When It Don't Come Easy
by Patty Griffin
Red lights are flashing on the highway
I wonder if we're gonna ever get home
I wonder if we're gonna ever get home tonight
Everywhere the waters getting rough
Your best intentions may not be enough
I wonder if we're gonna ever get home tonight
But if you break down
I'll drive out and find you
If you forget my love
I'll try to remind you
And stand by you when it don't come easy
I don't know nothing except change will come
Year after year what we do is undone
Time keeps moving from a crawl to a run
I wonder if we're gonna ever get home
You're out there walking down a highway
And all of the signs have blown away
Sometimes you wonder if you're walking in the wrong direction
But if you break down
I'll drive out and find you
If you forget my love
I'll try to remind you
And stay by you when it don't come easy
So many things that I had before
They don't matter to me now
Tonight I cry for the love that I've lost
And the love I've never found
When the last bird falls
And the last siren sounds
Someone will say what's been said before
It was love we were looking for
But if you break down
I'll drive out and find you
If you forget my love
I'll try to remind you
And stay by you when it don't come easy
I’ve decided I don’t know. I don’t know what love “is.” I thought I did. The irony is I do think I “give” a lot of love, but I really don’t know what love is.
I’m watching this PBS program about “love” and all the different kinds of love, but have decided I really don’t know anything about it.
Of course, they have to do a story about the singer/songwriter girl from Colorado who meets her singer/songwriter boy from Texas . . .
One of the best quotes from the show goes something like: “Marriage is the longest conversation that always seems too short.”
And many of all these stories of people falling in love via the Internet, fate (e.g., on an airplane or while visiting Italy) only perplex me further.
I’ve pursued it, ignored it and decided I don’t even need to live with it, and yet it always – ultimately – eludes me/pursues me.
And, approaching 50 years of age, I just seem to be further from “it:” love, than ever.
I guess I always thought I would make beautiful music with someone special. The reality is I don’t know how to make beautiful music.
Whatever the reason, I’m unable to draw men to me anymore. I’m disappointed, but I accept it.
No. I don’t think this is as simple as “Like attracts like.” Meaning, I’m not single because I’m only attracting ‘loss’ or ‘emptiness.’ I just truly believe there’s no one for me. So, of course, you can say: “Well! There you go! You’ve decided ‘There’s no one for you.’ So, guess what? There’s no one for you.”
No. It’s really that I’m odder than I thought. I don’t ‘fit in.’ And, I’m not feeling sorry for myself. It’s just an “acceptance.” There’s no one interested in loving me who I find interesting, too.
I mean, most people are ‘like’ other people. They share common interests. I don’t. Trust me! I’ve tried, but I don’t ‘like’ what most people like. And, it’s not that I ‘hate’ these things, I just don’t get them. And, that’s the rub! These are things that are the ‘glue’ of society and include things like: dogs, sports, crowds, religion, politics, etc. These are things I don’t ‘get’ the way others do and share. And, without that bond how can you have an acquaintance, a friendship, never mind a life-long, intimate relationship with another person?
Yes. There has been music. And, that – finally – drew some special people to me, but it was fleeting and based on ‘failed’ love.
And, ultimately, it doesn’t matter. But, it does perplex me. I thought I’d be one of those people who would have true, lasting love: the longest conversation that always seems too short.
And, with all that said, I dreamed last night that I had a conversation with “The Love of My Lives.” It totally caught me off guard. It wasn’t anything new, except we actually ‘talked’ in my dream. We never usually ‘talk’ in my dreams. And, he smiled. And, I remembered. And, I remembered every detail of what it was like to ‘be’ with him. I hate that, because I remember everything.
He was assuring me that he loved me, but he had to see his current love through. And I just was trying to tell him that I understood that, but that I wish I could find someone to be with in the meantime.
And, I’m left with the question: “What does it all mean?”
Love is . . . I don’t know . . .
P.S. I remembered how much I enjoyed talking with him and seeing him smile.
