This past weekend Kristen and I were in Ft. Myers Beach, Fl, soaking up the rays. It was a nice change of pace from the rain and clouds we had been growing accustomed to this autumn in Chicago. The reason we chose to go to Ft. Myers was because my sister-in-law, her sister Jaime, was getting married to her now-husband, Danny Parkin.
They got married on the beach and it was a lovely ceremony, save for the rose arbor trying to fall over a few times under the tug of those sharp afternoon breezes. The reception was fun too - we had a nice dinner across the street and afterward moved into the bar area to finish off the night with karaoke, where I sang 'Jack and Diane' to my in-laws, replacing 'Jack' with 'Jim' because that is Kristen's dad's name - her mom's name already is Diane. I think they appreciated the serenade. The night before was fun because even though there was no real rehearsal, we all got together with their friends and hung out, dancing around like crazy-asses to the soothing sounds of an 80s hair cover band. The night before that, Thursday, only a select few people were in Florida yet, so we had a more subdued evening at a semi-outdoor bar on the beach - watching people act the fool and having the band play our special requests. That was pretty much the shindig, as it relates to the nuptials.
The rest of the time was spent with Kristen doing wedding-type things and me either hanging out with some of the other non-wedding-party people or by myself. I got several hours under the warm SW Florida sun, including doing crossword puzzles, swimming at the pool, and having some peaceful alone time at the beach and atop the gulf sandbars to reflect, decompress, get inspired, and wash my cares away. It was very nice. When I wasn't doing that, I was hanging out with Kristen and Jaime's cousin, the illustrious Liz Bell, and our friends Darcie and John - who currently live in Tampa so were able to make the relatively short drive down to help celebrate. I was pleased that I also got to watch my fair share of college and pro football, including Sunday, even though it was my first anniversary.
Oh yeah! That's right! Sunday was Kristen's and my 1st anniversary. The morning was a little anticlimactic since we were still hanging out with most of the wedding crowd that were mostly leaving that day. But the afternoon and evening were quite nice. We spent some time together just hanging out at the pool and then went to a nice seafood dinner at Charlie's Boat House on the Beach. We were going to take a romantic stroll on the beach after dinner, but I think Kristen was a little apprehensive of the darkness, so we both used our full bellies as an excuse to veg out on the couch and watch the end of the MLB ALCS playoff game before both of us passed out. It was a really nice time with just the two of us and I'm glad we got to spend it somewhere tropical to remind us of our great honeymoon last year in Riviera Maya, Mexico - where Jaime and Dan consequently are right now on their honeymoon... Happy Anniversary, Kris - it has been a great ride so far!
Also, if it wasn't crazy enough that the newlyweds' subsequent anniversaries are going to be a day before ours; their parents' anniversary falls on the day after ours, so we all celebrate them on consecutive days! That is pretty cool, so were are seeing about planning a group outing for next year!
And I am looking forward to many many more years to come!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Friends abroad
This past weekend we had some visitors... kind of. The Weltigs (Chris and Chrissy) sans boys came up to Chi-town for the weekend with Chris' cousin Amy and her now fiance (he proposed at Navy Pier under the canopy of the fireworks - how romantic!)... They were trying to plan a trip to go somewhere with some of their friends and I like to think that they chose Chicago because we are here and it gave them an opportunity to get away but to also come visit us! They did get a smashing deal on a hotel downtown so they didn't actually stay with us.
They got in late afternoon on Friday and stayed until late morning on Sunday. They did the Navy Pier on Friday night and since I had just been there two weeks before, I opted out. Also, Kristen had to work the next morning so we were just chilling at home. When they left the pier they went to a little bar on the Riverwalk called Lizzy McNeill's. It was a quaint little unassuming Irish Pub. I met them down there after putting Kristen to bed for her pre-work slumber. The girls played the jukebox and we all chatted about a bunch of nonsense, frankly... what else do you talk about until 1:30am at an intimate little pub? So needless to say that was it for that night's festivities.
