About a month ago I went to see a show with some friends called “Love, Loss and What I Wore”. As a sidenote: short, very entertaining and I recommend going with girlfriends. Anyway I digress.

Before the show we went to dinner at Tavern on Rush… one of my favorite places to eat in the Viagra triangle. We were enjoying our dinner (King Crab is fabulous here) upstairs when I noticed a hotty walking up the stairs wearing a beret. Normally I’m not into guys in beret’s but this one suited him very nicely. As I looked closer it occurred to me that I had seen this person before. I couldn’t remember where and then it hit me, Titanic! He was the bad guy from Titanic! Yes folks, it was Billy Zane. And although I’ve been reminded again and again, he not that big of an actor anymore, he used to be! He sat at a booth about two tables away and I can proudly say I had dinner with him.

He was absolutely adorable with his daughter and I think he was there with his parents. I thought about going up to him and saying “I hated you in Titanic! You killed Jack!” but I restrained. Instead I turned around and tried to take a photo of him without him noticing. He totally saw me flustering to take the photo and smiled at me. Here’s my lame attempt at taking a picture of BZ.

Fuzzy Billy Zane with his daughter

Damn the focus on these phones! Either way, my first celebrity sighting! And can I say, time has been good to him!

A focused in Billy Zane

I was walking to work at about 8am from the Blue line, nothing out of the ordinary, just my normal 4 block route to the tower. I was about 1 block into my walk, and starting to get into a good walking rhythm, when I noticed a scruffy black homeless man yelling things on the sidewalk in front of me shaking his black mamba at every passerby. Now there’s a lot of construction going on at the building to the right of me and I have a cement barricade blocking the sidewalk from the street to my left so I have to pass this guy no matter what. I put on my toughest face, looked straight ahead and picked up the pace trying hard to block out the image of what I had just seen. Now I’ve seen a lot of sick things in my young life, but this, this topped that list and then some.

To my dismay I can still see that image, and that disgusting… thing. It’s tattooed into my memory like a cigarette burn on a crack whore. As my friend said, I’ve been visually raped. I felt violated and my wheat bagel I had just purchased at DD had no home any longer. I guess this is the city’s way of hazing my virgin eyes into its exclusive club. Maybe I should consider myself lucky, I had survived. But if one more person asks me, “Is it true?” I’m going to scream.

Chicago 1 Maxine 0

Signs posted all through town as they were filming

One day we tried to go on a lunch excursion because we heard they were filming in Union Station a few blocks away. They had the set covered up so you couldn’t see, and the 75 year old security guy was not having my sweet advances on him to let us in for a peek. Lame.

The set at Union Station

We did get the dish from another door guy that they had already finished filming for the day and were scheduled to be at the Wit the next morning. We thought about WFW (Working from Wit) but decided our boss wouldn’t be too appreciative of that so we had to settle for some pics of props around town.

Metropolis Cab

A whole fleet of cars!

Fans that must be for his cape

Serving the Smallville community since 1894

The celebrity trailers

However, one day after Crossfit, Michael and I were trying to leave and traffic was just awful. Cops were running around like crazy people putting up barricades in random street corners and blocking cars in. We finally realized what was going on a few seconds later when we heard a bunch of commotion coming down the street they had blocked off. They were filming a car chase! I begged Michael to follow them but he wasn’t having it. He was so frustrated from trying to get around the people and maneuver away from the cars that he just wanted to go home. Boring.

I will say though, I’m sure the luster of shooting movies here will fade because it really is a pain in the butt. They close streets and at random times of the day, making it hard to function. For now though I’ll enjoy it

The menu was short and sweet. Mainly burritos, tacos and a fajita meal adorned the wall menu with the option for sides of sour cream, salsa, guacamole and jalapenos. We each got a beef fajita plate, trying to stay as paleo as possible. The plate came with rice, beans and tortillas of your choice. I got to say, for the price 8.95 for a plate, it wasn’t too shabby. They make them fresh so we had to wait a bit, but it was worth it. Good flavor and tender. The beans were really good, tortillas were actually cooked and the rice was just ok. They did have a Mexican cooking behind the counter so that must have been why

I will have to try La Pasadita that’s close by. there are 3 in a row across the street from us. My parents went for lunch and thought it was pretty yummy so it’s definitely worth a shot in my book. I’ve also heard this place called Nuevo Leon a few streets away is pretty good too. I can’t wait to start really dabbling in these Mexican restaurants!

