Probing the outer limits.

So I am adjusting to the new digs. After DJing Tuesday I took a cab home and the fare was under twenty bucks so that made me happy. According to the City of Chicago a cab fare from Wicker Park to my new place should be under ten bucks, but that doesn't account for stop-lights, swerving drunks and emergency maneuvers to avoid turning hookers into so much road paté. That’s right folks, in order to get from one place to the other you’ve gotta pass through some pretty ghetto areas! Considering I moved into my old place amidst shootings and gang-bangers and moved out just as H2s and BMW SUVs were starting to pepper the block one could say I feel right at home in the new place, surroundings-wise.

This isn't to say I'm really acclimated yet so I thought I'd break down my observations into a listing of the pros and cons I’ve noticed thus far.

PROS
• Big backyard for the doggies and they obviously love it.
• Lotsa space means lotsa places for all my stuff to go!
• Photogal is going to finish up the basement and let me have it all to myself so I can watch DVDs or crank music or practice my drums, or my guitar or break-dance nude whenever the spirit moves me.
• The commute is about the same but the drive is much prettier. Instead of staring at bumpers I get to stare at trees.
• There’s a drive-through Starbuck's on my way to work. Score!
• Having a garage means never having to circle the block twenty-three times waiting for a space within five blocks of your house to open up.
• A nearby movie theater offers first run films for five bucks before 6pm…AND has cheap-o snacks!

CONS
• I feel like I live two hundred miles from all the clubs and bars I frequent.
• While a cab fare home is pretty high it is impossible to actually find a cab out of my neighborhood...I haven't even tried calling one yet.
• The cool deli across the street isn't selling sandwiches, that's for sure...
• Packing all my crap up sucked, but unpacking it all really sucks.
• I can't see any skyscrapers from my yard anymore and that's a little weird for me. Okay, I can see the Sears Tower from the street but that doesn't count.
• It's more of a hassle to make it to the gym.
• I feel totally cut off from the rest of the world. Some people might like that but I find it a bit disconcerting.
• I'm homesick already.

Well, after looking at that more objectively I'd say the cons are probably outweighed by the pros. I can take the bus to and from Wicker Park, and I love public transportation, so at least that's something else that's nice.

In other news we have a possum in our garage! He/she just sits in a corner and bids me adieu when I leave in the morning and greets me when I return at night. We called an animal recovery service to pick him/her up yesterday and, wouldn't you know it, that's the day he/she decides to stay at someone else's house. Well, a trap was left for the possum, with some liver sausage as bait, and this morning I walked into the garage to discover...the possum was back in its old spot and had completely ignored the trap. I actually think if it weren't for the dogs we would probably just let the possum keep living there but we don’t want to take the risk of anyone getting bitten on the nose or anything like that. Now if we can just catch the wily little bugger and relocate him to some nice country manse...