Put me in, coach!

Future Detroit Lions Kicker,
Originally uploaded by jcroach.

Here's just a cute picture of Parker, getting ready for the big game.

Parker, Paul and Cooper at the Pumpkin Patch

Parker, Paul and Cooper at the Pumpkin Patch,
Originally uploaded by jcroach.

Here is a picture of the fun afternoon that we spent at the Freeman Family Farm Pumpkin Patch and Petting Zoo with our good friends Cooper and Paul (and their parents Dair and Jon). It was a great day!

New U2, just in time for Christmas

U2 just announced a new "best of" compilation to be released in November. Titled "U218 Singles," it will feature 16 of their best known songs and two new tracks produced by Rick Rubin at legendary Abbey Road Studios. One of the two songs will be their collaboration with Green Day on The Skids‚’ "The Saints Are Coming" that they recently performed live on ESPN's Monday Night Football. If you can't wait till November, you can download this track now from Rhapsody and Music Rising. Also anticipated is a limited edition version with a DVD of live performance from their concert in Milan on the Vertigo Tour. Stay tuned for a track listing!

Cincinnati Tall Stacks Festival

Also while in Cincinnati, we got a chance to check out the "Tall Stacks Festival." This was the 6th year for the riverfront food, music and history festival that celebrates the history of the paddle wheel steamboat. The OKI Conference reception was in a tent backstage of one of the main music stages. We were backstage for most of the performance of Junior Brown and then moved in front of the stage for the Del McCoury Band. We were there just one night so we missed such phenomenal acts as Al Green, Asleep at the Wheel, Buckwheat Zydeco, Buddy Guy, Dr. John, John Hiatt, Over the Rhine, Rhett Miller, and one of my all time favorites, Wilco.

Baby, if you've ever wondered...

I was in the beautiful "Queen City" of Cincinnati late last week for the biennial Indiana/Ohio/Kentucky regional planning conference. I know, sounds like a thrill a minute, but it really was good. The conference sessions were hit or miss, with most geared toward smaller communities. The best was one on redevelopment activities conducted by the University of Cincinnati and its surrounding neighborhoods, five hospitals and a host of community development corps. Makes me wonder what Bloomington would look like if IU got into this kind of development. Also interesting was the keynote address by Thomas Hilton, founder of "Save Our Land, Save Our Towns, Inc." He was just the cheerleader we needed as we left the conference and headed back to work. The worst part of the conference was the fact that the city's historic Fountain Square was all torn up for construction, but that didn't stop us from exploring the city and trying some of its world famous chili.