B-day gift

When I got home from work today, Eric had a surprise for me...

...a new camera! Ok, so I knew that the camera had arrived today while I was working, but it really was a surprise that it was pointed at me when I opened the door. This is one of the first pictures taken. I'm so excited to take it out on the town and show it a good time.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend that my mom sent:

yea for b-days

I've had one of the best birthdays ever! My mom was here for the weekend and we got to not only join her for an open house at the Pacific School of Oriental Medicine yesterday (she is interested in the acupuncture program there) but we also enjoyed entering the Ikea timewarp again--though we couldn't think of anything we really needed when we went in, we ended up with a new dresser, some baskets and trays to organize, and some anti-slip rug thingamajigs.

And of course, we ate lots! From Sweet Tomatoes' neverending salad bar to Megan and Barrett's fondue party (which featured both the cheese and chocolate varieties of dipping goodness) to halloweeny snacks at church ("black" punch with ice "hands" floating in it, plus creamy, Oreoy "mud"!) we did not go hungry. Today was a beautiful day--a lot like the day I was born, my mom says, though a bit cooler--and after my mom left, Eric and I took a long walk by the lake and enjoyed the swirling leaves. Then we met Lewis and Andy for dinner at this newish italian restaurant right in our neighborhood and had a fabulous time!

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that my mom practiced some of her new acupuncture skills (learned in India) on us this afternoon. We had never had needles in our ears before, but it was surprisingly relaxing.

Such a great, laid back day with some of my favorite people, though lots of favorite people are too far away to celebrate in person :( It was so nice, though, to get phone calls and messages from y'all! Thinking of and connecting with so many people that I love reminds me how thankful I am for life and the chance to share it!

The Carless Commuter

Mira here. So...in the many hours I have spent on the L, the Metra (commuter) train, buses, and walking in the past month, I have experienced some pretty interesting things and encountered more than a few interesting people. Just within the past week, I have seen:

• A middle-aged woman on a fairly crowded Red Line (L) with a half-full (of something) paper Jewel-Osco bag in front of her face. For the two stops she was on the train, she sat straight up with bag held so it was nearly touching her face, literally hiding behind the bag, though once she peeked out a little and I made contact with half an eyeball. Very curious.
• Two unkind teenagers who, just as they exited the train, pelted another young guy with raw eggs. That was really shocking--and I felt quite bad for the guy who sat there for 3 more stops with yolk smeared across the window and on the seat-back in front of him (thankfully, not much was actually on him) before he moved to another seat, and then got off the train.
• A huge metal plating warehouse that is right next to the Pink Line caught fire early this week, and as firefighters continued to hose the place down, I got to pass by on the train and look down into the building and onto the street where it seemed that the buliding's insides had spilled out. Such a unique view. Thankfully, no one was hurt in the fire.
• A middle-aged man with a booming voice who yelled at his friend through his cell phone that he had been standing outside for f-ing forever trying to wave down a f-ing cab or get on an f-ing bus and this would be the f-ing last time he takes f-ing public transportation and he could have f-ing walked there by now. He was actually yelling this. He finally decided to start walking, and once he got half a block away, a bus came into view. I peeked around the bus stop shelter and there was Loud F-man, out of breath and galloping back down the block toward us. Another guy standing there and I had a short little shared chuckle as the guy approached. It's too bad people are not more creative with their language--and aware of how they impact others. But he was so ridiculous that it was actually a little funny.

Frequent occurances:

• Getting on a full bus after a long wait, only to discover that there is another bus of the same route driving behind, completely empty. This evening, there were two #147's directly behind the one I was on...and they both passed us. Cause hey, who needs to stop when no one's on the bus and everyone has already gotten on the slow one?
• Loud cell phone talkers letting everyone in on information they would not normally be sharing in public.
  

Ok, it may sounds like I'm complaining, but I usually enjoy my commute. I cross paths with a very wide variety of people...sometimes I even talk to them! And I get to read and reflect and see the skyline and occasionally just stare off into space like a zombie. And though the flow of people can sometimes feel a bit oppressive, there are times when I get off the Metra and I feel caught up in it all. There's so much energy in that many people moving in the same direction, then different directions, going to work, meeting a friend, going home...whatever everyone is doing. It might be strange, but at times I really this crazy thing that is a city pulsing and moving...and it's strange to realize that I am part of the rhythm and not outside of it. It can feel lonely to be surrounded by so many unfamiliar people, but it can also be a powerful experience.

At times, I detest having to travel so far and I curse the bad timing and frown inwardly at the grumpy people.

But every now and again, like last night, I take some wild transit combination--the Western bus to the Foster bus to the Red Line to the Outer Drive Express--and I make it home quicker than I ever have and I get to see Eric. And then I think, hey, public transportation is neat.

Insights from a restaurant worker.

Hi folks, this is Eric here! It seems like roughly forever since I have written a complete post myself! I have almost forgotten how to type! As you know, I have been working at this vegetarian restaurant for the last couple months, mostly behind the counter on the self-serve side. It has been nothing if not glamourous! Oops--when I typed "glamourous" I meant to type "exhausting and at times completely frustrating." But, for the most part, the people I work with are genuine and very laid back--which makes dealing with many of the frequent customers much easier. This job has given me new insight as to how we, as people of privelege, have come to take for granted the services and products that we buy on a daily basis. Having changed to this new job from a position of considerable respect (pastor in a United Methodist Church), it is all the more pronounced. A few things I have observed from behind the counter of the Blind Faith Cafe:

(1) Unless you are only working at this place because you have bigger ambitions toward which you are striving, customers aren't very interested in treating employees as equal human beings--and even then, it is rare. Once it is established that you may some day be able to afford to eat there, then you are related to with dignity--not merely as "the help." Also, this is a generalization, and not just about Blind Faith customers, but how workers are generally treated in the service industry.

(2) Restuarant workers (except maybe servers) who work full time, are not able to afford to eat at the place where they work without the employee discount. For example, cooks get paid $12-15 per hour, regardless of their output, which can be up to 30 plates per hour. If the average dish costs $10, after taxes, that is about an hour's wage--1/40th of your week. Considering the amount of actually pretty intense labor there is in restaurant work (washing dishes, standing over a hot stove for hours at a time, heavy lfiting, prep-cooking), the amount of respect and imbursement restaurant employees receive is pretty low. Also, since there is no profit-sharing below the management level, and most of the workers do not see the tips that servers receive, there is little incentive to perform well at one's job, aside from being able to keep it.

(3) Like the grocery business, most people who go to restaurants have no concept of where their food comes from or how it is prepared--and most people assume that vegetarian restaurants are pure in their purchasing habits, which, for cost purposes, simply cannot be true. Of course, knowing this has not stopped me from eating the food at the restaurant, but it has given me a deeper awareness that food does not come pre-wrapped in neat packages. Someone has to make the seitan loaf, someone has to chop all the onions, someone has to prepare all the sauces, someone has to make all the granola, someone has to make the corn bread, someone has to wash all the soup spoons, and someone has to buy all this stuff. So when I visit a restaurant I try to remember there are 20 people with 20 things for which they are responsible all coming together to make my meal possible. Thus, when I visit a restaurant I try not to complain when when the restaurant is sold out of something that "I can't live without," or make an employee search all over the restuarant for a soup spoon becuase I refuse to eat soup with a regular spoon. Apparently this concept is lost on many of the people who frequent this establishment.

(4) A valuable lesson taught to me by an all-too-frequent-customer: As a customer, never will I ever refer to someone who forgot to put a small container of guacamole in my to go bag as an "idiot," becuase it is demeaning and wrong--and, the employees would probably say mean things about me when I am not there.

I am looking forward to the opportunity to become a server, as it will give me greater insight to the vegetarian restaurant connoisseur, and I feel like I can do a good job without taking anything personally or freaking out like some servers do (we are not negotiating the Cuban missile crisis, people--really, we're just serving food to people who pay for it)--but mostly I am looking forward to working less and getting paid more, which will allow me to take more time to pursue film studies. Wait, isn't that why I wanted to work in a restuarant in the first place...?

Neighborhood Tour

Last weekend, when the weather was incredible, Andy and I wandered around our neighborhood and took some pictures. I though that y'all might like to see what it looks like!

This is Rogers Avenue Beach, across the street and about halfway between our place and Lewis and Andy's building (when Andy first came to town, he was staying with Lewis, but then ended up renting 2 floors up!).

The view north from Rogers Avenue Beach

No diving, ok?

He did not know I was taking this picture--this is what Andy really looks like when he gazes pensively into the distance.

This park has the best sign on the street.

Lil' Blue in front of Rogers Ave. Beach. I know, it's a hot car.

This is our building.

In the courtyard:

Looking out from the courtyard:

I love this tree. This is our little beach and park--Juneway. It's the one you can barely see from our courtyard.

Just north of Juneway is the border between Chicago and Evanston. We're about to cross over in this picture. This is such a great place to run and walk and bike. The point you can make out on the right side of the picture--way over there-- is where Eric and I got engaged!

Andy and I then walked a few blocks south and west to the Howard neighborhood. This is our alley--our building is the leafy one on the left. It's a great alley, I think.

This is the intersection between Rogers, Howard, and Greenview--possibly the least-stoppingest intersection in the city. If you look closely, you can see something disturbing hanging from the gray building on the right.

I'd always wanted to go into "Lost Eras," an antique and costume shop (it's the place that has the body-like figure with a Jason mask hanging from it, if you couldn't tell from the pic).

The place was pretty huge inside and had lots of interesting, as well as disturbing, items. I should have taken a picture of the dining room table with rubber body parts on all the plates. I choose not to put anything with an unknown origin on my head, but Andy was not concerned about it.

Looking back east from in front of L.E.

This is the old Howard Theater. It's now an athletic shoe store. In the background is the Howard "el" stop--a busy transfer station and the northernmost stop in Chicago.

This is a great little vegetarian cafe on Howard, just three blocks from our place. It's the place where we had our first meal when we moved back here! Unfortunately, there aren't many other trees around that are this red. Even though we are really close to Michigan, their trees sport colors so much more brilliant than those in Chicago. I hope I get home to visit before they go away!

Here's a street shot of N. Eastlake Terrace.

Andy on a rock.

I think this guy was enjoying the amazing view by...playing with his cell phone.

When we got back from our walk, we "picked up" Lewis and headed to the Blind Faith Cafe, where Eric was working til close. Here is the bar where I like to sit when I come and bug the staff. There's a fancier side to the restaurant, but this section is "self-serve" (= don't have to leave good tips). Emerging from the kitchen is John, the baker who made the vegan cake and cupcakes for our wedding reception!

A live-action service moment. Well, Tom wasn't really getting anything out of the display, but the customer is real.

Lewis and Andy enjoyed their meals...

Though someone demanded to know where all the meat was.

I wasn't complainin'

And so ends another evening at the BFC. It was a good afternoon and a good night--and probably the last warm day we'll have for a while!

!!!

It's snowing in Chicago!!!!

Dancin the night away

Andy and Lewis invited us to go out for tapas and salsa (both the spicy kind and the dancy kind) on Saturday. Louise, an Albion friend, was in town from Cincinnati, and she loves to dance. We hung out a bit at Lewis's place for a bit--he's got a very comfy couch--while everyone gathered.

By the time we left, it was after 10pm (!!!), an hour which usually makes me say "Time for beddy-by" (yes mom, it stuck). But there would be no sleeping for many hours! We traveled downtown to Cafe Iberico in style--Lewis had borrowed a shiny mini-van from the high school where he works...sshhhh--and though we were told that the wait would be over an hour, Louise knew of a "secret" place in the downstairs bar. Sure enough, we sat down right away and enjoyed some exceptional queso de cabra (goat cheese) and sangria, among other yummy things. Here we are--Patricia (who works at the same school as Lewis and Andy), Lewis, Louise, Andy, Goose, and me.

We are beautiful.


We headed down the street to Nacional 27, an honest to goodness salsa club (it was our first real salsa club experience). Lewis and Louise cuttin a carpet:

Patricia and Big Schweaty:

We don't know what the heck we're doing--does it show?

We stayed until they turned the lights on--at 3:00am!

Ok, back in the mini-van.

