Dear Diary

Dear Diary - it's been a while and I have so much to catch you up on (make that "on which to catch you up"...no..."up to which you catch on"...forget it), I don't even know if I can remember all of it.

Lacy and Jeff were here again.  He surprised her with a trip to Chicago for her birthday, which was on the 7th, and they were here for the long holiday weekend.  I say he surprised her - it was a surprise when he told her a week or two in advance.  He is like us - me and the kids - in that way; can't keep a surprise in his pocket.  He gets as excited about a gift as the giftee.

So they were here and we did some neat stuff.  My gift to Lacy was a Silversun Pickups concert at a very cool venue.  The Aragon Ballroom is an old, well, ballroom.  It was built in the 1920's for something like a million dollars which was *gasp* in those days.  It is designed like a medieval village or really what it reminded me of was a Shakespearean theatre, the way they were sometimes open air with balconies all around that looked like little buildings.  That makes no sense, does it?  So I guess you just have to see it.  It was beautiful, and the band was great.  They're a classy bunch and I love their music.  Oh, Lacy loves them too.  :)

Another neat thing we did was a boat tour that went up the river a bit and then back out to the lake.  It was a beautiful day - not terribly hot - and the views were lovely.  Being on the lake was a nice perspective.  We also walked to Millenium Park, and walked just into and out of Taste (crowded with a capital crowded) and browsed the Art Museum.  We ate good as usual and just enjoyed the time together.  We had one negative experience, but I'll not address that here.

That's it on the visitor front for July so far, and I expect it will be all.  I am headed south this weekend for my first visit home.  It will be good to see mountains, and drive fast, eat some Po'Boy and Blue Plate and West End, and yep, it will be GREAT to see family and friends.  It will also be a little sad to drive back although I do like being here.  Always and forever, there's no place like home.