This week's recap is going to be shorter than last, thanks to work (last midnight shift of this stretch - so all those who've been looking to chat with me, I'll be around more this weekend). And with the clock ticking, off we go!
I actually missed Lakisha and Chris's performances - so I can only give an opinion based on the recap at the end of the show. It sounded to me like Lakisha did her usual thing and will probably be safe. It doesn't seem like it was the right song choice for her, however. But she has such a strong voice, I'd be surprised if she's even in the bottom three. As for Chris, it seemed to me he had more of a forgettable performance. I liked the song, but he didn't seem to do enough with it. I did catch the judges comments, and they did not seem to be too thrilled by what he did. Chris runs the risk of being in this week's bottom three, in my opinion.
I think Gina Glocksen had the strongest performance of the night. It was the perfect song for her, just as the judges said. It's all about song selection in this stage of the game, and when the contestants pick the perfect song, they end up being safe. I think Gina will be in the top three this week. She's one of my female performers and she brings a very unique personality to this season's American Idol.
Once again, Sanjaya proved he doesn't deserve to be in the competition. He's more of a clown than anything and doesn't take American Idol that seriously. I don't get why the spotlight has to be on his hair. As Simon always says, this is a singing competition. He makes a mockery of things - and his hairstyle this evening was an absolute joke. I agreed with Randy and Paula's comments that he really CAN sing if he absolutely tried. Even though he should be gone, be probably won't be - even if he forgot the words to the song he sung!
Haley did an admiral job with her song, but it wasn't as strong as last week. There were moments when I thought she whispered and it was hard to understand what she was singing. I thought the ending of the song was the strongest for her. I think she will be safe.
I have to say that Phil was the most improved this week compared to last. He really should have been eliminated last week, but was not even in the bottom three. He dodged a bullet and he made up for it in a big way this week. The song choice was excellent for him and it showed that he doesn't need to sing the rock songs to excel. He should be safe.
As for Melinda, it wasn't my favorite song choice for her, but she did her usual outstanding job and made the song listenable. She is definitely the front-runner in the competition and I think everyone knows it. I just have to wonder if she'll ever not act so surprised when she's done singing her song and hears the tremendous ovation. Yes Melinda, you're that good.
Blake left out the beat boxing this week, which I thought was a good decision, considering the song he chose. I wasn't exactly blown away by his performance, but it was still quite good. As Simon commented, he's definitely the strongest male performer. I don't know if he'll get to the finale, but he'll be close.
I thought Jordin chose a rather interesting song to sing, considering it was a Gwen Steffani hit (who just so happened to be this week's celebrity singer to critique the performers). I didn't think it started out that great for her, but she really nailed it in the middle and end. I am beginning to think she's rising above Lakisha to be the #2 female performer. She's young, but she can really sing.
I was surprised last week when Chris was in the bottom two, especially when a couple of others had sung weaker. I was not really fond of Chris's song choice this week. Just like Jordin, he picks a Gwen/No Doubt song. Yes, it did have a touch of an R & B feel to it. I just don't think he's one of the stronger competitors in season six and is more in the middle of the pack. However, he should be safe this week.
So those who run the risk of being eliminated this week are Chris Sligh, Sanjaya, and possibly Haley. But even if a contestant sings the worst, it's no guarantee that they'll be eliminated. So, tomorrow will more than likely be another interesting results show.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
Four Years...
It's hard to believe it's almost four years since I last saw our pet dog, Spike, alive. The anniversary of his passing is this Monday (March 26), and before I forget, I thought I'd write about the day in which we made the difficult decision to have him put down. It's amazing how attached you become to your pets; but it's really not hard to understand, especially when you consider how long they have been with you. In Spike's case, he was alive with us for 12 years. That's a long time, especially in dog years. But, it's never long enough.
Leading up to the event, we knew that Spike was not himself. True, he was getting old, but once he would no longer eat his favorite doggie treats, something was really wrong. His breathing became abnormal - short, staggered breaths. He also had great difficulty getting up and walking around. It's why you often saw him laying and not even rising when one of us came outside. It was time to bring him in to the vet; but it wasn't going to be easy. He did not liked to be lifted, but it was the only way we were getting him in the back seat of the car. My dad had that difficult task. Spike snarled and growled, but my dad got him into the car; setting him on a blanket. It was time to take that fateful trip to the vet.
I'll be perfectly honest, having him put down NEVER crossed my mind before or during the trip to the vet. I don't know why; maybe I was in denial that he was really that sick. I figured there was something the vet could do; maybe give him some pills or do something to make him feel better. But the fact of the matter was, he was in too bad of shape to have anything done to him. And we would soon find that out after talking to the vet.
It had been years since Spike was last at the vet. In fact, he was only one or two years old when we took him in after he was hit by a truck. We lived out in the country where getting the regular animal vaccinations was not enforced by no means. Spike never got sick and as long as he stayed around in the backyard, we knew he was pretty safe. He suffered a severe injury to his head when he was hit by a truck. It's amazing to all of us that he didn't die from the accident. In fact, my dad thought he was in such bad shape that he went and borrowed a gun to put him down. After laying motionless, Spike suddenly disappeared, and we soon had to find him. He was under the front deck, panting, and seemed to be happy, despite nearly being killed and in obvious pain. That trip to the vet cost hundreds of dollars after the vet ended up doing surgery to Spike's head. I suspect that Spike was never 100% normal from that point on, but he seemed to do quite well for a long time. We had been through a lot together, not just me, but the rest of my family as well. You can see why it was so difficult to make the decision and have him put away.
After examining Spike, the vet had a look of despair on his face. Spike was very uncomfortable, and lifting him onto the examination table was no easy task. He had cancer and the outlook was not good. The vet even said that surgery probably wouldn't even help matters and he may not live much longer; even after surgery. The fact is, he was old. That's when it finally hit me, "Oh god, we have to put him down." That's when I started to get very emotional. I tried holding back the tears, but I just couldn't help it. Before long, I was sobbing away, looking for a kleenex. 12 years together, and this was how it was going to end. Even though I wanted Spike to feel better and to have the surgery, I knew it just was not practical. To have him put down would end his suffering. And that's what my dad and I both decided on.
After saying our final goodbyes and giving him one last pet, we left the room. I had a feeling Spike knew what was happening to him, as he was barking and growling. They even had to put a muzzle on him - just in case he would bite someone. I sat in the waiting room, crying my eyes out, listening to the barks starting to fade out. And then, they ended. He was gone. That didn't make me feel any better and I was relieved to be out of the vet's office. We still had a couple of feet of snow left and the ground was still quite frozen. A part of me wanted us to take Spike's body home and give him a proper burial. But it just wasn't possible and the vet ended up disposing the body. The ordeal was finally over.
I spent a good period of time in mourning after Spike's passing. Certain songs on the radio became very difficult to listen to as they reminded me of him. The backyard was very eerie, due to his lacking presence. Things just weren't the same; but I knew that it would take time to adjust to being without a family pet. And eventually, things weren't as difficult.
Now that its been four year since that day, I know we made the best decision for everyone, even Spike. As I said earlier in the blog, he no longer suffered from the cancer that was limiting his life. 12 years is a long time and I have many wonderful memories of him as out pet. Those are the memories I will cherish for a very long time into the future. RIP Spike.
Leading up to the event, we knew that Spike was not himself. True, he was getting old, but once he would no longer eat his favorite doggie treats, something was really wrong. His breathing became abnormal - short, staggered breaths. He also had great difficulty getting up and walking around. It's why you often saw him laying and not even rising when one of us came outside. It was time to bring him in to the vet; but it wasn't going to be easy. He did not liked to be lifted, but it was the only way we were getting him in the back seat of the car. My dad had that difficult task. Spike snarled and growled, but my dad got him into the car; setting him on a blanket. It was time to take that fateful trip to the vet.
I'll be perfectly honest, having him put down NEVER crossed my mind before or during the trip to the vet. I don't know why; maybe I was in denial that he was really that sick. I figured there was something the vet could do; maybe give him some pills or do something to make him feel better. But the fact of the matter was, he was in too bad of shape to have anything done to him. And we would soon find that out after talking to the vet.
It had been years since Spike was last at the vet. In fact, he was only one or two years old when we took him in after he was hit by a truck. We lived out in the country where getting the regular animal vaccinations was not enforced by no means. Spike never got sick and as long as he stayed around in the backyard, we knew he was pretty safe. He suffered a severe injury to his head when he was hit by a truck. It's amazing to all of us that he didn't die from the accident. In fact, my dad thought he was in such bad shape that he went and borrowed a gun to put him down. After laying motionless, Spike suddenly disappeared, and we soon had to find him. He was under the front deck, panting, and seemed to be happy, despite nearly being killed and in obvious pain. That trip to the vet cost hundreds of dollars after the vet ended up doing surgery to Spike's head. I suspect that Spike was never 100% normal from that point on, but he seemed to do quite well for a long time. We had been through a lot together, not just me, but the rest of my family as well. You can see why it was so difficult to make the decision and have him put away.
After examining Spike, the vet had a look of despair on his face. Spike was very uncomfortable, and lifting him onto the examination table was no easy task. He had cancer and the outlook was not good. The vet even said that surgery probably wouldn't even help matters and he may not live much longer; even after surgery. The fact is, he was old. That's when it finally hit me, "Oh god, we have to put him down." That's when I started to get very emotional. I tried holding back the tears, but I just couldn't help it. Before long, I was sobbing away, looking for a kleenex. 12 years together, and this was how it was going to end. Even though I wanted Spike to feel better and to have the surgery, I knew it just was not practical. To have him put down would end his suffering. And that's what my dad and I both decided on.
