P.S. Wrote this last year and forgot to publish. Since we had mostly a beautiful summer this year, too. herewith my thank you for lovely weather.
View of Lincoln Park’s Nature Path from Brauer Cafe
Lying in bed this morning, I randomly thought about how many lovely days we’ve had this summer in Chicago. Far more often than usual we’ve had days with relatively low humidity, sunshine and gentle breezes. Compared with our usual several-week-runs of 90+ temps, and/or rain and clouds, and/or gale-force winds, this has been a joyfully easy summer. I can’t believe the number of times I’ve pushed out from between the handicap-switch-operated front doors of my apartment building and found myself smiling as I hit the sidewalk towards, on the one hand, to the west, the grocery store of the UPS pickup point, or on the other hand, to the east, the bus stop north to the gym or the hairdresser, or south to Lincoln Park and locations downtown. The beautiful weather is such a gift.
I am, at best, only a fair-weather fan of the outdoors, especially in the summer. My philosophy is always that it’s easy to put on more clothes and scarves and muffs and socks when it’s cold. But when it’s hot, there’s only so much you can take off. And walking around with a sheen of sweat all over my body – unless I’m dancing up a storm in my aerobics class or having sex (ah, memories!) – is one of the worst feelings, ever. Having to live with your hair sticking to your neck and your shirt sticking to your back is a fate I would wish on no one. My heart really goes out to the hard-working guys and gals in the construction crews that toil away in hard hats amid the choking dust and almost-unbearable noise, doing their jobs no matter how high the humidity or how searing the sun. Thank you to all the strong and dedicated men and women in every profession who labor outside under all conditions.
Rooftop at the WIT Hotel
I’m grateful to the many restaurants and bars in Chicago that operate umbrella-ed patios and decks and rooftop bars so that we denizens of the city can soak up the outdoors on demand. Is there anything to beat sipping the cold drink in your hand while enjoying a view of this great city? Even if it’s just folks on the sidewalk moving down the street, there’s something special about watching the world go by as you eat and drink outside, more or less sheltered from the flow.
Cheers to more of this beautiful summer. Hope yours is a happy one this year.