the Riddle Answered

The much anticipated answer to the riddle I posted back in June of this year will finally be answered here.

Q: 10 P on Z in S
A: This picture from the game of Scrabble should be the answer you have been waiting for. "10 Points on Z in Scrabble"




-Kelly

Sushi!

Kelly and I went into Chicago tonight to have sushi. We went to Matsuya in Wrigleyville which is the neighborhood of bars and restaurants close to Wrigley Field. This restaurant is near and dear to my heart because when I was in medical school, I would go there frequently with my University of Chicago friends, Andy and Dave. Back then we were all starving students, so getting sushi was a bit of a luxury. Matsuya had these great combination platters that included miso soup, sushi, and green tea ice cream, for about $8. I remember thinking how extravagant it was to spend so much on a single meal.

Its been over five years since medical school, and the prices apparently haven't changed much. Of course nowadays, $8 for a meal doesn't seem like too big a deal. If I lived closer, I might end up at Matsuya every other day. Kelly really enjoys it as well, although she mostly eats the vegetarian and cooked fish sushi rolls.

Speaking of favorite sushi places, back in Boston we had this routine of organizing a "guy's dinner night" which involved emailing a bunch of guys to get together to eat sushi at Bluefin in Porter Square. The individuals varied each time but always involved a core group of Manni, Steve, Dudley, and I plus about 2-4 others depending on the night. The great thing about Bluefin was the 130 piece combination platter for $100. In terms of bang for the buck, you couldn't beat this deal. Of course, it only worked if you had a bunch of friends with you, which made it perfect for guy's dinner night. I'll miss those nights.

Back in college, if you'd ask me, I would've thought sushi was the grossest food imaginable. Who would've thought that raw, uncooked fish flesh would be associated with such good times.

-Brian

Time Marches On...And so do Penguins

Just to prove that I can write short posts...we recently saw March of the Penguins. Even if you hate cuddly, cute animals, go see this movie. It documents how the emperor penguins mate and raise their young in the most inhospitable environment on earth, Antarctica. There's also a bit of slapstick humor when one of the penguins slips and falls on the ice. I love that part.

-Brian

¡Ay, caramba!

In response to Brian's previous post on T.V., the only thing I really hated about not having one was the fact that it meant missing the media blitz surrounding Lance Armstrong (www.lancearmstrong.com) racing his final Tour de France. How exciting that he won his seventh consecutive tour; a nice way to bookend the highlights of his cycling career of dominating this race since his re-entry into the sport after successfully battling cancer. Despite the latest attempt by a French newspaper to slander his name, the inspiration instilled in the world both personally and professionally by Lance Armstrong is par none. In retirement, his energy typically channeled into training will be re-focused on the Lance Armstrong Foundation (www.laf.org). He chartered this organization in order to raise awareness and funds for cancer research, and support. But, still ... it would have been great to watch his last race unfolding over the three weeks in July when it was televised. If I hadn't already read his books, It's Not About the Bike and Every Second Counts, immersing myself in those texts would have brought me the near equivalent of ringside seats courtesy of the television.

Actually last year Dasani, who sponsored the U.S.P.S/Discovery team, held a drawing to win a bike or a book. I entered myself into that drawing and much to my surprise actually won a copy of his second book, Every Second Counts! This year, when a neighbor of mine was facing his own extreme battle with cancer, I gave his that very book which I had won. I figured it was a lucky thing to win it, so by giving it to him I hoped in turn it would bring him luck as well.

-Kelly

Television

After living in Oak park for two and a half months, we've finally gotten a television. We've been talking about it for a few weeks now, but never got around to shopping for one until a few days ago. It was actually kinda nice not having it around to distract us. Without one, we had more time to talk, and more incentive to get out of the apartment and walk around and explore.

Life without tv couldn't last. I was getting my car checked out for a leaky tire last week. While in the waiting room, I noticed this glowing box with moving pictures and sound. I was captivated. Even after my tire was fixed, I didn't want to leave. I vowed that it was time to leave our primitive, pre-television life behind. It was time to enter the mid-twentieth century.

