Earthquake

Just had a tremor. Lasted about 2 seconds and felt like something had crashed into the house. Didn't know what was going on (didn't help that I had just finished watching the climatic end to The Avengers).

Strange to call 911 and get a busy signal. That's when you know something is wrong.

Frito Pie

Unhealthy, I know, but so good on a cool, rainy day.

Chili Cheese Fritos Potato at Baker Bros Deli

Enough for two

The view from inside

Chicago Trip 2012 - Day 6

Up at 5am on the 6th day, and not feeling well.  In addition to that, it was a cold, overcast day.  I lay in bed and fiddled around on the iPad until 7am, when I went down to the lobby for a decaf coffee, then went back to the room.  This was our last day in Chicago.

Donate To Public Radio

I did my duty today to support my local public radio station, KERA 90.1.  Have you done yours?

It....It's everywhere

While I was cleaning up the mess in the living room made by my sick cat today, the other cat was tearing around the house like cats sometimes do.  I didn't pay it any attention and bent to my task.  A short while later I could hear her in the laundry room using the litter box, then after that she was tearing around the house again - only this time it sounded different, sort of a shuffling sound.  Again, I didn't pay it any attention, thinking she was chasing one of her toys around or something.

Well, no, that's not what she was doing.  After finishing my cleaning in front of the couch in the living room I stood up and saw the horror she had wrought:  she had apparently had some issues in the litter box, and her solution was to drag her ass around the house, dog-like, leaving a smear of cat shit everywhere - in the laundry room, in the kitchen, in the dining room, by the front door, up the stairs, and somehow on the front of the washing machine.

WARNING:  Gross photo after the jump

Chicago Trip 2012 - Day 5, Part 3

We were going to the Hancock Tower that evening, so we rested at the hotel before heading back out.  I had a slice of leftover stuffed cheese pizza for dinner.

Hancock Tower street view from our hotel

Heart Walk 2012

Chicago Trip 2012 - Day 5, Part 2

After seeing Willis Tower we walked across the street and had lunch at Giordano's.  I had the chicken oregatano (excellent), a salad with bleu cheese and cheese garlic bread.

Pleather and Puppets - What's New at Krispy Kreme

I don't use the word vile very much, but it sums up the new temporary flavors Krispy Kreme is current promoting.  Touting them as "County Fair" fare, they are cotton candy and caramel apple flavored.

Looks like a ring of Naugahyde and something that fell off a Muppet

The cotton candy donut is coated with a crusty shell of grainy blue sugar that just barely tastes vaguely of cotton candy.  For the most part it's like eating a regular glazed donut that's been rolled in additional coarse sugar and left on the counter to harden.

The caramel apple donut is the worse offender of the two.  It's a cake donut covered in a brown "caramel" glaze.  The glaze doesn't really taste like caramel; it just tastes like more sugar.  The cake donut itself though...it tastes like eating one of those uber-scented apple candles you would find at Christmastime - overpoweringly cloying, sweet and tart artificial apple.  It's been almost an hour since I ate it and even after washing it down with a plain glazed donut and a glass of milk, I can't get the flavor out of my mouth.  Mouthwash here I come.

If you're looking for a donut fix, stick with the normal Krispy Kreme lineup or your regular local donut shop.