This afternoon I checked into a hotel in Champagne, IL. As I pulled in I noticed a Mexican restaurant/bar and grill across the street. While checking in I asked the desk clerk (a guy who looked like he had been wearing eye shadow and didn't do a very good job of cleaning it off...drag queen?) about the place.

The desk clerk recommended going about four blocks down the street to the American Legion as it was cheaper. After checking in I walked down there. The place looked to me like it was closed but one can never be sure so I walked up and tugged on the door. The door opened readily but at the same time an alarm started screaming. Oops!

Well, at that point I assumed the place must indeed be closed but someone had forgotten to lock the door although they remembered to set the alarm.

I decided that the best thing I could do was just walk back up to the Mexican joint. I had gone about 100 yards when a police cruiser came by. I figured that maybe he was responding to the very loud alarm but no, he cruised right past the place. Great cop. There's no way he couldn't have heard that loud alarm as he drove by.

I had a decent enough time at the Mexican joint. They had a nice patio area, cold beer, and good food. I sat there for a few hours reading my e-book reader, drinking beer, and smoking a few bowls of pipe tobacco. I was so relaxed that I was a little surprised when the manager came out around 9:00 and told me "We are closing, Senior". Seemed a bit early to me but whatever.