Overdue, Chicaguuu.

whoa!  it's been weeks since a Chicago post took up residence on the lesinchicago blog.  in my defense, i was not in Chicago for the first two weeks of September, and you can't post blogs about being in Chicago, when you are in Colorado or California.  it just ain't right.

So, I created two, single-use blogs where you can hear about my traveling adventures: http://lesincoloradoinseptember2009.blogspot.com & http://lesinfullerton,whichyoumightthinkisredundant,sinceilivedtherefor24years,butthistimeiwasjustvisiting,whichisastrangeexpereince.  ps. if the links don't work, it's because the web-addresses are completely forged.  i did not create new blogs for my two-week vacation from Chicago.

if you want to hear about those two trips, send me an email (les.rorick@biola.edu), give me a phone call, text, fb message and i'll share with you.  if you want to see pictures from those two trips, check out my facebook page.  if we aren't facebook friends, who are you and why are you reading my blog?

meanwhile, back in chicago...

once i landed at Midway Airport (of which, i am a huge fan, especially compared to the mammoth O'Hare Airport), i dragged my checked luggage to the elevated train stop, because public transit in Chicago is awesome and doesn't require you to ask your roommates to pick you up from the airport at 2 in the morning.  i then stood at the elevated train stop for about 15 minutes before i realized that the train stopped running at 1 and won't start up again until 4 AM, because CTA is not as awesome from 1 - 4 in the morning.

I briefly considered waiting it out, snuggling up with my bags for a little nap, but came to my senses and hauled my heavy, awkward-shaped belongings up the stairs, over the tracks, and on to the closest bus stop (the owl bus-route runs through the night).  leaving the airport, i saw a sign that had a few options for passenger drop-off.  i waited a little while next to that road, to see if anyone would take me up on the offer to "kiss 'n' ride."  no takers; i got on the bus.  a few hours later, i was in my chicago bed.  strange.

after resting from the whirl-wind wedding weekend tour, i jumped back on the trail and continued my journey and exploration of this ever-strange city.  strange and beautiful, to quote aqualung.

i spent some time with chicago friends, cory, brandon & ali.  we ate tasty burgers from a joint called "choppers" and then made homemade shakes with ice cream, milk, and a blender (why did no one tell me shake-making was so simple?).  later, cory and i went on a photo-walk, where i realized just how much i love pattern and color.

for more inspiring urban photography, see my friend, jantzen's blog.

work:  i've served (blue plate catering) some really cool events since being back.  my favorites are: 1) a designer premier at nordstroms (we literally walked around the store and offered shoppers wine and artichoke dip), 2) a massive gospel church gathering in the Field Museum, and 3) an intimate 25 person wedding on the top of a 44 story building, overlooking the lake, city skyline, and navy pier fireworks show.

(© Michael Ochs Archives/Corbis)

play:  there is show headed to broadway, called Million Dollar Quartet, which depicts the night that Jerry Lee Lewis ("Great Balls of Fire"), Carl Perkins (original writer of "Blue Suede Shoes"), Elvis Presley (um...duh) and Johnny Cash met for an impromptu jam session at Sun Records in 1956.  i got to watch this show last week.  It basically sent me into shock with it's brilliance, execution and volume.  The show is a brilliantly-scripted tribute concert, performed by truly inspirational artists-actors.  i loved it.

work-play?:  i'm in chicago to pursue theatre.  for now, i want to act in some plays, then get an MFA in Acting or Directing (possibly in Chicago), then teach, act, direct, love people, appreciate beauty, and make disciples until the kingdom comes or i go looking for it on the other side of death.  so, in order to be in a play, one has to audition.  and audition, i did.  i sat nervously in a room, yesterday, trying to remember a monologue i once performed in a play, and dying for the process to be over.  thankfully, it didn't take long.

once inside the audition room, with the auditors staring at me, i completely forgot everything, including the name of the play, and utterly botched my audition.  however, this did not leave me too bothered.  i acknowledged the obvious: my heart was not in it.  i really wanted to get my "First Chicago Audition" out of the way, so i tried out for a show i'm not really excited about...and, as mentioned earlier, failed miserably.  of course, i don't know that.  i could be called back for a second audition, in which case, i would probably run the other direction, because the people offering me a call back would have to be insane.  and if i worked with them, that would just be too many insane people in the same room.

and so, i'm gathering my sanity, gathering true desire to be in a play (which will serve as motivation to actually TRY to get a role) and then gathering Chicago credits, so i can expand my influence as a Christ-following artist and teacher.

if my cataloguing of chicago experiences starts to wane like it did these last few weeks, give me a call, text or email, and i'll dish one up for you and possibly the general public, on this here blog.

thank for reading.  i love you guys.  except the creep-o who isn't even my facebook friend.

ps. it would be an injustice if i did not show off the cuteness of my nieces: