September 2 – September 10 – Chicago Plans and Details

Tuesday, September 1 -

Dacia has arrived in Chicago

We are in Racine, finishing the waxing of the boat

See the city, Xerox and mail the BC/BS and other letters, buy salad dressing

Cook the Usinger’s bacon

Travel south to Winthrop Harbor

Bacon and wedges for supper, strawberries

Wednesday, September 2 -

Brian, Ellen and Pearl travel to Chicago

We rescued four Mylar balloons from the water

Get second room ready (since we won’t be moving once we get to Chicago, we can put boxes on my chair when we arrive)

Avocados, tomatoes

Dacia joins us

Walk around downtown - Find Sears Tower (now called Willis), The Bean,

Errands: Walgreens, West Marine, AAA, LensCrafters, Apple,

5:30 docktails with other Loopers

6:30 Rena, Manuel and Julian for snacks and drinks aboard Pearl

They delivered our new boat cards and the cases of wine we had ordered. 

Fireworks on the Navy Pier at 9:30, Beth joined us on top of the boat - fantastic, unobstructed view from the T-dock.

Thursday, September 3

11:00 Dacia and Ellen visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Bach House, north of city

The El

Brian - West Marine and lunch with John Kupper

Pick up the new Connecticut flag we ordered from West Marine.

Supper - Chicago-style deep-dish pizza - Giordano’s - just average.

Make Apple appointment - Wednesday, 11:30 

Friday, September 4

Hotdogs with Amy, Dacia - Chicago Doghouse 

Lincoln Park - conservatory and zoo, ice cream

Lots of Uber-taxi rides

We had to move our boat! Someone else had reserved the T-dock and the marina had double booked us! We moved only two slips down and in the end, they gave us complementary docking for several days. 

6:30 - wine tasting and outstanding hors d’oeuvres at Rena’s house, downtown Chicago

8:00 dinner at The Farmhouse with Beth and Luke, outstanding cheese ravioli 

Saturday, September 5

Lauren arrives at O’Hare at 7:30 a.m.

Breakfast at Pittsfield Cafe

Amy and Andrew join us

Saw Amy’s apartment

Lunch at Mash, a gastro pub

Sunglasses for Lauren at Macy’s - nine stories tall!

Give away all the sweets and snacks we have accumulated

7:30 to Beth’s to watch ND crush UT in a football game

Bratwurst 

Sunday, September 6

Lauren with us

El to Wrigley Field

Noon arrive at Cubs game “will call” window

Brian and Ellen, Lauren, Dacia, John Kupper, Beth, Amy, Andrew

1:20 Cubs game - They WON! Grand Slam, several home runs, a Pickle. 

Cal Ripken Day

Monday, September 7 - Labor Day holiday

Lauren with us

Luke’s office

Macy’s

Lunch at Rena’s house, wine tasting, great food

Book store

Brian bought groceries - Mariano's

9:30 Lauren flies back to Maryland

Tuesday, September 8

Pump-out and move boat back to T-dock. 

Lunch at the Art Institute with Dacia

Enormous Rain

Target

Melinda B arrived

III Forks for steaks and more ravioli

Wednesday, September 9

Dacia departs

Refill water, tidy up

The yellow light on the toilet tank did not go off after the pump-out, but Bob fixed it for us. Boaters helping boaters.

Brian and I walked around Chicago

Apple appointment

Post Office to mail the taxes

Portillo’s for Wonderful beef sandwiches - highly recommended

Bed Bath and Beyond

Saw Amy at her office in the Merchandise Mart

On Tuesday, lots of worries on our minds; on Wednesday, lots of solutions. Thank goodness.

Steak leftovers. 

While in Chicago, we also had a fraud thing from MasterCard so we had to get new cards; they were delivered to John’s Chicago house and he brought them to us. Had to update some of the automatic payments on that card. Spent some time and money talking with the Subaru service department in Austin, Texas, regarding Nelson’s car repair. Spent some time on the phone with the IRS regarding our ongoing identity issue, PIN, and where to mail our Q3 estimated taxes. Reality does not take a break. 

Thursday, September 10

Depart for the inland rivers