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My goodness did this weekend go by quickly. What I wouldn’t give to have an extra few hours on a Sunday. Isn’t it funny how even if you get out of work early on Friday, it’s not as noticeable as if you were to have a few extra hours on a Sunday or Monday? I guess that’s what they mean by the “Sunday Scaries.”
I am going on one week without a properly functioning air conditioner in my apartment. It blows room temperature air, or perhaps a degree or two cooler than that, but certainly doesn’t cool down the place. I’ve been sleeping with ice wraps and can be found clutching chilled wine bottles between my legs when on the couch. I haven’t been able to cook anything that involves heat either, so that’s been a bummer. I have a second HVAC company coming to take a look on Tuesday for a second opinion because the first person I hired hasn’t been very communicative and didn’t explain much of what he thought was the problem. Does anyone have a recommendation for someone they trust in the city of Chicago? If so, PLEASE leave the name in the comments.
On Saturday, my boyfriend and I ran errands and were overjoyed to be part of the ruse for his best friend’s surprise 30th birthday party. We distracted him with drinks at Lone Wolf, told him we were having dinner at Soho House, and ended up detouring for the big surprise at Green Street Local. The food was so good there. They have a great panzanella salad with fennel that I was eating non-stop. It’s a little bit away from the path of the West Loop restaurant row, so it was 100% up my alley.
The Frozen Zamboni drink from Lone Wolf in Chicago’s West Loop.I also tried my first frozen alcohol drink since Puerta Vallerta 2004 at Lone Wolf. Called the Frozen Zamboni, it was made of vodka, campari, and lemons. It came in a shade of millennial pink, and was very strong, but also delicious. With the loss of the A/C, I’m embracing any and all ways to cool off. It’s basically as hot as being in Puerto Peñasco.
Sunday, I headed back to the West Loop for Taste of Randolph. I had the good fortune of being invited into the VIP section as a guest of Visit Denver and the Colorado tourism board. Being from Chicago, I didn’t realize how great summer tourism is in Denver and Colorado. Did you know that summer is the busiest tourism season for the state of Colorado? I was so floored by that since my local friends typically only visit the state for ski trips.
Offering of Colorado BeveragesWe tried a few different beers while at the Colorado booth, but it turns out, I am simply a wine girl now. I’m sure the beers were lovely, however I just don’t like them quite as much as I used to.
With my friend Rachael, catching up over some Colorado brews.Finally, yesterday was Father’s Day. Ever since I lost my dad, I have avoided the holiday. First, it was to mitigate the pain of loss, then it was to honor my dad’s memory, and now, I am numb to it. I find the posts on social media about people’s husbands a bit hard to swallow and try to skip past them. I’m not trying to be disrespectful, Father’s Day just doesn’t resonate with me. I am, however, plenty happy to comment and enjoy the posts on my friends’ husbands who are dads. Maybe it’s because the fathers of today are so relatable to me at the present that I don’t think of them in a traditional father sense, more like friends who have kids for whom they care. Maybe it’s because there are a lot fewer mustaches running around then on the dads of kids from the eighties. Regardless, I was grateful to spend the day at Taste of Randolph enjoying myself and not at a barbeque being reminded of who was missing.
I thought I would coast through Father’s Day without any hitches or reminders or my dad, but then something funny happened. I left my CTA card at home and decided to walk home from the Taste of Randolph. On my way, I passed the neon sign at St. Lou’s Assembly that said, “Soft Serve.” For some reason, I was compelled to get some. I walked into the empty indoor portion of the restaurant and got myself a swirl cone. When I asked how much, the server said, “I have no ability to take cash right now so consider this your lucky day.” I don’t know if this is an ominous sign pointing toward the death of paper money or just a friendly nod from above that I am not alone, but I chose to take it as the latter. My dad and I often went to Culver’s or Baskin-Robbins to get sweet treats since we didn’t keep much ice cream in the house. Maybe this was a reminder to honor those memories.
Mario’s Italian Lemonade stand in Little Italy. A place my family went to often after summer White Sox Games.For anyone whose father has passed, whose father is absent, who has a complicated relationship with his/her father, I hope you were able to enjoy your weekend.
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