Watery, Domesticated

Fall in Mayberry

2012-02-01T22:20:00.005-05:00

(Trying to end THE HIATUS)

I took these pictures at Mayberry State Park during two separate times in October 2011 and these are disappointingly the last sets of pictures I have taken in the past three months. On the other hand, we had a furnace installed, two main rooms painted, two chandeliers replaced, one storm door is partially up, and we hosted two separate holiday parties in addition to celebrating a certain someone's 30th birthday; my focus hasn't exactly been on the photographic side but that should change soon with a couple scheduled trips in March 2012 and the weather swaying to the point in which my frozen creative juices will begin to flow once again...

Primitive Camping with Non-Primitive Folks

2011-11-12T11:29:00.006-05:00

Venue: North of Oscoda, MI
Event: 1st Annual Guys Camping Trip
When: September 30-October 2, 2011
Attitude: South of Tasteful

Marlette, Michigan-The Heart of the Thumb (?)

2011-11-12T10:52:00.005-05:00

Day-trip side jobs for DK can be helpful from a financial standpoint and also allow me the opportunity to flex the seemingly soft creative muscles for a time in an area I wouldn't normally go to such as Marlette, MI.

(I would have pasted a link to Marlette on the map right here but my hyperlink thing doesn't work so just look it up on your own, why don't you!?!)

I am going to curb the commentary on the next couple posts to get to the tenderloin of the post's purpose but the pictures should paint the story...

2011 Randoms to Date

2011-11-12T10:41:00.003-05:00

(Catching up...)

VST 2 GRR @ 7.30.11

2011-09-08T21:48:00.005-04:00

Trying to catch up here, still...

Thanks to my sister and brother-in-law for allowing us to stay in Grand Rapids and facilitating our visit to Frederik Meijer Gardens even if Bowie took a small chunk out of a certain nephew's face. The bad part for Bowie is that he will max out at around 11 pounds while Pete will continue to grow and grow.

Paybacks are a you-know-what, Bowie...

West Virginia is for the Dogs

2011-07-31T09:41:00.006-04:00

We spent a long weekend in West Virginia over 4th of July. Along with the gracious hospitality from Dr. K's family, we were surrounded with for rescued oversized puppies/dogs of varying sizes that gave Bowie a run for his money. At the end of the weekend, Bowie survived his first taste of swimming, made some good albeit oversized friends, and we gained a new appreciation for coffee brewed with cinnamon.

Petoskey Straight, No Chaser

2011-06-20T23:55:00.006-04:00

Instead of filling this space with wit that I lack at this moment, I will instead post several pictures from a wedding Dr. K and I attended in Petoskey, Michigan a few weeks ago.

On the other hand, I am not sure how "punk rock" it is to listen to Iggy, David, or Husker Du while cutting the grass. If it does qualify, then I am one hip suburbanite right now...

Too Easy?

2011-04-14T23:11:00.004-04:00

OK, these ones were a little too easy for me...

Only in Florida: Fiberglass Wizards and Fallen Heroes

2011-04-09T21:51:00.005-04:00

Taking a break from all of the adult-level college coursework I have been involved in lately (i.e. buying houses, moving, owing taxes, batcrap crazy work, etc) I have decided to post the last batch of pictures I have from my Florida visit from March 3-8, 2011. I had the pleasure of snapping some of the world's most overblown tourist paraphernalia and buildings, like the World's Largest Orange-Shaped Building-yes, I was that lucky, as we stayed between Daytona Beach, Kississimee, and Palm Coast. On the plus side, I had breakfast twice at IHOP (delicious), a wonderful dinner of tapas in downtown St. Augustine, and tasted a pretty good wine that the manager of the Doobie Brothers made. Either way, the vacation was restful and I even felt like breaking out the fanny pack, neon baseball hat, and driving 10 mph below the speed limit by the time I left.

Enjoy.

Lake Tahoe: Splitting the CaliNevada Border

2011-02-23T22:27:00.011-05:00

Now being up to speed with photo postings along with a few 2011 projects being planned for execution, Lake Tahoe met my unreasonably high expectations on Wednesday, 2/9/11 when I took the opportunity to drive around Lake Tahoe, California through Nevada. I am thinking that I formed these expectations after bringing all of my camera equipment out west, including a wonderful LowePro backpack, tripod, and monopod. Either way, I was able to get several pictures on a nice clear day with little to no people interference, save for the tool that decided to stay on the top of the waterfall for over 10 minutes with his hands on his hips; I don't think he would have known what I was saying if I told him he was ruining my shot based on his fanny pack and the general feeling I got that he was a little out of touch of reality in general...

Basically, the weather cooperated or, as a special treat for you math-geeks out there, blue skies + sun + above average temperatures + no broken bones from almost a week of skiing = success...

:

Boston 9.17-18.10 (Pavement)

2011-01-13T22:06:00.010-05:00

*Almost caught up here, though "The Fugitive" on TV is certainly distracting and slowing my flow now...

Dr. K and I had a most awesome time in Boston between September 17-19, 2010 based around my use of some Marriott points and the typical reunion tour of the type-of-band-you-never-thought-would-ever-get-back-together-again,-no-less tour-with-the-original-lineup-of-your-favorite-band-ever, etc in Cambridge, MA on Saturday, September 18. We also had time for a Scarlet Sox game at Fenway, aphrodisiacs (i.e. beer and oysters), historical and non-historical sightseeing, and cramped above + below-ground subway riding.

In other words, it was the domestic honeymoon after the international honeymoon...

Downtown Detroit, August 28, 2010

2011-01-02T12:40:00.008-05:00

*Still a little behind here

These pictures were from a photo walk I did in Detroit back in late August 2010... There is no rhyme or reason to this series of pictures but hopefully they tell a short story best read at a 3rd grade reading level.

Clap Hands

2010-12-19T20:58:00.002-05:00

Similar to the last post, here is another one of my favorite live performances from a certain weekend program that shows around 11:30PM or so. Either way, I can say that I had the pleasure of watching this live and being as stunned by it then as I am today.

Same as before (obviously I am using a new feature from blogspot) click on the posting title above to view the clip... Enjoy!

TVC 15

2010-09-28T20:10:00.004-04:00

I found this online after reading about it and was somewhat surprised because it is from a certain live program from Saturday nights that typically blocks any live performances from being shared online. While my near-constant listening of Station to Station by David Bowie does surpass my viewing of this clip, I really do enjoy it.

In order to view the link, click on the title of this post-you will not be disappointed!

Urban Decay: 6.27.2010

2010-09-22T21:47:00.010-04:00

These pictures should speak for themselves from my urban decay trip in late June, going to an out-of-service train viaduct near Eastern Market, the old Detroit Produce Terminal on the Detroit River, and most importantly the old Packard Plant. Most of the scenery blew my mind so I am thinking that my surroundings enhanced my art* that I am now posting, all of which is completely unedited. I will hold all social commentary for a few days given that these pictures should be talking...

*figuratively speaking, of course

Cranbrook Photo Walk

2010-09-06T19:14:00.009-04:00

As I mentioned, I am quite behind here but I have my pictures sorted for sharing starting with the jpegs posted below. While I am by no means a super sentimental individual, this next few series of posts may be the last I ever do on my computer which has sickeningly gone from a in-it's-prime greyhound to a now old dog of a machine that has frustrated me to the point where I am out of swear words when I have to deal with the continual sloth that composes the processor. Oh yeah, that is coupled with buying a 15" MacBook which I should be fully transitioned to within the next 2 weeks.

I will keep you posted on the upcoming wake and burial.

Either way, the pictures below are from a photo walk I did with Detroit Photowalks back in June when I had the spare time-enjoy!

Moving in Stereo

2010-08-14T09:36:00.002-04:00

Hiatus: noun,plural-tus·es, -tus.
1.a break or interruption in the continuity of a work, series, action, etc.
2.a missing part; gap or lacuna: Scholars attempted to account for the hiatus in the medieval manuscript.
3.any gap or opening.

Stating the obvious, I am back in the saddle (call me "Tex") after more than a 3 month summer vacation of sorts. During this summer vacation, I acquired many stories, pictures, and a beautiful wife (hence, "Moving in Stereo") who has been drifting in and out of sleep as I am writing this. While I don't think I can challenge my seriously proficient sister when it comes to the number of pictures I am behind in blog posting, I have a lot of work to do. Also, just to clear any rumors you may have heard up, I did NOT go to carbohydrate or coffee rehab as some online zines had suggested. While I am not eating or drinking right now, a big black cup of coffee and some brown rice sounds real good right now.

Just as a taste, here is a quick sampling of pictures that Kara and I took while in Spain on our new Canon (yes, I bought a Canon) that we used for convenience in Spain. Basically, in the coming weeks, you will hopefully see everything that has been happening with us as life went into a blur for a few months...

Dogsitting, A Memoir in JPEG

2010-05-14T23:10:00.005-04:00

All I can say is that it was a week like no other, including a roller coaster of human emotions, two separate dog jailbreaks, and feline/canine strife. DK and I are stronger as a whole for weathering the storm though we have realized that we aren't in a position to purchase a storm such as the 9 month-old feral Siberian husky we dog sat for a week in our condo unless we wanted to do our best imitation of that device Toto that purposely was placed into tornadoes for scientific purposes. Pluses and negatives aside, I got some decent shots of the animal that turned at least 15 of my hairs white after a week plus of service...

Random Thoughts Part XVI

2010-05-01T09:30:00.007-04:00

I guess you could call this morning the calm before the friendly storm; Dr. K's sister is getting married at 2PM today with much festivities to follow. I am sitting here with laundry in the washer and dryer, coffee lukewarm, cats half-awake, and Sportscenter in the background. Considering I have been a bachelor for the last 16+ hours (Dr. K stayed the night at her sister's house) I am doing a pretty poor job of truly living like a bachelor given my present setting, Sportscenter aside. Either way, tonight should be a good time...

Random Thoughts (Slight Return)

1. I think the new measure of fast food should be a fairly simple grading system: Would you eat that item if you were:

A. Drunk
B. Not Drunk

For example, I will tip my hand a little bit for demonstration's sake and give you an idea of my fast food tastes:

-Taco Bell, Grilled Stuffed Burrito: Definitely A
-White Castle, Any Menu Item: A, Mos Def A, Yo Yo Yo
-McDonald's, Big Mac: B but only when I am pissed at work
-Burger King, Whopper: A, for sure
-KFC, Double Down Chicken Sandwich: Do you have to (A)sk?
-McDonald's, Chicken Nuggets (any size above a happy meal): A
-Subway, Anything not Containing Bacon or Meatballs and/or Not Endorsed by Jared Fogle: B
-Churches/Popeye's: A when I am in a less savory area or when one is connected to White Castle

Where do your tastes sit?

2. I can't remember if I mentioned this before at length but I have serious affection or ZZ Top. This is nothing new but I feel like a good point of reference is my iTunes play numbers for some ZZ Top favorites:

-Gimme All Your Lovin': 57x
-TV Dinners: 24x
-Sharp Dressed Man: 23x
-Cheap Sunglasses: 15x

I have a few theories as to why ZZ Top has left an impression on me from a young age, specifically the Mid-80's Videos, including Legs, Gimme All Your Lovin', and Sharp Dressed Man. It's obvious that these videos would have gotten the attention of any 8 year-old in 1985 because they included many visual flash points:

-Guys with Beards and Sunglasses
-Spinning Fuzzy Guitars
-Cooks, Shoe Store Clerks, & Gas Station Attendants, i.e. "Everyman/Everywoman"
-Fairy Tale Stories/Endings of Everyman beating Long Odds
-Cool Cars
-Women with Lots of Makeup and Not a Lot of Clothes
-Open Endings not Specifying if the Video was Reality or Dream

In my 30's, it's not like I seek these videos out for nostalgic purposes (they look REALLY dated at this point [white tuxedos, stick pins, and shoe store clerks included] and I now wonder how the women in the videos kept looking like they were impervious to dust even though they were in the desert-did they have Teflon sprayed on them?) but there is something about driving on the Ohio Turnpike during my quasi-weekly trip to the Cleveland Hopkins Airport that reminds me of the visuals of hot rods racing on isolated Texas roads during the lengthy guitar solos or bridges on Sharp Dressed Man or Gimme All Your Lovin'. This is especially poignant at exactly 2:48 of Sharp Dressed Man where the guitar solo lasts the last 88 seconds of the song, making me want to put on the Texas Trio and act like my rental vehicle is a 1933 Ford Coupe and I got the key chain with two Z's on it from three guys with beards before they made a swoosh gesture with their arms before waving goodbye to me.

