Sunday, July 13, 2025

Last night I went to bed at 9:45, took a little while to fall asleep, got up once at 5:15, finally waking/getting up at 6:45am.

We left the apt at 9:15 and drove to First Watch on Mannheim Road.

It was quite busy, so this time we sat outside and Teresa had the Avocado toast and link sausage and I the French Toast and we both had coffee.

After we finished eating, I went inside and had a few words with the manager. I told him I intend this as constructive criticism but the waitress’ response of “sure” when told they forgot Teresa’s link sausage was not an appropriate response. Also, she needs more communication and less giggling. Still, I tipped her $5 on a $46.22 check. Amazing how you can pay from your table.

We drove to Chicago Fashion Outlet Mall where Teresa looked in Lululemon for the same cap she found in Woodfield. They didn’t have it so I told her we can stop there later on our way to meet my brother for supper.

I drove us to Wal-Mart on Touhy where we bought gift bags, face cream (for her arts & crafts friend) and vitamins (for Esmeralda) for $22.34.

I drove us back to the apt.

I did a load of whites with Teresa advising like she knows these machines and I’ve never done laundry before.

We left at 4pm and drove to Woodfield so Teresa could buy her wide brim cap in Lululemon. (Often it’s difficult to remember exactly where you parked the car, not this time though.) We continued on to Jameson’s Charhouse in Arlington Heights where we met my brother and Joan for supper. All the food was delicious and I gave him the medications he ordered and he gave me my new laptop and Amazon Firestick 4k Max.

We left about 7pm and returned to the apt.

I finished the coleslaw from last night.

I balanced my USAA checking account statement. This one was pretty easy because it was always in balance.

I unboxed my new laptop, recycled all the cardboard, reducing its size significantly.

 

BURMA SHAVE

Saturday, July 12, 2025

Last night I went to bed at 10:15, took a while to fall asleep, finally waking/getting up at 6:15.

The weather prediction seems the same as yesterday but today we’re going to give it a shot. Since its Saturday there are less trains, so I’m looking at the 9:55am train getting us in at 10:47.

We left the apt at 8:15, and today I parked in a nearly empty train parking lot for $2. We walked to the station where I used a machine to buy us one-way tickets for $14 (I thought the other day they were only $11.) We walked across the street to the Sugar Bowl where we had a nice lazy breakfast. This time I added an English Muffin as my side and Teresa got pancakes which she shared with me.

The total check was about $35 and I left a $7 tip (got rid of a lot of my change).

At 9:40 we walked across the street and it was a short wait for the train. We sat downstairs for a change and arrived 15 minutes early at the station but it waited outside 10-15 minutes for a track to become available.

I bought us one-way Water Taxi tickets to Michigan Ave and we immediately stepped onto a boat that was just leaving. This is a photo from the boat of the restaurant we hope to return to for lunch later.

We walked the 4 blocks or so south to the Art Institute.

There was a line outside but it moved quickly. Once inside there was another line in a side room to purchase tickets. It moved fairly quickly also. When it was my turn I told the salesgirl, “General Admission, 2 seniors, 1 a resident” and started to hand over Teresa’s passport and my Illinois driver’s license. She asked me if I was military and I replied, “not now”. She asked if I was ever in the military and I replied, “well, I do have an honorable discharge but I don’t have it with me”. She replied, “not important, both your tickets are complimentary”. Sweet!

There were signs that the exhibition of Frida Kahlo’s Month in Paris: A Friendship with Mary Reynolds was sold out and I couldn’t believe the long line of people waiting to get in to see it. (I guess her month in Paris was better than our month in Chicago.)

We stepped into the first hall and started looking at the paintings. Jimmy soon joined us and guided us to the best areas: The 3^rd floor to see the Modern Art including Picasso (Teresa’s request), 2^nd floor for Impressionism and Arts of Europe and the Lower level to the Thorne Miniature Rooms (Jimmy’s recommendation).

In the end, we saw Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait, Seurat’s Sunday on La Grande Jatte and Picasso’s The Old Guitarist but missed Grant Wood’s American Gothic and Edward Hooper’s Nighthawks (I’ve seen a print in the Museo de Antioquia).

We left about 2:30, Jimmy had some other plans for later but we’ll meet up again for breakfast Monday morning.

We walked back to the river and down to Riverwalk and continued on to Tiny Tapp & Cafe but this time we had a 30-minute wait for a table. It was a beautiful, but warm day, made much more comfortable when you’re sitting at a table in the shade.

