The Story

I haven't written in a while, but hopefully this will tide people over until I have more time.



Now with more photo goodness.

7 Across - Goes with Holy or Ohio (6 letters)

Ordinarily I don't go in for a lot of PBS or documentaries, but when your girlfriend doesn't have cable you make due with what you have. Case in point, last week Clare and I were hanging out and came across Wordplay on channel 11 (PBS in Chicago). Surprisingly, I had heard of this particular documentary.

Wordplay is about the culture surrounding crossword puzzles, the New York Times version in particular. They talk to Will Shortz, the editor of the NYTimes crossword, as well as creators, and solvers. Everything culminates in the yearly competition in Stamford, which seriously competes with Trekkie conventions on the nerdiness scale. Anyway, it's a good movie and I definitely recommend checking it out.

The surprising thing about the movie though, is that it rekindled my interest in crosswords. Luckily enough we get the New York Times at work, so I have access to the mother of all puzzles. There's something cathartic about folding up the paper and filling in the blanks. You also get this strange sense of satisfaction or pride by filling it out in pen as well. It's proven to be a great respite from the workday, especially since things are only going to get busier till the end of the year.

So now, Clare and I go through the crosswords. I'll e-mail her the NYTimes version or bring it with me from work. It's a good time, or at least as good a time as one can have without cable.

Welcome Surprises

There are few surprises that I enjoy more than getting Jimmy John’s sub and discovering that the bread was warm and just out of the oven. I already consider Jimmy John’s as my number one sub (an honor it just barely won over Potbelly’s*), but to add warm crusty bread to the equation just blows the competition out of the water.

We tried figure out the best time to get warm bread at Jimmy John’s in college, but never really got there. Unless we went there right as it opened, we almost never get the warm loaves and that was impossible because of class. (What? I went to class. Seriously, I did.)

Anyway, I was fortunate enough to get a warm french loaf today. Add that to the beautiful weather and my boss being out sick today, and you’ve got the makings of a perfect work day.

So here’s to you Jimmy John’s! If only I could decipher your warm, doughy mysteries, everyday would be as good as today.

* Now, for the ultimate sandwich one would need to combine the bread from Jimmy John’s, the recipe for a Wreck from Potbelly’s using Jimmy John’s meat, and a splash of Sbarro’s marinara sauce. Add curly fries from Arby’s and a vanilla coke from Steak ‘N Shake and you have the perfect storm of fast food meals.

New York Photos

New York Photo Albums
Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Hotel

How not to be a middle aged woman from Phoenix

On our way into the city from Laguardia, we shared a Town Car with two ladies from Phoenix. They were very nice, and friendly. We talked about how it was my first time to New York and how they had been before. After we got dropped off at our hotel, I turned to Clare and said that I didn’t want to be anything like them during our trip to New York, and I’m not talking about the coordinating pastel Capri outfits that they were wearing, the gold jewelry they were sporting, or the fact that they looked like they would pass out after walking four blocks to get to the Sbarro’s on Times Square. (Sure, there’s probably a Sbarro’s a block away from their hotel, but this one is Mama Sbarro’s, so it has to be better.)

No, it was more about not wanting to be a tourist, or rather a bad tourist. You’ve seen them, the standing in the middle of the street, pointing in two different directions, holding a map and completely blocking the sidewalk for all the people trying to go about their daily routine. The people that get sucked into going on the observation deck tour, when they could have just as easily gone to the bar a couple of floors down for free (or the price of a drink). Well, I just didn’t want to go out like that and thankfully Clare would never have let me.

So it became our resolve, we want to look like we were from there, that we belonged. And it wasn’t solely due to the Phoenicians. When we thought about it, with the increased nationalization and globalization of restaurant and store chains, it’s becoming harder and harder to find the true character of city. When every block has a Starbucks, McDonald’s, a Chase and a Bank of America, how do you even know you’re in a different city?

To find out we, skipped most of the obvious things, i.e. tours, department store shopping areas, and to my relief I was able to glimpse, if even for a second, a truer version of New York than the manufactured, plastic wrapped version that so many tourists get.

