Chicana on the Edge

Mentioning the unmentionable since 2004

Ask For What You Want, Part Two: People Pleasing

Are you good at asking for what you want? Some insight into those who struggle with it.

How Chicago Failed Its Most Vulnerable: The Heat Wave of July 1995

31 years ago, a three-day disaster revealed an ongoing one.

Blunder

I'm so excited: my Christmas shopping is all done. I ordered some great things from Sharper Image for my boyfriend. I've been looking forward to giving them to him because they're things he wouldn't think of himself, but he totally needs them. When we order things...

read more

Repeal the 21st Amendment!

Hey, everybody, I just found out that today, December 5th is the anniversary of the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution, repealing the Eighteenth Amendment, which prohibited the sale and transportation of intoxicating liquors. Today is the...

read more

December, finally!

Last spring I had more than one dream that I was strolling down a street adorned with Christmas decorations, feeling so happy that my favorite time of year was here. But each time I would wake up to the disappointment of March or April or June. Maybe other grownups...

read more

Job Search

So I've been applying and applying for administrative support jobs and I'm getting very little feedback. What do you think of this explanation that I got from a friend of mine:A man who hired and fired people at Illinois Masonic (a hospital) for over 30 years says...

read more

Back to the CTA…

I crashed the car and am now afraid to drive. I'd only been driving regularly since last spring and now I've had a $4200 accident. The last time I owned a car was fifteen years ago and I totalled the car back then. I obviously don't belong on the road. So a month...

read more

Car Crash

So I cut back to four shifts a week because my body can't take the physical pain of waitressing full-time and I'm driving more because the Chicago Transit Authority train line that I take is getting worse every week. These changes mean I'm not using my monthly CTA...

read more

Looking

I'm going through job ads, I'm applying, I'm interviewing, I'm trying to gauge the damage I'm doing to my feet each restaurant shift I work. I'm trying to decide if I should give my two weeks notice when I find a new job or when my feet reach a certain level of pain....

read more

Am I Responsible for Public Transit?

The Chicago Transportation Authority, which provides bus, subway and elevated train service to the city of Chicago, has been having no end of difficulties in the recent past. Between the federal government, state government, city government and fare revenue, they just...

read more

Occupation: Changing Occupations

After three years of waitressing, which started when I was 38, I can no longer deny that my body can't take it. My feet are developing problems, I'm tired of the late hours and the restaurant industry itself is getting a bit stale for me. All signs indicate that the...

read more

The Myth of “The One”

One of the strongest beliefs that keeps single people looking for love and helps couples stay together is the idea that we all have a soul mate, a life partner, a person we were destined to meet and be with. As a single woman searching for her life partner, I wanted...

read more

On the Run

1. Working six shifts a week at the restaurant.2. Still trying to finish up the eight original songs I recorded last month.3. My man is gone until November.4. Trying to head off a depression.5. Feeling like I can't keep working six shifts a week for much longer. Hate...

read more

Phase One

My current project, as a recording musician, is almost finished: I'm down to the final mixing of the eight original songs I recorded last month with Neal Alger. I recorded the instrumental tracks on September 6th, recorded the vocals on September 10th, re-recorded...

read more

Subscribe


Archive

My blog focuses on