I'm officially that creepy guy on the bus

A couple of months ago, I started taking writing classes at The Second City, which is one of Chicago's (and the nation's) premiere sketch comedy venues. I signed up for an intro comedy writing class, mostly just to use as a creative outlet. I've found that I really enjoy the classes, and attempting to make my writing more creative, concise, and (hopefully) more witty.

So one thing that I've put into practice is being more observant of the people around me, which are all potential characters in a sketch. I've always enjoyed people-watching, mostly because I liked to create stranger's life stories for my own amusement. But now, I've ramped this people-watching to all new levels. I'm staring at people at lunch, in bars & restaurants, and especially on the bus (which anyone who's ever spent any substantial time riding the CTA knows the buses are full of characters.) I've also started carrying a little notebook with me to write down any potential ideas that spring up before they're lost in the vast crevasses of my mind.

But recently I've come to realize that spending my morning commute staring at a strange guy who got on at my stop, while creating a story in my mind about how he got the scar above his right eye, all the while scribbling in my notebook can come across as slightly creepy. So I think I'm going to tone it down a bit, and try to avert my eyes when possible. But hopefully, in the coming weeks as I continue with my comedy writing education, you, the faithful readers of Philthy Laundry will be able to benefit from my peculiar observations.

It's Monsoon Season in Chicago!

I'm proud to let you know that today is a big day in my life. It was announced today that the current floor emergency leader in my office had resigned, and that they needed someone to take his place. Our administrative assistant thought that I would be perfect for the job (most likely because of my unparalleled leadership skills, and my ability to stay cool under pressure) and offered it to me. Before I accepted I had a few questions:

1) How much power will I have? (none)
2) Will I get a pay increase for putting my life on the line? (no)
3) Can I get a whistle? (maybe)

I graciously accepted. For my first order of business, I immediately changed the name of the title from "Floor Emergency Leader" to "Safety Czar." The next step is to order that whistle.

I'm sure you can imagine my excitement this afternoon when the news broke that the entire Chicagoland area was under a severe thunderstorm advisory, and tornado warning. A huge line of intense storms was heading right for us. We all crowded around the windows and gazed at the dark clouds to the West. Just then, Mother Nature unleashed her fury. A wall of rainfall began blowing against the glass and steel buildings of the Chicago Loop. People scurried about, looking for shelter. Debris was flying high into the air as the strong wind continued to change direction.

Then over the loud speaker we heard:

"Attention all employees! We are currently experiencing severe weather; please move away from the windows and into the central point of your floor. This is not a drill. Please move away from your desks immediately. I repeat, this is not a drill."

I knew it was my time to act. As Safety Czar of the 13th floor....I needed to care for my team. Armed only with a bright orange hat, corresponding nylon vest, and my determination for survival, I successfully led the majority of my colleagues into the safety of Conference Room A.
The storm passed nearly as quickly as it came, and it was safe to return to our desks.

On my way home, I got to see that this was a pretty intense storm. Trees were down all over Lincoln Park, even some uprooted and thrown onto parked cars. There was broken glass, overturned garbage cans, and debris all over the streets. In my neighborhood, there are trees blocking a lot of the side roads as well as fallen power lines. Here are some pictures I took just on my street.