Saturday morning Kristen woke up and went off to work while I stayed home and cleaned up and ran some errands - I had to run to my office and to a few other places. The Weltigs and their compatriots ventured off into the city - downtown for the morning and up to the North Side for the afternoon. They did some shopping and less sight-seeing. They were very pleased that their trip was so much fun without having to do a lot of "touristy" things, which they vowed to do at a warmer part of next year when they have the boys in tow. Since they were in our neck of the woods, Kristen and I went just a few short blocks east to meet up with them after she had some time to decompress after work, a seemingly regular occurrence as of late... with her recently increased physical demand at work, that is. The crew was eating at Giordano's and had just finished their deep dish pizza when we arrived. We didn't want to eat all that food and feel as stuffed as they did, so we went for a lighter meal - Kristen a hearty chef salad and I a bowl of mostaccioli (by the way, it is pronounced, muss-tah-chee-OH-lee; there is no hard 'c' sound where the 't' is, which is how so many people mispronounce it - one of my biggest pet peeves).
Anyway, after we ate and left there we went over to Marshall's so Chris' cousin could find a bag and we could all walk off our dinners. Then we proceeded onto Clark St. in Wrigleyville to find a bar and watch the MU game (who ended up going on to lay an egg verse OK St.). We found a little bar called Redmond's and went in. When we walked in I didn't realize how loud the music was until we sat down and ordered beers in front of about 8 or 10 LCD TVs - I guess I was in sports hypnosis... It ended up being too loud and crazy for Chrissy and Amy (there was a post-college crowd nearby playing flip-cup...) so we ventured out to find another bar. We landed at the Chicago Blarney Stone which wasn't bad. There were actually some other MU fans from StL there so we were able to sulk in the loss with them. After another round of jukeboxing we decided it to be a bar-hopping night and we yet again set off to find another watering hole - actually, I think we left Blarney because of their cash-only transaction policy... bad move when there are no Cubs games...
Our last destination was Mullen's on Clark. This is one of my favorite post-Cub game spots that I've been to a few times and have eaten their Italian beef sandwich as well... delicious! We got a table near the dart boards and played a few games, figuring out that Amy was the lowest common denominator as whose ever team she was on consistently lost... haha! After watching the NY Yankees beat the Angels in about the 13th inning or so, we sent them off to their el train and we headed home ourselves (actually, there was a quick stint where everyone hit a pharmacy to try to find a restroom, but I don't think they were successful).
That was the end of our night and subsequently the end of their trip. I talked to Chris the next day on his way home and he mentioned how good of a time he had and couldn't wait to come back. I look forward to his next visit and anyone's else who wants to come up to see the City and maybe visit the Jacksons in the process!
They got in late afternoon on Friday and stayed until late morning on Sunday. They did the Navy Pier on Friday night and since I had just been there two weeks before, I opted out. Also, Kristen had to work the next morning so we were just chilling at home. When they left the pier they went to a little bar on the Riverwalk called Lizzy McNeill's. It was a quaint little unassuming Irish Pub. I met them down there after putting Kristen to bed for her pre-work slumber. The girls played the jukebox and we all chatted about a bunch of nonsense, frankly... what else do you talk about until 1:30am at an intimate little pub? So needless to say that was it for that night's festivities.
Saturday morning Kristen woke up and went off to work while I stayed home and cleaned up and ran some errands - I had to run to my office and to a few other places. The Weltigs and their compatriots ventured off into the city - downtown for the morning and up to the North Side for the afternoon. They did some shopping and less sight-seeing. They were very pleased that their trip was so much fun without having to do a lot of "touristy" things, which they vowed to do at a warmer part of next year when they have the boys in tow. Since they were in our neck of the woods, Kristen and I went just a few short blocks east to meet up with them after she had some time to decompress after work, a seemingly regular occurrence as of late... with her recently increased physical demand at work, that is. The crew was eating at Giordano's and had just finished their deep dish pizza when we arrived. We didn't want to eat all that food and feel as stuffed as they did, so we went for a lighter meal - Kristen a hearty chef salad and I a bowl of mostaccioli (by the way, it is pronounced, muss-tah-chee-OH-lee; there is no hard 'c' sound where the 't' is, which is how so many people mispronounce it - one of my biggest pet peeves).
