Chicago: The Show

Ready for Night 2. On field at Soldier Field with "The Claw" looming large behind me. The green t-shirt I'm wearing is a tour t-shirt I bought Saturday night. Sunday, September 13, 2009.

Mid-show, Saturday, September 12, 2009.


U2 begins one of their biggest hits, "Where the Streets Have No Name," with a cover of a much older song: "Amazing Grace". It still gives me chills to hear it, especially when all of us in the audience joined in. This isn't my video, I found this from another concertgoer on Youtube. Sunday, September 13, 2009.

"You're going to the same show twice?" Babs asked me, incredulous.
"Well, yeah. . ." I replied, surprised. "Of course!"
It had never occured to me that it might seem odd to go see a concert one night and then go back and see the exact same concert the very next night. Two concerts is nothing to the U2 superfans I know. Catching a few of the European shows, then picking up another half dozen on the North American leg is considered normal. One friend has seen U2 12 times--since 2005. Ten shows on the last tour and two on this one.

I don't have the time, funds, or dedication to accomplish such feats of fandom, but I did have a weekend and a willingness to drive all night to get back to Ohio in time for work. The first show, Saturday night, September 12, I'd gotten lousy seats high up in the stadium. The rush to purchase tickets was so intense that even though I was poised at my computer in Saipan repeatedly refreshing the Ticketmaster site as I waited for the tickets to go on sale, I was still too slow (or rather my computer was) and that was all I could get. All 65,000 or so seats were gone in about 30 minutes. For the second show, I got a "pre-sale" passcode given to members of the official U2 fan club (I suddenly decided to join the club after hearing about the passcode. This club is not to be confused the fan website Interference that I've mentioned before in this blog). This time the early access allowed me to get coveted "GA "tickets that got me in to the floor area right around the stage.

So it made sense to buy tickets for two nights in a row, you see. I figured the first night would be a ho-hum experience watching the little U2 ants crawl around on the stage far below me, but at least I'd get a proper concert the next night.

I couldn't be more glad to have been wrong. The first show turned out to be a fantastic experience, even from my faraway seats. I arrived at Soldier Field after dark, at around 8:15 P.M. Kim dropped me off at the front gate and I walked right in and found my seat. The opening band, Snow Patrol, had already played their set and we were now waiting for U2 to take the stage. I climbed several flights of concrete steps to reach my seat high above the "Claw", the nickname for U2's unique 360 degree stage set-up. I talked briefly with a woman and her husband who were seated next to me--both Chicago residents, the husband more of a fan than the wife. Both were, I would estimate, in their mid to upper forties--the woman was blond and chatty, the man silver-haired and taciturn.

As the clock approached nine, smoke escaped dramatically around the stage and the otherworldly vocals of David Bowie's "A Space Oddity" filled the stadium. The crowd roared knowing this was the warm-up song for the band of the hour. "Oddity" segued into another song, "Kingdom" while a neon clock counted down on the circular screen above the stage, and then Larry Mullen Jr, the drummer strolled out onto the stage to enthusiastic cheers from the audience, sat down at his drum kit and began pounding out the the intro to one of U2's songs from their latest album, a tune called "Breathe." We were off and running on a musical journey that I can only describe as jaw-dropping.

The Set List . September 12, 2009
1. Breathe
2. No Line On The Horizon
3. Get On Your Boots
4. Magnificent
5. Beautiful Day/ Blackbird(Snippet)
6. Elevation
7. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For/ Stand By Me(Snippet)
8. Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
9. Unknown Caller
10. The Unforgettable Fire
11. City Of Blinding Lights
12. Vertigo
13. Crazy Tonight(Remix)
14. Sunday Bloody Sunday/ Oliver's Army(Snippet)
15. Pride(In The Name Of Love)
16. MLK
17. Walk On/ You'll Never Walk Alone(Snippet)
18. Where The Streets Have No Name

19. One
20. Bad/ Fool To Cry(Snippet)/ 40(Snippet)

Encore
21. Ultraviolet(Light My Way)
22. With or Without You
23. Moment Of Surrender

The show more than exceeded my expectations. Last time I saw U2 in Japan in 2006, I'd been at the very front, close enough to virtually reach out and touch the band, but too close to see the spectacle of lights, video, and effects. This time, I was about as far from the band as you could get and yet they somehow managed to make me feel as if I was still right in front. Apparently, the band had faced some criticism for it's over-the-top stage set up--perhaps some felt it was grandiose and a bit much for these thrifty times. Bono seemed to refer to these critics obliquely several times during both shows, and seemed almost apologetic for the grand scale of their production. I felt there was no need for apologies. Bono said they built the stage the way they had so that a stadium-size audience could feel closer to the band and vice versa. I think they succeeded remarkably in that regard.

