30

Aug

Summer Pot Pourri

Now that Labor Day is just around the corner, I thought it was the best time to update my blog on the summer city-escapades!
And for arguments sake lets pretend I meant to do this entry now, and not that I let time pass and am now somehow playing catch-up. Try and say it, I’ll deny it!

Moving on… this was actually quite an eventful summer. I convinced my brother to move to Chicago, I graduated from the Second City Training Center Improv program, kept up my training for the marathon, did a drinking trolly (not my proudest moment), and Grief Bacon (our sketch/improv girl group) made several appearances throughout the city of Chicago.  Yeah, I’m cool like that. I’m kind of a big deal… in my head.
Most importantly, I convinced Jose to move! His “look-see” trip started with a meal at an Irish pub in Old Town.

I’m already winning.

Gratuitous food shot.

The weekend Jose came was also the 8mile run for training, and I made him come with me to the run. The forever trooper he is, he came and he ran 6miles. I promised him crepes and farmer’s market.

I think I delivered!

On Sunday I followed up with a Red Sox v Cubs match up. Yeah, Old Epstein v New Epstein. Little did we know at the time that it would also be one of Youk’s last games with the Red Sox. He bleached them soon thereafter.

Big Pappy was *thisclose*

That’s Youk!

Beer and baseball go together like peanut butter and jelly.

So… In my never-ending quest to convince my brother to move to Chicago I packed the weekend in with cupcakes AND comedy!

Red Velvet and cream cheese frosting between baseball and comedy.

Yes, it was perfect and hilarious. We met up with Aimee and Jen for a drink and then all headed over to laugh with not at: Marc Maron (my favorite), Hannibal Buress, and others – hosted by Sarah Silverman. Silverman was great, and on point! I laughed so hard I had tears coming down my cheeks. I also felt more neurotic after than I did before.

Funny side note about the evening: when we left it was POURING. There were no cabs, and there would still be so much walking after we rode the train that Jose and I thought it was best just to walk all the way back to my place. We were soaked through. Worth it. Totally worth it.

***

Well, the trip wasn’t over, and we were celebrating. SO, I made a reservation at Girl & the Goat

It’s all it’s hyped up to be and more. It’s also where I ate meat. You don’t go somewhere with goat in it’s name and eat peas. I would put up with the illness JUST to eat. So, I did. Below is a series of pictures of the food. It’s just food porn. It is. Don’t look if you’re hungry, it won’t be pretty. But it was so pretty, and we had such a good time, it was hard to choose the pictures! And I edited, so there’s more where that came from!

Harmasa Crudo

Roasted Beet Salad

Green Beans

Goat Loin

Proof of the meat eating that would make me sick for the following week. Worth it. Worth. Ever. Bite.

PIG FACE!!!!

How Pig Face looks after you’ve mixed it together. YUMMMMM!!!!

Dessert #1

Dessert #2

Followed Swiftly by Food Coma.

***

We ran again. I think we felt guilty about the gluttony that we committed. Not really, this was the 312 run. We ran for beer… and company. Alyson, Jose, Laura, Melissa and me owned those 3miles in the blistering heat. They cancelled the 5miles because of that heat, so yeah, we’re badasses.

And we got sweet wayfarers.

I will now go back to thinking about my life in a vacuum. I’m going to tear and examine every single choice that I’ve made or not made, why I chose like that, decide if I should change anything, and ultimately be too lazy to do anything about it. This Saturday will be exactly 2 years since I moved to Chicago. I’ve managed to accomplish some things, but like Ariel in “The Little Mermaid,” I want more.

OK, I don’t want to sound like the entitled little jerk she was at the beginning of the Disney movie, but you know the reference, and I bet you even sang the line. I just now need to think about what my next steps are going to be. I finished Second City, my reason for moving here, what do I do now? What am I doing in Chicago?

And this, we shall see.

That’s right, no resolution just yet. This is my summer cliff-hanger.

***

264 days ago Short URL Comments

Foodie Moodie/Funnies

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17

Jun

Brian Fellows – That’s Crazy!

Summer is here! The fresh cut grass, beer, greasy food, and strong BO… how some people don’t like baseball will remain a mystery to me.

Imagine my happiness when I found out I would be going to 2 baseball games in 1 week!! The Fates were truly smiling at me, I did something right. I felt all Charlie Sheen with the winning and tiger blood. These games would also be my first White Sox games… South Siiiiiiide!

The games spanned a Wednesday and Thursday, and the two days could not have been more different. So, while they were both games of the same series at the same ball park, they were attended with completely different people and appealed to 2 very different sides of me. I worked extra hours a couple of days that week so that I could leave early on Wednesday. I met up with Kaitlin to celebrate her recent acceptance into the Second City conservatory. We decided to celebrate with an impromptu picnic at Lincoln Park (grocery quick stop at Treasure Island – best name for a grocery store ever.) It was a beautiful day… and we befriended a seagull whom we both decided to name “Peter.” Peter had a lot to say, and hung out a bit with us. He was a bit elusive, but we caught some video of him before he flew back home to his wife. They came back later, I don’t think she was very impressed with us. (Also, I’m not very smart with technology and couldn’t compress the video or reformat it to upload into the blog. I will try at a later date.)

We had veggies, chips, hummus, and brie cheese for lunch. For desert we had strawberries, assorted nuts and dark Godiva chocolate. To drink we had a nice Carbernet-Sauvignon. Oh yeah, we went all fancy on this outing! Also, that may be the reason Peter was so willing to “talk” to us!

First game, tailgate with some amazing teachers, and bleachers experience. A little drinking, and funnel cake!! I think the last time I had funnel cake was in 2000 at Hershey Park during the Red Hot Chili Peppers/Foo Fighters concert. (Yes, I remember clearly because it was the first time I ever had funnel cake. We don’t have those in PR.)

Unfortunately, it was a loss for the White Sox… but a win for the company and food.

Big thanks to Aimee for getting the tickets, and inviting me.

***

The second game was a WIN for the White Sox, and it was an outing with the work peeps. We had box seats at the Gold Coast Tickets Box seats in U.S. Cellular Field. It was a pretty sweet deal! The food and the drinks were included, and they ran the name of our company at the top of the 3rd inning, feeling important and stuff. We were, yet again, a large and loud crowd.

We were that close to home plate that this was an actual concern. It’s a funny sign.

Oh yeah, fireworks for the win… I was screaming like a little kid on 4th of July.

***

And now the reason for the title…

While it has NOTHING to do with baseball it has everything to do with the magnificence of someone I spotted while sitting in the Gold Coast Ticket area. Down below, a section away from home plate… there he was! Brian Fellows! No, not Tracy Morgan, but a man in a full safari outfit AND hat. Tell me that’s not worth a mention? He should really have his own blog entry, maybe followed by a few poems and dedications.

OK, I may have been the only one to see it, but that’s why I had to take photographic evidence! Who was going to believe such an amazing thing happened?!

Look, before you judge, or tell me this isn’t worth all the hype – let me stop you. Yes, yes it is worth it. It made me laugh, and every time I see these 3 pictures I laugh quietly and hum the Brian Fellows Safari Planet theme song to myself (which I hope you are doing now as well!) So, if just for a moment, it allows you to stop, laugh at something silly, and go about your business, I believe it’s worth it. I believe the hype and the title encapsulate what entertainment is all about. Baseball is entertainment, and live baseball is entertainment at its best. It’s not just the show on the diamond or the outfield, it’s all the characters that go watch the game too. And on this particular Thursday, on a warm June afternoon in Chicago, Brian Fellows got away from his animals for a little while to enjoy America’s favorite past time. The boys of summer are here, I wonder what’s in Brian Fellows’ conversation cloud now.

***

338 days ago Short URL Comments

Good to know/Stories

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04

Apr

Grief Bacon!!!!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

GRIEF BACON has finally come to realization.

What’s Grief Bacon? Grief Bacon is the literal translation of the German word Kummerspeck, which means excess weight gain due to emotional overeating. (Thanks to member Kaitlin for the easy worded breakdown.)

Grief Bacon is also the perfect name for the newly formed Improv group I have been blackmailed into joining. They hold some strange power over me, like telling me they liked my writing and I’m a strong improviser… yeah, they fed my ego, I’m weak,  and I conceded.

So, now here we are a month into the journey, and a month away from our first gig! OK, so it’s an opening set at a really small theater, but you have to start somewhere! We’ve got sketches, we’ve got improv games, and we hope to entertain.

When? May 7th, Where? The Playground in Chicago. We’re here – It’s official. And here are some pics from one of our many sessions that usually end up with endless hours of playing with downloaded fart apps. Yeah, we’re high brow comedy bitches.

Kaitlin

Evelyn and Jen

Christie (never stands still long enough)

***

412 days ago Short URL 1 Comment

Funnies/Good to know

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01

Mar

Down with Downton

I could’ve easily called this post “What is a weekend?” and gotten the same point across. The point is I’m obsessed, and 1) I don’t care who knows it, 2) frankly, I’m concerned if you’re NOT obsessed!

If you don’t watch because of the great story lines, their ability to seamlessly transition between the historical drama and references, or the very least their AMAZING costumes… then you should AT LEAST watch for the incomparable Dame Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess Grantham!

The woman is the epitome of perfection in this role. Not to take away from her illustrious career, of course! But as the Dowager Countess she blends the air of superiority with the minor nuances of a woman of her time with such ease that it is easy to forget she is NOT actually a Dowager Countess from the turn of the previous century!

Always remember: “Don’t be defeatist, it’s so middle class!”

With that said I leave you. I’m on my way to meet some great young ladies and try to put on some funny sketches together!

Wish me luck!

446 days ago Short URL Comments

Deep thoughts/Good to know

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