NYC Getaway

We have done more traveling this year than we thought we could or would, but haven't been so good on posting the photos. By which I mean...we weren't so good at taking enough photos, either...


We did succeed in eating pizza, walking through the park, browsing the Met, staying out 'til 4am, sampling cheap-and-cheerful slow food cuisine, seeing live improv, spending time with family, lunching on bagels, hearing late night music in tiny clubs, and making up for lost time with those we miss.


It is hard not to love New York (when you don't have to pay rent, right?), but it made me appreciate the differences between NYC and our current home. Where New York feels close, eclectic, and accessible, Chicago sometimes goes for sheer height, size, distance, and largess. New York accepts any and all weirdos and sophisticates, but in the Midwest we seem to walk a somewhat more moderate line. One thing I never would have guessed - Chicago's El is cleaner than the NYC subway. Ha!

One more thing - although NYC is the city that never sleeps, I would like to say that sometime around 3:30 am on a hot subway car, some people certainly do....

On trying to keep up...

“It is hopeless for the occasional visitor to try to keep up with Chicago-she outgrows his prophecies faster than he can make them. She is always a novelty; for she is never the Chicago you saw when you passed through the last time.”
- Mark Twain

And that, blog friends, is why I have had to time to write!

Second-hand rejection

I recently went to The Barn Sale on a thrifty adventure. This is the sale to end all sales - it occupies the entire Kane County fairgrounds, and the crowds fill the entire parking lot. And yes, they have a website. The countdown to Barn Sale 2010 has already begun.

Anyway, there is nowhere to try on your purchases in the giant barns of used goods, so I came home with several pairs of very nice jeans that were not quite the right size. There are a few stores in Chicago where you can take your old - yet still fashionable - clothes and trade them in for store credit, so I thought, "Hey, I can trade in these jeans and maybe find some that fit me."

Alas, it was not to be. The standards for this 2nd hand store are too ritzy for my Barn Sale selections. They wouldn't even take them for free (!)

"Well," she explained, "These washes are one or two seasons old. Dark wash skinny jeans are what's in now."

Feeling slightly strange about this rejection (Um, hello - they sell 2nd-hand Old Navy!), I went home repeating my latest Recessionista mantra: She who sews has the newest clothes, she who sews has the newest clothes....

One hour and one pair of jeans later, I am the proud owner of tailor-made skinny jeans and officially ready for the winter crafting season. Faboosh, indeed.

Green thumb. And green food.

Any suggestions on what to do with 4 plants-worth of green roma tomatoes?

No amount of poking, prodding, trimming, ignoring, pleading, organic spraying or loving could make those darn things turn red this year. Meanwhile, the 'Sweet 100s' variety has been putting out tasty little tomatoes all the while. Hmmm...

A friend sent me this delicious looking recipe for jalapeno and green tomato jam (hellooooo, grilled cheese sandwich!) and another has suggested egg, feta, and green tomato pizza.

Any other tasty suggestions?

Chicago contra-dance affair

Yes, I'm in love...with folk dancing.

It's true. I love a good Virginia Reel, swinging my partner, and Dashing White Sargent as much as anyone.

Phew, that feels better.

So, to add to the random dance experiences in my life, I will now add contra dancing to the list. What is it? It's somewhere between what you might see in a Jane Austen movie, square dancing, and ceilidh dancing. And it's really, really fun. (Look at me now, Mom! One step away from square dancing! Now where is that petticoat....)

My friend (a researcher) asked me to rate my recent experience:

"Please rate how weird it was:
1. Not weird at all, just like a trip to the grocery store.
2. Somewhat weird. Ok, grocery store but with pink neon lights by the registers
3. Weird: I did not know people like this existed
4. Very Weird: I was surprised to see that people like this could communicate and gather... and dance.
5. Extremely Weird: I felt out of place. I will never wear a kilt, sway my sword and shout 'Me lads and lasses: dance!'"

I'll leave the choice up to you.

Sit down....if you dare!!!!

As some of you may know, we are in possession of a certain chair from a certain bestest friend that has the title 'The Death Chair.' It has lived with us, formerly our friend, and in a few dorm rooms, for several years.

Why is it called The Death Chair? Because our friend's very wonderful and kind grandparent departed this earthly life while sitting comfortably in it. We never once thought this was creepy. Until now...(I am filling in for my blog spouse with this story as told to me):

"On the way to class last night I stopped at A's place to pick up some things. I walked in, looked around, and I realized that he had the exact same recliner as we have, only in black. "

(Note: This is pretty unique - it's a 1960s original La-Z-Boy upholstered in naugahyde plastic. But I digress).

"I said to A, I have that exact same chair! I love it!

He said, "Yeah, but did your grandfather die in it?"

Eeeeek! La-Z-Boy: So comfortable, you could just die. (No really, you could).

¡Super!

There is a restaurant on Clark street, which has probably the best name ever: ¡Super Tortas Futboleros!

Not being a competent Spanish speaker, I interpreted this to mean one of a few things:

1. Our tortas are super, like super footballers.
2. Our tortas are the size of soccer balls...or soccer players.
3. Our tortas look like soccer players. (Look at his outfit. This is a real possibility!)
4. Footballers are tortas. ¡Super!

The answer is.....all of the above. I learned that super tortas are big sandwiches invented in Mexico, and at this shop they are named after international footballers.

So, your order might be something like "Una Jorge Campos to go, por favor."

¡Super!

Heard on campus:

"Gosh, is it a weekday? I had no idea."

Random observations from biking:

1. I have found many bugs hitching a ride on my shirt - my torso doubles as a non-lethal windshield.
2. Foggy mornings = free steam facial!
   
3. I saw a little boy wearing a foil suit on his way to school. Yep - foil, all head to toe. It was a knight costume, and I can imagine his parents didn't really want to argue about it.
4. A gentleman was walking around a street in a fluffy robe and slippers. Not just getting the paper - going for a stroll. From this I glean that when you are retired, the world is your living room.
5. Yarmulkes are now appropriate workout wear - I've seen guys doing push-ups and jogging while wearing them.
6. Bike bells make people very, very happy.

Parks and recreation

In the afternoon, some people like going for bike rides in the lakefront park, while others prefer tai chi, yoga, walking their puppies, sitting by the lake, or strolling contemplatively on the paths.

And some people enjoy putting on a one-man portable Caribbean-style electro-synthesizer pop music production, while wearing a Hawaiian shirt and coordinating cowboy hat.

You know, just the usual Chicago park activities.