williamlauer.com

By popular request

I produced this slide show for last Easter. During the recent “upgrade” of the Journal Star website, all our previous multi-media content was lost. I’ve had a lot of requests to see this piece so I’m posting it on my personal site. The response is a bit overwhelming. It’s been forwarded all around the world by Catholics and music fans of all shapes and sizes. Thanks to all at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary. They were very helpful and accommodating.

Click the pic to see the show.

Catching up

Here’s a few pictures that’ve been kicking around awhile that I haven’t posted yet. Some are kinda old, like from February.

Visit from a friend.

Krista came to visit a couple of weeks ago. It was fun to see her again. I slept on my air mattress for a few days. Now I know why Lane doesn’t crash anymore.

Tornado

Wrote this for the web yesterday to get something up quick.

AURORA — Jeff Juzyk knew it was time to grab his four children and race to the basement when he saw the funnel cloud bearing down U.S. 34 straight for his house.

“It was directly in line and heading for us,” Juzyk said Thursday morning while cleaning up debris.

His daughters, Jenna, 5, and Anna, 3, had just gone to bed Wednesday night but came downstairs when the power went out.

Juzyk saw storm chasers in his driveway four miles west of Aurora. He looked west and saw a tornado coming his way.

Juzyk said it was impossible to guess how far away it was, but without hesitating, he and his wife, Stacie, scooped-up their daughters and sons Jackson, 2, and Jake, 8 months, and scrambled down to the cellar.

Fifteen to 30 seconds later, he said, they were huddled against the west basement wall and the tornado hit.

None of the family was injured, but the east wall of their rural home was gone and the roof crashed onto the daughters’ beds.

“They wouldn’t have made it,” he said.

“We’ve got oodles of friends,” he said of the dozen men and women from his church helping sort through the mess.

“It’s only buildings,” he said.

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I was very impressed with the turnout of people to help them salvage and clean up the mess.

Click the pic to see the gallery.

Air show

Jacob and I covered and airshow in Fairmont last weekend. Click the picture to see the show we made.

New neighbors

This bunch is much less annoying than the usuall riff-raff around my place, but they won’t be staying long.

What cat?

Anyone stumbling down north 14th Street in search of another bar stool, unless completely blinded from fermented grains, no doubt has spotted Silas basking in the nightlife ambiance through the window of A Novel Idea Bookstore. Silas passed a few months ago and the LJS published a story about the demise of the iconic kitty.

Cinnamon, owner of Idea, had an idea, proposing that as a memorial for Silas, customers — an impersonal term when applied to characters within a tale of such compassion, so let us call them patrons — could make a donation to either The Cat House or the Capital Humane Society. The organization receiving the most donations is where she would choose the replacement for Silas. Replacement is another vulgar term, so let us replace replacement with: Ongoing, soft, purring, lovable, superior life-force.

The popularity of Silas and his home is evidenced by the response Cinnamon received: More than $4,500 in donations, The Cat House coming out on top.

Pictured is Eddy (and Cinnamon). Eddy’s store-mate is Padric, both of whom are cats, therefore adorable.  Eddy has the swagger of a champion killer. He was eyeing a baby pigeon on the sidewalk while I was in the store and nearly escaped a couple of times in a desperate attempt at slaughter. Padric is a tiny, gentle, shy sort, who loves his chin, neck and ears rubbed. Fine additions both to the north 14^th Street community.

I seem to have become the official cat photographer for the paper, which is fine because I like cats, Cinnamon and I can read a book, even while slouching on a bar stool.

Mercifully Over

It’s been a long season for the Husker baseball team, plodding through their first loosing season since 1997. They’ve been in nine post-season tournaments in the last 10 years, but not this year. Nearly every game I’ve shot it’s been cold, as in winter coat and gloves, or rainy. Here are some of my favorites from the season. Don’t let the sunshine fool you, it was cold. Click the picture to see the show.

In the weeds

Spring has been elusive this year. Warm, cool, warm, cold, warm, colder. The dandelions, however, seem to thrive. Heidi waits for the gang to show for a rousing game of wiffle ball at Antelope Park.

Easter

Nice to know my dentist helped sponsor one of the local Easter Egg hunts this year. I’ve recommended him to several co-workers.

Click the picture below to take you to a show I made on Gregorian Chant for Easter. The Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary near Denton teaches the Latin Mass liturgy and chant.

Elvis

There were a series of halftime shows during Nebraska basketball games this season that were pretty good. I suspect they were touring acts from the television show “America’s Got Talent,” because this guy, Joseph Hall, Elvis impersonator and Lincolnite, and some other acts from the show performed. Never saw the show myself, but they appear to be living the dream. There was 13:12 left in halftime when I took this.

Flag Team

We just finished up our spring run of high school tournaments culminating with boys basketball last weekend. Always fun, but by the end of a month of weekend championships, preceded by districts, it turns into a grind. I shot the Hay Springs flag team for part of an online feature story. Playing around with shutter speeds I got this. I’m not sure one could tell what it is unless told, and maybe that’s why I like it.

Time for Prayer?

No, it’s not the local mosque, or Japanese restaurant, but Gwyneth’s home, where she and Ryan ever so neatly arrange their shoes, and the guests’, by the front door. Seems like a lot of shoes for just two people.

TV Game Attire

I would sooooo get me a pair of these if I wasn’t a member of the unbiased media.

Hairy Days

Once upon a time, I had hair, here’s the proof: A visual documentation of my evolution from innocent cherub into the demonic being I now am. I thought it appropriate to share these on my birthday.

Kindergarten, first and second grades.

Third, fourth and fifth grades. I got glasses in third grade.

Sixth, ninth and tenth grades.

Ah, yes. Senior (with contacts). You can’t tell, but that’s a corduroy suit. Gotta love the 70’s. And I can’t tie a tie that well anymore.

An imp sits upon my shoulder.