Author: Hettie D.

My name is Henrietta (Hettie) Dombrovskaya. I was born in Saint-Petersburg, Russian (actually, back then – Leningrad, USSR) in 1963, and immigrated to the United States in 1996. I love Saint Petersburg, the city I was born and raised in, and I think it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world. Similarly (but differently) I love Chicago, and can’t imagine myself moving somewhere else in the observable future. I have three children, Igor, Vlad and Anna, all adults living on their own, and one (so far) granddaughter Nadia. I also believe that my children are the best thing that happened in my life. As for my professional life, I am working in the field of Information Technologies. When I was twenty, I’ve declared that the databases are the coolest thing invented and that I want to do them for the rest of my life. Thirty plus years later, I still believe it’s true, and still, believe that the databases are the best. These two statements together imply that I think a person can have it all, and indeed, I think so! Keep reading my journals to find out how I did it.

Mom’s Internet

Mom’s internet has not been working since last Sunday (August 9), and I have already spent close to ten hours on the phone with tech support. The worst part is that each time you have to go through an AI agent that tries to send you back to troubleshooting, and you can’t explain that this’s your tenth call about the same issue and that you’ve already done all the troubleshooting. On Friday, a technician finally came to my mom’s house, but even there, he was unable to identify a problem and said that he would pass the call to another technician and that someone would call me later, but no one called, and I had to start the process all over again. My mom has a hotspot on her phone, but it was a project to teach her to enable it and to reconnect after she walks away from the computer.

On Saturday, I gave up and called another internet provider (the one I have my service with) and asked them for a new line for her. Unfortunately, they can only come on August 21. I still have a second appointment with her current provider on Wednesday, but I can’t spend that much time away from work, as there are more things I will need to address in the near future. The reason I am not canceling it is that I want my mom to get at least “some” internet sooner, and also, if for whatever reason, the Friday appointment would be delayed (things happen!), I want to have at least a temporary solution.

I could not imagine it is even possible to deliver such poor customer service! I wanted to cry on Friday night when I got off my last call with a human – it lasted 40 minutes, including all the wait time, and there was no satisfactory resolution of our issue. I left them a “zero” review the next day. 😂

Jaan Kross, Between Three Plagues: Final Review

That’s the last book of Jaan Kross’ “Between Three Plagues.” It took me a while to find all four parts (and it was very confusing to learn that there are actually four books, but parts two and three come as one book), but anyway, I finally turned the last page. I am as sad finishing this epic as my kids used to feel finishing the newest Harry Potter book, since for such a long time, Baltazar Russow was my companion. Each time I came to Tallinn, and it happened several times during my reading, I wanted to walk the streets that were mentioned in the book, stay by the building, and try to imagine events that happened over 400 years ago. My last trip, just over a month ago, was especially memorable since we stayed in a hotel with a mid-16th-century ceiling painted with some lively scenes, and I imagined that Baltazar could see this exact ceiling. It was also the first time I went inside the Holy Spirit Cathedral and saw the Baltazar Russow memorial plaque.

Having my connections to Finland and Estonia, it’s one of the most important books I’ve read. I think that only now do I fully understand the centuries of struggle of the people of Estonia and appreciate the entire complexity of it, as well as Estonia’s relationships with other neighboring (or non-neighboring) countries. I feel ashamed of not being informed for such a long time, and having mostly the “touristy” perspective of the country.

Another important aspect of this epic is Baltazar’s continuous reflection on the role of a historian, his responsibility for preserving the truth about his people, and at the same time, making sure that his work can be published, and all these never-ending compromises which, in the end, make him call his chronicles “a book of falsehoods,” while it still remains the most complete historical evidence of that period.

And finally, as I already mentioned while I reviewed the previous volumes, this is the most “lively” historical novel I ever read. I so loved the feeling of being there, witnessing everything that was happening. I read page after page, and I could smell coals on the snow-covered streets of Tallinn and the sweat of people packed in a tavern after a day of hard work. I could hear the neighing horses and screaming kids. I could feel the cold, wet November snow, and the warmth of moss in the summer forest. People, their feelings and their thoughts, their hesitations, love and betrayal – everything is so real!

