Ollie the four-year-old yellow parakeet is an active, talkative and fun bird looking for a loving guardian along with his best friend Allie the rescued sparrow.
Allie was found as an abandoned sparrow chick. Her rescuer continued to leave her for her parents to find her, but she was suffering, she brought her inside and bonded her with her parakeet.
When the woman moved in with friends who have cats and dogs that might threaten the birds, the bonded pair was relinquished to Friends of Petraits Rescue to find the family of his dreams.
In their former home, they were allowed out of their cage daily to fly around their apartment.
Parakeets are the smallest of the parrot species and the most common captively kept pet bird. Sparrows are native and typically live in flocks, so Allie and Ollie would probably welcome other parakeets to their flock.
Allie and Ollie are available including their spacious two foot wide, by three foot tall cage with toys, food, treats and perches for $125.
They are currently being fostered in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood. To meet and adopt these beautiful birds, please contact [email protected] for an adoption application.
The debate was like a two care pileup of aging vehicles.
I have been conflicted.
Should I post about last Tuesday’s debate between President Trump and Vice-President Biden, or should I let more informed and more politically savvy writers carry the load? Barb was surprised that I didn’t have my two cents in print yesterday, and I am still not sure what I can say today.
Barb and I sat in our comfy chairs Tuesday night, the cat on the ottoman in between, watching our habitual news station, NBC. Not CNBC or MSNBC, just plain old NBC. We watched every minute, absolutely incredulous. We weren’t silent, but we managed to keep our outbursts to a minimum. I hurled out one “Asshole” at Trump’s “Pocahontas” reference, but other than that, I pretty much sat there taking it.
And when the hallucinatory experience was over, when the talking heads at the debate podia were replaced by the shaking, visibly shaken, heads at NBC Studio, I realized that I was drenched in sweat, as soaked as if I had run a 10K rather than sitting in my own home office. My body had responded — in fear, in anger, in frustration, even as my brain tried to process what we had just watched.
I feel like I have been in a humongous gaper’s block. America drives by the accident slowly, turning our collective heads to stare at the two-car wreckage in the other lane; one of the involved drivers calmly talking on his cell phone while the other screams at the highway patrol officer, gesticulating wildly, foam coming from his mouth.
Two days later I don’t feel much better. My Facebook account is filled with “Riden’ with Biden” messages, but I still have a couple of Trump loyalists on my Friends list. I keep them around to see what poison is being posted in the effort to Keep America Great. I no longer respond–what would be the point?–but I fact check their claims, just to make sure I am looking at both sides. And then I realize that for someone with my values, there is only one side.
So get out the tow trucks. Get this wreck off the road. And go out and vote. Because this really matters.
Hi! I am Les, a practicing pathologist living in the North Suburbs and commuting every day to the Western ones. I have lived my entire life in the Chicago area, and have a pretty good feel for the place, its attractions, culture, restaurants and teams. My wife and I are empty-nesters with two adult children and a grandchild. We recently decided to downsize, but just a bit! I will be telling the story of the construction of our new home, but also writing about whatever gets me going on a particular day. Be sure to check out the “About” page to learn more about where we plan to go with this blog!
270 E. Pearson St., No. 803, Chicago: $3,000,000 | Listed: Aug. 17, 2020 (VHT Studios)
This three-bedroom condominium in the Gold Coast neighborhood spans 3,398 square feet and has 3½ bathrooms. Situated in The Belvedere building, it boasts views of Lake Michigan and a nearby park, along with custom finishes and hardwood floors throughout. The open living area encompasses a dining room, a living room and a family room, with a gas fireplace anchoring the space. The kitchen is equipped with a double oven, an island and a range hood. The primary bedroom suite touts a bathroom with a double sink and a steam shower. A second gas fireplace is located in the wood-paneled library, and a wet bar, a wine cooler and a south-facing terrace elevate the home.
Agents: Caroline Druker and Matthew Druker of Baird & Warner, 847-471-5115
The AP dictates that “unrest” should be used instead of the word “riot” because it’s less “emotional.” The AP then points out how great the words “protest” and “demonstration” are because both words can technically refer to violent and peaceful gatherings alike and help gloss over the violence.
It’s a twisting of a standard definition in order to color an event that’s being covered in a way that favors the political left. The AP, of course, is making this up; “unrest” is not a good description for people setting fire to building and cars.