Granted, it's kind of a letdown to arrive at the airport and see that my car isn't a hot rod, there are no fairy-tale endings, and I have to get back to work but it still is kind of beneficial to disconnect from reality during my 2 1/4 hour trips. That being said, I made a purchase this week: The 25th Anniversary Edition of the ZZ Top album "Eliminator," with an additional DVD of music videos like the aforementioned memory-makers...

Old habits die hard...

Utah: Skiing, Mormon-Style

2010-04-18T09:35:00.007-04:00

My first skiing trip to Utah, the land of Mormons and "The Greatest Snow on Earth," not to be confused with "The Greatest Show on Earth" (Barnum and Bailey Circus) or "The Greatest Show on Turf" (1999-2001 St. Louis Rams), went by with little incident, apart from a case of the cold feet on my part based on the introduction of steep declines/cliffs during my first ski run without an instructor, and did not include any broken bones or really any bruised egos.

While the challenge of skiing was enough, I tried to cut my teeth with some serious mountain pictures for really the first time with a decent camera. While the success rate was somewhat low (30 hits out of approximately 397 pictures equals a batting average .076, definitely Gerald Laird territory) I realized the challenges you face when photographing against an almost exclusively white/snow background in addition to the sheer size of your subject matter. Regardless, it was quite an experience being up to 2 miles high and seeing temperature differences of 30 degrees based on 20 minute trips. Either way, the results are below.

Dormant, A Definition

2010-04-18T09:13:00.004-04:00

Dormant (dôrmnt)
-in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation; "dormant buds"; "a hibernating bear"; "torpid frogs"
-(of e.g. volcanos) not erupting and not extinct ; "a dormant volcano"
-dormant(ip): lying with head on paws as if sleeping
-abeyant: inactive but capable of becoming active; "her feelings of affection are dormant but easily awakened"

As far as the blog goes, I think the fourth definition works best as of right now...

də-WAH-jak = Dowagiac, MI

2010-03-05T22:24:00.006-05:00

Wow, I am a little behind here...

Back during a time far, far away-February 6, 2010, I had THE DSLR possessed by all sub-amateur photographers such as myself and about 3 hours to kill in parts in and around Cassopolis and Dowagiac, Michigan. Below are the results of my ramblings.

Freewill, Revisited, Tongue in Cheek

2010-02-01T20:34:00.007-05:00

OK, let's get this out in the open: I am a fan of Rush, the infamous Canadian power trio. When I say fan, I am not on a Pavement-level of infatuation with Rush, rather an Allman Brothers Band-level of affection with Rush, meaning I can listen to certain songs over and over again without recourse or long-term effect.

I am sitting here (after somewhat of an extended absence, half writers block, half sprained-left-wrist-makes-it-hard-to-type-a-lot) while I am being stared at by two cats, near one of my concert ticket collages on the wall directly behind me. Out of the 25+ tickets on said collage, a casual observer can see that I have seen Rush in concert the following times:

3/27/94, 16 years old: My first concert ever with my sister at the Palace-i.e. I had and have a pretty cool sister

10/5/96, 19 years old: Andy, Nate, and I went and got caught in a rough traffic jam on I-696 on the way home from the Palace

6/17/97, 19 years old: Pine Knob, though I can't remember who I went with here; my memory fails some times

When I was younger, I sneaked out my sister's albums from her room and burned through the 2 CD greatest hit set "Chronicles" and "Roll the Bones" when my she wasn't watching (like I said, I have a cool sister so she wouldn't mind this even in hindsight), thinking I was Neil Peart behind closed doors, surrounded my imaginary 25-piece drum sets, eyes closed, following every musical time change, bridge, and solo with precision and flair. Needless to say, Rush ended up on a lot of cassette tapes that were played at needlessly high volume in Plymouth Colts with cassette decks and my '91 Civic through the end of my teenage years. Once I turned 20 or 21, though, a weird thing happened:

Rush [suddenly] wasn't cool [anymore]...

*As a side note, it is interesting to see that Rush took a hiatus between 1997 through 2001 based on some internal issues. From the obvious department, I find that my interest in Rush waned around the same time they went on hiatus. In hindsight, maybe it was the fact that I liked seeing them live and those shows kept me going; in the absence of these same shows, I lost interest...

I can say that there were plenty of reasons for them suddenly not being cool anymore in 1998, but I have a couple theories as to why, using my under-seasoned and under-cooked mindset from back then:

1. Early 20's = lots of young-adult identity crisis issues: i.e. you have to let go of what got you there in order to make yourself feel like more of an adult than you probably weren't at the time anyways. This is especially true when it came to going to Dollar-Beer night at Mr. Sports and having a high-school reunion of sorts, trying to show those you haven't seen for a couple years that you were different outside of maybe having some facial hair and a number of university credit hours under your belt. At the time, I felt that if I wore my Rush "Counterparts" concert T to Mr. Sports, I would have theoretically been viewed as the same as I was in high school-someone who rode the bus for all 4 years to school...

2. Rush is Canadian: Seriously, what was the last Canadian rock and roll act (other than Neil Young*) that was viewed as "cool" by the masses over the last 25 years, especially seeing that Alanis Morisette doesn't count* because she made her childhood wages on an American Show, "You Can't Do That on Television?"

*this is my rule for the sake of my blog-it's my party, I'll cry if I want to...

The fact is that every popular act from Canada that broke through in America (Bryan Adams, Nickelback, Celine Dion, Paul Anka, etc...) was respected but not really celebrated as being on the cutting edge of anything intangible or further-reaching. I am sure people appreciated Celine, Nickel, and Bryan for being honest, hard-working types who didn't make a lot of metaphors in their music ("It Cuts Like a Knife" from Bryan Adams withstanding) but had a loyal fan base nonetheless.

3. Rush didn't sound or look cool: Upper register vocals and 9-minute songs about trees, cars, green-colored light, and transistor radios weren't cool but they looked even worse when they come from a John Lennon-glasses-wearing waif with a pony tail in Geddy Lee, playing bass and keyboards at the same time.

4. Rush was happy: Their songs were often filled with positive thoughts about memories, life, and liberty. Back in 1998, angst was still cool, Smashing Pumpkins were always tortured artists even if they put out crap albums, and I clung to artists who were pissed off.

Regardless, Rush became an act that I would listen to whenever they were played on classic rock radio but not an act I would seek out. I did look at used versions of "Chronicles" but never pulled the trigger on an $8 purchase. While not betraying my drummer roots, Neil Peart was still a favorite, even if I played a 4-piece drum set instead of a 25-piece one, though I played in bands and never once asked to practice "Tom Sawyer" or "The Trees."

Eventually, I made an exhaustive journey through my iPod and came out the other side of the dense forest still looking for more. While I still have plenty of favorites, my late 20's of experience led to introspection in my early 30's. Suddenly, I was listening to "The Joshua Tree" by U2 and "Vivid" by Living Colour. Memories kicked in and it didn't seem that long ago when I would lay on my back playing guitar on the neon-green painted wood pole I used for a light saber for one Halloween, hitting every note of Vernon Reid's guitar solo on "Memories Can't Wait" or listening to "With or Without You" with the lights turned off, staring at the red LED light in my hand-me-down record player-combo; I didn't think about what anyone thought about my music as high school and Mr. Sports were long-faded or under new ownership respectively. Coincidentally, My sister happened to name her photography company "Closer to the Heart" after one of her favorite Rush songs.

All signs pointed north, north to Canada...

One day during one of many condo-consolidations that Dr. K and I have done, I saw that she had disc 2 of "Chronicles" and "Roll the Bones." Excited, I ripped it to my iTunes and bought "Freewill" at the iTunes store (Freewill was on the missing disc 1) for addition to my iPod. With a couple songs in tow as a start, I added them to my play list and headed to hockey. On the way, it all hit me: On or about the 3:15 mark of "Freewill," I tapped into Alex Lifeson's guitar solo and felt that spine/goose bump/hairs-on-the-back-of-your-neck-standing-up sensation again. Now, I was going 55 in a 45 but nowhere near the intersection of Telegraph and Goddard Rd.

I was somewhere else, somewhere I couldn't explain, somewhere that was cool...

And then, it happened:

Rush [suddenly] was cool [again]...

The Heidelberg Project Revisited

2010-01-24T14:16:00.016-05:00

Well, all I can say is that it is good to be back... My mind works in weird ways to say the least, but one of the oddest things (and I mean ODD) got me back in the correct frame of mind to grab my camera and get out in the wilderness once again-more on what inspired me later...

I have visited The Heidelberg Project at least three times with my camera and yesterday was no exception from that standpoint. This time, though, I had the pleasure of sharing this experience with Dr. K (see below)

after an express trip to Russell Street Deli and Eastern Market, punctuated by the usual elation at a Saturday breakfast special (omelet special to be specific) and sharing a table with total strangers in similar good spirits, somehow enhancing the great company we already had between us. I am not sure of the principle, but paying cash, hand-to-hand, for fresh produce brings out the best in the both of us; maybe being a Saturday morning, sans work, has a lot to do with our attitude as well. Either way, every time I wind my way there off of Mt. Elliott and Gratiot, I find something new... First, we will start with a retrospective:

2005:

2007:

And Yesterday:

Odds and Sods from OBX

2010-01-02T14:27:00.004-05:00

Below is a collection of leftovers from our North Carolina trip, all better when heated up in the microwave, making sure to cover them to avoid splattering. That being said, I need to take some new pictures because the well is almost dry for the time being; good thing Michigan is so pretty when it is 15 degrees outside with no snow on the ground...

Flowers @ Norfolk, VA Botanical Gardens

2009-12-23T11:53:00.005-05:00

OK, I am a little behind and out-of-sequence here, but one of the last groups of pictures from our November travels brought us by a botanical gardens that is adjacent to Norfolk International Airport. While the plane pictures I previously posted were taken from the parking lot of the gardens, I will post the flowers here...

Dogs and Cats and Holidays

2009-12-10T18:10:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday night brought us what may stand as a one year occurrence only...

While I am not the #1 fan of Christmas outfits for pets, the concept of putting our two cats (sorry NFC North, guys, etc...) with the newest addition to Krissy's sister's family, Jax the Siberian Husky, for Christmas pictures. After the costumes for each pet were painfully put on, total chaos ensued due to the "chilly" relationship between cats and dogs. In other words, the pictures speak for themselves...

Sunrise

2009-12-06T17:08:00.003-05:00

Considering I put pictures of a sunset not too long ago, I figured I would throw an anachronism at all of you and show the sunrise following rather than preceding. As it happened, though, this sunrise followed the sunset the very next morning in the Outer Banks. Dr. K and I allowed ourselves ample time to get up prior to the sunrise and spend plenty of time on the Atlantic ocean shoreline to take more than 100 pictures. As usual, the highlights are below.

Wild~Feral Cats @ OBX

2009-11-27T11:58:00.006-05:00

Needless to say, our (Dr. K/Ian C.) North Carolina trip produced more than 700 pictures, many of which I divided into 7 separate categories. As I am staggering their national release dates to the American public over the next few weeks, expect a couple more in the coming days to a theatre near you...

While searching for a breakfast place on Sunday morning after watching the sun rise (more on that later), we came across a diner that was closed for the season. We were about to turn around in the parking lot before we noticed a few cats close to the parking lot. After getting out of the car, we noticed a little community of wild* cats, all either colored gray or black. Due to heavy hearts, we (Dr. K) made the decision to get some food for the cats at a local grocery store. To our surprise, the feral cats were fed dry food by the time we returned, probably by other people similar to aforementioned heavy-hearted individuals, making our food a supplement to the cats' seemingly middle class homelessness situation. To put it all together, it made for a decent photo opportunity in the rising morning sun.

