"Central America" - Mid-West and Great Lakes States
	Day 5:  Wednesday, October 9, 2002

Most of you will be pleased to know this will be short(er).  We did more driving than seeing today, and the boy is in a foul mood, and I would prefer to just go to sleep versus having to listen to him whine for the next several hours.  I'm sure you understand.

The day was off to a chilly start.  But at least the boy wasn't fully awake, so we were making very slow time initially (that is to day, below the speed limit -- eek!).  By the time the sun rose around 7:30am, though, he was back to his normal, alert, and whiny self.  So, we started things off in the cold, as noted.  The lowest temperature we recorded outside (while parked, so ignore any wind-chill possibilities) was 29.8°F.  At this temperature, even the small ponds here and there were warmer than the air, causing a rather neat effect above the water.  

By this time, we'd already crossed into Wisconsin, but there was no sign to be found.  We had to improvise later on, as seen here.

And that was that, for now.  We stopped at Wal-Mart in Rice Lake, WI to get the oil changed, and to wander around the store looking at, and invariably purchasing, junk we didn't need.  (At least it wasn't an unreasonable amount, the details aren't terribly important, but yes, there was a can of SPAM purchased.)  We also found, for the first time despite numerous trips to Wal-Mart lately, that October is Safety Month.  Oh, goodie.  After the hour of waiting, we were ready to hit the road once again.

We did not go near, or stop in, Phelps, Wisconsin.

Around 9:30am, we stumbled across Tilden, which shouts the slogan, "Tilden is Tradition". The sign announces it's sitting squarely between the North Pole and the Equator.  Yet, I can't find the town on a map, anywhere.  But if you've wondered, yes, they may have homes with corn in the front yard and back yard both.  Also seen here is their Catholic church and school, and an old brick building that, according to the signs, is the sports bar and nightclub.  (If it's not Tilden, please let me know... I can't read my duck-scratch handwriting, and I can't find it on any map, either printed or online...)

Between towns whose name escape me, we saw this sign... I giggled when I mentally added a "p" before the last word.

About 12:45pm, we pulled into Madison, Wisconsin, the state's capital.  All part of the quest to capture the pictures of state capitals on this trip.  From a distance, it seems like a simple enough task in Madison, I thought.  Once I got up close, though, the design of the building makes it unclear where the front of the place actually stands.  But is the entrance here, here, here, here, or somewhere else?  I gave up trying, and we left.

So, where ya from?  Oca... no, Oce... no... just go read it yourself.  Geez...

We got to Milwaukee around 2:30pm.  Free advice - if you're going to buy a car, consider the clear coat.  Prevents rusting out of your trunk and other car parts.  We puttered by the Miller Park.  I also really liked their traffic advisory signs.  But through a navigational error, we ended up on a seemingly-exitless expressway, and that was all we got to see.  Figures - the boy was driving.

Around 3:30pm, we jumped from Wisconsin to Illinois, marking at least the state where we're to sleep tonight.  In a failed effort to reach the water of Lake Michigan, we wandered around the city of Zion for a bit, but after passing a rather neat-o vehicle collision, we abandoned hope and sought the interstate toward eventually finding a place to park and spend the night.

Of course, that took us through Chicago, and a bit after 5pm, we got out first glimpse of the city's skyline.  And of the traffic.  Due to events too complex (or dull) to cite, we inevitably were going to have to get through Chicago at this hour.  It was, as you'd expect, not the best way to spend the afternoon.  I think it took us about 75 minutes to travel 10 miles, which I'm sure was contributing to the boy being all short-tempered with me.  (The rude twit, he.)  I'll forgive him.  Tomorrow.

Anyway, it took some doing, but we managed to pop into Aurora, Illinois just to say we've been there.  (Wayne's World, party time, excellent.)  But the sun had already disappeared and we had a ways to go (going, going, gone - mostly), so I suggested we forego the evening meal at Hooters, right next to the sign, and forge ahead to the stopping point for the evening.  The boy readily agreed, but I think that's all to do with some weird sort of post-adolescent Catholic guilt when he's in places like that.  Whatever... they tend to think I'm cute, and want to pick me up and hug me, and I have no guilt about that at all.

We got into Ottawa, Illinois for the night a bit before 8pm, and after checking in, found the foot situation was less than optimal.  There's a KFC, a Taco Bell (they do tend to occur in clusters, y'know), and some places where a sit-down event was in order.  Given his mood, I joked he should just get some pringles and Pepsi, and return to the room to sulk.  He did it.  Next time, I'm going to use my power of suggestion more to my own benefit.

Things since then have been a bit of a roller-coaster.  The boy's mood improved a bit ago (call it 9pm), but I suspect that's the Pepsi kicking in.  Something is, anyway.  On a sad note, the bloody phone line in the motel (Super 8, 500 E. Etna Road, Ottawa, IL) is disconnecting me every two minutes regardless of which service provider I try, leading me to conclude there's something screwy with the wiring or phone service here.  Thus, you'll see this a day late, on Thursday, 10 October.  Sorry.  But, I'm going to bed now, before the boy's mood swings from manic to depressive once again.  Ta!