Summertime Summertime Sum Sum Summertime!

Everyone loves Chicago in the summertime. The snow has melted, the flowers are blooming, and there are festivals and farmers markets to enjoy. Here's a list of some of the cool things that are happening in the Oak Park area this summer. What is on your summer schedule?

July:

• Thursday, the 3rd - Saturday, the 19th - "Hamlet", Performed by the Oak Park Festival Theatre
• Time and location: Thursday-Saturday 8:00pm/Sunday 7:00pm, Austin Gardens, 167 Forest Avenue
• About: Oak Park Festival Theatre is a professional theater company working under contract with Actors’ Equity Association, producing the works of William Shakespeare as they were meant to be staged – as thrilling, living, popular theater, al fresco in pastoral Austin Gardens to augment the imagery and poetry of the Bard’s English language
• Cost: $27/person

• Monday, the 14th - Competitive Foot Hosts its Last Fun Run 
• Time and location: 6:30-8:00pm, The Competitive Foot, 102 N Marion St.
• About: Bring your friends, family, friends to the LAST FUN RUN at "the Foot" with the Oak Park Runner's Club - store closes for the final time on Sunday, July 20th
• Cost: Free!

• The Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor’s 2014 Trough Eating Contest
• Time and location: 7:00pm at The Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor, 7347 W. Madison St. in Forest Park
• About: Teams of three will attempt to eat “The Trough” (a giant 21 scoop sundae) in the fastest time possible
• Cost: $45 entry fee

• Thursday, the 17th - Saturday, the 19th - 40th Anniversary Community Open House
• Time and location: 5:00-8:00pm, 951 Chicago Ave
• About: The Frank Lloyd Wright Trust is celebrating the anniversary of the first public tour at the Home and Studio, which took place on July 17, 1974, and is offering the free tours as a way to thank the community and share a world-class museum in its own backyard
• Cost: Free to all residents of Oak Park and River Forest

• Saturday, the 19th - A Night in Hemingway's Paris: The 2014 Hemingway Birthday Celebration
• Time and location: 7:00-10:00pm, 137 N. Oak Park Avenue
• About: Hemingway's Paris takes over the Scoville Square Building with cocktails, French delicacies, live music, readings from Hemingway's Paris letters by Sandra Spanier, editor of the Hemingway Letters Project, and a pop-up exhibit of never-before-shown clothing and artifacts from the Hemingway Archives
• Cost: $25/person (includes weekend admission to the Hemingway Birthplace and Museum, both open for tours Saturday, July 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, July 20 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.)

• Thursday, the 24th - Friday, the 25th - Previews of "The Importance of Being Earnest"
• Time and location 8:00pm, Austin Gardens, 167 Forest Avenue
• About: See above
• Cost: $20/person

• Friday, the 25th - Uncorked at the Oak Park Conservatory (Also on Friday, August 22nd and Friday, September 26th)
• Time and location: 6:00-8:00pm, 615 Garfield St.
• About: Join the Friends of the Oak Park Conservatory for the summer series "The Oak Park Conservatory Uncorked."  Attendees can enjoy drinks, food, showcase tours, music, art and much more.
• Cost: $15/person

August:

• Friday, the 1st - Saturday, the 2nd - 44th Annual Book Fair
• Time and location: Friday's fair hours are 6:00-10:00pm/Saturday's fair hours are 9:00-5:00pm), south cafeteria at Oak Park and River Forest High School, 201 N. Scoville Ave.
• About: The fair typically offers more than 100,000 books in every conceivable category. Many materials sold at the fair are donated by the general public. With funds raised, the Friends of the Oak Park Public Library continue a tradition that benefits and engages all of Oak Park.
• Cost: Friday - $5/person, Saturday - Free!

• Tuesday, the 5th - ART DANS LA RUE 2014
• Time and location: Noon-9:00pm, Marion Street, between Lake and North Blvd.
• About:Savor art, food, wine, music, dance and all things authentically European without stepping foot on a plane at Downtown Oak Park’s Street Art Festival
• Cost: Free!

