Home Away from Home

Saludos from sunny Davis, California, where we have had no earthquakes, unlike Marshfield Avenue and the rest of Chicago.

Medicine Man sent me an email about it and I thought he was kidding.

However, thanks to the blessing and curse of the cell phone, the Marshfield Avenue advice hotline is still in service.

Junior called me up a few minutes ago, while I was browsing for a birthday card for my sister.

"Hey, Maritza, I got a letter from the school, but it says college," he said. "I'm going to high school, right?"

The name Golder College Prep had confused him, especially since we first talked to UIC College Prep. Then he wanted to know where it was. I remembered the address was 14-something West Superior, and with that hint, he found it on the letter.

I had a similar problem making sense of things yesterday. While riding the Capitol Corridor train to Davis and enjoying watching cattle drink from the marsh and even a pelican taking off, Joey's mother called.

It was loud on the train and she was speaking Spanish rapidly. "I can't hear because I am on the train," I said in Spanish. "Por favor, can you speak really slowly?"

She did. One word at a time. And I got it. She was telling me Joey's dad could take him to Marwen so Medicine Man didn't have to. Message received.

With that, Marshfield Tattler is on vacation until Wednesday April 23. Happy spring!