Chicago: Day 3

 Stace and I woke up in our hotel Saturday, where we enjoyed breakfast but realized we had no hot water to shower. So, we packed up and went to Elizabeth's, and showered there. We then drove together to the airport in our rental car to drop it off, since Oak Park and Chicago have such great public transit. 

From the airport, we took that transit into the city, where we went on an architecture cruise of the Chicago River. Elizabeth has lived in the area long enough to have a great itinerary of highlights for visitors, so she booked a boat that included a trip through the locks, out on to Lake Michigan.

The city really is beautiful. And we had great weather - warm but not too hot or muggy.

Our tour guide was entertaining, with stories about Chicago's history and the various buildings. Nice skyline from the lake, which is big enough to feel like the sea.

So fun having a weekend away with this guy! We are considering it an anniversary trip, since we're about a week away from our 23rd. 

After, we headed to Millennium Park to see the famous Bean sculpture.

A House music festival was happening, so the place was extra packed. Fun fact: house music originated in Chicago.

Elizabeth then made sure we spent some time in the 136-year-old Chicago Athletic Association, the middle building here. We loved the cool vibe inside, especially in the game room, dimly lit with billiards tables and dark wood.

We wanted to get a bite to eat from one of the standout pizza restaurants, but the line at the one near us stretched around the block on this summer Saturday evening. So, we instead took the train back to Oak Park and got a late night pizza at a different famous, beloved chain, with no line. What a great day!

Chicago: Day 2

 On Friday, Stace woke up in Rockford, and attended a culmination event for his young engineer who finished a summer leadership program.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth and I hopped on the fabulous public transport system - walkable from her home - and went into the city. Our main goal was to see all the highlights of the Art Institute of Chicago, a worldclass collection of art and antiquities. We had a lovely few hours, and I saw just about everything I could have hoped to.  

Among the antiquities was this gorgeous Roman-era glass vessel that somehow has survived 2,000 years!

This was a huge 5th century Syrian mosaic of a man leading a giraffe as a gift for the emperor.

There were loads of Impressionist paintings, including a Monet section.

I loved seeing this one, as it's featured in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, when Cameron gets lost in the tiny dots that make up this (huge) piece.

This stunning stained glass Hartwell Memorial Window  was created in 1917 and once was in a church in Providence, Rhode Island.

More stained glass - America Windows was gifted to the Art Institute in 1977 by Marc Chagall, to commemorate the country's Bicentennial.

Byzantine communion serving tray and chalice, from the 6th century.

I loved this Byzantine necklace - the style would still be beautiful on an elegant woman's neck today.

I also loved this one - Paris Street Rainy Day was painted in 1877, the era of photography. Inspired by photographs, the two main figures look like they could be walking straight out of the frame. I took so many more photos of favorites, but this will have to do. 

Stace then picked us up outside, and we went to an Italian restaurant that is a favorite of Elizabeth's. It was fabulous - great food, great vibe. A small wedding reception was happening outside.

We then drove back to Oak Park, dropped off Elizabeth, and stayed in a hotel nearby.

Seen from the train in the morning - Cicero! Cora's been in two plays that features the word prominently - Chicago the musical, and the Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui.

Chicago: Arrival

Stace and I were blessed to take a long-weekend away in Chicago, as I tagged along on a work trip for him to his company's Rockford, Ill., plant.

On Thursday morning, we took a Lyft ride to the airport - a first for us - and had our final experience walking out to the tarmac and up the ramp to the plane. Burbank Airport is completing a big renovation, with a modern terminal set to open in a few weeks. 

Our flights were uneventful (we had a brief layover in Salt Lake City). When we arrived, Stace rented a car and drove to Rockford, while my cousin Elizabeth picked me up and took me to her home. We saw several deer along the way home! So cool.

It was wonderful catching up with Elizabeth, and her daughter Emma. I hadn't seen them in years!

Elizabeth and Emma live in a magical 100-year-old apartment building, with loads of period details.

The windows! The molding! The arched entries! The hardwood floors!

I bonded with their lovely dog, Josie. Would you believe this beautiful (large) girl is half corgie? Neither would I! But as a tiny puppy, that's what the rescue said, and it made sense, at the time. Clearly that was false information. She's a lovely girl just the same.

We had a nice night and morning of catching up, before embarking on a Chicago adventure in the morning. 

Tidbits

While Stace went to work Saturday morning to get a handle on the employee reviews he needs to complete, I met Tiffany at a grand opening for a new coffee place. We got discounted beverages and a coupon for a free drink on a return trip. We enjoyed catching up on a beautiful weekend morning.