So what did I gain from that glimpse? Well, I know why Clare loved it so much and why she compared everything her first few months in Chicago to New York. While it will never be my favorite city, a spot reserved for the Chi, I have new found respect for NYC. I can totally see myself living there, but only for a short time. I’m glad I went, and also glad we didn’t end up like those ladies from Phoenix, if only because I look horrible in pastels.

A Chicagoan’s Guide to a Weekend in New York

Now, for those that may be planning trips to New York, here is what I've learned in my first trip.

What you absolutely need:

• Comfortable shoes. The average Manhattanite walks five miles a day. If you can’t hack it, you’re going to spend a ton in cab fares.


• A good city map that shows the subway lines. Clare lived in New York for almost a year and she still needed to refer to a map. I don’t know how many maps I saw, but it seemed like everyone had one, even the locals. It‘s not that the system is that complicated, it‘s just that there are so many different lines and so many streets you’ll need it to keep it straight.
  
• The latest Zagat’s. I was never a big proponent of Zagat’s, mostly because it was a print publication and the way restaurants opened and closed, it didn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense when the internet was right there. Here’s the thing, New York doesn’t have a Metromix.com, so this becomes the defacto way to find restaurants in the city. Man, do they do a good job. Any type of category you could think up, from best view to hottest servers, is in there.


• A hotel on the island. Do not stay in any of the other boroughs or, heaven help you, New Jersey. You’re going to be walking around enough, doing enough, buying enough, that you’re going to want a home base close to everything. This is not up for discussion.

Other things that were nice to have:

• Hotel with internet access.
  
• Travel companion who’s lived there.
  
• Latest Time Out: New York

What’s going to get you

Size: Imagine if you took the Loop, Lincoln Park, the Gold Coast, Wrigleyville and Bucktown, threw them into a box, shook it up and let the pieces fall. Now double the number of buildings and any building under eight stories, double its height. You are now approximating Manhattan.
Garbage: They have no alleys, no dumpsters and no weekend service. All the garbage goes on the sidewalk after the store or restaurant closes. Walk around Korea town and you will experience what I can only imagine the trash compactor in Star Wars smelled like. It's no wonder the city is as dirty as it and they have as many rats as they do.

Central Park: Huge. This is the first word that comes to mind when thinking of Central Park. Luckily we had very good weather while we were out there and were able to walk about half the length of the park (it starts at 59th St. and goes to 110th, I think we made it to 80th). The juxtaposition of the office buildings to sprawling park was shocking. What really struck me was the fact that the way the trees, rolling hills, boulders, and paths were laid out made it seem as though the park had always been there and the city just grew up around it.

Clare Contemplating Pizza

Mmmmm...pizza.

ALO @ Martyrs 5/24/07

This was one of the best shows I've ever been to. If you're a Jack Johnson fan you probably already know of Zach Gill, the keyboardist and vocalist on the last couple albums Jack put out. In addition to performing with Jack, he is in the band Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO) with friends from his college days at UCSB. They signed with Johnson's Brushfire Records and released Fly Between Falls, and their latest Roses & Clovers.

I'm not sure how to describe their music, but the best I can put it is that it's a cross between Stevie Ray Vaughn and Phish with a splash of P-Funk, Marley and mariachi music. I know that probably sounds weird, but to be honest I'm probably not doing a very good job of describing them. What I can say is that everyone that I've let listen to my copy of their last album has ended up loving it.

Awesome does not go far enough to describe how good this show was. I've never seen a group attack a set list the way that they did. Even though the bar was packed, the air conditioner was busted and the temp inside the bar had to be in the 90's, the band never let up. In fact they played two sets, with an intermission, and an encore. Inspite of the heat, the crowd, and the fact that it was a school night, Clare and I couldn't bear to leave such a good show. You could tell how much they enjoyed performing together and how much they loved the audience's enthusiasm for their music. The last time I saw anything like it was at the Jack Johnson concert I went to a couple of years ago.

Clare and I vowed to drag as many of our friends out to see them when they come back to town. I'm not sure when that will be, but we will definitely be there. In the meantime you can check out pictures and a couple (low quality) videos that I took at the show.

Oh, those crazy Singers

The Singers came, they saw, they conquered. Superfriend Maegan, Jack, Jeff, and Sarah were in town for a weekend visit with Clare. While I'm sure she is very grateful that everyone showed up, I know that my liver is not.

