One thing you might want to learn before you attend the world's largest ukulele lesson is how to say ukulele.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for good.

Replace the words "have to" with "get to" and watch how the cold rain on your life changes to sunshine.

Chicago is constantly auditioning for the world, determined that one day, on the streets of Barcelona, in Berlin's cabarets, in the coffee shops of Istanbul, people will know and love us in our multidimensional glory, dream of us the way they dream of San Francisco and New York.

For some Chicago expats, food is the medicine that blunts the pain of separation.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.