Thursday July 29th, 2004
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, IL
This is the show that the student I taught back in 1998 at Head-Royce was in. I have learned that this is an important part for Evan because it gets him work towards his Actors Equity Card. Evan had the role of Mendel, the rabbi's son. It's a small part, but he was on stage often and had some lines. It was hard to watch him without laughing, though. And it was also hard not to laugh because the seat Evan got for me was second row center. I was almost IN the show. I hadn't seen Fiddler since I was in high school so the story was new to me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The dancing was great and I recognized almost all the songs in the first half of the show. I must say that Tevye was portrayed less as a Russian Jew than as a blase Texas cowboy, but the actor pulled it off. Congratulations to Evan on a job well done.
Friday July 30th, 2004
Sock Puppet Showgirls
Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 West Belmont Street, Chicago, IL
So you are thinking, "WHAT IS THIS?" Well, so was I. This was a Dave Fink special as he told me that I should go see it. It truly was one of a kind. Let me preface by saying this show will be playing at the New York Fringe Festival next month. That should give you the picture. So, remember the movie in the 90's called "Showgirls"? That one that was panned by everyone for being horrific. The movie that put the kabosh on the non-existent movie career of Elizabeth Berkeley? That one? Well, take that story and make it into a sock puppet show and that's what you've got. The sock that played the lead Elizabeth Berkeley role had all the hair to go with it. It's amazing how realistic a sock puppet can make a pole dance look. There was gross language and foul humor, but it was a one of kind, one you'll never forget performance. I'm still kind of reeling from it.
Saturday July 31st, 2004
Weddings of Mass Destruction
Victory Gardens Theater, 2257 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL
The famed Second City Improv group has a small spin off group that has named itself "Gayco". One of the founding members and leaders of the group is a co-worker of Aleeza's and so she wanted us to go. This was a series of skits performed by six members of the group all in relationship to gay marriage. Some of them were quite funny. A couple that stick out in my mind are the bitterness of single folk when all their gay friends are getting married around them, the concept of the Old Maid and a mother's coming to terms with her lesbian daughter getting married with and all organic buffet. But the highlight for me was one of the performers singing a tribute to her unrequited love.....Alyssa Milano. I was howling.
Saturday, July 31, 2004
Friday, July 30, 2004
The neighboorhood
The loft here in the West Loop is mere blocks away from Chicago's Greektown. For me to walk from the UI-Chicago campus pool back to the loft, I must take a trek through Greektown. A couple of times, I've stopped in at this one bakery and had the very nice young woman behind the counter put together a little box of treats for me. Each time, she has remembered what she has given me in the past, and gives me new stuff to try. Here's tonight's sampling...
Ahhh, Greek pastries
Art that MOVED me
Right next to the Glessner House in the Prairie District at 1801 South Indiana Avenue is the The National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum. Finding this museum is exactly the kind of serendipity that crave on my two and a half month journey.
The National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum
I was initially reluctant to pay the $6 entrance fee to be subjected to art that was lame and uninteresting to me. What a surprise I was in for. How timely it was for me to be here, just as John Kerry has accepted the nomination for the Democratic Party and with our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was just hard for me to imagine that so many of these young men (at the time 19-22) died in the conflict before I was even born. It was really touching for me to read about men who died in the summer of 1970, as I was yet to be born. Here's a sampling of the art that I took pictures of that spoke to me:
The Scream
A letter written by a soldier in December 1968 to his father, with accompanying pictures. I wish each of you could have read it, with the amazing sense of strength, humor and fear in his letter.
The author Jacobs is on the right, age 21 in 1968
Anguish
Some 58,000 dogtags, each representing a fallen soldier of the Vietnam War. As one went through the museum, there was a constant clinking as the dogtags hit each other.
Here was the piece that got me the most, it is the inscription at the bottom that I thought was MOST compelling a statement about what was then and what is now:
"We the willing
Led by the unknowing
Do the necessary
For the ungrateful"
There was a tour group of what must have been Vietnam Veteran's who were touring the museum at the same time I was. I just watched them to see how they were moved, but most were pretty stoic. If this is the power of art, well, then I was completely emotionally charged by what I viewed. For all you who ever visit Chicago, this is a must see.
For me, it was incredibly timely considering what is going on in our world at the moment, especially with the debate on our role in the world.