The massive 360 degree screen was used to especially good effect. Images played all the way around the screen, and sometimes even rotated around the screen. The screen itself could extend downward until it looked like a giant tube extending from the top of the Claw, almost to the floor of the stage itself. Gigantic images of the band interspersed between a computerized light show playing in time to the music on it's multitude of panels. Not only did these fantastic effects bring you closer to the show, but they provided eye-popping entertainment value throughout the show. Also impressive, was the on-the-fly editing job of the U2 crew. The video of the concert looked as if it had been assembled by a team of editors working for hours not moments--it amazed me that they could put together such creative, aesthetically pleasing, shots woven together so seamlessly right as the action was happening. It all combined to create both a theatrical spectacle and a sense of intimacy that one would of thought impossible on a football field.

Here's what the stage area and iconic "claw" looked like before the concert began. As you can see the the runway encircles the stage area completely. Bono, along with guitarist The Edge and bassist Adam Clayton, would cross over on the two bridges you see on the left (these bridges could and did move along the runway throughout the show as well) and on to the runway where they'd walk along singing and playing their instruments to different parts of the field. It amazed me how they could stay in sync with one another when spread so far apart. I really appreciated how the band members made an effort to play in all directions, so no matter where you sat, at some point in the concert you felt like you could see them. I could tell they wanted this show to live up to it's promise of being a 360 degree event that brought as many members of the audience as possible closer to the band.


The show is underway!


Here's the circular screen extended all the way down, almost to the stage itself. You can see the hundreds of little video panels. This was during the song "Unforgettable Fire" from U2's 1984 album by the same name.


Another thing that impressed me was how hard these four men in their late forties and early fifties worked. This is arguably the "Biggest Band in the World." It would have been easy for them to trundle out all the big hits of the past, putting in the minimal effort to play songs that we all know by heart. They could have rested on their laurels and not taken any chances. They chose to take the harder route, playing seven of the 11 songs from their new album, No Line on the Horizon, an album that has generally been warmly received but certainly hasn't made the kind of impact on the current pop culture scene that some of their older albums did. Of course their were lots of sing-a-long favorites from the old records, but you could tell the band really believed in their new material and they wanted us to appreciate it too. They worked really hard to sell those songs to their audience, and overall it worked. I love their newest album but I found their efforts brought me around to even some of the tracks I hadn't cared for so much. One of the best songs of the night was a song called "Get On Your Boots", one of my least favorite songs on the new album. They tore into that song with such infectious enthusiasm that it was one of my favorite songs of the night. Other highlights of the night were fan favorite "Bad" (probably my favorite perfomance of the night)and classics like "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", "Beautiful Day" and "Where the Streets Have No Name."


I took this video on Saturday night, September 12, 2009 from my perch high in the stadium. The song they're playing is "City of Blinding Lights" from their 2004 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. This song was adopted by President Obama as his theme song during his presidential campaing last year and U2 played it at the inaugural festivities in January. If you look carefully you can see the images of the band being projected on the panels of the screen extending down from the Claw.

One other thing I observed, and which I noted at the last U2 concert I'd attended. I like that, despite their status as rock legends, the members of U2 remain very much human. Every time I've seen them I've been struck that despite the trappings they are not larger than life, at least not to me. They're willing to poke fun at themselves, they've got a certain self-deprecating sense of humor, and yes, despite and paradoxically perhaps because of, Bono's reputed lack of humility, there is a plaintive humbleness about U2 that I find refreshing.

My only complaint about being in the seats was that I was surrounded by fans that tended to keep any enthusiasm they might be feeling inside. The man on my right definitely enjoyed the show, and we exchanged appreciative observations throughout, but he was still reserved. The younger woman on my left was completely silent throught the entire evening. Not a clap, not a cheer, not a single sing-a-long moment. Which was fine, except I felt a little awkward cheering and singing when so many around me weren't. I was glad I would be on the floor the following night where my enthusiastic enjoyment of the show wouldn't stand out quite so much.

The show ended at 11 o clock and the ordeal of getting out of Soldier Field began. I figured getting home should be a breeze since I wasn't driving. I hadn't counted on the human traffic jam created by 65,0000 people trying to leave the stadium at once. It took about 45 minutes, inching along, packed together like sardines, to leave the venue, make our way through the park, and out into the city. The mood of the crowd was generally good. There was some griping about the poor crowd flow management, but on the whole people were patient. Only the occasional boorish shouting of drunks cursing the Green Bay football team marred the end of the evening.

