Practicalmadness

In case you were wondering, Former Precious, whether they ever did finish that construction at Lincoln/Fullerton/Halsted, the answer is yes: they did, and they put up this lovely park space with this lovely statue.

Nothing else has changed around there -- all the funny little shops and restos are still there, as are both the Biograph and Three Penny cinemas, the Sweet Basil Thai place, the Dominick's, even Demon Dogs. The old neighborhood is more or less as we left it.

Tonight, for light bulbs and stuff at Home Depot, is the only time I've been anywhere near Wrightwood Avenue in seven months. Right this minute, I don't see any reason to come back anytime soon. That whole stretch of Lincoln Park/New Town/Lakeview is plenty nice, but lacks character. It has many amenities, but has no soul. I take it as a sign of my maturing over the past few however long that I can see that now: having a Blockbuster on the corner and a Borders down the block are not the seeds of a happy life. Such things just put pressure on you to be something you're not.¹

Such things do remind me of my present living situation: I'm alone, but I live in a double suite. Right this minute, I have the biggest single room on campus, because my assigned roommate is nowhere to be found. I take this to mean, karmically, this: I've been given an incredible gift, my life and my freedom back, with the clear understanding that it can be taken from me at any moment. So I should, like, not take shit for granted, and stuff.

Enough ennui -- now back to your regularly scheduled program of cookies and martinis.