Breakfast

Just a neat little place to eat. As you can probably see, the L runs right in front of the restaurant. (Hence the name "Off the Tracks." Hee-hee!)

Take Your Problems to Petterino's...

Good to know.

Can't Wait to See it Again!!

Hint, Hint Laur!

A Wickedly Good Time Was Had by All...

What a show!

My New Favorite Tea Shop

Repast after Wicked- night two at argo! (This picture is a little out of order, it was actually the last thing we did before going back to hotel)

Before the Show

Flashing Green Lights

Outside the theater - less impressive here, but really cool in person...sorry.

The "Chicago Shoes"

Richard's dapper new kicks.

Getting ready to Leave for the Oriental Theater

Going to Wicked!

Haute Cuisine

Very good hot dogs - complete with celery, onions, chopped tomatoes, peppers, mustard, and topped off with a deli-style pickle!

Snack Break!

We got a chance to stop for a moment and indulge in a Chicago style hot dog! (Richard's worried that people are going to think we only came to Chicago for the food, and he's only half wrong!!)

Cruising by the beach!

But it was some kind of freezing out there!

Come ride with me - take your Dramamine!

Cameo!

A View of the Bay...

Looking out towards Navy Pier...
There were three other people on the tour with us besides our tour guide, but it was all good. A tour group of 5 is pretty small. We had a really fun time just cruising around and goofing off with the segways. Our tour guide said new ones cost about $5K, but you can get used older models for about $2500.

Touring...

Segway Segue

A new way to get around...

segway tour!

After hours wandering...

In the city

Ooh la la!

Dessert- tea & chocolate croissants at argo tea.

Hey! I'm eatin' here!

Authentic Chicago pizza:) Yum!

Drooling...

Richard prepares for the feast!

First stop - Food!

Our 1st stop in Chicago - Giordano's pizza!

My Silly Nephew

He was smiling so sweetly right before I took this, and then quickly changed to his best American Gladiator pose. I think I like this one even better. I know he's got to have some of me in his little DNA, because he's mercurial enough and cuts up at the drop of a hat. (And he's left handed - ROCK ON, LEFTIES!)

Before the wedding...

Jill and Ashley smile deceptively sweetly before being pampered at the nail salon. What a great day...

And a suggestive St. Patrick's Day to you!

I realize that this is late in coming, but I've been wanting to post this since before I had this blog. Around St. Patrick's Day, I had a therapy activity for the kids I worked with this past semester that involved decorating a large shamrock. The kids would take turns, and after each turn could choose a different decorative item - one of which included drawing with markers. After completing a session, I hung the shamrock up on the class display board, and noticed something. This particular shamrock had been decorated with balloons. But they reminded me of something distinctly different....
I've gotten at least two other opinions that go along with mine, so I know it's not just because I'm trying to get pregnant.
Do you see it?

The Trip of a Lifetime...

Here we are on arrival to the hotel - a little road weary, but ready to go! Our hotel room was shoe-boxed sized, and off by itself in the hallway next to a closet. No wonder it was so affordable!

This is the view from the 14th floor down to the lobby. Even though our room was small, the hotel was still quite posh. And, most importantly, across the street from the Fox Theater. The closer to Dolly the better!

This is Dolly's tour bus! We went hunting for it before eating lunch. There were a long line of unmarked tour buses, and we figured she'd be in one of them, but when we saw the gold one, Lauren remembered: she had just seen a show online about Dolly's brand-new bus. This was the one! We were separated from Dolly by just a couple feet of air space and a thin sheet of metal. Right after I took this picture, a worker (we don't if he was with the Fox or with Dolly) told us to keep moving! Yes! We needed no further proof that Dolly was right there!

I am ready! This is right before we left for the show.

Lauren getting ready. We were both a jumble of nerves - Lauren so much so that she had trouble with her hair.

Here is Herself! I realize you can't see her - she is the whitish glow in the center of the stage. But enough for me to remember her. Truly one of the most exciting nights of my life! The concert was amazing to say the least!