This is a great weekend to spend time downtown in Chicago. The Michigan Avenue Lights Festival is happening, which leads us right into Thanksgiving on Thursday and then the Black Friday Sale Madness on Friday. Millennium Park’s Ice Skating Rink also opens and the Museum of Science and Industry has their annual Christmas Tree Exhibit open too. There are plenty of events to attend fun family events and celebrate the holidays in Chicago before it gets too cold. 

The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival – Time: 11 AM Saturday November 21. The Michigan Avenue  Lights Festival is happening on Saturday. You can see the parade and fireworks along the stretch of Avenue from the Chicago River, north to Illinois Street.  At least that is the area I can see that has been decorated and has road blocks up. I know that Michigan Avenue is amazing with all the lights and many families come downtown to see this and then visit the Lego or Sanrio stores in the Nordstroms Mall and some people also go to the American Girl store also. I also see that the The Plain White T’s will be playing a free concert at 401 N Michigan Avenue(former Equitable Building next to the River). For more details call their Seasonal Event Hot-line at (312) 409-5560. The parade will also be broadcast on ABC channel 7 in Chicago live at 6pm.

Museum of Science and Industry Christmas Around the World Christmas Tree Exhibit – It has been a tradition to decorate Christmas Trees all over the Museum of Science and Industry’s main lobby/atrium with ornaments and decorations from countries all over the world, since I was a kid.

We used to go see this beautiful decorative display and be amazed that there were people somewhere in Poland and the Ukraine (our heritage) who celebrated Christmas just like us. Now that we know that not every country celebrates Christmas, (some don’t celebrate the religious side or the consumer side) we think this may be a little to ethnocentric and idea to promote.  Yes, the European countries mainly do celebrate, but in a world and country that is becoming more religiously diverse and mixed together, can we really still enjoy this?

Ice Skating is open until around 8 pm except Saturdays open to 10pm.

Millennium Park Ice Skating Rink

- This is a great fun time for kids and adults alike and it is free if you bring your own ice skates. There are ice skate rentals on site if you need to rent them, but many people prefer skating their own skates. Afterwards the Park Grill has many tasty dining options, although it is an upscale restaurant that the kids may not be into. Millennium Park is right next to the Art Institute on Michigan Avenue, so you can make a trip downtown to see both! 

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.

Hello Kitty and some friends at a past parade

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and along with some turkey and stuffing, the yearly tradition is to watch or go see the Chicago Thanksgiving Day parade downtown. Not everyone can make it downtown to see the parade in person but if you can, dress warm and come early to get a good spot to see all the floats and performers. This year the parade is sponsored by McDonalds so expect to see a lot of McDonalds Thanksgiving Day parade mentions. Maybe they will be giving out some of their yummy coffee drinks at the parade? We can only hope!

The details for seeing the parade are:

McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade
Thursday November 26, 2009 from 8-11am CST
Downtown Chicago (along State Street from Congress to Randolph) 60611

This year’s McDonald’s® Thanksgiving Parade in downtown Chicago will include giant inflatable balloons, some of the nation’s top marching bands, and the best performances from cultures around the world. The parade takes place on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26, 2009 from 8 to 11 am CST along State Street, from Congress to Randolph.

This holiday tradition kicks off with “Zing Zang Zoom,” a lively performance from Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

The parade will be led by Honorary Grand Marshal Ronald McDonald® and includes performances from the acrobatic USA Baton Twirling Team, the Jesse White Tumblers, the Mobile Azalea Trail Maids and Hromovystia Ukrainian Dance Ensemble.

This year’s parade also features marching bands from all over the country, including Castlewood High School (Castlewood, SD), Northwest Rankin Cougar Band (Flowood, MS) and Lancaster High School (Lancaster, OH). Chicagoland’s best high school bands will also be appearing at the parade, including the Marist High School Marching Redhawks and the Providence Catholic Marching Celtics.

The McDonald’s® Thanksgiving Parade also includes giant inflatable balloons, beautiful cultural performance groups and “Mr. Jolly Holiday” Santa Claus. Teddy Turkey, Chicago’s favorite turkey, will be there as well to spread smiles and holiday spirit to children of all ages.

The Thanksgiving Parade was originally called the Christmas Caravan in the 1930’s, and was created to help lift the spirits of residents suffering though the Great Depression. With today’s economic uncertainty, the McDonald’s® Thanksgiving Parade hopes to entertain and brighten the holidays for everyone watching.

For people wanting a closer look and seat to see the action, a limited number of VIP Experience packages are available at the parade’s website: chicagofestivals.org. These special packages include amenities including VIP Seats, a light continental breakfast and much more.

WGN Channel 9 in Chicago will air the parade on television live and in high definition from 8 to 11 a.m CST on Thursday, November. 26. WGN America will also broadcast the parade nationally, establishing it as one of only three parades in the country to be covered live, in its entirety, on a national television broadcast.

Have you been thinking of some home improvement projects but are afraid to spend the money in the current economy? Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency Products can help. It is scary not knowing if all our jobs will be around in 6 months, but if you have some savings to use for these projects and really need new windows, doors, more efficient electric appliances, new attic insulation or a new furnace or air conditioner there are some Tax Credits that may help you save 30% more  than you can get discounted at the store.

I recently got an email from my realtor about making these home improvements that are tax deductible. You can’t get all the money back that you spend on the energy efficient appliances, windows or alternative energy sources like solar and thermal heat, but you can get up to 30% back. If you need these things anyway now is the time to buy before the end of 2010 because the Tax credits may not all be available beyond then. Here are the details from the home buyer email:

Energy efficiency Tax Credits offered by the federal government could be even more useful for the average homeowner.

You may be eligible for a tax credit equal to 30 percent of the cost of materials (up to $1,500) for certain products purchased between January 1, 2009 and December 31st, 2010.

Below are the rating specifications for eligible energy efficiency products:

Product Category Product Type Tax Credit Specification

Insulation Meets 2009 IECC & Amendments

Windows & Doors Windows, Doors, and Skylights Before June 1, 2009: Must meet ENERGY STAR criteria After June 1, 2009: U factor <= 0.30 SHGC <= 0.30

Storm Windows & Storm Doors In combination with the exterior window over which it is installed: has a U-factor and SHGC of 0.30 or below Meets the IECC

Roofing Metal Roofs, Asphalt Roofs All ENERGY STAR qualified metal and reflective asphalt shingles HVAC Central A/C Split Systems: SEER >= 16, EER >=13 Package systems: SEER >= 14, EER >= 12

Air Source Heat Pumps Split Systems: HSPF >= 8.5, EER >= 12.5, SEER >= 15 Package systems: HSPF >= 8, EER >= 12, SEER >= 14

Natural Gas or Propane Furnace AFUE >= 95

Oil Furnace AFUE >= 90 Gas, Propane, or Oil Hot Water Boiler AFUE >= 90

Advanced Main Air Circulating Fan No more than 2% of furnace total energy use.

Water Heaters Gas, Oil, Propane Water Heater Energy Factor >= 0.82 or a thermal efficiency of at least 90%.

Electric Heat Pump Water Heater Same criteria as ENERGY STAR: Energy Factor >= 2.0

Biomass Stove Biomass Stove Stove which burns biomass fuel to heat a home or heat water. Thermal efficiency rating of at least 75% as measured using a lower heating value.

Extended Opportunities: The following upgrades are eligible for a 30% of cost tac credit (without an upper limit) if placed into service before December 31st, 2016:

Geo-Thermal Heat Pump Geo-Thermal Heat Pump Same criteria as ENERGY STAR: Closed Loop: EER >= 14.1, COP >= 3.3 Open Loop: EER >= 16.2, COP >= 3.6 Direct Expansion: EER >= 15, COP >= 3.5

Solar Energy Systems Solar Water Heating At least half of the energy generated by the “qualifying property” must come from the sun.

Homeowners may only claim spending on the solar water heating system property, not the entire water heating system of the household. The credit is not available for expenses for swimming pools or hot tubs. The water must be used in the dwelling.

The system must be certified by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC). Photovoltaic Systems Photovoltaic systems must provide electricity for the residence, and must meet applicable fire and electrical code requirement.

Small Wind Energy Systems Residential Small Wind Turbines (windmills) Has nameplate capacity of not more than 100 kilowatts.

Fuel Cells Residential Fuel Celland microturbine system Efficiency of at least 30% and must have a capacity of at least 0.5 kW.

The Chicago International Film Festival is a little event run by a few people on a shoestring budget but it packs a big punch. Somehow, the Chicago International Film Festival manages to get access to the latest independent films and often times show the award winners that year before they have gone mainstream. This year the Chicago International Film Festival has done it again, they have found some really interesting unique films that may not be shown in Chicago otherwise and are presenting them October 8th through the 21st, 2009.

This year the festival has changed formats slightly, locating all the showings in one theater rather than at 4 or 5 across Chicago (which I always found confusing). The one theater you need to know about in order to see these amazing new films is the AMC River East on Illinois Street.

45th Chicago International Film Festival
October 8 – 21, 2009
150 films from more than 40 countries.
All in two weeks. All under one roof.
AMC River East 21 (322 E. Illinois St.)

The films available this year look better than usual. I normally have interest in 2-3 films, but this year almost all of them look like something I would be curious about.

Tickets aren’t cheap but they aren’t any more than the regular price of a movie either. The Gala Events bring in celebrities that you wouldn’t normally see in Chicago and can be worth the extra money for the experience of the event.

SAVE UP TO 40% OFF Your ADMISSION!
If you buy now, get an extra $10 off your order with the promo code 45FEST09, valid until 9/23.

You can purchase tickets now online at: CHICAGOFILMFESTIVAL.COM

the Chicago International Film Festival Packages are:

MOVIEGOER (10 admissions)
$80 for Cinema/Chicago members; $110 for non-members

PASSPORT (20 admissions)
$155 for Cinema/Chicago members; $210 for non-members

GALA PASS (4 admissions to Gala Presentations)
$80 for Cinema/Chicago members; $100 for non-members

There are a limited number of Chicago International Film Festival Gala Passes are available. The Moviegoer and Passport Passes are not valid/available for/including Gala Presentations. All passes are not valid for Opening Night or Closing Night.

Individual tickets on sale September 23
$9 for Cinema/Chicago members, students, and seniors; $12 for regular admission

Gala Presentation event tickets
$20 for Cinema/Chicago members; $25 for non-members

Some of the movies I plan on seeing are:

The Chicago Theater hosts the Gala Event for the Chicago International Film Festival

Motherhood

(Gala Presentation) – USA
Director: Katherine Dieckmann. Uma Thurman is in a charming, high-energy comedy as a beleaguered Manhattanite just trying to survive another day of the madness that comes with raising two young kids (and a husband and best friend).

Made in China – USA – Director: Judi Krant
Wes Anderson’s whimsy meets David Mamet’s love of duplicity in the peppy, comic tale of a wide-eyed Texas hayseed who travels to China to find a manufacturer for the novelty product he hopes will put him right up there with the guy who invented the whoopee cushion

Hipsters / Stilyagi – Russia – Dir: Valery Todorovsky
Moscow, 1955. Soviet uniformity is the order of the day, but incurring the wrath of all the grim-faced comrades in Russia isn’t enough to stop a group of young “hipsters” from donning outrageous threads, puffing up their pompadours, pushing up their cleavage, throwing back martinis, and shakin’ their hips. Could this romantic, infectiously fun musical be this year’s Slumdog Millionaire?

It’s August and all the stores in Chicago would like a share of your pocketbook this season in back to school supplies, clothes, shoes and college dorm necessities. Some have great sales starting already, other stores will start the back to school sales in Chicago this week. Most kids start school in a few weeks and want new backpacks, lunchboxes, supplies and of course jeans, gym shoes and stylish accessories.  Kids don’t care very much about whether there is a back to school sale running or not, but they do need some new stuff.

Yet, this year we are still in a recession and the economic activity is restrained, so how much new stuff will people really buy? Or can you get more use out of last year’s backpack and lunchbox? Maybe it’s not the time for a cell phone for the kids just yet? This year’s back to school buying season may be more about sales than ever.

If you want to afford the things you need for the lowest prices check out these tips for saving money and stores and where to find Chicago back to school sales and discounts.

1. Skip the non-necessities.I don’t think it’s the year for coach purses, 7 for mankind jeans or new iphones. I think most families are looking for back to school sales in Chicago this year on back to school items and are more likley to re-use things they have around the house. If you can get some life out of cleaning up last year’s backpack, lunchbox, gym shoes or get by with last year’s calculator, people are doing that.

2. Look for the back to school sales. You need to look around at all the sales to get a feel for the best prices. The best way to do this is to research online first, but beware some stores can charge different prices for items online than they do in the store. Look for fliers online to check store prices before you drive all over town. Target, Walmart and most department stores like Carson’s and Macy’slist the flyer online in image format to view. Getting the Sunday paper is also a good deal this year because those back to school sale flyers are delivered to your doorstep. Many office supply stores have school supplies on sale, check Office Max and Office Depot and Staples flyers.

3. Consider unusual stores for even more discounts. Maybe the dollar store has more value than you might think? Sometimes general items like notebooks, folders, markers and glue can be found cheaper at a dollar store and if you don’t like the brand label, cover it with stickers or remove it all together and decorate the bottle with a sharpie.  The worst place to buy school supplies is usually the grocery store, they never have sales, have very little selection and always have high prices. Sometimes you can find daily deals on the wise bead blog for office supplies at stores you would not expect.

4. Buy used expensive itemslike computers and cell phones instead of new if possible. You can buy unlocked cell phones on ebay or sign a contract to get a cell phone for free with a plan. Computers last longer than you might think, and with some refreshing of the software and cleaning of the hard drive many used desktop and laptop computers are perfectly good for a few more years after someone sells them. Look for deals on ebay or with a friend that does IT work.  IT guys always know when companies are getting new computers and selling the old ones cheap. They also know how to refurbish them. Good friends to have.

5. If in doubt, wait on buying new back to school clothes. If you need some quick shiny new clothes to get into the first month of school with check out Old Navy’s sales and H&M for teens. The styles are hip and the prices are low. Plus the long sleeve stuff isn’t really wearable yet because it’s too warm. In September and October all the fall stuff will be on more discount and even cheaper than the 10-25% offnow. Plus most discounts are listed as “specially marked items only” anway. Also, for teens buying gently used clothes at Plato’s Closet is always a good idea. They charge less than half the original price for some very cool brands.

6. Stick to the back to school list. Don’t deviate from the list and let the kids get extra stuff, or buy extra stuff for yourself! It is easy to toss extra cool new stuff in the cart, but if you have a budget to stick to, the list is the best guide.

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

It is Fall TV Season Premiertime again in Chicago. Yet few of the listings I see on the internet are in local Chicago time zone time. So, I have taken the eastern standard time zone listings and converted them below into the new fall season schedules for Channels ABC 7, NBC 5, CBS 2 and Fox 32 in Chicago. (and the suburbs)

Every year this is the time new TV shows start popping up on TV and unfortunately within a month about half of them fail on average. I hope you enjoy all of the new TV season premiers this year in 2009. I also hope you find some good shows to watch this season and I hope your favorite premiers become long running series shows. Sometimes you can find recaps and episodes of the season premiers on the web also, on the network websites within a week before the launch date. I usually watch everything once and then whittle it down to the shows I want to watch and its usually 2-3 per year.

ABC New Fall TV Series Premiere Dates: Channel 7 in Chicago

Saturday Night Football: Saturday, September 5, 7 pm CST
20/20: Friday, September 11, 9 pm CST
Dancing With the Stars: Monday, September 21, 7 pm CST
Castle: Monday, September 21, 9 pm CST
The Forgotten: Tuesday, September 22, 9 pm CST
Dancing With the Stars Results Show: Wednesday, September 23, 7 pm, (special day and time)
Modern Family: Wednesday, September. 23, 9 pm CST
Cougar Town: Wednesday, September 23, 8:30 pm CST
Eastwick: Wednesday, September 23, 9 pm CST
FlashFoward: Thursday, September 24, 7 pm CST
Grey’s Anatomy: Thursday, September 24, 8 pm CST
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: Sunday, September 27, 6 pm CST (two hours)
Desperate Housewives: Sunday, September 27, 8 pm CST
Brothers & Sisters: Sunday, September 27, 9 pm CST
Shark Tank: Tuesday, September 29, 7 pm CST (summer run began on Sunday, Aug. 9)
Hank: Wednesday, September 30, 7 pm CST
The Middle: Wednesday, September 30, 7:30 pm CST
America’s Funniest Home Videos: Sunday, October 4, 6 pm CST
Ugly Betty: Friday, October 9, 8 pm CST (two hours)
Supernanny: Friday, October 16, 8 pm CST

NBC Series Premiere Dates: Channel 5 in Chicago

Sunday Night Football (Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers): Sunday, September 13, 8:15 pm CST
The Jay Leno Show: Monday, September 14, 10 pm CST (series premiere, every weeknight)
The Biggest Loser: Tuesday, September 15, 8 pm CST (two hours)
Saturday Night Live Weekend Thursday Update: Thursday, September 17, 8 pm CST
Parks and Recreations: Thursday, September 17, 8:30 pm CST
The Office: Thursday, September 17, 9 pm CST
Community: Thursday, September 17, 9:30 pm CST (series premiere); moves to Thursday 8 p.m. six weeks later
Heroes: Monday, September 21, 8 pm CST (new time, two hours)
Mercy: Wednesday, September 23, 8 pm CST (series premiere)
Law & Order: SVU: Wednesday, September 23, 9 pm CST (new day and time)
Law & Order: Friday, September 25, 8 pm CST (new day and time)
Southland: Friday, September 25, 9 pm CST (new time)
Dateline: Saturday, September 26, 8 pm CST
Trauma: Monday, September 28, 9 pm CST (series premiere)
Community: Thursday, October 8, 8 pm CST (new time period)
30 Rock: Thursday, October 15, 9:30 pm CST

CBS Series Premiere Dates: Channel CBS 2 in Chicago

Survivor: Samoa: Thursday, September 17, 7 pm CST (18th edition premiere)
How I Met Your Mother: Monday, September 21, 7 pm CST (5th season premiere)
Accidentally on Purpose: Monday, September 21, 7:30 pm CST
Two and a Half Men: Monday, September 21, 8 pm CST  (7th season premiere)
The Big Bang Theory: Monday, September 21, 8:30 pm CST  (3rd season premiere)
CSI: Miami: Monday, September21, 9 pm CST (8th season premiere)
NCIS: Tuesday, September 22, 7 pm CST (7th season premiere)
NCIS: Los Angeles: Tuesday, September 22, 8 pm CST
The Good Wife: Tuesday, September 22, 9 pm CST
The New Adventures of Old Christine: Wednesday, September 23, 9 pm CST (5th season premiere)
Gary Unmarried: Wednesday, September 23, 7:30 pm CST (2nd season premiere)
Criminal Minds: Wednesday, September 23, 8 pm CST (5th season premiere)
CSI: NY: Wednesday, September 23, 9 pm CST  (6th season premiere)
CSI: Thursday, Sept. 24: Thursday, September 24: 8 pm CST (10th season premiere)
The Mentalist: Thursday, September 24: Thursday, Sept. 24: 9 pm CST (2nd season premiere)
Ghost Whisperer: Friday, September 25, 7 pm CST (5th season premiere)
Medium: Friday, September 25, 8 pm CST  (6th season premiere, new network)
Numbers: Friday, September 25, 9 pm CST  (5th season premiere)
48 Hours Mystery: Saturday, September 26, 9 pm CST
60 Minutes: Sunday, September 27, 6 pm CST  (42nd season premiere)
The Amazing Race: Sunday, September 27, 7 pm CST (15th edition premiere, two hours)
Cold Case: Sunday,  September 27, 9 pm CST (7th season premiere)
Three Rivers: Sunday, October. 4, 8 pm CST

Fox Series Premiere Dates: Chicago Channel 32

Cops: Saturday, September 12, 7 pm CST
America’s Most Wanted: Saturday, Sept. 12, 8 pm CST
So You Think You Can Dance: Wednesday, Sept. 16, 7 pm CST
Glee: Wednesday, September 16, 8 pm CST (new)
Bones: Thursday, September 17, 7 pm CST
Fringe: Thursday, September 17, 8 pm CST
Brothers: Friday, September 18, 7 pm CST(new)
‘Til Death: Friday, September 18, 7:30 pm CST
Dollhouse: Friday, September 18, 8 pm CST
House: Monday, September 21, 7 pm CST (two hours)
The Simpsons: Sunday, September 27, 7 pm CST
The Cleveland Show: Sunday, September 27, 7:30 pm CST (new)
Family Guy: Sunday, September 27, 8 pm CST
American Dad: Sunday, September 27, 8:30 pm CST
Lie To Me: Monday, September 28, 8 pm CST
The Wanda Sykes Show: Saturday, November 7, 10 pm CST

I always like to recommend the best events around Chicago to attend and plan your weekends and vacations with but sometimes I have to call out the details about Chicago that are less than ideal. Today’s complaint is about the Chicago CTA bus service.

I have a love hate relationship with public transportation to begin with so lately when the 121 bus is nowhere to be found I become even more frustrated with the system that is supposed to move 3 million people around the city every day.

I have taken the Metra in from the suburbs to work every day since I moved out there a few months ago. The Metra Trains only run 3 times per hour so you don’t have any choice about when they run or when you arrive in downtown Chicago. This combined with the bus issues pushes my commute to Naperville to 2 hours each way regularly.

There is only one bus going to Michigan Avenue from Union Station, the 121 bus and it only runs 3 times an hour as far as I can find on any schedule. I don’t have a smart-phone so I can’t use the CTA bus tracker, I just expect that the CTA knows that there is a BNSF train with about 1,000 people on it that gets in every 20 minutes at Union Station and they would want to coordinate the busesthat stop there around those times. The BNSF line has more riders than any other Metra line in Chicagoland and runs the most people in and out of the city each day, it is well worth coordinating with.

Yet, they don’t.

No matter if I take the 7:00, 7:20, 7:40, 8:00, or 8:25 BNSF Metra Train, there is never a 121 bus available when I walk out of the station. Granted, the walk from the basement core of the station up 2 levels and out to the street level takes about 6-7 minutes as a bunch of trains unload and converge with Amtrak passengers with luggage and a bunch of luggage moving vehicles.

Why the last batch of AM trains come in at 9 am and the buses pick up and leave at 9:03 AM exactly I have no idea. You can’t possibly get out there fast enough.

There is nothing more frustrating than to be on the first car of the train, standing by the doors to get off first and then by the time I get to street level, the last 121 bus has left or the latest one is leaving and it will be 15-25 min before another one arrives and 15 minutes on that bus if it does eventually arrive. (and after 9 am sometimes they just don’t even though there is a 9:15 bus on the schedule). 

Likewise for getting back to the station. I spend a small fortune in cab fare to get to Union Station in less than 20 minutes. It is obsurd that they don’t know and coordinate busses picking people up and dropping off at the station with when the most crowded trains leave.It seems like you have to leave work and hour before your train in order to get the bus to Union Station. If I leave at 5:15 or 6:15 there are never busses to be found to get to the 5:45 or 6:50 trains, yet it only takes 10 minutes to get there.

I am not the only one with this problem. I see dozens of people arrive at the bus stop under Michigan Ave notice that nobody is there and leave to catch a cab. This is at totally different times every day too. There is no consistency to the schedule either. People also arrive at the stop, wait for 15-20 minutes and then abandon the bus to pay $8-9 for a cab to make the last express train home so they can actually see their kids before they fall asleep. 

In the AM people stand around at the 121 bus stop hoping there is another bus as promised and the 9:15 never shows and they never make it to work by 9:30 am as expected. Some give up and take cabs, others walk, but it isn’t fair either way.

There should be some digital communication between Metra, BNSF and CTA for these kinds of trip planner transfers to note when packed trains are coming in and leaving with thousandsof people and how to get them routed to the appropriate next leg of their journey. During peak hours this is 3 trains an hour per line and during off-prak times this is only 1 train per hour! (How much simpler does it get?)

I am not sure they have any interest in this since they still get my flat fee monthly fare payment even though I end up walking for a 1/2 hr most mornings now and get to work before the next bus would get me there. An equal opportunity rant for Metra would be appropriate since bringing in the trains at 8:50 rather than 9am would help a lot of people catch that 9:03 am 121 bus.

I was checking out the Taste of Chicago 2009 map of vendors and restaurants and there is more to choose from this year at the taste than ever. The Taste of Chicago 2009 offers everything from classic Chicago hot dogs and pizza to vegetarian dishes, to international specialties from all over the world to luscious sweets and deserts.

The Taste of Chicago is an annual event for many people who live in the city so be aware of the crowds that you will be working with. Don’t bring a lot of stuff to carry and wear comfortable shoes for the long walk from the Bus, El, Cab, Metra or Parking Garage. the taste of Chicago isn’t cheap either. There is no admission fee, but all the food costs you in “tickets”. Expect to spend $20-$40 in tickets per person including appetizers, drinks, main dishes and deserts.  

This is the full list of tents and foods available at the Taste of Chicago 2009 from explorechicago.org:

Taste of Chicago Food Booths – ¢¢¢ indicates a “Taste Of” portion and is priced lower for a smaller sample portion

9 – Abbey Pub – Address 3420 West Grace Street – Irish Classics
Roasted Corn on the Cob; Fish and Chips(Fries); Irish Egg Rolls; Oreo® Bailey’s® Irish Custard
¢¢¢ Irish Egg Roll; Fries with Irish Curry

54 – Adobo Grill – 2005 West Division Street
Guacamole and Chips; Cochinita Pibil (Pork) Tacos; Chicken Tamale; Churros
¢¢¢ Churros; Cheese Empanada

51 – Arya Bhavan – 2508 West Devon Avenue
Samosa (Crisp Patties with Potatoes, Peas, Coriander and Spices); Chana Masala with Bread/Nan; Pav Bhaji with Bread/Nan (Vegetarian Stew with Cauliflower, Peas, Eggplant, Tomatoes and Spices); Bhel (Puffed Rice, Sev and Puri mixed with diced Potatoes, Onions, Cilantro, Garlic, and Hot and Sweet Chutney Sauces)
¢¢¢ Samosa; Bhel

17 – Aunt Diana’s Candy Makers- 29 East Burlington Road in Riverside
Chocolate Covered Strawberry; Chocolate Dipped Frozen Banana; Combo: Strawberry, Fudge and Baby Banana
¢¢¢ Chocolate Dipped Frozen Baby Banana; Chocolate Fudge

8 – Bacino’s Pizza of Lincoln Park - 2204 North Lincoln Avenue
Stuffed Spinach Pizza; Stuffed Sausage Pizza; Thin Crust Cheese Pizza; Thin Crust Sausage Pizza
¢¢¢ Stuffed Spinach Pizza; Stuffed Sausage Pizza

6 – Billy Goat Tavern and Grill - 1535 West Madison Avenue – A Chicago Classic
Rib Eye Steak Sandwich; Cheeseburger; Double Cheeseburger
¢¢¢ ½ Cheeseburger; Potato Chips

33 – BJ’s Market and Bakery – 8734 South Stony Island Avenue
Mustard-Fried Catfish; Turkey Burger; Barbecue Chicken Tenders; Sweet Potato Chips
¢¢¢ Mustard-Fried Catfish; Peach Cobbler [yummm]

14 – Blue Bayou -3734 North Southport Ave.
Muffalletta Sandwich; Jambalaya; Cornbread with Honey Chili Butter; Gator Sausage on a Stick
¢¢¢ Jambalaya; Bananas Foster Bites

25 – Buona - Many Chicagoland Locations – A Chicago Classic
Italian Beef Sandwich; Beef and Sausage Combo Sandwich; Italian Sausage Sandwich
¢¢¢ Italian Sausage Sandwich; Mini Cannoli

15 – Canady Le Chocolatier – 824 S. Wabash Ave.
Chocolate Gelato; Blueberry Yogurt Gelato; Tiramisu Gelato; Peanut Butter Gelato
¢¢¢ Fruiti di Bosco Sorbet [healthy diet option]; Chocolate Gelato

24 – Celebration Creamery - 286 Golf Mill Center, Niles
Funnel Cake; Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Topping; Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Topping; One Scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream on a Waffle Cone
¢¢¢ Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate Topping; Strawberry Cheesecake Frozen Yogurt Sandwich

19 – C’est Si Bon! – 5225 South Harper Avenue
Sweet Potato Cheesecake; Collard Green Egg Rolls; Firecracker Chicken Wingettes with Biscuit; Fresh Fruit Cup
¢¢¢ Cajun Meatballs; Firecracker Wingettes

5 – Chicago Joe’s - 2256 West Irving Park Road
Breaded Buffalo Popcorn Shrimp with Fries; Beer Battered Butterfly Coconut Shrimp with Fries; Homemade Seasoned Fries; Breaded Calamari Rings with Fries
¢¢¢ Homemade Chili; Homemade Seasoned Fries

38 – Connie’s Pizza - 2373 South Archer Avenue
Deep Dish Cheese Pizza; Deep Dish Sausage Pizza; Meatball Sandwich; Thin Beer Crust Pepperoni Pizza
¢¢¢ Mini Meatball Sandwich; All Natural Vegetarian Panzerotti

45 – Costa’s -Address 340 South Halsted Street
Gyros; Greek Chicken on Pita; Loukaniko(Greek Sausage)
¢¢¢ Loukaniko; Baklava (super sweet Filo, Honey and Nut Pastry)

37 – Dominick’s -Chicagoland Locations – healthiest options at the taste!
Red/Green Seedless Grapes; Cherries; Watermelon Slice; Roasted Ultra Sweet Corn on the Cob
¢¢¢ ½ Watermelon Slice; Pineapple Bites

22 – Eli’s Cheesecake – 6701 West Forest Preserve Drive – A Chicago Classic
Frozen Chocolate Chip Toffee Crunch; Oreo® Cookie Cheesecake with Vanilla Ice Cream; Turtle Cheesecake; Plain Cheesecake (with or without strawberries) [personally I think their cheesecake is a bit dry]
¢¢¢ Plain Cheesecake; No-Sugar-Added Key Lime Cheesecake (made with Equal)

42 – Fireplace Inn - 1448 North Wells Street
BBQ Baby Back Ribs; BBQ Boneless Rib Sandwich; Mozzarella Sticks; BBQ Meatballs
¢¢¢ Mozzarella Sticks; Tropical Fruit Salad Bowl [heart healthy low cal option]

44 – Franco’s Ristorante – 300 West 31st Street
Lemon Italian Ice; Watermelon Italian Ice; Stracciatella Gelato (Vanilla with Chocolate Shavings); Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato (Giunduia)
¢¢¢ Lemon Italian Ice; Watermelon Italian Ice

52 – Garrett Popcorn Shops - Chicagoland and O’Hare Locations – A Chicago Classic
Popcornsicle (Caramel and Cheese Corn Mix, flash frozen on a stick); Chocolate Covered Caramel Corn; ½ lb. Mixed Nuts [careful of the popcorn and carmel if you have dental work]
¢¢¢ Caramel and Cheese Corn Mix; Chocolate Covered Caramel Corn

12 – The Grill on the Alley – Address: 909 North Michigan Avenue
Prime Rib Quesadilla; Gazpacho with Chopped Avocado and Chives; Rice Pudding with Mango and Dried Cranberries
¢¢¢ Gazpacho with Chopped Avocado and Chives; Grilled Anjou Pear Salad with Walnuts and Maytag Blue Cheese

7 – Guey Lon – 3968 North Elston Avenue
Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura; Orange Chicken with Vegetable Fried Rice; Mongolian Beef with Noodles; “Crab” Rangoon
¢¢¢ Egg Roll; Vegetable Tempura

39 – Harold’s Chicken #71 – 2109 South Wabash Avenue
Chicken Wings; Chicken Nuggets; Fried Okra; Fries
¢¢¢ Chicken Wings; Hush Puppies

28 – Harry Caray’s - 33 West Kinzie Street
Homemade Potato Chips; Fried Dough; Toasted Cheese Ravioli; Chocolate Chip Cookie
¢¢¢ Toasted Cheese Ravioli; Whole Wheat Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

16 – Hashbrowns – 731 West. Maxwell Street
Maxwell Street Burger (Burger Patty Topped with Pork Chop, Polish Sausage and Grilled Onions)[heart attack city]; Sweet Potato Fries [yummy]; Mini Waffle Topped with Whipped Cream, Chocolate Syrup and a Strawberry; Sweet Potato Hashbrowns ¢¢¢ Sweet Potato Fries; Sweet Potato Hashbrowns

23 – Home Run Inn Pizza - 4254 West 31st Street – A Chicago Classic
Cheese Pizza; Sausage Pizza; Ultra Thin Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza; Strawberry Pecan Salad
¢¢¢ Small Strawberry Pecan Salad; Mozzarella Stuffed Bread Stick

46 – JR Dessert Bakery - 2841 West Howard Street
Plain Cheesecake with Fresh Strawberry or Caramel Pecan Sauce; Frozen Chocolate Dipped Cheesecake Bar; Key Lime Pie; Apple Pie with Ice Cream
¢¢¢ Plain Cheesecake; Ice Cream with Fresh Strawberry Sauce

47 – Kasia’s Deli - 2101 W. Chicago Ave.
Pierogi (Potato, Spinach, Chicken) with Sour Cream [recommended based on all Perogi are great and a polish staple]; Grilled Polish Sausage Sandwich with Sauteed Onions; Chicken Kabob with Vegetable Rice and Honey Mustard [healthier dinner option]; Potato Pancakes with Sour Cream and Pico de Gallo or Apple Sauce {mmmmm}
¢¢¢ Cheese Blintz with Raspberry Sauce; Potato and Cheese Pierogi

3 – La Justicia - 3901 West 26th Street
Enchiladas; Steak Tacos; Chicken Tacos; Combo: Taco, Enchilada and Quesadilla
¢¢¢ Enchilada; Chicken Taco

49 – Lagniappe-Creole Cajun Joynt - 1525 West 79th Street
Catfish Po’Boy; Crawfish, Corn and Potatoes; Beignets; Chicken and Waffles
¢¢¢ Praline Ice Cream; Beignets

48 – Las Tablas Colombian Steakhouse – 2942 North Lincoln Avenue
Empanadas (Beef, Chicken, or Cheese); Entraña Skirt Steak with Sweet Plantain Wedges; Marinated Grilled Chicken with Sweet Plantain Wedges; Verdes y Maduros (Crunchy Plantain Chips and Sweet Plantain Wedges)
¢¢¢ Verdes (Crunchy Plantain Chips); Maduros (Sweet Plantain Wedges)

40 – Los Dos Laredos – 3120 West 26th Street
Carne Asada Tacos (Steak); Tamales (Cheese and Green Pepper); Steak Gordita ala Mexican; Cheese Nachos
¢¢¢ Carne Asada Taco (Steak); Steak Gordita

30 – Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria - 958 West Wrightwood Avenue [A Chicago Classic]
Cheese Pizza; Cheese and Sausage Pizza; Chopped Salad; Bruschetta
¢¢¢ Chopped Salad; Bruschetta

1 – Manny’s Cafeteria & Delicatessen - 1141 South Jefferson Street
Barbequed Turkey Leg [you have to try this once] ; BarbequeBeef Brisket Sandwich; Cherry Pie Square; Potato Pancakes [potato pancakes are not really a summer food, but they are so good it might be worth the calories/fat since they are from an authentic Jewish Deli, share with a friend]
¢¢¢ Potato Pancake; Macaroni and Cheese

