Jer-ry! Jer-ry!

My last day of work was originally going to be Wed. 8th. Then Mon. 6th at 6pm, as usual. Then it got pushed back to Mon. 6th at 1pm. The reason? My Quebecois pal Raphael got two tickets to a taping of "Jerry Springer." What better reason to leave work early than to go see one of Chicago's institutions? Exactly.

Seated in the middle of the audience, we're in the red shirt and white shirt. Enlarge the image to see my very bad arrows pointing to us, courtesy of Microsoft Paint and my right (read: wrong) hand:


For those of you Fracophones, Raphael's blow-by-blow (hah) account is on his blog. The rest of you will have to watch the show between 12pm-2pm, Central Time, on Wed. 15th on NBC. That's TOMORROW!

Party Hardy

The stars are aligned; all is well after a trio of unhappy occurrences. This weekend more than made up for any recent spate of bad luck.

Saturday I was privileged to attend three parties: a friend's bridal/knitting party, a cabaret show on a rooftop, and a Mustache Bash theme party. (Guess what the theme was...)

My friend, Brian, who organizes the Cabaret Vagabond/Das Ist Kunst evenings, had spoken of his boss's rooftop. "It has a really great garden," he said, "with trees." Forgive me if I had no idea how exactly awesome that was. Once there, I took as many photos as humanely possible between sending myriad texts to try to get as many of my friends to come over -- immediately -- and share in the amazingness. I ended up recruiting four pals (plus 8 random Italians, because that's how I roll), some of whom you can see in the below photos.

And then it was off to the Mustache Bash, where I quickly drew on a Charlie Chaplin-esque 'stache.

View my Shutterfly album

[for an alternative version, Francophones can read my

Quebecois pal Raphaël's take on the parties here]

Sunday night was a party with the Myopenbar crew, where we had pizza and then wandered into the Wicker Park environs in search of parties. While on the phone giving directions to my boss (in from NYC, on a bicycle, and completely turned around), my friend discovered a party. Surprisingly, they not only let the seven of us crash it, they gave us shots when we entered the backyard -- and then challenged us to a game of Flippy Cup. One of the attendees almost blew a gasket when he found out we were from Myopenbar, since he loves out site and is going to our party on Tuesday. It was the over-the-top validation I'd hoped for for the past two years...

Then it was off to a different party, where we were treated to an amazing Skyline view and cornhole. "How Midwest," my NYC-dwelling boss and his hipster girlfriend mused. "How awesome," he should've said.

Haikus

Part of the reason I love off-kilter people -- like the ones I organized this year's Chiditarod with -- is that I get emails like the following:

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Ok hippies, I have a bunch of shit I want to give away.

Best haiku about how you'll use the item gets it - must pick up friday after 8pm or saturday before 10am - might be possible to work out other times if you're sure you want something but it all needs to go this weekend.

pair of 2' aluminum stilts with 3' extensions
Juiceman Jr. juicer
Food dehydrator
Yogurt maker
Plastic coffee table
7 bottles assorted schnapps (strawberry, chocolate, blue curacao, mint, etc.) - must be 21
Two gangly palms
assorted wine glasses
large cooler and small cooler that are inseparable (not literally)
small, fully charged fire extinguisher
2 circular mosaic mirrors from ikea
large four-drawer metal filing cabinet
2' by 4' fluorescent light fixture - perfect for a grow-light
sweet four-person ikea kitchen table in blonde wood

I'm also looking for a good home for whiskey-to-go-go, a sculpture I made for burning man last year. You may have seen it at the decompression (where it was dispensing whiskey), or at the christmas tree burn (where it was dispensing slushy applejack). Let me know if you're interested.

J.R.

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since childhood I've thought
of a food dehydrator
and fresh fruit roll-ups.

it could rest up high
on the fridge, the lava lamp
glowing softy beside.


flight to seattle
I leave chi-town, friday, six.
your time frame breaks balls.

J.C.



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food dehydrator
flax seeds get stuck in my teeth
toothbrush saves the day

i like to burn things
a fire extinguisher
could save my hot ass

luckily i am
home this weekend for pickup
friday night is great

D.B.


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o! mirrors mirrors
you make me look so pretty
even more with two

dipsomaniac...
wine glasses break so often
schnapps are great in them

home on the range (farm)
i'm back saturday evening
can i stop by sun.?

~Theresa
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I love creative people, and I love that I get to know them.

fin

The Big 3-0

One of my roommates is turning 30 this week.

His presents?
A Wii and Guitar Hero.

As he pointed out, when we were children we never would've imagined that getting a video game for a 30-year-old would be socially acceptable, nay, desirable.

All I know is, I'm never using my laptop to check the weather again -- the Wii is where it's at.

How I Get Through The Workday

With reading emails like these.

From a friend who just moved to New York:

Hi holler baby. How are you? loving the life and writing the world.

NYC is good, I love it here, but it is tough. This city breathes and the pulse is the universe. It's amazing.

From a good Chicago pal who works in the Loop like I do:

Wow. Today has been special. It's gotten surreal. I’m pretty sure if it keeps up it will create a rift in the space/time continuum. If your reality vibrates this afternoon, look out your window to the southeast. If you happen to see space and time being separated by a vast something beyond human comprehension, I’m sorry and I’ll see you on the other side.

I feel privileged to get emails from friends who can write like this.

Life & Death On Facebook

Thoughts on the recent passing of actor Heath Ledger, as seen via status updates on Facebook:

S.J. is hoping they didn't have a Joker spinoff in the works...

M.S. is stunned. And misses Heath already.

T.C. will always remember what he was doing when he found out that Heath Ledger was dead.

J.B. is amazed that Heath Ledger would do this to publicize the batman movie.

L.Z. is wondering who Heath Ledger is...

And....SCENE.