You know it's something when you get off a bus to do community service and the person who leads you towards where the site is calls you "brave" for walking and taking public transit to the area; the area in question is 69th Street and Ashland.

Today was the Clean & Green Citywide clean-up day all across Chicago and I have an internship with 'Imagine Englewood if...' a non-profit organization on the South Side of Chicago that helps the youth of that area by providing resources, mentors, a safe place to go after school, and lead poisoning evaluations; the Englewood area has the highest concentration of lead poisoning in the nation. For my paid internship I go down there and help by doing whatever the boss needs me to do. Often, I make databases, type up rosters, work on the websites, and I've even taught a class early in the year on Radio Broadcasting.

On Wednesday my boss asked what I was doing Saturday (today). I moaned a "Nothing, why?" The subject was brought up about the Clean-Up and I glumly said I would.Waking up early on a Saturday wasn't what I had been hoping for though.

My alarm was set for 7:50am...at about 3:45am the same morning, giving me about 4 hours to sleep. I actually woke up around 7:34 and decided to turn off my alarm before I got up completely. The next thing I remember it's 8:30 and then I fell asleep again and woke up at 9:06. Each minute I looked at the clock I would keep thinking, one more minute. I finally got up at 9:15 and put on some old pants and my green RHC shirt.

From there it was the normal travel, except I took the red line down to 63rd and took the 63rd bus to Ashland, where I took that bus back North to 60th Street. I met a few people and cleaned up. Got a call from my boss at 11 and said I was in the wrong spot, she picked me up and took me to 68th where I helped out another group for about 15min before they gave up. I still had some business at the other location so I ran from 69th to 60th Street which on Google maps amounts to 1.1 miles. So I got my workout in at least. On my run I had some catcalls, it was unnerving. It's happened a lot when I've went to work. Since I had never been around Ashland that far Southwest I really had to be aware; I am what the one guy called me I guess, "brave."

One awesome thing though is that I got to ride the green line back to Roosevelt. The green line is very scenic and I recommend everyone at least go down and back; it's not like you have to leave the platform at Ashland.

So, anyways...that was experience today. I did some cleaning and I got paid for it. But I'm really tired now.

Post Note:
I was listening to my iPod on my way to the site and I was waiting for the 63rd bus. This homeless guy saw me and gave me a list of his favorite music. So random. But kinda cool too. They are:
The Best of Yaz
BeeGee's- Number Ones
D Train- Looking For, "Keep on"
Keyshia Cole- Rec, Sad and Lonely