Best of the Cell Phone Camera

I like the fun and convenience of taking pictures with my cell phone camera, but it's almost impossible to get a shot with good focus and lighting. Here are a few that did turn out:

Ready for a trip to to the beach:


July 4th, waiting for the fireworks:


At the playground:

Under "The Bean" in Millenium Park:

Riding the El Train:

Batman caught in the spider web:

Clara in the treetops:

Take me out to the ballgame:

At the pizza parlor:

Splish Splash

It's been a cooler, wetter summer in Chicago this year, but when the sun shines we are ready for action! A neighbor has a big inflatable waterslide that helps the kids on the block beat the heat. Here are some photos from last month...

Sharon's New Book

Rising talent Sharon Porter McAllister has a new book of poetry, based on her theater project when she was pregnant with Adrian. You can buy it online, just click here!

Picture Day

Picture day at the office.
Who loves ya' baby!

Lucky Number Seven

Clara celebrated her 7th birthday in style, with a "Pump It Up" party for all her friends. The kids were exhausted after all that climbing, bouncing, sliding, running, not to mention the adults who got into the action (see Sharon on the rock wall). Thankfully the pizza and cake helped us regain our strength.

We also went to a Cubs game, a nice win over the Padres on a nice spring day. Grandpa Porter, Uncle Bob and Aunt Anne came for an overnight visit and treated us to the game. Adrian has been singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" on a daily basis ever since.

Summer plans are taking shape, starting with Sharon and the kids co-hosting "Camp Sherlindy" with several of our friends. (The moms take turns hosting the kids for a few hours each weekday.) We'll also go camping, hit the beach, sailing, street fairs, all that fun Chicago stuff. The kids are counting down the days, nine more until school is out!

Mothers Day Weekend

We had a fantastic Mothers Day weekend. My parents flew out from Oregon for a few days of museums, zoos and parks with their grandkids. On Mothers Day, I cooked a delicious brunch of waffles with berries and whipped cream, bacon and eggs, and then we went to see the Dinosaurs Alive! exhibit at the Brookfield Zoo. Other weekend highlights included a ride on the massive Navy Pier ferris wheel (turns out I am still afraid of heights), a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art for the Buckminster Fuller exhibition, and a trip to the Morton Arboretum to see 4,000 species of plants in all their springtime glory.

Here are some photos of the action:

Step Into Spring

Long time no post, I know. It's been a hectic spring for us, as we moved to a new apartment at the end of March. The packing-moving-unpacking routine seems to take longer every time we do it, but the good news is we LOVE our new home! Great location (just three blocks from Audubon Elementary), great neighborhood, more space, and we even have our first backyard since we moved away from Portland nine years ago.

I've been taking photos from time to time, but unfortunately I haven't taken any good photos. I promise to do better now that the weather is improving and we can start venturing outside.

Adrian and Clara at the Lincoln Park Zoo:

Adrian riding the tractor at the Children's Farm (at the zoo):

Clara and Adrian at the merry-go-round (at the zoo):

Clara and Adrian, battling the virus that nearly took down the entire household:

Adrian, Clara and their friend Jake in Michigan:

Scientists discover a rare T-Rex fossil right here in Chicago:

February Photos

Here's a few recent photos of the McAllisters, for your viewing enjoyment...

The Big Four-Oh

I celebrated my 40th birthday this weekend in grand fashion. I don't think it's a stretch to say this was my BEST BIRTHDAY EVER !!! Let me break it down for you:

Friday night

* I accompanied Clara to the "Father-Daughter Dance" at Audubon Elementary. It took about three minutes for my date to ditch me, but I had fun chatting with the other dads while watching the kids groove to Hannah Montana and whatnot. Clara had a blast, but was annoyed that the DJ ignored her request to play the Ting Tings.

* Later I met up with a couple of buddies for microbrews at Lottie's in Bucktown. I got to break out the I'M A MAN, I'M FORTY line a few times.

Saturday morning

* My father-in-law gave me a great birthday present: a one-year family membership to the Field Museum. We braved the blizzard to go see the touring Aztec World exhibit, as well as the dinosaurs room and the kids laboratory. What an incredible place! You could break the Field Museum into ten pieces and each one would be worth a half-day visit.