"Secret" parking spot

Those of you familiar with where we live know that we are on a one-way street going south for a few blocks along the lake. Sheridan Road, a thoroughfare for those going north in our neighborhood, runs parallel to Eastlake Terrace (our street), but just north of our place, makes a reverse S-curve and intersects with our street. So last time my mom was in town, she was out late and returned to find no parking spots on our street (no big surprise there), so she parked on the one block of Sheridan that runs east-west at the north end of our block. Though there is room for a lane of parking and no signs or yellow curbs, we had always assumed that no parking was allowed because it's a very busy curve and we had never seen any cars there before. But, amazingly, my mom didn't get a ticket. So, now that we have a car that we drive now and then, we have occasionally used our "secret" spot when we can't find a space on our street, usually late in the evening. But the other day, we returned to the car to move it to a "real" spot, and there were two cars parked behind us! A few days later, we again arrived home in the evening and had to resort to the secret spot, along with 3 other cars, and as we got out of the car, we heard the folks entering their building right there muttering, "you can't park there...hummfereumpmermer" This morning, there were eight cars parked along the curb! I think the tiny block is now at capacity! I marvel at our ability to change parking patterns, and I mourn the death of our "secret" spot. Now we might have to walk up to 2 blocks! Oh the hardship. The parking situation (in addition to a dead batter/empty gas tank fiasco that turned a quick trip to the store into a 3 1/2 hour event) just serves to remind us of why we sold our car before we moved. Not only is it better for the environment, for our physical health, and for our bank accounts to walk, bike and take public transportation...having a car is a pain in the butt!

In other news, Eric has been working lots and is excited because he will start to train as a server next week! Though he has enjoyed his smoothie-making, dessert-slicing, and tie-dye shirt-wearing time behind the Blind Faith counter, he looks forward to the day when he will wear his black pants, white dress shirt, and silly black vest each and every day and get to serve a new set of picky vegetarians on the sit-down side of the restaurant. Seriously, though, once he switches over completely, he will be making significantly more money and working few hours. So that means more time and energy to pursue documentary-making experience. At this point, the next step will be enrolling in some classes at a community television station in Evanston.

This evening, we'll be going out for tapas and doing some salsa dancing with Andy and Lewis and some other friends! Please, send some rhythm this way. We both need it!

Life in the Office, the Y, the Museum, and the Gallery

Hello friends. We hope that wherever you are, you had as beautiful a fall day as we had here today. It truly was a magnificent day to be near the lake. Clear skies, a warm breeze, small waves and blue, blue water.

I (Mira) thought you might like to know a little bit more about my new job. Instituto del Progreso Latino is a very large organization, but the citizenship department is in a storefront office about a block away from the main Instituto building. The department enables legal permanent residents to apply for citizenship through large weekend workshops and individual appointments, and helps them prepare for their interview/exam through classes and tutoring. The clients' files are tracked during the process to be sure that they have fulfilled all the requirements and following all the steps correctly--it can be a very confusing and intimidating process!

The center is quite cozy, with one mid-size room containing the workspaces of five of us, including the Citizenship Director (though she is behind a high cubicle-like wall). Two of the staff in the room are administrative assistants and one is from a completely different organization, but has her workspace there. Also in the main space is the waiting area and table where students register for classes, take placement tests, and fill out any other paperwork. Connected to that room is a tiny room for the three staff who assist clients with N-400 Application for Naturalization.

There are about ten part-time citizenship teachers who teach the 8-week, 2-hour-a-day classes and I, as the Teacher Coordinator, supervise the teachers, schedule and coordinate classes at several sites, and track all of the student and teacher data. I will hopefully start visiting classes next week and meeting with teachers, through it seems that I will have to work hard to make those visits and meetings a priority because the administrative work has already proved to be very time-consuming. The teachers I've met so far are really great and I really like the folks who are in the office. There is always hard work being done, but there is also lots of laughter. I've met a few other non-Hispanic folks in the organization, and there is one non-Hispanic teacher, but all the other folks in the office are Hispanic. The communication is funny because people fly back and forth between Spanish and English--sometimes mid-sentence. I'm really excited about getting to speak lots of Spanish, though I still get nervous about answering the phone.

