Promises to Keep by Joe Biden, our vice president, wasn't what I was hoping for. I guess after being spoiled with Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama I was counting on something of that effect. But Biden just isn't as polarizing. Granted, he's a great political thinker and I'm glad he's second in the line of succession.
Biden does however emote well his love of family and service to our country as a U.S. Senator. He has great foreign affairs experience and was an advocate for action in Bosnia. Perhaps his shining achievement in the Senate was the passage of his Violence Against Women Act.
His writing tends to carry on into ramblings about old war stories. I found myself losing interest in later chapters when he would go on and on about the Bork confirmation hearings or Bosnia or the VAMA. He is very egotistical. Whenever he talks about campaigning he always feels that the people love him more than other candidates. He feels like he is always on top of the public opinion. He believes his always more prepared then the other person.
Whatever his misgivings, he is still a great politician and I have no doubt he will be a great vice president. He'll at least be better than Dan Quayle or Dick Cheney. I know he can spell and since he's a Democrat I doubt he'll shoot anyone in the face with a shotgun. ---------------- Now playing: Rush - The Necromancer: Into Darkness/Under the Shadow/Return of the Prince via FoxyTunes
I wasn't fortunate enough to see the inauguration on CNN, but I did listen on NPR in the Dillon County Courthouse parking lot. The town was quiet, with no one at the center. I didn't realize the courthouse wasn't open until 15 minutes into Obama's address. They either didn't hold court due to snow or the inauguration.
I was moved to the brink of tears upon hearing the oath of office being read. I was proud that our nation decidedly elected a man who offers a measure of hope and change. I'm often annoyed by these buzzwords but I honestly feel that Obama will be able to change this country for the better. He has inspired me and given me the hope that the United States may establish itself again as a country where anything is possible, where anyone is welcome, and where everyone is given a chance.
I don't expect him to do all that he promised since that is unrealistic. I think he will give us the best chance for curbing carbon emissions, giving equal health care to the masses, and re-establishing good relations with countries around the world.
Today is a good day for the United States of America and the world.
I finished this the other day. I meant to read it last year when I decided to join a reading group but I had a falling out with some friends which prevented me from participating in the group.
I can't say that I liked the book. It's about Frank Cauldhame, a 16 year old boy who has killed his brother, cousin, and another child. It's a Holden Caulfieldesque coming-of-age story that isn't as good. Maybe that's why the author chose a similar last name for his protagonist. However, this book would never be found in the same breath as The Catcher in the Rye.
The book is very graphic. It describes Frank's methods of killing as well as his torture of the animals that live on his island. He builds a "factory" from an old clock that serves as his crystal ball into killing the animals. Most of the book is spent waiting for his crazy brother Eric to arrive after escaping from a mental institution. In actually, Frank is just an experiment gone awry and is crazy as well. Toward the end the book gets better and takes a weird twist but even that doesn't redeem it from the bottom of my bookshelf.
Some publication in Britain rated this one of the 100 best books of the century, but I would firmly disagree. Maybe some of Iain Banks' later novels are better. I will probably never find out.
Christmas day was pretty normal. I had to get up early so my brother and sister could open presents from my parents. Of course they loved it. I was happy too since the disclosure of the non-existent Santa Claus was brought to the forefront.
Food was prepared most of the day since my Nat, Sean and Denise, and JR (my aunts and uncles whom I'm on a first name basis with) were coming over. My grandfather made a seating chart to try and get more interesting conversation started, but it seemed like it was more of the same silence for me as I was put at the table with his mother (who's 91 and still spry) and his sister who has a very dry humor. I also had to sit with him, my sister, and Nat. Any questions directed toward me from my grandfather fell along the lines of "What's next for you in your career? How far can you climb the ladder? Are you happy with what you are doing?" I've realized now that he, along with Sean, JR, and Nat, are very business-like and are always looking at the next step. I'm more about living in the now.
