Veterans Day 2026!

Today is Veterans Day, a holiday that began back in 1919 as Armistice Day, which celebrated the end of World War I. That horrific conflict, ironically called "the war to end all wars," ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. And in 1954, the day became Veterans Day, a national holiday that would honor all war veterans, living and dead, to be celebrated on Armistice Day, and those ranks of veterans included my father Nelson, who served during World War II. My father was a dentist, and as the story goes, he and his friend Ed were listening to a Northwestern University football game on the radio in the fall of 1943 when he got a telegram telling him that he had been drafted. At the age of 34, he probably thought he was home free, but no. Ed, also a dentist, thought that was very funny, until he got home and found out that he had been drafted, too. My father wound up being sent to Okinawa, while his friend Ed went to Paris. The Hoyt family luck has never changed throughout the generations. My father was forced by his parents to become a dentist, and he just hated it. My mother Mary once told me that my dad actually liked his time in the army, fighting teeth on Okinawa, since it was a break in having to practice that career back in Chicago. He can be seen in the photograph above sitting in the back row, third from the right. In any case, he came home in the fall of 1947 and after my father, mother, and sister Susan lived with my mother's parents for what was no doubt a fun-filled year and a half, they bought and moved into the house in the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago where I would grow up. My mother was so happy to finally have a place of her own that she hated to leave it, even to go on vacations. And that is today's Veterans Day story. No thanks necessary.

Delray Beach And Art On The Square

My sister Susan and I drove down to Delray Beach from Stuart, Florida this past Sunday for the Art on the Square Fine Art Show. The last time we drove here, in August, to see an art show at Old School Square, the Delray Coastal Showcase, there was no sign of an art show whatsoever. I was worried that the same thing would happen this time, too, but thankfully it was taking place there as promised. This was not a major festival, but still very nice, and worth attending. There were paintings, sculpture, mixed media, photography, and other types of art on display. I checked out the photography booths - all were tropical scenes, none very interesting, and after a while we moved on to check out downtown Delray Beach.

Delray Beach always seems to be crowded on the weekends, and most of the restaurant patios were doing a booming business. I have noticed that many of these restaurants have bars lining the sidewalks, and most of those barstools were filled, too. And for those of you who have followed my posts about the Blue Anchor Pub, which was built in the 1840s in London, but disassembled and rebuilt in Delray Beach in the 1990s, it is still closed due to multiple health code violations and lawsuits concerning unpaid rent. It is haunted, by the way, by Bertha Starky, who was killed along with her lover by her husband when he returned home unexpectedly and found them in their upstairs quarters. She now has the place all to herself, at least for now.

We parked in the Pineapple Grove Arts District, the home of galleries, studios, boutiques, and the Arts Garage, which has live music, performances, and exhibitions, and is considered the cultural center of Delray Beach. And there is also free parking on the street, which is a major plus for me. I took the photograph on the left of that wall mural of a happy looking monkey as we were walking back to the car. Just like the last time we visited, the traffic heading west toward I-95 on Atlantic Avenue, the main drag, was bumper to bumper, and so we headed east to A1A and the ocean, and drove along the beaches and past multi-million-dollar mansions on the way home, hoping that the tax cuts the owners received from Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill were helping them with what must be huge mortgage payments. And speaking of Trump, he was in residence at Mar-a-Lago this past weekend, and so our trip along the ocean was cut short as we had to detour off Palm Beach Island, since the road in front of his club was closed in order to prevent anyone from getting anywhere close to the front gate of that deranged old SOB's home. And I mean that with all due respect.

The 25th Annual Feast Of Little Italy

I attended the 25th annual Feast of Little Italy in the Abacoa neighborhood of Jupiter, Florida this past Saturday afternoon. This is an annual event that celebrates all things Italian, including food, music, and art, and attracts a very large crowd. And everyone seemed to be very enthusiastic about being Italian - it looked to me like half the crowd was wearing Italian themed tee-shirts or hats to show their pride. I suspect - but cannot swear - that a lot of people from New York and New Jersey, many of Italian heritage, have moved to South Florida over the years, accounting for the huge turnout every year. The only other Italian festival I have attended was Festival Italiano in Lakewood, Colorado, just to the west of Denver. Lakewood, to me, is an ugly suburb, but does have two things going for it - Belmar Park, a 20th Century history park, and Belmar, a mixed-use development similar to Abacoa that now functions as Lakewood's downtown area. Belmar is located on the site where a shopping mall called Villa Italia once stood, hence the origins of Festival Italiano. This was also a very popular festival but was discontinued during the pandemic and never came back. Belmar has been facing foreclosure due to financial struggles (evidently the people of Lakewood prefer tacky West Colfax Avenue to Belmar for their shopping needs), which perhaps explains why Festival Italiano has never returned.

But back to the Feast of Little Italy. The entertainment part of this festival took place at the Abacoa Amphitheater, which includes a stage where singer Philippe Harari, a singer and real estate developer, no less, along with his wife Bobbi Rae, were performing, and a greenspace where there was a beer garden, as well as tables and chairs for people to sit and enjoy the music. And bordering the amphitheater was an entire block of food vendors selling every kind of Italian food you can think of, although, as you can see in the photograph on the right, a French Macarons booth was allowed in, too. I'm not exactly sure how that happened. They should be more careful next time. In any case, it was a fun way to spend a couple of hours on a pleasant, sunny day in South Florida.

Rushing The Season - A South Florida Tradition

This past August I went into the Home Depot here in Stuart, Florida, and noticed that the entire front of the store was filled with Halloween items, ranging from skeletons to cackling, full-sized witches to God knows what else, a full 3 months before that scary holiday. And this past Wednesday, I was driving down Rosemary Street in West Palm Beach's CityPlace neighborhood when I saw that they were putting up Christmas decorations, including the tree in the photograph on the left, three full weeks before Thanksgiving. Let's face it - it is all about making money. The commercialization of Christmas is not a new thing, but all those decorations, Christmas trees, and Christmas Muzak seem to appear earlier and earlier each year. I also noticed that that tree at CityPlace has a large entrance, and I suspect that inside there is where Santa Claus will be setting up shop.

