Friendship on the Lake, Hideout on the River

FRIENDSHIP
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Jess found out there is a secret lakefront location of our favorite Logan Square Chinese restaurant, Friendship, so on Tuesday we went to check it out. It was super cute, but completely empty the entire time we were there. It was also hard to get to and very expensive. We had two appetizers and two drinks and the bill was $45! The sangrias alone were $14 each. No thanks! I will stick to the Logan Square restaurant, which is awesome!

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I realized it had been a long time… maybe even a couple years.. since I was right down on the lake, even though my office overlooks it. It was so relaxing to take a stroll on a nice night!

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After our drinks at Friendship, we headed to the new Hideout location on the Riverwalk. They just redid a lot of the Riverwalk and it’s looking so nice! I’m kind of jealous of everyone who gets to use it and wished that our office hadn’t moved to where it is now because then I could be one of those people! Hideout had opened about five days before we visited and it was perfect. We got reasonably priced (for downtown) Lagunitas beer, split a pastie, sat outside and listened to some bluegrass music, all just feet from the river. It was a gorgeous night and I totally enjoyed myself.

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I forget how beautiful downtown is at night! As I was walking past the train, I saw the City Winery location on the Riverwalk. It looks totally cute. I think that one is next on my list!

I’m on a Boat!

Killian grew up sailing on Lake Michigan with his dad and brothers. Remember last year? He even got married at the Columbia Yacht Club, where they dock their boat. Killian and his family do the big races, like the race from Chicago to Mackinac Island, but also do smaller Beer Can Regattas every Wednesday night.

For years Killian has invited me to go out with them on a Wednesday night and I never did. Dallas got really sick once when he went and I was afraid I would too. I’ve gotten sick on a zodiac in Hawaii and on a sailboat in the Caribbean and whale watching in San Diego, so I had a history. At Tour de Fat Jess and Killian got to talking and Killian told her about sailing and Jess was interested in going some time. Then about a week ago I saw Killian’s brother Malachy on the train and we started talking about it. Finally, I decided “enough talking!” and made plans for Jess and I to join them for sailing.

I took Dramamine ahead of time and I didn’t get sick. I had a fun time and so did Jess. I don’t know that we could tell you much about sailing.. we were just trying to stay out of the way of the action.. but I did get some great photos.

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Night Views From Columbia Yacht Club

Last few photos from Killian & Liz’s wedding. The views from the yacht club really were beautiful. You could see the sailboats and the lake, the skyline, navy pier, etc. These photos were all taken from the southern-facing deck of the ship.

After the reception we headed to Chi Bar, which is located at the Sheraton and was where some of the wedding party were staying.

Killian & Liz’s Wedding Music


Touche


Liz’s Brother Bill


Liz’s Brother Greg


Brian, Rob, Dallas


Bill


Dancing


Imran


Max


Guy, Amber


Jason, Brian, Dallas, Max


Brian, Jason, Dallas, Steve, Max, Guy


Colleen, Rob


You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.

Killian and Liz are surrounded by very artistic family and friends so it was no surprise that the music at their wedding was fabulous. Liz’s brothers Greg and Bill are really talented musicians. Greg has even toured with and recorded albums with Liz Phair, the Goo Goo Dolls, and Jewel, to name a few. For the wedding the brothers reunited their old band called Touche and played a whole set of 80’s crowd pleasers. You better believe that Dallas was their biggest fan!

Also, a few of Killian’s friends are really great DJs and took turns playing throughout the night. Imran (DJ Skor) played at dinner and before the band went on. Max played after the band and then Imran played a little more at the end. Everyone was so great. All of the guests danced like crazy.

Family Photos at Liz & Killian’s Wedding


Columbia Yacht Club, Chicago


Killian’s Family: Naoise, Brian, Killian, Liz, Clare, Malachy


Killian’s immediate family along with some of the many relatives visiting from Ireland.


Liz’s Family: Greg, Bill, Killian, Liz, Mary Beth, Bernie


Dallas & Rachelle

Just a couple photos I snagged while the professional wedding photographer was lining everyone up outside of the Columbia Yacht Club to take photos. Funny story about the last photo: One of Killian’s aunts from Ireland asked Dallas if he was the one from Hawaii. He said he was and then she asked if she could take a photo of him. And then after she did I made her take another one of us using my camera. It was so windy and hot and humid that day, I don’t feel like I’m lookin’ my best, but I really liked the color of my dress.. which the Irish auntie also commented on.

Killian & Liz’s Wedding Ceremony


Wedding Ceremony, Columbia Yacht Club, Chicago


Mary Beth


Bhante Sujatha


Liz, Bhante Sujatha, Killian


Bernie, Bill, Greg, Mary Beth


The Rings


Dallas, Wes, Clare


The Bracelets


Liz & Killian


Liz & Killian

Dallas spent the day of the wedding with Killian. They went out for brunch and then went to a hotel downtown where they got dressed and whatever else before going over to the Columbia Yacht Club. I wasn’t that much involved, but I did go to the club early to be with Liz and the other girls before it all began. I wasn’t technically in the wedding party, but since there were more men than women who were in the party, we ended up having a few women walk down the aisle with the men to balance it out. I was one of them along with Naoise’s girlfriend Elissa and Greg’s girlfriend Anna. So we were all there to help out and to be in photos as requested.

The wedding was to take place on the upper deck of the yacht club. The day of the wedding it was sunny, but windy all day. Same thing the day before when we rehearsed. We thought it might be too windy up there to have the wedding – skirts over heads is not a good look for the wedding party – but we didn’t think much about rain. Minutes before the wedding was to begin it started raining. Luckily, it didn’t last long. The seats were all wiped down and we fit the wedding ceremony in before it started to downpour again.

Bhante Sujatha, a Buddhist monk from the Blue Lotus Temple, officiated over the ceremony. I’ve never been to a Buddhist ceremony of any sort before and I found it really interesting. Bhante Sujatha was so calming and sweet. He kept throwing in little jokes that kind of relaxed people more. The ceremony was spiritual, but not religious, and there was even a little meditation portion where he asked everyone to shut their eyes and think about certain things. Killian and Liz symbolically got their fingers tied together as they were blessed and there was another cool part where Bhante Sujatha tied bracelets on their wrists.

Oh, and because we were on the lake and it’s just rained, the seagulls were going crazy squawking. There was even a bird fight right above the wedding. I heard that one of the guests got shat on too. And you could hear Blues Fest nearby. That’s ok, though. All adds to the experience.