The Family *roll » Chicago

Here come the Hawks (dmjg)

dmjg — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:37:14 +0000

The Blackhawks eliminated the Canucks last night in a somewhat sloppy, but fantastically entertaining game 6. We watched it at The Globe with our now regular hockey posse of L. & D., plus R. and K. this time around.

In honor of the victory, I want to share what is possibly the most ridiculous, and wonderful, team song I have ever heard. I love how complicated this song is: modulations, all kinds of 7th chords, a quick swing feel, a pretty opaque form. This is pretty sophisticiated stuff. And not very whistleable. I love that this is the theme song for a hockey team. And if this song is at one end of sports team song awesomeness, this one is surely at the other (wait for the riveting chorus). But of course, everyone can (and does – at games) sing the second one, so it’s probably more succesful as a team song.

I like to ride my bicycle (dmjg)

dmjg — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 02:05:46 +0000

Indeed I do. Tomorrow I get to ride up to Evanston for a conference at Northwestern. Poor Emily has been deprived of one our great pleasures: riding in Chicago. I will miss flying by standstill traffic on my bike. There is no standstill traffic in Northfield.

Chicago Baby (ejc)

emjcarroll — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:30:33 +0000

Two sets of friends have noted that the baby will be able to lay claim to Chicago as a birthplace. In Northfield, this could possibly give our child a bit of cache: Birdie can be very sangfroid about corrupt grade school officials and “pay-to-play” extracurriculars. It’s a shame we’re not still in Hyde Park as the child could then go on to refer to his South Side origins with glimpses of Sacha and Malia in the playlot.

Of course, Daniel and I are acutely aware that this baby will be born in Chicago. And really quite soon. We had our 36-week midwife appointment yesterday where we were told the baby is head down (and ROA for RN friends). All other systems are also progressing as hoped for (softening cervix, nipples that could be in a vintage National Geographic etc). Our own psyches are slowly wrapping around the fact that the baby will be here at any time; I long for the time when 9 months seemed like an eternity.

Chicago Baby