I arrived back at Soldier Field a little earlier Sunday evening. I'd been monitoring the discussion amongst the fans on Interference who'd been at the performance the night before, and the consensus was that it was unnecessary to line up early to get a good spot on the floor of the stadium. I took heed, and instead of lining up four in the afternoon, I spent the extra time with Elijah and Babs. When I got to Soldier Field, Snow Patrol was on it's last few songs. There was no line to get in, but by the time I souvenir hunted a little bit and found my way through the warren of passageways to the stadium floor, the band was done.

I strolled aimlessly around the field, at somewhat loose ends with about an hour before the concert started. Even near the back end of the stadium near the soundboard where I was hanging out I felt very close to the stage. The Claw from this vantage point was a towering, massive structure that dominated the field. I bought a bought a bottle of water and downed it all at once (they don't let you keep the caps). I had a stranger take my photo with the Claw (or part of it) in the background. To be honest, I was a little bored. I was also a little disappointed. Almost as much as I'd looked forward to the music, I'd anticipated meeting some of the people I'd "known" on the Interference website for the past 3 years or so. So many familiar screen-names were in attendance at both shows--the wry and funny Corianderstem, the hilarious Unico, U2isthebest, No Spoken Words, forum moderator Diemen and so many others. But because I'd not bothered to get "real life" contact information or even seen a photo of most of them--I hadn't met a single member of the Interference web forum all weekend. They were lost among the faceless thousands and even if I'd stood right next to one of them, I wouldn't have known it.

And so I said a little prayer. A silly thing to ask I knew--what would God care about my small desire to meet a few of these "internet friends" in real life. And still, I mused to the Lord, "It sure would be nice if I could meet someone from Interference before the weekend is over. I'm going to take a pass by the soundboard, and if You wouldn't mind, I'd love to run into someone from Interference."

I walked over by the soundboard and noticed a blond that looked vaguely familiar. Had I seen her photo in a Interference blog post before? I thought so. I walked over and asked if they knew anyone from Interference. "We all are," the woman replied guesturing to her friends, recognition crossing her face as well--she'd read my blog. "I'm Lies." Amazing! It was Liesje and her husband Phil! I'd "known" them both since my earliest days on Interference. Furthermore, this was the one couple Babs and I had really hoped we'd meet. Lies is a former gymnast just like Babs and when I shared some of Lies' reflections on her gymnastic past with Barbara, Babs was amazed to find someone who shared such a sense of passion for the sport, as well as such a sense of loss now that the passion was no longer an active part of their lives. Babs' has always been a bit mystified by my regular discussions with these strangers on the web, but she always knew Lies was cool. Lies is also a dog enthusiast and had given us some good thoughts on what to do about our dog Kimo, who is still in Saipan. So in light of all that it was really special to meet Liesje and Phil (who I'd always known for his hilarious blog posts about his life as a "rogue" campus security officer. He's a teacher now so those posts have ended). It was surreal to be picking up conversations about Kimo and so on, conversations that up till now had only been in writing. Both Lies and Phil turned out to be great "real life" folks, and I hope our paths will cross again whether at the next U2 show or whenever Babs and I make a trip up to Andrews University (Lies and Phil live close by in Grand Rapids).

Was it an answered prayer? I think so, and all the more meaningful because it was such a little thing. We know God cares about the "big, important stuff" (though granted sometimes we may be tempted to doubt even that), but when He gives you a inconsequential little gift "just because" you really feel His love, just as when your spouse does something small and sweet, not for any occasion, but "just because."


Liesje, me, and Phil. Sunday, September 13, 2009.

I hung out with the Lies and Phil the rest of the evening and they and their friends were every bit as enthusisastic as I was during the show. I didn't feel so out of place this time.

The second show, was if anything, better than the first. The band was simultaneoulsy relaxed and energized. You could tell they were having fun. Among other highlights, was the introduction of an obscure song that U2 had never played live until that night--an ethereal tune called "Your Blue Room." The song originally appeared on Passengers, a collaborative album with some other artists that came out in the mid-ninties. Most of the audience had never heard the song, and I'd only heard it once and didn't even recognize it at first. The audience was a bit thrown, I think, but the hardcore fans were ecstatic to be present for this "history-making" U2 moment.

