whirlwind to the windy city

Boss the elder and I have a rhetoric we have developed over the six years we have known one anther.

Every morning it goes like this:

Al: Is it coffee time?

Me: Did you make it?

Al: It's already made.

(we go sit down in the coffee corner at the back of the shop)

Al: Are you pouring?

Me: Would you like some?

Al: Just a little.

Me: Just a tad?

Al: That's good.

Al: So what's new?

Me: Not much.

Al: What did you do last night?

(and so on)

Me: What did you do last night?

Al: Well, I went home and I read and then I slept.

 (and so on)

Al: So what are your plans for tonight?

Me: (Monday's answer) I'm going to the city.

Al: Oh, Elkhart?

Me: No, THE CITY.

Al: South Bend?

Me: No, Chicago.

Al: TONIGHT!

Me: Yep.

Al: Well, I guess you are young.

Dear Katherine and I decided to go to a She and Him concert in Millennium Park.  We booked it on up there (about 125 miles) after I got out of work and made good time.  It was just fast enough to make it go catch the band as they began their set.  It was packed.

There were people everywhere.  All the seats (there is a capacity of 11,000) were full and their were oh so many people standing or picnicking around the perimeter.

Kitty's friends saved us wonderful seats.

The performers are the tiny blurs on the stage but their music was quite tangible and wonderful.

I had such a lovely time with Kitty.  She was great a navigating with my old fashioned paper map when we got just a tiny bit lost on the way.

I was also so lucky to get to see my dear Des and meet her newest addition Mr. Lincoln.  We screeched and squealed when we found each other in the crowd of thousands. What a lucky penny!

I was just so excited to be there.  I adore the musci and was so enamored by all the people.  The people I come into contact with in my day are so few, to see so many people in one place and that were my own age was somewhat shocking (and altogether thrilling).  

I have grown very accustomed to my small town life.

For everything I love about being a part of my community and all the people I have daily relationships with, I do miss being a part of a group of peers.  Seeing so many people who are my peers, my peers in more than just age but also in interests (the band tends to draw a certain genre) had more of an impact on me than I had anticipated.  I hadn't really even thought about it until it occurred.  As I recounted the experience later to my brother, it even brought tears to my eyes because I did realize how isolated and different my life had become in the last year.

After show we got a bite to eat and a drink to sip at Argo Tea.  It was delicious and I was very happy to devour their salmon ginger quinoa salad.

As we gawked up at the wonderfully lit tall, tall buildings we bid farewell to the city as quickly as we entered it we made our exit.

 It all made a great tale for coffee time with Al the next morning.

Here are few vidoes I found from other attendees that capture it well.

This was their encore song and a great ending.