I really can't remember the last time I went three weeks without posting anything. I'm usually consistent, even when it comes to filler, but somehow I've overlooked that aspect of late. What gives?
To put it bluntly, 2008 has been a very interesting and exciting year, a story which will have so many more positives to it than my 2007 wrap-up come New Years Eve. But with excitement also comes business, which isn't something to be totally enthusiastic about. Frankly, this is the first time I've been forced to do any labor since May 28th. This may very well explain why I haven't posted any updates recently. Yes, I'm back in school, and no, I'm not happy about it. I feel like so much more could've--and should've--been done with my summer, even though through reflection it may very well go down as the best summer of my life. Perplexing, ain't it?
My last update on life in general was on July 20th, it's safe to say enough has happened since then to fill up a decent blog. It's really no question that I HAVE been busy, but with what exactly? Well, for starters, on July 24th I went to my uncle's in Midway, where I'd eventually stay for a week, including a trip to Milwaukee sandwiched somewhere in there. We left for Milwaukee via Amtrak the next day, nice, smooth ride. Then we got lost looking for our hotel, which was a pain in the ass because the luggage we were carrying was outrageously heavy. Eventually we did find it (try finding "Plankinton" if you've never been in Milwaukee before), so we stopped for Subway and camped out there for the afternoon, watching the Cubs shamelessly lose to the Florida Marlins.
But what exactly were we doing in Milwaukee? Well, primary objectives were two things: Catch two Brewers games, and the Police concert up there. We managed both successfully. The Police, like always, put on a very solid show, not much more to say that most don't already know. The Brewers games were interesting, second moreso than the first. The first had Houston winning 3-1 in a three hour game that didn't see much action. Not a pitcher's duel, guys were getting hits, just not scoring. The second was a thrill, Brewers winning, to my knowledge, 6-4, powered by a Ryan Braun go-ahead two run homer. I also got to meet the "High Life" guy, Windell Middlebrooks ("For $13, I'll BE a Macadamia Nut!"). What a beast! Miller Park is a good venue for a baseball game, nice and wide, seats about 43,000. I was impressed.
We went home that Sunday and would just relax, watch the Cubs, etc. Typical Sunday afternoon reminiscent of my early childhood (nice lunch / dinner from my grandma, Cubs baseball, summer weather...). Monday the 28th saw us heading downtown to Navy Pier's IMAX to see "The Dark Knight," which lived up to it's hype (except Two-Face, which was a totally moronic addition). We'd feast at Harry Caray's that evening and head home. The next day saw us attending the "Road to Wrigley" minor league game between the Kane County Cougars and Peoria Chiefs, which Sean attended with my uncle and I. Honestly, the fondest memories would be putting up a five run Cubs sixth inning against the Brewers on the scoreboard, allowing the crowd to go totally apeshit, and the rain that caused the game to end abruptly in the 9th inning. Interesting night, to say the least. Shame those National City bastards wouldn't let me get my Sandberg jersey signed. So far I'm 0-2 in my attempts with THAT.
Wednesday I headed home, and my long week was recorded in the book as my last stay away from home for the summer. No complaints, I've had a couple week-long getaways this summer, which ain't bad. Anything to get me out of Lockport.
It's safe to say that I essentially sat on my arse and did nothing substantial for a week after coming home, other than resting from my outrageously busy previous week and beginning to dread the beginning of school. On August 5th, the whole family attended the Cubs / Astros game at Wrigley Field. It's safe to say that game was one of the best of the entire season, with the Cubs coming from behind to win 11-7. Man, what a thriller! The atmosphere in that place in a come-from-behind victory is simply phenomenal. It was a very successful day, and I even pulled off autographs of Houston's Hunter Pence and Jose Valverde.
Following that, not much to really talk about. Dale and I really wanted to do the Extreme show on August 9th but there was absolutely no way we could pull it off, sadly. The saddest part about my time between August 6th and August 15th is that the most eventful thing that happened to me was my laptop crashing briefly and not having the slightest idea how to recover it (dad, our computer guru, was in Dallas). Told ya it was sad. The good thing is, I spent my whole final week of freedom well-rested, so who am I to complain, really?
August 15th was the day that no middle-school, junior high, or high school student wants to arrive. That would be the dreaded first day of school. Went by much smoother than I had expected, but really, the whole "come in Friday to be prepared for Monday" idea is total bullshit. Either way, not many complaints. This past week was my first full week of school and as of now, I don't have much to say. But, it's only a week in, and being the generally "glass half-empty" kinda guy I am, I'm expecting something to turn that around soon enough. Hard to be optimistic in a place like Lockport Township High School.
