Leftovers from Vivo

Although I've worked on food marketing my entire 5+ year career, I have had a hard time defining myself as a "foodie;" My recent weekend food adventures, however, have made me reconsider... or wishfully think... that I could become a foodie or at least a foodiot, either way... I like food.


Last weekend I got to check out Vivo, which is located in the West Loop/Warehouse district on Randolph. After work, the bf and I headed there, Groupon in hand, ready to indulge in some trendy Italian Fare. The last Italian restaurant we went to rhymed with Colive Tarden... so, as the urbanites that we are, we were ready to be impressed by this city-tastic location.

The decor did not disappoint. We walked in through a velvet curtain to find a number of white-linen-lined tables with votives, exposed brick wall covered in wine bottles ready to be drank and a shiny/fancy bar. The waiter was attentive and friendly. The wine was AMAZING. I have no idea what brand of Cab my hot date picked out... short-term memory...but I do know that it was A LOT better than the Funky Llama that I had been sipping on throughout the week.

One complaint I had was the amount of salt and oil used in the dishes. I could even taste the salt in the salad. I know restaurants tend to splash a bit on salads for taste, but this reached miso-soup levels of sodium. Next time I go... which there will be a next time... we didn't read the fine print of "limit one coupon per table," I might just have to request the chef keep his/her hands off the salt shaker for my entrees.

Anyone else have a chance to indulge at Vivo post-Groupon?

Pass on the advice...

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A Winter Park Wonderland

Once upon a time there was a town that embraced winter. That prayed for snow. That loathed the thought of summer... that spent hundreds of dollars on outerwear so that they could stay outside one hour longer and take advantage of everything that Mother Nature brought them.

Clearly, I'm not describing Chicago. I'm talking about Winter Park, Colorado. Population 400.

As a city girl in all aspects of the word, visiting a town like Winter Park was refreshing, renewing and re-energizing. Why, you ask? Let me tell you...

• Unreal backdrop: Picture this. A regular CTA Chicago Plus Card owner and non-driver, taking to the winding, narrow mountain roads of Colorado in a larger-than-Colleen Nissan Armada. If I could have split myself in two... my better half would have taken advantage of this scenic drive in the passenger seat, snapping pictures at every opportunity. The reality was my more stressed-out self white-knuckling the steering wheel, praying that the "avalanche area" sign was just a formality. Don't you worry, however, once in Winter Park... my camera was out and ready. Montage to be posted tomorrow once I'm back in the comfort of my apartment... after I sleep a ridiculous amount of hours.
• Flirtation station: I don't know if it's that Chicago guys are intimidated/scared by Chicago women, if they just want to wait until some girl sweeps them off their feet or they just don't want to make the effort... but I often feel that the art of flirting is lost in the Windy City. Maybe it's the girl/guy ratio, or maybe it's the increased level of endorphins from skiing, but Colorado boys know how to flirt. And sometimes harmless flirtation from a normal, cute guy can really put a girl in a good mood. Just saying.
• Gym-free workout: Perhaps it was my lack of time on the slopes... or my lack of time in the gym, but skiing for a full day... I'm talking 10 a.m. - 4 p.m... with just a short lunch break... is a killer workout. Even just walking in those awkward ski boots must burn 100s of unknown calories non-trackable by a treadmill. Needless to say, I will be sore, and potentially tired, for the next week.

As much as I loved the Rocky Mountains... I'm looking forward to seeing the Chicago skyline in a few hours, getting a overly enthusiastic welcome greeting from my fur ball, Moxter and having a fun night out tomorrow with friends.

I will definitely re-visit Winter Park... but I'll always come back to sweet home Chicago.

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Piece of Something

Saturday night we continued our culinary tour of Chicago with a stop at Piece in Bucktown. I met my friend Alana there at 8 p.m. and, soon after, found myself going against everything I stand for as a low-maintenance city gal... I waited in line. In January. 20+ minutes.

Chicago may have more bars than apartment buildings... and for that reason, and just normal impatience, I don't believe in lines. In cold. In rubbing shoulders with strangers. In begging for drinks in an over-crowded trendy bar. I'll take Galway Bay over that any day.

But I do believe in pizza. And good looking guys. And live-band karaoke with Karaoke Dokey. And those three things enticed me to suck it up, stick it out... and wait for the much-talked-about thrill of Piece.

Once we were granted access, we placed our names on the list... 2 hour wait. Not even kidding here. I was rethinking my decision of hot yoga that afternoon, of not hydrating after and of not snacking prior to leaving. Three bad decisions made on a Saturday night. Instead I hydrated with a couple of their original brews - my favorite being the Swingin' Single.

The night was full of pizza, empty alcoholic calories and crazy good "American Idol"-worthy karaoke. Was it worth the wait? Sure...sign me up for another night of Piece... but maybe make it a Tuesday or Wednesday outing. And disregard their serving sizes. When they say, "Serves 2-3." That really means 5 -6.

Anyone else try a Piece this weekend?

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Case of the Angry Suburbian

Last night was my flag football's holiday night out. So the players of TDMP (touch down my pants) took to Lincoln Park's ComedySportz improv show. I was expecting, as one might, that this was an improv about sports... but alas, I was corrected. This was a competitive show, complete with two different improv teams and a referee. Of course, this was no Second City... but it was funny - and a lot of fun.

The surprises, however, didn't stop at ComedySportz. Post performance the team headed around the corner to Trader Todd's to take a shotski for our friend's birthday and maybe sing a karaoke song or two. It was there that I surprisingly almost broke my no-meeting-boys-in-December rule.

As the shotski parted and the crazy karaoke guy stopped singing "She's Like Wind," I spotted who we'll call "Suburban Adam." Tall, good looking... nicely dressed... good looking. There wasn't too much of a thought process before talking to him. Conversation was flirtatious... we were hitting it off. Then my friends pulled me on stage to sing some embarrassing rendition of a song that people once liked. Awesome. Not the smoothest part of this story.

Long story short (and I do realize this is becoming a long story), I approach Suburban Adam while noticing he was sitting by himself at a table by the window. We start talking, and I find out he's a high school teacher in the suburbs and 29 years old. High school teacher (and over the age of the avg. Lincoln Parker) = hot. Suburbs = not... but times are tough, and I understand that sometimes teachers have to go to crazier places than the Chicago suburbs to get jobs. I go on and invite him and his friend to next week's Christmahanakwanza Ugly Sweater Nativity Bar Crawl... and things are all headed in a good direction.

Given that him and his friend are in the city... let alone Trader Todd's... I take it that, like every other 20-something (or 30 or 40-something) I know who is stuck in the suburbs, that they are just looking for their break into the city limits. I was sadly mistaken.

I'm not sure when or how this conversation took a turn for the worse... but all of a sudden, and what seemed to be out of no where, Suburban Adam gets on his soap box... and begins to tell me about why living in the city would be his hell on earth. How there's so many people, it's so crowded and expensive, verbal vomit, insanity talk, etc. Clearly I can't control my facial expressions, because after this what-seemed-to-be 10 minute tirade, he stops, commenting, "What? You look like I just told you I have some disease." My reply being, "You do know I live in the city, right? I've just never met someone IN the city who has no intention or even desire to move here."

Then enters one of the TDMP boys to save me. He tries to strike up conversation with SA, and in doing so, stirs up this anti-Windy City conversation again. We politely let Suburban Adam know that it was nice meeting him... and run far, far, far away. Even TDMPer admitted that SA was really starting to piss him off. I mean... I wouldn't go out to the suburbs and talk about how culdesacs give me panic attacks. It's just rude.

Sooo much potential, but so lame. This is the sad state of affairs for a single gal in the city. Another story to bring home to the aunts, uncles and cousins in Ohio when they ask me if I'm seeing someone.

Have you ever met someone with these same pro-suburbian thoughts in Chicago? Could this be a new movement out to the land of strip malls, garages, baby showers and Wal-Marts? I don't know what to take of this new information...

And needless to say, I don't expect to see them at our pub crawl.

