DeanInChicago

Though I had strawberry last summer, this summer I will try chocolate. Band Day is also worth checking out. The Indiana state fairgrounds are at 38th and Fall Creek Parkway.

Interests: Yellowstone, Everglades, and Yosemite National Parks Monthly megabus rides to Indy or Milwaukee Presidential Museums/Libraries Steppenwolf Theatre Saturday mornings at the diner Creating Purim Carnival games JCC Summer Camps folding fitted sheets and Hot Dog Knock Knock Jokes Knock. Knock. Who's there? catsup: catsup Who? Catsup a tree, call the fire department bun: bun Who? Bun who had a great chariot race relish: relish Who? Relish I was an Oscar Mayer weiner onion: onion Who? Onion had a blue ox named Babe mustard: mustard Who? Mustard after a big meal

In recent years, my favorite change is having no judges on the field during the first few weeks of the season.

My Top Ten favorite souvenirs from the past several years ... 1. Phantom Regiment note cards (4 different pictures in a box of 12) 2. Glassmen note cards (the corps at the Eiffel Tower) 3. Santa Clara Vanguard Bingo Playing Cards (now available at SCV Bingo Hall, Space Park Dr) 4. Cavalier ear rings and Cavalier ashtrays. 5. Chicagoland Goodwills, Village Thrifts, and Salvation Armys -- for discarded Cavaliers shirts 6. Drum Corps World summertime editions - always a great read 7. Show Posters - Troopers, SCV, Spirit 8. Front Pages of Jackson MS newspaper from Finals Week - every day a color picture and full article 9. "A Corps Line" memo pads - a take off of "A Chorus Line", but corps members instead of dancers 10. Pitch-in gas money containers. My least favorite souvenir: The '1972' DCI shirts.

A Chicago dance team that performed in straitjackets last month has drawn criticism from a mental health advocate who said the outfits displayed insensitivity toward people with mental disorders. The Robert Morris University competitive dance team wore the costumes, which included wild, frizzy hair and dark eye makeup, at a national contest in Minnesota. Chrisa Hickey, a Barrington [iL] mother whose 16-year old son has schizoaffective disorder, complained to the school after she saw an online photo of the dancers last week. "It's accepted as entertainment," she said. "But if you've seen your kid restrained and medicated because he's having a complete psychotic break, it wouldn't be entertaining." Robert Morris President Michael Viollt said the costumes were inappropriate and will not be worn again. Outfits for the dance team, which until now have not been approved by the school, will go through the same committee that approves the uniforms of sports teams, he said. He said mental health awareness at Robert Morris is conducted mostly in classes dealing with the subject but added that the university will consider any changes that might help to increase sensitivity toward people with disorders. "We will look into the whole gamut of it," he said. The incident illustrates a growing effort to combat what some feel are demeaning or frightening iamges of people with mental illnesses. "There's a general stigma of blaming the individual for the illness, and that makes people afraid to go and get treatment, afraid of being labeled 'one of those people' with the straitjacket and the frizzy hair," said Suzanne Andriukaitis, of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Greater Chicago. Posted in Red Eye, a Chicago (Tribune Company newspaper), May 15, 2011 (end of article, start of discussion) This really got my goat this morning when I read this article. Dance, drum corps, bands, WGI ... they are all art forms, and I welcome all shows that challenge and present difficult material. (But hey, I like well done fluff too.) Blue Stars ingeniously used straitjackets in the opening of their 2010 Houdini show. How can you handle a flag with one arm tied behind your back? Several years ago, the Cadets recreated the September 11 image of the three men hoisting the American flag at Ground Zero. And more recently, when the nation debated the use of the "Pledge of Allegiance" in our schools, the Cadets included the full pledge in their show. I have seen three high school marching band shows whose theme was the Oklahoma City bombing. All terrific, poignant programs. A few years ago, one of the winter guards had a beautiful Flight 93 show. Drum corps programs (and all pageantry arts) can tackle heavy subjects ... to enlighten, to inspire, to build awareness, and to teach.

So I am new to these WGI shows - but what is the deal on buying concessions and then not being able to take the snacks to your seat? At the March 5-6 Kettering/Dayton Regional show, food and drink were not allowed inside the arena. Though I did see judges with drinks and sandwiches, why weren't we common folk allowed to take in food? Did something happen at an event to put this silly policy into place? Did a Zydeco Bad Guy slip on a nacho? Did a groovy Avon performer fall on a slice of Domino's?

Since Omaha (I'll still attend the regular show July 10) is no longer a Tour of Champions show, I bought a $27 Rockford ticket last night, row 24. I love being in small stadiums - Michigan City's Ames Field is one of my favorites. I've been to Rockford's Show of Shows just once before - several years ago. Looking forward to returning! If the August 7 TOC show winds up being at the Meadowlands, there may be high ticket prices for the venue, and high parking prices too. The Rockford show on Sunday, July 17 will be one of the best drum corps value of the summer. Venues like Allentown, Michigan City and Rockford have great prices since the intimate stadiums are not at all NFL-caliber. Secret best parking at Allentown: behind the grandstands, past the cemetery, on Chew. It's terrific, free, curbside, and easy walking distance through a peaceful alley. There is usually a cat in one of the neighbor windows as you meander to and from the stadium.

