curb the enthusiasm

My horoscope today said " This can be a fantastic day, as long as you can contain your enthusiasm enough to direct it productively." That's exactly how I feel: sort of like a train full of steam (steam=enthusiasm) and moving very quickly... it feels exciting, and productive, but I just hope I don't go off the tracks on the curves ahead.

Hm, maybe the train metaphor isn't quite right. Maybe it's more like a hyperactive puppy with too many toys to choose from... or a bee flitting from flower to flower in a giant field full of things to be pollinated... (can you hear "Flight of the bumblebee" in the background? That's about the right pace).

I am eating lunch just before jumping on a plane to head to Chicago for a conference. This will be my first time there since high school, but I don't think I'll see much of the city beyond the square block where the conference is being held. But I love the feel of big cities. I don't know if I could really be a big-city dweller, but visiting them is so exhilerating.

The city where I live is really a small town that thinks it's a city. We have four or five tall buildings, one or two "wrong side of the tracks" type neighborhoods, and a bus system, which seems to be what it takes to qualify as "city" in many people's minds. But as in a small town, I see the same people on the street downtown, day after day, and most of all, in the arena for which I most love big cities, you really have to go out hunting for "ethnic" food here. If you want really good Thai, Ethiopian, Indian, you need to know someone who knows someone, and you need to venture out into secret shabby suburban strip malls to find the place. In big cities, there seems to be interesting food everywhere, and I always think the prices are much better. So wish me luck in Chicago, I'm hoping to eat something from a country I can't locate on a map.

Also, a big warm fuzzy shout-out to Susanna and Mike who came through town this week! It was such a delight to see these old college-years pals as they whizzed through our big-small-city-town. We ate a lovely outdoor lunch together at a one of the secret ethnic restaurants (sshhh...). Big hugs to you Philly pals!