'Twas the Day After Christmas

What's up, Bloggee? Vicissitudes of life got you down -- or UP? ... I stayed up late last night with a housemate who got dumped by betrayal. "The house is haunted now," he says.

Since the City is mandating more frequent housing inspection, each renter in the house is being asked to pay an extra $35 in January to cover costs. I'm all for improving housing safety, etc. Maybe the inspections can lead to reduced bad memories in houses. The city could add a paranormal exorcist to City Staff, replacing recently retired City Manager Jeff Doherty.

Meanwhile my own love life is looking up after a bad spell. With someone to go out with, I am more likely to be seen at places like Key West on Sunday night to hear and dance to Ivas John Band rocking the blues. Or the oddly-named, but breathtaking (especially if you have the cold that's goin around) Giant City State Park.

Yesterday, we walked out to the new apartment complex south of town, past Arnold's Market where Old 51 meets New 51. "Reserve" it's called. Snapped some photos, but they won't be included in the blook. No new material will be added after the last Mayoral election. Still need to finish a few chapters, but they will write themselves. (Maybe edit themselves, too?!)

Beginning to feel the old deadline pressure point in my right wrist, My friend The Beer Philos'pher kindly tweeted re: my long promised blook "Can such a project ever be completed?" he asks. ... 'Yes' is answer.

The publication date is Bike to Work Day... May 16, 2009.

With a new title (Karmadale After Blog) and cover design. Instead of the current ugly yellow and red, a collage of photos will wrap around front cover and back. (One of the highlights of the blook will the hundreds of photos of people, places and events around town over the past few years, through the last mayoral election, with updates. Plus video, like Mayor Cole singing "C is for Cookie" at Bike 2 Work Day with his bizarro doppleganger, and -- .)

Oh look, it's already the 27th.

Happy New Year, everyone.... See you on Twitter!

State of the Twitter speech

Last week I met with Carbondale Mayor Brad Cole, to talk about his upcoming "State of the City" speech to the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce hoping for a preview copy I could leak to the blogosphere, and BC came through, as he always does, handing me a printed draft of his speech-in-progress, which updates previous years' projects, and presents some new ones. I suggested that he simply say "Ladies and Gentlemen .... the State of the City is fine." - and walk off the dais -- and out of the room -- before returning to the luncheon room microphone with "Gotcha!" He laughed at the idea, but didn't think the crowd would appreciate it.

However, he did hand me a printed draft of his speech, with permission to quote it in this blog, an exclusive to the Carbondaley Dispatch: Mayor Cole goes on record that he "looks forward to many good days and years ahead" for us all.

To hear more, come to the Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Civic Center, noon, Tues. December 9. ... I'll be there, twitterin' the speech as it is being delivered, as I did last week, when I first got hold of the draft.