And that is the exact spot where what they call the Water Pavilion is located, where children go to play in the water, while their parents sit in chairs on the lawn and watch, as seen in the photograph on the right. Far be it from me to question the judgement of a major mixed-use development like CityPlace, but if Santa Claus's workshop is located over what is a fountain the rest of the year, is it too far-fetched to think that some grinch might discover where the controls to that Water Pavilion are located, and on one particularly busy day turn that water back on, soaking Santa, his helpers, and all those kids and their parents? Kind of like that scene in "It's a Wonderful Life" when some kid opens up the retractable floor on the basketball court during the senior dance to expose the swimming pool underneath, and Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed fall right in. If it was up to me, I would move that tree off to the side, onto the lawn, to avoid tempting a prankster from doing just that. But that's just me - I always tend to look for that dark cloud behind every silver lining.

The November Mutt of the Month

I took the photograph above of the November Mutt of the Month at the Tennyson Fall Fest in Denver's Berkeley neighborhood last month. This was a really nice street festival, but what made it even better were all the dogs walking up and down Tennyson Street past the vendor booths. And why so many dogs? Because they had a costume contest for dogs earlier that morning, bringing out all those mutts in force. And why wasn't this dog wearing its costume? I think because the day was so warm and sunny that the animals would have suffered if they had kept those costumes on after the contest. In any case, this dog seemed perfectly happy to pose for a portrait and even gave me a big smile. And so, thank you for your cooperation, Mutt of the Month!

The November Issue Of Chicago Magazine

I just finished reading the November issue of Chicago Magazine - the online edition, of course, since only people still living in the Chicago area can get an actual physical copy - and have come to a startling conclusion: Chicago Magazine and its readers are obsessed with food. Four of the last eight issues have had cover stories about food, with the latest, the November issue, being "Breakfast." Besides this article, which goes on for many pages, there are also articles on "Table Settings," "Why do Chicagoans despise Ketchup?" and "Tableside Carts Making a Comeback." There is also a review of a Puerto Rican restaurant called Culebra, and another review for Muhajir, which serves south and southeast Asian cuisine (dinner for two averages $250, a real bargain!), with a suggestion by the author to request the waiter to secure you a seat at Bobo, the adjacent speakeasy, for afterwards. Regular Chicago Magazine readers must spend their entire lives doing nothing but eating and drinking.

Personally, I would recommend the Beacon Pub, located just down the block from my first apartment, a studio in west suburban Forest Park. I used to walk past this place all the time on my way to the "L." I never ate there, but since it appears to have survived the 50 years since I last lived in the neighborhood, has an online rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars, and costs an average of $10-$20 per person, how can you go wrong? I took the photograph on the right of the place in 2010, the last time I went back to Chicago. But I digress. This month there is also an article titled "Bike Lane Backlash," about the controversy of eliminating car lanes and parking along Chicago's streets to put in bike lanes. Besides the traffic and parking problems this causes, it appears that conservatives feel bike lanes are another form of DEI and strongly oppose them. Is there anything that isn't political anymore? However, I do have sympathy for the anti-bike lane people. All the parking spaces on the block where my condo building in Denver is located were eliminated for bike lanes, and now there is nowhere for guests to park, as well as for me when some idiot parks in my spot. Finally, there is a feature article titled "American Pope," which is an excerpt from a new biography recounting Pope Leo's early years in South Suburban Dolton, Illinois and how the Catholic community there shaped him. Basically, Pope Leo grew up in a very religious Catholic family, went to mass twice a week at St. Mary of the Assumption in Riverdale and soon became very involved with the church. No surprises there. The most interesting part was reading about all the places in the South Suburbs of Chicago I am so familiar with - Dolton, Riverdale, Glenwood, Chicago Heights - from when I lived in nearby Country Club Hills for 10 years, before finally making an escape. All in all, an interesting issue. Be sure to pick up a copy if you are lucky enough to have access to one. Of course, there is always the online edition as a last resort. Just deal with it, as have I. Kind of.

The Sun Has Returned At Last! - Time For Paragliding!

The sun has returned to South Florida after days of heavy rains and widespread flooding, and so I decided to take a drive down to Jupiter to check out the beach, which is miles long and really quite impressive. And found that there were a bunch of paragliders in the air over the shoreline, one of whom can be seen in the photograph on the left. The wind was quite strong along the water, providing perfect conditions for them. And I wasn't the only one taking photographs of the action - there were a number of beach goers taking photos, too, talking about how much fun it must be, and wondering what it would be like to try it themselves. It looked to me like those paragliders were all by themselves, and not part of an organized group, and so if someone wanted to try out that sport on the beach, you might very well be on your own. Which would be scary. However, back in Colorado, I know that Lookout Mountain, just above Golden, is a pretty popular spot for paragliding, and there are companies like Golden Paragliding that provide lessons for beginners, which is kind of tempting. It does look like a fun sport, after all. However, I imagine they charge money for those lessons. Probably a lot. That and the fact that I might die are the only two things holding me back.

Attending The Fall Fun Fest In Port St. Lucie

This past Saturday, during a rare break in the near constant tropical downpours that have been occurring here in South Florida as of late, my sister Susan and I visited the Fall Fun Fest taking place at the MIDFLORIDA Event Center in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Port St. Lucie is not my favorite town here on what is called the Treasure Coast, which stretches from Jupiter on the south to Sebastian on the north. It is the 6th largest city in Florida and is more or less just one humongous suburb. There is no downtown, just endless businesses along US 1. There is also no port. They do have nice parks and walkways along the still undeveloped North Fork of the St. Lucie River, but hanging out there all the time can get pretty old pretty quick. In any case, the Fun Fest had a lot of carnival rides, as seen in the photograph above, a midway with carnival games to play, live music, and lots of food booths. You could also head into the events center itself and do early voting. We did go inside, but did not vote, since we are residents of Colorado and already voted, and don't want poor Donald Trump to have still another thing to complain about. No doubt he would have found out. The Fall Fun Fest was family friendly and very well attended, which is not surprising, given the limited things to do in Port St. Lucie. It was fun to walk around and do a bit of peoplewatching, but we did avoid going on any of those rides, which would be very unadvisable if you just had lunch. A pleasant way to spend an hour, but no more, unless you wanted to take your chance on those rides.

Election Day!

