I've finally gotten around to doing one of those things I've been meaning to get around to doing - take one of the ensemble classes at the Old Town School of Folk Music. I last took classes there sometime before we moved to Durango, so it's been awhile. Those classes were just guitar and mandolin classes. The ensemble classes have always sounded interesting but intimidating, but I finally grew a pair and signed up for the Alt Country Ensemble. I went in not really knowing exactly what an ensemble class is about, but anxious to find out.
I got to the main Lincoln Ave location about 15 minutes before start of class to find my class not listed on the directory. The people at the info table pleaded ignorance and sent me to the main office. They looked me up and told me I was supposed to be at the Armitage location. I actually made pretty good time getting down there and miraculously found a very close parking space with little trouble and was only 20 minutes late. I had never been in that location before - it's very small and was pretty deserted when I got there. I found my class on the posted list, then wandered upstairs looking for it, but couldn't find it, so I came back downstairs and asked in the office. I was directed downstairs where I found my class and apologized for my tardiness and was told all I had missed was introductions, which was too bad because I would have liked to have been there for those as they are helpful in orienting oneself to a strange new situation. The teacher didn't ask my name or anything.
I found an empty seat and got my guitar out. There were 7 people including myself, 8 including the teacher. 3 guitarists (myself included), 1 banjo, and 1 guy who started on guitar then switched to bass and seemed happier there, and 1 drummer. The teacher played guitar. 2 girls (both guitarists) and a wide range of ages. There was a six pack of beer in a plastic bag in the middle of the floor. After I sat down one of the girls handed me a stapled packet of music - lyrics and chords. I flipped through and was happy to see I was familiar with every song except one (familiar in that I have heard the songs, not that I necessarily know how to play them). We quickly jumped into "I Ain't Ever Satisfied" by Steve Earle. There was a little going over of chords and rhythms, but nothing in the way of arranging Whoever wanted to sing along sang along. We went through the song twice, going back to work a part or two that was a little tricky. And that was pretty much the MO for the evening as we played 5 or 6 songs before our hour and a half was up. We also played New Madrid by Uncle Tupelo, Papa Was Rodeo by Kelly Hogan (originally by Magentic Fields), Can't Let Go by Lucinda Williams, This Flower by Kasey Chambers, and I Married Her Just Because She Looks Like You by Lyle Lovett.
It was all very low key and pretty fun. I was comfortable enough to talk and sing along a bit. I did wish I had brought my mandolin. I don't feel this class is going to stretch me much if I play guitar, whereas mandolin, which I'm horrible at and haven't played in ages, would be a stretch. Keyboard is a possibility too. I will definitely bring the mandolin next week. Our teacher said she would sign us up to perform a week from Friday at the school's once a month Friday night get together or jamboree or whatever you want to call it - I've never been to one.
Art Brut - Formed A Band
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
That's My Daughter in the Water
Took Linnea to her swim lesson for the first time tonight (my first time, not hers). They were held at the high school down the road from her mom's. I felt like we were an odd pair walking through the halls of the high school. I spent a lot of time at the high school in Durango, so that wasn't so strange, but I hadn't been in a high school locker room in many many years and it didn't really bring back good memories.
We were early and there was some sort of diving team practice going on (which continued at the opposite end of the pool throughout Linnea's lesson). It was a girls' team with a male coach who equally berated and joked with the girls. At one point he seemed to be sending a few of them home, and I couldn't tell in what spirit or under what circumstances this was happening. Their dives were video taped then instantly played back on a TV on the wall. One girl used a large harness that the coach somewhat controlled with one end of a rope. She was doing flips. The coach kept saying he thought that maybe she could do it without the harness. I'm not sure exactly what the harness was doing to help her.
As for Linnea's lessons, I was unclear as to whether she was being taught by high school students or what. First a friendly girl who seemed to be about college age came over, but she didn't know Linnea. She asked who she was and who her teacher was (I didn't know the answer to the second question, but she was able to look it up on her list). There were about 4 different teachers/classes going on simultaneously with different age groups. I'm not sure if her teacher today was her regular teacher. She was also youngish, but I don't think high school age. I came to the conclusion that the lessons were through the park district and they were just renting the school's pool. The girl seemed to be doing an okay job, but it seemed to be just that to her - a job. Some of the other teachers seemed to be enjoying themselves, but her not so much. She often looked up at me when she would tell Linnea something as if she was concerned that I wouldn't approve of how she was working with my daughter. I sat on the bleachers and read.
As I watched Linnea on one end of the pool and the high schoolers on the other, I couldn't help but think about how soon she'll be on the other end. It's a strange and sad thing, and maybe it's just me that does it, to have a daughter who's only 4 and already be sad that her childhood is so short. I wish I could do a better job of just living in the moment. I definitely understand how people end up with multiple children - every little bit of their independence is a piece of your heart and you long for that time when they were completely dependent on you (and unable to talk back) and you forget about the not sleeping and crying all the time parts.
Loudon Wainwright III - "Daughter"
We were early and there was some sort of diving team practice going on (which continued at the opposite end of the pool throughout Linnea's lesson). It was a girls' team with a male coach who equally berated and joked with the girls. At one point he seemed to be sending a few of them home, and I couldn't tell in what spirit or under what circumstances this was happening. Their dives were video taped then instantly played back on a TV on the wall. One girl used a large harness that the coach somewhat controlled with one end of a rope. She was doing flips. The coach kept saying he thought that maybe she could do it without the harness. I'm not sure exactly what the harness was doing to help her.
