Oh, I Think So

Last week we talked about those teens who can barely wait to come to the city so they can see art and see awesome things that can be found in the city. This week, our beloved Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup and there was a parade and a downtown celebration and ill-mannered teens came downtown with liquor they'd stolen from their parents which they put in thermos bottles.  Clever!  No one ever ever ever has thought of that before. I work in an urban train station that serves the northern and northwestern suburbs of Chicago.  When I entered the building, there were multiple clumps of teenagers who'd come into town for the day.  I say clumps because they weren't going anywhere.  They were standing around and chatting, sharing their thermos bottles filled with booze.  Standing near the bottom of an escalator was just as good as off to the side.  Standing in front of the mailboxes would also do.  They were also very, very loud.  It was 7:15 a.m...

After work on Friday, I was walking from the South Loop to the river to meet family members.  I enjoy looking at people.  I like looking at their faces and into the eyes and maybe we'll share a smile; maybe the person will look away like I've tried to rob their house; maybe the person just never ever wants to meet the gaze of a stranger because strangers are scary, dangerous, or uncomfortably odd (of which I am proudly the latter).  Sometimes you see strangers doing things that make you instantly like them because you know what's going through their heads.  Such was the case on Friday. There is a very nice McDonald's on the northeast corner of Clark and Monroe, right by Chase Plaza.  It's in a glass-walled building that allows patrons seated at the window seats to look out and enjoy the city; it allows pedestrians the chance to view them. As I walked by on Friday, there were three teenagers sitting in the window.  One of the teenagers had taken his 49¢ ...

Every signing in their town took place at the massive title company in the central part of downtown.  The real estate attorney -- or, if  one were recognizably fortunate, one's very own boyfriend -- would accompany the about-to-be owners and a lot of papers would be signed, maybe they'd realize how much money was being spent and how long debt would go on and they'd break into a cold sweat, and then it was over and the place was purchased. But first, she had to meet her boyfriend at his office. Mike's offices took up the entire 29th floor of a midrise building that had space overlooking the lake, the park, and a museum.  Mike's corner office looked east and south which gave him a lot of sun and let the three tropical plants in his office get enormous.  The rest of the space was occupied by his less-senior law partners, more than several paralegals, an IT department of some size, plus many administrative assistants.  People seemed mostly not miserable.  M...

Yes, yes, where the hell and what the hell and oh my heck (the last one recognizable mostly if you are from Utah).  What is UP with that She Is Where and Oh, I Think So person?  Can't she wind this sucker UP already?  Come ON! The answer is:  "Yes." The next answer is:  "I have to wind it up right.  You don't want a lame ass cop out do you?" The final answer is:  "While you're waiting, enjoy the Slow Mo Guys and Jenna Marbles." The Slow Mo Guys and Jenna Marbles are awesome.

In addition to being personable, smart, and generous, Mike was also patient and kind.  He let her have equal say in their hunt for a new place.   Having determined they were not the types who wanted to take care of a lawn, a garden, winter walkways, and the little faces of eager Halloween trick-or-treaters, they each had things they wanted in a condominium.  He wanted at least two bathrooms, a big kitchen, in-unit washer and dryer, three to four bedrooms, a doorman, thick walls, solid floors, excellent security, in-building parking with three spaces for their unit alone, and a very healthy condo association balance.  She wanted to be near public transportation and a decent grocery store, deciding he'd covered everything else on his list. They looked at dozens of places -- she was surprised there were so many buildings that had what Mike wanted -- and one day while they were walking around with their realtor, Hank, they passed a place she knew to be one unit on...