Thursday is supposed to be a typical February day. At least that is what the weather girl said on the news last night.
Yesterday I was sitting in the school office before an IEP meeting. I was shooting the shit with the school receptionist while I waited.
Typical stuff…. Getting close to baseball season, she’s a Yankees fan. The school installed a new fancy camera system to take pictures of guests. That turned the conversation towards another mass shooting. This last one being at Michigan State and how several former students of the school are now students in East Lansing.
The last thing we talked about before I went into my meeting was the weather.
She sighed, “oh my gosh, I don’t know why I still live in Chicagoland with these horrible winters!”
“Why do you live here Mr. Shepley?”
“Well….. the streets are flat and line up perfectly on a grid.”
Then I patted my stomach like Santa does when he says, “Ho,Ho,Ho” and said, “I also love hotdogs and pizza… I stay for the food.”
She laughed and probably thought I was joking, but I wasn’t.
It’s the damn truth!
I know where all the hotdog stands are located throughout Chicagoland. I know where all the pizza joints can be found. I know where you can get a good gyros, a good sub sandwich and I know where the best Italian beefs will drip on my hands. They are all within a twenty mile arc centered off the shores of Lake Michigan.
I also live in Chicagoland because I’m accustomed to where the sunshine falls upon the grid system throughout the year.
I’m sure the Grand Canyon has a beautiful sunset, but I love how the sun reflects off of the Sears Tower just before dusk.
Something many Westsiders take for granted.
So bring on the rush hour snowstorm coming today. It’s going to be in the forties this weekend.
If you want to know what I’m doing this weekend… bet your bottom dollar a hotdog and a pizza are in my plans.
….and there won’t be any ketchup on that son of a bitch!
