little blog on the prairie

Mr. lbotp and I are the proud owners of the official vehicle of Champaign-Urbana: the minivan.

Yes, over the weekend we took the plunge and purchased the eighth wonder of the world — our very own Japanese-designed, American-built sanctuary of family harmony.

I can’t be a soccer mom. My kid can’t even sit up yet on her own.

It’s dangerous to share a road with a Champaign City Council member. First it was Ken Pirok, who was arrested for driving under the influence last week. I really shouldn’t mention this in the same paragraph, but what the heck; I was practically run off of Prospect Avenue yesterday evening by an aggressive tailgator in a Toyota convertible. Hint: the initials MSD were on the license plate.

I am so happy for the Mitchell family of Lafayette, Ind., who were reunited with their dog over the weekend.

To recap: the family had been in an one-car accident near Paxton on August 3. The car flipped and hit some trees, resulting in some serious but not life-threatening injuries for the humans. But one of the victims was Abby, a golden retriever mix who got loose in the accident’s aftermath. For more than two weeks, Abby was missing, living somewhere in a woods outside of Paxton. The whole town was looking for her.

The Mitchells were lucky.

For those of you who often drive long distances with a dog in-tow, a canine car restraint is a must. Mr. lbotp’s family has made fun of me incessantly for the fact that I use a doggie seatbelt for KC, but next time I hear about it I will just mention this incident. There are many reasons to do so; the first and foremost is that in an accident, a loose dog becomes a projectile that can do as much harm as the crash itself.

Most of the pet stores in town sell dog seatbelts; but do your research. I bought mine online.

Unearthing great finds at garage sales has never been my forte. I’m more of a retail kind of gal, and that’s just the way it is. I don’t know, garage saling should be in my blood. It’s a family tradition, but somehow those genes just didn’t pass to me.

I realize my aversion to garage sales is all about attitude. So now I’ve coined my own personal term for the activity: treasure hunts. This new outlook can be completely attributed to mommyhood. I’m all over the baby stuff at garage sales. This is different, somehow. Especially when it comes to clothes; in the small sizes, the outfits are worn sparingly. And before they know how to crawl, walk or really get dirty, they’re often in good condition.

This week features one of the best “garage sales” in all of Champaign-Urbana. And it’s all about kids and babies. The fall/winter One Week Boutique, a sale of second-hand merchandise, starts Thursday on the Champaign County fairgrounds in Urbana. It’s all about matching those wanting to sell gently used clothing, toys, books, baby gear, etc. and those looking to get good deals. Some families do both! It also benefits the Crisis Nursery, as shoppers are asked to bring size 4 diapers, Similac Advance formula or new Playtex sippy cups as a donation.

Another great opportunity for treasure hunting also occurs later this week. The University YMCA annual Dump and Run sale starts Thursday ($2 admission) at the U of I Stock Pavilion. I’m thinking about heading over there for non-baby items (but I’ll skip the food. They’re selling food? Like food that people had in their cupboards from last spring? Ew.)

It’s that time of the month, my friends. Time to let it all out, and air your grievances for all the good little boys and girls of C-U to see. As usual, I’ll start first. I actually have two today.

To the City of Champaign Public Works department: We who live on cul-de-sacs should not be treated as second-class citizens. Repaving the street that leads into the cul-de-sac was nice of you. But please, finish the job. It looks ridiculous. I’ll even wave my rights to my driveway for a week or so. Otherwise, we’ll have to throw a little tea party in Lake Devonshire.

To Insight Cable: I don’t care if my neighbor wants high-speed Internet service. There is no way you are tearing up my yard for your customer. What gives you the right? That’s what DSL is for.

If you enjoy heading up Interstate 74 to Bloomington-Normal, here’s a story in today’s Pantagraph that describes some new restaurants and businesses near ISU. What caught my eye was the fact that Cosi, the sandwich chain/coffee shop known to some as Xando, will be opening in a new building there this fall (read to the end).

When I lived in Washington, D.C., many moons ago, Xando was a weekly destination to grab a latte and some s’mores in the middle of the urban jungle. Yes, you read that correctly. Yummy. Perhaps Cosi will get added to the list of chains that have opened first in B-N and then migrated to C-U, including Coldwater Creek, Cold Stone Creamery, Starbucks and Potbelly.

• Speaking of yummy, head over to Champaign Taste to get a virtual taste of Tout Sweet. I hope to get over there again sometime in the precious few days left before the students invade once again …
• Not counting St. Louis, Champaign-Urbana had the hottest housing market (single-family homes) in Illinois during the second quarter. Compared with last year, C-U housing prices were up 5.9 percent, according to the National Association of Realtors. Chicago was at 4.9 percent. Poor Danville’s real estate slide continues; it ranking last in the nation among metro areas canvassed.

