Ghostboy

Ghostboy

Shoulders rolling,
Hands flat like fins
Slicing air, in defiance
Of everything
But the beat--

We couldn’t stop wanting
More of you
And you opened yourself
Because someone asked,
And you were earnest in reply
And pure
And pale like a geisha
skin like the surface of the moon
You walked

And we watched,
It *was* the watching,
And the clucking of tongues,
And the mean words
That drove you away
I’m convinced we killed you,
Michael.

Fifty years a dream, or a life,
You were like a ghost that was a boy
When you were here,
And it seems unreal
Because of everyone
You were the one
That seemed like you’d never go,
That it would never happen to,
That you’d never stop,
A pretty young thing
Alive in soul.

A Business Plan for Humboldt Park

Last night my mother asked if I have a sleeping bag. She suggested that I go camping in Humboldt Park to escape the heat. Instead I just went over to my boyfriend's, though I usually prefer my own place, except when it's 100-plus degrees.

He told me that he joked with a friend that he might break up with me because I have no AC, and I told him that I joked with a friend that I might continue dating him over the summer because of his AC.

Camping is all the rage these days among the poor, homeless, and underemployed, in fact I am taking my sleeping bag to Wisconsin in a few days, but until then I will not be camping after dark in one of the most dangerous parks in the city. Maybe my mom is just scared I'll end up in her spare bedroom one day, and hoping I'll die of natural urban crossfire before that happens.

Though I'm not sold on camping at Humboldt, could I convince others, though, like tourists? I could pitch Humboldt Park's proximity to the hipster mecca of Wicker Park, the newly constructed Little Cubs Field, and highlight its expansive green areas, rose garden, playgrounds, and fishing, all of which I enjoy during daylight hours, along with quienciera/15th birthday parties that I crash while wandering around, pictured here, and then end up being the event photographer (I emailed the pictures to the family, and then at the request of a somewhat demanding and Internet challenged great grandfather ended up having to print copies, and blow out my toner. He sweetly offered me anything from his shop in exchange, and I selected this "7 Gotas de Amor Perfume," now half used since these birthday photos were taken two summers ago). There are nearby events like car torchings that can pave the way for campfire stories, and s'mores. Kumbaya!

Here are some photos I can use in the brochure.

So, I Finally Tried iCream

Previously I wrote about iCream (http://gangsoftheneweconomy.blogspot.com/2009/03/iscream-uscream-wii-all-scream.html), and now that I've tried it, I can honestly say that it wasn't as great as I thought- or hoped- it might be.

I had a medium non fat white chocolate flavored yogurt with Reese's pieces, and A. tried a small soy milk vanilla ice cream with burnt sugar flavor, topped with seven yummy gummy bears. He said that the burnt sugar flavor was great for the first spoonful, and then just tasted like vanilla. Mine tasted kind of sour, though I guess that's the point with yogurt.

It was just about $10 for both of us. For a Monday night the place was packed. The last time I visited, to write a small blurb on iCream for the Street Scene newsletter, it was packed as well, and it was raining heavily that day.

So, either there's a lot of repeat business from folks hooked on iCream, or many curious people eager to at least see what iCream is all about. Let's hope for the sake of furthering independent business that the curiosity keeps flowing...

Ah, Air Conditioning, I Miss You

So, when I moved out of my last apartment, I gave my window air unit to the guy that moved into my old place. He asked me if he could have it, and given that I hadn't installed it for the three summers prior, I said sure.

That was then, and this is now, now being that there is no window in my new bedroom, which I guess by Chicago code makes it more of a den than a bedroom, and the cross breeze that I used to have in the rear of the building hasn't made its way to the front.

My electric bill was only $15 the month before last, and I don't use up much electricity, probably because I don't have a window unit, microwave, or other appliances. In general I think window AC units are ugly, plus my cat can't sit in front of the window.

I don't want to be one of those people on the news that ends up dead from the next heat wave, plus I'd screw up the demographics since it usually seems to happen to the elderly, or the, um, mentally ill...

Though I can pretty much live with the heat, I like having company over, and I guess I'm not living in the most hospitable place these days. It might be time to hit up Craigslist, and see what's out there in the way of AC units. Hmmmm.....

Porch Builders Narrowly Escape Falling Roof

He said that I can call him Antonio, though he assured me it's not really his name, even after I assured him that I'm not really a reporter.

