A Flood of Memories
Just got home from Chicago.
Tired, Tired, Tired.
My cousin's wedding was amazing. The church was gorgeous, because it was Catholic and thus had a point. There was a dome with an incredible celestial mural.
Sunday I woke up at 5am, and walked around the city, thinking about everything I love and hate about Chicago.
Loves: Every museum and educational thing, from the Shedd Aquarium to the Central Library, cheap Thai, the atmosphere, the El, the anonomity, Medusa's Circle, Chicago Comics, Savor The Flavor, Uncommon Goods, basically all the stores on Belmont and Clark. American Apparel. The architecture, especially the houses in Lincoln Park. The breeze off the lake, walking everywhre, god, I love Chicago so much!
Hates: The smell of piss that overcomes more than half the city, the lack of anything that is not a chain coffee shop or independant book/music store, too many hipsters, the lack of trees, 15% sales tax, panhandlers, pigeons, garbage, the lack of any good yarn shop.
After witnessing Rachel's time there, I am not sure if I could live in Chicago or not. I like it a lot in small doses, but I would miss all the natural parts of Minnepolis. There really is something to be said for any city where you can get off school downtown, or leave work and head straight to a park that's big enough to hike through, or find a lake in any direction.
I find that my main problem with most cities is the pollution in them. For being a major city, Minneapolis/St. Paul are almost freakishly clean, and I didn't realize how spoiled I was by it until I was walking in New York and felt semi-nauseous at the smell of hot dogs and piss by Central Park. The only part of Minneapolis that smells like piss are the stairwells in the down town parking ramps.
Anyway, the drive back was mostly uneventful, and I slept enough that I can't sleep now, which blows. I really want to sleep because I am too physically tired to do anything worthwhile, but my mind is still super active. When I got back this evening I walked all the way to my papa's house, because I was testing the theory that I can make the Twin Cities into as walkable of a place as Chicago. The theory was a flop, so from now on, all adventuring will take place on wheeled transportation. Walking here is just too boring, and my mind can't take it.
Worth noting: On the drive to Chicago and back, I finished both Bitter Is The New Black, and Assassination Vacation. The former is a very cynical piece of chick-lit, a genre that used to make me vomit in my mouth. But it was a worthwhile relativly mindless summer read. Assassination Vacation on the other hand was amazingly funny, I should have read it a long time ago. Those McSweeny's folks always have something worthwhile to say. Plus, I love that Sarah Vowell's passion for dorky and mostly useless historical facts is even more dedicated than mine. I learned a lot about the oddities surrounding the presidential assassinations and attempted assassinations.
I don't care if I can't sleep, but I am going to go stare at my cealing for awhile at least.
Tired, Tired, Tired.
My cousin's wedding was amazing. The church was gorgeous, because it was Catholic and thus had a point. There was a dome with an incredible celestial mural.
Sunday I woke up at 5am, and walked around the city, thinking about everything I love and hate about Chicago.
Loves: Every museum and educational thing, from the Shedd Aquarium to the Central Library, cheap Thai, the atmosphere, the El, the anonomity, Medusa's Circle, Chicago Comics, Savor The Flavor, Uncommon Goods, basically all the stores on Belmont and Clark. American Apparel. The architecture, especially the houses in Lincoln Park. The breeze off the lake, walking everywhre, god, I love Chicago so much!
Hates: The smell of piss that overcomes more than half the city, the lack of anything that is not a chain coffee shop or independant book/music store, too many hipsters, the lack of trees, 15% sales tax, panhandlers, pigeons, garbage, the lack of any good yarn shop.
After witnessing Rachel's time there, I am not sure if I could live in Chicago or not. I like it a lot in small doses, but I would miss all the natural parts of Minnepolis. There really is something to be said for any city where you can get off school downtown, or leave work and head straight to a park that's big enough to hike through, or find a lake in any direction.
I find that my main problem with most cities is the pollution in them. For being a major city, Minneapolis/St. Paul are almost freakishly clean, and I didn't realize how spoiled I was by it until I was walking in New York and felt semi-nauseous at the smell of hot dogs and piss by Central Park. The only part of Minneapolis that smells like piss are the stairwells in the down town parking ramps.
Anyway, the drive back was mostly uneventful, and I slept enough that I can't sleep now, which blows. I really want to sleep because I am too physically tired to do anything worthwhile, but my mind is still super active. When I got back this evening I walked all the way to my papa's house, because I was testing the theory that I can make the Twin Cities into as walkable of a place as Chicago. The theory was a flop, so from now on, all adventuring will take place on wheeled transportation. Walking here is just too boring, and my mind can't take it.
Worth noting: On the drive to Chicago and back, I finished both Bitter Is The New Black, and Assassination Vacation. The former is a very cynical piece of chick-lit, a genre that used to make me vomit in my mouth. But it was a worthwhile relativly mindless summer read. Assassination Vacation on the other hand was amazingly funny, I should have read it a long time ago. Those McSweeny's folks always have something worthwhile to say. Plus, I love that Sarah Vowell's passion for dorky and mostly useless historical facts is even more dedicated than mine. I learned a lot about the oddities surrounding the presidential assassinations and attempted assassinations.
I don't care if I can't sleep, but I am going to go stare at my cealing for awhile at least.