alright, i did the ugly task, i finished my reunion classbook page (24 before the last-we-really-mean-it-deadline), just because all of you folks did one and so i was afraid i'd feel left out later. seriously, i can't think of a faster route to a total anxiety attack than trying to put down on paper a 8"x11" synopsis of the past 5 years of my life. talk about keeping up with the joneses - no marriage prospects on the immediate horizon, no kids, no graduate degrees, no significant savings or investments or much else to account for the past five years. oh, i've been working, and working hard. but my path just took a bit more meandering than some. i'm counting on the fact that people who don't know anything about theatre think that what i do is somehow glamorous. i won't burst that bubble just yet.

today: a brilliant discovery! when i'm in the theatre i can hijack wireless internet from the apartment complex next door. now i can surf the web when i'm supposed to be paying attention in rehearsal. like right now.

monday this week was the day that chicago bloomed. the trees had been holding their breath for days, a hazy suggestion of color about them, and then monday, poof! chicago re-discovered the color green.

as punishment for us all getting so optimistic and breaking out the flip flops on monday, today it is snowing. we dragged all my window boxes and flower pots indoors last night to keep the peonies from freezing. now our bathroom has become an impromptu hothouse. zeke lurks forlornly in the hallway; there is nothing he loves more than nibbling on forbidden flowers.

so the CTA voted yesterday on how exactly they intend to screw commuters starting in July. it looks like I'm going to get by; they were threatening to stop running the evanston line after 10pm (which would strand me at work an average of 4-5 nights/week, leaving me the unpleasant options of 1) quitting my job, 2) buying a car and moving to a crappier apartment so we could afford said car, or 3) sleeping on the green room couch a lot), but it looks like I'll just have to wait a longer time for the train at night. well, okay, I'll deal. but what about all the people who live on one of the 54 bus routes that they've canceled? how the fuck are poor people supposed to get to work?

what infuriates me is that the CTA is actively trying to find ways to decrease the number of riders and to encourage people to "seek alternate forms of transportation." what? public transit IS the alternate form of transportation. you can't ride a bike when it's 10 degrees below 0. you can't walk across an entire city. the city of chicago is now encouraging people to drive their cars? that is fucked up and deeply short-sighted.

this year's birthday tally started out weak early in the day, but it ended pretty strong:

Ripped a hole in elbow of my favorite shirt: -1
Poured a glass of milk to go with my breakfast, took a big gulp; said milk was sour and tasted of old sneakers: -1
Beautiful, sunny spring day in Chicago: +1
Chelsea made me birthday cupcakes: +1
Birthday haikus: +1
Have to work 10am-midnight on birthday: -1
Ripped the Friday crossword a new one on the train on the way to work: +1
Saturday night dinner at my favorite French crepery, and drinks with friends afterward: +1
The fluted baking pans, canned salmon and recipe for Salmon Loaf my grandmother sent me: +1 (for sheer amusement value)

watch out...i'll be regifting that can of salmon to one of you when you least expect it...

holy crap, i'm twenty-seven years old.

well, the late-twenties have arrived. now what?