Seriously though, it was nice to have the roles reversed for once. Usually Clare gets to sit around and listen to all of us reminisce about days gone by, and for once I got to hear stories from her college days.

Thanks to everyone that came out, and I'll bet you all the beer in my fridge that you'll want to do it again...just not to soon for my liver's sake.

(Oh, the video above has nothing to do with the weekend, I just didn't have a camera with me most of the time. So, enjoy that little clip from the last reunion.)

Da recap, da recap. Wha, wha, the recap.

A few insights from the past few months…

• There are three things I am proud of at work.

1) My perfect week picking winners for our NFL pool
2) Starting the company softball team
3) Designing, implementing and launching our new Web site.

I know, I’m not sure how actual work got onto this list either.

• Cesar Milan could get Scooby to kick his addiction to scooby snacks. If you aren’t watching "The Dog Whisperer" on National Geographic, you’re missing some of the best TV on … um … TV.
  
  
• I just read Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential. Excellent book if you haven’t read it yet. I had delusions of going to culinary school and becoming a chef, but not after reading this.
  
  
• Civilization is one of the most addicting games ever created.
  
  
• I just got a new laptop and I’m not sure why I never went wireless before. Now I can surf the interwebs from my couch, or from my love seat or from my arm chair. Wait…I did all that stuff with my desktop already. Well, at the very least it serves as a very expensive lap warmer.
  
  
• I’m amazed at how much from my old NES days I remember. For example, in Mega Man 3, holding down on the second controller “down” button allows Mega Man to super jump. Also, in Super Mario 3, you can get a star at the end of each level by jumping at a 45 degree angle right at the bottom left corner of each “randomized” cube. I remember all that, but not how to derivate the area of a circle using calculus.
  
  
• We have gotten worse at executing planned day-long drinking events. Case-in-point, St. Patrick’s Day. The plan was to head to Emily’s (Piro’s keeper) apartment for kegs and eggs, which we did. The casseroles were excellent, as was the green beer. For some unknown reason we thought it would be a good idea to go to a bar, because…you know…no one does that on St. Patrick’s day in Chicago. It went all down hill from there and ended with me playing Civilization at 7:30 p.m. after calling it a night. What the hell happened to us?
  
  
• Shaving my head was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Now if Garrett could just learn to do an Uptown fade, I’d be set.
  
  
• Yeah, you read that right. I shaved my head.

More to come, including St. Pat’s pictures and my Mohawk.

Four Days in March

I'd just like to say that I am currently in a bar, taking advantage of a $20 all-you-can-drink special watching the NCAA basketball tournament. I've already earned my money back and I'm currently trying to convince my buddy to hit on the waitress. Good times.

I love March Madness and the best part is that I'm doing it all again tomorrow.

Where are my shorts?

It's 43 degrees outside and it's like a heatwave. Seriously, I'm ready to break my shorts out of storage. We've been stuck in sub-average, sub-zero, sub-human weather for nearly a month. Just last week, Clare blogged about it being -4 out, now it's nearly 50. Ahhh, Chicago weather, you gotta love it.

I will say though, this being my first winter without a car, I am enjoying it. Sure, it sucks having to go over to the local grocery store for my foodstuffs as opposed to the Dominick's that I'm used to. It wouldn't be so bad except for the fact that

1. Their bell peppers look like they've been kept in someone's trunk for a couple of weeks before they make it to the store.
2. They only have rotisserie chickens on Mondays, and by 5:30 they've been under a heater for four to five hours.
3. They're trying to work a "Target Greatland" kind of angle and it's not working. In the past month they've had TV/DVD combos, motorized scooters, propane grills, closet organizers, vacuums and Super Bowl merchandise on sale next to the produce section.
4. Their ground beef is a nice reddish-pink...for the first quarter inch or so. Once you get inside it's all brown. I don't know what that means, but I don't like it.

Now on the other hand, the Big Apple store just south of me gets things right. The produce is always fresh, although the produce manager can be a bit creepy sometimes, and they're just there selling food. I would head over here more often, but their meat counter is so good I'd probably blow my entire food budget on steaks (on second thought, that doesn't sound like a bad idea).