29 – Mazzone’s Italian Ice – At Chicagoland Retailers [italian ice is fat free, a heart healthy treat, but skip the nuttela unless your a marathon runner]
3 Scoops Italian Ice (Lemon, Strawberry, Blue Raspberry or Mango); 2 Scoops Italian Ice; Nuttella® Crepe with Whipped Cream; Chocolate Covered Rice Krispies® Treat
¢¢¢ 1 Scoop Blue Raspberry Italian Ice; Scoop Lemon Italian Ice

18 – The Noodle Vietnamese Cuisine - 2336 South Wentworth Avenue
Sesame Beef on a Stick; Crab Rangoon; Shrimp Rolls; Curry Chicken on Rice
¢¢¢ Sesame Beef on a Stick; Shrimp Rolls

41 – Oak Street Beach Café - 5700 South Cicero Avenue
Grilled Slipper Tail Lobster with Garlic Potato; Grilled Shrimp on a Skewer with Garlic Potato; Grilled Spicy Chicken Wings with Garlic Potato; Grilled Cajun Turkey Link with Garlic Potato
¢¢¢ Garlic Potatoes; Spicy Wings

43 – O’Brien’s Pub - 1528 North Wells Street by the Chicago River.
Celtic Corn on the Cob; Loaded Baked Potato; Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich; Buffalo Shrimp
¢¢¢ Baked Potato; Onion Coated Green Beans

36 – Original Rainbow Cone – 9233 South Western Avenue
Cool off with the Rainbow Ice Cream (Chocolate, Strawberry, Palmer and Pistachio Ice Cream with Orange Sherbet) in a Cake or Waffle Cone; Cookie Dough or Cookies and Cream Cone; Waffle Cone Sundae (Vanilla Yogurt, Blueberries and Strawberries); Strawberry Shortcake Parfait (Vanilla Yogurt)
¢¢¢ Taster Cup of Rainbow Ice Cream; Dream Cup (Vanilla Yogurt and Orange Sherbet)

13 – Polka Sausage and Deli - 8753 South Commercial Avenue
Polish Sausage Sandwich with Kraut; Bratwurst Sandwich with Kraut; Grilled Breast of Chicken with Grilled Onions; Pierogi with Sour Cream (Potato, Cheese, Kraut) [perogi with kraut is also good]
¢¢¢ 1 Pierogi; Polish Sausage Sandwich with Kraut

31 – Polo Café and Catering Bridgeport U.S.A. - 3322 South Morgan Street
Shark Veracruz (Oven-Baked); Crispy Noodle Shrimp; Crab Cake Nuggets(Oven-Baked); Southern Fried Tilapia Filet
¢¢¢ Garlic-Mozzarella Cheese Bread; Crispy Noodle Shrimp

35 – Reggio’s Pizza - 1339 South Halsted Street
Turkey Sausage Deep Dish Pizza; Cheese Deep Dish Pizza; Sausage Thin Crust Pizza; Pepperoni Thin Crust Pizza
¢¢¢ Italian Ice; Sausage Thin Crust Pizza

4 – Ricobene’s - 252 West 26th Street
Italian Breaded Steak Sandwich; Beef and Sausage Combo Sandwich; Fresh Cut Fries with Cheese; Boneless Buffalo Wings [another vendor that is not diet friendly]
¢¢¢ Italian Breaded Steak Sandwich; Breaded Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich

21 – Robinson’s No. 1 Ribs - 225 South Canal Street and in Oak Park
BBQ Rib Tips; BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich; Boneless Rib Sandwich; Turkey Wings
¢¢¢ Hot Link; BBQ Rib Tips

50 – Sabor Latino - 3810 West North Avenue
Spanish Steak, Onions and Rice with Pigeon Peas; Puerto RicanSteak and Onion Sandwich on Homemade Criollo Bread; Steak Jibarito (Farmer Sandwich)
¢¢¢ Steak Jibarito; Pork Filled Banana Dumpling

2 – Soul Vegetarian East – 205 East 75th Street
Veggie Gyros [new?]; Vegetarian BBQ Twist on a Stick; Corn on the Cob; Vegetarian Tamales
¢¢¢ Sweet Potato Pie; BBQ Twist on a Stick

26 – Star of Siam - 11 East Illinois Street
Tempura Shrimp and Vegetables; Satay Chicken with Peanut Sauce and Cucumber Salad; Pad Thai Noodles (Vegetarian); Pot Stickers (Chicken and Vegetable Dumplings)
¢¢¢ Pad Thai Noodles; Pot Stickers

11 – Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce- Jewel and Dominick’s Chicagoland Retailers
Hickory Smoked BBQ Ribs; BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich; BBQ Boneless Rib Sandwich; BBQ Chicken Sandwich [not heart healthy options, not for someone with IBS, I speak from experience]
¢¢¢ Mini Boneless Rib Sandwich; BBQ Meatballs

53 – Tamarind - address 614 South Wabash Avenue
Orange Chicken with Rice; Thai Red Curry with Chicken; Taiwan Shining Noodles; Banana Chocolate Egg Roll [yummy desert!!]
¢¢¢ Taiwan Shining Noodles; Taro French Fries

34 – Tuscany Italian food at 1014 West Taylor Street
Italian Beef Sandwich; Italian Sausage Sandwich; Italian Turkey Meatballs; Toasted Cheese Ravioli
¢¢¢ Italian Turkey Meatballs; Toasted Cheese Ravioli

32 – Tutto Italiano- Located at 501 Sputh Wells Street
Pasta and Chicken Salad; Fried Ravioli Marinara; Steak Burger with Blue Cheese
¢¢¢ Italian Fries; Fried Ravioli Marinara

20 – Vee-Vee’s African Cuisine – 6232 N. Broadway St.
Jerk Chicken with Red Beans and Rice; Sauteed Goat Meat with Plantain; Jollof Rice and Goat; Red Beans and Rice with Plantain (Vegetarian menu option)
¢¢¢ Jerk Chicken with Red Beans and Rice; Jollof Rice with Goat

10 – Vermilion - 10 W. Hubbard St.
Char-Grilled Chicken Kabob with Mango-Mint Chutney; BBQ Tamarind Pepper Boneless Rib Sandwich (Plain or with Grilled Onions); Chimchurri Masala Chicken Wings; Mango-Cumin Dusted Fries with Date Chutney
¢¢¢ Chimchurri Masala Chicken Wings; Mango-Cumin Dusted Fries

27 – Vienna Beef/Gold Coast Dogs- various Chicagoland Locations – a Chicago Classic
Hot Dog (Plain or Chicago-Style) and Potato Chips; Polish Sausage (with Mustard and Grilled Onions) and Potato Chips; Fire Dog (with Mustard and Grilled Onions)
¢¢¢ Whole Pickle on a Stick [the only fat free option]; ½ Hot Dog

Dominick’s has a Gourmet Grocer located on Buckingham Fountain Plaza, east of the Chef’s Table.
Also, Bobtail Ice Cream and The Fountain Cafe are located at Buckingham Fountain Plaza.

Vintage Black and White Mother's Day Photos with Kids.

There are a lot of ideas for spending Mother’s Day in Chicago with mom this year. Whether your mom is a corporate VP or a stay at home multitasking genius, there is something you can do to make this Sunday’s Mother’s Day Special.

Mother’s Day Flowers are always a great gift. Most moms love flowers so getting a bouquet of roses, flower arrangement of dasies or car load of bedding flowers for the front yard are all great ideas.  I have been taking my mom flower shopping for several years now the week before Mother’s Day. We buy a few hanging pots of geraniums and some flats of flowers for the garden (petunias, begonias, dahlias and maybe a rosebush or a flowering shrub if we need one that year).

Blue Butterfly on an Orange Zinnia, Flowers are a great gift for Mother's Day

I end up spending about $100 since it is a fancy place for flowers (Vern Goers in Hinsdale), but the Jewel stores have their greenhouses up and the home depot sells a lot of interesting bedding plants also. (also try The Growing Place in Naperville. ) You probably want to go home and help mom plant them in the garden and pots too, in order to really make it a great gift and a great day.

Mother’s Day Brunches

There are numerous Mother’s Day brunches all over Chicagoland on Sunday May 10th. Some good local Chicagoland restaurants I know of are:

Vintage Moms of the 1950's. What would they would have liked? What do they want us to remember?

The Glen Prairie Restaurant in Glen Ellyn, McCormick & Schmick’s Restaurant in Chicago, ZED451 in Chicago and the very popular Naperville Hilton Sunday Brunch at Allgauer’s in Naperville. You need reservations for all these restaurants on Mother’s Day. They all are usually booked for their Sunday brunches and Mother’s Day is no different. Call now to see if there is still room!

Mother’s day Gift Ideas

If you can’t afford an iPhone or a luxury spa vacation for mom here are some good Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for kids and families.

What most moms want is to be appreciated and to spend quality fun time with their kids. With how hectic the schedules are in our lives with work and home responsibilities, nobody gets enough quality time. Doing something for the day for the family is probably what mom would like best.

The famous Blue Box from Tiffany's.

Also keep your ears open for what mom has been talking about needing latley. Does the dishwasher make a menacing noise when it starts? Would the thought of doing dishes by hand in the sink every night grind your life and schedule to a halt? Is the washer starting a leak or acting funny stopping mid cycle? Getting things for the home that need upgrading is a great way to get a gift for mom and help both parents in the house get things done quicker.

Not all mom’s want to be reminded of the work they do at home on Mother’s Daythough. Some moms want to go out and experience the world that they left behind when they had kids. Maybe this kind of mom wants a night out withdad in the city, with a broadway show, fancy dinner and four star hotel.

Mother’s Day Traditions

If you really think about it, moms are the glue that holds nature and life together. Without all their nurturing and caring how would human life transfer knowledge to the next generation and continue? If you think about it, its pretty amazing that life has existed as long as it has, and how within a few short decades the generational shift in the world is huge. Moms also influence heavily who you become and some of your deepest personality traits. Women have traditionally played an important role in making all life possible on earth, lets give them the credit they deserve.

Chicago Blues Festival 2008 by lanet and phil via Flickr.

The Chicago Blues Festival showcases the music Chicago is known for. If you are a fan of the Blues Brothers or maybe have seen BB King on commercials you may think you know something about the Blues. The thing is there is an entire world of Blues Music in Chicago with an incredible depth of talent just waiting to be discovered. the Chicago Blues Festival is a way for the general public to come discover these musicians, singers and talented artists perform their work. This speing on June 12, 13 and 14th Grant Park will be alivewith the sound of Blues, Soul and Jazz intermixing and providing some great entertainment to the city of Chicago. It is a living art form that is not to be missed.

Black Blues Guitar by Mr Noded via Flickr

It’s no surprise that Chicago Blues Festival is the largest blues festival in the world since Chicago is the largest of the cities known for Blues Music. What you may not know if that the Chicago Blues Festival the largest of Chicago’s Music Festivals. The festival lasts three days and contains six stages of performers. It’s pretty incredible that the Mayor’s Office of Special Events says that more than 640,000 blues fans attend the event and prove that Chicago is the “Blues Capital of the World.”

And did we mention it is FREE to the public?

Crowd at the Chicago Blues Festival in 2008. By Lanet and Phil va Flickr

The Chicago Blues Festival attracts big name mainstream performers who like to collaborate with local Blues singers and musicians including Bonnie Raitt, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Bo Diddley, Buddy Guy and Koko Taylor.

This year if you are looking to attend the Chicago Blues Festival in Grant Parkit will have performers live on 6 stages from 12 noon to 9:30 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. From the looks of teh schedule it should be a great weekend for music. (if the weather cooperates)

And did we mention it is FREE to the public?  (oh, we did)

Location: Grant Park at Jackson Blvd. & Columbus Dr. in Chicago, IL 60604  

Admission is FREE but, Food and Drinks tickets are sold in quantities of 12 for $8. (most food/drinks are a bit pricey, but the festival being free makes up for it)

There is also a city site with a lot of history about the Chicago Blues Festival available at explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/event_landing/special_events/mose/chicago_blues_festival.html.

The speakers in the 2009 Speaker Series: Minds that Move the World.

Madison Square Garden Entertainment is presenting the 2009 Speaker Series: The Minds That Move the World at The Chicago Theatre. This series brings together the most influential voices in politics to debate the most pertinent current events. The speaker series schedule is:

MARCH 11      Bill Maher and Ann Coulter (already completed)

APRIL 1      Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore

APRIL 22 Chris Matthews interviewing Tucker Carlson, Arianna Huffington and Paul Begala

Bill Maher and Ann Coulter spar at the first series of debates.

MAY 28 Charlie Rose interviewing James Carville and former Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove

All these programs will be presented at the Chicago Theater at 175 N State Street in Chicago, IL in the loop downtown. This is a huge event because there aren’t a lot of events where you can see these speakers (like Al Gore) in Chicago very often. There are plenty of speaking events and TV show tapings you can go see in LA, New York or Washington DC, but it is rare to get political and media people out to Chicago.

The web site speakerseries2009.com does not give any details as to what former Vice President Al Gore will be talking about that evening of April st but I would bet on some of the themes from the Inconvenient truth and some updated data. I woullso expect a spirited debate from Karl Rove and James Carville. (twomen that are not fans of each-other and both powerful speakers) In fact I am suprised that Ann Coulter and Bill Maher didn’t end up in a brawl on the stage. I almost wonder iof they have chosen the most polarized political speakers in an effort to incite a war on stage.

Tickets for the speaker series cost between $35 and $185. (plus a multitude of Ticketmaster Fees adding another $20)

In the Chicago Theater you really have to be within the first 50 rows to see any details of what is happening on stage. You can bring binoculars to see from the balcony, but it is otherwise difficult to really enjoy the performances and events there. So, if you can get a seat closer to the stage, regardless of price, get it.

The other word of caution I always have about The Chicago Theater is to get there early and don’t expect to leave quickly. The theater seats over 3,000 people but only 20 people can enter or exit through the front doors at any one time, so the lines are long and the crowds can be fierce.  Arriving about a 1/2 hour before the show starts is the best way to go. Plus you get to admire the interior of a beautiful classic restored theater.

This is really a series of events for a true political junkies who are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Except Al Gore. I think his show will be the best of the series and the one to see.

The Downtown Chicago St Patrick’s Day Parade begins at 12:00 noon, Saturday March 14th. This year like in many years the Chicago St Patrick’s Day Parade is not held on the actual holiday in order to make it more convenient to attend. (it’s also a fun free thing to do for the holiday) The parade will be held starting at Balbo and Columbus and runs north on Columbus to Monroe.

Taking Public Transportation to the Chicago St Patrick’s Day parade is strongly encouraged since parking is scarce and expensive. Any of the EL loop lines are accessible, get off at the train at Randolph, Madison or Adams and walk east to Columbus. If you are coming in from a Metra line to Union Station, the walk is much further, and you will probably want to take a cab from the station to Columbus. Plus it will most likely be cold, so walking 10 blocks or so isn’t fun when it is that cold. If you are lucky to be coming in to Millennium Station, exit on Lake Street and walk 2 blocks east to Columbus.

Dyeing the Chicago River also happens downtown at 10:45am: Saturday March 14th. You can see the green river dyeing process from the East side of the Chicago River bridge at Columbus Drive or upper and lower Wacker Drive between Columbus and Lake Shore Drive. This is a new location due to construction taking place this year. There is all kinds of mystical folklore about leprechauns that surrounds the dyeing of the river but basically the local Journeymen Plumbers use 40 gallons of vegetable dye to change the color of the river for a few hours in celebration and spirit of St Patrick’s Day and Irish Traditions. It is enjoyed by everyone and quite a sight to see in person. Stay downtown for the Parade at Noon.

There is also a2009 Naperville St Patrick’s Day parade on the same day in the SW suburbs. The west suburban residents will be able to celebrate their Irish heritage in the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 14. The 2009 Naperville St Patrick’s Day parade kicks off at 10 am from Naperville North High School, located at 899 N. Mill Street. The parade moves south on Mill Street, east on Jefferson Avenue, south on Main Street and west on Water Street to the Municipal Center. The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is hosted by the West Suburban Irish group. All residents are encouraged to donate a non-perishable food item at the parade to benefit the Loaves and Fishes Community Food Pantry Charity.

And last but not least, there is the ever popular South Side Irish Parade at noon on Sunday March 15th. This is the parade where people get the most drunk and rowdy although I hear it is a lot tamer than it used to be. If you would like to attend the South Side Irish Parade also, wear your green and go hang out between 103rd-115th Streets and Western Ave. & 103rd St in Chicago, IL 60643. The parade is free and it usually lasts about 2 hours. They actually mention on their website at southsideirishparade.org that this St Patrick’s Day Parade is a celebration of Irish heritage in the Beverly-Morgan Park community on the South Side of Chicago and in order to be respectful of it, please refrain from public drinking in areas where it is not permitted.

Everyone loves a good party and this year the recession has compelled more people to stay home and party for the Oscars with their neighbors and TV than in years past. The superbowl was a great example of people staying in, having a house party, bringing pot -luck dining items and enjoying the evening spectacle on DVR. The Oscars are always a very entertaining telecast and this year with Hugh Jackman hosting there will likely be lots of singing and dancing as well.

I think the Oscars will be entertaining whether you go out or stay in this year. Watching the Oscars at a posh party in Chicago is nice, although you will have a hard time justifying $150 ticket prices in the recession. Chicago Oscars house parties will be very popular this year and here are some tips for making yours fun. Remember that creativity is what really makes your Oscar party fun and not necessarily how much money you spend.

Chocolate Oscar Candy for guests.

Chicago Weekend Fun’s Oscar House Party Tips

:

1. Dress up. Seriously. Don’t buy anything new, just raid the closet and dress up fancy as if you were attending a formal Oscar party. Some people also take more of a character theme to party costumes and tell guests to dress up as their favorite movie character.

2. Champagne, or in most cases, use the champagne glasses with ginger ale soda and voila, it’s a lot cheaper and nobody gets drunk before the end of the loooong Oscars broadcast and has to figure out how to drive home.

3. Liveblog the telecast on your blog, or twitter your reactions to what is happening on the Oscars telecast online. Some snark may make that pretty popular with guests and your online friends if it is a “virtual” party.

4. Invite the neighbors, friends, family. People enjoy getting together the more people the merrier. It proves that just sticking together helps in a recession like this. Pull all the chairs into the TV room for seating to watch the Oscars and put the food in another room so people don’t chat in the room where people are actually watching the show. Interesting mixes of people from different areas of your life make the most interesting parties.

If you really can afford a $100+ ticket to an Oscar Party in Chicago here is one of the local Chicago Oscars Events you may be interested in:

The Gene Siskel Film Center Oscar Party @ 6pm till Midnight downtown at the Gene Siskel Film Center. “Oscar Night in America”. $150 or VIP $250. This is a formal black tie event, but you get to watch the most well known awards for movies with some of the most influential movie personalities in Chicago, making this a truly unique experience if you can afford it this year. CALL 312-846-2072 for your tickets.

The International Kennel Club of Chicago hosts it’s annual dog show this weekend at McCormick Place in Chicago. The Dog Show runs from February 18th through February 22nd at McCormick Place West 2301 S. Martin Luther King Drive, Chicago, IL 60616.

Tickets are $13 (adults) and $17 for Parking for anyone who would like to be a spectator to this grand event. The International Kennel Club of Chicago’s annual Dog Show is a Westminster Dog Show-like event right here in Chicago with the same level of professionalism in dog breeders.

Many people attend this show even if they aren’t a breeder or dog owner. There is no denying the beauty of the dogs and their breeds. If you are looking for a pet, you may even find the International Kennel Club Dog Show to be informative about the different breeds while showcasing over 10,000 dogs.

This weekend Kennel Club Dog Show is the place to be to see everything from award winning Labradors to stately Irish wolfhounds and American favorites like golden retrievers and greyhounds. All sizes and breeds will be featured from toy breeds (toy poodles, chihuas) to working dogs and terriers (like Barney the former first family’s dog). Come out to the dog show with the family for a day of entertainment, awards and education.

It is that time of year again, Tax Preparation Season in Chicago. (it can ruin many weekends before April 15th) You get through Christmas and the Super Bowl and very quietly your 1099’s sneak up on you when you aren’t looking. Tax Preparation in Chicago can be just as challenging as any other location in the US and it is a lot harder to make the trek out to an accountant when it is below zero here.

The tax season is a different process for everyone. Whether you use a paper form 1040 EZ, an online form, TurboTax, H&R Block TaxCut, go to a tax preparing service like Jackson Hewitt or H&R Block or have your own personal accountant, there are deductions your should know about.

Personally I got to use the energy credit for new energy star windows last year which was thrilling considering how much they cost up front. I also started using TurboTax a few years ago and have enjoyed doing my taxes online with their Q & A format. I actually don’t dread doing my taxes anymore thanks to TurboTax.

I actually think the ads that say an accountant will find you thousands of dollars in refunds is a bit misleading. The people who own businesses and have complicated situations may find more deductions with H&R Block or Jackson Hewitt, but someone single and uncomplicated like me does just fine with an online tax preparation program.

Here are some tips and resources to help you through the tax season in Chicago for 2008 in 2009. I do need to state that I am not a tax professional by any means, but through some research I was able to find these tips that I wanted to share.

This is a helpful list of green tax credits you can claim in 2009.

$150 for some Energy Star furnaces/boilers
$200 for all Energy Star windows
$300 for some Energy Star heat pumps and central AC
$500 for insulation and sealing that meets model building code
$3,150 for the purchase of a hybrid car or SUV

Also, the federal limit in tax credits for home improvements is $500. More information on state tax credits can be found at the Database of State Incentives for Renewable and Efficiency.

This is also a list of common income tax deductions that are often missed:

1. State sales taxes as a deductions.This only applies if you live in a state without income tax like Oregon but work in a state that does have it like Washington. Keep track of these expenses during the year by saving receipts or logging them in Excel.
2. Reinvested dividends. This is more of a tax break since those dividends never got taxed. Bonus!
3. Out-of-pocket deductible charitable contributions. This includes mileage driven for charity and cash donations.
4. Deductible Student loan interest paid by parents. Since the IRS treats student loan repayments by parents as a gift to their child, students that aren’t claimed as dependents can actually deduct up to $2,500 of the loan interest paid by their parents.
5. Moving expense to take your first job. As long as you move more than 50 miles, you can deduct the cost of getting yourself and your stuff to the new locale. You can even deduct mileage.
6. Military reservists travel expenses. Members of the National Guard or military reserve can deduct travel expenses related to drills or meetings as long as they travel over 100 miles and are away overnight. The deduction covers the cost of lodging plus half the cost of your meals. You can also deduct mileage, parking fees, and tolls.
7. Child-care credits. If you pay someone to take care of your kids such that you can work, you might qualify for a tax credit. Note that this is true even if you claim your childcare-related expenses through a tax-favored reimbursement account at work because such accounts are capped at $5,000 while expenses up to $6,000 can qualify for the credit.
8. Estate tax on income in respect of a decedent. You can get an income-tax deduction for the amount of estate tax paid on an IRA the you inherit from someone else.
9. Any State tax you paid last spring. If you owed state taxes when you filed your 2007 return, you can deduct that amount along with the state income taxes that were withheld during 2008.
10. Deductible Mortgage Refinancing points. Any points that you pay when you refinance can be deducted (on a monthly basis) over the life of the new loan. Moreover, all unamortized mortgage points left over from prior years are deducted all at once if you end up refinancing your mortgage in any particular year.
11. Jury pay paid to employer. Some employers continue to pay their employees’ full salary when they’re on jury duty, but require that the employees turn over their jury pay. Since the IRS views this as taxable income, you need to be sure to deduct it. If you don’t, you’ll end up paying double taxes on a portion of your income.
     

I am sure you have heard Jesse McCartney’s songs on the radio, and maybe you have figured that he has a lot of soul in his music for a white guy that is only 21 years old, but if you haven’t heard his music you have time to discover it just in time for his concert in Chicago next week. Jesse McCartney will be playing the House of Blues on Wednesday February 18, 2009. This concert will most likely sell out due to his popularity right now.

Jesse McCartney was on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin Eve show this NYE and I was impressed. I thought it was great that not only did he sing great live, he sang better than the record. That is hard to find in most singers these days with all the digitizing they have done to their voices. 

If you want to go see Jesse McCartney live in concert here are the ticket details you need to know:  

Jesse McCartney Concert @ the House of Blues Chicago, IL
Wednesday, February 18, 2009 @ 06:00 PM

Tickets $25.00 for General Admission – no seats, standing room only 

Call the House of Blues Box office for more info at 312.923.2000

There is parking at the House of Blues, expect $20 as the charge.

Get there early for a good spot to stand since there are no seats and no difference in tickets, so first ones in get the best place to stand right in front of the stage.

Leave the cameras at home, the House of Blues has a no pictures policy and they check bags and coats for them when they are letting you in the theater.

Well the date is released, the Chicago Marathon is set for October 11, 2009 and Bank of America is still the main sponsor. The new Chicago Marathon web site is up and you can register now for the Chicago Marathon 2009. Just 247 days left to go…

What a year of training that will be! Should I try it? I have never run before, but I admire those who run marathons. I even admire people in Chicago who just train for Marathons! (whether they finish or not) I see them out running in the rain and snow and heat every year, but never the same people for more than one year. 

I am thinking I will pass on this year but get your info about registration for the Chicago marathon 2009 over at the site: chicagomarathon.com/cms400min/chicago_marathon/ The cost is a $125 non-refundable, non-deferable fee for US residents and $150 for international competitors. The registration is only open for a short time, maybe a month, before they fill up and all 45,000 slots are filled. So, go quickly and register.

Later the 2009 Bank of America Health & Fitness Expo will be held at Chicago’s McCormick Place and you go check in there on these dates:

Friday, October 9, 9 am to 8 pm
Saturday, October 10, 9 am to 6 pm

And if you are looking for training help Nike has a great site that has runner’s groups nation wide that you can train with and schedules/plans for training at Nike.com.

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

So, you still want to go to the Chicago Auto Show even in the recession? A lot pf people do actually. There were a lot of people there even though people aren’t really buying cars right now.

Here is your guide to leaving your checkbook at home and still having an entertaining afternoon at the Chicago Auto Show 2009.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be in the market for a new car to go to the Chicago Auto Show and have a good time. The only requirement is that you like cars. Period.

The Chicago Auto Show has no salespeople pressuring you into buying anything so why not go learn about cars when you aren’t buying so you can be more informed when you need to buy a car later? Plus, it’s fun to sit in, and try out all the cars whether they are in your price range or not.

Learning the brands, models and options available on the cars now gives you some time to think about what you want in a car and why you would buy it. And it’s one of the most expensive things you will ever pay for (minus houses, college and possibly a wedding) so you might need a few years to really mull it over. (that is how I usually handle it)

If you can, go to the Chicago Auto Show with someone who knows a lot about cars. You can have a lively discussion about the engine cutaways and the performance stats of the cars if you’re there with someone that can explain it to you. If not, you’re reduced to “that one looks fast” and it is slightly less interesting.

Here are some tips for going to the Chicago Auto Show:

1. Arrive early in the day for several reasons: Better parking spots are available in the morning before the parking lots fill up and that matters a lot when it is -5 degrees outside and considering how far away the parking is from the building. Parking is usually $20. (tickets are only $10) Also, the Chicago Auto Show floor is less crowded in the AM so you won’t get cut off by a group of  14 year olds trying to sit in all the Lexus and BMW cars as often earlier in the day. Traffic, like parking also gets worse as the day goes on.

2. Wear something lightweight but still warm.That walk from the car may freeze your nose off but the Chicago Auto Show convention itself is actually very warm. There might be some key lockers you can buy access to for coats in McCormick Place, but I have not found them yet. A turtleneck or sweater with a light coat, and gloves might do the trick.  And wear walking shoes. The floor is an astounding amount of square footage, any-one’s feet would seriously hurt by the end of the show.

3. Don’t bring anything to carry. I know this is hard if you have kids, but carrying something (even a purse) for 3 hours is seriously annoying. Small cameras that fit in your pocket are also ok but not anything that requires a bag. If you have kids you may want to bring a stroller since this is more walking than they will want to do and you don’t want to end up carrying them either.

4. Look for brochures of cars you might buy or you just want to dream about. Most car companies give out free booklets with glossy photos of their new cars. Keep them in a file and when you need to buy one, you have your research done already. Most people know 2-3 brands that they like so this isn’t as much paperwork as you think. I personally keep a historical archive from all the years but that is just me. 

5. Stop for a snack if you need to. It won’t be cheap, but a pretzel and a soda go a long way for giving your feet a rest while you sit down and letting your recharge.

6. If you have limited time, just plan on stopping to see the cars you want to look at rather than everything. Sometimes you can discover something new you love but that is only if you have the energy and time to find it. I typically look at everything which can last 3-4 hours and is somewhat exhausting. You don’t have to know about all the cars, just the ones you really like. Keep track of the costs including options so you know what you want when the time comes to shop for a new car. Sit in the cars you like and see if it lives up to the hype. Maybe even rent one from a rental company to try it out first before buying.  

Got any other tips? Post them in the comments below.

Concept cars are usually on most people’s short list of things to see at the Chicago Auto Show . Some of the concept cars that will be at the Chicago Auto Show this year will be:

Cadillac Converj- A relative of the Evoq but with sharper sweeping triangular lines and a hardtop. It’s one of those kid pleasing concept cars that is just over the top.

Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon- This isn’t really a dream concept car. It’s a station wagon all glitzed up. I guess they are testing the market for luxury sport wagons since BMW and Mercedes have them.

Chevrolet Orlando- This looks like a cross between the Honda Element and the Pontiac Aztec and the boxy shape of the Scion Xb. (seen at left: do you love it or hate it?) The front end works but the back end is oddly higher than the front. Basically a small SUV with a turbo diesel engine. The diesel is a mainstay in Europe and more will be coming to the US because of 50 mpg standards.

Chrysler 200c EV- This looks like an Audi from the preview photos and takes Chrysler design in a whole new direction. It also has an electric engine that has 40 miles on battery power possible much like GM’s Volt. After those 40 miles there is a gas motor that kicks in. I am not sure what the social networking component of this car is really good for, but they have it anyway.

Dodge Circuit EV- Where were all these EV’s 2 years ago? This car looks like a sport super car but runs on electricity only. Sports car fans will be happy to find that electric vehicles get awesome torque and have really great 0-60 times. Somehow this car reminds me of the Dodge Stealth and Viper combined.

The stingray concept used in the Transformers 2 movie.

Stingray Concept -

  Wow what a car. This is a great example of how GM can design an amazing fun supercar with cues from past cars but a very modern look. Too bad there are no plans to actually produce it for sale.

Kia Soulster- is an experimental micro SUV. This is somehow a throwback to the 80’s Geo Tracker but I am not sure how. Nobody really wants a convertible mini suv to drive on the beach like Baywatch. (in Yellow)  

Lincoln C – This is a very different direction for Lincoln. The C is a smaller Lincoln than I have seen i a while. It also takes the interior functions to a futuristic level. I like cars that really push boundaries like this.

And enjoy the Chicago Auto Show 2009!

Nickelback is coming to Chicago for a concert at AllState Arena on March 12, 2009.

Nickelback is a popular Canadian Rock band that crosses over the genre boundaries into several different music categories. I enjoy Nickelback musicand so does my fiance. The interesting thing is that Steve really likes heavy metal music and I am more of a pop/rock listener. Nickelback is a cross breed of both. (and I thank them for that, because we actually have something we can both listen to in the car now) Some people have actually officially classified Nickelback as an Alternative Rock band or Alternative Metal band. Call them anything you want, they are very good.

I like their music because it has a lot of movement and feeling. Usually hard rock and alternative groups loose the clarity of the singing and vocals to the power of the guitars and drums. Nickelback provides a more lyrical emotional ballad with a rock background and setting. Some of the songs they are well known for are “Hero” from the first Spiderman movie, a top 10 hit “Photograph” and “Rockstar”. There is a lot of depth to their albums beyond the top 10 hits on the CDs though, and it’s worth a trip to AllState Arena to fully appreciate.

When is the Nickelback Concert? Mar 12, 2009 7:00 pm (Thursday)

Where is the Nickelback Concert?  Allstate Arena (map) 6920 North Mannheim Road in Des Plaines, IL 60018

Where can I get Tickets?  Through Ticketmaster.com they are $46.50, $55.00 or $75.00 each.The Nickelback tickets are about 1/2 sold at the time I am writing this post, I would expect that they will get close to selling out closer to the concert date. If there aren’t any left on Ticketmaster you can always check ebay and stubhub.com.

There are fan group packages and discounts available at Ticketmaster.com if you are a citi card holder. The AllState Arena (formerly the Rosemont Horizon if you are from the 80’s) is built so that even the seats in the balcony have a clear view of the stage (unless you are behind the stage. Plus many bands usually travel with huge digital/projection screens for showing a closeup of the band for the people sitting far up in the stands, so you would be able to see that way too. Otherwise you can always bring binoculars with the earplugs. (earplugs are always recommended for large concerts since the volume is so high, regardless of what type of music it is)

If you work downtown like I do, you may have noticed that theMichigan Avenue Bridge over the Chicago river has the sidewalk on the west side of the street closed and barricaded off today. I knew they were continuing improvements on the Michigan Avenue Bridge and saw the signs and TV trucks recording it but in my non-coffee blur this morning I was surprised anyway.

The Michigan Avenue Bridge has been going though a face lift/renovations since late summer that began with the dismantling of the entire masonry staircase at the corner of the Wrigley Building almost brick by brick. The redevelopment includes the towers that are at each corner of the bridge also. The Michigan Avenue Bridge work seems to be timed in conjunction with the Chicago River walkway expansion project that started this fall. (although this project hasn’t been on fire yet)

It is being reported by the Chicago Tribune that this work will cost $3.5 million dollars and hopefully be complete by June 2009. The west side of the bridge will be closed for pedestrians until March and then the East side will be under construction until June.

I think it is agreed that even within the current economic recession and city budget shortfall, the Michigan Avenue Bridge was in need of repair. (especially being so visible) The sidewalk/walkways on both sides of the bridge are quite a scary experience for most suburbanites/tourists/business people who come downtown for the day. You walk only inches from full speed traffic flying by with only a small rusty metal rail a few inches high between the sidewalk and the street while vehicle/bus exhaust chokes off your air.

As if this wasn’t scary enough on its own, there is a river in view down on the other side and also sometimes below your feet if you look down in between the bridge sidewalk panels you are walking over. Then to top it all off, you are usually walking with 100 other people, while the bridge bounces with the weight of vehicles, and some people insist on trying to cut in front of people by shoving, others asking/begging for change and more people almost stopped, blocking the flow of commuters completley.

You also may notice that the Michigan Avenue Bridge sidewalk isn’t concrete like most sidewalks are. It is a plastic-rubberized material that is a cross between tar paper and rubber galoshes. The bridge surface is slippery in the winter (I almost fall once a week while wearing snow boots) and bubbles up to trip people in the sweltering hot sunny summers.

I am hoping that the new surface is less slippery/bubbly and maybe more weatherproof. (a non-slip fiberglass?) I also hope that they can do the work properly in this cold and wet weather. If nothing else it will hopefully be worth a few years of looking and performing better, but we never know how much longer things will last beyond that.

It is freezing cold out side, what better time to look at summertime recreational equipment at the Chicago Boat and RV show. Maybe we will feel warmer looking at the boats and campers? McCormick place holds a lot of the local conventions and is the only location large enough to hold all these huge boats and RVs.

Although we are close to a metropolis like Chicago many people still enjoy nature by going camping, sailing, boating, fishing or traveling by RV during the summers in the Midwest. (and some rich people have boats docked in the downtown harbors of Lake Michigan) Many people make a yearly family trip to a summer home this way or rent a place on a lake to retreat from the hectic daily work life in the woods. This is the one show that you can look at (and dream about) all the newest innovations in recreational vehicles.

