Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Blackalicious

Went to the Blackalicious concert last night at the Park West...It was everything I knew it would be.

The show was great, only problem not long enough (luckily for me though because I had to be up at 5:30am). The show was especially incredible because it seemed like they were really appreciative of Chicago. They would incorporate Chicago throughout there intros and rhymes.

Gift of Gab was accompanied by T the Truth, someone I don't know, but he was really good and could keep up with Gabs rhyming which is not easy. They played a lot in the little time they were there. Went from there new songs and style all the way back to some of there original songs. The back up singers were also amazing especially the girl, forgot her name, but will find out.

Well worth staying up later than I wanted and am glad I was dragged out my apartment to go. Thanks Vorell and Stevie.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Shuffle Bowling

I was just challenged to Shuffle Bowling tonight, a game of champions. Shuffle bowling is a fantastic game were you slide a puck similar to a hockey puck down a sawdusted wood table to an end that has bowling pins that are suspended just above the table. When the puck goes over the sensors it computes what a bowling ball would have done and the the pins spring up. This game is almost exclusively found in corner bars, but is great to play. What got me really excited though is searching the internet for old shuffle bowling tables I came across this great picture of a Parker Bohn III Pro Bowler. I think I might save up for the next ten years and buy this instead of a house, it is hilarious.

Monday, November 28, 2005

Derailed

Hope everyone had fun over the break. Thanksgiving weekend was a definite good time all around for me.

I saw Derailed this weekend with Clive Owens and Jennifer Aniston. It was Good, not great, but it did have a lot of Chicago shots. The movie is filmed all over Wilmette and downtown Chi. A good portion of the movie filmed on the Metra or just off of it(which they constantly, mistakenly call the red line, but whatever) .

I was scared Derailed was going to be a love story and be terrible, turns out I was wrong. It is a suspense movie that revolves around Clive Owens character being blackmailed and tortured by a thief that keeps taking his money. Like I said it was good, not great, maybe better if it was just rented, but if you have already seen Walk the Line this may be worth a trip to the movie theatre.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Homebrewing

Well I have started the process of brewing my own beer, hilarious. I went to this store over the weekend with a couple of friends called Brew and Grow, which is located at the end of a dilapidated road in a warehouse with no sign of life and a door that looks like it should have a beware of high voltage sticker on it. I almost walked right by it the first time, but there was a small sign on the door that just had work hours, no name just the hours. I thought I would give it a try, but was sure it was locked, it opened into a funny painted stairway and then into a very nice looking very well lit store.

This place was strange, yet easy going at the same time at first. In the store you kind of felt like you were doing something wrong. The store is completely committed to only two things growing plants (yes probably illegal, but if you are growing regular plants this place is great too) and brewing beer.

While walking around sipping on beers, they were letting us taste, I picked up one of the books and decided that yes I would give this ridiculous adventure a try.

So in a month I will let you know if I made a good beer or blew up my kitchen.

Thanks Dan for that find.

Monday, November 21, 2005

Bears

Bears are going far I can feel it. Another win over the weekend puts them at 7-3. 8 sacks and two interceptions, the Bears D dominated. They are truly the #1 ranked D fense and the offense is starting to look better also, a great sign.
Alex Brown....Sick

Chili Cookoff


Over the weekend I was able to go to a chili cookoff at a bar called The Hideout. The event was run by Time out Chicago Magazine. The bar is hilarious and seems like a place that truly does not want to be found. The bar is a great hole in the wall bar that plays real good live music daily. If you are ever in the neighborhood you should stop by this bar. Some really famous bands have even played there such as The Rolling Stones and, The Smashing Pumpkins.

The place was packed the day of the cookoff, but well worth it. the back room was lined with chefs standing around there creations all being served out of individual crock pots. When entering the room you are given a spoon, a sheet of paper for judging and a pencil and then you are thrown into the chaos that is a chili cookoff.

