Saturday, August 14, 2004

August 14, 2004


8:23 PM Late this afternoon I hopped on my bike, intending to do my usual 11.1 mile loop. On a whim, I decided to ride Augusta Avenue into Chicago. As I pedaled through the Austin neighborhood, I saw lots of block parties. Eventually I had to turn off Augusta because a gospel choir had set up risers in the middle of the street and were performing a concert. There were people seated in front the choir listening to the beautiful music. For those outside Chicago, Augusta is a main thoroughfare—and it was shut down for one block for a gospel concert. I don’t think that would happen in Oak Park. So I ended up on Division Street, which goes through some tough neighborhoods until suddenly you come into an area of trendy restaurants with outdoor seating. Very upscale, very hip. A mile or so later Division passes right through Cabrini Green. Surprising how quickly you move from one world to another just a few blocks away. Then I rode into Chicago all the way to Lake Shore Drive and somehow I ended up going right past Moody Church. From there I rode along the Gold Coast, then west through Lincoln Park (lots of bikers, joggers, and people generally out and about). I followed Armitage for a while, then north to Fullerton, which led me to Oak Park Avenue. By the time I got home, my excursion ended up being about 23 miles. A beautiful and a reminder of how much diversity you can find in Chicago—and most of it is not that far from Oak Park. 8:18 PM Marlene and I went to the church for Cal and Phylis Becker’s 50th-anniversary party. They met while they were students at Moody. Phylis told me she came to Moody after graduating from Gordon College to “pick up a few courses.” Along the way she picked up Cal or he picked her up, and today they were happily surrounded by family and friends who came to join in the celebration. 8:17 PM Today’s entry in the Crosswalk weblog is called Julia Child Meets Her Maker.

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