two things.

Oh GOD, I'm on a mood roller coaster lately. I broke out in stress hives last night! Attractive!

Anyways, here are two additional things (aside from all of the other things) that are making me emote today.

One. HappySad: a very sweet farewell combining Kirsten Wiig, Win and Règine Butler, Mick Jagger and Amy Poehler...




Two. SadSad: Indian Boundary's field house burned down yesterday.

Photo from rogerspark.com

Half of my childhood memories take place in and around this building. My mom and I would feed bits of stale bread to the ducks at the pond there. We used to save up the pieces in a bag in the freezer. (Do NOT feed the ducks bread. Incredibly bad for them).

I went to preschool in that building. And art class. And Chicago Children's Choir rehearsals. I remember being in one of its rooms diligently practicing number writing, not understanding why a nine had to face a certain direction.

A: Because otherwise it's a P, dummy!

I was still very young when the clunky rusted-metal equipment on the playground got replaced by a wooden maze the neighborhood pitched in to build. Is there anything better as a kid than tepees and secret passages and hideouts? There is not. The entire playlot was like the best treehouse in the biggest tree.

Photo from A Chicago Sojourn

The field house was a beautiful old 1920's Tudor style building that had landmark status. I know people will work tirelessly to restore it, but today it feels like a loss. I wish I would have gone back into the building at least once since I grew up.

Photo from the Chicago Park District

I grew up.

How strange that feels.



P.S. Additional disheartening Chicago news: a walk around our neighborhood yesterday revealed that some IDIOT tagger defaced two of my fave Lincoln Park landmarks: the Wrigley Mansion and the statue of William Shakespeare. IDIOT.

(I pledge to be more positive the next time I post. Probably because it will be summer by then.)