We had a nice trip to Petoskey last week. We arrived back home in Chicago at 10:30pm (that's 11:30 to the rest of ya ;o). Friday was a long day of driving, but that's ok. Kurt drove us to Toledo to pick up Shosta (6.5 hours) from my parents and I drove to Chicago (4 hours). It was nice to drive again...I miss it. But, since Kurt takes the train to work, I can take the car out joy riding sometime - HA!
This coming weekend is LOLLAPALOOZA! We are both excited and dreading it at the same time. I think there's something like 100,000 people that go to this, so it's packed. Not exactly looking forward to that. BUT, we get to see SO many bands/artists, I'm sure it will be worth it.
Friday we're seeing: Chin up Chin up (local band), Ted Leo and the RX (East coast melodic punk - one of my fav. bands!), The Polyphonic Spree (Hippie - happy band made up of at least 20 people ;o), Silversun Pickups (Psychedelic pop rock), Black Keys (Duo of drum/guitar from Akron that's hit it big), LCD Soundsystem (Electronic pop/rock).
Saturday we're seeing: Tapes 'n Tapes (indie pop rock with an artsy flair), or Pete Yorn (laid back solo guitar - they are at the same time ;o(, Cold War Kids (indie pop rock), Regina Spektor (Solo piano, bit like cabaret) OR Hold Stead (Straight up "talk" rock - they, too, are at the same time), Yeah Yeah Yeahs (rock with a crazy chic lead singer), Spoon (Austin based, very tight indie rock), and Interpol (Rock, smooth and dark).
Sunday we're seeing: Kings of Leon (Tasteful southern rock), Yo La Tengo (psychedelic indie pop), Modest Mouse (artsy indie rock - one of my FAV bands for a LONG time ;o), TV on the Radio (Very melodic pop rock with an artsy feel), Pear Jam (Straight up jam rock - Kurt's pretty excited, he's been a fan since junior high ;o)
So as you can see, we've got a lot of great stuff to see this weekend! It's going to be pretty hot (Upper 80's lower 90's), but it is August. Hopefully the lake will give us a breeze.
Speaking of the Lake...ha ha...
On Saturday we took trip to the lake with Shosta. This is the dog with webbed feet (so we know somewhere in her family tree, there was a dog that swam) that HATES water. Actually, she did better than I thought. At first we waded in and she tried to get away. Then we picked her up and put her in some deeper water (up to her knees). She stayed! Then the we walked out some more, and the waves started to crash in on top of her. Not so good. SO, she pulled her way back to solid ground (you could see the claw marks in the sand). I decided that maybe if I went out further, she would see that it wasn't so bad. I called her name and she came running out as best as she could - it looked like she was jumping around! BUT, then a wave came over her, and she ran back again. We did this (me calling - her coming) a few times, but eventually she wanted no more of it. We took her to out and dried her off. And top it all off, we took her back and gave her a bath ;o)
I think we'll go to the lake with her again, just to see if it gets better with time. But, if she doesn't like it, oh well. She's never been like any other dog, so we're used to it ;o) HA!
Monday, July 30, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
A little get away...and a funny story
Hello! Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the beautiful weather! It sure is giving me fall fever, these chilly nights! Though, the fall feeling makes me miss marching band :o( Do you know, this is the first summer in 10 years that I haven't gone to a Drum Corps show? And this is the first summer in 20 years that Kurt hasn't been to one. We are both sad...the one we were hoping to go to is this Friday night, but we'll be in Petoskey...sniff sniff.
So, this week Kurt and I are going up to Petoskey, Michigan for his parent's anniversary get away. Scott and Kelly, Kyle, Evyn, and Max are going up too. We got a cabin for Marcia and Doug's 40th, and we're all going up to spend some time with family. Should be a good time, although the drive is a killer - 10 hours from Chicago, ICK! Luckily we're cutting it in half - driving to Toledo on Tuesday and then on up on Wednesday. But, Friday, we're doin' it all in one shot. Yipee...sigh. But at least I'll get to drive a bit ;o) I haven't driven a car since June 21st. Hope I remember!
