On Roma

My family embarked on a Mediterranean cruise this week. M and I flew from Chicago to Montreal (which was so beautiful and green that it's next on my list to visit), then from Montreal to Roma. Our first flight was a bit delayed so it was tight making our connection, but luckily there were so many people on the next flight that we were personally escorted to the plane.
We did SO much sightseeing once we got to Roma! I finally got to put my years of Italian to work...though most people replied back in English, a few must have pitied me enough to give me some Italian back.

On LA

A brilliant quote from the gorgeous Joseph Gordon-Levitt on LA from this Huffington Post article (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/03/joseph-gordon-levitt-la_n_1937611.html):

"Another virtue of Los Angeles is getting to sing in the car. I miss that when I’m out of town. Even though the traffic’s a bitch, it’s nice to have such a private environment to listen to music."

This is honestly one of my favorite things that I miss about driving in LA.

On Springtime Entertainment

I've been neglecting blogging because the weather took a lovely turn.  Whenever this happens in Chicago, everyone insists on being outside--happy hours on outdoor patios, BBQs, and adventuring in the park.  Then there are the torrential thunderstorms (luckily, most of them have been at night), and that sends everyone else back inside.  I still can't adjust to the idea of warm rain...I'm too used to the California idea of rain when it's cold.  Humidity what?

Anyway, some exciting things we've done recently in spite of my recent sinus infection:

-Sailing on Lake Michigan through a fantastically cheap Groupon.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I would recommend.  It was a little cold because of the wind, but at least it didn't rain!

-Watching The Great Gatsby.  I liked the movie, but was somehow not very attached to the characters.  It was mildly disappointing because I loved the book and felt very attached to the characters there, but what can you do?  Book to movie adaptations never live up to snuff.

-Eating!  We tried a bunch of different restaurants, including Bodega (Mexican food), which has carne asada fries.  We took the food home, but M said the place itself was really nice inside, like a classy taqueria.  I definitely want to go back. 

 We also tried Rockit, a subsidiary restaurant of the company where a good friend works.  The music was so good--unexpected mixes of songs from really disparate genres.  We went for dinner but I definitely want to go back for dancing.  The downstairs area was a little more tame dinner crowd (at 9 pm on a Friday night), while the upstairs had a more upbeat scene with pool tables, a DJ, and plenty of seating around a round bar.  

I'm pretty excited for some upcoming events.  We're keeping busy all spring and summer to take advantage of the weather!

-Apps & drinks at the Conrad Hotel rooftop bar!  I got yet another deal.

-the PAWS Chicago 8k run/4k walk (with our dog, Arwen!) benefiting a local no-kill animal shelter.  It'll be at Montrose Harbor this Sunday.  I didn't realize it was so soon, but it'll be fun!!

-Trying the Michelin-recommended Usagi Ya sushi restaurant in Wicker Park...we got a deal (I know, I love them because they're cheap) for a tasting menu.