I completely forgot that we have a condo association mtg. tomorrow night so I won't be able to get drinks at the top of the Hancock building. I'll post as soon as we have a new date.
Last night I lost 20 minutes of my life clicking through on the blog of someone who links to someone who links to someone who links to someone I sort of know. At first it was fascinating, then it was annoying and then ultimately I think I just blogged myself out.
I'm guessing that's probably why I'm feeling somewhat uninspired today. That and I dreamt about work last night. This afternoon I couldn't recall if I sent an email, or dreamt about sending an email. Isn't that just pitiful? Seriously, I went scrolling through my sent messages and couldn't find what I was looking for. In a rush, it came to me -- I frickin' sent it in my dream! The pathetic horror!
Tonight, before drifting off I'm going to meditate about working out. Then perhaps I'll dream about it and wake up with that lovely, fit, healthy feeling *without* having to actually endure physical exercise.
I'll let you know how it works.
Monday, January 23, 2006
The Top of the Cock will have to wait.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
<<< Sigh >>>
Just came back from the Bears game. It was god-awful.
We've spent an entire season faithfully rooting for them, and in the end they played like... well... the Northwestern Wildcats.
(I know that was mean. I don't care. I'm depressed and angry.)
And to add insult to injury, when we got home, we found out that the Bears game went past the allotted TV time and so Tivo lost 15 minutes of the premiere of 24.
Boooooo.
Curling up into a ball now.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
But I just got here!
We're going to have to take care of "Have a beer at the Berghoff" sooner than I thought.
It looks like they're closing Berghoff's at the end of February. I'm really disappointed to hear they're shutting the joint down. Though admittedly I haven't stepped foot inside, I get the sense that it's a place with the kind of character that's rarely seen anymore. It's also rooted in Chicago history. They opened in 1893, and God love them, they're the proud owners of city liquor license #1 -- which makes it an important landmark to a lot of alchohol-loving Chicagoans (which, is a lot of citizens, let me tell you.)
I've looked around and I can't quite understand why it's closing. One thing that strikes me is the "third generation" theory I learned about when I worked in the florist business. It's specific to family-run operations, which Berghoff is. The rule of thumb goes like this: the first generation works their fingers to the bone building a good, solid business; the second generation usually does a good job of following in their parent's success; but it's always the grandchild (that thinks they know better than their out-of-touch dad or their geezer grandpa) that drives the business in the ground. I wonder if that's the situation here and poor Herman Joseph Berghoff is rolling over in his grave right now.
To ring them out in style, I think we'll head there for my birthday, raise a pint or two to good old Herman-the-German and then (weather-permitting) do a little hops-infused ice skating at the Millennium Park rink.
Friday, January 06, 2006
No wonder my butt looks bigger.
Chicago can now claim another grand title: The fattest city in America.
Men's Fitness Magazine claims the two big issues are Chicagoans love of television and lack of exercise. Clearly no one from that publication has ever actually tried to take a hearty jog around a Chicago park when it's -17 degrees out with lake effect snow and a serious windchill.
Also, the magazine loses a lot of credibility with me because they've got LA ranked #3. That's total crap.
I wonder how they judged this whole thing. I've lived in LA -- I *know* those people are fit. I now live in Chicago, and OK, we're not skinny minnys but we're just fine, thank you.
Did they send anyone to Arkansas? I've been to Arkansas. And as my lovely friend Karl once said, it's where they invented XXXL.
Booooooo
The office is (slightly) abuzz because George Bush is visiting the Board of Trade building next door. I went out at lunch to give him the bird check out the scene and didn't see him.
Doesn't trading have to stop while he's there? Isn't he supposed to be on a tour of the US encouraging economic growth? Does anyone else see the irony?
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
The Essential 20
Chicago Magazine's Dec. 2003 edition featured a column called "The Classics". It challenged that you can't call yourself a real Chicagoan unless you've checked off everything on the list below. If this list really has any merit, I'm feeling pretty good. I've already done quite a few.
- Eat a cheeseburger at Billy Goat (Done! Spe-cial on Thursday is $5.10 - bring a dime.)
- Go down in the coal mine at the Museum of Science and Industry (Done.)
- Play 16-inch softball without a glove
- Have a drink at the signature lounge atop the Hancock
- Enjoy Sunday Afternoon with Seurat
- Picinic on the lawn at Ravinia
- Take in a game at Wrigley (Done - Go Cubbies!)
- Read the "Chicago Classics" - The Adventures of Augie March, Sister Carrie, The Jungle, and Native Son.
- Attend a festival in Grant Park
- Circle the Loop on the el (Done.)
- Hit the Blues Clubs
- Celebrate Christmas at the State St. Marshall Field's (Done.)
- Visit the Robie House
- Go smelt fishing
- Take an architectural boat tour (Yup. In November no less - which I don't advise. Brrr!)
- Eat deep dish (Yup -- actually, why do you think I moved here?)
- Bike the lakefront
- Catch a show at Steppenwolf (done.)
- Drive Lower Wacker
- Have a beer at the Berghoff
I'm not in too much of a rush on the whole smelt thing. But I'm definitely into the drink on top of the Hancock. How's the evening of Tuesday the 24th?
Our 2006 Resolution
Our first year here was busy with pretty serious stuff - get jobs, get a place to live, figure out where to buy bread, adjust to a big body of water being east, etc. As the new year approaches, we've realize that we've been pretty damn boring for the last 365 days.
In 2006 Justin and I have made the great resolution to have much more fun. Our chief goals: get to know Chicago much better, do things we've never done before, and just generally goof off.
We'll be posting our plans here. We'd love to hear your suggestions on where to go, and what to do. Or even better - come join us!
