Chicago....Ahh!

So the Chicago trip with Kelly was really relaxing! We got caught up in a traffic jam just south of the city - which turned out to be a jack-knifed truck. The highway ended up being closed down for hours so the police re-routed us off the highway (into the "hood") and we had no idea which way to go. It was totally cloudy - so we couldn't just look for downtown. So we

decided to act like we were on the Amazing Race and find our way! Turned out to be quite an adventure with one of us (hard to believe but not me!!) having to find a bathroom. Along the way we ran across a chicken restuarant called "Hienie's". Ewww! Being the mature people we are....I HAD to get a picture of it! The other pictures are views from the hotel. It was great. The city looked beautiful all decked out for the holidays with lights and snow. Did some Christmas shopping, too.

And what a difference a week can make. It is a good thing we didn't try and go this weekend. Megan and I have spent each of the past two mornings shoveling off the driveway. Snow, then ice, then rain, ice and snow! The winds are making it like blizzard conditions today. Which made it a little difficult for Katie driving to work this morning. She ended up off the side of the road. She's fine and nobody else was around her - so we just had to get her out of the ditch. Good lesson learned about gusting winds, probably a little too much speed and slick roads!

Laura was in from Virginia Monday and Tuesday. It was great to see her. She actually didn't leave until Friday night, but our schedules just didn't work out for the last few days of her business trip. Good thing she flew out before all the fun weather! Then again, maybe not. It would have been fun to have her snowbound here for the weekend! I had an extra shovel.....

All my shopping is finished and now the wrapping can begin! I'm really trying not to do a "marathon" event as usual. Wish me luck!

Thanks, again, to Kelly for helping me recharge my batteries! Nothing like a few drunken rounds of "Don't Forget the Lyrics" to make you feel on top of the world!