HA! SO...I've been meaning to put this funny story on my blog for a while...it's a testament to the feisty-ness of our little Shostakovich.
So, we're walking Razzle Dazzle (as we like to call her - or at least I do ;o) down the street one night and we come to a corner. All of the sudden she breaks loose from her harness and runs around the corner ahead of us. Well, around that corner were two large huskies walking along quite peacefully. Shosta, being the little nasty dog she is, runs and jumps in between the two of them and starts to pick a fight. She came out the other side a few seconds later and, one would think, realized that she couldn't take two of 'em at once. But nope, she came out, turned around, and dove right back in! Luckily Kurt was there to grab her our of the mix before she did any harm (rather, they did any harm to her). We made our apologies and walked away scowling at and scolding her. Found out, it was actually mommy's fault - I hooked her leash to her dog tag loop, not her harness loop. Needless to say, I haven't done that again ;o)
It wasn't funny at the time, but looking back on it now, it was hilarious. For those of you that haven't met our little spunky dog, she's a 30 lbs. terrier mix that looks like a mini-lab. She's a small size for her weight (when I first got her over 4 years ago, she looked malnutritioned and weighed only 19 lbs.), but her legs and sides look like the body of a little doggy body builder ;o) She's all muscle. In fact, she's so strong that she pulls Kurt around at her every whim.
Anywho, it was so funny looking back because here's this tiny little dog picking a fight with 2 bigger dogs, both of which who are at least 2 times her size. She could have easily been had if the dogs were actually as feisty as she is. But, luckily they weren't. And this is why our little Razzle Dazzle does not play with other doggies ;o)
BUT, I must say, she's the most affectionate dog I have every met...at least to us and my parents - no one else ;o)
Funny thing...they say a dog and his/her owner have very similar personalities. What does that say about me? ;o)
So, this week Kurt and I are going up to Petoskey, Michigan for his parent's anniversary get away. Scott and Kelly, Kyle, Evyn, and Max are going up too. We got a cabin for Marcia and Doug's 40th, and we're all going up to spend some time with family. Should be a good time, although the drive is a killer - 10 hours from Chicago, ICK! Luckily we're cutting it in half - driving to Toledo on Tuesday and then on up on Wednesday. But, Friday, we're doin' it all in one shot. Yipee...sigh. But at least I'll get to drive a bit ;o) I haven't driven a car since June 21st. Hope I remember!
HA! SO...I've been meaning to put this funny story on my blog for a while...it's a testament to the feisty-ness of our little Shostakovich.
So, we're walking Razzle Dazzle (as we like to call her - or at least I do ;o) down the street one night and we come to a corner. All of the sudden she breaks loose from her harness and runs around the corner ahead of us. Well, around that corner were two large huskies walking along quite peacefully. Shosta, being the little nasty dog she is, runs and jumps in between the two of them and starts to pick a fight. She came out the other side a few seconds later and, one would think, realized that she couldn't take two of 'em at once. But nope, she came out, turned around, and dove right back in! Luckily Kurt was there to grab her our of the mix before she did any harm (rather, they did any harm to her). We made our apologies and walked away scowling at and scolding her. Found out, it was actually mommy's fault - I hooked her leash to her dog tag loop, not her harness loop. Needless to say, I haven't done that again ;o)
It wasn't funny at the time, but looking back on it now, it was hilarious. For those of you that haven't met our little spunky dog, she's a 30 lbs. terrier mix that looks like a mini-lab. She's a small size for her weight (when I first got her over 4 years ago, she looked malnutritioned and weighed only 19 lbs.), but her legs and sides look like the body of a little doggy body builder ;o) She's all muscle. In fact, she's so strong that she pulls Kurt around at her every whim.
Anywho, it was so funny looking back because here's this tiny little dog picking a fight with 2 bigger dogs, both of which who are at least 2 times her size. She could have easily been had if the dogs were actually as feisty as she is. But, luckily they weren't. And this is why our little Razzle Dazzle does not play with other doggies ;o)
BUT, I must say, she's the most affectionate dog I have every met...at least to us and my parents - no one else ;o)
Funny thing...they say a dog and his/her owner have very similar personalities. What does that say about me? ;o)
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Fun in the Rain!
Tonight Kurt and I went to see a great indie band called The Decemberists play with the Grant Park Orchestra (a summer festival orchestra that plays at Millennium park in Chicago). What a GREAT concert. It was jam packed, so we couldn't see a thing, but WOW! I haven't heard anything that amazing at a live concert! I wish more bands would play with an orchestra - it makes their music seem so much more anthem-like, fuller, and definitely more beautiful. The only problem - it was raining. We got caught in a nasty storm when we got off the train to head home. Our walk is approx. 8 or so minutes from the el to our place. But my sandals weren't co-operating - I kept sliding around. So, it took a little longer. Nothing like getting soaked ;o)
Anywho...to sum it all up...I now love the Decemberists because they play with orchestras ;o)
I'll put a picture of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion/Millennium park up sometime soon. It truly is a sight to behold. It's awesome. Kurt and I went there on vacation last year and were just awe-struck by it's beauty. Needless to say, I have tons of pictures of it somewhere (NO...I don't have a digital camera. I like my REAL camera with REAL pictures that look REAL nice...maybe someday, though ;o).
Take care!
Anywho...to sum it all up...I now love the Decemberists because they play with orchestras ;o)
I'll put a picture of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion/Millennium park up sometime soon. It truly is a sight to behold. It's awesome. Kurt and I went there on vacation last year and were just awe-struck by it's beauty. Needless to say, I have tons of pictures of it somewhere (NO...I don't have a digital camera. I like my REAL camera with REAL pictures that look REAL nice...maybe someday, though ;o).
Take care!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Oops...forgot...
Here's a picture of the lead singer from Of Montreal. Yes, he's wearing make-up. But so did Kiss and just about every other band in the 70's ;o)
Pitchfork Update
'Ello 'Ello 'Ello!
(Sorry for the greeting...been reading some Agatha Christie ;o)
As you may recall from my previous post, Kurt and I spent a good part of our weekend at the Pitchfork Music Festival. It wasn't as spectacular of a line up as last year, but nonetheless, it was quite enjoyable. I'll give a quick (ha) review of each day...
Friday night was pretty cool. We went later, but ended up hearing the entire concert of GZA (pronounced "Jizz-ah"). He's a rapper from the super-group "Wu Tang Clan." By no means am I a fan of Rap, and I probably never will be. But you have to give props to a rapper for putting on a show in front of a bunch of indie-loving, preppy/hippy/mod white people. I kinda felt bad for him at times. Probably like Spoon (a popular indie band) playing for a crowd of rap-loving, black people. There were plenty of people throwing the "wu tang" sign (make a 'W' with your hands), but still...can't be the same ;o)
After GZA was Sonic Youth. This band has been around since I was born and are considered one of the greatest indie/alt rock bands of all time. They performed their break out album "Daydream Nation" perfectly. Kurt and I were pretty far back, so we couldn't see as well, but just being able to hear them perform was pretty cool.
What was also cool about Friday was that it gave a chance for those of us who were 7 in 1988 a chance to hear what is considered to be one of the greatest albums in indie history. Without Sonic Youth, the popularity of modern indie music wouldn't be as strong as it is. Indie music probably wouldn't even be what it is. And having the chance to see/hear them...very cool.
Saturday, we ended up going to the concert later than we had hoped. We wanted to see an Austin based band call Voxtrot at 2, but the train system, we sadly found out, doesn't run very consistently on the weekends (at least the brown line, which we live on). So we missed them...oh well. We ended up parking our chairs in some shade and enjoying the rest of the evening just listening to the bands. The one thing about music festivals is that there are TONS of people (I think something like 30,000 for the weekend), so the chances of seeing a band up close are slim to none - that is, if you are polite. If you so choose, you can cram through the crowds and TRY to get to the front. But that's not fun for someone whose 5'3" ;o)
Sunday, we ended up going late again, but that's ok. I wasn't feeling well for a good chunk of the day, but after while, the nastiness went away. So, this time we took the bus to the festival. Worked MUCH better and only took 30 minutes as opposed to 1 hour!
