Freezing in Chicago

Dear lord, I have not been this cold in ages. Today reminded me why I shell out the cash I do to park in the building where I work as opposed to making the frigid seven-minute walk I used to in exchange for parking in a cheaper garage. Walking in -2 degrees totally blows. But, I'm in Chicago - a city I haven't visited in five years - and at least it was sunny today.

The last time I was here was when I was at my previous job promoting the CMJ Rock Hall Music Fest...by far, the most fun I've had working. I was in charge of street teams who visited cities within a five-hour driving radius of Cleveland to promote the three-day music festival that featured 100 bands. We visited zillions of music stores, college campuses and clubs. I ate at yummy restaurants like The Bongo Room (thanks Michelle!) and Topolobampo.

So, although January isn't my ideal time to visit, I still had fun today. I had lunch at Park Grill in Millennium Park (directly below the bean) and watched ice skaters while I dined with a WSJ reporter. And, I tried a new Rick Bayless restaurant, Xoco (which I still don't know how to pronounce) with a friend. Xoco is a cozy joint with a delightful short rib torta (Mexican sandwich) and killer churros.

Two pieces of advice: if you fly to O'Hare, consider taking the train downtown because cab far is more expensive than NYC ($60 vs. $2.25 on the train). And, if you ride the train in the city, http://www.hopstop.com/ will be your best friend because it gives you walking and public transportation directions. I heart hopstop and use it faithfully when I travel to the cities it covers.

Tomorrow includes another busy, chilly day (thank goodness for ear muffs). Visiting the Tribune for a meeting will likely be the extent of my sightseeing. I'll just have to come back once the weather breaks!