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We decided to get an early start today because the plan was to go down to Indiana to shop. Jim said he knew some good places, apart from Costco where we could look for Christmas trees because neither of us are willing to spend upwards of $300 for a tree this year. So we went on down to Munster for breakfast at the Riviera which is your basic Hot Brown Food restaurant, and it didn't disappoint. V. nice, very lemony hollandaise on the eggs benny and good, crisp cottage fries which they called "hash browns."
From there we hit Old Time Pottery in Clarksville, and I have to tell you the prices there were amazing. We found our 6' pre-lit trees on sale for $59.95. They're not spectacular-looking by any stretch but the way I figure it is that we'd end up spending that much for a real tree which we'd toss out at the end of the holiday, so if we truly hate these, we can get better ones next year and donate these to some church or something (Jim's suggestion.) We also got lights, garlands and wreaths for the doors and porch, and some extension cords. Unbreakable ornaments for the trees in front, and a a couple of gold wicker trees with glitter and a gold deer for the porch. Also picked up: Cookie tins because it'll be baking time, soon, ornaments for our new trees, and a SHITLOAD of Christmas fribble because -- speaking for myself anyway -- I'm starting almost from scratch this year having lost most of my Christmas stuff in the flood a few years ago. Since this is the first Christmas in years that I'm looking forward to, I'm not going to skimp even if it means having to put off some other stuff.
Well, by the time we finished (and we spent hours in that store; there are literally aisles of metal pieces for gardens or interiors) we realized that there was no way we could fit another thing into the car so the trip to Costco was canceled. Instead we did some driving around, looking at Munster, Hammond, Whiting, etc., and finally ended up at El Taco Real in Hammond where I had the best damn pozole ever, and a good margarita, too.
We drove back via Lake Shore Drive and even though it was kind of hazy, and overcast this evening, the view of the city was still beautiful. I do love Chicago, though I confess that some of the properties we looked at this afternoon were amazing and made me think that since money goes further in smaller towns, it might not be a bad thing to move out of the city one day. Though Dawn and I both tend to want to go north to the Madison area rather than into Indiana.
After we unloaded we went upstairs and watched the Good Eats 10th anniversary show, and then a whole lot of House Hunters, HHI and finally Color Splash, and mercilessly ridiculed every buyer and every home. By 11:30 I was almost punchy so I thought I'd best come down, do my email and all, and then get to bed. I'm a whole lot poorer (so is Dawn) but Christmas will be kind of pretty this year, and that's a Good Thing.
From there we hit Old Time Pottery in Clarksville, and I have to tell you the prices there were amazing. We found our 6' pre-lit trees on sale for $59.95. They're not spectacular-looking by any stretch but the way I figure it is that we'd end up spending that much for a real tree which we'd toss out at the end of the holiday, so if we truly hate these, we can get better ones next year and donate these to some church or something (Jim's suggestion.) We also got lights, garlands and wreaths for the doors and porch, and some extension cords. Unbreakable ornaments for the trees in front, and a a couple of gold wicker trees with glitter and a gold deer for the porch. Also picked up: Cookie tins because it'll be baking time, soon, ornaments for our new trees, and a SHITLOAD of Christmas fribble because -- speaking for myself anyway -- I'm starting almost from scratch this year having lost most of my Christmas stuff in the flood a few years ago. Since this is the first Christmas in years that I'm looking forward to, I'm not going to skimp even if it means having to put off some other stuff.
Well, by the time we finished (and we spent hours in that store; there are literally aisles of metal pieces for gardens or interiors) we realized that there was no way we could fit another thing into the car so the trip to Costco was canceled. Instead we did some driving around, looking at Munster, Hammond, Whiting, etc., and finally ended up at El Taco Real in Hammond where I had the best damn pozole ever, and a good margarita, too.
We drove back via Lake Shore Drive and even though it was kind of hazy, and overcast this evening, the view of the city was still beautiful. I do love Chicago, though I confess that some of the properties we looked at this afternoon were amazing and made me think that since money goes further in smaller towns, it might not be a bad thing to move out of the city one day. Though Dawn and I both tend to want to go north to the Madison area rather than into Indiana.
After we unloaded we went upstairs and watched the Good Eats 10th anniversary show, and then a whole lot of House Hunters, HHI and finally Color Splash, and mercilessly ridiculed every buyer and every home. By 11:30 I was almost punchy so I thought I'd best come down, do my email and all, and then get to bed. I'm a whole lot poorer (so is Dawn) but Christmas will be kind of pretty this year, and that's a Good Thing.
