Free Free And Free! Be Safe!

   Here are a few of Chicago's free New Years offerings....

   -Free Shuttle Bus Rides:  The Miller Lite Free Rides program will be offering free shuttle bus rides in some of the many popular bar areas in Chicago.  Hopefully this will encourage everyone to have a safe holiday and prevent drunk driving.
   -Penny Fares on the CTA (almost free):  Chicago is again encouraging everyone to celebrate New Years and be safe by not drinking and driving.  The Penny Fare program is a 25 year tradition for the CTA.
  -Free Limo Rides for Southside Chicago residents:  5 south suburbs are offering free limo rides home starting at 11pm on New Years Eve until 4am on New Years Day.  Residents in these participating south suburbs can call Carey Limousine Chicago at 800-752-5400.  Participating suburbs include Orland Park,  Palos Heights, Mokena, Tinley Park, and New Lenox.

Navy Pier's New Years Fireworks!

  While you're in Chicago, ring in the New Year with a beautiful fireworks display over Lake Michigan! 

   Tomorrow night the Family Fireworks Display is at 8:15pm followed by a Midnight Fireworks Display that'll help kick off 2011!
   
   Navy Pier - 600 E. Grand Ave.

NYE Party in Chicago

  Don't have NYE plans yet?  Interested in trying something new?  Dore Lounge opened earlier this year and is celebrating New Years in style.  There is no cover charge and there will be a champagne toast at midnight plus bottle and group packages. 
  Dore is the French word for "Golden" or "Gilded" and the beautiful interior emphasizes this classy lounge's name. 
  For more information about Dore's NYE party please visit:

http://www.fanfueled.com/events/205-dore-lounge-s-new-years-eve-2011-a-golden-new-year

Weather Report

  Chicago had a White Christmas.  By the end of this week, it should have a slightly warm, wet New Years.  Thursday it's suppose to be up to 40 degrees and Friday is suppose to be in the upper 40s, with some weather experts even predicting 50 degrees.  Ring in the New Year with a little warmth and hopefully not too much standing water.

Urban Wonderland

  There's an apartment front on LaSalle that I really like because it stands out between all the other buildings around it.  It has trees and shrubs and benches, almost like a mini park within a huge urban jungle.  For Christmas, they decorated all the trees and I think it looks amazing, how about you?

Christmas at The Fourth Presbyterian Church

  The Fourth Presbyterian Church is a huge, beautiful church located on Michigan Avenue near Water Tower Place.  It has a beautiful courtyard and is probably one of my top 5 favorite churches in Chicago.  For the Christmas season, it's hosting a selection of Christmas concerts including a "Christmas with Tower Brass" concert this Saturday, December 18, at 5pm.  There's a suggested donation of $10 per person. 
  On Sunday a"Christmas Cantata: Magnificat by Aaron David Miller" will be performed by the Morning Choir, Tower Brass, and organ.  Miller is an internationally recognized organist and composer.  It will be performed during the 9:30am and 11:00am worship in the sanctuary.

Seen in front of the McDonalds on Ontario (formerly the Rock n Roll McDonalds)...

...a man marching up and down the sidewalk with his fist in the air yelling jibberish. 

I, along with others, observed from a safe distance.

Glorious Salt!

  The salt gods have been very generous.  The sidewalks this morning were nicely salted and they even had colored salt that gave the gray sidewalks splashes of mint green, bright blue, and purple.  In years past, the sidewalks have been so heaped with salt that it would be almost floating in the air and you could taste it in your mouth.  As the weather worsens and the salt continues to pile up, I'm sure I will be acquainted with that all too familiar taste again.

Salt Please

  This morning I was forced to take a different route to work since my normal route was too dangerous to attempt.  Many of Chicago's sidewalks have been cleared or salted but for some reason Wacker Drive, along the river, has not been salted and is currently comprised of solid sheets of ice.  I understand that the city is on a tight budget but as I was slipping along, I did notice that the small trees in the planters that decorate Wacker Drive have lights strung around them.  I agree with keeping the Christmas spirit but a safe walkway would be nice too.

Chicago Remembers Pearl Harbor

  Chicago will remember Pearl Harbor today.  Chicago Remembers Pearl Harbor will be hosted at Navy Pier starting at 11am.  The 69th Anniversary is honored by a Bell Ringing Ceremony which pays tribute to the seven Illinois Pearl Harbor victims that died during the attack, along with all the other victims and those who fought for our country. 

You know you're in Chicago when...