Because a couple of new citizenship classes are being created, I am, through some strange twist in the plot, in charge of hiring teachers! It's just really weird to suddenly be reading other people's cover letters--addressed to me. It's probably good that in my job search I experienced both good and bad hiring practices and communication...it will certainly impact how I interact with teacher candidates and the promptness of my correspondence.

So...I think it's going well so far. I'm learning a lot and getting to know people...and it's just nice to be employed again!

Eric and I have had a nice weekend. We joined the YMCA in Evanston on Friday and have worked out there a few times already. It's a nice facility--I'm way excited to try out the raquetball courts and kick Eric's butt (Eric here: I don't think so). Yesterday, Joey, Maiko and I enjoyed the newly remodeled Chicago History Museum at their grand (and free) re-opening. In the Chicago: Crossroads of America exhibit, we got to tour one of the very first "L" cars, learn about the history of several diverse Chicago neighborhoods, and see lots of products that were invented or pioneered in Chicago. You might not know that it was in Chicago that the Brunswick company revoluntionized the game of bowling when they developed the first ball made out of some resin (they used to be made of wood). Also, the first Crate and Barrel was in Chicago and the game "Mouse Trap" was developed here. Exciting, I know. I would definitely recommend the museum to those who live here or might visit.

Eric came downtown afterwork and we went to Josh and Deborah's, whose apartment/studio was part of the Chicago Art District's community open house. Deborah's amazing paintings were hung around their place and folks could come in and and munch on goat cheese and crackers and wine while they enjoyed the artwork...and then wind around the neighborhood to lots of other studios and galleries. We had a really fun evening with them and ended up staying at their place in Pilsen and going directly from there to church this morning.

Well, I guess it's a "work night." I should be making my lunch or something!

Great jeeeoorrrbb!

Hi friends. Mira here. I am very excited to share that I am employed! I was offered a job yesterday and started today, which is a bit wild. I am the full-time Teacher Coordinator for the Citizenship program at Instituto del Progreso Latino, which I have found to be a great place to work so far. My supervisor and co-workers are fabulous and I get to speak LOTS of Spanish (so far, I'm the only Anglo staff member I know). I would love to tell you much more about it, but I am a bit loopy at the moment. Not only did I work a very full day after having not worked for a bit, but Eric and I picked my mom up from the airport this morning at 5:30!!!

Sad

We were sad to learn when we returned from church that Jean Rose had passed away this morning. I so appreciate Jean's nephew, Eric, who has kept us updated since she moved to Toledo with him, and who even read our last e-mail to her after she had slipped into a coma...and swore that she smiled a little at the greeting: "Hola Jean." Jean was such a loving person, a brilliant conversationalist, and so funny--just a sweet, sweet soul. She loved to share stories about the years she worked at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, where she was the resident pianist and handwriting analyst and where her late husband, George, was the hotel photographer. She loved to learn and took on my Spanish class with such enthusiasm--she always did her homework faithfully, plus more, just for practice. And she had such faith! It was truly a blessing to know her during the last couple of her 92 years and I'm thankful that when she died, she went peacefully in the presence of family.

You're the best, Jean.

Mom's blog

Mira Here. On the day that my mom left for India (two weeks ago), I helped her start a blog, and she has made one entry so far about her trip. For those of you who are interested, here is the link: http://krisrasmusson.blogspot.com/

Fall is here

Mira here. Though the official autumnal equinox is not until tomorrow, fall has arrived in Chicago with a whoosh and a rustle. It's fun to get out the sweaters and scarves, but the knowledge that jaw-aching-cold, snowy (and dark) mornings are just around the corner is not particularly exciting. Oregon winters are dreary, too, but we've been spoiled by the mild temperatures. I think I've turned into even more of a weather wimp since we moved back east! The walking, biking, and public-transportation commuting through the dark months will toughen us up soon enough!

But...we are not completely carless anymore! It is still our intention to keep driving to a minimum, but we have been gifted a car! Our new friend, Steve, who went to high school with the fabulous retired clergy-woman, Karen Slotta (who lives in good ol' Woodburn--but will soon move to Portland!), has been so great since we arrived in the Windy City. He has had us over for dinner, introduced us to another young couple new to Chicago, and made tons of job recommendations (he's very connected) and when his wife, Daryl, bought a new car, they hoped the we'd give their old one a loving home. So, we are the proud new owners of a turquoisish '94 Ford Escort, which we plan to share with other carless Chicago friends--it would be like a small-scale "I-GO" system.

