A heat wave was predicted for the weekend. I even got a "severe weather" warning on Weatherbug. It wasn't to peak until Sunday/Monday, but by Saturday we were already roasting. We divided our time between an air-conditioned coffee-shop sitting in front of the air-conditioner in our apartment. Colin made fresh salsa. I made black and blueberry pie. And we sat around being really nervous and snappish.
Happily, we had been offered a ride to DH's house in Oak Park, which is a western suburb. The car-ride was great, whooshing down Lakeshore Drive with someone else at the wheel. The couple giving us a ride recommended the architectural boat tour, also pointing out various famous buildings (by people I confess I haven't heard of). Chicagoans certainly are proud of their architecture. Actually, I can see how people can get into it. I'm just not, quite yet.
Oak Park looked exactly like a suburb in Eugene, though with different trees. A nice one of course. College Hill without the hill, perhaps. Not pretentiously nice, but pleasant and well kept up. It was a far-cry from grad student barbeques at Butler, where all the food gets snapped up almost as soon as it comes off the grill or out of the tupperware. Things were practically plated, on serving dishes, labeled, totally delicious.
It was technically a going-away party for AR and LD, a couple who is leaving the department just as Colin is arriving. They are a married couple with young twin boys--not the only married couple with fraternal twin boys there either. Vegan philosopher NH and his wife JGH also have fraternal twin boys, nearly the same age. The mother of a third set of twins recently moved away, and a grad student (so says the secretary) may be due to produce another set. Something about the UIC philosophy building!? Hmm! Actually my dept. also has three sets of twins. Maybe it's something about academia. You have to have the kids in such a mad rush that nature appreciates it and gives 'em to you all at once.
As I mentioned, Colin and I had been pretty nervous but everyone was clearly going out of their way to be friendly and welcoming. People had heard about me, knew I was going to China, strove valiantly to overcome any silent lapses in conversation. I won't say anything much in detail, but I must say that bits of department politics showed through here and there, like shark-fins in the otherwise calm water. But the politics seem to be fairly superficial and limited to only a few spirited souls. The rest seem busy with kids or conferences or home-ownership. Not an especially laid-back crowd, but entertaining.
I never know how I'm doing on such occasions, but Colin assured me I was doing fine. He did fine too. For both of us it is strange being the very youngest people in the crowd (except for the twinses and various other offsprings!). NH appreciated the fact that my pie was vegan and he had two slices, which pleased us lots. It only got half eaten, but then the dessert population was nearly equal to the guest population, so nothing got all eaten. And I have been enjoying pie for breakfast!
Don't know really what else to say except that it was less stressful than we had feared, or rather, both stressful and fun at the same time. Felt like kids pretending to be grownups.
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