Day 44 - Coleman Evans

Today at work, I met a man who might be willing to give me a job in his department at the University of Chicago! Trent and Coleman were chatting when I got back from lunch, I joined when they started talking about Arizona. Trent had to leave but Coleman and I kept talking. His undergraduate degree is in Sociolgy and he watches Martin Lawrence stand ups too, what more do two people need to have in common? I followed up with him in the hopes of finding a new friend and his first text asks me if I would be interested in a job in curriculum development in the College of Medicine! I said maybe, please send me the description. We will see if he does. I don't want to get geeked up about it, but if that doesn't show the power of networking, I don't know what does.

Day 43 - Old man magnet

Today at work I spoke to two old men. One said, can I pay you a compliment? I said sure, he said, you are all that, and you can take it how you want it. I don't really know what he meant, but judging from his grin it was probably something dirty. The second one said, how are you doing young lady? I said fine, then he says I didn't ask you how you look, I can see that. I said oh, I'm doing well. It's all idle chatter, I would just prefer to have it with someone my own age.

I think that I am going to have to get a new computer. I'm going to take it to the Geek Squad, but I bet they are going to want as much to fix it as a new one would cost. I had great plans to visit the Oriental Museum this morning but I couldn't find my keys or get my resume from my defunct computer. By the time I got it together, I had to go to work. I will continue in that effort tomorrow. I am still eating chicken florentine, I'll probably be ready to cook something new tomorrow. Let's toast to a productive tomorrow.

Day 42 - The Interrupters

Recipe: Chicken Florentine
Repository: Moody Bible Institute

I spent the morning applying for jobs at the Moody Bible Institute. They had some appealing positions but I could not in good faith answer all of the questions that are included in their application. I couldn't condemn homosexuality and promise not to drink or have pre-marital sex. In the additional information section, I explained that I could respect their point of view, and work there without a bias, but I am more of a religious pluralist and I couldn't pledge allegiance to their doctrine. We will see if my application goes anywhere besides the garbage can in that HR department. I also applied to one at the Chicago Theological Seminary, they weren't as stringent, but they have already selected strong applicants to interview, maybe if they all fall through, they will take a glance in my direction.

After that morning of productive activities, I decided to head to the movie theater. I ran into two women who live in my building yesterday when I was walking Simba, and they were telling me about "The Interrupters", the latest documentary from the man who directed "Hoop Dreams". I thought it was very thought provoking. The film is about a non-profit organization, made of ex-criminals, named Cease Fire, who set out to infiltrate the worst neighborhoods in Chicago and stop violent crimes before they happen. The youth violence in this city is really an epidemic, the UIC researchers that are analyzing this initiative have compared it to a horrible, contagious disease that can be stopped, once the agent is identified. These brave souls are having real dialogues with brothers in rival gangs, mothers who are burying their sons, a sister who watched her brother get shot in the head and die in her arms.

All the perpetrators can say is he disrespected me, and I'm not a punk, so I had to shoot him. It was nuts. The only thing that I can think of is that these kids are suicidal. They live in drug infested neighborhoods, their families don't have money, they are ostracized from main stream society, and they can't get jobs. How can they think about the future when the present is so bleak? They have to know that their actions will lead to death, and maybe they are hoping for a release from their misery. I imagine the ones that make it out are the ones who have been encouraged to love and dream, those are the things that make me value my life. Technically, you don't need money and status to instill optimism and hope in your kids...but how can you do that you have been beat down by life too? The nature of the problem is quite overwhelming. The kicker is that this is all happening less than 5 miles away from my apartment. It is ironic that the film didn't make me more afraid, it made me want to do something to help. I have no idea what that will be, definitely not looking for a fight to stop, but something.

On the way home, I picked up the ingredients for the Chicken Florentine. I got home, placed all the ingredients on the counter. Lauren's kitchen came through with the pots, skillets, pans and measuring cups. I had the recipe book propped up and I was ready to cook! Everything was going great until I busted open my bag of thyme. I literally ripped the bag and thyme flew all over the kitchen. I couldn't stop to clean it up, I had all kinds of fires going on the range. That was awkward. I put lemon juice and corn starch in the spinach, but it was supposed to be mixed, cooked and poured over the final product. I also forgot to put the cheese in the with the garlic/mushroom mixture, which was stuffed into the chicken before I put in the oven. All the ingredients made it in the end, just not the way that the recipe intended. I ate up my portion, so I would give it an 80%. I always thought that I should not be afraid to cook because I can read and follow directions. That might not necessarily be the case. I'm definitely excited to have some food ready to go for tomorrow.

Day 41 - She is shy?!?!?

I woke up to pet duty, I will be glad when Lauren gets back. At least I was up and productive afterwards. I finally figured out how to work the television in my room. I washed all of my linen, and swept the floor. I believe that I was being propelled by my breakfast of champions, a Bloody Mary (garnished with celery) and a bowl of carrots. It was like a V8 with a kick. I continued working on material for my "make a goal, pick a goal. daily" initiative, which will be in effect tomorrow morning. After a quick nap, I decided to go out with a bang before I start cooking, and ordered some Giordano's. If you don't know about Chicago style stuffed crust pizza, you better ask somebody! It literally looks like a pie with a light flaky crust, and all of the cheese and toppings are layered beneath the tomato sauce, it is ingenious. I picked it up and had a delicious late lunch. I was prepared to keep researching and exploring opportunities on the computer when Rachna called.

She was in the area and needed to pick up the credit card that she left in my purse on Friday night. She was going to the library and she asked me if I wanted to check it out. Of course I said yes, because up until then I was not able to enter university libraries because I don't have a student ID. The woman working at the front desk (named Croatia) said that I could get in as a guest of Rachna, and as she was filling out the form Rachna asked her about employment in the library. Croatia was very friendly and I told her about my background and she said that I would be a good candiate for some of their positions. She encouraged me to keep checking in and applying on the HR website. Rachna tried to say that I should come back and talk to more people, and Croatia was like that's not really cool, everyone would just tell me to check the website anyway. Then Rachna leans in to this woman, and says, "she's shy, so we can use any insider information that we can get". I cringed. Croatia then commenced to give me a pep talk about projecting confidence, being persistent, and having a stellar resume. I appreciated her encouragement but it would have been completely unnecessary, if Rachna wasn't always running her mouth.

As soon as we were out of earshot of Croatia, I told Rachna that I did not like her speaking for me as if I wasn't there. She said that she was sorry and she didn't mean to offend me. I told her that I appreciated the help that she was trying to give me but she needs to give me space to operate at my own pace. Even after I left her to her work, 20 minutes later she apologized, and she texted me 3 hours later with the same sentiment. I told her it was just a bump toward us getting to know each other better. I am over it. My senstivity to the situation stems from three fibers of my being. One, I try to put myself in other people's position and nothing good comes from Croatia thinking that I am too "shy..(translate) insecure" to communicate my ideas. Two, I hate to be "put upon", if I can/want to help I will offer it, she/I should not have to figure out a nice way to say no, because other people can't get it together for themselves.Three, just because I am quiet and agreeable, it does not mean that I don't have opinions and preferences. Maybe I vented too much, and she feels like she needs to save me from my under-employed misery, I am capable of saving myself.

