Crosswalks to Nowhere

Apple just did something that gained them BIG points in my book.

XTC's music is now available through iTunes.

It's about time. Let the downloading begin!

Check out this collection of gingerbread houses in Seattle!

(Photos by Jeff Barr.)

I had an interview tonight with a producer from WTTW's Chicago Tonight. They are doing a piece on podcasting, and they may use some of my thoughts and possibly mention our 4th Time Around podcast on the air.

The show airs Thursday at 7:00 pm CST. If you're in the Chicago area, be sure to tune in!

(I originally published this here in 2002-- actually, it goes back to my old, old personal web page from about 1996-- but I think it bears re-posting. And note that it's not "Hardrock, Cocoa, and Joe." :-)

If you grew up in Chicago, you'll remember the neat little stop-animation films they used to show on WGN-TV at Christmastime.

I've ripped the audio portion of these films to MP3, and they're attached for your enjoyment. Click the links to hear them:

Susie Snowflake
Hardrock, Coco, and Joe
Frosty The Snowman

Here's the Wrigley Building last night. Chicago at Christmastime is certainly something.

Yesterday, we went to Chicago's Chinatown. This is only the second time I've been there as an adult, the first time being almost two years ago with the kids.

Above you can see part of our haul: a couple boxes of "relaxation tea" (which really works, by the way), a GINORMOUS bag of fortune cookies which ran about three bucks, a smaller bag of chocolate fortune cookies, and a bag of "The Kitchenette" brand white crystal sugar, which is basically rock candy chunks that we bought with the intent of using it in the aforementioned tea.

Curiously enough, the sugar chunks are mighty friendly:

Hmm. Time for another cookie.

We spent Christmas Eve at home, making a mini-feast consisting of a turkey breast and all the fixings. We also realized that

"Chestnuts roasting on the ol' Char-Broil......."

And Lisa got the hear my story again about the guy on State Street who used to sell chestnuts and had a fake Brit accent. Only it turned out the accent wasn't fake.

On Christmas Day, the chix came over to open their gifts and then it was off to Grandma and Grandpa's house for an awesome Christmas dinner.

'tis the season...

Oh, and welcome to everyone who's come here looking for the MP3s of "Hardrock, Coco, and Joe" and "Susie Snowflake." And a special welcome to the folks who came here via the Chicagoland Fishing forum site: you guys seem to really like those songs. :-)

I know the posting just rolled off the current main page, so feel free to hit this page, which has the MP3s on it.

Tonight's project was decorating the gingerbread house shown above. Check out Lisa's mad icicle skills coming off the roof and Emma's awesome gumdrop installation.

It looks good enough to eat, doesn't it?