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For those of you that watch CBS' Rock Star, you may remember last year's winner, J.D. Fortune. Well, even though he wasn't my favorite, you realize why they chose him to front their band - he's a...
For those of you that watch CBS' Rock Star, you may remember last year's winner, J.D. Fortune. Well, even though he wasn't my favorite, you realize why they chose him to front their band - he's a solid and energetic performer.
We went to this arena to see J.D.do his thing with INXS. Chicago's own Marty Casey (the runner up on Rock Star) and his band Lovehammers opened the show.
This concert arena is great, with friendly folks working there and only $5 for the parking. (After paying more than 3 times this price for good ol' Chicago parking, I was impressed). When I ordered the 1st balcony seats, I thought they would be located in a true balcony, but I was thrilled to see that my first row seats were actually a foot off the main floor! Wheee, you have to like that one. The sound system was good and the arena is very convenient to the highway.
By the way...in case you were wondering, the concert was fantastic!! INXS still rock the stage, and that Gary Beers is as adorable as ever. And even though I didn't personally vote for J.D. Fortune to be their new lead singer (Mr. Casey was my fave) he was a dynamic performer and a lot of fun to watch. And Marty Casey and Lovehammers put on an electrifying, killer concert. If you have the chance, go see them in concert or pick u their CD. ROCK AND ROLL, BABY!!
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I have begun the forgiveness process. For the sake of this lovely hotel, I will "overlook" my last experience. The weekend from Hell is what I would call it, friends.
I guess the front...
I have begun the forgiveness process. For the sake of this lovely hotel, I will "overlook" my last experience. The weekend from Hell is what I would call it, friends.
I guess the front desk/reservation people "forgot" to tell us they were undergoing massive construction in the hotel that particular weekend. They "forgot" to mention that drills, hammers, and the sweet sounds of screaming men with tools would awaken you at 7:00 a.m. and continue to annoy the living daylights out of you for another 10 hours or so. Oh, joy. But don't worry, I got even with them - a free weekend, that's how!
Now, let's get past that nonsense and get to the good stuff. The rooms are awesome! Beautiful two room suites with french doors, two televisions, sleeper sofas, fridge and tons more amenities. Nice bar, restaurant downstairs. Friendly and efficient staff. If they would let me, I would move in today. But only if I NEVER see/hear those construction dudes again.
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This place is SO cool! If you're a rocker like me, you will love it here. Of course being the "crowd o'phobe" that I am, I had to go at a (very) off time, just so I could enjoy the place a little...
This place is SO cool! If you're a rocker like me, you will love it here. Of course being the "crowd o'phobe" that I am, I had to go at a (very) off time, just so I could enjoy the place a little bit. It's huge, with several different rooms, including the "Elvis room" (tip: He is NOT there, so don't report any fake Elvis sighting, but I did, however, smell the essence of white jumpsuit and sweaty scarves throughtout the room)
There's a lot of live music, games, a rockin' jukebox and some very good food. I loved the veggie sandwich. But what really blew me away is that the guy who owns this place has about 10 million toys around the room, I am talking toys that make a kid at heart like me die inside with envy...Beatles' dolls, bobbleheads, classic toys of the 60's and 70's, Pee Wee Herman toys and collector cars. The walls are filled with rock and roll memorabilia (hey's it's early morning...did I spell that correctly?!)
The only thing that creeped me out were the animal plaques on the wall: looked like a hunter's convention in there. My day would have been perfect if Dick Cheney didn't shoot the waitress...he thought she was an elk. (yeah, I know...but what did you expect from a former Clinton/Gore supporter?)
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Did you ever watch Crank Yankers? I love that show...anyway, let me quote the infamous Special Ed when I say, Yay, yay, THE ZOO!! THE ANIMALS!! A TRAIN RIDE!! Yaaaaayyyyyy. That's the way I...
Did you ever watch Crank Yankers? I love that show...anyway, let me quote the infamous Special Ed when I say, Yay, yay, THE ZOO!! THE ANIMALS!! A TRAIN RIDE!! Yaaaaayyyyyy. That's the way I felt visiting this fab zoo: just like a giddy kid again.
My favorite parts were the bird exhibits where the coolest dudes with feathers were strutting around the place, steps in front of me. There was actually a gorgeous peacock walking outside of the exhibit much to the amusement of everyone around the area. I also loved the giraffes and the train ride. Yes, even giant "kids" like me can have a blast on this 'too sweet for words' train. Besides, my old feet couldn't walk anymore and it was an easy way to see the whole park :)
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One tends to become a tad bit jaded living their whole life in Chicago. You forget that not every place in the world is filled with...(fill in name of "big city life" problems here).
On a...
One tends to become a tad bit jaded living their whole life in Chicago. You forget that not every place in the world is filled with...(fill in name of "big city life" problems here).
On a recent trip to visit my old pal, City of St. Louis/Gateway Arch, I stayed in this lovely, welcoming little town. It's like a Norman Rockwell painting! The streets are lined with all NON MAN stores and restaurants, cobblestone roads and a beautiful park alongside the Missouri River.
