Welcome to another Saturday edition of the Friday Mailbag. Huge week this week. Season finale of 20 in 20, CPS is back in session, I had a job interview, and so on. Wow!
20 in 20 EPISODE TWENTY is LIVE!
Thank you all for listening to my dang podcast. I think it turned out pretty well. Special thanks to Brian for making the cover art, to Nick and Jessica for donating their microphone, and to Kathy for not making fun of me while I recorded. Please take a moment to rate and review the show wherever it is you listen. You can tune in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Buzzsprout.
AND NOW TO THE MAILBAG…
Loyal N.E.H. reader, Sierra, asks:
Chicago spring essentials!
Spring is awesome, but spring in Chicago can also be tricky. One weekend it’s 70 degrees, and everybody’s at the park wearing shorts. Then a couple days later, it’s snowing, and we’re all miserable. What to do?
First, you need a good raincoat. You don’t have to spend a fortune. I like North Face’s waterproof Venture 2 jacket ($99) and water-repellent Fanorak ($47). Or splurge and cop a Torrentshell from Patagonia ($149).
Third, you need alcohol. I recommend Marz Brewing’s Opuntia, Maxwell Street Lager, or Yakool. For wine, I’m reaching for a sparkling rosé. And as for a cocktail, it’s Bloody Mary season. We’re all just waking up, especially after this hellacious past year.
Fourth, you need things to do. I recommend buying a season pass to the Brookfield Zoo. Or take a drive to Waterfall Glen for a light hike/bike ride. Finally, I hope the White Sox implement some sensical COVID measures at Comiskey. If they do, take the family to a ball game. The Sox are going to be good this year.
Fifth, you need tie-dye. Look no further than Online Ceramics. Those Fela shirts are looking real good right now.
Sixth, don’t forget about your kids. They’re easy. They’re going to want to scooter, ride bikes, blow bubbles, and color with chalk. You can buy all that stuff at Target.
Lastly, you need sunglasses. Ray-Ban’s aviator classics ($154) are my favorite. Moscot makes some truly luxurious sunnies, too. Whenever I buy cheap sunglasses, I don’t take care of them, and they inevitably get scratched or lost. So I don’t buy them anymore.
I hope that helps. It sure will be nice to get outdoors.
Got a question? Feel free to comment on this post or e-mail me at newexperimentalhours@gmail.com. Thanks!
Last week, I floated the idea of putting the Mailbag on ice along with 20 in 20. After receiving a deluge of fan mail telling me not to do that, I’ve decided not to do it. So expect another Mailbag next week.
But!
It’s not as fun without questions. So please ask some. My backlog is empty now. Ok, have a great weekend!
