Yes, I’ve been AWOL, primarily because I have been traveling and attending medical conferences and have barely had a minute to breathe. First I was in SF with a hectic schedule, but managed to squeeze in some time hunting for rocks with my brother. Yes, real rocks up in the wilds of Tiburon. He’s a geologist, and I enjoy hiking around and spending time with him, even if I don’t share his passion for rocks–although some of them were quite nice, especially the ones that shimmered. I pretended I discovered gold.
Then I was home for one day after I got back from SF, and took off to Chicago for another conference. I have never been to Chicago before, and I think it’s just about the only major US city (aside from Atlanta) that I have not at least visited once. I LOVED Chicago–it was like a clean and scrubbed version of NY with incredible architecture, bordering a lake that resembles the open sea. It is like NY in many ways, especially the insane taxi drivers and the crowds strolling Michigan Blvd. I’ve also turned into such a West Coast wimp, and actually have come to expect that pedestrians have the right of way. Well, trying to cross the street in Chicagoland cured me of that.
Terrific shopping, restaurants, cafes, ambiance–yes, I know, there are some not so nice areas, just like everywhere else. But given a choice between NY and Chicago, I would choose Chicago. For one thing, you can actually afford to live there. Of course, there is that little problem of the winter…. The weather was really nice this weekend, and I had all day Saturday to be outside and explore, and it was warm and sunny.
So now I’m back, and posting. I don’t anticipate going anywhere else for at least a month, when I head to Florida to see the folks.
