In Chicago we call that J-Walking...

I went a wandering today.. I took the blue line up to Lake st, walked west 4 blocks to where the Chicago River forks around the city.. Walked East along the river out to Lake Michigan.. As I was walking I stopped at a "dont walk" sign, a tall pretty black girl stopped next to me and said "looks like we're stuck", I said "could be worse, we could be out there getting hit by cars".. Those lines led to a four block conversation, while we were walking two black guys were walking towards us and started saying things like "he can't handle that", she looked at them, looked at me and said something like "maybe he can".. It was really funny.. We talked for a few more blocks before I saw the House of Blues, I went to see if they had live music tonight and she continued on her way (we both thanked each other for the company).. btw - House of Blues was closed today for a private party.. :(

I continued my walk down to the Lake and then walked south with the lake on my left and a big towering sky line on the right, it was really neat looking to see nothing in one direction and sky scrappers in the other.. Walked down to Buckingham Fountain which was fenced off and was sent back to 1992..

I went to Chicago for the first time in 1992 for a FBLA National Conference to compete in two tests, when I was in chicago that time they were having the "Taste of Chicago" festival over at Buckingham Fountain. I walked across Michigan Ave, I didn't walk in a cross walk, I walked directly across the street.. At that time there were a bunch of cops around and one of them stopped me and asked for my license, I told him I didn't have one and asked what I did. He said I walked across the street and explained that "In Chicago we call that J-Walking" I remember trying REAL hard to not laugh at that cop and tonight I laughed my ass off as I walked directly across the middle of the same street from the Fountain to my old hotel!!

I walked over to Monroe to catch the Blue line back to Lisle and ate at a really good restaurant called Grillroom. I had Spinach and Tomato Cavapatti and some Black Bean & Bacon Soup... Soo Good.. There was a real douche bag at the restaurant at the table next to me talking to his dinner guests about his factory he runs. He was complaining about how nobody stays and then bitching about all his employees and how the all whine and how sometimes you have to yell at them in public to get them to listen.. He also told them how he gives good benefits, one week vacation after they have been there for one year, two weeks after two years! When one of his guests asked out sick time he said (and I quote) "If you give them sick time, they get sick. If they need to use their vacation they get sick less often"!!!!!! When his guest said what about sick time during the first year he said "They can work longer hours on the days they are in to make up the time"!!! I really wanted to walk over on my way out and just tell him he was a douche...

---- Comic of the day
http://www.redmeat.com/redmeat/2000-12-12/index.html

---- Thought of the day
"You didn't know me before you knew me."