summer in the city

Jeff Tweedy wrote a song a few years ago that a bit of an anthem. The plot is summarized by the line, "I'm coming home via Chicago." (It's a great song). I'm out of New York, out of Illinois, and back in the Twin Cities. Briefly, about finishing my time in NYC, it was hellish. Very hectic and very stressful, but its done. Papers due in one week period: 10 pg, 4 pg, 3 pg, 2 pg, plus art, not to mentioning packing to come home, not to mention packing art to mail home. My final critique took around 15 hours to prepare for. Though, packing art to mail is one of the most obnoxious things I've ever done in my life. Disregarding the unpleasantries of my last week, things were well. I frequented a lot of great coffeehouses and drank much black coffee. I was a little upset that my last day in the city was full of downpouring rain, although as I finished packing at 3.45 a.m. (may 17) and started walking to the subway, I've never seen the city more peaceful. When I got off the subway at JFK (way out in Brooklyn) at 5:45 a.m., get this, I heard birds chirping. Now, I had heard a bird or two in the city chirping before, but not a dozen. Add this to watching a Brooklyn sunrise, it was a good way to leave the city.

Count five days in Rockford with friends and family, finally being able to relax. Rockford is really green and has zero skyline! I hope to make several trips there this summer.

As far as Minneapolis and Saint Paul are considered, it's great being back. My first evening back was spent taking pictures of the Minneapolis skyline. Hard Times Cafe, the Black Sea Restaurant, Coffee News Cafe, County Cyclery. Guess what, I converted my ten-speed bike to a single-speed! No more derailleurs for me. For employment, I'm working at the Frogtown Summit Partnership. Frogtown and Summit are two neighborhoods in Saint Paul. It's an urban outreach aimed at helping the communities. Lots of very wonderfully diverse peoples in Frogtown and Summit. Its really quite the perfect job for me. I'm very anxious to start next week. And for living, I'm on-campus for June until I move into my apartment in July in Southwest Minneapolis. After this post, this blog shall become defunct.

I'll end by saying something special. You may understand or you may not.
It's summer in the city.