This week’s blog post is by The Paternity Test Comedy Podcast co-host Matt Boresi, who lives in the Edgewater Glen neighborhood of Chicago with his wife (“Professor Foster”) and their 4-year-old daughter Viva, who enjoys all several days of summer in Chicago.
I enjoy summer too much. I’m so excited to be wearing light clothing and walking in the sun that I feel an almost immediate melancholia that summer is ending, beginning around Memorial Day. But I’ll suffer through.
There are a couple of downsides to summer–you’re sweaty and smelly all the time (Well, I am. Okay, you are, too. Sorry.) and you can’t refrigerate your lunch and snacks in your car, but other than that, hey, summer!
I think the recipe for a perfect Sunday is a three step plan of Food, Activity and Snack. Now, you need to eat more than once, but one should be special. The rest you can throw away. Let me illustrate.
A Place to Eat
Brunch is what separates us from the animals. It keeps Norah Jones in album sales and antelope growers in business. You get two meals in one, your wife will be thrilled (Chicks dig brunch, bro. Seriously. It’s got mimosas.), your child will become civilized and you get a big, protein-y meal. Our pick to click is m. henry on Clark. (Expect a wait, so bring a child distraction item.)
If you don’t want to spend the money on brunch (crème fraiche don’t pay for itself), scramble an incredible, edible egg and eat it on your own steps, balcony, deck, parkway or in a park–just eat it outside. Add a fruit cup, play some Alison Krauss and call it a fancy brunch.
A Place to Play
If there’s a street fest (like this summer’s Midsommarfest), hit it up. Usually there’s kid-friendly stuff on Sunday. If there’s no fest, you can either do an ambitious Chicago destination (Maggie Daley, US Cellular Field, The Lincoln Park Zoo) or a modest Chicago destination (a beach or a park). You really can’t go wrong, except for staying home watching “Never Buy Another Rake” infomercials on cable. (Spoiler: They want you to buy a leaf blower.) I like Loyola Beach (Rogers Park) because it’s got a snack stand, and I like Berger Park because it’s got the Waterfront Cafe. There’s also Senn Park, which has a water feature. (As does Indian Boundary Park to the west, or hike at the new-ish West Ridge Nature Preserve. Bring food, or grab something from a nearby quick place (like the excellent Pete’s Pizza on Granville.) because you’re tapped out on cash from brunch.
A Place to Grab a Treat
Before you head home, you and the offspring need a treat. Grab a funny book at Third Coast Comics and then head to my favorite north side frozen custard parlor, Lickety Split. It’s got happy people, happy dogs, great ice cream and an oldie timey feel but without oldie timey distractions like cold war paranoia and social injustice.
1, 2, 3, a perfect Sunday. Now get cracking … it’s almost fall.
If you enjoyed this essay, subscribe (free!) to The Paternity Test Comedy Podcast on iTunes or on Soundcloud, or visit www.paternitypodcast.com.
Follow the Dads on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and on Twitter at @thedadtest or email them at paternitypodcast@gmail.com.
Call The Paternity Test on their hotline: (657) BAD DADS and leave a message or a question they can play on the podcast!
