Castle Mad Baron

Rush’s Time Machine Materializes at the United Center

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 22:05:00 +0000

An Evening with Rush at the House that Michael Built was a fun time. I bought my ticket the night before, ended up in a section at stage left (Rush geek reference!). Ticketmaster had text that read, "WARNING: This seat is next to the stage!" so I wondered if my view might be blocked by a curtain, or some equipment, but no, I had a very excellent view of the stage and the band. Section 120, Row 10, seat 14, if you've ever been there.

I did not take notes on the set list. I'm sure you can find it online someplace if you want to know. Rush did a cool rocked up arrangement of "Presto" that I enjoyed a great deal. I was also happy to see that the newer material did not provide an excuse for most people to go the rest rooms - they stayed and appeared to know and enjoy the newer stuff. You don't see that with a lot of older bands.

Ged did some "slappin' da bass" during the outros of “Leave That Thing Alone” and "Red Barchetta" that was very impressive. Alex did a new solo acoustic piece, instead of "Hope", which segued into "Closer to the Heart". Neil's drum solo was also new - I noticed he's actually dropped a few bits that he's done for years!

I must say that I think Neil's drumming is better than it's ever been. When Neil first began taking lessons from Freddie Gruber I didn't like the resulting change in his drumming style (as heard on Test for Echo). But I love what's happened since, and especially post-S&A. His drumming just swings! It’s very open and jazzy, and he makes it look effortless. His old material sounds so stiff compared to where he's at now.

Ged made a crack about the Blackhawks. "Isn't Chicago the home of the Stanley Cup Champions? I thought that was Toronto. Enjoy it while you can" or something along that line.

As usual, they came out and went to work and didn't disappoint.

Snow!

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 21:57:00 +0000

Saint Goes Marching Out

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:19:00 +0000

Here’s a belated Valentine’s Day post.

Back when I was a wee laddie it was called Saint Valentine’s Day. But these days nobody says or writes the Saint part. It’s just Valentine’s Day, or even worse, just Valentines. What’s the deal with that?

Next thing you know we’ll all be saying “Happy holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”.

And it’s not like I’m particularly religious (I’m not), but I do like traditions. Ah well, I’m just rambling.

Is this what happens when one becomes “old”? After all, I will be 40 this year…

Festival of Sights, Part Four

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:50:00 +0000

Is this two-day drive turning into an epic mini-series or what?

Sunday, December 20th

While enjoying the continental breakfast at the hotel, I overheard a patron and a staffer discussing a movie that had been filmed in the area. A Google search revealed to me that a lot of movies had filmed in the North Shore area, but the closest to Zion was probably the 1993 Bill Murray movie “Groundhog Day”, which had scenes filmed in nearby Waukegan.

The Evil Waves of an Icy Lake

We left the hotel and hit the beach at the north unit of Illinois Beach State Park. (The north unit was once known as Camp Logan, an Illinois National Guard rifle range that saw service between 1892 and 1973.) There was a a couple of inches of snow on the ground, so we were able to see tracks from several different species of animals: canine, deer and man. Daegan did not like Lake Michigan’s roar so motioned for me to pick him up. Aisy kept teasing the waves, running out to draw in the frosty sand as the water receded, then running back in as the water came to eliminate all trace of her art. Then Aisy was caught off-guard and found herself standing in an incoming wave. She turned away from the water but the force brought her face-down on the beach, soaking her from head to toe, the frosty sand sticking to her clothes and skin. Aisy stood up and defiantly declared, “That wave is evil!” which gave Ashli and me a good laugh.

Amid much protesting, we stripped Aisy of her wet clothes, covered her in mommy’s coat and got the kids in the car. “The waves are evil, the water is evil, the whole lake is evil!” Aisy declared. “I don’t ever want to come back!”

As we were leaving, I pointed out another crazy family visiting the beach in the middle of winter. They had just arrived in a mini-van, and as we passed they opened the rear door of the van to let out a Saint Bernard dog nearly as big as the van itself.

We drove to the south unit of the beach, site of the Illinois Beach Resort & Conference Center, to reconnoiter the area for a possible future stay. Ashli had almost suggested staying at the resort prior to leaving on this adventure. The resort was of a severely dated 1960s design, but was right by the beach and appeared to have lots of visitors. I found it strange that it was so busy in the middle of winter. It turns out that their room rates are at their lowest in the winter – perfect for crazy people that visit the beach in December!

