Chicago was wonderful. As I mentioned it had been over 10 years since I had been back. I spent my 20’s there- Studio apartments and dive bars are fun in your 20’s at thirties its a little tired, at 40 it’s downright shameful so I was fortunate to move on. I was amazed at how much the city had changed and how many of my ‘old haunts’ had disappeared- O’Rourke’s Pub- which was a great dive had disappeared, the building where I worked at 444 Wabash was still there but the office was now an empty space. Life can move pretty quick, although in not having been there in 10 years it could move l slowly and still make quite a few changes. There was a corporate park that was built while I was there- I used to eat my lunch on the benches when it was new- now bums lay sprawled out – each bench occupied- garbage on the once highly maintained lawn. I even saw a building being demoed that I watched being built.

I called my two cousins that still live there. When I first moved to Chicago I stayed with Chris- and later, when his sister moved to Chicago she lived with me. They both have stayed. We were close before Chicago but became very close living in the same city. After I left we all went through our own things and grew distant- I hadn’t seen either on of them for many years. I was glad to reconnect with my cousins and for Kelly to meet these two people that were so important in my life. We have a family vacation in Michigan at the end of July and they will all be there. I think it was good to see each other before all of that.

Kelly and I had only one little spat. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before but I’m a singer. Actually every one in my family are singers. Why would that cause a spat? I sing when I’m in a good mood- and as I walked down Michigan Avenue late in the evening with the street full of people I sang a little song. This, it turns out, annoys Kelly to no end. I think its endearing, she thinks I look crazy- and when one is tired it’s difficult to suffer the songs of crazy. In my defense…

Chicago is my kind of town. Chicago is- my kind of town. Chicago is -the Wrigley building, Chicago is -the Union stockyard Chicago is-one town that wont let you down, it’s my kind of town.