05.16.11 11.30.am

Ok, seriously, this park we run through every morning is ridiculously full of wildlife. Today we saw...

A MUSKRAT! 

What the heck?! Who sees a muskrat in the middle of Chicago?! 

05.12.11 12.10.pm

Today on our run through the same park where we saw the turtles on Tuesday, a man standing in some brush with a camera flagged us over and pointed at the ground. There was a mass of about six snakes all squirming and slithering and mating on top of one another. I told them they should be ashamed with themselves for fornicating in public. The man joked that he was gonna call the cops on them. Yay for people with a sense of humor, and yay for more wildlife in the middle of Chicago :)

05.12.11 8.35.am

I woke up early to call the Salvation Army to see what time I can expect them to come pick up the furniture  I'm donating. I'm never usually up this early and I happened to look outside the dining room window and see the neighbor who has been feeding the cats walking out of our backyard. She was carrying a bunch of bowls and dishes so hopefully that means she was cleaning up her supplies. I think a lock on that gate is in order now.

05.11.11 9.01.pm

Two things:

1) I just realized I moved here with only one book. One book?! What was I thinking? Haha. Glad I have tomorrow off so I can go to the library and stock up!

2) Chicago has made me a softy when it comes to heat. While I've definitely hardened up to the winter here, I am defenseless against the Pseudo-Summer we're experiencing right now. Today when we got back from our run in the 84 degree (but ridiculously humid) weather, I was so covered in sweat that I wasn't just glistening, I was so shiny that I looked like I was covered in oil. It was pretty gross. A lot gross. Eww. Oh, Chicago, what have you done to me?

05.10.11 8.15.pm

Everyday, someone (who I've yet to actually see) comes into my backyard and feeds the feral cats that are living in the garage and in the crawl space under the house. Even though I've never seen them, I know they come because they move boards around in front of the garage door and sometimes they leave the gate to the backyard open when I know I've latched it the night before. I'm fairly certain it's the woman who lives two houses down, though since I've never caught her in the act of doing it, I can't say for sure. 

Tonight, I left her a note taped to the garage door "respectfully requesting" that she please stop feeding the cats. It's not that I want them to starve and I know they'll go find food elsewhere if they're no longer receiving it here. Besides the fact that they are a major health hazard to me and my allergies, they have made the garage completely unusable due to the sheer amount of cat feces that covers the floor. I'm certain that if the city saw the state of the garage that we would be cited for it. It's absolutely disgusting. If she likes the cats so much, she can start feeding them at her house and let them ruin her garage. 

I'm curious to see if she'll actually stop feeding them here. And if she'll write back...

05.10.11 12.45.pm

Today, while I was out for my daily walk/run/jog/exercise with Boyfriend, we walked through a park and saw two turtles sunning themselves on a rock. So cute! Chicago has way more wildlife than I ever thought possible.

05.05.11 11.32.pm

I miss having floors that don't squeak when you walk on them. I almost forget what that's like. I can't even get out of bed to go to the bathroom without waking Boyfriend up the moment my feet touch the floor because the hardwood is so old that it moans and groans like an arthritic geriatric.