...one day you're walking on sidewalks and the next day you're walking on enough sheets of ice for the Ice Capades.

Getting around Chicago

  This morning, when the elevator doors opened in my building, a man on roller blades skated out of the elevator and out the building's revolving door.  I'm not sure if he was just getting off work or if he was only going out for a skate.  Either way, it's good he's enjoying his roller blading before the sidewalks and streets become unskatable and other means of transportation are necessary.  Will someone ski out of the elevator next time?

Ann Taylor Monday Promotion

  This morning at the Ann Taylor on Michigan Avenue, there was a large sign in the window reading "Today Only 40% Off Entire Purchase".  This looks like a very good post-Thanksgiving sale and I'm assuming other Ann Taylors in the area are offering similar discounts.

Tree Lighting Ceremony in Daley Plaza Tonight

  Another fun holiday activity is the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony in Daley Plaza (Washington and Dearborn Streets).  Musical performances being at 4:30pm with the tree being lit at 5pm tonight. 
  In past years, the Daley tree has been made up of multiple trees to form one giant tree.  This year, like last year, due to budget cuts the tree will be one 50-foot tree which was donated to the city.  Santa will also be in his workshop tonight from 6-8pm to listen to gift requests. 

Chicago's Thanksgiving Day Parade

  Chicago loves celebrating the fall and winter holidays.  This past Saturday Chicago kicked off the holiday season with the Lights Festival and Parade.  Thanksgiving Day the festivities continue with the Thanksgiving Day Parade.  The Parade is from 8:30am-11am and runs along State Street from Congress to Randolph.  The parade features marching bands, floats, drill teams, and enormous character balloons.  Santa Claus and Ronald McDonald will also be in the mix to give holiday cheer.
  Chicago's Parade was born during the Depression years in an effort to lift the spirits of Chicagoans during these tough times.  The parade originally was more of a Christmas parade and officially became a Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1999. 
  Enjoy all the festivities the city has to provide and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Weather Report

  The temperature in Chicago today is suppose to reach close to record highs.  Mother nature is giving us a last little taste of warmth before the winter.  As we're trying to enjoy this last mild day of the year (minus the rain), those in Fargo, North Dakota currently have 10 degrees as a high and snow.  Just a preview of what will be in store for Chicago. 

Chicago's People

  One of my favorite things to do in Chicago while walking is people watch.  The great thing about Chicago is that there are so many different types of people, different ages, different ethnicities, different everything.  Some people walking to work are wearing full business suits, while others are more casual in khakis.  Some lucky people even get to wear jeans to work.  Most people wear gym shoes for the walking, even women wearing skirts and dresses.  In the morning, sometimes I'll see joggers, dressed in skimpy clothes, even when it's only 30 degrees out.  I wonder what time they have to go to work, or if they do work.  A treat to see is the dog walkers.  Just like people, I see so many different kinds of dogs.  Big dogs, little dogs, young dogs, old dogs, dogs dressed in clothes.  One time I saw a Doberman Pinscher being trained as a guide dog.  That sparked my interest because most guide dogs I've seen are Labs or Golden Retrievers. 
  Sometimes during rush hour, the sidewalks are so crowded that we have to walk closer together then normal.  I take this opportunity to really study some people.  Not in a creepy way, but in a way where I try to imagine what they do for work, where they live or what made them get to this point in their lives.  Yesterday I saw a man in a full suit with a big purple scarf tied tightly around his neck.  Besides the obvious question, I also wondered if he knew how much attention he would be getting by tying the scarf around his neck.
  One of the best things about people watching in Chicago is that there never seems to be a shortage of interesting people to watch.

Magnificent Mile Lights Festival This Saturday

  This Saturday, Novemeber 20, starting at 11am, Chicago is kicking off the holiday season with its annual Lights Festival.  There are concerts throughout the day.  The Lights Procession is from 5:45pm -7pm, followed by fireworks over the Chicago River.  Seeing Michigan Avenue all lit up at night is incredibly enchanting. 

Seen on Wacker Drive early this morning...

...a cigar smoking, middle aged man, in a sporty convertible with the top down.  Some people might think this is a perfect example of a mid-life crisis.  For me, standing there in my coat, hat, and mittens, it actually brightened my day and took my thoughts away from the inevitable cold winter Chicago will be having soon.

Veterans Day

  Thank you to all the people that have served our country in the past and are currently serving it now.  Thank you for your sacrifice and for fighting for our freedom!

