Tag: Indianapolis

SubscribeStar Saturday: Indianapolis Trip with Back to the Future (1985)

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Last weekend I flew up to Indianapolis to see Back to the Future (1985) in concert, meaning that a live symphony orchestra performed the Alan Silvestri score.  My older brother, who lives in Indianapolis, found the concert, which was performed by the excellent Indiana Symphony Orchestra.

The funny thing is that my brother and I did not realize they were screening the film until we arrived at the venue; we thought it was just going to be music from the movie, not music with the movie.  My brother was skeptical until we went to our seats, and saw a massive screen suspended above the orchestra:

The venue itself was pretty cool; it is an historic theatre located on Indianapolis’s famous Monument Circle:

They also had a classic DeLorean parked out front:

I typically drive up to Indianapolis once a year to see my older brother, but this trip required me to fly up and back in the span of about thirty-six hours.  I was really impressed with how smoothly American Airlines made the whole process.

I have not always had the best experiences flying, but this trip the airline did not seem to treat me like cattle to be abused and mistreated.  It’s also amazing how easy it is to fly when you can just toss everything into a bookbag.

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SubscribeStar Saturday: Christmas Break Travels, Part VI: Home for Christmas

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Trapped in the blizzard in Indianapolis, pipes bursting across the land (including in my older brother’s house), there was little to do besides sleep and let the responsible adults take care of things.

There are few things more reassuringly cozy than sleeping under heavy blankets in sub-zero temperatures.  It’s akin to the feeling of being inside with power during a torrential downpour or powerful thunderstorm—the sense of safety and warmth is experienced palpably in those moments.  In some ways, it’s even better to get soaked first, then to come into the dryness of the indoors.

But sleep can only forestall reality for so long.  Driving to South Carolina on Friday, 23 December 2022 as I’d originally planned was out of the question, given the frozen roads.  Tales of major wrecks and traffic snarls echoed across the land, so it seemed best to stay put.

That said, I desperately wanted to get home for Christmas.  The weather, it seemed, had other plans, but I soon hatched a plan that, if all went well, would get me South in time for at least some of Christmas.

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SubscribeStar Saturday: Christmas Break Travels, Part I

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One of the perks—as I often point out—of teaching is all of the glorious break time that we get. Other than summer vacation, my favorite time break of the year is the two weeks we get at Christmas.

Sure, it’s nowhere near as decadent as the full month that college professors and students get off, but it’s just the right amount of time to unwind and refresh—and to get in some travel.

My older brother, a well-traveled college professor residing in Indianapolis, flies so frequently that he’s ascended to one of the lower tiers of godhood in the Delta Airlines rewards pantheon. One of the divine gifts his apotheosis bestows is a free companion ticket each year.

Unfortunately, the ticket was due to expire, and his hardworking attorney wife could not take time to travel anywhere with him before it expired. As such, we concocted a trip to the American Southwest for the week before Christmas.

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Indianapolis Interim

The Portly Politico45 Comments

As I noted Saturday, I was in Indianapolis, Indiana this weekend for my older brother’s wedding.  The last time I’d been to Indianapolis was twenty years ago, for a Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) Teen Talent competition.

This trip I did not get to see much of the city, as I arrived late in the afternoon Friday and flew back Sunday, and everything in between involved wedding events (and, of course, the wedding itself).

I’m notoriously bad about taking pictures, so I don’t have many of my own to share.  But the wedding was at Laurel Hall, which I’ve been describing to people as “a Gilded Age castle.”  It’s not properly a castle, but it’s certainly a mansion, and was constructed in 1916 as the residence of a wealthy family.  It served many functions, including as a children’s hospital, and a fraternity owns it now.

All that said, it was a very good trip, even if I had to fly to get there.

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SubscribeStar Saturday: Indianapolis and TPP Update

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I’m in Indianapolis this weekend for my older brother’s wedding, which I will likely report about in some detail next week.  As I lacked the time this week to craft a better SubscribeStar Saturday post, I figured I’d give subscribers an update on my various projects.

Blogging at Buca di Beppo

Blogging at Buca di Beppo, Indianapolis, Indiana

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