Saturday evening

* We dined at The Cheesecake Factory on Michigan Avenue. I had always wanted to go there, after hearing others rave about it (and reading about it on my favorite NBA blog). The menu must have 200 items on it, and the entrees are huge and delicious. The kids gave me my birthday present: a custom-made bag of M&Ms with a tiny picture of me on each piece of candy. Crazy!

Saturday night

* Sharon and I went on our first date since last August. We went to the Blue Man Group show at the Briar Street Theater. This show is wildly entertaining. I've always wanted to see them, so I knew I would love it but the Blue Men did not disappoint.

Happy Birthday to me!

Clara's Drawing Workshop

Clara has been having fun with our whiteboard, filming episodes of "Clara's Drawing Workshop". I posted a couple of them on YouTube, but my favorite is this outtake where Clara encounters technical difficulties.

December Photos

Due to computer problems, I have been unable to download any Christmas photos. I can confirm that Santa Claus made it to our house, and everybody got some great presents. I can't believe Santa ate that entire plate of cookies!

We stayed in Chicago for the holidays this year. The weather was crazy with lots of snow, ice, snow, melt, snow, ice, snow...so I was glad to not be driving or flying anywhere.

Our second annual Solstice Party was a hit. We had something like 14 kids and 20 adults jammed into our little apartment. Lots of good food, drinks and merriment as we celebrated The Longest Night. Perhaps next year we'll get a Festivus Pole.

Here are some photos from earlier in December, as well as some artwork the kids created in Microsoft Paint:

"Rainbow Blizzard" by Adrian:

"Elephant" by Clara:

Ducks Flying High

I haven't done a sports-related post for awhile, so here are some highlights of Oregon's big win over rival Oregon State in the 112th "Civil War" football game.

The Beavers could have gone to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 40+ years with a win over the Ducks, but Oregon was having none of that. The Ducks set school records on the way to an incredible 65-38 victory. I set a personal record for "most times leaping to my feet, yelling GO GO GO at a dude in a green helmet racing down the field".

The Ducks finish the regular season with a 9-3 record, pretty good for a team that went through five different quarterbacks. Oregon earns a trip to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego as the 2nd place team in the Pac-10.

Halloween, Election Day and Great Wolf Lodge

It's been a hectic couple of weeks around the McAllister household. We had a fun Halloween -- the kids got to attend Halloween parties and parades on top of 4+ hours of trick-or-treating. Election Day was a festive event in Chicago and we were able to take the kids down to Grant Park to "witness history". We followed that with a three-day trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells.

Whew, time to catch our breath! Here are some photos from the past month:

YES WE CAN !!!

Fun in the Fall

The McAllister summer of fun has been extended into the fall. Recent highlights:

* My dad flew out from Oregon for a long weekend in Chicago. We rode the Ducks Bus to West Lafayette, Indiana for the big Oregon vs. Purdue football game. Our great day of football was nearly ruined by those pesky Boilermakers, but those lucky Ducks rallied to win 32-26 in double overtime thanks to an 87-yard punt return, among other big plays.

* Sharon and six of her girlfriends went on a ladies retreat to Michigan for three days. Sharon spent the night away from her children for the first time since becoming a mother in 2002. (Geez, when you put it that way, I guess she was due for a vacation!)

* I flew to Las Vegas for my brother's after-the-wedding bachelor party. Our party of seven took over that town for 72 hours. I would tell you more, but you know what they say about "what happens in Vegas..." I can confirm that nobody beat the house for more than a few hands -- thankfully our football bets kept us afloat.

* The kids are back to school. Clara is in first grade, and Adrian started pre-school. So far so good, they both like their classmates and teachers. We have been keeping up our weekend fun by taking trips to the zoo and the playgrounds.

Here's a few photos from September:

Northwest Vacation 2008

We had an awesome time with our friends and family on our big Northwest Vacation! We visited Seaside, Portland, The Dalles and Yakima during our 11-day tour. The highlight was the wedding of my brother Justin and his fiance Aimee. Congratulations Justin & Aimee!

We spent the first two nights in Seaside, and had some fun beach time and swimming in the hotel pool with my parents. (We heartily recommend the Hi-Tide if you are looking for a nice oceanside motel.) We met up with Justin, Aimee, Hailey and various family members for a fun rehearsal dinner at McMenimans Sand Trap in Gearhart.

