Moving weekend

The weekend got an early kick-off last night when Kallisti managed to move in early. So last night consisted of a pine-sol run and much schlepping of stuff to and fro.

Apparently July 1 is THE lease start date in Chicago. So this weekend everyone is moving in, moving up or moving out. The streets will be clogged with U-Hauls and bribes of beer and pizza. And they already started materializing yesterday on Sedgwick, which is plenty messy with the Brown Line Construction and Batman filming.

However, it is much easier to endure clogged streets when you have a whole bus to yourself!

on the iPod: "Impressive Instant" - Madonna (Deep Dish remix)

Ed Debevic's

Every day on my way to work in the Loop, I always pass Ed Debevic's. It takes up a block in River North, within spitting distance of the blown-out tourist chains like Rainforest Cafe, Hard Rock Cafe, Fogo de Chao and an overdone McDonald's. But Ed Debevic's is more like a local spot that became a tourist trap. A 50s diner famed for its Edy's ice cream beverages and smack-talking wait staff. The original in tchochke chains. When my fam came through Chicago a few years ago they ate here, and recommended it as a "Must-See". So I finally saw it on Monday for dinner.

I have always had a special place in my heart for diners. As I have learned with Clarke's: there is always something on the menu that sounds good, you know it will be tasty, and it has the added bonus of killing you just a little faster. Oh, and the music is usually good. And since moving to Chicago, I have developed a major thing for cheeseburgers.

For a Monday, it was hopping. There were slow-moving groups of touron lemmings snapping pix and crawling to their tables. I just sidled up to the counter. Ah the freedom of "Party of 1". The waiters/waitresses moved fast trying to serve everyone, so I barely had a second to blurt out my order. Cheeseburger medium rare with a double chocolate malt. Yum! The food was fast and tasty and deceptively filling. I didn't even realize how gluttonously full I was till I waddled to the car. The food fell into its python position due to the movement. But oh so good. And the malt was super good. Extra rich with real whipped cream. But I think I liked my double fudge milkshake from Steak and Shake I got on my way back from one of my school adventures. THAT was an amazing ice-cream/chocolate/beverage masterpiece. Sipping on that as I flew down the Skyway, I tasted the fringes of nirvana. And it was nice.

Sadly I missed the counter-dancing ala Cowboy Ugly. Probably just as well. Saddle shoe does not make a great burger topping.

on the iPod: "Echa Pa'Lante" - Thalia

Brain buffet

Another couple of helpings from the random thoughts rolling around:

• Bush says he won't participate in a "partisan fishing expedition" by giving over the documents subpoenaed by the Congressional committee. Did it ever occur to him that Congress wouldn't be trying to fish in his pond if they didn't think there were fish?
• Also, if a witness will not participate in Congressional subpoenas, aren't they put to the Judicial Department? But isn't the agency in question the Judicial Department? So who gets final say? The same court who put this guy in office? Yikes!
• Isn't it an oxymoron if you give up civil liberties in the name of freedom?
• I need to stop reading the news. Especially since my only options are governmental quagmire or Paris Hilton.
• Are stress dreams sufficient for dealing with the crap in your life? That you didn't realise was stressing you out? Denial is my favorite river in Egypt!
• I need to detox. Looking at a juice detox to get rid of this general feeling of sludge. Thoughts?
• Is there any green tea out there that doesn't taste like grass clippings?
  
• At the Target yesterday, I was approached by a stylist complimenting me on my hair. Why couldn't that happen today when I got 2 nasty zits, my hair is in a state of chaos and am possibly irreparably fat from my recent binges, and my sunburn is peeling?
• The music from my Don Juan in Hell debacle of 2002 is actually really good. Possibly my favorite part of that in retrospect. Then again that was the summer I discovered Zero 7, which was my zen music as I dashed between Old Town and the performance space in Frankfort.

on the iPod: "Pain Killer" - Turin Breaks

Wet dog

For the past couple of days it has stormed in the late afternoon. It is officially summer!

However, the timing is crap, since the skies darken and then open up right as everyone is trying to start their commute home. And these are serious drenchers. Like they caused minor flooding on the north side yesterday. These storms are further complicated by the wind which blows capriciously, rendering umbrellas pointless, and are capable of getting you wet in ways you didn't know possible. In about 45 seconds.

