Lost Forest After Dark

Take a beautiful Saturday afternoon with a stiff breeze, throw in a 31-foot sailboat, and a super cool captain, and you've got yourself a wonderful afternoon.

A couple of weeks ago we went sailing on Lake Pepin and experienced all of the above. The captain, Dave Sheridan, is a great guy and regaled us with stories about sailing, Pep(p)ie the Lake Pepin Sea Monster and life on the eastern shore of Lake Pepin/Mississippi River. Plus it was relatively cheap! $50.00 a person for a couple of hours on the lake. Plus we got to steer the ship.

If interested, I highly recommend checking it out. Say hi to Captain Dave for us if you go.

P.S. I hope the two other women in the picture above aren't too upset I included them in this post without their permission. Consider this an apology in the remote chance you come across this blog!

Posted by Freealonzo at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today I picked up a new Honda Civic Hybrid. $4.00 gasoline? I'm ready. Plus it has an auxiliary outlet for my I-Pod so I don't have to worry about CD's anymore.

It's definitely smaller than my Accord so I'll have to get used to that, but otherwise it looks, good.

Posted by Freealonzo at 05:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

When I was growing up I lived practically kiddy corner from a 50-tree apple orchard. The orchard really wasn’t tended and the neighborhood kids had free reign over the orchard, its trees, and, most importantly, the apples.

In the summer we would spend hours in the orchard playing games and eating apples. Although the trees weren’t really taken care of, they still produced some pretty good apples and it was nice to be able to pick off an apple from a tree and bury your teeth into that juicy, crunchy fruit. Birds would also enjoy the fallen fruit and it was funny seeing drunk birds who had imbibed on too many apples fermenting in the sun. Being boys, apples also made perfect missiles and there is nothing better than hitting someone with a rotten, soft apple that’s been baking in the sun for months. Firecrackers put into apples and tossed also make quite an effective weapon. In the fall we would have epic apple wars which would leave the entire neighborhood covered in smelly, smashed rotten apples. If it was warm enough, the apple stench would last for days.

That apple orchard really represented the carefree days of youth and after my brother died, I found myself walking through the apple orchard once again. I was 23 at the time and it had probably been 5 years since I was last in the orchard. I was inextricably drawn to the orchard, probably trying to recapture that youthful innocence that had been shattered that terrible day. I didn’t know what I would find there but it was a comforting place, even if it was for a moment.

Today the apple orchard is gone. A fence has gone up around it and houses sit where apple trees used to dislodge their fruit. I don’t know exactly when it happened and glad that I wasn’t around to see them go. Living in the city, my kids and their friends don’t have a place like an apple orchard to spend countless hours and I am not sure their mothers would let them if they did. Which is too bad. Kids need a place where they can go without adult supervision, where fruit, and all that it represents, is just there for the picking.

Posted by Freealonzo at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

We are mired in the great abyss right now. It’s great that Spring Training is starting but that’s more like a tease, a marker that we have to hit before it can actually be Spring. In the meantime we wait for the NHL and NBA playoffs (and then wait forever until they end); March Madness is a couple of weeks away; nothing happening in football. In Minnesota it’s even worse as the T-Wolves, Gopher hoops, and Gopher Hockey should all end in a whimper, not a bang. The Wild will be going to the playoffs but no one thinks they are in the league of Detroit, Dallas, or Anaheim. Is English Premier League soccer is going on?

These last two weeks of February can really be a chore. Too cold to do anything outside. Not much happening inside as this is also the dead zone for movies and albums. Also most musical acts stay clear of Minnesota during this time too so good luck finding a concert to hit up. Heck, after Tuesday there isn’t a presidential primary until March 4th, so we’ll be going over the same stale political issues for the next two weeks as well.

What are you doing to stay sane? I’m torn between converting old home videos to DVD and taking a lot of naps. Got any ideas?

Posted by Freealonzo at 02:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Living in Minnesota you have to embrace Winter or go insane. Now how you embrace Winter can range from curling up with a book and blanket to going ice fishing. I tend to settle toward the former but have been known to participate in the latter as well.

This weekend I participated in our Neighborhood's annual Winter Kite Festival. Yes that's right we flew kites on a frozen-over lake. The weather cooperated to the hilt (25 degrees and sunny) and there were tons of people out.