Today is Election Day, the day we have all been waiting for, if not to learn the direction this country will be taking over the next 2 years and beyond, but at least to finally see the end of all those damn political ads that have been on the television for what seems like forever. Down here in Florida, those ads have been particularly vicious. It seems like everyone running for office down here is hopelessly corrupt, out to harm the middle class, seniors, and families through punishing taxes, or simply wants to destroy the country they hate so much, since they are socialists or communists. Political ads for Pia Dandiya, a Democrat, and Casey Askar, a Republican, who are running for a seat in Florida's 22nd Congressional District, have been on television non-stop lately. One of Askar's ads, seen in the photograph above, starts by showing what I believe is Fidel Castro marching through the jungle, and then switches to a banner saying "Businesses Seized!," accusing Dandiya of being a Socialist. For her part, one of Dandiya's ads shows her saying that she wants to lower costs and preserve Medicare and Social Security, all of which I never considered to be socialist. And to think only a few weeks ago my main concern was whether the Chicago White Sox would make it to the next level of the Major League Baseball playoffs (they didn't). In any case, I very much want to see what the end result of this election will be. Will Trump's Golden Age for America continue? Will the Democrats gain control of the House and Senate and put the brakes on his iron-fisted rule? Will America become a socialist state? And more importantly, will there be a Major League Baseball lockout starting December 1st, when the MLB collective bargaining agreement expires, endangering the 2027 baseball season, just when the White Sox have become competitive again? Many of these questions could be answered tonight. Or not.

Dia de los Muertos

Yesterday was All Saints' Day (aka All Hallows' Day), which celebrates all the saints of the Christian church. And today is All Souls' Day, "a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed." Today is also the Mexican holiday known as Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, which is a much less somber event, featuring family and friends gathering to pay respects to and remember family members who have passed away, often featuring ceremonies and processions involving people dressed as Catrins (skeletons) and Catarinas (elegantly dressed female skeletons). My favorite Dia de los Muertos celebration takes place this Friday night at the First Friday Art Walk in Denver's Santa Fe Art District. And keeping with tradition, between 7:00 and 8:00 P.M. there will be a community procession, with many if not most of the participants dressed as Catrins and Catarinas. If you are in Denver Friday night, don't miss it. Here in South Florida, Fort Lauderdale is hosting its 2nd annual Downtown Day of the Dead, which will be held along its famous Riverwalk, with a festival at Esplanade Park starting at 3:00 P.M. and a stroll along the Riverwalk starting at 6:00. Last year I attended the festival part of the event, which, as I recall, was not all that interesting, but missed the Riverwalk stroll. I definitely intend to make it to that Riverwalk stroll this year. My problem with the festival part of the event last year was that there were so few people in costume, although while there I was still able to take the photograph of the couple in the photograph on the left, two of the few dressed for the occasion. Hopefully there will be many more people in costume during the stroll on Saturday. Be there or be square, as we hipsters always say.

Sunshine State? More Like The Tropical Downpour State...

My sister Susan and I arrived back in Stuart, Florida this past Thursday and it has been raining ever since, including a downpour we experienced when driving down Federal Highway yesterday, as seen in the photograph above. In fact, I have been told it has been raining almost every day since we left here back in September. And this week the area has experienced what are called king tides, which can occur with full and new moons and cause flooding and erosion along the ocean and rivers. Peak tides took place here in Stuart on the mornings of Oct 27th and 28th, and the water on the St. Lucie River, just a short walk from our condo, has been going over the complex's pier, which is kind of scary. Evidently there has also been flooding along Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach and very serious flooding in Fort Lauderdale. I was planning on heading down to Fort Lauderdale this weekend for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, in order to pick out my "forever" superyacht, but from what I can tell from the local television news, the whole town appears to be underwater. I was afraid that if I did decide to drive down there, my classic 2014 Hyundai Accent might very well float out to sea, with me in it. No problem. I suspect I wouldn't have been able to get the monthly payments on that superyacht down to an acceptable level, anyway. My social security check goes only so far, after all.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! Today I am featuring a photograph that I have used many times before on this blog, most recently just 2 years ago. But I don't care. I like it. It is of my mother Mary and sister Susan, taken at a Vero Beach, Florida arts and crafts festival many years ago. And since we are now in Stuart, Florida, it seems very appropriate. Of course, today is Halloween, and it is also a Saturday night, and so back in Denver, I can just imagine what the scene in the Lower Downtown (LoDo) and Ballpark neighborhoods will be like this evening. I remember heading down there a few years ago to check out the scene, standing on the corner of 20th and Market, across the street from The View House, one of the most popular hipster hangouts in Denver. The intersection was filled with hipsters, all in costume, enjoying Halloween into the early hours of the morning. And here in Stuart? Since everyone in this town seems to be home before sunset (I suspect we have a vampire problem here, but no one will admit it), there is not a single person on the street. Not one trick or treater in sight. But no problem. It saves a fortune in candy expense. Happy Halloween! No matter where you are.

Returning To Stuart Florida!

It has been getting pretty damn cold here in Denver in the evenings, and so my sister Susan and I decided to head back down to our Stuart, Florida condo that we inherited from our parents, Nelson and Mary. Both of us really prefer to drive down to Florida, but unfortunately, that puts 4,000 miles roundtrip on my car, which adds up pretty quickly if you make the trip 3 times a year. Which means flying is the best way to get there. Oh joy! The last time we headed down to Florida, we had a layover in Baltimore, and instead of arriving on time at 8:50 P.M. we arrived at 1:05 in the morning. Thank God Jan, who was picking us up, was waiting for us in West Palm Beach at that ungodly hour and drove us from the airport to Stuart. Just another fun-filled airline adventure. And this time? God only knows. But it is time to think positive thoughts. And I do not want to criticize the airline industry. Not me. No way. My only comfort is that we will be arriving at Donald J. Trump International Airport. How proud every passenger must feel arriving at an airport with that hallowed name. Until he winds up in jail and the airport goes back to Palm Beach International. If only, if only.

The Denver Card Show

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, my sister Susan and I went to Oktoberfest - The Denver Wiesn at the National Western Center here in Denver this past Sunday afternoon. It was actually pretty nippy when we were there, and as we were leaving, we saw a sign pointing the way to The Denver Card Show, which is a large-scale trading card and collectibles event. It was free to attend, and so we headed that way, not due to a great interest in trading cards but just to get warm. When we entered the building, we had to go through the spooky entrance seen in photograph on the left to get to the event. And when we got to the exhibition hall, I was amazed at the size of the event. And the huge crowd that was there.

When I looked up The Denver Card Show on the internet after I got home, I saw that there were over 1,000 vendor tables there, featuring vintage and modern sports cards, trading card games, non-sports cards like Disney and Marvel, autographed memorabilia, comics, toys, and God knows what else. None of which interested either Susan or me. What did interest me was the Haunted Halloween Maze located in the far corner of the event. Which I headed to immediately. Unfortunately, as soon as we entered the maze and got to the first very small, very spooky room, Susan told me she was not going any further, and we turned around and headed back to the car. Not having experienced the Haunted Halloween Maze, but at least much warmer.

Attending The Last Oktoberfest of the Year

This past Sunday my sister Susan and I went to Oktoberfest - The Denver Wiesn, which took place at Denver's National Western Center. I am pretty sure it was the last Oktoberfest of the year, at least here in Colorado. This festival was sponsored by the Bavarian Guild and the National Western Center, and featured a beer hall, German food, artisan vendors, and family-centered activities, such as the Ferris wheel seen in the photograph on the left. There were a fair number of people at this event, but not anywhere near the crowds at the other Oktoberfests we attended. Which makes sense, since it was a bit chilly out there, with a wind making it feel even colder. I can just imagine what it felt like on that Ferris wheel.

This year Susan and I also attended the Oktoberfest in Denver's Platte Park neighborhood and the Denver Oktoberfest in the Ballpark neighborhood. Susan enjoyed them both but kept asking me why Oktoberfest takes place in September instead of October. And I kept explaining that the first Oktoberfest was to celebrate the wedding of Mad King Ludwig of Bavaria. It was such a success, they decided to have it again every year, but in September instead of October to avoid harsh weather. I had originally thought the Denver Wiesn would be an indoor event, since every other time I have attended a function at the National Western Center, it has been inside, including the long-gone Denver County Fair, and was very surprised to arrive and find it outdoors. But happily, Susan finally learned firsthand why Oktoberfests mostly take place in September.

All in all, it was worth checking out this final Oktoberfest, but it was a much smaller festival than I anticipated and far less boisterous than the other Oktoberfests we have attended. Plus, the National Western Center, which is where the National Western Stock Show takes place every January, is in an industrial area where the Denver Stockyards used to be located. Which makes it a great place for seeing livestock and attending rodeos, but for a festival like this, having it take place in an interesting neighborhood on a lively street makes a lot more sense. And so, will I attend this festival again next year? Probably not. As my old DU Bookstore boss Ed once said about attending a rodeo, once is interesting, twice is a mistake.

Dia De Los Muertos At Civic Center Park

I went to Dia de los Muertos at Civic Center Park in downtown Denver this past Saturday afternoon. This is a traditional Mexican holiday that honors deceased loved ones and is very popular here in Denver. This particular celebration was sponsored by the Denver Botanic Garden, and featured a community alter, art installations, live music, dance, Mexican and Latin American food trucks, and a marketplace with booths selling all manner of items, such as the one in the photograph on the left. There were a lot of people at this festival, which kind of surprised me, since it was a cold day with a nasty wind. Denver festival goers are nothing if not a hardy lot.

There were a number of Calacas (Spanish for skeletons) and Catrinas (female skeletons) on display at this event, which are the symbol of Mexico's Dia de los Muertos celebrations, two of which can be seen in the photograph on the right. Some of the works on display were from the collection of the Museo de los Americas, located in Denver's Art District on Santa Fe, and others were from the collection of the Denver Botanic Garden. My favorite Dia de los Muertos celebration takes place in November during the First Friday Art Walk on Denver's Santa Fe Boulevard. In addition to Calavera face-painting stations, artist made alters, and dance and music performances throughout the district, there is a procession from 7:00 to 8:00 which includes many people dressed as Calacas and Catrinas, which makes for great photo opportunities. Unfortunately, I will be out of town, or I would be there with camera ready. Hopefully many of you readers can make it there that night (Friday, November 6th). It is definitely worth it.

Watching Leeds Play Sunderland With The Leeds United Colorado Supporters Group

I went to the DNVR Bar at the corner of York and Colfax here in Denver with my friend Mark, seen in the photograph above, yesterday morning to watch Leeds United play Sunderland with the Leeds United Colorado Supporters Group. The Leeds fans are a nice bunch, a mix of young, old, and families with children, and I must say, the DNVR Bar is a very pleasant place to watch a soccer match. It is located in a building built in 1925 that once housed the Capitol Hill State Bank and has a nice old time feel about it, with a wall of windows looking out on York Street. Leeds did their best to score against Sunderland, which is currently in last place (20th) in the Premier League standings, but the best they could do was finish with a 0-0 tie. But Leeds is still in 7th place, and everyone left confident their team would win next week. At half time, Mark got to talking with John, the man wearing a yellow jersey in the background of the photo, and it turns out he is a big baseball fan, originally from the North Side of Chicago. And, of course, a Cubs fan. I mentioned that I was from the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago, and we had a nice chat about the Cubs and White Sox and players from back in the day. John was sure that with the Pope's support the Sox would go all the way to the World Series, but, of course, it was not to be. There are some things not even the Pope can arrange. All in all, a very pleasant start to a Sunday morning.

DU Homecoming 2026 - A Very Soggy Affair

My friend Stuart and I, both DU alums, decided to skip the University of Denver's Homecoming Pregame Party this year, due to having to purchase a $20 ticket to attend, which we thought was too high a price to pay to mix with fellow alums we didn't even know. But when I was entering the lobby of my condo building yesterday afternoon, I ran into a friend just coming back from that event, who said she enjoyed it very much, especially the food, and she was only coming back early because it was just too cold outside. And so just for fun, since the event was going on for another hour and a half, I decided to check it out. That turned out to be a bit of a problem, since the main walkway from my building, located across the street from DU, to the Campus Green, where the event was being held, was closed off due to a men's soccer match, and you needed a ticket to enter the area. That necessitated a detour around the soccer, lacrosse, and practice fields, which is usually not a big thing, but a cold drizzle was starting to fall, which made me kind of grumpy. When I got to the entrance to the Homecoming Pregame Party, as seen in the photograph above, I was not impressed. A number of tents were set up around the green, where I assumed everyone was taking shelter from the rain. I could just imagine having bought a $20 ticket to this event and then spending the entire time standing in a dark tent, drinking a cold beer in even colder temperatures, and staring out at the rain coming down. That would have made me even grumpier, which actually would have been appropriate - it would have reminded me of my days at the University of Denver, when I was working at the DU Bookstore and going to graduate school at the same time. Back then I was a very grumpy person indeed. So much for nostalgia. No wonder I never want to mix with my fellow alums.

