Sunday, October 28, 2007
Let There be Rock
I saw these guys in 1977 when they opened for Cheap Trick in Sioux Falls, SD. It was a night I'll never forget, definitely the best live show I've ever seen.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Autograph Signing
Howie Long and Anthony Munoz stopped by work this week to sign autographs. It was neat to see these guys in real life, television doesn't always project a person's size accurately. I avoided the long line for autographs, choosing instead to capture the event with pictures.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Cross Country - State Finals
1st place went to the Parkside boys, the girls took 7th. As expected, Carly Pederson of Chiddix (pictured above) broke the State Record by 11 seconds, capturing the Girls state title for the second consecutive year.
Michele and I worked at the event as computer chip collectors. We had lots of fun, our booth was right at the finish line so we had the best seats in the house. Alex worked concessions with a few of his friends, Nick (still fighting pneumonia after two weeks) stayed at his cousins house. It was a great event to cap off the season, we're already looking forward to next year.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Joybubbles
In the mid 1990's I worked for Citibank as a Customer Service Representative. It wasn't exactly what I had gone to College for, but it paid the bills (well, most of them). Anyway, I worked the overnight shift answering phones, mostly from confused card holders, and sometimes even angry card holders (more than sometimes actually but that's material for another post another time). These card holders came from all walks of life, and occassionally, even famous ones.
Some well known personalities I had the pleasure to speak with over the years were Riddick Bowe, Catherine Bach, Christopher Cross, James Spader, and Tom Petty's first wife Jane Benyo (yes, she's not the famous one, but she's fewer degrees away from Tom than Kevin Bacon). Anyhow, these folks were all quite pleasant to speak with, but none of them left the lasting impression as a lesser known famous person with a very unusual name. He was born Joe Engressia, but had legally changed his name to Joybubbles.
I became familiar with Joybubbles through his repeated calls to customer service to correct an on-going problem with his credit card. The problem was with the way Citibank had listed his name on the card. Instead of JOYBUBBLES, it read as JOY BUBBLES. That's right, there was a space in the middle of the name. You see, our system wasn't designed to handle names that didn't contain both a first and last name. If either were missing, the card creation process would simply error. To make the card then, someone had to manually intervene by splitting his name into two distinct components. I recall someone telling me that this problem had been resolved for Cher by entering a period for her last name (which would have showed up on her card as CHER .).
Well, when Joybubbles first began calling about this issue, he spoke to a representative named Susan, who happened to be a smoker. Us smokers would huddle outside in the cruel South Dakota winter air swapping stories about the unusual calls we had taken since the last break, and believe me, we never experienced a shortage of fresh material. During one of these "smokefests", Susan told us she had spoken to a person named Joybubbles. Having never heard a more unusual name (ignoring Moon Unit and Dweezil of course), I was intrigued. Susan told us that Joybubbles was an extremely polite person, but as a matter of principle, wanted his card corrected, since his name was not "Joy Bubbles", and a period at the end was not satisfactory since his name was not "Joybubbles .".
As Susan worked with him to correct his problem, she became Joybubbles' favorite representative. Whenever he called in, he would insist on dealing only with her. I had the pleasure of transferring him to her on a couple of occassions, and in the short conversations I had with him, he seemed like a very pleasant individual.
To this day I don't know if Susan was able to get that space between his name removed, or if she had to resort to the Cher period. I am glad this was an issue though, or I may never have heard of a man named Joybubbles. His name popped into my head a few days ago, and after doing a google search I was surprised to learn that Joybubbles was a famous person, and sadly had only recently passed away. I wish I had a better tribute to his life than to say I heard his voice on the phone a few times, but unfortunately that's all I knew of him until I read about his life. Here's to you Joybubbles, I hope you've found your neverland.
Update: Here is a short video on youtube that shows a young joybubbles in action during his phone phreaking days.
