Hi everyone!  First, I just want to apologize for posting this later than usual.  I had some technical difficulties (user error) yesterday that caused my entire new post that I spent two hours writing  to disappear!  After freaking out and yelling at the bad machine, I decided that I would just go to bed and post the next day because drinking wine at Ravinia all evening is exhausting and it was already midnight.  So I’m sorry for my lateness, and I know all of you were just devestated not to start your Monday morning off with a fresh blog post from me! (delusional much?)

Fest-travaganza:  As you all know, every weekend in Chicago from June through August there are ooooohhh, at least ten festivals to choose from.  This weekend I chose one outside of Chicago: Pierogi Fest
http://pierogifest.net/
.  This takes place in Whiting, IN and celebrates all things Polish.  And I love it because it’s very tongue in check and embraces all things campy and kitsch.  It is ridiculous!  Ridiculously AWESOME!  I went Friday with Gay-nea Pig for the parade and let me tell you, I will take a small town parade over some fancy big city parade any day.  And here’s why: 

Chicago can keep its big marching bands, fancy floats, and minor celebrities.  I much prefer my parades to be filled with a bunch of random locals, putting on silly costumes and whipping hard candy at my head.  Where else can you see nuns on roller blades five minutes after a bunch of guys walk down the street in their coconut bras and underwear.  And I still have no idea why they were dressed like that!  And those old ladies doing the dance with their walkers?  Those bitches could move!  The Babushka brigade and lawn mower precision drill team were the best. It was impressive and hilarious!  But it was so packed INSIDE the fest after the parade, much to my dismay, Gay-nea pig and I left.  But not for long….I returned the next day with male guinea pig for more fun!  I ate pierogis (meat, potato, and cheese) and drank a pina colada out of a pineapple shell!  We even got to watch some of the polka dancing with a real live polka band- accordian and all!

 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.  My favorite festival to go to, but so overly crowded it takes away some of the fun.  Oh, and I was very sad that despite the presence of a woman dressed, Ms. Pazcki, I did not see a  ms. paczki for my belly.  Oh, and it’s WAY cheaper than most Chicago Fests! 

 Ravinia: While technically Ravinia
http://www.ravinia.org/Default2.aspx
 is not actually a festival in the “typical” sense of the word, I am putting it in here because the sign said “Welcome to the Ravinia festival”, therefore, it counts.  I’m not going to write too much about this since I’m pretty sure most of my readers are very aware of this magical fun place.  But for those of you that aren’t….Ravinia is America’s oldest outdoor music venue.  During the summer they have concerts every single night!  There are some newer, big name acts (Demi Lovato, Carrie Underwood) and some nostalgia (Duran Duran, Hall & Oates), and then the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) if you are feeling more refined.  Depending on the show, tickets can range from $10-30; but that’s for the lawn tickets.  The lawn is where all the fun is anyway.  Lawngoers bring chairs, fun finger foods, blankets, and lots of wine.  Some pros go as far as bringing candles and picnic tables!  Look how much fun everyone is having: you can see it gets packed.  And that wasn’t even a main event.  My girlfriends and I went for the classical concert- an all Tchaikovsky evening.  It was good, and they even had real live canons going off during the 1812 Overture which was pretty badass.  However, I’m not a big fan of the professional “shushers” at these events that walk around with a “quiet please” sign during CSO concerts and say “shhh” to anyone talking!  Also, the classical events do tend to bring out an older, stuffier, snooty, and very white crowd.  My personal favorite Ravinia events are the old 80′s acts- I’ve seen Pat Benetar, Hall & Oates, Blondie, and an Abba cover band.  Sweet.   You can talk, laugh, dance, and sing and it’s more of a fun, party atmosphere at these shows.  Nonetheless, I love Ravinia and I must go at least once every summer, because regardless of the music- it’s the ultimate picnic experience and a perfect way to enjoy the summer with friends. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.  I’m basing this rating more on my overall experiences at Ravinia rather than this particular one.

Irish Fest:  A few weeks ago male Guinea Pig and I went to Irish Fest at the Irish American Heritage Center
http://irish-american.org/
  It was pretty good- but it was kind of empty due to what appeared to be a hurricane earlier that evening.    There was the typical stuff: Irish bands, crafts, and food, but there was other fun stuff like the mashed potato eating contest, dramatic readings, dancers, a kilt contest, and the hooley.  What’s a hooley?  It’s an Irish tradition of matchmaking!  So there was a singles event within the festival!  And if you’re sad you missed this, don’t be- they have a variety of fantastic Irish-related events year round!  And if you’re interested in the hooley, they have one every year around Valentine’s day.  But be warned- I went two years ago.  The only people who are looking to get ”matched” on Valentine’s day are women.  No joke, male guinea pig and I went together and when I came back from getting a beer, he was surrounded by a mob of extremely aggressive women.  He was in heaven, I was miserable.  So guys- you might want to check that out for an ego boost if nothing else. 