Garden And Gun Magazine

I dropped off my car at an autobody shop here in Denver a few weeks ago to have the bumper replaced, and while waiting for the service person, spotted Garden and Gun Magazine on a table in the waiting room. And I thought to myself, "Oh sure, some damn redneck publication glorifying guns and the Second Amendment." I did not have time to look at it, but when I returned to pick up the car, I was able to go through a couple of issues and saw that my original impression was quite wrong. This magazine was started in 2007 by the Evening Post Publishing Company, located in Charleston, South Carolina, and the name comes from a popular 1970s era Charleston disco called the Garden and Gun Club. Garden and Gun is actually all about the South, and covers "art, skeet-shooting, gardens, Southern tradition, and land conservation." I looked through several older issues with articles such as "A Quail Hunting Revival in 'Bama," "Get Lost on Georgia's Ossabow Island," "Our Favorite Antiquing Towns," and "New Twists on the Old-Fashioned." In other words, kind of like a Southern version of Chicago Magazine. And on November 1st, the second annual edition of G and C Weddings: Celebrate in Southern Style, comes out. I do have to note that the title of this special edition is G and C Weddings, not Garden and Gun Weddings, which to me would imply it was about another Southern tradition, the shotgun wedding. Now THAT would be a very interesting issue.

Walking The DU Campus With Stuart

My friend Stuart and I had lunch at QDOBA Mexican Eats here in Denver yesterday afternoon and afterwards, just for old times' sake, decided to walk the University of Denver campus. Stuart got a master's degree at DU back in the early 1980s, and I myself got an MBA while working as the Finance Manager of the University of Denver Bookstore. DU was $30 million under budget last year and this year had to reduce staff and cut expenses in order to achieve a balanced fiscal 2027 budget. Nevertheless, the campus itself still looks really good. This is Homecoming Week at DU, and Stuart and I were originally planning to attend the Homecoming Pregame Party this Saturday. I attended this event a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. At that time, you could hang out at the party with the option of buying food and drink tickets if you so chose, but this year I read that you have to purchase a $20 ticket to gain entrance to the event, and so we decided to skip it. Having to pay $20 to be able to mix with fellow alums does not sound like a bargain to me. But no matter - it was still fun just to walk around the campus. Stuart was very impressed with the new buildings, especially the student center, which has great views of the campus and the mountains from the 4th floor rooftop deck. And yes, that is indeed Stuart in the photograph above, with University Hall, built in 1892 and the first building to be built on this campus, in the background. I suggested to Stuart that he make a donation to his old alma mater to help it through its financial difficulties, but he did not seem enthusiastic about it. As for me, I worked at the DU Bookstore for almost 30 years and feel I have already donated enough.

The Oriental Theater: Still Weird After All These Years

I took the photograph above of the Oriental Theater this past Saturday while attending the Tennyson Fall Fest. The festival took place on Tennyson Street in Denver's Berkley neighborhood, and since the Oriental was only half a block away, I decided to check it out. This theater opened in 1927 as a movie theater but closed in 1960. After standing empty for 45 years, it was purchased by Scott Labarbera, who turned it into a live music venue in 2005. It closed for renovations for a period of time after part of the structure almost fell on concert goers, which is almost always a negative, but reopened in 2012, which was the year I went to the theater for the first and only time to see a documentary called Grandma Goth. This documentary was about Suelynn Gustafson, the owner of an antique and costume store on South Broadway here in Denver called Flossy McGrew's, which she decorated with several coffins, skeletons, and skulls. Suelynn was an acquaintance of my friend Valarie, who was the Operations Manager of the University of Denver Bookstore when I worked there and invited me to attend. As I recall, there was a bit of a controversy that night because Gustafson did not attend. Valarie was not pleased. And the documentary? Definitely kind of weird. And as I looked at the Oriental's marquee this past Saturday, I saw that Lords of Acid are appearing there tonight. I looked up Lords of Acid on Wikipedia, which says that "the band is known for their provocative lyrics, blending techno, acid house, and industrial music with themes of sexuality, drug use, and hedonism." Glad to know the Oriental is still as weird as ever. And as a public service, I checked online and found that the doors open at 6:30 P.M., the show starts at 7:30, and YES! -  tickets are still available. And it is an "All Ages" event, so bring the kids! Like I said - weird.

Gaia Masala and Burger

My friend Mark, sister Susan (seen in the photograph above) and I went to Gaia Masala and Burger Saturday night at 6th and Grant Street in central Denver. This is an Indian restaurant which also offers American style burgers, and has 9 locations across the U.S., from New York to San Francisco. The parking lot was packed with cars, and we were lucky to get a spot by the Wendy' s located in the same shopping center. The restaurant was filled with a very diverse group of dinners when we arrived - people of Indian descent, families with children, older couples, bikers with their helmets still on, and us, too. Mark loves Indian food, and no surprise, that is what he ordered. Susan and I both had hamburgers (obviously, we are not adventurous eaters), but I must say, those hamburgers were very good indeed. They even had IPA on tap, so what could be better? I can definitely recommend giving this place a try, and Mark says it is one of his favorite Indian restaurants. So there you go - what more reason do you need?

Why Did The Elk Cross The Road?

You already know the answer to that question, but I do have to say that elk sightings around Evergreen, Colorado are still pretty minimal right now. I was lucky enough to take the photograph above of those two elk yesterday afternoon as I was driving on Upper Bear Creek Road, an unincorporated area just to the west of Evergreen. The elk in this area spend the summer in the high alpine and subalpine regions of Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans) and then move downhill toward Evergreen as the snow arrives, usually once it reaches a depth of about 18 inches. They seek out south-facing slopes and valley bottoms where the snow is shallower and where grass and shrubs are accessible. Since the snow totals are about 15 inches at the top of Mount Blue Sky right now, the herds should be appearing in and around Evergreen any week now. I have photographed these herds occupying large swaths of the Evergreen Golf Course, and in the vacant lots and front yards of houses along Meadow Drive, just across from the Hiwan Heritage Park and Museum. It is fun to see them in such large groups, lounging on the grass and calmly looking back at you as you take their photographs. I definitely intend to head back to Evergreen this winter to see them, as long as the weather is clear and you won't find yourself in a sudden snowstorm. These days, if you get stuck on Interstate 70 without chains or proper tires, the fines start at $600. That is far too high a price to pay to take elk photos, no matter how many there are in those herds.

