Distractions, reflections

David Ing, at large … Sometimes, my mind wanders

2008/07/19 Chicago for stuffed pizza, misrouting on the south side

Although we had driven from Toronto to Madison, WI in a single day, there’s a one-time-zone disadvantage on the way back. Our timing made Chicago a good option for dinner. Adam has never experienced deep dish Chicago stuffed pizza, and there were multiple Giordano’s locations on our route home. We stopped by the Belmont location on the north side.

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Allenna and Adam ordered the medium size pizza — with leftovers for later. In the time since I lived in Chicago — over 25 years ago — I’ve given up dairy products, so I had to experience the pizza from memory.

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Rather than going back onto the Dan Ryan Expressway, I suggested that we take the shorter and more scenic route down Lake Shore Drive. I somehow managed to miss the entrance to the Indiana Toll Road, so we pulled over to switch me to the navigator’s seat. We were near the point where the west shore of Lake Michigan would end, and we would turn east. Continue reading2008/07/19 Chicago for stuffed pizza, misrouting on the south side

2008/07/13-18 Madison, Wisconsin: lake, campus, ranch, town

Adam and I attended ISSS 2008 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I’ve never been to Wisconsin before, so it was an opportunity to see someplace new. The formal part of the conference was held in Wisconsin Union, which has a terrace facing Lake Michigan. The weather was great that week, so the deeper conversations extended outside during breaks.

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While at the conference, we were extended university privileges to enjoy the lake and use the sailboats … but I’m not a beach person.

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Some families visit UW for vacations. The summer is the best part of the year in Madison, and the campus is relatively quiet.

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After a refreshing lunch, we headed back into the building for lectures and small group discussions.

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The plenary sessions were held in the big room, Tripp Commons. Drapes were drawn to enable watching the big screen. We did have periodic breaks out on the terrace immediately beside this room. Continue reading2008/07/13-18 Madison, Wisconsin: lake, campus, ranch, town

2008/07/12 Road trip: Michigan City, Indiana, and Koreatown, Chicago

With an estimated 13 hour drive from Toronto to Madison Wisconsin, I might have flown to the ISSS 2008 meeting. However, with Adam and Allenna to share in the driving, we decided to take the minivan. I drove the first leg to Sarnia, and we stopped for lunch in Port Huron. I slept through most of Michigan, and we took a break for driving with a time-boxed stop for shopping at the Lighthouse Place Outlet in Michigan City, Indiana.

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Although the cyclone tower elicits visions of nuclear power, the Michigan City Generating Station is coal-powered. The three of us split up so that we each had time to visit two or three stores, and then we were back on the road.

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There were traffic diversions so we didn’t immediately find our way back onto the Indiana Toll Road. We wanted to get the most amount of mileage before the sun set, and Allenna and Adam were indecisive about what to do for dinner. As I drove was driving northbound through Chicago on the Dan Ryan Expressway, I saw a sign for Koreatown on Lawrence Avenue. I immediately headed for the exit, driving east. It’s been years since I’ve been in the neighbourhood. It’s not just Korean, it’s multi-ethnic, and there were lots of interesting choices for restaurants.

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We decided to stay on the Korean theme, and picked Chicago Kalbi Restaurant. The booths on both sides of the restaurant have grills and vents, and were full. Continue reading2008/07/12 Road trip: Michigan City, Indiana, and Koreatown, Chicago

2006/06/26-29 John Abercrombie, Mike Stern, John Scofield, Donny McCaslin, Lizz Wright, Toronto Jazz Festival

Toronto is a sufficiently large venue that jazz players visit throughout the year. In combination with other venues across North America and the world, though, there’s a long tradition of chaining musicians into compressed weeks, such as the Toronto Jazz Festival. For years, now, Andy and I have had standing plans to attend see world-class jazz together.

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I made a tactical error by not buying tickets in advance, so the tent was sold out. Andy and I were sitting at a picnic table way out on Nathan Phillips Square, too far to see, but easily close enough for amplified sound.

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I don’t understand why the jazz festival organizers decided to book three great New York-based guitar players on the same bill. I would have paid to see them separately, on three different nights. John Abercrombie was on first. Zooming out my camera to maximum (432 mm), I photographed images that I couldn’t see with my unaided eyes.

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Second on the bill, Mike Stern was next. He played a great set, but I’ had seen him play longer at the 55 Bar in NYC, 2 weeks earlier.

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On bass was Chris Minh Doky, who I’ve never seen play live, before. Continue reading2006/06/26-29 John Abercrombie, Mike Stern, John Scofield, Donny McCaslin, Lizz Wright, Toronto Jazz Festival

2008/06/23 Donny McCaslin, Ben Monder, Adam Cruz, Boris Kozlov at 55 Bar

I’ve seen Donny McCaslin play in a trio at Louis 649, and with Steps Ahead at Iridium. Since I was spending a lot of time in NYC this summer, I decided to see him perform in a quartet at 55 Bar. When I arrived, there was one seat the bar, right up at the front … and I had a nice conversation with the drummer’s fiancee.

The motivation for seeing the quarter was the sidemen: Adam Cruz on drums. Boris Kozlov on bass, and Ben Monder on guitar. Some of Donny’s tunes I’ve heard before, but in jazz there’s always space for different interpretations.

55 Bar, as usual, was packed. It’s a long, narrow basement with a few row of tables and lots of people standing at the back. Continue reading2008/06/23 Donny McCaslin, Ben Monder, Adam Cruz, Boris Kozlov at 55 Bar

2008/06/14 Installing ceiling fans

Since we’re in a three-storey house (plus basement), the upper floors are too warm and the basement in too cool in the summer. Since I’ve added another PC in our bedroom — as a Mythbuntu personal video recorder — it makes the room even warmer. We have a ceiling fan above the third floor landing. Since we were going to install a fan into the master bedroom, we decided to install in all three bedrooms. We asked Don to teach Adam how to do it.

Don came over with the family. I don’t advocate video games — the boys have funded their own recreation — but it was something for Ryan to do with Anderson and Michaela.

Of course, we wouldn’t let everyone go home without have dinner. Continue reading2008/06/14 Installing ceiling fans

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