Some of the fun features they have brought to this year’s Chicago Boat and RV show are:

GEICO the world’s fastest offshore racing boat (speedboat), a power boat docking challenge, a Shedd Aquarium display about taking care of Lake Michigan, Green Boating Zone with environmentally friendly boating products, the Texas Bass tank where you can see many kinds of fish up close and personal, the affordability pavilionwhere you can find modestly priced boats to fit your budget, the State Farm Experience challenges with prizes, the Huck Finn Trout Pond where kids can learn to fish and the Loop Rock Girl. And don’t forget the RV’s! All the local RV and Marine shops will be there to answer questions and show their latest new products.

The Chicago Boat and RV Show dates and times are:

Dates: January 14-18, 2009

Location:
McCormick Place in the North Building
2301 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60616

Show Hours:
Wednesday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Thursday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Check out chicagoboatshow.com for tickets and maps of the convention floor.

Tickets are $10 (just like the auto show) and teens are $4 and kids under 12 can attend for free.

January 26 is Chinese New Year in 2009 and in Chicago there is always a big celebration. Chicago has a large Chinatown on the SW side of the city that has a lot of spectacular traditions and treasures to be discovered if you plan to visit during the Chinese New Year celebrations.

Every year in the Chinese (or Lunar) calendar has an animal theme (from the zodiac) with special meaning. 2009 is the year of the Ox. This year is all about prosperity, fortitude and hard work. How fitting considering our current economic situation. People born in a year of the ox (every 12 years) are known to have certain personality traits like being very determined, individualistic and logical people.  

How can you celebrate the Chinese New Year in Chicago there are a few things you can do:

1. You can visit Chicago’s Chinatown area and see the Dragon Dance/Lion Dance in the parade and stay for the fireworks. If you go to dinner in Chinatown the Chamber of commerce has this coupon for 15% off at certain restaurants. Also hereis a downloadable and printable travel brochure and visitor’s guide for visitors to Chinatown. The Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown is scheduled for Sunday February 1 at 1 pm CST on Wentworth from 24th Street to Cermak Road. The The Chinatown Chinese New Year Parade will be celebrating the Lunar New Year and the “Year of the Ox, 4707” with local marching bands, beautiful floats, dancing lion teams, a100’ Mystical Dragon, and a Miss Friendship Ambassador. Many people will be saying “Gung Hay Fat Choi” to everyone there, which means: Best wishes and Congratulations! (for the new year) Parade start time is 1:00PM though there are other activities starting as early as 11:30 am.

2. You can get red envelopes and give them to family. These are traditional ways to gift money (even numbers of bills only, $8 is particularly lucky but don’t use $4, four means death) to suppress the evil spirits during the celebration. Traditionally they are given by parents to children or by married elders to younger unmarried relatives.

3. Check out the Chinese New Year markets (stores) for unique and traditional gifts like flowers, fireworks or clothing. These make more interesting gifts when you go to someone’s house for a Chinese New Year Celebration. Also buy some moon cakes to try, they are beautifully molded mini cakes with different flavored fillings and flavors.

4. Check out the fireworks and if you have some small ones set those off to celebrate too. In Chicago most Fireworks are not legal although small 4th of July fireworks like sparklers and poppers are. If you have any fireworks use them responsibly.

5. Do these things for good luck in the New Year: Open windows or doors (maybe when it gets warmer?), switch on lights at night to scare away evil spirits (do Christmas lights count? because mine are still up), eat sweets to ensure you have a “sweet” year, clean the house before the New Year (and apparently not just for guests sake).  (courtesy of Wikipedia)  

The Chicago Sketchfest has been a great event to see the top comedy sketches in Chicago(and from across the country) for the last 8 years. Brian Posen does a great job with the team he has working on the event and they really find some creative and inventive new comedy sketch acts to showcase. I have been to the sketchfest for the last 2 years and always end up laughing my arse off. I am also impressed by sponsors ways of showing unique support like the redbull sketchfest sign made from red bull cans and the giant Chipotle burrito that is about 10 ft long hanging from the celing.

There are schedules posted for the performers and shows now, so check them out and buy your passes early because they always sell out. The best deals are usually the weekend passes. This year the event is at the Chicago Theater Building again and the individual shows are $12.50 each for tickets and the full all-sketchfest pass is $150.00.That really is a good deal if you can spend 8 nights of your life in the Chicago Theater Building laughing at comedy. Even if you don’t have that much time on your hands it is still worth going. Especially since it is so f-ing cold, what else can you do in January? Its pretty much see original new comedy at the Sketchfest or see reruns on cable every night? I’d go see Sketchfest.

One of my favorite shows is always Big News, but they aren’t listed for this year nor are they listed on IO’s schedule where they launched a Chicago version of the show earlier in the year. This event is really about discoveringnew shows and new talent so I will go pick something I have never heard of before and be suprised at how random and funny it can be. Maybe I will laugh as hard as I did at the space musical I saw last year.

You may also be asking: “what is the difference between Improv and Sketch comedy?” That is a good question. There are many flavors of comedy in Chicago and the sketchfest specializes in written material that uses some props, video, music and costumes if needed, although it is somewhat low tech compared to SNL or other sketch based comedy shows. Improv is well, improvised on the spot. There is no script, so you make it all up as you go. The Chicago Improv Festival is the home of the Improv fest yearly and both fests are worth attending.

Yet you see a lot of the same people at both events. Both performers and audience members. I think a lot of people learn to create and write great comedy through improv as a process so the worlds overlap and collide in these festivals as well as in the permanent shows around town. You never know who you will see that will end up on SNL in a few years. We have almost too much talent in this city, it is impossible to see it all.

Additionally there is a new sketchfest kids day this year. This is always great for kids who like the performing arts or are just into laughing at wacky stuff. I am sure that these performances have been monitored for language and such so they are clean humor and safe for kids. Think more silly slap stick comedy. The details are:

Sketch Day for Kids presented by the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival on Sunday, January 10, 2009
1PM – Unintentionally Hilarious & 2PM – Bri-Ko
Location: Theatre Building Chicago, 1225 W. Belmont
Adult Tickets - $12.50 each, or $20 for both shows
Kids Under 12 Tickets - $8 each, or $12 for both shows.
Website: ChicagoSketchFest.com or Call (773) 539-4596 for tix

There is just one word of warning about the Sketchfest. (And I hate to mention it since everything else about the fest is so good) The sketchfest is way to big for the Chicago Theater Building. It outgrew it’s venue about 3 years ago and there is not enough room for people to enter and exit each set of shows on the hour and there is absolutely no parking. The valets don’t even have any parking spaces most nights. I sat outside in the cold for a 1/2 hour waiting for someone to leave last year so we could have the valet park our car. So, you *must* take public transportation and walk outside in -20 degree weather to get there, it is the only option. Or take a cab. That would work too. Somehow though, these tickets are always sold out despite the hassle of getting there and maneuvering between theaters in the mobs of people in line out the door and down the sidewalk. Make sure to get your show tickets at least a few weeks in advance.

Everyone may be loathing the recession we are in right now, but that is no reason to not have a Happy New Year. There are plenty of New Years Parties happening in Chicago to ring in 2009. Or, if you really don’t want to spend a lot of money you can always to the frugal thing and host a party at your place. I still think it is important to celebrate. Plus I like non-denominational holidays like this where everyone can participate. It is good to balance things out after all that Christmas stuff.

If we are going to really have hope for 2009 to get better we are all going to have to pitch in and help. And that is a lot easier if we get to relax once in a while and have some fun, especially on New Years Eve. I know there are endless Chicago New Years Eve parties planned but these are the ones that I have heard about and think might be the better ones to recommend.

1. First off the major New Year’s Eve party in Chicago is always at Navy Pier. This year Kiss 103.5is hosting/sponsoring it so the music should be more up to date than it was when it was with 101.9. Some people think it is too crowded, but it really does give you a great view of the city, fireworks, bands and convenient parking inside the building. It isn’t as hip as some parties up north in the city at posh restaurants or clubs but for the most people this is a fun night and a great party. Tickets are still available at thenyegala.com from $154.80 per person to a $2,000.00 VIP Package. I am not sure what the point is of the VIP Package, but if you have the money to burn, have fun. The rest of us are ok with the regular admission. The Music is being provided by 7 local DJs. (what no live bands?) The tickets include a 5 hour Premium Top-Shelf Liquor Package, 3-Course Hors d’Oeuvres, 2 Ballrooms of Entertainment, Midnight Firework Celebration, Confetti Countdown, Champagne Toast, Giveaways, Party Favors, Raffles, and the Balloon Drop at midnight.

2. NYE at the Hard Rock Hotel is also an option if you like a modern rock style to your New Years Eve. This is also a great place to book a very stylish suite that has a beautiful view of the Chicago skyline and stay there without having to drive home. The party starts at 9 pm in the Fender Ballroom and tickets are $125.00. Attire is FORMAL. It is sponsored by the Lincoln Park Young professionals so be on the lookout for yuppies. The Hard Rock Hotel’s Address is 230 North Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL. ChicagoNYEInfo.com is the address to go to for tickets.

3. The Chicago Hilton is also having a large New Years Party in Chicago for 2009. It includes a 4 hour open br starting at 9 pm, a buffet, champagne toast at midnight and all kinds of music and video stuff going on. Tickets are $155.00 for the event, get them at newyears09.com. Or if you really want to live it up there is a $2,000 VIP package for 8 people that includes reserved seating and more goodies. But who really needs to spend 2K on NYE this year?

4. The Chicago House of Blues is also known for it’s New Year’s Eve Parties because of the performers they bring in and the venue itself. This year I can’t find anything listed there even though I have been to NYE parties there in the past. Why no party HOB?

So if none of those New Year’s Eve parties seem to sound like a place you would like to go for the evening, try Checking Going.com or there is always the house party for cheap. Nothing wrong with staying in on NYE, it is more recession proof for your wallet that way. 

I am sure that most Chicagoans are exhausted now that the holidays have passed, but they are very excited about  Barack Obama’s Inauguration in Washington DC. (Oprah is going to attend)  A lot of Chicagoans are planning on going out to DC for the 44th President’s Inauguration on January 20, 2009 to see it in person because they are so excited. (wow that is one elaborate setup they had at the last inauguration pictured at left)

Others of us have to work at a day job and will be here in Chicago’s frigid snowy cold watching TV on that day, but I will still be thrilled to witness history. If you are considering going to Barack Obama’s Inauguration in Washington DC you might have a hard time finding tickets. I heard they are all spoken for (sold out so to speak). All 240,000 of the Inauguration Tickets were available for free but by request from your local representative or senator. So, all the requests were early and now people are turning around and selling some for very very high prices. Probably not what Barack intended.

And since a lot of the hotels are booked too, the next best choice is following along at home and having an Inauguration party of your own. (why not? the kids would love it)

If you would like to get email updates from the Barack Obama Team about new Inauguration events and details you can sign up here on their site. pic2009.org/page/s/firsttoknow  (of course they land you on a contribution page after you sign up and would very much like you to donate to the Official Presidential Inaugural Committee. Someone has to foot the bill for all those events. I wonder what would happen if all websites landed you on a “please donate” page as the thank you page for submissions?) The web address for the site is: my.barackobama.com/inaugural if the link above does not work. 

Update: 12/16/08 I see there is an Inauguration Schedule, Inauguration Blog, and a lot of information already online 35 days before the event from the PIC (presidential inauguration committee). I am glad Barack’s teams are so organized and on top of things, this seems like such a change for the better in the communication department. The web teams that built all these sites for the campaigns and now after the elections have done a great job with it.

The outline of the Inaugural Schedule so far lists:

1. Barack Obama will travel by train to Washington DC on January 17, 2009 for the Inauguration. Kind of an old fashioned twist.

2. On Sunday, January 18th – The Official Inaugural Activities begin with a welcome event on Sunday in the afternoon that is available for the public to attend. (that is nice)

3. On Monday, January 19th – (it is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day a National Holiday) President Elect Obama and Vice-President Elect Biden will commemorate this holiday with community involvement activities in the Washington DC area.

4. Tuesday, January 20th is the official Inauguration Day - Barack Obama and Joe Biden will participate in the Inauguration Swearing in Ceremony and events on the US Capitol steps and the 56th Inaugural Parade in addition to the Inaugural Balls in the evening.

5. On Wednesday, January 21st (after not much sleep) The President Obama and Vice President Biden will participate in a prayer service.  

More information is supposed to be coming in the next few weeks, so as I hear about it, I will update this page with new info. The inaugural website is also pic2009.org. Thanks for stopping by, bookmark or link to this page for updates.

If you live in Chicago and want to celebrate there are 2 events being held here to celebrate the Inauguration:

The South Loop Hotel in the Bronzeville Chicago neighborhood has a 2 day package (family friendly) including a hotel room to stay in and all the live broadcasts of the inauguration events in the ballrooms and a party all for $400 per person. See their website at for more details and to buy tickets for the event. chicagosouthloophotel.com

McCormick Place in Chicago also has a black tie event planned for Tuesday evening at $275 a ticket. This is a more upscale get a babysitter for the kids event. Both events would be great for social networking among the democratic supporters of Chicago. I am sure Chicago will be partying and celebrating up a storm on January 20th. It may be an unofficial holiday the day after Martin Luther King Day. Check out mccormickplace.com for the Obama Inaugural Event details and directions.

Update: HBO will have the exclusive broadcast rights to the opening events of the inauguration. Coverage will startJanuary 18th, 2 days before the ceremony itself and will give viewers a taste of to as many events as possible.  The event will be free to all cable and satellite subscribers whether they have HBO regularly or not. (That is very nice of them)

All the major networks will cover the main inauguration event on Television on Tuesday January 20 starting at 9am and going until either 3 or 4 pm depending on the network. In Chicago this includes CBS Channel 2, NBC Channel 5, ABC Channel 7  on the free TV channels. (Why not WGN Channel 9, WTTW Channel 11 and FOX Channel 32?) Check your local listings for cable and dish channels and times.

Update 1/14/08: If you are traveling to Washington DC here is some very detailed information on documenting the inauguration for citizens. citmedialaw.org/legal-guide/documenting-2009-presidential-inauguration

Metromix also has a longer list of Inauguration Parties in Chicago so you can celebrate wherever you are in Chicagoland: chicago.metromix.com/events/roundup/inauguration-day-parties

And the Barack Obama team has just emailed a site that you can go to and watch a video from President Elect Obama and find out how to take part. He suggests that you text “open” to 56333 for mobile phone text message (SMS) updates on traffic, weather and events. The site is: pic2009.org/yourinauguration

President Elect Obama also suggests hosting your own neighborhood ball at home and celebrate that way. He also suggests going to USAService.org to donate your time to a public service project or charity type initiatives all over the country in honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day which is also National Service Day.

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.

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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.

Harry Potter’s props costumes and sets will be coming to the Museum of Science and Industry Exhibition in Chicago in April 2009. The exhibition will be there through September 7th 2009. This is much like the Star Wars Exhibition that they had there in the winter of 2007-2008. The movies are so popular that Harry Potter and Star Wars bring a whole new audience to The Museum of Science and Industry and help raise awareness of the museum for tourists and visitors as well as local residents.

The following for Harry Potter Books is huge in Chicago and an entire generation grew up on these books, reading them from cover to cover over and over again. I expect the tickets to easily sell out for the first few months at the exhibit. I would also expect there to be some demonstrations in the exhibit about how the magic effects happened in the movie and some explanations of how the Harry Potter movies were made.

Tickets on sale now at the Museum of Science and Industry website; $26 for adults, $19 for children, and $25 for senior citizens. There are discounted prices for everyone during the evening hours after the museum closes which is nice since people will pretty much line up forever to see these items in person if they are superfans. And judging from how many people stood in line at bookstores at midnight to get the books each time they were published, I think this will be one of the most popular exhibits at the museum of science and industry to date.

I also think this makes a good trip activity idea for the kids over spring break or summer break in 2009. There are a lot of other educational exhibits there that you should see too if you can make it. The bodyworlds exhibit is always popular. Just stay away from the internet exhibit (ala 1997) and the automobile exhibit (ala 1985). There are some areas of the museum that need a lot of updating.

See harrypotterexhibition.com for details and to buy tickets online.

With the end of the year just around the corner, my mind has shifted from entertainment and events to the New Year’s Resolutions 2009 that we all plan to make.  I am thinking there are some New Year’s Resolutions in 2009 that Chicago should try this year too. Not just government and officials but all of us collectively as people. Well, ok some are specifically for government and elected officials since this whole Rod Blagojevich thing is out of control and so opposite how most people really are in Chicago. So, after all the New Year’s parties sit down and think about if these ideas could really improve your life and those of everyone like you in Chicago.

1. Resolve to share the power and redistribute wealth. Enough of this you pay me to do something I am legally not supposed to do bullshit. Yes, Rod Blagojevich I am looking at you, and Former Illinois Governor Ryan you too. I am guessing that Mayor Daley does this stuff ALL the time but he has enough clout that people won’t cooperate in catching him at it.

For god’s sake, if you know (work with) someone who does this kind of pay for play stuff, out them. Tell someone, tell the Tribune, Sun Times or NPR. Copy documents that verify it and send them anonymously to the press if you have to. Publish them on an anonymous blog. The only way that this behavior will stop is if people stand up to it and say no, I am not going along with this and make sure people know about it. It is your responsibility as a citizen and there are a whole lot more of us little people than there are powerful ones you know. And this was the whole point behind rallying for Barack Obama and Change. (and not just so people stopped knowing Chicago only for Al Capone, Oprah and Michael Jordan)

2. Get some more exercise. All of us, myself included could benefit from more exercise. This means walking rather than driving sometimes, going out to run once a week and generally doing things around the house to clean and fix it up. You would be surprised how much cleaning and fixing up the house can do for exercise. Walking every day to public transportation is also a great way to get exercise without knowing it. (which is pretty much the only way computer based people like me can do this) Laying off the deep dish pizza, foot long hot dogs and cold stone ice cream is probably a good idea too.

3. Save some money. Forget the economy and how 70% of the activity is from consumer spending. Just do what you need to do in order to be ready for layoffs since this is so common these days. Have 1 year of reserves in savings for daily expenses should you loose your job.

It takes a year or more for most people right now to find a new job since so many more people are looking than there are jobs. Also, have your vacation days saved up so that if they do lay you off they have to pay them out. It is the law. Most companies don’t offer any severance packages when they lay off people so your 2-3 weeks vacation time is your severance package now. Save it wisely.

4. Learn something new. This is harder the older we all get. I find it harder every year to learn something new that is an actual functional skill or knowledge useful on the job. It is just so much easier to do things the old way. It uses less energy and fewer brain cells. But you become obsolete so much faster, and in this economy that could mean a lot less money if and when you can find another job. So, whether it is community college courses, web research or just asking someone who knows cool stuff on the job if you could help out and get into a new project, it always benefits you in the long run.

What other resolutions do you have for yourself? And for Chicago?

From December 5th 2008 through January 4th 2009 the Bank of America Winter Wonderfest will be open at Navy Pier in Chicago. This is one of the many Chicago Christmas events that are perfect for the family to attend while kids are on holiday break. A trip downtown on the metra is always an exciting day for kids. The Bank of America Winter Wonderfest is a spectacular holiday event that begins its 8th holiday season with more attractions and over 170,000 sq ft of indoor family activities.

The Chicago Winter Wonderfest includes lots of amazing decorations with over 750,000 Christmas lights, 25,000 ornaments and hundreds of Christmas trees. The activities at Winter Wonderfest include Winter Themed carnival rides, games, music and live bands and entertainment daily. Many families found that this was a great yearly tradition to go to with the kids and return every year. (in addition to going to the walnut room at Macy’s for dinner under the great tree.

One of the attractions at the Winter Wonderfest is the eWish Center. The ewish center is open in Festival Hall from December 5th through January 4th. Kids can email Santa Claus their holiday wishes on the internet. Elves are there to help the kids write or send the emails. The emails go direct to Santa Claus. This is far more hip than the old write your list on paper and send it through snail mail method.

strong>Santa Claus arrives at Winter Wonderland at Navy Pier on Saturday November 29th at 5 pm on the Grand Staircase. This was for the opening of the holiday season and the official lighting of the pier for the holidays. Santa Claus also made a stop on the Family Pavilion Stage. Then he and Mrs. Claus listened to the holiday wishes of children from 6:00 pm. until 9:00 pm. Since Santa can’t be there every day, the ewish center makes sure that Santa Claus gets all the wish information and everyone gets their wish.

The Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier is free to enter and walk around but it is either $12 or $16 to ride the activities and rides. The $16 wristband includes ice skating, the $12 wristband ticket does not include ice skating. There are a few family packs that include parking and 4 wristbands that offer some discounts. There is a winter wonderfest family pack for $64 that includes 4 premium wrisbands (the ones that include skating) and free parking if you drive downtown. Navy Pier is located at 600 East Grand Avenue. Phone Number: (312) 559-1212.

The hours that the Chicago Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier is open are:
Bank of America Winter WonderFest will be open:
 
December 5, 2008 to December 18, 2008
Sunday through Thursday: 10:00am to 5:00pm
Friday & Saturday: 10:00am to 10:00pm December 19, 2008 to January 4, 2009
Sunday through Thursday: 10:00am to 8:00pm
Friday & Saturday: 10:00am to 10:00pm
Special Holiday Hours:
Wednesday, December 24, 2008: 10:00am – 5:00pm
Thursday, December 25, 2008: CLOSED
Wednesday, December 31, 2008: 10:00am – 8:00pm
Notes:

In addition to the Winter Wonderfest, Navy Pier is also the location for the largest New Year’s Eve Party in Chicago. Get tickets online to experience the best fireworks presentation and festivities of the New Year in Chicago!

Every winter the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago has a Zoolights festival to celebrate the season. The Lincoln Park Zoo is a free admission zoo in the center of Chicago located on the north side of the city. When you get all those zoo lights up for the holiday and a free admission Zoo to see the animals, why not take the family to the zoo for the day? (parking us usually not free though)

The Lincoln park Zoo’s Zoo lights winter festival runs from December 5th 2008 through January 4th 2009 from 5-9 pm. (closed for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) The sun goes down at about 4:30  pm in Chicago in the winter so there is more time to view all the beautiful tiny colored lights and decorations. I hope the animals enjoy the festivities too. Every evening there is a musical lights show extravaganza on the south lawn.

The Lincoln Park Zoo is located at 2001 North Clark Street in Lincoln park in Chicago, IL 60614. Phone number 312-742-2000.

The Zoo Lights festival at Lincoln Park Zoo also has a number of activities and food available at the park. Crafts, gifts and holiday foods will all be for sale at the event. On December 5th and 6th visit the starbucks there for a free hot cocoa drink to celebrate the season. And as always the Lincoln Park Zoo has a large collection of animals living there from all around the globe.

The different animal sections of the zoo that you can visit are: Reptiles & Amphibians, Birds and Mammals. The Regenstein African Journey, McCormick Bear Habitat, McCormick Bird House, Regenstein Birds of Prey Exhibit, Kovler Penguin and Seabird House, Helen Brach Primate House, Kovler Lion House, Kovler Sea Lion Pool, Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo, Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House, Hope B. McCormick Swan Pond, Flamingo Habitat, Regenstein Center for African Apes, Antelope & Zebra Area, Farm-in-the-Zoo Presented by John Deere and The Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo. 

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. 

I just read that the City of Chicago received a winning bid to hand over the management of the 35,000 parking meters to a private company from the department of revenue in Chicago. The new (privatization of) parking meter prices will likely have to be higher because they think this will close the $150 Million dollar budget gap (in a total of a $469 Million dollar budget shortfall) we have for 2008 and 2009 from several years of leasing. Yikes! The Chicago parking meter revenue was estimated at 19.5 million dollars in 2007. So, I am guessing this might be 10 years? More is due to be released in a press conference on Tuesday.

As if we needed another cost increase in the price of living in Chicago amidst a global recession.

UPDATE: The cost of the parking meters will quadruple from $0.50 per hour now to $1.00 per hour in 2009 and $2.00 per hour in 2013. The most competitive parking spot meters in the loop will go from $3.00 per hour now to $6.50 an hour in 2013. Holy cats, we will all have to sell our cars. The parking lease is also for 75 Years!  (and no free parking on Sundays) So Chicago has lost all future revenue from this area of the budget for the next 75 years. That will contribute to future budget shortfalls.

I think this privatization change may turn out like London or other crowded commuter cities where the parking rates are dramatically higher for peak usage times and the prices in general are raised anytime without any citizen or voter approval. Basically it just got a lot more difficult, expensive and exclusive to own a car in Chicago or to drive one downtown. (what’s next a congestion tax?) The higher meter rates will most likely influence paid parking garage rates to go up also and higher parking ticket rates if you fail to pay the meters. What I hope it improves is the way you have to pay for your parking meter. We really would like to see a pay by cell phone or pay by credit card swipe on the meters if they can get a high level of security with your private credit card data.

What they haven’t said is how long this private parking meter contract agreement is for with this un-named company Chicago Parking Meter LLC (which is made up of two Morgan Stanley infrastructure funds.) and the City of Chicago and how long we will have to endure even higher fees. (forever!) I am thinking the jump in Chicago private parking meter fees will most likely just push more people and commuters on to the already overburdened public transit bus and el train system. The rates for one time use CTA tickets and monthly CTA passes have also gone up in 2009, but it is far less that what people will see at the privatized parking meters.  Yuck!

The Chicago Holiday Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony has been moved to December 2nd in Daley Plaza downtown. The street address is 50 West Washington Street & Dearborn Street and the tree lighting will be at 12pm noon central time. This is the 95th annual Holiday Tree lighting ceremony and that long history is what makes it a tradition each year. Mayor Daley will be on hand to see the official city tree that is 90 ft high lit with thousands of tiny lights and begin the offical Christmas Holiday Season in Chicago.

Then afterwards the Christkindlemarkt opens with a variety of home made gifts and sweets in a German themed outdoor market. You can shop for authentic European Christmas Ornaments, decorations, textiles and yummy German Food. Most of the gifts are small type gifts that usually cost less than $25. If you are downtown for work or shopping on State Street or Michigan Avenue it is also fun to stop by and see the Christkindlemarket and the big Chicago Christmas Tree lit for the holidays. Make it part of your family tradition every holiday season.

Macy’s State Street Store in Chicago has continued the traditions of Marshall Fields with the lighting of the great Christmas tree in the Walnut Room (on the 7th floor) each holiday season. This year will be no different. I just heard that Tommy Hilfiger will be the special designated guest of honor for lighting the Macy’s Walnut Room tree this year and hopefully Tommy will design some cool unique ornaments to decorate the tree with. Last year in 2007 Martha Stewart lit the Walnut Room Christmas tree in person and her ornaments were featured on what I called the gradient tree. In 2006 the tree was covered in Wedgewood China ornaments and the year before in 2005 it was all about Swarofski Crystal Christmas ornaments. The Christmas Tree Lighting in Macy’s Walnut Room usually happens the Saturday before Thanksgiving. This year the event is scheduled for November 8, 2008 at 1 pm. The tree this year is supposed to be a vintage decorated one with tinsel and antique ornaments.

The Walnut Room at Macy’s is a great day out with the family regardless of who designs or decorates the Christmas tree. I have been going there with my parents for the last few years and it is a very enjoyable experience and a tradition we plan on keeping up as long as we can. The food at the Walnut Room is not super fancy but it is very good and they revamped the menu with some more modern dishes last year in addition to the comfort food favorites you have always enjoyed. (chicken pot pie anyone?)  Expect to pay between $10 and $15 per person for dinner plus drinks, tax, tip and desert. Last year we had the best little mini-bunt spice cakes with ice cream on top that were a Martha Stewart recipe. I have included that picture here at left. We also usually stop to shop a bit and get some Frango mint chocolates since they are very good also. If you go during peak times (afternoons) the line to get into the Walnut Room is long and it is a first come first served type seating order. So, either go around lunchtime or go later in the evening to miss the crowds. The Walnut Room is kid friendly and they have lots of room for stroller parking.

If you don’t know him alreay, Tommy Hilfiger got popular in the 90’s for the preppy look that urban youth ended up taking, changing and owning later on. (think boyz 2 men) In the years since then he has tried to open his own line of stores (one was in Oak Brook Mall) that did not last very long. I know Macy’s is really is loyal to this brand and celebrity marketing plan they have going but I am not sure this one will work. Tommy Hilfiger may be a big deal to Macy’s but the rest of us aren’t really into his designs anymore. The line hasn’t evolved and it is too similar to a bunch of other brands we get cheaper at Target and Old Navy. (and probably manufactured in the same factory in China) So, he isn’t my favorite guy but he is a celebrity so I am sure that there will be a crowd.

If you do plan on visiting Macy’s department store in Chicago on State Street this winter for the holiday displays or the Walnut Room Christmas Tree Macy’s is reachable by Metra trains to Union Station and then by taking a cab from there to the store on State Street. Or if you live near the el train, take the brown, green, pink, orange or red lines to the State Street and Lake Street stop in the loop and just walk one block south of there to get to Macy’s department store.  Enjoy the shopping at Macy’s, the Walnut Room Tree and the great food this holiday season.

The International Exposition of Sculpture Objects and Fine Art (SOFA) is planned for Festival Hall in Navy Pier in Chicago on November 6-9. This is an amazing contemporary art show and well worth the admission to attend. The work on display at SOFA ranges from glass to ceramics to textiles and sculpture. Even if you are not an art expert this show is eye opening and entertaining at the same time.

Art innovates constantly and SOFA Chicago is one of the few places to see what is new and evolving before it hits mainstream. If you are smart you can integrate these style details into your life before everyone else (haha) and become more of a style innovator yourself. That said the purchase prices of these art objects and sculptures are steep. These artwork pieces on display are not quite intended for the general public to buy and are usually purchased for private collections or in museums for the rest of us to enjoy. SOFA Chicago isn’t somewhere to go if you need to furnish your living room unless you are a millionaire. There is also a SOFA VIP Program and a free Lecture series for anyone who would like to attend. There is more info with the dates and times on their website listed below.

Over 35,000 people attended SOFA Chicago in 2007 and there are more than 100 galleries and dealers all in the same location together at Navy Pier. If you buy serious art this is the event to see everything all at once. Tickets to SOFA Chicago are available online for $15 for one day or $25 for a 3 day weekend pass. There is also an opening night Gala event that is $50.00 and you get to see all the art and sculpture objects before anyone else. Personally I was thinking of going since I have never been to SOFA and I hear people raving about it every year. It isn’t that expensive to attend although you will pay another $25.00 on top of your ticket prices for parking at Navy Pier. I think $35.00 is a small price for all that great inspiration.  Check out sofaexpo.com to buy tickets online or you can buy them at the door also.

The alphabetical list of Galleries exhibiting at SOFA Chicago 2008 is:

Aaron Faber Gallery
Adamar Fine Arts
Andora Gallery
Ann Nathan Gallery
Barry Friedman
Beaver Galleries
Berengo Studio
Blue Rain Gallery
browngrotta arts
Bullseye Gallery
Cervini Haas Gallery
Chappell Gallery
Charon Kransen Arts
Collection – Ateliers d’Art de France
COVET – collectable objects & fine art
CREA Gallery
D&M Fine Arts
Dai Ichi Arts
The Dancing Hands Gallery
David Collection
del Mano Gallery
Donna Schneier Fine Arts
Duane Reed Gallery
Eden Gallery
Elliott Brown Gallery
Ferrin Gallery
FLATFILE Galleries
Function + Art
Galerie Besson
Galerie Elca London
Galerie Elena Lee
Galerie Pokorná
Galleri Grønlund
Galleri Udengaard
Galleria Norsu
Gallery Sklo
Garson Baker Fine Art
Glass Artists Gallery
Habatat Galleries, Chicago
Habatat Galleries, Florida-Virgina
HABATAT Galleries, Michigan
Hawk Galleries
Heller Gallery
Holsten Galleries
Jane Sauer Gallery
Jean Albano Gallery
John Natsoulas Gallery
Judy Youens Gallery
Katie Gingrass Gallery
KEIKO Gallery
Kirra Galleries
Lacoste Gallery
Lafrenière & Pai Gallery
Lee Weitzman Furniture
Leo Kaplan Modern
Litvak Gallery
Maria Elena Kravetz Gallery
Marx-Saunders Gallery
Mattson’s Fine Art
Maurine Littleton Gallery
Micaëla Gallery
Modus Gallery
Mostly Glass Gallery
Mowen Solinsky Gallery
National Craft Gallery of Ireland
Next Step Studio and Gallery
Niemi Sculpture Gallery & Garden
Oliver & Espig
Option Art
Orley & Shabahang
Ornamentum
Palette Contemporary Art & Craft
Patina Gallery
Perimeter Gallery
Pistachios
Portals
PRISM Contemporary Glass
rakovaBRECKERgallery
Ruth Lawrence Fine Art
SABBIA
Santa Fe Clay
Sherrie Gallerie
Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art
Signature Gallery
Silica Galleries
Sim JaeCheon Gallery
Snyderman-Works Galleries
ten472 Contemporary Art
Thomas R. Riley Galleries
Turkish Cultural Foundation
Twiga
UrbanGlass
Wexler Gallery
William Zimmer
Yaw Gallery
Zygman Voss Gallery

The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival is a yearly event not to miss on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

If you are looking for the 2009 details you can find that post here.

Everyone comes downtown to Michigan Avenue at Christmas time. Not because there isn’t shopping in all the shopping malls across Chicagoland, but because of the lights and the festivities that happen there. Michigan Avenue got the name the Magnificent Mile because of the shopping spectacle and uniqueness of what happens there. Christmas season will be here soon (and some people are getting a jump on their Christmas shopping lists now in advance) and the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival is one way to experience all that is glorious about this Midwestern shopping mecca and have fun with the kids in the Christmas season downtown.

The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival is on Saturday, November 22, 2008. The festivities start at 11 am and go until 10 pm. Take the train (Metra or EL) in from the suburbs with the family for a fun day in the city. A cab is the quickest way from Union Station to Michigan Avenue when it is cold outside.

11:00 am-5:00 pm The Harris Stage will have performances by Justin Roberts & the Not Ready for Naptime Players, Ralph’s World, and of course Jason Mraz. This musical event is sponsored by the radio station Mix 101.9FM. The Cheetah Girls will also be there courtesy of Radio Disney at the Harris Stage, Pioneer Court at 401 North Michigan Avenue.

5:00 pm Live bands and lots of local entertainment will be performing all along Michigan Avenue before the lighting procession begins. This will be at North Michigan Avenue on Oak Street all the way to Wacker Dr.

5:30 pm The largest Holiday Carol will be the next challenge for the WLS 890 AM Radio station team. They want to break the world record on this. It will be lots of fun and at Pioneer Court at 401 North Michigan Avenue.

6:00 pm–7:00 pm The lighting Procession begins. (like a parade) Disney’s Mickey Mouse will be the master of ceremonies this year and he leads the lighting of more than one million lights on Michigan avenue and in The Magnificent Mile district to officially start the holiday (shopping) season in Chicago! You can see the lighting procession happen at North Michigan Avenue all the way from Oak Street to Wacker Dr.

6:52 pm ABC 7 Chicago will be sponsoring a fireworks display over the Chicago River as the finalé to this weekend holiday event! View the fireworks at North Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River.

7:00 pm–10:00 pm You can get a jump start on your Christmas shopping with extended shopping hours at participating Magnificent Mile stores! Also, many restaurants downtown and hotels may have extended hours or special deals that weekend for the festival. The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival presented will also be televised on Channel 7 in Chicago.

We need free things to do in Chicago now more than ever. Who can afford a $8 beer and a $12 movie in this financial and economic uncertain time. I have heard more people say they are staying in to save money than I have in years. I still like to go enjoy Chicago though and sometimes you can do that for free if you know where and when the events are happening. Here are some free things to do in Chicago that are scheduled over October and November. I am guessing this is going to be a lean Christmas too.

1. A Kevin Coval reading free admission from The author, educator, HBO Def Poet and founder of Louder than a Bomb at The Chicago Teen Poetry Festival. He reads from his newly released book “Everyday People.”

2. Sixth Annual Pumpkin-Carving Party at the Avenue Tavern at 2916 North Broadway in Lakeview Call 773-975-7000. Free at 8pm-12am midnight on October 16th. Carve your own pumpkin creation and win prizes (pumpkin carving tools are provided). Afterward, the weird and wacky jack-o-lanterns are displayed outside the bar sidewalk through Nov. 1 or until the rot, or are carried away by squirrels whichever happens first.

5. Free Bingo/Tango 312-397-4010 at the Museum of Contemporary Art at 220 East Chicago Ave. Play some bingo and Learn Tango in the same night. What could be better? Between games, Somer Surgit and Agape Pappas teach quick Tango lessons. Every 2nd Tuesday of the Month at 6pm.

6. Yay for Free Stitch ‘n’ Bitch! 312-280-2660 Don’t you know knitting is cool now? Meet more young hip urbanites with creative focus at the Stich and Bitch. Yarn and crafts not provided, but bring whatever you are working on. Evey 1st Tuesday at the Museum of Contemporary Art. 5:30 pm.

7. Dia de los Muertos: La Vida Sin Fin 312-738-1503 The nation’s largest Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead exhibit, this 22nd annual collection highlights local and international artists.

8. The 12th Annual North Halsted St Halloween Parade 773-868-3010 Expect crazy costumes and over the top behavior in Boystown. The parade travels north on Halsted Street, from Belmont Avenue to Cornelia Street. Post-paradefestivities include a costume contest for your pets and your humans as well as live performers and entertainment by Halsted and Roscoe Streets. 

9. Green City Market at 1750 North Clark Street 773-435-0280 Hey, window shopping and browsing is free right? This great organics fest of food is still going in harvest season through October 29th.

10. The Weekly fireworks show at Navy Pier 312-595-7437 This is still going too, the fireworks have not stopped even though summer is over. They still set off a 10-minute fireworks display over Lake Michigan set to music every Saturday night at dusk.

11. Free admission for the Museum of Science and Industry 773-684-1414  This is for General admission only and only on Tuesdays. It still costs to park, see the Omnimax and 3-D movies or go on the ”U-505″ submarine tour.

12.Freeeee Comedy Shows – Battle-Prov ComedySportz improv students face off against other funny local improv teams. For Discount/free days call 312-922-9410. There is free general admission in Feb and the 2ndMonday of each month. It’s usually wicked cheap funny anyway at $4-$7 per show at Comedy Sportz which is at 929 West Belmont Avenue.

13. Wicker Park Critical Mass Bike Ride 312-551-7300 ext. 11 This monthly bike ride through the Wicker Park neighborhood is a fun way to enjoy the fall leaves and colors and get exercise at the same time. Plus you meet cool hip urban eco friendly bike riding people.

14. Sunday Salutations Free yoga class 773-883-8860 Stretch and strengthen your muscles for free at this weekly class in the park, which is always weather permitting. Hosted by lululemon’s Halsted store anda different new yoga studio each month.

15. Free Literary Open Mic 773-489-2353 Bring your best poetry or prose and read it aloud at this weekly event.

16. Free Fall Cooking Demonstrations 773-241-5200 Get tips on picking seasonal produce and learn how to prepare turkey burgers with coleslaw and cranberry mayonnaise. Hyde Park Farmer’s Market at 5200 S. Harper Avenue at 9am on Thursday October 16.

17. The Free Grasshopper Show 773-880-0199 A rotating roster of eight current I.O. training center students pair up with I.O. instructors in a very funny longform harold improvised show. IO Theater is at 3541 N. Clark Street in Chicago.

18. The Free Improv Jam 773-880-0199 Be careful, the volunteer audience members perform improvscenes with veteran I.O. comics. Local improv guys Brett Lyons and Nathan Jensen host and drag you up on stage too if you let them. Same address as above.

19. Chelsea Handler book signing 773- 935-3909 The comedy writer and performer signs her new book of funny personal stories, “Are You There Vodka, It’s Me Chelsea.” 

20. Daniel Vosovic book signing 312-573-0564 The exciting “Pro ject Runway” finalist discusses his new book, “Fashion Inside Out: Daniel V’s Guide to How Style Happens from Inspiration to Runway and Beyond.” OMG!

21. The Free Daley Plaza 12th annual Halloween celebration, formerly called “Pumpkin Plaza,” features a haunted village, pumpkin decorating (weekends only), storytelling, live performances and more. Afternoons in late October.

22. The Great Walnut Room Tree Lighting at Macy’s in November 312-781-5454 Designer Tommy Hilfiger lights the 45-foot-tall tree in the Walnut Room. The tree, trimmed with nearly 15,000 lights and 4,000 ornaments, is on display through Jan. 11.

23. 13th Annual Christkindlmarket Chicago 312-494-2175 An open-air, German-style market showcases handmade ornaments, accessories, clothing and gifts from more than 50 vendors. Also features German food and drink such as beer, hot spiced wine, potato pancakes, bratwurst, schnitzel, strudel and more.

24. Howl-o-ween 312-595-7437 Bring your pooch for a cute dog costume parade in Gateway Park, or browse pet merchandise, information and animals are up for adoption inside the Festival Hall.

25. Isaac Mizrahi signing is new book at Barnes and Noble. 312-573-0564 The fashion designer discusses his new book, “How to Have Style.” Did you ever want to see the guy in person that brought high style to Target?

26. State Street Halloween Happening Parade 312-744-3315 Costumed participants march to Daley Plaza, where Halloween Pumpkin Plaza festivities include a costume contest, candy giveaways, performances, appearances by “Wicked” cast members and more.

Two new pavilions are planned for Millennium Park from architectural designers Zaha Hadid of Britain and Ben Van Berkel of the Netherlands. These pavilions will be temporary and be set up for 5 months in Millennium Park starting on June 19, 2009. This is all part of a 100 Year Centennial Celebration from the Burnham Plan Centennial Committee in Chicago. The two pavillions will be completley recycled following the 5 month display time in Millennium Park. (Being green is cool)

Many of us have heard of the Burnham Plan from watching Geoffrey Baer tour the Chicago lakefront, Rivers and skyline on Channel 11 over the years. The Burnham Plan is one of the inspirations behind why Chicago built Millennium Park and the grand city planning the Mayor Daley has been doing all over the city. Daniel Burnham envisioned that the lakefront area in downtown Chicago would be open to the public and be filled with gardens parks and recreational areas for the community. 100 years later his plans and ideas are being implemented and there are two new pavilions planned for Millennium Park.

I think executing the Burnham Plan is a huge win for the city of Chicago and Millennium Park has been a great success even though it was 3 times the budget that was estimated for creating it. The citizens of Chicago should have places that they can enjoy the city for free and have green space in the downtown loop area. These green spaces are also important for the tourism business that Chicago makes millions from each year. I would like even more green space to be planned like Millennium Park or Roof Gardens but we have yet to see any other plans like Burnham’s that emphasize that need in other areas of the city.

The Art Institute of Chicago is hosting a new free exhibit called 360 Degrees: Art Beyond Borders for the next 10 months: September 27, 2008 through June 16, 2009. 360 Degrees Art Beyond Borders is unlike most exhibits at the Art Institute of Chicago because it combines efforts and exhibits with the other major cultural institutions in Chicago. The institutions participating are Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Poetry Foundation, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. It is really a 360 degree view of the arts in Chicago. And what is even more amazing about this artistic creative smorgasborg is that it is FREE to the public. How amazing is that?

The schedule consists of lectures, performances, readings, talks, discussions and exhibits full of all forms of artwork and commenting on a wide variety of creative subjects.

The full schedule of Art Institue of Chicago 360 Degrees: Art Beyond Borders Exhibit Events:

• Lecture: Season Preview—The Promise of Encyclopedic Museums
  9/25, 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall. James Cuno, president and director.
• 360 Degrees: Art beyond Borders Opening Day 9/27, 10am -3:30 pm the Art Institute of Chicago
  Free admission Preview the globe-spanning scope of our new season!
• Lecture: Chicago and Globalization—Caught in the Middle on September 27, 2008 at 10:30-11:30 am in Fullerton Hall Free Admission Richard Longworth, Senior Fellow, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs and author.
• Reading: Reading and Commentary—Art and Literature September 27, 2008 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall. Free. C. K. Williams, poet.
• Reading: Poetry—Always a Home September 27, 2008 2-3 pm in Fullerton Hall Free admission. Marilyn Nelson, poet
• Conversation: Bizet’s Pearl Fishers October 2, 2008 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall Free to the public
• Performance: Henri Duparc—Composer Crossing into Modernism October 7, 2008 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall Free with admission to the Art Institute of Chicago. Jean-Baptiste de Boissiere, voice; George Lepauw, piano
• Reading: Adam Zagajewski October 9, 2008 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall Free
• Lecture: Religion, Ethics, and Globalization—New Dilemmas Local and Global October 16, 2008 at 6-7 pm Fullerton Hall Free to the public. Diana Eck, Harvard University.
• Symposium: From the Natural to the Fantastic—Italian Drawings, 1500–1650 (Print and Drawing Club)
  October 17, 2008 at 10:30am-5 pm in Fullerton Hall Space is limited; to reserve a seat, call (312) 443-3756.
• Performance: Italian Masterworks—Schubert and Vivaldi October 19, 2008, 2-3 pm Fullerton Hall For ticket information, call (312) 294-3000
• Lecture: Genius of Sport—Baron Pierre de Couberin and the Enduring Values of the Olympic Ideal
  October 23, 2008 6-7 pm Fullerton Hall Free. George Hirthler from the Chicago 2016 Olympic Campaign.
• Performance: Joel Spears, Lute Virtuoso October 30, 2008, 6-6:45 pm Fullerton Hall Free.
• Symposium: The Divine Art—Four Centuries of European Tapestries October 31, 2008, 10:30am – 5 pm
  Fullerton Hall Space is limited; to reserve a seat, call (312) 857-7138. Free.
• Lecture: God’s Crucible—Islam and the Making of Europe, 570–1215 (Leadership Advisory Committee)
  November 1, 2008, 6-7 pm in the Rubloff Auditorium For tickets, call (312) 494-9509. David Levering Lewis, New York University.
• Performance: Enescu, Bartok, and Brancusi November 4, 2008, 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall Free with admission to the Art Institute of Chicago.
• 360 Annual President’s Lecture: A World Connected—Why Do We Leave Home? November 7, 2008 7:30 -8:30 pm in Fullerton Hall. For tickets, call (312) 494-9509. Nayan Chanda, Yale Center for the Study of Globalization.
• Lecture: Global Debates on Islam in the 21st Century November 13, 2008 at 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall. Free. Muhammed Sani Umar, Director of Northwestern University’s Institute for the Study of Islamic Thought in Africa.
• Lecture: Encyclopedic Museums—Cabinets of Curiosity November 15, 2008 at 11am – 12 pm in Fullerton Hall. Bruce Boucher, Curator of Sculpture
• Performance: Sound Weavers—A Concert of Music Pictured in Tapestry November 16, 2008 at 2-3 pm in Fullerton Hall Cost: $20; $15 for members
• Reading: Paul Muldoon November 20, 2008 at 6-7 pm Fullerton Hall, Free.
• Lecture: Encyclopedic Museums—Medieval Treasuries on November 22, 2008 at 11am-12 pm Fullerton Hall. Free with admission to the Art Institute of Chicago. Christina Nielsen, Assistant Curator for Medieval Art.
• Performance: Messiaen at 100—Takemitsu Remembers 12/2/08, 12-1 pm Fullerton Hall, Free with admission to the Art Institute of Chicago.
• Lecture: Challenging the Encyclopedic Museum—Berlin’s Museum Island December 4, 2008 at 6-7 pm in
  Fullerton Hall $10; Free for members (ticket required) Dr. Thomas Gaehtgens, Getty Research Institute.
• Lecture: Crossing the Ocean—Foreign Visitors and Foreign Influence in Japanese Art on December 6, 2008 at 11am -12 pm in Fullerton Hall. Free with admission to the art institute. Janice Katz, Associate Curator of Japanese Art.
• Performance: German Masterworks on December 7, 2008 at 2-3 pm in Fullerton Hall. For ticket information, call (312) 294-3000.
• Lecture: Mediterranean Crossings—The Quest of ‘Leo Africanus’ on December 11, 2008 at 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall Free. Natalie Zemon Davis, University of Toronto
• Performance: All in a Garden Green December 18, 2008 at 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall. Cost: $20; $15 for members.
• Performance: Honorable Pledge Fulfilled January 10, 2009 1-2 pm in Fullerton Hall. Cost: $15; $10 for members. Damine Kabuki Troupe.
• Reading: Eamon Grennan on January 15, 2009 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall. Free.
• Performance: French Masterworks—Roussel and Mozart January 18, 2009 at 2-3 pm in Fullerton Hall
  For ticket information, call (312) 294-3000.
• Performance: Debussy and Impressions of the Sea January 22, 2009 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall $15; $10 for members; Free for CSO subscribers.
• Performance: Consuls General Concert Series—Austria February 2, 2009 at 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall
  Free.
• Performance: Consuls General Concert Series—Korea February 3, 2009 at 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free.
• Performance: Consuls General Concert Series—France on February 4, 2009 at 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall and is Free.
• Reading: Robert Pinsky on February 5, 2009 at 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free.
• Performance: Consuls General Concert Series—Poland February 9, 2009 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free.
• Performance: Reflections of the Chinese Poets with Yang Wei on Pipa February 10, 2009 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall.
• Reading: For Czeslaw Milosz February 11, 2009 at 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall.
• Reading: For Octavio Paz February 12, 2009 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall.
• Lecture: The Mysteries of Munch’s Working Methods—Recent Research on The Scream and Madonna
  February 12, 2009 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall. $10; Free for members. Ingebjørg Ydstie, Director, Munch Museum.
• Reading: Tomaz Salamun on February 13, 2009 at 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall.
• Lecture: The Lincoln Image on February 15, 2009 1-2 pm in Fullerton Hall.
• Performance: John Work Chorale on February 15, 2009 at 2-3 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free.
• Performance: Consuls General Concert Series—Switzerland on February 16, 2009 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free.
• Performance: Consuls General Concert Series—Thailand on February 17, 2009 at 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free.
• Performance: Consuls General Concert Series—China on February 19, 2009 at 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free.
• Lecture: Sibling Rivalries and Global Monotheisms—Judaism, Christianity, Islam February 19, 2009 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free. David Nirenberg, University of Chicago.
• Performance: Consuls General Concert Series—Spain February 20, 2009 at 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free.
• Lecture: Mapping the Globe on February 21, 2009 at 11am -12 pm in Fullerton Hall – Free. Ruth Watson, artist.
• Performance: Consuls General Concert Series—Germany on February 23, 2009 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free.
• Performance: Consuls General Concert Series—Croatia February 24, 2009 at 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free.
• Performance: Consuls General Concert Series—Mexico on February 25, 2009 at 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free.
• Performance: Consuls General Concert Series—Japan on February 26, 2009 at 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free.
• Performance: Ives and the New England Landscape on February 26, 2009 at 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall. $15; $10 for members; Free for CSO subscribers.
• Performance: Masterworks by Dvorak March 1, 2009 2-3 pm in Fullerton Hall. For ticket information, call (312) 294-3000.
• Performance: Stravinsky, Picasso, and the Ballets Russes on March 5, 2009 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall. $15; $10 for members; Free for CSO subscribers
• Lecture: Between the Covers—The Art Institute as Publisher on March 14, 2009 at 11am -12 pm in
  Fullerton Hall. Free with admission Susan Rossen, Director of Publications.
• Performance: Across Seasons March 15, 2009 at 1-2 pm in Fullerton Hall, $25; $20 for members
• Performance: Across Seasons on March 15, 2009 3-4 pm in Fullerton Hall. $25; $20 for members
• Lecture: The Encyclopedic Museum—Enlightened or Entitled? on March 19, 2009 at 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall $10; Free for members (ticket required) Philippe de Montebello, Metropolitan Museum of Art.
• Reading: Insights into Ibsen March 26, 2009 at 6-7 pm Fullerton Hall Free.
• Performance: Essence of Japan March 29, 2009 at 2-3 pm in Fullerton Hall $20; $15 for members.
• Lecture: Global Collections for Global Cities April 2, 2009, 6-7 pm Fullerton Hall, $10; Free for members (ticket required) Neil MacGregor, The British Museum.
• Lecture: Technicolor in the Ancient World April 4, 2009 11a.m.-12 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free with admission. Mary Greuel, assistant curator of Ancient Art.
• Performance: Respighi’s Inspiration—Painter Botticelli April 9, 2009 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall, $15; $10 for members; Free for CSO subscribers.
• Lecture: The Roman Triumph on April 16, 2009 at 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free. Mary Beard, University of Cambridge.
• Performance: World Tour with the Kronos Quartet April 22, 2009 at 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall, $40; $35 for members.
• Lecture: Edvard Munch’s Anxiety of Influence on April 23, 2009 at 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free. Jay A. Clarke, Associate Curator of Prints and Drawings.
• Reading: Philip Levine April 30, 2009 at 6-7 pm Fullerton Hall, Free
• Conversation: Reading from Art May 7, 2008 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free.
• Conversation: Listening to the Message…Benjamin Britten’s Owen Wingrave on May 21, 2009 at 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free
• Reading: Ilya Kaminsky May 28, 2009 at 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free.
• Performance: Dvorak and Painter Hassam June 4, 2009 at 6-7 pm in Fullerton Hall $15; $10 for members; Free for CSO subscribers.
• Performance: Illuminating Dvorak June 16, 2009 12-1 pm in Fullerton Hall, Free (ticket required)

Robin Williams is one of the funniest comedians and actors of the last 25 years. His creative work has an incredible range but I was first captivated by his stand-up comedy years ago and I still am today. I was surprised and excited to hear that Robin Williams would be doing a stand-up show tour called Weapons of Self Destruction across the United States and stopping in Chicago. I didn’t think stand-up comedy was something movie actors went back to very often, but I am glad to be wrong about that. Robin Williams has a gift for free form fast moving tangential thinking that is perfect for stand-up comedy. It is a great opportunity to see him perform at the Chicago Theater on September 27th.

We all love Robin Williams’ high energy fast paced stand-up comedy style. I am sure that this show at the Chicago Theater will not disappoint. The tickets went on sale in August and are sold out now for the Chicago shows. Tickets ranged from $46.00 and $100.00 at the Chicago Theater.There was a special package too where for $400.00 you could meet and chat with Robin Williams himself earlier on the day of the show. That seems like an awesome opportunity but yet somehow too expensive and yet not really that interesting. No one wants to bother a celebrity no matter how much you idolize their work and meeting them for a few minutes is nice but it’s not like they will “be your bff” so it seems kinda weird? Unless you are the autograph type. I suppose it could work if you were into that.

This standup tour is called Weapons of Self Destruction (a pun on what you think it is) and they say that the material he is working with this time is more personal in nature. We all know that Robin Williams (like many actors and performers) is not happy with the current government and administration and political jokes will most likely be part of the show. Many people also may have heard that Robin Williams recently went through a divorce and has been through rehab as well. Not easy things to process. I am sure that comedy and seeing the irony of life can help make sense of a lot of things. I am sure that all these topics are pretty relevant and relatable for most of us mainstream Americans. Plus Robin is fantastic at impressions, voices and all the gifts of comedy. I am sure this will be an awesome show.

I will be at Robin Williams’ Weapons of Self Destruction show on Saturday September 27 and will write my review of the show here afterwards. If you are going to the Weapons of Self Destruction tour in another city and want to hear about my reactions and review, bookmark this page and I will update it within a few days after the show. Feel free to leave me comments about what you thought of Robin Williams’ show in Chicago or any of the cities in the comments below.

Update: 9/27/08

 We saw the show tonight and it was amazing. Robin covers an amazing array of topics from politics to marriage to drinking to technology to just about everything. He does a fair amount of blue comedy but it isn’t so raunchy that you are grossed out. There is also a very funny bit about the devil really just being one of these corporate sales people on the phone wheeling and dealing with everyone they meet. Overall Robin Williams still has the fastest working mind on stage and the funniest stand-up comedy. I do have to admit that I did laugh more at this show than I did at the Eddie Izzard show we saw this spring. I love Eddie’s comedy and there are some parallels there but Robin was able to move faster and surprise me more which created more laughs. So, if Robin Williams is coming to your town go see this show because it is a great one.

Oktoberfest is a rite of passage every October in the German Neighborhoods of Chicago. The locals get together at St. Alphonsus and enjoy the beers, music and comraderie before it gets cold for the winter and we all hibernate until spring. If we lived in Bavaria Oktoberfest would be a 16 day long festival of 6 local beers but here in Chicago we settle for one weekend and all kinds of beer. Oktoberfest will be held on September 26, 27 and 28th this year at the Beer Garden Tent outside St. Alphonsus Church at 3000 North Lincoln Ave in Chicago, IL 60657. (in South Lakeview Neighborhood)

The Oktoberfest beer garden tents will be open from 5-11 pm on Friday September 26. From 11 am to 10 pm n Saturday September 27 and from Noon to 9 pm on Sunday September 28th.  

This year’s Oktoberfest will feature live German bands, lots of fantastic German food (Brats!) and a cornhole/bags competition. (When I was a kid we called this game Bozo Buckets, but hey whatever keeps you entertained.) The cornhole competition sounds somewhat serious as it requires pre-registration before Oktoberfest at Illinoiscornhole.org.  It is the 8th annual Oktoberfest held in Chicago by St Als and they are celebrating with a larger event, more hours and even more fun. Come enjoy the great German food and plentiful Beer at this year’s Oktoberfest.

I should note that because this is a event specifically planned around beer consumption it is not kid friendly nor is it a family event. I would not bring kids anywhere near this tent or all the beer. I think mostly young single yuppies end up going to the oktoberfest at St. Als and drinking with their buddies, coworkers and neighbors. If you aren’t looking for that type of atmosphere (being drunk is common at Oktoberfests and sometimes the sole purpose) it is not for you. That said there are a lot of other October activities that would be fun instead.

The bands and scheduled to perform at Oktoberfest this year are:
Friday, September 26
5:00pm – 10:00pm
5:30 pm – BrauHaus Band
8:00 pm – Mike and Joe

Saturday, September 27
11:00am – 10:00pm
11:00 am – Kinderfest
3:00 pm – Die Lustigen Musikanten
6:00 pm – Rock Candy
8:00 pm – 16 Candles

Sunday, September 28
12:00pm – 9:00pm
Noon – Paloma
4:00 pm – Hooked on Sonics
6:00 pm – Maggie Speaks

Oktoberfest Bags (cornhole) Tournament
Saturday, September 27, 2008
3000 North Lincoln Avenue in Chicago, IL 60657

Halloween is a lot of fun if you have kids who trick or treat in costume but what if you are like me and you don’t yet? 

What if your “kid” is your dog or cat? Can you dress them up in Cat Costumes or Dog Costumes for trick or treating too?

Well as of last year yes, cat and dog pet costumes are the biggest thing for Halloween now. Candy and Kids treats are fun, but why not dress up your pug as princess Liehola or Yoda from Star Wars?

They have so many cute costumes for cats and dogs now it is unbelievable. I think there are many great costumes available online but you can also find them at local Halloween costume stores too. I found cute “king” and “Spider” cat and dog costumes at Old Navylast year. They also had bandannas and pumpkin costumes for variety. They cost about $15.00 each last year.

A place to look for hand made pet cat or dog costumes online is Etsy.com. Many crafters make these cute adorable costumes by hand sewing them as they are ordered online. Some costumes are as simple as a pumpkin sweater and others are as elaborate as a fairy costume complete with wings and antenna.

Spirit Halloween storesand the web site also has the star wars dog costumes and many more. They have pirate dog, super dog, Dorothy from the Wizzard of oz and many more adorable dog and cat costumes. You can find the entire list of available costumes for your pet at spirithalloween.com/petcostumes. They are also about $15.00 each online. 

Costume Crazealso has some cute pet costumes for Halloween online. Theirs are a little more money, mostly in the $15-$25.00 range, but they are super-cute. Who wouldn’t want to dress their cat up as the cat in the hat?

I do have to give a word of caution on dressing up your cat. I know dogs are always laid back and let you put all kinds of silly clothes on them, but cats generally don’t like it at all. Sure, there are cute pictures of cats in bunny costumes on LOL cat, but that cat is one in a million. If you want to dress up your cat for Halloween be careful and please don’t force the cat to do anything they don’t want to do. If they hiss, game over, let them go. I am not advocating animal abuse in the name of Halloween. That said, if you have a laid back cat that does not care and is cool with wearing a cape or costume, send in the picture or link to it in my comments. I would love to see it!

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I have been to the Chicago Inaternational Film Festival every year for the past 3 years and it has been an event not to miss in Chicago. The Chicago International Film Festival runs for two weeks from October 16th to 29th showing scheduled independent movies from all over the world at three theater locations in the city. The locations of the theaters selected for showing the scheduled ”movie buffet” at the festival this year are the AMC River East 21 theater (322 East Illinois Street Chicago, IL) and the AMC 600 North Michigan 9 (600 North Michigan Avenue) as well as the Harris Theater (205 East Randolph Drive) for the opening and closing night ”Gala” events. I always like that it is like an advance screening to several films that you get to see months before they come out to the general public.

Right now theChicago International Film Festival early bird advance passes are available at a 40% discount through the chicagofilmfestival.org website (which has mostly 2007 information on it) before September 30. They have the 10 movie ticket pass for $110, the 20 movie ticket pass for $210 and the 40 movies ticket pass for $385. (non member prices, membership is $60 for the year but knocks off $30, $55 or $100 off the price passes) I do not have a membership but I attend the Chicago International Film Festival yearly anyway.

This year looks like it won’t disappoint in the range of independent films and themes that will be presented at the Chicago International Film Festival. There are simultaneous showings on most nights so download the entire schedule here (when it becomes available) and mark off which films you want to see ahead of time. With a 10 movie pass ticket it makes it easy to plan your 2 weeks of movies and just show up wherever they are playing ready to go.

I usually always go to the Chicago International Film Festival’s opening night gala and closing night gala. These events will be held at the uber modern Harris theater in Millennium Park in Downtown Chicago. They aren’t saying which films will be scheduled or featured on which nights but these are the 3 gala feature films:

A Christmas Tale / Un conte de Noël  from France and Director Arnaud Desplechin. A Christmas Tale stars Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Paul Roussillon, and Mathieu Amalric who play members of a family who conceive a third child in the hopes of using its bone marrow to save the dying firstborn child. 

Happy-Go-Lucky  from the UK and  Director Mike Leigh. The perennial optimist Poppy is played by Sally Hawkins and charges through life with breathless enthusiasm and a sincere desire to help others, struggling as she encounters fellow Londoners who do not always share her sunny outlook.

Pride and Glory  from the USA and Director Gavin O’Connor. Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, and Jon Voight star in a gritty and emotional portrait of a multigenerational New York City police family forced to choose between loyalties to each other and loyalties to the department.

Check back to this post in a few weeks. I will post more information about the films and Chicago International Film Festival schedule as it becomes available.

The word Staycation has gotten popular latley since gas, food and utilities have gotten so expensive and no one is really interested in traveling far away and generating a lot of costs in the process. So, Chicago Weekend Fun suggests a mini Chicago Vacation or staycation this weekend to make up for the lost vacation. (you may or may not need a hotel downtown for this) There is a lot happening this weekend and in the coming weeks in Chicago. The events and activities range from free admission to the Museum of Science and Industry to planning for Wired NextFest to attending the Chicago Redbull Flutag Event you have probably seen advertised on TV and the Internet latley. (who could miss it?) But beware, the CTA will have 1/2 the loop closed off for renovations so the EL will only be running north and south along the west and south sides of the loop track square. The CTA Loop EL tracks get shut down at 10 pm on Friday night. 

So first off, be careful of the loop shut down of the el trackson the east and north sides of the loop square downtown. If you need to connect with west or southbound trains you can always take the bus direct from just about anywhere in the city to one of the first stops on that arm of the CTA El line. Most just charge a connection fee of $.25 rather than another full fare. The full CTA bus and train schedule is available at transitchicago.com.

Next, the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry has a lot of construction going on and as a result they have made admission free for visitors for the month of September. This is great because you can take the kids and go see all the parts of the museum that have been renovated already at no cost and you just pay for gas and parking. Unless you go to the old fashioned ice cream parlor, then you get the cost of ice cream too. I recommend the u-boat instead of the antiquated car display. And if your kids are under the age of 5 check out the farm exhibit. Mom and Dad may like the living green exhibit which is new and just opened. That is always a big hit with skyrocketing energy prices. Check out their site msichicago.com before you go for the hours and address.  

Also the RedBull Flutag Event happens on Saturday at 11 am at North Avenue Beach in Chicago. The flying machines start plunging at 1pm and the awards will be given out at 3pm. One can only hope that there is an award for best team name since there are some dooseys listed on the site. (Mustache ride anyone?) Admission is free but my guess is that parking will be near impossible and set you back about $30.00. Aside from that it should be fun to watch improvised flying machines crash ala 1910 in an experiment of physics, ridiculousness and caffeine.

The Wired Next Fest is a great free event to take the kids to also later in September. (just planning ahead because they emailed me about it) This show features all different kinds of new technology and innovation that companies are experimenting with and will be bringing to market soon. Last time I went in Chicago in 2005 there was some emphasis on green technology and other new developments in robotics and space sattelites featured. But you never know what they will come up with because there are so many companies in all different industries looking to innovate right now to get the edge in the market. This is always an inspiring show. The Wired Next Fest will run from September 27 through October 12, 2008 in the south promenade in Millennium Park, Chicago. My assumption is that they will have some kind of temporary building built for this since having it outdoors is not smart in Chicago. Mark it on your calendars now!

Remember; It’s your weekend, have fun with it!

This year the Chicago Windy City Wine Festival is being held on September 5th and 6th at Daley Plaza downtown in Chicago. The Wine Festival starts on Friday evening at 4pm and goes until 10 pm. It continues on Saturday afternoon at 3 pm and is open until 10 pm again. Tickets are available to purchase for the Windy City Wine Festival Online at windycitywinefestival.com/buy.html or call 847-382-1480 to purchase them by phone.

Tickets are $25.00 for the wine tasting in advance and $30.00 each at the door. Additional tasting coupons can be purchased for more tasting at the festival for $5.00. There is even a designated driver ticket available for $10.00 which gets you 2 non-alcoholic drinks and food as well as access to cooking demonstrations and a copy of the festival program.  

They have also included live bands performing at the event to add to the relaxed atmosphere and they have brought in several local wine experts and Sommeliers to present information about choosing, buying and pairing wines with food as well as information about the wine making process.

It is interesting that even though the economy has slowed down people have certainly not stopped drinking wine. People have decided that buying cheaper food and clothing as well as saving energy were all bearable changes but the Chicagoans are not giving up their wine drinking. Wine sales have increased an enormous amount in the last decade thanks to movies like Sideways that made it a cool, independent, social and cultural hobby to have.

Chicago may not have any vineyards or be written about much in Wine Spectator but we have a lot of wine drinkers and buyers in the Chicagoland area. They have been a fan of the Chicago Wine Festival and the Naperville Wine festival the last few years. Also a few stores like Armanetti’s, Sam’s Wines and Spirits and Binny’s have made buying from huge selections of wine from all over the world possible under one roof for very affordable prices. Also, hundreds of small wind boutiques have popped up like Wine Expressions and Wine Styles in all the small shopping centers in the suburbs.

Yuppies and baby boomers liked taking a bottle of wine to dinner at a friend’s house or serving a new wine guests had never tried before at parties. This novelty as well as great taste has kept wine popular while other luxury items have trailed off in popularity since the economy has slowed down. Click here for a map of the wine festival grounds and plan your trip today.

The entertainment and educational presentation schedule for the fest:

Friday, September 5 – 4-10pm

5:00-5:25pm – Tim Laird, Mixology, The Art of the Wine Cocktail.
5:30-6:00 pm – “Cutting Edge White Wines” Serafin Alvarado, Master Sommelier Director of Wine Education, Southern Wine and Spirits of Illinois
6:05-6:35 pm – Sheri Sauter Moran, Wines of France
6:40-7:10 pm – Colleen Stewart, The Bonterra Vineyards Organic Road Show
7:15-7:45 pm – THE HEARTY BOYS
8:00-9:45 pm – KIM MASSIE

Saturday, September 6 – 3-10pm

3:30-4:05 pm – Sheri Sauter Moran, Wines of France
4:10-4:40 pm – Steve Ciappette Viand
4:45- 5:15pm – Fetzer Eco Tour “Growing Green”
5:30-6:40 pm – DAYNA MALOW
6:50-7:20 pm – Tim Laird, Mixology, The Art of the Wine Cocktail.
7:25-7:55 pm – THE HEARTY BOYS
8:15-9:45 pm – MICHAEL HEATON BAND

I watch the 2008 Chicago Red Bull Flutag event commercials and I can’t help see the resemblance between that 1980’s movie called “Magnificent men in their Flying Machines“. The theme song sings that title then says “they go updidy up up then they go downdidy down down”. The Chicago Red bull Flutag event couldn’t be more like the 1910’s in aviation if they tried. The Redbull Chicago Flutag event has been happening for at least the last 5 years because I see ads for it and unbelievable youtube videos. The ridiculousness of the flying machines is unbelievably laughable. None of the entrants are usually engineers, so it proves for lots of hilarity.

I am not going to be joining in on the Flutag event this year but I may go watch it safely from shore. From the pictures I have seen the viewing is good from just about anywhere on North Street Beach in downtown Chicago.  The event starts at 11 am (you may need red bull if you were out late the night before) and it is free and open to the public. the first flight (crash) is scheduled for 1pm and the awards are given out at 3:30pm.  

If you drive in you will want to take the highway and exit at North Avenue and take that east as far as you can until you hit lake Michigan. Then don’t drive into it. You will have a hard time finding parking near the lake, so try a parking garage if you can find one within a few blocks of the beach. Then enjoy the festivities and be sure to bring your camera to capture the hilarity. The red bull drinks will be flowing the entire time. You can not bring your dog to the event though. Sorry, no digs allowed. If you can bike to the event from Lincoln Park or Lakeview you will have a much easier time finding parking and getting home quickly.

If you want to see the videos of the past years competitions online you can at their web site at redbullflutagusa.com. There are 29 teams trying to fly something over or into the water at the Flutag event in Chicago this year. Some of the names are: BTFU, Pie in the Sky!, The Humans are Dead!, Cactus Smurfs, Stir Fly, The Lead Sled, Chicago Flight Hawks, Suck on this Darwin!, The Nintendudes, gReGo’s Red Hot Flyer II, Team Iowa: Go Shuck Yourself, The Perfect Getaway, Heavy Metal Santa & the Evil Elves, Team OZ, The Pirates of North Beach, HouseFly, The Crustacean Avengers, The USHE, I NEED GAS, The Flying Bartenders, Wheeled Wingers, Michigan J. Frogleap, The Flying Briefs, Who Wants a Mustache Ride?, New Style Flyers, The Flying Ditkas, X-Gnar, Operation Border Recon, and last but not least, The Flying EL.

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.