Chicago 2013

DENNIS AND YVONNE IN TOWN!!

April 16th, Midway Airport, ETA 12:30pm. 

With great anticipation did I await the arrival of Yvonne and Dennis. Monday seemed long, Tuesday morning didn't seem to pass... Soon, the three activity buddies would be united. Not only was I looking forward to being around them, but also, I was looking forward to falling into bed, exhausted from a full day of random and fun activities.

I love how this trip came together- the Noesen way. One month prior to their arrival, we had discussed possible dates. Then, shortly after I got a copy from Southwest with their itinerary. The apple clearly didn't fall far from the tree- Tyler's spirit, love for adventures and activity-packed days, and his keen sense for immediate execution didn't come from just anywhere. Dennis and Yvonne obviously had something to do with it.

Replay (with some liberties- I can only imagine Dennis' and Yvonne's discussion)

On the phone:

Yvonne: 'Dennis has some days off during April 15th. Would you be around or are you traveling that week?'

Eva: 'Let me check my calendar. No, not traveling. I'm around. Would work great. I can take some days off.'

Later that day:

Yvonne: 'The week of April 15th should work. You have a couple of days off (Yvonne keeps Dennis organized, he's a very lucky man! I wished I had someone to help me out... :). What do you think?'

Dennis: 'Sounds great. Let's do it!'

Yvonne: 'Which days were you thinking? Monday, you're scheduled for work.'

Dennis: 'Let's fly out Tuesday morning. But then, I have soccer on the weekend- Saturday and Sunday.' [ponder, ponder- weighing options, scenarios- 'It'll be nice to have three full days. That would mean returning on Saturday. Well, I do have a game that day. It is soccer after all. I never miss a game. Oh, maybe there will even be a little brawl at the field like the other day. I wouldn't want to miss out on that one either. Otherwise, I'll be completely out of the loop in the email chain that ensues, analyzing the chain of events. I really like to chime in on those. I think my comments are pretty witty. Aah, this is a tough one. Maybe there will be a rain out. Unlikely. This isn't Chicago, it's LA...']

Abrupt interrupation:

Yvvone: '?'

Dennis: 'Oh? Ah, yes. I was just thinking (Yvonne keeping Dennis focused). You know what, let's fly back Saturday. This will give us more time and we might even be able to visit with our relatives.'

Yvonne: 'Perfect. I think we have a plan.'

A couple of hours later: Ba-baaam! Itinerary: Done. 

Meanwhile in Chicago

Eva: HUGE SMILE. 'Wait a second. They're flying back on Saturday? Doesn't Dennis usually play soccer on Saturdays? I don't think he has missed too many games in the past- if any at all. Hmm, that is sooooooooooooooo sweet!! Thank you Dennis, thank you!  I better make their time worth-while now. Pressure's on.'

[I really, really appreciated it. I know from personal experience: My Dad belongs to the village Men's Choir. He has been with the Choir for over 30 years. For as long as I can remember singing rehearsals have been held on Tuesday evenings at 8pm. Now, if I think about it, that day has never changed. That's actually pretty remarkable- so Swiss- just thinking out loud here. 

So it has become a fixed item on the family calendar. One nice thing about it is that I know exactly where my Dad is on any given Tuesday evening. He would not miss a single rehearsal, only under the most pressing circumstances- and even then he would try to somehow schedule around the rehearsal. Dennis- sounds familiar?

I'm not sure whether the motivation came from the incentive that the Men's Choir had put out. If a member of the Choir didn't miss a single rehearsal, concert, or event  in any given year (they put up Bingo, they organize the festivities for the village's Independence Day...), then a tin cup with the name engraved would commemorate this.  Yep- we have numerous tin cups... 

Yes, there might be some sarcasm in the above paragraphs, but only because it makes it sound funnier. In reality though, I highly respect the attitude of both Dads. How easy is it to just cancel, right? Especially, on today's age, where one text takes care of it. Too tired, something else came up, not feeling like it... There is something to be said about discipline and a sense of responsibility. I won't go on another snow and love tangent on here (though I am seriously tempted), but I sometimes wished people would take a pause, reconsider, before canceling last minute on an obligation or promise only because something doesn't seem as appealing or as convenient as it sounded at the time it was scheduled. I remember that I had a phase where I found myself being easy on the canceling trigger. I realized it and made a conscious decision not to cancel but to make the effort. And you know what? Usually, when I didn't feel like doing something but ended up going anyways, those days usually turned out to be the best times that I had. In any case, I salute both of you Dads! Chapeau! I'm proud of you for using your car as your changing room- either because you need to go into the office right after the game or because you just came out of surgery. I'm proud of your tin cup collection and the honorary member placard on the wall in your office. And you both put a smile on my face, because it's endearing and it's great writing material to draw from :). Okay, I admit- I went on a mini-tangent. I just can't help myself. Back to the actual topic...]

