Why I Oughta...

We popped down to Wally's Gas Station (our version of Buc-ee's on I-55 near Bloomington) and I nocied this magnet display that included a Wally's-branded magnet in the design of our old, blue-topped State of Illinois license plates.  These were the plates that I grew-up with and feel quite a bit more iconic that the ones we currently have in Illinois. This is what we have now - below.  It has half-an-Abe on the left, shows the Sears Tower and the State of Illinois Capitol dome.  There appears to be a windmill in the middle to represent our agricultural base.   But, they stink.   Why can't we have the blue-topped ones back?  There are literally DOZENS of special plates you see on the road.  University ones.  Charity ones.   Why not a vintage Illinois one?  Come on, Alexi .  Stop trying to put points on the board with the silly book-banning stuff and focus on the job that matters most as the Secretary of State:  Dr...

There I was, minding my own business waiting for the light to turn green when - for some reason - I notice that there are a few cameras at the intersection of Maple and Fairview in Downers Grove. I then look closer and start counting.  There are six cameras at this one intersection.  This is just a four-way intersection and if I'm being honest, I don't normally look around at the number of cameras, but I have to believe that this seems like a significant number of cameras trained on just one intersection?  Now, Maple Avenue does run on a diagonal and this *is* just a block or so away from the BNSF line, but other than that, it seems to be an ordinary intersection.  Any ideas?  I've embedded the map below:

Never-you-mind my back that aches most mornings or the step or two that I've lost on the tennis court or the fact that I can't eat pizza the way I used to, but this mailing reminder from Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White really hit home for me that I'm (sadly) indeed getting old. I've renewed my drivers license at least five times and not once been asked to do any sort of screening.  In fact, on a couple of occasions, they've sent me that shiny sticker that you put on the back of your license that extends it past the expiration date.  (BTW...when I was younger, that sticker was always a hassle, wasn't it?  You were in a place in your life when you were dealing with doormen and the like and they'd always look at the expiration date and say "Dude...this is expired".  To which you'd have to tell them to turn it over.  Round and round you'd go.) But to stay on the road now?  They're going to make me get my eyes checked.  Which, ...