Illinois 2015
by Scott Hardie on August 19, 2015
Kelly just wrapped up a weeklong conference in Chicago. I flew in to join her for a few days afterwards to visit family and friends around Illinois.
Trip highlights:
- Adventurous food at the state fair in Springfield: Krispy Kreme donut cheeseburger, deep-fried cheesecake on a stick, Cuban barbecue pork nachos, mmm. I expected it to be pretty bad (and bad for me), but I wound up liking all of it.
- Andy's Jazz Club in Chicago: Great live music, good Cajun food, and good company with Kelly's coworkers relaxing after their last day of the conference. The service was very slow, but that just gave us more time to enjoy the jazz.
- Nobody plays a dirty game of Cards Against Humanity quite like Kelly's family. We made good use of answer cards like "accidentally protesting the wrong Korea," "conjoined twincest," and "Sandy Hook Elementary School."
- Hiking at Starved Rock State Park. I think of Illinois as flat, but it has some decent elevation and views, and you'd better be prepared to climb a lot of stairs in the sun to get there.
Trip lowlights:
- Reminiscent of the honeymoon, Budget left me stranded carless despite my reservation and healthy credit rating. Once again, National rescued us, and the manager went out of his way to get us a comfortable vehicle. I avoided National because of their high rates, but I should have learned my lesson the last time; they're good people and actually want me as a customer.
- The Adler Planetarium in Chicago. I loved it as a child, but now seems overpriced and not terribly stimulating. Perhaps I've been spoiled by Kennedy Space Center and other Florida attractions that raise the bar.
- Being up all night with this shit again before my flight north and aggravation over the rental car. By the time I arrived for drinks and dinner, I hadn't eaten in 30 hours or slept more than a few minutes in two days. A vacation, albeit a rushed one, was just what I needed.
Next summer, Kelly has a conference in New York City. I'm already thinking ahead to the possibilities. :-)
Logical Operator
The creator of Funeratic, Scott Hardie, blogs about running this site, losing weight, and other passions including his wife Kelly, his friends, movies, gaming, and Florida. Read more »
What We Kept
One winter in the mid-1970s, my grandfather Donald was hospitalized with a serious infection in his foot. Being diabetic, he went out of his way for years to avoid any infections or other hazards, but his luck had run out. On Christmas Day, he was informed by the doctors that they would have to amputate his foot the next morning. Go »Rolling Revisionism
In all of the coverage of the execution of Danny Rolling, I keep reading that he was "Florida's most notorious serial killer since Ted Bundy." (link) Umm... Doesn't anybody remember Aileen Wuornos? Go »Crash
There are some dangerous intersections in our neighborhood, where trucks come barreling through after the light turns red. This morning, Kelly and I were waiting at the light when she dropped her sunglasses. "Fuck beans," she muttered, unbuckling her seat belt and leaning forward just as the light turned green. Go »Scary Mary
New horror film? Thanks, Jon. Go »A Friend Received This Fortune in His Fortune Cookie
"Wow! A secret message from your teeth." Go »
