Jason Quoted in the Dayton Daily News

Last month I was quoted in an article in the Dayton Daily News about the economy and labor market for new college graduates. If interested check out the article at http://www.daytondailynews.com/story/content/oh/story/business/2008/11/30/ddn113008bizstudents.html?cxntlid=inform_sr.

Eckert Holiday House Tour

Since our house was decorated so nicely for Christmas, we decided to make a holiday video to show the house off for our friends and family via EckSpot. Note Cassie's enthusiastic role as the dancing host. Enjoy!

Cassie's Christmas Concert

Cassie sang with her kindergarten classmates on Monday evening at the Bishop Leibold School West Campus Christmas Concert. She did a very nice job and looked beautiful.

Happy Holidays from University of Dayton Career Services!

Welcome Dylan Frankovis!

Little Dylan Frankovis arrived on Friday, December 5. Welcome to Dylan, a future reader (and perhaps current observer) of EckSpot. Dylan is the son of our dear friends Matt and Meg Frankovis. I have the privilege and honor of being Dylan's godfather. We are all heading up to Wisconsin for Dylan's baptism on January 18. For more pictures of Dylan see his Picasa site at http://picasaweb.google.com/megjanefrankovis/BabyDylan#.

Trip to the Smoky Mountains

Last weekend we had a great time at the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee with cousins Johnny and Vicky. We stayed at a Wyndham and really enjoyed exploring the National Park and shopping areas.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Eckerts! We have so many things to be thankful for this year. This weekend we were thrilled to host Thanksgiving for my parents and cousin Johnny, Cari's parents and brother Brad. We had a great time, fried a turkey and many fixings, and enjoyed a tour of the Air Force Museum.

Todd and Nancy's Wedding in Pictures

Two weekends ago we had the honor of being a special part of Todd and Nancy Burns' wedding. I was the best man, Cari a bridesmaid, Tommy the ring bearer, and Cassie one of the flower girls. It was a special, special day, a celebration we will cherish for many years to come.

We took many pictures and have uploaded 90 of them on our Picasa site at http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/ToddAndNancySWedding#

This week we are gearing up to host both sets of parents, my cousin Johnny, and Brad Burns for Thansgiving at our house in Springboro!

Jason's Toast to Todd (and Nancy) Burns

I was Todd Burns' best man at his wedding to Nancy Stevenson on Saturday evening. The wedding was a blast and we had a wonderful time. The following is the text of the toast:

Good evening. My name is Jason Eckert. I am Todd’s brother-in-law and have the honor of being the best man.

I would like to begin by thanking Nancy’s parents, Ted and Diane, and Todd’s parents, Tom and Mary Ann, for helping to make this celebration possible.

My primary purpose this evening is to toast Todd and Nancy. I am also speaking to you as the President of an elite organization known as the Burns In-Laws Club. Our organization consists of those married to the children and Tom and Mary Ann Burns. Membership requires a special love for the Burns family, the embracing of competitive games, and acceptance of awkward pictures taken during holiday meals. It is my great honor to join with Eric Klinner and Christine Burns to elevate Nancy from probationary to full membership status. She joins our board as our Secretary and coordinator of public relations and club communications. We are happy for Todd but even happier to welcome Nancy into our club.

I first met Todd twelve years ago when I was dating his little sister Cari. What so impressed me about Todd, and for that matter all of the Burns, is how welcoming they were to me as an aspiring member of the family. Our friendship grew over the years. In addition to visits during holidays, trips to each others’ homes, and annual ski excursions, our friendship grew over our mutual love for a 60 acre parcel of land in rural Missouri known as the Eckert Property. We have made it a priority to get together three times a year at the property for camping trips, bachelor parties, and work weekends. During these trips our friendship grew, sharing great times, stories, softball games, skeet shooting afternoons, ATV rides, food and frosty beverages.

What has also become clear to me over time is that Todd is not just a great guy and giving friend – he is also a very talented and mechanically inclined person. Todd is the person Cari and I call when our roof leaks, when circuits fail, and when we need a retaining wall. Todd helped us design and construct a play system for our children, Cassie and Tommy, despite being in a full leg cast. I am an only child and admit that Todd has more mechanical ability in his pinkie than I have in my whole body. My father, Leo, who is here with us tonight, used to joke that Todd is the mechanically-inclined son he never had. Dad, you may be right. To me, Todd has also become the brother I never had and a very dear friend.

