As a child of the 80s, I grew up watching a lot of television. Cable television.

You name it, I snuck in Inspector Gadget, toyed with Heathcliff, delicately handled He-Man and crapped out Care Bears. And despite sitting in front of our 20-inch Sony television each day, cranking the dial cable box, I turned out just fine. Take that, TV haters!

That was almost 20 years ago. After a decades-long drought of only broadcast television, Dish Network is being invited to the Gerik household in 2008. It is comparable to the Prodigal Son returning home.

(update: Not all is sunny in paradise, it seems. Dish Network forgot to mention a few limitations… we’ll see what the ‘rents think.)

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You know those “guess how many jelly beans are in this jar” contests? The bank teller at National City bank let me play the game WITH REAL MONEY. Well, with my own change jar. I guessed $50 and it was really $58. That’s a 16% difference and a 84% grade in school.

Being a relatively new customer at National City, I’m always impressed with their main building in downtown Peoria. I feel like I may have chosen the place based solely on it’s stately appearance. Built in 1926, it proceeded the Great Depression by a mere 3 years. With 24 teller windows, perhaps they anticipated bank runs? Precognition!

Anyway, I’m going to have to find excuses to visit more often. Similar to a train station, but saved because of our dependence on money. (unrelated but equivalent photo here.)