The Set List: September 13, 2009
1. Breathe
2. No Line On The Horizon
3. Get On Your Boots
4. Magnificent
5. Beautiful Day / Blackbird (snippet) / King Of Pain (snippet)
6. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
7. Elevation
8. Your Blue Room
9. Unknown Caller
10.Until The End Of The World
11. Stay (Faraway So Close)
12. The Unforgettable Fire
13. City Of Blinding Lights
14. Vertigo
15. I Want To Take You Higher (snippet)/ I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
16. Sunday Bloody Sunday / Rock The Casbah (snippet)
17. MLK
18. Walk On
19. One / Amazing Grace (snippet)
20. Where The Streets Have No Name / All You Need Is Love (snippet)

21. Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
22. With Or Without You
23. Moment Of Surrender

On this night, Bono also seemed moved to really play up the spiritual dimension that has always been a part of U2's music. It might have bothered some of the more secular-minded people in the crowd, but as a Christian myself I appreciated it. In songs like "Magnificent" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" Bono was clearly looking to create an attitude of worship, not of himself or the band, but of the One who gave him voice. In that vein, one of the highlights of the evening for me, one that gave me goosebumps, was the band's plaintive rendition of the hymn "Amazing Grace" that led into their soaring anthem "Where the Streets Have No Name." (See video at the top of this post).

My view the second night. If you look closely you can see the band on stage below the big screen. I was actually closer than the picture portrays, since I had the widest angle setting on the camera in effort to get the whole Claw.

The evening ended all too soon. Before we were ready, the band was closing the evening with the prayerful, dramatic "Moment of Surrender." When the lights came up, I said goodbye to my new/old friends Lies and Phil and started the long trek back to the city streets where Babs and Elijah would meet me for the drive back home to Ohio.

Rumors are that U2 will do another round of tours next summer. I've even heard that they may do a show in Cincinnati. With a grand total of three U2 shows under my belt, do you think I'd bother to go see them again if the opportunity presents itself?

You better believe it!


I recorded part of this same song, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" at the 2006 Japan concert. I kind of decided that whenever I see U2 in concert, I'll always record this classic if they play it.

Chicago: The City

The Maycock family in the Windy City. Sunday, September 13, 2009


Chicago!

In starting work on this blog, I realized that we didn't actually take very many pictures of our weekend in Chicago, which was a shame because it was a gorgeous weekend and the Windy City looked especially good against a backdrop of blue sky and the sparkling waters of Lake Michigan. I'm especially disappointed that we didn't take a picture of our host for the weekend, Kim Thedford. Kim's an old college friend of mine and a longtime Chicago resident. She really saved us, providing us with a place to stay at the last minute when we found out that the hotel we'd booked had reports of bedbugs.

(I'd read an internet post the weekend before about the spread of bed bugs in hotels recently with a link to a website called the Bedbug Registry that records reports of bedbugs at hotels. I looked up our hotel, the Chicago South Loop Hotel, and sure enough, it had been flagged. I called the hotel and spoke with the management and they said they were unaware of any bedbug problems. However they were very apologetic and promised to look into it. Despite their assurances, I just didn't feel comfortable staying there. We'd found this hotel as special "bargain" through Hotwire.com--a site I do NOT recommend. As part of being able to offer their bargain-basement deals, they will not reveal the name of the hotel, car rental company, or airline until you have already paid the nonrefundable price. Never again will I be tempted by their "Five Star Hotels at $39" come-on. Even before the Bedbug Discovery I was already a little leery of the hotel because of the way we got a reservation there. We lost the $200 it cost for the two nights there, but it was worth to not have my wife and son consummed by bedbugs and to not worry about bringing the critters home with us).

Anyway, Kim rescued us and put us up at her lovely home which was, needless to say, completely bedbug free! We had a really nice stay. Kim helped us find our way around the city (including driving out to an El station in a sketchy part of town at 12:30 at night to pick me up when I took the wrong train home from the Saturday night U2 show and found myself deep in the 'hood.) She cooked us delicious gourmet meals, and generally was the perfect hostess. She even provided me with door-to-door service to the concerts both nights, dropping me off right at the entrance. All three of us thoroughly enjoyed our five-star stay.

Our hostess for the weekend, Kim Thedford. Can't believe we never took any pictures while we were there. I lifted this one from her Facebook. Thanks, Kim, for your generous hospitality! We'll have to visit again when our weekend isn't dominated by the Biggest Band in the World.

On our arrival in Chicago, we headed to the Bongo Room for a late brunch. This is where we were supposed to meet my fellow U2 fans but they'd all left by that time. The Bongo Room is one of those classic big-city joints--small capacity, funky-cool design, and delectable food. The menu was small, but the breakfast burrito I had was spectacular, and you sensed they value quality over quantity. Think of it as the anti-Cheesecake Factory.

After lunch we strolled over to Grant Park, enjoying the balmy temperatures and warm sunshine. We wandered over to Soldier Field where U2 superfans were already lining up for the show that night. Some fans had been there since early that morning, and some of the diehards had even camped out--surreptiously, as it was against park rules--overnight. I was hoping we might meet some Interference members, but I was too shy to walk along the line asking: "Anybody from Interference?"