Saturday was foggy in the morning, but the sun broke through just in time for the outdoor wedding at Hug Point. It was a beautiful ceremony in a gorgeous Oregon Coast setting. We enjoyed lunch in Cannon Beach at Morris' Fireside Restaurant, then drove into Portland for the reception.

The reception was a blast, as the beer flowed freely and all my family and Portland buddies were there. The afterparty at Life of Riley lounge was equally festive, and I seem to recall later stops at the Hilton and the Bistro Montage.

Clara and Adrian enjoyed the reception as well -- they got to play with a dozen other kids (including my nieces Hailey and Taylor) and eat a lot of treats. Sharon did a great job of keeping them away from the wedding cupcakes until the proper time.

We then drove to The Dalles and spent two nights with my parents. We took a ride in their new RV out to Deschutes State Park. We also got to go swimming, play with Kona the dog, go to the movies, and enjoy quality grandparent-grandchildren time. Thank you Don and Linda!

Next we went to Yakima and spent three nights with Sharon's mother and stepfather. We enjoyed some great meals, relaxation and funtime with the grandparents. The kids loved our tour of the town of Grainger, "Where Dinosaurs Roam". Thank you Peg and Darrell!

We finished the vacation back in Portland. The kids loved their visit to OMSI, especially the new Dinosaurs of China exhibit. Clara was interviewed by a reporter from a Chinese television program. I got to have another night out with my buddies, this time a BBQ and poker party that went late into the night. Sharon and her friends hit the town the next night for kareoke at the Ambassador Club.

Can't wait to do it again!

Slideshow of photos...

Summertime Fun

It's been an incredible summer of fun for the McAllisters!

Mother Nature may have slapped us silly with a brutal winter, but she is paying us back with a string of nice days this summer. (Aside from the massive storm the other night, where an estimated 90,000 lighting bolts struck Chicagoland in a single 24-hour period.) We've been taking full advantage of the sunshine.

Highlights so far, in no particular order:

* The whole family had a great camping trip on the Lake Erie Islands.
* I went sailing three times.
* Adrian, Sharon and Clara spent a week with Grandpa Porter in his hometown of Bloomington, Illinois.
* I saw one of my favorite guitarists, Charlie Hunter, at my neighborhood's block party of all places. I was about 20 feet from the stage while my man Charlie did his thing (on a custom 8-string guitar).
* Sharon and I went to the first night of Lollapalooza, rocking out to a couple of killer sets from The Raconteurs and Radiohead.
* Sharon and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary.
* Clara went to Kiddieland, a local amusement park similar to Oaks Park (for you Portland folks) or Funderland (Sacramento).
* Adrian, Clara and I took a safari to the Brookfield Zoo.
* Clara went to a Renaissance Fair and frolicked with the fairies, jesters and maidens.
* Adrian, Clara and Sharon went to "Camp Sherlindy" every day for a few weeks. Camp Sherlindy is an informal day camp run by Sharon and her friends Erica, Lisa and Cindy. The ladies took turns hosting each other's kids at their respective homes.
* Adrian, Clara and Sharon went to the Field Museum.
* Adrian and I visited the Shedd Aquarium.
* Various family members saw most of the big summer movies. My favorites: Wall*E and Iron Man. Sharon loved Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3-D.
* Adrian celebrated his 3rd birthday with a family dinner at the Rainforest Cafe.
* The whole family toured the Morton Arboretum.
* The whole family cheered the Cubs to victory over the Rockies.
* Clara went to Nature Center day camp for a week (yes, there is a small patch of "nature" in Northwest Chicago, with real trees and small critters and everything).
* Adrian, Clara and Sharon played at the beach on Lake Michigan.

I'm probably forgetting a few events, but you get the idea.

Best of all, we have a 10-day trip to Oregon and Washington coming up later this month!

I've been too lazy or forgetful to take many pictures this summer, but here are a few recent snapshots:

Ten Years

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY SHARON !!!

Lake Erie Islands

We had a great vacation in Ohio last week, camping for two nights in the Lake Erie Islands and then staying in a cabin for two nights on the mainland in Marblehead.

