Politics aside, Chicago is a fascinating, beautiful city. Granted, our several visits since Jeff and Jacqui moved there haven’t included tours of the seedier areas, but each time we’re exposed to the allure of Chicagoland, we fall a little more in love with it. A city of contrasts, like all cities I suppose, the evidence of corruption forms the backdrop to the soaring skyline, beautiful lake, and opulent real estate commingling with the abject poverty and the crumbling infrastructure. Nicknamed “The Windy City” not for the breezes that blow off the lake but for the hot air generated by its politicians, we love Chicago, warts and all.
We packed a lot of activity into our visit thanks to Jeff and Jacqui’s great planning. The kids were wonderful hosts, chauffeuring us here and there and feeding us incredible food!
Day 1: Our plane touched down at Midway Airport by mid-morning. The kids were there to greet us and whisked us away to their large, airy, sun-lit apartment. Jacqui had a delicious-smelling (and tasting) meal bubbling away in the crockpot. The grandkitties welcomed us as only kitties can; and after a brief visit, Jeff returned to work to finish his day. Jacqui fed us and then we relaxed and talked about plans for the week.
Day 2: After breakfast we headed to Evanston, a short drive away, to The Baha’i House of Worship, noted
The Baha'i House of Worship
for its unique architectural design and beautiful, peaceful gardens. We were all unfamiliar with the Baha’i religion but were intrigued not only with the structure and gardens, but by the spiritual philosophy as well. Practiced throughout the world, the Baha’i core philosophy is one of unity; thereby believing that “we all belong to one human race, that all religions share a common source and aim.” The principles include “elimination of all forms of prejudice, equality between men and women, harmony of science and religion, world peace, spiritual solutions to economic problems, and universal education.” Coincidentally, the Baha’i religion was introduced to Chicago during the year of the World’s Fair in 1893. The Baha’i have no priests or clergy but are governed by elected councils that oversee the communities locally and internationally. The building was an architectural wonder of its time because of the poured cast concrete panels that make up the entire bell-shaped structure. Each of the nine major religions and their symbols are represented in the nine arches. So a cross appears next to a star of David next to an ankh, etc. Inside the “temple” the writings from the major works of each of the nine religions are carved in displays, and the readings from the sacred texts of each of the nine religions are used in the daily services. The gardens are just beautiful! Wherever you are outside, you can hear the sound of water from the various fountains. We all enjoyed roaming the temple and the gardens, though none of us was converted.
That evening the kids took us to an intimate dinner theatre, Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, in the Rogers Park neighborhood for a production titled “Sweet and Hot,” a review of Harold Arlen music. The cozy, inviting room seated about forty people; we were seated on the stage–with everyone looking up at us. It was, to say the least, a little unnerving at first. Cast members mingled among the guests, serving food and drink before the performance and during intermission. Composer Arlen is memorable for his music from The Wizard of Oz plus such greats as Blues in the Night, Out of This World, Stormy Weather, One for My Baby, and many, many more. The six glorious singers plus a dynamic piano player comprised the entire ensemble. They belted out tunes reminiscent of smokey honky tonks of the thirties and forties. We loved it! It was excellent! It was clear why the troupe played to sold-out crowds the entire run of the show.