As for Linnea's lessons, I was unclear as to whether she was being taught by high school students or what. First a friendly girl who seemed to be about college age came over, but she didn't know Linnea. She asked who she was and who her teacher was (I didn't know the answer to the second question, but she was able to look it up on her list). There were about 4 different teachers/classes going on simultaneously with different age groups. I'm not sure if her teacher today was her regular teacher. She was also youngish, but I don't think high school age. I came to the conclusion that the lessons were through the park district and they were just renting the school's pool. The girl seemed to be doing an okay job, but it seemed to be just that to her - a job. Some of the other teachers seemed to be enjoying themselves, but her not so much. She often looked up at me when she would tell Linnea something as if she was concerned that I wouldn't approve of how she was working with my daughter. I sat on the bleachers and read.
As I watched Linnea on one end of the pool and the high schoolers on the other, I couldn't help but think about how soon she'll be on the other end. It's a strange and sad thing, and maybe it's just me that does it, to have a daughter who's only 4 and already be sad that her childhood is so short. I wish I could do a better job of just living in the moment. I definitely understand how people end up with multiple children - every little bit of their independence is a piece of your heart and you long for that time when they were completely dependent on you (and unable to talk back) and you forget about the not sleeping and crying all the time parts.
Loudon Wainwright III - "Daughter"
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sorry Joy Yee, You're Just Not Cozy Enough
Forgive the title of this post. It's horrible, but I couldn't resist.
There are many noodle places in Evanston, but Joy Yee certainly gets the most attention. With their gargantuan menu with big pictures, humongous entrees served in hollowed out pineapples, huge fruit drinks with disgusting black tapioca balls at the bottom, the place is always packed. And when I say packed, I mean packed. You could barely slide a paper doll between the tables. When they closed down to renovate and expand into the space immediately next door, there was speculation that the crowding would ease up. I predicted there would just be more tables incredibly close to each other. I was pretty much right.
I like Joy Yee's food, and it's kind of fun, and they do make a great Thai Iced Coffee which would be on my list for my last meal on death row, but there's a little, mostly unsung, noodle place a few blocks down that I would much rather spend my time and money in. I'm not sure how I missed Cozy Noodles & Rice for so long, but I'm glad I finally found it. I'm pretty sure I've blogged about it before, but I'm going to do it again. It's like a family friendly Joy Yee without all the flash. The walls are adorned with kitsch - old lunchboxes, pez dispensers, bobbleheads, etc....but somehow they manage to come off as more of a wierd collection than an attempt at retro-cool. That's neither here nor there for me personally, but Linnea loves looking at it all. The menu is considerably shorter than Joy Yee's, but it has all the noodle shop staples plus some specials, and I'm yet to have a bad dish. Their Thai Iced Coffee is also excellent and they also have a selection of fruit freezes, though I'm not sure about the tapioca.
Tonight we were sat in the smaller room for the first time, along with a few other families (possibly a birthday party?), which made me feel comfortable and not overly concerned about Linnea's volume or penchant to wander around. Linnea really enjoyed the fact the tables in that room were old sewing tables that still had the wheel and the foot pedal. We had the spring rolls which are unlike any I've had anywhere else - I'm not even sure what's in them. Rather than the rice paper the wrap is a thicker spongier material, and fillings are thicker too - tofu or something, all drizzled with a very sweet sauce. I get them whenever I go, and Linnea even likes it. I ordered the Bammee noodles and the waitress tried to talk me out of them, giving me the sense that I was too white for this dish, which only solidified my resolve. They turned out to be ramen type noodles with very good BBQ pork, peanuts, and a couple pieces of crabmeat (imitation I'm sure). It wasn't bad but the noodles were too sweet. We also got Yakisoba noodles with tofu and carrots, which Linnea loved and I liked too. Linnea was in a good mood and willing to try things, including the tofu, which she liked. The service was very friendly and prompt, but not rushed, though the food came very quickly. Though we didn't get it tonight, they have great mochi too (something I'm pretty sure Joy Yee doesn't have).
This is probably one of the most family friendly restaurants in Evanston, though you might never suspect it to be. My daughter loves the food and the atmosphere, and it's great to be able to take her some place where grilled cheese isn't an option.
There are many noodle places in Evanston, but Joy Yee certainly gets the most attention. With their gargantuan menu with big pictures, humongous entrees served in hollowed out pineapples, huge fruit drinks with disgusting black tapioca balls at the bottom, the place is always packed. And when I say packed, I mean packed. You could barely slide a paper doll between the tables. When they closed down to renovate and expand into the space immediately next door, there was speculation that the crowding would ease up. I predicted there would just be more tables incredibly close to each other. I was pretty much right.
I like Joy Yee's food, and it's kind of fun, and they do make a great Thai Iced Coffee which would be on my list for my last meal on death row, but there's a little, mostly unsung, noodle place a few blocks down that I would much rather spend my time and money in. I'm not sure how I missed Cozy Noodles & Rice for so long, but I'm glad I finally found it. I'm pretty sure I've blogged about it before, but I'm going to do it again. It's like a family friendly Joy Yee without all the flash. The walls are adorned with kitsch - old lunchboxes, pez dispensers, bobbleheads, etc....but somehow they manage to come off as more of a wierd collection than an attempt at retro-cool. That's neither here nor there for me personally, but Linnea loves looking at it all. The menu is considerably shorter than Joy Yee's, but it has all the noodle shop staples plus some specials, and I'm yet to have a bad dish. Their Thai Iced Coffee is also excellent and they also have a selection of fruit freezes, though I'm not sure about the tapioca.
