Even though Randy Jackson tries so hard every week to do so...

 

We spent last weekend in Chicago.  It already seems like months ago.  I truly admire that city - it's one of those vertical places that just draws your gaze upward more often than not.  Included in that short trip was a full-on gorgeous Hindu wedding (bride side), with some strong Jewish themes (groom).  Mazeltov for a counterpoint to the Easter Bunny and all the sugary bunk that he brings with him.  Also included in the weekend was a long run along the stunning Lake Michigan shore, with the looming buildings of downtown beckoning us forward all the way to and around the beautiful individual draws of the larger Museum District.  Round it all out with a chance to visit the Art Institute, which I've only been through a few times. It still lives on as one of my favorite museums in the world.  The special Matisse exhibit was interesting, but I'm not a huge fan.  I was maybe more inspired by a disdainful walk around the really recent American art rooms.  Thank gawd for pretentious artists and the descriptions of their work offered up to explain, for example, a room with bad wallpaper and bags of kitty litter scattered about.  Otherwise, how could a rube really laugh with purpose at what would otherwise be impenetrable.

Back here in little ol' Seattle, I had a few larger thoughts that I want to share quickly.  First of all, "American Idol" is dead to me.  Everyone seems to be saying that the singers this time around are not that impressive.  Maybe so.  But if you really want to know what happened, I think it boils down to one person.  Adam Lambert.  He killed "Idol".  He killed it with his talent that the viewing public just couldn't handle (hell, he couldn't handle his own talent, as evidenced by what he's done since finishing as the runner-up last year).   But, more uncomfortably, Adam Lambert killed "Idol" with his gayness.  Gayness that I totally support.  I love his gayness.  It was liberating and cheesy at the same time.  And it just plain pushed the show flailing madly over the proverbial shark chomping below with the lowest of expectations for a new Carrie Underwood, or some sort of Daughtry-type tater.  The "Idol" shall intrigue this generally great land no longer.  Y'all had a good run.  Now go away.

Secondly, I am wondering why no one has come up with the sport of summer biathlon.  Seriously.  As someone who is getting a huge kick out of running regularly and who misses the Winter Olympics events that no one really cares about for 3 years and 50 weeks in a row - where is the summer version of long distance run/ski/bike/grass-dogsledding and rifle shooting?  I'd like to offer free use of the following un-trademarked event name to those persons who will begin promoting it mercilessly - "duablastathon".  Either that or "sunandfungunning".  Regardless, I'm convinced this one's a winner.

Hope your own random thoughts today also bring to light unidentified societal blindspots.  Rock on.

You Should Run. Too.

We're heading off to Chicago tomorrow for what should be a fun family wedding.  Given our muddled American mutt heritage, an Indian wedding on Easter Weekend sounds like the right spice to add to the stew.  Especially since I've done such a lousy job on Passover this week.  It all started last Friday when I was packing preschool lunch for Maya.  She was having a special pre-Passover break seder with her classmates, so a lunch was gilding the lilly.  Still, I asked Maya if she wanted a tuna sandwich.  She quietly withdrew into her own shell while still seated at the counter for breakfast.  When I finally noticed and asked her why she was upset, she told me that bread wasn't allowed for Passover.  I corrected direction as best I could and apologized to for not knowing the drill - she's really a good kid who so dearly wants to follow the rules.  Oh well.  At least I hadn't asked if she wanted a pulled pork sandwhich or a shrimp po' boy.

If you've caught wind of another blog I started last week, I hope you will check back as I look toward some upcoming goals.  For those totally unaware, I'm training for a half marathon in little more than a week.  And then a full marathon in early October back in Minnysoda (the Twin Cities Marathon on the 3rd).  My new project ("You Should Run") is envisioned as a runner's blog that hopefully will add a bit more zazz than just running shtick to the daily posts.  Please check it out if you want to track whether this not-so-long-ago big ol' load of a feller can pull it together for a full marathon given another six months of training.  Not that it matters, but ages ago I ran my one and only marathon (Seattle in late '96) well enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon.  But I trained so poorly and so ruined myself in the process that I had to skip Boston that following Spring.  This time around, I'm trying to show that I'm a decade and a half smarter about the grand arc of such an endeavor.  I know, I know - silly me.

Hope your own loops are new and tree-lined this weekend.  Rock on.

Time for Letterman to take his show on the road, preferably not to Chicago

Today's news shockers are the sort of hot-burning wood for a hearty autumnal fire that so seldom comes out of the pile. Chicago got faced on its Olympics bid. Everyone will make this into a personal defeat for Obama after he wrongly came to make his own case. Obviously, there was nothing he could do. This was a snub directed at the United States. No offense meant to Rio - I would love to go then or, hopefully, sooner to Brazil. But it calls into question our image abroad. I honestly don't think Chicago deserved it, even though I've heard reported that its bid was the best ever mounted by the U.S. and it would have surely put on one helluva show. The fault lies with our Nation's past bids and the arrogance that accompanies the expectation that we deserve another so soon. 2002, 1996, 1984, 1980, 1960. We've had the Games 5 times in the last 50 years. During the same period, Japan had them 3 times, Canada will have had it 3 times with Vancouver in 2010, and two other nations have had them twice (France and Italy). A South American country has never hosted the Games. Neither has an African nation or Antarctica. But let's be fair. Spread it around a little and quit making this about selling Coke and Nike and Visa cards. Sorry, Barack. But you overreached on this one.

Secondly, David Letterman's intensely weird admission of an affair is one thing. Extortion sucks. But the fact that the affair was with that strange, gawkey young assistant, Stephanie Birkitt, who often accompanied him during ask the audience segments and otherwise...well, that's just toxic. And the fact that the "48 Hours" producer that was extorting money from him was Stephanie's boyfriend. Yuck. The manure sundae comes after the ratings news of Letterman kicking the pants of Conan O'Brien's show last week by his widest margin in 15 years. Ratings will go up for the time being for Dave. But then he'll take a serious hit, I would imagine, especially when Sarah Palin gets a chance to start the swings being directed his way. This is just plain sad. I like Dave. He's going to get covered in mud on this one, though.

Seattle is surely back to the Fall thing. It feels good, for now. Hope your own forecast gives you something to look forward to other than just the Packers-Vikings game on Monday Night. Rock on.