Sarks in the Park

The best breakfast in town (so far). I have been desperately searching things to keep my days occupied, and this morning I decided to go to breakfast at Sarks in the Park on Clark St (that's a lot of "ark" sounds!). It was absolutely delicious. It sits on the garden level of a condo building on the corner of Clark and Fullerton, next to a Chinese restaurant. It is a quaint little store front, somewhat reminiscent of the coney islands in Michigan, and when I arrived at 9:45 there were 3 - 4 couples eating. I ordered the french toast and a cup of coffee. The toast was brioche (or something like it), but it had a bit too much cinnamon on it for me. However, it was still quite delicious. The rest of the customers had egg dishes and those looked amazing as well. I'm still not used to prices for breakfast yet, but it was pretty standardly priced ($7-$9 a plate). I will definitely be visiting again!

After breakfast, I walked down to Best Buy to get printer paper, and wandered back through the neighborhood. It was a lovely walk, although the humidity was in the high 80's. Drippy. When I arrived home, I watched tv for a while, but soon became lonely again. This time, I decided to walk the mile up to Trader Joe's and get some Three Buck Chuck (I actually really like their Pinot Grigio). It was a good walk and much needed. It's better if I'm "out and about" in the city, than sitting at home.

I've started making daily agendas to keep from getting bored and melancholy. It's working pretty well, actually! I use my small white board above my desk, write down what I want to get done and then have the pleasure of crossing it out when I'm finished! I know this won't last forever, but I still have another week before life gets busy again. I'm enjoying the time I have, even though I miss my girls.

Aimless Wanderings

So having a three month summer vacation is amazing, don't get me wrong, but it definitely comes with it's limitations. I have been searching for things to fill my time which I can do on a budget. This has been more challenging than one would think, as it definitely lends itself to self-pity and laziness. Consequently, each morning I wake up and create an "agenda" in my head for the day: knitting, practicing, writing, picture taking and walking are usually on the docet.

On Tuesday, I got up pretty late because I haven't been sleeping well (horrible nightmares about muggings and vampires), and I was feeling sorry for myself. I don't miss Phoenix AT ALL, however, I do miss Jenn and Caitlyn very much. Not to mention Carla lives in Detroit - needless to say I was feeling lonely. Instead of sulking, I decided to take my camera and head down to the water. It doesn't matter what kind of mood I'm in, the water can always cheer me up and put things into perspective. I grabbed my ipod, camera, backpack and a bottle of water and strolled down Fullerton.

It was a perfect day. The wind had picked up with the sailboats taking full advantage - there were no less than a dozen boats within my line of sight. The waves were big enough to encourage people to go play, while others lay just basking in the sun. I took my time and walked all the way down Lakeshore Trail to the North Avenue bridge, then crossed over Lakeshore Drive to head back through the park. On my way back, I walked through the park, practicing my photography (which needs LOTS of practice, by the way) and noticed that some of the animals were out when I walked past the zoo. To my surprise, they were ALL out - the camels, the alpacas, the zebras, the chimps and the gorillas. It was perfect, because the last time we were there right before closing and we didn't get to see anything.

Right in front of the Nature Conservatory in Lincoln Park, there is an absolutely enormous garden with a beautiful fountain in it. I've been wanting to get back over there and photograph some of the flowers, but Tuesday was the first chance I had to do that. Once I arrived in the garden, I was quite startled by the intricacies of the flower bed designs. There were quite a few flowers that were used, which I had never seen before. I felt like such a tourist, but I wandered aimlessly around the garden for about a 1/2 hour before heading back. By this time, I was a hot, sweaty mess and desperately needed a shower. I love days like this, as it makes me realize that even though things are difficult right now and I may feel alone, things will change. I know, in my heart, that I made the right decision and this is where I am supposed to be. I absolutely love this city. I will make new friends and meet people, it's just going to take time. Until then I will keep moving, keep working on my hobbies and keep a little perspective.

Welcome to Chitown.

I have been in Chicago for 2 months and have loved every single second. I cannot even begin to describe how incredible it is to be back in the midwest, surrounded by water, trees and a functioning society! This past week has been excruciatingly hot and humid, so I have not done as much "out and about" as I had hoped, but this too shall pass.

Last Thursday was Eric's birthday (and yes, I finally remembered), and I bought him tickets to see Bela Fleck at the Vic Theater on Sheffield. We went out to DMK Burger first (which had incredible burgers and "exotic" fries), and then we met up with our friend Franscisco and someone from his work to go to the show. There are no words to describe this show. Perhaps it wasn't even that great, but it has been SO long since I have heard any live music that I felt as if I was recovering a piece of my soul. Bela has a harmonica/piano player on his new album named Howard Levy. This man definitely stole the show - he outshone every single person on that stage.

I have missed this more than words can say. The food, the music, the culture - so many times Eric and I have been walking down the street and we just look at each other and someone says, "We live in Chicago now." No other words needed. It's like a dream come true.

To add to my dream come true, on Friday we went with Catie and Russ to a jazz club in Uptown called the Green Mill. Apparently this club is one of the oldest jazz clubs in the city and was even a speakeasy at one point. It was amazing, as you walk in the door the bouncer tells you to keep your voices down and be respectful of the music being played. They take this very seriously! Toward the back of the room there was a group of women that were drunk, loud and out of control - after a while, they asked them to leave (to everyone's relief). The leader of the band waits until the audience gets quiet between songs, before announcing the next tune. Not only that, the band was incredible. They were all in their 60's, except for the trumpet player. You know that they have been around the block and seen some amazing things. I think I have found my new favorite place.