*well, not feral, as they luckily did not hunt, attack, or dismember Dr. K or I in unison, a la feral pigs.

Ready for Takeoff...

2009-11-21T15:35:00.003-05:00

On returning from our North Carolina trip, we had the pleasure of having to kill around an hour and a half at the Norfolk, VA APO prior to our departure. While most of it was spent in a decent botanical gardens (more to come on that later) adjacent to the airport, the parking lot of the botanical gardens is bordered by large hills that climb higher than the runway for the airport. As I quickly noticed, many people would hang out on the hill in order to watch planes land and take off. With the use of my 200 mm zoom, I was able to get some decent pix of a Southwest Airlines 737 taking off.

Sunset

2009-11-21T12:08:00.003-05:00

Basically, the location was Corolla, North Carolina on November 7, 2009; no commentary is required...

4:35-8:59 AM: Destination CVG, a Playlist and Internal Dialogue

2009-11-21T10:47:00.005-05:00

On Thursday, November 19, 2009, I made the staggering/questionable decision to take a day trip to the Cincinnati International Airport (for an issue with our Hebron, KY furniture rental business, of course), taking in the 4 1/2 hour drive with plenty of caffeine-24 oz. from Dunkin Donuts, black. Needless to say, the iPod would be #1 BFF as I made the watching-the-paint-dry trip across central Ohio.

For this particular day, I decided to use my "94.7 WCSX" playlist* for classic rock favorites. While the entire morning consisted of 46 songs between 4:35-8:59AM, I will go through the thoughts regarding some of the highlights that one can only have when splitting farm after farm on your right and left, accompanied typically by 18-wheelers (or as some would say, tractor-trailers) in the right lane and, sometimes annoyingly, in front of me in the left lane. At the end of the trip, I was strikingly alert, relaxed, and particularly nostalgic after hearing so many songs that I grew up with. A sample is below:

*When I lived outside of our wonderful state of Michigan, I decided to create three separate playlists on iTunes that would suffice for my lack of hometown radio stations in the cities I was living in. For example, I created "89X" for mid to late 90's alternative rock (and to reminisce about commuting to and from Wayne State University on I-96), "89.1 WEMU" for jazz, and "94.7 WCSX" for classic rock. While I had a harder time getting a Little Caesar's pizza, having a real coney island, and enjoying a lack of congestion on major highways, these playlists certainly helped...

1. 4:40AM, "Untitled" by Interpol: OK, this isn't classic rock but it feels like a good album/trip opener to me, so I picked it out before I dove into the playlist
4. 4:58AM, "More Than a Feeling" by Boston: This is classic stuff, though my poor imitation of Brad Delp's tenor (i.e. "I closed my eyes and she slipped away, she slipped awaaaaaaaaayahhhhhhhh!") could not be heard by anyone else on the freeway-good thing.
5. 5:02AM, "Don't Stand So Close to Me" by The Police: More air-drumming than you can shake a Rock Band cheap drum stick at. Stewart Copeland has to be a top-10 drummer in my book.
6. 5:08AM, "Tangled Up in Blue" by Bob Dylan: I like the part when he talks about stopping in at a 'topless place' for a beer and running into his ex, not that I can relate or anything nor do I feel like having a beer before the run rises while driving...
7. 5:13AM, "Owner of a Lonely Heart" by Yes: All I can picture is the terrible special effect in this video where the "owner of a lonely heart" is cornered on the top of a building and jumps off before he turns into a nonchalant hawk. If you see the video, the effect is obviously a blown-up dummy thrown off a tall building-pretty funny.
12. 5:32AM, "Hey Joe" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience: I remember hearing this song on WCSX through the back speakers in our 88 Voyager and getting chills at the age of 11-who would have known?
18. 6:06AM, "Panama" by Van Halen: Easily the fastest I drove during the entire trip, speed limits be damned; Van Halen was a lot more fun when they partied then when they were trying to be serious, led by a guy who has his own line of tequila...
19. 6:13AM, "Running Down a Dream" by Tom Petty and The Hearbreakers: I am thinking of the PASS sports music video for the 1991 Red Wings shown to this song, showing highlights of Tim Cheveldae saves, Bob Probert fights (and a particularly weak goal on Kay Whitmore of Hartford), and plenty of after-goal celebrations.
25. 6:45AM, "White Room" by Cream: One of my Dad's favorite bands and one of their best songs in my mind. On the other hand, these are some of the oddest lyrics for a popular song, referencing the station, windows, tired starlings, and yellow tigers crouched in the jungle. I will remind you this is before Eric Clapton got on the wagon...
27. 6:55AM, "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John: Sorry Elton, I couldn't count the headlights on the highway-maybe next time.
31. 7:12AM, "I'm a Man" by The Spencer Davis Group: 'Lil Stevie Winwood (I am referring to him like he is a friend) sounds great and there has to be at least 5 additional pieces of percussion (like maracas, claves, tambourines, etc) on top of the drums; this is a good jam but I refrain from singing along; the truckers are not Winwood fans...
32. 7:16AM, "Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen: Great song, but I am picturing the great video for it as I drive. Basically, it shows Bruce Springsteen walking through the streets of Philadelphia by himself, showing all kinds of significant and insignificant city landmarks while the sun sets; maybe I should post it for others viewing pleasure.
33. 7:22AM, "Dirty Laundry" by Don Henley: Wow, it is a real stretch for me to say that I like some of Don Henley's solo work given my intense dislike/hatred for The Eagles. This is a good one, though it isn't "The Boys of Summer." Regardless, this sounds 80's without being too Flock of Seagulls 80's...
35. 7:32AM, "The Lemon Song" by Led Zeppelin: Hands down, my favorite Led Zeppelin song, even if they plagiarized some of this from Robert Johnson. This type of song is the reason that someone would sit through either one side of a LP for a 25+ minute version of "Dazed and Confused" or almost three hours of a crappy movie like "The Song Remains the Same" and not even flinch. Still, I will never forget my black Led Zeppelin T-Shirt that I got for my birthday in 8th grade, right before I found my other gift of a drum set in the basement-thanks Mom, Dad, and U Tim!
40. 7:56AM, "Cheap Sunglasses" by ZZ Top: I wouldn't refer to ZZ Top as a guilty pleasure because I can admit how much I like them; this song has some nice boogie to it. Anytime, though 'Give me all your cheesy videos, long beards, furry guitars, and all your hugs and kisses too.'
45. 8:59AM, "19th Nervous Breakdown" by The Rolling Stones: This is after a couple work-related telephone calls, but was a good way to end my trip. To me, this song is quite edgy for the mid-60's, with lines about father "making ceiling wax," a mother who "owes a million dollars tax," and a girl who was "over spoiled with a thousand toys but still... cried all night." Mick is quite nasty here-do you think he was a little jilted by someone?

Alas, my journey was complete and I stepped into a 3+ hour meeting with my head buzzing about growing up with classic rock on the radio and all of the positive memories associated with it. Good thing I didn't have to do any presentations and lose where my head was at...

Top Ten Labrador Flavors

2009-11-21T10:40:00.002-05:00

This is an homage to the dog-earred copy of "David Letterman's Book of Top Ten Lists" that my sister and I struggled mightily to share back in the early 90's...

BTW, it's good to be back, so expect a flurry of postings to make up for lost time.

Top Ten Labrador Flavors

10. Rocky Road Lab
9. Vanilla Lab
8. Sugar-Free Strawberry Lab
7. Mountain Dew Code Red Lab
6. Blueberry Lab
5. Banana Lab
4. Acai Berry Lab
3. Raspberry Lab
2. Mango Lab
1. Chocolate Lab

Return to U of M Deaborn

2009-10-21T21:41:00.004-04:00

On November 1, 2008, I went to the nature study area of U of M Dearborn in order to take some fall-colored pictures. Though I liked the results, I wanted to get a little more green the next time I visited there in the fall. As a result, I went a full two weeks prior to the 2009 anniversary of my last pictures in order to capture a little more chlorophyll this time. To my slight dismay, there was too much green this time around despite growing in what I felt was a pretty mild summer. Regardless, I was a true professional and made the best of what I could do.

One of the more interesting observations from every visit I make here is how few people actually come here. Specifically, I was there for more than 2 hours and, outside of the minions of birds, squirrels, and ducks that I pissed off walking near their favorite lounges, I saw all of two people walking around on what was a fairly nice and sunny day. If you haven't been there, you don't know what you are missing...

Wildflowers, not Sunflowers

2009-10-08T20:53:00.004-04:00

As a bookend to my Ford's sunflower shooting, I visited a small city park near Ford Field downtown Dearborn with my camera in tow. While the real reason for my visit to this park was to find a bathroom (i.e. 32 oz of water and a 12 oz can of Coke Zero clearly have a lot of liquid between them) I was surprised at some of the flowers around a pond and took pictures of them, happily relieved of my bladder pressure after finding well, a secluded area next to a bush. Slight shame aside, I was happy with the results.

PS: September was as fruitful month as I have ever had for pictures. Maybe it has something to do with all of the changes in my life? Hmmmmmm...

Sunflowers

2009-10-04T15:29:00.006-04:00

When living in Dearborn, MI from 2004 through 2005, I noticed that Ford (known as Ford's in some circles) World Headquarters had a nice bloom of sunflowers each fall that presented a great photo opportunity. I took some pictures of these in late 2005 but I figured I would spend a little more time there a few weeks ago and try to let my pictures do the talking. If you feel comfortable, please have a conversation with the pictures below if they talk to you enough...

Random Thoughts Part XII

2009-09-28T22:15:00.003-04:00

While there is a slight pause in the photography action due to my delay in releasing some pictures from over the weekend, my mind has been tirelessly working in order to bring you the random thoughts presented below...

1. I think the true test of intelligence isn't some standard or typical measure like a score from a SAT, ACT, GMAT, LSAT, GRE, or other IQ assessment, rather a four-way stop sign. Next time, look at the other drivers directly across from you and to your left and right when at a four-way stop. Assuming you don't get hit by one of these drivers, try to look at the level of confusion and ease of operation of their vehicles. I posit there is a strong correlation between the level of observable confusion and intelligence. Then again, this is something I thought of when going through a four-way stop to an cider mill in New Boston, MI while comparing it to the rolling stops seen at stoplight-less four way intersections on the north side of Chicago...

2. Speaking of correlations, I am almost sure that my living in the new downriver community has something to do with a happening I never thought possible: a proliferation of real life/human beings who look way too much like the "extras" on Beavis and Butthead. I mean, I saw a guy on the way into work last week who looked just like Todd's friend with the mustache and the mullet before seeing a woman in Meijer who looked like she was the same customer who Beavis didn't get the right order to in Burger World. While I am tipping my hand about how much I loved watching Beavis and Butthead growing up (even if I haven't subjected Dr. K to any B and B marathons) it is kind if surreal to see life imitating, well, art???

3. One of my favorite music-related websites is Pitchfork.com based on the ease of up-to-date music information (like the September 2010 Pavement reunion two-off show in Central Park that I swung and missed on for tickets last week) and decent recent and archived album reviews. That being said, the album reviews tend to be a little biased if their reviewer thinks that the band is "derivative" of anything previously done and, subsequently, rated poorly and verbally lashed and bashed in a mocking tone. I understand the point of a review is to have an opinion or point of view that may differ from my own, but these reviews tend to cross the line into the musical snobbery that turns many people off from taking chances and taking album reviews as gospel for music that they never experienced before. I know that I usually experienced new music based on decent reviews of something that sounded interesting and was rated highly so my same affection for the website is tempered by the flip side of excessive (and negative) musical criticism. As a result, if you check out the website, tell them the guy who grew up watching Beavis and Butthead sent you...

