a few more random thoughts this evening...

steve and i were walking around yesterday (absolutely blissful to have him feeling well enough to go out, to have nothing that i needed to be doing, and to have the weather absolutely perfect!) and we found an amazing little independent bookstore on michigan avenue, The Savvy Traveller, full of travel books, maps and travel supplies. they had all of the books on greenland that i'd had to order from Amazon, and they had so many wonderful maps and atlases. i could have stayed there all day! here are a few things i really wish i could have bought. although i am going to link to Amazon (since the Savvy Traveller website does not list all of their catalog) it really is so much more satisfying to browse and shop for maps and travel books when you can see them and flip through their beautiful contents that i will probably go back there when i decide to buy.

1. Atlas of World History by Patrick O'Brien. i have been coveting this for a long, long time. i read up on a bunch of atlases before getting my current one, and i've been looking for a good historical one. this one has the most enthusiastic reviews, and now that i've seen it i'm convinced i need it.

2. the full set of The Eyewitness Guides. they make me want to go to every single one of the cities. i think i may buy the chicago one just so that i can look through it.


3. Arctic Dreams: Imagination and Desire in a Northern Landscape by Barry Lopez. i think any of you reading this knows me enough to know why this is listed here.

4. Spoken Here: Travels Among Threatened Languages by Mark Abley looked really good. a bit depressing, but really interesting.


5. i didn't see this at the store, but i think i should put Central Park, An American Masterpiece: A Comprehensive History of the Nation's First Urban Park by Sara Cedar Miller on my wishlist, and it's vaguely travel-related, so i'll list it here for fun (it's late, humor me).


i just went into the living room and heard the street sweeper below. i think he's doing donuts in the street. i guess that means it's time for bed.