WIN STORY

25 September 2012

Lumineers - Live

This show was unlike any other show I have been to before.

(And not just because of Tyler's connection to score us free press pass tix using my totally-amateur-photog-self as the platform...)

I didn't know what to anticipate from these Denver boys whose first show in Chicago at Subterranean paid them a total of $8... So I could only work with what I did know: their album seems to get better with each listen, it was easily the soundtrack to my summer because it just never got old, and I can't seem to take them off Repeat. So, I would say they had pretty good odds.

And when they opened on stage with Submarines following a disappointing guitar duo, Comettes, nobody judged the mutual lack of effort to manage excitement. They set up this show to be nothing less than awesome.

And if it's any surprise - it far surpassed these expectations.

Just when you start to wonder if music in heaven will ever be as good as what's in front of you, the team of four hustle through the crowd hauling chairs mid-floor for a rendition of Ho-Hey complete with a joined chorus of ho-hey's from surrounding fans. And in a small venue like Logan Square Auditorium, it almost felt like I was spying on the living room of these boys while they're hanging out. (That's what they do all the time... right?!)

Following Ho Hey, came the charming Wesley Schultz solo on stage with Slow It Down. Sigh. No words needed - treat yourself to a sample below.

Laughs, tears, tunes... the Lumineers live will be hard to top.

22 September 2012

The Blue House

A glimpse of the blue house from my rearview mirror

When my family was on vacay in Disney World in 1993, my 3 year-old little brother Mikey asked my Dad with big eyes, "Dad, are we ever going back to the blue house?" Since then, my family has referred to our childhood home as such.

baby Rebecca.

Maybe it's the crisp of leaves, or memories of apple pie and childhood, or back-to-school bliss... but something about fall brings nostalgia in its full form. Most of my memories take me back to this house that encapsulates innocence and delight and safety unlike anywhere else. And because your life is the only one you know when you're young, you assume everyone lives the way you do.

Back to School : Rebecca & Daniel. 1994.

It wasn't until my high school years that I became aware of the quirks of this 1900's house.... a ladder up to the pantry, a kitchen counter made from a bowling alley lane, basement walls made of led, burn marks in my closet from the Underground Railroad, a wood-burning furnace and radiator heat, and those old creaky wood stairs. It was something I denied and tried to hide from during those try-to-be-cool years, but the idiosyncrasies have since evolved into treasures in my mind; the gifts I appreciate most as an adult.

my Grandpa and Dad circa 1980.

turns out, my dad is still just as hip in 2012.

So much of the 20's is learning to look back and appreciate the details of childhood that made it unique, instead of judging them. To reflect with the favor of understanding how you have come to be who you are because of the environment that helped raise you. The Blue House brings back so much of this... even amidst the bustle of the city, the comfort and memories of suburb life is always dear to my heart. And an era that I cling to especially in the fall.

Happy first day of Autumn.

21 September 2012

Epic Day

Some days are epic, some days are not.

This one was.

{Labor Day 2k12}

Sunrise :: Adler Planetarium

Coffee & blankets

Abandoned Chicago on a holiday

Our fearless leader in ponytail

Bean'ing

Early morning at Millennium

Roadside

Bongo Room (ish), Wicker Park, graffiti, run arounds

camera tilt.
Are you feeling EPIC yet?!

“You don't need a plan; you just need to be present.”

:: Bob Goff, Love Does

09 September 2012

Peace Summer

Summer was fun,

but now it's time for you to go

and make way for fall.

Until next year...

01 September 2012

Please, Ira

So, I recently sent an email to Ira Glass...

Dear Ira,

As ardent This American Life fans, my roommate Ashley and I were absolutely stoked to see your movie coming to our favorite neighborhood theater, The Music Box. After failed attempts to click past the "Online Tickets Sold Out," tab we decided it was in our best interest to hustle down the street to inquire ticket options with a more equipped Music Box employee. With $12 in our pockets and motivated spirits, we set off on our quest. And like any valiant hero that's gone before us, we encountered a series of hurdles. After turning the corner of our block to the next, we were abruptly met with a man that was wearing less than his normal share of clothing. Suffice it to say, he was naked. Whether he was drunk or mentally impaired, the verdict is still out. What we do know now is that we are both equipped with reflexes we didn't know existed, Ashley shielding her eyes with shouts of "I see side shaft!" and me embracing the indecent exposure with a friendly, "hello there sir." The thing is, it's not to say this scantilly-clad mister was without options... with one pair of pants around his ankles, and another off to his right it was beyond our state of reasoning why he was wearing neither. However, nothing would stand in the way of our prize. After a quick jaunt down the street, our evidence as victims of crime was given away with giggles, and spotted by a neighbor who also had such luck with our exposed friend. The good news? We performed our civic Lakeview duty with valor, reporting our recent incident to a nearby Crossing Guard. Concerned, he headed off in the direction of the offender as we continued on our quest. No hurdle would keep us back: not even the locked doors and Closed signs of our beloved theater. Conveniently, we spotted a doorbell for mail, which we proceeded to utilize for incessant ringing, followed by pounding of fists upon the front doors. A weary and wary ticket sales clerk came to our aid, greeted with convincing pleas of "we need tickets!" "to Ira!" "Tomorrow!" Shaking from her dazed stupor, we were regretfully informed that our conquered quest had now concluded in vain. All tickets, even our creative inquiry towards "aisle seats?" were true to the internet's proclamation: Sold Out. We turned from the office, and drowned our sorrows at the local Jewel with orange juice and oatmeal....

