Monday, April 2, 2007
Made the flight in chi.
Made the flight in chi. not sure about my bags. we'll see in the morning.Next update will be from Ireland
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Aaaagghhh!!! just informed we'll be
Aaaagghhh!!!
just informed we'll be sitting @ gate for an hour due to ATC in chi! no word on connecting flight.
just informed we'll be sitting @ gate for an hour due to ATC in chi! no word on connecting flight.
Made it on plane. over
Made it on plane. over an hour to check in and security line was insane but fast. didn't even look twice @ pipes. go figure
Waiting to check in @
Waiting to check in @ dtw. line not moving. have 1:15. should b ok, but am concerned re security with uilleann pipes!
Officially behind schedule
Was hoping for time for one more thoughtful post, but scrambling to get out the door for the airport. Hopefully I've got everything. I'll work it out if not.
Big big big THANK YOU to all of you for your inspiration, advice, and just for reading this and taking interest.
And especially to everyone who I got to see yesterday for making my last day here for a while so special. I love you all and I'll see you guys all at the end of June!
Big big big THANK YOU to all of you for your inspiration, advice, and just for reading this and taking interest.
And especially to everyone who I got to see yesterday for making my last day here for a while so special. I love you all and I'll see you guys all at the end of June!
Final night
Here I am, late into my last night in the States for 3 months. You'd think I'd be all packed and done. I'd like nothing more than for that to be the case, but of course, it's not.
Luckily, my flight isn't until 4:40pm, so I'll still have time tomorrow morning to finalize my luggage. Looks like its going to be 2 checked bags, with my pipes/whistles/etc case as a carry-on and my laptop bag as a "personal item". Hopefully that won't be problematic. Carrying it all through the airport and carting it onto the bus from Shannon to Ennis won't be fun, that's for sure. But try as I might, I just don't think 3 months worth of clothes and such were going to fit into one backpack, even as big as it is.
I had one more interesting and epic post that I was hoping to toss up here tonight, but I'm just too beat down tired to put in the creative thought on it tonight, so I'll probably finish it up on the plane and post it whenever I get a chance to hop online again. Not sure quite when that'll be, as I don't know if I'll have access at all while I'm at The Flowing Tide for the first week. I'll try to sneak off to a net cafe at some point, and I should be able to text in a quick "I made it" message from my phone, but prolonged time for more epic posts may have to wait until I have a place to stay for the duration. Speaking of which, I have a very promising lead on a room in Galway, but I don't want to say too much here for now. Don't want to jinx it.
If you'll pardon the all-over-the-map rambling of this post for a minute, I realized I haven't really spelled out my plans and itinerary for when I arrive. Once I clear customs, I'll be hopping on a bus from Shannon to the town of Ennis, the county seat of Clare. There, I'll be met by Bill, the owner of The Flowing Tide Music School, an all-encompassing school for traditional Irish musicians of all abilities located in western County Clare. It seems like it'll be a great way to kick off my time there and hopefully, give me a good starting point on the pipes. I plan to stay there for until Saturday, at which time, I will probably catch a bus up to Galway and try to rent a car there for a few days while I try to find housing for the remainder of the trip. Once I have a place, that's when the unwinding and relaxation can finally begin for real. And the best laid plans, of mice and men...
I had a fantastic day visiting with my family today. The goodbyes said were every bit as difficult as expected, with the worst of the lot being my nephew Ethan. Luckily, I think, he's just not quite at the age to fully grasp that I was going away, or that it would be any different from the countless times I've left to go back to Chicago after a brief stay. If he had, it would've just tore me up as if it wasn't difficult enough already. Of course, it's just three months, so getting emotional about it is somewhat silly, but the distance combined with the chance that it could be longer, or that there could be another lengthy trip just after a short return, still makes it tough.
My family is wonderful and means the world to me. They have been so incredibly supportive and helpful in just so many ways to make this happen. The silver lining here is knowing that whenever the travels are over, be it in three months, a year, or whatever, that I'll once again be close by. That, to me, is something to look forward to every bit as much as all the excitement and adventure that awaits me in the meanwhile.
Luckily, my flight isn't until 4:40pm, so I'll still have time tomorrow morning to finalize my luggage. Looks like its going to be 2 checked bags, with my pipes/whistles/etc case as a carry-on and my laptop bag as a "personal item". Hopefully that won't be problematic. Carrying it all through the airport and carting it onto the bus from Shannon to Ennis won't be fun, that's for sure. But try as I might, I just don't think 3 months worth of clothes and such were going to fit into one backpack, even as big as it is.
I had one more interesting and epic post that I was hoping to toss up here tonight, but I'm just too beat down tired to put in the creative thought on it tonight, so I'll probably finish it up on the plane and post it whenever I get a chance to hop online again. Not sure quite when that'll be, as I don't know if I'll have access at all while I'm at The Flowing Tide for the first week. I'll try to sneak off to a net cafe at some point, and I should be able to text in a quick "I made it" message from my phone, but prolonged time for more epic posts may have to wait until I have a place to stay for the duration. Speaking of which, I have a very promising lead on a room in Galway, but I don't want to say too much here for now. Don't want to jinx it.
If you'll pardon the all-over-the-map rambling of this post for a minute, I realized I haven't really spelled out my plans and itinerary for when I arrive. Once I clear customs, I'll be hopping on a bus from Shannon to the town of Ennis, the county seat of Clare. There, I'll be met by Bill, the owner of The Flowing Tide Music School, an all-encompassing school for traditional Irish musicians of all abilities located in western County Clare. It seems like it'll be a great way to kick off my time there and hopefully, give me a good starting point on the pipes. I plan to stay there for until Saturday, at which time, I will probably catch a bus up to Galway and try to rent a car there for a few days while I try to find housing for the remainder of the trip. Once I have a place, that's when the unwinding and relaxation can finally begin for real. And the best laid plans, of mice and men...
I had a fantastic day visiting with my family today. The goodbyes said were every bit as difficult as expected, with the worst of the lot being my nephew Ethan. Luckily, I think, he's just not quite at the age to fully grasp that I was going away, or that it would be any different from the countless times I've left to go back to Chicago after a brief stay. If he had, it would've just tore me up as if it wasn't difficult enough already. Of course, it's just three months, so getting emotional about it is somewhat silly, but the distance combined with the chance that it could be longer, or that there could be another lengthy trip just after a short return, still makes it tough.
My family is wonderful and means the world to me. They have been so incredibly supportive and helpful in just so many ways to make this happen. The silver lining here is knowing that whenever the travels are over, be it in three months, a year, or whatever, that I'll once again be close by. That, to me, is something to look forward to every bit as much as all the excitement and adventure that awaits me in the meanwhile.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Interview with the future
(note: I was planning to post this sometime during my final week in the states, but kind of ran out of time. I ended up finishing it on the plane, and am going to backdate it to my last day at home)
I recently managed to acquire a DeLorean and a flux capacitor, so I thought I'd zip ahead three months and ask myself a few questions about my time in Ireland as its nearing its conclusion. I also told myself to check in again in at that time and see if any of the answers change due to some mysterious time paradox...
Q: Did you find a job? Are you going to be staying, or returning shortly?
I've acquired a permanent position as a Guinness taster. Unfortunately, I won't ever be returning home because I am unable to pick myself up off the floor of the pub.
Kidding. In all seriousness, this is a bad question to start off this interview with, and I'm going to have to break character already because I really have no sense at this point for whether I'm even going to want to try and stay longer, let alone, whether I'll be able to. There's still a lot of great things to be had about staying for 1 year, but the goodbyes I've said in the past few days have been rough enough. Coming back in July only to have to turn back around and leave for a longer period of time would be much worse. Not to mention the fact that I likely have a very promising employment situation that will likely be waiting for me in 3 months. It's questionable whether it'll be there for me in a year. But still, the rich experience of living here for an entire year and seeing all the seasons cycle through with all that brings with it is an enticing draw.
Q: Where did you end up living?
Galway, in a house with three other fantastic people.