The campsite on Kelley's Island was awesome. We were right on the water, next to the steps down to the beach and with a playground just a few yards away. There were hot showers and flush toilets, and a park store within walking distance for our firewood and ice cream needs. So
it wasn't exactly roughing it, but it sure was fun. We roasted marshmellows, gazed at the stars, played in the sand, made new friends, and the kids even went fishing with the park ranger.

The two days in Marblehead were spent at a variety of fun attactions: Prehistoric Forest had lifesize statues of our favorite dinosaurs; Train-O-Rama featured 20+ model trains all running in the same room; African Safari was a drive-through zoo where the animals literally
stick their heads into your car window for a snack.

It was a 5+ hour drive from Chicago, but definitely worth the trip! We enjoyed perfect weather for the most part; there was a storm on Saturday afternoon but we were safe and warm inside our cabin by then.

I think we've all caught the camping bug, so hopefully we will get back to the great outdoors soon!

Here is a slideshow of our trip, 77 photos total so make yourself comfortable.

Happy Father's Day!

I hope all you dads have a great Father's Day! I just polished off a giant plate of waffles, eggs and sausage, courtesy of my favorite kids (with a little assistance from Mom).

We've been having all kinds of fun lately. One nice benefit of my job is that my employer is a corporate sponsor for several area attractions, so we get free admission to the Brookfield Zoo, the Chicago Children's Museum, and the Shedd Aquarium. We've visited a zoo or museum just about every weekend lately.

We also attended a Cubs game with some of Sharon's family (a thrilling comeback victory where the Cubs trailed 9-1 but rallied to win 10-9), and we cruised out to the Morton Arboretum to see the "giant wooden bugs" exhibit.

Finally, I should mention that Clara "graduated" from kindergarten last week. Clara was picked by her teachers to give the speech for her class. (So I guess that makes her the valedictorian? Or at least, the kid most likely to speak with confidence in front of all the parents?) She read a short speech about their field trip to the museum. Clara spoke clearly into the microphone with good energy and diction. A lot of parents complimented her, and us, on the fine job she did. Her class also sang a couple of songs, and Clara did wonderfully with that as well.

Here's to a great summer!

Happy Birthday Clara!

Clara turned six years old this month! We celebrated with a birthday bash at the Swedish Museum in Chicago. Seems like an odd venue for a party, but in fact they are well equipped for kids' gatherings. The top floor is a children's area with a play ship, farm, and cabin, so you can recreate the thrill of being a Swedish immigrant of 100 years ago. Clara was joined by a dozen friends. A good time was had by all!

Springtime at the Zoo

We visit the Lincoln Park Zoo all the time, but this time the kids and I explored some exhibits that we had never before seen. We saw the Children's Farm, the Bird House, and the zebras/antelopes/llamas, and we also got a great up-close look at the polar bears, lions, rhinosaurus and hyenas -- animals that often hide in the shade, but today were out in plain view.

Kids in Spring

Not much news around here, but here's a few pictures of the kids in action. We enjoyed recent trips to the Shedd Aquarium, the movies, and "Pump it Up" (inflatable slides and bounce rooms). Most of the photos below are from their trip to Bloomington for spring break. Sharon, Clara and Adrian rode the train from Chicago and stayed with Grandpa Porter for a few days. I stayed behind and watched an absurd amount of college basketball.

Endless Winter

Today is "spring forward" day, as we set our clocks ahead one hour. And yet it still feels like winter in Chicago. Still cold, still windy, and yes it is still snowing outside. Enough already!

Fortunately we've been having lots of fun lately. Last month we had our trip to Wisconsin, the Foo Fighters concert, and we hosted out-of-town visitors on three separate occasions.

Here's some pictures of the kids with Grandma and Grandpa Blue:

Mahna Mahna

Clara and Adrian enjoy acting out this classic Muppets bit:

Sorry for getting that tune stuck in your head!

Foo Fighters LIVE

For my 39th birthday, I treated myself to a concert last night by the Foo Fighters. Sharon and I braved the snowstorm to trek out to the suburbs for the sold-out show at Allstate Arena. We had pretty good seats, just a few rows up from the floor in the center of the arena. Those seats got even better after a few songs, when a second circular stage lowered from the ceiling. Our entire section went bananas as the band came across a catwalk to perform the "acoustic" portion of the show on that second stage, literally right in front of us.

