Charles B. Pierce, the man who gave us the cinematic gift The Legend of Boggy Creek, passed away over the weekend. My thoughts about all this forthcoming. Until then, here is an article about the filmmaker’s death.
]]> http://haydenandapryl.com/2010/03/08/rip-mr-charles-b-pierce/feed/ http://haydenandapryl.com/2010/03/06/baseball-is-back/ http://haydenandapryl.com/2010/03/06/baseball-is-back/#comments Sat, 06 Mar 2010 17:27:10 +0000 Hayden http://haydenandapryl.com/2010/03/06/baseball-is-back/

It might not be too exciting but spring baseball is here! You can catch split team action from the Sox and the Cubs on WGN today at 2pm.

Comic strip from Carl Skanberg.

The exhibit was quite impressive in it’s scope, covering even Eggleston’s early dabble into black and white photography (several examples from Memphis Sate programs). But the main attraction were the dye imbibition color prints, many of which were quite famous as album covers, including the new record from Spoon. I really wanted to take a photo of the display with LP’s from Big Star’s Radio City and Alex Chilton’s Like Flies on Sherbert but photography is only allowed in the permanent collections. Even so, here are few photos from the opening day of the exhibit:

William Eggleston’s rare appearance for the opening, which was met with fever of excitement from his fans.

Eggleston signs a copy of his latest monograph books, William Eggleston: Democratic Camera, Photographs and Video, 1961-2008

The screening display for Eggleston’s film Stranded in Canton which my friend John Olivio edited.

Snow is wonderful…

… unless you got to get somewhere. With the sun shinning, there should be some good melting today.

Typically, we don’t get guests during the winter months. But, for my dad, who actually enjoys the cold weather, it was the perfect time for a visit. Now, usually when my dad comes up, we attend a sporting event. But this time, we stayed clear of the arenas, and instead entertained ourselves with a series of tourist stops and dining adventures.

Below are some photos from my dad’s visit:

My dad shows off his Chicken Parmigiana from Da Luciano, a small Italian restaurant that known for having a separate, gluten-free kitchen.

Here’s my dad at Dan’s Tackle Service, an oddity of a fishing store found right in our neighborhood. My dad and Dan had a nice conversation about Arkansas fishing.

During the entire month of February, admission is free at the Art Institute of Chicago. As you can see, we took advantage of it. My favorite thing my dad said, while staring at Grant Wood’s American Gothic, was “this is the only one? This isn’t a copy?” Nope, it’s the real deal.

We finally ate at a Rick Bayless restaurant. The above photo is my chicken chorizo tacos from Frontera Fresco, located on the 7th floor of Macy’s (once Marshall Fields) on State Street.

On the left hand frame, you can see Apryl sharing information to my Dad about the Chicago Cultural Center.

Towards the end of our day on Saturday, we went to the SkyDeck at Willis Tower (better known at Sear’s Tower). This was our visit after the inclusion of The Ledge. My dad would not step foot out there for nothing. But Apryl and I did…

And, a short video:

Oh, and, I suppose I should share the view:

On Sunday, my dad and I visited the Chicago History Museum. Below, my dad points to where his seats were when he attend a White Sox game during a business trip in the 70’s at Old Comiskey Park.

Good seats!

Later that day, my dad and I ventured over to Montrose Harbor and caught this amazing view:

We also saw a few ice fishers:

That evening we watched the Saints win over the Colts while eating Chicago deep dish pizza from Lou Malnatis. Sorry, no evidence of this taking place.

On Monday morning, before my dad’s flight back home, we enjoyed a Chicago breakfast institute, Ann Sather. Below, their famous cinnamon rolls:

As always, it was nice spending time with my dad. I was hoping we would have snow blanketed over the city for him, but most of it was melted. There were a little flurries on his first night in town, but nothing compared to the 14 inches we are expected to have tonight, or the 8 inches expected when he arrived back in Memphis. Until next time…

Check out all the photos here.

Working at the Lakeview Polar Bear Plunge for The Weather Channel.

I can also be seen working here (photo 5).

It seems our neighborhood longs for the it’s past, gritty days when prostitutes, junkies, and criminals roomed the intersection of Milwaukee, North, and Damen. Hmm. Personally, I applaud the lack of such folks but could do without a bank on every corner. But that’s just me.

Curious about the title of this post? Here’s a clue.

Despite the fact that White Sox slugger (and one day Hall of Famer) Jim Thome wanted to return to the South Side, manager Ozzie Guillen opted against the idea, and now Thome has signed with… the Twinkies! And for a mere 1.5 million dollars! Ah, the truth is sad and hurtful. No more joking, “Thome wants a homey!”. All I can say is, Ozzie I hope you know what you are doing. And, Jim, I’m sorry to see you go. It was always a thrill to see you smack that ball around The Cell. I wish you all the best of luck at Target.

Follow the story from the fanatics.

Below, Thome’s lone homer prevails the Sox over the Twins and into the American League Division Series against the Rays in 2008: