Left to my own devices

     I f you live long enough, you see a lot of things change. This can include an evolving urban landscape, where businesses come and go with the times. Among them are movie theaters, part of my favorite trifecta of establishments, along with bookstores and restaurants. In my hometown of Champaign, Illinois, several movie theaters have come and gone during my lifetime -- the Co-Ed Theater that used to be in the heart of campus town. Market Place Cinemas that used to be out by, well, Market Place Mall. Country Fair Theater that used to be a part of the then-bustling Country Fair strip mall. And, of course, the lovely Art Theater, which closed in late 2019 after a century of showing films. The most recent casualty is the Savoy 16. Like most movie theaters, the Savoy closed for the pandemic back in March. This wasn't long after its parent company, Goodrich Quality Theaters (GQT) filed for bankruptcy. Well, GQT has navigated the pandemic waters and is re-opening most of its ...

I missed this weekend's Gay Pride events. That makes twelve years in a row. Seriously, I haven't partaken of any pride events since 2000. That June I traveled up to Chicago with Jeromy and Scott, and another young fellow whose name I honestly can't remember. He and I had met in a local gay chat room. He was pretty, someone I'd never dreamed would be interested in giving me the time of day, but life sometimes throws you pleasant surprises. We had a brief, but fun, weekend together, and then never saw each other again. No drama. We simply went our separate ways. So it goes.