Last night was one of the few "adult" activities I've had since I've been back in Chicago. Some folks from Group Health (my former employer in Seattle) were in town for some meetings, and I went to dinner with a number of them. Following my own advice (and reflecting on my experience on the road), I swore I wouldn't take them to a local chain or touristy place, and settled on Zia's in Edison Park. For those not familiar with the area, its the far northwest edge of Chicago, and has some excellent restaurants. About a thirty minute drive from my sisters place, it gave me a chance to prepare for the inevitable question, "So what have you been doing since you got back?"
So here's the highlights, followed by some "Blog News" and the "Between the Ears" segment:
-Spent first two days unpacking, getting settled, and taking it easy
-Played golf three times since I've been in town; great to be around the guys on the golf course; although my golf game is in shambles I'm enjoying being out and about. I discovered golflink.com; a website that allows users to track (for free) data on my golf performance. Maybe golfers out there will find it interesting, for me its just a way to make sure I reach my goal of playing 15 rounds in 2009.
-Went to Ravinia with my parents and sisters to see Ramsey Lewis. It was like we were adults having plans together, kinda neat. Music wasn't exactly a punk rock show, but nice to see my parents getting out and doing things with them.
-Played cards with the guys last Saturday night in the city; and although small in numbers its great to be back around guys I've known my whole life
-Celebrated my dad's birthday with family BBQ last Sunday. Nothing beats Skirt Steak and a baked potato in the midst of summer. Unless you're a vegetarian. Then you just get a potato.
-Got a phone call this past Monday about a job at a local health care organization doing work very similar to what I did out in Seattle. Have yet to hear back from them, but am feeling good about a job materializing. Economy Schminomonee (I know, I probably just cursed myself)
-I've established a daily management plan that probably looks crazy to my sister and kids, but its helping make sure I'm not sitting around watching Card Sharks, The Price is Right, and Jeopardy. Yes, those are all linked to Youtube stuff if you're really, really bored.
-Being around little kids is contagious and fun. My niece has been a huge help walking Annie, and I've helped her by getting her to play Tiger Woods golf on X-Box. My nephew is 2 and obsessed with anything that has wheels, a man in a uniform, or a horn. Both are great a riot to be around, and I'd be a strong camp counselor if I had no career ambitions.
-Annie loves it here. There are rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, and others to chase. There are endless lawns to pee/poop on. There are several great off leash dogparks. There are multiple parts of my sister's home where she can sleep. Other than my nephew sleeping on her, she's got it really good here.
-Weather has been crappy and humid, and thats a subject that just gets old fast so I'm not going to dwell on it. Tune in to weather.com if you're looking for a weather update.
-I really love Chicago sports. The Cubs coming back to beat the Sox today was great; although I'm feeling very cynical about this Cubs team. Something about them just doesn't feel right...although every time it has felt right, its turned out wrong, so go figure....
Blog News
Thanks to Facebook and my ongoing self promotion I'm now at a grand total of 10 followers but have a hunch there are others out there reading and lurking. I'll do my best to keep this blog entertaining, and have decided to start a new feature, the Friday Featured Friend. I'll interview a friend of mine and write up a little ditty about them. Some may be more interesting than others, but at least its a way for me to talk about someone other than me. Could be someone I went to high school/college/work with, a family member, a random acquaintence, you get the idea.
This week's Friday Featured Friend: My Mom (Romeo Whiskey). She and I did the interview last week, and I'll consolidate it while I'm nursing her through what may be her 100th career colonoscopy. I'm not far behind, but I'll put her numbers in the GI procedure lab up against anyone.
I've already interviewed her, although my mom on versed could be very entertaining as well.
Between the Ears
After arriving last week, I took a few days to get my bearings, unpack some things, and slow down. Coming back to live in the town I grew up in, but living with my sister, has been a really neat way to see my hometown through a different perspective. She's in Ravinia, a small part of Highland Park, a suburban town about 20 miles north of Chicago along Lake Michigan. If Highland Park had Burroughs, Ravinia would be one of five or six.
Here's a link to the Wikipedia Page on Highland Park; even locals will find some of this interesting...and for non-midwesterners you'll recognize some of the films and public figures tied to my hometown.
Within walking distance from her home there are a handful of shops, some great running/biking trails, the beach (that's Lake Michigan), a Metra station (goes to the city) and Ravinia Festival; an outdoor music venue. It's about a mile and a half from my parents; so there's enough distance for me to feel like I'm not living in the home I grew up in, and it certainly is nice to see some familiar places and faces.
Being around my family was the primary reason I moved back to Chicago, and living with my sister and her kids has been a ton of fun. Granted, I'm not sleeping as much, and Annie gets hassled a bit more by a few curious kids, but there's a lot more laughter in our lives than there was a few months ago. My niece (soon to be Age 5) and nephew (an energetic 2 year old) are more excited to have Annie around than Uncle Daniel, but we're all having a hoot. And living with young kids has given me a far greater appreciation for the things parents do on a daily basis to help kids grow up.
For those in the Chicago area, Highland Park's reputation can make it tough to be proud of our hometown. Most folks think of the north shore and Highland Park and they think pretentious, spoon fed, a**holes, and there certainly are a handful of them around. But all in all I've had very few if any reasons to be annoyed, and its actually a nice change for me to have neighbors and people welcoming me in to the community. My sister's neighborhood is full of young, non-pretentious families, and although I'm still itching to get back to life in the city it is really nice to have such a low key, comfortable way to get re-established here in Chicago.
My parents never got in to the cliquey, gossipy, materialistic Highland Park many have come to loathe, and I'm convinced staying out of that nonsense is the only way to stay sane. And I guess it was beaten in my head early and often that I shouldn't let5% of the population define 95% of my happiness. There are d**chebags everywhere, the key for me is to look the other way and not get caught up in the BS and go about my business without getting caught up in the ratrace.
Maybe that is relevant to you and your life these days, maybe its not.
Either way, thanks for stopping by,
D
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