winwood.
That energy translated to the stage Wednesday, with Clapton and Winwood fronting a relatively small, no-fuss, five-piece band abetted by two backing singers. The musicians were in excellent form, particularly drummer Abe Laboriel, who kept the rhythm oil flowing and stretched out with orchestral flair as the longer pieces ebbed and surged.
The headlining duo opened by looking back 40 years to "Had to Cry Today," the first song on the first and only Blind Faith album, released in 1969. That was to be the only album-length studio collaboration between Clapton and Winwood in their long, much-acclaimed careers. Upon returning to it, they clung to every note with tenacity. Clapton took the first solo, then went toe-to-toe with Winwood on the second, and things were off to flying start.
Winwood had his piano-pounding romp on "Glad," with Clapton’s guitar mimicking the original saxophone fills by Traffic’s Chris Wood, and got his Ray Charles fix (via Hoagy Carmichael) with a solo "Georgia on My Mind." Clapton indulged his obsession with the J.J. Cale shuffle ("Low Down," "After Midnight" --- though, thankfully, no "Cocaine"), ‘80s blues-pop ("Forever Man"), and the obligatory lounge version of "Layla."
They were at their best putting their stock in Blind Faith: a yearning "Presence of the Lord," split open by Clapton’s wah-wah-pedal guitar solo; a celebratory version of Buddy Holly’s "Well Alright"; and an acoustic "Can’t Find My Way Home" with Winwood’s still pliant voice turning it into a hymn.
Above all, there was the common vocabulary of the blues, from an acoustic version of Charles Brown’s "Driftin’ Blues" to Jimi Hendrix’s intergalactic "Voodoo Chile." The songs became vehicles for extended interplay, Winwood primarily on Hammond organ while Clapton leaned into his solos with purpose. There was no preening, just graying, grizzled grown-ups re-devoting themselves to their life’s work. It was inspiring to see, a throwback to an era when young manhood in Britain was defined by how well a singer or guitarist could emulate the scarifying spirit of Chicago blues.
And then, Buddy Guy showed up. Not to be outdone, he tore through "Drowning on Dry Land" with a mixture of eerie poise and lion-like ferocity. School, even for sixtysomething British rock legends, was still in session."

A very nice birthday

I had a really nice birthday made very special by my dear family. MB gave me a card; the kids decorated our home, BOUGHT me my present and MB took me out to have my favorite snack: an awesome chocalate malt!

Earlier in the morning, one of the clerks that I manage at the law firm bought donuts for me and the other clerks. The clerks also got together and got me a card. I must be doing something right if they thought enough of me to do that!

There were a few donuts left at the end of the day and I was telling my son, Andy about that before I came home from work. Andy told me something special was going to happen and I came home filled with anticipation. They didn't disappoint me. As soon as I opened the door, they all yelled, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY"

As I noted, MB wanted to take me to Jack Frost, where I had my beloved malt and she also treated our kids. Earlier in the afternoon, MB had given my kids money when they went to McDonalds. My 3 awesome, dear kids decided not to spend all of it and the money they had left they would give me a gift card to a place that I go to often. They knew I would love their gift, AND I DO!

Having a wonderful family is indeed a blessing!

a variety of things

here's a few kinda sorta axioms I've come up with:

1. More often than not, people grow more taciturn with age. (and I know 1 unfortunate exception to that axiom, but it's not nice "to knock" the ex)

2. Never underestimate the power of routine!

3. Can anyone humble you more thoroughly and more easily than your ex??

4. Gaining weight and going into debt are both as easy as losing weight and accumulating wealth are difficult!

--------------------

So I joined Facebook (yawn, BFD). I really despise the fact that my office manager can google my first and last name and see me and all my glory on this "hallowed" website. & I really do love Kevin, my dear ofc. manager, but I don't like him having that extra bit of knowledge on me.
I had every intention of NOT posting my picture up on there. & I'm not either. So, I decided to put my "hero" Keith Olbermann on as my profile picture. After all, it is my responsibility to disabuse everyone on our fair globe that I'm NOT a Republican. What is the one thing that I love about Keith Olbermann? His wonderful, venerable ability to rip Rush Limbaugh "a new one".

The thing I least like about him? His obsession over the Obama administration prosecuting Bush officials on torture. Look! They can't get that loudmouth former vice president DICK in prison soon enough. However, this isn't the most important thing our federal government can do right now. Really, it isn't. Let's talk about the effect of the stimulus package awhile back, let's talk about the progress being made or NOT made in kicking the nation's addiction off of oil. & by the way, the word "addiction to oil" were the words of our wonderfully-now-reticent-ex president, they aren't mine. Having your dear friend Professor Tully of George Washington University getting on there in the same tone of voice as our "neighborhood scold" and bitch out the Obama administration for being complicit to torture makes me yawn. by the way, Professor Tully, nice hairdo. I only say that b/c I'm jealous that I don't have that much hair.

