why Mercury retrograde might be real even when it isn’t real

If Planet Mercury's age was the equivalent of one day, the Greco-Roman pantheon from which the name comes from would have appeared only within the last one-tenth of a second of the day. As such, if someone tried to talk to Planet Mercury about its retrograde motion and its impact on our travel and communication, the ancient planet would likely respond, "Wait, what?"

a micro-sabattical, attempted

Yesterday, I used the car to go out to Spring Green, WI to write and reflect. At least that was my intention. I read an article in Madison Magazine about the idea of taking a “micro-sabbatical.” Such a “sabbatical,” the article suggested, could involve a day trip someplace to take oneself out of one's normal routine and enable creative thinking about one's work and life purpose. I thought that would be a good idea.

visions of orange street lights dancing in my head

What got to me was the orange street lights.  Seriously.  Chicago's street lights are a weird, incandescent orange, and that made it very, well, Chicago.  I have many memories of various adventures under those street lights--excursions to different parts of the city to visit family, hang out with friends, celebrate the Fourth of July or New Year's.  And it was all coming back to me, even among the gritty parts of the city near the Stevenson Expressway.