Bar of soap in a public shower: friend or foe?

My employer is kind enough to provide covered bicycle parking, lockers, and showers in my building. This helps allow me to ride my bicycle to work everyday, in spite of the terrible Atlanta traffic. There is only one shower, so I am even able to have the room to myself as I clean up after sweating in the southern city heat. When I go home, I grab my gear out of my locker, change, and head out. The whole process only takes a few minutes, and it is really a quite pleasant way to start and end my day. This is not to mention the fact that it fits nicely with my transportation planning ideals of keeping one less car on the road, polluting less, causing less congestion, getting more physical activity, etc.

Now that my blah blah pitch is out of the way, I want to get to my issue at hand. On the wall in the shower is a dispenser for shampoo. There is also a little soap dish, where there sits what appears to be a bar of Irish Spring. I use the public shampoo and a conditioner that I brought in to wash my hair. However, I have a dilemma about what to use to wash my body. I don't really like using shampoo for anything but my hair, so my alternatives are using the bar of soap or bringing in my own soap, either a bar or bottle of body wash.

My instinct is to say "there's a bar of soap in this shower, I should use it" just as I would use the bar of soap in my family shower. However, there is something a little weird about the fact that I don't know who else is using this soap. What if some dude with a gross disease on his back (or worse places) is rubbing it all over himself when I'm not there? What if it drops on the floor? Luckily, the shower is cleaned everyday, and I am usually the first person in each morning, but what if this wasn't the case? I know proper soap etiquette (lather my hands first and then rub them on my body) but what if someone else who uses the shower doesn't? Plus, even if everyone does use proper technique, does that really make the soap clean? I want to believe that the soap cleanses all bacteria and disease just by rubbing on it, like the genie of hygiene, but is that really true?

Now, I tend to be pretty lax about this stuff in general, which is the main reason I am questioning it. Today, in the middle of my shower, I began to wonder if it is actually not a public bar of soap at all, but rather a private bar, and someone has simply claimed squatters' rights on the soap dish. Am I violating this person's right to have his own bar of soap that no one else uses? That person would be an idiot if that was the case, but it is still possible. I wonder what my slightly hypochondriacal blogmate would think about this... or anyone else reading this.

Am I gross for using this bar of soap? Please, give me some perspective.

80's Quiz: How "East Wilmette" are you?

This effort was inspired by my friend, Michael Fields (aka fieldsDOTCOM!), who came across a quiz about his hometown of Floyds Knobs, IN.

80's Quiz: How "East Wilmette" are you?

One correct answer = 1 point

1. Chuck Wagon is also known as
a) Sarkis
b) Sam's Place
c) Hot Dog Island
d) Nicky's Place

2. The "Spit Pit" was
a) a synonym for the fountain in front of Village Hall
b) the deep fryer at Chuck Wagon
c) a basement stairwell at Central Elementary School
d) the diving pool at Centennial Park

3. The sledding hill on the lakefront near Lake Avenue was nicknamed
a) Mount Trashmore
b) Suicide Hill
c) PJ's Passage
d) Gillson Gorge

4. C.J. Arthur's was formerly known as

a) Marie's Restaurant
b) Jilly's Cafe
c) The Old Ouilmette Depot
d) Bob's Restaurant

5. The following barber(s) left Jerry's Clippers to open his/her own barbershop:
a) Leo
b) Penny
c) John
d) Sonny
e) b. and c.
f) b. and d.

6. East Wilmette's only "roundabout" is located on
a) Crescent Place
b) Woodbine Avenue
c) Broadway Avenue
d) Greenwood Avenue

7. "The Pulley" was located at
a) Mr. Nielsen's
b) Mr. Jacoby's
c) Mr. Klein's
d) Mr. Cleland's

8. Playboy magazine could be purchased at

a) Meat'n Shoppe
b) Perkowitz
c) Leo's
d) Sandwichman's Deli

9. LP3's was a
a) shoe repair
b) pharmacy/candy Store
c) record store
d) video store

10. Video Advantage was located on
a) Central Avenue, across from the Wilmette Theater
b) Central Street in Evanston, across from Independence Park
c) Linden Avenue, across from Demas' Foods
d) Green Bay Road, next to Wilmette Pet Supply

11. Central School Principal Nielsen's catch phrase was "Everyone go home and _______."
a) be good
b) be safe
c) be nice
d) behave

12. If you're on the southern border of "The Cage," you're on
a) Greenleaf Avenue
b) Elmwood Avenue
c) Ashland Avenue
d) Lake Avenue

13. The "Niki Special" at Chuck Wagon is
a) a double cheeseburger with gyro sauce
b) two hot dogs, fries, and a fountain drink
c) a cheeseburger with gyro meat
d) a hamburger, fries, and cocaine

14. The Royal Chessman and The Nutmeg House were both:
a) pizza parlors
b) shut down for health code violations
c) on 4th Street
d) in Plaza Del Lago

15. You could once ice skate at
a) Peter N. Jans Golf Course
b) Gillson Park
c) Central School playground
d) Maple Park

16. A stripmall at the corner of Greenleaf Avenue, Poplar Drive, and Wilmette Avenue replaced what restaurant?
a) The Butt'ry
b) The International House of Pancakes (IHOP)
c) Kentucky Fried Chicken

d) Bob's Restaurant

17. Langdon Park would best be described as a
a) legendary little league baseball diamond
b) "must see," along with Walker Bros. and the Baha'i Temple
c) perfect place to eat ice cream
d) nice alternative to Gillson

18. Hello Kitty products could be found at
a) Lyman Sargeant's
b) C.J. Arthur's
c) LP3's
d) Allen's Stationers

19. Rooftop parking was available at
a) Jewel
b) Dominick's
c) Demas
d) Meat'n Shoppe

20. The intersection of Eleventh Street, Lake Avenue, and Wilmette Avenue was known for its
a. churches
b. restaurants
c. vintage homes
d. bad sight lines

Answers: 1-B, 2-C, 3-B, 4-D, 5-F, 6-D, 7-D, 8-C, 9-B, 10-A, 11-C, 12-B, 13-C, 14-C, 15-D, 16-B, 17-D, 18-D, 19-A, 20-A

18-20: True Timberwolf ("TT"). You are "East Wilmette" down to the core. Chuck Wagon, Gillson Park, and Lyman Sargeant's are practically in your DNA. To this day, taking your significant other to Walker Bros. is a symbol of commitment only slightly less meaningful than a wedding ring.

15-17: Native Dweller. Your East Wilmette knowledge is impressive and you likely fall into one of two categories: 1) faith-based school (St. Francis, St. A's, Schecter) alumni, who may have scored 100% if not for the questions skewed toward Central School graduates, or B) early departures who moved away in junior high or earlier after spending your most formative years in East Wilmette.

10-14: Brat from Harper. If you did live in East Wilmette, it was only for a short time. More likely, you're an alumnus of McKenzie or Harper who ventured east of the tracks only for very special occasions. For you, park names like "Vattmann" and "Thornwood" evoke stronger memories than "Maple" or "Gillson." Your streets are paved; the TTs' are brick. You like Homer's; TTs prefer Baskin Robbins. You may think you're similar to the TT because you're from the same hometown--but know this: you are very, very different.

0-9: See you at Centennial. You're likely a Romona grad. Other than sharing a zip code (and having a mounted wooden fish from woodworking class at WJHS), you have almost nothing in common with the True Timberwolf. Venturing east on Wilmette Avenue from your cul-de-sacs, crab grass, and split-level housing, you cross the tracks and find yourself gaping at the TTs' brick streets and vintage homes. For the TTs, summertime meant scrounging up change around the house and walking to Chuck Wagon or the beach. For you, it meant sweltering hot bike rides on Frontage Road, or waiting for your parents to take you to Irving's on the Edens Expressway.

Gym Culture and Developing One’s Own Sense of Style

In the gym today, a realization: Whenever I go to the gym—doesn’t matter what gym…any gym I’ve ever been a member of—I always feel like an outsider. I think of the insiders as all those big, buff, tan guys with fresh haircuts, and complicated facial hair walking around with a protein shake of some kind, and their female counterparts. They all seem to be great friends with all the gym trainers, and great friends with each other. They are always the most vocal people at the gym, and you tend to overhear some of their conversations, but care so little about their lifestyle and opinions that you tune out. This is all going on while the semi-fitness people (like me), and the people just trying to keep their heads (and bodies) above water go about their business mostly in silence (except for the occasional: “are you still using this?” or “can I work in with you?”). Below: an "insider" takes time to say hi to the camera between sets

The above observation got me thinking that there’s really this whole “gym” culture: the tanning beds, the style of dress (well-fitting, but kinda cheesy clothes), short, perfect haircuts (possible “frosted tips” on guys’ hair), the feeling that they’re headed to a dance club later, maybe a seashell necklace, the techno music, and—in all likelihood—the American sports cars parked outside. Once I thought about that whole little subculture, it led me ask myself when in life do most people first start trending toward their own style? For example, have the nerds you see on the street dressed nerdy since childhood? Did their parents dress nerdy? When did the guy who you can tell gets his hair cut every two weeks start cutting his hair every two weeks? When did the guy with all the piercings and tattoos start going down that road? High school? Is it safe to say the guy or girl you see with a great sense of fashion has always had an eye for what looks good, or is it something that one develops gradually?