Speaking of shared transportation, I visited the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art on Tuesday (free admission day) while Eric worked, and they had a fabulous exhibition called Massive Change: The Future of Global Design. One of the neatest parts of the exhibit was a room dedicated to one of People Powered's pilot programs--a bike share for Chicago! They plan to implement the program by spring of next year, which would be so great. I've heard about bike-shares in Europe and I'm surprised it's taken so long to catch on--sometimes we're a bit slow here in the U.S.

Here's a picture of some of the "blue bikes" that would be locked up outside of "el" stations (a pic from the People Powered website).
Eric has been making some more connections in the documentary film world. He wants to enroll in a class at a studio in Evanston, but because we are not Evanston residents, he is exploring the possibility of doing some volunteer film work for one of the institutes at Garrett so he will be eligible (non-residents who are affiliated with an Evanston organization are sometimes eligible). It would also be a great opportunity to work with Dr. Murphy and other Garrett all-stars. Dr. Murphy also directed Eric to a filmmaker he knows, and the two have already talked over the phone. And of course, we have been watching documentaries!

On Saturday, I will be volunteering at a citizenship workshop, where I will help permanent legal residents fill out the N-400 Application for Naturalization (a 10-page document). The New Americans Initiative (a branch of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights), though a huge grant, is able to offer these workshops all over the city on a very regular basis at no cost to the clients. Because the process is so complicated and can be quite daunting, it's such a great service to offer not only assistance with the application itself, but also legal guidance, picture taking, and educational resources (like where they can find ESL, GED, and citizenship classes). I'm excited to meet people and to help in some small way--plus there will be donuts there!

I'd like to ask for positive thoughts and prayers for a good friend of ours, Jean Rose, who is in the hospital and not doing well. Now 93-years-old, I think, she was my most faithful student in the Spanish class I taught at the Woodburn church and has a fabulous laugh and a witty tongue. Several months before we left Oregon, she moved across the country to live with her nephew, Eric, and his family, in Toledo because her health was beginning to fail. She had become much stronger, had joined a church and a senior center, but has in and out of the hospital fairly regularly. And now the doctors say that the problems with her kidneys could work themselves out, but she might also have a very short time to live. She is such an amazing person--a concert pianist, a handwriting analyst, and a loving friend. Please keep Jean and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Kris & Mira’s Excellent Adventure

Today we have a guest blogger on Life of Miric, the renowned Kristina Rogers Rasmusson...otherwise known as "Mira's mom."

Mira’s mom here. Wanted to share with you a cultural mother-daughter experience we shared yesterday. Mira and I were in the NBC Tower to pick up my visa for a trip to India (the Indian Consulate is in the building). In the lobby, we noticed a long line of people holding tickets for the Jerry Springer Show. Ready for an adventure, we decided on the spur of the moment to take in the show. Why not, I’d never been to a TV screening before, in fact, I had never even watched the show on TV before. Mira has much more experience in show business than me; having been on the The Price is Right, with her college softball team. In fact, Mira’s teammate won a Dodge Dakota truck – with the help of the rest of the team.

So, we went through security, waited expectantly in the “holding room”, and finally arrived full of anticipation. I called Jim – Mira’s step dad - who proceeded to remind me that this show is “really low-rent”. Being adventurous, we were up for anything.

Since Jerry Springer is Dancing with the Stars this week, he was in LA. The host, Steve, was a huge, bald, commanding, former Marine – with good common sense & values (“a voice of reason”). It was interesting to see how the host gets coached by someone else on the side. Also, the bouncers added their own little flair by egging on the audience during the commercial breaks [the beefy guys danced around a pole and took their shirts off]. Steve was actually a voice of reason, wisdom and sanity on the show.

In the studio while waiting for the actual taping to begin, we got to view Jerry Springer's "Too Hot to Show on TV" with much brawling, hair pulling, stripping, clothes ripping, etc. Boy – are we in for a treat, I thought. What did we get ourselves into? We did get to watch a cat fight, hair pulling, complaining, blaming, etc. And - one of the guests was truly a sleaze ball.