Random Fests:  I think I already blogged about the Taste of Randolph, which was great.  I also went to Serbian fest which sounded awesome, and I don’t know about Chicago’s Serb fest, but the one in Indiana consisted of 20 Serbians that looked shocked and annoyed that we were there, a craft table and a man with an accordian.  Don’t be sad you missed that. Worst fest ever.   But keep an eye out- there’s much more fun to be had! 

Along those lines, you know this is state fair season as well which is like a million street festivals rolled up into one and my favorite thing in the world!!! So soon I will be posting about those and all the fried goodness that I will be eating.  I hear Wisconsin is serving fried beer!  Want to know more?  Check out
http://www.ncstatefair.com/
 for state fairs and
http://www.agr.state.il.us/fair/countyfairssched.php
 for Illinois County Fairs.  Although in my professional opinion, why go to the county fairs when you can go to a state fair?    Nonetheless, I will be going to the Lake County Fair in Indiana this weekend, and the Wisonsin State Fair the following week.  But before that happens, I want you all to know, I DO take requests, and upon suggestion several months ago from a reader, I finally checked out the Paper Machete.  And I’ll let you know all about that next week!

Hey old friends and recently acquired new ones!  Did anyone here know that there is a salt cave in Chicago?!? I didn’t!  So you know I had to go check it out for this week’s adventure.  Not only did I check it out, but I managed to make an ass out of myself while I was there too!

What the hell is a salt cave?  It’s apparently a kind of spa that’s very popular in Eastern Europe.  This one in Chicago is obviously not natural, 16 tons of  salt (well, maybe less since I stole some as a souvenir) was imported from the Black Sea to build the Galos Salt Cave
http://www.galoscaves.com/_en/ofirmie.htm
 which is at 6500 W. Irving Park.  I pulled up and almost missed it because it is apparently attached to “The Jolly Restaurant”.  Weird, right?  Supposedly, there’s all sorts of health ailments it will improve if you go for several sessions: Respiratory, digestive, and cardiovascular system disease, asthma, ulcers, circulation problems, etc.  It looks super cool and beautiful, right?

And what does one DO in a salt cave?  Apparently, you don’t actually DO anything.  You rest, and soak in the salt.  I didn’t get it.  And as anyone who ‘s met me even one time will tell you, I’m not exactly a very “zen” kind of girl.  Don’t be fooled by the pretty colors- they didn’t turn those lights on until the end of the session.  When I walked in, it was pitch black.  I was so sad- I wanted to SEE the salt cave.  So, assuming I was alone, I whipped out my phone and attempt to use it as a light.  Sadly, it was not bright enough because I suddenly heard “Ouch!!!”  I looked down to discover that I had just slammed my thigh into some woman’s head.  Oops. I guess I was not alone after all- there were several women in here!  I scurried away through the salt mortified, and found a chair.  I attempted to set it up and it wouldn’t straighten out and kept making these horrible screeching sounds.  I wisely decided I would climb over the arms of the chair, flop down, and use my body weight to straighten it out into its natural horizontal shape.  I threw myself in and toppled over with my feet above my head.  Jackass.  Finally, I got settled in and began to relax.  Now what?  After five minutes I was bored.  I had 40 minutes left.  hmmmmmm.  I began to flick

the salt around.  Then I wondered if this Black Sea salt tasted like regular salt and picked a piece up and stuck it in my mouth.  Eeeeaw.  It was salty.  Then I laid there some more, not feeling healthier or relaxed.  Bored, I stared at the wall.  Could that really be a solid wall of salt?  Or did it just look like salt?  So yes, I did get up and lick the wall (no, I didn’t make out with it, I just touched it with my tongue- which I suppose is just as gross anyway).  I was in fact surrounded by all salt.  Neat.  I fell back in, and out, of my chair.  And then I laid there.  After 45 minutes (which cost $15), the lights came up and the session was over. 

Rating: 2.5/5 stars.  In all fairness, I’m sure if you attended several sessions you might feel some effects.  Or if you like spas and relaxing it’s worth checking out.  And I actually absolutely loved it as something totally unique and out of the ordinary to do- but I have the attention span of a flea so I thought it was awesome for, ohhh, ten minutes.

