Chicago Weeklet, Day One

We're back....back from a couple of days in Chicago.  I tried to convince Leo that we had a 'weeklet,' not a whole week, not a weekend, but a weeklet.  He just shook his head and told me that wasn't a word.  Oh well.  Originally when we planned this trip we'd thought of trying to squeeze in a visit to a couple of people----dear friends Jim and Jean, and Annette, Bill and Dante.  When I started trying to figure things out though I knew it was going to fly by so I held it tight as just a little bit of vacation for the four of us. NEXT time guys!

I had hunted Priceline and the like for good deals and ended up with a couple of nights at the Hard Rock Hotel.  I used to be opposed to the Hard Rock chain.....using rock and roll or something....who knows what makes me a little snot sometimes but I gotta say....it was fantastic and you know, it's kinda nice listening to Bowie as you check out....

We planned to leave around 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday....well, we made it out of town by 10:35 so not bad for us.  It was too late to hit the Planetarium as planned and a bit too early to check in when we got there so we drove a bit.  First we drove by Glessner House and Prairie Avenue.  I worked in Glessner House for a year or two until mmmmm, maybe 1990ish.  I left Chicago four years later and probably haven't seen Glessner House since 1990.  The neighborhood was beginning to change at the time but was still dodgy and I know that it has changed a lot since then but SEEING it is a whole different thing.  When I worked there we would go to lunch at a factory lunchroom a couple of blocks away because there wasn't anything else.  Now everything is built up-----all those condo/lofts with the little balconies that look like little Lego pieces arranged symmetrically all over them.  The block of houses on Prairie Avenue all look well cared for and lived in....not empty as when I was there.  It just blew my mind.  Knowing is one thing....seeing is a whole nother thing.

We were still a bit early so we drove north and ended up in Lincoln Park.  There was a parking place RIGHT across from the Conservatory so I told Ernie to park, we could kill a little time in there.  We walked into the lobby and I heard someone say my name and I turned.....and there was Becky Youngman!  All I could say was, "how ODD!"  Then of course there were lots of hugs and kisses and laughter.  Oh, and her son is VERY cute and VERY charming, at first I thought I'd met him but then I realized that was just facebook making him seem so familiar...and of course he does have Becky's charm which makes him familiar as well.  It made me so  happy to see her, as brief as it was!  It seemed as though it was meant to be....  We wandered around.  Sadly, Leo was not impressed with the trains that were part of their holiday display.  Sigh.  I miss the Leo of old sometimes.  The plants and the scents were wonderful but I did find myself most intrigued with the spigots and things like that.....

After that we headed to the hotel....poor Owen has a hard time driving even with dramamine so he desperately wanted to get on solid ground so to speak.  We got there and the three of us milled about while Ernie was checking us in.  Then in turns out there was a problem with our rooms not being ready.  The woman gave us vouchers to go to the bar, which she assured us was kid-friendly, but then she said she could also upgrade us to a suite, it just would be one king bed and a couch but they could bring a cot in.  We said o.k. to that (and in fact turned down the cot as the couch was fine for sleeping) and ended up on the 30th floor, looking both north and west---at North Michigan Avenue and west along the river....the most absolutely stunning views you could imagine!  We all giggled and giggled and ran from window to window.....we were afraid to talk about luck as we didn't want to jinx anything!

We hung out awhile and then took off in search of the Lego store.  We got there and I thought I would die.  It was burning hot and packed with tons of kids (mostly boys) and parents with the same glazed stare as we had.  I can only imagine this is what it's like to go to the American Girl store for those with girls instead of boys.  We made it through and then happily trotted back to the hotel.  My city walk came back to me and I was striding along FAST...because that's what you do in the city.  I kept looking back impatiently at the boys and finally Ernie said to me, "Cynthia, I think they're taking it all in" and of course....I was forgetting how new and overwhelming this must all be....

After we got settled back into the hotel the boys kept asking us when we were going to leave.  We had told them we might go downstairs and have a drink and they were MOST impatient for us to leave!  So we took our little drink vouchers and trotted down to the bar.  VERY, VERY cute bartender!  Chatted and chatted and chatted....used up our vouchers and a bit more.  No pictures because the boys had insisted on keeping my camera so they could make some videos for youtube.   We toddled upstairs and ordered room service for all.  They built Lego, we giggled, watched a little TV and kept staring out the windows.

Above is the Marriot Hotel....notable not only because this version is made entirely out of Lego but because the real one next door was the place we saw the Mavericks play for four nights in a row during their first tour in 1992.  Memories.....

Chicago Weeklet....Day One....