Anyway, after we ate and left there we went over to Marshall's so Chris' cousin could find a bag and we could all walk off our dinners. Then we proceeded onto Clark St. in Wrigleyville to find a bar and watch the MU game (who ended up going on to lay an egg verse OK St.). We found a little bar called Redmond's and went in. When we walked in I didn't realize how loud the music was until we sat down and ordered beers in front of about 8 or 10 LCD TVs - I guess I was in sports hypnosis... It ended up being too loud and crazy for Chrissy and Amy (there was a post-college crowd nearby playing flip-cup...) so we ventured out to find another bar. We landed at the Chicago Blarney Stone which wasn't bad. There were actually some other MU fans from StL there so we were able to sulk in the loss with them. After another round of jukeboxing we decided it to be a bar-hopping night and we yet again set off to find another watering hole - actually, I think we left Blarney because of their cash-only transaction policy... bad move when there are no Cubs games...
Our last destination was Mullen's on Clark. This is one of my favorite post-Cub game spots that I've been to a few times and have eaten their Italian beef sandwich as well... delicious! We got a table near the dart boards and played a few games, figuring out that Amy was the lowest common denominator as whose ever team she was on consistently lost... haha! After watching the NY Yankees beat the Angels in about the 13th inning or so, we sent them off to their el train and we headed home ourselves (actually, there was a quick stint where everyone hit a pharmacy to try to find a restroom, but I don't think they were successful).
That was the end of our night and subsequently the end of their trip. I talked to Chris the next day on his way home and he mentioned how good of a time he had and couldn't wait to come back. I look forward to his next visit and anyone's else who wants to come up to see the City and maybe visit the Jacksons in the process!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Marathon
Yesterday Kristen and I attended the Chicago Marathon - not as runners of course, but as spectators. I say that in jest, but I should make it clear that a few years back Kristen actually did successfully run in and finish the marathon - and in a rather impressive time I might add!
Anyway, we knew 3 runners, so we wanted to see if we could see them and cheer them on. They were 1) our old neighbor from Maplewood, 2) Kristen's co-worker and 3) Kristen's cousin. We saw none of them. It actually is not as difficult as you would think. We picked a spot that was easy to get to, and encompassed the 14th, 15th, and 18th mile markers. The crowds in these spots were thin enough that we were right in front and could see all the runners pretty clearly. The issue is that we told none of them where we would be because we didn't figure it out until that morning - so needless to say they had no idea where to look for us, even if they wanted to. So we were able to spot a lot of the crowd, but when very dense groups ran by, it got a tad difficult to pick out familiar faces amongst all of the huffers and puffers. What compounded our frustration was that a lot of people around us were spotting their friends in the race and their runners were coming over to give a quick hug and to say hello, and a few stopped long enough to pose for a pic. I think that had we known where we were going to spectate and mentioned that to our friends, we would have better luck connecting with them during the race. Lesson learned for next year.
Even though we missed all three competitors, it was still very neat to see the turnout, to cheer people on, and to learn about all the different organizations and personal reasons why people were running - a lot of them had writings or logos on their shirts that described their motives. A bonus was that we got to explore an unfamiliar neighborhood that is new to us and I'm sure we will revisit in a less chaotic time when we can actually enjoy one of the many bars and/or restaurants. The area is called Little Italy/UIC. It is located amongst all of the University of Illinois - Chicago campus buildings and Rush Hospital. Also, there is a very deep Italian-American rooting - which explains all the eclecticism, great restaurants and the smells emanating as we walked down the streets.
I wish the weather would have been a little better for the runners, though. No precipitation, but damn it was cold! As we were leaving from watching the race Kristen and I saw the temperature on a sign at the United Center that read 43 degrees - mind you, this sign was sitting in constant sunlight and this was after noon. I could only imagine how cold it was for those runners at 7:30am under the shade of all those skyscrapers downtown... yikes! Kudos to all the participants and staff. Congrats to the winners and those who accomplished a personal goal yesterday!
