Wicked Vacation

I guess it is about time that I post about our midwestern experience. Unfortunately, I don't have many pictures, but if you bug Jonnie enough, she might post some on her blog!

Dave had his yearly Otolaryngology Meeting in Chicago this year, so we decided to make a weekend of it and visit Chelsea and Matt, and Denney and Jonnie. We flew out Friday morning early (thanks to my mom and dad who drove down to watch/chauffer/parent our kids!) and got to Chicago about noon. We rented a car and drove up to Milwaukee. We had a blast with Chels and Matt. They recruited us to play softball on their intramural team. I struck out 5 times. I used to be a hitter! Oh well. 15 years without swinging a bat will do that to you.

We ate a traditional Friday Fish Fry, and walked around by the lake. After the game, we spent a while driving around looking for the perfect flavor of frozen custard. Then slept soundly. Saturday morning I lazily got ready for the day, to the tune of "don't you want to do your hair?" from Dave. Weird. I didn't think anything of it though. We left Chels and Matt around noon and drove to Rockton/Roscoe Ill to go to Chicago with Denney and Jonnie. They've got a great house on a huge, grassy lot. A nice change from AZ!

Dave had been telling me we would be going to a nice restaurant in Chicago, which was why he wanted me to get ready, etc. But the truth was revealed at Jonnie's that we were actually going to the musical WICKED! A little background: 4 years ago we went to the annual meeting in NYC. My sister Monica told us we should see Wicked. Dave wasn't excited by that and we went to 42nd Street instead. Which was fun, but I felt a little cheated that we didn't see Wicked, which was, in Monica's opinion (as a New Yorker) the best musical playing at the time. So for the next 4 years we endured the rising popularity of Wicked amongst our friends and relations while knowing we could have seen it on Broadway. I tried not to show irritation everytime someone asked, "Have you seen Wicked? You've got to get the CD!" etc. I decided we would never see it, just to spite all those who were in the know, tee hee. (See my I Am A Pig post.)

Anyway, I was thrilled by the surprise that I got to see Wicked in Chicago! It was really fun, and had a different ending than I was expecting. (Thanks everyone for not giving it away!) And, I did have some time beforehand at the hotel to do my hair and makeup.

On Sunday, we took a double decker bus tour, walked around Millenium Park, went into the art museum, and snacked at the top level of that really tall building that I can't remember the name of now. Not the Sears Tower, but the free one, all the while enjoying visiting with Denney and Jonnie. Tons of fun. Then on Monday, I caught the train out to O'Hare and flew home. Dave stayed until Wednesday going to his meetings.

So here are a few pictures.