So, Keith, please lose the "still Bush'd" feature. It's old. Who gives a fiddler's f*ck for the previous administration (not this blog!!!!!!!)? Create a feature about progress being made.

Hostile encounter on the train

I commute to Chicago by train. It's very nice b/c there are much fewer intersections (than when you ride a bus) and the only time we ever have to stop is if the "signal light" is malfunctioning. Well, my peaceful ride home was shattered soon after I sat in my seat. I sat next to this blonde woman about 5'4" and 90 lbs. I got out my paper and opened it up to read. Since her personal space extended about 2 feet past her skin, she lurched into the window to avoid my hand as it opened the paper. As I went to get something out of my bag, I barely brushed the fibers of her sweater and she lurched into the window again. She objected to the way I ate my apple. So I made damn sure that I ate my chips next to her too.

Toward the end of my ride, I started laughing. She knew why I was laughing so she said, "IGNORANT!" I looked at her and said, "HAUGHTY!" "You elbowed me 3 times and didn't say excuse me" (Ladies & gentlemen, I elbowed her 0 x 900 !) So I laughed at her again. Then she said I was "FAT"! So then I said, "You're haughty and I'm not the 1st time person that said that." She didn't say anything so I must be right. Think about it, I've ridden the train for 17 years and this is the first time I ever had a hostile encounter. & there's been other passengers that have been difficult to sit next to!

The only part that made me feel remotely bad was this nice looking young woman looked at me as I got off the train. I'm just wondering if that bitch convinced others that I elbow people. SO UNTRUE! Still, I think the whole encounter was funny. I was telling some of my friends about the encounter on my morning ride to work the next day. So one of my friends said, "Excuse me, Vince, but your arm is brushing against the fibers of my sweater." We all had a good laugh over that.

SEQUEL: I saw the very same woman the next day. It was on a train earlier than the one on Monday. On Monday, I took the train that leaves Chicago @ 5:40 pm. Tues., I took the train that left @ 5:20. There she was busily TMing much like she spend some of her time doing the day before. I had no desire to sit by her and there was no room in her car either. I walked away from her, and she didn't see me. I walked through car after car looking for a place to sit through the train.

Then there was an older lady who put her stuff on an empty seat. So, I said, "Hello?" and the lady knew she had to move her stuff and let me sit (it's not right to put stuff on an empty seat when the train is real crowded like it was). When she moved her stuff, I said "Thank you" sweetly as I didn't want a repeat of Monday's escapade. She sweetly said, "your welcome" right back and we had no problems sitting together. That's the way it's supposed to be, she was a nice lady.

I have a feeling I'm going to see the woman I had problems with Monday again and again. I figured I wouldn't see her much again. But she was on a different train. It stands to reason that you get out of work roughly the same time everyday to go home, so why wouldn't I see more of her? I certainly have no desire to sit next to her again or remotely in the same area again. Ewwwwwww!

a # of thoughts

Here are some views that I have been feeling lately":

1. I still like the political climate that is going on in the US. I don't agree with other liberals that the Republicans are weak and that their power is merely regional. For every action there is a reaction (Obama's bold moves during a recession provoke outrage by the rich and uncaring), and if there is no economic recovery by next year, the Republican party will be stronger than it is now. Even at the present, the Republican voices seem to be the loudest and most annoying. Thankfully, they are NOT the most influential.
   
2. I am struck at some of the ridiculous positions that Republicans are taking. Now they are trashing the Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sotomeyer. She is making history as the first Hispanic to be nominated to the Supreme Court; she has a very good reputation and any missteps on her part are not that disturbing. Before she was even nominated, the Republicans made it abundantly clear that the most noxious members in Congress from their party had no intention of giving Obama's nominee a fair chance at being nominated. They threatened fillibuster. They said that they disagreed with Obama's idea that a judge should have "empathy". Yeah, right, a judge nominated by Obama should be as uncaring and oblivious to the poor and struggling middle class as they are!!!! & to hear them describing Judge Sotomeyer, you would think that she was some pot-smoking, flag burning Communist. Will they ever learn that their shrill demagogery doesn't always work? It didn't work during the exhilirating election of 2008, and it won't work to derail Sotomeyer's confirmation process!
   