Exile from Stella and Dot

2009-09-26T18:33:00.005-04:00

On Wednesday night, Dr. K, aka "The Fiancee" (it still has a weird ring to it...) hosted a jewelry party in our residence. Seeing that A) I was male and B) they didn't have any Mr. T-style jewelry at the party, I dusted off the D60 and, with new and sublime tripod in tow-my best birthday present since my drum set in 1990, I headed for parts known and unknown, specifically trying to stay within a couple blocks of Jefferson Avenue between Downriver and downtown Detroit. Because the tripod is very easy to set up and tear down, I was able to go into some heavier areas that may or may not have involved trespassing. Because I was excited with the results and more than likely motivated by the phenomenal pictures my sister just took of her children, I posted a lot of the results below...

The Ring

2009-09-13T16:23:00.003-04:00

Without much pretense, I took some quick pictures of THE RING and posted it here. While these pictures do not do justice to the smiles, screams, tears, and other emotions accompanying "the delivery" yesterday morning in a crowded Eastern Market in front of entertained strangers through the communication of said message to close friends and family, they do give an idea of what has just transpired over this weekend...

Kentucky Daze

2009-09-04T22:22:00.002-04:00

As part of my job with the furniture rental company, I had the pleasure of attending a job fair in northern Kentucky this past week. While attending this soiree, I tried to write down any words that came to mind while either speaking or seeing the job fair attendees. Below are the results as they kind of speak for themselves...

Ponytail
Nicotine
Dickie's
Comb Over
5 to 10 O'clock Shadow
MULLET
Track Pants
Pregnant x 2
Tattoos (visible, let's not think about the non-visible ones...)
"George Michael Sports Machine" (this is no joke, one guy had this on his sweatshirt)
Lazy Eye(s)
Flip Flops
Lime Green Bandanna
Criminal Record
Flatulence
Socks and Sandals
Tie with an Airbrushed Eagle on It
Jorts
(...)

Sequencing

2009-08-29T11:17:00.003-04:00

This is from June at my family reunion prior to a tragic and near-compound ankle fracture that halted the game; A Jean is doing a lot better now. For all of my shots, I was shooting with consecutive frames to catch some of the spell-binding action of the game. Some of the results are below.

Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine

2009-08-23T20:45:00.005-04:00

The following are excerpts from images taken between Wyandotte to Royal Oak, MI to Plainfield, IL and all places in between...

This Next Message is Coming From Downriver...

2009-08-23T13:21:00.002-04:00

Today is the first time in more than one month that I have sat down with the intention of blogging. During this time period I increased my zip code by 22 and moved in with an aforementioned doctor as the next step in our progression; the next sequence for Dr. K and myself involves a band of what should be a fairly expensive metal with a dazzling piece of clear carbon attached to the top of it-I will keep everyone posted... While my writing skills are a little corroded and I am WAY behind on pictures, photoshop, etc, I am still adjusting to the new community I am living in. While a photo journal for what is known as "downriver" will come in the near future, I have included some quick observations about my new community as part of a number of random thoughts starting below.

Downriver Random Thoughts:

1. Did you ever wonder where all of the Explorers that Ford made between 1995 to 2000 ended up? Take a guess: an auction, a dealership, a salvage/junk yard, or places unknown? If you guessed any of the choices, you are wrong. ALL the late-model Ford Explorers ended up in downriver. I have officially christened them my nemesis during my morning and afternoon work commutes based on their drivers' unwavering obedience of the speed limit minus at least 5 miles per hour; a 35 in a 45 is not uncommon. Now that I am stuck behind one of these vehicles, I guess I was not in a hurry anymore...

2. I was coming up Fort Street from my weekly Ohio visit and saw on the rear end portion of the shorts of what would be a normally common-looking female riding a bicycle the words "Wild Ride." While it would be easy to simply tell you to "insert comment here," I thought this was especially ironic after a co-worker called me from Pittsburgh and told me that one of the particularly husky passerby in the airport had a shirt on that said "I'm Fun Sized." On second thought, insert two comments here.

3. Downriver needs a premium grocery store. Period. While weekly Eastern Market trips seem to minimize an at times, Chernobyl-era produce selection in the surrounding grocery stores, only a couple speciality stores and a hit-or-miss Meijer ease the pain I have of memories of walking into expansive fresh food sections of grocery stores in lower zip codes of months past.

4. Despite all of this, I feel like the people are nicer than I imagined, even if they drive a little slow and don't mind eating canned fruits and vegetables more than I would like to. After living in the land of bike-wheel strollers, turtlenecks in July, and Utopian families spawned by dual U of M brands, getting real isn't a bad thing at this point...

Non-Downriver Random Thoughts:

1. Corn Nuts are my #1 junk food weakness. This always seems to hit me when I am driving and get within eye shot of a 7-11 or convenience store. I mean, once you hit the Corn Nuts section, you have too many delicious choices to name-chili lime, ranch, barbecue, and original! As long as I am not forced into purchasing the nacho cheese/carcinogen flavored-nuggets of gold, I am a happy camper after my Corn Nuts purchase, even if my pants get a little bit of flavored Corn Nuts dust on them; I will get napkins next time.

2. In attending the Woodward Cruse a couple weekends ago, I wondered how many people either driving their cars on the ave or sitting on the curb referred to themselves as "car buffs?" The over/under is 100,000, place your bets now.

3. It's good to be back online. I have made some changes in my style considering the move I made, but it was something that felt natural to do and feels natural today, finally unpacked with pictures hanging on the wall, LAN line hooked back in to my archaic desktop. Ironically, Dr. K is not here right now and it doesn't feel right to be sitting here alone, even if I have Jeff Tweedy signing behind me via iTunes and the constant hum of the air conditioner outside my window to add noise and action into a quieter-than-usual place...

Objects and Faces from Recently Visited Places

2009-07-23T19:19:00.005-04:00

Our weekend trip to the Grand to the Rapids was memorable as usual, involving no less than good family company, multiple 3 year-old meltdowns, and one memorable display of public (albeit, ballsy) urination by aforementioned 3 year-old. While I am in a time pinch as I post this (meaning I cannot crop some of the pictures via Photoshop) you get to see the raw results of everything...

Pure Poetry

2009-07-18T21:48:00.003-04:00

Spending today in Grand Rapids at one special nieces' birthday, I was able to take a lot of decent pictures (more to come on them later) but also of the note was that I was able to hear one heck of a cover band, sounds flowing through the trees from a party down the street, one that is covering "Stairway to Heaven" right now. Earlier, the song listed below was covered to 11 in my mind, using some of the best lyrics known to man. As a favor, I bolded my favorite portions of the unadulterated poetry; I may be biased, but see for yourself below...

Loverboy - Working For The Weekend Lyrics

Everyone's watching, to see what you will do
Everyone's looking at you, oh
Everyone's wondering, will you come out tonight
Everyone's trying to get it right, get it right

Everybody's working for the weekend
Everybody wants a little romance
Everybody's goin' off the deep end
Everybody needs a second chance, oh
You want a piece of my heart
You better start from start
You wanna be in the show
Come on baby lets go

Everyone's looking to see if it was you
Everyone wants you to come through
Everyone's hoping it'll all work out
Everyone's waiting they're holding out

Everybody's working for the weekend
Everybody wants a little romance
Everybody's goin' off the deep end
Everybody needs a second chance, oh
You want a piece of my heart
You better start from start
You wanna be in the show
Come on baby lets go

(quick break)

You want a piece of my heart
You better start from start
You wanna be in the show
Come on baby lets go

You want a piece of my heart
You better start from start
You wanna be in the show
Come on baby lets go

That's right.

Return from Offline

2009-07-15T19:16:00.002-04:00

Basically, it has been a while since I have sat down to write anything on the good old blog and today really isn’t an exception considering I am writing this on my laptop while riding in the back seat of a Saturn (pronounced Sat-turn, not Sat-tur-in, I am working on this) Outlook on westbound I-94, passing Exit 112. While I have already halted my hunger by way of a small bag of Corn Nuts at a truck stop, today looks to be a lot of driving book-ending the spending of 1 ½ hours at Kalamazoo Airport. In other words, today is one of those days you want work to end quickly-if I was only in Wyandotte right now…

Basically, I put my last entry 20 days ago, which seems like one large hiatus given my self-regulated at-least-one-a-week entry schedule. I still have a lot of pictures to post (more to come on that later) but have been tied up with a number of activities while spending the majority of my time 31 miles from Plymouth. In order to change it up a little, I will simply list random activities in no chronological order with highlighted associated with each activity.

(Date: Highlight)

7/4/09: Visiting Gaylord/Grayling, playing my first game of disc golf by way of 18 holes (is that what you call them?) played down Boyne Mountain; this was all surprisingly fun and challenging.

6/29/09: Sonic Youth at Royal Oak Music Theatre, enjoying all non-Kim Gordon songs while accompanied by one special individual who dealt with ear-splitting feedback and childish rants from the stage with grace and, as always, exceptional and striking beauty, all wrapped in jeans and a red and white-dotted shirt; I owe her one…

7/1/09: Listening to “Swoon” by Silversun Pickups, repeated songs include “The Royal We,” “Surrounding (or Spiraling),” and “Substitution.”

6/28/09: Swimming in a private pool in Royal Oak, honing by decrepit skills at basketball via a pitiful 16 for 109 day (14.6%) of shooting from the field. Did I mention that I am white?

7/7/09: Tigers vs. Kansas City at Comerica, including semi-free beverages (Summer Shandy, et al) in the Tiger Den, shortly followed by the splitting of one Coney dog with everything and chili fry at Lafayette Coney Island.

7/14/09: Haircut, longer gray hairs be damned, at least temporarily…

7/12/09: Five hours at the Plymouth Art Fair, including the purchase of a wrought iron (pronounced I-yearn, not aye-run, though pronunciation is still a work in progress) though my grilled split-chicken breasts earn a self-anointed second place.

6/26/09: Listening to “The Eternal” by Sonic Youth during my weekly Cleveland excursion, with repeated songs including “No Way,” “Antenna,” and “Malibu Gas Station.”

7/8/09: A stroll through the Wyandotte Art Fair, inclusive of a purchase of a large framed photo that I will more than likely steal ideas from in the future as it hangs on the wall.

7/15/09: Listening to “Wilco (The Album)” by, you guessed it, Wilco, on the drive to work, playing “Bull Black Nova” 2 ½ times in a row on my 20 minute commute.

While this has not been one of my best entries, I feel like I am working the kinks out for future insignificant thoughts. On the other hand, I could write more, but we are backing into our spot at the Kalamazoo International Airport. Let me know if you need any souvenirs from here…

End: 11:43 AM

Start: 10:56 AM

The First Go-Around of Fireworks

2009-06-25T19:05:00.004-04:00

Being invited by a certain someone to watch the Detroit fireworks from the 5th floor of a parking garage in mid-town last night, I took my first attempt at taking some decent firework pictures, shooting with my 200 mm zoom at night. While I took 97 pictures, 16 of them turned out acceptable in my mind, meaning I am batting .165 at the major league level; I will be demoted to AAA ball in Toledo after I finish this posting. Seriously, I was a little peeved that the Detroit Tigers decided to leave the Comerica Park lights on for the entire night, giving me a convenient source of light pollution underneath the fireworks but this was my first attempt at long-range night shooting. Next time, I will get a little closer and bring a tripod. Regardless, the results are below.

The Camp Fire, Uncut

2009-06-16T18:09:00.002-04:00

Last weekend was a memorable one as I spent close to 41 hours with the family whose last name matches the number of immediate family members. Despite some of the speed bumps that occurred during said 41 hours (including ankle fractures, a Red Wings loss, and crying infants) I was able to take a lot of pictures. As a taste, some of the camp fire pictures are below, all produced naturally, without the use of Photoshop...

The Path Becomes Clearer...

2009-06-11T11:43:00.004-04:00

As another short story entry in a first person perspective, this may or may not be a true story-you do the math and arithmetic...

The path has become clearer. She looks at me differently than she first did, studying my face with more of an attention to detail than she had during the initial meetings under dimmed lights and across hardwood tables. Under each session at the mercy of her eyes, smiles suddenly appear from nowhere while thoughts halt as excitement enters my eyes, eyebrows arching with anticipation. Her face is way past optional to me now, becoming essential to view in my daily process of waking up for a job that seems less than critical than it used to. Leaving the warmth of sleep despite loud early AM reminders of the Mon-Fri life is more of an undertaking as I survey her face, eyes lightly closed, lips slightly parted while slightly upturned, leading my gaze down to her body, intertwined in soft-tone sheets, curled up on it's side, one leg exposed with knees bent, feet slowly moving at the rhythm of her calm breathing. Like a cold winter morning, the outside of this fortress seems much more cold and inhuman than it ever used to. Why do I have to leave this 5 out of 7 days a week?

