Fall Friday Photos From Residential Naperville

It’s Friday… it’s Fall… it’s raining, again… so the impulse moved me this afternoon to grab my camera and capture a couple of Fall images as a nice distraction form my work day.  Let’s call it a little bit of a residential Naperville photo essay.

I will warn you in advance that if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might not want to scroll down any farther.

World of Naperville is 70,670 Visits Strong

In 2006, I started this “little blog that could” about a very focused topic… a small town within a larger city of 147,000 people which I am proud to call home.  As of today, the World of Naperville has received 70,670 visitors.

Naperville is the type of place which cannot be defined by one or two brush strokes, which is largely why I wanted to create a place where the Naperville story could be told via my own point-of-view.  The saying holds true that you cannot judge a book by it’s cover and Naperville is no exception.

True community wealth is not measured by the average median income… it is measured by it’s people and their commitment to support and invest themselves within the community and beyond.  By this measure, Naperville stands strong.

iPhone Mobilecasting of Naperville Kid’s Sports Games Shortens Distance with Business Traveling Parents

As the world we live in continues to shrink, there are two inevitable realities regarding family life in Naperville.  Reality #1 is that the Fall months will be full of Saturday soccer and football games.  Reality #2 is try as we might, unwelcome conflicts with business travel schedules will eventually arise in the often heart-wrenching balance between kid’s activities and livelihood.

The good news is mobile technology has vastly improved our ability to shorten the distance between parents and kids when it comes to those occasional conflicts between business travel and kid’s activities.  More specifically, for me, the iPhone has enabled me to exercise a little creativity and ingenuity in what I call “mobilecasting” our kid’s sports Saturdays when my wife is out-of-town on business.

Mobilecasting is a combination of up-to-the-minute texting along with periodic email video clips before, during and after the game to my wife’s phone.  To me the fun part is turning loose my inner-sportscaster to provide plenty of light-hearted commentary to properly capture the priceless moments that can only be produced by a soccer team full of 5 year-olds and a football team “teaming” with 8 year-olds.

In turn, she is also able to text messages back to the boys after the game and, eventually, when she finally musters the courage to use her iPhone camera she can send video messages back.  Does it fully replace the classic memories that can only come from being there?  Is it a travesty that as parents we sometimes find ourselves out-of-town on business over the weekends?… absolutely.  But when business travel is required mobilecasting is almost like being there… almost.

How easy it is for us to beat ourselves up over being away from home and how easy it is for others to judge us for our absence from our families.  However, we must always keep in mind that here in 2009 our children were born into this world as “digital immigrants” with an ever-growing experimental curiosity about how we use technology to stay connected with each other… so live smart parents and cherish these days to their fullest… even if you are 2,000 miles away!

Association Publishing Magazine Features Composer and Filmmaker Stuart Meyer in September/October 2009 Issue

My advance apologies for the dreadfully ego-centric sounding headline above.  I simply wanted to make sure this posting was optimized for search engine results… or “SEO” as it is called… which translates into posting views and insures that this story might reach a wider audience.

As many of you know, I’ve spent the second half of this year making the transition toward living and sustaining my life purpose.  This wonderful article, written by the very talented Carla Kalogeridis, provides a deeper perspective on how I am working to translate my humbling gifts and talents into my daily vocation as composer, filmmaker and not-for-profit social media consultant.

Earlier this year, as a step along this journey, I voluntarily composed a theme song (click here to listen) for the Association Forum to be used as a source of motivation for all the not-for-profit association professionals out there who have weathered a very difficult year.  The title of the theme song is “Go the Distance” which pretty much says it all to anyone from any walk of life who has endured this year of economic heartbreak and setbacks.

Within the past couple of months, I was contacted by Association Publishing Magazine about their interest in writing an article about the story behind this piece of music.  If you click here you can read the full article.

