Paris on the Prairie

In September, I met Chicago for the first time. The 9th Annual ADRP International Conference was there this year and while I've been in the past, this year was different because the Foundation generously sent SEVEN staff. What a blessing to get to experience the conference and Chicago with such good company! We had a blast. The only thing that would have been better would have been to have Wade and the boys with me. And if I had remembered my camera! Proof that my expectations of Chicago were not that high.

Chicago isn't a place I cared too much about visiting until September. But since our trip, I've been itching to go back. I was surprised by how clean the city was, how much there was to do, and the shopping was out of this world! I'm not usually a shopper, but in Chicago, I became one. It didn't help that our hotel was a mere block from Michigan Avenue.

In the airport parking shuttle on our way home we met a lady. She explained that she had opted to take the shuttle solo because she and four of her coworkers had been together for four days and they needed a little time apart. Our group smiled and nodded as if we understood completely, but we didn't. We Cowboys willingly spent our spare time together, and I can't remember a trip where I've laughed...or ate...or shopped...more.

And now, here's a little recap of our trip...

Tuesday: Flew into Chicago. Ate tapas and drank sangria at Emilio's. Shopped the Magnificent Mile. Ate pasta at Tarantino's. Discovered I really know my flowers (or, not) and Matt has an eye for women's fashion.

Wednesday: Conferenced. Matt got his first massage. Laughed at The Second City. Discovered there IS a nice cab driver in Chicago, but following traffic rules isn't his strong suit.

 

Thursday: Conferenced. Saw Chicago on the Wendella boat tour. Ate Giordano's pizza. Then learned that each slice has 1,000 calories. Good heavens.

 

Thank goodness for iPhones...and iPhone cameras.

 

Wrigley Building

 

 

Trump Tower

 

 

Marina City

 Yes, those are cars you see...

 



 

330 North Wabash

 

Merchandise Mart

 This building used to have its own zip code. Think BIG.

 

 

Chicago Sun-Times

 

Where Lincoln won the Republican nomination. It was considered quite the upset at the time.

 

Boeing

 

Civic Opera Building

 

 

Willis Tower (aka Sears Tower)

 Next time I'm going to the top.

 

 

 

333 West Wacker

 

 At this point our tour guide's microphone started cutting out. I don't think anyone was disappointed. He was no Vince Vaughn.

 

Wrigley Building...again

 

Chicago Tribune

 

Trump Tower...again

 

Navy Pier

 

 

 

I'm normally a 2 to 3 slices gal. At Giordano's, I was a half slice gal...and left feeling stuffed. Pun intended.

 

 (Thank you to Abby, who wrote most of the captions for me.)

B.Y.O.P.

Unlike the pumpkin-less pumpkin patch, one Saturday afternoon in October, our friend Abby's house was overflowing with pumpkins.

Believe it or not, this was my first pumpkin painting experience. And I couldn't imagine a more creative bunch of pumpkin painters...I was hoping their creativity would rub off on me and Henry. Sadly, it did not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The hostess with the mostess

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our spiderman pumpkin

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, Henry insisted on being Puss in Boots at the party. I mean, a party really isn't complete without a sword bearing cat, right?

 

 

Hudson wasn't amused

 

 

 

 

What we didn't capture in pictures was our walk home. More than one friend offered to drive us across the street and into our neighborhood, but me, being the bright person that I am, thought it would be nice to get some fresh air and stretch our legs. Wrong. While crossing Western (the busy street seperating our home from Abby's), Henry's sacred Puss in Boots hat flew off his head...and the wind continued blowing it some 30 yards (at least) down the street. Meanwhile, it begins to rain and a strong gust of wind inverts our umbrella, which snaps and is irreparable. Once we catch up to the hat, it thunders, Henry begins to cry after seeing his beloved hat dripping with rain water, and the black pumpkin we just spent two hours painting begins to bleed all over my arms and shirt. We begin to jog, as fast as we can with a 10 pound pumpkin, broken umbrella, black arms and hands, and soggy hat...it was enough to make me want to sit down and cry too. One of those "looking back, it makes me laugh now" moments.

The Pumpkin-less Patch

During Fall Break, I took a vacation day and the boys and I traipsed to Perkins, OK to visit a pumpkin patch. But we encountered a problem...the pumpkin patch was void of pumpkins. Sure, there were interesting gourds, haystacks, a cat, a dog, and even a goat. But no pumpkins.

Despite there being no future jack-o-lanterns in our company, we made the most of our morning and climbed haystacks, made friends with the goat, and laughed at funny-looking gourds and corn.

You see the pumpkins in this picture? That was pretty much the selection.

 

 Yes, I'm ashamed to admit that this year's jack-o-lanterns came from Walmart.