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Wine in a Boot?! Yes, please.

This Saturday afternoon I did something outside my usual routine... left the apartment. Not only did I leave... my friends and I joined hundreds of Chicago families and tourists at the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza.

Perhaps Saturday at noon may not have been the best time to head to a tourist spot like that... but none-the-less... it helped me locate some of my missing Christmas cheer.

If you haven't experienced this event yet, I'd say check it out... even if it's just for the photo opps. Although I would recommend going after work if you want to avoid pushing through every family from the greater Chicago area. Daley Plaza transformed into a German Christmas village might be the closest thing to a Norman Rockwell photo that I'll experience this holiday season. It's complete with Weinerschnitzel, roasted nuts, authentic German ornaments, coo-coo clocks... and German hotdogs and pizza (?). What more does one need??

Of course, the main attraction (for us at least) was the hot wine presented to us in commemorative made-in-china German boots. Arm in arm, we fought our way through the crowds, cutting off strollers, old ladies and a man who barked at us to try this much-talked-about beverage and ease our martini hangovers. It's not a drink I would indulge in everyday... had interesting spices... but it smelled amazing and was definitely worth trying.

Other highlights included trying to decipher the reasoning behind the creepy angel on all the signage (why does she have stars on her boob?), checking out the city's Charlie Brown-like Christmas tree and listening to a trumpet group in leiderhosen (?) play holiday tunes.

Excellent Saturday decision. This was followed by a trip to the State Street Macy's... which apparently was under invasion by crazy holiday shoppers. I swear it was as packed as Halsted during the Gay Pride Parade. That was not such an excellent decision. Online shopping for me this year. For sure.

Anyone else find their holiday cheer this weekend? Was it in the form of Lifetime's 12 Men of Christmas, cookie making or eggnog?

Do tell...

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Dress Up Time

"Clothes make a statement. Costumes tell a story."

-Mason Cooley, college professor

What's your story this weekend?!

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Jewel Osco = Hot Spot of Gold Coast

It's no secret that by living in the Gold Coast you can expect to obtain an interesting mix of neighbors. Beyond my obsession with the possible Bulls players that live on floor 22 of my building... who draw crowds carrying Grey Goose and girls who can be persuaded by free alcohol and tall men.... I haven't found the hot spot in the area. That is... where all the hot men hang out. 

In Lakeview/Lincoln Park... they are pretty much every where you turn. But 95 percent of them are they either dating someone, new to the city (this is not necessarily a good thing), younger than your best friend's baby brother OR gay. I realize I made a few generalizations... but, believe me, I've had ample time for market research.

The surprise of the day, though, was dropping by Jewel Osco at State/Division on my way home from work. The crowd was drastically different that the usual, senior citizen/tourist Sunday shoppers. Each aisle I went down, I ran into a good looking, well-dressed guy. Best Monday surprise ever! If I had any pick up skills what-so-ever, I would've used them at this point. But, alas, I do not. So I left the store shocked... and with no numbers or prospects. And with 10 cans of cat food. Damn... note to self: next time buy the cat food somewhere else. But, fear not, there will definitely be a next time. By the way, is it appropriate to bring a wing man to the grocery store??  

Anyone else witness this phenomenon?!

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Thoughts on Spring...

While running this morning, I got to thinking. If it were spring/summer year round in Chicago, would things be the same?

Specifically...

• When you woke up on a Sunday and saw the sun shining and people walking around with no coats, would you still jump up and find any reason imaginable to get outside (walk the dog, cat, heck, even fish)?
• Would strangers smile at each other... exchanging the unspoken conversation of, "Nice weather, huh?!" "We totally deserve this...." etc. ?
• Would there be such thing as spring cleaning? Or the Macy's one-day spring sale?
• Would guys still wear shorts at sandals when it was 50 degrees... or girls lay out in the park once the temp hit 60?
• Would there be as much of a demand for beach volleyball or 16-inch softball leagues?
• Would Chicago lose its title as one of the fattest cities in America? Or would it be worse, with 12-months of beer gardens to enjoy?
• Would docking your boat in Lake Michigan be more or less expensive?
• Would Oprah still have a gazillion houses scattered throughout the U.S. in tropical locations?
• Would Cubs training and playing in Chicago year round cause a dangerously ridiculous explosion of excitement in Wrigleyville?
• Would high-rises suddenly grow in height, trying to keep up with the housing demand as people run, fly and speed to try and move to the Second City?
• Would we begin border control on non-Chicago residents?