10.27.2008
10.08.2008
A Weekend in Chicago
Whenever possible, when I have to travel for business, I try to work my schedule so that I can take advantage of the opportunity to spend some time getting to know the place I’m visiting a little bit better. And, as I get older, I’ve virtually lost the anxiety that inhibited many of the opportunities of my youth, prohibiting me from striking out on my own over some irrational fear of getting lost forever or not having enough money to get back from where I’d got to or some other such improbability. So, here came Chicago.
I’ve visited the Chicago area a number of times in my life. But, until the last couple of visits, when I was given tours of a few of its highlights, I’d never really had the chance to explore the place on my own. So, when the opportunity arose for me to go to Chicago on business, I decided to deliberately enjoy a couple of days there on my own.
Day 1
Arrival in Lakeview
Detail Map of Lakeview
Now, I’ve been to Lakeview (aka “Boys Town,” so named for its large population of Gay Men and subsequent shops, bars, restaurants, etc. owned by and/or catering to the Gay Men who live in and around Lakeview), a couple of times before; however, I had just visited the neighborhood for an evening or an afternoon having traveled from somewhere else in or around Chicago. So, this time I decided to stay near the heart of Lakeview for the weekend.
So, after having arrived at O’Hare airport, I’d previously figured out how to take the Blue Line train (complete with bus shuttles because of weekend construction closures at two stops) to catch a local bus to the Lincoln Park/Lakeview area. And, as the bus rolled and stopped along W. Diversey Parkway, I got a chance to view the changes in the neighborhoods along the way. It was interesting to see how, block-by-block, the mostly residential neighborhoods grew more economically and racially diverse as we neared Lake Avenue and Lake Michigan.
First Impressions
As we hit the lower border of Lakeview, where W. Diversey Parkway meets N. Clark and N. Broadway Streets, I immediately recognize where we are. I also chuckle to myself at my good fortune that my hotel sits among all these familiar and accessible coffee shops, chain restaurants and shops, like Starbucks, Panera’s and The Vitamin Shoppe.
The Inn at Lincoln Park
I get off the bus and walk the short block past the Starbucks to the entrance to The Inn at Lincoln Park (building at lowermost right hand corner of map). And, it lives up to everything it is and isn’t, based on descriptions I’d gleaned from the Internet. And, for me, it was perfect.
The young women behind the desk do their best to conceal their Northern European accents, while simultaneously speaking in hushed tones to one another in whatever their native language is. They check my bags till the room is ready and I head out to explore the Neighborhood.
Window Shopping
There’s a fairly extensive collection of men’s and women’s shoes at the corner store that I check out for this year’s Chelsea boot. I find a likely contender, but at $185.00 I decide to wait.
I then cross over to N. Clark St. to check out what movies are playing. I walk into the mall where the cinema is located and note that the EatZie’s cafeteria style gourmet food shop that sat at the base of the mall is closed, out of business. That seems weird. The last time I was there I got a pastry and coffee and toured the place that seemed bustling and successful and a great option in a neighborhood that’s filled primarily with what are more likely food options you’d find in a suburban strip mall.
When I leave the mall I cross N. Clark Street and head toward N. Halsted. At the corner of N. Halsted and N. Clark Streets there’s another mall with a Marshall’s, DSW and Bed and Bath or Linen’s and Things. So, I search for the elusive Chelsea boot there, too, to no avail. So, it’s back on the streets searching for adventure!
Halsted’s for Lunch
By this time, I’m famished and become increasingly hungry as I eye a menu here and there for one eatery or another. I finally stumble upon Halsted’s and am pleased to find that they have a more than passable lunch menu and settle on a this really good barbecue chicken with cole slaw roll up with a side field greens salad with a low-cal (and tasty) balsamic vinaigrette dressing and an iced tea with lemon. My server is pleasant, helpful and cute. I find this never hurts, particularly at a Gay establishment in a Gay neighborhood.
(Click the image to go to Halsted’s Bar & Grill site. There’s some obligatory pop music playing, so beware!)
