Never a dull moment in Chicago...

When I reflect on this past week I almost draw a blank as to what to say and have simply too much to say at the same time!

This week has been particularly busy because I have been petsitting for two cats. I found a woman (not much older than myself) who needed someone to care for her two cats, Malcolm and Angus, while she is overseas in London for the week. Everyday I get to hang out at her cute apartment in Ukrainian village and get paid feed and play with the cats. It’s a nice opportunity to get familiar with another neighborhood. The cats are really cute but they are stinky. I scoop their litter everyday but they are still little stinkers.

Work at my internship has been frustrating this week. I have been calling clients everyday to invite them to come in and apply for “Befriend-a-Family” but very few have actually come in. This week I successfully began six applications but I need seventy-five families total! The woman who is overseeing “Befriend-a-Family” is coming in on Wednesday to collect my completed applications and I fear that I will disappoint her with how few I will have ready! I am putting a lot of time and effort into this project and I do not want her to think that I am not giving it the proper attention.

This week has been dramatic in the office for other reasons as well. Yesterday I was working the front desk and noticed that one of my clients feel asleep in his chair (this is not particularly out of the ordinary for our waiting room). Shortly afterwards the elderly gentleman fell from his chair and began seizing! I ran to the back and alerted my supervisors and then called 911 while my co-workers placed a pillow under his head and tried to cool him with a towel. He began foaming from the mouth but fortunately the paramedics were there quickly. Before long the whole ordeal was over but it reminded me that I work in an environment in which I interact with a population that sadly does not receive proper medical care and often is distracted by too many worries to care for themselves. It is truly disturbing.

The art event this week for Arts in the City was a dance performed by The Seldoms. It was interesting because it was performed in an emptied swimming pool. In class on Wednesday the lighting director of the event came and spoke with us about lighting. I appreciate that Chicago Semester and the faculty of the Arts in the City course put so much effort into preparing us for each of the art events. While the dancing was not to my particular taste I admired its originality and loved the lighting.

Grrr….kids in the city are annoying! After getting off a bus today, I noticed some young teenaged kids throwing a full soda bottle at each other. They looked like they were getting in some trouble, but I discounted it and continued on my way. As soon as I was in front of them, however, the little brats whipped it and the soda bottle hit me in the arm and exploded all over me. I was shocked and didn’t know how to respond. Another teenage boy asked, “Do you want me to go after them?” and I told him not to worry about it, but he ran down the street, cursing obscenities to earn the justice that was due. It was funny, but unfortunate that I had to walk around with a sticky arm!

I am out of time! I am going out with a couple of CS girls to a comedy sketch at Second City.