Hey, one of my rare "glass half-full" thoughts would be that, I only have two more years of dealing with these people, before I set out to do what I want and live my own life. Just the sound of it sends positive chills down my spine. So lately my mentality is go in, get my work done, come home, do homework, rest, come in, same deal. I don't bother with much else anymore, which to me seems logical.
That wraps up the things that I have done and accomplished since my last post, and I'd say it's really nice closure to a seemingly perfect summer. I honestly don't think I had one worry (aside of the computer incident) the whole time, which is a really rare occurrance for me. I'm very proud of it, for a change. Sadly, St. Dans Carnival this year was NOT a success, but that's nobody's fault. Obligations get in the way, it happens. So I couldn't wrap up my summer perfectly, but it was still damn good.
So, what's up now and what's up in the future? Well, the now has been pretty solid. School's off to a solid start, which I couldn't say for myself the past two years (even though Sophomore year had a fantastic end). I've caught up with someone who had left a considerable impact on my past, and I'm very happy that things are generally positive in that area. I won't say the name (seriously, do I usually say names, anyway?), but I'm sure she knows who she is. So things have been nice, I really don't have much to complain about. When was the last time THAT happened?
Future...future. Well, I'm not planning ahead too much. I do want to go to the Journey show on September 12th, but I'd have to gather a posse to go with me. When was the last time you heard "posse" and "Journey" thrown in the same sentence? Regardless, I really don't want to go by myself, at the same time, it's a show I'm looking to attend, and have for awhile. I've got time to ask around, so that's probably what I'll do. Other than that, not much else. I am also starting a serious website, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I don't like September, nor do I expect this September to be too hot. Now, when October nears, then we'll have something to talk about.
All in all, once again, pretty satisfied with life. It's the first time I've been consistently happy since May of 2005. And I DO mean that. Life's been a total roller coaster since June '05, so it's good to find some stability for a change. I don't know when I'll post something next, hopefully soon. Got a ton of ideas for filler blogs I can do in the time between monthly life updates. We'll see where I'm taken over the next few weeks.
As of now, that's about it. Good to be back at it, three weeks may not seem like much, but just look at my posting history. BIG difference. Stick around, I've got some good shit on the horizon. Until then, enjoy the grind of school. I know I will (end sarcasm)
-Zach
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
"Reflection: 2001" - August 1, 2008
Here's a new concept I'd drummed up for a "filler blog," which is something I've needed a whole lot more of as of late. This idea is called "Reflection," where I reflect on a time period of my life that I remember very fondly, and I'll generally have a reason for posting it at the time that I do (say, sometime next March there may be a 2005 one in store). Whether it be good or bad, it's a memory nonetheless, one which hasn't been posted since it occurred at a time in my life before blogging / writing was a big deal to me.
We take ourselves back to the year 2001, a time when I was only first getting into the music I listen to today. A time when I still lived in Chicago and saw no sign on the horizon of going anywhere, except maybe somewhere else in the neighborhood. A time when you thought you understood the concept of a romantic relationship, but never even had a clue. A time when your dream was to start a band and wrote the worst songs ever known to man. A time when Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Barry Bonds led Major League Baseball in home runs, before anabolic steroids were ever an issue. A time when the Twin Towers still stood high, eclipsing the sun and New York's metropolis, and George W. Bush was considered one of the best things to ever happen to this country. A time when this nation's patriotism was at an all-time high.
So funny how much changes in the course of eight years, eh? :D
In 2001, I was gonna be ten years old. To any nine year old, that's a big deal, for whatever reason. Guess it may be the whole double-digits thing? I understood it then, and frankly, I don't understand it now. Hah. I lived in Midway, still going to St. Daniel the Prophet school, third grade and fourth grade. My third grade teacher was Mrs. Collelo, and fourth grade was a swap between Ms. Bowers and Mr. Schipitz (if that's how you spell it). Sweet Mother of God, that seems like a long time ago.
I just remember third grade being a blast, getting closer to my two best friends to date (Dale and Sean), meeting someone who I'd have what could be called a "playground crush" on for about two and a half years (Lauren Cross, who ironically now goes to Lockport Township High School). I don't think anyone has surpassed that record in my book, though part of the reason is because I can't find a stable relationship. Nice job, Lauren, haha.
I remember this is when Pokemon: Gold and Silver came out, around that time at least. Haven't played that shit in years, but my God did they do the trick at the time. Everyone would talk about them, the secrets, make up lies about the things they'd catch and how they did, Gameshark secrets, etc. Those games defined the generation at the time, hands down. Hell, the whole Nintendo era did. N64 was the hottest thing around, though would soon be forgotten with the upcoming Gamecube release in November.