A Movie
After venturing back to the hotel to inspect my room (which, again, is everything I expect and more . . . it’s got a great Victorian-kitschy renovation-feel), after my late lunch, I head to the corner to the cinema. Since I’d recently seen “The Duchess” (loved it! . . . again, for everything it was and wasn’t!), the only other movie that seemed remotely interesting to me was the documentary, “Trouble the Water.” I won’t even try to do it justice here, but suffice it to say it’s stunning to see the Katrina Hurricane story through the eyes of a poor, yet highly creative, resourceful and empathetic, African-American woman. I mean, talk about walking in someone else’s shoes for a day! You get to wear hers for more than a year. Long and short of it, it really hit home to me just how much our country is comprised of such a wide range of haves and have-nots. And, how as a result, each one of us is treated differently. See it. It should pull you out of your comfort zone, if not your complacency.
(Click the image to go to the “Trouble the Water” website for the film.)
A Night on the Town
Then after “Trouble the Water,” I decided to lighten things up a bit and see just what the Boys in Boys Town do on a Saturday night. Essentially, I did a little bar hopping. Only “Cocktail” was new to me, though “Sidetrack” has grown (and is in an ‘under construction’ phase even now) in leaps and bounds. Anyway, I’d recommend them all just for a chance to see the differing crowds and venues. Then again, as more than a casual observer in this life, for me it’s all about the diversity!
Cocktail
(Click the image to go to the link about “Cocktail.”)
Sidetrack (Click the image to go to the link about “Sidetrack.”)
Spin
http://www.spin-nightclub.com/
So, after a spin around SPIN, I grabbed a slice of pizza at a local Italian restaurant on N. Broadway near The Inn at Lincoln Park and headed back to the room for a good night’s rest!
Day 2
After sleeping in and taking my time packing and planning out my day, I decided I’d grab something to eat when I left the hotel. I’d also decided that I’d venture on to the local Metro trains’ Brown Line to go to The Loop in downtown Chicago for a day of museum culture.
Diversey’s Conventional Diversity
As I hinted at before, W. Diversey Parkway at N. Clark and N. Broadway Streets contains a plethora of familiar chain stores and eateries that – like most of the United States now – provides an odd, sort of “home away from home” feel in even the most unfamiliar of U.S. cities and towns. So, though I’ve ventured into a Panera for lunch and a surprisingly good salad with salmon for dinner one evening in Hanover, MA while making one of my treks to Provincetown, I’d never had a breakfast there.
So, much to my surprise, the egg and bacon sandwich and coffee were actually a quite delicious and relatively speedy way to have a nice breakfast al fresco. I forgot to mention that the weather – all weekend – though not without some rain on Sunday, was altogether unseasonably warm and comfortable. So, I ate my breakfast on the little sidewalk patio set up outside Panera. It was a simple, yet wonderful start to an atypical Sunday for me.
Stumbling Upon Grant Park
Managing the Brown Line on the city’s Metro was’t too difficult either. Today, now that most cities require the purchase of passes through vending machines, it’s simple to spend only what you need to get from point A to point B. And, once I got off the Brown Line and headed toward Michigan Avenue, I became distracted by the view of Grant Park ahead of me and decided to explore it while the rain held off.
After living in Boston for so long, I forget just how big big cities like Chicago are. Luckily, though not quite snug enough for my tastes, I’ve a pair of Rockport loafers with those innersoles similar to good running and walking shoes that prove time and again more versatile than I’d imagined. They’re perfect for the office, but amazing for walking and walking and walking!
Stumbling Upon Museum Mall: The Field Museum
And, once I walked to the water, Lake Michigan, and drank in the view. I noticed this incredible Greek Revival building far to my right. I learned from my guide map that it was The Field Museum and was accompanied by the aquarium and planetarium to its left. As I turned my back on it, to head to the Art Institute of Chicago, I was compelled to turn back and walk toward it. The building alone is astonishing.
