The Post Where SHmonkey Muses About the Rain

An early fall rain on a Sunday afternoon in September makes the already shortening days seem dark and wintry. But the heat of the day and the sound of rumbling air conditioners tells me it’s not yet time to pull out the sweaters. I have given in on one point though and slipped into my house shoes that I only wear November through February rather than go barefoot.

The power of nature is subtle today. No wind, lightening, or rolling thunder. Just water coming down and down and down. The rain is steady and straight, filling the space between me and other objects, yet just as intangible as that space. It washes clean my path, my porch, my car, the air itself. But can it wash my soul?

Five Final Visits

Last night, SHmonkey told Skajlab about a game he came up with at the office: if you knew you were soon to die, but could revisit five places you had already been to, what would those five places be? Skajlab was the first to post his list, but here is SHmonkey’s, in no particular order:

Café du Monde, New Orleans, LA
Café du Monde is one of SHmonkey's all time favorite places. When Katrina hit New Orleans, it was the first place SHmonkey mourned (aside from all of the people and animals). SHmonkey was saddened to know that its long streak of continuous operation without closing was broken by the evil Katrina. SHmonkey was also thrilled to hear that Café du Monde re-opened within weeks of the hurricane--one of the first places to be back in business. SHmonkey has spent many afternoons at the Café with wonderful dear people—Skajlab, Minerva, Blanche—watching the world go by in Jackson Square. Thanks go out to SHmonkey's assistant, a Katrina evacuee, who brought SHmonk a gift pack from Café du Monde this week and reminded him of how much he loves the place (and thus inspiring this game).

Black Forest Café, Prague, Czech Republic
The Black Forest Café is just down the road from the castle in Prague and very close to Golden Lane. Skajlab and SHmonkey spent a wonderful cold afternoon there sipping hot coffee. SHmonkey has rarely felt happier or more content.

Tecolote or Plaza Café, Santa Fe, NM
SHmonkey loves the entire city of Santa Fe, which seems odd to him since he's generally a big city monkey. SHmonkey has been to Santa Fe numerous times—always with great friends (Skajlab, LaRango, Minerva), which may explain his affection for it. Each trip to Santa Fe includes stops at these two cafes, where some of the best food is served in the mountain air.

Lake Front, Milwaukee, WI
After more than 22 years apart, nothing can change SHmonkey's affection for his most beloved location in his beloved hometown. You can take the Bohunk-Kraut out of Milwaukee, but you can’t take Milwaukee out of the Bohunk-Kraut.

Hawksnest Beach, St. John, USVI
Simply because it is likely the most beautiful place SHmonkey has ever been.

In the running for the second five:

Miyajima Island, Hiroshima-ken, Japan
Coit Tower, San Francisco, CA
Stonehenge, Salisbury, UK
Greenwich, UK
Miedzy Nami Café, Warsaw, Poland

What are your five?

We All Scream for Ice Cream

Good news for the loyal hedgehog subjects of the British Crown. The British Hedgehog Preservation Society, along with the Scottish SPCA has, after several years, successfully lobbied McDonald’s to change the design of the McFlurry ice cream container. It seems that hedgehogs are attracted by the smell of the ice cream in discarded McFlurry containers. On crawling into the containers, the hedgehogs become trapped only to die of starvation and dehydration.

In a bow to animal protection, McDonald’s has now introduced a re-designed McFlurry container with a smaller opening—a hole too small for the hedgehog to enter, but big enough to get the ice cream out. As one who cuts apart my plastic six pack rings to save the birds, and who won’t release a helium-filled balloon so as not to choke a whale, I am very happy. Now if only we could get McDonald’s to bow to human protection and cease business completely, we’d all be better off. This week it was announced that despite recent efforts at educating the public about the dangers of obesity, the already fat populace is getting fatter. I’m sure there’s some overweight glutton somewhere pissed off that he now has to slow down his consumption of the McFlurry due to the smaller opening all in the name of protecting a hedgehog. I just hope that overweight glutton isn’t me!