Chicago Notes...

A Spoonful of Sugar

2009-03-12T13:11:00.005-05:00

I headed into Mary Poppins, at the Cadillac Palace, with bitter, bitter thoughts. While I like the movie, it’s a little too sugary-sweet for my taste, and really, who’s going to be a better Mary Poppins than Julie freaking Andrews?

Two hours and forty-five minutes of song, dance, and FLYING later, I’m a convert. My skeptical side was won over.

While my favorite songs (Step in Time, Feed the Birds, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious) are all still there, Cameron Mackintosh has brought this musical beyond sugar and given it some substance. Sticking closer to the book, than Disney’s original movie, the plot is a little deeper and even a little darker. Characters are a little less one-dimensional, audiences learn why George Banks, the strict, stoic pop of Jane and Michael, is so hard on his children, and Mrs. Banks, is given a bit of history herself (though I do have some complaints about that storyline). In addition, Jane and Michael are just plain brattier.

This new take is what saves Mary Poppins from becoming a typical movie-turned-musical. (Dirty Dancing producers PLEASE take note.) The stage show is not a regurgitation of the movie with some extra songs thrown in. Instead, audiences are given something new (and arguably better) than the movie they know and love.

I was also thrilled to death to see a huge chorus who fill the stage as Londoners, magical-marble statues, chimney-sweeps, and stars (as in the sky, not celebrities). In a sense, Mary Poppins is going to back to the traditional, Rogers and Hammerstein musical, and truly, I have no objections. The costumes are fantastic and the set is truly amazing. From the Banks’ house which opens and closes like a doll house, to the oppressive bank where George spends his days, the set is fairy tale, but not cartoonish. Truly a perfect blend for this magical show.

The show is scheduled to run through May 17, though I wonder whether it will be extended at least once until June at least. Seems like a perfect pull for all the families of tourists this summer. Tickets are $30 to $90 (I would stick to the mezzanine for this one, you want to see Mary fly don’t you?) and available at Ticketmaster.

Best SNL Opener EVER

2008-09-14T20:12:00.001-05:00

From The Field Museum Archives

2008-06-25T12:14:00.002-05:00

The caption to this photo says "6 men on West steps, one holding small cat." I absolutely love it. There's an entire library of archived images on the Illinois Digital Archives site. Awesome.

Why I want to get married

2008-04-22T22:25:00.004-05:00

Before you freak and say "oh great, another 20-something girl desperately seeking marriage," hear me out. I WANT THE PRESENTS.

Specifically, the KitchenAid Stand Mixer. In lime green please.
It's kind of a ridiculous purchase for someone living alone to have, so I'm thinking a wedding is the perfect way to get it. Gotta love registering for gifts. I see myself spending weekends in the kitchen baking cakes, trying new recipes, and hosting dinner parties prepared with my beautiful mixer.

I'm thinking I may just get a boy on the street and ask him to marry me. We can register for all the things we both want, then go our separate ways.

Carrying the Banner

2008-04-21T23:05:00.003-05:00

I first discovered Newsies when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, and my mom let me choose the movie to rent on some Friday night. It was the beginning of multiple obsessions: Christian Bale, catchy song and dance numbers, and unions. :)

In a moment of nostalgia I put it in my Netflix queue, and just watched it tonight. Truly, it's just as good as it was way back in 1992. I definitely still know all the moves to "Seize the Day" from my jr. high show choir days. Awesome.

I was surprised to see that this was one of Disney's lowest grossing films. Everyone I know loves it, but hey, we were kids, and suckers for a song and dance. The whole Broadway Disney crew needs to get working on a live action version to open about 10-15 years from now. I guarantee every person my age will totally take their kids to see it, just to relive their childhood. It'd make a killing.

My New Favorite Chicken

2008-04-21T22:33:00.005-05:00

Those that know me, know that I'm kind of one of those girls who finds a recipe and sticks with it forever. I eat my mom's "Italian chicken" at least once every two weeks, usually once a week. It's not that I don't like new food, it's just that when you're cooking for one, doing fat camp (my secret code for Weight Watchers), and on a tight budget, it's a giant pain in the ass to make an entire dish, find out you don't like it or end up having to eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner until you're sick of it.

