40 posts tagged “chicago”
For those of you who do not read my running blog, I have posted my full recap of Sunday's events.
Check it out at: http://princessrunner.com/?p=122
Remember when I posted the photos of the tree that broke in our front yard after a severe storm? The management company finally had the broken branches cut off. It makes for an extremely bright and sunny morning in the apartment, because the tree did a great job of shielding the sun. The only one that seems to be happy with the missing branches is our friendly black squirrel friend. (If the squirrel picture is not showing up click the "black squirrel" link to see it. Not sure why it is not showing up).
We had some more rain today and after the showers, we had this nice rainbow.
If you thought about entering my charity raffle, but figured you would not win, you should give it a try because I have only had one person enter so far!
Am I the only one in the Chicagoland area who is disappointed that I don't have cicadas in the trees outside my apartment? Other suburbs have them! I saw it on the news. Maybe we picked the wrong suburb to move to. I know that most people think they are loud annoying pests, but it is historic! They won't return to these parts until I am nearly 47 years old! I don't want to wait that long to see them! I also want to see how the cats freak out at their presence! And imagine the photographic opportunities!
To all the cicadas: We have a nice, pretty tree right outside our window. Why don't you come on over??
Prince E and I went to the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois. In addition to being able to view hundreds of beautiful trains, you can actually ride on certain trains. Today they only had the electric train running, but other days you can ride the diesel train, an old Chicago transit train, and others.
Here is the train that we rode today and our conductor:
Prince E and I participated in our first running race together yesterday. My mom and sister also came to town to run with us. It is was also my first race under my new name, so technically I set a personal record because I (with the new name) never ran this race before.
The race was the 8k Shamrock Shuffle, which goes throughout downtown. This year they increased the number of runners to 30,000! It was unseasonably warm yesterday (at least 75 by race end, high of 80 at some point that day) and I really wish they would have added another water stop.
Since our training kind of fell off toward the end there, Prince E and I decided to run as much as we could and take long walking breaks. We just wanted to finish. We were quite discouraged by the Chicago Police Officer that came up behind those of near the back and kept repeating "if you are going to be walking and not running, you have to get on the sidewalk, because the course will be closed soon." She was mean and not friendly and not encouraging. In reality, the course was not being closed as she passed, she was just being pesky.
We really were going as fast as we could and we were by no means the last of the group, so I don't know why she kept yelling at all of us. Someone yelled "when was the last time you ran 5 miles!" Then another women went up to the car and was yelling and gesticulating, although I couldn't make out what she said. I did hear the woman yell out the police car number. I guess she threatened to report her for being a bully.
Despite the heat, our poor training, and Prince E's asthma acting up (thankfully he had brought his inhaler), we did manage to finish about 10 minutes faster that I had predicted. We were tired and crabby afterward, made more so by the fact that my mom and sister failed to stick to the AFTER RACE PLAN, we had so carefully devised, and we had to end up waiting for them to get to the parking garage. It would not have been such a big deal if we hadn't just run nearly five miles in the hot sun and were tired and crabby (did I say that already?)
After we got back to the burbs and went to lunch, we were all in much better spirits. I think the people coming in to the restaurant in their Sunday best got a kick out of the four of us still in our running clothes.
I was glad that my mom and sister came to town for the race. This was the longest race either of them had completed and I was proud of them both for beating me. Next year though, they better stick to the plan, or we might leave them in the city!
For as long as I can remember, any time I liked a sports player enough to buy their jersey, get a bobblehead doll of them, or otherwise express my love and affection, they get traded or go to another team. Let's examine history for a moment, shall we?
Justin Thompson, Tiger: (Yes, I realize that only two of you know who is. He played for the Tigers long enough for me to love him): bought jersey: traded next season for Juan Gonzalez of all people (we all know how great THAT turned out); Justin ended up having some kind of shoulder injury and never fully recovered.
Muggsy Bogues, Hornet: bought jersey (after waiting for YEARS for them to finally sell it in Michigan): traded
Jerome "Junkyard Dog" Williams, Piston: bought jersey (on clearance), waited in line at Domino's Pizza to get his autograph: traded
Ben Wallace, Piston: waited in line for two hours to get his bobble head doll, thought about getting jersey (foolishly thinking "Ben Wallace will be a Piston forever!!): he left for Chicago (although that COULD be a sign that he loves me back and wanted to come visit).
I know that there are more, but I am in too bad of a mood to come up with more examples. Why am I in a bad mood you ask? My favorite Bear is by all accounts headed to the Jets. And why? Because I called him my secret boyfriend and planned to buy his jersey. I am indeed cursed.
Maybe I should start pretending to like players that I really dislike so that they will go away. By the way did I mention how much I LOVE Gary Sheffield and not only am I THRILLED that he is a Tiger, but that number 3 jersey is just SO perfect on him!!*
* Alan, my love, that is just a trick to confuse the sports gods; you and I both know that you are the only one that really deserves to wear that jersey.
If you live in Chicago, you can't walk down the streets these days without hearing the Chicago Bears fight song "Bear Down Chicago Bears." As a result, it has been stuck in my head for weeks. Only for some reason, when I am singing it to myself, it keeps morphing into the University of Michigan song "I want to go back to Michigan." The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus was kind if enough to allow free downloads of their version of the Bears song, so I am passing on that goodness to you. For kicks, I also uploaded "I want to go back to Michigan." I am sure I am the only one who thinks they are even remotely similar. Unfortunately this version of the Michigan song doesn't have the words in it, so I posted the lyrics below if you are curious. I also posted the Chicago Bears lyrics, in case you don't know the words and want to sing along.
BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS
Bear Down, Chicago Bears
Make every play, clear the way to victory!
Bear Down, Chicago Bears
Put up a fight with a might so fearlessly!
We'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation
With your T-formation
Bear Down, Chicago Bears
And let them know why you're wearing the crown!
You're the pride and joy of Illinois,
Chicago Bears, Bear Down!!
I WANT TO GO BACK TO MICHIGAN
I want to go back to Michigan,
To dear Ann Arbor town,
Back to Joe's and the Orient,
And back to some of the money I spent,
I want to go back to Michigan,
To dear Ann Arbor town,
I want to go back; I got to go back,
To Michigan.
Oh! Father and Mother pay all the bills,
And we have all the fun,
In the friendly rivalry of college life, Hooray!
And we have to figure a helluva lot,
To tell what we have done,
With the coin we blew at dear ole' Michigan!