1a: a violent public disorderspecifically : a tumultuous disturbance of the public peace by three or more persons assembled together and acting with a common intent
b: public violence, tumult, or disorder
2: a random or disorderly profusion; the woods were a riot of color
3: one that is wildly amusing; the new comedy is a riot
The AP is a riot. (Definition 3). The AP used to be journalism. No longer.
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I suppose we shouldn’t be shocked by the outcome from Game 1.
Are the Cubs a better team than the Marlins? They sure are.
But are the Cubs a flawed team susceptible to horrifying slumps which render them vulnerable to any team? They sure are that too.
Kyle Hendricks was game. He clearly didn’t have his best stuff working, and his typical pinpoint command was missing, but the guy battled through it. Thanks to six shutout innings, the Cubs entered the 7th with the narrowest of leads. Ian Happ’s solo home run in the 5th was a surprise in that he managed to crank it out to the opposite field. With the wind gusting heartily to RF, this was a day the Cubs left-handed power bats should have feasted. But other than a lazy fly ball off the bat of Kyle Schwarber that nearly blew into the seats, the Cubs hitters struggled to elevate the ball against Marlins righty Sandy Alcantara.
It was a frustrating offensive performance, especially given the Cubs actually made frequent contact. They did not fail due to their tendency to swing and miss. They just failed to barrel the ball. Happ’s homer was the only contact the Cubs made after the 3rd inning with an expected batting average above .270. Truly disheartening after the Cubs showed some signs of life at the plate during the season closing series against the White Sox.
Hendricks ran out of gas in the 7th. I had gigantic issues with every decision David Ross made in that inning. And not in a hindsight sort of way. In the moment, as process not results, I hated everything he did. I hated taking out Schwarber, I hated sending out a clearly gassed Hendricks hovering around the 100 pitch mark, I hated leaving Hendricks out there to face a lefty later in the inning when he’d already given up hard contact, and I hated the decision to have Jeremy Jeffress be the fireman warming up in the pen when he misses fewer bats than Craig Kimbrel of even Ryan Tepera. I truly believe that was the worst inning David Ross has had as a manager this season.
But, I still don’t lay this loss on him. This is on the hitters. Just as the Cubs sub-.500 record after the opening two weeks of the season has been almost entirely on them. I can accept strikeouts. We know this group well enough to expect that at this point. It’s their known flaw. But the complete lack of power this team has hit for this year… I just have no explanation for it.
Four hits, with the wind howling out at Wrigley…
It’s now up to Yu Darvish. Obviously the Cubs will need to score at least once to win, but Darvish has to pitch as if his teammates will, at best, only provide him with a single run. If the offense comes through against Sixto Sanchez and his devastating changeup (a particular Achilles heel for the Cubs offense), great. I’ll be happy for them. My hopes will be restored for a day at least.
I don’t want to see this team lose to the Marlins. To see the final stand for this core group end with a whimper against a lesser opponent would be tough to stomach. We know the odds of this team winning it all are low. But I still want to see them put up a fight. It will be easier to see it end if they get knocked out by a more talented team.
I guess… I guess I just want to see one more good day from the core five before the inevitable breakup this offseason. Give me one more moment of playoff glory from each of these guys. Please.
Here she is, knocking out her 7th infusion of T-DM1 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota! She’s halfway done with her post-operative chemotherapy regimen now!!
This blog post is the 30th in a series about my (and twin sister’s) preventative breast cancer screening journey that began when we were 30 years old in July 2019. Here is a list of all of the posts written about our journey at Mayo Clinic’s Breast Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to date. To keep tabs on new posts, sign up for the “A Daily Miracle” email list at this link.
It’s October 1st, which means it’s the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month!!! Here are a few highlights for us at this moment in time!!:
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is happening!! Our Dad was recently invited to take part in a fundraising campaign called “Real Men Wear Pink,” backed by the American Cancer Society. You can donate to support cancer research, treatments, and support for cancer patients on his fundraising page at this link!!! His goal is to raise $2,500 for ACS during the month of October, and he has already raised over $700! My husband, Chris Steinke, is going to host some Facebook Live musicevents featuring breast cancer awareness throughout the month of October! The first one is at 6:30pm CST on Thursday, October 1st! Join us on his Facebook page!!
