Month: July 2015

Kevin and the Deep Fried Baltimore Dog (October 2, 2009)

Becky SarwateLeave a comment

Although I think we technically skipped September, Kevin and I are on track with our monthly “Conversations” series. The last time we met was August 17th, Jesika’s birthday, and our get together was one of two heavy hearts. However, when we met yesterday at America’s Dog, the Lincoln Park location, the theme was decidely one of turning the page, moving forward in the new realities of 2009.

If it seems to you folks that Kevin and I enjoy hot dogs, well that’s true, although it is not intentional that we keep eating franks. There’s just a lot of out there dog joints in the Chi. America’s Dog is a Chicago chain started by two brothers who went on a cross country trip and returned with an idea of what many major U.S. cities like to put on their weiners. Therefore, you get offerings like the Buffalo Dog, which consists of buffalo sauce, bleu cheese and salary salt. Or the New York Dog, which features sauerkraut and brown mustard.

Being fully committed to watching my weight these days, I opted for the Salt and Pepper Shrimp Wrap, which probably still isn’t that healthy. This concoction boasted salt and pepper crusted shrimp with jack cheese, black beans, corn, lettuce, tomato and chipotle mayonnaise. Fabulous. My dining partner, on the other hand, must have felt like busting an artery on the drive home. Not only did he feast on the Dallas Dog (chili, onions & shredded cheddar cheese), but he also had a side of the titular Balitmore Dog, which was a deep fried number with melted cheddar & grilled onions. Kevin said it was pretty good, but not the kind of novelty you’d want to consume on a regular basis. You think, Kev? Mr. Smith will be posting photos of this on his own blog (http://www.itainthardtotell.com/) in the near future.

Of course the conversation while we ate touched on Jesika, how we miss her, and what she would have found funny these days – as it always does. Our love for her started off as the tie that bound us of course, but Kevin and I are growing into a lovely friendship of our own. To that end, we discussed Kevin’s exciting new project, an athletic/fitness program he is planning to produce for local TV, called 312 Physique. Naturally, since I am an exercise fanatic, always on the hunt for the next trends, I offerred my services as researcher, demo dummy, host, or some combination of the three. Whatever my boy needs. I told him it would warm Jesika’s heart to see us working together. Kevin corrected me and said it would amuse Jesika to see us collaborate. Probably a little bit of both.

I caught Kevin up on my new gig with the Chicago Office of Tourism, the London trip and other Boop business. Since he asked (he might have been sorry later), I also provided my impassioned reasons for being against Chicago’s Olympic bid. I had a text message from Kevin around 10:45 AM this morning that said my “street cred [was] still intact.” Boo ya!

I rightly think we laughed more together than we had since before Jesika got sick. I look forward to November. I think we agreed on Hot Doug’sKevin?

Just Say “NO” (September 30, 2009)

Becky SarwateLeave a comment

Well it took awhile, but the Obamas, both Barack and Michelle, have finally pissed me off. As most of you are aware, the decision regarding the hosting City for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games will be handed down this Friday morning. Chicago’s chances seem to be rather strong, and I have no doubt that a firm last minute push from the glamourous First Couple of the United States makes a compelling inducement. Michelle Obama is in Copenhagen as I write, smooching the behinds of the IOC:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/michelle-obama/6248302/Michelle-Obama-in-Copenhagen-for-Chicago-Olympic-bid.html

I will lay my cards on the table. I am 100% against the Chicago Olympic bid, not the least because it is a ram-it-down-our-throats attempt by the corrupt King Daley to secure his legacy as the Best Mayor Ever. That certainly does not help matters, but I have what I believe are other solid reasons for withholding my personal support:

1. Chicago’s infrastructure: roads, bridges, the CTA – in large part decrepit, and certainly not able to welcome millions of international travelers.

2. The economy is still sluggish and the City is nearly bankrupt. They do not have the funds to fix #1.

3. The City’s plan, I mean “Chicago 2016’s” plan (a activist group of which King Daley is an honorary chairman) to secure private and Federal funding, without a local increase in taxes to pay for the Games, basically consists of a wish, a hope and a prayer.

4. When questioned about #3, Chicago 2016 representatives get defensive and try to limit inquiry by using the same sort of dissenters-as-unpatriotic rhetoric that would make Dick Cheney proud. How do I know this? Because I attended one of the organization’s community meetings and saw it myself.

5. The answer to the anticipated traffic congestion upswing is to shut off parking downtown and double the capacity of the CTA, not with more environmentally friendly trains, but with carbon monoxide burping buses.

6. The “eminent domain” displacement of many South Side residents in order to make way for Olympic village structures. The City “guarantees” this will not happen. However, I interviewed a women from Housing Bronzeville a few weeks back who has already been “unofficially” approached about relocating.

