That Teenage Feeling

I moved today, so I haven't got the energy to tell a story right now, but I do want to post these pictures. To give you a better idea of the lovely juxtaposition of consumption that occurred on this fine Sunday in August, the first is at Ravinia, where we drank Portuguese wine and listened to Beethoven with a [mostly] civilized crowd, and the last two are at a Dairy Queen in Highland Park where we were surrounded by surly middle-aged people and rowdy, obnoxious teenagers. It was our adventure! All for the love of wine, walking, and the rush one gets from wandering with a general goal but no map... (Yes, this can occur even in the suburbs if they are unfamiliar to the adventurers in question! I would argue that they're even more intimidating since everything tends to look alike and there are fewer landmarks than in the city proper.)
Lady would not let me take her picture because of the sweaty-ass day we'd had, and I can't blame her. She did provide her lovely Blizzard cup as a substitute.

Suffice it to say we walked for miles that day, and to reward ourselves, cool off, and pass the time before the last train back to civilization (as we know it), we hit DQ. Seldom have I been so thrilled to patronize a suburban chain "restaurant," but goddamn was that Blizzard goo-ood! We failed to achieve our original goal (finding a specific wine warehouse... AND finding it open for business), but as Lady says, it makes for a good story. Trekking all over the 'burbs was refreshing... We heard nature at dusk, tested Lady's navigation skills and my patience (success on both counts), and earned those effing Blizzards with double helpings of candy (Butterfinger AND Heath Bar for me).

Lesson to take away from that day of the trip: Everything feels more satisfying when one has had to search for it, chase after it, or otherwise work for it. I think I needed to be reminded. Another lesson: Do things occasionally that make no sense. It's refreshing. Trust your crazy friends every now and again, even if your own instinct is to do what's logical. Let them run with it and take you along... It's safe as long as you're in the suburbs!

Okay, I just wrote waaaay more than I thought I would/could/should.

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Now playing: Neko Case - John Saw That Number
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Think Twice Before You Go

I said I was venturing out a couple of places this morning, but I really don't want to get hot and sweaty before I have to, I only slept about 3.5 hours, and I want to upload pictures while I have bandwidth. Plus, I've already said goodbye to my gracious hostess, so I feel I've already closed the trip file, so to speak. And here we go:

Saturday morning, we "slept in" (8:30ish), and then I headed down to the gym for a run. I also ran out to Trader Joe's for breakfast stuff and picked up my first even musk melon, which is a nearly identical cousin to the cantaloupe, which I love so dearly. We bummed around a bit reading the paper and blogs and studying Hindi (well, the one of us who does that...), and then we headed out to Millennium Park for a Gehry pilgrimage, as you can see below:

I needed a better look at the Pritzker Pavilion, which is where we'd spent Thursday night. For some reason - I am ashamed to admit - it did not dawn on me that the spectacular structure before me was a Gehry design, thought it is quite obvious for those who know anything about his work. The BP Bridge gave me a valid excuse to go back since I wasn't even aware of its existence until Friday... It's beautiful from the air, which is how it's shown on the Millennium Park website, though I found it somewhat less striking in person. Then again, it's like trying to photograph the Statue of Liberty or, more appropriately, the Sears Tower from right outside the door. The bridge is stunning from above, serpentine and shiny. Up close, it's cool, but the perspective and, accordingly, perception are entirely different. I also discovered that while overcast skies make for glare-free photography of Gehry structures, they also take away somewhat from their gleaming metallic appeal. They just look a little dull (not as in boring), but I was still so, so pleased to be able to see them both up close. Thank God Lady indulged me every time I paused for photographs.

Speaking of Lady and photographs, here is one of us in a garden in the park:

We had just taken about six million pictures for some folks who were there together for a family reunion, so I just asked them to return the favor...

From there, we headed back across Michigan Avenue to Intelligentsia for coffee and cafe/book/newspaper time. Intelligentsia is a pretty big deal around here, so I was happy to have a chance to check it out. I am happy to report that it lived up to my expectations in terms of product and staff. (Even Lady was pleased, and her years as a barista have made her quite picky...) Anyway, establishment aside, it was wonderful to sit on the sidewalk and relax and occasionally banter about the what we were reading, people, coffee, work, drinks, etc. I also felt as if I were on weather vacation... Overcast, low humidity, and low 70s in August? Not in North Carolina, buddy. It was divine.

Next up was the Chicago Cultural Center, just around the corner from Intelligentsia at the corner of Michigan and Washington. Lady had spotted the magic word: India. (And she remembered the other one: free.) The exhibition we were after is "New Narratives: Contemporary Art from India." Once, it housed the Chicago Public Library, and oh, what a building! Much like my experience at the V&A in London last autumn, the building was so beautiful that at times it almost distracted me from the pieces on display. The space was as satisfying as the exhibition itself, which was terrific in its own right. The art held its own in terms of quality and creativity, and the theme was interesting for me as well since India isn't as overdone (or done at all!) as Impressionism and the like. Having Lady of all people with me added another dimension to the experience since India is her thing, and it's always fun to see exhibitions with someone who is really into the subject matter and who likes to walk around and comment on things as we go. I have found over the years that my company can make a huge difference in my museum-going experience. Lady gets an A+.

(Yes, the day is STILL going...)

We left the Cultural Center and walked up Michigan in search of Vosges Haut-Chocolate, Fox & Obel, and a liquor/wine/beer store for tortuously-mouthwatering-but-fun browsing... The fate of foodies on a finite budget! It was starting to get late, and we were starting to get understandably hungry, so we returned home to fetch a recipe, do a little shopping, and get our cook on! We decided to cancel our dinner reservation at Bin 36 and do it ourselves. (You can get a lot drunker that way!) I wanted to cook while I was here, so cook I did... for several hours and a couple of bottles of wine (Castle Rock pinot noir and an organic tempranillo by Flourish). I don't think we ate until close to 10 pm, and after all that wine and walking and oogling and chopping and stirring and boiling and sauteeing and baking and chewing, we were both pretty tired. We watched a little more Bollywood ("Bollywood/Hollywood" to be exact!) and conched out. It had been another good, leisurely day.

Sunday's events will have to be told later, as I must get things cleaned up around here and head for the airport... Quite a story to be told... An "adventure," I daresay!

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Now playing: John Lee Hooker - Think Twice Before You Go
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Hot In the City

Many, many things to report from lovely Chicago!

The aforementioned afternoon run was stunning, as we ran along Lake Michigan and the back down Dearborn Street through Gold Coast. It was very hot, but there's something to be said for running with your very good friend in the presence of a great body of water. I think it's one of those things you can't explain but must experience for yourself. My run along the Danube with Lady comes to mind as another shining example of the sensation brought about by such a run, and it's one of my favorite travel memories...

After the run, we decided to get cleaned up and head down to Millennium Park for live blues and jazz at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion (designed by my hero Frank Gehry!). The evening eludes description for me except to tell you that it was the perfect culmination of several of my favorite things in the world: wine, music, summer, grass, sunset, the outdoors, fine architecture, and the very pleasing company of my friend.From Millennium Park we headed up to Sheridan to Jason's for a gathering of some local friends and others who were in town for YearlyKos. I should have made it a point to meet everyone and get acquainted, but I was somewhat intoxicated prior to arrival from the two beers I drank post-run (one of which was in the shower!) and the bottle of South African Petit Chenin I split with Lady at the park, so I spent most of my time and attention catching up with Kevin, a friend I made during last summer's visit. It was great to see him again since we'd hit it off instantly before, though it wasn't long until we had to get back downtown and let Lady get to bed for an early start the next day.

The next day (Friday) involved buying the smallest pair of jeans I've ever been able to get on (sweet success!), chilling at the spectacular rooftop pool, going out on Devon for Indian food and shopping with Kate (of Budapest fame), and then coming back here to watch a Bollywood film bought on said shopping expedition. It was a fun and relaxing day, and it was great to see Kate again.

Now, since it is my last morning here, I should stop blogging and hit those last few things I want to see while I can... Hopefully I can do more tonight.

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Now playing: Billy Idol - Hot in the City
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Now at Last

I'm in Chicago, and Lady and I are having a lovely time! So far, I have had train issues every day that I've been here, but all else is grand. This apartment is in the perfect place (near Trader Joe's AND the river, Mag Mile, several good wine shops, etc), and I am quite happy to be able to talk to Lady face to face again. (We don't do that very often despite the rapid-fire electronic communication...)

Yesterday, we took the train (incorrectly according to our tickets, but hey, we got there...) down to Hyde Park to hit some bookstores and see the University of Chicago campus. I came away from Powell's with a copy of Ernest Hemingway's "Green Hills of Africa," and Lady bought a Wolpert book from the relatively enormous India section. (See picture! Illustrative AND quintessential Ladylike scene...) We also hit a co-op store on the U of C Seminary. It was cavernous and massive and great fun to browse, though there were no steals like at Powell's since everything was new. Even so, the selection was mind-boggling and well worth the trip! Satisfied for the day with our exploration of the world of print's offerings, we headed back up to River North to TJ's and then home. We unsuccessfully attempted to watch Bollywood films, watched "We Don't Live Here Anymore" instead, and then went to bed, really. I drank some wine, which made me very happy.

Today, Ladypants is at work for a while, and I've already been out on a wee wine buying expedition and architectural exploration. Now, I'm just cooling off and rehydrating in anticipation of the afternoon's run. There's a party this evening as well! Les woots!

More later...

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Now playing: Reverend Gary Davis - I Belong To The Band
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