'Ello!
Busy weekend - Mom and Dad came to visit and traveled in on the Amtrak train. We took 'em to eat at Giordano's (true deep dish pizza), went on the Wendella at night (A boat ride that takes you down the Chicago river and onto the lake to see the amazing Chicago skyline), visited the Museum of Science and Industry, and took them on their very first trip to Trader Joe's (we had to do our grocery shopping at some point ;o). They had a good weekend, at least that's what they said - HA!
Next weekend will be a bit more relaxing (hopefully). Kurt (with me in tow) is going to a nutritionist to help with his recent Crohn's disease problems. We're hoping to find a remedy that doesn't involve more medicine! He's a little nervous that he might have to give up a lot of his favorite foods, but whatever will help works for me!
The next Saturday (Aug. 25th) is my Grad. School Orientation!!!! WOOHOO! I'm so excited to start school and finally have something to do other than domestic stuff - I'm not cut out to be a home-maker ;o)
I have had a few job interviews in the past week or so - last week I was offered 2 different jobs, but took neither. One required weekends and the other required evenings AND weekends AND only paid squat (it was at a non-profit theatre, which would have been cool, but I would like to have a life outside of school and work ;o) - bah. I had another interview yesterday for a theater production company (they put on Broadway shows in the city), but it's only temporary through October. We'll see about that one. If nothing works out, I'm not worried. Once school starts, I wanted to work down on campus anyways.
Funny story.
My dog - the rock carrier. So, today we were on our daily morning walk around our neighborhood. Shosta tends to pick up bottles, large seed pods that fall off of trees, sticks, and various trash (I try to discourage that, though ;o) as we walk around. Today, I accidentally kicked a rock - a BIG one. I stubbed my toe, so I stopped for a second to rub it a little. Then Shosta, for whatever crazy reason, tried to pick up this giant rock with her mouth. She scooted it around with her nose, scratched at it and moved it with her feet, and actually tried to bite it. Not really sure what she was thinking, but it was the funniest thing to watch. Eventually, she lifted it up a little bit, but couldn't really hold it long, so she let it drop. I found another rock that she could actually carry, kicked it in front of her, and away we went, rock in mouth.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Thursday, August 9, 2007
New Concerts!
So excited - we've got a TON of concerts to go to in September and October. AND, I just got special pre-sale tickets to Interpol. That means I got to buy my tickets before they were open to the public. Now I don't have to wait online forever or worry that I won't get any tickets at all. Woohoo!
Here's our upcoming concerts - and there's a lot of good ones, too - National, Ted Leo, Of Montreal, etc. - Only in Chicago can we see them all :O)
Sept. 22nd - The National @ The Vic Theater
Oct. 3rd - Black Mountain @ The Empty Bottle
Oct. 4th - Voxtrot @ The Metro
Oct. 6th - Of Montreal @ The Metro
Oct. 11th - Interpol @ The Aragon Ballroom
Oct. 12th - Ted Leo and The RX @ The Metro
Oct. 14th - Pinback @ The Metro
We may not have fancy clothes, fancy cars, fancy computers or TV's, or a fancy place to live. But, by golly, we go to a LOT of great concerts! I'd rather have live music than Chanel :O)
Here's our upcoming concerts - and there's a lot of good ones, too - National, Ted Leo, Of Montreal, etc. - Only in Chicago can we see them all :O)
Sept. 22nd - The National @ The Vic Theater
Oct. 3rd - Black Mountain @ The Empty Bottle
Oct. 4th - Voxtrot @ The Metro
Oct. 6th - Of Montreal @ The Metro
Oct. 11th - Interpol @ The Aragon Ballroom
Oct. 12th - Ted Leo and The RX @ The Metro
Oct. 14th - Pinback @ The Metro
We may not have fancy clothes, fancy cars, fancy computers or TV's, or a fancy place to live. But, by golly, we go to a LOT of great concerts! I'd rather have live music than Chanel :O)
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Loads of Fun at Lollapalooza!
Howdy!
Well...Lollapalooza is officially over. PHEW, what a weekend! And SO much fun! The weather on Friday and today (Sunday) was a bit warm, but Saturday was PERFECT - low 80's and overcast. Luckily that was the day that we spent the most time there.
AND - the crowds were aplenty, but nothing near what we thought. The park is fairly expansive, so even though there were 100,000+ people there, it really didn't seem that extreme. We were able to see our "most important" bands up close, and the "not-so-important" bands from afar on our blanket. I didn't feel like tearing my hair out too often, which means it was a good time ;o)
Quick (ha) recap:
Friday:
Ted Leo and the Rx (above)- GREAT as always. This was our 3rd time seeing them and they were as energetic as ever. They played a few songs from their new CD, but a lot of their older tunes - which was great for those of us who have been fans for a while. Ted (the lead singer/guitarist) is such a vibrant performer who gives his all ever time. We were able to get up pretty close and get a good view, which is always nice! LOVE THEM LOVE THEM LOVE THEM!
The Polyphonic Spree - We've never seen them live - what a crazy show! Unfortunately due to the crowd, we weren't able to get up close, but they have massive screens to watch. As suggested by their name (Polyphonic), they are a band made up of 20+ members including: a ladies chorus of 9, various brass instruments (including a horn!), strings (with a harp that opened the show), various other wind and percussion (including timpani) instruments, and your typical rock band line-up (lead singer, bass, guitar, drumset). The music is very "Happy" and Love is definitely a theme. At times it was a bit dull, BUT the fact that they closed with the Nirvana tune "Lithium" was great!