Once again, we parked our chairs and enjoyed the music from afar. It was actually quite enjoyable. We grabbed some tasty food (and cheap, I might add) and walked around a bit, too. We visited what they call "Flatstock"; there's an underground art (meaning, not as popular as, say, gallery art) form where artists create posters advertising concerts. These aren't typical looking posters. Each one is hand designed, then printed. We actually saw a guy making posters by hand from a big stamp (2 ft. by 3 ft.). SO, we bought some posters we plan to hang in the apt. We actually bought a National one last year, and as we were paying for it, we noticed Matt Berninger (the lead singer) standing right there! SO, of course, we got his autograph on the poster. It's now hanging in a lovely frame on our wall ;o) Anywho, we got some really amazing posters this time - one of Wilco, Of Montreal (who we saw this weekend...more on that in a sec), and of Tapes and Tapes. The Tapes one is very cool, as it's a poster for the show they played in Columbus back in May that we attended. A nice memory...
After that, we went and got a spot for the main reason we went to the show - the band 'Of Montreal.' They were AMAZING! Their music is a mix of electronic and rock/pop, with a slight disco flavor. I know Kurt was slightly embarrassed to admit that he liked them at first - he thought they sounded too disco-esque. BUT, after a closer listening, the lyrics are very poignant, dark, and quite amusing. So, it draws you in as you listen. Now he listens to 'em all the time ;o) As for the show, the band loves to use costumes and strange dancing people on stage. At one point, the lead singer was on the shoulders of a man completely covered in a black bodysuit. AND, the rhythm guitarist was dressed in a 70's-ish flashy suite and HUGE wings on his back. Very entertaining ;o) They brought out people dressed as comical monsters and a dude covered all in black with a huge lobster claw. Strange, but mesmerizing! They are going on tour this fall, so we are hoping to catch a full length concert instead of only 50 minutes at a festival. Can't Wait!
We were also entertained by some strange dude dancing near us. He would strike all sorts of poses and perform the strangest dance moves. I even got a picture of him. Everyone around us was trying SO hard to not crack up laughing, but I couldn't help it ;o) At one point he took off a vest he was wearing and swung it around above his head. I was laughing so hard I almost peed my pants!
In closing (thank goodness...this was a long one)...
Even though this years line-up was nothing fabulous (besides Of Montreal), we enjoyed ourselves. Relaxing in the shade and listening to good music in beautiful weather. What more could you ask for?
(Sorry for the greeting...been reading some Agatha Christie ;o)
As you may recall from my previous post, Kurt and I spent a good part of our weekend at the Pitchfork Music Festival. It wasn't as spectacular of a line up as last year, but nonetheless, it was quite enjoyable. I'll give a quick (ha) review of each day...
Friday night was pretty cool. We went later, but ended up hearing the entire concert of GZA (pronounced "Jizz-ah"). He's a rapper from the super-group "Wu Tang Clan." By no means am I a fan of Rap, and I probably never will be. But you have to give props to a rapper for putting on a show in front of a bunch of indie-loving, preppy/hippy/mod white people. I kinda felt bad for him at times. Probably like Spoon (a popular indie band) playing for a crowd of rap-loving, black people. There were plenty of people throwing the "wu tang" sign (make a 'W' with your hands), but still...can't be the same ;o)
After GZA was Sonic Youth. This band has been around since I was born and are considered one of the greatest indie/alt rock bands of all time. They performed their break out album "Daydream Nation" perfectly. Kurt and I were pretty far back, so we couldn't see as well, but just being able to hear them perform was pretty cool.
