Late summer
It's the last week of summer, and I cannot describe to you how fantastic the weather in Chicago is this week. Today we had a fire drill, and I was ready to drop everything and flee work so I could frolic in the streets. Or just lie on the lake front. It's sunny and mid-70s and breezy and it makes one want to weep at the beauty.

Anyway, last night we went to go see one of Todd's friends perform stand up in Berwyn. Where is Berwyn, you might ask? I don't really know myself, but it's just on the edge of Chicago. The standup was in this makeshift stage in the corner of a crowded, somewhat gritty, and wholly charming bar which hosts a weekly open mic. Adam, who is well practiced in stand up, was one of the regulars and it was clear, as he had the right rhythm for the jokes and the deliveries were right on. There were a few other good ones, but for the most part it was a glaringly painful experience. You watch these guys *struggle* up there, telling mind-blowingly terrible jokes, and literally sweating. I mean, I felt for those guys because God knows I wouldn't have the balls to do this, but I also have zero urge to stand there and do bits in front of strangers. One guy, who was up there for the first time, was so nervous that he was having breathing problems. He also told a joke about black people hating to swim. The last guy, who was in his 50s, wore a muscle shirt and a greased pompadour and spat out a string of totally gross, nasty, and mostly bad jokes that made me shudder. Oy.

Beyond that, life's just been busy with work and putting away wedding gifts, and vacuuming cat hair from the floor and carpet.