Big Business near Chi-town

After a day of good actual business in a Chicago suburb, my co-worker and I decided to find a spot for some deep-dish pizza pie. If we were downtown I'm sure we'd be pointed to lots of locally owned hot spots, but options were more limited and we went to what I believe is a sizable regional chain called Giordano's. To our admittedly ignorant taste buds, the pie was fantastic, as were the local brews. Here's an iPhone image of the pie:

We also had a great waitress who steered us in the right direction throughout the entire meal. I felt like she deserved more than just a monetary tip, so I also presented her with her very own "That's Some Good Business!" sticker. She was quite appreciative, and even said something like, "That's the hot new phrase I've been hearing all of the kids say." While that did my heart good, I was even happier when she immediately peeled the sticker off of its backing and affixed it to her otherwise virgin ticket holder. As you can see, she placed it near the top, which means it'll peek out of her apron indefinitely as she serves more work-weary customers a few slices of excellence after their long days.

And that, my friends, is some good business.

Going Places

So I'm in a hotel room in Chicago, and I'm thinking about some other trips we've got lined up in the near future. I'll be heading to Seattle in late April for a race, and later this summer the DM and I are taking the family to the Finger Lakes of New York for a week, which should be lots of fun. We're also going to the D.C. area for a Radiohead show in May, and to Baltimore the week after that for a Glen Hansard/Marketa Irglova show. Later in the summer, the DM and I will be heading back to Washington (state) for another race.

While this is all cool, the trip I'm really thinking about is our 10th Anniversary trip, in May of 2009. The DM and I are trying to figure out where to go. We've talked Ireland, Mexico, Costa Rica, even Nicaragua. I also can't stop thinking about Positano, though that place is just so freaking expensive and we want to go somewhere that won't break the bank. Maybe even southern France, even though the DM has been there before. We just don't know, but it sure is fun to think about it.

Any suggestions on a good spot for our 10th Anniversary trip? What are the best places you've been?

Friday Music

It's Friday. I need music.

I'm going to L.A. on Saturday for a few nights (mainly to attend this), so I'll start my day with Zep's "Goin' to California."

Who's got next? As always, links are really appreciated, and I'll respond to every suggestion.

Random Thoughts Thursday

-If this crazy, messed-up world of ours had no coffee in it
I'd hop the first train out of here, I wouldn't stay a minute

-I'm happy to hear British singers actually sounding British. Sure, Billy Bragg always has, and there are others, but why do so many people seem to lose their accents when they sing? I'm thinking of Mick Jagger singing "I can't get no satisfaction." The last time I checked, Yanks and Brits say can't decidedly different, and Mick doesn't sing it like the Brits I know say it. Pop up-and-comers Lily Allen and Kate Nash, as well hip-hopper The Streets, sound properly British! Good on you, mates!

If there are any Brits still reading this blog, I'd love to hear your input into this. Paging Matt Allard. Come in, Mr. Allard.

-Speaking of singers, I'm totally into Mugison right now. Check him out and let me know what you think. It might make Rob Zero's ear's bleed. Try it, Rob!

-I left my cell phone out in the rain a couple of weeks ago, and while it still works, the backlight is broken. The only way I can see my address book, read texts, or look at my caller ID is to shine a flashlight on the display. Crazy but true.

I was at a race in Minnesota this past weekend and I needed to make a call, so I asked the people around me if anyone had a flashlight I could use. This guy David Bulmer proceeded to pull out his cell phone, which has a built-in flashlight. I used it to see my address book on my cell phone and make the call. I've been mulling it over ever since.

Random Canal Shots ("Honey, time to mow the roof!")

What a Pisser!

It was a good trip. I arrived on Tuesday and took a cab to my Hotel, the beautiful Banks Mansion on Herengracht. When staying in Amsterdam, there's no good reason to stay down in the Dam area, as far as I'm concerned. The city is much cooler away from all the hustle (literally) and bustle.

One of the great things about foreign travel is the bathrooms. Countries simply do bathrooms differently. The one in my hotel room wasn't too far from an American bathroom:


The only thing unusual here (if American stuff is usual to you, that is) is the push-button flusher on the top of the tank. But this bathroom also had an amazing feature in the rain-fall shower:



Yeah, my own in-room steam shower with the eucalyptus option. And believe me, the eucalyptus option was money!

Sure, I was spoiled by my hotel's push-button flusher and steam shower, but when I was out and about on the streets of Amsterdam, I lived like the locals and used this baby:




Here's the inside view:


Step right up, ladies! Unfortunately I didn't get a photo of the public urinals that don't even have the shield around them. Hey, if people regularly just piss on the street, you might as well put a urinal there!

More later.

Amsterdam Magic

Wow, it's been way too long since I've posted on here. I just didn't have much extra time in Amsterdam, but I'll definitely post more about the trip shortly. It was a damn fine time. In the meantime, here's a pretty cool image I captured at about 10 pm on Friday night. (It doesn't get dark until almost 11pm there at this time of year.) We stepped off the train at Centraal Station that evening into a magical Amsterdam that was aglow with soft, late light. The intense rainbow that arced over the whole city was like icing on top. People everywhere were gazing skyward at the spectacle. It was breathtaking.



More later.

Russia Who?

There's nothing like new love to help a person get over a broken heart. In my case, my new mistress is The Netherlands, and I'm going to her on Wednesday. Goodbye Russia, hello Assen MotoGP!

To Russia with Love

In a week I'll be packing my bags for Russia for my Tuesday departure. I'm extremely excited about it. I haven't been out of the USA in a couple of years, I think, and I'm more than ready.

Some random musings about my trip:

The reason I'm going to Russia is to check out the Red Bull X-Fighters freestyle motocross show. The best FMXers in the world will be there, including Travis Pastrana and my buddy Ronnie Renner, jumping in front of the Vasilyevsky Spusk. If all goes according to plan, I'm going to blog from there throughout my trip, though it'll be on our official Racer X travel blog.

One thing I've been struggling with is what to read while abroad. I'm in the middle of a couple of books right now, but none of them are slaying me. I've been meaning to read Oliver Twist for years now, but since I'm going to Russia, I'm starting to lean toward Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. I read the first few pages in a bookstore last month and was captured immediately, and it seems like an appropriate read given the circumstances. I really won't have much time to read anyway, but I always have to have a book while traveling.

I have a direct flight from Atlanta to Moscow that lasts 11 hours. When I land it'll be 10:30 AM, and it's imperative that I sleep on the flight, which I always have trouble doing. I plan on seeing my doctor tomorrow to see what he can give me to help facilitate this.

I'm learning basic Russian phrases as well as I can, but it's a tough language if you have no experience. This site helps a lot. I'd like to at least be able to be polite in Russian.

I will drink vodka while there.

I just saw a piece on CNN that lists Moscow as the most expensive city in the world. New York City is #15, I believe, and L.A. is in the 40s. But Moscow is #1.

Still, I'll drink vodka while there.