7. Finally, the most selfish reason of all: Chicago is a spectacular City, a place with a relatively affordable cost of living, a somewhat hidden gem behind the flashier New York City and L.A. The crowds, congestion, fame and waste of the Games will change all that forever.

My friend Tim argued last night that the benefit to Chicago, with respect to short- to medium- term job creation and economic stimulus, outweighs all the negatives. I am not sure of that. I have wanted and needed people in charge to convince me we are not just mortgaging our future to pay for a little bit of televised glory. I have seen and heard the City’s financial proposals. They are weak, and I am more than slightly afraid they will ultimately hit City residents where it hurts: in their homes and wallets.

I know there are strong feelings and disparate viewpoints on this charged topic. Please share.

9 to 5 (September 28, 2009)

Becky SarwateLeave a comment

I promised you guys that if I managed to succeed in landing the job this time, I would provide the full details about the position I interviewed for last week. Well I am happy to report that after just a few days on pins and needles, I met with success!

You are reading words written by a brand new Field Researcher for the Chicago Department of Tourism. It is a a mostly full-time, contract opportunity, which suits me just fine. I am used to having space in my week for the gym, freelancing writing projects and domestic chores. With just a little more hustle, I won’t have to sacrifice any of that in my new line of work. I also like the idea of easing my toes back into the day job pool slowly, without a long term commitment. Because you never know when Entertainment Weekly might come calling for me, having read my reviews for the Edge, with a plum slot as one of their stable of critics – right? Am I right?

Anyway, I will have ample opportunity to entertain these and other daydreams as I traverse my way throughout this beloved City in my new assignment. If I tried to paraphrase the specifications of my work, you are liable to accuse me of making things up. Therefore, I will post the job description pulled right from the HR listing. You may begin to understand why I initially though this was too good to be true:

Field Researcher
(3-6 month temporary contract)

Purpose: Participate in a large-scale mapping project to build an inventory of Chicago’s tourism programs and services, historical/tourist attractions and notable commercial businesses or other organizations, for all of Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods.

Responsibilities include: Onsite research of cultural venues, attractions and businesses, such as museums, galleries, local chambers of commerce, theaters, restaurants and retail shops; attends city-wide events i.e. festivals, parades, neighborhood civic meetings, markets, art fairs, tours, etc.; meets with community and cultural leaders; conducts research gathering interviews by using provided questionnaire; reports information to Project Manager and/or Project Coordinator via written reports and/or data entry; prepares files for archiving once data has been completed.

Hours: Approximately 25-40 hours per week

Location: Office located in Chicago’s loop, but position will mostly consist of travel and extensive fieldwork in all 77 neighborhoods.

Come on! I will be given a free 30-day CTA pass at the start of each month. My job is to then spend days wandering in a particular neighborhood: trying new foods, seeing new places and venues, then write up the details, report them to my bosses, and have them published on a fabulous web site. In return for this “work” I will be paid. Hell yeah!

My hands were shaking as I sent in my resume, and thanks to a little networking via my good friend Mark, who works downtown at the Cultural Center with the Tourism folks, I knew about the opening early. He allowed me to name drop him as well when submitting my application. So the rumors we have heard turn out to be true in my case: the only way to land a decent job in 2009 is to know somebody. Thanks MB!

I start next Monday. That means this is my last week of semi-unemployed sloth, at least for the next 3-6 months. I have two reviews to write for the Edge, and some work to do on a couple other freelance projects, but I also plan to stop and smell the early Fall roses too.

The first seven months of 2009 were a 13-car pileup, a cluster of misery of the worst variety. But things are on the upswing for me and mine heading toward the end of the year. I am so thankful.

Boop’s Fall Must (and Must Not) See TV (September 25, 2009)

Becky SarwateLeave a comment

On an unexpected leave from my usual anal retentive sensibility, I have been a horrible procrastinator this week. In fact, I ought to be writing a review for the play I saw Tuesday night, Fake, at the Steppenwolf, this very moment. For a variety of reasons, like maybe the continuous grey skies that make my eyelids heavy, I haven’t been feeling it.

In this indolent state of mind, it’s is just my luck that the Fall TV season is in full swing. Most years, I take a shine to a new show or two. Sometimes they get cancelled (Samantha Who?, Eli Stone) and I am indifferent. But this time around, it has been a pleasant surprise to discover that of the five new network programs I have sampled (a high count to begin with), I actually care a lot about four of them, and absolutely adore two. If any of these were cancelled, I may even be tempted to join one of those online letter writing campaigns I have always mocked.

For those of you that have spouses, mates and children to talk to on the weeknights, thus precluding you from spending three hours in front of the idiot box – I both envy and pity you – but that’s another post for another time. But if you have seen any of these programs, weigh in and tell me what you think.

