WrigleyGirls

My guests this past weekend so completely wore me out that an absolutely necessary nap on Sunday afternoon after they left wrecked my momentum, hence the delay in posting.
But I'm not complaining. I have been blessed, BLESSED I tell you, to have an amazing run of visits from folks back home, which continued this weekend. Slamela Anderssen and Holita Cowe, both friends from the office in St. Louis, zipped in on Friday night for a weekend of spoiling and running around. Since we work for a slave-driving company (I tease, I kid...or not), they got a late afternoon start and mid-evening arrival. We knew we'd be in for the night, so I threw together some nachos, some margaritas, and cookie dough and got caught up on all the latest company politics while Atlas worked his charms.

Many of you know that Holita has a unique personal connection to legendary Cubs announcer Harry Caray, and spending time with her in Chicago, retracing steps she had taken at previous points of her life, retasting flavors she had grown to love, was a real treat. The highlight was Saturday night, when she graciously treated Slamela and I to a wonderful dinner at Carey's famed downtown restaurant. We met his widow, Dutchie, got to sample his favorite chicken dish, and even got a peek at his private office on the second floor. The restaurant is filled with memorabilia and art inspired by Harry, including a full-sized Hole-y Cow and pictures galore. It was halfway through dinner before I realized that our table was directly beneath the key to some small town in Indiana that had been given to Caray. Once I clued into this, I glanced around and saw several others among the photos and plaques and news story clippings, etc., large portions of which had been carefully collected by Holita's own mother through Caray's early career. Holita told us stories of knowing him, and it was clear that he was a man who brought a lot of people a lot of joy. It was pretty wild to see exactly how much he still did. Due to a delay on the train, I missed the customary singing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" that happens at 7:30 each night, but both Holita and Slamela said it was pretty awesome.

All of this was such a unique, privileged way of seeing the city, but Holita and Slamela brought so much more through their effervescent energy and curiosity. Saturday morning was spent checking out the boutiques in the city's ritzy Gold Coast area, including a pet shop where Holita picked up a gourmet baseball "cookie" for Atlas and a few other treats for her "grandpuppies". We checked out high end jeans from a West Coast designer who has created fashionable tees with developmentally challenged kids, as well as miniature sized full reproductions of his most popular styles. We marveled/gagged at the retro 80's hipster clothes at American Apparel. We cruised the windows at Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Armani, and even got a kick out of the fact that in this day and age people can buy several grand worth of jewels and baubles from Tiffany & Co, while still wearing plastic flip flops.

After lunch at what has to be the most complex food court in America, we took a shiny glass elevator to the top of Watertower Place and literally walked the whole place from top to bottom. Their enthusiasm was relentless; zipping in and out of shops, testing, trying on, laughing. After spending so much time these past few months just trying to keep things together for my new life, it was a welcome surprise to get swept up in someone else's energy. I even skipped improv class.

Sunday morning I took them to Southport in Wrigleyville for another go at brunch (I've been spoiled this month). This time I got to sample a local institution call Ann Sather, which is known for two things: their multiple variations on Eggs Benedict and their cinnamon rolls, which they literally serve WITH EVERY DISH ON THEIR MENU. And they were super-tasty. As in I had flashbacks about them today at work. That good. When my lease is up here, I may try to move in next door there.

After eating our weight in breakfast, we worked it off with a stroll over to Wrigley Field to check things out with Holita. I also wanted to show them how developers had built bleacher seats on the roofs of the apartment buildings across the street from the stadium. On the way back to the train we (surprise) even got some shopping in. Due back home for other commitments, we called it a day and I saw them off from the apartment.

As I said earlier, I just feel blessed. I have such good people in my life who are gracious and fun and interested in the wide world, and I get to tag along. As with the Maplewood Family and J-Dog, the chance to share this new place with such caring people whom I, in turn, care deeply about, takes all this STUFF that makes up this city and brings some measure of actual meaning to it. Beauty. Connection. Love. That's worth more to me than all the Tiffany baubles and city keys in the world.