3. I don't think that the loudest-mouthed Republicans like Bill O'Reily or Rush Limbaugh are so much conservative or even reactionary as they are nihilists. Nihilism is the belief that social organization (like government) is so bad that destruction is desirable. That's why we hear Rush Limbaugh repeatedly and stridently saying he "wants Obama to FAIL". A notion that even an egoist like Newt Gingrich thinks is nonsense. Reagan, and others tried to convince us that government is the problem. That poor should be treated like the rich when in fact that's ridiculous when poor don't have the resources (especially educationwise) that the rich have. This view that if hard times befall you that "you are on your own, and if you suffer, tough shit" is a view that was discredited back in the 1930s during the Great Depression. History, of course, has never been the Republicans strong suit b/c they are constantly trying to rewrite it & distort what actually happened.
4. I find it encouraging that places where you don't see pictures of the president or displays of patriotism are now doing this. Here's an example. Every now and then I will take my father-in-law to dialysis. This clinic has a mix of nationalities that work there and you see pictures of the president where before January of this year or even November of last year, you would not have seen them. The thing that's encouraging is that some of these people have changed their thinking. It's not that President Obama is the president; he's considered by these people as our president. Let's hope the trend continues!
   

going to Wisconsin

I went to see my parents this past weekend. We had a great time. We were there for a short time, however. We left Oak Forest at 8 am, took 2 breaks along the way and got to Ithaca, WI @ 1:15. We mowed lawn there. Andy and Ted took a crack at mowing loan. Surprisingly, Ted did a slightly better job of driving than Andy did. The key was I made the area where they were mowing very easy and didn't have them go up and down hills where they could risk tipping the lawn mower over.

Now, some would look askance at having a 13 yr. old or a 10 yr. old on a tractor/lawn mower. But I feel very strongly that they should be doing that. I was driving tractors starting when I was 7 yrs. old. I remember they gave me the job of mowing lawns when I was in 6th or 7th grade. & other than being upbraided by Jerome when I made mistakes, I really enjoyed doing that. So the next spring I was looking forward to doing it again in 8th grade, but there was one catch. My parents had Kelly, my younger brother mow the lawn instead. It wasn't that I messed up the year before but they thought that he could handle mowing the lawn after being in 3rd grade. I was really upset with my parents and argued with them, but there was obviously nothing I could do to overrule them. It turned out that Kelly did an ok job mowing the lawn. Like the year before, I'm sure he enjoyed doing it except when being upbraided by Jerome for the occasional mistake.

Unfortunately, we could not finish mowing the lawn because the mower belt started smoking so we couldn't do anymore mowing (& no, it wasn't Ted's fault either!). I was going to use the push mower to continue mowing the lawn but Mom said that would be too much work.

Another highlight this week was that I bought this book at a bargain price. It's a spellbinding book. It's a Russian who fought on the Eastern Front of World War II. Of course, the Eastern Front was the deadliest sector of World War II. Tens of millions of people were killed during that area of fighting. It was very vicious fighting. Unlike other areas of fighting, Russians were in a very difficult situation when they fought. If they were taken prisoner, by Nazi Germany, they were usually taken to concentration camps (Hitler not only hated Jews but also Blacks, gypsies and in the Russians' case, the Slavic race). If they were prisoner in the concentration camps but somehow survived they were taken to a Russian gulag/prison after the war as they were accused of "allowing themselves to be captured". If they were not taken prisoner but things were nasty and they tried to retreat there were Russian "blocking units" which would shoot fellow Soviets that were retreating. The author was one of the lucky ones. He didn't retreat, didn't get captured. He got wounded twice (once in the neck) and was afflicted with lice. But that was considered "minor problems". The book is called Through the Maelstrom if you are curious Google the title. The author's name is Boris Gorbachevsky.

Of course, my natural inclination when I was in Wisconsin was to read the book all hours of the night or until at least 1 or 2 in the morning. However, doing so was not without its problems. Dad woke up twice and told me to go to bed. I could hardly say no to him the 2nd time. So I went downstairs to the room where MB was sleeping and turned on a little dim light and read until 1:30. Whether I'm 45 or not, I'm still my Dad's son so I had to act like his kid and follow his orders.

Mondays, weeks & time

"So you run and you run, catch up w/ the sun but it's sinking, racing around to come up behind you again!" Pink Floyd from the song "Time"

I have a co-worker who likes Thursdays the best b/c it's the anticipation of the weekend. He said he has a tendency to over-expect so by the time the weekend is going on he's disappointed that more didn't happen on the weekend.

