Less to Eat on Algonquin Road

Two places on Algonquin Road where we would eat occasionally have closed recently.

One was a recent entry in the "fast casual" category, "Hungry?". The food there was generally good, but maybe just a touch pricey. Apparently just a little too pricey in this economy, as they're gone now after five years of operation.

The surprise was driving by Russell's Barbecue and finding that it was closed and the building up for sale. We would try them again sporadically, but they were never anything like my favorite place for BBQ, although they had a large local following. Apparently the Elmwood Park location is still open.

Playhouse Assemble!

Ok, not the same ring as "Avengers", but it will have to do.

Katie and Julie having outgrown the small playhouse that shsilver kindly passed along to us, daisy_knotwise decided it was time to buy them a larger one. After poking around on the Internet, we ordered the Storybook Cottage from Walmart, because it was the largest reasonably priced unit out there and because Walmart would ship it free to the store, which meant that we only had to figure out how to get it home.

I read the reviews of the unit and -- pessimist that I can be at times -- decided to take them seriously when they said it was big in the box. We took two cars to the store so that Katie and Julie could ride in my car in case we needed to take their seats out of the to fit this monster in. And I wasn't surprised when we had to, as we opened the box and loaded the individual parts, because there was no way the box was going in.

When we got home, everyone carried pieces to the back yard. Then I started putting it together while Gretchen put the van back together. :) I almost finished the project before it got too dark to see. I need to reverse the roof truss, because I put it on backwards, but that will be quick and easy. Then I need to install the doorbell and the phone and put the roof back on.

And then I have to wait for Uncle Jeff to arrive, because there are four screws that need to go in to make sure that the roof doesn't come off. In order to put them in, you have to be inside the house.

And I know that I am not going to fit through that door. :)