That being said, I was trolling fat camp boards the other day and found a recipe that's crazy yummy and beyond easy.

Ladies and Gents, Diet Coke Chicken:
chicken breast
1/2 cup Diet Coke
1/2 cup ketchup

Brown the chicken in a skillet coated with Pam. Mix ketchup and Diet Coke in bowl until smooth. Place chicken in deep baking dish and pour mixture over chicken. (Make sure your baking dish is small enough that the mixture will cover the chicken) Place in preheated oven at 375 and bake for 45-60 minutes. Let stand for five minutes then serve.

Very delicious--a tangy sweetness and very low in points too!

I'm too old for this shit!

2008-04-20T21:55:00.003-05:00

Oh, Danny Glover. Truer words were never spoken. This past weekend I made the trek back to my college to see some old friends and "celebrate." While it was undeniably a good time, I realized that I am beyond past my college years. It's been 2 years since I was a student, and apparently I aged more in those two years than I have in my entire life.

It's weird when you realize a part of your life is truly gone. There have been times since graduation that I've thought how great it would be to back in school, but this weekend, I realized that there's no way I could ever go back. While it makes me sad to realize that an era is officially over, I'm also pretty happy. I don't think I ever want to get to a point in my life when I go "Oh XYZ were the best days of my life." I feel like that is a pretty depressing thought. I'm 24 and if I'd already peaked, what would I have to look forward to?

Once again, a musical sums up my life perfectly. Avenue Q's song I Wish I Could Go Back to College has been in my head for awhile now, and I finally found the original cast singing it on Regis and Kelly. It's a crazy shitty version seeing that someone literally taped the tv screen AND the pianist fucked up and skipped 4 bars in the beginning, but at least it's something.

Pachelbel Rant

2008-04-17T13:10:00.004-05:00

I've seen this a million times and I don't care. It's still the funniest thing ever.

CPD 1 Cougar 0

2008-04-16T12:32:00.006-05:00

Jesus, who would have thought a 123 pound cougar could have the entire city of Chicago up in arms!? If you don't know the whole story, a cougar was spotted within city limits, police kinda sorta tracked it/tried to find it all day, and then around dinner time, had it corned, it lunged and they shot it.

Well that shooting has everyone in an uproar for no good reason (imo). "Why couldn't they have used a tranquilizer dart?" "Where was animal control?" "The police acted too hastily." etc, etc. Yesterday at 10:00 am, there were already 700+ comments to The Tribune's article. I never knew it but apparently there are some very cougar passionate people within the city limits. Today, The Tribune even had an editorial that stupidly claimed CPD needs to have a policy/procedure in place for "the next cougar."

Now this is the first siting of a cougar in this area in 150-some years, and while our Field Museum scientist says this will probably be happening more often as cougar population increases, I don't think we need to be working diligently for a "procedure." I'm thinking CPD has better ways to spend time/money. From what I've read and heard, there was a procedure. Animal control and cops were both looking for the animal, cops found it first. Even if animal control HAD been there, a tranquilizer, probably would not have been the best option. Tranqs take 10-20 minutes to take effect, and an animal like that can still do serious damage once shot. Would these people have preferred the headline to read "Cougar shot with tranq dart attacks cop/small child/dog/WHATEVER"?!?! It just seems that our priorities are all out of whack.

After listening to our scientist Bruce Patterson talk to media and the entire Museum staff about the cougar, I am even more convinced that the police made the right decision. And as Dr. Patterson pointed out this morning, there is a HUGE outcry over one cougar, but what about the forests that are being torn down every day, displacing animals and throwing things off balance? No one seems to complain about the deer that lost its home, or the wolf that lost its hunting ground when said person moves into his brand new home with the manicured lawn. Just something to think about.

No More "Smut" in Bookstores

2008-04-10T08:29:00.007-05:00

A new law on the books in Indiana will fine businesses that sell "sexually explicit" material, but according apparently the definition of explicit is anything but. The Chicago Tribune reports
businesses wanting to sell said material will have to pay a $250 fee, or be faced with $1000 fine and up to 180 days in jail.

There are already challenges to the bill, and I really don't see how this will actually pass. Then again, it is Indiana, and having lived there for four years, I can attest that crazier things have happened.

