Chicago

Ah, Chicago.  I pretty much know nothing about this city (besides it's creation stole the Midwest from Cincinnati....)I don't know it's history very well or anything about how to navigate through the town.  I can fool anyone (but a native Chicagoan) that I do know tons of info about the Windy City, but what can I say, I am just really good at bullshitting.  So how is it that I love a place that I know nothing about?  Well, it's simple really, it's in my blood.  Both my mother's parents were born there and most of my great aunt's children are still there.  My grandma used to tell us stories of growing up in such a big city.  Although her father was laid off in the early 30's like many people, she lived her life there to the fullest....skipping school to go to the movies, visiting her best friend at the Walnut Room at Marshall Field's, going to parties and meeting Navy boys....she loved it.  I remember her telling me that my grandfather moved her from the big city to the "god foresaken" country of Ohio.  (She did love Trenton as well, just took some getting used to).  So it is easy for me to love the streets that she once wandered, to visit the department store that she would browse, and photograph the sites of her home.  It is also easy for me to love Chicago when our company holiday party is there every year (it is a bonus when your boss lives in another state).  This year's weekend was amazing, I had my two favorite guys, Parker and mr. 

I haven't traveled with Parker in some time....I think the last time we had a long car ride together was when my mom, Parker and I drove to Chicago to visit my Aunt when Parker was 10 months old.  That was a bad car ride.  Going up was much worse than coming home this time, well, except the snow storm we drove through yesterday, but Parker specifically was great.  We arrived on Saturday and stayed until Monday.  We were lucky enough to have mr's cousin as our personal tour guide and spent Saturday night and Sunday early afternoon together.  Sunday Parker had a separate adventure as mr and I had the holiday party to attend.....his adventure/challenge was to behave and have fun in a hotel room all night with a wonderful babysitter I hired through a service the hotel recommended.  Now I know what you are thinking, I let someone I had never met watch Parker....in a strange city.  I was really nervous about it at first, but she was great.  The company the hotel works closely with is great.  They gave me so much information on the sitter, I honestly felt like I knew her and had met her before.  While Parker made a new friend, mr and I had a blast with my JJ family at Gino's for dinner, 2nd City for laughs and the a few of us headed to The Redhead.....a very chill piano bar.  The holiday parties are always great, but this one is exceptionally memorable because it is the first one I invited someone to go with me.  My favorite part of the night was when I was lead to the front of the bar right next to the piano for a dance with mr.  Besides him calling out how much I was giggling, it was very romantic and kinda made my heart pitter patter.

I can picture myself living in Chicago....getting a place downtown so that all I would have to do is walk or use public transportation.  I can see myself loving it and being there a long time.  Unfortunately I can't see Parker living in the same environment.  Maybe one day I will call Chicago my home and reconnect with the roots that I have there, but grass and yards are important.  Visit are sufficient for now and Parker, I believe, is falling for the same city I did years ago, he made his wimper face when we were leaving downtown, and what's even better, my boss decided that we would have meetings in Chicago twice a year.......I am totally okay with that.