The best day of my whole life.

Colorado Rockies @ Chicago Cubs

4-26-11

Game: W(4-3)

Current Record: (16-7)

Total Rockies fans at Wrigley: 6

Chances of dating the players: Good

 The team

 Cargo

 My main man, Helton and Spilly.

 The love of my life.

Check him out.

http://rockies.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=13113479

 Witty banter with Spilly. 

 Right before we made out.

 Even our manager is good looking.

The aftermath.

I found two buttons today to add to my priviously disclosed button/ marble collection. Pretty Lucky. The events of my day followed accordingly.

•  I spent the first hour at work looking up summer housing with my supervisor. In case you didn't know, finding a 3 month lease for a two bedroom place that is furnished and under $1500 a month is quite difficult. Luckily my supervisor was willing to help me look and we came up with a few leads.

• We had a solid lead on a place that was going to be awesome. Pool, sundeck, parking garage, dry-cleaning, complementary shoe shine ect. But luckily my supervisor made so much fun of me for thinking it could be real that, as an attempt to prove him wrong, I went down to the said building and learned that it was in fact a fraud. I almost felt duped but then again, "we busted the scammer", so I will take it as a life lesson. Megan Kennedy, you will get yours.

• Another life lesson learned at the DMV while trying to get an 18 year old a state id:
•  You need two forms of proof of address, social security card, birth certificate and something with your signature on it to even be able to wait in the 4 hour line.
• Yelling at DMV employees about policy does not in fact change the policy, it only gives you a pass to come back the following day and wait in the lines all over again. Calling the guy at the desk "fat boy" clearly doesn't help either. Luckily the situation did not escalate to physical violence. What can I say except that clearly it was a "two button" day for the DMV employees.
•  Last but certainly the most important proof of me having the luckiest day EVER was manifested at drag bingo. Hamburger Mary's Monday night bingo, at which we are now considered veterans, I won, big time. Grand prize winner right here.  

This is Ronnie Kroell.

Apparently Ronnie is a pretty big deal in the gay scene of Chicago because of his stint on "Make Me a Supermodel" for which he came in second.  He is also an active gay rights activist and an openly gay man.

This is my signed Playgirl magazine in which Ronnie has an entire spread (no pun intended) and my invitation to have coffee with Ronnie next time he is in town.
There was a table of women who had won three rounds of bingo over the course of the evening and they wanted to trade one of their prizes for the magazine.  They were from out of town so they gave me a three month membership to a local fitness center in exchange for just the magazine. I still get to meet him and I get to workout for free for three months.

So luckily Ronnie Kroell exists, luckily Abby made me go to Drag bingo and luckily my life rules.

Hamburger Mary's: Chicago

Drag bingo night at Hamburger Mary's. 

The first of a weekly, Monday night tradition.

"Field" Trip

I caught the last couple hours of the free day at the Field Museum. I was drawn to the museum by the gigantic horse poster but I found out when I got there that the horse exhibit was not free. Typical. Lucky for me, however, I had the hookup. Taylor, who pretends to make maps for the Field Museum, pulled a classic badge wave at the guard, followed by an equally classic "she's with me" hand motion. I was more stoked on getting in for free then the exhibit itself, which was somewhat underwhelming.  I think I was expecting real horses. Silly me.
I did, however, get to see just about every animal in existence, and not in existence. I was amazed at how well trained they all are. I didn't see one of them move the entire time I was there.

 This is the most complete T-Rex skeleton in existence.  Her name is Sue.

  

It's a good thing I was around to help my supervisors fix the flat today. I am pretty helpful when it comes to mechanics.

Call me a collector...

I apparently have an eye for buttons because I tend to find them everywhere I go. This is my button/ marble collection after two months. 

Keep your eyes peeled.

The Lake

I touched the water today for the first time since I have been here. As much as I talk about how much I hate running, and exercise for that matter, running on the lake today was one of the best days I have had thus far.  Absolutely cannot wait for summer. On that note, I will know Tuesday if I am staying here for the summer based on a personal goal of Ellen A to decide the direction of her life for the next year. No pressure, El.

Robot Opera

Opera, smopera.

