A Stuart Florida Flashback: Remembering August 1999

Is it just me, or did everything start to go to hell after the end of the 20th Century? Starting in 2001, we have had 9/11, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, many destructive hurricanes and wildfires, four years of Donald Trump, and Covid-19. Not to mention the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series. Is it no wonder I like to think back nostalgically to August of 1999 and Stuart, Florida, where my mother Mary lived for 30 years?  The photo on the left of my mother and sister Susan was taken at Jack Baker's Lobster Shanty, which featured a great early bird special - and do they even still have such things? Sadly, the place was destroyed by not one, but two hurricanes in 2004.

You might think Florida is too hot to visit during August, but I always thought it was the perfect time. You could visit the beach and enjoy the ocean breeze without the crowds, attend summer festivals, have the entire golf course to yourself, and never have to wait for a table at waterfront restaurants. Plus, you can dine along the water while it is still daylight, and even have time to take a walk past the boats afterwards, which is not the case during the winter months. What point is there to sitting along the water if you can't even see it? The photo on the right, by the way, was taken at the Pirate's Loft, another favorite spot. The crab cakes there are great - so much so that Susan once stole one right off my plate. And yes - I am still bitter about that, even after 22 years. A curmudgeon from the very start, I guess.

In fact, after dinner we would often stop by Stuart Beach or the House of Refuge and take some photos along the ocean, and still get back home in time to walk down to the St. Lucie River to watch the sunset, as seen in the photo on the left.  And trust me - you get used to the humidity very quickly. It's either that or die.

The City Of Chicago's Skyline Is Spectacular. And Denver's? Not So Much...

Yesterday on this blog I featured an article in Chicago Magazine about a new 101 story skyscraper that was recently completed in that city. Chicago is where the skyscraper was born, back in 1885, and the skyline is truly impressive, especially with Grant Park featured prominently in the foreground. And Denver's skyline? Judge for yourself from the photograph above, which I took from my car window last week. It could be any downtown, anywhere. Granted, there are a lot more tall buildings now than when I moved here from Chicago back in 1981, but impressive? No way. For one thing, there is no lake providing dramatic views, and the buildings are really quite ordinary. Denver's real strength is in it's Victorian neighborhoods, many of which have not changed much since the late 1800s. Granted, many if not most of the Victorian era homes in these neighborhoods have been snapped up by the millions of Californians who have moved here in recent years, inflating Denver's housing costs in the bargain, but they do make for a nice, pleasant city. However, there is still no equivalent of a Lake Michigan bordering this city, which I consider to be a major drawback. I'm just sayin'...

The February Issue Of Chicago Magazine

The February issue of Chicago Magazine has some very interesting articles, including a story about - and photos of - St. Regis Chicago, the city's newest skyscraper, as seen on the magazine's cover in the photo on the left. St. Regis Chicago is 101 stories high, the third tallest building in the city, and features three interconnected towers located on East Wacker Drive, along the Chicago River. According to the article, it now dominates the skyline. Completing the building was not easy - a Chinese conglomerate backed out of the project, and a local development group stepped in to finish construction, with St. Regis Hotels occupying the lower floors, and pricey condos above. I definitely intend to stay there the next time I am in Chicago, just as long as their prices are competitive with my usual five star favorite, the Motel 6.

There was also a story about a 126 year old Queen Anne residence in Evanston, Illinois, seen in the photo on the right, which is currently on the market for 1.95 million. It is a pretty good sized place (6,000 square feet, with 6 bedrooms, as well as 3 additional bedrooms in a separate coach house). It amazes me that I just recently featured a house in Boulder, Colorado on this blog that was valued at almost the same amount, but much smaller, and with no coach house. Boulder is the 7th most expensive housing market in the country, and I think comparing the price of these two residences proves that fact. For my money, I would buy the place in Evanston and commute back and forth between there and my condo in Denver. For that kind of money, I would definitely insist on a coach house. 

Talking Colorado Rockies Baseball With Stuart At Old Chicago

I had pizza and beer with my friend Stuart (seen in the above photograph) at the Old Chicago Pizza and Taproom in beautiful, exotic Lakewood, Colorado Tuesday afternoon. We had to go early, since due to Covid-19, the City of Lakewood is rolling up it's sidewalks even earlier than usual these days. We discussed a little baseball over dinner, trying to decide if the experts are right in predicting that the Colorado Rockies will lose 102 games and finish with the worst record in baseball this year, or perhaps be even worse. They have already traded Nolan Arenado, their all-star third baseman, and might very well trade the rest of their stars by mid-season. However, Rockies owner Dick Monfort insists the team is "built to compete." But against whom? 

Spring Training Begins!

Today is the day pitchers and catchers report in Florida and Arizona, marking the start of baseball's spring training for 2021. This is usually a very happy time, although with Covid-19 still plaguing the country - not to mention the world - nobody is sure what the season will look like. Happily, as of now, a limited number of fans will be allowed to attend exhibition games this year. The photo above, by the way, is of Detroit Tigers power hitter Cecil Fielder, taken by me at a spring training game between the New York Mets and the Tigers in Port St. Lucie, Florida, back in 1996. Fielder was traded mid-year from Detroit to the New York Yankees, and helped them win the World Series that fall. This career move might well turn out to be an inspiration for Colorado Rockies players. The Rockies are predicted to be the worst team in baseball this year, after trading all-star third baseman Nolan Arenado. I suspect the team's remaining stars are hoping to have a good first half of the season, so that they too might be traded to a World Series contender. Better work especially hard this spring, guys.

Have You Downloaded The 2021 CTA Historical Calendar Yet?

If not, why not? It has great historical photos of Chicago Transit Authority "L" trains, streetcars, busses, and even horse drawn carriages, most with nostalgic scenes of Chicago in the background. The February 2021 photograph, as seen above, is of one of Chicago's first electric streetcars, originally built for the Chicago City Railway, which later became the Chicago Surface Lines. These streetcars were absorbed into the CTA in 1947. I myself do not remember streetcars, but I am pretty sure my sister Susan does, although perhaps not the one seen in the above photo. She is not quite THAT old. In any case, be sure to download the calendar for free at https://www.transitchicago.com/historicalcalendar/.

Getting The Covid Vaccine

Friday afternoon I was checking my e-mail and saw I had a message from the University of Denver. It stated that I was eligible - as a DU retiree - to schedule an appointment for the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine Sunday afternoon, which I signed up for immediately, especially since I was something like number 46,000 in line at Kaiser Permanente. I showed up right on time, and it turned out that National Jewish Hospital, which was administering the doses, did a very efficient job, and I was out of the DU Field House, as seen in the photo on the left, in 45 minutes.

And who should I run into in line but Linda, my friend and the wife of Wally, my friend and former University of Denver Bookstore co-worker. We chatted while we waited for our turn to come up, and Linda mentioned that once they both get the second dose, she and Wally will make reservations to take the Amtrak train to San Francisco and visit their kids, who both live out there. Sounds like a perfect way to celebrate being Covid immune. Linda asked me to take an "action shot" of her shot, which I happily agreed to do, and which can be seen on the right.

And to all of you anti-vaxxers out there, I am happy to report that all went well. Of course, once the moon came out last night, I did turn into a wolf-like creature, and found myself rampaging through Washington Park, wanting to kill, kill, kill. However, I was still able to take a self-portrait, as seen in the photo on the left, and when I woke up this morning, I was back to my old self, and felt just fine. No need for any of you to even think about not getting the vaccine.