The Big City

I always love going to big cities and seeing all the sights! Yesterday I drove into Chicago for the day. The weather report the night before said rain would come, but only later in the night. It came about ten hours earlier! In the middle of the afternoon the rain came and it hit hard! All I wanted to do was shop Michigan Ave. and the downtown area. Was that asking too much? I think not. In spite of the rain, I found a wonderful Greek restaurant for a gyro platter. The food in Chicago is fabulous! I spent quite a while in the Apple (computers) store. You'd better watch your wallet in there though. Apple computers and accessories are not cheap at all. During one of the downpours I found myself in the Gucci store. I must admit, those aren't my kind of price tags, but that gives the sales team no reason to look at me like I'm Julia Roberts in the movie Pretty Woman. I felt so discriminated and violated! Was it the Nike shoes I bought at an outlet in Colorado for $25? Or could it have been the Levi blue jeans? Maybe it was the pullover I got from J.C. Penney's this summer during one of their big and tall sales. It was unfair the way they looked at me as if I was going to shoplift or open a can of beanie weenies over in the corner and eat my dinner while the rain poured outside. My credit card worked just fine earlier in the day at Wal-Greens when I needed an umbrella. (with a "Chicago" logo) Once it was obvious they didn't want me in there, I ended up touching every garment in the store that was on a hanger. Ha! And on my way out the door, I softly muttered, "well, at least I am heterosexual."

After a long day of shopping, and hopping cabs all over town to stay out of the rain, my friends Mike and Pam called to see where I was and offered to come by and pick me up for dinner. But before dinner, we sped off to Chinatown for some more bags, purses, shoes, umbrellas, wallets, watches, and whatever else they sell! Deals, deals, deals! But as it turned out, the best decision of the day was choosing Maggiano's for a most delightful Italian dinner. Maggiano's reminds me of Carmine's in New York City with their family style servings. Three of us walked in without any reservations and was directed to a wonderful table right by the front window where we could view the rain pouring down and the people walking down the sidewalks. I went to the restroom to wash my hands and told them to order for me. (I'm so easy to please when it comes to food.) The servers began to bring our food to the table and it seemed the selections would never stop. Stuffed mushrooms, spinach and artichoke dip, lasagne, tenderloin with mashed potatoes, linguinie, and baked chicken, followed by two different desserts which I won't attempt to remember their names. Good conversation also makes a meal even better and such was the case last night. The most crummy day (weather-wise) of the summer also provided the most enjoyable meal of the tour. The drive back to Indiana was long and sleepy. Had it not been for the sunroof being open and XM radio Fox News blasting, I couldn't have made it back! Needless to say, today I am going to rest up and do some computer work.