9*29*2011 CHICAGO

I RUN THIS CITY( well walk slowly anyway)

So I had to make a work trip up to Chicago and see some of my Customers in the Mid West.  Luckily My wife was able to take off of work and come with me.  It has been fun this year getting to travel a bit wife her and show her some of the cities I love.  Chicago is probably my favorite city at this point.  Every time I get a chance to head up there I always come home thinking about what it would take for me to move to there for a little while.  I figured it out and decided here are the couple things I need to happen.

Things needed to move to Chicago for a year.
1. Work has to agree that it cool.
       I understand I could just set fire to my shit here and bail but that's not exactly what I am looking for.
2.  Ash's boss would need to give her a year sabbatical. 
3. I need to find three people to rent my house while I am gone for about $500.00 each.
       Don't want to sell yet.
4.  Find an apartment in the area I want to live, Wicker park.
5.  Sell Ash's car.
6.  Buy fixie bikes.

all elastic clothes... like a boss

So if this all happens then I could maybe make this happen for a year.  It would be lots of fun and I have always wanted to experience living in a major city.  Chicago is my only choice of this.  I have been to NY, Philly, LA, SF, they are all ok well honestly NY sucks.  Last time I was there I got kicked out of CBGB's for having too much fun.  Well there is a bit more to that story than that, it involves Coach Gunna fucking dominating, Dant getting kicked in the face,  Dant smoking hand rolled cigs from a bum, Kevin punching shot glasses, stealing bagels, fighting a cabbie, talking our way into places to sleep every night with strangers and drinking out of a suitcase at 7:45am Monday on the subway.  That is a different story and will get told at a later date.  I will also need to start a Matt's legendary story series:check your morals at the door.  Back to Chicago.

boom

LOVE....

We arrived on Fri about midnight after driving up.  Normally this drive is not that bad, but I had a meeting on the way up and a stop with friends for dinner in ST.  Louis.  Lunch was in Memphis at Interstate BBQ this place is fantastic.

Ash has never been through St. Louis so we got there and had a chance to check out the Arch.  I have been driving by this thing on the reg for a couple years now.  It is always really awesome to see.  Getting to go up close to it is something I haven't done since I trip with my parents when I was in High school.  That thing is big as shit and super rad.

If this arch truly represent America's expansion it should be
doubled and gold....ZING

We had dinner with Max (dude is a beast pulls something like 700 at 196 with belt only, side note fuck him, I can throw things far.) and his friend Erin.  She told us one of the most amazing stories I have ever heard.  It's not as good as the I am the Machine story but it is truly un-fucking-believable.  Just the quick once over is that her sister had a kid in the shower, cause she didn't know she was pregnant, then her fiance who she has know for less than 3 months came home from military service over seas to get married (he is babies daddy, he forced a paternity test), she has gained a bunch of weight due to the not knowing she was pregnant thing so her dress doesn't fit, this was fixed by weaving a curtain into it, ring bearer was a dog that ran away at the wedding with the ring, everyone got really drunk and couple is now getting a divorce all in less that a year.  I know that was a giant cluster fuck of a sentence but deal with it.  We ate pizza at this place called PI... get it... like pizza PI... it's clever.  Despite there attempt at cleverness the restaurant was delicious and really nice.

The rest of the drive was uneventful.  We did knock out some movies though.  We watched the following:
1. Blades of Glory-not the best Will Ferrel movie but I like his moronic overly confident asshole characters.
2. Burn After Reading- pretty solid shit get out of hand.
3. Bridesmaids- pretty funny as well the shitting in the sink moment was fantastic.

Serious Business 

SAT.

Pecan Smoked Jap was great.

After arriving we crashed to get ready for Sat.  While I am in Chicago I always stay with BMFR you met this asshole from the bachelor party story.  Sat was awesome from word go.  We hit up Hot Doug's, this place has the best hot dog's anywhere.  They do some amazing stuff.  The menu has things like french Fries fried in Duck Fat.  These are currently winning the Matt Vincent's best french fries award.  We got a ton of stuff then spent about 30 in driving it into us.  If your in Chicago this place is a must and get there an hour early, cash only, and fri-sat for duck fat fries.

Ash and I spent the rest of Saturday cruising around the Wicker Park area doing some shopping and occasional coffee and beer drinking.  We later took a sweet nap then got our shit together to head to The Standard it is a LSU Alumni bar.  (Bars will decided to host alumni parties for teams with drink specials and show the games.)  This was fun seeing a bunch of drunk LSU dicks in Chicago.  Still amazes me that people can care that much about a sport they have never been good at and a team they never played for.  This was a lot of fun and actually ran into two of my former LSU track teammates.  What is odd is that none of us live in Chicago but all happened to be there at the same time.  It was great seeing Mallory and Brandon.  Post the game we made our way to the Twisted Spoke for "smut and eggs"  this is their amazing combination of 70's hardcore porn playing while they serve delicious brunch.  Perfect.  It also stressed out some of the gays that were partying with us.

