Will my old Italian boyfriend see me?

[scandal 951]

I just love this town!! Two stories from today's Chicago Tribune.

Blago can't leave town, so he sends his wife out to eat bugs.

And $9000 commuter parking spots in Aurora.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationw...0,5654934.story

Blagojevich and reality TV: Wife of disgraced former governor set to take his place on reality show

Patti Blagojevich headed to jungle for reality TV show in place of ousted governor

By Kim Janssen | Tribune reporter

May 22, 2009

The Blagojevich family diet is about to go downhill.

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich joined his wife, Patricia, on the "Today" show Thursday morning to confirm that she'll be taking the role once planned for him on the NBC reality show "I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!"

The Costa Rican jungle show's format means Patti Blagojevich likely will be forced to chow down on insects, snakes and vermin with other Z-list stars.

While she's gone, her indicted husband -- banned by a judge from leaving the country -- is in charge of the family kitchen.

"I taught my daughter to make scrambled eggs," she told the Tribune on Thursday. "I normally do the cooking."

She said she was approaching the show "with a fair amount of trepidation" but added that she was looking forward to meeting "American Idol" reject Sanjaya Malakar on the set.

In the "Today" interview she said, "I don't feel like a celebrity, but in this terrible economic time, I feel it's necessary to go to work for my family."

Rod Blagojevich still will be involved in the show, though it's not yet clear how.

If the former governor's wife seemed uncomfortable during the "Today" interview, she was more forthcoming in outtakes posted Thursday on the WMAQ-Ch. 5 Web site.

In one, the former governor wondered whether the interview would be aired in Paris.

"How about Italy?" Patti Blagojevich asked. "Will my old Italian boyfriend see me?"

"In that case ... put some more makeup on her," Blagojevich responded, laughing.

"I need a little more -- can we," Patti Blagojevich said, also laughing as she pretended to push up her breasts.

The Blagojeviches need the money for her husband's defense, she told the Tribune.

"Maybe most wives wouldn't do this for their husbands," she said, "but most mothers would do it for their children."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/c...0,2362993.story

New parking lot going condo at Metra station

Developer selling spaces for $8,900 at Naperville stop

Commuters spend years stuck on waiting lists to get a parking permit for some Metra station lots, but for those willing to shell out a premium to buy their own spot -- about $9,000 -- the wait in Naperville could be over in a few weeks.

A developer plans to build a condominium-style parking lot next to Metra's Route 59 station, the commuter rail line's most heavily used.

Each parking spot will cost $8,900 initially, but once half the 167 available spots are sold, the price jumps to $9,600. Taxes and assessments will be extra. The lot is expected to open by June 30.

Officials say this is the first time commuter parking spots are being sold condo-style in the suburbs. For several years, people have paid tens of thousands of dollars to own private parking spots in downtown Chicago.

"I feel bad for the people in Naperville," commuter Tim Morton, 37, said Wednesday. "It's getting harder to find parking here" than in Chicago.

The Route 59 station is located on Metra's busiest line, the BNSF, with about 5,800 passengers boarding there each day.

Both Naperville and Aurora operate public parking lots with thousands of spots on both sides of the train tracks, but that isn't enough to keep up with demand.

While the waiting time for a parking permit on the Naperville side of the station is a couple of years, commuters who want a spot on the Aurora side currently wait up to five years.

Commuters pay the equivalent of $40 a month, or $480 a year, for permits at the public lots, although the charge for non-residents is higher on the Naperville side.

The daily fee spaces cost $2, but those get snapped up very early each morning.

Metra parking isn't just a problem in Naperville. Commuters also wait years for permits in other suburbs, including Lisle, Tinley Park and Downers Grove. Parking is so coveted at some stations that nearby residents have been known to lease their driveways, and parking spots for rent have turned up on Craigslist.

The developers of the new lot, Railway Plaza 8 LLC, originally intended the land for commercial use, but the project fell through, said Ying Liu, a community planner for Naperville.

Under the condo-style development, the parking space owners will pay property taxes and contribute assessments to maintain the common property.

The amounts of the assessments and taxes were not available Wednesday. Calls to the developer, Jeff Jones, were not returned.

Access to the gated lot would be controlled by key cards. An owners association would be responsible for maintenance and snow removal.

Some commuters Wednesday welcomed the car-condo concept.

"That's not a bad idea," said Guy Graziano, 63, of Aurora. "These people pay [$2] a day to park here. You'd save money in the long run. If you decide not to use it anymore, it would be a good investment."

Graziano's wife, Carole, 62, agreed, saying: "It's ridiculous to try to find a parking spot here. If you're not here before 6:30 a.m., the lot is full."

Others, however, say the price is too high.

"I don't think the average working person could afford to pay $9,000," said Gloria Mitchell, 41, of Plainfield. "I would rather take the chance and find a parking spot."

[almaty 19]

sad...i was hoping blago would go and get eaten by a boa or jackalope

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Hey Ron,

Can you mail me some good Chicago Pizza? ...and throw in some bottles of that Blago Shampoo...I'm getting a bit thin on top.

[almaty 19]

lol....and a few benjamins ..

[scandal 951]

lol....and a few benjamins ..