What was also cool about Friday was that it gave a chance for those of us who were 7 in 1988 a chance to hear what is considered to be one of the greatest albums in indie history. Without Sonic Youth, the popularity of modern indie music wouldn't be as strong as it is. Indie music probably wouldn't even be what it is. And having the chance to see/hear them...very cool.
Saturday, we ended up going to the concert later than we had hoped. We wanted to see an Austin based band call Voxtrot at 2, but the train system, we sadly found out, doesn't run very consistently on the weekends (at least the brown line, which we live on). So we missed them...oh well. We ended up parking our chairs in some shade and enjoying the rest of the evening just listening to the bands. The one thing about music festivals is that there are TONS of people (I think something like 30,000 for the weekend), so the chances of seeing a band up close are slim to none - that is, if you are polite. If you so choose, you can cram through the crowds and TRY to get to the front. But that's not fun for someone whose 5'3" ;o)
Sunday, we ended up going late again, but that's ok. I wasn't feeling well for a good chunk of the day, but after while, the nastiness went away. So, this time we took the bus to the festival. Worked MUCH better and only took 30 minutes as opposed to 1 hour!
Once again, we parked our chairs and enjoyed the music from afar. It was actually quite enjoyable. We grabbed some tasty food (and cheap, I might add) and walked around a bit, too. We visited what they call "Flatstock"; there's an underground art (meaning, not as popular as, say, gallery art) form where artists create posters advertising concerts. These aren't typical looking posters. Each one is hand designed, then printed. We actually saw a guy making posters by hand from a big stamp (2 ft. by 3 ft.). SO, we bought some posters we plan to hang in the apt. We actually bought a National one last year, and as we were paying for it, we noticed Matt Berninger (the lead singer) standing right there! SO, of course, we got his autograph on the poster. It's now hanging in a lovely frame on our wall ;o) Anywho, we got some really amazing posters this time - one of Wilco, Of Montreal (who we saw this weekend...more on that in a sec), and of Tapes and Tapes. The Tapes one is very cool, as it's a poster for the show they played in Columbus back in May that we attended. A nice memory...
After that, we went and got a spot for the main reason we went to the show - the band 'Of Montreal.' They were AMAZING! Their music is a mix of electronic and rock/pop, with a slight disco flavor. I know Kurt was slightly embarrassed to admit that he liked them at first - he thought they sounded too disco-esque. BUT, after a closer listening, the lyrics are very poignant, dark, and quite amusing. So, it draws you in as you listen. Now he listens to 'em all the time ;o) As for the show, the band loves to use costumes and strange dancing people on stage. At one point, the lead singer was on the shoulders of a man completely covered in a black bodysuit. AND, the rhythm guitarist was dressed in a 70's-ish flashy suite and HUGE wings on his back. Very entertaining ;o) They brought out people dressed as comical monsters and a dude covered all in black with a huge lobster claw. Strange, but mesmerizing! They are going on tour this fall, so we are hoping to catch a full length concert instead of only 50 minutes at a festival. Can't Wait!
We were also entertained by some strange dude dancing near us. He would strike all sorts of poses and perform the strangest dance moves. I even got a picture of him. Everyone around us was trying SO hard to not crack up laughing, but I couldn't help it ;o) At one point he took off a vest he was wearing and swung it around above his head. I was laughing so hard I almost peed my pants!
In closing (thank goodness...this was a long one)...
Even though this years line-up was nothing fabulous (besides Of Montreal), we enjoyed ourselves. Relaxing in the shade and listening to good music in beautiful weather. What more could you ask for?
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
HA HA!
HA! So, I was checking my email today, and once a week I get these hilarious emails from despair.com.
It's a "Demotivation" site that sells crazy posters and stuff. These are my favorites, but there's a huge amount of them on their site. Check it out...they are ridiculous funny.
Moving on...
Pitchfork Music festival is this weekend - so excited! It's completely sold out, so it's sure to be a packed place. At least the weather will be nice this time. Last year it was in the upper 90's and even into the low 100's! Friday night is supposed to be in the low 70's to upper 60's. The rest of the weekend is low eighties! Woo Hoo!
Friday night is going to be amazing - Sonic Youth, one of the innovators of modern alt. rock is performing their breakout record in it's entirety. Very cool. The rest of the weekend should be pretty cool too.
Check it out at:
www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com
That's it for today. Hope you enjoy the funny ha ha's ;o) I always do.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Phew...it's hot here!
Howdy again!
Phew...I don't know about the rest of you, but it's roasty-toasty here in Chicago! AND, since we don't have the luxury of AC (you think we would, based on the rent we pay), we're stuck toughing it out in the heat. Even the dog is panting - that's when you know it's bad. Our dog who, based on the hair I sweep up on a daily basis, should be bald. Our dog who, when it gets into the 40's, starts to shiver. Our dog who, when it get really cold outside, likes to cuddle up with a heating pad. She likes it warm like her mommy. SO, when the DOG starts to pant and I say "It's too hot", you KNOW it's hot!
SO...we had a nice Saturday here. We drove down to Southwest Chicago (not too far into the ghetto) to visit a Polish store/restaurant called Bobak's. We'd seen it on the Food Channel once a long time ago and always thought it would be cool to go there. So...since we live here now, we thought we should visit. We ate at the restaurant first, which had SO much food. My favorite were their mashed potatoes - they had dill in them. How YUMMY! They also had "Pigs in a blanket" - not what you are thinking, though. It's boiled cabbage stuffed with meat and rice covered in tomato sauce and baked. They were OK, but stuffed with pork. Marcia's (Kurt's mom's) are FAR superior. They are stuffed with beef and the sauce is much better. I'm going to try making them sometime, but they are a day-long process. Anyways, all of the other food was really good, too. And at the end we had a little square of cheesecake. Again, not the kind that we are all used to. But it's a kind that Kurt's Gramma Piotrowski used to make. Now Marcia makes it, and it's pretty good too. Something I didn't try, but found amusing, was their polish hot dog on a stick wrapped with bacon. Sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen!
After we ate lunch and were thoroughly stuffed, we ventured into the store. SO many things were in polish, but of course they had the english as well. We saw something (and I can't remember what it was ) that was called bogaty smack. I'm sure it's pronounced very differently than what I'm saying in my head, but I enjoyed the laugh. They even had the "angel wing" pastries and paczki's (pronounced "punchky"). We're planning to go back because it was so good, but maybe not on a 90 degree day ;o)
Funny thing to add...it took us a little over 40 minutes to get there...and only 20 minutes to get back. Gotta love big city traffic. BUT, either way, that was a pretty short trip considering it took us 1.5 hours to get back from IKEA in the NW suburbs - in a normal city it would have taken us 20. C'est la vie!
Anyways we got back and went to a TWO STORY Target - happiest woman alive, I was ;o) We found out that we need a third big bookshelf because we have TOOOO many books. I've been sorting them for the past two days. We have so many history/non-fiction books, we could open our own bookstore! (Something I think Kurt would like to do someday). Anywho...we didn't find the one that we liked, it was out of stock. So we came back and chilled. Of course that's a figure of speech.
There was a music festival goin' on just a block away, so we checked that out. It was pretty boring, so we left and walked around for a while. We ended up eating at a southern inspired restaurant called Wishbone. There, I had the most amazing drink experience of my life. Now...you're going to cringe a little when you hear it, but it's fabulous. Cucumber Lemonade. That's right. Cucumber Lemonade. It's AMAZING! Luckily, the place is on the way to the closest el stop, so you can bet that I'll be stopping by for a glass on the go! YUM! I need to figure out how to make it myself ;o)
OK...now that I've written a novel about the most mundane of things, I should cut it off. Time to put some more books away.
PS - just saw the Police on Live Earth - they're still pretty good for a bunch of old farts ;o) JK...I know they're not THAT old.