After saying our final goodbyes and giving him one last pet, we left the room. I had a feeling Spike knew what was happening to him, as he was barking and growling. They even had to put a muzzle on him - just in case he would bite someone. I sat in the waiting room, crying my eyes out, listening to the barks starting to fade out. And then, they ended. He was gone. That didn't make me feel any better and I was relieved to be out of the vet's office. We still had a couple of feet of snow left and the ground was still quite frozen. A part of me wanted us to take Spike's body home and give him a proper burial. But it just wasn't possible and the vet ended up disposing the body. The ordeal was finally over.
I spent a good period of time in mourning after Spike's passing. Certain songs on the radio became very difficult to listen to as they reminded me of him. The backyard was very eerie, due to his lacking presence. Things just weren't the same; but I knew that it would take time to adjust to being without a family pet. And eventually, things weren't as difficult.
Now that its been four year since that day, I know we made the best decision for everyone, even Spike. As I said earlier in the blog, he no longer suffered from the cancer that was limiting his life. 12 years is a long time and I have many wonderful memories of him as out pet. Those are the memories I will cherish for a very long time into the future. RIP Spike.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
American Idol Top 11
It's another week, and now that I am feeling much better, it's time for a full recap of this evening's two-hour American Idol! This week's theme was songs from the British Invasion. A lot of these songs seemed to be new to many of the contestants but I can tell you one thing, I knew a majority of them myself, since I grew up listening to a lot of oldies songs (all thanks to my parents).
Regarding last week, it was no surprise that Brandon was voted off. He struggled for quite a few weeks and I think him forgetting the words was the final nail in the coffin. That does not mean he was worse than Sanjaya, because he wasn't. But for some reason, Sanjaya is just so popular. A lot of people are saying it's because of his hair; other speculation is that he's getting votes because of the website votefortheworst.com. Hopefully one of these times, he'll be out.
Here's tonight's recap:
Haley Scarnato sings Vonda Shephard's "Tell Him." I actually enjoyed her performance and thought she did a decent job. She looked very sexy and she proved that she can sing (and remembered the words to the song). Definitely not a forgettable performance and I've got to believe she will get a lot of votes from the male contingent. This week: safe
Chris Richardson sang a nice rendition of the song "Don't Let the Sun Get You Crying" by Gerry and the Pacemakers. He gets major props from the judges and I think he deserves it this week. This song was definitely more low key than some of the previous songs he's done and it worked well for him. He showed he can mix it up with his song selections and that's always a good thing. This week: safe
Stephanie Edwards sings a Dusty Springfield hit, "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me." I think she does a decent job, but it's certainly not a memorable performance. I think Stephanie has lost her edge some in recent weeks and has become a middle-of-the-pack performer. I think she runs the risk of being in this week's bottom three by this performance; yet I don't think she'll be out. This week: possibly bottom three
Blake Lewis performs a Zombies' classic in "Time of the Season." He's probably my favorite male performer and is very talented. His beat-boxing works well in just about every song he sings and it's no different with tonight's performance. Just as the judges commented, he turned a 40-year old song into something contemporary and could be a hit on today's radio. He'll be sticking around for awhile. This week: safe
Lakisha Jones sings "Diamonds are Forever" by Shirley Bassey. For me, I thought it was just an average performance by Lakisha this week. I did not care much for the song and thought it was kind of weird. I think Lakisha did an admiral job in making the song listenable. Lakisha was more toned down this week and although it worked last week, it wasn't so good this time around and I think the song contributed to that. Even though it wasn't her best performance, she's not going anywhere. This week: safe
Phil Stacey performs The Nashville Teens' hit "Tobacco Road" from the 1960's. Phil tries to be a rocker this week and it did not work at all for me. Certain people can pull it off, but I think Phil should try to stay away from rock songs. I really think he should've toned it down. After a nice performance last week, Phil will be once again in danger of being in the bottom three and eliminated from the competition (unless by some miracle, Sanjaya actually gets voted out this week). This week: in serious danger
Jordin Sparks sings "I Who Have Nothing" by Terry Knight and the Pack. Jordin is really rising to the occasion in this competition and it was another stellar night for her. Again, this was not a favorite song choice for me personally, but I think Jordin did an amazing job with it and made it easy to listen to. Simon commented that this was a depressing song, but it wasn't so bad for me. I think she's a serious contender for the finals and with performances like this, she will be in it to win it. This week: safe