So that was my NEW experience for the week.  Now I will update you on on-going fun or previously written things.

Thursday: My fourth 8 at 8 dinner
http://www.8at8.com/
 was at Cafe Ba-ba-reeba.  This is a very expensive dinner club for singles that sets up four guys and four girls for dinner.  It was a pretty fun dinner, and I got digits from one of the boys.  He was funny, and funny is sexy, so I believe I will hit him up.  If you want to know more, I posted a full review about 8 at 8 on Jan. 30th. (3.75/5)

Friday:  I went to what is my favorite event of all the events I’ve been to: a Mingler!  Check out www.macncheeseproductions.com or my January post “What is a Mingler?” for more info.  I’m not saying this because hostess, Saya, reads my blog faithfully (shout-out!), but because it’s true.  These Mingler’s are parties at Saya’s house where everyone comes alone- forcing them to “mingle” and meet new people.  No bullshit, EVERY time I go I have a fabulous time.  I always make new girlfriends and get new ideas of fun, unique things to do.  It never ceases to amaze me that at every single one of these parties, everyone who has their pulse on what is cool in Chicago is there.  Everyone who is making new things happen in this city is there.  And ultimately, the most fun, friendly, highly educated, impressive, creative, good, interesting, unique individuals are there.  So if you haven’t gone, please go.  The people who go to these events are the heart and soul of this city.  I can’t wait to explore some of the latest ideas I got from this last party.  (5/5)

Saturday: I went on the date with mystery man!!!! This is the guy that my girlfriend from a very far away state set me up with.  He was up there for business and when she mentioned she had a friend in Chicago, he asked if I was single and gave her his number to give to me!  I suggested we go to D’Noche, which is a fantastic Cuban restaurant in Logan Square.  He was a lot different than most of the guys I go out with which was refreshing.  I think that’s because he’s from a small town and MUCH younger than me.  I believe young enough to put me in cougar territory.  Sweet.   And while I don’t anticipate him being “the one”, we did agree to at least go out on a second date!!! So yay!  That’s my fifth date this year, but my first second date.  Admittedly, those are not impressive numbers, but considering that the year “pre-blog” gave me a big fat ZERO number of dates, this is pretty damn good.   Yeah, he’s a good guy.  I’ll keep you posted.  Oh!  What made him especially decent, is the fact that I dragged him to the Milwuakee  Street Arts Festival in Logan Square and it was very small, disappointing,  pretentious and generally lame- and he was not the least bit annoyed by it.  That went a long way with me. 

I’ve got a couple other random”honorable mentions” because summer is just an endless smorgasbord of awesome, but I’ll save those for another week cuz I think this is enough fun for now!  But if you’re looking for some upcoming fun- next weekend is Pierogi Fest!  Not only is it filled with tasty treats, but the parade is led by Mr. Pierogi himself.  Yes, a man in a pierogi outfit.  And BTW- one of my girlfriends dated him.  Hot.  Check it out.  I’m going to!

Hi friends!  I have been a bit neglectful on the dating topic for a few weeks, so in order to make up for it, I’m about to give you some good stuff….

A hot boy and cold beer:  Last week I went on the best date ever and I didn’t have to do a damn thing to get it! Hating on-line dating, and excited for an entirely new concept, I signed up for Project Fix-up
https://www.projectfixup.com/
.  And when I say new, I mean that they just had their very first fix-ups last week.  Here’s how it all goes down: you fill out some answers about yourself and what you like, post your pictures, send it off into cyber space, and hope something good happens - pretty standard so far, right?  But then instead of wading through the same horrible, boring, cookie cutter profiles, someone else does that tediousness FOR you.  Then one day, you get an email asking you if you are interested in doing (blank) activity.  This first one was: Do you like craft beer? If so, when are you free?  And I replied “Why yes, yes I do love craft beer and I can make myself real free, real fast!  And then they sent me a time, place, and picture of my date and I hit “Yes!” and I guess he did too, and we were set!  Simple as that!   The best way to explain Project Fix-up is that it’s like an online, personalized, matchmaking service.  Oh!  And the best part is- you pay $15 per date!!! So if they don’t find you a date, you don’t have to pay.   