Other developments flow positively as well, as the streets have become more recognizable as I familiarize myself with communities south of the big city, driving in the shadows of old and current industrial monsters, smokestacks either adhering to a six packs-a-day habit or going cold turkey, way past hypnosis or the chewing of drug-laced, mint-flavored squares. She tells me less and less where to turn in order to find my way back home as I navigate perpendicular streets with ease in my rental vehicle, floating on a feeling that never has been felt before. Despite this familiarity, I sometimes come across difficulty driving with said individual, easily lost in her hair, smile, and eyes while I try to make 90-degree turns in major intersections with a left hand on the steering wheel, the right hand being absolutely occupied in a emotional grasp with the left hand of the number one source of equal parts excitement, inspiration, dreaming, and anticipation for every single neuron in my brain, suddenly awake after long periods of inactivity.

The past several weeks have brought both of us laughter, smiles, tears, and innocence, all wrapped up in a convenient package for both of us to enjoy for infinite periods, suddenly unable to look at each day when we are not together in some shape, way, or form. Endless phone conversations have given way to 8 week strings of face-to-face contact, exploring portions of each of our psyches that were previously never shared with another human being. The nervousness is long gone while the thoughts are suddenly 100% forward-looking, all in stark contrast to past lives lived in thick clouds of doubt, apprehension, and an overall belief in the true validity of love.

I am not asking where this will go.

I know where this is going.

I am only asking for this to never end.

May 23, 2009: Behind the Scenes of The Wedding

2009-05-26T21:14:00.005-04:00

5/23/09 was the day of all days, one which saw one member of NFC North, Brad, take the plizzunge into marriage. While I was more than privileged to be an usher in the wedding, I tried to take the opportunity to take a lot of the behind the scenes pictures, some of which turned out to be more interesting than one would have originally thought. Regardless, a good time was had by all and nobody lost an eye or a leg while playing around. Sunday morning headaches be damned, it was all worth it. Enjoy.

The 2006 Cicada Killer Infestation of the North Side of Chicago Revisited

2009-05-16T08:23:00.002-04:00

This morning has been unusually serene for me so far, given I woke up early, ate a fruit and fiber-laden breakfast, and am drinking enough coffee for two college students pulling an all-nighter studying for an exam. The preceding work week ended on an uplifting note as I attended a wonderful Wings victory in game 7 on Thursday night with close friends after visiting Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Cleveland in the days prior, all supplementing my constant contact with a certain CMU grad who successfully met the family plus parents and their culinary works of art, smiling through it all... The funniest thing about my predicament as of the last month and a half is that I have to find other sources of creativity given I have been so happy during this time period. Before, I would work out any residual angst, stress, etc. through something creative and found that it worked well. Now (and because this level of happiness has not been visited before by any lobe of my brain) I really don't have these residuals, my mind is relaxed, enjoying the small things that previously passed it's attention, like the quality of cinnamon and raisin biscuits from Hardees (remember this before elementary school Chris?) while road tripping for work or how much I like sharing things with the right people that were previously left solitary or private. Maybe I will think of something negative like Jimmy Buffett, Brett Michaels' hair plug/bandanna combo, or the state's unemployment rate in order to drive some of the old creativity. On the other hand, I always will have coffee though I want to share it with someone else now...

Anyways, to start this entry off like a Bob Seger song, (i.e. "this is back from 72, it's a song about being on the road," cue saxophone right now) this is back from 2006 when I called 926 W. George St, Chicago, IL 60657 home. During this particularly hot summer, magnified by the presence of only a window-hanging air conditioning unit in my third floor apartment, the frequent trips outside of my building started to become hair-raising adventures due to the constant and aggressively dense presence of large (i.e. 2-3 inches [!]) wasps in the small ten square feet of grass and dirt in between the building and sidewalk. While I can be pretty hearty, I am not good around hornets/wasps as most people aren't, especially since I don't subscribe to the theory that you call any flying insect with a stinger a "bee" and not the proper hornet or wasp that can sting you multiple times in anger before you have a chance to at least swear or take God's name in vain before swatting or running away. Regardless, my outdoor trips started to become little planned exercises of my best 10yard sprints from the door of my building through 20 feet of the surrounding sidewalks, like of like you might do when you have to run to your car in the pouring rain without an umbrella. Also, I tried confronting my fears by simply walking through the gauntlet of bees, er, wasps/hornets, subscribing to the whole hornets/wasps can smell fear, even if these wasps were not afraid to investigate my ears, hair, and eyes at close distances to their compound eyes. Either way, I was flustered but had to come up with a solution.

Because I had several first-hand and close-up looks at these insects, I decided to revert back to my college days (no, not growing a stupid-looking goatee and wearing over sized clothes) and research the type of stinging insect this was. After a few searches, I came across the term Cicada Killer and read up on what it was all about, including measurements, likes (long walks on the beach), dislikes (slow drivers, duh!), and more importantly, the potency and likelihood of this large hornet stinging me when I walked past with a full laundry basket and a garbage bag. To my surprise, I read about how this insect was not aggressive with humans and didn't even have a stinger. On the other hand, I was not sure how much I believed this all, considering the name "Cicada Killer," the presence of a "sharp barb attached to it's abdomen" in place of a stinger, and the description sounding something like "robust wasp." I also read how they burrowed into the ground and used the burrows of cicada's (another insect, another blog entry later) as their home, explaining their Hong Kong-like population on the small patch of grass in front of my apartment. Being more informed, my fear of an attack and being North America's only known Cicada Killer casualty lessened though each visit outside was punctuated by a sharp spike in blood pressure and the repeating thoughts of docile-no stinger-no fear, docile-no-stinger-no fear. I was obviously making progress. Below is the link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_cicada_killer

Being the good tenant that I am, I called the landlord or a family member of the landlord during all of the commotion; I figured that other tenants of our building were facing the same issues as me as I do not remember any of them being bee keepers or ever sporting a beard of bees during my 15 months in the building. Seeing it was an emergency, I called the cell phone listed on my 10-page rental agreement with the intention of keeping it real while telling the landlord about a most-concerning issue. After a couple rings, the phone was picked up by a younger woman who I had not met before who was obviously at the beach on what was a nice warm day based on the sounds in the back ground. Below is the official transcript of our phone conversation:

Evil Landlord: "Hello!?!?!?"
Me: "Hi, this is Ian C. from 926 W. George St; I wanted to call to tell you that there are a swarm of giant wasps in front of our building."
Evil Landlord: (in anger, not concern) "Oh God!" (crescendo of laughter and the sound of a beer bottle being opened in the background)
Me: "Yeah, I figured that you should know because I haven't been stung but someone else may have been already."
Evil Landlord: "I'll have someone look at it."
Me: "Well, OK, thanks a lot"
Evil Landlord: "OK!?!?!?!"

(phone call ends)

Knowing my issue was now in hands more than likely covered with Coppertone, Corona, and lime juice, I knew that the sharp barbs of the robust wasps were no match for me now, meaning that my sprints from the door became a brisk jog combined with intense life coach-like focus. As the summer dissipated and the temperature dropped, the wasps slowly receded, and the snow eventually covered the wasps' apartment in front of my apartment. What did I learn from all of this? Well, I learned that not all wasps are created equal and that you shouldn't call generation Z landlord daughters on their cell phones on a sunny summer Sunday.

Life lesson learned?

Lyrics to "Yearnin" by The Black Keys

2009-05-06T19:29:00.003-04:00

This is a new favorite of mine that sounds even better given my current doctor-recommended state of mind. I loved it when I first heard it but felt like it sounded so classic that I thought it had to be a cover. To my surprise, it was an original from The Black Keys off of their wonderful first album. As always, you should check it out and potentially smile like I am right now...

"Yearnin’"

Said I want you here with me
darling I need you,
can you see I got the yearnin’
We've all day, I want your love
your special way
I love, I love your smile
oh darlin’ don't you drive me wild

I heard you call my name and
I was callin’ just the same
And I want you by my side
I'm yearning
I can't deny you got a hold, a hold on me
Oh darling don't you let me leave
And I want you here with me,
darling I need you
Can't you see I got the yearnin'
We've all day, I want your love
your special way
I love, I love your smile
Oh darling don't you drive me wild
Oh baby what I would do for one minute
alone with you
You got me trembling way down inside
And your love I just can't hide
Darling I need you, woohoo!
Darling I need you

A Solution to a Previously Unexpected Situation

2009-05-05T17:15:00.002-04:00

Today is Cinco de Mayo. In other words it is another day similar to St. Patrick's Day in which normally culturally-insensitive types suddenly find lineage into a previously unexplored ancestry in order to allow them the comfort of binge drinking. Just as all of the 3% of Irish comes out in Joe Kowalski on March 17, many individuals will suddenly want to go to a Mexican restaurant other than Taco Bell so they can immerse themselves in an alcohol-saturated Hispanic bliss. As far as I am concerned, I don't subscribe to this way of thinking; I am only going to the Tigers game tonight wearing a sombrero and drinking only Corona at the game...

As of today, "The Streak" has been 18 days in a row and counting of face-to-face contact with Dr. K with no foreseeable end in sight. Things have been ideal to say the least, with the both of us canvasing the streets named after trees in one riverside community to the other side of town where a quaint downtown are populated with U of M grads pushing bike-wheel strollers while not being afraid to wear a turtleneck or North Face fleece in the dead heat of summer. As far as some of the side-effects of "The Streak" are concerned, they are all palatable and worth it. Some of them are listed below:

-Horrendous cell phone bills
-Fatigued facial muscles and resulting crooked smiles
-Excessive planning of future events
-Excessive sharing of thoughts, words, endless gazes, and comfortable silence
-Lack of attentiveness at work due to daydreaming
-Lack of sleep (in my case, this also includes Vince Vaughn-like bags underneath my eyes)

On the other hand, the positives far out way the side effects. They are also listed below:

-Fatigued facial muscles and resulting crooked smiles
-Excessive planning of future events
-Excessive sharing of thoughts, words, endless gazes, and comfortable silence
-Everything is enhanced; i.e. food tastes better, music sounds more lucid, laughter is harder, etc, etc, etc...
-Hands and fingers remain intertwined at all available intervals, in addition to touching knees at dinner or wrapping arms around shoulders and waists when applicable
-Words previously not used in normal day-to-day vocabulary are suddenly used with regularity

All of this being said, I have been thinking that the biggest adversary of Dr. K and myself has been the basic human need for sleep combined with the fact that there has not been enough time in the day for the both of us to enjoy. As a result, my proposal today is to suggest a move to Alaska so we can enjoy "The Land of the Midnight Sun," where, seasons providing, the sun shines for 24 hours in a row. My theory is that our need for sleep will not be related to the sun going up or down, giving us more time in the day. This way, we can work side-by-side on the Alaska pipeline, argue as a team against a surly captain on "The Deadliest Catch," or follow each other in 18-Wheelers over the frozen lakes as a new career choice.

How does that sound? I have to apologize if this doesn't sound rational because I haven't been getting too much sleep lately. Like I said before, it is really difficult to sleep when you are smiling and looking forward to everything that comes next...

The Limo

2009-04-27T20:00:00.003-04:00

As expected, Brad's bachelor party was a big hit in the suburbs on Saturday 4/25. The company was good, the beer plentiful, and the conversation was messy at best. From my vantage point at the back of the limo, I got several shots of the Motley Crue-style decadence, sans spoons, needles, and Nikki Sixx. While there will more than likely be more to come, below is a taste of the colour and shape of the night...