Q: What other countries did you end up seeing?
Italy, Germany, England, Scotland. Didn't make it to Wales, France, Poland, Spain or any place else I was hoping to hit, unfortunately, but that'll save something for next time. Particularly bummed about Wales.
Q: What did you miss the most?
Family and friends.
Q: Okay, so maybe that's a given. What trivial aspect of daily life did you miss the most?
Hi-powered laundry dryers.
Q: What was one thing you missed more than you thought you would?
Work. Seriously.
Q: What was one thing you missed less than you thought you would?
American junk food.
Q: What will you miss most about Ireland?
The friends I've made here.
Q: Meet anyone... special?
Ummm... you do realize this is still me you're talking to, right? Even three months in the future?
Q: So how are the pipes coming?
Meh. Got some great pointers and had a chance to do some quality practicing, but it's a long, slow road to learn to play the uilleann pipes, and three months is but scratching the surface.
Q: And the whistles?
Pretty good. Learned a few new tunes, anyways, and feel like I've improved overall.
Q: Favorite single memory? (25 words or less)
*bzzzt*crackle*static*What was that? I didn't copy*bzzt*
Damn sunspots... (Did I say something about a DeLorean? I meant that I was communicating with future me via an old ham radio. Yeah, that's it.) Either way, looks like we'll just have to wait until June to see the answer to that one.
Q: Who came to visit you from home?
Met up with Jen C in Italy, and Justin G in Scotland. Russ, Justin B and Mom all talked about coming to visit in June, but it didn't end up happening.
Q: Any hassles with immigration?
Only getting back in the country from the UK after the England/Scotland trip.
Q: Worst thing that happened to you?
Got drunk and passed out in a pub, woke up with an atomic wedgie, a shaved chest and my wallet replaced with a stinking dead fish, after dreaming all night that I was stuck on the evil boat ride from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original version, but with Johnny Depp's creepy glasses staring at me the whole time).
Q: When are you going back?
:)
I recently managed to acquire a DeLorean and a flux capacitor, so I thought I'd zip ahead three months and ask myself a few questions about my time in Ireland as its nearing its conclusion. I also told myself to check in again in at that time and see if any of the answers change due to some mysterious time paradox...
Q: Did you find a job? Are you going to be staying, or returning shortly?
I've acquired a permanent position as a Guinness taster. Unfortunately, I won't ever be returning home because I am unable to pick myself up off the floor of the pub.
Kidding. In all seriousness, this is a bad question to start off this interview with, and I'm going to have to break character already because I really have no sense at this point for whether I'm even going to want to try and stay longer, let alone, whether I'll be able to. There's still a lot of great things to be had about staying for 1 year, but the goodbyes I've said in the past few days have been rough enough. Coming back in July only to have to turn back around and leave for a longer period of time would be much worse. Not to mention the fact that I likely have a very promising employment situation that will likely be waiting for me in 3 months. It's questionable whether it'll be there for me in a year. But still, the rich experience of living here for an entire year and seeing all the seasons cycle through with all that brings with it is an enticing draw.
Q: Where did you end up living?
Galway, in a house with three other fantastic people.
Q: What other countries did you end up seeing?
Italy, Germany, England, Scotland. Didn't make it to Wales, France, Poland, Spain or any place else I was hoping to hit, unfortunately, but that'll save something for next time. Particularly bummed about Wales.
Q: What did you miss the most?
Family and friends.
Q: Okay, so maybe that's a given. What trivial aspect of daily life did you miss the most?
Hi-powered laundry dryers.
Q: What was one thing you missed more than you thought you would?
Work. Seriously.
Q: What was one thing you missed less than you thought you would?
American junk food.
Q: What will you miss most about Ireland?
The friends I've made here.
Q: Meet anyone... special?
Ummm... you do realize this is still me you're talking to, right? Even three months in the future?
Q: So how are the pipes coming?
Meh. Got some great pointers and had a chance to do some quality practicing, but it's a long, slow road to learn to play the uilleann pipes, and three months is but scratching the surface.
Q: And the whistles?
Pretty good. Learned a few new tunes, anyways, and feel like I've improved overall.
Q: Favorite single memory? (25 words or less)
*bzzzt*crackle*static*What was that? I didn't copy*bzzt*
Damn sunspots... (Did I say something about a DeLorean? I meant that I was communicating with future me via an old ham radio. Yeah, that's it.) Either way, looks like we'll just have to wait until June to see the answer to that one.
Q: Who came to visit you from home?
Met up with Jen C in Italy, and Justin G in Scotland. Russ, Justin B and Mom all talked about coming to visit in June, but it didn't end up happening.
Q: Any hassles with immigration?
Only getting back in the country from the UK after the England/Scotland trip.
Q: Worst thing that happened to you?
Got drunk and passed out in a pub, woke up with an atomic wedgie, a shaved chest and my wallet replaced with a stinking dead fish, after dreaming all night that I was stuck on the evil boat ride from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (original version, but with Johnny Depp's creepy glasses staring at me the whole time).
Q: When are you going back?
:)
Live from McMorran
Front row, right next to Rochester bench, 26-13 PH leads at the half.
Update: The above was texted in from my phone at halftime of the Port Huron Pirates vs. Rochester Raiders game at McMorran Arena. For a birthday/going away present, Mom decided to take me to the game, and popped for "primo" seats. Little did we know, we would be not only in the front row, but sitting immediately next to the Rochester bench! The Rochester team owner was on the other side of us, and players who weren't suited up were behind and all around us. What a riot. It was an experience I'll never quite forget!
Pics and video will be upcoming once I'm back on a broadband connection, but suffice to say, I've got some great closeups!
Oh yeah, and after the relatively close first half, the Pirates blew the game open in the second, outscoring Rochester 34-0 to make it a 60-13 final. The Pirates, in only their second season and already the defending GLIFL Champions, have yet to lose a game as a franchise.
And as you've probably figured out by now, this means I made it back to Michigan okay for leg 1.
Update: The above was texted in from my phone at halftime of the Port Huron Pirates vs. Rochester Raiders game at McMorran Arena. For a birthday/going away present, Mom decided to take me to the game, and popped for "primo" seats. Little did we know, we would be not only in the front row, but sitting immediately next to the Rochester bench! The Rochester team owner was on the other side of us, and players who weren't suited up were behind and all around us. What a riot. It was an experience I'll never quite forget!
Pics and video will be upcoming once I'm back on a broadband connection, but suffice to say, I've got some great closeups!
Oh yeah, and after the relatively close first half, the Pirates blew the game open in the second, outscoring Rochester 34-0 to make it a 60-13 final. The Pirates, in only their second season and already the defending GLIFL Champions, have yet to lose a game as a franchise.
And as you've probably figured out by now, this means I made it back to Michigan okay for leg 1.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Well, this is it...
The laptop is going to be the last load taken out to the car here as soon as I finish this post. Only running about a half hour behind what I'd hoped. Should still give me plenty of time, as long as I don't run into too many construction problems.
I'll check in at least one more time from MI before I take off, but this is my final post from Chicago.
Catch you on the EDT side.
I'll check in at least one more time from MI before I take off, but this is my final post from Chicago.
Catch you on the EDT side.
I can almost smell the peat
Last update before I turn in for my last night of sleep as a full-time Chicago resident. All the stuff that's moving is packed up, save for my bedding and bathroom stuff that I'll need in the morning. I didn't quite get my bags packed with my final inventory for the trip itself, but I've got it trimmed down to everything I *want* to take. Will probably have to go through one more time to finalize the list, but I'll probably just dump everything into a couple bags tomorrow morning and sort it out once I get back to Michigan. Close enough for now.
I really wish I would've made it back to Michigan by tonight as I'd hoped and would have all day tomorrow to just hang out with my nephews, but so it goes. I'll still see them some tomorrow and Saturday.
Gonna be an early start tomorrow, but I should be able to get the van all loaded up and make it back to Port Huron in time for kickoff. Go Pirates! (There's a Neptune High joke in there somewhere, but I'm just too tired to find it right now.)
