Chicago is Fab

Well, we've had a busy couple of days! We're now wrapping up day 3 in Chicago and it's been fabulous. I could live here for sure, if given the dumptruck full of hundred dollar bills required to take up residence in this area! We've just returned from Blue Man Group and dinner at the famous Chicago Chop House. Dave and I secretly made arrangements with one of the hotel staff (Darron, thank you) to hire a limo for the evening. Mama had been asking about where we might go to dinner, etc, and I did my best to act completely uninterested each time she broached the subject. So this morning, as Mama and Daddy went down the lobby to people-watch and read the newspaper, we had Darron come over to them with a note requesting them to be in the lobby at 3pm. Of course, we played dumb, but the point was that we had a car waiting for us for the evening.

But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. This morning, we all ate at the hotel resaurant, a lovely breakfast buffet with fantastic service. At the next table were a family whose children felt the need to talk at an unreasonably loud volume - not yelling, mind you - and whose two daughters had brought their entire doll collection down to breakfast with them. However, the creepy little menagerie was nothing compared to the group of lively northern ladies who sat down next and proceeded to loudly discuss the differences between and habits of tranvesites vs. transexuals.

But I digress. While at breakfast, Daddy and I discussed the idea of riding the El around the downtown loop. After a few directions from the concierge and a bit of digestion, we headed down to the corner and CTA bus #66. We wern't sure where to get off the startlingly clean bus, but some kind and helpful Chicagoans gave us some clarification. We debarked the bus at the proper stop (Franklin) and after a bit of walking in the wrong directions, went into the train terminal and up the stairs. We must have looked pretty foolish trying to get our transfer cards to work. You'd think the big red arrow pointing one way on the card would give us a clue! The station and stairs were so old, obviously original to the El, and it was quite shocking to see such history in everyday use.

After a few chilly moments, we boarded the train and took in more magnificent sites of downtown Chicago. It really is quite a beautiful city with wonderful buildings, both old and new, and it is easy to see why Chicago is known as a home of stellar architecture. I could not believe how quickly the doors opened and closed - there is not a moment for indecision! In fact, when we were to have gotten off, we hesitated a moment because the name of the street was different than what was written on our directions. We wound up going quite a little bit out of our way, while I thought, OK, well, we'll just grab a cab and go back. Luckily, once we got off the El, we were able to simply walk back underneath and up again without having to buy another ticket.

We made it back to the hotel without much more incident, though the bus was much more crowded this time around. So that this particular post doesn't get ridiculously long[er], I will continue today in my next little post.

-S

Welcome to Chicago

I am sitting happily watching downtown Chicago from my hotel room's picture window. The city's steel and concrete buildings push ever upward; the windows of the 20 or so buildings which lie directly in my view have a calming symmetry. They both protect and free us. There are straight lines and squares everywhere; the buildings, the windows, the squareness of their features. To the west, if you can bring yourself to look down, there is one snaking street among many straights ones, and I am fascinated to watch the taxis and buses trickle down this concrete tributary. To the east, though I cannot see it from this angle in the room, is Lake Michagan, defying mankind with its curving edges. It looks frozen, though I do not know if this is possible. We arrived in Chicago yesterday. I do not know what time, as I try to forget such things while on holiday. I do know our plane was late leaving Memphis. After an uneventful cab ride into the city from O'Hare, I was happy to find that our hotel is elegant and roomy with a wonderfully friendly staff. Since it is my mom and dad's 35th anniversary, the staff kindly put us in the highest floor of the hotel, the 26th, which is a priority floor. Everyone on staff has been amiable and incredibly helpful.

After we settled in for a bit, we ventured out to find lunch. The temperature was only a few degrees above zero, and of course we are in the Windy City. The cold was nearly unbearable, and after walking for about 3 blocks, we tucked into a TGIFriday's to eat simply because we could not bear to walk any further. We were just off Michigan Avenue on the Magnificent Mile, which still has lights in all the trees and was really quite charming.

After a longish but good meal at Friday's, we walked briskly (double entedre intended) back to the hotel, stopping quickly in a Starbucks to warm up and grab Dave a cup of coffee. We jaunted right back up to our room to warm up.

Which proved a bit difficult. Because it was so cold outside, the windows simply continued to chill the room. I was still fully clothed and in my hoody when I crawled under the covers to warm up. Eventually, I had a nice little warm nap. Unfortunately, we simply cannot leave the curtains open at night because the air is simply frigid. In fact, we found ice coating the indside of our window! Who knew we would need an ice scraper for our housing?

We lounged about for several hours, and at one point Dave and I ran downstairs to make the arrangements for our trip to Blue Man Group and dinner afterward. I will tell you more after that experience! Then, about 8:30, we headed out for Giordano's, the original Chicago style pizza joint.

I am happy to say that we had a great time there! Dave said, "I don't know what I was expecting, a dive I guess, but this place is really great!" We had a great ethnic waiter, who happily warned us that our stuffed pizza would take about 45 minutes to cook. We unhurredly munched on appetizers and had some good conversation. The huge pizza arrived, and though I could only eat one piece, Dave managed 2 and Daddy chowed down on 3 pieces! We grabbed a cab for the 3 or 4 blocks back to the hotel, and it was worth every non-frozen penny to not have to walk in the frozen terror!

Today we are off for a day at Navy Pier, including shopping, some fun things, a couple of meals, and Polar Express in 3D at the Imax Theatre. More later!

