One thing I believe in, you are never too old to learn. Recently I spent a weekend in Los Angeles attending
the “Making the A List” workshop given by Pat Fraley .

Pat has voiced literally hundreds of animated characters, and has most recently appeared as a regular character on the “Til Death” TV series. You can see Pat’s impressive credit list at IMDB

Scott Brick also provided instrucion and direction in audiobook narration at the workshop. Scott is one of the most well known and sought after audiobook narrators in the business. If you have never heard one of his narrations, you are truly missing out. See all he has available at Audible.com

Finally, the great Ed Asner provided acting tips and instruction at the workshop. Most recently Ed performed the voice of Carl Fredrickson in the Pixar animated film “Up”. Ed’s impressive 50 year history of acting is listed at IMDB

It was the best instruction in voice acting I have received. In the morning I spent a session in world famous Buzzy’s Recording Studio with Ed Asner, acting out an animated scene while Pat Fraley provided direction. So very informative, the man was so impressive. I was the first from the class to work with Ed so needless to say I was a bit nervous. But he was great and so was Pat and everything was supurb.

In the early afternoon, I got to work on my audiobook narration skill with Scott Brick and Pat Fraley providing direction. After a shakey start (nerves), I was able to give a performance I could be proud of. Scott commented that I had good natural instincts and was terrific, Pat told me I did a great job. Audiobook narration is my first love and this was the best part ofthe day for me.

In the late afternoon we moved on to commercial work. Pat Fraley directed us in groups of two in an advertisement. So many tips and tecniques were passed to us, that it makes my previous work seem amaturish in comparison. Pat, Scott, and Ed reminded me that it was all about the acting and I thank them for their patient instruction.

Deep down I bleed Cubbie Blue. But back in 1993 I was rooting for the White Sox as they were marching their way to the playoffs.

At the time I was working for Raytheon Service Company, and was in my office one morning when I heard a contest on the radio, I believe it was WGN? or WBBM? OR WMAQ? Anyhow, the contest was: Write a jingle for the Chicago White Sox and win a trip to see the Sox play the Blue Jays in Toronto for Game 4 of the American League Championship Series.

Well, I try to be a creative person so I decided to write a jingle and enter the contest. So I wrote 2 of them. You had to call and sing your jingle on an answering machine and then they would select the best one on the air. I called and left both of them and forgot all about it.

A couple of weeks later I got a message on my voice mail to call the station. They told me that my two entries had won first and third place in the contest and that I was going to Toronto. Of course, they had done the whole thing on the air and I had missed it, so I’ve never heard how it actually went.

I decided to take my boy Brian who had just turned six a few weeks before. I remember getting dropped off at the airport and boarding a plane filled with other White Sox fans. It was Saturday, October 9th. Brian had a blast on the plane and everyone was in a great mood. We arrived in Toronto and went through customs which took like two hours and really sucked. Remember, this was 1993, I have no idea what it is like now. Finally a chartered bus took us to the Skydome and we were there.

I don’t remember a lot about Toronto. It was my only trip out of the country (ever). I remember it being like a big city, only somewhat cleaner, and wondering of they would take American money at the McDonalds outside the park. Luckily, they did (Thanks Canada!) and we got a bite before going in.

We finally went into the ball park, and sat in our seats. We were in the front row of the right field bleachers and it was great. Everyone in our section was a White Sox fan, which really helped. Before the game started the White Sox were out doing batting practice, and one of the guys in the field picked up a ball and jogged over near us. Everyone jumped up and started saying “Me…Me!” for the ball because it was obvious the guy was going to toss it to us. (I just wish I could remember who it was) Brian had brought his B-Ball glove and reached his hands out over the right field wall. I reached my hands out around him and under his to help just in case.

Well, the guy pointed to Brian and tossed the ball, I helped him catch it and he screamed and waved the ball like the happiest kid on the planet. It was a very cool dad moment.

