Tag: itssummer

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

Life Moments

I felt very bad about never attending Customer Appreciation events at my wealth management company, so when they announced an event at the venue within a ten-minute walk from my office, I felt compelled to RSVP yes.

Except for a couple of amazing shots of Chicago at sunset, it was 100% wasted time, even though I spoke with my portfolio manager and some people in his network.

***

Thursday escort was a complete crisis again. I was a team lead for the early morning shift, and there were just three of us (and one texted that she was running late). That’s already a challenge when there are six antis out, because the moment the second car with a patient stops, you do not have enough bodies to protect patients.

Having nurses being dropped off with the accompaniment of “stop murdering babies,” and wondering why they have to cross the front line every morning…

And then getting a message in the middle of the workday about a new nasty group of antis. And domestic violence. And “horrible people.” And guns. And cops. And “if you can come, come”. Putting the vest back on in the elevator. Running down, and running two blocks south. Cops. Crying woman. Leaving forty minutes later since it looked like they all left, only to receive a message five minutes later that they were still around…

***

My new coworker, whom I texted yesterday with a suggestion to go to the beach after work, responded while I was in the middle of the aforementioned crisis, so I didn’t even see her messages among the others. She accepted my crazy idea, even though she was working from home, and we decided on the meeting time. She came to Jarvis; we stopped at my house so that I could change, and we could grab the beach chairs, and then we walked to Loyola Beach.

She loved it! She said that was the best beach in Chicago she had visited so far! She loved how calm things are here (and you know I love it as well!). We spent an hour and a half at the beach; I never stay at the beach that long on workdays. And then I walked her to the bus stop and made sure she got on, and she said that when her family will be visiting, she will bring them that beach, for sure!

Lena In Chicago

A summer weekend when Lena comes to Chicago is always special. We have some favorite activities that we do each time, and we always try something new. Here is a short summary of all our activities.

Lena arrived on Friday evening. It was not super late, and we tentatively planned to go to Jarvis Beach and even went there, but the wind was cold, and we didn’t feel like getting into the water (and even more so – getting out), so we just sat there and talked, and then went home.

On Saturday, I went for an early bike ride by myself, and Lena just walked to the lake.

Continue reading “Lena In Chicago” →

Stormy Lake

On Saturday, after Anna’s family left, I went to the beach: the air quality was decent, and as we found out, this season, it’s not quaranteed, so even a warm summy day might be not a beach day.

Saturday definitely was, and also, it was the first day this season that I could jump in the waves 🙂

Fruits And Berries

Anna & Fam traveled to Chicago from Michigan, which meant there was an abundance of fresh fruits and berries sold everywhere in mass quantities. Anna figured out it shouldn’t go to waste, and the four of us will consume it all, but it didn’t appear to be realistic, especially because I also stuffed the fridge with CSA delivery and other fruit and vegetable purchases.

I will check with Anna, but at first glance, there were at least 10 lb of perfectly ripe peaches, a box of at least 5 lb of blueberries (I actually think more), several pounds of both red and Rainier cherries, red currants, cucumbers, peppers, and raspberries. And most of them didn’t fit in the fridge!

It was only yesterday that I managed to fit the remaining goods into the fridge, and before that, I was making Finnish blueberry-rye cereal for breakfast for both of us, and we gave a lot of fruits to Igor and my neighbor downstairs. My next-door neighbor just returned from Michigan herself 🙂

Girls in Chicago

Nadia and Kira are attending the Drama Camp at the Lifeline Theater this week. Anna is trying to work from home, and I am trying to work whenever the opportunity presents itself 😂

The challenge is that the camp drop-off time is 8:50, and pickup time is at 3 PM, and it’s about a 15-minute walk from my house, so it’s only 5.5 hours of work in between. Yesterday, I worked from home and picked the girls up so that Anna could do more work during the day. Funny story: when I came for a pickup and the counselor asked for the kids’ names, I almost said, “Anna and Vlad” 😂. After the camp, we went to the beach, and when Anna was done, we switched :). I think the beach is the best thing in this whole arrangement! The water is warm, I bought two new bags of beach toys, so even the 90s (which is going to be the case for the whole week) feels manageable 🙂

Summer!

I think I already had at least three announcements that summer is finally here, but it was still “not exactly”, because the lake was cold, and the temperatures were not getting to their summer level, and during the heat wave, I was away:).

The latter one does not imply that I wanted to be here during the heat wave:), but only after I came back, and was finally able to go to the beach after work, I could feel Chicago summer in full; the way I love it. Chicago summer at its best is the reason I never want to be away, at least in July and August.

On Tuesday, I finally went to the beach after work, and it felt super nice. And yesterday, I took a late break at work (I do not care what it is called, and why I am taking a break shortly before most people leave home; it’s just the time when I actually can take it!)

When you come to the office at 6:30 AM (no, I didn’t work, I had a virtual training session)
And then take a break at 3:30 PM, and walk the Riverwalk, and hear the music from the fun boats and from all the cafes you pass
Continue reading “Summer!” →

Pink Morning

My attempts to capture these subtle minutes of the sun just about to rise, this “here for just one minute” peach-pink…

A Warm Day! Finally!

Finally, I could bike without the warm gloves!

And I bought more flowers, and found my dream hanging basket.

And I went to the beach! For real!

… And One More Splash Of Summer!

Yesterday, before I left for the airport, I walked to the beach and realized that if I wasn’t in a rush and didn’t put away all the beach things, I could still go! It was nice and warm and calm. Several people were walking in the shallow water, likely regretting having put their swimsuits into storage.

I rolled up my jeans and followed their example:).