July Summarized

Nothing says "second week in August" like posting my final July wrap-up. Here's what I was up to when I wasn't in Chicago or at a rock festival in Chicago or in Utah.

I can't remember if I told you I went to Katz for a hot dog on the 4th of July. Fact: It was the second time in my 13 years living in New York to set foot inside Katz and my first time buying something/eating there. It was a fine hot dog, no bigger than a Grey's Papaya dog, but yeah, I'd say tastier. 

Look at this, the Second Avenue Subway really is coming. This is the cover across the new side to the 63rd Street subway platform.

You may have wondered if I went to the Martin Creed show at the Park Avenue Armory. Why yes, of course I did.

This is just what the Armory looks like all the time

And here's the most famous thing about the show: The room full of great big balloons. So many balloons! Such a strong latex smell! So hard to get a correct exposure!

Everyone knows about the balloons at the Creed show but from there it gets weirder. There's a room where the lights flash on and off while the door opens and closes slowly on its own--in fact, slow openings and closings are a recurring element of the show. Out in the main hall there's a giant curtain that opens and closes slowly on its own. But in the great big gigantic parade room they've got the biggest opening and closing. Up on this gigantic screen they play videos of the camera slowly zooming in on still figures who then open their mouths (slowly) to reveal mysterious gunk or goo. And then, even more slowly and less frequently, the door way down at the other end of the room opens up to the street and sunlight outside. Art!

Off to the side from there there was a gallery of smaller video installations of things like dogs walking around, passages getting highlighted, and, uhm, people throwing up (not pictured)?

Throughout the rest of the Armory it was harder to tell Creed's art from what was already in the museum, but there was this white grand piano that slammed its own lids open and shut. Which you can't tell from the photo. But that's what it did.

Let's talk about visitors? Scott came for a conference and stayed with me for a week while I was gone the whole time working, but we had some good 12:30am meals. He's down with dollar slices and up for Baconator fries.

And I managed to get back from Utah just in time to catch Jessica at the tail end of her New York trip. So good to see Jessica, hard to believe it had been ten years!

Last Saturday of the month I met up with Mary and Kim at the Metrograph to see Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. After that we grabbed some lunch at Mission Chinese...pro-tip: Place is EMPTY at 1pm on a Saturday and I gave my old neighborhood a little bit of a walking-around.

And, in conclusion, two creations I am proud of for July: this roasted vegetable salad and my BB8 watercolor.

Utah Time, Summer 2016

So from Chicago I headed over to Utah to see what was up and to be there for my parents' 40th wedding anniversary celebration. 

Wednesday evening I met up with Andrew for tacos, it was my first time trying the new, giant Don Joaquin's on Bulldog. They've transitioned their Provo operations from their weekend presence at Salon Eclipse to this every-day-of-the-week establishment. While I'll definitely miss the ambiance of Salon Eclipse, I am glad that these finest tacos imaginable are now always available to the good people of Provo. 

Former New Yorker Sam's band was playing in Salt Lake that night so I was like "That sounds fun" and I went.

Thursday I had lunch at Bam Bam's BBQ there in Provo. Or Orem. Sometimes it's hard to tell. Either way, I was shocked by how good it was. Stunned. Picture doesn't look like much, but it was absolutely delicious, world class stuff. Enough to make you wonder if Provo might secretly be one of the great food cities of the world whatwith their having the best tacos, best Indian, and so good barbecue.

Greg's celebrity hook-ups hooked him up with some tickets for all the kids to a Studio C rehearsal. I've maybe watched two Studio C sketches before, but it was fun being there with all the absolutely thrilled 9 year olds and their parents. Definitely got the feeling that this outing was making it into more than a few Christmas letters.

After the taping we decided to keep partying and went to 7-11 for Slurpees. The machine was much more powerful than I expected and I experienced an incredible high pressure Slurpee explosion that got all over Rachel. So glad I ruined her clothes and not a stranger's!

