It's Memorial Day 2010

A day of reflection, of remembering the past, those that came before us. Largely heralded now as a time for ribs on the BBQ, it's intention has been blurred in recent years. It is, however you view it, Memorial Day.

Town House Cafe, Saint Charles, Illinois

Gorgeous 90F day for a salad lunch at Town House Cafe with Jay and Cathy, then walked to the Saint Charles art festival to see plenty of classic and modern art vendors and meet the artists themselves.  Although I can write, which is its own art, I cannot draw.  But Jay met a Geneva pencil drawing artist who'll be his future teacher, and Cathy was inspired to recreate paper design art with folded paper in the shape of kimonos, fish and people; I'll post when she makes her own creations in her workshop.  Me, I just encouraged my two "artsy" companions to hit the concession stand at Pot Park for a Fudgsicle.

Stones Wild Horses

Slow it down with the man with the lips. That Charlie Watts looks like he's gonna pass out cold.

The Island Park Bridge, Geneva, IL

The Dixie Swim Club

Evening began with a lovely meal at Francesca's By The River in St. Charles, IL; the ladies enjoyed salmon and asparagus, and I had penne pasta with homemeade mozarella.  Fine conversation and fun place.

"Dixie Swim Club," which is being presented at Steel Beam Theatre beginning May 21.
"The whole key is the relationships working in the show," said David Belew, the play's director. "Part of the show's appeal is seeing the relationships; seeing how these people get along."

"Dixie Swim Club," written by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten, is about five women from a college swim team who meet every year at a seaside cottage to rekindle their bonds. The show covers four such gatherings, starting when the women are 44 and ending with a portrait of 77-year-olds visiting the cottage for the last time.

Enjoyed a groovy Saturday night out with two ladies, Linda and Cathy, and no, we weren't be in Key Largo to see this comedy.  But, fun in the front row of the theatre in the western suburbs of  Chicago.

Finished up the evening with a nightcap at David and Alexia's party, drank Chinese beer while looking at photos from their China vacation, and saw many friends from the condominium.  Happy Memorial Day!

Dennis Hopper, 1936-2010

Negra Modelo

Thank you to our neighbors Alexia and Dave for having us over for wine and Negra Modelo last evening on their patio.  It was yummy, and your shared stories, as usual, were funny and interesting.  Spoke about China trips, terra cotta soldiers, the Great Wall, trucks in parking garages, past friends...and life.  You cats rock!

P.S. I have that "internet" money burning a hole in a niche in my pocket now, ready for dining out this summer.  I'll shoot you an email soon to find dates.

I Think I Am, Therefore I Am. I Think. -- George Carlin

Review Of Fleetwood Mac's The Dance Live DVD

My Amazon.com review:


Fleetwood Mac, unless you are a true fan, really puts on a senseless, energy-drained show here that you'll sicken of faster than a can of Gummie Worms at the State Fair. And State Fairs, indeed, are where this group ought to be playing; right next to Whitesnake and Rick Springfield and the demolition derby and blue ribbon goats.

Buckingham gets his ya-yas out a couple times on lead guitar, but other than that, the ladies sound warbly and the bass player John just stands there (like he has for his entire career). Christine still looks youthful; an unsung MaryAnne next to Stevie's more often photographed Ginger. Christine remains a comely British school marm ready to spank your wrists for looking up her skirt, so that's one redeeming feature. Yet that small pleasure is offset by Mick's still googly eyes and lanky figure sweating behind his drum kit. Thanks for putting a camera right by Mick so that I can get scared out of my easy chair every time he stares those cue balls at the camera.  I'll project this footage on my house for Halloween and scare off all the kids.

I wish I could say that Fleetwood Mac are rockers, but alas, they are little more than Lawrence Welk on methamphetamines. Sure, Don't Stop pushes the metronome to 40 mph from Fleetwood Mac's usual school zone pace, but seriously rip-snortin' rock and roll this just ain't, brothers and sisters. No matter how much Dolby 5.1 Surround and DVD fog-filtered quality you throw at this show, the music remains elevator quality drivel. The passage of time has, in my opinion, shown the Mac's music to be thinner than the veils around Stevie's midsection paunch. 

Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, Looking Up From The Pool

A Hearty Lunch

Nothing like a plate of Swedish meatballs, cranberry sauce and garlic mashed potatoes with gravy.

Write!

The Monolith That Is IKEA

A Comforting Deli at Night? Nope, IKEA in Schaumburg

Indianapolis 500 Raceway Time Trials Today

Enjoyed a wonderful day at the Indy 500 Raceway with Dad and son and cars that went vroom vroom to 226 mph!  Gorgeous day, no rain, 80F, all sun, and great views.  Danica is like the Tiger Woods of Indy sports, and she even caught hell on national media for blaming the car for her abysmal 223 mph showing. Click this link to read about it:
Danica's story at Indiana 500 Time Trials 2010



We saw Milka Duno race for speed, but did not see a towel throwing cat fight between she and Ms. Patrick:


And we saw Dario Frachitti, a.k.a. Mr. Ashley Judd vying for pole position and doing very well, and no crashes like that in his past:

Stones Monkeying Around

Holy madness! And it came out in 1969 on Let It Bleed.

I was watching Goodfellas with mancub this springtime and when Jimmy and Henry are hanging out in the coffee shop getting ready for Tommy to be "made", Scorsece throws in some classic Stones Monkey. This song absolutely haunts. The piano intro, the slide guitar over Keiths' sloppy telecaster, and Mick is never one to mind belting out idiotic phrases that mean nothing--and yet oh, so much. "I'm a cold Italian pizza".

And that tambourine.  Oh, that tambourine.

Anyone who can resist turning this classic to full volume can fuggedaboutit!

Fox River Illinois Boating/Paddling Restriction Finally Lifted After 1 Week

The Beacon News (AP News, May 21, 2010): The restricted boating area between the Montogomery and Algonquin dams on the Fox River was lifted Friday, May 21.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Conservation Police and Kane County Office of Emergency Management agreed it was once again safe to boat on the Fox River, beginning at 9 a.m. Heavy rains had caused high water and rapid currents that led the agencies to restrict boating the week before.

On May 14, the current at the Algonquin Dam was measured flowing at 5,380 cubic feet per second - more than twice its normal rate, according to information posted on the office of emergency management website. The gage height of the river then was nearly 11 feet.

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Summer Time Is Beer Time!