The summer was a blast, now that I think of it. I actually did summer camp at Valley Forge, which most of my friends were a part of. Actually helped me get closer to some people than I already was. July 5, 2001 was not a good day however. I broke my wrist roller blading, and my grandma (dad's side) had a stroke. Certainly not the brightest day in Zach Bernard history. Still, even with a broken arm, I managed to turn out alright. I remember the day of the surgery, I hadn't eaten anything for 13 hours. It was a Friday and I got out of the hospital around 10 p.m., then we stopped at Portillo's on Harlem, listened to the Cubs wrap up a LONG four hour, extra-inning game against the Detroit Tigers, and wrapped up the day. Hard to forget that one.
Speaking of the Cubs, this was one of my favorite Cubs teams in history. Managed by Don Baylor, you had Sammy Sosa, Matt Stairs, Ron Coomer, Michael Tucker, Delino DeShields (haha, Sean), Rondell White, Eric Young, a terrible Todd Hundley, Joe Girardi, Kerry Wood, Jason Bere, Jon Lieber, Jeff Fassero, and Kyle Farnsworth. We were STACKED that year, and had First Place for quite some time. I'll never forget, however, eating at a restaurant called Nick's on 79th in Chicago, watching the Cubs miserably implode against the Cincinnati Reds. Aside from a Sammy Sosa two run homer, the Cubs lost 10-2 that cold, September night. This started the Cubs September Massacre of 2001. Such potential, wasted in that month. We went from First to Third, finishing the season without going to the postseason. What a shame. And then the sad tone of the last game when the beloved Arne Harris died, and Chip Caray cried a few times because he lost a dear friend. What an awful way to end such a positive season...
Yeah, was a summer of Cubs winning, hanging with friends, taking long walks, hanging out on the porch on Sunday nights, creeping views from the front screen door to see the score of the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball game. This was the time when I was first the budding music fan I am today. My favorite bands? Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, and U2. I loved those three. I was also becoming a big Van Halen fan, who would be my favorite band from Winter 2001 to Spring 2007. I'll never forget ABC Family airing U2's concert from Boston in 2000, and keeping that on VHS until I picked up the DVD sometime in 2006. Also, I remember VH1's special Bon Jovi: One Last Wild Night concert, which I had taped, but lost in a move, sadly. Still looking for that one as a bootleg. That, however, remains one of the most memorable concert performances I'd ever watched on TV in my life, hands down. Mom had gotten Van Halen's "Best of Vol. 1" for Mother's Day, and that essentially began my VH saga.
So, when school started, it was fourth grade for me, for the bitch that was the young Ms. Bowers. She was the type of teacher who was young and thought her upper-hand was intimidating. Though it was nevertheless, humorous. She reported the news of the plane destroying the Twin Towers, at the time calling it a "bombing." Stupid bitch. She was replaced my Mr. Schipitz, who was such a cool, nice guy, but really wasn't much of a teacher. Things with friends really began to stabalize, and it was really the beginning of some relationships I still have with friends now, even though I don't see them like I used to.
These was also around the time when my mother started working again, and my grandfather started picking me up from school and go out to lunch afterwards. This was a routine that would continue for years to come. Until I had moved.
2001 was a year of humor, change, childish playground heartbreak, maturing with friends, meeting ones who will have made a beneficial impact on the rest of your life, and most of all, excitement. I know I jumped around a bit and ended abruptly, but 2001 was the earliest and probably the haziest of the years I plan to reflect on. There are more coming on the way, so sit tight!
-Zach
We take ourselves back to the year 2001, a time when I was only first getting into the music I listen to today. A time when I still lived in Chicago and saw no sign on the horizon of going anywhere, except maybe somewhere else in the neighborhood. A time when you thought you understood the concept of a romantic relationship, but never even had a clue. A time when your dream was to start a band and wrote the worst songs ever known to man. A time when Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Barry Bonds led Major League Baseball in home runs, before anabolic steroids were ever an issue. A time when the Twin Towers still stood high, eclipsing the sun and New York's metropolis, and George W. Bush was considered one of the best things to ever happen to this country. A time when this nation's patriotism was at an all-time high.
