Though these nine blocks of Lombard are a cornucopia of competing 99-cent and one-dollar bargain stores, Adam's Bargain Outlet was hard to beat that is, until it went out of business last Sunday. Not only did Adam's sell those wonderful grampy-style T-shirts ("Achey Breaky Heart," "It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!"), it was also your home for party supplies, Chewbacca rubber masks, Backstreet Boys posters, and "Uncle Sam Peeing on bin Laden" stickers. Oh! And it also specialized in working fish tanks that never had any fish in them. On one visit, I counted fifty working tanks and only 13 fish--10 of which lived in one tank. Sweet travels, Adam's Bargain Outlet we hardly knew ye. WSH

Adam's Bargain Outlet, formerly at 8438 N Lombard