9/4/06
8:30am
--continental breakfast
DH and I wound up running away for part of the weekend. We were bored sitting around the house so we decided to go to Chicago for the night. We got a room at the Drake (had some nice points but was SO not all it's cracked up to be!) and drove down yesterday morning.
We started our day with a walk along Navy Pier. We went all the way out to the end and enjoyed the city and lake views. Its was pleasant and a little hazy--a very nice way to start the morning. After our walk we signed up for a river archtecture tour which was amazing! The docent was very clear and knowlegeable and the buildings were just breathtaking. I know intellectually that Chicago has many renowned buildings, but every once in a while it's nice to go actually admire them--their beauty is just overwhelming!
After the tour we had an OK lunch at Bubba Gump's at the pier. We walked around a bit more, but it had gotten pretty crowded, so we decided to leave. We went up to the Drake to check in but were told our room wouldn't be ready until 3:00pm and that they would call DH's cell when it was ready.
We headed out on to Michigan to check out the shops. Unfortunately, there wasn't too much in the way of plus size clothing to be had, and the prices offended my frugal sensibilites. We did stop by the
Disney store, but it was pretty sad--basically just an overgrown version of the one in my local mall--mostly kids clothes. We finally gave up and headed back to the Drake. I looked through some tourist magazines. 3:30 finally rolled around with no word from the hotel, so I got back in line at the front desk, and found out our room had been ready. Was anyone planning on telling us?
The Drake really was kind of a bummer. There was the check-in snafu, and the fact that several (but not all) of the staff were kind of disinterested and aloof. Our room was interesting. It was large and had lots of twists and turns, but no view. Since we're Hilton Hhonors gold members, we got an upgrade to the concierge floor, which was nice. The bathtub wouldn't drain properly, but I didn't feel like dealing with the hassle of having maintenance come up, so I just enjoyed a shower in an ankle deep puddle. I will say, however, the bed and the duvet were super comfortable!
We took a bit of a siesta, then headed up toward Piper's Alley, where the show we were going to see that evening would be held. We had about an hour to kill, so we stopped by Starbucks, and then walked around the area looking for something that might be a nice dinner after the show.
Soon enough it was time to get back to the theater. The show we were going to see was being held at Donny's Skybox, which is the 4th floor of Piper's Alley. It's normally used as classroom space for The Second City's training program. I was intrigued by the show because it's the 3rd tier of performance--they have the regualr Second City crew, the Second City e.t.c group, and then the Skybox shows, which seem to be mostly student productions. The one we went to was called One Man Show. The person who did it did literally every theater function, from lights, sound, directing, and even taking tickets! We really enjoyed it, but I think we missed a lot of in-jokes. Second Dity students get admission free or very cheap, so there were a lot of them in the crowd.
After the show we went to a place called Adobo Grill, also located in Piper's Alley. We ordered a selection of appetizers--I had tamales and empanadas, and DH ordered a trio of "cazulets". I loved my empanadas, and DH's chicken in poblano cream was outstanding! All in all it was a really nice meal, and a much more sophisticated flavor than we get out here in the burbs.
City life had some attractions, but I'm still not sure I'd want to do it all the time. I like the availability of restaurants and shows, but I missed the breathing room of the suburbs. I noticed that people were much thinner in the city--probably from more walking and better food options.
After dinner we headed back to the hotel to turn in. I really wanted to take that bed home with me! We were up in the morning in time to stagger upstairs for breakfast. We had originally planned on going to the Museum of Science and Industry today, but when the time came neither of us were too jazzed about the option. DH has some work to do and he missed the cats. We made great time on the way home--not a soul on the road!
12:00pm
--2 pieces sm spinach stuffed pizza
--2 nsa pumpkin muffins
It's turning into a lazy afternoon, which is fine by me. I'm a bit tired, and it's dreary out. Maybe I'll even take a little nap.
2:00pm
--1/3 turkey sausage
--5 med pierogi
--1 peach
I'm not sure what we're calling this. I was hungry, but didn't really need another meal, but DH was hungry and lobbying to go to Olive Garden and I think at least this kept us home. So I'll take it.
4:00pm
--2 nsa muffins
--1 cup milk
Aaaand the munching continues! I know exactly why--I'm bored to death. I think I'm going to go work on some chores. That usually makes me feel a bit more productive.
7:00pm
--whole wheat spaghetti & meatballs
--green beans
--1 cup milk
I was hungry and actually talked myself into cooking. Wahoo!
I was pretty productive this afternoon--I finished up the laundry, tidied up a bit, and read some magazines. It felt much better!
I'm so worried about the winter blues. I need to try hard to mitigate it this year--it's no fun being depressed for 6 months!
It's gray and raining, and I just want to curl up with a book and waste the afternoon away, which is exactly what I think I'm going to do! The grocery shopping, library run, mall trip, and laundry can wait until tomorrow. 
And we found that the faucet we have might not work, which adds another $100 or so to the total.
you on for the homemade meals this week. You can do this. Which reminds me, I better take something out of the freezer. 
