October 2008 Archives

This totally makes my day. I have been featured, with a super-extended interview, my friends.

In other news, weather reports indicate that we should be watching for freaking snow flurries today. Last night, I checked in on the Phoenix weather for my upcoming visit, which is expected to range from a balmy 65 to an unbelievable 90+ while I'm there. The packing process has taught me that I can't quite understand what this means from my particular vantage point in frozen Chicago, as I kept setting aside sweatshirts, wool sweaters, and wool socks. Hopefully, I will meet with more success tonight as I try to repack with more tees and sandals, rather than the parkas and boots that I set aside yesterday...

This is it, kiddies. We're headed off to the Opera (for free!). We'll be sitting just behind the Mezzanine boxes, and I am thrilled at the excellence of our seats. :) Thank you, my unknown friend, who, though unable to attend, offered his tickets to my coworker. (And thank you to my coworker, who knew that this would make my life). :)

I bought a bike last fall and have stored it for a time, unable to ride through the winter. This spring, I got it out and have ridden it to work and other places faithfully. Our summer was largely rainless, so the biggest challenge I faced was some dehydration because of the heat. I've continued on with biking, have come to love it, in spite of all of the *$&#( *$ #$&* !&&^&*# drivers that feel absolved from acknowledging non-cars on the road.

After we had a few chilly mornings, and, to be more realistic, after I survived biking to work through them, I made a goal for myself of biking until November. Now, with the swift change in hours of daylight, and with the swift change in the wetness of the road, I'm thinking that I won't be able to make it each day until November, but, after biking on a wet and chilly day like today, I realized a few things that may or may help me with this goal:

My brakes are worthless when their wet. I might as well drag my feet. (get some shoes with industrial soles?).

The helmet can only withstand about a 1/2 mile of rain before the water makes its way to my scalp. The visor on the helmet is a big freaking joke after 30 seconds of rain. (purchase shower cap, I am so jazzed about this idea).

While I have my back end covered by a basket, I have little protection for my legs and feet up front. (Get a fender).

My jacket is not waterproof.

But, thick winter gloves are excellent at keeping the water and cold out.

Cold water on one's ass, no matter the circumstances, is truly unfortunate.

Waiting for the rain to stop is like waiting for paint to dry. (Note: find some wet paint to watch dry instead. Much dryer).

Today, I had a hiatus just long enough to partially dry, catch a chill, and then have to face the sad, drippy music of getting back on the bike in the rain. I would have preferred just standing in the rain the whole time. (Plus, all I got for my drying time was a wet ass as soon as I got back on my bike - guess who forgot her plastic bag?)

Also, biking 9 miles ill-equipped in the rain, in my estimation, is roughly equivalent to being dropped fully clothed 30 ft. into a lake, and then being told to bike out.

On a happier note, when returning home from said journey, I came across another young woman on a bike. When we saw each other and realized the unnecessary, terrible ordeal that we were sharing, we both cracked up, and I'm pretty sure that no one who could see us missed our smiles or our laughter. It was fairly absurd to be on a bike today, and for whatever reason, seeing her made me realize that I am a complete nut job.

Hirsch Management, poor form, my friends.

So, it's October 2. It's chilly here, barely over 60 during the day, and down in the mid- to low-forties at night. I've been doing my darndest to ride my bike to work in spite of the weather (long johns!), and to stay cozy when I can. We've gotten out our wedding quilt, and the tell-tale ominous non-rain dark clouds have moved in for that unpleasantly grey color that is so characteristic of Chicago (and Cleveland!) winters.

Our apartment has been getting colder and colder as this happens, and it only just occurred to us (and by us I mean Mendon) that because we have a new landlord, and now that our faithful servant Christine isn't around, and now that our landlord isn't living on the premises, that perhaps we need to call and request, pretty please, will you make it warm for us?

I did so this afternoon. By 3 pm their "guys" had left, but there was a shimmery promise that, though they would not be by today, that I would be called back so that I could know when the heat would be on. So, at 5, I call back, neglected and confused, to find that the office had been empty for an hour (you told me that your hours were until 5, not 4! You said you'd call!), and that there would be no returning of calls today.

What a tall glass of disappointment! It's cold here, and even the city takes issues with these temperatures (there are regulations, and our apartment is currently in violation of them). Holy tamoles, I will be righteously pissed if we have to go the weekend with our apartment getting progressively colder. And what really gets me frustrated is that Mendon and I are hearty young things, and I know that there are plenty, plenty of people in this apartment who are not so hearty, who could really suffer were they to get sick from the cold.

So, while for Hirsch Management this is a business, I encourage them to remember that they are directly responsible for the health and well-being of numerous lives. My lovely neighbors are not a phone call that can be taken tomorrow. Dammit.