Being Wet Annoys Me!

He cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision—he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath—”The horror! The horror!”

— Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

As I set out to write this blog, the above quote immediately popped into my brain.  It may be a bit overly dramatic for me to use this to reference a mere annoyance in my life, but I think it’s appropriate- in my world.

Yesterday was spent, with my wonderful wife and two kids, at Keylime Cove, a local indoor waterpark and resort.  While it’s a nice place and I would recommend it to anyone who asked, I HATE water parks.  My family knows this, mind you, but the kids love it so I will suffer along to please them as most parents do with many things.

I felt it may be a bit cathartic and humorous to write about why water parks annoy me for I even find it funny.  Let’s start with the title, “Being wet annoys me.” Oh but wait, let me digress for a moment for those of you who don’t know me well.  I can be perceived as being, well… “no fun” as my kids put it.  I like to have fun, but only if it’s on my terms, and water parks are NOT on my terms; I can’t even pretend to like being there.  I am particular about a lot of things; some may say anal, even a bit OCD, but that’s who I am and I accept those traits as they are and try to manage them as best I can.

Now, back to the meat of this blog. I love, love, love (as Oprah says) that when I take notes on my iPhone it then automatically sends it to iCloud in an email to me.  So my notes are all here; nothing will be forgotten or passed over from my “research” yesterday for this blog. Let me bullet point the issues for you to make it easy on the eye.

• Being wet annoys me- not while I’m in the water, but after when my suit is wet, my feet stay wet because I often get up for something and touch the wet floor- that reminds me, I can only imagine the billions of bacteria, viruses and fungi living on that floor and other surfaces and I’m NOT a germ-a-phobe
• The NOISE, OMG the noise.  To me it’s deafening.  The acoustics are terrible because the space is typically enormous and there are no soft surfaces to absorb the noise and let’s not forget the requisite arcade- lights, sounds, kids screaming, kids running- give me a drink! Sensory Overload!
• The crowds are always sizable- yesterday they had to be over capacity
• Splashing on you when you’re 15′ from the pool reading and you still get wet- I don’t know how these kids manage to move water so far
• People wearing swimwear they have no business wearing- showing stuff no one wants to see.  I don’t mean to insensitive, but let’s cover up people
• Kids screaming- oh, why do they scream? Oh I know, the horrible acoustics. You can’t hear because its so freakin loud in there!
• Crappy food that’s expensive- you’re captive so the basic Econ 101 principle is at play- supply and demand
• Really bad acoustics so normal conversations can’t happen- did I mention how loud it is? I was across a table, no more than 5-6′ from Kirsten and we could not hear each other without literally screaming at each other
• Loud top 40 or “beachy” music playing on top of the noise from the water and kids screaming- WHY?
• The chairs and chaise are rarely comfortable- since my butt is in that seat for hours, I can tell you, they are not comfortable, perhaps by design…
• Really bad space planning. Slopes of wet concrete, narrow areas between chairs and pool edges- the human form needs a minimum of 18″ to walk by something, why then put tables and chairs with only about 2′ from the chairs to the edge of the pool when people have to pass each other often to navigate the pool deck? See photo below.
• Kids and adults rushing no where fast and rudely bumping into you or crossing in front- No manners from anyone! None.
• It becomes painfully obvious how overweight our population is, especially the kids; again maybe insensitive, but I’ll say it
• Moron designers to spec concrete that’s slippery like ice when wet and kids fall all the time. Make it rougher so they don’t slip as easily; this is a basic concept these designers should understand. DUH!  See photo below, that is easily a 15-20 degree slope and its smooth, wet concrete.  I love the sign and its intent, but why not put in stairs and a separate area for the physically challenged to gain access?
• The blats from the lifeguards whistles every 3-5 minutes to correct kids running because they’ll slip on the ice rink-like concrete pool deck or not following other pool tules! I jump every time
• Unsupervised kids abound- you should see these kids climbing on rocks, pushing each other down the slides- and I’m talking about the kiddie area! Many parent’s are sucking down Bud and Nachos back at some distant table relying on the guards to babysit
• Men who wear their “8mo pregnant bellies” like badges of honor; give me a break. And then, I don’t mean to sound ego-centric, I see them look at me with distain (or admiration) because I’m thin. Lay off the beer and nachos and do a few laps and don’t hate me because I’m slender…

Well, those are my notes from yesterday.  I also took a few photos for effect.

Let me close by saying that by no means do I intend to sound like I’m better than, or the water park is beneath me, it’s just that the atmosphere is clearly designed and intended for kids and people who are more tolerant than I am…being there pushes my anxiety through the roof, that’s all I saying.  Luckily I’m only subjected to it once or twice a year- thanks honey.  ;)

-mmd

Theatrical Inspiration

As I sat and watched the show opening night, with some tears in my eyes at certain moments during the show, I thought what an amazing experience these kids are getting. To work with such talented kids is a privilege and for them to work with the very talented productions staff, for actors, is a privilege. I get the opportunity, since I take production photos, to see the last bits of growth during the last two days of tech week. Then, when there is an audience and they get to hear the reactions to these lines they’ve been iterating for 7-8 weeks, finally get a laugh…that is so cool to observe. I want to congratulate the Wilmette Children’s Theater on another stellar production and congratulations to the cast on a show you should all be very proud of. It truly warms my heart to see you all up there on stage, giving your all and giving back to your family and friends all the time spent preparing for this role and production. Bravo!

Pineapple Express

I love the contrast between recently shipped Pineapples from Hawaii and the new snow in Chicago.

First Gallery Follow Up

The Facebook announcement of the exhibitors at the gallery showing featured one of my photos…speechless.

Julianne and Nathan-recent clients

First Gallery

Over the past several years, I’ve taken some photos that I think are special.  At least they are special to me and my artistic sensibilities regardless of what others may think.  Now they have been scrutinized by a jury of professional fine-artists and they apparently think the photos are special as well.  At the very least, special enough to be chosen to be displayed at a gallery showing at The Starline Gallery in an amazing historic building in Harvard, IL that has been converted to, among other things, artist studio and gallery space.

The process, which started about a month ago, has been nerve wrecking, very fulfilling and validating to my art and passion. I entered photos to be juried at the behest of several of my photog cohorts that I saw at last months “4th Friday’s” gallery showing.  It was my first time attending this event that I had heard about for several months but never attended until January.  The link between this event and my photog cohorts is a Facebook group call “Chicago and Northern Illinois Meet-up Group” and my photography mentor, Nancy Merkling, who is a member of the group.  The “4th Friday’s” gallery event is her brainchild. Nance is an award winning photographer, teacher, wonderful human spirit and is super nice to boot.

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The first and oldest photo is an upward angle shot of a Maple tree in Wilmette.  This photo always received a lot of views on my Flickr photostream so it was a natural choice to submit.  The photo is officially called “Reaching” as the branches are reaching for the sky given the upward angle of the shot. The yellow of the leaves and the blue sky peaking slightly through the sea of yellow give it a vibrant quality. I also love the contrast between the yellow leaves, bright sky and the dark limbs of the tree.

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The second photo was shot in the courtyard of the Dallas-Fort Worth Children’s Art and Science Museum.  My family and I were all walking past the windows that allowed you to see the courtyard, I turned, looked at this scene and audibly gasped.  I motioned to my family to go ahead of me and I spent a solid 30-45 minutes shooting this area.  I’m particularly fond of this photo with its simplicity and boldness.  My mother and father-in-law both love this photo; she calls it “Avant Garde”, which validates it even more and Nancy, told me one of the jurors was particularly taken with it…wow! These people are really fine-artists in every sense of the phrase and I’m certain have seen thousands of photos…and she really likes mine.