As a first timer to the opera, I have to admit... not my thing.  So many things about the opera that I just don't understand. I don't understand why they sing normal conversation.  I don't understand why everything always sounds flat or sharp or anything but on pitch.  I just don't understand.  I am inclined to give opera another chance based on the fact that the only opera I have ever seen 

1. Featured robots

2. Was written in English (I am assuming the line "I have a billion bucks" is much more intriguing when said in french.)

3. Had a sex scene with a chandelier 

But for all you opera enthusiasts out there, judge it for yourself.  

For you: a short synopsis of the Death and the Powers: A Robot Opera.

 Talking robots.

 Plot: This guy (the main character) hates his life and programs himself out of reality, only to have his soul remain on earth.

 His daughter (a total babe) is confused but more concerned about the sexual tension with this guy (part human, part robot, part creation, or something to that effect. Not quite sure who this guy is.) They never get together. Shame.

The wife, having sex with her husband's soul. His soul seemingly being the chandelier.  Kudos for the creativity here.

Final scene: After both of her dick parents leave her on earth alone, she tells them to suck it when they try to convince her to leave her body and join them in the world of souls. If I looked like her, I wouldn't want to leave my body either. 

Fin.

BWE: Chicago Chapter

My weekend was probably better than yours.  I will bet you a quarter.

Chicago love.

Just can't quite compare to the real thing. 

Michigan Ave.

Rick's Ribs 'n Ribs (and slaw)

Unintentional art at the Contemporary Art Museum

We got a complicated order. Complicated order

Best friend.

Koala? 

"Biologist Discovers He Has Been Studying Cadbury Egg"

This American Life, I love you.

It is so on.

 Making up my mind this season. 

Oh and your opinion doesn't matter.

Thanks for your concern though.

Luis

"no mom, we don't have special parties EVER."
-girl on the bus when asked if the class pizza party was special.
Kids these days.

Aldi's. The grocery store from hell. Now to clarify before this offends frequenters of this discount market, the prices simply can not be beat. Three rolls of paper towels for 1.79 or 12 onions for 2.29. Pretty awesome. But the fun began way before the discounts. Upon entering the store, we were asked if we needed a cart by an unassuming man who mentioned something under his breath about needing some spare change and wondering if needed change for a dollar. I laughed thinking he was joking about something I just didn't understand. Our parting was with him telling us he would wait for us to come out with the cart, which is not something that usually happens, you know. Strange but, okay. The next experience, checkout. Caught off-guard by a man that I thought worked there, we were vaguely propositioned to have our groceries paid for if we would let him use his card. My immediate response was "yeah, of course," but after saying it I thought "I don't know what I just got myself into but I am pretty sure we are probably going to end up paying for it." I was surprised when the nice man actually swiped his card, and it all made sense when his read "food stamp purchase." He then asked us kindly for $40 cash, which actually ended up being a $8 discount for us. Stickin it to the man. I was quite impressed by this menuvre actually, even though I am sure we are not the first girls he has dooped. Continuing on, back outside with the cart, we were surprised to find that our favorite cart man was in fact waiting for us. It was then that we realized that that it costs a quarter to rent a cart and we had jipped the nice man his quarter by taking his cart. To make up for it, we gave him two quarters and his cart back, meaning that he made a profit of a half of a dollar from us for a cart that we probably didn't need in the first place. But the trip was not complete until a woman with no teeth and a a dime in her ear, literally, not sure that would even have any meaning metaphorically, approached us for money for bread and lunch meat.  Having just been suckered by the man with the cart, we were apprehensive to give anyone else money, and since she had a dime in her ear, I was not sure where my money would end up.  By the time we got to the car, however, the woman with lucrative orifices had caught up to us and was standing on the other side of the parking lot fence with her hands extended through the bars, asking again to help "a pregnant and homeless mother to buy bread and lunch meat."  Although I have heard it all before, for some reason, I liked her style.  And it may be because Abby met with the Hyde Park Pro-lifers today or my insane love of honey-ham lunch meat myself, but I just had a picture of some little kiddo eating a PB&J when they should be eating a meaty sub. Needless to say, at the end of the day, I was out $5.50.
Noob.

Green Weekend in Chicago

This pooch wins on more than one level.

Bean.

What about the boat times?

Windy mothalickin' City.