• Saturday, the 16th - Oak Park Microbrew and Food Review 
• Time and location: 3:00-7:00pm, Marion Street, downtown Oak Park
• About: Sample tastings from more than 90 craft beers from 30 Midwestern microbreweries, purchase food from local restaurateurs and groove to the sounds of local bands at this zero-waste event
• Cost: $45: General Admission, $60: ReplicAle, $100 VIP

On-Going Events

• Thursdays - Thursday Night Out in Downtown Oak Park
• Time and location: 5:00-9:00pm, Lake and Marion, downtown Oak Park
• About: More than 20 Downtown Oak Park restaurants offer a variety of drinks, appetizers, entrees and desserts on the TNO menu and allow diners to eat inside or carry out. Tables are also set up outside for patrons to enjoy live entertainment while dining al fresco.
• Cost: $12 ticket booklets contain 4 dine-around tickets. Each booklet contains 4 dine-around tickets and one voucher for $2.50 off two adult priced movie tickets. One dine-around ticket is good for one item off the Thursday Night Out menu — menu changes monthly. For every two ticket booklets purchased, customers receive one complimentary $5 DTOP gift certificate good at over 25 participating stores on Thursday evenings during the TNO season.

• Saturdays - Oak Park Farmer's Market
• Time and location: 7:00-1:00pm, Pilgrim Church Parking lot at 460 Lake St (every Saturday from May 24 through Nov. 1, 2014)
• About: The market is a step back into simpler times . . . buying things from the farmers who grow them, surrounded by the sounds of live bluegrass music, the smell of fresh, homemade donuts and an incredible variety of nature's bounty
• Cost: Free!

That Time I Met Jeff Mauro for $20

I'm incapable of playing it cool around famous people. I think I get nervous just meeting regular people too. I'd like to apologize to everyone I've ever met for all the awkward laughing, the weird jokes, and the blushing. I don't think I could ever live in Hollywood or New York City or even Chicago because of the constant fear that I would see a celebrity and hyperventilate.

I considered myself safe living in little old Oak Park. It's not like I would be meeting Ernest Hemingway or Frank Lloyd Wright anytime soon! Wow, that was such Dad Joke. Sorry kids. But see what I mean? I'm just writing about meeting people and I'm already being weird.

Anyway, my friend Ellie and I went on a VIP Progressive Shop in Forest Park. Sounds pretty fancy, huh? For $20 we got to shop, eat, and drink at Yearbook, Famous Liquors, and Flavour Cooking School and get little gifts along the way.

At Yearbook:

The spread at Yearbook. We got to sample a couple different wines and try the food made by Flavour Cooking School. Their gift bag (in the background) had a kickoff pint glass which is designed by Yearbook Stuido. They also offered 20% off of everything in the store.

At Famous Liquors:

Wine tasting at Famous Liquors.  The guy in the picture said he goes to Italy every 5 weeks to buy wine for the store. How does one get that job?? The gift bag at Famous had a coupon for $10 off any bottle of wine.

Flavour Cooking School:

I forgot to take a picture at Flavour, but they had the best spread by far. Lots of different food and these amazing blueberry scones with lemon sauce on top. I had three of them. Flavour's gift bag had a cute little jar, which was sadly not stuffed with those blueberry scones. They also were giving all the VIP's 50% off of any cooking class, but they had cancelled the class that we wanted to take so we didn't get to take advantage of the deal.

Can you believe all of that for just $20? I wish it was always just $20 to be a VIP. I would be a VIP all the time. I imagine it to be like this - "I'd like to fly first class, please. Here's a Jackson for your trouble." Then I would wink, but I can't really wink, so I would give a fun little blink and strut down the aisle to my first class seat. I'm sure I wouldn't make it all the way there before the flight crew stopped me and explained that I couldn't give them $20 for a seat that was already booked. I'd be persistent but inevitably I'd be carried off the flight against my will and probably added to the Do Not Fly List. Wow, $20 can get you a lot nowadays. Anyway...

What does all of this have to do with Jeff Mauro?
If it wasn't for the Progressive Shop I would have never walked into Yearbook last Wednesday, which means I would have never seen Food Network Star - Jeff Mauro shopping in there with his family! When we first walked in, I saw a tall guy with a hat shopping at the opposite end of the store. He turned around and I grabbed Ellie's arm and said, "Oh-my-god-do-you-watch-the-Food-Network-do-you-know-who-the-Sandwich-King-is-he-is-also-on-The-Kitchen-Jeff Mauro-the-sandwich-king-is-right-there-in-this-store!!" Then I preceded to take off my glasses because they were fogging up and started fanning myself because I was already over-heating from excitement. See why I can't live in Hollywood?

We walked over to where he was shopping and as he was walking away I said, "I love all your shows!!" I won't go in to detail about the rest of the conversation - I did mention that I too also went to Bradley University and I may or may not have said something about stalking him. He was super nice and friendly even though I think he knew that I was super star struck. I really wanted to get a picture with him, but I was too nervous to ask.

