Rock and Roll on Lincoln

    After seeing The Separation, a friend suggested several restaurants for dinner.  There were three of us, one driving, one directing, and me.  I contributed nothing but agreeability.  Coming from an odd direction and being in a car, I got lost on the streets and turned around.  I kept thinking we were heading to Lincoln Park area but the street names were not right.  The driver required the director to get there, not being familiar with the place, so I sat quietly and questioned my own direction making abilities.

   Finally, we ended up at the Rock and Roll restaurant on Lincoln.  It was small, cute, well decorated, and had bubble tea.  I've never had bubble tea but have heard about it and still didn't try it.  This is what I ordered, basically rice, salad, and a large amount of sashimi on top.  Yum!

It was worth the confusion of getting there. 

A Sad Thought

     I found this sign at a antique store on Lincoln.  Isn't the statement so true?  It's true at a party, true in the house and true in life.  Alcohol makes everything seem so much better, but then we all have to get back to reality.  Great nights out still end, and the next day something needs to fill the place of beer to make life fun.  And I'm not meaning wine or vodka.

    It's always sad when I meet people who can't do without it.  Meeting up, they immediately suggest hard drinking as a starter to the evening.  Really?  You can't talk or joke without it.  They start ordering and get upset if everyone doesn't follow them to beerland.

   Or there are also the one who excuse themselves with alcohol with a "Oh, sorry, I was so wasted". To that I always thing, "Oh sorry, you're an ass."

    This is not an anti-alcohol posting, it's a "get a life, we're not in college" posting.   If the fun ends when the beer does, was it really fun?  

12 Things I Love about Chicago

12.  Bike lanes - Wow! Actually having a lane to ride my bike in makes the road so much less scary.  Bikers still get hurt but for the actual number of bikers in Chicago, the chances seem statistically reduced.  *I did not do the math on that last statement.

11.  Outdoors - This city has a ton of outdoor space and people actually use it.  The first time I saw a sunbather in the middle of the city, I was shocked.  Now, it has become normal.  After hearing about the winter, it became reasonable.  Get all the fun that can be gotten from the summer by going outdoors.  The traffic along the lakeshore path almost deserves a place in the news or an app for phones.

10.  Independent everything - Stores, restaurants, bars, health clubs... the list goes on and on.  Chicagoans support the local and the local pays them back in quality, service, and neighborly living.

9.  Men in Uniforms - Not to say anything bad about other cities men in uniforms, but Chicago puts the cute one in blue.  I almost look forward to needing a cop just for the chance to stare at his face and pretend helplessness.  I would let a fireman carry me out of a burning building.  Wink, wink

8.  CTA - I love not having a car.  Reliable public transportation makes life so easy and frees up time to ease drop on others or make eyes at a cute guy.  My morning commute is my brain time to read the news and plan my day.  Nothing is better than a monthly pass to zone out while commuting to work.

7.  Bars - I would like to know the ratio of bars to people in Chicago and compare it to other places.  We,  meaning you and me, like to go out to catch a drink with friends or strangers.  Chicago has bars and they fully support them and that's a good thing for all.

6.  Free Concerts - This is how the city keeps the population happy, we suffer through winter to enjoy the free outdoor pleasures of the summer.  They are outdoor, they are fun and they are free.

5.  The Lake - Some day, my former teacher self will learn the name of the lake I live next to and maybe it's history.  The lack on basic and civil knowledge does not impair my enjoyment of it.  There is a bend on lakeshore path that still takes my breath away.  At that point, the city's size projects upwards in stories of concrete and man-made features while the lake rests calmly on the other side, completely unchanged nor bothered.

4.  Events - Who keeps the social calendar for the city?  Trick question, no one can.  There are always events going on, from bowling to museum openings.  Even focusing in on the neighborhoods, who couldn't find five organized activities to participate in every night.  Who can keep up?

3.  Dogs - This city loves dogs.  Chicago has dog parks, dog beaches, at least three stores per neighborhood devoted to dogs, water and treats outside of stores, an employment of hundreds of dog walkers, and even dog therapists who charge $500 to cure two dogs of barking issues.  Better to spoil a dog than a child so I'm hoping the kids are alright because the dogs are truly spoiled.

2.  Intrigue - Politics lacks boredom in this city, so does crime and corruption.  They all meet up often at the events from point 4.  Crime - well, just the murders and shootings - even have their own newspaper.  The Chicago Tribune needs nothing more than a few murders and a shooting to fill the from page.  They use politics as a filler.  Luckily, Chicago has several newspapers that can focus on other issues.

1.  Chicagoans - These are nice, fun, sporty, and artsy people.  The city has people for everyone and nice  comes as a common character trait.  Point 1 makes all of the other points possible.

Twelve reasons I love Chicago.  

Breakfast at the Cinnamon Cafe on Lawrence

This is a place of beauty in food...oh, and it tastes great too.