Teresa had the same Flatbread Cesar salad sandwich with a Coke and I the smash burger with waffle fries and 2 Cokes. 

The check, at least what my credit card account says, was $59.09+$15 for a total of $74.09. Well, the food was surprisingly good.

It was interesting to sit and watch the world, in all its different variations, 😊 walk by.

We left about 4pm and walked back to Michigan Avenue and crossed over the river to a long line waiting for a Wendella boat. I took this photo while standing on the corner of Rush & South Water Street.

A boat was just about to leave as we arrived but the next boat seemed to have enough space for the entire line.

Most everyone headed upstairs but we took seats in the cooler downstairs.

We arrived at Union Station and at first I thought the line next to us was to another exit. I then saw that the line was for buying tickets. We got up and moved to the exit and I saw them taking down the plank to the station. I was wondering if they hadn’t lined up the boat correctly. A few seconds later I asked, “where are we going?”, and was told, “Chinatown”. I told them we wanted to get off here. They said they announced the station but I didn’t here anything. I asked where the restroom was and they told me it was out of order. ☹ Not so good! So, we waited through another round trip to Chinatown and we just missed the 6:30 train to Des Plaines when we returned to Union Station. I purchased 2 one-way tickets to Des Plaines at a machine for $11. We went back inside the station and bought an ice cream cone at Burger King that we shared.

We took the train back to Des Plaines then stopped at Shop n Save where Teresa bought 5 Granny Smith apples (she says they are much sweeter here than Medellin) and I Friday’s Sun-Times (and I took a photo of the crossword answers in Saturday’s edition).

We returned to the apt and got ready for bed.

 

BURMA SHAVE

 

Friday, July 11, 2025

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once at 5:30, finally waking/getting up at 6:30am.

We left the apt at 8:15 and had breakfast in Egg Harbor Cafe in The Glen. Teresa had the Caprese Avocado Toast (with a Spanish assist from our waiter) and I the Traditional Breakfast. We both had coffee and the total was $53.85 including tip. (Later, Teresa read me the riot act about the cost of food, insisting that she cook our meals to save money.)

We walked around The Glen and Teresa guided me into a store. I could see it was a sporting goods store and when we took the escalator up, I thought, “this looks like the Dick’s Sporting Goods store in Schaumburg. I saw a sign a minute later that told me it was a Dick’s Sporting Goods store. Teresa found a purse on sale and I bought a present for my son. I can’t believe they think they’re going to sell all these water bottles:

We spent quite a bit of time in the store then checked out a few more stores in The Glen. I felt too warm in my hiking pants and t-shirt so we made a stop at the apt.

I changed into shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt.

Teresa wanted to check out a different Lulumon and by process of elimination I figured it wasn’t the Chicago Fashion Outlet Mall or Old Orchard Mall.

We left about an hour later and I drove us to Woodfield Mall and parked at the entrance closest to the Lulumon store. Teresa checked it out then decided Laura, who has been praising it as a discount store, must have been there on a sale day.

We went nearby to a Dick’s Sporting Goods store Teresa again checked out the prices.

I drove us to a nearby Oberweis Dairy in Rolling Meadows. We had the same Banana Royale as yesterday 

but I was surprised it was more expensive at $13.11. After we finished our ice cream I inquired about why it was more expensive here than Glenview, specifically I questioned the $1.69 charge.

It turned out the sales boy pushed the wrong button so they reimbursed me almost $2.  (The manager had no idea what the difference was between a High Tax and a Local Tax.)

I stopped nearby at a GNC to inquire about my Calendula flower capsules but, as expected, they don’t carry them.

It was 5:30 when I drove us back to the apt.

We left the apt at 7:30 and drove to KFC 8 minutes away. I ordered a 5-piece original recipe combo with 4 sides (2 mashed potato and 2 cole slaw) for $16. Teresa loved the mashed potatoes and the chicken (even though she still picked off the skin). She said it was much tastier than Frisby. We finished it with just the water in our thermos.

We’re going to try again tomorrow for the Art Institute, weather permitting.

 

BURMA SHAVE

 

Thursday, July 10, 2025

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, slept through the night, finally waking/getting up at 6:30am.

We left the apt at 8:30 and arrived at his building at 9:30. Luckily, I found a parking spot on his block. After I parked, I got out and checked all the nearby signs to make sure I was parked legally.

We met Jimmy with Murray outside his building in River North. Murray is a 12-year-old Plott Hound with its distinctive coloring.

He walked us a couple blocks away to the Breakfast House where we had a nice breakfast.