So funny how much changes in the course of eight years, eh? :D
In 2001, I was gonna be ten years old. To any nine year old, that's a big deal, for whatever reason. Guess it may be the whole double-digits thing? I understood it then, and frankly, I don't understand it now. Hah. I lived in Midway, still going to St. Daniel the Prophet school, third grade and fourth grade. My third grade teacher was Mrs. Collelo, and fourth grade was a swap between Ms. Bowers and Mr. Schipitz (if that's how you spell it). Sweet Mother of God, that seems like a long time ago.
I just remember third grade being a blast, getting closer to my two best friends to date (Dale and Sean), meeting someone who I'd have what could be called a "playground crush" on for about two and a half years (Lauren Cross, who ironically now goes to Lockport Township High School). I don't think anyone has surpassed that record in my book, though part of the reason is because I can't find a stable relationship. Nice job, Lauren, haha.
I remember this is when Pokemon: Gold and Silver came out, around that time at least. Haven't played that shit in years, but my God did they do the trick at the time. Everyone would talk about them, the secrets, make up lies about the things they'd catch and how they did, Gameshark secrets, etc. Those games defined the generation at the time, hands down. Hell, the whole Nintendo era did. N64 was the hottest thing around, though would soon be forgotten with the upcoming Gamecube release in November.
The summer was a blast, now that I think of it. I actually did summer camp at Valley Forge, which most of my friends were a part of. Actually helped me get closer to some people than I already was. July 5, 2001 was not a good day however. I broke my wrist roller blading, and my grandma (dad's side) had a stroke. Certainly not the brightest day in Zach Bernard history. Still, even with a broken arm, I managed to turn out alright. I remember the day of the surgery, I hadn't eaten anything for 13 hours. It was a Friday and I got out of the hospital around 10 p.m., then we stopped at Portillo's on Harlem, listened to the Cubs wrap up a LONG four hour, extra-inning game against the Detroit Tigers, and wrapped up the day. Hard to forget that one.
Speaking of the Cubs, this was one of my favorite Cubs teams in history. Managed by Don Baylor, you had Sammy Sosa, Matt Stairs, Ron Coomer, Michael Tucker, Delino DeShields (haha, Sean), Rondell White, Eric Young, a terrible Todd Hundley, Joe Girardi, Kerry Wood, Jason Bere, Jon Lieber, Jeff Fassero, and Kyle Farnsworth. We were STACKED that year, and had First Place for quite some time. I'll never forget, however, eating at a restaurant called Nick's on 79th in Chicago, watching the Cubs miserably implode against the Cincinnati Reds. Aside from a Sammy Sosa two run homer, the Cubs lost 10-2 that cold, September night. This started the Cubs September Massacre of 2001. Such potential, wasted in that month. We went from First to Third, finishing the season without going to the postseason. What a shame. And then the sad tone of the last game when the beloved Arne Harris died, and Chip Caray cried a few times because he lost a dear friend. What an awful way to end such a positive season...
Yeah, was a summer of Cubs winning, hanging with friends, taking long walks, hanging out on the porch on Sunday nights, creeping views from the front screen door to see the score of the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball game. This was the time when I was first the budding music fan I am today. My favorite bands? Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, and U2. I loved those three. I was also becoming a big Van Halen fan, who would be my favorite band from Winter 2001 to Spring 2007. I'll never forget ABC Family airing U2's concert from Boston in 2000, and keeping that on VHS until I picked up the DVD sometime in 2006. Also, I remember VH1's special Bon Jovi: One Last Wild Night concert, which I had taped, but lost in a move, sadly. Still looking for that one as a bootleg. That, however, remains one of the most memorable concert performances I'd ever watched on TV in my life, hands down. Mom had gotten Van Halen's "Best of Vol. 1" for Mother's Day, and that essentially began my VH saga.
So, when school started, it was fourth grade for me, for the bitch that was the young Ms. Bowers. She was the type of teacher who was young and thought her upper-hand was intimidating. Though it was nevertheless, humorous. She reported the news of the plane destroying the Twin Towers, at the time calling it a "bombing." Stupid bitch. She was replaced my Mr. Schipitz, who was such a cool, nice guy, but really wasn't much of a teacher. Things with friends really began to stabalize, and it was really the beginning of some relationships I still have with friends now, even though I don't see them like I used to.
These was also around the time when my mother started working again, and my grandfather started picking me up from school and go out to lunch afterwards. This was a routine that would continue for years to come. Until I had moved.
2001 was a year of humor, change, childish playground heartbreak, maturing with friends, meeting ones who will have made a beneficial impact on the rest of your life, and most of all, excitement. I know I jumped around a bit and ended abruptly, but 2001 was the earliest and probably the haziest of the years I plan to reflect on. There are more coming on the way, so sit tight!
-Zach
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