Breckenridge In The Fall

The weekend before last I drove up to Breckenridge from Denver just to hang out a bit in that lovely town, and it made for a perfect Sunday afternoon. There were lots of visitors on Main Street checking out the shops, and plenty of people on the outdoor patios in front of the restaurants that line the street. I suspect, like me, most of the visitors had driven up from the Denver metro area, since this is the off season right now. Between Labor Day and the start of the ski season, out of town visitors are few and far between. Last winter's hot, dry weather resulted in ski tourism in the Rocky Mountain West declining by 6 million visitors, and ski resorts are working on providing more resort offerings other than skiing to get them to come back, no matter what the ski conditions are. But everyone is still hoping that the 2026 El Nino will bring a lot more snow to the region this season.

The drought conditions here in Colorado are still pretty severe. I walked through Blue River Plaza, filled with gold-colored aspens, as seen in the photograph on the right, to the river itself, and found that it was completely dry. Not a good situation at all. In any case, the plaza was decorated for Halloween, and lots of people were hanging out there, sitting on the benches, enjoying the view of the mountains. This plaza, by the way, is the center of Breckenridge Oktoberfest every year, with a stage set up where they actually play traditional German music during the festival, as opposed to other Oktoberfests in the state, which seem to feature only rap music and hard rock. Perhaps that is a modern-day Germanic tradition. But if so, what a bummer.

Recently I read a USA Today article listing Lending Tree's top ten most expensive small towns in America. Number one was Nantucket, number two Vineyard Haven (on Martha's Vineyard), number three Jackson, Wyoming, and number four - you guessed it - Breckenridge. The median home value is $748,200 and almost half of those dwellings are seasonal residences. I remember my ex-wife's family once owned a condo in Breckenridge back in the 1970s and went skiing there every weekend during the season. And then there were several years in a row with very little snow, and they sold it. In hindsight, it was a mistake to sell, but on the other hand, it would have meant 50 years of HOA payments and upkeep before the value of that condo reached what it is today. I myself am not going to bother calculating which alternative would have been best. The moral of the story, Breckenridge homeowners, is not to sell based on a year or two of little snow. Mother Nature will always fool you. But as far as I am concerned, making the hour and a half drive up to Breckenridge from Denver whenever you want is a much cheaper alternative than actually owning a place there. Even if you do have the $748,000 to spare. And since we are now in "America's New Golden Age," who doesn't, right?

The Tennyson Fall Fest

My sister Susan and I attended the Tennyson Fall Fest in Denver's Berkley neighborhood yesterday afternoon, and I must say I was impressed with both the size of the festival and the huge crowd it attracted. It went for four blocks along Tennyson, and there were over 150 vendors selling art, jewelry, food (of course), and lots and lots of clothing. You could find enough T-shirts there to supply you for the rest of your life. And it looked like people were in a buying mood, too. At one booth, as seen in the photograph on the left, they were selling an old Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer poster. After I saw it, the Pabst Blue Ribbon jingle from the 1950s and 60s television commercials kept going through my head the rest of the afternoon - "What'll you have, Pabst Blue Ribbon, what'll you have, Pabst Blue Ribbon"... Thanks for that, Pabst! Even Fungi Farmz had a booth, with a handwritten sign saying, "Ask me about psychedelics." We didn't ask.

It looked to me like every other person had a dog with them at this festival, which seemed a bit odd until I remembered that there was a pet parade from 10:00 until 11:00 that morning, followed by a pet costume contest. Which explains why the dog in the photograph on the right was dressed in what I think was a Halloween outfit. It reminded me of a cartoon I once saw showing a pet owner balancing a dog biscuit on his dog's nose, and a bubble over the dog with its thoughts: "This time I really am going to kill him." I wonder if that was what this particular dog was thinking as I took its photograph. In any case, this was a really great community event, and well worth attending, even if you didn't have a dog.

A River Red With Blood

I just finished reading A River Red With Blood, John Connolly's latest Charlie Parker novel. This is a private detective series that also has elements of the supernatural in it, but somehow it all works. This time, private detective Charlie Parker is hired to investigate the death of a boy who drowns after running away from a "behavioral modification" facility located in a very rural part of Maine, a "tough love" kind of place that his mother and stepfather sent him to. His birth father is a habitual criminal currently serving a sentence at Maine State Prison, who does not believe his son's death was an accident. Just before his son's death, a girl in the same area as the school went missing, and the father is almost certain that she was his son's girlfriend. Parker takes the case, looking for a connection, and winds up having to confront a band of killers, not to mention deal with a supernatural spirit looking for revenge. This book is a quick read, and a pretty interesting story to boot. I can recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries. Pick up a copy at your local library today.

An Anniversary (Of A Sort)

Today would have been our 44th wedding anniversary if my then wife Lisa and I had stayed married, but we divorced in 1987 (I think) and Lisa moved on to San Francisco, where she still lives today. I myself moved into an apartment building across the street from the University of Denver and have remained there ever since. We have been apart for so long now that it seems like back then was a different lifetime. Fortunately, there were no children to complicate things, which was good, and we are on good terms these days, although communicate only infrequently. In any case, we took the photograph above with a tripod and timer at Maroon Bells near Aspen, Colorado. We were honeymooning in Vail and decided to drive over to Aspen for the day to check it out. And since we were in the area, we drove on to Maroon Bells, about 12 miles southwest of Aspen, to hike around a bit on the Maroon Lake Trail, which was and still is very beautiful. Back then you could simply drive there, park, and walk around, but it has become such a popular tourist spot that going there now is much more complicated. If you want to park at the Maroon Lake Trailhead these days, you need to make a reservation ($10 per vehicle), and arrive before 8:00 A.M. or after 5:00 P.M., and those spots are very limited. If, for some strange reason, you find that inconvenient, there is a Maroon Bells Welcome Center at Aspen Highlands Ski Area, where you can park for $16 and take a shuttle. Is it just me or is virtually everything much more complicated these days? I have not been back to Maroon Bells since that honeymoon trip all those years ago. I did head up to Aspen in the off-season a number of years ago, but the only part I remember is having a beer at the Hotel Jerome, a local landmark. Hunter S. Thompson used the J-Bar as his de facto office, but he wasn't there, and so I said the hell with it and drove home to Denver. Can you actually believe someone would even think about divorcing such a fun guy like me? Go figure.