This was my fourth Foo Fighters show (Portland 1996, Portland 1998, Chicago 2006, and now Rosemont 2008), and while it wasn't the sound was mediocre (typical for basketball areanas), the concert was 100% fun from start to finish. Frontman Dave Grohl loves to play to the crowd, tossing off smack talk and one-liners after every song. Between all the sing-alongs, clap-alongs, shout-outs, fist pumps, drum solos and all the other rock concert shenanigans, the band managed to play several songs from their new album, plus lots of hits from their entire catalog. The crowd was eating it up, really going wild for most of the show. It felt like the Foo Fighters thought long and hard about what people love in a rock concert, and they delivered it all.

Here's a few Foo Fighters videos, just for grins:
Come Alive
All My Life
Times Like These

Foo-riffic!

Great Wolf Lodge

We just returned from a vacation to the Great Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells, WI. The fun meter was pegged for three days as we splished, splashed and sloshed around in 300,000 gallons of 80-degree water.

Great Wolf Lodge is a resort hotel that features games, crafts and storytime along with the massive indoor waterpark. It also has a clock that comes to life, a spa, an arcade, and several restaurants and snack bars. Our room included a "kids cabin" in the corner, complete with bunk beds and a TV. We did not set foot outdoors during our entire stay, which was fortunate given the 10-below temperatures and blizzard conditions.

I had not been to a waterpark in 20 years, but now I want to go back EVERY year. The whole family had fun on all the slides, wave pools, flumes and floats. The water was 80+ degrees so you could stay in there all day. The place could accomodate a thousand or more, but it was the slow season, maybe a couple hundred guests, so it felt like we had the run of the place.

The grown-up slides were absurd. There was one slide where you go headfirst through a pitch black tunnel at breakneck speed, finally see the light at the end, and you realize you are 60 feet off the ground but there appears to be no more slide so you think you are about to go over a cliff, and then the slide takes a steep dive out of the tunnel before leveling off at ground level. I recommend wearing a diaper for that one.

Here are a few pictures of our little swimmers:















We can't wait to go back!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

The past week has given me a new perspective in my sense of "cold".
Below zero + stiff wind = FRIGID.
I've survived my work commute thanks to longjohns, two coats, and a mountaineer's hoodhat in addition to my usual winter outfit (boots, gloves, earmuffs, sunglasses). I look ridiculous, but you should see us all standing on the train platform in the morning -- we look like extras from "Mad Max 4: Battle of Antarctica". I have also seen some truly outrageous fur coats waddling around downtown.

Sharon and the kids are doing their best to stay inside at all times. Cabin fever is setting in, but we are having fun playing with all the Christmas toys.

Here's a few pictures from the past month:

Merry Christmas!

Clara and Adrian would like to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

Clara Takes the Lead

We have a running competition in the McAllister household over whose YouTube video gets the most views. For a long time, Adrian's headbanging video Foo Baby held the lead. (I linked to it on the Foo Fighters message board, and for awhile he was getting 50+ hits a day.) Earlier this year, Jason's Funky Blues jumped into the top spot. (In a fit of shameless self-promotion, I sent the link in an e-mail blast to everyone I know.)

Now that it's Christmas season, however, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Clara Remix) has vaulted past both of us. Just last month she was at 900 views, but since then she has picked up another 500+ hits, including 100 on December 23 and another 120 on Christmas Eve, bringing her total to 1,450 and climbing.

Looks like Adrian and I have some catching up to do!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

White and Nerdy

I am late to the party on this clip (17 million hits on YouTube), but good golly this is the funniest Weird Al Yankovic video ever! (The song is a spoof of Riding Dirty by Chamillionaire.)

Happy Thanksgiving

I LOVE TURKEY!
I also love spending holidays with my favorite McAllisters. Here's a few pictures from last month, when Grandma and Grandpa Mac came out for a visit:

Quack Attack

Those high-flyin' Oregon Ducks are up to #2 in the college football polls, and the national media is starting to notice. Heisman candidate Dennis Dixon is all over the sports pages, and coach Mike Bellotti has a shot at Coach of the Year, and even the offensive linemen are getting some love -- they were guests on "The Jim Rome Show", and they came up with a huge "take" on Oregon's season. Here is the audio of lineman Jeff Kendall's comments on Rome show, set to video highlights of the Ducks in action.

