They have never been.
Chicago will never be the same.
Hilary came with us, as she had a day off.
We are all so glad she did.
What a joy my baby is!
We took the 1pm train.
As Ann Margaret's hubby said,
"Lord, don't hurt yourselves!"
We sleep a bit later and move a bit slower than we did in our twenties!
On the South Shore, we met a lovely young man from Chicago.
He gave us directions to Gino's East, and all kinds of touristy hints.
We immediately added him to our facebook accounts.
He was drawn into our "southern" conversation,
as everyone we passed was.
(V asked..."Who's the random guy?")
I forgot how curious and fascinated people are with this slow, sweet accent.
We learned Jim has an 8 year old daughter
who lives with him and his 41 year old fiance.
They are on their way to Arizona for a graduation.
We invited him to a Southern dinner when he returns!
SO gracious the southerners are!
Especially about food!
I also recognised a friend from years ago,
who went to church and youth group with us.
She was travelling to California where her mother is dying.
Funny how the world works.
How God puts different people in your lives
at different times for different reasons.
We did not get a chance to stop and see Jim where he worked,
a few blocks down from our hotel.
I hope he has a good vacation.
Upon arriving to the Congress hotel, we jumped in a cab.
Mistake number one!
Not only did he not speak English,
but he did not kinow where Gino's East was.
Imagine!
He actually handed me a book of Chicago
and asked me to find the spelling of Ginos.
He was looking in the J's.
I thought Hilary was going to take the wheel from him.
Once we got to trhe resaurant, we had a lovely dinner!
Sweet tea and root beer and daquaries, pizza, salad and mozz sticks.
(for the northern version of Sweet Tea!)
We wrote our names on the walls,
and stopped in the Rainforest cafe to use the restroom.
Hilary bought us pictures in a photo booth.
Lordy, we almost didn't all fit in at the same time!
Silly older women!
As we were making our way back to the hotel,
the fog began to come in.
It was weird tho...only between a few buildings did we notice it.
Around the corner we ran into three policemen.
The girls asked if they knew anything about the ... fahr.
They looked at them and said...fahr?
AM said, "oh, sorry, F I R E"
HAHAHA we all laughed.
AM schmoozed them into a photo op.
I think they could not get over we girls wanting our picture with them.
Do not many people ask this of our service people?
Later that evening, AM and I discovered that the hotel was haunted.
After Susan was asleep, she was frightened, we ventured out.
Our room was on the seventh floor and the ninth is supposed to be haunted.
In our jammies we snuck upstairs.
Freaking ourselves out.....hearing noises, we acted like school girls!
Taking pictures and holding tightly to each other,
we hurried off of the ninth floor.
We took the elevator to the lobby,
where we found a security guard who took us to the ballroom.
Folks apparently hear voices until the doors are opened.
We didn't see or hear anything but a beautiful room with murals and candelabras!
I took many photos, though,
hoping to find evidence of spirits in the pictures...no such luck.
Off to bed we reluctantly went.
I don't think Susan even knew we were gone~!
The next morning...well, afternoon, we ventured onto the Red Line train,
to see Wrigley Field for AM's husband,
after seeing Grant Park and the Buckingham Fountain.
Even had our picture taken by a tourist from England,
in front of the Lincoln statue.
We are not shy at all, apparently!
At an outside cafe, we asked a fellow if we could ask a favor.
His first response was "I'm single!"
Come to find out, he and his friends were from New Jersey.
He was happy to take our picture with Capt. Morgan!
The older couple on the Red line, who we rescued from a fall,
met up with us in front of the stadium.
They were from Scotland and loved my friends' accents!
They took our photo and we exchanged emails
(Albert and Diane).
Susan was hit upon by an Indian/Italian/Retired Marine in the Red Line Station.
He took off his glove and squeezed her arm while saying he liked thick women~!
HAHAHAHAHAHA!
We just could not go anywhere without their southern charm pulling people in!
I have never met so many curious, kind, freaky, weird people.
After some souvenir shopping at Water Tower mall,
we made it back to the hotel for our bags.
I got the bags, Susan hit the gift shop,
AM ordered burgers from the hotel restaurant.
The manager and waiter were so taken with my friends,
that they seemed to be falling at their heels every moment.
The manager even showed the waiter how to make a simple syrup
to put into their sweet tea so we wouldn't have to use twelve equals~!
We barely made it onto our train,
ate our picnic dinner while being curiously watched by everyone,
and made it home in one piece.
I will miss my friends and am so glad we had this chance to visit!
They are as I remember them,
and I am as I remember myself,
if not a bit more mature in some ways.
Thanks for refreshing me girls!
I love yall!
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