I knew that Balthasar Russow was a real person, but reading the book made him even more real for me than many of my contemporaries. As if I were actually there.

We know very little about him, so everything except for his three wives is fictional. But I still want to believe that Epp was a real person, and that he saw her before his death. And the only thing that saddens me about the end of this book is that his last thought was about feeling guilty of being happy sometimes. How can anyone feel guilty of being happy? I guess I can think that Jaan Kross imagined it. But just that! 🙂

Taxes

When I lost all hope. IRS finally got back to me, and not only did they get back, but they also informed me that my tax returns were approved. And not only that, but they also corrected my mistake (I forgot to submit the information about my last year’s estimates because I was not paying them in 2026 anymore), and they paid me back more than I originally submitted, and even added interest because they paid me several months later!

Unbelievable! Although I guess that’s how it should be!

A Very Eventful Day And Bats Monitoring

Yesterday was one of the record days in terms of the number of times the weather changed, and how much it took to an extreme. I had a nice early morning bike ride before work, then, it was a tornado warning during the day. Fortunately, it didn’t touch Rogers Park, but in the office, we were instructed to shelter in place, and it continued for 45 minutes. The rain was pouring, and it was very windy, and it was hard to believe it will get better any time soon.

Then, suddenly, things started to clear up, and by 4 PM, there were no traces of it. I was hoping I could go to the beach right after I get home, but for some reason, the beach alert ws not removed. The red flag was up, and a lifeguard was marching around the pier. I was extremely disappointed, but decided to repeat the attempt at 7 PM. The problem was that I also wanted to attend the Bat Monitoring event, which was scheduled for 7:30, so I had very little time. Still, I decided that something is better than mothing, and I didn’t regret it! Just half on hour was plenty to be thankful to the lake and the happy fact that I live so close to it!

The Bat Monitoring was another super-interesting thing. The presentation took place at the Loyola fieldhouse. Liza Lehrer, Assistant Director of the Urban Wildlife Institute at Lincoln Park Zoo, gave an overview of the Urban Wildlife Institute’s bat research program and its key findings. I learned a lot! For start, I didn’t know we have bats right here, in Chicago! I didn’t know that they migrate, like birds, and that some of them hybernate in winter! And I didn’t know they are closer to humans than rodents.

The most exiting part was a live demo! It turned out, that there is a special equipment one can use to detect and record the bats that are flying around us! Also, there is a program which can autoamtically decode the sounds and identify the species, and also record the place were recording was made. The Lincoln Park Zoo people had two of these sets, and we had an opportunity to see them in action! It was surreal – I never ever thought that there are bats, and so many, right there, by the beach, where I walk almost every day.

If it wouldn’t be so late, I would stay longer!

Fort Sheridan And One More Thunderstorm

Since the time I first learned about Fort Sheriday Forest preserve, I try to visit it a couple times a year, and at least once in summer. I didn’t have a chance to go there this summer yet, and I wanted to make sure I sivit it before summer ends. Even in July, I knew I will have very few options, and this Sunday was “one before last one.’ Usually, I listed to my gut feeling very careflly, gaging whether I should or should not do something, but this time, I was not sure. I felt like I am trying to squizz in too many things, and the weather was not ideal, but then I thought that if I would give in and not go, I will regret it, so I decided to go even though I knew it will be a very short visit,

The prairie exceeded my expectations :). Because of so many rains we had this summer, it was in bloom like I never saw it! I walked on the trail with a smile on my face, and was quitely saying hello to all my wild friends.

Continue reading “Fort Sheridan And One More Thunderstorm” →

Kira In Chicago

This weekend, we finally had Kira’s special Chicago adventure. Since February, when she was sick on the day we were supposed to have a pottery class together, I promised her a solo stay with me, but it took us more than six months to schedule. It was the first time that she visited me without anyone else, including Nadia, and we had a great time!

She made a huge developmental leap and is now so mature, so interesting to talk with, such a loving and helpful person, that I can only admire Anna’s parental skills; she is a way better parent than I was! I see her in both girls, and although Nadia and Kira are very different people, I see that they took the best from both parents.

We had breakfast on my balcony, went to the beach early in the morning, visited my mom, and then headed to the Field Museum, where Kira planned to stay until closing :).

She changed her mind only when I suggested getting a gelato flower at Amorino, where, fortunately, the wait was not 45 minutes, but only 20!

Before we headed to the beach, I asked Kira whether she could try to make the guest room look like it was when she came, and she honestly exceeded my expectations!

And another thing which really touched me was how patient and kind she was with my mom. Initially, I thought my mom could meet us at the beach in the morning, but later I realized we would be there before she normally gets out for a walk, so I removed our meeting from her calendar. Then, as Kira and I were already heading out for the Field Museum, I saw an email from my mom asking whether she should wait for my call or head to the beach. I realized that the only option we had was to stop by on our way, so I called her to let her know we were coming.

Then I explained to Kira that my mom wanted to see her very much, and that she often forgets things, but she remembered that I wanted to see her. And I told Kira that if I lived for another thirty years, I might also become very forgetful, and I argued with Kira that she never told me this and that. She laughed at this perspective, didn’t complain that we didn’t go to the museum right away, and was very kind and respectful to my mom. And I was very thankful for that!

Dishwasher Cleaning

I have had this dishwasher for more than two years. At some point, I noticed the cleaning quality had declined, and dishes not placed in the middle had residue. I even purchased an extra year of insurance because I was afraid I would need to call for a major repair. I read the instructions at the time it was installed, and I thought that I had been doing all the cleaning that was necessary, but it turned out I was wrong.

A week ago, I decided to read all of the instructions one more time, and it turned out I never cleaned the parts that could potentially be clogged – and they were, indeed!

I finally took the racks out, turned them upside down, and cleaned all the small holes that were clogged! Why I can’t read instructions – don’t ask 😂

The Notebook Musical

There was a book, and there was a movie, and there was a musical. They met. They fell in love. Life circumstances separated them. They found each other ten years later to stay together forever. Then she developed dementia. And he moved to the nursing home to be close to her, although she couldn’t recognize him anymore and didn’t know who he was. He reads to her “a book” – a notebook with the story of their lives, in hopes that she will remember and return to him.

Most of the Broadway productions are great, and this one was no exception. Also, in addition to great music, a live orchestra, and beautiful voices, the acting was… one of those moments when everything is so real and so recognizable that it’s heartbreaking. Of course, the story touches on the topics that are constantly on my mind, but it’s not like I couldn’t watch it because of some similarities to real life. It just went along with my thinking…

Three pairs of actors play the main characters in three different stages of their lives.

Sunday

My weekend regret: I didn’t go to the beach because of the weather. The wins: 1) the rain stopped mid-Saturday, so I could still go biking; 2)I did a lot of non-work work, primarily working on my open-source projects. Another regret: I am still not where I want to be with almost all of them.

Anyway, some Sunday positivity:

Monroe Harbor
There was a very strong wind from the North, and I biked rather far South, plus I left a bit late, and ended up being back to Rogers Park later than I thought. Fortunately, the Common Cup is right on my way home. I never tried their oatmeal because I didn’t expect much of it, but last time, my friend ordered it, and I tried it and loved it! This one is with raspberries and almonds!
My weekly summer bouquet from the Glenwood Sunday Market

How Does Your Chicago Summer Look Like?

I received this in one of the WBEZ newsletters, and I couldn’t stop laughing! Yes, that’s how it looks!

Hi Henrietta!

Somewhere between changing the sheets for the third time and making yet another cheese plate, I realized my home has basically become a bed and breakfast. My washer and dryer have been working overtime, as have I.

If your summer has looked anything like mine, you know how it is. Everyone wants to experience summer in Chicago and all the fun that comes with it, yet you’re scrambling to remember what’s even happening this week. Let our calendar do the planning for you and bring your guests our way for a good time, like a free jazz concert featuring Mike Reed’s Common Good Dance Band on August 14 at Navy Pier or Thalia Hall’s Free For All on August 29.

The good news? Fall is coming, and with it, a little breathing room. We’ve already got some great events on the books, so once the guest room empties out (or the air mattress is deflated), it might be time to start filling in your own calendar again. Scroll down for a preview.

Nathalie		Nathalie Kohen