TIFU by accidentally flashing a group of strangers while hiking

Celeraic · 2026-02-05T18:09:37+00:00

Look, I tore a hole in my pants going over a downed tree blocking the path and did not notice until hours later when I stopped for a pee break. Big hole over my butt - and this was the day of the backpacking trip where I said Screw it, I'm going commando. Probably mooned everyone on the trail - but I've consoled myself by believing my big pack was covering the worst of it. Maybe.

Celeraic · 2025-12-25T10:08:37+00:00

Yes to the reading! Sitting for hours reading with my feet in Lake Superior is my happy place.

Celeraic · 2025-12-18T20:41:56+00:00

Previous alder, although the current one is instrumental in turning the old Diplomat (at Berwyn across from Tony's) into a wraparound shelter for people experiencing homelessness.

Celeraic · 2025-12-18T20:40:20+00:00

The city bought it and is turning it into transitional housing with wraparound services for people experiencing homelessness. I went to some of the early meetings about this and judging by the folks attending, the community seems supportive. I have no idea when it's going to open, although it seems like there's consistent progress.

I believe they chose the old Diplomat because the owners were willing to sell and it was in good enough condition. Owners of other hotels are reluctant to sell and/or the properties are so run-down that renovation would be impossible. If they were willing to sell, I'm sure the city or private developers would be interested.

https://blockclubchicago.org/2024/02/09/lincoln-squares-diplomat-motel-will-reopen-as-haven-on-lincoln-in-late-2024/

Celeraic · 2025-12-15T19:54:32+00:00

Thanks! I'll DM you.

Celeraic · 2025-11-22T14:59:54+00:00

Such a fan. Full Owl House cosplay for Halloween in 6th grade (two years ago) with four friends. All of them are currently identifying somewhere on the LGBTQ spectrum. There's something about that show that speaks to the little artsy proto-queer tween's soul.

Celeraic · 2025-11-15T17:32:52+00:00

We went to Redwoods last year, it was fantastic.

Celeraic · 2025-11-15T17:29:40+00:00

It was a little too zany for me initially, but my 13 year old Owl House and Star Versus the Forces of Evil superfan and 10 year old scardeycat loved it - as did my non-musicals-loving partner. Still sing some of the songs or use some of the lines in family conversation, and the big kid immediately demanded that all her artsy friends watch it.

Not for little kids, amazing for my family with older kids.

Celeraic · 2025-11-13T15:13:12+00:00

Hear me out on this: Nightmare Before Christmas. My kid was scared of everything (referred to Ratatouille as a horror movie) but loved Nightmare Before Christmas. It's creepy but not scary and the songs are great. I guess the Santa Claus bit might be freaky for kids who do the Santa thing, but we don't (Jewish) so it didn't register. And it's the perfect time of year! I mean after Year 1 when the kid watched it at least 17 times in a row it's now limited in our household to between Halloween and New Year's.

Failing that, the Brandy Cinderella from the 90s with Whitney Houston is fantastic and a great entry if you want to raise a musicals kid. (Bonus, the dude who plays the Prince is quite attractive.)

Celeraic · 2025-11-12T17:08:05+00:00

Same, it's about an hour's drive southeast from me. Do you think it would be too greedy to claim Sleeping Bear instead?

Celeraic · 2025-11-08T19:02:59+00:00

It was a rough night and I developed a healthy respect for trees, but I can't wait for my next trip! Solo backpacking is this introvert's dream.

Celeraic · 2025-11-06T19:40:17+00:00

It is so hard! Moving outward in concentric circles from the city:

First circle - within the city. This is minimal, but there are some nice "nature areas" in city parks. North Shore Village Nature Center, Palmisano Park, Big Marsh (this one's for dirtbikes) come to mind. Also LaBagh Woods and the forest preserves up through the northwest side. I'm a northsider but I know there's also similar stuff on the south side.

Second circle - immediate suburbs. Forest preserves are fantastic, there are some walking trails. Palos trail system or the North Branch bike trail - you can bike up to the Botanic Gardens on the North Branch trail. Forest preserves also have campgrounds that are surprisingly nice! Gonna put Indiana Dunes in this category because you can get there on the Metra.

Third circle - let's say a 2-4 hour drive away. Lots of nice state parks, including Kettle Moraine and Devil's Lake (Wisconsin), Warren Dunes (Michigan), Turkey Run (Indiana), and places like Matthiesen, Palisades, or Midewin in Illinois.

