For those of you who are regular readers of the blog, I have subjected you all to horrifically blurry pictures due to my dropping the camera in the sand on the second day of the trip. Sorry about that. I've been taking pictures off the web of late and blatantly posting them right online to illustrate my trip without giving any credit. Since I am going to be in Chicago for three weeks, I plan on getting the camera fixed. I went online to find an authorized Canon repair location and LO and BEHOLD, the manufacturers repair center is right here in a suburb called Elk Grove Village, just west of O'Hare. I drove out (getting to listen to Independence Day) along the way and the nice front desk guy looked at my paperwork and told me it was still under warranty. I opted NOT to tell him about my dropping it, so let's hope I pull this off and get the camera repaired for free.
As I was driving back from Elk Grove Village, I pulled off at a Target to buy new swim goggles. But right next to the Target is the Vienna beef factory, which I believe also makes the famed Vienna Sausages. Now, the reason that this factory was on my brain was that I had heard an NPR story (sorry I couldn't find the archive on the NPR site) about this new factory and that when they moved from South Side Chicago to North Side Chicago they had difficulty replicating the color of the sausage and they finally figured out that the difference between the two factories was one worker, who did one special task that didn't move to work at the North Side factory. Once they figured that out the sausage colors were the same. Anyway, I wanted to take a factory tour, but they don't have one. Bummer. However, they do have a lunch counter and I had a great Polish Sausage hot dog. Yum.
To bore you to death, I bought a new pair or athletic shoes. I've been wearing them, but learned that I can't tie them too tight for some reason, so I think they look weird on my feet. I also purchased (for half off) a pair of more formal flip-flops. I hate to admit, but I'm becoming a fan of the toe thong flip-flop even though I've been harping on students of mine for wearing them. I just won't wear them to school.
Another bonus is that I've found a pool to swim at. Leah and Rich's loft lies right by the University of Illinois-Chicago and I went online and found out they have a pool that has lap swim twice a day. $7 is a bit steep, but it's nice to get the exercise.
Monday night had me go to the Armando Diaz Experience. which is an improv show. According to the young woman seated next to me, I watched "long form" improv where the characters recur and keep developing. "Short form" improv, as seen on "Who's Line is it Anyway" is where they play games and have more skit based comedy. I enjoyed it, but I could take it or leave it.
The highlight of the evening was "SHOW TUNES" night at a bar in Boystown called Sidetrack. From Ethel Merman to Hairspray, I was singing along with the crowd the entire evening. I'll be going back next Monday.
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