Ya got paper on that phone?

I go through 2 checkpoints and some sort of "gate keeper" to get to where I am working in the Cook County Jail. Although, by now both gatekeepers know who I am and greet me with a smile and buzz me through with no delay. The checkpoints aren't really much of a hassle either. Especally not after all the anal-retentive nonsense I endure with the TSA. One thing, though. If I pull out my blackberry to get an e-mail, call the boss, or check one on my many stored notes, someone comes flying up out of nowhere, right up on me and wants to know, "Ya got paper on that phone??" And of course, I do. Apparently phones are a big deal.

I had a great walk today. I am somewhere known as the "Magnificent Mile", the area between Wacker Drive and Chicago Ave. Last week I was in "The Loop" which ends at Wacker. Next week I think I'm back down in the Loop. It is pretty cold, at least to me it is. But still I walked Michigan Ave., Wabash Ave., and State St. I found a bunch of neat restaurants and martini lounges. I went up to the House of Blues, but pulled up short, thinking about the prices and it probably being too early on a Monday night for the music to start. I almost went into Dao's Thai, because Thai food sounded good and my sister in law is named Dao.

But I ended up in Heaven on Seven, a cajun joint. How could I not? With a hand painted sign over the food bar proclaiming "Just say, Jmmy feed me" and the staff wearing t-shirts that read "People who come back from heaven all say the same thing. Try the gumbo." I had a Dead Man Ale and the baby back ribs. But the sides are what got me. The worst thing they fed me was the tater tots...and there's no such thing as a bad tater tot! The gumbo was perfect. A tad spicy, as it should be, but with flavorful sausage that was smooth on the tongue. The cheese grits were made with some high falutin' foreign cheeses, but they were still grits, and they were bodacious. The bread was bread, probably fresh baked, but not spectacular. Until I buttered it, that is. Some kind of creamery butter whipped with what I suspect might have been honey. Man, it was so sweet and creamy. I could have eaten it, brushed my teeth with it, and dabbed some behind my ear like cologne. Mmmmmm. I just paid my bill and waddled on home. I expect to hit the Thai place tomorrow, but would not be real surprised to instead find myself saying, "Jimmy, feed me."

Not to sound like my life revolves around just food and beer, but I'm old and rotund and long past my "chicks dig me" days. That makes a meal so tasty that I waddle away from it a memorable event. I do have pictures, but will probably be out a few more times, so I will wait.

Make No Small Plans, out

Ramblin' Ed