I was going to do a fantastic, well researched, enlightened post about Mayor Ardis' plan to provide college scholarships to Peoria Public School graduates. Seriously, my post was going to blow everyone's socks off. The New York Times was going to contact me and offer -no- BEG me to join their staff.
As to be expected, C.J. Summer's beat me to it. I think this guy has the best researched blog in town. Could probably give the Journal Star a lesson or two.
Sunday, January 29
Saturday, January 28
And the PollyPeoria Golden Cockroach Award Goes To.... Chase Ingersoll (of course)
Chase Ingersoll has applied for a liquor license for the restaurant attached to the Grandview Hotel which he allegedly owns. As you probably know, the Grandview Hotel is now closed after it was declared -and numerous Judges concurred- a chronic nuisance.
Ingersoll has lost every court battle on the matter. Chase requested and was even granted a brand new Judge to hear his cause. The new Judge also found Ingersoll's claims/whining to be without merit. This makes four, maybe even five Judges who have basically told Chase Ingersoll he has no case.
The new tactic? Apply for a liquor license Ingersoll knows full well the City Council will never approve. Why? To launch yet another bogus, annoying lawsuit to consume City legal resources and time.
Village Idiot. No, an idiot would not be able to be so successful in sucking up the attention of Judges, lawyers, and media. It's sad that Ingersoll doesn't use his brains for something productive.
Ghandi? No, Ghandi was a real lawyer.
Jedi Warrior? In Chase's dreams, maybe.
Peoria's biggest, most annoying parasite? Yup.
Cockroaches are easier to get rid of than this guy.
And the PollyPeoria Award for Class Goes To.... Mike McCoy, Tom Kahn, Stanley W. Moritz
What? No jail time? Not even a ticket? No lawsuit? Not even one?! No one is blaming anyone? What age do these people think they are living in, an era of civility, responsibility and forgiveness?
The County Sheriff and his good buddy Mr. School Superintendent got hit by a pickup truck and were seriously injured while jogging together. Now these guys have some pull. They could make the driver miserable for rest of his life if they were so inclined. Sheriff McCoy suffered a broken pelvis. Polly has had a bruised pelvis. It hurt like hell. I don't even want to imagine what hot, white blinding pain a broken pelvis would cause. According to McCoy the worst part of the event wasn't the pain. The pelvic injury prevented McCoy from coming to the aid of his friend, Superintendent Tom Kahn, who was lying bleeding and unconscious from a head wound. Got to say, I think I might be a bit bitter.
What about the driver? Mr. Moritz immediately took responsibility. He saw the pain and turmoil he caused but didn't turn and run like a coward. He went straight to the aid of the men saying, "I hit you. I didn't see you." Wow. Unusual these days. Every insurance company instructs their clientele, "Do not take responsibility at the scene of an accident, even if you believe you are at fault." They teach this tactic in Driver's Education courses now. Pathetic.
Nonetheless, Mr. Moritz stands like a man and accepts his role. Me. I did it. I hurt you. I was looking to the left and you were on the right. I am an imperfect human being. Have no doubt Mr. Moritz could have been throwing out excuses left and right. Had it been me, I might have asked, "Why in the heck are you two jogging on a busy street?"
McCoy and Kahn take it on the chin. Actually, on the pelvis and skull to be precise. Are they suing the guy? Nah. It was an accident. A horrible, terrible, painful ACCIDENT. What, no demand for a Sidewalk Commission? Nah. Because, you see, it was an ACCIDENT. Even if there had been sidewalks, accidents will continue to happen.
Well, what about the brightly colored reflective vests the joggers were wearing? Come on, not even one lawsuit against the manufacture of the reflective vests? Surely they could have been louder, brighter, bolder? Sigh. No. Human beings have and will always make mistakes. Even if the pair had been running while carrying a hot pink and day glow green neon billboard which read, "JOGGERS HERE. PLEASE DON'T HIT US." horrible, terrible accidents will still happen.
Had the driver been using a cell phone at the time of the accident, well, yes, a ticket would be justified. If he had been recklessly speeding, yeah, we would want some penalty for the guy. If he had been drunk or ran away like a sniveling little kid instead of a mature adult, we would be screaming for jail time. But none of those things apply here. It was an unintended act with unforeseen consequences. You know, an ACCIDENT.
The two injured men? Back at work less than two weeks after the event. What? Not going to take every last morsel of sick/disability time off? What's the rush? Why not take it easy in the barcolounger for a few months? No one would blame you. You've earned it, Guys! Nah. Not the style of real men. Got to get back to work.
