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?