My twin sister is halfway done with her post-operative chemotherapy regimen of T-DM1! Last October, we were just getting started with all of this breast cancer diagnosis and treatment stuff. It’s hard to believe all that can happen in a year’s time!
My twin sister’s microcystic edema isn’t getting worse, but it isn’t getting better, either! Prayers are immensely appreciated for the cysts on her corneas–that are likely caused by her daily intake of Tamoxifen and exacerbated by eye dryness caused by her T-DM1 infusions–to heal sooner rather than later!!! They “ebb and flow” in severity after every one of her T-DM1 infusions, which occur every 3 weeks.
Here we are at the front of the line for Slinky Dog in August 2019!
Our family has a running joke: In August 2019, we went to Walt Disney World. It was an amazing vacation, and one of the highlights was riding a roller coaster modeled after Slinky Dog from Toy Story (pictured above and below). The joke was that my mom hates roller coasters, but by some miracle, we got a pass to go to the front of the 90-minute line of hundreds of people and ride it all together as a family.
Walt Disney World Hollywood Studios cast member Jeff and his wife gave us a pass to go to the front of the Slinky Dog roller coaster all together as a family!
My mom hates roller coasters, but she rode it anyway because she puts her family before herself in most things in life and she knew we all wanted to ride it together. When our lives went off the rails with our cancer diagnoses in fall 2019, our whole family affectionately blamed Slinky Dog. Maybe, just maybe!, if we’d never gotten on that roller coaster, our lives never would have gone off the rails!!
Proof that my mom rode Slinky Dog at Disney World! Here is she is, right behind me, next to my dad!! LOL
Making jokes and memes like this and finding silver linings along the way has been crucial to our mental and emotional well being over the past year. We’ve come to learn firsthand that sometimes God allows cancer diagnoses or other huge challenges into our lives as invitations to trust Him more (Book of Job, anyone?!).
God definitely has our attention!, and it’s our hope that our journey can be an encouragement to others–to persevere in the midst of seemingly insurmountable challenges and trials. And–dare we say!–to even find a bit of joy, peace, and fun along the way. 🙂
As one of my good friends reminded me recently: “God is closer than the air we breathe.” Also: God is Lord over the mountains AND the valleys (1 Kings 20:28 & “Graves into Gardens” by Elevation Worship).
Our Aunt Jeanne made Gizmo the Boston Terrier a custom breast cancer awareness blankie which he loves!!! She is an AMAZING seamstress!!!
“Real Men Wear Pink!” and Breast Cancer Awareness Month!!
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and our Dad was recently invited to take part in a fundraising campaign called “Real Men Wear Pink,” backed by the American Cancer Society. You can donate to support cancer research, treatments, and support for cancer patients on his fundraising page at this link!!! His goal is to raise $2,500 for ACS during the month of October, and he has already raised over $500!
To support my dad reaching his goal and to raise awareness for breast cancer in general, my husband, Chris Steinke, is going to host some Facebook Live music events talking about breast cancer throughout the month of October! The first one is at 6:30pm CST on Thursday, October 1st! Join us on his Facebook page!!
Here is my twin sister with her husband in Rochester all ready for her 7th infusion of T-DM1!
My twin sister’s 7th infusion of T-DM1: She’s HALFWAY THERE!!!!!!!!
Okay, so now on to a few updates about my twin sister’s chemo regimen!: My twin sister knocked out her 7th infusion of T-DM1 last Friday at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, with no adverse reactions to the drugs!!!! This is a HUGE answer to prayer–this means she’s halfway done with her post-operative chemotherapy regimen and only has 7 more infusions to go until she’s ALL DONE with chemotherapy!!!!!!!!
We are so grateful she’s feeling as well as she is! She still has impaired vision from her microcystic edema, which is likely caused by her daily intake of Tamoxifen. But, she has had little to no nausea with her T-DM1 treatments, while before her surgery, during her six 6-hour infusions of TCHP, she had quite a bit of nausea. She has a bit of fatigue, which is to be expected, so she’s being kind to herself. She’s experiencing a bit of neuropathy in her left foot, but said that it’s actually getting better compared to how it felt during TCHP before surgery, which is a huge praise! Exercise helps with that, and she’s been walking/running on the treadmill and working out in their home gym regularly!!!
