Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Other Milestones of Change

Watershed is one-year-old today! A big milestone really considering that at one point we almost shut ourselves down. But now, we’re survivors! And what a good metaphor for the year we’re having, right? Which brings me to another topic: can you believe a year’s already gone by?

My personal anniversary with my firm was Sept. 12. Aside from being free from the contractual ties that once bound me to this place, not much has changed. I’m about to undergo my first year of reviews, so I’m pretty nervous about how that process is going to go down.

And in a little over a month, I’ll be moving! Yes, again. I think I’ve moved every year for the past three years. Some of you lucky people will remember helping me with some of those moves. (I love you?) I’m excited though, not about the move itself, but about the opportunity to totally trash a new place…uh, I mean, Roomie bought a lovely two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo. Wheeee! Congratulate Roomie but pleeeeeeease don’t tell him I that I plan to make a mess of the place!! Keep your fingers crossed – he’s supposed to close at the end of this week!

Chicago’s landscape has seen a few changes too. Marshall Field’s is no more. It’s sad really; all the green awnings have been replaced. I refuse to shop there unless I’m under dire circumstances, which I can’t imagine what they would be, but I have to leave myself an out. I have to admit it gives me irrational satisfaction to toss their catalogs out whenever they come in the mail without so much as a glance at the front cover, as if it were some transitions-for-menopausal-women’s catalog. Oh, and because I had had a Marshall Field’s card, I was sent a Macy’s replacement one. When I called to cancel, I derived no small amount of pleasure from answering the woman’s question: “May I ask why you’re closing your account today?” with “I’m a loyal Marshall Field’s customer and I don’t expect to be shopping regularly at Macy’s.”

And finally, in classic Chicago form, the weather here just went SNAP! it’s fall!! While some people don’t like being jolted into autumn, I do. That burst of crisp, cool air in the morning makes me feel a little more awake…even if it only lasts for the duration of my commute into the office. I wonder if I would feel more awake if there was a way to open the window…. And it’s now theatre and jacket and skirt-boot season again. Oh, how I do love fall!

Happy Anniversary, Watershed! and to all of us too - we're officially second-years now!