.Great Article on Repair Services in Chicago

I like Chicago Magazine.

Mostly it's the New Yorker style writing and the obligatory monthly crime and corruption story. The graft stories are kind of like the literary equivalent to Law and Order, somewhat cerebral, and rather fascinating.

I used to subscribe, but no longer, because I never got around to actually reading them, even though I meant to. I also no longer watch Law and Order because the bungalow is off the cable grid, but then that's another story entirely.

So the other day I was in a waiting room, and sandwiched into a stack of magazines was the September issue. The cover story was Where to Get Stuff Fixed. Another type of article that shows up in the magazine and makes it a really useful publication is the occasional "best of" list. Best doctors, best summer festivals, best places to eat ethnic food, you name it. This was another of those types of article, and since I had a moment before my appointment started, I leafed through it.

What a great resource it turned out to be. I've been looking for someone who can re-plate things for me, but had no idea where to start. The article lists a couple of shops that will do custom plating work. In addition,  and there are two companies listed who refinish radiators. I hadn't even begun to think about how to spruce up my radiators. The prices look pretty good, too. Maybe I could combine both ideas and get my radiators chrome plated...

Overall, the article lists close to 200 different merchants to contact for such varied services as re-plating doorknobs, restoring vintage fabrics, or getting an ubergeek to pay a housecall to disinfect your computer.* You can check it out online, or peruse a copy at your local library (you know, the place you used to go for information before you got Internets).

And now, as I look up the Chicago Magazine site to write this post, I see a crime story on the mysterious mob hit on 1920s Tribune reporter Jake Lingle.

I've got to read that, while I am there. Maybe it's time to rethink that subscription...

*That reminds me of a funny story. One day the help desk got a call from an employee who was afraid her computer might be infected with a virus. The technician logged her call, and generated a ticket to have someone look at the machine. When the engineer arrived at her office the next day, he found that her computer had been completely wrapped in plastic three layers thick, and she had moved her desk to the farthest corner of the room, away from the PC. Puzzled as to what this meant, the technician asked her for an explanation. As it turns out, she was afraid her computer might be contagious.