Floating Leaf

Sooo tired. Had a busy weekend for a change. Yesterday morning I went to see my chiropractor (which is quite a time-consuming trip in itself), then lugged in the usual weekly load of groceries, followed by some email catch-up and another Lost marathon (finished Season 3, which I really hadn't had a chance to do during the week). I swear this show is killing me. They somehow manage to end each season on a cliffhanger, and the drama is so intense I get dizzy.;) But anyway... today the weather continued to be incredibly gorgeous, so I decided it would be a waste to spend such a beautiful day pottering about at home. I thought of going shopping, but somehow that didn't seem appealing either (WTF happened to me, btw?... I haven't really experienced the random urge to shop in MONTHS... I mean I do shop when I need something specific, but traipsing around malls in search of bargains no longer sounds like a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and I wonder why). So I opted for some culture. I googled "Chicago museums" to see if there were any interesting ones I hadn't visited so far. And the first one that caught my attention was The National Museum of Mexican Art. A long bus ride away, but the website said you only needed an hour or two to view all the galleries - so I had plenty of time to make the trip before they closed for the day. Besides, the neighborhood seemed very quiet and admission was free, so I really wasn't risking anything. The weather was - let me say this again - heavenly; warm and sunny, with just the tiniest hint of a cool autumn breeze, and scores of blindingly white fluffy clouds gliding across the bright blue sky. Perfection.:) I found the museum easily, and it was indeed very small and uncrowded, despite it being a Sunday. The exhibitions were very informative and meticulously done, with lengthy bilingual descriptions, spanning the entire Mexican history from the Aztecs to the present - and some of the artifacts were quite striking. All in all, a very worthwhile experience. Certainly more so than traipsing around the mall...;)

But while I was there, looking through the brochures advertising various cultural events, I noticed the program for the Chicago International Film Festival. Which I had all but forgotten about. And which starts in less than 3 weeks. So I flipped through the guide (which I should be receiving in the mail soon, anyway) - and right away I came across several films I really want to see. Which might not be easy to accomplish, considering some are only shown on weeknights, and there's no way I can make it without taking time off work. I guess I'll have to see how many PTO days I've got left for this year, and how many I might possibly need for other purposes (which isn't something you can really know for sure until you DO need them, LOL). It's always a gamble, especially since they eliminated the distinction between sick and vacation days (which is a ridiculously wrong thing to do, if you ask me - but no-one was asking my opinion before they did it, so there). But I think I can risk a few. I'll just have to pick the films that are least likely to be released on DVD here. Anything I can catch later on Netflix will have to wait...

Allright. Bedtime. Btw, it's getting really chilly in here, and I know the heating won't be on until October. Time for a flannel nightie and a duvet. I guess this really means the end of summer... *sigh*