"This Bud's For You"

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Originally uploaded by bridgeportseasoning.

That was what Mike Lukowski said on stage during his benediction at the graduation ceremony for the Lane Tech class of 1987. Overall, the ceremony itself was one of those memorable occasions, not just because we were graduating, but for everything that went wrong during the ceremony. There was a threat of rain all day, and some of us thought there would be a chance the ceremony would be switched to the auditorium.

But it wasn't, and when the lightning started striking the WGN-TV parking lot about an hour into the ceremony, the students headed for the cafeteria, where we turned in our rain-soaked gowns for diplomas. My family, disgusted not only with the weather, but the behavior of the class (we were also tossing beach balls around and generally acting like, well, teenagers), left me to my own devices to get home. When I did, my Auntie Ann let me have it.

"Your cousin Danny - my SON - graduated from summer school and his graduation ceremony wasn't the farce yours was. 'Best and brightest', my eye!" She stated matter-of-fact. I replied, "Yeah, but I graduated on-time, with my class." Then I changed clothes and headed out to meet up with my friends at Ed Debevic's. I don't remember much of that evening, except that I think I wound up sharing a cab back to the Northwest side with Ralph Bonatz.

Last week, I received a package in the mail from the organizers of the Class of '87 20th Anniversary party, and it just made me feel old. Older than waking up with a screaming back; or looking in the mirror and wondering where the past ten years went, or the knowledge that I'm of an age where going out until all hours on a Saturday night is no longer a compulsory exercise. This time it's at a Holiday Inn in Skokie, and I don't see a re-hash of out 10th anniversary reunion. Back then, I was amused and genuinely surprised at how quick we all fell back to our regular cliques from high school. At the same time, fellow graduates I got to know after graduation were instrumental in bridging the gap between those cliques at the ceremony. Some of us - I include myself among that number - were still stupid enough to think that we had the world by the balls, and were living in some protracted form of adolescence.

The Bar is Always Open

The Bar is Open
Originally uploaded by bridgeportseasoning.

So, in addition to everything else I have going on (the freelance, looking for a job, et al.) I made time Tuesday evening to head to Scoozi for a wine tasting/singles mixer as a personal invitation from master sommelier/"Check Please" host Alpana Singh. Now I used to dabble a little bit in online personals and mixers, but as I've gotten older I just don't do it. I'm usually preoccupied with professional and personal goals to worry about feeling lonely or looking for "the one", whatever that is.

I digress. Ms. Singh is utterly disarming with charm and personality. She told me, Rachelle, and Erin, "If a man can't get laid at a wine tasting, he can't get laid." This at a table with three working writers. We also got to meet her husband and a friend who "heart(s) Chicagoist" that I later allowed to Rachelle and Erin I thought was "kinda cute."

I also had to step in when this guy sidled up to Erin near the end of the tasting who was feeling the effects of a bit too much wine and was trying to be amorous. It's embarrassing to be ruddy and puffy and unaware that she's just not that into you. So I somehow worked into the conversation plans for the movie night in the backyard and told the ladies, "bring your boyfriends." Mr. Valentino picked up on that right away.

As we were leaving, Alpana said, "we should get together sometime soon and formally taste some wine." I replied, "Fuck that. Let's drink some whiskey sometime." We both know this guy Martin Duffy, who's a scotch ambassador. So I think this might be in the works.

It's a Carnival Feeling Today

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Originally uploaded by bridgeportseasoning.

So what can I do to top getting published? How about making the cover story for today's Sun-Times food section?

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to run and buy about ten copies for Mom and the family.

Little George Michael Bluth Grows Up

I still miss "Arrested Development" long after it went off the air. It looks like the one cast member who really learned lessons from the show was Michael Cera, who played the awkward, pining-for-his-cousin-in-a-Biblical-way George Michael Bluth.

So, if you haven't watched any of the webisodes of "Clark and Michael" do so. They're seven-to-eleven minutes of pure genius. Watch it only to hear Cera say, while working out, "my body is a tomb."

Then there's this video Cera made last year:



Which is a parody of this real video, sent to an investment banking firm by an ambitious young man as part of a resume. The guy later was revealed to be a major fraud, and a douche:

Weekend Checklist

La Justicia Negativa
Originally uploaded by bridgeportseasoning.

- Visit Bronzeville Farmers Market (I went where the city's website said it was supposed to be. Apparently Dunbar High School didn't know they were the host.)

- See "The Simpsons Movie" check

- Visit Fiesta del Sol (This evening)

- Prune tomato plants landlord planted, allowing sun to reach dill weed, cilantro, thyme, oregano, and parsley check

- Cut fresh basil I planted, allowing sun to hit the rosemary behind it check, and the kitchen smells so sweet right now.

- Work on rough drafts of this week's planned Chicagoist posts so I can focus on job hunt check

- Finish story for Time Out Chicago ahead of deadline check

- Create list of pitches for Time Out Chicago, Sun-Times, and other possible freelance opportunities check

- Polish resumes check

- Ride fifteen miles on bicycle Actually, I knocked out thirty yesterday. Most of it on Archer, which requires that one puts the thought of death out of his mind.

- Get haircut. (Tuesday)

- Send clips to Mom for her scrapbook (Tomorrow. We always procrastinate with our parents, don't we?)