Back In London

Greenwich after the tunnel
Originally uploaded by planetshwoop

After a week in India, I'm in London this week for work. Posted some of the pictures I have so far from the trip so they don't rot on my computer for forever.

Things I Made With Peanut Butter Today, A List

It seems that peanut butter has gone from "Crunchy vs Creamy" to a whole new level of sophistication and flavor. I frequently mix Sriracha sauce onto a piece of toast with creamy peanute butter. And today I managed to purchase 'chili peanut butter', which tastes totally different, upon a trip to Devon.

But that was just part of the peanut butter story:

1. Mixed peanut butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and yoghurt to make 'peanut butter yoghurt', which was delightful.

2. Peanut butter and jelly. On white.

Ok, shorter list than I thought. There were probably a few spoonfuls in there too.

A Weekend In Holland

The rules of the North-South Divide in Chicago indicate that if you are from "the North", you usually head towards Wisconsin for vacation. If you are from "the South", you head towards Michigan or Indiana. (An important part of that rule is that no one vacations in Illinois. Why bother?)

Me, and my family, have obeyed the rules. Te past few Midwestern vacations we've done have been in Wisconsin: trips to Madison, or to Eau Claire, or even our recent get-away o Wisconsin.

My neighbor had a shirt that said "Saugatuck" and after doing some research, I figured Michigan might be a better place to go than our usual Wisconsin hangouts:
- No construction on the Edens to contend with.
- Wineries and breweries galore!
- Best beaches in the Midwest

We ended up only staying for two days. This was a little bit shorter than intended, but mostly because I got horribly sick over the weekend and hadn't fully recovered by the time we left on Wednesday.

Just for my own sake, here's a list of places we went. Once Shylo gets the Flickr working, I'll update with some pictures too.

1. Skipped The Skyway. I'm not sure it was intentional, since we were debating whether an intro on NPR belonged to Postal Service or Arcade Fire, we missed the exit for the Skyway and took the alternative I hadn't seen in 10+ years, I-94. Amazingly little had changed.

2. As soon as we got to Michigan, we pulled over at the first winery we saw. Amazingly, the time change worked in our favor. Even though we thought it was only 10am (a smidge early for wine tasting), it turned out that we had crossed time zones. Viola! Soup's on!

The first place we tested was St. Julian, which is actually based in the wonderfully named Paw Paw but fortunately had a tasting room just off the highway. We got something there that was OK and then might the giant trek...

across the parking lot to the Round Barn Winery. The wine tasted terrible to me (though Shylo liked it). I didn't try their beer but I did try the vodka. I've tried a few vodkas in my day and know what to look for. This was really, really good. Well worth it, though we didn't buy any because me and vodka aren't speaking after what she did to me last summer.

3. Flying J. We continued up the highway until we stopped at a Flying J, a Shylo tradition. I bought an ugly hat and a soda, and then we kept going. We had fake Dutch things to see.

4. Holland! After much stopping, we finally made it to downtown Holland. It just so happened that we caught the tail end of the Holland Farmer's Market. There wasn't much to offer just yet, just lots of baked goods that we didn't really need.

5. Dutch Village. This place was seriously the worst place ever. Was it the fake, cement Van Gogh painting "Sunflowers" but actually painting a Wal-Mart and Steak and Shake? Was is the really lame attempts to sell pottery, wooden shoes, etc.? The $12 entrance fee (per person)? And on the day we went, there wasn't even any kloppen!?!

Dutch Village, you are lame.

6. Seashore. After picking up dinner and a campsite at the wooded section of Holland State Park, we wandered around the beach and the harbor for a bit.

This is when we realized that Michigan was so so much better than we had realized before. The beach was really nice, the harbor was beautiful, and we just suddenly actually relaxed in a way I don't think we had in awhile.

7. Brew Holland. After setting up the tent we went into town to see how the beer was at the New Holland Brewing Company. We really liked the Zoomer, and took home a growler. I'd go back; I will go back.

A quick walk around downtown Holland showed us that it was really cute. Not twee, but a place you could hang out and enjoy yourself. We particularly liked the Holland Peanut Store.

