chicago: round 2

Jess and i were supposed to go to Kansas City this weekend but instead, Bryan and I went to Chicago. Jess gave us correct directions to the train station (we were both shocked) and we met up with Alex and went to Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza. We enjoyed some Glühwein (yes, I had to look that up) and took a lap around the booths. At 8:30 we realized that American Girl Place closes at 9 so we had to book it up Michigan Avenue to make it in time (to Bryan & Alex's dismay). We took the train back to the Union Station area and had a drink at Elephant & Castle. We made a new friend, Cindy who told us all about her messy divorce and questionable lineage and insulted us in Irish Gaelic but ended up picking up our tab so it was okay. She called Bryan a Nebraskan Dork-Wad but I really doubt that she really knew how to say "Nebraskan" in Gaelic.

Bryan and I drove up to McHenry and hung out with the Ecklund clan. I forgot to warn Bryan about the Ecklunds but we were okay. We woke up and took a tour of McHenry and hung out with Bill and then headed to the Andrew Bird show. It was so so so great. I couldn't believe so much was going on with only 2 people on the stage. He would play something live, sample it, loop it, and play/sing/whistle over it. It was so beautiful. He kept singing things that I didn't want to forget so I sent myself about 5 text messages with lines like "I was the cartographer of the tangles in your hair."

Sunday Bryan and I took Dan to O'Hare and grabbed lunch with Alex before getting the heck out of the suburbs. Dinner with Crissa and Tim in the 'loo and then Bryan left even though we tried to convince him that class isn't as cool as us. So here I am again in Cedar Falls, listening to the mixtapes Bryan made Luke and refusing to pack up my stuff and get back in the car.