Also: Nutrition matters! Her blood levels have been awesome, which is largely due to her eating healthy. She and her husband are being intentional about eating lots of whole foods, meat high in iron, and fresh fruits and veggies, and it’s reflected in her blood levels!
Here are the blood counts from my sister’s most recent infusion! Thanks to healthy eating and exercise, she’s keeping her numbers in the healthy range!
At the beginning of my sister’s eye exam, she was having trouble reading even the biggest letters on the screen, because her corneal cysts make her field of vision extremely blurry. Prayers appreciated for healing and deliverance from this nuisance are so appreciated!!
Microcystic edema update: Prayers please!!!
While we celebrate that my twin sister is halfway done with her post-operative chemotherapy regimen, we are sad that her corneal cysts aren’t gone yet and don’t seem to be getting better. While they aren’t getting better, they aren’t getting worse, either, which is a praise!
I drove her to a follow-up appointment with her eye doctor in the city this morning to check up on things, and I listened as she explained to the eye doctor and technician what exactly has been going on.
It turns out that my sister’s eyesight has gotten worse since her most recent T-DM1 infusion last Friday, which is a pattern that’s been happening the past several weeks. In August, she started experiencing blurred vision–she couldn’t read street signs. She found out this blurred vision was due to cysts on her corneas, which her eye doctors think are caused by her daily intake of Tamoxifen.
Then, over the past several weeks, for a few days following each of her infusions of T-DM1, her eyesight gets more blurry than it was before the infusion; and about a week after each infusion, it gets back to baseline. It ebbs and flows, she said–her eyesight gets worse for a few days after every infusion then usually gets a bit better about a week after each infusion.
But her eyesight is never good–everything is blurry, even with her glasses on, and she can’t wear contacts at all right now.
She explained to her doctor that she has a slight sensitivity to light, too, but that it’s not terrible.
During her eye exam, she had a lot of difficulty reading the letters on the screen. At first she couldn’t read any of them, not even the big ones. I could tell she was getting frustrated (she is a Maximizer and Enneagram 8 after all!), but then the technician put down a slide with little holes in it and my sister started being able to read more of the letters!
Here is my twin sister after the technician put the pinhole lens down that shoots light straight to the retina, past the cornea, which improved my sister’s vision immensely!
“What exactly are those??” my sister asked.
“Yeah! They helped a ton! Can we get those in sunglasses form??” I said.
“They’re pinholes that direct light back to the retina and simulates squinting which means when you use that as an assist mechanism that the problem can be corrected!” the technician said.
Reading letters was a bit challenging and I could tell my sister was getting frustrated. So I started calling out percentages of completion.
“100%!” I said when the pinhole lens came down. My sister and the technician laughed.
As the letters got smaller, her perception got worse.
“60%!” I exclaimed at one point.
Then we moved on to the peripheral vision exam, with the technician pointing her fingers up in the air. This was no problem for my sister, praise the Lord!
She had no problem with her peripheral vision test which is awesome!
Here are the main questions we had going into the eye doctor appointment along with the answers from her doctor:
1) Are these cysts connected to TDM1 and / or Tamoxifen and if so is there any way to tell which one?
“You have an increase in PEK’s and crystalline deposits,” the eye doctor said. “The PEK’s are different than the crystalline deposits, so I think that’s what it is. Chemotherapy exacerbates eye dryness, so that’s probably what’s happening. It looks like you have a flare in dryness from your recent chemo infusion, but what’s happening here is not inflammatory. Instead, it’s a byproduct of Tamoxifen that causes the deposits.”
2) Will these cysts continue to get worse as the infusions and Tamoxifen continue? If so, is there any treatment for these cysts?
“Chemo likely induces some dry eye which decreases tear production, so it may be useful to bump up your use of artificial tears right after infusions, especially going into winter and especially with mask wearing, because masks tend to fog up your oculars. When you breathe into a mask it’s kind of like a fan,” the eye doctor said. “Use artificial tears, single-use preservative free ones!–as frequently as every half hour after your infusions. If you use preservative free, single-use, individual tear drops up to every half hour after your infusions, it should help.”
3) Is this reversible / will it go away?
“Is it getting worse?” my sister asked. “Last time you said a half moon of cysts had cleared up on the right side, and it’s not changing. Is that still true?”
