Manly tears of joy

Aidan (my almost 3-year old son) and I have a typical Dad/Son relationship....as if we were 54 and 13 respectively.

There are times, even at this young age (his not mine), that we butt heads, HARD.  Neither of us will give in until Mommy steps in and calls a truce.  Sure, we both say "sorry" later and leave things on a high note, but we're already in this pattern that we have to break at some point soon.  Maybe it's the Italian blood (my 50% and his 25%) but I doubt it.

And then there's a day like today.

He made a special effort (after being a holy terror/meltdown mode to both Mommy and Daddy last night) to come up to me this morning and say good morning and give me a hug.  Sure he proceeded to run right back to Mommy for the rest of the morning routine but there's this maturity level in him, scarily, that he's recognizing that he was not good and he wants to make up for it.

But that was only the start of it.  By a stroke of luck, I called Mary Kay and told her that I was leaving work and that, instead of her running to get him from school, that I'd do it.  She was buried in work and it was going to be a help to her as well so it worked out for both of us.

I got to school and he ran to me full speed (I fear every time that he's going to trip and face-plant on the tile even though he doesn't).  He was super excited to tell me that he took his nap today (this, after two days of NOT doing so, thus the meltdown last night) AND that he listened to his teachers.

Quick side-note:  As his birthday is Saturday, he's going through a transition at school as he 'graduates' from the 2½-3 year old class to the much larger 3-4 year old class.  Transitions usually run pretty smoothly but he's going from a class size of 8 to a class size of 16-20 and he's actually sort of a shy kid, but as an only child he loves to compete for the attention because he gets so much at home.  So he spends ½ a day in his current room and ½ a day in the new room for 1-2 weeks and then makes the final move.  These changes do mess with his discipline to take his naps and listen to his teachers, so the daily reminders each morning are very important for him to prove to us when we pick him up.  He actually looked at his new teacher (Miss Kristy) and asked her to confirm that he did, in fact, listen to her today.

So then we went over to his cubby hole to get his coat, hat, gloves, and his daily report (tells us what he ate, what he learned, when he napped and did his bathroom duties) and he reached right in and grabbed out a drawing he did today.  He gave it to me and proudly proclaimed "It's for you daddy!"

I was sort of surprised because he's never really drawn anything for me specifically, it's usually been for Mommy or his Nana or Grandma.  So I asked him almost incredulously "Are you sure it's for me?".

His response had a tone that almost sounded like he was offended by my doubt "Yeah, for you, it's a doggy."

Well I'll be damned, it DID look like a doggy.

I was sort of dumbfounded.  But I gave him a big hug and said thank you.

Later on, as he was getting ready to head upstairs for bed (we alternate nights and tonight was Mommy's turn) I thanked him again for the picture of the doggy and asked him if it was okay if I brought it into work to put up on my desk (he's been to my office a couple times and loves seeing all the pictures of him and all the cars I have on my desk)

"Sure Daddy" and everything in the world seemed to be perfect.

One Last NYC bit

So after a day full of meetings on Tuesday a few of us headed out for a quick drink right by our offices.

The first place we tried to go to was called Live Bait, which, for many reasons rung a bell in this feeble old mind of mine but I couldn't place where.  It's right on the south end of Madison Square Park and looking like it belonged on a pier in the ocean somewhere in Florida.

Very fitting that there's Coca-Cola logos on the sign by the way, but I digress.

It was literally heaving with people/youngsters/hipsters.  It's part BBQ and part Raw Bar which would have been fun but alas, the three of us 40-somethings decided to go somewhere we could sit and talk and we went around the block to a place called Almond's which was very nice, but that's not important right now.

It bugged me as to why LiVE bAit stuck in my head and so the minute I got back to my hotel room (which was the one that cost $492.10 per night before taxes thanks to the U.N. being in session....damn diplomats) I cranked up the Internets and started Googling my backside off.

Found loads of reviews, fan pages, etc., but it was on about page 4 of the Google Search that I found it.  Like the scene in cartoons where the skies part, the heavenly angels music plays and the lights shines down upon you there it was.

Yes, just upstairs from this jumpin' joint was where, in late 1972, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss had auditions for a lead guitarist for their band Wicked Lester which of course went on to become "You wanted the best, You GOT the best, KISS".  This is where Ace Frehley showed up and three weeks later, was in the band.

Love this and had to take a picture.