Some well known personalities I had the pleasure to speak with over the years were Riddick Bowe, Catherine Bach, Christopher Cross, James Spader, and Tom Petty's first wife Jane Benyo (yes, she's not the famous one, but she's fewer degrees away from Tom than Kevin Bacon). Anyhow, these folks were all quite pleasant to speak with, but none of them left the lasting impression as a lesser known famous person with a very unusual name. He was born Joe Engressia, but had legally changed his name to Joybubbles.
I became familiar with Joybubbles through his repeated calls to customer service to correct an on-going problem with his credit card. The problem was with the way Citibank had listed his name on the card. Instead of JOYBUBBLES, it read as JOY BUBBLES. That's right, there was a space in the middle of the name. You see, our system wasn't designed to handle names that didn't contain both a first and last name. If either were missing, the card creation process would simply error. To make the card then, someone had to manually intervene by splitting his name into two distinct components. I recall someone telling me that this problem had been resolved for Cher by entering a period for her last name (which would have showed up on her card as CHER .).
Well, when Joybubbles first began calling about this issue, he spoke to a representative named Susan, who happened to be a smoker. Us smokers would huddle outside in the cruel South Dakota winter air swapping stories about the unusual calls we had taken since the last break, and believe me, we never experienced a shortage of fresh material. During one of these "smokefests", Susan told us she had spoken to a person named Joybubbles. Having never heard a more unusual name (ignoring Moon Unit and Dweezil of course), I was intrigued. Susan told us that Joybubbles was an extremely polite person, but as a matter of principle, wanted his card corrected, since his name was not "Joy Bubbles", and a period at the end was not satisfactory since his name was not "Joybubbles .".
As Susan worked with him to correct his problem, she became Joybubbles' favorite representative. Whenever he called in, he would insist on dealing only with her. I had the pleasure of transferring him to her on a couple of occassions, and in the short conversations I had with him, he seemed like a very pleasant individual.
To this day I don't know if Susan was able to get that space between his name removed, or if she had to resort to the Cher period. I am glad this was an issue though, or I may never have heard of a man named Joybubbles. His name popped into my head a few days ago, and after doing a google search I was surprised to learn that Joybubbles was a famous person, and sadly had only recently passed away. I wish I had a better tribute to his life than to say I heard his voice on the phone a few times, but unfortunately that's all I knew of him until I read about his life. Here's to you Joybubbles, I hope you've found your neverland.
Update: Here is a short video on youtube that shows a young joybubbles in action during his phone phreaking days.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Cross Country - Meet #10
Yesterday we watched Parkside run through the cornfields of Delavan for the final regular meet of the season, Sectionals start next week followed by the State Meet the week after. Parkside did very well against the other 33 teams competing by placing first for the boys, and second for the girls. Alex set his own Personal Record (PR) with a time of 14:26, beating his prior PR of 15:22 by nearly a minute!
Congratulations Parkside, it's been a great season.
I've uploaded some great photos that can be viewed here. Enjoy!
Friday, September 28, 2007
Return of the 33rd
The National Guard's 33rd MP Battalion returned from Iraq yesterday to a hero's welcome in Bloomington. All 70 of those deployed returned home safely after spending a year in Iraq. Alex and I were among the bystanders on Veteran's Parkway when I photographed their departure back in June of 2006. I don't know any of these soldiers, but I felt a warmth in my heart as I watched the smiles on their faces, and the faces of their loved ones. It was an event I'll never forget.
Welcome home.
I took a bunch of photos, the best of which can be viewed here. If anyone from the 33rd happens to stumble across this post and would like a digital copy of any one of my photos, email a note to webmaster@syslfrog.com and I'll gladly email it/them to you.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Cross Country - Meet #9
On September 24th there was a small inner city meet held at Parkside. Our team did very well and as usual, I was taking pictures, the best of which can be viewed here.
