I woke up to go running today and the gym was closed. I decided to go for coffee and work on a paper. There were so many children in the coffee shop. One even tried to hide under my legs during a game of hide and seek. When I got to work I checked http://isitaholidaytoday.com . It said "No." It was wrong. Casimir Pulaski Day. One of the many strange reasons I love Chicago. How could I forget?
There should be a name for that phenomenon that happens when you have heard a song many times and then one morning on the way to work, you hear it and it is like you're hearing it for the first time. This song was that song for me this week.
The month of June breezed by with no blogs. It was a good month. I had a birthday, a visitor, and some great live events. We started out the month seeing James Taylor at the Ravinia Festival. Ravinia is one of those things that everyone in Chicago says you must go to. It's a series of concerts held at an outdoor venue all summer long. There is always a great lineup, but I learned that its really not about the music. It's about seeing who can have the most elaborate picnic. Wine, fancy cheeses, beautiful blankets and candelabras. We happened to pick a spot beside a fun group of Lesbians that were more than impressed with the story of my Leisha Haley encounter. David kind of made them believe that she and I are good friends. My new friend Lori from the group promises to invite us to her big summer house party in the suburbs. Thats nice, but since I sold my car I have no way to get to the suburbs.
Did I mention that I sold my car? This is the first time since I was 15 years old that I have not owned some sort of motor vehicle. I bought a bicycle though. A 1970 baby blue Schwinn. I like it. It gets me where I need to go. I've started biking to the train in the mornings instead of taking the bus. It feels good not to have a car.
Marty came to visit the week of my birthday. We had a lot of fun and ate lots of food. 
This is a shot of the ferris wheel at Navy Pier. 
Marty didn't really understand why, but I insisted that you can't visit "the bean" without taking a self-portrait.
Marty among some creepy headless sculptures.
Breakfast at Yolk, a great breakfast place in South Loop. I love breakfast restaurants. Of course nothing compares to "Mama's Pancake Breakfast" at Cracker Barrel, but I don't really like Cracker Barrel that much unless I'm there with my Granddaddy.
This may not have been in June, but one night while I was waiting at the bus stop, someone drove by and threw a water balloon at me. It's kind of funny now, but it was a little upsetting at the time. It took me a minute to even realize what happened. A loud car drove by, I heard a funny noise and then the ground in front of me was wet. I wasn't hit, but it was a close call. 
This is a picture I took while waiting in line for the Death Cab for Cutie concert. I forgot to get these people to sign a photo release, but I don't think they will mind.
This is my car...driving away for the last time. I was watching out the window with a tear in my eye.
I dragged Marty To Beograd, a Serbian restaurant near my house that I have wanted to try since I moved in. I think it must be a Serbians only kind of place. The waitress' limited English combined with Marty's innate need to ask questions about menu items made for a few awkward moments. That is one of the things I like about Marty, though. He is never shy about asking questions.
Marty's "hey, that hamburger is bigger than your head" Serbian Hamburger.
The marquee outside of Broadway United Methodist Church never disappoints. Marty, David, and I went to the Pride Sunday service. That event deserves a blog of its own.
This truck was stuck under the overpass where I catch the train each morning. "The Careful Movers". How embarrassing.
On the 3rd of July, all of my Chicago dreams came true and I was invited to go out on the yacht of a friend's friend. No one on the boat really knew anyone else there, but that's a small price to pay to spend an evening on a yacht watching the fireworks show. 
I live in a predominately Hispanic area. Fireworks are a bigger part of the culture. On my walk home the night of the 4th there were fireworks going off in all directions. The possession of fireworks in the city of Chicago is illegal, however families gathered around impromptu fireworks shows in several of the city parks that I passed on my 2 mile walk. 
Last night I ate with Raquel at Dharma Garden, a Thai restaurant a few blocks from my house. I thought these spring rolls were beautiful. They were tasty too.
If you notice that my pictures lack a certain luster, it's because I never take my camera anywhere anymore, so all of these photos are from my cell phone.
David does it, Liza (who's blog apparently contains adult material, as Panera Bread sees fit to restrict my access) does it, and Oprah does it. Por eso, I am doing it. The items in this list may not have been new in 2007, but they were new to me this year. Here it goes.
Favorite Album: The Crane Wife by The Decemberists. This was actually NPR Listener's pick for 2006, but I was introduced to it in 2007. It's a wonderful album based on a Japanese folk tale, and the story weaves through the entire work. Every time I hear the chant of "hear all the bombs fade away" at the end of this album, I get a little teary and hopeful for world peace. This album is also an icon of Taiwan for me. When I'm listening, I feel like I'm back in Taiwan on my scooter driving up to the Metropolitan Park to look out over the city.
Favorite Book: Tales of the City Series by Armistead Maupin. I downloaded it from Audible and listened to it while on airplanes, buses, and trains during all of my travels this year. Its definitely not from 2007, more like 30 years earlier. They are fast, easy reads, and highly entertaining. They make me want to move to San Francisco...in the 80's.
Favorite foreign friend: Ariel Yang. She's the best friend anyone could ask for in Taiwan. She'll take you to the doctor, translate any menu, help you with your Chinese, and be your tour guide for the best night markets in Taiwan. As long as you ask her with a knife...
Favorite Home: 2007 saw a few different home bases. Taichung was my favorite for the year. The traffic, the pollution, the betel nuts...I miss it all.
Favorite non-fiction book: A History of God by Karen Armstrong. It gives a historical account of the beginnings of the 3 major monotheistic religions. I was especially enlightened on the beginnings of Islam (peace and care for the poor).
Best entertainment: KTV. There's nothing like filling a plush room with your friends, getting liquored up, and singing songs from the last 2 decades while watching images of women, wild animals, and national treasures flash across the screen with the lyrics.
Best students: Jimmy and Jerry, the twins. Always fun, sometimes crying, never very vocal.
My favorite song right now is Snails by The Format. Thanks to my good friend Laura in Minneapolis, formerly in Taiwan, for a wonderful double mixed cd set that included this song. It's beautiful. The words, the melody, the voice, the key changes.
Could it be that one album will be the biggest deciding factor in the decision of which city to live in upon returning to the U.S.?
Since arriving in Taiwan, every time I listen to Sufjan Steven's "Come on Feel the Illinoise" I have an intense desire to return to Chicago. When I left, I felt good about my decision. Even if I hadn't been moving to Taiwan, it seemed like the right time to say goodbye to the windy city.
I'm already prone to nostalgia, constantly looking back with great fondness (forgetting the frustrations) on past years. Music does it for me. All I have to do is hear a song, and I immediately find myself back in the place I associate with that song. Riding in the car with someone special. Working at a particular clothing store. Sitting in the kitchen while my mom prepares Thanksgiving dinner listening to that overly sentimental christian artist. All of these memories are tied to a particular song, and I immediately find myself in that moment, wishing I were there.
That is what happens every time I listen to "Come on Feel the Illinoise." Not only was it my most listened to cd of that year, but all of the songs are Illinois-themed. I spent a lot of time at my previous job, riding around the south side, the west side, and the suburbs, searching for the homes of pregnant teens while listening to this cd. I find myself back in those neighborhoods while listening to certain songs. Others place me back on a notoriously uncomfortable futon listening to satellite TV music stations.
I will definitely go back to Chicago. I wonder if that would be the case if my Itunes randomizer didn't turn out a Sufjan Stevens song nearly every day.
My favorite song for the last couple of months has been "Better in Manhattan" by Casey Dienel. The song takes someone who most people may not be able to identify with, and paints paints her as a beautiful person. Listen here.
And in my spare time I'm making a garden on my fire escape
I can't wait to watch my seedlings find the sun
It won't be easy, 'cause nothing ever is
That's why everything tastes so good
