a funny, a missing person, a unexpected kindness, and a tear

1.  Okay, I get the "windy city" part.  There's always at least a nice breeze here, and sometimes it's a stiff breeze, and sometimes it's a blow-you-over breeze.  Sometimes, like this evening, it feels good and fresh and is just cool enough to refresh.  Sometimes it's not quite enough as the heat rises from the sidewalk or street.  And I'm sure that in a few months, I'll call it horrible names.  But sometimes, it can make you laugh.

Walking back from a trip to Borders yesterday, bag of books in hand, I came upon a breeze strong enough to actually sway a heavy bag of books and almost stop me in my tracks.  But the funny part was that it lifted the cap I was wearing right off my head.  I turned and skipped after my cap as it scooted down the sidewalk.  Just as I got to it, it scurried off again, and again.  Have you ever seen Benny and Joon?  That's what I felt like. I couldn't help but laugh.  When I finally captured the cap, I turned and almost smacked right into this guy who had seen the whole ordeal and was laughing too.  It's healthy sometimes to have a good laugh at your own expense.

2.  Also yesterday, I noticed that the un-homeless guys' space was a little emptier than usual.  His doorway home had become quite crowded with all the paraphernalia he had collected.  This evening as I walked by, I looked more closely and it seems he's moved on.  All that's left is a cooler and a trash can - I guess he couldn't carry those on his bike.

Can't say I'm sorry to see him go, and I hope he's got a better place to stay, and maybe a job.  I didn't feel threatened by him or scared of him, but I do feel a little easier walking by that spot.  Let's just pray that a "vacant lot" sign doesn't go up.

3.  One of the best discoveries since moving here is Chipotle.  It's a quick, inexpensive, but wonderfully delicious mexican restaurant chain.  They have a small menu - you can get a burrito, a salad, or a bowl made with your choice of chicken, steak, pork or veggies.  Like Subway, you get to choose what you want included, and everything is fresh and yummy.  And it's big enough to make 2 meals.  For me, anyway.

Tonight I ordered a bowl with steak and all my usual fixins, and a "chips and guacamole" on the side.  A guy with a really nice smile and obviously pleasant personality turned around and said "I'm working on the guac now so it'll just be a minute".  Now, this stuff is worth waiting for - they make it from scratch and it's truly scrumpdilliumptious.  After 6-8 minutes I had my bowl, guac and chips and was headed out the door.  The guac guy came running out the door after me and handed me a Chipotle gift card.  "Sorry you had to wait - it's on me".  How sweet.  And what he didn't know was that I would have waited a lot longer to have that guac to take home with me.  I was tempted to take him home with me too.  But only if he'd bring more of that green goodness with him.

4.  After what seems like months, my house in Huntsville is finally on the market.  Someone will buy it, soon I hope, and I officially won't live there anymore.  Jeff is the listing agent which is great - I know he will find a buyer that appreciates all the good things about the house, and overlooks the things that could be better.  Of course, the kitchen is the jewel of the house.  It was the main thing that made it hard to leave.  That and the beautiful Japanese maple, and the Chinese dogwood I just planted late last summer.  No, I don't choose trees based on nationality, it just seems that way.

Tonight I looked at the house listing on the MLS website.  The pictures are good and really make the house look great.  But the picture of the kitchen - the hickory cabinets with their variations of light and dark wood, the range and fridge that I was so proud to finally have, the ceiling I fought with to hang, the sink I installed myself (complete with disposal which I wired myself) and the faucet I paid way too much for...but mostly the cabinets made of the most beautiful wood I've ever seen - seeing that brought a tear.  I guess I inherited my love of wood from my father, and maybe even my grandfathers, who made their livings as carpenters.  A tree is transformed into something functional, or decorative, and is warm and sturdy all at once.  It's grounded; it has roots.  I can't think of anything else that does that.

My grandfather, Papa, once said of a tree "that is a living thing.  It gives us shade from the sun, the leaves cool the wind, it provides food for humans or animals.  Don't ever forget that a tree is a living thing".

Yep, I think that's where I get it.