Another busy busy weekend

I'm too old for this crap, and I'm too young to be too old for this crap - go figger.

So, Friday I came into work for about 3 hours and then left for the University of Chicago, where Ethan Nadleman was speaking. Who? He's the director of the largest, most successful drug policy reform organization in the country. He's always fun to see speak - very engaging, very intelligent. He usually talks about Harm Reduction, which is an alternative to our current drug war. He has also developed alternative drug education programs, which like the more successful sex education programs, don't just tell kids "just say no" and pray that they actually listen. He combines "just say no" with "but if you do... here's some things you need to know".

Then, sans breakfast or lunch, and only a snickers bar and a cup of coffee in my tummy, I go back to work and do a few more hours of work, only to leave at 4 to go sign our new lease. Yeah, remember the duplex we liked? Well the people who were supposed to get it flunked their credit check. I'm very nervous about this - I am really going to miss our current place, but I'll get over it.

We went to an early dinner at a great restaurant about 2 blocks away called la Bocca della Verita - a very good, neighborhoody (is that a word?) Italian place. We walk in, and who is sitting at a corner table, but Billy Corrigan - fresh from the Cubs game I can only assume. He looked like he was hoping that the only two people that seemed to recognize him wouldn't gush (or Gish.. ha ha). I would never interupt someone's meal - that's just plain rude. If he was on the street, or sitting at a bar maybe I'd say hello - but not when the person is in the middle of dinner with friends.

Saturday I volunteered for the New Deal Service Day - where staff, faculty & students go off and do various community service work around the city. Our group ended up at the Resale shop of the Chicago Christian Industrial League. They do job training and the like and it seemed like a very good place. The resale shop had a third floor that they used for storage, but that they wanted to turn into part of the store, so we were sorting through donations, throwing out the crap and arranging the good stuff in a presentable way. They had some nice stuff. There was a buffet there that I LOVE. I may go back after we move, I need a place to put our china.

While I was off slaving, John was changing the oil and putting the battery back in the motorcycle.
Sunday we took the bike to Wishbone for breakfast and then out to Oak Park, to one of our favorite stores Fly Bird. It's just a crazy little punked out store with all sorts of fun stuff. On our way back on North Avenue, one of the local churches had people lined up for a mile or so along North Ave with neon signs saying "Honk if you need a Prayer" and screaming "Hallelujah" and "THANK You JEE-sus". We just smiled and nodded our way along North Ave, all the while thinking "what the Fuck?"

I got a lot done on my paper for class, which is due today. Still a little more to do during lunch I think.