Maxwell Street

Last night after waiting 40 minutes for my luggage to arrive, I left O'hare and eventually arrived at The Palacio around 5:00 PM. Chico Blanco and I snacked on some of his tasty bruschetta before we left for Sox Park to see the Yankees play the White Sox.

Brian joined us there, where we saw the Sox lose their sixth game in a row! Now, I'm a Cubs fan, and I didn't feel quite right cheering for the Sox, but there is no mistaking the fun in hating on the Yankees. It was disappointing, therefore, to see the Sox lose.

After the game, we went to a new bar on Halsted and Maxwell Street. Talk about gentrification, this corner of Chicago used to be the home of the Maxwell Street Market and, I'm told, a place where Chicago blues thrived; now, this corner is a place where young UIC students and local young professionals gather to enjoy new restaurants, a bar, and even an ice cream parlor! I suspect that University Village (the area around Halsted and Maxwell Street) will quickly become the home to many new bars and restaurants.

Saturday Morning
In an email yesterday Devlin indicated he might call this morning, so I've been hanging around waiting for a call from Mumbai, but none yet. I have not heard his voice since early April, so it will be fun when I eventually do reconnect with him.

The day is not even half over, but the weekend is going well so far.

A Year of Anniversaries ... and Other News

This May marked the fifth anniversary of my graduation from college and my ownership of Billie (my Mazda 626), and on this Labor Day I will complete my fifth year of working for a living. Also, ten years ago this June I graduated from high school, excited to leave TPHS behind and anxious to conquer much bigger challenges at UIUC.

The ten year high school anniversary is really quite insignificant. Mostly, my life since high school has been a lot better than my life in high school. And I only casually keep in touch with a handful of my old classmates, so I was ambivalent when the invitation to the high school reunion came in the mail. And, since it was going to be held in Oak Forest on a summer night (this Saturday); I hesitated to attend the event. Finally, at $88 per person, I could think of a lot of better ways to spend the night. But alas, the opportunity of a lifetime arose; a beautiful Italian friend of mine happened to be coming to Chicago in time to attend the reunion with me, and so what was going to be ritualistic and obligatory for me, became a chance to share an American cultural hurdle with someone who would truly appreciate a slice of the American experience.

It is with some regret, therefore, that I announce that the reunion has been cancelled due to lack of interest! I say some regret because with cancellation comes a refund check of $178 that I will try to put to good use. There is no need to email or comment with suggestions for the use of this money; I’m on top of it!

In Other News
Last week and this week I’ve been in Dallas. The people have been great and I’ve been enjoying the local Tex-Mex and BBQ cuisine, but the heat has been considerable. I escaped the Dallas weather (in the 90s) to come home last weekend. On Friday Chico Blanco and I met up with Mark, Ceebs, Tara and Nick for some drinks, and then Ceebs came to The Palacio for another couple beers on the balcony.

Saturday I did a deep-clean of The Palacio for the first time in too long. After that Chico Blanco and I went up to Arco de Cuchilleros for some good tapas, and then to the Hop Leaf for some good Belgian brews! After that I met up with Mark (who had just left the Kelly Clarkson concert, by the way) and others for a few more hours.

On Sunday I woke up realizing that I still had a lot of work to do before I could return to Dallas, so I had to skip seeing the family. But I did buy a 2006 GMAT study guide, and I’m on my way toward completing the exam by the end of this calendar year! It’s been hard to study in the summer, but I’m thinking I’ll buckle down in autumn. Although, now that I know where I’m going in September, I probably shouldn't say that!

By Land or by Sea

Whether by land or sea, I enjoyed myself this weekend. Saturday morning I went with Ceebs, Dave and Bob for a morning sail. There is nothing like the quietude of being on The Lake, pushed forward in a boat by nothing other than an easterly wind in the Windy City. Our wind supply was enough to keep the boat moving, which is as much as one could expect on a sunny mid-summer morning.

For the first time in my sailing experience, I jumped off the boat and swam in the open water! The water was surprisingly warm, and floating a mile from shore was a fun form of recreation, including a nice view of the skyline.

Saturday afternoon I hung out in The Palacio for a little while and then went to the Bash on Wabash, just around the corner. Ceebs' sister had her art on display there, so we checked that out and consumed food from some local enterprises, and then I went with Sovanski to his gig at The Black Spot. It was a small gathering of myself, a few of his good friends, and another musician from south New Jersey. Nonetheless, both Sovanski and the Jersey musician played a great set.

After the concert, we went to Dunlay's for some tasty food and beer, and then we retired for a relatively early night. The only problem was that I had been procrastinating quite a while on certain of my work obligations, so I had to burn a little of the midnight oil to catch up for next week. Will I ever cease to procrastinate? Hopefully some day when I grow up.

In any case, Chico Blanco and I woke up early this morning for a breakfast down in Bridgeport. We cycled down Halsted to Ramova's Grill, a 70 year-old diner, where our wheatcakes, omelette and coffee came to a whopping $10 before tip. And now I'm back in The Palacio, packing and cleaning up the place before an afternoon flight to Dallas.

A Fun View from the Balcón de The Palacio

Dave and Me Swimming off the Boat in Lake Michigan

Grandma, Mom, Cousin Lisa and Me in The Bean

The One and Only Ridda at Millennium Park

Me, and The Bean Under Construction

A Critical Mass on Michigan and Van Buren

Waiting by The Picasso to start Critical Mass

So Much to Say for The Last Week

Let's start with Friday (the 29th). I came home early thanks to my employer's summer hours program! While I was changing clothes and taking care of a few tasks around The Palacio, Mark called to see if Ridda and I wanted to join Laura and him for an afternoon of gallivanting around the city! Of course we did!