Mid to late afternoon we left the musuem campus and Grant Park and headed over to Kim's house, where we settled in, and had dinner before I left for the concert, not long after sundown.

On Sunday, we began the day leisurely in Kim's house, enjoying a late breakfast and heading out into the city in the early afternoon. We were thinking we might take Elijah to the Children's Museum at Navy Pier, but by the time we got there we only had two hours until we had to head back. So, instead, we browsed the shops at Navy Pier, and relaxed on a blanket on the grass in a nearby park. We ended the afternoon with dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant and then drove back to Kim's.

Hanging out at a park near Navy Pier. Sunday, September 13, 2009

There's a lot I would have liked to do in one of our favorite cities in the world. It would have been nice to run along the lakeshore, window shop on Michigan Avenue, visit a museum or two. Babs and I had even planned a full day of activities for Sunday--most of which got dropped due to the time. But our primary reason for being in Chicago that weekend was for me to see U2. I was glad Babs and Elijah came along to keep me company during the day and we did have a nice time as a family, but really experiencing Chicago would have to wait for another visit.

As for the concert? Well that does a blog of it's own. . .

Chicago: The Drive

Elijah, still in his pajamas, and me hanging out at our first roadside stop on the drive to Chicago, a Stuckey's/DQ in Indiana.

About three weeks ago Babs, Elijah, and I took our second-to-last trip of a very busy traveling year to the great American city of Chicago. Since January, we've flown from the States back to Saipan, gone to Guam, Australia, back to Ohio (via Japan), Florida, San Francisco, back to Florida, back to Ohio, Florida yet again, and finally this driving trip to Chicago. Needless to say we're about traveled out. Fortunately, our last trip of the year isn't until November when we go to Oregon for Thanksgiving.

The main reason for the trip was so that I could go to two U2 concerts that weekend, but we also had a lot of fun together as a family.

We left Dayton around 7:30 Sabbath morning. We were aiming to meet some "Interferencers" (members of the U2 fan website I'm a member of, Interference.com) for lunch in Chicago but we ended up missing them. It turns out Elijah is not a great road tripper--at least not at this age. It's just really hard for him to be strapped into that car seat for such long stretches of time. He's usually good for a few hours, if he's sleeping, but if he's awake, he quickly gets cranky. At the outset of our trip, Elijah had just awakened from a full night's sleep but hadn't eaten breakfast. We had to pull over after just an hour of travel.

We'd been thinking it would be nice to stop off at a Cracker Barrel and enjoy a nice country breakfast. (We felt that when we stopped we'd need to stop for a decent amount of time so that Elijah could get out some of his pent-up energy). But he was getting so insistent and no Cracker Barrels were on the horizon, so we decided to pull over at the first place we could. We ended up at a lonely little Stuckey's/DQ somewhere just inside Indiana.
Intially we were the only people in the place. Well, us and the bored looking woman manning the counter at the DQ. It was not a pleasant visit. The diner reeked of the stale oder of old grease and cigarette smoke. The pictures of the various fat-laden menu items were unappetizingly bright and garish. I took one look at the menu, at the dingy kitchen behind the counter, and the unenthusiastic server/cook and decided I was not ordering any meat. I ended up going with an "Ultimate browns" meal (minus the ham) and Babs got a hash brown for Elijah and fried mushrooms for herself.

Feeling a little apprehensive about breakfast at Stuckeys/DQ.

The food was terrible, especially those mushrooms. Even the excessive grease couldn't redeem their awful flavor.

Elijah was fine though. He enjoyed his grease-soaked hash brown immensely, along with the healthier items like grapes that his mom brought along for him. He entertained himself by charming the few other customers that eventually dribbled in and trying to grab Stuckey's kitschy collection of tourist curios.


The grease left behind by Babs' fried mushrooms. You'll also note a chunk of fat-soaked mushroom batter on the napkin. My stomach feels queasy just looking at it!


Done at last. Me and Feller outside the Stuckeys/DQ.

Back on the road, we traveled for another couple hours, until we stopped again at another gas station maybe about an hour outside of Chicago. There was no need to fuel up--our fuel-sipping Corolla got us there on a single tank--but Elijah had awakened from his nap and was demanding to get out of his car seat.

This time we didn't bother with the food in the restaurant attached to the gas station. Instead we laid out a blanket on the grass across from the fuel pumps, and let Elijah crawl around and have a little snack while we enjoyed the balmy air and sunshine.

Babs and Elijah enjoying a beautiful Sabbath morning in front of the gas station. We were pretty close to Chicago by this time, up in the northwestern corner of Indiana.

The view from our picnic blanket. Not exactly postcard pretty, but the day was nice. You can see our red Toyota in this picture.

