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Have just a few minutes on this here Saturday morning to say my piece. Or my peace? (Actually it is piece but I like that either one could change the context of the sentence).
Why just a few minutes? Well – I’m getting in the car shortly and making the run over to Bloomington. Indiana. And while Bloomington, IL is so much closer – the show Kev and I are going to see tonight is in the Eastern Time Zone. So we’re gonna race over there, see the show – featuring one of Kevin’s former theatre students at Indiana University – and then race back tomorrow morning. This of course throws yet another wrench into the “we need to take the Christmas tree down” scenario but it’s becoming a point of pride with me in seeing how long we can leave it up. But Kev has literally been that busy. Show last week and then she had auditions for the next TWO shows this week – which carried on until about 8pm last night. And then she was up at some unholy hour this morning to do homework for her graduate class where she sits – sounding pretty tired – right now. And, as I think I’ve mentioned before, the choreography of putting the tree away is better left in her hands – until it actually comes down to physically taking the tree apart and packing it away. Then, and only then, will I get involved. So we’re off to see Marat/Sade tonight (nice light themes) in Indiana. On the plus side, Kev does get Monday off for President’s Day – thank goodness – because we haven’t seen last week’s Lost yet. No one say anything.
A few follow-ups from previous posts: the guy who won the Democratic primary for Lt. Governor – the one who had a sketchy past where it concerned alleged violence against a girlfriend – was browbeat into withdrawing from the general election a few days ago (actually gave a mini press conference from a SuperBowl watching party with his family nearby). The state Democrats – who don’t want anything getting in the way of their mismanagement of things – guilted him into it. The $1,000,000-plus he spent out of his own pocket to win the silly race – yeah – sorry – you’re outta luck. Now the Dems will pick someone. I’ve heard talk of Tammy Duckworth which I would support – so that probably dooms any chances she’ll get selected.
Oh – and the plumber woes continue. After making it out here for a looksee on Feb. 4 – the plan was for them to come back out here and do the work this past week. No work. No calls. Nothing. So now I gotta further bust their chops for totally failing to show up. Maybe by March.
And in other random wanderings – I’ve become enamored of vege sushi from of all places Kroger. I cannot explain it but I like it. Add a little wasabi and wow. And I swear I had about eight things to update when I started this entry but now I’ve forgotten at least five of ‘em so – lamely – I must sign off – go shower and pack – and head to Indiana.
And before I go, I’ve done quite a few self-portraits lately – but I think I’m done for now. Please enjoy this fellow (above) – standing in a very cold corn field in January. Only in Illinois – or maybe Iowa. Here’s one more from the same chilly day (slightly different lighting set-up):
I think “Catching Up” could be the title of almost any blog post this year – and now I’ve gone and used it up at the beginning of February. Not sure that’s my best plan. In fact this blog post could have been titled something like “Living In A Small Town” or “F*** Yes They Need to Reform Health Insurance – THOSE IDIOTS” – but no – “Catching Up” will do.
The funny thing about living in a small town (and we don’t even really live “in” the town) is the oddball way things happen around here. Two things to remember. On Tuesday night I spent FIVE hours in a Tazewell County Zoning Board of Appeals meeting. A “local” business wants to install an asphalt plant about 2800′ due west of us, on Springfield Road. The three subdivisions that hide out here encompass a little over 100 properties and some 300 people. And I think most of ‘em showed up at this zoning meeting in Pekin. And like all small local government boards in action, it was painful at best and a little contentious at worst. Almost everyone at the meeting was there in opposition, but the people seeking a variance had a lawyer. This was an administrative hearing – so the lawyer was trying object to things he couldn’t object to etc. We don’t want the noise, the smell, or the sight of it all. I won’t go into all the details (but if any of you are out this way, when you turn off of Springfield Road at Tullamore Road, you’d be just a couple hundred feet from the proposed site) but suffice to say the Zoning Board – after hours of testimony (I think the other side was trying to bore us into leaving the hearing) – did not reach a decision. They were a little buried in paperwork from the lawyer – and will take a month to study this before possibly rendering a decision (they could come back with more questions). Most everything points to them denying the request but the way politics works – well they may not deny it… Then you can come out and see our asphalt plant. More on that in March.
The other funny thing about living in a small town is getting local service. We’ve been debating installing a small inline water filter in our house – in front of the water heater and water softener – to collect some sediment. I called the plumber here in town on Jan. 25. We finally got in touch however on Jan. 28 because the person in the office simply takes the information down and then has a scheduler call you back. They called me back on Thursday to tell me the scheduler would call me on Friday. Finally, it was decided they’d be able to get out here on Monday (this past Monday) to LOOK AT THE JOB before deciding how they’d do it. This install is so simple I would do it if I could solder with any consistency. Cut a section out of some pipe, put some threads on either end of the junction and solder them in. But Monday came and went before they finally called around 4pm to say they couldn’t come. They said they’d call back Tuesday but it was this morning before they called again – and now it’ll probably be next Tuesday before they’re out here. In reality it may be March too before this is a done deal.
Kev’s 46th birthday came and went yesterday. A typical week in her life works like this. On Tuesday we both went and voted in the Illinois primary – at about 6:10am. She then went to work and then left early (about 5pm – she has a show opening TONIGHT) to drive to Pekin for the zoning meeting where she lasted until about 10pm. No dinner. Nothing. She then was back on the road around 6am on her birthday (after getting up a little after 4am) and had a final dress rehearsal last night. We didn’t get home until about 10:30pm. Some birthday huh? I got her a pretty necklace/earring combo from Re: in Peoria (all recycled materials – nice stuff too) and the entire cast/crew sang Happy Birthday to her (badly) at my insistence. But yeah… The show goes tonight, Friday, and Saturday. But she did get almost 110 “Happy Birthdays” on Facebook which is pretty cool.
Yeah – so our election out here on Tuesday. Just a primary. All the guys I voted for on the Democratic side lost. Not a big thing – they’re all about the same – which is too say I didn’t like any of them. Of course we’re voting for a new governor. The last one – good old celebrity “Blago” – was arrested on all kinds of corruption charges in 2008. His replacement – Pat Quinn – is running for his own term against the state comptroller. Both of the Dems are Chicago guys who I wouldn’t trust. The Dem running for the Senate seat held previously by Obama is a banker (oh great) who has some connections through his bank with people who I also wouldn’t trust. But that’s Illinois – the state with the second largest deficit in the country (behind only California). I’m not optimistic. The Republicans might get this seat too – not that it matters because the Senate Dems are fairly useless with or without a filibuster-proof majority. The guy who won the Democratic race for Lt. Governor – a position with no actual job description other then to replace the governor should something happen (like getting arrested on corruption charges) is a pawnbroker (or something close) from Chicago who was arrested on domestic violence charges – he alledgedly held a knife to a girlfriend’s neck. Can we pick ‘em or what. I did not vote for Lt. Gov – because a) they’re all the same; b) I think we don’t need the position (when Blago was impeached we didn’t replace the Lt. Gov. because there is no process to do that); and c) see a). Really makes one an optimist for the future of our state… not that I don’t appreciate them. Some things seem to work pretty well in Illinois – they must be farther removed from the political process…
Not too much else to report. I’m just selling, taking, trading, hawking my imagery. I’m fighting for health insurance – which is not going well – and my COBRA runs out at the end of June. Can’t wait to see how much this will cost. I’m trying to stay warm. The sun did come out for a few days last week – but is gone now. I could use a little spring – no doubt about it…
Thanks to all who wished Kev a happy birthday. We’ll catch up some more in a few weeks.