I digress, enough about the grocery stores in my neighborhood. Winter has been colder than I can remember it being in a long time. Clare kept saying last winter that it wasn't so bad. She isn't say that anymore. Luckily though, she has Big Coat and I have Puffy Coat, so we've managed to stay warm.

All that's over now, at least for the next week anyway. It's supposed to be in the high 30s, which means I can go out with just my wool coat and a scarf, as opposed to a sweater, puffy coat, two pairs of gloves and a knit hat or two. Hopefully the weather will hold, but this being Chicago I'm not holding my breath.

I've meandered a bit in this post, but I think that's because I can finally feel my fingers again. To those of you braving the cold, good luck and stay warm. If you're in a more temperate locale, I'll hold my tongue before I say something ungentlemanly. Meanwhile, I'm off to look for those shorts.

Nostalgia

It's become increasily more difficult to find the strands of my past in the fabric of my current life. I know they're there, but they've become just a few of the many woven in. Finding the time to single them out and follow them back offers a glimpse into who I was at the time and how much I've changed.

This morning I've been somewhat nostalgic. There are a few reasons for this, the first of which is my old roommate Chris. Chris and his wife Cindy moved to Indianapolis well over a year ago, and will be having their first child very soon. I thought when my friends got married it blew my mind, now they're having kids and becoming full fledged adults.

Chris was my step-twin since college. Drinking, checking out girls, grilling enormous steaks, watching sports and did I mention drinking? These were the things that we did with our time, and we generally did it together. But now he's married, to a great girl I might add, and now he's going to be a dad.

I haven't talked to Chris since we all went to Chambana for the OSU game. With everything that has been going on in both our lives we've both been stereotypically guy-like in this regard. There's the occasional e-mail and I'm sure I'll call to wish them congratulations when Ben/Emily is born. Clare and I definitely need to make it out to Indy for a visit, but probably not until things have settled down a bit for them.

Another reason for the nostlagia is one that stretches all the way back to junior high. I found out at Christmas that one of my oldest friends, Paul, moved down to St. Louis. I've probably talked to Paul once in the past year, so why I was surprised that I hadn't heard he moved I'm not sure.

I've known Paul since seventh grade and he was one of my best friends in high school and college. After numerous road trips for youth group, hanging out on weekends, and years of joking around, I'm finding it difficult to zero in on any one specific memory. Whether it was the "Ross & Rachel" like crush that lasted between him and another member of our youth group, that he strapped a video camera to his head for one summer trip, or the mohawk that he shaved into his head before junior pictures,* there are just too many to choose from.

After I moved into the city, Paul and I saw less of each other. It's weird how far 30 miles can be at times. We went from hanging out all the time to seeing each other once a month, to every couple of months, to just at holidays, to where we're at right now.

With all the current demands on my time and attention I live firmly in the present, but at times it feels like I've been cut-off from my past. But that's never really true. True friends, like the ones I've had and currently have, never truly go away. One just needs to find them time to follow the strands back (or make a phone call every once in a while).

*Nohawks can be fun, even as a joke. Paul shaved one into his head at the start of soccer practice junior year. The plan was to keep it for the week and then shave it off for his yearbook photo. Well a week of outdoor practice and no sunscreen later you can imagine the results. Paul looked like a skunk. I think we finally got him some spray on tan, but the look on his face when he took off his hat the first time to show us was hilarious.

It's been so long I think I've forgotten how to do this.

It's been a while since I last updated so to catch everyone up I'll just bullet point the past few months out.

• Thanksgiving: I ate too much and had fun with the family.
• December: Went by entirely too quickly
• Dad's birthday: Woo-hoo! 61 years under your belt. Way to go Dad!
• Christmas: Clare and I spent it together at my parents' house on Xmas eve and with her family in Evansville on Xmas day. Lots of great presents, lots of time in the car, lots of family and no major arguments...not too bad in my opinion.
• New Year's Eve: Before leaving for Florida, Clare scored tickets for the Bears game. After watching them lose I think I can think of better ways to spend that $75. Still, it was fun to have something to do that night other than gourge myself for another day.

Whew, with the major stuff out of the way I can elaborate on a couple of things that have been going on. First, I know I haven't been writing much here but I've been a bit wrapped up in The Show and the related goings on there. Once the football season is over I should get back into the swing of things over here at the FooTasian. That sentiment actually leads quite nicely into my second point, New Year's resolutions.