After, I met Stace at the SC Auto Fair and we had a look around. Later, we went to see The Lightning Thief at the Canyon Theatre Guild - it was fun to see a show we knew so well, from when Cora played Percy a year ago. We watched Ferris Bueller's Day off as a family before bed.

On Sunday, Stace bought a paint sprayer and painted the cabinet doors he'd ordered for our bathroom. Lots of progress happening here!

Meanwhile, Cora went to MB2 for Mackenzie's birthday, and as a last hurrah before Rowan and Lucas head off to college. 
 

We've been visiting Quigley Canyon frequently, in the evenings when it cools off. We're always looking for wildlife, and sometimes spot deer, coyotes, rabbits, and interesting birds (along with the neighbor's horses).

We've been seeing - and hearing - this pair of great horned owls frequently. We love them!

We woke up to horrible news Monday: nearly an entire block of Old Town Newhall went up in flame. The Main Theater, where Cora performed in The Wolves, along with The Newhall Refinery (where we had a drink last week) were among the businesses completely destroyed.  

My heart breaks looking at these photos, courtesy of the city and the Signal. It doesn't seem like it can be real.

Stace and I went to a goodbye party for one of his coworkers, at one of our local breweries. Some guy parked this close to my car... couldn't even open my door!

Darn good thing I was able to get his keys and take his car home!

Lots of News

 It was an eventful week with cars, but I'll save that news for later. But we were short a car, so I was getting out at 6 to take Stace to work a couple of days. Cora went to stunt workout classes in Burbank several days - she's loving it! 

It was also a cooler week, so the girls were able to have their first riding lesson in a while. 

Violet is riding Bandit, and Cora is on Rocky. 

After working on the bathroom a lot on Saturday, and searching for a new car, we took a family trip to Carpinteria on Sunday. Even Cora came with us! 

We enjoyed lunch and teas/coffees at our favorite Thai place there...

And we also took the walk along the bluffs to see the seals. 

Stace and I went to the Main theater to see a play called The Dresser, which was very well done. We got a drink afterwards at the Refinery. 

The girls went to a friend's house to watch Treasure Island, since that is what Cora's old school is performing this fall. Cora is planning to help with stagecraft and stage managing again, and this year they want Violet to be a paid tech employee, working in the booth.

Violet started her junior year of high school this week! She's taking one class in person, another AP art class, this time focusing on 3D art. Her plan is to make a stained glass lamp shade.

I picked up and packaged/froze my order of 30 pounds of organic peanuts from Azure Standard - it looks like an insane amount - and maybe it is. 

But we actually went through a full order of 30 pounds in exactly one year, and were about to run out. (We eat a lot of peanut butter, and Stace likes snacking on peanuts or homemade trail mix after dinner.)

I got an email that the county was holding free music and dinner events at various parks, and this week one would be at Val Verde Park. Since Colleen and Rigo were free, we made a night out of it. We enjoyed our free tacos and salsa music.

Meanwhile, Cora went to an orientation for Fright Fest, and found out she will be on the slider team! Very exciting; she's worked so hard.

Books, Seals and Birds

 It's early August, so that means it's time for SClarita's high schoolers to register for school. Vi attended registration at both of her schools, and I helped in the library on Tuesday.

On Monday, Ellie came over to hang for a few hours, and I got my tooth fixed after the filling fell out. Stace played pickleball after work, Cora went sliding, and Violet's friend Sofia came over and they watched a movie.

Stace had a car part for me to pick up at the Audi dealership in Calabasas, so Vi and I carried on northwest, and went to Carpinteria. We took a walk out to see the harbor seals, in their beach sanctuary. 

We then stopped at a sourdough bakery that sells honey products, to get a snack and a coffee. Violet made friends with a hungry, brave sparrow. 

Meanwhile, Cora went to a stunt training gym in Los Angeles and did two classes, and later played D&D online.

On Wednesday, Stace came home early and we went to a celebration of life for our neighbor, John, who passed a couple of months ago. In the evening, I went out to dinner with West Ranch theater mom friends, while Cora and Violet had a cooking adventure. We had fresh corn and potatoes, and they decided to make corn chowder from scratch.

It was delicious!

On Friday, Vi and I went to the home of a woman who operates a sanctuary for toucans on the outskirts of town. Yes, a toucan sanctuary! She'd posted online about her need for newspapers, for the cages, and I'd been faithfully collecting ours for months to have enough to make it worth the trip. 

The woman was so friendly, and we learned a lot about these interesting and beautiful birds. Violet even got to hold one!

One last bird snippet - this adorable little sparrow was taking a bath in the sprinklers, as it came through the red gate from the front yard. The cats were very intrigued!