Somethin' Purdy

Thought I'd add a little color to the blogging neighborhood.

Addition to the Hangout

It's about time I figured out how to post my race history on this thing. Not that I have the need to show my 'elite' times, but just a rundown of my brief running career....so far.

...to be continued :)


PS....the Black Crowes rocked Saturday night

A Favorite Quote

OK....what can I say...I'm a baseball junkie. Although 'Field of Dreams' isn't a baseball movie per se...to me, it has one of the best written scenes ever (given by James Earl Jones) if you're a baseball purist.

Terence Mann: Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.

How cool is that?? Makes me feel good every time I see/hear it.

Frustration

Yep....it's only June and it's already a long year for us Cub fans.

My New Girl

Well, there it is...the new wheels. It's a Bianchi Eros and after our first ride, I guess I'll keep her. Lora and I took a nice morning route north and back...about 24 miles. I was a little worried for the first half. My feet were killing me. I guess it has to do with getting used to bike shoes and their application. We took a quick breather after the 1st 12 and walked/stretched a bit. After that no pain...go figure :)

Speaking of bike shoes, I was also initiated in the 'what happens if you have to stop kinda quick at an intersection' trauma. Yep, we were at an intersection and my fearless leader kinda slowed down and as I approached her I needed to stop kinda quick. Did I mention this was the first time wearing bike shoes? Well, a quick sense of panic ensued and yep...fell over like a mighty Sequoia. I have to work on my escapability from the bike clips. Nothing major....some scrapes and a bruised ego.

Well, I'm researching some possible names for my new bike...any suggestions? Iris is already taken :)


As for this past Friday, Son Volt was a great time at the Taste of Randolph St. Next Saturday should be a great show on the lakefront. The Black Crowes along with Robert Randolph & the Family Band and the Drive By Truckers should leave my eardrums needing an icepack.

BONERAMA!!!!

Now that I got your attention...no, it's not a porno or male strip joint. Bonerama is a New Orleans brass funk rock band that will blow your mind...no pun intended. Four guys on trombone, one amped tuba, a guitarist and a drummer (Stanton Moore from Galactic for this tour) make the walls melt.

I saw them last night at Fitzgerald's in Berwyn. It was their first ever appearance in Chicago. There was a good crowd...about 100-120. The place down't hold much more than that...unless you remove the tables...which is usually the case for bigger acts.

I played the trompone for about 10 years, so for me it was uber-cool. I'm sure this music isn't for everyone. But once you hear it, you can't deny that they make your foot tap and your shoulders sway. All i have to say is once you hear their version of the Allman Brothers 'Whipping Post", you'll love 'em.

Tonight it's off to the Taste of Randolph St. to see Son Volt. If you're familiar with Uncle Tupelo, you know of it's offsprings Son Volt and Wilco.

This is what summer is about in Chicago...we're done hibernating.

PS....I got a new road bike (Iris needed a friend). I'll fill you in after my first long ride :)

Movie Talk.....

Did anyone catch the AFI Top 100 Inspirational Film countdown last night? The list seemed pretty fair...no glaring exceptions or flukes.

Here was their top 10...

1. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
2. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
3. SCHINDLER'S LIST
4. ROCKY
5. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON
6. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
7. THE GRAPES OF WRATH
8. BREAKING AWAY
9. MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET
10. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN

A pretty good list. I like that 'Breaking Away' made the list. Such a low budget flick that was so well made and poignant. I do have to admit I have not seen #5 or #7 though.

Here's a few from the top 100 inspirational flicks that I consider personal favorites:

13. Hoosiers - a tear jerker for guys (ya, I admit it)
23. Shawshank Redemption
28. Field of Dreams - another tear jerker for obvious reasons
31. Glory
37. Forrest Gump
52. Dead Poet's Society - 'Captain, my captain...carpe diem'
54. Rudy - tear jerker #3...ok. I'm not a wuss...really
59. Dances With Wolves
62. Braveheart
71. Cool Hand Luke - Newmans' such a stud
90. Hotel Rwanda - :(

I'm sure females will have a different take on the list...whattya think?

Weekend Recap: Shrubs, BoDeans, Wisconsin & Elvis

More Elvis to follow...

Another nice spring weekend...ok, it rained Saturday morning, but like I said, it is spring.

As Lora went off to run Saturday morning, I decided it was time to do some landscaping. So off to Home Depot I went. I bought (4) 5' Arborvitaes for the front of the house. Last year I dug up the existing bushes because they were a bit out of control (and damaged by some roofers). We're keeping it simple so when we put the house on the market (soon) it will be a basic clean look for perspective buyers. Once they were in the ground, I threw down 10 bags of Cypress mulch which made it look all purdy. Watered them and the rest of the foilage around the house. The morning rain was the first rain we had in quite a few days, so the extra water didn't hurt. Job complete.

Saturday night Lora and I strolled down the trail to Ravinia to see the BoDeans. I've seen/heard these guys since the late 80's and I kind of exposed Lora to them recently. We had our trusty red wagon filled with our chairs, cooler, blanket, etc. It was a brisk night, Lora was bundled like a cocoon but comfy. It was a good time, good crowd and good way to finish off Saturday.

Sunday morning...off to Wisconsin. About an hour north of us, the Bicycle Club of Lake County had their 25th Annual BCLC Ramble. If you see Lora's blog, you'll see a recap of our biking (big day for her and her new bike).

Once we got home, I had to scramble a bit to get ready for another night at Ravinia. This time I was meeting up with some friends to see Elvis Costello. I think he's one of the greatest songwriters there is and is truly passionate on stage about his music. I saw him about 15 years ago and Sunday night he and the Imposters were just as tight as ever. Along with the Imposters, he's touring with Allen Toussaint & the Crescent City Horns to promote their collaboration after Katrina hit New Orleans. It was fantastic. I was in the 10th row to snap these pictures. They aren't the best but they were also illegally taken...so there.

My Ink

After seeing JK Running's blog, I thought I would contribute the outside of my right calf. The japanese kanji represents honor, strength, loyalty. But when people ask, I ususally say it stands for 'Bogey Golfer' or 'Running Tortoise'.

At any rate, I don't have a cool story to share why I got it. I was thinking about getting one for years and one spring day back in '98 I got it. Yep, that's me...wild & crazy. OK, time to go to bed.....

Care for a PBJ??

In case you're a little under the weather today...or just want a quick laugh...

It's peanut butter jelly time!!

Beautiful Day for a Bike Ride

It couldn't have been a more picturesque day...barely a cloud in the sky...perfect temps....a slight breeze.

So today Lora and I headed to Marengo (IL) for the Udder 100 . It had 4 distance choices: 32, 50, 62 & 100 miles. We decided on 32 since we haven't had a ride any longer than that...and we had to get back for a graduation party anyway.

It was basically flat, but there were some deceivingly long inclines and a couple hills, albeit short, that kinda sucked. Right around the 18 mile mark there was a rest stop that refueled our carb tanks. Got back on the road and headed north for a couple miles...and then we took a right turn and headed east. Crap...what a change. That 'slight breeze' I mentioned earlier felt like a wind shear. Our average speed to that point was around 13-14mph (we're not real bikers, did I mention that?) and dropped to about 9-10mph. It certainly kicked me in the arse.

Lora was the smart one today. She had a nice even pace the whole time. While dumbass me decided to do some 'biking fartleks'...for 32 miles. Oh well, live and learn.

Nevertheless it was still a great day for a bike ride...oh, anyone have any aloe?

Cleveland

Well it's been a while, but here ya go. A couple Saturdays ago, the Alpine Runners headed out to Cleveland on a chartered bus to conquor Cleveland and it's road race. We had 32 people that took the trek east. There was a good mix of runners. A pretty good mix of folks that did either the Marathon, Half or 10K. There were about 5 'cheerleaders' that weren't able to run...including moi.

Here are a few pics of the Adventure on Erie....


Marathon winner Eric Hartmark
2:27:25 27 from Rochester, MI


Bill Rodgers ran the last 1.2 miles with 75 future runners from junior highs around Cleveland


Took in a game vs. Pirates


Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame



JUMBO Guitars...Hey-Ho...Let's go!!


Few of us Alpiners wandering
back from a night of carousing