Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences Community Center

Sooo…
You know how I sometimes talk about going to restaurants and cooking and stuff like that? Like sometimes, occasionally, I also talk about things that are deep fried and bacon covered and stuff?
Some of those times I should really be here instead, being a bit more proactive about unclogging my arteries and shit and undoing the damage a single Portillo’s excursion has the potential to cause. I’m actually something of a deceptively kick ass swimmer, and whenever we have the first official Unilocal Olympics, I will be the surprise entry that will ensure my team’s Chariots of Fire-​esque victory. So get ready…
I’ve been to almost every public school pool (and many of the private ones, too) in the city, and this is one of the absolute best ones. Of course, being that it is on the far south side of the city, mere blocks away from not even being in the city still, it is pretty shamefully underutilized — both by the greater City of Chicago at large and by me — single, solitary supposed-​to-​be-​doing-​laps-​right-​now swimmer (also, maybe, a bit «at-​large», mkay?)
This pool feels almost brand new, is well lit and, kind of unusual for indoor pools in Chicago, is amazingly well ventilated. Even the locker rooms are nice. The pool is one of those public/​public partnerships where it belongs to the school during the school day, but becomes part of a community center from 6 – 10 p.m. on weekdays. See, they’ve even answered my dream request for later evening lap swim hours. I pretty much suck for neglecting them as much as I do. It is kind of inconvenient that you can’t use it during the day, with the kids and their pesky educations and all, but since I’m not using it at night when I’m supposed to either, I can’t really complain about that either. (I mean… I COULD complain, I just won’t take this particular opportunity too…) Oh, and the lifeguards are super cool.
By the way, when I said I should be spending less time talking about dumplings and pie and whatnot, I do mean I should be spending less time TALKING and WRITING about that shit. I will certainly still be eating it all. Next up — cemitas at China Poblana! (avocados are a good fat — duh! and so is breaded steak.)
PS — It is total bullshit that Northside College Prep hosts damn near every swimming championship and that the city pays to bus up the swimmers from the south side every year with no rotation of the pools, except sometimes to UIC — bullshit — when this is sitting here unused? Seriously, shame on CPS for that mess.