I like this place...it's not pretentious...

...this of course being my paraphrased attempt of quoting "Priceless," a beautiful and light movie starring the lovely Audrey Tautou. I love this movie because it makes me think of some of my old favorites, like "Charade" or "To Catch a Thief." I like that quote because it sums up my view of Chicago, a city that I've loved more and more only after I left it. Not that I didn't love it while I was there--I always felt lucky to be in or near Chicago, but New York was always the goal, the dream. I'm as close to that dream now as I could hope to be at 23, but Chicago has entered my heart and refuses to relinquish its grip. For one thing, Chicago is cleaner, more spread out, less chaotic--the people are nice and lack the pretension displayed by so many New Yorkers and their wannabe counterparts. Chicagoans have pride, but it's a pride in something real and seemingly more deserving...maybe it's hard work without the glitz or bright lights? I don't know, but it's this feeling that Chicago is a wonderful place, but it isn't all there is--there's a whole world outside of Chicago, one that people go out and explore. Chicago is the place that you return to, it's home. Some New Yorkers think that they are at the center of the world, not just part of it, giving them the false sense of worldliness, even if they never leave the island of Manhattan. Of course, not all New Yorkers are like that and not all Chicagoans are wonderful. New York will always have more than The Second City and I feel more connected to the history of the New York/New Jersey area then I ever will to the Midwest. But Chicago is a nice place, a place I hope to go back to at some point in my life.

Yes, I had a lovely visit to Chicago--I am always happy when I'm surrounded by friends and family, and I got a taste of both last weekend. Recapping it will just make me miss them more, so I'll just leave it at that for now.

On to this weekend, my independent/Italian weekend of randomness--"A Room with a View" (ah, Firenze!) on Friday night with some popcorn a la Sarah-style (kernels, oil, salt, oregano, paper bag, microwave, yum). Yesterday was organizing parts of my life and then a date with myself. I took myself to see "Gamorra" at the IFC center (stopped off for a peanut butter and nutella sandwich at Peanut Butter & Co. first). The movie was wonderful--dark and horrific, but beautifully shot and moving. The film looks at five different characters all attached in some way to the Camorra family (mafia) in Naples. The dialect was strong so I had to rely on the subtitles, but that made it all the more real. I think that's what was so troubling about it--I've seen plenty of violent films but over the top violence seems more like entertainment. I can watch it because I know it's not real. This violence, the killing and revenge and depravity of the whole situation was (and is) just so real. In any event, I'm glad I saw this movie, even if it wasn't uplifting at all.




Today was Italian mass (I love all of the old Italians and how they talk with their hands...their gestures are amusing and pleasant), a quick stop by the hairdresser's for a bangs trim and a visit to the bookstore for Ian McEwan's "Enduring Love" and Evelyn Waugh's "Brideshead Revisited"--yes I have an illness called compulsive bookbuying...


...Weekend Anna

Happy Valentine's Day!

Photo courtesy of yoshiko314.

My Valentine's Day? Packing, flying to Chicago, fig and cashew butter sandwich and beer with Sarah at the Hopleaf!

The Black Keys...

I love live music. Nothing is better than being able to see, hear, smell and feel the music, especially when your whole body vibrates with the rhythm. I like that you can move and dance with no fear of looking like too much of an idiot because there is almost always someone else there dancing, swaying, breaking it down, in a much more idiotic fashion. It's liberating in a way, and so much more satisfying than dancing alone in a bedroom.

The weekend started out with a trip into the city to check out the Whitney Museum of American Art. It was a balmy 45 degrees or so and sunny, which made for lovely-walking-around-the-Upper-East-Side weather. The museum is small, but full of some very interesting pieces. My favorites included latex paint spilled on the floor (I really wanted to touch it), three video pieces (the room was dark and cool, and the only noise was the whirring of the film projectors, it was like a dream), and the exhibit of Alexander Calder's wire sculptures (his circus was so whimsical, so of course I loved it).


Today I continued my whimsy kick with the movie "Coraline"--it was beautiful, although the storyline itself wasn't developed too much. But it was worth it to see the animation. And then The Black Keys. I hadn't been to a concert since seeing Eddie Vedder in Chicago back in August. It was the prefect show--not too crowded but not dead, smallish venue and a great set list with a good mix out of their discography. The lovely RMB and I got there fairly early, bought some overpriced beer, and staked out our spot along the rail of the first raised level. We had a great view above the sea of plaid shirts (when did plaid become hipster? did I miss something?) and knit caps--overall, a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

I'm just trying not to think about the fact that the lovely RMB is leaving me and returning to Ohio...

Next up...Chicago!!!

...Weekend Anna

I'm going to Chicago!

It was one of those random whims that turned into reality because everything came together. I was sitting at work today, dreaming of the coming weekend--The Whitney as well as the Black Keys with the lovely Rebecca--when my mind started to wander to the following weekend...Valentine's Day weekend and President's Day weekend...which means no work on Monday...which means a three day weekend (the stuff that dreams are made on). I started to think about what I could do over those three days when it hit me--I could go somewhere, more specifically, I could go to Chicago. A quick survey of flights, a message to that beautiful Papermoon girl, and a click of a button, and I had myself a round trip ticket from Newark to O'Hare.

I'm so excited--Chicago means seeing dear friends, a trip to the Hopleaf, maybe a trip to the Unicorn Cafe in Evanston, and being in a familiar place, a place that feels like home.

I'm so excited...

...Weekend Anna

Lost and found

I found my necklace! And now there is much cause for rejoicing. I don't usually wear jewelery--maybe earrings once a week or some bracelets, and a necklace on special occasions. But this necklace, a small silver lower-case script "a" rarely left my throat and chest for roughly a year. Then came the packing and the leaving Chicago, the throwing of all my stuff in this box and that bin and these suitcases and those bags. Somewhere in all of that, my necklace was misplaced. I was surprised at how upset I was about it at first--I'd left earrings at friends' houses, lost bracelets in the ocean and my high school ring had disappeared about a month after I picked it up at school. I'm still not sure why this was different--it just was. After rooting through my sweater bin, the "a" is back around my neck.

This weekend was spent with my lovely Rebecca--I'm going to miss her so much when she returns to the Midwest...


...Weekend Anna