from bussy to beesy

Well, my supervisor at Greyhound checked out the new location I found for the bus to stop, and he likes it a lot. Next week, a bus will test the ease of entrance and exit from the lot. This whole thing is happening quite quickly . . . 'twas less than a week ago the moving bug struck. That's how guys like me and Cole role. We decide to do something, then do it. Like today . . . I decided to get out of bed, and I did!

There are some hurdles, naturally. As things stand, the lease at 215 N. Washington St. runs thru May. If I move the operation to Main St. in January, then I'll be responsible for rent at two places, unless another money making business can be moved into that space, or I come up with something else myself (Ebay service? Tom "What's a Blog" Egert thinks it's a good idea. As the entrepreneur behind Tropicana vintage, the Longbranch Coffee Shop and WDBX, Tom would know. And Ebay could help him get rid of the piles of stuff he has in the back (front) room of Tropicana, the room with the Washington St. entrance. What HUGE PILE of stuff!. That room should be put to more productive use!

Currently, the Tropicana is being run by Jessica Bradshaw, who doubles as the Rosetta Book Store girl and Greyhound ticket agent three mornings per wk, plus as another job. Her mom, Paula, wife of Rich Whitney, the Green Party standard bearer, helps out at the book store. Paula is a pistol. More outspoken than Peter the Great. An atheist, environmentalist Joan of Arc. She gets to rant on things she cares about each morning on WDBX. She may be podcasting soon, so you can hear for yourself.

Paula's actually filling in the spot that Jerry Bradley used to do with Greg ____ . Jerry is the former Southern Illinoisan Flipside, and Big Muddy IMC and Carbondale Times editor, who's split the media scene, it seems. A mutual friend told me he's working at The Neighborhood Coop, but I haven't seen him when I've shopped there. Meanwhile, at the Times capable Steve Miller is back at the editor's job.

Carbondale Main Street also has a new face at the welcome desk, since Linda Parker departed a few weeks ago. It didn't make the news, like when her boss Roxanne Conley was replaced by Megan Cole, but Linda will be missed. She did a good job for several years. She's not dead, though; I saw her at Aldi on Friday.

So who is sitting at the desk these days? . . . None other than Barbara Eidlin, former vocalist for the now-defunct Majnun band --with a new Masters degree and more energy and purpose than a barrel of bees. Because she gets around, disseminating ideas, I call her "Bee." But she's also a "Steamroller, cement-mixing, demolition derby" kind of bee. Hear a specially compiled ten-second clip from one of her live performances with Majnun at the Great Guitars Gig in 2005. Ya think this girl can pitch an idea?

Sharing the old train depot building with Carbondale Main Street, the crew at the Chamber of Commerce is working hard on its next promotion. I'm trying to talk the staff into a softball game in vs. the SIU faculty.... A Town vs. Gown thing..... Fundraiser. The Executive Director said she'd think about. Meredith Rhoades enjoys her work . . . like the time, her first week on the job, when she agreed to take a spontaneous and whirlwind Tour of Town Square with me. Charley Greer at Urban2 was impressed, although he still does not belong to the organization. I bought some popcorn from a Carbondale CoC member for a fund raiser, and donated it to the office. I'm trying to encourage a popcorn and cider social Friday afternoon. Nothing formal, but casual. See, I need more material on the Chamber for my blook.