Discussing Baseball And AI With Stuart At Old Chicago

I had lunch yesterday afternoon with my friend Stuart, seen in the photograph above, at the Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom in Lakewood, Colorado, not one of my favorite towns in the world, but at least you can't see it from the bar area, where we were sitting, so what the hell. Of course, the first thing we discussed were the baseball playoffs. Stuart, originally from the North Side of Chicago, is a Cubs fan, while I am originally from the South Side of Chicago and a White Sox fan.  The Sox made it to the second round of the playoffs and were just one win away from the American League Championship Series, but then lost three games in a row to the Cleveland Guardians and were eliminated. And the Cubs lost to San Diego in the first round of the playoffs, scoring only one run during the series. However, we agreed that both teams had a good year and the future looks bright for baseball on both the North and South Sides of Chicago. Then I told Stuart about my experience reading the online Denver Post that morning. At the bottom of the page was a square with the 60 minutes logo, and next to that, under "Memory Alert Daily," was a link to an article about dementia and memory loss. When I clicked on it, a story appeared titled "Clint Eastwood Breaks Down on 60 Minutes After Revealing How Musk's Research Detected and Reversed His Early Alzheimer's." There was a transcript of Leslie Stahl's interview with Eastwood, ending with Stahl saying that "our team has prepared a full documentary here on 60 minutes," which I dutifully clicked. Stahl introduced the documentary and then Elon Musk began explaining in great detail the story of how he discovered a cure for Alzheimer's. It was quite long, and finally Musk told how you could order a 6-month supply of the product he produced, called VapoCept, for $300. At this point I stopped watching (a trillionaire is selling products online?), and after a quick web search found that 60 Minutes, Leslie Stahl, Clint Eastwood, and Elon Musk have nothing to do with this product. It was all AI generated, but you could not tell it wasn't them. Now THAT is scary. How can they get away with it? It is now possible to create videos and have anyone say or do anything and not be able to tell it is fake. Stuart has never been a fan of AI and always points to HAL 9000 from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey as an example of the harm artificial intelligence can do. And after yesterday's experience and reading stories about how some of these AI systems have recently gone rogue and hacked into various companies, I have to agree with him. Definitely time to step back and think about the consequences of these technologies.

Heritage Harvest At Larimer Square: Signs Of Life Again On Denver's Most Historic Block!

Back in the 1960s, when urban renewal was all the rage, the City of Denver wound up tearing down hundreds of its most historic buildings, especially in the downtown area, leaving vast empty spaces that would stay vacant for years. And since Larimer Street had become skid row, the reasoning was that if the buildings on that street were torn down, the vagrants would disappear. Instead, they just moved a few blocks north. Who could have guessed that would happen? However, that street's most historic block, between 14th and 15th Streets, featuring Victorian style commercial buildings from the 1870s to the 1890s, was saved by preservationist Dana Crawford, who began acquiring and rehabilitating the buildings on that block in the 1960s. This became Larimer Square, the most popular gathering spot in Denver. But then came twin crises - first, the Covid pandemic, and after that the sale of the block to Asana Partners in December of 2020. The pandemic resulted in the closure of The Market, a cafe and deli, after 42 years in that location, as well as other businesses. And then, a major renovation of the buildings by the new owners forced Bistro Vendome, a popular French restaurant, to move, and Green Russell, a speakeasy style bar, and Russell's Smokehouse to close. Ted's Montana Grill closed after failing to negotiate an extension to their lease. Needless to say, for a number of years Larimer Square was almost like a ghost town. However, recently, new businesses have moved in, and events are beginning to be held there again, such as the Heritage Harvest, described as an autumnal celebration, with pumpkins, seasonal bites and cider, live bluegrass, and more, as seen in the photograph on the left. And it is really nice to see the place filled with people again.

New shops on Larimer Square include Little Blue Pigeon Bookstore, which had a major presence at the festival, as well as a new restaurant in the space formerly occupied by Ted's Montana Grill called Romyo, which the owners describe as the place where "Rome meets Tokyo in Larimer Square." I'm not sure how they can pull that one off, but it is definitely better than a vacant storefront. My favorite restaurant at Larimer Square was Josephina's, an Italian restaurant that was around for 30 years before closing and being replaced by Rioja, a Mediterranean-style restaurant, and Corridor 44, a champaign bar. I remember going to Josephina's many times with my then-wife Lisa. The food was good, the downtown atmosphere was fun, and the prices were reasonable. Of course, these days, you don't go to restaurants in Larimer Square for the reasonable prices, but they do seem popular, and their outdoor patios keep the block lively. Heritage Harvest was by no means a major event, but it did draw a crowd, and hopefully there will be many more events to come. And yes, the photograph on the right is of one of the live bluegrass bands performing during the festival, right in front of the Little Blue Pigeon Bookstore, no less. Works for me.

All Is Quiet At Chicago's Rate Field. Say It Ain't So, Joe!

Last night the American League Championship Series began, but sadly, my South Side heroes, the Chicago White Sox, were not the team facing the Tampa Bay Rays to see who will advance to the World Series. After winning the first 2 games against the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Division Series, needing only one more victory to move on to the ALCS, the White Sox lost the next 3 games, thus exiting the playoffs and leaving Cleveland to face those Tampa Bay Rays. That last game of the Division Series was particularly hard to watch, a 2-0 loss to Cleveland. In the end, the Sox's home run bashing stars could not come through in the most important game of the year, and Rate Field will now remain quiet until next season. And just for the record, the Guardians beat the Rays 7-3 last night. On a positive note, the White Sox had a remarkable season, progressing to the second round of the playoffs with a ton of rookies after losing over 100 games the past three seasons. It bodes well for the future, and so, as Sox fans have said so many times, "Wait until next year!" And yes, the photograph above is indeed of Rate Field in Chicago. I took it back in 2010, the last time I visited my old hometown, when the ballpark was known as U.S. Cellular Field. Rate Field sounds much snazzier, don't you think?

Columbus Day Or Indigenous Peoples' Day Or No Holiday At All? That Is The Question...

