Times gone by

Gentleman, I kid you not.

Jesu H. Christo!  We are fast approaching peak Idiocracy.  Check out the comments on that YouTube page; quite amusing with many references to the movie Starship Troopers.  When the video ended I didn't see any Soviet anthem; the Master Algorithm gave me a monologue from Jimmy Kimmel instead.  And when I saw the subject line of the post I was wondering what a Toyota Supra had to do with anything, and now I know.

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Although I have never eaten a mango, I trust the judgement of my esteemed colleague.

A good, ripe mango is wonderfully sweet and juicy but a bit of a production to eat.  I suggest viewing a tutorial video before giving it a try because it can get messy.  It may be the juiciest fruit I've ever eaten.

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...living a few blocks from Wrigley Field in that seedy neighborhood that it was at the time.

You're not kidding, Uncle Ken.  I moved into that area in 1979, well before all the modern Cubs hooplah and rent was cheap.  I think the Latin Kings scared a lot of people away.  There were no night games and the day games during the work week were poorly attended with the bleachers half full.  Tickets were cheap, too.

The neighborhood was nothing like the economic powerhouse it is today, more of a "Mom & Pop" vibe to the area.  Some of the bars in the area, and there weren't that many, would only be open during baseball season.  Their owners made so much money off of the fans that they could close up shop and move to Florida for the off season.  It was great and I'll never forget Franksville, Pete's Freeze, and the Yum Yum Donut Shop.

As I wandered down memory lane I found the obituary of an old pal of mine from a few years back, Floyd the Bartender.  Here's a good article about him, giving a good sense of the time and place.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/3/15/18313880/floyd-saunders-dead-at-92-wrigleyville-bartender-poured-shots-for-stars-fans

I hung out at the places that are mentioned and knew a lot of the folks in the article, too.  A great feeling of community for those who like to hang out, drink, and socialize; a very curious big, happy family.  If you liked music you were at ground zero with Tut's, a 4am bar with live music 7 days a week, no cover charge.  I made some signs for the owner and I was there more often than I should have been but for a newly divorced guy it was heaven.  You want to talk about your Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll?  You wouldn't believe it, and I will say no more.  But then the Cubs got more successful, more popular, and they put lights in Wrigley Field.  There went the neighborhood.  My little apartment went condo and I was priced out, forcing me to move out of the area.  More bars opened up and over-served fans flooded the area and it just wasn't fun any more.

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Speaking of moving, I see that you guys are well settled, having lived in the same places for decades.  Circumstances forced me to move five times since 2001; couple of places went condo and family obligations made other moves necessary.  But now I think I'm in my final place and it's all good.  As I gaze out the windows of Casa con Queso de Geezer Chateau I can see the tree canopy is beginning to change color as the season is changing.

Easier to see, too, since I had my final cataract surgery this past Monday; both eyes are tuned up with new lenses.  A big improvement I'd say but there's still a month of eye drops and more time required before I know how successful the whole process was.

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Was I experiencing this thing going around called mindfulness that I have heard tell of?

Wait, you're just figuring this out now?  I though you were hip to it via your many readings of all things philosophical.  But better late than never, I say.  And as you reminded us of the words of Mr. Natural many years ago, "It don't mean Sheee-it!"