Friday, September 28

I went to the Trader Joe’s with my roommate, Andy today. It was a fun day of errand-running, that ended in me dropping a substantial amount of cash. While at TJ’s, we were desperately looking for the Mango Lemonade, or Lemonade Crack. This stuff is the world’s best beverage—lovely on it’s own, it is a great mixer with any kind of liquor, and is served cold, no ice, at the Eninger-Eldridge houshold. But it was NOwhere to be found, as was the lack of the fave from 2 years ago---cookie crack, a thin, white-chocolate crisp cookie in a giant bin. Yes, I know it’s not chocolate, but it’s delicious and one of my few sweet treats in a heavily-focused savory treat diet. So, we bought strawberries and tiny tomatoes instead.

Summer in September

I really do believe that shifting my summer chronology has drastically improved my summer attitude. A few years ago, I decided that after years of rainy Memorial Days and crap-tastic weather in the beginning of June, that I was going to remove June entirely from any summer expectations, and give September a shot at being a summer month instead of June.

I know that the summer solstice is June 21 or thereabouts. But, my expectation of summer, for many years, was that the summer weather would fall in June/July/August.

Well, I've know completely bailed on you June--you are, in my mind now, month of June, late Spring. And that opens it up for you, lovely lovely September, a great opportunity to show your sunny way into my heart.

And this weekend was a summer weekend, indeed. In my ongoing quest to embrace Chicago, I took a paddle ride up the Chicago river, starting at Melrose almost all the way to Foster. And a group of friends went, too. Thank you all so much for coming, by the way--so fun. Anywho, we paddled past many duck families, a large flock of geese, a blue heron and a dead animal that was identified by others as either a racoon, a beaver or a rabbit--but was dead and floating in our river path. I was in a single kayak, and I simply refused to look at it so as not to besmirch the trance the Chicago River had cast on me.

Going under the Wilson bridge, I had stumbled into a Chicago movie scene location that if I had seen in the movie theatre I would have wished I could be in, but there I was, in it and watching two el trains fly by on the bridge above.

Stinky onion? Not Friday night.

Highly recommended---5 out of 5 paddles. And moving on forward, I decree September to be my new summer.

Quick hello to my brother Paul, (who I don't think has read this lately) but anyway, thanks for taking me kayaking all those times!
And tell Olivia to call me.

Faire, glorious Faire

What a lovely weekend you've served up, Chicago. First there was Friday, with a day off filled with roofdeck sunshine, stocking up at the grocery store and lovely hot dogs at Huey's. And not just dogs, but Chili Cheese dogs, with the onions, please.

Then, a stroll down to the Playground from Andersonville, filled with NPR nerd gossip and drunken cubs fans from the burbs. Show and drinks after, then late night viewing of Silence of the Lambs.

Saturday was coffee and buckwheat pancakes, a little bit of box moving next door as Lis and Jarrad arrived, laundry and even a little walk to get a cute outfit for dinner. Then, guac, hummus, cheese and beer-graitas on the deck with the sun setting behind us. Thai food at Thai Pastry and then back to the deck for the end of the evening.

Today was the renaissance faire, and it was like a movie set of what a renaissance faire should be---light filtering through the trees as we watched the jugglers and munched on cheese fritters. Sniffers drove the jeep, so summer sun just bled on us the whole way there and home. I even wore a gypsy skirt to try to fit in with the wenches and what-not. Lovely, lovely weekend and there's still one more day off.

Well-played, Chicago, well-played.