Spring Break 2010

Posted on April 16, 2010 by Cindy

Spring Break season is in full swing with students from across the country looking for the perfect place to enjoy their break from their studies.  Though there are a few places that have been traditional favorites, such as Cancun and the Bahamas, the tight economy has many students sticking closer to home.  Many beaches in Florida, and even South Padre Island, Texas, are expecting higher numbers this year due to their closer proximity and lower costs.  For a list of the 2010 Spring Break hotspots, click here.

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Alice Comes to Apple

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Cindy

The story of Alice in Wonderland has seen quite of revival with Tim Burton’s remake of the classic tale.  As always, Burton has brought the story to a whole new audience.  It was really only a matter of time before Apple climbed aboard the successful Alice train.  The latest App allows users to read the story and experience it at the same time.  Each tip of the iPad causes different causes different characters to move and change.  Definitely an interesting concept; although I would like to know what happened to just picking up a book and reading it.

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Dancing With the Stars Begins Week 3

Posted on April 5, 2010 by Cindy

Reality shows and competitions are not a new phenomenon here in the U.S.  Whether it is ‘American Idol’ or ‘So, You Think You Can Dance?’ viewers enjoy laughing over the slip ups, celebrating the victories, and just being involved in the process.  Dancing With the Stars, now in its 10th season, is no exception.

The season began two weeks ago with a full cast of athletes, actors, musicians, and reality stars ready to hit the stage.  Last week showed the drama between Kate Gosselin and her partner Tony Dovolani, ultimately landing them in second to last place.  The third episode airs tonight and we can only imagine what it will bring.

For the latest results, visit abc.com/shows/dancingwiththestars.

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Auto Racing in Charlotte NC

Posted on April 2, 2010 by Cindy

While spending time in the city of Charlotte one can take advantage of the auto racing experiences that is here. Auto sports is a large part of the more recent history of this state. If one is a novice or a expert about all things auto racing they will still get a good lesson at the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame . The museum has a great collections of race cars that are used in all kinds of racing and from different years. There are some driver memorabilia and artifacts on display and visitors will have a chance to see the many of the great racing moments in the Goodyear Mini-Theater. The art gallery puts a spot light on the great motorsport artists with works done by favorites like Garry Hill, Jeanne Barnes, Sam Bass and Dan McCrary. Some of what is most interesting about this auto museum is was or is on the board of directors. One can see the names on the roster like Bobby Allsion, Don Miller, Budd y Baker, Ryan Newman, Rusty Wallace and many more who are instrumental in the front and back scenes of this thrilling sport. To seal in the experience of the auto sport in Charlotte make a appointment with the staff at the Richard Petty Driving Experience . This is a great reason to get up from that comfortable hotel bed early in the morning and hit the Charlotte Motor Speedway for some hands on the wheel action around the 1.5 mile track. This is your chance to feel the speed, hear the roar and thank who ever taught you to drive a stick shift. They will show you the ropes and give you tips on how to be a better driver on the track. You get to walk away with a video and a plaque give proof that you got to experience one of the most exhilarating times of our life.

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Polish in Fort Wayne

Posted on March 31, 2010 by Cindy

There on the table before me there are bowls and spoons, and we are all here, all of us here, waiting for the pot. The pot will be boiling, heavy, and terrible in its otherworldly beauty, and we won’t take any time to make it all disappear, turning the heavy into light, and the hot to warm. We are capable of amazing transformations.

It’s a thing that separated us from anything else when we were children, the uncanny ability to make disappear, and food was out favorite way to change energy. I don’t know if we were aware of anything then, much less the basic principles of biology, but we were aware that there was magic in the universe.

My grandmother taught me magic first, her slight Polish accent speaking to me through lips held together by a cigarette she always smoked. I always imagined it was the same cigarette. She could take powder and turn it into dumplings, those magical tools that fill a pot of chicken broth, and make life worth living. The sense of wonder as your teeth worked over their soft and springy textures, as good as any day on the beach.

Returning to the town where the family is gone is a little strange. There are great hotels , and everything seems bigger again. Somehow that’s a transformation that happens when we age past a certain point. Things are large when we are young, and then they get incredibly small for a long time, and then suddenly they’re growing again.

I don’t know the best version of Alice in Poland , and if there is one, it’s probably gone to live in Prague by now, but this is a place I understand. This place here, where grandmothers still speak, speaking through the streets of the town where I learned how to eat magic and make magic with my eating, and nothing’s been the same since.

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The Illinois Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps

Posted on March 23, 2010 by Cindy

The Illinois Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps is one of the premiere cultural establishments in Rosemont, Illinois. They are a world-class percussion based corps and their performances continue to draw large crowds. Tourists who are in the area are almost always attracted to attending a performance if they happen to be lucky enough to be in town at the time of one. And of course there are other eager hotel guests who plan their trip specifically to catch one of these great performances.

The drum and bugle corps was originally founded in 1948 and their strong mission oriented perspective has extended the past six decades and continues to gain strength and a traditional aspect as the years progress. The corps remains one of only two all male organizations of this nature. The other one is the Madison Scouts. The average age of members in the Cavaliers corps is nineteen to twenty and they tend to march in the program for two to three years.

The current director of the group is Adolph DeGrauwe. Under his guidance the members continue the standard of excellence and pursuit of integrity and discipline that was established by Donald Warren when he founded the organization. This organization has major character development intentions for members and its mission includes ensuring them a life changing experience that encompasses educational and social aspects. In addition to the musical training and experience that membership with the corps provides the students also gain a confidence and ethical background that is unique to the program.

The performances on that will occur during 2110 are being considered and the concert program is in development. The Cavaliers have indicated that some of the musical possibilities for this year are Smile by Charlie Chaplin and Mad World by Roland Orzabal. Other possibilities that are being considered include works by Michael Daugherty, Pat Metheny and Peter Graham.

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Ford Super Duty

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Cindy

I see the massive Ford trucks on the road and I wonder about the life of the person and the truck. What in the world does anyone need a truck like that for. Sometimes what they are wearing can give a clue. If they have on a bandanna with a cut off Harley Davidson t-shirt then maybe they are in the motorcycle business and need the truck to pull around trailers filled with bikes. Which just make one jealous for the persons life all together. How fun would that be to just be able to get on a motorcycle and ride all over the country or world even.
If they are wearing a cowboy hat, which is what I find more often than any other, than it is more than clear. This person has a very physically demanding life. They are more than likely hauling horse and hay to shows across the country. I bet they have to take that massive truck out on the open plain to fix fences and find their cattle. I bet they even have a ford super duty pick-up repair manual and can do most of the truck maintenance on their own. Maybe they have come to the city to pick up something they need and are listening to some Brad Paisley on their radio. Actually, I bet it would be more like some old Patsy Cline or Roger Miller.
Anyway, then there is me with my convertible Oldsmobile living in the city working my desk job, daydreaming about the greener grass on the other side, as I drive along with my oldsmobile delta 88 royale repair manual in the glove box hoping I don’t even have to change the tire.

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A piece of Heaven in Fremont

Posted on March 17, 2010 by Cindy

Snow covered the ground and the cold bit through her clothes. The street lights were dim and the alley dark. The lights from hotel fremont shone brightly and invitingly as a warm place to stay. She longed for a warm bed and soft pillow. “I must keep going”, she told herself. It was too close to the end. She had searched for this town in her dreams. A place that she knew she had to find before she took that last breath and crossed over into the light. She had to hear it. She knew that one day she would be able to sit in awe of that beautiful music once more.

As a child she had heard the Fremont Symphony play in a special performance at her school. The perfect harmony of the orchestra made her heart dance. It was a moment where time stood still and her body forgot to breathe. She sat in awe after the performance and watched the players clean their instruments and place them carefully back into their cases. It was amazing how theses seemingly ordinary instruments could make such heavenly sounds. This was the closest that she had ever felt to God, despite her life long commitment to him.

