Lincolnite

• A tornado warning in September? That was unexpected.
• I reffed four and a half soccer games this weekend. (The half game was an odd situation.) Saturday's heat and wind was parching, but overall it wasn't a bad weekend for soccer. My face is red and wind-burnt, though.
• I watched Frank Solich coach the Huskers out in California. Frankly, I prefer Coach Callahan.
• Robbie is starting to feel better after more than a week of cruddiness. First he had a cold, then he reacted to his four-month immunizations. He still has a bit of "intestinal distress" that makes even Daisy stay away, but his demeanor is vastly improved.

It's game day again, Husker fans, and today the Huskers are taking on the mighty Trojans of USC. I hope you plan to take a prophylactic dose of whiskey to lubricate your spirits, because the intensity of tonight's game might just leave you feeling a little rubber-legged. The Huskers have been ribbed for their relative mediocrity these past few years, but if our protection holds up tonight, we manage to abstain from spilling the ball, and we can tear through their defenses, a win is entirely conceivable. Huskers: 35 Trojans: 31 Go Big Red!

It shouldn't come as a surprise, but Chris Beutler announced his candidacy for Mayor today. He is currently a state senator, but term limits will force him out in January.

It's interesting to listen to people discuss two recent situations in Lincoln. In the first, a judge commits a traffic violation and kills a man; in the second, a professor hands out some small explosives to students. Almost invariably the judge is treated with kid gloves, even sympathy. Folks cite his apparent compassion and how "it could have happened to anybody". Probation and community service, the conversants agree, would be best. The professor, on the other hand, has already been convicted by public opinion. His actions didn't harm anyone, but he could have "blown somebody's arm off". He should, at the very least, be fired (but the University won't touch him because he's tenured), and he should serve at least a little time in jail. The professor is "careless", "wacky", and "apparently a drunk". The contrast in the tone of the two discussions is striking, which I find fascinating. It's a small case study in the power of media coverage and in how people weigh actions and consequences.

Summer is drawing to a close. Did you do everything you had planned to do? Here are five things you should do one more time (or for the first time) before autumn is upon us:

1. Take a long walk through Sunken Gardens
2. Visit the Children's Zoo
3. Dine outside in the Haymarket
4. Ride your bike along Lincoln's bike trails
5. Eat an ice cream cone at Zesto (the one on South Street, of course)

OK, fine, my prediction, made at the start of the year, of $3.75 gas this fall may have been a little off. But if I had to be way off, isn't it better I was way off on the high side?

Did you all notice what showed up yesterday that hasn't been around for ages? Wind. I heard that Lincoln went 33 days without a wind gust over 30 miles per hour, a new record. (Who keeps track of a record like that?) So not only did August and early September offer us pleasant temperatures, we weren't beat up by the wind either. Perhaps Mother Nature is asking forgiveness for that whole drought thing, but I think she is buttering us up in preparation for some fireworks this winter.

Mary Lou - the owner of the old Filipino restaurant where Danny's Deli now resides - has reopened operations where they rented out the old M13 Bistro. Mary Lou flagged me down today as I was walking back home, as I used to visit her old eatery often. The new place just opened has a simple menu of sandwiches and other items. However, if you are interested in home cooked pancit (Wednesday's special) or chicken adobo (Friday's special), let her know in advance and she will cook some up for you on any day. I wonder if there is any other operation in the state that offers home cooked Filipino?

Our kitchen has been taken over by ants. It started a couple days ago with just a few ants, but this morning there was a lineup like women at a public restoom. Fortunately, we had some Grant's Kills Ants on hand. Within an hour the little buggers were lined up around the toxic blue pools of ant crack cocaine, ready to carry it back to the nest. There were even a couple corpses scattered about; they must have o.d.'d before they could even make it home. Gluttons. For a moment I felt a little guilty about wiping out an entire ant colony. Then I noticed a couple ants wandering near Robbie's formula. I don't feel guilty any longer.

Jeff Korbelik's favorite barbeque appears to be headed to the former laundromat at 48th and Pioneers. Paul's BBQ, originally run by Paul Nevels out of the back of a truck (?!) at a service station at 40th and A, is moving in. I had the building pegged as an excellent spot for a restaurant, what with its decent location, ample parking, and big windows. I'm excited that a "little guy" is going to give the location a shot. I have never eaten Paul's BBQ, but you can be assured I'll stop by as close to opening day as possible.

Robert had his four-month well baby checkup today. He weighed in at 14lbs 12oz and measured 25" long. According to baby growth charts, he is almost exactly at the 50th percentile in weight, height, and head circumference. Robbie is, in other words, the picture of the average baby. Robbie received four shots today as part of his checkup. He was definitely not a fan of receiving the shots, but he recovered remarkably quickly. In fact, by the time we got him dressed and made our way back to the front desk, he was already ready to flirt with the nurses. I think Robbie is going to add a new food to his repertoire today. Carrots are a likely candidate, but The Missus may mix things up and go with a fruit instead. I'll have to guess what it was when I get home by the color of the stains on his bib.

Could a new four-story retail and residential building at 17th and O, where the Images II building currently stands, be the first big Antelope Valley project to come to fruition? The project matches goals for the area according to the Downtown Master Plan and the Antelope Valley plan, so it would seem the project shouldn't run into any hurdles from the government. The big question is: can that part of Downtown support 40 condos right now? I suppose the best answer is: somebody has to be the first to redevelop the area.

If you're a property owner in Lincoln, prepare for a cover-up. Of graffiti, that is. The City Council passed an anti-graffiti ordinance yesterday, which means:

• Minimum fines for graffiti deed-doers are now $200
• Property owners have 15 days to cover up graffiti on their property
• Property owners can hire the city to remove the graffiti
• Property owners can pay $50 to ask for an extension or exception

Just for fun, if you happen to see any graffiti on public property that isn't promptly removed, send me a photo. I will post the photo here and submit a letter to the city to help ensure that our public areas set a good example.

Well whaddaya know, it took a long time, but a grocer has finally discovered Airpark. The independent grocery store, owned by the gentleman who owns the Crete Foodmart, will be about the size of the Hy-Vee at 70th and O.

Grace Safarik thinks Sunken Gardens had "entirely too much dark purple foliage" and was "more appropriate for a funeral than a wedding." I had noticed that the Gardens were a little darker than usual this year, but it wasn't a problem for me. Your thoughts?