“It’s not getting worse, and I wouldn’t expect it to change at this point, as long as you’re on chemotherapy and Tamoxifen until they take you off of it,” the eye doctor said. “We just have to watch it. It may not end up being anything visually significant. It clears up for most women who come off of Tamoxifen, but for some it doesn’t change. We will just have to see. It all depends on the density of the deposits, which are staying the same right now. Maybe everything will be pretty good after you complete your IV chemo, but maybe there won’t be any change when you’re done with T-DM1. We will keep checking you to make sure.”
4) If she stops T-DM1 and/or Tamoxifen, what could she do instead?
“I’d be interested in hearing about what your oncology team might suggest, but I would go with the opinion to stay on whatever is systemically most effective, because if you change course at this point, there’s no promise it will change what’s happening in your eyes,” the eye doctor said. “I’ll stay tuned and we’ll give you another check in two months to make sure things aren’t changing.”
Here we are after my twin sister’s eye doctor update for her microcystic edema! I’m trying to show off Gizmo’s breast cancer awareness blanket but he’s thrashing around and getting in the way and being the cute little monster that he is sometimes!!
Gizmo the Boston Terrier
As promised, this post includes some more adorable photos of Gizmo the Boston Terrier! My twin sister and her husband got a puppy last month and he is bringing them lots and lots of joy on this journey. 🙂 Especially in the midst of my twin sister’s husband starting overnight shifts at work for the next few months, he is a ray of sunshine in their lives for sure!!!
He is pictured above with my twin sister, and earlier with a custom breast cancer awareness blanket our Aunt Jeanne made for him!!! Aunt Jeanne also made us quilts for our breast cancer journey which are featured in this blog post from December 2019!!!
Here is another photo of my twin sister with her new puppy Gizmo for good measure!
Next steps
My twin sister’s next chemotherapy infusion is scheduled for Thursday, October 15th, and she has a follow-up appointment with her eye doctor on Monday, November 30th. Until then, we are continuing to pray for 1) My twin sister’s corneal cysts to disappear completely, and for patience, joy, and peace in the healing process!; 2) For (continued!) no reactions to her new chemo drugs; 3) For my twin sister’s COMPLETE healing and 100% effectiveness of the chemotherapy and hormone treatment so her cancer never ever comes back!!; 4) For her joy and peace amid the crucible that is chemotherapy and cancer survivorship. For me, I have my one-year follow-up appointments scheduled at Mayo Clinic with my plastic surgeon and Breast Clinic physician on Friday, December 18th–seven days before Christmas Day! Merry Christmas to me!! 🙂
My devotions recently keep coming back to the Book of Hebrews–specifically, the reminders to come boldly to the throne of God with our requests, trusting He is faithful to hear us. In a devotional I was listening to on YouVersion recently, they said how expectations have a way of becoming reality. So we persevere in running the race set before us, keeping our eyes and hearts fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith! He has perfect plans and we trust Him.
Thank you for reading all the way to the end of this post and for joining us in prayer! God is good!!
Sister Christian is a blogger, reporter, editor and follower of Jesus Christ seeking to find little miracles each and every day. She especially loves finding Jesus in art, music and culture. Learn more about her on Twitter @adailymiracle, and on Facebook as “A Daily Miracle.” Send an email to [email protected] with any comments, concerns or suggestions!
Hey everyone’s innocent until found guilty, right? House Speaker Michael Madigan hasn’t been charged with anything and he maintains his innocence, right?
Even though he showed up in an indictment as official “A” in the ComEd bribery scandal.
As the Cook County Record explains:
Federal prosecutors have placed powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan at the heart of a wide-ranging bribery scheme allegedly perpetrated by electrical utility ComEd.
However, that has not stopped political donors from pouring money into Madigan’s war chests. The Speaker, who also serves as chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party, then uses that money in large part to fund Democratic political campaigns and operations statewide.
A large chunk of Madigan’s campaign cash has continued to come from personal injury lawyers and other trial law groups whose money largely comes from businesses they sue in courts in Cook County, Madison County and elsewhere….
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Sigmund Freud was no fan of the United States. While he admired the aspirations of our founding fathers for liberty and justice for all, , he came to the conclusion that we Americans juts couldn’t pull it off. “America is a mistake,” Freud said, “a gigantic mistake it is true, but nonetheless a mistake.” Was he right?
These days when so many of us are worried about the future of our country, it’s hard not to wonder if the father of psychoanalysis was on to something.
