Friday Fun - Museum of Science and Industry

The first official Friday Fun Adventure on an actual Friday was a smashing success. A train ride in to Hyde Park brought us to the Museum of Science and Industry where we explored the new exhibit "Science Storms." So cool. The rest of the museum was awesome too. Everything there is on such a big scale that I feel like a little kid again.

The Science Storms Exhibit

A tornado in the exhibit. It was really cool to watch, and Shonna was disappointed that she couldn't stand inside it. Such a weather nut!
The huge Tesla coil attached to the ceiling. It was super loud when they turned it on, but was awesome to watch the lightning shock the metal.
They had little booths where you could stand in really strong winds. We purposefully messed up our hair for the rest of the day, but it was really fun.
Shonna over-estimated the comfort of her shoes so we found her these Smart Chick socks in the gift shop.
Outside the museum is the R2D2 mailbox.
"Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope."
In the U-505 exhibit they have a full submarine. Awesome! I read the book Playing with the Enemy by Gary W. Moore about the US Navy baseball team during WWII that was assigned to guard the German prisoners from this very sub, and taught them how to play baseball. It's like touching history. So cool.
And of course, you have to visit the baby chicks. They run around their little habitat responding to the people outside the glass that are waving at them. Really cute. It's hard not to "awwww."
After walking around Hyde Park a bit we settled on Chant, a fun and funky Asian cuisine restaurant for dinner.

Then back to Shonna's for a viewing of Star Trek. I loved that movie in the theater and it was just as good on the small screen. Dead-on re-creation and newly creative at the same time. Plus, we watched the gag reel and I couldn't stop laughing.

Here's to more successful adventure!

Friday Fun Adventures!

This summer I have been blessed to be able to work a modified schedule. Basically I work longer on Monday through Thursday and then work a half day on Friday. So far...so awesome! I'm telling you, it makes it feel like every weekend is a three day weekend. Lovely!
The only drawback is that when I don't have something planned to do within a large block of free time I have the tendency to do nothing. I don't want to sit on my butt watching daytime television every Friday afternoon this summer so I needed a plan.
In comes my buddy Shonna who is a teacher and has the summer off. She and I got to talking and decided that we needed to devote our Fridays to going out (or staying in) and doing something fun. We're calling them Friday Fun Adventures, or something like that, we haven't quite solidified the title yet. And really, what's in a name? They're going to be fun no matter what we call them.

Here's my brainstorm list so far:
* Watch Season One (or more) of Doctor Who
* Visit Used (and New) Bookstores in Chicago
* Hancock Observatory / Willis Tower Skydeck - somewhere high with a view
* Taste of Chicago
* Museum of Contemporary Art
* Wicker Park / Bucktown Shopping
* Science Storms at the Museum of Science and Industry
* LOTR Marathon
* Indoor Game Day
* Lincoln Park Zoo
If we do half of this list it will be an amazing summer.
A couple of things:
1) If you know of a fun Chicago thing (restaurant, art gallery, store, whatever) that you recommend we add to the list, let me know.
2) If you see something on this list that you would like to do and want to come to Chicagoland to hang out with me and participate in a Friday Fun Adventure Day, please let me know. The more the merrier.

"In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer, quite the other way,
I have to go to bed by day."
- Robert Louis Stevenson

Here's to longer days and Funner Fridays!!

Chicago Skyline...oooh

Look at this awesome picture that my brother made. While we were in the city a few weeks ago, we were standing in Millennium Park by the Bean...excuse me 'The Cloud Gate'...and he took a series of photos of the buildings along Michigan Avenue. Then he used his computer savvy and some fancy program (I'm sure he explained it, but I've forgotten) and made this panoramic photo.
Feel free to ooh and aah.

Christmas in Chicago

This past weekend I was able to head into Chicago on Saturday to share some shopping and site-seeing with my MI and IL friends. We hit the Art Institute gift shop ('cuz it's free), and Millenium Park, and walked the Macy's windows, and shopped in Macy's (which is seriously overheated for people wearing long underwear), watched a little of the 5 o'clock CBS news through the studio windows, hit the Christkindlmarket (where some of us purchased hot chocolate in a commemorative boot - awesome), and ended the night with dinner and drinks at the Crepe Bistro.
Great fun was had by all. Here are some pics of the day.