I was initially reluctant to pay the $6 entrance fee to be subjected to art that was lame and uninteresting to me. What a surprise I was in for. How timely it was for me to be here, just as John Kerry has accepted the nomination for the Democratic Party and with our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was just hard for me to imagine that so many of these young men (at the time 19-22) died in the conflict before I was even born. It was really touching for me to read about men who died in the summer of 1970, as I was yet to be born. Here's a sampling of the art that I took pictures of that spoke to me:
Here was the piece that got me the most, it is the inscription at the bottom that I thought was MOST compelling a statement about what was then and what is now:
There was a tour group of what must have been Vietnam Veteran's who were touring the museum at the same time I was. I just watched them to see how they were moved, but most were pretty stoic. If this is the power of art, well, then I was completely emotionally charged by what I viewed. For all you who ever visit Chicago, this is a must see.
For me, it was incredibly timely considering what is going on in our world at the moment, especially with the debate on our role in the world.
Chinatown and The Prairie District
Today's adventures took me in a direction different that my usual Chicago travels. Most of my attention has been focused on the hip/happening, yuppie northern Chicago area. Today, I turned my attentions to the near-South. My first stop was Chicago's Chinatown, centered on West Cermak and South Wentworth streets. From the picture below, there is no question that I was in Chinatown. Why do all Chinatown's look, smell and feel exactly the same regardless of where in the country/world you are?
The gate to Chinatown on South Wentworth Street with the Sears tower about a mile away
I haven't had Chinese food in who knows how long, so I went looking for the Chinese restaurant that Leah had taken me to when I was here a couple years ago. She had mentioned that it had burned down and when I found it, alas, it was still being remodeled, therefore I had to find another place to go.
Here's where I ate
Food review:
1) Potstickers, surprisingly excellent
2) Hot and Sour Soup, poor, simply awful
3) Eggplant with ground pork, again, excellent. You can thank Mom for her YEARS of indoctrinating me to eat my vegetables for the fact that I voluntarily ordered eggplant. Her years of hard work paid off.
After wandering around Chinatown, I drove about a mile to the East to what is called the Prairie Avenue district. During the late 1800's, South Prairie Avenue was THE address for the rich and famous of Chicago. Marshall Field and George Pullman were only some of the famous names to have beautiful homes on this block. However, due to zoning changes and the slow drift of the wealthy of Chicago relocating to north of the loop, this area fell into disrepair. Many of the beautiful homes were razed and the neighborhood lost its luster. However, during the 80's, there was a move to save the remaining homes and to revitalize the neighborhood.
An original home at 1800 South Prairie Avenue
Right Across the street, the Glessner House at 1801 South Prairie Avenue
A peek into the inner courtyard of the Glessner House
With the prosperity of the late 80's and 90's, the premium on Chicago real estate apparently came to a head and this area, adjacent to the loop was prime real estate. Here's a look at how these remaining beautiful homes are juxtaposed next to newly constructed townhouses and high rises.
1800's and 2000's
New townhomes in the Prairie District
One of the attractions of the Prairie District is that it is right next to the train tracks (allowing easy access to the loop) and right on the other side of the tracks is Lake Michigan. I walked along the overpass and here's the view
To the southeast, The McCormick Convention Center
To the northeast, the newly renovated Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears
One note on Soldier Field. It is currently a designated national historic site, but there is discussion at the moment to have that removed due to the "spaceship" looking remodelling of the inner stadium part. Both the McCormick Center and Soldier Field are a mere quarter mile from the heart of the Prairie District, but separated by the train tracks, thereby giving the area a sense of isolation. Get your piece of this rock before it goes through the roof.
I haven't had Chinese food in who knows how long, so I went looking for the Chinese restaurant that Leah had taken me to when I was here a couple years ago. She had mentioned that it had burned down and when I found it, alas, it was still being remodeled, therefore I had to find another place to go.
Food review:
1) Potstickers, surprisingly excellent
2) Hot and Sour Soup, poor, simply awful
3) Eggplant with ground pork, again, excellent. You can thank Mom for her YEARS of indoctrinating me to eat my vegetables for the fact that I voluntarily ordered eggplant. Her years of hard work paid off.
After wandering around Chinatown, I drove about a mile to the East to what is called the Prairie Avenue district. During the late 1800's, South Prairie Avenue was THE address for the rich and famous of Chicago. Marshall Field and George Pullman were only some of the famous names to have beautiful homes on this block. However, due to zoning changes and the slow drift of the wealthy of Chicago relocating to north of the loop, this area fell into disrepair. Many of the beautiful homes were razed and the neighborhood lost its luster. However, during the 80's, there was a move to save the remaining homes and to revitalize the neighborhood.
