I had a half day of work today. Mom and Grandpa Thomas came to Chicago for a visit. We wanted to see where my Grandpa lived when he lived in Chicago from the age of 15-21.
I met them at Union Station and we walked down to the Palmer House Hilton, where I got my hair highlighted. It cost me $85. We had lunch at Berghoff's Restaurant on Adams Street. It was a delicious German restaurant. Showed Grandpa my first apartment on Dearborn. We went to the top of my old apartment building to get a view of the city.
Then, we went to Navy Pier and had dinner at Bubba Gumps. We took a ride on the ferris wheel and were able to get a great view of the city at night.
Shawn and I went to the movie 'There's Something About Mary'. It was hilarious! Then, we went shopping at the Eddie Bauer store. Shawn, Katy, and I went to the Venetian Festival to watch the boat parade and the fireworks. It was sad for me as I just found out Shawn got a promotion and was going to be moving to Columbus, Ohio in 3 weeks. I have been wanting to move somewhere warmer and hoping to move down to Orlando to be closer to my grandmother. I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to move up the ladder at IRI, so thought this might be a good time to start exploring my options.
Went to the movie, "Mask of Zorro" with Diane from the bible study. Then, I took the 'El' at 5:30 to the Berwyn stop and went to my friend, Lilly Martinez's baby shower for her son Issaiah. It was also an engagement party for Lilly and Otis. We had some traditional Mexican food. Yolanda Thomas came to the party. We had cake and everyone had sparklers. We danced in her parent's backyard to Hispanic music which was fun. All of us at work chipped in and got her a stroller and some clothes. Yolanda dropped me off at my apartment.
Ed Slivinskas invited all of us from work to his party. Shawn and I took the Metra train to the southwest suburbs. We had a beer on the train. Ed picked us up at the Worth stop. Jennifer Lovato was at the party. She worked with us at IRI and was dating Ed. She had had a brain tumor and had been getting radiation treatments since May. I felt so bad for her. She was so young to be going through all of that.
Lisa Giles and Josh Bulak came to the party, too. Ed had bought a new Corvette that he had always wanted. We played a car race and Mr. Frogger game on Nintendo. Then, we played darts and basketball. We all had a good time hanging out at Ed's house. Then, Ed brought us back to the train station in La Grange the next morning.
I talked to Lilly on the phone. She invited me to come see her and the baby at her parent's house at 1062 W. Berwyn, so I took the 'El' up there and visited for about 3 1/2 hours. I met her niece Lauren and her friend, Julissa. They had a very nice home there. Issaiah was so cute.
I decided that I wanted to take the 'El' to Oak Park to check it out. I went to the movie 'Truman Show' there. Then, I went to the Gap store on Harlem/Lake and got a baby baseball cap and t-shirt for Lilly's new son, Issaiah, who was born on July 9th. Then, I decided to take the Orange line out to the Midway airport. I was wondering what it was like to go through that part of town. I watched the planes lift off and walked along the moving escalators. I really tried to make myself learn the areas around Chicago, so I would have an idea. I believe that when I visit or live in a new place, that I need to drive all over town to get a better understanding.
Mom brought me to the train station in Holland for my trip back to Chicago. When I got home, I had a phone message from Wayne's friend, Lisa Giles. We had a nice conversation. She had gone to college at the University of Kentucky. She was telling me about Wayne and what a nice fella he is.
Work got out at 3 p.m for the July 4th holiday. Wayne was going to Vegas tonight. I sat in the Great Hall at Union Station waiting for my Amtrak to depart.
On Friday, I went to visit Grandma Gonyo. She now has the Tom Selleck poster that Pauline liked on the back of her bathroom door. Then, mom and I went to the Muskegon Art Fair. Mom showed me her new office at CMH in the old Baker College campus on Apple Ave. Then, we went to Frosty Oasis for ice cream.
Then, I went to Lisa Micka Boersema's new house. I went with her to Dukes Bar on Broadway and we visited with Crystal McWilliams. Crystal was a bartender there.
Talked to Patty on the phone. Found out that Matthew and his half-brother were playing with a BB gun and one pellet hit the tree and bounced back and landed just below Matthew's right eye.
On Saturday, July 4th, mom and I drove to Grand Rapids to see Kelsey and Matt's new daughter, Emma Denise Vanzanten. She was born on June 30th, weighing 6 pounds, 8 oz. Devon was holding Emma which was so cute. Then, we went to visit Steve and Charlene. They had gone to Vegas, Sedona, and the Grand Canyon.
Got a phone call from Kara inviting me to her house to go swimming in their pool, so I went over there. After that, we went with Grandpa & Grandma Thomas to Jack and Jill Ranch in Rothbury. I thought the golf course was beautiful. Grandpa showed us his favorite place to golf. The owner let us each take a golf cart and drive it around. That was so much fun! I wanted to drive it forever. Then, we all had dinner at this Italian restaurant in Montague.
Josh Bulak, Yolanda Thomas, and I went to the Taste of Chicago to see Chaka Khan sing. We also got all of our food samples, too. Then, Josh and I went to Charlie's Ale up in Lincoln Park to meet Tami and Theresa from bible study. Josh liked both of them. He saw their picture and wanted to meet them.
Posts
