The 50th St. James Court Art Show is in full swing, and I checked it out this morning. Starting in 1991, then refined over return visits almost every year since, my routine has pretty much settled thusly: Arrive Saturday morning shortly before official opening time (after parking about four blocks away on Oak St.), zip through the entire layout to get a quick peek at everything (this takes a sold hour), scarf down a corn dog in the park, go back to the main St. James Court area for a more leisurely look, slowly eat too-hot vegetarian chili by the fountain, try to calm down for a little bit, take one last quick look around, grab some Kizito Cookies for the road, then back to the car.

Old Louisville, St. James Court, and especially its offshoot Belgravia Court are wonderful historic areas of the city and are true treasures. Louisville is at its most beautiful in October and April, and even though the Art Show has become overly popular and is too crowded to enjoy much of the weekend, early Saturday and Sunday mornings are wonderful, and besides, its a comfort to know that an art event can attract 300,000 people annually. I like the idea of being around (what I imagine to be) so many persons with interests similar to mine, as I'm not detecting much art appreciation among the people I'm surrounded by most of the time.

Since I'm on Ben-watching duty all day tomorrow and Monday, I was allowed to spend more time zipping around town today, so I lurked in the Bardstown Rd./Cherokee Triangle area as I am wont to do. Love that area of the city, and have ever since I set eyes on it during an exploratory excursion from Evansville in 1990, after I noticed that Louisville was ranked as one of the Top 10 most livable cities in that year's Places Rated Almanac. My favorite home ever was when I lived at 2104 Baringer Manor Apt. 12, from 1999 to 2002. Upon leaving for suburbia, the plan was to move back one day, but it seems like that dream will go unfulfilled.

For today at least, I got to check out Great Escape (I finally stopped buying comics two years ago, but still like to look!), saw Half Nelson at Baxter Ave. Filmworks, shopped for 2007 calendars at Carmichael's Bookstore (I can never find a London one at any store, so I usually end up ordering from Amazon), drove through the serene Cave Hill Cemetery, then on to my post office and Target in St. Matthews before heading home... I skipped Ear X-Tacy, Cherokee Park, and eating in the 'hood this time, but I'll be back! Once or twice a week on average, until they make me move to Minneapolis... (just kidding?)