We have become people that frequently are in an audience watching theater. While Ilene and I have always loved seeing live performances, and have done so with above average consistency, yet over the past few years it appears we have been on an escalating cycle of the more we consume, the greater our hunger. The above three were all seen in a single weekend.

How we got to this point is a product of several intertwined factors, each increasing the likelihood that we would wind-up viewing a couple dozen plays per year. First, I have the brain of a 5 year-old  that needs constant entertainment. Be it plays, movies, concerts or museums, I like to watch, and to lose myself in stories, and or, marvel at some new scientific discovery. I insisted on taking Lane to his first play at six months, and he was hooked. He fell in love with the theatre, and in high school and college was both on stage as well as working as a lighting designer. He was involved in show-so we saw those, and his passion resulted with us adding him to our season tickets.

           

   We also have a circle of friends that are very culturally aware; this increases both our desire and opportunities to partake in the artistic life of our city, and any other city we visit. As many plays we see, we have friends that seem to see even more. Not that I'm implying it's a competition, just that it reinforces the notion that we aren't crazy

                           

I don't always remember to take a picture, but these seem to be those where I remembered in the past year. I understand that we are privileged to have the opportunity to see so many works, Tickets aren't cheap, add to this the events at museums, concerts, clubs, and fundraisers and the total is more than I believe it is wise for me to tally. In short it is a great luxury.
       

10 Years work

I started this blog thinking that it would be a way for me to preserve memories, both current and those residing deep in my parent's past. Far short of bestowing upon them immortality, but as close as I can come using a free online blog.  I even made out an extensive list of possible topics, "Jerry writes well, this is a wonderful idea." I was going to post their tales of school-yard games, soda-shops and proms, progressing to stories about their first date, first apartment, having children, a complete catalog of  precious memories.  I figured and plotted how to "Tag" and then search by name, by date, even create a timeline, and then merge that with generic listing of historical events. Yes, I  thought out all the details, well except one, the fact that my mom and dad had no interest in investing the time needed to write all their stories down.

I must admit I was hopeful at first, then slightly confused why they had not eagerly jumped at the opportunity to spend several hundred hours providing content for the Lubell Family Blog.  I tried to help them get some old stories and photos posted, autobiographical morphing into biographical.  Some  Old Pictures and Memories, Something I wrote about my mom's 67 Camaro, but even I began to tire of pushing square pegs into round holes; so this became a vehicle for recording events in real-time. Since Heidi was fine with me, her brother, posting whatever I pleased, but also not really that interested in sending in stories, the blog has become dominated with me promoting something about Lane's latest accomplishment.

Yes, I am fully aware that the amount of time I've invested in this blog in completely out of proportion to its value. Perhaps I'm just smart enough to recognize that I could make better use of my time, but not so clever as to actually give-up, then reallocate my energy elsewhere. I guess I justify this activity with the fact that I write these posts while eating my lunch at my desk, and so maybe it's no more worthless than surfing the web or playing a video game. The reason I created this blog never came together, the reasons I continue stem from a force-of-habit and the fear I'll regret a decision to stop.      

Larry Lubell

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Now onto some actual content...

I can't express how proud I am of the way Ilene and Steven are working together to keep Mayer Alloys, the company Ed founded, not just alive, but moving forward. They are helped by the solid team Ed built and his legacy of integrity that continues to open doors.  

The business, brings Ilene to Detroit rather frequently, while I miss her while she's away, I'm glad she is taking advantage of the opportunity to spend time with Steven, other family and friends.

   

 Steven Ruzumna and Milton Roberts at Antonio's Cucina Italiana.

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I think the picture came out pretty well considering, I hate the way I look in ALL photos.

and there were a few tech glitches with Steppenwolf's equipment.

Ilene and I arrived, uncharacteristically, a few minute early to see Marie Antoinette. While in the lobby I spotted a small area with a backdrop for photos. It was a pretty clever idea on the part of Steppenwolf theater, they figured non-celebrities would jump at the chance to take their picture under any condition that creates the impression of being on the "Red carpet;" so people will post the picture on social media, which will promote their play. Wait, even more brilliant, one must enter your email address so they can send the pictures, thereby building a database for marketing.   See they had a sort of photo machine set up and pointing towards the backdrop. . Really  it was an inexpensive DSLR camera hooked up to an iPad all mounted in this display case.  You would touch the screen where it says "Start", and it would click 4 pictures 5 seconds apart, then let you enter your email address.  Great idea, the problem was who ever set this up must have been no taller than 5 feet, so even when I placed us as far back as possible, my head was cut off. This required that you bend, twist, or sit on the floor, those are NOT the Red-Carpet look poses that a photographer is after.

The woman before us, I'm taking a guess that she did not work for a Tech company,  pushed  "Start" so hard the iPad nearly twisted out of the case, and then stood so close to the camera, that she ended up with 4 shots of her stomach. A friend of hers entered her email; so someone now has probably posted an out of focus shot of her mid-session- Isn't Facebook wonderful?

Lane J. Lubell Graduates

Am I proud of Lane graduating High School?

No!

 

I understand if that strikes some as an odd thing to say, it's just that I never had any reason to contemplate the possibility that he would fail to graduate. As I have explained to Lane frequently, this is perhaps the downside of possessing a record of high achievement - expectations tend to get rather lofty. Sure I get that there is something inherently unfair about me suspending the hoops so high off the ground- But damn it, you keep jumping through them.