With the prosperity of the late 80's and 90's, the premium on Chicago real estate apparently came to a head and this area, adjacent to the loop was prime real estate. Here's a look at how these remaining beautiful homes are juxtaposed next to newly constructed townhouses and high rises.
One of the attractions of the Prairie District is that it is right next to the train tracks (allowing easy access to the loop) and right on the other side of the tracks is Lake Michigan. I walked along the overpass and here's the view
One note on Soldier Field. It is currently a designated national historic site, but there is discussion at the moment to have that removed due to the "spaceship" looking remodelling of the inner stadium part. Both the McCormick Center and Soldier Field are a mere quarter mile from the heart of the Prairie District, but separated by the train tracks, thereby giving the area a sense of isolation. Get your piece of this rock before it goes through the roof.
The loft
Now that I have my camera back, here's some pictures of where I am staying
I sleep in the bed that is in the upper part of the picture and there is another room behind the orange wall.
The dining area, with an amazing table. The chairs are by a Japanese designer and these same chairs are on display at the Art Institute of Chicago.
The kitchen area
A view of the Sears Tower from where I sit as I type to you right now.
So, my idealized romantic experience with Chicago is starting the fade. The weather is warming up and the humidity is starting to rise. And most telling, I am starting to get snarled in traffic (specifically the Kennedy, Edens and Eisenhower expressways). Ahh, the pains of Chicago living are bringing me back reality.
So, my idealized romantic experience with Chicago is starting the fade. The weather is warming up and the humidity is starting to rise. And most telling, I am starting to get snarled in traffic (specifically the Kennedy, Edens and Eisenhower expressways). Ahh, the pains of Chicago living are bringing me back reality.
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Madison, WI
My fascination/obsession with Midwestern college town was fed with an overnight trip to the home of the University of Wisconsin Badgers. In previous trips, I have hit Columbus (Ohio State), Bloomington (Indiana), West Lafayette (Purdue) and most recently, Iowa City (Iowa), but the big kahuna of all these has always been Madison. The day started with the phone call from Canon that my camera was fixed and so I picked it up on my way out of town. It is about a two and a half hour drive from Chicago to Madison (assuming you don't get all confused by the spaghetti like interstates out around O'Hare).
An aerial view of Madison, WI, which is situated between Lake Mendota (foreground) and Monona (background)
I arrived with no agenda or knowledge of the city other than the well-known State Street (Telegraph is the Berkeley equivalent and The Ave is the UW equivalent) that connects the University of Wisconsin on the west end and the capitol a mile to the east. I arrived and I saw hordes of people headed towards the capitol and so I asked what the deal was. I had luckily arrived on one of the nights in which the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra was performing one of it's six summer outdoor concerts on the lawn of the capitol. Bonus.
The masses on the lawn
My side view of the orchestra
A view of the eastern entrance to the Wisconsin State Capitol
Alas, I must comment that instead of it being a concert with some picnicing going on in the background, it was more like picnicing with some music playing in the background. Since most of the crowd was unable to actually see the orchestra they were listening it to it through speakers and therefore were holding conversations (loudly) or dealing with babies and children. One highlight was the United States debut of Hayley Westenra, a 16 year old singer from New Zealand. She was pretty amazing.
After the concert, I took a leisurely stroll to the other side of State Street and ended up getting some ice cream a the Wisconsin Union and taking it out onto the terrace of the Union. This is perhaps the pride and joy of this campus. The terrace opens up directly onto a northwestern view of Lake Mendota and is famous for the bright orange, yellow, red and green steel chairs. Wednesday is apparently open mike night, and I just sat there like a lame older guy, watching younger college aged kids drink beer and cheer on their friends getting up to sing and perform.
The Wisconsin Union Terrace
This morning, I got up from a great night sleep and continued my exploration of Madison. I checked out the Monona Center (Madison's civic center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) and drove around Lake Mendota. I will confess that if there ever were a city that I had a hard time getting oriented in, it was Madison. First of all, it's flat, so there is no real way to use physical landmarks. Was I near Lake Mendota? or Monona? I never got it figured out so when I found the highway that I knew, I got on it and blew out of town, back to Chicago.