Tonight we were sat in the smaller room for the first time, along with a few other families (possibly a birthday party?), which made me feel comfortable and not overly concerned about Linnea's volume or penchant to wander around. Linnea really enjoyed the fact the tables in that room were old sewing tables that still had the wheel and the foot pedal. We had the spring rolls which are unlike any I've had anywhere else - I'm not even sure what's in them. Rather than the rice paper the wrap is a thicker spongier material, and fillings are thicker too - tofu or something, all drizzled with a very sweet sauce. I get them whenever I go, and Linnea even likes it. I ordered the Bammee noodles and the waitress tried to talk me out of them, giving me the sense that I was too white for this dish, which only solidified my resolve. They turned out to be ramen type noodles with very good BBQ pork, peanuts, and a couple pieces of crabmeat (imitation I'm sure). It wasn't bad but the noodles were too sweet. We also got Yakisoba noodles with tofu and carrots, which Linnea loved and I liked too. Linnea was in a good mood and willing to try things, including the tofu, which she liked. The service was very friendly and prompt, but not rushed, though the food came very quickly. Though we didn't get it tonight, they have great mochi too (something I'm pretty sure Joy Yee doesn't have).
This is probably one of the most family friendly restaurants in Evanston, though you might never suspect it to be. My daughter loves the food and the atmosphere, and it's great to be able to take her some place where grilled cheese isn't an option.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
My Week of Tedium - Tuesday
I went to bed last night around 9:30, which is very early for me. I awoke this morning from another vivid and very angry dream. The weird thing was I didn't know anyone in the dream. I can't figure out who they were all subbing for either.
Got Linnea to her Grandmother's and then hit the Skokie post office to mail that package. While I frequently use the self service machine in that post office, this was the first I've used an actual human being, and was scolded for not understanding where the line was, in spite of the fact that there were no visual clues to help me with that.
The freeway was horrible and I attempted an alternate route, but decided I probably would have been better off staying on the freeway and am swearing to never let myself talk me into trying different routes again. They never turn out well.
Not much excitement at work, though I felt a bit more productive than yesterday. After work I stopped at GameStop to pick up Fable II. The clerk was a bit of a wiseacre at my expense, but I remember my own attempts to entertain myself while working retail. Played a bit of the game before heading off to youth group, and a bit after. It's way too early to pass any judgement, but it looks nice.
Jr. High Youth group was well attended and the students were energetic as usual. A number of high schoolers were there too who are planning to go on the retreat this weekend as helpers. There are a lot of them planning to go on the retreat and I'm concerned the ratio may be too heavy on adults and high schoolers, but we'll see.
During baseball season I love listening to Cubs games while I clean the kitchen. I actually almost never watch games on TV. When baseball season is over, this creates quite a void for me and it is hard to get myself into the kitchen to clean. I was trying to think of what else I might enjoy listening to while cleaning and I thought of a show on XRT Tuesday nights at 10pm that I've been wanting to listen to for years, but when am I ever listening to the radio at 10pm on a Tuesday night? So I made a date to listen and clean tonight (don't worry, I clean more than once a week). The show is often hosted by Jon Langford who is one of my favorite Chicago musicians and seeming all around cool guy, though I've only personally spoken about 2 sentences to him. I caught about 45 minutes tonight and wasn't terribly hooked, but will try again next week. I'll have to start looking out for some NPR or WLUW programs in the evenings that I might make a date for too. And hopefully by April I'll be ready to let the Cubs back into my crushed heart.
Got Linnea to her Grandmother's and then hit the Skokie post office to mail that package. While I frequently use the self service machine in that post office, this was the first I've used an actual human being, and was scolded for not understanding where the line was, in spite of the fact that there were no visual clues to help me with that.
The freeway was horrible and I attempted an alternate route, but decided I probably would have been better off staying on the freeway and am swearing to never let myself talk me into trying different routes again. They never turn out well.
Not much excitement at work, though I felt a bit more productive than yesterday. After work I stopped at GameStop to pick up Fable II. The clerk was a bit of a wiseacre at my expense, but I remember my own attempts to entertain myself while working retail. Played a bit of the game before heading off to youth group, and a bit after. It's way too early to pass any judgement, but it looks nice.
Jr. High Youth group was well attended and the students were energetic as usual. A number of high schoolers were there too who are planning to go on the retreat this weekend as helpers. There are a lot of them planning to go on the retreat and I'm concerned the ratio may be too heavy on adults and high schoolers, but we'll see.
During baseball season I love listening to Cubs games while I clean the kitchen. I actually almost never watch games on TV. When baseball season is over, this creates quite a void for me and it is hard to get myself into the kitchen to clean. I was trying to think of what else I might enjoy listening to while cleaning and I thought of a show on XRT Tuesday nights at 10pm that I've been wanting to listen to for years, but when am I ever listening to the radio at 10pm on a Tuesday night? So I made a date to listen and clean tonight (don't worry, I clean more than once a week). The show is often hosted by Jon Langford who is one of my favorite Chicago musicians and seeming all around cool guy, though I've only personally spoken about 2 sentences to him. I caught about 45 minutes tonight and wasn't terribly hooked, but will try again next week. I'll have to start looking out for some NPR or WLUW programs in the evenings that I might make a date for too. And hopefully by April I'll be ready to let the Cubs back into my crushed heart.
Monday, October 20, 2008
My Week of Tedium - Monday
I managed to drag myself out of bed around 7ish and found "Alex Chilton" by The Replacements going through my head. I don't actually own any Replacements, which I'm starting to feel the need to remedy, but "Alex Chilton" is in Rock Band and was one of the last songs I played last night and it is darn catchy. Not only does it make me feel bad about not having any Replacements in my collection, it makes me feel bad about not having any Big Star.
