February 2006 Archive

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Whim Day!
I'm trying out my idea from last month: modifying my birthday tradition into a monthly Whim Day. Same rules apply: no plans, no client work, no obligations. Just start the day laying in bed, thinking, "What would I like to do today?" Nothing fancy. Enjoy simple pleasures.

Today was a bit tricky. Didn't have any immediate whims, so I took myself to the coffeeshop for a latte. Laptop-ed, I caught up on one post (boy, I'm behind in Blogland these days!).

Decided to take a long walk north.


Today I donned lots of Mardi Gras green clothes. Stripus matched me perfectly. With perfect layers and headphones on I headed out.

I walked along the lake.

It's that-a-way.

Today was chilly, but sunny. Felt comfy in my t-shirt, longsleeved shirt, heavy cardigan, scarf, hat and fingerless gloves (thanks to Michelle for those!) No coat, plenty of layers. The sun was warm on my back.





I meandered along the lake, picking up sea lake glass. A favorite activity that I have neglected to do the last couple years.








I ended up walking over five miles. Felt fantastic. All full of movement and Vitamin D and a pocket heavy with sea lake glass. I finished in Evanston. Got good groceriees at Whole Foods. Walked into a salon and got a haircut:


Bussed home.

Made a collage from an orange juice container from the Albuquerque Zoo:


Yoga. Boy, I love the Fish position.

Met up with Eric. Lowkey evening at his place, eating Mardi Gras leftovers from Billy's party Sunday. Jumbalaya and red beans and rice. Foolishly slept over at Eric's on a school night. But that's the nature of whims.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Chicago Love
The moment I stepped foot in Chicago, I fell in love with the city. My first visit was a Fall Break from Grinnell with my good (then new, now nearly 14 (FOURTEEN??) years) friend Jim.

I knew Chicago was my home. And it has been ever since. I love to travel, but I always love to come back to Chicago. To a city I've chosen as home and I love. I feel fortunate to have that.

Here in my Chicago circles, there's been a bit of a kerfuffle about the Chicago Public Radio show This American Life moving to New York.

Stupid ol' New York. It thinks it's the center of the universe. Bah.

I muttered a momentarily "darn it" that TAL was leaving Chicago. Fundamentally, I think This American Life is more a product of the host, Ira Glass, than the city of Chicago. I don't think it'll New-York-ize. If it did, it'd be The Next Big Thing.

Over on my favorite arbiter of All Things Chicago, Gapers Block, there was some trash talking about Ira and the move. Unfortunately, the trash talk was quoted in a local paper. The kerfuffle was increasingly kerfuffling...

Then, Dave Elfving interviewed Ira Glass about Chicago Civic Pride.

Ira Glass ain't got no love for Chicago. Okay, listen for yourself. In the tenth minute of the interview, Glass does conceed some coolness to Chicago. *whew*

I get that with the hours IG works, he could produce TAL on the Mir space station. To a large extent, Chicago itself isn't critical to the show. I get that the NYC kerfuffle was mostly a mountain nee molehill. But I was amazed that Ira Glass was amazed that anyone would be proud of Chicago. Or identify as Chicagoan. Or would think of Chicago as anything more as just a place to live.

I love Chicago.

I am a proud Chicagoan.

I love that in all my travels, when people ask where I'm from and I respond "Chicago" that 98% of them light up. Most people like Chicago, or the idea of it. Seriously, I've met maybe 3 people who've had negative responses to Chicago.

I love the Chicago flag. So much so that it got it's own page.

I know that Chicago birthday is March 4th! Happy 169th, Chic-y Baby!

What I love about Chicago:
- The Lake.
- Daniel Burnham's Plan for Chicago, especially keeping the lakefront public space.
- The completely logical street numbering. Viva la 1908 Chicago City Council.
- The diversity of people.
- The neighborhood-iness. I love my hood.
- That Chicago is the USA's third largest city but it can still act like a small town sometimes.
- People dress for the weather and for comfort (for the most part), not fashion.
- I can get nearly anywhere by bus or train.
- It's a walkable city. I am floored when I travel to other American cities that are sidewalk-less.
- All the free city events and festivals.
- Movie night in Grant Park in the summer. The tripiness that it's just like a drive-in, but we're not in the metal shells of cars.
- Millenium Park and that people wholeheartedly use and enjoy and interact in and with the park. And it's older sibling, Daley Plaza. We do have public spaces.
- That Chicago is the perfect intersection (IMO) of cost-of-living and resources.
- Every kind of food. Cheap options for many types.
- I love to travel, like I said, but I love coming back. Especially by plane at night. Breaking through the cloud cover and seeing the glittery grid of the city.
- That we're the birthplace of the skyscraper.
- Midwestern Metropolis. Not an oxymoron.

I could go on and on. But I got some Chicago-livin' to get back to!


(If you want to wear your Chicago pride on your chest, it got it's own pageyou can go over here.)

All of Me
February's Self-Portrait Tuesday theme is "All of Me."



As you know, I've got no problem showing my rough edges here. And I bask in being a low maintenance woman. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If it ain't shaven, don't shave it. Less is more. Okay, 'cept for my ample size and the bright colors.

But I've never been terribly girly. I didn't want to spend time preening or plucking or rogueing or - when I could spend that time in my head.

I spent years and years in my head and using my hands and treating the rest of my body like a strange machine. Low maintenance is one thing, no maintenance is another. Early 2005, my body went on strike, namely my hands were kaput. Since then, I've been slowly learning more about my whole self, and not just the brain in the jar and the hands.

All of me.

It's been going well. Small changes adding up to big changes. All the basic stuff - exercise, yoga, swimming, resting, relaxing, eating less, eating healthier. Small actions that are all adding up to a healthier me.

I recently sat in the steamroom after my water aerobics class. My body felt different; I felt different. I can read myself much better. Feel my body more. I'm not forcing my body machine to work for the brain in a jar and the hands. The whole system is working together to do only the work I am meant to do.



Ergo, a mud mask every so often. I am a new huge fan of The Body Shop. Every product I've gotten there has exceeded my expectations. This is the Warming Mineral Mask. And it is oh-so-warming. Mmmm...

The impetus is not "Oh, this is what I must do to make my complexion radiant and socially exceptable." Instead, "Gee, that feels good on my skin and I feel good taking time for myself."

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Forget Eric, I've got Stripus



I try to heed Stripus' wisdom, but I am a mere human.


Remembering those halcyon days.


I hope, on this equally inauspicious/auspicious holiday, that you have the love of a good sock monkey.

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Blog, this is Eric. Eric, this is the Me Blog.
Mentioning a new beau, I quickly find out who my blog reading friends are. The beau spotting in my Seattle post prompted about half a dozen "do tell" emails.

The fella is Eric. We met on online personals. Nerve to be exact. I've been too busy enjoying our time together to impose the digital camera. But I finally did this morning:



Basking in Eric's sunny living room.

What to say? We hit it off right away. Easy, peasy. Had a lunch date that left me thinking of a bajillion things I wanted to talk about with him that afternoon. That first date, Eric won the eye contact contest. No one out eye contacts me.

Six weeks in, and it's simply lovely to have someone I'm fond of and who's time is so darn enjoyable to share. Again, what to say? I can say, it's nice to have a private life to keep private. I'll leave the sordid details for my pink girlie diary with the tiny lock under my pillow.

I will say that Eric is a good egg. A total sweetheart. Great sense of humor; we've got a great teasing rapport that's silly and fun with no shades of meanness. We can geek out about favorite big words, like interstitial and liminal. (It's still new and odd to be part of a "we.") We share movies and good meals and plenty of conversation. And I'm darn hummuna hummuna over him. Mutual hummuna hummuna, I think it's safe to say.

Undoubtably, there will be other Eric stories here. To get the minutiae you'll have to steal my diary and find the key. Good luck.


This morning we went out for a great breakfast, I asked Eric to snap a pic of my great patterns and colors between my sweater, shirt and my beloved Blue Buddha Boutique chainmaille cuffs:




And an imploring, tiny-mouthed face.

Friday, February 03, 2006