I'm not the type that usually makes New Year's resolutions. I've tried a few times to varying success. Also, having worked at a gym for the past few years I've seen waaaay too many people that have set unreachable goals for themselves. So put that all together and my excitement for the idea is lackluster at best. For some reason though, I've decided that I'll give it another try.

To that end I've decided on the following resolution: I will make 12, one month resolutions this year. I know, it sounds like cheating, but in the end I don't care. Trying to hold yourself to a year long goal can be daunting, so better to break it up into smaller parts and go from there.

What's my first resolution you ask? Well, I'll tell you. I've decided not to eat out for dinner more than once a week. Additionally I can't repeat a restaurant unless I've been to two others since the last time I went there.

I figure this resolution will kill many birds with one stone. First, it helps save money since I was going out to eat waaaaay too much. Second, the restaurants I had been going to inevitably ended up being the same ones I always went to. And last, this will encourage me to stay home and cook more, leading to leftovers, which lead to me not eating out as much for lunch either. All in all, not a bad deal. Plus Clare and I get to go to some cool restaurants along the way.

We'll see if I stick with this one after January, but so far things have looked promising. That's all for now. I'll check back in after the Bears win (crossing my fingers, knock on wood) this weekend.

U of I Pictures

Welcomed Back with Open Arms

To thy happy children
of the future
Those of the past
send greetings

It was a homecoming of sorts this past weekend when a bunch of my old friends and I made the trek down to Chambana (Champaign + Urbana = Chambana, or Shampoo Banana if you like) for the Ohio State – Illinois match-up. Illinois went into the game 26 point underdogs. How did they finish? Sure, they lost, but only by seven points and they sacked the OSU quarterback a number of times. All in all, there’s hope for the future of Illinois football.

Suffice it to say, with that kind of match-up we weren’t exactly there to watch the football game. We hadn’t all been together in some time so we thought this would be as good a time as any to all hang out and reminisce of our glory days at Illinois. On top of that, I was able to take Clare around campus this time with me.

Things are pretty much the same on campus as when I was there. The Quad still looks the same, the Alma Mater (pictured above) is still in one piece, and the Morrow Plots are still next to the Undergrad. There were however, small details that seemed out of place. For instance, they now have a Chipotle, Noodles & Co., Potbelly, and Starbucks on campus. How, exactly, are college kids supposed to afford these things? I could barely afford La Bamba’s and a Murph burger while I was in school. Now they have actual eating establishments on campus? Ridiculous.

Other than that and a few small things, things really haven’t changed. Girls still forego coats in the middle of the winter on their way to the bar, guys are still drunk meatheads, and you can still see them all walk home at 9 o’clock the next morning. The Murphy’s mega bacon cheeseburger is still tops, although their fries can be a bit hit or miss at times. You can still get three t-shirts for the price of one at T.I.S. and beer is still cheap as hell down there.

Really the only thing missing was Preacher Dan on the Quad and everyone running after Thunder for his mandatory ass beatings. It was a good time and hopefully we’ll do it again, but with kids here and on the way, those trips may have to wait a little while. It was nice to go back to where so much had happened, that home away from home from so long ago. I really was a happy child of the past, and I have the memories and friends to prove it.

Prep Unit

You may have already seen this, but it's worth another look.

Hiro's a Ninja!

Well, since it’s my turn to update my blog I thought I would talk about my new favorite TV show, NBC’s Heroes. I can’t say enough about this show. It’s well written, suspenseful, about “superheroes,” and the special effects make it seem like a big budget movie every week. Add to that the diverse cast and good acting and it can’t be beat.

In case you haven’t been watching here’s a quick rundown: Ordinary people are discovering they have special powers that make them more than ordinary. Meanwhile in the background, forces are orchestrating events to advance their agendas while the fate of everyone in New York and possibly the world hangs in the balance. Whew! How can you not love that? (Have I mentioned that Ali Larter is an online porn star?)

Scripted TV is finally coming back in a big way. Other than Project Runway (which I gave a try since Clare so openly embraced football), I can’t watch reality television shows. Unfortunately that seemed to be the only thing on for a while. Now there’s this, Battlestar Galactice on Sci-Fi (which is another must see) and 24 comes back at the start of the year. I am soooo glad that I bought the new TV, because this season is going to be awesome.