Then I went up to Midway to get Andrew down to the airport. He's been living at our friend Calder's house while he works with Calder fixing up his boat. When I got to Calder's I was like "He lives in a cabin?" and then discovered "Oh, he lives in a cabin with an awesome modern house added on to the back."

Friday morning I went and picked up Mom and Dad and Emily from the airport (yes, it was a very airport-oriented trip). Before returning to Highland we stopped at the Church History Building. I found this story in a collection of Brigham Young anectdotes

The big thing about Friday was celebrating Mom and Dad's anniversary. They cut a carrot cake, same cake they had for their wedding. Well, not the SAME, you know.

Friday for dinner we had chicken tostadas with these beans Kristen made that drove me nuts. I woke up thinking about them so I went down to the kitchen and made myself huevos rancheros. Look at the fry on that egg! So proud.

Saturday was a special day because it was the day of the neighborhood block party. They got me out of the house to see the slip n slide.

But the main attraction was that Ricardo, Mr. Tacos Don Joaquin, was in charge of lunch. ("Tacos Tarricaso" is his new catering/food-truck venture)

Another key attraction? The dump tank. Kids acted like it was an execution. Would ask specific people to hit the button and drop them in or say they just wanted to slide in off the seat themselves. The kids waiting for an actual chance to throw a ball at the target probably had a longer wait than the taco hopefuls.

Dad and Owen and I took a little break from the party to go see Star Trek and came back to find the neighborhood dinner in full swing in Kristen and Cory's back yard.

And after dinner...Neighborhood Dance Party. The dj was like the babysitter that shows up with a bunch of games. People had to play a lot of dance games or follow a lot of dance instructions before she finally did what everyone wanted, which was play the Whip/Nae Nae song.

A note about these limbo pictures: Rachel has a sense of humor. She's proud of these faces. Or that's how it seems to me, the uncle.

Sunday: Taking pictures of the Edwards family for them and then FINALLY having Grandma over. She is telling Walker she knew he was hiding from her.

And that basically was the trip! I told you there was a lot of family stuff!

Checked on Chicago

So, yeah, as the post about the Pitchfork festival would suggest, I was in Chicago the other weekend to see what was up. On Friday I went to a Cubs game, my first in six years. Last time I saw them they lost to the Angels like 15-0 (not an exaggeration, just having trouble remembering the exact score) but this time they beat the Rangers 6-0, including a 5 run inning.

Always dissing Green Bay, even at baseball games. That's how much we hate you!

Headed to Oak Park on an Oak Park-bound train with a Visit Oak Park ad

Don't worry, I had Johnnie's

On Sunday I checked out Emily's church, which is held in a school in the city. As you can see, it is in a very rough neighborhood.

In my absence, Mom had been researching new places to eat. A stressful morning at the movies (don't get us started!) was made right by a lunch at Jarabe in Pilsen. HOLY SMOKES. This place was great. All the reviews talked up their breakfast tacos and other Mexican breakfast foods and I'm here to cosign on that. My taco al pastor there on the left was no big deal, but the steak and egg taco on the right was awesome. Chilaquiles, also awesome--topped with lots of nice little charred pieces of chicken. Mom ordered a mulita and, I mean, just looked at that perfectly fried egg? In short: Jarabe is a world class operation disguised as an unassuming neighborhood taco spot. Go. Go go go.

This is how you dress for the bus

My restaurant research contribution was a reservation at the Publican.

For my last day in town Mom suggested that Emily and I come along with her to the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen. Made a cat-friend first.

Then we met Dad downtown for a little free after-work chamber music concert in a church (it was not in this chapel. This chapel is too small).

And then it was BACK to Pilsen once again for dinner at 5 Rabanitos, another Mexican place Mom had researched-up for us. The chef is a former Rick Bayless chef, so it was neighborhood Mexican on a chef level. Plus Alinea-looking custom plate holding the guacamole.

So, in summary: Baseball, beef, rock n roll, and three trips to Pilsen in two days. That's what going home is all about!