Some Shakins

Trip report: I went to Boise on Tuesday. I flew up in the morning and back that night. I hadn't been to Boise in at least 20 years. The downtown area was great. Very walkable and had an interesting selection of restaurants, bars, and shops. Plus it was pretty crowded compared to downtown SLC - much more foot traffic. Ultimately Boise seemed like a mash-up of SLC, Ogden, with a touch of Portland. The cornerstone of their civilization, for me, was the fact that wine was sold in convenience stores.

Presidential Address: GW addressed the nation last night. I know that because his mug was on most of the televisions at the gym. I didn't watch though. I turned my treadmill's television channel to "Mork & Mindy". Striking similarities between GW and Mork from Ork.

Car trouble: Fender bender this morning. Mini vs. curb. Curb won. I've known I need to replace my two front tires for awhile now. They treads are really worn down. But I put it off and put it off. This morning I paid the price. Making a u-turn at 100 South and Main on my way to Starbucks, my tires lost traction and I ran into a curb. I busted the rim of the front passenger tire. I got my coffee and then drove straight to the dealership. My car didn't handle the drive well. Driving just under 30mph for forty blocks on State Street, I swerved all over the road and made many drivers angry. At the dealership, I took in a piece of the rim, told the service advisor that I hit a curb. He said, "You've probably damaged your suspension. We'll need the car for days. You should probably call your insurance company and file a claim. They'll get you a rental car." Amazed, I replied, "You haven't even seen my car yet. If you were a doctor and I came in complaining of a sore throat, would you automatically assume I likely have pneumonia or cancer?" I really, really don't trust car people.

I'm going to Chicago this weekend. Looking forward to that.

Today's Song: Lips Like Sugar, Echo and the Bunnymen