Slow Times

I finally got out from under the spell of illness yesterday, and my dad, sister and I all headed down to the (once) great city of Detroit to scope some scenes and check the lay of the land. There are still some active parts and definite signs of past glory, however much of the city was in poor shape. Houses falling apart here, boarded up buildings there, no real rhyme or reason to the madness, just things falling apart. My Uncle Al says it has taken only 60 years to turn the city on its head. Pretty amazing. On a brighter note, there were many people using the bus system. Even though it may be out of necessity, I bet more people use public transit here than in Calif.

What illness, you ask? A bad decision in the form of a chicken sandwich led to a brief bout of food poisoning. I guess its good I didn't have any obligations, but it was a rough couple of days. Every time I get sick on vacation I always remember that Calvin and Hobbes comic where Calvin does the same and demands vacation comp time. That cracks me up.

With all that free time, I barreled through a great book about depression-era travelling circus shows called Water for Elephants. The characters were good and the plot well developed, if a bit predictable, but the writing really painted a great picture of how life was on the show. I don't know what it is about the depression era that makes it so fascinating besides the fact that it happened long ago and times were different then. I guess that's exactly what makes it so fascinating. I love photography and pictures for the same reason. Every image taken now could be preserved for the better part of a century and looked back on with the same awe. From the buildings to the cars and even the styles, we document the signs of the times.

Anyway, its a good book and fast read even you aren't ill. Mooney gets in today. Can't wait to see her.