I just wanted to share the list of streets closed for this weekend’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon in the city. If you live downtown or up north in Chicago, beware of parking bans and getting your car towed tonight also in addition to these streets that will be inaccessible. Most streets re-open on Sunday afternoon when the race is over, but some streets take longer to clear and won’t be open again until Monday morning. If you are viewing/cheering the Chicago Marathon, take public transportation downtown. If you live in the area, I recommend staying in for the weekend, or using public transit. Driving will be difficult. But then again its just once a year.

The following information was provided by the Chicago Police Department.

Please note that although the Bank of America Marathon is on Sunday, some street closures will be in effect as early as Thursday evening.

Bank of America Chicago Marathon Date: Sunday, 11 Oct 09

Start Time: 7:30 am

Start Location: Monroe and Columbus

Finish Location: Columbus north of Roosevelt Street

Closures for site set up, event and teardown:

• Columbus from Roosevelt to Congress Pkwy- Closed: Friday, 09 Oct 09 at 10am Opened: Monday, 12 Oct 09 at 6am
• Columbus from Congress Pkwy to Jackson- Closed: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 3am Opened: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 4pm
• Columbus from Jackson to Monroe- Closed: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 3am Opened: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 11am
• Columbus from Monroe to Randolph- Closed: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 3 am Opened: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 9:30am
• Balbo from Columbus to LSD- Closed: Thursday, 09 Oct 09 at 7pm Opened: Monday, 12 Oct 09 at 6am
• Balbo from Michigan to Columbus- Closed: Friday, 10 Oct 09 at 10am Opened: Monday, 12 Oct 09 at 6am
• Congress Pkwy from Michigan to Columbus- Closed: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 3am Opened: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 4pm
• North & South Congress Circle Michigan to Congress Pkwy- Closed: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 3am Opened: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 3pm
• Jackson from Michigan to Columbus- Closed: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 3am Opened: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 11am
• Jackson from Columbus to LSD- Closed: Saturday, 10 Oct 09 at 6am Opened: Monday, 12 Oct 09 at 6am
• Monroe from Michigan to LSD- Closed: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 3am Opened: Sunday, 11 Oct 09 at 9:30am

For further marathon route and information go to chicagomarathon.com There will be rolling street closures and streets will be opened as soon as it is safe to do so. Also check the Chicago CTA website for updates on how they have modified the bus routes for the weekend and added extra trains to handle crowds.

The 2009 Chicago Bears have started the preseason games already and it isn’t long until the regular Football season is in full swing. Whether you are a casual fan or a dedicated fantasy football die hard who also attends home games at Soldier Field, you will want to know where to find the scheduled games on TV in Chicago. Most of the Chicago Bears Games in 2009 will be broadcast locally on WFLD Fox Channel 32 in Chicago or NBC Channel 5. A few are on the NFL network and also ESPN. Those are on channels cable and will be different depending on your cable provider. One thing is for sure, this year the 2009 Chicago Bears have a lot of hope for a great football season because they have Jay Cutler as the new quarterback this year.  All times below are listed in Chicago time CST.

The Chicago Bears 2009 Game Schedule with TV channel info

Preseason games -

August
DAY  DATE  OPPONENT  TIME (CT)   RADIO TV/RECAP L
Sat. 15 Chicago Bears vs @ Bills 6:00 PM WBBM 780 AM Radio WFLD Channel 32 TV Lost 27-20
Sat. 22 Chicago Bears vs NY GIANTS in Chicago 7:00 PM WBBM 780AM Radio WFLD Channel 32 TV Won 17-3
Sun. 30 Chicago Bears vs @ Denver Broncos 7:00 PM WBBM 780 AM Radio NBC Channel 5 TV Won 27-17

September
DAY  DATE  OPPONENT  TIME (CT)   RADIO TV/RECAP
Thu. 3 Chicago Bears vs BROWNS in Chicago 7:00 PM WBBM 780 AM WFLD Channel 32 TV Won 26-23

Regular season games - 

September
DAY  DATE  OPPONENT  TIME (CT)   RADIO TV/RECAP
Sun. 13 Chicago Bears vs @ Packers 7:20 PM WBBM 780 AM Radio, NBC Channel 5 TV Lost 15-21
Sun. 20 Chicago Bears vs STEELERS in Chicago 3:15 PM WBBM 780 AM Radio, CBS Channel 2 TV Won 17-14
Sun. 27 Chicago Bears vs @ Seahawks 3:05 PM WBBM 780 AM Radio, FOX Channel 32 TV Won 25-19

October
DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME (CT) RADIO TV/RECAP
Sun. 4 Chicago Bears vs LIONS in Chicago 12:00 PM WBBM 780 AM Radio, FOX Channel 32 TV Won 48-24
Sun. 18 Chicago Bears vs @ Falcons 7:20 PM WBBM 780 AM Radio, NBC Channel 5 TV Lost 14-21
Sun. 25 Chicago Bears vs @ Bengals 3:15 PM WBBM 780 AM Radio, FOX Channel 32 TV Lost 10-45

November
DAY  DATE  OPPONENT  TIME (CT)   RADIO TV/RECAP
Sun. 1 Chicago Bears vs BROWNS in Chicago 12:00 PM WBBM 780 AM Radio, CBS Channel 32 TV
Sun. 8 Chicago Bears vs CARDINALS in Chicago 12:00 PM WBBM 780 AM Radio, FOX Channel 32 TV
Thu. 12 Chicago Bears vs @ 49ers 7:20 PM WBBM 780 AM Radio, NFLN Cable Only
Sun. 22 Chicago Bears vs EAGLES in Chicago 7:20 PM WBBM 780 AM NBC
Sun. 29 Chicago Bears vs @ Vikings 12:00 PM WBBM 780 AM FOX

December
DAY  DATE  OPPONENT   TIME (CT)   RADIO TV/RECAP
Sun. 6 Chicago Bears vs RAMS in Chicago 12:00 PM WBBM 780 AM Radio, FOX Channel 32 TV
Sun. 13 Chicago Bears vs  PACKERS in Chicago 12:00 PM WBBM 780 AM Radio, FOX Channel 32 TV
Sun. 20Chicago Bears vs  @ Ravens 12:00 PM WBBM 780 AM Radio, FOX Channel 32 TV
Mon day Night Football Dec 28 Chicago Bears vs VIKINGS in Chicago 7:30 PM WBBM 780 AM Radio, ESPN Cable Channel

January
DAY DATE OPPONENT TIME (CT) RADIO TV/RECAP
Sun. 3 Chicago Bears vs @ Lions 12:00 PM WBBM 780 AM Radio, FOX Channel 32 TV

March Madness used to be the one time during the year when betting at work was ok. Everyone got their brackets, whether they understood the NCAA college basketball tournament or not and the smack talk at the water-cooler continued for a month. (three weeks plus one week to speculate about your favorite NCAA college basketball teams)

President Obama Fills out NCAA Brackets on ESPN Sportcenter

Now with Fantasy Basball, Fantasy Football, Fantasy NASCAR and reality Television I am not sure how people have time at all to work since there are so many sports to consume. Somehow March Madness hasn’t dominated the work conversations yet this year, but I know the college basketball smack talk is coming. Soon.

An entire month of college basketball on CBS Channel 2 in Chicago and nothing else used to be a huge let down for me, but now as a girl who lives with a fiance, it is a welcome time of peace and quiet. Tech Guy watches as much NCAA college basketball in 2009 as he would like, and I get to go blog as much as I would like.

We call it having interests on our own and I think March Madness 2009 was invented for exactly this purpose. All the NCAA college basketball teams are hoping for their best shot at winning it all this year and I am hoping to get some laundry done.

On a more collegiate note. If you are a recent transplant to Chicago and want to find a bar or pub to watch the NCAA basketball tournament and all of its commercials, Chicago has many options.

The Lincoln Park and Wrigleyville northside neighborhoods of Chicago are filled with bars that still fly college team flags for those who can’t move on and want to pretend they’re still at the fraternity while getting completely wasted. Other bars and pubs across the city offer a more low key approach to experiencing the excitement of March Madness and the Final Four in 2009 with food and drink specials.