Besides kites there was ice fishing, hay rides, treasure hunts, marshmallows over fires, and a ton of neighbors. It really was a lot of fun. There wasn't a whole lot of wind but enough to get some kites up in the air.

Now I'm not going to argue that Minnesotans are somehow tougher because we do stuff in freezing weather. Actually I think it's more of a coping mechanism. During these cold months those four walls can close in pretty tight. Throw in too many gray days with a few hours of sunshine and no wonder we dispose of our enemies via the woodchipper.

How do you cope with Winter?

Posted by Freealonzo at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I tried to go Christmas Shopping last night. What a frackin' disaster. Stores have no sales help. A middle age guy roaming uncertianly through the women's clothes department should be a shining beacon for help (and an easy sale). But no. There's no floor help, just a couple of people manning the cash registers. Prices may be cheap due to sales, but there is very little variety, sizes, colors, etc. And if you do happen upon a store that is busy, everyone is rude, getting in your way, acting stupid.

No wonder internet sales are becoming more and more popular every year. After my disappointing experience at the stores, I came home went on the web and ordered what I wanted in the size and colors I wanted. I swear, no more stores for me.

How's your shopping experience?

Posted by Freealonzo at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Last week Mark Loesch had the audacity to get on his bike at 10:30 at night and ride it to a friend’s house in South Minneapolis. Mark never made it as some apparent punk smashed his head in instead. Just for riding his bike at night.

Mark lived about two blocks from me and although I didn’t know him, my kids played with his kids occasionally and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen his oldest son in my basement playing Madden on the Playstation. From all the stories I heard Mark seemed like a pretty good guy and I’m saddened that we never got to know each other better.

Sometimes we are able to create something good out of senseless, tragic crimes and last night in Southwest Minneapolis, something good did come out of Mark’s murder. To honor Mark, over 500 of his friends, family, and neighbors came out to walk or bike the route that Mark took on his last night. We gathered at King Field park, signed a banner, and then took to the street. It was amazing to see a steady stream of people stretching over 5 blocks long and then to entirely fill one City block candles in hand in honor of this man. The mood was solemn, not sad, and people from 4 to 84, some with dogs, some on bikes, some with flowers stood shoulder to shoulder and hand in hand.

In true Minnesota fashion, we were not an angry vengeful mob, but a saddened, confused group of neighbors. Saddened that someone just like us could be cut down so senselessly, saddened that his 4 children will have no father, saddened that the City we love still has so much hate that someone would kill so randomly and confused because we don’t know what we can do to change what happened or what to do next.

It was a fitting tribute, one that that I will always remember but something that I hope I never have to do again.

Posted by Freealonzo at 08:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Earlier this month, we packed up the family, headed for the train station, and spent nearly a week at Glacier National Park in Montana. As you can see from the pictures below (which don't do the park justice), Glacier is a beautiful place.

The main reason one goes to Glacier National Park is to see glaciers, and that's what we did. In the pictures below, (click on pic to see larger version) the snowy regions on the mountains are glaciers. Unfortunately the glaciers are retreating and breaking up. One hundred years ago, there were over 130 glaciers in the park, now there is less than 30 and those remaining are small remnants of themselves.

In the photo above, the glacier use to fill the whole basin and now is just a slash of ice across the side of the mountain. However to get a sense of how large these glaciers still are, the fat ice part on the left is nearly 300 yards wide.

Natural beauty abounds, the picture below shows what we saw from the window of our small cabin. The park is really geared for all ages. If you're elderly and like your creature comforts, you can stay in a lodge and view the park through red buses that travel extensively through the park. If you're a healthy 20-something looking for adventure, there are many back country trails (and campsites) that bring you right to the glaciers. If you're a family with kids, you can stay in a cabin, and take easier hikes to mountain lakes, waterfalls, and breathtaking scenery. That's what we did.

Wild life is also abundant. We were close to Mountain Goats, Deer, Eagles, Big Horn Sheep, and Bears. The bear moved back into the woods before we were able to snap a picture (don't worry we were in our car). Below is a Big Horn Sheep and Mountain Goat upclose.

All in all it was a great time and would suggest a similar trip for anyone who is interested. We went to Rocky Mountain National Park 2 years ago and our campsite was at 9,000 feet and a lot of hiking was at 10,000 to 11,000 feet. Glacier is at a more modest 5,000 feet and I don't we ever got above 7,000 feet so it was a little easier on the lungs.

