urban rangers

So... We had a plan to bike to all the parks in our area code, and eventually to all the parks on the North Side of Chicago. We made it to quite a few; my slow internet connect has so far thwarted my efforts to put up the pictures we took with the park signs. BUT, now we're not in Chicago anymore, and we don't have our bikes yet. I haven't been in Madison long enough yet to figure out how to modify and adapt that plan for our new location. 

I still think it's a great general kind of plan. Never thought to call it Urban Rangering, so here's a link about that. 

Moving

We are moving to Madison Wisconsin in a few days. I am already missing Chicago, but think this is the best thing for the baby. We like having a car-free lifestyle, and it's a necessity financially; we can't afford both a car and me staying home with the baby. 

Albany Park is GREAT for a car free life-style in almost every way - I can shop, get to the doctor, do all kinds of fun recreational stuff with absolutely no need for owning a car. The only way it doesn't work is cultural - there is a certain percent of the population who make it dangerous for us with their (oftentimes deliberate) hostile and incompetent driving. It's sad and ironic that being car free subjects us to the worst excesses of car culture - people who spew excessive toxins with poorly maintained vehicles, honk excessively, drive viciously, but there you have it - we don't want to get run over by ignorant peasants, so we're moving to what we hope is a more bike friendly city. I am crying writing this. 

I love Chicago. It's my home, both ancestrally and the home of my heart. I have dear friends here. I love Albany Park, have lived here a long time, feel at home here. In many ways I DO NOT want to move. But evaluating the last year, I keep coming to the same conclusion - I don't want to be run over by a junk truck, while too many drunken a-hole junk truck drivers seem to be looking for the opportunity to run over a mother and child, speeding around and honking like morons on their very important junk truck business. If gas prices rise to the point they can't afford to do that, or someone wises up and deports them all, I'll be back in a heartbeat. Here's hoping. But for now I've gotta go. 

Thanks for the good wishes, and keep well, everyone.