  Chicago is honoring Veterans Day with a ceremony at Soldier Field today.  It begins at 11am and features guest speakers and music by the U.S. Navy Band Great Lakes.

You know you're in Chicago when...

...you wear pants and a fleece in the morning and shorts and a t-shirt in the afternoon.

Bank Alert

  This is an interesting new type of bank robber...how about the Swine Flu Bandit?  There have been reports that this bandit has been hitting up, or I should say holding up, banks in Chicago and a couple of suburbs.  He has entered the banks wearing a surgical mask and has told concerned bank employees that he has swine flu.  Recently, he's apparently switched from wearing his swine flu mask to wearing a scarf.  They're saying he is getting more and more dangerous with every robbery.  Do they mean dangerous or contagious?

The Christmas Season...

...has begun, according to many store windows.  It seems like almost overnight, store windows changed over to Christmas trees and lights and big signs that read "Christmas".  On the radio, they were saying that it's fine to start decorating for Christmas anytime after Halloween.  Apparently the stores were listening to the same radio station I was.

Free Samples in Chicago

  Over the years, I've collected a variety of free samples from all different types of companies.  Union Station is usually a hot spot for free samples but I've also be given some on Michigan Avenue and in the State Street area.  This morning I was surprised with some nice Nescafe coffee packet samples, but other products have included boxes of frozen fries, sports drinks, vitamin water, energy drinks, soda, milk chugs, Ben & Jerry's ice cream cones, chocolate, and small boxes of cereal.  There was also like a whole week where I got coupons from McDonalds for free iced coffees.  As the economy began to tank, I saw less and less freebies being given out.  In fact, there were less products for people but actually more products for pets!  For a while, there were days upon days where free boxes of dog and cat food were being given out, both at Union and Ogilvie Stations and on Michigan Avenue.  Hmmm, could there be a correlation between the state of the economy and the types of free samples being given out?  Do dogs and cats benefit more as the economy is in a recession? 
  A few weeks ago I was given a free sample of a business magazine.  Maybe they're trying to tell us that when the economy is bad to eat less, feed our pets more, and read business magazines so we can get ourselves financially back on track.
  .....or they just can't afford to be showering us Chicagoans with free goodies.

Interesting

  It has come to my attention that today is not only Election Day but it is also a Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.  Interesting how they both fall on the same day this year.  For some people I guess electing politicians is like a Day of the Dead.  Others hopefully feel that today will be a new awakening for America.  Only time will tell and hopefully the Day of the Dead will not foreshadow America's future.

Election Day

  Election Day.  On the news they're saying that today's election is a historical moment in election history.  They're pointing out which types of voters are picking which party and how the economy is having a great impact on voters' decisions.
  On the Chicago news, they said there were suppose to be candidates meeting and greeting people at the train stations this morning.  I didn't see any by the Madison Street entrance for Union Station but across the street by Ogilvie Station, I did hear a woman's voice yelling "Have a great day!".
  Yesterday morning at my suburban train station, I was surprised with a donut from the Tea Party.  They had a nice information packet for me to look over while I was waiting for my late train (late because a person in Bartlett jumped in front of an earlier train).  The packet had different questions and showed a chart of how different candidates answered those questions.  I'm glad it wasn't a packet that solely bashed other candidates because those turn me off.  I already voted bright and early this morning.  I'll be monitoring candidate progress throughout the day but unfortunately will be in bed before we find out the results.

Metra Milwaukee District West Line Alert

  This morning, it's very unfortunate to hear that a pedestrian was hit and killed by a Metra train in Bartlett.  As of right now I have no further information as to what happened.  I do know that the most recent morning trains into Union Station were only running about 10-15 minutes late. 
  I cannot stress enough about being careful around trains and train tracks.

Interesting...

  Normally I wouldn't post naughty words on my blog but I thought this marketing campaign was very interesting.

Beer Abuse

  As I neared my station tonight, I got up and got in line with the other commuters to wait to get off the train.  I just so happen to look over at an empty seat and see a cooler full of ice and unopened cans of beer sitting there unattended.  I thought maybe it belonged to the person behind me but when I looked at him, he was also looking at the cooler of beers with a surprised look on his face.  Could someone really have left these beers behind?  These ice cold unopened beers were really forgotten?  I'm surprised they weren't already gone from all the tired, thirsty passengers that were still waiting to get home.

Just Wondering...

