'Tis the Season . . .
A walk through the Loop in Chicago is never dull - or should I say it's always interesting?
Although there are many constants, there always seems to be something new or different going on, or something I haven't seen for awhile. I'm often on a slightly later train that forces me to walk underground to make it to work on time. Today, though, I managed to catch my own train, which means that I got to take advantage of the unseasonable temperature on my walk, and experience some interesting and some irritating things.
What is it with people and their cell phones?? A giant man ahead of me walking up the ramp from the train platform had his head in his phone and was walking so slowly that he was jamming people up all the way back to the train. I finally tapped him on the shoulder, said, "excuse me," and moved quickly ahead of him. He mumbled something in response, and 400 yards later had apparently figured it out, had put his phone away, and blasted by me - because, you know, I'm just not that fast a walker. Geez.
I saw my first Christmas tree this morning - in the florist's window in the train station. Full size. Fully decorated. And some of the windows in the store formerly known as Marshall Field's were clearly winter/holiday oriented already.
I'm already listening to Christmas music because it makes me happy. :-) I love it and see no reason to limit listening to it to four weeks of the year.
And in Daley Plaza the construction for the annual Christkindlmarket has begun. It takes a long time to put up all the stalls and it runs from November 20th through Christmas Eve. There's one out in Oakbrook, too. I think I should have known that, but I didn't :-D
Something different this year - well, it's just a return to the past, really - is that for the first time in 49 years, Chicago's Christmas tree will not be present in Daley Plaza. Mayor Emanuel has decided to move it to Millennium Park. I'm not sure how I feel about this, since for most of my life it's been right there in there middle of the Loop - first when that location was known as the Chicago Civic Center. It became Richard J. Daley Center, Richard J. Daley Plaza on the 27th of December, 1976, a week after Mayor Daley had passed away after 21 years in office.
So, the tree moves back to Michigan Avenue. You know what the French say, don't you?
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
Uh huh . . . ;-)
Although there are many constants, there always seems to be something new or different going on, or something I haven't seen for awhile. I'm often on a slightly later train that forces me to walk underground to make it to work on time. Today, though, I managed to catch my own train, which means that I got to take advantage of the unseasonable temperature on my walk, and experience some interesting and some irritating things.
What is it with people and their cell phones?? A giant man ahead of me walking up the ramp from the train platform had his head in his phone and was walking so slowly that he was jamming people up all the way back to the train. I finally tapped him on the shoulder, said, "excuse me," and moved quickly ahead of him. He mumbled something in response, and 400 yards later had apparently figured it out, had put his phone away, and blasted by me - because, you know, I'm just not that fast a walker. Geez.
I saw my first Christmas tree this morning - in the florist's window in the train station. Full size. Fully decorated. And some of the windows in the store formerly known as Marshall Field's were clearly winter/holiday oriented already.
I'm already listening to Christmas music because it makes me happy. :-) I love it and see no reason to limit listening to it to four weeks of the year.
And in Daley Plaza the construction for the annual Christkindlmarket has begun. It takes a long time to put up all the stalls and it runs from November 20th through Christmas Eve. There's one out in Oakbrook, too. I think I should have known that, but I didn't :-D
Something different this year - well, it's just a return to the past, really - is that for the first time in 49 years, Chicago's Christmas tree will not be present in Daley Plaza. Mayor Emanuel has decided to move it to Millennium Park. I'm not sure how I feel about this, since for most of my life it's been right there in there middle of the Loop - first when that location was known as the Chicago Civic Center. It became Richard J. Daley Center, Richard J. Daley Plaza on the 27th of December, 1976, a week after Mayor Daley had passed away after 21 years in office.
So, the tree moves back to Michigan Avenue. You know what the French say, don't you?
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
Uh huh . . . ;-)
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