FALLing

A typical Chicago summer: hot, sticky and a muggy mess. Usually. Luckily (or unluckily - ?) for us this year global warming, or the shifting of the seasons, or whateveryouwanttocallit has given us a mostly pleasant - albeit at times a relatively cool and rainy - summer. We just hit 90degrees a couple of weeks ago for the first time this summer that included the dreaded heat index of 100degrees+. For the first time. In August. Granted this only lasted 2days before the weather plummeted (ok, it wasn't that dramatic) to a mere 75degrees again.

All I was looking forward to last week was a nice afternoon at the beach on Saturday. I checked the forecast daily, hourly at times, just to be sure I would be getting the sun I so craved. At the beginning of the week it was a projected sunny, 76degrees. Then on Thursday it was supposed to be sunny 70degrees. Still doable. If it is really sunny.

Since I'm sin-Internet at the apartment now, I decided to risk a visit to the beach Saturday. I was up early and the sun was out. I pulled on my swim suit, loaded up my back pack and jumped on my bike. The ride was fantastic. It was warm. Sunny. And city seemed to have a sparkle to it. It was clear skies with beautiful sailboats sprinkled across the glimmering blue lake.

After a little exercise riding the LSD bike path, I found my way to North Avenue beach. Locked up the old stallion then made my way onto the sand. I was all set up: shoes & cover up off, towel out, book in hand, iPod set to Eric Clapton Unplugged. Then the sun disappeared. And the breeze kicked into high gear. It was 11:15am.

I looked around. The beach wasn't empty but it wasn't littered with people either. There were girls in their bikinis. Guys in only their swim trunks. I wasn't the only one out there. As I laid there, unable to concentrate on my book - due to my convulsions from the cold - I watched the sky. Dark heavy clouds sat over the lake and outstretched past the once beautiful skyline. The buildings looked dark and ominous. The lake no longer held its sparkle. It became frigid and uninviting. It was 11:30am.

I flipped onto my stomach in an attempt to settle back into my book. To keep my eyes off the sky. A silent prayer in my heart for sun. If only there was sun I could take the cold breeze that kick up from the lake. Goose bumps covered my arms and legs. The shivers became more frequent. Groups of girls were throwing in the towel and leaving. I shifted my gaze up. The sky had not changed for the better. It was darker, spreading its reach even further. It was 12noon.

I was done. The cold. The possibility of rain. The idea of a 20min bike ride back to my apartment and warmth got the best of me. I packed up. Jumped on the bike and headed home. I rode past several signs which stated the time and temp. 65degrees. At 12noon. In the summer. The entire 6mile ride didn't even shake the chills out of my system. It took a hot shower to turn my lips back to its rosy color versus the blue that had settled in.

The weather never became the sunny skies that was promised. The summer weather that I am craving has been infrequent - or at least not falling on my days off. I can take a page from the past several years and expect that summer weather - the 90s & 100s that I'm craving now - to come in September and October.

October has become notoriously and record breakingly hot. And sticky. And a muggy mess. Anyone that has run the Chicago Marathon can attest to this. But by then I'm ready for the beautiful fall weather. Comfortable. Cool. With the skyline ablaze with reds, oranges, and yellows. I love the changing seasons - Fall being my favorite. This weekend was just a reminder of how the seasons have changed or shifted or whateveryouwanttocallit. Is it too much to ask that summer remain summer, and fall remain fall? I suppose so...