Lunch in Chicago

I went with a coworker today to Chipotle for lunch. It is a nice place to get a quick burrito or taco that is VERY tasty. Outside of the restaurant was a cute little outdoor eating area for another restaurant. I think they had a great ambiance to feel like you are getting away for lunch or for an early dinner.

Can you tell the difference?

Here is a picture of the St. Bernard who plays at the dog park that Toby and I go to. Toby, of course, thinks that he is as big as this 125 pound St. Bernard (Toby is only 5 pounds). It is pretty funny, as the first time Toby saw him, he looked up like "are you a horse?" I just thought this was too cute of a picture to pass up taking! By the way, the St. Bernard is very well behaved, and knows that Toby is just a little guy and cannot play like a big dog.

Batman in IMAX

I got to go see the IMAX version of The Dark Knight today. While the majority of the movie was in regular movie format, there were certain scenes that were shot using special cameras and lenses. During these scenes, the entire screen was filled with the movie (where as the majority was just in the typical widescreen format). While it was interesting seeing the movie in the IMAX format, I wouldn't necessarily pick IMAX over the regular version in the future. As for the movie, it was spectacular, and definitely worth seeing. I won't give away any of the details, but the movie keeps you interested the entire time, and does not seem like it lasts 2 hours. By the way, I would recommend watching Batman Begins prior to watching The Dark Knight to refresh your memory of some of the events.

51st Annual Venetian Night

Tonight was the 51st Annual Venetian Night. The events began with a concert, then at 8:25 there was a fly-over by Lima Lima, and immediately following was a boat show with all of the boats decorated. I was able to see the planes flying over from my balcony, however, I can't really see the boats from my balcony. I was able to find a video on You Tube from Venetian Night last year, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QLnR2yIESk it is approximately 5 min. long, but shows how great the boats looked. Please go watch at least a little of it to get an idea of the effort that these people put into making their boats fantastic. From what I've heard, people began lining up this morning to get 'front row' seats at the waterfront, and Lake Shore Drive (as I can see it from my balcony) is crowded.

Saturday Dog Walk

Since I have the weekend off, and it is pretty outside today, I thought I would take advantage of it and take Toby for a nice walk. He had so much fun (as always) and is even relaxed enough around other dogs now where he will actually lie down in the grass and relax! We walked a little in the other direction and saw the entrance for Chicago's "oldest" surviving structure. As some of you may not know, there was a huge fire in 1871 that destroyed many buildings in Chicago. The old Water Tower is another building left surviving from the Chicago fire (I will go visit it at another time).

Here is a blurb from the website: "Built in 1836 for Henry B. Clarke, the Clarke House Museum is Chicago’s oldest house. It is operated as a house museum by the Planning Division of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. This Greek Revival style house shows what life was like for a middle-class family in Chicago during the city’s formative years before the Civil War. It has survived fires and two moves, and is now located in the Prairie Avenue Historic District. Guided tours of the house are available. Clarke House presents an outdoor film festival during the summer, as well as other seasonal events and occasional exhibitions."

Horse-drawn Carriage

As I was riding the bus home from work, I looked over, and saw the horse-drawn carriage. I just thought it was a great photo opportunity. It is strange seeing the horse in the middle of one of the busiest streets in downtown Chicago, but I'm sure it is a nice way to see the city. I bet at night it would be a very romantic tour to take. I hope that everyone had a great Friday!

My Dog Space

Many of you may be familiar with My Space, but there are also now similar services for dogs! Last night, I made Toby a page on My Dog Space. I was able to place pictures of him and a video of him dancing for a cookie. Toby already has had dog friends from all over the US add him as a friend. It is a cute way to meet other dogs/dog owners!

Chicago Fog

Normally the very tall John Hancock Tower is visible from the PT gym window, however the dense fog this afternoon has it hidden. The John Hancock Tower is over 1,000 feet tall, and just slightly shorter than the Sears Tower. I plan to go to the top of both the John Hancock Tower and the Sears Tower before I leave Chicago.

Take me out to the ball game...

