We love Marshall Field’s and always will

I know, I just made a post, but I love Chicago’s loyalty to Marshall Field’s. I feel the same way. Macy’s just isn’t the same. Marshall Field’s has history here: Macy’s is just another big national department store.

In case the embed doesn’t work, here’s the link: youtu.be/AXp-8BXxJN8

Mish-Mash: More stuff I didn’t know, this week, and a new issue

New issue out now!

In addition to the international competition going on at Medinah Country Club this week in the Ryder Cup, pitting the best European golfers against American ones, there’s a huge table tennis tournament taking place in Chicago this week. I just found out about the Chicago International Table Tennis Festival 2012  yesterday. Want to know more about the tournament? Go to the website at www.killerspin.com.Yeah, I know, I’m clueless – but in my defense, there’s always so much going on in Chicago, I can’t know everything, and I can’t write about it all by myself, and I’m pretty focused on my son’s homework and soccer at the moment.

News: Apparently, I’m the last one to know…

Geez, you take the weekend off and suddenly, you’re out of the loop. Here are a few things that happened over the weekend that I didn’t even learn about until today:

1. CSO musicians strike. In a nutshell, the musicians at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra are upset because the new pay package being negotiated by the CSO actually is a net loss for them, given that the CSO wants musicians to pay more for their own health care.

Bobcats come to the Cosley Zoo

The Cosley Zoo, part of the Wheaton Park District, is one of those places I’ve always wanted to go to and never quite made it. My loss, as it turns out. I finally went last night for the Bobcat Bash, a fundraiser and celebration for the opening of the zoo’s bobcat exhibit.

Eat and learn on a Slice of Chicago Pizza Tour!

I’m one of those people who thinks the pizza war – New York vs. Chicago – is pretty dumb. How can you possibly compare the two? I ADORE New York-style pizza, the way you have to eat it on a stool, put oregano on it and fold it up.  I lived on it in grad school, because I had no money to eat anything else. I LOVE Chicago-style pizza pie, which you have to eat sitting down, with a fork and knife and good company. They’re just different animals.

However, living in Chicago, I know where my allegiance must lie. And now I have a seven-year-old boy who would eat pizza every single meal if he possibly could. So, when I saw a social coupon for Slice of Chicago’s pizza tour, it seemed like a great way to encourage his budding love of food while spurring his creativity and an interest in culture. We finally did our the walking tour during the end part of the summer. I think my kid was at first a bit shocked that we were doing a tour that didn’t take place on the water, but he took it all in stride.

Disney On Ice sticks to tried-and-true formula for “Treasure Trove”

So this weekend, Disney On Ice is in town at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, presenting the show “Treasure Trove.” I’ve seen numerous Disney On Ice productions, because I want my kid to experience culture beyond soccer games and video games, but I’ll be frank and say that when I heard this show was coming, it didn’t sound like the best Disney On Ice show to see – most of the movies it pays homage to are older ones, and it covers so many of them that I couldn’t help but wonder how they were going to squeeze it all in. And now, my final verdict: While many of the props and costumes and physical trappings appear to have been recycled from previous shows, they are nevertheless quite clever. The performances are top-notch, if you can keep your kids’ attention on the skating. Disney is great at creating a spectacular experience for families, so you’ll enjoy this if you love the stories and the songs from the multitude of Disney movies that have come out over the years. And if you have kids. And if you’ve never seen Disney on Ice before.

Second City provides strike relief for parents

I wasn’t planning to post today, as I’m super-busy, but I just saw this in my inbox and thought it was so cool I had to share:

Second City Offers Free Day Camp During Chicago Teachers Union Strike

Chicago Soul announces schedule

I had intended to post something yesterday – even had it written. However, I am currently dealing with an outbreak of head lice in my house, which means that for the last two days I’ve been washing everything in sight and not leaving the house for fear of contaminating others, except to go to necessary places like school and work and the drugstore where I buy lice removal kits. Yeah, it’s been great fun. And hasn’t given me much time to do much else.

Last week while I was in Cincinnati the Chicago Soul, our new MISL team, released its inaugural season schedule.

Update: Beluga calf at the Shedd

Didn’t you want an update on the new beluga calf at the Shedd? I know I did. So here it is. 🙂

The baby of Mauyak is thriving and passing some of those milestones that marine mammals must accomplish if they are to survive, either in the wild or in captivity. The Shedd tells us that the baby has nursed, met another adult beluga whale and mimicked its mom. Aww.

File under: Places I never knew existed – King Spa

So the other night I celebrated a birthday with a friend of mine; we met a year or so ago at the health club, where her son does tae kwon do with mine, and we take the same zumba classes. We had dinner at Wildfire and then visited a place I’ve been hearing about through word-of-mouth but had never been to. I didn’t quite understand the concept of it; it’s one of those things that you kind of have to see in order to understand. King Spa, in Niles, is a Korean bath house. Although I’m Asian-American, I was born and raised in Kansas, and the idea of community bathing is strange to me. As it turns out, it’s pretty cool and can be quite relaxing.