I had a really great week! A few highlights: I attended the ITU World Triathlon celebration and two different happy hour gatherings... ate a LOT of pizza (Connie's, Parlor Pizza, and Vincenzo's)... and best of all, came away from a dentist appointment with a clean bill of health. Life is good.
And now, viva las weekend!
Here are five things that I am currently looking forward to over the next few weeks:
1. The need for speed
This weekend is the Chicago Air and Water Show! It is one of my very favorite summertime city events. There is nothing more thrilling than watching fighter pilots zipping by in tandem at death-defying speed. (My company once brought in a former Blue Angels pilot as a keynote speaker! Read about it here.)
On that note, Natalie will be in town this weekend! We are going to meet up at Oak Street Beach tomorrow to watch the show together. I'm so excited to catch up with her while enjoying a glorious afternoon at the beach!!!
2. "Sing us a song, you're the Piano Man..."
Six words: Billy Joel concert at Wrigley Field.
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Combine Billy Joel with the iconic backdrop of Wrigley Field and you have the stuff of legends. Thanks to Adam for snagging tickets! This is going to be a concert for the ages.
3. "Come on along and listen to the lullaby of Broadway..."
Next Monday is the annual Broadway in Chicago Summer Concert at Millennium Park!
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There is an amazing line-up of music this year: Cabaret, Dirty Dancing, Lion King, and Newsies, just to name a few.
The premises are going to be packed so I am already plotting how I can get there early enough to snag a good spot on the lawn. This weekend I'm going to practice riding a Divvy bike while simultaneously carrying a portable chair-in-a-bag. =D
4. E ʻai kāua ("Bon appetit" in Hawaiian)
I love all things Hawaiian, especially the food. I have always wanted to try Roy's Restaurant, one of the few Hawaiian restaurants in Chicago.
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5. Full belly laughs
When I ran the PAWS Run For Their Lives, I entered a raffle and won two tickets to Second City! I'll be putting them to use at Second City's Bloody Mary Brunch.
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After taking improv classes a few years back, I have grown to truly, truly appreciate the astounding creative genius that is the improv community in Chicago. This will be such a treat.
What about you? What are you looking forward to right now?
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Linking up with Katie, Heather, and Clare.
Well what do ya know?! I'm looking forward to one of the same things as you. Lol! We're loading the plane now. See you soon.
ReplyDeleteWoo hoo!!! Travel safe and see you soon!!!
DeleteI'm spending the day in my kayak with some old friends! The rain better hold off!
ReplyDeleteEvery year, up until about 2 years ago, a group of my neighborhood friends and I used to go to North Avenue beach on the Friday before the Air and Water Show with all our boys. It was a wonderful day and we made a lot of memories. Now the boys are big and busy, and that tradition has gone away. I'm a little sad about that!
A day in your kayak sounds heavenly. I pray that the rain holds off for you too!!!
DeleteVisiting North Avenue Beach on the Friday before the A&W show sounds like a wonderful tradition! I hear you on how schedules get so busy. Sadly, it can be so difficult to get everyone rounded up for these festivities. Hopefully you'll be able to revisit that tradition again someday soon!
Oh my gosh! That's a lot of fun stuff you have coming up! I admit, I'm a little jealous that you have such a willing partner to go with you (or initiate!) all of these things. Also, didn't you also win a RPM gift card from the PAWS raffle, too? Lucky duck!
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm looking forward to trying out an Orangetheory Fitness class this afternoon followed by getting iced coffee from The Wormhole Coffee. I limit my iced coffee consumption to only local shops (no Starbucks here!) so I'm excited to try a new place. Then tomorrow night is our neighbors's rooftop party and I'm really looking forward to that! And hopefully the weather holds out and I can get in a good swim tomorrow morning as well.
Thanks Erin! You have an amazing memory!!! Yes - I was incredibly fortunate to win two sets of raffle prizes from PAWS. (I bought 20 raffle tickets that day and going all in definitely paid off. =) )
DeleteI have heard so much about Orangetheory over the last few months!!! Please let me know what you think. I've never heard of Wormhole but I am super intrigued by the name. I am completely with you on avoiding Starbucks and going to the local places only!!! That rooftop party sounds like it is going to be a blast. Outdoor rooftop parties are the biggest treats known to all Chicago residents during the summertime.
