Property

After my dad’s surgery, while he attempted to read a magazine, he told me to build a home. I sat at his bedside in the hospital, nodded my head, rose from my chair and gave him a kiss on his bandaged bald head. I then sat down. After he went home to Lake Bluff and we all knew he wouldn’t make a recovery I, for the first time in my life, decided to take his advice. Upon my return to Alaska I began looking at property.

Today I bought a piece of land. Next year we’ll begin construction.

Iron Maiden

Attended Iron Maiden’s “The Final Frontier” Tour at Auburn’s White River Amphitheater last night. Setlist was pretty straight forward but it was a bit heavy on their recent songs. I admit, I’m not too familiar with these songs.

1. The Wicker Man ‘Brave New World’ 2000
2. Ghost Of The Navigator ‘Brave New World’ 2000
3. Wrathchild ‘Killers’ 1981
4. El Dorado ‘Final Frontier’ 2010
5. Paschendale ‘Dance of Death’ 2003
6. The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ 2006
7. These Colours Don’t Run ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ 2006
8. Blood Brothers ‘Brave New World‘ 2000
9. Wildest Dreams ‘Dance of Death’ 2003
10. No More Lies ‘Dance of Death’ 2003
11. Brave New World ‘Brave New World’ 2000
12. Fear Of The Dark ‘Fear of the Dark’ 1992
13. Iron Maiden ‘Iron Maiden’ 1980

As for the encore, well, if you haven’t heard these songs then you’ve got some problems.

1. The Number of the Beast ‘The Number of the Beast’ 1982
2. Hallowed Be Thy Name ‘The Number of the Beast’ 1982
3. Running Free ‘Iron Maiden’ 1980

So, overall, this was a good show. At times Bruce Dickenson’s age (51) betrayed his enthusiasm as his voice was lacking at times. Nicko McBrain did (as usual) a great job on the drums. Dave Murray’s face was continually on the big video screen during the concert. I’ve never really paid much attention to his guitar style but it really struck me more like a blues-rock player than Janick Gers who is a straight-up heavy metal guitarist. Gers just acts like a heavy metal rocker on stage. Of course Adrian Smith and Steve Harris were their typical great selves. Can’t go wrong with Steve Harris galloping through the notes on his bass.

Glioblastoma Multiforme

I sit here again in a Illinois hospital as a loved one lays in intensive care. I cannot seem to escape the gravitational pull of Illinois hospitals with my family members as patients.

Arriving yesterday at 6:00 p.m. after a long flight from Alaska I was confronted with another horrific example of the frailties of human life. He lay there, barely able to breath on his own, with eyes partially open. He just came out of surgery – a craniotomy – and was very tired. He smiled and was able to squeeze my hand in his. He was orientated to both time and place. He needed rest so we left for the night.

A 2:30 a.m. phone call woke me up. The ICU nurse told me he was having trouble breathing on his own so he was intubated. After a quick shower we drove over to the hospital. Asleep, a propofol drip running into his left arm. One of several lines attached to him; feeding him, hydrating him, giving him oxygen. All day spent at his side. I learned that it wasn’t all that uncomfortable sleeping in a chair with my head on the plastic bed rail propped up by my crossed arms.

Hours passed. An attempt to let him breath more on his own the oxygen in the ventilation tube was reduced. The result was not encouraging. A few hours later they raised the oxygen levels back up. The propofol drip was turned-off so he could be better monitored. Pain developed.

Other family showed-up so I went to his house to check the mail and newspaper. Cleaned-up a little bit. Then it was back to the hospital. Now here I sit typing in the dark. Nurse shift change is soon. He wants his propofol drip turned back on. Soon we will go home for a few hours after the nurse shift change. We will come back; perhaps again at 3:00 a.m. or maybe just at 6:00 a.m. and begin this anew.

Sad Serious of Events

Last December a jury convicted Derrick Wren of murdering his friend Adam Calderon in cold-bold. I worked on that case for several years and was one of the trial prosecutors. During the month long trial I got to know Adam’s family – the Matos family – as they sat through it. Edwin Matos was Adam’s brother. Edwin had a young son. Yesterday Edwin was murdered at a local mall. So sad. Such a sad serious of tragic events.

I feel really awful for the Matos family, for Edwin’s girlfriend, and for his kid.

Fun in the Snow

Finished my trial a couple weeks ago. Jury convicted the defendant on all seven counts. It’s so nice to be in trial again and not have to worry about all the supervisor duties for a few days. Having great co-workers who can step-in and take over the supervisor role for a short period of time is a Godsend.

Now I’m working on my next trial – a lengthy series of armed robberies and thefts perpetrated by two defendants. Got some really good defense attorneys on the opposing side and I’ve been allowed to have a second chair sit with me. She’s a younger prosecutor stuck toiling in the misdemeanor unit because we don’t have the same amount of office movement right now that facilitates promotions to one of the felony units. This will be great to have her working with me because, frankly, she’ll have more time to prepare the witnesses and (more importantly) will be a great resource to bounce ideas off of for opening, closing and protective orders. Two minds are always better than one in my book.

As for the snow; we’ve been stuck in 40 degree temps for the past week and a half. The slopes are nasty and icy so I’ve not been downhill skiing for a month now. Took up skate skiing instead. Finally dusted off last year’s purchase of Madshus skis and had a lesson on Saturday. Went out yesterday too after work by myself (not go well by the way) and have another lesson tomorrow. Super psyched about it.

Trial?

Last year it took me until the end of October before I had my first trial. I then spend 6 weeks in trial on two cases. It’s now the end of January and I should start a vehicle theft, eluding and felony assault on a police officer trial next week. I think it will be in front of a judge that I’ve done many trials in front of before against a defense counsel that knows his stuff. Hopefully trial will last only 5 days (including jury selection) but the judge likes to take lots of breaks during the trial day so I won’t hold my breath on how long it will last.