The big date:  Remember when I went out on the most perfect date, with  the most perfect guy a couple months ago thanks to the matchmaker?  I didn’t think it could get better than that, but my Project Fix-up guy made the other one look weak!  We met at the Hopleaf in Andersonville.  He was super cute and greeted me with a hug and bought me a beer.  When we sat down, I learned that he was not just pretty to look at, he was funny, charming, well-mannered, a good listener, and a generally perfect date.  But he was ALSO insanely well-travelled, highly educated, so successful, family oriented, uber liberal, did some teaching to prisoners (just like me!), and of course in the process of publishing a novel!  No exaggeration, he was one of the most fascinating, cool guys I have ever met.  Oh!  And we enjoyed our craft beers as well as the date since that was the “theme” of the Fix-up.  The Hopleaf has an excellent beer selection.  And I hear some pretty tasty food as well. 

So, when are you guys getting married?  Let’s not get all excited friends.  Much like my last date, this one was just “not that into me”.  (How is it that EVERY time I can’t stand a dude he loves me, but EVERY time I like a guy they’re not feelin’ me?!? How do people EVER get together!!!!  I swear- every time!)  Having said that, what made me think he was an even more stand up guy is that he let me know (via email a few days later) that while he did not think there was a romantic connection, he had a great time, thought we would do well as friends, and hoped to run into me in the future.  I let him know there were no hard feelings at all and I was really glad to have met him.  We exchanged a couple emails- and I really feel like he was sincere about everything, and I absolutely appreciated the fact that he was up front and honest.  That is hard to find!!!  But the bigger picture here is that in the years prior to this blog, EVERY date I went on was a ridiculous, painful tragedy.  And now?  Two high caliber, quality, super fun dates in just a couple months!!!  That’s good and rare stuff.  And I would like to re-iterate that I picked neither of those guys, and this is clearly a sign that I cannot trust myself, and total strangers know what’s good for me more than I do!  

Conclusion:  Sign up for this right away!  It’s fun, easy, and a new, original, fresh take on dating!  Ladies- maybe that awesome boy didn’t like ME but maybe one of you might be a better fit for him!  He sounds good, right?  And boys, I’m not sure what the pool of ladies is looking like obviously, I just know that I’M swimming in that pool which may make some of you boys dive right in and some of you may run the other way…. 

Rating: 5/5 so far….I’ll keep you posted

Don’t worry, I got boys on the back burner!  Project Fix-up and my Matchmaker aren’t the only ones looking out for me!  I have a good friend that I haven’t seen in about 10 years.  She lives FAR away (not like north side of the city far, but way across the country far), but has apparently been keeping through my blog.  I guess her husband does work with a guy from around here, and when she met this guy she says “Oh!  Chicago seems so fun!  I’ve never been, but I have a friend who writes a blog about it and I live vicariously through her!”  At which point this guy asks if I’m single, and tells my friend to give me his number and give him a call.  She gave me his number and I gave him a call.  I expected him to be so weirded out, but the conversation was actually really easy despite how totally absurd and unexpected it was.  We talked for a while, and I left the ball in his court telling him to call me when he gets back into town.  I felt certain that would be our only conversation since the whole thing was just so completely arbitrary.  You can imagine my surprise when I checked my voicemail and heard him asking me out!  I love it, I think this is very exciting.  And even if nothing comes of it, it’s a good story.  Although I already like his spontanaeity!  I’ll keep you posted on that as well!

That’s all the updates for this week!  I’m not sure what next week will bring, but you will all be the first to know!

Ok friends- I have stepped outside my comfort zone. So for my readers who are the more “sporty” or health-conscious sort- I’ve got something for you!!!  Despite my best efforts to be a well-rounded guinea pig, exploring ALL the wonderful things Chicago has to offer, my explorations are almost ALWAYS either on the arts and culture end or about diferent singles events in the search for the pefect (or relatively tolerable) man.  And since many of my adventures involve tasty food and drink, I need to find a way to keep my sexy quotient high by working out.  But working out is such a drag!  Yuk! Who wants to exercise?  Who LIKES to work out?

ME!  I like to work out!: Ok, not all the time, only sometimes.  And that sometimes is at the Summertime Fitness  & Yoga Class on the Beach with these lovely ladies right here.  Don’t be fooled by how sweet and cute they look, because they will kick your ass!  That’s Blair on the right, this is her program.  Her sister, Taylor, is on the left.  And not only are they lovely, but do you see that view, that bright, blue, refreshing water; the soft, golden sand; and perfect, clear sky ?!?!  They’re not at some exotic Carribean locale, that’s right here in Chicago!  That’s the gym you will be going to.  I must admit, sometimes I get so caught up by Chicago’s hip, fast-paced urban-ness that I forget we have a pretty amazing lakefront.    The classes are Monday through Friday.  The first hour is boot camp and the second hour is yoga.  You can go to one or both.  I’ve gone twice now, and I braved both boot camp and yoga.