Managed to get a lunch together (leftover Turkey Burger from the other night) and rode in with A. Stopped at NYC Bagel for a tub of their incredible Sun Dried Tomato cream cheese, which I then left at work, as usual, so I have to remember to bring bagels to work with me. It does pain me a bit to be in Chicago going to a place called NYC Bagel, but if there's better bagels and cream cheese in Chicago, 2 blocks from my office, please direct me.
Work was work. I was very sleepy and non-productive this afternoon. At lunch I walked to the bank to deal with some money transferring. It started to drizzle on my walk back, but luckily I made it before it started pouring. The only real excitement in the day was M had brought in an old (fully functional) Commodore 64, with disk drive, monitor and a box full of games. I spent much of my adolescence playing with my Commodore 64, so it was a trip down memory lane. I have no idea what became of my C64 or when I stopped using it (sometime in high school), but I didn't own another computer or game system until my mother-in-law gave us an old 486 computer, which I think we replaced within a year with a then-current model.
Took the el home and walked in a few minutes before Linnea got dropped off. The kitchen is still a mess from the weekend's cooking so we went out to eat. Something possessed me to take us to Chili's - I don't know why. I try very hard not to eat at such places. I had chicken club tacos with stale tortillas (I do like their lime rice though). I couldn't even complain about the tortillas - I don't expect better from them. Linnea and I had a really good time though. Linnea did a 46 number connect the dots and I figured out a way to use what she already knew about counting to help her find her way through the 20s, 30s, and 40s. She's a pretty smart kid, but every parent probably thinks that of their child. On the way home we stopped at CVS to pick up some packing tape so I could mail something I sold on E-Bay, and I was glad we stopped there because when I went to pay I realized I left my bank card at Chili's (luckily I had enough cash to cover the purchase, which was a miracle since I almost never carry cash). We headed back over to Chilis and I double parked and called and asked them to bring it out to me to cut down on the hassle of parking in the garage and dragging Linnea back and forth.
This is really boring. Luckily it's the end. Maybe tomorrow will bring something exciting.
Managed to get a lunch together (leftover Turkey Burger from the other night) and rode in with A. Stopped at NYC Bagel for a tub of their incredible Sun Dried Tomato cream cheese, which I then left at work, as usual, so I have to remember to bring bagels to work with me. It does pain me a bit to be in Chicago going to a place called NYC Bagel, but if there's better bagels and cream cheese in Chicago, 2 blocks from my office, please direct me.
Work was work. I was very sleepy and non-productive this afternoon. At lunch I walked to the bank to deal with some money transferring. It started to drizzle on my walk back, but luckily I made it before it started pouring. The only real excitement in the day was M had brought in an old (fully functional) Commodore 64, with disk drive, monitor and a box full of games. I spent much of my adolescence playing with my Commodore 64, so it was a trip down memory lane. I have no idea what became of my C64 or when I stopped using it (sometime in high school), but I didn't own another computer or game system until my mother-in-law gave us an old 486 computer, which I think we replaced within a year with a then-current model.
Took the el home and walked in a few minutes before Linnea got dropped off. The kitchen is still a mess from the weekend's cooking so we went out to eat. Something possessed me to take us to Chili's - I don't know why. I try very hard not to eat at such places. I had chicken club tacos with stale tortillas (I do like their lime rice though). I couldn't even complain about the tortillas - I don't expect better from them. Linnea and I had a really good time though. Linnea did a 46 number connect the dots and I figured out a way to use what she already knew about counting to help her find her way through the 20s, 30s, and 40s. She's a pretty smart kid, but every parent probably thinks that of their child. On the way home we stopped at CVS to pick up some packing tape so I could mail something I sold on E-Bay, and I was glad we stopped there because when I went to pay I realized I left my bank card at Chili's (luckily I had enough cash to cover the purchase, which was a miracle since I almost never carry cash). We headed back over to Chilis and I double parked and called and asked them to bring it out to me to cut down on the hassle of parking in the garage and dragging Linnea back and forth.
This is really boring. Luckily it's the end. Maybe tomorrow will bring something exciting.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Come, Just Are You Are To Worship, Unless....
So this morning during church I'm playing keyboard in worship band and we're up there doing the song "Come, Now Is the Time To Worship", which has the line "Come just as you are to worship". I had made the crack to someone earlier that morning that one of these days I would actually show up for worship "just as I am"....like unshowered, unshaven, in my boxers and undershirt or something. I was contemplating just how much we try and put our best selves forward for church....not so much for God, but for other people.
In worship band we have a rotating cast of drummers, one of whom is Pete. Pete's young daughter can often be seen in the front of the pews getting her groove on during worship. She's Linnea's age and one of my fondest church memories is playing piano during a youth sunday a few years back and watching the 2 of them having a great time dancing. This morning Pete was drumming and his daughter and her friend were up there having a ball, until an usher came over and shut them down. They weren't in anyone's way. They weren't out of control. Their mother's were right near by. It was a sad thing to see happen, particularly while we're in the middle of singing "Come just as you are to worship".
Working with youth I try very hard not to make church a place where you have to act a certain way, dress a certain way, believe a certain way. One phrase I have sworn will never come out of my mouth is "you can't do that (say that, etc..) at church". That prhase fosters the notion that you behave one way at church, and a different way in the rest of your life. It's not just that I want kids to take their church behavior into the rest of their life, but I want them to be themselves at church. I might tell them to do this or that in the spirit of being respectful to others (things I would tell them to do in any similar secular setting), but never just because it's church and we have to do things a certain way. Our church has come a long way in that we now have drums and can play music that it's even possible to dance to, and some people feel comfortable raising their hands. But why not a little dancing? I hate for our kids to come away feeling that church is just a place where you have to dress nice, follow rules, and listen to some boring sermons, and I would hate for these young girls, or anyone, to have their desire to dance crushed in the name of religious piety.