Which basically eliminates any patience I have for the CTA bullshit. Waited for the bus shielded behind an umbrella, which was largely an act of futility. But great for drama. The thing I noticed as I rode home in the storm - the entire bus reaked of wet dog. Well, I guess wet person, but when you are that wet at 5PM, the two smells are nearly interchangeable.

Lucky me.

Pride Parade

(typical float)

To celebrate a summer Sunday, I headed up to the Gay Pride Parade only a mile away. I did had the option to head to the Southside for the Crosstown Classic, but I couldn't resist the lure of drag queens and festive crowds. Hiked up to the Diversey/Broadway turning point, trying a couple different spots before settling on a curb at Broadway and Surf around 12.30. By 12.45, the first parts of the parade began to trickle down Broadway. Mostly politicians, including one glaringly oblivious assemblyman who shouted, "Happy Gay Day." Ouch. After a gap, we started to get into some of the more fun acts/floats. The wildest floats belonged to the area clubs, most featuring semi-naked boys and a live DJ parked in the back. There were a handful of drag queens, but nothing terribly Priscilla-licious. Lots of awareness groups, and a bunch of corporate organizations (banks on parade?) who at least gave stuff out. I did not score any beads, but I was not flamboyant/drunk enough to really grab attention.

(the Chicago samba group)

It was fun to watch as the afternoon wore on. The weather was near perfect, then the sun came out. It warmed up right around the same time people got increasingly drunk. Shirts came off, and there was a general silliness. Including a cross-street game of volley/kick the beach ball between a couple guys on my side and 3 really drunk stumbly girls on the other. I pretty much basked in the energy and bubbles from the machine across the street.

The Pride Parade attracted nearly half a million people. Because it is a big party. And because the focus isn't solely on gay pride as much as pride in who/whatever you are. Who can't get excited about that?

After all that excitement and sun, I was pretty wiped out. Walked up Broadway to Cornelia so I could see the whole parade, before catching the not-really-moving-but-at-least-AC 22 homeward.

on the iPod: "I Need You Tonight"

Oh yes, there will be more pictures on flickr!

Summer produce

In case the nice weather and late sunlight wasn't enough, it's finally summer produce time!

After months of eating all the same fruit or settling for sub-par strawberries, I can finally find tasty, ripe, juicy produce on the cheap! The other night I stopped by the Jewel for a rainbow of fruit: strawberries, blueberries (nature's M&Ms), kiwis and peaches. And the peaches are just a delightfully drippy mess!

I need to get my act together and get to the Farmer's Markets, but they are so very early!

Now if only I could combat my Pavlovian craving for Mexican every time I hear a Guitar Hero song.

on Pandora: "The Clock" - Thom Yorke

Back from the beach

Yesterday was my first day back after my trip. It was a yucky transition that involved buses.

I found it interesting how many people commented on my absence, since it was only 3 days, and I haven't been here very long. I guess my sudoku-addicted presence was missed or something. Even the building superintendent noticed. And it was nice to show off my sunburn.

Now I am forced to listen to all the boys recount their exploits at Spring Fling, which is apparently some over-grown all-boys party that involves construction/contracting companies, kegs and strippers. Klassy. And it would appear that these boys have never heard of the "No Kiss and Tell" policy, or can handle their hangovers terribly gracefully.

Would that I were back in the chest deep water, feeling the gentle draw and lilt of warm waves. Or quietly frying on the beach as I plot what leftovers I will be having for lunch. Or just catching a snooze after reading some Christopher Moore.

However, I did catch myself telling people I was from Chicago, without really thinking about it. And the lady at Walgreens informed me that I looked 18, which is a bit of a bummer, since I thought I had at least made it to 22.

In the meantime, I obsessively moisturize my increasingly itchy burn, avoid direct sunlight and count the minutes till weekend.

on the iPod: "Cubik" - 808 State

Snorkeling

As part of our adult-adventure, my fam (mom excluded - she gets seasick looking at boats) tried snorkeling. After a nice boat ride past Millionaire Mile and into the Atlantic, we slid/flopped/dove into the water, complete with face masks, snorkels, and flippers. The fish were tricked into hanging out with us gawkers by bits of food tossed in around the same time as all of us.