Once I actually came upon it, I walked up the center of the stairs of the center entrance (I even do this at work! There’s something about centering yourself on the center of a center entrance of a symmetrical classic piece of architecture that just feels so incredible to me). And, then I looked up. What an amazing view to stare up along the columns of that building’s façade and right straight to the peak of the pediment above!
And, even more impressive, is how well proportioned, planned and diverse the museum and its artifacts and exhibits are laid out. I remember being struck at – by contrast to the mess in politics and the world economy, etc., today – when man- and woman- kind want and decide to do something “right,” just how deliberately “right” they can do it. Again, there isn’t space to do it justice here, but check out their website by clicking on the image below and see the place for yourself if you can. It’s amazing!
(Click the image to go to The Field Museum’s Information page on their website.)
Off to the Chicago Architecture Foundation
By the time I’d explored The Field Museum and headed back toward Michigan Avenue to find the Chicago Architecture Foundation, I was beginning to lose steam – though not enthusiasm – from a lack of nourishment and more walking, walking, walking!
So, I did a cursory run through of what is basically their museum-like shop there and inquired about tours that I’d have to (hopefully!) explore another time before I headed across the street to The Art Institute of Chicago.
Definitely check out the CAF. It’s right there, but don’t expect a lot in and out of the space itself. I naively thought I’d be entering this old neo-classically designed granite block building filled with old architecture models and design books and old men and women in suits and dresses directing you to different exhibits and then sending you off with a “Shh . . . now!” and a wink. Ah! No wonder reality so often disappoints me: my expectations are idealized, too!
The Chicago Architecture Foundation
(Click on the image to visit the CAF's website.)
The Art Institute of Chicago
Though I was most excited and enthralled by The Field Museum (perhaps, because I was taken so much by surprised), I was nevertheless amazed by the Art Institute of Chicago.
What struck me as most unusual, in contrast to other fine art museums in New York and Boston, was the plethora of elements salvaged from Chicago architecture and the extent of fine art work donated to the museum and its fine collection of furniture and accessories from homes both local and around the world.
Before I started my exploration of the museum though, I had to eat! And, I was most pleasantly surprised to discover the Garden Restaurant in the museum. I was able to dine on a field green salad served with trout and accompanied by a thirst-quenching glass of perfectly chilled Chardonnay at the restaurant’s bar while taking in the views of both the cosmopolitan diners in the dining room and the gentle rain falling on the plants in the garden that was separated by wall comprised of mostly floor to ceiling glass. Now, THAT’S what I call civilized.
And, between the friendly bartender and a couple of the guards and guides in the museum, I got to see many of the fine works of art – up close and personal – that I never expected to see in my lifetime.
My three favorites are:
Nighthawks by Edward Hopper
Cow’s Skull with White Calico Roses by Georgia O’Keefe
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat
This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.
This applies to the United States, Canada, the European Union and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 70 years.
And, then it was back outdoors to the Brown Line and my trip ‘home’ to Lakeview. And, after it had rained, the air turned slightly cooler and much drier. The sky looked like one of many from a Maxfield Parrish painting filled with Robin’s egg blue, chalk white, violet grays and all ranges of golds and yellows. As the Brown Line went from stop to stop I enjoyed watching the changing scenery: from the urban towers of The Loop back to the residential brick row houses near Lakeview.
When I got off at the Belmont stop, I headed toward N. Halsted for a final drink or two with the Boys.
Buck’s/Roscoe’s/Jack’s
At Buck’s Saloon, at had a Blue Moon with an orange twist and chatted with the guy selling raffle tickets for an AIDS organization. After I bought a couple of tickets and finished by beer, I headed to Roscoe’s. The bartender was friendly and cute. I had a nice conversation with a local there about his travels to Europe and South America. And then I rounded out my visit to Boys Town with a dinner at Jack’s on Halsted.
Buck's
Roscoe's
Jack's on Halsted
Bye for now . . .
As I walked back to the hotel to grab my bags and a cab, I wondered at how fortunate I am. And, not just at how fortunate my life has been, but – more importantly – how fortunate I am to have the wherewithal to “get” that this life is not a dress rehearsal and that I’m going to grab every last bit of it I can, while I can with all the gumption and gusto I can muster.
