Where else can you get Free Panties and $5 Gloves...?

You got to love Chicago. Like most cities, amidst the cold, hard cash and the people that won't make eye contact with each other, there beats the heart of traditionalism. Not tradition in the traditional sense of the word, but more of a selfish, liberal traditionalism. Even though residents of the Windy City boast to be "open minded" and claim to hold loosely to the "old times" as soon as the snow starts to fall and the temperature drops, everyone looks forward to some of the same things every Christmas season. The lighting of The Miracle Mile (Michigan Ave), The Christmas Parade, Shopping at Water Town Plaza, Marshal Field's window dressings that would be cool if they weren't so freakin' creepy, and what they used to call "Skate on State".

Now they don't ice skate on State St. It has been moved to Millennium Park. So on Friday I trekked up to the City to meet one of my friends and go ice skating. The City was just like I remembered it... freezing.

After sitting in traffic for two hours, I paid $16 to park my car on Michigan Ave. Martha Stewart was signing her new book at Borders, so the crazies were coming out of the woodwork. Apparently, ex-cons that cook go over big in Chicago. One person actually asked Martha to sign a copy of The Shawshank Redemption... and was "asked to leave." So I moved past Borders and the old water station to the monstrosity that is Watertown Place. I had to pick up Ashlie at work so I rode 14 escalator for 7 floors in Marshal Field's before I found an entrance to the mall. She works at Gap Body, which is Gap's version of Victoria Secret. Ashlie, loyal to the Gap (and increasingly beginning to believe in the Gap the way My Big Fat Greek Wedding believed in Windex), she thinks Victoria Secret sucks. But a customer had given her a coupon for a free "very sexy panty" from Vicky's. So we redeemed the coupon for some kind of ... fabric... that what of it that was there was see through... awkward. Anyway, it was good that it was free, because it was about 2 cents worth of material. Then we stopped at H&M and got $5 wool gloves. H&M, you are so trendy and cheap... where would I be without you.

Then we met up with Ashlie's friends and rode the bus down to Millennium Park. Ride the Bus in Chicago... I dare you. On the way down we saw the practice run for the parade and the lighting of Michigan Ave. Which is better than the real thing, because there is no crowd. We skated for two hours and bumped into Billy Barton and Phil who I went to school with. It's kind of funny when two guys bump into each other at an ice skating place. "What are you doing here?" "Aaahh... Nothing" "What are you doing here?" Ice skaking is just like roller skating. Apparently, I can do both. In the future I play to be the old guy at the roller rink "roller dancing" in the middle with short shorts... but that's another story. It was soothing to get out of the office for a little while, breath in some fresh air, and see other people enjoying themselves. It was like this happy, giant, awkward dance with too many people on the floor. It was beautiful.

Anyway, then it all ended. All the lights went out, the music stopped, the tourist went back to there hotel and the four of us just sat up on the balcony by the giant bean at Millennium Park. Lake Michigan on one side and a surprizingly quite Chicago on the other. Good Times.