Today, I went to tour Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. With over 90 years of total history, this field has seen many changes (including a change of names around 90 years ago). At one point, the Chicago Bears even played at the field until moving to Soldier Field. On January 1, 2009, the field will be flooded and frozen to allow for an outdoor professional hockey game to be played. The tour included getting to see the visitor and Cub's Clubhouse (locker room), the press box, several sections of the seating, and on field to see the dugouts! While we were up in the press box, we all got to sing for the "7th Inning Stretch" the song "Take me out to the Ball Game." This was a great tour, and a great look into Chicago history.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

This morning, Toby and I awoke to the loud noises of a thunderstorm. While the actual thunder and lightening didn't last long, the rain is still coming. Apparently, there is another event at Soldier Field today, so I can't imagine that is much fun in the rain (thankfully, they have tents set up). I may just decide to stay in today and watch some movies and play with Toby. Hopefully, the rain pushes through, as tomorrow, I am going on a stadium tour of Wrigley Field (home of the Chicago Cubs).

IMAX tickets

Today, I was a big nerd, and I purchased advanced tickets for "The Dark Knight" for next Sunday. The movie is mostly sold out, and the only shows until next weekend are during the day (when I'm at work) next week. One unique thing about IMAX, is that you are able to actually pick your seat. So, I chose the Sunday at 4 pm show, as that was the only show that had seats that weren't all of the way up front (there is no way I'm watching this movie in the first few rows). Navy Pier (where I will be watching the movie) boasts the largest viewing screen in Chicago, measuring 80 feet x 60 feet and holds 440 people. The IMAX synopsis for this movie says: "THE DARK KNIGHT: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE, from Warner Bros. Pictures, will feature four sequences filmed with IMAX® cameras. This marks the first time ever that a major feature film has been even partially shot using IMAX cameras, marking a revolutionary integration of the two film formats.

The follow-up to the action hit BATMAN BEGINS, THE DARK KNIGHT reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne. In the new film, Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as The Joker."

I'm very excited, as this should be a great movie...so, nobody spoil this for me by telling me what happens in the movie!

The Dark Knight

As some of you may already know, the new Batman movie "The Dark Knight" was filmed in Chicago last year. For instance, the old post office was turned into the bank where a robbery occurs. My coworkers tell me that the Bat Cave was set up on Whacker at one point. And according to the news reports, the large 18-wheeler that is flipped in the movie occurred on LaSalle St. Last week, in preparation for the movie coming out, there was a large bat symbol on the Sears Tower. Also, last night, there was a large movie premiere at the IMAX theater in Navy Pier, followed by the typical Wednesday night fireworks. I found these pictures online from other people who attended the event, but from what I read, tickets were at least $150. As I've never seen an IMAX movie, and part of the movie was filmed using IMAX cameras (6 of the action scenes were filmed using these special lenses), I plan to go see "The Dark Knight" sometime at the IMAX theater. It should a great movie.

Dao

As we had a rare extended lunch period today, a bunch of us went out to lunch! We went to Dao, a Thai restaurant a few blocks from where I work. While our waiter wasn't the best in the world, the food was great, and I have lunch for tomorrow! I am happy that I got to eat at a new restaurant, especially with my coworkers.

Wicked

I realized that I mentioned the Broadway show Wicked, but many of you may not know about the show. Wicked is based on a book about how the Witches of Oz came to be, and the events that shaped them into being who they became in the Wizard of Oz. As from Wikipedia: "Wicked tells the story of Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West and her relationship with Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. Their friendship struggles through their opposing personalities and viewpoints, rivalry over the same love-interest, their reactions to the Wizard's corrupt government, and, ultimately, Elphaba's public fall from grace. The plot is set mostly before Dorothy's arrival from Kansas, and includes several references to well-known scenes and dialogue in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz."

This should be an amazing show, and I cannot wait to see it next month!

Chicago Theater District

On my way home from work today, I took a detour to the Chicago Downtown Theater District to purchase tickets for Wicked. As my mother is coming to visit in August, I decided it would be the perfect time to go see a Broadway show in Chicago. After much debate and speaking with several people, we decided on the show Wicked. I was able to get us tickets on the first row of the balcony slightly to one side, so they should be excellent seats! I am very excited and cannot wait to see the show next month!

