JetBlue AYCJ - Day 2 - Windy City

Wednesday, September 8, Day 2 of my 30-day adventure, in Chicago

Photos: Millennium Park Bandshell, "the Bean" sculpture, and the view of the John Hancock Building, from my hotel roof deck.

A beautiful day in a fabulous city with wonderful friends. Decades ago, Mary Beth, Bonnie and I spent a couple years together as friends at Wheaton Central High School. Years have passed when we didn't see each other at all. And yet we can spend a whole day together with no plan, and have a great time. Walk, sit and talk, walk, stop and eat, walk, talk, laugh, talk, walk some more, drink, laugh, talk. That was our day.

What is it about old friends, that you've known since you were younger? Maybe it's that we all really know each other's history, because we went through it together. We know each other's parents and siblings, the houses where we grew up, hanging out together in high school. You will never have that with anyone you meet as an adult. So there's a common bond. An uncommon common bond.

We met at Millennium Park, just east of Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Today was a beautiful day, bright blue sky, a few fluffy clouds, slightly chilly in the morning, perfect temp later. Walked around the fabulous shiny silver bean sculpture, where I, like everybody else, took many pictures of cool reflections. Walked around the amazing Frank Gehry-designed bandshell, more photos. We walked to the Aqua Building, because I had seen a documentary about its design and building. More pictures. I'm a bit of an architecture fan I guess. I love when something is well-conceived and beautifully-built. And we later enjoyed the water fountain with the faces. I don't know what it's officially called, but anyone who has been there knows what it is.

We walked around the beautiful lakefront. We ate lunch outdoors, which in my view is mandatory on a beautiful day. And there may have been a margarita or two in there somewhere.

We walked down State Street, to Carson Pirie Scott, a department store where I worked for 6 months, right out of high school. I was the receptionist in their advertising department, back when individual local department stores had their own advertising departments. I thought I was so cool, at 18, commuting on the Northwestern Train in from the suburbs to the big city each day.

The Carson's building, which was built in 1899 (I just looked it up) is empty, like the bones of a dead carcass stripped bare. It was sad. Looking in the windows of the Main Floor where the women's accessories, purses and cosmetics had been, there were just concrete floors and the old pillars. I know things change, nothing stays the same, but this made me sad, maybe because I had some brief history there. And down the street, Marshall Fields is now Macy's. Every store is now Macy's. Is this really progress for us consumers... Okay, sorry, enough of sounding old and cranky. I'm just tired. (and maybe a little old and cranky...)

Mary Beth headed home, and Bonnie and I walked to my hotel, where we sat on the roof deck on the 17th Floor with a bottle of wine, relaxed and enjoyed the end of the beautiful day. And Bonnie did all this walking with one foot in a foot brace/cast/shoe device thingy (that may not be the official name for it). She tore the muscle in the arch of her foot. I may not have that exactly right either, but when she described it, all I remember thinking was... "OUCH". Between her foot and my shoulder, we were quite a pair. But what we lack in physical prowess, we make up for in determination.

Walking around on a beautiful day, in the city where I was born, and that I've always loved. Enjoying a rare entire day, catching up with old friends that I don't get to see often enough. That was a great day.