November 2007 Archives
Originally uploaded by Zesmerelda
This week Tammy and I discuss Art Smith's Table 52 on our podcast. If you use an electric chair this tiny space in a no go, but if you don't mind dealing with a stair or two, and asking folks to scoot in their chairs, it's a worthy stop. The staff is very accommodating, and outdoor dining is an option during summer months.
In episode #84 (Good Lord! 84? Can that be right? Do I really eat out that often?) of our Chicago Bites podcast, Tammy and I discover that there's more to Devon Seafood Grill than the cramped bar area on the main floor. Simply take the elevator downstairs, and you'll find a surprising expanse of space that lends itself to comfortable dining. Hear all about it.
On a first date, simply walking down the street with me is often a challenge for the man I’m with. That’s because he doesn’t know what to do. Should he push me? Or just walk beside me? Should he ask which I prefer? And what about holding hands? That’s pretty much out. What happens when I’m pushing myself up a hill? Should he help me then?
Unfortunately, there are no easy answers to questions like these. I wish there was a rulebook. I’d read it! The best I can offer is that the answers depend on the situation and on the rapport I have with the guy in question.
Lately though, I’ve noticed something interesting. When I’m with my closest friends, regardless of whether they’re male or female, our movements are in sync. We have no trouble matching each other’s pace. There are no questions. They know just when to give me a hand or ask if I need one. And Y even walks along next to me with her hand on one of my wheelchair handlebars. I’ve always seen this as the equivalent of linking arms, and it made me smile the first time I noticed her doing it.
This “pacing” happens effortlessly now. Is it because of a heightened awareness on all of our parts? Or does it stem from spending a lot of time together? Probably a little bit of both. It’s just nice to know it’s possible.
I got in line at Dunkin Doughnuts for my morning caffeine jolt, and the construction worker in front of me stepped back graciously, waving me ahead of him.
“Oh no, that’s okay,” I said. “You were here first.”
“I’m in no hurry,” he replied with a friendly smile. “After you.”
Thanking him, I wheeled forward and placed my order. But I have to admit that the situation made me feel a little strange. It would have been one thing if he had gotten to the line at the same time I did. In that case, letting me go first would have been a chivalrous gesture. But he was already in line when I got there.
This sort of thing happens to me a lot, and I never know what it is that motivates complete strangers to randomly offer me a better spot in line or help with something I obviously already have under control. Whatever drives them, I find these folks feel more at ease when I take them up on their offer, whether I really need to or not.
There are two seasons in Chicago... winter and construction. Construction downtown is so “efficient” right now that I can’t wait until it’s over.
That’s because the city keeps redoing curb cuts. This is a good thing, but the approach is flawed.
I came out of a building last week to discover that I was literally stranded. The curb cuts had been ripped out on three corners of the block while I’d been inside, and the ones on the fourth corner flanked a street that was being resurfaced, so there was a foot-long drop between the curb and the street.
I had no choice but to catch a cab. Good thing I had money. Wheeling to Walgreens to get cash was impossible even though it was roughly twenty feet away.
The new curb cuts will be great when they’re done, and I do appreciate that. Especially since winter is coming. But it’s obvious somebody didn’t think through the impact of ripping out several curb cuts at the same time.
This project has been going on for about a month, and it’s making wheeling down the street an adventure. The curb cuts are being redone within a day or two, so it’s not worth calling an alderman. But just when I get a good route mapped out, another curb cut is torn up, and I have to start all over. I’ve had to wheel at least three blocks out of my way everyday for the past 10 days because the landscape changes so often. It’s an urban jungle out there.