All in all, Picante is a pretty good little stop over for us and I will definitely be back to try a burrito. Not to mention, we are on the cusp of their delivery map so we can get it delivered during the winter!

Picante!

What is Paleo you say? Basically a cave man diet. You can only eat unprocessed meats, veggies, eggs and fruit, just like the cavemen did. Only certain spices are allowed (garlic, salt, pepper, lime, lemon etc.) and you can only use olive oil, vinegar and coconut oil to cook. It’s pretty strict and we mainly eat a lot of salads. I will say this though, we sleep better, feel better and are never starving with our meals. I only eat three meals a day and I feel fantastic! Sometimes I have a Lars Bar after I work out as a snack (peanut butter and jelly are the best). How could I hate something that made me lose 7 pounds in less than 2 weeks? Honestly thought, it’s more about how it made me feel. Supplementing the diet with the working out just made me have more energy.

Don’t get me wrong, I miss some things: coffee, cheeseburgers, pasta, cheese, bread and pickles the most, and I had an awful beginning (I was lethargic and tired because my body was getting rid of all the toxins). I was a little grumpy too, but mainly because my body was trying to re-adjust to having natural things in it. In the beginning, we had to do a lot of recipe searches as we quickly got bored with our generic salads, and steamed veggies. Now we spice it up with new and different sides I never would have thought I would have enjoyed. Case in point, chopped apple, green bell pepper, red onion, salt/pepper and lime juice, delicious yet so simple!

Since you can’t have dairy on this diet, which for a cheese lover like me is hard, we discovered Almond milk (unsweetened) which is a milk with a very tiny natural taste of almond to it. It’s like licking an almond basically.

Overall, I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a change in their diet and lifestyle. We will not stay strict after the 3o days are up, but we will definitely keep a lot of the basics of it. At least 60-70% we are going to try to stay paleo. I still want my cheeseburgers!

I’ll let you know if we win! We get weighed in next weekend!

Photo courtesy of River North Xfit

I knew once I moved up here I was going to have some trouble watching the game and finding a bar that would show it. I thought to look on the UT Alumni chapter in Chicago and found out about a place called the Brownstone Tavern where all the alumni go to watch the game. I was pretty excited to check it out come game day, especially with all the ruckus with the Longhorn Network. Game day came and I was so disappointed to see that they were not able to make it work and get the game in time. How could a place that called themselves an alumni bar not show the game?

Furious, we scrambled down the street to score some free wi-fi (since we still didn’t have internet or cable) at 50/50. I set up my little camp and proceeded to watch the Rice game with a sketchy streaming site. Awful. I vowed to find a better place the following week. I went to the Facebook page for the Brownstone and found out they eventually did get the game, but after kickoff started. Reading through comments, one caught my eye.

“I love you Brownstone, but after going to Stanley’s for the game with its $5 Bud Light boots and Texas waffles I’m not going back!”

Whoa, whoa whoa. Stop the presses. This place had the game way before kickoff and has $5 Bud Light Boots? Where is this beautiful sanctuary?

I quickly Googled Stanley’s and was quickly in a happy heaven. Their menu is outstanding, make your own Bloody Mary bar, seriously delicious all you can eat brunch, Texas Tea I was in heaven! I was so pumped for next weekend to come around!

Michael and I headed down there early and grabbed a table. The menus were already placed on their tables for the game with all the fabulous specials.

Longhorn Saturdays!

Of course I grabbed a giant Bud Light boot! 32oz for $5! Yes please!

Das Boot!

I saw a giant blow up Bevo and instantly mad Michael take a picture of me with it. I was so happy I could hardly contain myself!

