My favorite thing to do when I lived in Chicago was attend music festivals. Every week of every summer you can find a neighborhood hosting one of these things. With or without the $5 donation, you get to enjoy great music (and beer!) while shopping or browsing local displays of summer dresses, jewelry, and art. The donation usually goes to neighborhood improvement (a worthy cause) and I managed to drag my son to dozens of them ever since he was old enough to walk. He’s already sophisticated enough to have a favorite among the live performers: The Violent Femmes. I try to teach the boy well.
When I’m not hunting down some quality live music I usually spend time relaxing at home, drawing or painting while I watch my favorite cartoons or movies. Currently I’m helping my mom brighten her kitchen by painting designs on stone tiles.
Outside the home I enjoy spending an afternoon jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. Well, actually I’ve only done this twice, but I can’t wait to do it again. I love the outdoors. Bike riding, camping, swimming…I try to incorporate this kind of activity as much as possible. Being an animator, however, affords me few opportunities for this. If I can’t get that far away from the house, I’ll usually spend time in my garden dealing with the challenge of growing flowers that don’t seem to like the steamy soup that Floridians call “air.”
I enjoy sporting events. There is something to be said about going to a stadium and rooting for your favorite team. I can tailgate with the best of them. Nothing says "true fan" more than sitting outside in the freezing, blustery parking lot, cooking bratwurst and waiting for the game to start and hoping the Bears don't lose…again. Of course, my favorite team to watch is whatever team my son is on. There is an unexplainable feeling of pride you get when you gather with other parents and scream at your kids to “cover your man.”
