What would you do?

This post is alternatively titled - Am I a bad person...

I spent last weekend up in Chicago for a friend's batchelorette party. A good time was had by all, even if I can't really comprehend what makes a drag show batchelorette party worthy (note to any friends out there - if I ever manage to find a guy who wants to marry me - no drag show, karaoke maybe, drag no). I spent the weekend with my friend L and her fiance. I also got to see my future home for the first time.

Anyway, on Saturday, before the party, L & I didn't have much to do. So, we decided to go shopping (not that I don't regularly hit up Ann Taylor and Banana Republic at home, but there is something "special" about shopping on the Mag Mile). As we were walking toward the bus route, I saw something that surprised me. I didn't know how to react.

I saw a guy open-hand slap a girl about a half-block up.

I almost didn't believe it was real. It seemed like something out of a movie or like they were acting or something. That doesn't just happen on the street. My pace slowed. I wondered what to do.

Then, I saw the girl launch herself at the guy. She clearly wasn't trying to get away. She was trying to pull him back, while yelling at him, and hitting him in the arm. At this point, L finally noticed. We slowed and stopped. I told her I didn't feel comfortable walking forward and asked if we could go a different way. We turned.

Suddenly, I heard the girl screaming behind us. We turned toward her, and the guy was now lying on the ground. Other bystanders when running toward them. Laura and I started toward them, but then noticed a cop car parked behind an ambulance on the next street (we sought help from the cop car/ambulance, but no one was there). By the time we got back to the scene - someone had called 911. We hung around the area till the ambulance showed up, but then we headed out. I didn't try to speak to the cops or anything.

A couple things remain in my mind. What should I have done after I saw the guy slap the girl (if the rest hadn't happened)? It wasn't as if she was trying to get away, and we were just a couple more girls. I don't think getting involved would have been a good idea. Should I have called 911 then? Would they even respond to a call like that ("hey, Chicago emergency department...yeah, I just saw a guy slap a girl on the street in the West Loop...you might want to check that out")?

The Evil Lawyer

Have you ever noticed how, if a book has a lawyer character, that character almost always sucks. I mean, the character is almost always inflexible and boring and stuffy and rude (even if the character ends up being a good guy - aka Mr. Darcy in Bridget Jones). The lawyer is never witty and fun, never adventurous and quirky, rarely happy. Does this forecast a sad, boring, stuck up future for me?

things are coming together

I don't admit it often, but I'm superstitious. I believe in Fate. I tend to believe that things happen for a reason and that if a seemingly difficult and murky path suddenly becomes clear and obvious - I'm on the right track. I think this belief has influenced some of my romantic decisions, and I know its influenced some of my life choices (um - my law school=the best one I got into AND the one that gave me the most money, this job, my next job, my current living situation, my last living situation, leaving college early, etc.)

Anyway, over the weekend something fortuitous happened. One of my two friends in Chicago is officially moving to New York for 9 months, starting in September. Now on first glance, this seems like bad news or scary news, but its not. My friend and her fiance own a two bedroom condo in Lincoln Park in Chicago. My friend is not quiting her job for the move to New York, but is instead, going to continue working for the Chicago office of a law firm while "on loan" to the New York office. This means that she will have to come back to Chicago often. It also means that they can't rent out their condo to strangers while they are gone. So, it means that a lovely two bedroom condo would be mostly sitting (fully furnished and) vacant from late August to May. A lovely two bedroom condo that is three blocks from the Brown line (the line that goes most directly to the stop closest to work for me). I think I've solved my living situation problem.

It seems like fate, and it makes me feel better about my future in Chicago. We haven't worked out the details - in fact things are still very much in the "this might work" phase. I'll probably have a great place to live, in a great location, and not have to buy furniture for 9 months till I figure out what I want to do. I'll probably have a great deal on rent (since my friend will be back often and need share the condo with me). I'll be able to pay off debt and save money for a down payment.

I love it when things fall into place.

homeless or having multiple homes - depends on your point of view

As of Saturday, I am officially moved out of the fabulous apartment. It was a long week of boxing things up, going up and down (three flights of) stairs, scrubbing the bathroom, and vacuuming. I'll admit that I wasn't all that sad to move out - loved the apartment, didn't love the living situation. I no longer have granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, or a washer/dryer in my unit. To be honest, I don't really have a unit.

All of my furniture, plus most of my "household" items are currently sitting in a big pile in my parents basement. All of my clothes, my new laptop, a bunch of toiletries, and a blender are hanging out at my friend J's apartment. Luckily, J is renting a 2 bed and has it fully furnished (she has two bedroom sets). So, I'm living in her spare room until I move to Chicago (gotta love the possibility of living in 4 different locations in the next year). All of my worldly goods will stay with the 'rents until I've settled in to a place in Chicago - when I will have to move them up there - ug!

I've been exploring the new neighborhood. The bad news is, I'm no longer a block and a half away from the Park and a block and a half away from my favorite coffee shop. Also, I don't have Internet access at home, which is totally killing me. But, the good news is - I'm less than 1/2 a mile from metrolink. So, now I've got a metropass paid for by work (FREE!) and I'm no longer spending money on parking and gas. Oh, and a different location of my favorite coffee shop is about 1/2 a mile away as well. And I signed up for Netflix so I'll finally be able to watch the last season of Gilmore Girls (stupid ABC Family not showing it in reruns).