Then I read on the menu a “Have a Texas license? Show us before halftime and get a free shot!” Omg this place couldn’t possibly get any better!

Free shots!

When the game started, all the TVs turned to the Texas game, the room full of burnt orange. ‘Incredible’, I thought to myself, ‘who would have ever thought this existed in Chicago?’

Michael used to go to Stanley’s, it turned out, when he lived in Chicago and there was nothing special about it he said. He was shocked at what happened on Saturday’s and needed to know why. Being inquisitive, he asked one of the bartenders how this came about. “Well”, he said, “we wanted to make the bar specific to a team and we thought, ‘well, Texas has a pretty good football team and they’ve got really attractive women, so let’s do it!’ so we did.” And the rest is history!

I brought my friend here from New York (who is also a Longhorn in the city) and she fell in love and is constantly begging to come back to Chicago just to come here. I’m sure on every other day this bar is just another bar, but on Saturday’s its a sea of burnt orange and it’s the closest this little homesick Texas girl feels to home.

Hook 'Em!

Realizing I couldn’t figure it out on my own, I asked around the office and my bus-savvy co-worker gave me the golden number, 11, that would take me to my destination. As I walked out to head out on my way, I was told to be sure to push the doors open as they wouldn’t open for you automatically. I had previously downloaded the Red Eye app on my phone because I used it for the train schedule. The buses didn’t run on a particular schedule, so I knew it could be hit or miss when they came by. The Red Eye app estimates when the buses get there so its definitely a must-have if you need to ride the bus. The dis-advantage of the app is that you need to know the stop name otherwise you won’t figure out what stop you are at. If you are standing underneath a #11 sign, it has the stop name on it.

I headed on down and stood next to the sign and checked the app; a couple more minutes and the bus would be coming along. The app proved to be pretty accurate and the bus chugged towards me on schedule. I took my card out and scanned it. The difference between the train and the bus scanners, is the card actually needs to be out on the buss to scan, versus on the train you can scan it through your wallet or purse. Also, a key thing is you need to be sure to board at the front. If you’ve ever been on a bus that’s pretty much the norm.

I sat down and kept vigil on the street signs and listened intently to the stop names the bus was screaming out. I knew I was getting close but wasn’t sure where exactly. I prematurely pulled the rope and the bus driver promptly asked me with a ghetto twang “Do you want off?”. To avoid embarrassment I moved to the door to exit the bus. Of course, I just stood in front of the doors for a good 20 seconds before I remembered I needed to push the doors open. I was staring at the sign below mind you.

Remember to push the doors open!

I walked a few blocks extra, but I learned the ways of the bus for next time.

Bus Tips:

1. Look up on a map (I recommend Google Maps because you can use the train stops as markers) where you and your destination are so you can monitor the streets as the bus is moving along.
2. Ask around. There is almost always someone who knows the bus system pretty good, or at least well enough to help you figure out what bus to take. You can also check it out online but I found that more difficult.
3. Download the Red Eye app. It will definitely help with getting the schedule for the buses.
4. Arrive at the stop 2-5 minutes early in the event the bus arrives earlier than anticipated.
5. Make sure you are going the right direction. (e.g. Northbound versus Southbound)
6. Board the bus at the front adn have your card out.
7. Get your bus legs and hold on tight. That thing moves without waiting for you to sit down.
8. Get land markers. I find this is easiest for figuring out when to pull the rope to stop (e.g. I use an Office Max).
9. Push the doors open. They don’t open automatically and you will stand there like a dumbass if you don’t.
10. Hop off fast and hold your breath because the exhaust on that bus smells awful.
11. You will likely mess up the first time but that’s ok, at least you got to your destination!

This Chipp Inn looks like a small house turned bar. It’s cozy, bartenders are super nice, people are friendly and its cheap. No food but you can order pizza or bring your own. It’s also semi-walking distance from our apartment so we walked there.