So long story short, I met Jeff Mauro for $20. Plus got some delicious food and wine samples and free gifts from three local business. I'm definitely doing this again next year!

28: The Year of the Superhero

Like every person in their 20's, I believe that every BuzzFeed article was written for me personally. They get what's important to me. A list of 20 signs that Jennifer Lawrence is my spirit animal? Finally! See what I mean? BuzzFeed and I go together like peas and carrots. Or like Forrest Gump and a box of chocolates. Or me with a box of chocolates and an hour to kill before dinner.

Last year, BuzzFeed ranked every year in your twenties from the worst to the best year. I was excited to see that 28 was ranked number one because that's the age I'm celebrating this year.

Here's what they said: 
"Whew — 28 is the best year of your twenties. Not because of the spectacular partying (see: 22) or because you’ll magically have everything figured out (see: never), but because 28 is the year when you’re finally able to accept that no one actually “feels” like a grown-up and it’s OK that you don’t either. And it’s also OK that you never want another Jägermeister shot and that crowded shows make you want to crawl under a blanket forever. Just enjoy that blanket, 28-year-old you."

Too old to be a grown up: I kicked off 28 by doing a fun 5k in Villa Park for Easter Seals with Bryan and my friend Katie. I think I definitely was able to prove that it's okay to not be a grown up when you're 28. It helps when you're wearing blue tights, Spiderman boxers, and running next to Superman.

This is the cool comic book picture Katie made for my birthday!

Too old to not make time for family: I also got to see my Dad, Carol, Bryan's parents, and Bryan's grandparents on my birthday! We made the drive down to Minooka to enjoy some pizza at Giordano's. I wish I would have taken a picture, but just close your eyes and imagine a happy Asian woman with a giant piece of stuffed pizza and you pretty much got it.

Too old to not make a birthday wish: Birthday cake at Maya Del Sol later that night with some Oak Park friends!

Everything I Know About Hockey I Learned from the Mighty Ducks Movies

Which means I know nothing about hockey and spend the majority of my time wondering why the teams are not doing the Flying V. I spent a great deal of my childhood watching these movies over and over. At one point, I even had memorized all the players names and numbers. I even used to "skate" around our kitchen in my socks holding a broom or a croquet mallet (because it was the early 1900's, obviously). Watching hockey is definitely not as exciting as watching the Mighty Ducks. I usually cycle through a few different thoughts every time I watch.

What I think about when I watch hockey:

• What if there were other sports where you could "legally" fight? Like basketball or even better - tennis. They certainly shout at the line judge enough. What if they just hopped the net, rackets flying, and started throwing punches? I bet a lot more people would start watching.
• Much to Bryan's dismay, I also like to attempt to commentate the game. It usually goes like this:
• Allison: "Okay, that guy has the puck and is skating over there...where did the puck go? I can't find the puck. Bryan, do you see the puck? Oh, there it is, that other guy has it now. Wait, I lost it again."
• Bryan: "Can you please stop doing that now?"
• How many people have died playing hockey?
• I wish Quidditch was real.
• What house would I be in if I went to Hogwarts? 
• Why are we watching this much hockey? 
• Why are these games on so late?
• I miss the Olympics.

Sadly, real hockey is not like my beloved childhood movie trilogy. But it sure beats football.

The Youngest Senior Citizen's Guide to Lollapalooza!

I'm not a fan of being outside or large groups of people, but put an amazing musical festival in the mix and you have my favorite time of the summer - Lollapalooza  About five years ago I started getting really into music and going to concerts in Chicago. Some shows I saw with friends, but the majority I saw by myself. It wasn't uncommon for me to listen to a band for the first time on Monday, look up where they were touring on Tuesday, by a ticket on Wednesday, and then hear them live on Thursday. After a few months of that, my friend Annika and I decided that we should go to Lollapalooza. Neither of us had shelled out more than $200 for a concert ticket before, but after looking at the three day lineup, we pulled the trigger and have gone every year since then. 2014 marks year 5 for us. We've learned a lot of lessons along the way that I thought I'd share here.

