Highlights of 2011

The year is just about in the books and it was so full of change it made my head spin.  Lousy PHD programs took another one of my closest friends across the country.  So there was one less number to call for last minute trips which led to a lot of solo mountain bike rides and tamer outings.  I hit up the Honky Tonk Happy Hour after work on Fridays like it was my job and found a whole new family of Honky Tonkers.  When I needed a break from it all there was always the baseball diamond.  I went to more baseball games than I ever have in a single season in 2011, and had a winning streak that lasted until the final game I went to.  My record of attended White Sox games ended at 6-1.

Opportunity came knocking more than once, I climbed Camel Back Mountain at dawn outside of Phoenix, AZ.  There was more climbing with the Chicago Mountaineering Club, I went to Devils lake 3 times, my cousin invited me on a 4 day fishing trip to Lake Clinton (I still have never caught a fish) and took a trip out to Yosemite that really got my head right.   I saw the sun rise and set all over the country.  My GoPro Hero Helmet Camera became my favorite piece of gear.  I documented my morning commute, cross country mountain biking, rock climbing and anything else that caught my eye.  I saw some amazing art and some great rock shows.  

By the numbers I spent a total of 11 days sleeping with my head in the dirt, climbed 30 pitches with 5 days on the rock,  3 days of skiing, 0 powder days.   I was on a bike around 300 days this year with an estimated 5500 miles of pavement behind me. 7 White Sox games and 2 Cubs games.

The year started off with a blizzard that shut down the whole city.

Lake Michigan right after the blizzard.

This sunset photo took me so far from my back porch where it was taken.

A happy day with Dr. Vincent Pham who was bound for sunny California.

One of many Chicago White Sox winners including my first Opening Day.

A fog on the lakefront path.

Go Go White Sox.

My Go Pro helmet camera mounted on my touring bike.

May Arizona trip to visit with Chris and his wife Kassie. 

Top of Camel Back Mt. AZ.

The "L" ride home on the Orange Line.  The end of my AZ. trip.

Go Pro Rig on my MTB.

4th of July with Melissa. 
I took this picture after every White Sox winner it was my good luck charm.
Ozzie would leave the team come the season's end.

The Beer and Crew for Tour de Fat.
 I love it when the mountain culture comes to me.

The Bikes.

The Ballyhoo.

Devils lake.  One of many trips.

Brendan leading my first multi-pitch climb in Yosemite National Park.

Atop Tenaya Peak in Tuolomne Meadows in Yosemite National Park.

California Sunset.

Brendan and me atop Cathedral Peak.  It was bad ass.

The Honky Tonkers got out of the bar and went on the road to the Homer days Harvest Festival.

At summers end this sunset appeared over the Yorkville Days festival grounds.

A day a of hiking at Devils Lake Wisconsin.

I never quite saw the park like this before.

Magic Hour atop the East Bluff Trail.

Wisconsin Dells.

Best Halloween costume ever.  Aron Ralston anyone?

 

The best Thanksgiving turkey fry in all of Chicago had me keeping the beat into the night with Steve and Jonathan. 

I did a lot of living this year. Here's to next year's adventures.

Sox Pride

Have I mentioned that I love baseball. I do. With so much of my being I love baseball. I have never played on a team besides T-ball as a tike and yet my first job was a little league umpire for the Country Club Hills park district at age 15. My dad raised us all to be Chicago White Sox fans and yet my very first game was at Wrigley Field to see the Cubs. At the time my parents didn't have two nickels to rub together, my dad worked at the Chicago Tribune and was tossed free tickets, it must have broke his heart. I still have the most vivid recollection of walking through the turnstiles. I also remember being excited to wear my baseball hat to a real baseball game, that is until Dad told me to leave it in the van so we didn't get beat up, you see it was a White Sox hat. Thinking back I guess he was teaching me a healthy respect for the game. Later we would get tickets through the school's "Book It" program and began to frequent Old Comiskey and its wooden green seats. We said goodbye when they tore it down and brought in the new park the next year. Then the strike hit in 1994 when the White Sox were white hot. Like so many fans the following years just didn't feel the same. It wasn't until the turn of the century when the Yankees and the Mets played the subway series in the Fall Classic that I really came to understand the game. I was 21 and living in Florida at the time with people from all over the country, lots of New Yorkers. The passion and tension surrounded me to the point of no escape. After that baseball in adulthood had a new meaning. I used to live less than 5 miles from Sox Park (or Comiskey, or US Cellular, or Church for that matter). This year will be the first full season I live closer to the "Friendly Confines" but I try not to pass up a ticket when it comes my way no matter where I live. Games are on rarely on antenna television so I find myself listening to most games but I love baseball and this town does it right. When explaining Chicago ball to my friend Nick he replied "Its like religion there". I couldn't have said it better myself. He got a little taste a few years ago when the Rockies made it to the World Series. Not long ago I sent an essay to Mellisa Isaacson's blog: Hey Missy at the Chicago Tribune about my experience when the White Sox won the World Series. She wrote me back with such enthusiasm that I decided to make an audio short of the essay. I posted a link below I hope you enjoy it.

Listen Here

Go Go White Sox

Never has it been said better than when a friend of mine explained baseball in the Windy City as "Man baseball in Chicago, its like religion there." Nick, you were right on and this year that sentiment rings so true. The White Sox are coming off a dreadful season last. The north side's Cubs are on the verge of 100 years without a World Series victory therefore every sports media outlet is reading into this year way too much. Top it all off with the fact that both teams are in 1st in their respective divisions. If this keeps up there will be no living here come the end of June when the Crosstown Classic is in full swing.

Needless to say I caught the Sox and Indians last night along with some 38thousand other people for and unprecedented near sellout crowd on a Wednesday night at US Cellular Field. It was a great game with lots of fireworks which happens when the Sox go yard with a homerun. It was a perfect night for baseball in a truly awesome ballpark. There is no possible way 6 people could buy as many tickets at the gate, day of game over at Wrigley and sit together it would never happen.

Known as The Cell to some, others still call it Comiskey, and more simply call it Sox Park.

Grounds Crew hard at work.