My well-traveled daughter, Jenny, was back in Chicago for just five days after her Europe sojourn  before she and her good friend Emily took off for their final spring break trip. The two seniors gave themselves a graduation gift (with a generous kick-in from Mom and Dad) of a five-day trip to New York City. It was a first-time trip to the Big Apple for both, and they were extremely excited to experience as much of the city as they could. Her trip triggered memories of my own college graduation trip to New York with my roommate Diane, 30 years ago.

Jenny believes one of the best parts of the trip was their accomodations at the Duane Street Hotel in the TriBeCa neighborhood. She had had her fill of youth hostels and the YMCA after her two months overseas, and she and Emily spent plenty of time researching to find a nice place that could accomodate their budgets. Located conveniently not far from Wall Street and the financial district and in a trendy area with great restaurants and shopping, the Duane Street Hotel sounds like it would meet the needs of both business and leisure travelers. The girls appreciated the fact that they could hop on the subway just two blocks from the hotel  and get to the myriad sites on their extensive list of “to-sees.” With only 45 guestrooms, this was a good choice for them, and they found the staff friendly and very helpful with tips and directions. They also appreciated the property-wide free Wi-Fi, warm cookies available 24/7, plush bathrobes in the room and a spacious, well-appointed bathroom.

I got a kick out of Jenny’s Facebook posting on her first morning in New York: “You know you’re in NYC when: they are filming Law & Order right outside your hotel.” Another New York moment (on the other end of the thrill scale) was spotting rats on the subway platform, but it seems everything else was pretty much a thumbs-up. Both girls were moved to tears at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum (just blocks from their hotel) but were glad to have experienced it. They also visited MOMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, took the ferry to Liberty and Ellis islands, stopped in at a jazz club on the Upper West Side and saw The Lion King on Broadway. They wandered around Little Italy, compared New York pizza with the Chicago variety they know well and, of course, enjoyed the shopping (”Mom, no sales tax on clothes!!!”). One disappointment: They weren’t picked up by Cash Cab.

Arriving back in Chicago late Friday night, Jenny now looks ahead to her final months of school. She will graduate not only with her formal degree but also some great real-world experiences gained on her travels. Best of all, she’s grown in confidence in herself and her ability to navigate a big new city (even if she mistakenly ends up in Brooklyn at some point!) and has gained a grand appreciation for the world and its peoples. 

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

As March approaches, people are stuck in an end-of-winter-beginning-of-spring rut. It is the transitional time of year when Mother Nature teases us with a warm weekend and then hits us with yet another snowstorm!

It is hard not to get discouraged by the unreliable weather this time of year, which is why I appreciate reliable services such as Netflix. Pretty snowstorms mean ankle deep slush in NYC, which means many nights spent indoors. This year, I am on season three of Friday Night Lights, a show about a small town in Texas which loves its football. The drama revolves around a high school football coach, his family and his team. The town is small, but the problems are real. The season one pilot kicked off with the senior quarterback becoming paralyzed in the middle of the game. The problems snowballed from there.

The show touches on family issues, racism, high school hierarchy and the conflicts that come with growing up in a small town that revolves around football. I highly recommend this show for anyone looking for some consistency this time of year.

– Courtney Centeno, account executive

We’ve been in our new house now for almost nine months; and with the holidays over and the days gradually getting longer, we’re ready to tackle more projects to personalize the place to our liking. Outside work consumed most of the summer, and then there was getting everything unpacked and sorted out. Having time to live in the space for a while, we now want to get some color on the walls and add a few features here and there.

Top of the list is to upgrade our entertainment system and install some speakers, both inside and out on our patio/deck area. Except for a newer turntable and CD player/changer, everything we have is about 30 years old, from Harry’s single days. It’s all quality equipment, but he’s been itching to replace the big old cabinet speakers (I won’t miss them, either) with surround sound and adopt 21st-century technology. Let me state right up front that I don’t have a clue about any of this. I can turn it on and make it play what I want; but aside from knowing there are such things as subwoofers, amps and tweeters, all the details are lost on me. But checking out all the options and dreaming dreams of shiny new equipment has put Harry in hog heaven. 

Call me sexist, but I think the whole fascination with all that media technology is primarily a guy thing. I’m not saying women don’t appreciate great sound or video in their entertainment, but most don’t seem to get really wrapped up in the minutia like a lot of the men I know. I am more than happy to turn over to my husband the decisions on what we should have and how and where it should be installed. I get a vote on what the exterior of the console will look like in which the various components will sit, and that is about it. Oh, and I of course will have an opinion on the bids we receive for those components and the labor to install them.

Which brings me to that “keeping up with the Gateses” bit. Dave, who works for a highly respected media company here, came by the house this week and spent more than an hour-and-a-half discussing options and equipment with Harry. He mentioned that he used to work for the company in Seattle which installed the media systems in Bill Gates‘ and Paul Allen’s houses. Oh, my. When we lived up north, we traveled at least once a week across the 520 bridge that spans Lake Washington and allows decent views of the Gateses’ enormous compound. Construction took two or three years, and there were nearly constant news stories on the amazing technology being incorporated into the place. Among them: Each person in the home wears a pin which contains the wearer’s preferences as to lighting, temperature and music. As one moves from room to room (or building to building, in the case of the Gates compound), this little transmitter “talks to” receivers in the space, and the elements in the room adjust accordingly (with precedence assigned to whomever one chooses; I presume Bill is No. 1 in his house!).

Now, we’re not looking to install anything remotely like that in our humble little abode, but you might imagine that Dave doesn’t mess around with cheap equipment, either. Let’s just say that when I spotted the price for the “remote control processor” with the “emitter connecting block and five emitters,” I let out an audible gasp. Yep, I think I’m going to have an opinion about that little item.