Sanjaya Malakar performs the song "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks. As Randy and Paula commented, it was an improvement over previous weeks and he did break out of his shell more. However, it wasn't much of an improvement and was still quite weak. All he basically did was more shouting and a lot of his notes were still off the mark. He's got to do a lot better and he still has not proven he is worthy in this competition. This week: should be gone
Gina Glocksen sings the Rolling Stones' classic "Paint it Black." Personally, I thought it wasn't too bad and I was rocking out with her. But that was probably because it's such a well-known song covered by one of the greatest Rock n Roll bands of all time. True, some of the notes were off but she was having a blast singing the song. She's a favorite of mine, but I'll agree that it wasn't one of her stronger performances. This week: possibly bottom three
Chris Sligh performs "She's Not There," another classic by the Zombies. Another decent performance by Chris and you had to enjoy the way he moved throughout the theatre; first going through the audience, then going up on the podium behind the judges, and then finishing the song up on stage. Although I think Chris is more of a middle-of-the-pack singer, he's enjoyable to listen to. This week: safe
Melinda Doolittle sings "As Long as He Needs Me," another song credited by Shirley Bassey and one from the musical "Oliver." Melinda once again brings it home and although it started off rather slow, she really notched it up in the middle and end. She continues to shine and there's still no doubt in my mind that she is the favorite. I think with Lakisha faltering a bit this week, this raises Melinda up even more. This week: definitely safe
That wraps it up for this week. If the voting goes the way it should, Phil or Sanjaya will be gone. However, you can never be too sure with this show.
Regarding last week, it was no surprise that Brandon was voted off. He struggled for quite a few weeks and I think him forgetting the words was the final nail in the coffin. That does not mean he was worse than Sanjaya, because he wasn't. But for some reason, Sanjaya is just so popular. A lot of people are saying it's because of his hair; other speculation is that he's getting votes because of the website votefortheworst.com. Hopefully one of these times, he'll be out.
Here's tonight's recap:
Haley Scarnato sings Vonda Shephard's "Tell Him." I actually enjoyed her performance and thought she did a decent job. She looked very sexy and she proved that she can sing (and remembered the words to the song). Definitely not a forgettable performance and I've got to believe she will get a lot of votes from the male contingent. This week: safe
Chris Richardson sang a nice rendition of the song "Don't Let the Sun Get You Crying" by Gerry and the Pacemakers. He gets major props from the judges and I think he deserves it this week. This song was definitely more low key than some of the previous songs he's done and it worked well for him. He showed he can mix it up with his song selections and that's always a good thing. This week: safe
Stephanie Edwards sings a Dusty Springfield hit, "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me." I think she does a decent job, but it's certainly not a memorable performance. I think Stephanie has lost her edge some in recent weeks and has become a middle-of-the-pack performer. I think she runs the risk of being in this week's bottom three by this performance; yet I don't think she'll be out. This week: possibly bottom three
Blake Lewis performs a Zombies' classic in "Time of the Season." He's probably my favorite male performer and is very talented. His beat-boxing works well in just about every song he sings and it's no different with tonight's performance. Just as the judges commented, he turned a 40-year old song into something contemporary and could be a hit on today's radio. He'll be sticking around for awhile. This week: safe
Lakisha Jones sings "Diamonds are Forever" by Shirley Bassey. For me, I thought it was just an average performance by Lakisha this week. I did not care much for the song and thought it was kind of weird. I think Lakisha did an admiral job in making the song listenable. Lakisha was more toned down this week and although it worked last week, it wasn't so good this time around and I think the song contributed to that. Even though it wasn't her best performance, she's not going anywhere. This week: safe
Phil Stacey performs The Nashville Teens' hit "Tobacco Road" from the 1960's. Phil tries to be a rocker this week and it did not work at all for me. Certain people can pull it off, but I think Phil should try to stay away from rock songs. I really think he should've toned it down. After a nice performance last week, Phil will be once again in danger of being in the bottom three and eliminated from the competition (unless by some miracle, Sanjaya actually gets voted out this week). This week: in serious danger
Jordin Sparks sings "I Who Have Nothing" by Terry Knight and the Pack. Jordin is really rising to the occasion in this competition and it was another stellar night for her. Again, this was not a favorite song choice for me personally, but I think Jordin did an amazing job with it and made it easy to listen to. Simon commented that this was a depressing song, but it wasn't so bad for me. I think she's a serious contender for the finals and with performances like this, she will be in it to win it. This week: safe
Sanjaya Malakar performs the song "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks. As Randy and Paula commented, it was an improvement over previous weeks and he did break out of his shell more. However, it wasn't much of an improvement and was still quite weak. All he basically did was more shouting and a lot of his notes were still off the mark. He's got to do a lot better and he still has not proven he is worthy in this competition. This week: should be gone
