When I moved back to Chicago from Atlanta about 2 1/2 years ago, it was primarily to be closer to family. I also wanted to live in a city with more of a "big city" feel, rather than a 4 million person suburb. What I didn't even realize at the time, was what an incredible city Chicago is during the summer. There is a reason that Chicago has no equivalent of the Hamptons to which everybody escapes for the weekend.

Yesterday was one of those amazing -- yet plentiful -- days in Chicago during the summer. I began the day meeting my grandfather for breakfast before we walked through the Old Town Art Fair, one of the highest quality art fairs in the country. There wasn't time to see the Wells St. Art Fair, also in Old Town. While now quite as impressive, it's still a nice art fair -- maybe I'll hit that today.

After a short mid-afternoon nap, I headed down to Grant Park for Blues Fest, Chicago's free annual outdoor blues festival.

The music ended at 9:30, perfect timing for those of us at Blues Fest to join a friend at the nearby Chicago Yacht Club, where he was winding down after a day on a friend's sailboat. What could be nicer that sitting on the deck of a boat with some friends and a few beers? How about watching the Navy Pier Saturday night fireworks from the deck of the boat!

While in some ways yesterday was a unique, amazing day, it's not that difficult to experience similarly amazing days in this town, with the extensive schedule of city-sponsored events, the hundreds of neighborhood festivals and the city's parks, marinas and beaches. There truly is no better city in which to spend the summer.

The other day, I pointed out that Chicagoist had launched. I am honored to have joined the crew at Chicagoist, primarily covering sports. While I'll make damn sure readers of Chicagoist remember there's a baseball team playing on the South Side, I'll try my best to give that other team some press, too.

Chicagoist, sibling of Gothamist, offically launched this week. Chicagoist is already off to a great start covering my favorite city.

The New York Time food critic ventured out beyond the island of Manhattan to sample some of Chicago's finest cuisine. And Chicago didn't disappoint even his critical palette!

Ironically, I had just ventured into Hot Doug's myself this past Friday afternoon and met owner Doug Sohn. I enjoyed an andouille sausage with mustard, grilled and raw onions as well as an order of their world-famous duck fat french fries. If ever there was a gourmet fast food...

This morning, I learned that "Did you know your building is on fire?" is one of those phrases you don't want to hear while brushing your hair.

Around 8:15 this morning, I was getting ready to leave for work and my cell phone rang. I was a bit puzzled because people don't ususally call me on my cell phone at 8:15 in the morning. And those most likely to do so are my parents, who were soundly asleep I assume, seeing as they are on vacation in LA.

It was my aunt, who asked where I was. I told her I was in my apartment getting ready for work. She then asked me if I knew that there was a fire in my building.

No, I did not!

Sure enough, I open my living room blinds and I see about a dozen fire trucks, ambulances and police cars and I can only see what's south of the building. Hmmm... how did those arrive without me hearing them? I guess when I was in the shower! While I live in a 42 story building, I am only on the 3rd floor. Not all that far from the street below. I certainly should have heard the commotion. I did hear voices and walkie-talkie squawks, but there are often maintenance men on the roof of the parking garage below my window...

I also should have heard fire alarms, I thought. Seeing as I didn't, I'm hoping they are zoned and not broken.

Anyway, seeing as I hadn't heard any alarms or had any firemen pound on my door, I kind of took my time getting out the door. I poured my coffee, put on my shoes, grabbed my bag and gym bag and headed down the stairs. (First time I'm glad I only live on the 3rd floor!)

Once outside, I ran into some friends who live in the building and who'd been outside for a while. They filled me in. Fire in 1609, contained to that unit but the one unit is pretty bad. A couple people had come out in stretchers and been taken away in ambulances. News crews arrived and even a news helicopter hovered nearby.

Satisfied that everything was under control, I had hoped to leave for work, but the street was blocked by the 3 dozen emergency vehicles. Eventually, they cleared out enough that we could leave...

Taxi drivers have made news for both their good and evil deeds. Time to add another story to the good column.

After a late night out, I left my wallet in a taxi Friday night. Well technically, Satuday morning since it was about 4:15 am bu the time the night ended. Anyway, while I realized it about 2 minutes after the cab dropped me off at my apartment, I had no idea what the number of the cab or the cab company was! There are thousands of cabs and dozens of cab companies in Chicago, and it could have been in any one!

Saturday morning, I began to plot the list of chores required to cancel and replace the items in my wallet. Since I knew I had business cards in my wallet I called my work voice mail to see if any messages had been left regarding my wallet. No luck. I headed down to see if by chance it had been dropped off with the doorman. No luck there, either. So I walked to the closest BankOne to cancel my ATM card and to beg for a withdrawal without any ID since I had a total of $6. On the way home from the bank, I again called my answering machine at home and again tried my work voicemail. ONE NEW MESSAGE! Could this be it? Who else would call me at work, on a Saturday? I bet I don't get a voicemail a month at work, and those are ususally my mom calling to remind me about it being somebody's birthday.