I arrived with no agenda or knowledge of the city other than the well-known State Street (Telegraph is the Berkeley equivalent and The Ave is the UW equivalent) that connects the University of Wisconsin on the west end and the capitol a mile to the east. I arrived and I saw hordes of people headed towards the capitol and so I asked what the deal was. I had luckily arrived on one of the nights in which the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra was performing one of it's six summer outdoor concerts on the lawn of the capitol. Bonus.
Alas, I must comment that instead of it being a concert with some picnicing going on in the background, it was more like picnicing with some music playing in the background. Since most of the crowd was unable to actually see the orchestra they were listening it to it through speakers and therefore were holding conversations (loudly) or dealing with babies and children. One highlight was the United States debut of Hayley Westenra, a 16 year old singer from New Zealand. She was pretty amazing.
After the concert, I took a leisurely stroll to the other side of State Street and ended up getting some ice cream a the Wisconsin Union and taking it out onto the terrace of the Union. This is perhaps the pride and joy of this campus. The terrace opens up directly onto a northwestern view of Lake Mendota and is famous for the bright orange, yellow, red and green steel chairs. Wednesday is apparently open mike night, and I just sat there like a lame older guy, watching younger college aged kids drink beer and cheer on their friends getting up to sing and perform.
This morning, I got up from a great night sleep and continued my exploration of Madison. I checked out the Monona Center (Madison's civic center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) and drove around Lake Mendota. I will confess that if there ever were a city that I had a hard time getting oriented in, it was Madison. First of all, it's flat, so there is no real way to use physical landmarks. Was I near Lake Mendota? or Monona? I never got it figured out so when I found the highway that I knew, I got on it and blew out of town, back to Chicago.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
A Michigan Avenue kind of day
I read in the Chicago Tribune online this morning, that the past four day (July 23rd to 27th) stretch was the coolest July 23rd to 27th here in Chicago in a century. I am totally being spoiled with this California-like weather. 80's at the highest with absolutely no humidity to speak of. My luck continues.....
Today, I went back for my second trip to the Art Institute of Chicago to see the special exhibit on Seurat. There was an accompanying audio tour, which enhances any art type of experience. What was different about this exhibit more than any other art exhibit I've ever seen is the fact that the entire exhibit was an explanation of the experimentation and studying Seurat did in the years he painted his most famous work, La Grande Jatte. I've always believed that artists kind of have a vision of what they want to create and then do whatever they do and voila, there it is. This exhibit explained the painstaking process and incredibly systematic way in which Seurat went about creating his painting.
La Grande Jatte painted by Georges Seurat, debuted 1885, painted between 1880-1885
Judgemental me now holds an artist like Seurat in greater esteem. His incredibly scientific approach indicates that there is thought behind every single aspect of the painting from the clothes (up to date fashion at the time of painting) to the direction of the paint strokes. When we got to the painting itself, you simply had to stand back in awe of this masterpiece.
After a couple afternoons at the Art Institute, I took a leisurely stroll up North Michigan Avenue, known as the Magnificent Mile. This is the hub of Chicago's retail industry. For those of you who know me well, shopping isn't something I necessarily do but I did my best to be somewhat interested in the "art" or shopping. I didn't spend any money. At the northern end of the Mile stands one of Chicago's two landmark "tallest" buildings, the John Hancock Building (the other being the Sears Tower).
The John Hancock Building on Chicago's Magnificent Mile
I did the touristy thing and paid my $10.45 (why the weird price?) and took the elevator to the observation deck. On a clear day, one can see four states: Illinois (duh), Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan. Since the Hancock stands a mere two blocks from Lake Michigan that when you step off the elevator it appears as you are walking into an ocean. All you see is the blue of Lake Michigan, it took me a couple seconds to get oriented. As you might expect, the views are amazing.
A political footnote. There is a rising star in the Democratic party and he will be the keynote speaker tonight at the Democratic National convention. His name is Barack Obama. He's a classically American story. He was born and raised in Hawaii to an African father and a Kansas raised mother. His parents were divorced when Obama was an infant. He went to Harvard Law and ended up as a professor of law at the University of Chicago. Aleeza S. had him as a professor when she was at UofC Law and raves about Obama. In 1996, Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate from a district on the South Side of Chicago. In this years Democratic primary, he beat out two self-funded millionaires. He was to fact another self-funded millionaire in the general election, but due to a scandal involving the opening of his divorce proceedings, the Republican candidate, Jack Ryan, has withdrawn from the race. This Illinois Republican party has yet to name a replacement candidate, so at this moment Obama is essentially guaranteed to be the junior senator from Illinois come January 2005. Keep an eye on this one.
