"Dude, we have to go to Alice's" enthused Claire. "It's the best place for Karaoke in the city!"
I met Claire about 7 years ago... I was instantly smitten; I loved her style, her wit and how kind she was. Little did I know my daily trips into her restaurant to grab some pre-work coffee would lead to one of my closest relationships since moving here. We've helped each other through break-ups, life changes, personal growth, and we've had a goddamn blast doing it.
So, yes...sometimes we go out and belt some numbers. Arriving at Alice's I realized I had been there before. In 2006, Steve Spataro and I drove (well, Spataro drove, I threw money around and thanked him endlessly) from Plattsburgh, NY to Chicago. My mom passed away in '05 and Steve helped me move a bunch of my mom's furniture to Chicago that was in storage. When we got to Chicago--after two grueling days on the road (thrown off by a massive snow-storm on Superbowl Sunday...that's a whole other story) we dropped the truck off at the rental location. I figured while waiting for a cab, we'd celebrate at the bar across the street, but the fact that we had to buzz-in to gain entrance (and I'm sure being fried from the trip) bugged Spataro out and he quickly dashed a potential cheers to our return.
4 years later, back at it and yeah we had to be buzzed in; the bar was way too well-lit, and quiet. We had to wait an hour before the karaoke started. We drank quietly, while a woman at the end of the bar made her presence known with loud obscenities and the malaise of the public school system. An hour later the bar was packed and we were cheering strangers on... Claire sang "You're So Vain" and I went with my token "Boys Are Back In Town" complete with a shout-out to the bar we were in. While watching a gang of young adults sing "Blister In The Sun" I remarked that the brunette "Had a good look." She was curvy, confidant, looked happy, and had a modicum of punk rock to her. Claire says "Yeah she's cute... full in the waist"
Full. In. The. Waist.
I love Claire's brain; its rich and well connected and she has the most finely tuned bullshit detector on the planet. She's also the only person I'll listen to when it comes to health and diet changes. She does acupuncture and eastern medicine... she got me on a diet wherein I lost 40 pounds. In May, it'll be two years since I drank a glass of milk. I've lost about 40 pounds since going on this diet. I feel like I've plateaued, but I still work with it, and try my best.
I have my bouts with self image...maybe more than most 34 year old white men. There are good days, and bad days but I try to not let it get the best of me. The winter is hard...vegetables aren't as enticing as they are in the summer, comfort food is really nice, holidays allow people to fuck off with the gluttony of Romans. Its great, but I could not stop thinking I gained all of the weight I lost.
Then something happens like having to have your suit taken in because you have a formal event coming up and the suit you have makes you look like David Byrne circa "Stop Making Sense." So now, I have a nice fitting suit, and I'm less full in the waist (maybe just a little bit.)
Right now, Claire is in Chicago's best Power-Trio, "Hot Air." They have a podcast... they're all funny, talented women and I want to gnaw all of their brains.
Claire plays bass in Hot Air.