Here’s a video of the elevated train that Chicago is noted for, taken from our breakfast table

Jimmy picked up the check while I was in the restroom. He guided us to the lake and we walked south on a nice multi-use path next to the lake.

We walked about 20 minutes south than returned to his building and saw his apartment.

We said goodbye with plans to meet again before we return to Colombia.

I was happy to see I didn’t get a parking ticket.

Teresa wanted ice cream so I drove us to Oberweis Dairy again in Glenview. Today she ordered something different, a delicious Banana Royale that we shared.

I drove us back to the apt and we rested for a while.

I thought we were going to a café for a while then go play miniature golf again but when we reached the car Teresa said she was hungry.

We drove to Twin Dragon (Korean influenced Chinese restaurant) where we shared spring rolls and a plate of chicken fried rice. I also had hot tea for a total of $20.13 and I left $3 for a tip.

We drove to the Mango House Café, so close to our apt we could almost walk to it, where I had a Taiwanese decaf latte for $6.04 while Teresa worked on her latest purse project. It started pouring while we were there and when it lessened, we made our escape back to the apt.

I texted my son about a trip to the Art Institute tomorrow and he’ll probably meet up with us at some point.

 

BURMA SHAVE

 

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once at 5:30, finally waking/getting up at 7:30am.

We left at 9:30 and drove to the Niles Diner for breakfast. I suspected something was up when I didn’t see any cars in their parking lot. We walked up to the door and saw a sign, “On vacation. Returning August 11^th.” Well, that won’t work for us.

I drove us to Elly’s Pancake House where I ordered Avocado Toast for Teresa and 2 eggs over easy with hash browns and pancakes for me. I got a side of sausage patties for myself with the idea of trading it for Teresa’s bacon but it turned out her bacon was mixed in with her Avocado Toast. ☹  I gave her one of my patties but she thought it was too spicy. Breakfast was $47, including tip which I paid in cash with one of my $50 bills.

I drove us a few hundred yards down Milwaukee to The Grove which was much more pleasant this time in cooler temperatures.

We hadn’t walked very far when we encountered this young buck (deer) with velvet antlers. It certainly wasn’t afraid of humans:

DEER 1 VIDEO

We walked into the woods a little bit but I think Teresa was a little afraid (of getting lost? Of being attacked?) so we didn’t venture far. We stopped in the Interpretive Center to use their restrooms and took the opportunity for this photo:

Teresa found a bracelet she liked for $12. The receipt calls it a Lava Bracelet but the worker said it’s a Jasper Dalmatian signifying positivity and happiness.

We went outside and sat on a bench and saw this doe up close and friendly.

Teresa walked closer to it and said the fruit under the tree was “apple”, as I got closer it looked more like a “pear”. I smelled the fruit and “osage orange” flashed in my brain and I googled it and sure enough that’s what it was:

So I guess I haven’t forgotten all my trees.

We soon left and Teresa wanted ice cream so I drove us to the Oberweis Dairy again where she had a scoop of coconut and I chocolate chip. A couple girls came in with their mother and grandmother and had ice cream cones. I had set up the chessboard correctly but the girls sat down and pushed the pieces into the middle of the board. I thought they were just making space for themselves but they were just switching sides. They set up the pieces correctly but didn’t play. They left and we left soon afterward.

I drove us through Glenview’s Flick Park on the way back to the apt.

Teresa took a nap while I updated my blog notes.

It wasn’t as straight forward as usual, but I managed to balance my Capital One checking account statement for June. Whew!

I was checking the Ravinia schedule when I noticed this for tonight:

We left the apt at 6:30, arriving at Ravinia just after 7pm. It cost $25 for parking tonight, compared to $10 last time. ☹ Entry for two was the same $68, making for an expensive evening. I set up the table and chairs and after a trip to the restroom we checked out the food court. We weren’t impressed with the offerings and ended up getting hotdogs ($16) again. The music started right at 7:30 and tonight was cooler (I’m talking temperature here) than before. I had brought a jacket but Teresa forgot to bring hers so she wrapped my jacket around her legs (she was in shorts and I my hiking pants). After we finished our hotdogs she stuck her legs in the chair bags allowing me to put my jacket on. It was so cold we ended up leaving at 8:45 and drove back to the apt. ☹ Poor planning on our part.

 

BURMA SHAVE

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once at 3:30, finally waking/getting up at 6:30am.

