So THERE!

In our little corner of Chicago we are generally surrounded by the typical white and blue collar workers that have made this city great. We keep our lawns well tended (barring in my case the unwarranted use of water resources to keep grass from going dorment in the dry season), keep our eyes open to make sure that older or unhealthy neighbors are well, and generally try to mind our own business which includes keeping our public displays of affection in our own homes, or at least our backyards. A little slice of paradise, eh?

Well not anymore.

We have been invaded by the happy coffee people. Now, I am sure that they are perfectly nice people. Every couple of days, for the last month or so, I get to watch the couple that I have dubbed, "the happy coffee people" out on their morning stroll. They are out walking their dog (and by that I mean a big ugly pony-sized creature). They stroll arm in arm down our street. He mans the beast. She carries the coffee cup. Some mornings she clutches the cup between her palms to keep them warm. Some days they take turns sipping their steaming hot joe. Every day she looks perky with her ponytail sticking out of the back of her baseball cap looking like a Trixie escaped from Lincoln Park.

Does anyone really need to see that kind of perky happiness first thing in the morning? I think not. I have usually rolled out of bed and spent 20 minutes yelling at kids to get dressed (oh sooo complicated when one wears the same uniform EVERY DAY), pull my hair into an untidy ponytail (who really needs to brush it... I am sure I will remember later) and stumbled outside with our beloved mutt, Cinnamon. The dog will spend the next 10 or so minutes dragging me from bush to tree chasing after the assorted wildlife available to us in our urban environment. This is NOT the time to encounter these people... and yet, there I am. BLECH. Keep your happiness at home where it belongs, I say!

I devised my own revenge of course, and that is the after dinner stroll. The dog is in better humor. The kids are dressed, fed and educated for the day. The hubby even came with us tonight. He held the hand of the younger fille as she attempted roller blading or the first time. The older fille and I walked along chatting about the day's events and plans for summer vacation which starts about 10am tomorrow. Its not annoyingly early like the happy coffee people but it's ours.... So THERE!