  This past weekend I had a wonderful meal at Fogo de Chao on LaSalle (thanks to a gift from a friend).  In the front window, they had a fire going and large, dripping portions of meat roasting around the fire.  I wonder if this meat is eventually served to patrons?  or is it unedible after being in the front window so long?  If they don't serve the meat to patrons, do they throw it out?  Just wondering...

Weather Report II

   Throughout history, many people and cultures had different rituals that attempted to control rainfall and even the weather in general.  Sacrifices were made, statues were worshipped, etc.  In more modern times, people have come up with different inventions that also attempt to control rain.  China widely practices "cloud seeding", where they launch pellets containing silver iodide into clouds.  Silver iodide is believed to concentrate moisture, thus causing rain.  This was used in the 2008 Beijing Olympics to force clouds to drop their rain before reaching the city. 
   On a day like today in Chicago, I would be more then happy to launch some silver iodide pellets at those dark clouds that are causing all the rain.  Hopefully forcing the clouds to drop their rain over the lake instead of over our heads.  I'm sure many people would agree with me, especially after having their tattered umbrellas end up in the garbage.  I haven't researched the effects that silver iodide has on the environment but it would be nice to think that we could control the clouds, at least until we arrive to work.

Weather Report

 The news this morning said it would be in the upper 70s today, almost reaching previous records.  So far, I think October has been my favorite month for weather in Chicago this year.  We've had very people-friendly weather, not too hot, not too cold.  Just mild, comfortable weather. 
  However, tomorrow there is a prediction for high winds, up to 60mph.  Should be interesting trying to get to and from work by foot....

The enormous spider is located at....

  The Richard H. Driehaus Museum at 40 E. Erie Street, between Wabash and Rush.  I'll be on the look-out for more cool ways Chicago gets dressed up for the holidays.

Where am I?

OCD

  Every morning I watch, along with all the other commuters standing on the train platform, as a fellow commuter pulls into a parking spot, gets out of his SUV, and then proceeds to walk around his car checking all his door handles and tapping on all his windows.  In the silent morning air, everyone can hear the pulling and the tapping.  Seeing this obsessive compulsive behavior, I started thinking about whether I had any obsessive compulsive behaviors.  When I get out of my own car and lock my car doors, I always have to peer through the car window to make sure the doors are locked.  That could be viewed as a little obsessive compulsive.  I also thought of the routines that I go through every day and how I prefer to do some daily activities a certain way, every single day.
  I've read that dogs also feel comfortable in routines.  When taken out of the comfort of a routine and the "expected", some dogs can get anxious and irritable.  Humans seem to need obsessive compulsive behaviors and routines to feel comfortable and to curb anxiety.  Humans seem to need that sense of control in this chaotic world, even if it means pulling on car doors and tapping on car windows in front of a few dozen people.
 

Kardashian in Chicago

  FYI: For those that like to keep up with the Kardashians, Kim Kardashian will be at Water Tower Place tonight.  She is working with Michael Hill to give away a 22 carat ring to the "world's best couple".  I don't know all the details but I believe couples can sign up online for the competition.

Introduction

  Hi, I am a Chicagoan and I would like to share what I experience in the city of Chicago on a daily basis.  o.k., I'm technically a suburbanite, but I have spent a majority of the last 10 years in Chicago, first for school and then for my job.  I actually spend more time in a week in Chicago then I do in the suburbs, so therefore I do consider myself a Chicagoan. 
  Every day I see interesting, amazing, and crazy things that happen in Chicago and I would like to share them.  I would like to share my random thoughts, along with my great (and not so great) experiences.  I would also like to keep people informed with what is going on out and about in Chicago.  I hope that both native Chicagoans and those not so familiar with Chicago will enjoy my blog. 
  The first Chicago "happening" I would like to share is an event that took place last Thursday, October 14th, at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura (the Italian Institute of Culture).  It was a presentation about the book, "It Happened In Italy" by Elizabeth Bettina.  She was accompanied by Holocaust/Final Solution survivor, Ursula Korn-Selig.  It was a wonderful presentation about how Italy was able to save 80% of its Jewish population during the Holocaust.  The book shows photos and gives detailed accounts from both Jewish survivors and Italians.  Many Italians risked their lives to help the Jews that fled to Italy during this time.  I'm so glad that we were able to attend this presentation and I would definitely recommend it to others.  The Italian Institute of Culture has many other events and provides many great resources as well, such as Italian language courses.
  Wow, my introduction post was longer then expected.  I do not plan on making my posts this long in the future but I guess I had a lot to say to introduce myself and my purpose.