Freud’s gripes were based on his judgement of our American character. He saw us as shallow, antiscientific , anti-intellectual, ultra competitive worshippers of the all mighty dollar. These characteristics seemed incompatible with the requirements for a civilized society, especially one bent on governing itself.
Civilization, for Freud, was a balancing act that maximized our individual freedom by restricting it in the service of protections that could only be provided by the larger group. Freud thought Americans were tipped too far in one direction, and that would be injurious to our society as a whole.
Our founding fathers were aware of this possibility and thought our Constitution would keep the needle pointed toward the middle of the compass. But in America Fall 2020 it feels like we’ve lost our direction and that we’re in danger of losing the compass altogether.
I doubt that all of our present woes can be attributed to the flaws in the American character that Freud discerned. Yet there is something to be said in the fact that we elected a President who many see as embodying these flaws, and who is most certainly a reflection of one aspect of the American identity.
So was Freud right about America? Can a group of greedy individualists succeed in achieving a government that serves all the people?
I suppose if we think of some aspect of our national character as an impediment to achieving our national ideals, one option is to change these maladaptive aspects of our national character. Collectively we could do with a little more ego, a lot less id, and an appreciation that regulation is not incompatible with liberty. It’s a requirement.
Freud’s view of what it takes to have a civilized society was drawn from his view of individual psychology. Just as a healthy society required a tradeoff between individual freedom and regulation by the larger group, psychological health required individuals to regulate their own needs so that they could they could find realistic ways of meeting them in the world .
In other words, psychological development , according to Freud, requires that we give something up to get something we can’t achieve on our own. It’s a kind of socio-emotional learning project. If we learn well, great. For all the rest of us- there’s psychotherapy.
Psychodynamic psychotherapists and the patients we work with know that character isn’t destiny. We can make changes in ourselves if we work at it. How to translate our individual growth possibilities to our national aspirations, I’m not sure. But It seems more clear than ever that democracy in America requires that we learn to be the best citizens we can be.
So was Freud right about America? The answer is, It’s up to us.
The coveted GABF medals will be awarded in this quarantine year.
Here are details about the 2020 Great American Beer Festival. Usually it’s the biggest beer-related event in the country, with thousands of beers being judged in Boulder, CO. This year things are different.
The GABF website has details:
By now you’ve probably heard the news. Due to the global health pandemic, we won’t be able to gather in person in Denver this fall and celebrate the wonderful world of craft beer together. Well, we couldn’t imagine a year without GABF, so this year, we’re not only going to meet in spirit, but virtually and locally, as we “Brewnite” and bring the 39th annual Great American Beer Festival (GABF) to you through a nationwide “passport” program.
Starting today (Oct. 1), you can buy a $20 passport that offers access to deals at participating GABF breweries. Most involve discounts on flights or growler fills, or merchandise.
In addition, from October 16-17, passport holders will have exclusive access to online content during the Official Virtual Festival. The festival promises “tips and tricks to enhance beer knowledge and enjoyment; lager lore and sudsy stories from craft beer luminaries; profiles of breweries and individuals that are transforming their communities one beer at a time; and flavor fusions through beer and food pairings to tantalize the taste buds.” The virtual program includes the GABF Competition Awards Ceremony, Friday the 16th at 6:00 pm Central time. Other sessions will cover pairings with food and glassware, and programs on increasing diversity in the brewing field. Sessions after the award program will be presented to passport holders through The Brewing Network, and will have scoring sheets and tasting notes available online.
The GABF will involve judging entries from across the country in 90 beer styles, to be awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals.
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Meet The Blogger
Mark McDermott
Writer, trivia maven, fan of many things. I thought to learn all there is to know about beer as a way to stay interested in learning. It is my pleasure to bring Chicago’s craft beer scene to you.
Chicago native Maura Walsh is a visual artist and concert enthusiast. This year she raised $37,000 for local music venues battling the financial hardships of the pandemic with Our Tiny Guide to Chicago’s Best Music Culture Spots, which she created in 2019. She’s also working with nonprofit fundraising initiative Support Chicago Arts to launch Tiny Guide to Chicago Arts, which will help an even wider range of local performance spaces.
