WAAAAAAY UP NORTH

If my grandfather had gotten a sales region closer to where my grandmother grew up, I would be more familiar with the north side of Chicago. Instead, he sold Colgate products to drugstores in the Western suburbs and he moved his family to LaGrange where I eventually dwelled. And so I only venture up north occasionally, like when I had to go to court for a speeding ticket in 2004.

Here I sit, in Prospect Heights, prodded into updating this blog that no one reads anymore. Emily's new apartment is shockingly large. She had gone on a spending spree -- I imagine it not unlike a "Shop 'Til You Drop" episode on steroids -- getting all excited buying new things for her new place. It was well worth it; the place immediately was comfortable and looks great.

She also got a new job today, which is the best news for her this year. But, like me, she's finding leaving her current job to not be as much a happy affair as once imagined. She's leaving in two weeks, but I'm not leaving mine until mid-July. But I'm still finding myself with second thoughts, and as I'm getting along finally with my co-worker, I'm feeling a little guilty about leaving. I need to not confuse a couple good months of dealing with her with the horrible, miserable months she caused previously. I'll get there. I guess this just means I have a conscience, something I thought had gone into hibernation with Winter Jeff.

So with so many things happening to everyone (it seems: Mary, Matt and I with schools, possibilities; Christine with med school and all of her EU-hopping; Eric moving back up here next month) Emily has already done a lot of her heavy lifting and has settled into the beginning of her new life.

And it's looking pretty nice.