To take a not-so-confident crack at the question in bold, I’m going to say 11 years old. This is because I noticed a distinct difference between my classmates sense of style between 5th and 6th grade. In elementary school, it seemed like most kids, like me, wore whatever the hell their parents, grandparents, whoever bought them for birthdays and holidays, and let the chips fall where they may. I remember wearing a solid green sweatshirt (no hood) and a matching pair of sweatpants (no pockets) to Friday Night Skating as a 5th grader. A completely ridiculous outfit. At the time, I neither thought “these clothes are cool,” nor did I think “these clothes are ugly.” I just thought: “These are clothes. They are in my drawer, and—to my knowledge—they are clean.” I think most of my classmates did the same. (disclaimer: Either Richie Swedberg or his parents must have had an amazing sense of fashion, because he had a sweet pair of parachute pants in 5th grade)

Then came Junior High.

At this point, I definitely recall some trending starting to occur: Pat Schmidt grew some long bangs and did the “skateboarder” look….Corey Ford starting rocking the “bowl cut”….most guys started wearing baseball hats way up on their heads, so their bangs would hang out in the front. Bottom line: kids, for the first time, seemed to start caring and making conscious fashion decisions. A few years later Jeff Lyman showed up to high school with a long dark coat (or should I say ‘cloak’?) and a ponytail. Andrew Hard, donning a Bulls Championship 1991 T-shirt with an Orlando Magic hat turned to me and whispered, “Hey Lyman, what happened to the sweat pants and crew cut?”

Anyway, I’m going with 11.

Reality TV Show Idea

I would like to make a pitch to the networks and cable channels for a great reality show (Mark Burnett, take notes). It would be called "Rivals" and would feature pairs of actors from 80s movies who squared off against one another on screen. They would all live in a house and each pair would team up for the various challenges. One team would be eliminated each week, thus showing which set of rivals have truly repaired the deep rift between them. Then, the final pair would have to face off against one another to relive the magic moment of their movie, only this time it would be for real! Don't tell me every 28-42 year old wouldn't watch this show.

Here is the lineup

PAIR ONE


Ralph Macchio who played Daniel Larusso in Karate Kid I-III

and



William Zabka who played, amongst a number of great 80s rival roles, Johnny Lawrence in Karate Kid


PAIR TWO


Sage Stallone who played Rocky Balboa Junior in Rocky V

and


Kevin Connelly who plays Chickie, the bully who picks on Rocky Jr. in Rocky V. Now, I recognize that Kevin is a pretty big actor at this point, being on Entourage and all, so he may not want to take part in our project. Thus, I feel we could use Hayes Swope who plays Chickie's pal (photo not available).

PAIR THREE


Jerry Levine who plays Rupert "Styles" Stalinski in Teen Wolf

and


Mark Arnold who plays Mick McAlisster




PAIR FOUR


Gabriel Jarrett who plays Mitch Taylor in Real Genius

and


Robert Prescott who plays Kent Torokvei.





Those were all I had time to come up with for now. Please comment with additional pairings so we can fill out the house.

Fullerton Sux

In a recent phone conversation, I was reminded of how terrible Fullerton Avenue is as an East-West artery. During even moderately heavy traffic times, the street is clogged at Lake Shore Drive and every six-corner intersection all the way to the expressway -- Clark (with its no-left turn), Lincoln (at Halsted), Clybourn (at Ashland), and Elston (at Damen). The last example is suprising, seeing as Elston is normally the fastest way to get through the near-northwest side of the city. Nevertheless, Fullerton's suckiness manages to steal all of Elston's superpowers, and the intersection right by Mid-town Tennis, just north of the hot dog bridge is one of the worst. Have you ever even attempted to stop in at that Popeyes? I wonder how they get any business when it is nearly impossible to access the drive-thru.

Fullerton sux so bad at this intersection that it has the city looking for drastic solutions . There are like 7 differently timed lights and that random triangle out in the middle of Damen, so that you might have to wait for an extra light after clearing one. Even the satellite image from Google maps shows a reasonable traffic jam. F-You Fullerton.
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