A Vision of Beauty

When I left the studio this evening I felt an incredible tension in the air stabbing at me with blood dripping talons. A mass of people frantically attempting to beat one another to the biggest most expensive thing they simply must have, wrapped in smooth sparkly paper, finished with a big velvet bow to enunciate their love. Bah Humbug! I decided to join in and steaked my place at the North Avenue bus stop at the Wicker Park 6 corners. Didn't wait an unsually long time for the west bound bus to arrive & without fail it was full, but there were two more following close behind, so no need to jump the queue here. Of course I was going to one of the most middle class, white, 2.4 kids, Weimaraner in the back of the SUV shopping areas in Chicago. Sheffield and North Avenue. Now, I have never taken a single driving lesson and living in Chicago has shown me I don't need that kind of stress. I am fortunate enough to be able to walk to work & shops from my flat & if I need to go further a field, then I have no phobia inhibiting me from using the CTA. This one particular death trap that has reafirmed my prior decision is at Kingsbury & North Avenue. I have long questioned why the city did not have traffic lights. Voilà! We have lights in place...but no juice to put them into action. Don't panic, they went one further and got the best traffic management person (what are they called?) to work the insane on slaught of cars at this very junction. Watching this woman control the traffic was like magic. At no point did she make a wrong call, keep anyone waiting too long or pause for breath. If only I had remebered to put the battery in my camera when I grabbed it this morning, then you could have seen her. Instead, here is a polaroid I found at a bizarre little antique shop I came across on Belmont 2 years ago.