From above, all you saw was blue water, pipes and butts. From below you saw brightly colored schooling fish and a bunch of white legs. Oh what the fish must think of us! The fish were stunning. I couldn't tell you names, but it was fun to float around, casually floating through schools or chasing down a particularly stunning fish. I was fascinated to watch flatfish swim on their side. But I couldn't dive. I guess my butt is too buoyant. Because no matter how I held my breath, aimed and forced my body down, my butt remained aloft. *sigh* I did however have much better luck with the flippers. Strangely, the flippers felt very natural to me. The movement forced me to use my dancer instincts to create something smooth from the hip. And unlike my modified doggy-paddle, these actually propelled me efficiently. I can't say I was a natural, but it was nice to be so aware of breathing slowly. Adding to the general zen of floating with fish in warm quiet water. Between the flippers and figuring out how to breathe without inhaling salt water, the hour passed very quickly.

(me and the Fashionista heading out to the dive site)

Hopefully some of the underwater pix will turn out.

on the iPod: "Pieces of the People We Love" - The Rapture

Chilling in Florida

Both the internet and weather are spotty at best, but even a bad day at the beach can be better than a good day elsewhere. I finally hooked into a good connection, so I am blogging as I sip on my pina colada. Frantically flickring my Vizcaya pix before I lose the internet.

Flew down to Fort Lauderdale on Saturday after work. And as soon as I walked into room, I was handed a drink. A nice omen. Spent Sunday at Vizcaya, a historic house built in the Italian Villa style. Wildly opulent and decorated. Gorgeous gardens. In the humidity and foliage, it felt like the carefully planned gardens were about to be overtaken by the wilds. Reminded me of the 1998 Great Expectations (ok, so it had Gweneth Paltrow, it also had Anne Bancroft).
After prowling the property, we drove through a rain squall to Little Havana and some amazing Cuban food. Growing up, we frequented a little Cuban restaurant almost as much as frequently as we had Chinese. And although I do eat alot of black beans and rice, it just can't compare to the real Cuban deal.

Today, I spent most time dodging the storms. Woke up leisurely late, went to the DnD for some coffee before heading down the the beach. It was nice to be able to wade out in the water that was actually warm. And then lie on the sunny beach to read my book. And even the light sprinkles felt nice in contrast to the heat. Unfortunately, it rapidly went from sprinkling to storming. I optimistically stayed in my suit waiting for the first second to run outside again. Got another few outside, but it was really cloudy, which made the whole "being outside half naked" a bit too chilly.

Basically, the entire trip has consisted of variations on the theme of sleeping and eating. It's awesome!

CTA Suckage

In general, I am pro Public Transit. Except when it is as unreliable, or more accurately, reliably crappy, as the CTA has been lately. I spent most of my "free time" yesterday in transit. And the majority of that time waiting. Because the only thing worse than being stuck on the CTA forever is waiting for it. Also crappy - their customer "help line". About the most helpful thing they could offer me was, "Get a car." No, seriously. That's what the operator told me when I told her that none of the buses she had quoted me were showing up.

After work, I had a couple of errands to run in the Loop. Then I waited 25 minutes for the 151. Which is ridiculous during rush-hour. I mean, if it was 5AM in the Loop instead of 5PM, I might understand the dearth of buses. I watched 3 of all the other buses slide by. And my iPod battery was dead. And I was hungry and dehydrated.

Got off the bus because I desperately needed water. So I had to drive up town to pick up a prescription. In traffic. Because it was the only chance I had to do this.

Drove home to park (because I really can't afford another damn ticket because I don't have the right permit) and get on another damn bus. This was also the 151. But contrary to what tripsweb said, neither of the 151s that passed at the appointed times were going all the way north. Grr. In case just dealing with CTA wasn't enough, it was making me late for a show. And they really shouldn't hold a house because I am late because the CTA sucks. And I also had the ticket for someone else. Not cool.

All in all, I spent 6 minutes at home between 4.30 (when I got off work) and 8PM (the show). All the rest was in transit. Mostly bus, some walking, some driving. And then I was surprised at how wiped out I was when I finally got home after 11. And just to be thorough, the 11 was 15 minutes late today (you can always tell because it fills up before you get off Lincoln).