I know that Rachna is coming from a good place, she just needs to be careful of overstepping boundaries. I am proud of myself for letting her know that her behavior bothered me. It's good to know that some of my mother's lessons are sticking, she also wanted me to speak up for myself more than I did. My first instinct has always been to "let it ride" or "don't rock the boat", but that's no way to live. I know that I will never call someone out maliciously, so anyone that cares about me will take my concerns seriously. For me, there is never a, net negative outcome for listening to the little voice that says, "I'm not feeling that!".  

Day 40 - Ms. Doolittle is doing a lot

I woke up earlier than usual this morning to feed Simba and Misty, and take Simba for a walk. I had to be at work by 8:45, and I was almost late trying to steer my bike through the adolescent baseball team gathering
behind our building. I was in a good mood so it didn't really matter. The general manager was supervising the store today so I made sure to stay busy. After work I came home and put my resolve to the test. It has been 40 days of traffic jam between my thoughts and my actions. Clearly, I can't just think it and do it. I needed a creative and consistent way to attack these goals. The three major tasks are: to cook more, participate in more archival projects, and find an archives mentor. In this pursuit I have written down every recipe that I want to try and every repository that I want to contact, on separate pieces of paper. Every morning, I will pick a recipe and a repository and I will cook something and call somebody. I will keep track of the outcomes and see what kind of progress I make. I feel like the 40 day mark, the absence of Lauren, and the highs and lows that I experienced on Thursday and Friday, and that back to school, a.k.a. fresh start mentality that comes with September is working for me. If I can blog everyday, I can work on my career and my personal goals everyday too. 

Day 39 - The Intelligence of the Universe

After Arlene's compelling pep talk at the last volunteer meeting, I decided to give her any time that I had available. On Wednesday she sent out an email asking for help with a DuSable mailing. I called her this morning to volunteer, she asked if I could come earlier to run an errand to the post office. I said sure, not realizing that this would be the most time consuming and convoluted trip on Earth. I found out that D'Angelo would be driving me to the post office in the museum van, I had to wait 30 minutes for him to get clearance to take the van, and then driving to and waiting at, the post office for this giant order took about an hour. D'Angelo was very cool, in the car he gave me all kinds of fatherly and encouraging advice about adjusting to a new city. I left as soon as we got back, because I didn't intend to spend my whole day there. Overall it wasn't terrible, but as a former event planner, I know that my time was not effectively used if they were trying to get invitations out for a September 18th event. One great thing about being a volunteer is that I am not responsible for the outcome of these projects.    

I went to Popeye's for lunch, and I am pretty sure that they are serving food behind bulletproof glass. In the drive thru and inside the restaurant, I know this because I paid in the drive-thru, pulled forward, and my food never came. I parked, walked inside and gave my best evil eye to the cashier. She apologized and gave me three extra chicken nuggets, yeah I'm kind of big deal around here. After I ate and watched the Conspirator (not James Macavoy's best work, but it was bearable), I walked to the grocery store. By the time I got back, Rachna had called and wanted to go to dinner. She came by my place and we decided to drive to Chinatown. We wound up at Jai-Yee, this restaurant with a spiral bound menu with 500 items, all with an accompanying photograph. We started with tofu spring rolls, I got chicken and rice, and Rachna had some spicy vegetarian dish with noodles. The highlights were the beverages, she had a mango smoothie and I had pineapple lemonade, so refreshing!

After dinner we wandered around Chinatown, Rachna bought all kinds of rice, dried mushrooms, seaweed and soy sauce from a Chinese grocery store. We pecked and prodded merchandise in random curio shops, and then decided to head back to Hyde Park because I had to walk Simba. Lauren is out of town until Sunday night. We were still pretty energetic and we wanted to check out our local bars. We went to the Woodlawn Tap, where they only accept cash payments. The place is small and noisy, so we had one shot and went outside to smoke, mostly her, I can't take more than a couple of puffs. We met these two random guys who were talking about all kinds of foolishness. After Rachna was sufficiently propositioned by a big eared, hairy chested, pock marked Serbian, we decided that it was time to leave. We walked down the street to the Seven Ten bar and had another drink, as we started yawning and conversation was winding down, we closed the tab and walked back to my place. Rachna got her stuff out of the car and I waited with her until the shuttle came to take her, to her apartment. This was a very nice day, a stiff and welcome contrast to yesterday. 

All throughout the evening, we TALKED. Conversation jumped from one random topic to another, it was actually hard to tell a story from start to finish because we moved from one tangential point to another. I suppose the major topics were Lauren (pros and cons), the ups and downs of creating a career, our families, and how much we miss our friends from home. I found myself talking about my mother alot, and even though Rachna looked at me with a face full of pity, she seemed to believe me when I said I was alright and I didn't need a therapy session tonight. I told her how my mom had thrown a huge engagement party for my brother, 10 weeks before his wedding and 6 weeks before she died, as if she knew what was going to happen. Rachna started to tear up and told me how her grandfather had died the day after her brother's wedding, she said that he had waited. Trying to lighten the mood, I asked her if she thought our relatives were negotiating with death and she said no, it is the intelligence of the Universe. I've always known we were living within a master plan but I've never heard it put that way. It's like a giant game of Wizard Chess, I may not understand every move, but the Universe is already thinking three steps ahead, maybe I should find a church with an altar to Bobby Fischer.

Day 38 - Chaitra went out like Casey...at the bat

The big day arrived and left without any networking fireworks. I got there and turned into Sally Silence. Even with my Bloody Mary, I was relaxed but not in the mood to talk. When I saw Linda from the Arizona Historical Foundation, I said hello but she dashed off to another presentation and I didn't follow up. I saw two other archivists from Arizona, I didn't remember their names but I could have struck up a conversation with our common network. The icing on the cake was that I even saw my most recent contact, Samip from the South Asian Digital Archive in Chicago, and I didn't say anything! I don't know what was wrong with me, but in retrospect I suppose I was feeling inadequate.

I could say that I moved, but I haven't accomplished very much career wise, yet. I assumed that networking should be an exchange and I don't feel that I have much to offer at this point. The whole day was not fabulous in the way that I thought it would be, but there was a silver lining. The sessions that I went to and the people that spoke have inspired me to keep going in my path and give it a lot more effort. After today's disappointment and the subsequent conversation with my sister I realized that I cannot waste my opportunity to make a living at something that I truly enjoy. Of course it is not going to be easy, if it was easy to be employed doing what you love, there would be a lot more rock bands, bakery shops and travel journalists.