Overall, the mood is improved. Some encouraging words from a friend earlier tonight helped a bit, as did finishing up as much as I have. It's currently tired, but content. The next two days will be a bit of a rollercoaster, but I'm looking so forward to my first few steps outside the airport once I'm on the ground.
ps - I really wish I could get that map widget in the sidebar to work. Is anyone seeing an actual map there? Let me know if you are. All I'm seeing is a white box with the zoom and view mode buttons at the top. I put in a question about it on the blogabond site, but so far, no replies.
I really wish I would've made it back to Michigan by tonight as I'd hoped and would have all day tomorrow to just hang out with my nephews, but so it goes. I'll still see them some tomorrow and Saturday.
Gonna be an early start tomorrow, but I should be able to get the van all loaded up and make it back to Port Huron in time for kickoff. Go Pirates! (There's a Neptune High joke in there somewhere, but I'm just too tired to find it right now.)
Overall, the mood is improved. Some encouraging words from a friend earlier tonight helped a bit, as did finishing up as much as I have. It's currently tired, but content. The next two days will be a bit of a rollercoaster, but I'm looking so forward to my first few steps outside the airport once I'm on the ground.
ps - I really wish I could get that map widget in the sidebar to work. Is anyone seeing an actual map there? Let me know if you are. All I'm seeing is a white box with the zoom and view mode buttons at the top. I put in a question about it on the blogabond site, but so far, no replies.
Quick melancholy break
My room is just about empty now. I just shut down my desktop PC for the last time for the next few months, so I'm strictly running off the laptop now. Hope I got everything off it that I needed. The emptiness in here is disconcerting. I'm not looking forward to loading the car up by myself in the morning and taking off without anyone to say goodbye to. It was good that Justin worked from home today. Gave me someone to chat with throughout the day. Too bad he won't be around tomorrow to help me load up.
I still have to do a final sort through my clothes and pack up those that are going with me into my backpack, load enough for the next couple of days into my duffle bag, and box up the rest. Also need to box up the 'puters and have probably one more small box of random computer stuff in the closet to deal with.
But its getting very close now. Just need to keep thinking about what's ahead.
I still have to do a final sort through my clothes and pack up those that are going with me into my backpack, load enough for the next couple of days into my duffle bag, and box up the rest. Also need to box up the 'puters and have probably one more small box of random computer stuff in the closet to deal with.
But its getting very close now. Just need to keep thinking about what's ahead.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Moving sucks
Sorry for the lack of updates. As you can imagine, I've been pretty swamped trying to get everything packed up and ready to go. I was hoping to be heading out of Chicago with my last load of stuff today, but its looking like its probably going to be tomorrow at this point. Getting close, but still quite a bit left to go.
It doesn't help any that I still ache all over from WhirlyBall and Laser Tag on Tuesday, although it was really a blast (no pun intended)!
There probably won't be too many more updates between now and when I leave, but I've got a few final thoughts I'll try and get up there sometime before Sunday.
Right now, I've just got to get back to packing. I need to be in Port Huron by tomorrow evening, as I have front row tickets for the Port Huron Pirates game! Awwww yeah! Thanks, mom!
It doesn't help any that I still ache all over from WhirlyBall and Laser Tag on Tuesday, although it was really a blast (no pun intended)!
There probably won't be too many more updates between now and when I leave, but I've got a few final thoughts I'll try and get up there sometime before Sunday.
Right now, I've just got to get back to packing. I need to be in Port Huron by tomorrow evening, as I have front row tickets for the Port Huron Pirates game! Awwww yeah! Thanks, mom!
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Chicago Memories, part VII: What I won't miss
To read all my Chicago Memories posts, you might wonder why I might ever want to leave somewhere so fantastic. Well, while there have been many great times and memories--and the good have most definitely outweighed the bad--there are a number of things that just drive me nuts about this place, and that I'll be more than happy to put in my rear view mirror.
Driving! - To be more specific...
- Traffic
- Accidents (two in as many weeks in January was a real hoot)
- Blind turns due to cars blocking your view of the cars barrelling down on where you hope to turn.
- Ridiculous rip-off repair shops
- Parking (Ah yes, I got a final going away present from the City of Chicago just last night, in fact. The meter was paid until 8:58. I returned to my car at 9:14. They'd nailed me at 9:12. Loves it.)
- Traffic Management Authority (those wonderful folks who are stationed out at some of the major intersections to "direct" traffic. Never have I seen so many get paid to do the exact *opposite* of what they actually achieve!)
- The Dan Ryan Not-so-express-way
- Buses (taking them and waiting for them is nearly as bad as trying to share the road with them)
- City Stickers (nothing like a little organized, legal extortion to make it even more expensive to own a car here)
- Taxis (don't even get me started)
- Gas prices (some of the highest in the nation, due to ethanol requirements and state and local taxes)
I swear, there was not a day that I drove into work over the past month that I didn't have at least one or two small outbursts of road-rage at the inconsideration, the stupidity, or just the general absurdness of the driving conditions here.
The smell - Chicago can take on a nasty smell of rotting garbage, particularly in the heat of summer. Add to that the fresh urine smell at certain El stops and parking structures and its enough make you want to scrape your nose off your face. And then there's the chocolate factory, which depending on the wind and what they're making that day, can cover just about any part of downtown with either a wonderful sweet chocolaty aroma, or a foul concoction that smells more like waterlogged dogfood, but still carries the faintest cousin of a chocolate smell, enough to nearly turn even the most devout chocoholic off the good stuff.
Crowds - Just having so many people around all the time.
Noise - There's just always some white noise or another going off in the background. True, peaceful silence is extremely rare in the city.
The Weather - again, a few sub-comments:
40-degree temperature swings in under 12 hours (It was in the 70's this morning. I left this evening and it was about 40. )
Windchills (They say that despite the nickname, Chicago isn't any windier than many other northern cities. I don't know about that. I've lived in the midwest my entire life and the bitter cold windchills in the winter here seem far worse than others.)
Black/grey/brown snow (As a general rule, I don't mind snow. In fact, give me a day that's 30 degrees and snowy over clear, dry with a -10 windchill ANY time. But the pleasantry of a white snowfall is a fleeting experience here. Anything that sticks for a day or more turns nasty shades of various pollution.)
Summer humidity (Ridiculously muggy in the summer time. Where do some of those nice winds go then?)
I know the weather here isn't that much worse than it is back in Michigan, but I've said for a while now that when I moved here, I managed to find the one place on earth that is both hotter in the summer AND colder in the winter than Michigan.
Crime - I've been pretty fortunate, in that the worst I've run up against personally is a crazy guy that ripped my side mirror of my car in the middle of an afternoon. But you have to be constantly mindful, depending on the situation.
Well, that's about it. Not too bad, really, and not any worse than any major northern city would be. But enough to grind on my nerves over five years. If those things are a manageable sacrifice in the light of all the great benefits of living here, you can live a very happy life here for a long time. You just have to be willing to accept those as a part of life.
As bluesman Eddie Boyd once sang, "Don't expect nothing different, Chicago is just that way".
Driving! - To be more specific...
- Traffic
- Accidents (two in as many weeks in January was a real hoot)
- Blind turns due to cars blocking your view of the cars barrelling down on where you hope to turn.
- Ridiculous rip-off repair shops
- Parking (Ah yes, I got a final going away present from the City of Chicago just last night, in fact. The meter was paid until 8:58. I returned to my car at 9:14. They'd nailed me at 9:12. Loves it.)
- Traffic Management Authority (those wonderful folks who are stationed out at some of the major intersections to "direct" traffic. Never have I seen so many get paid to do the exact *opposite* of what they actually achieve!)
- The Dan Ryan Not-so-express-way
- Buses (taking them and waiting for them is nearly as bad as trying to share the road with them)
- City Stickers (nothing like a little organized, legal extortion to make it even more expensive to own a car here)
- Taxis (don't even get me started)
- Gas prices (some of the highest in the nation, due to ethanol requirements and state and local taxes)
I swear, there was not a day that I drove into work over the past month that I didn't have at least one or two small outbursts of road-rage at the inconsideration, the stupidity, or just the general absurdness of the driving conditions here.
