Trampling Upon Chalk Drawings and More Tales From Today
The city was eerily quiet today. Because of the light foot traffic, I not only noticed but was able to read the chalk drawings and carefully scrawled messages along the sidewalks on Madison. "Go Bears" and other such pump-us-up cheers. I immediately flashed back to this form of viral messaging from college, where you only had to look down at the sidewalk to learn where the biggest house parties would be held each night. Funny how some things never go out of style and the littlest of things can bring me back to those days.
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Speaking of little things, one of the biggest excitements of the month arrived today with the grand opening of the 7-11 two doors down from my office. Adams Street hasn't seen so much excitement between Franklin and Wacker since the summer's immigrant march. I must say, I am very excited about this opening and have already made friends with the workers. Walgreens two blocks away? You can kiss my business good-bye (unless I need an emergency prescription, in which case I love you very much).
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It's true that I am mesmerized by other people's conversations. You could be talking about the most boring thing on the face of the Earth, but if I'm within in earshot I find it hard not to pay attention. I have even been known to unintentionally join conversations with complete strangers. Not, of course, actually piping up and saying something, but rather slowly working my way into the conversational circle and nodding my head along with the others being spoken to. It's true (correct me if I'm wrong, fine folks of Michigan in the Burger King by the border, but you let me into the circle and made eye contact with me and didn't seem to mind in the least. I am nothing if not a good, enthused listener).
So it hardly surprised me and only made me chuckle when the three ladies drinking their Coors Lights and eating their Cheetos (not Fritos, although that was the other choice but the beer-swilling blue-eyed woman chose Cheetos "for the calcium" and hey, they're both bad, right? So she said...) on the westbound Metra caught my attention. They were having quite the coffee (er, beer)-clatch, and were gearing up for some drinks out and about once they hit Crystal Lake. This time it was hard not to bite my tongue, but seeing as there was no way to join their party I buried my nose in my book and stared over the pages in nothing short of a Peeping Tom sort of way.
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And as for Peeping Tom's, I swear, person-who-owns-the-unit-two-floors-below-mine, I didn't mean to check out your kitchen, but I need to walk past your window to get to my car if I exit the building to the door nearest our units, and your blinds were open. Anyway, I now have 100% confirmation that the weird space in the wall across from my stove is where an old, old refrigerator belonged. And seeing as refrigerators come much bigger these days (when you're ready to update, I'll show you my fancy fridge), I'm curious what you'll do when you need to buy one. Because I have plenty of ideas to share with you.
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The sickness seems to be getting better (knock on wood). I'm hoping if I continue along this way, maybe just maybe I'll be well enough to go out on NYE. Not that I think that's a must, but I've never stayed in on New Year's and if I'm going to it's going to be of my own volition and not because I'm forced to out of illness. Because that's just sad knowing I made a commitment to do something and am looking forward to it and wouldn't be able to, suffering instead through Dick Clark. So I'll stay in tonight and drink as much cold medicine as I have to in order to be better by Sunday night. Think good thoughts for me!
==========================
Speaking of little things, one of the biggest excitements of the month arrived today with the grand opening of the 7-11 two doors down from my office. Adams Street hasn't seen so much excitement between Franklin and Wacker since the summer's immigrant march. I must say, I am very excited about this opening and have already made friends with the workers. Walgreens two blocks away? You can kiss my business good-bye (unless I need an emergency prescription, in which case I love you very much).
==========================
It's true that I am mesmerized by other people's conversations. You could be talking about the most boring thing on the face of the Earth, but if I'm within in earshot I find it hard not to pay attention. I have even been known to unintentionally join conversations with complete strangers. Not, of course, actually piping up and saying something, but rather slowly working my way into the conversational circle and nodding my head along with the others being spoken to. It's true (correct me if I'm wrong, fine folks of Michigan in the Burger King by the border, but you let me into the circle and made eye contact with me and didn't seem to mind in the least. I am nothing if not a good, enthused listener).
So it hardly surprised me and only made me chuckle when the three ladies drinking their Coors Lights and eating their Cheetos (not Fritos, although that was the other choice but the beer-swilling blue-eyed woman chose Cheetos "for the calcium" and hey, they're both bad, right? So she said...) on the westbound Metra caught my attention. They were having quite the coffee (er, beer)-clatch, and were gearing up for some drinks out and about once they hit Crystal Lake. This time it was hard not to bite my tongue, but seeing as there was no way to join their party I buried my nose in my book and stared over the pages in nothing short of a Peeping Tom sort of way.
==========================
And as for Peeping Tom's, I swear, person-who-owns-the-unit-two-floors-below-mine, I didn't mean to check out your kitchen, but I need to walk past your window to get to my car if I exit the building to the door nearest our units, and your blinds were open. Anyway, I now have 100% confirmation that the weird space in the wall across from my stove is where an old, old refrigerator belonged. And seeing as refrigerators come much bigger these days (when you're ready to update, I'll show you my fancy fridge), I'm curious what you'll do when you need to buy one. Because I have plenty of ideas to share with you.
==========================
The sickness seems to be getting better (knock on wood). I'm hoping if I continue along this way, maybe just maybe I'll be well enough to go out on NYE. Not that I think that's a must, but I've never stayed in on New Year's and if I'm going to it's going to be of my own volition and not because I'm forced to out of illness. Because that's just sad knowing I made a commitment to do something and am looking forward to it and wouldn't be able to, suffering instead through Dick Clark. So I'll stay in tonight and drink as much cold medicine as I have to in order to be better by Sunday night. Think good thoughts for me!
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