After about 45 minutes we were ready to push on through to Chicago. We arrived in the city around 1:00 P.M. Chicago time, about six and a half hours after we left home.

Chicago at last!

Fortunately, the drive home Sunday night/Monday morning was much easier. Elijah slept through the entire trip then and we got back in about five hours or so. Still, I don't think we'll be taking a road trip with Elijah again until he's a little older. It's much easier for him on the plane where he can move around more during travel.

Resolutions for an All-New Year

It's time once again for my now annual tradition of posting my resolutions for the coming year. As I've explained before, for me the year really begins anew in August rather than January, and this year appears to have outdone even last year in the "newness" category. Last year, it was new life--Elijah--in our lives and this year it is a whole new life for all three of us. A new job, a new home, even a new car. We're starting fresh, and there are few key things I want to do as we begin again here in America.

Live the "Big Life."
That's how my sister Dawn described our lives in Saipan. It seemed the pages of this blog were ever bursting with gorgeous photos of tropical paradise, packed with exotic accounts of adventures on the other side of the world. Here we are off for a jaunt to a foreign country, now we're at some blissful beach around the corner from our home, and here again we're off on another adventure. It was an exciting life. It was the Big Life.

The expectation is that now that we've arrived in that most unexotic of states, Ohio, the Big Life is over. I'm determined to defy that expectation. I'm convinced that the Big Life is all about attitude rather than latitude and it can be found even here among the cornfields and big box stores of suburban Ohio. After all my students in Saipan would have told you that Saipan was the most boring place on earth. They'd have given anything to be living it up in exciting Ohio. So you see--adventure is in the eye of the beholder.

So, my goal is to keep right on living the Big Life here in America--to get off the beaten track, to be always ready for the next adventure, to not let the pace and race of living here suck all the excitement out of life. We've already been to an outdoor play at a park right here in Springboro, that we didn't know existed. We went to an Arts Fair on lovely summer Sunday afternoon last month. Sitting in the late afternoon sun listening to a local folk band jam, savoring a freshly made blackberry crepe and chatting with Carol (via cell phone), it almost felt like being back in Saipan at one of those great island gatherings like the flame tree festival. Babs wants to check out the local art house theater. There's a couple of interesting restuarants in Dayton that we'd like to check out. Columbus is sure to have lots of cool spots with it's Ohio State University and the attendant bohemian culture that most surely come with the college crowd. There's even local travel--quick flights to Florida, drives to Chicago, we're going to Portland for Thanksgiving--I'd really love to get up to Canada sometime. So, I'm not sure what adventure is around the corner. I've been telling Babs we really need to check out the Amish. . .

Look for Beauty
"There's so much beauty around us and just two eyes to see. But I'm looking." So sings Rich Mullins in the song "Here in America" that has become the theme of my new life, and I'm determined to do that--to keep looking. One of the things that I knew I'd miss in Saipan was her verdant natural beauty. The crystal blue sea, the abundant tropical greenery, the brilliant blossoms of exotic flowers, the many scenic vistas. But I was determined to find beauty here in America as well. And so far I have found in abundance. Our temporary digs here at Barbara's parents house easily rival Saipan for incidental beauty--the towering oaks and maples now just beginning to turn to autumn colors, the pines and firs, the vast green lawn. This is truly one of the lovliest neighborhoods I've ever seen. Babs and I have enjoyed sitting out on the porch swing at twighlight after Elijah has gone to bed, eating our supper, catching up on our days, and enjoying the pleasure of each other's company.

There's beauty to be found along the freeways too--the radiant, flaming sunrises in the morning, and rolling farmland bathed in great beams of sunshine that are much happier reminders of the second coming of Christ than the ominous fundamentalist Christian warning signs ("If you die today do you know where you'll spend eternity?" "Jesus is real!" "Hell is real!") that occasionally mar the landscape. While men bungle the proclaiming of His name, the heavens do still declare the glory of God.

Of course I miss Saipan, but my eyes are filled with the beauty of God's creation on this other far side of the world. While I dread the cold of winter, I'm looking forward to the new beauties that will come with the changing of the seasons.

Beauty on My Street: The Elijah Walk
Virtually since the day he was born, Elijah and I have a little tradition of taking walks together. When he was just weeks old, we would walk up the quiet street outside the teacher's housing compound in Saipan, turn around at the curve and the road and come back. We might make the circuit only once or do it a couple of times.

Now that we're in Ohio we have a new walking route. It's a lovely stroll and we have a couple places we always stop to visit on the way. These walks are really special time for my son and me. I love holding him in my arms, talking to him about the simple sights along the way, watching him reach out his little hands to touch the pine needles, oak leaves, an mailbox. I am pleased by his little squeals of excitement when a neighbor walks by with their dog. This walk is simple pleasure defined. It's our special father-son time--time I'll always remember and treasure.

