If you’re planning on visiting Chicago during the month of February, be sure and head over to the Art Institute of Chicago. Between February 1 and 21st, general admission is free. Yes, you read it correctly, free!

If you’re new to the world of art, head over on February 3rd and check out Q&Art, where you can have all your questions about art answered.

Help us kick off our February Free Hours at Q&Art, where you can learn everything you wanted to know about art but were afraid to ask. Don’t know the difference between Manet and Monet, Expressionism and Impressionism, or Song and Tang China? Now is the time to find out! Meet curators, conservators, and educators who will be available all day throughout the galleries to give informed talks and answer questions.

The highly regarded exhibit Cezanne to Picassoopens February 17, featuring masterworks from not only Cezanne and Picasso but also Van Gogh, Gauguin, Matisse, and other masters of modernism.

Sounds like a great way to spend an afternoon in Chicago.

I’ve been in the market for a new winter jacket for some time now. I’ve tried on what seems to be hundreds, with no such luck. My old winter jacket, a gor-tex shell from Timberland, that served more as a rain shell than a jacket, but got the job done for nearly 10 years.

After some online searching and reading the vast array of reviews, I strolled on over to REI and tried on the Vortex Triclimate Jacket from The North Face.

This jacket is a three-in-one system that is well insulated and waterproof. This jacket has more pockets than I’ve ever seen on one jacket. It’s warmth is excellent and I can use the three-in-one to scale up or down depending on the weather. The outer shell cuts the wind and rain and still provides me with the warmth and protection from a heavier jacket, without you know, the bulk.

So, in a nutshell, if you’re in the market for a new jacket, I give this guy two thumbs up and that must be good since I only have two thumbs.

ESPN has an article telling the world what it’s like to be a mad, mad hockey fan.

Ever wanted to build your own backyard hockey rink? This article can help. Enjoy and hopefully this cold weather will stick around for all those who make the plunge.

A few new indie tunes I’ve been enjoying below:

• Robert Onion by Frank Black
• Just Passing Through by Auggie March
• Idle Songs by Frog Eyes
• Red Tandy by The Mother Hips
• Death of a Tune by The Hidden Cameras

What indie bands have you been listening to?