Our entire family adores Nancy and are so excited to welcome her to our family. I am amazed at the many ways Todd has changed since meeting Nancy nearly two years ago. We knew something was up after their first official date, Christmas Eve 2006. After meeting at a Boeing Christmas Party, Todd hosted Nancy for a Christmas dinner. Normally an excellent cook, Todd was so taken by Nancy that he burnt their first meal together, which consisted of pork chops and trout caught from Bennett Springs. Nancy later described the pork chops as “flying discs.”

I’m actually amazed that Todd is here in person this evening as today is the official start to Missouri’s deer hunting season. It takes a women of great beauty and charm to cause a hunter to be at a country club, rather than in a deer stand, on this date. Nancy, I hope you are ready to enjoy anniversaries spent wearing camouflage at the cabin for years to come. After all, venison makes the perfect anniversary meal.

Todd and Nancy, I can see by your love for each other and the support of everyone gathered here tonight that you will be blessed with a long and happy marriage.

Please join me in lifting a glass to Todd and Nancy.


May the light of friendship guide your paths together.
May the laughter of children grace the halls of your home.
May the joy of living for one another trip a smile from your lips, and a twinkle from your eye.
Congratulation to Todd and Nancy!

Halloween 2008!

Cassie and Tommy have been very much enjoying Halloween Week. Cassie is Cinderella and Tommy is Spider Man. Our community had Trick or Treating (a.k.a. Beggars Night) on Thursday night. Enjoy all of the pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/Halloween2008.

All Set for Todd's Bachelor Party

This weekend is the Todd Burns Bachelor Party at the Eckert Property! (It is also the Nancy Stevenson bachelorette party in New York City, but that is not as important and way too expensive.) Just kidding, Nancy! Todd and 15 of his closest friends are gathering starting today in the woods. The photo is actually Todd in action from the recent Fall Eckert Property Outing.

Tommy Turns 4!

Tommy turned four in late September and had a wonderful birthday celebration. He really loves his new bike (see above) and had great parties with both sets of grandparents and with his immediate family at Chucky Cheese.

A Week Without Power

This has been quite a week. After the unexpected wind storm hit our area on Sunday afternoon, we were without power from 3 p.m. on Sunday until 4 a.m. this (Thursday) morning. Neither Cassie nor Tommy have been able to attend their regular schools this week due to widespread power outages. (Cassie did return to school today, although Tommy is still at Cari's hospital's daycare center.) We have not been alone as approximately one million people in Southwestern Ohio have not had power. Many still do not. We feel very grateful to have our power restored this morning. While we have experienced nothing like the people of Texas, the situation in Dayton has been unprecedented. We were lucky in that unlike most of our neighbors our house did not sustain any damage and the weather has been nice and mild.

The GREAT news is that we are heading down to the Eckert Property for our annual "Fall Property Outing" on Friday morning.

Three Goals in One Quarter, Then the Winds Blew . . .

Towards the end of a very enjoyable weekend spent with my parents, Leo and Sandy, last weekend, we packed up the mini van and attended Cassie's second soccer game of the year at St. Henry's. The game was fun, and Cassie continued to do so very well, scoring three goals all in the second quarter! She is starting to enjoy the game more and more and uses her speed very well. She was even called for a foul or two for pushing, which made her dad very proud. :)

During the game the winds began to pick up as the remnants of Hurricane Ike moved into the Miami Valley area. Coupled with a strong cold front and very hot weather, wind gusts up to 80 miles per hour moved into the area very suddenly. A very tall tree was cut in half by the wind, breaking and falling very close to the soccer field and families watching the game. Needless to say that ended the game and everyone ran for their cars. Leo and Sandy, who had already packed up for the weekend, got into their Tahoe and drove home to St. Louis. Our family ran to the mini van and headed home, dodging downed trees and other debris. This was the beginning of an event filled and "powerless" week.

Cassie Scores Two Goals!

Cassie started her second soccer experience on Sunday, this time for the Bishop Leibold School Kindergarten League. She plays on the "rust" color team. This is a fun league focusing on basic skills (and, well, having fun). While no score is kept for the games, Cassie scored two goals! She was the fastest child on the field (okay, I'm pretty excited) and seemed to know what was going on. We are very proud of her. Her next game is Sunday at 2 p.m.

Cassie on the Bus!

Cassie on the bus! See the link to the left from our Picasa page for more Cassie school bus pictures.

Cassie Starts Kindergarten

Cassie had her first day at her new school today, which went very well. She is in kindergarten at Bishop Leibold School. This is actually her second year in kindergarten as she attended "K4" in Milwaukee last year. Cari took her to school for her first day. Cassie begins to ride the bus tomorrow (she will ride in the AM and attend a YMCA after school program in the PM). Stay tuned for updates and pictures.

We Are a Traveling Family

Our late summer/early fall travel schedules continues at a brisk pace. In recent weeks we have traveled to St. Louis for the Todd Burns-Nancy Stevenson (see picture of Nancy with Cari above) couples shower and for a Burns family Cardinal game. We also had the opportunity to visit Todd and Nancy's beautiful new house, west of St. Charles, MO. This weekend our travels continue as we return to the Milwaukee area to celebrate Will Neumann's baptism at Gesu Church with his parents Kelly and Chad (and many other friends).

I had the opportunity to take an official tour of the new Busch Stadium in July as a part of the Midwest ACE Conference. It was sooooo much fun, an experience I highly recommend. See my web album for additional pictures. Special thanks to Rick Smith and Matt Purdy for help with the pictures and fun on the tour!

House Sold!

I am thrilled to announce that as of 4:30 p.m. this afternoon, our Wisconsin home has been sold! The closing was today and we are now officially owners of just one home (which we love and continue to unpack). The house was purchased by a young couple from the Milwaukee area with a young son (so the play system/tree house will get good use). If you have followed our saga you know that this was the second offer we had on the house. After some house challenges and a flood we feel very fortunate to have sold the house so quickly. Thanks for all of your prayers -- Saint Joseph has been dug up and is being mailed to us in Dayton.

Wonderful Visit with Meg and Matt

Last weekend we had a wonderful visit with Meg and Matt Frankovis, who were kind enough to drive down to Dayton/Springboro from Milwaukee. We had dinner on Friday night at one of our new favorite local restaurants and spent Saturday at a local farmer's market, at our neighborhood pool, at a local ice cream shop, and grilling out in our backyard. Special thanks to Matt and Meg for watching the kids so Cari and I could make our first visit to the Ohio DMV.

Getting Settled in Dayton

I apologize for the lack of posts and pictures -- moving is a complicated process and free time has been limited. The good news is that we are getting settled in Dayton and very much love our new house and neighborhood. I also really enjoy my new job and co-workers, and Cari begins her new job on Monday.

In the midst of the move, we took a (long ago planned) weekend trip to Nashville. Cari's parents were kind enough to watch the kids for the weekend to let Cari and I have a much needed get away. We had a wonderful time and even saw the Grand Ole Opry.

I'll have more updates and pictures about our adventures soon. For now, thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

Eckerts to Dayton Updates and Going Away Activities

We continue to make progress towards our move to Dayton, Ohio:

• Cari has accepted a position with Miami Valley Hospital. She will be working as an acute care physical therapist and starts on July 21. Miami Valley was Cari's first choice, and she is very excited about the new opportunity.
• The last week has been a very enjoyable fairwell tour for us. Jason spend the weekend at the Wisconsin Private College Career Consortium retreat in Door County. His friends in the consortium actually officially named the annual golf outing the "Jason Eckert Honorary Golf Scramble." Wow!
• We celebrated with going away parties on both Sunday (at home) and Monday (at Marquette) and so appreciate the opportunity to spend time with so many friends prior to our departure.
• This weekend we are spending four+ days in Dayton home shopping and seeing the area. We hope to have home buying news soon as we have been doing a lot of research. Thanks in advance to Dave Borchardt, who is hosting our visit, and Cari's brother Brad Burns, who is traveling down to Dayton to help with the kids.
• I start at the University of Dayton on June 24. I'll be moving to a temporary house on campus (thanks UD!) on June 23. Cari and the kids will follow a few days later.
• Our house is still for sale! Details appear in previous blog postings if you are interested.

