Being Good

  Some times, being good requires more effort than others.

Chicago Bipolar Weather Hell

Thursday is predicted to be the hottest weather in 7 year. 

It will be the hottest weather in 7 years - and I bought a jacket on Monday.  This is June, June is a summer month. 

NATO Friday

Fortunately, nothing to post about for me except the hansome Chicago cops.

Crazies in the Crowd

Everyone who takes public transportation in Chicago regularly deals with crazies.  Here are the categories:

Crazy Clothing

Crazy Makeup

Crazy Homeless

Crazy Drunk

Crazy Crazy

Crazy Party Girls

Crazy Party Boys

Crazy Talking on the Phone

Crazy Talking about Personal Issues with a Close Friend in an Enclosed Public Space

Crazy Belligerent

Today, I had the belligerent crazy.  The man kept loudly saying threatening, demeaning, and still a bit passive aggressive statement with surprisingly few curse words toward the first minority in his line of vision.  

 I hope he was actually suffering from a mental illness and not just obnoxious.  There are doctors, strategies, medicines, and facilities for mental illness; assholes have no hope.

And the dear, sweet CTA bus driver has to deal with all of the crazies, including him.

Bus Time

   On the bus, I fantasize about using my time wisely.  The ride to work is about 30-40 minutes and I get nothing done during the time, no reading, no writing, no thinking, and no sleeping.  The only thing I get done is my fantasizing, and mostly it's about using my time wisely.  

Green Water = Irish?

   
    While I found the dyeing of the fountain fun and picture worthy, I don't know how it connects to Irish heritage?  Maybe hundreds of years of history, a depth of culture that includes styles of dance and music, a dialect of English  besides a language of it's own is a bit more than green.

    For all that, a green fountain is still fun. 

Rock and Roll on Lincoln

    After seeing The Separation, a friend suggested several restaurants for dinner.  There were three of us, one driving, one directing, and me.  I contributed nothing but agreeability.  Coming from an odd direction and being in a car, I got lost on the streets and turned around.  I kept thinking we were heading to Lincoln Park area but the street names were not right.  The driver required the director to get there, not being familiar with the place, so I sat quietly and questioned my own direction making abilities.

   Finally, we ended up at the Rock and Roll restaurant on Lincoln.  It was small, cute, well decorated, and had bubble tea.  I've never had bubble tea but have heard about it and still didn't try it.  This is what I ordered, basically rice, salad, and a large amount of sashimi on top.  Yum!

It was worth the confusion of getting there. 

A Sad Thought

     I found this sign at a antique store on Lincoln.  Isn't the statement so true?  It's true at a party, true in the house and true in life.  Alcohol makes everything seem so much better, but then we all have to get back to reality.  Great nights out still end, and the next day something needs to fill the place of beer to make life fun.  And I'm not meaning wine or vodka.

    It's always sad when I meet people who can't do without it.  Meeting up, they immediately suggest hard drinking as a starter to the evening.  Really?  You can't talk or joke without it.  They start ordering and get upset if everyone doesn't follow them to beerland.

   Or there are also the one who excuse themselves with alcohol with a "Oh, sorry, I was so wasted". To that I always thing, "Oh sorry, you're an ass."

    This is not an anti-alcohol posting, it's a "get a life, we're not in college" posting.   If the fun ends when the beer does, was it really fun?  

12 Things I Love about Chicago

12.  Bike lanes - Wow! Actually having a lane to ride my bike in makes the road so much less scary.  Bikers still get hurt but for the actual number of bikers in Chicago, the chances seem statistically reduced.  *I did not do the math on that last statement.

11.  Outdoors - This city has a ton of outdoor space and people actually use it.  The first time I saw a sunbather in the middle of the city, I was shocked.  Now, it has become normal.  After hearing about the winter, it became reasonable.  Get all the fun that can be gotten from the summer by going outdoors.  The traffic along the lakeshore path almost deserves a place in the news or an app for phones.

10.  Independent everything - Stores, restaurants, bars, health clubs... the list goes on and on.  Chicagoans support the local and the local pays them back in quality, service, and neighborly living.

9.  Men in Uniforms - Not to say anything bad about other cities men in uniforms, but Chicago puts the cute one in blue.  I almost look forward to needing a cop just for the chance to stare at his face and pretend helplessness.  I would let a fireman carry me out of a burning building.  Wink, wink

8.  CTA - I love not having a car.  Reliable public transportation makes life so easy and frees up time to ease drop on others or make eyes at a cute guy.  My morning commute is my brain time to read the news and plan my day.  Nothing is better than a monthly pass to zone out while commuting to work.

7.  Bars - I would like to know the ratio of bars to people in Chicago and compare it to other places.  We,  meaning you and me, like to go out to catch a drink with friends or strangers.  Chicago has bars and they fully support them and that's a good thing for all.

6.  Free Concerts - This is how the city keeps the population happy, we suffer through winter to enjoy the free outdoor pleasures of the summer.  They are outdoor, they are fun and they are free.

5.  The Lake - Some day, my former teacher self will learn the name of the lake I live next to and maybe it's history.  The lack on basic and civil knowledge does not impair my enjoyment of it.  There is a bend on lakeshore path that still takes my breath away.  At that point, the city's size projects upwards in stories of concrete and man-made features while the lake rests calmly on the other side, completely unchanged nor bothered.

4.  Events - Who keeps the social calendar for the city?  Trick question, no one can.  There are always events going on, from bowling to museum openings.  Even focusing in on the neighborhoods, who couldn't find five organized activities to participate in every night.  Who can keep up?

3.  Dogs - This city loves dogs.  Chicago has dog parks, dog beaches, at least three stores per neighborhood devoted to dogs, water and treats outside of stores, an employment of hundreds of dog walkers, and even dog therapists who charge $500 to cure two dogs of barking issues.  Better to spoil a dog than a child so I'm hoping the kids are alright because the dogs are truly spoiled.

2.  Intrigue - Politics lacks boredom in this city, so does crime and corruption.  They all meet up often at the events from point 4.  Crime - well, just the murders and shootings - even have their own newspaper.  The Chicago Tribune needs nothing more than a few murders and a shooting to fill the from page.  They use politics as a filler.  Luckily, Chicago has several newspapers that can focus on other issues.

1.  Chicagoans - These are nice, fun, sporty, and artsy people.  The city has people for everyone and nice  comes as a common character trait.  Point 1 makes all of the other points possible.

Twelve reasons I love Chicago.  

Breakfast at the Cinnamon Cafe on Lawrence

This is a place of beauty in food...oh, and it tastes great too.

It burned my heart when it close

Such a cruel thing

With no warning

the doors stopped opening

salt shakers still on the table

And was replaced with a place that doesn't believe in brunch

Atheists 

French restaurants

not believing in God is one thing,

not believing in brunch is another