Phew...I don't know about the rest of you, but it's roasty-toasty here in Chicago! AND, since we don't have the luxury of AC (you think we would, based on the rent we pay), we're stuck toughing it out in the heat. Even the dog is panting - that's when you know it's bad. Our dog who, based on the hair I sweep up on a daily basis, should be bald. Our dog who, when it gets into the 40's, starts to shiver. Our dog who, when it get really cold outside, likes to cuddle up with a heating pad. She likes it warm like her mommy. SO, when the DOG starts to pant and I say "It's too hot", you KNOW it's hot!
SO...we had a nice Saturday here. We drove down to Southwest Chicago (not too far into the ghetto) to visit a Polish store/restaurant called Bobak's. We'd seen it on the Food Channel once a long time ago and always thought it would be cool to go there. So...since we live here now, we thought we should visit. We ate at the restaurant first, which had SO much food. My favorite were their mashed potatoes - they had dill in them. How YUMMY! They also had "Pigs in a blanket" - not what you are thinking, though. It's boiled cabbage stuffed with meat and rice covered in tomato sauce and baked. They were OK, but stuffed with pork. Marcia's (Kurt's mom's) are FAR superior. They are stuffed with beef and the sauce is much better. I'm going to try making them sometime, but they are a day-long process. Anyways, all of the other food was really good, too. And at the end we had a little square of cheesecake. Again, not the kind that we are all used to. But it's a kind that Kurt's Gramma Piotrowski used to make. Now Marcia makes it, and it's pretty good too. Something I didn't try, but found amusing, was their polish hot dog on a stick wrapped with bacon. Sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen!
After we ate lunch and were thoroughly stuffed, we ventured into the store. SO many things were in polish, but of course they had the english as well. We saw something (and I can't remember what it was ) that was called bogaty smack. I'm sure it's pronounced very differently than what I'm saying in my head, but I enjoyed the laugh. They even had the "angel wing" pastries and paczki's (pronounced "punchky"). We're planning to go back because it was so good, but maybe not on a 90 degree day ;o)
Funny thing to add...it took us a little over 40 minutes to get there...and only 20 minutes to get back. Gotta love big city traffic. BUT, either way, that was a pretty short trip considering it took us 1.5 hours to get back from IKEA in the NW suburbs - in a normal city it would have taken us 20. C'est la vie!
Anyways we got back and went to a TWO STORY Target - happiest woman alive, I was ;o) We found out that we need a third big bookshelf because we have TOOOO many books. I've been sorting them for the past two days. We have so many history/non-fiction books, we could open our own bookstore! (Something I think Kurt would like to do someday). Anywho...we didn't find the one that we liked, it was out of stock. So we came back and chilled. Of course that's a figure of speech.
There was a music festival goin' on just a block away, so we checked that out. It was pretty boring, so we left and walked around for a while. We ended up eating at a southern inspired restaurant called Wishbone. There, I had the most amazing drink experience of my life. Now...you're going to cringe a little when you hear it, but it's fabulous. Cucumber Lemonade. That's right. Cucumber Lemonade. It's AMAZING! Luckily, the place is on the way to the closest el stop, so you can bet that I'll be stopping by for a glass on the go! YUM! I need to figure out how to make it myself ;o)
OK...now that I've written a novel about the most mundane of things, I should cut it off. Time to put some more books away.
PS - just saw the Police on Live Earth - they're still pretty good for a bunch of old farts ;o) JK...I know they're not THAT old.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Come see me on MOG!
Hello!
Well...I'm ALMOST finished unpacking. Had more issues with Comcast, so I've been dealing with those.
NOW that our internet is back up, I took a little time to set up a MOG account.
http://mog.com/Musicbizgirl
Hope that works...
MOG is a pretty cool site - it's like having a blog, but it's ALL about music - very cool ;o)
Check it out sometime....
Well...I'm ALMOST finished unpacking. Had more issues with Comcast, so I've been dealing with those.
NOW that our internet is back up, I took a little time to set up a MOG account.
http://mog.com/Musicbizgirl
Hope that works...