So here it goes:

Tuesday, April 16th: I picked them up at the airport. Actually, we were lucky that we managed to have Dennis with us. Granted, they had a very early morning, so there is an excuse for Dennis almost getting lost. Yvonne lost track of him for a second, and he was gone. [keeping Dennis focused- seeing the pattern? ;)] Apparently, that morning they had taken the shuttle to the airport. It was a busy day, as the shuttle was packed to the rim with people. During the reshuffeling of people entering and disembarking, Dennis and Yvonne got separated inside the shuttle- with visual contact remaining intact. Right before their terminal, Yvonne looks at Dennis, thinking that he had seen her. Yvonne grabs her bag, gets off, and waits outside on the curb for Dennis to come out. People are exiting the shuttle. Last person leaves. But, no Dennis. Shuttle moves on. Dennis stayed inside and drove off. From Dennis' perspective he looked where Yvonne was sitting and found her seat empty. He thought to himself, why would she change seats? Then he looked at their luggage. Her suitcase was gone. Oopses. Luckily, the shuttle made another stop before returning to the loop, so Dennis didn't have to walk too far back. It just made for a fun story upon their arrival that made us laugh pretty hard. And of course, it became the theme of the next days to always double-check with Dennis and to keep him close and never leave him alone.

After picking them up at the airport and quickly stowing away their bags, we went for lunch at a diner close by- The Little Goat. I had tried to get reservations at the original restaurant- The Girl and the Goat. So many friends had recommended that place and I had even read about it on one of my flights. Turns out though, that we were clearly not the only person wanting to go there. The tables are booked out for months out. To be precise, there usually is no open table for the next four months, no matter what time of the day. I hope I'll eventually make it there during my time in Chicago. In any case, we went to the sister restaurant- the diner. It was amazing! That was probably the best diner food I have eaten so far. I went lightly on the food because Dennis and I had plans to go running in the afternoon.

We also made sure to save space for the upcoming dessert- chocolate. The Blommer chocolate factory is right next to my building. It's quite amazing because there is always chocolate in the air. I can smell it from my window. And when I'm on my way back home from work, I can tell that I'm getting closer, as the sweet smell of chocolate announces that home is around the corner. It's like having dessert without the calories. They also have a store inside. On our way back from lunch we stopped and stacked up on a variety of delicious treats- peanut pokies (M&Ms knock-offs), the biggest cashew caramel cluster turtles I've seen (eating one of those, and the rest of the day it's salad and water), chocolate covered almonds, blocks of chocolate made from a variety of different types of milk- probably depending on the pasture that the cows had grazed on, the degree of happiness of the cows...), and other delicious chocolate varieties.

Dennis and I took off for our first run going South along the Lake Shore, passing the Planetarium, Soldier Field, and Shedd's Aquarium.

Actually, the week prior I had visited the Aquarium and had been lucky to get this shot of a starfish.  I named him Oscar. I saw Oscar in the tank and couldn't but help thinking that Oscar must have had a rough night out as he looked completely hung-over. So I took some creative liberties to help out making him look more authentic:

Impressions from Shedd Aquarium

Before

After: I love the little "feet". It's so cute the way they're pointed upwards.

Dennis was a trooper! We were out for a run for over an hour and that after an already long day for Dennis. We were lucky that day as the weather was surprisingly pleasant and sunny. Well, that was about to change.

In the evening we went to a comedy Club "Second City", training ground for a host of famous alumni including John Belushi, Mike Myers, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, John Candy, Catherine O’Hara, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, and over 500 more. The show was called "What the Tour Guide Didn't Tell You". I had made reservations at their restaurant prior to the show and somehow that turned out to qualify us for the VIP treatment. We were taken out of the line, escorted to the venue, and seated at the center table right in front of the stage. Though silly, but we liked it: "We are special, watch out!" The show was really fun and we just had the best time.

Second City: What the Tour Guide Didn't Tell You.

Of course, we had a healthy Chicago dinner: How couldn't we not get tator tots nacho style and fried cheese curds. What are fried cheese curds you're asking? Good question. I'm still unsure on it, but they sure tasted yummy. Apparently, it's a Wisconsin specialty, comparable to mozzarella sticks. Cheese, battered, and deep fried per default equals a party in your mouth. What follows after in the stomach is better not thought of at the time of eating (especially not in combination with beer).

