To start, take a stroll down State Street in the Loop of Chicago and take a glimpse at the famously decorated windows at Macy’s.  They tell a magical Christmas tale that should be fun for both young and old.  After looking at the windows, head inside Macy’s and enjoy lunch or dinner in the Walnut Room on the 8th floor where they have a beautifully decorated tree that is two stories high.  Each year the Walnut Room has a newly designed glass mug they give away with certain specialty holiday drinks.

After the Walnut Room, head one block west to Daley Plaza and enjoy the scene at the Christkindle Market.  Enjoy some hot cocoa and some classic German stollen bread from the Dinkel’s Bakery stand, or meander into some of the indoor shops with the beautiful handmade ornaments.  Daley Plaza also has a beautifully lit Christmas tree which would be a great photo op for the family.  And if you time it right, you’ll also be able to see Santa Claus!

Another fun activity that actually continues through the new year is Zoolights at Lincoln Park Zoo.  Visit the zoo until January 6, 2013 to see the zoo decorated with Christmas lights, carolers singing, ice sculptures being made, and some of the animals sleeping in their homes at the zoo.  Please note, though, that there are a few evenings during that time that the zoo will not be open, so please check their website at www.lpzoo.org.

Enjoy these activities and have a wonderful holiday season!

First, if you are leaving your home for more than just a few days you should probably completely turn off the water.  To do this, shut off the main water valve in your house.  Next, drain all of the pipes by opening up the faucets and letting the water sitting in the pipes come out.  Start from the top of the house and work your way down.  You will have to drain your water heater as well to do a thorough job.  You should then leave at least one faucet open to allow air to flow through and excess water to drain.

Also, set your thermostat to at least 60 degrees.  This will keep the pipes in your home in the heated areas warm enough to prevent freezing in case you decide to not drain your pipes and leave water in them.

Finally, have a friend regularly stop by and check your home to make sure no pipes have burst or any other mishaps happened.

A disposal problem is most often one of two things. The first is the easiest, and that is if the disposal stops working it could easily just be the reset button. If you have an In-Sink-Erator, they have a reset button in the middle on the bottom of the unit. Before you call the plumber, get under the sink with your flashlight and see if there is a small red button on the bottom. If so, simply depress it and test your disposer. With any luck that’s all that it was. Now, if the drain of the disposer is clogged that is another story. The way to unclog a disposal is very similar to the unclogging of a toilet. Turn on the disposal and start running water. Often times, by the time the bowl is half full the drain will clear itself. If it does not then take your plunger, fold in the rubber so that you have more of a flat surface, put it directly over the drain and apply direct pressure down in steady thrusts. You can do this while the disposer is running without a problem. If the water is coming up into the bowl on the other side, go ahead and repeat the above while at the same time holding the stopper in the closed position in the second bowl. If after several attempts it does not clear then it is time to call the plumber. I will share with you that at least 80% of the time you will be able to clear the drain yourself. Last note about plunging your sink – when the water goes down, open the cabinet right away just to make sure the drain is not leaking. Don’t let this scare you, the drain almost never breaks but you definitely want to know right away if it does.

Q: How do I clean the grout in my bathroom?

A: We have a great economical, all-natural, and environmentally friendly solution for you!  If the grout in your bathroom has become susceptible to grime and mildew buildup, its time to break out the vinegar.  First, soak paper towels in 1 part vinegar and 1 part water.  Then, lay these wet paper towels along the grout.  Leave the paper towel there for about 30 minutes.  Then take the towels off and scrub the grout with a toothbrush.  Should be nearly as good as new!  For more tips, visit our website at www.BaethkePlumbing.com!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

The BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival offers a full lineup of activities, starting bright and early in the morning and continuing throughout the evening. Start planning your Lights Festival celebration!

Lights Festival Lane

11:00am – 5:00pm
Pioneer Court, 401 N. Michigan Avenue

Take a photo with Santa, decorate a slice of Eli’s Cheesecake or savor a bag of the oh-so-delicious Chicago Mix from Garrett Popcorn Shops. It’s non-stop holiday fun in Lights Festival Lane, an interactive holiday wonderland. Plus, you won’t be far from the exciting, live performances with Lights Festival Lane located next to the BMO Harris Bank Stage in Pioneer Court.Lights Festival Lane opens at 11am.

BMO Harris Bank Stage Schedule

11:00am – 3:45pm
BMO Harris Bank Stage, Pioneer Court, 401 N. Michigan Avenue

Join us at the BMO Harris Bank stage the afternoon of November 17, 2012, for a series of musical performances by top artists. Stage performances begin at 11am.