McCoy returned to work in a wheelchair wearing pajama bottoms. What a man.
Friday, January 27
Eyebrows Solves One of Life's Greater Mysteries.
Why does Easter fall on a different Sunday every year? Something I've always wanted to know, but was too lazy to research. I was a bit surprised to discover my priest didn't know either. Considering the answer, his ignorance is forgivable.
The answer is surprisingly pagan.
Dirty Bomb... SCUD Missile Attack.... CILCO Bill...
I am prepared. My home has a force field. Absolutely no drafts. No fresh air can penetrate my humble abode. Yes, my home is sealed with shrink wrap. Layers and layers of it. In the past I considered shrink wrapping one's windows with Saran Wrap and a hair dryer a bit tacky. Then, I got Novembers CILCO bill. Holy Mother of God, Saran Wrap never looked so fashionable! Shrink Wrapping the windows wasn't difficult, and unless you actually touch them, you really wouldn't notice the windows are covered in plastic. The kits have come a long way. It was kind of fun. The only bummer is that you have to decide whether you want your blinds open or closed for winter. My bedroom feels like a cave. On the other hand, my living room now offers no privacy. What do I care if the neighbors discover I like Judge Judy? I wonder what else I can shrink wrap around here....
I also figured out how to use my programmable thermostat. It looked complicated as hell, but it only took me about fifteen minutes to conquer. Now my house is freezing cold while I'm at work, warms up again shortly before I arrive home, returns to freezing as I slumber under several hundred blankets at night, and warms up again shortly before my alarm clock blasts me out of bed in the morning. The only bummer with this system is that late night trips to the bathroom are quite painful.
It isn't that I can't pay my heating bill. It's just that I'm determined not to give the greedy energy/oil bastards any more money than I have to. I received Decembers CILCO bill yesterday. Much better.
Thursday, January 26
Polly's e-mail of the week\Restaurant Reviews
I received this interesting e-mail from the Executive Vice President of Mercedes Restaurants:
Dear Polly:
I heard through a friend that you recently ate at Bud's and were dissatisfied with the cost of your meal. I would like the opportunity to discuss this with you to find out what happened that evening. On just the information you wrote, I figure your bill should have been around $80.00.
Please call 676-6443 and leave me your phone number and a time it would be possible to call you.
Thanks,
Steve Shaw
Executive Vice President
Mercedes Restaurants, Inc.
Give the guy credit for customer service! I doubt there are many Executive Vice Presidents who would try to track down an allegedly unhappy customer in the bloggersphere! Mr. Shaw is referring to my January 9th post. I can't return your call and remain anonymous, Mr. Shaw, but I will republish my "review" of Bud's. Our bill may have been $80.00, but with tax and 20% tip we paid $90.00 (I checked the credit card statement) on the nose.
I wrote...
...A rather dull weekend. Just the way I like 'em. Slept in both days. Glorious. Never got around to doing laundry, cleaning my house, or disassembling the Christmas tree. Even better.
My Significant Other (S.O.) and I did get out last night. We had dinner at Bud's, coffee at Starbucks, and then saw Fun with Dick and Jane at the Rave. Dinner at Bud's was just okay. We had an appetizer of calamari, shared a porterhouse steak, and ordered a side of sauteed mushrooms. Our tab, with tax and tip came to $90.00. We had two beers as well, and our steak came with a house salad and some very good bread. Nonetheless, the decor, ambiance and quality of food doesn't come close to F. Scott's or some of the other numerous steakhouses in town. Some of them significantly less expensive. There was a decent crowd, but no where near what V.O.P.s used to draw in...
If it's any comfort Mr. Shaw, I didn't give high praise for the movie either.
There has been some chatter from readers about the new Mexican Restaurant on University, Vallarta's. (This blog attracts a lot of "Foodies" I tell you!) I ate there recently, quite tasty. Better than Jalapeno's or Fiesta Ranchero by far. Loved the shrimp burrito. If you want REAL Mexican cuisine you must venture to La Mexicana located on Jefferson and Mary. Not the best part of town, but not the worst either. Finally tried it after Bill Dennis wouldn't stop blogging about it. La Mexicana has AUTHENTIC Mexican food at dirt cheap prices. If they ever get wi-fi, I will probably live there. However, Vallarta's is more comfy and better for bigger groups. La Mexicana has about five tables.