I remember being a teenage girl, learning how to drive, and sneaking out to go to concerts–I’d tell my dad I was going to my friend’s house. Obviously the Bottle and Double Door were always 21 and over, but I remember calling them begging them to let me in and saying, “I’m not going to drink, I just want to see the show.” So when I turned 21, it opened up the whole world. I usually went alone, which my dad would be mortified to hear, but I wasn’t going to let not having anyone to go with stop me. It was just so important to my well-being to see live music.
I had a lot of hardship and sadness in my childhood, and for some reason being in a crowded, tiny music venue where there were lots of the people who probably felt just like me was really life altering. I really don’t know if I’ve ever felt happier than I do at a show.
I tended to gravitate towards heavier music, like punk rock, hardcore, metal, industrial, and experimental shows, but I always tried to keep an open mind. Sometimes my dad would say, “I want to see this blues guitarist,” and I’d go with him. I just think it’s really important to our mental health to share creativity and to be physically present with creativity.
Music venues are the kind of places where people could say, “Oh, this isn’t super important right now,” but so many people have lost their jobs, their livelihoods, or their whole lives they put into these businesses. And they’re so important. I remember some lady commented on one of my projects like, “Shouldn’t you be helping build houses for homeless people?” These places get written off as “Oh, they’re just a bar” or “They can put their programs online,” but they’re more than that, and we’re going to lose them if someone doesn’t help.
A couple of years ago my partner and I were at the Chicago Diner, and I was talking about this little sketchbook thing I was drawing. We thought, “Oh, it’d be cool to make a little guide to places we would recommend to a friend who was coming to Chicago and wanted to check out the live music scene.” I drew a small little book with about 30 music venues, record stores, and a couple of places to eat and drink. I posted a video of me opening up the book on Facebook when it was done. Somehow I woke up the next morning and had all these people begging me for a copy. I made around 150 copies, which sold out immediately, and I made another edition, which also sold out. And then I sort of dropped it, because I got busy with other things.
And then COVID-19 hit. Last year, my partner and I kept track of how many shows we went to, and it turned out we went to 53 concerts in 2019. We’d purchased a bunch of tickets for 2020, and we started getting refund notifications. A random thought popped into my head, “Oh, I have this drawing. I can post it and give the money to help show some support.” I thought I would just raise a little bit, but word spread, and after just a few months I raised about $37,000 to give to these venues.
So that was that. Then recently I got an e-mail from this great person named Bridget Gunden at Support Chicago Arts, asking if I wanted to collaborate with them to help out theaters and other spaces in Chicago that are also hurting.
Thirty-seven thousand dollars is a lot, but divide that by 30 spaces–it’s not that much money. So we have to keep going. With Support Chicago Arts, we came up with a new Tiny Guide, which includes 21 spaces more focused on the performing arts and theaters. They are donating 100 percent of the profits to the Save Our Stages nationwide initiative. I’m hoping these sorts of projects will inspire others to jump up and help, and continue to ask their legislatures to make major changes and to support our stages. Our city is just exploding with creativity and music and art, and all of these truly irreplaceable spaces are in danger of closing.
When I started my first guide, I was trying to figure out, “OK, I want to draw these little places, but how do they fit together?” All of these places make up the whole culture. It was about finding out how they all fit together and letting the architecture of the building find its place in the drawing. There’s no hierarchy, there’s no implied importance, and all these places are literally touching each other and connected; they’re physically supporting each other and Chicago. I’m kind of developing that a little bit more, and I’m working on some secret, exciting new things.
You know how you hear about small rivalries between certain bars or places? That’s silly. We’re all literally in this together–we’re all fighting. So this is like I’m forcing you together and connecting you, in a way. But it’s from a place of love. I think that’s why this format works so well for these drawings–these places are connected whether they like it or not.
A couple of months into the pandemic I noticed some venues were also taking their time and resources to support the Black Lives Matter movement, or doing food and supply drives. These are organizations in the midst of not knowing if they’re going to stay open, and I think that in itself is an incredible gesture of what Chicago should stand for: “We’re gonna help you out even when we are hurting.”
At the beginning of the pandemic, I was thinking, “Oh, people could frame this drawing and put it on their wall, look at these places, and think, ‘I can’t wait to go back there when it’s safe.'” We’re not going to lose them all, necessarily, but we have to remember them and support them. When things are back to normal, if they are ever back to normal, we can’t take this for granted. v
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January 17, 2020 at 12:00 am