where the onion grows

Recently, I discovered that you can grow an onion from an onion. This is a typical red onion that was bought in a grocery story. I also learned that, left to its own vices, the onion will start to sprout, using the bulb as its food source. I decided to do a little science experiment. I planted the sprouting bulb to see what would happen. The once albino green leaves from the lack of sunlight are now a deep forest green and growing quite nicely. I am not sure what will become of the rogue onion just yet. We will wait to see how well it does.

tommy turns 2

the birthday boy

the little kids hanging out before cake and presents.

the big kids hanging out before cake and presents.

hyde park's got art

We headed to the south side to go to Chicago's oldest juried Art Fair in Hyde Park, the 61st Annual 57th Street Art Fair. The streets were lined with white, tented booths that were filled with artist's work from all over the states. The booths showcased the art pieces in a variety of medias - Paintings, pottery, silver jewelry, photography, oils, bronze sculptures, and hardwood music boxes. It made even the not so musically inclined seem inclined, which made me inclined to buy one. I settled for a business card with the website on it.

Some of the artists did not heed Tom Skilling's warnings of storms and lost a few delicate pieces in the strong gusts of wind. It wasn't the wind, but the sudden downpour that caught us off-guard on our dash back to the car. We were held captive by the storm in the courtyard of Frank Lloyd Wright's quintessential prairie style home, the Robie House. After a few minutes, we meandered into the gift shop to wait out the onslaught of rain. Seeing that there was not going to be a break in the rain anytime soon, we broke down and purchased ponchos. With all of the Frank Lloyd Wright patterns printed on all types of materials - glass, tile, metal, paper, I half expected the ponchos to have a prairie style pattern printed on it. No such luck. It was just a clear garbage bag with a hood, but the plastic case the poncho was packaged in did have a Frank Lloyd Wright sticker on it.

wedding bling

I wondered how much the average blessed event would or should cost. One source stated $55,110 for a wedding in Chicago, IL. A few lines below this statement, there was another statement. It was a disclaimer stating that 82% of the weddings cost less. I am in the same boat as the 82% and not the crack pot who wrote that ridiculous disclaimer. No offense to those wanting the blingy-est of weddings, but that's not my cup of tea.

A few, more reputable, sources in the wedding industry gave an average of $19,000 - $25,000. Now, after comparing it to the $55k average, this seemed to be a great bargain. I thought to myself, 'I just saved $25k.' Then, after thinking about it, I realized that the 'bargain' wedding is still a jeep wrangler, or the amount you would spend on fueling up your small suv.

Is there a point to these average numbers? Not really. No one can really tell you how much it is going to cost. However, there is hope. It's what I like to call math. As a starting point, the overall budget can be broken down into general categories. It helps to give you an idea of where the money is spent. It's not all that fun when you see the real numbers, so let's keep it old school upbeat. In the immortal words of MC Hammer, let's. . .'break it down . . .'

• Reception: 50% (Site fees; rentals; caterer; beverages; cake)
• Ceremony Site: 2% (Location; officiant; marriage license)
• Wedding Attire: 8% (Gown; accessories; groom’s attire)
• Photography/Videography: 10%
• Flowers: 10% (Bouquets; boutonnieres; décor)
• Entertainment/Music: 4% (Ceremony; cocktail hour; reception)
• Stationery: 3% (Invitations; programs; thank-you notes)
• Wedding Rings: 2%
• Transportation: 3%
• Gifts: 3% (Attendant gifts; favors)
• Tax/Tips: 5%

Death Cab for Cutie at Millenium Park

Tuesday night, the sky threatened to rain all night, but only succeeded in creating a foggy, yet dramatic, back drop for the Pritzker Pavilion in Millenium Park. The seats of the Pavilion were filled and the lawn was overflowing with fans who were here to see for Death Cab for Cutie play the sold-out show.

While we did not have rock star seats, we were able to hear the rock stars from our seats. The lawn acoustics were enhanced by the open steel structure overhead that was decked out with speakers. The pavilion structure was also equipped with lights to help kick out people at the end of the evening. Oddly enough, the only thing not on the pavilion structure were pigeons. All in all, it was a perfect evening filled with good music and good company.

go cubs go

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, we set out to see the Cubs play the Rockies with the infamous Pekkarinen clan on their annual family outing. As always, a good time was had by all. Except for the first base empire who left early due to a hamstring injury. Regardless of the calamity, the Cubs came through with a 5-4 win over the Rockies. The win gives the Cubs the best record in baseball going into June, similar to their season in 1908 when they won the World Series. Best record or not, any time the Cubs win, it always feels like they just won the World Series. For more pictures, click on the scoreboard.

Dempster on the mound

Urban Farmer - Part II

Just in case you were wondering how the urban farming was progressing . . . The herbs are still growing.

Sweet Italian Basil

Columbine Harlequin Mix

Thyme

For the love of the cubs

For a true cubs fan, nothing will stop them from watching the game. Last Tuesday night, the fans were bundled up like snowman to keep warm for the wicked wind that whipped through the stands at Wrigley. A few sought refuge in the bathroom for warmth. And we all know that seeking refuge in a bathroom is dire and must mean love.

Last Thursday night was no different. An anonymous cub fan battled it out with a steel pole in order to watch the game. This die-hard cub fan was seated 1 foot clear of the pole with 3 open seats to his left and 6 open seats behind him. Why wouldn't he move? Cubby Love.

Take a closer look at the photo and you may spot the Prior jersey in front of him. Prior is gone. Cut your losses, remove the letters and keep the jersey. Now that would be Cubby love.

While watching the game, some nut bag of a vendor would walk by and scream, 'PEANUTS!@?!' with a hair-raising scream that was absolute murder the ear drums. There was no love from him.

There was a little bit of chaos on the field as well. Luckily an old friend, Ron Santo, sang the 7th inning stretch and Kerry Wood closed in the top of the ninth to make things right again in Wrigleyville. Cubs beat the Rockies 8-4.