The smell - Chicago can take on a nasty smell of rotting garbage, particularly in the heat of summer. Add to that the fresh urine smell at certain El stops and parking structures and its enough make you want to scrape your nose off your face. And then there's the chocolate factory, which depending on the wind and what they're making that day, can cover just about any part of downtown with either a wonderful sweet chocolaty aroma, or a foul concoction that smells more like waterlogged dogfood, but still carries the faintest cousin of a chocolate smell, enough to nearly turn even the most devout chocoholic off the good stuff.
Crowds - Just having so many people around all the time.
Noise - There's just always some white noise or another going off in the background. True, peaceful silence is extremely rare in the city.
The Weather - again, a few sub-comments:
40-degree temperature swings in under 12 hours (It was in the 70's this morning. I left this evening and it was about 40. )
Windchills (They say that despite the nickname, Chicago isn't any windier than many other northern cities. I don't know about that. I've lived in the midwest my entire life and the bitter cold windchills in the winter here seem far worse than others.)
Black/grey/brown snow (As a general rule, I don't mind snow. In fact, give me a day that's 30 degrees and snowy over clear, dry with a -10 windchill ANY time. But the pleasantry of a white snowfall is a fleeting experience here. Anything that sticks for a day or more turns nasty shades of various pollution.)
Summer humidity (Ridiculously muggy in the summer time. Where do some of those nice winds go then?)
I know the weather here isn't that much worse than it is back in Michigan, but I've said for a while now that when I moved here, I managed to find the one place on earth that is both hotter in the summer AND colder in the winter than Michigan.
Crime - I've been pretty fortunate, in that the worst I've run up against personally is a crazy guy that ripped my side mirror of my car in the middle of an afternoon. But you have to be constantly mindful, depending on the situation.
Well, that's about it. Not too bad, really, and not any worse than any major northern city would be. But enough to grind on my nerves over five years. If those things are a manageable sacrifice in the light of all the great benefits of living here, you can live a very happy life here for a long time. You just have to be willing to accept those as a part of life.
As bluesman Eddie Boyd once sang, "Don't expect nothing different, Chicago is just that way".
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Whirleyball--An Irish tradition?
I doubt it, but while googling for a picture of Whirleyball for today's 1000 words, one of the first hits was this rendition of the Cliffs of Moher from someone's MySpace page. How that got mixed up with Whirleyball, I have no idea, although the owner of that page is from Chicago according to her profile. Random, but kinda funny. Nice image, regardless...
Chicago Memories, part VI: Sports/Leisure
Trying to wrap up a few more thoughts on Chicago.... What a great city this is: it waits until my final days here before busting out the really nice weather!
Here are some highlights from a few specific fun times at various sports and leisure events from the past few years.
Sting concert - Fall of '03. Free concert in Grant Park underneath the lights of the downtown buildings spelling out their support for the Cubs, who were playing just up the street at Wrigley Field that night in the NLCS. That was, I believe, the last game before the term "Bartman" became a permanent foul addition to the Cubs fan lexicon. The concert was great too. We were about a quarter mile from the stage, it seemed, and could barely even make out the image of Sting on the video board they'd set up, let alone actually seeing him. But hanging out with friends in that great setting on a perfectly tempered fall evening was very memorable!
Wrigley Field - Speaking of the Cubs, catching a game at Wrigley is an absolute not only for any baseball fan, particularly, but for anyone who just enjoys a fun setting in the summer, too. I had the pleasure of going to several and will miss 'The Friendly Confines'. Of course, the three most memorable games were the only three that I attended where I was not pulling for the Cubbies--last season's inter league sweep by the Tigers!
Red Wings/Blackhawks - Speaking of DET domination over CHI hometown teams.... As a Red Wings fan, its always a blast to go catch the Wings at the United Center, though the atmosphere there has dropped off dramatically with the decline in the Blackhawks prowess over the past few years, and the entire NHL lockout not helping the cause.
Lions/Bears - Okay, so my Detroit teams didn't always fare that well when facing off against their Chicago counterparts. I only made it to one Lions-Bears game at Soldier Field (and, unfortunately, it was already the 'new' Soldier Field at that.). Well, I'll say this about the game... at least we lucked into free tickets from some guy in the parking lot, so we almost got our money's worth.
Tigers/Sox - I can't really say much about the atmosphere at White Sox games in general, but with a big thanks to Julia and Marty, we managed to score some GREAT seats, including some just a few rows behind home plate, to a couple games last year during the Tigers' great run. And even in the years before the Tigers' resurgence, they always seemed to have disproportionate success against the Sox.
Michigan football games - Watching a Michigan-Northwestern game in Evanston is an interesting experience, and typically if you're wearing maize and blue, an enjoyable one, too. (Someone is telling me that I came into town for one of those games in 2000, before I moved here. Strangely, I have no recollection. No, really. They must be making it up. I mean, with a score of 54-51, they must have been talking about a basketball game or something. Right? I digress.)
But aside from those games, one of the greatest things about living in Chicago, for me anyways, was its centralized location and relative proximity to the majority of the Big Ten programs. Of the 63 football games Michigan has played during my tenure in Chicago, I attended 57, including every single game during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. I have attended every home game since 1995--a streak very much in jeopardy should I get a job and a work permit to allow me to stay in Ireland for a longer period of time--but living in Chicago helped me to maximize my attendance at road games as well. I've seen Michigan play at every Big 10 venue at least once (most 2-3 times) plus Notre Dame and several other non-conference stadiums. This is why many who know me so well are highly skeptical that I could opt for a longer stay in Ireland, where I may struggle even to
find the major games on TV. But we'll see how it goes.
It would be impossible to pick just one game over the past five years that is the most memorable, but if I had to choose one that stands out, with proximity to Chicago as a criteria, last fall's 47-21 FBD of Notre Dame in South Bend probably tops the charts.
I'll wrap up the 'sports' section with a memory of the craziest sports road trip I took during my time here in Chicago (it's a close race for craziest overall with the trip to Boston for the NCAA Hockey finals in '98, but that's another story...). On Nov. 9th, 2002, at around 9am, Justin and I left our place headed towards Minneapolis for the Battle of the Little Brown Jug between Michigan and Minnesota. The game was a night game, though, and as we had to pass through Madison, WI on our way anyway, we stopped off at Camp Randall and caught half of the Illinois-Wisconsin game. All decked out in Michigan gear, we got a lot of strange looks and heckles, but we cut out at half-time and got back on the road to Minneapolis. After the Wolverines walked off the field with the Jug firmly in hand, we busted out of town and headed due east, stopping off at a motel in the middle of Nowheresville, Wisonsin around 2am to catch a couple hours nap before getting and continuing on to Green Bay, where we got to take in the awesome atmosphere of Lambau Field, though only to watch the Lions lay another egg. Nearly 900 miles and two and a half football games in just over 24 hours.
Venetian Night - one of my first great Chicago memories, from just a few weeks after I moved in. An annual boat parade in the harbor across the lakefront downtown, Mike came into town to hang out with us and his now-wife, Melissa, and we all headed down to the harbor to watch the boats and the fireworks on a warm August evening, 2002.
Bluesfest/Taste of Chicago - Two of Chicago's most popular summer festivals. Both offer tons of great food and music, though they come at the price of huge crowds, long lines, and, well, ridiculous prices. But hitting either at the right time and with the right folks can be a great experience, especially if you happen to get a rare pleasantly mild, dry day.
Airshow - The Chicago Air and Water Show, while lacking in the close-up looks at static aircraft provided by most airshows, makes up for it with the pacing of the acts. Since the show is held over the public beaches and parks along the city's north side, there is no need to wait for planes to cycle through landing patterns before strutting their stuff for the crowd, so the performers are on show center with very little time in between.
Milwaukee Irish Fest - I finally made it to Chicago's Celtic Fest last fall for the first time. While I got to see a handful of fantastic musicians, the fest is, surprisingly, not nearly at the same size and scope as the Milwaukee Irish Fest, which I made it up to a few years ago with Justin G. It was a treat to get to hear Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem both perform, though odd and sad that they played just a few hundreds yards and 45 minutes apart, yet each made no acknowledgement of the other.
Strictly Sail - Quick. Think Chicago in February. What's the first thing that comes to mind? You mean its not sailboats? Hunh. I've enjoyed heading to Navy Pier and checking out the boats on display each year I've been here, but the best thing about this show, bar none, is that its been good for at least one guaranteed visit from Dad each year!
Here are some highlights from a few specific fun times at various sports and leisure events from the past few years.
Sting concert - Fall of '03. Free concert in Grant Park underneath the lights of the downtown buildings spelling out their support for the Cubs, who were playing just up the street at Wrigley Field that night in the NLCS. That was, I believe, the last game before the term "Bartman" became a permanent foul addition to the Cubs fan lexicon. The concert was great too. We were about a quarter mile from the stage, it seemed, and could barely even make out the image of Sting on the video board they'd set up, let alone actually seeing him. But hanging out with friends in that great setting on a perfectly tempered fall evening was very memorable!
Wrigley Field - Speaking of the Cubs, catching a game at Wrigley is an absolute not only for any baseball fan, particularly, but for anyone who just enjoys a fun setting in the summer, too. I had the pleasure of going to several and will miss 'The Friendly Confines'. Of course, the three most memorable games were the only three that I attended where I was not pulling for the Cubbies--last season's inter league sweep by the Tigers!
Red Wings/Blackhawks - Speaking of DET domination over CHI hometown teams.... As a Red Wings fan, its always a blast to go catch the Wings at the United Center, though the atmosphere there has dropped off dramatically with the decline in the Blackhawks prowess over the past few years, and the entire NHL lockout not helping the cause.
Lions/Bears - Okay, so my Detroit teams didn't always fare that well when facing off against their Chicago counterparts. I only made it to one Lions-Bears game at Soldier Field (and, unfortunately, it was already the 'new' Soldier Field at that.). Well, I'll say this about the game... at least we lucked into free tickets from some guy in the parking lot, so we almost got our money's worth.
Tigers/Sox - I can't really say much about the atmosphere at White Sox games in general, but with a big thanks to Julia and Marty, we managed to score some GREAT seats, including some just a few rows behind home plate, to a couple games last year during the Tigers' great run. And even in the years before the Tigers' resurgence, they always seemed to have disproportionate success against the Sox.
Michigan football games - Watching a Michigan-Northwestern game in Evanston is an interesting experience, and typically if you're wearing maize and blue, an enjoyable one, too. (Someone is telling me that I came into town for one of those games in 2000, before I moved here. Strangely, I have no recollection. No, really. They must be making it up. I mean, with a score of 54-51, they must have been talking about a basketball game or something. Right? I digress.)
But aside from those games, one of the greatest things about living in Chicago, for me anyways, was its centralized location and relative proximity to the majority of the Big Ten programs. Of the 63 football games Michigan has played during my tenure in Chicago, I attended 57, including every single game during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. I have attended every home game since 1995--a streak very much in jeopardy should I get a job and a work permit to allow me to stay in Ireland for a longer period of time--but living in Chicago helped me to maximize my attendance at road games as well. I've seen Michigan play at every Big 10 venue at least once (most 2-3 times) plus Notre Dame and several other non-conference stadiums. This is why many who know me so well are highly skeptical that I could opt for a longer stay in Ireland, where I may struggle even to
find the major games on TV. But we'll see how it goes.
It would be impossible to pick just one game over the past five years that is the most memorable, but if I had to choose one that stands out, with proximity to Chicago as a criteria, last fall's 47-21 FBD of Notre Dame in South Bend probably tops the charts.
I'll wrap up the 'sports' section with a memory of the craziest sports road trip I took during my time here in Chicago (it's a close race for craziest overall with the trip to Boston for the NCAA Hockey finals in '98, but that's another story...). On Nov. 9th, 2002, at around 9am, Justin and I left our place headed towards Minneapolis for the Battle of the Little Brown Jug between Michigan and Minnesota. The game was a night game, though, and as we had to pass through Madison, WI on our way anyway, we stopped off at Camp Randall and caught half of the Illinois-Wisconsin game. All decked out in Michigan gear, we got a lot of strange looks and heckles, but we cut out at half-time and got back on the road to Minneapolis. After the Wolverines walked off the field with the Jug firmly in hand, we busted out of town and headed due east, stopping off at a motel in the middle of Nowheresville, Wisonsin around 2am to catch a couple hours nap before getting and continuing on to Green Bay, where we got to take in the awesome atmosphere of Lambau Field, though only to watch the Lions lay another egg. Nearly 900 miles and two and a half football games in just over 24 hours.
Venetian Night - one of my first great Chicago memories, from just a few weeks after I moved in. An annual boat parade in the harbor across the lakefront downtown, Mike came into town to hang out with us and his now-wife, Melissa, and we all headed down to the harbor to watch the boats and the fireworks on a warm August evening, 2002.
Bluesfest/Taste of Chicago - Two of Chicago's most popular summer festivals. Both offer tons of great food and music, though they come at the price of huge crowds, long lines, and, well, ridiculous prices. But hitting either at the right time and with the right folks can be a great experience, especially if you happen to get a rare pleasantly mild, dry day.
Airshow - The Chicago Air and Water Show, while lacking in the close-up looks at static aircraft provided by most airshows, makes up for it with the pacing of the acts. Since the show is held over the public beaches and parks along the city's north side, there is no need to wait for planes to cycle through landing patterns before strutting their stuff for the crowd, so the performers are on show center with very little time in between.
Milwaukee Irish Fest - I finally made it to Chicago's Celtic Fest last fall for the first time. While I got to see a handful of fantastic musicians, the fest is, surprisingly, not nearly at the same size and scope as the Milwaukee Irish Fest, which I made it up to a few years ago with Justin G. It was a treat to get to hear Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem both perform, though odd and sad that they played just a few hundreds yards and 45 minutes apart, yet each made no acknowledgement of the other.
Strictly Sail - Quick. Think Chicago in February. What's the first thing that comes to mind? You mean its not sailboats? Hunh. I've enjoyed heading to Navy Pier and checking out the boats on display each year I've been here, but the best thing about this show, bar none, is that its been good for at least one guaranteed visit from Dad each year!
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Moving Day
"...the frost is off the ground, and Moving Day is at hand."-Auntie Shrew
Well, one of several 'moving days' at least. The odd thing about doing a piecemeal move is watching your stuff gradually disappear from your living space. Tomorrow (well, 'today', technically) should be the biggest single move, though. I'm hoping to get the bulk of all the stuff that I won't need for the next few months up to my brothers place tomorrow. Dad and Judy are down to help, as is Russ, who, being the awesome Russ that he is, offered to come down to visit and to help haul a load of stuff back to Michigan (nevermind that he's still living in Ohio.).
Packing is a bit behind schedule, but we made some good progress this afternoon/evening, so it should all work out. Tomorrow will be a long day though, then I'll be back down here on Monday to finish packing, as well as wrapping up any loose ends. I'm looking at a final departure from Chicago of probably Thursday, but if things go well, maybe Wednesday.
...to the lee of the stone.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Chicago Memories: part V: Music scene
Music has made its way into several installments of Chicago Memories already, but I wanted to take a minute to note some specific folks and settings that I'm going to miss.
Obviously, the traditional Irish music scene here has been significant to me, but while I was here, I also took some advantage of this locale by spending some time learning a music niche that is particularly "Chicago": blues harp.
I wasn't really into blues when I started taking harmonica classes at Old Town. But I was enjoying taking the classes and all of the more advanced ones were blues-centric so it was a natural progression. While I'm no master bluesman, I had a lot of fun learning to bend and vamp and work to create that dirty, "Chicago blues sound" in classes taught by Joe Filisko. I also dabbled a bit in old-timey, acoustic blues as taught by Rick "Cookin'" Sherry. Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention Skip Landt, who helped get it all started with my first beginner harp class at Old Town.
The blues harp classes, especially Joe's level 3 and 4 classes, are a tight-knit group who are dedicated to learning the full ins and outs of playing blues harmonica. Though I've been somewhat removed from it myself for a few months, I'm going to miss the folks in that crowd... To Bill, Dave, Will, Nitro, Ray, Dennis, Shoji, RickEy, Alex, and all the rest of the crowd spending their Monday nights in Room B1... keep your licks clean and your bends dirty and best wishes always!
My classes at the Old Town School were also the gateway into my developing interest in traditional Irish music. It started with bodhran classes from Mike Austin. Add in a few workshops and lessons along the way with noted Chicago area trad musicians Jackie Moran, Sean O'Hare and John Williams, and eventually I took up tin whistle and ensemble classes from Pat Finnegan. When the Irish ensemble class at Old Town dried up due to lack of interest and bad scheduling, I pursued other options and join a similar class taught by Sean Cleland and Jesse Langen through the Irish Music School of Chicago, which Sean founded in 2003.
Sean and Jesse are fantastic teachers on top of their outstanding musical skills (click here for a clip of them playing together from Jesse's site), and the group was a lively one. The folks in the class are also the core of the regular crowd at the sessions that I've been attending for nearly two years now, so there were a lot of familiar faces and a lot of great friends I'm going to miss.
Between the various classes and sessions, I've had the pleasure of getting to know many individuals who were great people as well as fantastic musicians, and who have been incredibly helpful to me along this journey of learning. A huge 'thanks' and a wish for all the best to Sean, Jesse, Pat, Mike, Katie, Mary, Gary, Tim, Scott, Connie, Cam, Trish, Claudia, Sean, Eileen, Jessica, Pat, Karen, Matt, Ralph, Joe, Dean and all the other session regulars I've had the pleasure of playing with at Cullen's and The Grafton. You guys are the best, and I hope to see you all in July, with a pocket full of new tunes and improved skills.
A final thanks and farewell to all the folks mentioned above for sharing your wisdom, insight, experience and patience with this relative newbie crawling slowly along so many different musical paths. A couple more years, and I may begin to reach a level approaching 'competence'. That is, if I don't drop all these instruments and decide to learn sitar, pipe organ and bassoon, instead.
Obviously, the traditional Irish music scene here has been significant to me, but while I was here, I also took some advantage of this locale by spending some time learning a music niche that is particularly "Chicago": blues harp.
I wasn't really into blues when I started taking harmonica classes at Old Town. But I was enjoying taking the classes and all of the more advanced ones were blues-centric so it was a natural progression. While I'm no master bluesman, I had a lot of fun learning to bend and vamp and work to create that dirty, "Chicago blues sound" in classes taught by Joe Filisko. I also dabbled a bit in old-timey, acoustic blues as taught by Rick "Cookin'" Sherry. Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention Skip Landt, who helped get it all started with my first beginner harp class at Old Town.
The blues harp classes, especially Joe's level 3 and 4 classes, are a tight-knit group who are dedicated to learning the full ins and outs of playing blues harmonica. Though I've been somewhat removed from it myself for a few months, I'm going to miss the folks in that crowd... To Bill, Dave, Will, Nitro, Ray, Dennis, Shoji, RickEy, Alex, and all the rest of the crowd spending their Monday nights in Room B1... keep your licks clean and your bends dirty and best wishes always!
My classes at the Old Town School were also the gateway into my developing interest in traditional Irish music. It started with bodhran classes from Mike Austin. Add in a few workshops and lessons along the way with noted Chicago area trad musicians Jackie Moran, Sean O'Hare and John Williams, and eventually I took up tin whistle and ensemble classes from Pat Finnegan. When the Irish ensemble class at Old Town dried up due to lack of interest and bad scheduling, I pursued other options and join a similar class taught by Sean Cleland and Jesse Langen through the Irish Music School of Chicago, which Sean founded in 2003.
Sean and Jesse are fantastic teachers on top of their outstanding musical skills (click here for a clip of them playing together from Jesse's site), and the group was a lively one. The folks in the class are also the core of the regular crowd at the sessions that I've been attending for nearly two years now, so there were a lot of familiar faces and a lot of great friends I'm going to miss.
Between the various classes and sessions, I've had the pleasure of getting to know many individuals who were great people as well as fantastic musicians, and who have been incredibly helpful to me along this journey of learning. A huge 'thanks' and a wish for all the best to Sean, Jesse, Pat, Mike, Katie, Mary, Gary, Tim, Scott, Connie, Cam, Trish, Claudia, Sean, Eileen, Jessica, Pat, Karen, Matt, Ralph, Joe, Dean and all the other session regulars I've had the pleasure of playing with at Cullen's and The Grafton. You guys are the best, and I hope to see you all in July, with a pocket full of new tunes and improved skills.
A final thanks and farewell to all the folks mentioned above for sharing your wisdom, insight, experience and patience with this relative newbie crawling slowly along so many different musical paths. A couple more years, and I may begin to reach a level approaching 'competence'. That is, if I don't drop all these instruments and decide to learn sitar, pipe organ and bassoon, instead.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Chicago Memories, part IV: Work
Today is my last day in the office. I was the fifth employee when I was hired as a Client Services Engineer by my company (name withheld just for everyone's best interest, given that this is a public forum and all) in July of 2002. At the time, the company had been around about 4 years, had a handful of clients, and no office. I was a bit skeptical of the situation at first, but after meeting with several of the folks, I knew I'd found a company that would be a challenging, but rewarding place to be. I really had no idea how much of both I was in for.
Since that time, we've quadrupled in size, acquired a fine office in the West Loop, (which has already needed to be expanded once and is nearly full again!), and added much to our client list and revenue, not to mention the technological advancements and developments that we've gone through.
And yet, there is still a very tight, close-knit family feel to the organization. We've had many fantastic opportunities to bond both during work and outside of it, and I can honestly say I am going to miss these folks and these good times immensely.
Some highlights:
Jam sessions - what are the odds that about a third (at one point in time, over half!) of the company played musical instruments, at some skill level or another? What started as an impromptu song session after a poker night one time has turned into one of the cornerstone regular social events for the company. A few guitars, a bass, a keyboard, and harmonicas are the backbone instruments, but there have been occasional contributions on the saxophone, flute, pennywhistle, banjo, bodhran, fiddle, mountain dulicimer and even uilleann pipes! Add a stack of guitar tabs and lyrics, a couple amps and mics and we can entertain ourselves for hours struggling through standard classics from rock, folk, blues, country and celtic, not to mention our occasional original blends. My particular favorite sessions were the ones on McKinley's rooftop deck in the summer, and any time we had anyone else from the company who just wanted to hang out and listen, or possibly chip in on vocals (Jen's mad lyrical stylings on that tricky part of Blues Traveller's "The Hook" springs to mind!) . Tonight we'll be jamming for one last time before I take off.
Poker nights - even those that didn't turn into jam sessions were always a good time. Chong was definitely the master host and bartender when it came to casino night, but as for being a shark, watch out for Justin when he gets some drink in him!
Softball - after several years of talk, we finally had enough people to try and field a softball team last year! Though the results were mixed, there's nothing quite like getting out on a nice summer evening and running around the diamond with some good friends. Too bad most of our games were either the hottest day of the year, or during an early fall chill!
Darts - Perhaps my most lasting contribution to the company will be the custom dartboard case that I made with the (now outdated) company logo, which adorns our break room. It's been collecting dust a lot lately, but some great games have been had on that board, and on many pub boards around town.
Football game road trips - How many people can say they've talked their company president into a spontaneous road trip to Iowa for a college football game? John and Chong have both been part of several memorable Michigan game day experiences, trekking with me not only to Iowa and back to Ann Arbor, but also Purdue and even the Rose Bowl!