Columbian Fest

As I've mentioned before, I can hear events that occur at Soldier Field (as I was able to hear the Kenny Chesney concert on my first night). Today, I began hearing music playing from outside and decided to look on the balcony. I noticed a huge group gathered and a large stage. Using the zoom on my camera, I was able to tell that there were people dancing on the stage. I looked up the date online and found that the event is called the Columbian Fest and it is being held on the Soldier Field's Stadium Green (the outside area of Soldier Field). I'm not entirely sure what this event is, as I was unable to find any information on it other than the name.

Dunkin' Donuts

As I am a Southerner, I am used to Krispy Kreme donuts. Unfortunately, in Chicago, they predominantly have Dunkin' Donuts. Since I am just going to have a lazy Sunday and relax and watch movies, I decided to walk down to DD to get a croissant sandwich and a doughnut for lunch. My heart still belongs to KK, but while I'm here, DD will have to do as it is within walking distance. I did find that there is a Krispy Kreme in Chicago, so I may have to find it one day to get my 'hot now' doughnut fix.


By the way, I had Connie's pizza delivered last night, and it's Chicago deep dish was AMAZING. I am glad that I gave Chicago pizza another chance!

Cirque Shanghai Gold

I went to Navy Pier today and saw Cirque Shanghai: Gold. Chicago is the only US city to see this show at this year, for a special summer presentation. It was amazing seeing these great performers and all of the unique things that they could do. I had great seats, and because of the package I purchased, I have vouchers to ride the giant Ferris Wheel and take a boat skyline tour any day up until September 1st (it was a great discount to me to purchase the tickets this way, as I wanted to do all of these things anyway). The show was amazing and a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Now, I'm waiting on Connie's pizza to be delivered, I'm going to give Chicago style pizza another chance.

Internet!

Since I have moved to Chicago, the actual wireless internet for this apartment has not been working. As I have wireless internet, I was able to "borrow" my connection from someone who did not have their account password protected, but it did not work 100% of the time, and was very unreliable. Apparently, the lovely people of AT&T hooked up the wrong apartment first and it took me a while to notice as the installation CD was not working properly. So, when the landlord came to help me out, he called, and found out that the internet wasn't even hooked up yet! They were supposed to come early next week, but thankfully, the guy came today and turned the connection on. Then, to my next problem, I couldn't get the installation CD to work. I was able to call the landlord, and he gave the the help desk number and the information I would need. The friendly customer service guy was able to lead me through the sneaky way to register for the service, and now my internet is working! Yay, now I can actually make more regular blog posts and check my e-mail more regularly!

New toy for Toby

I couldn't resist getting Toby a new toy. I was at Walgreen's today, and saw the cutest stuffed bear that had "Chicago" on the front, so I had to get it for him. As always, Toby loves the new toy and has learned it's name "Chicago" very quickly. He's such a smart boy! Oh yeah, it's Wednesday, that means more fireworks tonight!

Toby's Friends

Toby is getting better with each visit to the dog park. He is playing with some of the smaller dogs and remaining more calm with the dogs in general. Here is a picture of one of the dogs that we frequently see at the park, she is a Boxer and her name is Ali. She is obsessive with her toys just as Toby is with his. Also pictured are two poodles Toby met today, Maya and Suri, and Marley, a Siberian Husky.

Rainy Morning

As I have learned, it is wise to carry an umbrella with you when living in Chicago. Thankfully, I watched the weather, so I knew that it was going to rain today. Even better, the rain didn't start until I was already in work. In fact, we could even hear thunder and I saw a few lightening flashes from our windows. I did take a picture of the gloominess (to be posted later). On a good note, by the afternoon, the weather had cleared up and the sun was shining!

