Close Up and Personal: Faces in the Crowd

[Juan C Ayllon]

Janice blows out her birthday candle

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey,

You'll have to excuse my using this thread as a blog of sorts, but it's a good thing for me.

It's been a crazy last several weeks, as I'm into my third week of teaching high school business for the fall semester. The kids are pretty good, but man! They can be somewhat draining.



Me at my desk after another late night

I did a lot of writing and running around this last week and weekend.

Now, it's Monday and, looking at this week, I feel somewhat overwhelmed!

I've got planning to do tonight, a month-to-month contract to go over with a roommate who's renting a room, an interview with a boxer on Friday's fight card in Chicago, running and reading to do before bedtime.

Tomorrow, I'll begin my first classroom session of a class in expository writing at National Louis University, where I plan on getting my Masters in Writing.

Wednesday, I've got two interviews for Arturo Sanchez, the Operations Director of DRL, a boxing promotional concern in which Roberto Duran serves as partner. And running.

Thursday, I've got some reading prep and a small group meeting from my church from 7 PM until maybe 10 PM? I'll also try to squeeze in some running.

Friday, I've got the fights at the Aragon Ballroom.

Saturday, I think I'll collapse!

Thank God I have friends, eh? No girlfriends, which is fine. Just friends.

Not that I don't miss having one, because I do. But, it's just where things are at.

I've got to trust that someday that part of my life will come together as I'd like it to. But, in the meanwhile, I'll just keep on keeping on and be thankful for what I have.

Anyways, I've got to run.

Regards,



Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

Never mind!

[Juan C Ayllon]

Jean Luc Ponty


Hey,

Forgive the funny little forray previously. I enjoy a good red wine in the evening, especially a good cabernet sauvignon.




A still from "Danny Deckchair"

Last night, a telephone interview with a fighter fell through and, exhausted, I rescheduled another one for next week, opened up a bottle of cab, and watched a funny movie called "Danny Deckchair." It was just what I needed.


Al Jarreau

This morning, I've enjoyed listening to some good jazz, such as the strains of jazz violinist Jean Luc Ponty during word processing class. It's great ambient stuff, if you've never heard it. I also kicked in some live Al Jarreau. Not a bad way to pass the morning, I might add!




Cheers,


Juan C. Ayllon

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey,

Here's a short piece I drafted for a writing class I'm taking. It's supposed to be a piece about our "inner talk" on a typical morning. It had a limit of two pages, double spaced and I took it to the very limit. I've got mixed emotions of how it fared, but, oh well!

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep…

“Huh? What? Uhhhhhh. God, that’s so annoying!” Eyes half-closed, I trudged those five steps or so to my dresser, tapped the snooze button, trudged back and, pulling my down comforter over me, collapsed into the womblike warmth of my bed.

Seemingly moments later, those piercing beeps pried me from the depths of unconsciousness once again. Resigned, I rose. “I can’t be late to work, I just can’t.”

Turning off the alarm, I made my way through the dark into my bathroom and turned on the light. Through puckered, bleary eyes, I spied a blurry silhouette of a tan man in frumpy underwear staring back at me in the mirror. He had a little pooch going on just above the waistband. “Good thing I ran last night,” I thought. “Don’t want that paunch sneaking back on me. I’ve still got to lose—what—20 lbs? Man!”

The warm showers’ waters drizzled down, gently pushing back the cloudy veil enveloping me. The slightly spiced aromatic smell of Method Body Wash—the ‘Olive Leaf’ version—titillated my senses.

“I love this stuff! I wonder if it’ll give me split ends. I mean, it’s not exactly shampoo. But who’s going to notice, anyway? It’s not like I’m going out with someone anymore, anyway. Crap. Here we go again.”

That deep, pained hollow feeling ran through my chest cavity. Yeah, she was gone all right. We were still friends, but it wasn’t the same. Sighing heavily, I closed my eyes. Leaning forward, my forehead touched the tiled wall. I took odd comfort as the warm, cascading waters washed over me. Moments passed in this silent reverie. The hissing of the waters jetting through the shower nozzle and the spattering sound it made droned soothingly in my darkness. “It’ll be all right. It just takes time. Dear God, just watch over her, please. And help me get through this. I need you.”

Driving southbound on Haynesville Road, I pressed the down arrow key on my silver Razor cell phone, tapped the #7 four times, scrolled to “Something’s Brewing,” and pressed the green button.

“Something’s Brewing,” the perky female voice said on the other end of the line. She was studying art at CLC. She’s a neat kid, in an artsy-quirky kind of way.

“Hey, it’s me, Juan.”

“You want your usual bagel and tall coffee, right,” she asked.

“Yeah, the low carb one with the low fat cream cheese.”

“Great! It’ll be ready for you when you get here.”