Some of these bars are:
Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap – from March 19 to April 6 Entire duration of the tournament Jake’s will be serving the Madness Burger, a 9-oz. burger topped with pepper jack cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and a fried egg served between two grilled cheese sandwiches, paired with a Miller Lite pint for $9.99.

The Full Shilling Bar in Wrigleyville - March 19-20 The Wrigleyville bar will be throwing an NCAA Tournament kick-off party for the first two days of the big dance. Withover one hundred Miller Lite scratch & win tickets, this lottery-style party will give everyone a chance to win. Prizes include mp3 player speaker coolers, aluminum bottle wraps, hats, t-shirts, bottle openers and more. Pitchers of Miller Lite will be on special for $7 both days. Food specials include the two-buck burger on Thursday and the $7.99 fish fry on Friday.

Rockit Bar & Grill On March 26, 6-8 pm Red Hot March Madness. A $40 all inclusive ticket includes drinks and snacks during the NCAA basketball Games, and the proceeds benefit charity.

O’Donovan’s - After the St Pats crowd clears, this friendly North Center bar’s 20 plasma TVs to watch NCAA Tournament Games throughout the bar, party room and patio. The bar will open at 10 am on March 19-22 and offer daily lunch and dinner specials all day.

Smoke Daddy – Celebrate Purdue: Smoke Daddy owner Josh Rutherford is a Boilermaker Alum, so you know the place will be decked out in black-and-gold. And a Purdue-themed menu will be available throughout the tournament, including the Boiler Burger, Mackey’s Mac and Cheese and Purdue Pete’s Pulled Pork Sandwich. (say that three times fast)

Harry Caray’s – Harry Caray’sTavern has the first round action from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (weekday games working lunch?) with a food buffet and domestic drafts included for just $20. Harry Caray’s(in Lombard) will offer $2 Bud and Bud Light drafts with commemorative March Madness pint glasses on all game days. Visit harrycarays.com before the tournament starts to enter your picks and you could win a private flight for four to St. Louis for a Cubs-Cardinals game by picking the most games right.

Kroll’s SouthLoop – Lots of Drink Specials and the “Madness Burger” and “Sweet Sixteen Wings are all on tap with their TV screens for watching all the games at one sitting.

Merkle’sBar and Grill – $4 22-ounce drafts and $5 bombs, along with 25 cents wings during all tournament games. And on March 28, try your hand at Merkle’s Sweet 16 flip cup tournament (everyone’sfavorite college pastime) with cash prizes.

Timothy O’Toole’s – has 45 TV screens, more than any other Bar I have seen. The bar specials include Wingfest famous wings and $2 draft beers on Saturdays and $16 Miller/Coors buckets on Sundays.

The Spread – March 20 Junior Board’s 7th Annual March Mania Party. $30 all-you-can-drink package from 9 p.m. to midnight and enter a raffle to win prizes like Final Four tickets and a flat-screen TV.

Moretti’s (West Loop) – April 6 Watch the championship game on over 25 big screen TVs, including 4 super bright HD plasmas.

Social Twenty-Five is new and offers spacious booths, loungey leather banquettes and 24 TVs on two floors. No specials listed though this late-night spot will open as early as 11 am for daytime games.

Cagney’s Bar has oversized booths, wooden chairs and 25 TVs on two floors. They offer specials like $15 select domestic beer buckets and $5 burgers and fries. Luckilly it’s a new bar and without an allegiance to any one college team yet, so this spot’s clientele consists of mostly low-key locals and is a best bet to avoid frat behavor.

Bull & Bear Bar has all the NCAA March Madness games on 26 TVs (the most I’ve seen) and one wall projector. No specials for the NCAA College Basketball Games and in addition to that you need a reservation for a booth! The regular Monday-Friday deal of half-price apps (3-7 pm) is still in effect.

Theory has 20 TVs on one floor, including some semi-private booth sets. There are specials like $3 Miller Lite in March, plus regular deals such as $6 Belvedere cocktails Thursdays, Effen cocktails on Fridays. There is no official team loyalty here but reverence to Illinois teams across all sports so less crazed frat behavior is to be found.

Hi-Tops has 20 (yes 20) TVs to watch all the NCAA March Madness at once plus a bunch of reality shows and cable TV nobody needs to see. Hi-Tops has Domestic draft beer and appetizer buffet packages March 21 and 22 ($25 from 11 am to 5 pm) and April 4 and 6 ($15 for game start to end). A spirited Lincoln Park crowd has a Michigan State University fandom inherited from the Gin Mill and is known for it’s rowdy.

Sully’s House has 12 TVs plus 3 wall projectors for full coverage of all games. They have $12 select domestic beer buckets, and half-price appetzers on Fridays. There is a loyalty to Gonzaga University and University of Florida here plus an unofficial gathering of Creighton fans from who knows where.

Grand River Bar has 5 TVs and $4 well drinks and $10 Miller Lite pitchers deals like $1.50 mini-burgers on Thursdays and $5 sandwiches on Fridays. The bar is owned by Michigan State University alums, this is the spot for Spartan fans to congregate and celebrate in Lakeview. If MSU is out, then Big 10 games get priority over the others.

The Shamrock Shuffle is an 8K run or 5K walk race for charity in Chicago on March 29, 2009. The Chicago Shamrock Shuffle is usually a fun run without a lot of pressure that a marathon might have and it inspires us Midwesterners to get out and exercise again after the frigid winter. This year Bank of America is the main sponsor. Registration is open now and the only requirements are that you can run a 15 minute mile or walk the 5K and pay the $40 entry fee.

Update: the registration is closed now due to the 32,500 person limit being filled already!

I know that a lot of people enjoy this race as runners also, since the Chicago Marathon isn’t until October and this is a lot shorter. But mostly the Shamrock Shuffle is a race for people who live in the city and enjoy running for exercise or want a goal to get back in shape and like the idea of doing it while supporting a charity. Many runners like to run in green for St Patrick’s Day also.

Try it out this year you might just get hooked on running! Nike has a great training site for runners also. They have detailed plans to get yourself up to speed of running a race if you need help.  After you register you get assigned to a corral depending on your speed and that determines when and where you start.

There are a number of street closures that happen for the Shamrock Shuffle beware if you are near any of these on the morning of March 29th:

• Columbus Dr., from Randolph Dr. to Grand Ave., 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
• Grand Ave., from Columbus Dr. to Rush St., 9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• Rush St., from Grand Ave. to Hubbard St., 9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• Hubbard St., from Rush St. to State St., 9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
• State St., from Hubbard St. to Jackson Blvd., 9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
• Jackson Blvd., from State St. to Jefferson St., 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
• Jefferson St., from Jackson Blvd. to Harrison St., 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
• Harrison St., from Jefferson St. to Michigan Ave., 9:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
• Michigan Ave., from Harrison St. to Roosevelt Rd., 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.  
• Roosevelt Rd. (westbound lanes only), from Michigan Ave. to Columbus Dr., 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

And have a happy Shamrock Shuffle! 

Click here for a map of the entire shamrock shuffle course map.

See the official website for the sign up forms: shamrockshuffle.com/cms400min/

See the Nike Running Blogs and Training Info here: nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/?locale=en_us

Every winter people all over Chicagoland huddle around their TV sets to watch the 2 best teams in the NFL go for the Super Bowl win regardless of if our Bears are in the game or not. We still enjoy seeing a good football game with any of the teams and throwing a big Superbowl party to celebrate. My ideas for Superbowl recipes had gotten a bit stale so I did some research for some new ideas and recipes this year in 2009.

Some of my friends enjoy going to one of the many local sports bars to enjoy the camaraderie of a full bar cheering and others like to gather with friends and family and watch the Super Bowl at home. Either way you get the glory of the game and (sometimes) the entertainment of the commercials. (there have been a lot of weird and not-at-all-funny commercials in the last few years)

With the economy doing so poorly this year I am guessing more people will be planning on watching the big Superbowl game at home in 2009. This means that you may have to dig up some recipes for munchies for guests or just for your own kids and family. Here are some non-typical recipes and ideas for  while watching the big Super Bowl game on TV this year.

1. Here is a chocolate treat recipe I red about on a friend’s blog that I think would be very appropriate for a Super Bowl event. Take 2 wheat thins and make a peanut butter sandwich out of them, then dip it in melted chocolate (like a chocolate fountain you may have lying around from 2006 or a Hershey’s kiss fondue pot) It’s a yummy snack attack!

2. If you have a more cultured crowd coming to watch the game try this recipe for baked brie recipe with jam. Take a grocery store pre-made puff pastry and lay out on a cookie sheet. Lay a wedge or round of Brie cheese on top and then spread jam (raspberry works well) on top.  Close up the pie crust over the brie, drizle with maple syrup and sprinkle with a handful of brown sugar. Bake at 350 degrees in the oven for 25-30 minutes until pastry is golden. Let sit and cool for 10 min before serving with crackers and apple wedges. (and wine)

3. Another great crowd pleasing dip recipe is Superbowl BLT Dip. This is great with anything from veggies to crackers to kettle cooked potato chips. Take 4 cooked slices bacon, 3 green onions sliced, 1 cup mayo, 1 cup lowfat greek yogurt, 1/4 cup arugula chopped in a food processor and pulse until chunky. Stir in crumbled bacon and 1 pint chopped grape tomatoes.

4. Use this Superbowl time together with family and friends to catch up. The guys may be glued to the TV and the game but most women I know use the time during the game and during the commercials to chat, catch up and spend some quality time with friends. It is rare that you can see everyone socially during the holidays because of crazy schedules, the Super Bowl is a great time to see some of the people you may have missed or re-unite family that was going in different directions during the holidays.

5. Get Kids involved in the superbowl game by  making a football themed obstacle course throughout the rooms where the TV is not on. It gets the kids up off the couch at least at the commercial breaks and gets them some exercise. Try the running in tires move (with something like hula hoops), the jump over the back of the couch and land on your belly on the cushions move and the run in between a slalom pattern to get them going. They can even time themselves and see who gets the best time. This is also best supervised since you never know what may happen when kids get wound up.

6. Skip the company Superbowl football pool. In a recession like this, who has $20 to throw away anyway? It always ends up that one of the hard core sorts guys gets the best squares and wins. Keep that $20 in the bank for a rainy day this year.

7. Give prizes for best Superbowl football fan wear. Pick the team you will be following in the game and dress to impress with fan colors and gear if you have it. Kids may even want to face paint the number of their favorite player or go 1/2 and 1/2 with the colors of their team on their face or in hair coloring. (hair coloring seems more common for kids these days and in most cases is temporary). You can make a trophy out of tin foil and a small cardboard box for the winner.  

The Chicago Cubs are turned the Wrigley Baseball Field Stadium into an ice skating rink this winter for an unusual ice skating experience. I am curious to see how this will turn out. I don’t think anyone ever thought that we need an ice rink in the middle of Wrigley Field, but here we go anyway.

The original purpose is for a hockey game but the Wrigley Field Ballpark Ice Rink was open on January 4th for the general public at $10 per person. The proceeds from this day went to the Cubs Care Charity. There were no skate rentals, so you had to bring your own skates.

The rink was officially built to host the Chicago Winter Classic hockey game outdoors at Wrigley Field on January 1, 2009 between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings. See the photo above from the game and the photo below from the public skate day.

What I don’t undersand though, is that if people have a hard time watching outdoor football games in the cold at Soldier Field in October and November when it is between 50 and 20 degrees farenheight, how did they attract a crowd to watch an outdoor hockey game in Chicago in January when it is between 20 and negative 10 degrees? And you’re not nearly as close to the action? Why would anyone sit outside to watch a hockey game when it is that cold? This was the oddest sports related stunt I have seen in a while.

.

Update: There was a lot of media attention and PR buzz about this event and all went well except the Blackhawks lost the game against the Redwings. The community even got to skate on the rink a few days after the game. The thing is, it was cold, about 10 degrees and the people who did go to the game had to go warm up a lot indoors. I am not sure that all the cost of building this temporary rink was worth it, but the publicity seemed to get a ton of attention on the internet and on the local news. Hockey has lost a lot of popularity in recent years due to too many pro sports and not enough time to follow them and the reputation of lots of bloody fighting. Maybe this is a turnaround for the image of the sport? After all there is a lot of skill in the skating done on the ice.

I don’t know anyone who isn’t resolving to loose some extra weight for their New Year’s Resolutions in 2009, and if you want to see how long your resolution lasts, why not try out this offer from the Chicago Park District Gyms: Free membership to the city’s gym facilities from January 2-16. That is a 2 week free to the public membership to over 60 Chicago Park District Gym facilities. It is also a chance for you to get a free gym bag from Nike if you end up starting a membership during this free trial period.

The Chicago Park District Gyms have low rates to begin with and are usually always a better deal than health clubs so why not check out your local Chicago Park District Gym and look at the facility? You might find that they have been recently updated and all kinds of people in the community come to use them. It is a way to get fit for your New Year’s Resolutions in 2009 and get to know your neighbors at the same time. It only costs $40-$75 for 3 months depending on the gym and location. It is a cheaper way to stay in shape than all those pushy salesy big gyms that cost 2-3x as much.

The Chicago Park District Gyms have the same equipment and classes as many of the popular health clubs in the area (Bally’s, Equinox, Total Fitness)They all have computerized treadmills, upright and recumbent bicycles, cross trainers, free weights and benches, multi-station weight machines, cable cross-overs machines and core-focused weight equipment.  The gyms also offer a variety of fitness classes such as circuit training, kickboxing, conditioning, Pilates, spinning, yoga and aerobics.  Some of the facilities also have lap pools. 

If you need a list of the Chicago Park District Gyms, here is one for you with their phone numbers included:
1. Altgeld Park District Gym, 515 South Washtenaw Ave., 312.746.5001
2. Amundsen Park District Gym, 6200 West Bloomingdale Ave., 312.746.5003
3. Archer Park District Gym, 4901 South Kilbourn Ave., 773.284.7029
4. Armour Square Park District Gym, 3309 South. Shields Ave., 312.747.6012
5. Austin Town Hall Park District Gym, 5610 West Lake St., 773.287.7658
6. Avalon Park District Gym, 1215 E. 83rd Street, 312.747.2545
7. Broadway Armory Park District Gym, 5917 North Broadway St., 312.742.7502
8. Calumet Park District Gym, 9801 South Avenue G, 312.747.6039
9. Carver Park District Gym, 939 East 132nd Street, 312.747.6047
10. Clarendon Park Community Center, 4501 North Clarendon Ave., 312.742.7512
11. Columbus Park District Gym, 500 South Central Ave., 773.287.7641
12. Daley Bicentennial Plaza, 337 East Randolph St., 312.742.7648
13. Davis Square Park District Gym, 4430 South Marshfield Ave., 312.747.6107
14. Don Nash Community Center, 1833 East. 71st St., 773.256.0904
15. Eckhart Park District Gym, 1330 W. Chicago Avenue, 312.746.5490
16. Fernwood Park District Gym, 10436 South Wallace Street, 312.747.6132
17. Fosco Park, 1312 S. Racine Avenue, 312.746.5086
18. Foster Park, 1440 West 84th Street, 312.747.6135
19. Fuller Park, 331 West 45th, 312.747.6144
20. Garfield Park, 100 N. Central Park Avenue, 312.746.5092
21. Gage Park, 2411 W. 55th Street, 312.747.6147
22. Gale School Park, 7631 North Ashland Avenue, 773.262.5051
23. Gill Park, 825 West Sheridan, 312.742.7802
24. Grand Crossing Park, 7655 S. Ingleside Avenue, 312.747.6158
25. Harris Recreational Center, 6200 South Drexel Boulevard, 312.747.2706
26. Harrison Park, 1824 West Wood, 312.746.5491
27. Hayes Park, 2936 West 85th Street, 312.747.6177
28. Hiawatha Park, 8029 West Forest Preserve Drive, 312.746.5559
29. Homan Square Park, 3559 West Arlington Street, 312.746.6650
30. Humboldt Park, 1440 North Sacramento Avenue, 312.742.7549
31. Independence Park, 3945 North Springfield Ave., 773.478.3538
32. Jackson Park, 6401 Street Stony Island Ave., 773.256.0903
33. Kelvyn Park, 4438 West Wrightwood Ave., 312.742.7547
34. Kennicott Park, 4434 South Lake Park Ave., 312.747.7138
35. LaFollette Park, 1333 North Laramie Ave., 773.287.0541
36. Lake Shore Park, 808 North Lake Shore Drive, 312.742.7891
37. Lindblom Park, 6054 South Damen Ave., 312.747.6443
38. Margate Park, 4921 North Marine Drive, 312.742.7522
39. McFetridge Sports Center, 3843 N. California Ave., 773.478.2609
40. McGuane Park, 2901 South Poplar Ave., 312.747.6497
41. Mozart Park, 2036 North Avers St., 312.742.7535
42. Norwood Park, 5801 North Natoma Ave., 773.631.4893
43. Ogden Park, 6500 South Racine Avenue, 312.747.6572
44. Palmer Park, 201 East 111th Street, 312.747.6576
45. Peterson Park, 5801 N. Pulaski Rd., 312.742.7584
46. Piotrowski Park, 4247 W. 31st St., 312.747.6608
47. Pottawattomie Park, 7340 N. Rogers Ave., 773.262.5835
48. Rainbow Beach & Park, 3111 E. 77th St., 773.745.1479
49. Ridge Park, 9625 S. Longwood Drive, 312.747.6639
50. Russell Square Park, 3045 E. 83rd St., 312.747.6651
51. Rutherford Sayre Park, 6871 W. Belden Ave., 312.746.5368
52. Scottsdale Park, 4637 W. 83rd St., 773.284.1826
53. Sherman Park, 1301 W. 52nd St., 312.747.6672
54. Sherwood Park, 5701 S. Sheilds Ave., 773.256.0926
55. Taylor Park in Bronzeville, 39 W. 47th St., 312.747.6728
56. Trumbull Park, 2400 E. 105th St., 312.747.6759
57. Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph St., 312.746.5494
58. Washington Park, 5531 S. Martin Luther King Drive, 773.256.1248
59. Welles Park, 2333 W. Sunnyside Ave., 312.742.7511
60. West Lawn Park, 4233 W. 65th St., 773.284.2803