Thanks for all of your support during this exciting time. The above picture is, by the way, from our going away party and is courtesy of Tonya and Todd Schmidt.

Welcome William Joseph Neumann!

Welcome to the world, little William Joseph Neumann! Will is the son of proud parents and good friends Kelly and Chad Neumann. Will was born on June 5 in Germany, where the Neumanns are spending two years, and will not only have duel citizenship but will also soon be an Eck Spot reader. We can't wait to meet you!

House Video

House on the Market!

After a few weeks of vigorous home projects, our house (2729 E. Elizabeth Avenue) is now on the market. Its MLS Number is 1013895. It is listed through Shorewest Realtors. Our realtor, Jen Patzman, is fabulous. You can view our house listing at:

The Shorewest listing
The Wisconsin MLS listing
The Guided Tour on Shorewest.com
The House Video (Filmed and Producted by Eck Spot Productions)

Will someone visiting Eck Spot be interested in buying our house? Probably not, but it was fun to make the video (and a great memory of the home in its polished glory). Enjoy!

Moving to Dayton, Ohio

We have some very exciting news to share with you – we are moving to Dayton, Ohio! I have accepted a position as the Director of Career Services at the University of Dayton (UD). While I was not looking to leave Marquette University, I was contacted by the search firm retained by UD and decided to apply. After three rounds of interviews and two trips to Dayton, I was offered the position last week and formally accepted the position on Tuesday. I’ll be at Marquette until mid-June and start at UD on June 24. UD is a Catholic, Marianist institution very similar to Marquette in terms of enrollment, academic programs, etc.

We are very excited about this opportunity and ready for the change, although saying goodbye to our Wisconsin friends is already difficult. The kids handled the news very well, although there have been a few teary moments from Cassie (who at five is old enough to realize she will be attending a new school, leaving her friends, etc.) However, the prospect of finding a new house, having their own room, being able to help decorate a new room, etc., has proved to be very exciting. We will be slightly closer to St. Louis and in a warmer climate as well.

Like many areas of the country, Dayton is in need of physical therapists, so we are optimistic about Cari’s job search. She is flying down to Dayton for an interview with a major hospital in town on May 19. This hospital (Miami Valley Hospital) is actually just blocks from the UD campus, which would be great for commuting, etc. Please keep your fingers crossed and prayers coming for Cari.

As you can imagine, this decision has put a flurry of activity into motion. We are frantically organizing/staging our house and have hired a realtor. The house should go on the market in about a week. A storage facility has been rented for our extra junk and clutter, which is already about 1/3 full. We have also started to look at homes in Dayton, although we won’t get too serious until our house attracts some interest. We should have a loaner house from the university to get us by for a few months, at least until the students return in August.

Stay tuned to Eck Spot for the latest updates on the Eckert move. :)

EckSpot -- Now on Skype

The Eckerts are now on Skype, the web service that allows people to make and receive video chats and audio calls (to other Skype users) on the web. We are in the process of acquiring a webcam for our home computer (currently en route from Amazon.com). Jason currently has access to one at work and has been playing around with the service (primarily to keep in touch with the Neumanns in Germany). Our Skype account name is, appropriately, eckspot.

If you are interested in setting up your own account, start at http://www.skype.com/. You can find us through the account directory. I have to say I have been impressed thus far, and the cost is the best part!

Cassie Starts Soccer!

This past season Cassie started her soccer career by playing two games in her K-4/5 league (i.e. kindergarten). She did very well -- the picture is one of her highlights. She has been playing a little offense and a little defense (and, well, standing around a bit as well). One early challenge has been playing time (the team has 20 members, a difficult challenge for any coach). I have to laugh when the coach yells out, "Come over here, Angels." (Their school nickname is the Archangels, although his tone reminds me of Charlie.) She has approached it with a very positive attitude. She has games on most Saturdays through May.

See more of Cassie in action at http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/SoccerCassie.

