Almost home…

We’ve been in Chicago for over a week now, and tomorrow we’re coming home to Palo Alto. And to the rush to find a new apartment in the East Bay. That’s exciting, of course, but also a little stressful, since we’re going to end up spending more money than we do now…

Chicago has been amazing; it’s changed so much! We spent some time in Millenium Park with E.’s cousins, playing in the fountains with the faces of Chicagoans that spit water at you. It was so hot that day, I was really glad everybody had the fountain to play in, especially Rory. Seeing those cousins was really neat: Rio learned more about shooting rubber bands and extracted a promise from them to mail him all their bottle caps.

We’ve spent a lot of time with my seven siblings and my parents, including some time up in Saugatuck, Michigan in their beautiful, tall, narrow tower/cottage. At the top level, which has two balconies, you’re level with the tops of the trees! Saugatuck has the last remaining pull-chain ferry in the Midwest, which was great fun for Rio. He even got to turn the crank.:)

Rio, Rory, and E. got to experience their first ever legitimate thunder storm, complete with sudden drop in temperature and pressure followed by howling winds and lots of close up lightning. We were at the beach when it blew up, so then we dashed over to the Heartland Cafe for dinner. We ate in the screened in porch area, and Rio kept running out the screen door to dance in the heavy rain on the sidewalk. It was funny to be at the Heartland, where I have so many memories of eating with McKay, and where my mom used to take me when I was really little with her cousin Pierro (sadly deceased). I also took E. there eight years ago when we first met and, on that very first day, we got a photo booth strip there. They still have the photo booth but it was out of order, so no new strip…:( If I had a scanner, I would scan the old one.

We spent a relaxed evening with my lesbian aunts and I got to thank Jonean for all the help she gave me when I was 13 and coming out as trans (she was the first adult I told). They’re going to visit us in the bay area in January!

There was also a family reunion of my dad’s (Irish/Scottish) side of the family. One of my uncles didn’t make it, which was sad, but I got to see my much older cousins who I don’t usually see, which was awesome. They’re all doing well, it seemed.

This trip has really reminded me how much I love and respect my family despite our totally diverging interests and values.

And also that even though I like peace and quiet and fear for the future of our planet, gritty urban areas really resonate with me and I miss them. Growing up in Chicago was great for me and, if Chicago was on the West Coast so E. could be close to family, I would totally move here.

K.