Take care of yourself and each other

For the past few days my dog, Rosie, has been staying with my mom because my dad has been out of town on business. My parents are empty nesters now, so when my dad’s gone, my mom’s home all alone. They have a security system, but my mom sleeps a little better knowing there’s a 100-pound Rottweiler in the house. Anyway, with Rosie gone, I haven’t had to rush home after work every day to walk her. So last night after work Chris and I went out for a few drinks and appetizers, something we rarely do.

We decided to visit a seafood restaurant near my office and sat in the bar area near the maitre d’. It’s a good spot for people watching, which is what I do when we’re in a bar where Chris is preoccupied by sports on TV. So, while munching on calamari and drinking a martini, I got a front row seat when Jerry Springer walked in the door. Immediately the maitre d’ greeted him saying, “Mr. Springer, it’s good to see you again,” and a staffer swiftly ran in to take away his coat. Within in seconds, Springer and his date were whisked away to their table.

On one hand, I was mildly star-struck to see Springer about a foot away, and I even leaned over and whispered to Chris that Jerry Springer was right behind him. On the other hand, I couldn’t help but think how weird it was that this up-scale restaurant was so accommodating to someone who interviews supposed pimps and prostitutes all day. But then again, celebrities are rare in Chicago. We’ve got Springer, Oprah, John Cusack and occasionally Vince Vaughn. That’s about it. Slim enough that this morning, when I realized I hadn’t blogged in a few days, I thought, “I’ll write about my Springer sighting.” So there you go.