Illinois 2015
by Scott Hardie on August 19, 2015
Kelly just wrapped up a weeklong conference in Chicago. I flew in to join her for a few days afterwards to visit family and friends around Illinois.
Trip highlights:
- Adventurous food at the state fair in Springfield: Krispy Kreme donut cheeseburger, deep-fried cheesecake on a stick, Cuban barbecue pork nachos, mmm. I expected it to be pretty bad (and bad for me), but I wound up liking all of it.
- Andy's Jazz Club in Chicago: Great live music, good Cajun food, and good company with Kelly's coworkers relaxing after their last day of the conference. The service was very slow, but that just gave us more time to enjoy the jazz.
- Nobody plays a dirty game of Cards Against Humanity quite like Kelly's family. We made good use of answer cards like "accidentally protesting the wrong Korea," "conjoined twincest," and "Sandy Hook Elementary School."
- Hiking at Starved Rock State Park. I think of Illinois as flat, but it has some decent elevation and views, and you'd better be prepared to climb a lot of stairs in the sun to get there.
Trip lowlights:
- Reminiscent of the honeymoon, Budget left me stranded carless despite my reservation and healthy credit rating. Once again, National rescued us, and the manager went out of his way to get us a comfortable vehicle. I avoided National because of their high rates, but I should have learned my lesson the last time; they're good people and actually want me as a customer.
- The Adler Planetarium in Chicago. I loved it as a child, but now seems overpriced and not terribly stimulating. Perhaps I've been spoiled by Kennedy Space Center and other Florida attractions that raise the bar.
- Being up all night with this shit again before my flight north and aggravation over the rental car. By the time I arrived for drinks and dinner, I hadn't eaten in 30 hours or slept more than a few minutes in two days. A vacation, albeit a rushed one, was just what I needed.
Next summer, Kelly has a conference in New York City. I'm already thinking ahead to the possibilities. :-)
Logical Operator
The creator of Funeratic, Scott Hardie, blogs about running this site, losing weight, and other passions including his wife Kelly, his friends, movies, gaming, and Florida. Read more »
Screw the Braden River Post Office
I haven't written in this blog lately, and I hate to resume with a negative topic, but I need to vent and this makes a good outlet. I hate junk mail, as longtime TC users may recall from my many rants on the subject. Honestly, I've considered opening a storefront business that offers PO boxes to the public, and pre-filters your junk mail for you. Go »In Love, in Tampa
Last night we took in a special show by Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman for Valentines Day. Kelly is a huge fan of both and I was happy to take her to see them. I did not start the evening as a Palmer fan, but I was one by the time it ended. Go »Scott's Pet Peeve #2519
Why do some microwaves have a convenient quick-start option if you press 1 or 2 or 3, so that they instantly start cooking with 1:00 or 2:00 or 3:00 on the clock... but DON'T have this same functionality programmed into 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9, which do nothing when pressed alone? How does an engineer possess both the vision to provide the former and the lack of imagination that results in the latter? Go »Something Comes Along to Intervene
I've been enjoying "Meddle" and "Remedy" by Little Boots, two great electropop songs with catchy hooks, perfect for summer. But I didn't really take her seriously as an artist until I heard "Stuck on Repeat." It's pop music on acid, like Kylie Minogue produced by Captain Beefheart, and the unlikeliest hit song of the year. Go »Random News
Russian reporter murdered by the state. When I observed to a Bulgarian friend that Russia seems to be sinking back into its old fascist state by breaking one inviolable law at a time, he remarked that it always was that way and always will be that way. Whatever things we may dislike about our Congress or President, thank goodness they don't murder us for saying so. Go »
