Oh, I Think So

This morning I happened to hear a story on NPR by a woman in her 30s who had been partaking of the phenomenon that is online dating.  She basically said that it took this long in her life to be honest with someone and say she wasn't interested in them.  Not "I am going to be busy," nor "I am going to California," and especially not the old college combo lie, "I am going to be washing my grandmother's hair."  Cowardly but it might save feelings she thought.  She said she finally mustered the courage to say, "This isn't going to happen," or "Sorry, I am not interested."  She said she got very polite replies like "good luck."  It's also not cowardly. Apparently, the phenomenon of "ghosting" is a very popular way of dealing with someone you don't want to see again.  Just ignore any and all emails, texts, phone calls you might receive.  Disappear from that person's life.  Like a ghost. Ladies a...

It got up to all of 3º that day but when we met up it was hovering at about 1º.  We fortified ourselves with Starbucks then went across the street to see the new collection in the Art Institute's Modern Wing, me and Mike, two people who had MLK Day off. It was a good (albeit cold) day with good company and good art.  Yeah, Mike knew that I was going to do it and when I was doing it.  I tried to grab the image without him holding to take the shot while I set up.  I believe I was mostly successful in these. Andy Warhol is well represented There is a whole large room of just Warhol Ideally you get the person, the picture, and the picture in the camera Sometimes an unsuspecting tourist is too hard to resist (note: 1º and no socks) If you can't get the whole person, get some of the person and a lot of the image

A couple of days during the past week, the temperature soared to the high 30s, causing a melt of a very minor snow event.  Then the temps dropped and dropped and when I woke up this morning off in the super ultra mega burbs home of my friends, it was -1º. In honor of this deep freeze which we need so there won't be three zillion bugs crawling out of every crevice, I am taking the week off. Bundle up, my friends, as they're predicting a high of 9º tomorrow.  I've the day off and I am still going to go downtown and meet a friend at the Art Institute and then enjoy lunch with him.  I will bundle up and if you venture out, you should please do the same.

Long-time readers of this blog know that I am no fan of snow.  A nice, solid deep freeze is fine with me but accumulating snow?  No, thank you. Yesterday I took a class downtown then lunched with a classmate. Afterward I went and tried on frames because I am hell bent on having new glasses.  While I was in the optical shop (and also Nordstrom because, oh, what the hell), it started to snow.  When I emerged into the world it was very white but nothing was sticking.  It was just what might be called a wintry bother.  I got home, walking gingerly on the sidewalks because it seemed slightly slick and my footwear was wrong, and when I arrived chez moi , I stayed there.  This morning I looked outside and it was as if there'd been no snow event at all.  The grassy bits looked whiter but the sidewalks and streets were clear.  TV weatherfolk advised it was cold and getting colder but it would be a sunny day. And so it was. I had breakfast with...

Dear Rich People: Yeah, you know who you are.  You eat at the best restaurants, drive expensive foreign cars, wear the finest clothes, stay at only the best hotels like the Peninsula, the Trump, the Ritz-Carlton brands in Chicago and New York.  Your house or condo is opulent.  Perhaps it's understatedly elegant or balls-out decorative or expensively minimalist, but everything cost a lot and looks like it cost a lot.  You don't vacation in Australia because that's so 2013.  New Zealand's for Lord of the Rings fetishists.  Skiing in Colorado?  Idaho is so much more exclusive because fewer airlines go there!  A vacation to New York affords you fourth-row-aisle seats at the hottest shows in town.  Do you like football?  Or hockey?  Or basketball?  It's the 50-yard line or courtside or a suite on one of the lower levels or why the hell bother.  You don't go to concerts, you book the same talent for a small, personal show some...