An ordinary atypical day

I've been having the hardest time getting myself to update lately. I couldn't say why: It's not like I don't have things I won't to talk about, and they're really no more uninteresting or difficult to express than, well, what I've been writing for years now.

Today I broke my routine--something I could do any day, but too often choose not to. I had a mid-morning medical appointment at Peterson and Pulaski, which enabled me to sleep in. Not that I did, mind you, because I'd forgotten about the condo construction across the street--right across the street. The builders are working on the top floor, which is directly even with monshu's apartment. Ironic, then: The whole time they've been there, I've been hoping for a clearer view of the workers, the better to scope them out. Now that they're closer than they've ever been, I feel terribly exposed gazing at them. (Not that it stopped me, mind you, but oh how I reproached myself!)

Some highlights of the day:

• Good CTA karma I narrowly caught the 84 Peterson both departing and returning. The second time, there wasn't even a stop there--I only thought there was because there was a stop across the street. (Silly me, right?) It was the same driver; later, I saw him stop again where there was no stop in order to let an elderly Korean man make connexions. It impressed me so much (all the time, I see drivers ignore runners, let alone fools who can't find the stops) that I did something I've never done before: I sent a compliment letter to the CTA.
• Blooming buckeyes Of course, catching the bus like that meant I was insanely early for my appointment, so I took a stroll around the neighbourhood. Just a block from the road was a suburbanesque cul-de-sac ringed with buckeyes in bloom. I've been keeping my eyes on the horsechestnuts and such further east, and they've just got their panicles out--chalk it down to being cooler by the Lake.
• A healthy stroll Thought there was a Cuban place on Clark between Petersen and Devon, but, if so, it's already closed, so my plans to get lunch there didn't pan out. I walked all the way back to Broadway along the el without finding a single restaurant I wanted to try out. Well, there were several African restaurants (including a Somali place), but I figured they'd be too slow and too spicy.
• A tall one In the end, I settled on the Davis St. Fish Market back in E-ton. The service was a little flaky (I ended up trying to pay at the register because my waiter took so long to pick up the check), but he was a cute and sweet BIT who really knew how to pour a beer, so I forgave him. Also, I have a new source for tater tots!