I bought two books from the conference and took copious notes in the session about making that leap from student to professional. There are 162 repositories in the Chicago area, and I have contacted 2. I have so much work to do. Don't worry ya'll this chance was demolished as a result of doubt and insecurity, but I haven't given up just yet. In the words of Curtis Mayfield, I gotta keep on pushin'.   

Day 37 - The Storm

I spent the morning cleaning, doing laundry and watching music videos. I executed my final takeover in the bathroom. I put all of Lauren's items underneath the sink and put my stuff in the drawers for easier access. I threw away all of the bottles with just a little bit of product left in the them, and I scrubbed all of the surfaces with bleach. I had to crack open the window because I almost passed out from the fumes. I'm not going to say anything but I get so frustrated when we both get back from somewhere and she goes straight to "my" bathroom because it is conveniently located in the hallway. I'm sure that it would be inexcusable for me to race through her bedroom to the toilet in the master suite. I also have to keep a certain amount of tidiness in the bathroom because all kinds of guests may be using it. Ahhh, one of the many little drawbacks to living in someone else's house.

Around five, I left out to the commuter train to head downtown. I took the Water St. exit instead of Randolph from the station and got very turned around. I was trying to go to the Chicago Cultural Center for a film screening. I looked at my google map, I was only 0.3 miles away, so I kept walking, when I didn't see it in 10 minutes, I realized that I was walking in the wrong direction. I turned around and made it to place 5 minutes after the movie started. Luckily it was just me, and I found a single seat in the middle of a row. The film was called, The Storm (De Storm), it was filmed in Dutch with English subtitles. It was all about this powerful storm in 1953, and how a young mother is determined to find her 5 week old infant in all of the water and chaos. I won't give away the ending but there was a baby thief in the midst. I really enjoyed it, I don't know what I would do if I had to deal with water as high as the roof of my house and watching my mother and sister die right in front of me. The story was thoughtful and the male lead was easy on the eyes. The film series is free and they are showing movies from all around the world until September 24, I am looking forward to checking out another one.

The film was over around 8:15, this is the latest that I have been downtown by myself without my car. I know that I could have taken the commuter train back, but I didn't feel like waiting an hour for it to come. So, I walked down State Street for a little bit. I popped into Old Navy and fought the urge to buy clothes. Then I went to Baskin Robins for some ice cream. I sat down and consulted the travel options on my iPhone. This particular Baskin Robins is a hub for young men who play "Magic: The Gathering", the card game. There must have been 15 boys sitting around 4 tables pushed together with the cards, colorful mats and other accessories, more power to them. I found that the Jackson Park Express bus was picking up just around the corner and I would have a 0.9 mile walk home from the closest stop.

It was nice and breezy and I stopped at several stores on my walk home. Subway was first, considering that just because I started with dessert didn't negate the need for dinner. Then I went to the liquor store to get the ingredients for tomorrow's Bloody Mary. I usually avoid liquor stores mostly because I don't drink that much and I assume that low-lifes and weirdos will populate them. If I had removed my negative perception earlier, I might have seen why my Dad likes them so much. Everyone is in a jovial mood in the liquor store. They smile, say hello and give all kinds of compliments. Granted they might be drunk already, but if you are tired of feeling invisible on the city streets, a liquor store at the least the one in Hyde Park, after 9:00 at night, may be the place for a little recognition.     

Day 36 - Bike Maintenance

Zach and I had an unnecessarily intense conversation about the existence of the Illuminati and who may be a part of it. These are our positions and I think that the evidence supports both ideas, but he is not trying to hear it. Zach thinks that Rupert Murdoch, Jay-Z, Rhianna and countless other successful people have bartered their lives for fame and money. He thinks that they are under the control of this super old organization, its in the lyrics, the decisions they make and the symbols that they use. I happen to believe that Jay-Z and his publicist are at least as smart as 18 year old Zach from Chicago and they are using the folklore to generate a buzz around his image. People spend so much time and energy investigating this conspiracy all the while increasing the fame of those celebrities. I would put a goat on my t-shirt too if I thought someone would be more interested in me and eventually give me more money. Besides how prestigious is your secret society when a Disney move (National Treasure) could reveal the majority of your legend. I ended with agree to disagree but he still seemed pretty worked up about it. Oh well.

I didn't feel the earthquake here today but there were some rain storms rolling in this morning. I forgot the plastic for my bike seat, but I managed to dry it off with my sweater. Luckily the rain had stopped so I biked over to the bike repair shop on 60th and Blackstone. This was the place that I went to buy a bike and they only sold bikes on Saturday, luckily they repair bikes on Tuesday. A nice little girl took the notes on what was wrong and 15 minutes later Chris came and fixed my bike in 5 minutes flat. Apparently the spring had dislodged in the gear shifter, he put it back in position and now the gear stays put. He pumped air into both tires and said that it was no charge. I know that their bike shop employs kids from the neighborhood to give them something constructive to do, so I insisted on giving him 5 dollars for his help. In retrospect, I suppose I could have given more, but it was an easy fix. If I made a dollar an hour, I would be living in my own apartment in Chicago, it was better than nothing. At any rate, my bike runs like a dream. I would take this over car repairs any day, two wheels are the way to go. The rest of the evening was uneventful but I am off of work until Saturday, looking forward to these blank canvas days.

Day 35 - Hiding Out

I made it to work on time today. I need to take my bike to the shop, the gear shift on the handlebar is not working properly and the front tire could use a little air. Every morning I take it to work, I swear I'm going to take it in afterwards, tomorrow for sure. Since I did not have enough sleep yesterday, my 3 hour nap today has made up for it. I didn't mention it before every other day when I get home, the dog or the cat has vomited in the house. I have picked it up before and let Lauren know about it. Today, I was not feeling so generous. I walked past the mess, took my snacks and some DVDs to my room and camped out there all evening. I've also been scrap booking and talking on the phone. I have my big Society of American Archivists conference on Thursday and I need to make sure that I have a Bloody Mary, extra spicy, my resumes and some witty canned answers, ready on that morning. There is no time for strike outs in the Big Leagues.  

Day 34 - Air and Water Show

I've been having terrible dreams about someone destroying my iPhone. I think that this is a sign of my growing dependency on it. During breakfast, Lauren invited me to the Air and Water Show with her and her "little sister", Natay. Natay is an 8 year old girl that lives in our neighborhood that Lauren mentors about twice a month. I've met her before and she was really shy. Today, she let her true self shine through. She likes Selena Gomez, painting her finger nails, and Dunkin Donuts. We made it to the North Avenue Beach and found some space to sit down and watch the last 30 minutes of the show. It was mostly airplanes flying in formations and others super dangerous maneuvers like flying backwards and upside down.

