almost summer

Ahoy,

In my scramble to shift things around this past week, I found myself flying on Memorial Day weekend. This did wonders for my rate coming home to Chicago on Saturday. But that's all said and done now, I shan't dwell on the many dollars I've given to Southwest Airlines, so many dollars.

I needed to be back by Sunday for Bike the Drive. I had convinced my brother to do it with me also, which is not that hard to do because he is used to a life led under my command. But really, he's my favorite, and I needed to jam as much fun into our weekend as I possibly could. I ran over to wake him up before 7am on a Sunday. He's my brother, so he has to play with me. We dressed as the Flash and Supergirl because we are still kids and our parents weren't awake to tell us we couldn't. In the quiet of morning we rode out to Jackson and Columbus, and got on Lake Shore Drive with all the other bikes and no cars. It was glorious, magnificent, stupendous, all colors of the rainbow and other ones that didn't exist. K even said it was worth getting up before 7am. We got on the kiddie climbing wall because this is the only climbing I'll get until I return to CA. He and I were the only ones in costume; there should be more costumes. You would think there would be more costumes.

Mommy had prepared our usual Sunday breakfast and we ate with regular gusto for a Sunday morning, which was not very gusty. My friend N came over to pick us up for a trip to the Illinois Beach State Park. In a packed car, we got to the beach on a gusty, overcast day (although it was sunny during our ride). I know she said hike, but this was all so flat - it really was just walking around. I'd never been on a "hike" so flat, so that was a new experience. I didn't know they came like that. The prairie must have recently been part of a prescribed burn because there were a lot of charred looking trees and ground. It evoked the atmosphere of a Lemony Snicket novel. We briefly flew a kite, but it wasn't windy enough to get super exciting. And we got to the car just as it started to rain. N gave us door to door service, which I'm always grateful for.

K and I had to make dinner with our long, lost childhood friend. It was an excellent evening of reminiscing and awe as she clearly has the skills in speaking to our elders that we long ago discarded.

K and I wrapped up our weekend showing each other our favorite tv shows that we think the other should watch. TV consumed much of our lives growing up; it continues to do so.

heartily adrift,
jt