M.I.A - We heard/watched as we ate. Very interesting. She's a Sri Lankan exile who has lived in England for most of her life. Her music combines rap, electronic, dance hall, and r&b. Very energetic and fairly entertaining, albeit a bit loud. (We were sitting pretty far from the show, but still needed to put our ear plugs in because it was so loud!)
Silversun Pickups - after eating dinner, we TRIED to see these guys, but had to sit and listen instead. They are a fairly respected pop/rock group, but they put them on a small stage near the main "boulevard." So, getting a spot to see them was impossible. But, we heard them pretty well and enjoyed.
We had intended to see the Black Keys and LCD Soundsystem, but I got a pretty nasty sunburn and wasn't feeling so well. So, we went home and rested up for Saturday - our big day!
Saturday:
Tapes 'n Tapes - AWESOME!!!!! And we were really close! We chose them over Pete Yorn; he's more of an inside/evening/intimate singer, and we knew that Tapes would put on a good show. This was the 2nd time we've seen them, and they had a very similar set list which included all of their great songs from their current album (The Loon), some new songs for their next album, and a few old ones. Considered to be "jangle rock," they are very unique when compared with current indie pop/rock. And, as before, they put on a great and VERY energetic, yet honest, show. Kurt and I were commenting on how they were very casual and how we appreciate that - they had a couple thousand people (or more) watching, yet they acted as if they were performing for friends. Good stuff.
Cold War Kids - Yet another popular indie rock band put on a small stage. Not a good idea. Yet again, we were forced to listen instead of watch. We heard most of the set, then went off for lunch. What we heard was pretty impressive. A lot of times, bands don't perform as well as their CD sounds - not so with these guys. Their music isn't uber-detailed, but they played it very well.
We had a break after these guys, so we grabbed an early dinner and found a nice spot to relax. We (unfortunately) were able to hear Motion City Soundtrack and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah while we hung out. Neither of them were what we wanted to hear, but it was impossible to ignore. We have issues with CYHSY - they plain suck. And they opened for our fav. band "The National" once in Columbus. It was a packed house that night, but 75% of the crowd left after Clap Your Hands was finished, leaving the place nearly empty for the headlining band. Argh. And they are the most ANNOYING sounding band. Anywho...you can tell we don't like them.
Moving on...
Hold Steady (Below)- Another great show where we were up close (annoying kids in front of us though...FYI - parents do NOT bring whining kids to Lollapallooza). We chose them over Regina Spector - yet another intimate performer not suitable for a festival. Anywho, this band is a cross between GOOD classic rock (strong rock with good melody/harmony) and talking. Yeah...that's right...the lead singer tends to "sing speak" more than actually he actually sings. BUT, what a super show! We had tickets to see them back when we were in Columbus, but had to sell them so we could come visit here. These guys are no spring chickens and have been in other indie bands, but came together 4 years ago to make great music. Very energetic and very entertaining!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - The crowd was massive, so we just looked on from afar. I enjoyed their previous album "Fever to tell," but not this album. So, when they played some old songs, it was pretty great. The newer ones, eh. From what I hear, Karen O (the lead singer) puts on quite a show with interesting costumes. But oh well...
Spoon (Above) - This is the second time we've seen Spoon at a festival. Last year at Pitchfork, we were unimpressed. They seemed lifeless and uninspired. Luckily, this year was the opposite. We didn't have the greatest spot to see (well...I didn't, Kurt can always see ;o), but it was still a great show. Spoon is heralded as one of indie music's star bands - considered to be "stripped" down pop rock with a nice groove. They were really quite impressive. Yet another band that performs as well as their album sounds. Super tight and super entertaining.
Interpol (Below)- Dark, smooth dance rock at it's best. We opted for a bench and the big screen for this, as the crowds were very big. We were both pretty wet from the rain (it started back during the Hold Steady), so we didn't mind sitting under the trees. Even though we didn't really see the show up close, the music was terrific. Even so, we decided to leave a little early to beat the crowds to the trains!
Sunday:
We went a little later yesterday than we had hoped because our landlord came over to look at the AC unit upstairs. It was burnt out, so we've been without air in the heat. BUT, he had a smaller unit that he installed for us instead and it WORKS! Yeah for AC! We used it last night and it really helped. Will probably just turn it on at night - don't want to run the electric bill sky high.
ANYWHO....
Yo La Tengo - We opted to listen rather than watch so we could get a seat for the next show. This band has been around for some 20 years, so they have a massive repertoire. Even so, they played quite a few songs from their latest album ("I am not afraid of you..."). Their psychedelic/jam rock fits well with a festival and was very enjoyable to listen to.
Modest Mouse (Above - Isaac Brock, Johnny Marr) - Yet another of my fav. bands for quite some time. In their most recent releases, they've gone a bit commercial/mainstream. Yet, they have still retained some of their artsy pop characteristics. As always, they put on a good show (this is our 3rd time seeing them) - very entertaining. AND, I had a pretty good view! Unfortunately, most of the crowd was made up of teenagers and young 20's people, so they were singing along to all of the songs. Sigh...I don't want to hear YOU sing - I want to hear Isaac sing! Even though their set included songs from their 2 latest releases, they did play a few from my fav. album - The Moon and Antarctica (try saying that 5 times fast).