In worship band we have a rotating cast of drummers, one of whom is Pete. Pete's young daughter can often be seen in the front of the pews getting her groove on during worship. She's Linnea's age and one of my fondest church memories is playing piano during a youth sunday a few years back and watching the 2 of them having a great time dancing. This morning Pete was drumming and his daughter and her friend were up there having a ball, until an usher came over and shut them down. They weren't in anyone's way. They weren't out of control. Their mother's were right near by. It was a sad thing to see happen, particularly while we're in the middle of singing "Come just as you are to worship".
Working with youth I try very hard not to make church a place where you have to act a certain way, dress a certain way, believe a certain way. One phrase I have sworn will never come out of my mouth is "you can't do that (say that, etc..) at church". That prhase fosters the notion that you behave one way at church, and a different way in the rest of your life. It's not just that I want kids to take their church behavior into the rest of their life, but I want them to be themselves at church. I might tell them to do this or that in the spirit of being respectful to others (things I would tell them to do in any similar secular setting), but never just because it's church and we have to do things a certain way. Our church has come a long way in that we now have drums and can play music that it's even possible to dance to, and some people feel comfortable raising their hands. But why not a little dancing? I hate for our kids to come away feeling that church is just a place where you have to dress nice, follow rules, and listen to some boring sermons, and I would hate for these young girls, or anyone, to have their desire to dance crushed in the name of religious piety.
A Week of Tedium - Sunday
The alarm went off at 6am and I immediately began questioning my devotion to playing in the worship band. I wouldn't have had to get up quite so early except I always forget to give Linnea a bath on Saturday night and I couldn't possibly bring a dirty child to church (that's a joke, but really, by Sunday she needs the bath). Luckily she was pretty cooperative this morning and we got out the door okay. I really wanted to stop for coffee on the way, but part of her bribe for being good during band rehearsal is that we go to Starbucks between rehearsal and Sunday School, so I had to wait. Luckily she was pretty well behaved during rehearsal and I got to have my coffee.
Jr. High Sunday school got onto the topic of salvation and heaven and does God send good people who don't go to church. Bob was straight out with the "Jesus is the only way to heaven" dogma, and to his credit he was pretty diplomatic about it. I was having a pretty agnostic morning after reading part of a New Yorker article about theodicy and tried to put forward a bit more inclusive take on things but I think I was overly vague and didn't really say much of anything. I need to figure out what my best answers to these questions are and how to relate them to kids. You would think I would have that figured out by now, but my faith is a constantly developing thing and my views on things change and develop and refine.
Worship during second service was a bit disheartening (see other blog post) and the service was long....very long. I nodded off, but that's nothing new.
Linnea and I had lunch at home then K stopped by to pick up a DVD I made for her. I also sent her away with some of the cookies I made, which are awesome by the way. Linnea sat on my lap for awhile and we went through a kid's magazine my mom sent her a subscription for. I think it's supposed to be Highlights for younger kids (I thought you could only get Highlights in pediatricians offices).
After dropping Linnea off at her mom's I tried to call to see if her new headboard/footboard were ready to be picked up, but the guy needed to call me back with an answer so I headed home and started watching "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" which I had from Netflix. I eventually got the call back with a confirmation that the bed was ready and that they closed at 6. So I took a nap then headed over to pick it up and get some dinner. I ended up at Sashimi Sashimi, which has my favorite roll in the world with the worst name - the Big Chicago. I don't even know what it has in it, but it's awesome. Then I grabbed a coffee at Peet's and headed home. More Forgetting Sarah Marshall, my usual Sunday Rock Band 2 drumming session (with neighbors and Linnea the times when I can play the drums are extremely limited, but they're really fun, so I've found Sunday afternoon/evening to be a good time for it), then laundry and putting Linnea's headboard/footboard together. I could write a whole long blog about the ordeal of what it has taken to finally get her a new bed, but I'll take a cue from my friend's blog and just not go there.
A pretty good Sunday and now I should be in my bed.
Jr. High Sunday school got onto the topic of salvation and heaven and does God send good people who don't go to church. Bob was straight out with the "Jesus is the only way to heaven" dogma, and to his credit he was pretty diplomatic about it. I was having a pretty agnostic morning after reading part of a New Yorker article about theodicy and tried to put forward a bit more inclusive take on things but I think I was overly vague and didn't really say much of anything. I need to figure out what my best answers to these questions are and how to relate them to kids. You would think I would have that figured out by now, but my faith is a constantly developing thing and my views on things change and develop and refine.
Worship during second service was a bit disheartening (see other blog post) and the service was long....very long. I nodded off, but that's nothing new.
Linnea and I had lunch at home then K stopped by to pick up a DVD I made for her. I also sent her away with some of the cookies I made, which are awesome by the way. Linnea sat on my lap for awhile and we went through a kid's magazine my mom sent her a subscription for. I think it's supposed to be Highlights for younger kids (I thought you could only get Highlights in pediatricians offices).
After dropping Linnea off at her mom's I tried to call to see if her new headboard/footboard were ready to be picked up, but the guy needed to call me back with an answer so I headed home and started watching "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" which I had from Netflix. I eventually got the call back with a confirmation that the bed was ready and that they closed at 6. So I took a nap then headed over to pick it up and get some dinner. I ended up at Sashimi Sashimi, which has my favorite roll in the world with the worst name - the Big Chicago. I don't even know what it has in it, but it's awesome. Then I grabbed a coffee at Peet's and headed home. More Forgetting Sarah Marshall, my usual Sunday Rock Band 2 drumming session (with neighbors and Linnea the times when I can play the drums are extremely limited, but they're really fun, so I've found Sunday afternoon/evening to be a good time for it), then laundry and putting Linnea's headboard/footboard together. I could write a whole long blog about the ordeal of what it has taken to finally get her a new bed, but I'll take a cue from my friend's blog and just not go there.