Can’t Miss

1. Modern Family – This is a true comedic gem, and what makes the show the more endearing is its utter plausibility. Familes in 2009 are diverse and complicated and finally, I see a primetime clan that looks like my own. The Pritchett family includes a longterm gay couple that has recently adopted a Vietnamese girl; an older patriarch who marries a thirtysomething hottie Latina, and gains a sensitive 11 year-old stepson; late-30s spouses married for 16 years – Mom is a former girl gone wild and Dad mistakenly thinks he is as hip and relevant as ever. The realism is great, but that is not what makes this show an utter gut buster. To prove my point, check out the following clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVjbUEGb8gs

2. Glee – Confession time: Boop was a member of the Chicago Children’s Choir from 1994-1996, which makes the appeal of this show about an outcast high school Glee club particularly personal. But even if you think you hate “musicals,” this program is more than worth your time. Jane Lynch, scene stealer in The 40 Year-Old Virgin, is perfection as relentless cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester. And the production numbers are flawless. Here’s one that gave me goosebumps:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuh5BURHNE4

If You Have Time

1. Cougar Town – God I hope I age as well as Courtney Cox. Much has been made of the actress’s “warts and all” approach to portraying a middle-aged, newly single divorcee, but I would flash my robe open on the first episode too if I had her body. Beyond the superficial though, there is a reason this woman has been in the television business since she played Alex’s girlfriend Lauren on Family Ties. She is cute, accessible and an accomplished physical comedienne. I am hoping the show lasts long enough for the inevitable hookups between lead character Jules and ex-husband Bobby, or neighbor Grayson. Nobody knows how to do hot grown men like ABC, I’ll say that (Desperate Housewives or Lost anyone?).

2. Community – I nearly put this on the “Can’t Miss” list but I didn’t want you folks to think I wasn’t discriminating. This winking meta-sitcom revels in its likeness to great 80s film The Breakfast Club. The show, ostensibly about a souless lawyer who must go back and earn the Bachelor’s degree he faked, puts Joel McHale with a bizarre and believably quirky cast of characters that includes Chevy Chase as eccentric billionaire oil tycoon Pierce.

I have never liked The Soup on the E! Network, with McHale. My friend Diane will want to throw tomatoes at me, but I just never got over former hosts Hal Sparks and Jon Henson (bet you thought I was going to say Greg Kinnear – not so). However, Community, has turned me into a huge Joel fan. He strikes just the right balance between cool and calculating with a touch of humanity. And this show is far and away the best thing Chevy Chase has done since National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Need proof? Check out Pierce and Jeff’s “F” grade earning Spanish skit at the end of last night’s episode. Sidesplitting.

Run Like Your Hair Is On Fire

1. Melrose Place – In a word, awful. It’s one of those shows where I find myself wondering: when the powers that be watched back the taped episodes they had to air, how did they greenlight them? Someone should have spoken up, if only for the desecration heaped upon the great 1990s original. The only compliments I can pay are to Thomas Calabro and Laura Leighton, as returning gruesome twosome Michael and Sydney. They are every bit as dangerous and sexy in their 40s as they were in their early 30s. Of the new characters, who are nearly a universal waste, only Katie Cassidy as nouveau corporate bitch Ella has any potential.

Supposedly, in a strange case of deja vu, Heather Locklear is set to return to save the show from itself. I verily believe this piece of garbage might get cancelled before Amanda Woodward has a chance to work it.

Back in Love Again (September 23, 2009)

Becky SarwateLeave a comment

Ever since the start of the Brown Line reconstruction project a few years back, I have turned into a Metra snob. I live equidistant, more or less, between the Damen Ravenswood Line stop on the CTA, and the Ravenswood Metra platform of the Union Pacific North Line. I deemed the el necessary for some destinations, but wherever the Metra/Chicago Water Taxi option was available, I was doing it, particularly during rush hour. The Metra offerred a cleaner, smoother, less riff raff filled journey downtown, and I was in no mood for anything else.

But recently a funny thing has happened. My August trip to London, where I fell in love with the Tube (Underground), left me with a new appetite for the el upon my return home. This, and the awareness of a waning summer that will quickly turn into cold weather, renewed my desire to stand in the open air of the elevated train platforms and absorb the wind, re-embrace the local color and activities aboard the CTA, rediscover my roots. Time was, in the 90s, when I knew my way around the whole of Chicago on every single line. Now they have new entitites, like the Pink Line, and my former autopilot ability to change trains to get where I needed to be has gone rusty.

So in the last few weeks, I have taken the Brown, Red or both lines to Pilates class, theater performances for the Edge, job interviews, bikini waxes, and happy hours with Little C. My old Metra 10-ride pass is crinkling in my wallet with unuse, but for the moment I can’t see myself going back. I will admit my rediscovered adoration of the public train has been buoyed by the fact that I have not had to take it during rush hour. I am suspicious that the standing room only crowd, the B.O. of some of my less than fresh commuters, and the constant stops, jerks and delays might break the spell.