What made this event unique was the addition of a race by future Cross Country runners. The coaches at Parkside extended an invitation to Elementary school aged children to come out and run as an extension of their PE class. Nick and his buddy Brian both ran, and finished in the top half of a large group of kids. This accomplishment will get them a free pass from having to participate in the next "fitness day".
Distance 2.1 miles Alex's time 15:48
Distance 1.5 miles Nick's time 13:19
Cross Country - Meet #8
September 21st found us just North of Peoria at the Dunlap Invitational. We again witnessed another dominating performance by the Parkside team with the boys taking first and the girls capturing second. I posted some great photos of the event here. Enjoy!
Distance 2.1 miles Alex's time 15:46
Cross Country - Meet #7
September 15th found us up near Chicago at the Troy invitational. This was a huge meet, with over 50 teams competing. Parkside continued their season of domination by taking home the first place trophy, a first for Parkside.
I captured some terrific photos at this event which can be viewed here.
Distance 1 mile Alex's time 7:14
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Cross Country - Meet #6
Saturday, September 8th was the big Parkside Invitational, our biggest meet so far. With 44 schools represented, Parkside did very well, here is the blurb from the website:
" The boys team scored 17 points to win the meet. The girls team tied Chatham for 1st place, but lost on the 6th runner tie-breaker (39th to 40th place). Logan Abeling won the race in a time of 11:02. Carly Pederson from Chiddix set a new invitational record time of 11:33. Brooke Gordon finished 2nd in a personal record time of 12:09. The boys team placed all seven runners in the top 10 and under 11:31."
Some of the Pythons parade their mascot around the field.
Alex and some fellow athletes watch as the girls varsity prepare to race.
Leading the girl's varsity are Carly Pederson from Chiddix, and Brooke Gordon from Parkside. They held these positions throughout the race, all the way to the finish line.
Parkside volunteers assist one of the runners.
This girl collapsed right after crossing the finish line.
Michele takes a break and heads for the concession stand.
Alex and Nick take in the sights with some other athletes from Parkside.
The boys varsity at the starting line.
Leading the boys varsity was Logan Abeling and Logan DeGroot, seen here neck and neck. Logan Abeling edged out Logan DeGroot in the last 20 feet to finish first.
Dneesha Hamiel from A.M. Jackson Math Science Academy finishes first in the girl's open.
Taking second in the girl's open was Brittany Peterburs from Chatham Glenwood.
These next three shots show a girl perfectly content with walking, while her Mother tries desparately to get her to run.
Here is the official discharging his gun at the start of the boys open. This was the race that Alex was in, so I made sure to get a good spot at the finish line.
Here are the 3 leaders, all from Parkside.
Justin deDianous finished in the top ten.
I thought Justin was going to lose his position near the finish since this guy behind him looked awfully determined, but he held on.
Evan Goodyear finished strong, garnering his second invitational medal.
Reed Henry finishing strong.
J.T. Goodman has a strong performance.
This was my first view of Alex as he made his way down the home stretch.
Alex flies by in passing mode, making a strong finish.
This was a great event, the Cross Country Team did all of us parents proud.
Distance 2.02 miles, Alex's time 15:44
" The boys team scored 17 points to win the meet. The girls team tied Chatham for 1st place, but lost on the 6th runner tie-breaker (39th to 40th place). Logan Abeling won the race in a time of 11:02. Carly Pederson from Chiddix set a new invitational record time of 11:33. Brooke Gordon finished 2nd in a personal record time of 12:09. The boys team placed all seven runners in the top 10 and under 11:31."
Some of the Pythons parade their mascot around the field.
Alex and some fellow athletes watch as the girls varsity prepare to race.
Leading the girl's varsity are Carly Pederson from Chiddix, and Brooke Gordon from Parkside. They held these positions throughout the race, all the way to the finish line.
Parkside volunteers assist one of the runners.
This girl collapsed right after crossing the finish line.
Michele takes a break and heads for the concession stand.