Back in the New York Groove

Empire State Bldg viewed from Madison Square Park

Well, it's NOT been "many years since I was here" since I was here in February, but definitely "to the left and to the right, buildings towering to the sky". (ht to KISS)

I'm in NYC on business and before I came my curiosity was piqued on why my hotel room was $500 a night.  I even updated my FB status on the day I booked expressing my outrage but I knew when I booked that hotel rooms were very limited.  Until I landed here, I had no reason why even joking that since I was a week late for Fashion Week (cuz I gots no sense in dose matters) it surely had nothing to do with that.

Ahhh, the UN is in session!!  Yep, international diplomats with their Cadillac Escalades, NYPD escorts and loaded with knowledge that if they kill someone, they can leave our country without spending a minute in prison.  This morning I awake to find out that President Obama will be coming into town tonight both for a UN session and for a fundraiser.  So add to the Escalades, a few more fully-leaded limousines and a whole bunch of guys with their hands to their ears.

This IS what makes NYC the center of democracy and business!!

Last night while I was walking home from dinner with some of my co-workers I looked up between some buildings and saw that it was a full moon as well.  Perfect.  In spite of the wackiness going on in the city over near 44th and 1st things seem normal.

There are two really beautiful churches around the corner of 5th and 29th and I've walked by them for two consecutive nights, stopping to really take them in.  I'm not a very religious person anymore but I do believe in some higher spirit and power.

First is Marble Collegiate Reformed Church, which is where Norman Vincent Peale was a minister for a very long time.  In fact 29th there is called the Honorary Norman Vincent Peale Way.  You're immediately struck by the very well lit stained glass above the main entrance and how bright it shines at night.  It's intentional but it sure does make you stop, especially when it's butted up against a huge building right next door.  Also, last night I finally went right up to the wrought-iron fence and looked at the yellow ribbons that were tied on.  They commemorate all American victims of the Iraq War, which did give a moment of chill to the spine.  Thanks to Google and Wikipedia I've learned that both Liza Minelli and Lucille Ball were married there (in one of their many marriages between them).  Here's a nice shot of it thanks to Google Images.

The second church is literally right around the corner on 29th (b/w 5th and Madison) and is the Church of the Transfiguration, aka Little Church Around the Corner paying homage to the fact that, well, there's the one above which probably gets more visitors and famous people.  It's quaint and set back off the street almost as if there's a small garden in front of it. I would imagine back in the mid 1800's, it fit right in, but now with all the massive steel and cement, it's like this little refuge of peace.  Looks like it took favor with actors and artists back then too as other churches refused to allow them in.  Heck, if Jack McCoy from TV's Law & Order can get married there in real life, then it's gotta be a nice place too.  However, thanks to the Internets, I have now found out why its very garden-like.  There is a small burial ground on site which has about 60 people there, a fair amount of them actors/artists.  As recently as 2006 someone was entombed.  Okay here's a few pix (again not taken by me as it's nighttime when I'm walking by and cellphones only do a fair job.

So that's about it for now from NYC.  I really wanted to go to a restaurant called Hill Country because it looks like they literally move up here from Austin, Texas to do 'que right but I was over-ruled.  So much for my pull between my co-workers.  I bet if any of my Austin friends where here, it would have been a full-on fight to go there and see if they've captured the true Texas Hill Country flavor.  They have live music from Tue-Sat so they got that part right!!  There's always next time!

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Although the sign outside of Right Field doesn't get changed until the last day of the season, and frankly who knows if it will still be there next year as I heard the rooftop company who runs it is in bankruptcy, I will formally change the Anno Catuli on my blog to the next set of numbers since as of late Monday night with the Cincinnati win (ugh Dusty), the Cubs were eliminated from post season play.

Props to my buddy over at Aisle 424 who summed up the reaction to things around the ballpark by the fanbase this way.  Yep it seems we've cared more about a Toyota sign, moving the Harry Caray statue to outside the bleachers to make way for the Billy Williams statue which appropriately is in right, and a promotional noodle.  But this happens when, even before the year started, we knew the product on the field was going to be lacking.

I'm FREQUENTLY accused of being the "angry fan" but it's not anger people, it's reality.  Most of my close friends know that even at the height of the most recent Bears/Packers venom years (80's) I was realistic enough to know when we didn't have a team and humble enough to appreciate the years where we did.  ..and yeah, you friends of mine on the South Side know the same as well.