Day 3 was Jeff’s 31st birthday. The highlight of the day was dinner at Sapori Trattoria. The moment we walked in and were seated at a cozy table with crisp, white linens, we knew we were in for a treat! The aromas wafting from the kitchen promised delights of olive oil, garlic, cheese, bread, and more. We had arrived in heaven! When the waiter placed our menus in front of us, we were delighted to see that they had been printed with a birthday message just for Jeff…what a nice touch! We each ordered something different off the menu and began with bruschetta. All I can say is “Oh my God!” I knew if the bruschetta was that incredible, the meal was going to be stellar. And it was! The pasta was made fresh on-site that day. Ken and I had our pasta with a garlic/olive oil sauce…incredible! We both had fish, Jeff had fantastic pumpkin ravioli in butter-sage sauce, and Jacqui had spaghetti barese–fresh spaghetti in a rich red sauce with veal meatballs (to die for!) and Italian sausage. We ooh-ed and awed through the entire meal. We were all pleasantly stuffed when our waiter brought out a very large complimentary piece of tiramisu with four forks. I’m not a tiramisu fan, but this was absolutely delicious! It was velvety, subtle, and light. We returned to the apartment full–more than satisfied. We changed into comfy clothes and vegged while Jeff opened his presents. After he stacked his booty, Jacqui served the decadent birthday cake she had baked for Jeff. She’d made a scratch chocolate cake with peanut butter cream cheese frosting drizzled with a peanut butter chocolate ganache. It was eyes-rolled-back-in-your-head delicious! We all vowed not to eat the next day!
Day 4 we took a cross-town bus to the Chicago River to board a double-decker boat for an official
A view of the skyline from the Chicago River before the tour.
architecture river cruise. The day was slightly overcast with a light, cool breeze–perfect for being deck-side and taking pictures. Our docent was an eighty-something very knowledgeable lady. She talked non-stop the entire hour and a half cruise, but we had difficulty hearing her despite the microphone she held. I snapped hundreds (really) of pictures not knowing the names of the buildings or hearing their history but appreciating the beauty and splendor of their designs. The blend of the old with the new is fascinating and each building commands its own piece of real estate. The bus ride back to Uptown was crowded, confusing, and a little scary when we were briefly separated from the kids; but the strangers around us were very kind, understanding, and helpful.
Day 5 we attended the Lincoln Park Arts and Music Festival on Racine Avenue. We parked the car in Children’s Memorial parking garage and walked about a mile to the festival. Approximately 100 venders displayed their wares–some interesting and some not so much–everything from mixed media to jewelry to photography to painting and more. A female group known as The Handcuffs was performing their original music, which I really enjoyed! We left the festival and headed for Evanston for a little shopping at World Market. Then it was off to Lou Malnadi’s Pizzeria, recently featured on an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay. We ordered two medium deep-dish pizzas–The Lou (their signature pie) and a sausage. This was authentic deep-dish pizza at its best! Now, I consider myself somewhat of an expert as far as pizza is concerned. I have consumed and made more than my fair share. This was by far THE BEST pizza I have ever eaten! From the buttery crust to the sliced tomatoes on top with all the spinach, mushrooms, and cheese in between, The Lou is absolutely delicious! There is nothing to compare it to back in PA…nothing. The sausage pizza was just as good, although I preferred The Lou. The sausage and sauce were both homemade delicious! I can understand why Bobby Flay lost this throwdown.
Day 6 was a quiet day. We needed a rest after all the activity. We walked a few blocks and across the neighborhood park to Tweet, an Uptown cafe, that serves breakfast and lunch. Menu items are named for some of the artists whose works grace the walls. A large portrait of President Obama has pride of place on the entry wall. We had a delicious, leisurely brunch enjoying conversation and a re-cap of our trip. We took the long way back to the apartment to burn off some of the calories we’d just consumed. We spent the rest of the day enjoying the last of our remaining time together.
Day 7 dawned a little cloudy to match our spirits as we prepared to leave for the airport. It’s always difficult to say goodbye; we do our best to hide our tears and to clear the lumps in our throats. We have wonderful memories of this trip, and Jacqui out-did herself with fantastic meals and desserts. The kids have built a wonderful life with each other, and we’re proud of the adults they are. What could be better?
Linda
3 Sisters Chat 
Northbound Entertainment
Posted in Culture Comment, General, Home, Humor, Linda, Philosophical, Travel on August 9, 2012| 1 Comment »
I have mixed emotions about graffiti. The “tags” scrawled across buildings, overpasses, fences, etc., without regard for property owners are criminal acts of vandalism, which I am happy are now a punishable misdemeanor in Erie, PA. That said, when I see the work of people like David Choe, who created a very famous image of Barak Obama, I’m conflicted. I consider his work very artistic. Certainly blighted areas benefit from street artists of his caliber.
Traveling north on Interstate 79, as I often do, are two graffiti-covered overpasses that caught my eye and amused me despite my feeling that scrawling is not art. One scrawl has been on the overpass near mile marker 118 for at least 10 years, perhaps even longer. I can’t quite remember when I first noticed it, but it has remained untouched for a very long time. The other more recent graffiti was on an overpass in the vacinity of Grove City, which I noticed about a year ago. The scrawl near mile marker 118 expresses a sweet sentiment of love. The one near Grove City expressed a sentiment that was a little eyebrow-raising, to say the least.
Notice I used the words “was” and “expressed” in the previous sentences in reference to the newer graffiti posting? That’s because the “eyebrow-raising” scrawl was painted over when a new location sign was added to the overpass. The sentiment for all northbound travelers to read was “Fornication is not a sin!!!!!” I may have misrepresented the number of exclamation points but there were multiple ones.
I raised my eyebrows and guffawed the first time I spotted the sentiment and couldn’t wait to get home to tell Ken about it. In fact, I laughed almost the entire drive after that. Grove City, in case you don’t know, has an enclave of Amish within walking distance…or buggy-driving distance…of that overpass. I just pictured drunken Amish teens during Rumpspringa, fresh from self-discovery and ticked off at the elders for misleading them, dangling over the side of the overpass, scrawling by moonlight or oil lantern. Come on! It had to be teens, don’t you think? And Amish teens in the throes of exploring our hedonistic ways during Rumpspringa. So…hats askew…either boys or girls…perhaps both…declaring for all northbound travelers to see what we all discover at some point in our lives, some sooner than others, “Fornication is not a sin!!!!!” Halleluiah! Praise the Lord!
The scrawler could have been a formerly repressed college student from Grove City College. Students there are held to strict religious standards even in this reality-T.V.-Kardashian-driven society. So it could have been a chastity pledge gone awry. But, I’m sticking with the Amish. We all know American teens are jaded by the time they reach junior high, chastity pledges aside…so Amish teens…had to be. The mental image of the graffiti painting taking place is way better in my mind with Amish perpetrators! It was probably repressed fundamentalists, though, that insisted the graffiti be painted over when the location sign was attached. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at that county council meeting!
Farther along I-79, just before mile marker 118, is another overpass. Once again, I was driving north alone when I spotted the then freshly painted plea: “Chase the sun with me!” I know…sweet, right? Every time I see it, and it must be hundreds of times now, I automatically smile. That sentiment has been on the overpass for years. I don’t know exactly how many years it’s been there but enough so that the paint has faded and dulled by the elements. No one has attempted to cover it or write over it or erase it in any way. It remains in all its sweetness as an inspiration for all romantics.
I often wonder about people who make huge public proposals…graffiti or otherwise. How in the world can anyone possibly live up to any grand romantic gesture–one that draws public attention? I’ll bet Tom Cruise wishes he never saw Oprah’s couch! How about Angelina wearing Billy Bob’s blood around her neck? That didn’t turn out so well.
But imagine making a gesture to the one you love that is both grandly public and at the same time sweetly private. Even though the author’s entreaty in this case is quite public (“Chase the sun with me!”), it’s also very private. Only two people have to know: the author and the author’s heart’s desire. They could spend the rest of their lives nodding knowingly to one another while those of us who have seen the sentiment are left to wonder.
Of all the graffiti I have seen scrawled or drawn, “Come chase the sun with me!” still remains my favorite. If you saw the line scrawled across the side of the overpass, you would be unimpressed with the style because it isn’t pretty. But for me, it represents perfection. Most days when I’m traveling north and I see the overpass come into view, I picture the author and his intended still chasing the sun together but returning home and smiling each time they pass under the overpass, fingers entwined. And then some days I see the graffiti and the needle scrapes across the harp music and I think, “How corny!” Seriously. Most times, though, the messy line makes me smile as I speed home to my one true love.
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