Number 18: Dance On Top Of A Bar

Sometimes your wife comes to town and you just let loose. (Wait for it -- yep, you read that correctly.) Remember that post where I went and did a crazy thing like [pretend to] get engaged to my best friend? And before that I jumped out of a plane with that same friend? Well, sometimes Ms. Em Elle comes to Chicago and I do crazy things like dance on top of a bar. This post could probably also fall under the category of Number 19: Forget what your mother would think, but I'm sure I'll do something equally as ridiculous at some point in time so we'll give this the proper title it deserves.

Our evening started out the right way with classy $14 martinis at the top of the Hancock Tower. If you haven't been to the lounge there yet to check out the view, I highly recommend it. (In fact, add it to your Chicago Bucket List right now.) The view is absolutely stunning and while the drinks were pricey, it was cheaper than had we paid to enter the oberservation deck only a floor above us. Plus, my drink was yummy. So there. But, if one wants to have a fun evening and still pay rent the next month, one cannot survive on $14 martinis alone. So, we decided to walk and see where the night would take us. Being in a semi-unfamiliar area as far as the night life was concerned, our party of four decided to go into the first place that looked decent. And by decent, I mean decently cheap. A bouncer overheard our discussion and promised us free shots with our first round of drinks. Well, Dan The Bouncer, we accepted your challenge. And things could only get awesomer from here. (Or move downhill. Whichever. I choose awesomer. Barney Stinson would be proud.)

And this is how we wound up at a bar called Shenanigans. I've never been quite so confused by an establishment. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the crunch of the floor -- they keep baskets of shelled peanuts on the tables so the area around the tables looks like Fenway after the seventh inning stretch. WHY would you do that? I bet the cleaners hate you. The next thing we noticed was the terrible 90s rap playing throughout. I'm not talking about terrible-wonderful, I'm talking terrible-terrible. On a Tuesday. (Oh yeah... this was a Tuesday. #relivingcollege #didnteveractuallydrinkontuesdaysincollege #brandeisproblems.) Other features of the establishment: basketball hoops, tacky sports memorabilia, a lawn sized Jenga game (this was actually amazing), a beer pong table, bros, bros, questionably clothed ladies, MORE BROS, and the piece du resistance -- two different stages complete with stripper poles. One of which, was behind the bar.

If you'll allow me to take a detour for a moment, I had a great college experience, but it was not like college in the movies. My Brandeis experience was pretty tame. So, when encouraged (or liquid couraged), I can definitely muster up the audacity to do things at 25 that I should have done at 18. So, after partaking in free shots, peanuts, beer pong, the most kick*ss game of Jenga imaginable... Britney Spears coaxed Em Elle and I to the bar for a duet. So there you have it ladies and gents, I, Erika, danced on a bar. And we were so coordinated and artful that the clientele showered us with praise and the bartender presented us with a free bottle of their worst champagne for our efforts. We're naturals - what can I say? It was an experience. One I don't think I'll ever repeat, but an experience nonetheless.

 Now you may be saying to yourself, where is the photographic evidence of this epic event? Well, it exists. But, you never know what major office I'll run for some day, (or how many family members will read this post) so those will stay off the interwebs. So, you'll have to suck it up and enjoy the Jenga pics for now. I'm pretty sure we set a record for tallest tower - 27 stories!

I suppose there should be a moral of this story -- and if there is, it's this: I'm not a bar-top dancing gal, but if I ever apply for a job at Coyote Ugly, I'll at least be able to check the box that says I have prior experience. Shenanigans isn't on your MUST SEE list for the Chicago area, but it was worth the laughs. And the story. I declare Number 18 -- COMPLETE.

Signing off,
E