Realm of the Wombat

Zephyr graduated from WHS in June, and Char and I know he’s going to soar like an eagle into the future!

To celebrate Independence Day, Mel and I went to a minor league baseball game and had a great time!

The Kane County Cougars had a helpful tip for what to do when the game was over!

In other news, I got a haircut (not pictured) that looks like Josie Packard from Twin Peaks!

I hope everyone is having a great summer!

Until I give a proper description of the events that recently transpired, here’s a sneak peak of my recent road trip through the south. See if you can name all of the states I visited…

Part of me really wants to call this number just to find out what this means.

You can thank Odie for this post. Apparently these signs are very common in SF, but I never saw one there.

Also, you have to love the “Generation A’s” decal in the window. Those were given out during the 2000 season, so we have a die-hard fan here.

This must be irony, right?

Here’s a first: the owner of an art car featured on this site found her car and left a comment about it! Emily is a potter in Chicago who writes a pottery blog. So if you need any pottery done in the Chicagoland area, she’s who I recommend.

I like the bandages where this car has been dinged up. A few more cars like this, and I might have to rethink my opinion of this city…

Jesus Car found at Clemson

Last week, I started a new incarnation of the Jere improvement plan. It involves riding my bike to work, a 17 mile trip from Lincoln Square to Hyde Park. I’m hoping to do this three times per week until the weather stops cooperating. It’s a pretty nice ride along Lake Shore, except for the wind in the morning. There are even outdoor showers at the 57th Street beach that I can jump under for a minute so I’m not so disgusting when I get to lab. Unlike some other improvement plans I know, this one’s got legs.

I received a sign that this was a good idea when I came picked up my first Chicago art car on my first ride. It’s no shark or tocalo, but for the midwest, I’ll take it.

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Surprise! Just when you thought there would be no more Berkeley cars at the ol’ Realm of the Wombat… I picked up this polka dotted Mercedes when I was in Berkeley trying to file my thesis. At least I was able to take this picture for myself.

Chicago’s answer to the devil’s crossing…

I told myself I’d go to the top of the Campanile when I finished my Ph.D. I got within a middle name of keeping that promise. Thankfully I didn’t jinx it by going up a little early.

North: Evans Hall (front right) and Engineering buildings, North Berkeley in distance

East: Chemistry complex (front left) and Memorial Stadium (rear right) in front of the hills

South: Hearst pool (center), Barrows Hall (right), high-rise dorms and Durant Hotel (left, center), Telegraph Ave (right) leads to downtown Oakland

West: Life Sciences (center), downtown Berkeley, SF Bay and the Golden Gate (rear)