Thursday seems to fill me with a sense of wonder. As in, "I wonder what happened to the week?!? It seems like yesterday was Monday". I just am in awe at how fast time goes by. However, it still seems to me that the winter is too slow and lasts too long. (I love the song written by Jefferson Airplane called "Coming Back to Me" where he says, "The winter came as if it never had gone". ) Summer on the other hand seems to fly by.

I think the time flying by is a "good problem" to have, far better to have time go by too fast than too slow! I often wonder if I'm going to be one of those old people 30 yrs. from now who suffers from time going by too slow. I am really scared of getting old and not having enough money. I would go so far as to say that is my biggest fear in life. I figure that I will have far more expenses than I do now (b/c I won't be as healthy as I am today) and a smaller amount of income. I'm going to try and work as long as I can, well into my 70s. MB says that she will have to do that too. But will a company even want to employ me?? Then my Mom made a good point. I told her that I would be working when I'm 75 and she said, "Yeah, if your HEALTHY enough to work!" Exactly ! & who knows what my health will be like then?? I joke w/ my kids that they'll have to let me live with them b/c I'll be too poor to live by myself.

I guess I shouldn't worry about it, b/c who knows what will happen in 30 yrs. from now? & maybe I should have more faith in God. Well, right now, I should be worried more about what's going on at work...............

I've discovered a pleasing corollary to the idea that time is going by so fast. Most people don't like Mondays; I'm no exception. I love the weekends as much as anyone.
However, I got to thinking, the week flys by so fast, it seems like if it's Monday and you blink, it's already Wednesday! So if something is so short (which everyday seems to be) what's the sense of being so down on Monday??? It will be over before you know it. So, starting today, the only part of Monday I really disliked was hearing my alarm clock and getting out of bed and getting Andy up. Rather than "hating on" the whole day, I only felt down for about 10 min.
Then I had a very nice surprise. I always watch The Weather Channel to see how the weather will be like that week. This is even more important since I try and bike about 3 x a week. & who should I see but Heather Tesch. She was taken off of the early morning show at Weather Channel 2 months ago. I really missed her. I think she is still working another shift for TWC and was just filling in for Nicole Mitchell, but I gotta say it was great seeing her.
The Mother's Day weeked went well. MB enjoyed Saturday and Sunday PM. Her sister's b-day was Sunday, so as a "present", MB cleaned her house on Sunday morning. For her present, I took her and the kids to see Star Trek. Originally, we were going to see Monsters vs. Aliens. I'm soooooo glad we saw Star Trek instead! We couldn't see the kiddies movie b/c the area theatres wasn't showing it after 5 pm.

The movie was just outstanding. It was so good that I literally felt "high" walking out of the movie after the show. I've never had a movie do that for me. Very nice feeling!! Great plot, great acting, great ending, GREAT MOVIE !

PROMS & KIDS - now and then

One morning when I was young and my mother was serving me breakfast, I asked her not to make the egg that she was frying for me to not be hard boiled. I wanted it soft. My paternal grandma was there at the time, and she spoke up and said, You know when I raised kids, we didn’t give them any variety.
Since she carried a good deal of respect, neither Mom nor I commented or replied back to Grandmas pointed observation. I know my feeling at the time was, Yeah, but Grandma, that was so long ago, in the Dark Ages.

Yet, 30some years ago, she pointed to something that I am constantly bombarded with now. Child rearing is a LOT DIFFERENT than it used to be!! 2 of my kids have gone through Holy Communion. It cost us over $100 and when Brianna has her ceremony next year it will be a lot closer to $150, and it may go over that b/c we have to get her the white dress with white “headdress” to go along with it. When I had my communion a little less than 40 yrs. ago (yes, that is a LONG time!) we had a nice dinner after the Holy Communion. NO PRESENTS (it wasn't my birthday, after all) So, there I am on the train, and this woman from the town I live in passed around Prom pictures b/c her daughter went.
In order to illustrate the point of her daughters prom vs my prom let’s do a side by side comparison. The contrast is very stark. I must add that I was from a rural area, and I am comparing it to an urban prom where the cost of living is even more. So back in 1980 when I had my prom, a prom in say Madison and Milwaukee was more expensive, but nothing like it is now.

MY PROM(1980) vs. PROM OF 2009
Cost of Prom Tickets 1980 -cant remember but it couldnt have been much more than $5; tickets were sold at the door; no one bought tickets in advance

PROM NOW - some places are $100, some schools don't allow tickets to be purchased at the door (MUST be bought in advance!)