MOG is a pretty cool site - it's like having a blog, but it's ALL about music - very cool ;o)
Check it out sometime....
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Kurt's first day...
Kurt's first day of work was yesterday! He was somewhat nervous, but not as much as I thought he would be. I decided to ride down on the train with him just to give him some company. Boy does it get packed! What was funny was that almost the entire train emptied out at the stop that Kurt got off at - it's a pretty busy area.
His company is located on the west side of the loop in what they call the "financial district." They work within the stocks/bonds/trading industry and are a major "player" in the Chicago markets. Seems like it will be a great fit for him! AND, it's a pretty cool environment. They have a VERY relaxed dress code (he said some people were wearing shorts and T-shirts, most were in jeans), they have a free catered lunch every day (for example they had sushi one day last week, had "Baci" deli yesterday, and some Mediterranean stuff today), AND they have a game room for stress release! He gets all sorts of fancy computers and accessories to work with, and has a library of resources at his fingertips. From the way it sounds, it's a company that takes very good care of their employees and values their abilities quite a lot. It is, however, a pretty stressful environment - lots of work and lots of deadlines. But, they stress working 8-9 hour days and that's it. They want to prevent any burn-out. SO...he is very happy with the decision he made, and so am I.
As for me and a job, I'm keeping an eye out on craigslist and the chicago reader. But I'm still unpacking (can you believe it?) and taking care of insurance, license plates, car titles, and other generally boring but necessary tasks. I should be done unpacking (the clothes are what's killing me, but the office is a nightmare too) by the end of the week, so hopefully I can focus on the job search more next week. I'm hoping to get a record store or an office gig, but I would really like to work at school in the fall, so I'm not sure what to do about the job. Oh well...I'll figure it out.
Well...I should continue with unpacking. I didn't get really far within a couple of hours- was checking out insurance stuff this morning and job hunting, then I got my Grad. Orientation packet and looked through that. SO...I need to be productive, if only for one more hour ;o)
Kurt's work gave him a $75 gift certificate to a restaurant company. So, we're going to use it tonight at "Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba" - it's a Tapas restaurant! We've wanted to go to one for quite a while, but they tend to be expensive. Since it's free, we thought we'd go!
Take care!
His company is located on the west side of the loop in what they call the "financial district." They work within the stocks/bonds/trading industry and are a major "player" in the Chicago markets. Seems like it will be a great fit for him! AND, it's a pretty cool environment. They have a VERY relaxed dress code (he said some people were wearing shorts and T-shirts, most were in jeans), they have a free catered lunch every day (for example they had sushi one day last week, had "Baci" deli yesterday, and some Mediterranean stuff today), AND they have a game room for stress release! He gets all sorts of fancy computers and accessories to work with, and has a library of resources at his fingertips. From the way it sounds, it's a company that takes very good care of their employees and values their abilities quite a lot. It is, however, a pretty stressful environment - lots of work and lots of deadlines. But, they stress working 8-9 hour days and that's it. They want to prevent any burn-out. SO...he is very happy with the decision he made, and so am I.
As for me and a job, I'm keeping an eye out on craigslist and the chicago reader. But I'm still unpacking (can you believe it?) and taking care of insurance, license plates, car titles, and other generally boring but necessary tasks. I should be done unpacking (the clothes are what's killing me, but the office is a nightmare too) by the end of the week, so hopefully I can focus on the job search more next week. I'm hoping to get a record store or an office gig, but I would really like to work at school in the fall, so I'm not sure what to do about the job. Oh well...I'll figure it out.
Well...I should continue with unpacking. I didn't get really far within a couple of hours- was checking out insurance stuff this morning and job hunting, then I got my Grad. Orientation packet and looked through that. SO...I need to be productive, if only for one more hour ;o)
Kurt's work gave him a $75 gift certificate to a restaurant company. So, we're going to use it tonight at "Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba" - it's a Tapas restaurant! We've wanted to go to one for quite a while, but they tend to be expensive. Since it's free, we thought we'd go!
Take care!
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