I got a few more stickers for the truck, some Buffalo Bill postcards, and was really tempted to fork over $25 bucks for some cow horns to put on the front of the ol' truck but talked myself out of it. A few hours later I made it to Boulder. The last 100 miles or so of the drive was through open cattle country of the Great Plains.... very few trees, only grass and gentle hills for mile after mile. As I approached Boulder, the Rockies were shourded in a dark mist of clouds and rain but I awoke this morning to their full splendor. I am looking forward to my days here in the mountains.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Fort Collins, Nebraska
I didn't spend but a few minutes at this roadside museum and attraction and the video pretty much sums it up. It was Buffalo Bills Wild West Show at the Fort Collins Interstate 80 exit. Obviously a tourist trap.
Finally... A video of the Cubs at Wrigley
Finally got the video footage from my day at the ballpark posted online. My cousin Chas, his friend Fred, my Uncle Chuck and I all had a great day at the game. It was great weather and was one of the most fun days I have had so far on the trip.
We drank a ton of beer that day (as some may be able to tell) and biked all over the city. It was a blast! I hope to catch a Rockies game while I am in Denver/Boulder and lets all hope that the Cubs keep on winning.
Playing Pinball in Iowa
Hello all! Below is a short video showing the antique pinball machine that has been in the Szymoniak Family since the 1970's. I don't really know the true story of how it ended up at my grandparent's house and there are two competing stories I have heard in the past week. One is that my grandfather just showed up with it one day a long time ago. Another is that my Uncle Tom bought it for $25 dollars from a kid named Benny in the neighborhood. Supposedly my uncle was babysitting this kid at the time. I am inclined to believe the first story, cuz my uncle's story had and element of bullshit to it! Anyway, the pinball game was at my aunt's house for the last decade or so, but now will reside at my brother's house in Bagdad, FL. If anybody wants to try it out just give my brother a call.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Like a Bullet Across Nebraska...
Hey, just thought I would post a quick update before I roll out for Boulder, Colorado to stay with my old friend and former roommate Greg. Tomorrow morning (Monday) I will leave Des Moines and drive about 9 hours across Iowa and Nebraska before begging my climb into the Rockies. Tomorrow I am going to drive straight through... no stops and virtually no turns as I cross vast stretches of farmland planted in the flat and fertile Great Plains. I have heard the drive across Nebraska is pretty bland... not looking forward to it. Somebody told me this... "You have to hate Nebraska before you can love it," and I suppose tomorrow I might experience the former. Recently, I heard someone call the melancholy of the Midwest "The Plains." It is the feeling synonymous to "The Blues" of the South. I am excited to hit the open road again tomorrow and I am looking forward to entering the true West. More videos are on the way. Hit me up in the comment section if you know what I mean when I say I am suffering from a case of the plains.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Gorham, Illinois Update
Here is a quick picture of the original "Gorham" sign. If you don't know what I am talking about check out the previous post on the town of Gorham, Illinois. This sign is hanging in my cousin's farm house in Illinois not far from where my mom grew up.
Been a while...
Well, this is my first update in the past few weeks and I apologize for taking so long to get something out on the Internet for everybody. I have been outta touch with a lot of people, but I hope everyone is doing well. Hit me up in the comments section and let me know what you have been up to.
Since the last update a lot has happened. I was in New York city for 12 days. I had a blast and it was great to see my friends and family too. I traveled by ferry to the Statue of Liberty and also to Ellis Island. It was really interesting to read (in their own words) the accounts of why the immigrants risked it all to come to America. Some came to escape religious persecution, others to evade famine, some to seek gold and riches, and others for their myriad reasons. On a side note, all the entrepreneurs (shop owners, florists, restaurant owners) in New York city are foreigners. You hear so many languages just by walking down the street in the city. Parts of family emigrated from Norway and Poland and my ancestors definitely came through Ellis Island. The officials actually "Americanized" my last name and changed the spelling (just slightly). Makes you wonder how crazy it must have looked before the changes.
My Uncle treated a friend and I to dinner in his old neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen and then to a Broadway Play - Reasons to Be Pretty. The play was OK, but I wasn't too thrilled with it. There were several very heated scenes where the actors/actresses did a remarkable and invigorating job on stage, but overall the play didn't move me. It was kinda dark and definitely not too heart warming. In summary, it was kinda like life beats you up and gets you down sometimes...
A week later my friend and I went to another play that I enjoyed much more. It was a tragi-comedy called August: Osage County. I was set in rural Oklahoma where a family was reunited after the disappearance and death of the family's patriarch. A three hour play, with three separate acts, showcased one of America's most dysfunctional families. I thought it was very well written and would recommend it if you were in the mood for something raw and emotional with a dash of wit and wisdom mixed in.
I also enjoyed several museums, great food, nice long walks, central park, lotsa bars/pubs, and toured the United Nations Headquarters. People watching in the city is unparalleled. It was great to visit the city, but I am unsure if I could really live there. Its a tough town- you have to be a certain kind of person to cut it. I would need some serious motivation to live and work in the "city that never sleeps". If I was just lackadaisically floating along in life, I wouldn't do it in this city. While New York has everything to offer; great culture and probably the worlds greatest cuisine, there are some downfalls too. There is never a moment of true privacy and it seems to me that there is too much pressure, life is too fast paced, and the city is too cold (both literally- winter would kill me- and figuratively- New Yorkers lack compassion and have a very matter-of-fact outlook on life). Plus, the city is one of the most expensive places on Earth. Overall, its probably better to visit, than to make your life in the Big Apple. Don't get me wrong though... I really did enjoy my trip to New York.
