The DuSable.

So, for the record, I never intended this week to be about reviewing museums or just writing a synopsis of what you'll find if you go.  My idea for this week was to go to museums, have fun, learn some things, and make the blog mostly pictures and maybe a few comments here and there about my favorites.  I should have made that plan after figuring out what museums do and don't allow pictures, because it turns out I ended up at another cool museum with only 1 picture to show for it.

In fact, I've been sitting here writing and re-writing, trying to figure out how to best describe The DuSable Museum of African American History without boring you, but also without making light of many of the topics the exhibits cover.  This is one of those museums where what's offered  isn't always fun to look at, but it is important to see.  Particularly moving on the heels of MLK day, the exhibits leaning towards the fight for civil rights are a must see.  Overall, the DuSable is a little museum that packs a big punch.  Make sure to Check out 'For All The World To See: Visual Culture and The Struggle For Civil Rights' which is there until May 15th.

The DuSable Museum of African American History:
www.dusablemuseum.org

Surgical Sciencessssss.

I'm actually a little bit bummed about this one.  I went to the International Museum of Surgical Sciences with my friend Michael, who is not only a good friend, but also an awesome artist/photographer.  My intention was to see some interesting and creepy things, but even better take pictures with those things, and with Michael, and have a ton of photos to share with you.  However, upon arriving at the IMSS we discovered there were no cameras allowed, and therefore, no dice on the cool photos.*

Right now they are exhibiting Our Body: The Universe Within. Think Body Worlds, with more emphasis on the science of how the body works.  Besides half dissected and posed bodies, you can check out old surgical tools and equipment dating as far back as 2000 BC, and ending in some present day advances we may take for granted.  I'm not going to lie, I don't know what I would have done had I gone by myself.  I found the whole place more than a little macabre, and kept using the word 'crazy' over and over again.  Example: at every new display case or surgical implement I'd say "Mike, (dumbfounded pause) that's craaaaazy."  To be fair, I had the exact same reaction to body worlds.  Something about filleted people, while educational, also gives me the creepers.

 'Our Body' was interspersed throughout the museum with some of the more permanent exhibits displayed by IMSS (an iron lung, one of the first x-ray machines, tons and tons of surgical tools, and even civil war era prosthetics), which offered a good balance between creeping me out and keeping me fascinated.  Overall, I'd go back... I just may wait until the Bodies exhibit closes.

International Museum of Surgical Sciences:
https://www.imss.org/

*Since you didn't get to see any of the cool photos Michael would have taken if it was allowed, check out his art and photos at http://michaelrioux.com/  or to help see his stuff live and in person go to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1449531347/transistor-photo-project

sweet home...chicago history museum?

Mikita Uniform

Zach Morris Phone

Jordan's Jordans

 Vintage Gas

Chicago Size Celery Salt

Chicago Fire Diorama

Here's the deal:  I started off the week at the Chicago History Museum because I love the city, and as a transplant some of the finer details on how we got here are a little fuzzy to me, but also because Monday is their free day (and who doesn't love a free day!?!).  Overall, I really enjoyed the museum.  There is a ton of information to take in, and even more beautiful / interesting / curious things to see.  You can walk through the city's first 'El' car, there's an amazing room of diaramas (like you made in school, only times a million),  and of course, check out a giant section on the Chicago fire and how the city rebuilt.  The only negative for me was the huge amount of information and the way it was laid out.  It might be a little confusing to those of us who are new(er) to the city and don't have a general time line of how Chicago's history unfolded.

A whole lot of new this week.

I don't want you to be jealous, and I wasn't going to say anything, but I assumed you'd probably figure it out this week, so I might as well tell you: I have the whole week off work.  Yep, the whole thing!  And, while I have the whole week off, I'm also dog sitting (hence all the pictures of the cute pup) so going out of town wasn't really an option.  Instead, I was trying to decide what I'd like to do in the city in January for a little staycation.  Of all my brainstorming the one thing that was always on my lists was 'go to the museum', which to me is the perfect example of taking a break, learning a little bit, and actively being a member of the city you live in and what it has to offer- not just being a bystander.  Then, the more I thought about it, the more turning a little break into a weeks worth of new things sounded like a good idea.  So, this week the plan is to go to 5 different museums in 5 days.  I'm also going places I've never been, and I'm excited to see what I find...

what's new. 2

So, the idea is to make this a weekly wrap-up with a few little gems I figured out throughout the week.  Mostly, I can use it later to go back and see what was 'new' for me on any given week.  Here's week 2:

- New classes at the gym are a little less scary if you take Becky, or one of your friends.

- No one should ever, Ever take spinning EVER unless you want to waste an hour on a bike going nowhere and not be able to sit down for  a week.

- I will never look attractive while working out.

- The more awkward the situation / class the funnier the story later.

- I reference cannoli and my elusive future husband a lot.

- Turns out admitting you know nothing is easier than pretending you know something.

- Sometimes you just need a break.

(Also, I realize the picture has nothing to do with going to the gym, but who doesn't like a cute dog picture now and then?)

yogalates.

Friends, I found another keeper.*  No, not the dark haired gentleman I keep referring to, but instead the Yoga/Pilates mix I took yesterday.  I almost wasn't going to write about it today because its Saturday and who's really going to read this on Saturday?  I mean of the 17 of you that do read 52 weeks, one is my mom (hi mom). One is my friend Megan who's probably walking her dog, or still asleep, and I just figured the other 15 of you were probably at brunch.  Then I thought maybe, just maybe there were one or two of you who might like to hear abut how much I liked yoga slash pilates, so I'll tell you, quickly, so you can get to brunch.

Holyamazingnotspinclassahhhh.

The class was what you'd expect, we did some yoga, we did some pilates, but it was nice to be in a fairly comfortable place where the only accoutrement was my very own personal yoga mat (which I remembered to bring- little victory).  When you're in a mildly foreign environment that's pumping Lady Gaga and Black Eyed Peas over the speakers at ear splitting volume and where the pace of the whole place is go, go, go, faster, more, better, go, it was nice to do something a little more familiar, even if I had to do it right in front of the doors, and windows, and potential future husband.

*In the spirit of full disclosure, it was not the first time I had taken either Yoga or Pilates, or any combination of the two.  It was however a renewed effort on my part to actually go to a class at my gym, which I pay for every month and yet continue to just drive by on a daily basis without so much as a second thought.

At least I'm being honest.

I didn't go to the gym yesterday.

Yep.  There it is.  I had every intention of taking some sort of class where I'm sure I'd end up looking totally spastic and out of my element directly in front of the door or windows and potentially right in front of the man with the buzz and a 4 day beard (who is also amazing with kids, has dark hair, is taller than me, won't call anything theatre related gay, lets me wear his hoodies when I'm cold, and knows how to cook because I certainly don't) who could have been my future husband had he not seen me flailing my arms awkwardly and trying to keep up with a petiteacher or one of the skinny girls in one of the classes who I just wish would eat a piece of cake or a cookie or something so I wouldn't want to punch her so much.  Instead.  I stayed home.  I had the heart of a lion and every intention of putting myself into another totally foreign, potentially painful situation so I could broaden my horizons and also give you something funny to read about, but my closer to thirty than twenty body had other ideas.  I'm not injured (unless you count my broken vagina bones and crushed spirit from the class of doom,  I mean spinning) I just needed a day to recover.  So I took one.  One day off.  And now, today, I'm back.  So look out Pilates slash Yoga mix (and potential husband) here I come.