Gina Glocksen sings the Rolling Stones' classic "Paint it Black." Personally, I thought it wasn't too bad and I was rocking out with her. But that was probably because it's such a well-known song covered by one of the greatest Rock n Roll bands of all time. True, some of the notes were off but she was having a blast singing the song. She's a favorite of mine, but I'll agree that it wasn't one of her stronger performances. This week: possibly bottom three
Chris Sligh performs "She's Not There," another classic by the Zombies. Another decent performance by Chris and you had to enjoy the way he moved throughout the theatre; first going through the audience, then going up on the podium behind the judges, and then finishing the song up on stage. Although I think Chris is more of a middle-of-the-pack singer, he's enjoyable to listen to. This week: safe
Melinda Doolittle sings "As Long as He Needs Me," another song credited by Shirley Bassey and one from the musical "Oliver." Melinda once again brings it home and although it started off rather slow, she really notched it up in the middle and end. She continues to shine and there's still no doubt in my mind that she is the favorite. I think with Lakisha faltering a bit this week, this raises Melinda up even more. This week: definitely safe
That wraps it up for this week. If the voting goes the way it should, Phil or Sanjaya will be gone. However, you can never be too sure with this show.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
American Idol Top 12
Tonight is the launch of my first ever American Idol review! Every week, I will be posting recaps of the songs that the contestants sang and give my own personal review. Tonight's recap is going to be rather short because I am battling a nasty cold and I am not feeling 100 percent. So here in a nutshell; my favorite performances from tonight:
Melinda Doolittle: This woman can sing. She has to be my favorite performer thus far during season 6 and to be frank, this is her competition to win. As long as she keeps doing what she does, she'll have no trouble reaching the finals.
Lakisha Jones: Such a strong voice and she can really belt it out. She's got a real powerful instrument and just as the judges commented, she held back a bit in the song which really worked to her advantage.
Jordin Sparks: This girl has a totally infectious personality and it is evident in her singing. She has a strong stage presence for someone only 17 years old. Having her sing the final song proved to be a great way to end the show tonight.
And now, my least favorite performances from tonight:
Sanjaya Malakar: I really don't understand what's keeping him in this competition. His singing is horrible; in fact, there are many times when you can hardly hear him. His stage presence is clearly lacking and he may be just a bit too young for this competition (hey, some people do well at young ages, others not, like Sanjaya). And honestly, what is with his hair??
Brandon Rogers: He has been a total disappointment for a few weeks now. Supposedly he's been a background singer before but thus far has not done well enough to take the stage as a solo act. He is in serious danger of being eliminated.
Stephanie Edwards: She just did not 'wow' me like in previous weeks. I thought her song choice could've been better and forgetting the lyrics to the song seems to be an unforgettable instance, especially at this stage of the competition. I would not be surprised if she gets the boot, judging how things have gone for 'AI' the previous couple weeks.
Well, that wraps it up for this week's American Idol recap. Next time around, it should be more extensive with recaps for each of the contestants. I am going to head to bed early and try to recoup in time for work in the morning.
Melinda Doolittle: This woman can sing. She has to be my favorite performer thus far during season 6 and to be frank, this is her competition to win. As long as she keeps doing what she does, she'll have no trouble reaching the finals.
Lakisha Jones: Such a strong voice and she can really belt it out. She's got a real powerful instrument and just as the judges commented, she held back a bit in the song which really worked to her advantage.
Jordin Sparks: This girl has a totally infectious personality and it is evident in her singing. She has a strong stage presence for someone only 17 years old. Having her sing the final song proved to be a great way to end the show tonight.
And now, my least favorite performances from tonight:
Sanjaya Malakar: I really don't understand what's keeping him in this competition. His singing is horrible; in fact, there are many times when you can hardly hear him. His stage presence is clearly lacking and he may be just a bit too young for this competition (hey, some people do well at young ages, others not, like Sanjaya). And honestly, what is with his hair??
Brandon Rogers: He has been a total disappointment for a few weeks now. Supposedly he's been a background singer before but thus far has not done well enough to take the stage as a solo act. He is in serious danger of being eliminated.
Stephanie Edwards: She just did not 'wow' me like in previous weeks. I thought her song choice could've been better and forgetting the lyrics to the song seems to be an unforgettable instance, especially at this stage of the competition. I would not be surprised if she gets the boot, judging how things have gone for 'AI' the previous couple weeks.
Well, that wraps it up for this week's American Idol recap. Next time around, it should be more extensive with recaps for each of the contestants. I am going to head to bed early and try to recoup in time for work in the morning.