I know the Ricketts are solid "fans" and successful "businessmen" but putting the marriage of those two terms together is an extremely difficult challenge no matter how much money you have and how brilliant everyone thinks you are.

I think their lack of immediate baseball "corporate" knowledge has them clinging on to the Jim Hendry's of the world and unfortunately it's something the fanbase will have to tolerate for another year or so.

I just hope they don't drink the Kool-Aid so much so that they rely heavily on every single person around them right now.  Most of them are clinging on for dear life for their jobs.  They will 'yes' their way to the Ricketts on every decision and try to sell them their own version of what the future looks like.

If they are the shrewd business people they are, they WILL see through this and not sign anyone either in the corporation or on the field to very long term contracts right now INCLUDING the new Manager.  They need the flexibility to move quickly and not be hampered by tied up financials (which is exactly what they've inherited).  Time will tell, but I will keep the faith in them.

It's no secret I really wanted Mark Cuban to own the team and with that you get the fiery owner with all of its carnival show but he still hasn't delivered a championship in Dallas yet although he's been awfully close.  But fiery owners get shut down by the majority of others and find trouble in league matters.  Ditka (not an owners but fiery) found this out in New Orleans and over time Steinbrenner changed up his tactics to bring the Yankees back to success.

But if this is a eulogy of sorts on the 2010 season, I can't stand up there and say how bright and talented it was or how we will miss it so much it'll hurt our hearts or how it can never be replaced.  It stunk, I hated it and I'll be glad in 20-something days when its finally over.  Bury it, put it on a wood raft, set it on fire and send it out into the ocean.

"Year Two" already started (bet you forgot that 2010 was a new "Year One") when Lou stepped down.  We need positive action and momentum and we'll all be watching.

We have some form of football (ugh) and an almost entirely new Blackhawks team to look forward to.

International Travel & Food Adventures, Part II

Well, unfortunately my last evening in the UK had me going down the burger route again.  The problem with staying at a hotel literally inside of Heathrow is that there's no where to go without spending a fortune on taxi fare, so alas, we ate here in the Sheraton Hotel.

I'm assuming that the custom-made burger craze (here), (here) and (here) is starting to gather some steam outside of the US, however the execution of that fails miserably amongst the business traveler hotels.

1. I didn't get any choices, the "create your own" was already done on the menu and there were about three options in total.
2. This concept fails when you have chuk-chuk the caveman burning the burger, the base of the creation, to it's miserable death back in the kitchen

That said it had the makings of a good idea especially if you are on the Atkins diet.  Burger, topped with a chicken breast, topped with bacon (English bacon, so basically Canadian Bacon), topped with cheese all on one of those Bap buns (see yesterday's post or click on link).  I took it upon myself to top it off with some brown sauce.

Sadly the burger was dense and medium well/dry as hell.  Everything on top of it was stellar.  How I was yearning for a Lamb Kofta burger again!

So anyway, I catch the shuttle bus into the Heathrow Terminal in three and a half hours and then it's breakfast inside the airport.  I have high hopes for that and will report back later.

International Travel & Food Adventures

Although I'm in the midst of a 4-week travel hell tour of the world (only being outdone by friend Tom Paul who will earn airline status in a period of 4 weeks!!) the one thing I always love about traveling internationally is the chance to experience "new foods" or rather foods that I normally wouldn't see on an American menu and that tickle my fancy.

The last two nights have seen some fun choices which I'm happy to share with you.

Last night I had a starter called "Duck Pancakes".  I threw caution to the wind and didn't even ask what they were.  One could envision big American style pancakes with duck embedded but what arrived was really a 'build your own' taco/wrap with pulled duck breast meat, small pastry type 'shells' and a wonderful Hoisin sauce to dip them in.  The only knock was that the wrap was too doughy and broke up too easily once stuffed with the ducky goodness and dipped into the sauce.  All in all though, a really nice surprise and a good contrast to the typical Fish & Chips and mushy peas that I ordered.

Tonight, I tried a Lamb Kofta burger which was the bomb!!  It was a great re-purposing of what traditionally is a kabob.  The seasonings were done just right.  Normally a kofta has things like garlic, ginger and cardamom but I think I tasted some clove in there as well.  One of the drawbacks of it was that the bun was a really dense Bap bread.

