Why I Oughta...

Driving by what used to be a parking lot and office building on Addison Street in the Elmhurst City Center now is a big construction site. Are they moving forward with the massive new development with parking deck?   Here's a post outlining those options .

Look what we found at Michaels!  They have their LeMax display out already.  I picked up the brochure and will find out what's doin' with these guys this year.  Could there be new growth for Mantleburg?  I sure hope so.  The recession was particuarly tough on the town last year as no new buildings were added and the construction industry was devastated.  Will this year be better?

I saw this guy on the train coming home yesterday.  He was a young hipster-looking guy.  At first, I assumed it was a costume.  Then he walked by and this looked like his normal wardrobe.  Are these things coming back?  Or is this some sort of viral marketing for the upcoming Lincoln film ?

We went to Sonny Acres with both girls this week.  I can't believe how big The Babe looks these days.  

Took me almost a year, but I finally got my FIRST Detroit-style pizza pie out of the blue steel pan unscathed and in one piece.  I've been very gentle on the pans and have been building up a thick coating of seasoning - so it appears to be working.    With the cooler weather here, I'll be giving my Detroit-style pizza recipe a good workout which means the pans will (hopefully) only get better.

I have a project in mind for Christmas for the girls and this elevator (on the left) in this dollhouse at Costco has me thinking about how I can replicate it.  Motorized elevator?  Sounds like a challenge.

Six weeks ago - right after Labor Day - the Cupcake shop on York Street closed .  This morning, on my walk to the train, I saw some new signage in location announcing a new store:   Gur Sweets . The Gur Sweets site says they're going to open this fall and focuses solely on cupcakes.  But their Facebook page mentions that they're a bakery and lists 'food and grocery'.  Not sure if that's just a category that the owners picked to build out their Facebook page or if they're going to be more than a cupcake shop. Based on the success of the previous tenants, coupled with the increased competition from the opening of the Courageous Bakery across the tracks, I'm sure hoping it is going to be more than cupcakes.

Hulkamania is going to run wild all over the Babe's toys!  Good to see that one of my childhood toys in the same basket as the Disney princesses.

Change.org | The Proven Petition Site Some residents in Elmhurst are urging our local City Council to change their policy which would allow residents to keep chickens on their property. It is a good idea that needs to happen.  I believe my Alderwoman, Dannee Polomsky, is the sponsor of this measure - which would allow Elmhurst residents to keep a small number of chickens on their residential property.  Kudos to her for taking the lead on this issue. I whole-heartedly support this and if you live in Elmhurst urge you join me and sign the petition. Besides all the benefits outlined on the petition page (which frankly are fine), there are 2 dynamics that are at play in my mind: 1.  Individual property rights.  The long arm of the government shouldn't be reaching into my backyard.  I understand the nuisance aspects, but if I want to keep chickens, I should be able to keep chickens. 2.  The time for this has come.  Elmhurst isn't exactly a pioneer when it comes to allow

Yesterday, while I was out pulling up some carrots, I checked on the potatoes.  They've come in - in big numbers.  I took my spade and turned over a bit of soil that was maybe 1 foot by 2 feet and there were dozens of spuds.  Good thing they keep for a while.  Because we're going to be up to our armpits in potatoes.