Little Bird of Mine

I have a Bird in spring
Which for myself doth sing –
The spring decoys.
And as the summer nears –
And as the Rose appears,
Robin is gone.

Yet do I not repine
Knowing that Bird of mine
Though flown –
Learneth beyond the sea
Melody new for me
And will return.

Fast is a safer hand
Held in a truer Land
Are mine –
And though they now depart,
Tell I my doubting heart
They’re thine.

In a serener Bright,
In a more golden light
I see
Each little doubt and fear,
Each little discord here
Removed.

Then will I not repine,
Knowing that Bird of mine
Though flown
Shall in a distant tree
Bright melody for me
Return.
--Emily Dickinson

Frank Lloyd Wright House

Just a hop, skip, and a jump down the street from my apartment is an original house designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. This plaque stands in front of the house and says:

"Emil Bach House

Frank Lloyd Wright, architect

1915

One of the last of Wright's small urban houses, the Bach House combines elements of the Prairie Style with a compact plan well suited for an interior lot. The inward orientation of the house ensures the privacy of its residents and reflects Wright's idea of the importance of family life.

Designated a Chicago Landmark on September 28, 1977 by the City Council of Chicago.

Michael A. Bilandic, Mayor

Commission on Chicago Architectural and Historical Landmarks"

While the house is cool and famous and all, my favorite part of it is actually the garden out front. Every spring, this garden blooms with HUNDREDS of absolutely gorgeous tulips. It's one of my favorite sights to see in Chicago. This evening Clara and I took a walk over to the house to snap a couple of photos so you could see it too.

Suck it, Winter.

It may be a rainy, dreary kind of day out today, but look at all the GREEN!

Chuck E. Cheese for Grown Ups

Last Saturday night, Cary had her 28th birthday party at Dave and Busters in downtown Chicago. If you've never been to this wonderland of food, drink, and games, imagine a utopia of air hockey, ski ball, coin drops, basketball throw, and random other video games, mixed with yummy alcoholic beverages. Good times were had. I successfully defended my Air Hockey Champion title by going undefeated throughout the night, had a really pretty (and tasty) drink called a "Snow Cone", and helped win Ann's 3-year-old son Owen a giant stuffed elephant (yes, you win tickets that you can trade in for things, just like the REAL Chuck E. Cheese!). Happy birthday to Cary, and thanks for letting me act like a kid again for the night. :)

Random Embarrassment

I was checking my credit card account the other day and noticed this random $18 charge. The description just said "Finance charge" and I didn't know what that meant, so I hurried myself over to the bank to check it out. I sat down with one of the bankers and explained the situation while she looked up my account. She then told me that the $18 charge was just the interest on my account. Now, when I hear the word "interest" I immediately become an optimist. Instead of thinking of the "negative" interest that comes with having a balance on your credit card, I think of having a savings account and any interest I should be accruing. So upon hearing said magical word, I did an immediate mental switch to the kind of interest I would earn, causing me to blurt out, "I PAY interest?!?" The banker gave me a very amused and condescending look that you might give to a small child who has just figured out that you have to untie your shoes before putting them on. I then went on to say, "You mean I'm not EARNING interest on this account??" She stared at me a little longer and then said "On your credit card?" which caused my mental synapses to instantly correct themselves and make me realize what I was saying. The best response I had at that point was, "Oh. Right." which I mumbled before walking my humiliated self back out the door.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

It was nearly 80 degrees outside today, folks. In this neck of the woods, we call those summer conditions. The first day of summer conditions in Chicago is always kinda goofy. People walk around with this happily confused look on their face as if to say, "Wait, you mean it's actually going to stop being winter? It's been so long that I thought it was kind of a permanent gig." Some people who have plain given up on ever being warm again in their lives still don coats and jackets. Those who held out hope all this time and actually checked the forcast are all too happy to wear shorts and tank tops. You walk outside and smell the air and it smells sweet and warm. Relief washes over you as you think, "Yes! We've finally finished this interminable race with the gods of snow and ice!" You take your dog for a walk when you get home, and there is a big bright rainbow over a startlingly aqua-marine lake. The perfect end to a day of perfect weather.

Wine Night

For nearly two-and-a-half years now, a small group of friends and I have had a monthly gathering that we've affectionately termed "Wine Night." Every month someone from the group volunteers to "host" for that month, and either chooses a cool spot in the city or has the group over to her apartment for drinks and good company. While it initially started out with about six of us, Wine Night has grown to a regular group of nearly ten people which is awesome. Each of us invite other good friends to the monthly gathering when it's our turn to host, and as time has gone on, those people have started coming during other hostess's months as well. That's how we've gotten Catana, Cary, Lisa, and Mandy in on the fun. I don't think I'd really even know Catana, Lisa, or Mandy if it hadn't been for their regular Wine Night appearances. Cary was one of my own additions to the group. :)

Wine Night has taken us to fun places all over the city. We've done wine and cheese tastings, spa nights, swanky up-scale places, and smaller more intimate settings. One month, Katie and Courtney hosted a Santa Fe Wine Night at Katie's apartment after having returned from vacationing in that area. The monthly gathering occasionally morphs into a cocktail night, beer night, or even brunch (though we've only done that once), but we always eventually go back to our staple: good wine.

Whatever's going on in my life, I know I can always rely on having a good time with good friends at least once a month. We have yet to miss a month since we started. Cheers to that!