Sunday in the Park with... No One Named George

I'm bothered that I haven't finished writing about my trip to Chicago, so, nearly two weeks later, I finally will:

Despite a very long night Saturday (I was up until about 3:30 a.m.), I was determined to go to the flea market I'd seen next to Target. I'd learned they'd be opening at six, so, with the determination usually only reserved for flight departures, I actually arose before seven, dressed for any tournament work I might do, then went to the flea market. It was HUGE.

I didn't even get to see all of it, but the things I saw were worth the price of admission. Among them: Boxes of cattle femurs and other assorted bones I didn't bother to read the tags on. An album by Ringo Starr where the former Beatle was pictured with a naked dwarf cartoon. A guy's booth that sold pretty much only tape. A collection of "Beware of Dog" signs, not unusual but for the addition of a sign tailored to households with "Attack Rats" (really?).

I also saw cool things that I was actually tempted to purchase, like old board games. In the end, though, I only bought $5 worth of albums: The Ventures (Telstar et. al.), The Kingsmen (Louie Louie!), and a collection of children's Christmas songs (I mostly purchased it for the cool retro cover that I figure I'll frame and put up as festive decor. Bing Crosby even sings on it though!). What's interesting about these Chicago purchases? All three of the artists I mentioned were Washington residents. The Kingsmen and Ventures were some of Seattle's major contribution's to 60's music, and Crosby attended Gonzaga University in Spokane for two years. Funny how things work out!

Despite wanting to see more of the flea market, and despite feeling my cold creeping back into my throat, I dutifully returned to wait with my fellow trivia volunteers. But there wasn't anything to do right away, and the sore throat and mere three hours of sleep were taking their toll. Wearily I told the guys that I was going to back to sleep and for them to call me if there was anything important to do.

-Three Hours Later-
Lunch at IHOP! That IS important!

After that, Paul, Paolo, Nathan, Frank, and I went downtown. We had five hours to kill before needing to be at the airport, so we went and explored Millenium Park, including the impressive Cloud Gate sculpture. For a while, we just sat on the grass near the park's amphitheater and chatted. It was a beautiful day and I couldn't ask for more. Frank said we reminded him of a group he'd hung out with before "One headstrong woman and three very goofy males." I joked that if we had a show together it would need to be called "Threve's Company". (If anyone doesn't get the reference, I recommend watching Saturday Night Live's Celebrity Jeopardy.)

Speaking of Saturday Night Live, our afternoon was capped by a delightful excursion: We visited a place called the Billygoat Tavern, the place on which the famous SNL skit "Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger. No Coke, Pepsi. No Fries, Chips," is based. (I tried to find a clip on YouTube, but to no avail.) Except, at the original Billygoat, they actually have Coke instead of Pepsi, which made me very happy. The lead cook was just like SNL had depicted. "I'd like a cheeseburger," I said. "DOUBLE?!" he asked. "No, just a single," I replied. "DOUBLE??!!" he insisted again, and I relented. But it was exactly what I'd been hoping for. It's hard to explain the joy of being forced into an order for the sake of pop culture relevance, but anyone who watched Seinfeld's Soup Nazi would also understand :-) But he was right and, for the record, it was one of the freshest, most delicious cheeseburgers I've ever had.

Before too long Paolo was on a train back to Milwaukee and Paul and I were on a plane to Seattle. Chris was there waiting for us at the airport, ready for some Memorial Day fun on Monday.She took us to a delightful area of West Seattle. We had lunch at the Elliot Bay Brewing Company, which was yummy, then went to a two-story neighborhood record store called Easy Street Records. They even had a wide selection of LP's! I bought some 60's records that I hope to eventually frame, as well as some CD's. I've got to get back there... I'm sure I could spend hours! For our final stop, we visited Cupcake Royale and bought some confections for the road. A perfect end to a perfect weekend.

Current Mood: Relaxed.
Current Music: The Beatles "Hey Jude"