Friday, March 02, 2007
March Snow Storms
We've had some dandy snow storms in the past during the month of March. We just experienced another March snow storm here in the Upper Peninsula the past few days to add to the record books, but it's not going to be a very memorable one. We picked up around a foot of snow to add to the snow pack. And it's not the fluffy kind of snow, either, as there is a decent-amount of moisture to it. It really is not easy to move it around. It's currently snowing as we speak, with the storm enhancing squalls from Lake Superior. It would not surprise me if we picked up another six inches of snow before tomorrow morning. But we're already into the month of March and spring isn't that far away now.
I remember some pretty spectacular snow storms when I was a kid. This storm was a little too close by which didn't allow us to receive more system snow than what we could've. The winds also weren't as strong as what they could've been. If all of the right ingredients came together, we could be talking about six to eight foot snow drifts, strong winds, blizzard conditions, and storm totals nearing 30 inches. Those are the kinds of storms I remember when I was little. Usually we'd get this huge snow drift to form right in front of the house that would be so high in the air, almost up to the eves of the roof. The snowbanks would be quite high, as tall as the street sign near the end of the driveway.
There would be snow as far as the eye can see. I could tell the winds would be howling when the little tag that hangs down from the electric meter on the exterior wall of my bedroom would rattle away, waking me up. But in the past few years, we really have not seen the blizzards from the days gone by. And by blizzards, I mean blizzards - strong winds, heavy snows, and snow days. I remember one winter, we missed close to ten days of school because of snow. One such school year, we had to make up a school day on Saturday! That's how many snow days we racked up. And although schools still close down because of this kind of weather, they usually open right back up the next day. We had bad storms in the past that would close down school for two straight days. Doesn't seem to happen that much anymore.
I remember one snow storm that was particularly severe. Our high school boy's varsity basketball team was competing in the regional tournament up in Marquette one day in March of 1997. We had an old fashioned blizzard going on, but despite the bad weather, we still had school, all because of the basketball game that evening. For some reason they couldn't postpone the game so they decided to hold school. When it was time for us to leave for the game, the weather was really nasty. My parents were deciding whether it was a good idea to even go, but I was rather insistent on going. So my dad and I traveled out on the roads. It wasn't a very good idea for us to go and we quickly found that out along the way. We experienced a heavy, blinding snow and frequent white-out conditions. Even part of the highway just south of the city had to be closed off because of the dangerous driving conditions. My dad found an alternative route to where the game was being played and we got to the gymnasium on time. But, because of the road closure, the basketball team was a good 45 minutes to an hour late. The wind was really involved in that storm and I knew afterwards it wasn't such a good idea to risk our lives just for some basketball game (especially one where we got hammered!). That stormy situation is one I will never forget.
The winter of 2006-07 is quickly coming to a close, yet that doesn't mean we won't see our fair share of snow and cold until spring finally starts to set in. April can be a rather snowy month around here, too. Judging from the way our winter started with a snow cover finally establishing itself around January 13th, I have a feeling we may end up paying for our unusual late start to winter early on. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
I remember some pretty spectacular snow storms when I was a kid. This storm was a little too close by which didn't allow us to receive more system snow than what we could've. The winds also weren't as strong as what they could've been. If all of the right ingredients came together, we could be talking about six to eight foot snow drifts, strong winds, blizzard conditions, and storm totals nearing 30 inches. Those are the kinds of storms I remember when I was little. Usually we'd get this huge snow drift to form right in front of the house that would be so high in the air, almost up to the eves of the roof. The snowbanks would be quite high, as tall as the street sign near the end of the driveway.
There would be snow as far as the eye can see. I could tell the winds would be howling when the little tag that hangs down from the electric meter on the exterior wall of my bedroom would rattle away, waking me up. But in the past few years, we really have not seen the blizzards from the days gone by. And by blizzards, I mean blizzards - strong winds, heavy snows, and snow days. I remember one winter, we missed close to ten days of school because of snow. One such school year, we had to make up a school day on Saturday! That's how many snow days we racked up. And although schools still close down because of this kind of weather, they usually open right back up the next day. We had bad storms in the past that would close down school for two straight days. Doesn't seem to happen that much anymore.I remember one snow storm that was particularly severe. Our high school boy's varsity basketball team was competing in the regional tournament up in Marquette one day in March of 1997. We had an old fashioned blizzard going on, but despite the bad weather, we still had school, all because of the basketball game that evening. For some reason they couldn't postpone the game so they decided to hold school. When it was time for us to leave for the game, the weather was really nasty. My parents were deciding whether it was a good idea to even go, but I was rather insistent on going. So my dad and I traveled out on the roads. It wasn't a very good idea for us to go and we quickly found that out along the way. We experienced a heavy, blinding snow and frequent white-out conditions. Even part of the highway just south of the city had to be closed off because of the dangerous driving conditions. My dad found an alternative route to where the game was being played and we got to the gymnasium on time. But, because of the road closure, the basketball team was a good 45 minutes to an hour late. The wind was really involved in that storm and I knew afterwards it wasn't such a good idea to risk our lives just for some basketball game (especially one where we got hammered!). That stormy situation is one I will never forget.