Tator Tots Nacho Style

The next day the weather turned and would remain that way for the remainder of the week. The temperature dropped significantly, the wind picked up, and became wet. The perfect conditions for a boat tour on the Chicago river. I had done the Architectural boat tour before and it is one of my favorite tourist activities I have done. While gliding along the edges of the river bank, the tour guide provides anecdotes and history tidbits about the various buildings. It's absolutely fascinating. Most of the buildings are older, but they have been built in such a contemporary style that they still look modern.
Oh, and did you know that the city had reversed the flow of the river back in the 1900's? The Chicago River used to flow sluggishly into Lake Michigan from Chicago's flat plain. As Chicago grew, this allowed sewage and other pollution into the clean-water source for the city, contributing to several
public health problems, like typhoid fever. The Chicago River was known by many local residents of Chicago as "the stinking river". The most apparent solution was to revert the flow. I loved my parents' reaction when I told them about it. They're Swiss. Both of them were a little perplexed and laughingly responded, 'well, clearly, instead of cleaning the river, reversing the flow of an entire river seems the better option.'
In any case, when I had done the boat tour in high Summer with sunshine and 90 degrees. This was not necessarily the case this time around. The weather somehow held up for the first 60 minutes, with a 'light' drizzle, but for the last 15 minutes we gave up and abandoned the deck to find shelter inside, as it was pouring buckets of water along with lightnings. But Dennis and Yvonne were such good sports. Even under these rather sub-optimal conditions they still enjoyed it and maintained a wonderful and pleasant disposition.

Beginning of the Tour: Grey, but somewhat dry.

They were so nice to towel off the seats prior to the start.

We're ready! Let's get this show started!

About to abandon the deck: It only got worse from here on.

It made for nice pictures though.

After the boat tour we went back home to warm up before we left for the movie theater to watch "The play beyond the pines." I enjoyed it a lot, but there clearly were several what I would call 'circles' in terms of the story-telling. And the final circle left me thinking that the circle wasn't quite complete. I'll leave it at that.

Before heading back to the apartment we stopped at a local bar close by. It was a Wednesday evening and accordingly empty. We sat down at the bar for a night cap and dessert. One of a sudden I feel someting touching me from the left side. I turn around and there is this guy sitting next to me (or rather almost on top of me) who had just pulled up a chair. Did I mention that the bar was pretty much empty? I turn around and told him that if he wanted a better view at the TV screen that there were many empty seats on Dennis' side that were also closer to the screen. His response was that he just wanted to introduce himself. It turned out that he was a 'teeny bit' inebriated. He took a great liking to Dennis, asking all kinds of questions. The best question was when he guessed where we were from: "Are you guys from Canada?" The reason why he had thought we were from Canada was quote: "Because you're so nice." We had to laugh really hard. Turns out that (apparently) he was a stock broker, earning millions a year, unhappy in Chicago, looking to relocated to California. So that's when he asked about life in Los Angeles. At the point where he was literally almost sitting on me, we got the check and left. It did make for an entertaining little encounter though.

The next day Dennis and I did our usual running routine. This time we ran up to Lincoln Park where we ran through Lincoln Zoo. It's free to the public, which is absolutely amazing. We saw some random animals and headed back home to get ready for the afternoon Cubs game.

We kept checking the weather in the Internet to see whether it would be canceled due to rain-out. We got lucky and the game took place. We had great seats right behind the dug out where the Cubs were warming up the pitchers. Hey, we were not going to move under the awning, no matter what- whether it was pouring cats and dogs. I knew that. In anticipation, I had brought my rain-proof pants. It was a really fun game. AND, the Cubs won. As they had said about the Cubs during the Comedy Show: There is always hope in the beginning of the season.
I had mentioned that I was going to get a Cubs hat to commemorate this day. Aah, Dennis took it up as his immediate mission. He scouted out the various booths during his beer and hot dogs runs. In the end, I found THE perfect hat. Thank you Dennis and Yvonne!!!

Great seats, right? Great times!

"There is always hope."

Go Cubs! Go!

We didn't have any plans for the evening. After the game finished we did our routine huddle and discussed various options. I absolutely love their attitude. At any given time either of us would throw out ideas, the other two would respond: 'Sure. That sounds fun. Let's do it. What would be the next steps to make it happen?' So easy! No questioning of the time, the reviews, the logistics, the story...

