Jen

This morning, I was hit* on by a bike messenger. Is that good or bad?

Today is my first full day back at work. It’s seems slightly unreal after last week, probably because I am not the grumpy person that I usually am on a Monday morning here. I’m happy, probably because I know I don’t have to be here all day tomorrow, or actually, at all tomorrow. He he. Lots of probably's.

So this weekend was pretty good. On Friday night, I went to an event called the Pilsen Art walk. Pilsen, well, West Pilsen, really, is a complete ghetto.** The east side is nicer; that's where the walk took place. Pat lives in that area- between east and west- so we walked over there. The art walk allows for all the artists that live in that area to open up their studios and let the public come in, look at art, hopefully, purchase art and pick up some booze along the way. There is a reason why a large artist community lives in Pilsen- not so good of an area = big spaces for little rent.

I really didn’t see all that much art that was worth remembering, but I will tell you that the studio spaces are INCREDIBLE. I can’t even describe how jealous I was of the studios. A bunch of them opened into this beautiful courtyard, reminiscent of something that I would see/imagine in Europe, with wild flowers and fountains. It was slightly magical. Here is this neighborhood, with shootings not even a mile away and then there is this artist haven.

This only happens once a year, so catch it next year if you are in Chicago. It is well worth it.

Time for a little work.

*Not hit by one. Although that would probably make for a better story, and first line.
**What I mean by this is that it is not safe to walk around there at any time. Many, many shootings have gone on over there. Remember when that kid shot a cop this summer? That happened in west Pilsen.