We went to the Sears store around the corner from our apartment. (Can you believe sales tax in Chicago is 9.0%!) Got a bare-bones 20-inch, non-HD tv. Even that size barely fit into the back of my car. Now we've got tv, 80 something channels and nothing on.

Actually, my favorite station so far is channel 6 which regularly broadcasts Oak Park village board meetings. Its kinda like watching C-SPAN, except for local politics. Having only been here for a few months, I haven't quite got a hold on the ins and outs of local issues, but watching it does seem to tantalize my inner wonk. Kelly usually makes me put the headphones on when I'm watching it so she can focus on doing whatever she's doing (usually wedding stuff.)

By the way, Kelly claims that she'll try to get around to posting something. We all miss you Kelly! Please come back soon.

-Brian

Time Marches On

Went out swing dancing a few days ago for only about the third time in the two months we've been here. It was at Big City Swing, a small studio on the near west side. The first person I saw as I walked in was Susan, someone I recognized from Boston. Apparently, she was in town for a few days for a conference. There weren't that many people there that night, but nonetheless I did get to dance a couple songs. I ran into two people who recognized me from my medical school days in Chicago, five years prior.

Its always a bit weird going out in Chicago and seeing all that has changed, and all that has stayed the same. The five years I spent in Boston is enough time away that many changes have taken place, but not enough time for me to expect things to have changed. An obvious example, the skyline is different. Of course the icons: the Sears Tower, the John Hancock building, Water Tower Place; they're all still here, but now there are a lot of new tall buildings arising from blocks that I distinctly remember as being parking lots just a few years ago. Same with restauraunts; I've been reassured that my favorites are still around mostly, but now they're competing with a bunch of young upstarts.

The dance scene has also changed. The few times I've been out I see a few familiar faces, but they're a small minority in the crowd. Its not too surprising, as the demographics of the swing scene in Chicago in the late 90's was mostly 20-something singles, a pretty transient group in general. I've experienced the change in Boston as well, as people come and go, moving in and moving out. I guess I'm a good example of that. One of the people I danced with called me "Old-Schooler", I kinda like that.

There's this concept called "object permanence" that is defined as the awareness that objects continue to exist even when not visible. Its a developmental milestone that babies acquire after about eight months of life. As I've grow older, I've become aware of "object impermanence"; change is constantly occurring even when we're not around to observe it. Coming back to Chicago after 5 years away is a dramatic way of emphasizing this point. For the most part its a good thing, I think Chicago is a better place in so many ways than it was a decade ago. However, for someone who still feels young (no achy joints yet!), its a reminder that time is passing, and we're all getting older.

-Brian

Coffeetalk

Haven't felt like posting recently due to the grim news out of New Orleans. It kinda makes my personal musings seem particularly trivial and unnecessary right now. I've visited NOLA twice in my life; once right after college with a friend (this was my two week break between college and medical school), and the second time as a 4th year medical student when I went to a conference. The French Quarter was kinda nice, but the rest of the town appeared run-down and poverty-stricken. It was a powerful reminder of the great disparities of wealth in our country. Of course, its in even more depressing shape nowadays.

Kelly has been busy all week working on wedding preparations, thankfully she's shielded me from most of the work. I try to stay out of her way, mostly. I'm amazed at her attention to the details. If it were up to me, I'd have to hire somebody to do it, because I definitely don't have the patience for it.

Speaking of trivial musings, since I have the day off, my most momentous decision today was Starbucks v. Caribou. On the one hand, Caribou is slightly closer, and has a cooler logo. On the other hand, I've got credit card that earns me Starbucks points, which makes me feel better about buying those $3+ frappucinos. In the end, convenience won out over cheapness. With regards to taste, I'm no coffee connoisseur. I'll drink $2 gourmet or $.45 cafeteria coffee and enjoy them equally. I guess this is an argument for getting the cheap stuff, but I rather enjoy the image of coffee grown and harvested by happy caribou who earn good wages and enjoy national health care (they are Canadian, you know).

By the way, if you haven't heard, there's data that suggest that drinking coffee is good for you. There's an inverse correlation with coffee drinking and risk of type II diabetes. I find it interesting that the study was performed in Finnland. There are a lot of caribou (reindeer) in Finnland. Coincidence? I think not.

-Brian