I had seen banners for the new musical that had just started in Chicago: Big Fish. I vaguely remembered the story from when I had seen the movie years ago. I just knew that there was a father telling stories to his son and that there were giants, large fish, and witches. I thought it would make for a great visual. Still in the parking lot next to Wrigley Field, we decided to try to get tickets for the evening. We drove downtown, Dennis jumped out of the car, and minutes later he was back with three tickets for the 8pm show. We quickly stopped back home, had some snacks and left for the muscial.

Snack/Dinner before Big Fish

Here we are, seated in this beautiful theater, waiting for the show to start. The first half was great, as I had remembered: Giants, witches, big fish, father telling stories to his son. Great visuals, great music- all in all very entertaining. Come second half, the plot took an abrupt turn. It reminded me a little of when I had first seen Quentin Tarantino's "From Dusk Til Dawn" years ago. My friend and I had plans to watch another movie, but we were late. By the time we made it to the movie theater, the only option we had was this movie called "From Dusk Til Dawn". I hadn't heard about it prior. While we were already there, we just went for it. Why not? Right? Contrary to the US, in Switzerland there is an intermission half-way through the movie. Here we are watching a movie that looks everything like a police-chase thriller. Intermission comes around, we get some ice cream, return to our seats and one of a sudden there are vampires crawling everywhere. I have to say that the intermission actually underscored the effect. Honestly, we thought we had returned to the wrong theater. Anyways, second half of Big Fish rolls around and the father gets diagnosed with cancer. The remainder of the musical is pretty much about the dying of the father with the most beautiful- yet gut-wrenching songs, sang by his wife, his son, and his friends. When I realized what was happening I started to feel so bad. I couldn't believe that I had dragged Dennis and Yvonne to this play. I had had no idea! I wished to disappear into my seat. I felt horrible. Fortunately, Dennis and Yvonne are their wonderful selves and kept it on the light side. Dennis' comment once the curtains drew close was the gem of the night. He turned to us, saying: ''Cancer- The Musical' They should rename this." [and yes Dennis, your comments are pretty witty!! Hands-down.] In the end though, if I had seen this play anyways, who else better to watch it with then with the two of them? Here's the other part that made me think. Apparently, this musical was only playing in Chicago for five weeks before moving on to Broadway. What were the odds that Dennis and Yvonne would be in town during this time, that we actually decided on short-notice to go watch a play, and that from all the offerings that we picked just this one? Just saying... Things are meant to be a certain way.

On our way home we wanted to have another night cap. Strategically, we decided against the previous bar as we didn't feel like running into the guy from the other night. I knew this other place, Jefferson's Tap, where I hadn't been. Funny thing- we enter, sit down. I turn around and out of the corner of my eye I catch a familiar person. I turn to Yvonne and Dennis:"I think that's him!?" Yep, our little investor was at the same place. We couldn't believe the coincidence. He noticed us as well and after a while came over. We chatted for a while and left it at that.

I had to work on Friday, so Dennis and Yvonne checked out the Art Institute of Chicago. I think that day was the coldest so far. Poor Dennis and Yvonne wore all layers that they had brought along for the trip. In the afternoon we drove out to Shaumburg to visit with Dennis' relatives. It was such a nice time. We had lovely dinner, while stories from the past were revisited. A book should be written just about that. Doesn't life just write the best stories?

Saying Good-Bye the next day was hard. It was so amazing to have you around! Thank you, thank you so much for a wonderful and unforgettable time, for your care, and for your love. It means the world to me. 

And yes, I definitely got my wish fulfilled- I would be asleep before my head even hit the pillow...  :)

One week after I did the Pancan 5K race up in Lincoln Park. Below are some impressions. The event was absolutely wonderful. The organizers did a fabulous job in putting it together.

A sea of purple.

After the race, fot me purple ribbon, and was cooling down on the beach.

Missing you, Tyler

Everything happens for a reason, right? I have to think that way, otherwise, I would go crazy. It's hard to accept. I am where I am because of you, Tyler. You have changed my life in so many ways. You have helped me shape becoming the person I am today. You have enriched my life beyond description. Because of you I have been blessed with Dennis and Yvonne, who have taken me on as I was their own daughter. You're always be my little hubbily, always. I carry you in my heart forever. You, the memories of you, your heart are in a safe place with me, forever.

Dennis and Yvonne- I love you two so much! Thank you for everything. Thank you for you. I'll be sure to make my way over to SP as soon as possible...