Boot Camp:  There I am with my posse, getting in shape on the beach.  The first time I went the boot camp was this fun kind of obstacle course where you would do either some cardio or strength training for a minute and then move to the next station.  I loved it because anything is doable for a minute and there was a huge variety of things to do.  It felt more like a game than a torturous workout.   But Blair changes it up, the next time I went we did the work-out (it has a special name, I can’t remember now) where you do the same exercise six times for 30 seconds, with a 1o second rest in between.  She even incorportes all sorts of cool fitness equipment like “vipers” and “TRX”  It was INTTENSE!  It was a really fun workout. 

Yoga:  After such a tough work out you want to unwind.  How convenient that there’s a yoga class right after boot camp.  Anyone who knows me, knows I really, really dislike yoga.  If I’m not jumping, bouncing, twirling and going fast, fast, fast- I don’t have the patience for it.  Not only is that what I’m like in the gym, but that’s how I am in real life too.  I cannot shut the voices in my head up for a minute and clear my mind and focus and be at peace.  So I tend to actively avoid yoga.  Having said that, I DO recognize how good for you mentally and physically it is, and I DO feel awesome after it’s done.  But I DID like beach yoga.  It was so relaxing after the boot camp, and the sun is shining on you, and there’s a nice breeze from the lake.   And because I am easily distracted by bright, shiny objects, I loved people-watching while doing the yoga, it made it more fun- especially watching the people who bring their dogs and make them play fetch in the lake.  That’s entertainment.  And everyone is just so damn happy to be out on the beach in the nice weather, and that feeling just radiates through the whole beach- even to those of us getting our asses kicked!

How can I join in the fun Guinea Pig?  Go here:
http://rocksolidhealth.net/summer-fitness-classes
 for more information.  Also, she does more than the boot camp if you’re interested in something else.  The summer fitness fun is MWF from 7-9, and TR from 5-7.  It’s $22 for a drop-in class and $150 monthly unlimited.  And she will keep ot going until the weather gets nasty! Plus it’s a great way to make new health conscious girlfriends!  And maybe even flirt- or at least look at some of the hot, fit, sweaty, shirtless men that will be running past you while you are in downward dog!

Rating:  4.5/5.  The only reason it didn’t get 5 is because of the stupid flies that bite.    

I almost forgot!  I need to do my quarterly report too!  So here’s the good and bad, the highs and low, and the must sees and stay away froms,  from April, May and June.

Boys: One FANTASTIC date with a great boy- even if that’s all it ended up being.  And this was from the matchmaker.

Girlfriends: One new friend of a friend of a friend that I have gone to some fun things with, and then a friend of the afore mentioned friend as well who has come on some adventures too!

Works in Progress: Still working with the matchmaker, 8 at 8, and How About We…. none of which are happening at all. 

Top 5 recommendations: The beer ‘n’ bike tour www.goteampete.com/ (a pub crawl on bikes), The Sexy Bus Tour www.weirdchicago.com/sextour.html (a historic tour of Chicago’s “Red Light” District), Zombie Pub Crawl  
http://chicagozombie.com/past-events/5th-annual-chicago-zombie-pub-crawl-april-28-2012/
 (yes, I went to bars dressed up like a zombie- in April) Museum of Contemporary Art First Fridays
http://www.mcachicago.org/programs/now/all/2011/e62
 (art, food, drinks, dj, creation stations, cool people- a party in a museum), and Mingle Around  www.minglearound.com/ (singles group that hosts very cool, unique events several nights a week throughout the city)

Honorable Mentions: Ignite was great, Balmoral race track was a blast, I love volunteering with Chicago Cares, and all the different summer festivals (Gaelic Park, Taste of Randolph so far)

Total Busts: Circus class (for me- I’m sure other people might love it!), Paint ‘n’ Pints, and Speed dating.

Coming up…. Project Fix-up, Dirty Girl Mud Run, Summer Dance, the Gay Rodeo and more….

Overall:  What can I say?  I’m having a great time!  I love the challenge of finding a new thing to do each week and I am rarely disappointed.  I’m looking forward to the next six months.  This has been a great experiment!

So I’ll see you all here again next week.  First up: The results of Project Fix-ups launch week!