Easter in St. Louis

I finally got around to saving and uploading pictures from our Easter Weekend trip to St. Louis. Some of them really turned out well. View the slide show to the left or the entire album at http://picasaweb.google.com/jason.c.eckert/Easter2008.

Pirate Tommy

Friday saw the Marquette University Child Care Center's annual dress up party/dance and auction. As you can see from the shot, Tommy dressed as a Pirate. Arrrrrrrr. Cassie was a Cinderella-esque princess. We had a blast (after having dinner with Cari's mom in Racine) and even won a couple of items up for bid.

March Travel Updates

We had quite the experiences traveling during the month of March. Jason traveled to New York City for the Big East Conference Career Fair (and more importantly to visit sister-in-law to be Nancy Stevenson) from March 12-15. We had a great time, saw some New York sites with Nancy, and went to Marquette's big win over Notre Dame at Madison Square Garden.


Nancy and I flew from New York to Milwaukee on March 15 and began our annual Eckert Ski Trip extravaganza. We spend the weekend visiting with friends and family members and on Sunday made the drive “up north” to Ironwood, MI. We skied for three days in Michigan (one in northern Wisconsin) and had a wonderful time. The hot tub, facing the slopes at Big Powderhorn Mountain, was a highlight.


When we returned from Michigan we quickly repacked and headed to St. Louis for Easter weekend with Jason’s parents. (Well, we were actually delayed a day by a 15-inch snow storm, but that has all melted by now.) We had a great yet brief trip to St. Louis, and let the kids stay with my parents for a week of vacation. Cassie was on Spring Break that week and the kids both had a great time (and most likely wore out Sandy and Leo for a few weeks time).


Finally, the weekend of March 28 was spent in Springfield, IL, visiting Cari’s parents and the Klinners. Little Ali is growing into such a doll and the kids adore her. We have been back home since (and hope to stay around Milwaukee for a while, enjoying the emerging spring weather).

Celebrating Dr. Seuss' Birthday

Cassie and Tommy recently attended a birthday party for Dr. Seuss (honored on March 2) at the Milwaukee Downtown Public Library. The picture is the kids with Browser, the library's lion mascot. The kids played, met The Cat in the Hat, decorated cookies, and had a great time.

Jason Heads to New York City

I am on my way to New York City for the Big East Conference Career Fair, which is this Friday at Madison Square Garden. Marquette is one of the 16 Big East schools putting on the fair. I have the privilege of staying with our friend Nancy Stevenson, the fiancee of Todd Burns, who has an apartment in Manhattan relatively near Central Park. Nancy and I fly together to Milwaukee on Saturday morning, which will officially begin our big annual ski trip week.

Avenue Q Review

Our theater group went to see Avenue Q at the Marcus Center on Sunday evening. We had a wonderful time, although it was a bittersweet evening as it was our last night together as a complete group. Kelly and Chad Neumann are getting ready to live and work in Germany for two years. This might be the end of our little group as it is currently composed. Kelly and Chad are dear friends and will be missed so much. However, as the finale of Avenue Q states, Kelly and Chad are leaving “only for now.”

I am going to keep my comments on the show relatively brief as fellow official Cats Scale reviewer Matt Frankovis has done a brilliant job reviewing the show below. (Really Matt – I think you have missed your calling and theatrical review could be in your future.) Simply stated, Avenue Q Rocks!!! A modern show with wonderful humor and catchy songs. As a career counselor, I loved the examination of life just beyond the walls of college and the struggles experienced by liberal arts majors in the labor market. As a male theater enthusiast, I loved the irreverent examination of relationships, culture, and sexuality. The 1980s references (mix tapes, Gary Coleman’s struggles, etc.) were also classic. A very enjoyable performance all around.

My Cats Scale Rating? 1 Cat! (Recall that the Cats scale is based on a comparison of the musical Cats, which I despise. 0 Cats equals theatrical perfection. 5 Cats equals the worst musical I have seen – Cats.)