Upon returning to Chicago, my cousin, my uncle, and I attended a Chicago Cubs baseball game at Wrigley Field. It was an awesome, warm, sunny day and the Cubs won (Does it get any better?) We rode bikes all over Wrigleyville and even made it down to Lake Michigan that night and really tied one on. It was a blast and was one of the most fun days I have had on this trip (so far)! We also took a little weekend trip over to Michigan and had a bonfire with some of my cousin's old college buddies.
Unfortunately, the road trip hit a little speed bump last weekend... my grandmother suffered a massive stroke and passed away this week. I was planning on visiting her in Des Moines, Iowa and I made it to her bedside before she passed. I was able to say goodbye to her and I was thankful that she hung on long enough for me to tell her how important she was to me and how much she will be missed. I truly love and respect my grandmother and she will continue to be an inspiration in my life- Elaine Szymoniak was a woman who made a difference (In the comments section I will attach her obituary if anyone is interested in checking it out). A former city council member and Iowa State Senator, she was a very cool old lady who loved whitewater rafting and camping out under the stars. Today (also her 89th birthday) was her funeral and she will be missed, but I am also happy because she lived an awesome, full, healthy, happy, and meaningful life. No need to be sad when we look back and see all of the amazing things that she was a part of. Take care all and I hope to get some more videos and updates posted soon. Sorry that this post is sooooo long!!!
P.S. For a video on my grandmother follow this link to the local news station. The video should load up in the upper right hand corner of the screen. It should probably be hosted on their website for several more days.
http://www.kcci.com/news/19528629/detail.html
Since the last update a lot has happened. I was in New York city for 12 days. I had a blast and it was great to see my friends and family too. I traveled by ferry to the Statue of Liberty and also to Ellis Island. It was really interesting to read (in their own words) the accounts of why the immigrants risked it all to come to America. Some came to escape religious persecution, others to evade famine, some to seek gold and riches, and others for their myriad reasons. On a side note, all the entrepreneurs (shop owners, florists, restaurant owners) in New York city are foreigners. You hear so many languages just by walking down the street in the city. Parts of family emigrated from Norway and Poland and my ancestors definitely came through Ellis Island. The officials actually "Americanized" my last name and changed the spelling (just slightly). Makes you wonder how crazy it must have looked before the changes.
My Uncle treated a friend and I to dinner in his old neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen and then to a Broadway Play - Reasons to Be Pretty. The play was OK, but I wasn't too thrilled with it. There were several very heated scenes where the actors/actresses did a remarkable and invigorating job on stage, but overall the play didn't move me. It was kinda dark and definitely not too heart warming. In summary, it was kinda like life beats you up and gets you down sometimes...
A week later my friend and I went to another play that I enjoyed much more. It was a tragi-comedy called August: Osage County. I was set in rural Oklahoma where a family was reunited after the disappearance and death of the family's patriarch. A three hour play, with three separate acts, showcased one of America's most dysfunctional families. I thought it was very well written and would recommend it if you were in the mood for something raw and emotional with a dash of wit and wisdom mixed in.
I also enjoyed several museums, great food, nice long walks, central park, lotsa bars/pubs, and toured the United Nations Headquarters. People watching in the city is unparalleled. It was great to visit the city, but I am unsure if I could really live there. Its a tough town- you have to be a certain kind of person to cut it. I would need some serious motivation to live and work in the "city that never sleeps". If I was just lackadaisically floating along in life, I wouldn't do it in this city. While New York has everything to offer; great culture and probably the worlds greatest cuisine, there are some downfalls too. There is never a moment of true privacy and it seems to me that there is too much pressure, life is too fast paced, and the city is too cold (both literally- winter would kill me- and figuratively- New Yorkers lack compassion and have a very matter-of-fact outlook on life). Plus, the city is one of the most expensive places on Earth. Overall, its probably better to visit, than to make your life in the Big Apple. Don't get me wrong though... I really did enjoy my trip to New York.
Upon returning to Chicago, my cousin, my uncle, and I attended a Chicago Cubs baseball game at Wrigley Field. It was an awesome, warm, sunny day and the Cubs won (Does it get any better?) We rode bikes all over Wrigleyville and even made it down to Lake Michigan that night and really tied one on. It was a blast and was one of the most fun days I have had on this trip (so far)! We also took a little weekend trip over to Michigan and had a bonfire with some of my cousin's old college buddies.
Unfortunately, the road trip hit a little speed bump last weekend... my grandmother suffered a massive stroke and passed away this week. I was planning on visiting her in Des Moines, Iowa and I made it to her bedside before she passed. I was able to say goodbye to her and I was thankful that she hung on long enough for me to tell her how important she was to me and how much she will be missed. I truly love and respect my grandmother and she will continue to be an inspiration in my life- Elaine Szymoniak was a woman who made a difference (In the comments section I will attach her obituary if anyone is interested in checking it out). A former city council member and Iowa State Senator, she was a very cool old lady who loved whitewater rafting and camping out under the stars. Today (also her 89th birthday) was her funeral and she will be missed, but I am also happy because she lived an awesome, full, healthy, happy, and meaningful life. No need to be sad when we look back and see all of the amazing things that she was a part of. Take care all and I hope to get some more videos and updates posted soon. Sorry that this post is sooooo long!!!
P.S. For a video on my grandmother follow this link to the local news station. The video should load up in the upper right hand corner of the screen. It should probably be hosted on their website for several more days.
http://www.kcci.com/news/19528629/detail.html