Zeno's Bar & Grill

Um, well. Not us, apparently.

Kel says...

Barry and I went to the Equality Illinois Justice For All Gala on Saturday. Getting dressed up was fun (I wore this little black dress with a deep V in front and back, nude fishnets and black Mary Jane Pumps - I felt like my leg looked like the lamp from a Christmas Story). The venue was beautiful - the grand ballroom in the Hilton Towers, which was the hotel that was in the movie The Fugitive in the climatic scene. There was an open bar at the silent auction with good alcohol, but no food, so we won a stadium seat from Wrigley Field (which is really cool). They brought us in for the food, but had to listen to speakers first. The speakers were good and I got to shake Mayor Daley's hand, but I was really hungry. Unfortunately, the food wasn't that great and then it was time for dancing and the music SUCKED! I was so disappointed. That was the part I was really looking forward to. Overall I'd give the evening a 7/10. Next year I'll be better prepared though and will make the gala a fun part of a night instead of the entire night.

--Kelly

And as for me...well, an hour before the opening of the film festival in our town last week, I was panicked. What if everyone is wearing long dresses and tuxes, I worried. I had put substantially ZERO thought into the event, having purchased the tickets in a fit of insanity months before. Luckily, I needn't have worried. My chocolate brown ABS by Allen Schwartz dress was just poifect. And I, too, went with nude fishnets, with peep-toe heels. Except my fishnets were the big kind, DKNY style 0A458 to be specific, which seem to have vanished from the face of the earth, alas! Apparently, I can order something similar from this site. Trust me, in nude they are surprisingly ladylike. Arriving at the theater, we found long lines, no assigned seating and a hectic pre-show drum performance. Oh, and some movie stars. Yes.

Anyway, the film (notice how I don't call it a movie; I'm a real art appreciator) was so-so. It was Factory Girl, which comes out in full release this week, I believe. It had a great look and style, but the substance was somewhat lacking. I did come home and Google Edie Sedgwick and Bob Dylan to see if that part was true. Sounds like it might be. We ditched the after party, which involved waiting in yet another long line in the cold. Instead, we gave away our tickets, went to a nearby dive bar and played a quick game of pool before our timer ran out on the babysitter at home.

As a postscript, I'll say I enjoyed the other films I've seen so far: Bella, which already won the People's Choice award at the Toronto film festival, and Quantum Hoops about the Caltech basketball team's 241 game losing streak. Tonight, my husband is at a documentary about gated communities deep in the heart of Bush country. Gotta love these film festivals.

--Mel