Avenue Q Review by Matt Frankovis


Cats Scale Rating – 1/2 Cat


Avenue Q is the musical that not only satirizes Sesame Street, but in a fashion that mocks all other musicals. It plays less like a cultured, debonair downtown event, and more like a creative HBO comedy special (or late-night Wausau TV, if you will). I actually found myself leaning forward in my seat, my ears straining to catch every word. It wasn’t the type of show that seeks deeper meaning and will leave a lasting impact on your soul, and you definitely wouldn’t buy the soundtrack (unless you also have a copy of Jerky Boys in your collection). Rather, Avenue Q makes light of semi-harmless life subjects through the use of hand puppets with songs like IF YOU WERE GAY, WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A B.A. IN ENGLISH, EVERYONE’S A LITTLE BIT RACIST, and the memorable THE INTERNET IS FOR PORN. The internet is also for eckspot.blogspot.com, but it’s hard to fit that into a song.

Gary Coleman references were laced throughout, and one of the greatest products of the 80’s/early 90’s (the mixtape) made an appearance, as did Jason’s binoculars when Lucy the Slut made her debut (she’s just a puppet!).

However, my favorite characters were the Bad Idea Bears, who leveraged their fuzzy cuteness to compel Princeton and Kate Monster to engage in drinking games.

("You should do something for yourself for a change--buy some beer!" "Buy a case! It's cheaper that way in the long run!" "Yay-yeee!")

("Quick, take her home!" "She's wasted!" "Yay-yeee!")

While it’s all great fun in act one, the reason Avenue Q can’t pull out the coveted “Zero Cats” rating is the ironic attempt at becoming a musical and having some closure in act two. Why mess up great and clever humor by trying to complete a plot? Sure, there were a few more good songs (I WISH I COULD GO BACK TO COLLEGE, THE MONEY SONG --- where an audience member donated a Lion King ticket stub for the cause), but I was much more content and amused when the drive for Princeton to find his purpose in life took a back seat to comedy, as it did in the first act. As Chad noted, we probably could’ve left during intermission and been equally as entertained. Unfortunately, Avenue Q made an attempt to become a musical.

While the set and score took a back seat to the Lion King, the creativity in the characters and dialogue are what set Avenue Q apart. I would compare it to My Fair Lady, but honestly, I didn’t see most of it. Ultimately, Avenue Q ranks head and shoulders above the rest of this season’s class of shows.

Avenue Q Review by Chad Neumann

Cats Scale Rating – 1 Cat

In summary, Avenue Q is an amusing and comical musical which kindly pokes fun of a typical day for anyone stuck in a normal routine trying to figure out their "purpose" in life. The first half engages the audience only to leave them a bit disappointment by the declining climax of the second half. Each character brings a unique sense of humor to the show which
will leave one laughing out loud. I do agree with Mr. Matt F. regarding the "Bad Idea Bears" as being one of my favorite characters as their "purpose" to the musical is nothing short of being hilarious. It is certainly a musical worth seeing - assuming you are not looking for the meaning to life or any deep message, but rather an entertaining and laughter filled 2 1/2 hours.

One Dalmatian Under God

Very funny Cassie Eckert moment from the weekend. While we were dining at Applebee's, Cassie and I were talking about flags and the Pledge of Allegiance. She offered to recite the Pledge for us, as she does each morning at school. Her recital was perfect, with one humorous exception:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
And to the republic for which it stands
One Dalmatian, Under God . . .

Hilarious! Almost as good as Tommy insisting (to this day) that February 2 is Grounddog (as opposed to Groundhog) Day.

Skiing in Wausau, WI

Last weekend we had a great time skiing at Granite Peak Ski Area at Rib Mountain in Wausau, WI. It was Cassie and Tommy’s second time skiing. They did great during a five hour lesson! Their lesson gave Cari and I a nice time to ski together and explore the ski area, which we definitely recommend. The four of us were able to ski the bunny hill together at the end of the day. We can see definite improvement in the kids skiing ability (which should help our upcoming March ski trip to Michigan’s UP). Feel free to see many pictures of our trip at our Picasa site.

We also visited our good friends Josh and Mandy Wright (and their daughter Sylvia and cat Doc) on Sunday morning, prior to heading home in the snow.

