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Tired of Irish Cereal Stereotypes

I think Lucky Charms' Lucky the Leprechaun should take a permanent vacation. I hear the Frito Bandito has room at his Cancun timeshare. My alternative in honor of St. Patrick's Day this year: Marshmallow Mateys.

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Rainy Day Tool

An umbrella dries in my cubicle.

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UIC-Halsted

Waiting for Blue Line to Jefferson Park.

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Rainy Chicago Morning

Wrigley Building as seen from the No. 147 CTA bus.

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Big-Ass Grapefruit!

It's called a "pummelo" and it costs $3.99!

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Trendy Anamorphic Lens Flares

Well, I finally found a way to mount my Iscorama anamorphic lens to my Canon DSLR. That was no small feat, since the lens had a manual Nikon mount. So far, I'm liking the results; the shot above of the Jefferson Park Pool building is typical. 

The horizontal streak is characteristic of how anamorphic lenses handle flares from bright light sources.

The only downside to this optical retrofit is that I lose all metering and automation. But, hey, if cinematographer Douglas Slocombe didn't use a light meter on "Raiders of the Lost Ark," who am I to complain?

Crawlin' With Kraut!

Aisle 6 at the Jefferson Park Jewels.

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The Joy of Small-Town Newspapers

One of the nice extras for Amtrak sleeping-car passengers is that every morning, you get a newspaper delivered to your room. I recently rode the Southwest Chief from Los Angeles to Chicago -- and looked forward to reading some small-town journalism. 

I found the Arizona Daily Sun under my door when I awoke Saturday morning; the train had stopped briefly in Flagstaff during the night. That was a nice surprise.

The next morning, Sunday, I had hoped that our stop in Kansas City, Mo., would mean a fresh copy of the Kansas City Star, but The New York Times graced my roomette instead. The other passengers I spoke with also agreed that they'd rather read something other than a national or big-city paper.

That's why, when the Chief stopped in La Junta, Colo., I grabbed a couple of freebie papers at the station: The Local Buzz and The Tri-State Exchange. Both publications gave a delightful taste of the communities they serve -- unlike larger newspapers with their cookie-cutter layouts and the pathetic way they ass-sniff "American Idol." 

Still Life While Waiting...

... for the No. 68 Northwest Highway bus. The CTA has really cut back service.

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Old Camera + Helga

I like the look I get by combining these two applications.

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Last Stop Before Home

The Southwest Chief in Naperville, Illinois. I'll be at Chicago Union Station in about an hour.

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Almost Home

Passing through Galva, Illinois.

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Galesburg, Illinois

Sign across from station. The Southwest Chief, California Zephyr and several other trains stop in Galesburg.

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Northeast Into the Night

Someone told me that on the flatlands of Kansas, the Southwest Chief can reach 90 mph. I'll have to keep checking; we'll be in Kansas soon.

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La Junta, CO, Station Interior

Amtrak's Southwest Chief stops here for a crew change. I grabbed a couple of free newspapers in the waiting room.

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