I Love Chicago!

We shot the final footage for the Kitchen and Bath show special this last week. (Remember....the first two trips were to Las Vegas? See previous posts....) The actual trade show, KBIS, was held at McCormick Place in Chicago this year.

We shot there among the crowds and chaos. If you've never seen a "jib" in action... it's pretty impressive and always draws a crowd. "In cinematography, a jib is a boom device with a camera on one end, and a counterweight and camera controls on the other. It operates like a see-saw."(I got that from Wikipedia) Anyhoo......it looks really "fancy", like something big is going on. You can see a piece of the jib, right above Brian's head, pointing at me in this picture.

I headed out to Chi-town last Thursday and just got home last night. 4 Days of working and experiencing the windy city.

Now, overall, I really do love this city. It has so much incredible architecture and personality, and there is always something to do... it's like a smaller version on New York City. But one thing is for sure, it's flippin' cold and windy! So, I've made a list of pros and cons from my trip.

We'll start with the cons because there aren't as many as the pros.. ok?

1. I thought I was going to have to cut off some of my toes. We shot some tourism segments, kind of a "taste of chicago" type of deal on Saturday. Well, one of the things we did was the Shoreline cruises. Yeah...it was probably 20 degrees outside with wind that cut through my coat like a million little steak knives. On the way back from the boat, we had to run to our parking garage (about 10 blocks) and I was literally SCREAMING! "OH MY HEAD....ARE YOU KIDDING ME? AAAAHHHHHHHHH!" People of course, turned to look at me in disgust. I glance over, and this guy, a native, obviously, is jogging in shorts. What???!!!!!!

I went back to my hotel before our next location and soaked my feet for about 20 minutes in scalding hot water. I only lost one toe.

2. You can't get anywhere without public transit. We are so spoiled here in the Northwest. If we want to go somewhere...anythwere, we just....go. In Chicago, it's like a major ordeal to get anywhere! No one really owns a car, you have to take a cab, or the train, or some sort of mass transit. I realized how cheap I was as I was watching the meter in the cab jump quarter by quarter in the blink of an eye. I think it even moves when you're waiting for the light. I kept thinking, "I could just walk and save my money...." but then I remembered the wind would kill me, and I gladly paid my $45 bucks to go 7 blocks down the street.


3. Everybody squints. Again...that would be from the cold wind.... You rarely get a smile out of anyone because they are trying to overcome the elements and that takes facial concentration.


Ok..that's it for the cons, I don't want to dwell on the negative. Here's some pros.....


1. I love the people in Chicago! I met so many wonderful humans....each with their own stories and character and memorable accents! This is Alan Chow, he was our sound tech for the shoot. He regularly works on the Oprah show, as did our lighting guy....but I couldn't convince either of them to let me sneak into the studio with them. Whatever.


2. Every place we ate was spectacular! It seems that big cities really have a lot to offer when it comes to dining. The food we ate was amazing, and I probably weigh 12 lbs more as a result. Here's a couple names I'll shout out: Club Lago, Bin 36, Catch 35, Elephant and Castle, etc, etc, etc.... Me likey food, and they met my needs.

3. I got to see and briefly talk to (stalk would be a better word) Ty Pennington from Extreme Home Makeover. I told him how much my kids love him and that we all watch the show and cry our eyes out. (Well... I cry and the kids roll their eyes at me.) He was just as cute and sweet in person as he looks to be on the show. I didn't have my camera with me at the time, so Alan took a pic with his cell phone before Ty was rushed off by his "handler." (Note: I want a handler some day.)

4. I got to work with Jill Cordes again, who I absolutely love! She is so fun and awesome to hang out with, we had a ball together.



I also got a chance to meet Kendis Gibson, who was the third part of our "Cool Kitchens and Baths" team for the show this year. He is extremely talented, has a great sense of humor and an awesome person to work with.

(this next part might sound like bragging, but bear with me. I stayed home for 10 years and raised my kids....so it's a dream to be able to get to say the following...)
I love that I get a chance to travel, experience places, and meet incredible people all in the name of "work." I truly feel blessed and spoiled. But you know what.... there is no place like home (click ruby slippers now) and I was so excited to see my kids and husband when I walked through the revolving door at the Portland airport. They are my "real life."

I'll let you know when the project is done and when you can see this year's "Cool Kitchens and Baths" special. I think it's gonna rock!

(To see last years special, just go to http://www.better.tv/, and click on "Shows" and you'll find it there.)