Touchdowns and Botanical Gardens

2009-04-27T19:36:00.004-04:00

Based on the recent gap in my blog postings, I am undergoing a study on the correlation between the presence of a certain someone in the United States and my blogging frequency. While I have always been told that a correlation does not imply causation, I would like to beg to differ with this theory as I cannot feel the ground since I got "the call" after Air France touched down on Saturday, April 18 around 4:13PM with the one thing I could not be physically and emotionally without for any longer. Since the aforementioned touchdown, my blood pressure has dropped, my cheekbones and facial muscles started hurting again, and I have gotten back to my lack-of-sleep-is-good-sleep routine again. On other words, it was just what the doctor ordered, no pun intended.

In order to pass the time before Air France granted my week-long wish, I took a trip to the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Conservatory in Ann Arbor on Saturday to pass the time. Below is a little taste of the flowers in the early-morning sun and Dunkin Donuts coffee...

The Garage and Half-Circle

2009-04-17T18:19:00.003-04:00

OK, I have made it close to one week without Dr. K and am having borderline withdrawal symptoms presently, delusional in hoping to pull a Mike J. Fox and take a stainless-steel Delorean into the future, specifically tomorrow around 4:30PM when an Airbus A330 will land from Paris, carrying a certain someone who my mind has been painfully occupied with for one of the longest weeks I have endured, unable to speak or gaze into the eyes of the reason why my normally circular orbit has been spinning out of control. In the meantime, I will sit here staring at the clock in an attempt to intimidate it into moving faster into tomorrow afternoon and beyond; it is going to be one hell of a staring match.

This picture is one of my favorites of my top-notch family; it has to be around 15 years old but captures the whole family/male bonding thing perfectly. In essence, this is five close brothers, two closer brother-in-laws, grilled meat, and Old Milwaukee. In other words, it is perfect...

Easter Re-Revisited

2009-04-14T19:18:00.005-04:00

As with most holidays, there are numerous traditions associated with an Ian C. Easter, including the requisite egg coloring, ham, a visit to Grandma's house, a visit to Grandma's basement, the adult easter egg hunt, and the omnipresent bunny cake. Below are some of my takes on these traditional items, some of which have a twist.

"Coloring"

"The Hunt"

"The Basement"

Holy Saturday in the D

2009-04-12T12:48:00.002-04:00

Today is Easter Sunday. After a great Polish-style brunch with family, I am letting my stomach slowly digest all of the processed pork products (i.e. Kowalski sausage) while I slam water in an attempt to stop my body's saline content from becoming The Dead Sea. At brunch, the food was good, the conversation great, and the coffee (Maxwell House-What???) was surprisingly hearty. Oh yeah, due to my heightened emotional state (see last post, re-read, spin, and enjoy) everything seems to be better-the sun is brighter, smiles are bigger, stories are richer, and the laughter is fortified. On the other hand, I am sad because Dr. K is out of the country for six days and change (is it 4:30PM Saturday yet?) so I will attempt to stay busy so my mind cannot wander into thinking about a person I want to be close to despite her being thousands of miles away. At least I still need to do my taxes...

Holy Saturday for me was an enjoyable experience, full of all of the wonderful things that a city that can match all that close friends and family offered me yesterday. After an enjoyable Opening Day experience, free of the normal over-exertion pitfalls of a marathon party session of years past, I was prepared for another Tigers Saturday afternoon game. Prior to going downtown, I grabbed my camera and headed over to the parents for Easter egg coloring. While I took some decent pictures (more to come later on this) I had fun doing one of the traditional things I do with my Mom around the holidays, coloring two dozen eggs in the process. Around 12:30PM, I headed downtown and parked at the Leeland Hotel-$5 parking for game days, what a deal!-before walking into the game.

U Dave met me at the seats during the first inning, where we spoke about memories, observations, and laughed all along the way. The game was a good one and the weather cooperated for the most part, a stiff wind on a clear, sunny day withstanding. Sitting in the seats with U Dave, sipping a beverage, and talking like friends would despite our familial relationship (he being my Dad's youngest brother) I realized there was nowhere else I wanted to be at that moment, feeling alive and human all along the nine innings of lucidity and realness.

After a quick stop at Rusty's house, Geoff, Rusty, and I went downtown to the Magic Stick to see Lucero, a band that Geoff had seen down in Florida. While I have never heard their music, Geoff mentioned that they were considered "The Replacements of country-rock," meaning I was hooked immediately. He also talked about how he actually hung out with the band and that they were good people, hard partying and all. The opening act, Titus Adroginicus I believe, was kind of a bust, as their sound was all over the place and the music was as sloppy as the lead singer's spastic movements. On top of it all, the lead singer openly petitioned the crowd near the end of the show that the band had nowhere to stay that night and would appreciate some more of the "Michigan hospitality" as a place to stay for the night; I can't say I have heard this happen before...

Regardless, after a short break, Lucero took the stage with a rough but spit-shined set of up-tempo rock and roll with a little bit of a southern feel. Most of the songs were of the typical country/southern rock topics, a la heartbreak, drinking too much, dead relatives, etc, but their performance had what the opening act lacked-real passion, looseness, and a sound that actually breathed. I knew I was having a good time with this band that I had never heard of prior to this night because I wasn't checking my watch and I wasn't humming or thinking of Pavement songs in my head (usually "Texas Never Whispers" or "Shoot the Singer") while they played. On top of the band, the crowd was locked in tune with every song, singing along, spraying water, and even crowd surfing during the almost 2-hour set. As I was sitting there watching this all take place in front of me, next to two close friends that have seen me at my best, worst, and all places in between, I felt a twinge and realized I started to feel chills on my arms and neck; I knew I was hooked. The show ended around 12:35AM but I could have handled more of the experience, watching the crowd mingle before leaving the cramped upstairs stage area, all pausing in a sort of post-orgasmic afterglow, smoking cigarettes and laying in bed, heads rested on pillows not next to significant others, rather a band that sounded as human as they looked.

I think I have some new albums to buy now...

Inspiration, Et Cetera

2009-04-08T19:56:00.003-04:00

This week has been conveniently arranged as a four-day work week due to my taking of Friday off for Opening Day. While the Catholics are upset the Tigers are playing during the holiest of all holy times on Good Friday, I will make sure to have a good time, sans hot dogs or any other processed meat products. Do they serve fish at Comerica Park???

Without making a over-inflated generalization, life can be real funny. Specifically, I have recently been overtaken by feelings and thoughts that I thought were dormant and/or non-existent, hibernating under six feet of snow during a long two-year winter, full of stale air howling from Minnesota by way of Chicago, all before hitting me square in the jaw in my suburban home. Like any prize fighter, I can take a punch or 63, but I was getting more used to taking punches after a string of neurotic dating encounters, brimming with individual idiosyncrasies that made my head spin while I reached for the Advil after a humble ride home from each encounter.

While I can spare the extensive details about what has happened, I unexpectedly met a certain someone (we can refer to her as Dr. K, aka Dwight Gooden, one of the best pitchers of the 1980's; she may have a mid-90's fastball, but I haven't gotten in the batters box against her yet to verify this) who triggered a release of energy and inspiration that was previously un-tapped or at least forgotten from years of inactivity. I have gotten little sleep over the past week, spent running up phone bills or on marathon five hour conversations in person, probing deep into thoughts, words, and micro-facial expressions that I previously never cared to notice. I have been seduced by her wit and intellect, all quickly and logically explained to me with a smoky voice underneath piercing green eyes that intensely squint when making a point or a joke, allowing for a laser-like focus that penetrates my adult facade, causing me to regress into a 10 year-old boy who is peeking at his first crush on the school bus, face red from embarrassment, heart pounding faster and faster, naive and innocent from the past or future. Now, my head is spinning but I am not reaching for Advil, unless I must use it to numb the pain that resides in my cheekbones and face from smiling so much.*

*This specific comment, on top of the entire passage here, merits at least one ass-kicking from the male friends, including NFC North, the kings of non-professional casual wrestling. Please submit an Outlook meeting invite for times and dates during the next week. No weapons are allowed.

For example, I drove into the mid-morning sun on the way to Cleveland this morning, watching it bury itself into a light sheet of clouds as it rose on the horizon. As I watched this unfold on the Turnpike which I previously aired by blues on, I sang along with every song on the iPod like a intoxicated tourist in a mid-America Margaritaville before being kicked out by the Hawaiian shirt-clad waitstaff claiming that my singing was a disgrace to the Jimmy Buffet Corporation. Coffee certainly helps, but more than caffeine had penetrated by brain this morning.

Where will this go? Only time will tell but the past week has been much more than simply memorable. Because of this, the term that we have christened this is "outrageously incredible," patent application to follow next week. Additionally, tonight was a night I could get a little more sleep due to some late hockey games. Instead, I am finishing this entry at 2:15AM after creating two separate CD's of music that I think Dr. K will like when she is warming up before her next scheduled start against the Phillies. I told her that it is much easier to sleep with a smile on your face and she agrees, though neither of us know much about adequate sleep lately.

I don't care-I can sleep later. In the meantime, I just want to lay here staring at the ceiling, smiling different than I have smiled before...

Frankenmuth + 284 Pictures: The Introduction

2009-03-29T12:41:00.002-04:00

Before I get into the posting, I will start with two items:

1. The MLP Stars, the real deal of all beer league hockey teams of which I am a member of, won our league championship on Wednesday night with a 6-4 victory. Not only did we come back from a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-five series to win three games to two, we won with style for miles and miles. During this run, our team was loose all the way and even had time to identify a theme song for our season-"Lick It Up" by Kiss. Before games, we would play it in the locker room and even quote some of the lyrics ("it ain't a crime to be good to yourself" and "you gotta live like you're on vacation" being two of the stalwarts) as gospel. As far as the entire September-to-March season goes, I can honestly say that I have never had this much fun with a quality group of cats. I can't wait to wear my 2008-2009 league champions pullover with pride...

2. Simply put, I have drank way too much coffee this morning. I kind of feel like that scene in Boogie Nights where Heather Graham and Julianne Moore are ingesting a certain powdery, illegal substance through their noses and exclaim that they never ever want to leave the room that they are in. While I have been productive enough this AM via my two loads of laundry, I don't think the general public is ready for the "extreme caffinated" version of me. This is especially true considering all I want to do is talk at 500 Miles Per Hour and not listen to anyone else talking while my brain hums like an over-worked air conditioner in a Phoenix-area retirement community, all with my jaw clenched like I stepped on a bed of rusty nails but forgot to get my tetanus shot ten years ago. I sound way too much like Chuck Klosterman right now...

Regardless, yesterday was a very productive photo day as I visited Frankenmuth and, more importantly, Bronner's. I never visited Bronner's before this fall when my boss and I went to the store so he could pick up an item for his daughter for Christmas. I was amazed by the size of this Christmas: All Day, Every Week, All Year store and the large amount of repeating patterns of ornaments concerning a wide range of themes. Being obsessed with patterns in my photography, I knew I had to re-visit this place with my camera in tow. Two hours and 284 pictures later after yesterday's adventure, I have enough material that I will post over the course of a couple entries, one as patterns, the other as faces.

Below is a taste:

Bronner's: The Patterns

2009-03-29T12:28:00.002-04:00

Bronner's: The Faces

2009-03-29T12:21:00.004-04:00

The Senseless Stunted Growth of Potatoes

2009-03-21T13:27:00.005-04:00

The bad news was that I left some potatoes in my cupboard a little longer than I would like. The good news is that I was inspired to take the pictures before I took my first sip of coffee and that these potatoes were peeled, cut, boiled, and blended with milk, sour cream, rosemary, salt, and pepper into a delicious side of mashed potatoes. I am worried about posting these pictures, though, as PETP (People for the Ethical Treatment of Potatoes) will more than likely protest my blog and burn down my apartment in an act of eco-terrorism due to my senseless killing of still-growing potatoes. Mom and Dad, it was nice knowing you...

Fri-Sat-Sun in Motion: The Cliff's Notes Version

2009-03-16T22:04:00.007-04:00

Below is a time line from 12 noon on Friday through 8:30PM Sunday. After reading, please understand why my energy level was somewhat compromised today...

Friday, March 13, 2009, 12 Noon: Lunch at the Grand Rapids Airport in the Home Turf Sports Grill, complete with an over-priced chicken quesadilla (sorry God, Jesus, etc, I broke a Lenten Friday!) in between informal employee meetings.

