mailbox massacre

I should be thankful.

We live on a small cul-de-sac in Champaign. Evidently, to plow cul-de-sacs requires a truck equipped with specific blades. So we are usually the last to get service when the snow falls.

The plow showed up at our house at about 4:45 a.m. on Thursday morning, waking up the baby, mommy and toddler. I was annoyed but relieved that I didn’t have to worry about getting stuck out there. But it wasn’t until I left the house later in the day that I noticed the collateral damage — our mailbox had been mangled.

The door  — hanging by a plastic thread. The post — a piece missing and leaning like the Tower of Pisa.

Well, I never liked that mailbox anyway.

I called the city of Champaign to report the damage, and it was immediately obvious that we’re far from alone (and after driving around my neighborhood, I could see why). The woman on the phone told me she would put us “on the list.” And someone might come out and assess it to see if it could be “temporarily fixed” so we can get mail delivered and then later, when the weather breaks, it could be “permanent.”

Incidentally, we did get mail yesterday. The mailman decided to take matters in his own hands and took the door off and put it on top of the box. I thought that was pretty funny; it must have been tough to do his job yesterday.

Call me crazy, but a permanent fix to me means a gift card to Menard’s to pick out a new mailbox. After all, you can never make a first impression twice.

money ball

I’m trying to wrap my brain around this one. On the same day that the Chancellor and President of the University of Illinois held a town hall meeting to discuss the dire state of its finances, we find out that basketball reserve Jeff Jordan — better known as Michael Jordan’s son — is now on athletic scholarship.

In my rational recovering sportswriter brain, I know that the athletic department budget is mostly self-funded mainly through ticket sales, media rights and fundraising. In my rational brain, I know that athletic scholarships are based on performance, not on need. In my rational brain, I know that one has nothing to do with the other.

Still, it is difficult to reconcile this one. While people might be losing their jobs, the son of one of the wealthiest former athletes on the planet is getting a free ride to the University of Illinois. Somehow, in the scheme of the universe, there seems to be something inherently wrong with that.

(Oh, and while we’re on the topic of Jeff Jordan, the latest MJ-buys-property-in-Champaign rumor I’ve heard is that he bought the entire top floor of M2, the newest building downtown that has yet to be completed. Somehow I don’t believe that.)

overheard

Mr. lbotp after reading the item in Deb Pressey’s Sunday business column (story not online) stating that the so-old-it’s-now-new Papa Del’s location in southwest Champaign will be open sometime in February:

“Does it say what year?”

Bet Pressey buried this item in her weekly business dish since this is about the 10th time we’ve heard that this business would be opening “soon.” And frankly, in this economic climate, I’m surprised the project is still going ahead at all.