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The third photo is White Sand, taken on the beach of the Yacht and Beach Club resort in Florida.  If you are reading this and know us, you’ll know the subject- my daughter Emily.  She wanted to do a photo shoot on the beach, which I was totally into as the sun was setting and the light was perfect.  I was very surprised that a portrait was chosen by the jury for the gallery.  I don’t recall there being any when I was there before.

Being at the gallery show this upcoming Friday I’m anticipating to be a bit surreal.  My art will be on display having been judged by a jury of artists and then the attendants of the event get to vote for “People’s Choice” as well.  Its a good thing I don’t bite my nails and I’m very glad they serve wine; I’ll need it!

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The photo below is a new favorite, as of yesterday- when I drove to the gallery to drop off the pieces for the show.  It’s along Route 20 in Marengo of a tree farm.  I love how the mature tree, which appears to be an oak, is watching over the tree saplings all dormant for the winter.  I should be an interesting study to re-shoot this same scene in summer when the trees are all full of leaves.  I’m fond of seasonal comparison photo studies of landscapes.  They truly demonstrate how vastly different our seasons are here in the upper-midwest.

-mmd

2,977 Souls

I had been at the office for only a little while when my boss ran in saying “a plane just hit the World Trade Center.”  We had a little TV to watch a live stream of surgery from the microscope in the surgical suite, and despite the fact that it wasn’t hooked up to any cable Fox still came through grainy and with sound.  We immediately turned it on and stood there in utter shock.  Until that moment, I didn’t even know that the WTC was; I’d never heard of it and didn’t know they were such an icon.  My first thought was “how are they going to put a fire out that far up in the sky?” Then I thought, “How do they repair a skyscraper that far up in the sky?”  As we continued to watch, as so many others did, the inconceivable happened…another 767, full of jet fuel, pierced the second tower.

As I write this, a week before the 10th anniversary, amid all the observance and memorium about to occur next Sunday, I still get chills thinking about that hellish image that is forever seared into our collective conscience.

Time Magazine Cover

Among all this, of course, was the crash into the Pentagon and finally in Shanksville, PA with Flight 93 bravely barreling themselves into the earth creating their own grave in a lonely field.

Business tried to continue on as usual at my office.  We tried to effectively see patients as they came in, but many no showed or called to cancel. Eventually, until the government figured out what was going on, and other large cities like Chicago were assured they weren’t a threat, the hospital was on lock-down.  No employee could leave until the lock-down was cleared.  No one knew that if there was another incident possibly imminent in Chicago and if we would be needed as a local disaster recovery site.  My first instinct at that point was to call home and talk to Kirsten, my wife.  Clearly this was a big f-ing deal. She was teaching late so she was still sleeping.  When I finally got a hold of her, I told her what was happening and that I could not leave the hospital at this point, told her I loved her and went on my way.  Once all the flights in the country were grounded  (imagine the logistical nightmare that caused) and we knew we were all OK to carry on, the lock-down was lifted.  Many people had to make their way home from the loop in unconventional ways given that most of the skyscrapers were evacuated.  I remember my friend Mike telling us he walked 32 blocks north to his home with an army of other evacuees.  What a sight walking with all those people in one direction away from the place most go to; not away from.

The rest of the day was spent gazing at a grainy version of the news on our pathetic TV at the office and seeing a few patients.  Once home, given that I live north of O’Hare International Airport, the skies were eerily quiet.  As many certainly recall, that lasted several days.  So many people were displaced and stranded in foreign places against their will because of the domino effect caused by al Qaida’s attack on our country, we would later find out.  Needless to say, I was glued to the media for days, weeks even, after that. The images were nauseating and yet I could not stop watching them.  In retrospect, I know it was my brain’s way of trying to wrap itself around the incomprehensible images that we were seeing.  I’m fairly certain most of the country and world was doing the same. It was an unprecedented act of terrorism that took the lives of 2,977 victims; official final count cited in many sources.