After dinner I was elected to be Santa and hand out presents. For this Christmas each of us had a Secret Santa. It was supposed to be this fun thing but it turned into more of a logistical fiasco. Anyway I picked my grandfather and he wasn't able to guess who it was. My dad got me and it was pretty easy for me to guess since the gift was on back order from Bass Pro (plus I recognized the handwriting on the envelope that was written to me). I got a few books and CDs to go along with my big gift. I got my dad a driving cap and my mom a framed picture of me with them at the beach. Casey helped make it and they really liked it. For my siblings I got Mario Party 8 for Nintendo Wii (come to find out it didn't work since I bought it used from Game Stop).
The next day I went to Gettysburg, PA to visit the battlefield there. My dad and brother tagged along. My brother didn't really have a choice since my mom and sister went shopping and he didn't want to go with them. The trip started out well as we took in the nice scenery and the reggae-influenced tunes of The Police's Ghost in the Machine (one of the CDs I got for Christmas). I mentioned that we were going to pass by Camp David and my dad said something about going to see the President. Of course I said that I would never want to meet him.
A few minutes went by and I popped in Revolver by The Beatles (the other CD I got). The first track is "Taxman". Upon recognizing the song my dad says, "You better listen to this song Dustin. This is what's going to happen when you're boy gets into office." I was taken aback by this. I didn't expect my dad to take a shot at me about who I voted for. Of course I couldn't let this stand so I said that neither mine nor his taxes were going to get raised since we didn't make enough money. More back-and-forth deliberation went on and I finally said something about how anybody would be a better president than George W. Bush. At this point my father says, "All the reasons you love Obama are all the reasons that I despise him. I've never been less proud of this country than I am right now!" This hurt. That moment is one of the few times that I've felt contempt for my father. I've never been more proud of this country than I am right now. For us to elect the first African-American to the presidency with a sweeping majority says something about the American character. I think it also says something about how the American people feel about the last eight years. Regardless, the rest of the car ride up was pretty silent.
I think we both decided that when we got to Gettysburg we were going to enjoy ourselves. We did and I'm glad I got over myself. The film, cyclorama, and museum were great. The battlefield was equally as impressive. The surrounding area was beautiful. To think that this was were the war drastically changed. Had the Confederacy won here who knows what would have happened. Highlights of the auto tour around the park were Little Round Top, the field where the final charge took place, Dwight Eisenhower's retirement home, and Gettysburg National Cemetery, where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. If you've never read the speech it is very powerful.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
On the way back my dad started talking about becoming a deacon in the Catholic church. He's been thinking about ever since he was approached about it from a deacon. He said he would have to get over many of the prejudices he had. This sparked another long political discussion. This one was more constructive but it showed me just how conservative he is. Anyway, we talked about so many topics for so long that I missed a turn and ended up driving 15 miles out of the way. When we started going up and down mountains I realized we missed the turn. This sucked because I really had to pee and had I made the turn it wouldn't have been a problem. I finally had to stop on the side of the road and relieve myself. My brother thought it hilarious. I would too if I were his age. Hell, I do find it funny!
The next day I drove to Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, MD. The drive was gorgeous! When I crossed the Potomac coming into Maryland I passed through the quaint little town of Brunswick. I then drove back roads to reach the battlefield.
The battlefield was neat. Here is where the Union, led by George McClellan, defeated the Confederates. The battle was the single-bloodiest battle of the Civil War. After the battle the Union had the chance to pursue the Confederates and possibly end the war, but McClellan chose to rest his troops instead. This led to President Lincoln personally coming to Antietam to interview McClellan. McClellan was later relieved of duty.
After Antietam I drove to Harpers Ferry, WV. I had to cross the Potomac once again and upon doing so passed through another neat town: Shepherdstown, WV. When I arrived in Harpers Ferry I took the NPS shuttle to the old downtown district. Harpers Ferry is at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. Thomas Jefferson said this was one of the most beautiful places he ever saw in America. I don't doubt him. The town is cool and the bluffs surrounding the town are shear beauty. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquarters is here, but I was too late in arriving to stop in. Also, John Brown's Rebellion occured in Harpers Ferry. I suggest everyone check out this tucked-away gem!