A pretty good Sunday and now I should be in my bed.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
A Week of Tedium
And now for no particular reason (this is Chicago Randomness after all), I will attempt to blog everyday this week about the details of my ever so exciting days.
This morning Linnea woke me from a vivid dream around 8am. I don't remember the dream, but I've been having some doozies lately, which really means I haven't been sleeping all that well. I rejoiced to discover it was 8am and not 6:30am or whenever she often likes to get up. It was a good way to start a Saturday. For some reason I didn't feel the usual Saturday trip to Dixie Kitchen for brunch, so we just had the usual cereal and whatever. I did though have to get my coffee fix and the only coffee in the house was some weeks old ground coffee, so we walked to Starbucks. It was a fairly nice day and we ran into a couple of the high schoolers walking to the fabric store for Halloween costume fabric. Linnea was a little too antsy in Starbucks and I didn't get to sit and drink my coffee (opting to take it home instead). While we were in Starbucks I saw my co-worker V standing outside talking on his cell phone. I texted him that I could see him, but being on the phone he didn't get it until we had already left. On the walk home we saw more friends, A & her daughter G, in their car on their way out of town. One of the things I surprisingly miss about Durango is the small community and being known almost everywhere you go (that of course has its disadvantadges t00), and I think seeing all these people in one morning makes Evanston feel a little more homey to me than it usually does. Oh, and on our way out of Starbucks Linnea saw a family she knew. She said they were from Pope John, but I didn't recognize them.
Once we got home Linnea played with play-dough while I worked on a jigsaw puzzle that has been sitting on my dining room table for months with little action. Then lunch, then off to T-Ball. It's tough to watch a T-Ball practice and keep your mouth shut and not yell at your kid to get with the program, but I did a pretty good job. They actually played a slight approximation of a game today, which I hadn't seen before. They each had a turn to hit and field. Linnea didn't see any action in the field, and didn't seem to really be looking for any. She managed to get a modest hit on the 3rd or 4th try. When I pressed her later about her activities in the field she said her pants were falling down and thus she couldn't get into the "ready" position her coach had showed them. Not much I could say to that.
From there it was directly to Highland Park for a classmate's birthday party. This was a drop-off party so I had a little over an hour to kill in the neighborhood. I didn't know where anything was except Ravinia. I sought out a coffee place but went the wrong direction and drove pretty aimlessly for a long time before finally stumbling upon their downtown. I ended up in a Corner Bakery with a cup of soup and a coffee and my current read, "My Name is Asher Lev". When I got back to the party they were whacking at a Barbie pinata (I wouldn't mind hitting Barbie with a baseball bat). They had made caramel apples and had cake and ice cream. Kids apparently don't open presents at their parties anymore - I'm not sure what's up with that. Maybe kids are too honest in their reactions and it's to save feelings from getting hurt?
On the way home I got a call from my friend L who I hadn't heard from in ages and I was actually planning to call tomorrow as part of my effort every Sunday to connect with someone I've been out of touch with for too long. Some time ago we had discussed some furniture they were thinking of getting rid of and they had just come back from a rummage sale with some new stuff and wanted to get rid of the old. Since we were about to drive by their house anyway I asked if I could stop over and take another look at the stuff. I'm going to take a dining room table and chairs, but have to pass on a large computer work station (because it is a corner unit and I just don't have a suitable corner). The table will be nice though - I've had my current table since right after we got married. It's a hand-me-down from my friend's K&A who I've pilfered quite a bit of furniture from. It's a very sturdy table, but pretty beat up. The one I'm getting from G&L is also kind of beat up, but the big plus is it has a removable leaf and more, nicer chairs. So we hung out over there for a little bit and said hi to the kids and helped them move some of the new furniture, but they were pretty busy so we didn't stay long.
We came home and I made a grocery list and we headed off to Jewel. It only took about 5 minutes for me to insist Linnea sit in the cart, which meant I had to listen to her complain about it for the rest of the somewhat lengthy shopping trip. I ran into one of the same high school kids, with a different friend, also from our church, who were shopping for items to make dinner for one of our church families. I made Turkey Burgers, fries (frozen bag), and sugar snap peas. The Turkey Burgers and peas were from a new recipe book my mom sent me that it supposed to be healthy kid friendly food. The recipes don't try to be cutesy kid stuff, which I appreciate. The burgers were pretty good. It was silly in that I had bought Turkey patties forgetting that I was going to mix a bunch of stuff in, so they ended up in a big wad anyway. They were cooked in the broiler and came out a bit dry, though Linnea liked the homemade tartar sauce from the recipe. The peas were also pretty good, which is saying a lot for me since I'm not much of a cooked green vegetable kind of guy. They were a frozen bag that you put in the microwave without piercing it or anything. They come out nicely steamed. The recipe added a peach preserve and soy sauce glaze. It was also supposed to have some ground ginger in it, which I had bought but forgot to put in. I'll try that next time. I also made a tollhouse cookie type recipe that is still cooling. I'm concerned I undercooked it. It took me two tries already. The first batch I accidentally put in twice the flour and put the egg in at the wrong time. Luckily I abandoned it before I used up all the chocolate chips. I had enough of everything else to try again. I've done very little baking and had to buy the right size, pan but was pleasantly surprised to discover that I still have a hand mixer. Linnea tried to help and did a surprisingly good job with the hand mixer, but it was after her usual bedtime and I had been cooking too long, so we were both grouchy and it wasn't a good mix.