A Wonderful Gym Story

2008-04-09T22:44:00.003-05:00

Gaper's Block is fabulous and the proof is in this great column "Looking Better Naked" about the joys and miseries of going to the gym.

How to Tell a Boy You Like Him

2008-04-09T19:02:00.003-05:00

I just found instructions on Wiki-How instructing all clueless pre-teens how to tell a boy they like him. The rules seem simple enough:

Give a few hints. Smile at him when you see him, look good when you walk by him, if he looks at you in class then he probably likes you back.
Look at his friends. If he is with his friends and they are all looking at you then he probably likes you.
Tell him. If you don't think he likes you then just build up the confidence and tell him.
Tell a friend if you're scared. If you dont feel so confident then tell a friend
Wait. If he has a girlfriend then you can't go out with him so you will just have to see what happens.
Get to know him better. Maybe if he becomes your friend, he might notice who you really are.

It's always funny when I find myself thinking "When I was your age...but seriously?!?! We have six steps to tell us how to spill our guts? What happened to the days of passing that GLORIOUS note "Do you like me? Yes or No?" I know the internet has brought us some wonderful things...email...information at the touch of a button...free porn...but I feel that something like this is just wrong on so many levels. A person is supposed to fail miserably the first couple of times without any help at all right?....Not that I've ever told anyone how much I love them. Guess I shouldn't talk....Gotta go look up how to kiss a boy without locking our braces together now.

Every Girl Online is fat, ugly, and unsexy.

2008-04-02T20:26:00.003-05:00

Just found this column and think it's Great. Violet Blue writes for just about every publication you can think of, and in this talks about the trollers on the net, who seem to get off knocking the "ugly girls."

I just write and talk about sex. But every woman on the Internet gets called slutty and ugly and fat (to put it lightly) no matter what; all we have to be is female. In dinner conversation, my friend Lori reminded me of the Oscar Wilde quote, "Give a man a mask, and he'll tell you the truth." I restated it for the Internet, replying, "Give a man a mask, and he'll slit your throat." The application here is, "Give a man (or a woman) an anonymous account, and he'll eviscerate your self-esteem."

The problem is, with so many women I talk to, the trolling is effective. The number of times I've talked down a crying girlfriend after she's been trolled in her comments about being fat, ugly, skanky, slutty or stupid is higher than I can count (no matter what she writes about). Trolls watch too much mainstream porn and TV, and believe stereotypes are real; they slap us with it and then we believe it, too. We compare ourselves to overly thin models, actresses, and porn stars, and it messes with our self-image and our ability to express ourselves sexually, and especially to enjoy sex.

She goes on to talk about Margaret Cho....
"In Margaret Cho's "Beautiful" tour, she talks about recently being on a radio show and having the host ask her point-blank, live, on the air, "What if you woke up one day, and you were beautiful?" When asked, he defined beautiful as blonde, thin, large-breasted, a porno stereotype. Cho says, "Just think of what life is like for this poor guy. There's beauty all around him in the world, and he can only see the most narrow definition of it."

All in all, it's a great column.

Born Standing Up

2008-04-01T12:42:00.003-05:00

A long time fan of Steve Martin (I declared he would be my new stepdad in the first grade after watching Parenthood), I was psyched to start reading his (kind of) new autobiography Born Standing Up. After reading multiple interviews with him, I knew he seemed like a pretty private guy, so I was curious as to what would be discussed in the book.

It was actually much more than what I expected. Unlike other autobiographies I've read, Martin seems truly grounded to what made him the way he is as well as to what got him to the place he is today. He recalls the days he was struggling, not pointing a finger and why he wasn't successful yet, but with a certain relish for those days. Sure it was shitty but it was fun!

I'm especially glad that I read this at this time in my life, when I'm just starting out and finding my own footing in life, similar to Martin experimenting with his comedy. A friend and I joked that everything we're experiencing now, could end up in our own autobiographies. So I guess we shall see.

Anyway, if you're a fan of Martin, I'd definitely recommend the book. Even if you're not, it's still an interesting read. If anything, it will make you appreciate comedians. It's amazing to think of what went into a single act.

Knut is a Publicity Whore

2008-03-28T14:35:00.004-05:00

So apparently Knut, the cute little polar bear we all know and love, gets whiny when people don't pay attention to him. Check the link for a CLTV video.

