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.

“It’s Basic” Documentary

I am on my way home from this event. I was half an hour late, but it was just the right time, as it turned out. The programming started approximately ten minutes after I arrived, and the panel after the screening was only 30 minutes long. After the “official part” was over, half of the audience rushed to the podium to talk with panelists, and I decided I did not want to stand in their way.

I loved the documentary; I cried several times. I am a firm believer in basic income, and I do not need any convincing, but it was great to hear about true stories, scientific analysis of the results, and about what’s next.

One thing that concerns me about this initiative and others like it is the randomness and small size of the groups of people who can benefit. It feels like one extra piece in the boundless mosaic of human services, and when I think about how I would like it to evolve, I would say this program should be as universal as possible.

On another topic: the Green Line was delayed several times both inbound and outbound, but I was able to ignore the surroundings and do something productive on the train.

I am super tired of everything which is happening in my life (including work), but there are things I can’t drop, no matter what.

My main reason to attend was the panelists:

  • Toni Preckwinkle, President, Cook County Board of Commissioners
  • Mayor Michael Tubbs, Special Advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom for Economic Mobility; “It’s Basic” Film Executive Producer
  • Margaret M.C. Thomas, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice

Personal Update

Boris is not coming in April. His previous US visa expired in March, and he was supposed to get an “auto-renewal” (without the interview), at least that’s what the system determined. He mailed his passport to the embassy as instructed, but two weeks later, he received a response form them that he needed to schedule the interview. By that time, there were no slots available until May.

It’s not the end of the world yet (although we keep wondering what it could be), but at a minimum, a serious alteration of our plans. On Anna’s advice, I asked our Congressperson’s office for assistance, but after looking at our case, they said there is nothing they can help with.

(That was an FYI since many of my friends read this blog as my news feed, no actions required :))

Igor’s Photos From The April 5 Protest

Ryo Sushi

I do not know why there are no crowds at Ryo Sushi: they are at the premium location, they are open on evenings and weekends, their prices are very modest, and the food is above and beyond! I really want them to stay open, although I also hope that I will never have to wait in line to get in!

The Seafood Udon is my favorite!
The Ramen lovers were also happy!

And More From the Hands Off Rally

I don’t know what it tells about Annd and me, but we thought going to the protest after the Children’s concert in the CSO was a great idea, and so we did. And there were a lot of other parents who brought their children of all ages to the rally, so at least in this part of our plan, we were not an exception.

While we were at the rally, Igor mentioned that the number of participants was estimated to be about 30 K. This is not as massive as the anti-Trump rallies eight years ago, but it is still a good step in the right direction.

On the way to Daley Plaza
Continue reading “And More From the Hands Off Rally” →

Today’s Rally

I will post my pics shortly – most of mine are different!

What I Saw of Chicago’s “Hands Off” Rally

This Week’s Events

I didn’t post it on Wednesday, but as usual, better late than never. Here in Chicagoland, the suburban elections demonstrated the reverse of the course in comparison with the November elections. Even being a Blue State as we are, the November election results shifted in favor of Republicans, which looked like a concerning trend. However, last Tuesday, we witnessed the opposite shift. We also saw very close margins in Florida elections, even when they were not won by Democratic candidates, so once again, things start to change.

Obviously, the highlight of the week was Susan Crawford’s election. Her victory is important not only as a victory of a democratic candidate in a swing state but also as a victory of people over money. We always knew that even though fundraising is important, votes are cast by people, not dollars. Susan Crawford’s victory proves exactly that.

Two Operas

This week, I attended two operas in Lyric, and that’s it for this season. The first one was La Boheme. It was the first time that I listened to it live, and I loved every moment of it! Everything was perfect, the acting, the set and the costumes, and all the voices were out of this world! I am reposting the photos from the Lyric Opera website, because I know they will be gone soon!

Two days later, I went to the Listeners. My neighbor read the reviews and said she did not want to go, but I was intrigued and went alone. I have nothing against modern operas, and was open to hearing something new. When I read that this opera is about “a cult,” I became unsure but decided to give it a try.

In the end, it was not my thing. Or rather, I do not think that the story was opera material. The promotional video looks tons better than the opera itself. But maybe it’s just me!

Continue reading “Two Operas” →

Welcome Prairie

Please Welcome Prairie Postgres!

On Abortion

At the PAC event on March 18, the speakers mentioned the number of out-of-state abortions performed in Illinois per year. Even before Dobbs, the numbers were high: 19K in 2022 and 87K in 2023. They didn’t have the numbers for 2024 yet, but I can only imagine!

That’s for this Saturday morning, when I was once again in escort by the FPA clinic on West Washington.

The anis are trying to blend in with the colors very similar to ours, but you can still tell them! And you can see how close to the clinic entrance they are!

One woman I was escorting to another clinic entrance said that she “didn’t expect these people to be there” and asked: Are they here every day? I said: yes, and they are not coming from other states, those are ours, “homegrown” antis. And she said: Oh, I am not from here, I am from Texas! Then we had a usual conversation about ” why are they doing this? what are they trying to achieve? that’s my choice.”

I knew that people from Texas come to Illinois to have an abortion, but that was the first time I met someone who went such a long distance to get the care they needed. And once again, it reminded me how important it is to preserve all rights and freedoms in our state.