We spent the game watching and screaming and Brian was so excited that everyone around us joined in and we had a great time. Of course, it helped that the Sox won 7-4 that game.
After the game the bus took us right back to the airport and we got on a plane home that same day. We were really bushed, especially Brian, and he slept on the plane the whole way back. It was truly a magical day.

The Sox went on to lose the playoffs, and the Blue Jays won the World Series that year.

What was the winning jingle you ask?
It is sung to the tune of “The Flintstones” theme song.

“White Sox, meet the White Sox”
“They’re the team whose first name ends with E”
“From the Windy City, they’re about to go make history”

“Let’s ride with the family to the park”
“Hope I don’t get mugged when it gets dark”

“When you see the White Sox”
“Have a screaming in your ear time”
“Four dollar beer time”
“We’ll have a gay old time!”

Today, February 10th, at 4:00 am, I experienced my first earthquake.

It was a 4.3 magnitude quake that lasted about 4 seconds, and woke me from a dead sleep.

I realize that this is an infant of the earthquake world, that most Californians wouldn’t even turn over in their sleep if they felt this quake. I, however, am from the midwest. Chicago to be specific. We don’t get earthquakes. In all of my 42 years I don’t remember ever experiencing an earthquake.

I woke to feel the house tremble and the sound of a distant explosion, almost immediately it was followed by another distant explosion and house shake. I thought “What the hell was that?” and got out of bed to make sure World War 3 hadn’t started. To describe the actual feel of it, it was like a transformer blew up maybe half a block away, which I have experienced before. My wife also woke up, looked at me and said, “What the hell was that?” to which I shrugged my shoulders. I looked all over the house to make sure everything was ok, and all was fine so I headed back to bed.

My wife says “Maybe it was an earthquake”, to which I scoff of course, and went back to sleep.

In an hour I was up again getting ready for work, my wife had stayed awake and discovered (via mobile phone internet capability) that it had indeed been an earthquake, that she was again right, and that I am again not too bright.

The epicenter was in Sycamore, which is just a few miles from us, and the reason it woke us out of sleep.

I am aware that there are faults in Illinois, and I knew a quake had hit back in 2008 in Southern Illinois, but what is really going on here? This is Illinois for cripes sake!

Well, here is some interesting Illinois earthquake info:

DAMAGING EARTHQUAKES IN ILLINOIS

Earthquakes occur in Illinois about once every year. But damaging quakes are much less frequent.

Minor damage from Illinois earthquakes is reported about once every 20 years.

Serious damage from earthquakes occurs every 70 to 90 years.

Devastating earthquakes are very rare in the central US, occurring about once every 700 to 1200 years.

The last strong earthquake to strike the Midwest happened on Halloween (Oct. 31) 1895.

The quake, centered just south of Illinois in Charleston, Missouri, had an estimated magnitude of 6.8 on the Richter scale.

It was felt as far away as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Topeka, Kansas.

(Source: EARTHQUAKE FACTS – Illinois State Geological Survey 1995-2 Department of Natural Resources)

Read More about the Halloween Earthquake of 1895 HERE

But what is the strongest earthquake in Northern Illinois you ask? What is the biggest one to shake the Windy City?

The biggest I could find was this little tidbit:

The largest earthquake to be located in northern Illinois is the mb ~ 5.1 Aurora earthquake of May 26, 1909. Its epicenter remains ambiguous with estimates ranging from south of Aurora to the Wisconsin border and from Du Page County to the Rock River valley. As the strongest earthquake presumed to be close to Chicago, determination of the epicenter and intensity of this event is critical for hazard assessment in northern Illinois. (Source: 2008 GSA abstract)

Now this isn’t good news for me, because I currently live about 2 miles from Aurora, and the USGS report says we get some serious damage from earthquakes every 70-90 years. So we are overdue, GASP!!!!!!

I know it is small potatoes to the rest of the world, and that thousands have been killed in the most horrific quakes this year that have caused much death and devestation. To them I express my deepest sympathies and hope for a brighter tomorrow.