8. Campfire Potatoes, some beer, no silverware, one cup for beer, just like camping of old.

The worst problem was the fact that it was about 40 degrees. That's also known as "almost freezing". Considering that we had not been able to navigate the zippers for our sleeping bags in the dark, and I was sick, and it was freezing, and we were camping, it was COLD.

Picking Children's Stories

I do not have children. But, if I did, I think I would read Gwendolyn Brooks for bedtime stories.

Go see Iron Man

We went to see it tonight and really enjoyed ourselves! A great comic film as a movie.
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Alley Stool, Side View

Alley Stool, Side View
Originally uploaded by minvervah

This thing was truly amazing, and had to be seen to be believed. We saw it after walking home from the Small Bar in North Logan Square last weekend.

First, allow me to point out that it is a coffee table made from a car tire.

Second, the legs of said table are covered in headlines from the National Enquirer. The sides were "bejeweled" with beer can tops, and the top had more National Enquirerer headlines on top of some kind of hard surface.

It was completely a sight to behold. However, we had no use for it, so we saved our alley karma for another day and hope someone else took this beauty home.

Heading Back....

100_0526
Originally uploaded by planetshwoop

Lastly, it looks like Shylo and I will be headed to London again this summer...

Two New Reds Come To Visit

In less than one week, two new red things entered my life. One old and red, one new and red.

After talking about it for three years, we finally bought a car today. Nicknamed "Pepper", it's a red Nissan Versa. I compromised on getting an automatic instead of a manual, but generally I'm pretty satisfied with the car.

Oddly we spent less time talking about discussing which car to get than we did convincing ourselves that we actually needed a car. Is it a luxury? Should we do without? Ultimately, since Shylo won't be going to an office any longer, it seemed to make more sense that she would have a car. Ergo, we have a car.

First sign that we hadn't purchased a car in forever? "Oh wow, you can have AM and FM stations on the same set of presets." Yep, no longer do we have to switch to AM and then change the station. So high tech!

(Truly high tech is that I don't have to put the key in the ignition. It has a Bluetooth starter, so if the key is in my pocket it starts just fine.)

And the other red? Jordan and I finally finished my 1970s Schwinn. It's delightful. I managed to bike to work three days this week and have been wearing a smile while pedaling all week. It still needs a handful of finishing touches -- a light, a rear rack, chainguard -- but it so wonderful I couldn't wait to ride!

The fact I'm gushing about the bike and not the car probably says a lot about me.

Podcast Vs Philosophy

I've always enjoyed thinking about philosophy. I found myself recently glibly quoting Hume and then the very next day was thinking about the relationships to corporations and power ala Foucault and his friendly Panopticon.

No matter how much I think about philosophy, I actually hate reading it. It seems like a good situation where 20 minutes spent reading an encyclopedia or the web will be much more useful than the hours spent slogging through something like 'Phenomenology of Spirit' or 'Prolegomena to any Future Metaphysics'.

Much more fun (and 21st century) to just listen to a podcast about philosophy and get someone else's ideas of what it's all about. I found myself doing this about Kirkegaard earlier this week: I have zero interest in reading his books, but couldn't stop listening to the 30-odd minutes of discussion about it.

And that's probably for the best: doing dishes, contemplating paradox, words from a different century quickly filling my ears while I think about how to clean ketchup off a plate.

Neighborhood doll

Happy Barbie
Originally uploaded by planetshwoop

On the block where I took this picture, there is a Mexican clothing store, a bar, a Islamic women's clothing store (see attached), a Korean bakery, and a strip club. The currency exchange closed months ago, and they haven't moved the sign.

As weird as it often is, I like my neighborhood for it's strange texture, and serendipitous retail offerings. My affinity for spicy food is an asset here.

The Flickr lights up

Lamers Dairy
Originally uploaded by planetshwoop

I posted a few shots I took from wandering around the neighborhood today. These were especially strange: a bunch of milk crates collected around a basketball hoop. Given how freezing/miserable/dreary it was, the bright red boxes were a pleasant surprise.

Late Night Jewel Ramblings

I'm not sure I could live without a 24 hour grocery store nearby. I've gotten so accustomed to it.

Now, there should be no practical reason I need a 24 hour grocery store other than it happens to be close by so I use it. I did not need to buy cat treats at 12.15am tonight, but somehow, there I was, and I enjoyed it.

