A Nice Day: buildings and beer and fish
My friend, Jim, told me about a barn west of Lincoln that he thought I might like, and oh, was he right. Ernie wants to turn it into a meme saying, 'that sinking feeling you get....' Jim told me it flooded off its foundations back in the 70's and yet here it still sits...showing us all how to adapt and hang on. Thank you, barn (and Jim).
Across the road are windmills. Ernie is kind of fascinated with them. They creep me out a bit, like giant insects warming up for the attack. Well, I suppose that old barn has seen a lot of changes and adapted, so I guess I should too.
We actually hadn't planned this little jaunt but when I woke up and it wasn't rainy it seemed like the thing to do. We had no plans after finding the barn so we ambled up old Route 66 to McLean, then east on 136 until 150 and then home. As much as we've been to all these towns before, they are different every time, or maybe our eyes are different.
I was and am utterly smitten with this wonderful Prairie style library and community hall in McLean. It was designed by A. T. Simmons, a Bloomington architect who designed over 70 Carnegie libraries (!) and the Castle Theater in Bloomington.
With that we were ready to head home. We stopped at Huber's and had a drink and some popcorn. We haven't been there in eons, I can't even think when. It felt good. Ernie even splurged and drank a real beer. Bud Light and he said, "this if for Kid Rock," before he drained it.
Then we took the back way home, twisting through the streets and alleys of our neighborhood. We were supposed to have fish tacos for dinner but my back was killing me so after I did the fish I just plopped it on some slaw-ish cabbage, added the weird sauce I'd made. It had gotten too thick in the refrigerator---I should have thinned it with some lime juice but hell, I was tired. It was a mix of sour cream, mayo, hatch chilis, smoked paprika, and lime juice (waving to my little oxford comma 👋). For the fish I just dusted it with cornstarch seasoned with salt/pepper, smoked paprika and cayenne and sautéed it in some olive oil. I got the fish (pollock) from Meijer and it was great. Cheap AND MSC certified. Amazing.
It was a good day, a nice day, as Tommy Womack would say.
Back to work today to get some things done. Ernie has a Keytruda treatment on Thursday, Friday we're having some friends come by, Saturday we go to O'Hare to pick up Leo and Tal.
Onward.