Place of Prom 1980 - we had ours in the gym, the same place where we ate lunch during
the schoolweek. Of course, we decorated the gym up

PROM NOW at some swank hotel

Dressing for Prom 1980 most people wore nice clothes The Prom Court wore dresses and tuxedo. The queen wore white. When my sister was Queen way back in 1974, she made her own dress.

PROM NOW those attending are encouraged to wear formal, not semi-formal dress, tuxes are more commonplace than suit and tie.

Getting To Prom (1980) used the parents' car. It was not unheard of for a couple to come in a pickup truck

PROM NOW LIMO! LIMO! LIMO!

After School Activity (1980) I didn't go to any afterschool party but it was commonplace to go to party in this nondescript one room cabin way on top of the hill in the middle of the forest. The steepness of that hill was a great way to test sobreity!

PROM NOW rent a resort area, go to a tourist attraction, some recreational place in town, some schools even open up at night to do certain “FUN” activities

Pictures (1980) Parents would whip out the Instamatic camera and take 1 or 2 pictures. I have the one of 2 pictues taken of my date & feel pretty lucky.

PROM NOW Professional all the way! The same photographers that do weddings are busy during promtime. Pictures are easily 20 - 50 pictures taken all in a wonderful looking album that rivals the one for my wedding.

Total COST OF PROM (1980) Easily under $60: I paid for me and my dates' admission to prom and paid for me and my dates dinner at a restaurant before prom & throw in $5 for gas. That's all the expenses, ladies & gentlemen!

TOTAL COST OF PROM NOW The mother on the train told me the cost of her daughter’s prom was $700. OUCH!!

several thoughts......

There are actually times now that I take a deep breath through my nostrils & am thankful. First of all, on a superficial level, because I am happy that I don’t have a cold and my nose isn’t stuffed up (lol). Yet, it’s not just that, I will actually catch myself thinking, “It’s great to be alive”. Before, I thought that saying was simply a cliché, because I felt terrible. Yet, there are actually times now that I catch myself being thankful. Thankful that my financial situation has improved ever since the large tax refund, thankful I had the presence of mind to stick a very large portion of that refund in paying down credit cards. Thankful that I have a job that I enjoy doing and that I get paid every other week and am not unemployed. Thankful for my car that has worked very well for the past 5 years (and am even more thankful for it b/c it was stolen last year but got it back w/ only the ignition guard taken off!!). Thankful that I have such good kids. Thankful that one of them (Ted) is so mature, so thoughtful, that he not only looks out for his sister, but looks out for the family and even his own dad sometimes. How many kids are like that?!?!? The kid doesn’t know what selfishness is!

There is a certain theory about dreams that I believe in. There are certain dreams that we have that have meaning. But most dreams aren’t that way. Most dreams are just a load of nonsense. There are scientists or experts say that are brain puts out random thoughts during our dreams. And that the logical part of our brain is disengaged.

For example, last night I dreamed that I went to this place that was a giant house, and part of it was for living. However, part of this huge house was a clothing store, and I met one of my friends that I see on the train regularly and said “hi” to her. Not much of a dream and hard to get any symbolism out of it. Besides, you can't have a giant house that is half residential and half store, because it would violate zoning!

Last week, I dreamed that I was in a burning building. I wanted to get out and started going through this door. Then I suddenly realized it went straight to the outside and if I went through the door, I would fall over 100 ft. to my death and I yanked myself back in. But just like other illogical dreams, I suddenly found myself out of the building. Then the building collapsed! & I couldn’t stop wondering, “How did I get out of the building?? I didn’t jump out (b/c I would either be dead, in a lot of pain or would have imagined floating down {you can do that in dreams sometimes}), I don’t remember taking the stairs down from the inside or the outside. So how the hell did I get out of the house safely?? Then of course I woke up.

Did you realize that everyone dreams but you only remember the dreams where you wake up immediately after. Usually, when we sleep, we go through Sleep stages 1, 2, 3, 4, REM/dreams, then stages 1, 2, 3,4, dream and it keeps repeating for 8 hrs. or however long you sleep. When you go from dreaming back to stage 1, you won’t remember that dream.

By the way, there's a fairly new song out that I absolutely "dig"!! It's by Fleet Foxes and is called "Mykonos". It's not the song I would usually like. The last half of the song is my favorite part and it sounds like Irish music. & I usually don't like Irish music. Somehow on this song it works. If you like folk rock or folk music, you'll love this song.
Has anyone seen the video?? It's supposed to be really awesome, dreamy video about these oregami triangles (representing feet) triumphing over malevolent forces that threaten them. The only reason I know about the video is from Wikipedia (one of my favorite websites and one I have even made writing contributions to).