Autumn.

Last Monday around 10:45am the offical start of Autumn arrived. My favorite three months of the year.  On chilly morning bike rides I always see people in shorts still gripping on to summer, and then those bundled up in so many layers getting ready to fight off winter.  Halloween.  Thanksgiving.  The World Series.  My birthday.  There just seems to be a calm in the air that beds under the excitement of the Fall.  Even when the economy is falling apart...  Even when my job is coming to an end... There is this calm that seems so comforting.  Time to pull out the hoodies and long sleeved shirts.  Time to make sure the umbrellas work.  Time to start thinking about those year end Top Ten lists.

This Autumn will be like none other.  This October will like none other.  Baby is on his way.  We are at the any day point... although the due date is not for another ten days.  I'm ready for a life change.  I am ready for a new challenge.  I am ready to make lots of sacrifices.  I know I might have to get another job to make ends meet... and I might have to get two jobs when I get laid off at the end of the year.  It's alright.

I've spent so much of my life doing what I want.  I worked to get what I needed, or at least thought I needed.  Sure, being married changed that way of thinking - but I am ready to give more.  I understand it will be like nothing I have ever faced... and even though we do not have family anywhere near us, LP and I have some of the best friends in Chicago that have become our family.  We are not alone.  We are far better off than so many people.

Here's to the end of a perfect Summer... and here's to the Autumn to come.  Here's to shedding some of the selfishness.

No Water.

Yesterday when I got home the water to our house was off.  The city has been doing construction on our street for a few weeks now replacing some huge pipe that runs the length of the block (now that's technical talk).  There has been a couple afternoons the water has been shut off, but they usually give us a day's notice.

I went to the front door to check for a notice on our front door, but there was not one.  When I looked outside I saw no workers.  Hmmm... this was not good.  The workers usually turn the water back on before they go home.  I called the city's 311 and the Department of Water got back to me in an hour or so.  The response was something like this, "Well someone must of screwed up.  Just hang in there and we'll get your water back on by 3pm tomorrow."  Tomorrow?

No water?  No flushing the toilet?  No brushing the teeth?  No shower?  No doing laundry, which I was really hoping to do?  No letting the cat drink from the the bathroom faucet? Let me tell you... you don't miss it until it's gone.  

I am a little ripe this morning.  A worker knocked on the door around 7am and said our water should be working, so they are going to have to to dig up the street again.  I am planning on washing my face and brushing my teeth at work so I don't look like complete hell.  Hope the water in on when I get home tonight.

Rain.

I went to the top of the Sears Tower yesterday afternoon. It rained.