Today, I went back for my second trip to the Art Institute of Chicago to see the special exhibit on Seurat. There was an accompanying audio tour, which enhances any art type of experience. What was different about this exhibit more than any other art exhibit I've ever seen is the fact that the entire exhibit was an explanation of the experimentation and studying Seurat did in the years he painted his most famous work, La Grande Jatte. I've always believed that artists kind of have a vision of what they want to create and then do whatever they do and voila, there it is. This exhibit explained the painstaking process and incredibly systematic way in which Seurat went about creating his painting.
Judgemental me now holds an artist like Seurat in greater esteem. His incredibly scientific approach indicates that there is thought behind every single aspect of the painting from the clothes (up to date fashion at the time of painting) to the direction of the paint strokes. When we got to the painting itself, you simply had to stand back in awe of this masterpiece.
After a couple afternoons at the Art Institute, I took a leisurely stroll up North Michigan Avenue, known as the Magnificent Mile. This is the hub of Chicago's retail industry. For those of you who know me well, shopping isn't something I necessarily do but I did my best to be somewhat interested in the "art" or shopping. I didn't spend any money. At the northern end of the Mile stands one of Chicago's two landmark "tallest" buildings, the John Hancock Building (the other being the Sears Tower).
I did the touristy thing and paid my $10.45 (why the weird price?) and took the elevator to the observation deck. On a clear day, one can see four states: Illinois (duh), Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan. Since the Hancock stands a mere two blocks from Lake Michigan that when you step off the elevator it appears as you are walking into an ocean. All you see is the blue of Lake Michigan, it took me a couple seconds to get oriented. As you might expect, the views are amazing.
A political footnote. There is a rising star in the Democratic party and he will be the keynote speaker tonight at the Democratic National convention. His name is Barack Obama. He's a classically American story. He was born and raised in Hawaii to an African father and a Kansas raised mother. His parents were divorced when Obama was an infant. He went to Harvard Law and ended up as a professor of law at the University of Chicago. Aleeza S. had him as a professor when she was at UofC Law and raves about Obama. In 1996, Obama was elected to the Illinois Senate from a district on the South Side of Chicago. In this years Democratic primary, he beat out two self-funded millionaires. He was to fact another self-funded millionaire in the general election, but due to a scandal involving the opening of his divorce proceedings, the Republican candidate, Jack Ryan, has withdrawn from the race. This Illinois Republican party has yet to name a replacement candidate, so at this moment Obama is essentially guaranteed to be the junior senator from Illinois come January 2005. Keep an eye on this one.
Monday, July 26, 2004
A day on the Chicago's North Shore
On Sunday afternoon, I was scheduled to see my friend Aleeza S. from my Cornell years who I had not seen since we both graduated in 1993. However, when I woke up and puttered around the loft for a couple hours, I got antsy and wanted to get going/do something. I was scheduled to take the train up to Evanston, but instead I got into the car and drove to the first ring of suburbs north of the Chicago city limits. These first ring suburbs are old and have a wonderful look about them. The trees are tall and leafy. The houses on big lots, but all of them of different varieties. There is a well worn feeling of age surrounding these small towns of Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe and Kenilworth. I had a couple of hours before I was to meet Aleeza so I drove onto the campus of Northwestern University and took a walk along their beach, which is right on their Evanston campus. I toured through the streets of beautiful houses and also saw the beautiful
The Baha'i Temple in Wilmette, IL
among many other local landmarks. A comment on suburbs. Unfortunately, with the advent of amazing urban sprawl, what we envision when we hear the word suburb is one of planned communities, cookie cutter houses and generally sterile living conditions. But these first ring suburbs just north of Chicago might have fit that billing way back in the day, but today they have graduated to a new, if not more dynamic, conception. Each small town appears to have its own business district with which they encourage people to walk. There are no huge parking lots. Although the houses are on lots larger than one would find in a city, still the houses are close together, thereby reducing "sprawl". What also helped to fall in love with these towns was the beautiful residential homes and the fact that the weather was 75 degrees and little humidity. Every one has told me that my infatuation with these towns will cease come wintertime.