Well off to try those cookies and unwind a bit. Until tomorrow, when I hope to use shorter paragraphs.
This morning Linnea woke me from a vivid dream around 8am. I don't remember the dream, but I've been having some doozies lately, which really means I haven't been sleeping all that well. I rejoiced to discover it was 8am and not 6:30am or whenever she often likes to get up. It was a good way to start a Saturday. For some reason I didn't feel the usual Saturday trip to Dixie Kitchen for brunch, so we just had the usual cereal and whatever. I did though have to get my coffee fix and the only coffee in the house was some weeks old ground coffee, so we walked to Starbucks. It was a fairly nice day and we ran into a couple of the high schoolers walking to the fabric store for Halloween costume fabric. Linnea was a little too antsy in Starbucks and I didn't get to sit and drink my coffee (opting to take it home instead). While we were in Starbucks I saw my co-worker V standing outside talking on his cell phone. I texted him that I could see him, but being on the phone he didn't get it until we had already left. On the walk home we saw more friends, A & her daughter G, in their car on their way out of town. One of the things I surprisingly miss about Durango is the small community and being known almost everywhere you go (that of course has its disadvantadges t00), and I think seeing all these people in one morning makes Evanston feel a little more homey to me than it usually does. Oh, and on our way out of Starbucks Linnea saw a family she knew. She said they were from Pope John, but I didn't recognize them.
Once we got home Linnea played with play-dough while I worked on a jigsaw puzzle that has been sitting on my dining room table for months with little action. Then lunch, then off to T-Ball. It's tough to watch a T-Ball practice and keep your mouth shut and not yell at your kid to get with the program, but I did a pretty good job. They actually played a slight approximation of a game today, which I hadn't seen before. They each had a turn to hit and field. Linnea didn't see any action in the field, and didn't seem to really be looking for any. She managed to get a modest hit on the 3rd or 4th try. When I pressed her later about her activities in the field she said her pants were falling down and thus she couldn't get into the "ready" position her coach had showed them. Not much I could say to that.
From there it was directly to Highland Park for a classmate's birthday party. This was a drop-off party so I had a little over an hour to kill in the neighborhood. I didn't know where anything was except Ravinia. I sought out a coffee place but went the wrong direction and drove pretty aimlessly for a long time before finally stumbling upon their downtown. I ended up in a Corner Bakery with a cup of soup and a coffee and my current read, "My Name is Asher Lev". When I got back to the party they were whacking at a Barbie pinata (I wouldn't mind hitting Barbie with a baseball bat). They had made caramel apples and had cake and ice cream. Kids apparently don't open presents at their parties anymore - I'm not sure what's up with that. Maybe kids are too honest in their reactions and it's to save feelings from getting hurt?
On the way home I got a call from my friend L who I hadn't heard from in ages and I was actually planning to call tomorrow as part of my effort every Sunday to connect with someone I've been out of touch with for too long. Some time ago we had discussed some furniture they were thinking of getting rid of and they had just come back from a rummage sale with some new stuff and wanted to get rid of the old. Since we were about to drive by their house anyway I asked if I could stop over and take another look at the stuff. I'm going to take a dining room table and chairs, but have to pass on a large computer work station (because it is a corner unit and I just don't have a suitable corner). The table will be nice though - I've had my current table since right after we got married. It's a hand-me-down from my friend's K&A who I've pilfered quite a bit of furniture from. It's a very sturdy table, but pretty beat up. The one I'm getting from G&L is also kind of beat up, but the big plus is it has a removable leaf and more, nicer chairs. So we hung out over there for a little bit and said hi to the kids and helped them move some of the new furniture, but they were pretty busy so we didn't stay long.
We came home and I made a grocery list and we headed off to Jewel. It only took about 5 minutes for me to insist Linnea sit in the cart, which meant I had to listen to her complain about it for the rest of the somewhat lengthy shopping trip. I ran into one of the same high school kids, with a different friend, also from our church, who were shopping for items to make dinner for one of our church families. I made Turkey Burgers, fries (frozen bag), and sugar snap peas. The Turkey Burgers and peas were from a new recipe book my mom sent me that it supposed to be healthy kid friendly food. The recipes don't try to be cutesy kid stuff, which I appreciate. The burgers were pretty good. It was silly in that I had bought Turkey patties forgetting that I was going to mix a bunch of stuff in, so they ended up in a big wad anyway. They were cooked in the broiler and came out a bit dry, though Linnea liked the homemade tartar sauce from the recipe. The peas were also pretty good, which is saying a lot for me since I'm not much of a cooked green vegetable kind of guy. They were a frozen bag that you put in the microwave without piercing it or anything. They come out nicely steamed. The recipe added a peach preserve and soy sauce glaze. It was also supposed to have some ground ginger in it, which I had bought but forgot to put in. I'll try that next time. I also made a tollhouse cookie type recipe that is still cooling. I'm concerned I undercooked it. It took me two tries already. The first batch I accidentally put in twice the flour and put the egg in at the wrong time. Luckily I abandoned it before I used up all the chocolate chips. I had enough of everything else to try again. I've done very little baking and had to buy the right size, pan but was pleasantly surprised to discover that I still have a hand mixer. Linnea tried to help and did a surprisingly good job with the hand mixer, but it was after her usual bedtime and I had been cooking too long, so we were both grouchy and it wasn't a good mix.