Visit the park district’s official Web site chicagoparkdistrict.org or call 312.742.PLAY, 312.747.2001. Or see the website for more info: cpdit.com/resources/fitness_centers/ And have fun getting more exercise in 2009 while your work on your New Year’s Resolutions.

Chicago gets really cold in the winter so having an outdoor ice rink is no problem downtown. Millennium Park’s ice skating rink opened in 2004 after Skate on State was closed down to accommodate a new building being built across from what was then Marshall Fields.

McCormick Tribune Ice Rink at Millennium Park is located at N. Michigan Avenue in Chicago, IL 60602 Phone: 312-742-5222

Millennium Park’s Ice Skating Rink is smaller than a usual ice arena rink but it is plenty of fun for kids and the family to go skating all winter. The rink is right next to the bean (cloud’s gate) in Millennium Park and it is free to ice skate there. (Skate Rental is not free, $10) Both figure skates and hockey skates are allowed on the ice rink. The ice rink is open from 10 am to 10 pm from Thanksgiving through March 15. The main benefit of the rink is some exercise for most of us that sit behind desks all day long and it is also a pretty picture to see people skating at holiday time.

The Millennium Park Outdoor Ice Skating Rink is a fun thing to do for free downtown if you own your own skates. (or if you want to rent skates) The public is welcome to try out their ice skating skills anytime of the week and have some fun. No lessons are currently available but many local ice skating rinks offer lessons if you want to learn to skate from a professional. Millennium park is a great place for a cheap romantic date though and after you skate you can go to dinner at the Park Grill restaurant there.

If you go skating in Millennium Park remember a few tips:

1. Always ice skate in the same direction as traffic. (far less people get hurt this way)

2. If you are not confident of your ice skating skills stay close to the boards.

3. Bend your knees and keep your butt under you for balance while skating with your feet shoulder width apart. Push outward with the insides of the blades rather than pushing with the toe pick of the skates. Or swizzle your feet in and out while doing a 2 foot glide.

4. If you feel yourself start to fall, letting yourself sit down naturally without struggling usually hurts less than trying to save it. You may want to bring extra gloves or extra pants for kids if they get wet falling a lot. You can change the kids for the ride home in the washrooms after they are done mopping up the ice.

5. They don’t resurface the ice often so expect it to be bumpy, full of snow and basically slow ice because of all the blades cutting it up in traffic. If you do know how to skate this is not really the place to practice or show off. Plus it is kid of rude to cut people off doing all your USFSA stuff when you are on a public skate.

And that is my best Millennium Park Ice Skating advice since I haven’t taught ISIA (ISI) lessons in about 15 years or skated USFSA in even longer. Have a great time skating and getting some good cardio exercise. 

All the people who golf in Chicago lament that 1/2 of the year here is unplayable. Some of us take that as a hint not to play Golf but others press on in spite of that fact. One option for golfers during the long Chicago winter is an indoor driving range. Another option to get your winter golf fix with is an online golf game that is played real time with other players.  Some people like this type of game because it allows them to play without buying a $500 game console and they can easily play from work or home. Personally I am not a golfer but I was asked to give the World Golf Tour Online Game a try so here are my thoughts:

1. The game takes a long time to load. Like several minutes. I have a DSL connection although not the fastest one available. This surprised me a lot. The game is in Flash 10 though which is high bandwidth stuff.

2. The game is not that intuitive for non golfers looking to learn. I watched the 2 tutorials that they had on the site and they never once mentioned how to get the golfer to swing. I understand how to choose the club or iron, choose the directionality and change the level of swing though.

3. After 3 wiffs and a score of over 1,200 I am not sure this makes much sense. I can’t get the swing to rotate up over his head with clicking or dragging the swing bar on the bottom of the screen. Right clicking and left clicking are no help. I am also doing this on a laptop because I don’t have a desktop computer at home and I am not sure it was designed for that either.

4. If nothing else, once you get the instruction manual figured out, this is an interesting representation of playing a golf game. They have re-created many of the most famous PGA golf courses in the game and the views of the course look very nice. I think the animation is clear and looks more realistic than most I have seen. They allow you to view instant replays of your swing and the shot just like they do on TV golf coverage.

So, my official opinion of the World Golf Tour online game is that it is confusing but someone who has more experience with golf might have better luck, and really appreciate a local escape to a warmer climate without ever having to leave Chicago. Other options might be to just do some golf betting online and feel like that is just as much fun.

Have you ever needed a zip code to find out an address or mail a letter to someone and needed their zip code? I run into this problem a lot so here are the zip codes I have been able to compile from a few different places on the web. There are Chicago neighborhood zip codes from the north, south and west side of the city and some near Chicago suburban zip codes too. The zip codes are all listed aphabetically for easy reference. Hopefully this list will be helpful and if you bookmark it you can come back again to look the zip codes up as soon as you need them. No more hunting for old letters or christmas card envelopes with return addresses on them!