This is stressing me out. Love the spring... but thank GOD for winter. We may be miserable for 6 - 8 months... for 4 - 6 months, we're elated, estastic, euphoric. It's spring in Chicago, and really, what could be better?!

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The Counter

Although Social Media-phobe may have had small -uncalled for- melt down last night... prior to doing so, he picked a fabulous dinner spot: The Counter.

Never had I ever been to this gem, which sits between Matisse (love it!) and the million random mattress stores located on Diversey in Lakeview/Lincoln Park.

I loved the low key, yet trendy, atmosphere. You walk in... and you're not sure if you're at a hip bar -with the back-lighting and garage-like windows- or a 70s diner -with vintage photos and diner-type seating. 

Overall, a perfect pick for a second date... Clearly stating you're a low-key guy/girl (weed out the high-maintenance ones)... with good taste (literally).

The menu is the interesting part. You build your own burger. Typically, I hate when I have to make too many choices (cafeterias are my nemesis)... but this was kind of fun.

And... the waitress asks you questions like, "do you want a milkshake or a glass of wine?" The fact that they offer both is FAB.

Rumor has it that it's Oprah's fav burger joint... and I think I might just agree with O-dog this time.

My burger of choice? I went with the turkey burger, with pepperjack cheese, some type of corn salsa, southwest sour cream on a wheat bun. And for a side, a mix of regular and "sweet" fries.

Ever been? What were your thoughts?

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Why do we live here?

Why do we live here?

I have NO idea.

Will be on Craigslist the rest of the day pricing out apartments in San Diego. For real.

If you're particularly optimistic and would like to remind me why I picked the coldest city in America to love and live in... please do.

Stay warm.

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Theater OR Theatre?

Question: Do you build a theater? But GO to the theatre? Meaning, do you spell "theater" when you're talking about a building, but "theatre" when you're talking about the arts? I'm sure a simple Google search could answer that question... but alas, it's time to go to bed... 

So, tonight I went to the theatre.... and remembered, again, how much I LOVE going to musicals. 

I saw Jersey Boys for the first time. The show has been in Chicago for a couple of years, and I finally bit the bullet and got tickets. Then, Monday I realized I actually had not bought the tickets...the purchase never went through. Perhaps I dreamt purchasing the tickets? Who knows... but my heart was set and no turning back. By 5 p.m. that afternoon, I had two tickets waiting for me at Will Call.

And well worth the wait. Nothing disappointing about it.

Every time I go see a show, especially in playhouses like the Bank of America Theatre... I always think about my old choreographer. He used to give us these pep talks before we practiced our ballad to put what we were doing (performing) into perspective... and one time he said, "Hundreds of people are coming to see you to sit in a dark room, forget their lives for two hours and be taken away. Sing to them. Perform for them."

And that's exactly what all the performers did tonight. They've done that show a million times, and yet, it seemed like the first... or maybe even the last.

Great night! 

Anyone else see it? Thoughts?

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A Reason to Sweat...

Instead of huddling inside and hibernating until summer, this year, I'm taking Chicago winter by the balls. Full throttle. War time. In addition to Santa bringing me the warmest boots and coat available... I bought a monthly membership to Bikram Yoga Chicago on Clark Street.

Outside it may be 3 degrees (-7 wind chill), but inside the bikram studio temperatures start at 105 degrees Fahrenheit. For 90 minutes, any day of the week, I can immerse myself in complete and total heat. And 50 percent humidity. 

It's a little bit like heaven... and at times, quite hellish.

Doing stability poses while in this type of heat, you become completely aware of every muscle and every pore on your body. You experience your entire body as it cries out each and every toxin that you put in it. Or at least it feels that way. 

Like sitting in a steamer or hot bath for hours, you begin to prune after about 40 minutes.

Basically, it's so damn hot you really can't think of anything else. You're able to completely block out winter. After about 15 minutes, you find yourself unable to focus on anything but the waterfall of sweat pouring down your back... in your eyes.... down your legs... and, of course, your breathing so you don't end up throwing up or passing out. 

Despite what might sound like a displeasing experience, it actually is quite a stress reliever. 

And an added bonus, there are seriously hot shirtless men with unbelievable bodies glistening in front of you the entire class. Who says you have to hide behind parkas all winter?

Anyone else a bikram yogi?? Hate it? Love it? Tell me about it...

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It's Beginning to Feel a lot like a Recession or is it Depression?

December 9, 2008. Open a newspaper. Turn on the news. Check the Twitter logs. Read a few blogs. The news is bad... I mean seriously depressing.

Beyond the usual layoffs, auto industry mayhem and miscellaneous negative economic news, here are some other uplifting headlines from sweet home Chicago just in the past week... 

"Blagojevich Arrested"

"Governor Threatened Tribune Over Criticism"

"Tribune Company Files for Bankruptcy"

"Talks Fail to End Sit-In at Closed Factory"

"Cubs Fans Denied"

"Bodies of 90-year-old woman's siblings had been in for years" (archived from a few weeks ago, but so unbelievable it deserved a mention)

But to keep us all from believing it's the apocalypse or that hell has freezed over and settled next to Lake Michigan, I've also searched and found a few feel-good stories. Some of which are Chicago-based... most of which are not. Take from it what you will. 

"Chicago neurosurgeon being considered for U.S. attorney general"

"Honest tenn. woman finds $97,000 in Cracker Barrel restaurant, but returns it to owner"

"Man who lost family in crash says pray for pilot"

And restaurants.com is giving away $25 for $3. Yet another reason not to cook :) 

Anyone else have any good news to report??? I'm sure we would all appreciate it... 

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Trials of Tree-Trimming

After a ridiculous weekend of over-celebrating the holiday season, I broke out my hidden domestic skills to pick up and decorate my first real Christmas tree. Despite Walmart selling me a set of 400 Christmas lights... only 200 of which actually lit... the day successfully put me in the holiday mood.

The first hurdle was in the actual transportation. With puffy coats, gloves and lumberjack hats, my friend Aline and I headed over to St. Clement's church to pick up the tree. After first lifting the pile of pines, we gawfed at its lightness. We laughed at how much we felt like a Norman Rockwell painting or characters in a "Christmas Story." Check this one off the list of things we've never done in the city.

Cars... even buses stopped, smiled and let us pass with none of the usual beeping or swearing. One particularly cute older lady exclaimed, "You go girls! Who needs men!" as she walked, arm-in-arm with her husband.

We only had to stop two times in a three block radius... but the point is, it arrived safely to my apartment with time to spare before the rest of the girls came over to decorate. 

One pizza and a bottle of champagne later, my friends and I had a beautiful tree, natural air freshener and one seriously curious cat. Let the holiday fun continue... 

So for the next few weeks... my posts will be written in the cozy confines of my technicolor holiday extravaganza... aka my living room. 

Everyone has a ridiculous tree trimming story. What's yours?

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Runners' Rage...

As a runner, I've done a lot of crazy things. I trained for my first 1/2 marathon on Saturday mornings in January and hurdled puddles in the pouring summer rain. I spent months meeting my running buddy at 5:30 a.m. before work to get in training runs.... and I ran 20 miles of my first marathon in humid, 85 degree heat....while taking pictures (see above). 

I'm not saying these things to brag... I'm just realizing that to non-runners , these activities are not normal. 

The best part is, I'm not alone. And I'm nowhere near the craziest out there. In Chicago, runners are their own breed. 

Last night, however, I truly tested my sanity as I geared up, completely aware of the severe winter weather advisory, and hit Michigan Avenue to run the familiar 3.5 miles home.

As much as I enjoy the runner's high... there are also many other benefits to running home...even if it is dark, cold, windy and snowing...

• Michigan Avenue is like a human tetras game or Mario Brothers level... I feel like I get bonus points for every tourist I avoid running into
• Racing the 151... and beating it
• Watching the reactions of normal, sane people to my crazy running shenanigans
• Checking out the window displays
• And although I'm no Prefontaine, I can run home faster than it takes to wait for and take the bus home

To all those other Chicago runners out there... what was your "i-really-can't-believe-I'm-running" moment? And what made you cross over to crazy??

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Let the Parties Begin...

Holidays in Chicago: A whole month of reasons to party...

Thanksgiving has come and gone. Most of the turkey and leftovers have been eaten. You have both buyers remorse and/or shouldn't-have-eaten-that-last-piece-of-pie remorse. And you're currently hungover or drunk. Congrats... the holiday season can officially begin.

I love this time of year. If I were a teacher or a child of the 50s or 60s, I'm sure I would've owned and embraced a Christmas sweater with bows and bells - and not reserved it only for the Ugly Sweater parties and bar crawls.

There is no question that we love to celebrate in Chicago... and the holidays are no exception. We celebrate sweatpants and fanny packs in October, we embrace Neil Diamond and all his achievements in July... and I even have friends who make an event of walking home from work on a random Friday in August. So when it comes to the winter holidays, it's no surprise that the whole month of December is one blow-out party after the other.

This year I clearly got excited in anticipation of the Yuletide cheer and ordered a real Christmas tree from the church down the street. While I didn't think about the three flights of stairs or the lack of guy friends close enough to enlist as tree carriers, I did think about how a live tree meant another reason for a party (tree trimming!). Also, at the end of the season, I don't have to find a place in our storage room to fit a six foot tree. In my mind... it was a completely practical purchase.

In preparation for my tannebaum decorating soiree, today, on Black Friday, my whole family - mom, dad and brother - packed into the sedan and made our way to Wal-Mart in my hometown of Akron, Ohio. If you knew my family, you would realize this is definitely a rarity. I wasn't as surprised about my mom, but seeing my brother and dad in a retail store - let alone Wal-Mart- on Black Friday - was like finding a four leaf clover in a ten-mile field.

Although we expected the worst as we walked into America's #1 discount superstore, we were actually surprised to see empty aisles and clear lines. I took advantage of the Friday lull and stocked up on discounted lights, ornaments and a state-of-the-art tree stand (let's see how this puppy performs when faced with a crazy calico cat). I can only hope that getting the tree into my apartment will be this easy.

When I get back to Chicago on Sunday, I'll be ready to start the celebrating -- and not to mention armed with cheer and accessories that will allow me to do that in style. So break out the champagne, dust off the ornaments, organize your Macy's coupons, hang the mistletoe and find your sparkles. It's only four weeks... eight weekend nights (i didn't actually calculate that... so give or take a few days). And after December, snow will just be snow, and cold seems even colder. Credit card bills will be paid... and we'll need to start worrying about taxes again. So before we need to make plans for a February 'Hoff Appreciation Day, take advantage of having a real reason to celebrate...

Cheers to the holidays!

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Winter Woes...

Winter in Chicago: The closest comparison I have for purgatory; an eight-to-ten month waiting period until you can walk out of your apartment without five pounds of extra clothes and warming accessories.

I've never been one to embrace the chills of winter. Some Midwesterners get excited to break out the sweaters, to see their breath when they walk outside or to have an excuse to drink hot chocolate and snuggle up with a good book or significant other.

I, however, am one of the only people I know in Chicago who, up until this past August, refused to buy an air conditioner because I wanted to take advantage of all the fresh air and heat that summer naturally brought to my apartment. I enjoy ignoring the treadmills at the gym and running home from work or doing Saturday or Sunday runs by the lake. I'm not afraid of humidity, sweat, mosquitos and love to watch summer storms unfold from my cubicle and even wear my rain boots, when necessary.

