Month: July 2023

Waste Reduction

This was a small thing, but I am very proud of it.

Sometimes, things break, or you lose a part, and then it appears to be very difficult to find this one small part that you need to replace, and it is very tempting to replace the whole thing.

Recently, I accidentally threw a percolator tube into the garbage. And I didn’t realize I did it until it was too late, and the garbage was already in the dumpster. I started to look for a part on Amazon, and I couldn’t find it. A couple of years ago, I had to buy a new percolator for Milwaukee when the lid of the coffee basket went missing, and I could not find a replacement for such a simple thing and ended up ordering a new percolator.

This time, I was almost ready to do the same, but when I checked the percolator’s price on Amazon, I saw that it had gone up almost twice since I purchased it last time. Most likely, that won’t stop me because I wanted the problem to be solved ASAP, but then I thought about the conservation efforts and what a waste it would be to throw away the whole percolator with only this tube missing!

I made an effort :). I found the company website and ordered the replacement perk tubes. Two of them :). Because it’s not the last time I need one. And it was not as fast as Amazon delivery. And two tubes plus shipping cost only a little bit less than a new percolator. But I was so happy I did the right thing 🙂

Reflecting on my Professional Career.

Hettie D.'s avatarThe World of Data

Today, I joined a group of DRW volunteers to participate in the Lunch and Learn event for theGreenwood ProjectThat was an incredible experience! I can’t remember the last time I talked to such an intelligent and motivated group of young people with clear professional goals and the thrust for knowledge. Also, I can hardly remember any other event, including big professional conferences, that would result in that many LinkedIn connection requests. Good job, Scholars!

I was really impressed with the students’ questions! Even after the event, I kept thinking about some of them. One student asked me what helped me to keep moving up in my professional career. I replied, as I usually do, that my biggest motivation was that I loved what I was doing.

Several months ago, I wrotean essay about itin my personal blog. Today, after I answered this question, I wondered whether…

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In The Courthouse

More about the oath ceremony. It turned out I completely forgot what my oath ceremony looked like. I found my notes from 2008, and I realized that to the smallest detail, including the super-long wait, it was exactly like it was with my mom. Also, back then, I had mixed feelings about this second citizenship.

It’s funny how the human brain works. I remember that after the initial shock from coming to live in a completely new country which was nothing like other places I had visited before had passed, I liked it being here. When I figured out how to perform the daily tasks, and it stopped being a “coming home with a newborn” struggle, I instantly felt at home. However, at the same time, I also felt uneasy about “denouncing previous allegiances” and referred to my new status as “a marriage of convenience.”

My “growing into” American citizenship was a long process, and now when I read my notes from that time, it surprises me how selective our brains are.

Back to yesterday’s ceremony. In the notice that was sent to my mom, the ceremony start time was indicated as 12-30 PM, and I planned to be there with mom by 12-15. Anna took an earlier train to be there for sure, not the last minute, and we met my mom at Lake Red Line CTA and walked to the Federal Court.

There was already a long line on the 25th floor, and when we reached the beginning of the line, a lady told us that Anna and I should leave and come back at 1 PM. It was all very confusing because it sounded like we couldn’t be present during the ceremony, but as we found out when we came back, the actual ceremony was going to be at 1:30 PM. That meant that Anna had to sprint to the Union Station immediately after the oath.

All the rest went well. The judge who was conducting the ceremony said that ninety-six people from thirty-six countries were becoming US citizens on that day. He said that each person brings their own culture and experience and that that’s the nature of the country, and that fact that his ancestors came to America in the 17th century does not make his citizenship any “better” than other people’s citizenships. I think I was giving more thought to this ceremony yesterday than I did during my oath ceremony.

As I already mentioned, fifteen years ago, I didn’t like the idea of exclusiveness, of demands to denounce all my previous allegiances. To be honest, I do not know how I would feel about it now if the country where I was born wouldn’t expose the worst of herself. I do not know how Ukrainians who took the oath on the same day felt (I know there were some), especially because, as far as I know, Ukraine does not allow dual citizenship.

Mom received her certificate. Anna had to run to get back home (and hit all possible public transportation disasters on the way). Igor could not come because, somehow, he managed to get COVID over the weekend. So it was just my mom and me, and while we were inside, another spell of pouring rain started. Fortunately, it didn’t last long, and when it slowed down, we walked to Amarino and had coffee and ice cream there. The rain started again, a stopped again, and again we had just enough time to walk to the nearest Red Line station.

Mom was very happy, and she thanked me multiple times for making this happen.