From there the little girl decided that she wanted to go home, but when we got to her house, her mother wasn't home. We decided to take her to her mother at the church. This involved a scenic tour of the South Shore community. The "church" was someone's basement, and Natay's mother wanted to introduce us to her pastor. We went down these steep steps and there was a small pulpit and about 14 chairs lined up for the congregation. Although we couldn't stay they fixed us plates of food and we went on our merry way. The food was delicious, but I wonder what was so distinct about their message that they had to set up shop in a house.

When we got home we relaxed for awhile and then we went to the movies to the see, "The Help" I cried a little bit, but overall I really enjoyed it. Since we were early to the movie theater we got some drinks and an appetizer in the V.I.P. lounge. Remember when I told you about the theater with the assigned seats and the premium tickets? That's where we were at. The lounge was over priced but it had a nice view of downtown from the windows. Lastly, we had to watch the latest episode of True Blood. It is now a quarter after one in the morning and I have to be at work at 7:45 tomorrow. Good luck with that.

Day 33 - Redemption of Auntie Cleo

This morning I had a volunteer meeting at the DuSable Museum. All I could do was listen because these women spent the majority of the time giving "feedback" also known as complaining about the last few events that they had volunteered for. Bless the heart of the volunteer coordinator, Arlene. She is stuck in the middle of a frustrated group of volunteers and an apathetic staff, but Arlene takes it like a champ. One highlight was my introduction to Blair, she shared her bagel with me and we will both be volunteering for the next movie in the park. I joined the historical committee, which as far as I can tell is about the chronicling the exhibits and programs so that we have something to show prospective volunteers. I think that everyone should volunteer to the causes that he or she is interested on a regular basis. It really is a reciprocal source of joy.

Afterwards I drove down the street to my hair appointment at Christian Fields. I get there 10 minutes early expecting to wait 30-40 minutes to get into the chair. Oh no, I check in and before my butt hits the chair in the waiting area, Lorenzo invites me over to the shampoo bowl. Lorenzo is good looking, at about five foot nine, muscular, tattooed and dreadlocks tied up in a headband. He's the shampoo boy! I'm looking around and 5 out of the 9 stylists in the salon are men, it looked like something out of a Zane novel. Lorenzo or as the people on the block call him, Renzo, washed my hair and talked all about playing basketball and being a role model, it was a little preachy but bearable. This salon specializes in working with "natural" also know as the coarse, untreated hair that most Black people are born with. The place was clean and the staff was professional and welcoming. Since most people are getting braids, twists and locs, the smell of hot curling irons and smoke coming from high voltage blow dryers was absent. Instead, there was a trendy little cafe in the salon, serving fresh fruit and smoothies, I could get used to this. It took Dana about 3 hours to twist my hair. The salon conversations and the classic R&B music was pretty standard. The funny thing about locs is that all kinds of people have them, the salon was full of thuggish men as well as sophisticated professionals, very diverse topics of conversation. On my way out, everyone commented on how nice my hair looked, Christian Fields himself asked if he could touch it. They were so sweet, and it could be just a hustle but I don't care, what girl doesn't want to be told that she's pretty? I will definitely be back.

The final activity was meeting up with my aunt Cleo at her hotel near the airport. She called me while I was at the museum and I told her that I was not happy about what went down last night. She said that her and her friends were at Michael Jackson's house in Gary, Indiana yesterday and she thought that my texts were in reference to today. Really?!?! She reminds me of my brother because they both operate without regard for other people, when you tell them that they hurt your feelings, they say oops (maybe you'll get a sorry, but don't hold your breath), and keep moving on. If you press them, trying to get some sort of reasoning or remorse, then in their eyes you are the obstinate one, you have to either a) swallow really hard and admit that staying mad is not going to help or b) stay mad and do without their company until you succumb to option a, because they have no problem cutting you off. The sick part is when you are on good terms with either of them they are kind, generous and funny, the type of person that you would want to be around.

So, I chose option A this afternoon. We had dinner in Rosemont and then we drove to the south side, so that she could take a look at my place. I was so nervous, because I knew that whatever she saw would be reported to my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandma. I can attest to their, in some cases my, scathing judgments on the lives of our relatives. I got turned around on the freeway three times, had problems with the windshield wipers and parallel parked in a crumby fashion, we made jokes through it but when we were about to leave she wanted me to ask Lauren to come so that I didn't have to drive back alone. Lauren and Cleo were very cordial, the one deal breaker was Misty the cat, who has free range on the kitchen counters. My aunt would not even drink the water that I gave her, assuming that it was unsanitary. Our place is very clean and it doesn't smell like animals, but I guess that everyone is entitled to their opinion. I was concerned that my aunt would say something offensive but she held her tongue for the most part. On the car ride back to Rosemont, I told her all of Lauren's relationship woes, and she agrees that this woman is ridiculous and needs to spend more time working on herself before trying to get a man to commit to her, AMEN!

Day 32 - Cold Aunt Cleo

My aunt Cleo had mentioned that she would be in Chicago this weekend, but she never shared any details with me, so I wasn't sure that she was coming at all. Yesterday around noon, she told me on Facebook that she was boarding a plane and would be here around 6:00 in the evening. I assumed that I would link up with her after the Peter Pan show. When I called her, she said that she didn't want me out driving at night, and she was in the bed anyway, how about tomorrow. I told her that I had to work from 12 until 6:30, but I could meetup with her afterwards. She was going to see The Wiz on the southside, 9 blocks from my house on Friday, so I thought it would be perfect. The play started at 7, I told her that I could pick her up after the show, we could kick it and then I could drive her back to her hotel. She says "K". Around 9:30, I tell her that she should call me when its over, and I'll be right over. One hour later she says "K". Another hour later, I ask if she is still in the play, and I get no response. I think she is leaving tomorrow, and I have plans for the day, so that's it. I thought we were pretty close, but this feels mighty cold. If my neice moved to Chicago, hundreds of miles from all of her relatives, I would make seeing her a priority. It's like my Grandpa Flanagan used to tell my mom, keep your expectations low and you won't be disappointed. Disappointment sucks.

Day 31 - Peter Pan

Today was my day off, and I decided to take Ayisha's advice and enjoy it. I have been trying to visit vintage stores, looking for my 4th Avenue (Tucson) equivalent out here. I keep hitting dead ends, today was no exception. I went to the "back of the yards" neighborhood, it's named after it's former glory as a meat packing district. If you read Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle", you could have a better idea of what that might have looked like. Of course, it doesn't look like that now, but there is an industrial area that gives of a rather pungent odor. The main street with stores looked more like Nogales than Chicago to me. The signs were in Spanish and items in all of the stores looked like something from K-Momo or the Tanque Verde Swap Meet. I looked but I couldn't even pay 5.00 for somthing that would shrivel up on the first wash. I went back to the Marshall's in my neighborhood and found a few items. I also made it to Christian Fields, which is the hair salon that was recommended to me. I had a party foul moment when I pulled really hard on the door and it didn't open. All these people are looking at me, and I mouth, are you open? They guy is like yes, just push. I felt so stupid! I spoke to Dana about different styles and prices, and I have an appointment for Saturday at 1:00.