On the way out of the park we caught site of the tallest structure in Lake County, Illinois, the former Zion Nuclear Power Station. Exeleon now calls it Zion Generating Station, and it’s no longer nuclear, but is rather a “voltage-stabilizing facility” that stabilizes and helps distribute voltage during the peak summer months. Mmmm, electricity! Just the kind of thing I want right by the beach! (I’m reminded of an instructor I had during my Radio Repairer course at Fort Gordon, Georgia way back in 1990. The first day of our class on electrical current he strolled into the classroom, looked us over, then shouted out “Electricity kills!” He did this several more times while we were under his instruction.)

“Mommy, when are we going back?”

Next: South Bound

Festival of Sights, Part Three

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:11:00 +0000

Saturday, December 19th

North Bound: Illinois Route 137

My interest was beginning to rise as we approached Fort Sheridan and Naval Station Great Lakes, and indeed, my ulterior motive in following Sheridan Road was to drive by these two military sites. But driving by is all that we did! Evening was approaching fast, and the drive up Sheridan Road was taking a lot longer than we’d thought. Our purpose was to get the children to the Festival of Lights in Zion, but we were getting distracted by the historical locales along the way. “I want to check out Fort Sheridan on the way back,” I said.

Once north of the Navy base, I followed Illinois Route 137, which sometimes was Sheridan Road and sometimes wasn’t, but it was certainly a lot faster than following that winding trail along the lakefront.

An Evening in Zion

We drove slowly through Zion. “Where’s this festival at?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Ashli replied. Neither one of us had bothered to note how to find the festival once we arrived at Zion.

We crossed Shiloh Boulevard, which had an impressive display of lighted trees in its center. We wondered if it was down that way, and indeed it was. We quickly stopped at Walgreens to procure some canned goods to donate (two cans of diced tomatoes, one can of sliced peaches), then took the walking tour of Kringle’s Kingdom.

In a small shack near the end of the tour sat Santa Claus (or a reasonable facsimile thereof). As we waited in line to see Santa, I quizzed Aislynn on how to answer Santa’s questions.

“What’s your name?”

“Aisyfeygraham”

“Just say ‘Aisy’. How old are you?”

“Seven!” with fingers held up.

“Are you naughty or nice?”

“Nice!” with an excited hop.

“And what do you want for Christmas?”

“A Barbie musketeer!”

She had the answers down pat, so when it came time for Aisy and Daegan to talk to Santa, they naturally fell silent and tried to hide. With some coaching, Aisy answered most of Santa’s questions as we’d practiced. Daegan said only “vroom vroom,” indicating his desire for a toy car. They both walked away with Christmas cheer and bags of chocolate.

Afterwards we took the driving light tour through Shiloh Park, then retreated from the cold at Applebee’s for hot chocolate and soup before finally retiring for the evening at the local Country Inn & Suites.

Below is a promotional video of Kringle’s Kingdom by the Zion Park District.

This post had gotten to be quite long, so I’ll end here. Part Four will begin our southbound journey with the Evil Waves of an Icy Lake! Dun dun dunnn!

Festival of Sights, Part Two

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:25:00 +0000

Continuing my recap of our yuletide drive up to Zion.

Saturday, December 19th

North Bound: Lake Shore Drive

We drove past another remnant of the 1893 Columbian Exposition, the Museum of Science & Industry, which was the Palace of Fine Arts during the expo, and was briefly the home of the Field Museum before it moved to its current location in 1921. I love the look of this building, and it’s been far too long since I’ve been there. Must visit MSI again soon!

The city was cold and gray, with a low cloud cover and icy drizzle hiding the skyline from us. We saw several signs for the Lake Michigan Circle Tour, a winding route along lakefront roads in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana. Looked like I was following the Illinois portion by happenstance. Part of the route crosses the lake from Wisconsin to Michigan on the car ferry S.S. Badger. Duly noted for the future!

We passed the Museum Campus (one of my favorite spots), on by Navy Pier (Upon seeing the Ferris Wheel, my daughter said, “Daddy, can we go to the circus?”), on and north until LSD ended.

North Bound: Sheridan Road

We started following Sheridan Road at this point, a mostly north bound but sometimes westward route. It seemed more like a route along a series of old winding trails than it did a singular road. Sheridan Road was created by Congress in 1832 as a military road to connect Fort Dearborn in Chicago to Fort Howard in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and is named for Civil War General Philip Henry Sheridan.

There are many historic and beautiful buildings along the route, so many that we wished we’d brought a camera. We immediately swore to follow this route again in the summertime.

Some highlights from Sheridan Road:

Loyola University Lake Shore Campus,
Emil Bach House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright,
Northwestern University campus in Evanston,
Grosse Point Lighthouse, barely spotted by Ashli through the trees. Made a note to stop there on a future trip.
Bahá'í House of Worship. Even Aisy said “Wow” as we passed, pronounced “Whaowa!”

