Chicago Postcard, Days 2 & 3

My brother Paul lives in Minneapolis. We're 13 years apart and he's lived in the midwest most of my life. He went to college in Indianapolis and started his career there, moved back to Boston when I was in high school, and relocated to Minneapolis two years ago. Despite the age difference and distance, we've always been close friends. He managed the start of my pop culture education, recommending movies and red-faced explaining my questions about the subtext on Three's Company. Since Minneapolis is only an hour's flight away from Chicago, we made plans for him to visit while I'm here.

He flew in on Thursday morning, planning to buy tickets for a Cubs game. We took the El to the Wrigley area and found an unremarkable place to eat lunch. Over a reuben (him) and eggs benedict (me) we discussed our shame at following the Jon & Kate Plus 8 situation and the progress we've made in turning into our parents. Afterwards, he went to find tickets and I headed to Lakeville to find a bookstore I can't remember the name or location of. I never found it, but I did find Ragstock and some thrift stores, and bought a crochet beret that I will wear all summer and see in pictures next year and wonder what the hell I was thinking.

On Friday morning we were off to the Chicago History Museum. It's field trip season and we were there at the same time as Ms. Hayward's class. A short summary: Chicago is named after a stinky wild onion, it's perfectly situated to be a trading post, race/class riots, Mrs. O'Leary's cow didn't really kick over the lantern that started the fire, trains are awesome, and the 1968 Democratic Convention was held at the Conrad Hilton. Each time I read the hotel name my brain immediately asked "The Conrad Bain Hilton"? and I pictured a crowd of Yippies chanting "The whole world is wat'choo talking 'bout Willis?"

Paul had to head to the airport to catch his flight, and I headed towards Old Town without any plans. My stomach brought me to Minnies, a restaurant that takes the whole sliders fad to a new level. Their menu is full of mini sandwiches, and you order several of them. Their frite sauce doesn't live up to the hype, though. I resorted to catsup.

On my way back to the El, I found Aroma Work Shop, a fantastic little place where you can mix your own fragrances and add the scents to beauty products. I was the only one in the store, had the perfumer's full attention, and went full olafactory geek as I sniffed everything. They have a "baby" scent, which I mixed with honesuckle in an exfoliating scrub, which pairs with a grapefuit & pink sugar bubble bath. As I was leaving, I found the perfect keep-it-forever souvenir of this trip: a little pomander to wear around my neck, filled with lilac scent. The lilacs have been in bloom the entire time I've been in Chicago, and every few blocks I'd be hit by the scent and I'd have to stop to find the source so I could literally stop and smell the - well, lilacs.

I started to feel a headache coming on, no doubt brought on by the schedule distruption and not having had any caffine. I went back to the apartment to get rid of it and ended up getting some work done even though Jon & Kate Plus 8 was on. Again.