I spent the afternoon relaxing and getting ready for the main event, I had bought a ticket to the Peter Pan show at the 360 Entertainment Theatre. When I was in London in 2009, this play debuted in Kensington Gardens but I chose to see "Avenue Q" and the "Lion King" instead. My classmates raved about the acrobatics and costumes and I was sorry that I missed it. The show is only in Chicago for one more week, so I made plans to catch it. I didn't think that I would make it in time because traffic was so bad, but I arrived 30 minutes before the show started. I was concerned about parking all afternoon, thinking that I would have to pay an arm and a leg for garage parking, but there was a lot right next to the theatre. However, they only accepted cash, and I was cashless. When I asked the attendant about another option, he was like "why don't you just park here?" I explained how I didn't want to be late and he assured me that a quick stop at CVS returning to the lot wouldn't take much time, then he directed traffic so that I could back out of the turn in. He was right, I made it to my seat with 10 minutes to spare.

I must admit that I thought "Hook" with Robin Williams was the same as the original story of Peter Pan, it's actually more of a sequel. Instead of Tiger Lily, I think we have Rufi-Oooo. At any rate, the play stuck to the original story and made use of very simplistic props but extraordinarily advanced technology. The stage was round, and theater was small enough so that there were no bad seats. The theatre seemed constructed just for this show, on a lot across for the Chicago Tribune building and alongside the Chicago River. The lobby had souvenir stands, children's activities and giant posters illustrating the history of the story from the novel to the stage and film. The whole production took place within a large tent, on the ceiling animated CGI images were projected. When Wendy and the others were flying to Neverland, images of London and the ocean sailed by all around them and above the audience. My favorite part was when Tinkerbell almost died, and the whole audience had to say, "I believe in fairies" to bring her back to life, too cute. I also liked the mermaids, they came down from the ceiling in giant turquoise "drapes" they twisted and turned in them until they were sliding around the floor.  The pirates were funny and the Lost Boys were endearing. It was a very engaging performance.

After the play I had a great conversation with my friend Joseph, he may visit before the year is over. Instead of paying for the overpriced theatre food, I decided to pick something up on my way home. I thought it would be a great opportunity to try out an East Coast favorite, White Castle. At 10:00 at night, I waited in line at the drive through behind four other cars. I ordered the number 1, 4 burger sliders with cheese, fries and a drink. When I got home and bit into the the first burger, I almost gagged. The burgers are gooey like baby food, I felt like I could squish it up into a ball. The ingredients are indiscriminate, it looks like someone squeezed a "cheese, onion, pickle" liquid on a 1/8 of an inch burger patty and slapped it in between two pieces of white bread. No bueno. I scraped off the "topping and got through 2 of them, but I had to throw the others away, yuck! At least now I know for myself, west coast wins the burger battle, give me In-n-Out anyday.

I saw the sign which indicated the street in front of my place is being cleaned tomorrow, so I had to park on the next block. City living can be such a burden, :)

Day 30 - Tres Reinas y un Rey

I woke up early this morning and walked to the grocery store. Among other random items including a container of rosemary and fresh baked bread, I found a ham sandwich on an onion bagel. Onion bagels are my new favorite. How come no one ever told me about these before? The work day was so-so, but I did follow up with Rachna afterwards. We, including Lauren decided to go to Edwardo's for pizza at 9:00. The conversation was boring at first but then we got into a nice rhythm. Lauren is a very analytical and straightforward person with an endless supply of ex-boyfriend stories and career advice. Rachna is very analytical and smart too, she just happens to be 100x more expressive and audacious than me or Lauren. How do I fit in? I feel like I am the white paint that makes the black turn grey and the red turn pink. I'm too much of thinker to co-sign with the strong opinions that they have on certain topics. Our server's name was Rey and he was a super cutie. We made so many offensive comments about him and asked him questions with all kinds of sexual innuendo. He kept grinning and playing along so I am assuming that he wasn't offended. I love how Lauren and Rachna are older and no longer bashful, they see men, jobs, clothes, anything that they want and they flirt, connive, save, ask until they get it. I have so much to learn.

Day 29 - Little Yellow Minions

The highlight of today was discovering that Patsy and I share an affinity for "Despicable Me". That is one of the best kid's movies that I have ever seen, and it is on everyday on HBO, I can't get enough. I spent the evening, doing laundry, watching movies and writing thank you notes to the individuals who wrote letters of recomendation for me. Rachna called to see if I wanted to get dinner, I had to shut her down. Isn't that terrible? Even if I'm in a new city, I'm still me..I like keeping my money in my pocket and relaxing on my own terms. Do you realize how much energy it takes to get to know people, more than I had tonight. I will call her tomorrow to see if we can go then. Rachna would be a nice chnge of pace, she is always talking to strangers when we go out. She may just be the wave I ride into a real social circle.

Day 28 - Bright and Early

This was my first early day at work, 7:45 to 2:15 and the morning flew by. I had terrible lunch, when the Lean Cuisine box says 9 minutes on 50% power, they are not kidding. If you can't change the power, it would be better to cook for a few minutes and then assess, then you might not end up with a burnt up mess like I did. After work I gathered all of my materials to take to Dominican University in River Forest. I made a quick stop at the post office, and then I made my way (in my car) over the 14 miles of freeway to the school. I wanted to check out the downtown Oak Park area, but there was nowhere to park and my drive down the street didn't reveal any store that I wanted to visit. The neighborhood is famous because Frank Lloyd Wright designed a few buildings and his studio is  located here. I've taken the tour before.

Lauren had a GroupOn for our local Mediterranean restaurant, Cedar's. I met her for dinner, the food was good. I had spare ribs with a pomegranate sauce, tika chicken, rice and vegetables, all for only seven dollars. Unfortunately, conversation took a turn for the worse, as we circled back to the well worn subject of her love life. Between her, my co-worker and several of my friends, they are determined to figure out what men think. As if men were babies whose signs we have to interpret....its killing me. Excuse my language, but I couldn't give a rat's ass about a man who can't communicate what he wants, or if his actions demonstrate something that I don't want. We probably could have a cure for cancer if we put these "man hours" toward something constructive. I'm stepping down from my soap box, its just that my patience is running thin.

Thank God for my friend, Lauren Smith (from Phoenix) who I talked to today, who also feels this way and has assured me that I'm not crazy. Let's all send positive vibes to Lauren Smith because she is planning a move to New York City to pursue her dreams, it's our time, 80's babies, prepare those rocket launch pads!