Stupid me now has a phone that can take pictures but did I take one (of EITHER food)??  No, so here are two images, one of a Bap bun and one of Lamb Kofta.  You do the photoshopping in your head okay?

The frustrating thing about this is that when I get back stateside I end up having a craving for something like this and can't find it worth a lick.  This happened in 2004 when I had pleasure of eating a combination of two of my most favorite foods, Indian and Italian with a Chicken Tikka Pizza in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Call it a desperate cry for decent food when the local fare isn't that hot, but I've been talking about that pizza ever since!!

Can't wait to see what my final night brings for dinner!  Tomorrow I'm heading back to London as my flight home is ridiculously early in the morning on Friday.  London opens up many doors, unfortunately, I'm housed right next to Heathrow and so that'll limit anything of true quality, maybe...

What a week!!

This was an incredibly tough week at work.  So much so that I'm not even going to talk about it ;-p

I also was battling a sinus infection which was killer.  Thanks to Doc Mercado (he's from Bolivia and is a great MD), I got some instant meds which took about 24 hours to kick in and I'm almost back to normal.

That was key for the week though as I'm traveling for the next four weeks solid for work.  I've been told that flying with a sinus infection is one of the most dangerous things out there and that wouldn't have been fun.

Last Sunday we stopped for lunch at the re-born Tastee-Freez on Rte 31 in North Aurora.  When I first moved out here in '98, it was on its last legs and ended up closing that summer.  Since then it's had several attempts at quick drive-in food but mostly has been a closed, vacant building over the last 12 years.

Yummy-tummy as Aidan says.  They have expanded their flavors of soft-serve and the types of treats you can get.  Aidan had a small strawberry/vanilla twist in a cup, MK had strawberry, chocolate dipped and I had their version of the DQ Blizzard called a Freezee with Reese's Pieces.

I'm glad they are back.  It adds some more character to that entrance to our fine Village.  There's a lot of "scary" looking buildings over there but a healthy TIF district combined with some new businesses and a brand new Police Station set to open in September are good positive signs in a crappy economy that there's hope.

So the next four weeks see me in the lovely destinations of Atlanta, Warwick (England), back to Atlanta and then off to New York City.  Between the first two is a quick Labor Day weekend at my in-laws cottage in Michigan where I hope we have great weather.  There's also a looming trip to Fairfield, CT (yes, get excited all my FFD peeps, it's been TOO LONG since I've been there) either in the FIFTH week or the week after but that won't be confirmed for awhile.

I'm going to try to enjoy my weekend, but I'm also very conscious that I'm going to be away from my adorable son too too much over the next four weeks.  Makes all the days I'm with him that much more special.

Louuuuuuuu! It continues to be a Way of Life

It was only fitting on Sunday that I got news that Lou was going to manage his last game for the Cubs while in the bathroom, taking care of business, sitting down.

It was interesting to see how quickly Shite Sox fans started posting that "the Cubs were so bad, even their manager doesn't want to stay" without realizing that in fact, his Mom continues to be ill and isn't getting any better.  Yep, that's right, continue to deflect the crumbling of your own hopes back to the North Side hoping people will just continue to ignore what's happening with the Mouth on the Southside, Ozzie.

I know everyone is always quick to crucify the manager of a club when they don't perform, and definitely there were times where Lou made bad decisions, but if the problem isn't any bigger than the old Torco sign to spot, the organization failed him.

I do truly believe he was the right man for the right job.  But when he was saddled with having to play high-paid failures like Soriano, Bradley and Fukudome as well as the pressure to validate the "farm system" by having, (who my fave Cub Blogger Aisle 424 calls something similar to the midget circus of gnomes up the middle) Theriot and Fontenot TOOTBLAN their way through games, then it's obvious he was continually asked to make soufflé out of sawdust.

Warning! Rare compliment towards the NY Yankees forthcoming!

It says a lot about an organization that year after year they can produce high-quality individuals when it comes to running/managing ballclubs.  I'm sure everyone can point to horrible examples from the Bronx Bombers, but there is a culture built around winning and not accepting mediocrity and that does transcend downward to the managers and players (who might eventually become managers).  Every time Lou Pinella took the reigns of another club, it was likely related to the fact that he played, coached and was GM for a winner.  After the Yankees, he took that success to Cincinnati and Seattle and then found out what it was like to try to manage a team that had no clue how to win in Tampa Bay.  I really do think he saw the ability of ownership with deep pockets and a somewhat loose plan on how to build a winner with the Cubs.  Hell, we did and that wasn't just by drinking the Kool-Aid.

