the second city

after three 12-hour days in the car plowing eastward, we were road-weary and antsy to stretch our legs. as we pulled into chicago at rush hour, steve and i had lots to look forward to on our visit. my brother, jordan, and his wife, hope, were putting us up for three days in their andersonville apartment, and steve's sister, caroline, was in town for one night for work. we had three full days where all we had to rely on was our feet, not a car!

chicago never disappoints. our appreciation for the city sneaks up on us a bit and sinks in a little deeper each time we visit. obviously, we always have great company in jordan and hope, who give us a taste of the chicago comedy scene they are immersed in, a life which is so different from our D.C. routine. the food is abundant and always good (if not good for you!). the city architecture and museums are marvel-worthy, and the mix of people and industries is interesting. typically, the only wild card is the weather. this time we got super lucky with a sample of the best chicago has to offer with unseasonably beautiful, warm sunny days and a few early summer thundershowers low over the rooftops to sing us to sleep.

we started our stay with a boozy, celebratory bang at hopleaf, one of j and hope's favorite neighborhood spots we frequent each time we visit. monday night was caroline's only night in town, and hope just got a big promotion and raise at second city, so we made a party out of it on back patio sampling pretty much everything on the belgian-heavy menu - mussels, frites, wine on tap, and a monstrous ham sandwich that may be better characterized as dessert. a full house that night in more ways than one, but we slept well indeed!

with j and hope at work during the day, steve and i spent our days attempting to do the same, taking care of "road business" and other general maintenance - hair cuts, oil change and tune-up, and catching up on email, bills, and mail that had piled up while we were away (thanks to carol for being our mail lady!). we feel at home among andersonville's many coffee spots, boutiques, and grocery stores, having gotten "stuck" there for a few extra days on a previous visit during hurricane sandy. by now, we've sampled just about every swedish breakfast the neighborhood has to offer. we spent one afternoon getting sun and exercise in lincoln park on the ocean-blue water of Lake Michigan. it's amazing how much being on the lake in the summer feels like you're on the coast, not in the heart of the mid-west. 

our favorite part of the visit was tagging along to jordan's comedy gigs. we admire how both j and hope are strategically and fearlessly building a career in chicago's competitive improv comedy and theater scene. hope is learning the ropes of producing at second city, and j is building a name for himself getting new auditions, new roles, and more exposure all the time. on wednesday night, we saw j in a preview of a second city director's sketch comedy show. after that wrapped up, we piled into his van and barreled across town, so j could make his debut performance of a five-minute solo routine at another venue. both shows were so fun and so funny. home by midnight after a full day of work and two shows, j had to get up and do it all again the next day. 

thanks again, j and hope, for giving us another great taste of chicago! you guys are killing it.