😴😴😴😮❗️❗️❗️❗️

[dorchadas]

I slept through my alarm an hour late today, but managed to make it to work on time through a quick shower and not shaving. And just like every other time I've slept in too late, I feel incredibly relaxed and refreshed. My sleep tracker shows that I didn't even wake up when my alarm went off, so I guess it's a good thing that I woke up an late (after a nice period of deep sleep) and then immediately got out of bed, ate my breakfast, and left. Laila's not going to like how scratchy my face is, though.

The weather is lovely now! Over the course of about two days, the temperature went from 12°C to 23°C and the weather went from cloudy to sunny. Laila didn't have to wear a coat when we went to the park on Monday and yesterday I didn't even bother bringing a coat to work. I went out on the riverwalk at lunch and while none of the businesses are open yet--the restaurants just say they'll open in "spring", which in Chicago starts in May when the cherryblossoms finally bloom--it was packed full of people eating lunch, going on walks, and otherwise enjoying the weather. It'll be back down to 8°C by next week so we have to enjoy the burst of warmth while we can. Portland already had their cherryblossoms, DC already had their cherryblossoms, but it'll still be a month or longer before we get ours. The reason Chicago summers are so jam-packed is that we pack a whole year's worth of activities into those three months.

In further news, Laila made friends with a polar bear:

My parents came out on Tuesdays as they usually do while I was at the office and picked up Laila so sashagee would have some time for herself. They took Laila to the zoo and she had a nice time, since this time the animals were out and wandering, but what she really loved were the polar bears. My parents took a video of her laughing and giggling as this giant head that's almost as big as her whole body gets to within a few inches of her. She has no fear, which is certainly one of our problems to solve as parents. I want Laila to be brave, but not foolhardy!

Looking forward to taking her to the park today and making some stir-fry. Pesaḥ ends tomorrow night, though late enough that dinner will still be unleavened. On Friday, though, it'll probably be burgers.

Comments

[symbioid]

What a great pic. I'm trying to imagine what I would have felt in that situation. I wonder if I would have seen it like a cow or something. Hope she's able to learn proper boundaries for her safety!

Do a lot of businesses not open til "after spring" - cyclical? It makes me think of how Door County is tourist summer based and it's just dead in Winter.

[dorchadas]

The businesses downtown are a bit odd. In the Loop, basically nothing is open after 3 p.m. unless it's on Michigan Avenue or otherwise catering to tourists--everything else is for officeworkers to eat lunch at or shop at on their lunchbreaks. On the river, everything is closed as long as the weather prevents outdoor seating (so, maybe until May like I mentioned. There's currently nothing at all set up down there).

[pshaw_raven]

That photo is terrific :)

[gwendraith]

What a terrific picture of Laila and the polar bear (that could be the title of a children's book!). In spite of the angle you can clearly see her delight.

The cherry blosson outside my kitchen window is in full bloom and looks lovely :)

[dorchadas]

She loves the book her papa and nana made about her so if there was a Laila and the Polar Bear she'd want it read to her all the time!

England gets cherryblossoms before Chicago!? Now I've heard everything. Then again, with the cold coming next week I can't blame the cherryblossoms for being cautious...

[corvi]

That is an incredibly cute picture! We're getting to the tail end of cherry blossom season here (SW British Columbia), a lot of trees have their leaves out.

[dorchadas]

BC has them too? Poor Chicago!