We left a little before the end of their show to see....
TV on the Radio - WooHoo! This is our 2nd time seeing them, and we were pleased yet again. TV combines so many styles of music to make their eclectic pop that I wouldn't even know how to explain it - except that it rocks. Their music is very unique, unlike anyone else out there. The first time we saw them was at the Newport in Columbus - that's definitely one of my all time favorite shows. This time wasn't as great, but not because they didn't perform well. They did. But the crowd was pretty awful. TV has quite a few energetic tunes, so much of the crowd was jumping all around. There was a rather large (meaning tall/big boned) girl behind me, which made me nervous. I kept feeling elbow jabs, but I knew if I said something, she might harm me ;o) ANYWHO...still a great musical experience.
And, to close the evening...
Pearl Jam - The band is iconic in modern/mainstream american rock music. Their career has spanned nearly 20 years, and they still continue to put out great music. I've never been a huge fan, although I like much of their music. However, Kurt has been a fan for many many years. He recalls listening to them in his high school years, so this show brought back memories. Yet again, we opted for a far off seat as the entire population of the festival crowd was viewing the concert along with us. We were able to see a screen, so we enjoyed it as they played a lot of older tunes. Once they got into the newer stuff, we decided to head out.
Before we left, we got a few pictures and stopped to buy a T-shirt.
Overall, this was a super experience and if the lineup for next year's festival is just as good, we'll definitely go. The tickets were a bit pricey, but considering the experience, well worth it!
Well...Lollapalooza is officially over. PHEW, what a weekend! And SO much fun! The weather on Friday and today (Sunday) was a bit warm, but Saturday was PERFECT - low 80's and overcast. Luckily that was the day that we spent the most time there.
AND - the crowds were aplenty, but nothing near what we thought. The park is fairly expansive, so even though there were 100,000+ people there, it really didn't seem that extreme. We were able to see our "most important" bands up close, and the "not-so-important" bands from afar on our blanket. I didn't feel like tearing my hair out too often, which means it was a good time ;o)
Quick (ha) recap:
Friday:
Ted Leo and the Rx (above)- GREAT as always. This was our 3rd time seeing them and they were as energetic as ever. They played a few songs from their new CD, but a lot of their older tunes - which was great for those of us who have been fans for a while. Ted (the lead singer/guitarist) is such a vibrant performer who gives his all ever time. We were able to get up pretty close and get a good view, which is always nice! LOVE THEM LOVE THEM LOVE THEM!
The Polyphonic Spree - We've never seen them live - what a crazy show! Unfortunately due to the crowd, we weren't able to get up close, but they have massive screens to watch. As suggested by their name (Polyphonic), they are a band made up of 20+ members including: a ladies chorus of 9, various brass instruments (including a horn!), strings (with a harp that opened the show), various other wind and percussion (including timpani) instruments, and your typical rock band line-up (lead singer, bass, guitar, drumset). The music is very "Happy" and Love is definitely a theme. At times it was a bit dull, BUT the fact that they closed with the Nirvana tune "Lithium" was great!
M.I.A - We heard/watched as we ate. Very interesting. She's a Sri Lankan exile who has lived in England for most of her life. Her music combines rap, electronic, dance hall, and r&b. Very energetic and fairly entertaining, albeit a bit loud. (We were sitting pretty far from the show, but still needed to put our ear plugs in because it was so loud!)
Silversun Pickups - after eating dinner, we TRIED to see these guys, but had to sit and listen instead. They are a fairly respected pop/rock group, but they put them on a small stage near the main "boulevard." So, getting a spot to see them was impossible. But, we heard them pretty well and enjoyed.
We had intended to see the Black Keys and LCD Soundsystem, but I got a pretty nasty sunburn and wasn't feeling so well. So, we went home and rested up for Saturday - our big day!
Saturday:
Tapes 'n Tapes - AWESOME!!!!! And we were really close! We chose them over Pete Yorn; he's more of an inside/evening/intimate singer, and we knew that Tapes would put on a good show. This was the 2nd time we've seen them, and they had a very similar set list which included all of their great songs from their current album (The Loon), some new songs for their next album, and a few old ones. Considered to be "jangle rock," they are very unique when compared with current indie pop/rock. And, as before, they put on a great and VERY energetic, yet honest, show. Kurt and I were commenting on how they were very casual and how we appreciate that - they had a couple thousand people (or more) watching, yet they acted as if they were performing for friends. Good stuff.
Cold War Kids - Yet another popular indie rock band put on a small stage. Not a good idea. Yet again, we were forced to listen instead of watch. We heard most of the set, then went off for lunch. What we heard was pretty impressive. A lot of times, bands don't perform as well as their CD sounds - not so with these guys. Their music isn't uber-detailed, but they played it very well.
We had a break after these guys, so we grabbed an early dinner and found a nice spot to relax. We (unfortunately) were able to hear Motion City Soundtrack and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah while we hung out. Neither of them were what we wanted to hear, but it was impossible to ignore. We have issues with CYHSY - they plain suck. And they opened for our fav. band "The National" once in Columbus. It was a packed house that night, but 75% of the crowd left after Clap Your Hands was finished, leaving the place nearly empty for the headlining band. Argh. And they are the most ANNOYING sounding band. Anywho...you can tell we don't like them.
