This list is in no particular order, but here are some of my favorite things about Chicago:
- My friends and coworkers
- Katie Cakes at Taste of Heaven
- Seeing free performances and films in Chicago public parks
- Wistfully dog-watching on Montrose Beach
- Gazing at Toulouse-Lautrec's Equestrienne (At the Cirque Fernando) at the Art Institute, while everyone else in the room is look at A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.
- Spending my Saturdays like I'm Bueller cutting school (minus singing in parades).
- Museum Campus and The Shedd, The Field, and the Adler Planetarium.
- Seeing an original Francesca Woodman photograph in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art.
- The Great Kids museum passes available at the library that let me see all the great museums for free.
- The perfectly wonderful, perfectly free Lincoln Park Zoo.
- Shopping with Kasey and finding awesome deals.
- The non-equity theatre scene.
- Len & Bob's coverage of Cubs Baseball on WGN.
- Wrigley Field.
- Scoring free tickets to not one, but two original plays involving talking paintings.
- Concerts and the photo booth, not to mention eating dinner near Eisley, at Schubas.
- Amy Freeze, the meteorologist on Channel 83. (Take that Tom Skilling!)
- The folks at Epworth United Methodist.
- Vogue Fabrics in Evanston and the friendly folks at Loopy Yarns.
- Going for walks in Andersonville and buying Zanzibar Dark Chocolate Ice Cream at Sweet Occasions.
- Barbecues on Foster Beach.
- The doormen in our building.
- Being 3 blocks from two grocery stores, a deep dish pizza place, and a Blockbuster.
- People watching at the Crown Fountain in Millennium Park
- The El on a good day.
- The Harold Washington Library.
- "Check Please!" and the generally good programing on the local PBS/WTTW.
- SnB Northside.
I'm sure I'm forgetting things, but it's a solid list. Yes, I'll miss a lot about Chicago, but don't worry too much about me. I'm going to Maine!