Anyway, back to Heroes. I have to say that Hiro Nakamura is my favorite for the following reasons:

1. He’s Asian and you really don’t see that too much on network TV.
2. His part is well written.
3. His powers are awesome. Time manipulation and teleportation, how can it get any better?
4. The actor portraying him, Masi Oka, does so with the wide-eyed wonderment and idealism of a child. Not to mention he has degrees in mathematics and computer science, and works for George Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic.
5. He becomes a ninja!
   

In the end, I’m glad we started watching this show at the out set. The last thing I wanted was a repeat of the Lost situation…everyone jumps on and says you have to watch because it’s soo good, but since you missed the first few episodes there’s a hard place to jump back in and you end up never doing so. Well, I don’t think that’ll happen with Heroes. It’s highly accessible, they show repeats on Sci-Fi and on their website, and they do a good job bringing you along in the writing.

If you haven’t already started watching, I highly recommend doing so.

p.s. – If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been, it’s been here. The podcast is going pretty well. Our subscriptions keep increasing and now we’re starting to reach out to sponsors. I will warn you though, it’s not for the faint of heart. After a few beers my friends can get a teensy bit foul mouthed.

Return of the Super Blog

Ok so it’s been a while since I last updated my blog. That’s mostly been due to the fact that it’s summer in Chicago and while it lasts I spend as much time outside as possible. What about work you ask? Well, they’ve actually figured out a way to keep me busy for the past month or so, so in-office updating hasn’t been as frequent as I would have liked.

So, where do we go from here? Why don’t I just cover everything that’s happened since my last substantive post.

1) In late June I visited Dennison University for the first time. Clare was there for a Dennis Singers reunion and I went to cheer her on. After a dapper introduction to the group, we proceeded back to the dorm room for a rousing game of Yee Haw! and beer pong (which I must add, I am ridiculously good at). The concert was very good, although Clare thought that one of the other sopranos was loud and half a step flat. On top of everything, I got to meet some of Clare’s friends, namely Jack, Sarah, Jeff and Leslie (yay Leslie!).

Leslie was nice enough to put us up for a night at her place so that we could all hang out. She’s just as snarky in person as she is in her blog, even more so once Clare and her got together. She did an excellent job entertaining and playing host and since I didn’t say it before I’ll say it now, thanks Leslie!

2) Fourth of July weekend was pretty ridiculous. Saturday was spent at the grassy knoll, having a few beverages and laying out. After a few hours and entirely too much alcohol sun we brought it in and hung out at Clare’s place. After an interesting dinner at the Melrose, I proceeded to lose my fastball in a spectacular way.

Sunday was spent out in the burbs attending Abigail Laurel Robinson’s baptism. Let me tell you, she is one pretty and well-behaved baby, so congratulations on that to Laurel and Jared.

On the third (Chicago’s traditional night to celebrate the nation’s birthday), we were able to head out to the Columbia yacht club and take in a good buffet and the city’s fireworks extravaganza. We all ended up with yacht club names, mine was Chaz and Clare’s was Buffy.

On the fourth we ended up back out at the grassy knoll for more laying out and that was that.

3) On July 8th, Clare and I caught Too White Crew at the Wrigleyville Summer block party. This cover band defies explanation, if only because its entire repertoire consisted of old school hip-hop. This deserves an entry of its own, so I’m leaving it at that.

4) The weekend of the 15th I head back out to the burbs and caught up with my old roommate Chris and his wife Cindy. They moved out to Indianapolis about a year ago now and have bought a house out in Fischer. Also, Chris and Cindy are expecting their first child early next year. With any luck he’ll have a girl and when she’s ready she can start dating guys just like her dad.

5) The big trip to Florida. This deserves its own entry, so let me just say right now that I had a great time and would definitely go back again, if only for the chance at a rematch between me and David versus Clare and Sharon at hand and foot.

6) I bought a new phone last weekend. So bye-bye Sprint, hello Verizon.

For those of you asking, “Where are all the pictures?” Well, those will be up at a later time. I’m working on a little something special for you guys, so just hold tight.

So to recap, July – very busy, but very fun.

(Blog updated, are you happy now Melissa?)

The Chaz

More to come.