The month of May has to be, hands down, one of my favorite times of the year. Every day, as I go on my run along the shore of Lake Michigan, I see boats returning to the harbor after a long absence during the brutal months of Chicago’s winter; tulips are in full bloom everywhere I look; people are actually out in the the lakefront’s recreational areas, giving me some company during what had only a few weeks earlier, been a lonely run in the punishing wind, rain, and snow.

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Though I frequently yearn for a warmer climate, having spent my entire life living either here in northern Illinois or in (gasp!) South Dakota, a place that makes Chicago look like Miami, weather-wise, I do enjoy watching this city come back to life each spring. When you only get a few months of decent weather each year, you probably appreciate them more that you might otherwise, and for me May marks a real change in my attitude about this city. All of a sudden, I forget about standing knee-deep in snow, scraping ice off my windshield and digging my car out of a plowed-in snowbank, dreading my treacherously slippery commute and praying that I don’t wreck my car and bass on my dangerous journey out to my gig.

I remember sitting on a bench down at the University of Chicago at this time last year, waxing poetic on how much I love blogging outside, and I also remember blogging out on the beach (undoubtedly looking like a crazy person, or at least someone who’s got his priorities seriously out of whack) up in Door County several times last summer. For me, this time of year is an opportunity to slow down, kick back and relax, and take stock of how things are going in life for me. Summer is when I decided to really start developing this blog; it’s also when I decided to return to school.

Summer is also cat-walking season for me, and I think that some more videos of cats in action in north Evanston are long overdue. I’m also looking forward to heading up to Door County again for some chamber music, and I can’t wait for the International Society of Bassists convention in June, of course–hope to see you there!

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