As happy as I am that the governor of Illinois is finally getting his comeuppance, I hope that this is just one more stepping stone to taking down the dynasty of Chicago and upstate politics known as the Daley family which has worked every which way to screw over downstate Illinois.

Go downstate!

We had a fixture in our bathtub break off. It is the fixture that controls the plug to make the tub drain or retain water. It was beyond our ability to repair, sadly. After a couple of months of a do-it-yourself fix using a wire coat hanger (hat tip to Drew on that one), we finally called a plumber.

We got charged a lot of money for the plumber to put two holes in our wall. Whatever homeowner put the plumbing in must have been awfully optimistic that there would never be a plumbing problem, because they didn't put in an access door to the plumbing. I guess they won, because we're the ones stuck with the problem.

Apparently, putting holes in the wall was a hit or miss kind of thing because here's hole #1 leading to nothing:


And here's hole #2 which led to what he needed:


And here's the two fixtures that he replaced in the bathtub I now need to clean:


Apparently the large sum he charged us didn't include putting a door on or replacing the plaster or tidying up a bit in the bathroom. So, we'll be doing those fun little projects ourselves.

Any of you fellow homeowners receive the new assessed value of your home? Any of you have experience in challenging increases in your assessment before? Any assistance would be appreciated.

I have the basic forms and information on how to do it. But I'm looking to see how others have approached their argument for a decrease in the assessment. So far, I'm not sure we have grounds to challenge it on the basis of current real estate prices. Maybe I can only challenge it on the basis that the house needs a lot of updating. We have an outdated electrical system, a roof in need or repair, etc....

I just can't believe that our house would increase in value by $15,000 in 20 months, a little less than two years.

I enjoyed my drive to Illinois.

I spent time over beer with my good high school friends.

I've had my Steak n Shake fix.

I'm gonna go to Avantis to grab some food for the drive home.

I had fun with my family, but I also endured my family.

And now I'm ready to go home to Buffalo.

We're driving to Illinois for Thanksgiving.

This afternoon we're driving to Indianapolis and tomorrow morning we'll be up at the crack of dawn to finish the trip to Illinois.

Flying to my hometown would be more convenient and take less time, but more expense and less fun.

We'll be driving out of western New York and into the hills of Ohio. Then come the flat farmlands of Indiana and that's my first signal that we're almost home. The vast farmland stretching out as far as I can see is warm and comfortable. At this point, I put down my book I'm reading and I just watch the landscape and wide open sky go by.

In Indiana, we stop at the Amish cheese store. A little shack. With its own exit off the interstate. Every cheese imaginable. All made by the Amish. Incredibly good. We buy all the favorite cheeses for ourselves and my family.

We cross the state and eventually come to the Indiana Visitor Center at the Indiana-Illinois border. I feel nostalgic and happy when we cross the state line. We'll drive by small towns where I traveled for track meets and basketball games and marching band competitions. A nice way to spend a childhood.

We'll spend a few days in my childhood home. It feels comfortable, but new at the same time. After my time there, I'll remember why I needed to leave it behind. But I'm happy that it's a warm place to return.