Mmmm, you're making me hungry for a giant snowcone! Tickets purchased 10/7/2010 at 8 AM. Will be mailed out after January 2011. $57.50 2-night total. Section R, top center section, top row, Row 15, Seat 20 Nope. These tickets have not yet been mailed out.

Thankfully, I can take the Megabus roundtrip from Chicago to Indy. The bus greatly reduces my gas expenses. Often, I can land a roundtrip from $2.50 to $20.50. Book early at megabus.com, and there are 6-7 daily busses between Chicago and Indy. In Chicago, the bus departs near Union Station on Canal. In Indy, the bus stops on Washington St just east of Delaware -- at the City/County Building. The bus prices are higher the later you book. This saves me big bucks: I will bus down on Satuday, August 13, see the show, then bus back early Sunday morning, August 14.

My resistance to the Meadowlands grows. I can not imagine the parking fees. Instead, I will enjoy the Tour of Champions, Sunday, July 17 in Rockford, in an intimate, small stadium with free parking.

June 25 Grand Rapids MI - 24 hour car rental from Midway July 2 Michigan City IN - carpool with Judy and Sharon July 9 Denver CO - redeem Southwest Luv Voucher* July 10 Omaha NE (Tour of Champions) - redeem Southwest Luv Voucher* Aug 5 Allentown PA - redeem free Southwest roundtrip via Philadelphia Aug 6 Allentown PA Aug 7 New Jersey (Tour of Champions) Aug 13 Indianapolis - megabus * After last July's awful weather in Minneapolis, I volunteered to take a later returning flight to Chicago. As the flight was more than 2 hours later, the airline gives you $300 to use within a year PLUS the value of your postponed flight. The $300 was a great consolation prize for missing several corps at TCF Bank Stadium. Annually, I fly a free roundtrip into Philly for the Allentown show, courtesy of the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards program. This July, I am missing Minneapolis as Elizabeth is having her Bat Mitzvah on July 16, 2011.

Looking forward to two Tour of Champions shows; Omaha July 10, and now Jersey.

There are several reasons why I loved BOA again this year. 1. Broken Arrow's majestic Cowardly Lion with its large royal purple cape. 2. LD Bell's soldier musicians quickly leaving the field one-by-one at show's end, then the lone trumpeter playing Taps. 3. Tarpon Springs's driving beat in its paranormal show. 4. Band parent t-shirts. 5. The Marian Catholic nuns in the stands. 6. Just a dollar each way from Chicago on the megabus. 7. You can easily have an awesome seat in section 240 on the 50 for $65, instead of $125 for DCI finals.

The UMASS band is keeping its commitment this weekend to take a road trip to Ann Arbor. May all of our collective thoughts and cheers be with them.

Actually, the three of us ended up at Hard Rock Cafe, as Ram and Alcatraz were no longer serving food. When we reached the Hard Rock, the kitchen had taken its last orders, so we sat at the bar and had two rounds of drinks.

I forgot a blue sweatshirt at Madison DCI finals one year, and forgot a hat at DCA in Rochester. If the events are together, I will have twice the opportunity to lose more clothes.

I am volunteering at the Vanguard bingo hall November 5, so I will ask the triple card holders what they think.

Indianapolis attendance would be higher if there were more restaurants open up after the champion encore. Scott, Ann, and I don't want to eat at Steak 'n' Shake every year.

I find myself singing all the time that wonderful "Six Flags" 30-second commercial ditty with the elderly bald man dancing.

I am the backward one here. I do not have a cell phone, nor air conditioning, nor a DVD player, nor a car, nor a wristwatch, nor any clue what you are talking about. How about we talk about breakfast cereal or beer?

Denver gets my vote.

If nobody is going to do a DISCO show, then GLEE may be the closest we ever get.

Congratulations to the entire Top Twelve. A special shout out to the five corps who increased their scores from Semis to Finals: Phantom Regiment, 92.95 to 93.15 Cadets, 94.85 to 95.10 Crown, 95.35 to 95.95 Cavaliers, 97.25 to 97.75 Blue Devils, 98.05 to 98.90

This happens to me at the theatre all the time. Billy Elliot is dancing away, the audience loves it, and starts clapping. Suddenly, I can not hear the orchestra playing. I can not watch the Oscars with friends, cause I am one of those geeks who wants to listen to every introduction and every speech. When you watch with a group, it is "Oh she was in such and such, and now she is dating what's his name," a viewer will say, and I end up missing the resplendent words by Natalie Portman or what's her face. At the Symphony, most of Chicago knows not to applaud between movements, but then there are always those eager patrons at the end who start clapping before the conductor drops the baton. Kiss that sweet resolution good-bye. Serenity now ! Perhaps it is all in the timing. There are 150 minutes at Billy Elliot to clap, more than 3 hours of Academy Awards, and just a few moments of patience 'til the conductor drops the baton. At a drum corps show, there is so little time! What is it, 10 or 12 minutes? I need to get my clapping in quickly and often.

Kudos to the Cadets Souvenir Trailer. Thank you for the complimentary I heart Geoffrey button handed out at Finals.