Albany Park zip codes- 60625, 60630
Andersonville zip code - 60640
Belmont Cragin zip codes – 60639, 60634, 60641, 60707
Berwyn & Forest Park, IL zip codes - 60402, 60130, 60398
Beverly zip code - 60643
Bridgeport, IL zip codes – 60608, 60616, 60609
Bronzeville - 60653
Bucktown zip codes - 60622, 60647
Chatham zip codes - 60620, 60619
Chinatown zip code - 60608
Dearborn Park & Printer’s Row - 60605
DePaul zip code - 60614
Downers Grove, IL - 60515, 60516
Edgewater - 60640, 60660
Edison Park & Jefferson Park - 60630, 60631, 60646
Englewood - 60636
Evanston, IL - 60201, 60202, 60203
Gold Coast & Streeterville - 60610, 60611
Greektown - 60607
Highland Park, IL - 60035
Horner Park - 60618
Humboldt Park - 60647, 60651, 60624
Hyde Park & Kenwood - 60615, 60637, 60653
Irving Park - 60641, 60618
Lakeview - 60657, 60613
Lincoln Park - 60614
Lincoln Square - 60625, 60659
Logan Square - 60647, 60641, 60639
Loop - 60601, 60602, 60603, 60604, 60605, 60606
Marquette Park - 60629
Naperville, IL - 60540, 60563, 60564, 60565
Near North Chicago- 60610, 60611, 60654, 60606
Near South Chicago - 60605, 60607
Near West Chicago - 60606, 60607, 60610, 60612, 60622, 60661, 60608, 60616
North Center & St. Ben’s - 60613, 60618, 60657
North Park & Budlong Woods – 60625, 60659, 60646, 60630 Old Town: 60610, 60614
Oak Lawn, IL - 60453, 60454, 60456, 60457, 60458, 60459
Oak Park & River Forest, IL - 60301, 60302, 60303, 60304, 60305
Pilsen & Little Village - 60608, 60616
Portage Park - 60641
Ravenswood – 60625, 60640
River North - 60610, 60611
River West - 60606, 60622, 60610, 60661
Rogers Park – 60626 Roscoe Village: 60618, 60657
Schaumburg, IL - 60173, 60179, 60192, 60193, 60194, 60195, 60196
Skokie, IL - 60076, 60077
South Shore - 60649, 60617, 60619, 60637
St Charles, IL – 60174
Tri-Taylor & UIC University Village – 60607
Ukrainian Village - 60622, 60612, 60607
Uptown & Buena Park - 60640, 60660, 60613
Washington Park - 60615, 60637, 60609, 60621
West Ridge & Warren Park - 60659, 60645
West Town - 60612, 60622, 60647, 60610
Wicker Park - 60622, 60647, 60614
Wilmette, IL - 60091
Winnetka, IL - 60093
Wrigleyville Chicago - 60613, 60657

Oprah Winfrey (and the Chicago Oprah Show Harpo Productions Team) are taping the 23rsd season premier episode Wednesday September 3rd in Millennium Park in the Pritzker Pavilion with all the gold medal winning Olympic athletes. (150 Olympians!!) This is a huge deal in Chicago because the admission to see the show is free because it is in Millennium Park.

So, anyone who wants to see all their favorite Olympians can get tickets there in advance on Monday or Tuesday at Millennium Park so that you can still get in line on Wednesday morning at 6am for first come first served seats in the Pritzker Pavillion. These tickets may be gone by this time but if you are downtown and can look and see at Millennium Park let me know. The show will air on TV one week later on Monday September 8th at 9 am CST. (channel 7 ABC Chicago) They also say this is the first Oprah Winfrey Show to be recorded and broadcast in HD.

Big Name Gold Medalists like Michael Phelps, Nastia Liukin, Dara Torres, Kobe Bryant, Lisa Leslie, Kerri Walsh, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Misty May-Treanor will all be in attendance at the event. Also, some Illinois athletes will be there too: Christine Magnuson from Swimming, Matt Grevers from Swimming, Candance Parker from Basketball, Tom Hoff from Men’s Volleyball, Sylvia Fowles from Basketball and Deron Williams from team USA Basketball.

That said if you don’t have to be at work on September 3rd or can get the day off it might be a fun time to see your favorite Olympic athletes in person. The Pritzker Pavilion is a huge stadium like amphitheater in Millennium Park that can seat thousands of people. So if you want to see the Olympic Athletes and Gold Medal Winners you will have to be up front in the seats and not in the back in the grass seating. The stage is also set really high off the ground so if you do get a seat you will still need a pretty good zoom camera lens to get any good pictures. Also if you come in from the suburbs, take the Metra since parking is way expensive under Millennium park.

As much as I enjoy watching the Olympics on TV I will not be in that early morning line for seats because I have to go to work that day and even though I am a Chicagoan I am not really the biggest fan of Oprah Winfrey. She is cool and all, I just dislike the constant selling of stuff all on her shows. It’s not really fair to the people who are home from work all day to get pitched to buy stuff so heavily when they don’t have the income from work in the first place.

I am also not wild about the idea that this rally will be to support the idea of the Olympics coming to Chicago in 2016. While that may have been my dream as a kid, as an adult I am much wiser about who really benefits from these Olympic Games and who pays for them. As a resident here in Chicago I am not behind the idea at all. Some people are also crying foul because Oprah has not invited the para-Olympians too.

That said I think the athletes are awesome and I hope they enjoy their time in Chicago and I hope that all the people who go out to see the Oprah Show live in Millennium Park enjoy the show. The pictures here are of the taping in Millennium Park yesterday and they are from Flickr courtesy of Dane Brian and T-Shirt Auza. Bookmark this page and check back to the Chicago Weekend Fun Blog for more pictures and video as it becomes available.

Easy reference Bears 2008 Schedule of Football Games – Bookmark this page for future TV Schedule reference

The Chicago Bears did not have the best pre-season but since they are our home football team we still hope for the best. Lovey Smith and the Bears have a lot of work to do this season to get things together and win some games. I may be watching more this year because I have been roped into playing Fantasy Football with my boyfriend’s online Yahoo league. The draft was last week and we will see where the games net out in a few weeks. I don’t feel like I have much chance of winning but it might make the Bears Games on TV a little more interesting and exciting since I have some players on my own team now.

If you plan on seeing the Bears play football live at Soldier Field I hear there are still tickets available, but for those December games plan on layering up with the coats because it gets so cold in Chicago. Here is the handy 2008 Bears Game Schedule with the Radio and TV Channel coverage listed for easy reference. Bookmark this page to look up the football games and the TV channels they will be on each week. It seems like there is a mix of Cable and Free Network TV coverage and a variety of channels that have broadcast rights to the games this year. It always makes it interesting trying to find where to see the football game on TV. The games with a * next to them are tentatively scheduled and the time may change before then. Check back for updates.

Preseason Bears Games Schedule

August Bears Games Schedule

Day – Date – Opponent – Time (CT) – RADIO/TV/RECAP/Score
Thu. 7 Bears vs CHIEFS 7:00 pm Radio: WBBM Lost, Score: 20-24
Sat. 16 Bears vs @ Seahawks 8:00 pm Radio: WBBM Lost, Score: 26-29
Thu. 21 Bears vs 49ERS 7:00 pm Radio: WBBM Lost, Score: 30-37
Thu. 28 Bears vs @ Browns 6:30 pm Radio: WBBM TV: FOX Chicago Channel 32 (WIN Score: 16-10)

**Regular Season Bears Games Schedule**

September Bears Games Schedule
Day – Date – Opponent – Time (CT) – RADIO/TV/RECAP/Score
Sun. 7 Bears vs @ Colts 7:15 pm Radio: WBBM FM TV: NBC Channel 5 (WIN Score: 29-13)
Sun. 14 Bears vs @ Panthers 12:00 pm Radio: WBBM FM TV: FOX Channel 32 (LOST Score: 20-17)
Sun. 21 Bears vs BUCCANEERS 12:00 pm Radio: WBBM FM TV: FOX Channel 32 (LOST 27 – 24 OT)
Sun. 28 Bears vs EAGLES 7:15 pm Radio: WBBM FM TV: NBC Channel 5 (WON 24 – 20)

October Bears Games Schedule
Day – Date – Opponent – Time (CT) – RADIO/TV/RECAP/Score
Sun. 5 Bears vs @ Lions 12:00 pm Radio: WBBM FM TV: FOX Channel 32 (WON 34 – 7)
Sun. 12 Bears vs @ Falcons 12:00 pm Radio: WBBM FM TV: FOX Channel 32 (LOST 20 – 22)
Sun. 19 Bears vs VIKINGS 12:00 pm Radio: WBBM FM TV: FOX Channel 32 (WON 48 – 41)

November Bears Games Schedule
Day – Date – Opponent – Time (CT) – RADIO/TV/RECAP/Score
Sun. 2 Bears vs LIONS 12:00 pm Radio: WBBM FM TV: FOX Channel 32 (WON 27-23)
Sun. 9 Bears vs TITANS 12:00 pm Radio: WBBM FM TV: CBS Channel 2 (LOST 21-14)
*Sun. 16 Bears vs @ Packers 12:00 pm Radio: WBBM FM TV: FOX Channel 32 (Lost 3-37)
*Sun. 23 Bears vs @ Rams 12:00 pm Radio: WBBM FM TV: FOX Channel 32 (Win 27-3)
*Sun. 30 Bears vs @ Vikings 7:15 pm Radio: WBBM FM TV: NBC Channel 5 (Lost 14-34)

December Bears Games Schedule
Day – Date – Opponent – Time (CT) – RADIO/TV/RECAP/Score
*Sun. 7 Bears vs JAGUARS 12:00 noon Radio: WBBM FM TV: CBS Channel 2 (Win 23-10)
Thu. 11 Bears vs SAINTS 7:15 pm Radio: WBBM FM TV: NFL Network Cable or Free TV Channel 50 (Win 27-24)
Mon. 22 Bears vs PACKERS 7:30 pm Radio: WBBM FM  TV: ESPN Cable
*Sun. 28 Bears vs @ Texans 12:00 pm Radio: WBBM FM TV: FOX Channel 32

Bookmark this page to come back to check the listings weekly and keep track of the scores and their season record.

I think Chicago is a bad choice for the 2016 Olympic Games. I know that I am in the minority with that opinion, so I wanted to make my opinion points (and those of others like me) visible online. Just to be clear, it isn’t that I am not a fan of the Olympics. I actually am a fan and usually watch some part of the Olympics on TV when it happens. In fact I was such a fan of the Olympics that spent most of my childhood idolizing the Olympic athletes and spent a decade of my family’s own time and money pursuing a figure skating career inspired by the 1984 Olympics.

Now that I am an adult who works hard to pay a mortgage, taxes and transportation costs in Cook County my views of the Olympics have matured.  I now work in Marketing for a living so I realize that the Olympics much like the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL are glorified marketing advertising circuses and money machines maximized for entertainment value, seat ticket sales, advertising revenue and profit. Not much is done for the love of the game and in fact much is done in spite of it with drugs, enhancements and fixing. (the NBA Finals this year were largely believed to be completely rigged, and many olympic medals have been given back in recent years due to illegal doping and cheating) Therefore, I don’t see an overall benefit of the 2016 Olympic Games being held here in Chicago in an inspirational, financial or infrastructural way since none of those things are the actual goal of the games. (the only real goal is to make a lot of money)

The issue I have with the 2016 Olympics in Chicago would be that they are a huge industrial, infrastructural, financial and logistical process that will end up costing the citizens of Cook County and DuPage county millions of dollars in taxes. This raises the same question we ask about the Iraq war. Why should we be spending all that taxpayer money on something petty, frivolous and non-essential when there are so many basic needs not being met for the people in Chicago? Lets list a few basic community needs we have that aren’t being met that might be a better use of the city, county and local corporate investor’s dollars:

1. Basic Transportation- The Chicago CTA budget goes broke every year or two. The EL trains are falling apart and falling off the tracks every few months. The Buses spew black smoke into people’s faces when they pass by on the street clogging daily traffic and they keep cutting back on routes people need to get to work. Cars don’t have it much better. All the major highways have backed up traffic jams into and out of the city at all 24 hours a day now and construction rips things up every summer while cutting traffic down to 1 lane and yet the roads never get less congested or better in quality.  I think these funds would be much better spent overhauling the EL trains, tracks and stations, converting Buses to electric rechargeable power and research and installation of better quality road materials that don’t require replacement yearly. This also factors in to how the 2016 Olympic Games thinks they can route hundreds of athletes and thousands of viewers through a network of highways and train routes that can’t handle the 9 million people who live here now. The bandwidth just isn’t there.

2. Poverty – There are more people homeless, begging and asking for money on my 5 block walk to work downtown than I ever saw in the first 25 years of my life. Homelessness, poverty and drugs are a huge problem in Chicago. Some of this is created by Gangs, but now that the “projects” are taken down, there is no one place you can go to find the problem and try and work on helping. I shouldn’t see so many people desperate for a variety of reasons and it shouldn’t be Chicago’s priority to make a few developers even more rich with Olympic development contracts when so many people just want a stable income to live on so they can have a place to live and food to eat. Most of us believe that this situation is related to the continuing cycle of a lack of education, ease of finding drugs and lack of available jobs. This 2016 Olympic investment money would be much better spent on education programs in the low income neighborhoods, schools and work training programs. A lot of people say that the Olympics will bring jobs and money to Chicago, but a job for a year will leave these people out on the street again soon and doesn’t solve anything. Chicago doesn’t have a very good track record in helping the greater community, over choosing to help the rich get richer. Big corporations in Chicago choose to send money to Malawi and Africa (a certain jobsite and Oprah Winfrey) for the trendy PR value rather than fund needy local schools and children’s charities that make a difference in the community that they actually live in. Cook County has a board and a city hall constantly plagued with political patronage scandals, ghost employees and contracts awarded without competitive cost bidding because of under the table kickback deals. This town is still all about organized crime and patronage decades after Al Capone died. Some things never change. Maybe the Olympic Committee is really the same kind of organization, and they don’t care either? The Olympics being associated with Chicago’s patronage and organized crime problems is not going to be good for their PR.

3. Education - It is great for a kid to aspire to be a famous athlete, but isn’t it more practical and realistic that they aspire to finish school, make a good living and contribute to a better neighborhood? These are basic ideals in the suburbs but not seen as much in the city. I know the Olympic committee will lump Chicago and the surrounding suburbs into one category when they are here (and so do we sometimes) but we are really a completely divided culture. (a large number of suburbanites won’t ever go into the city because of the crime, cost and constant gridlock) The suburbs really want nothing to do with the Olympics because it doesn’t contribute to those goals that they have mastered. It doesn’t help their schools get better, their kids get smarter nor them to make any more money. It actually costs everyone more money for an experience no one wants with a lot of traffic and security nightmares.  In addition to all that, this money would be much better spent improving the Chicago Public Schools and making sure that these kids get better instruction, more resources and achieve more goals just like the suburban kids do. Even the suburbanites would agree with that.

Basically, I think it is important for the Olympic committee to get off the approved cleaned up shiny show path when they visit and see the real problems that Chicago has in addition to all that is being offered and see that they will negativley impact the 2016 Olympics if held here. We are a city with an identity crisis. We have lost most of the titles we had for years with business, manufacturing and standard of living (even tallest building) and we haven’t really figured out a clear path to success again. (seriously, right now we are mostly known for bringing childhood and adult obesity to the world through the success of McDonald’s which was started here and is still based in OakBrook) No offense to the Olympics, but a bunch of stadiums we don’t need and a 2 week sports party aren’t going to help us figure out how to reinvent the business and industry here any faster.

We should instead invest our time and money in our community, our citizens and our infrastructure for the right reasons, not because we can sell a lot of advertising and make some big money fast. A lot of people will be far more hurt in the long run by a lack of basic resources and higher taxes and living costs than will be helped by a transient sporting event bonanza. I would really like more people to voice their opinion about this in the comments, especially those who have been silent before now. It’s the silent people who don’t get represented and then have to pay the high price for decisions that affect our lives like hosting the 2016 Olympics in Chicago.

WGN Channel 9 in Chicago is a local TV station that is owned by the Tribune company. I grew up here and it has always been a part of Chicago’s news and entertainment on television for my family. I heard on their newscast that WGN is celebrating 60 years of Broadcasting this year and while that doesn’t seem like a really long time (compared to newspapers) it does seem like a long time for television. Remember how different entertainment was back in 1948. Most average families in Chicago didn’t have a TV until the 1950’s and there wasn’t much programming on TV nor all hours of the day either. In TV terms this was the dark ages.

I looked up some information about this 60 year anniversary that WGN is having, and found out that the original purpose for WGN TV (which stands for World’s Greatest Newspaper, which is a little odd considering the Chicago Tribune is regional and not worldwide in it’s distribution) was to broadcast Cubs baseball games. According to the article in the Chicago Tribune today, the owner of the Cubs (and Tribune) at the time was  P.K. Wrigley and he decided that TV was the next big marketing medium and the games would attract more ticket sales if people could see what it was like to visit the ballpark from their TV set at home.