4 o'clock cat nap. No prob.

21st birthdays and first (legal) drinks

Michelle is finally 21!! Chocolate fondue and champagne to ring in another year for our dear roommate!

Restorative Justice

It might be because of my vastly incomplete but somewhat in-depth knowledge of psychology, but the concept of restorative justice seems to be psychology in its most basic form.  Based on secondhand knowledge of the prison system, corrective facilities are in-fact more crippling than corrective.  As far as constructive punishment is concerned, restorative justice is our only option as a progressive nation.  Kathy Bankhead walked us through this widely misunderstood and unused practice and advocated for a nationwide, restorative justice program.  The argument comes down to a simple dichotomy:

 Punishment vs. Restoration

According to Kathy, in order to accomplish "justice that heals," three elements need to be present and involved, the offender, the victim and the community. Having all parties present provides a progression of necessary steps towards justice.  When the offender is not only held responsible by the victim and community but personally holds responsibility for his/ her actions, only then does justice present itself as the ultimate goal.  When the offender holds responsibility, only then can amends be made between the offender and the victim and community.

Although a great concept when presented via statistically-supported, case studies showing successful usage of restorative justice, I am not convinced that this type of justice system is realistic in modern American society.  This skepticism comes from the assumption that the victim is capable of making amends with the offender.  I thought a good point was raised when Kathy was asked whether she thought that restorative justice could be applied every type of crime.  The majority of her examples of cases involving restorative justice were involving youth offenders.  I would be interested in understanding more about how restorative justice has been used, and more specifically, has shown to be successful in cases involving adult offenders. Also addressed, however minimally and not convincingly, was the question as to whether rape is an applicable type offense that would be able to be dealt with using restorative justice.  I think it is important to understand how different levels of psychological damage and the severity of the crime effects the outcome of a restorative justice case.  I can imagine that a seemingly horrendous crime that would traditionally be considered unforgivable could in-fact be resolved using alternative punishment in which all three components are involved. I am not convinced, however, that the task of getting all three components to cooperate is realistic at this point.  I assume that is the main goal of the Community Justice Center and similar centers, most of which at this point remain few and far between.  I think that it would be hard to argue that a more restorative approach to sentencing is not needed in our society.  

Frozen Yogurt Experience

I just had the most expensive FroYo on the planet.  This just will not do.


Must. Find. Cheaper.

Mr. DuSable.

The DuSable Museum of African American History is a highlight so far since being in Chicago.  The museum is named after the first non-Native American settler to live permanently in Chicago.  He was African American, and subsequently written out of history (seems to be a common theme in African American history).  The collection is pretty phenomenal for starting as the personal collection of Margaret Burroughs and growing to the size it is now. They have a photography exhibit on loan from the Smithsonian right now called "Let Your Motto be Resistance" as well as a real-life Harold Washington, swear to goodness, that talks and moves and uses hand gestures.  In case you didn't know, Harold Washington was the first and only African American mayor of Chicago in the 80's. Pretty big deal.  It was also a pretty big deal when he died of a heart attack while in office so seeing him in the "flesh," if you will, is a little disconcerting, but more silly than anything else.  I can't wait to go back and spend my Sunday in the museum.  Anyone who comes to visit, be ready to spend a few hours in this gem. Read up.


http://www.dusablemuseum.org/

Hell yeah.

Brother Outsider

I must admit, I was a little embarrassed about my complete lack of knowledge of the Civil Rights Movement when we were invited to this film about the life of Bayard Rustin and had never heard of him.  I guess that's kind of the point of this film. No one knows about Bayard Rustin.  The film, with its incredible amount of footage and documentation, reveals how crucial a role Rustin played in the organization of the Civil Rights Movement, and more specifically, in the March on Washington.  The fascinating thing about the film, which was admitted in the forum discussion after the showing, is that it emphasizes Rustin's importance in the Civil Rights Movement, before discussing his role in the LGBT community.  Strategic in the sense that homosexuality is still a taboo in our society.  The film tracks Rustin's life from his non-violent, civil rights organizing days, through his political stint in Washington to later in his life, when he takes up the fight for the LGBT community.  Most interesting is how the film portrays Rustin alongside Martin Luther King Jr.  A woman in the audience said something that really struck me. She said, "as an older African American citizen, I don't want to know anything bad about MLK. We don't want to know anything bad about him."  I don't know that the response she got necessarily gave the film enough credit for acknowledging exactly that issue.  Although the film presents Rustin as a forgotten about, behind the scenes, diamond in the rough, I thought the status of MLK was not compromised at any point.  Everyone has to play the game at times, including those who's mission is to change the game.  King's decision to separate himself from Rustin based on the threat of Rustin's homosexuality, was a tactful decision that may or may not have needed to be made for the civil rights at that time.  Regardless, Rustin is someone who deserves that credit the film offers and I am now the proud owner of the film for anyone who was to borrow it! (Coming your way, Papa J.  Watch it, love it.)


Check out the film's website: http://rustin.org/?page_id=2

Near North Side

Our venture today, Near North Side.  A gentrified area of Chicago where Cabrini Green, an extreme example of public housing or "project", formerly stood. Just a few stops from downtown Chicago, or the Loop, the Near North Side, which at one time was the city's biggest manufacturing district, is now a ritzy, yuppy hangout for the beautiful people.  We took a little walk through the 2nd biggest Whole Foods in the world, which was slightly mind-blowing.   I haven't made up my mind as to whether or not it is a good thing or not, but I bet I will have an opinion as we get deeper into the city.

Improv

Improv workshop with the urban studyers.  You really get to know people in ways you wouldn't expect.  It is so fun to see people outside their comfort zone.  Especially when you start talking about Michael Jordan's 30 whores and kitty-shooting, machine guns.  Making stories, one word/ person at a time is sheer madness, but my favorite, the game of encouragement really offers the greatest life-skills.  
Here's the game.  A product is proposed in response to an everyday nuisance.  For example, pit stains.  Now the ultimate goal of the game is to make every individual person feel like a winner/ genius.  As the team , is brainstorming ideas for an advertisement campaign, every idea that is offered receives the most enthusiastic and positive response possible from everyone else.  Gosh, it feels so good when people commend your idea to have Denzel Washington as the spokes person for your line of "Pants glue." Cheering and applause gets you further than you might think.  Thank you Chicago for having the best improv scene in the country.


Check it out:  http://chicago.ioimprov.com/
http://www.secondcity.com/

Stories at the Moth

Turns out, storytelling is something to revel in. 

For those of you who don't know, The Moth is a nationwide event that allows amateurs to try their hand at storytelling in front of an audience.  Tonight's theme, "Love hurts."  Anyone in the bar can sign up to tell a story but only ten names are picked randomly.  Storytelling is my new favorite form of comedy. I couldn't believe how talented people are. Next month, I am in.

Check it out: http://www.themoth.org/about

Interview. Check.

As nervous as I was for my internship interviews today, I was pleasantly surprised that no one asked me what part of a Big Mac I would be if I had to choose and why (although I would be the lettuce because I add a healthy component to a team and provide a balance for the sandwich as a whole.)  UCAN, Teen Parenting Service Network, works with teen parents on both healthy parenting skills as well as focuses on the education of the parents.  I would mostly be working in the resources department doing data collection and making sure that all the clients' information is up to date.  I would be able to shadow councilors occasionally when they make the rounds, visiting the families and sitting in on therapy sessions.  The other organization I interviewed with, Community Human Services, works with teens who are on probation or parole.  Even as a part-time intern, I get to shadow the other supervisors who make weekly visits to schools and homes, keeping up with the teens and making sure they stay on track. Based on the interviews, I am leaning towards Community Human Services.  I think being in the field is going to be a highlight of my time in Chicago overall!  Hopefully I will start on Monday!

In other news, the roommate brought home a variety pack of 30 full-size candy bars. Here's to you, Mr. Brown!

Sweet Jazz

Thanks to Jessica's "Friday memo" that lists the cool happenings around the city, we spent Friday evening listening to free jazz as a part of Black History Month.  Not only was the music incredible, listening to the stories of two jazz musicians, Ari Brown and drummer Avreeayl Ra, gave the music so much more meaning.  My goal for the next few months is to find all the sweet jazz/ blues spots.

...and, indeed, Ari is playing both instruments at the same time.

Pretty good way to end the week.