I hope I get to Lakeview “Boys Town” and Chicago again, but if I never do, I can say I have AND that I have lived . . . well!
I’ve visited the Chicago area a number of times in my life. But, until the last couple of visits, when I was given tours of a few of its highlights, I’d never really had the chance to explore the place on my own. So, when the opportunity arose for me to go to Chicago on business, I decided to deliberately enjoy a couple of days there on my own.
Day 1
Arrival in Lakeview
Now, I’ve been to Lakeview (aka “Boys Town,” so named for its large population of Gay Men and subsequent shops, bars, restaurants, etc. owned by and/or catering to the Gay Men who live in and around Lakeview), a couple of times before; however, I had just visited the neighborhood for an evening or an afternoon having traveled from somewhere else in or around Chicago. So, this time I decided to stay near the heart of Lakeview for the weekend.
So, after having arrived at O’Hare airport, I’d previously figured out how to take the Blue Line train (complete with bus shuttles because of weekend construction closures at two stops) to catch a local bus to the Lincoln Park/Lakeview area. And, as the bus rolled and stopped along W. Diversey Parkway, I got a chance to view the changes in the neighborhoods along the way. It was interesting to see how, block-by-block, the mostly residential neighborhoods grew more economically and racially diverse as we neared Lake Avenue and Lake Michigan.
First Impressions
As we hit the lower border of Lakeview, where W. Diversey Parkway meets N. Clark and N. Broadway Streets, I immediately recognize where we are. I also chuckle to myself at my good fortune that my hotel sits among all these familiar and accessible coffee shops, chain restaurants and shops, like Starbucks, Panera’s and The Vitamin Shoppe.
The Inn at Lincoln Park
I get off the bus and walk the short block past the Starbucks to the entrance to The Inn at Lincoln Park (building at lowermost right hand corner of map). And, it lives up to everything it is and isn’t, based on descriptions I’d gleaned from the Internet. And, for me, it was perfect.
The young women behind the desk do their best to conceal their Northern European accents, while simultaneously speaking in hushed tones to one another in whatever their native language is. They check my bags till the room is ready and I head out to explore the Neighborhood.
Window Shopping
There’s a fairly extensive collection of men’s and women’s shoes at the corner store that I check out for this year’s Chelsea boot. I find a likely contender, but at $185.00 I decide to wait.
I then cross over to N. Clark St. to check out what movies are playing. I walk into the mall where the cinema is located and note that the EatZie’s cafeteria style gourmet food shop that sat at the base of the mall is closed, out of business. That seems weird. The last time I was there I got a pastry and coffee and toured the place that seemed bustling and successful and a great option in a neighborhood that’s filled primarily with what are more likely food options you’d find in a suburban strip mall.
When I leave the mall I cross N. Clark Street and head toward N. Halsted. At the corner of N. Halsted and N. Clark Streets there’s another mall with a Marshall’s, DSW and Bed and Bath or Linen’s and Things. So, I search for the elusive Chelsea boot there, too, to no avail. So, it’s back on the streets searching for adventure!
Halsted’s for Lunch
By this time, I’m famished and become increasingly hungry as I eye a menu here and there for one eatery or another. I finally stumble upon Halsted’s and am pleased to find that they have a more than passable lunch menu and settle on a this really good barbecue chicken with cole slaw roll up with a side field greens salad with a low-cal (and tasty) balsamic vinaigrette dressing and an iced tea with lemon. My server is pleasant, helpful and cute. I find this never hurts, particularly at a Gay establishment in a Gay neighborhood.