Below, the Man and the Mountain....

Posted by Freealonzo at 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My brother-in-law, Ted Hartwell, died and was buried last week. As you can see from obituaries here, here, and here, Ted was a world-renowned curator of photography for the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. I could never do justice to his career and what it meant for professional photographers so I’ll let those links stand on their own.

I mostly knew Ted outside of his professional life as a husband and father. He was married to my wife’s sister and I spent many holidays and family get-togethers with Ted. One of the favorites was the annual 4th of July party at their house on a bluff overlooking Lake Pepin. They had recently purchased a boat and Ted was giving boat rides all afternoon. I was lucky enough to get a ride on the last trip and you could tell Ted was as happy as a little kid as we motored up and down the Pepin shoreline. It seems odd that a mere 18 hours later he would be stricken down by a heart attack.

Reading the obituaries and listening to the art luminaries at his funeral felt at times strange. They’re talking about Ted Hartwell? The guy who, like me, would steal a little nap after Thanksgiving dinner? The guy who was just fascinated by his kids and how fast they learned to talk? That Ted Hartwell? When I was growing up, I knew a kid who’s dad played for the Vikings (Rip Hawkins). We asked him what it was like to have a dad who was a professional football player. He said that he didn’t know. His dad seemed like everyone else’s: he cut the grass in the summer, yelled at his kids to clean up after themselves, sat in the living room drinking beer and watching sports. It seems that sometimes we forget that celebrities are people too; that really they are just like me and you only their work is better known.

So I’ll miss Ted, he was a kind soul. I will appreciate all he did for the art of photography but I will cherish all that he did for his friends and family.

Posted by Freealonzo at 08:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Last August I did a post on the song I Will Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie and as you can see from the comments, the post has really stuck a chord with people who have faced end of life issues with family members. I am actually quite humbled that people have sought out this site and commented in their time of sorrow and loss. Now my family is going through the painful process of saying goodbye to someone who is in a coma. What is especially difficult is that on the 4th of July we are all together having blast, talking about fireworks, boats, and kids. A few hours later a heart attack leaves my brother-in-law in what is described as a “permanent vegetative state.”

Modern medicine is amazing these days, as is our medical profession. The EMT’s found my brother-in-law without a pulse and were able to re-start his heart. Unfortunately the body needs oxygen and his body shut down all functions except for the bare minimum to survive: breathing and a beating heart.

When to end a life is an extremely painful decision. In one sense you want to hold out hope, but on the other, no brain activity is not really living. In the end it comes down to what you and your loved ones believe is quality of life. What makes it harder is that there are different levels of removing life support: Do you hydrate? How much pain medication should be administered? Given these questions, and the ultimate decision that must be made, it’s actually comforting to think that you would follow your loved one into the dark. The wish that you could tell them that very fact lies heavy in the room.

So talk to your loved one about end of life issues, get a will, write up a health directive. Tell them you if you could, you would follow them into the dark. Remember it will be difficult for your family members if they find themselves in the situation where they have to make end of life decisions, but it will be easier if they know that the decisions they have to make are ones that you have allowed them to make. In other words, allow your loved ones to follow you into the dark.

Posted by Freealonzo at 07:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Yesterday (8/20) was the 20-year anniversary of my brother Brad killing himself Download file. It was the typical concoction of depression and drug use. After 20 years the pain has subsided but the sadness will always remain. Probably the weirdest thing is that I walk by the site nearly everyday. Some days I don’t even notice, other times it weighs heavily on my mind -- although to be fair I am sure he didn’t know that I would one day be working at the University.

As a person of faith I feel quite confident that Brad is in a better place and his writings also show that he thought he was going to a better place. I have never held the belief that death means a person misses out what we experience on earth. They of course don’t experience it the same way we do, but by becoming part of the Holy Spirit, people who have died “know” that, for example, their kids graduated and had a good life, had children etc.

So I’m not sad that my brother died and he didn’t get to experience the things I have. I am sad because we can’t share those experiences together. He knows that Twins won the World Series in 1987, but we weren’t able to talk about it and share that joy. That is why we I think we grieve for the dead, we are actually grieving for ourselves.