I don't want anyone to think that I'm not extraordinary proud of Lane, that I don't get how hard he works, or that I don't appreciate his accomplishments. While I am in the habit of "reminding him" of items that he, or I, put on his "To do list," I do also write him lengthy texts filled with glowing praise. When I take issue with his overly brief responses, he will reply "Dad, you're the only one that sends an 800 word text."

OK, so getting a diploma I took as a given, but I am proud of how well he did, and how that success opened the doors to Northwestern. I'm in awe of the dedication to complete, and the caliper of writing in his 3 act play. I am genuinely impressed by the laser-like focus he direct towards his films and other writing projects. I do understand the daunting task of opening Avid Media and needing to find, match and sync several hundred audio clips to an equal number of video clips, knowing that upon completion, hundreds of hours of editing await. I was thrilled watching him and his friend Hunter perform songs at Old Town School of Folk Saturday night, great job Lane finding a woman that can really sing.

But what might impresses me most is Lane's sense of empathy and loyalty, it is sincere, and I have no question that it explains his ability to surround himself with such a great group of friends.
One more thing: I cannot adequately convey how much happiness he brings to my life each and every day. He is a best friend, an artistic collaborator, a person that never disappoints and one that I know will never stop making me proud.

Now I can go home and get upset that he didn't put back my WaWa and overdrive pedals.

 Ed and Steven drove in in order to celebrate Lane's graduation, I know Lane appreciated them being able to watch him step forward to the next stage of his life.

Lane is going to miss the comfort of having an apartment to hang-out in each day after school. 

When my and dad gone most of the winter, he had the place to himself, when they were home he had the joy of their company.  

A recent trip to Michigan



Sometimes you just feel like a glass of Cider

I'm in the wrong business. No one is standing in like to buy Insurance, and people are "Happy to buy a jar of Apple Butter.

Brooke's Big Day

The Detroit "Breakfeast Club"



Gunfire out my window. 800 N Wells Shooting

Update…. , leaves officers wounded and suspect dead.

Lets file this under "A bit too much excitment fro one day"


http://www.urbaninsuranceagency.com/insurance-articles/820/updateand8230%3b-800-n-wells-shooting-leaves-officers-wounded-and-suspect-dead.html

Another Birthday

I am Three decades away from "My College Days"
I am Four decades away from "My High school Rock Band Days"

No I'm not every going to be a "Rock Star," Famous artist, nor am I going to find a cure for cancer,
or come-up with an equation merging the "Standard Model" of particle physics with general relativity. In four hundred plus years from now, no future Dan Brown is going to be searching for hidden clues in my photography.

Truth be told, I will likely never do anything of any special importance.


It's O.K, I mean I'm not terribly upset about where I am.
Sure, I would like to have money cascading into my bank account with Niagara Falls velocity,
rather than a small stream, but I'm thankful that I have a stream.

I’m happily married, have a child I that brings me joy beyond my wildest dreams. My Parents both
Look and act 15 years younger than their actual ages. Ilene’s family is well. I’m surrounded by the warmth of extended family and we have an amazing group of friends.

Sure, I’ll fall back into my moments of drama, and even spend a few fleeting seconds envying something some else has, something that would look good in my garage, or on my back.But in the scheme of things, I have a great deal to be thankful for this birthday.

Jack in the Box in Chicago

From: urbannewsblog.blogspot.com

Do you remember when ordering your fast food involved talking to the "Jack in the Box"?

In this country, where each day, independent businesses loose ground to chains and franchises, it is surprising when you find a regional fast food franchise. While I hate the idea of dining in an up-scale seafood restaurant only to find they have 60 of them around the country each indistinguishable from the next. I'm upset when I find myself a thousand miles from home, exploring that city's "Hot" shopping district, and find that it has the same list of stores I can find in a 15 minute walk from my home.

But Fast Food franchises are exempt from my scorn. Just as I expect each city will carry the network's feeds, and my cell phone will work, my expectation is that the streets will be filled with a uniform list of fast-food joints. The fact is that simply is not true. Sure McDonald's and Burger King spots will be found, I think P.E.T.A. even found a method to franchise protesters to Stand in front of KFC restaurants, but In & Out burgers, are not to be found in Chicago.

Truth be told, I don't care about In & Out Burgers, comming from Chicago, the only thing I know about them is the Paris Hilton eat there one of the nights she got caught driving drunk. But Jack in the Box is a different story.

I grew up with "Jack in the Box" There were so many late nights, in a car filled too-full with friends, spent speaking to "Jack". Jack was my friend, he fed me those wonderful tacos. He got me hooked, I looked forward to those golden-brown, deep-fried, tasty treats. Then all at once, they were gone. Jack fled west of of the Mississippi, leaving me and so many like me, stranded, left with a craving we were unable to fill.


The other day, after a disappointing Y12 Epee contest, I brought my son over to a Jack in the Box, two blocks from the San Jose Convention Center, desperate to bring some happiness to an otherwise "Dark day". I put in my order for 6 tasty tacos, and from the first bite I was transported back to a happy memory-filled time of youth and grease, it was wonderful! O.K., I would have traded the taco for my son bringing home a medal, but that was not a choice offered.

Yes the tacos were just as I remembered them to be. Each time I find my self in a town that is lucky enough to still have Jack in the Box, I make a point of eating as many of these tacos as I can stuff down my throat. Jack never lets me down; though I am still mad at him for moving away.



Larry Lubell