…. only when we got on the train I realized that I had left my jacket at the Courthouse (I thought that it might be too air-conditioned, and took a black jacket with me, but it was not cold, and…) I decided that it’s a good opportunity to shop for a new one 🙂

Mom Took The Citizenship Oath

It’s all done. This huge weight is off my shoulders. Now I am going to take a deep breath and dive into the next round of bureaucracy: Medicare, SS benefits, passport, and whatever else. But at least we are done with that one!

A Perfect Summer Bouquet

And not just the bouquet – it’s just that summer finally reached this stage of perfection, when the water in the Lake is warm, and the air is velvet, and the flowers smell, and everybody have the lights on their balconies, and you enjoy every second of your existence 😀

Why I Don’t Like Remote Work

I like flexibility; I always liked the option of being able to work remotely, but not the idea of working remotely full-time. This WBEZ podcast mentions some of the issues which are important to me regarding working from home. If I would be honest with myself, I have to admit that the most important factor for me is a relatively small and seemingly unimportant thing – the lack of physical movement when you work from home.

A funny story is that twenty years ago, it was just the opposite: when I worked from home, I had the option of going biking during the lunch break, and I didn’t have to time my morning workout to make sure I was not late for the train. Back then, working from home meant more physical activity, and now it’s the opposite.

When it comes strictly to work, I know that 1) you can be very efficient while being remote;2) I had exceptionally successful emote projects; 3) you can have social interactions working remotely. But you can’t seamlessly incorporate move moving into your everyday life.

… and yes, there is nothing better than whiteboarding!

A Long Bike Ride

The longest bike ride of this season so far, 25.34 miles. For Bike the Drive, I signed up for a 30 miles challenge, but I should also add about 3 miles to get from my house to the official start and 3 miles back :). I will have at least two stops on the way, including the breakfast, so I am pretty sure I can make it with no problem. Today was not a stretch.

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Lion’s Den Forest Preserve

I spent a day in Milwaukee with my girls, and at my request to do some nature, we went to Lion’s Den Forest Preserve. It was amazing! The best thing I could imagine, and the thing which is impossible in Illinois: both the Lake and the Nature preserve in one place! I took tons of pictures, although I fully understand that the pictures don’t convey the true beauty of the bluff. As Anna put it: that’s how Lake Michigan looked before the white people came. Breathtaking views!

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Another Crazy Week Weather

One thing is for sure – Independence Day was perfect weather-wise. My friends visited Chicago during the holiday week. They stayed in a hotel on the Near North, and I volunteered to give them a city tour on July 4 (having that most of the museums were closed anyway). It turned out that not only museums were closed! We could not get in neither Chicago Cultural Center, nor Rookery building Foye, nor Chicago Fine Arts Building.

Nevertheless, we had a great walk around the city in a perfect weather, and then I took then for the Brown Line Loop to see the city from the unique perspective, and then I we went to Rogers Park and I showed them how I live, and how close the lake is.

Although it was a perfect beach weather, the beach was so packed that I didn’t think I could find any pleasure and enjoyment being on the beach on in the water, co after I saw them off, I returned to catching up with life :).

Then, there was 90F on Wednesday followed by this horrible thunderstorm that started during the concert. I still can’t get over of how bad it was, and how quickly everything was flooded, and my mom had such a horrible experience (in addition, she could not sleep the night before that because of the illegal fireworks).

And then there was Thursday, when it was barely warm (lower 70-s), but since the lake was already warmed up, it was a beach weather, and it was such a fun to jump. in the waves!

Summer is the only time when I try to work from home one or two days a week to be able to have a lunch break ar the beach!

Health Updates

After my biking accident and the doctor’s appointment a week later, the x-ray results came earlier than I expected – on Sunday. The results stated I had a fracture with minor displacement. On Monday (June 11), the doctor whom I saw on Friday called me with “I told you!” message and sent me to the orthopedic doctor. That doctor took yet another bunch of x -rays and said that he did not see any fracture and I did not need to wear a splinter, wait for this whole thing to heal, and come back in three weeks.

Because of my travel and the holidays, I ended up going back only today. Both my left thumb and the left index finger hurt to some degree when I was doing something with my left hand, including applauding at the concerts, and overall, I was not convinced that I didn’t have a fracture. But just a couple of days before this last visit to the doctor, I started to feel much better, so they said everything was fine and I do not need to come anymore unless I want some special hand therapy. I am not going to waste my time on that.

The last mom’s physical therapy session was at the beginning of June, and I told our physical therapist that I was going to do all the exercises he prescribed to my mom. So that’s what I am planning to do because my left thumb still bends only a halfway in comparison to the right one 🙂