We’ve had a very busy couple of days. I was in Chicago on Thursday to tour the Art Institute, then Bunco on Friday, followed by the NIU home-opener on Saturday, sadly, neither I nor NIU won, and then bbsitting on Sunday. Here are a handful of things I learned:
- I live about a mile and three-quarters from the Convocation Center. I know because I walked it and my Fitbit told me so. Huskie stadium, the convo, Fatty’s, we made the rounds.
- Tailgating NIU students reminded me a lot of what you associate with Spring Break: partying atop a bus, loud music, shotgunning beers… As an alumni, I thought, cool. As a grown-up, I thought, yikes.
- The movie Spring Breakers is oddly engaging, peculiarly unique, and weirdly good. Goodly weird? If Pocket Money took place at a beach, with bikini-clad women, and a surreal editing filter…
- The Children’s Farm in Rockford is still open. I remember going there when I was a kid. And as we all know, that was a loooong time ago.
- Three-year-olds ride BMX. We walked across the street from Lockwood Park because there was an event going on. Suddenly, cresting the first hill, a gang of three year olds! They don’t have pedals. They use their feet Flintstone-style and have peg bars for coasting. I didn’t get my own photo, so I borrowed from the internet.
5a. Training wheels are for suckers.
Mary Lamphere 