We rolled into the Rolling Meadows Meijer because Leah & Dick's cat, Max, has suddenly decided not to eat catfood. The solution: Gerber baby food. But the real surprise for me was the vast cornucopia of stuff at this 24-hour store.

No matter what you want, it seems to be available here. Speakers for your iPod, plumbing supplies, lawn furniture, comic books, tiki torches, fuel for your tiki torches, eggs, teas from all over the world, T-shirts, shoes, balloons specially designed for use in water-balloon fights, Amish potato salad, hamsters, guinea pigs -- and even spotted dick in a can.

Yep, at midnight or 2 a.m. you can apparently buy a guinea pig ($25) or a hamster ($3). You don't need to be a PETA supporter to figure out that selling an animal for $3 is a universally bad idea. At that price, the poor thing is a toy -- not a pet. What was especially sad was seeing one of the hamsters desperately trying to escape. Ah, well.

MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST

Crowbusters

Prospect Heights

Al Capone's Hideaway & Steakhouse

Tommy Guns Vodka (I mistakenly call it Al Capone's Vodka)

John Dillinger

ChicagoScope feedback line: 312-683-5272. Send e-mail to ChicagoScope@gmail.com.