In an effort to jump start my reading for 2009 I checked this book out from the Florence County Library. I've been reading The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks and have lost interest so I decided this book would revitalize my reading habit.
The book chronicles the 2005 season of the Chicago Cubs from the perspective of Kevin Kaduk, the author. Rather than cover high school sports in the Kansas City metro area, he moves back to Chicago to attend as many Cubs games as he can. He gets an apartment in Wrigleyville and spends the summer scalping tickets, hitting all the neighborhood bars, and even goes on a road trip to the east coast for some baseball.
Rather than just chronicle his everyday experiences at the games, he examines the finer aspects of the neighborhood. He spends a whole series outside the park on Waveland Ave. with the Ballhawks, guys who go to almost every game and catch homers and batting practice balls for fun. He describes the vibe at each of the bars and the relationship between Sox and Cubs fans. Most of the tickets he gets from scalpers.
Any ardent baseball fan should consider reading this book. It's written for the pop culture junkies who enjoy David Sedaris and Chuck Klosterman. Anyone looking for a book to read in a day should check it out.
For Christmas I headed to my grandparents' house in Haymarket, VA. Haymarket is about 45 minutes west of Washington, D.C. I can't say that I was terribly excited to drive over 400 miles to see my parents and other family members, but I guess it's what needed to be done.
I left Florence around 2 A.M. on Christmas Eve. I left early so I had a full day to visit Charlottesville, VA. The drive was pretty good. I started out listening to Because of the Times by Kings of Leon. What an excellent record. Driving up through Darlington and Cheraw was pretty quiet. There wasn't a soul on the road except me. Right as I entered NC I popped in Guero by Beck. At this point my CD player started to mess up. It's pretty old and it's starting to not play after about an hour or so. I was pretty bummed.
As I was passing through Greensboro, NC on US-220 I found a pretty cool radio station. Simon 98.7 - "We play everything". They definitely lived up to their moniker. Here is a list of songs and artists I heard:
STP Nickelback (could've done w/out) Elton John covering "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" Yes - "Owner of a Lonely Heart" Joan Jett - "I Love Rock & Roll" Stevie Wonder - "Bad Mamma Jamma" Bob Marley An R&B version of "O Come All Ye Faithful" (not a fan of Xmas music but this was pretty good) Whitesnake - "Here I Go Again" Melissa Ethridge - "Come to My Window" Bonnie Raitt - "Let's Give 'Em Something to Talk About" Kiss - "Shout it Out Loud" (live version. Kiss sucks regardless). Night Ranger - "Motorin'" Steve Miller - "Big Jet Airliner" Sheryl Crow - "If It Makes You Happy" Phil Collins - "Take a Look at Me Now" Collective Soul - "Shine" Natalie Imbruglia - "Kiss Me" Lenny Kravitz - "Are You Gonna Go My Way" En Vogue - "Back to Life, Back to Reality"
It was nice to listen to radio station with suck variety. When I got to NC/VA border at 5:40 A.M. I stopped at the Caswell Co. Rest Area off NC-700. This would normally be something I wouldn't write about except at this rest stop I saw an advertisement for Pilot Mtn. State Park in NC. It looked really cool and I'm going to go there someday and do some hiking.
I continued on my through Danville and Lynchburg. In between these two cities I passed through Tight Squeeze, VA. I lost the Greensboro radio station around Gretna, VA. I tried the CD again but no luck. When I was coming into Charlottesville it started working so I put in Lateralus by Tool. I needed a metal fix since my CD player is crapping out and my heat decided to stop working. Now I don't have any climate control in my car.