The 25 different chilis all had there own individual style, there was kobe beef chili, hot dog and guiness chili, spicy ,mild, choclatey...you name it they had something like it. Some of the chilis wer spectacular and some terrible. One even made a friend violently ill for the next couple of days.

On every tuesday night a great band plays there called Devil in a Woodpile, an intimate bluegrass band. they are worth checking out and they are originally from Evanston and used to play in a little music store on Central St. which makes them even better.

The Hideout
1354 W Wabansia
Chicago Il 60622
http://www.hideoutchicago.com/

Friday, November 18, 2005

Great Upcoming Events

Damian "Jr Gong" Marley House of Blues Nov 27 $18.50
Blackalicious Park West Nov 29 $20
Mos Def/Talib Kweli House of Blues Dec 9 $40 (what the hell)

And on Dec 15 Alex Kotlowitz author of There are No Children Here and Never a City So Real will be speaking at the Steppenwolf theater. Even if you have not read these books you should check it out. He has a lot of stories specifically about Chicago and probably has a lot of interesting things to say. Tickets are $25.

http://www.steppenwolf.org/boxoffice/productions/index.aspx?id=362

I have read Never a City So Real and highly recomend it, everyone who has read it has had nothing but great reviews about it. The book itself is short so it can be read easily.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Christmas Ale

If you haven't all ready I suggest going out and picking up the seasonal special of Goose Island Christmas Ale. All year I wait for this beer to come out. I think this beer might be the best Goose Island offers, which is impressive because all there beers are really good. Christmas Ale is a brown ale that is very hoppy (has a lot of flavor). Because of its strong flavor though if you are used to crap beers like most people are, myself included, then it can catch you off gaurd, but savor that first sip and you will realize just how good a beer it is.
I also suggest going to the actual brewery, the one on Clyborn not Wriglyville, for a pint and some food. The food there is actually really good. With your meal I suggest getting the sampler of beer. This way you can try out a few different types of beer with your meal. At the Brewery you can also try some beers they won't have in the stores.
Goose Island Brewery
1800 North Clybourn
Chicago, IL
312.915.0071

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Snow

Today in Chicago is the first day of snow. It is not sticking but it is freezing and windy, just like always. I wonder what it is like in Europe?

I hate the winters. It is cold outside and everyone is stuck in there houses. When you finally do go outside you freeze go inside drink some hot cocoa, or soup and then burn your mouth. Also since everyone is wearing about a thousand layers of clothes you are bound to loose something that you had, wether it is your hat, gloves or whatever.

Man winter has not even started and I already want it over with.

That is what my stoop is going to look like in a couple of weeks...I can wait.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

The Softball Team


What A Good Looking Team

Monday, November 14, 2005

Fried Chicken

It's been a little bit since last updated, sorry a hectic week. Last week though I tried to make fried chicken, it turned out alright I guess, but man that is some scary stuff. You bring the oil in a pan to about 350 degrees but there is know real way of telling when it is that hot because it does not boil. When making it the whole apartment filled with smoke, my eyes were watering and I was convinced that I was probably going to burn the house down.

The process of putting the chicken into the seemingly calm oil is about the scariest cooking experience I could imagine. As soon as the chicken hits the oil the pan erupts shooting little pieces of oil everywhere. The bubbling oil rises up higher and higher coming closer to spilling over the edge every second, but luckily it stopped right before the top. Then once in the boiling oil I let it rest sitting there bubbling for ten minutes until it was ready to flip and then the insanity started all over again.



It some how worked out though the fried chicken tasted good and the mash potatoes and steamed vegetables all tied it together. The meal was then topped of with what else....home-made tiramisu of course, ha.

next weird combo lasanga and pina coladas.