So many wonderful sights and great architecture that to list them all here would make this series of posts much longer than I want it to be. I’ll mention some others as I recount the south bound trip.

Next post: An evening in Zion, and the evil waves of an icy lake!

Festival of Sights, Part One

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:34:00 +0000

This past weekend the family and I took a road trip up to Zion, Illinois to witness their Festival of Lights and to tour Kringle’s Kingdom. In our typical fashion, the wife and I searched the Internet to get a general idea of how to get there or what sights we might want to see, but nothing was definite other than the destination – no route, no set time to arrive, no set time to return. We’d done this countless times to the south, east and west of base, but this would be our first expedition to the north, through The City.

Throughout out trip, Ashli and I made mental and written notes of things to look up once we returned home. We love to discover fascinating places and the history behind them. We returned home today, and I thought it would be fun to create a journal of our trip here at CMB, but as I researched what we’d seen, I decided to split it up into a series of blog entries. The trip that took two days in the doing will now take a few blog entries in the telling.

Saturday, December 19th

North Bound: Blue Island

“Want to get something to eat first?” I asked, and that’s how we ended up at the original Beggars Pizza location at 127th Street and Western Avenue in Blue Island. I had a heart stopping sandwich called the Godfather, an “Italian beef topped with sweet peppers, mozzarella cheese and red sauce on top of garlic bread.” Lots of mozzarella. Great sandwich! As we ate, I noticed two black and white photographs hanging on the western wall. One appeared to be an old service station building where the restaurant first opened in September of 1976. The second photo was of the same building after atrium seating was added during a remodel in 1986.

Heading out, we went north on Western Avenue.

East Bound: 63rd Street

In the Chicago neighborhood of Chicago Lawn, we hung a right on 63rd Street and headed east. I had decided I wanted to take Lake Shore Drive to head north, and this way was going to get us there. Pretty mundane driving up to this point, passing the usual strip malls, fast food joints and low income housing on block after dilapidated block, but then suddenly we found ourselves underneath the Green Line of the ‘L’. The trains going by overhead on the ancient steel structures grabbed our attention. The line mysteriously ended at Cottage Grove Avenue, leading us to wonder if the trains took to the air at that point. This line, the oldest of the ‘L’, was originally built in 1892 and once extended all the way to Stony Island Avenue and the entrance to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The tracks between Cottage Grove and Stony Island were removed beginning in the 1980s due to structural problems and never replaced.

The Republic

In Jackson Park I spotted something in the road ahead, a large gilded statue upon a pedestal of granite. I suspected immediately that it was from the Columbian Exposition, since we were in the area where that legendary fair was held. Trying to get a better look at the statue caused me to miss my turn on to Lake Shore Drive, so I looped back around to the Hayes-Richards Circle and got a better look. She was the Republic, a 24 foot tall interpretation in bronze of Columbia, the romantic personification of the United States from days of yore. This particular sculpture was created in 1918 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the World’s Columbian Exposition. This reproduction was one-third the size of the original, which was 65 feet tall and stood in the Grand Basin of the Court of Honor. We’re always intrigued with lore from the Exposition, so this was a very pleasant sight!

To be continued!

Your Friendly, Neighborhood Army Man

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:09:00 +0000

We did some driver’s training in an up-armored Humvee this past drill weekend. Our three vehicle convoy ended up turning around in cul-de-sac on the edge of a residential area in Blue Island. While we were switching drivers, one of the residents came over to the vehicle I was driving to tell us that we were welcome in his neighborhood anytime.

When I’m out and about in my Army uniform, people sometimes come up to me to shake my hand and thank me for my service. I appreciate those shows of support, but “you’re welcome” never feels like an appropriate response.

“Any time.” Nah.

“Just doin’ my job, ma’am.” Maybe if I was John Wayne.

“My pleasure.” Certainly not!

So instead I simply thank them back.

“Thank you for your support.”

Library Reference

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:00:00 +0000

I recently decided to renew my library card. It had expired in 2004, so the library no longer had me in the system since so much time had passed. So I had to get a new one. I handed the librarian my driver’s license so she could verify my address.

“Do you have another form of ID?” she asked.

“Well, there’s the old library card you’re holding.”

“We’ll need to see another form of ID, a utility bill, a cell phone bill…” She rattles off a litany of supporting documents before finally ending with, I think, “the crowns of the seven kings and the rods of the five wizards.” None of which I had at that moment.

“I’ll have to come back,” I say. She keeps my old library card.