It's never good news when the Cosmic Muffin teams up with the CTA. A match made in my personal hell.

on the iPod: "I'm So Excited" - Le Tigre

Green Dolphin Street

I have been meaning to head over to the Swing Night at Green Dolphin for months, but there was always some lame excuse. It was too cold. No one else was going. Wah wah. Last night, I finally made it. Talked to C. who I met at a BBQ a couple weeks ago. Like me, she had been meaning to check out GDS, but needed a partner in crime. And it was gorgeous outside. Perfect!

After trying to figure out what to wear (I opted for the all-purpose black tank and pants), I just walked the mile and half. It was so nice out, and buses generally suck my will to live. C. biked over. Go us! While I waited for her, I got to watch the fireworks over Navy Pier. No idea what the occasion was, but very cool nonetheless.

Green Dolphin Street is an upscale dinner club that has live music and dancing nearly every night. And it's a gorgeous space. Very 40s evocative. (will take pix next time) There was a big band up on the stage, decent sized dance area, and lots of tables crammed to the side. C. & I sipped cocktails and did some extensive people-watching when not being spun around the floor. I danced with a few different people, who had some interesting styles. In general the dancing was smaller and faster than the ballroom-style I am used to. Had one really appalling cover of "Maria" from West Side Story, but other than that the music was pretty good.

Between Green Dolphin Street and Summerdance, I suspect I will rapidly catch up on my dancing!

PS. As I left the club, a random, possibly drunk lady just had to remark what a pretty night it was. And I whole-heartedly agreed as I walked home with a dumb grin on my face.

on the iPod: "Suavemente" - Elvis Crespo

All better

After a painfully long day at work, I realised that I was grumpy because I hadn't had any chocolate in a few days. Then I found this:

Baby laughing at the WII

I watched this like 12 times. It just kills me! And just to make sure I have shaken off the grumps, I am going to Redmond's to drown it in cheap beer and chicken wings.

Boystown v Girlstown

As the Pride Parade approaches, I have become more aware of the gay community in Chicago. I find it reassuring. This was also more apparent to me this weekend as I walked up Halsted with all the rainbow flags, and Midsommar Fest. Here are my observations:

The corridor of N Halsted from Clark to about Newport is festooned in rainbows, men-only salons, and specialty shops. Boystown. The traditional gay neighborhood of Chicago. Also attractive to people with neon colored hair who are too calm to be punk. The shops feature lots of pride and tacky novelties. But it's nice to see a street embrace its community without being bashful, I guess.

By contrast, Andersonville is more the neighborhood of the lesbians, (apparently the labrynthine Jewel is the place to pick up chycks). I am told it has a higher per-capita of gays than San Francisco. Andersonville has lots of cool shops, walkin the fine line between quaint and hip. Their stationer, Paper Trail (which I LOVE), has all sorts of interesting products, including gay adoption cards. Tasteful yet PC.

In either neighborhood, you are just as likely to see straight couples hand in hand as gay couples. And that's cool. But I don't know if it's because I am female, or because I am not in college, that I prefer the Andersonville vibe.

on the iPod: "Tango Fugata" - Astor Piazzola

Fest frenzy

This past weekend was extra fest-y in Chicago. I only made it to two. Deliberately skipped the Old Town Art Fest, even though it was only 2 blocks from my house, because the only things I saw coming out of it were yuppies and their SUV strollers, used to convey non-descript watercolors instead of their color coordinated children in mini-crocs. Ribfest is less my thing, although I have developed a taste for chicken wings. And I only found out about the Wells Arts Fest as I dashed to the St. Michael's Summerfest.

After a long walk up Clark, I met up with a bunch of people to hear a ho-hum cover band. They did the covers very precisely, but lacking any style or variation. To combat the music, Cafe BabaReeba had set up a stand selling sangria, which is a nice departure from the usual beer options. We made fun of a kid wearing a blue balloon around his waist (a wee bit obscene, but funny for the grownups), guessed the age of some of the drunker blondes, and generally had a pleasant time closing down their festival.

The other perk of closing it down was the vendors' desire to cut down on schlepping by essentially giving away alcohol. Woo! Beer became buy 1 get 11 free (I scouted out a group of girls who were happy to take it off our hands, especially since they didn't have to flirt overmuch to get it.) Got an extra sangria. This was bad news for me, since suddenly I was holding 2 cups having already had 2 sangrias. And I hadn't really eaten anything since my morning bowl of cereal. So I got extra opinionated and willing to share, which my companions alternately didn't notice or found amusing.

