Why I Oughta...

Nice story in Auto News featuring a Texas-based auto dealer who's betting big on the web and specifically with Google AdWords.

Good Bye Elmhurst Chop Suey.  Hello Pagoda Bistro Elmhurst!  Rising from the carnage of what seemed like a constantly vacant Chop Suey house is this new place that has a nice size dining room and a great location.  Right in Downtown Elmhurst in the City Centre and just a few doors down from the toy store on the east side of York, this *new* place seems that they're aiming for the fast casual dining dollar.  I have no idea if the menu has improved, but the curb appeal - with the new awning - certainly has helped appearances.

This year, Nat (and the Babe) picked out these two annual sets for our front yard near the boxwoods.  The Lantanas are in the spot where she usually has her Dahlias and the Peachy Keens are under the Cleveland Pear.  I'll try to get outside to grab a photo of them in place in a week or two after they get over the initial shock phase that comes with replanting.

The Babe and her Bestie taking in the Elmhurst Memorial Day Parade today.

I snagged this Elephant piece from my Dad's collection a few weeks back.  It is a set of 3 personal ashtrays.  You can see them there on the left of the photo above.  Very Mad Men-ish, right?  Take an ashtray and pass one around to your guests.  The elephant had me convinced we should take him home, but then I turned it over and was very surprised to see the mark:  Made in Occupied Japan. That means it is firmly dated from 1945 to 1952 per the info out on the web.   Neat stuff and thus far, it has fit in well on our mantle in the living room.

Nat clipped this page from a catalog (Crate & Barrel, maybe?) and highlighted the two wine glass spikes as something that we should try to build to bring with to Ravinia.  They're NOT listed for sale - they're selling the table and basket and pillow but not those thing.  The appear to be a tubular metal that is bent in a open-ended ring with a spike at the bottom.  Perfect to balance a wine glass on when you're sitting in the grass. Seems pretty easy, no?  Anyone have any ideas on how to make these work?  Do you need heat to bend the metal in such a manner?  I know you can bend conduit without heat, so guessing this would work the same.

I was out getting in some exercise this morning when I came across these signs in the window of a long-abandoned building at 503 W. 3rd Street in Elmhurst which is right where 3rd and West meet.  The building looks like a former garage and the drawing above looks like they're doing a lot of work to straighten the property out. Here's what the building looks like now.  Love to see things like this happening in Elmhurst where businesses are taking shape and opening.  I wish these guys a lot of luck!