Make them into lemonade. Four-year-old cancer patient Alex Scott took this message to heart, and decided to have a lemonade stand to raise money to help raise money for a cure for pediatric cancer. What started in this brave little girl’s front yard became a national cause, as lemonade stands popped up across the country to join the fight for children everywhere.

Alex Scott lost her battle with cancer two years ago this month; at the time of her death, she had raised close to a $1 million. But her legacy lives on and this coming Saturday, it will visit Urbana. A group of C-U kids will be hosting a lemonade stand at the Market on the Square, from 7 a.m. to noon. Be sure to visit their booth, and raise your glass to Alex Scott and all the other boys, girls and families touched by childhood cancer.

Home, sweet home: As if you don’t get enough of Champaign County everyday, head over the Illinois State Fair on Saturday for “Champaign County Day.” Say hello to the butter cow for me and try one of these.

You don’t bring me Frostys anymore: Boy, that was quick. They didn’t waste any time leveling the recently-shuttered Wendy’s on South Neil.

Check this out: In light of our recent discussions about organic grocers, check out this mini-flick Bro sent me.

You had to love: this letter to the editor in the N-G, which totally busted the people profiled in this N-G story about how the C-U housing market has slowed down. Hmmm.

I love this: internet headline from the Chicago Tribune: “7-11 runs out and buys 261-store White Hen Chain.” Anyone who grew up in Chicago has that jingle running through their head right now!

Steve and Barry’s grand opening was today, and Peanut and I had to make an appearance. We didn’t make it make it to the ribbon-cutting, if there was one. You know, my great-aunt (bless her heart) used to cry at those things …

The first thing you notice is how big the place is. I mean, it’s huge. HUGE!! That’s where they need to put the much-ridiculed Champaign tram. There’s plenty of room to walk around in. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the Marketplace Mall walkers took up residence there. Flat-screen tvs are all over the place, playing music videos and the like.

The next thing you notice are the prices. Cheap, cheap, and cheaper. I had visions of women in third-world countries sewing up my $7.98 blazer. (In fact, it was made in Sri Lanka. Kenya was another popular label). The clothes were labeled to be for “women”, but the demographic they’re going for is more like “almost women” — 14 to 22, perhaps.

The other thing I noticed was that they don’t know their market. I know part of the Steve and Barry shtick is to have licensed merchandise from a variety of universities. Still, you would think the dominant name floating through store would be — gee, let’s see — Illinois. But it appeared to me that instead they were riding on Michigan — and no, these weren’t “Ann Arbor is a whore” — as a sales leader. I know that is often the case in much of the country, but c’mon. It doesn’t take a genious to figure out that folks ’round here aren’t exactly oozing with Wolverines enthusiasm. And yet another thing: the Illinois stuff they did have, for the most part, did not have a shred of orange on it. Odd. And tell me … who around here is really going to buy a UAlbany (SUNY Albany) sweatshirt?

All in all, it was an entertaining 20 minutes. They had some really funny shirts, but I was about to go bananas when I couldn’t find anything with my alma mater on it. (Eventually I found a sweatshirt.) I couldn’t believe what they were selling for $7.98. Shoes! Belts! Jackets! Jeans! Hats! Sweatshirts! and so on. It’s sort of Old Navyish; that’s the closest thing I can come up with.

Postcript: I picked out a blouse and two blazers to purchase, but didn’t try them on until we got home. They fit through the shoulders but that’s about it. Guess we’ll be making another trip back to Steve and Barry’s real soon.

In my first and final attempt at a Jerry Seinfeld impersonation …

What’s the deal with all these Campustown places opening satellite operations elsewhere in town?

First it was Za’s, which smartly franchised another operation on West Springfield Ave. The original place is packed even on a Sunday night in the summer.

Then there was Espresso Royale, the coffehouse chain expanding operations first to a Neil Street operation and later to a Southwest Champaign retail center … where Papa Del’s will be opening another pizza paradise sometime in the fall; the opening date has been pushed back several times.

Now there is Gameday Spirit, the rah-rah hub for orange and blue rags and trinkets, which will open an “outlet” store on West Springfield this week … down the street from where Junior’s, a Campustown burger-and-fries joint, plans to join forces with Cozy’s Custard.

See the pattern?

In old business:
– Here’s what I know about the deli: the Greek proprietor has been sniffing around the Jewish community for months, asking people for recipes, etc. The location is on Main Street in Urbana, either next to or a couple doors down from The Office.
– Kudos to Lisa of Champaign Taste, for her scoop on Sun Singer. Lisa says the wine shop/deli/wine bar will be opening a full service restaurant in the near future. Good news for my tummy, too.
– Thanks to everyone who participated in Amy’s C-U challenge.