In Like A Lion
PUBLISHED BY: MAOXIE

CHICAGO

12 MARCH 2007

The weather has finally started to moderate a bit and we have been experiencing unseasonably high readings for the past few days across the Chicagoland area. We had the mildest day of 2007 on Saturday and it was spent enjoying the company of South Eastern Asiatic foreigners, introducing them to two All-American traditions: Frisbee on the beach, and burritos at the corner diner. Of course as always, when I say “American,” I mean it in the broad, Pan-American, occidental, New World sense of the word, if you must. Anyway, it was a stellar time.

Now I am here back at my desk at the PR/Ad agency enjoying a nice leisurely Monday morning. I got in to work early and was able to get some catering sorted out for my team (they’re meeting with Kraft, one of our largest consumer product clients, and Whirlpool, a potential new client, to partner on a new product line… what could it be? I have no idea, but the visuals were very compelling. Hold the line for more information…)

I have two big weekends on the horizon: Mandi, a friend from Tokyo, will be taking the train into the city on Saturday just in time for hard and heavy St. Patrick’s Day fests. Gameplan is framed around a lovely, buzzy stroll along a green Chicago River. Such good times. Weekend following I will take the train down to St. Louis to see Stephanie and spend some time really acquainting myself with Washington University. Excellent.

In a surprising, convoluted, yet enjoyable turn of events, Saturday night ended up being the highlight of my weekend. Hands down. Far and away. The evening started off at Elizabeth’s cousins’ house in the far northwestern suburbs over a dinner of chili, macaroni, bread, beer and some very lively conversation about the World Cat that would arouse the interest of absolutely anyone who is in any way associated with the library sciences. Then it was off to Mundelein High School to see some very stimulating show choir activity, complete with a three hour intermission pub crawl with Elizabeth’s family at the Irish Mill, Mundelein’s premier watering hole. If you have not had the privilege of seeing a show choir perform, you need to purpose to change that; it is something with out parallel. This picture says it all. Pay close attention to the young man on the far right. I don't know what his name is, but I'm sure you'll see it in lights some day -- mark my words.