New Day, New Life

Over the weekend, I visited an old friend who moved to Waukegan IL last November. Since I have been trifling, consumed with my own troubles, I had never taken the time to visit her and to see her new place. So, I bit the bullet and went.

Her apartment is lovely. She has an exquisite view of Lake Michigan with a doll sized downtown Chicago glittering in the distance! She has beautifully decorated her home in the contemporary style that she enjoys (I'm a more traditional Empire/Chippendale/anything old type of gal myself). An aura of peace permeates throughout her home.

As I slept in the spare bedroom, I began to think about my life. As of now, my only joy is writing, my peace lies there. In that world, I have no worries or concerns, I can remain lost there for hours. But alas, I cannot physically live there. So I have to do something about my existence on this side of Oz.

I began making changes last week. I joined the health club, a good (although less enjoyable) alternative to my nightly stops at the bar. Since the gym is located in the train station, I am forced to stop there (or so I have convinced myself) on my way home. So last night, once I returned home, I gathered my raggedy work out clothes and run down gym shoes. I will go this evening once I get off from work. I don't have any money, so the bar will not prove to be that much of a temptation! LOL But actually, I am excited. I think that I will start with the punching bag to release some pinned up anger that has festered within me for much too long.

Next, I will order my finances. They are a mess. In my own defense, I have worked to get my bills on a payment schedule, but I would like to pay off a lot of old debt too.

After that, I want to find an apartment in downtown Chicago. I have never lived downtown, and would like to give it a try. I expect that it will be very expensive. But perhaps I can sub-lease someone's fabulous condo for a reasonable price, with utilities and parking included (not that I really need parking). Yup that's the dream.

I plan to spend more time writing as well. Yesterday, after returning to Chicago from Waukegan, I stopped into the office and wrote for about three hours. No interruptions, just me and my computer. It was wonderful. My father broke my trance by calling me, asking when I was coming home. I tried to recapture the magic, and did, although fleeting.

I am exhausted, but I must put forth extra energy if this is to work. I have to start somewhere, so I will begin here.