St. Patrick's Day Recap

2008-03-16T15:04:00.006-05:00

They exist! After a ton of build up, The Field Museum finally walked in Chicago's 53rd annual St. Patrick's Day Parade yesterday. To sum it up quickly, it was AWESOME. The unicorns rocked, and we passed out a ton of postcards for Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids. People were crazy excited to see the unicorns and they seemed psyched to read the handouts. So in short, it was a great day.

St. Patrick's Day Parade

2008-03-14T23:21:00.003-05:00

Celebrate the holiday right by checking out the St. Patrick's Day Parade. Where else can you see the Chicago River dyed green?! It'll be broadcast live on WGN and yours truly will be in it. Why's that you say? Because there will be unicorns in this year's parade. Oh yes, unicorns. The Field Museum is promoting our new exhibition Mythic Creatures and I get to pass out flyers on it. hooooray.

Image courtesy of unicorns.com

I Heart Daylight Savings Time

2008-03-12T21:45:00.003-05:00

I walked home tonight at 7:00 and it was still light out. I've never been happier :) The pic was taken last year, but I feel spring coming.

Slacker

2008-03-12T10:11:00.004-05:00

I've totally slacked lately in the blogging world, and that's partly because work has been absolutely crazy. We are getting ready to open a crazy cool exhibition called Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids here at The Field Museum and my office is in full force, all hands on deck mode. The show is all about mythic creatures (duh) and how they've existed in the world for generations. It talks about how people found mastodon bones, and decided giants existed and how a dwarf elephant skull made people believe in the cyclops. All very cool. Check it out, and waste time there instead of here. Because I'm obviously sucking at updating :)

Image: © D. Finnin/AMNH

Blizzard in Ohio

2008-03-09T19:06:00.004-05:00

This weekend Ohio had a huge blizzard. My hometown got 12+ inches while, Columbus got like 20 inches. I hate to say it, but I'm a little jealous. Not that I want a million inches of snow, but if it's going to be as cold as it's been, we should at least have some snow on the ground. I found this picture in a slideshow from the Springfield News Sun and thought it was pretty funny. Poor Big Boy all covered in snow. The photo is by Marshall Gorby.

File this under...

2008-03-07T14:43:00.001-06:00

scary things that I really don't want to know about. Thank you, but I'd just prefer to stay in the dark on the fact that Southwest is flying cracked airplanes.

Chicagoist Trivia Featured in NewCity

2008-03-07T08:48:00.003-06:00

Two of my favorite things NewCity and Chicagoist, together at last. The newspaper features Chicagoist bloggers getting together at Sheffield's for trivia night (which, by the way is awesome--you should go.) Check out the article which is a nice little commentary on the world of blogs and anonymity on the web. Plus, my friend Patrick is famous now for being Trivial Pursuit champion of the world. It's nice to have a famous friend.

Death at a Funeral

2008-03-06T14:18:00.003-06:00

Ah, how I love Netflix. My mailbox, which is usually brimming over with bills, shines on the day I get that little red envelope.

Yesterday, I watched Death at a Funeral where "chaos ensues when a man tries to expose a dark secret regarding a recently deceased patriarch of a dysfunctional British family." (courtesy IMDB) There are a number of character parts who add to the flick. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't quite as funny as I had hoped. While definitely some entertaining bits, it seemed a little too over the top at times. If you're into British comedies, I'd still recommend it. It has one of my favorite actors, Peter Dinklage,who I just saw in Penelope. You've probably seen him in things and if he doesn't seem familiar, then rent The Station Agent. It's a fantastic film.

Sick Puppy

2008-03-05T18:55:00.003-06:00

Started to feel a sore throat yesterday, and now, it's a full blown cold. Something I haven't had in a hundred years. Loaded up on chicken noodle soup and OJ and am now headed to bed. Oy, what a day.

If Pets Could Vote

2008-03-04T13:58:00.005-06:00

In keeping with today's theme of politics, I thought I'd give my theories on what would happen if my cat (or dog back home) could vote. Because I'm so liberal, I think Sophie is more an Alex P. Keaton. While I talk about a woman's right to choose, Sophie is all for fetus rights. She also believes in small government and proudly voted for Huckabee.