So I listen to the message. It's the cab driver and he found my wallet. He leaves his phone number and repeats it. I can't understand either time! His accent is so heavy, I cannot decipher what he's saying. So I listen and listen 20 or 30 times. I think I have it and call the number. No luck. I keep trying to decipher the number and calling what I think I hear. Still no luck. I finally decide on making a chart of all possible combinations of what I think I may have heard. Finally, the sixth number I try is the right one! The driver has my wallet and can drop it off in 15 minutes. So in the end I got my wallet back. Everything in tact. So thank you Jacob Said, who drives Checker Cab #1486.

It's sad to read how mismanagement has damaged WTTW Channel 11, Chicago's PBS station. Grandious marketing initiatives like "Network Chicago," elaborate studio renovations, and exectutive perks at a time of layoffs and programming cuts don't bode well for the station.

Gapers Block, a Chicago-focused site similar to NYC-focused Gawker and The Morning News, recently launched. I'm intrigued by the site so far and love the idea of sites dedicated to promoting what a great city Chicago is. I've had a somewhat similar idea in the back of my mind, so maybe I'll have to start pulling it together now...

My daily commute is no picnic, but the past couple rush hours have been particularly painful.

Yesterday, I encountered a mighty case of road rage. While I waited at the stop light that spaces traffic merging onto the expressway, this guy decides to simply fly past me on the shoulder to avoid waiting. I nearly plowed into him because he was cutting over just as I got the green and began to accelerate. I had to slam on my breaks, and I honked at him. So he gives me a 1 finger salute between the headrests. Then when he pulls into the lane next to me, he does it again. We separate in traffic but then 15 minutes later when he ends up next to me again, he AGAIN flips me the bird! And he's the one who violated the traffic laws.

Today's adventure wasn't quite so confrontational, but just as frustrating. I hear just as I am pulling onto the Kennedy that it's 90 minutes from downtown to the airport (my office is the exit before). So after going a mile in 30 minutes, I see a pickup truck that's dumped a load of drywall in one of the center lanes. And drywall screws. Everywhere! And two men frantically sweeping them from the center lane of the expressway. So I figure, OK that's the bottleneck and it's clear sailing from here. But I continue to crawl. Another couple miles or so and a car is stalled, partially blocking the left lane. OK, that's the bottleneck. But no, that wasn't it either. I never did find out what it was because I crawled all the way to my exit.

If only I could afford a helicopter...

Chicago's city council passed a resolution opposing war with Iraq. And in a seperate resolution, they declared war on Green Bay.

In their response to a lawsuit files by the Chicago Cubs, the owners of rooftop businesses overlooking Wrigley Fieldhave the audacity to say that they "contribute to the 'unique character of baseball' at the ballpark. They claim that they are part of the "charm" of Wrigley Field.

So stealing a product and selling it to others is charming? That's like downloading a CD full of songs off Napster and selling them on ebay.

There may have been something charming in days past when the rooftop spectators were the lucky residents of the buildings with a view and maybe some of their friends, sitting on lawn chairs and drinking beer out of an Igloo cooler.

But have you seen what's on the rooftops today? They make the Wrigley Field skyboxes look like port-o-lets. and as the Brixen Ivy site mentions their accomodations hold up to 100 people and, "Most games are less than $99 per person."

So they're making up to $10,000 a game, or about $800,000 a season! Wow, how quaint and charming.

Seattle columnist looks to Chicago's "big, loud, dirty and dark yet loved "El" to show his support for an elevated Monorail in Seattle.

Wouldn't it have been easier just to steal Lyle Lanley's song?

Meg over at Megnut discusses a passage from "Crossing to Safety" and her personal feelings are the same but in reverse.

I guess I hadn't put the feeling into thoughts or words, but I too have much the same feelings and decided to act upon it about a year ago.

I fled the cold Midwestern winters for Atlanta about 7 years ago to attend Emory. After graduation, I decided to stay in Atlanta. I enjoyed seeing the South on many road trips, loved the BBQ and their passion for college football.

But after a couple years, I realized more and more I was really a Midwesterner and there was nothing that could change that. I returned to Chicago and it was the best decision I made! I am much happier back in the Windy City. I am closer to family, have learned to love the city in ways I never did when younger and confined to the suburbs. Last winter wasn't to bad. And I'm a Big 10 fan anyway.

But I have brought a part of the Southern me back to the Midwest. I loathe the fact I can't find some decent BBQ to save my life, and I am still a Braves fan (though they're second in my heart to the White Sox).

Just as when I was in Atlanta I loathed the lack of real hot dogs and the Bears.

As we move across the country and even the world, we add to who we are, but I think we still always remain most firmly attached with where we came from.

To combat the epidemic of dangerous driving in Chicago, the city is proposing a doubling of fines for infractions like going through red lights, rolling stop signs, and speeding.

Maybe if they'd actually enforce the existing rules, they'd be able to stop the madness. I agree that the problem needs to be fixed. I have near misses with overly agressive, dangerous drivers almost daily, and I know to look out for them (any guy driving a Camaro or Mustang is going to do whatever he wants!).

But I never see people pulled over for committing the offenses, even when they are done in plain view of a police car. I even see police cars, CTA busses and other city vehicles commit these infractions! The city needs to get its employees to follow the laws, and needs to crack down on those who break the law.

Giving twice the tickets, not doubling fines, is the better solution. Unless all they want to do is boost the city's coffers...