Tuning up the washing machine

Bass virtuoso Jeff Brueske backed gypsy jazz guitarist Reynold Philipsek as patrons picked fruit.

Midtown Dan and Landlord Stan stumbled onto a casual jazz session today when they went downstairs, seeking lunch at the Holy Land grill in the Global Market at Chicago and Lake.

The onions were particularly sharp
today, we thought.

Double Trouble.

Dan's condo washing machine was on the fritz, and the dryer was balky; the front-loading washer seems to have a hard time getting into balance and going into the proper high-speed spin cycle. Probably something to do with heavy, sopping towels. And we think the dryer, after nine years, has stopped "sensing" moisture levels. So it is time to start using the manual control settings instead, operating as we did in the good old days before dryers knew how to feel how wet your stuff is.

Meanwhile, there's always something going on at the Midtown Global Market, but today was very special, with an appearance by the famed Sidewalk Cafe Jazz Trio.
As we settled in amongst the noon lunch crowd on this warm day, we picked out the melodic line from "Summer Time," as the boys riffed and skillfully played with the tune, to the delight of their listeners. As they progressed through their program, we picked out more favorites, selected, we think, especially for today's casual crowd. Before long, we had forgotten the misery of a busted washing machine, lost in the chords and imaginative fingering of this professional crew, having its way on a musical Saturday afternoon.
Eventually, we left our tip and went back to work upstairs. The good news: we won't be buying any new appliances just yet.
We just needed a tune up.

Always fun to look through the windows after the washing gymnasts have been through. They work with a
rope and trapeze-type arrangement, "walking" across the windows. No scaffold for them.