That's the last picture of Minnie. I'll get her ashes back in a couple weeks.
She was a great cat-- demanding, sure, but also loyal and affectionate. I'm sure this will start hitting me in the next couple nights when I notice she's not sleeping beside my head.
Well, this explains why President Bush has us involved in two wars.
Hey, wait a second! We're being led into the least healthy congressional district in New England, a place that would fit in with northwestern Arkansas for life expectancy. I'm willing to chance this, but I just thought I'd warn everybody.
The plan involves a lot of wind.
And some fascism:"...(E)verybody in this country has to cooperate. We have to get on the same team. We have to march in the same direction." We just have to put our faith in another Texas oilman. Oh, I know, I know. That hasn't worked out so well, of late, but the law of averages is in our favor now.
As you probably know, Starbucks will be closing about 18 Chicagoland locations. Always in Transit interviewed one local coffee enthusiast to find out how she planned to deal with this corporate decision:
...the one on Foster on my way to work is tres convenient, but if that one closes, there's the one on Devon. And if that one closes there's the one on Milwaukee in Niles. And if that one closes there's the one on Dundee and Sanders. And if that one closes there's the drive through on Milwaukee in Wheeling. And if that one closes I'll have to change my route and take Lincoln and use the one there at Kedzie. And if that one closes there's the one on (I think) Touhy just before the Edens. And if that one closes there's the one on Lake and Skokie Blvd. And if that one closes there's the one at Old Orchard Mall. And if that one closes there's the one in Northbrook next to the Verizon store on Skokie Blvd. And if that one closes I can swing through Deerfield and grab a cuppa at the strip mall at Deerfield Rd and Waukegan. And if that one closes I can go to the one across the street at Barnes and Noble. And if that one closes I can start with the Dominick's kiosks that I pass, of which there are 5.
The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World by David W. Anthony is not something I can recommend widely, I'm afraid. Oh, the author does a fine job of documenting his assertion that the domestication of the horse on the Eurasian steppes was probably a huge factor in the spread of Indo-European languages, which range today from Ireland to central India. But I'm afraid the excruciating detail makes this less graspable for those outside the discipline. However, if archaeology is your thing, then this book might appeal. I certainly believe the subject matter is important in understanding why we are what we are.
The Ohioans have had a great vacation in a place I've never been. From Wednesday's entry:
My wacky Chinatown moment is this: there was a tank truck pulled up next to the sidewalk. A man was on top with a net on a pole, and he was dipping the net into the tank on the truck. He would then scoop out a bunch of very alive fish and dump them into a 50-gallon trash barrel that was on wheels. We passed by, but then were overtaken by the man with the trash can full of fish. As he passed by, a fish jumped out of the barrel and onto the sidewalk. The man stopped and scooped it back into the barrel. And all the while, this Chinese fisherman was whistling "Dust in the Wind." What a strange and fantastic moment.
Yep. Those fishmongers usually whistle Boston's "More Than a Feeling".
And if Mu is ever asked, "So, how white are you?", he can point to this photo and explain: "I once got sunburned in San Francisco."
Tuesday found us at the Field Museum and Millennium Park, with a later excursion to the Cullen's and the Music Box. More photos here.
Sunday, BabySister & Teresa & I met Freaksworthy & the Cheerful Ranter at Indian Garden for some delightful food & conversation. While they went on a Husband Lust Eradication (HLE) walk, the Kansans & I climbed the Hancock (via elevator, of course) and then later saw Too Much Light. The Neo-Futurists were unusually consistent this week-- and I mean consistently good to great. Afterwards, we had a beer and eclectic food at the Hopleaf, then took a crowded Clark Street bus back towards home.
Today, we took an architectural boat tour and then hit Navy Pier. Great weather again today.
A photo album is here.
BabySister and her friend Theresa had a fine day at the Speedway in Joliet. Tony Stewart finished fifth just behind my man Biffle. Jeff Gordon coasted to an 11th-place finish.
Pic-left is BabySister in front of Stewart's car and in the other photo, just above Theresa's ahead, we see the start of the race. They left my house around 11am and didn't get home until midnight, tired-- but a good kind of tired.
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