TGIF--Take 1

What are you doing this weekend? My boyfriend will be skiing in Utah, so I have a weekend to myself. Although I will miss him, I'm trying to look at the bright side of the time apart. It's only Tuesday and I've been scoping out fun things to do this weekend!

At the suggestion and organization of my friends Pat and Geeta, I'm planning to check out UP Comedy Club, aptly named as it occupies the third floor of the Second City space in Old Town.

I've thought about scoping out the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. I've lived in the Midwest for most of my life and have been in/near Chicago for more than a decade; it's almost embarrassing to admit I've never been to the nation's largest auto show. Then again, I don't even own a car, so checking out the latest in auto technology isn't top-of-mind for me. 

Dose Market returns on Sunday. I love the laid-back atmosphere of this quirky monthly market. When I went with my sister in December, we bought some delicious homemade marshmallows and hot chocolate. I've also come home with a super-cute blouse from Miss Patina that can be worn to the office or on weekends.

I'm really excited about this FREE event at Schuba's on Sunday night! (My friend Andrea, who I haven't seen in forever, found and suggested it.) Just in time for Valentine's Day, we'll be learning about the Science of Love and Attraction from the perspective of a professor at Northwestern who will untangle the world of online dating and a film expert who will share her expertise about love-making in movies. What an interesting way to end the weekend!

Holiday lights?

Just before Christmas, I was walking down State Street to do some shopping and stopped dead in my tracks. You can't make out the music very well above the roar of the traffic, but you can't miss the changing colors of the lights. Love them or leave them, these are LED lights and the City of Chicago plans to leave them up as a year-round decoration. The Christmas music will be swapped for season-appropriate tunes, but the lights will remain.

I thought they were hilarious. My boyfriend thought they were phallic. What do you think?