Zoo Lights

To celebrate the season and relatively mild weather (quite nearly 40!), I walked down to Lincoln Park Zoo after dark to check out Zoo Lights.
From Thanksgiving to New Years, the Zoo is open late, with all sorts of lights in the trees and sculptures, including the Nursery Rhyme Garden. And some nifty animals, including gorillas and lizards and rhinos.It was really lovely, walking under canopies of barren branches flung with different colors. And lots of little kids overdressed in snow suits, struggling to waddle around. One really cute penguin hat (basically looked like the kid's head was shoved up the penguin's butt, but in pastel fleece, it worked), and a kid who just couldn't manage walking over the cords, so plunked on his butt every 10' or so.

Especially festive with the non-offensive Christmas music, and cran-white chocolate cookie I packed. And the 3-D-like glasses they handed out made white lights look like Snowmen!(I don't know if it comes out in this photo, but it was cool, and I nearly tripped on a couple of toddlers...)

After that little diversion, which up until 6PM was the most productive thing I had done all day, I stopped by Starbucks to indulge in some caffeine. A short hazelnut Americano and the De La Guarda soundtrack got me into a focused mode so I was able to finish my Statement of Purpose for my grad apps. Now I just need the stupid packet from U/RTA.

But here is a question begging for comment. What is your "Productive" or "Energizing" music/ritual?

on iTunes: Stevie Wonder - "I Wish"