-S

Happy New Year

2005 has rolled around to my neighborhood...as evidenced by the number of people screaming next door. This has been an unusual New Year celebration for me. I only felt like staying in my own house, alone (husband Dave has a gig). My intense desire to sit here and chill out has caused me to consider that perhaps 2004 was my Year of Exhaustion. My year ended fittingly and quietly with a hot shower, followed by a satisfied and sanguine slouch on the couch at 11:58 to watch the perennial televised drunken celebration. I think this cleansing rest is entirely fitting.

I hope that 2005 becomes the year of learning to be myself again. On a search for my forgotten self, lost on the pilgrimage path of performance and duty, I am already beset by noisome trouble from next door; the decibels eminating henceforth I had hoped to leave behind in my college days. Indeed, I am convinced even now that it my be louder than anything my tender collegiate ears my have encountered. So much for suburbia.

So, my ideas for a quiet time of prayer are spoiled. But then, I am reminded that we are not so easily to fit into the culture of our times. So perhaps I shall embrace the thumpy bass that vibrates the delicate skull plate which happily resides between my ears as a reminder that ultimately, this is not my home, but that I embrace a higher hope for joy, fulfillment, love, faith, hope, and yes...even a little rest.

Happy Election Day

Today marks the 12th anniversary of my first date with my husband. It was a grand night of quiet conversation and lots of laughter. That was also an election day. I was also in college then, as I am now. I voted on that day, as I will today. In my mind, it was also rainy, as it is today, though I freely admit that this might be the product of an over-romanticized memory. At any rate, the paralles between that day and this are striking. As with any lovely date, we didn't pay much attention to the politics of that night, and I discovered the next morning that Clinton had carried the vote. That was the last election in which I voted, succumbing to the then-popular malaise found commonly among the 18-24 demographic who have yet to have anything at stake (so they think). Of course, I will remedy the oversight of my voting record by making the dutiful and time-honored journey to the local high school to play my part in the unfolding of a nation.

There is no point to this entry except remembering. So, yeah.

Revelation...

I may have one of the larger housecats in North America.

OMENS AND THE BIG, ANGRY GOD

Hmm. I just wrote this long, lovely post and lost it. "I guess God didn't want me to post it after all." HA! Interesting how much I hear things like that. It's true, I did just lose this whole post. And I had a much more eloquent and thought-provoking lead in, but who wants to retype thoughts a second time? I've already thunk them.

But I hear that sentiment all the time, mostly from people who are driving themselves mad trying to stay firmly in God's will. So many times these folks have a decision to make - yes, even huge, life-changing decisions! - and they tear themselves to shreds looking for God's bread crumb trail so that they don't stumble blindly out of God's will.

The thing that's got me musing here is that they elevate GOD'S WILL to some sacred, unfathomable, unattainable, angry thing that will immediately curse them for the rest of their puny little mortality if they take the wrong job, or stay in school too long, or rent the wrong apartment, or sing the wrong song during worship. This tells me that somewhere, way down deep, they might just think that God is ticked off and ready to squish them at a moment's notice, or worse yet, that they have to work to get God's approval of their lives. At the very least, it reveals a mindset that mistakes are NOT permitted. None of these things are true!

OK, I might get kicked out of the Good Christian Club here, but I believe that God may just want us all to relax a little bit. When we get wrapped up in the mindset of "I have to struggle and strain to get God's answer to this to the point of driving myself crazy and if I don't get and answer I won't do anything and I'm so desperate for an answer that I'll take the tiniest little thing that goes wrong (or right) to be an OMEN OF GOD'S INTENTIONS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!"...well, I think God just wants us to chill out and trust Him.

I have a new favorite Proverb, and it goes a little something like this: "A man's steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?" (Prov. 20:21)

In those simple words, God assures me that He knows what's up. Honestly, the absolute best things that have ever happened to me are when I have been confused, restless, and unsure of my decisions. I have wound up in places I simply never expected, in better situations than I could have dreamed (better does not equal easy!). I could never have understood what God was doing, and yet He did it anyway.

You see, it's a built-in part of the plan. Seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and all the stuff we worry about (food, clothing, a place to live, a way to make a living...and life!) will be given to us, freely and abundantly, by God. We should ask for one thing: His presence. He will be happy to direct our steps!

Yeah, so I've got too much going on in my life, and some big decisions on my horizon. I think I'll go seek after God's presence, and leave the driving to Him.

Psalm 1

You don't often hear anyone say, "Turn to Psalm 1 please." It seems that with the grand exposition of the glories and downfalls of humankind, with the declarative exclamations, praises for and pleading with God that follow this humble Psalm, it is often overlooked. But this small Psalm, a simple setting of God's feeling toward the righteous and the unrighteous, gives a compelling frame of reference for the entirity of the Psalms. Much like the familiar beattitudes in Mark 5, Psalm 1 begins "Blessed is the man who..." Right from the start, God desires to reveal to us his love for us. Like a proud father, like a husband glowingly gazing at his bride, the Lord says, "Blessed is the man!"

In a move that makes my heart sing, God doesn't say, "In the future, the man will be blessed..." or "The man will be blessed if he can acheive great things..." Two glorious words begin the Psalms, the greatest poetic expression of the heights and depths of man and the wonderous unfolding of God's character. These two words are present, and always: Blessed is.

Ahh.

-S