vulva skyline

This is where I acknowledge the good bits about my Chicago stay...

7/3/08
Lake Michigan is enormous. I mean, it looks enormous on the map, but when you really get up close and personal... you're pretty sure you're looking at another ocean. The water along Lincoln Park was so green/blue it was getting close to Caribbean. And the breeze that flows off the water is absolutely necessary for maintaining comfort in toasty Chicago.

Oddly, I felt the need to dress in layers. Some moments I was ridiculously hot, and others, such as in the shade and/or while a breeze was blowin', I wished I had worn jeans and a jacket. And nights easily chilled me enough to need those jeans.

The houses and buildings of Chicago are mostly brick, which I find attractive and interesting. In fact, I think I consider brick to be a necessary component of city housing. It really makes a difference, adding character and creating good feelers.

7/4/08
DB and I went on a walk to escape the video games and stopped at a little coffee shop under the el (elevated train). I grabbed a decaf soy mocha which rocked, and then we headed to Wrigley Field, just to say we went there. Of course, it was closed, so we merely walked by, but it was exciting, and we are pleased. After a few lefts and rights we also somehow stumbled onto the Whole Foods used in the Food Network's Top Chef.

7/5/08
The day we "saw the city" we got off the el at Monroe and speed-walked through some sculptural area where DB and I insisted on walking through "the bean" - this giant shiny metal bean that produces a wild optical experience when underneath looking up into the center. The Taste of Chicago was happening, so our guide walked us around the really long and presumably beautiful park he otherwise would have walked us through... but along the way to the Field Museum he did pop us back into the park for a moment so we could see this huge and lovely water fountain.

DB and our host/guide explored the Mythical Creatures exhibit at the Field Museum while I sat outside and read. I did walk around a bit to check out these giant art globes, and I heard a snippet of an architectural tour discussing the buildings along the skyline.

Apparently one of the buildings was designed by a "feminist architect... and you can use your imagination on that one." I think this means that the building could possibly look vulva-esque rather than phallic. Although the info wasn't necessarily presented well, I did love that that is one of the snippets I heard. I love feminist buildings and I think there should be more of them. Imagine an entire city of feminist buildings....

Before DB and our host/guide completed their museum tour I decided to take my experience into my own hands and walked through the park we skipped on the way to the museum. I loved walking around alone and decided to hunt for coffee. I found a Dunkin' Donuts near Van Buren and nestled in for a chocolate glazed donut, a decaf with cream and sugar, and a chapter or two of my book. My first Dunkin' Donuts in two years... mmm, it's good to be going home.

Outside there is a guy crawling around on the ground, looking like he may cry, begging for money. It's easy to tell that this is his gig. This is what he does, daily. It's hard to tell if his face can make any other face besides the crying face. It's painful to watch, so I try not to.

As I read, I look up and see a black man in a wheel chair wheeling by... he smiles at me in his bushy gray wig and waves. This man is so full of joy I can't help but smile and wave back as he passes. He's made my day, and I kinda wish everyone was like this. I see the crying man again and wonder if he'd have better luck if he were smiling instead.