The winter of 2006-07 is quickly coming to a close, yet that doesn't mean we won't see our fair share of snow and cold until spring finally starts to set in. April can be a rather snowy month around here, too. Judging from the way our winter started with a snow cover finally establishing itself around January 13th, I have a feeling we may end up paying for our unusual late start to winter early on. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
My Imaginary Town
When I was a little boy, I was rather infatuated with earth moving equipment and road construction. Back in 1987, a major water line was extended around our property, so I got to see large backhoes digging holes and moving dirt within close proximety. There was also a lot of bedrock in the ground (typically found in the area I grew up), so the construction crew had to do a lot of blasting. Just as they were ready to blast the ground, you'd hear a horn honk and then shortly there after, there'd be a large explosion that would rock the house. It was such a neat experience and it was fun watching it live and in person (of course, I was inside the house when they did all the blasting).
Then, six years later, the water line was extended across the road from our house. So again, I was able to witness much of the same work that went on years earlier. I've always enjoyed seeing this kind of work go on. When I was little, I was always thrilled to drive through a road construction project and see all of the big equipment around us as we drove by. And now that I am much older, I appreciate it even more because it is a sign of progress. I still enjoy driving through construction, unless it's on one of my usual routes; then it can be annoying. But no matter, I'm usually a patient person anyways.
My love of construction got me thinking of developing my "own" construction company when I was little. So I started thinking up all of these ideas and soon enough, my dream became a reality - in fantasy. At first the "headquarters" for my company was this black garbage bag in the woods. Yes, rather primitive, even for a kid. I knew that wasn't going to work, so I moved it to one of our storage buildings in the backyard. I started developing my own "network" of roads that I would maintain and "upgrade" as they needed it. I created my own road signs and posted them along the routes. I even made a business sign for my construction company and posted it outside of the storage shed on wooden stakes. I was having lots of fun in my own little made-up world. A lot of the roads that I developed weren't even on our property, since we lived on a rather small parcel of land. But our neighbors that owned the land didn't seem to care, so I went about my business. I would use the lawnmower to cut the grass along the roads to maintain them and if I'd find a low or uneven spot along the road, I'd start construction to "fix" the problem. Heck, I'd even post road construction signs and even planned detours if need be. I tell ya what, I tried to be as authentic as I could to the real thing. But I didn't really want too many people to know what I was doing. My parents and sisters knew what I was up to, but it kind of embarassed me when my friends or cousins would stop over for a "surprise" visit and see everything that I had going on. I guess I didn't want them to think I was weird, even though I was just a kid and only having some fun. But I still didn't let them stop me, and they never really made fun of me, either.
I even started developing my own "town" around our property. Houses sprang up along the "roads" that I maintained. A grocery store, retail store, a bank, and even a movie theatre all made up the businesses along my roads. Houses were being developed and I even started "selling" property to interested buyers. Of course, I was always dealing with imaginary people and there were never any buildings that came of this. But they were always in my mind and I knew exactly where these places were. I would even hold community events, such as a 4th of July celebration - complete with a parade, fireworks and all, a golf tournament, an alumni basketball tournament - with as many as 100 teams participating, and a community celebration, among others. I tell you what, I was never bored during summer vacation and made the most of my time.
I can't forget about the public school that was located within my "town," as well. It was a small, Kindergarten through 12th grade school that I would drive "bus" for. My bike was the school bus and I would usually just drop kids off after school (I never wanted to get up early just to pick up some imaginary kids - I wasn't that crazy). I would drive throughout my town and on all of my roads and drop kids off for the day. Even when I got a new bike, I would treat it as a new "school bus" as well. Once again, I was trying to be as authentic to the real thing, just as what happened with my real school. But I must admit, looking back on it now, I think sometimes I went a little too far in some of this stuff. But heck, I was just a kid. I was just having fun.
Even as winter came around, I acted more as a road commission than a construction company. I'd plow most of "roads" I maintained for the imaginary public. "Plowing" usually involved shoveling snow with a snow scoop and creating these huge mounds of snow along the roads. If we'd get a huge snow storm, it was hard to keep the roads plowed and eventually I ran out of room to store the snow. A few winters I remember giving up and just waiting for all the snow to melt. But the majority of the time, I'd keep things open. Gradually as I grew up, I'd cut back on my shoveling duties in the back yard. And even though I still do some shoveling in the backyard, it's not for the imaginary public like it used to. It's mainly now for the wild birds that come around in the winter to feed on the bird seed we put out. We also have a barel we burn papers and other burnables in year-round that is in the far corner of our property. Without those reasons, the backyard would probably be filled in with snow during the winter time.
