Events

Cassie and I walked to Horner Park in search of a dog-friendly area. She has a lot of energy, even after this: Unfortunately, even though the Chicago Park District claims Horner Park has a dog-friendly area in its northwest corner, no such area exists. The city has begun constructing a new dog park on the southeast corner, but it hasn't opened yet. Now that we're home, and I've opened all the windows (a process Cassie found intensely interesting), she began a solo vocal composition in rondo form: we...

We released our spring concert last night. Check it out:

Between two hours of walks, a visit to the Empirical taproom, and playing with every dog in four neighborhoods, Cassie is tuckered out. I am also. I'll have video tomorrow morning. Right now she and I are on the couch watching Zak Snyder's Justice League, which so far has been worth every minute. As has the snoring puppy next to me.

Cassie has spent the last 15 minutes running back and forth in my house carrying this old stuffed duck: Yep. Part retriever. Update: 15 minutes later, I found stuffing all over the living room. This did not deter Cassie from her duck, though it was a bit limp.

With the likelihood that Cassie won't get into daycare for another four weeks, I decided a lunchtime trip to the nearest dog park might help. We encountered a bunch of dogs on the way to Challenger Park, but only one surly old Bichon Frise inside the park. Yet she did not seem disappointed: She also avoided the puddles and the mud, for which I am grateful.

Cassie has had an adventurous and full day: several rides in the car, visits to three—count them—three pet stores, and lots of walks. At our first pet shop of the day I picked up a cord to secure her while in the car, which did not stop her from winding up in the driver's seat when I got back from running into the grocery. Exhibit: And just look at that punim! She'll get another half-hour of walks today. I really would like her to learn how to heel, though. She wants to say hello to every dog in...

Welcome to stop #44 on the Brews and Choos project. Brewery: Emmett's Brewing Co., 110 N. Broadway St.Train line: Union Pacific Northwest, PalatineTime from Chicago: 56 minutes (Zone F)Distance from station: 100 m Another note about Metra, this one more positive than my rant about freight-train interference in Barrington. Metra formed out of the decaying husks of the region's passenger railroads over the course of two decades. In the past few months, as they've taken possession of new locomotives...

I seem to have a new addition to my family: The jumping-into-the-front-seat thing will not happen again, however. We're getting a car harness tomorrow. Updates as conditions warrant.

Well, if you're a climatologist, it's a calculated value based on a 30-year period, updated every 10 years. And the 19991-2020 climate normals for the US will come out this May. Meanwhile, the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) has released some teaser images: NOAA senior science writer Rebecca Lindsey explains: These images are a sneak peak at how the new normals for winter temperature (top) and precipitation (bottom) are different from the current normals, which cover 1981-2010....

I'm shaking my head at email service provider Postmark, who four weeks ago announced they would be phasing out support for TLS 1.0 (a network security protocol). I understood this when they announced it in February, 60 days ahead of their cutover to TLS 1.2, but didn't think it applied to anything of mine. This morning they sent a more focused email saying, "you're getting this email because we can see that this applies to you." Panic ensues. Why panic? Because almost everything I've developed in the...