Day 27 - The First Unitarian Society of Chicago

Everybody that I know who has made drastic moves like this has told me that I need to go to church to meet people. This is tricky for me because I don't subscribe to any particular religion. Lucky for me, Hyde Park has an affinity for religious pluralism. I am interested and making a visit all of the churches in my neighborhood. I started with the Unitarian one this morning. I have never been to a service like this before. I knew that it was a church without a Christian bias, but it was built like a cathedral with the spatial design of a cross. There were angels in the colorful stained glass window, all the other design elements were geometric and random colorful quilts hung on the walls. The service started with a reading of a children's book, with an invitation for everyone to sit on the carpet around the reader. There was not a choir, just one woman who sang African American spirituals, a man who played folk music with his guitar and the audience sang three different hymns from the supplied hymnal book. The minister read poetry and an excerpt from Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451". His sermon was a long essay about his experience with memory, giving anecdotes about his college roommate, his daughter and his father's bout with Alzheimer's. All of the songs and stories revolved around the theme of memory. It felt more like a professor's lecture than any religious forum that I had experienced. I'm a little torn because I like the diversity of their congregation and their emphasis on equity and compassion, but I was sooo bored in the service. It is also a nice place to be anonymous, which can be convenient at times. There is no one there greeting you at the door and asking you about your family and when you are coming back, like every other church that I've been to. I would go again, but I am anxious to explore some other places of worship.

Day 26 - Bud Billiken Parade

I woke up at 6:30 AM to get ready for the parade today. There is more information on the parade at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Billiken_Parade. It's kind of a big deal. I joined the DuSable float team at the White Castle on 35th and Cottage Grove. From there we walked to our "float" also known as two vans with DuSable painted on the side. I met Q who is from Hattiesberg Mississippi, and Antoinette, who's sister is going to Johnson C. Smith college in Charlotte. I talked to a couple of high school kids about where they think they might want to college. I met a couple of museum curators, docents and a textile artist whose work is currently on display. I also have a lead on a new hair salon, very excited for that one. We waited 90 minutes before the parade started moving, and we had to walk 5 blocks before we were merged into the line. All the while, there were high school bands and drill teams, political floats, radio stations, and other community organizations.

DuSable was lucky enough to get a Capoeira group to walk with us in front of the vans. They had two of the tallest, dreadlocked, flexible and rhythmic dance fighters ever. It was like watching a man in a mirror to see those two in those action-reaction kind of movements. The Buffalo Soldiers group was there with a horse cavalry. As the floats were merging, I prayed that we would not be behind the horses....of course we were behind the horses! Fortunately, they had the the shovel and the industrial strength vacuum to pick up the horse shit. However, the smell and the pauses to settle horses and rake up the mess were a bit of a damper. We made the most of it, we sang the Capoeira songs, clapped our hands, and waved at the people along the parade route, it was fun. When we got to Washington Park, there was food waiting for us at the museum.We walked from 35th to 55th street, and then I had to walk home, it was a long day.In summary, there were some awkward moments when I didn't know what to say or where to stand, but I'm glad that I stuck it out. I don't have any big plans with these people, they probably don't remember my name, but maybe if they see me in the street, they will wave. It is a start.

Day 25 - Shoeless Joe Jackson

I went to work at noon today and stayed until the store closed at 6. I now have a locker and I met the final manger, Patsy. She says toats instead of totally. That's cool, in retrospect, I think it is something that Paul Rudd said in "I love you, man". That was a funny movie, so she can have some cool points. Trent gave me all kinds of projects and then disappeared so it was a nice day of working at my own pace. I found time to read parts of the book, Chicago's Most Wanted. This book had all kinds of stories about the city's infamy. I read how Hugh Hefner started Playboy magazine in Chicago, after he graduated from the University of Illinois. I learned how the "Shoeless" Joe Jackson was baned from professional baseball after he was suspected of helping the White Sox throw the 1919 World Series. It was a nice format because all of the vignettes were short and to the point. After work, I returned my Red Box movies and ordered a calzone from "Pockets". "Jumping the Broom" was sweet but had the same format of every movie with an all Black cast, I am praying for a break from the formula. "Source Code" was not as good as my sister said it would be. It was like Groundhog Day with higher stakes, I actually talked on the phone for part of the movie. When I got home. I watched a couple episodes of "Frasier" and then had a marathon conversation with my travel buddy, Jeanetta. We have tentative plans for Thanksgiving in Charlotte.

Day 24 - One of those faces

Today I received a new assignment so the day went by really fast. On my way out, a woman who never had more than two words to say to me, talked for 45 minutes about her relationship woes. 45 minutes! This woman has been dating a man for 4 years and 2 weeks ago, he decided that he had enough on his plate with his job and his kids, so he didn't want to be with her anymore. She talked and talked about how much she had invested and how his family loved her and there was no way that it was over just like that. What am I supposed to say to this? Good luck, guilting someone into being with you. It was insane, I kept looking at my phone, backing away, I made it to the hallway and she leaped up and talked me all the way into the stairwell. I think that I might have one of those faces where people just feel compelled to share, or maybe she was just destined to spill her beans, and I happened to be the nearest pair of ears. If I'm so addicted to school, I need to sign up for Conversation Exits 101.

I biked to the grocery store after work. I used my Epicurian app to find a recipe for kale, Kale and White Bean Soup. Two new purchases included navy beans and parmigiano reggiano cheese rind. The recipe was simple but it took 2 and a half hours by the time I cooked the beans and let the soup simmer. It was pretty good, and very healthy. I will be taking a bowl to work tomorrow. On my way home with my groceries balanced precariously in my backpack and my right hand. I thought that only a new city could make the mundane seem so exciting. Living here is like shopping with extra money in the bank, relaxed and confident. I could get anything that I want, but it is fun to just a look around and find that one item that I can't do without. Living in Phoenix was like shopping when I am broke, frustration and anxiety, all I thought about was what I may be missing out on, the dog days are over.

One observation about The University of Chicago is that it is a stark contrast from Arizona universities. Keep in mind that this university has produced more Nobel Prize winners than any other university in the country. This is where they first split the atom bomb, where Barack Obama taught constitutional law, and where the writers of Freakanomics and Super Freakanomics received their schooling. Clearly the emphasis is not on the cover, it is on the content of a person. I have never seen so many fuzzy legged, frizzy haired, frumpy looking women in my life, but they don't seem to mind. The sun tanned, short skirt, mani/pedi and make up wearing population does not dominate the way that it does in Arizona. I can't say whether it is a good thing or not, but it is definitely a difference.

