Day 68 - A Date?

Today was very long. I worked from 9:00 to 5:00, essentially. The weather was rainy and cold when I had to walk to work in the morning, by the time I had to walk home, the sun was out, I had to carry my big coat and stow away my umbrella. I wasn't as productive today because Patsy snapped at me, I don't like that mess. I won't even bring up the petty circumstance, but suffice to say that I hate being called out on a normally acceptable action when I have been going above and beyond anything that anyone else in my department has done, since my first day. When I am a manager, I will remember the track record before I try to ruin some one's day. Anyway, 5:00 came and I don't have to go back until Monday.

I came home with every intention of watching season four of Mad Men and eating a homemade pita pizza. 30 minutes into my relaxing evening, Rob calls and asks if I am going to the Hyde Park Jazz Festival. I was thinking about going but I didn't want to go by myself and I assumed that it would be over by the time that I got off work. He was already up there, so I told him that I would join him in an hour or so. We met at the Rockefeller Chapel, which is an enormous Gothic cathedral that lines the Midway Plaisance. We watched a big band perform for a few minutes. Their rendition of "Round Midnight" by Thelonius Monk was very soothing. Next we crossed the street to an outdoor venue that was adjacent to all kind of vendors. It was just like the Hyde Park Street Fair with the homemade clothes and jewelery for sale, as well as a wide assortment of delicious treats. Unfortunately, I didn't have any cash, and I didn't feel comfortable taking money from an unemployed person who said he wasn't hungry. We both decided the music was too loud so we strolled over to the Booth School of Business where he showed me this sculpture that he likes. It looks like a tree with boulders placed on the branches. The "tree" is made of metal and we couldn't tell if the boulders were real or not. Then we went to the Robie House, a Frank Lloyd Wright building, and I told him all about Taliesen West in Scottsdale.

Then we walked back toward the university quadrangle, where there is a flower garden and posters for his beloved Oriental Museum. He explained this statue of a half man, half bull that was found outside the tomb of some Assyrian king, he actually consulted his notebook to tell me when the tomb was built...what could I say? We looked at the gargoyles that line the buildings of the quadrangle and detoured through the pond, where he remembered that someone from his grammar school fell in when they were younger. We stumbled upon another jazz concert venue, Mendel Hall where we witnessed an amazing performance from our seats in the balcony. DK Dyson was the lead vocalist, and she was amazing. Her voice was so clear and crisp, her hair was loc'ed and tied up in an elaborate bun. Her black tunic and skirt were accentuated with a wide belt at her waist.

When the audience wasn't clapping in time with the music, she said, "don't make me come down there", she came down there anyway and sang around and through them. I was enjoying it so much, it made me sad to think how much my mom would have liked it too. My whole notion of stretching the most out of life comes from the exciting stories she would tell and pictures she would show me of her on beaches in Madrid and nightclubs in Amsterdam. The whole time that I was in Europe, she was the only one that I talked to and she kept telling me not worry about the money, see and do EVERYTHING, I would never regret it, she was right. I really wish that she was here to share these experiences with me today, even if it was only over the phone. I felt myself getting emotional, but I excused myself and when I came back, Rob didn't seem to notice.

By the time the performance ended, the temperature had dropped and I was ready to go home, Rob said that he would walk me but he would also like to have his bike. We thought we would walk to his bike, he would walk me home, then he could ride himself home. The distance was greater that he had anticipated, and he worries that walking will make him skinnier (who says that?). Luckily by the time that we got to his bike, the festival shuttle was coming by. So, I hugged Rob good-bye and saved myself a good 20 minutes of walking, and made it home by 10:00. Overall my time with him was nice. He gave me a few compliments, offered to pay for something and asked me how I was liking everything. He seemed to appreciate the music on an intellectual level but he wasn't "feeling" it, so kudos to him for not complaining or interrupting my experience. Walking around that immaculate campus at night with the moon shining and jazz music playing in the background, was so cliche, it was like a scene from one of my favorite romantic comedies but I didn't reduce myself to that. I didn't indulge myself with any long stares, mildly suggestive closeness, or awkward romantic status questions. I still have alot of reservations about him, but I was happy to take part in another one of my new neighborhood's traditions.