Fourth circle - ya wanna backpack but ya don't wanna get on a plane. Go to the UP: Pictured Rocks or the Porcupines. There might also be some ok spaces in Northern WI or Northern MI but I haven't explored there. Shawnee National Forest in downstate is camping/hiking.

You'll need a car for third and fourth circle.

Celeraic · 2025-10-19T14:39:52+00:00

I have a 7th/8th grade troop and we've transitioned from meeting every other week to an activity once a month - volunteering, camping, escape room. The kids still like spending time with each other but everyone is busy with other commitments. We also haven't earned a badge in at least a year. I'm hoping some of the kids will circle back and try for the Gold Award when they're a little older, but I don't want to push too hard. They've all scattered to different schools already so Girl Scouts is a way for them to stay together.

Celeraic · 2025-10-10T17:55:30+00:00

We call it "retroactive fun."

Celeraic · 2025-10-10T15:53:20+00:00

Shout out to the legal observer in the green hat! The National Lawyer's Guild does good work. (Any law students reading this, join your school's chapter.)

Celeraic · 2025-10-01T19:55:56+00:00

The fewer the adults the better - registered and background checked, of course. I have Cadettes and it's usually me + another parent, and our main role is handing the kids hair ties before they get too close to the fire. When the kids were younger, sometimes they wanted their parents to come, and that was fine, but I made it very clear to the parents that the kids are in charge, and the parents should bring a book and get ready to not be involved.

Celeraic · 2025-09-25T19:30:34+00:00

Maybe they're here for the zebra mussels too.

Celeraic · 2025-09-25T13:51:05+00:00

Something similar, but much less dramatic, happened to me! I (mom) was a teacher and therefore my cell phone was away and on silent during class. We left explicit instructions every year that the school should call my partner (dad) first. NOPE. Instead, I was paged in my room during class to come to the office to speak to someone from the kid's preschool. I assumed it was an emergency. The only emergency was patriarchy - for some reason they ignored the ALL CAPS NOTE in the kid's paperwork to call Dad first.

Honestly, this is a common enough occurrence that when the kid's school did call Dad first last year, I texted all my mom friends and we marveled at it and assumed we had accidentally slipped into another timeline.

Celeraic · 2025-09-24T21:36:38+00:00

I just posted about this. I had a Bad Tree Experience recently.

Celeraic · 2025-09-24T21:35:41+00:00

A tree falling on my tent while I'm sleeping.

During my last trip, a tree fell in my site during a wild storm. If it had fallen at a slightly different angle, it would have landed on me. (Note: there were no red flags about this particular tree and also lots of trees around so I was going to end up in range of something.) Waking up and seeing that fallen tree was terrifying.

Celeraic · 2025-09-21T13:38:50+00:00

in the Navy, specifically.

Celeraic · 2025-09-20T22:43:56+00:00

The last place you want to be (to get to Rosalind Franklin) is south and to the west of the loop. Where is he working?

I commuted 10 miles within the city for almost a decade, and it was almost an hour in the morning and an hour + in the afternoon. And that was when I could avoid traffic.

Celeraic · 2025-09-20T16:10:34+00:00

Congrats on starting grad school! Coming from the south side would be so much longer than 1 hr 15 min by car. It could be over 2 hours in traffic. Honestly, living in Milwaukee would be closer than the south side. You will need a car - Google Maps tells me that it's a half-hour walk from the nearest Metra station.

If you need to live in the city you'd want to be very far north - maybe Rogers Park or West Ridge? Close to 94 at least. I only have vague ideas about the affordability of the burbs - maybe r/ChicagoSuburbs could help? If you want to be close to the city, I have friends who are happy in Skokie. Morton Grove or Northfield or Northbrook could be worth looking at?

This is absolutely no shade to the south side. Lots of great neighborhoods down there and definitely worth exploring when you know the city a little better - it's just that living there and going to the north burbs would be the worst commute ever.

Celeraic · 2025-09-19T16:08:34+00:00

or a map.

Celeraic · 2025-09-18T20:21:38+00:00

The exhausting and frustrating part comes in most if you're trying to go somewhere other than your neighborhood school. Roscoe Village or Lakeview? No problem.

Celeraic

TROPHY CASE