Monday, November 07, 2005

The First Place Bears

It is only fitting that the bears make the playoffs this year. First the Bulls Then the Sox and now I have no doubt the Bears are going to make it to the Playoffs this year. It is not that I am super confident in there amazing D and the new rookie quarterback, It is that I am confident in the failure of all the other teams in our division. The Packers are a disgrace and the Viking are really starting to miss Randy Moss. It is laughable to say, but are competition is actually the Detroit Lions and they don't even know how to beat a terrible Vikings team. Not to mention the Bears have already beat the Lions twice which gives us the win in any tie breaker situation. The Bears record is currently 5-3 and have a pretty good chance of finishing 10-6 or better.

GO BEARS

The Circus

The Circus is coming to town. I do not know when the last time I went to the circus was. It is playing at several different venues in the Chicago land area. One being the United Center, which is close enough for me to definitely check it out. The Circus will be here from Nov. 15- 27. The cost ranges from $11.50 to $50, I will be getting the cheap seats (better view of the tight rope walkers).

Can't wait to see the human cannonball.

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Some not All














These are only some of the things I have been making. I do not have a picture of everything yet, but hope to soon.

Hospitals


Man, I hate the Hospital. Today I had to go to the Emergency room at the Loyola Medical Center in Maywood to get a tetnis shot. Yesterday I had a little mishap at work and put a sharp piece of metal a little ways into my hand.

I get to this college campus of a hospital and after a few minutes of driving around find where to park. Turns out, I did not really find the place where I was supposed to park and was off looking again. Finally I found the entrance to the parking lot, which was not easy. The entrance though was a little misleading because when I entered, what seemed to be where I would be parking turned out to be ALL, I mean the entire lot, for handicap spots. I then followed the cones and lines through and behind the hospital to the real parking complex, a labryinth of compact spaces 6 or 7 stories high.

Once inside the building, which may or may not have been the right place, I walked down some really blaned white hallways occasionally making a left or a right. There was, once in awhile, a sign or a map telling where to go, the problem though was I did not know what I was supposed to be looking for. It was like getting those automated machines on the phone that don't ever give you the option you were looking for. I needed a person to talk to.

Finally a help desk, "Excuse me, I need to get a tetnis shot..."
"sign in and sit down,"
"...but I dont even know if I am in the right place,"
"sign in and sit down."

After a little arguing and some persuading I was able to convince the bitter lady at the help desk to send me in the right direction.

"Go through those doors take a left and walk all the way down the hall, go through the double doors and then follow the red dotted line."

Was this lady now leading me a stray for not signing in and sitting. I was willing to take the chance.

Why do hospitals all smell like death?

I was walking for what seemed like forever and then finally ended up in the emergency room.
"sign in and sit down, we'll call you when we're ready." An hour later "Rus O" I jump up with anticipation could this be it my turn... no. Fill out some forms and then take a seat. Again my name was called, this was surly it... no. Nurse asks a few questions, then like all the others, "sit down we'll call you when we are ready.

What I couldn't believe is that this is the emergency room I wonder how long I would have waited in the room at the other end of the red dotted line.

When you are in the Emergency room though no one can complain because you have no idea what all the other people in the room are there for. All you can think is that they are definetley worse off then you.

One guy came in and with out saying a word signed in and sat down. For an hour he sat there with blood running down his arm and a giant fish hook through his hand, but who knows the guy next to him could have been internally bleeding.

Finally my turn, I thought that actually meant something. I was then moved from the waiting room to my own personal waiting room with a curtain. A half hour later the doctor comes in, "does this hurt, does that hurt..." "...we are going to need an X ray." I thought I was just getting a shot.

So off to the X ray room. I had not really noticed before, but when they give you an X ray they dont give you any protection yet they hide behind a lead wall when they take the picture. Hope I will be able to have children.

Once again I am back in the little waiting room. All of the sudden the nurse comes in with a huge needle and right in front of my face taps it and squirts some meds up in the air, what the hell is that all about I am already pissed about getting a shot don't flaunt it in my face.

After the shot, which was not pleasent, I waited another forty minutes. and then finally was able to leave, but it did take me another twenty minutes just to find my way out of there.

I hate Hospitals.