At the age of six, the night of the spectacular performance, there was an accident. Her parents were hit by an out of control truck and died instantly. A nun showed up at the hospital and took her to an orphanage that night. The orphanage was called Our Lady of Guadalupe after the Mexican patron saint of children. She decided that God had been angry with her because she had gotten too close to heaven and discovered his secret. In seventy five years of service to her Lord, she never once felt as close to Him and his kingdom as she did that evening in Fremont .

When she received the news that she was losing her hearing, she decided she could not wait any longer, she had to go back. That night she packed up the little belongings she had and set out to hear the Symphony.

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Deva in Singapore

Posted on March 14, 2010 by Cindy

Singapore is an amazing city-state, where the wide variety of architectures and styles in fashion invoke an effect that is mystifying. There is an enormous sensibility toward beauty here, where there seems to be multiple concentrated efforts to make a cityscape that is constantly pleasing to the eye. It’s evident not only in the buildings and the fashions, but is also present in the food. Whether the traveler’s taste is for Indian, Chinese , or any of the other local cuisines that are served up so elegantly here, there is a beauty in presentation that further evolves in the tasting.

It’s a lovely way to spend an evening, where one can have a fine meal, and then venture out to look at the local arts and entertainments. It’s very apparent that there is a great deal of attention put to the public art in Singapore, and like any artworks, these all have their own stories. The work of Lin Emery is a splendid example. This artist has a number of public works, and her sculptures have been shown in exhibitions all over the world. They each demonstrate a remarkable sense for combining crafted materials with an eye toward honoring principles found in nature.

Her works show a kind of elegant fluidity, and for some of the sculptures, where works of metal invoke a certain sharpness and harsh angularity, the fluidity comes through as a kind of grace note. The artist herself comes from New Orleans in the U.S., and her work translates here in Singapore because of its fine attention to capturing a subtle elegance of form that speaks of technology that is always trumped by the forces of nature. Singapore’s thriving metropolis is always also accompanied by the presence of nature, the power of the elements, transfiguring our visual field, and at times, even our consciousness.

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Horizontal or Vertical Blinds?

Posted on March 8, 2010 by Cindy

When choosing new blinds for a home, there are usually two types of blinds available to consumers. These are horizontal blinds and vertical blinds. The difference can be huge in terms of style, but not in terms of use or purpose. The choice of one or the other can be the difference in a whole room from a flash of color, to making the room a little more elegant. Vertical blinds are not as common in houses as horizontal blinds and can add a little extra flair to the room, this can be a nice personal touch in a room that many people will be in often. These blinds aren’t usually very good for smaller windows like those often found in bathrooms, but are great for large view windows like in a living room or bedrooms. Horizontal blinds are not as elegant and are better for the small windows, but can be used for any window type.

Horizontal blinds are the most common blinds found in houses, and attach in a fairly standard way. There is not a lot of elegance in these blinds, but they are cheap and they do the job they are intended to do very well. They are the best window treatment option for rooms in which a lot of water is used. Easy to clean off if something spills on them, and they won’t be damaged if a little water rests on them for a while. While there is a large variety of these blinds, aluminum is the most common. They can usually be found in any color to match the standing decor of your room.

Vertical blinds come in a number of fashions, from fabrics to vinyl , these blinds can be made to custom match the decor of a room by finding just the right print that goes with the room. Often they can even be made to compliment a couch if put up in a living room. These blinds attach slightly differently, but act in much the same way. Usually vertical blinds are best for rooms that need to be made completely dark, as the overlap in vertical blinds efficiently blocks out the sun. There is a mechanism that keeps all the blinds at the same angle, and they can be adjusted by hand, or by chord. Some companies will even offer to motorize these blinds, taking away the need for a chord.

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