I got to Charlottesville around 8 A.M. so I stopped at a Waffle House and had breakfast. Then I headed to Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson. Monticello was incredible. What a remarkable house! Thomas Jefferson was a genius. Many of the things in the house he invented. There was a clock with weights that hung on the walls that also told what day it is (it still works). He had portraits of all the major thinkers and influential people of his day. The view was astonishing. You could see into Charlottesville and much of the surrounding area. I simply love the mountains. I miss them dearly.
After writing down book titles in the gift shop (I'd rather buy them cheaper on Amazon.com) I headed to Ashlawn Highland, home of James Monroe. Although his house isn't as flashy it was still neat to see how he lived. It was funny listening to one of the fellow tourists try to do math out loud and totally mess it up. Oh well.
From there I headed to downtown Charlottesville. I walked Main St., which is closed to auto traffic. It is entirely brick and has many street vendors. It reminded me a lot of Athens and how much I miss its atmosphere. I saw the Charlottesville Obama campaign office and felt proud. I then walked all the way to the University of Virginia.
Not to dog on UGA, but UVA is so much lovelier. The architecture is astounding. Jefferson truly was a genius. There were also many secret society symbols lambasted all over campus. After I was done parading through this academic paradise I hitched a free ride back to town on the Charlottesville Trolley.
I walked around downtown some more before heading off to rendezvous with my family. I found another great radio station, 106.1 The Corner. The Corner is the nightlife area of Charlottesville and this station was definitely geared towards the college crowd which is why I like it so much. They played some obscure R.E.M. and Wilco and Tom Petty's "Free Fallin" covered by John Mayer. I have a guilty pleasure for John Mayer. He's an excellent axe man, and I like his voice.
When I got to the grands' house I was fed, liquored up with some Bushmills Irish Whiskey, and given a new phone. By this time I was probably on my third wind so I decided to go to bed.
Now that I'm back in the comparatively balmy weather of South Carolina, I've had time to reflect on my recent trip to the frigid sprawl of Chicago. Being from the Dirty South, I was surprised at my tolerance of the cold. That's not to say that I didn't freeze my ass off. I did. But it was worth braving the cold to spend time with my friends, even if one of them soiled some of my clothes (sorry Ben).
We left Athens around midnight on Thursday and headed to Atlanta to pick up Roger and Sam, two of Gus's friends from Decatur. After picking them up at the BP at Windy Hill Road we began our northerly trek.
When we got to Chattanooga I decided to drive. I was lucky enough to drive through the mountainous part of I-24. Lucky for me it was raining the entire time on this stretch of road. Once we got to Kentucky I gladly switched with Laura and napped until we reached Louisville.
I continued napping through Indiana until we reached Indianapolis. I wanted to be awake to see its skyline. North of Indianapolis was more of the same, snow-covered barren corn fields. When we filled up for gas again I chose to drive into Chicago. We were surprised at the cost of the toll road into Chicago. For almost six dollars for twenty miles, you'd figure the toll road would be pristine, but it was some of the worst road conditions I've ever driven on.
Regardless, seeing the skyline of Chicago was breathtaking. I knew it was a big city, but I was amazed at just how big it really was. I marveled at how awesome the human race really is. For being such an inhospitable environment during the winter, we chose to build a massive city and make it a global landmark. It's a testament to the human spirit.
Back to the boring narrative.
Coming into the city was cool. We hopped on the Dan Ryan Expressway and came into Chicago from the south. We saw U.S. Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox. I love seeing any type of sports stadiums. I relish the pageantry of sport. We exited at Ohio St. and sat in lunch-hour traffic and finally made it to the Red Roof Inn on E. Ontario St. We unloaded the van, checked into the hotel, relaxed in the room for a few minutes, and then headed off to find some famous Chicago deep dish pizza.
Well, we didn't have to travel far, and thank God. I think the temperature at the time was a warm 25 degrees. We decided to eat at Pizzeria Uno. The atmosphere inside the restaurant was quaint. The proprietors of that establishment were able to fit a lot of people in such a small space. Anyway, we ordered two pizzas and had our fill. By the time we finished Gus and Melissa showed up along with some of their family. We chatted for a few minutes and then headed back to the hotel. On the way back we stopped at Trader Joes for some cheap bottles of wine. Once back at the hotel we were all pretty tired so we napped for a couple of hours.