Today is either Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples' Day or no holiday at all, depending on where you work or go to school. Back when I attended Fort Dearborn Grammar School in the South Side Brainerd neighborhood of Chicago, we got Columbus Day off every year.  I myself hated school and welcomed a day off no matter what the reason - Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day, or for that matter, even Alfred E. Newman Day. Which begs the question: do they still publish Mad Magazine these days? But I digress. Back in 2019 the Chicago Board of Education voted to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day, but students continue to get the day off, although the City of Chicago still recognizes Columbus Day, as does the State of Illinois. Colorado, where I now live, eliminated Columbus Day as a holiday in 2020 but does not recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day. On the other hand, the Denver City Council voted to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day back in 2016. It is not a Denver Public Schools holiday, but it is considered to be a conference day, and students get it off anyway. Does that clear everything up for you? And by the way, I took the photograph above of Fort Dearborn back in 2010, when I went back to visit my old hometown. I am holding a photograph of one of the Kloak kids that I took on the school's playground after classes had let out for the day. Always a happy time.

Watching Tottenham Play Manchester United With The Colorado Spurs

My friend Mark and I went to Esters Pub in Denver's Virginia Village neighborhood yesterday morning to watch the Tottenham Hotspurs play Manchester United with the Colorado Spurs, an official Tottenham Hotspur supporters club. At least we watched the game with some of them, since this weekend the Premier League Live Fan Fest is taking place in front of Union Station and many of the Colorado Spurs were there to watch the soccer matches, see Premier League soccer legends, and take photographs with their favorite Premier League team mascots. Tickets sold out quickly for this event, and fans of every team and from all parts of the country attended this huge watch party on Saturday and will be there again today. In any case, Tottenham dominated Manchester United for most of the game and scored a goal in the closing moments to tie the game at 1-1, which is how the match ended. Although Tottenham has not yet won a game in their first 6 contests, they are playing better and have moved up from last place (20th) to 18th. And the fans at Esters were very happy to get that tie. Can an actual win be in Tottenham's near future? And yes, that is indeed Mark posing for the photograph above at Esters wearing an Ipswich Town jersey and Tottenham Spurs cap. Mark has complex allegiances when it comes to soccer.

The Mount Evans State Wildlife Area - Definitely Not Very Safe For Wildlife

I drove up to Evergreen, Colorado from Denver yesterday afternoon and took Upper Bear Creek Road all the way to its end, where the Mount Evans State Wildlife Area begins. This is a 3,438-acre protected sanctuary on the eastern slope of Mount Blue Sky (formerly Mount Evans). It is a very pretty drive, and the aspens were in full color, as seen in the photograph above. But when I got to the entrance, there were restrictions spelled out on a sign detailing who could enter the area and when. Although this is an important breeding ground for Rocky Mountain elk, bighorn sheep, black bears, deer, foxes, mountain lions, and unicorns (just kidding - I think), it does not sound like much of a sanctuary, since only hunters and fishermen with valid Colorado licenses are allowed to enter from the day after Labor Day until mid-November, when elk and deer hunting is allowed. Public access is not allowed from January 1st until June 14th, after which unarmed individuals are allowed in for wildlife viewing and hiking. I assume that picnicking is allowed, too, although don't blame me if you wind up getting handcuffed and taken away if it is not. This area is 9 miles west of Evergreen, and if I were an elk or deer, I would definitely hightail it out of that "sanctuary" and head down to one of that town's many parks, or even its residential neighborhoods. It is a very elk friendly kind of place. Even players on the Evergreen Golf Course are careful to play around elk lounging on the fairways. And no, I did not take a chance and drive into the Mount Evans SWA even though no one seemed to be around. Why risk the chance of getting shot by a hunter, or even worse, getting my car shot up? My insurance rates are high enough as it is. 

The October Issue Of Chicago Magazine

I just paged through the October issue of Chicago Magazine yesterday evening. Online, of course, since Chicago no longer has mail order subscriptions. If the Chicago Tribune, which owns the magazine, does not deliver in your area, you are out of luck if you want an actual physical copy, and for some reason the Tribune does not have home delivery here in Denver. Go figure. In any case, the cover story this month is "Feed Frenzy: How Social Media Influencers are Transforming Chicago's Dining Scene." Evidently, social media influencers on sites like Instagram and Tik-Tok are having a major impact on restaurants in Chicago. In the article, it tells of a restaurant called Brews and Bites that invited a group of influencers to their establishment one evening for free food and drinks in exchange for posts that are read by sometimes thousands of followers. Many of these influencers are paid to create videos promoting restaurants on sites like Instagram and Tik-Tok. One influencer at Brews and Bites was not only promoting that particular restaurant, but everything she was wearing in the video she was filming. Followers could purchase those items, which she was being paid to promote, with just a tap on the screen. She said it is "just like killing five birds with one stone." One hospitality executive said promoting his restaurants this way was far cheaper than it cost to advertise in the Chicago Tribune back in the day. In other words, most of these influencers are producing videos that are in fact commercials, not reviews. Welcome to the modern era.

In the "Chicago Stories" section, in an article titled "Bicycle Thieves," Jean Iverson writes about buying a $700 bike that was stolen just a month later, and describes her efforts to get it back, including sending photos of the bike along with its serial number to various bike shops in case someone tried to sell it to them. And she did indeed get a call from a bike shop owner letting her know that a woman was in his store trying to do just that. She called the police, but the officer couldn't come right away. She confronted the woman, who said the bike was given to her and that it was hers. Instead of running away, she joined a man standing out in front of the store and just lingered there. Iverson photographed the couple as instructed by the police officer and texted him the photo. They appeared to be homeless and eventually walked away. Iverson took her bike and went home. The police officer called later that day and said he located the couple. The woman had another bike by then and told the officer Iverson's bike was given to her by someone named Marcus, who lived under a viaduct near Loomis, and did Iverson want him to find the guy. She said no, and thanked him, not wanting to cause more trouble for someone who lived under a viaduct and stole bikes to give to people who needed the cash. Which gave her some perspective on the incident. There was also an article titled "10 Fall Culture Events Not to be Missed." And I looked all of them over for you. I definitely recommend missing all 10 of them. Finally, as usual, there were real estate ads featuring homes and condos for sale in the Lincoln Park, Gold Coast, and other trendy North Side neighborhoods. The cheapest was $1 million, the most expensive almost $5 million. I am beginning to think Chicago Magazine caters to an upscale readership. No wonder there are so many articles about unbelievably expensive restaurants featuring menu items you need to research on the internet to learn what you are eating. And yes, the photograph on the right is still another that I took on my last visit to Chicago back in 2010. Definitely have to head back there soon.