I return the next day with my latest Discover Card bill and my latest student loan statement, both of which are still hermetically sealed in envelopes proudly verifying my home address. I present these to the librarian along with my driver’s license.

“What are these?” she asks.

“Proof of my address. Discover bill and student loan statement.”

“Don’t you have a mortgage?”

“Nope.”

“A cell phone bill?”

“Nope.”

“A utility bill?”

“Nope.”

This question and answer goes a few more rounds. Then there’s a pause as she contemplates, I suppose, whether or not I can be trusted to handle the immense responsibility of a library card. Finally, she relents and hands me a small card to fill out.

The card asks for the usual information – name, address, phone number – but quickly becomes the prelude to a background investigation. Employer name and phone number. A reference is required. A reference! For a library card!

“A reference?!” I ask incredulously.

“Is there something wrong, sir?” the librarian asks with the sort of tone that implies that if I don’t like it I can hit the road.

“That’s a bit much, don’t you think? I had less paperwork to fill out to enlist in the Army.”

“Suppose that you check out a book and move away. We’ll need to find you.”

Hire a bounty hunter, I think to myself. “Can I put my dad down? He lives out of state. I hope that’s not a problem.”

Surprisingly, it wasn’t. After the background investigation and credit check was complete, I was entrusted with my brand new library card. My precious.

“Will you be checking anything out today?”

“Nah.”

Finally, an Associate

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:19:00 +0000

Yesterday I took the final exam for the final class that I needed to complete my associate degree! Woo! I don’t actually have the degree yet, but should in a few days once grades are posted.

I began my associate degree back in Twenty Aught Two, when I was unemployed and had a lot of time on my hands. “They” say that an associate degree is equivalent to the first two years of a university academic program, and therefore they are sometimes called “two-year degrees”. For various reasons, it took me six years to complete mine. I didn’t attend full time (because my daughter was born in 2002 and I eventually returned to the work force, consuming most of my free time), and two attempts by the Army to mobilize me for the Global War on Terror forced me to sit out a couple of semesters.

When people hear the news that I’ve finished my degree, the two most frequently asked questions are, “What is your degree in?” and “What are you going to do now?”

I never declared a major, but most of my coursework concentrated on business-related classes. Thus I usually respond to that question by saying “business”, but when I posed the same question to my college counselor, he stated my degree would be a general associate of science.

As for what I’m going to do now, I’m puzzled why people ask that. An associate degree by itself really just certifies that I’ve completed so many hours of post-secondary education. It doesn’t entitle me to anything. I won’t magically get a new job, a new home, an upgraded car, and the keys to an enchanted barony just for having completed an associate degree. So what I am going to do is keep going to work, keep serving in the National Guard, and enroll in a bachelor degree program.

And update my résumé.

Top Men

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 22:00:00 +0000

There’s a scene at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark where Indy and Brody are trying to ascertain the final fate of the ark from Major Eaton.

“We have top men working on it now,” says Major Eaton.

“Who?” demands Indiana.

“Top… men,” answers Eaton firmly.

I was reminded of that scene recently when I stopped at the local Speedway to fill up the gas tank. While I’m pumping gas, one of those annoying gas pump television monitors is running through the local news, weather, sports and Speedway commercials. In the news segment the anchorman said, “President Obama met with his top economic advisors today to discuss the nation’s financial crisis.”

I’m so glad the President chose to meet with his top advisors and not those second or third tier advisors he appointed to his cabinet.

National Guard Bias

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:12:00 +0000

The bias against the National Guard and reserve units that I mentioned briefly in a previous post isn’t present in just the Active Duty forces. In a recent issue of Stars & Stripes, an article referred to the Illinois Army National Guard troops currently stationed in Afghanistan as “inexperienced.” This prompted an array of letters from irate citizen-soldiers, including one from LTC Bob Roth of the ILARNG.

Stars & Stripes issued an apology to the entire National Guard.

Countdown

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:28:00 +0000

T minus 128 days and counting.

Thoughts on Korea 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:05:00 +0000

That image there is the Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon, or as we in "the business" like to call it, the ARCOTR (pronounced "arr-kotter"). These are awarded to members of the Army's reserve components that complete 10 or more days of active duty time overseas, and I just got my fourth award for this year's trip to the Republic of Korea, hence the numeral four on the ribbon. I was part of a group of twenty or so members of the 108th Sustainment Brigade that supported the annual Key Resolve training exercise.