Yet, our story continues.

We write you now in one last ditch effort, asking you to grant value to our journey. In the form of 2 tickets to a showing this weekend of "Sleepwalk with Me" at the Music Box Theater.

We thank you for your work and wish you the very best,

Ashley & Rebecca

...keep you posted.

28 August 2012

And so it begins....

The 5am mornings and little children...

the teacher outfits and teacher voice

and glue and paint and staples and stickies and pencils and books and marker stains...

THIS year, it feels good to be on Round 2... Good to feel like I've done this before

and have a bit more of a plan.

School year 2012-2013 here it goes....

all the names of the little ones I spend my days with...

Classroom Day One. Who knows what it will look like in a month...

and sometimes things get crazy when you're setting up for school...

First day of school outfit 8-21.
Okay, so teachers do this too.

And nailed to my door, the piece of life I receive each day is this Scripture...

"Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which HE will work for you today."
::Exodus 14:13

Whether on summer break or during the school year...

Each day is a gift that we get to expectantly wait for God to move.

No matter how exhausted or drained or hopeless it might feel,

When HE is the source, life becomes full of tiny details that become blessings.

26 August 2012

Midwest is Best.

After lots of talk of One Last Summer Hoorah before school starts, the plan was to roadtrip to Virginia, the home of our good friend Tyler. We eventually were grounded from ideals, realizing that the east coast is probably not the best destination for a 72-hr vacay... So the following 5 days before the prospective leave date were spent tirelessly rummaging through airbnb in a constant state of group text or email to map out our lives.

holdin' up the backseat.

From a rustic cabin in the UP to jumping the border of Canada (which eventually was turned down due to Daniel's escort out of that country circa 2008... different story for a different time...), to sharing a farmhouse with a motivated overall-ed country boy in Iowa, or sailing a houseboat in a suburb of Detroit (??), to relaxing on the dreamy porch of a Peninsula lake house in Wisconsin.... we pictured and plotted and imagined everything from 4-mile primitive hikes across the forests of Michigan to midnight lake jumps in Lake Superior followed by fireside s'mores outside the cool air of a yurt.

my brother & me

quarter flip & brews.

All this to say: None of these things happened.

But - if life has taught me anything at all, it's that when MY plan doesn't work... an even better one emerges.

And this trip is no exception.

{in case you're wondering if Daniel has a ponytail... he does.}

After last-minute ditching the campfire wood & lil smokies, (but keeping the beer & lime chips) we set off for none other than the next best state over. A last minute booking in the hoppin city metropolis of.... Milwaukee!! (more like 20 mins outside of Milwaukee, in a place that's not really Milwaukee, if we're paying attention to details...)

we're friends.

We pooled our resources, contacted fellow Milwaukeeans for recommended hotspots, and upon arrival, acquainted ourselves with what Milwaukee is know for best: midwestern brews. Hello Milwauks. We love you already.

You can thank Google for the rest of our night... for interpreting such brilliantly formed questions in the state of non-questions: "good bar," "hipster dance," "fun place," "game life,"... etc, and accurately leading us to a bar with an unassuming sign surrounded by bike lanes, coffeeshops, and local brews - a sure sign of trendster neighborhood (says Daniel).

disco ball dancin

The next spot was no disappointment. Everyone was pretty skeptical of the area - but I chose to look past the pawn shops and Gone Missing signs, trusting Yelp reviews for "the best 80's dance party in the city." And that it was. We have all made a pact to return someday for Saturday's "hippest-hoppest dance party around..." (That is, if Daniel and Tyler agree to re-enter a spot clad in rainbow flags and century confused dancers...)

I spy Ty

Finishing off the night with an undercover sneak attack into the Hotel Pool after-hours, competitive games of Marco Polo, mermaid races, and handstand contests... We eventually slept. (kind of.) The next morn, a member of our group was gone missing... But we were all comforted after receiving Tyler's text that he was chillin at the local bar. At 8am. (Would we ever look anywhere else...?)

Alterra brunch

Hipsta attack

Wisconsin's Fishing Capital

The next day started with brunch on the lake, a swim off the rocks, soaking in the sun on the sand, and finally - Tyler disappearing (he has a thing for that apparently...??) and returning with a giant log. And good thing the Amish community of Milwaukee was there to witness a sight, because it could be their first and last.

lazy rock sitting

log fun

"What the Amish saw when Tyler came to shore...."

As we sat on our log facing the edge of Lake Michigan with Milwaukee in the distance, watching matching Amish kids scurry about, nobody said it, but we were all thinking it. This feels like family and home... (and also - how did life end up here??) It's a moment I will revisit in my memory as the school year starts, when I miss summer sun, and in the dead of lifeless winter when I want something to smile about.