But a big part of my joy with late-night grocery shopping isn't the odd people you see who also choose to buy food after 11pm (like the Orthodox Jews I saw, or the woman who had a full cart full of groceries), it's the checkout staff.

People who work the graveyard shift at your standard grocery store come in two varieties: the stoned and the lonely.

Unlike daytime grocery staff, those working the night shift do not have the opportunity to speak across the aisle to talk about the only topic they discuss: when are you going on break, I'm about to go on break, when should I go one break, etc. There are many conversations, but they all revolve around a single topic: the upcoming 15 minute pause grocery workers deserve.

The night staff can't talk to pretty much anyone, so some of the younger workers are absolutely stoned out of their mind. They have nothing to add or say to you, so you check out silently, with a minimum of interaction.

The lonely are usually sweet. Many of the Jewel ladies who work late are very eager to discuss my ice cream with me ("Have you tried the peach? It looks so good. I can't wait to try it. They just have the neatest things.") and usually complement you on all of the wonderful things you're buying. They're lonely, but more than happy to strike up a conversation, you, the person who needs toilet paper, cat food, and eggs at 1:25am.

The other group of the lonely take their job extremely seriously. They berate you for having a scratched Jewel Card. They wish to point out the item of the week too many times. They love Jewel, and don't understand why you don't.

I have never worked at a grocery, but I would love to see the combinations of what people look like and what they buy. Stoned or lonely, it would really make the whole grocery check-out job worth it for me. And from what I hear, I even get a break!

(In other news, I had my 2nd encounter with an exotic entertainer in less than a week. While looking for vegan desserts at Whole Foods, we found an entertainer buying bread. In case there was any doubt, she paid with a $100 bill. I guess dancers need brownies and pie too.)

Conversations With Lawrence (St.), Part I

I was locking up my bike at the local supermercado. It is
across the street from the Admiral Theater, which is not a
movie theater. Exotic dancing might be more appropriate
description, and I don't mean a troupe of Canadian acrobats.

A woman approaches.

"Sir, Sir, can I ask you a question?"

Sure. You can ask me anything.

"Are there any more gentleman's clubs around here besides this
one?"

My mind's racing.... does "around here" mean, like, between
here and Las Vegas? Within walking distance? In the city?

Not really, I answer. What exactly are you looking for?

"Well, I am a stripper, and I just quit my job today because
there was too much grinding. So I'm trying to find a new job
and am looking for gentleman's clubs."

One supposes before venturing forth, a bit more research on her
part would have been helpful. But I'm also guessing she didn't
keep a current copy of her CV before she decided to quit.

I suggest picking up a copy of The Reader to find addresses of
other places. It occurs to me after it's too late that the
back page of the sports section in the Sun-Times would be
helpful too.

But why is it that you always thing of the right answer 5
minutes after the conversation has ended?

She continued down Lawrence, with a boy (boyfriend?) escorting
her along. I go into the supermarket and to buy my salsa, and
turn my thoughts towards fresh vegetables.

Sometime exotic entertainment is anything but exotic. I should
have mentioned to her that I recently saw in the paper that
the same club was looking for a bathroom attendant. I wonder
what kind of benefits that gig offers?

A Weekend To Remember

Monarch
Originally uploaded by minvervah

This was a weekend to remember: I went to Cary, I made two loaves of bread, I read a complete book (David Mamet's "The Cabin") and it finally felt like spring.

Weekend Delights

It was a quiet weekend. I had taken Friday off and planned on doing a lot of resting, which I certainly did. Taking Friday off and not biking to Milwaukee turned out to be good ideas. I woke up at 5:30 on Saturday, which can only be a sign that I was no longer exhausted.

And then I proceeded to cook like a fiend.

Saturday saw me make: multi-grain granola, potato and leek soup, oatmeal blueberry bread (where I used leftover oatmeal to make a chewy, slightly sweet bread), and dill pickles.

Sunday's haul: beet soup, another loaf of bread, and a chicken. I saved the leftovers to make stock, which I'm quite excited about.

It's been five months of not buying bread. And if I can learn how to make my own pickles, I'll be really excited.