The evening's exploits involved a ride on the Brown line (I don't recommend inebriated, it's extra jerky), peeing at Coobah since their kitchen was closed (bummer!), a 3 taco dinner and falling asleep in a Cubs sweatshirt. Woo!

I woke up this morning grumpy and dehydrated, but largely unhungover. Maybe because I was doing my drinking at a Catholic church, God gave me a pass.

on iPod: "Everything's Just Wonderful" - Lily Allen

Midsommar Festival

Feeding my new fascination with street festivals, I headed up to the Midsommar Festival in Andersonville, where I met up with cousins to do the prowl.

Unlike Mayfest, there were a variety of tents pitched to sell all sorts of goodies. It was exciting to see hippie goods available in the City. Being a hippie-at-heart, I miss the ready availability of tie-dye that I enjoyed in Charlottesville. The coolest items were a selection of lamps made from recovered retro trash. And I see a coffee-pot torchier in someone's wedded bliss future...

Last week we were all honorarily German as we drank big plastic steins of HB. This week we became Swedish. But in lieu of a specific ethnic menu, there was the Great Big Stand of Festival Food. Every kind of street fair junk you could possibly want, from meat on a stick to funnel cakes to cheese fries to creamsicle floats. After walking up the tents on Clark, we stopped at the GBSFF. I ended up with a mediocre gyro with great fries. S. had a funnel cake. And N. tried the pina colada in a pineapple. The whole notion of drinking a ridiculous(ly yummy) beverage out of a fruit just tickled me. As did the fact that it was my boy cousin who ordered it.

(mmm, tropical goodness...)

We sat on the curb with our snacks, listening to a U2 cover band, before escaping the festival in favor of a quieter wine bar that played Lily Allen and Michael Jackson. Although none of us ordered wine. I was tempted by a glass of Malbec, which is harder to come by around here, but ended up enjoying the opportunity to order a girly drink with impunity.

on the iPod: "This is Heaven to Me" - Madeleine Peyroux

Flippy-cup

Last night, I was initiated in to the wonderful world of flippy-cup. Somehow I never learned these games in college. The games we played at our parties were always a little different. And we were not major beer drinkers.

Went to a BBQ in Bucktown last night, where they had the sheet of ply, the plastic cups and a couple cases of Old Style. (not my beer of choice, but a local favorite). I was promptly put on Team Win, and given a chance to practice a couple times before starting the team off. While I wasn't a savant, I still held my own. I discovered that the only way to drink Old Style is to gulp it really fast so as not to taste it.

Heading out to Midsommerfest tonight with the cousins.

on Pandora: "People, Not the Cities They Live In" - Askelton

Wild windy weather

In general, I am a sucker for weather. I delight in watching all flavors of storm. Sometimes I stand outside just to feel the low coming through.

So yesterday was a treat. Usually experiencing weather involves getting wet and cold. Yesterday I had the opposite. It was hot (about 90F), really sunny, and VERY windy. This was not your warm summer breeze. No, this had girls clinging to their skirts for fear of accidentally pulling a Marilyn. Hair, paper and small people were flying everywhere. Nothing like feeling extra "motivated" into the street. And the wind kept changing direction, so you couldn't effectively do the Lean to counterbalance the effects of being blown over.

It was pretty funny, mostly because of the effect that it had on other people. People were clutching, leaning, or just striding through the wind. I gave up on having decent looking hair, and a hat would have just gotten blown down the street. Sensorily, it was pretty cool to actively feel the warm blown across your legs. The only bad part was that the wind kicked up alot of larger particles, which despite glasses, still got in my eyes.

Sadly, all that weather energy failed to produced the wild thunderstorms forecasted. And as a result it is still muggy, if cooler today.

on an unrelated note: There is a rumor at my job that I am Canadian. And I am delighted!

on the iPod: "SexyBack" - Justin Timberlake

Phone etiquette

Possibly topping my list of pet peeves is the apparent lack of phone manners these days. And it's largely inescapable, especially in an urban area.

Everyone talks on the cell phone, at all times. It is particularly annoying in confined spaces - buses, elevators, etc. And since you usually have more than one talker, the noise pollution increases, and the talkers talk louder to compete with each other. And in case the noise pollution wasn't bad enough, you have the awkward, but inevitable eavesdropping. Very rarely do people have anything remotely interesting to say. It is frequently mundane or embarrassing. I really don't care about the dirty look the barista gave you when you spent 5 minutes ordering your coffee-based beverage. I REALLY don't care about what so-and-so's boyfriend did.

And the office is pure hell. My unfettered hate for loud talkers has resurfaced with my recent gig. One gentleman in the company has taken over 2 offices and a conference room, and has a thing for speaker phone. And because he is nearly deaf, he thinks everyone else must be too, so he hollers everything. Ugh. I don't need this information. It distracts me from my book. And how hard would it be to close one of your 3 doors? I had a similar problem at my old job, because my boss, with whom I shared an office, was a phone-drama queen. She spent the vast majority of her day on personal calls. Loud personal calls. Painfully inappropriate personal calls. Which she felt the need to repeat to 3 other relatives. It was like nails on the chalkboard.

I guess alot of this has to do with my own preferences. I hate being on speaker phone. If I want to talk to a crowd at the same time, I will say so. If I don't, pick up the damn receiver unless you are toggle-feeding twins or something. Also, I prefer to have my private conversations in private. This is why I love texting. No one is disturbed by my flying thumbs. Also, I'm cheap. So I am not going to bore someone AND waste minutes. (I have been guilty of the grocery store chat, but that is mostly utilitarian.)

One of these days, phones will go flying. Probably because I have snatched it out of the hand of an offender and flung it out of the emergency exit. After whapping them upside the head with it.

on the iPod: "Big Wheel" - Tori Amos

Grocery thrill

The most exciting thing that happened to me yesterday was at the Trader Joe's. (It's sad when the grocery becomes the highlight of your day).

Trader Joe's has an awesome return policy. Basically, if you try something and don't like it, you get your money back. I tried the brown basmati rice and it did nothing for me. It took forever to cook and tasted like burnt popcorn when I was done. And I have had brown rice in the past that was yummy. So I went to the Trader Joe's to swap it out for the white basmati I know I like. (with black beans). While there, I needed some breakfast food. As it is pretty much summer, I am experimenting with non-oatmeal options. So I busted out my coupon to try some Nature's Path product. Took my necessities to check out, and paid NOTHING! I walked out of the store with free groceries without having to hide them under my shirt (which wouldn't really work on me since I don't exactly have melon-swiping chestular equipment). The cashier was really nice, if a bit confused.

My mom would be so proud!

My accent

In the past, I have been an accent sponge. Watching Drop Dead Gorgeous had me talking in a Minnesota accent for days, much to my sister's chagrin, since we were stuck in a car together for several hours. There were threats of "Don't make me leave you by the side of the road," and pleas, "Leave me by the side of the road." My Fair Lady is another problem source for me.

I think this "talent" has worn off. I never had a Southern accent, despite living in Virginia. And in all my travels, the best I managed was a Canadian accent. This was a pisser. Instead of picking up a sexy accent in Italy, I suddenly was speaking like a Canuck. To this day, Cheese Fiend gives me crap about this.

However, in the 9+ months I have lived in Chicago, I have not really picked up the accent. Until this weekend when I developed the Mayfest accent. In the presence of beer and brats and Cubby talk, I picked up the Chicago accent, flattening all my vowels and being mildly surly. However, I don't sound like a native, since the word choice still reflects the Southern. And I still have the lingering Canadian accent, which lengthens the vowels. Oh dear. Haven't exactly been chatty today, so we'll see if the Mayfest accent survives outside the asphalt beer garden.

In the meantime, I have busted out my phone voice. Alternately sweet and deep, always clear and pleasantly professional.

Hoppin'

Despite having to go to work on a Sunday, yesterday ended up pretty awesome. (OMG I sound like a 7th grader)

Work itself was REALLY quiet once the needy realtor left. I had barely gotten in the door before she barraged me with questions that I didn't have the immediate answers to because Wilmette is not run like the LP office where I usually work. Let me sit down with some coffee and figure this out. Because I will find the answer even if I don't have it IMMEDIATELY.

