ZAU CTLR INVOLVED IN OPERROR DIRECTLY AFTER ASSUMING CTL SECTOR; AND ALLOWING HDOF CTLR TO TAKE A RELIEF BREAK.

Narrative

I WAS WORKING THE RADAR POS AT THE CRIBB SECTOR; WHICH IS MAINLY ALL OF THE E DEPS OFF OF ORD AND MDW ARPTS. I HAD A D-SIDE NEXT TO ME AND MY TFC CONSISTED OF 4 DEPS AND 2 HEAD-ON OVERFLTS COMING RIGHT AT MY SECTOR. I HAD JUST SIGNED ON DUTY AND SAT DOWN AT THE SECTOR AND MY D-SIDE ASKED ME IF SHE COULD TAKE A BREAK. I HAD NO IDEA HOW LONG SHE HAD BEEN THERE AND TODAY COULD BE A SLOW TFC DAY. AS SOON AS MY D-SIDE LEFT; I STARTED TO GET A STEADY NUMBER OF DEPS. WITH EVERY DEP; YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR EYES OFF OF YOUR TFC AND LOCATE THE DEP STRIP TO PLACE NEXT TO YOUR OTHER DEP STRIPS. THE 2 HEAD-ON OVERFLTS DID NOT HELP THE SIT; SINCE I HAD TO JUDGE IF MY DEPS WERE CLBING FAST ENOUGH TO TOP THEM OR I WOULD HAVE TO STOP THEM AT 17000 FT AND TAKE THEM UNDERNEATH THE OVERFLTS. WITH THE DISTR OF CONSTANTLY SEARCHING FOR DEP STRIPS (D-SIDE'S JOB) AND THE 2 HEAD-ON OVERFLTS (BOTH OF THESE OVERFLTS WERE DTW DEPS AND NORMALLY RTED AROUND THE CRIBB SECTOR SO THAT THE DEPS CAN CLB EASILY); I HAD STOPPED 3 DEPS AT 17000 FT TO TAKE UNDER THE ACR Y; WHICH WAS AT FL180. WITH THE CONSTANT DISTRACTIONS; I DID A SECOND CHK OF MY STRIPS TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE STOPPED AT 17000 FT AND NOTICED ACR X CLBING TO FL230. I SAW THAT THE 2 TARGETS WERE GOING TO BE TIGHT AND TURNED ACR X TO A 170 DEG HDG AND HAD HIM EXPEDITE HIS CLB. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THIS SECTOR HAS MANY DISTRACTIONS AND SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE A D-SIDE WHEN MODERATELY BUSY. OVERFLTS SHOULD; IF AT ALL POSSIBLE; NOT BE CLRED DOWN THE MIDDLE OF A DEP SECTOR. SURROUNDING NOISE: A LOT OF LOUD CONVERSATION WHICH WAS NOT ATC RELATED.