Anyway, we knew 3 runners, so we wanted to see if we could see them and cheer them on. They were 1) our old neighbor from Maplewood, 2) Kristen's co-worker and 3) Kristen's cousin. We saw none of them. It actually is not as difficult as you would think. We picked a spot that was easy to get to, and encompassed the 14th, 15th, and 18th mile markers. The crowds in these spots were thin enough that we were right in front and could see all the runners pretty clearly. The issue is that we told none of them where we would be because we didn't figure it out until that morning - so needless to say they had no idea where to look for us, even if they wanted to. So we were able to spot a lot of the crowd, but when very dense groups ran by, it got a tad difficult to pick out familiar faces amongst all of the huffers and puffers. What compounded our frustration was that a lot of people around us were spotting their friends in the race and their runners were coming over to give a quick hug and to say hello, and a few stopped long enough to pose for a pic. I think that had we known where we were going to spectate and mentioned that to our friends, we would have better luck connecting with them during the race. Lesson learned for next year.
Even though we missed all three competitors, it was still very neat to see the turnout, to cheer people on, and to learn about all the different organizations and personal reasons why people were running - a lot of them had writings or logos on their shirts that described their motives. A bonus was that we got to explore an unfamiliar neighborhood that is new to us and I'm sure we will revisit in a less chaotic time when we can actually enjoy one of the many bars and/or restaurants. The area is called Little Italy/UIC. It is located amongst all of the University of Illinois - Chicago campus buildings and Rush Hospital. Also, there is a very deep Italian-American rooting - which explains all the eclecticism, great restaurants and the smells emanating as we walked down the streets.
I wish the weather would have been a little better for the runners, though. No precipitation, but damn it was cold! As we were leaving from watching the race Kristen and I saw the temperature on a sign at the United Center that read 43 degrees - mind you, this sign was sitting in constant sunlight and this was after noon. I could only imagine how cold it was for those runners at 7:30am under the shade of all those skyscrapers downtown... yikes! Kudos to all the participants and staff. Congrats to the winners and those who accomplished a personal goal yesterday!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Fall Ball
NLDS StL @ LA Gm.1:
I can't point to too many specific things that contributed to this loss except that Chris Carpenter through an absolute stinker. He was just not himself and did not give us that exceptional playoff performance we've become accustomed to as Cardinals fans. However, they win as a team and lose as a team so the lack of run support provided by the other 8 guys has become a real sticking point in this lineup. Leaving 9 stranded in the first 4 innings including the bases loaded in two of those innings is inexcusable. This really wasn't the difference though as LA left an equivalent number of runs on the field, contributing to a postseason record setting, combined 30 LOB for a game. Ouch. The one bright spot was Ludwick's RBI single with the bases loaded in the 1st, but it was quickly erased int he bottom of the frame with a 2-run dinger by Kemp. This game was over before the bullpen came in - but they didn't do Carp or the offense any favors. Hawksworth hits a batter with the bases loaded walking in a run to put the Birds that much further away from having a chance to be in this game.
Result: Cards lose 3-5
NLDS StL@LA Gm.2:
I watched this game closer and it is fresher in my memory, so I am going to hand out some grades here.
Adam Wainwright: A+. WOW! What a performance. He had a 1-hitter going (a homerun to Andre Ethier) going into the 8th. He got a little shaky there, loading the bases, but got out of the jam proving that he is a winner, a solid pitcher, and - I'll say it again - worthy of the Cy Young. I know awards don't get handed out for singular performances, but Waino has been doing this all year.
Troy Glaus: F. We haven't asked anything of you all year until the 9th inning of this game, and you still got paid. Don't fly out! Wainwright could have done that and stayed in the game. Thanks for nothing, you fail.
Trevor Miller: A. You came in and got your man, lefty Andre Ethier who up until this point accounted for the Dodgers lone run. Good job, now take a seat (wtf?)...
Colby Rasmus: C-. Yes, you got drove in the go ahead run with a double, but then you tried to reach third. Bad move. Never get your first or last out in an inning at third base. We already took the lead, don't push it - just stay in scoring position. The only reason you don't get an F is because of that aforementioned RBI.
Tony LaRussa: F. You didn't have to make too many decisions in this game, but the 4 that you did cost us a win on the road in a critical game 2 that we could have won. First, you pulled Wainwright in the top of the 9th to bat Glaus - this counts as 2 bad moves. Wainwright was fine, he got into a little jam against the Dodgers' murderer's row (including Manny) and got out of it with NO damage. That's not a guy you replace to bat with two outs in the 9th. You let that guy finish what he started. Waino also bats righty and could have done better than Glaus who has seen all of 10 pitches this season. Poor choice... I wish I could give you an F-. In the next half inning, you pull Trevor Miller and put in Franklin - also 2 bad moves. I'm not as upset at you pulling the lefty as I am you putting in Franklin. Everyone in the free speaking world (except you?) knew this guy was rocky down the stretch and to put him in such a tight situation is unforgivable. I know he was an All-Star, but the guy flat out didn't have it in the second half... enough said (until I grade Franklin).
Ryan Franklin: F-. You blew it man... you and you alone. After Miller got an out and an unfortunate error that put a runner in scoring position, you walked Casey Blake after having him right where you wanted him. The you allowed the runners to advance on a wild pitch (maybe a passed ball, but still, put the fucker in the strike zone), and then let up two hits up the middle to put the Dodgers on top and up 2-0 in the series. You failed miserably and reminded us all of your September... awful.
Matt Holiday: C+. Yes, he made a bad error and yes it was a catchable ball for a big league outfielder. Blame it on the lights, blame it on the towels, it hurt - and it would have ended the game. BUT with only one out to go, Franklin had every chance to redeem himself and pick up his player and he couldn't deliver. I know you can't give teams 4 outs, but this was only 2 (or 3 with the error) that Franklin had to get - as closer, that is his JOB... Holliday gets a C+ because although he looked like an asshole in the field, he did smack that homer in the 2nd inning that put the Cardinals ahead for so long. In my eyes, this evens him out and like I said, the error did not lose the game and the pitcher on the mound can overcome diversity and pitch out of it, regardless of first playoff appearance.
The resy of the team gets a C for average play. Ludwick and Lugo made great defensive plays, but did little at the plate. DeRosa scored a run but it wasn't enough. Pujols played okay, and got IBB twice again, so its hard to grade him individually.
Result: Cards lose 2-3
I just hope Piniero can right the ship at home tomorrow... he's gonna have to. I guess in theory these two away games are the ones you're supposed to lose, but I disregard that theory because you have two of the best pitchers in the NL going up there AND you always have an advantage coming home after taking on of 2 om the road. Get it together Cardinals, you're on the clock.
As if this series hasn't pissed me off enough, should we discuss the Mizzou v. Nebraska game? I'm sure my sister has heard a plethora of obscenities from her husband about this one. Keeping them shut out for 3 quarters and them blowing it in the 4th is as inexcusable as anything the Cardinals did - 27 points in one quarter??!! Where was that defense in the last quarter? We knew the offense was going to be sluggish due to the weather, but for god's sake take some snaps under center and run the goddamn football down their throats! MU snuck into the top 25 rankings by beating a bunch of no-name teams (Illinois included, with their 1-3 record, 0-2 conference). Now after losing to another weak top 25 team - that they should have BEATEN - they will surely slip out of the rankings and I don't see anywhere on their schedule where they can get back in... the Big 12 is tough this year, with the exceptions of Mizzou, Nebraska, and a perennially bad Colorado (who MU plays in Colorado).
Okay, I'm done. Share your thoughts. I'm not grammar checking this because I'm too pissed off!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Visitors
We had two visitors this weekend: my mom and Bob. It was a good time and I know they had fun. They came to see some sites, but also to just plain visit, so they stayed with us in our spare bedroom - hopefully, the stay was a comfortable one.
They arrived by Friday at about 10:30am on Friday morning. I picked them up from the airport and headed into the City. The ultimate destination was my house, but I wanted to show them a few things on the way, just so they could get a little taste. After taking Lake Shore Drive to the North Side, we took an in-car tour. I first showed them Wrigley Field and some places around there that are fun. We actually got out of the car so they could walk around the stadium - yes it was a Cubs day game and yes we found a parking space. The Cubs' season is effectively over by then, so we had no worries about the traffic. We were all getting hungry after seeing our first site, so I decided to take them to SuperDawg for lunch (www.superdawg.com). This place is delicious and famous, so I wanted to give them a taste of Chicago by introducing them to a true Chicago-style hot dog at one of the more popular, tourist-friendly places. They have carhops and they serve the fries and dog in the same enclosed box, so it is a place like no other.
