Dude, Check This Out: Acid King

Sometimes when fall rolls around you feel different about things. You give up your summer shandy for a dark, dark ale, for example. Or you put away the light, bright summer clothes and get out the earthtone sweaters and flannels. And maybe, responding to that slight feeling of melancholy you just can't shake, you switch from listening to that annoying popular music and settle in with some long, long tracks of stoner metal.

Or is that just me?

Well, if it's you, too, I've got just what you're looking for.

When we lived in Chicago we used to go to Busse (buss-ee) Woods, a Forest Preserve not too far from our apartment. When the boys were toddlers we had expensive bikes and one of those cool bike trailers for kids, and we'd go on long rides through the park. We loved it.

The bikes got stolen. But when the boys were older I used to take them to Busse Woods to fish in the many ponds, which were teeming with stunted bluegill. And yes, I caught them on a fly rod. We had some fun.

Not too long ago I discovered this album. Busse Woods?! Could it be the same Busse Woods?

Yep, it could. This is Lori S. Just Lori S. When she was a teenager she and her friends used to hang out at Busse Woods with their trunks open selling drugs. Until the cops put a stop to it. Or so the story goes. I'm pretty sure there were some other teens carrying on the tradition when we were there.

When Lori grew up she moved to San Francisco and founded the band Acid King in 1993. Hey, beetles!

She is lead guitarist, lyricist, and vocalist for the band. Busse Woods is their second studio album, released in 1999. Interestingly, that's the year we moved to Chicago and discovered Busse Woods for ourselves.

The album was reissued in 2004 with slightly different artwork.

It featured two new songs, both covers: "Motorhead" by Hawkwind, and "Not Fragile" by Bachman-Turner Overdrive, my all-time most-disliked band. See "annoying popular music" above. But I like Lori's version. The original album had another unlikely cover: "39 Lashes" by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice from Jesus Christ Superstar.

So go to the woods with Lori. It's not going to be what you expect. But it could be just what you need.

Family Post: Holiday Greetings!

Holiday Greetings! I hope your holidays are going well. Ours have been great, if just a bit unusual.

On Christmas Eve morning we went to an annual pancake breakfast. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, and fresh venison sausage from the October hunt. A delicious Christmas tradition.

During the day we packed, then went to our Christmas Eve Service at 11. By the time everyone said goodbye it was Christmas.

Everyone else went home to bed and visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads. We hit the road, driving through the night to the Spokane airport. We were fortunate to have good roads all the way, though we hit many patches of heavy fog. At 6 AM Christmas morning we were airborne. We hopped to Seattle, then took a puddlejumper to Portland, and finally headed in the right direction for our destination.

And there we were, in Chicago. We spent seven years here before moving West, and Kim's brother and sister and their families are here. And it's a great city to visit. On Christmas night Kim and her brother and the boys went to the United Center to see the Bulls get trounced by the Rockets. There were only four tickets, so I watched it on TV during those moments when I could keep my eyes open.

The next day we caught up on our sleep, and then the whole family caught the Blue Line down to the Loop, something we enjoyed doing when we lived here.

Some of us enjoyed stopping at the Nike store on Michigan Avenue, four floors of sports glitz.

And we all liked ending up at "The Bean" in Millennium Park.

Isaiah complained about all the pictures I was taking, so I made the comment that we were "tourists just like everyone else." Isaiah said, "We aren't tourists!" And he's right.

Isaiah was born here--the Blue Line goes right past the hospital where he came into the world-- and this is where the boys formed their earliest memories and started school. Many times over those seven years we hopped the Blue Line and explored the Loop and the lakefront. So we aren't tourists, we're pilgrims, coming back to the scenes of our former life.

We'll be here until Saturday when we head south to see family in Indiana. Chicago certainly has its attractions--but, let's face it, nothing like the newest member of the family, Granddaughter Iris.