8/8/07 Chicago- My Kind of Town (to visit)

Tony has always wanted to live in one of two places: Chicago or somewhere on the Florida coast. Chicago has the Cubs and Bears and Blackhawks, but Florida has sea creatures, and I think he's always had a thing about being a dolphin trainer. I, always supportive and interested in his happiness, have poo-pooed both living areas in no uncertain terms. One, Chicago gets FREAKING COLD, which I do not do, period. And while Florida is blessedly warm, it has been known to be repeatedly hit by pesky little hurricanes, and I have no desire to fix up an overpriced coastal house only to watch it be swept out to sea. I'm just picky like that. Yet as I headed up to visit the Stepher in Chicago this weekend, Tony held out hope that I would fall in love with the city and demand that we move there.

Me (looking at map of Chicago): Look! Chicago has an area called Goose Island!
Tony: It must be fate! We're meant to live there! I'll call the realtor.

Unfortunately for Tony, Chicago and I remain just friends. There are things I really like about Chicago, like the architecture, and people watching on Navy Pier, and Chicago style pizza (especially from Giordanos), but there are also things I really dislike, like the fact that housing is small, yardless, and overpriced. And the fact that it's cold for 9 months out of the year. And that you have to take mass transit because it's impossible to drive in that city. And that it's just flat out crawling with people EVERYWHERE you go. (It's this last one that really gets my goat...sometimes you just want to get away from the masses, and that just doesn't happen in Chicago, because Chicago IS the masses). So I may be lured there on a vacation from time to time, and if I ever get obscenely wealthy, I might sublet an apartment and make it my summer home, but I couldn't ever live there year round. Sorry Chicagoans. My heart belongs to my big backyard and driving my own car and winters above 30 degrees.

But feel free to still send me some of that fabulous Chicago style deep dish pizza.