Grutz says, "When push comes to shove." or "Wha...? What's a baby monitor doing in my desk?"

Apparently, a supervisor at UI Hospitals and Clinics has not been reading our blog and is therefore dumb, because s/he thought it was a good idea to use a baby monitor to eavesdrop on staff.  Here's a link to the story at the Press-Citizen.  Yikes, someone didn't use their gray matter.... If you subscribe to the bell curve theory, half the population is less than average (yours truly too).  What moron would use a baby monitor?  Just talk with them.  Or "pop in" on the suspected chatty cathys more frequently.  Here's an IQ break down.

                                    Toast (2) Using a monitor (78)       Me(95)                 Carleen(120)(she's 153 on the beauty chart)

On to other news....I believe the dust issue (yes, riveting!) is getting better with the filter.  It's hard to do an analysis scientifically, but the frequency of dusting has be lessened by about one day or so.  What does all this mean?  I am not developing OCD, I guess.  But that doesn't mean I'm not obsessing over some things......

Birds of Prey.  No, not The Doors song.  Real birds of prey.  I've been glued to this cam from the Raptor Resource Project in Iowa.  IT'S NESTING BALD EAGLES!  Seeing the male and female eagles prepping the nest, flying in an out, glimpsing the eggs, so neat!  When I tire of hearing of all the calamities besieging our world on NPR I pop on the eagle cam.  I've lately had this cam on while doing things around the house, just to hear all the birds and the sounds of spring, the audio, rather than the video.  But, when I hear an eagle fly in and squawk or chirp (and you definitely can distinguish bald eagle sounds from a finch or robin) I come racing over from the kitchen or work area to the computer to see what's up.  Some might find it boring, but I find me someone who wouldn't be excited to watch once the chicks are born?  Thanks Mom and Gretchen for passing along this site.

Biking.  Since I'm not working now (though that will end very, very soon.."Hello, SubFinder?") I'm not riding my bike 8+ miles each day.  And since I'm not riding 8+ miles each day I've discovered I, ahem, don't need to wear a belt (cough).  I'm 33 and can't use the excuse that I'm big boned (which I'm not) or just husky and I'll grow out of it, so I've got to get back in the saddle again (get it, saddle? A bike saddle! I'll be here all week...) So I went for a good ol' ride yesterday and here's a shot from the Kinzie bridge of the downtown of Chicago.

A view south, Sears Willis Tower in the distance.  One of the best views of the city IMO.

Cooking.  I've been ever vigilant to not let things go to waste and I've discovered some cookbooks that ideally suit this need by providing recipes that use the same ingredients.  For example, if I'm making seared asparagus with garlic chips and parmesan it will list the other recipes in the book that use asparagus.  I'm digging it.  Last night we had a simple dinner of grilled cheese (three types on marble rye) and homemade tomato soup.  Wonderful.  More wonderful was when I went to eat my soup I found not a spoon in it, but a ladle.  Thanks, Carleen.

"Maybe I'm getting chubby because I eat too much." or "I'm shocked to find a ladle in my soup, garçon!" 

Playing guitar.  I probably spend 2-3 hours a day playing/messing around.  I'll record some stuff and post it.  Sorry though, no teased hair or spandex.  I'm a glitter guy, anyway.

I'm more Bowie, Pop, Reed than......

....Posion.  Although CC has some cred.

Lastly, I've been spending quite a bit of time listening to some great music.  I'm not going to burden you with all the cool, new, hip, rad, killer stuff from SXSW, you can find all you want in the vast interweb, though NPR has a convenient stream, if that's your thing.  Here's what's on rotation now (with videos):

William Elliott Whitmore (Just can't get enough of this guy.  And he's an Iowan, +1) First clip from San Fran and the second is from a UK show, Jools Holland live.  Banjo+tattoos+soulful lyrics=oh yeah!

David Rawlings Machine.  I haven't listen to him in a while and he popped up on random.  Great stuff.  And yeah, that's Gillian Welch.  Boy, that feller can pick! It's a long song, great cover of a great Dylan song, but wow, what a way to end a show.

Well, I'd like to include more music and your smartness-enhancing birthdays for the day, but I've got to take care of some CPS insurance stuff.  Apparently, a stamped, notarized wedding license doesn't fly with HR.  It has to be certified, too?  Wha...... wish me luck.