First meal at 'The Feathers' restaurant in the hotel of the same name.

This is where I'm staying while in Oxford, England (oh, did I mention I'm teaching in Oxford?).
The venison sausage is excellent (I saw this on the menu and thought of my Dad deer hunting, so I had to have some). The parsnip mash is not at all what I expected and does have a fairly complementary flavor. However the blackberries, unfortunately, don't.
Oh, and Marilyn: you need not fear the superiority of their 'buttered carrots'. Yours reign supreme. :-)

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The 11:42 First Western from Paddington to Oxford

Yes, it caught on fire. Just when you think things are starting to make sense -- you know, you're coming to terms with what life gives you -- life says, "No, I've got something different in mind..."

The driver of the train was not very helpful. No announcement, practically no direction, other than the most helpful announcement of "stay away from the fire."




London Fire showed up and got everyone off the tracks and on to the streets of the neighborhood. Would have been nice of the train company to make some announcement by now.


Update: (an indeterminate period of time later...)
Oh, two buses came to take people to another couple of train stations. A load of us didn't fit. A Third bus came later to take the rest of us to Slough (the 'ough' pronounced like 'ow') train station and I made my way to Oxford from there.

So, to get from Chicago, USA, to Oxford, England, only takes two planes, a train, another train (on fire), a bus, another train (not on fire) and a taxi.

Neat, huh?

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One of seven non-Asian restaurants within 5 miles

I had Chinese food last week, and I don't have anything against other styles (well, except Indian, and that's a whole 'nother story) but I likes my American fares.

But this us about the only non-fast food restaurant within about a one mile radius and one of very few in a greater area -- it's ridiculous, really.












That's over 30 businesses (the pix are all unique). All Asian. Most Chinese. And you see that again and again -- and that's in a suburb of Toronto, ON, CAnada. You know, where 'French' is the other 'official' language.

Like I said, I like Asian food, but come on. I didn't see that many Asian restaurants in Singapore.

There is one little pocket with about 5 or six non-Asian restaurants, however unless you get there before 6pm, forget it: you aren't gettig a table for an hour.


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Excitement as the fire alarm rings!

At the Markham, ON, Hilton Garden Inn. Three trucks, the fire chief and a cop in less than 10 minutes. Well done.

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Selmarie Cafe during Lincoln Square's AppleFest

Aeryn looking like a sleepy lizard on a warm rock.




They play with their hearts, but they sing with their feet.

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Yum! I miss this when I'm gone...

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Instructions?

Oh! Step "3": Enjoy!

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Aeryn at the Anthony J. De Julio Park

A little park on the corner of 'zoom' & 'go fast'.

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I can't help liking this song

Mom asked me about my car, I wanted to show some video in action so I went to youtube and I stumbled across this:

and if you skip past the first 50 seconds you get to the Mini Cooper goodness.

I really liked this movie, despite the always flat performing of Mark Wahlberg (he killed 'The Happening' for me.)

And this tune is quite catchy.

It figures...

Hmmm... 'get cat food -- grilled chicken'. Ok. Go to Target.

Doh! Someone beat me to it -- ALL of it! Man...

Alright. Maybe Purina has some--




WTF? why can't the cat just eat 'grilled salmon' or 'chicken entree'?
Ok, we'll try




And see if he won't eat one of these.

-- Posted From My iPhone

McCormick Bridgehouse And Chicago River Museum

Come here to learn all about how the Chicago river is a steaming cesspool and full of e-coli.

Well, it's not quite that bad -- certainly not as bad as it was a hundred years ago (a lot less animal carcasses now) -- but it did get an 'F' rating on the e-coli.

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Garfield Park Conservatory with Mom, Dina, Carlos and Joe

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