Copied from a friend (an African-American woman). Hers is the first voice I'm turning to this week and I'm not going to steal too many of her posts because many of them are friends-only. This one was not, and it saids what needs saying:

Borrowing words from a friend as I’m too frustrated by all the knee jerk responses to come up with my own right now. “Before you read what the MSM tells you about this story, here’s what we know in Chicago: Cops shot a young person in Englewood. A crowd formed and marched in protest against the shooting. The cops then SHOT INTO THE CROWD. Public transportation was shut down, bridges were put up, people were trapped downtown. What did you think was going to happen? People’s lives > property. Always.”

There has been a war brewing In Englewood and Auburn-Gresham for some time now - recall the shooting at the funeral that could have been avoided given that the city was forewarned by reputable sources? Remember the recent Gold Coast shooting which was also highly predictable and warned against? When those who are supposed to serve and protect instead shoot into crowds (and into homes like Breonna Taylor’s) or commit murder (George Floyd) people get angry and retaliate using whatever power they have. Not justifying property destruction, but if you don’t care about the underlying issues communities are facing and only get mad when it gets closer to where you live and work please grab a mirror. What are you doing to create justice?

In other news, a derecho is headed for the city. Perhaps the Lake will just swallow us all.

Tenant hit a glitch with her move-out but I don't think it'll be a problem. Well, it's not a problem for me. She has no real option but to get the big stuff out today (the building won't let her use the freight elevators for moves on the weekend) and I've tried to make it clear that I won't penalize her for finishing up the small stuff over the weekend. But the painters will be there Monday; the cleaning crew on Wednesday, when I'll hand the keys over to the sales agent.

I am really very sad, even as I'm not second-guessing the decision to sell it. It's time. Change is always hard, but buying that place was the first change it my life I did right and did not regret. Also, it had always been my goal in life to own a vintage flat on Lake Shore Drive and there, I did!

I'll miss its haunted hotel hallways. Its 70's horror-movie architectural details. Its single girl in the city cachet. The remains of the Murphy bed making up a wall in the kitchen.The floors, the windows, the tile. The kitchen I redid. The colors I picked for its walls. The Lake peeking through the trees across the way.

I'll always regret the work I never got around to. And I'm sad we won't always have it, to come home to for the weekend. But that's a lifestyle we're not likely to have.

When it sells, I'll have a picnic on the floor. If it's soon, it'll just be me and the Spouse. If it takes forever, well, it may be a whole cocktail house-cooling party.