This marketing theory proved somewhat right because the Cubs have been a primarily loosing team in the past 60 years and yet have attracted sold out crowds and season ticket sales in the billions thanks in part to Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray. (my dad and brother still love to watch Cubs Games on TV) Yet the WGN Channel 9 station changed over time from mostly sports content to a regular network with other programming to rival the big 3 networks in Chicago. (CBS, NBC and ABC) I have heard that WGN is also available as a cable channel in other areas of the country. Mostly from people who subscribe in Phoenix, AZ where a lot of Chicagoans moved to escape from the bad Chicago winters in the 1980’s and 1990’s.  

WGN also pineered other innovative strategies in television broadcasting over the years. I have always appreciated the Channel 9 news at 9pm because it is one hour earlier than the Channel 2, 5 and 7 news at 10 pm and for people who have to get up pretty early or have kids that go to bed early this is very helpful. Now with DVRs and TIVOs this is less of an issue for some people, but it was a great idea that added to the news offerings in a relevant way in Chicago.

Tom Skilling is also one of the notable WGN Channel 9 products, as the weather guy that goes crazy with technical color coded maps, diagrams and charts. He has more passion for weather and data than I have ever seen before and many people appreciate his detail and weather information because it is so helpful to them. Most other weather men just get by on being funny. (I personally just want to know what to wear that day, so maybe Channel 9 can get an opposite style broadcast to send to people like me that says, “hat, coat, umbrella, snow boots” or something so I have basics quickly.) But kidding aside, Tom Skilling is very well known and appreciated for his work in Chicago.

In the 1990’s and since 2000 WGN Channel 9 has had more success with a mix of prime time programming aimed at younger and more urban viewers from WB (the dancing frog; One Tree Hill) and now the CW network (Beauty and the Geek and America’s Next Top Model). I find that many nights the offerings on Channel 9 are better than what is available on Channel 2, 5 7 and 32. But then again, I am one of the last 20% of people in the U.S. that does not have cable. So, I have relied on the free TV Network channels more than most. Although I do get almost all of my information from the Internet now.

I am not sure what the next 60 years holds for WGN TV, WGN Radio, the Tribune or their web properties, but I am betting on more integration between mediums, more self selecting of content streams and broadcast preferences, less content developed specific to each broadcast medium and more interesting digital products that deliver information and news to me in interesting ways. Now, if we could only get the Cubs to win some games!

Times are tough for the Tribune company, so tough that 19% profit margin on everything they sell isn’t enough anymore. So, the latest plan hatched by the new quirky Tribune owner Sam Zell is to sell the naming rights to Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field to the highest bidder. Will we see Ebay Field? Amazon Wrigley Field? Google Field? Kraft Field? State Farm Wrigley Field? Geico Field? I can’t imagine what other ubiquitous large local consumer brand company that would want the rights to a baseball stadium in Chicago? CDW Field? 

Three large Chicago employers US Cellular, AllState Insurance and United Airlines have already bought stadium naming rights here, and technically the Cubs’ Wrigley Field naming rights were already sold once to Wrigley the chewing gum company. Maybe they should buy it again? Or would Altoids be interested? 

I hate to think that this has to happen but it reinforces that the only reason that these executives and board members are in business for is money. They feel no corporate stewardship, community responsibility in Chicago or corporate responsibility to provide anything but low level-low paying jobs and minimum benefits. When will the greed stop?

Apparently selling off the naming rights for historical institutions like Wrigley Field in Chicago is going to be the norm now. What’s next? Ebay Art Institute of Chicago (bid on artifacts!) and The Boeing Museum of Science and Industry? This is pathetic for our city and for our history in Chicago. And expect the price of tickets to go up too. Again…the little guy looses.

There is a lot going on this weekend to choose from, and it is finally cold!  Movies, theater, dance, fashion shows, celebrity chefs, Maytag’s 100 Year Anniversary at the Museum of Science and Industry and a bears Game. If you need to decide what to do this weekend, just pick from this list:

Friday October 12: Friday Night is Movie Night!

New Movie Releases at the theaters this weekend:

Lust Caution - A Chinese thriller that has an erotic NC-17 rating. Only available in certain cities and theaters. Some people will dislike the sexual content but others see it as truly revealing in life and art. This is only playing in Chicago at the Landmark Century Cinema in Lakeview.

We Own The Night - New movie with Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg. (who we have forgotten ever had a music career) Brothers. Mob. Police. Drama. Violence. Nuff Said.

Elizabeth The Golden Age - Cate Blanchett is playing Queen Elizabeth again and we love her in this role. Such an unbelievable place for a woman to be in that time. Full of drama and old England style medieval life.

Lars and the Real Girl – Slightly eccentric movie about a guy who orders a “doll” in the mail and rather than viewing it as a sex toy, really falls in love with it as if it was a woman. The town knows this is a delusion and struggles to accept and embrace the fiction rather than fact.

Michael Clayton – **Best Pick This Weekend**  George Clooney is a lawyer who has cleaned up some messes in his time. Now someone wants to wipe him off the face of the earth. Hopefully a smart chase thriller ala Bourne Ultimatum, but expect less action and more thinking.

Why Did I get Married – A drama about 4 African American couples and their relationship struggles while on vacation together. It might be interesting to anyone, but I get the feeling it was targeted for a certain market. Stars Janet Jackson and is from new hot director Tyler Perry.

Sleuth - It stars Jude Law and Michael Caine. This has potential to be great and is released in Oscar time zone, so why haven’t we heard a word about it?? Apparently a remake of an old film by Harold Pinter of a movie which Michael Caine was in originally, although no one remembers the film, so we aren’t really looking for it. Still, consider this one.

Control - Music rocker guy commits suicide. Not really interesting to me.

The Final Season - A baseball movie staring the guy from Rudy! Sean Astin finds another heartwarming sports story role as the ever all American guy and sometimes hobbit. This film is not being released in all areas. Check local listings to find if it is playing by you.

Not finding anything worth seeing? The Game Plan and The Kingdom are still playing at most theaters and have had mostly good or great reviews. Check them out instead.

Macy’s Charity & Celebrity Chef Gala - October 12th @ 6 p.m. – 12:30 am.  $100-$350. Tickets online at mealsonwheelschicago.org or call 312-744-2120  The charity event is at Macy’s on State Street ( 111 N. State St Chicago, IL 60602 312-781-1000)  Jimmy Bannos of Heaven on Seven, Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill and other big names in the Chicago culinary scene are going to be there for this Meals on Wheels Chicago 2007 Celebrity Chef Gala. Attend the  cocktail reception, four-course meal served by the Chefs and a decadent dessert bar and dancing.

Saturday October 13:

Around The Coyote Festival (Fall Edition) A great wicker park arts festival featuring all kinds of talented and emerging artists. I have only been to the freezing cold February version of this festival, but it had great sculpture, paintings of all styles and 3-D art that would brighten and enlighten any loft space in Chicago. Of course it’s all on sale as well, many people come in hopes of finding a breakout new artist and investing in buying before the prices go sky high.  This also features theater performances and films. Tragically cool. Expect to feel way out of place at this event if you are a working business professional or over 40. One day pass is $10.00 a full weekend pass is $40.00. ½ W. North Ave and aroundthecyote.org.

MayTag 100 Year Anniversary at The Museum of Science and Industry -  Washers make our lives more live-able and more clean. Come see the history and ingenious machinery behind the invention that gave you 40 minutes or more free time every day. You get Free Museum of Science and Industry admission for the day if you pre-register (TODAY) at www.maytag.com/100years by Tuesday, Oct. 12, First 100 attendees 18 and older receive a $100 gift card to the Home Depot, Drawing for free Maytag Centennial top-load laundry pair and (Bonus) a chance to meet the Maytag Repairman and Willard Scott!! There will be some great exhibits at the museum on Oct. 13. I don’t know about you, but I like a bit of consumer history and the Museum of Science and Industry in my Chicago weekend. And while you’re there check out the Main Street of Yesterday, that was always my favorite part of the museum. And say Hi to Willard Scott for me! **Best Pick This Weekend**

The Chicago International Film Festival is still running. Check out their films at any of the 5 theaters running them this weekend.

