Wednesday PM

Not the most effective day for me. IRS problems.

Beautiful day outside.

The Chicago trip was really an easy day. Travel time each way was just 2.5 hrs. On a normal week day it would likely be at least an hour more. And lots more stress. With it also being a parking meter holiday, there was no cost for parking the car. That's at least $10 for a remote spot. And I used my buddy Pete's I-Pass chip so I didn't even have to stop for the toll booths. Illinois is moving toward an electronic toll system which should mitigate (but not likely eliminate) some of the traffic bottlenecks.

Downtown Chicago continues to re-inventent itself. Over the years, many of the old buildings in the Loop have been torn down and replaced. There are still lots of older buildings, but there are lots of new ones too. The block between Mary's dorm and my office building has been razed and awaits new construction. There were two or three bars in that area that we were known to frequent. Mayor's Row is one name that I can remember.

Millenium Park is a new area just off Michigan Avenue at Randolph that has become a destination point for tourists and downtown visitors. Some modern sculpture, an open-air theater, and various vendors of foods and goods. Interesting, but no shortage of strange folks in a state fair-type of crowd.

Still plenty of homeless on the streets of the Loop. Mary's firm makes sure that she and her girl friend are cabbed home at night after working late.

Mary's internal directional equipment is suspect. We took the Red Line L out to Wrigley, which I had remembered from old times. Our return trip get-off point was up for debate. Absent a change of heart by Mare, we could have ended up south of Comiskey. And the pedway path to Millenium Park may not exist. But Mary was an economic star with the company L pass. I did need help in running it through the machine.

Charlie and I stopped at an outlet mall just off the tollway coming home. My friend Roy had been there the prior week and was touting the low prices at the Polo store. I did buy several shirts, but what Roy thinks is low and what is low to me are two different numbers. The mall was packed.

I had hopes of being more productive today. It is basically the start of the 2nd half of the year and I want to do positive things to make a forward step out of the gate. Just stumbled all day long. I'll make a better move tomorrow.

I'm off to do 15-20. And fight off the freaking bird at Middle and Forest Grove.

Be careful out there.