On Sunday in Birmingham Ernie and I wandered around downtown (close to our hotel) while the boys reveled in Lego. Wandering around and looking at buildings is one of our favorite things to do....
One of the things I worry about lately is the loss of all the old storefronts. TONS of empty buildings but some nice old storefronts....
again with the weird spacing....gotta figure out what's going on with Typepad....
lots of nice old facades waiting for someone to take care of them....
1. The boys came back up to the room (I really could only do so much BrickFair) and were delightedly showing us their purchases. Then Owen grinned excitedly and said, "and I bought something for YOU Mom!" He pulled out the most gorgeous pair of Lego earrings you have ever seen.
I almost cried....because that's just how I am.
2. I decided we should do barbecue one night while we were there so I poured myself into barbecue reviews, hunting down forums and lists.... Is it really any wonder that I understand the boys' obsession with Lego so well? Anyway, after much consideration I decided on Bob Sykes Barbecue. We headed out, and although the sign said "Ribs, Ribs, Ribs," there were no ribs to be found. They were out of ribs. Owen just kept saying, "OUT of RIBS? But they're a BARBECUE place." Oh well. Ernie and I went with the pulled pork and Owen had the barbecued chicken. Leo had fries. I think Owen fared the best....Ernie was damn jealous of that chicken. The pork was good but nothing blew me away. I was a tad disappointed. I did like the neon arrow though.
3. Never one to let go of an obsession however, I decided we'd try for a better barbecue experience the next night. We had planned to go out but we were all pretty tired at that point so Ernie and I ran and picked up ribs (for Owen and me) and chicken for Ernie. Finding an open place on a Sunday really narrowed down choices so I went with Jim n Nicks in the Five Points area. I'd read about the cheddar biscuits but oh MAN. No wonder they've been noted in Saveur Magazine, Bon Appetit, etc. I know barbecue is a personal kind of thing but Owen and I loved our ribs. The collards and mac and cheese were fine but there was only so much room and the collards had so much ham that they distracted from the ribs for me. We ate leftover cheddar biscuits for breakfast the next morning as we headed out of town.
4. When I planned out the trip I told the guys that I got to pick something to do too...and I chose Arlington, an antebellum house museum that is owned by the City of Birmingham. I adore Greek Revival houses. The boys didn't really want to go but I said we were ALL going. It turned out to be wonderful way to spend a bit of a sunny Sunday in Birmingham. The tour guide was great, asking the boys questions and I was rightfully proud of their responses (I am SO easy). They got to hold a Civil War rifle with a bayonet. I was nervous about Owen and a bayonet and a chandelier above him but all went well. Later Owen proclaimed the whole thing to have been AWESOME and even Leo seemed to have had an o.k. time. It made me happy. It made me feel like the child Cynthia who loved to visit old houses.....
Note: I don't know why some of the spacing is screwy on the pictures---can't get it fixed...sorry...
The drive to Birmingham was fine, albeit long. It took us about 10 hours but that was with a fair number of stops. This is the the landscape I stared at while poor Owen vomited up half his body from carsickness (despite the Dramamine).
And this is what it looked like as we finally headed into Birmingham. A long drive but pleasant....we waved to Nashville as we passed through....
We got to the hotel and we quickly dumped our children and went for a drink in the lobby bar. Sustained by that we took the boys to the pool (where they met an 8 year old named Harper who was there from Manhattan) and then got some really pretty bad food from the bar/grill restaurant in the lobby. The hotel was fine physically, and it was nice to be at the same place as Brickfair but service was pretty lousy (despite two nice bartenders) throughout. Then we all collapsed and when we woke up in the morning the boys were already vibrating with excitement. We got in line about 20 minutes early and were glad we did....the line went through the convention center, across the walkeway to the hotel and into the hotel atrium. Whew.
Waiting in line:
and then....the doors opened, we paid our $7 per person and got our hands stamped:
Waiting in a much shorter line the next day:
Reviewing purchases:
And our final BrickFair picture....look closely.....Leo is almost SMILING! My beautiful boys.
