WEEKEND WRAP-UP

FRIDAY

Oswego/Geneva, ILL: T and I went over to a meeting of the Card Club. That's a cute li'l name my married friends give each other, because they sometimes like to get together to play cards. Although I think the last time we played cards was about 2 years ago. Ate pizza, chatted, blah blah blah. Good time, but since I don't have kids (nor am I married), sometimes I feel a little out of the loop.

Then T and I met up with Prince Fan and one of her friends, and we headed north to Geneva to meet up with several other friends of ours. Also married, but no kids yet. Just dogs. Drank it up at a martini bar whilst listening to a two-man jazz combo that rocked. Or jazzed. Can jazz "rock?" Well, they were cool nonetheless.

Wrapped up the night at a Geneva Irish bar. One of those new "authentic Irish" places that know how to poor Guinness, but lack the soul of a real pub.

SATURDAY




Aurora/Oswego/Yorkville, ILL: Spent most of the day reading and relaxing. Had a long workout. I've been exercising quite a bit lately, but do I lose weight? No, of course not. But I still refuse to jump on the South Beach thing that Joe's been pushing.

Saturday night was spent in rural Oswego/Yorkville on a large piece of property with many trees, gardens, corn fields, and old people. It was the annual Farm Fest that the Parkhursts throw, and I was invited once again, mostly because I taught their daughter for two years, but Scott P. and I went on a bike trip together with Father Phil once, and we occasionally sit down for a beer or two.


But tonight I wasn't in much mood to socialize with older people I didn't really know. I was very happy to just sit and smoke my pipe and look at the stars, since I don't get many good views of them ever since I left Sandwich. I think people thought I was being ignored, so I got dragged into a long conversation about ancient Oswego football lore. And as you know, there's nothing I like to do more than talk about Oswego football.

I eventually escaped by a little help from Di. We played around with our respective digital cameras for a while, trying to make sense of all the different settings. Took a few pics, ate some food, said my goodbyes, and went home.

SUNDAY



Chicago, ILL: After the usual Sunday morning routine of coffee and the Sunday Tribune, I headed into the city towards Grant Park and Celtic Fest. Had to do this one solo, since no one was really interested in missing the Bears game to eat fish and chips and listen to jigs and reels.

Chicago Celtic Fest 2004 was like a miniature, all-Irish version of the Taste of Chicago. You purchased food and drink with tickets, and the free entertainment at the Petrillo Music Shell was the Saw Doctors instead of people like Elvis Costello or Wilco. On the second stage I saw the Bogside Zukes perform for the first time in probably six years. All of the original members are gone except for lead singer Matt Coker. I have no idea what happened to the rest of the band. Their most recent CD even has a picture of Emily (fiddle) and Bruce (mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and vocals). But they're all gone now. The new guys are good, and most of their set was drawn from the traditional tunes the Zukes played at Jimmy's in Peoria, and if I closed my eyes and thought hard enough, it was almost like being back there.

But those guys are all gone now, and the Zukes don't even play at Jimmy's much anymore.

To wrap up my day I walked up Michigan Avenue to poke around at the Virgin Megastore for rare CDs I can't find at my local Borders. Found an earlier Rilo Kiley album, but that was it. Selection was very poor. Thank you, assholes who download music for free. Do you realize how financially difficult you've made it for record stores to stock smaller bands on independent labels? I can't find a single copy of The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir (not really a gospel choir) album anywhere, but at least I can get plenty of R. Kelly and Shania Twain albums.

No politics, no funny pictures, no deep analysis of pop culture. Just my weekend. Hope yours was swell.