Monday morning meetings - Monday afternoon lunch meetings in the conference room are the norm these days, but in the early days before we had an office, about the only time we'd see each other as an entire team were on Monday mornings when we'd descend on one of a handful of favorite breakfast joints for food and to talk some business. (Usually Wishbone or Pauline's, although Toast, Nookie's, and a few other places made their way into the rotation eventually)
The Merger - The biggest project, probably of my entire career, was leading the team responsible for seeing through our end of the merger of two of our biggest clients into what's now one of the largest financial institutions in the nation. The 80-100 hour weeks, catching cat-naps in my chair for 20 minutes at a time in the middle of the night, driving home at 5am just to crash for a few hours before returning by 8... Yes, believe it or not, the memories are fond when I look back at it. I'm not sure I've ever been prouder of an outstanding effort and challenge in my professional life, but what sets it apart even more was the amazing amount of cooperation and teamwork that was involved. Those last few nights were an amazing bonding experience with an all-hands-on-deck atmosphere that just exuded teamwork and support for one another.
And we won't even get into the Holiday parties.....
Suffice to say, is has been a truly fantastic experience to work for this company to be a part of its growth. It has certainly been frustrating and overwhelming at times, and I've done more than my share of complaining off the record. There have been many moments when I really wondered whether it was worth it and pondered just leaving flat out, but something always kept me around. It was going to take something big to separate me from this company and well, I've found it. But even that may not be enough.
I honestly have no idea where I'm going to be at in my life at the end of this 3 month adventure. But I do sincerely hope that my affiliation with this company continues or resumes at some point down the road.
Since that time, we've quadrupled in size, acquired a fine office in the West Loop, (which has already needed to be expanded once and is nearly full again!), and added much to our client list and revenue, not to mention the technological advancements and developments that we've gone through.
And yet, there is still a very tight, close-knit family feel to the organization. We've had many fantastic opportunities to bond both during work and outside of it, and I can honestly say I am going to miss these folks and these good times immensely.
Some highlights:
Jam sessions - what are the odds that about a third (at one point in time, over half!) of the company played musical instruments, at some skill level or another? What started as an impromptu song session after a poker night one time has turned into one of the cornerstone regular social events for the company. A few guitars, a bass, a keyboard, and harmonicas are the backbone instruments, but there have been occasional contributions on the saxophone, flute, pennywhistle, banjo, bodhran, fiddle, mountain dulicimer and even uilleann pipes! Add a stack of guitar tabs and lyrics, a couple amps and mics and we can entertain ourselves for hours struggling through standard classics from rock, folk, blues, country and celtic, not to mention our occasional original blends. My particular favorite sessions were the ones on McKinley's rooftop deck in the summer, and any time we had anyone else from the company who just wanted to hang out and listen, or possibly chip in on vocals (Jen's mad lyrical stylings on that tricky part of Blues Traveller's "The Hook" springs to mind!) . Tonight we'll be jamming for one last time before I take off.
Poker nights - even those that didn't turn into jam sessions were always a good time. Chong was definitely the master host and bartender when it came to casino night, but as for being a shark, watch out for Justin when he gets some drink in him!
Softball - after several years of talk, we finally had enough people to try and field a softball team last year! Though the results were mixed, there's nothing quite like getting out on a nice summer evening and running around the diamond with some good friends. Too bad most of our games were either the hottest day of the year, or during an early fall chill!
Darts - Perhaps my most lasting contribution to the company will be the custom dartboard case that I made with the (now outdated) company logo, which adorns our break room. It's been collecting dust a lot lately, but some great games have been had on that board, and on many pub boards around town.
Football game road trips - How many people can say they've talked their company president into a spontaneous road trip to Iowa for a college football game? John and Chong have both been part of several memorable Michigan game day experiences, trekking with me not only to Iowa and back to Ann Arbor, but also Purdue and even the Rose Bowl!
Monday morning meetings - Monday afternoon lunch meetings in the conference room are the norm these days, but in the early days before we had an office, about the only time we'd see each other as an entire team were on Monday mornings when we'd descend on one of a handful of favorite breakfast joints for food and to talk some business. (Usually Wishbone or Pauline's, although Toast, Nookie's, and a few other places made their way into the rotation eventually)
The Merger - The biggest project, probably of my entire career, was leading the team responsible for seeing through our end of the merger of two of our biggest clients into what's now one of the largest financial institutions in the nation. The 80-100 hour weeks, catching cat-naps in my chair for 20 minutes at a time in the middle of the night, driving home at 5am just to crash for a few hours before returning by 8... Yes, believe it or not, the memories are fond when I look back at it. I'm not sure I've ever been prouder of an outstanding effort and challenge in my professional life, but what sets it apart even more was the amazing amount of cooperation and teamwork that was involved. Those last few nights were an amazing bonding experience with an all-hands-on-deck atmosphere that just exuded teamwork and support for one another.
And we won't even get into the Holiday parties.....
Suffice to say, is has been a truly fantastic experience to work for this company to be a part of its growth. It has certainly been frustrating and overwhelming at times, and I've done more than my share of complaining off the record. There have been many moments when I really wondered whether it was worth it and pondered just leaving flat out, but something always kept me around. It was going to take something big to separate me from this company and well, I've found it. But even that may not be enough.
I honestly have no idea where I'm going to be at in my life at the end of this 3 month adventure. But I do sincerely hope that my affiliation with this company continues or resumes at some point down the road.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Chicago Memories, part III: Hangouts
Here's some of my favorite Chi-town haunts that I'm going to miss:
The Grafton - As many times as I've frequented some of the bars back in Ann Arbor, I've never had any bar that has taken on a feeling of "home" quite like The Grafton has. What started as an interesting place to check out before a class at the Old Town School one night, soon became my favorite local watering hole. Monday nights before/after class... Sunday evening sessions... The occasional mid-week or Friday night visit in between. I've gotten to be quite good friends, as I mentioned previously, with the Monday crew, Jen and Tracy, as well as with Malcolm, one of the owners. When it came time to celebrate the big 3-0, there was no place I would've rather staggered out of. Aside from that, my next most memorable time at the Grafton was the night of the labor boycott that was part of the immigration reform movement last May. The pub stayed open, but fully supported their workers (who, reportedly, wanted to come in to work anyways, but Malcolm and Joe wouldn't have it.) by closing down the kitchen for the night. As my usual pre-class timeslot was peak dinner hours, the pub was deserted except for a handful of regulars and Jen and Tracy. So we all pooled together and Tracy ordered a couple pizzas from a place nearby that was still delivering and we just enjoyed the sensation of really having the place all to ourselves.
The Old Town School of Folk Music - Whether to catch a concert, take a class or even just go and hang out for a bit, the Old Town School is THE place for any sort of traditional or folk music of all backgrounds. I started off there with beginner harmonica lessons and moved up and around, eventually taking several different harmonica classes, as well as adding bodhran, tin whistle, and later an Irish ensemble class.
Martyr's - A great small music venue. Conveniently just down the road from The Grafton's Lincoln Square location, they are very supportive of the local Irish music scene in particular (every Monday night!), although they offer music of all different genres, featuring live acts every night. My favorite shows I've seen here have been the two times I've seen Flook, but I also had the pleasure of catching amazing harmonica virtuoso Howard Levy, along with Paul Sprawl. Add to that a plethora of smaller, local acts, and Martyr's is definitely the top of my list as far as places where I've seen great live music.
Cullen's - Another great Irish bar where I've frequented the Tuesday night sessions. They do a bang up job decorating the place as the seasons change. The warm orange glow it takes on in the fall is particularly fun.
Blue Chicago - If its blues and only blues you're looking for, there's a ton of great places in town to find it. Buddy Guy's Legends and Kingston Mines are two of the most popular, but I enjoy the smaller, more quaint feel of Blue Chicago's two downtown locations. Of course, if you're looking for a real blues bar, sans tourists, you'll have to trek down to the south side.