It burned my heart when it close

Such a cruel thing

With no warning

the doors stopped opening

salt shakers still on the table

And was replaced with a place that doesn't believe in brunch

Atheists 

French restaurants

not believing in God is one thing,

not believing in brunch is another

Snow and Other Mean Things to Say

Lets talk a moment about snow in alliteration:  It's white, water, and comes in winter.

Now let's talk about snow in Chicago:  It's a fact of life and a price I must pay.

I prefer alliteration.

Starting before I moved to this great city, people spoke of The Snow.  Friends and strangers advised me on how to cope with The Snow.  I was given advise without asking, while drinking, and even when getting a sunburn.  When people didn't know what to say, they mentioned it in catastrophic terms.  Groups would gather to discuss how I'm from the South and will have a tough time in the winter.  Length of coats, undergarments, and the glove v. mitten debate raged around me.

I bit my tongue.  Being from the South, I was raised to be polite.

 It snowed.

Sweet, soft, silent snow fell over the city Thursday night like a first blanket of winter.  

Wonderful, wistful, white snow

Black Friday Fear

I admit to being afraid.  I am afraid.  I fear shopping on Black Friday.  I cannot make myself go out to shop no matter what the savings are.  I will spend today scared of stores.

This day is historically the biggest shopping day of the year.  It's the day when all the stores that have a red balance sheets (they aren't making money) end up in the black (they finally make money).  To cause this to happen, millions of shoppers go out and fill their baskets with purchases then line up to check out.  Horror stories exist.

For this reason, I avoid the masses of humanity.  I am a weak shopper and cannot hold out.  This is why I avoid the shops today and huddle at home with chores.

Cars, Boats, and Questions

      These two buildings get noticed.  Really noticed...but what about the boat dock?

The building is in the middle of Chicago and has parked cars for several floors.  That alone makes me nervous.  What's to keep the cars from falling out?  A wire? It all seems a bit too risky for my backing tastes.  No one cares what's above, offices or apartments, because the backed up cars that could almost fall into the river catch the eye.

The whole thing feels to exposed, but what about the bottom?  A person could be on the way to a meeting, see a boat, and say "Hey, I like it." Poof!  A boat owner is born.  Just closed a huge deal, why not buy a boat to celebrate?  Coming from divorce court, a boat is just the thing to pick a newly divorcee up.

 This is too risky for the city.  The potential exists to have unprepared boat-owners who are not committed to the lifestyle of fees and repairs.  It's like having a bar in a house full of teenagers and then taking a trip.  What do you think will happen?

Luckily, while liquor in the house in free but a boat always costs money.  The price is the deterrent to keep the city from being full of unprepared boat owners with regrets and sad boats.  The river is not polluted with abandoned boats from a bonus, long liquored lunch, and then impulse with opportunity.

Really, what's in the rest of the building?

Forgive (again)

I saw the sign again but this time written in chalk on a wall and then later that day in spray paint on a wall.  Is this a message from someone?

It was a strange moment that reminded me of The Matrix.  The chalk message caught me just as I had finished telling a friend about the unsuccessful date.  The spray paint whizzed by as my train headed back to the Loop.  Was the message really there?  Was it meant for me?

I wonder who needs the city to forgive so much?  Do I need more of it in my life?

Forgive

 
Who writes 'forgive' on a sidewalk?

I couldn't help but think of five different scenarios to cause it.  Put the plausible stories aside and think about how many people run across this message.  Walking along, happy, tired, angry, bored, or drunk, and see a directive to let go of grudges and pains inflicted and let go of the pain and resentment.

As children, we are all taught this and as adults, we pass this lesson along to children.  The lesson of letting go enters our lives and leave multiple times before ever truly taking it in and acting on it.  It cannot be done by others nor can it be done for others.  So maybe this word on the sidewalk is to remind us to do it for ourselves.

Now, put away the philosophy.  I came across this statement while on an anger and frustration fueled walk.  It's my method of calming the brain and re-centering my thoughts.  So I was in the middle of the walk when I took the photo.

I had been heading out on a date a few weeks ago.  Not to get into details, on my way to the date I realized that this date was no good.  He was going to drag me down, unhinge my confidence, and take advantage of my character.  Not to say he was a monster of a guy, just one a loser.   He was a guy I wouldn't want any of my friends to date, so why was I heading out to meet him?  I cancelled in as nice of way as possible and taking all of the blame before getting off the phone.

After the photo, one might expect me to forgive the guy who started my walk.   For a moment, I considered it.  Then I rejected it.  While I could forgive the guy, it does not mean returning to the same relationship.  That memory serves as a lesson in life and character.  Some people are not healthy, some people are not good for you, and some people will not be good to you.   And I decided to forgive myself for every letting that kind of person far enough into my life to take up memory space in my phone.

I forgave and then deleted.   

Roller Derby Spectacular

Roller derby action is a girls event.  Great fun to watch, the cheering leaves you horse and the rules engaged.  And lets face it, we would all like to see some violence.

And somewhere deep inside, even the daintiest of girls would like to see women rewarded for physically aggressive acts.  Girls, go to a bout and see the action.