After lunch we went to my house so they could drop off their bags and I could let Jake outside. Plus it was on the way to our next leg of the tour. I took them down to Lincoln Park, so they could see the neighborhood, the park, the zoo, and the ambiance. They really liked the housing stock, naturally. The hustle and bustle was kind of cool, especially for a chilly, drizzly Friday afternoon. After that we went down to the Near North side just out of Downtown's reach to see Rush St. and a couple other neighborhoods. It was now about 3:30pm so that equaled beer:30 on our "vacation". We went to a nice bar in Logan Square aptly named Logan (www.loganchicago.com). I've seen this place from the Blue line and wanted to go there, so we did. We waited for Kristen to get off work, then went back to the house to meet up with her so we could decide what to do for dinner. I wanted to go to this place I saw on the travel channel's show Man vs. Food, so since everyone was open and willing, that's where we went. It's in Wrigleyville right down from the stadium and it is called Lucky's (www.luckysandwich.com). The sandwiches were SO good, and I had a hard time finishing the whole thing, but I did! I could never finish 3 like the famous challenge requires, but I was proud to get one down. After a few beers we headed back to the house to relax and prepare for Day 2.
Saturday we woke up and got Dunkin Donuts coffee for everyone and donuts for my mom... she loves those things! We took the train into downtown and made our way to our first tourist destination: the Sears... um...er...Willis Tower (www.theskydeck.com). We went up to the 103rd floor to the Skydeck to capture some awesome views of the entire city... luckily it was a clear day! All of us even had the guts to walk out onto the new "ledge" and get our pictures taken with nothing but glass and views of the street below our feet. It was wild! I can't wait to do it again... not a bad rush for only 15$. We were all getting hungry again since it took a few hours from my house to the top of the Tower and then back down, so we took a water taxi (www.chicagowatertaxi.com) to one of its stops along the Chicago River and walked up to Portillo's for lunch (www.portillos.com). I wanted everyone to try Chicago's famous Italian beef sandwiches, so I had one of my own while my mom partook. After lunch we walked over to Michigan Avenue and down to Navy Pier - this is when the rain began. We had to wait under a giant covered building driveway until the downpour slowed down to a light enough drizzle to where we could get indoors at Navy Pier. We goofed around there for a few hours and my mom's leg started to hurt, so we headed back for home - via trolley to the blue line, to our car. Saturday night we decided to stay in since we were so wiped out from the day. We ordered in food from Leona's and all fell asleep easily.
Sunday morning we went to Dunkin again for more coffee. Since we didn't have much time, we decided to take another in-car tour that took us through the nicer parts of the South Side on our way toward the airport (Midway). We drove through Jackson Park and saw the Museum of Science and Industry from the 1893 World's Fair, then came back up north through the Midway Plaissance, past Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, and then up to Barack Obama's house where we got out to walk around. We couldn't actually get onto his street because of tight security, but we were able to see some of the front of his house through the trees - we may try to go back in the winter to see if we can see more. Got back in the car and drove up past US Cellular Field and then out west into Oak Park, which is just another cool neighborhood to see. Here we saw the outsides of some more of Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings including his old home and studio. Went down toward the airport and had Giordano's for lunch, for some of that famous Chicago-style deep dish pizza (www.giordanos.com)! Kristen's parents actually met us and it was a nice time. Dropped them off at the airport and they were off... we went home and hung out on the couch the rest of the day.
I'm sure I left out some mundane details, but that ought to give you some idea as to the business of our weekend! Good times! Can't wait for our next visitors...