After being pestered by co-workers for about a year, I finally ventured up to Seven on Prospect. I heard it was good but expensive. Polly is very cheap, spending money is painful. I agree with everyone. Seven on Prospect both good AND pricey. I loved everything I tried. I had the shrimp bisque, an amazing pasta dish which was called Pasta Gregiore (well, something "Greg" anyway). I've never had chicken so tender or tasty. Remembering marsala sauce and mushrooms in that dish are making my mouth water as I write this. Moreover, the pasta was aldente and not mushy! My Significant Other (S.O.) was good and had fish, salmon something. It looked amazing, but I didn't want to use up any stomach space for responsible, healthful fish when I could fill up on the Gregsomething Pasta. S.O. paid and would not share the total with me. Classy. However, S.O. did say that it was significantly less than Bud's. I'm guessing our two entrees were about $15.00 a piece, the bisque was $7.00, I had a Diet Coke, and S.O. had beer. We were served warm bread with butter and an olive spread. We were way too full dessert. I'm guestimating the total was around $50.00. An entire week's worth of groceries costs me the same, but I will be back nonetheless.
A tasty steak dinner for two, I can easily prepare at home for around $25.00. I wouldn't know where to start in order to prepare seafood bisque or Gregorysomething Chicken Pasta at any price.
Dear Polly:
I heard through a friend that you recently ate at Bud's and were dissatisfied with the cost of your meal. I would like the opportunity to discuss this with you to find out what happened that evening. On just the information you wrote, I figure your bill should have been around $80.00.
Please call 676-6443 and leave me your phone number and a time it would be possible to call you.
Thanks,
Steve Shaw
Executive Vice President
Mercedes Restaurants, Inc.
Give the guy credit for customer service! I doubt there are many Executive Vice Presidents who would try to track down an allegedly unhappy customer in the bloggersphere! Mr. Shaw is referring to my January 9th post. I can't return your call and remain anonymous, Mr. Shaw, but I will republish my "review" of Bud's. Our bill may have been $80.00, but with tax and 20% tip we paid $90.00 (I checked the credit card statement) on the nose.
I wrote...
...A rather dull weekend. Just the way I like 'em. Slept in both days. Glorious. Never got around to doing laundry, cleaning my house, or disassembling the Christmas tree. Even better.
My Significant Other (S.O.) and I did get out last night. We had dinner at Bud's, coffee at Starbucks, and then saw Fun with Dick and Jane at the Rave. Dinner at Bud's was just okay. We had an appetizer of calamari, shared a porterhouse steak, and ordered a side of sauteed mushrooms. Our tab, with tax and tip came to $90.00. We had two beers as well, and our steak came with a house salad and some very good bread. Nonetheless, the decor, ambiance and quality of food doesn't come close to F. Scott's or some of the other numerous steakhouses in town. Some of them significantly less expensive. There was a decent crowd, but no where near what V.O.P.s used to draw in...
If it's any comfort Mr. Shaw, I didn't give high praise for the movie either.
There has been some chatter from readers about the new Mexican Restaurant on University, Vallarta's. (This blog attracts a lot of "Foodies" I tell you!) I ate there recently, quite tasty. Better than Jalapeno's or Fiesta Ranchero by far. Loved the shrimp burrito. If you want REAL Mexican cuisine you must venture to La Mexicana located on Jefferson and Mary. Not the best part of town, but not the worst either. Finally tried it after Bill Dennis wouldn't stop blogging about it. La Mexicana has AUTHENTIC Mexican food at dirt cheap prices. If they ever get wi-fi, I will probably live there. However, Vallarta's is more comfy and better for bigger groups. La Mexicana has about five tables.
After being pestered by co-workers for about a year, I finally ventured up to Seven on Prospect. I heard it was good but expensive. Polly is very cheap, spending money is painful. I agree with everyone. Seven on Prospect both good AND pricey. I loved everything I tried. I had the shrimp bisque, an amazing pasta dish which was called Pasta Gregiore (well, something "Greg" anyway). I've never had chicken so tender or tasty. Remembering marsala sauce and mushrooms in that dish are making my mouth water as I write this. Moreover, the pasta was aldente and not mushy! My Significant Other (S.O.) was good and had fish, salmon something. It looked amazing, but I didn't want to use up any stomach space for responsible, healthful fish when I could fill up on the Gregsomething Pasta. S.O. paid and would not share the total with me. Classy. However, S.O. did say that it was significantly less than Bud's. I'm guessing our two entrees were about $15.00 a piece, the bisque was $7.00, I had a Diet Coke, and S.O. had beer. We were served warm bread with butter and an olive spread. We were way too full dessert. I'm guestimating the total was around $50.00. An entire week's worth of groceries costs me the same, but I will be back nonetheless.