UPDATE: Jim Rome was awestruck by Kendall's rant.

Rome reaction, Part 1

Rome reaction, Part 2

Rome reaction, Part 3

abc

abc

GO DUCKS !!!

Happy Halloween

The McAllisters have been having an absurd amount of fun lately, highlighted by Halloween festivities but also including trips to the Morton Arboretum(4,000 species of plant life, plus a hedge maze and other fun kid stuff), the Rainforest Cafe (theme restaurant with Disney-style animatronic animals), the Lincoln Park Zoo (with zoo-style real animals), and "The Bee Movie".

Indian Summer

It's been warm-to-hot for all of September and October, so we are still having fun outside. Clara and Adrian both got new bikes!

Midwest Football Tour

I just returned from a fantastic mini-vacation: A four-day swing through Cincinnati and Ann Arbor to watch a couple of football games.


I was joined by my old University of Oregon roommate Jubil, my high school friend Jay, and my brother Justin. Jay and Justin flew in from Portland to Chicago, and the three of us drove to Cincinnati for the Oregon State vs. University of Cincinnati game. We then met up with Jubil in Ann Arbor for the Oregon vs. Michigan game.


Needless to say, the Ducks (Jubil and Jason) had a little more fun than the Beavers (Jay and Justin). The final scores:


Oregon 39, Michigan 7


Cincinnati 34, Oregon State 3


The two Beaver Believers compounded their misery by actively rooting for Michigan. The fools!


Ann Arbor was particularly fun, as 3,000+ Duck fans invaded this fair city in anticipation of Oregon's biggest game in years. Every restaurant and bar we visited was packed with Quacker Backers. I ran into lots of friends, both old (like, a guy I hadn't seen since college) and new (several Chicago Ducks were on hand). Not to mention the Ducks' thrashing of the Wolverines, which was far beyond my expectations and even my wildest dreams. Everyone expected a shootout, but only Oregon held up their end of the deal. It got to the point where I basically stopped cheering in the second half, out of respect for the Michigan fans all around us who were in agony.


On to the photos...


Cincinnati pictures, Thursday night:


Justin and Jay count their beer money

Justin and Jay at Nippert Stadium

Justin making friends with the Cincinnati Bearcat

Justin chatting up the Bearcat marching band

Justin and Jay put on their game faces

Justin expresses his displeasure with the officiating...or the OSU quarterback

Ann Arbor pictures, Friday night:

Jubil and Jay in a shuffleboard Civil War at Arbor Brewpub

Jason with Chicago buddies Nick and Brad at the Arbor Brewpub

The boys at the Michigan memoribilia store on Main Street

The boys enjoying beers at Ashley's Pub

The boys mingling with the Absolut Vodka spokesmodel at Scorekeepers

The boys getting ready for gameday at Scorekeepers

Ann Arbor pictures, Saturday:

Jay and Justin sporting their maize and blue

Jason poses with a clever Duck fan

Jubil keeping his distance from the traitors in our midst

The boys outside the Big House

The view from our seats

The glorious final score!

Can't wait to do it again next year, in West Lafayette (Oregon vs. Purdue)!

Thank You Uncle Phil

When the University of Oregon football team decided to hold a "secret scrimmage" at the Nike campus in Beaverton, observers wondered if it was an expression of gratitude to Phil Knight. Knight, the CEO and former U of O track star, must have really enjoyed the private screening: he announced yesterday a $100 million donation to the U of O athletic program.

The money will go toward the long-proposed new basketball arena, to replace 80-year-old McArthur Court.

VIDEO: Virtual tour of the new arena

As always, it's a great day to be a Duck!

Northwest Vacation

We survived, nay THRIVED, on our big trip to the Northwest. Sharon and the kids went to Seattle and Yakima for 10 days, and then I joined them for another 10 days in The Dalles, Redmond and Portland. Clara and Adrian had a great time visiting their grandparents, cousins,aunts, uncles, and friends new and old. Sharon and I both got to catch up with dozens of family and friends at all the stops on the tour.

Highlights included a chairlift ride and lunch on Mount Bachelor, a McAllister family picnic and swim at Lake Billy Chinook, fun at Oaks Park amusement park, the Zoo Train at the Portland Zoo, and feeding the horse and donkeys at my sister's ranch. I also made my annual pilgrimage to the Oregon Brewers Festival.