This was a pic of Sophie sleeping during the Clinton/Obama debate.
Murray on the other hand is like me, a staunch Democrat. In fact, he's been working for Governor Strickland since he was sworn in--Shelties for Strickland.com This is a pic taken right before he went to protest our loss of civil liberties.

Mini Super Tuesday

2008-03-04T08:17:00.004-06:00

Everyone's looking to Ohio and Texas today to see what happens with the Democratic primaries. Listening to everyone predict what's going to happen and then analyze what that means is getting to be a little annoying. Once again, I wish the media would just back off a little with their coverage and let the people decide on their own.

I have to say though, being from Ohio, it's always a little nice to see everyone looking to us. Just a little Buckeye pride I guess. :)

Just as something fun, thought I'd take a look at Clinton and Obama in their high school days. I think it's always fun to think of these people before they were a name.

Book Review

2008-03-03T20:23:00.004-06:00

I just finished a great book Then We Came to the End, by Joshua Ferris which is about an ad agency in the late 90s. I thought it was written in a clever way, and seemed very true to life as far as office life/relationships go (though some of it is more of a caricature than anything). In a review in the Washington Post, James P. Othmer stated "The people with whom we spend the most time are those we know the least. And yet, somehow, they're the ones we know better than anyone else" which really sums up the entire book. I highly recommend.

As a sidebar, I also really love books that are set in cities that I know. Sammy's Hill, one of my favorite contemporary books is set in DC and Ferris' novel is set in Chicago. There's something fun about reading about the places you know.

Johnny Depp Out and About

2008-03-03T10:45:00.002-06:00

So Johnny Depp is/will be in town filming for this new John Dillinger movie. Apparently he took a tour of the Art Institute on Saturday. Maybe he'll stop by The Field this weekend?

Casimir Pulaski Day

2008-03-03T08:33:00.003-06:00

Being new to Chicago, I'd never heard of Casimir Pulaski, but apparently he was awesome enough to designate a state holiday for him. So...yay Pulaski (Even though I'm at work.)

Blue Skies Reflected

2008-03-02T20:27:00.005-06:00

My friend PB and I went to the "After Dark" event at the Art Institute to see the new Edward Hopper exhibition. The show and the event were both great but as we were walking to the Art Institute, we headed over to Millennium Park. The sky was a really weird blue, and the city was reflecting in the Cloud Gate. Everything was just looking AWESOME.

Celebrating Women

2008-03-02T14:18:00.007-06:00

A new photography exhibition called Celebrating Women opened at The Field Museum yesterday, and to kick it off, there was a festival for Women's History Month. First off, the festival was pretty awesome, and I'm usually critical of our festivals. One performance group was Deeply Rooted, a dance troupe here in Chicago. If you haven't seen them, I'd highly recommend. Took a little video, to give you an idea. I was balancing a walkie talkie, press releases and a camera, so sorry if it's shaky!

Sophie the Coolest Cat EVER

2008-03-02T13:56:00.001-06:00

Not to be confused with a "crazy cat lady," but I'd like to take a moment and point out that I have the coolest cat--Sophia Francesca. She goes by Sophie though. I think at some point in her life, she must have spent a lot of time with a dog, because she definitely seems to have a canine personality. She actually likes people, which is rare for cats and she also tends to steal food off people's plates, which I think is leftover from the days when she was living on the hard streets of Chicago. Anyway, was looking for her today, and found her perched on top of the radiator just kinda saying "Hey Mom, what's up? Still hungover?" I then slapped her for getting sassy.

What Boredom will Do

2008-03-01T11:20:00.001-06:00

Inspired by looking at LOLCats every day, my friend Patrick and I came up with our own LOL Lions with the Tsavo Lions here in Chicago at The Field Museum.

Oddities

2008-03-01T11:09:00.001-06:00

Today, while waiting for the 22 bus I saw a young mom pushing a stroller. As she passed, I looked in and saw the baby, or at least what I thought was the baby--it was covered in multiple blankets (and rightly so it was wicked cold this morning). There was no smiling face, or little fingers, just a mess of afghans. I'm obviously not a mom, so I don't know how this works, but what is the point of taking a baby out in this type of weather? The mom wasn't running, so it didn't look like an exercise thing...it just looked weird. The baby can't possibly be enjoying a walk with its face smushed up like that.