Parking Spaces R Us

This weekend, we bought an indoor parking space. Don't even ask the price--let's just say, there goes my Harley-Davidson Fatboy. Parking is a commodity, bought and sold like shares of General Electric on the stock exchange. A spot--similar to the one in the above picture--can make or break the future sale of a condo. Needless to say, it helps to have an indoor spot for more than one car in a growing Chicago suburb in today's mobile society, and I feel fortunate in my building's cramped garage to have secured a second, more spacious spot. In fact, I may rent out one of my spaces--the signs are on the bulletin board now. In the end, I have a location now that I can park my Chevy Avalanche, and that gives me warm fuzzy feelings. Not as warm and fuzzy as a Harley, but...

Games with Friends

What a casual and nice last evening. After pure gluttony with Sanfratello's pizza and Greek salad, spent the evening at our place with friends Jay, Dave, Alexia and us--learned Tripoly and Mancala. Neat fun, as games allow us to relax, see how we all interact under pressure of intense friendly competition, and get to know one another on a different level. Scrabble and Boggle and who knows what else lies ahead for us this summer. All with a backdrop of Kane County Cougars fireworks.

Rainy and relaxing Saturday today, found a different Home Goods and Marshall's at Lombard's Yorktown Mall. THe indoor mall, ladies and gentleman, is dead. Grab your last Orange Julius before it's all over.

A Binful of Babies!

I love A.S.S in Geneva. Flasks, beakers, spyglasses, neon lights, corks, tarantulas, live and dead frogs, rubber gaskets, chattering teeth and bug jewelry. These are just some of the images stuck in my mind from A.S.S.

Oh, and a binful of dead babies.

Vegetables and Drinks with Friends

A sweet and casual Thursday night to kick off a long Independence Day weekend Always enjoy the company of hosts Dave and Alexia, who took the time to buy fresh vegetables at the Geneva Green Market and make a setting to die for. I only wish I had my camera! Cocktails on the balcony, tales of Flying Tomato Brothers, bike accidents, parking spaces, Jellybean and A.S.S and broken water heaters from Kathy and Jay, too., Thanks for the fun.

Up The Hill Comes Andrew Jackson

Exactly 30 years after the high comedy production number from Groucho in At The Circus (you have to watch that clip in my past post below just to see the production of it, with the movement of the costumed dancers--spectacular), he comes to TV to perform his signature tune, alone on a stage.

Age. Unstoppable in its everpresence. We are all getting older one day at a time. Each minute, flowing past us like the waters of the Fox River. Do your high production numbers today, for tomorrow--or thirty tomorrows from now--you will sing alone.

The incomparable Groucho. I said Lydia. He said Lydia.

Third Street Shopping Area Geneva, IL

Swedish Days 2009 with Sharyl and Lennie

What sunny and gay weather weekend for Swedish Days with Sharyl and Lennie. Enjoyed Third Street walks and shops, corny Kernel Fabyan's, margaritas at Front Street Cantina, lunch at Citizen Kane, dinner at Za Za's Trattoria, and newspapering at Starbucks and breakfast at Egg Harbor. Wow, like a Best Of for Fox Valley eateries. Pajama talk made for excellent companionship from one of our favorite couples. Thanks a million, Sharyl and Lennie. We will do it again soon! We stopped by the parade on Sunday, Paper Merchant, and Urban Grille and then took a swing through our old neighborhood (man, the old homestead is overgrown! What's with these new owners) and saw our best suburban neighbors ever, Terry and Sharon. Great to catch up--haven't seen them in five years. Glorious to be alive.

You Can Loirn a Lot from Lydia

This video is a classic from the Marx Brother's At The Circus, 1939. Same years as Judy Garland in a movie about a wizard. Groucho is so very entertaining, and the song itself is a gem. The words are playful, and the imagery in those words really makes the song. I have enjoyed this video several times over the past years, and here it is for you. On a clear day you can Alcatraz.

All Things Must Pass

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ufendOm_F4

A Perfect Day for Bananafish

Icons. Michael. Farrah. And soon, a personal favorite, the reclusive Jerome David in Cornish, N.H.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._D._Salinger

Kitchen Table

It's where everything in my pockets winds up the moment I get home.