“Thanks. See you then,” I said, flipping the phone shut.

“I love those low carb bagels,” I thought. “I don’t know what it is, but that nutty, whole grain texture and taste, the cream cheese. Yum! And the coffee! Mixed with a little cinnamon, nutmeg, powdered cocoa, half and half and Splenda! Life is good.” I really liked that combination of flavors, the smell of the coffee and the subtle jolt of caffeine. Plus, there was just something somehow edifying about stopping there. In a small way, it was a little like church, a part of my routine that soothed, comforted and reaffirmed me.

Speaking of which, glancing down, I saw that it was already 7:09. “Crap! I’m going to miss hearing that guy—what’s his name? Ah, Dr. Michael Easley! Yeah.” His homespun, but educated message bolstered my faith and reminded me that in the overall scheme of things, everything will work out all right with God’s help. Sounds good to me.

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey,

Maybe I'm a sentimental guy, but I like Something's Brewing a lot. Here's a link to their website:

Something's Brewing, Inc. Web page

Cheers,



Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey,

I just received this priceless gem from David "The Weezel" Estrada. It's entitled, "Another Use for Duct Tape."

This was priceless, as you'll see:




Thanks for the laugh, Weezel!


Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

Me, slummin' it at the crib today

Hey, I stayed home today with a cold, caught up on some sleep and worked on some things around the house.

It gets kind of boring here at times. However, I've been also busy with lesson plans and all that fun stuff for school, homework and prepping for all the rest of this week.

On Saturday, I'll be covering a fight card in Hammond, Indiana and on Sunday, I'll serve as DJ for my my mom's party celebrating her 70th birthday at Cabs, where my brother, Luis, will host the festivities from about 1:30 PM until 4:00 PM or so. We're expecting about 50 people or so, which should be fun.

Afterwards, they'll open up the restaurant for regular dinner with jazz. I believe Emily Palmer, a sultry singer who does great covers on various pop songs, as well as select jazz standards, will be singing.

Check her out, if you get the chance!

Anyways, I hope you're all having a good start of the week.

Cheers,



Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

Skip this frame...

[kikibalt]

Hey Juan------You and I like the same wine, a good Cabernet Sauvginon is my wine of choice with a good Merlot second.

On a side note, my sister and brother in law, Rachel and Bob Egan own 166 acres of vineyard in Napa Valley Calfornia, that's north of San Franisco by the way, they sell their grapes to the winerys and they also make wine for their own personal use, now this is the good part, they sent me a couple of bottles of wine every couple of month, can't ask for more.

Frank

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey Frank,

You have no argument from me there. I'm a dyed in the wool red wine man, myself. I love cabs, merlots, zinfandel (as in red), and certain pinot noirs--especially David Bruce Pinot Noir. Great stuff!

That's terrific with your sister and brother in law taking care of you like that! I really want to come out and visit there next summer. If I make it out, perhaps you can introduce me to them and their vinyard?

Either way, my brother's a terrific chef and, as owner of Cabs Wine Bar Bistro in Glen Ellyn, he treats me to great wine and food, especially when I come down and shoot pics of events like these when "Uncle Boogie Pants," a wonderful cover band and creator or some good original scores, came to play at Cabs last weekend.

Anyways, it's getting late and I need to get to bed.

Talk soon, my friend,



Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

I need to throw another party sometime soon! Realistically speaking, I don't know when that'll happen, but no doubt sometime in the next six months or so!

That way, I can invite cool friends, serve cool cabs and entertainment and the like. Frank, you'll be at the top of the list of invitees!

Cheers,



Juan

[kikibalt]

Thanks Juan

Love those pics.

Frank

[kikibalt]

That's my wife Connie sitting on the tractor and my sister Rachel looking on. I shot this pics. in 1980



This is part of my sister's and her husband Bob's vineyards



Juan, I hope you don't mind me posting this pics on this thread.

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hi Frank,

Very cool pics! Thanks for sharing that with me.

I would like to see the vineyards with you and your wife. And who knows? Maybe I'll settle down one of these days and the four of us will go up and visit wine country together.

Have a terrific weekend, my friend,



Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey,

For those who follow boxing in the Midwest, and for those of you who enjoy fun pics, you'll probably enjoy this piece I posted up on last weekend's fightcard in Hammond, Indiana:

Fight Report

I was pretty pleased with a lot of the photographs.

Cheers,



Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey,

I'll be serving as DJ for a festival at my church in Lake Zurich, Illinois on Saturday. Last year, about a thousand people showed up.

You can see the details below:




If you're in the area, stop by and say hello!

Regards,



Juan C. Ayllon

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey,

Last night, I had a great time at Cabs Wine Bar Bistro. My friend, Joe and I drove down there together, where we took in a local band--whose name escapes me at the moment. They were pretty good, covering Dave Matthews work with that sort of sound, other popular material, and their own stuff. They sounded great!













