Act 11: Sweet Home Chicago

I spent this past weekend in Chicago and it was fantastic!  Good times were had by all.  A few things I did that qualify for this here blog…

1)      Rock Bottom Brewery’s RockFest –

This event was a beer tasting featuring 46 microbrews from Iowa, Illinios, and Wisconsin.  It was FUN.  The only “beer tasting” I’ve ever been to was the Sam Adam’s Brewery that I talked about in Act 2 of this blog.  This was totally different.  Big room, lots of people, and a tasting glass (kind of like a wine glass, but not exactly).  You got a sheet that listed all beers, the brewery and city they came from, and the brewmaster’s name.  There were tables with taps and you just went around and had them fill you up with whatever interested you.  A solid 3 oz pour I’d say.  Multiply that by 46 beers and you could be hurting!  You learn quickly how to do it though.   We had 6 people so we’d each try to get a different beer and pass glasses to try them all.  Then when you’re done (and I did taste every single one!), you can go back for a glass of a few of your favorites.

If you like beer, I’d highly recommend finding an event like this.  You have no idea what they can do with beer flavors until you do.  There were a few barrel-aged beers… one tasted like scotch and two others tasted like whiskey.  I mean almost exactly like them!  No burn though, because, well, beer doesn’t burn.  Another smelled (and slightly tasted) like a York Peppermint Patty, another was sort of tropical in flavor.  There was such a variety that you were bound to find something that you liked.  My favorite?  The Cinco de Mayo Vienna Lager brewed in Orland Park.

2)     STOMP

The idea behind STOMP is making music using your hands, feet, and everyday objects like garbage cans, lids, brooms, buckets, etc.  It was at the Bank of America Theater in Chicago this past weekend and it was pretty entertaining.  2 things really amazed me about the show.  First was the acoustics.  It didn’t seem like these people hand their hands mic’d, but man… they snapped their fingers and the sound filled the theater.  I can barely snap my fingers at all!  The second aspect that really grabbed me was how each person kept their own rhythm going no matter what else was going on.  There were so many different parts being “played” at once that I couldn’t keep them straight.  At least if you’re playing in a band, or even singing, you can hear your part to an extent (clarinets sound different than trumpets after all) but here the sounds were all similar and most of the time only one person was doing each part.  I wouldn’t have stood a chance!

 

3)     Cubs Game

Alright, you caught me.  Going to a Cubs game is not new… it was actually my 4^th time.  BUT, I’m saying t qualifies because of where I sat.  I usually somewhere in the 200s sections, but this time the tickets were a birthday present for Steve so I splurged for something better.  Section 111, about 15-20 rows behind the Cubs dugout staring directly at 3^rd base.  Close enough to see facial expressions.  It draws you into the game when you’re that close!  It’s easier to follow the action and get excited (not that I’m not always excited when I go to Cubs games, but still).  I have to admit, I’m in serious danger of becoming a “seat snob”.  Which is too expensive even for the 2 games/year I go to.  Let's face it though.  I'll still be happy sitting anywhere.

  It says there beneath the scoreboard that "The Cubs are gonna win today"... and they did, 10-5 :-)

"I give you Chicago.  It is not London and Harvard.  It is not Paris and buttermilk.  It is American in every chitling  and sparerib.  It is alive from snout to tail" ~H.L. Mencken