My personal faves were the sweet shops with the chocolate covered strawberries and yummy home made fudge. There was also a store that sold about a zillion bottles of hot sauce, and they even carried the Mike Ditka line (can't get away from him even in St. Louis) of BBQ sauce and mustard. I will definitely be returning to this small town charmer very soon
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Harpo Inc
Category:
Gift Shops
1058 W Washington Blvd
Chicago, Illinois 60607
(312) 633-1000
Oprah and her show have done good things for people, and many positive changes have taken place within the lives of families and individuals. Basically, I have respect for her and think it's great...
Oprah and her show have done good things for people, and many positive changes have taken place within the lives of families and individuals. Basically, I have respect for her and think it's great that she has overcome so much in her life.
However the problem with Oprah and her show is the obsession factor. Oprah is obsessed with power and control and some of her fans are just obsessed with Oprah.
I feel that Oprah seems to love herself too much and must always call out her own alms and good deeds. The whole world has to know that she's "fabulous" and does "fabulous things." In reality, in my personal opinion, Oprah has self esteem issues. Because of her past and the abuse she faced, she now needs constant validation and attention. She wants to show the world that (they too) can be like her, and control/dominate the universe and feel empowered.
The problem is that for your average person, Oprah's enormous success, her fame, the fact that she is a multi billionaire and that legions of women and celebrities feel the need to 'worship' her and make her a godlike figure, sets people up for their own hurt and failure. After all, 99% of us are just regular people, trying our best to lead a normal life. We will never be Oprah, or have her cash, and it's unfair that people seem to get confused to think she has set some type of standard. Oprah is not so much the one to blame - it's her fanatical followers that hang on every word she says and gush over everything she does. It's just sad.
For me, Oprah needs to come back down to reality with the rest of the world and remember how hard it can be when you don't have her kind of power and money. And maybe the rest of the world needs to stop putting so much trust and faith in a talk show host. We need to put things in perspective - she's not God. The last time I checked, she didn't walk on water or raise the dead. But seeing the way some people get carried away by her every move, you would think otherwise.
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Sssh, don't tell Panera. But there is a strong rumor going around that a couple of those packs of Dijon mustard may have "accidentally" ended up in my purse the last time I visited them. (Hey, if...
Sssh, don't tell Panera. But there is a strong rumor going around that a couple of those packs of Dijon mustard may have "accidentally" ended up in my purse the last time I visited them. (Hey, if they are going to put out some great free condiments, accidents may happen, right?) Besides, it's only a rumor, they have no proof...
I LOVE this store. It's always so clean (note to Panera employees: Can you scrub down my apartment and have it looking this clean, please?) The food is fresh and tasty. I love their soups and sandwiches, but they are a little on the pricey side. I have also tried their sweet rolls and bakery items which are good as well. In the summer, you can enjoy your goodies outside the store as you watch all the Park Ridge folks stroll by your table (maybe they have mustard packs in their purse too?)
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Call me unimpressed. Call me bored and indifferent. But this "famous" place on the Northwest side left me saying "ah, so what" And this coming from a woman with Italian blood flowing through her...
Call me unimpressed. Call me bored and indifferent. But this "famous" place on the Northwest side left me saying "ah, so what" And this coming from a woman with Italian blood flowing through her veins!
We went on an "off" day when it shouldn't have been busy, but the room was so cramped, and very uncomfortable. I literally had the guy at the table next to me keep bumping into my leg or back - and he wasn't even cute! The tables are too close together, and there is very little charm or ambience about the place (IMO), but I did enjoy the guys who walk around playing tunes on their violins - that was kind of classy.
The food was just average, but the servers were pleasant and efficient. It's just not my kind of place, but I know a lot of people enjoy it here.
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No, this is not a review of Taylor Hicks (although I LOVE that particular funky white boy ... SOUL PATROL, SOUL PATROL!). I am speaking about an event I recently attended here. They hired this...
No, this is not a review of Taylor Hicks (although I LOVE that particular funky white boy ... SOUL PATROL, SOUL PATROL!). I am speaking about an event I recently attended here. They hired this "one man band" guy for a private event and he had a lot of spunk! It really added to the party we had here.
We rented out their banquet room area for a family event. The food was great (they served some kind of white fish that I really liked, steak, although it was way too rare for me, and these awesome double baked potatoes). The food here is very good and the rooms are festive looking and very pretty.
If you're looking for a place for your special event, consider asking them about their banquet facilities. They did a super job with setting up, and they have a pretty good sized dance floor. My only complaint was that the servers for our event were kind of cold and indifferent. The bus boys were more accomodating and helpful than the actual banquet servers. Still, overall, I would recommend Forty One North.
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I've been here a few times, and I really like this place. The lunch specials are wonderful (and only around $5) and they have a cute looking interior. The service was efficient, but not overly...
I've been here a few times, and I really like this place. The lunch specials are wonderful (and only around $5) and they have a cute looking interior. The service was efficient, but not overly pleasant. On a recent visit however, the server/manager did have a bit of a 'hissy fit' over a buy one/get one free coupon we had, and I wasn't thrilled with the way they handled things, but overall, it's a pretty good place to get some good Mexican food for a nice price.
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