A tasty steak dinner for two, I can easily prepare at home for around $25.00. I wouldn't know where to start in order to prepare seafood bisque or Gregorysomething Chicken Pasta at any price.
Hey, Bill!
Heard you moved into a place down by the river. So, we want to know when and where is the house warming party?
As you can see, Scarlet got an arm wax and a new dress just for the occasion.
As you can see, Scarlet got an arm wax and a new dress just for the occasion.
I Miss Dave's Blog
I really, really, REALLY miss it in fact. I kind of considered myself a part of the Dahl Family. Uh, actually, that might freak them out a bit. What I mean is checking up on the Dahl's always cheered my day. It also reminded me to stop feeling sorry for myself and to stop wallowing in my petty problems. I can't think of a better example of grace, strength, and even happiness found while facing adversity than the Dahls. Despite having a young son struggling with Batten Disease, the Dahl Family boldly marches through life heaping unconditional love on their kids while swatting down any barrier to joy that dares to cross their path. Their kids Clifford and "One-eye" are adorable.
My pathetic understanding of Batten Disease: It is a rare but fatal disease that slowly dissolves brain tissue. To me, it sort of sounds like Alzhiemer's that strikes young kids. If you want a better, more scientific explanation, click here.
I don't know why Dave gave up his blog - heaven knows he has a lot on his plate. I just want him to know that he is missed. So, To: Dave, Corrina, Clifford and One Eye - I just want you to know that I say a prayer for your wonderful family every day. Hope all is well. Stay strong.
My pathetic understanding of Batten Disease: It is a rare but fatal disease that slowly dissolves brain tissue. To me, it sort of sounds like Alzhiemer's that strikes young kids. If you want a better, more scientific explanation, click here.
I don't know why Dave gave up his blog - heaven knows he has a lot on his plate. I just want him to know that he is missed. So, To: Dave, Corrina, Clifford and One Eye - I just want you to know that I say a prayer for your wonderful family every day. Hope all is well. Stay strong.
Historical Society Thinks Buildings are More Precious than Children
Old, abestos buildings housing Peoria's kids six hours a day must be saved at all costs. District 150 must be stopped from destroying 19th century schools ill equipped to serve 21st century children. I heard on news radio this morning that the Peoria Hysteria Society is attempting to have three schools declared historical. Such a declaration would block District 150 from demolishing dilapidated schools in order to build schools designed to better educate children.
Gosh, if the Hysterical Society finds these old schools so precious, why don't they make an offer to buy them? Don't have the funds? Well, why don't you raise the necessary funds to buy them? Oh, there aren't nearly enough people willing to donate their hard earned dollars to save these old schools? Guess what? THEN YOU ARE (OR SHOULD BE) SCREWED.
Don't get me wrong. I love old buildings. Give me brick. Give me hardwood. Crown moulding. Cornices. Trees. Love and need all of them. However, if giving up my charming older home was necessary in order to provide a better education for my offspring, I would give it up. Kids come first. At least kids should come first. I notice the three schools the Hysterical Society are trying to save are in the poorer areas of town. Huh. I wonder how many Hysterical Society members have children enrolled in those schools?
Schools are meant to serve and educate students not monuments. I don't care if Whitter School was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and he built it all by himself by hand (no, he didn't do either) if there isn't anyone out there willing to pay for the property, it has to go. It is more important to invest in the future than preserve the past.
Gosh, if the Hysterical Society finds these old schools so precious, why don't they make an offer to buy them? Don't have the funds? Well, why don't you raise the necessary funds to buy them? Oh, there aren't nearly enough people willing to donate their hard earned dollars to save these old schools? Guess what? THEN YOU ARE (OR SHOULD BE) SCREWED.
Don't get me wrong. I love old buildings. Give me brick. Give me hardwood. Crown moulding. Cornices. Trees. Love and need all of them. However, if giving up my charming older home was necessary in order to provide a better education for my offspring, I would give it up. Kids come first. At least kids should come first. I notice the three schools the Hysterical Society are trying to save are in the poorer areas of town. Huh. I wonder how many Hysterical Society members have children enrolled in those schools?
Schools are meant to serve and educate students not monuments. I don't care if Whitter School was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and he built it all by himself by hand (no, he didn't do either) if there isn't anyone out there willing to pay for the property, it has to go. It is more important to invest in the future than preserve the past.
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