I hate driving.

And let's not get ahead of ourselves - I don't hate cars or the freedom of going down an open road... but I do hate traffic and stupid drivers, talking on their cellphones, with their left blinker on, slowly making a right turn, on the same street I'd like to be going down, and giving me the finger when I honk with a "What's the hold up, Bud?" kind of honk. This goes double for highway driving in and around large cities.

To avoid the issue, I recently started using a route (or route) to work that takes me down the lakefront. It's basically like driving down Sheridan Rd. in Chicagoland's NorthShore. It's much better in terms of the amont of traffic, number of lanes, exit ramps. etc. And, it's not even that much longer in terms of total driving time, maybe 5 minutes extra time on a bad day (and that's assuming the highway traffic would be smooth all the time - it ain't).

Here's a look of some of the route, very near my apartment.

Not too shabby, if I do say so. (yes, that's Lake Michigan on the horizon)

But seriously, come up and visit. I now have a secret route for getting to my neighborhood and apartment...a lot less traffic, more serene, and quicker. A great backroad to Cabela's too.

GreenDimes Update

So, gas is like $3.50/gallon. Yikes. Seems like a good time to come back to the topic of GreenDimes. This is a relatively cheap service that will rid your mailbox of unwanted and wasteful junkmail. I signed up sometime back and have been happy with the results. It's basically $20 for your address "clean-up". If you move, you can get it redone at an easy-to-stomach $10 price. I thought I'd splurge and go up to a $40 package. It adds green extras... kinda cool.

It includes:

- GreenDimes T-Shirt (available in different colors, and from American Apparel)

- Re-usable, packable shopping bag

- EarthDay Kid's book (any neices I know reading?)

- Two "green" flourescent bulbs

They also plant trees for catalogs you get on your "list". I mean, how many J.Crew catalogs do you really need each year (esp the 17 before Christmas)? I know, I know, you like them. How 'bout you just go online instead.

Results, Poll #9, Peanut Butter

One of our more high-importance polls, with plenty of people around the world eagerly anticipating the results for peanut butter preferences of all the readers of transplanted.chicagoan. So as not to incite anyone further, into perhaps riotous action, here are the results:

4 people like only creamy/smooth peanut butter - do you have texture issues?
1 person only likes chunky peanut butter - They probably like Chunky Soups too...eats like a meal, you know?
7 people, by far the majority, are happy having either peanut - b/c peanut butter's is God's work
0 people are allergic to it - which I was a bit surprised by. I thought everyone is allergic to peanut butter these days, but perhaps not in the projected age range of the t.c reader?

Well there it is, pretty thick information that I'm sure will stick to the roof of your mouth.
New poll up now!

Pirates of Cheddar?

Johnny Depp movie is coming to Wisconsin
By SCOTT BAUER
Published: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 9:41 AM CST

Associated Press WriterMADISON (AP) — It may have been the worst kept secret in Wisconsin film making history.But now it’s official: Johnny Depp is coming to Wisconsin. Gov. Jim Doyle’s office confirmed Tuesday that Depp will be in the state to star as bank robber John Dillinger in ‘‘Public Enemies.’’

The news that Depp was coming has been around for months as filmmakers scouted locations, held casting calls for extras and sought vintage automobiles.But official word of the film coming to Wisconsin had to wait until after NBC Universal signed an agreement with the state on tax credits last Wednesday.

The film will co-star Christian Bale and be directed and produced by University of Wisconsin graduate Michael Mann. Bale will play FBI Special Agent Melvin Purvis, who led the manhunt for Dillinger in the 1930s.Filming is expected to start in Wisconsin next month, but the governor’s office said there is no official timeline yet.

Parts will be shot in the Chicago area as well. Mann said in a statement that Wisconsin was an attractive filming location because many communities have high quality historic buildings. Mann and others associated with the film have scouted locations in Baraboo and Columbus and looked at 1930s-era cars from collectors in the Madison area.

Dillinger used a northwoods Wisconsin lodge as a hideout during his crime spree, which ended when FBI agents shot him to death outside the Biograph Theater in Chicago in July 1934.

_________________________________

I have also heard that casting calls have taken place for extras that will be used in scenes here in Milwaukee. They will be filming inside at the famous Oriental Theatre (on my best picks section) and outside at the quaint Downer Ave Theatre.

This SUX.

Some random travel news:
> I know some of you are wondering, "What IS flying to Asia like?!" I'd say it combines the fun of sitting for the SAT about six times in a row, while being entered into a few eating contests, holding your urine like being in the 2nd grade, and the uncomfortableness of sitting in the middle of two strangers at the movie theater, both of whom are usually bigger and sweatier than you. In a nutshell, it's rough.
> I cannot recommend the flying part to anyone, but I will say that the noise-reduction headphones (even the cheap ones I got) really help a lot.
> For those that didn't rush to Google and punch in "ORD" based on the travel posts - The airport was constructed between 1942 and 1943 as a manufacturing plant for Douglas C-54s during World War II. The site was chosen for its proximity to the city and transportation. The two million square-foot (180,000 m²) factory needed easy access to the workforce of the nation's then-second-largest city, as well as its extensive railroad infrastructure. Orchard Place was a small pre-existing community in the area, and the airport was known during the war as Orchard Place Airport/Douglas Field (hence the call sign ORD). [from Wiki]

Challenge: A brand new "Clean Plate Club" tshirt (in a size of my choosing) for the first correct comment on the airport referenced in the subject.

Results, Poll #8

WOW, 15 respondents. I’m not sure who’s reading now, but I doubt the spam guy filled out my poll before leaving his e-turd last week. In any case, thanks for voting, here’s what we all said about travel to foreign countries (yes, Canada does count).

1 person has been to 0 foreign countries - sorry, Coffee&College.
6 people have been to 1-3 foreign countries. Nice, good start.
3 people have been to 4-6 foreign countries... whoa, getting up there!
5 people have been to 7 or more foreign countries. This seems like an inordinate amount of world travelers, no? Maybe people that read my blog are more well off than the average? Maybe we like airline food? Maybe we like not being in the US?

And just for the record, I was one of the 7+. I had to recount yesterday just to make sure, but it's official - Mexico, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Taiwan, plus stopovers in Japan. Also, about half are work-related trips.

Goodbye Kitty.

I'm out! We left this morning at 5:15AM local time and I'm now sitting at home, about 25 hours later. Just a couple shots of the day and one final look at Taipei 101.

Not only is it disturbing that this airline would make a hello kitty plane, it's seems extra weird, as a coworker pointed out, that a small squirrel is on the engine.

Seat 23K, right down the wing of the Boeing 747. Comforting?

This concludes the broadcast coverage from Taiwan. Again, I would say that if you have a couple weeks to spend in Asia and like new experiences, this would make a wonderful get-away. Here’s one last pic of the Taipei 101 tower, at night.

Results from the poll soon enough.