Boy am I tired

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Yesterday I attended a 25th wedding anniversary party. I'd known Jan since before she met Matt, and have seen them through three really great kids, a partnership in Matt's firm, and one of those remarkable homes you see on the really pricey eps of House Hunters. So I really wanted to be there, and made plans accordingly. I left my house at 3:15 yesterday afternoon and hiked up to Irving Park. And then I waited and waited and waited for a bus. Finally I saw one coming from the other direction and ran across to catch it. I took it to one of the lines that would take me up to Jefferson Park, and was lucky enough to arrive just in time to hop the NW line Metra train into the city. Then I bought a ticket out to Glen Ellyn, and sat down to wait. I'd brought my Kindle so I was content.

I wasn't supposed to arrive until about 6:30 but was getting kind of restive so I hopped the 5:34 train out which was a semi-express, and told Rich I'd be there about 6:10. The train was packed, so when a skinny guy with one of those English race car driver's hats got on he only had a couple of choices and he sat down (predictably) next to a nice-looking young woman directly in front of me. And then he struck up a conversation. Not to put too fine a point on it, it was a pick-up. and she figured out pretty quickly (as I did) that he wasn't the sort of guy that would necessarily be fun to go out with. Everything he said, he finished up with: "I don't mean it THAT way." or something similar. I wanted to say "Dude, then say what you really mean." And he hated everything. But he didn't hate it THAT way, I guess." By the time we were pulling into our station, he was not only pontificating on the Chicago restaurant scene, but every other word was "fuck." It's not that I'm such a Polly Pure type. I use the f-word with alarming frequency, but you have to learn not to toss it around that way in front of people you don't really know if you don't want them to think you're some sort of crazy person.

So as we were all collecting our stuff, she half turned and caught my eye and I gave her a look and sort of mouthed "noooooooo" at her, at which she started to giggle and we both had to turn away. Then we caught each others' eyes again and she gave me a kind of "OMGWTFBBQ?" look and I started to laugh. Finally he got up and left and the woman in front of her turned around and said "Oh my GOD, I couldn't believe it." I left them in the middle of a convo because I had to get moving, but honestly the nice female bonding moment just made me smile.

The party itself was lovely. It was hors d'oeuvres, cheese and wine, and a big cake modeled on their wedding cake. I spent some time talking to Matt's parents who I see very rarely. We all had a lovely time, I thought. And I got a tour of the amazing house, and invited back many times, which was nice. Though honestly I'm sort of the de facto 5th sister in that family. In fact apart from family, I was the only person at that party who had been at the wedding! I also got a chance to talk to Karen on the way home, which was nice. We rarely have the opportunity any more.

Then today Jim got here early and we went out to breakfast at Family Palace, and then went up to Evanston to The Spice House where we each bought a load of spices, etc. I even got a Christmas gift for someone. We stopped in at a florist and garden place called "Mille Fleurs" and made a long want list for next year including an adorable Talavera pig and some wall art, as well as meeting the two store cats. Why are store cats always so mellow and sedentary?

We went down to a bakery and picked up some noms. A good honest loaf of white bread because sometimes you just have to, a huge chocolate babka which I'm going to cut up and freeze, and something called an "apple scrapple" which is also going to get divided and frozen. The man behind the counter had the most beautiful eyes I've seen in I don't know how long.

From there we went back to VIllage Crossing and hit the pet store and Bloodbath and Beyond for a lot of things we needed for T-day. Skewers, twine, turkey lifters, a platter, etc. I bought a santoku knife and something to keep the draft out of the front hall. Then we headed southwest and had lunch at Culvers, then stopped at Binny's for Thanksgiving wine. Finally, on the way home we stopped at Gene's sausage shop on Belmont, which was a lovely place, and bought some deli meat and cheese, and some Polish food. Let me tell you, getting it all into the house was a trip and a half. ANd now I think I'm going to go sit down and close my eyes for a few minutes. My feet feel like they've been gnawed off.