It was Al's or Portillos.... Al's was higher rated and on MvsF
Portillos next time maybe it can redeem the Beef.

SUN.
We slept in and fought hangovers for a good part of the day.  After two trips for coffee, drugs, brunch, and water we gave in and took a nap.  This helped out a ton so that we could make it to dinner.  I don't remember what we had so I guess it was not great.  Then we made our way to one of BMFR's roommates going away parties.  5 star is the name of the bar it has great low lighting, good music, good food, and room with a stripper pole.  The stripper pole in a regular bar will always be covered with fat dudes and chicks trying to be funny/sexy, they are neither.  This place has some turbo hipster drink and food specials.  We had some fun and decided to take the walk home it was a bit over a mile but the weather was nice so we went for it.  Oh I forgot before going out Ash and I went and got tattoo'd.  We both got our wedding anniversary date and I got some lines from a song on my other foot.  Getting my feet tattoo'd still sucks but it is now one step closer to done.

I flipped this pick for you.... boom..."flip you for real."

MON.
I had a morning meeting and made it back a bit after 11:00am.  We headed downtown to get some Beef's and do some exploring down Michigan Ave.  Beef's are like Chicago's Philly cheese steak.  They are OK, I guess, they are about the same as steaks in Philly or systems in RI.  Neither of these could wipe the ass of a Darrell's Special.

Hipster Hitler @ Third Reich fashions.

We did a bit of shopping, by we I mean Ash did and I got to pay for things.  I would have got stuff for me but Chicago's lack of clothes in anything over XL prevented it.  We marched(took the elevator to the 95th floor) our happy asses up to the top of the Hancock building and had a drink while enjoying the view.  Pretty sweet action up there however it is hot and service sucks but the view of the city is spectacular.  It is one floor lower than the observation deck at the Sears tower (never calling it Willis tower) and free with drink options.

no one made it FUCK YOU CHARITIES you get nothing.

FLICK IT!

Does this bean make me look FAT?

We then headed down to Millennium Park.  On the way there was a big crowd gathered at the edge of the river to see some dicks hit a golf ball from the terrace of the Trump tower to a floating green in the river.  No one made it but two guys hit the green then rolled off.  That's a pretty serious shot especially with the 25mph wind.  I don't think I could have done it from where I was watching witch was about 100ft away.  Millennium Park is sweet.  Then we took a nap.  Later thatn night we went and got taco's at a local little shop Flash Taco's then got some bad ass Fro-YO!

Bacon Blue Cheese Fries... staying anabolic

TUES.

Better than your burgers

Not sure when she became a beer snob?

I had to work again in the Morning.  I returned to find my wife about 4 cups deep in coffee and ready to do work.  We went furniture shopping at West Elm and CB2.  I really like super modern design and these places do it really well and for a decent price.  I'm not paying 90$ for a stupid chrome pigeon, it doesn't even do anything.  We got a new rug, pillows for the couch, and other shit.  While we were on this side of town we went to Molly's Cupcakes.  This place is fucking boss, I like cupcakes cause I'm a fat fatty.  It was kinda strange cause we got to talking to the owner Mike and one of the counter girls.  They were super nice (helps running a business) and actually she was from Lafayette and knows some of the same people we do.  However she did inform us that she moved to Chicago a year and a half ago cause it is a hub for graphic designers.  (she currently works at a cupcake shop=ambition fail)    For lunch we headed to Kuma's Corner for burgers and metal.  I have eaten here before and I thought the burgers were pretty tits.  This time was no different also pretty solid selection of beers.  My burger was the YOB and her's was the ABSU they kick ass just like the bands they are named after.  Then we took a nap.

the YOB..... EFing D!

Later we went out and walked around the WP area again checking out shops and what not.  We ate dinner at This local place Native something or other  the food was good, but it is a vegan joint.  This makes me hate it a bit.  The waiters look like total pussies and have dumb shirts on and lack testosterone due to increased diet of soy and liberal arts degrees.

VEGAN SHIT!!!!! no homo

WED.
We hit the road home early and watched all of season one of Boardwalk Empire.  OMAR is still a fucking beast.   Nuccy Thompson ans Al Capone don't give a shit either.  This show is rad and I will definitely be watching season two.

Now.
We are home, back to work, and I am looking forward to starting my off season training next week.  I got my new lifting shoes in and my Powerfactor.  This weekend I am going to spend some time getting my garage together and cleaned up.

I want to bite my fingers for making
my wife take this of me... UGH!!!
I'm such a narcissistic prick.

She had butter cream icing up her nose for 2 hrs.  You're doing it wrong.