Well off to try those cookies and unwind a bit. Until tomorrow, when I hope to use shorter paragraphs.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Apatow/Rogan remake Disney
So I was home ill yesterday and pleased to find some pay-cable channel or another showing "Knocked Up". I had seen it in the theaters and enjoyed it and identified with it strongly (Paul Rudd's character, not so much the porn-site running stoners or the pregnant girl). It is certainly the strongest offering in the now oversaturated Judd Apatow/Seth Rogen market (though I'm yet to see Pineapple Express).
Anyway, it dawned on me as I watched parts of it this time that it's a remake of Lady and the Tramp, sans songs and siamese cats. Rogen is a tramp who struggles with this woman pulling him away from his Bohemian lifestyle, and Heigl's character is (obviously) Lady, slowly being charmed by the tramp's carefree attitude. Rogen's character is truly a tramp, unemployed and living off the last $900 of an accident settlement he believes will carry him for a few years. She slowly warms to aspects of his lifestyle, even helping him screen movies for celebrity nudity to log on his website; much like Lady was willing to throw off her muzzle and scrounge for hand-outs with Tramp. I didn't make it through to the end on this viewing, but if I recall correctly it is almost identical to the end of the Disney film - in the same way that Tramp ends up domesticated with Lady and a litter of puppies, Rogen ends up domesticated with Heigl and a newborn.
Then "Hot Fuzz" was on next....seems I miss a lot of good movies by being gainfully employed.
Anyway, it dawned on me as I watched parts of it this time that it's a remake of Lady and the Tramp, sans songs and siamese cats. Rogen is a tramp who struggles with this woman pulling him away from his Bohemian lifestyle, and Heigl's character is (obviously) Lady, slowly being charmed by the tramp's carefree attitude. Rogen's character is truly a tramp, unemployed and living off the last $900 of an accident settlement he believes will carry him for a few years. She slowly warms to aspects of his lifestyle, even helping him screen movies for celebrity nudity to log on his website; much like Lady was willing to throw off her muzzle and scrounge for hand-outs with Tramp. I didn't make it through to the end on this viewing, but if I recall correctly it is almost identical to the end of the Disney film - in the same way that Tramp ends up domesticated with Lady and a litter of puppies, Rogen ends up domesticated with Heigl and a newborn.
Then "Hot Fuzz" was on next....seems I miss a lot of good movies by being gainfully employed.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
1 Vs. 100
I finally hit that milestone that every adult dreams of - my 100th Facebook friend. One thing I've come to realize from using Facebook is the reason we fall out of touch with people is that we can only sustain so many real relationships. There are so many people on Facebook I was excited to find or excited to have find me that I still have had almost no contact with. I think a lot of the times it's been more about collecting people than connecting with people. My regular contact is with the people I'd be regularly in contact with anyway. That's not to say it's not a great site just for the fun of it - walls, status updates, photo sharing, groups, event invitations, etc...are all great. But it has certainly not revolutionized my social network.
So, just for the heck of it, here's the breakdown on my 100 "closest" friends:
26 - Former youth group kids (now in college or older)
13 - Current youth group kids
11 - People from summer mission trips I took when I was in high school, some of whom I've had ongoing relationships, some of whom I haven't spoken to since the trips
7 -People I went to college with (almost none of whom I've had ongoing relationships with)
6 -People I went to high school with
5 - Friends/Acquantainces I see on a regular basis, mostly from church
5 -Former youth group leaders
4 -Current Co-workers
3 - Hard-to-classify acquantainces, friends or significant others of friends, etc...
3 -Former youth group leaders i also went to college with
3 - Current Youth Group Leaders
2 - Friends I knew when I was in high school but weren't from my high school
2 - Former youth group kids, still in youth group, at my previous church
2 - Former Co-workers
2 - Current youth group leaders who were also former youth group kids
2 - Staff or counselors from summer camps I counseled/spoke at
2 -People I went to college with but didn't know until after college
1 - Former High School Teachers (Actually still a high school teacher, formerly my high school teacher)
1 - People who for some reason have 2 profiles
Since 1 person has 2 profiles, my 100th friend was really my 99th (thanks alot Lisa - everyone else is happy with 1 profile, why can't you be?). Luckily, since beginning to work on this post, I've received my 101st friend request. So I add -
Family Members - 1
So, just for the heck of it, here's the breakdown on my 100 "closest" friends:
26 - Former youth group kids (now in college or older)
13 - Current youth group kids
11 - People from summer mission trips I took when I was in high school, some of whom I've had ongoing relationships, some of whom I haven't spoken to since the trips
7 -People I went to college with (almost none of whom I've had ongoing relationships with)
6 -People I went to high school with
5 - Friends/Acquantainces I see on a regular basis, mostly from church
5 -Former youth group leaders
4 -Current Co-workers
3 - Hard-to-classify acquantainces, friends or significant others of friends, etc...
3 -Former youth group leaders i also went to college with
3 - Current Youth Group Leaders
2 - Friends I knew when I was in high school but weren't from my high school
2 - Former youth group kids, still in youth group, at my previous church
2 - Former Co-workers
2 - Current youth group leaders who were also former youth group kids
2 - Staff or counselors from summer camps I counseled/spoke at
2 -People I went to college with but didn't know until after college
1 - Former High School Teachers (Actually still a high school teacher, formerly my high school teacher)
1 - People who for some reason have 2 profiles
Since 1 person has 2 profiles, my 100th friend was really my 99th (thanks alot Lisa - everyone else is happy with 1 profile, why can't you be?). Luckily, since beginning to work on this post, I've received my 101st friend request. So I add -
Family Members - 1
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