The McAllisters at leisure...

UPDATE: Big slideshow now ready for viewing!

"Thank You" to everyone who hosted us or made the time to visit!

Guitar Heroes

As a guitar player, one thing I love about YouTube is the endless supply of guitar videos. There must be a million amateur guitarists on there by now. You could watch guitar videos every waking moment of your life and never run out of material.

I think it all started with this guy. His "Canon Rock" classical-meets-metal jam was an early YouTube sensation, and at 25 million hits it stands as one of the most-viewed clips in existence.

A horde of shredders followed in his footsteps and soon there were dozens of "Canon Rock" videos posted on YouTube. You wouldn't want to suffer through all of them, but you might enjoy this one -- it's a mashup of 40 different versions.

Most Excellent, dude!

Summer in the City

We've been having all kinds of fun this month -- swimming, playgrounds, bar-b-ques, bike rides, fireworks, movies, the beach -- and our Northwest Vacation hasn't even started yet!

The Garden of Oden

Okay, I'm pretty excited about the Portland Trailblazers drafting Greg Oden. But not as excited as these guys. Can't say I've ever seen a crowd storm the court and chant a player's name...during the DRAFT! By the way, even Greg Oden has a blog.

New Shoes, and a Trip to the Children's Museum

Big excitement at Casa McAllister last weekend, as we went on a shopping excursion and bought some items we will need for our big vacation next month. First, we picked up NEW SHOES for everyone! I went with the Adidas Top Ten low cut sneaker, while Clara has Avia slip-ons and Adrian has metallic Nike trainers.

We also purchased a portable DVD player that will keep Clara's lap warm for many many hours, and a 7-piece luggage set that has brought Sharon much happiness and piece of mind.

On Sunday morning, we drove out to the Kohl Children's Museum in Glenview. My company hosted a brunch, and they rented the entire museum for a couple of hours. My kids and maybe 30 others had the whole run of the place. They played in all the different "learning stations" -- the vet clinic, grocery store, cars and trains, music room, and of course the water works! Very nice to visit such a popular attraction and not have to battle the crowds.

My Summer of Music

Three years ago, when we moved to Chicago, we were flat broke. We spent every penny of our life savings to make the move, and then I was unemployed for two months. I recall being amazed by how many great concerts were rolling through town that summer -- and heartbroken that I could not attend any of them! Sharon and I vowed that we would stay in Chicago at least until we had the cash to enjoy a summer of music.

That time has finally arrived! This July, we have tickets to some great shows:

July 5: The Police
Venue: Wrigley Field
A band I always wanted to see, but they broke up when I was still in high school and never toured again. Now they are playing a reunion show at the legendary baseball park. Our tickets are in the nosebleeds, but I'm still counting on an epic show (Stewart Copeland's negative review notwithstanding). I have a lucky streak going -- every time I overpay for a concert, it ends up being great (Radiohead and Foo Fighters come to mind). Hopefully the lads will make this one pay off too!

July 13-15: Pitchfork Music Festival
Venue: Union Park
It's a three-day festival with dozens of bands, but I am most geeked for Sonic Youth. I've seen them once before and they were great. They utilize lots of feedback and experimentation, but in concert they were in total control of their sound. At the Pitchfork gig, they will play their breakthrough album "Daydream Nation" in its entirety.

July 18: The Decemberists
Venue: Millenium Park
This Portland-based folk rock band has been on heavy rotation at the McAllister household. They are playing at a beautiful outdoor stage in downtown Chicago, backed by the Chicago Symphony. (This one is FREE, so come join me! I'll bring the wine and cheese.) Rumor has it they are working on a 12-minute opus about Greg Oden slaying the dragon at the bottom of the Willamette River.

Rock on!

Clara and Adrian pictures

Weekend Music

I stepped out on Friday night for some live music at Wise Fools Pub. Wow, am I glad I did! Fly Williams put on a great show, and I enjoyed the set by Austin Bridges as well.

Full disclosure: I play basketball with the lead singer of Fly Williams. But man, they were great! The band only plays live a few times a year, but you'd never know it -- they are a super-tight funk/jazz group that has such a high level of musical ability, they can come together every few months and still tear the roof off with their chops. Most of their songs start with a mellow groove, but by the end they morph into full-blown power jams.