For all of you Jerry Springer fans, you already know there is a segment at the end of the show where guests sit up front on stage, and the audience gives their comments. I was actually considering telling the sleaze ball just how bad he was. However, there is one part of the show that many folks do not know about. After expressing their comments, the women in the audience have an opportunity to earn "Jerry beads." The way to do this is by lifting your shirt & flashing their assets to the audience. Of course the audience goes wild and rewards them with hooting, hawing, cheering, etc. I was quite shocked when the girl next to me was the first person to get up to “share” with the guests. I quickly changed my mind about expressing my sleaze ball comment.

As a parent, I really do try to give my family a wide variety of cultural, educational, inspiring experiences. Even though Mira is now an adult, I find that my job as a role model and mentor is never done. It is so reassuring that I can continue to make such a huge difference in Mira’s life! Well on to my next adventure – a spiritual trip to India.

blog blog blog

Mira here. We've enjoyed the chance to get to know some more people from Holy Covenant UMC this past week. On Wednesday evening, there was a gathering called "Theology on Tap" at the Trinity Pub, just down the street from the church. It was great to chat with the 7 or 8 other folks, including pastor Trey, in a really relaxed setting--and the fact that it was half-off-everything night was a bonus! And then the next morning, we met Trey at the Heartland Cafe for breakfast. He is such a down-to-earth, balanced person who really seems to be in tune with what's going on with people in the congregation as well as in the community--really just a great pastor all around in our opinion. We had lots of fun talking and learning a bit about his background and he had a great connection for Eric--a guy named Erik who is a filmmaker and does pretty much exactly what Eric would like to be doing. His company, The Media Bunch, does contract work for annual conferences in the UMC and makes independent films. Hopefully Eric and Erik will be able to get together soon!

On Friday, we went with Josh, Deborah, Lisa and Brad to the "Around the Coyote" art festival in Wicker Park. The festival's focus was on new and emerging, under-exibited artists, and though there was one artist whose work was downright disturbing, much of the work was pretty cool. One of the photographs we liked was taken in Millenium Park, downtown Chicago, and I discovered later it had won a prize in the TimeOut Chicago photo contest 2006. If you go to this page, it's the second large one down--the reflection of a kid playing in the fountain (by C. Grant). While you're on the page, you should just go ahead and look at all the other prize-winning photos on there because they offer a little slice of Chicago life.

After enjoying lots of art over samplins of wine and cheesy snacks, Lisa and Brad headed back north and Eric and I went with Josh and Deborah to the Map Room (I don't know why they called it that...), where we...munched on napkins.


Ok, this is a survey. First, take a look at the picture above. Now take a look at the pictures below:

Note: I did not take these pictures, but borrowed them from some silly celebrity website.

Survey questions:
1). Do either of the men in picture number 1 bear any resemblance to Kevin Bacon, who is featured in pictures 2 and 3?
2). If yes, which one looks more like him?
3). Is there anything disturbing to you about Eric's left arm in picture number 1?

Thank you for your time.

One more exciting thing. When we went to Holy Covenant this morning, Andy, Lisa, and Brad came with us! And then after the service (which was really great), on the hospitality table there were chocolate cupcakes AND real-life Cheetos--the fat kind. That's my kind of coffee hour.

Fun times at Navy Pier

Mira here. While Eric was honoring all those who labor by.....working, I went with Andy and Lewis and Lewis's friend, Leah, to Navy Pier where Leah's friend Sally's band was playing. They were a fabulous, 10-piece group that did great covers but also played a lot of their own stuff, and two of the singers are vocal students at Columbia College (the art school where Eric will likely apply). It was fun to be a tourist for an evening (we even took the Navy Pier tourist trolley from downtown--it's free!) and hear so many languages being spoken in one place. I wish Eric could have been there!

Here we are walking down Howard to the "el." It looks like I'm carrying puke in a baggie, but it's just salsa verde for the veggie empanadas that we ate on the way.

Andy, looking for the North Side:

An action shot (see the seagull?):

World Class Noise. Sally is the back-up singer on the right:

In the Beer Garden:

We have big heads.

Now I can join the "Long Torso Club," if Jim, Eric, and Cessie will have me.

Four coneheads.