Monday, July 19, 2021
News & Notes
So what can I tell you? Things have been busy, if unlikely to make it into a Tom Clancy thriller any time soon. My mom has been in town, so there have been many wholesome family activities. We went down to the Japanese Garden in Hyde Park, which has apparently been around in some form since the 1893 World's Fair, despite my having no idea it existed. It's really cute and serene, which is good, since driving my mother anywhere in traffic is decidedly neither cute nor serene. We also saw the Obama portraits at the Art Institute in an exhibition that was 100% truth in advertising, given that the portraits were literally the only paintings in the show. I don't know if I was expecting a series of watercolors of the chiefs of staff or a full size replica of the Oval Office or what, but something. Anyway, they were nice. There was also a family viewing of In The Heights (enjoyed, but with serious concerns about Jimmy Smits' health and general well being), a triumphant return to in-person church (enjoyment minimal, but no real suspense about how it all turns out for Christ), and a lot of babysitting (general jealousy about the rude but accurate things children have leave to say). So that was a whirlwind.
Ian and also made an entry into the world of bike sharing, so far without contracting any communicable diseases. Since it was us, there were several months' ramp up to this activity, as we discussed protocols and routes, shopped for helmets, and waited for ideal weather. But it was fun, if somewhat terrifying. I forgot how many people throng the lakefront path each weekend and how many of them are paying absolutely no attention to what they are doing. I 100% had numerous visions of knocking my teeth out or scraping the hell out of my arms in a crash, but none of this came to pass. I did get some serious saddle sore, though.
Of course, we've also been out seeing friends and going to dinners and such. It's still a little weird COVID wise (and maybe getting weirder with Delta variant, which legitimately always makes me think of Delta Burke?), but I've gotten very quick at masking and unmasking. These are skills that will come in handy should I ever need to rob a bank or dole out vigilante justice.