Hi friends.  What summer is complete without a road trip?  And because we don’t always have time and money for the cross country kinds, I am going to tell you all about a road trip that takes only one day but makes you feel like you’re in a totally different world.  Let’s go to Wisconsin! (Oh, before we go there, I’m still dying to tell you all about the beach boot camp/yoga, but I can’t locate the pictures.  Hopefully I’ll find them by next week, cuz that’s a good event to go to.)  So after the stupidness that was speed-dating last week, I decided to give the man-hunt thing a rest and go with my brother and sister-in-law to one of the weirdest, wackiest, unique places in the US, because this blog is about more than just boys and dating, it’s also about the random, awesome things that you can go to in Chicago (and apparently Wisconsin now as well).

House on the Rock:  It blows my mind how many people don’t know about this place.  Perhaps that’s because the Dells get all the attention.  I mean, Wisconsin is an under rated state with some of the kitschiest Americana imaginable, and House on the Rock  
http://www.thehouseontherock.com/
 is as campy and fabulous as anything!  Located in Spring Green, Wisconsin the House is about a 3 and 1/2 hour ride from Chicago.  Alex Jordan started building it in the 1940′s and it opened to the public in the 60′s.  When you enter you think you’re just getting a tour of a fabulous house that was built on and in a giant rock.  Not only is it cool because it’s built on a rock, but because it’s like walking through some fantastic time capsule with carpet on the railings and ceilings, and Asian infused furnishings, weird nooks and crannies, and Tiffany lamps….Wait, I’ll just show you some of the pictures of the house.  You can see the funky living room and the kitchen.  But that picture on the left is the Infinity Room.  It’s a room that is suspended 80 feet in the air with no support!  And it seems to go on forever.  That green in the floor is so you can look down and see the tops of the trees! 

There’s a whale in the house!  So after you tour the actual house, you find yourself transported to the Streets of Yesterday.   Yes, that’s part of his house!  He has this ginormous collection of random crap that does not end.  The Streets have shop fronts and weird, creepy puppet machines from the 1800′s that still work when you put a token in.  And then you walk into the next room which is filled with all kinds of maritime memoribilia.  But you don’t notice because there is a life size sculpture of a whale fighting with a squid! Random, right?  And then there’s another room with model planes  and then a room with cars like this one- this car is made out of tile!  Oh, and if you want to find out your sex appeal, you can sit in this throne and it will tell you how sexy you are while massaging you for a mere token.  (I was “hot” is any of you were wondering).  But if you don’t like the thrones answer, there are about another twenty versions of those machines that will rate your sexiness, strength, or personality.  And now you’ve been in this wackadoo house for two hours and when you get to the world’s largest indoor carousel, you realize wait! There’s more….

The instrument is playing itself!!!: Now we come to my favorite part of the entire house.  It was room after room of over the top ridiculousness.  The rooms were filled with chandeliers, garish gold everything, plush colorful furnishings, rich carpets, and mirrors.  And in each of these gratuitously over decrated rooms are instruments.  And for two, you guessed it, tokens you can make the instruments play.  It is not a recording of music, the instruments are actually hooked up in some complicated way so that they play themselves!!! Yes, they’re grossly out of tune and terribly off beat, but who cares?!?!  Because again, the instrument is playing itself!  Not impressed?  Well, then you’re an idiot.  Somehow these instruments have been performing and delighting audiences for fifty years!!!  How ahead of its time!   

To be honest, at this point I’m so over stimulated I can’t see straight.  I can’t remember what was next.  All I remember was that we went to some organ room which was filled with organs and organ pipes, then we went through a room with armor, then some kind of circus exhibit, then a room filled with dollhouse after dollhouse after dollhouse, and then a room of guns,  replicas of crowns, and another carousel (and this one had creepy dolls riding on the horses!  Sweet), and on the ceiling were 100′s of female mannequins suspended like creepy, scantily clad angles- complete with the wings made of feathers.  And of course in between all these ”main” features there are random collections of small, weird crap.  After three hours we emerged exhausted and feeling like we had just walked out of some sequel to Alice in Wonderland.

Rating: 5 of 5 stars!  You gotta go! 

So after that well needed break from the dating world I might be ready to wade back into the pool after the speed-dating trauma.  I’m all signed up and ready to see what transpires from Project Fix-up
http://www.builtinchicago.org/blog/get-fixed-now-project-fixup-has-launched
It’s a brand new experiment in dating in Chicago and I’m going to be one of their many guinea pigs.  Check it out, feel free to join me in this latest adventure!  Hopefully I’ll have a report on that AND beach boot camp for next week.  See you then!