Highlight: The manager I held the meetings with butchering the same cliche over and over again in front of each employee, stating "The only stupid question is the one that goes unanswered..." as opposed to "The only stupid question is the one that is not asked."

Friday, March 13, 2009, 7:30PM: Return to Plymouth from Grand Rapids after a two hour drive.

Highlight: Mint Chocolate Three Musketeers Bar from a supermarket in Portland, MI.

Friday, March 13, 2009, 9:20 PM: After waiting a short time for a table, we sit down for dinner at the vibrant Woodbridge Pub. The vibe was nice and the food was good, including a spinach/artichoke/brie pizza, pasta primavera, and a barley/portabella vegetarian soup.

Highlight: Definitely the food. Period.

Friday, March 13, 2009, 11:00 PM: Take a seat at the horseshoe-shaped bar at Motor City Brewing Works.

Highlight: The unique beer. Where did all of the time go tonight???

Saturday, March 14, 2009, 12:15 PM: After depositing an unexpected bonus check into savings, I pick up Big Ian C, then his girlfriend and sister for a trip to Eastern Market.

Highlight: I had some pretty good music playing on the trip down I-94.

Saturday, March 14, 2009, 1:00 PM: After a 45 second wait, brunch at Russell Street Deli. The four of us had the majority on a table of six, though the patrons were friendly while sugar, cream, and preserves were passed freely between everyone seated at the table.

Highlight: A turkey, tomato, and provolone omelet with phenomenal toast-where does it come from?

Saturday, March 14, 2009, 2:30 PM: After some quick shopping in a condensed and sweetened Eastern Market shed 5, a trip to the Avalon Bakery (the originator of the phenomenal toast) complete with purchases for the road.

Highlight: I wasn't hungry after the omelet, but the spinach and artichoke focaccia with mint, garlic, and onion looked too good to pass up; it is kind of hard to eat when you are driving, though.

Saturday, March 14, 2009, 4:15 PM: Dearborn Music visit is completed, including a purchase of the first two Black Keys albums, Dan Auerbach's solo debut, and a used album of "Heroes" by David Bowie.

Highlight: I have been too busy to listen to the discs yet, but David Bowie sure looks good on my wall right now. Thanks for the album picture frame Chris!

Saturday, March 14, 2009, 5:00 PM: Return home after a long day of driving, eating, buying, and talking.

Highlight: A 2 hour nap.

Saturday, March 14, 2009, 8:00 PM: Game 3 in a best of 3 playoff semi-finals series between my MLP Stars versus Tyme Landscaping at Redford Ice Arena.

Highlight: A 2-0 victory along with a celebratory Blue Light; onto the finals we go.

Sunday, March 15, 2009, 11:00 AM: Meet Phil, fresh from a red-eye flight from Phoenix that got him in at the cozy time of 5:30 AM, in front of the old train station on Michigan Avenue for the 4 Mile Corktown/St. Patricks Day Run. After much chaos, I get my green shirt, pin my number to my body, and crank up my specially designed iPod playlist for the race; I start with "West End Girls" by the Pet Shop Boys. No comments please, as this is one of my top three one-hitters from the 80's, side by side with "Voices Carry" by Til' Tuesday and "Boys of Summer" by Don Henley.

Highlight: 4 Miles in 33 Minutes and 9 Seconds. Believe it.

Sunday, March 15, 2009, 1:00 PM: After decompressing following the race and consuming an apple, banana, water, and 1 1/2 free beers provided by the race, Phil and I walk the Michigan Avenue St. Patrick's parade route.

Highlight: Absolute public intoxication, free display of open intoxicants, and some of the best people watching north of the Ft. Lauderdale Hard Rock Casino at 3AM in the morning during November 2007. The best shirt I saw was "Fight Me, I'm Irish." I did see a few Larry Bird jerseys but did not hear any House of Pain, though.

Sunday, March 15, 2009, 3:45 PM: After a quick stop at Kroger for salmon at $4.99 a lb, I return home.

Highlight: A 30 minute nap.

Sunday, March 15, 2009, 5:30 PM: Game 1 of a best of 5 series between the MLP Stars and Raiders at Canfield Ice Arena. My legs felt loose.

Highlight: After a 3-2 overtime loss, sitting down in the locker room and relaxing despite the loss.

Sunday, March 15, 2009, 8:30 PM: I return home after another quick grocery stop at TJ's; I am now set on granola, chicken sausage, and other stuff white people like to eat for the week.

Highlight: Knowing I can finally sleep when able...

Remain in Light

2009-03-11T20:46:00.005-04:00

"Remain in Light" is the Talking Heads' 4th album. During a recent tripe to Cleveland, I rediscovered this album for everything that it is worth. While the songs and flow of the album are near-perfect, I always enjoyed the cover art of the album itself, pasted below:

I always thought that this cover, done by Tibor Kalman, was a lot more iconic than it ever got any credit for. It seems to do the band members' faces justice without giving too much away. Regardless, seeing that my emulation of decent art is the most sincere form of plagiarism, I decided to mess around with Photoshop in an attempt for a similar effect with some friends' (aka NFC North, all circa 2005, AGAIN) faces, albeit with more colors.

Just wait until I actually know what I am doing with Photoshop...

The Fish

2009-03-01T12:46:00.002-05:00

This series of pictures is from 2005. It's kind of one of those "don't ask, don't tell" type of scenarios...

Friends

2009-02-27T21:36:00.005-05:00

While there are some repeats of specific individuals here, I have been especially fortunate to have a consistent group of cats that I consider my core friends through the last five years. Here are some of the pictures of the individuals who have seen me at my best, worst, and places in-between...

Century Club

2009-02-22T12:46:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to jam a little bit with some friends in a musty basement in Farmington Hills. While my drumming skills were rusty, my mind felt sharp and my ears were working well. I used to play numerous times in a week up until December 2005 when I moved out-of-state so the 3+ years of relative inactivity has really put a muzzle on my physical skills that I can only regenerate by playing regularly again. Based on the way I felt yesterday, this could be the start of something motivational.

Regardless, in a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony, I celebrated with musical illuminaries such as Paul Westerberg, Paul Banks, Iggy Pop, Bob Mould, Grant Hart, Alex Chilton, Josh Homme, Stephen Malkmus, Spiral Stairs, Carlos D, Roger Miller, and Colin Newman the passing of their songs into "The Century Club" on my iPod. Most of the artists were gracious that I invited them and didn't even mention their assumed disgust at my off-key singing along with their songs when behind the wheel. Although I was bummed that David Bowie couldn't make it (he had previous non-profit engagements and a haircut) we had a real cool time nonetheless. See the official tally results as of today at 1:20PM.

1. I Will Dare, The Replacements, 250 x ~ 250 x 3:20=13.89 Hours
2. Obstacle 1, Interpol, 209 x ~ 209 x 4:11=14.57 Hours
3. The 15th, Wire, 198 x ~ 198 x 3:05=10.18 Hours
4. PDA, Interpol, 169 x ~ 169 x 5:00=14.08 Hours
5. Texas Never Whispers, Pavement, 146 x ~ 146 x 3:09=7.66 Hours
6. Sister Midnight, Iggy Pop, 144 x ~ 144 x 4:20=10.40 Hours
7. Leif Erikson, Interpol, 143 x ~ 143 x 4:00=9.53 Hours
8. Einstein's Day, Mission of Burma, 133 x ~ 133 x 4:36=10.20 Hours
9. Back of a Car, Big Star, 118 x ~ 118 x 2:46=5.44 Hours
10. Misfit Love, Queens of the Stone Age, 115 x ~ 115 x 5:40=10.86 Hours
11. Untitled, Interpol, 113 x ~ 113 x 3:57=7.44 Hours
11. French Film Blurred, Wire, 113 x ~ 113 x 2:36=4.87 Hours
13. 50 Million Year Trip, Kyuss, 112 x ~ 112 x 5:52=10.95 Hours
14. Mod Lang, Big Star, 111 x ~ 111 x 2:45=5.09 Hours
15. Eight Miles High, Hüsker Dü, 108 x ~ 108 x 3:56=7.08 Hours
15. Games, Hüsker Dü, 108 x ~ 108 x 4:08=7.44 Hours
17. Narc, Interpol, 102 x ~ 102 x 4:08=7.03 Hours
18. Blackout, David Bowie, 100 x ~ 100 x 3:49=6.36 Hours
18. Color Me Impressed, The Replacements, 100 x ~ 100 x 2:28=4.11 Hours
18. Head Over Heels, Tears for Fears, 100 x ~ 100 x 4:17=7.14 Hours

Based on the grand totals, I have spent a total of 174.32 Hours listening to my favorite music. I couldn't think of a better way to spend 7 days and a little more than 6 hours...

Scanning in the Memories

2009-02-19T22:16:00.003-05:00

I recently purchased a decent photo scanner so I can rekindle some old photos and memories onto my digital world to share with my digital friends. While I am still messing with the colors of the scanned images-meaning converting it to black and white makes the most sense-the possibilities are endless. The two pictures below involve a couple cool cats enjoying what used to be a typical activity back in the day, before I was afraid of the water...

The Front Yard Tree

2009-02-15T12:40:00.003-05:00

Given that my computer is situated at the front of my apartment, I often look out the window when I am sitting here. While I really don't feel that guilty sitting on my computer in shorts and a t-shirt while I watch at least three rounds of well-dressed attendees go to mass at the church across the street every Sunday, it makes for an interesting spectator sport. Regardless, there is a small tree out front with now-bare branches with small berries on them that looks fairly cool when there is a fresh snow. I haven't made a priority to take any tree-in-the-fresh snow pictures all year until yesterday when I finally broke the seal and took some pictures. The result is below...

The Chicago Trip: 300 Minutes in an '83 Ford Escort

2009-02-11T20:11:00.004-05:00

Back in '89, when the hair in rock was big, the jeans were acid washed, and the tongues on high-tops were in full effect, a few of us in the family got tickets to see the Red Wings play the Blackhawks in Chicago Stadium. While I looked forward to seeing the Wings on the road for the first time in my life, I was more excited to be an 11 year-old hanging out with the adults on the road, away from parents. Below is a quick excerpt of the car ride I experienced between Livonia and Chicago...

I cannot remember the specific number of people that were taking the pavement pilgrimage to Chicago, we decided we would travel down I-94 in a pair of late-model domestic cars. One choice was a van packed with more than three and primarily female people; the other choice was the blue Ford Escort driven by none other than my Uncle Len. In my impressionable pre-teen years, there was no comparison in my family to U Len. He was the uncle who would make me laugh the most, poke fun at me without going over the line, take a joke, and treat me different than the rest of my mostly younger cousins. While our relationship did require some work on my part, including feigned wrestling matches where I was outweighed by 100+ pounds and snagging cans of Busch for him and the older uncles during a SRO (Standing Room Only) viewing of any sporting event in the grandparents' front room, I always looked forward to seeing U Len at family gatherings.

That all being said, my choice was plainly obvious-U Len, his Ford Escort, 300 minutes, and I. All bets were off in my mind.

During this same time period, my musical tastes were starting to broaden into edgier material than Phil Collins' "Face Value" and U2's "The Joshua Tree," the two cassettes I possessed at the time. That Christmas, I received "Appetite for Destruction" by Guns 'N' Roses, complete with the explicit lyrics sticker on the plastic cassette tape case. At home, I had to listen to Axl Rose spew lyrics that usually included every type of drug/alcohol/sexual-laced line at an extremely low volume in my bedroom. In fact, I used to play the boom box on the ground and lay on my stomach at the side of the bed, ears close to the speakers, so I could hear every word on the album, many of which made me blush but seemed a lot more real than the occasional (OK, maybe regular) swear words I would hear from my Dad or from any of my other uncles at the hyper-regular family events we would go to at the time. Listening to Guns 'N' Roses made me feel older and obviously cooler, even if I would play chairs and paper plates as a drum set in the basement afterwards.

