Saturday, July 20, 2013

where I was

so - we went to friends for dinner but before we did we stopped at Billy Sunday- a new hip cocktail bar in Logan Square... the drinks were great the snacks were great the ambiance was great- it was good all around-

we had a very nice time at our friends' house with an excellent meal and a bit of time outdoors with their two cute dogs - even though the evening was hot (and when we got home we found our AC had broken!)

our fabulous HVAC guys were Johnny on the spot (literally his name is Johnny- LOL) and the AC was fixed the next day by noon which was good because that was the day it topped out at 96* (and that is not a cool group, it is the real temperature not the accu-weather real feel temperature!)

today it cooled off and I had agreed to go to Phil's Saturday night concert with him- well here is the deal- it is two hours of my life LOST- that I will never get back - enough said---

so here are some photos - and a bit more narrative when appropriate-


named after the temperance preacher- the bar has a lovely décor of tin ceiling dark wood and old photos and memorabilia - the drink menu offers lots of unusual and innovative choices. I had the Hoar's Frost, Phil the Cocktail, Sheila the Old Fashioned and Mary the Victorian.  Tina had a booze soda and I don't know what Brian ordered - then they brought us three special of the day sake drinks a ginger, a mint and a plum... the mint won my vote....


Brian (who is a partner in the operation) said these giant ice cubes cost a "fah-chun"  because they basically have to saw them out of a huge block of ice - but here is the cool part - this is what the "cube" looked like after 40 minutes of sitting in a drink and then an empty glass in a bar that was quite warm (remember the heat wave?)


 
that was one giant pure ice ball!
 
then on to photos from the concert-





as I said it was two hours of my life I won't get back- and I won't mention the name of the performers because no musician has an easy way of making a living- even the rich and famous ones- and clearly from the appeal for money (WE NEED YOUR HELP!) these are more of the starving artist type-

so here is a photo that shows where I wish I would have been tonight - LOL- home hearing reruns of the always interesting Studs Terkel Show!

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

thanks for reading

I just noticed that I am about to go over 20,000 page views since my first post on October 22, 2010.... thank you to all of you who read my musings and follow along with my travels.  I have some exciting things coming up- a busy social calendar this week and next and then in early August a DART trip with buddy TB. 

You may recall that we have done these Disappearing American Road Trips before over the years and in August we are headed to the northeast section of upstate NY.  September will bring a NYC trip to see friends and family and then October our big journey of the year to China (Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Lijiang, Zhongdijan, Guilin, Yanshou, Shanghai and Hangzhou) with brother Larry!

Then my friend Georgia (of the Cuba class and Ybor City class etc.) and I have just begun planning a winter trip to Morocco! I haven't been since May 2000 so that should be very interesting....

anyway here are a few photos to celebrate the upcoming 20K mark and the travel done and that about to be embarked upon... in no particular order-

phone booths in the Montana State House outside the Senate Chamber (really!)


a museum display in Oklahoma-


a café in Silver City NM- where we had breakfast...


possibly the cutest horse I have ever seen - years later I still regret not having a carrot to share with him- he stopped playing with his ball (which he had been tossing and running to) to come over and say hi when we pulled over for a shot of the SEE ROCK CITY sign on the barn across the road- you can just SEE how sweet he was!


TB viewing seven states! from Rock City!


The Star Ferry in Hong Kong-  still one of the best travel bargains in the world!



Man Mo Temple offerings Hong Kong


for sale at the Cat Street Bazaar in HKG-



Fez leather tanning operations (second up closer)



the blue gate in Fez


proof of my camel riding "skills" - LOL near the Erg Chebbi dunes in the Sahara-

cats at the Chellah (old port near Rabat now a ruin to visit) and a spring which is a place of offering for fertility-


some of the beautiful Moorish tile work on buildings in Morocco-


olives for sale in the souk in Fez-

 
so - thanks again for coming along on the journey and stay tuned for more discoveries!