Dear Cubs,

Way to go boys! Let's ride this wave as long as we can, er... I mean keep playing as well as you have been! Here's an idea: don't blow it like you did four years ago, sending me into a downward spiral of sports depression that I probably just got over! I'm not ready to deal with that again, so let's DO this already. Sheesh. A special thanks to the Padres for helping us out the other night, especially Khalil Greene, who just happens to remind me of a certain someone. Uncanny isn't it?

Soul Sister

Writing about new music that I've taken a liking to would be a pretty time consuming task, and would probably end up being the same drivel you could find in Rolling Stone, TimeOut, or pretty much any magazine these days. Who needs to read one more album review they don't agree with or wants to be told what they MUST purchase immediately? Not me. That being said, I feel like I am doing the world a disservice by not writing about the woman that has been in constant rotation in my life for the past few weeks: sassy soul sister #1, Marva Whitney. Marva got her big break singing with James Brown and his funky people in the 60's, and trust me when I say this woman has soul. I decided to get a solo album of hers a few weeks ago, and little did I know what a gem I would come across. When I saw the release date of I Am What I Am was 2007 I assumed I was coming across a nice remastered re-issue of some old Marva cuts, when the exact opposite proved to be true. This album is Marva's first solo effort in 36 years...this woman just turned 63 and she is cranking it out like she is back on the stage with James and the gang. Marva's voice could stand alone, but on this album she is accompanied by Osaka Monaurail, an amazing Japanese funk band. Yes you heard me correctly, a Japanese Funk Band. These guys perform with the same style and zeal as James and his band without coming off as a cheesy tribute group. Marva Whitney and Osaka Monaurail sound like the 60's were frozen in time and thawed out in 2007. They are truly a force to be reckoned with. If you want an album to bring the funk, this one with not disappoint. Take it to the bridge Marva!

It's love!

I hope someday when I look into the eyes of my newborn child it is half as amazing as looking at this:

Weighing in at 4.8 ounces and measuring 4 and a half inches, this little beauty is my new bundle of joy!

In other news, here is what I ate for dinner last night, and what I will be eating for every meal until my service plan expires:

Maybe I will mix it up with the beef or chicken flavor just to make things interesting.

I've Been Busy: a Photo Essay

The blog has been slacking for a bit due to the following:
Wilco @ The Pritzker Pavillion

Entertaining In Millenium Park



Hey Mercedes @ Metro

Office @ Metro

Assorted Sunrises

The Mystery Jets @ Schuba's

Jamie T @ Schuba's

The Cubs beating the Reds to win the series

Whew! What a week! More posts in the days to come. Stay tuned loyal reader(s)...

Hideout Block Party

The air was crisp, the beer was cold, and the music was rockin' at the Hideout this past weekend. Bloc Party closed on Friday night with an energy packed set. Seeing them play in a glorified parking lot turned concert venue was quite a treat considering these boys are busy playing huge festivals and arenas over in the U.K.


Saturday acts like Dan Deacon and Mucca Pazza got the crowd amped for the fun to be had later in the day, but the real must see in my book was Art Brut. I've heard this band be criticized for being too kitschy and not that musically inclined and I wondered: are they a buzz band because they can play well or because they have an amusing shtick? Who cares!? They were entertaining as hell, and I danced and laughed my way through their entire set. They also gave me some of the best photos of the weekend- thanks Art Brut!




The other highly anticipated set came from The Frames. They met and exceeded all of my expectations in every way, and I really don't think I have ever been so moved at a festival. Typically, I feel like artists give you a "best-of" set in their allotted 45 minutes of festival time, and while they are fun, they never really perform in the way you know they could if you were seeing them indoors, in a smaller venue, on their own tour. The raw, emotional, passionate songs that Glen Hansard sang were some of the best, and I will go on record saying he is one of the most underrated frontmen of our day. If anyone out there has yet to see Once (in which Glen stars and performs) stop reading right now and go watch this film.


Andrew Bird closed the block party on Saturday night. Yawn. Sorry man, love your music, but you bore me to death live.

Overall it was a great weekend, and I definitely got my $35 worth of music. Too bad the beer wasn't included in the ticket price.

Drool Worthy

I'm officially an Apple nerd. It pretty much snowballed after I bought my iMac a couple years ago, though I did have a rockin' 2GS setup that cranked out some sweet Print Shop banners back in the day. I'm proud to say that instead of being in bed asleep last night I was up watching good ol' Steve Jobs and his keynote address. After retiring for the night I spent the wee hours of the morning tossing and turning.... iPod Touch or cheaper iPhone? 4GB or 8GB? Phone/camera vs. no phone and no camera? Should I throw in a cute little Nano too? The only conclusion I came up with is: I want one. Any one. Every one. I have been holding out on this iPod purchase for a long time, partly due to my inability to make a decision (how many songs do I really want to carry around?), and because I always think a newer, cooler gadget will be introduced if I can just wait a little bit longer. The iPod touch seems like the way to go, but that little voice in the back of my head keeps making me think it is just the poor man's iPhone and I should go big, or go home. Looks like I'm in for more sleepless nights until this gets resolved.

Number 80

I love when the universe aligns and makes things happen.
Some people refer to these instances as coincidences, but I'm of the opinion that everything you do leads you to that certain moment of awesomeness. Maybe I have just seen the movie Sliding Doors one too many times...
I'm getting ahead of myself here, and should first mention that this moment of awesomeness involved seeing taxi cab #80. This is no big deal to most of you, but to a few people in the city cab spotting has turned into quite a pastime. One friend refers to it as urban bird watching, and if this is the case, cab #80 is the bald eagle in a city of pigeons. The cab spotter isn't me, but one my close friends, and she has roped us into her world. She thought she was alone until she came across this article detailing the quest for cabs numbered under 100, and more importantly, why the heck cab #80 has eluded so many people.

Sunday I planned to meet friends for brunch and I waited for the bus...and I waited...and I waited. After waiting forever and answering calls from impatient friends I decided to break down and take a cab. The story would be great if cab number 80 rolled up and whisked me away, but no cabs were in sight. More waiting ensued. A cab rounded the corner and I hailed it only to see the bus approaching. Being the thrifty gal I am I waved the cab on and got on the bus glad to finally be on my way. A couple blocks away from the restaurant I looked up and noticed a cab in front of my bus. Surely it is cab 280 or cab 805, I thought as I leaned to the left and the right, but I did not see any place holders, just a big 80 starring back at me. I whipped out my camera as we came to a stop sign, snapped a photo, and jumped off at my stop in the next block hoping to get some exterior photos. No such luck. Cab number 80 sped north on Sheridan and I was left with only a snapshot, and a great story. Thank goodness for that late bus.

Feeling Handy

The hand is feeling better today. That, and I'm feeling more motivated to be productive with the right one. Enter the x-ray montage for your viewing pleasure!