sweet home chicago

pearls before swine

MIT called. They want their honorary degree back.

I never said I was the brightest bulb on the tree, and adapting to the new Vista operating system has presented something of a challenge. It isn't it ~ it's me. It looks very attractive and obligingly efficient, and I love the zazzy new 3D graphics and organizational tools. Even my new desktop ~ a soothing eyeful of luscious green bamboo stalks; ooooo, pretty ~ makes me happy.

It's just that I haven't had time to sit down, focus and methodically analyze all the quirks, bells and whistles involved in the new system. Because I wanted to get to work immediately after being offline for so long, I just dove right in without checking first to see if there was any water in the pool. As a result I hit my head, set some things up wrong (for one thing, inputting the wrong PPOE or BYOB or whatever the heck it was that I was asked for during setup) and thus creating all manner of confusion.

And at the moment I have no time to go back and fix my errors. I did go out and buy Windows Vista for Dummies last week but haven't had time to crack it yet ~ turns out what I really needed was Windows Vista for the Busy Idiot. Maybe that's the book I should write. If I have time.

It will all work out in the end, I'm sure. In the meantime, we're off this week to one of my favorite cities and Turk's hometown of Chicago. We're adding a little side tour up through Wisconsin to the Great Lakes area. I have never been to Wisconsin, which seems as good a reason as any to go. I hear there are cows. Possibly a cheese festival. I'd like to stay in one of those converted lighthouse inns I've been seeing online, perched high on a cliff somewhere overlooking Lake Superior. If it's warm enough, maybe we'll do a little sailing; maybe catch us some of that Lake Superior whitefish. Who knows? We'll figure it out. It's a road trip ~ we go where the road takes us.

In the meantime, all we've got so far are nonrefundable plane tickets and a date with some of Turk's old pals downtown. I'll be hanging around the Art Institute, and the evening will almost certainly find us at Harry Caray's. Again. I'll hit the shops along Michigan Avenue; maybe check out Navy Pier too; we haven't been there since it opened. After that, it's anybody's guess. See you when we get back.

Go Sox...