those other dim dots that were you: take it all

"Shedding is a reflection of normal growth and renewal in a healthy animal. If a reptile is not healthy, it will not shed as often as it should." —Reptile Skin Shedding: Snakes, Lizards and Chelonians

Hot hot heat. The garden is a weedy jungle with nothing planted yet, save whatever's popping up from last year. I think I recognize cauliflower, green onion, and some rogue mint, but I can also identify a pizza box that blew in from a neighbor's yard. (Giordano's: local native.) In any case, the yard needs work!

True to form, Chicago spring has vacillated wildly between winter-like and summer-like, with too many blasts of cold autumnal rain, and now it's 93°F and everyone's peeling off layers of clothing like reptiles shedding their skin. I'm still not quite ready to transition to a uniform of shorts. (Time to revisit my favorite website.)

When it comes an active lifestyle, everyone should probably take their cues from Courtney, aka SPORTY SPICE...

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The past couple months in list form: sickness, recovery, Rahm in office, art reviews, birthdays, late-night freelance proofreading in the Wrigley Building, a lot more freelancing in general (a welcome thing, post-taxes), Chicago coming into bloom, a closer look at TV singing competitions (more on that soon), trying out Maude's and Arami (both great) and Owen & Engine (meh), movie nights with CC, making a lot of stuff in the Vitamix, trips to Michigan, Brian moving into a group home, both sisters recording albums, revisiting my favorite sport, sleep deprivation, watching Pulling (brilliant) and The Killing (liked it initially, but it quickly became pretty monochromatic & monotone… D. calls the lead detective Ol' Sourpuss), baby shower, book fair, Easy having surgery, Misericordia, missing people, telepathically telling long-distance friends I miss them (did you get the message?), making overly ambitious summer resolutions and then realizing (as I always do) that the season I longed for is already here, with more street fests and summer concerts and BBQs than one could imagine, much less—while preserving any modicum of free time or essential bouts with semi-boredom—attend. Note for the next couple months: Amid the running & running around, I need some porch sitting and books.