The Begining
It all started in December, 2005. We were planning our Christmas visit to MI, where C's family lives - three sisters and their families and the 'rents. Four women collaborating about something can create a lot of drama. S1 calls (the practical one) - "you're going to be surprised. Dad looks awful. He's lost lots of weight. Something is wrong. You shouldn't stay at their house. So, I call S2 (the drama coach). She says "you will FREAK, he is SOOO skinny". You need to stay with me." I check in with S3 (the baby), just to make sure. Several clandestine calls to mom when dad's asleep. LOTS of drama. We make the visit, stay with the rents anyway. Dad ends up in emergency and is later handed a Christmas Card from his new lung cancer docter. BAM! So, there is drama, there are the holidays and we head back to our non-family island in Chicago. We ponder, we nest, we have a quiet holiday.
C says to D, "you should think about your parents". A couple weeks later D announces that he wants to look for a job in IA (D's parents live there). The situation in MI is still not clear and C does freak this time. No way! But, a week passes, the Cancer Doctors give some hope and Dad starts treatment. Emotions emanating from MI have quieted. C begins to agree. IA is calling.
We start to talk about it home. We lose lots of sleep. We start to talk about it with friends. We start to talk about it with family. D's parents are giddy. We tell them on a Thursday night, on Friday morning, Mom is emailing D's job interview schedule. Can she have his resume? (fear that she'll paste the baby picture on it sets in). C decides to test the sister connection. "What's the difference" S2 says, "Chicago or IA, you're not here". Hmmm. S1 agrees. Still need to call S3 - the baby is always the last to know. Now Mom. Her response was sprinkled with understanding and a little old-fashioned-ness - "married women usually end up following their's husband's family". REALLY??!! She calls back a couple hours later. "Dad thinks IA is better than Chicago." (He likes to fish, hates the big city - of COURSE he'd say that!)
And, the momentum seems to be in place. We begin the journey of picking up our 2 boys, our dog, our junk and moving them into a corn field. Does IA have Starbucks?? There isn't ONE SINGLE Zagat-rated restaurant in the WHOLE state! Can I get internet there???! After 15 wonderful years in the Windy City. Fifteen years of playing in Lincoln Park and on the lakefront and in the City and riding the El and wathcing the Lincoln Ave motels come down. I feel like it will be a 'long walk off a short pier'. I need to go make a list.
C says to D, "you should think about your parents". A couple weeks later D announces that he wants to look for a job in IA (D's parents live there). The situation in MI is still not clear and C does freak this time. No way! But, a week passes, the Cancer Doctors give some hope and Dad starts treatment. Emotions emanating from MI have quieted. C begins to agree. IA is calling.
We start to talk about it home. We lose lots of sleep. We start to talk about it with friends. We start to talk about it with family. D's parents are giddy. We tell them on a Thursday night, on Friday morning, Mom is emailing D's job interview schedule. Can she have his resume? (fear that she'll paste the baby picture on it sets in). C decides to test the sister connection. "What's the difference" S2 says, "Chicago or IA, you're not here". Hmmm. S1 agrees. Still need to call S3 - the baby is always the last to know. Now Mom. Her response was sprinkled with understanding and a little old-fashioned-ness - "married women usually end up following their's husband's family". REALLY??!! She calls back a couple hours later. "Dad thinks IA is better than Chicago." (He likes to fish, hates the big city - of COURSE he'd say that!)
And, the momentum seems to be in place. We begin the journey of picking up our 2 boys, our dog, our junk and moving them into a corn field. Does IA have Starbucks?? There isn't ONE SINGLE Zagat-rated restaurant in the WHOLE state! Can I get internet there???! After 15 wonderful years in the Windy City. Fifteen years of playing in Lincoln Park and on the lakefront and in the City and riding the El and wathcing the Lincoln Ave motels come down. I feel like it will be a 'long walk off a short pier'. I need to go make a list.
posted by Charlene at 6:07 AM
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