Moving on...
Hold Steady (Below)- Another great show where we were up close (annoying kids in front of us though...FYI - parents do NOT bring whining kids to Lollapallooza). We chose them over Regina Spector - yet another intimate performer not suitable for a festival. Anywho, this band is a cross between GOOD classic rock (strong rock with good melody/harmony) and talking. Yeah...that's right...the lead singer tends to "sing speak" more than actually he actually sings. BUT, what a super show! We had tickets to see them back when we were in Columbus, but had to sell them so we could come visit here. These guys are no spring chickens and have been in other indie bands, but came together 4 years ago to make great music. Very energetic and very entertaining!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - The crowd was massive, so we just looked on from afar. I enjoyed their previous album "Fever to tell," but not this album. So, when they played some old songs, it was pretty great. The newer ones, eh. From what I hear, Karen O (the lead singer) puts on quite a show with interesting costumes. But oh well...
Spoon (Above) - This is the second time we've seen Spoon at a festival. Last year at Pitchfork, we were unimpressed. They seemed lifeless and uninspired. Luckily, this year was the opposite. We didn't have the greatest spot to see (well...I didn't, Kurt can always see ;o), but it was still a great show. Spoon is heralded as one of indie music's star bands - considered to be "stripped" down pop rock with a nice groove. They were really quite impressive. Yet another band that performs as well as their album sounds. Super tight and super entertaining.
Interpol (Below)- Dark, smooth dance rock at it's best. We opted for a bench and the big screen for this, as the crowds were very big. We were both pretty wet from the rain (it started back during the Hold Steady), so we didn't mind sitting under the trees. Even though we didn't really see the show up close, the music was terrific. Even so, we decided to leave a little early to beat the crowds to the trains!
Sunday:
We went a little later yesterday than we had hoped because our landlord came over to look at the AC unit upstairs. It was burnt out, so we've been without air in the heat. BUT, he had a smaller unit that he installed for us instead and it WORKS! Yeah for AC! We used it last night and it really helped. Will probably just turn it on at night - don't want to run the electric bill sky high.
ANYWHO....
Yo La Tengo - We opted to listen rather than watch so we could get a seat for the next show. This band has been around for some 20 years, so they have a massive repertoire. Even so, they played quite a few songs from their latest album ("I am not afraid of you..."). Their psychedelic/jam rock fits well with a festival and was very enjoyable to listen to.
Modest Mouse (Above - Isaac Brock, Johnny Marr) - Yet another of my fav. bands for quite some time. In their most recent releases, they've gone a bit commercial/mainstream. Yet, they have still retained some of their artsy pop characteristics. As always, they put on a good show (this is our 3rd time seeing them) - very entertaining. AND, I had a pretty good view! Unfortunately, most of the crowd was made up of teenagers and young 20's people, so they were singing along to all of the songs. Sigh...I don't want to hear YOU sing - I want to hear Isaac sing! Even though their set included songs from their 2 latest releases, they did play a few from my fav. album - The Moon and Antarctica (try saying that 5 times fast).
We left a little before the end of their show to see....
TV on the Radio - WooHoo! This is our 2nd time seeing them, and we were pleased yet again. TV combines so many styles of music to make their eclectic pop that I wouldn't even know how to explain it - except that it rocks. Their music is very unique, unlike anyone else out there. The first time we saw them was at the Newport in Columbus - that's definitely one of my all time favorite shows. This time wasn't as great, but not because they didn't perform well. They did. But the crowd was pretty awful. TV has quite a few energetic tunes, so much of the crowd was jumping all around. There was a rather large (meaning tall/big boned) girl behind me, which made me nervous. I kept feeling elbow jabs, but I knew if I said something, she might harm me ;o) ANYWHO...still a great musical experience.
And, to close the evening...
Pearl Jam - The band is iconic in modern/mainstream american rock music. Their career has spanned nearly 20 years, and they still continue to put out great music. I've never been a huge fan, although I like much of their music. However, Kurt has been a fan for many many years. He recalls listening to them in his high school years, so this show brought back memories. Yet again, we opted for a far off seat as the entire population of the festival crowd was viewing the concert along with us. We were able to see a screen, so we enjoyed it as they played a lot of older tunes. Once they got into the newer stuff, we decided to head out.
Before we left, we got a few pictures and stopped to buy a T-shirt.
Overall, this was a super experience and if the lineup for next year's festival is just as good, we'll definitely go. The tickets were a bit pricey, but considering the experience, well worth it!
Monday, July 30, 2007
Big weekend ahead!
We had a nice trip to Petoskey last week. We arrived back home in Chicago at 10:30pm (that's 11:30 to the rest of ya ;o). Friday was a long day of driving, but that's ok. Kurt drove us to Toledo to pick up Shosta (6.5 hours) from my parents and I drove to Chicago (4 hours). It was nice to drive again...I miss it. But, since Kurt takes the train to work, I can take the car out joy riding sometime - HA!
This coming weekend is LOLLAPALOOZA! We are both excited and dreading it at the same time. I think there's something like 100,000 people that go to this, so it's packed. Not exactly looking forward to that. BUT, we get to see SO many bands/artists, I'm sure it will be worth it.
