The Chicago Transit Authority is renovating the Brown Line and that means building new stations. Mine is currently closed and I am taking the next one over. This has caused me to venture into new, more commercial areas of my new neighborhood instead of the strictly residential path I took to my old station.
On my old path I walked past stately mansions, quaint bungalows and the kind of aggressively friendly people the make the neighborhood watch entirely unnecessary. My new path is decidedly more urban and a lot more fun from a "stuff to blog about" point of view.
I passed an H and R Block office that had a neon sign in the window advertising their "bookeeping" services. I know this is wrong because bookkeeping is the only word in the English language to feature three consecutive sets of double letters. (If you ever win money with that information, I want half!) My wife suggested to me that they actually have a boo-keeping service. I'm not entirely sure what that is, but I imagine the demand for it drops off sharply after Halloween.
There is an antique mover that I pass everyday. I know what they mean, but I prefer to think that when they go off to a job a bunch of mummies pile out of the building and trot to the truck. I don't know why but the thought of them moving a pull-out couch to the top of a two flat amuses me.
I also pass a rather large and remarkable well-lit liquor store. The other day when I was walking to the train I noticed that, on the counter right next to the cash register, they had condoms. The implication being that in order to use one you have to apply the other. I'm sure if you ask nicely the kindly old Arab gentleman behind the counter will even show you how to put on the condom using a thin bottle of pinot grigio. Just be careful popping the cork.
Editor's note: Over the last few weeks I have been updating the blog VERY sporadically. That was due to many factors. Not the least of which were moving to a new place, traveling back to Des Moines for the Iowa Fringe Festival and not having an internet connection at home for a week or two. What follows are the highlights from my somewhat self-imposed "vacation."
*****
I am back from the online wilderness. AT&T finally came through for us. We now have a DSL connection at home, and a full three weeks before Comcast would have. Gawd I missed the infoweb. It was hard for me to pack the computer when we moved, like pulling the plug on a loved one. But without the inheritance.
*****
Today is the first day in a week that it has been under 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I hate it. I've been drinking and drinking and drinking all week and I think I've gone to the bathroom twice. I'm really looking forward to it...I'm not sure what that says about me as a person, but I'm certain it ain't good.
*****
Jen and I are slowly adjusting to our new place. We moved from a studio into a three bedroom apartment. I've actually been lost in our new place a few times. It's nothing a trail of bread crumbs won't fix. It's actually a nice problem to have. In our old place the only room with a door on it was the bathroom. By the end of our time there I was taking four showers a day just for the privacy. I think I washed off my fingerprints.
*****
Things I learned at the Iowa Fringe Festival (in no particular order):
-If you don't give the audience scenery you should at least give them free cookies
-Anyone dressed like an animal in public should be treated like one, no questions asked
-These guys can really put on a great show, with or without me
-Boobs are a good selling point for a show, put them on your posters...even if you're doing the Miracle Worker! ESPECIALLY if you're doing the Miracle Worker.
-We all like soda
*****
Movers are worth whatever you have to pay for them. Especially if you are a total candyass about the heat like I am. (See the above entry on urination)
Labels: Fringe Festival, Moving, Multi-Story Post, Phone, The Brink, Weather