Here’s the full line up:

11:00 AM – Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players

12:15 AM – Radio Disney Road Crew

12:45 PM – Olivia Holt

1:00 PM – Shane Harper

2:00 PM – R5

3:00 PM – Colton Dixon

Tree Lighting Parade

5:30pm – 7:00pm
North Michigan Avenue, from Oak Street to Wacker Drive

Is there anything more magical than North Michigan Avenue illuminated with twinkling white lights throughout the holiday season? Watch the magic happen live! Grand marshals Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse lead an extraordinary Tree Lighting Parade down North Michigan Avenue with more than 40 magnificent floats, giant helium-filled balloons, lively marching bands, classic characters from Walt Disney World and Resort and live performances from top musical artists. Plus, as the grand finale to the event, enjoy a spectacular fireworks display over the Chicago River. Parade begins at 5:30pm at Oak Street & Michigan Avenue, traveling south on Michigan Avenue to Wacker Drive.

Not able to make the event this year? You can still kick off your holidays with The Magnificent Mile! Each year, the Lights Festival is broadcast LIVE on ABC 7 Chicago at 6 pm CST on November 17 and is rebroadcast across the country throughout the holiday season. Stay tuned for broadcasting listings in your city!

Fireworks Spectacular

6:57pm
North Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River

As a grand finale to the parade, a spectacular fireworks show will begin at 6:55 p.m. over the Chicago River. The fireworks are choreographed by Rocco Saliano of Lumina, Inc. and offer a perfect ending to the fun-filled day of holiday activities and events! Fireworks blast off at 6:57pm over the Chicago River at Michigan Avenue.

• Insulate all pipes that are susceptible to cold temperatures.
• Drain all pipes you will not be using during the winter – such as exterior spigots you use while gardening.
• If the temperature outside is extremely cold, trickle a little bit of water from each of your sinks to keep water moving.  Moving water is much more difficult to freeze than stagnant water.
• Going on vacation?  Leave your home’s thermometer set to at least 55 degrees to prevent pipes from freezing.
• Make sure snow and/or ice is not restricting your water drainage.  If it is, water can back up in your home or more significant freezing can occur.
• Are your pipes freezing?  If so, then turn on the cold water faucet to relieve pressure from the expanding ice.  Also wrap your pipes with a towel soaked in warm water.

To find your voting place, visit these links:

If you live in suburban Cook County: http://www.cookcountyclerk.com/elections/pages/default.aspx

If you live in the City of Chicago: http://www.chicagoelections.com/voterinfo.php

Also, don’t forget to research the candidates for each of the open positions.  Be an educated voter!

John Baethke has been working for and in the LBGT community for over 20 years. Around 15 years ago we began to do some very basic advertising starting in the Pink Pages when it was a directory style publication. Since then we have advertised in and been a part of many other magazines, papers and associations. Most recently we have joined the GBLT Chamber of commerce. Our participation in the Pride Parade goes back many years as well. 2 years ago be went from just having our truck in the parade to actually having a 20” long float in the parade. We spent the better part of a year building the float and it has an operational tub with running water and even a water heater to keep the water warm should we do a parade in a colder months. Last year in addition to the Pride Parade we were also in the Morton Grove 4^th of July parade where our float actually took 1^st place! We look forward to participating in Pride for many years to come and every year more and more people are volunteering to be on the float, next year we may even have to start a waiting list.

Check out our YouTube video about the making of the float: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl1IRWE4BXk

You hear advertisements all the time. You hear it so often that you can quickly forget how dangerous the chemicals are. Just last month while one of plumbers was working in a customer’s home, a bottle of one of these drain cleaners fell from a shelf and spilled onto our plumber. Fortunately, it only burned his face and mouth and did not get into his eyes and he will have no permanent damage. That is only because he was able to rinse himself off quickly and thoroughly. Our fear, and a real danger, would be if this same thing would happen to a child. A child won’t know what to do and may just run and hide because they are scared and then they could be hurt very badly. We take this opportunity to beg you to remove these kinds of chemicals from your home for your safety and the safety of your family. Drain cleaning chemicals are acids and not only will they harm you, they actually do damage to your plumbing as well.

Q: Is Chicago’s tap water healthy to drink?

A: We draw our water from Lake Michigan and, for the most part, Chicago does a good job cleaning it up.  One concern about our water is that to keep it disinfected, “chlorine” is added to our water.  Chlorine is a known carcinogen.  Depending where you are located and when the chlorine is added, the levels can be as high as 4 parts per million.  That is as high as the content in your pool water.  The smell is not as bad, but that is because of other additives that are added as well.  The danger of chlorine absorbsion is that you take in more in a 10 minute shower than if you drank 1 gallon of the same water.  It gets into your system through your skin most efficiently.  Whether your concern is the chlorine, the hardness or the lead, we have solutions available for point of use and the entire house.