I guess you could say I had a very creative imagination. But with most activities when you're a kid, you grow out of them. I remember a point where I said to myself, "you're getting too old for this." And from that point on, I didn't care to live in my imaginary world anymore. Besides, people would start thinking I'm insane if they still saw me posting road signs along my imaginary roads. Even today as an adult, I still walk through the backyard and remember certain spots where particular activities took place or where one of my roads had been. They are great memories I hold onto and ones that will live with me for along time.
Then, six years later, the water line was extended across the road from our house. So again, I was able to witness much of the same work that went on years earlier. I've always enjoyed seeing this kind of work go on. When I was little, I was always thrilled to drive through a road construction project and see all of the big equipment around us as we drove by. And now that I am much older, I appreciate it even more because it is a sign of progress. I still enjoy driving through construction, unless it's on one of my usual routes; then it can be annoying. But no matter, I'm usually a patient person anyways.
My love of construction got me thinking of developing my "own" construction company when I was little. So I started thinking up all of these ideas and soon enough, my dream became a reality - in fantasy. At first the "headquarters" for my company was this black garbage bag in the woods. Yes, rather primitive, even for a kid. I knew that wasn't going to work, so I moved it to one of our storage buildings in the backyard. I started developing my own "network" of roads that I would maintain and "upgrade" as they needed it. I created my own road signs and posted them along the routes. I even made a business sign for my construction company and posted it outside of the storage shed on wooden stakes. I was having lots of fun in my own little made-up world. A lot of the roads that I developed weren't even on our property, since we lived on a rather small parcel of land. But our neighbors that owned the land didn't seem to care, so I went about my business. I would use the lawnmower to cut the grass along the roads to maintain them and if I'd find a low or uneven spot along the road, I'd start construction to "fix" the problem. Heck, I'd even post road construction signs and even planned detours if need be. I tell ya what, I tried to be as authentic as I could to the real thing. But I didn't really want too many people to know what I was doing. My parents and sisters knew what I was up to, but it kind of embarassed me when my friends or cousins would stop over for a "surprise" visit and see everything that I had going on. I guess I didn't want them to think I was weird, even though I was just a kid and only having some fun. But I still didn't let them stop me, and they never really made fun of me, either.
I even started developing my own "town" around our property. Houses sprang up along the "roads" that I maintained. A grocery store, retail store, a bank, and even a movie theatre all made up the businesses along my roads. Houses were being developed and I even started "selling" property to interested buyers. Of course, I was always dealing with imaginary people and there were never any buildings that came of this. But they were always in my mind and I knew exactly where these places were. I would even hold community events, such as a 4th of July celebration - complete with a parade, fireworks and all, a golf tournament, an alumni basketball tournament - with as many as 100 teams participating, and a community celebration, among others. I tell you what, I was never bored during summer vacation and made the most of my time.
I can't forget about the public school that was located within my "town," as well. It was a small, Kindergarten through 12th grade school that I would drive "bus" for. My bike was the school bus and I would usually just drop kids off after school (I never wanted to get up early just to pick up some imaginary kids - I wasn't that crazy). I would drive throughout my town and on all of my roads and drop kids off for the day. Even when I got a new bike, I would treat it as a new "school bus" as well. Once again, I was trying to be as authentic to the real thing, just as what happened with my real school. But I must admit, looking back on it now, I think sometimes I went a little too far in some of this stuff. But heck, I was just a kid. I was just having fun.
Even as winter came around, I acted more as a road commission than a construction company. I'd plow most of "roads" I maintained for the imaginary public. "Plowing" usually involved shoveling snow with a snow scoop and creating these huge mounds of snow along the roads. If we'd get a huge snow storm, it was hard to keep the roads plowed and eventually I ran out of room to store the snow. A few winters I remember giving up and just waiting for all the snow to melt. But the majority of the time, I'd keep things open. Gradually as I grew up, I'd cut back on my shoveling duties in the back yard. And even though I still do some shoveling in the backyard, it's not for the imaginary public like it used to. It's mainly now for the wild birds that come around in the winter to feed on the bird seed we put out. We also have a barel we burn papers and other burnables in year-round that is in the far corner of our property. Without those reasons, the backyard would probably be filled in with snow during the winter time.
I guess you could say I had a very creative imagination. But with most activities when you're a kid, you grow out of them. I remember a point where I said to myself, "you're getting too old for this." And from that point on, I didn't care to live in my imaginary world anymore. Besides, people would start thinking I'm insane if they still saw me posting road signs along my imaginary roads. Even today as an adult, I still walk through the backyard and remember certain spots where particular activities took place or where one of my roads had been. They are great memories I hold onto and ones that will live with me for along time.
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