Friday Night [March 9]

I went out to eat last night with Margarite before she left for a concert, mainly because she had time and also because my Mom called me, out of the blue and while I talked to her on my lunch break she told be I needed to get out and do something, go out to eat, get coffee and talk with someone, something, because I was getting too stressed and overworked. The trouble is, I am free at weird times, like Monday’s before 5pm, Fridays (well, not so much anymore) and pretty much all day on Sat/Sun but no one in my department is particularly friendly or asks me to do anything. (The woodshop excluded, but even then…)
So I went to this place called the Salt & Pepper Diner of the red line at Addison. I could never live in that area, because of all the bars and the stadium, I would go so insane! I can handle the occasional sports game and talk although I’m not very knowledgeable on these subjects, but having to deal with drunks, sports enthusiasts, and jock personalities, every time I walk around the neighborhood or get on the train, is not my idea of a fun place to live. I am excited that Margarite and I are getting an apartment together this fall, I am ready to have my own place and be able to invite as many people over whenever I want without having to check them into the building, like I have to do in the dorms. I am not sure why I decided to life there in the first place, because I don’t like living around large numbers of directionless people. I think it was mainly because I’d never been to Chicago and my entire family was nervous about me moving to such a large city alone. My older brother and sister brought me up here and were glad the security in the buildings was so good. I think that I’m more than ready to live somewhere else now, I want to socialize my way, which doesn’t include smoking pot or drinking excessively in my dorm room, unlike a number of people in my building. I am so far past this type of activity that I just bypassed it altogether. I really don’t see the fun in it. I prefer to talk to people, or go out and just wander.
I miss being in Tulsa and throwing parties at my own house. I really miss being able to plan “salad parties” movie nights, and excursions to local restaurants for all of my friends, many of which loved going out to do stuff but never had any good ideas (I.E. anything new or different, so I was the one who thought up new places to go or hosted stuff at my house) We always had a great time, no matter who showed up or didn’t.
I can’t wait to go back this summer and be able to do that at my sisters’ new house and mine. It is in my favorite part of Tulsa, called Midtown. It is close to all of the major Highways to go anywhere, plus it is only a few miles from all of the great walking neighborhoods and local boutiques and restaurants, downtown is not far either. I recommend that everyone visit Tulsa at least one time in his or her life and grab a local to show them around, it is what you would call “a diamond in the rough” there are many aspects that you can’t get from a guidebook.
One of my own personal goals is to visit every locally owned coffee shop and restaurant in the area, because food, I love and coffee I enjoy immensely, although I enjoy tea quite a bit more, I have yet to find a tea shop in Tulsa (they are so scarce I’ve never seen one) with the same atmosphere as a Tulsa coffee shop. I am so snobby in this area that I really don’t drink coffee outside of Tulsa, because I will not step inside a Starbucks unless coerced, and I’ve never had better coffee or service combined with the atmosphere of locals shops, anywhere else. I’ve been in Chicago since the end of August ’06 and have been to a few places, but nothing has ever come close except for a shop off the brown line at Damen called “The Perfect Cup” the coffee is good and the Barista is this strange and funny girl who talks so slow that she seems like such a stoner. Ha-ha it is so great, she’s super nice and the prices aren’t overpriced, as far as coffee places go, and although the décor is not exceptional the atmosphere is good.
I want to try this place called Filter, which I’ve heard has a nice intimate coffee shop vibe and is off the blue line at the Damen stop in Wicker Park across the street from some funky shoe store and a taco place.
“Its cash only”, Margarite says “so keep that in mind next time you go” I’ve never been so I suppose the next time I go will be the first. Maybe I should go on Sunday or Monday. Ahh well, probably not, unless I get someone to go with me.