12 April 2011

mini blog: chicago, day IIIIII

Hoooooommmmme! The grass in Texas has a certain color to it. I can usually tell.
Anyway, hardly slept the night before, don't know why... maybe because it was really warm in the room... so I took a two hour shower and still didn't fall asleep...

We woke up earlier than normal (10am, instead of noon), because we needed to check out of the hotel.... but neither of us slept well, and were SUPER tired... so we lounged and packed until 12, then checked out. We ate a crowded cafe (I was grumpy), and decided to skip the science museum and just go to the airport early and nap there. AND we ended up catching an early flight home! (although we nearly missed it because I misread the ticket, and went to gate B22, for seat B2... when it was the other way around... yay dyslexia.)

Andrew was so happy to see me!






11 April 2011

mini blog: chicago, day IIIII

Last full day.
Woke up around noon (again), and climbed a building.
There's a vacant building next to our hotel, and I wanted to climb the fire escape to the roof so I could take a photo of Monica in our hotel room. So I did it.
I also bruised my left ring toe when I landed badly from a jump to the ground after all my adventuring.

Then we walked to Gino's East for pizza. Best deep dish pizza ever. ever. Then we walked to H&M (their north location), I got a blazer for myself, and some tee shirts for my brothers. We tried to go to the zoo, but got there too late. Went back to hotel to rest, and Googled a crepe place... walked there and it was closed. As was most other shops and such. Sunday 6pm... sheesh. Stopped at Johnny Rockets for burger/hotdog/malts.
Napped.
Pre-packed.
Got snacks and drinks at the Emerald Loop (again), but left early 'cus it was so freaking muggy and warm inside... and someone nearby ordered tuna fish. Yuk.
Monica's worst day. She was grumpy and humid. "We didn't have a vacation, we just traveled. I wish we planned a day of just nothing."

Tops list:
STUFF:
1) Jim Nutt 2) Climbing Adventure 3) Robot Opera 4) Architecture 5) Shopping (on Saturday)
FOOD:
1) Scallops at Sullivan's 2) Salad at Lou Malnati's 3) Pizza at Gino's East 4) Udon at Kamahachi

for Monica:
1) Shopping on Saturday 2) Museum of Contemporary Art 3) Insidious 4) Sullivan's 5) Architecture 6) Gino's East











10 April 2011

mini blog: chicago, day IIII

oooookaaaayyyy....... shopped allllll daaaaayyyy... then almost threw up ice cream.

thought of a cool performance art thing related to lakewood church... thought of a cool collage with old atia books of animals/character qualities...

gf (monica) ate at mcdonalds for the first time in adult life... it reminded her of school cafeteria food, and she thought there was soy in the beef patty....  we saw a lot of union protesters--monica said "budget cuts" but it sounded like "bunch of cunts."





09 April 2011

mini blog: chicago, day III

Mmmmmm..... another day. Up at 11, stopped to eat pizza at Lou Malnati's on the way to the Shedd aquarium. The waitress at Lou's misheard/misunderstood me and brought us the wrong pizza... and it sucked hardcore. BUT I did have the best salad ever. ever. (and she didn't charge us for the pizza)
The aquarium was crowded and disappointing.
It was cold and foggy/misty/rainy AGAIN.
But we didn't argue at all. ...maybe we'll win the Amazing Race afterall.

OH!!! Yesterday, my brother got tickets on my scooter!!!!!! I've driven that thing around for three years and was never pulled over for anything! He has it for a day, and boom... two tickets. Ugh.

Anyway... we went back to the hotel to rest and find a steakhouse. We went to Sullivan's and it was derishious! The best scallops ever. ever.  (two best things in one day!?!?) We had oysters (raw AND rockefeller), iceberg lettuce wedge (with blue cheeseiness!!), martini's (orange and blueberry), au gratin potatoes, and banana fosters bread pudding.... I still can hardly move.

Not much else. Watched some tv, read some of a book. Wrote this.












08 April 2011

mini blog: chicago, day II

Got up at noon, showered, ate leftovers, planned itinerary. metro'd to an intersection of galleries, took a cab to their contemporary art museum--they had a retrospective on Jim Nutt!! I JUST discovered him, and didn't realize he would be showing here... awesome! Ate some sushi at the 'only' Japanese sushi place (most of the rest are Thai, apparently.), went to the Art Institute and saw their modern wing (not as impressive), their new tapestries (which were impressive), a watercolor exhibit, and then rushed through the impressionist and classical art sections before they closed.
Drank more sbux.
It started raining, so we took a cab to the AMC North Riverside, and watched Insidious... it was inventive, but cheesyish, thought it got better.
Ate (again) at the Emerald Loop--halved a curry burger, and drank a cider.

Yet another busyish day... lots of walking, and a bit of arguing.
I don't think we'd win The Amazing Race.