Three Day Weekend

As my car stays parked in an indoor garage, I decided that I should drive to Target yesterday to pick up some essentials that I did not bring with me. For one, I needed to get Toby some dog shampoo as he was in need of a bath as he was starting to smell like a dog (and I don't like him to smell like a dog). While the Target is within walking distance, I wanted to drive my car for a little so it stays in good working order. The Target here has a parking garage and is actually 2 levels (to save on space), but looks much like every other Target. The above picture is one I saw online of a Target advertisement on the "L" train. I was able to purchase my items and get a few groceries too, so that was nice. As I'm sure you are all wondering, driving in Chicago was not that bad. Granted, I was not going that far, but the streets are very easy to navigate. It helps that Chicago is laid out in blocks, so if one street is busy, you can just go a street down and still easily arrive at the same location.

Last night, I was able to give Toby a bath. This new shampoo smells like baby powder and leaves him smelling baby fresh and very soft. He of course ran around like a crazy dog after his bath, it was very funny.

The Taste of Chicago

I walked downtown this afternoon and did a small amount of shopping (mainly souvenir things) and then walked down to the Taste of Chicago. For those of you who don't know, this is an annual street fair where many of the local restaurants come out and sell their food or little sample portions of certain items called "taste" sizes. How this works is you purchase food tickets at a booth, then based on what item you want, give them the appropriate amount of tickets. I ate a bunch of food, but it was worth it (hey, I figured I walked down there, so I could eat a little more). I had a Chicken Parmesan sandwich, a slice of Turtle Cheesecake, a small "taste" of rainbow ice cream (it is a swirl of 5 different flavors), and a small frozen chocolate covered banana. They were all very yummy and well worth the tickets.

After filling my stomach, I walked over to the Buckingham Fountain. This is a very large fountain that some of you may remember from the opening credits of Married with Children. It was very pretty and very large.

Tonight, I will be able to watch more fireworks from my apartment, I am excited!

Happy Independence Day!

Today is the day for celebrating America's Independence from the British influence. While it is important to thank those men so many years before who had the foresight to care about the well-being of all of the future generations of Americans. It is also important to remember those who are currently in the Armed Forces serving our country to protect this freedom that we gained all of those years ago on July 4, 1776.

Last night, Chicago had another giant fireworks display to celebrate the occasion. An estimated 1.2 million people were downtown in various locations enjoying the festivities. Thankfully, I was able to avoid the crowd and sit on my couch and watch the show and listen to the accompanying music on WGN. The great thing about this fireworks display is that as it was televised on WGN, I was able to call my mother and tell her to switch the channel so that she could experience the same fireworks that I was watching. Toby enjoyed the fireworks as well, in fact, he has already learned the word 'fireworks.' Every time I mention 'fireworks,' Toby runs to the sliding glass door and looks in the direction of where the fireworks come from, very cute!

I'm planning on heading out later to walk around downtown a bit. Check out the Taste of Chicago and maybe do a little shopping!

Happy Independence Day!

Pizza Delivery

I decided to finally get pizza delivery today from this place that everyone raves about for "Chicago" style pizza. I ordered a pepperoni pizza and mozzarella sticks. Apparently, Lou Malnati's version of Chicago style pizza is crust, cheese, pepperoni, and sauce with a bit of Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. Unfortunately, I have to say, that while the pizza was not bad, I'm not sure that I would order it again. I guess my tastes are used to Pizza Hut or Domino's type pizza. At least I tried something new!

As for tonight, they will be having fireworks tonight from Grant Park (I should be able to see these from the balcony). Then, tomorrow (I have off work), I believe I will go to the Taste of Chicago for a bit and then there will be more fireworks tomorrow night from Navy Pier! Should be a fun Independence Day Celebration. I will probably also throw some shopping in somewhere over this extended weekend as well!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Toby!

Today is Toby's 2nd birthday! He is such a good boy, and has been a joy for me to have. Every morning, he greets me with kisses, and every day, he is so excited when I come home from work. He makes me being a traveling physical therapist and being away from friends and family so much easier. My mother has already mailed him a card and a small present, and I will probably take him on a walk today after work so that he can play with other doggy friends and give him a special cookie. Happy Birthday, Toby!