Midsummer Classic

Did you know that yesterday, today and tomorrow are the only 3 days of the year that there is not a big 4 sporting event. The all star break signifies that the MLB season is more or less half way over. I still haven't been to a game which is pathetic. One of the biggest losses of no longer working in the Chicago sales world is I am not getting weekly rooftop tickets. However, in addition to the baseball season being half over, so is the summer. If you have been slacking so far, or if you're thinking, "well summer only officially started a few weeks ago," you're wrong.

Summer officially began the first day you could wear shorts out and bare the thought of drinking outside. Yes I know its 90 degrees out and that means, extreme sweat and grossness. I know that the air conditioning feels really good, but 5 months from now your predicament won't be which of the city's rooftop bars to hit for happy hour, it will be does your steady bang deserve a Christmas gift.

Now let's start with the good. The Dave Matthews Caravan this past weekend was awesome. The idea of it was so outrageous. Let's take 100,000 white people and train them down to one of Chicago's worst neighborhoods and get them black out drunk after dark. I was approached by 2 cops Friday evening and had the following exchange.

Cops: Hey man, you out here looking for an ATM?
Me: Ya, I'm getting money for the concert.
Cops: You better walk straight back there, it's getting a little dark out here for you.
Me: Oh ya?
Cops: Ya, we saw you take money out of that ATM and so did everyone else on this block with a knife or gun that wants to rob you, dressed like that you have a target on your back.

And I thought I was down with the urban community, apparently not. Needless to say, I went all three nights and I haven't seen more drunk high school kids since the OAR concert last summer when I was approached by some teens with the following offer "my friend will show you her tits if you buy us beer" sometimes I have to salute the audacity of the youth today.

There is still a ton of great shit going on this summer in the city. Aside from the privileged DePaul kids that failed to get internships that are going out every night in Lincoln Park, every weekend offers some new unique opportunity. I'm getting lost in southern Michigan this weekend, and I'm sure a lot of you have travel plans as well. Just keep in mind this weather won't last forever. You may be dreading your 90 degree jog along the lake this afternoon, but keep in mind in the not too distant future you will be complaining about the fact that you still live in the midwest. So get off the couch and stop looking at the best of Harry Potter cosplay and enjoy what's left of this summer. We have Lolla still on the horizon as well as a lot of other great street festivals, concerts and the such. Once Labor day comes around the party is coming to a close.

We often look to the future, it's always so exciting. I argue live in the present. Ask yourself "Why not?" A cynic looks for reasons not to do something, an optimist will just assume yes. I don't know if I'll be in Chicago forever, but I'm here today and according to my local Metromix there is something going on tonight. I suppose I could sit around and watch the "Midsummer Classic" but I can assure you I won't remember the result in 20 years.