Saturday saw me not wanting to do what I had told myself we'd do around the house. Namely, going through all the boys' clothes and dressers to pull out what doesn't fit anymore to send to goodwill, then work more on the upstairs, blah, blah, blah. The boys were happy as clams playing together so Ernie and I went out and drove a bit thinking to take pictures but then we realized my camera again has its dust disease or whatever so instead we went for an errand at Fries and Peanuts. We chatted and laughed and headed home to get ready for our friend Val's music party. We went last year and had a great time. I came up with a little sausage/balsamic vinegar glaze/cherry tomato appetizer. As we were fussing with that in the kitchen our phone range. It was our neighbor Gail down the street saying that it appeared that someone had hit our car. Ernie sometimes parks it on the street so Ricky and the guys can shoot baskets in front of the garage. Ernie galloped out with me trotting behind to see a delivery car right next to our Honda with its front bumper in the street hanging by not much more than a few friends. I gotta say my heart sank. This is JUDI'S Honda. She always kept things perfectly and when I see the back seat a mess I always feel bad but to have it HIT would just...well, just be hard. We got out there though and the Honda looked downright smug. There was a scrape or two on the front tire but that was it. I swear I don't understand how his bumper could get totally wrecked and not a scratch on our car....but I just patted it and said, "Good Honda." By the time we got done with that fuss.....we did get his name and number just in case closer inspection changed things....and watched him pull off his bumper and put it in the back seat....the air was getting cooler and we could hear the rumblings of thunder. Leo would be fine to leave in stormy weather---in fact he delights in it----but Owen is more like his mother and HATES storms and wanted us to stay home so unfortunately we missed the party.
As we sat there though chatting Owen mentioned that we'd been supposed to go to the Lincoln Museum this summer. I looked at him and thought what a good idea! We felt sort of at loose ends so I got online and found a cheap hotel room. Now I KNOW that Springfield is only 90 minutes away but a night in a hotel with the guys sounded like fun. Owen was beside himself with excitement. So the next morning we got up, hung out a big with cartoons and the newspaper respectively and took off for Springfield.
We rolled into town and spent a couple of hours at the Lincoln Museum. The best part of it was watching Owen feel so proud that he'd been there before and could show us around. We enjoyed. I must admit that I wasn't blown away as I'd been told I would be but that's just me. I tried hard not to ask Leo if he enoyed it but when I broke down and asked he shrugged, which for him is pretty positive!
Owen desperately wanted a lollipop from the gift shop and even Leo seemed to think he should get it, saying, "you know Mom, Owen IS the one that thought we should come here." So as Ernie was waiting in line with the lollipop Owen then started talking to me about his plan for the new shelf Ernie is supposed to put up over his bunkbed. He's planning to have a display of his figures (both his Michael Jacksons and a Batman). He carefully explained that he was limiting it to 12" figures and......whaddaya know? There was a 12" figure of Lincoln right there in front of us! I said, "Oh honey....that's probably too expensive" but then I started picturing the Smooth Criminal Michael Jackson, the Thriller Michael Jackson and......Abraham Lincoln. So I grabbed it and told him to rush over to his father as he was already at the counter to buy his lollipop.
I know, I know.....but come on.....MJx2 AND Lincoln!
This is the third year we've been in Lubec but it is so close to my heart that it feels more familiar than that would lead you to believe. The first year we came to Lubec was the year my sister Judi died. We hadn't made summer vacation plans because we didn't know how long she would live. She died in February though, sooner than we had thought and as a few months passed I found myself wanting to go to Maine. I started trolling through Homeaway.com and Cyberrentals but everything in Southern Maine where we usually went was either booked or too expensive. I started looking further north for a less expensive place and happened upon Lubec. It sounded so cleansing to stand there, on the water, in the easternmost town in the country....so off we went. It's really a magical place for us. I'm sure we only know the tip of the iceberg but here are a few of our recommendations:
We've stayed at two great places----I found both of them online. The Victorian we stayed at this year was really lovely. Beautifully restored and cared for, yet not so pristine that you don't feel completely comfortable. The very comfortable beds (something not all rentals have) and perfectly outfitted kitchen put it over the top. Oh, and it also a certified 'green' rental and uses recycled products, etc. I would imagine the other properties of this company would be just as great.
Now Lubec has a small grocery store which is fine but produce/fresh food is not its strength. THIS year however when we received our rental contract we also got info about Tide Mill Organic Farm. We'd heard about this place before but never managed to get there. This time however, we placed an order online and they delivered it to our door on Monday. GORGEOUS stuff! Two bags of vegetables gaves us enough for the whole trip and they were fabulous (and inexpensive). We also got some great chickens (Owen said it was the best chicken he'd ever had and that boy's an expert), some pork, some sausage (great chorizo) and some lovely ricotta. With all that we were able to get everything else from the store in town. That being said, there's a good grocery store in Machias which isn't far away. From now on though, we'll always get meat, dairy and produce from Tide Mill Farm. We are used to some pretty great produce and meats from farms here in central Illinois but this place was amazing....oh, and it looks gorgeous...we'll have to visit it in person next year....
We bought our lobsters, haddock, clams and scallops all from Bold Coast Smokehouse. Although they are a smokehouse first and foremost they also carry fresh fish and the owner is usually good for an entertaining anecdote or two. The smoked salmon is mindboggling and he has an admiring handwritten note from Julia Child tacked to his wall as well. One of these years I'll work my way past the salmon and smoked mussels etc. to try his ribs! AMAZING stuff!
Low tide is one of my favorite things on earth. This year we decided to take advantage of a tour offered by Tours of Lubec and Cobscook. One of the tours they offer is Explore the Intertidal Shore. It was an amazing experience. Although as Owen said, "it wasn't really a tour, it was more of a discovery." We met our guide at the little building across from the cemetery and they gave us an array of boots to try on and got a brief introduction to the geology and geography of the area. Then we drove off to a beach. I believe it was the same beach where Owen re-enacted D-Day. Gorgeous and somewhat otherworldy. It was just the five of us with our guide Delia Mae Farris. She was absolutely wonderful and the two hours flew by. Watching a periwinkle come out of its shell as we hummed to it made us feel like we'd accomplished a miracle. And she gathered some greens along the beach for us to add to our dinner and we came away with a little collection of shells and other amazing finds. I couldn't possibly recommend this more and I imagine their other tours (including one of Tide Mill Farms) are just as great.
oh, and I thought Ernie looked pretty hot in the boots as well....
Annabell's is the local year-round bar. They have music on Sunday afternoons and Ernie and I always try to slip away a time or two to go there. Unfortunately we only made it once this year and we weren't able to see Ernie's favorite bartender Bernie...but maybe next year.
If you sit at the bar at Cohill's the view is magnificent and our favorite bartender there not only thought we were from Machias (locals YES!) but also always points out the eagle's nest across the way and shares binoculars. Next year we'll take the guys there for a meal as well.
Water Street Tavern across the way is lovely as well. I'm a bit of a sucker for Chippendale chairs. I used to prefer Queen Anne....now I like Chippendale. Is that a sign of age? Anyway----both places are great and there are a few other spots in town we haven't tried yet. Oh, and Cohill's opened a big outside deck this year which makes for a lovely spot as well.
Of course you have to go visit West Quoddy Headlight and there are TONS of other incredible parks for hiking etc. Oh, and Campobello is right over the bridge if you bring your passport....and Eastport is a short drive and quicker ferry ride away too. It's got a few more restaurants/shops/galleries..... There's more as well in Lubec....a lovely gift/artisans shop called Northern Tides and a more traditional gift shop out on South Lubec Road....two chocolate shops---both are wonderful and I'm not even a particularly huge chocolate fan. Next year I want to plan to see the reversing falls....and maybe go on another whale watching tour.... Of course Ernie's great hope is to see a moose. We've seen eagles, a black bear, seals, whales, porpoises, etc....but no moose....