The Crucible @ Steppenwolf Theater- This classic Arthur Miller play has been extended due to increasing demand. It is a riveting story that is uncannily applicable to today’s struggles with terrorism and Iraq. See what all of Chicago is talking about a Steppenwolf this weekend. Tickets are sold out some days and cost from $40-$70 dollars each. (duh, this is award winning theater) Call (312) 335-1888 or go to steppenwolf.org.

Giordano Dance at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park – See this world class dance company perform new works and the ones they are known for. Tickets are $25 each. The Harris Theater is cold and stark but the dancers will bring it alive with their amazing creativity and choreography. Call (312) 334-7777 for tickets. 

Sunday October 14:

I suggest going out to see the fall leaves before they are gone, taking some photos, getting you Halloween Costume ready or bobbing for Apples if you are BORED. The Chicago Bears are playing the Minnesota Vikings at Noon at Soldier Field, so avoid that area if you are not going to the game. See it on FOX Channel 32 in Chicago. 

Fashion Focus at Millennium Park - A Free event from the city of Chicago. See the latest styles at five runway shows at Millennium Park, plus check out garments and installations by design students, learn about illustration techniques and more during Chicago’s annual fashion event. Most are for sale there too. See fashionfocuschicago.com for details.

Sweet Treats: Take a break from the hectic weekend before the new week starts the roller coaster all over again. Check out all the sweets at the Sweet Collective, is located at 5333 North Lincoln Avenue and Berwyn Avenue in Chicago. Phone: 773-293-0888

Have a great weekend!

Rally Monday! Yes even the Mayor of Chicago and the Governor of Illinois are rallying behind the Cubs and their National League Division Championship win. Tomorrow (Monday October 1) at 12 noon there will be a Cubs Fan Rally Party in Daley Plaza downtown. (337 E Randolph Dr Chicago, IL 60601) Mayor Daley will be there along with a lot of political dignitaries, the cubs players and the fans themselves. If you work downtown, wear blue or some cubs wear and come join the rest of Chicago in cheering on the Cubs in the playoffs. They did the same division championship in 2003, but were not able to go that far. We are hopeful that this time will be the time that they win the world’s series. The Cubs have not won the world series in over 100 years so it’s a hot topic among people here in Chicago. Even the White Sox brought home the world series in 2005 and the Bears were in the Super Bowl in 2007, so the Cubs feel like the odd one out and would like to get one win for all the years of trying. Luckily the fans are loyal and many go to Wrigley Field for the “atmosphere” (drinking) as much as the baseball games, so they keep waiting for the goat curse to lift and for the team to get things together and finally win. So, even though I am usually not much of a baseball fan I have to say: Go Cubbies!

Update: The Cubs lost the first 3 games of their playoff series against the Arizona Diamondbacks,  1-3, 4-8 and 1-5. Basically they got clobbered. Too bad for the Cubs, a lot of people were hoping this would be the year they would win the world series, and instead they just ended up playing weak baseball in front of the whole playoff audience. Anyway what they always say here in Chicago is “Just wait till next year.” Because there is always another try at it.

The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon is a long standing yearly fall Chicago tradition. The Marathon is one of the 5 world marathon majors and has been running since 1977 and celebrates it’s 30th anniversary this year. The Chicago Marathon celebrates running with over 45,000 runners from 120 countries and over 1 million spectators cheering on friends and family along the route. The event runs for 6.5 hours and everyone who can finish the 26 miles within that time, gets listed on their web site as an official finisher of the race. (about 73% of runners have finished the race in past years) The marathon runs 26 miles through some of the most significant, historical, notable and popular neighborhoods in the city.

The planning for each year’s marathon begins right after the previous one ends with the feedback from the runners and officials built into the next year’s plans by the very dedicated marathon race director Carey Pinkowski. See the entire chicago marathon course map here. The route has been revised over the years to accomodate construction and road conditions but has remained somewhat similar in the past few years. If you are not a runner and live in one of the neighborhoods they run though you will have to move your car off the course the night before (or they will tow it away, good luck getting it back later) as they set up barriers and probably stay in the house and avoid traffic and crowds unless you are part of or going to view the event. The Chicago Marathon starts at 8am in Grant Park and the barriers are usually gone and the roads clear again within a few hours of the runners passing by your home. If you are on the beginning of the route expect things to be clear again by noon. If you live by the end of the route give it a few more hours. If you are driving into the city from the suburbs, start early (6am) or avoid being on the roads this day. It can be a hellish day on I-90-94, I-290 and I-55.

 photo courtesy of Senor Codo

Runners usually start training for the marathon in spring as soon as the snow melts but I usually notice them running everywhere in the city and suburbs around late August and early September. There are programs for new marathon runners who have never run before that help you go from walking to running slowly over time. the most important thing about training is making time to do it. Trying to run the race without actually completing the recommended training is pretty dangerous. Occasionally someone does die while running the marathon, and 4 are on record. Mostly because of pre-existing health conditions. Hundreds of other runners, prepared and not prepared end up needing medical attention in or during the race. The marathon has 15 health aid stations for just this. Staying hydrated on such a long endurance run is also important, and they have fluids at all the aid stations as well.  

The day before the race everyone is required to pick up their race packet with instructions and their number at The LaSalle Bank Health & Fitness Expo on Friday, October 5 (9am-5pm) or Saturday, October 6 (9am-6pm) . The Expo is at McCormick Place, North Building (the big one by I-55), Exhibit Hall B1. 2301 South Martin Luther King Drive, Chicago, IL. You may also notice that LaSalle bank rents out and custom paints a mural on the large brick building by 90-94 every year to promote and celebrate the event.

Many runners have begun to pair the marathon with pledge drives for local charities. Much like a breast cancer walk, the runners get pledges for the running they complete. All funds go direct to charity. I think that is great, but the real win is that you are in good enough physical shape and health to complete a long race like that. I can say definitely that I am not! But then again, I am not a runner. I do admire the professional competitive runners and the weekend warriors alike, they all are far better at it than I would be. Take some time to cheer them on in October.

Growing up in Chicago I remember the 1985 Bears season vividly. I was in 5th grade at the time and we would watch each game on TV as a family every week all season. The buzz surrounding the team and the unusual personalities of the players and their character was amazingly entertaining for the city and the nation. Many people who gew up in that time were cemented as lifetime Chicago Bears fans and will always have a high regard for the 85 Bears players and the Chicago Bears Team of today.

The Chicago Bears lost the super bowl last year in 2006 but we know that they can rise to greatness again. The fans of Chicago have been preparing their tailgating, bratwurst and facepaint in preparation for the 2007 season. Many people believe that Lovey Smith will lead the team to a Super Bowl victory in 2007 if they can stay on track. Already, they have won 3 of their 4 pre-season games. And with good quarterbacks and hopefully few injuries the path to winning is available there again.

Below is the schedule from the Chicago Bears site. The other item worth noting is that when there is a home game at Soldier Field, it creates traffic havoc in the City. If you have tickets and do go to games, please take public transportation from the suburbs and in the city. The traffic backs up Lake Shore Drive and all the highways and tollways leading downtown for 2 hours before and after each game ( I-290, I-55, 90-94 and I-90)  Or you can get there early and stay late with tailgating. (but please limit the beer, too much drinking creates a lot of crowd fights and problems, and makes it impossible to drive home legally)

For the rest of us, Avoid Downtown around the home football games on September 16 & 23, October 14 & 28, November 25 and December 2, 23 & 30. The traffic will be a problem, and it restricts your access to the Museum Campus, McCormick Place, the Field Museum, Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium. Not to mention the lakefront in general. If you are listening or watching from home, WBBM 780 AM broadcasts the games on the radio and FOX Channel 32 broadcasts most of the games on TV. A few though are broadcast by NBC Channel 5 and CBS Channel 2 in Chicago. (not sure what channels they’re on with cable)

Here is a handy dandy list to print out and keep on the fridge to see what channels the game is on.

Happy Football Season!  

Bears 2007 Schedule Preseason GamesAugust Sat. 11 @ Texans 7:00 PM W 20-19