(Click the image to go to Halsted’s Bar & Grill site. There’s some obligatory pop music playing, so beware!)A Movie
After venturing back to the hotel to inspect my room (which, again, is everything I expect and more . . . it’s got a great Victorian-kitschy renovation-feel), after my late lunch, I head to the corner to the cinema. Since I’d recently seen “The Duchess” (loved it! . . . again, for everything it was and wasn’t!), the only other movie that seemed remotely interesting to me was the documentary, “Trouble the Water.” I won’t even try to do it justice here, but suffice it to say it’s stunning to see the Katrina Hurricane story through the eyes of a poor, yet highly creative, resourceful and empathetic, African-American woman. I mean, talk about walking in someone else’s shoes for a day! You get to wear hers for more than a year. Long and short of it, it really hit home to me just how much our country is comprised of such a wide range of haves and have-nots. And, how as a result, each one of us is treated differently. See it. It should pull you out of your comfort zone, if not your complacency.
(Click the image to go to the “Trouble the Water” website for the film.)A Night on the Town
Then after “Trouble the Water,” I decided to lighten things up a bit and see just what the Boys in Boys Town do on a Saturday night. Essentially, I did a little bar hopping. Only “Cocktail” was new to me, though “Sidetrack” has grown (and is in an ‘under construction’ phase even now) in leaps and bounds. Anyway, I’d recommend them all just for a chance to see the differing crowds and venues. Then again, as more than a casual observer in this life, for me it’s all about the diversity!
Cocktail
(Click the image to go to the link about “Cocktail.”)
Sidetrack (Click the image to go to the link about “Sidetrack.”)
Spin
http://www.spin-nightclub.com/
So, after a spin around SPIN, I grabbed a slice of pizza at a local Italian restaurant on N. Broadway near The Inn at Lincoln Park and headed back to the room for a good night’s rest!
Day 2
After sleeping in and taking my time packing and planning out my day, I decided I’d grab something to eat when I left the hotel. I’d also decided that I’d venture on to the local Metro trains’ Brown Line to go to The Loop in downtown Chicago for a day of museum culture.
Diversey’s Conventional Diversity
As I hinted at before, W. Diversey Parkway at N. Clark and N. Broadway Streets contains a plethora of familiar chain stores and eateries that – like most of the United States now – provides an odd, sort of “home away from home” feel in even the most unfamiliar of U.S. cities and towns. So, though I’ve ventured into a Panera for lunch and a surprisingly good salad with salmon for dinner one evening in Hanover, MA while making one of my treks to Provincetown, I’d never had a breakfast there.
So, much to my surprise, the egg and bacon sandwich and coffee were actually a quite delicious and relatively speedy way to have a nice breakfast al fresco. I forgot to mention that the weather – all weekend – though not without some rain on Sunday, was altogether unseasonably warm and comfortable. So, I ate my breakfast on the little sidewalk patio set up outside Panera. It was a simple, yet wonderful start to an atypical Sunday for me.
Stumbling Upon Grant Park
Managing the Brown Line on the city’s Metro was’t too difficult either. Today, now that most cities require the purchase of passes through vending machines, it’s simple to spend only what you need to get from point A to point B. And, once I got off the Brown Line and headed toward Michigan Avenue, I became distracted by the view of Grant Park ahead of me and decided to explore it while the rain held off.
After living in Boston for so long, I forget just how big big cities like Chicago are. Luckily, though not quite snug enough for my tastes, I’ve a pair of Rockport loafers with those innersoles similar to good running and walking shoes that prove time and again more versatile than I’d imagined. They’re perfect for the office, but amazing for walking and walking and walking!
Stumbling Upon Museum Mall: The Field Museum
And, once I walked to the water, Lake Michigan, and drank in the view. I noticed this incredible Greek Revival building far to my right. I learned from my guide map that it was The Field Museum and was accompanied by the aquarium and planetarium to its left. As I turned my back on it, to head to the Art Institute of Chicago, I was compelled to turn back and walk toward it. The building alone is astonishing.
Once I actually came upon it, I walked up the center of the stairs of the center entrance (I even do this at work! There’s something about centering yourself on the center of a center entrance of a symmetrical classic piece of architecture that just feels so incredible to me). And, then I looked up. What an amazing view to stare up along the columns of that building’s façade and right straight to the peak of the pediment above!