As the journey continues, I also invite you to support my current documentary film project, Imprévu – The Kenneth von Heidecke Story, which is an inspiring story about a blue-collar Midwestern kid from Chicago who faces unimaginable triumph and tragedy in pursuing professional and international acclaim in the world of ballet.

When I first met Ken, I knew this was a powerful story that had to be told in a way that is as uniquely creative and as beautifully artistic as his life.  This film will not be your typical documentary, but rather an emotive and inspiring cinematic journey that well leave audiences reflecting, and hopefully acting upon their own inexhaustible purpose and calling in life.

Please join the official Imprévu film group on Facebook by clicking here where you can read our production diary dating back to 2008, listen to clips of film music I’ve composed and see our growing collection of production photos. I also welcome you to spread the word.

The Tale of a Perfect Date Night in Naperville, Complete with a Little Joy Yee and Tutto Dolce

As any of you with a young family will attest, it is truly a rare occasion when the planets align with the stars and moon to offer an evening window for a simple old-fashioned date, free of chicken tenders, plastic kid’s cups, broken crayons and other unexpected outbursts of fatigue-induced pint-size drama.  Simply put, date nights for husbands and wives make us much better moms and dads. 

With the Labor Day Weekend in full “Fling”, one such opportunity presented itself last evening.  Now your first assumption would be that we headed into Downtown Naperville for Last Fling, right?…BZZZZZZ… wrong!  While it was a tempting thought to walk along hand-in-hand amidst the twinkling lights of carnival midway and smell of powder-smothered funnel cakes riding upon the gentle September breeze, we opted to go a different direction all together in branching out to try somewhere entirely new… well at least new to us.

As you may recall, we moved to South Naperville last year and its now easy to understand the geographic divide between North and South given the route and commute times.  Nonetheless, the movie we wanted to see, 500 Days of Summer, was at AMC Cantera so we decided to head somewhere on the Northeast side of Naperville.  The choice was easy as I’d been wanting to go to Joy Yee’s Noodles, well, for about 4 years now. 

Located in Iroquois Center just west of Naper Blvd, Joy Yee’s Noodles lives up to its authentic pan-asian experience which I first learned about from WTTTW’ Check Please program ( click here to see the WTTW Check, Please video on Joy Yee’s location in Chinatown).  We headed over about 6:30 PM thinking that it would be a quiet Sunday evening.  To the contrary, as we pulled up we saw a crowd out front carefully examining over-sized menus.  Had the kids been in tow, we may have kept driving… but hey, this was date night and the world was our oyster… if only for a couple of hours.

Speaking of “pearls”, I will confess that I love fresh fruit smoothie/freeze drinks loaded with those large black tapioca pearls and completed with one extra-wide straw.  At Joy Yee’s, these drinks are a main event as the first thing you see when you walk in is the the wall of fresh fruits and the drink assembly station.  Though the place was packed, we were warmly greeted by the host and a bit surprised when he said the wait would be around 10 minutes.  He was right and soon we were seated among the sea of tapioca fruit freeze slurping humanity. 

The place was crowded and tables were packed close together, but I really liked this fact as it added to the charm of walking into the door of a Naperville restaurant that truly transports you to Chinatown.  Even more, the closer you are seated to others, the easier it is to quickly eyeball the dishes being served up as the commitment-averse should beware, Joy Yee’s menu is a bit mind-boggling with its wide assortment Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese and a touch of Chineese culinary offerings.

We started with, of course, a couple of fruit freeze drinks.   Mine was Strawberry and Lychee with a nice gob of tapioca pearls and my wife’s a Mango and Lychee minus the gelatinous chewy wonders.  My wife spent a number of weeks in China when she was in high school, which is where she developed a fond affection for the exotic tree-fruit lychee.  Perhaps the best part is that Joy Yee not only offers  quality and selection when it comes to the ”bubble” fruit freezes, but their prices in the $3.50 – $4.o0 range is great.  This should be a lesson to the other Asian restaurants in town that offer the same tapioca fruit smoothie drinks for $5.00 and up… and you know who you are.   

As we emerged from our disoriented menu-scanning haze, we were actually more confused than when we first opened the epic volume.  Knowing that we wanted to try a dish that we had never eaten before, we went with our gut instinct which was telling us a relentless blast of hunger was closing in on us, which drove us back to the first thing that caught our eye.  For me, it was the Spicy Korean Pork served on a hot plate and for my wife… well, it was a pot full of rice, beef, cabbage, hot sauce, onions and fried egg on top.  Both dishes were absolutely delicious and only got better as the flavors continued to combine before our eyes once the food reached the table. 

One word of caution, the innocent benign-looking slivers of dark green peppers hanging out on the spicy pork hot plate like a peaceful Friday night at the “Gas-n-Sip” are, in fact, sleeping volcanic daggers of tongue-numbing, head-melting shock waves which burn slowly through your mouth up to the top of your head like a slow-burning explosives fuse.   Once the cute little pepper has you in its merciless clutches, your only choice is to ride out its fury and hope the table next to you doesn’t spot the shower of sweat cascading off your sizzling forehead.

Despite my lapse in judgment as the other peppers on the plate mocked my foolishness for eating their little green cousin, the meal was absolutely delightful leaving us in antipation of our next trip to Joy Yee’s.  The good news continued when we received our bill, which was under $30… including our towering fresh fruit freezes.  A great all-around culinary and cultural experience, which left me lamenting the fact it has taken so long to check out Joy Yee’s. 

Upon emerging from the bright and colorful strip mall space into the crisp moonlit breeze, our only thought was to make the walk to our car as long as possible to “burn” a few minutes as we were still early for our movie time.  Two doors down from Joy Yee’s, we discovered another unexpectedly delightful experience in Tutto Dolce Gelato.  I mentioned to my wife that it might be nice to have something to cleanse the pallet as she said, “what, the giant fruit freeze wasn’t enough?”.   A point well taken, but still we had time to kill and I love checking out new Naperville spots. 

Now I’ve had gelato locally and in Europe which leaves me a bit spoiled, but Tutto Dolce really impressed me in its quality and variety.  The other factor that really impressed me was the service as the owner was more than happy to patiently serve as our host in providing samples from one end of the freezer case to the other.  We talked about the gelato-making process and the fact his humble-yet-affordable strip mall location enables him to spend more money on quality ingredients.  You can see the passion and creativity in Tutto Dolce, which we were told has been around a for a while, but recently changed ownership. 

If you aren’t familiar with gelato, allow me to give you two great reasons to give it a try.  First, it’s less fattening than regular ice cream or custard and, second, it is smoother, creamier and more flavorful in my estimation.  While we were told that Blood Orange is their best-seller, my heart found its home with the Chocolate Orange.  It’s almost like eating the chilled center of a chocolate truffle with a touch of orange citrus.  Is there a better combination?  Tutto Dolce has one full case of fruit-based gelatos and another entirely consisting of new spins on familiar favorites, such as French Vanilla, Coffee, Chocolate and Banana.  For these reasons and more, I can only rave about Tutto Dolce and will be back very very soon.  This is a gem which is deserving of our local support and enjoyment. 

The evening would have been a wonderful success even if it had ended there, but we proceeded to Cantera and really enjoyed 500 Days of Summer… a great date movie which can be truly enjoyed by those of us who are much further down life’s path than the film’s characters, but at the same time remember the trials and tribulations of finding and falling in love.  In a way, a special date night like this one is almost like falling in love all over again as we pause to cherish and reminisce about the past and look toward the future.  All too soon, we were pulling our carriage back into the garage as it returned to the more familiar form the family car, complete with booster seats, matchbox cars and coloring books in the backseat.  SM    

Von Heidecke and Meyer to Debut Two Original Ballet Works at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet

The  Von Heidecke School of Ballet of the Chicago Festival Ballet will present  its annual summer workshop performance this Sunday (8/9/09) at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet.   