Fingers crossed on the weather holding out, too!!! The forecasters are predicting hot and sunny over the weekend and I am praying that they are right!!!
Orangetheory was similar to Shred415 except that we also used rowing machines in addition to the treadmills. I had a good time like I typically do at HIIT-type classes. But, we ran at a 12% incline on the treadmill and I've had a sore left calf ever since!
DeleteOh, also, The Wormhole was awesome. It's all 80s and 90s (nerdy) pop culture themed! Think Back to the Future and Legend of Zelda!
DeleteA 12% incline? WOW. I don't blame you for having a sore calf ever since. That sounds super intense! I love the idea of incorporating rowing machines into the rotations!
DeleteThe Wormhole sounds like it would be right up my alley! Back To The Future and Zelda were both my jams when I was growing up. =)
Thanks for sharing!!!
Sounds like such a packed weekend. We have a Roy's here and some of my friends love it.
ReplyDeleteLOL - these events are actually spread out all over the next two weeks! So it probably sounds way more jam-packed than it really is. =) Yay for Roy's!!! Glad to hear that it gets stellar reviews from your friends!
DeleteI'm SO bummed I just found out about the Broadway in Chicago concert in Millennium Park yesterday. It sounds AMAZING, but I have meeting at that time on Mondays, so I can't go! Sad day. Had I found out earlier, I would've tried to reschedule. Alas. I'm hoping to see The Lion King when it comes to town later this year, though, so I'll get my Broadway fix then, ideally.
ReplyDeleteBethany @ Accidental Intentions
Awww, Bethany, that is a HUGE bummer that your schedule conflicts!!! But hey, if it helps, I think it is going to be insanely crowded. Some folks have been posting that they are planning to line up hours and hours in advance to get a good lawn spot. So it is nice to see the Broadway shows in the theaters where you have an assigned seat and don't have to worry about fighting for territory. =) Lion King will be epic!!!
DeleteSo jealous you're going to see Billy Joel. I went to the Broadway in Chicago concert last year and it was fun. We got there a little late and there were so many people. Would love to go again but I have to wait and see how I feel after setting up my classroom.
ReplyDeleteI heard doors are opening at 5:15 for the 6:15 performance. That's not a lot of time! So I'm going to try to get there as close to 5:15 as possible. I hear people are planning to camp out hours in advance!
DeleteGood luck setting up your classroom!!! I can't believe how quickly the summer has gone by... so many kids have already gone back to school!
Have fun at the brunch! I went a few weeks ago and then I saw one of the guys on Last Comic Standing! Pretty cool!
ReplyDeleteThanks Katie! I was so happy to read your positive review when you went for Jackie's bachelorette party. How awesome to see one of the Last Comic Standing guys!!! I forget sometimes how prominent Second City is in the world of comedy, given that it's right here!!!
DeleteI'm so bummed I can't be at Billy Joel this weekend - found out too late. But I hope you have a great time! And I am so excited about Devil in the White City :-) One of my favorite books!
ReplyDeleteThanks Alexandra! Actually - Billy Joel is at Wrigley on Thursday, August 27 - so you still have time to decide!!! =) FYI - we got our tickets from a resale source (Stubhub, I think) and they were cheaper there than buying from the original source!!!
DeleteAgreed that Devil in the White City is such an amazing story. Chicago history is absolutely fascinating, isn't it!?!?!?
I grew up with Billy Joel. My sister and I had his ALBUMS. LOL. 52nd Street is the one I remember most. One of my favorite running songs is his River of Dreams. That will be an awesome concert. I'm looking forward to my sister visiting in a couple of weeks!
ReplyDeleteBilly Joel is so classic! 52nd Street is fantastic and I love River of Dreams, too!!! Yay for your sister visiting in a couple of weeks - that will be so much fun!!!
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