I think some these pictures I took below give a good glimpse of the beauty right outside our front door. I took the photos just before sunset about two weeks ago, just after Elijah and I took our walk (it was too hard to take the pictures with him in my arms).

I plan to take similar photos each month for the next year, and post them all a year from now so you can see the changing of the seasons on the Elijah Walk. (I hope we get at least one good snowfall for this reason alone!)

The beginning of our walk.

First stop: The Pine Tree

Next: The Oak Tree. You can see where Elijah has yanked off part of one of the lower leaves.

The Mailbox. We always check the mailbox and raise and lower the flag. I'm looking forward to the day when Elijah will figure out how to open the mailbox by pulling on the metal handle on the bottom rather than the stationary top part.

Heading down the street to the cul-de-sac.

The farmer's field at the end of the road.

Heading back home.

We always take a tour of Grandma's garden in the backyard.

Then we go to the front and sit on the porch swing, rock, and take in the view (below).


Decorate my classroom
Perhaps one of my biggest weaknesses as a teacher after over a decade in the classroom is the appearance of my room. For years, my students in Saipan suffered with a room that featured the same few posters that had been put up at the beginning of the year and most likely stayed up until June; a room that was often cluttered and junky; a room that uninspiring, uninteresting, and unappealing to the eye. I told myself I made up for the lack with inspiring teaching and interesting lessons. And maybe that was true, but it wasn't a good excuse.

It's hard because unlike Barbara, I'm not naturally good at visual creativity. Often my attempts at artistic creations come off looking sloppy and uninspired. But I'm determined to make an effort and shore up this area of my teaching. I think I'm off to a good start. I created not one, but two, bulletin boards for my classroom this year--I haven't done a bulletin board in years! And guess what? As we approach the end of the first month of school next week, I intend to change those bulletin boards I worked so hard on. My goal is to change my bulletin boards and decor once a month throughout the school year and to keep my decorations consistent with the lessons I'm teaching in class. I want my classroom to be as interesting, stimulating, inspiring, and educational as I strive my for my lessons to be.

My first bulletin board of the year. It's going to come down in the next week or so and a new one is going up.

This little bulletin board introducing myself to my new students has already been dismantled and a new one featuring one of the students will be going up this week. I plan to change this one every three or four weeks, each time featuring a different student.

Learn some music
This one will be tough. I almost hesitate to resolve to do it, as I don't like making resolutions I don't have any intention to keep it. But I want to intend to keep this one and so maybe that's a start. I want to learn to make some music--specifically I want to learn enough basic chords to be able play some simple worship songs. I have no illusions of becoming a virtuoso, but I want to be able accompany some simple praise to the Lord. You see, I hate singing acappella for worship. I always have. We did it when I was a kid at family worship and I didn't enjoy it. As an adult, I still don't. When it's my turn to lead staff worship, I always forgo the group singing and go straight to the devotional thought. For some reason, it's so much easier and so much more enjoyable for me to sing when there is some kind of accompaniment. Don't get me wrong--I love to sing (anyone who has seen me with a karaoke mic knows this). I just don't like to sing alone.

So if worship at home is to be less of chore and more of a joy we're going to need to have some musical accompaniment and its up to us to provide it (at least until Elijah is old enough to play an instrument--something we think he's likely to do. He has a better sense of rhythm than his old man and he loves to sing and dance). Babs plays the piano--though not chords. I would like to learn the guitar. There are a lot of obstacles to this--I don't even own a guitar for one and our current budget constraints make it unlikely I'll get one soon, but I wanted to go ahead and put this goal "out there" if only to make it more likely that I'll make it happen than if I kept it to myself.

Last Year's Resolutions.
A success rate of less than 50% isn't great, but hey at least I got achieved some of what I wanted:

Be an active dad: I think I've done well with this one. Elijah did end up going on a few of my favorite hikes, including Forbidden Island. We went to the beach together, and of course we have our walks together. It's harder now that I work so much and only see him for 30 minutes or so during the weekdays, but we'll keep looking for active, exciting father-son things to do on the weekends. Right now, I'm committed to Sabbath afternoons with him and also half of Sunday so Babs can have a little break after a week of full-time child care.

Be a better citizen: I kept my resolution and voted in my first ever election this past June, just before leaving Saipan. It was an open Republican primary for the governorship of Saipan. My good friend Galvin Deleon Guerrero was running for Lt. Governor with former-governor-looking-for-a-comebakc Juan N. Babauta. They lost the primary, but I'm still glad I voted. I'm already registered here in Ohio and intend to vote in local, state, and national elections.

