I've been on hiatus for 1) being out of the country and then 2) trying to write a new blog about that specifically. But that's going a little slowly so it's time to get back into the swing of things with a quick report on a Chi-rific weekend!
Friday I got to go for free with some coworkers to a Blackhawks game, which was kind of a big deal as it was their last home game of the season and they're also working a 35-6 record, not too shabby! Being the super dedicated fans we were, we missed the national anthem (which apparently is amazing because everyone screams it) and then didn't see ONE of their three goals happen because we were too busy talking. Go Hawks!
Saturday was the first real breath of spring that I've gotten to enjoy and it was perfect! Sunny but still chilly. Kim & I always hit the gym together but were excited to get to the park instead. By the way, Kim is pregnant, for those of you who know her, and I LOVE it because now I get to talk about nurseries and babies and all the weird stuff in between and not be considered a freak :)
I also got to meet up with a friend from Africa named Aurelie (great name, right?) who lives a few hours away and was in town for the day. She was at the same placement as I was, so we worked on building a website together. She's 29, from Canada, and works as a barista at Starbucks and went to Kenya for 2 months...most people who were older didn't travel for that long but she was lucky to get a break from the Bucks because she'd worked there so long. Anyway, I found this ridiculously laidback French girl to be pretty interesting, so I'm glad we randomly live so close together back in the US. More on our adventures later...
We capped off the weekend by going to the House Theater's latest show, which was written by our good friend Kevin. He was the host of The Monthly Visit talk show I posted about a while back -- which incidentally is on sort of an unintentional hold -- but he also lived with us for a few months this winter and I grew to really love this guy. Not only is he an incredible drummer, I'm talking ridiculously talented, but he also wears his heart on his sleeve so I could always talk to him about anything and everything. And I could always, always count on him to share a glass of whiskey :)
Anyway I was so proud of him putting up his first show - he's scored a million, but this one was really different. It was called Ploughed Under, and it was 19 original songs of forgotten American stories in history. There wasn't exactly a through-line like you'd find in a typical musical, but each song got a little setup and the lyrics were in books at your seat so you could at least read the stories too. Oh. My. Gosh. His stuff was so powerful, both lyrically and musically. I was so moved -- even though you were sort of bounced in and out of time and the stories weren't connected, I still cried like 3 times. And, naturally, the music was very percussion-based and he used interesting tools for the rhythm like chains slamming against the stage during a song about a freed man turned into a slave, or a tub full of pennies during a song about the greed of the gold rush. Man. I know you have to be there to really get these things, but what a great testament to the uniqueness of Chicago theater! So proud to know people like Kevin and just let their creativity ooze around me!
Friday I got to go for free with some coworkers to a Blackhawks game, which was kind of a big deal as it was their last home game of the season and they're also working a 35-6 record, not too shabby! Being the super dedicated fans we were, we missed the national anthem (which apparently is amazing because everyone screams it) and then didn't see ONE of their three goals happen because we were too busy talking. Go Hawks!
My Shallow Hal pic from the Blackhawks game - hott!
Saturday was the first real breath of spring that I've gotten to enjoy and it was perfect! Sunny but still chilly. Kim & I always hit the gym together but were excited to get to the park instead. By the way, Kim is pregnant, for those of you who know her, and I LOVE it because now I get to talk about nurseries and babies and all the weird stuff in between and not be considered a freak :)
windows open, bitches!
SUN!!!!!!
first blooms
how cute is our local square? note the guitar players and the fountain to the back right. love.
Aurelie
We capped off the weekend by going to the House Theater's latest show, which was written by our good friend Kevin. He was the host of The Monthly Visit talk show I posted about a while back -- which incidentally is on sort of an unintentional hold -- but he also lived with us for a few months this winter and I grew to really love this guy. Not only is he an incredible drummer, I'm talking ridiculously talented, but he also wears his heart on his sleeve so I could always talk to him about anything and everything. And I could always, always count on him to share a glass of whiskey :)
Anyway I was so proud of him putting up his first show - he's scored a million, but this one was really different. It was called Ploughed Under, and it was 19 original songs of forgotten American stories in history. There wasn't exactly a through-line like you'd find in a typical musical, but each song got a little setup and the lyrics were in books at your seat so you could at least read the stories too. Oh. My. Gosh. His stuff was so powerful, both lyrically and musically. I was so moved -- even though you were sort of bounced in and out of time and the stories weren't connected, I still cried like 3 times. And, naturally, the music was very percussion-based and he used interesting tools for the rhythm like chains slamming against the stage during a song about a freed man turned into a slave, or a tub full of pennies during a song about the greed of the gold rush. Man. I know you have to be there to really get these things, but what a great testament to the uniqueness of Chicago theater! So proud to know people like Kevin and just let their creativity ooze around me!
not the best picture ever taken but oh well
1 comment:
Glad you're back from your hiatus!
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