Chicago!

Has someone already written a book praising Craigslist? If no one has, I may.

Craigslist has led me to a few of my jobs over the years, but in more recent times, it has brought me to a great apartment and great roommate. I love our apartment. We have hardwood floors, and darker wood windows and doors. We have a pantry. The light is great, and our street has bricks and trees, not uncommon in Chicago, I know, but still, it is much appreciated. I am still waiting on a lot of my goods to arrive on Tuesday and Wednesday, but I have the basics already, and my room is coming along. Lauren, roommate, and I have been hanging out quite a bit since my arrival. We've gone to a few bars in our neighborhood. One was kind of DA's like, one made me think I was at an outdoor tented wedding, except all the guests besides us and my soon to be in in Paris friend Amanda, were cute boys playing cards, and the bride and groom were nowhere to be found. We had sandwiches yesterday at a place called Jerry's which was quite yummy and then took a long walk up Western Ave. to get to the movies and Target. Pineapple Express was a big waste of time. Fun for them to make, I imagine. Cinematic masturbation, I shall call it. Bob read me a review for it a few weeks ago that said, "Like a stoner, this movie does not live up to your expectations." Many a stoner has made me happier than this film.

I've been walking a lot and hanging out at the coffee shop where my roommate works to use the Internet. She makes me iced Americanos, and today I had my first non-Uncommon bagel in I don't know how long.

On Thursday night, I went to the Art Institute alone and had a lovely time. There was one new wing/area that was not there last time I went and I spent the most time there. Collecting for Chicago it was called and they had some cool works by Crumb and Warhol and it smelled like paint and sheetrock. I really like those smells. I also really liked being at the Art Institute and hearing so many French tourists. I would stand by paintings not so much to look at them, but to hear what the Frenchies had to say and to see if I could understand them. After that, I walked through Millennium Park and skirted around the jazz fest that was going on. I think I will return there on Wednesday for the free Andrew Bird show. I then walked up Mich Ave to the Chicago bus that took me to an apartment where I purchased a nightstand (CL find!) and then stopped at our neighborhood Dominick's on my way home. I'm still confused every time I see wine and liquor in the grocery aisles, but I'm not complaining.

I'm not really sure what I want to do the rest of today/tonight. I kind of wanted to go see Don Cab, but am over that idea since the band has drastically changed since the days when I used to listen to them more. My friend Maggie is going to see some DJ and that could be fun. Also, I could stay home and enjoy the apartment and be perfectly content. When you are unemployed, Friday is Tuesday is Monday is Thursday. Schwhatevs. We'll see.

But speaking of (un)employment, I am making some baby steps. I have a few meetings, not interviews, but potentially fruitful meetings next week. I'll keep you posted in a post less ADD, rambly than this one. I hadn't blogged in awhile; there was a lot on my mind.

I'm going outside now.

So long, Saratoga

I told my friend Bob I would be writing an ode to Saratoga, but I don't think that's gonna happen. Each year of the last five has been so different that I don't really have one parting thought about that crazy town, one overarching lesson learned. The bottom line is that great friendships were made, both in college and this year, and I know I will stay in touch with the people I want to. I'll miss the places I frequented (duh); I won't miss the lack of anonymity or the tap water.

I was sad for a very short while yesterday because I had a string of goodbyes, accidentally, but appropriately in Uncommon where so many of those friendships were made, but today I have mainly been excited or too busy to think.

I was reminded today that it is the five-year anniversary of my grandmother's death. Thanks to my grandparents, who retired to Cambridge from Westchester when I was a toddler, I've had "roots" in this area that extend beyond my five years in Saratoga. Also thanks to G'ma, I had the Swan to help me explore this region on my own when I came to Skidmore. She died while I was on the freshmen preorientation trip SCOOP, so we never even lived here at the same time. Strangely, the first person I met on that trip, Maggie, my roommate for the three days, is now a great friend who will be living very near me in Chicago.

I don't know what all this means. Nothing at all, maybe. It just seems like an appropriate week to be leaving, and with that, goodbye, New York.

Peachy

I have this fear that if I talk too much about the good things that come my way, something really bad will happen. (I guess that's pretty common...like HPV). But, I'm happy right now and I'm gonna write about it.

I am happy because I just returned from a pretty hastily planned Chicago trip. I now have a rad apartment with a rad roommate named Lauren on a tree-lined, brick-building-lined street between Ukranian Village and Wicker Park. My interviews were good, but I am going to spare details and let my superstition rule me on this one. I saw Chloe and Chelsea. I saw Amanda before she goes to Paris. We drank wine outdoors on Bastille Day and watched little boys play baseball in Welles Park. I stayed with Maggie and Peter and had a lovely time with both of them even though they took me to a really shitty Thai restaurant on my first night, but made up for it with great falafel, my own key, Office DVDs, a comfy couch, train and bus assistance, a good cereal collection, drinks at Bluebird, and their proximity to Trader Joes (45 second walk!). I learned that Jewel is to Dominick's what Price Chopper is to Hannaford's. I had dinner in Andersonville with a family friend I haven't seen in years. I walked miles and miles. I got tan and freckled. I sunned, read, talked, and walked on the beach and waded in Lake Michigan. I found an Amy Hempel book for $3. I made friends with the owner of a vintage store and got a large discount on a dress and sandals. I ran into one of my favorite clients from ex-job at Midway and shared flight back to Albany with him. I remembered I had beer and cable in my room upon my return and just watched last night's premiere of Project Runway. I am really excited about everything. Especially my beautiful apartment because it's the most tangible object of all this right now.

Don't worry, tomorrow I will probably go back to whining. I forsee an influx of slow walkers on Broadway and an increase in craziness at the restaurant....Woof!