Once we awoke from our slumbers, Ben, Laura, Alan, and myself decided to explore some of the city. We headed up Michigan Ave, AKA, the Magnificent Mile. The street side trees were illuminated with Christmas lights which provided for a nice walk to the Hancock Building. Rather than pay the steep price to go to the observation deck, we elected to have some drinks at The Signature Room on the 96th floor. We were fortunate enough to get a window table overlooking the south and west sides of the city. What a sight! I felt quite erudite, sipping my Long Island Iced Tea with three of my friends and commiserating with the Chicago elite.
After we finished our drinks, we descending to street level and headed toward the Navy Pier. It was an icy walk along Lakeshore Drive towards the pier. The Navy Pier is certainly geared for tourists, with its shops, carnival rides, and gimmicky attractions. However, it did provide for an excellent skyline vista. Jason met up with us here but we were done so we headed back to the hotel.
After sitting around for a while Gus met up with us and we went out for some drinks. I can’t remember the name of the first bar but it had an Irish flare. Tequila seems to be a popular drink in Chicago. This particular bar had every brand of tequila available. While sitting around we noticed this well-dressed man getting belligerent with his special lady friend. Finally they left after some persuasion by some of the bar staff. We left soon after that and headed to another Irish bar on Rush St. We satiated our appetites, downed a few more drinks, and headed back to the hotel. It was a cold walk back and we passed out from travel exhaustion once we arrived in our rooms.
The next day started off later than expected since we all slept in. For lunch we headed to Su Casa, a Mexican restaurant owned by the same proprietors of Pizzeria Uno. Just like the pizza it didn’t disappoint. To top it off we had some excellent flan. Afterwards more wine was purchased at Trader Joes and then we headed to the Talbott Hotel so the groomsmen could make sure their tuxedos fit. Alan had a little trouble with his vest since it was three or four sizes too small. Jason, Laura and I didn’t stay long since we wanted to go to the Field Museum. We hopped in a cab and were on our way. The cab ride went down Lakeshore Drive and through Grant Park. I was amazed the whole time. I love driving through new cities and viewing the skyline. I also pondered what it must have been like to stand in Grant Park on Election Day, listening to Barack Obama speak of the monumental change coming to America. I wish I could’ve witnessed it firsthand.
We didn’t have long in the Field Museum so we decided to walk through the dinosaur exhibit. It brought back memories of my childhood when I used to know all the names of the dinosaurs and had all kinds of dinosaur toys. I loved them then and I still find them fascinating. It’s hard to fathom how much our planet has changed in its geologically short history. After our foray into the past we left the museum and hailed a cab on Michigan Ave.
What happened in the cab ride back went something like this.
Cab stops at a traffic light, but ends up stopping in the pedestrian crosswalk. Crossing guard: “Get out of the crosswalk! Get out of the crosswalk you goddamn moron!” Cab driver” What do you want me to do, park in the intersection?” Crossing guard: “Get out of the fucking crosswalk!” Cabbie: “Fuck you asshole!” Crossing guard: “Fuck you! I’m writing you a ticket!” Cabbie: “Fuck you asshole! I don’t care!” Crossing guard: “Well, the city of Chicago doesn’t care either!” Cabbie: “Fuck you asshole!”
The crossing guard proceeds to the back of the cab to write down the license plate number. When the light turns green the cab driver pulls away as a final f you to the crossing guard. The entire time he talked on his cell phone in some foreign language, peppering in a “fucking asshole” every once in a while. What an awesome taxi experience!
When we arrived at the hotel we told everyone about the cab ride. After those in the wedding party left for the rehearsal Jason and I hung around the hotel until the rehearsal dinner began. Once we received word that the rehearsal was over Jason, Sam, and I headed to Buca de Beppo, an awesome Sicilian restaurant. We ended up being the first ones there so we got drinks and anxiously awaited the arrival of everyone else.