I arrived at Aleeza, Yaron (her husband) and Mia (their 2 and a half year old daughter)'s home in Evanston. Aleeza is one of the most amazing people I've ever known. Back when she was a Freshman at Cornell, she organized an "Alternative Spring Break" where a group of us went to rural West Virginia and did community service. There is no other person in the world who has a stronger sense of civic purpose and giving of one's time and energy to worthwhile causes. In the 10 years we have seen each other, very little about each of us has changed. What was so wonderful was how comfortably Aleeza and I were able to get back into the swing of hanging out.
In the 10 years since I've seen Aleeza, she graduated from Cornell and lived in Isreal for four or so years working with an organization working with Battered Women's Shelter. While there, she became fluent in Hebrew (she's big Jew). During her stay in Isreal, she met and married her husband Yaron. The two of them spent two years in NYC while Yaron went to Columbia for a masters and Aleeza did something amazing (I can't remember what). Then in 1999, they moved to the south side of Chicago so Aleeza could attend The University of Chicago Law School. Last year, she clerked for a judge on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals based in Chicago. This year and next, Aleeza has been awarded a fellowship from one of the major law firms in America to work for The National Center on Poverty Law. Would we expect anything else from Aleeza?
Yaron, Aleeza and I hung out all afternoon while Mia took her afternoon nap. Then, we had a homemade pesto, fruit salad and a regular salad for dinner. But, we had to awake Mia from her nap to eat. There was heated discussion about the protocol on whether or not to wake a sleeping child. Mia's sleep schedule was off and if she slept past six, there would be little chance she would go to bed for good at eight. Eventually the decision was to wake Mia up even though she was still sleeping.
It was a wonderful afternoon and great to catch up with Aleeza. Aleeza, by the way, is eight months pregnant with her and Yaron's second child, a boy. Lastly, I wanted it on the record that Aleeza told me early on the Mia was shy and would probably not be very social with me. Ummm, NO. Mia LOVED me. I have a way with kids........
among many other local landmarks. A comment on suburbs. Unfortunately, with the advent of amazing urban sprawl, what we envision when we hear the word suburb is one of planned communities, cookie cutter houses and generally sterile living conditions. But these first ring suburbs just north of Chicago might have fit that billing way back in the day, but today they have graduated to a new, if not more dynamic, conception. Each small town appears to have its own business district with which they encourage people to walk. There are no huge parking lots. Although the houses are on lots larger than one would find in a city, still the houses are close together, thereby reducing "sprawl". What also helped to fall in love with these towns was the beautiful residential homes and the fact that the weather was 75 degrees and little humidity. Every one has told me that my infatuation with these towns will cease come wintertime.
I arrived at Aleeza, Yaron (her husband) and Mia (their 2 and a half year old daughter)'s home in Evanston. Aleeza is one of the most amazing people I've ever known. Back when she was a Freshman at Cornell, she organized an "Alternative Spring Break" where a group of us went to rural West Virginia and did community service. There is no other person in the world who has a stronger sense of civic purpose and giving of one's time and energy to worthwhile causes. In the 10 years we have seen each other, very little about each of us has changed. What was so wonderful was how comfortably Aleeza and I were able to get back into the swing of hanging out.
In the 10 years since I've seen Aleeza, she graduated from Cornell and lived in Isreal for four or so years working with an organization working with Battered Women's Shelter. While there, she became fluent in Hebrew (she's big Jew). During her stay in Isreal, she met and married her husband Yaron. The two of them spent two years in NYC while Yaron went to Columbia for a masters and Aleeza did something amazing (I can't remember what). Then in 1999, they moved to the south side of Chicago so Aleeza could attend The University of Chicago Law School. Last year, she clerked for a judge on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals based in Chicago. This year and next, Aleeza has been awarded a fellowship from one of the major law firms in America to work for The National Center on Poverty Law. Would we expect anything else from Aleeza?
Yaron, Aleeza and I hung out all afternoon while Mia took her afternoon nap. Then, we had a homemade pesto, fruit salad and a regular salad for dinner. But, we had to awake Mia from her nap to eat. There was heated discussion about the protocol on whether or not to wake a sleeping child. Mia's sleep schedule was off and if she slept past six, there would be little chance she would go to bed for good at eight. Eventually the decision was to wake Mia up even though she was still sleeping.
It was a wonderful afternoon and great to catch up with Aleeza. Aleeza, by the way, is eight months pregnant with her and Yaron's second child, a boy. Lastly, I wanted it on the record that Aleeza told me early on the Mia was shy and would probably not be very social with me. Ummm, NO. Mia LOVED me. I have a way with kids........
My Personal City of Chicago Sightseeing Advisor
Before I left on the trip back in June, I posted a small ad on Craigslist asking for some resident of the City of Chicago for some advice on things to see and do while I had my weeks in Chicago. I got a couple of responses, but the best one by far was a long email from a guy named Dave Fink.
Dave F. on the left with his partner Kim C.
I began to correspond by email with Dave and we have become friends. I took many of his suggestions for things to see and do. But since I have arrived, I have been able to call or email Dave for advice on things and he has always been so great at pointing me in the right direction.
Dave and I met up last Thursday, to finally meet in person. I learned so much about him that I didn't ever know in communicating with him by email and phone. First off, Dave's life passion is theater and performance art. So a couple of years ago, Dave and his partner Kim (male) renovated an old factory in the tiny town of Three Oaks, MI and turned it into the The Acorn Theater. Right now, the theater has performances only on weekends. Dave told me about it and I decided I wanted to go see it. So this past Saturday evening, I drove to Michigan (an hour ahead of Chicago time) and saw a caberet/medley of great American songs sung by Beckie Menzie and Tom Michael. It was so a classically American night that I had a big smile on my face.
One note, the little town of Three Oaks is exit 4 off of I-94 as you enter the southwestern corner of Michigan. Remember back when my car engine melted? That occurred between exits 13 and 14 of the same exact interstate. It's kind of the circle of life for the car!
Lastly, when I got to the Acorn Theater, this was standing right outside the front entrance.
"The Modern Family Cow" from Chicago's 1999 Cows on Parade exhibit. (FYI, that is Dave's picture on the cows rear end. Kim's is on the other side.)
Note that somewhere painted on the cow it references Dave as a "Patron of the Arts." I had to ask him about this, as he is not about bragging about himself. But Dave is quite involved in the Arts scene in the city of Chicago and therefore when he and Kim sponsored a cow, I guess the painters added that on. I finally got it out of him, but a couple of Dave's responsibilities are as the Vice President of the Poeter Center of Chicago Board and as the Chairman of the Chicago Improv Festival Board. Dave F, you ROCK.
FOOTNOTE
Now you are all probably wondering what the "Cows on Parade" thing is. Here's a link to the Chicago commission that was in charge of this event. From what I hear from Chicago residents, the Cows on Parade event was spectacular and incredibly well-received.
I began to correspond by email with Dave and we have become friends. I took many of his suggestions for things to see and do. But since I have arrived, I have been able to call or email Dave for advice on things and he has always been so great at pointing me in the right direction.
Dave and I met up last Thursday, to finally meet in person. I learned so much about him that I didn't ever know in communicating with him by email and phone. First off, Dave's life passion is theater and performance art. So a couple of years ago, Dave and his partner Kim (male) renovated an old factory in the tiny town of Three Oaks, MI and turned it into the The Acorn Theater. Right now, the theater has performances only on weekends. Dave told me about it and I decided I wanted to go see it. So this past Saturday evening, I drove to Michigan (an hour ahead of Chicago time) and saw a caberet/medley of great American songs sung by Beckie Menzie and Tom Michael. It was so a classically American night that I had a big smile on my face.
One note, the little town of Three Oaks is exit 4 off of I-94 as you enter the southwestern corner of Michigan. Remember back when my car engine melted? That occurred between exits 13 and 14 of the same exact interstate. It's kind of the circle of life for the car!
Lastly, when I got to the Acorn Theater, this was standing right outside the front entrance.
Note that somewhere painted on the cow it references Dave as a "Patron of the Arts." I had to ask him about this, as he is not about bragging about himself. But Dave is quite involved in the Arts scene in the city of Chicago and therefore when he and Kim sponsored a cow, I guess the painters added that on. I finally got it out of him, but a couple of Dave's responsibilities are as the Vice President of the Poeter Center of Chicago Board and as the Chairman of the Chicago Improv Festival Board. Dave F, you ROCK.
FOOTNOTE
Now you are all probably wondering what the "Cows on Parade" thing is. Here's a link to the Chicago commission that was in charge of this event. From what I hear from Chicago residents, the Cows on Parade event was spectacular and incredibly well-received.
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