Also, props to the sound man at Wise Fools. The mix was perfect, and I don't usually say that about pub shows.

I also had fun sharing stories (and drinks) with some of the other YMCA basketball guys and gals who came out to support Fly Williams. Good times!

Then and Now

My 20th high school reunion is this summer, and the organizers are asking us for "then" and "now" photos. Here's what I have for them:

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Rip City!

What size do those Greg Oden Trailblazers jerseys come in? XXXXL? I'll take ten of them!

In case you haven't heard, Portland lucked out and won the #1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, which hopefully means superstar big man Greg Oden is going to be a Blazer.

I love this quote, from the Oregonian Blazers Blog:

"When you mention the Blazers in a bar, you're not going to get that look like you're crazy for following the exploits of a bunch of losers and social pariahs. They're going to want to tell you how they've always loved the team, how they stuck by even when it seemed like there was no chance for improvment and that they would have come to the Rose Garden even if the Blazers hadn't drafted Oden/Durant. And they'll be liars. But you know what, the anger that I use to feel toward fair-weather fans has melted away. I'm stoked people can be Blazer fans again. So while I'm happy for the hardcore fans, you longtime blog readers, the team and myself, I'm happiest for the wayward fans that can once again feel what I and many others feel when we root our butts off for the home team. So hop on the bandwagon you Johnny and Jane come-lateleys. It's going to be a wild ride. People who have never been to Oregon are going to be Blazer fans. 'Rip City' signs are going to find their way back to windows around the state. The term 'Jail Blazers' will go the way of the Dodo. You won't be the only person on the bus wearing red and black. You'll actually see the Blazers on national television. You'll forget about Jermaine O'Neal and Sam Bowie and LaRue Martin and Bill Walton's foot. You'll have to buy tickets in advance and pay more for beers at the Rose Garden. You'll go to the Rose Garden."

Rip City, baby!

Dark Side of the Moon

We just watched the best "rockumentary" that I've ever seen: "Classic Albums Presents: Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon". It's only 48 minutes long, but I thought it was a perfect combination of elements: band members, critics, lyrics, melodies, arranging, mixing, finances, present-day interviews and archival footage. Just a really well-done film about one of my favorite albums. Among other tidbits, we learn:

* DSOTM was on the Billboard Top 200 charts for every week for 14 years
* To this day, the album continues to sell several thousand copies each week
* Audiophiles use the album to calibrate their equipment. In 30+ years, music buffs still haven't found a better album to spin on a stereo.

I recommend reading the Pink Floyd Wikipedia entry before you watch the film, as it provides all the background you'll need.

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day to all you moms, and here's a few pics for you.

Mmmm...ice cream!

Smiling Clara

Clara's birthday party at the playground

Kareoke Fever

Clara's birthday is not until May 16, but we observed it yesterday with a fun party at the local playground. (I will post some pictures and video soon.)

She got some great presents, including this awesome kareoke machine. It's basically a portable CD player, but it comes with a microphone so you can sing along with your favorite CDs. There is an "echo" dial that adds an interesting vocal effect. Also, if you buy special Kareoke CDs, you can plug the unit into your television for the full kareoke experience (video and lyrics on screen).

Best of all, it was only thirty bucks!

Friday Night with Lupe Fiasco

Sharon is taking me on a date tomorrow night: The Columbia College Manifest party, featuring a concert by Chicago's hottest new rapper Lupe Fiasco.

Check out Lupe on his website. His hit song is the skateboarding anthem Kick, Push.

UPDATE: It was a fun show, though the location (a parking lot next to the El tracks in the south Loop) could have been better. The crowd was mostly teens and 20-somethings, and when the DJ played some old-school rap during the intermission, I couldn't help thinking "Man, I was rocking these beats when y'all were still in diapers!"

Jason's Funky Blues

A little jam I cooked up one lazy Sunday...

Family Photos - April 2007

First Post

Welcome to "MC Whitebread", the official website of Jason McAllister.

I finally stepped into the 21st Century and started my own blog. I plan to fill it with family photos and video, as well as links to my favorite websites, video clips, movies, music, books, and more.

Feel free to comment. And have yourself a great day!

~~jason

p.s. Here is my ever-changing "playlist" of music videos on YouTube: