Home Again

The following is an excerpt from an email to a friend earlier this evening:

"I might feel differently at another time, but right now...yes, I would say being 30 does feel different. You start looking back and seeing that you've been around 30 years - all of that went by in a blink...and if you're lucky, you've got about another 30 left before you're into what soccer buffs might think of as "injury time." It's sobering....and terrifying and seems impossible...but the only way to deal with it is to accept it and move forward. Charge ahead into the teeth of the enemy, letting your war-cry erupt from the depths of your soul, never looking back with a timid eye, but only to recognize where you have been...may the battle be long and glorious and end with a brilliance that blinds the sun itself."

Why do I share that here? Who knows...maybe it just felt like a complete musing and one that needed to be shared. Like a tune that cannot be held inside and must be allowed to pollenate new ears. (oooh, another complete musing...)

My journey to Chicago was fantastic. I cannot wait to return. Being back in a big city for an extended time reminded me of how despite the big bad world's dangers, it holds a lot of exciting, interesting, and necessary experiences for the human soul. When you've been in one place for a long time - a place that is comfortable and safe and familiar - you can forget how pleasing and fulfilling the outside world can be.

While I was away my tomato plants (which were but mere little protrusions from the dirt when I left) underwent a significant transformation into green, stretching, vibrant bio-high-rises. They even have little corner bars that friends gather at and a Treasure Island grocery store on every other block. Naturally, parking is a gigantic nuisance. I saw two bees and a catepillar get towed within 5 minutes this morning.

There are a large number of green tomatoes on the vines, however none have yet ripened. I'm already growing wary of the blight that destroyed last year's crop by the middle of July. And today i encountered the first dreaded hornworm of the season. I tried pulling him off of the leaf he was munching on (while laughing at me), but he refused to let go. So, I employed a new method of eviction -- the classic finger-flick. With one swift flick of my middle finger the green, leaf-gobbler set sail through the air, off the porch and landed somewhere on the rocks below. Unfortunately, I'm sure his friends will not be deterred.

While in Chicago, my dearest sweetheart successfully made me a full-fledged fan of two shows that I previously did not watch (or watched very rarely): How I Met Your Mother and South Park. I've seen my fair share of South Park over the years, but never really watched it regularly. Now I can't get enough. Butters is a hilarious little character! And the episode where the kids rescue the killer whale literally made me cry with laughter. How I Met Your Mother has sort of made me feel better about turning 30. All those characters are in their 30s and still seem to have long lives ahead of them. Maybe 30 really is the new 20/25. I'm serious. People are living longer and, at least in our culture, people are maturing (mentally - not physically) more slowly. You disagree? Look back at generations from the World Wars and compare how mature and responsible they were compared to our current generations of increasing self-absorption, blaming everyone else, unnecessary litigation, MTV, etc, etc, etc....do I really have to have this argument with you kids right now? Anyway...they're both great shows and just like Family Guy two years ago and The Office this past year, they will likely be my flagship shows in the coming year. Expect me to quote them and reference them at annoying levels.

Anybody have winning lottery numbers for me? How about someone who wants to be my rich benefactor? Seriously. Maybe a transport plane with a malfunctioning back door will fly overhead and accidentally drop a load of gold coins onto the front yard....

Okay, that's all for now, folks. May you all have pleasant lives until you hear from me again...and may you next hear from me when I'm in Chicago...

Live in Chicago!

Greetings from the not-so-windy city! I'm in Chicago and am having an even better time than I expected. No roving packs of street thugs, gang-wars, serial killers, Terminators, or even an attack from the Cloverfield monster! I'm surprised by how (for the most part) I've felt safe and comfortable in this MASSIVE city. Seriously -- this place is like 10 other cities all glued together. At times I've been struck by the realization that human beings built all this! Imagine landing on a new planet with no cities of any kind and someone hands you the blueprints to the city of Chicago and says "Okay, this is what we're going to build." Of course, if you haven't seen Chicago that idea won't have the same impact...but for those of you who live here...yeah...imagine that.

I'm currently gazing out the window as the sun settles in the west (just over the 3rd base upperdeck of Wrigley Field) and enjoying a couple of tasty Newcastle Summer Ales (I had no idea they even made those!!!! For those of you who know me personally, you know that Newcastle has always been one of my favorite beers. And now they make a summer ale!!!!).

Some random thoughts:

1. We went to Giordano's for pizza in Greektown last night. Out of this world! We are not big fans of deep dish (I'll probably get a knock on the door shortly from the local authorities just for typing that), and went with the "thin" crust which was absolutely phenomenal! It was so good I had leftovers for breakfast. It's the kind of pizza that even when you're stuffed (and I mean STUFFED) you still want to keep eating it because it tastes/smells SO good! As we left I kept smelling my hands and salivating. The box of leftovers was several times heavier than most full pizzas.

2. Lower Wacker Drive will now forever be associated with the movie The Dark Knight in my mind. Too bad I left my Joker t-shirt (and voice) at home....

3. The condos on the Lake Shore (Lake Shore East) are really really sweet! But being 33 stories up and looking down from a little glass section of a living room that juts out from the building with floor to ceiling glass makes me break out in instantaneous cold sweat.

4. The food. Everything is awesome. I know - that's a lame description, but imagine yourself having just eaten something fantastic...now add in some sleepiness and maybe a few drinks...now try to form a complete sentence...yeah...not so easy, is it?

5. Wrigley Field. The atmosphere and neighborhood surrounding Wrigley is certainly something to be experienced. We picked up tickets for tomorrow night's game against the Dodgers (consequently, the last time I went to a major league game was several years ago in St. Louis when the Cardinals also played the Dodgers...and that year the Cardinals won the World Series. Wait it gets better. The time before that that I attended a major league game was in Miami for the Marlins vs Cubs....and that year the Marlins won the World Series....see the pattern Cubs' fans? Ya gotta believe...). We also conducted a search of every apparel shop and stand for a certain red-billed blue Cubs hat that I became enamored with. However, there were only mediums and smalls to be found except for at one shop. Unfortunately the "large" there was too tight and the XL was too loose. If anyone reading this happens to know their Cubs' apparel - it's a weathered looking blue cap with a red "C" with a bear inside and a red bill. I must have one. Or several hats of equal or greater cool-ness.

6. DePaul...I've been to a lot of college campuses...and attended quite a few of them...while hanging out at DePaul last evening I was struck by how, though the times, fashions, and faces change - the college kids stay the same. So young and lacking in experience...ah, how they think they know everything about the world....makes me appreciate who I am now...

7. Parking/driving in this city is nuts. I don't know how you Chicagoans do it. Nuts. That's the best word. Nuts.


Alrighty, dear readers, I hope you have enjoyed this little posting and if I find the time, I'll tell you more about my adventures up here. mmm...pizza...