House of Blues Chicago
Mike Ditka's ChicagoIt has been a long winter thus far. My sweetie and I had about hit the end of our rope. It started in December with way too much snow and cold. Many trips across hill and stream to fulfill family traditions, only to end up with the much dreaded flu. (I did not have it then, mine staggered itself by two weeks only to take what could have been a simple two weeks of illness in our home to an entire month of malaise!) More snow, 24 inches of it! More cold, sub-zero temperatures. More travels (all good mind you) only to leave us the day after Valentine's day with no ambition or drive to do much about it!
By Friday of this past week SRC and ME were just about to pack it in. How much more could we take of poor living conditions, excessively horrible environmental realities (unless you were born and raised in Michigan City, don't attemtpt to live there, especially through a winter!)
Well, Friday morning, I had it. SRC and ME were looking like we were the results of a "Shining" part 2, gone bad! I took the bulls by the horn and said, "I am going to Priceline, I am requesting a room on the Magnificent Mile putting in what I can afford, $55 and if it accepts, then that is where I am going with or without SRC!" It accepted it, it took my price! The Courtyard Marriott, on Ontario and St. Claire! Fantastic! Oh course, I had to tell SRC and hope that he would be willing to go with me (and of course cover the tab) When I contacted him, he was so excited, funny though, he was trying to get us into a beautiful Gold Coast B&B (next time, I will let his fingers do all the walking!) It was my Valentine's gift! I seriously thougth he wasn't interested in being romantic, but he took the Oscar!
We had a great time, staying within walking distance of all of our favorite places, shopping at Water Tower, strolling the magnificent mile. Visiting a quaint book seller (Afterwords) and actually being able to talk about Bulgokov and having the seller interested in Russian literature. Picking up Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" and realizing that the current state of the USA is lacking what T. Paine warned about, revived my intellectual side. Listening to music at the House of Blues while being treated like royalty by a fantastic server named Annie, (she actually carded me! She also remembered me from past visits, how special) Enjoying amazing steak and specialty pork chops one meal at Ditka's and being lured back there for lunch for their to die for pot roast nachos for lunch! Shopping, eating, music, it is all within a Very affordable reach. Oh and did I mention how amazing everyone was? We were treated like our being there mattered.
As for SRC and ME? We are refreshed and looking forward to going back to Chicago soon! Good things come to those who wait. Believe me, it has all been worth the wait!