The sadness here is that the Cubs have continued to look at the Yankees and say "Hey, they spend well above the salary caps and look at them!" but there has to be multiple layers of support beneath that for it to happen which includes quality talent evaluation, not being wimpy during Free Agent contact talks and strength 'down on the farm'.  The Cubs seriously have done a relatively good job of the 3rd item, but the first two continue to bite them in the backside and when they are combined (Fuku/Bradley/Kevin Gregg) they are left with poor performers with monster contracts who they can't move OR when they move them, they have to still pay the salary.

Cub 'nation' is saddled with the 2nd highest payroll in MLB along with the 2nd highest ticket prices and we still have as many World Series trophies as we did in the 50's!! 

This does keep coming back to Jim Hendry.  Sure he was the GM during the 2003 year, but he had only been in the position for less than a year and it wasn't totally his doing.  Yes, he worked in the organization since '95, but he was successful at the talent evaluation from colleges/high schools and had built a decent farm system which still exists today.  No one is convinced STILL that he has the right talent to be a GM and make the big calls.  The Ricketts' bold statements that he's still the man and will lead the search for a new Manager and will stay as GM makes every Cub fan nervous that the new owners are over their heads here and instead of understanding baseball, they are drooling at the revenue glut that is the Cubs and Wrigley Field, even if they went deep into debt to buy them.

We've yet to see a move by the Ricketts that shakes us to our core and says "Hey, here's some people fed up with these losing ways and are demanding excellence".  It's just more of the same, very similar to the McCaskey's with the Bears or the days of Dollar Bill Wirt$ with the Hawks.  See, the Ricketts have had to follow the comeuppance of Rocky Wirtz, someone who felt the pain of the fans (even as his own Father inflicted it upon us) and so the people of Chicago are watching.

Sadly, Lou was beaten down by the system and that combined with family matters has had him quite abruptly leave the organization.  For a man who has lived baseball and excelled, this is bittersweet, I'm sure.  Thanks to the guys on the field yesterday for totally hacking that up by the way.  At least Lou could make 5 or 6 trips to the mound to get standing o's.  Nice way to send him off boys.

Everyone's gettin' paid but US!!

So I thought it a little odd that I got an email from ComEd the other day.  Sure, they have my email address as a customer but frankly they don't send out much email.

Imagine my shock when I read it and they were actually offering up help!!

Hey, that's mighty white of them especially at a time in our economy when most people haven't had a raise in two years and HELL a lot of people don't even have jobs.  I mean, some big corporation (Exelon) who has made profit over the last two years, looking to help us little folks out to ensure that instead of having to eat gruel, we can spend a little more to get those Fruit Loops we've wanted (well, new ones that weren't part of the recall, right?)

Here's a screenshot of their offer (click on it to make bigger):

The ComEd worker looks like a proctologist just waiting to ram that thing up your backside, eh?

Yep, we're seeing higher bills due to higher electricity usage to keep our homes cool.

Wait. What?  We're also seeing higher bills thanks to an increase in rates back in July, right?

So on top of their nifty stat that customers are using 12% more electricity than last year due to the massive heat waves, we're doing so at an 11% increase in rate.  To top that off, back at the end of June they also asked for an increase for 2011 of 7%

As my Junior High Spanish Teacher, Miss Asa used to say "Awww pobrecito".  You're being so generous to us while having your way...

Yeah, thanks, but no thanks

{click, delete, delete forever}

The Encore, why the delay?

Okay, so I've pretty much been out of the "concert circuit" for some time now.  Maybe only attending one show a year.

Last year it was AC/DC, this it's Jimmy Buffett last Saturday night.

I'm struggling with the ego stroke that is saying goodnight, walking off the stage and then coming back on for an encore after letting all the drunks/crazies yell and clap and bang the seats to a deafening roar.

Yes I know this is more or less tradition but it's always hilarious to hear some sudsed-up knuckle head say "Do you think they are going to come back out?"