Mowed my lawn today.

www.triplepointwater.com

Youtubed a pond aertator for my neighborhood pond and lo and behold, the company that makes them is in Geneva, IL on Stevens Street. WoW! I''m going to check this out thoroughly for my neighbors and myself.

Looking Up at Crystal Chandelier with and w/out Flash

Daydreaming on my bed near the footboard, looking directly up and imagining this 110 lb light crashing down on my face, I snapped a photo of the chrome, clear bulbed crystal chandelier. Then I took another photo with the flash and got this vivid gold hue (top photo). Looks like a different light. The flash is white light. Not understanding anything about the physics of light and prisms, I will simply attributed the gold glow to startled dead spirits from pergatory channeling through my bedroom light. I hope they don't come after me. I'm harmless. I said that five times out loud so they'd hear me. "Red eye" for a chandelier. I gave it the stink eye before I re-cased my camera and skidaddled out of the room.

Fox River: Love the Greenery of Summer Solstice

I Can Seeeee You!!

A Super Gift

Thanks for this wonderful gift, Zena!

American Science & Surplus

http://www.sciplus.com/storeDetail.cfm?store=2

Spent a gorgeous Dad and son weekend and who could resist stopping at American Science and Surplus on Roosevelt Road. What a unique store full of everything one could imagine: corks, bottles, flasks, beakers, toys, balls, the works. We even picked up a cool mascot, Jellybean, who spent a former existence as a medical training doll, but now limbless is cared for lovingly at our place. We wre so smitten with him we had to venture out to Meijer's at midnight to clothe him. What a spectacular weekend.

The Soundtrack to My Senior Year

Billy Squier, Aurora, IL Rock Fest, August 1, 8:30PM. See you there!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alquV75VDSs

Flying Burrito Brothers; ah, Tomato?

Garcia's Pizza in Champaign is a challenging meal. Previously at three locations, it is now down to one, off Mattis Avenue. Owned by brothers nicknamed the Flying Burrito Brothers, the place is an absolute pig trough. Dirty gray carpet, unwashed tables--everything in this undecorated but sunny order-at-counter restaurant is either sticky, slimey or smeary. The company van outside is painted with the logo and looks to be a 1975 rusted out bomber. So where is the challenge, you ask? The pizza and salad is spectacular! A pan style bread pizza, sometimes referred to as a Sicilian style pizza, hot and fresh, cooked in seasoned pans (never washed, presumably) and served with browned mozerella. Spinach salad with croutons (yesterday's unsold pizza pies, I suppose) and Italian homemade dressing--out of this world. My son and I eat here about every other week, each time lamenting the place, but hankering for the grub. Garcia's Pizza, may you avoid the Board of Health long enough that I can enjoy just one more meal behind your fingerprinted glass windows overlooking that homely orange, rusted van.

Addendum: I stand corrected by a former Garcia's employee that has gone from pizza maker to president of an international company, literally. It's the Flyng Tomato Brothers (nothin to do with burritos). And if Dave's success is from eating Garcia's, cut me a couple more slices, please.
.

R.I.P. : The Ding Dong Cart

I have always thought it odd, those people that have a top open freezer in their garages full of freezer burned steaks and rotten garden vegetables. Well, I have joined the crowd. No, no, I no longer enjoy a thick steak or a dripping roast beef. But I still love frozen delights: ice cream sandwiches, Fudgicles, Popsuckles and such. Well, I have my own storage place for them now, right in my living room! Frozen dinners, too. Impulse purchase when we were getting the new dishwasher, and man, this baby rocks and rolls.

Now, when I hear the carousel chimes of the Ding Dong Ice Cream Cart swerving around my neighborhood, I no longer have to finger the back of my couch cushions for quarters and miss HGTV's House Hunters ("Did they pick the bungalow with the overgrown topiary, or the fixer upper next to the railroad tracks?" How will I sleep tonight, Suzie Wong?) to dash out and flag down the truck. I simply stroll up to my freezer, grab a Drunmstick, and sit back down and nosh while Suzie tells me the winner! (How in the name of Sam Hell will they sleep with the train right outside their bedroom window?")