Lockwood restaurant at the Palmer House in Chicago, Illinois

Finally, my Internet Explorer is restored and I’m able to indulge in my penchant for Internet research again! As promised, I’ll be posting reviews of places in Chicago that we enjoyed during our five-day stay at the end of March.

First on our minds is always FOOD (closely followed by booze, of course). Both were excellent and upscale at the new Lockwood restaurant off the lobby of the Palmer House. The chef is Phillip Foss, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who has worked at such places as Le Cirque in New York and the Four Seasons Resort in Maui (I haven’t actually eaten in either of those places). We enjoyed the Lockwood’s contemporary décor, the excellent service and of course the food. Our first night we had the prix fixee menu, which was reasonably priced and started off with the best mushroom soup either of us have ever had. And be sure to try the Chicago-style lobster hot dog served at the bar. The full-breakfast buffet was included in our room cost (I’m not sure if we paid extra or if that was because Carl is a Hilton Honors member) and was splendid.

Fox Cities Book Festival

The Fox Cities Book Festival is being held in Appleton, Wisconsin, April 14 through April 19. For both readers and writers, the Festival celebrates the literary arts and “the pure joy of reading.” Some of the authors who will be at the Festival include Sherman Alexie, A. Manette Ansay, Simon Armitage, Elizabeth Berg, Samantha Chang, David Giffels, Phil Gulley, Michael Perry, and William Sleator. For more information, see http://www.focol.org/bookfest/

Recently Read: David Fontana’s The new secret language of dreams

I’ve recently added “dream interpretation” to my list of obsessions, primarily because of this book. Fontana has been around awhile in the world of symbols, dreams, tarot, and meditations. This book was published first in 1988. The text doesn’t furnish the usual “dream dictionary” content (heck, you can get that from various Internet sites!), but it does provide useful insights, as well as case studies. The edition I bought (shown in the image with this blog) includes the most delightful illustrations—a large part of what intrigued me about the book. Interestingly, the edition doesn’t provide any credits or information on the illustrations.

In observance of National Poetry Month, Poets & Writers magazine is posting a daily poem on its web site at http://www.pw.org/ Maybe my Internet Explorer will be working before the end of the month so I can read a few . . .

Having a bad computer month

After returning from Chicago with a dozen ideas and research sources for postings, my Internet Explorer software decided to take its own vacation, leaving me with no access to the Internet. I’m able to do a “work-around” by using Carl’s system, but I don’t want to boot him off for too long at a time. So I’ll be posting book reviews, changing the puzzle and updating the contests, and will put more variety in my postings as soon as I’m back operating at full speed!

Recently read: Arturo Perez-Reverte’s The Seville Communion

This is the first time I’ve read anything by this Spanish author. What a find! I’m already hot on the trail of more of his books. In this one, set in contemporary Seville, a Roman priest, Father Lorenzo Quart, who serves, as near as I can tell, as a sort of Special Agent or hatchet man for an archbishop, is sent to Spain to investigate a computer hacker’s allegations regarding some deaths in a disintegrating church that stands on some valuable land in the heart of the city. Quart finds a fading aristocratic family, an ambitious banker, an unusual nun, a priest with a church forgotten by time, and a number of shadowy characters who drift between the respectable world and the underworld. The English translation is incredibly vivid (so I assume the original Spanish is just as poetic). I checked out Perez-Reverte’s web site (http://www.perez-reverte.com/ ) and see he also writes historical works. I plan on getting more of his novels, both the contemporary ones and the historical ones.

Vacation’s over

Carl lounging at the Palmer House in Chicago

We’re back from a marvelous trip to Chicago, although hardly well rested. I feel like such a Country Mouse now—all plumb tuckered out from the crowds and noise and bustle at the heart of a metropolis! I’ll be posting some reviews of the magnificent restaurants, as well as the art exhibits, hotel, and travel suggestions over the next week or two. Now, to prepare for spring quarter at Globe University, which starts on Monday . . .