Friday we're seeing: Chin up Chin up (local band), Ted Leo and the RX (East coast melodic punk - one of my fav. bands!), The Polyphonic Spree (Hippie - happy band made up of at least 20 people ;o), Silversun Pickups (Psychedelic pop rock), Black Keys (Duo of drum/guitar from Akron that's hit it big), LCD Soundsystem (Electronic pop/rock).
Saturday we're seeing: Tapes 'n Tapes (indie pop rock with an artsy flair), or Pete Yorn (laid back solo guitar - they are at the same time ;o(, Cold War Kids (indie pop rock), Regina Spektor (Solo piano, bit like cabaret) OR Hold Stead (Straight up "talk" rock - they, too, are at the same time), Yeah Yeah Yeahs (rock with a crazy chic lead singer), Spoon (Austin based, very tight indie rock), and Interpol (Rock, smooth and dark).
Sunday we're seeing: Kings of Leon (Tasteful southern rock), Yo La Tengo (psychedelic indie pop), Modest Mouse (artsy indie rock - one of my FAV bands for a LONG time ;o), TV on the Radio (Very melodic pop rock with an artsy feel), Pear Jam (Straight up jam rock - Kurt's pretty excited, he's been a fan since junior high ;o)
So as you can see, we've got a lot of great stuff to see this weekend! It's going to be pretty hot (Upper 80's lower 90's), but it is August. Hopefully the lake will give us a breeze.
Speaking of the Lake...ha ha...
On Saturday we took trip to the lake with Shosta. This is the dog with webbed feet (so we know somewhere in her family tree, there was a dog that swam) that HATES water. Actually, she did better than I thought. At first we waded in and she tried to get away. Then we picked her up and put her in some deeper water (up to her knees). She stayed! Then the we walked out some more, and the waves started to crash in on top of her. Not so good. SO, she pulled her way back to solid ground (you could see the claw marks in the sand). I decided that maybe if I went out further, she would see that it wasn't so bad. I called her name and she came running out as best as she could - it looked like she was jumping around! BUT, then a wave came over her, and she ran back again. We did this (me calling - her coming) a few times, but eventually she wanted no more of it. We took her to out and dried her off. And top it all off, we took her back and gave her a bath ;o)
I think we'll go to the lake with her again, just to see if it gets better with time. But, if she doesn't like it, oh well. She's never been like any other dog, so we're used to it ;o) HA!
This coming weekend is LOLLAPALOOZA! We are both excited and dreading it at the same time. I think there's something like 100,000 people that go to this, so it's packed. Not exactly looking forward to that. BUT, we get to see SO many bands/artists, I'm sure it will be worth it.
Friday we're seeing: Chin up Chin up (local band), Ted Leo and the RX (East coast melodic punk - one of my fav. bands!), The Polyphonic Spree (Hippie - happy band made up of at least 20 people ;o), Silversun Pickups (Psychedelic pop rock), Black Keys (Duo of drum/guitar from Akron that's hit it big), LCD Soundsystem (Electronic pop/rock).
Saturday we're seeing: Tapes 'n Tapes (indie pop rock with an artsy flair), or Pete Yorn (laid back solo guitar - they are at the same time ;o(, Cold War Kids (indie pop rock), Regina Spektor (Solo piano, bit like cabaret) OR Hold Stead (Straight up "talk" rock - they, too, are at the same time), Yeah Yeah Yeahs (rock with a crazy chic lead singer), Spoon (Austin based, very tight indie rock), and Interpol (Rock, smooth and dark).
Sunday we're seeing: Kings of Leon (Tasteful southern rock), Yo La Tengo (psychedelic indie pop), Modest Mouse (artsy indie rock - one of my FAV bands for a LONG time ;o), TV on the Radio (Very melodic pop rock with an artsy feel), Pear Jam (Straight up jam rock - Kurt's pretty excited, he's been a fan since junior high ;o)
So as you can see, we've got a lot of great stuff to see this weekend! It's going to be pretty hot (Upper 80's lower 90's), but it is August. Hopefully the lake will give us a breeze.
Speaking of the Lake...ha ha...
On Saturday we took trip to the lake with Shosta. This is the dog with webbed feet (so we know somewhere in her family tree, there was a dog that swam) that HATES water. Actually, she did better than I thought. At first we waded in and she tried to get away. Then we picked her up and put her in some deeper water (up to her knees). She stayed! Then the we walked out some more, and the waves started to crash in on top of her. Not so good. SO, she pulled her way back to solid ground (you could see the claw marks in the sand). I decided that maybe if I went out further, she would see that it wasn't so bad. I called her name and she came running out as best as she could - it looked like she was jumping around! BUT, then a wave came over her, and she ran back again. We did this (me calling - her coming) a few times, but eventually she wanted no more of it. We took her to out and dried her off. And top it all off, we took her back and gave her a bath ;o)
I think we'll go to the lake with her again, just to see if it gets better with time. But, if she doesn't like it, oh well. She's never been like any other dog, so we're used to it ;o) HA!
Sunday, July 22, 2007
A little get away...and a funny story
Hello! Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the beautiful weather! It sure is giving me fall fever, these chilly nights! Though, the fall feeling makes me miss marching band :o( Do you know, this is the first summer in 10 years that I haven't gone to a Drum Corps show? And this is the first summer in 20 years that Kurt hasn't been to one. We are both sad...the one we were hoping to go to is this Friday night, but we'll be in Petoskey...sniff sniff.
So, this week Kurt and I are going up to Petoskey, Michigan for his parent's anniversary get away. Scott and Kelly, Kyle, Evyn, and Max are going up too. We got a cabin for Marcia and Doug's 40th, and we're all going up to spend some time with family. Should be a good time, although the drive is a killer - 10 hours from Chicago, ICK! Luckily we're cutting it in half - driving to Toledo on Tuesday and then on up on Wednesday. But, Friday, we're doin' it all in one shot. Yipee...sigh. But at least I'll get to drive a bit ;o) I haven't driven a car since June 21st. Hope I remember!
HA! SO...I've been meaning to put this funny story on my blog for a while...it's a testament to the feisty-ness of our little Shostakovich.
So, we're walking Razzle Dazzle (as we like to call her - or at least I do ;o) down the street one night and we come to a corner. All of the sudden she breaks loose from her harness and runs around the corner ahead of us. Well, around that corner were two large huskies walking along quite peacefully. Shosta, being the little nasty dog she is, runs and jumps in between the two of them and starts to pick a fight. She came out the other side a few seconds later and, one would think, realized that she couldn't take two of 'em at once. But nope, she came out, turned around, and dove right back in! Luckily Kurt was there to grab her our of the mix before she did any harm (rather, they did any harm to her). We made our apologies and walked away scowling at and scolding her. Found out, it was actually mommy's fault - I hooked her leash to her dog tag loop, not her harness loop. Needless to say, I haven't done that again ;o)
It wasn't funny at the time, but looking back on it now, it was hilarious. For those of you that haven't met our little spunky dog, she's a 30 lbs. terrier mix that looks like a mini-lab. She's a small size for her weight (when I first got her over 4 years ago, she looked malnutritioned and weighed only 19 lbs.), but her legs and sides look like the body of a little doggy body builder ;o) She's all muscle. In fact, she's so strong that she pulls Kurt around at her every whim.
Anywho, it was so funny looking back because here's this tiny little dog picking a fight with 2 bigger dogs, both of which who are at least 2 times her size. She could have easily been had if the dogs were actually as feisty as she is. But, luckily they weren't. And this is why our little Razzle Dazzle does not play with other doggies ;o)
BUT, I must say, she's the most affectionate dog I have every met...at least to us and my parents - no one else ;o)
Funny thing...they say a dog and his/her owner have very similar personalities. What does that say about me? ;o)
So, this week Kurt and I are going up to Petoskey, Michigan for his parent's anniversary get away. Scott and Kelly, Kyle, Evyn, and Max are going up too. We got a cabin for Marcia and Doug's 40th, and we're all going up to spend some time with family. Should be a good time, although the drive is a killer - 10 hours from Chicago, ICK! Luckily we're cutting it in half - driving to Toledo on Tuesday and then on up on Wednesday. But, Friday, we're doin' it all in one shot. Yipee...sigh. But at least I'll get to drive a bit ;o) I haven't driven a car since June 21st. Hope I remember!
HA! SO...I've been meaning to put this funny story on my blog for a while...it's a testament to the feisty-ness of our little Shostakovich.
So, we're walking Razzle Dazzle (as we like to call her - or at least I do ;o) down the street one night and we come to a corner. All of the sudden she breaks loose from her harness and runs around the corner ahead of us. Well, around that corner were two large huskies walking along quite peacefully. Shosta, being the little nasty dog she is, runs and jumps in between the two of them and starts to pick a fight. She came out the other side a few seconds later and, one would think, realized that she couldn't take two of 'em at once. But nope, she came out, turned around, and dove right back in! Luckily Kurt was there to grab her our of the mix before she did any harm (rather, they did any harm to her). We made our apologies and walked away scowling at and scolding her. Found out, it was actually mommy's fault - I hooked her leash to her dog tag loop, not her harness loop. Needless to say, I haven't done that again ;o)
It wasn't funny at the time, but looking back on it now, it was hilarious. For those of you that haven't met our little spunky dog, she's a 30 lbs. terrier mix that looks like a mini-lab. She's a small size for her weight (when I first got her over 4 years ago, she looked malnutritioned and weighed only 19 lbs.), but her legs and sides look like the body of a little doggy body builder ;o) She's all muscle. In fact, she's so strong that she pulls Kurt around at her every whim.
Anywho, it was so funny looking back because here's this tiny little dog picking a fight with 2 bigger dogs, both of which who are at least 2 times her size. She could have easily been had if the dogs were actually as feisty as she is. But, luckily they weren't. And this is why our little Razzle Dazzle does not play with other doggies ;o)
BUT, I must say, she's the most affectionate dog I have every met...at least to us and my parents - no one else ;o)
Funny thing...they say a dog and his/her owner have very similar personalities. What does that say about me? ;o)
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Fun in the Rain!
Tonight Kurt and I went to see a great indie band called The Decemberists play with the Grant Park Orchestra (a summer festival orchestra that plays at Millennium park in Chicago). What a GREAT concert. It was jam packed, so we couldn't see a thing, but WOW! I haven't heard anything that amazing at a live concert! I wish more bands would play with an orchestra - it makes their music seem so much more anthem-like, fuller, and definitely more beautiful. The only problem - it was raining. We got caught in a nasty storm when we got off the train to head home. Our walk is approx. 8 or so minutes from the el to our place. But my sandals weren't co-operating - I kept sliding around. So, it took a little longer. Nothing like getting soaked ;o)
Anywho...to sum it all up...I now love the Decemberists because they play with orchestras ;o)
I'll put a picture of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion/Millennium park up sometime soon. It truly is a sight to behold. It's awesome. Kurt and I went there on vacation last year and were just awe-struck by it's beauty. Needless to say, I have tons of pictures of it somewhere (NO...I don't have a digital camera. I like my REAL camera with REAL pictures that look REAL nice...maybe someday, though ;o).
Take care!
Anywho...to sum it all up...I now love the Decemberists because they play with orchestras ;o)
I'll put a picture of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion/Millennium park up sometime soon. It truly is a sight to behold. It's awesome. Kurt and I went there on vacation last year and were just awe-struck by it's beauty. Needless to say, I have tons of pictures of it somewhere (NO...I don't have a digital camera. I like my REAL camera with REAL pictures that look REAL nice...maybe someday, though ;o).
Take care!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Oops...forgot...
Here's a picture of the lead singer from Of Montreal. Yes, he's wearing make-up. But so did Kiss and just about every other band in the 70's ;o)
Pitchfork Update
'Ello 'Ello 'Ello!
(Sorry for the greeting...been reading some Agatha Christie ;o)
As you may recall from my previous post, Kurt and I spent a good part of our weekend at the Pitchfork Music Festival. It wasn't as spectacular of a line up as last year, but nonetheless, it was quite enjoyable. I'll give a quick (ha) review of each day...
Friday night was pretty cool. We went later, but ended up hearing the entire concert of GZA (pronounced "Jizz-ah"). He's a rapper from the super-group "Wu Tang Clan." By no means am I a fan of Rap, and I probably never will be. But you have to give props to a rapper for putting on a show in front of a bunch of indie-loving, preppy/hippy/mod white people. I kinda felt bad for him at times. Probably like Spoon (a popular indie band) playing for a crowd of rap-loving, black people. There were plenty of people throwing the "wu tang" sign (make a 'W' with your hands), but still...can't be the same ;o)
After GZA was Sonic Youth. This band has been around since I was born and are considered one of the greatest indie/alt rock bands of all time. They performed their break out album "Daydream Nation" perfectly. Kurt and I were pretty far back, so we couldn't see as well, but just being able to hear them perform was pretty cool.
What was also cool about Friday was that it gave a chance for those of us who were 7 in 1988 a chance to hear what is considered to be one of the greatest albums in indie history. Without Sonic Youth, the popularity of modern indie music wouldn't be as strong as it is. Indie music probably wouldn't even be what it is. And having the chance to see/hear them...very cool.
Saturday, we ended up going to the concert later than we had hoped. We wanted to see an Austin based band call Voxtrot at 2, but the train system, we sadly found out, doesn't run very consistently on the weekends (at least the brown line, which we live on). So we missed them...oh well. We ended up parking our chairs in some shade and enjoying the rest of the evening just listening to the bands. The one thing about music festivals is that there are TONS of people (I think something like 30,000 for the weekend), so the chances of seeing a band up close are slim to none - that is, if you are polite. If you so choose, you can cram through the crowds and TRY to get to the front. But that's not fun for someone whose 5'3" ;o)
Sunday, we ended up going late again, but that's ok. I wasn't feeling well for a good chunk of the day, but after while, the nastiness went away. So, this time we took the bus to the festival. Worked MUCH better and only took 30 minutes as opposed to 1 hour!
Once again, we parked our chairs and enjoyed the music from afar. It was actually quite enjoyable. We grabbed some tasty food (and cheap, I might add) and walked around a bit, too. We visited what they call "Flatstock"; there's an underground art (meaning, not as popular as, say, gallery art) form where artists create posters advertising concerts. These aren't typical looking posters. Each one is hand designed, then printed. We actually saw a guy making posters by hand from a big stamp (2 ft. by 3 ft.). SO, we bought some posters we plan to hang in the apt. We actually bought a National one last year, and as we were paying for it, we noticed Matt Berninger (the lead singer) standing right there! SO, of course, we got his autograph on the poster. It's now hanging in a lovely frame on our wall ;o) Anywho, we got some really amazing posters this time - one of Wilco, Of Montreal (who we saw this weekend...more on that in a sec), and of Tapes and Tapes. The Tapes one is very cool, as it's a poster for the show they played in Columbus back in May that we attended. A nice memory...
After that, we went and got a spot for the main reason we went to the show - the band 'Of Montreal.' They were AMAZING! Their music is a mix of electronic and rock/pop, with a slight disco flavor. I know Kurt was slightly embarrassed to admit that he liked them at first - he thought they sounded too disco-esque. BUT, after a closer listening, the lyrics are very poignant, dark, and quite amusing. So, it draws you in as you listen. Now he listens to 'em all the time ;o) As for the show, the band loves to use costumes and strange dancing people on stage. At one point, the lead singer was on the shoulders of a man completely covered in a black bodysuit. AND, the rhythm guitarist was dressed in a 70's-ish flashy suite and HUGE wings on his back. Very entertaining ;o) They brought out people dressed as comical monsters and a dude covered all in black with a huge lobster claw. Strange, but mesmerizing! They are going on tour this fall, so we are hoping to catch a full length concert instead of only 50 minutes at a festival. Can't Wait!
We were also entertained by some strange dude dancing near us. He would strike all sorts of poses and perform the strangest dance moves. I even got a picture of him. Everyone around us was trying SO hard to not crack up laughing, but I couldn't help it ;o) At one point he took off a vest he was wearing and swung it around above his head. I was laughing so hard I almost peed my pants!
In closing (thank goodness...this was a long one)...
Even though this years line-up was nothing fabulous (besides Of Montreal), we enjoyed ourselves. Relaxing in the shade and listening to good music in beautiful weather. What more could you ask for?
(Sorry for the greeting...been reading some Agatha Christie ;o)
As you may recall from my previous post, Kurt and I spent a good part of our weekend at the Pitchfork Music Festival. It wasn't as spectacular of a line up as last year, but nonetheless, it was quite enjoyable. I'll give a quick (ha) review of each day...
Friday night was pretty cool. We went later, but ended up hearing the entire concert of GZA (pronounced "Jizz-ah"). He's a rapper from the super-group "Wu Tang Clan." By no means am I a fan of Rap, and I probably never will be. But you have to give props to a rapper for putting on a show in front of a bunch of indie-loving, preppy/hippy/mod white people. I kinda felt bad for him at times. Probably like Spoon (a popular indie band) playing for a crowd of rap-loving, black people. There were plenty of people throwing the "wu tang" sign (make a 'W' with your hands), but still...can't be the same ;o)
After GZA was Sonic Youth. This band has been around since I was born and are considered one of the greatest indie/alt rock bands of all time. They performed their break out album "Daydream Nation" perfectly. Kurt and I were pretty far back, so we couldn't see as well, but just being able to hear them perform was pretty cool.
What was also cool about Friday was that it gave a chance for those of us who were 7 in 1988 a chance to hear what is considered to be one of the greatest albums in indie history. Without Sonic Youth, the popularity of modern indie music wouldn't be as strong as it is. Indie music probably wouldn't even be what it is. And having the chance to see/hear them...very cool.
Saturday, we ended up going to the concert later than we had hoped. We wanted to see an Austin based band call Voxtrot at 2, but the train system, we sadly found out, doesn't run very consistently on the weekends (at least the brown line, which we live on). So we missed them...oh well. We ended up parking our chairs in some shade and enjoying the rest of the evening just listening to the bands. The one thing about music festivals is that there are TONS of people (I think something like 30,000 for the weekend), so the chances of seeing a band up close are slim to none - that is, if you are polite. If you so choose, you can cram through the crowds and TRY to get to the front. But that's not fun for someone whose 5'3" ;o)
Sunday, we ended up going late again, but that's ok. I wasn't feeling well for a good chunk of the day, but after while, the nastiness went away. So, this time we took the bus to the festival. Worked MUCH better and only took 30 minutes as opposed to 1 hour!
Once again, we parked our chairs and enjoyed the music from afar. It was actually quite enjoyable. We grabbed some tasty food (and cheap, I might add) and walked around a bit, too. We visited what they call "Flatstock"; there's an underground art (meaning, not as popular as, say, gallery art) form where artists create posters advertising concerts. These aren't typical looking posters. Each one is hand designed, then printed. We actually saw a guy making posters by hand from a big stamp (2 ft. by 3 ft.). SO, we bought some posters we plan to hang in the apt. We actually bought a National one last year, and as we were paying for it, we noticed Matt Berninger (the lead singer) standing right there! SO, of course, we got his autograph on the poster. It's now hanging in a lovely frame on our wall ;o) Anywho, we got some really amazing posters this time - one of Wilco, Of Montreal (who we saw this weekend...more on that in a sec), and of Tapes and Tapes. The Tapes one is very cool, as it's a poster for the show they played in Columbus back in May that we attended. A nice memory...
After that, we went and got a spot for the main reason we went to the show - the band 'Of Montreal.' They were AMAZING! Their music is a mix of electronic and rock/pop, with a slight disco flavor. I know Kurt was slightly embarrassed to admit that he liked them at first - he thought they sounded too disco-esque. BUT, after a closer listening, the lyrics are very poignant, dark, and quite amusing. So, it draws you in as you listen. Now he listens to 'em all the time ;o) As for the show, the band loves to use costumes and strange dancing people on stage. At one point, the lead singer was on the shoulders of a man completely covered in a black bodysuit. AND, the rhythm guitarist was dressed in a 70's-ish flashy suite and HUGE wings on his back. Very entertaining ;o) They brought out people dressed as comical monsters and a dude covered all in black with a huge lobster claw. Strange, but mesmerizing! They are going on tour this fall, so we are hoping to catch a full length concert instead of only 50 minutes at a festival. Can't Wait!
We were also entertained by some strange dude dancing near us. He would strike all sorts of poses and perform the strangest dance moves. I even got a picture of him. Everyone around us was trying SO hard to not crack up laughing, but I couldn't help it ;o) At one point he took off a vest he was wearing and swung it around above his head. I was laughing so hard I almost peed my pants!
In closing (thank goodness...this was a long one)...
Even though this years line-up was nothing fabulous (besides Of Montreal), we enjoyed ourselves. Relaxing in the shade and listening to good music in beautiful weather. What more could you ask for?
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