And, even more impressive, is how well proportioned, planned and diverse the museum and its artifacts and exhibits are laid out. I remember being struck at – by contrast to the mess in politics and the world economy, etc., today – when man- and woman- kind want and decide to do something “right,” just how deliberately “right” they can do it. Again, there isn’t space to do it justice here, but check out their website by clicking on the image below and see the place for yourself if you can. It’s amazing!
(Click the image to go to The Field Museum’s Information page on their website.)Off to the Chicago Architecture Foundation
By the time I’d explored The Field Museum and headed back toward Michigan Avenue to find the Chicago Architecture Foundation, I was beginning to lose steam – though not enthusiasm – from a lack of nourishment and more walking, walking, walking!
So, I did a cursory run through of what is basically their museum-like shop there and inquired about tours that I’d have to (hopefully!) explore another time before I headed across the street to The Art Institute of Chicago.
Definitely check out the CAF. It’s right there, but don’t expect a lot in and out of the space itself. I naively thought I’d be entering this old neo-classically designed granite block building filled with old architecture models and design books and old men and women in suits and dresses directing you to different exhibits and then sending you off with a “Shh . . . now!” and a wink. Ah! No wonder reality so often disappoints me: my expectations are idealized, too!
The Chicago Architecture Foundation
(Click on the image to visit the CAF's website.)
The Art Institute of Chicago
Though I was most excited and enthralled by The Field Museum (perhaps, because I was taken so much by surprised), I was nevertheless amazed by the Art Institute of Chicago.
What struck me as most unusual, in contrast to other fine art museums in New York and Boston, was the plethora of elements salvaged from Chicago architecture and the extent of fine art work donated to the museum and its fine collection of furniture and accessories from homes both local and around the world.
Before I started my exploration of the museum though, I had to eat! And, I was most pleasantly surprised to discover the Garden Restaurant in the museum. I was able to dine on a field green salad served with trout and accompanied by a thirst-quenching glass of perfectly chilled Chardonnay at the restaurant’s bar while taking in the views of both the cosmopolitan diners in the dining room and the gentle rain falling on the plants in the garden that was separated by wall comprised of mostly floor to ceiling glass. Now, THAT’S what I call civilized.
And, between the friendly bartender and a couple of the guards and guides in the museum, I got to see many of the fine works of art – up close and personal – that I never expected to see in my lifetime.
My three favorites are:
Nighthawks by Edward Hopper
Cow’s Skull with White Calico Roses by Georgia O’Keefe
A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by Georges SeuratThis image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired.
This applies to the United States, Canada, the European Union and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 70 years.
And, then it was back outdoors to the Brown Line and my trip ‘home’ to Lakeview. And, after it had rained, the air turned slightly cooler and much drier. The sky looked like one of many from a Maxfield Parrish painting filled with Robin’s egg blue, chalk white, violet grays and all ranges of golds and yellows. As the Brown Line went from stop to stop I enjoyed watching the changing scenery: from the urban towers of The Loop back to the residential brick row houses near Lakeview.
When I got off at the Belmont stop, I headed toward N. Halsted for a final drink or two with the Boys.
Buck’s/Roscoe’s/Jack’s
At Buck’s Saloon, at had a Blue Moon with an orange twist and chatted with the guy selling raffle tickets for an AIDS organization. After I bought a couple of tickets and finished by beer, I headed to Roscoe’s. The bartender was friendly and cute. I had a nice conversation with a local there about his travels to Europe and South America. And then I rounded out my visit to Boys Town with a dinner at Jack’s on Halsted.
Buck's
Roscoe's
Jack's on Halsted
Bye for now . . .
As I walked back to the hotel to grab my bags and a cab, I wondered at how fortunate I am. And, not just at how fortunate my life has been, but – more importantly – how fortunate I am to have the wherewithal to “get” that this life is not a dress rehearsal and that I’m going to grab every last bit of it I can, while I can with all the gumption and gusto I can muster.
I hope I get to Lakeview “Boys Town” and Chicago again, but if I never do, I can say I have AND that I have lived . . . well!
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