on wednesday night chicago saw a record high of 61 degrees. 48 hours later the temperature had dropped – by 52 degrees. the radiators and old creaky windows in our apartment can’t keep up when the daily highs are in the single digits. we move around the apartment wrapped up like eskimos, polar fleese and wool and goose down strategically layered, showering periodically in order to raise the core body temperature. mostly what i want to know is, who first thought it would be a good idea to build a city HERE? i hate chicago winters. the air is so cold it burns exposed skin, and there’s no skiing or other fun winter sports to make the weather bearable. hrrmph.

on the plus side, i’m all about winter food. tonight i made mushroom risotto (cheers to mari for the recipe), and last night we went to the Duke of Perth, a pub which makes me nostalgic for my oxford days right down to the super-chilled pints of strongbow. in spite of the mexican polka music which can occasionally be heard seeping out of the kitchen, they serve up tasty, steaming pots of vegetable or shepards pie garnished with mashed potatoes – perfect for winter nights. zeke has been putting on his usual winter weight to cope with the cold apartment – perhaps i should follow suit.