Day 79 (Tuesday, August 29)

This morning was sad. I had to say “see you soon” to a pretty, blue-eyed German lady who's taken up a lot of my free time. I held her freckle peppered hand as we saw each other for the last time in a while. I didn't say “bye” because we'll be seeing each other soon. How soon? As soon as her thesis is complete.

This is a good thing. She's going home to her parents after living in the U.S. for 14 months. She's going home to focus on that business annalist thesis. Soon she'll be back and things “will be back to abnormal.”

The reason I say “back to abnormal” is because I have been thinking a lot about an essay written by a New Orleans resident who survived Katrina by taking shelter in Chicago a year ago. I heard the essay on NPR yesterday morning and I could not get it out of my mind.

The essay is very powerful and at one point he talks about how people just want to get back to “abnormal” in New Orleans.

Saying “see you soon” to a good friend is always a hard thing. Especially when that friend is extremely nice to you. We've shared some pretty cool experiences. Movie in the Park, ice cream, hand-held grocery shopping, dinners and the luxury of hanging out w/ one of the coolest groups in Chicago.

Hopefully time flies and I get to hang out w/ this world traveler soon. I love hearing her stories of when she studied in China and Australia. Her trips across Europe and the beauty of her parents' home overlooking the Polish border.

I went to work after that and it was a lot of fun.

Everyone knows I like being a little kid. I act like one. And I probably think like one, too. Maybe I am just immature. Who knows. Either way, I love being around little kids.
Today Judy Baar Topinka had a news conference at a preschool. She read a book by Dr. Seuss entitled “If I Ran the Zoo” to the kids, who were in the age range of 2 to 4.
Really!!! “If I Ran the Zoo”, isn't that ironic? Don't you think?

© The Associated Press

When I arrived at the preschool, I was very inspired to do a different type of photo. I wasn't sure what I wanted, but since I got to the news conference 15 minutes early, I got a chance to look around. I got permission from the preschool owner to move around the building in search for the perfect angle.

There was small wall dividing the reading area from the activity area in the preschool. The wall did not go up all the way to the ceiling. On one side of the wall, Judy Baar Topinka read the book to the kids. On the other side, there was nothing.

So, I managed to put a small cabinet on the opposite side of where Mrs. Topinka sat. That allowed me to get up on top of the cabinet and shoot straight down. Here's the photo that I came out w/:

© The Associated Press

That was that. A simple way of looking at a news conference through a different view. What y'all think?

The evening after work was OK. I relaxed and was able to see a little more of Bridgeport. I also got a hair cut and got some stuff ready for a business trip I am taking to Florida tomorrow night.

Other than that, I fed the kitty and cleaned the living room.

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