I reviewed my Chicago bicycle map in search of a good route; I chose a few roads that would take us to Humboldt Park, Logan Square and then back to the SoLo. We met on 18th and State and headed down 18th toward Pilsen. On our way, we passed a dive that proudly served Old Style beer. Perhaps in a dare, I said, "Let's stop!" Mark obliged, and I couldn't back down, so, before we knew it, we were sitting and watching the Cubs beat the Diamondbacks at an empty bar on 18th and Union!

After one Old Style a piece, we headed through Pilsen, up Halsted and toward the Fulton Market area. On our way, of course, we stopped at Mario's for italian lemonade! We considered stopping again for italian ice, but we thought it was best to wait a day for that. When we arrived at Randolph Street, we saw the Chocolate Cafe, and of course we couldn't resist that either!

Anyway, after so much indulgence we proceeded to Fulton Market, where we found an antique store, and on our way out of the antique store, a random cyclist queried us, "Are you guys coming to Critical Mass?"

I had witnessed Critical Mass once in my life, about 5 years ago in San Francisco, but I had never yet participated. I quickly described the concept to Mark and we decided to join the movement. A quick phone call to Chico Blanco ensured his participation as well!

Mark, Chris and I joined at least 1,000 other cyclists at the Daley Plaza, where we began our takeover of the streets of Chicago! We circled around the Loop, went up Michigan Avenue, through the Gold Coast, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lake View, and finally down Montrose Avenue to Montrose Beach. I must say that the event was great! And, it was nice to imagine that one day a further 'critical mass' of cyclists will change the nature of city transportation and the energy required to make city transit work. Some day...

After approximately 20 miles of cycling, we went for a well-earned dinner at Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder, and then we went to our respective homes. But, I must say, we all took a piece of the bicycle revolution with us!

Saturday, 30-July
It happens once in a while, a day about which I have no great expectations ends up rocking my life. Saturday morning I woke up, cycled to a new breakfast spot on Taylor Street with Chris and Mark, and happened upon a Pilsen community festival, but then had to return to The Palacio so that I could prepare for an afternoon Cubs game.

I took the El to Dave's place, where I enjoyed some afternoon sun at his pool with him and Raquel. We caught up on life, and then walked to Wrigley Field, where we met Bob. The four of us sat and enjoyed a lovely afternoon at the ballpark, if only the Cubs could have won, it would have been perfect! But, anyway, four gametime Old Styles ensured that the festivities would not soon end.

I am of the opinion that quantifying drinks, much like kissing and telling, is never called for, so I will just say that after the game I went with Bob and Dave to Wild Hare for some Reggae, Moe's Cantina for some Tapas, then we meandered through Wrigleyville and the Gold Coast to pass the rest of the night. I woke up Saturday morning with a slight cold, and this long day of fun ensured that I woke up Sunday morning with worse symptoms!

Sunday
After getting home by 1:45, then staying up a while to text message and call a friend, I did not end up waking up until 11:00 AM. Once I awoke, I got ready to go toward the suburbs, and Chris and I headed to my parents' house to see everyone, including Uncle Scott.

It was great to see Kaylin walking from uncle to uncle to dad to grandfather! She is growing up fast! And it was good to see that Uncle Scott is looking in great shape. I had a great time visiting my family, but then headed back to The Palacio for a quiet evening of recovery.

This week
The highlight of this week was Tuesday evening when I went with Olga to an Aterciopelados concert. Aterciopelados is a Columbian rock group that is extremely creative and critically acclaimed. As Olga and I were looking for a place to stand against the balcony before Aterciopelados took the stage, I ran into my old friend Max!

I had not seen Max in three or four years, but we used to hang out a lot back when we both studied abroad in Granada. We even went to Morocco together! But, life happens and we have simply not remained in touch very much in recent years. Nonetheless, it was great to see him and to meet his Venezuelan wife. We talked about trying to meet up soon to catch up in greater detail; I hope this happens soon!

Besides the Aterciopelados concert, I have laid low this week. On Monday night, Mark needed a car, so Billie and I took him out to the suburbs to pick up his golf clubs and go for a sushi dinner. On Wednesday my department went on our annual outing. This year it was a lunchtime cruise from Navy Pier, after the cruise, I took a long nap, and ended up going to bed early, mostly to try to recover from Saturday and Tuesday night.

On Thursday Chico Blanco and I watched the Brazilian flick "City of God". Talk about a great (and true) story! Sometimes its realism was painfully sad, but at the same time, the characters were very likable, and the story always gripping.

Today
That brings me to today. I had a hurried day at work, running around, trying to wrap as much up before I go to Dallas. I finally left the office and got to The Palacio by 3:00 PM. From there I immediately left for Millenium Park on Ridda, hoping to meet up with my mom, grandma, and cousin. They were in the City for grandma's birthday! (Happy Birthday Grandma!) They eventually found their way to Millenium Park around 4:00 PM; we walked around Pritzker Pavillion, the Lurie Garden, the BP Bridge, and of course we took a gander at The Bean!

After my they returned to the suburbs, Ceebs met up with me at Millenium Park, and of course we headed to the Park Grill, where Chico Blanco, The Murph and Mark eventually met us. After a few aperitifs, we headed to The Elephant and Castle for a good British dinner. Then, The Murph, Chico Blanco and I went with Leavitt to the Artist's Cafe for another beer.

Alas, Chico Blanco and I then headed south for The Palacio, where I now sit, writing this tardy update on the recent events of my life. And now, a tad before midnight, I will retire ... happy to have so many friends and family in my life, and the possibility of better things to come brings a smile to my face.

I've said it before, but I should say it again: Life is good.