Lesson the First: Create Your Ticket Getting Strategy

Oh the days when Lolla tickets didn't sell out 20 seconds after they went on sale. Those were good years. Unfortunately, almost every year since our first year has been a crazy stressful experience. The past two years we weren't able to get tickets, but our friends were able to get in and bought 4 tickets. There are usually four types of tickets (besides the VIP tickets) that go on sale. The order is usually the lottery/secret sale-souvenir tickets, early bird 3 day pass, regular 3 day pass, and regular single day tickets. Here's how to get tickets:

• Follow Lollapalooza on Facebook or Twitter to get updates when the tickets will go on sale. Apart from this year, they've done a secret sale where they sell a handful of super discounted tickets online without officially announcing it. 

We won a pair of the souvenir passes one year and I'm pretty sure we've used up all the good fortune we'll ever have again. (It was worth it).

• If you're going with multiple people, have everyone log onto the site when tickets go on sale. Your odds are at least one of you will get through and can buy tickets for your group.

Lesson the Second: Do Your Research

After they release the lineup, listen to everyone who will be there. You can use their player that's on their website, but that typically only has a few songs on it. I use Spotify, YouTube, and Setlist.FM to do my listening research. Figure out who you like, who you hate, who you'd like to see perform live, and who has the least annoying fans.

Lesson the Third: Tough Love Time

All right so the schedule has finally been announced and all the bands you decided you liked in your research stage are playing at the same time. It's okay. Be smart about the schedule and remember that you have to be flexible. You're not going to see everyone you want to see, but you will get to experience some bands who weren't even on your list that will become your new favorites.

Planning our day - notice the highlighting. Now we've moved into the 21st century and use the Lolla app on our phone.

Also, think about the bands that you might not get the chance to see.

We had a great view of the Postal Service's last show (besides the show at the Metro they played right after this)

Lesson the Fourth: Pack A Bag - Things To Take With You

• Tickets (seems like a no-brainer, but I literally forgot mine the first year and had to go all the way back to get them)
• Fully charged cell phone (even though you probably won't have service)
• Money - bring a credit card and cash, they have ATM's there, but why get charged the fee if you can just bring enough with you
• Factory sealed water bottle or empty bottle to refill for free at their water stations

Small umbrella - it's rained almost every year we've been there for some amount of time. It's also good for blocking the sun when it's 800 degrees out.

• Plastic Ziplock bag for your phone for when it rains
• If you have room, it's worth it to put a garbage bag at the bottom of your bag in case it does rain so you can protect your stuff

Blanket to lounge on (we buy the cheap throws at IKEA)

• Kleenex which can double for toilet paper when they inevitably run out of it on Day 2/3
• Hand sanitizer - see above  

Sun block - it's hot out there

• Bug spray - if you're like me and get eaten alive in the summertime
• Mini-first aid kit - I just bring Band-Aids and a little tube of first aid cream for minor cuts

Lesson the Fifth: Relax!

Lollapalooza is a huge event and running around to the different stages is not the best way to spend your weekend.

• Check out the merch booths and if you want to buy a shirt, do it when you first get there to ensure you get the shirt and size you want

Spend time at the wine lounge - they usually give away a bunch of free stuff and it's mostly shaded

Eat your heart out at all the delicious food vendors - food at Lollapalooza is basically a less expensive version of Taste of Chicago with less suburban families and more hipsters (Hello, Rainbow Cone)

Enjoy the beautiful views of the city

Disneyland: Where A Kid Can Be A Kid...Right?

So maybe I don't know the Disneyland slogan. And maybe when I got there last month I opened my arms and said, "Ah, Disneyland - where a kid can be a kid!" And yeah, maybe Bryan looked at me and said, "Uh, that's not the Disneyland slogan." And sure, I may have said that as I was walking underneath the 'Where Dreams Come True' banner. Maybe a kid can only be a kid at Chuck E. Cheese, but I say there's one too many spokesmice telling me how to have fun.

I've never been to Disneyland as a kid. I've only been as a 20-something-year-old who often gets mistaken as a kid. On my second visit to the Happiest Place on Earth (because I know that Mr. Cheese doesn't make this claim) I decided that everyone should come here in the period of their life between being a kid and having a kid.

Here are five things to do when you're kid-free in Disney...

1. Spend some time in Fantasyland: I know, if you don't have kids why would you spend time in the "kiddie" part of the park? I'm telling you, these rides are like watching old school Disney movies. As you ride in the little train car, you travel through different rooms that feature different scenes in the movie. Except they cut out big important (but usually scary) scenes so it makes no sense how the main character got out of harm's way. The best example was the Snow White ride. You're traveling along as she meets the seven dwarfs, as the Evil Queen talks to the mirror, as Snow White eats the apple, as she goes into her deep sleep, and then in the next room birds are chirping and she lives happily ever after. Wait - huh? What about the part where...? Doesn't matter! She lives happily ever after. Next ride! I would also suggest going on 'The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.' I'm not sure what type of mischief Pooh was getting in after I stopped watching these cartoons, but apparently he has a really big drug problem now.

You'll feel like a giant in these tiny cars (or if you're me, like a normal-sized person)

2. Ride the teacups: Speaking of acid - the Mad Tea Party teacups are also in Fantasyland and a must for a classic Disneyland experience.

Bryan refused to spin the teacup because he is a little girl

3. Try a Dole Whip float: Actually, try every food and treat that you want. When you're a kid you have to get permission and when you have kids you have to pay twice as much for everything because there's more than just you - but when you're in the golden Youngest Senior Citizen age you can eat a Dole Whip float whenever you want!

Delicious Dole Whip floats that we may or may not have waited 30 minutes in line for

4. Catch the parade, but only for a few minutes: Bryan and I were able to watch a few minutes of the daytime parade sitting on the bridge in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle. When you don't have kids you don't have to try to find a spot on the street so they can see all the characters dance by. The music is loud enough that you can hear everything for a few songs and then be on your merry way.

Perfect view from the castle bridge

5. Leave the park when you want to leave: Sometimes the best part about Disneyland is leaving Disneyland. We had fun, we ate the food, we rode the rides, we took some pictures, but now my feet are tired. When you're kid-free in Disneyland you can leave whenever you feel like it. Just remember where you parked or you will be walking around the parking garage for 25 minutes trying to remember what Disney character floor level you parked on.

Bryan's reaction after the second time the Indiana Jones ride was shut down for maintenance as we were waiting in line

What I Talk About When I Talk About Trying to Run: Part Two

I've got two more 5k's under my unattractive running belt, which I haven't been wearing because I'm not sure if I'm supposed to wear it on my waist or around my stomach. I've seen it done both ways and the real runners look great, but I just look like I'm rocking a mini-fanny pack. Rocking is the wrong word. You know that arms crossed, slightly swaying motion you make when you're trying to be cool at a concert? That's me with my mini-fanny pack.

What to keep in your mini-fanny pack:

• License or some other form of ID
• Cash (I usually only keep $20-$40 in case I need to catch a cab or buy ice cream)
• Credit card (In case there's a buy two get one free special on the ice cream)
• Insurance card (For when your heart stops because you're eating a pint of ice cream after running)
• Phone (Because it's more important than my left arm)

I'm sure there's other stuff that's important to keep with you, but that's what I typically carry with me if I'm running outside. If I'm running by myself I always tell someone where I'll be just in case. I also have been known to take a picture of myself pre-run and send it to Bryan so he knows what I'm wearing (and he's always impressed with my running outfits - bright pink shorts and a red shirt). Better safe than sorry...that someone doesn't get to witness my awesome color combination. I don't usually take a picture of myself post-run because I don't have enough energy to push the button on my phone. Sadly, my pink shorts have been hidden away in my closet as we've been in week 54 of winter. 

March 2014 - NWF5K

March is a great month for running in Chicago if you like wearing green and drinking beer. Since I was going to be out of town the weekend that most races were taking place, I decided to find a race in California and came across The Natasha Watley Foundation 5k in Woodley Park, CA.  Natasha Watley is a two time Olympian who founded the NWF to help fund softball leagues for inner city girls. My love for all things Olympics combined with my need to find a 5k made this an easy choice. 

Unlike January and February's 5k I was not sick for this race. I had actually been training for weeks prior. The weather was beautiful and the course through Woodley Park was night and day from the freezing/snowy weather back home. I was able to run my fastest 5k since I started running last year! Also, this race had the best free stuff of any race I've done. They had free food and coffee, lots of vendors giving away samples, and even gave us a nice bag too.

I also got the opportunity to meet Natasha Watley! Her arms were as big as my giant head.

April 2014 - The Race That's Good For Life

So remember earlier when I said I was finally not fighting off a cold for March's race? Well right after that race I got yet another cold and was knocked out for three weeks. A year ago The Race That's Good For Life was the first 5k I did. I was a bit disappointed that I was not able to train for this year's race, but I'm glad I was able to run with Bryan and two of my friends. Using the walk/run method I was able to complete my 4th 5k of the year with my 3rd fastest overall time.

I'm currently training for May's 5k and am looking forward to running one on my birthday. Last month I was running for pizza, this month I will be running for birthday pancakes. Wish me luck!