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Despite my firm conviction that I would make copious notes about all the touristing that I have accomplished over the last few days (thanks to my out-of-towner friend R.), I came back from each day too strung out and overwhelmed to make good writing. Fortunately, she made some decent notes, so I can do a fairly decent info dump now.
Saturday
Friend arrives! At ass o'clock in the morning. Blessings, they are sometimes mixed. The public transport trip to and from the airport is kind of annoying as all get out, especially when you are making it on four hours of sleep and a general state of health that could only distinguished from a hang-over by use of special tools. She napped while I created an incredibly tasty chicken and dumpling stew that I use to make guests feel stuffed. This gives me a tactical advantage in making them do things I want.
Sunday
The Boy and his Friend, who are among the slashiest pair of heterosexual men that I have ever seen, take Milady R to the original House of Pancakes while I go and hang out with Jesus. Afterwards, we meander around Hyde Park a bit and stop into Rockefeller chapel to run around and try to find all the secret entrances to the towers that would make excellent water-balloon delivery stations. Milady R has some homework to do, so we headed back to the ranch after The Boy made us dinner at his place and finish that up before heading out to my roomie's house-sitting gig.
Monday
Just.... Wow. Monday, we walked a hell of a lot. We started with the Art Institute, which I had seen once before but not fully explored properly. We discovered that the American artists were not actually as bad as we had predicted- I think we only strayed that way to get a look at American Gothic, but we ended up staying and discovering some particular aspects of the collections that I want to re-investigate. Ivan Albright's incredibly detailed grotesque images challenged my brains particularly- my loved it but they made my brain scuttle away because the images portrayed with so much loving detail were so disturbing. The man has a way of making even just a white lace handkerchief seem blacked and scorched.
The Matisse: Radical Invention exhibition there was also particularly intriguing- something that caught by eye was a series of four sculptures of a woman's back that got progressively more abstracted (in very different ways each time) as he revisited the same image over again. Also, there was an image of a fish bowl in front of window that I really liked.
There were statues, there were some paintings by Georgia O'Keefe, it was a good visit save for the hungry Beanie issues- I often forget that I will need to eat, and it my museum-buddy is not hungry, I just hold off until I get crabby.
However, this time I was happy I had waited because dinner came at the original PIzzeria Uno, and it was delicious and think and cheesy. I was a very happy girl at the end of the night, but getting off my feet was a wonderful bonus.
Tuesday
Since the weather was actually warm and decent on Tuesday, we went to the Lincoln Park zoo. On the way we got sidetracked by an unfocused exploration of the Washington Library, which boggles the mind for the sheer size of the collection there- there were often three copies of the same book! As a good lending library should have! Since I am constantly disappointed by the meager selection and terrible turn-around time at the local branch library, this renewed my faith in the Chicago library system.
At the zoo, the gorillas and the big cats were the stars of the show, but I have a special regard for the Mixed Penguin exhibit (like Mixed Nuts, only much more awesome.) Afterwards, we followed a route through Old Town that took us into some very German-feeling areas and lead us to a nice dinner on the cheap at the Old Jerusalem Restaurant. We had Arabic coffee, which is strong and dark and not acidic at all. It makes me deeply happy.
Wednesday
Museum of Science and Industry! German submarines! Ice cream! and other cool things! We had dinner at home, revamping my dumpling experimentations into another fun stew.
Thursday
I'd just like to note that the Field Museum's collections of gems and jewelry make me want to take Neil Caffery there was my guest, just so he can case the joint and tell me all the secret history behind everything. The Diamond exhibit was amazing more for the collection of shiny objects of incredible price rather than the science behind them, and quite frankly it was much too full, but it was a great time to ooo and aaa over all the pretty things. We took Milady R back to the airport, and then went over to Comrade N's digs for a tapas experimentation, wine, mango lassi, and fine funny company.
Friday
Today I tried to get done all the shit that I was supposed to get done over the break and failed to get done. I now have homework in all of my classes. It's back to business at the U of C.
Saturday
Friend arrives! At ass o'clock in the morning. Blessings, they are sometimes mixed. The public transport trip to and from the airport is kind of annoying as all get out, especially when you are making it on four hours of sleep and a general state of health that could only distinguished from a hang-over by use of special tools. She napped while I created an incredibly tasty chicken and dumpling stew that I use to make guests feel stuffed. This gives me a tactical advantage in making them do things I want.
Sunday
The Boy and his Friend, who are among the slashiest pair of heterosexual men that I have ever seen, take Milady R to the original House of Pancakes while I go and hang out with Jesus. Afterwards, we meander around Hyde Park a bit and stop into Rockefeller chapel to run around and try to find all the secret entrances to the towers that would make excellent water-balloon delivery stations. Milady R has some homework to do, so we headed back to the ranch after The Boy made us dinner at his place and finish that up before heading out to my roomie's house-sitting gig.
Monday
Just.... Wow. Monday, we walked a hell of a lot. We started with the Art Institute, which I had seen once before but not fully explored properly. We discovered that the American artists were not actually as bad as we had predicted- I think we only strayed that way to get a look at American Gothic, but we ended up staying and discovering some particular aspects of the collections that I want to re-investigate. Ivan Albright's incredibly detailed grotesque images challenged my brains particularly- my loved it but they made my brain scuttle away because the images portrayed with so much loving detail were so disturbing. The man has a way of making even just a white lace handkerchief seem blacked and scorched.
The Matisse: Radical Invention exhibition there was also particularly intriguing- something that caught by eye was a series of four sculptures of a woman's back that got progressively more abstracted (in very different ways each time) as he revisited the same image over again. Also, there was an image of a fish bowl in front of window that I really liked.
There were statues, there were some paintings by Georgia O'Keefe, it was a good visit save for the hungry Beanie issues- I often forget that I will need to eat, and it my museum-buddy is not hungry, I just hold off until I get crabby.
However, this time I was happy I had waited because dinner came at the original PIzzeria Uno, and it was delicious and think and cheesy. I was a very happy girl at the end of the night, but getting off my feet was a wonderful bonus.
Tuesday
Since the weather was actually warm and decent on Tuesday, we went to the Lincoln Park zoo. On the way we got sidetracked by an unfocused exploration of the Washington Library, which boggles the mind for the sheer size of the collection there- there were often three copies of the same book! As a good lending library should have! Since I am constantly disappointed by the meager selection and terrible turn-around time at the local branch library, this renewed my faith in the Chicago library system.
At the zoo, the gorillas and the big cats were the stars of the show, but I have a special regard for the Mixed Penguin exhibit (like Mixed Nuts, only much more awesome.) Afterwards, we followed a route through Old Town that took us into some very German-feeling areas and lead us to a nice dinner on the cheap at the Old Jerusalem Restaurant. We had Arabic coffee, which is strong and dark and not acidic at all. It makes me deeply happy.
Wednesday
Museum of Science and Industry! German submarines! Ice cream! and other cool things! We had dinner at home, revamping my dumpling experimentations into another fun stew.
Thursday
I'd just like to note that the Field Museum's collections of gems and jewelry make me want to take Neil Caffery there was my guest, just so he can case the joint and tell me all the secret history behind everything. The Diamond exhibit was amazing more for the collection of shiny objects of incredible price rather than the science behind them, and quite frankly it was much too full, but it was a great time to ooo and aaa over all the pretty things. We took Milady R back to the airport, and then went over to Comrade N's digs for a tapas experimentation, wine, mango lassi, and fine funny company.
Friday
Today I tried to get done all the shit that I was supposed to get done over the break and failed to get done. I now have homework in all of my classes. It's back to business at the U of C.