Recently, I watched an amazing series of documentaries on The Discovery Channel called “Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero” http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/the-rising/    The series is produced by Steven Spielberg and is gripping to say the least.  It’s no longer on (which I don’t understand but I’m certain it will be available on DVD.)  It details the building of Tower One, tells the stories of a few steel workers who are relatives of victims or family member of men who worked on the original Twin Towers, the 9/11 Memorial Plaza, the museum and the transit hub all slated to be complete in 2014.

There are so many interesting facts that they share about the projects, but I will mention a few that I thought were super cool. Officially named One World Trade Center, Tower One will top off as the county’s tallest building, including its spire (which will be illuminated at night) at 1,776 feet, will have 104 floors like the twin towers and is shaped like an obelisk.  Note the American significance of the number for the total height.  Upon completion, One World Trade Center will become the tallest all-office building in the world.  They are building the tower at an alarming, unprecedented rate of one floor per week for about the past year to meet a goal of rising to 1,000 feet by the 10th Anniversary so that it is visible on the 10th anniversary in the Manhattan skyline.  The building sits upon a 200′ tall steel and concrete cube that is “blast proof” given that the building is only 65 feet from the street.  The architects wanted to insure that an explosion at ground level would not bring the tower down.  They are using very unconventional building methods like reinforced concrete that is the strongest ever used in the construction of a building of this type as well as a continuous three foot thick concrete core that houses the elevators and stairs; again not done before. They say it COULD withstand the impact of a fully fueled 747 (God forbid).

Reflecting Absence

The 16 acre 9/11 Memorial Plaza is essentially two square waterfalls called “Reflecting Absence” that sit in the exact place the twin towers stood and are the largest man-made waterfalls in the world at an acre each.  437 swamp white oaks have been planted after being grown in NJ, PA and DC.   A Callery Pear tree was plucked from the wreckage of the World Trade Center and nursed back to health; it is planted in the plaza as well. Heavily damaged, it was nursed back to health in a Bronx nursery and is called “The Survivor Tree.”  Wow, talk about resiliency.  All the names of the victims are inscribed on the precipice that borders the two waterfalls.  They also designed the ledges to always be warm to the touch; I thought that was truly brilliant. Finally, the victims names’ are in a place of memorial for the families to grieve and pay homage to.   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-rosenbaum/reflecting-absense-explor_b_894419.html

The 120,000 square foot museum exhibition space will house many of the relics and physical memories from the twin towers.  The only remaining section of one of the towers that was intact after all the dust settled, one of the fire engines that was on site to bring the FDNY to the catastrophe; many of whom never made it out, and countless other collections.  In the documentary, they show a crane lowering the FDNY Ladder 3 into the museum; 11 members of that engine company did not survive.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwD2l5Kcfu4

About a month ago when I realized that the 10th anniversary was upon us, I quickly checked my calendar to see what day of the week it fell on.  If it was during the week, I would need to request the day off!   As so many, I will be transfixed to the various media outlets watching the coverage of the day.  I’m certain I will shed many a tear or frankly go full-on into the “ugly cry.” Emotions are inevitable.

I’m not sure how or when to show my daughter Emily the CD I have, that the Chicago Tribune provided, that chronicles the tragedy of that fateful day as well as look at the original Time Magazine dedicated to the tragedy; I keep both in our safe.  She needs to understand what happened and I think it’s equally as important for her to know how far we’ve come despite the war that continues as a result of this atrocity against our Nation.

This project has clearly been very well thought through on many levels trying to best respect the feelings of the families of the victims who clearly have very strong feelings about what should be done with the 16 acres of The World Trade Center.  I personally can’t imagine anything better than what the architects, projects managers and the myriad committees, that are responsible for this sacred space, imagined and is now coming to fruition.

I look forward to taking my family to NYC some day to see this spectacular memorial to the 2,977 souls that lost their lives on that day that we will never forget… God bless their souls and God bless America.

mmd