Chicago works

I suppose it is fitting that both my daughters and I have a work-filled week-end. Here we sit, in a city (Chicago) pulsating with entertaining possibilities and we can do none of them. All three of us are preoccupied with work demands. And that’s a good thing, because to get to the pulsating possibilities, you need to step outside. And there’s only so much of the “stepping outside” one can enjoy in typical January weather.

I went out once, for an espresso and to run some errands for one poor girl who has way too much work on her plate to attend to mundane errands.

A bus ride down North Avenue, then a walk further east...





(...then eventually a bus ride back.)

They’re different, these city buses than, say the buses of Madison. Our buses, at least the ones going in and out of the isthmus, are packed with graduate students who tend to favor living away from campus. And occasionally we have the person whom you know is riding because there isn’t much else that can fill his (sometimes her) day.

Chicago riders are more goal oriented. Pick up groceries, get on bus, get off bus. Take kid to doctor by bus. Ride over to Comcast to stand in line (this was my first destination) so that you can try to mend your a.) TV service, b.) Internet service (my purpose for being her) or c.) to pay a bill for any of the above. [One person in the long queue says – this is just like the DMV, except that it isn’t the DMV. I appreciate that comment. The DMV in Madison, too, has ridiculously long waits.]

From there, I crossed some river or other (what river?) and found myself at the Best Buy to exchange/question/replace some portion of a TV set purchased here (not by me) not too long ago.

And then – to the new Whole Foods. Where you can sit on a stool and sip a wine or a beer and watch a game. Or carry your drink and push a cart. I was tempted, but I had work to do and groceries to buy and a cake to bake back home.

And flowers to put up on a mantle place.





Celebrations have to be in little spurts inserted in a free moment here or there. Last night at the dinner table...





Tonight, over home-baked cake. I should go check on that cake.