1) People will be drinking heavily all across the nation this evening. 2) Time for a lazy YouTube post!
And luckily for you, we here at Context (meaning me and my cat) have found the perfect way to meld these two pillars of American tradition.
When you're out at the bars tonight, slinging green beers and claiming to be Irish (we know our own, so don't assume you're passing), try out some of these pick-up lines. At best you'll appear impressively cultured, and at worst you'll get beaten up by someone's history buff boyfriend.
My love of old music started early. This song would be the unequivocal winner if I were ever held at gunpoint and forced to choose the best recording ever made. Let's hope that never happens, but it's nice to know that I'm prepared for anything.
I had my first snow day since junior high yesterday. I'm not going to lie, it was pretty awesome. I was stuck in my apartment with two roommates, Mr. Fidler and my cat. Luckily we had a fridge full of food and tasty beverages and no problems with power or heat, so it was basically a mid-week Saturday during which we had zero obligations or responsibilities as a result of being physically incapable of leaving the apartment. I know, tough times. We did venture out into the snow a bit:
Twenty inches of snow, and no plowing on the side streets. Sucks to be you.
Brittan leads the way to find her car.
We got 20.2 inches of snow, making this the third-largest snowstorm in the city's history. The last time we had this much snow was in 1999, with 21.6 inches. (The biggest ever storm was in '67 and dumped 23.0 inches.) Chicago Public Schools (CPS), which haven't closed since that '99 blizzard, have closed for two days straight and will likely be closed again tomorrow, making this a 5-day weekend. (Great for students, sucks for parents.) Northwestern canceled a full day of classes for only the fifth time in its 160-year history.
An abandoned cab in the middle of W. Dakin St.
Valiant effort, Mr. Cabby.
What amazes me, and what we were talking about as we wandered the post-apocalyptic scene (can you believe that cab?), was how a natural disaster like this has the capability of shutting down an entire city, but not actually injuring anyone. It wasn't just the snow -- there were 25-foot waves slamming into lakeshore and 70-mph winds blowing it all around. Some people spent the night in their cars, and hundreds of vehicles were stuck on Lake Shore Drive.
Under the el track just south of the Sheridan stop.
But for the most part the mood yesterday was jovial. There were dozens of people on the streets, walking around taking pictures and jumping in the snow. It was an historic day, and we all got to enjoy it together. We even saw one group sitting outside, in the middle of the impassable road, grilling and drinking beer. Hopefully the number of people adversely affected (lost wages, childcare, etc.) is minor compared to people that got to act like 12-year-olds for the day. Though I'd wager a good number of shoulders are sore today from digging out cars and front steps from under the 20+-inch thick snow blanket.
To top it all off, we got to experience THUNDERSNOW. Epic. Who wants to make bets on the birth rate spiking in about nine months?
Oh yeah, and we did eventually find Brittan's car. Hopefully she doesn't need it anytime soon. Like, you know, before spring.
We studied the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in one of my classes last quarter. I was familiar, of course, with his "I Had a Dream" speech, but I hadn't given much thought beyond that to the influence that Dr. King had on American rhetoric. He was an educated, incredibly thoughtful man, and the clarity with which he conveyed ideas through his sermons and speeches is breathtaking. He was a great writer, a great orator, an iconic preacher. His speeches are like music. Everything from the structure of his message to his use of alliteration, isocolon and especially rhythm serve to ensure his words continue to echo throughout our society. The truth that guided him continues to guide us.
We've come a long way since 1963. We still have a long way to go, but Dr. King's dream for a world that transcends what we used to think possible is alive and thriving in the minds of the people who will lead us further into the 21st century. I am hopeful, at least.
So I was on a tropical island 24 hours ago. And how does Chicago welcome me home? Making me spend an hour carving my car out of the snow. It took pounds of kitty litter and a friendly neighbor to whom I now karmically owe baked goods. It's just too cliche to bother whining about.
I hope you all had a very merry Christmas! If you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope your Chinese food was greasy and delicious.
In case any of you were looking for a last-minute gift for me...
