21 days
Three weeks today I moved into this new place and I have been out of town three times since. It seems odd to move into a new place and never be there. I love that feeling when you move someplace new. That honeymoon period while you get familiar with your new setting. Everything is in a different place. Your routine is different. I love this place but I have been gone so much. I let a room from my friend in his small sized two br condo in West Rogers Park. Oh....West Effin Rogers Park, it is like living in another state or on the edge of the universe, whichever is closest to the red line.

Urban Tea Lounge, haircuts, and a good place
Four years ago, I was feeling pretty sorry for myself because my life lacked direction and I felt completely powerless. I was on my way to visit my friend Tony Canary. Tony, a performance artist had moved from his chosen Chicago neighborhood in Wicker Park to Andersonville so that he could be closer to his emotionally unavailable Latino actor/model boyfriend.

I wrote in my journal as I took the 36 Broadway bus north. The bus passed Broadway and Belle Plaine when I wrote that I just wanted to be in a good place. Just as I finished the sentiment, I looked to my left and saw a sign that read "BUENA PLACE." I decided this had to be a good sign.

Fast foward to 2004. Tony is back in Wicker Park without the emotionally unavailable Latino actor/model boyfriend. And the sign is still there at Broadway and Buena. Little did I know in 2000 that I would be living in Chicago's Buena Park neighborhood two years later. Of course, the two years that I lived in Buena Park were two of the toughest personal years of my life but I still thougt Buean Park was a good place.

I have made only two trips to my old neighborhood in the last three weeks. One was to return my keys to my old landlord and the other was just this past Thursday night. After working all day I really needed to get a haircut so I went to my beautiful ebony-skinned African barber, Francis. Francis works in a shop located across from the Wilson Red Line stop (probably one of the skankiest el stops on the northside of Chicago. Francis is a good barber andI haven't had a regular barber in a while. I have been through barber hell since my barber moved from Chicago in 1997. I have three shops that I visit most often but I still need MY shop. Francis is a very good looking guy and I have to admit that one of the reasons I go back is because I love looking at him while he cuts my hair.

After the haircut I headed to my favorite Uptown/Buena Park haunt, The Urban Tea Lounge on Montrose. I love this place so much. The owners are really cool people and one of their friends and part-time employees is an extremely sexy Latino by the name of Roberto. I'll be honest, I wanted to see Roberto more than I wanted to buy tea.