Ramble
Quest - Savoring the Pause Before Castoff (Chicago)
Of course after waiting so long to finally leave, sorely tempted to take the next plane out of town. Fortunately, I decided it would be better to slow down a bit. After all, this is going to be a long, slow journey, so it would be best to start off at the marathoner's pace instead of the sprinter's.
I've learned that a traveler should always look around at the immediate vicinity first before deciding to move on to somewhere else. True, I've had a few years here in Chicago to see things and visit with friends and family, but all of that time was shadowed by illness and work.
So, I spent a pleasant day with my mother at the Volo Bog, one of my favorite quiet spots in the area. True bogs are scarce these days, and ones with wooden walkways over them are even rarer. Afterwards, we had a good lunch at the always reliable Micky Finn's Brewpub in Libertyville. I remember visiting this place years ago, a few days after it opened. I always order a beer sampler at a new brewpub and the waitress was extra-ordinarily attentive to my comments about the beer, which was and remains quite good. The funny part to the story is that the place was empty except for two guys who kept ordering rounds of bottled Miller Lite. Must have broke the brewer's heart, but he persisted and the place is always busy now.
I stayed at my friend Cary's for a night at his condo in downtown Evanston. I got to try Cary's version of the "Lawnmower Man" or Flogiston chair. He has a comfortable chair that tilts back so that my head is inverted slightly. Then he puts earphones on me that play an odd, pulsing rhythm. Finally, he puts some hooded glasses over my eyes and plugs the glasses into a machine. Immediately, I'm blinded by the pulsing glare of light. As I wince, Cary laughs at himself and apologizes for not telling me to keep my eyes closed - a true Caryism.
OK, so now I have my eyes properly closed and can still clearly see images from the strong, pulsing lights. Cary mans the controls, adjusting both sound and light to produce various moods. I'm not sure if the moods on the controls are accurate, but the total effect was quite interesting and appropriately trippy.
I was able to spend some time with my friend Al as he waited for his condo to be completed. I took a pleasant bike ride on the North Shore and Green Bay paths with my friend Mike. I went to a lakeside concert with my sister Jeannie in Waukegan. I visited the new Milwaukee Art Museum (the strange boat-like building near the lake) with my sister Peggy and brother-in-law Steve.
I had some time to myself as well for more biking, trying to get my knee ready to carry a backpack. I spent some time rewatching some old movies and reading a bit. Basically, I had some time to breath and it was most appreciated.
Just before departing for San Francisco, I had a fabulous farewell lobster dinner with my uncle, father, Peggy, Steve and a few others. The lobsters were flown in live from Maine and pulled from the ocean the day before. We had delicious berries for dessert and toasted the future with a wonderful 1970 vintage port that I brought back from a trip to Portugal.
Before departing, leave in style!