Chicago 4/15/08

I love this city. This city that I call home, have called home for most of my life and probably will call home for the rest of my life. I have lived in Chicago and the surrounding areas for 22 years. The other 6 years were spent only 4 hours away in Bloomington, Indiana which has it’s own special place in my heart.

This city is why I want to get up in the morning and why I can breathe. It's absolutely a part of me. It’s not just a cool place to live, but for us it’s a lifestyle choice. I told Jason once as we walked from our apartment to Millennium Park that I was worried that if we ever moved to a place where we couldn’t walk downtown on a nice spring day, that our marriage would be in trouble. I know that sounds harsh. My parents got a divorce when I was about 3 years old, I tend to think about those kinds of things. I mean yeah yeah, we aren't like them or whatever. But I know how unhappy I would be (and I think Jason would be as well) if we couldn’t just go out walking and end up at the lakefront or wherever. Something as small as where you live? Yeah, but to us, that’s not so small. I can’t predict what will happen in the future and maybe a house farther from the city will be in the cards. But I don’t know, I would rather not think that way and instead work on making small condos or city houses work. Kids can share rooms and the bigger the house you own the more stuff you own. Jason and I grew up in apartments and I think we both turned out pretty great and aren’t any worse for the wear.

We are, admittingly, lucky as the jobs we will have will probably be in the city. Jason already has one and I’m going to start working soon, hopefully in the city. The last four years have been spent commuting out to Batavia where the physics lab where we conducted our research was located. Yeah sometimes the commute sucked. Random traffic jams, home at 2 in the morning just to get up at 6 to get back in time for the meeting. Tears were shed, fights were had and things were probably thrown. But in the end, I would wake up on a random Saturday morning, smile and say to the man next to me, “Let’s go for a walk”. And that made it all worth it 100%.

So that being said. So many things happen in the city that make me love living here. From small things to big things to new apartments and neighborhoods to restaurant reviews to whatever. SO those will from now on have the title of Chicago followed by the date. So for you Chicagoans, enjoy! So let’s get started.

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Good Morning Young Man
Good Morning Young Lady
Good Morning Young Lady
Good Morning Young Man

So says the beggar who stands on the bridge covering the Chicago river on Randolph. He’s there in the morning speaking faster than my ears can listen. He’s there in the evenings on my way home, speaking with the same enthusiasm wishing all a good evening instead. I never give him any money, but there are people that do and talk to him like they’ve known him for awhile. Maybe they have, maybe he’s been standing in that same spot just as long as they have been working downtown. Running into him on their frantic run to and from the Metra station, to and from their office a few blocks away.

The building that is on the east side of the river just south of Randolph is also the ugliest building I have ever seen. I feel like it should be the building that the main character in All the Names works in. Just big, ugly, beige, white and when looking into the windows there are endless rows of messy cubicles. Why did the beggar choose that spot? Why does he stand facing east so he has to look at it?