Alex and Nick take in the sights with some other athletes from Parkside.
The boys varsity at the starting line.
Leading the boys varsity was Logan Abeling and Logan DeGroot, seen here neck and neck. Logan Abeling edged out Logan DeGroot in the last 20 feet to finish first.
Dneesha Hamiel from A.M. Jackson Math Science Academy finishes first in the girl's open.
Taking second in the girl's open was Brittany Peterburs from Chatham Glenwood.
These next three shots show a girl perfectly content with walking, while her Mother tries desparately to get her to run.
Here is the official discharging his gun at the start of the boys open. This was the race that Alex was in, so I made sure to get a good spot at the finish line.
Here are the 3 leaders, all from Parkside.
Justin deDianous finished in the top ten.
I thought Justin was going to lose his position near the finish since this guy behind him looked awfully determined, but he held on.
Evan Goodyear finished strong, garnering his second invitational medal.
Reed Henry finishing strong.
J.T. Goodman has a strong performance.
This was my first view of Alex as he made his way down the home stretch.
Alex flies by in passing mode, making a strong finish.This was a great event, the Cross Country Team did all of us parents proud.
Distance 2.02 miles, Alex's time 15:44
Saturday, September 08, 2007
How Logical Are You?
| You Are Incredibly Logical |
 Move over Spock - you're the new master of logic You think rationally, clearly, and quickly. A seasoned problem solver, your mind is like a computer! |
Cross Country - Meet #5
There was a small inter-city meet on September 4th, with Parkside serving as host. Our runners again did very well, here's the summary from the Parkside website:
"GIRLS SCORE: PJHS 31, CJHS 33, KJHS 74 & BJHS 110; BOYS SCORE: PJHS 16, KJHS 69, CJHS 72 & BJHS 97,. Logan Degroot won the boys race and was followed by Eric Gordon, Logan Abeling, Caleb Wiebenga, Peyton Scheuermann, Taylor Hallatt and River Gordon. The girls race had the follwing girls run in the top seven: Brooke Gordon, Brie Hines, Bailey Kerschieter, Lexi Modglin, Hannah Magnuson, Michaella Fowler and Kelsey Kinley."
The girls were led by Chiddix's Carly Pederson.
Our own Brooke Gordon finished second.
Parkside parents, Paul, Michele and Susan chat between races.
Distance 2.02 miles, Alex's time 16:20.
This race was a practice run for the big Parkside Invitational that took place this morning. There were 44 teams, so the competition was pretty fierce. I took alot of photos as usual, so, when I get some time, I'll post the best of them.
"GIRLS SCORE: PJHS 31, CJHS 33, KJHS 74 & BJHS 110; BOYS SCORE: PJHS 16, KJHS 69, CJHS 72 & BJHS 97,. Logan Degroot won the boys race and was followed by Eric Gordon, Logan Abeling, Caleb Wiebenga, Peyton Scheuermann, Taylor Hallatt and River Gordon. The girls race had the follwing girls run in the top seven: Brooke Gordon, Brie Hines, Bailey Kerschieter, Lexi Modglin, Hannah Magnuson, Michaella Fowler and Kelsey Kinley."
The girls were led by Chiddix's Carly Pederson.
Our own Brooke Gordon finished second.
Parkside parents, Paul, Michele and Susan chat between races.
The boys race kicks off with Alex near the middle.
Nick poses with his cousins, Anna and Jessica.
The 4 leaders, all from Parkside are: Logan Degroot, Eric Gordon, Logan Abeling and Caleb Wiebenga.
Evan Goodyear follows closely behind two competitors.
Reed Henry working his way through the pack.
Alex making his way towards the final stretch.
Distance 2.02 miles, Alex's time 16:20.
This race was a practice run for the big Parkside Invitational that took place this morning. There were 44 teams, so the competition was pretty fierce. I took alot of photos as usual, so, when I get some time, I'll post the best of them.
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