Suck It North Side!

Well I’m finally all settled in over here in Bridgeport. Never thought I’d be typing those words, but it’s happened, and so far, so good. Woke up bright and early around 7am this morning, headed out for coffee next door at the local coffee shop, or as it’s more commonly known, JJ Peppers convenience store. That was the first and only mistake I made today. Sort of forgot about the Dunkin Donuts a block farther, but that’s alright, I drank it anyway as I walked around the neighborhood for 45 minutes. Not too many people out, so it was nice, quiet, and peaceful, but not in that exact order.

Returned home to the First Trinity Community Center and realized all my roommates were probably still sleeping, so I decided against unpacking and moving things around in the room. Climbed back up the ladder and into bed to continue reading the book about Mumbai Mafia Queens, which Shri lent to me a few weeks back. Interesting read, but not interesting enough to put a stop to my first official nap here in Bridgeport. It was as if my inner being had somehow connected with the previous occupants penchant for nap taking, as I was powerless to stop it. Needless to say, it felt good, and I woke up an hour later not refreshed, but a bit groggy. Climbed down out of bed and started to get to work.

Cleaned the floor to ceiling bookshelf that’s set into the wall. Washed part of the floor. Decided where my desk needed to go, and moved it there. Set up the stereo and played, You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ by a pretty good band called Judas Priest. Put together my shelves, but didn’t put anything on them as I need to be able to move them around easily in case they need moving (which they will). Did about 4 or 5 loads of laundry. Moved a lot of boxes back and forth and then forth and back. This doesn’t seem like a whole lot typed out, but I feel like I accomplished quite a bit, and feelings are all that matter at this point in time.

Finally decided I was getting a bit stir-crazy, so I headed out on the bike for a ride. Rode down to Chinatown and around those parts then headed back to Bridgeport to go see the park they built on top of an old landfill. If I had an internet connection at this time, I’d look up the name of it for you, but I don’t know the password, so you’ll have to trust me that it does actually exist. It’s quite beautiful and very unique as far as Chicago parks go. Lots of wildflowers and prairie grasses. A few waterfalls with slow moving water which meanders down into a large pond lined with tall limestone embankments and trees. Quite a few people were fishing in the pond as well, because as you know, landfill ponds really make for some delicious seafood. Or would that be pondfood? The city built a rather extensive metal walkway throughout this area so you can slowly descend towards the pond, just like the water. On the way back up, you can climb up the landfill hill and get a spectacular view of the skyline. Seems like the perfect spot for a late night date, or at the very least, some late night public masturbation! Anyway, I’ve never seen a park quite like this within the city limits. Well done city of Chicago!

Continuing on that bike ride, I headed South down Ashland avenue. Stopped off at the Firefighters Memorial, which happens to be located right behind the gate to the Union Stockyards, which is not only designated a Chicago landmark, but a National one as well. I was a bit dismayed to read the sign explaining the site, as it only mentioned how large the yards were, how profitable they were and who built massive fortunes out of them. No mention of the workers getting paid almost nothing, working all hours of the day, getting maimed and killed on the job, not getting any bathroom breaks, not having a snack machine in the lunchroom. Nothing at all, until I looked at the other side of the sign, where it did mention those things. Nice job landmark sign guy! Also, I cannot verify the bathroom breaks or the snack machine part, but I’m sure it’s probably true.

As for the Firefighters memorial, it was uhhh…interesting. The faces of the firefighters on the sculpture are quite hideous to look at. Not sure if they’re supposed to already be severely burned or what, but it’s not pleasing to the eye, that’s for sure. The sides of the monument had all the names of the fallen firefighters etched into it as well as the dates to which they were called to the Lord.

See...one night living inside this church and I’m way the hell more spiritual than I was yesterday.

Well seeing as how I was on the south side, I decided to do my part to help out race relations. As I was headed down Ashland, somewhere around 44^th street, a ball came rolling all the way across the street and up onto the sidewalk. I heard someone yell towards me, and realized it was a softball and that several African Americans were playing ball in the park across the street. Well I stopped the ball with the back tire, hopped off my bike and threw a perfect strike to the kid across the street. Really, I did. It hit him in the chest. I’m already in midseason softball form, which is convenient since the season starts tomorrow. Anyway, as for the race relations part…they were happy I threw them the ball and were probably thinking that I was a pretty cool cracker, and I was happy that they were playing softball. Building bridges is what I call it. Later on that day, I also gave an African American person a cigarette, so if you don’t hear any gunshots out tonight, you’ll know that I had something to do with it. I’ve always been a very calming influence on people. It’s some sort of gift, and I’m happy to have used it to its full capacity today.

I’m not going to take out my gun today, I promise. Those kids taught me a lesson. Softballs don’t kill people, they just hurt real bad when they’re knocked into.  

Got home from the bike ride, got some clothes out of the dryer, folded them up, hopped in the shower for the first time here on the South side, and then headed out for some grub. Decided to eat at a Mexican place, which was about half a block closer to me than the Mexican salt fest place Dan and I ate at a couple weeks ago. Don’t recall the name of where I ate, but the Chile Rellenos were delicioso! That’s Spanish for delicious. On the very slow walk home (I was stuffed, just like those Rellenos! Ha Ha Ha ahhhh….), I neared the corner of Halsted and 31^st street and heard the distinct voice of Elvis singing to me from off in the near distance. Well he was also singing to about ten people who were sitting out in the Dunkin Donuts parking lot on lawn chairs while drinking. Not sure who was having the party, or why it was being held in a parking lot, but I didn’t really care, as I had a big smile on my face while listening to “And I Can’t Help Falling In Love with you…”!

My sentiment exactly. I can’t help falling in love with you Bridgeport.*

Suck it North Side!

*Check back in a month and we’ll see how it’s going.

Oh and one more thing...it's Palmisano Park.