We were standing in the alley behind 1239 N. Ashland, watching firefighters put out a fire that began at approx. 10:30 a.m this morning, when "Antonio" and three of his fellow workers from 773 Porches, billed as Chicago's Largest Porch Builder, per its truck, went to the trash to throw out debri from their job-- ironically pulling out an old fire escape in which to install a new one, along with a porch--when the roof caved in.

"See those three holes at the top of the building," Antonio asked me, pointing with his finger. "That's where it caved in."

When the roof caved in, it collided with the wiring, which caused the fire inside of the building, adjacent to a storage area for mattresses at Mike's Furniture, which maintains a storefront a few doors down, at 1259 N. Ashland.


"Almost 100% of the time we are working beneath [the facade]," Antonio told me, to which I responded that they chose the right time to throw out the trash.


I saw the three holes, along with a look of extreme relief on Antonio's face. Jesus on a crufix dangled amid the hairs on his shirtless chest, and no doubt it was luck, or faith, or a combination of both that kept the situation from being a tragedy for the four men. It appeared that there were no injuries, and that perhaps the mattress storage area for Mike's Furniture might lose merchandise due to damage, or more accurately, after a call to Mike's it turned out that the only damage was a few wet mattress from putting out the fire next door. "All of our mattress are fire proof," said an informative, and cheerful clerk at Mike's who wished to remain anonymous.

In other city news, I attended a community CAPs meeting this morning at the 14th District Police Station in Logan Square, to report on it for Street Scene, the chamber's weekly e-newsletter, and learned about a few things that the police are doing to help out business owners, including a free, and confidential safety assessment by a veteran officer, Dr. Ron Rufo, pictured below, whom spoke at the gathering. Rufo said that he conducted about 300 walk throughs last year, and will help make sure a business isn't doing anything unknowingly that could attract crime. If you are a business owner, and would like Rufo, or one of his associates to assess your business, call 312-745-5838 x84652 to set up a free consultation.

Oh yeah, and though vandalism like graffiti is on the rise, there has been a 20% increase in arrests for graffiti, and eight arrests in District 14 since May 23rd, the last CAPs meeting. Per another presenter, Officer Williams, there would be more arrests if more building owners attended the court hearings. The owner of the building, per Williams, must be present at the hearing in order for the case to be heard. The down side? Since many of the offenders have lawyers ("These are not kids, or poor people," Williams said) it can unfortunately draw the cases out, Williams explained. The last graffiti punk captured? A 32-year old, Anglo American restaurant manager from the suburbs...

The Way to a Man's Heart

If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, I'm screwed. Then again, it's only a cliche...

This is what I fed him yesterday for lunch: a frozen turkey burger patty, lightly sauteed, over matzo, the bread of affliction that the Jewish people eat at Passover, which I think took place a few months ago, though the nice thing about matzo is that it never really goes bad.

"Ketchup? Mustard?" He asked. I snorted no, no of course not!

Thankfully, I had half a bag of freezer burned Safeway brand frozen veggies leftover from a meal last week, so I cooked those up on the stove to provide a side dish.

He sat on the couch because I have no table, the plate on his lap, the salt shaker on the end table. I sat at my desk, ignoring him, and rushing to finish writing a weekly newsletter that I start working on around 7 a.m., and always think I'll be done with by lunch time, but I never am. To my credit, it was a surprise visit, as he popped by on the way back from playing tennis. Got to love working evenings.

When I asked him if he wanted me to make some lunch, I was kind of surprised he said yes, and then panicked. Hmmmm, what to cook?

The sad thing is that I actually tried, and the sweet thing was that he actually ate it, though I don't think that will happen again.

The following day he cooked us lunch. It was a full fish, over a bed of fancy greens I can't pronounce, or spell, along with heirloom tomatoes, and mushrooms from the farmer's market.

It tasted amazing, and was the polar opposite of my meal... I'm hoping another cliche- opposites attract- is also true.

Unplugged

Though I didn't apply for a digital converter coupon, I got one in the mail a few days ago, and suspect it was the work of my mother, whom must have signed me up. She can't bear to think about my living without a TV.

I just turned on my television, and it's all static. The coupon is for $40, and expires August 28. If the converter costs more than $40 I am debating tossing tv access all together. I can still watch dvds, and VHS, and in the case of a national emergency there's always the Internet, the radio, other people's tvs, and tvs at the gym.

My mother is also campaigning for me to buy a microwave, but I left that behind in 2006, and haven't missed it.

Though I am kind of missing PBS right about now...