I imagine there are those who would love to be able to boast that the guy who installed Bill Gates’ media system also installed theirs — and that probably does draw in clients for Dave and his crew. I’m not one to begrudge my sweet, hard-working man an excellent sound system, either, and we certainly do want someone who knows how to do quality work with fine components. I think we’ll just look at dropping back a step or two from the atmospherically high-end parts, though. After all, we’re not quite on a par with Bill and Melinda, just yet.

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

On Monday, my friend Jim and I had lunch at Paradise Pup in Des Plaines, IL. On one wall was a write-up that Guy Fieri had done for his show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network. We started to discuss our opinions of Chicago’s best diners, drive-ins and dives. Hey, if Fieri can make a living off of it, I can do a blog on it (and my hair was funky and out of control long before his was).

Superdawg first opened in May of 1948 on the far northwest side of Chicago. It is still there, still a drive-in and still serving hamburgers, hot dogs, shrimp baskets and other such fast food items. They also serve battered and deep-fried mixed vegetables, a rarity for fast food places. The fountain creations such as malts, shakes and blackkows are delicious. Superdawg has been known to cause traffic jams.

Hot Doug’s (the sausage super store and encased meat emporium) is a great dive. Nestled in the gritty northwest side, this simple brick establishment has outstanding and unique sausage dishes. Ribeye steak sausage, blue cheese pork sausage and curry lamb sausage are just a few delights served here. Arrive early and expect a line because the secret is out about Hot Doug’s.

Hienie’s Shrimp House is located on the far southeast side of Chicago. They were one of my childhood favorites and I still make the 30-mile drive for their unbelievable sauce. Their shrimp, chicken and fish are fresh and flavorful, especially when slathered in their original sauce. For an extra treat, get a heaping order of their fresh French fries (also slathered in their sauce).

Another southeast side favorite is the Mexican Inn, home of the tastiest burritos and tacos I have ever found. The Cornejo family opened it in 1961 and still run it. I have been going there almost as long. They are minutes off of the Skyway and from Indiana, but the flavors are pure Mexico.

Hamburger Mary’s is located a couple miles north of Wrigley Field. They have a large selection of appetizers and sandwiches, but their burgers are off the hook (to quote Fieri). The Big Kahuna Hawaiian Burger, served with a slice of grilled pineapple, cheddar and jack cheeses and Mary’s sauce, is my favorite. Of course, I opt for the turkey burger, but chicken breast, black bean burger and buffalo are also available. They offer ever-changing home brews, nightly amusement in “the attic” and relaxation in the “rec room.”

Well folks, that’s it for this edition of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives of Chicago, Johngy style.

– John Wroblewski, distrbution specialist

I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for quite a while. Not because we had any big plans or were going anywhere special. I just was anticipating a leisurely three-day weekend (more for my husband than for me, since working from home means my work days can often be indistinguishable from weekends and holidays), with Valentine’s Day and the start of the Winter Olympics adding fun and excitement to the mix.

This year we decided to forego a nice dinner out at one of our favorite places and instead create a nice dinner in for Valentine’s Day. I think I’ve mentioned before that Harry is some mean cook, so I’m anticipating a meal of coconut shrimp, wild rice and asparagus with Hollandaise sauce and, of course, a bottle of wine or two. I’ll be contributing a yummy chocolate dessert — can’t have Valentine’s Day without chocolate! We’ll also take in a couple of movies this weekend (we each choose one, so there’s a nice balance) and just enjoy a few unhurried days together.

The weekend began with watching the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Games in Vancouver. Well, I will admit that I was reading a magazine and doing a few chores at the same time, as all of the coverage did not require my undivided attention all of the time. I did enjoy much of the visual spectacle, though. And, with the games being held here in the Pacific Northwest, we have an added interest in them. Having lived in the Seattle area and Washington state for two decades, we’ve visited Vancouver a number of times. It is definitely one of my favorite cities for it’s stunning setting, cosmopolitan atmosphere and cultural diversity. After observing all of the preparations over the last several years for this big event, it’s exciting to now see it all coming to fruition and to see the rest of the world’s reaction to this beautiful place.

I’ve always enjoyed both the summer and winter Olympics. I have very little athletic talent myself, but I really get drawn in to the various competitions and can’t help but admire and respect all the effort and sacrifice the athletes put forth to achieve their goals. A few peeves about the coverage, though. This one applies not just to the Olympics, but any sporting event: Please, do away with the pre- and post-event interviews with the athletes. The same old cliched questions are asked, and the same old cliched responses will be given. I like the pretaped background stories on the athletes’ lives, but not those stale bits that reveal absolutely nothing new.

I’d also like to to see the events in real time, not tape-delayed and broadcast during prime time (admitting that there may be options via satellite and such). For those of us living in the same time zone as the Games are being held, it would mean we don’t have to stay up ’til midnight to catch the finals of big events. I appreciate the editing which compresses time between preliminaries and individual performances, but too much manipulation takes some of the spontaneity and anticipation out of the viewing.

Finally, I just don’t like the participation of professional athletes, especially in the team events like hockey, basketball and baseball. I know all of the history, the political and economic reasons behind the change in the rules. I know that there are the Shaun Whites and Apolo Ohnos who have made a lot of money in their sports, too — more than most professional athletes in team sports. Still, especially in those team events, I think it makes for especially uneven “competition.” And who believes the 1980 Miracle on Ice victory would have been as sweet if the U.S. team had been loaded with pros? 

Ah, but enough of that. I’m just going to sit back and enjoy the rest of my weekend, and may you do the same.

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader