Cache of the Day - dot dot dot

I must admit. I'm a bit limited in my music preferences. I've had friends educate me and I am generally open to listening to something not in my preferred genre (Broadway show tunes - that's about it, and the occasional classical composer and Christian songs). I've discovered Chris Botti and Jamie Cullum and Straight No Chaser and Jon McLaughlin and like them all. But nothing prepared me for dot dot dot.
My co-worker and good friend, Erin Waltz and I, were "exploring" Bloomington after a Chamber After Hours this past summer and we ended up at Jake's, a club catering to the Indiana University crowd. If I'm out with Erin, I'm usually just along for the ride, and honestly not too crazy about these places. The band is too loud, the floor is too sticky, and the patrons are generally obnoxious.

But when we got in the general vicinity of the stage, something happened. I think it was the music first (80's and 90's cover), and then the general look of the band (an awesome Asian girl on lead guitar, a buff mountain-biking female bass player, and a crazy looking drummer). But then I saw Adam, the lead singer, and was entranced. I walked to the stage like I was a zombie possessed. I loved Adam's voice and his smile. I was pretty sure he was a guy, but that was questionable. That didn't matter. There was no guy-gal attraction for me. It was all about how Adam was drawing in the crowd, the physical-ness of the performance, the obvious enjoyment he got from entertaining, and how he loved the audience. I was hooked.

Erin and I kept track of their visits to Bloomington (the band is from Chicago) and didn't miss any of their subsequents gigs. We started to get quite a following of others we would invite to the shows, and now there is quite a slew of us that open up our calendar to make sure we see them when they're here. We are the most faithful fans!























During one of their visits this past Fall we had a chance to meet them after that show and they told us they wouldn't be able to come back for awhile because they were going to Los Angeles. They were fairly evasive about the trip, but next thing we know, they're a finalist on The Next Great American Band! We kept up with their weekly performance and were quite impressed with that they were one of the last four (although CLEARLY they should have placed FIRST!).




Adam promised, when we saw him last, that they would be back to Bloomington as soon as they were done, and Adam has kept his promise! We are looking forward to seeing the show on January 25 at The Blue Bird. Join us if you can!

Cache of the Day - Christmas Festivities

Yes, I had two weeks off from work for Christmas, but somehow I was busier than ever. Sharing the holidays with friends and family are of course what is most enjoyable, so I've been a little neglectful of my blog.

I do have some pix of New Year's Eve - a lush evening at a Masquerade Ball in Indianapolis - but, until then, here are some memories of Christmas 2007.

I hope your holidays were as enjoyable!



Here's a shot of the luminaries along the path leading to my front door.



Santa was generous in his giving but he also received his share of gifts.



Taylor surrounded by Christmas cheer.

Cache of the Day - The Ornament Exchange

One of our holiday traditions is around Taylor's birthday, which was this past Monday. After her 25 minute band concert at the high school, we went to the house and every family member brought a wrapped ornament. We drew numbers and each participant got to pick out an ornament in the order of the number that they drew. A certain amount of stealing went on as well. If it was your turn to draw and you liked a previously drawn ornament, you could steal that ornament in lieu of choosing a wrapped one.


Of course everyone tries to be clever with their ornament contribution, and there was a wide range of ornaments - ugly ones, beautiful ones, unusual ones, and ones that you just said "What IS that?".


I actually ended up with the ornament I brought - a delicate turtle dove that I wear in my hair. Here are some of the other ornaments as well.


Happy Birthday Taylor! I'm glad you were born!

Cache of the Day - Finding Lost Things

Everyone loses things, but I seem to be the biggest loser of all. Everyday - no kidding - I seem to lose something. Yesterday I lost my wallet while out to dinner, and some kind person found it and - identifying that I am a customer of Monroe Bank by my credit cards - put my wallet in the night deposit box of my bank. My bank called me today and let me know that they had it.

I had to laugh, because this is nothing unusual.

To show you how unusual this is not, I am starting a new side post, of everything that I have lost. I just need to keep track of these things.

Most of the things I lose I find, and that is the funnest part! Someone is watching out for me. And thank you to whoever found my wallet last night and rescued it!

Cache of the Day - A White Thanksgiving

Check out these photos of Thanksgiving in Wisconsin. I especially love the way the snow stays on the branches.








We even got out to do a geocache, which isn't the easiest thing to find in the snow.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cache of the Day - Meet The Instruments

Face the music at WonderLab this weekend
Meet the Instruments a two-day affair this year

By Andy Graham 331-4346 | agraham@heraldt.com
November 16, 2007
Watch a kid pick up a musical instrument for the first time and make a sound with it, then watch their eyes grow wide.
Everybody can see a whole lot of that this weekend as Bloomington’s WonderLab museum hosts the annual Meet the Instruments event.
For the first time, it’s a two-day affair. Saturday’s programming will focus on symphonic and jazz music, while Sunday will feature world and old-time music.
“This is our third year we’ve been privileged to host the event, and each year we’ve expanded the program,” WonderLab marketing director Louise Schlesinger said. “It started out with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, then we added other groups and, now, it’s a two-day festival. We have so much musical talent in so many genres in this town, and it’s wonderful to be able to draw on that.”

Bloomington Symphony personnel will have their instruments on hand as Saturday’s schedule kicks off with a 10 a.m.-till-noon session. Josh Grekin’s Little Bands School program will showcase young jazz musicians in the afternoon.
Traditional American tunes will hold sway Sunday as the Hoosier Hotcakes play from 1 to 2 p.m. Dmitri Vietze of Bloomington’s Rock Paper Scissors world music agency will follow by showcasing world music forms and their wide array of instruments.
Both days, attendees will be able to take advantage of interactive music/science activity stations, create their own instruments, try out some unusual soundmakers and explore WonderLab’s “Science of Sound” exhibits.

Regular museum admission serves as admission to all this weekend’s events. WonderLab’s general admission is $5.50 for children, $6.50 for adults and $6 for seniors. Museum members and children younger than 1 are free. WonderLab is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.
WHAT: Meet the Instruments, the annual event helping young people experience a wide variety of musical instruments, up close and personal, including the classical instruments of the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra.

WHERE: WonderLab, 308 W. Fourth St., Bloomington.

Cache of the Day - Fall Activities

Never really knew what Fall was before I moved to Indiana....but it's not so bad. Here are some shots of some of the activities we've had going on.






Tailgating at an Indiana University football game and playing the Midwest favorite game called (don't laugh) "Cornhole".







Here we are at the Rocky Horror Picture Show on Halloween.












My condo is a great place to be surrounded by fall, from the fireplace, to the patio with a carved pumpkin, to the table decorations.






My friend Kevin came to visit in Indianapolis, just so we could go on the Ghost Walk through downtown.















And here is the crew at Employment Plus in our Halloween costumes.