In addition to student performances, there will be two original works performed by professional ballet dancers relating to my current collaboration with Kenneth von Heidecke.  The pieces are derived from a full-length ballet which Ken and I are currently developing concurrently with our documentary film project, Imprévu – The Kenneth von Heidecke Story .

The inside story is as production on the film has progressed over the past year, I found the original score I had been composing and recording telling me a story of its own as I listened over-and-over.  There is one piece of music, in particular, I had composed which unexpectedly summoned memories of an extraordinarily lucid and vivid dream I had shortly after my father passed away from a year-long battle with cancer in 2001.   My own grief had become amplified by the fact my mother lost her battle to cancer in 1997.  There I was, at age 29, sleeping in the only family home I had ever known for the first time in my life in the days after my father’s passing, feeling as though my life’s foundation was vanishing around me.  That night, I dreamed that I was standing along a small winding stream that was running downhill in a dense, yet beautiful forest.  I was paralyzed by my own grief and at a complete loss as to which direction I should travel.  To my astonishment, my mother appeared with a peaceful smile on her face, comforting and reassuring me that this was not a dream, that they would always be with me and that it was time for me to move on with my own life and dreams.  With that, we embraced before she turned and walked away back up the hill into the most beautiful rays of light.  I awoke in a peaceful calm that I had never before experienced and that morning a new sense of resolve began to surface.    

Based on this dream, I introduced the rough storyline I had visualized vividly to Ken along with the music and soon thereafter we had crafted the overall story.  The premise of the ballet flows from the same type of unforseeable and unexpected triumph, tragedy and transcendance which has characterized mine and Ken’s life, as well as the lives of so many others.   The story is as beautifully passionate as it is dark and tragic with the theme resting on the truth that dreams may grow dim, but they never truly die.

The two original pieces which will be performed on Sunday at the Rialto are taken from the second half of the ballet, one a romantic Pas de Deux and the other a high-energy rhythmic piece featuring three male ballet dancers.  The photo above features two professional ballet dancers, Katherine and Shane, who will be performing the Pas de Deux.

The full workshop performance featuring these works along with other performances from all levels of Ken’s school will take place at 2:00 PM on Sunday (8/9/09) at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet.  Tickets are $22 for adults and $20 for Seniors and children under the age of 12.  If you would like to attend, tickets can be purchased at the Rialto Square Box Office prior to the performance at 2 PM or by calling 815-726-6600.  We would love to see you there!

Pint-Size City Comes Alive During My Son’s Week at Safety Town Camp in Naperville

We’ve driven past the peculiar miniature city of colorful buildings and tiny road signs many times before.  We’ve even been trick-o-treating there, but my youngest son would never have remembered as his “street legal” vehicle that Halloween was a stroller.

But 2009 was his big year to take to the scaled down streets in his environmentally green vehicle to learn all about being street safe.  That’s right, last week my little guy spent his days with volunteers from the Naperville Junior Woman’s Club and local student volunteers to learn road safety and, of course, have a little imaginary fun along the way.

For those of you who haven’t driven past the city limits of Safety Town on Aurora Ave. over by the Naperville Police Department, this particular town is a scaled down depiction of a variety of Naperville streets, including a Main Street, a familiar cul-de-sac and even a covered wooden bridge leading to the rail station.  A myriad of street signs, road signs and signals adjoin the sidewalks through safety town which serve as learning aids for the kids. 

After a busy week, I was fortunate enough to have recovered enough from my London jet lag to attend the Safety Town graduation ceremony on Friday.  When I arrived, the campers were assembling in the building as Mayor Pradel’s animated energy circulated around the seated crowd with him offering up enthusiastic high fives to the older kids in attendance who had attended Safety Town in previous years.   Yes, Officer Friendly himself was one of the earliest proponents of the Safety Town Facility.

It’s too late this summer, but if you children are headed in Kindergarten in Fall 2010, be sure to sign them up for the Naperville Junior Woman’s Club Safety Town Camp next summer. 

Now if only I can find away to keep my little guy to stay pint-sized for awhile and not grow so fast.  We must all embrace these magical days.  SM

It’s Official… Bobby Fitzgerald, Chef-Owner of White Chocolate Grill, to Appear on Regis and Kelly

A quick footnote to my posting below, it’s official… Bobby Fitzgerald, Chef Owner of White Chocolate Grill, will be featured on Live with Regis and Kelly tomorrow, Friday, June 26th.  Congrats Bobby, I can’t think of anyone more deserving.  If you would like to sample his winning hardwood grilled Citrus-Soy Salmon recipe, head on over to White Chocolate Grill.  SM

Naperville Photo of the Week – The Amazing Shrinking Millenium Carillon

Here’s a Naperville image I captured that proves that things are not always quite as they may seem.  There resides an excellent moral to this photo of a Riverwalk lamp post which appears to tower over the Millennium Carillon at Rotary Hill.

In life, sometimes things are not always as they appear.   As a matter of fact, many situations in life are quite different than the assumptions we draw at first glance.

I am reminded of a favorite story I once heard that reinforces this very lesson.  There was a man who was relaxing by a pool during a much needed vacation in Florida.  He turned his chair away from the pool to enhance his relaxation.  All of a sudden, he heard someone jump in the pool, leaving a big splash in their wake which sent pool water flying up onto the man.  After entering the water, there could be heard playful thrashing all around which continued to splash water upon the man.  At first, he tried to forget what was going on behind him but soon it was unbearable.  Angry from the relaxation this apparent horseplay was robbing from his vacation, he arose from his pool lounge chair and turned around to the confront the inconsiderate trouble-maker.  However, when he turned around, much to his shock he saw that the person he thought was being disrespectful was actually drowning.

A very different reality.  When it comes to Naperville, it’s important for us all to not judge the proverbial “book” by its ”cover” no more than we want those who live outside of Naperville judging us just because we live in Naperville. 

Sometimes, the slighest shift of perspective can make your world look very different.  If a difficult situation or person in life is weighing heavily on you, why not reach out and engage the problem or the individual head on to determine the actual truth.  You just might discover that the whole situation was not quite as it appeared.  It just might change your life.  SM 

The Secret to Happiness is…

In taking advantage of some much needed family time today, we headed over to Naperville’s Kerasotes Showplace Theaters to catch the new Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian  whose trailer my boys have been emulating for weeks now.  I must confess, we didn’t see the first installment of Night at the Museum, but somehow I was sure we would catch up.

I expected a laugh-sprinkled good time leaving us thinking about what would happen if the same thing happened during our next trip to the Field Museum in Chicago.  Something I didn’t expect was a great life message to be delivered within the story. 

Within the first couple of scenes, Robin Williams potrayal of Teddy Roosevelt led to a moment in which he was about to share the secret of happiness to the crackberry-distracted Ben Stiller character, Larry.  The moment was lost and William’s Roosevelt turned back into the wax museum sculpture.  Somehow, I think we all knew that we would receive the answer by the end of the film.

Stiller’s character is a former museum security guard who had made it big as an inventor of such transformative products as the “glow-in-the-dark” flashlight.  Larry seemed distracted and annoyed in his new life since leaving his post as a security guard… a job in which he took great pride.

By the end of the film, we are re-visited by Roosevelt who appropriately completes the statement he started by saying the secret to happiness is doing what you love. 

The secret to happiness is doing what you love. 

How timely to utilize an escapist comedy to deliver what I believe is an important message to all who are struggling through the stresses of life and trying to better define happiness in these uncertain times.

Are you doing what you love most in life?  Are you living your life purpose?  

I encourage you to imagine how it might feel and the effect it might have on those around you if you were to once and for all begin the journey of your dreams in doing what you love most in life.