The dinner was incredible. The salad and garlic bread were great. The pasta with mussels, spicy sausage pasta, and chicken alfredo were delicious. The wine was good. All in all, a great dining experience. The groomsmen and ushers received personalized flasks while the bridesmaids received gloves. Ben had lots of fun at the dinner; so much so that he excessively dry-humped Melissa. I’m sure her dad appreciated the gesture.
Afterwards Ben and others headed back to the hotel to drop of some things while the rest of us headed to Howl at the Moon, a dueling piano barn. There was a great vibe in the bar and the music was great. We drank many buckets of Long Island Iced Teas. When we got back to the hotel I went to open the door when I discovered that it was blocked. After some coaxing I found Ben passed out in front of the hallway door and the bathroom door. Come to find out Ben had pissed himself. It was all over his pants and shirt. Actually, it was all over MY PANTS AND SHIRT! He forgot to pack rehearsal clothes but lucky for him I packed extra dress clothes. Lucky for me he urinated all over them! I’m not mad about it. I thought it was quite funny. At the time he didn’t think it was. He became quite angry and started lashing out. He finally calmed down and we all went to sleep.
Laura had to get up early to get her hair, makeup, etc. done. Around 11 Jason, Sam, and myself took a taxi to Wrigleyville to see historical Wrigley Field. A slight snow was falling as we arrived. I was in awe at how awesome Wrigley Field is. It is one of the hallowed temples of baseballdom. I would love to attend a game there one day. We walked down Waveland Ave. and around the entire stadium. I got pictures of the Harry Caray statue, the Ernie Banks statue, and the famous Wrigley Field marquee. Afterwards we went to this small bar for lunch. The sandwiches there were quite delicious. Instead of putting the french fries on the side they put them inside the sandwich. Different, but good.
We headed back to the hotel and changed. We then walked to Holy Name Cathedral on State St. This cathedral was the site of some violent gang activity involving the notorious Al Capone during the 1920s. It is a beautiful cathedral. My parents would have loved it. The ceremony was nice as well. After the wedding Sam and I hopped on the charter bus headed to the reception hall.
The reception hall was about 45 minutes outside of Chicago. There wasn't anything very intriguing about the reception. Just the usual post-wedding festivities. They had a live band which was cool. Manny got good and drunk before dinner was served. Some guy at my table wanted to blame the Georgia contingent for not delivering Georgia for Barack Obama. He apparently has never been to the South. Otherwise he would understand why it is so conservative. I had a great time with all of my friends and got plenty of good pictures to boot. The Party Boy made an appearance as usual. After the reception I was fortunate enough to ride back to the city on the "Party Bus", the bus the wedding party traveled in. I had a grand time drinking spiked egg nog and bobbing my head to rap standards. We unloaded at the Talbott and made the trek back to the Red Roof, ready to get some sleep.
We left Chicago before lunch time. I was designated as the driver out of the city. I like driving in cities so I didn't mind. We had to pack a huge suitcase full of gifts and Melissa's wedding dress in the van. The dress made getting in and out of the van an issue since it took up half of one seat. We stopped at a Bob Evans in Merrillville, IN to eat. I drove almost the entire length of Indiana until I could barely keep my eyes open. Once I switched I couldn't sleep. That's usually how it works with me. Oh well. I enjoy looking out the window at the passing scenery.
We made it back to Athens well after midnight. The next morning I headed back to Gainesville to get Mona and then I departed for Florence. I had a wonderful time!
Lessons learned from the Chicago road trip: 1. Conversion vans are uncomfortable, but economical. 2. I enjoy driving through big cities at night. 3. Chicago is really big! 4. Don't let Ben borrow clothes! 5. Chicago is really cold! 6. Make the most of the time you have in a new place. 7. Walk the streets to get a better feel of your surroundings. 8. Cherish time spent with your friends. It is time well spent.
