Today's RAD Song: 4th of July in Chicagoland

In July of 1995 Chicago suffered through 90+ degree weather for over a week (with the humidity index reaching 125), resulting in the heat-related deaths of over 700 people.

I mention this only because Chicago is a definitely a city of extremes. It's winters are bitter cold and it's summers are blistering hot. It is a city known as much for it's historical gangsters and modern crime as it's world class institutions of high culture. And the Chicago White Sox celebrated a World Series victory as recently as 2005... while the Cubs, oh the poor Cubbies, have not won a championship in 102 years - a longer drought than that of any other major North American professional sports team.

My buddy (who flew in for the Chicago portion of the trip) and I were fortunate enough to score primo first row - second deck seats for the 4th of July matinee between the Cubs and Cincinnati Reds at historic Wrigley Field:

Wrigley is an absolutely beautiful old ballpark... intimate and inviting, with a gorgeously lush green infield and the famous ivy trimming the outfield. Along with Fenway in Boston, and the old Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, this park is now certainly in my top three favourite parks in the majors.

The game itself was close until the 8th inning, when in classic Cubs fashion, they surrendered eight runs and ended up losing an unceremonious laugher 14-3.

We then decided to drive down to a fish fry joint on the south side, upon the recommendation of a friend (quite the adventure for a couple of white boys from Alberta I might add) and OMG, am I glad we did. The Calumet Fisheries is a James Beard Award winning American classic. Anthony Bourdain is also a big fan - which is always cool. The fried shrimp was unbelievable - no cocktail sauce in sight, just hot sauce and hotter sauce - and the accompanying slaw was a wonderfully fresh side. If you're ever in Chicago, eat here (there's no seating though - you eat on the sidewalk out front... beside the train tracks... and the freeway).

And then, of course, there was the fireworks... The traditional Chicago 4th of July fireworks held at Grant Park (though this year held at Navy Pier) usually draws well over a million people, and I think they were close again this year (we didn't actually get anywhere near the Pier cuz of the crowds, though we did find a good - albeit packed - spot along the river walk a little further south). Fireworks are fireworks, and are nice and fun, but it was the people watching that really made it entertaining (why do so many Chicagoans wear designer sunglasses at night - is a Lake Michigan area thing?)

Today's RAD song is a Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' classic from their self titled debut album. As I mentioned earlier, the summers are extremely hot here in Chicagoland, and all the pretty girls in their summer dresses seem to be eating it up... which makes me smile.

American Girl by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers