Days 13, 14, 15 and 16: Winnetka, IL

Couple photos my dad took this weekend up at the Botanical Gardens. There is wildlife in Chicago...

A very tired Sonny and Kaya
Grinding away the remaining gears in my father's Morgan

Pre-game at the Madhouse. Two of the original six on a Friday night.
A skunk and two canines
Jenna in a sweet hairnet getting the Lasik surgery done
Jenna's eyeball will never be the same.
A not-sober Pat and I post-game in front of the Bluesmobile at the UC.



Though this was meant to be a 'rest' stop with the hope of recharging our batteries, Jenna and I are more tired now than we were when we got here. Mostly because Jenna decided to have Lasik eye surgery done (I think she felt guiltly of missing some of the wildlife and for missing some of the signs we needed for the drive- the cause of most of the angst on the trip). We had to get up early several days in a row- first for eye exam/pre-op, then the surgery itself, and finally post-op.

Good news is she now sees 20/20 (she was 20/60 and 20/40 in both eyes before). Bad news is she finally sees how ugly I am.

I also had appointments galore in the city- renewing my Dutch passport, dentist (lost the veneer on my front tooth again) for example but did manage time to visit some friends and go see a Blackhawks game at the United Center for the first time since high school. Of course I hadn't had much reason to see them since they've been horrendous for the past 15 years. We weren't disappointed- the Hawks prevailed 3-2 over the hapless Leafs. For even the casual fan the singing of the National Anthem at the Madhouse on Madison is an experience not to be missed.

We enjoyed some spectacular weather for our stay here in Chicago. Saturday was close to 70 degrees- perfect for some drives in my dad's vintage Morgan(s). These toys are more dear to him than his three children. We took his 1969 +8 (originally owned by Mick Jagger) out for a few spins at the local forest preserve and got a few nice photos. Unfortunately it is completely original, including a horrific gearbox. Not the easiest car to drive.

Kaya also had a blast as she got to spend four days wrestling with my parent's golden retriever, Sonny. As I write this I think they've finally run out of energy as they are both out cold beside me.

The weather today has changed- about 20 degrees cooler than yesterday and rain is in the forecast for our drive tomorrow.