*As a side note, I am sure everyone has heard the concept of a "gateway drug" such as marijuana, with the concept being that, when tried, a "gateway" drug will lead the user to try progressively harder and harder drugs because they enjoy the feeling of getting high. In this case, Guns 'N' Roses were my "gateway band," meaning that after my enjoyment of Appetite for Destruction, I moved on to harder bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Death Angel, and Slayer before landing in 12-step heavy metal rehab program that left me addicted to hip-hop, kind of like a heroin user that gets addicted to methadone. I am getting off track here...

Anyways, U Len must have gotten word that I had Axl, Slash, Duff, Izzy, and Steven on tape and asked me to bring it out so we could listen to it on the way to Chicago. While a piece of me was excited, there was a huge chunk of me that was petrified of how all of these songs and lyrics I thought were cool would be perceived by my idol behind the wheel. Because he asked, I had no choice but to produce the tape from my backpack and pop it in the tape deck. From the opening guitar riffs and Axl's siren-sounding moan that begin "Welcome to the Jungle," the ride became infinitely more interesting than I ever imagined.

I noticed very quickly that I was uncomfortable with the swearing and innuendos in the presence of an adult that I was not allowed to really swear around but had heard swear and tell sex jokes numerous times. While "WTTJ" doesn't have any swearing on it, the women-screaming-in-ecstasy noises that Axl Rose makes when Slash goes into his first guitar solo on "WTTJ" put me into a never-felt level of terror. As I sat, I couldn't say anything much less hold a conversation. I squirmed in the light brown vinyl seat, treating the seat belt like a brace in an psycho ward, looking out the window to see fields of brown and black to hide the redness in my face. I am almost sure U Len saw, so he started to talk to me. Knowing I couldn't look out the window if I was being talked to, I had to use all my strength and straighten up to look normal. While the conversation was light, I do remember that I would shoot slight glances and grin at U Len whenever Axl swore, made sexual references, screamed like a girl, or worked out any remaining childhood abandonment issues, almost to see if he would approve of it or not.

*Now that I think of it, I felt the same way around U Len when we were watching MTV at my Grandma and Grandpa's house and the video for "Panama" by Van Halen came on. There is a part where David Lee Roth, and either both Van Halens and/or Michael Anthony come down ropes onto the floor and I remember thinking how David Lee Roth looked like such a girl, wearing a silk robe. When this part of the video came on in the living room, I looked away, similar to that day...

As the ride deepened and the music got darker and darker (like at the beginning of side 2, "My Michelle," "You're Crazy," "Anything Goes," and "Rocket Queen,") I gradually got a little more loose, so much that I only shot a glance without a grin at U Len. I didn't understand it at the time because here was this music by a band that I idolized that I couldn't listen to with an adult. While I had friends who would listen to it and think it was just as cool as I did, did I require "adult" approval in order to be certified as cool? At the time, I certainly felt it was a necessity for U Len to like what I liked.

Eventually, I had to come down to earth once we hit the various stops on the turnpike (I specifically remember a Big Classic at Wendy's being the sandwich of choice) before we eventually hit my Aunt Mary's North Side apartment. While I had fun with my sister and cousin after touching down, the Wings lost, the Blackhawk fans were awful, and we had a WHOLE lot of drama after the game that kind of robbed the whole scene of it's exuberance and innocence. Because of this, I do not recall the ride back to Detroit.

In hindsight, my admiration for U Len remained the same over the next several years, including my choosing of him to be my confirmation sponsor and the one I would consistently seek out at any family gathering. Over time as I grew up into a somewhat certified adult, I saw him become even more of an adult, raising a wonderful family of four boys with a wonderful wife. As far as what he did for me, he got me on the hockey team he played on, stuck up for me, gave rational advice, and continued to treat me not as a nephew but as an equal. More than anything else, though, he remained the same person, regardless of who was present, still telling jokes, making other people laugh, and being a good person to be around. As I am writing this, it almost sounds like he passed away or something but he is more than fine. In fact, he set me up with a couple nice passes at hockey on Sunday night.

Come to think of it all, maybe running up and down the stairs fetching beers or feeling uncomfortable for a few hours was more than worth it...

The Industrial

2009-02-08T10:15:00.008-05:00

Well, good morning to all you fellow bloggers-isn't it a great day today?!?! I have a had a wonderful breakfast this morning, complete with an English muffin and freshly squeezed orange j.... uhhh, errr, what has gotten into me here???

Seriously, the temporary break in the temperature meant that the frozen river of creativity in my head thawed a bit, sending sheets of ice in motion while forcing me out of the house for some new pictures.

One photography theme I have liked for a long time is industrial imagery. Being in the D, there is no shortage of functional or, nowadays, shut down or dysfunctional factories within reach of a decent lens. When I lived in Dearborn, I would run down Schaffer Ave. to the Ford Rouge plant and the huge Severstal Steel complex near Dix and Miller Rd to take pictures. I figured I would make a trip to the same area before running downtown to Eastern Market given the ugliness of dirty snow and melting ice brought on by a sudden change in the temperature. Based on the old age of the snow, the pictures I took can almost be interchanged between color and black and white because of the overall lack of color in the area. Additionally, just taking the pictures was an experience because of all of the noise that came from the Ford Rouge plant and the trains/trucks/heavy machinery that surround it on top of the blank stares from drivers of late model pick-up trucks, Aerostars, and Chevy Cavaliers that passed me on the draw bridge.

The Belt.

2009-01-31T22:32:00.002-05:00

One of the accessories I was able to use at The Royal Rumble last Sunday was my very own wrestling belt. It is pretty effing heavy and is real difficult to sit with or even drive with it on so it doesn't make many appearances outside of the occasional wrestling event I attend. When photographing it, it does seem to have it's own power...

Return of the Mack(s)

2009-01-30T18:08:00.002-05:00

I have got only a few pictures from wrestling from Sunday night, but this one is the real deal, no doubt, no question...

Patterns

2009-01-28T22:02:00.006-05:00

The presence of a lot of archival stuff on my blog means that the dead of winter (i.e. extreme snowfall and single-digit temperatures) is currently defeating me, meaning I haven't really taken a lot of pictures this month.

In the meantime, I will think spring and act summer...

Regardless, here is a collection of patterns that I have attempted to capture through the years...

Jeanine's Wedding

2009-01-25T10:59:00.005-05:00

For this one, I am reaching back into the archives of 2005, when men were men and women, errr, um, 2005 was more than three years ago...

Seriously, the pictures below are from the Woodstock, IL wedding of Jeanine and Sonny in September 2005. I tried to get some inside shots outside of the normal regimented schedule of a wedding.

After the wedding, the family rolled thirty deep and took over a Napoli Pizza across the street from our hotel where more of the same pleasant vibe took place over beer and pizza...

Scenes from the Bar

2009-01-19T20:08:00.008-05:00

OK, this is not like my most inspiring or inspired work ever but I thought of the concept tonight before I sat down, consequently over a can of Diet Vernors. While the bar is not my favorite place to be, it has it's own certain charm(s) and benefit(s), especially when attended with good friend(s).

I have some more collage ideas in the works, so expect more photos and less talk in the next few days-I am temporarily out of wit at the moment...

I like to take shots of the typical objects buried in a scene that you normally would take for granted because they don't stand out. When you make them the centerpiece of a shot the effect is a lot different than taking the typical pictures of a bunch of cats posing in a club.

Random Thoughts Part XV

2009-01-11T13:25:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was one of the better full days I have had in the past few weeks. Me and a group of four friends went downtown to Eastern Market and, after shopping and breakfast at Russell Street Deli, resulted in a visit to the Honeybee Market in Mexicantown and a couple beers at the Woodbridge Pub. All in all, food, folks, and fun were in full effect...

1. One of my little pet peeves is when someone says that someone slipped, fell, and "cracked their head open." I don't think I am in the minority when I feel like the term "cracked their head open" means that their head "cracked open" and that their skull was split open and one could see their brain. While this translation may be quite literal (and macabre for that matter because I don't want to see some one's brain), why do people say it when someone slips, hits their head, and bleeds a little? I mean why can't you just say that someone cut their head when they fell? Maybe I am over thinking this a bit...

2. One of my favorite things to do is to stop in different gas stations or convenience stores (when convenient) when I am traveling in all of the different cities I visit for work or pleasure. I try to check out the pop/soda/beverage selection to see if there are any regional favorites that you don't normally see. Through this, I have seen on the south side of Chicago an apple soda that Coca-Cola makes (that tastes like crap), Fanta representing every color of the rainbow, Mr. Pibb (as opposed to Dr. Pepper, as Mr. Pibb apparently didn't finish his PhD in high-fructose corn syrup studies like Dr. Pepper did), and more varieties tasteless of Diet Rite than a diabetic can shake a insulin-filled needle at.

3. One of the new terms I am trying to work into my daily vocabulary is "tenderloin." When I say tenderloin, I don't mean like one would refer to beef, pork, or any other meat, rather the center or best part of something. For example, when I was traveling this week the manager I was with purchased a cinnamon roll from Panera Bread (talk about a redundant name because "pan" means bread in Spanish) and ate it slowly while peeling off the concentric spiraling layers of the roll instead of taking whole bites out of it. I made a mention that I noticed his eating pattern and he told me he likes to eat the best things on his plate last after cleaning off the rest of it; this was the reason he was saving the center (i.e. the best part) of the roll for last while taking off what could have been drier or flakier outer rings. I then told him that he obviously liked the "tenderloin" of the roll the most and he laughed. Using that as a springboard, I try to talk about the best things in an event as the "tenderloin;" an example is below:

"Dude, the tenderloin of the Hall and Oates concert was when, after the crowd cheered during a long pause between songs, they played 'I Can't Go For That.' I was sooo wasted then."

Again, I may be onto something here...

Influenced by Andy Warhol

2009-01-10T09:36:00.005-05:00

I am in the midst of reading one of the largest recreational books of my life, namely a 550+ page biography on Andy Warhol. I am about 4/7 through it and have enjoyed it specifically because of the inspiration I have gotten from his approach to pop art. I was messing around with my new friend Photoshop and made some cool effects on the same picture below.

Minnesota in Technicolor, circa 2007

2009-01-09T22:10:00.005-05:00

On or about May 9th, 2007, I had a spare day to waste before I moved back home to Michigan from Minnesota. Given this, I decided to take the trip from Minneapolis to Duluth and take a bunch of pictures. The weather was unseasonably warm and I took my time meandering up to more than 25 miles past Duluth on the north shore of Lake Superior. While I was pleased with the four rolls of film I took (i.e. before the advent of a digital camera for me) I was irritated when I developed them and saw that all of them had a small grey and black smudge from the lower left corner of the lens. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper.

Using the magic of Photoshop, I cleaned up some of the highlights and pasted them below for your viewing pleasure. Though this time was really weird for me in a number of ways, I can look back at the pictures and remember how much fun I had that day in what was otherwise a crappy two weeks of my life...

(In case you don't know what the above picture is, 1st Avenue is a downtown Minneapolis club that is famous for holding shows for some of the best alternative rock acts ever, including Pavement, The Replacements, and Husker Du. Prince recorded the live parts for his album "Purple Rain" [one of my all-time favorites] in this very same club back in 1983. Out of all of the songs, he recorded the 7 1/2 minute title track in it's entireity in this building)

The below picture was a highlight for me. It was kind of funny because I was on a scenic drive on a somewhat steep incline overlooking Duluth and Lake Superior in the valley below. I really wanted to find a waterfall because I knew I had to be close to one.

I followed some signs and came across a thirty foot fall. While most of Duluth was quiet during my middle of the work week journey, I came across some college students at the falls. I asked them what they were doing and they told me they had just finished their freshman year at University of Minnesota-Duluth and were jumping into the water below the waterfall as one last thing before they went home (I think some of them were from the Dakotas, North and South) as they did the waterfall jump when they started the school year in September of 2006. They didn't mind me or my camera, so I waited, took some pictures, crossed my fingers, and waited for the developed end result...

This was a definite highlight of my time in Minnesota.

NYE-The Calm Before the Storm

2009-01-03T17:47:00.005-05:00

Here are some still lifes I took of the instruments we used on NYE minus all of the noise from that night.