Headline reads: Small town woman gets on and off Chicago train successfully and without incident.
And I did. There are things about urban living that are alluring to me: public transportation, the people on the streets, the access to any kind of food you could ever imagine, the bars that feel like meeting places for friends who live on different sides of town. But not the parallel parking. I don't care for all the needed parallel parking skills.
With the help of Sarah who talked me through my route, I took the train to the Chicago Art Institute and spent the day walking the halls full of masterpieces. Quite extraordinary. The collection is really amazing. I didn't know Seurat's "park" piece was there, Whistler's mother, a bunch of Andy Warhol, Picasso's "old man and blue guitar" piece, there were Chagall windows that reminded me of the church we visited in France that had been restored after the war with all windows by Chagall. Van Gogh's bedroom, Jackson Pollock, Mary Cassatt and on and on and on. Of course, I didn't make it through the whole thing, but it was a pleasure to stroll the galleries and take in all that beauty and all that interpretation of the world and what it's like.
We did three hours last night in the studio tracking guitar and some vocal work and I think it worked out pretty well. Today is the long day and I'm ready dig in and get some work done. Even in the half days we've put in I've learned some things about the studio that I didn't know before and I've had the pleasure seeing Bruce (the engineer) and Emily (the producer) work together effortlessly.
It helps that last night, after the studio, we went to Schuba's to see Cory Branan and he played an incredible show. He was as crazy as I remember him, he was really funny and had a great vibe with the audience. I was tired, but I'm so glad we saw that show. He's the best.
To commemorate the night, Emily and I hopped in the photo booth to snap some pics. Our last pose is entitled, "We're gonna make a great album." Because it's true.