I mean... how happy are we in that picture/J.Crew ad?! Really happy...

Tears came to my eyes this morning when I finally had to admit it was no longer summer, or even fall. I traded in my trench coat for the heavier, and brighter, tweed jacket accompanied with the obligatory hat, gloves and scarf. Even its cheery pink color and funny J-Lo-charmed label couldn't turn my frown upside down.

Listening to Avril's "Keep Holding On," I trudged to the bus stop. Her strong Canadian roots and punk-rock attitude gave me courage and vindication to stand at the bus stop as the wind tried to take the best of me and keep me from entering the now packed and over-heated 134 express bus.

I think it's worse knowing that it's not even technically winter. It's like getting a cramp the night before a big race... and just imagining how much pain your going to be in when you're running for hours and hours the next day.

So, in order to get over cramp before we start the race, I've listed out a few perks to this maddening and frustrating Chicago weather sent from Old Man Winter:

• The first big snow... and how perfect everything looks under the city lights before it turns into that brown slush concoction of tar, dirt, dog pee and salt
• Michigan Ave holiday lights and Christmas trees EVERYWHERE
• The Christmahanakwanza Bar Crawl
• The office holiday parties
• Birthdays!!! And birthday parties...
• Book club
• Vacation days....Sanibel girls' weekend...spontaneous weekend trips AWAY from Chicago
• St. Patrick's Day... South Side Irish Parade, dying the river green, green beer, Irish boys
• Sunday Fundays
• Weekends completely devoted to Hollywood Video and all the movies they have to offer
• Getting reacquainted with the couch and DVR
• Having another excuse to visit my fav dive bar -Galway Bay- to play darts and sit next to the fireplace with beer, free popcorn and friends
• Corporate snow day e-mails... "if you feel that it's in your best interest to leave..."
• Finally getting serious with my cat Moxie's lose-three-pounds workout/diet plan
• Bring It On-athons
• Facebook stalking
• YouTube searches
• Longer blog entries?

I'm feeling a little better... you? Going to look through my summer pictures, sniff suntan lotion and give myself paraffin treatments so my skin doesn't crack.

Stay warm!

C

Question of the day: What are you looking forward to this winter?

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A book about the Big #2...

Poop: Apparently the next biggest thing since blogging...


This morning, TimeOut Chicago brought to my attention that an author recently took on the big #2 in a new book entitled, "The Big Necessity." Even the title makes me giggle like a second grader.

Check out the review below...

http://www.timeout.com/chicago/articles/books/68668/the-big-necessity


I couldn't help but Google a couple others for those who are interested....






http://www.poopthebook.com/



And the classic, "Everyone Poops.."

Time for lunch!

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The First Sip

A sip: 1) to drink a little at a time; take small tastes of

2) to take in, absorb

Every city has its highlights and its quirks, and most importantly, every city has a personality. Is the personality defined by the people or the city? That's up for discussion.

One thing is certain: Webster and his dictionary could never define a city's personality in a matter of a few sentences. You may be able to Google "Chicago" and learn about the history or collect data on the number of neighborhoods, people or political issues, but to truly understand Chicago, you need to become a Chicagoan - bright red license and all.

You need to trade in your car keys for a CTA pass. You need to stand at the bus stop or the El tracks in the dead of winter, with 25 mph winds, as the snow is whipping at you on all sides -- and still be excited about the weekend. You need to spend Tuesdays at North Avenue beach with your best friends playing volleyball teams who insist on wearing speedos or rec specs as their uniforms. You need to experience Toro Sushi and all the amazing rolls Mitch has to offer. You need to buy the old lady cart and continuously promote it as the best purchase of your life. And you need to accept that unless you're a trader or have won the Illinois lottery, you probably won't be able to afford to buy even a one-bedroom apartment until you're at least 30.

The point is, I've created this blog in attempt to define Chicago as I see it; to give Chicagoans, future Chicagoans or just far-away friends small sips of my everyday thoughts and occurances in the Second City. 

So come back often, take it in, absorb (respond) and enjoy!

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