I used to listen to public radio a lot. I rarely take the time to listen anymore so thankfully This American Life has a podcast and now on Showtime. The "Ask an Iraqi" segment on TV prompted me to mention Ira (almost 50, what?).

Simon says stick some songs in my head

This morning I have "You Can Call Me Al" on the brain.

A couple weeks ago as I was walking around the track at Lifetime I was nearing the end of the workout (screw those who don't think walking is a workout) and after 40 minutes of the best of my old friend Steve Dahl, I chose to listen to a few S & G songs...In particular:


Say what you will about how things went in the 60's but man, the music was good and geez! youtube takes up a lot of space...I'm sure there are ways to shrink 'em down. edit: shrunk

French Friday

Would someone kindly direct me to The Magic Pan?

Here's a map of Oak Brook Center in Oak Brook, IL. My mom would take me to The Magic Pan either there or at Woodfield after back to school clothes shopping (and two hours at Lane Bryant for her). I always had the chicken crepes and then hot fudge sundae crepes for dessert. What on earth happened to The Magic Pan? I mean the actual restaurant, not the two stands that have been revived by Let Us Entertain You (one right here at Mall of America and who wants to go there on purpose?). Click for info on the stands.

Monday's Menu on Tuesday

After a stop at Homecut Donuts in Joliet (okay, really, the best donuts I've ever had aside from a place called "Papa's Donuts" in Surprise, AZ) and then a rather crappy trip to the cemetery, we went to Superdawg on Milwaukee @ Devon & Nagle. I'd only been there once before, like 14 years ago. Superdawg is often featured on Food Network type shows and is very cute, the food is good and the staff is nice.

celeb

Go Cubs!!!

If the Cubs don't win Saturday (today), next year will mark the 100th anniversary of their last World Series title.



I like Arizona and all but these are the Chicago Cubs we're talking about.

P.S. I know the "C" is backwards, it's photo booth. Thanks.

Dale Levitski for Top Chef

If you don't want Dale to win I can't help you.

answering the phone back in the day

The pressure was on to say "WMAQ is gonna make me rich" rather than "hello" when answering the phone in the 312 area code, lest you be the reason your parents didn't win ten grand.

Fuggedaboutit Friday

Nobody understands why I didn't dine at any of these three places when I was in IL last week. Lou's-best pizza, Ricobene's-for very good sandwiches (an all time favorite of The Nutshell) & there's nothing wrong with Gino's East. As far as I can read, while they're growing at a steady pace, none of these places have branched out of the Chicago area...savvy indeed.

the year was 1976, give or take

There were A LOT of kids shows that originated in Chicago back in the 60's & 70's, Gigglesnort Hotel was one of them. It takes about five seconds of ad before you get to see the sampling of the fun on this YouTube clip. Cryrahryerahrrrrarr!

no longer amusing

There were several amusement parks that were rather close to my home as I was growing up, they're all defunct now. Let's see...there was:

I don't see how The Park at Mall of America is any better than Old Chicago...Old Chicago was great fun and "The Chicago Loop" was my first roller coaster ride. Rumor always had it that the corkscrews from that ride went on to be part of Great America's Demon or Turn of the Century or some shat. According to everything I've read, OC was only open for 5 years, that makes no sense...though I was between the ages of 6 & 10 during its lifespan and it was a much different time to be a kid and when Bolingbrook wasn't so much a suburb.

Dispensa's was pants. They kept changing the commercial theme song as the prices went up. It went from "any ride a quarter, five for a dollar" to when it closed, "any ride a dollar, five for your first born".

I'm still waiting for my babysitter, Kim, to bring me to Santa's Village when she gets her license...though now I see that it's closed and I guess I'm SOL.

I don't know that I ever went to Adventureland but it was the closest to home. I just remember the giant muffler man lumberjack dude standing guard and the colorful paint peeling picket fence (full of lead I bet) surrounding the place. And look, it was even open "Both Memorial Days", uh, what?

(click on photos for sites where credit is due)