They arrived by Friday at about 10:30am on Friday morning. I picked them up from the airport and headed into the City. The ultimate destination was my house, but I wanted to show them a few things on the way, just so they could get a little taste. After taking Lake Shore Drive to the North Side, we took an in-car tour. I first showed them Wrigley Field and some places around there that are fun. We actually got out of the car so they could walk around the stadium - yes it was a Cubs day game and yes we found a parking space. The Cubs' season is effectively over by then, so we had no worries about the traffic. We were all getting hungry after seeing our first site, so I decided to take them to SuperDawg for lunch (www.superdawg.com). This place is delicious and famous, so I wanted to give them a taste of Chicago by introducing them to a true Chicago-style hot dog at one of the more popular, tourist-friendly places. They have carhops and they serve the fries and dog in the same enclosed box, so it is a place like no other.
After lunch we went to my house so they could drop off their bags and I could let Jake outside. Plus it was on the way to our next leg of the tour. I took them down to Lincoln Park, so they could see the neighborhood, the park, the zoo, and the ambiance. They really liked the housing stock, naturally. The hustle and bustle was kind of cool, especially for a chilly, drizzly Friday afternoon. After that we went down to the Near North side just out of Downtown's reach to see Rush St. and a couple other neighborhoods. It was now about 3:30pm so that equaled beer:30 on our "vacation". We went to a nice bar in Logan Square aptly named Logan (www.loganchicago.com). I've seen this place from the Blue line and wanted to go there, so we did. We waited for Kristen to get off work, then went back to the house to meet up with her so we could decide what to do for dinner. I wanted to go to this place I saw on the travel channel's show Man vs. Food, so since everyone was open and willing, that's where we went. It's in Wrigleyville right down from the stadium and it is called Lucky's (www.luckysandwich.com). The sandwiches were SO good, and I had a hard time finishing the whole thing, but I did! I could never finish 3 like the famous challenge requires, but I was proud to get one down. After a few beers we headed back to the house to relax and prepare for Day 2.
Saturday we woke up and got Dunkin Donuts coffee for everyone and donuts for my mom... she loves those things! We took the train into downtown and made our way to our first tourist destination: the Sears... um...er...Willis Tower (www.theskydeck.com). We went up to the 103rd floor to the Skydeck to capture some awesome views of the entire city... luckily it was a clear day! All of us even had the guts to walk out onto the new "ledge" and get our pictures taken with nothing but glass and views of the street below our feet. It was wild! I can't wait to do it again... not a bad rush for only 15$. We were all getting hungry again since it took a few hours from my house to the top of the Tower and then back down, so we took a water taxi (www.chicagowatertaxi.com) to one of its stops along the Chicago River and walked up to Portillo's for lunch (www.portillos.com). I wanted everyone to try Chicago's famous Italian beef sandwiches, so I had one of my own while my mom partook. After lunch we walked over to Michigan Avenue and down to Navy Pier - this is when the rain began. We had to wait under a giant covered building driveway until the downpour slowed down to a light enough drizzle to where we could get indoors at Navy Pier. We goofed around there for a few hours and my mom's leg started to hurt, so we headed back for home - via trolley to the blue line, to our car. Saturday night we decided to stay in since we were so wiped out from the day. We ordered in food from Leona's and all fell asleep easily.
Sunday morning we went to Dunkin again for more coffee. Since we didn't have much time, we decided to take another in-car tour that took us through the nicer parts of the South Side on our way toward the airport (Midway). We drove through Jackson Park and saw the Museum of Science and Industry from the 1893 World's Fair, then came back up north through the Midway Plaissance, past Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, and then up to Barack Obama's house where we got out to walk around. We couldn't actually get onto his street because of tight security, but we were able to see some of the front of his house through the trees - we may try to go back in the winter to see if we can see more. Got back in the car and drove up past US Cellular Field and then out west into Oak Park, which is just another cool neighborhood to see. Here we saw the outsides of some more of Frank Lloyd Wright's buildings including his old home and studio. Went down toward the airport and had Giordano's for lunch, for some of that famous Chicago-style deep dish pizza (www.giordanos.com)! Kristen's parents actually met us and it was a nice time. Dropped them off at the airport and they were off... we went home and hung out on the couch the rest of the day.
I'm sure I left out some mundane details, but that ought to give you some idea as to the business of our weekend! Good times! Can't wait for our next visitors...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
