First #6 - Greet, Eat, and Meet (GEM) at CLC

This is a small first but worth mentioning.  For the last year or so, College of Lake County has been  hosting what they call GEM or Greet, Eat, and Meet receptions.  They have been held about once per semester and they are co-hosted by a department or division on campus and the culinary arts program.  I've been meaning to go but something always seemed to come up.  However, yesterday I finally made it to my first GEM and it rocked.  Thanks to Kelly C who also had never been before and reminded me to get a ticket.

Basically, it was a really awesome happy hour--scheduled at the end of the work day (4:30 -6:30 pm) and featuring amazing food prepared by CLC culinary students.  Plus, the whole thing is a fundraiser for CLC student scholarships so it was a win-win.  I meant to take pictures but forgot because I was so busy enjoying various small plate delicacies including a little lamb chop that none of us initially identified as lamb, pulled pork with a blueberry glaze, and an array of tasty appetizers.  I discovered that I like beets, thanks to a bruschetta with yellow beets and goat cheese.  Holy crap, it was good and I haven't even mentioned the dessert table.

However, even better than the food was the atmosphere--a lot of CLC staff and faculty and their families as well as community members mixing and mingling.  It just felt like a community--a feeling that's been a little lacking at times at CLC because we've gotten so darn big.  I left at 6:00 pm to go pick up Polly and I felt relaxed, full, and grateful that I work at CLC with so many good people.

This may have been my first GEM reception but it will not be my last.  Come join me next time!

#5 - Zumbier's Soft Opening (A Brewery in Waukegan Y'all!!!)

I doubt this is a first for Waukegan because I'm sure back in the day, along with steel mills and a thriving downtown, there were breweries (or at least one brewery) in my hometown.  However, it is a first for me--visiting a new micro-brewery located on the west side of Waukegan, sampling its wares, and taking home a bottle of Hootch #5 and Evil Squirrel.

The brewery is called Zumbier and you can check out its webpage here (which looks to be still a work in progress) or their Facebook page here.  Currently, they are distributing their beers to bars in the area but they also are planning to be open on Fridays from 4:00 - 7:00 pm.

I had no idea Zumbier even existed until a week ago.  I was attending the Super Bowl Beer Bash at Wine Knows in Grayslake (across from CLC) and Larry Bloom was there giving aways samples.  When I looked at the card, I was like, "Holy @*!!@,  you're in Waukegan."  I immediately found their page on Facebook and learned of the "soft opening" this last Friday.   Though I'm not the most expert of beer geeks, I was really impressed with all the brews I tried.  I plan to bring home some Hoppy Time next.  Also, I got a chance to see some Waukegan folk (and former Waukegan folk) that I don't usually see and spend time with my beer drinking pals, Ruth and Will (Waukegan folk I see often).  As I was leaving, the mayor was arriving.

For those of us who live in Waukegan, the arrival of a new establishment brings a mix of emotions--joy and excitement (really, middle eastern food here!!!) but also a bit of fear--our hearts have been broken before.  We have a history of sending good restaurants packing--often to Libertyville (who really has more than their fair share at the moment).

So, my people in Lake County, I want this one to succeed.  Ask for Zumbier at your local establishment or visit them on a Friday:

3232 Monroe Ave Waukegan, IL 60085

Washington West of greenbay, North on LeBaron, 

slight right at dead end on Monroe. 

we are in the teal building

Getting Back to that List

I haven't forgotten about this project, but life and work heated up in December and it wasn't until now (end of January) that I'm really starting to think about working on this list.  For those of you just joining us, I've made a commitment to do 49 "Firsts" or things done for the first time before I turn fifty.  These firsts can be big or small, done with people or alone--they just need to be a first.  Oh and I need to write about them once I do them.

Here's the list so far:

Completed

1. Turned 49
2. Visited Las Vegas
3. Walked (and ran a little bit of) a half marathon
4. Started my Sabbatical*

*I applied for and was awarded a sabbatical from the community college I work at, which basically means I have the semester off (with pay) in exchange for working on a research project that benefits the college.  More on that later.

Possible Future Firsts

(a list in progress and in need of suggestions)

Ideas

Ice skate in Millenium Park
Ride the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier
Do Frank Lloyd Wright tour in Oak Park
Play Bingo at St. Anastasia Church
Take Polly to a dog obedience class
Attend a Cubs game (sorry Dad)
Visit Three Floyds Brewery
Do a Polar Plunge somewhere other than Waukegan (some other time than January 1st)
Swim with a wetsuit
Do an open water swim outside of Illinois/Wisconsin
Do an Open Water Swim with my Carleton Swim Team Buddies
Run a 10K
Run/Walk a Half Marathon
Do one of those Color runs
Bike a full century (I’ve gotten close before but never hit the magic 100 mark)
Make it thru Guitar 3 at Old Town School (bar chords!!!)
Play (but not sing) at an Open Mic  (Thomas, will you sing?)

Bigger Ideas

Travel to England with my sister

Get a tattoo
Visit Nashville
Visit other cities I’ve never been to
Go to Longmire Days in Wyoming this summer

As you can see, these firsts tend to fall into categories--some related specifically to Chicago, a bunch related to athletics, etc.  One of the big ideas is in the works (my sister and I ARE going to England in April) but the others are still just possibilities.  If you have suggestions, I'm open to them--cities I should visit, restaurants I should eat at, things I should do (keep it PG-13 folks), etc.  

Also, company is welcome and encouraged for any of these firsts so feel free to invite yourself along.

Second First - Viva Las Vegas

This last weekend, I did several firsts--the biggest being going to Las Vegas.  No, I didn't go to play the slots or drink myself into oblivion, but instead this trip was a family reunion of sorts, revolving around the Rock N Roll Half Marathon.  Over a year ago, my Aunt Edie (mom's sister) and Uncle Chuck invited my mom, sister, and me to join them in Vegas to "run the Strip at night" and to hang out with them and my two cousins, Abby and Tim. Also, Tim would be bringing his new wife, Eunice.   "Sure," we said. So, that's what we did this last weekend.  We got up at the crack of dawn to catch a 6:00 am flight out of Milwaukee and were in Vegas by mid-morning.

Though Las Vegas didn't (and still doesn't) rank in my list of favorite cities, I'm glad I finally got to see and experience its strange mix of Disneyland seediness and "high end" consumerism.  One of my favorite moments was waiting for the fountains to go off at the Bellagio and watching a guy, with a big "Repent Your Sins" sign and a megaphone, ply his trade next to two blonde showgirls in red feathers and sequins.  My iPhone could not fully capture the irony.

We did the usual--saw a show (Jersey Boys), walked the Strip at night, ate at some good restaurants, and watched a lot of other people gamble.  We also got out of town on Sunday morning to see Red Rocks Canyon.  My favorite touristy bit was riding the High Roller, a big ferris wheel-like contraption that gives you stunning views in all directions.  It was especially lovely at night, and there was very little waiting to get on it on Saturday night--maybe everyone else was gambling.

I had a great time, but I have to say that the longer I stayed in Vegas, the more I wanted to go back to New Orleans.  Make of that what you will.

I'm King of the World!

On the High Roller

View from the High Roller

The Strip at Night

Now for something completely different- Red Rocks Canyon (about 30 minutes away from Las Vegas)

Edie, Eunice, and Abby at Red Rocks Canyon

First First - Turning 49

Okay, my first first took place on Thursday.  My first full day as someone who is 49 years old.  Holy crap!  That's about all I can say.  I now understand why Jack Benny decided to be 39 over and over again.   I don't know how I thought I would feel at the end of my 40's but I didn't think it would be pretty much the same as I felt at the end of my 30's and really the end of my 20's.  Yes, my knees are achier and my hair is thinner and goggle marks post-swim practice remain around my eyes for much longer than they used to . . . but I don't feel old.  Or at least I don't feel "almost fifty" old.

Yet, I might be lying to myself just a little.  There are constant reminders that I'm not 29 anymore.  There's the student who keeps calling me "Mrs. Staben,"  the much loved movie, book, or TV show that I realize first came out . . . 25 YEARS AGO, or the concert venue (last week . . . The Empty Bottle) where you look around and go, "Geez, I feel ancient."  I wonder if that group over by the bar is looking at me and going, "What's my mom doing here?" or even worse, they don't even see me at all. :)

This might seem cliche but I think that at a certain point, age is as much a state of mind as anything else.  I was a fairly restrained 20-something and I'm not all that different now.  I loved going to live music when I was 25 and I still do now (and if anything, I go to more shows).  I still sing loudly in the car (and swear at bad drivers) and I still secretly harbor a dream to play guitar and sing angry songs like P.J. Harvey and Ani DiFranco.  I still love Billy Bragg but now I love Frank Turner too.

I guess here is where I'm at right now with age.  I can't fight getting older so I might as well enjoy the benefits of more years on this planet, try to mitigate the physical effects by eating well and being active, active, active AND living this year (and the ones to follow) well--doing a job I love, hanging with people I love, and doing things I love.