Chicago, Chicago!

Singing the title sets the mood for the post...Chicago, Chicago...that's about all I know of the song so unfortunately I can't bore you with lyrics. A few weekends ago my best friend in the whole world, Michelle, and her girls met Megan and I in Chicago for what is (hopefully) becoming an annual tradition. Only Michelle and I have plans for a few minor changes for next year....like, no children and more shopping, theater, and spaing (is that a word?..meaning we're hoping to spend time at a spa). The girls, God love them, just don't fully appreciate the scope of opportunity that Chicago affords those who love to shop and dine on something other than McDonald's and go to the theater. NOT that this year's trip was a disappointment. It's just that Hannah Montana (aka Miley Cyrus) is not the type of "theater" I would choose. After we heard "Can we go back to the hotel now?" for the tenth time Michelle and I, being the intuitive mothers that we are, realized that the best part of Chicago for the girls isn't really Chicago at all, it's just being together. They really do love just hanging out together more than anything else and I think that's great. But they can do that at home! So, next year we've planned to ship them off to Michelle's house for the weekend while Michelle and I bond in our own way.

We did have a lot of fun, though. I already mentioned the Miley Cyrus concert. Megan has detailed that experience a little in her own blog http://wwwchinagirl.blogspot.com/ and scroll down to "Chicago Trip". I think a little bit of her excitement is expressed in her post. Picture, I don't know, a thousand or two 5-12 year old girls in their up-dos, lip gloss, and Cheetah outfits (the Cheetah Girls were the headliners which we didn't stay for) all screaming at the top of their high pitched little voices...it was like a Libby Lu nightmare in there (Megan is going to kill me if she reads this). Please don't think I'm judging these girls. I was once their age and unfortunately remember collecting Michael Jackson paraphernalia; like the gum with his picture on the wrapper that sat on my dresser...oh, and standing inside Radio Shack watching "The Making of Thriller" (okay, how sad, I don't even think we had VCRs back then and so I'm assuming this was our only opportunity to watch MJ...thank God for the Pine Tree Mall!). I wasn't as bad as two of my sisters, though...they would cry when they saw him on tv..I. think they even wrote a letter saying they were dying and asking him to meet them as their last wish...that is quite sick actually....I'm sure they've asked for forgiveness for that by now. Anyway, the concert was certainly the highlight of the weekend for the girls.

They also loved the quadcycle deally that you rent at Navy Pier. We always have a blast on that thing. We felt so experienced this year after learning from our near-mishaps last year. We even rode further down the Lakeshore path and just enjoyed the beautiful view. Oh, and here's something really cool...I saw Lisa Ling walking on the path towards us. I stared at her for so long trying to figure out if it was her, and it definitely was! She just looks shorter in person and wasn't wearing makeup. You know Lisa (we're probably on first name basis now), she does those National Geographic Explorer shows and is one of my favorite journalists. She was on "The View" for quite a while as well. I SO wish I had stopped and told her how much I loved her report on China's Lost Girls. I saw her on Oprah again this week (or last?) talking about her report on North Korea so I'm guessing she was in Chicago for the Oprah Show...or maybe she lives there. And her report on N. Korea looks SO interesting. I wish we had more than 10 channels of cable so I could see it. If you get National Geographic Channel you'll have to tivo it (for me?); I think it's on Wed at 8 PM http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/explorer/


Anyway, we also took a water taxi from Navy Pier to the Sears Tower, but just as the boat neared the Sears Tower it began to sprinkle. And as we stepped off the boat it began to POUR! And I mean pouring rain and wind - horizontally, vertically and everything in between! We were soaked, inverted umbrella and all (that's why my hair is so bad in the picture below-sorry, that's so vain). We managed to flag down a taxi to bring us back to the hotel for a change of clothes. Then we headed over to Gino's East for the most amazing pizza. The girls thought it was cool that they could write on the walls without getting in trouble.

Amidst moans and groans from the girls, the rest of the trip was filled with SHOPPING!!

Oh, and since we are "Apprentice" fans at our home I took a picture of Trump's new building in Chicago, but I can't get it uploaded on Blogger for some reason. Is anyone else having problems with photos today? I've had to try for each photo a few times. I may try again later. I'm sure you're all waiting with bated breath.