At seven a.m. on my way to the train station yesterday I found myself pocketing a CTA summer fun pass, beskirted, besandaled, beponchoed and with a bicycle under-haunch. It felt so right. Even more satisfying, however, was today's blitz past throngs of surprisingly sedate Cubs fans down (up?) Southport with a bag full of popsicles and peanuts after a full week of work. Yessssss.

Haaaaa. Apparently this is what I look like at mile 11 of a half marathon: grainy. Regardless, the Dexter-Ann Arbor run was about 3 times more enjoyable than I'd hoped: I had bib number 100, and all my cohorts and I finished solidly under 2 hours (1:56-something). Woo.

The cottonwood tree across the street has been blowing fuzzy little orbs around Adams Ave all week. They manage to nose their way into all possible crannies, only to breeze off in short order. I am a fan.