• Yes, they are coming back out, the house lights aren't up yet or haven't you noticed
• If people cheer or don't, they probably are STILL coming back out, although I've heard several tales from the Stone Temple Pilots where they couldn't come back on because of Weiland's bad drug problems and I personally saw Greg Kihn say "f*ck it" when a crowd of 100 just wouldn't stroke his ego.  Well, he had played "Jeopardy" about 3 times during his set, so his material was thin and what the hell could he have played as an encore anyway?
• It's also long been used so that they can wipe down and dry off, but do you really need to for 2 or 3 more songs that you're going to play?

I think it's funny that no matter how famous they are, their egos are just as fragile as when they were little kids learning how to play and they need the affirmation even if they've been playing for 20+ years on stage.

I don't expect anyone to change this but I just find it puzzling on why some people go batsh*t cheering on their faves *hoping* they are going to come out when, if they are true fans, they know the "key songs" that haven't been played during the night.

I've stopped any/all wild, celebratory demonstration of emotion since the thousands around me will continue and cover me.  I guess my few years working in the music business (1990-1992) have just jaded me and it's only JUST catching up with me 18 years later.

Maybe the next time I'm presenting to a client, when I have 2 slides left, I'll say "thanks, goodnight, wave and blow kisses" and walk out of the room only to come back and finish with a bang.  yeah, no.

signed,
bitter old rocker outside of Chicago

Holy Crap where have _I_ been??

Wow, four whole months since I've posted.  So what have I been up to?

Well, as part of my new position at work I've been around the world and back, but only via telephone.  (If I would have had to fly everywhere it would have taken 5 months to get done what I did in 2).  For one of our largest global clients I've been taking a look at how we can better perform operationally.

It's been one of the most enlightening experiences of my life.  I've learned so much and probably have the most unique view of where our strengths and vulnerabilities lie across the portfolio of work.

I've conducted over 50+ personal interviews with end clients, client servicing folks and my fellow peeps in operations around the globe.  It's meant calls at 7:00am and 8:00pm in order to accommodate the global time clock and it's meant asking some tough questions about when we've had some major screw-ups.  But it's also meant celebrating our successes and learning from what we do best.

The hard work begins NOW though as we develop a strategic plan for this global work that'll cover the next three to five years.  It also means a lot of high-level presentations of the findings and workshopping of potential solutions.

I'm pretty clear on what the final solutions need to have as key attributes, but it's going to be interesting to see how we can work around some of the totem poles/third rails that exist.  It's critical for us to bring a new view to how we engage with clients and how we manage the work they entrust to us.

I'm super excited about this and will probably be pretty cranky right through to October when we present the final report to the client.

Other than work, I've just really been enjoying watching our little man grow into a little boy.  At 2 years, 8 months he's got some real attitude and moxy.  He knows how to play you to get what he wants and he's the ultimate up-seller.  If you tell him he gets to choose 2 books, he immediately says "three", if you tell him he can have a small package of raisins, he wants two.  Yeah, this kids is gonna be killer in negotiations.  His major attitude though gets him into trouble and he's as pig-headed as his Daddy at times and that's not necessarily a good thing.

I've rarely gotten to any Cubs games this year.  Not too broken up about that, figured that this was going to be a throw-away transition year for the new management and clearly knew that since they were saddled with paying massive salaries for a bunch of turds, we'd be lucky to end up at .500.

So that's what I've been doing with my summer, how about you? 

I need to re-generate my postings to this blog.  I really do enjoy spouting some nonsense most of the time and with how busy we've been, I've just neglected it like an old baseball glove.  Speaking of which, we just bought Aidan his first glove (it's so tiny) but that also forced me to dig out my old first-baseman's glove.  I'm surprised it still fits on my fat hand, but glad it does.  I'm working it back in as the leather sort of seized up over the years of non-usage.  I can't wait until he gets a little older as playing catch now is sort of rough but he's getting the hang of it.

Okay, STFU time, I've written enough.  Gotta spread this cr*p out so that it looks like I post a lot (har har)

Is that a death rattle I hear?

Yeah, I know, I go FIVE MONTHS without posting to the blog and the first thing I post is about Burger King.

As previously chatted about here, I've been observing the slow and painful demise of Burger King franchises all around the Midwest.  Today, as a few of us went out to lunch in Wheaton I noticed that the BK, which oddly enough is RIGHT NEXT TO (even shares a parking lot with) McDonald's has closed.

So keep up the funny/weird/odd commercials guys, not sure if they're working or not.  Clearly in the Western Suburbs of Chicago, it isn't as yet another one bites the dust.