The first time we graced the Chip Inn’s presence, I was with a group of 11. Michael bought everyone a round of Blatz and gave the guy a $20 with some ones. The guy promptly tried to give Michael back the extra money. We were shocked! Usually bartenders scoop that up and in some cases won’t even try to bring you back your change thinking you’re giving it all to them. Michael told him it was his and we thought to ourselves how refreshing it was to be around such an honest person in such a big city. Not to mention, when we ordered the next round, he bought it for us! As Michael put it, we’ve gone to some of the same bars over and over, gave money over and over, and the bartender has never bought a single round, let alone a drink! How down-to-earth this place is! Just plain ‘ole nice people enjoying some drinks. They’ve got a full bar too for those non-beer drinkers, but why dabble with anything but a Blitz?

The Chip Inn

The area we live in caters to the “go out to eat” lifestyle and every spot down the street is packed with people doing exactly that.

Michael discovered this amazing website that aided in us finding the best deals in our area. Smalltabs.com. It lets you sort by day of the week and by area of Chicago and you can submit your own finds too. I <3 this!

So, this is pretty sums out how our first 2 weeks went down:

Monday:
Mac’s American Pub – $5 cheeseburger w/ fries, $2
Innjoy – $.25 wings with lots of different flavors, not incredibly spicy but tasty, $2 Miller High Life/Miller Lites

Tuesday:
Division Ale House – $2 Fish tacos

Wednesday:
Kelly’s Pub in Lincoln Park – $.25 wings and $2 Coors Lights (Right below a train and total dive but the wings are huge and cheap)

Any day:
Wicker Park Tavern – $1 Cheeseburger w/ fries (All day every day special here, but the catch is it’s a 1/4 lb and you have to buy a $4 beer for each burger. 1/4 lb is fine for me, but for a dude you might want two)

Just Yummy:
Moonshine – No super specials here, just really yummy food and a nice patio
Smoke Daddy’s – Yummy BBQ and usually have live music every night to entertain you. Super small little dive. Also has an incredible chocolate cookie served in an iron skillet with ice cream on top. Delish!

Most of the places I mentioned above have crazy good deals all throughout the week, but these are my favorites. On Fridays and Saturdays, there are usually no specials anywhere, but all in all, you can find a good deal on grub anywhere in the city, and Small Tabs helps you find them.

I love Small Tabs!

I’ve learned and continue to learn something almost every day in regards to the train system.

Here are a few lessons I’ve learned the hard way:

1. ALWAYS check the sign at the top so you know what train you got on. My second day here I hurriedly ran down the steps for the Blue line, and upon seeing a train in waiting, I jumped in not paying attention. “Wow”, I thought to myself, “this train sure is empty to be going downtown”. The intercom announced its next stop and I knew I was going the wrong direction. FAIL.
2. Learn how to stand on a train. The best way I’ve found when forced to stand on a train, is with your feet shoulder width apart with one foot facing the front of the train and the other facing the back. This will give you a stronger balance when the train is jerking around, and trust me, it does. And always, always, always, hold on to something. I stupidly made this mistake multiple times in the beginning and toppled over.
3. Don’t talk to strangers. They won’t stop talking to you and 77% of the people that ride the train are weird and want something.
4. Don’t take anything from strangers – not even a flyer – especially from small children or people that look like small children. This should be common sense.
5. Be courteous. If someone needs to get off the train and you are in the way, move. Sometimes you have to get off the train but just hop back on. There are people, like me, that get anxiety that they won’t make it off the train in time, so please, just move out of the way.
6. Don’t stand in the way of the doors. If you don’t, the train won’t move and people get pissed and you have to ride with the glaring at you. Plus, they hurt if you get in their way.
7. Learn the off schedules. If you don’t, you’ll end up sweating next to some slob breathing all over you and your coffee. Nothing spoils your morning like feeling as if you got malaria from the guy on the train. I leave before 8am and don’t get food or coffee until after the train drops me off.
8. Carry a sanitizer of some type. The train is a dirty, dirty place. You think people clean that thing? No way.

More lessons to come, stay tuned!

My Chicago transit card - I'm official!