My friend, Joe (in white) walking past the band




Then, my friend, Renee dropped by. It was just what I needed, hanging out with cool friends like Joe and Renee!

Cheers,



Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey,

For those of you who are fans of David "The Weezel" Estrada, here is a link to a brief writeup following his win this last Saturday in Wisconsin:

Weezel Wins!

David's a good guy and also my sometime physical trainer. Speaking of which, I need to get back into training!

Ugh,


Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey,

I just posted this piece up which I wrote for my writing class:

"‘The Weezel’ Looks to Keep Upward Roll Going vs. Turner This Saturday!"

We were supposed to incorporate the use of a myth with our work. I thought Estrada's career melded well with the myth of Sisyphus.

Let me know what you think!

Cheers,



Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

Donovan George Interview

All I have to say about this latest interview is, "Wow."

Check it out.

--jca

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey,

David "The Weezel" Estrada forwarded me this message, which you might get a kick out of:

The Better Business Bureau received a complaint that AFLAC, the insurance company, was taking advantage of women on the street and stealing their money. This scam is netting COLD HARD CASH from unsuspecting individuals.

The thief uses children to distract the target. While admiring the cuteness of the kids they are robbed of their cash and never know what hit them.

A passerby happened to capture the photo below. Please use caution when distractions like this come along.


Don't say you weren't warned

V


V


V


Photographic Evidence of AFLAC Scam!


David Estrada will be fighting this Saturday at the Allstate Arena.


Cheers,


Juan

[kikibalt]

Our own Juan Ayllon and my brother Mando during Mando's visit to Chicago
last weekend.

Frank

[kikibalt]

My sister in law Pat and Juan.



Juan Ayllon, Pat Baltazar, the couple in red are Pat's ex-husband and girlfriend,but I can't remember their names



Mando Baltazar and the girl from Hooter's

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hi Frank,

Thanks for posting those pics! It was a pleasure meeting your brother, Armando, his wife and friends. I never knew that was her ex, though!

I will post pics shortly.

I've been pretty scarce 'round these parts as of late, as I've been very busy serving as a test administrator, in addition to teaching an overload at the high school I work at. For instance, on Monday, I arrived at 6:10 AM and left at 10:45 PM. I never knew that preparing a school for big tests was so much work! A week ago Wednesday, we administered the EXPLORER Test at the Ninth Grade Center and yesterday administered the PSAT to sophomores and some juniors. 789 kids actually took the test.

Anyways, tonight, I'm laying low and getting some much needed rest.

Talk soon,


Juan

[Juan C Ayllon]

Armando Baltazar (right) with me at Cabs

That's my painting, by the way, of guitarist Pat Metheny and a drummer hanging behind us...



That's Armando with my brother, Luis



Armando, his wife, her ex and the girlfriend




Armando talking with Luis's wife, Lisa



The band, "Uncle Boogie Pants" playing. Armando seemed to enjoy this band.



Former Chicago Bears lineman, Revie Sorey--who used to block for Walter Payton before "Da Bears" won the SuperBowl--and Juan.




Luis's wife, Lisa, visits with Revie Sorey, his wife and friends at a table upstairs




Luis looks on as his friend, Dave Kinney sits in with the band playing his harmonica. If you've never heard him, let me tell you, Dave can play!




Several gals who like to drop by at Cabs

By the way, Lisa told me the gal on the far right helped break up the first fight at Cabs by grabbing him forcibly by a pressure point on his trapezius muscle, then escorting him out the door with her hand clutching his trachea.

That's tough!

[kikibalt]

Juan

Ya thats Pat ex-husband, him and Mando get along pretty though, he is invited to Pat and Mando's barbecue's all the time, I met him a few times I just can't his name, but I alway been bad with names.

Frank

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey,

Karl Hegman sent me these pics to post from a recent boxing show:



Juan Diaz with some admirers



Middleweight prospect Chase Shields



CBZ photo contributor Kevin Keane with the great Evander Holyfield



Evander Holyfield in the ring

[Juan C Ayllon]

Hey Frank,

That's cool! Your brother seemed really laid back and cool. I would love to hang out with you guys sometime next summer in So Cal.

I hope Armando didn't think I was rude. I visited with he, his wife and friends at the bar, then disappeared for a while shooting photos for my brother of the band, "Uncle Boogie Pants."




My friend, Joe, dropped by to see this gal who he hit it off with the last time he was at Cabs.

[kikibalt]

Juan
Yes Mando is laid back, he has alway been that way.
I talk to Mando and Pat on Sunday after they got home, they told me that you seem to be a nice guy an that they appreciate you taking them to your brother's place, they also said they had a good time.

Frank