The remaining three. . .well, not so much progress there. The novel still sits in it's first draft form. I've barely touched it since Elijah was born. I'm still resolved to return to it sooner or later. Family worship has yet to take off (maybe the guitar chords will help?), and I'm going to schedule a dental cleaning. . .soon. Real soon. For sure.

By the grace of God, the new resolutions will be kept, the ongoing ones continued, and the old unfulfilled ones realized in the coming year here in America.

Elijah's First Birthday!

Elijah. Sunday, August 31, 2008.

Elijah. Monday, August 31, 2009

It's been almost two weeks since Our Little Feller celebrated his first birthday. The pictures for this blog were uploaded about a week ago. Such is the busy-ness of life that I'm only now getting to finish this post in the few minutes before we leave for Chicago this morning.

What a blessing Elijah has been! Every day of this past year has been precious as we've watched him grow from a tiny newborn to a big-and-blocky baby. We remember his first smile, his first teeth, his graduation to baby food and from that to regular "people food". We remember when his cries turned to gurgles and then expressive shrieks and finally inscrutable baby words. We remember when he first rolled over, when he first got up on his knees, then began to crawl, and finally pull himself up on the furniture on cruise along on two legs. Just in the past few weeks he's started pushing himself up to standing without support and holding that position for longer and longer times. I imagine walking on his own can't be far behind.

A big thanks to all of Elijah's fans and friends--his Saipan Aunties, his nanny in Saipan, the teachers and church members, the aunts and uncles, Nona and Grandma and Grandpa. You've made this first year of his life all the more special. Even though he won't remember it, we will.

Elijah's birthday celebration was more of a season than a particular day--kind of like Christmas. The party began on Sabbath, August 29, with a gathering at the Leens home attended by a few friends and family in Ohio and a larger group from Saipan, present not only in spirit but also through the modern magic of the webcam! For a little more than an hour they gathered around the laptop in our old house (now occupied by Amy, the preschool director and acting principal of the school) and watched Elijah. We had our laptop set up across the table from him so he could see them too. We were so touched that so many of Elijah's old friends in Saipan took the time to share the celebration with us.

The Ohio Guets: From L to R--Barbara's sister Jenny and her husband Matt; Jenny's friend and Elijah fan, Emily Cowl; Mom and Dad Leen; Babs and the Birthday Boy; Keith and Tracy, old Cincinnati friends of Barbara's with their two sons.

The Saipan Party: Elijah's nanny, Venus, front and center. From L to R: Virle, Venus' husband Courtney, Girlie, Crystal, and Ken. Blurry in the back or not visible: Joeie, Amy, Megan, Linda Capilitan, and Edna. I believe I recall seeing Angie there earlier too.

The Cake, courtesy of J and Evelyn Carlos. They couldn't attend as they had just given birth to their own baby boy, Benjamin Michael, and were still in the hospital.

One of Tracy's boys fired up about the Feller's birthday!

Babs planned a few outdoor activites since Elijah loves to be outside, including bubble blowing, above, and a "Does He or Doesnt He" game, below. There was one thing on the list that at the time he "didn't" do, but a few days later he did it for the first time. I think it was standing up on his own.

More bubble blowing!

Elijah opens his gifts (while I try to get the webcam mircophone to work in the background. It never did despite working perfectly the day before when Virle and I did a test run. We ended up using my cell phone on speaker phone).

Elijah and Grandma

Elijah with his little friends. Thanks for the helicopter boys!

Elijah with his aunt and uncle. ("Cousins" Bailey and Shiloh, the dogs, not pictured, though they were present at the party and throughout Matt and Jenny's stay much to Elijah's excitement and trepidation).

Elijah and "Auntie Em"

Elijah with Tracy and Keith. This photo was taken at the end of the party after he'd bathed and changed into his pajamas. It was already past his bedtime.

Elijah enjoys his birthday supper. He had his favorite foods--spaghetti and french fries!

Getting ready for his first taste of birthday cake.


Listen closely, and you'll hear Elijah's Saipan friends singing along via the web cam.

Elijah's first taste of cake (and his first taste of sugar!)

We're so proud of our big boy!

Mmmm, guess he likes it!

Time for the bath! Elijah and I are shirtless because his entire shirt was covered in frosting and I didn't want my shirt to get the same way while we took him to the tub.

I can't think of a better way to spend a Sabbath afternoon than celebrating one of his more recent creations! We praise God for the precious gift of our son and we pray that this next year of his life will continue to see him grow healthy, happy, and strong, surrounded by the love of family, friends, and his Creator.

Happy Birthday Elijah William Maycock! We love you!

I'll be doing a month-by-month series of photos of Elijah over the past year in his blog this next week. Look for it!