Repercussions of a Fantastic Adventure

I have never quite understood Columbus Day.  Maybe because I have never gone to a school or worked anywhere that has actually recognized the holiday with a long weekend.  I pretty much always forget about it each year until my sister throws it in my face that she has Monday off for Columbus Day.  She works at a bank.  Banks recognize most of the random holidays.  Luckily I do not have class on Monday, so I was able to catch up with my good friend Esau for some Chicago adventuring!

We started at the Columbus Day Parade, since it was local to SAIC, and we wanted to see what it was all about.  It was lame.  We soon moved on, attempting to take a water taxi to Chinatown, but learned it had shut down JUST the week before.  Oh well, to the El we walked, and arrived in Chinatown for my very first Dim Sum meal!  I guess I never knew that Dim Sum meant small appetizer-like dishes i.e. potstickers, shrimp rolls, dumplings, etc.  We were starving, so we scarfed our fare, and continued to meander through the neighborhood all the way over to Pilsen.  We stopped for drinks at Simone's, a bar that reminded me of many Vermont bars rolled into one eclectic wonderful place, then continued up 18th street to the Nuevo Leon bakery.  Three different pastries for $1.75? Um, yes please.  I had to indulge my sweet tooth, and there were so many pastries to choose from!  

We were only about halfway through our adventure at this point, and our next stop was Little Italy.  No eating here, as I was still full from Dim Sum, beer and had begun snacking on one of my pastries, but we did find a lovely bar.  And a bartender who went to high school with Esau (my previously mentioned partner in crime) who ended up giving us a great drink discount.  I love surprise discounts.  

We walked even further to Greek Town, initially with the idea of baklava in mind, but we were too full at this point.  Another bar with an outrageous bartender, who Esau said was the example of a quintessential Chicagoan.  He was very loud, and open, and was smoking in his bar, which he claimed he'd pay the fine for if he was caught.  Interesting character.
Our last stop to bring us full circle back to the Loop was Printer's Row.  I didn't get to see too much, since it was dark by then and nothing was open, but the area was quaint and clean.  I will certainly return in the daylight sometime to explore the bookstores, and go sit on the raised grass mound I found which had one carved pumpkin sitting in the middle of it.  So odd.  I love odd things.

And today?  I am TIRED.  Thank goodness for the scone/stone I bought in Pilsen because it was a perfect pairing with my morning coffee from Sunny's.  But reading about class consciousness?  Not happening.  Editing my podcast for class tomorrow?......maybe happening because it doesn't require quite as much eye strain.  Thinking about my social theory paper that's due next week?  Makes me want to fall asleep.  The only reason I am awake right now is because I'm at work.  And so I decided to blog.  And I will stop rambling now.