Dude. It’s Windy Here.

The Chicago breakdown...

Thursday
Traveling, reading, figuring out the subway system, checking into the hotel, exploring the city, walking along the river, Continental lunch outdoors, a couple of glasses of wine, more reading, meeting up with Lisa, lots of gabbing, lots of laughing, more wine, Indian food for dinner.

Did I mention reading?

We are staying at the fabulous Amalfi hotel. The first picture shows a great view as I look out our window in the hotel.

And the second picture is the view as I look down from the very same spot out our window in the hotel. Heh heh. But it's all good.

Friday
Trying but failing to sleep in, reading, exercising, lots of writing, Continental lunch outdoors, napping, exercising, and exploring Chicago’s downtown core.

We saw James Thompson Center and Jean Dubuffet’s Monument with Standing Beast (shown here with Lisa), the (untitled) Picasso sculpture in Daley Plaza, the Chicago Theatre and much of the theatre district.

We began the evening by spontaneously stopping into the Cadillac Palace Theatre where we lucked into purchasing tickets for The Color Purple only fifteen minutes before the show started. Great show!

Post-performance, we walked back to the hotel in search of food and had what I believe was the best pizza I’ve ever had in my life.
Really.

Saturday
Trying and failing again to sleep in, reading, exercising, a little writing, excellent Thai food for lunch, more exploring.

We saw the Water Tower and Pumping Station, the Magnificent Mile, and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

The Museum of Contemporary Art had an amazing gallery of portrait photography and a great gift shop, but I must concede that contemporary art is often beyond me.

I try to get it but I just don't.

Here is Lisa upon seeing the exhibit outside. And the plastic yellow dude is what she was looking at.

Look at the unit on that guy!

Art appreciation was followed by much merriment and imbibing at the Marriott on the Magnificent mile. Lisa sucked back Cosmopolitans like they were water and I had my fair shared of gin and tonic. We kind of forgot to eat dinner…

Sunday
Thanks to that last gin and tonic, I succeeded with sleeping in on Sunday. I slept in until 9 o’clock. (My, how times have changed.)

I did some reading, writing, and then I had some time to myself. Lisa stayed back to sleep off that last Cosmo so I had a day of exploring to myself.

The weather was absolutely unbelievable. I had a great day and saw everything! The highlight of my day was The Art Institute of Chicago. Pictures follow.