Fun and Games Dept

Earl and I had a nice ride out on the prairie today. The corn is coming along and looks a little higher than the knee, which is where it should be come the beginning of July.

We started our ride in southern Wisconsin. It’s a nice area of the country as well but not as flat as the prairies of Illinois, which isn’t as flat as the plains on the other side of the Mississippi.

I took this photo because of the storm in the distance. It was to our east as we made our way south on Illinois 251. When we finally turned to head back home in Chicago we drove through some wet spots on US Route 30 but never hit any rain.

Perhaps I need to spend time at night on the prairie in July. Enjoying the landscape at night during a thunderstorm would be optimal.

There are many reasons to love our neighborhood.

We took a drive into Northwest Indiana today. We had no plan in mind other than a change of scenery. We’ve lived in the Midwest for nearly three years but I feel like our exploration adventures are still in their infancy.

We stopped at a Target in Valparaiso, Indiana to use the washroom. Unlike establishments in Illinois, there are no big signs on the front doors requiring the use of masks, just a few 8 1/2 x 11 printed signs reminding customers the importance of Social Distancing. Either the virus has passed over or gone beyond Indiana or folks there feel like wearing a mask is an infringement on their freedom.

I tend to think it’s the latter.

Earl and I wore masks while in the store. Approximately a quarter to a third of the other customers were doing the same. The folks in masks seemed to be doing the most social distancing. We used the washroom and then left the building.

Our drive was pleasant. We passed through a couple of thunderstorms along the way but nothing outrageous. When it was time to head home I jumped onto Interstate 65. I’ve always known this roadway to be under construction and it didn’t disappoint today. The construction area was flooding in the rain causing a traffic backup. I dodged around floating construction barrels. I didn’t know they were able to float.

The ride was most enjoyable because we always enjoy our time together talking and watching the countryside go by. The isolation of the car is an added bonus.

Tonight Earl and I watched Hannah Gadsby’s latest Netflix special. It is called “Douglas”.

We both found it very funny and very enjoyable. I love the way Hannah communicates with her audience. I get her. I get her humour. There’s a whole spectrum of comedy out there and Hannah sits right in a place I can identify with. It’s a wavelength thing.

Is “identify with” correct syntax? I think with is a preposition and if you’re writing informally ending a sentence with a preposition is completely acceptable. I tend to write informally. Even when I put a “u” in humour.

I do recommend “Douglas”.

Read the world.

Black Lives Matter. To say it any other way is to deny there’s a racism problem in our society. It’s a racism pandemic. It’s a bigger pandemic than COVID-19 and it’s been raging for too many years.

Black Lives Matter.

Riding the CTA without touching anything. We have a car all to ourselves.

I’m becoming war weary. White House chaos, a lack of decency, pandemics … it’s a lot to process.

Right now I am choosing to sleep it off. Tomorrow is a better day.

The sidewalk art does make me smile. Never lose hope.