Single and...

Not especially loving it...but taking some comfort in this fun news release from the US Census Bureau.

-M!

V-a-c-a-t-i-o-n!!!

I actually took a vacation a few weeks ago. It was great, but a lot of driving.

Drove from here in "America's Heartland" all the way to Buffalo, then on to Oswego and Ottawa and back. Over 3100 miles in all, probably 50 hours of travel.

Did it in a rented Buick Century from Alamo, the low-end sister company of National, my fave. Alamo seems to jerk prices around like nobody's business. Reserve on a weekend - even weeks in advance - and you pay more than on a weekday. Buyer beware, shop around and keep checking.

Other fun observations...

I took the long route, I-35 to I-80 to I-90. Never been that way before. Illinois seemed especially yucky.

Cassidy Motel in LaPorte, IN was modest, comfortable and inexpensive.
Modern Aire Motel in Tonawanda (suburb of Buffalo) was disgusting...but inexpensive.

After two years, it was an absolute joy to spend some time walking along the Riverwalk in Niawanda Park in Tonawanda and having some Anderson's Frozen Custard on Sheridan Drive. On the other hand, dinner at Taste of India, absolutely packed on a Saturday nite, was unremarkable.

Before spending all day 8/1 with the guys, the highlight of my year so far, I visited the Safe Haven Museum at Fort Ontario. I encourage you to and to read Ruth Gruber's book Haven if you haven't.

The City of Oswego looks pretty much the same. Stores come and go, beautiful views of Lake Ontario, memories galore. Oswego State campus looked kinda tired. Not as bright and gleaming as I recalled.

Ottawa, Ontario always looks good, as does Gatineau, Quebec, just over the border. As always, I stayed at Motel du Chevalier: clean, pleasant, convenient and inexpensive. Excellent breakfast at Chez Cora. Couche Tard convenience stores have a great logo.

Even with rain threatening, Ottawa's Byward Market is a glorious, fun place to visit. Of course, I had lots of Tim Horton's coffee and sour creme donuts at many stops in Ontario and Buffalo.

On the way home, I spent a nite in Erie, PA, a city that does nothing for me. The Microtel, my fave chain of motels was just fine and reasonably priced. The Microtel in Tonawanda (see above) where I usually stay was suddenly, for no apparent reason, obscenely priced at $69.99 a nite when I needed them. No way, folks.

I drove like a madman and spent the next nite in Davenport, IA, just hours after both John Kerry and the pResident made appearances there. Funny coincidence. With a coupon from one of those rest stop magazines, my stay at the Days Inn North was cheap and nice. Davenport is a surprisingly nice city, 1/4 of the Quad Cities (including Bettendorf, IA and Moline and Rock Island, IL). I once got invited for a job interview in the area and declined, fearful it would be too small and yucky. I probably should have gone.

My Dinner at Exotic Thai in Davenport was so-so. Dessert at Whitey's Ice Cream was wonderful.

I stopped in Iowa City, home of the U of Iowa, to look around. Very pretty place. In fact, the whole state seemed very clean and friendly. I had only been to Iowa once before, crossing into Council Bluffs from Omaha for a milk shake back in 2001.

Next stop was the Tanger Outlet Center in Williamsburg, IA. Great place. I bought a watch at the Fossil store (they say women like men wearing Fossil watches, oooooh!) and some other cool stuff.

AND...got home in one piece, more or less.

It was good to get away, see some familiar faces and places, discover some new ones.

Now, two weeks later, I'm settled in, back to the routine and ready to just...go away again...to Vancouver and Des Moines and Honolulu and...

-M!

Minimum Radio

How amazing is it that Rush Limbaugh has absolutely no idea what the minimum wage is?

I guess you never notice stuff like that when your career begins at a radio station that daddy owns and then advance on from there to bigger money in the back-pocket of the Republicans.

The item linked above, from Media Matters for America is one of many, many important facts being ignored by the mainstream media and most ignorant among us. I encourage you to subscribe to their email updates and tell your friends to do the same.

"They" are counting on us to sit in front of the TV with our tongues hanging out, to not ask questions. Prove 'em wrong.

-M!

Crystal Clear

Excellent article by Damien Cave from the 8/13/04 issue of Rolling Stone: Inside Clear Channel.

"If you don't realize
that they've sent a chill
throughout the creative community,
you're living on another planet."


-M!