It’s about that time of the year…where spring rolls around and you not only need to gear up for spring cleaning but also, the slew of college students that will soon crowd the streets enjoying SPRING BREAK!  Nearing the end of March the weather will begin to warm, rain will come and it’s time to get fit!

There are many ways to get in shape and one of the best ways is to get a membership to your local gym.  But how do you choose the right one?

Different fitness center will offer you different types of conditioning and aerobic programs.  Some offer yoga and pilates, while others offer beginner to advanced aerobics, dance and still more.  Many also include personal training as part of their membership cost which can be highly beneficial to those who aren’t quite sure which approach will work best for them.

An excellent choice if you’re in the Lincoln Park area is Harmony.  They offer a complete source of mind & body fitness with pilates, Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis.  These are full body workouts which focus on both flexibility, strength, toning as well as meditation and thought.  Not only do you physically become more fit but mentally as well.

Check out more by visiting the site or giving the staff at Harmony a call.

Harmony Mind-Body Fitness Inc.
Laura Dixon, Owner & Certified Instructor
1962 N. Bisell

Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: 773/296-0263
Fax: 773/296-0563
Email: info@harmonybody.com
Web: www.harmonybody.com

Technorati Tags: chicago fitness, chicago gyms, get fit, lincoln park fitness

Now, I’m not one that is easily impressed by the theatre and new plays. I suppose this is an unfortunate consequence to beginning my acting career when I was four and continuing along path of the young actress through college. However, I can honestly say that Steppenwolf’s production of “The Pillowman” was thoroughly entertaining and absolutely thought provoking.

I’ve never been one to give away the plot of a show or movie and I’m not about to begin with divulging the secrets of “The Pillowman,” but I can say that as a person who can almost inevitably call every turn in a script, it was a delight to see a show where even I was surprised by not only the construction of the work, but also the plot turns throughout the play. For a person as cynical and critical as myself to leave a play without a single criticism about the script, production or performances is rare.

I suppose, I must warn the readers out there that my theatrical preferences tend to lie in absurdism, so if you like things to be clean-cut and simple, you probably would hate “The Pillowman.” But, if you’re interested in magical realism and absurdity, “The Pillowman” at the Steppenwolf Theatre is a must see and I don’t say that lightly.

Posted by: Conci N.

Technorati Tags: Chicago, Illinois, Chicago Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, The Pillowman

It has come to my attention that there is a proliferation of terrible drivers out on the streets of Chicago. And while I understand that not everyone can be as law-abiding as I am when sitting behind the wheel, I at least hope that people will try to improve their skills with experience and time. This never really seems to be the case. In fact, it seems to me that the worst drivers out on these city streets are generally those who have municipal cars. (While it may be unfair, I am lumping cabbies in with that group.)

Generally speaking, I just expect cab drivers to cut me off or do incredibly stupid driving maneuvers. When you learn to drive in the city you start to just accept cabbies as an environmental variable – kind of like ambulances or fire trucks. While ambulances may not always be zipping down the street trying to save lives, a driver has to know what to do when an ambulance is coming…the same is true with dealing with the stupidity of cab drivers.

But, apparently when your car actually belongs to the city, there is a type of authority that rises in the driver and allows them to do whatever they want when driving. This has always been true of police cars – sirens on or off you let them have the right of way. So, I suppose by default it should be (and is) true about the drivers of unmarked cop cars. I can even accept that the drivers of emergency vehicles are so used to having the right of way that they just assume they have it even when they’re not heading towards an emergency call.

So, I’ve been able to rationalize the bad driving behaviors of almost every municipal driving group, with one exception – buses. As far as I’m concerned, buses have no excuse for driving poorly, they have no rationale for sliding through red lights when they get tired of waiting – it’s a bus! Buses are supposed to be slow, they’re like the turtle of public transportation – slow and steady, but it will get you where you’re going…eventually. So, why is the turtle getting all aggressive and cutting me off?

Posted by: Conci N.

Technorati Tags: Chicago, Illinois, Chicago municipal drivers, Chicago Public Transportation, the CTA

As is to be expected every year, the time for the air and water show is here. I’ve never been terribly fond of outdoor festivals, but there are some that I like better than others. For me, the air and water show ranks right up there with The Taste of Chicago. Actually, I think it’s worse.

Why do I think it’s worse? For many reasons, actually, one of which is the noise. I live less than a mile away from North Avenue beach, and just down the street from the Oak Street Beach. So, every plane that flies to impress passes my 24th floor apartment, and the noise is not only distracting, but also disconcerting.

I suppose I’m just not terribly fond of the idea of flaunting our nation’s air and firepower around to incite terrified awe in spectators. Perhaps, I’m looking at the whole thing all wrong. I mean, I know that we should be proud of the US’s technological superiority, but particularly in time of war, it somehow seems inappropriate. Like we’re not only flaunting our power, but also recruiting the spectators of our equipment in action to be killers or be killed.

I’m kind of quirky, though. I don’t like fireworks because they sound like explosives…well, they are explosives. I don’t like the air and water show because it’s basically a parade of military equipment. And, I don’t like parades because they’re generally designed to invoke awe in spectators for things that are not necessarily awesome or awe worthy.

Posted by: Conci N.

Technorati Tags: Chicago, IL, Chicago Air and Water Show, Chicago Festivals