Visiting Sandra

I took the train from Joliet to Chicago to visit my old friend Sandra. She was just getting off work. We ate some sandwiches and soup at her place then walked across the street to a bar on Lake Michigan. (Also, her rent for a studio on Lake Shore Drive is cheaper than the rent on my in-efficiency in Mt. Pleasant.) They had great Pina Coladas. When it was time to leave we couldn't find the waitress. "It that her," Sandra asked me. "I don't know. All Irish girls look the same to me," I says.

Ruben & Mike's Wisconsin Adventure

Ruben drove me to a job interview in Marshfield, WI.- 300 miles in the middle of nowhere. It was agonizing. Through a thousand cornfields we finally found The Marshfield News-Herald. It is a small-town paper I am hoping to get a job at. However, I don't know how interested I seemed during the interview after the five-hour drive. I'm hoping I didn't give the wrong impression, maybe just indifferent. Ruben wanted to get the hell back to Chicago (understandably, he has a kid back here) so we didn't get to go on a shoot with the paper's photographer Dan Young. On the way back we blew a tire. No spare. Called the tow truck. I am broke after this trip and hope I get the job. Anyone have any connections in Marshfield? or w/ Gannett? Good thing we bought that case of Point Lager on the recommendation of my friend Erik Staffrude (Wisconsin native). Both Ruben and I needed one after that trip.

Flight Delays

My flight on Southwest was delayed almost 2 hours. I my friend Mickey left the airport and the Del Angels, Ruben and Jimi, came to pick me up.

Quarry Fun

I went out to the quarry w/ my friends. Reed has a little fishing boat that Bob and I loaded the keg into. It took me about 5 minutes to actually jump b/c of my fear of heights, but then I felt silly. The water was clear and beautiful. Like any quarry I can remember.

Dad's Grave

I saw my dad's grave stone for the first time at St Mary's Cemetery. It's beautifully hand-carved granite from Vermont.

Country Wedding

My niece lives out at my farm in the country, a place called Enon Valley. She got married out there on Saturday. There was a pig stuffed w/ sausage & chicken and kegs of beer, not to mention a ton of other food and drinks. I walked around with some friends after the wedding ceremony, I didn't know many of the people there. We walked out to the back field and down to the creek. After dark we ended up at the bonfire. Someone snuck into the cornfield and lit off some serious fireworks. Congratulations Becky and Kurt!!!

Independence Day

It was a good 4th. It was a bad 4th. There were big firework, and small ones. But we made the best of it.

Return to Cafe Mozart

Held a D'Steel(e) Meeting at Cafe Mozart yesterday. No poetry was read, many German songs were sung.