Thursday, May 31, 2012

Summer 2012 To-Do List



Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, and Cary over at My Life's List inspired me with her Summer 2012 To-Do List. 

I thought I'd compile my own list.  Here it is!

  • Go to the beach, preferably a mix of the city's north-side, south-side, and suburban locations.
  • Go to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field and/or a White Sox game at US Cellular Field.
  • Go swimming at one or more of the Chicago Park District pools, and consider getting a pool pass.
  • Have a meal on my building's rooftop deck.
  • Go on a Segway Tour (without losing my balance).
  • Get my bike's tires pumped up from their currently deflated status so I can bike the lakefront path and roam the city.
  • Go to a Farmer's Market and buy something completely out of the ordinary.


  • Picnic and listen to a concert at Millennium Park and/or Ravinia.
  • Go to the Chicago Air and Water Show, Venetian Night, and perhaps the Taste of Chicago or Jazz Fest.
  • See a parade.
  • Just for fun, dabble with some outdoor sports, e.g. kick around a soccer ball, hit some tennis balls, throw some baseballs, work on my volleyball serve.
  • Go on one of those dinner cruises that depart from Navy Pier.
  • Try the Chicago Water Taxi.
  • Explore different Chicago neighborhoods by foot or on bike (Pilsen and Hyde Park, here I come!)


  • Try some new restaurants close to where I live, particularly in Greektown and/or on Randolph Street.  Dine alfresco where possible.
  • Keep up with my marathon training as well as my yoga, strength-training, and physical therapy routines.  (Still debating if I want to maintain my speed-training routine while in the thick of marathon training.  To be safe, probably not.)
  • See some improv comedy at a theater I've never been to before.
  • Go to the Chicago Outdoor Film Festival.
  • Visit southwest Michigan and come home armed with a minimum 10-lb. supply of local blueberries.  In preparation, clear out some space in my freezer.


  • Use those blueberries in as many recipes as possible.
  • Hopefully be successful with my herb-growing kit, and use those herbs in as many recipes as possible.
  • Go to a theme park, most obviously and conveniently Great America - but I would always love to go to Disney!
  • Try some new grilling recipes (watch out, Bobby Flay!)
  • Yoga in Millennium Park
  • Try Pequod's and/or deep dish pizza from a place I've never tried before.  Maybe finally do a self-guided deep dish pizza crawl.

Suggestions?  Anything that I missed?

16 comments:

  1. Sounds fun....can I come along? :)

    Katie K

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    1. Katie!!! OF COURSE, we shall be partners in crime. =P

      In all seriousness, though, it is time for us to catch up again! I'll email you!

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  2. Hit me up if you need a pizza or restaurant buddy! So far I've only been to Jak's Tap, Haymarket Brewery, & Athena.

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    1. Yay, I am always in need of restaurant buddies so that would be awesome. Let's figure out a time to start eating our way through the West Loop and beyond! I'll start making a list of places that I'd like to try, and likewise please let me know what places have caught your eye thus far!

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  3. I think I may go to Great America for the first time ever tomorrow! Can you believe I have not been?

    I hope you have MANY rooftop picnics! :) I love eating outside in the summer!

    I usually make a list like this but probabaly won't for this year because I am always bummed when I have not done much on it. BUT! Camping has been on my list the last two years and we are FINALLY going this year!

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    1. Ooooh, Great America for the first time tomorrow, you are going to have a great time! I actually haven't been there in a good 15 years myself, so I'm right there with you!

      Doesn't food just taste better when consumed outdoors? I don't know what it is but it's one of the truths of summertime. =)

      I so hear you about getting bummed when the lists generally just get longer and longer instead of shorter and shorter (actually, it happens to me in the office pretty much every day.) But yay for camping, so glad that you are finally going this year!!! Are you camping locally or traveling to camp?

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    2. We are going to Yellowstone State Park near Madison. I have never been there!

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    3. How AWESOME! There are some absolutely gorgeous parks in Wisconsin (I once went camping at Devil's Lake, which was nice) and I am sure that Yellowstone State Park will be no exception. Be sure to take TONS of pictures to share!!!

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  4. Love this! Awesome list, and thanks so much for the shout out!

    You have some great things on here. Also, Pequod's = awesomeness! Also, if you've never been to Art of Pizza, that is actually my favorite deep dish, and I am more of a thin crust kind of girl usually.

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    1. Thanks, Cary! Thank YOU for the inspiration. =D

      I've never heard of Art of Pizza before now - thanks so much for letting me know about it! I am very excited to try it with such a high recommendation!!! And always glad to hear another thumbs up vote for Pequod's, too. Yay, Chicago pizza!!!

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  5. Hello! I'm hosting a {summertime} to do list link up over on my blog right now. Feel free to link up! Thanks!

    http://theterpblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/summertime-to-dos-2012.html

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    1. Katie, thanks so much for letting me know about the link-up on your blog! I linked myself up, and really enjoyed reading your list and the lists of others, too!

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  6. I got here from the link up at http://theterpblog.blogspot.com/2012/06/summertime-to-dos-2012.html Love your list.

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    1. Thanks, Pat! I checked out your list, too, and was very inspired! I'll be borrowing a lot of your items to add to my list, as well. =D

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  7. You have a great list- so inspiring to get out there and do it! Love the watermelon too. Hilarious.
    Happy summer to you and stopping by from the summer hop!

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    1. Thank you so much! I just checked out your posting on "What I Ate Wednesday" and my mouth has been watering at the sight of some of those yummy-looking dishes!!! =) Thanks so much for sharing that cookie recipe and happy summer to you too!!!

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