This and That
Not a whole lot has happened in the last couple of weeks so I thought I’d string them all together for you in a mish-mash.
The other day at the Cafe we had Story Time. I was in charge of organizing it and it went pretty well. We had about thirty kids, and we served them lemonade and chocolate chip cookies and we read Make Way for Ducklings, and Where the Wild Things Are, and If I Ran the Zoo, and Courderoy the Bear– all with suitable noises and motions for the kids to make: duck noises, roaring terrible roars, etc. It was so totally fun! I wish I was going to be here this fall and winter, I would totally do one every month. Maybe I’ll try it at the Rohs St. Cafe when I get home. I was pretty proud; my first successful programming event.
Last Friday on the way to work I almost got hit by a semi. We came to a 4-way stop, stopped, looked both ways, proceeded to cross, and when we were half-way through the intersection, here comes a huge semi around the corner out of nowhere and decides to blow the stop sign. Rachel hit the gas big time and the truck hit the brakes just enough at the last possible second, and they missed our back bumper by about a foot. It scared me pretty bad. I always thought it was stupid in movies how, when people are about to get hit by a train or run over or something, they put their hand up, as if that is going to make a difference somehow. Ladies and Gentlemen, I can now confirm that pressing one’s hand up against the car window when you thinkyou’re going to get hit broadside is, indeed, an automatic human reaction. What went through my mind? First, the fact that I hadn’t talked to my family in about a week. Second, the thought that there was still so much I wanted to do! Travel, see the world, take pictures of it all. Thirdly, I haven’t even had a boyfriend. I thought Amy March (in Little Women) was silly when Beth caught Scarlet Fever and Amy made Laurie promise to kiss her before she died if she caught the fever, too. But now I feel a whole new sympathy for her. “I’ve waited my whole life to be kissed, and now what if I die before it happens?” Lol! I’m not sure I’d take it quite that far, but I can see how she would feel cheated. When I got to work, and called my mom as soon as I got the chance. If only the other two problems could be solved as easily.
Today I took the day off work and took the train into Chicago for the day. I bought a coffee and a copy of the Tribune at the station and hid behind them on the train, like a real commuter. I felt so city. Which, as I always say, means that in reality I am not city at all. 
Once I got in at Union Station, I took the Blue Line West a few stops and spent the morning at the Jane Adams Hull House Museum on the University of Illinois at Chicago campus, and picked up grad school info for their MBA program while I was there. I’ve fallen in love with this city and I’d love to live here for a year or so and go to grad school.
Then I took the Blue Line back East again to Jackson St., bought lunch from a vendor at a Farmer’s Market nearby, and walked down to the lake to the Art Institute of Chicago, where I spent the afternoon. Saw art by Georgia O’Keefe, Whistler, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas, Caillebotte, Picasso, Van Gogh, Warhol, Sargent, Cezanne, Cassat, Klimt, Pollack, and Frank Lloyd Wright (they had a display of architectural elements and another of furniture; so far as I know he never painted). Lots of others, too. It was so incredible! But, and this made me so sad, Nighthawks, by Edward Hopper, is on loan to the Tate Gallery in London. So I didn’t get to see that. I bought a little print of it to console myself.
Then I went on a photo safari, and took pictures of the El, the entrance to the subway, and the Sears Tower– Yes you heard right, the Sears Tower, and yes I was up-close and personal, and yes it is a great shot. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t get good pictures of sky scrapers from right at the base of them, they are lying to you! You just have to get creative and look kinda funny to passers-by.
I had to run to catch my train home, and bought my ticket from the conductor once on the train, thus incurring a surcharge…I got on with about sixty seconds to spare! Lol. I was just having too much fun.
Yay, Juliet is in town this week! We are going to hang out at least for a little bit, probably on Thursday…I don’t know. She’s only here for a few days and I think her mom has scheduled her in pretty tight with spending time with family members. Can’t wait to see her though. Good news: she wants to go to UIC, too! So maybe we could get a place together. I’d love that. We’ll see how things play out. I have no idea where my life is going right now, but at least I’m enjoying the ride!