The Hopleaf - Wonderful Andersonville bar that has a huge selection of beers, with focus on Belgian styles. They added a smoke-free back room and kitchen about a year after I moved here with doubled the appeal of a place that was already fantastic.
Ginger's Ale House - One of our favorite happy hour haunts in the days before we had an office, my most memorable trip to Ginger's Ale House was watching the final, cataclysmic implosion of the Cubs appearance in the 2003 NLCS. It was that night I decided that while my primary baseball loyalty would always be with the Tigers, there was some small part of me that had earned the brand of agony and sympathy known only to true Cubs fans.
The lakefront - Walking and biking the lakeshore path; sitting and playing my harmonicas on the breakwall; Venetian night downtown; summer lunches with McKinley at Castaways and Beachstro. Chicago's lakefront is tough to beat.
Happy Village - What a secret little gem! Just a few blocks from some of my friends' old place in Wicker Park, this bar is the definition of unassuming. In fact, to walk in to the bar itself, you'd be convinced that no one under the age of 50 had ever set foot in it. But pass through the bar (stopping to pick up a cheap six pack of bottles on your way) and out the back door and you find the most awesome little backyard beer garden. There are few places in town more pleasant to sit and chat with friends on a warm summer night.
Caribou Coffee on Ashland - When I first got a laptop from work, I started to hang out here pretty regularly. Their super cheap (now, I believe, free) WiFi made it a great escape when I wanted to get some work done, but needed a change of scenery. Many hours have been spent here fiddling away at work, and a few evenings of just sitting and trying to re-discover my writing chops.
Rock Bottom - Has the distinction of being, if I recall, the first bar I hung out at as a full-fledged resident of Chicago. As a semi-national chain, its beer and food are better than average, though nothing particularly special. But the rooftop garden set beneath the towering high rises of River North is a great place to go and enjoy the spectacle of the big city, while cutting off some of the noise.
The Vic - Sadly, I haven't been back there in several years, but the old Vic Theatre just off of the Belmont Red Line stop was well known for its Brew-N-View nights. Kick back with some friends over a pitcher of beer and even seeing Scary Movie 3 for a second time can be fun!
Jak's Tap - Friendly neighborhood bar just down the street from my office, Jaks has been our go-to spot for lunches and happy hours. Finding out that Mike, the owner, is a Michigan grad didn't hurt, either!
1000 N. Wood - Former home of several members of the aforementioned UM-NU circle, it was a favorite spot for dinner parties and movie nights. And of course, Wood St is fairly well known around the city for its private (illegal, though the police only stopped by to watch) Fourth of July celebrations. I've seen professional fireworks displays that couldn't compare to what was being fired off a couple dozen yards from our friends' doorway.
I may have to add to this as I think about this some more... five years is a lot of time to collect favorite spots, especially in a city which has so many to offer.
The Grafton - As many times as I've frequented some of the bars back in Ann Arbor, I've never had any bar that has taken on a feeling of "home" quite like The Grafton has. What started as an interesting place to check out before a class at the Old Town School one night, soon became my favorite local watering hole. Monday nights before/after class... Sunday evening sessions... The occasional mid-week or Friday night visit in between. I've gotten to be quite good friends, as I mentioned previously, with the Monday crew, Jen and Tracy, as well as with Malcolm, one of the owners. When it came time to celebrate the big 3-0, there was no place I would've rather staggered out of. Aside from that, my next most memorable time at the Grafton was the night of the labor boycott that was part of the immigration reform movement last May. The pub stayed open, but fully supported their workers (who, reportedly, wanted to come in to work anyways, but Malcolm and Joe wouldn't have it.) by closing down the kitchen for the night. As my usual pre-class timeslot was peak dinner hours, the pub was deserted except for a handful of regulars and Jen and Tracy. So we all pooled together and Tracy ordered a couple pizzas from a place nearby that was still delivering and we just enjoyed the sensation of really having the place all to ourselves.
The Old Town School of Folk Music - Whether to catch a concert, take a class or even just go and hang out for a bit, the Old Town School is THE place for any sort of traditional or folk music of all backgrounds. I started off there with beginner harmonica lessons and moved up and around, eventually taking several different harmonica classes, as well as adding bodhran, tin whistle, and later an Irish ensemble class.
Martyr's - A great small music venue. Conveniently just down the road from The Grafton's Lincoln Square location, they are very supportive of the local Irish music scene in particular (every Monday night!), although they offer music of all different genres, featuring live acts every night. My favorite shows I've seen here have been the two times I've seen Flook, but I also had the pleasure of catching amazing harmonica virtuoso Howard Levy, along with Paul Sprawl. Add to that a plethora of smaller, local acts, and Martyr's is definitely the top of my list as far as places where I've seen great live music.
Cullen's - Another great Irish bar where I've frequented the Tuesday night sessions. They do a bang up job decorating the place as the seasons change. The warm orange glow it takes on in the fall is particularly fun.
Blue Chicago - If its blues and only blues you're looking for, there's a ton of great places in town to find it. Buddy Guy's Legends and Kingston Mines are two of the most popular, but I enjoy the smaller, more quaint feel of Blue Chicago's two downtown locations. Of course, if you're looking for a real blues bar, sans tourists, you'll have to trek down to the south side.
The Hopleaf - Wonderful Andersonville bar that has a huge selection of beers, with focus on Belgian styles. They added a smoke-free back room and kitchen about a year after I moved here with doubled the appeal of a place that was already fantastic.
Ginger's Ale House - One of our favorite happy hour haunts in the days before we had an office, my most memorable trip to Ginger's Ale House was watching the final, cataclysmic implosion of the Cubs appearance in the 2003 NLCS. It was that night I decided that while my primary baseball loyalty would always be with the Tigers, there was some small part of me that had earned the brand of agony and sympathy known only to true Cubs fans.
The lakefront - Walking and biking the lakeshore path; sitting and playing my harmonicas on the breakwall; Venetian night downtown; summer lunches with McKinley at Castaways and Beachstro. Chicago's lakefront is tough to beat.
Happy Village - What a secret little gem! Just a few blocks from some of my friends' old place in Wicker Park, this bar is the definition of unassuming. In fact, to walk in to the bar itself, you'd be convinced that no one under the age of 50 had ever set foot in it. But pass through the bar (stopping to pick up a cheap six pack of bottles on your way) and out the back door and you find the most awesome little backyard beer garden. There are few places in town more pleasant to sit and chat with friends on a warm summer night.
Caribou Coffee on Ashland - When I first got a laptop from work, I started to hang out here pretty regularly. Their super cheap (now, I believe, free) WiFi made it a great escape when I wanted to get some work done, but needed a change of scenery. Many hours have been spent here fiddling away at work, and a few evenings of just sitting and trying to re-discover my writing chops.
Rock Bottom - Has the distinction of being, if I recall, the first bar I hung out at as a full-fledged resident of Chicago. As a semi-national chain, its beer and food are better than average, though nothing particularly special. But the rooftop garden set beneath the towering high rises of River North is a great place to go and enjoy the spectacle of the big city, while cutting off some of the noise.
The Vic - Sadly, I haven't been back there in several years, but the old Vic Theatre just off of the Belmont Red Line stop was well known for its Brew-N-View nights. Kick back with some friends over a pitcher of beer and even seeing Scary Movie 3 for a second time can be fun!
Jak's Tap - Friendly neighborhood bar just down the street from my office, Jaks has been our go-to spot for lunches and happy hours. Finding out that Mike, the owner, is a Michigan grad didn't hurt, either!
1000 N. Wood - Former home of several members of the aforementioned UM-NU circle, it was a favorite spot for dinner parties and movie nights. And of course, Wood St is fairly well known around the city for its private (illegal, though the police only stopped by to watch) Fourth of July celebrations. I've seen professional fireworks displays that couldn't compare to what was being fired off a couple dozen yards from our friends' doorway.
I may have to add to this as I think about this some more... five years is a lot of time to collect favorite spots, especially in a city which has so many to offer.
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