In that vein, here is a list of things that I wish I could have shared with my brother over the last 20 years. It’s not an exhaustive list, and it obviously reflects where he was at 20 years ago, but it’s not a bad list. (also in no particular order)

Twins World Series victories in 1987 and 1991
The U2 concerts I attended in 1987 and 2002
My wedding
The adoption and birth of my children
The election and death of Paul Wellstone
Star Wars – Revenge of the Sith (last 45 minutes)
The death of Kirby Puckett
Timmy the Freak
The 3 New England Patriots Super Bowl victories in 4 years
Randy Moss “mooning” the Packer faithful
September 11, 2001
The new millennium
The Lord of the Rings Movies
Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky
Donnie Darko

Who do you miss and what events do you wish you could have shared with them?

Posted by Freealonzo at 09:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Well we packed up our cell phones, ipods, shampoo, and drinking water and boarded an airplane for a 9-day visit of NYC earlier this month. I had been to New York a couple of times in the mid- to late-80’s and at that time I would have never imagined that I would want to visit again on a family trip. But things have changed in the Big Apple. The short version is: the City is cleaner, safer, friendlier, and just as fun. Despite 3 plus days of very oppressive heat, we had a wonderful time.

Of course some things are missing since my last NYC visit. An obligatory stop for any NYC visitor is Ground Zero. Having seen it, I have to admit it was hard to imagine the terror that was happening among those streets nearly 5 years ago. Right now it’s just a big hole in the ground. What really hit home was that a fire station just down the street from where we were staying had pictures of 6 firemen who lost their lives that day.

We were lucky that we were able to stay in a small apartment in the always trendy Greenwich Village neighborhood. The little alley that we stayed in has quite the literary history, but more important to me, it was within walking distance of Washington Square and a host of sites that played key rolls in the early lives of Bob Dylan, Jack Kerouac, Alan Ginsburg etc., including some of the early bars that Dylan performed in, the bar that was the setting for The Subterreaneans, and apartment where Kerouac wrote On The Road. Also we were within walking distance of the street seen on the cover of Dylan’s The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan and the Magnolia Bakery from SNL’s very funny video skit Lazy Sunday.

("Freewheelin'" street today, trees make a big difference)

Using subways were able to see and get to everything we wanted to see including the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Ground Zero, Battery Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, Chinatown, Little Italy, the Lower East SideTenements, the site of the Triangle Building fire, Empire State Building, Central Park, Strawberry Fields, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Upper East Side, FAO Schwartz, Times Square, Spamalot, Yankee Stadium, Jones Beach, Rockefeller Center, and many, many subway stops. Don’t forget lots of good restaurants, none of which we could visit here in Minnesota.

As I said above, the City is cleaner, safer, and friendlier than it was 20 years ago. We were out after dark many evenings, and never felt unsafe. Police were everywhere and not in that oppressive “I’m watching you” manner but in the comforting “we’re just cops walking the beat.” Believe me nothing gives you a safer feeling than coming out of a subway station after dark in a strange neighborhood and the first thing you see are a couple of cops just hanging out. Times Square is 180 degrees different than the seedy, peep show riven, prostitutes and drug trade place that is was 20 years ago.

(John Lennon Memorial at Strawberry Fields, Central Park)

Finally I can’t leave without giving a shout out to my friend who let us use her apartment for our stay. Having a place to stay made all the difference in our visit. We could never thank her enough.

Posted by Freealonzo at 10:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Greetings from hotter-than-a-brick-oven New York City. Since I'm here I thought I would share two other internet-related items that I am involved in.

First check out bat-girl.com as I am an entry in the Joe Mauer Sideburn Contest. I am entry #5 and currently doing rather poorly. So please check out the site and vote for me. (Personally I think the so far winning entry is getting so many votes is because he's kinda hunky and has nothing to do with his sideburns).

Second, the Southwest Journal printed my rant about the lack of bike parking at the new midtown global marketplace. They edited out my better stuff, but it's still pretty good. Click here.

Finally this isn't about me except that it's about NYC. Christgau, who I always thought was a little too self-involved, saw 32 shows in 30 days to comemmorate his firing at the Village Voice. Here's his amazing write-up.

Tomorrow, Yankee Stadium (with photos!!)

Posted by Freealonzo at 08:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)