Nesting

Packed the cat and all worldly belongings off to Chicago via UPS, Courtney's station wagon, and ATA airlines. And here I am, at a corner tea-cafe in the Lakeview neighborhood, endeavoring to join the blogosphere (well, non-anonymously that is) and stay connected to my loved ones some 2,100 mi away.

Once I get my camera's data cable (left it in Oakland!) readers will have the treat of an on-line tour of the new abode. A spoiler: I've painted 3 walls a taxi-cab yellow to warm me through the bitter cold winter months I've been instructed to anticipate. I must say the place looks like my home. So much so that I step out my door and am repeatedly surprised to find myself in Chicago, and not Lake Merrit.

On the subject of safety: maybe it's the honeymoon glow, but this place seems so safe! People out on cafe patios until the wee hours, sitting on stoops and engaging in the kind of loitering that would have invited a mugging back in dear old Oak-town. I'm so accustomed to avoiding the out-doors after 10p that I hardly know what to do with this new freedom!

Lastly, re: making friends. People are friendlier here, there's no hesitation to give directions, help carry heavy goods, or exchange life stories with a total stranger (yes friends, I know that I've repeatedly placed talkative strangers in my list of pet peeves, but for now I'm going to take what I can get). As for true friendship, well that'll take some time. I'm already prepared with 2 folding chairs, flatware and dishes for 5...that sounds sad, as though I have an empty table set for 5.

Well, I don't have a table, I only have a desk, so there!