We left the apt at 8:15 and had breakfast at the Sugar Bowl. Teresa spent some time talking to the manager in Spanish before we had even ordered our food. She’s from Costa Rica and Teresa gave her the contact information of her breast surgeon in Medellin. We finally ordered and got our food and as we were finishing up I realized our train would arrive in 20 minutes or we would have to wait an hour for the next one. I made a quick trip to the restroom, paid the bill and we drove across the tracks to where we had parked last time. As I was driving on the opposite side of the parking lot when I noticed 2 empty spaces but when I got around to them they were Handicapped Parking. I moved to the west lot and found a nice spot to park but then I couldn’t find the machine to pay. We walked to the station and I asked the first guy I saw and he said there was a payment machine at the end of the parking lot. I went back, took a quick photo of our license plate and walked to the far end of the lot where I quickly paid the $2 daily fee. By then our train was coming into the station and we ran back and caught the train just in time.

I paid $11 on the train for 2 one-way tickets to Chicago.

We arrived at Union Station around 10:15 and stopped at the same restroom as last time but today they were closed for cleaning. I asked a worker the location of the nearest restroom and he explained we had to go back upstairs, outside track 9, halfway down the track and downstairs to the next available restroom. We did and retraced our steps and had a little wait for the next Water Taxi to Michigan Ave. We walked 3 blocks south and thru Millenium Park

 to The Bean where Jimmy soon joined us.

He guided us toward the lake then turned south to Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park.

On our way back we stopped in the Chicago Cultural Center and viewed a Haitian exhibit. We returned to the river and down to Riverwalk where we followed the river to a restaurant named Tiny Tapp where we had lunch. 

Teresa had a flatbread Cesar chicken sandwich that she said was delicious and I an Italian Beef sandwich with au jus that was surprisingly good. Jim had a burger and we all had Cokes and Jim picked up the check. It started raining so Jim headed out before it got stronger. We left a few minutes later and retraced our steps to Des Plaines (ground was much wetter there) and returned to our apt by car.

We took a nap (lots of walking downtown) as we were pretty tired.

Teresa made pasta for supper.

Tomorrow night, if Jeannie & Jacob’s dinner plans with another couple don’t fall through, we’ll return to Ravinia to hear the Cuban pianist, Chucho Valdes. Weather permitting!

We went to bed at 10pm.

 

BURMA SHAVE

Monday, July 7, 2025

 Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once during the night, finally waking/getting up at 6:30am.

We left the apt at 9am and drove to First Watch in Schaumburg where we had breakfast with Bart. He reminded me we met briefly in December, 2019 just before the pandemic. He mentioned some names I hadn’t heard in a while: Chuck, Mickey, and Nygel. He surprised me with how good his Spanish was when he talked directly with Teresa. He says he has his cellphone set to Spanish and he listens to the Caracol radio station. I gifted him a bag of Colombian coffee and he picked up the check.

We stopped next door in Michael’s where Teresa spent some time looking for her jewelry accessories. She finally found a few accessories she could use.

I drove to a Home Depot and bought a paint scraper for $7.

We drove to Memorial Park in Elgin where again I made a wrong turn but after consulting the map I found the parking spot easily. Then we had to look a bit to find her grave marker. Teresa had gloves on and I used the scraper to cut back the grass so it wouldn’t cover the headstone.

I got a little lost going to Jewel, ended up at Elgin Fresh Market where I bought a dozen roses, a 4-pack of toilet paper, and 2 Advil.

Back at the cemetery we left the roses on her headstone and prayed for her to rest in peace.

I drove us to Parlor Doughnuts where we each had lattes and shared a Sandy Beach donut.

Teresa worked on her latest purse while I checked some things online. Later I had another latte and a coconut filled donut.

We left at 5pm and drove to Chicago Fashion Outlet Mall in Rosemont. We finally found Tory Burch where a saleslady spoke Spanish and assisted Teresa in exchanging the purse Laura gifted her for another (and an additional $10). Teresa needed a gift for her mother and we finally found a pretty pair of tennis shoes in Nike for only $38.58, tax included.

I drove us to Glenview and Des Plaines where I showed Teresa where I lived with Wives #1 & #2. 😊

I stopped at a BP station and filled the car with gas for $36.52. I stopped at a Fifth Third Bank ATM and withdrew $400 (hopefully my last cash withdrawal for this trip). We had broccoli cheddar soups from Potbelly that we ate outside on a nice evening. I stopped in Shop n Save and bought a Chicago Sun-Times so I could do the crossword puzzle.

I drove us back to the apt where we hung out for a while before going to bed.

 

BURMA SHAVE