Jason's Entrance into Politics (Sort Of)

I am running for the President position for the Midwest Association of Colleges and Employers, one of the professional associations I am an active member of. The ballot went out on Tuesday and voting closes on March 3. The election is collegial and there is no real campaigning. In fact, I really admire my opponent, Gail Rooney, the Director of The Career Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I’ll keep you posted. Cross your fingers for me!

The Lion King Review

On Sunday, the Eckerts, along with friends Meg and Matt Frankovis, Chad and Kelly Neumann, and Chad's parents, saw The Lion King at the Milwaukee Theater. It was Cassie and Tommy's first live Broadway show. Everyone had a good time and really enjoyed the experience.

A couple of years ago, when we were new Broadway series subscribers, Chad Neumann and I suffered through the musical Cats. We found it one of the most frustrating three hour experiences of our lives. In our humble opinions, Cats has no plot, makes no sense, utilizes costumes in a rediculous manner, and is in general beneath the normally impeacable work of Andrew Lloyd Weber. As theater lovers, Chad and I developed the "Cats Scale" to be used to review future theater outings. Zero Cats equals theater excellence, perhaps perfection (in other words, the opposite of Cats). Five Cats equals, well, Cats the Musical, or a similar unimiginable experience. Since that day, Chad, Matt, and I have reviewed all of our broadway experiences based on our Cats Scale (as you may imagine, our wives shake their heads at us, to say the least.

This is Matt Frankovis' "Cats Scale" review of The Lion King:

"Unlike Cats, which I have never seen, and My Fair Lady, which I have already forgotten, The Lion King was intriguing enough to hold my attention for the duration of the performance. The set changes and use of costumed people as scenery truly stood out and added life to a musical predicated on just that, with the grand opening composition "Circle of Life"
capturing the audiences attention and the imagination of both young and old.
Without having seen Cats, but having the transcendental experience through Chad and Jason, I would have to give the Lion King a score of 2 on the Cats Scale. While entertaining (for a musical), the middle of the show lost some steam after Mufasa met his death at the hands of his brother Scar. However, my prediction is that this will be the best show of the five in this year's series. Hats off to you, Lion King."

Kelly Neumann, who is not an authorized Cats Scale reviewer, contributed this comment in lieu of her husband's contribution:

"I can only laugh at my wonderful friends! I am not a voting member of the party but would give it a 1 on the Cats Scale! I thought it was amazing! And seriously can you find cooler elephants in a broadway show?"

And me? I give The Lion King a 1.5 rating on the Cats Scale. It was an excellent production and the kids had a really good time. The set, costumes (unlike Cats appropriate for the material), and performances were excellent. My only complaints were the temperature of the theater (I could have bottled and sold Tommy's sweat at the end of the performance) and a minor concern with the volume of the production in the balcony section (it was sometimes to clearly hear the actors during some quieter scenes). Overall an excellent production and great friends and family outing.

Feel free to contribute a comment concerning The Lion King and/or our Cats Scale! Next up for the Cats Scale -- Avenue Q on March 2.

February Snow!

We just experienced 29 consecutive hours of snowfall in the Milwaukee area! Totals in our neighborhood range from 12 to 16 inches of snow with huge drifts. It has definitely been a multiple snow thrower day. Don’t get me wrong – I personally love the snow! We have had over 65 inches so far this season with more to come. Marquette University was closed today, so we all enjoyed a snow day together. It does make the trees and our backyard look quite lovely.

Cassie Quote of the Week

"Mommy kisses are permanent, Daddy's are washable!" Said by Cassie after I refused to stop kissing her per her request. :)

Welcome to Eck Spot!

Welcome to Eck Spot, the new web home of the Eckert Family! We tried for years to have an entertaining, updated family web site but found the process difficult. Then we stumbled upon Blogger and feel we have a format which is easy to update and a lot of fun. I pledge to do my best to update Eck Spot on a frequent (weekly) basis and to provide pictures of Cassie, Tommy, and family outings.

What else might you find at Eck Spot? Mostly pictures of the kids and updates for those of you interested enough to read about our life and adventures. I also plan to post some thoughts on sports and current events from time to time.

Since this is a new site, I really would like some feedback. Feel free to post a comment to this and all of my postings. Thanks for visiting! Please bookmark and visit Eck Spot often!