This past weekend was exceptional, however. Two nights in a row - not just one night in isolation - we ventured out to live entertainment. And though we have struggled to catch up on sleep since, boy, was it fun! No, really. We'll have to venture out again.
Saturday: dinner with CG at Bistro Zinc. Our hope then was to head to River East 21 and get Conrad to his first movie of the year, Inception. Conrad and I hopped on the bus downtown
and shopped a bit, then headed to the restaurant and parked at the bar where we chatted with the hilarious bartender. CG showed up, we stayed at the bar, and enjoyed a casual (though not as cheap as we might like) dinner. Charcuterie and snails to share to start with. Quail on lentils for me for dinner. 
I've come to like Bistro Zinc a lot - great neighbourhood place, just not in my neighbourhood.Then off to the theater (me, walking gingerly to the cab thanks to a 21-mile run that morning). Get there, get to the ticket machine. Inception - sold out. WHAT? Really? Apparently it's still a popular movie all these weeks later. Wow. Out onto the curb with us, and while CG and Conrad debated where to go for more wine, I secured us tickets for Comedy Sportz.
Off to Eno at the Intercontinental for a glass of wine each (and why did that waiter assume Conrad wanted the Malbec while CG and I were each having Pinot Meunier - she was having the Malbec, in fact), and a cab up to Boystown for the comedy show.
I'm very fond of improv comedy. I never get to live theatre in Chicago (or elsewhere), and it doesn't interest me hugely, to be honest. But comedy shows are fun, and I've enjoyed them in Chicago, Vancouver, and Montreal. Best thing that night? During one team's game at a point where they had to perform in the style of a Western, a member of the opposing team rolled across the stage in imitation of tumbleweed. Sometimes it's the small things.
Sunday morning we got up late.
Sunday evening it was over to CG's for dinner - she cooked a pork tenderloin with roasted vegetables, I baked a raspberry and almond brown butter tart,
and we enjoyed wine that Conrad and I brought. Dinner done, we made our way to the 10:00 performance at Lincoln Hall. Never been there before, and when I saw Laura Veirs was playing the next night, I found myself thinking, "Can I make it 3 nights in a row?" (NO) Alex Church Brown of Sea Wolf was playing a solo acoustic set. 
I hadn't heard of him before, but I gladly bought a Sea Wolf CD on Tuesday. I liked his singing, I liked the songs. I wish he'd bantered more. I wish the guy sitting at the end of the balcony with his girlfriend was something less of an obnoxiously enthusiastic fan.What's up next for us? I don't know. Back to dining out and such, but I tell you, we will see more movies or live entertainment. It's fun, and I'm glad we had a weekend to remind us of this.
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