Day 23 - Bookstore Apathy

On the second day she learned that this is really just a job. I clock in, do mundane work, go to lunch, do more mundane work and then go home. I could shelve 200 books or 20 books and no one would notice. Don't get me wrong, my paycheck will be welcomed, this is just no place to rest on one's laurels. When I told Zach that I wanted a new job, he was like that's cool, I'll tell Erin that you were insubordinate we can terminate you during the probation period. He laughed but that would not be funny. This little job saved me from succumbing to my education addiction. As many of you know, I was thinking about going back to school a few weeks ago, but now I am re-focused on my "working" archives ambition. As luck would have it, there is potential paid position at the DuSable Museum to help process their collections. That would be perfect. This may be another sign that a little sacrifice and patience can be rewarded.

Day 22 - Everyone is an asshole...on their worst day

I felt like a first grader getting ready for school this morning. I made a hot breakfast, my bag lunch was in my backpack, and I rode my bike across a crosswalk, manned by a crossing guard. I start later in the day this week, so maybe I won't be juvenile stereotype in the future. First day of work, here is a rundown of the players. Erin is the assistant manager, she hired me and she has a very pleasant attitude about her job. Trent is another manager, he is not a morning person and he spent the morning training us. Zach is the 18 year old kid who has the same job as me and changes his name tag before he deals with customers, so that he won't get in trouble when they complain. Then there is Caitlyn who was also hired last week, she is a recent grad of U of C, she is also working in a lab on campus to pursue her interest in evolutionary biology.

Caitlyn and I did all of the HR paperwork, then we learned the layout of the store and spent the rest of the day shelving and straightening. This is very familiar from my time at the library, but there is no age old classification system that tells you where the books go. You have to look up every single item and there are subsections that aren't really labeled. On a positive note, I have seen some scarves, rain boots and some blank cards that I will want to purchase with my 35% discount. There are a lot of employees here and some other interesting characters that I am eager to get to know better.

When Trent had to take a phone call, he left the training to Zach. Zach was clearly not comfortable in this position and just started running his mouth on the more candid aspects of the job. He told us how relaxed the job was, so much that he didn't seem fazed that he was recently chewed out for being a no call, no show last week. He told us that we would always want to look busy when the general manger was around, because he was an asshole. I said that's kind of harsh, and he was like, "everyone is an asshole on their worst days". I suppose that is true, maybe Zach gets some points for seeing the situation from more than one angle. Another side note is that my (ahem..) "company", has a no blogging policy, so I'm a real rebel now. For real, I'm going to limit my mention of what happens in the store. Could you imagine if I was sued or fired for not following company policy? I'd rather not tempt fate.

Day 21 - Epicurian App

I rode my bike to Hyde Park and Indiana looking for a thrift store. Instead I found some suspicious characters and another bad lead from yelp. At least it was nice outside and the route home involved a trek through the trails of Washington Park. I was going to drive to another thrift store in Hyde Park, but I couldn't find that either. I wound up at the grocery store. After that I took a nap, did some laundry, and cleaned the kitchen. I found a new app for my iPhone, it's called Epicurian. With it I can get recipes on demand and generate shopping lists based what's in your cabinet, how experienced of a cook you are, or what you feel like eating. This app led me to makes seared chicken with a tomato sauté with rice and lima beans, it was delicious. I spent the rest of the night reading and relaxing, tomorrow is going to be a big day.

Day 20 - Let the Rain Pour Down

I had great plans to check out the Chicago History Museum today but some laziness got a hold on me. I wound up spending the morning and early afternoon dozing in and out of sleep. Lauren and I watched The Blind Side, Flipped and episodes of Basketball Wives. We spent commercials talking and getting to know each other better, and after 19 days of discussing her disappointing love life, she finally asked me about mine. I summarized my three transformative relationships with the following statements....

Bachelor #1 - I loved him, he loved someone else
Bachelor #2 - He liked me, I was not ready for him
Bachelor #3 - I liked him, he played me

You all can guess who these lucky bastards were. At any rate, I felt a little exposed, so I took a little walk. It rained in the morning but it looked like the sky was cleared up and the temperature was cool. When I got back Lauren decided to go to Border's to use her gift card, I invited myself to join her. Since she works at the downtown campus of Northwestern, she can get covered parking near the Magnificent Mile for free all the time. After parking, we took the bus to the South Loop for Borders. Then we got some Garrett's popcorn, a Chicago classic. We waited in line for 40 minutes to cheese flavored mixed with caramel flavored popcorn. It was good, a little rich for me, I can only eat a little bit at a time. Then we took the bus back uptown to check out Nike Town and The Gap. When we were leaving the Gap, the rain started. Everyone was crowded at the entrance trying to wait out the down pour...not us. We tied up our hair and our bags as best as possible, and made a run for it. It was fun at first, and then it was cold, damp clothes and cool breezes are not a good mix. I love that Lauren was not too prissy for the rain, I think that we will continue to get along.

Ola came over later with some Nigerian food, it was alright. I had a long and thoroughly entertaining conversation with my dear sister (I'm still waiting on that list of 25). Finished up the night with the latest episode of True Blood, nothing to complain about on this side of the Mississippi.

Day 19 - The Big Easy

I took the Admiral out for a spin today. I biked to the 57th Street Beach. It was overcast but still pretty warm. I rode around the lakefront a little further, found a bench and read a little bit of my book. I'm reading Susana Clarke's "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell", although it is science fiction and very long, I am determined to finish it. After awhile I went to find something to eat. On 55th and Cornell, I saw a brunch special at the Big Easy restaurant. I ordered catfish, scrambled eggs and roasted potatoes. I ate all by myself, just listening to other people's conversations and watching people walk by. A highlight were these honey covered, raisin filled ho cakes that preceded my meal, very delicious. Next I rode to Powell's bookstore on 57th. I spent two hours in this amazing place. As soon as I thought I had browsed all of the shelves, I saw a door, went through it and there was another room, twice as big as the first. Books about Photography, Chicago, Greek History, literary critiques, anything you could think of. Then I saw a staircase, I go downstairs and they have all the discount books, manga books, science fiction, and travel books. One drawback is that they want you to buy and leave, there are no comfy chairs and well lit corners in Powell's bookstore. I was sitting on step stools and leaning on bookshelves to flip through books. After that I rode home, it was a nice break in the monotony. I've got the Admiral's lock up procedure down to a science.

Day 18 - Seven Ten Lanes

If anyone comes to visit me, we will take a stroll down to the Seven Ten Lanes bowling alley/bar/restaurant and game room. There is something for everyone. Lauren, Ola and I went down there tonight. We played two games, I came in third on both. We had two rounds of drinks. Then walked ourselves on home. I felt like my buzz was wasted, no one to flirt or dance with. That's alright, soon enough I'll find some fun single girls to go out with. I spent the day reading my book, watching Forrest Gump and cleaning the kitchen. I did go out for a few hours, searching for work clothes. I found a Burlington Coat Factory and a Marshall's close to my place, so my goal was achieved.

