Thursday, June 23, 2011

In That Small Cafe

A couple of years ago, I was walking around Chicago in search of my two favorite coffee shops from the 80s. It turned out that Albert's on West Elm had gone out of business & was all boarded up; and Coffee Chicago, which used to be independent and totally funky (where I bought my first espresso pot) was now a Starbucks / UPS. Okay, not a horrible fate; but, alas, no longer unique. Utterly predictable.
Worse, I couldn't even document my disappointment because my camera quit working right then and there in the pouring rain. For on top of everything else that wasn't going quite right that day, it was chilly, gray, and rainy. Whereas -- if memory serves -- back when I used to frequent Albert's and Coffee Chicago, it was always either sunny or snowing softly!

I learned a hard lesson about time travel that day: not only can you not go home again (which I guess I already knew) but you can't even go to the coffee shop again (now, that one was news to me). Sigh. The sweet old Albert's with the pink and black striped awning and chocolate covered strawberries? It is in my mind, not on the street!

I'll Be Seeing You

[click to listen]

I'll be seeing you
In all the old familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day through.

In that small cafe;
The park across the way;
The children's carousel;
The chestnut trees;
The wishin' well.

I'll be seeing you
In every lovely summer's day;
In every thing that's light and gay.
I'll always think of you that way.

I'll find you
In the morning sun
And when the night is new.
I'll be looking at the moon,
But I'll be seeing you.
(1938)

lyrics: Irving Kahal

music: Sammy Fain
sung by Billie Holiday

Urban Dream HouseTriplex at the corner of North La Salle and West Chestnut

The park across the way . . . Washington Square Park & Newberry Library
Chicago

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