One of Lubec's main economic forces was fishing and the herring smokehouses. The last herring smokehouse in the country was in Lubec and closed in 1991. Much of the old complex remains and we finally took a tour of it this year. Like all non profit preservation efforts it is in great need of private support. I plan to make a donation to Lubec Landmarks, to support them. Lubec is so beautiful and yet is so poor. Driving around and enjoying it as a tourist like me I don't think you'd even realize it....but the loss of industry, the recession, etc.....Lubec really needs our support. It's not a place that should be forgotten or ignored....so much history, so much beauty...combined with down to earth Yankee friendliness. I couldn't love it more.
So much to tell.....and too little time. FIRST....since when are Nutter Butter cookies not peanut shaped? Perhaps it's been some time as I don't remember having Nutter Butters since we lived in Chicago and they were one of the only cookies the little gas station near us that was open very late stocked. And if you were out late and had perhaps a few glasses of wine and found yourself ravenous....well now and then we had some Nutter Butters and they were PEANUT shaped just like God intended. Hmph.
Anyway....we headed out of town Tuesday morning feeling a bit like we were skipping school....drove through lots of rain and dramatic skies, particularly in Kentucky, but made it into town just fine.
We got lost as we do whenever I try to follow written directions----I'm much better when I just say, "oh, just get off here and we'll find it." It's kind of the way I cook----when I try to follow a recipe exactly it never turns out as well. But we eventually made our way to the hotel, called and reported in as requested----although we'd already spoken to Owen numerous times already.... The show was at 7:30 so it didn't feel as though we had enough time to eat dinner. So we had a drink at the hotel bar and then made our way over to East Nashville. What wonderful houses in East Nashville----I was thoroughly taken with it---and the general vibe of the area. I wish we'd had the time to explore....
We parked and tumbled out of the car and started walking toward the place. A car pulled up and David Olney got out, looking dapper in a creamy linen suit, and looked over at us. I grinned like an idiot because, well, that's what I do, and I gave him a hug and hoped to God he knew who I was and that he wasn't wondering why the large enthusiastic woman was assaulting him.
The show, well, the show was utterly wonderful. It was the first time we'd seen him with a full band, the venue was charming, the wine plentiful and cheap, the crowd happy and responsive and I was just as happy as a clam at high tide. Low tide has got to make clams nervous but high tide must feel like Tuesday night.... I didn't record anything because I didn't want to take away from being in the moment of the songs.... Red Guitar was a standout....as well as his commentary on King Lear, man I LOVE Dead Man's shoes, the film noir songs, the video, ALL OF IT, ALL OF IT, ALL OF IT!
Mary Sack was as charming as I'd imagined, met Rodney whom we've done some booking with and he was similarly kind, got to chat to Peter Cooper again and introduced myself to Julie Sola who evidently is as big a fan of our friend Van as we are! And of course we got to see our beloved Kristi Rose as well!
As we said goodbye to Mary she mentioned the Joe Ely show. I asked her if she thought we could get in because when I think Joe Ely at a small club I think sold out but this is Nashville and it's a different thing. So we made our way over to 3rd and Lindsley where I'd gone by myself last time I was in Nashville. I just looked back at my blog to see and it was only a little over three years ago. It seems like eons....I was going to see Judi, she was in the midst of chemo, my father was still alive but in bad shape, my mother worried about him....it seems like so long ago and yet right there..... ANYWAY....we headed over to the club, paid our money, got a drink and climbed up into a little balcony that made me feel like I was at Mabel's, found a seat and enjoy the end of his show. He seemed as loose and happy as we were...
At that point we were getting tired, hungry and on our way to tipsy. We left and immediately got tangled in the traffic letting out from the New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys concert. I kid you not. We sat in traffic and giggled. Decided we'd just grab something near our hotel as there seemed to be a bunch of restaurants around there. We got there and drove around and found out that DAMN restaurants close early in Nashville. I'm sure there are lots of late night places but they weren't appearing in front of our tired eyes so we stopped at the big gas station kind of near downtown and bought junk food and cheap beer. And man was it a sight in there....wish I'd brought my camera in.....
We slept happily in our big old king size bed....no 9 year olds worming their way in and sticking like glue to my side....it was delightful. We got up and headed out leisurely. We made our way out to Cheekwood in Belle Meade. We felt like we traveled thousands of miles through well groomed properties but I suppose it wasn't that far. I think I prefer East Nashville. We'd planned to stop for breakfast but only seemed to find chains and I wasn't in the mood for that so we feasted on our leftover Nutter Butters. We got to Cheekwood right as they opened. I wanted to go there specifically to see the William Edmondsons on display. They were worth every bit of the drive and the Nutter Butter breakfast. If I ever win the lottery I'll be hunting down an Edmondson for myself....
I'd thought maybe we'd wander a bit, take some pictures but we found ourselves wanting to get home to our boys so we took off.
A total of 800+ miles but worth every bit. The boys had a WONDERFUL time staying with Ann and Bob and Sophie and thought the cab ride from our friend Richard was AWESOME. We savored our moments of joy and can't wait more than ever to have Sergio and David back in our living room come August....
Thursday morning we woke up snug in our little fog surrounded suite at the Hard Rock and I gotta say....I really didn't want to leave.... It was time though and besides, our bill had swooshed in under our door so it was DEFINITELY time to go.....
We somewhat mournfully checked out.....
....and drove over to the Grant Park parking garage. I was worried about leaving our stuff in the car but I thought to myself that we HAD to go to the Art Institute so if all our things were stolen so be it. Later I thought about that and wondered, "am I freaking crazy?" Oh well, who knows, our stuff was fine so I didn't have to wonder further. We wandered a bit around Millenium Park (admiring the view of the our gold topped hotel from there) and then headed over to the Art Institute.
Waiting in line for art.....you gotta love it.....
We got through the line, checked our coats and I immediately headed to the 17th-19th century American art....because that's just the kind of girl I am. I remembered the way despite how long it had been.
I tried explaining the pleasures of 17th century chests (above) to Leo to no avail. He was very polite but looked at me blankly. Lovely table and chairs, huh? And please note it's the Israel Sack Gallery (below). When I was a teenager I had a cactus named Israel Sack. In fact I had a collection of cacti all named after famous antique dealers of the day....
Being in these galleries, although they've been redesigned since I came here as a teen, really brought back that time to me. Walking through Field's, looking at the American antiques I love----it made me realize how much I am still that same girl. I've been amazed, since having children, at realizing just how hardwired we are....how set our personalities are from day one. This visit kind of brought home the fact that it continues through out life, our experiences and loves being layered on and becoming one with that early hardwired version of ourselves. So on this visit I ended up being happy to see the Israel Sack Gallery and Ernie ended up sitting on the bed playing guitar. We're still our own teen selves, just wrapped up in a couple decades more of life. It makes me realize how much I need to respect Leo and Owen and the people they are right now, because that's who they will be for life.
Owen was happy enough in the museum....Leo not so much. He was very polite and well behaved and followed me dutifully but every so often would look at me with those big brown eyes and say, "how much longer will we be here?" I showed him various things and he politely nodded. I tried pointing out the explanations and how sometimes that information could make it more interesting. He just looked at me. I tried walking out into courtyard area with him and telling him how one of the things I loved about museums was the beautiful space and the architecture. He just nodded sadly. I thought about telling him that having the origins of the galaxy explained to me at the Planetarium hadn't been a thrill for me either but he was trying to hard to be good that I didn't want to tease him. Owen wanted to see the armor....I thought perhaps Leo would like that just a teeny bit but no go. He's never been a particularly bloodthirsty creature. After enough traipsing we took a break for a drink and a cookie. I could tell Owen was starting to tire and I can understand, as much as I love museums I get museum fatigue pretty quickly. I suggested we head back to the car and start the trip home and got a delighted smile from Leo. Owen wanted to go to the Museum Shop of course and after one meltdown regarding our refusal to buy a $16 eraser we got out of there. I wanted to kill Owen but well, that happens, now doesn't it? We headed south to get onto the highway. We were right next to Chinatown so I asked Ernie to drive around to show the boys. I turned and looked in the back seat and Owen was already SOUND asleep. Sometimes I forget what a little guy he really is. Leo was fascinated though....but as soon as we got onto the highway he said, "o.k., I'm going to sleep now" and he did. I think the city wore out my babies....
It was a painless, grey drive home and everybody was happy to be back home in our Christmas-trashed house again. Part of me wanted to still be in my little suite with the skyscrapers all around me, but it was good to be home and Bob and Hattie and Annie were delighted with our return.
That evening Owen and I were talking before bed and I asked him how he liked the museum. He squinched up his face as he does and said, "well, I liked it a lot but......too many boobs." I told him I saw his point.
There you have it.....our weeklet in Chicago.
We woke up on Wednesday morning, admired the view and lazed around a bit before heading off to the Planetarium. I told the guys we were going to take a cab and they just stared at me. Leo said, "hmmm, that's a taxi, right? I've never been in one of those." They were silent and wide-eyed as we sped down Lake Shore Drive. When we got into the Planetarium it was hot and crowded but we'd decided to buy a membership as it was only a few dollars more than admission for the four of us so we didn't have to wait in the long line. We got tickets for two of the shows and settled in. The first show was about the origin of the galaxy, the second about the night sky. Leo pronounced the first show "AWESOME," the second one not so much. Personally, the swirling around of the sky made me feel as though I'd had WAY too much to drink....I kept having to close my eyes. My Leo was happy though. Afterward we wandered around a bit but I think we were all getting a bit overwhelmed by the crowds and noise so we headed outside and admired the view. Before the museum campus and the addition to the Planetarium, it used to be one of my favorite spots to take a break when you were driving around. Your could drive totally around the planetarium and you could almost find a spot to park there during the week and just sit and enjoy the view.t.....I guess that's a long time ago though....
We hopped into a cab again and trundled off to Marshall Field's....well, Macy's to be more exact. I grew up going to visit Marshall Field's at Christmas....and eating lunch in the Walnut Room....and when I was in high school one of my favorite things was to take the train into the Loop by myself and wander the Art Institute and Field's. So I had told the boys all about Field's and wanted to show it to them.
Now THIS is what a department store is supposed to look like!
Now you'll note I'm not showing the top of the tree. That's because.....Uncle Misteltoe was NOT there. I was so sad. I walked around, looking from every angle because I was sure he'd be there....Macy's or no. Sigh. Leo theorized that it was a legal issue while Owen put his arm around me as I walked, patting me and comforting me, "Mom, I want to call the people that didn't put him up there a bad name but I won't. It'll be o.k. Mom, really, it'll be o.k." I love my boys.
When we found the Tiffany ceiling we had to wade through women's 'Intimates." The boys admired the ceiling until finally Owen asked if we could go somewhere 'more appropriate for him.' I looked at him puzzled and he pointed to the sea of tiny little red and black bras we had come through....
After lunch (I did not subject the boys to the long wait for the Walnut Room) and some wandering we headed over to the Cultural Center. I had planned a trip to the Art Institute but I could tell that they were wearing out so we postponed that until the next day.
We walked back to the hotel to take a break, as we had reservations for dinner later on. However as we got snuggled in we watched the fog roll in and then it started to snow/sleet and we decided to just stay in. Ernie and Owen went down to the lobby to check out a guitar. Yes, you can check out guitars. The two blondes were QUITE HAPPY.
The boys had plans to make a Plushes On Vacation video so they asked us to leave for awhile. We acquiesed. So on orders from the boys we went downstairs. The China Grill is right off the lobby so we headed into the bar there.
We had a couple of drinks and split two small plates of appetizers. The tuna tempura sashimi with champagne mustard sauce was very nice but the spiced crispy pork belly with watermelon salad, avacado salad and sweet chili sauce was incredible......one of the best things I've had in ages and ages. Splitting the small portion was perfect, we each had one square of pork belly on watermelon and the freshest avacado salad on the side. Our bill was a fortune but it felt worth it and my husband looked so handsome sitting at the bar....
We went back upstairs....I don't think the boys were thrilled to see us but they let us in anyway. We ordered some dinner for the guys and a dessert for us because the two appetizers had filled us up but we still felt like splurging and we all curled up and watched the fog creep closer then all tumbled into bed pleasantly tired and watched Storage Wars on tv. Leo eventually crept over to his couch (he had the best views from his vantage point which I think he liked) and we all drifted off.....
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....
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