Day 17 - The Green Line

Although I went to the Newberry Library today, traveling on the trains and buses were more memorable. The Newberry Library is located near the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago. It is an independently funded library that is open to the public. Their collection consists of materials related to history and the humanities. Anyone can do research there, you just have to present your reasons and the topic of your research. They get alot of individuals doing genealogy research. I took the tour, which consisted of a senior citizen who told the story of Walter Newberry and looked like she was going to fall asleep, after every 2-3 sentences. She also walked us around and showed us how the building has changed over time and where the different departments were. It's a neat place, I might go back to check out their collection on Chicago history.

On my way there, I took the commuter train to the Randolph Street station (across the street from Millennium Park). The Randolph station looked like an airport terminal, with the restaurants and bright lights and clean public restrooms. It was a hub for connecting to bus and train lines in the city. From there I had to take the Red line to Chicago Ave, and walk to the library. I had a few hours to kill before the tour, so I had some lunch at the Corner Bakery and window shopped at the Water Tower mall. To get home, I had to take the Red Line to Roosevelt, then the Green Line to Garfield, and the #55 bus to my street. I had been avoiding the Green Line because my roommate said it was dangerous, but I have come to think that she might have been a bit dramatic. Granted, people get shot in Chicago. A lot of these crimes happen on the Southside. The Green Line runs through the Southside. However, plenty of good people live on the Southside and ride the Green Line, plus I was giving it a try at 4:30 in the afternoon, hopefully the hoodlums are still at home. At any rate, the ride was fine. I overheard an intense, multi-generational debate about the impact of prison on Black males and their communities. These men were breaking it down, so that it could forever and consistently be broke. The "man" was in the business of "mind control" and they pay millions of dollars to imprison or keep "the proud black man" down. I think they are starting a book club, starting with the Malcolm X biography, and meeting on the train again next week.

Day 16 - Inside is for the Birds

I am constantly battling the impulse to go outside and explore. On one hand, I'm in Chicago, why am I watching Judge Judy? On the other hand, I need to be on the computer, researching jobs and following up with inquiries on archives. I need to sit my happy ass at home, this is not a vacation. So, I spent the morning cleaning the condo, responding to emails and taking a quick walk to the grocery store. I spent the afternoon taking a nap, writing more emails and making a spaghetti dinner. I caught Dinner for Schmucks, this may be the dumbest movie ever created. If you haven't seen it, consider yourself blessed. In the evening I watched two episodes of America's Next Top Model and researched various repositories in Chicago. There is a Bronzeville Historical Society where they are collecting oral histories of Black people who moved to Chicago from southern states in the 50's and 60's. That might be a cool project to get involved with. A email and a phone call from two of my favorite mentor/friends really brightened the day. I am in constant need of positive reinforcement, anything confirming that I didn't trade broccoli for peas, I'm here for something better, like rainbow sherbet ice cream!

Day 15 - Today's word, J-O-B

Today I had a an interview at The University of Chicago Bookstore. This bookstore is an affiliate of Barnes and Noble, and even though it has all the textbooks, its got a pretty nice general book section. Thank you Scottsdale Public Library for giving me all kinds of insight to reader's advisory. Erin, the assistant manager, was very friendly. We interviewed in a walkway, she asked me a few generic questions, she answered a phone call during the interview, and told me I was overdressed (for a regular work day). These are the highlights of course. I'm starting out as a part-timer in the "book" department, after she checks out my references. Victory, put it in a bottle and sell it to your friends!  

Day 14 - Post Graduate Coursework?

I talked to the director of the PhD program at Dominican University for about an hour today. She was telling me about some factors to consider before entering into this commitment. She explained ways for me to tailor the program to address my interest in Archives. She also suggested that I look at the University of Pittsburgh for a similar set up, perhaps with more opportunities for fellowships. I was pretty inspired, and I began to get some balls rolling for my application, ordering test scores and asking for letter of recommendation, etc. Ideally, I would like to find a job that allowed me to practice my archival skills while I am working on my PhD. I like the fact that the faculty at Dominican are flexible and trying to help students find the right fit instead of just focusing on their enrollment numbers. I also have the option to defer admission if I find that the timing isn't right at this point. I wish that I could put in a life order the same way I order Chinese takeout. Mine would include a part time job as an archivist, admission to the PhD program, a diverse group of hip Chicago friends, a nice scholarly boyfriend, and enough discretionary money to visit friends and family around the nation. Aaah, the search for fulfillment continues....

Day 13 - Lovely Day

I started the day with  a bowl of Rice Krispies and plans to meet Rachna at the Hyde Park Street Fair. The fair took up about 5 blocks from 53rd to Lake Park. There was a variety of music and food, along with all kinds of artisans. I saw alot of jewelry that I would have bought, but I fought the impulse. Now is not the time to buy more things that will clutter up my space. The artwork was amazing, my mom would have had a field day. They had LaShun Beal prints, LaShun Beal pictures were all over my Aunt Dorothy, Cleo and Vera's, as well as Grandma Flanagan's homes. Another painting depicted people but they were all different shades of blue, with a random red hat or red scarf scattered within it, was my favorite. Rachna bought 3 wooden wall hangings of a Hindu goddess. Another highlight was a light conversation from a police officer, working as a security guard at the event, his name was Allen. Allen was tearing up some Caribbean food when I sat next to him under the shade. Relax, no romantic sparks..he told me more than I ever I wanted to know about the Chicago Police Department, and which local restaurants to avoid because of health code violations. Apparently, there are places that have been shut down multiple times, but because of who they know, the closure never sticks. Suffice to say, there is no Dirty Dining segment on the news here, to let the public make our own decisions. It was super hot, but hanging out with Rachna and seeing the clever ways that people have found to make a dollar were very entertaining.

Later this afternoon, Lauren and I decided to bike to Northerly Island to check out the Anthony Hamilton and Jill Scott concert. We packed our backpacks with all kinds of snacks and a bottle of moscoto and headed over there around 7:30. The concert venue was outside, so we could hear all of the music from the park on the other side of the venue, for free. A lot of people had this idea and we enjoyed watching people clapping and dancing to their favorite songs, miles away from the source of the music. Biking to the city center at dusk was absolutely breathtaking, the skyline is amazing, I don't think that I will ever get tired of it. We left the concert around 9:30, knowing that we would have to bike back in the dark was not a pleasurable thought. There are areas of the path that are not lit, I didn't like having the water to my left and a dense migratory bird habitat on my right and no clue if there was a rock in my path. Not to mention, Lauren is swift like the wind on her bike, I spent the majority of the ride 50 feet behind her. I had every twisted vision of psychopaths abducting me and throwing me into Lake Michigan, leaving no evidence. I biked my butt off, and returned to Hyde Park without a hitch. Today made me feel like I am achieving the life that I have been dreaming of, it's not beyond my reach.