Was delighted to see the Cubs not only won, but won decisively because they played well. Maybe all the dug-out angst and Sweet Lou's fabulous tantrum just put everything back in line. And though I didn't watch the grand slam, it was still nice to see big numbers in the box score.

As I was driving back from work, Kallisti called to see if I wanted to go back to Mayfest. And if I was interested, if I could swing by the Belmont-Sheffield festival and pick him and a friend up. I guess they tried to train over to Lincoln Square but the CTA had stopped all Brown line trains north. Since it was on my way, I didn't mind rescuing them from the rain. The rain was weird. It had been alternately bright and gray all day, and very muggy. Finally, just as I was leaving work at 5 (the cicadas had gotten a bit quiet), it just poured. What was strange was that it was raining and sunny. Which produced a gorgeous double rainbow over the Lake, which I tried to snap as I drove down LSD. If the photos come out, I will post them.

(oh look, I did manage to snap it!)

Picked up the boys and headed west to Lincoln Square for Mayfest Round 2. Fortunately, I still had my mug in the car. We reloaded the mug and watched all the people in lederhosen (from little kids to overgrown adults with beer guts hanging out between the straps). Kallisti was jonesing for some brat & kraut, and I was just really hungry. So yesterday, I discovered that I like brats with mustard. Not so much with the kraut even in context (the potato salad was also damn tasty, with chunks of ham). And Kallisti swears he can do an even better brat, Sheboygan style, which he outlined in great detail. But I was not able to persuade him of the wonders of putting mustard on your pretzels. As he tried locating more people to play at Mayfest, he scored a dinner invite for us.

(Kallisti mid-brat)

Working on a Sunday, then going out has me thinking today should not be Monday. I get confused easily.

And the computer has put the lock-down on me again. Must take care of this problem, which is wholly unacceptable to an easily bored, email-addicted summer receptionist.

Nightly specials

After many months in Chicago, I am finally getting down all of the "good specials". Because cheap jager-bombs are no use to me. And they are slowly filling up my calendar.

Discovered last night that O'Donovans in Irving Park not only does an excellent burger/fries, but they also have a $2 special on Mondays. Add that to 10-cent wing nite and $3 Blue Moons at Redmond's on Tuesday (NOT on home game nights, lest you walk all the way home). Wednesday night = live Swing at Green Dolphin, which I need to call my BBQ buddy for. Salsa at Excalibur on Thursday nights. And rumor has it there is a weekly Guitar Hero contest somewhere...

I am always a sucker for a cheeseburger. And I became a wing convert after one trip to Redmond's, and $1 worth of their BBQ wings (because nothing screams sexy like being covered in sticky sauce as you reach across the bar for the provided roll of paper towels). And after the BBQ last Monday, I am eager to jump back into dancing.

PS. Working in the 'burbs today, and you can hear the satisfying hum of cicadas!

on Pandora: "Seven Letters" - Jessica Stone

Mayfest

Chicago's summer of street festivals has really begun in earnest. A couple of weeks ago was Lakeview's Mayfest, which is small and co-incides with the Crosstown Classic at Wrigley. (LP was DEAD that weekend because everyone was up the street.)

This weekend is Lincoln Square's huge Mayfest. Celebrate summer with giant plastic steins of German beer, brats & kraut, and people running around in lederhosen. Basically it's a weekend street party, "the whitest festival you'll ever see", a bunch of 20/30-somethings gleefully shouting any German they know as they are careful to not spill beer on their newest bestest drinking buddies. To a soundtrack of polka!

(Prost!)

(Gotta love hippies and beer)

Last night, we got there just in time for one pass at the ticket booth and bar. Once we had drunk the level of the stein down to something more manageable, we all headed into the fest-tent to bounce to polka (not enough room for full-on polka, to my dismay). Headed over to Sheffield's for their beer garden before another taco/GH night.

So work is a little rough today. But my stein is clipped to my bag and ready for round 2 tonight! Prost!

on Pandora: "She's So Rad" - Squirms

Hanging up the armor

As a follow-up to my last post:

I did in fact find a way to send email without directly accessing my account. I felt very sneaky and satisfied.

However, when they set up my account, they took down the wall. So I am free to surf at will. Which means I still get achingly bored, but it takes a few more minutes!

on Pandora: "Warm Sound" - Zero 7