For a time while I was in college, I used to hang out with my cousin in Lake Forest. (I mentioned in an earlier entry that this is a rather moneyed area.) I went to a lot of parties (think the party scenes in Sixteen Candles) and met a lot of his friends. One of …
C30 C60 C90 Go
A couple weeks ago, I was listening to Bow Wow Wow’s “C30 C60 C90 Go” and realized how appropriate the song is today, 20-some years after its release. It’s a tribute to portable cassette players and the beauty of being able to record what you want and carry it with you. The song also promotes …
Independence Weekend Wrapup
Things I learned from walking in the Arlington Heights July 4th parade today (yeah, I know it’s the 5th.. why don’t they just call it “Independence Day?”): Tootsie Rolls fly very quickly with little effort. Frisbees are the most popular giveaway I’ve ever encountered. When a grandma says “Can I have one (meaning aforementioned Frisbees) …
A New Day For You
A Basia song that helped me get through a really tough time in my life. This one’s a shout-out…
Return To Normal?
This was a big part of my life earlier this week: Sure, it looks relaxing. 🙂 Actually, it was a nice followup to the MS150, but after running from car to airport to car to house then all over greater Scottsdale then to airport to plane to car to house.. followed by a full day …
Finish Line
On Sunday afternoon, I finished the final piece of the MS150. My total mileage was around 110. (Here are several members of BITEMS at the very end of the ride on Sunday:) I did the 75 mile route on Saturday from Wabonsee to NIU. The first 40 miles were pretty easy, and the rest stops …
Tour de Joe
12 hours from now, I will be at Waubonsee College in Aurora, taking off the starting line on the 2004 Tour de Farms for the MS Society. I’ll be riding with the BITEMS team. All those cycling classes and rides through the woods should pay off, and I’ve been carbo-loading for the past couple of …
Pass Me The 6-Up
This week’s Reader features a cover story about Wacky Packages. I know most kids growing up between 1967 and 1991 are familiar with these hilarious (okay, hilarious to a 10-year-old) consumer product parodies, including Crust Toothpaste, Neveready Batteries, Gadzooka Gum, and the classic Plastered Peanuts. Do you doubt this stuff influenced a couple generations’ collective …
Literary Ephemera
In today’s Wall Street Journal there’s an article about the sorts of things people leave in the books they sell to used book stores. Bookstore owners talk about photos, cards, letters, money, and other material that people forgot to remove, only to be found by shop clerks and occasionally customers. Here’s a brief overview: – …
Monday Report
This is just a brief posting to say that I had a very, very cool long weekend. The first part was a wonderful adventure. The second part consisted of my kids reminding me that they appreciate my being their dad. Together, these things made for a fantastic weekend. Details to follow soon.