This was my third trip to South Korea. As such, I wasn't really into going out into the town to see the sights. Been there already. The shops in the areas surrounding the military bases are chock full of little useless knickknacks designed to deprive U.S. service members of their dollars and/or won (the Korean currency), and it's the same stuff in every shop. Still, I went out at the behest of SGT Clark, who was enthralled with everything Korean, this being her first trip there.

Stayed on a Korean air base called K2 this time. It had within its boundaries a section that was run by the U.S. Air Force, almost a base within a base. Services were good. (Ask any member of any branch of the armed forces, and they'll tell you that the Air Force always has it better.) Had a gym, bowling alley, Internet café, library, laundry, etc. Billets were decent, but being that I was on the night shift, it was pretty hard to sleep during the day with fighter jets constantly taking off.

I've got a pretty narrow acceptance when it comes to food. Korean cuisine is not appealing to me. I did, however, try some yakimondo and fried seaweed. That was as adventurous as I was willing to get.

There will always be folks in the regular Army that look down upon their National Guard and Reserve counterparts. The battle captain of our cell took to referring to us NG troops as the "Galactic Defense Force". It was funny the first time.

Met some good folk too. 1LT Morner, 1LT Cochran, SGT Thomas.

I got to meet Command Sergeant Major of the Army National Guard, CSM Gipe. He did that slick Senior NCO maneuver where he slips his challenge coin into your palm during a handshake.

I hate flying. Still. Though on the flight from Incheon to Narita the comforts of prestige class helped me to overcome my usual fear.

There are some pictures from this trip accessible through my Facebook page. I didn't take any pictures this time, but others in my unit did.

How Many Presidents?

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:26:00 +0000

No, it’s not the set-up of a joke. I was catching up on some audiophile reading over at the Steve Hoffman forums when I came across a series of posts wherein the posters recounted the presidents that have served during their lifetimes. Here is my list:

Richard Nixon. I was born in 1970.
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush.
Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
Barack Obama

Eight presidents and counting…

Spirit of Service

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:36:00 +0000

From the inaugural address of the Honorable Barack H. Obama, 44th President of the United States:

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

Hooah, Mister President.

Presidential Inauguration

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0000

I learned at drill this weekend that my National Guard unit is being tasked to provide personnel to support the presidential inauguration on 20 January. We'd be in D.C. for a week doing... well, we don't know at this point. The notice on this is so short that everything I know about it I just wrote. It will be exciting to be present for this historic occasion, even if I am just directing traffic.

More to come.

HNY

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Happy new year to all!

To All

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 19:23:00 +0000

Merry Christmas!

iTunes Plus is Inconsistent

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 22:19:00 +0000

I previously posted about my adventures upgrading my music library to the iTunes Plus versions. These are DRM-free and have a higher bit rate than the usual iTunes fare. But there is also something hinky going on with iTunes Plus.

For some reason, iTunes Plus does not always recognize that I have multiple songs from the same album eligible to be upgraded. I had previously purchased three songs by Julia Darling from the album The Living Room - Live in NYC - Vol.2 . Sometime after my initial purchase, this album was made available in an iTunes Plus version, however, I was allowed to upgrade only one track of the three I had purchased. The other two remain undetected by the iTunes Plus upgrade mechanism or algorithm or whatever it is that powers it. There are other songs in my library in the same situation.

Get a fix on it, Apple!

National Guard’s Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:58:00 +0000

Happy 372nd birthday to the National Guard!

To Care Or Not To Care

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:59:00 +0000

I launched iTunes today to listen to some music while I browse aimlessly around the Internet. Clicked on the “iTunes Plus” button to see if any songs in my library were eligible to be upgraded to the DRM-free and higher bit-rate “plus” version. There were two songs listed: “I Should Care” by Jane Monheit and “I Don’t Care Anymore” by Phil Collins. I thought it was a neat coincidence. Definitely worthy of a blog post, don’t you think?

A Little UPS Humor

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:30:00 +0000

Two preloaders are on the dock loading package cars on a cold December day. The new preloader asks the veteran, “Why do they call this time of year ‘peak’ anyway?”

“Because,” says the sage veteran, “there are mountains of boxes everywhere!”

Badump!

Newfangled Toy

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:58:00 +0000

I've been looking around for an easier way to make Blogger entries. You know, something that isn't a web page and feels more like a word processor. Well, I found an application by Microsoft called Windows Live Writer. Gave it a test drive with this very post and so far I like it. Maybe it will inspire me to post more often.

Let's see what this button does...

Black Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Byron) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:14:00 +0000

I used to think that Black Friday was a silly name to call the first shopping day after Thanksgiving, but after the trampling death of a Walmart employee in New York and the shooting deaths of two people at a Toys R Us in California, Black Friday seems about right.

Peace on Earth.